Blog Hop #3: Tools

It's already time for another meet up with the lovely "Nice to Meet You" ladies!  I love looking at their blogs to see what pictures they put up for our question of the month.

This month's topic is what are the 6 tools that you can't live without.  Here are mine.

1.  I am a little intense about balancing our checkbook since we're working really hard to get debt free.  Clearcheckbook has a cell phone app that lets me enter transactions right at the register and reconcile them when they post to our bank account.  Super Fan.

2. My phone is my lifeline to my husband some days.  Since he's working two jobs at the moment and our schedules are opposite, all we get some days are a few texts and phone calls.

3. My older sister said that she hates cooking with a crock pot and my head almost exploded.  True Story.

4. I like Evernote because I don't want everything I pin on Pinterest to be public.  I'm keeping a list of potential Christmas presents in here with tutorials since we're doing a homemade Christmas this year.  Plus, it's much easier than scrolling through Pinterest sites to find that recipe that I wanted to make when I'm standing in the grocery store.  

5. It's not a physical tool but I think the feeling of being in the right place at the right time is a huge guiding force.  In 2011, an F5 tornado tore through the middle of the city we live in.  The recovery effort provided such a defining moment for me that I was sure that I'm on the right track.  Little things here and there pop up but it was such an intense experience that it has been impossible to forget.  I feel like trusting this tool will get me where I want to go.

6.  Our marriage.  My husband inspires me to be better.  Knowing that I'm working on things for our future gives me such a motivation that I'm not sure I ever had alone.  There's someone to be accountable to when they're our goals.  Our goals are awesome by the way. 

Please make sure to stop by their blogs to check out what they can't live without.  We would love to see yours!  Make a Pinterest board or blog post and link up with us.  We would love to get to know you better. :)

Suzannah @ Adventures in Dressmaking
Ashley @ Bricks & Baubles

Jeanette @ Artchoo

Ashley @ She Makes A Home

Erika @ Fox Trot Press

Sentrell @ Suite Seven

Dani @ The Future Reynolds

Jenny @ House Full of Pretty

Haeley @ Design Improvised

It's Nice to Meet You!

I am so thrilled that you're here for our first Nice to Meet You blog hop!  The topic of this blog hop is to get to know each other by posting six things that we like to do at home.  Please follow at least four of the following ladies to be eligible for our first blog hop badge!

Suzannah @ Adventures in Dressmaking
Ashley @ Bricks & Baubles

Lindsay @ Shrimp Salad Circus

Lianne @ A Content Housewife

Jeanette @ Artchoo

Lauren @ Elleby Design

Ashley @ She Makes A Home

Erika @ Fox Trot Press

Sentrell @ Suite Seven

Dani @ The Future Reynolds

Jenny @ House Full of Pretty

Haeley @ Design Improvised

Eva @ Build House Home

(Use the tool of your choice to follow them).

If you've never stopped in before, I'm Dani and we live in Joplin, Missouri.  Here's a little bit about what I like to do at home.

If only my dogs knew how much they entertain me... 

I love to eat at home.  We're about to start our fifth round of once a month cooking and I can't imagine going back to doing it daily ever again.

I had a daydream the other day that I called into work so I could stay in my pajamas and read all day.

My husband might say that I am fanatical about balancing our checkbook.  I don't know when it happened but it has become a huge stress reliever.

We had a love at first sight moment when we were touring our house for the first time but when we walked out of the back door to find this huge beautiful field, it was all over.  Sitting on our patio with my husband and a glass of lemonade is about as good as it gets.

A movie and popcorn has become one of my favorite weekly traditions.

So that's me!  If you're a blogger, write up a post about yourself and leave a link in the comments.  If you don't blog, feel free to put your things together on Pinterest, Twitter, or simply in the comments section.  The important part is just to stop in and get to know some bloggers that you already follow and meet some new ones and more importantly, have fun!  

Thanks for stopping by!

Our 1st Nice to Meet You Blog Hop!

I signed up for a blogging class last month over at Alt Summit and was blown away by how much positive encouragement there was from the other members of the class.  We all got together and decided that we would host bi-weekly meetups to get to know each other and our readers.  We came up with a name -- the Nice to Meet You gang and we're already ready to go.  I've never done a blog meetup before so I'm so excited to participate!

WHEN: The first "Nice to Meet You" link-up will be Friday, August 10. We'll do these every two weeks.

QUESTION: This week's question is "What do you like to do at home?"

RULES: Pick six things that you really like to do at home.  All you have to do is post them on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest board, or leave them in the comments--wherever you want. To participate, follow at least four of the hostesses, listed here:

Suzannah @ Adventures in Dressmaking
Ashley @ Bricks & Baubles

Lindsay @ Shrimp Salad Circus

Lianne @ A Content Housewife

Jeanette @ Artchoo

Lauren @ Elleby Design

Ashley @ She Makes A Home

Erika @ Fox Trot Press

Sentrell @ Suite Seven

Dani @ The Future Reynolds

Jenny @ House Full of Pretty

Haeley @ Design Improvised

Eva @ Build House Home

(Use the tool of your choice to follow them).

Want to know what all of those ladies blog about?  We have a few nifty diagrams for that!

During each challenge, we're going to post our answers to our blogs and can't wait to see what you have to say.  Don't forget to add your link in the comments so we can see.

There is an award for one reader from each of our blogs too.  There's a pretty sweet badge for your site to display as one of our first winners.

There will be more details on Friday!  See you then!  Don't be a stranger!