The Christmas Tag

Hello friends! I'm in full festive mode now, so I thought I'd do The Christmas Tag to spread the joy. Here we go!

1. When do you start getting excited about Christmas?
     Usually late-August to mid-September is when I start thinking about it, and then by my
    birthday in September I'm in full gear. This year it came a bit early, and I may or may
    not be guilty of listening to Christmas music in August...
2. Do you still have Advent calendars?
    Yes. Chocolate every day for 24 days? Count me in.
3. Favorite Christmas film?
    Hands down, Elf. It's a classic. I can quote pretty much the whole thing.
4. Any funny Christmas memories?
    My family has this tradition called The Can, and someone new gets it every year. It's an
    old popcorn tin filled with gag gifts and a whole story to go with the gifts, and when it
    gets passed, the story is read by the giver as the recipient open the gifts accordingly. It
    doesn't matter what's inside, it's always hilarious.
5. Any Christmas traditions?
    Other than The Can, my family gets together on Christmas Eve, and then just my
    immediate family spends Christmas Day together. We also spend December 23rd baking
    cookies, and pretty much eat cookies all day Christmas Day.
6. Favorite Christmas songs?
    I love all of Pentatonix's Christmas songs, but my top three are "Mary Did You Know?,"
    "O Come All Ye Faithful," and "Joy to the World." They're great spins on classics that
    everyone loves.
7. Real or fake Christmas tree?
    Fake, my dad loves having a giant (nine foot) tree that doesn't leave needles
    everywhere.
8. Favorite Christmas treat?
     We have our set cookie list every year, and I can't get enough of the potato chip
    cookies (yes, don't judge, they're amazing) and the graham cracker cookies (basically
    the ever-popular Pinterest "crack toffee" on grahams instead of Saltines).
9. Giving or receiving presents?
    Giving. I love picking things out and making things personal, from the gift to the
    wrapping. It's so much fun.
10. Dream place to visit during Christmas?
      Colorado. I adored it in the summer, and I cannot wait to see it in the winter. I may
      not ever leave.
11. Ever had a White Christmas?
      Yes, not recently, though. It usually snows a week or two after Christmas where I
      live. It's kind of sad, really. I love snow.
12. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
       Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph. I didn't
      spend my childhood choir days learning those for nothing!
13. Favorite festive scent?
      I love spicy scents and the smell of baked goods, so my guilty pleasure, I-have-to-
      ration-this-it's-so-good candle is Bath and Body's Cinnamon Sugared Donut. It actually
      smells like heaven.
14.What tops your tree?
      For the longest time it was an angel, but she melted and we could only find stars. So
     it's a star, but it's a cool wire one so the lights reflect off of it. Very pretty.
15. As a kid, what was the one gift you always asked for but never received?
      Like every other kid, a puppy. I finally got one in the summer about seven years ago,
      but he wasn't a puppy. I just want a cute, wiggly little furball.

I wish you all the best,
Erin

Random Questions Tag

Hello friends! This week I want to do another "get to know me" post, and after seeing Fern (The Fern Life on YouTube, I'll link her video at the end) do this, I want to answer these questions, as well. Here we go!

• How did you get your YouTube (or blog) username?
• I love the term "stream of consciousness" to describe sharing random thoughts, and I love the idea of celebrating little, everyday things, hence the "streamers," so it's a celebration of little random thoughts.
• If you could change your name to anything, what would it be and why?
• I love lots of name, as you probably know, but I think of all of them, Ingrid suits me best. Ingrid is a name that people either love or hate, which is pretty much how people receive me as a person, and I love that. I think it would be very fitting.
• If you could go back in time and give your younger self advice, what would it be?
• There's nothing wrong with being different. Someday you'll love being different, so embrace it now and enjoy it longer.
• How old were you when you learned to blow a bubblegum bubble?
• I distinctly remember watching Dora the Explorer with my brother and accidentally blowing a bubble when I was about five, and I was so proud.
• What did you want to be when you were little?
• A teacher, then I went to work with my mom (a kindergarten teacher), and that changed very quickly.
• What do you order at Starbucks?
• I really only get Starbucks when the holiday flavors are out, so either an iced chestnut praline latte or a chestnut praline hot chocolate. Trust me, it's amazing.
• When's the hardest you've ever laughed?
• I go into hysterics at my own jokes (or bad puns), so much so that I cry and can't breathe. For example, I was driving past a cemetery with my mom and there was a line of geese walking through the grass. My mom said, "Think they're visiting a loved one?" and I replied, "Maybe. Think it was fowl play?" and proceeded to laugh all the way home.
• If you could play any musical instrument, what would it be?
• Piano; I love the classic sound and versatility of. Plus, being a singer, it would be really helpful.
• What's your favorite thing to do when you're upset?
• Watch YouTube videos.
• What's your favorite movie?
• I can't answer this. I have categories I separate movies into, so picking one overall favorite is near impossible.
• What's one food you can't live without?
• I'm going to maybe cheat and say carbs, that way I can encompass all the lovely breads and starches I love.
• What's your favorite dessert?
• Cheesecake, hands down. There's never a bad time for cheesecake.
• What's your favorite pizza topping?
• Traditional topping: pepperoni. Specialty pizza: buffalo chicken. I love anything buffalo.
• Would you rather have the power to read minds or be invisible?
• Read minds. It's rare that people are always honest, so reading their thoughts is a guaranteed way to know if they're being honest. 
• What did you do for your last birthday?
• Not much the day of, but went to a concert to celebrate a few days later.
• If you had one personal "selfish" wish, what would it be?
• I would wish for my dream life: dream house, wonderful husband, my own successful business, ideal number of kids, etc. because not knowing stresses me out, and it'd be nice to know I'd be happy forever.

Fern's video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmSCa1X_OdU

I wish you all the best,
Erin

The Ultimate Baby Name Tag

Hello friends! Yesterday I saw that Alena and Amelia, two namers on YouTube, created this Ultimate Baby Name Tag, and I had to answer it over here asap. Here we go!

• 1. What is your own name and do you like it?
• My name is Erin, which I don't like because it's so common and plain, and my middle name is Violet, which I love.
• 2. If you have children, what are their names and how did you come up with them?
• N/A
• 3. If you had a baby boy right now what would you name him?
• Declan Oliver - I love so many Irish and Scottish names, and Declan is in that sweet spot of not being too popular yet, but still familiar and easy to pronounce.
• 4. If you had a baby girl right now what would you name her?
• Isla Wren - Just like Declan, Isla is in that popularity sweet spot and is familiar and easy to pronounce.
• 5. What would you name boy/boy twins, boy/girl twins and girl/girl twins?
• BB: Beckett Theo & Calvin Scott
• BG: Gray Caledon & Scarlett Waverly
• GG: Stella Ingrid & Luna Tess
• 6. What would you name your ideal number of children using all names that start with the same letter (or one letter for girls and another for boys)?
• I would have two girls and one boy named Adeleine Grace, Audrey Linnaea, and Andrew Griffin.
• 7. What would you name a boy and a girl using only names from your family tree (or the names of close friends and loved ones)?
• Nathan Theo & Hailey Victoria
• 8. Create a name for your child (You can choose the gender or do one name for each gender) using a.) a combination of your name and your significant other's name or b.) a combination of your parent's names.
• I don't have a significant other, and I can't come up with anything good combining my parents' names.
• 9. You enter a witness protection program and must choose a completely new name for yourself. What name do you choose and is their any special significance as to why you choose it?
• Ingrid Kay - Ingrid is a name I love and (I think) has a bit of mystery to it, which is fitting, and Kay is my grandmother's middle name, and I think I would need her with me because I would be a terrible spy and she would be great.
• 10. If you could create one rule parents had to follow when naming their children, what would it be and why?
• Please choose a name that your child won't be ashamed of telling others as an adult; Rainbow Puff may consider changing her name when she's 18.
• 11. Name a boy and a girl using only nature and place names.
• Hudson Fox & Brooklyn Flora
• 12. Name a boy and a girl using your own first and middle initials. If you don't have a middle name, select an initial of your choosing.
• Eli Vance & Esme Victoria
• 13. Name a boy and girl using names from the most recent data of top 100 baby names in the US.
• Gavin Isaac & Ruby Olivia
• 14. Name a boy and a girl using names from the most recent data of top 100 baby names in the UK.
• Leo James & Emilia Lucy
• 15. Name a boy and a girl using names from your favorite TV shows and movies.
• Larkin Jude (Hairspray, The Fosters) & Nora Wendy (Friends, Full House)
• 16. Name a boy and a girl using names of characters from books and literature.
• Ezra Felix (The Beginning of Everything, Finding Audrey) & Cosette Grace (Les Mis, The Fault in Our Stars)
• 17. Name a boy and a girl using rare letters, Q, X, Y, and Z.
• York Zander & Zara Quinn
• 18. Name a boy and a girl using names that, for whatever reason, you would never use in real life.
• Caledon Michael & Linnaea Wren - I love both Caledon and Linnaea, but I'm not sure people would ever pronounce them correctly, and I don't want to put that on my kids.
• 19. If you could rename a celebrity baby (or celebrity baby sibset), which one would you pick and what would you rename them? Alternative: choose the name of a friend or a friend’s baby that you don’t like or whose name you feel doesn’t suit them and rename them instead.
• I pick the Busby girls; the Busbys are a reality TV family who have one older daughter and one set of all-girl quintuplets. I don't have a particular issue with their names, I just like the challenge of styling a sibset that has quints.(Note: I'm going to challenge myself by keeping their initials and finding new names to fit them.)Their names are Blayke Louise, Olivia Marie, Ava Lane, Hazel Grace, Parker Kate, and Riley Paige. In that same order, I would rename them Bailey Lauren, Oakley Madelyn, Addison Leigh, Harper Gabrielle, Peyton Kara, and Reagan Paisley.
• 20. Any last names? Do you have any names that you didn’t get to mention in this video that you have been liking recently, heard recently, or were reminded of during this post that you didn’t get a chance to mention? If not, what’s the coolest name or the worst name you’ve heard recently?
• I don't want to share any other names I love just yet - I'll be posting my Top 100 Names in a few weeks, so you'll have to wait and see! As far as cool names, I recently watched a name video on YouTube, and the mom had twins named Louis and Linnaea, and Linnaea happens to mean "twinflower;" how cool!

A special thanks to Alena and Amelia for creating this tag; I'll link their videos for you to see their answers.
Tag Questions: https://youtu.be/we5EjhvQ3OQ
Alena's Answers: https://youtu.be/imcyATuV8GM
Amelia's Answers: https://youtu.be/A8Q-rQA8sfQ

Please answer these questions in the comments or leave a link to you answers. I love hearing from you!

I wish you all the best,
Erin

Disney Halloween Tag

Hello friends! I wanted to do some kind of fun tag for Halloween, but most of what I found revolved around scary things and "would you rather..." questions, which I'm not a fan of, but then I found the Disney Halloween Tag, which was created by Brianna Hertzberg on YouTube. A lot of the questions relate to the Disney theme parks and a Halloween event called Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party that I have actually been to, but it was 12 years ago, so my memories of it aren't that vivid and I'm sure things have changed, but I'll answer to the best of my ability. I'll link her original video at the end, but for now, on with the tag!

• Favorite Disney villain and why?
• Hades from Hercules; I love him because he's sassy and sarcastic, which is me if I were a Disney villain.

• Favorite Disney villain song and why?
• Ursula's "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from The Little Mermaid; Ursula is probably the villain that scares me the most because she's deceptive as opposed to being just outwardly evil, and this song is just perfect for her.

• Favorite Disney Halloween song?
• Of course, "This is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas

• Favorite villain sidekick?
• Pleakley (Jumba's sidekick) from Lilo & Stitch

• Favorite Disney monster?
• Stitch from Lilo & Stitch

• Favorite Dark Ride at Disney?
• Honestly I had to Google what a dark ride is, and it's any indoor ride. My favorites are the ones geared for little ones in Fantasy Land, such as The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan's Flight.

• Haunted Mansion Ride or Nightmare Before Christmas Mansion Ride?
• I've only experienced the classic version, but I can guarantee I would like the Nightmare Before Christmas version better. 

• Pumpkin or regular beignets?
• Regular, I don't like pumpkin anything.

• Ghost Galaxy Space Mountain or Classic Space Mountain?
• I've experienced classic Space Mountain and I hated it (anxiety paired with motion sickness, it was my worst nightmare), so neither.

• Favorite Halloween treat at the parks?
• I don't remember any specific Halloween treats from 12 years ago, so I'll give you my favorite treat in general: Belgian waffles from Sleepy Hollow (Liberty Square, Magic Kingdom, Disney World Orlando). It's the absolute best spot to camp out before the fireworks because it has a perfect view of the castle, and the waffles are amazing.

• Who is a Halloween character/villain you wish you could meet at the parks?
• I don't know if I would like to meet any Halloween characters in particular, but I would love to meet Hades.

• If you could go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, who would you dress up as?
• I went as a hula girl as a nod to Lilo & Stitch when I went, but now I would probably go as a more classic Lilo and bring a Stitch stuffed toy to complete the outfit.

• Favorite thing about Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party?
• I don't remember much of it, I just remember it being fun because they closed down the park for the party, so it felt really special.

Brianna's Original Video: https://youtu.be/rhCr_aLVXUU

Happy Halloween!
Erin

Seasons of Names Tag

Hello friends! I created this tag a while back and I thought I'd share it with you. It's based on the four seasons, and each has specific name challenges associated with the season. Let's get started!

Winter

• Name a sibset with the initials DE, CE, MB, and ER. You choose the sexes, but first names must be literary names.
• DE: Dallas Emerson (The Outsiders)
• CE: Celie Eleanor (The Color Purple)
• MB: Margo Brooklyn (Paper Towns)
• ER: Ezra Rowan (The Beginning of Everything)
• Use a winter or holiday-based first name for a girl and give her a middle name, then give her a twin (you choose the sex).
• Noelle Audrey & Jude Matthew
• Winter nights are perfect for watching your favorite movies. Name triplets (you choose the sexes) with names of your favorite movie characters as first names and middle names of your choice.
• Cosette Roaslie (Les Mis), Larkin Thomas (Hairspray) & Daniel James (Grease)

Spring

• Name triplets with the initials SP, RI, and NG. You choose the sexes and first names, but middle names must be associated with flowers, trees, or fruit.
• SP: Scarlett Poppy
• RI: Rowan Ivy
• NG: Nathaniel Gideon
• There's something whimsical about both spring and alliterations, so name twins with alliterative names (you choose the sexes).
• Lila Lucy & Luna Livia
• Spring is all about "out with the old, in with the new." Combine both and name three boys and a girl with "geezer names" as first names and "hipster names" as middle names.
• Calvin August, Samuel Oliver, Edward Griffin & Eleanor Beatrix

Summer

• Name two girls and a boy with the initials SU, MM, and ER.
• SU: Sawyer Upton
• MM: Mira Melody
• ER: Ellarie River
• Road trip! Name quadruplets with place names as first names and any middle names (you choose the sexes).
• Aspen Maisie, Brighton Isla, Hudson Parker & Phoenix Isaac
• Let's go stargazing! Use a celestial or mythological name for a boy and give him a middle name, then give him a sister whose initials are the reverse of his.
• Evander Wyatt & Waverly Emilia

Fall

• Name two boys and two girls with the initials NO, VE, MB, and ER. You choose the sexes, but middle names must be stone/gemstone names.
• NO: Noah Onyx
• VE: Victoria Emerald
• MB: Michael Baryte
• ER: Esme Ruby
• Fall reminds me of family, so name three siblings with family names as first names and any middle names (you choose the sexes).
• Ryan Andrew, Nathan Scott & James Benjamin
• It's hibernation season! Name twins with animal-based first names and any middle names (you choose the sexes).
• Ari Valencia & Leo Alexander

I tag you to do this tag in the comments!

I wish you all the best,
Erin

10 Baby Names I Love But Won't Be Using

Hello friends! I decided to jump on the bandwagon of the "10 Baby Names I Love But Will Never Use" videos going around on YouTube. I am not planning on having kids for a very long time, but I do love names and already have lists of names that I love and will use for my future kids. With that said, these are also names that I love, but I have specific reasons for why I will not be using each of these names, but if any of these are names of your kids or someone you know, I think these are beautiful and people who have them are very lucky.

Girls

     1. Amelia/Emilia - I love both spellings of this name, but I don't like the way this name
         is pronounced in the US, which is a-MEEL-yah instead of a-MEE-lee-ah, and I'm just
         not a fan of the middle two syllables being squished into one.

     2. Ruby - I think this name is absolutely adorable, but when I think of a name, I have
         to be able to see it on name tags in kindergarten, said at high school graduation,
         on a CEO's desk, etc., and Ruby doesn't fit all those for me, but I still love it.

     3. Iclyn - Iclyn is a newer invented name, and although I think it's beautiful and would
         fit in with all the -lyn names of today, it's just a little too out there for my taste.

     4. Delilah - This is one of those names that I love but my mom hates, and for as close
         as we are, I couldn't name my daughter a name I know she hates, which is why when
         I have kids, she'll find out their names when they're born and opinions don't really
         matter *wink*.

     5. Harper - I love Harper, especially because it's one of the few names that I can get
         the nickname Perrie (which I think is adorable) from, but unfortunately this name
         just entered the top ten most popular names in the US, which means by the time I
         I have a daughter, it'll be even more popular, which I don't like.

Boys

     1. Nathan - This is probably my #1 favorite boys' name, but I have a cousin named
         Nathan, so I won't ne using this for any future sons.

     2. Alek - I love the idea of this name because I think it's strong yet simple and a good
         alternative to the very popular Alexander, but I just can't see myself using it, and
         I can't quite figure out why.

     3. Phoenix - The phoenix is a bird that is reborn from its own ashes, and for me it's a
         personal symbol for overcoming any struggles, but this name, although meaningful,
         is just too out there for my taste.

     4. Matthew - Matthew is a name that, unfortunately, was ruined for me by a Matthew
         I once knew who was just very arrogant, and that's all I can think of when I hear this
         name.

     5. Ezra - I know Ezra because popular recently because of a TV show, but I don't
         carry that association. I honestly think I'm just not cool enough to have a kid named
         Ezra.

Let me know if there are any names you love but won't use in the comments!

I wish you all the best,
Erin

Get to Know Me Tag

Hello friends! There's been quite a bit of traffic to this lovely little internet corner lately (Hello! Welcome!), so I figured I'd do the ever-popular Get to Know Me Tag from YouTube to let you all learn a little more about me.

1. What's your middle name?
     Violet
2. Favorite school subject?
    Conventional subject: English // Nonconventional subject: chorus
3. Favorite drink?
    Iced caramel mochas are what I live on.
4. Favorite song at the moment?
    This is so hard because I have multiple favorites of everything. Right now it's "Hell No"
    by Ingrid Michaelson. It's just a good jam.
5. What would you name your children?
    As some of you may know, I adore names and thinking about my future kids' names. If I
    had my ideal set of kids to name at this exact moment, I would have two girls and a
    boy, and their names would be Scarlett Lila (I would call her Scout - I think it's an
    adorable, unconventional nickname), Maisie Wren, and Beckett Calvin (I would call
    him Beck), so I would have Scout, Maisie, and Beck.
6. Have you played any sports?
    I did dance and cheerleading when I was little, but I'm as graceful as a baby giraffe on
    ice, so that didn't really work out.
7. Favorite book?
    Again, I have a ton of favorites, but right now I really love Me Before You and I'll Give
    You the Sun.
8. Favorite color?
    Purple and gray
9. Favorite animal?
    Domestic animal: dog // Wild animal: otter
10. Favorite perfume?
      Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black (Bonus: My favorite normal scents are vanilla,
      coffee, cherry, and peach.)
11. Favorite holiday?
      Thanksgiving and Christmas
12. On a scale from 1-10, rate your childhood.
      I'd give it a solid 8. It was really great, but school was hard for me. I spent most of
      my time by myself.
13. Have you ever been out of the country?
      Yes, I went to Ireland two and a half years ago. It was amazing. It's definitely my
      favorite place I've ever been.
14. Do you speak any other languages?
      I can understand basic Spanish, but I'd probably have a hard time responding if
      someone spoke to me.
15. Do you have any siblings?
      Yes, I have one younger brother.
16. Favorite store?
      I love Target, and Forever 21 is great for cheap clothes - I love to turn over my closet
      pretty regularly.
17. Favorite restaurant?
      I don't know if I have one. I like to try new places.
18. Do you like school?
      I'm in college right now, and it's okay. I'd rather be done, but it's something I have to
      stick with. I need something to fall back on in case my bakery dream falls through.
19. Favorite YouTubers?
      Oh goodness, there are so many. I love Cupcake Jemma, the Ballinger family (all of
      them), Buzzfeed, and Zoella, just to name a few.
20. Favorite movie?
      Grease is the one I have to watch every time it's on, so I think that makes it my
      favorite.
21. Favorite TV show?
      I love most shows on Food Network and TLC, but I also love any of The Bachelor
      shows, especially Bachelor in Paradise.
22. Mac or PC?
      I have a PC, but I'm thinking about making the switch to Mac just because that's more
      practical for what I do in school.
23. What phone do you have?
      I have an iPhone 6 with a cute pineapple case.
24. How tall are you?
      5'7"
25. Do you have any pets?
      Yes, I have a shih tzu poodle named Darius, even though we barely ever call him by
      his real name.

Please let me know if you have any other questions (within reason, of course), post suggestions, etc., and let me know a little more about you in the comments, I'd love to learn more about you guys!

I wish you all the best,
Erin

Disney Name Tag

Hello friends! As I said in my update, recently I've become obsessed with the future, specifically marriage and kids. I've spent a lot of time on YouTube watching baby name tags, which is basically just people talking about their favorite names or answering different name-related questions. I've answered all those and might put them up later, but the one I'm most excited about is one I've created and am debuting here: the Disney Name Tag. I love Disney and names, so this seemed like a given. Let's get started!

Disney Name Tag

1. Top 3 (non-princess) Disney girls’ names?

Ellie (The Rescuers), Esme (Esmerelda // The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Evangeline (The Princess and the Frog)

 2. Top 3 (non-prince) Disney boys’ names?

David (Lilo & Stitch), Elliott (Pete’s Dragon), Luke (The Rescuers)

3. Top 3 sequel (or beyond) names?

G: Colette (Lady and the Tramp II), Madellaine (The Hunchback of Notre Dame II), Ruby  (Lady and the Tramp II) 

B: Edward (Return to Neverland), Ron (Ronno // Bambi II), Max (Uncle Max // The Lion King 1 ½)

 

4. Top 3 Disney-Pixar names?

G: Bailey (Finding Dory), Colette (Ratatouille), Elinor (Brave) 

B: Arlo (The Good Dinosaur), Charles (Up), James (James P. Sullivan // Monsters, Inc.)

 

5. Top 3 prince/princess names?

Prince: Flynn (Tangled), Kristoff (Frozen), Edward (Enchanted)

Princess: Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Elsa (Frozen), Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)

 

6. Favorite villain names?

G: Sarah (Aunt Sarah // Lady and the Tramp)

B: Edgar (The Aristocats)

 

7. Name twins (any sex) with names from one movie.

GG: Mia & Charlotte (The Princess Diaries), Violet & Kari (The Incredibles)

BB: John & Michael (Peter Pan), Kristoff & Oaken (Frozen)

GB: Ellen & Michael (Mary Poppins), Lucy & Peter (The Chronicles of Narnia)

 

8. Name three kids with all Disney animal names.

G: Grace (Home on the Range), Kiara (The Lion King II), Sarafina (The Lion King)

B: Louis (King Louie // The Jungle Book), Maximus (Tangled), Oliver (Oliver & Co.)

 

9.Name four kids (any sex) with any Disney names, but all must start with the same letter.

GGGG: Elinor/Ellie (Brave/The Rescuers), Elsa (Frozen), Esme (Esmerelda // The Hunchback of Dame), Evangeline/Evie (The Princess and the Frog/Wall.e // EVE)

BBBB: Oaken (Frozen), Oliver (Oliver & Co.), Orville (The Rescuers), Otto (Robin Hood)

GGBB: Madellaine (The Hunchback of Notre Dame II), Mia (The Princess Diaries), Max (Uncle Max // The Lion King 1 ½), Michael (Peter Pan/Mary Poppins)

GBBB: Lucy (The Chronicles of Narnia), Lawrence (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Louis (King Louie // The Jungle Book), Luke (The Rescuers)

GGGB: Charlotte (The Princess Diaries), Clarabelle (Home on the Range), Colette (Lady and the Tramp II), Charles (Up)

 

10. Name three kids with any first name and Disney middle names ending in vowel sounds.

G: Victoria Esme (Esmerelda // The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Brooklyn Kari (The Incredibles), Charlotte Ruby (Lady and the Tramp II)

B: Michael Henry (The Princess and the Frog), Andrew Joshua (Atlantis: The Lost Empire), Oliver Wesley (Home on the Range)

 I wish you all the best,
Erin

My Thanksgiving Traditions & Giving Thanks

Hello friends! This week is Thanksgiving so I thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on the things I'm most thankful for and tell you how my family celebrates this wonderful holiday.

Thanksgiving is big in my family - everyone comes over, there's enough food to feed an army, so on and so forth. It all starts about 5am in my house, with my mom cooking away, and I join her shortly after. We watch the Macy's parade as we cook, and before long, people are at our door. Then the fun ensues: lots of laughing, food on food on food, and the annual Wii Bowling Tournament. Really it's just about being together, and I love more than anything. It will always mean so much to me.

I had seen on Pinterest a "52 Things I'm Grateful For" tag-type thing that I assume is for Instagram, but the point is to post a picture to fit each week's category for a year. I'll never remember to do that for a year, so I figured I'd share them all here at once and throw in a few pictures where they fit:

1. Why start this challenge? Because it's Thanksgiving, thank you very much.
2. Spouse/significant other I don't have one; I'm enjoying being me, for me.
3. Family I don't want to show them because they may not want to be on the Internet but
    trust me, they're the best bunch of weirdos I've ever met.
4. A family member My mom is an angel. I love her to pieces.
5. Something someone gave you When I was little my grandma gave me a giant teddy bear
    before she passed away. It still sits on my bedroom floor.
6. The city you live in For privacy I will not be divulging that one, but again, it's the best
    in my humble opinion.
7. A friend My cousin is three years younger than me and she is my other half. No one has
    seen me like she has and I love her.
8. Express gratitude to 3 people Thank you to my junior year English teacher for
    teaching me how to write a kick-butt paper, my best friends for always giving me a
    bright side to see, and of course my family, to whom I owe everything.
9. How did you do and feel? I'm guessing this is in reference to #8, but these people all
    know and have know for a long time, so it was reaffirming to the universe what
    already exists.
10. List 5 things you like about you I like my eyes, my strength, my mom-like nature, my
      passion and drive, and my baking skills.
11. Someone who inspires you Once again, my mom. She's Super Woman if there ever was
      one, and I can only hope to be like her some day.
12. Your favorite personality trait In myself, my quick wit. In others, compassion.
13. A challenge you've overcome College. Sort of. We're getting there. *shameless plug
      for my college post*



14. A talent you have I'm uber crafty, so I can make just about anything.
15. Things you like about spring I like the rainy days, Easter, and that feeling that
      something good is about to happen that's in the air all season long.
16. Simple things in life Photo albums, warm blankets and candles on cold nights,
      watching recorded TV shows with my family... I could go on and on.
17. Something you take for granted I try not to take anything for granted, but I know I
      take my family for granted more than I should.
18. The weather It's chilly and supposed to rain tonight.
19. Health I got some stitches out last week, so other than that I'm pretty good.
20. Another friend My best friend from high school. Yet another person I love to pieces.
21. Things you like about summer I like the Fourth of July, all the family birthdays, and
      the anticipation for school in August.
22. Something you use every day The easiest thing to say is my phone. Especially because
      I'm still not home (though I'm counting down the days) it's my lifeline to the people I
      love while I'm away.
23. Favorite physical trait Eyes. They say a lot more than the mouth ever could.
24. A book you learned from  The Magic Tree House series. Every story took place in a
      different time period or setting.
25. Education College freshman
26. Someone you got to meet I met two Broadway stars two summers ago with my a
      cappella choir. We were singing for a PR event and they were there, of course.
27. Favorite spot in your city There are so many, but I love little coffee shops (or 
      Starbucks) that are tucked away from the business right outside.



28. Your past I was a very happy kid, but didn't have any friends until high school, so most
      of my childhood was spent with my family, and I'm not complaining. High school was a
      blast, and college kind of sucks so far, but I'm working on it. I give life a thumbs up.
29. Your favorite memory There are too many to pick just one, but my trip to Ireland
      came to mind pretty quickly.



30. Your current age 19
31. Core value Honesty. If you can be honest, everything else flows from that.
32. A city you've visited New Buffalo, Michigan



33. Something you look forward to I always look forward to the holiday season in general,
      but my family is going to Florida before Christmas and I'm beyond excited.
34. Things you like about fall My birthday borders on summer and fall, and then there's
      Halloween, Thanksgiving, cozy sweaters, boots...
35. Your neighborhood Changing, but still feels like home.
36. Your home My best memories are in those walls, and everything about it is perfect in
      my eyes.
37. Something you created Recently I've been into arm knitting, so I've been making a lot
      of scarves.
38. Music you love I love Christmas music (I'm listening to it as I write this), a cappella
      music, some pop songs, and showtunes.
39. Your heritage I'm all kinds of European (Polish, Irish, Welsh, pretty much everything).
40. Greatest accomplishment High school was full of accomplishments I'm proud of, but I
      received an award that was essentially the "right-hand man" award of our fine arts
      department, which meant a lot.
41. Hobbies Singing, baking, crafting, etc. I'm basically a Disney house wife.
42. Your favorite possession This one's hard. I have photos everywhere and I love them,
      and I also have a necklace and ring make of the rose petals from each of my
      grandmothers' funerals. It's like I always have them with me.
43. A mentor/teacher Are you sick of hearing about my mom yet? Because it's her. Again.
44. Your favorite holiday I love the simplicity of Thanksgiving - no focus on the presents of
      Christmas, but I adore Christmas as much as Buddy the Elf, if not more.
45. What you do for fun Well I'm a grandma in a young adult's body, so I bake, knit, meet
      friends at old-timey soda fountains, etc.
46. Technology I'm not sure what this means, so I guess I'll say what I like about it. I like
      how it has the power to connect people who wouldn't have a way to connect
      otherwise.
47. Opportunities you've been given There are so many and I'm grateful for all of them.
      My a cappella group sang everywhere - Ireland, the local news and radio, a
      Broadway PR event... Just to name a few.
48. Your job I was just hired at a local bakery.
49. Things you like about winter I'm one of those odd beings who loves winter. I love the
      snow, festive Starbucks drinks, and feeling warm and fuzzy all season long. And
      Christmas. I love Christmas.







50. Lessons learned this year You are in charge of your own life and nobody can control
      that, and the people who are meant to be in your life will stay in it despite changes
      that may come.
51. 100 Things to be thankful for Oh goodness. We have to be close with the first 50.
52. Did that challenge change you? I don't know if it changed me, but it definitely gave me
      the chance to reflect on the things that I often overlook.

I wish you all the best,
Erin

PS: If you made it to the end of that, you're the real champ and I'm thankful for you, too.