Valentine Blog Swap Reveal

I am so excited about this blog swap, I can hardly stand it!  It is after all, my first one.  So maybe subsequent blog swaps will not generate this type of elation, but you never know with me.  I linked up with Meg O. for her Valentine Blog Swap:



I was matched up with Ashley at:


Ashley is a wife and brand new mommy to sweet baby Henry.  He is going to be a heartbreaker I tell you!  Ashley and her family currently live in Lexington, KY but in the next few months will be moving to Northern Kentucky.  Very close to where I used to live - what a coincidence!  Be sure to stop by her blog and see what is happening in her little part of the blog world and become a "Follower".  (She and I have talked and we both love our followers! ; )  Now on to the goodies.  On a small budget it is hard to buy something that is nice, not to metion pick something that a virtual stranger is going to like.  Ashley did her homework!  She picked up on the colors of my blog and got me a zebra print insulted drink cup with a reusable straw - the best part of which is the sparkly, hot pink "J".  I also got a bright paisley/flower notepad (I always love to have those handy for grocery lists) and my cup was filled with Valentines chocoalates - HOW FUN!!!!!

Valentine Blog Swap Goodies

Not so good for the weight loss, but yummy none the less!  I would have to say that my first swap was a huge success and so much fun to find a new blog friend that I probably never would have stumbled upon otherwise.  Thank you Ashley, for the sweet gift and I look forward to continuing to follow your blog.  Make sure you click over to Ahley's blog to see what her gift was.  I was so excited for her to get it!  Happy Monday!

It's OK Thursday

I am going to try something a little different today.  I have been neglecting my blog....I know it, but it has been for a good reason.  I have been focusing on other people's blogs.  Seeing how they do it, trying to figure out how to get more traffic to mine, etc.  I know that some people don't care about followers or comments (at least they say they don't), but I do!  Although I love having my blog for me, I also like to know that there are people out there reading, not to mention I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to meet other bloggers!

One thing that I have noticed, is that there are "Link Ups" and "Swaps" all over the blog world.  If anyone else out there is a newbie and isn't sure what a link up is, I will try to explain to the best of my limited knowledge.  A blogger creates a weekly theme and encourages other bloggers to follow the same theme on their blog.  You come along with your newly created blog post of the same theme and link up with the creator of the theme.  Not only do you have a post for the day, but it has the potential to be read by all the people that have linked up as well as your current following.  In a nutshell, it is getting your blog out there in front of a whole new audience.  If you are reading this and find that I am wrong about any of this or am missing something, please feel free to correct me or add to my content.

Since I have had so much swimming around in my head and have really had a hard time focusing here lately, I decided this would be a great day to try a link up......so here goes nothing!

IT'S OK

...if the most exciting part of my day was at 8 AM and it involved this package, and that three weeks of January are practically gone

Love me some erin condren

...if I just started a HUGE scrapbook, and page one and two already have me stumped - this too shall pass

Trust me....it is a hot mess

...if I just got back from vacation two weeks ago and I am already counting down to the next one

...if my son forgot part of his homework at school, but improvised

The rest of his cut out penguins got left at school...hard to tell but he drew one instead.  Horrible pic, but trust me the little guy was cute!

...if I have an aversion to my blog posts not having at least one picture

...if I am thoroughly frustrated that it is January and it is supposed to be almost 80 degrees tomorrow - what the heck kind of Winter is that



....if I am 40 something and LOVED the Hunger Games trilogy and am reading the first Harry Potter

...if I only lost 3 pounds on the first phase of my 24 Day Challenge - that is 3 pounds that I am not carrying around
...if I don't eat meat but you do

...if I am addicted to pictures - the first step is admitting you have a problem ; )

...if I am SUPER excited to find out who I have been paired up with in my first ever Blog Swap

Here is a link for the swap details.

...if I have to tell my son more than once to get out of bed and that it is time for his shower

...if as I quickly run out of "It's OKs", I am frantically worrying if I have listed enough

Well, there it is in all it's glory - my first link up.  It was fun, and I think I may try it again next week!  One thing that I haven't figured out how to do is get the button to link within my post, so if you enjoyed the "IT's OK", please stop by Brunch With Amber to see what she has going on!