Saturday, November 22, 2014

Sometimes Mother Nature Wins


Some Omahaians (is that even a word?) can not stand our mayor. While I have my dislikes in regards to her, I admire the fact that she simply doesn't put up with stuff. It appears that she simply does not care what people think. She does her best, and moves on.

I would have thought being a female - caring what others think would have been a detriment to a government position. She doesn't care it seems, so go her. At times as a teacher I care too much about student's opinions; compared to my fellow male teachers. No I'm not saying females can not be politicians. I'm just saying that males and females are in fact different. They each have their strengths, and their weaknesses. Many females care what others think, and do get wrapped up in emotions.

Our mayor had some cuts in the fire department. It would have been ok in my book, but not too long ago we annexed a good chunk of land (Elkhorn). I was worried that by making cuts with firefighters everyone's safety would be jeopardized. How can firefighters be in more spots when you cut their services? Plus I may be biased - my brother-in-law is a firefighter. I tried to look at the situation in a neutral position though.

Last week it snowed ice. There were a ton of accidents. People were oh so pissed at the mayor. You should have seen the FB comments! In this case I was thinking, Sure it was crappy! But it's winter. You chose to live in Nebraska.

Sometimes one doesn't know what the weather is going to do exactly. A student came up to me and said, "Lincoln is just as bad!" I wonder if everyone in Lincoln (an hour away) was bitching about their mayor?

Has it been cold where you live? 

Mother Nature hasn't liked us this week and last. This weekend it's supposed to get in the 40s. That will be nice.

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is all about me discovering something that is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. It could be from another country, someone singing from the streets of NY, and more.

This week I'm going with a band that a relative told me about. It's called Kongos. They have a ton of likes on their songs, but it's new to me.

" K" for Cool, "O" for Awesome, "N" for Knowledge, "G" for Jenius, "O" for Artistic, "S" for spelling.

They are a South African alternative rock/kwaito band. The band has four brothers: Johnny (accordion, keyboard, vocals), Jesse (drums, percussion, vocals), Daniel (guitar, vocals), and Dylan Kongos (bass guitar, lap slide guitar, vocals).

They compose, record and perform in Phoenix where they now live. They spent their childhoods in the city of London and in South Africa. 

Source
 *Warning - A bad word is in this song.

I'm Only Joking 


I have heard of this one, but I've never seen the video.

Come With Me Now



Escape


Check out Kongos website.
Like Kongos on Facebook.
Follow Kongos on Twitter.
Subscribe to Kongos YouTube Channel.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Random Tid Bits

  1. When I was in college I had figure drawing for 4 hours one year. I had a figure drawing class where we drew nudes, and had an anatomy class when we again drew nudes. At one point in my college life I drew a pregnant lady, which was super cool - except for the fact that she couldn't hold poses very long. Seeing that baby move was really sweet.

    At the school I work at we don't have live models. It's more of a techy school. Graphic designers and fine artists tend to have a line drawn between them somehow. The line is getting thinner, but it's still there. I'm still friends with people that draw nudes. My husband liked a nude drawing on FB, and one of our common friends defriended him. Whatever.

    To me nude drawings/sculptures are not sexual. Just like a photo of a woman breastfeeding isn't sexual. Are Alyssa Milano's breastfeeding selfies more offensive than Kim Kardashian's big backside?  Alyssa Milano got slammed for her selfies, and Kim Kardashian's selfies were shared all over the net.

    Someone my husband and I went to school with was on a show called Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. It was on Brovo I believe. She was the runner up - came in 2nd place I think. I never watched the show to the end. I know she wasn't far behind.

    Peregrine Honig (the girl we went to school with) recently had a 3D print done of her nude. Hey she's a pretty girl, why not? Anyhow...she posted it. Of course social media flipped out, and took her page down.

    What's an artist to do? Peregrine contacted Huffington Post, and now her work is more out there than before. It's one of those I laugh in the face of social media kind of moments. Did it surprise me that social media banned her image? Hell no. But...I had to chuckle because she won.

    For years artists looked at nudes to draw. It was the best way to learn how to draw. I'm sure the Statue of David wasn't banned in it's day. If I took my kids to an art museum I wouldn't hide their eyes from anything. They know what art is. They know that it's not ok for people to take nude shots of kids, or touch them. There's a line there to. A thick bold line. I actually reported a video that had nude kids in it. What are your thoughts on this? What is art? What's not art?

    I'm just putting this up here because it's soooo interesting!



  2. I have 1 student that thinks her art rocks. It's C level. It's hard when people think they are better than what they really are. If you compare art pieces, you can see a difference between an A and a C. Her work isn't A level for sure. I show the students what I want, and what I don't want to see before we even begin an assignment. I also top that off with a handout. Then I critique in the middle of an assignment.  There should be no guessing as to what I want, and what I don't want to see.

  3. One of my students stopping showing up to class right after Halloween. The school has tried calling him. He's done this before. I wish he'd just drop if it's not what he wants to do.

  4. My Dad AKA Grandpa saw yet another doctor about his heart. He's had problems with it for years. He had a heart ablation | cauterized years ago. His heart started acting all funky again. He will probably need surgery once again for them to do an ablation in a different spot. My Dad hates pill, so there you go. 

  5. We got word at the boy's last dental appointment that Isaak will need to get some teeth taken out to make room for adult teeth. He may need permanent teeth taken out to. Dad is not happy about this. He works at a dental lab. He knows the importance of all those teeth. We'll see what happens.

    Here I thought Mica would need all the dental work. Mica was born with a cyst under his tongue. One side of his tongue didn't develop all the way. His tongue is still funky, but it's nothing to worry about. When he was 2 months we had to get an MRI of his face, and brain. We had to know if there was any other cysts on him. We paid $6 for the MRI images. I just had to have them. I'm odd like that.

    Proof that Mica had teeth hiding when he was 2 months old. I find them freaky, yet fascinating.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Chicken or Bread?

I asked begged for one of the boys to go to the mall with me last weekend. It's always easier to manage each boy when they are separated. That's not to say that they can't play together.

We hear from Mica, "Isaak get out of my room!"

Isaak comes running to me all teary eyed and says, "Mom Mica said I could play in his room, but he won't let me. I just want to play with him."

It's typical sibling behavior. I joke about having them share a room. Both boys think that sounds like a great idea. I said, "Mica then you couldn't ask Isaak to get out of your room." He said, "Oh!"

Off to the mall Isaak and I went. I had to return a few things.

We passed a sample of pretzels.

Source
I asked Isaak if he wanted a sample? 

He said with his big eyes all wide, "Yes please."

As I handed it to him he said, "Thank you Mom." 

Isaak has better manners with saying "Please" and "Thank You" over anyone in our family.

Isaak then said, "Mom I liked the sample, but I really can't tell if it's chicken, or bread." 

I laughed, and said, "Isaak you've never had this type of pretzel before? We should make them sometime for Dad, Mica, and you of course. I know how to make them." 

He said, "I'd love that Mom."

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Shoe Bag/Packing Cube for Shoes Review


Dot&Dot gave me a Shoe Bag/Packing Cube to try out.  




They have a lot of different colors to pick from. 10 different colors to be exact:
Grey - This is the color I went with.
Black
Purple
Red 
Pink
Orange
Yellow
Green
Light Blue 
Dark Blue 

Many styles and sizes of shoes fit in the Shoe Bag/Packing Cube. I have my tennis shoes in the bag, and there is plenty of extra room to spare. 
*Note that my shoes may look a little funny because my insoles were not in the shoes. They are in the shoes that were on my feet.

The size is:
Size: 13.75" x 7" x 4.5"

Cost:
$17.97

More about the Shoe Bag/Packing Cube for Shoes:

  • Premium packing solution for your shoes
  • See through, dirt and water-resistant flexible mesh panel protects your clothes from your shoes
  • With internal fabric lining to protect your pair of shoes from damaging each other during travel
  • With side ventilation and top handle for easy handling

Great for: 
Vacation
Hiking
Sports
Work Shoes
Made of high quality materials, Dot&Dot organizers will last a lifetime of travel and adventure.
Save your money from low quality organizers that just don't work or get damaged after few uses.


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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free from Dot&Dot. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

WW: Drawings {Linky}

Isaak's drawing (he's 6) - I just bought him suspenders, so that's what those things are.


Mica's drawing (he's 9) - There's a Woodmen Tower in our town.





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If you'd like, I have a few low entry giveaways: One is to win a custom puzzle and the other is to win a set of soy candles.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Old Factory Candle Gift Set Review + #Giveaway

I have to be honest, I don't burn candles in my home very often. I don't for a few reasons: A) All the allergies I have. B) I worry about my boys throwing a toy, or something into them. C) I've read that they are pretty toxic.

Old Factory Candle put some of my fears aside. They are all natural, hand poured, and soy candles. Now I have candles I can burn. 
As far as the boys go with starting a fire...they are getting older. They know the harm a fire can do.


There is just something relaxing about burning a candle this time of year. That little flicker of light makes it feel warm in the room.

Old Factory Candle shipped their product out to me really fast. There are 3 candles that come in a set.


I was tore between choosing scents. So many of them seemed like they would smell so good.

I went with Fall Harvest: Pumpkin Spice, Cranberry, and Autumn Leaves. 

Mica and I like the Pumpkin Spice, and Isaak likes Cranberry.  I've burned Pumpkin Spice, and I'm thinking of giving the other 2 to the boy's teachers. They do make great gifts!




Other scent options are:
  • Happy Holidays: Christmas Tree, Candy Cane, and Gingerbread
  • Winter Wonderland: Hot Cocoa, Roasted Chestnut, and First Snow *This set sounded good!
  • Romance: Rose Petals, Champagne, and Dark Chocolate
  • Fresh and Clean: Lemongrass, Olive Blossom, and Fresh Linen
  • Spa Day: Cucumber, Lemongrass, and Green Tea
  • Vacation: Sea Breeze, Hawaiian Lei, and Awapuhi
  • Coffee Shop: Coffee Bean, Hazelnut, and Chai Tea *I so want this set to!
  • Man Cave: Straight Razor, Leather, and Mahogany
  • High as a Kite: Cannabis, Incense, and Bag O' Cookies *This set made me laugh.
  • New Born Baby: Baby Powder, Baby Shampoo, and First Blanket

Old Factory candles are hand poured in the US. It seems that not a lot of products are made in the US anymore. That puts them at the top of my list.

They are all natural and made of soy wax, cotton paper wicks, and pure fragrance oils! I didn't have a problem with the wick getting embedded in the wax. 


They are guaranteed to burn for 20 hours. The smell continues as they burn. The smell is light; not overpowering.

Cost: $30.99, and on sale for $25.00!





One US Reader has the Chance to Win an Old Factory Candle Gift Set!


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 The Apel's The Apel's The Apel's The Apel's The Apel'sThe Apel'sThe Apel's

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Piczzle Review and #Giveaway!

I've reviewed a Piczzle Picture Puzzle before. They did an excellent job with our puzzle then:


That puzzle had a lot of pieces. It was more for my excellent puzzle master Mica.


I just reviewed another one of Piczzle puzzles. This time I went for less pieces. I had Isaak more in mind. Both boys were looking for things to do, so they did both put it together.



Isaak found this puzzle easier to do. Much easier than our last one.

We spend a lot of time on our holiday cards - that I think they are perfect to make into puzzles.

Here's the final result:


Size:
It's a medium sized puzzle (8.5"x11") with 48 pieces.

Price:
Their prices are really great! You can make your own picture puzzles. This one is worth $21.95. I think that's a great price for something custom.
  • Shipping priority is $6.95.
  • FedEx 2 Day, 3 to 5 business days is $27.95.
  • FedEx Overnight, 2 to 4 business days is $43.95
Making the Puzzle:
Uploading the photo was super easy. It didn't take long at all. You get a preview of your photo after it's uploaded.

I was kind of in a hurry when I did this part. I generally am in a hurry when I'm in the process of getting something online for a review. I don't want the the internet to crash, or loose a code when I'm in the middle of something like that. If something like that happens I have to email the company to get a new code, and explain what happened. That adds yet another unneeded step to the process. I just find it easier if I quickly go through the process.

I do wish they gave a preview of how your picture looks on the puzzle before you add it to the cart. It only gives you a preview of just your picture. That would have saved their company time in emailing me to tell me that my photo wasn't the right proportion for the puzzle. I could have fixed that had I seen that it wouldn't work quite right.

With that they have excellent customer service. They told me my options right away on how to fix my problem: Cropping, adding a border, making it out of proportion, or sending them a new photo the right size. I went with my own border. Then resent it. There was no waiting around for emails back and forth. They were on top of my order!

I ordered this photo puzzle on Thursday last week. It was printed and sent by Saturday. Super fast production. The quality is good to! It's a premium grade cardboard with a glossy finish.

All the puzzle pieces were there. I always worry about one being missing.

Overall I'm really happy with the puzzle. It was everything I hoped it would be. Piczzle really does a great job with their picture into puzzles.

 Win a puzzle!  

Win a small custom cardboard puzzle from Piczzle. You will not be disappointed! Open to the US and Canada! Like Piczzle Picture Puzzle on Facebook and Piczzle Photo on YouTube.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


The Apel's The Apel's The Apel's The Apel's The Apel'sThe Apel'sThe Apel's 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Disclaimer

The opinions on this blog are my personal take on products and topics relating to motherhood. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.

I am not compensated to provide opinions on a variety of topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are my own. If I claim to show knowledge of certain topic or product I will only endorse products or services that I feel, based on my expertise, are worthy of such endorsement.

If you have any questions about this blog, or want to get in contact with me please email me at: anapeladay@gmail.com