Happy Tuesday everyone! It’s time for the Top Ten. Not having any idea what to list today, I decided to copy what someone (and I’m so sorry I can’t remember who) did last week and tell you some about me. ‘Cause I’m sure you want to know ALL about me! So, in no particular order…

1. I was an Air Force brat in my younger years. I was made in Taiwan, born in Virginia, lived in Berlin, Germany for five years, and then moved to Nebraska. There are pictures of me as a little bitty in front of some pretty famous places. Cool huh? Unfortunately, they’re all in boxes so I can’t find one to scan. Bummer.

2. My parents divorced when I was eight. Back then, that was NOT the norm. We moved to Atlanta soon after. Been here or near ever since. I love Atlanta – except for the pollen and the smog. Other than that, it’s a great place to be!

3. The sibs! I have amazing sibs. I’ve got a biological brother and then was blessed with a step-sister and step-brother when my mom FINALLY decided to marry the guy she’d been dating FOREVER when I was eighteen. We ALWAYS took a picture together at every holiday in front of the front door. So, when we had professional pictures taken a couple of years ago, I insisted we get one in front of the door in our usual order. That’s me and Bubba (biological) on the right and my steps on the left. Yes, my brother is a FULL FOOT taller than me. **sigh**

4. I also have a half sister on my dad’s side. She lives in Alaska! Brrrrr. We’re friends on Facebook, and she talks about temperatures that I can’t even imagine being as I’m a sweet Georgia peach.

5. I met My Sweetie on the Internet. True Story. This was back before there were all those online dating services. This was God using AOL instant messenger. Ya, God can use the Internet. He can.

6. I have been to Disney World every year (except one I think) that I have been married. We went on our honeymoon and have been back almost every year since. I married a Disney FREAK!

7. I LOVE TO EAT! And thus have put on a few pounds over the years. Now, I’m trying to lose it, and it’s hard!!!

8. If you asked the Princess what my favorite thing is to do, she would say cook/bake. She’d be right.

9. My second favorite thing to do – read!!! I don’t get to do it enough, but it’s something I’m enjoying sharing with the Princess. I plan to start doing some book reviews on the blog soon. Looking forward to sharing my favorites with you.

10. I am the world’s worst housewife. I’m terrible at cleaning. TERRIBLE! So, I don’t do it. I pay someone. That’s horrible I know. But seriously, you can’t even tell I’ve cleaned a bathroom after I cleaned it. Worst housewife EVER!

So, now you know a bit more about me. Probably more than you ever wanted to. Anything surprise you?

For more Top Ten Tuesday go to OhAmanda.com. She’s had some good lists linked up lately.

Please know that I read more than ten blogs. Like WAY MORE than ten blogs. However, some stick out at me more than others. Some were in my Google Reader first, and will probably always be there.

I’ve been really blogging since Thanksgiving. Sure, I did a post here and a post there before Thanksgiving, but since then I’ve been much more consistent both in my writing of posts and my reading of blogs. Here are some of my favs:

1.OhAmanda – She got me into the whole blogging thing really. I am blessed in that I get to see Amanda IRL most Sundays at church. In hearing her talk about her blog, I became interested in reading what she had to say and then she would link to somebody else’s blog, and I would read that one and then another link and so on and so on. You could say she sucked me into this blogging world. And, I thank her for that.

2. Once A Month Mom – I LOVE the entire concept of cooking in large quantities and freezing meals. LOVE LOVE LOVE it! And, I have really become a huge fan of Tricia, who is the once a month mom. She is so open, a great writer, and just plain AWESOME.

3.The Pioneer Woman – She is AMAZING. I could spend hours on her blog. Seriously – hours. Her story is great. Her cookbook inspiring. I know she is probably someone I’ll never meet, but I can just stalk her from afar.

4. $5 Dinners – Have you noticed how much I go toward the cooking blogs…hmmm…What does that say about me. I won Erin’s cookbook on her blog, and LOVE it. Imagine, dinner for your family for $5. By reading her blog, I’ve gotten to know Erin too, and really admire her as a person.

5. Savvy Blogging – There are some posts on here that I only part way understand, because I’m just not that smart, but these ladies KNOW THEIR STUFF. If you want to know more about how to make your blog bigger, badder, and better, head over there.

6. It’s Come 2 This – I got to “know” Mandi through OhAmanda because these Sisterchicks talk about each other all the time – it’s AWESOME the way they do life together. We started following each other on Twitter, and now I feel like I have a new friend. I also feel like I know The Violet Fig and Simply Staci, two more Sisterchicks, because of their blogs and all their linking to each other. The Sisterchicks – they rock.

7. Money Saving Mom – I started reading this blog because Crystal co-sponsored the Pantry challenge in which I participated during January. She has TONS of great deals every day.

8. Life As Mom – The other sponsor of the Pantry Challenge, Jessica has awesome advice for living well, life as a mom. I feel like I learn something new from her at least once a week. She also owns the blog Good (& Cheap) Eats, which has GREAT recipes for the frugal cook.

9. Cooking During Stolen Moments – AMAZING recipes that you can actually do in your home without racing out for ingredients. Kate is a smart mom, with a great idea. Get the bulk of the cooking done before 1pm. Then, dinner time is not chaos!

10. The Finer Things in Life – Amy was kind enough to let me guest post yesterday. Thanks AMY! She has a MULTITUDE of great things going on over on her blog. I love popping over there just to see what she’s got to say each day.

11.The Mawmaw – Carolyn almost always does a Top Ten Tuesday, and they are always HILARIOUS. She reminds me a bit of my mom and a bit of my grandma. Definitely someone I would enjoy just sitting at the kitchen table and just talking to.

That’s it. That’s ten (plus a few) of the blogs I read. Like I said, there are many many more, but these people have become “friends” – ladies that I admire, respect, and sometimes just plain adore. Some Most probably don’t even know who I am, but that’s okay. They have touched my life, and I am thankful that they are sharing their life with me (and thousands of others) through their writing.

For more Top Ten Tuesday, go see my friend Amanda at OhAmanda.com.

It’s Tuesday… so it’s time for Top Ten Tuesday over at OhAmanda. Here’s my contribution.

I’ve been spending a lot more time in front of the TV. I’m not sure whether the TV has gotten better or I’ve just gotten older, and that’s what I do now. In fact, there are few shows out there that make me think or make me laugh. I thought I’d share them with you. Since I know you wanted to know – here’s what I’m watching these days:

10. 24 – This is honestly the FIRST season I’ve watched – EVER. I know, it’s like season what 3…4…5… I don’t even know. The Sweetie started watching it because so many folks at work watch it, and he wanted to be able to discuss. In fact, it’s on while I’m typing this. I’m obviously not that interested as I’m writing this rather than paying attention.

9. Kim Possible – This would be the Princess’s favorite show ever since we were at Epcot in November and did the Kim Possible adventure thing. It was a BLAST! And, we discovered Kim Possible and her crazy friends. She’s a pretty fun show to watch. Which is good, since we watch her often daily.

8. Phineas and Ferb – Have you watched this one on Disney Channel? They are awesome. It’s such a great one for parents and kids to watch together. I would like to say this is also a Princess show, but there are times I’ve caught myself watching, and she’s not in the room.

7. Iron Chef America – Good food and good chefs. I wish I could cook like that. **sigh** Of course, that much pressure would put me over the edge.

6. As Time Goes By – This one is on BBC – an old British romantic comedy series. Dame Judy Dench is in it so the acting is superb, and the writing is great. It’s one that the Sweetie and I like to watch together. True couple time.

5. Chuck – I adore Chuck. He’s even more fun now that he can do that mad ninja stuff this season. If you are not watching chuck, you are really missing out.

4. CASTLE – Remember Moonlighting? Back in the 80’s? I loved Moonlighting. Castle reminds me of Moonlighting – but better.

3. NCIS – LA – This one is growing on me. I wasn’t sure at first, but it’s getting better. The chemistry between the ensemble is good and the mysteries are good.

2. NCIS – LOVE LOVE LOVE this one. Well, except for that new lawyer chick – not too excited about her, but I don’t think we’re supposed to like her. I love the chemistry between the cast and Abby is my absolute favorite character.

1. LOST – There are no words. It’s just AWESOME! And it’s on tonight!!! Wooop! Wooop!

Do you have a favorite that’s not on my list? Am I missing something?

This one is for the ladies. Seriously guys, if you’re not married, it’s gonna be TMI. If you are married, well, you’ll know what I’m talking about, but perhaps not the severity of the situation.

So ladies. You know that day of the month where you could eat the whole day. I mean THE. WHOLE. DAY! Where as you’re eating one thing, you’re thinking about what else would taste good. You know the day the prepares you for pregnancy cravings. Ya, today would be my day. Yesterday was the “I’m going to snap your head off” day. (Let my just say a public apology to my daughter for yesterday. Poor kid.) Today is the eat all day day. Same way – every month. One right after the other and then BAM! In honor of this wacky/hormonal day, here is a list of what I MIGHT eat today.

1. If I had gone to the office today instead of working from home, I MIGHT have eaten at Mommy Francis for breakfast and ordered their AMAZING pancakes. LOVE THEM!! With lots of syrup of course.

2. If I had gone to the office today, I MIGHT have eaten lunch at The Robin Hood Tavern (I couldn’t find a link) and had this yummy massive cheeseburger thing with onion strings on top. Oh my, it’s tasty… and salty. Perfect.

3. If I had gone to the office today, I MIGHT have eaten lunch at Tanner’s Chicken and had the fried chicken salad. Ya, the word salad is in there, but the awesome chicken fingers take all the healthy yuck out of it.

4. If I had gone to the office today, I MIGHT have had a gelato for dessert – chocolate of course.

See, it’s a good thing I didn’t go into the office today. I’m working from home – where I can eat from my pantry! Whew! Saved from all that yummy goodness…

Now, out of the pantry I MIGHT eat…

5. Popcorn with M&Ms. One of MY favorite treats. The trick is to pour the M&Ms right after the popcorn pops. Then they get melty. Mmmmm… Who am I kidding. There is no MIGHT about this one. I’m eating it right now.

6. The leftover wings from small group last night. My husband probably thinks he’s having these for dinner tonight. I wonder how many MIGHT go missing.

7. The chocolate mint Jelly Belly’s that Santa put in my stocking. I sorta forgot about them, but just discovered them while digging around for M&Ms. Ya, this whole bag MIGHT not make it until the end of the day.

8. I’ve got brownie mix in my pantry. I MIGHT have to make some of those. Turning on the oven would warm the house up. Hmmmm…

9. Then, there is the old standby. A container of chocolate icing. I MIGHT have been known to consume one or two over the years on the Eat All Day Day. Learned this trick from a friend in college. You will always find chocolate icing in my pantry. Just in case I MIGHT need it.

10. Just remembered! I’m meeting some ladies for dinner tonight at Chili’s. I MIGHT have to skip the dinner part and go straight to the Molten Chocolate Cake. Of course, I can get a big, juicy burger there… Hmmmm…

So ladies – what do you eat on your Eat ALL Day Day?

If you don’t have one of those every month, count yourself blessed and me jealous.

Head on over to OhAmanda.com and check out some more Top Ten Tuesdays. They’re fun to read!

Today was my first “real” day of 2010. As in, up before the family to make sure lunches were made and breakfast started. Froze my fanny off taking the Princess to the bus stop. Climbed in the mini-van and headed to the office. Left the office (after several meetings) in time to make it home to freeze my fanny while getting the Princess off the bus. Snack and homework. TV cuddle time. Dinner (with homemade hot dog bun/rolls). Book reading. Bed time. Laundry. Finish working. Now relaxing on the couch. Wow! That’s what a “real” day looks like – never written it out before. No wonder I’m tired at the end of the day.

Well, as today truly starts my 2010, I wanted to actually write down my goals for this year. This is a big step for me. I don’t usually write down goals. I let them simmer in my head. Just a hint – they don’t get accomplished all that well when they stay in your head. Sometimes they do, but not often. So this year I’m writing them down. Here are my top ten goals for 2010 (in no particular order).

1. Save money on groceries! Whenever we look at the numbers, the grocery total is ALWAYS too heavy. Part of this is because I like to cook for others. A LOT. I always have a meal in my freezer for a neighbor having a bad day, someone who is sick, or a new mom. ALWAYS! And, we, as a family, feel like it’s important for those meals to be in the freezer. That means I need to get smarter about how I’m making those meals. More coupons and watching the deals. I am currently doing the Eat From the Pantry Challenge in order to save some money this month.

2. Use cash envelopes for budgeting. We have a budget. It’s a good one. However, it’s hard to keep to it, when you don’t use the cash envelopes. We were doing this awhile back, but I got lazy. I need to get un-lazy. I need to use the cash envelopes.

3. Plan at least 3 couples getaways for the year. We just went on one. You can read about our cupcake fun here. I hope to tell you more about the trip tomorrow. Gotta get the pictures together. Anyway, it was GREAT to be just us for 48 hours. We need to do it more often. The Princess understands. In her words, “It helps you not get divorced.” So sad how many friends she has whose parents are going through rough times. We want to be proactive and never be one of those couples.

4. Read more leadership books. I want to make sure I’m growing as a leader both in my job and volunteer roles. So, I want to read at least 6 leadership books this year. So far on my list I’ve got 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (I’ve actually never read it – CRAZY), StrengthsFinder 2.0 (I know my strengths, but have never read about them.), and Good to Great by Jim Collins. I’m looking for three more. If you’ve got any ideas, please share!!!

5. Read more personal development books. Are you seeing a theme here? I am sadly lacking in my non-fiction, challenging myself, reading. I tend to read (and I read VERY fast) fiction to escape. I’m not using my powers for good – to learn more and be better. Two that are for sures in this category are The Principal of the Path by Andy Stanley and Parenting By the Book by John Rosemond. The rest I haven’t determined yet. If you have some suggestions, I’d love to hear them. I’m wanting to push myself, making me think of ways to be a better person, wife, mom, and Christian.

6. More focused Mommy time. The Princess and I have several hours together each day – just us. I need to savor those and really focus on parenting during those. I don’t need to be worrying about getting that last email out or getting the last socks sorted. I need to take time to listen and hold and cuddle and just be. I won’t have these afternoons for many more years, and I need to count them as precious. Patterns we create now are the ones that will follow her into her teens. We need strong, bonding patterns now to survive the storms to come.

7. More focused time overall. I feel like I waste too much time flitting from place to place. And checking Twitter and Facebook. A goal this year is to accomplish tasks in short increments of time, take a tiny break, and then move on to the next increment. Working on a better list system to help me know what needs to be done and then get it done.

8. Healthy Lifestyle. I need a better one. That’s all.

9. Continue blogging. I’ve just recently became a blogger. I wouldn’t even say I’m a “real” blogger. I’m just getting the hang of it. But, I’m really enjoying it, and have lots of ideas of things to write about. And I love reading what everyone else has to say. So much fun!

10. Be the best I can be for my God, my husband, and my daughter. They deserve the best I’ve got to give.

It’s interesting to look at them all typed out. Lots of self-improvement on the list and better discipline. Maybe it’s because I’m heading towards forty….

To seem more Top Ten Tuesday lists pop over to Ohamanda.com. She’s got a carnival going on!

I got up early this morning so I could have some quiet time to reflect on the year that is/was 2009. The house is still quiet. The only sound is my fingers on the keys of the laptop. Ahhh…wonder how long that will last. Right now, it’s just me, the computer, and the Lord. And, I’ve got so much to be thankful for this year. I thought I’d share with you.

So, here are my Top Ten Blessings of 2009:

10. The Internet – Seriously consider this a blessing. It allows me to connect with friends and family. It allows me to find out things I don’t know. And, even things I didn’t know I didn’t know.

9. House of Hills Blog – I’ve been playing with blogging for about a year and a half, and have just recently started doing it for “real.” I LOVE it. It’s such a creative outlet. And, if people don’t want to read it, that’s fine. If people learn something from me, that’s great. If I help one extended family member feel a little closer to us and give them a glimpse of our lives, that’s awesome.

I feel like Twitter should be in here somewhere… hmmm…

8. Mommy Blogs – This kinda goes with #9. To get into blogging, you’ve got to read blogs. And man o man have I been reading blogs. And learning SO much about how other people do the whole house running thing and parenting and cooking and cleaning. It’s amazing. Hmmm…maybe next week I’ll do a top ten blogs I read…. that’s an idea. But, to narrow it to ten…

7. My love of cooking – This is a huge blessing. It gives me a way to give to others and to spread love and cheer. I feel really blessed that I’m able to bring a smile to someone’s face with muffins or a freezer meal. I LOVE to help people, and my love of cooking seems to be a real conduit for helping others. (Now, please note that I’m not a Martha, I’m a Betty. So, we’re not talking huge, fancy meals coming out of this house. We’re talking casseroles. Just wanted to clarify.)

6. My neighborhood – I’ve got an AWESOME neighborhood. Friends you can call at a moment’s notice when you’re not feeling great and say “Can my kid come and play?” Neighbors who will watch your kid at the pool while you run and get the pizza for dinner or vice versa. A safe place to ride your bike where you know everyone is watching out for each other’s kids. Yep, I have a great neighborhood. One of the things I’ll REALLY miss if our house ever sells and we move to the other side of town (closer to our jobs). Anyone want a house in a great neighborhood? Tee hee hee…

5. My job – I work for an amazing company doing work that directly affects children’s relationships with their Heavenly Father. I get to do that – and get paid. What’s even more awesome is how family friendly they are. I work from home a lot and go into the office a couple times a week, with the understanding that I leave to make it to the bus stop on time. The people I work for are amazingly supportive, and I have grown SO much in the last two years. My job is an amazing blessing.

4. My church – We LOVE LOVE LOVE our church. We love their mission (and that they stay on mission). We love their programming. We love our small group. We love our child’s small group leaders. Ya, it’s a blessing…

3. My little girl – Wow! She has grown so much over the last year. Each month week day brings out a new aspect of her personality – the young woman she’s becoming. She’s seven now, and what a fun age! She has become someone you can hang out with – cook with, go shopping with, go to the movies with. She’s just a hoot. And, she’s becoming so much more responsible. It’s amazing to watch her grow. And daunting to know that we’ve been given the task of molding her into the woman God desires her to be. Oh my, this could get really deep and overwhelming.. Next!

2. My sweetie – My other half. Seriously a HUGE blessing. HUGE. Who would I be if I hadn’t met him? I can’t even imagine. I did a top ten blog on him this fall. That’s how much I love him. He got his own top ten. And what blows me away often is that he loves me back – personality quirks and all. We are so very thankful for our marriage.

1. My Savior – Christmas always serves as a reminder to put it all back in perspective. Our greatest gift. The only gift we really need is the Savior. Born and died for us. What a blessing.

So, those are my top ten blessings. And now that I’m all mellow and introspective….

Wanna see more top tens? Click on over to Ohamanda.com and see who else has linked up.