Angie Rambles

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

Friday, October 31, 2008

My Husband Rocks- Halloween Edition

My hubby rocks-he's so creative and likes to have fun.

Kev manages an Allergy/Asthma practice and everyone in his office dressed up as the 7 Dwarf's today. Here is his costume that he sewed this week. From a simple Disney picture, he was able to create the most adorable costume. He was Dopey, what a cutie. Can't wait until he gets home so all the neighborhood kids can see him.


He shaved off his moustache AND goatee though, boo hoo

Here's his office crew


Last year he was Mr. Mucus, the big green guy from Mucinex and the year before he was a milk carton (everyone in the office was an item people are allergic to). Cute stuff.

Would you like to join in on this fun meme? Visit Katy Lin's blog and play along


A very Happy and Safe Halloween to all.

edited to add a link to Kailani's post Halloween costume contest. Be sure to head over there to enter your pictures AND check out all the cute costumes already posted. Love them all!

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Monday, October 27, 2008

Menu Plan Monday: October 27

It's Menu Plan Monday. Here's our plan for this week. What are your menu plans?



Monday-
Chicken Stir Fry w/veggies & brown rice

Tuesday-
Turkey Chili w/biscuits

Wednesday-
Pork Roast w/veggies

Thursday-
Spaghetti w/biscuit loaf

Friday-
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Over the weekend Kev wants me to try to make pizza dough in my new Oster ExpressBake Breadmaker That will be interesting and fun. Do you have a breadmaker? If so, have you ever made pizza dough? I need to find a whole wheat dough recipe because the one in the guide is for white only. I could also do a mix, white/wheat flour.

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Monday, October 20, 2008

Menu Plan Monday: October 20

Menu Plan Monday is here again.

To be honest, we don't really have a menu plan for this week so I'm just putting down possible ideas and we'll take it from there.



Monday-
Turkey tacos (yummy dinner!)

Tuesday-
Keywest blend Chicken, potato, veggie

Wednesday-
Black Beans & Rice w/turkey sausage

Thursday-
Breakfast for dinner (don't have the makings for spaghetti unless I can get to the store)

Friday-
Turkey burgers/hot dogs

Gosh, I am just throwing this all together and have no idea if that's what we'll have. Feel out of sorts today.

What are you having for dinner this week?

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Saturday, October 18, 2008

Work Life Balance=Less stress

My friend Aurelia has an awesome resource for work life balance and shows you ways to reduce stress. Her website has helped me gain perspective over the years and Aurelia herself has been a great life coach. I have met Aurelia in person and she's just a joy to be around. Here's a great article from her that you might enjoy.

Stress Reduction Tips For The Entire Family

Busy family lifestyles lead to stressed out families. Stressed out families can often lead to more problems and issues. Learning to deal with family stress before the stress becomes a huge problem is a good idea. If you already have problems, then learning to deal with the issues that are causing you stress is essential in helping you to overcome these difficulties.

One of the largest contributors to stress is over commitment. Families are pulled in multiple directions by varying activities. The more children there are the more activities there are, the more refined the balancing act becomes.

Think about the list of activities that you and your children are involved in. Why are they involved in each activity? Is it because they have a passion for it or is it because they needed to have a more rounded activity schedule? Let your child choose a few activities that they feel drawn to. Let them explore their passions, but don't sign them up for every activity there is. Teach them to pick and choose their priorities when choosing activities. Doing one thing and doing it well is different from doing several things that there isn’t a passion for.

The same that applies for your children and their activities should apply to yours as well. Learn to say no. If you are already committed to several activities and are stressed for time, do you really need to participate in one more activity? Learning to say no and to weed through the activities you already do will help cut down on your stress.

A less stressed parent makes a less stressed child. Our moods and behaviors are often reflected in our children. Leading by example is a wonderful motto to live by. Our children see how we deal with stress and emulate it. Wading through our activities and learning to say no are only two activities. Another one would be to learn to slow down and enjoy family time.

When is the last time you had a sit down meal with everyone gathered around the table? A meal where there was no rush to get somewhere or to go and pick someone up. Having a meal together is a family bonding time. It is an excellent opportunity for children and parents to be together. They can discuss what is on their minds, what goals they have or even what is bothering them, to cause stress. Just this simple act of sitting down and sharing a meal can lower stress in a family.

Have a family movie or game night. These are activities that everyone can enjoy together. Have the children and parents take turns picking out movies or games to play. There may be old family favorites or you may find new ones that become your family's games.

Whatever you choose, do it together. The more a family shares, at meals, movies or over games, the closer they become. A closer a family is the more they are inclined to talk and discuss things. This is a great combat against family stress.

Reduce your family's stress with Real Life Solutions from Aurelia Williams.

I really enjoyed that article especially because it's true. My stepson is now 24 and comes over often even though he works and lives on his own. 9 times out of 10 we have a homemade dinner together and play games when he visits. Just wish my stepdaughter could be to experience it as well but she lives with her hubby in another state. One day!

PS. Oh and don't miss Aurelia's great book on Finding More Family Time

Family Time

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Friday, October 17, 2008

My Husband Rocks- Flowers

I have been looking forward to posting about Kev this week. Don't forget to go over to The Great Adventure so you can participate in "My Husband Rocks" Friday's too.



My hubby, Kevin rocks because he's so thoughtful. As many of you know, I had hurt my knee enough to keep me from working out for over a week now and I had to go to the doc's to get a shot (oh yeah it hurt). So not fun. Anyway, Kev went to the gym for spin class alone last weekend and came home with these beautiful flowers afterwards. What a sweetheart!



PS. He makes sure to ALWAYS include purple flowers, my favorite.

Thanks honey for always making me feel so special.

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Thursday, October 16, 2008

Personalized Ornaments by Cathy's Creations

It's time for another product review. Today I am so excited to share my review on the personalized ornaments I received from Cathy's Creations. Last year I decided that for Christmas 2008 our tree would have a theme. And I'm sure you could easily guess that the theme would have something to do with the beach and/or Jamaica so the personalized ornaments I chose to order were the palm tree and star ornament and the flip flop ornaments. They are adorable aren't they?


(OK, I know I'm not the best photog but you get the idea. You'll have to click on the picture to see them better, I think)

The order process went smoothly for me (I actually ordered via phone so I can't tell you how the online order process goes but I'm sure it's fine) and the products were packaged nicely, safe and secure.

These personalized ornaments would make the perfect holiday or anytime gift. Here are some of my favorites in addition to the palm tree and flip flops mentioned above: Paw, dog bone and polar bear ornaments under the Animal category, the Penguin under Family ornaments and the Lips ornament under the Couples category. And don't miss the fun jewelry too.

I'm so excited to go shopping with Cathy again. I'm trying to think of other ornament ideas for our beach theme Christmas tree. Maybe a surfboard, hammock, snorkel and mask? Can you think of any ideas? Cathy is going to go crazy with all of my requests *wink*

Oh and don't forget to check out Cathy's event calendar. She has a few shows coming up in November so if you are in her area, you could shop in person. How fun would that be?

Happy Shopping!

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Monday, October 13, 2008

Menu Plan Monday: October 13

Time for Menu Plan Monday. Our menu is not set in stone but here is what we have.

Monday-
Jambalaya with scallops

Tuesday-
Chicken on portabella mushroom caps

Wednesday-
Pork Chops or maybe something from Whole Foods or The Fresh Market (I'm running errands that day, I think I just made up my mind LOL)

Thursday-
Spaghetti and homemade sauce w/turkey sausage

Friday-
Up in the air, maybe Black Beans & Rice or Tacos (we shall see)

What's on your menu this week?

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Friday, October 10, 2008

"My Husband Rocks" Friday

I found a fabulous, fun new meme to participate in every week. I love the fact that there really are women out there who love and appreciate their hubby's as much as I do. Katy Lin over at The Great Adventure started a weekly meme on Friday's called My Husband Rocks. Please check it out and participate when you get a chance. Here is my first "My Husband Rocks" post.



My hubby Kevin rocks because he loves to travel (in style), he's adventurous and likes to have fun. It won't be long until we return to Jamaica (ahhhh Jamaica in December is pure heaven!) and I can't wait to make more wonderful memories there.





Thanks for being the coolest hubby ev-ah. You're the best!

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Monday, October 06, 2008

Menu Plan Monday: October 6

Another Menu Plan Monday is upon us. The food plan for this week is kind of up in the air. Don't know what we'll have with each meal yet but have the basics down.



Monday-
Goulash (using leftovers for the 3rd time WOW)

Tuesday-
Pork Chops

Wednesday-
Chicken (baked or grilled, not sure)

Thursday-
Pot Roast (I'm not sure how I feel about this since IT IS Survivor night and it's supposed to be spaghetti or pizza LOL)

Friday-
Tuna & Soup

Head on over to Laura's Menu Plan post and wish her a Happy Canadian Thanksgiving this week!

What's on your menu plan this week?

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Friday, October 03, 2008

Personalized Teddy Bears

I have been shopping with Debbie at Bear Family Gifts for quite some time now and love her personalized teddy bears. She has made some customized teddy bears for us over the years and all gift recipients have been touched by the thought put into their personalized teddy bears. Debbie will take your ideas and put something spectacular together.

Aren't these personalized teddy bears that I have purchased just adorable?



Holiday ordering cut-off dates are fast approaching.

Halloween: Purchase before October 15th

Thanksgiving: Purchase before November 15th

Christmas: Purchase ASAP!

When you visit Bear Family Gifts, be sure to scroll down the page to see the list of personalized bear categories. You will find holiday bears, wedding bears, ornament bears, patriotic bears and so many more.

Just a side note: These bears are not toys, they are decorative items and not suitable for children to play with.

Do you work from home? If so, be sure to go to the professional bears page and look for the Work At Home bear. So adorable. You can put it on your wish list *wink*

Gift certificates are also available and don't forget to check out the clearance and specials pages too.

Happy Shopping!

Personalized and customized teddy bear keepsakes for any occasion at Bear Family Gifts, LLC.
Choose from many different styles and sizes, all designed to bring a smile to your face. Teddy Bear Gifts - The Lasting Alternative to Flowers

Bear Family Gifts even has a blog so be sure to check it out.

What personalized teddy bear is your favorite?

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