The Scribble Pad: random

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An Influence Meet Up + a bit about me

My mom snapped some photos while we were out and about this weekend. They might be the best maternity photos I have from this pregnancy. Plus, I was super excited because my non-maternity stitchfix top actually fit!

I am super excited about today's post - a chance for the women of The Influence Network to meet up and get to know one another better! If you haven't heard about it, read more here. We would love to have you be part of our meet up/link up. Here are the rules:

1. you must be (or become!) a member of the Influence Network.
2. one you link up, visit the person before you and share the love in their comment section (and a few others while you are at it!)
3. in your post, include the following things: A photo of yourself that you love. Three get-to-know-me things. One valuable thing you've gained from The Influence Network.

Here it goes...

Three things about me:

// I am 37.5 weeks pregnant and oh, so ready to welcome my second son into our itty bitty DC apartment. My family will literally be living on top of each other but we wouldn't have it any other way. We are so grateful that God has blessed us with two boys. Now we just can't wait to get to meet the little guy!

// I am an organized hoarder. I like everything meticulously sorted and yet I cringe when considering throwing things away. I have photos from high school and middle school in our closet, every christmas card we've received since 2006, and all of Behr's art projects from daycare. Each of these items is organized by date or size accordingly.

// When it comes to food I have an identity crisis. I visit markets, have participated in a CSA for years, and try my best to eat fresh and local. But I love the greasy beef tacos my work cafeteria sells, keep chocolate stashed away, and favorite condiment is sour cream. And yet, I research where my beef grazed, eat all of the crazy veggies that most people shy away from, and prefer to make food from scratch to avoid processed ingredients. For as healthy as I eat, I also spent most of my first pregnancy (with Behr) noshing on microwavable ez-mac. Question for the more experienced moms out there, how do you eat cookies without your kids catching you? :)

The most favorite thing I have learned on the influence network:

// When you start a tweet with @twittername only people who follow you and that person see the tweet. This is just a tiny tip in the grand scheme of strategy points I have learned about twitter, pinterest, and ebooks along the way. And yet, it has liberated my tweets a bit. So now a few people get to see tweets between me and my sisters like this:

Yes, this seems crazy trivial. But the point is, I likely would have never figured out this small bit of info about twitter that changes the way I use the social media platform. Every time I turn around, The Influence Network is chock full of more tidbits that potential game changers. Now...go sign up and join the fun! I'd love to know you more through this link up! (psst...you can see all of the hosts of the link up on The Influence Blog)

Bits of Random

I have lots of posts ideas.

Very little motivation to pull them together.

I just want to snuggle with this little guy.

photos that otherwise never would have made a blog post. find me on instagram @TheScribblePad

But...I've been tagged (twice!) and totally slacked on carrying my end of the deal. So here it goes, bits of Random for your Thursday. Morgan tagged me ens ago to share 7 things no one else knows...and Whitney tagged me this week to answer 10 questions. Fortunately, most of the answers to these questions are things no one knows...so here is one big blogger tag post:

1. What is your Secret Single Behavior?
My poor husband has to deal with most of what would normally be classified as "secret single behavior." You know, peanut butter or icing on a spoon straight from the jar and then a double dip, leaving the bathroom door wide open (yes, girls do it to) but my most offensive is likely teeth brushing.

I am a full supporter of dental hygene. I floss on the regular, mouthwash is my friend, but late at night, I have a strong aversion to brushing my teeth. When I am tired, I literally hate brushing my teeth. It is painful to force myself to do it. So there you have it.

2. What book are you reading right now (be honest!)?
Coastal Living? When you become a mom can a magazine count as a book? I also read the magazines Whole Living and Working Mother. Three "books" a month? I am pretty proud of myself.

3. What are three books on your "to read" list?
I do have a few good books on my nightstand. Bloom, Honey for a Child's Heart, and on my wish list, Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches.

4. If you could go on a Blogger Friend Date with any blogger, who would you pick? (Besides me, of course)
I would really love to explore Gasparilla Island with Sarah Tucker...or follow/asist her for one of her weddings. We both love that little island, Florida, Weddings, al fresco dining, and traveling, so I think it would be a blast. She has such a great, and positive, out look on life, it would be great to spend some time seeing things through her eyes.

5. What is your most used Android/iPhone/iPad App?
My most used ap is likely Drop7, a game that I am addicted to. I also spend too much time on instagram or playing Words with Friends.

The apps I recommend the most are: Red Stamp, Left to Spend (simple budgeting tool), and the You Version Bible where I am currently doing the Soul Detox study along with #SheReadsTruth

6. What is a favorite memory of yours that is not related to your marriage and/or child(ren)?
Growing up my grandfather owned a jewelry store and my grandmother owned a florist shop in the same plaza. I would help them both by running their cash registeres, cleaning up, and heading down the sidewalk to order pizza for lunch for us all. My very first internship, and I was only in elementry school. Looking back, I probably was there while my parents were at the hospital with my brother, or for some other less than positive reason. But to me and my little mind, it was the most exciting place to be in the world.

7. What songs do you dance in the kitchen to?
I dance to pretty much anything, but we are not a huge music family {gasp!}. We have to remember to plug in the iPod. It is not second nature, and I will likely never own a record player, no matter how trendy they get.

I tend to sing songs to Behr that my Dad would sing while we were growing up, a lot of Bruce Springsteen and Dean Martin.

8. What is something you have learned about yourself through blogging?
I learned that I care more about graphic design, photo editting, and telling a good story than I ever thought I would. Too bad my college major was international affairs and economics.

9. What are your comfort foods?
Hands down, Philly Cheese Steak, every single time. My dad even sent me one for my birthday a few years ago. Let's just say my waist is glad I live in DC. I also love fresh fruit, bread with dipping oil, mac and cheese, and ice cream sandwiches.

10. What is the last song you purchased?
I completely forget. It was a few weeks ago. See question 7.

And because I am still in my lack of creativity rut, I tag the following people to answer the same questions, or to make up your own random question to answer:

Alex - the saga of a twenty-something
Brhea - no place lyke home
Susan - ava grace's closet
Julie - green eggs and hammes
Emily - tales for karina marie

Simple Joys + Giveaway Winner

a day with just my little family of three

the smell of homemade applesauce in the slow cooker

{modified from this recipe}

white orchids Mark sent me at work on august 30th to announce that our five year anniversary is only a month away

this is an itty bitty view of my desk at work

family nap time

rigatoni with roasted tomatoes and homemade pesto for lunch

announcing the winner of the Stella and Dot turquoise earrings

Christie of:

email me at: shannon {dot} angelos @ gmail to claim your giveaway prize!

Hope you all have a joyful first week of September.

p.s. the next edition of the baby story will be on the blog tomorrow.

stay tuned!

Identity {Part 1}

This post has been a long time coming. Swirling around in my head. I have been unable to figure out how best to share. So it is going to be a two-parter. {may or may not have just invented that phrase. I make up fake words and use them with confidence. and not I am stalling.} Oh boy, here we go.

This week was the perfect example of the how and why I struggle with finding my identity, and maybe even my purpose a little bit. My mom came to visit, dropped off my sister, she hung out while the nanny came to watch Behr and I went to work and after work we spent time together, cooked meals for friends who had babies and packed for a wedding I am in back home this weekend. Exhausted yet? And this has been a pretty low key week.

The hardest part of blogging or guest blogging is to introduce myself. I wear many hats, but don't understand how they all fit together. I can't separate many, I would willingly drop some, and I am not able to let go of others.

I am:

Mother

Wife

Daughter

Sister

Cousin

Friend

Neighbor

Mentor

Resident Advisor

Employee

Government Contractor

Communication Liaison

Change Management Consultant

Blogger

Writer

Calligrapher

Wedding Planner

Party Planner

Stationer

Small Business Owner

and I am sure more titles could make this list

And somewhere in all of that I am first and foremost a ________ name/roll/title that I am not quite sure of which leaves me "blank." Daughter of God, follower of Christ, Christian, Sister in Christ, disciple. Nothing seems to fit quite right. I am firm in my faith. I know where I stand before God. I am not wavering in my beliefs. But I do not know what to be called, or to call myself.

And that is where I am. Not sure how to wrap up this post. Or even what pictures to include. So there you have it. A pictureless post with no ending... I would really appreciate your thoughts on this.

Heart thoughts on rest...

It has been months since I first realized I was in a bit of an identity crisis. How do you fill the many roles? I promised to blog about it, but couldn't find the right words. Then Sunday at church, a guest pastor struck a cord and my hand couldn't stop moving.

What does rest look like in your life? Is reading blogs, catching up on twitter, or perusing pinterest "restful" or is there a sense of busyness about that? I am goal oriented and often set quotas for myself {yes, even my down time} defeating the purpose of rest.

Can you find rest amidst the busyness? I am not sure that I can truly rest living in a city. Living here, I am now certain that I wouldn't choose another city for a vacation. The hustle and bustle is now where I unwind.

I pack and schedule and fill my moments of quiet perhaps because I have a fear of stillness that true rest might bring. A fear of wasting time that has proven even more precious and recently also quite scarce. My thoughts often start with a twinge of worry. But what about... What will happen if... How can I rest when...

And then flip the coin. Am I able to find rest or joy in the things that fill my day? Do I find cooking for my family, playing with my son, walking to church times of joy or a responsibility/chore/task to which I begrudgingly oblige? Perhaps if I took the time to truly rest then I would be able to find deeper joy in my many blessings. I have a family to cook for, a son to play with, and legs to carry me through this incredible city, a place I get to call home.

That is where my heart has been recently.

"We need Jesus to give us a spiritual assessment of whether we rest with soul rest. Or whether we're still on the treadmill of trying to prove our very existence." -- Rev. John Hutchinson

Expressing feelings and I won

If only we could express our feelings as freely as babies...

Behr waking up from a nap at the beach. He was not ready for peek-a-boo with Popouli.

...because sometimes this is what I feel like. Then again, if adults acted like babies, it would be pretty ugly with all the whimpering and grunting going on. There were several points this past weekend when I was willing to throw a temper tantrum like a child {some may say I even did in my own small way} due to short fits of sleep and an overwhelming to-do list.

But alas, here I am on Tuesday, a happy camper. Why you ask? Well, because I WON!

I won the battle with Behr's bowels. He had been without any movement since Father's day and then I swept into the rescue {read: prune juice did the trick}. He is now relieved and a happy babe, sleeping peacefully at night once again.

What else did I win you ask?

I won a giveaway! With Two Cats hosted an incredible giveaway from Honey + Fitz and I won! Woot woot. Super, fist pumping excitement going on in our household! Here is an example of the lovely art I will be receiving for Behr's room.