SOCIAL MEDIA

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Celebrating My 34th Birthday with 34 Things About Me

It's no secret that today is my birthday. If you follow me on Facebook or IG, I am sure you have seen some posts about it.

Today I turn 34. Wow. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was in my 20s being carefree and going BIG for my birthday. Now that I am married with kids, I like the more subtle birthday celebrations. And since I shared with you all, 39 things about my husband on his birthday, I thought I would share 34 things about myself with you all on my birthday.

1. I have one tattoo on my ankle. I got it about 10 years ago with my sister. I had always wanted to get a flower tattoo, more specifically a lily tattoo. I took in about five pictures of lilies and told the tattoo artist that I wanted a mix of them. My own unique lily. He did an amazing job on it. And the color is still bright and beautiful even 10 years later.
lily tattoo

2. I have never wanted another tattoo until recently and I plan on getting my girls names on my rib cage.

3. In my 20s I went to a ton of concerts. It is what I spent my money on. I went to the Vans Warped Tour every year from the time I was 17 or 18 until my late 20s. I have been to Snowboarding for Breast Cancer where bands like Lincoln Park and Blink 182 played. I have seen Incubus 4 times. I have seen so many punk bands play in small venues where I live. Tool was one the best shows I have ever seen live, but Black Keys is right up there.

4. I feel like I was born in the wrong decade. My love for music is strong. I grew up listening to bands from the 60s, 70s and 80s. I love classic Rock so much. The Nirvana station on Pandora is the best. It has a mix of Nirvana (duh), Sublime, ACDC, Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steve Miller Band, Foo Fighters, Boston and so much more. The best.

5. My favorite classic rock band is Pink Floyd.

6. I am double jointed in both of my thumbs.
double jointed thumbs

7. I am a steak snob. Growing up, I didn't like steak that much, but as I got older and my parents introduced me to filet minion, I haven't turned back. I will chose filet over almost any steak every single time.

8. I have had 7 surgeries. I have had foot, knee, emergency c-section, 2 umbilical hernias one with a partial ab closure, a breast abscess and augmentation. These are not counting all the mole removals, wisdom teeth or anything of that nature.

9. Growing up I wanted to be a doctor, but now I want to be a nurse. Yep, I let technology win me over in college, but feel like I should have went with what I loved from the beginning. Medicine.

10. Growing up I always wanted twins because I thought it was so cool. I wanted identical twins too. But as I got older, I realized how much work, how hard it would be and that I wanted two pregnancies. Well guess what, life does give you what you want sometimes because I had twins all those years later and they are identical. Full circle.
twins gender reveal

11. I have gotten a severe concussion/whiplash/swollen neck and tore my meniscus while snowboarding (two separate incidents) and I still continue to snowboard. I am just more careful now, ie, I don't go off of jumps, do rails or even really board through the trees.

12. I wear a size 8 in shoes which means everyone always takes my sizes. When I was pregnant, I thought my feet would grow (my gyno told me it could happen), but mine never did. So I still have to fight for my size 8 shoes.

13. Speaking of shoes, I had some interesting jobs before heading off to college. I was a grocery bagger, shoes salesman at JC Penney's, sales rep at a local video store and a student worker at a local insurance company. The video store clerk was my favorite. It was a lot like the movie Clerks.

14. I never went to my senior prom. My boyfriend and I had broken up not long before, so my good friend Andy was going to take me, but then that got all messed up. I did go to the junior prom at my boyfriend's school though and it was in Lake Tahoe, so that was even better.

15. I graduated high school with a 3.95 and thought college would be a breeze like high school. I was wrong and I got a D on my first exam which was in Economics. Needless to say, my study habits changed quickly.

16. Do you all remember LEI jeans? All the girls in high school (1998 - 2001) wore them. I unfortunately or fortunately had very long legs in high school and couldn't wear them. They were high waters on me. So after my mom took me to Sacramento on a shopping trip, I found Abercrombie and Fitch jeans. They came in long and my life was forever changed. At that time, jeans were only about $39 a piece. Now to think they are about a $100 a pair.
Abercrombie and Fitch jeans
We only wore boot-cut or flare jeans

17. While in college, I lived in an old sorority house. I had 7 other roommates which meant crazy cheap bills, lots of drama, some life long friends made and some of the best times in my life.

18. When I growing up, I was in jujitsu and I was pretty good at it. I made it to a brown belt (right below black belt) and would have made it farther, but then I quit. I loved to wrestle the boys and was pretty good at beating them.

19. When I was a senior in high school I learned to play the guitar for my senior project. Not only did I have to write a 10 page paper on the history of the guitar, but I had to play 3 songs for them. I played Scar Tissue by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blink 182's Dammit and a Spanish Flamanco song my teacher taught me.

20. I donate blood and try to do it every 8 weeks.

21. In high school, I wrote a lot of poetry and was published in many books.

22. My favorite food is Italian food. I would eat pasta everyday if I could and wouldn't get fat. I loved spaghetti so much growing up. I would put down 2 plates easily. #fatkidatheart

23. I had my first kiss at 14. It was with a basketball player at my middle school.

24. My favorite cocktail is a Moscow Mule. Otherwise, I drink wine. 

25. When my dad went to Afghanistan for a year, I think I took it the hardest. I am a total Daddy's girl.

26. I have been out of the country many times, but I have barely made a dent in my wish list. I have been to England, Scotland, Gibraltar, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and Australia.
Lola's in Costa Rica
One of my favorite places in Costa Rica, Lola's

27. I am sooo afraid of sharks. I used to have the hardest time going in the ocean. I still do, but now I constantly watch  what is beneath me. But I also have taken this fear to a crazy level as I watch all things shark. I basically feed my fear. This probably makes me sound crazy, but the best shark videos are attack ones. I want to know how to get out of that situation if I am ever put in it.

28. Speaking of sharks, I wanted to go cage diving with great white sharks as my 40th birthday present. Ha. I am crazy, right?

29. Growing up I loved New Kids on the Block. I was so obsessed with them. I had their pjs, sheets, shirts, books, posters, cassette tapes, etc. The obsession was real.
NKOTB

30. When I was growing up chocolate was my go to flavor for everything. I loved mochas, rocky road ice cream, milk chocolate bars, etc. As I have gotten older, my tastes have gone completely opposite and I chose vanilla for everything...vanilla lattes, vanilla ice cream, vanilla bean yogurt, vanilla cake, etc.

31. My middle name is Kira. Before I was born, my parents were picking my name and my mom wanted to have my first name be Kira after her favorite movie Xanadu. You know the one with Olivia Newton John. But after awhile, she didn't like Kira as the first name and named me Danielle Kira.

When I was growing up, I didn't tell many people my middle name because it was different from other peoples like middle names: Lynn, Marie, Christine, etc. Now I love that my name is different. Though Kira is becoming more and more popular. Sutton's middle name is also Kira to carry it on.

32. I love the NFL. I seriously live for it. Sometimes it makes me mad, but it is just so fun to watch. I know a lot about the NFL and I have had some showdowns with guys who think I don't know squat about it. It is so much fun to show up a guy and let him know that girls love sports just as much as guys do. Plus I was always told it was awesome to have someone who loves NFL because they want to watch it just as much as their spouse does.
49ers Fans
One of our last games at Candlestick Park

33. I played the clarinet in fifth and sixth grades. I was actually pretty good at it, but stopped playing.

34. I used to do yoga three days a week for about 6 years and then the price of it got in the way. That is when I changed to spin class and loved it so much more. I wish I was still at my old gym and could take a spin class twice a week.

It is seriously hard to think of this many things about yourself. Ha. But it is also fun thinking about this sort of stuff. Definitely a stroll down memory lane.

25 comments :

  1. Happy happy birthday friend!! I loved learning more about you. And I'm so surprised by the tattoo. I never would have thought you had one! Haha enjoy your special day!

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  2. Happy Birthday! 🎂🎉🎈 Love this - I think I need to do the same in October!

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  3. Happy birthday!!! We have so much in common! I have my daughter's name tattooed on my ribcage, my size shoes are always taken at the store (8.5), I didn't go to my senior prom either, and I'm a NFL girl, too!

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  4. Ha! I love this! I'm with you on the NFL (Go Redskins - dont hate!) and I just jammed out to NKOTB step by step when it came on the 90's channel the other day in my car! Also love me some wine - red please! Happiest of Birthdays!

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  5. Happy Birthday!!!!! NKOTB FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER! I will be 34 on the 17th of the month, so I totally relate to all of your music choices, and the LEI jeans!! I had a few pairs. I remember having A&F shorts but not jeans. American Eagle fit me better for jeans. Your tattoo is so pretty. I hope you have an amazing birthday!!!!

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  6. Happy Birthday!!! Hope you have a wonderful day. Oh girl, i too LOVED the New Kids on the Block. When I worked for the Redsox, Joey McIntyre visited the park to sing the National Anthem. All the girls were going crazy, we all wanted to be the one to walked him out of the field. Lucky for me, I got picked to do it. I had to go meet him at the gate and escort him in to the park and walk him out to the field. He was with his dad and they were so freaking nice. He kept telling me how this was his dream his whole life and he had always wanted to do it and he was actually nervous. All while I was like dying on the inside. The team photographer happened to tell him how I was a huge fan and he was like oh we need to take a picture then! haha..It was so awesome.

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  7. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL BABE! Well, this just made me love you even more! I to graduate high school with a 3.9 and got a D on my first college biology exam and I thought I was going to have a nervous break down, LOL! I hope this day is as wonderful as you are!

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    1. That is awesome. We are a lot alike. Plus we love pineapple everything. Ha.

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  8. HAPPY BIRTHDAY girlie! Love how life came full circle, and blessed you with your twin girls. And ohhhhh I totally remember LEI jeans, I had all the flares and bootcut. Now I'm all about skinny jeans because boot cut and flares just remind me of my bad fashion choices in the 90's <3
    Green Fashionista

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  9. This is sooooooo great! I loved reading this. I'm terrified of sharks too and I think that's a major reason I am more of a lake than an ocean person. I didn't realize that you had so many surgeries or that you have a tattoo, ha. It is really pretty. Happy Birthday! I hope it is an amazing one. Enjoy every moment.

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  10. OK - how can you be 11 years younger than me & love NKOTB? That's so funny. That was my high school days boy band :)
    I'm the same way - I miss GOOD ROCK. There's just none of it anymore. So sad!!!!
    Funny how the twin desire ended up knocking on your door.
    I think I knew that about you - your middle name - may be one of the first things I learned about you & why I followed your blog - haha - I'm a Xanadu FANTATIC. Like NUTSO over it. I still to this day force people to sit down & watch it with me... while I sing the entire thing ;) haha

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  11. Happy Birthday! These facts are a lot of fun. I always think I was born in the wrong decade for music too because I like my parents' music - Billy Joel especially! You've had so many surgeries! I had a hernia and ab surgery too - ouch. I always wanted twins too but I never had! If you are scared of sharks, why do you want to dive with them?? I love your middle name. There are actually two Kira's in Simon's class but one is spelled Kyra. You used to do a bunch of things you were good at and then you stopped! I used to play clarinet too and I did tae kwon do for a bit. :)

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  12. Aww, I love this!! I'm pretty sure I was born too many decades too late as well. Ha. And I am seriously impressed about the guitar! That's so cool. And I'm all vanilla myself. But I still love chocolate. Hope you have an amazing birthday!!

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  13. Happy birthday again!!!! I loved this post! So much fun and I learned so much about you! I'm totally with you on the music thing... classic rock is my jam, too. I grew up listening to Led Zeppelin and Van Halen and Aerosmith and Steve Miller Band and all those guys and I still rock out to it all the time! And Tool is one of B's favorite bands, but I'm not a huge fan so I always make him go to the concerts with friends. Haha. Them and A Perfect Circle!

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  14. Happy Birthday!!!! I love learning more about you, this was so fun! I need to get my daughters name tattooed as well.

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  15. Happiest of birthdays!!! I loved reading this and learning so much more about you! I, too, was obsessed with NKOTB and had everything of theirs. I have twin Aunts and their names are Kira & Tira. Do you pronounce it Kyra or Keera?

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  16. Happy Birthday! I loved reading this and getting to know more about you. Ah Tool was one of my favorite shows too, I have seen them three times, but it has been awhile! I hope you get that 40th birthday present and I can't wait to hear about it in 6 years!

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  17. Welcome to 34 my friend. I have so many of these in common with you, I think its because we're the same age. Oh LEI jeans... never had them mostly because we were too poor. I want a tattoo so badly, but I;m afraid my husband would kill me and I don't like needles. Hope today was the best!

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  18. These were such fun facts to read! So funny that you wanted twins then didn't want them then ended up with them!

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  19. I love Spin class too! Happy B-day!

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  20. This was so fun Danielle and I'm sorry I missed your birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I totally remember LEI jeans!! AND NKOTB was my very first concert (I was so young but I remember it perfectly!)

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