April by the Numbers + 73 Questions

I didn’t tell you this last week (because, dangerous), but Josh was out of town for nine consecutive days. NINE. He headed to New Orleans on a Thursday morning to spend some time with his best friend only to return home for twelve hours to sleep and pack before heading to Arizona for a week of work. I consider myself a capable woman and there is nothing I hate more than seeming needy and dependant, but taking care of the girls for that long during end-of-the-year madness is nothing short of miraculous. I managed to keep everyone alive and well-fed and even got the housework done hours before his plane landed, but we were exhausted and have spent the last week recovering and snuggling and catching up on all of the television we missed during his absence. We agreed that we both missed the Bravermans as much as we missed each other!

This is the last week of school and we are just limping along. Ella’s dance recital is only a few weeks away, so she’s spending extra time at the studio and we’re trying to square away house projects and prepare for our two week beach vacation coming up next month. This time of year is always a little crazy, but I relish the activity knowing it will end in some much needed time in our happy place. I’m trying to tackle plenty of blog projects in the coming weeks in hopes that you won’t even notice my absence. I meant to share our monthly infographic and link up with Anne for the “currently” link up the first week of this month. By the time I realized I missed it, half of the month had blown by. I debated skipping it altogether, but I know I’ll be disappointed at the end of the year if I don’t do it. Instead, you’ll just get two month’s worth almost back to back. Yesterday, I saw Rachel’s 73 Questions post and decided that might be a fun alternative to what I’m up to currently. Don’t you remember getting those email chains from your best friends begging you to answer a ton of unimportant questions? No matter how silly they were, I filled them out every time and giggled my way through reading everyone else’s. I typed this post out before reading the list, so I have no idea what I’m getting myself into (I copied and pasted them directly into my post, so I read Rachel’s answers as I replaced them with my own). I hope I don’t embarrass myself too much…

1. What are you most excited about these days? I’m most excited about the beach. I’m leaving three weeks from tomorrow and I’m already so excited. We’re leaving in shifts this year — Sophie is riding down with my parents after Ella’s first recital, Ella and Josh are headed down the next morning and I’ll follow a few days later — so we have to update our individual count every single day. The girls and I have already made a list of fun things we want to do and I’m currently compiling a list of books to read while I’m there. I. Cannot. Wait.
2. Favorite holiday? I normally say Christmas Eve when asked this question, but I realized last month that my favorite holidays are actually the girls’ birthdays. I just cannot get enough. Celebrating their arrival in our lives is the greatest thing ever. I can’t wait to share all the details from Sophie’s most recent birthday with you next week!
3. Favorite season? Forever summer. No matter how hot it gets and how long it lasts, any season that sends me to the beach for fourteen days is my favorite.
4. Recent hobby? I’m not sure there are any new additions here unless you count weightlifting. I’ve been heading to the gym with Josh, three days a week, since early April and I kind of love it. I might have cried the last time I went, but that’s only because I increased weight on all of my leg exercises and moved from dumbbells to barbells on a few things and LEARNING CURVE. I love watching my muscles grow and seeing how much stronger and more capable I feel. There still isn’t a big enough difference to give you before and afters, but I’m making major progress.
5. If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be? Ella. Is that weird? I love watching her dance and seeing how good at it she is. I wish there had been something that I was that passionate about as a nine year old. I danced for several years, but I never had her level of talent or dedication.
6. If you could have coffee with someone from the past, who would it be? Paul McCartney. I am a huge Beatles fan and Sir Paul has always been my favorite. I can’t imagine what it was like to achieve that amount of success almost overnight and I’d love an opportunity to ask all sorts of questions.
7. What’s the best thing that happened this year? LiveWhole365. If you had asked me in January to predict how my relationship with food would go, I could have never imagined this big of a change. There are still things I’m working to correct (I’ll tell you a little bit about that on Friday), but I have seen so much progress this year.
8. What’s the best way to decompress? There are a few ways that work for me, depending on the level and type of stress in my life. Running, reading and hot baths are definitely my favorites.
9. What’s the weirdest word in the English language? I’m going to tell you ahead of time that this one embarrasses me. Forgive me, okay? Moist. Why is that word so weird? It sounds exactly like its definition. It’s just icky and gross, but I’m not sure how we can make it any better. Sigh.
10. If you had one superpower, what would it be? The ability to survive without sleep. As much as I love naps and would want to do them just because they’re fun, I wish I could eliminate the need for sleep. There are so many things I want to do and accomplish, and I think I would rock life if I had another 6 or 7 hours a day!
11. Who do you miss most? My childhood best friend. This season of life hasn’t been so kind to us when it comes to scheduling, so our visits are few and far between.
12. Who was the last person to text you? Jennifer. We usually have a mid-morning, post-workout conversation about what we’re eating, how we’re feeling and what all is on the blog calendar for the week. If I’m being honest, it’s more like an all-day, everyday kind of text message, which is my favorite kind. I might not like talking on the phone very much, but give me a good (and hilarious) text message any day.
13. Who are three people, alive or dead, that you would have dinner with? I find these questions incredibly difficult to answer. I don’t necessarily have “heroes” and I’m not ever sure who to choose. I think part of that comes from my complete and total awkwardness. I would completely ruin a dinner with three influential people. Is that weird?! Maybe I should invite Jimmy Fallon, John Mayer and Norman Reedus. I can’t go wrong there, right?
14. Last book you read? Pride and Prejudice. I mentioned on Instagram that I was reading it for the first time and I got tons of opinions on the books and movie adaptations. My review will be a part of my monthly reading recap scheduled for early June. Spoiler alert: I loved it.
15. Book you plan on reading? Next up is The Girls in the Garden. I received it free in exchange for a review, so I’m working to finish it up and get it on the blog next month, too.
16. Book you read because everyone else in the world was reading it? All the Light We Cannot See. Fortunately, it was worth it, because I’m usually very nervous about reading publicly popular books. I almost always disagree with the general consensus and feel like I need to defend my opinions!
17. A book from your childhood that positively shaped you? Little House in the Big Woods. I absolutely adored Laura Ingalls Wilder and I loved reading her entire series. I had the full set in a little blue cardboard box that my grandmother gifted me when I was in elementary school. I still have them, torn and battered and bruised, but they were such a huge part of my childhood. I’ve already read two of them with the girls, but we’re gearing up to read another over the summer.
18. Favorite television show that’s currently on tv? Game of Thrones. I know this one gets a tons of flack (because, flesh and violence and more flesh), but I really do love it. It is such a story of redemption and the characters are all so complex. Even though there are so many I despise, I kind of love to hate them. I remember when Josh first tried to get me to watch, I made it only a few episodes in. I guess I had to grow into them, because I am now legitimately obsessed. Favorite television show that isn’t currently on tv? Parenthood. Go watch it now.
19. Favorite ice cream: Mint chocolate chip. Even though after months of elimination and restriction I am aware that dairy is NOT my friend, I still really want to eat mint chip on a cone at our favorite beachside ice cream shop. Maybe just once.
20. What makes you smile the most? My girls. As frustrating as they are on a regular basis, sometimes they say and do the greatest little things that just wreck my very soul. For instance, Sophie drew me a picture of Beemer last week at school and I pretty much lost all sense of control.
21. First pet? I’m going to say Beemer, because we never really had pets growing up. Sure there were stray cats and a dog that I barely remember, but B was my first real love.
22. Worst subject in school? Math. Thank goodness I only had to have a single math class in college. That is what I have Josh for.
23. Favorite game? I love Taboo and cards. We play Shanghai as a family at all holiday events and beach vacations and it’s just the best. I also really like jigsaw puzzles. Because, nerd.
24. Coolest thing in the world? I’m sticking with Rachel’s answer here: technology. Comparing the technology of my childhood with the advantages my children have is just crazy. We were actually talking about television yesterday and I was joking that we had two channels and I had to turn them by hand. My kids just have it made. They don’t even watch cable — they pick a show on their iPad and stream it to the television. Our DVR messed up a few times during finale week, so I just signed up for a trial subscription to a few different services and we were able to catch everything we missed. What in the world?!
25. Cutest thing in the world? Soph. Ya’ll, she is just the sweetest, funniest, quirkiest kid ever. Ella is so serious most of the time, so it’s funny to compare their personalities and mannerisms. Sophie just has this look that completely eliminates your need to punish or correct her. It isn’t good for me at all.
26. Favorite thing in the world? Sweet words from my husband. I have a binder full of chronological love letters spanning my junior year of high school. I have even funnier text message streams that I couldn’t possible delete. He always knows the perfect words to use, whether I need humor, encouragement or sap. I did good.
27. One talent you wish you had? Any musical ability at all. I can read music (thank you countless years of piano lessons), but I have zero natural talent.
28. One thing you still have from your childhood? My baby blanket. Sophie gets her fascination with “pink” honestly.
29. What’s your patronus? Guys, I had to look this one up. I know nothing about Harry Potter and I had never heard this word before. Also? I still don’t really get it.
30. Last song you listened to on your phone? “No Wonder” by River Valley Worship. Our church offers monthly worship playlists on Spotify, which I listen to on my runs!
31. Favorite song lyrics? This question is impossible to answer. I just love music and well-written lyrics are my favorite. This is one of my favorite songs ever and I love the lyrics. Also, this is a good one if you want funny lyrics. You can read about a few of my other favorites here.
32. What song would you probably be caught dancing alone to? Same answer, My Cousin Greg.
33. If you could work the runway, what song would it be? There isn’t a chance that I would ever work the runway. No thank you, not in this lifetime.
34. Best gift you’ve ever given? I love giving experiences, especially when they are a big surprise. We gifted the girls a week in Disney World for Christmas one year and their reaction was epic. We also gave them Taylor Swift tickets for Christmas and it was equally amazing. I love secrets and surprises the very best.
35. Fashion icon? Olivia Palermo. She just never looks anything short of amazing.
36. What did you wear to your prom? I was in love with my senior prom dress. I still have it and both girls have been photographed wearing it. It feels like Cinderella.
37. Who was your date to your prom? That would be Josh. We’ve been attached at the hip since January of 1997.
38. Favorite movie of all time? I wrote a post about my top five movies and nothing has changed.
39. Favorite movie of the last five years? The Revenant and Spotlight are two of my favorites from recent history.
40. Movie that made you cry? Room. Also one of my most favorite recent films. As a mom, I just couldn’t hold it together in this one.
41. Movie that made you laugh the hardest? I’m clueless here. Comedies aren’t really my jam.
42. If you could make a documentary, what would it be about? Again, I’m going to echo Rachel here. While I am not vegan, I agree that food documentaries will make you want to drastically change your eating habits. I watched several last year before embarking on my Whole Food/Whole Year project and, man, they will help you bite the bullet for sure.
43. Favorite TV show(s)? Lost, Breaking Bad, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, The Wire, Survivor, The Walking Dead.
44. If you could make a cameo in any TV show what would it be? Let’s be zombies, mmmkay?
45. Best plot twist of all time? I read (and watch) too many things to answer “best of all time” questions. That is way too much pressure.
46. Twitter or Instagram? Instagram, hands down. I wish I was better at Twitter, but honestly… I just forget it even exists sometimes.
47. Who should everyone be following right now? Melissa Hartwig of Whole30 fame. She is hilarious on Instagram and even better on Snapchat. You’re welcome.
48. Favorite food? I would have once said pasta, but now that I rarely eat that much grain, I’ll go with tacos. I can eat one in the shell and then the insides of a few more without feeling terribly guilty. Also, cheese.
49. Favorite dessert? I’m not a dessert eater, but in my former life I would have definitely said Carrot Cake.
50. Favorite band? Current? Houndmouth. Of all time? Beatles.
51. Favorite solo artist? John Mayer.
52. If you could sing a duet with anyone, who would it be? Ditto on the John Mayer. I am borderline obsessed, so anything to get me into the same room with him is a yes.
53. What would be the title of your autobiography? Procrastination. Because I would put off writing the autobiography for forever.
54. Favorite sound? Music, the waves and squealy little girls.
55. Least favorite sound? Anything mouth-y or too repetitive… pen clicking, tongue snapping, snoring (especially fake snoring?!), teeth grinding, etc.
56. Favorite animal? Flamingo. How cute are they?!
57. First celebrity crush? First? Probably Joey from New Kids on the Block. I was in the 5th grade when they were hugely popular and no 5th grade girl could resist that pre-puberty voice. Ha!
58. Current celebrity crush? Jimmy Fallon and Jeff Probst. I take funny over sexy any day. (Also, Rachel, your answer was amazing.)
59. What is your kryptonite? Ice Cream (even though it makes me sick) and goat cheese.
60. Guilty pleasure? See previous answer.
61. Most proud moment? Those times when a teacher or instructor praises your child. Ella getting complimented at dance, an update email from Sophie’s piano teacher, praise for meeting goals at school. Those are 100 watt smile moments.
62. Biggest weakness? Procrastination.
63. Skill still unmastered? Gardening. Although we live on the most fertile acre ever and our yard is amazing, I cannot keep a house plant alive to save my life.
64. What is the definition of misery? Life without family or eternal salvation.
65. Biggest learning experience? The transition between high school (being a big fish in a small pond) and my first year of college (tiny fish, massive pond). Taking college level art classes and being exposed to brutal critiques was life changing. Just ask my mom. I cannot tell you the number of times I called her in tears over something a professor said to me in class.
66. What is your idea of a perfect date? I blogged about that here and it’s still pretty much perfect.
67. An experience when you felt the most nervous? Everything makes me nervous, especially the first time. I was terrified I would fall walking down the aisle on my wedding day and the first class of every college semester was filled with a “is this the right class/day/room/university” conversation with myself every single time. Josh makes fun of me because en route to every single event we ever attend, I count the tickets in front of him, confirm the venue and double check the calendar to be sure it’s the right date. I’m insane.
68. At what age were you the happiest? 36 is pretty stinking amazing.
69. What’s one vice you wish you could give up? Soda. I’ve been addicted to Dr. Pepper (fountain only in a styrofoam cup) since I was pregnant with Sophie and craved it all the time. I have had so few of them this year, but I still think about them all the time. If I could drink them without any health ramifications, I would tell you to administer the IV stat.
70. If you could teach a college course, what would it be called? Finding Yourself as an Artist.
71. If you could star in any movie remake, what would it be? I have no idea. Since I prefer a shoot-em-up, I think I’ll just stick with watching instead of participating.
72. If you were an Olympic athlete, what would your event be? Running. Although I’m not very fast, I adore races and think running in an Olympic event would be exhilarating.
73. If you could offer your 13-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be? Ditch those crazy tall bangs. You are so much prettier with natural hair!!

Kristin is married to her high-school sweetheart and the mother to two daughters. Professional by day and creative by night, she is a family lifestyle blogger who writes about faith, family, and fitting it all into a busy schedule. At Taz + Belly, you’ll find healthy recipes, children’s party ideas, tutorials, DIY projects, and more. Click Here to Read More About Kristin