I found this clipping in a magazine a few years ago about “rebooting your iPod” that listed nine different categories.  You are supposed to pick the first song that comes to mind.  The reason the magazine published it was the medical study that chronic pain sufferers who listened to happy music for an hour a day reduced their hurt by 20%.  I’m not a chronic pain sufferer, but everyone needs a little iPod reboot every once in a while.  So, I decided to share my playlist with you, plus something else really exciting…

I’m excited to introduce you to Gwen (aka the Gila Monster) who is my very first real life sponsor for this little blog.  I secretly want to live in her neighborhood because it sounds amazing – dance parties on the front porch?  Yes, please.  Get to know her by checking out some of my favorite posts – a post about -isms and the simplicity of a child’s mind, why she’s called the Gila Monster and the most fun parade I’ve ever seen.

She is a music lover so I thought this would be a great way to team up.  I sent her an email begging her to send me her songs to fit these categories and she agreed to play along.  Let us know what songs you would line up.  I’m always looking for some new jams.

The song I’ve requested most of wedding deejays lately:  


Steph:  I can’t seem to get enough of “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk.

Gwen:  I don’t usually request songs but this is funny because we were just talking about this recently.  My husband’s number one favorite is “Kiss” by Prince; my request would be “Walkin’ on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves.  It’s just so happy!

I dance naked in my bedroom to:


Steph:  Anything by Ke$ha or “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke

Gwen: “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis



I cannot NOT bop my head along to:

Steph:  Fitz & the Tantrums.  I am so in love with them right now and I love all of their songs.

Gwen: “I Love It” by Icona Pop.  I hope I don’t get sick of it.


The tune I’m most likely to belt out at the top of my lungs on a road trip:

Steph:  “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger and “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights” by Meatloaf

Gwen:  Just about anything, but I’ll say “Eternal Flame” by the Bangles (which I wrote about in this post.)

The song that has occasionally been known to inspire me to do the Robot:

Steph:  I was kind of thinking the same thing as Gwen here.  I’m not a great dancer and I definitely can’t do the robot.  The running man is kind of my move.  However, “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa has been my recent dance song because of the cheesy movie, Something Borrowed.

Gwen:  I can’t say that I’ve ever done the robot.  But for some reason, I’m drawn to a different topic which is “the song that occasionally inspires me to CLEAN” and that song is “If” by Janet Jackson.  I can’t explain it but on the rare occasion that I actually get down and dirty and clean, I play the “Janet.” album to get me moving. 



I’m not at all embarrassed to tell you that I know every word to:


Steph:  Miley… duh.

Gwen:  “Mean” by Taylor Swift.  I’m not a huge T. Swift fan, but I love the “I’ll show you” attitude.


My prom/wedding/special occasion song:  

Steph:  We didn’t do a first dance at our wedding, but I would have picked “This Kind of Love” by Sister Hazel.  Our favorite song to sing to one another is this:

Another Like You by Hayes Carll on Grooveshark

Gwen:  I don’t really have one, but if we got married again or if we renew our vows, our first dance will probably be “Sign Your Name Across My Heart” by Terence Trent D’Arby.



My no-fail seduction song:

Steph:  I guess I don’t have one, but I think I might test out “Gimme Some Lovin” by G. Love & Special Sauce and see what happens.

Gwen:  “If I Had You” by Diana Krall.  My husband loves Diana Krall and if I sang this song to him, he would be putty in my hands!

The song that puts me to sleep (in a good way):

Steph:  “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac or “Indian Moon” by State Radio.

Gwen:  “North Dakota” by Lyle Lovett with Rickie Lee Jones.  This is from the “Joshua Judges Ruth” album and when I listen to it, I just close my eyes and enjoy the beauty and the sadness.

So there you have it.  Go check out her blog and let us know what you think of our jams and what your answers would be.  For those of you with Spotify, here’s our playlist.