I just realized I still don't have an About Me page! After blogging here for nearly 2 years, it's probably about time, huh?

So here we go!

I'm a 29 year old first time mom in Northern Wisconsin. Mason was born on March 16, 2010. If you would have asked me three years ago if I would ever have a kid, I would have laughed and told you "No way!" I never even liked to baby-sit when I was a kid, so life with Mason has definitely been a learning experience and an adventure! Before Mason came along, I had never so much as changed a diaper!

(We really need to take a more current picture, huh?)

I'm wife to my wonderful husband and long time love, SuperDad, and we both work full time. I'm not sad to be a working mom, as I just wasn't cut out to be a stay-at-home mother and since Mason is destined to be an only child forever, the interaction with other kids is great for him. I also have a part-time job at a bookstore, where I work a whopping seven hours a month. I started working there when I began Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover" (which I would totally recommend!) in 2007 and while I no longer need the second job, I'll never leave! It's the perfect hobby job for me, as I LOVE to read.

I also love animals and we share our home with a retired racing greyhound and an elderly kitty - up until mid-2011 we were a 2 greyhound 2 cat family, so we're still adjusting to what feels like an "empty" house. I'm the fundraising coordinator for my local animal shelter and my Facebook friends are probably sick of me posting more about animals and shelter events than what is going on with me and my family. That's just how I am.

I'm horrible at these things, so let's finish up with some random facts:

• We live in the sticks, so no Target, Sam's Club, Starbucks, etc. I'm insanely jealous of people who can just "run to" any store other than Wal-mart.
• We're  raising Mason in the same small town we grew up in
• I don't follow any sports and I'm horrible at video games
• I am a firm believer in free-range parenting and can't wait until Mason is old enough to hop on his bike and ride to a friend's house
• I'm incredibly cheap/thrifty and love shopping at Goodwill, Savers, and garage sales
• I've been reading blogs since 1997 (back when they were known as "online journals") and this is the fourth blog I've written since then.
• I took a semester off from college trying to figure out what I wanted to "do" with myself and now 8 years have went by. I have over 80 credits towards a bachelor's degree and one of these days, I'm going to go back and finish it.
• My "style" is jeans and a t-shirt or hoodie. I'd much rather dress up in a giant animal costume than wear a dress. I'm not sure what that means, but maybe you do.
• I'm an obsessive researcher. If it costs more than $10 and isn't edible, you'll probably find me online reading reviews and asking for recommendations. I think I spent 6 months researching carseats....
• I'm the first of my friends to have a kid, but several of my friends are expecting in 2012.

Did I miss anything? Feel free to leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail! You can find me on Twitter or Goodreads if you're so inclined.