Gypsy Profile: Cathryn Hagel

So I stumbled across this wonderful blog one day and fell in love.  The Farmer’s Trophy Wife.   Cathryn Hagel is the Farmer’s Trophy Wife and she is fabulous.  So all together now….Hi Cathryn!!  One of the main goals of Gypsy Sisters is to profile women that live life by their own rules, and not just the famous ones.  Cathryn is a Registered Nurse, mom (she recently gave birth to her third child), blogger & wife.  I asked Cathryn why she started blogging and she said that after the birth of her son, she really just wanted something to think about other than diapers and sleepless nights.  She relates blogging to having lots of pen-pals, meeting new people all of the time through her blog.  Which is one of the reasons you will fall in love with her site, it is personal, she even does “reader requests” on style issues.  Let me tell you ladies, you are going to love her site and her.  Cathryn was of course subjected to Gypsy Sisters 20 Questions….Here are her answers…

1.  Why is it important to live by your own rules?

I think living by rules that are a collection of yours and your significant other is something that is fabulous.  I am such a random, easy-going person that having a grounded, best friend for a husband makes my life so amazing. I need that occasional “rule” to help me remember that life isn’t just and always about me; and I think I bring some needed craziness to his life. Together we have created “rules” that work fabulous for our family and I love it!

2.  If your house was burning what is the one item you would grab before leaving?

Other than my family (of course!)…I would have to take the pieces of jewellery that my husband has given to me over the years. Every baby I have , he gives me a gorgeous ring…I love that I have these pieces that are part of my every day and will someday be something that I get to give my “babies” when they are grown up.

3.  What are the beauty products you can’t live without?

I am not committed to any one brand with my makeup…I am too all over the place for that! When I packed my bag for the hospital (baby #3!)  and I made sure that there was mascara, eyebrow pencil and lip-gloss. All the other products I use are pretty darn fabulous, but these are my “deserted island” picks…and the day or so after having a baby, I’ve never really been in the put on a full face of makeup mood, and these 3 always make me feel good for those “natural look” days. LOL

4.  Where is your favourite place to shop?

I have to pick just one?! What are you doing to me?!  I tend to drift towards the main stream Banana Republic, Tommy Hilfiger and Jacob for the basics. They all have clothes that are long enough in the arms and legs…hard to find! And then I “jazz” it up with accessories, blazers, purses, etc. from all over. I love finding unique and fun stuff to use to make my outfits more ME!

5.  When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up and why?

I don’t know if I ever really had one goal in mind…my mind, plans and dreams are so random, change frequently and I’ve always been that way. I did know that I would be on a farm my whole life and a mom someday. But so far I’ve gotten my Journalism Diploma and my Registered Nursing Degree…who know what will be in the future?!

6.  What women do you admire and why?

I admire anyone who speaks their mind, stays true to who they are and REALLY enjoys life. My Mom is pretty damn amazing and a lot of people say I’m just like her. Best compliment ever!

7.  What is the hardest thing about being a woman in your industry?

8.  Have you read any books lately that you would recommend to us?

I LOVE reading…I just don’t really have time anymore…3 kids age four and under do that! Maybe someday…. 

9 & 10 – were skipped

11.  What is the most memorable day of your life?

The days my kids were born. I know that is probably a cliché answer, but it really is true. I think it’s the hormones or something, but I really and truly remember every single moment, there really isn’t any other day that I can remember so clearly or that brings back so many feelings or emotions…

12.  What’s on your DVR?

I JUST got one!!!! I LOVE it! Before this with kids and shift work, I missed the one or two shows that I have watched for years and it made me sad…Now, I can tape and watch when I have time…not that I get much time to myself, but ack! So exciting to actually sit down and watch something I like when I do get that time…why did we wait so long to get one?!?!

I have been a diehard Survivor fan since day one…yes, I know. But I LOVE it. (and would TOTALLY be the first voted off if I went on…LOL), have always liked Amazing Race and now am into PanAm…so good!

13.  What’s on your IPOD?

Again, I am so random. I have everything from Garth Brooks to Rihanna, CCR, Miranda Lambert and Black Eyed Peas. It’s kind of a crazy mixture, but that’s me!

14.  Favourite Cocktail?

*sigh* haven’t had one in a while (pregnant!!) but I do love an Ambrosia Martini…soooooooo good!

15.  After a bad day what do you do to wind down?

Go to bed. I am in love with our huge, comfy bed and to be able to just snuggle in, close my eyes and have the time and space to myself, solves all my problems!

16.  After a good day what do you do to celebrate?

Same thing! 

17.  If you could have dinner with any four people alive or dead, who would they be?

Hmmmm…good question. I would have to say Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Mae West and Diane Keaton. They all seem to be women that would be crazy fun to be around after a few glasses of wine!

18.  Favourite thing to do on a rainy Saturday afternoon?

If my kids were over at Grandma’s and I actually had a day to myself?! I would spend the day doing nothing but laying in bed, eating and watching movies (other than Cars or Rango!). To be able to just have quiet around me and the chance to be lazy and only worry about myself would be a mini vacation!!

19. What do you see as your biggest challenge in life?

Making sure that my kids are healthy, happy and have a normal, stable life. This world has changed A LOT since I was a kid and I have so many amazing memories of riding our horses, fishing, camping, hunting gophers (lol) or sledding down the hills around our place, and that was all fun and memories that my parents were HUGE in creating for us. We were farm kids that spent the majority of our time outside and I think it totally shaped who we are today. Now a day, TV, cell phones, video games and computers are totally a part of kids lives that so wasn’t even an issue back in my childhood. We only had two TV channels and I still remember our phone being on a party line! The isolation and lack of exercise that kids are exposed to now is scary and my husband and I are trying our best to make sure our kids don’t go down that road. We have horses, cows, cats, a dog and acres of space for them to go out and get dirty in and as the kids get bigger, we are going to make those things our priority when it comes to vacations and memories. How many kids can say they got their first buck when they were 3?! (my girlie did this year with her daddy and still hasn’t stopped talking about it!)

20.  What is the best advice you have been given, and who gave it to you?

The best advice that I have received is…live the most fabulous, fulfilling life you can. When I was in nursing school, one lecture was given by 4 or 5 people who were dying of cancer…they all took turns telling their stories and EVERY SINGLE ONE of them said the same thing. LIVE. While you have the time, energy, resources and life to live, DO IT. Don’t wait for a cancer diagnosis or something else major to happen, do it NOW. I left that lecture with tears in my eyes and have lived my life that way everyday ever since. I have travelled, worked at a job that I LOVE, married my best friend, given birth to 3 amazing kids, and my journey is just getting started. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to Cathryn, make sure and check out her blog at www.farmerstrophywife.com