For this week’s Ask Away Friday, I am switching things up a little bit. Instead of switching with a partner, I asked my Facebook friends for questions. I am friends with a lot of bloggers in real life (well, at least Facebook real life) and not because I forgot who my partner was. Sorry partner, whomever you are. Email me and we’ll get hooked back up. Promise.

They didn’t email me either, so we’re at least equal flakes here.

I’ve linked my blogger friends with their questions so you can check them out if you’d like.

The way it typically works for Ask Away Friday is that two bloggers pair up, trade 10 questions, and then answer those questions on their own blog. It is a link up hosted by Penny from The Real Housewife Of Caroline Country and Amber from Bold Fab Mom.

Ask Away Friday

1. Why do you like to blog?

This really deserves its own post, so I will write one soon. I started blogging because I had a story to tell. I keep blogging because of the community I’ve developed. Some of my very best friends in the entire world, the ones who know my guts and still love me, are people I’ve met through blogging.

2. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you hate the Yankees?

As a Red Sox fan, it is basically a prerequisite to hate the Yankees. If 1 is just a little bit and 10 is with every ounce of my being, I would have to say that I’m probably a solid 8. I’d say 10, but it seems to be the place where Red Sox players go when their career just about to die so I’ll throw them a bone.

My favorite Red Sox vs Yankee Brawls happened in 2004.

3. Dana from Kiss My List asked: I love your polka dot shirt. Where did you get it from? Also, where do you like to shop?

The polka dot sweater is from Old Navy. It is one of my favorites of all time. I got it in the fall of 2012. Not long after I purchased it, we conceived Lola. I didn’t get to wear it for too long before I had to pack it away. I started showing at 9 weeks and didn’t want to stretch it out. I believe in wearing things that make you feel comfortable and confident, not matter if they are “on trend” or not. This is one of those pieces for me, which is why I had my head shot taken in it.

If money wasn’t an object, everyone’s clothing would come from Gap. For their price, the quality is typically really good. I don’t have $50.00 to spend right now on a sweater, so a lot of our wardrobe is from Old Navy. I love to shop at thrift stores too. My favorite one in our area is Savers. The store is well organized and the prices can’t be beat.

4. Dalaina, author of Yielded Captive asked: What is your favorite thing to do with Malone?

Sleep. There is something that is so perfect about the way his body curls into mine. I love to hearing him breath as he sleeps. It is so sweet. There was a time when I didn’t enjoy co-sleeping with him. He and Mike co-sleep in Malone’s bed, but every so often I invite him to come spend the night with me and it is heaven. A year ago, I would have given you a completely different answer. There was a long time when we were all co-sleeping together and I felt trapped.

I also love to cook and bake with him. He has mastered cracking eggs and knows my chocolate chip cookie recipe by heart.

5.  Christie from Letters From The Nest asked: What is your favorite thing to do with Mike on a date night?

I would really just like to go on a date night with him! It has been a long time since the two of us snuck away and gone out. We’ve got a standing offer for baby sitting from our neighbor, but we haven’t taken advantage of it yet. I would love to do something really fun, like trivia night at a pub complete with an assortment of appetizers and tasty drinks.

6. Lisa from The Golden Spoons asked: What kind of music do you like? And what is your favorite song right now?

I like just about everything, but I usually can’t stand whatever is on the radio because it is overplayed. My playlists change as the seasons do. This summer I listened to a ton of Mumford and Sons, but lately I’ve been wearing out the classic rock station on Pandora. That music is so closely written on my heart, because that is what I listened to growing up. Malone has fallen in love with it too.

I listen to a lot of worship music too because I find it helps with the rhythm of my day and keeps my heart in check. I adore Matt Redman and his song 10000 Reasons. It is my motherhood anthem because of these lyrics.

“Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes” 

7. Lisa also asked: If you could trade places with someone famous for a day who would it be and why?

Right at this very second, Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom. I just heard she’s grown her blog to the point where she has a staff of 13. I’d love to see the behind the scenes of how she runs her blog like a business.

8. Rebekah from Three Bees In A Blue Bonnet asked:What makes you smile on a gray day?

It is really hard not to smile when I’m around around my kids. Lola is such a fun little sprite and Malone has a ton of funny observations about the world.

If the day is really gray and I’m struggling, I usually reach out to friends via text, drink a lot of tea, and find a piece of really good chocolate. I try to choose Joy often and find the bright side instead of wallowing in the gray.

9. Rebekah also asked: What is the inspiration for the #kindnessisntrandom hashtag on Twitter? And what about #mymorningview on Instagram, how did that get its start?

The kindness isn’t random hashtag started when I picked intentional as my word of the year for 2014. I don’t believe that kindness is random. Finding a coin on the street or finding a parking spot in a busy parking lot is random. It is an act of intention to be kind.

Each day I post an easy and intentional act of kindness. I hope it inspires a kindness revolution. If it did, the world would be such an awesome place!

The #mymorningview started on Instagram with this picture.

I was sitting on the couch and nursing Lola when I looked up to see Malone helping himself to something in the refrigerator.  I wanted to capture daily life and share it. I think sometimes it is really easy to make life look picture perfect, especially through an Instagram lens. I started taking a picture everyday around 7:30 am to show what was happening in my world. I started to tag friends and asking them to play along. I haven’t done it yet this year, but it is going to be making a come back in February because I miss capturing moments like these.

10. And Rebekah asked this one too: If you could steal any book from my stack, what would it be?

I’d steal Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art Of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World by Tsh Oxenrieder. It hasn’t even come out yet, but Rebekah got her hands on an advanced copy.

Tsh is one of my favorite bloggers and podcasters. I was really hoping she would come up into New England on her book tour, but it looks like the closest she’s going to be is in New York City. I wish I could pull off going down to meet her, but this is the wrong season for an adventure like that.

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