Random Tid Bits

1. The sunflowers that were planted at the end of my neighbor's a few houses down are no longer a visual problem. It rained all day one day. I can see cars again!





2. Travis said that Mica HAD to sign up for something active, so he signed up for Cross Country.
   
   We made the mistake of doing what we were supposed to by getting his school paper work in. Then we got a letter afterwards saying that he had to have a school activity card, and be a member of their after school program. We didn't think he needed an activity card because he could careless about going to football or basketball games. The only time he'll be staying after school is for Cross Country, so we didn't sign him up for the after school club. We had to do some back peddling to get that new stuff done. The after school club is a 3 day a week thing (mandatory). He had to stay after school this week twice for the club, and the sport hasn't started yet.
   
   I hope all this is worth it. Travis gets on me because I have a sour attitude about things the boys don't have to do. I always wonder if it's all worth it? What if we've been through a Sport's Physical, extra paper work, an after school club and he hates Cross Country? Life experiences are important.  


3. I have to figure out how to get my 1st year students to talk. They just are workers, which is good, but they don't look outside their own brains to see what others are doing. It's important to do that too.
   
   The new Education Director came to observe me. I was in lecture trying to get my students to talk about things they learned the week before. It was like talking to empty brains. 


4. Isaak had to have this gold sequence journal at Target. I quickly said, "No! Put it back!" Then I went back and bought it for him for Christmas. He never asks for things. Ha! 






5. My Mom texted me yesterday that she has Shingles. She got the old shot, that's 50% effective. She was on the list for the new shot, but she wasn't called to get it yet. This is the 2nd living virus she's gotten. She had Polio a year or 2 before before the vaccine came out. It lives inside you like Chicken Pox does - Shingles. Polio is just called Post Polio Syndrome. Post Polio Syndrome did a number on her leg! I'm hoping Shingles aren't too bad for her!
   
   What are your thoughts on vaccines? I'm pro them, but think they are given too close together in the US. I go with it because I'm afraid I'll mess something up where the boys skip something they shouldn't skip. I used to be more against illegals coming here because of vaccines they don't get that we get here in the US. Then I read a whole article about how Colorado (in general) is really bad about vaccinating their kids. It's the highest place in the US where they don't vaccinate. Yes it's a free country, but when one's freedom is infringing on another's freedom then that's a problem. Isaak got Meningitis before he had all his shots for it, my Mom got Polio and Shingles before she could get her shots. My nephew Emerson has a compromised immune system, so he can't get all his shots on time. Anyhow I'm up for a healthy debate, so what are your thoughts on vaccinations? 

#truckerhat #Alaskastyle Hat Review

I've reviewed hats before from CacheAlaska, and we have not been disappointed with any of them. That includes the one I'm about to show you.

Ok so we did run into one hiccup: 

Mica and Travis fought over the hat. I gave Mica the hat first, and he said, "What are these odd things sticking out of the hat?" It was his hair coming out of the mesh. LOL! That's how little he wears hats. He used to be into them, but considering that kids can't wear hats to school he just got away from wearing them all together. Travis said, "That's a pretty cool hat. I like it better than the one I already have by them." Wink Wink! Travis' birthday is coming up, so I yanked it from Mica to give to Travis.

It's a loved hat! Travis likes charcoal grey + black, which are the hats colors.

Snapback:

We do have a problem of having too small of heads in our family. It's like the opposite problem than my sister Terra's family has had. They've had to go measure all their heads when their boy's were babies to make sure there was nothing wrong with their melon heads. Ha! It was crazy getting shirts off her boy's heads too! Then there's us...tiny head people. Hats rarely fit my head.

It's ok because this hat is adjustable like every ball cap should be!

Outdoor Activity:

It's great to wear this hat while camping, hiking, watching ball games, doing yard work and more. This kind of hat doesn't cover your ears, but it has a wide brim that shades the face!

Where to Get This Hat:

Amazon has it for $12.97. If you don't like this one, they have a camo option as well. Shipping was super quick! https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=trucker+hat+cachealaska&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Atrucker+hat+cachealaska

Are you a hat person?

Disclaimer: I got this product for a discounted rate in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

WW: SOFT Picnic {Linky}

In July I went to a picnic in support of SOFT, which is a nonprofit organization. They push research for children born with Trisomy 13 and 18. My nephew Emerson has Trisomy 18.

First off I designed their logo. Oh my goodness it was a designer's nightmare. They wanted blue, yellow, and red to be a part of the logo. Many logos are just 1 or 2 colors. They wanted a rainbow and balloons in the logo as well.

After that my sister wanted me to design t-shirts for the event. It was to be in Omaha, so she wanted the SOFT logo to be a part of it, but it to also say Omaha. I worked with the "O" in SOFT, incorporated the Omaha skyline, and a few animals because we have the best zoo in the world right here along with a kid in a wheelchair. I think with all the stuff they kept adding it turned out pretty good.

I just wish I would have gotten photos of some people wearing the shirts. 

Instead here's my nephew Edison who got his arm painted. My sister was so busy with the conference, I did odd things like wait in the face painting line with Edison, help serve cake, and did a lot of cleaning up in the end. 

My Mom had a 2 month old baby before me that passed away from Trisomy 18. My sister and Mom are rare carriers of Trisomy 18. They handed ornaments out to those that lost a child. 

Here's my nephew Emerson that couldn't stay for the fun. He had/has hand, foot and mouth disease. He was in long enough for my brother-in-law to eat, and left.

A few older ones with Trisomy 18. I love with all her problems, she was persistent in pushing the wheel chair around. *Note you can see one of my t-shirts back there.

Part of their ceremony, balloons are let go when their son or daughter's name is called off. I only knew 2 names, but felt like crying with every name.

My nephews:

 My sister Terra:

Balloons that represent people that have passed away.

If you want to read more about Trisomy 18, please read here: https://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/health/their-kids-rare-condition-was-long-seen-as-fatal-but/article_418762d4-4528-560b-8528-cfeeca7fd47d.html.

#backtoschool With This Leather Journal

I'm super excited to share with you a Leather Journal I got to review.

Where to Get it:

You can purchase this Leather Journal on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Refillable-Notebook-Business-Sketching-Qiaofulicheerfully/dp/B07DC2HVL8 for $28.99.

Who to Get it For:

It's meant for women. I ask why? I know it's a dark maroon. Otherwise I could see it being for anyone. As soon as I told Isaak I was thinking of giving it to Travis for his 43rd birthday on the 30th he said, "Wow that's so cool Mom. You have the best ideas!" He takes notes, writes lists, sketches and draws out plans all the time. It's perfect for him!

Isaak wrote in the first page a Happy Birthday image.

Different Types of Paper:

I love how there are different types of paper in there. Each type of paper is good for something different.

Line Paper

To jot down notes, dreams, tasks, stories and so on.

Grid Paper

To draw sculpture ideas, garden plans, Lego creations, basketball moves and more.

Brown Craft Paper

To draw anything!

Size:

It's small: 4x6.7. Certainly it's great to take traveling, it won't take up very much room on the table, and it's easy to fit in a bag, or purse.

Are you a list taker, or sketcher?

Disclaimer: I got this product for a discounted price to assist with this review. All opinions are my own.

#backtoschool Giveaway With @Ripleys Believe It or Not!

Ripley's celebrates 100 years of strange!

I'm super excited to share with you Ripley's Believe It or Not! A Century of Strange! It's all new. 

About:

• It's packed full of 256 colorful pages, with crazy interesting stories.
• The hardcover book is bigger than most books. It's 9x11 3/4 inches.
• They use both an engraved foil and embossing with special ink for the cover.

Demographics:

For ages 10 and up! Although My boys started enjoying Ripley's Believe It or Not! when they were about 8 years old. I have to say that I like to look through the Ripley's Believe It or Not! books as well.

ISBN Number: 

978-1-60991-217-8

Price:

$28.95 in the US and $34.95 in Canada

Some Pages That Jumped Out to Me:

Mica would LOVE to visit this book temple! Who wouldn't? It's so cool! When I was in grad school in Savannah, GA they had books that were pillars that held up their bookstore. I thought it was so cool. Having a whole temple made of books is beyond cool!

I loved the double page spread about pop culture. Images made with junk, and brightly colored. Isaak I know would love this. It's a movement inspired by artist Roy Lichtenstein.

The Asaro Mud Men are fun. They are from Papua New Guinea's eastern highlands are known for their ghoulish clay masks adorned with pigs' teeth and shells. Considering the fact that Isaak couldn't get enough mud on his body at camp this summer, I think he'd like this story.

Silvesterklaus is a masked person taking part in Saint Sylvester's Day festivities in Appenzell, Switzerland. I've always been drawn to masks. These are traditions, but also art pieces in my mind.

We have a Windmill Park in Nebraska, but it looks nothing like the image below. The Windmill Park below is colorful, and fun!

Hairplay is so interesting. This artist does all kinds of fun things with their hair. They make their hair look like shadows, trees, reflections, and more.

The living ghosts of Benin walk around with body guards. If you have contact with them, you could die. Yikes! They are interesting, and unlike anything I'd heard of before.

It's time for a Ripley's Believe It or Not! A Century of Strange! Giveaway. This giveaway is for someone within the US. No PO boxes please. You need to be over the age of 18 to enter. 

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free in exchange for a review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Random Tid Bits

1. It turns out that the poor new guy at work barely has any hours, so he doesn't really have a lunch. That's why he eats at his desk. Here I thought he didn't like us. At least now I know. I was making up scenarios to text Travis like, "He must have to eat, while he watched YouTube videos." All falsehoods. 


2. I'm back to school along with my boys. It's been busy. On top of what I typically do, I was trained to get the coding off the PCs, for the hand punch that the students clock in and out with. It's kind of a hassle, but good for financial aid to get the last date of attendance if they drop out. Otherwise I just take my own attendance. 


3. I walked into the break room, and there was my sister's family starring at me from the front page of our newspaper. It was an article about Trisomy 18, and how kids with it are living longer. I'll connect a link to the online ver. once they have it. Right now you have to pay to read it.





4. Nebraska had an execution a few days ago. I just always worry about someone being put to death that's innocent. This guy was guilty, he said so, but it was for a crime he committed in the early 80s. Our wonderful (note sarcasm) Governor got a cocktail of drugs for it. Together they had never been used. It took the guy longer than 20 minutes to die. That's been weighing on my mind. Mica wants to research anything he hears about. He was researching electric chairs on his last day off, while we were at work. I'd hate to know the bad things he was reading, but he's old enough to know when enough is enough. He understood my point about how some people may have been put to death that were guilty by the court of law, but innocent in reality. 


5. Mica's also super into learning about wars. Every war that is brought up, he reads about. The latest is WWII. We went to the library to use one of the boy's summer reading coupons. They could get a used book for free. What did Mica pick out? A book on Nazis. Trust me he's against them. He's just interested in all things WWII. I didn't think about it, except for later... What did the librarian think when he used his coupon for a Nazi book? What war do you know the most about?

Cabbage Roll Soup #recipe

This is the time of year where we become loaded with garden tomatoes. Some years we can them, other years I just take the skin off them, deseed them, bag and freeze them. The extra juice from the tomatoes goes into ice cube trays. We use the tomato juice in soups.

We all like Cabbage Roll Soup!

Cabbage Roll Soup by AlissaSpiehs-Apel on Scribd

WW: Hummel Day Camp {Linky}

The boy's last camp was last week. It's an outdoor camp at Hummel Park. The kids get dirty, they cook over a fire, play outdoor games, hike, go on obstacle courses and much more.

Isaak went on the obstacle course and decided it would be a great idea to go under it. His whole group was cheering him on. He got so muddy he couldn't see. He rolled around in the dirt and sand. They nicknamed him, "Breaded Chicken". He had to be hosed off before they'd let him on the bus to go home. If he only knew that his brother got a huge rash from mud one year.

Isaak got the Muddiest Camper Award - Breaded Chicken. 

Isaak went on and on talking for 40 min. about his first day of camp. He told me every detail!

Mica complains about Hummel Camp before he goes there. He says he doesn't like the outdoors, and reminds me every year about the rash he got from the mud. Every year (minus getting the rash the one year) he's gone he enjoys it.

Mica wrote a camp lunch song to Led Zeppelin's Black Dog. He was really excited about it. Poof! His excitement was ran into the ground when he got to camp, and realized no one knew his song. :( He came home and said, "Mom people my age just need to be more cultured."

Neither of his camp councilors must have known the Black Dog by Led Zeppelin either because they game him the Beatles Award. LOL! 

Mica did however win what all camper's aim for, The Hummel Cup Award. It just means that you kept your campsite clean, followed rules, and aimed for camping success. They just get to run around the camp with a big trophy, and that's it. To them it's success. Here's my nephew Evan and Mica running around the camp following their Hummel Cup trophy.

Have you been hiking this summer?

#backtoschool With Wee Blessing

I was contacted in May to review some clothes from Wee Blessing. I am so excited to share them with you!

We went through many of Mica and Isaak's old clothes this weekend, and have filled up a big bag of hand me downs for my nephews. Boom! Wee Blessing set Isaak up with lots of new fun things to wear when he goes back to school on Wednesday!

Each Blessing comes with not 1, but 3 hand selected outfits.

Wee Blessing started us out with a survey to get to know who they are hand picking outfits out for. I think this is an excellent way to get to know their clients.

Isaak's favorite is his Just Hangin' Out Spider-Man shirt, and what he calls "Basketball Shorts". They can be worn for other things besides basketball. He just calls them that because they are easy to move around in.

Gymboree Gray Spider-Man Hangin' Out Tee $26 marked down to $12
Oshkosh Navy/White Drawstring Shorts $22 marked down to $10

Isaak also loves his basketball shirt! He's super into that sport. The tan shorts were already his own.

Children's Place Black All Net Tee $10.50 marked down to $5

Isaak did get a pair of pants there were a bit tight. No worries. Wee Blessing gives you 10 days to decide if you want to keep things, or not. They make it really easy to return. I happen to like the style of pants, so we're opting to keep them to give to my nephews.

Urband Pipeline Jogger Pants $40 marked down to $18

While the red shirt wasn't Isaak's favorite, it looks good on him. I like that it has a hood. It will be good for transitional weather. Especially if his jacket doesn't have a hood. The grey slate shorts will go well with a lot of different things. I'm really glad they sent them in the box.

Arizona Jean Co. Red Hooded Tee $22 marked down to $10
Free Planet Slate Gray Performance Shorts $40 marked down to $18

They had the Free Planet Slate Gray Performance Shorts set to go with the Children's Place Black All Net Tee, but we liked it with the shorts with the Arizona Jean Co. Red Hooded Tee better. Somethings are neutral enough that they can go with anything!

Prices:

I really like that they showed the price break downs on everything in the box.

Thank You:

Wee Blessing sent a thank you card. I really liked that extra touch.

Connect With Wee Blessing:

On Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Type in ANAPELADAY for 20% off your first order with Wee Blessing. They have hand picked clothes for women, men, kids, baby, and maternity. It's a win, win! 

Have you gotten any clothes for yourself or someone else this back to school season?

Disclaimer: The opinions on this post are my own. I got the products to help spread the word for Wee Blessing.