Blog Challenge: Day Seven

#7 - Where do you like to shop? 
Well this is a depressing blog topic for me!  Four years ago when I was still in advertising sales working for ABC in Milwaukee I used to have a monthly American Express bill of $1,000 a month.  Sure half of it was for gas and groceries and such...but the at least $300-$500 a month was "fun stuff" like shopping.  And now?  I know for a fact I don't spend $300 a year on clothes for Jeff and I.  These past four years I've learned to live a very fruegal life, and one of them is the waredrob.  Each year, we each get a new pair of cheap jeans from Target, and usually any new winter clothes we get is part of Christmas from my parents or his or each other.  And then in summer we each get maybe a new pair of shorts or tops or two, but very minimal.  Basically we've been lucky that we're still the same size so we have a lot of older clothes.  Just last night my MIL said "That's a cute sweater".  I told her it was 12 years old.  I realized it that morning that I hadn't worn it in forever, and I had a pic of myself in it my senior year in college!  Maybe I have a little bit of hoarding in me! Yikes!
So this is getting away from the point...where do I like to shop? I don't know anymore!  I just had fun using a Victoria's Gift card from my parents for my birthday to shop the semi annual sale (I got three tops & a pair of leggings for less than $75!).  And we almost always shop at Kohls because of how much you can get for so little.  A lot of my waredrob from the "old days" are from Macy's and an east coast shop I was addicted to when I lived in West Virginia called B.Moss.  I have an old shoe fetish that is hard to let go - so I'm a fan of DSW shoes.  If I had tons of money and could go on a shopping spree?  I'd go to this place called "Hot Momma" (yes, I know I'm not a mom yet, but I accedentally walked in there and the stuff looked awesome), Charming Charlies, and White House/Black Market.  Plus, I'm sure I'd still go to Kohls and my old staple: Macy's.  Anybody want to put me on "What Not to wear" so I can get that shopping spree?

Blog Challenge - Day Six

Day Six: A Picture of something that makes me Happy

This picture was taken June 11th, 2011.  Two days before our two year anniversary.  It was taken at a friend's wedding.  It makes me happy for some many reasons... first off - look at my adorable husband!  He picked out a tie all on his own to try and match my outfit (so cute).  Next, is my outfit.  Love it!  This was the outfit I wore to our rehersal dinner so it was two years old but this was the first chance I had to wear it again after that.  Next, it's how happy we look.  We were at a table with two of my closest girlfriends and their husbands.  It was the wedding of their little brother - and their family is like family to me.  And finally, because I had promised myself I'd take a picture of us every year on our anniversay and already forgot for our second anniversary.  Then my friend sent me this pic she took of us.  Sure it's about 29 hours before our anniversary date - but it'll do!  Plus, of all the pcitures taken of us in 2011, this is the best one. 

Blog Challenge Day 4 & 5

Well, I guess that answers how long I could keep up.  Three whole days before I forgot/got too busy.  Oh well, I will not feel bad as I spent a lot of time last night making an awesome dinner I found on pinterest.  So here we go with a double. (I'm sure it will not be the first in this month)

#4 - What would you do if you won the lottery (aside from pay off bills and donate?)
- I personally would first do our IUI with injects and IVF (if needed) in order to have a child...and then do it again until we had three kids...our life goal is two kids but if we had tons of money I think we'd want three.
- I'd buy a big house on the lake here in our little town of Lake in the Hills.  But even with the lake I'd put in an infinity pool for fitness swimming & a hot tub.  And make sure it had a HUGE deck for entertaining.
- I'd also buy a property down at Lake in the Ozarks in Missouri big enough for my family & Jeff's family to use for vacations (Six bedrooms would be needed but we could buy a three bedroom and convert a basement like my BFFs parents did.)  And of course we'd need a boat & jet ski's LOL (if you're gonna dream, go big!)
- But first to enjoy the "we're retired!" feeling we'd take a long month vacation.  First up? Vegas baby!  We'd spend one week there, then drive to southern Cali for a week, and finally two weeks in Hawaii!

#5 - Fifteen facts about yourself
Are you ready for Kati fact overload? 1)  I was born on Dec. 18th, 2)  my dad was out of town on business & missed my birth.  3) we moved three times before my 2nd birthday due to my Dad's job in sales.  4) My first memory is the day we moved into our first house in Chicagoland (my 2nd Birthday).  5) I have an older brother named Dan. 6) He has three boys - Ryan (12), Connor (11), and Jack (9).  7) I loved gymnastics as a kid, but 8) a bone growth injury in the heal caused me to quit.  9) It also caused me to be in five casts in two years and on crutches 13 times!  10) My doc recommended swimming for PT afterward and I ended up being on the swim team in High School.  11) My three best friends worked with me as Lifeguards at the beach.  12) My BFF Barb introduced me to my husband by  telling me "I met the man you are going to marry.  13) When I first met him, I thought Jeff looked "too old" for me.  14) He's 6 years older than me, but my soul mate.  15) I threw my first party ever (yes people, in college I just went to parties...never threw them) for his 40th birthday. 

Blog Challenge; Day three: What's in my Make-up bag?

I will say it...I have boring make up.  This can be taken one of two ways...I am beautiful on my own and don't need much to look pretty (LOL, I'd love to go with this one but I think Jeff is the only one who might really think this way), or option B...that I'm a cheap and simple.  Well, I've often referred to myself as a T Shirt and Jeans girl.  A laid back chick.  And I guess my make up confirms it. 

I use covergirl foundation, powder, and blush.  I use Maybelline lipstick & mascara.  My eye makeup is all over the board...the nicest is from Estee Lauder (christmas gift from mom).  But everyday the eye makeup is the only thing that changes, everything else - including lipstick stays the same. 

I sometimes wonder, is it because I don't like change?  Or because I know what works - and if it isn't broke, don't fix it? 

I know there are many girls who wear less make up than me...but to be honest it appears the other way around. There are many gals made up like they are planning to be in a play. A friend of mine in Iowa that I worked with once said it best...He said he felt if we went to bed together, he'd wake up with the same girl in the morning. But some girls, he felt if he saw them without their makeup he wouldn't recognize them. I keep it fairly natural.

Blog Challenge- Day Two: What's in your Handbag

My mother in law refers to my purse as "the magical purse".  Because I have a smaller purse than most everyone I know, and yet I'm always pulling anything anyone needs out of it.  I HATE large purses, and fear that it's a side effect of becoming a mother.  Don't get me wrong, I'll take that side effect!  But hope that I can keep my medium size bag, instead of on of those gigantic suckers.  Besides, that's what a diaper bag is for!  So...what's inside this "magical bag"?

First of course is the wallet for obvious reasons.  Next, is a little 3inch x2 inch book that my friend got me.  It's awesome because you open it and it's a note pad on one side and an accordion file on the other - in the files I have coupons, stamps, a few pictures, and I still carry my two must haves from my wedding planning - a post-it with the cost breakdown and a contact list of all the vendors.  I can't tell you how often in the past two and a half years since we got married that someones been planning a wedding and asked "who'd you use for alterations and what'd it cost?" or something similar.  I whip out my book and tell them.  I know I should let it go and put it in a scrap book but just have not gotten around to it.  I also have a calendar, pen, and checkbook in there.

The next important thing is my camera and extra batteries.  I am a former photo junkie!  I don't take as many the past few years but I've gotten many a shots when someone said "I wish I'd brought my camera!" And I pull mine out.  But with my new smart phone black berry, I have a feeling my camera will see much less use. 

The rest I consider basic purse stuff...gum, lip gloss, tide stain stick, band aids, comb, Advil, a safety pin, sunglasses.  OK, alright....maybe not everyone carries a USB jump drive - but I think they should.  And sadly, because of my stupid retail job (thanks bad economy) I also have my Target name tag and a band for my tennis elbow.  And all of this fits into my black leather Liz Claiborne purse that looks similar to the pic below (only black). 

Blog Challenge; Day One - Blog title

Today's topic?  Why my blog is named what it is.  The story behind my blog name is in this post.  My first actual blog, twenty months ago.  So I will not re-hash that. 

But, looking back at that post did get me to thinking about how I had no idea how appropriate the title was at the time.  When I came up with it, we had been trying for 12 cycles in 10 months.  At that point, it seemed like I had "struggled" already.  Don't get me wrong.  In some ways, the first year was the hardest!  Because it's when I learned about charting, over analyzed everything, cried with almost every negative test, and felt like I was a total failure because I didn't know "what was wrong". 

But in another way, I had no idea the real struggle lay ahead of me.  Getting the MFI Dx, and then learning I had low P4s & slight LPD was hard - on both Jeff and I.  Then getting our hopes up with improved numbers with vitamins for Jeff.  Then finally excepting medical ART intervention - but thinking, "well, it will work the first time because our Dx is really not that bad!"  And finally having to accept having to break for over eight months due to finances.  And now, that it's coming to an end in two weeks and we'll be able to cycle again. I feel like I'm back to where I was April 2011!  But I try to remember that hope is a good thing (so says my favorite movie Shawshank Redemption).  And the juice will be worth the squeeze damn it! 

Thirty Day Blog Challenge

So sbrowns at Happily Home Spun inspired me to do the "Thirty Day Blog Challenge" which can be found here.  We'll see how good I am at keeping up with this once a day.  Below is the list of the daily topics.  I will be starting with "Day One" today in my next post.  As I might have more to discuss than just the topic, I might actually be *gasp* blogging twice a day or longer posts.  Feel free to ignore me while I embark on this blog-venture.

Day 1 - What is the meaning behind your blog name?
Day 2 - What's in your handbag?
Day 3 - What's in your makeup bag?
Day 4 - If you won the lottery what would you blow your money on (after charity and bills, of course) list 10 material possessions you would buy for yourself.
Day 5 - 15 facts about yourself.
Day 6- A picture of something that makes you happy.
Day 7 - Where do you like to shop?
Day 8 - Describe your dream vacation.
Day 9 - List 5 things you want to do before you die.
Day 10 - What is your favorite book?
Day 11 - If you could have 3 wishes, what would they be?
Day 12 - List 5 pet peeves.
Day 13 - List 5 guilty pleasures.
Day 14 - Put your iPad on shuffle. List the first 10 songs that play.
Day 15 - Show your favorite outfit or fashion pieces.
Day 16 - How did you and your partner decide when you were ready to start trying to conceive?
Day 17 - Discuss the most ridiculous thing you ever heard about conception. Where did you hear it? Did it work for someone else? Did you try it?
Day 18 - Besides Mothers Day, what is the hardest holiday for you as an infertile?
Day 19 - Write a letter (one that you never have to send) to a fertile in your life. Did they hurt you? Support you? Tell them how you feel, all the things you can’t bring yourself to say in person.
Day 20 - Discuss how you found your way into the ALI community, and what being part of it has meant to you – good and bad.
Day 21 - If you had gotten pregnant that first month you started trying, how would you have been a different parent? What changes have you made to your parenting style (either current or future) in the time you spent trying to conceive?
Day 22 - What was the first baby or pregnancy-related purchase you ever made? Was it before or after you started trying to conceive? Or was it after you were already pregnant? Why did you choose that particular item to buy first? If you haven’t purchased anything yet, why not?
Day 23 - Talk about how you chose your RE.
Day 24 - If a very observant stranger were to walk into your house, what clues could lead them to believe that you have struggled with infertility?
Day 25 - Have you ever bonded with someone IRL over infertility?
Day 26 - Were you the product of infertility? Was anyone you know the product of infertility? How do you know? Or do you just suspect based on circumstances like age differences between siblings, time between marriage and conception, etc.
Day 27 - Talk about a time when you made someone in your life understand more about infertility.
Day 28 - What do you use the “nursery” for right now? If you already had a baby, what did you use it for before pregnancy?
Day 29 - If you had known that you would have trouble conceiving, what would you have done differently in life? If you already knew, did that knowledge affect your other life choices?
Day 30 -Tell us about a friendship you lost or a relationship that changed for the worse because of infertility.