100th Post & "Favorites" Giveaway

1. I was born and raised in L.A. – that’s Lower Alabama, ya’ll!
2. I love being from the South.
3. I love going home to visit.
4. I don’t think I could live in my hometown again.
5. People often mispronounce my name, Alana (uh-LAN-uh)
6. I tell people it’s like Atlanta without the t’s.
7. I don’t like to correct people - it drives my friends crazy so they correct people for me.
8. I like having an unusual name.
9. I love hearing my children say my name.
10. My parents didn’t give me a middle name when I was born.
11. When I turned 18, I petitioned the court for a middle name (not as official as it sounds – I basically signed a document and had it notarized)
12. I chose my mother’s maiden name.
13. I know #’s 10-12 may sound silly, but it's tough growing up in the south with only 2 initials to monogram on things!
14. Especially when said initials are AA – as in Alcoholics Anonymous.
15. Both of my parents taught at my high school.
16. I never skipped a class.
17. Until I went to college.
18. I attended The University of Alabama.
19. I planned on majoring in Accounting.
20. One night I had a dream . . . . angry numbers holding mean calculators were chasing me through the quad.
21. The next morning I switched my major to Elementary Education. It seemed safer.
22. After 2 1/2 years, I realized I was doing too much of #39 and went home.
23. I graduated at a local college with a degree in Elementary Education.
24. I love college football. Roll Tide!
25. I put pepper in my ketchup.
26. I consider ketchup a vegetable.
27. I was very thankful when they discovered the benefits of ketchup and lycopene.
28. I was 22 years old when I took my first plane trip.
29. The trip was to Washington, DC.
30. It was the day Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead died.
31. I was visiting my friend, Ilene for 10 days.
32. My parents bought me a round-trip ticket.
33. Within weeks I had a job and a place to live.
34. I never moved back home – a lot of people lost bets on that decision.
35. I still have the back-end trip of that ticket.
36. I met my husband, Bob, at a President’s Day Party.
37. Yes, people do celebrate President’s Day.
38. We had our first kiss at a party on Saint Patrick’s Day.
39. I enjoy a good party. And a cold beer.
40. I don’t get to go to many parties anymore.
41. Between pregnancy and nursing, I rarely have a cold beer anymore either.
42. Bob and I were married 3 1/2 years later.
43. We were married on the hottest day of the summer in Alabama.
44. I didn’t care. It was my wedding day.
45. I insisted on taking our puppy on our honeymoon with us.
46. It was not a smart decision.
47. I taught for 5 1/2 years.
48. I have my Master’s Degree in Educational Technology.
49. Now I am blessed to be able to stay home with our children.
50. We have a 4-year-old little boy, a 2 1/2-year-old little girl, an 8th month old baby boy, and two beautiful girls in heaven.
51. We lost our daughters, Ellie and Kate in a car accident in December of 2003.
52. I miss them terribly. I know I will be with them again.
53. My loss and grief do not define me.
54. God’s grace is sufficient and sustains me.
55. I was baptized in a southern Baptist church when I was 13.
56. I think I just got what that means about 4 years ago.
57. I have never had a cup of coffee.
58. I am addicted to Coca-Cola – real Coca-Cola.
59. My goal is to break my Coke addiction starting April 1st.
60. I have an obsession with pillows.
61. I can’t sew, knit, or quilt, but I envy those that can.
62. I lost my grandparents way too early.
63. I miss not having them in my life.
64. My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. It was written by Harper Lee. Harper Lee was a Chi Omega at The University of Alabama. I had an opportunity to meet her when I was in school.
65. I was a Chi-O at The University of Alabama.
66. I liked the book long before I knew this fact.
67. I have a hard time opening presents in front of people.
68. My husband’s family is very generous and gives lots of presents at Christmas.
69. I’ve learned to like opening presents in front of people.
70. I like doing the laundry.
71. I don’t cook much, though.
72. I am convinced I can clean my entire house with a vacuum cleaner.
73. I like most types of music. Except Jazz, it makes me anxious.
74. I live in Maryland.
75. I love all things crab – except the picking part. I think you have to be born here to appreciate the ritual of picking crabs. Sort of like being from the south and loving boiled peanuts!
76. I love naps. I am very sad my little boy no longer does.
77. I thought recycling was a little silly, until I had children.
78. I am trying to make “greener” choices for our family.
79. My husband inspires me to make these choices. He is a very smart man.
80. I often relapse into my old ways. For example:
81. I watch way too much TV.
82. I forget to turn off the lights.
83. Sometimes I run a load of laundry twice because it has soured over night.
84. On occasion, I throw away a glass bottle because I’m too lazy to rinse it out. (sorry, honey)
85. I am a work in progress.
86. At times I can be selfish.
87. I am a person who wants things.
88. I don’t ever remember a time in my life when I didn’t have everything I needed.
89. I am trying to learn the difference between “want” and “need”.
90. As a tween, I had posters of Kirk Cameron on my walls.
91. I fully expected him to show up at my door and sweep me off my feet.
92. I love hydrangeas, dogwood and magnolia trees. I know, typical southerner.
93. I have wonderful friends.
94. Most of them live too far away.
95. I was a cheerleader in high school.
96. Our mascot was a cougar.
97. I love everything about the beach.
98. Snow skiing terrifies me!
99. I am a homebody.
100. If you’re still reading this list you deserve a chance to win a few of my favorite things I’ve written about here on my "blawg” like, this toothbrush, a copy of Calm My Anxious Heart, Wrap -n- Mat, Stubby Pencil Studio cards and more!

Just leave a comment on this post anytime this month (March) to be entered into a random drawing. Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you! Thanks for taking the time to visit and please feel free to come back anytime!