Comment-leaving instructions!!

Hello all,

This won't be a very exciting post, but it might be a very helpful one for some of you!

I've been hearing from some of you readers that figuring out how to comment on my posts can be kind-of confusing, so I want to walk you through the process with the hope that I'll get more of your feedback (which I love)!!

If I were more technologically savvy, I'd have screen shots of the steps to help even more, but hope the following descriptions help at least a little bit:

- If you are viewing the post on it's own page (it's the only entry on the page), then the "Post a comment" area should be directly below it. 
- If you are viewing the post on a page with other entries, you can make the "post a comment" area appear by clicking on the "# of comments" link to the left of all the little icons at the bottom of the post.

Once you've found the "Post a Comment" area, follow these directions:

1. Type whatever you'd like to say about the blog, or to me, in the white area.

2. In the drop-down menu next to "Comment as:" select one of the following:

• If you have a Google e-mail account, and you're signed in, it should show your user name with (Google) next to it.
• If you'd like me to know that it was you who left the comment, select "Name/URL."  A screen will pop up, and you can enter your name in the designated box.  You don't have to enter a URL to leave a comment - it's optional.
• If you don't want me to know it was you who commented, select "Anonymous."

3. Once you've made your selection, click the "Post Comment" button.

4. Next, a word verification box will appear.  (Be patient - depending on your Internet connection, this may take a little bit to load.  If it doesn't appear, try clicking "Post Comment" again or refreshing your browser.) This is a security setting.  I'm not going to explain how it works or why they have it (because I don't know).  I just know it's a necessary hoop to jump through (and it probably prevents my blog from being commented on by spammers).  You also have the option to edit your comment in this box. 

5. Type the word/letters you see into the designated box.

6. Click the "Post Comment" button again.

7. Your comment should appear under my post with a notification from Google in a yellow-ish box saying "Your comment was published!" (Exclamation point added by me - it will really be a period similar to the one at the end of this sentence.)


I hope this is clear enough and helps!  Let me know if you have any problems (via Facebook, e-mail, phone, my parents, etc.).  Feel free to test your commenting skills on this or any previous posts!

Happy New Year (a few days early)!!

Looking forward to hearing from you,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

visiting my jr. high/high school band director and his kiddos with my brother

surprising Dad at work with a milkshake

being home : )

Merry Christmas : )

I'm often reminded of the many blessings in my life, but during this time of year, these blessings seem to be magnified.  So, as I take a break from packing to go home in the morning, I'd like to reiterate how thankful I am for the people, opportunities, relationships, health, and freedom in my life.

What I am most thankful for, however, is the grace and love of God our Heavenly Father.  I don't want to sound like a cliché Christianese message, but really - what gift could possibly be better than eternal life through the life and death of His one and only Son?!  (Don't forget about the Holy Spirit!  More about that later...)  Anyway, I hope you're able to see past all the "extra stuff" (yes, that's an understatement) today's society has tacked onto Christmas and remember that "it's all just about a little guy." (quote from a friend's first grade student)

May your Christmas and holiday season be full of love, joy, family, and a spirit of giving and gratitude.  Safe travels to those of you doing so, as well!

Love,
Kensy

P.S.  If anyone is craving any sort of homemade "goodie" and does not have the means to curb that craving, let me know - I probably have what you hunger for in my growing collection of treat plates/bags/platters.  Don't get me wrong - it's all very good - but I'm only one person...who is also saving room for Mom's cooking.  : )

Favorites of the day:

the good weather (so far) for travelers

my work schedule that allows me the luxury of going home for an extended period of time!

Oreo balls

getting all gussied up and going to the Nutcracker (for free!) with friends last weekend

A new Christmastime story...

Dear faithful readers,


My sincerest apologies for the lack of posts lately!  It is, however, the most wonderful time of the year!  (Translation: It's the busiest time of the year.)  I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir, though, so instead of telling you everything that's caused me to have little writing time as of late, I'll simply thank you for taking time out of your crazy/hectic life to read my blog!  : )


In honor of the holiday season, I'd like to share a story with you:


At the beginning of last December, I happened upon a Christmas favor I'd purchased on clearance the year before, "Tinsel Tom: The Oddball Bird Pen."  I decided to display him in our townhouse, without saying anything to the roommies.  As I recall, one of my roommates made the decision to chase/scare another roommate with Tom.  Using my best "mom voice," I proclaimed, "He is not yours to use for badness!"  Somehow, the result of this incident was a game of sorts.  Basically, we took turns hiding Tom within the townhouse.  One never knew when or where Tom would pop up.  Here is documentation of his adventures:

Tom chilling out in the fridge.

He gazes at you from behind the computer.

Surprise!  Tom is watching from behind the bathroom door.

Tom sleepily awaits your bedtime.

He won't get hungry while waiting for you in the cupboard!

Tom is happy to help you do your hair.  Just look at his!

He's not afraid to get a little wet while hanging out in the shower.



Tom travels!  He's happy to hide away in your suitcase.


I'd just like to remind you that none of the above pictures were staged.  These were actual places Tom was found hiding.

We took Tom with us to see Christmas lights.  This particular house lights up to music - it's AMAZING!  If you live in or near Lincoln, PLEASE go see it - it's on 112th between A and O.  Go, go, go!! 
You can see that Tom was in awe of it.

I was doing some Christmas shopping a few weeks ago, and found the most remarkable thing - Tom's long lost girlfriend, Tina!  We captured their gleeful and romantic reunion:





Together at last...



THE END

Hope you enjoyed the adventures of Tinsel Tom!  Perhaps there will be more to come as he and Tina's adventures continue...

Hopefully, I'll get another post in before Christmas.  If not, though, I'd like to wish you all the merriest of Christmases.  May you and yours have a blessed holiday season!

Joyfully,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

My brother and a friend are on their way to come hang out at the coop for a couple days!

Christmas music

Caramelsssauce

Here's the deal: 

I was planning on making caramels (and fudge) to hand out as Christmas goodies.  When I told my mom this, she called me a fool...literally!  She doesn't remember doing so, but this was the first time she'd ever said anything like that to me, so I remember it vividly.  Judging by her reaction to my plan, she knew something about caramel-making that I didn't (which isn't surprising...).

I decided to try it anyway, and took time to start the process this evening.  Using the caramel recipe I found online, I started mixing and stirring and melting and boiling.  Everything was going well UNTIL the candy thermometer was reaching the specified 250-degree mark, but the caramel mixture was about to boil over!  OH NO!!!  My solution was to call 248-degrees good and take the pot off the heat.  I figured everything would be ok, put the sauce in the pan, and let the caramels cool to room temperature.  Once they'd cooled off, they were still pretty runny, so I put them in the fridge and went on with my evening...

...after 3 hours in the fridge, I just checked on them, and discovered they are not cuttable caramels, but spoonable caramel goo.  Woops.  I guess I'll just be handing out fudge this year...and calling grandma for wisdom and tips for next year.  For now, I'd like to apologize to degrees #249 and #250 - next time you will definitely be invited to the caramel-making party...and I'll use a bigger pot.  : )

PLEASE:  If you or someone you know would like some delicious caramel sauce for your ice cream or other dessert (or to eat plain...), let me know!!!  I'd love to spread (no pun intended) some holiday cheer with my failed attempt at this yummy treat.  : )

Happy baking,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

the shooting star I saw on my way home tonight...it was amazing!

the 50-degree weather lately - thanks, Nebraska!

Decorating the Coop, Part 2

Thanks to a few trips to Dollar Tree/Goodwill/Walmart and mom bringing my box of decorations from home, the coop is filled with holiday cheer!  : )



The garland w/ lights is above all the kitchen cabinets.

without lights



with lights!



There you have it!  If you'd like to come see it in person, just let me know! 

Remembering the Reason for the season,

Kensy



Favorites of the day:

the glow of Christmas lights

the young state trooper who only gave me a warning on my way to church today...

(I guess when I said, "That will never be me [pulled over on this stretch of highway]," I really meant "That will only be me once...")

Adventure: Oil Change

Get excited!  I just got back from meeting my mom half-way to get my box of Christmas things (thanks, mom)!!  I'm thankful for her willingness to do that, and for my car being in working condition.  Had I not been planning on getting my oil changed this week, that may have not been the case...here's the story:

Usually, I get my oil changed at Jiffy Lube (unless I'm home to have Dad do it), but this time I had a coupon to get it changed and tires rotated at Midas.  So, I went in, they lifted the car up, and discovered the whole undercarriage covered in oil.  Uh-oh!!  Turns out, the hair-band sized piece of rubber that seals the adapter on the oil filter was severed (it had happened recently).  Though I couldn't have diagnosed the problem, I understood it, and gave them permission to fix it.  This meant, however, that I would be there for 2+ hours...with nothing to do.  SO, I called my coworker/former professor/fellow cat lover who hadn't gone into the office, yet.  She graciously agreed to pick me up, and gave me a ride back when we were done working!  (It's so nice to know there are people like her I can call on in times like this!)  I'd planned to pay a pretty penny for all the work, even with the coupon, but the total came to less than the original bill.  I guess I got the "helpless single girl" discount, too.

Someday, I hope to marry a mechanically-minded man (hello, alliteration), like my dad, who can buy the $8 part and replace it himself, so I don't have to pay labor fees the rest of my life.  : )


ALSO:  I have to share this quote from one of my piano students.  While he was playing, I covered his hands with a book so he'd keep his eyes on the music.  When the song was over, he said, “(sigh!) My fingers were getting tired of not getting looked at.”  (By the way, it took a lot for me to be able to type that grammatically incorrect sentence and leave it as is.)

Time to dig into the box of decorations!!  Pictures soon to follow...

Go Huskers!!
-Kensy

Favorites of the day:

Season 3 of "Friends" (keeping me company while I decorate)

Avatar in HD

"Music Librarian" is an understatement...

Today I celebrate my job at Arts Incorporated (click to go to the website).  My trumpet professor owns this arts management business and graciously offered me a job a couple years ago.  I filled the position of “music librarian,” but have also been asked to complete the following tasks:

-give the birds a bath

-feed the birds

-feed the fish

-give the birds medicine

-entertain the cats

-locate the cats (usually followed by disciplining them)

-take the smashed and soggy box that the no-longer-living fish came in to the post office to see what they can do about it

-water plants

-take videos and photos of various events

-record official office voicemail greeting

-help create inserts for CD’s (professionally recorded ones to sell)

These, of course, are in addition to tasks such as creating music lists and folders, repairing parts, filing music, organizing the music libraries of the various ensembles, etc., etc.

I feel like I’m living the quote, “Variety is the spice of life!”  I love all the unique experiences this job presents.  My favorite random task is playing with the cats (yep – I’m a cat person).  There have been instances in which I was unable to work because a cat had decided my computer keyboard is the "purr"fect spot to roll around and get attention.  I don’t complain…  : )

Sorry it's blurry...hopefully you get the idea.

: )  He found this nap spot all by himself.



Hope you've enjoyed hearing about this wonderful workplace!  Let me know if you have any questions... 

Spicily (is that a word?),

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

the 99-cent clothing sale at Goodwill (I forgot to mention it this weekend)

not having to worry about finals!  (don't mean to rub it in, dearest student readers)

the young adult Bible study I attend!

Decorating the Coop

I'm so thankful to have such a great family and to be able to spend time with them during the holidays!  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving full of food, football, music, and games!  We're a big game/card-playing family, and we all laughed so much it hurt on more than one occasion the past couple of days.  : )

Here is a picture of my first Thanksgiving decorations (I inherited them from my grandma's cousin this weekend):

I'd planned on putting up Christmas decorations when I got back to my place today, but much to my dismay, I don't have many decorations of my own!  I should've had mom and dad bring some of mine from home this weekend, but even then, I don't know that they would do the trick.  I'm used to having 3 other roommates to contribute decorations...not the case this year!

SO, I ask you, dear readers: Where should I look to build my decoration collection?

This is the perfect opportunity to give you a glimpse into my coop!  I'm living in a refurbished chicken coop on my aunt and uncle's farm-ish property north of town.  They added onto and refurbished the existing chicken coop a few years ago and have been renting it out to people ever since.  I'm so glad they saved it for me after the last tenant moved out - it's perfect for this time in my life!!  Take a peek:



Here's the south side.  You can see the original coop - it's the shorter roof at the back. 
The front side in this shot is the "new addition."

This is the kitchen.  You could've probably figured that out on your own.



The view of the living room from the kitchen.  This room has changed since the picture was taken - now, there's a bigger TV, the couch and table are at a diagonal, and there's a large plant by the window.





This was taken from the north end, so it's the original coop.  Yes, that is a wood-burning stove.  I have yet to use it.  Also, notice the music corner - it's grown since this picture was taken.  : )



Yes, there's more to it, but you get the idea.  If you want to see more, you'll just have to come visit!  Now that you've seen the place, maybe you can give me some ideas on how to decorate and with what.  Thanks in advance!

Blessings,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

college football (namely, Husker football)

the holiday season

Out of the mouths of babes...

One of the jobs I've been blessed with is to nanny (once or twice a week) for a 1-yr.-old girl (MA) and 3-yr.-old boy (JP).  They are part of a wonderful family, and I'm so thankful they have welcomed me into their home and lives.

A day spent with JP, especially, is never dull.  I've kept a list of some things he's done and said, and would like to share them with you! 

• While we're stopped for a snack on our walk, he said, "When you love your best friend, you kiss them!" and proceeded to kiss my hand three times.  (It's moments like these that more than make up for some of his less desirable actions.)
• hangabugers = hamburgers
• I was listening in on him playing with some animals.  It was time for them to go to bed, and his narration went as follows:  "When the sun settles, they all have to go to sleep." (pause) "SUN’S UP!!"
• “for your shirt can’t get dirty” = apron
• As we’re making cherry turnovers, he leans in, gives me a side hug, and says, “I love my Kensy!”
• Conversation while we were "cooking" in the play kitchen on my birthday:
  JP: Are you having a party later at your house?
  Me: Umm....maybe.  (I wasn't, but thought that might rock his world.)
  JP: You GOTTA have one!  Here - I'll make you a cake and we'll have a party.  (They have a plastic birthday cake, but he really "made" me a cake by stacking other random pieces of plastic food.)
• fishing wand = fishing pole/rod
• As he’s bringing out the Mr. Potato Head box, “Want to play Mashed Potatoes?!”
• Uncle Donald's = McDonald's  (No, he doesn't have an uncle Donald.)
• Conversation as we were playing cars ("racing" them, actually):
  JP: What's this?  A milk truck?
  Me: No, it's an ambulance.
  JP: What's that?
  Me: It takes sick people to the hospital.
  -about 5 minutes pass...we're still playing cars-
  JP: (urgently) Get your people in the amblience!
  Me: What people?
  JP: The people in your cars!
  Me: Why?
  JP: They're sick - they need to go to the hostipal!
  (Please look closely at the bolded words.)
• 1-yr.-old MA just as precious, she just isn't talking, yet.  She's getting very close, though!  Examples:
• I mentioned she's started saying "Ta-da!" which comes out as "Ba-Baa!" with the proper vocal inflections.
• She'll instruct you to "Shh!" when her babies are sleeping, complete with a finger raised to the mouth.
• For "yes," she says "Mmm hmmm!" with the pitch of her voice escalating at the end of the "hmmm!"
• While I was doing a floor puzzle with JP yesterday, MA walked over and started rubbing my back and peeking around to smile at me while she did so. 

Needless to say, I love spending time with these children.  It makes the wait till I have my own much more bearable.  haha  : )

I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving with lots of food, fun, and family (and safe travels and football and no conscience about calories)!

Thankfully,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

the fact that my family is on their way to pick me up on their way to g'ma and g'pa's farm!

friends, new and old

Harris Music Studio (and more!)

What a weekend! 

A dear friend was in town for the music educator's convention, so I got to spend some quality time with her, AND I got to spend some time with a few NWU trumpeters, because I played herald trumpets with them for the Elizabethan Feast the Wesleyan Chamber Singers (and company) put on each year.  I've done this for the last 4 years, and they needed extra help, so of course I agreed to take part in it (to be with friends, yes, but also because we get to partake in the feast when we're done!).

Perhaps the most noteworthy event, though, was the Harris Music Studio (this is a different color because it's a link to the website - check it out!) Second Annual Faculty Recital.  I feel so blessed to be a part of this group of people for so many reasons.  This blessing was affirmed in the time we spent sharing our talents with each other, our students, and the rest of the audience.  (Before the faculty recital in the evening, we gave a "Wedding Preview" recital of musical selections commonly performed at weddings.  If you're interested in finding out more about this, let me know!)  I wasn't sure how many of my students would be in attendance, but was pleasantly surprised to see the majority of them there! 

I played a piano and flugelhorn solo (not at the same time) and the bass part to a cool jazz flute piece on keyboard.  It was great to have a reason to get "back in shape" and perform!

It was also nice to be able to converse with the faculty and continue to get to know everyone.  We don't get the chance to have much conversation past "Hi!  How are you?"  "Good, and you?" when we see each other between lessons, so the opportunity to have some real conversation was appreciated.

SO, there you have it - a glimpse into my life for the past few days!  : )  I hope your weekend was wonderful and the week is off to a great start!

Musically yours,
Kensy

P.S. The spell check said "flugelhorn" was spelled wrong and suggested I use "flagellation" instead.  I'm a little bit offended...

Favorites of the day:

the $9.99 Friends seasons on DVD I just got on Amazon.com (there are some great pre-Black Friday deals there!)

Oprah's last "Favorite Things" show - yep, it was on today

Pillsbury crescent rolls 

Celebrate!

Well, I didn’t receive any calls or cards in the mail commemorating the 1-week anniversary of my blog, so I guess I’ll have to eat this celebratory cake I made all by lonesome:

haha - just kidding.  : )  I would, however, like to thank you who have been reading!  Let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to hear about!

Something I would genuinely like to celebrate today is the school where I did my student teaching, Lincoln Christian School.  I feel sooo blessed to have had the opportunity to fulfill my student teaching experience there, and am even more thankful to be able to continue my relationship with them as a substitute teacher!  I was there today filling in for the music teachers and had so much fun!  During one of the periods, I had part of both the high school band and choir.  We had an awesome rehearsal of the Christmas piece they'll be performing for the finale of their concert in a month.  Plus, it was a teacher food day (once a month, teachers all bring food to share for lunch)!  By chance, I have subbed on every teacher food day they've had this year.  What could be better?!

I hope you are able to find a reason to celebrate each day!

TTFN,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

LCS students and staff

NMEA Music Educators Convention bringing friends to town!  : )

Growing Up

I don’t know if it’s due to my recent college graduation, my age, or what, but lately I’ve been inundated (anyone remember the day Mr. Stahly discovered that word?) with “adult” experiences and the feeling that time is passing faster than I can handle.  Don’t worry – I’ve come prepared with examples to validate my statement:

-       I did the math the other day (in my head – it took like 2 seconds), and realized I’ve lived a quarter of my life. 

-       The newborns I once baby-sat are in middle school.

-       Other youngsters I baby-sat are now baby-sitting the babies I used to watch (whose ages are approaching double-digits).

-       I attended 4 weddings this summer/fall…the couples getting married were my classmates.

-       I’m pretty sure some of the parents of the preschoolers in the music class I taught this summer were my age…or younger.

-       About half of the young adult Bible study I joined this fall is made up of married, engaged, or seriously dating couples (no, I am not in this half).  Don’t get me wrong – I love it – it’s just much different than the college-age Bible studies I just came from in that we discuss topics such as money, finding jobs, and starting a family rather than homework stress and busy schedules.

-       I no longer introduce myself as “Kensy, a (insert college grade level) Music Education major from Topeka, KS.”  Instead, people ask what I do for a living, if I’m married, and if I have kids.

Don’t get me wrong – I love and am content with where I am in life right now, and I realize this is how life goes.  I’m just making some general observations and though I’d share. 

It’s interesting to think back to what I thought my life would look like at this age when I was younger. For example, when asked in 6th grade where we saw ourselves in ten years, I answered “done with college, married, starting a family.” I’d accomplished one of those goals within the time limit. In high school, I think I still assumed my 6th grade prediction would come true, but I was more concerned with graduatingand “starting a new chapter in my life.”  About this time last year, I had no idea what the next fall would bring.  Throughout my senior year, I went through phases of being ok with the unknown and being very worried/concerned/scared about what would come next (those closest to me can definitely attest to this).  I kept reciting Matthew 6:34, though, and fully trusted that God had it all under control.  Surprise! – He did.  : ) 

In honor of this post, I’d like to invite you on a trip down memory lane with me. I’m sharing a link to the website I created in our Music Tech class at the beginning of my senior year at NWU.  On it, you’ll find videos and recordings of some of my performances, various college papers and narrative about them, my (old) résumé and future plans, my senior statement, etc.  It’s so interesting to look back on things like this, even though I created it all fairly recently.  Let me know if you have any feedback!

http://music.nebrwesleyan.edu/~kberggre/

May you always be young at heart,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

Making chicken noodle soup and having a good ol’ family dinner with great friends last night

My electric blanket

Gooey Bars

I had a little bit of an epiphany about my passion for grocery shopping:

My family almost always ran errands on Sundays after church.  Our first stop was usually Sam’s Club, where we pretty much had a lunch of samples.  We had fun trying to make mom deter from her list – haha!  It was also a ritual to go through the Sunday ads and find coupons, etc.  These are such fond memories – perhaps I’m subconsciously trying to recreate them in my own grocery excursions.  : )

Ok – as promised, the recipe.  I think this was originally my grandma’s (on my dad’s side) recipe, but my mom makes them enough that I may end up attributing it to her.  Either way, they’re delish!  Even my cream-cheese-disliking brother likes them (and he even knows what’s in them!):

Gooey Bars

1 box yellow cake mix

½ c. butter

1 egg

Mix together and press into a greased 9x13 pan.

1 8-oz. package cream cheese

2 eggs

3 ½ c. powdered sugar

Blend together and spread over cake mixture.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Hope you enjoy them if you try them - let me know!

Peace,

Kensy

P.S.  I’ve decided to wait on the detox thing.  I WILL do it, eventually, but after seeing the grocery list and my schedule for the week, I’m going to hold off till I have a little more flexibility (and money for all those healthy foods).

Grocery Shopping

I love grocery shopping.  Really.  I don’t know what it is about it, but I genuinely enjoy going to the grocery store (namely HyVee).  I’m a coupon-clipper (thanks to my mom), and peruse the ads before stepping foot into the store.  Call me crazy, but I find great satisfaction in getting something I need (or a treat) for a fraction of its original price.

Did you know that you can sign up for “mobile alerts” from HyVee?!  So far, these alerts have been amazing coupons.  Last week was a half-gallon of OJ for $.49, and this week was a pound of hamburger for $.59.  You should sign up!

http://www.hy-vee.com/company/mobile-alerts.aspx

By the way, while we’re discussion my love of bargain shopping, I got flip-flips at Old Navy yesterday for $.47!  Nope, that is not a typo – I really got them for forty-seven CENTS!!  Now, I don’t feel bad about throwing out some of my old, grungy pairs.

In honor of the season’s first snow (it happened a couple days ago), I’d like to share a tip I read my Rachael Ray magazine last month.  I haven’t tried this, yet, but I sure hope it works:

Mix 3 parts water with 1 part white vinegar, pour into a spray bottle, and spray on your windshield at night to ward off the morning frost.

Speaking of the Rachael Ray magazine – I LOVE it!  If you haven’t checked it out, and you like fun (and lots of other great adjectives) magazines, you should look it up or ask me if you can borrow a couple of mine!  It’s a cooking, travel, life, shopping, and lots of other things magazine all in one!  I also just love Rachael Ray (and the Food Network!!!).  In some class, at some point in my education, we were asked to name a famous person as our alter ego.  I chose Rachael Ray.  I don’t know that I fully understood what “alter ego” meant – all I knew was that people told me I look and act like her…and I love to cook (and bake, which she doesn’t really like to do).  In fact, I’m making a dessert for a luncheon tomorrow…I’ll share the recipe once I decide what to make!

Here’s a link to Rachael’s website:

http://www.rachaelray.com/

That’s all for now.  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday! 

To God be the glory,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

Fresh raspberries (yep - they were on sale)

Sunshine

Share and Tell (or Tell and Share)

Have I mentioned that I love what I do?  Part of this love stems from the fact that on a cold, rainy day like today, I can stay curled up under my electric blanket till I'm fully ready to brave the chilled air outside of my cocoon.  (No, this does not happen every day, but I sure take advantage of the days it does!)

Today I'm nearly bursting at the seams to share a couple of my favorite Youtube videos.  I know everyone and their dog share countless Youtube sites and videos every day, but I've run across a few in the last week that are definitely worth jumping on the bandwagon for!  (I know you're not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition, but I'm going to leave that one as is.)

I've recently become infatuated with the music (and lead vocalist) of the group Boyce Avenue.  They seem like truly genuine guys, and their talent is real.  I also love their covers (especially Just the Way You Are, Teenage Dream, and Dynamite).  Check them out!

http://www.youtube.com/BoyceAvenue


Now it's time for a confession:  I watch Glee.  I'm not impressed by the moral structure of the show lately, but the music keeps me watching.  I nearly swooned at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E46BhMIRujI

I could listen to (good) a capella men's voices for the rest of my life...


A good friend shared the following video with me yesterday, and I honestly think it's my favorite of all time!!  I love little/miniature/cute things...that's the only reason I can come up with for liking this one so much.  It's funny, too...and sweet...and endearing...just watch it.  : )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF9-sEbqDvU


And last, but not least, here is something I'm going to challenge myself to do.  A friend drew my attention to this FREE opportunity (you'll quickly learn of my love of free things), and I'm going to try my best to take advantage of it.  I'm posting this not only to hold myself accountable to doing this (maybe not exactly on the dates it's being offered, but SOMEtime), but I also wanted to give any of you readers the opportunity to sign up before the deadline, in case you'd like to try it, too!

http://www.makeitrealmakeitraw.com/


Okey dokey - that's all for now!  Have a lovely weekend!
-Kensy

Favorites of the day:

These videos (duh)

Chocolate milk (it was on sale this week, so I treated myself)

Ta-da!

The 1-yr.-old I nanny for just started repeating "ta-da!" whenever anyone says it, and I could just hear her exclaiming it as I typed the title of this post.

Anyway...Hello, my name is Kensy!   I've decided not to use this first post for introductory purposes.  Instead, I hope you will get to know me through my future posts, etc.  (I also created a profile that tells a little about me...I think you can find it to the left of the page.)

For those of you who already know me, blogging may seem a little uncharacteristic, though I've been known to do more surprisingly uncharacteristic things.  I don't really have an explanation or reason for starting this, except that I just want to try it!  I'm not an avid blog-reader, nor have I ever written one myself (unless you count Xanga...and I wouldn't, considering I used it for probably a month in 7th grade, and it's now lost in cyberspace because I don't remember my username or password).  I do, however, feel that I express myself best through writing, though I don't currently do so on a regular basis.  Also, I'm not the best at keeping in touch with long-distance relatives and friends, so I think this might be a good way to keep them updated on what's going on in my life.

Because every day brings new and different opportunities and experiences for me, I'd really like to share them with as many people as possible.  Perhaps not everyone will find value or meaning in the same things I do, but the possibility that someone will is reason enough to share, in my opinion.

SO, welcome to my blog, thanks for reading, I appreciate you, etc., etc.  I'm excited to see where this journey leads!

Blessings,

Kensy

P.S. I often ask my students about their favorite part of the week/day, etc.  I'd like to include something to that effect in each of my posts.  Here's the first:

Favorites of the day: 

Bath & Body Works' "Cranberry Woods" candle
Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese