10 Random Facts About Me & What I Do When Not Working
Have you ever wondered what a web designer does in their free time? Or maybe you’ve read a few of my other articles and are curious to get to know more about me.
In any case, I thought I’d give you a bit of background info about me and what I like to do when I’m not working with clients and designing websites!
P.S. it’s ok if you don’t give two shakes of a lamb’s tail about me! Feel free to skip to one of my other articles on web design, business, or Squarespace! My feelings won’t be hurt - I promise!
Music
One of my favorite things to do is play music. I play drums and piano at my church, but I also have a keyboard at home that I like to play around with.
My mom and grandpa bought me a piano and got me lessons when I was 10, and I took them for 2 years, so technically I can read music but I haven’t practiced that in a long time!
I got into drums when I was 16. One of my friends was getting lessons and I was watching what she did. For some reason I went home and thought “I could probably do that.”
So I spent all week practicing what I’d seen. When my friend’s next lesson rolled around I totally crashed it and blew the teacher away with my “instant” skills (I don’t think I told anyone I had been practicing lol!)
We didn’t have a regular drummer at my church at the time, so I was nominated. I spent the next several years (ahem… 18 to be precise) learning beats and techniques from other drummers and generally just practicing a lot.
I really enjoy playing music, and I love the way you can connect with people using music - even if you don’t speak the same language!
I spent a bit of time in the Philippines and got to jam with some people while I was there. It was such a cool experience being able to hop right in and join them even though I didn’t understand their language.
Crafts
Ok, so I wouldn’t necessarily call myself crafty but I definitely do get inspired by all the cool DIY stuff on Pinterest. Whether it’s trying my hand at acrylic pour art or learning how to repurpose old candle jars, Pinterest is my jam! I can’t tell you how many boards I’ve created for different projects
Have I actually attempted to complete all those projects? Weeeellllll…. that’s a different story! But there are plenty I HAVE tried!
Using a drill to carve a pumpkin (that one took waaaaayyy longer than I expected), making a DIY Halloween costume for my daughter (she went as Taylor Swift one year and I must say I did pretty good with that!), making a homemade Mother’s Day gift - I may have fallen down a Pinterest rabbit hole once or twice!
But I love trying my hand at new things - especially when it seems simple enough! (Although anyone who’s actually tried more than one Pinterest craft knows it’s almost always more complicated than they make it seem! Can anyone relate?)
Cooking & Baking
Speaking of Pinterest, I love saving and trying new recipes. My preference is definitely for baking, but I love to eat so cooking is unfortunately necessary. I have whole boards just for Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes (I like making Christmas treats to share, and finding easy recipes is clutch for this).
I didn’t grow up spending a ton of time in the kitchen with my mom, so I definitely wouldn’t call myself the best inherent cook. But I can follow a recipe for sure! And what I’ve found is that if you make enough recipes over time you pick up a thing or two. Flavors that compliment each other, appreciation for texture, that kind of thing.
But I’m still all about that recipe life! And since I’m very much a digital gal, Pinterest has saved my bacon on more than one occasion by keeping all my favorite recipes together.
I think my favorite desserts to make are Sopapilla Cheesecake and Monkey Bread. Both easy and delicious. I don’t think I could choose a favorite savory dish (maybe mashed potatoes?) but some of my top choices would probably be burrito casserole, beef and pepper rice bowls, and steak and potatoes. Mmmmm!!
Books & Reading
When I was little (I can’t quite remember how old) my mom had me complete the Hooked on Phonics program. I remember going through the lessons each night with her, not really understanding why we were doing it. But that program gave me a love for reading that has stayed with me my entire life.
Growing up without brothers or sisters in the house I had plenty of time to myself. Don’t get me wrong - I had lots of friends that I spent lots of time with! But I also loved getting lost in a good book. I can remember sitting in my backyard when it was sunny and reading for hours.
As an adult I have much less time for reading, but I do still enjoy it. Unfortunately it makes me sleepy most of the time, so I have to limit it to an hour or less or else risk my eyelids getting heavy.
I bought a Kindle for my daughter - hoping to pass on my love of reading. But I’ve slowly repossessed it, as she prefers to read physical books. Which is fine by me! As long as one of us is using the thing!
#wastenotwantnot
Binge Streaming
I’m sure this will come as a shock to no one, but I love watching shows! Netflix, Hulu, Prime, HBO, Apple TV - I’ve found a binge-worthy show on all of them! When I’m not playing the piano, crafting, or cooking I can usually be found watching a show. Ok, let’s be honest - I’m usually watching a show while doing all those other things!
I also really enjoy going down rabbit holes on YouTube. I think it’s so interesting to watch someone’s life that’s different from mine. For example, I was really into van life videos for a while. Watching people build out their van home, figure out places to stay, watching how they get mail or navigate showering. I was fascinated!
Or even the tiny home people! I was super into watching them figure out how to store stuff in their little shed house, or bump their head on the kitchen ceiling because they were tall. I totally respect their decision to live that way in order to get out of debt, or live debt-free, or even just because they preferred to be on a huge open patch of land rather than in a city. I’m not sure I could do it, but I love watching other people’s journeys.
Budgeting & Planning
I’m the kind of person who loves a good checklist. It makes me feel prepared when I write one up, and I feel oh so accomplished when I get to check items off the list. You can bet that in almost every situation I’ve got some sort of list or reminder for it. Example: when I travel out of town (or even just stay overnight somewhere in town) I make a packing list so I don’t forget anything. I’m kind of paranoid that I’m going to forget something important, so I make sure to write it all down well in advance.
Then when I go to pack, I can be on autopilot because I’ve already thought through everything. At that point I’m just checking off my list. Easy peasy! I know that might sound like overkill to some people, but it works for me. (And to be honest anyone I travel with is glad I’m over prepared lol).
Along those same lines of planning, I always make a monthly budget. I plan out all my bills and what I’ll spend on groceries, gas, etc. so I can make sure I’m saving a bit.
Money was always kind of scary to me when I was younger. I was always worried about running out, or not being able to pay my bills, which led to me working extra hours at my crappy, low-paying jobs.
It wasn’t until I was taught how to budget that I felt like I could breathe. Knowing where your money is going is super important! Knowledge is power! Plus it just makes me feel better to have a plan!
Family
So by now I’m sure you’ve figured out that I have a daughter (being the alert and attentive reader that you are!). I would say she takes up a lot of my time, but it doesn’t really feel like that these days.
She is involved in what seems like quite a bit between having a butt ton of friends and being very involved with her dance studio, but she’s old enough now to manage most of that on her own.
But you already know that I need to be knowing everything, so I’m always checking up on her! I hope it’s making her more responsible but I guess we won’t know until she’s grown up and on her own…
She does keep things interesting for me - I’ll say that! As we head into her teenage years I can 100% confirm the attitude is real. And not for me. There are some days I don’t think I’m going to survive because we butt heads so much. And then there are times when she’s super sweet and thoughtful (but those are the exception, not the rule!)
Overall she keeps me on my toes and challenges me, and I love her for that! (And because she’s so cute haha!)
Textures & Smells
Ok, so a VERY random fact about me is that I’m a huuuuuugggee texture person! I love feeling different fabrics and materials. Consequently I have a ton of super soft blankets and pillows around my house.
People I’m close to will often feel a tiny brush now and then as I tentatively feel their clothing or shoes. Don’t worry though! I have enough self-control to not do this to strangers! I might want to, but I hold back haha! But if I get to know you - stay alert. There’s a good chance I will be intrigued by a blazer or fun-looking shoe at some point.
I also love good smells! I’m a hardcore Bath and Body Works patron, and my house is filled with their candles and room sprays. You can bet there is at least one candle going at all times in my house. I think I got this from my mom, as she would always set a vibe when people would come over. Lots of candles, good smells, and general accent lighting.
I’m not a great home decorator but you can bet I’ve got my candle and soft blanket game covered.
Hangouts
One thing I really enjoy about my friend group is that we often get together for hangout time. We’ll gather at one person’s house or another, send the kids off to play, and have a game night. Oh and you can bet there will be snacks!
When COVID first hit everyone was stuck at home and got bored pretty quickly. Then, slowly, you could have a “safe bubble” of people you could be around. So we went to our friends’ house almost every night for games and dinner. Except for the world being shut down, it was pretty awesome!
I also like that we’re super chill. If you want to take a nap - take a nap! If you want to play a game - bust one out! Someone will surely be down. Snack, play, nap, repeat. That’s how we do!
Naps
Speaking of naps, all those activities and things I just mentioned will often end in a nap - even if I don’t want it to! I guess I’m just getting old because if I sit down in a comfortable spot for too long I can guarantee I will fall asleep!
This would be all well and good except as I mentioned - I’m old now! That means when I wake up from a couch nap my neck and back are likely sore - boo! Who approved that change?
Now, if I’m actually preparing for a nap, that’s a completely different story. I’ll get my soft blanket and cozy pillow and snuggle up somewhere with a podcast or show playing in the background. Or I’ll fall asleep reading a book - that’s pretty common too.
Overall I love being cozy and relaxed! I’m pretty much a homebody, so you can count on me to be in comfy sweats and snuggled up with a fuzzy blanket almost 24/7 - napping away if I can.