Knock, knock…housekeeping!

I love being home.

You may that remember my September was filled with a LOT of travel- a girls’ trip to the California coast and also one to the San Juan Mountains. Then we soaked in the Southern hospitality of Charleston. Too much fun! No, really. It was too much. Because when I returned home, I had some health issues to deal with that had me in and out of the hospital for the first couple of weeks in October. During WEDDING month, guys. Not optimal timing! Thankfully, we were able to put those worries behind us JUST in time for wedding week! I know, I know… I still owe you a proper recap of the fun from that week. “Teaser” photos are starting to sneak into our inboxes from the photographer- eeee! I’ve got a ton of stories to share- it will take a bit of time. You’ll be patient, won’t you? Here’s a shot from the rehearsal. LOVE.

After the wedding came the magnificent honeymoon, and now the holidays are upon us. There’s so much BLISS to be written about! But before I dive into all of that GOOD STUFF, I’ve got some bloggy housekeeping to attend to.

I just realized that The Usual Bliss has 189 followers. How fun is that? On my Life List, I set a goal to get 50 readers within 1001 days (#76 on the list). I drank champagne way back in May to celebrate reaching my first blogging milestone. And now I’m getting close to 200! Amazing. Thank you all for reading my words. I think my 200^th follower should get a prize of some kind, don’t you? Wheels turning…

Speaking of prizes, remember when I did a little giveaway for the Pay it Forward project? My three winners are the lovely ladies who author The Modage Cottage, Adventures of a Dog Mom, and The Bliss Project. I didn’t forget about you! Do yourselves a favor and drop by these blogs for some inspiration and smiles.

Upon returning from our honeymoon, I was overjoyed to discover that I received The Sunshine Award from Dorena over at Our Thrifty House. Yippee! Our Thrifty House is full of adventures, and food, and family, all with a frugal and eco-conscious eye. Please look at her dog. I DIE. The puppy photos kill me! Also, I am unable to resist making these brownies (pinned!) Thank you, Dorena, for including me on your list of sunshiney blogs!

Part of accepting the award means answering some questions about myself. I’ve done this multiple times if you’re interested in totally random facts about me (here, here, here, here)! Because I’m lazy, I’ll go ahead and use the same questions that lovely Dorena answered. Read on!

Who is your favorite philosopher?  I laughed when I read this first question. I paid attention for approximately 39 seconds in Philosophy 101. So I Googled “quotes by famous philosophers” and found this gem by Sam Keen: “Love isn’t finding a perfect person. It’s seeing an imperfect person perfectly.” True that.
What is your favorite number?  Numero DOS. For no other reason than my birthday falls on the 2^nd day of the month. And haven’t you heard that “first is the worst… second is the BEST”?
What is your favorite animal?  Anything tiny or in baby form. I still can’t get over this video of baby goat Buttermilk (Thanks, Jorie, for the link awhile back!). I name baby rodents in my backyard. Oh, and you might have caught on to my fondness for THIS animal.
What are your Facebook and Twitter?  I have no idea how to TWEET. I am, however, on Pinterest (here I am!) and just now set up a Facebook page for The Usual Bliss. Come visit!
What is your favorite time of day?  Despite my troubled relationship with morning, I do adore the first moments of the day when Cholula crawls up the bed with sleepy ears and says hello. As long as she promptly falls back asleep. Obvious: I also enjoy happy hour.
What is your favorite physical activity?  Playing in the mountains with Cholula! I’m also getting excited for snowboarding this winter… it may be time for a Snow Dance.
What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?  It’s a toss-up between black coffee and really cold milk.
What is your favorite flower?  I truly love all flowers- they are so happy! But if I had to choose, a big fat sunflower would probably win.
What is your passion?  Making sure my loved ones are happy is something I’m very passionate about. Being in the kitchen trying something new brings me joy. Pulling the writing skills out of the cobwebs in my brain has been surprisingly gratifying for me, too.