Angie Rambles

A blog of my thoughts from working at home to family life and everything in between

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A Blog Reader Challenge

Kelly over at Sparkplugging WAHM 2.0 is challenging her readers to answer a question. I'm going to take a break and play.

I'll be answering,
How often do you like to change the look of your blog?
I would have to say I dread changing the look of my blog because I'm afraid that I will mess it up somehow and lose everything in the process. I have had this cheesy green template since I started this personal blog and have only had one template so far for my Weight Loss Journal blog. I'll be changing the template for that though very soon since I'm in the process of a web site re-design. I have uploaded my own WP blogs and that process isn't too bad (it's the upgrade to a new version that gives me hives LOL).

So there you have it, Kelly. That was a fun post. It actually challenges me to write more which is my personal business challenge coming up in August.

So readers, it's your turn to take on Kelly's challenge.

Happy Tuesday!

Angie




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Monday, July 28, 2008

Menu Plan Monday: July 28

Here I am again with a Menu Plan. I know my menu's aren't extravagant and a few times we have changed what was on the menu but it helps us to kind of fly through the week without having to ask, "What's for dinner?". So here we go....

Monday-
Baja Chipotle Chicken breasts, baked potato, frozen veggies

Tuesday-
Gumbo with shrimp & scallops, plus biscuits

Wednesday-
Pork Chops, mashed potatoes, veggie

Thursday-
The usual-spaghetti and homemade sauce, garlic bread

Friday-
Tuna sandwich and soup

Saturday & Sunday-
Always up in the air so I don't add them to the menu plan

Have a great week!
Angie

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Sunday, July 27, 2008

My Wooden Spoon blog review

Have you ever stopped by the blog My Wooden Spoon? I have had this blog in my reader for quite some time now and it's a lot of fun. I now see Lori, the owner, on Twitter quite a bit and wanted to invite you to visit her blog too.

Lori has some awesome contests going on and I'm posting for that reason but also to share some of my favorite things about her blog. Get to know Lori and be sure to check out her recipes page and even submit a recipe. Add her blog to your reader and even advertise on her blog. She has a lot to offer.

Enter My Weekly Giveaways May 1 thru July 31

Be sure to enter the most recent giveaway on her blog for a chance to win 3 awesome prizes.

Enjoy!

Angie

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Vote for your favorite website header design

It's time to help vote for my new weight loss/fitness website header. I think hubby did a great job and I would like to see which one you all find to be the best. It's hard because I can't go ahead and change my website design yet so you won't really be able to see how the colors compliment each other (the web site colors are pretty cool) but I'm not going to spend too much more time on this, I just want to get it done and appreciate everyone's help.

Now that you have seen the 3 header choices on this page that you can vote from (there are also 3 headers with a white background, not pictured, that I can use for my new blog design or switch out any of the orange headers if I feel like it LOL).

So now it's time, please choose your favorite design, Header #1, Header #2 or Header #3 and while you're here I would appreciate it if you would share a link to your favorite free Wordpress blog template design. Once again, I thank you very much for taking the time to help me out.

Have a super day!

Angie

Saturday, July 26, 2008

No, I didn't run away

I know it's been quiet on my blog this week. As you can see, I haven't posted since Monday but there is a pretty good reason for that. I have been working on business focus and since this is a personal blog, it was put on the back burner this week while I worked some stuff out in my head and planned things out. In the last few weeks, many people have helped me to get back to what is most important and that is focusing on one thing until it does well. If you keep spinning your wheels like I have been doing, you might want to pick up a great resource that my mentor Kelly has available that has helped me. It's called The Power of a Focused Business

I know I'm just rambling, isn't that what this blog is called anyway? I do it so well but sometimes my thoughts just come out and don't make much sense. Oh well.

So after figuring out that my main focus needs to be my healthy weight loss and fitness website and blog, I got some much needed inspiration and help from my friend Lynn, owner of the most awesome website and forum called Self Starters Weekly Tips. If you have a business, you most definitely want to add her Internet Marketing blog to your reader or favorites. I can't even begin to thank her for all that she has done to help me. I can't wait to meet up with her again one day and treat her to a yummy sushi dinner.

Anyway, I have had so much guidance from other wonderful professionals who have helped get me back on track and take things step by step. I'll be sure to post about them in the coming weeks so they can be put in the spotlight too. Ya'll know who you are *wink*

So my first step has been to look for a new color scheme for my website and design for my blog, etc. Hubby is working on a header for me and hopefully this process will be complete within the next week. I have brainstormed my navigation menu categories and content and have been working on writing. Oh boy writing the hardest part for me (I really can't believe it because when I was in high school, I wrote a lot and loved it, wonder what changed? Same thing with organization but that is another post). I have been given some great writing tips lately and I know I just have to do it. I appreciate the time many have taken to help get me over the writing hurdle.

This is getting pretty long but I know some of you were wondering where I had run off to so I wanted to give you an update.

I have some reviews I need to post on this blog so be on the lookout for those.

We skipped Spin class today shhhh, slept in too late but we are thinking about going for a walk at the State Park later if the weather stays nice.

If you have any focus, writing or business tips in general, please feel free to post and share ideas. I can use all the help I can get and I'm sure there have to be others that could benefit too. My Twitter friends have really been there lately for me and I appreciate that.

Have a great weekend,
Angie

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Monday, July 21, 2008

Menu Plan Monday: July 21

Here we are again, I can't believe I'm doing these menu plans but it's been kind of nice knowing pretty much what we're going to have each night of the week. Some things have changed but overall this Menu Plan Monday has been cool.



Monday-
Tuna and Soup (I'm late posting but dinner tonight was yummy!)

Tuesday-
Baked Italian Chicken (strips) on portabella mushrooms

Wednesday-
Chili

Thursday-
Spaghetti or other pasta with homemade sauce w/ground turkey

Friday-
Chili dogs (using leftovers from Wed.)

Have a great week,
Angie

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Friday, July 18, 2008

Wordpress Blog Makeover Contest

I could really use a Wordpress blog makeover so I'm entering but I also want to help spread the word so maybe you could win too (plus I get an extra entry LOL). Actually mine would not be a makeover but rather a new design for my name domain. I'm not sure though, if I win it could be for my weight loss/fitness blog. Oh decisions, decisions!

Stop on over to Nell's Casual Friday Everyday blog to enter the contest and to read about all the details.

Good luck!

PS. I know it's kind of silly of me to post this contest on a Blogger blog but I like variety and to me Blogger is much less complicated than WP but I'm using both and I really wanted to enter for a chance to win *wink*

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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

WW: Is it time to go back yet?



You too can participate in Wordless Wednesday

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Monday, July 14, 2008

Menu Plan Monday: July 14

I can't believe I have another menu planned out. We are pretty much fly by the seat of our pants kinda people but it's been fun just having the basic meal planned out for each day. If it changes during the week, no big deal.

Check out the Menu Plan Monday post over at I'm An Organizing Junkie and leave your menu plan link there. Also be sure to tell me if you participated so I can check out your menu.



Monday-
Pork Chops

Tuesday-
Jambalaya w/Turkey Sausage

Wednesday-
Baja Chipotle Chicken

Thursday-
Mult Grain Angel Hair Pasta w/ Roasted Garlic and Olive Sauce

Friday-
Turkey Sloppy Joes

Have a great week!

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Friday, July 11, 2008

Aloha Friday: July 11

It's time again for Aloha Friday. Come join the fun and head on over to Kailani's blog, answer her question and learn more about Aloha Friday.



My question for today is:

Do you have any items that you like to collect?

I like to collect magnets and postcards. I used to collect match books and shot glasses.

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Wednesday, July 09, 2008

WW: The love of my life



You too can participate in Wordless Wednesday

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Wishes, wishes everywhere, please grant me mine

My online friend Deb blogged today about writing wishes and I was immediately drawn to post about mine. I feel like I'm not getting anywhere with my websites or blogs because I just don't get the concept of article and content writing and it's various aspects like research, the outline and how to make it all come together. I need to add content desperately and I want to learn how to write it myself for now. I have PLR sitting on my computer that I need to use but I get so flustered that I don't do anything with it. Anyway....

Angie's 3 Writing Wishes
1) Someone to walk me (via phone) through the steps of research, outlining and writing an article and other content
2) Help coming up with daily topic ideas for my weight loss/fitness blog
3) Someone to help me take the topic ideas out of my head and get it on to paper

I do have to say that my online friend Eren has been a huge help to me by giving me article writing tips and ideas. I can't find her link at the moment to give her credit but I met her through Lynn Terry's awesome Internet Marketing webinars. Oh yes and Lynn, also asked for our 3-wishes and I was lucky enough to have a few people step up and offer me help.

So there you have it, my 3 Writing Wishes

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Monday, July 07, 2008

Menu Plan Monday: July 7

This is my first time participating in Menu Plan Monday. We usually just fly by the seat of our pants as it's only hubby and I at home and he's the cook so whatever he feels like making, that's what we have but this week we did plan it out a bit so I thought I would play along with ya'll. I look forward to looking through the Mister Linky links to see what everyone else is eating this week. How fun!



Monday-
Steak Tortillas/Burritos (steak was pre-grilled last night)

Tuesday-
Tuna & Soup

Wednesday-
Chicken in crockpot, orange glaze

Thursday-
Spaghetti & Hubby's Homemade sauce

Friday-

Saturday-
Cookout at sister-in-law's house

Sunday-

Nothing planned for Fri. or Sun. We'll play it by ear as usual.

Happy Monday!

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Friday, July 04, 2008

Aloha Friday: July 4

It's time again for Aloha Friday. Come join the fun and head on over to Kailani's blog, answer her question and learn more about Aloha Friday.



My question for today is:

What kind of vehicle do you drive and what is your dream car/truck?

I drive a 1998 Chevy Cavalier Rally Sport. I love that it's paid off but it's about time to buy a new vehicle very soon. Not sure at this point what I'll be getting but I am searching. We have always bought new but I think this time around we might go used. Any thoughts?

My dream is to one day own a Cadillac Escalade EXT.

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Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Loving my new digital photo key chain

I entered an online contest for a chance to win a Digital Photo Key Chain at Love Shak Baby and I won!



I knew I would enjoy and get a lot of use out of a digital photo key chain because we have a digital photo picture frame and it's awesome. We have even bought digital photo picture frames for gifts and those went over very well so I'm sure these digital photo key chains will too.

Once I was notified that I won it was not long until it showed up in my mailbox. For a non techy person like me, this digital key chain is really simple to use although the manual that it came with was poorly written. All I had to do was plug the small USB cable into the digital photo key chain and then into my computer. On the back of the key chain, I clicked the menu button, then the USB connect prompt and the software popped up on my computer and I was quickly able to choose pictures I wanted to add and even delete pictures that were already on it. It was simple to download to synchronize to the key chain. There are a few more buttons that I need to play around with to see how they work but so far so good.

I have only uploaded 12 photos to it so far just to test it out but I can't wait to add more. I have
added some of our Jamaica vacation pictures and our pet pictures too. It will be fun to show it off. I would definitely buy these as gifts.

Thanks goes to Kathy at Shakadoo for the opportunity to win a really fun product.

Please head on over to Shakadoo to check out their fun shops. There is something for everyone.

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