Ashley's Random Blog

#Flawless12 My Favorite Things..

2012-02-16T04:18:00.001-05:00

Most everyone knows I'm a Disney fan, that I adore animals, and enjoy playing with kids. My family knows my favorite bands are Aerosmith and Bon Jovi. My husband even realizes that my taste in music runs the gamut from a capella, to jazz, arena rock, to classic rock. His comment was "you have no taste in music".. I figure I just like music.

I'm not sure what my favorites are that people don't already know. Of course, now that there's Pinterest, it's easy to put all my favorites in one place for everyone to see. I'm working on that, slowly but surely. The boards I have filled out there include my Disney board, Books to read, crafty stuff (love the duck tape), pets, and words of wisdom.

Sometimes you call tell everything you need to know about someone just by the little stuff.

Wordless Wednesday - Puppy Fun #WW

2012-02-15T08:38:00.001-05:00

OK, so it's not a picture, it's a video. But it was too funny watching her do this, so I had to video it. Then I decided I had to share the video.

#Flawless12 OMG I did that?

2012-02-14T01:53:00.002-05:00

When I decided at age 35 that I was going to go to Disney and do their 1/2 marathon. Everyone wondered what had gotten in to me. I've never run, never done distance anything (other than short hikes), so why would I want to? My reasoning at that point was "mid-life crisis, trip to Disney by myself, get into shape" take your pick. I surprised them all by following through and actually finishing.

I repeated it several times. I surprised them (and myself) again by managing to do it for the 5th time this past year. The shock was that I did little to no training, but I made the effort and finished the race.

#Flawless12 If I couldn't Fail...

2012-02-13T01:44:00.003-05:00

Growing up, I don't remember how many times I changed my mind as to what I wanted to do. If I remember my first "firm" decision, it was to get into computers and travel to Germany. I did go to Georgia Tech and graduated with a degree in Computer Science, I haven't gone to Germany yet.

I thought for a long time that I'd like to be a teacher. After my kids were old enough, I did teach a 4yo pre-k class briefly. I then moved to being a substitute teacher in my area. That made me realize that full time teaching might be a bit much, but doing it temporarily works for me. I haven't been a sub for a while now, but I may eventually go back.

I wanted to get into documentation that would explain things to folks(I really like the "For Dummies" books). I did get a certificate in technical communication, but I didn't get into writing. Instead, I got into the online/phone help business (first at Georgia Tech, then at Hayes, now at GCA). Sometimes it's just easier to show than write, so this works.

I'd love to write children's books, or do illustrations. I haven't had the time to practice my writing (except here on the blog) and my drawings are doodles. Maybe I'll get into it, I just haven't had the time to work on it.

As to doing anything and not failing.. so far I haven't "failed" in anything I've done. I've set it aside for later pursuits, or given it up because I was done with it. But failure is not an option, I may not be able to go as far as I'd like, but that's not so bad. It just gives me the next thing to work toward.

#Flawless12 Doing it MY way..

2012-02-10T06:27:00.001-05:00

I don't have a singular talent for doing anything in particular that stands out. I'm pretty constantly told, though, that I'm doing "it" wrong. I figure unless someone shows me a better way that makes as much sense and uses no more effort than I'm already putting out, then my way works just fine.

Source: bitsotruth.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest

#Flawless12 My best worst feature..

2012-02-09T08:29:00.003-05:00

I'm actually running a day behind on the prompts, I'll blame it on work for now. Anyway, we're supposed to highlight our best worst feature.. or make the worst the best, depending on how you view it. For some reason my husband likes to get lots of pictures of me walking away, which tends to highlight the feature I care least about. It kinda gives me a mixed opinion of it all, so I chose it for this prompt.

Wordless Wednesday - My keyboard

2012-02-08T19:06:00.002-05:00

#Flawless12 - It's all about my...

2012-02-07T10:31:00.000-05:00

Source: soon2befit.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Monday cuteness

2012-02-06T08:05:00.005-05:00

I don't have my flawless assignment for today, so I thought I'd share this instead. Brooklyn joined us Saturday evening. She's approx. 9wks old and 12 lbs. Mama was a retriever mix, daddy was a newfoundland. She has big webbed feet and you can tell she'll be a big girl. She's already a major cuddle bug and suffers from overwhelming cuteness.

#Flawless12 My Movie

2012-02-03T01:03:00.004-05:00

So, the assignment for today is to set up my own movie of my life. I can pick whomever I want to be in it and direct it. It's an interesting concept, so let's see what I can put together.

Producer - Ron Howard
Director - Steven Spielburg
ScreenPlay - my life
===

Cast
My mom - Betty White
My dad - Alan Arkin
My sister - Sigourney Weaver
My husband - Colin Firth

The catch to all of this, of course, is the WHY I would pick them. I'm not sure I have a good why, though. Ron Howard makes excellent cross-genre movies, so I'm sure he could keep it balanced. Spielburg would be able to integrate the special effects of my life. Betty White & Alan Arkin, excellent because they are great actors and don't take themselves too seriously. Sigourney Weaver, I've always been impressed with how she presents the tough side of the feminine. I almost said Demi Moore, but that one doesn't match my sister quite as well. Colin Firth.. well, I could have picked quite a few but went for a less-well known just because I like him.

For the remainder of my family members, I'd only get silly, so I'll pass on those. I'd have to let the producer/director do a hard evaluation for appropriate matches.

Words of Wisdom #Flawless12

2012-02-02T00:19:00.001-05:00

Source: lobotomeblog.blogspot.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: cottageintheoaks.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Flawless Defined - #Flawless12 Day 1

2012-02-01T05:11:00.004-05:00

I decided to participate in "Project Flawless 2012". Why? Partially a whim, partially because I've had a hard time lately coming up with topics for my blog. I think, though, that it might be primarily because I have days I don't feel pretty or appreciated and the frustration builds. Maybe this way I can remind myself that there's more to me than most people see. Maybe, too, I can show it off a bit more.

Note: the assignment was to take a picture first thing in the morning before "dolling" up. I don't "doll" anyway, so I just left off the anti-frizz stuff for my hair.

Turtle Tote!

2012-01-31T05:03:00.002-05:00

I made the turtle first on a whim. The girls have been learning textile arts in American Heritage Girls, so I decided I wanted to weave. My challenge then became how to combine the two projects somehow. I came up with the turtle tote. Not sure I'll ever use it for anything, but it was fun to make anyway.

How Duck Tape is Made

2012-01-30T04:11:00.000-05:00

After Friday's brief crafty-ness, I was playing on YouTube. My kids had asked me how they made the stuff, so when I found this one, I figured I should share.

Duck Tape Rocks!

2012-01-27T05:00:00.004-05:00

My daughter wanted to do crafts with Duck Tape, so this past Christmas she asked for some to play with. This past week, I ended up on Pinterest and was goofing off. I found crafts for Duck Tape. So, my daughter allowed me to use some of her Duck tape to play with. This is the first thing I attempted to make. It was promptly snagged by my son to be his.

My daughter then decided she needed one as well. She wanted hers to be tye-dye. I added the trim.

Then, just to play, I decided to make a cell phone holder for my work phone. I even added velcro so that I can "close" it and not have the phone fall back out. Oh how to NOT do school work.

Homeschooling redefined

2012-01-26T02:23:00.003-05:00

I consider my children as "schooled at home" rather than your traditional "home school". Because it seems to be a thin line in the definition, I keep in touch with a lot of home school friends to see what's going on and what may supplement my children. Through them, I heard about the Georgia Home Education Association. This is/was a great resource for the legal side of home schooling and the laws around it.

I recently was sent an update through this group and went back to explore their site. Imagine my (somewhat) surprise to find out that they have redefined what "Homeschooling" actually is. Instead of the simple "child schooled at home", they've effectively excluded any family that schools through a public virtual school.

I suppose in a way it makes sense that they'd do that, but in another it's just sad that they felt it necessary. A lot of what affects most homeschool families also affects those of us that are public virtual. The exception is the funding for the curriculum, which is it's own issue all together.

I guess the point is, the world is changing and you have to watch what changes carefully. You never know when something small may change and it make a huge difference in what you can do.

Wordless Wednesday - Kitten Window

2012-01-25T05:31:00.000-05:00

Turtle Tuesday

2012-01-24T14:19:00.000-05:00

Stormy Day

2012-01-23T00:13:00.002-05:00

As you are aware, a pretty big size storm came through Saturday. I took the opportunity to try to get some photos of it.

Wordless Wednesday - Just fun

2012-01-18T07:58:00.001-05:00

My daughter decided that my sister needed a giant sized Stitch for Christmas. It appears to have been a good idea.

Blog design fun

2012-01-17T17:27:00.003-05:00

I was notified by a friend that reading my old blog design could be difficult. Since I'd had it for a while, I decided to play with it. Since it's a personal blog, not professional, I went for something fun. I'll probably start changing it up more often, just because I can. I also found some great sites to get some really cute templates from, so it'll be fun to play with those too.

Hopefully, this will be easier to read too.

Review - The Grape

2012-01-16T09:01:00.002-05:00

I went out with a pair of my friends last night. We did the Ikea trip to get ideas for our homes followed by dinner out. For dinner we headed over to Atlantic Station and went to a restaurant called "The Grape Wine Bar & Bistro". We feasted on a variety of primarily appetizers and they sampled some of the wine. (I'm too much of a light weight to try to drink anything and then drive home, so I don't.)

The restaurant itself is very small and set up more like a small coffee shop with a bar than a conventional restaurant. The waiter we had was very personable. We were even greeted by one of the co-owners.

Our meal consisted of the Mezza Platter (a selection of hummus, olives, cheese and pita), the baked brie (very nice flavor), selection of cheese/salami toscana/dried fruit and a full serving salmon flat bread (yum!). One of my friends had the beet salad. I split the bistro salad with the other.

It wasn't the cheapest meal ever, but we spent around 3 hours just sitting and chatting while we ate. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the company.

Marvin Gaye - Heard it through the Grape Vine

2012-01-14T05:46:00.001-05:00

I'll let you guys figure out why this song on this date.

Fun with Disney

2012-01-13T05:44:00.001-05:00

It's been a Disney kind of week and I've had these kinds of days.. so, sharing a fun video to end the week with.

WDW Marathon Weekend

2012-01-12T03:53:00.004-05:00

Fee for 1/2 marathon - $140
Fee for 5K - $50/person
Stay on site to avoid Traffic hassles
Cost of meals
Pain during 1/2 marathon
Soreness/Stiffness after 1/2 marathon
Lots of Tylenol/Ibuprofen
Running the 5K with my family and having them support me as I do the 1/2 - priceless.

Just some stats for those that are interested. There were 8000 of us running the Family 5K on Friday. There were 22421 FINISHERS for the 1/2 (and more of those were female than male).

Wordless Wednesday - Swim with the Duck

2012-01-11T05:33:00.000-05:00

No trip to Disney is complete without the chance to swim with the wildlife. :) This boy had part of the pool all to himself.

Travelling around the World

2012-01-10T05:38:00.002-05:00

We found these guys at the France Pavilion at EPCOT. It started as what seemed to be a juggling act and ended up with the man on top of all the chairs. Very impressive.

Of course, no trip to Disney would go by without seeing a few of the characters.

When we stopped by the Haunted Mansion, we found they'd updated the wait queue. There's now a 'cemetary' side and a non-cemetary side. The cemetary side is probably a little longer, but it has interactives that are fun.

Despite being sore after the marathon, though, I have to say I enjoyed myself.

Disney 1/2 Marathon

2012-01-09T05:58:00.000-05:00

I don't recommend doing it like I did. I had minimal training during the year (plans to train harder didn't work out like they should). I debated all the way up to the day before as to whether or not I'd make it. Hubby was supposed to go with me, but he did NO training. As hard of a time as I gave him, his decision to not do it was a good one.

I'll admit that I made a better start than I'd expected. I downloaded a program to my iPhone that updated me regularly on my pace and let me know if I needed to increase speed. My normal method of pacing is to find a Team in Training coach and manage to stay between two groups they're working with. It was just as well that I had my program as I didn't manage to stick with one of their coaches.

The only downside of the program I used was it wouldn't let my music continue when it went to speak to me. It was supposed to allow my iPhone to multi-task, but instead of pausing my music, speaking, then restarting my music. It just paused it. I didn't want to have to mess with it, so I just didn't have music.

I actually did fine until around mile 9. At that point my knee really started bugging me. My mile 11, it was hurting. When I got back to our room, it was nicely swollen. I did manage to get it down and the pain controlled enough to be able to go to EPCOT, though, to check it out more than just in passing.

Disney Fiesta Family 5k

2012-01-06T09:16:00.001-05:00

I didn't take a lot of photos during the race, just these. We had approx. 1/2 mile left at this point.

Can you guess?

2012-01-05T10:00:00.001-05:00

Where was I last night?

Wordless Wednesday - Sights on a Trail

2012-01-04T08:36:00.002-05:00

We did a lot of walking while visiting my folks over the holidays. We encountered this little one right next to the boardwalk. It's mom was just out of sight (we could see the shadows). There was also a flock of turkeys wandering through.

Resolutions (or not)

2012-01-03T06:44:00.003-05:00

I'm not a big one on resolutions. They have a bad tendency to get left by the way side. Whether on purpose or on accident, it doesn't matter in the end. So, when someone asks me what my resolution is, I don't have one.

I could resolve to lose weight (I need to lose around 10 pounds), but I don't think I'd manage. I'd do better to resolve to walk more, but with my schedule over the past year, I suspect that that wont' change overly for a while.

I could resolve to spend less, but I'm doing that any way. We've refinanced the house and cut back about as much as we can. So, we're at that point of patience and maintenance and knowing it'll all work out in the end.

I'd love to resolve not to spend more on repairing my husband's car. All I can say there is that at least it's paid for, so we're only paying to keep it running. That in and of itself is a good thing, even if I get annoyed at it for having problems.

In the end, though, I'll just resolve to manage my life as best as I can knowing that I'm doing all that I can.

2011 in Review (sort of)

2012-01-02T06:07:00.004-05:00

It's hard looking back over the past year and deciding what the highlights might have been. So many things happen during the year that I don't get pictures of that I hate leaving them out. My son turning 13, for one thing. We did stuff for him, but I didn't get pictures.

At any rate, it does sum up most of the things in a fair nutshell. We lost two beloved pets over the past year (Sydney & Oliver), but we gained one too (Jack). My daughter was able to meet one of her favorite actresses (Jeannette McCurdy), she also earned her black belt in Choi Kwang Do. As a family, we went on our first cruise (loved it!) and saw the final NASA shuttle launch. With all of that, my nephew was Christened this past year and turned 1.

Despite all the problems/issues we may have had, when you look at the highlights, it was all good.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

Something different as a holiday activity

2011-12-30T00:46:00.000-05:00

While in my parent's condos, the kids were occupied with XBOX and various other activities (like swimming). My brother-in-law had various puzzles going during the week. I helped as I could, though I have to say the choices of puzzles were either addictive or annoying. Take your choice.

1500 piece butterflies (took 3 days)

1000 piece Cats

A fun holiday activity that I wouldn't have thought to do on my own, necessarily.

Geocaching in Celebration

2011-12-29T00:35:00.005-05:00

My sister got a new GPS recently. I have one pretty much identical, so I was helping them figure out how to use theirs. In the process, I showed them geocaching. We found 2 caches in one day in the Celebration area. We found a Tracker Bug in one, which we'll take to GA.

We went caching again and found 4 more another day. My sister found a geocoin in one of them. My sister is taking that one back to AL to be put in a cache there. For a novice geocacher myself, it's fun showing someone else how to do it. It makes 11 since I started earlier this year.

Wordless Wednesday - House Show

2011-12-28T07:25:00.005-05:00

One of the houses in my folks' community always has a light show for Christmas. We stopped one evening to watch the show.

Local resident

2011-12-27T08:53:00.001-05:00

I saw this little guy at a pond atmy folk's condo. He's only about 3ft long and I was able to find his hidey hole too.

Lawrenceville Places to Check Out - Franco's/Nu 2U

2011-12-26T02:58:00.002-05:00

This past Halloween I won a gift card to Franco's Pizza in Lawrenceville. Last week, we decided to use it to feed the kids and their friends. We didn't think to check the web site for more than menu and location, so we were a bit surprised to not find seating. No biggie, we explored the shopping center it was in while we waited.

The girls and I went in to Nu 2U. A thrift shop next door to Franco's. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by our finds. We came away with 2 fedoras (one for me, one for my daughter's best friend), a scarf for my daughter and 2 tops for me. All for $20. The tops are nice quality, as was the rest. The lady staffing the store was very friendly as well. Definitely a place I'll go back to when I get a chance.

The pizza was excellent as well. The kids snarfed theirs down very quickly. So, definitely if you're in the area, check these two out. Order your pizza (or sandwich) from Franco's and shop Nu2U while you wait.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T04:34:00.000-05:00

Wishing you and your family much Joy this holiday season.

Deceptive Peace

2011-12-23T04:55:00.002-05:00

I caught the little one in a peaceful moment. He likes to steal the ornaments off of the tree and relocate them elsewhere. I've had to lock up the Christmas tree as a result. But he does look so cute in this moment.

For my Poke-Friends

2011-12-22T04:51:00.001-05:00

Found on http://www.memebase.com

Wordless Wednesday - Santa's Watching

2011-12-21T03:05:00.000-05:00

Give Aways - Ack

2011-12-20T05:21:00.001-05:00

So, I finally ran my first give away/contest on my blog. It started on the 9th and I closed it with a drawing on the 13th. It was an interesting experience and not one I'm sure I'll repeat. It's not that it was "difficult" to do. The thing itself was simple. I'm given some thing to give away, I post the info on my blog. I then let the readers take over. I used random.org to pick a comment number and thus the winner. I let the winner know. Give away over as far as the blog side is concerned.

What bothers me is the detail. The rules that need to be lain out ahead of time. It's easy to get lost in the rules and keep wanting to add to them to make sure all the bases are covered. As a mom, I don't have time to evaluate all the rules. So, I think the next time, if there is one, I'll make sure whoever is giving me a prize gives me the rules too. That way, if it's not done to spec, they can't complain. (Not that they did this time, but still..)

Then there's the coordination of getting the prize to the winner. In theory, this can be easy. In reality, nothing ever is. Of course, timing is everything. If people have a time line to get the prize to folks, they need to make sure that they're on top of it as well. Of course, as the person running the give away, I have to make sure *I* have time to stay on top of it. Me? Time? REALLY?

At any rate, it was an interesting experience. I'll have to think harder about it before I do it again.

My favorite Christmas Song

2011-12-19T08:10:00.001-05:00

Crazy Monday on Swagbucks

2011-12-16T04:04:00.001-05:00

Swagbucks is going crazy on Monday, with more ways for you to earn reward points towards free stuff. First, they're having a Swag Code Extravaganza, which means a fun day where you can earn up to 70 Swag Bucks from 8 different codes throughout the day!

Second, there's a new set of Holiday Collector's Bills which you can only earn through search - get all five and you'll receive an instant 12 Swag Bucks bonus! The set starts at noon on Monday

Finally, for any referral you bring in today through the 19th, you'll not only get up to 1000 matching Swag Bucks from Search, but 1000 Matching Swag Bucks from everything they earn (not including codes) all day Monday - they're calling it Mega Match Monday!

Three big reasons to visit Swagbucks this Monday!
100 additional Swag Bucks for news users when applied during registration only - use code HOLIDSYSWAG.

GCA - Gingerbread House

2011-12-15T04:23:00.000-05:00

Georgia Cyber Academy has been hosting Gingerbread house competitions around the state. Since I'm working at one as an employee, I suggested to my kids that they enter a house for show. They've always loved making them, but this time my daughter is insisting she get to eat it too. So, I took lots of pictures during the making, knowing that by end of week, it's not likely to be around any longer.

We started with a basic kit. I picked it up at Michael's on sale (with a coupon).

I did the basic assembly.

I included gingerbread trees for the fun of it.

The kids took over decorating the house. I did get to create the 'people' that we put in. The kids let me have that much of an effect on the design. This is the completed house from the back.

My kids got a little enthusiastic with some of the icing, but this is one of the completed sides.

The side with the trees.

And of course, the front.

After they were done with it, they dubbed it "Sugar Overload".

Wordless Wednesday - 1st Birthday

2011-12-14T04:24:00.001-05:00

My nephew's first birthday. The expessions say it all.

Phineas and Ferb

2011-12-13T01:49:00.000-05:00

It's a Phineas and Ferb kinda day/week. My giveaway ends today! Disney’s Phineas & Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! At Philips Arena on December 17th, 4PM & 7PM; December 18th, 12:30PM, 3:30PM, 6:30PM

So, on that note, I'm sharing one of the episodes from the show.

Phineas & Ferb Live at Philips Arena!

2011-12-12T01:38:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder that I'm running a give away for 4 tickets to Phineas & Ferb. The tickets are for one of the two shows that were added due to demand - December 17, 2011 @7p. Contest ends tomorrow!

Make sure you click the link to enter! Once you've entered there, look at the bottom. I've linked to other bloggers giving away tickets too!

Performance Dates: December 17th, 4PM & 7PM; December 18th, 12:30PM, 3:30PM, 6:30PM You can purchase tickets through Ticket Master.

Phineas & Ferb - The best live tour ever!

2011-12-10T04:53:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note to those who are entering my give away. I cannot accept "anonymous" posts as winners. You must have a way for me to contact you. Whether you leave your email in your comment, or have it available through your profile, that's up to you.

Thanks!

Now, on to more Phineas & Ferb.

T-Mobile Holidays

2011-12-09T01:18:00.004-05:00

I attended a T-Mobile Blogger Social Wednesday evening. It's funny, considering hubby works for AT&T, that I'd want to go. However, I'm all about knowing what's what and such, so I figured it was a good opportunity to find out more about the company (other than what I see on TV and knowing it's NOT AT&T).

I have to admit, that I was pleasantly surprised by how helpful and friendly the staff were.

I know, I know. They're trying to sell something, of course they're friendly and helpful. Actually, for the group that was there, we weren't buying. We were being educated.. and fed yummy stuff like this..

But I was also able to find out quite a bit about the company and some of the things it offered. Being the parent of a young (read, just turned) teenager, I found the fact that you could but XBOX Live stuff on a MyTouch phone to be cool. After the meeting, I realized I'd seen various ads that stated this, but I'd never made the connection.

Then there's the "I want to know where my kids are" problem. My kids currently use Kajeet (a phone service aimed specifically for kids), which works well for us for now. T-Mobile (and potentially others) have Apps specifically geared at parents that want that extra security blanket. FamilyWhere uses GPS to track where your kid is. It will even send you an update at specific times if you want to check in automatically. Family Allowances controls the minutes, texts, downloads, etc on the phone. That way, as a parent, you control the phone bill when it comes in. Web Guard limits the web access from the phone.

My favorite App that they talked about is one called DriveSmart. It automatically turns off incoming text-messages and auto responds as soon as you get in the car. It sends all incoming calls to voicemail too. Pretty cool tool, all said. Is it over controlling for kids? Not really. It should help them get in the habit of NOT using it while driving, so that at some point it can be turned off. Just a peace of mind thing, really.

The other big thing they talked to us about was the restructuring of the stores. As of Tuesday night, only 18 stores had been redone to the new configuration (see below). They plan to roll it out over the next year to 800(?) more stores. It's a very clean line, very similar to other stores I've visited.

The highlight for me was being able to drool over the Samsung Galaxy 2S. Originally when I went shopping for a better phone (and before the Galaxy had been released, though it had been announced) it was what I'd decided I really wanted. Due to cost, though, I "settled" for the free phone that came with the plan I picked. When I went back to upgrade, turns out AT&T doesn't offer this phone (don't know why). An unfortunate turn of events, but I'm managing with my iPhone.

At any rate, while I'm not a customer of T-Mobile, it is one to consider when looking at new phones. They seem to have some very good rate plans to go with some very nice phones. It was an entertaining evening (thanks to those who put it on) and very informative.

Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever!

2011-12-08T04:29:00.015-05:00

Performances Added on Saturday, December 17 at 4:00PM & 7:00PM at Philips Arena

Due to tremendous public response, Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! will continue to entertain audiences in Atlanta! Performances have been added on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 4:00pm and 7:00pm at Philips Arena. The beloved characters from Disney Channel's animated series embark on a bold escape from the television screen to a live action adventure – right in Atlanta!

Produced by Feld Entertainment, Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! brings Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Isabella, Baljeet, Buford and friends to the stage as they make the most of the last day of summer by building an invention bigger, better and more amazing than ever. And, before you can wonder, “Hey, Where’s Perry?” the beloved pet platypus shifts to his secret double life as Agent P to foil another one of Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s evil plans. Musical madness abounds in an escapade so awesome that even Candace can’t help but join the hilarious hijinks. It’s the ultimate end to summer vacation, so seize the day ‘cause Phineas and Ferb are gonna do it all.

Philips Arena
Show Date & Times: Saturday, December 17 - 4:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday, December 18 - 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 6:30pm

Purchase Tickets: Philips Arena Box Office (800) 745-3000 www.ticketmaster.com

It's SIMPLE! Leave a comment here with your answers to these questions- I'll draw a name using Random.org on Tuesday, December 13th. The winner will receive 4 tickets to the Saturday, December 17th show @ 7pm. Please do not enter if you will not be able to use the tickets. Good luck!

1. Q: How many days of summer vacation?
2. Q: What is the name of Phineas and Ferb’s pet platypus?
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Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T04:20:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you just have to marvel at what's out there. This was taken with my iPhone at the Georgia Aquarium.

Finally! Thanksgiving

2011-12-06T04:40:00.008-05:00

I finally caught up on all the Thanksgiving celebrations. We had one a bit late (ie: Sunday), but that's ok. My family is a bit spread out, so I actually had celebrations at three different locations. The first was Thanksgiving itself with my sister and her family. They're out in relatively nowhere Alabama. My brother-in-law has a lot of family in that area, so we had lunch with the extended family there.

My brother-in-law..

My niece.. the Auburn student.

My parents drove up from FL to be there

And of course, my little big sister..

Our second Thanksgiving was with my aunt. I posted her picture last week. This past Sunday was at the hubby's grandmother's home. She hadn't been feeling well, so it was postponed. Of course, after eating, the kids headed out to do some shooting. My son brought up his BB gun as well as his new .22/.410 that my sister's family gave him for his birthday.

A cousin.. My son..

My daughter..

Of course, not long after this, the adults wandered back in to the house (those that left) and did this..

Or at least they tried.

Review: Indelible

2011-12-05T04:51:00.004-05:00

Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann

Trevor is the rescuer on the mountain. He has a need to protect and guard. Shaped by his past, he struggles to be more. He is the town of Redford's angel and he quickly becomes an angel for Natalie.

Natalie is new to the town of Redford, she is a sculptor looking for her place. Branded a "freak" by her sister-in-law, she struggles with an eidectic memory that seeks an outlet in clay. She quickly finds she's not the only one who needs friends, nor is she the only one that has problems.

The story begins with Trevor and his friend Whit tracking a pair of lost hikers. They are quickly side tracked when a mountain lion runs off with a toddler. They manage to rescue the toddler and find the hikers. In the process, it makes the news nation wide and attracts the unwanted attention from another 'admirer'.

Trevor learns of Natalie's (dis)ability and his need to protect/guard kick in. Along the way, he and Natalie find ways to support and help each other. Two beautiful souls that are put through the trials from each other as well as the unwanted.

A wonderful read, the story is very well written. It is a psychological thriller and romance intertwined that watches the characters grow into their own beliefs. With the antagonist using Paradise Lost to relate to, it adds an extra dimension to the story.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Google +

2011-12-02T05:48:00.003-05:00

I've set up myself on google plus. If you're a Google Friend, feel free to follow me on Google +. My understanding is that GFC will go away next year. To find me on G+, look for the badge on the right, next to my Twitter badge (yes, I twitter too). I'm a mom on the move, so I share with friends and family as much as I can.

Google+ is a new adventure, so bear with me while I figure it all out.

Review - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Musical)

2011-12-01T05:43:00.006-05:00

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend this show on opening night. I was given free passes in exchange for writing an honest review. I took my daughter with me, it was her first time ever getting a chance to see the inside of the FOX Theater downtown.

Of course we had to visit the ladies' lounge area (and bathroom) before the show.

Once we were seated, my daughter realized that she might have issues with the people in front of her. Fortunately, the seats on the other side of me remained empty, so she switched.

The show itself was very well done. My favorite character was the Grinch (of course). The Grinch was played by Stefan Karl. From the FOX ENCORE magazine, he's best known for his role as the villain Robbie Rotten from "LazyTown". He played a wonderfully grouchy character and I loved the growls. He also was able to get the audience involved with his antics, which made the show more entertaining (and less scary) for the younger kids (my opinion).

My daughter's favorite character was Cindy-Lou Who. The youngest (and smallest) of the characters and cast. According to the ENCORE, the role is played by two actresses. I'm not sure which we saw (or if we saw both). Update: I found out that she was played by Clara Young.

Old Max (played by Bob Lauder) did a wonderful job of retelling the story of his youthful days. Told from the dog's point of view, the story takes a new spin. I really enjoyed "You're a Mean One". I wasn't expecting it to sound the same as in the movie, but with only minor changes, it sounded just like it.

Don't expect the scenes to be exactly the same as in the movie. They did a great job of recreating some of them. They did a great job creating new ones to go along with the story line. All in all, a wonderful show. If you get the chance, I recommend going.

Wordless Wednesday - Lake View

2011-11-30T00:23:00.001-05:00

I took this with my cell phone out at my sister's lake property. I just loved the way the light looked in it (even if it's not supposed to be that way).

Family History

2011-11-29T00:27:00.001-05:00

Like most people, I spent time with family over the Thanksgiving holiday. I didn't get to spend it with some members since they were sick, but hopefully we'll have a belated Thanksgiving at a later date. In the mean time, while visiting with this lovely lady (my aunt)...

She made a point of making sure I saw this..

It's for my uncle, who was also a Georgia Tech graduate. There are many stories that circulate around the family about him, but this remains a constant. We *know* he served, the question always is "in what capacity".

I never really had the opportunity to get to know him, much less meet him. That makes the stories that are told about him that much more meaningful (and fun to hear).

Review: The Muppets

2011-11-28T04:30:00.004-05:00

My daughter and I went to the theater yesterday to check out the new Muppet movie. It was very cute. A little on the extreme hokey side, but nothing unusual for the muppets. It was very touching to watch Kermit and Piggy. My daughter had to say "oh no" at one point when the lights went out in the movie.

I loved the cameos by Alan Arkin, Mickey Rooney and Neil Patrick Harris. My favorite would have to be Alan Arkin, though. My daughter's reaction was "who's that?" Ah well, guess I show my age.

Any way, she and I enjoyed it. We saw previews for a couple of movies we agree we're going to have to go out and see. The Borrowers being one, Brave is a potential as well.

Georgia Aquarium

2011-11-25T03:55:00.005-05:00

We visited the Aquarium Wednesday for my nephew. The igloo from Tuesday was already gone, unfortunately. I played with the settings of my camera and managed to get some pretty good shots. I even did a short video of the Lagoon Jellies with my iPhone.

After we were done, we had to do our requisite stop at the Varsity. I tried suggesting something different (Johnny Rockets across from the Aquarium). My kids just looked at me funny and told me we had to go to the V. My husband said we'd trained them right.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T05:54:00.000-05:00

From my family to yours, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your holiday!

Wordless Wednesday - Building an Igloo

2011-11-23T03:25:00.002-05:00

Seen at the Aquarium yesterday - they were building an igloo in the atrium.

It's a good time to..

2011-11-22T04:02:00.000-05:00

After celebrating my son's 13th birthday this weekend, I've decided this week is a good time to fill in the blank. There are just so many things that we need to do, so many that we have to do. It gets stressful some days thinking about what we can and can't do. Add on to that the stuff that we HAVE to do and it's no wonder that I'm not getting stuff done.

So, yesterday was a good day to take it easy. The kids hung out in the morning while I did some stuff for work. Then we all took off to go to the dollar movie theater and watched "Spy Kids".

Today is a good day to catch up on volunteer hours. I still need to finish out my commitment hours for the Georgia Aquarium. So, off I go to the Aquarium. I'll be in "where's Waldo" mode as a Gallery Rover.

The rest of the week will be a good time to take family time. I have a nephew visiting, we will see family at Thanksgiving and we'll take my aunt out at some point as well.

Next week will be a good time to make sure my priorities are straight. I'm going to try to make sure my first priority is my family. I know, I should put me at the top of the list some time. Eventually I will, just not right now.

What's it a good time for you to do?

Birthday Fun

2011-11-21T04:15:00.004-05:00

My husband and I got our son an AirHog Blue Sky plane for his birthday. He and his friends took it outside for a while to check it out. The conclusion is that we need a bigger space without trees. Here's how NOT to fly your Air Hog.

And yes, we had to knock it out of the tree by throwing sticks at it. :) We made quite a scene on the street throwing balls, sticks, etc. at a pine tree. Poor tree.

Happy 13th Birthday!

2011-11-19T02:55:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday to my little black belt boy scout! Hard to believe it has been 13 years.

Mini-PSA - FurKids

2011-11-18T06:00:00.003-05:00

We stopped in at the FurKids shelter yesterday to pick up our little one from his neuter surgery. While waiting, we visited one room of kitties. My daughter and I took a definite liking to these two. The first one is 'Brandon'. A wonderful boy, very sweet. I LOVED the markings.

This is Grace. She was my daughter's favorite of the evening. Can't you tell?

Tomorrow is a big day in our house. Not only will I have 5 teen/tween boys in the house, but my son will have his 13th birthday. Oi.

Girls Talk - My Style Icon

2011-11-17T09:20:00.003-05:00

I blame having been sick for the need to use a meme this week. That and general slackness. I have no style of my own, but I will admit that I admire Kimora Lee Simmons. She has a wonderful taste in fashion and a no-nonsense way of bringing it out.

I have to respect Queen Latifah as well. She always seems comfortable in whatever she wears. As much as I would like to say that I am, I'm not. My clothes are comfortable, but I'm not always comfortable in them.

For a long time fashion was a word I heard, not one I utilized. Being a stay at home mom, I kinda let things slide (in more ways than one). I'm gradually trying to improve my wardrobe, but I can't say I associate my style with any particular person. It's just me.

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

2011-11-17T04:52:00.000-05:00

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

Wordless Wednesday - Homeschool Humor

2011-11-16T08:38:00.000-05:00

Chattanooga's Discovery Museum

2011-11-15T01:01:00.002-05:00

Last week after the kids and I finished our tour of the Chattanooga Aquarium, we decided to finish the day out at the Discovery Museum. It worked for me to finish a long day in Chattanooga and make the drive worth the time. I "lost" my two here for around an hour playing with the water. This area has a climbing structure as well for the kids (5 and under need someone older with them). The kids went up a couple of times, but came back to the water table each time.

They had an area to explore music and instruments. The girls got the giggles while here.

This was the archaeological (or dinosaur) area. My kids decided the sand was soft like silk and wanted to either a)bring it home with them or b)swim in it. You can guess which they did.

This was the rooftop area. The "swing" is a pulley system. You "race" to the top to ring the bell by pulling yourself up the rope.

There was an art area, a 'medical' area and an 'inventions' area. We couldn't get to the tower (under construction) or the changing exhibit area (also under construction). We did, though, spend around 2 hours here. The kids probably would have stayed longer except that a)the museum was closing not long after we left and b)I didn't want to wait too late before heading home.

All in all, the day was an excellent adventure. Thanks to GCA for doing a trip to the Aquarium, giving us the excuse to explore elsewhere too.

Swagbucks Pays for your Holidays

2011-11-14T00:48:00.001-05:00

Complete your Wishlist on Swagbucks and be entered to win $2500 in Amazon gift cards. Here's what you do..

- Complete your Wishlist (1 Entry).
- Share your Wishlist on either Facebook or Twitter using our Share buttons (1 entry per day you share). These shares act as a special referral link.
- Have a new user register for Swagbucks through your Wishlist share (1 entry)
- Have that user complete and share their own Wishlist (4 additional entries)

In addition to the grand prize, they're giving away prizes every week day on their Facebook wall, Twitter account, and in their Blog.

Full details of the sweepstakes can be found here.

If you're creating a new account, you can use the code

SBPAYSFORME

It's active from right now until 9:00am PT on Friday, November 18th, and is worth a bonus 80 Swag Bucks ONLY when applied during the registration process - this means a new user will start with 110 Swag Bucks instead of the customary 30.

Honor your Veterans

2011-11-11T04:16:00.002-05:00

Today is Veteran's Day. Whether we realize it or not, we have what we have because our veterans put themselves on the line. I personally have multiple people in my family who have served in one fashion or another. My grandfather was military. My father served in the Civil Air Patrol, my uncle in the military. My sister is military, my brother-in-law is retired. So, when it comes to supporting our military, I'm a little biased.

A little history about this day. It started as Armistice Day, a cease fire between the German army and the Allies. It marked the beginning of the end of World War I. After World War II and the Korean war, the 83rd Congress scratched out the word "Armistice" and changed it to "Veteran's" to honor all those who served. You can read more on the history of this day from the Dept. of Veteran Affairs web site.

If you'd like to help out, you can make a donation (see the right hand column) to donate to Operation Gratitude. They send cards and packages to our troops. If you want a more hands-on approach, contact Adopt a US Soldier. I've been using the 2nd to be able to send packages o soldiers currently serving. It's a wonderful feeling when they get the chance to send a note back letting you know how appreciated it is.

GCA Field Trip - Chattanooga Aquarium

2011-11-10T05:57:00.001-05:00

This past Monday, GCA set up a field trip to the Chattanooga Aquarium. It was an opportunity too good to miss, so I packed the kids up and made the 2 hour trip. The littlest one in our group is a penguin fan (my guys love 'em too) and was very excited to see these guys.

These are all fresh water rays. Love the colors on them.

We easily spent an hour in each of the buildings out there. I probably didn't take as many pictures as I should have. The ones that we did take, I had to be selective of as most came out blurry or dark. So, I picked the 3 "best" of the rest and present them to you here.

The kids had a blast. We divided it up by doing the first building, stopping for lunch at the Mellow Mushroom and then moving on to the second building. From there we had ice cream at Ben & Jerrys and then went out to the Discovery Museum. I'll show you the pictures from that part another time.

It did make for a great all-day outing, though. The kids were happy but tired when we got home.

PSA - FurKids

2011-11-09T03:44:00.004-05:00

My daughter and I visited the kitties Sunday. We were inundated with kitties whenever we sat long enough for them to visit.

This is Mango (on my legs) and Tangerine (on my lap). They were sweet girls willing to share and purr. They were very disappointed when I stood up.

This is Peter, a very sweet boy.

Peter and his 'crew'. Diddy Kong is on the left with my shoelace, Donkey Kong on the right.

Jack Frost - a big boy with lots of love to give

Sassafras could easily be a Sassy. A sweet little girl that batted at my when I stopped paying attention to her. She wanted me focused on her.

Last, but certainly not least, was Gooseberry. She wasn't sure of us at first, but she happily settled nearby to be visited with. She's an oversize bundle of love.

There were lots of others that were total sweet hearts. BamBam adored my daughter. Betty Boop followed us around the room while we 'visited' the other cats. FurKids is a wonderful group to find a cat from, they're definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a friend.

Special Elections Day

2011-11-08T05:13:00.002-05:00

Do you know who or what you're voting for? If you haven't had the time to research it, an easy place to start is here: http://sos.georgia.gov/MVP/. It will give you a sample ballot that is available today. It also has the links to information about candidates (if there are any) in your area. I highly recommend actually READING the ballot first, before voting.

In my area (Gwinnett) we're looking at extending the E-SPLOST (Education SPLOST). I'm not in a city area, so I have no candidates to vote for.

I can say that I was recently redistricted in regards to the House seat. We have an elected official that lives a few doors down on the opposite side of the road. Amazingly enough, until recently we weren't in his district. When we moved here and he first ran, we were. Then the state redisctricted him OUT of his district. They put him back in, but ran the line down the middle of our street.

Halloween Photo Contest

2011-11-07T05:01:00.001-05:00

For Halloween last week, I thought it was funny that I'd turned a warm-up suit from the 80's (I got it just before I went to Tech) into the body of the scare crow. I took a foam buzz head I found at a yard sale into the head. By sheer chance, I'd found a ceramic pumpkin at Hobby Lobby that had GT on it as well. So I put them on my porch.

I like to be linked in to what's going on in the area and have connected to various resources on facebook. One of the resources I'm linked in to is the Gwinnett Citizen newspaper. On a lark, I put a picture of my Buzz-crow in the Gwinnett Citizen Halloween photo contest. There were pictures of cute kids, cute pets, etc, so I didn't think much about my chances. Imagine my surprise when I find out that I won!

They'd already gone to press for November when the contest winners were announced, so the pictures will appear in the December issue. How cool is that? Thanks to the Gwinnett Citizen and congrats to the other winners too.

Mommy Meltdowns

2011-11-04T03:39:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was NOT a good day. I started off well enough. I got me started (shower, feed animals, feed me..), then I got the kids going. I goofed off in the office until time for school to start. I probably had an inkling that things wouldn't go well when none of the kids wanted to get anything done. This, unfortunately, isn't unusual, so I continued blithely on until the first snag.

The 4yo was imitating her sister. Now, don't get me wrong, I think the world of her sister. She's my daughter's best friend. I'm not, however, totally blind to her faults. One of which is disappearing into her own world while sitting next to you. Yesterday was little sister's turn. She "finished" her work, but some of it wasn't actually complete. She just kinda scribbled then hid the work in the stack so I wouldn't see it. Normally I'd catch it a bit later, but I hit snag number two.

My daughter isn't strong in math. That's ok, we can still get by. I've been happy this past week that I haven't had an overwhelming work load to compete with the time she's needed me to help her out with her school work. Yesterday, though, she realized that she needs more time (A LOT more time) than she's willing to spend to get some of it done. Her weakness is her multiplication tables (followed by division). This has been an issue since 3rd grade. I *thought* we'd worked through most of it, but apparently I was wrong. So, she gets frustrated, which gets me frustrated, which feeds back to her, etc etc. After a while I send her with the youngest to go get lunch and to take a break. It gives me time to sit and see if I can figure out an alternative course.

Fortunately for us, yesterday was also parent/teacher conference day. After talking with the substitute (our teacher is out for maternity leave), we're putting all online math classes on hold for a week. We're going to focus specifically on what my daughter needs help with (confidence). To coordinate with that, I found what seems to be a great help site. I signed us up for a 14-day free trial. I'll let you know how that goes later.

At the same time, she was apparently selected by k12 to be part of a research project. It's some sort of math game that may very well help her out as well. I'll stick with the one I found for today. Next week, we'll take time on both of them to see which we prefer. At the end of the week, I'll see which one actually works.

So, I have a temporary patch for part of my troubles for the day. These weren't the only snags we hit, these were just the big ones. After the 4yo went home, I had a talk with both of mine about other issues that had cropped up during the day. So, I don't think any of us are particularly happy with how the day progressed (or at least how it ended). In the meantime, we have the weekend ahead of us to sit back and calm down before we jump in again head first on Monday.

Boo at the Zoo

2011-11-03T04:54:00.003-05:00

I took my kids out to "Boo at the Zoo" on Sunday. It was a VERY busy day, but a very nice day to go. It was fun getting to see all the little kids in costume doing the activities and getting candy.

As we walked in, the tree was playing music and dancing.

Lots of young flamingos.

It's a rare sight for us to find the red panda out and awake.

This was a beautiful tortoise from Mexico. I loved the colors.

The Komodo was watching the crowds as much as the crowds watched him.

The staff put out Halloween stuff in the gorilla enclosures. It was fun watching the males discover the pumpkins and the 'scarecrows' they'd put out.

Another rare occasion for us was to see the Bongo out and close to the viewing area.

A very colorful snake, very poisonous but colorful.

One of the staff had this python out for close viewing.

An interesting snake to view.

My main reason for going to the Zoo was to see the two tiger cubs. We hadn't been to see them as yet, so the Halloween festivities were a good reason to go. The cubs were 'fighting' over a pumpkin (and generally being very playful).

Kids & buying Stuff

2011-11-02T02:42:00.000-05:00

I'm sure most parents encounter this, the "Mom, I need this.." or "Mom, can I have..". My kids are like most others as far as that goes. What is apparently different is that I give my kids the chance to earn what it is they want. Of course, in today's economy many parents can't do that even if they wanted to. We're fortunate in that while we have to economize greatly, it doesn't mean they (and we) can't work most of it out.

I don't know about most other tweens, but mine have been big lately on getting points or credits for various games; online game credits, video games, etc. I generally prefer they purchase their own pre-paid card when we go out. Sometimes I'll let them hand me cash and I'll pay for it with paypal. I've ended up with bags of change this way, so I've had to be cautious about that.

My son is particularly good at saving for the things he wants. He has saved for various computer games as well as his own gaming system. He recently found an online game that he enjoys, so I helped him out. He gave me cash, I paid for him.

My daughter, on the other hand, loves the idea of credit. Let her purchase it now using my money and she'll work it off later. I've had to put a stop to that as she tends to forget she owes me. Cruel? In her opinion, yes. In mine? Better to learn not to over reach just because something sounds good. She recently asked for something as well, but didn't have the cash on hand for it. I took a look, discovered it could wait until Christmas, and said no. So, she'll either earn it in the mean time, or put it on her wish list.

Personally, I think we're doing well by our kids this way. Do they have lots of stuff? Definitely. Could they do without it? Well, they'd say no, but in reality yes. They are, though, kids. So I'll give them the chance to save their money and then spend it the way they want to.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T06:18:00.003-05:00

I've been playing with a web site called 'picnik.com' to edit my photos so they won't take as much space. I actually like how the different collages came out. The first grouping is from the bowling Halloween party on Friday. My daughter the 'Hip Witch', me as a GT Fanatic and my son as Anakin Skywalker.

My kids and some friends went out Saturday to check out the local Kroger's activities (which included bowling with frozen turkeys). They also checked out a Fall Festival at the friends' church and Trunk or Treat at ours. My son was the Grim Reaper this time, my daughter restructured her 'Hip Witch' a little. The friends were Voldemort and a cat.

Monday night my kids decided to change it up some. My son turned his Grim Reaper costume into an assassin's costume. My daughter decided that being a cat would be fun, so she switched to that.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:17:00.002-05:00

Blogging for Books

2011-10-28T06:05:00.004-05:00

I love to read. I love to get free books. I love to blog. So, when I came across this site, I had to join up. It's Christian books that you can receive advanced reader copies of. Once you join, you select a book from a list to review. They will ship it to you (or give you the link to download an ebook). The only 'fee' is to blog about your review when you're ready. Then you can request a new book for review and repeat the process. It's really a great way to be introduced to new authors.

Chattahoochee Nature Center

2011-10-27T00:21:00.006-05:00

After having a day unplugged from computers/video games on Saturday (and doing a lot of cleaning), I decided we should get out for a while. I've never been to the Nature Center before, so my suggestion was to head there. Ultimately, my family went along with me.

We got there just as they were doing a critter encounter. Note the possum on the staff person's back.

We wandered through the aviary trail after. My photos of most didn't come out. This one, fortunately, did. He decided he liked my daughter and followed her up and down the cage line.

We wandered up the forest trail and saw lots of beautiful colors in the trees. My favorite was this view.

At the top of the hill is a small cemetary.

From there we wandered over to the River trail.

There were at least 3 other trails that we didn't do. They had a guided nature hike as well, though my kids preferred doing it on their own. All in all, a very nice trip for a pretty Fall day.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T03:13:00.002-05:00

This is from the FDR memorial in Washington, D.C. I think it speaks for itself.

Belle & Jasmine join our home

2011-10-25T04:44:00.005-05:00

Jasmine and Belle have joined our household. No, I don't mean these..

I went out on errands Saturday and stopped at a couple of yard sales. A dangerous thing under the best circumstances, but I did it any way. The first I stopped at I purchased two Star Wars books for my son and a suede poncho for my daughter. At a different one, though, there was a new college student that found taking care of her two pets was too much. So, now they live with us. I already had the tank, just had to pick up a heater and a filter. As best as I can tell, they're yellow sliders. They're really too little to identify their sex yet, but Jasmine & Belle came with their names. They may change in the future.

This is Belle.. This is Jasmine.. And those are my fingers, just to show you how little they really are.

Am I insane? Probably. Hubby huffed at me when he found out about them. It's not like they're difficult to keep, nor will they eat that much compared to other members of this household.

Hidden gem in Roswell

2011-10-24T04:43:00.001-05:00

My kids went on a field trip with one of the Social Studies teachers at GCA. We went to the Roswell visitor center, where we learned something about the history of city. The focus for the group was primarily the civil war time frame.

From there we went on a short hike. Behind "The Mills" (and just down from the visitor center) is the old mill machinery shop and a covered bridge. The bridge crosses Vickery Creek.

There are several trails you can follow. We crossed the bridge and followed it back to the dam.

It was a gorgeous day for the hike. We only did a portion of the trail, though I'd like to go back and do the rest of it. We did return back to the visitor center before heading home. I got this shot of my two before we left.

Book Review: Thank you, God, for blessing me

2011-10-21T04:22:00.001-05:00

Thank you, God, for blessing me by Max Lucado

A very sweet little book. It's a child's book about Little Hermie, meant to be read and shared by a parent. The wonderful little caterpillar returns and in it he gives thanks to God for all the things he has given him. It's a great read and will help younger children (and older) learn how to pray.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Fernbank Museum of Natural History

2011-10-20T06:31:00.000-05:00

Fernbank was having a "Space" weekend this past weekend. My husband has been wanting to go see the Hubble Imax movie and it was one of the things being shown. Since we hadn't had the chance to check out the Darwin exhibit yet, we headed out there on Sunday. I was somewhat disppointed in what was presented, though it was a reasonably thorough look at his life. I'm not sure what I was expecting, so I can't say exactly what was disappointing.

Some of the highlights from the exhibit

We visited the Georgia exhibit as well

At the end of our visit, I wanted to visit the rose garden as well. This is located at the top of the second parking lot by the museum. If you get a chance to visit while the flowers are in bloom, it's definitely worth the time.

About.me

2011-10-19T04:48:00.000-05:00

I don't have a Wordless Wednesday entry for today, so I'm going another direction. I recently found out about a word of mouth site called 'about.me'. It creates a great little summary of your self that you can share with friends, new associates and more. It's very customizable and very easy to do.

All about about.me from about.me on Vimeo.

I don't want to make this too simple (most of you that have found me know the basics, I'm sure). But, the first thing to do is to create your account. The system mostly prompts you for your starting information. You can create your title (I used my name), then enter your information. I started with my blog description and altered it somewhat since I wasn't talking about my blog.

I don't care for most pictures taken of me any more, so I selected one I do, then I used that as my background. From there it was just a matter of playing with the fonts, colors and layouts until I got it the way I wanted. I think it took me all of 30 minutes to get it set up. You can see the final product.. Check out my about.me profile!

I signed up and received a pack of free moo business cards (very nice quality, by the way). If you sign up with about.me, you can receive a pack of cards too. I use mine on outings with GCA so that I can keep in touch with new families.

I did this through BZZAgent (I receive free samples and coupons in return for my honest opinion).

Book Review: The Scroll

2011-10-18T05:44:00.002-05:00

The Scroll by Grant R. Jeffry and Alton L. Gansky

An archeological dig in Israel by the top biblical archeologists of their time. Dr. David Chambers, the lead archeologist, is having a hard time resolving his faith and his past. He has lost the energy that attracted his former fiance, Amber. An old friend reaches out to David, luring him to join and lead the dig. Can he resolve his past? Will the dig unlock something that could ultimately change the future?

An interesting mix of characters, it adds in Dr. Ben-Judah. David's mentor and lead contact in joining the dig. Nuri, another archaeologist with a focus on the technology that can assist. Amber, Chamber's former fiance and archaeologist in her own right. Trent, US billionaire and financer of the dig. Finally, there's Landau, the former marine and current operative in charge of keeping everyone safe.

The dig is a treasure map leading to a treasure of untold value. There is someone that wants it all gone, including the archaeologists. It adds unknown danger to a mystery. A wonderful tale, though I'm not sure about the ending. With today's views of the middle east, it does, perhaps, represent a potential to at least a partial truth. Whether the finds of the dig would ever be found, the tension that builds between the countries already exists.

A fairly short read, for me. I suspect most anyone would have it finished in a couple of days. Well written and enjoyable, I would recommend it.

I was given this book by Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review.

Braselton & Mayfield

2011-10-17T04:13:00.000-05:00

I took the kids out to Braselton to visit the Mayfield Visitor Center. I'd heard of the tours ending and center closing, so on their day off from school, we made the drive. Unfortunately, tours stopped on Friday, Oct. 14th. The visitor center closes at the end of the month. They recommend calling Mayfield and asking them to reconsider this.

The front of the Visitor Center

We weren't allowed to use our cameras on the tour, but I can summarize it. We started with a video about the history of Mayfield Dairies. We were then led back to view the processing area (homogenizing/etc) for the milk. From there we moved down a bit to see the lab where they test the milk. They test it as soon as it's brought in on the trucks and again randomly on the lines.

Our 4th stop was to see where the trucks came in and were unloaded and to view a second video about how the containers are made. We didn't get the chance to enter any of these rooms. They were all viewed through windows. My kids still thought it was interesting, though, especially to get a chance to ask questions of our tour guide about what we DID see.

We returned to the Visitor Center/Gift Shop. They have several displays in the room showing the history of the company. This was one of them.

I think the highlight of the tour was having ice cream afterward.

This was outside (of course) and the kids just had to visit it. Which meant that I just had to get a photo of them with it.

Review - Disney On Ice Dare to Dream

2011-10-14T03:19:00.006-05:00

I was fortunate enough to be invited to take my daughter to see this show Wednesday night. We brought along her best friend and her best friend's mom since my boys weren't interested in princesses. Once we arrived at Philip's Arena, we were given passes to go 'behind the scenes' to a press conference. While there, we participated in interviewing two of the Disney skaters.

About the skaters

The gentleman on the left played Aladdin. A brief summary of his bio is that he's been skating since he was 11 and joined the Disney team right out of High School. He's been with Disney for 4 years.

The lady on the right plays Mamma Odie. She is originally from Toronto, has been skating for 24 years and with Disney for 10. From their interview, you can tell they're a close group, skating together 10 months out of the year. For holidays, they like to get involved in the community they're currently staying in. Anything from working in a soup kitchen to collecting donations.

We only had a limited amount of time with those two as they had to prepare for the show. What was fun to see, though, was my daughter's friend's reaction to the next guests.

The Show

After meeting the skaters, we went down to our seats. We were lucky that we had excellent seats and a great view of the skaters. I tried to take pictures of the show, but my camera isn't quite that good. What I did get were these..

As for the show itself, a little bit of detail. The story starts with Disney's Princess and the Frog. It tells a majority of the tale, centering primarily on Tiana. It displays the adventure through the bayou to meet Mamma Odie and finishes with Naveen and Tiana returning to their human form. From there, it moves into the story of Cinderella. From the sad tale of a young girl not appreciated by her family, to include audience participation in helping her go to the ball. It finishes with the Prince finding Cinderella. Last (but not least) it moves to Tangled and the story of Rapunzel. With her trusty skillet in hand, follow Rapunzel as she meets Flynn, the Ruffians from the tavern and Maximus. It finishes with Rapunzel being greeted by ALL the Disney Princesses and welcomed 'home'.

The show has just enough special effects to make the show really work and to enhance those special moments of each tale. From Naveen & Tiana turning in to frogs to Rapunzel & Flynn and their high flying stunts with her 'hair'. Cinderella puts a few girls into the story with the fitting of the slipper and Tangled gets one child involved as well.

After the show, I asked the girls what they thought of it all. My daughter's comment was "I would post a one word review... AWESOME!". Her friend was a little more detailed.. "I really enjoyed it. I thought the princesses were great and it was very romantic."

I can honestly say we thoroughly enjoyed the show. We all watched spellbound as the skaters acted out the stories. I, personally, loved watching Rapunzel and Flynn do their aerialist performances. The girls noted ALL the details, including the floating lanterns and Rapunzel's hair glowing when healing Flynn's hand. It was certainly a show worth going to see.

I was given tickets to this show in return for posting my honest review.

Shooting in the Mountains

2011-10-13T04:00:00.000-05:00

The view is actually from heading up the road toward Fort Mountain, not where family lives. But it was a gorgeous day and I wanted to stop and get a picture of it anyway. When we visit my husband's grandmother, there's several things that may end up keeping the kids occupied. After hubby mowed part of the yard, we took their grandmother's guns out to a back area and let the kids shoot. We started with the BB gun.. my daughter had never shot anything before, so this was new to her. No, my son is not trying to bother his sister while she's shooting. He's trying to help her fix her stance.. he's just using his foot to do it.. Then moved to the .22 rifle. My daughter shot this as well, though for some reason I missed getting a picture of it.. maybe because I was shooting too.. hm..

My son, though, fell in love with shooting the .410 shotgun.. now he wants to know when he can have one of his own..

Wordless Wednesday - Flower Envy

2011-10-12T04:10:00.002-05:00

I always have to admire my husband's grandmother's flowers when I go up. I try to be like her, but haven't quite gotten it down yet. Fortunately, she gives me cuttings and rootings from her garden to try and tips on how to get them best to grow. Maybe one day I'll be as good as she is. Any way, here's the case of my flower envy (and this is just a small sample)..

Of course, you can't forget her vegetable garden which grows a variety of stuff.. this pepper was huge!

Ellijay Apple Festival

2011-10-11T05:39:00.000-05:00

My family and I took off for the mountains (literally) Saturday. We headed up to the Ellijay Apple Festival, just to see what we could see. We'd been once before, though it had been many years since then. My husband and I debated how many, but figure at least 5 years. If you go, plan to encounter some traffic on the main strip while you try to get to parking. There is plenty and they have shuttle buses running to. Check out their web site for more info.

This is a view of the fair itself from the hill going up toward the Middle/High shool.

We didn't stop here long, but watching someone carve with a chainsaw is always fascinating to me

As with any large fair, there's crafts galore. I loved this booth. This statue made me think of "Night in the Museum". When I turned to my son, we both said "DumDum gimme GumGum"..

A local wildlife rescue group was out there showing some of the animals that reside at their facility. Each animal has a story, one that's quite sad considering. Most were due to humans (not surprising) doing something they shouldn't.

On the way out, we headed further into the mountains to go visit family in the Chatsworth area. The town of Ellijay itself had an extension of the fair going on, with streets closed and more vendors. Of course, since it's the Apple festival, quite a few orchards had stands in both places, so a wide selection of apple varieties were available. All around town you could also find these guys..

I didn't get a chance to get pictures of all the different set-ups and arrangements, but it looks like most of the store fronts had one. Some local businesses without storefronts had them as well. Most were on the main square, but some were on side streets as well. If you have the chance, you might see the festival itself, then drive over to main street and wander there too.

Fun at Brookstone

2011-10-10T04:51:00.000-05:00

I was given the opportunity to go to Brookstone (my favorite mall gadget store) to check out some of their products. I've always enjoyed wandering through their store to see what was new. So, when I jumped on the chance to go with some blogger friends. Unfortunately for me, my phone wouldn't let me on to twitter, so I couldn't tweet from the event. I'll resolve that issue soon by getting an iPhone.

In the meantime, the first of the items I found that I think is cool was this clock. I have a projector clock, but to maintain the time on the clock and the projector, you have to set them separately. Of course, if the power blinks, the clock itself has a backup battery. The projector does not. This clock from Brookstone was cool because other than the time zone, you don't have to set the time. It uses the atomic clock to set itself automagically.

I gave out digital picture frames to the grandparents one year. I didn't use this particular one, but an offbrand. I have since wanted one of my own. So, for family watching my blog, you can put this on my Christmas list.

The next two items are true toys. They're both controlled via iPad/iPod/iPhone. The first is a little rover. It has a camera mounted on it and seems to be quite sturdy.

This one was pure fun. It's a Hover Drone. Meant primarily for use inside it has a second body that can be put on it for outside. It has a camera on the front and underneath. The camera will send pictures back to your iToy for you to see. Very cool.

These on the other hand are health related. The one on the left is a wake-up/wind-down light. It has an alarm that can trigger the lamp to come up by degrees as your wake-up signal. It can reverse as well to dim. The lamp on the right is what Brookstone called a Happy Light. It's a full spectrum UV lamp. Very nice.

A couple of other fun things I saw, though I didn't get pictures of, were the massage tools. I loved the full foot massage. I sat with that on my feet a good 5 minutes before I decided I should let someone else have a turn. I also enjoyed the shoulder massage items. One was a shiatsu type massage, the other was a percussion. I think I preferred the percussion style better. Then there was the CHAIR. A full body massage chair. I had to tweet my chance to win one of those when I got back from the event. That would be SOOOOO nice to have.

To get away from massages, I loved the soft nap blankets too. I could just curl up under one of those and stay there for a long time. Or the electric hot pad. Not like the type that have to remain plugged in to stay warm, this one uses electricity to get it hot. Then you can unplug it and it will stay warm for 4 hours. It comes with a belt pouch so that you can put it on areas that need the heat.. (like for the ladies that have the monthly issues, or for when you've lifted a child too many times and need help for your back).

So, as usual, I was happy to get a chance to play with the gadgets at Brookstone. I left my kids at home so I could have the opportunity to visit with adults and play with stuff meant for adults and not feel guilty about it. Thank you to those that invited me there and then gave me one of these just for visiting. It will come in handy when I replace my phone.

Decorating Cup Cakes

2011-10-07T04:46:00.004-05:00

One of the GCA teachers had an outing in downtown Duluth this past week. We went to a new bakery called Tie Dye 4. They do parties and more. We actually started the outing outside, then moved inside for the fun part of decorating cupcakes. I think the kids enjoyed themselves.

Starting with the frosting..

Adding sprinkles, reeses cups and lots of other stuff..

The finished products which didn't last long..

Swagbucks Special Offers

2011-10-06T03:02:00.000-05:00

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