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#AskAwayFriday with Stevie from Joy in the Midst of

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Welcome to #AskAwayFriday! #AskAwayFriday is an opportunity for bloggers to connect and learn more about each other. Penny from The Real Housewife of Caroline County and  Amber from The Bold Fab Mom came up with the concept. I enjoy it because I like learning more about my blog friends!

Stevie from Joy in the Midst ofMy Q & A partner this time around is Stevie from Joy In the Midst of. She and I both have a thing for rescue animals, so I kind of feel like she’s a kindred spirit. You can read about her sweet pup Kiwi and Moose, a mastiff they rescued and fostered. We also both love our photos…I asked her a question that was asked of me a few weeks ago and she answered the exact same way! If you’re not familiar with Stevie’s blog, you’re in for a treat…Stevie truly writes from the heart. Once you start reading her blog, you won’t want to miss a post! She has a way of drawing you in with her words…you will really feel like you know her. I hope you’ll go visit her over at Joy in the Midst of and see how she answered my questions!

#AskAwayFriday

Here are the questions Stevie sent over to me!

On your blog you have talked about how your husband and you were college sweethearts and that you met on the cross country team.   So how did you end up getting together?  Who asked who out? 

He was a couple years ahead of me, so I don’t think either one of us noticed each other at first. Plus I redshirted my freshman year, and he was a varsity runner. I first started to get to know him on my once-a-week workouts running in the pool when I was a sophomore, which we were supposed to do, but I hated (too cold!) He was a lifeguard, and he would walk back and forth and talk to me as I ran in the water. The summer before my junior year, I decided to go live with my aunt and uncle in New Jersey and work at their restaurant for the summer. Mike was from the east coast (Connecticut), and we drove cross country together. We kept in touch over the summer, and I visited Connecticut a couple times. By the second time, we were dating. So we were friends first and it turned into more.

You and I are both animal lovers, with more furry family members in the house than the human variety.  So basically we are outnumbered.  How do you make it work with multiple cats and dogs?

I’m no longer allowed to go to the animal shelter because I always end up with new furry family members when I go! We let our dog Saint pick out a friend at the shelter (Clara). We hadn’t had cats in years but ended up having a mouse problem one winter, so we decided to get kittens. We were only going to get two, but somehow ended up with three. “Somehow” meaning I fell in love with a third one…the one in the picture below. What’s one more kitten? From the start, they all got along. Clara likes cats, and Saint tolerates them. Then we ended up with another cat, because I needed a cuddly one (who isn’t cuddly, but was a great faker in the shelter) and a puppy. Interestingly enough, the puppy (who’s now 2) and one of the cats became best buds. I’ve posted pictures of them snuggling before, but this is one from the other day.

Best Buds

Think about yourself ten years ago.  Knowing what you know now, what you want to tell yourself from ten years ago?

Take more chances. I definitely didn’t step out of my comfort zone much back then. I do it a lot more now. There is a lot of cool opportunities out there if you’ll let yourself take some risks.

One thing I love to hear about is what motivates people, what drives them, what makes them tick.  What would you say motivates you?  What gives you purpose?

I never really thought about that! I’m not sure. I like to help others whenever I can. I think for the most part relationship building is what drives me. I like to network and meet new people. I’d like to pay it forward more often in the new year.

Christmas is coming up.  What are your thoughts on Christmas lists?  Do you have your kids make lists or do you think gifts should always be a surprise?

I feel like Christmas has become too commercial. I do love gifts from the heart, and I try to create presents like that whenever I can. I do a lot with photo gifts. One year I made all the kids digital albums of our year as a family, and my oldest son read it from start to finish Christmas Eve, and then asked me questions about it Christmas morning. That was the best present I could have received! Another year my daughter made me a video slide show of family pictures. It was absolutely amazing! As far as lists go, I do let my kids give me lists, because they’re teenagers, and they’re not always easy to buy for. I’d rather enjoy the holiday and not be frustrated by grumpy children.

Speaking of Christmas, do you have any traditions that you and the family like to do?  What are you looking forward to this holiday season?

We don’t really have any traditions but sometimes we go skiing for the holidays. I love that, because the only time I ever relax is when we go away.

skiing

You’re a busy mom, entrepreneur, blogger, and social media maven.  What do you do to relax and take care of you?

I guess I just answered that one above. I don’t really know how to relax in my everyday life, which I know is not good. When we go away…that’s when I really relax. I do have my girls’ nights out, with my birthday club ladies, and I enjoy running. Running helps me clear my mind, and I often come up with my best ideas when I am out for a run.

When you are in the car, what do you have playing on the radio?

If my daughter is in the car, she usually has her music going. If it’s just me, I leave on whatever was on the radio before. I’m usually do a lot of thinking when I am driving, so I’m not really paying attention to the music anyway.

What is your favorite room in your house?  Why do you love it?

My favorite space is the pool area in the summer. I enjoy working outside while the kids are hanging out in the pool. But inside, it’s definitely the kitchen because I love to cook.

When it comes to purses, what is your preference?  Do you like a small purse or a big shoulder bag?   What’s the weirdest thing you have in there?

I definitely like a bigger purse. My favorite purses are my Epiphanie camera bag purses. Anyone that has a DSLR should check out these bags!  You can safely carry your camera, multiple lens, and everything else you need in it! In fact I actually have a giveaway going for one right now! And Epiphanie also has a great Black Friday sale going on Nov 29th – Dec 2nd. If you use the code BEMERRY, you’ll get $30 off any bag in their line! If you’d like to see my Epiphanie review and giveaway post, featuring the Charlotte, which is the camera bag pictured below, simply click on the link!

Epiphanie Bags Charlotte

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Ashlee

Friday 6th of December 2013

I absolutely adore the story of you and your husband's meeting! I wish I had a cute story to tell but it's actually the complete opposite haha

Chris Carter

Thursday 5th of December 2013

I love this entire interview!! And I can't wait to head over and read more!! I want to hang at your pool in the summer and eat all the food you cook. :)

And that ski picture? BREATHTAKING!!!

catherine gacad

Tuesday 3rd of December 2013

i agree that christmas has become way too commercial. one year my sister and i made personalized journals / photo albums for all of our cousins. that was pretty awesome. everyone loved them. unfortunately, it also took a lot of time to create them, so we haven't done anything like that since!

Alison Hector

Tuesday 3rd of December 2013

I smiled at your comment about not knowing how to relax. My mom says the same thing about me! I feel relaxed, honestly, when I'm exercising, which is why I need to make a concerted effort to get back into the gym.

Your pet family is so precious. I have one cat, an Abyssinian, and she is more than enough, but I tip my hat to families with lots of animals. They are such givers of love and unconditional affection!

Stacey Gannett

Tuesday 3rd of December 2013

These are amazing questions and answers! That camera bag is pretty sharp. Oh yes, nothing worse than grumpy children, when they don't get the video game they wanted! LOL! That pic of the fur babies, is just too cute. Hope you have a great week!

Michelle Nahom

Tuesday 3rd of December 2013

You too Stacey!! I try to avoid grumpy children for sure...looking at my kids lists, they have some pretty interesting things on them this year...a book about Pre for my youngest and my daughter wants a tea blending kit...