I can't believe it's Thanksgiving already. It seems like just yesterday we were putting away Christmas decorations from last year. Now, it's time its already time to put them back up again.
Today, I have to work all day. I know, it sucks, but I can do it. Shoot, I was on vacation for a week just last week, so I can make it through today. I have a big deadline next Friday that I'm trying to get things almost done for today... because next week, I have other things that I need to do at work. I feel like I'm always juggling responsibilities!! :)
Hubby and Apple are at home today. (lucky ducks) Apple is out of school until Monday. Last night we went to a basketball game at my alma mater. We were out pretty late, so I was hoping Apple would sleep in this morning. I just got off the phone with hubby a few minutes ago and he said they were up at 8:00. (Nice!) I hope she won't be too cranky tonight.
Speaking of cranky... I'm pretty sure hubby will be cranky for the next few days. It sounds like he was catching a cold when I spoke with him. WONDERFUL!!
Everyone have a great Turkey Day!!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
SeatSnug
I was recently asked by MomCentral to review a relatively new safety product that is out on the market. It's called SeatSnug. Definitely go to their site to learn more, but here's my take on the product. :)
First of all, I don't think we can ever been too safe in a car. The fact that Apple is outgrowing her booster seat with the back on it makes me very nervous. But, she is insisting on riding in just a plain booster seat with no back. I'm not quite sure I like this and am trying (not so successfully) to talk her into waiting until her 6th birthday which is right around the corner. When I heard about this product, I felt like it was definitely worth looking into further.
The video on the site is quite compelling and the product works just as described. It was relatively simple to install. (but it warns you that it is not so simple to remove) Anything we can do to make travel safer is a great thing in my book!!
Friday, November 21, 2008
We actually did make it back!
We arrived home Wednesday night around 7:30pm. It was a LONG day of driving and let me just say, I definitely prefer to fly. Driving that far was definitely worse than flying across the country. Apple did great, it was just b-o-r-i-n-g!!
Anywho, we are now settled back into reality and before I stop talking about my trip, I wanted to make one last post about some interesting things I observed on vacation...
1 - The funniest thing I saw while at Disney was this 80+ year old man all slumped over in his rented scooter... The dude couldn't even sit up straight, but we he turned his little scooter in front of me, I noticed the bling in his ear. Yes, this old man had a diamond stud in his ear. I just thought that was funny. :)
2 - There were just as many people at Disney speaking English as there were people speaking foreign languages. Who know it was such an international location?
3 - The food prices do not always make sense. The night we ate at Akershus in Epcot, Apple got a child's pizza. The pizza was no bigger than 6 inches in diameter!! And it was $19.99. The following day, we at lunch at Pizzafari in Animal Kingdom. Apple also got a pizza then. This pizza was definitely larger (and tastier) and it was $14.99. Go figure.
4 - Hubby tends to forget his legs are about six inches longer than mine and quite often walks off without me. I had to holler "wait for me" more than I'd have liked to. :)
5 - If you travel to Disney World in November, you don't need to make a 'plan'. Every other time we've been to Disney, we've always had a plan of what to see and in what order for each day in the park. The crowds were so light this time, we were able to wing it and go where we wanted, when we wanted! It was great!
6 - It really DID snow on Main Street in Magic Kingdom!!
7 - We chose to go this past week b/c they offered the dining plan for free. Actually, every time we've been, we've always gotten the dining plan for free. This time? We calculated the savings... We ate $478 worth of food during the four days we were there. (This was free food to us.) But, if we had chosen to purchase the dining plan, it would have cost us $356 which would have saved us $122!!! So, if you like to eat, definitley go for the dining plan!!!
8 - Apparently, it is now Christmas in our neighborhood... We came back Wednesday night and saw about 6 houses in our neighborhood already decorated for Christmas. Hello?!? Can it not wait a week until after Thanksgiving?!?!
Anyway... That's it for Disney talk!! We had an excellent time and I'm sure we'll be going back again!!
Anywho, we are now settled back into reality and before I stop talking about my trip, I wanted to make one last post about some interesting things I observed on vacation...
1 - The funniest thing I saw while at Disney was this 80+ year old man all slumped over in his rented scooter... The dude couldn't even sit up straight, but we he turned his little scooter in front of me, I noticed the bling in his ear. Yes, this old man had a diamond stud in his ear. I just thought that was funny. :)
2 - There were just as many people at Disney speaking English as there were people speaking foreign languages. Who know it was such an international location?
3 - The food prices do not always make sense. The night we ate at Akershus in Epcot, Apple got a child's pizza. The pizza was no bigger than 6 inches in diameter!! And it was $19.99. The following day, we at lunch at Pizzafari in Animal Kingdom. Apple also got a pizza then. This pizza was definitely larger (and tastier) and it was $14.99. Go figure.
4 - Hubby tends to forget his legs are about six inches longer than mine and quite often walks off without me. I had to holler "wait for me" more than I'd have liked to. :)
5 - If you travel to Disney World in November, you don't need to make a 'plan'. Every other time we've been to Disney, we've always had a plan of what to see and in what order for each day in the park. The crowds were so light this time, we were able to wing it and go where we wanted, when we wanted! It was great!
6 - It really DID snow on Main Street in Magic Kingdom!!
7 - We chose to go this past week b/c they offered the dining plan for free. Actually, every time we've been, we've always gotten the dining plan for free. This time? We calculated the savings... We ate $478 worth of food during the four days we were there. (This was free food to us.) But, if we had chosen to purchase the dining plan, it would have cost us $356 which would have saved us $122!!! So, if you like to eat, definitley go for the dining plan!!!
8 - Apparently, it is now Christmas in our neighborhood... We came back Wednesday night and saw about 6 houses in our neighborhood already decorated for Christmas. Hello?!? Can it not wait a week until after Thanksgiving?!?!
Anyway... That's it for Disney talk!! We had an excellent time and I'm sure we'll be going back again!!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
I-4 Heading North
looking forward to the next one.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Our last night...
needed to get my shopping fix. :)
Now we are back at the hotel packing up for our departure in the
morning. I wonder how much traffic we'll get into driving through
Orlando?!?
Crystal Palace
with Pooh and friends. Apple is still a little sleepy.
Monday, November 17, 2008
And stopped for a cookie.
the sugar will perk her up. :)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Parade Watching
bought at Epcot. We are currently waiting on the fireworks. Then it's
off to a nice warm bed. :)
Her Pearl
picked two, and got two really nice pearls out of them!
Are you sick of these posts yet?
the Christmas cups. :)
Test Track
It is not often you see jeans and jackets in Disney!! I like it.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Minnie & Apple
Chip & Dale. So far, the characters have been hilarious. Goofy and
Dale just had a dance-off. Goofy won!!
Friday, November 14, 2008
First Leg of Trip...
Well, the first leg of our trip down is over... we have made it to the hotel and settled in for the night.
We're at a LaQuinta that is right off the highway. Except, of course, our trust in technology was a little too much. We got off the highway one exit past the hotel and then backtracked through some other roads to find it... but we did find it. :) The hotel is BRAND new. We may be the first ones to stay in our room. They also serve a breakfast in the morning which will be really nice before hitting the road. The only bad news? They have down filled pillows. Good thing I brought my allergy medicine. :)
Apple has done exceptionally well on the drive down. We stopped by the Redbox before we left and rented 7 movies. There has been a movie playing in the van during the whole drive today, but honestly, she has barely watched them. She's much more interested in working in work books, drawing, or writing. I was really surprised by that.
She has drawn several pictures for her Aunt Amy. :) Guess I'm going to have to stock up on stamps...
Another great thing about this hotel? It has wireless... Did you know the hotels in Disney charge you for internet access? It's something like $10 per day. How crazy is that? So, while we are there, I'll be blogging from my iPhone.
The interview? Well, it went 'ok'. I won't know the results til next week. So, we'll see.
We're at a LaQuinta that is right off the highway. Except, of course, our trust in technology was a little too much. We got off the highway one exit past the hotel and then backtracked through some other roads to find it... but we did find it. :) The hotel is BRAND new. We may be the first ones to stay in our room. They also serve a breakfast in the morning which will be really nice before hitting the road. The only bad news? They have down filled pillows. Good thing I brought my allergy medicine. :)
Apple has done exceptionally well on the drive down. We stopped by the Redbox before we left and rented 7 movies. There has been a movie playing in the van during the whole drive today, but honestly, she has barely watched them. She's much more interested in working in work books, drawing, or writing. I was really surprised by that.
She has drawn several pictures for her Aunt Amy. :) Guess I'm going to have to stock up on stamps...
Another great thing about this hotel? It has wireless... Did you know the hotels in Disney charge you for internet access? It's something like $10 per day. How crazy is that? So, while we are there, I'll be blogging from my iPhone.
The interview? Well, it went 'ok'. I won't know the results til next week. So, we'll see.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
What's Up
I was sitting here at my desk eating my Italian Wedding Soup, Doritos and and Sweet Potato Cake and realized I havent' had a really good blog post in a while. So, I thought I'd write and catch you up on a few things.
First of all, my sister has been in town since Saturday. We had a *really* good visit and Apple thoroughly enjoyed playing with her. My sis spent Saturday night through Wednesday morning with us and is now at my parent's house visiting with them for the rest of the week. We will be sad to see her leave on Saturday, but the good news is that she will be back on Dec 17th!!
Work is pretty crazy for me these days. I feel like I'm going ten thousand different directions at once. And, I decided to apply for a mangement position in our group. I'm really not sure if I'll get it or not. All the applicants are internal to our department and the competition is tough. Wish me luck cuz I think I'd do a really good job in management. We'll see though... interview is tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, we are heading to Disney at lunch time tomorrow. Packing is behind schedule. We did make a Target run last night to get goodies for the trip down. We also did several loads of laundry last night. The packing list is a mile long... but I think we'll be able to pull it all together tonight.
Hubby is taking the whole day off tomorrow. So, I'm just going in for the interview and leaving. It's a group interview and I'm nervous. I hate interviews. According my Meyer's Briggs personality testing, I'm an ISTJ. (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging) One of the qualities of this personality type is that you don't like to be on the spot to answer questions. (ie - an interview) Instead, you like to think about the question, mull it over for a while and get back with an answer you feel confident about. The others who are interviewing for the position? They think really well on their feet and in the moment.
So... I'm nervous...
Oh well, regardles of the outcome, I'll still be in Disney on Saturday. :)
First of all, my sister has been in town since Saturday. We had a *really* good visit and Apple thoroughly enjoyed playing with her. My sis spent Saturday night through Wednesday morning with us and is now at my parent's house visiting with them for the rest of the week. We will be sad to see her leave on Saturday, but the good news is that she will be back on Dec 17th!!
Work is pretty crazy for me these days. I feel like I'm going ten thousand different directions at once. And, I decided to apply for a mangement position in our group. I'm really not sure if I'll get it or not. All the applicants are internal to our department and the competition is tough. Wish me luck cuz I think I'd do a really good job in management. We'll see though... interview is tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, we are heading to Disney at lunch time tomorrow. Packing is behind schedule. We did make a Target run last night to get goodies for the trip down. We also did several loads of laundry last night. The packing list is a mile long... but I think we'll be able to pull it all together tonight.
Hubby is taking the whole day off tomorrow. So, I'm just going in for the interview and leaving. It's a group interview and I'm nervous. I hate interviews. According my Meyer's Briggs personality testing, I'm an ISTJ. (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging) One of the qualities of this personality type is that you don't like to be on the spot to answer questions. (ie - an interview) Instead, you like to think about the question, mull it over for a while and get back with an answer you feel confident about. The others who are interviewing for the position? They think really well on their feet and in the moment.
So... I'm nervous...
Oh well, regardles of the outcome, I'll still be in Disney on Saturday. :)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Curtains
don't think I'll be taking on a project like this again anytime soon. :)
Finally Finished!!
me almost a year to complete her room!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Getting ready for Aunt Amy
Apple is so excited that her Aunt Amy is flying in tonight. She worked on this for quite a while tonight and laid it on Aunt Amy's bed so she will be sure to see it when she gets here late tonight.
Guess what??
I talked hubby into letting me get an iPhone! I'm so excited and I'm playing around with it alot this weekend.
Expect to see some pics and posts soon... from my iPhone!
Expect to see some pics and posts soon... from my iPhone!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Funny Story
In Apple's afternoon class, they are reading a long chapter book on olden days. They are learning about people coming from Europe and settling in America and what their life was like. (obviously, it's a stark contrast to today's world)
Last night on the way home from dinner, Apple spoke up and said...
"You know what Ms Liane told us?"
"No, what'd she tell you"
"She said that a long time ago, a man named Christopher... ah, I can't remember his last name... but he sailed away in his boat..."
[Hubby said] "You mean Christopher Columbus?"
{very excitedly - like she was surprised we knew of him - said} "YEAH! That's him. Christopher Columbus sailed away on his boat looking for India, but he landed in America. *chuckle, chuckle* He was looking for India. He went the wrong way."
It was very cute. It was like she was thinking, DUH... didn't he know if he wanted to go to India, he should have gone this way on the map and not that way? Seriously, can't he even read a map?
Little does she understand they didn't have maps or globes back then.
:)
Last night on the way home from dinner, Apple spoke up and said...
"You know what Ms Liane told us?"
"No, what'd she tell you"
"She said that a long time ago, a man named Christopher... ah, I can't remember his last name... but he sailed away in his boat..."
[Hubby said] "You mean Christopher Columbus?"
{very excitedly - like she was surprised we knew of him - said} "YEAH! That's him. Christopher Columbus sailed away on his boat looking for India, but he landed in America. *chuckle, chuckle* He was looking for India. He went the wrong way."
It was very cute. It was like she was thinking, DUH... didn't he know if he wanted to go to India, he should have gone this way on the map and not that way? Seriously, can't he even read a map?
Little does she understand they didn't have maps or globes back then.
:)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
*yawn*
I am SO tired. We were up til about 12:30 last night watching all the election coverage.
All I have to say is:
YAY!!
Today is a great day to be a citizen of this wonderful country!! :)
All I have to say is:
YAY!!
Today is a great day to be a citizen of this wonderful country!! :)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
New Fun
So, I went to a scrapbooking thing this weekend. It was great fun, but I think I'm going to go down a new path with my scrapbooking. I've been doing traditional scrapbooking for about 10 years now. My sister gave my Photoshop Elements last year for Christmas and I've been doing all my photo storage and editing in it ever since. I haven't, however, stepped in to the realm of digital scrapbooking with it... until now...
I REALLY REALLY like digital scrapbooking with Elements.
I had opposed the digital scrapbooks over the years for many reasons:
- The pages were so rigid... you had to put X number of pictures, in a certain position on a certain page
-I didn't like the little photobooks that they were printed in. I always liked the really BIG photo albums of traditional scrapbooks
-There was never any way to put in memoribilia in a digital album... like Apple's original artwork, ticket stubs, locks of hair, etc.
But, there have been many many advances in the recent years to solve these problems. For instance, you can now print a 12X12 digital page and stick it in a traditional scrapbook album!! You can also add pages to the traditional album for your memoribilia.
And most importantly... you can create your own layouts in Elements. There are absolutely no restrictions.
Check out my very first attempt at a digital page. (keep in mind, it's not elaborate... it's my first attempt)
One really neat thing?? You can get all these digital papers, embelishments, fonts, etc. for FREE!!!
I'm hooked... for some free video tutorials on using Elements, check out www.digiscrap101.com!! You might just get hooked too!!
I REALLY REALLY like digital scrapbooking with Elements.
I had opposed the digital scrapbooks over the years for many reasons:
- The pages were so rigid... you had to put X number of pictures, in a certain position on a certain page
-I didn't like the little photobooks that they were printed in. I always liked the really BIG photo albums of traditional scrapbooks
-There was never any way to put in memoribilia in a digital album... like Apple's original artwork, ticket stubs, locks of hair, etc.
But, there have been many many advances in the recent years to solve these problems. For instance, you can now print a 12X12 digital page and stick it in a traditional scrapbook album!! You can also add pages to the traditional album for your memoribilia.
And most importantly... you can create your own layouts in Elements. There are absolutely no restrictions.
Check out my very first attempt at a digital page. (keep in mind, it's not elaborate... it's my first attempt)
One really neat thing?? You can get all these digital papers, embelishments, fonts, etc. for FREE!!!
I'm hooked... for some free video tutorials on using Elements, check out www.digiscrap101.com!! You might just get hooked too!!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Say WHAT???
I just got back to my desk from running a few errands at lunch and there was a voicemail waiting for me...
It was the nurse at the pediatrician's office...
"I wanted to let you know that Apple's throat culture came back positive for strep. We need to verify pharmacy information so we can call in her prescription."
At first, I was livid!! It's Monday, she's feeling better. She's back at school for goodness sakes!! Why did it take so long??
Then, I found this:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/medical/labtest11.html
Apparently, it does take 2 - 3 days for the culture to 'grow out'. (Which is exactly what the nurse said to me when I called her back to complain that it took so long. :) )
In the time being, she's coughed in my face several times over the weekend... not on purpose, but by accident. I wonder how long before I start showing symptoms??
Oh, and we're heading to Disney in two weeks!! Please let it happen before then!!
It was the nurse at the pediatrician's office...
"I wanted to let you know that Apple's throat culture came back positive for strep. We need to verify pharmacy information so we can call in her prescription."
At first, I was livid!! It's Monday, she's feeling better. She's back at school for goodness sakes!! Why did it take so long??
Then, I found this:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/medical/labtest11.html
Apparently, it does take 2 - 3 days for the culture to 'grow out'. (Which is exactly what the nurse said to me when I called her back to complain that it took so long. :) )
In the time being, she's coughed in my face several times over the weekend... not on purpose, but by accident. I wonder how long before I start showing symptoms??
Oh, and we're heading to Disney in two weeks!! Please let it happen before then!!
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