Seven and Seven

No, not Seagram's 7 and 7-Up.

See the pink award on the right that says Kreativ Blogger on it? The award was given to me by Viv at My Mommy Needs a Timeout. The rules of accepting the award are that I need to share seven things I love and then pass the award on to seven other bloggers whose blogs I love to read.

I am assuming that others who have received this award consider loving their family as an obvious "given" and do not include them on the list of seven things they love, so I will say it here: I love my family but seven other things I love and in no specific order are....

1) A good cup of coffee. My favorite way to drink coffee is with enough real full-fat cream to turn the coffee a nice caramel color and with enough plain old refined white sugar to make most people grit their teeth just thinking about it. However, since restricting my family's diet so much, getting a good cup of coffee has become quite a challenge. Since we do not eat casein, cream is out. Refined sugars are a no-go as well, so no sugar. In the several months of eating so strictly, I have found a wonderful cream replacement - coconut milk - but finding a suitable sugar replacement still eludes me. And before anyone suggests Stevia, really, I've tried it. I've tried to talk myself into liking it. I've tried to use it repeatedly to see if it will grow on me...it doesn't. I've tried all the "natural" products and none of them sit well with me. I want my sugar!

2) A good long, hot shower in peace. It's amazing the things we take for granted before having children. I rarely get a peaceful, relaxing shower anymore. If it's the weekend, my husband and son have usually used most or all the hot water and by the time I get in, the water either feels nice for about fourteen seconds or is cold altogether and I may as well be living with polar bears. During the day when I get a shower, there is usually at least one child at the shower door whining, screaming, crying, or all three.

3) Healthy skin. I have taken great pride in the care of my skin over the last several years and I don't mean to brag but I think it has done me pretty well. Maybe not the last year or so with all the stress we have had around here, but overall, I think I still look a few years younger than my actual age of pushing-forty-just-around-the-bend.

4) I love to eat. Yes, I said it. I'm not afraid to say it. For people who battle weight issues, like I do, I think it's important to be able to admit this one simple thing in life. Yes, I love to eat but I am definitely a food snob. A Hershey's bar is not a treat for me. Give me some good high-quality European dark chocolate and that is a treat. Give me food that is full-fat and cooked with quality ingredients and I'm in heaven. Although I crave a good greasy hamburger from a drive-thru now and then, I would take a home-grilled steak over a burger any day.

5) Finding hidden treasure. The kind at the end of a rainbow or marked with an "X" on a desert isle would be nice but I like finding little places no one knows about. Like the incredible mom & pop pizza place out in the middle of a hick town near us. Several years ago, no one knew about it. Now, everyone knows.

6) Books. Oh, how I used to read B.K. - that is, "before kids." I still love to read but I don't have as much time to plow through books now. Before having children, I used to devour a book in a day or two. Couch potatoes can keep their widescreen tv's. I'll take books over tv any chance I get. If it wasn't for my husband, I think I could live without a television. My husband is not a couch potato by any stretch but he does like to watch tv more than I do.

7) Sleeping with my babies. Words cannot describe how I love waking up next to my baby girl. I love watching her sleep. I love hearing her breathe next to me. I love when her tiny little warm body curls up next to me. My son co-slept with us too, but is now in his own bed. I don't think parents who use cribs really grasp what they are missing out on.


And for the seven people I like to stalk, as I refer to it....
I love reading Viv's blog but she gave me this award so it doesn't make sense to include her because then she would have to do the whole "7 & 7" post again herself.

Seven other blogs I love reading are - and, of course, in no specific order...

1) 16 Blessings' Mom If you read my blog at all, you know I love large families. I love the Duggars but what I love about this blog is that it's "real" - not edited footage on tv. And Congratulations are in order because there is another baby on the way....I wonder if she will change to 17 Blessings' Mom???

2) Smiles & Trials Christine is simply amazing! Congratulations are also in order for this family, as they will be adopting their twelfth child from Ukraine very soon. Christine always has inspiring music playing on her blog. I love it but this is a good thing to know if you're playing on the computer in the same room as a sleeping child, as I often do.

3) Cassie-Ann's Life Six children under the age of ten and another on the way! What can I say? Another Congratulations!

4) Maybe We Are Rabbits I only found Eloise's blog a week or so ago but I love it. Eloise and her partner are both raw vegans. Before going raw, they were both vegan. The transformation from vegan to raw vegan began only around two months ago. Eloise gives daily accounts of how they are learning and expanding their diets with a variety of plant-based foods, kitchen gadgetry, and good old nature. It's interesting and very useful when we can cull information from others - even from those who lead very different lives than our own.

5) Gluten Free Naturally A great resource for out-of-the-ordinary gluten-free recipes.

6) Our Aussie Half-Dozen She always has the cutest stories to tell.

7) 7 Kids' Mummy Another great Aussie Mommy blogging her own "Mummy" chronicles.

This was really difficult to choose only seven blogs because I read and follow so many. If you're reading this and you know I read your blog but are not on the list, it's not that I love your blog any less. It was mainly having to decide who has commented on my own blog with advice and also whose blogs are most frequently updated. I love you ALL!

Thanks again, Viv!!!