Thank You + Bloggie Brunch

I want to thank Astrid again for kicking off NEDAwareness Week with her guest post. Make sure to check out her delicious cookie recipes that involve KAHLUA! I’m totally on board.

Thank you, thank you, thank you again for the kind comments on my big, sparkly announcement 🙂 As you can probably guess by my recent call for guest posters — and the amazing Guest Benders I’ve been able to feature so far as a result — it has been a crazy, whirlwind time these past few months. I wanted so badly to tell you all what was going on, especially since my own blogging has been so sporadic!

Now that we’ve cleared the air, I can’t wait to share how everything progresses with all of you. As I mentioned in my other post, Jill and I will be starting a blog March 1 to chronicle our experience. But of course, Eating Bender will continue to be my baby — sounds silly but it’s true — so I will be sharing plenty of my experience on here as well. Can’t wait!

I also want to thank my future in-laws, who sent me this BEAUTIFUL arrangement!

Thanks for your support. It means so much 🙂

***

I can’t think of a better way to spend my Sunday morning than at a Bloggie Brunch!

When the fabulous Caroline emailed me to announce her visit to Chicago for the weekend, I was so excited! We first met back in L.A. last March. This time around, the weather was a bit cloudier and colder, to say the least 😉 But there was a bright spot: Mara was able to meet up, too!

Mara, me, Caroline and her cousin (who she had come to visit) met up for an early morning meal.

[Photo courtesy of Mara’s amazing new camera!]

When deciding where to meet, there were many factors involved. Mara lives in the northern ‘burbs, I live in the city and Caroline fell right in between near my alma mater. It wasn’t hard to guess that Walker Bros. would be on the menu. My favorite!

Can you guess what I ordered? 😉

Mediterranean omelette with spinach, onions, tomato and feta — as per usual! I also ordered the whole wheat toast, which comes with the fresh jam that wins me over every time.

It was SO nice to chat with these ladies! Our breakfast adventure lasted almost two hours and it flew by in a flash — we had so much to say, I guess 🙂 Can’t wait for the next time!

And now…there’s a snowpocalypse going on outside my window! Yikes!

***

Beautiful Blogger Award

I am so honored! I received this award from the amazing Jess from Let’s Get Fit! and Spiceaholic! Truly ladies, receiving your emails and reading your blog posts made me so happy 🙂 Thank you!

Here is how it works:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award. — Gracias, Jess and Spiceaholic!
2. Paste the award on your blog. — Check!
3. Link back to the person who gave you the award. — Checkity check!
4. Share seven interesting things about yourself.
5. Nominate up to 7 more beautiful bloggers.
6. Link the bloggers you nominate.

Hmm…sharing 7 “interesting” things about myself? That’s a loaded request. What if I list 7 things that are completely boring?! Ok, enough procrastinating…here it goes!

1) My middle name is Lynn, but when I get married I’m going to have two middle names! I love my last name and want to keep it in there somehow, so I’ll become Jennifer Lynn “Bender” “Mrs. Bobby.” Obviously, those last two aren’t my real names, but you get the idea 😉

2) I have a scar on my chin that I got when I fell down at daycare at the age of two. I really don’t even notice it, but typically a year or so after I’ve met someone and we’ve become friends, they will randomly ask, “What happened to your chin?!” as if I’ve just had a horrific accident. I love it.

3) Speaking of accidents, I am responsible for the scar on my little brother’s forehead, too. He cut his head when he first started walking! I used to hide in between his changing table and dresser while my dad was fixing his diaper (I was 6 or 7 at the time). He used to hear me come in and start giggling — super cute! — and when my dad put him back on the ground he’d toddle over to where I was hiding and “catch me.” One day, he tripped and hit his head on the changing table — you can imagine what happened next (I’ll spare you the actual description). I screamed, “I’ve killed my little brother!” and started bawling. Fortunately, he turned out just fine and is proud of his Harry Potter scar 🙂

4) This isn’t about me, but it just has to be told — when my brother was in the emergency room getting stitches, he apparently yelled the “D” word. My nurse came out and told my mom that her son had a “colorful” language. He had barely even started talking! My mom and dad still to this day have no idea where he could have possibly learned such a word 😉

5) My favorite color has evolved over the years from pink to blue to purple.

6) I want to become a published author someday (got the idea to talk about this from Spiceaholic)! I have so many “started” documents on my computer in a folder called “Novels.” Now all I need is the time to see one of them through. Good thing I’ve decided to start my own business, right?

7) It’s not hard to guess from #6 that I love reading! In fact, I hope to restart the Food Blogger Book Club (check out the icon on my sidebar) in March. Fellow members, are you with me?!?!

***

I hope that you found those at least somewhat entertaining 🙂

Now, you know that I love all of you and that typically, I don’t like to pass these awards along because it’s impossible for me to choose! I decided to finally stop being so ridiculously paranoid. I could give this award to all of you since you are all beautiful. This time around, in honor of the bloggies I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in person most recently, I would like to specifically pass this along to:

• Melissa
• Heather
• Deb
• Bekah
• Caroline
• Mara
• Karla

I hope you beauties enjoy!

Another week is upon us! This one promises to be just as busy but just as exciting.

How are you living beautifully this week?

Abrazos!