100 Followers??? Wow!

Well, I am happy to announce that I have officially reached 100 followers. That's so awesome! I can't believe that there are 100 people out there who actually care about what I say, what I bake and what I read. It's so amazing. I started blogging back in January, in part to keep my writing and typing skills somewhat fresh while I stay at home and mother my munchkin, and in part to find another hobby that would give me a sense of accomplishment. I have to say that blogging has become something that I truly, truly enjoy.

So thank you, each and every one of you, for following my blog, I will be baking something sweet this weekend in honor of you all, and sharing that recipe come Monday.

Really? Another award? Gee, thanks!!

It's been a hairy week in my household, between my A/C troubles and Husband being away, so it was really touching when I read in my comments this morning that I got an award! It comes from Gena at Serene Moments, who was also honored with this award, so make sure to visit her blog as well.
Gena honored me with the Kreativ Blogger award - which is so awesome, because I often doubt my creative abilities. So, thank you Gena! Now, down to the nitty gritty about this award. Must make sure to follow the rules and share the bloggy love!

The Rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.

Let's see if I can think of seven things about me that might be considered interesting...
1. I can't seem to stop watching the old Michael Jackson videos on VH-1 Classic.
2. I used to have two dogs, but now only have one - the other dog was a little too overexcited once Baby came, and we were too nervous about her around Baby. We found her a wonderful home, where she is an only pet and is doted on ridiculously.
3. I am a spelling freak. I was in spelling bees when I was little (though never the big one), and am a total stickler for spelling.
4. I was a gymnast when I was a kid. I absolutely loved it and dreamed of going to the Olympics one day. (Obviously that didn't happen.)
5. My dad is the one who fostered my love of the public library. We would go together every Saturday afternoon, and he would hang out in the periodicals section and read the business and trade magazines while I scoured the library for a big pile of books to read.
6. I majored in television production in college. I've never really used my degree - I never realized how low entry-level TV job paid, and I ultimately couldn't afford to start out with such a low salary, with all the debts I had upon graduation.
7. I'm a planning kind of girl. I have to make to do lists every day so that I make sure to get all the stuff I want to accomplish done each day. If I don't write it down, inevitably I forget about it.

Phew, I wasn't sure I could come up with seven! Now, there are tons of bloggers who are totally deserving of this award. Here are seven of them, in no particular order:
1. A Book a Day
2. I've Changed My Name to Mommy
3. Infectious Chatter
4. Eat at Home
5. The Brownie Project
6. Love, Actually
7. Slow Like Honey

Happy Saturday to you all! :)

Chapter Two of "As the A/C Freezes"...

Phew. I'm back home. It's just now gotten to 80 degrees in the house, but the A/C is functioning and cooling, which is a super-big relief. Baby's still a bit out of sorts, but he's almost asleep now. That's a huge relief. He was so frustrated and mad before I put him to bed, I think he was just kind of freaked out because he didn't know what to expect for once in his short life. Poor kiddo. I hope tomorrow will be a little easier for him - I'm going to go out of my way for the next couple days to do things as according to plan as much as possible to help him get back into his routine.

The A/C man found NOTHING wrong with the A/C. Seriously. He said it must be an intermittent problem, and he just didn't catch it in the act. Kind of like how when your car is making a hideous noise and you take it to the mechanic, and it totally doesn't make the noise. Ridiculous. So it's totally possible that this lovely episode will happen all over again some day in the future. I am so NOT looking forward to that possibility.

Now I'm parked on the couch, in front of a fan, trying to stay awake (sort of), baking a sheet of Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies, and watching yesterday's episode of "Daisy of Love" and trying to relax. I sure hope I will be less stressed tomorrow after a good night's sleep in my own bed.

Greetings from the land of "As the A/C Freezes..."

Hi all, I'm sure you're wondering why I haven't posted my menu plan (and/or read your blogs) today, and well, it's because I am at the mercy of the hot Florida sun today. My A/C decided to take a vacation yesterday, so we wound up staying at a friend's house for the night (who quite possibly is one of the better friends I've had in my lifetime) and now I'm back at my house, awaiting the million-dollar answer as to why my A/C froze up for the second time in a month. Yikes. Hopefully everything will be back up and running soon (or at least by tonight!!!), but in the meantime, I have to stand in front of a fan on high, because sitting is just too warm, in my 96 (and climbing) degree house. Mr. Baby is at said-friend's house, with my mother, safe in the air-conditioning. Phew. Wish me luck! Now off to down another bottle of water and get my hands off of my hot laptop.

Dude, what's with the hiccups?

Anyone who knows me knows that when I get hiccups, they are the loudest hiccups you've ever heard. You can hear them down the block. They could probably wake Baby up if I ever wound up with them during a nap or after bedtime. I mean, they are freaking loud. Not only that, but they're kind of painful. They rock my whole body, and that doesn't exactly feel nice, you know? It gets better - I get them pretty often. Not every day, but usually at least once a week.

I've asked every doctor I've ever had in my life why this happens to me (and so often), and no one seems to know. I seem to have passed the lovely habit/medical issue/unattractive behavior to Baby, which is awful. Other pregnant women I knew told me that their babies had hiccups in utero. I thought for sure mine would, too, given my lengthy history with chronic hiccups. And because Husband seems to be pretty unlucky with them too - he doesn't get them often, but when he gets them, wow, stand back. He once had hiccups for four straight days. But that's another story for another post.

Not a single hiccup from Baby in utero. He was rocked by mine several times, but he didn't (as far as I could feel) experience them once. I thought he was going to be lucky and hiccup-free. No such luck. He started getting them when he was about a month old, and still does to this day, but nowhere near as often as I get them.

Want to know how often I've had them this weekend (meaning since yesterday)? FOUR TIMES. No joke. Four freaking times. Twice today and twice yesterday. The ones yesterday after dinner took me a half hour to get rid of.

So...since I seem to be on a hiccup bender at the moment, I thought it'd be a good idea to gather any successful hiccup-removing techniques you guys have to offer. The one that works most often for me at the moment is ten quick sips of cold, cold water. It's not failproof, but it works pretty reliably. So tell me, how do you get rid of the hiccups?

I've been tagged! Two truths and a lie...

I'm kind of a dork, I enjoy reading memes, I do. Especially the getting-to-know-you ones. I just got tagged by my friends over at Underdogs Unite to do a short one that sounds pretty straightforward - two truths and a lie about me. I will post the answer as to what the lie is tomorrow night as the new American Idol is crowned (though I won't post who it is, in case anyone's on the left coast). So here goes...

1. I didn't have my first pet until I was a grown adult. My brother was allergic to all pets with hair, so pets were positively verboten in our house. Funny thing was that he didn't even live with us, because he was so much older than me.

2. I was in show choir in high school. It might not have won me any popularity contests but it sure was fun.

3. I chose the college that I went to based on a boy. I ended up leaving college with a totally different boy, though. Didn't quite see that one coming!

So what do you think is the lie? Post your guesses, and I'll update the post tomorrow around 9 o'clock, EST. I can't wait to see what you guys think!

Oh - and I'm going to tag Modern Mom over at How to Survive Life in the Suburbs! Tag, you're it!

***UPDATE*** So....the lie was....#2!!!! I auditioned for show choir when I was in high school, but I shockingly didn't make it into show choir, despite how hard I tried and how much I wanted it. I think it had more to do with my dancing abilities than my singing abilities. #1 is absolutely true, and the ironic thing is that my brother now has a furry family of his own including his pug Lolly and four cats. Number 3 is also super-true - I picked out my college based on the guy I was with at the time, who I was certain I was going to marry, and on Day One of school, I met my future husband. But more on that story later. TTFN!

Getting to know me...tmi, for sure

I spotted a fun questionnaire on two of my followers' blogs yesterday, Next to Heaven and A Day in the Life, and I knew I had to join in. I'm a sucker for these kinds of getting to know you questionnaires, mostly because I love to see other people's answers. So make sure to comment with a link to your answers on your blog!

1. What is in the back of your car?
I actually just cleaned it up recently, so it's not too bad. There's a reusable green Publix bag filled with some old Baby toys and there's Baby's super-umbrella stroller, and I think that's about it at the moment.

2. What color is your toothbrush?
Red and white.

3. Name one person who made you smile today.
Baby. I love when he gets all proud of himself and smiles so big that he crinkles his eyes and nose a little - so cute.

4. What were you doing at 8:00 AM?
Probably reading a book to Baby. He's been very into books today.

5. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Napping, by accident. I fell asleep watching "Gilmore Girls" on DVD while trying to have some Me Time.

6. What is your favorite candy?
I'm a big fan of Twix bars.

7. What is the last thing your said aloud?
"Have a good day."

8. What is the best ice cream flavor?
This is a tough one, but I'm going to go with Ben and Jerry's Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch.

9. What is the last thing you had to drink?
A vanila Frappuccino - the kind that you buy in a glass at the supermarket

10. What are you wearing right now?
Khaki bermuda shorts and a pink t-shirt

11. What is the last thing you ate?
A brownie

12. Have you bought any new clothes this week?
I did on Sunday...

13. When was the last time you ran?
Really ran? Um....I have no earthly idea.

14. What was the last sporting event you watched?
NASCAR on Sunday with Husband. (Yes, I know, I'm a NASCAR geek. Yes, they just go around in circles, but it can be fun to watch.)

15. Ever go camping?
Um...no. I'm not a fan of the outdoors - and it's not a fan of me, for that matter.

16. Do you have a tan?
Not really.

17. Do you take vitamins daily?
I'm really bad about vitamins. I was taking some a few months ago for energy purposes, but I was horrible at remembering to take them. Needless to say, I haven't had any in quite some time.

18. Do you go to church?
No.

19. Do you like Chinese food more than pizza?
I probably like them pretty darn equally. I really, really like pizza. And I really, really like Chinese food.

20. Do you drink your soda with a straw?
I love soda with a straw, especially if it's fountain soda - the kind you get out of a machine. Tastes way better than the bottled or canned stuff.

21. Are you someone's best friend?
I'd like to think so.

22. Where is your dad?
**Bummer alert** He passed away when I was 22, so he is in a veterans' cemetery.

23. Can you say the alphabet backwards?
Never tried, but given that my brain is pretty fried, I'm going to even forgo the effort.

24. Do you have a maid service clean your home?
Dude, I would L-O-V-E a maid service. My neighbor has one that comes twice a month and I'm wicked jealous. With money being tight at the moment, it's hard to really justify it to myself (although I don't really have time to deep clean because Baby demands most of my time).

25. Do you have a favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
Not because they're stylish, but because they're comfortable, yes. They're a silly pair of brown sandals from Target - which they no longer sell (trust me, I've looked because I'm about to wear through the sole).

26. What color is your car?
Blue.

27. How do you like your popcorn?
Buttered and salted, thank you. Funny story about me and popcorn - I love movie theater popcorn so much that when I was pregnant, I would have Husband go to the movie theater just to get me popcorn. And yes, I realize how lucky I am to have him.

28. How did you get your worst scar?
I had a hard time learning to ride my bike, and shortly after I mastered it, I managed to nearly get run over on my street - I fell real hard to the pavement and skinned up both of my knees quite badly. You can still see the scars, but they have faded with the years. Tie for worst scar? My stretch marks.

29. Look to your left. What do you see?
My Franklin Covey planner, which is glaring at me, actually, because I've not done much on my to do list for the day.

30. What color is your watch?
Silver with a pink face.

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
Koalas. Cuddly koalas. My sister went once, and all I can think of is a picture of her holding a koala at the zoo in Sydney.

32. Do you use chap stick?
No, but Husband can't leave home without it.

33. Do you have a dog?
A slightly crazy Beagle/Lab/Basset Hound who, while grumbling about it, is super-patient with Baby

34. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Husband

35. Have you met anyone famous?
Not that I know of. No, I take that back. I've met Mitt Romney, former Governor Jeb Bush (of Florida), General Norman Schwartzkopf, Cokie Roberts...and I think that's about all (my former job led me to meeting all of those people).

36. How many states have you lived in?
One. Florida.

37. Do you dye your hair?
I used to, but I've stopped.

38. Do you like cats?
Yes. Two puking, hairball filled cats. Can you tell how much I dislike them (while still loving them)?

So, if you've got a blog, post this lovely questionnaire on it and tell me about it. I'd love to get to know you better. :)

My Favorite Things

Wow, so this is exciting, it's the first time I've been tagged for a meme!!! Mrs. C. over at Next to Heaven tagged me to participate in My Favorite Things. Thank you!

So here goes....

Rules:

1. Mention the person who nominated you. Mrs. C over at Next to Heaven, make sure to visit!

2. List six unimportant things that make you happy.
- Books. To me, they're very important, but to a lot of people they're just some paper with words on them. I have loved to read from a very early age, and if anything, my love for reading has grown over the years. I love the ability a book gives you to walk in someone else's shoes, to see other worlds you would have never been exposed to. Okay, that was a totally geeky answer, but I'm serious - I l-o-v-e reading.
- Baking. I'm sure you could have figured that one out if you've read my blog for any period of time. I love to bake. Partly, because I love to eat what results. But also because I love creating something. Baking is so very precise; if you mis-measure something, you're going to wind up with something totally different, but that's one of the things I like about it.
- Shopping. This made me more happy back when I worked and brought in the lion's share of the family money, but even now, I enjoy grocery shopping (I know, total dork alert). I also have almost even learned to appreciate window shopping. I am much more likely nowadays to be able to walk through the mall without purchasing a thing than I used to be, but I still have a good time. Unless I go into Williams-Sonoma and spot my coveted super-hardcore Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Then I get sad.
- VH-1's reality television shows. Pathetic, I know, but VH-1 sucks me in time after time. First there was "Flavor of Love"...then "I Love New York"...and then "Rock of Love"...and now, one of the rejects of "Rock of Love" has gotten her own show, "Daisy of Love." You thought the others were trashy? No, no, this one positively takes the cake. If you enjoy watching a good trashy reality show, I highly recommend checking this one out, because it sets a new standard for trashy reality shows. Do I learn anything from these shows? No, not really, but they're fun to watch.
- My iPod. It's funny, but I don't think I could live without it. I know I did before, but now, having all 30 thousand songs I own at my fingertips all at once is so cool. I can wind up hearing a song from "The Muppet Movie" followed by an 80's hair band. I mean, it's the ultimate mix tape. Love, love that iPod.
- Showering by myself. I think most moms can relate to this, but since I'm a stay-at-home mom, I don't get a ton of alone time. Lately, I've taken to waking up at the ungodly hour of 5:30 just to get some time alone to write in my journal and get cleaned up for the day. It seems like if I don't do it then, it doesn't happen, because my shower is quite loud, and I always worry it will wake Baby up if he's napping. When he was smaller, I'd bring him into the bathroom with me for my showers. We have an infant-to-toddler rocker that we can strap him into, it has a toy bar and all, and that used to entertain him. Now, he'd much rather be running around like a wild child than sitting in that chair, even if I give him one of his favorite stuffed animals and a book, so he makes this little whimpering, threatening-to-cry noises while I shower if he's in there with me. So I really enjoy when I get the peace and quiet a shower by myself brings.

3. Tag six blogs, state the rules and notify them with a small comment on their blog.
This was a tough decision, by the way, because there are lots of blogs I really, really like.
- Sunday Baker
- Java Cupcake
- One Bored Mommy
- Real Mom Kitchen
- Writer Mom at Home
- Girl in the Glasses

It's almost my three month blogoversery!

And in honor of my three month blogoversery, I wanted to highlight the recipes that I've shared thus far on Type A Mommy, both of the main meal variety and the dessert variety. I love food, and what I love most about food is sharing it with people (unless it's my favorite cake or cookies, then Husband usually has to fight me tooth and nail to get me to share). So, in no particular order, here's an at-a-glance reference to Type A Mommy's recipes thus far:

Type A Mommy's Meatloaf
Type A Mommy's Mom's Baked Chicken
Type A Mommy's Famous Pancakes
Type A Mommy's Famous Pan Pizza
Awesome Chicken Cutlets
Chicken Teriyaki
Super Outrageous Brownies
Super Duper Chocolate Chip Cookies
Husband Cake
Type A Mommy's Favorite Brownies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
Sorta Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
America's Test Kitchen Texas Sheet Cake

Some highlights of the next three months with Type A Mommy include my glazed pork chops recipe (perfect with mashed potatoes) and my often-requested beef teriyaki. I hope by my six month blogoversery that I will have at least 30 recipes to celebrate! Stay tuned!

P.S. - Are there any recipes you wish you had? Any dishes you've always wanted to make? Tell me, maybe I can help!

Time for a change

I haven't had my hair cut in a little more than six months now. I don't have time for that kind of thing anymore, the way I used to. I don't make time, really, for myself much at all. Five minutes to brush on some foundation in the morning to cover up my blemishes and under eye circles, and throw on some clothes and deodorant and brush my hair. And of course throw it in the requisite ponytail. I decided today that I'm sick of the ponytail. Baby pulls on it, and I'm just sick of it. I needed a change.

So, I hunted on the Internet to find a salon that was worthwhile that was open today, on a Sunday, which is apparently rare (I never realized). Finally, I found the Shear Art Salon and Spa, which isn't too far from my house, and I'd heard mixed reviews about over the years. Well, I had an awesome experience. Ashley, my stylist, was great - totally easy and fun to talk to, a straight shooter who was honest with me about the style I was interested in, and a very good stylist to boot. I watched "Grey's Anatomy" with Husband last night, and Addison was on, as part of the big "Grey's Anatomy"/"Private Practice" crossover thing going on, and she had a cute new haircut I hadn't seen before. I decided this morning that I needed to chop nearly seven inches off my hair and get that cut, the shortest haircut I've ever gotten in my life. I was totally frightened while I chatted with Ashley and watched chunks of my hair land in front of me on my smock, but when I looked in the mirror, I was totally pleased. It will definitely take some getting used to, and I'm pretty sure it's not going to fit in a ponytail very well, but I like it. It's cute, it's different, and it's a change. Now if only it had changed my nasty attitude from this weekend. I've been terribly PMS'y and grumpy most of the weekend. Hopefully Monday will bring a new attitude!