Tamara and I "met" last year through visiting each other's blogs and have quickly become super bloggy friends! Tamara is truly amazing: amazing mother, amazing photographer, amazing storyteller and amazing person. She is so open and honest and kind and I really am honored to know her! To see Tamara's answers to my questions, click here! She has sent me some incredible questions so let's get started:1. I am in awe of people who live somewhere nice year-round! Have you ever experienced snow and cold? Where is the farthest you've traveled from home?
I do love living in Miami. I love the sunshine, the beaches, the clear skies and the warm weather. It is pretty amazing. I have traveled to parts of the US with cold weather (NYC, DC, Colorado) and I really don't know how you guys do it. When Adrian was about 2 we went on a big family ski trip to Breckenridge for a week. We rented a beautiful house, played in the snow and skied. It was super fun for about a day. When we had to walk into town, in the snow, I quickly got over it. Snow and cold is definitely not my thing!
2. I grew up in a blended family, like the one you are raising. What is the most complicated part to you of being in a blended family?I think the most complicated thing about raising a blended family is making everyone feel comfortable. Jealousy and selfishness are horrible creepers. They pop up out of nowhere! JC, Adrian and I are together all the time so when Amberly and Gian come by (every other weekend) it immediately becomes a difficult situation. He is used to all the attention and then he has to share JC with two more kids. His kids want their dad and want his attention and affection. At this point, I am around to make sure everyone is fed and wearing clean clothes. 3. If you lived that dream of a farm on a beach, tell me more? Would it be in Florida or somewhere else? What are three aspects of the farm that you see in your wildest dreams?
It is a pretty out-there dream right? I've never known of anyone who lives on a farm by the beach. In my dreams, I would have this beautiful 2 story white farmhouse, with black shutters on the windows and an orange door. There would be acres of land in the back with cows, sheep, pigs, horses, chickens, goats, and dogs, lots of dogs! I can picture myself feeding the animals and tending to a garden. Oh and then the beach can be seen from the front porch of the house. It's just a short walk away! I could probably have this beach farm somewhere on the west coast of Florida. I might have to start looking into this!!
4. Which is your favorite social media platform and why?
Instagram!!!! I love Instagram (@scggirl). I feel like it is the most personal platform. On Instagram, you get to see people's daily lives, not the uber-edited pics for their blogs! I share the most on weekends and the least on holidays since that's family time! I also feel like there is more interaction and I don't get those annoying notifications like the ones from FB. 5. I know you said you don't really like sweets, except dark chocolate. What would be your perfect "dessert" on a special occasion? (and believe me, buttered popcorn is one of mine so it doesn't have to be sweet)
This bad boy right here is pure perfection in my eyes! My mouth is watering as I type this. I eat this special treat about twice a year and each time it really is heaven!! It's creamy and chocolatey and yum, when you bite into the brownie pieces!!!! Other than this, I will take a bite out of a dark chocolate bar a couple times a year and that's it for sweets.
6. Tell me about your favorite sports teams!
Miami Dolphins
Univ of Miami Hurricanes
When it comes to sports, I am a hometown fan, through and through. All my love goes to Miami teams. I have watched all these teams play since I was a child. My love of sports started as a way of spending more time with my dad. He would watch all these teams play on TV and I would sit next to him and just listen. He loves baseball so baseball was my first love. Then came football!! My brother could pretty much be a commentator for the NFL. He knows facts and tidbits about every player, every coach and every team. I have learned so much from him and now I can hold my own in any football-related argument. I went to the University of Miami for college and Hurricane football becomes your life!! When I met JC, he loves basketball so we watch lots of games together and cheer on the same team, the Miami Heat!!! I have instilled this love of sports to my son and now he is a BIG Heat fan!
7. What is a book that has changed your life, or perspective?
I honestly can't remember how many times I have read this book. I read it when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm bored and when I just need something to read. It is a story that shows that love prevails. I don't want to give out any details, in case you haven't read it. I first read this novel after I broke up with my first real boyfriend (4 1/2 years together) and my parents were getting divorced. I was so hurt and angry and thought that love wasn't real. After reading this novel and then re-reading it, I realized that sometimes relationships don't work but love is real. Love is amazing and beautiful. This novel also reminds me that "if it's meant to be, it's meant to be!"
8. Say you got a $1,000 gift card to Target. What's the FIRST aisle/section you run towards?
Oh Target, how I love thee!! I love going to a store and getting everything I need in one trip! If I received a $1,000 gift card to Target, my first stop would be bedding. I would buy myself a fabulous Nate Berkus bedding set and new pillows. Then, since I'm a mom, is the toys section. I would grab two or three toys for each child and then go straight to the kitchen section. I would get a new mixer and a juicer. Oh boy, I think I might need more money on my gift card!!!
9. How did you meet JC?
JC and I met at work. Yup, steamy hot office love affair!! It was 2011 and I was slowly crawling out of the hole I had dug for myself. I needed a job but was unable to find work anywhere. My sister's friends' husband owned an engineering firm and they were looking for an office manager. I jumped at the chance. It was within walking distance of my house and Adrian's school so it really was perfect. I went to my interview and was hired on the spot. My new boss then proceeded to give me a tour of the office. I remember walking into one of the offices,looking over and seeing the most handsome man I had ever seen. I'm sure my cheeks turned bright red! I said Hello, was introduced to everyone and came back the following Monday for my first day at my new job. Lucky for me, JC was the person assigned to getting me hooked up with email and Skype and passwords so we spent much of that first day side by side. He was so smart and soft-spoken and kind. I was smitten! A few weeks later, I realized that he liked me too. We took it slow and really got to get to know each other, we talked about the kids alot. We started dating within like 3 months of meeting and then we told our boss. He was and continues to be extremely open and supportive about our relationship. We did move fast after that, moving in together and spending all our time together, but it just felt right. It has been almost three years that we are together and I am so blessed to have found such an incredible person. He is my second chance at love. He has provided me my second chance at a family. I truly love him!!10. Do you have any plans to travel this spring or summer? And have you ever been to a blog conference?Yes, we plan one trip every year in the summer, usually after 4th of July. This year we are taking the kids to Busch Gardens and then doing a water park tour. It is H-O-T in Florida in the summer so water parks are always a hit with the kids.