Bloggiesta Day #2

What I Did Today:

• Reinsert missing pictures on past blog posts -- Many many images later, I am finished with this task.
• Fix formats on selected old blog posts -- With the transition last December and the transition to a new hosting site this past month, some of my posts are formatting strangely.  I thought I would clean these up.  They were mostly old posts, but I still want to get them clean looking.
• Digital Decluttering Challenge
• Update series to book reviews with links to my reviews -- Mainly I had just a few series to update
• Add book summaries to older posts -- I didn't start consistently adding book summaries to my reviews before 2012.  So, I thought while I was fixing formats, pictures, and series, I should add some of those missing summaries.

Challenges:

• Digital Decluttering from Books A True Story: Goal #2 Declutter by deleting at least 10 files you no longer need. -- Taking a look at my downloads folder, I have 143 items listed.  Most of those were book and movie covers that I downloaded to upload to my blog.  Obviously they are aren't needed.  Once I sorted through the mess, I got down to deleting...  and found myself with 22 remaining files.  I deleted 121 files from my downloads folder.  Woohoo!  I love cleaning (at least digitally cleaning).

Remaining goals list:

1. Update tags for old posts and drafts/scheduled
2. Prep templates/posts through December
3. Clean out Bloglovin'
4. Make review templates for books in TBR piles
5. Prep 2014 feature ideas -- write templates, samples, create badges, etc
6. List/organize 2014 TBR
7. Update TBR spreadsheets

Bloggiesta Day #1

What I Did Today:

• Update Movies spreadsheet -- I finished listing all the movies I've reviewed on my blog plus the date.  I want to make sure that I don't start duplicating movies in the future.
• Update Music Monday spreadsheet -- Completely up to date with artist, song, and date. I really need to update this weekly, but I find it's more like quarterly.  As long as I don't repeat too many songs, I'm okay with it.
• Check any broken links -- Done.  I only had 4 since the last time I checked.  I'll have to replace a few pictures, but I'll get to that later during Bloggiesta.
• Clean up various pages -- 101 Songs (updated as of today); 101 Quotes (updated and finished); About Me (updated to be more current, added favorite books); Blogs I Love (deleted a few and those with broken links); Current Book Wish List (deleted some I've read this past year); Thankfuls (deleted as it felt really tired and boring, possible replacement coming in 2014)
• Update Day Zero Project (page and actual website) -- I've officially finished 33 of my 100 tasks.  I don't think I'll completely finish my list, but I've made a huge dent.  Plus, I updated all the progress bars and pages.
• Reinsert missing pictures on past blog posts -- I'm not completely done with this task, but I've started and got a chunk under my belt.

Remaining goals list:

1. Reinsert missing pictures on past blog posts
2. Update tags for old posts and drafts/scheduled
3. Prep templates/posts through December
4. Clean out Bloglovin'
5. Make review templates for books in TBR piles
6. Prep 2014 feature ideas -- write templates, samples, create badges, etc
7. Update series to book reviews with links to my reviews
8. List/organize 2014 TBR
9. Update TBR spreadsheets
10. Fix formats on selected old blog posts

Bloggiesta -- Round 2

My second Bloggiesta.  I have a huge list of tasks to get my blog ready for the inevitable interruptions that a baby brings.  So, mainly back-end changes, but they are things I've been meaning to do for the last few months.

Goals list:

1. Clean up various pages (About; Quotes; Blogs; Review Policy; Thankfuls; RCs)
2. Check any broken links
3. Reinsert missing pictures on past blog posts
4. Update tags for old posts and drafts/scheduled
5. Prep templates/posts through December
6. Update Day Zero Project (page and actual website)
7. Clean out Bloglovin'
8. Make review templates for books in TBR piles
9. Prep 2014 feature ideas -- write templates, samples, create badges, etc
10. Update Music Monday spreadsheet
11. Update series to book reviews with links to my reviews
12. Update Movies spreadsheet
13. List/organize 2014 TBR
14. Update TBR spreadsheets
15. Fix formats on selected old blog posts

Name Change

Some of you may have noticed that I changed the name of my blog. Well, I thought it was time.  Back when I was on Wordpress my blog name was Wading Through the Ocean of Life.  When we made the switch to self-hosting, J secured the url msbuff.com.  Makes sense.  It's my name.  That's what I was known as when I was teaching.  But the more I've been thinking about it, Ms. Buff just doesn't fit.  It's not that descriptive.  It doesn't really have any memorable quality to it.  I wanted something that reflected the state of my life and this blog.  So I decided to go back to my old blog name: Wading Through the Ocean of Life. The name actually comes from the title of a creative writing piece from college.  In it, three generations of women attempt to find their place and identity.  The piece itself isn't that great, but the title seemed absolutely perfect to describe the idea.  So I used it for my personal blog.  As the years have gone on (almost 3!), I've come to appreciate the idea more and more.  Every day I wade through the ocean of life.  Sometimes it's calm and clear.  Sometimes it's rough and stormy.  But if I just keep wading things are bound to change and I can encounter something different.

We the impending arrival of my third child and big changes for the family, I feel like going back to my original blog name makes so much more sense.  In the coming months I want to start including more life posts.  I will still be reading and reviewing books, participating in readathons, and generally loving books.  But there's so much more to my life than just books.  So except much more coming.  And some adorable pictures of babies and family related activities.

More Thanks...

It's been a couple of weeks since my last Thursday Thanks post.  I feel like it's a good time to take a moment and think... Picture: Adorable cardigan and bow tie I bought for Arthur from Colby Ave on Etsy.  This will be his Christmas outfit.  I just need to buy some nicer black or gray pants for him.

1. Crafting time -- I spent most of the day yesterday making Thank You cards from baby Arthur to friends and family for future baby gifts.  I wanted the personal touch.  And I really love them.  I made 16 and all 16 are different. My next project is to create the template for arrival cards.  I may be crazy to take on such a project, but I love my crafting time.

2. Maintenance guys -- We had another upstairs neighbor's bathroom leak and they were on it.  Because of their quick speed, no major damage was done.  The guys just need to replace the paint that had peeled off.  They are always so nice and courteous.  Love our maintenance guys and the fact that I don't have to deal with this crap.

3. J's parents --  The other week they randomly sent up a box of baby clothes and a cute little card.  I was not expecting those.  Really, I'm not expecting many gifts this time around, but if I do get them, they are definitely appreciated. Extra fun: the Carters onsies they sent us match a potential going home outfit that I've already bought.  Very cute!

4. Other bloggers -- Three bloggers that I follow just had their babies within the last two weeks.  I love reading about their experiences.  They help me get into the baby mode.

5. J's technical prowess -- Because of many issues, J thought it was time to change our hosting sites.  I don't know the first step in doing this.  Thankfully J is very knowledgeable, even when things did not go smoothly.  Hopefully. my readers didn't notice anything amiss, but I guarantee the backend was crazy looking.  We think everything's fine now.  And if it isn't, I live with techie...

Thursday Thanks Returns

I haven't done one of these posts in so long...  casualty of a very busy summer.  But it's back, so here are my current thanks. Picture: awesome chocolate caramel torte we had last week

1. Work confusion gone -- While I'm not super happy about the outcomes, I am thankful that all the confusion and craziness around my job has settled.  I have so much peace of mind from this.

2. Reading time -- I'm really enjoying getting back into reading for pleasure.  Loving it!

3. Great South Bay weather -- I love love love the weather around here.  I'm constantly hot because of the pregnancy, but the cooler temperatures let me live in relative comfort.

4. Sleep -- Having my mom and the boys around last week was so much fun.  But it's nice to get back to a regular sleep schedule in my own bed.

5. Lastly, a sad but hopeful thanks.  A friend and family was in a very bad car accident last week.  One involved died, another is in very serious condition, and another is recovering.  I am thankful for the light injuries of one and the continual improvement of another.  Keep fighting!

Thursdays are for Thanks

I found this wonderful meme idea on Ruby Bastille.  I thought it would be a great way to share my life with my readers.  So here we go with my first Thankful Thursday.

1) Decaf k-cups at work -- I know I shouldn't be drinking much caffeine, but I still crave coffee.  Work stocks Hazelnut Decaf for the Keurig.  I just make myself a mug and trick myself into thinking it's actually caffeinated.  So far, it's working.

2) Flattering non-maternity clothing -- Why is maternity clothing so expensive?  Okay, I know why, but it still irks me.  I'm just grateful for lots of other stores for flattering reasonably priced clothing.  Especially loving H&M tunics/dresses and Vera Wang for Kohl's dresses.

3) Naturebox -- We finally took the plunge and signed up for the monthly subscription.  I am really digging these snacks.  We just filled out our request for this month.  I can't wait to get the next box.

4) Crafting friends -- I really look forward to my Stamp Club and crafting classes.  All the ladies are so nice, helpful, and fun!  I'm loving my crafting time...

And the biggest thanks of this week goes to...

5) My little baby boy Arthur Dent in utero -- We finally found out that we're having a boy.  He cooperated during the ultrasound, showing us everything, and yes, I do mean everything.  His growth looks good.  We're on track for a October 15th-ish debut.

Thanks for All the Fish

I found this wonderful meme idea on Ruby Bastille.  I thought it would be a great way to share my life with my readers.  So here we go with my Thankful Thursday.

1) Sleep -- I seem to have gotten rid of my insomnia (at least for the moment)

2) Food -- My pregnancy induced food aversions seem to have abated.  I am loving being able to eat different food again.

3) A supporting boss -- Loving the help that I'm getting at work.

4) Paychecks -- It may seem trite, but I am excited and thankful for getting a paycheck again.  I can pay off some bills, prepay the boys' summer camps, and put away some money for vacation and the coming baby.

5) Dark chocolate covered pomegranate -- Work resupplied some the snacks downstairs.  I made a fun trail mix of almonds, dried coconut, dried cranberries, and the best part, dark chocolate covered pomegranates.  Those things are heavenly.

Book of Lists: With me at all times...

I ran across this idea on At Random, I followed her links to Kapachino’s original post.  This month’s topic is “with me at all times.”  I took this both literally and figuratively...

• My boys - little ones and the big one
• My soon-to-be-child - making its appearance in October
• Cell phone - lifeline
• A book - feel naked without one (and ones on my phone/iPad don't really count yet)
• Pen - always seem to need one
• Keys - of course
• Tylenol - for those pesky pregnancy headaches
• Sunglasses - a necessity in sunny California, for goodness sakes my town is named Sunnyvale (and it's an accurate description, except we have no idea where the vale is...)
• Snack - to appease the soon-to-be-child

Next months topic: I’d rather be doing.

Good Things: April

I ran across this idea on Kapachino who got the idea from The Literary Wife.  I love the concept of trying to focus on the positives on life.  And I am going to try to do this: record at least one good thing every day for a year.  Here's April's list:

1. Monday nigh Munchies with Beth, Sarah, and Jared
2. Nice shopping day with A
3. Busy day: playdate, shopping with N, dinner with the family
4. Good visit with Grandma and Grandpa
5. Yummy Thai Chicken Pizza for dinner
6. Dinner at Henry's with Sarah
7. Casino visit with mom
8. Back home to California
9. Glad to relax back at home
10. Bagel sandwiches for breakfast
11. Got back into reading A Clash of Kings
12. Omelets at work!
13. Lunch and games at coworker's house
14. Relaxing day at home
15. Good team meeting at work
16. Decent day at work
17. Good checkin at work
18. Lots of work completed
19. Saw Oblivion with J and some coworkers
20. Finally bought some maternity clothes
21. Fun book club discussing P.S. I Love You
22. Getting back to work
23. Mom's bday, sent her a lunch box and scarf
24. Good work team meeting
25. Yummy lunch at work: sliders
26. Dinner with coworkers
27. Errands run to Michael's and the library
28. Milkshakes at the Creamery and cupcakes at Sprinkles
29. Finished a huge task at work
30. Fun card class with lots of gabbing

Thanks for the Memories...

I found this wonderful meme idea on Ruby Bastille.  I thought it would be a great way to share my life with my readers.  So here we go with my Thankful Thursday.

1) The desk clerk at American Airlines -- for warning me that I might get stuck overnight at O'Hare if I tried to fly out on Monday night.  Thank you for saving my body from an uncomfortable night.

2) Job progress -- Last week was a crazy mess, but things are moving in a good direction.

3) The Nerdist -- For keeping me entertaining while traveling and during down times at work.  I find myself laughing out loud in fairly inappropriate situations (every time the floor at work gets really quiet, I burst out laughing).  It's just awesome!

4) That friends of friends in the Boston marathon are safe and sound.

5) New Doctor Who!!!!!! -- Thank you Steven Moffat for awesome writing!

A to Z...

A little bit about me for you today... Available or married: Neither, but committed to a partner.

Book: Persuasion by Jane Austen or The Awakening by Kate Chopin -- my two favorite books of all time

Chore you hate: Cleaning the bathroom -- can I get a maid just for this?

Drink of choice: Iced tea (for my pregnant self) and a gin and tonic (for my nonpregnant bar self)

Essential start to your day: A shower!  I can't function without one.

Favorite color: Purple, purple, and more purple

Game to play or watch: Any board game works for me.  I'm way to clumsy for most physical sports.

Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN -- don't worry, most people don't know where it is

Instruments you play: None, much to the disappoint of my late grandmother

Job: Project manager at a educational tech company

Kids: 10-year old twin boys and a baby on the way

Life is incomplete without: My J and my kids

Music Group or Singer: Florence + the Machine, Imagine Dragons, The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers, Kate Voegele -- I can't pick just one!

Number of siblings: 6 total (a half brother, a half sister, three step-brothers, and one step sister), but I grew up as an only child

Oranges or apples: Apples but only if they're Granny Smith (very crispy and tart)

Pet peeves: People who interrupt others while they are talking

Quote: Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough. -- Emily Dickinson

Reasons to smile: Sunny days

Season: Fall, but fall in the Midwest not in California

Tattoos: 4 total (ankh on back, pisces on ankle, celtic triple goddess on ankle, boys initials on back)

University attended: Ball State University and Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne

Veggies you dislike: Beets, turnips, brussel sprouts

What makes you run late: J

X-rays you’ve had:  Chest x-rays for upper respiratory infections

Yum Food: Chocolate chip cookies

Zoo Favorite Animal: Penguins, hands down

Good Things: March

I ran across this idea on Kapachino who got the idea from The Literary Wife.  I love the concept of trying to focus on the positives on life.  And I am going to try to do this: record at least one good thing every day for a year.  Here's March's list:

1. Wrapped Fantasy February and New Movie Month.
2. Read a lot...
3. Lazy day with brats on the grill.
4. Card class with order delivery = new toys!
5. My birthday!  Phone calls from mom and the boys.
6. Finished tons of housework.
7. Got my present from J: a Big Shot!
8. Shawn of the Dead movie night.
9. J took me to Buck's in Woodside for awesome brunch.
10. Glass of wine with dinner -- I really missed it.
11. Nausea wasn't horrible today.
12. A potential job got back to me.
13. Survived getting blood work done.
14. Quiet day reading.
15. Had a good chat with the CTO about a possible PM job.
16. First trip to the Farmer's Market since last fall: quiche, danish, mixed greens, and pretzel rolls.
17. So much reading...
18. I earned $50 in hostess dollars from Stampin' Up club.  Wohoo!
19. The boys turned 10.
20. A great meeting with a possible job.
21. Received my official job offer.
22. First day of the new job went great.  I'm so excited!
23. Huge clearance sale at the craft store.  I bought a ton of new supplies.
24. Book club: smaller but still a good night.
25. Second day of the job - making progress on the project.
26. Not great food at work, but did get In n Out.
27. J's birthday!  Yummy dinner at Firehouse.
28. Long day traveling, but got to see to the boys at the end.
29. Lunch and shopping date with the boys.
30. Boys' birthday party at Crazy Pinz.
31. Easter dinner with the family.

Heading Back East...

It's Spring Break in Indiana and that means drinks and parties...  Oh wait!  Wrong life!  Spring Break means time with the family and more importantly the boys.  I'm flying back to spend 12 whole days enjoying their company and trying to keep warm (April in Indiana is NOT warm).  We plan on having the boys' birthday party (late), trips to Science Central and possibly Putt Putt, and lots of family dinners...  Very exciting stuff!  Plus, I have some big news that I will be sharing with everyone.  Look for it soon!

Alex was/is...

It's my twins' birthday week!  I decided to do a post for each of them, thinking how they have grown in their 10 years on this earth. Alex was...

• My quiet baby
• Content
• Loved to cuddle
• Loved art
• A storyteller
• Sensitive

Alex is...

• Outgoing
• Sociable
• Empathetic
• A storyteller (never changed!)
• Loves games
• A collector
• Stubborn
• Athletic
• A train lover, still!

Here's a photo gallery.  I only have pics from 2006 to today on the computer, so now good baby pics...  Oh well!

Nick was/is...

It's my twins' birthday week!  I decided to do a post for each of them, thinking how they have grown in their 10 years on this earth. Nick was...

• My loud baby
• A little "red devil"
• Quick to learn new skills
• Loud and outgoing
• Adventurous
• Fearless
• Interested in the complex

Nick is...

• Introspective
• A reader
• Great at video games
• Interested in computers
• Understanding of others
• Sensitive to changes in mood
• Independent
• Hard to fool
• An observer

Here's a photo gallery.  I only have pics from 2006 to today on the computer, so now good baby pics...  Oh well!

A Very Special Birthday!

Two somebodies that I know are turning 10!  Okay, so my beautiful twin boys are those somebodies.  Ten years ago today, I gave birth to two crazy boys that surprise me constantly.  They are officially preteens.  Pretty soon they will be in middle school, and then high school, and then college.  I am excited to see them grow, but still love to see my babies lurking in their grownup thoughts and actions.

Happy Birthday Alex and Nick!

Thanks on Thursday

I found this wonderful meme idea on Ruby Bastille.  I thought it would be a great way to share my life with my readers.  So here we go with my Thankful Thursday.

1) Friends and Family -- For all the lovely birthday wishes.

2) Caffeine -- I am attempting to cut way back on my caffeine intake (health reasons), and yet I find I need a bit every couple of days still.  I'm still grateful for my chemically induced energy and euphoria.  I can't completely shake it yet.

3) California weather -- Every March 5th (my birthday!), no matter what it was like on March 4, was crappy weather-wise.  It snowed, sleeted, dropped 40 degrees, or thunderstormed.  I've never had awesome weather on my birthday.  But this year, everything changed.  I live in California.  I was treated to sunshine and temps hanging out around 60. It was a little chilly to lounge by the pool, but I did enjoy some reading time on the balcony.  So nice!

4) New possibilities -- Some new developments are on the horizon.  We have to wait awhile to see how they progress, but I am hopeful for some positive changes in my life.  I'll let everyone know when things are certain...

5) Zombie movies -- For my birthday treat, I indulged in a week-long zombie movie marathon.  I love my zombie movies and it was nice to watch a ton throughout the week.  Can't wait for The Walking Dead marathon we are planning on this weekend.  Should be a lot of fun!

Book of Lists: I'm Good at...

I ran across this idea on At Random, I followed her links to Kapachino’s original post.  This month’s topic is “I’m good at.” We can all stand to have a little more self-confidence, I think, so let’s talk about it.

Next month's topic: "Today I saw"

Zombies and Candles

It's my birthday week (the big day is actually tomorrow).  And since we never really do anything for my birthday, I'm throwing myself a birthday week zombie marathon.  All week I'm going to cram in as many (good and bad) movies as I can.  Many we own, many I will find on Netflix.  Hopefully this weekend, I can convince J to watch The Walking Dead with me.  I'm sure I'll give myself nightmares, but this is going to be one fun birthday week!

Tentative watch list -- we own:

• Shaun of the Dead (some zombie comedy)
• 28 Days Later (zombie movie or no? discuss)
• 28 Weeks Later
• Resident Evil series (cheesy zombie movies)
• Night of the Living Dead (the classic original)
• Dawn of the Dead (remake)
• The Walking Dead (S1-S3, we never made it past S1)

Tentative watch list -- Netflix/redbox/Amazon:

• American Zombie
• Resident Evil: Retribution
• Land of the Dead
• Dead Snow
• Aaah! Zombies!
• American Zombie
• Autumn
• Etc...