Aloha Friday
« Previous Entries Next Entries »Time for an Eye Exam
Friday, March 9th, 2012Eye health is very important to me. Growing up, I always knew that I would one day need glasses because both of my parents and everyone in my family had them. Mom and Dad each got their first pair of classes when they were freshman. At the start of 9th grade, I noticed that I was not seeing the overhead projectors in biology. I told my mother and we set up an appointment to get my eyes checked. Sure enough, I was on my way to my first pair of glasses.
When TechyDad and I started our family, we knew that our boys would one day get glasses. I asked him when he got his first pair, and knew it was when he was in second grade. With our oldest now in third grade, I knew things could change for his vision at any time.
Over winter break, NHL continued to complain about headaches. Nana asked me one day if we had checked his eyes recently. We had in September when he had his physical, but nothing since. NHL never complained that he could not see in school, but then again he probably did not know the difference. Little things noticed by NHL’s gym teacher, his headaches, and our suspicions made us want to check this out.
After break was over, I called the school nurse to see if she could do a quick check. I knew that something was going on because he was not seeing quite right. Nana was definitely onto something and I felt horrible for not putting the pieces together before that. We were lucky that they were screening the entire school for sight and hearing that week. The screener said she would call me immediately since I was concerned about things. The next afternoon, I received a call. NHL’s vision was definitely off according to their quick exam. I quickly called and made an appointment for the early morning weekend day to check when NHL’s eyes were fresh and less likely to be strained.
NHL did an amazing job and the place we took him to was fantastic with children. In the end, we found out that he does in fact need glasses and hope this will help to make all of the recent headaches vanish. Tune in tomorrow for a letter to NHL where I share a photo of his new glasses (Harry Potter watch out) and show how a jealous little brother reacts.
So my question to you this week:
If you or your children needed glasses, how old were you when you first got them?
___________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #194
So this is Winter
Friday, March 2nd, 2012Earlier in the week, I had almost forgotten about that white stuff that falls from the sky.
Of course, I know where we live and it is hard to forget the snow from last year. This could have been the least snowy on record for February, but it was not meant to be. No, that funny 29th day killed that plan thanks to Mother Nature sending us a dose of reality. As of Tuesday, we had only received .6” of snow during the month. With a storm coming on Leap Day, we were going to easily go over the 1.2” record.
The photo above was taken right before I went to get JSL from preschool on Wednesday. The snow had started quickly and was making an impact. By about 4:00, it looked like this outside the house:
Thank goodness we all made it home safely, although skidding on the road was an issue. This morning, schools throughout the area were closed for the first time this season. The boys stayed home with me as more snow fell. After lunch, I went out to take some photos and get rid of the giant boulders of snow at the bottom of the driveway from the plows.
So my question to you this week:
How has the winter been by you? Mild, typical, snowy, tropical, or something in between. Share below and let me know what you think.
___________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #193
Picnik Replacement Possibility
Friday, February 24th, 2012Photos are a huge part of my blog. I include them in almost every post that I write. Thanks to Picnik, I often made collages, added in text, or placed a fun sticker for a holiday within my pictures. Imagine my reaction when I heard that Google was going to cease operating Picnik in their current location this April. To say I was devastated would be an understatement. Sure they said it would be integrated on Google+, but it was far from the same. The new space for Picnik was not as easy to use, hardly as flexible, did not have the features I needed, and would not allow me to download my creations to put onto my blog.
I asked TechyDad to see if he could find me another solution. Sure, I could use a great photo publishing program like PaintShop Pro, but the reality is I wanted something that did not take a lot of time to learn and would be quick and easy. The other day he told me about PhotoScape. That night, I put it on my computer and had some fun.
First I made a collage of photos from Disney parks.
Then, TechyDad told me that one of the great benefits of PhotoScape is you can put any font into it to use. So I downloaded a Disney one to use, along with another one. After that, I saw the stickers/stamps that you can add to photos. Check out the boys to see what I was able to do, along with the sign near Figment.
I am still exploring all of the possibilities with this new tool, but I really love it. Even TechyDad has joined in on the fun. Check out the Wordless Wednesday that he had this week using PhotoScape. Is it as easy as Picnik was right away? Not initially. Still, I think it may be more powerful and once you understand a few little quirks – it is fun and has so much to offer.
So my questions to you this week:
Are you a fan of Picnik and what will you be using once it closes in April? If you don’t use Picknik, what do you use to touch up or create items for your blog?
___________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #192
Crafting Ideas for Winter Break
Friday, February 17th, 2012Some parts of the country have a week of school off in February. We live in one of those areas and it is next week to coordinate with President’s Day. Although it has been a mild winter, we still may have days that are too cold to head outside or snow may keep us home.
Thanks to this, I have been looking at Pinterest for crafting ideas to do with the boys. Over the last few weeks, I have gathered some items that may work for one, or both of the kids. I also tried to find items that we could do with supplies that we already own. To see some of the items that I pinned click on the Crafts for kids button below.
I know that NHL really wants to try finger knitting. With all of the extra yarn that I have in the house, this would be great. The boys would also love to make and then play with their own play-dough. Why not pull them into the kitchen to make something that they can use for hours with the toys that we already have. Of course, we will also be testing our their Shrinky Dinks that they got from Nana and Papa for Valentine’s Day. Who knows, maybe I will even have a chance to try some of the items in this board too:
So this week my question is:
If money, time, space, and mess factor were no issue – what craft would you love to do with your children and/or yourself and why?
___________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #191
A Week of Awareness for the Heart
Friday, February 10th, 2012
With Valentine’s Day next week, it only seems fitting that February 7 – 14 are CHD Awareness Week. Prior to three years ago, I had very little understand and/or knowledge of CHD. Now, thanks to my friend, Kristine Brite McCormick, and her angel baby Cora, I know much more.
Yesterday, Kristine had a guest post on my blog that explained how she learned about CHD. Her story is a hard one to read about, but by doing so – many babies and others have had CHD identified and saved their lives. If you do not know about CHD, I ask you to take some time to familiarize yourself with it. If you are expecting a baby, please check and see if your hospital does pulse oximetery testing on newborns to try to catch these heart defects that are often not caught otherwise.
My question to you this week is inspired by all of the CHD warriors and their families:
Did you know that it was CHD awareness week? Also curious to know what you plan on doing for Valentine’s Day on Tuesday.
Please also think about spreading the word about CHD awareness. The more that people know, the better informed they can be to watch for these items in their lives.
___________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #190
The Big Think Pink Stink
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
Awareness about a cause is not found with a Facebook status message, nor placing a colored ribbon on your car, or even buying products that support them. Awareness is knowing someone that has battled something, realizing how it changes their life, and trying to help them. A post by my friend Ellen, Confessions of an IT Girl, titled On Awareness hit a nerve with me. Prior to this, Ellen also wrote about the recent coverage on the Susan G. Komen Foundation discontinuing their support to Planned Parenthood.
As I have been trying to take everything in, TechyDad sent me a link to he video below. It is about the new documentary called Pink Ribbons, Inc. that will be released in Canada today.
Over the years, I have supported the Think Pink movement, especially when my amazing friend A Frugal Friend has her month long event in honor of her mother. I have watched my aunt bravely battle cancer. She has been a survivor for almost nine years now. As others have noted, I have also seen the focus of the moment stray from helping people who are fighting for their life against breast cancer to a more commercial message. I am not a fan of this. I must say, I think it’s a bit odd that funding was cut this week, perhaps to take focus away from this new documentary that would also paint a not so pretty picture. Conspiracy theorist I am not, but it just is odd.
This makes me more focused to see what I can do to help others. Ellen’s post made me realize that I can call local oncology groups to see if they need knitted items for patients. Perhaps a lap blanket while sitting and receiving chemo, a pretty hat to make them less upset about their hair loss, or some cloths to help them pamper themselves. I also hope to see the film and work more with my family and community to make a difference. If anyone has seen a preview, I would also love to know your thoughts.
So my question to you this week is to help me brainstorm:
What would you do to help an organization or cause? Think of a way to bring awareness to the real people involved.
___________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #189
Collection Time
Friday, January 27th, 2012Growing up, we would usually take at least one family vacation a year. It would be to Disney World, Ocean City Maryland, Virginia, or various other places along the east coast. Along the way, my brother and I started to collect buttons/pins from the places that we would go to. This collection continued as I would get pins from locations I visited when I was in college and even beyond.
Over the summer, the boys and I found my giant box of goodies from growing up.
The boys were mesmerized with everything inside. They loved seeing all of the ones from different Disney attractions and locations. Some of these sadly are long gone. NHL spent quite a lot of time reading all of them and asking me questions about the different pins and when I received them.
My question to you this week is inspired by my old collection:
What items have you and/or your children decided to collect and why?
___________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #188
Say No to Censorship
Friday, January 20th, 2012Wednesday, I likely confused some members of my family if they stopped by my website. First, they would have seen this:
This was a widget for WordPress that TechyDad and I placed on our blogs to show support against the new bills that the US Congress and Senate are trying to put on the books. We really liked that this would help to inform people about what these bills will do to the average American – including bloggers like us. If you continued to my blog, this was at the top over my header/logo:
I did not blackout my website like Wikipedia, Reddit, and others. Instead, I did not post new content during the blackout period and had this information to educate people about the cause. If you look up in the right corner, I now have a Stop SOPA ribbon.
As someone who has had her content copied and used without my permission, I get that piracy is not ok. The problem is that SOPA and PIPA go far above and beyond that. Oh and IF you have seen the commercials promoting these bills – they are horrid. Scare tactics against citizens without all of the information is unacceptable. Here check it out (commercial begins at :29 mark):
For more information, please head over to read TechyDad’s post about the legislation.
So my question to you this week:
Did you blackout your website on Wednesday? I would also like to know why you opted with your choice. Please remember to make some noise and contact your representatives in Congress and Senate to let them know that censorship is NOT acceptable. We need to kill these bills and revamp to properly stop piracy.
___________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #187
Not My Hair in the Food
Friday, January 13th, 2012The title pretty much explains it all. Last week, TechyDad stopped on his way home from work to pick up some dinner because it was one of those nights. We opted for some subs. I was really in the mood for some grilled chicken and ordered that. As we were eating our dinner, I noticed a medium length hair of a color that is not mine sticking out of my sandwich.
Insert gagging noises, expressions of horror, and rage.
That was the end of my meal since there was no way I was eating something that was served to me with an unknown hair within it. TechyDad called the store and was told he could go back in for a new sandwich and see the manager. Oh sure, just what we want to do so late on one of the coldest nights of the year with two kids that need to go to bed soon. NOPE, I was not taking that as an answer. I decided to call and ask to talk to the manager. The manager came onto the phone and blew me away with the cluelessness. She did not get how bad this situation was, offered no solution, and certainly NEVER said she was sorry. The next morning, I went to the website of the main company since I did not have a way to get in touch with the local owner. This is what I wrote to them:
My husband decided to stop on his way home to get subs for dinner to take home. He ordered a roasted chicken and veggie patty. As I was eating mine, something caught my eye. A hair was embedded in my sandwich that was clearly NOT mine. That was it, I was done eating. I was disgusted with this. What I was not ready for was what happened when we called the store. First, my husband called. He was told to go back to the store to talk with the manager. He hung up and told me. It was dinner time, we have two young children, and it was freezing. He was NOT going back to the store at that point in time. I picked up the phone and asked to talk to the manager. It was a little after 6:00 at this point. I did not get the managers name. She was less than helpful at best. The manager clearly did not get the gravity of the situation. She stated "Oh you are upset and don’t want your food?" No kidding I was upset, disgusted, and appalled with how she had no clue how to handle this. I told her I was finished and was going to contact corporate. This is when she suddenly seemed to care and wanted to know what she could do. I told her no thank you and hung up the phone. Your Twitter feed helped me to located this page to report the incident. I would like to know what is the proper protocol for avoiding hairs into customer food and what is supposed to be done when a customer finds one within their meal.
Thank you in advance for your assistance with this matter.
After some time, an e-mail from the owner of the store arrived. It was 2-3 sentences long and did not really apologize, state what happened, or anything else. They may have thought it was a sorry, but it was not. Stating that you are “sorry that your experience at my store was not satisfactory” and telling me to print out the e-mail for a free sub next visit does not cut it. Nope, my business will now be going to a new location and I will make my own sandwiches at home without feeding my family hairs.
So my question to you this week:
Have you ever gotten a hair in your food at a restaurant? What did you say and what did they do in response to the situation?
___________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #186
Preoccupied with Pinterest
Friday, January 6th, 2012“‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, I was trying to avoid things and got distracted by all things Mickey Mouse”
What am I talking about? Just before Christmas, when I was busy with all things Chanukah and beyond, my friend Kelby Carr, aka @TypeAMom, mentioned something about Pinterest. This was far from the first time she had mentioned an addiction to it. I heard about it while in NYC during SheStreams. Of course, I tried to stay away. Why? Not because I didn’t think I would like it. I knew I would and didn’t want another item in my bag of tricks.
Well, Kelby brought me to the dark side that evening. When I said I was avoiding it, she sent me an invite. Within minutes, I was a sold. What’s not to love as a mother, geek, social media person, and crafter? Seriously, WAY too much to offer.
The beauty of Pinterest is you can personalize in any way you want. So far, I have organized my pins into 16 boards. My topics include:
Disney Life For Me – Recipes to Try – Sweet Goodness – Knitting Things – Crafts for Kids – Geek I am – Need to Read – For Those Eeyore Kind of Days – Chanukah Oh Chanukah – Recipes that we Enjoy – Bullying Be Gone – Books from Tuesday Tales – Just for Laughs – Around the House – <3 Day Items – Birthday Party Ideas
On Type-A Parent, Kelby has shared 5 Pinterest Tips for the Beginner. This post does a great job summarizing things for the newbie getting to know Pinterest. Now, let me share a few fun pins.
From “Disney Life For Me” – a favorite Dreamfinder and Figment post from Zannaland
Source: zannaland.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest
A funny saying that several fellow Geeks shared and I loved for my “Geek I am” board:
Source: nerdquirks.tumblr.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest
Of course, there are lots of sweet temptations in my “Sweet Goodness” board. Here is one with cookie dough that is taunting me to make it one day:
Source: recipegirl.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest
There are SO many other goodies out there, but I will leave you with those three pin examples. If you are on Pinterest Type-A Parent also has a Pinterest Profile Linkup that they are running to locate more people. Oh one more thing, congratulations to Kelby. While I sit and type this, she just announced that she was signed on to write a Pinterest for Dummies book.
So my question to you this week:
Are you on Pinterest yet or not? If you are, what do you like using it for? If you are not, I would love to know what you are waiting for.
___________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.
Aloha #185
« Previous Entries Next Entries »