The Angel Forever

Tuesday Tales – eReader Envy

Posted on July 19, 2011 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Tuesday Tales

This may surprise you, but I am not the owner of an eReader. Do not get me wrong, I would love to have one. The reality is there are other items that I would like more – you know like a getaway with hubby. For months, my friends with iPhones have been raving about the free Kindle App that is available. May I introduce you to Pod:

Yes, I inherited an iPod that my parents were no longer using. It gets a lot of use with different educational applications and such. The other day, I added something for me on Pod – check it out:

Since that time, Pod has been getting a bit more use. I am trying to see what I think of reading using the Kindle App. Wait, am I talking about my iPod like that – why yes I am! Thanks to great resources out there like Mandy at Mommy Cracked, you can often find free and cheap books to download for your Kindle or other eReader. Mandy just published as I was working on a post, so I thought it was perfect to share.

For my test reading, I went to the Amazon Kindle Store. Once there, I searched for free books. I noticed one that seemed interesting to me. So I quickly downloaded One True Love by Barbara Freethy and a few classics like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

It was simple to download and within seconds I had my book to read:

I have to admit, I was not sure how I would feel about reading in this tiny format, or without a book in my hand. I started just a short time ago and am already done with a good chunk of the book. I have no complaints about the size of the Kindle app and can alter the font size to what works best for me. Here’s a view of the pages and tracking how far you have read:

I do not think this will completely replace my book reading until I get a “real” eReader (Kindle, Nook, or other would be fantastic to review on Tuesday Tales – no?!). For now, I like the portability of Pod with the Kindle app and I think it is great to take on the go, so long as the kids allow me to use it.

Do you have an eReader or Kindle App? I would love to know what you think and could use any book suggestions that you have loved in this format.

What have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your Book Posts, and/or leave a comment below. Include something you read on your own, with a child or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Categories:
books me moments photos Tuesday Tales

Destination Romantic Disney Dreaming

Posted on July 18, 2011 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

I have a bad case of the Disney blues. You see, ten years ago in June, we had our amazing honeymoon at Walt Disney World. TechyDad and I were spoiled rotten and had the most magical experience on that trip. We stayed at the Beach Club Resort for 10 magical days.

We decided to go all out and stayed at a deluxe resort. We wanted to be near Epcot so we could dine around the world and at the Boardwalk. They upgraded our room when they heard we were on our honeymoon. Check out the view from our balcony:

We had a deluxe dining plan and also had the ability to do tours with our package. We did several behind the scene tours, ate at Spoodles, Le Cellier (several times with same day reservations – *gasp*), Chef Mickey, Crystal Palace, and saw Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba.

This was when I made TechyDad a believer. He quickly saw the magic of a Walt Disney World vacation. He was able to see that it is not simply for families with children. It is a place where you can be with your spouse and have plenty of romantic moments. It is a location to wine and dine, be a kid, and enjoy magical memories together. It is a destination that you can visit over and over and still not see everything. So many people do not understand and I am ok with this. I am just lucky TechyDad gets it and so do friends like Amy. She just got back from a 10th anniversary trip to Walt Disney World with her husband. Before leaving, she wrote a post about romantic Disney with quotes from me included.

So why am I writing about this? Well, you see TechyDad and I are toying with doing something that is unlike us. We are talking about putting us first and getting away without the boys. Yes, we are debating a 10th anniversary trip to Walt Disney World. Sure, we have been since our honeymoon, but not just the two of us. In fact, the only time we have been away without the boys was to BlogHer last year in NYC. This would be a trip for us, not in the name of Social Media (imagine that).

We won’t be staying at the Beach Club Resort this time, but it will still be a magical vacation for just the two of us. Now, we just have to check a few more items and figure out child care. The boys can probably stay with TechyDad’s parents, but they have never done that without us before. A lot of things are on my mind, but dreaming and making this into a reality is making me smile.

If you have any suggestions on romantic meals or other places to visit as a couple at Disney World, I would love to hear about it. A lot has changed in ten years.

So, please excuse me for a little while. I need to dream a little more about the possibility of a romantic getaway to the most magical place with my amazing husband. We need this for us and our family.

Categories:
Disney dreams jl looking back photos travel vent

Winnie the Pooh Prevails

Posted on July 17, 2011 8:58 am by TheAngelForever

It’s true, we went to see the new Winnie the Pooh Movie on opening weekend. Although I really, really, really wanted to see one of the Harry Potter movies before it is released on DVD, it will not be on opening weekend. I am okay with this. Sure, I stood in front of the door showing Harry Potter and whined for a minute, but I got over it.

It would have been magical (pun intended) to see Harry Potter with friends yesterday, but watching my boys laugh and smile for an entire hour was well worth it. I purposely put the little guy in his favorite shirt and I had my Eeyore shirt on. I had expected longer lines to get the tickets, but it was rather empty at noon. When we walked into the theater, we were the only people there. The boys settled in and were fascinated with the new kids previews before the real movie started.

We all really enjoyed the movie. It kept the interest of not only a 4 and 7 year old, but TechyDad and I really enjoyed it as well. There was humor that those who could read would understand, and silly things for non-readers too. I truly felt like I had been immersed into the Hundred Acre Woods with all of my favorite friends. Secretly, I was thrilled with how much screen time Eeyore had. TechyDad and I were also impressed with The Ballad of Nessie that came on before the feature. This had such a powerful lesson within it that it could easily have a post for itself.

In the end, my only criticism was that the Winnie the Pooh movie was only about an hour and ten minutes. I wish it had gone longer. I wanted there to be more, but it probably was a nice spot to end. I will not spoil anything, but need you to know something important. When you go to see the new movie, do not leave before ALL of the credits are over. Several people in the theater left and missed something worth the wait. It’s Disney and you know there will be something at the end.

So before I go, I will share a little segment from the movie that Disney has released in honor of the movie opening on Friday. Enjoy!

Have you seen Winnie the Pooh or the last Harry Potter movie? If you have, please let me know what you thought (no spoilers).

Disclosure: My family and I paid for our own tickets to see Winnie the Pooh at Regal Cinemas. We had been invited to a screening of the film, but they were too far from us to attend. Our love for all things Disney meant that we had to share our experience and the clip from the movie for your enjoyment.

Categories:
Disney fun jsl me moments Movies nhl TechyDad weekend

Bounce Time for the Boys

Posted on July 16, 2011 9:05 am by TheAngelForever

Dear NHL and JSL,

For weeks, we have been trying to take you to a new location to do some bouncing. On Friday, I spent the day getting laundry done while you played. I wanted to have it finished so I could spend the weekend with everyone and not have to worry about getting clothing clean.

When Daddy got home from work, we quickly got into the car and went to Afrim’s. On Friday night, you can bounce from 5-8 for $5. When we got there, there was only one other child. It was a bit warm inside, but that did not stop the two of you.

Before we knew it, we were the only people in the bounce area. The two of you ran from bouncer to bouncer. Even though you could not get up one of the slides thanks to a broken part, you used it as a place to run through and bounce in. The space was perfect for the two of you to release a lot of energy.

One of the bouncers has a small climbing wall and punching spot within it. Both of you really liked this. I was especially shocked with JSL’s monkey climbing skills.

After a while, even Daddy was tired from watching you run, bounce, slide, punch, and climb. Lucky for him, there was a nice comfy couch to rest on.

After about an hour, the two of you looked like tomatoes running around. It was really warm, you were thirsty (we didn’t bring water bottles) and Daddy was hungry. So we packed both of you up and went to get some dinner. I know that we will probably head back to the bounce place, but it may be on a cooler day since it is quite warm in there. Still, even with the heat we all had a great time together.

Love,

Mommy

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If you want to participate in Dear Kid Saturday, head on over to Cutest Kid Ever by clicking on the button below.

Categories:
Dear Kid Saturday fun jsl nhl photos summer TechyDad

For the Love of a Fish Fry

Posted on July 15, 2011 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Growing up in the northeast, I learned to love our local fish fry haven. I remember going with both sides of the family to this favorite destination. Relatives that were from out of town would actually beg to head to Bob & Ron’s Fish Fry. I would sit there looking up at the sharks on the wall, swivel in my seat, and let time pass.

As a child, I was not originally a fan of the fish fry. Instead, I would get a hamburger or later on clam strips (never said I was kosher ~~as a kid~~). Then, I realized what I was missing.

The other night, we took the boys bowling and wanted a quick and easy dinner since it was late. I pulled out our Entertainment book. I recalled that there was a coupon for Bob and Ron’s Fish Fry. We pulled into the parking lot and memories came flooding back. The menu has hardly changed, even with new owners in recent years.

This was not a healthy meal, but something different, nostalgic, fun, and delicious. Yes, it fun to get photos of my kids swiveling in the same chairs I sat in as a kid.

The boys were mesmerized by the giant sharks on the wall. I could not resist taking a photo when they asked me to capture this moment (even if NHL was being silly).

So my question to you this week:

Do you have a restaurant that you recall from your childhood that you like to revisit now? Why do you still like to head back there?

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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.