So I will start out by telling you....I know the owner of this company. I grew up with him. We hadn't talked in a number of years till I caught up with him on Facebook. Then he started talking about this new company he was working on. It is called Bahko Shades. They are made out of wood and have polarized lenses. He was doing some work on getting the name of the company out and he did a drawing for a pair of shades. You earned an entry each time you shared information on fb etc about the sunglasses. My name got drawn. So when they came in I was sooo excited!
Ok so I will admit. I never in my life have worn polarized lenses. I first tried them on when we went to visit my cousin in Cocoa Beach. And i was shocked the things you can see that you maybe couldn't without that type of lens. They are really light weight. I was really surprised that they were so light weight. I guess I thought everything that was wood was heavy.
They came in a nice zipper case which also had a cloth bag inside to store your glasses in. I love how beautiful the wood-grain in these glasses is as well. Very beautiful wood and gorgeous coloring. Since I had never used polarized lenses before I was laughing. My phone looked like it was 3D. It was awesome.
Feel free to check out their website. I am really excited about the lines of wood that will be coming. I am already eyeballing a few of them. Im so excited. I am listing his business card below. Check out the site. Get yours. You will NOT be disappointed.
So....we finally got it. We finally got the toilet. At church one Sunday evening, there was a brightly colored pot.....well some people call it a pot. Let's be honest. It was a toilet. This toilet will be traveling around town to raise funds for our churches Mission Trip to Mexico to help an orphanage.
So my daughter (you would think she was five and it was Christmas) would get out of her bed in the am and immediately look outside to see if they got us with the toilet. You can buy toilet insurance that means if you think a lot of people will pay to put it on your lawn, you can only have to pay $1 to have it removed. Or you can pay $10 to have it removed if you get it on your lawn. OR you can pay $10 to have it put on someone else's lawn.
This was awesome! We paid our $10 to haul it away. Now just hoping no one else puts it on our lawn haha. But my daughter was thrilled that we got the toilet. She posed with my husband with the toilet. Jeez who does that? Yup my family. Great cause though.
If your group is looking for an innovative fundraising idea check this out. It may work for your group too!
So, we were in Walmart and I felt like I got swept right back to the 80s. Shrinky Dinks! They had a small package of 4 shrinky animals. They did not call them Shrinky Dinks but lets be honest they are what they are. Haha. There was a turtle, an owl, a cat and a frog. My daughter colored hte turtle and owl. I colored the cat and the frog. We put them on the oven and preheated it. I remembered we had to cut out the hole before we cooked them so we did that.
I vaguely recalled as a child that putting parchment paper under it made it a little easier to cook and not have issues...so we did that too. Then in the oven it went to bake.
I think the most fun part of this is watching them curl up and thinking there is just no way. I was shocked, my husband had never done shrinky dinks at all in his life! I sometimes think he missed out on all of the best things in life.
Finally we had success. No idea what we will do with them. Maybe make some bracelets for some of the kids at church. No idea.
But it was fun.
I did not receive anything for free and I did not get paid to do this blog.
When we lived in IL we did not have a local outback. I have to tell you I just adore their food. They are a little pricey though and so we decided mothers day would be a good day to go. We used their online wait list. When we got there we maybe waited 5 minutes and poof we had a table and they were busy. I highly recommend the wait list online if you know you are going to go down there. Makes life much easier and keeps you on schedule.
We had a good laugh though because my daughter said when she handed me the tazer she thought it was a taxer. I took a look at it. Yeah it does kind of look like it could be!
I had the small steak with lobster tails. As usual, the food did not disappoint. I was sad when I was done. I love their garlic mashed potatoes. They are awesome. The total for 4 people to have a good dinner, lots of warm bread with butter, desert and sodas was about $97 so we won't be doing it often as a family of four but, was really nice for mothers day. I really enjoyed it.
The service was a little slow because it was so busy but it was understandable. Oh I forgot about desert. We did not get appetizer because we really wanted to try desert. I got the salted caramel cookie. It was amazing. My daughter got the same thing. My husband and son got cheesecake which according to them was like velvet. So that is a plus.
I highly recommend Outback in general. More specifically the Outback on Airport Road in Mobile, AL
I did not receive anything free for doing this blog nor was I paid.
So I am a lover of everything SONIC restaurant. In the past I have never had a bad experience. I have been to Sonics In Texas (my very first one), Colorado, Missouri and now Alabama. At first our Sonic here was awesome. The help was friendly and service was fast. Now fast forward a couple months. We did see some ads for hiring at Sonic. So we know they have recently been hiring. But, that does NOT explain our last few experiences.
First we went down there and we wanted to order milk shakes. So we pressed the button, no response. We waited...no response. We pressed it again no response. So we had already been there 15 minutes. We switched places and finally got waited on. Then we waited another 20 minutes for food. It wasn't busy. We only got shakes. And when we finally got them...they were runny. I can only assume one person made them and no one brought them out. A manager should have said remake them and should have personally come out....yes that is just my opinion.
Then we went back figuring it was just a bad night. We were impressed by new screens and decided that it must have been an issue with the systems. See our pretty new screens below.
Ok, So we pulled up excited about the new screens and pressed the button. It came up that it was calling someone....and nothing......and it did it again....and nothing. And it did it again...and nothing. Finally we switched. Same thing. No answer. So we finally went through drive through. We were done in 5 minutes. We were disappointed.
Then we went back last night. We had run to Walmart and decided maybe the kinks were worked out of the system by now. Well, again, we sat there, and we pushed the button. We watched the manager joking around with employees. We watched people sweep. We pressed the button 3 times over 15 minutes. finally after 20 minutes someone came on and asked if they could help us. During that time we saw 4 other cars pull in and wait and leave with nothing. Then we ordered our drinks. We sat and watched as milkshakes were made and handed out the drive through a couple of times. But we sat there. It looked as if no one worked there. Again we waited a long time. As we were about to leave without anything someone came out with our drinks.
Now first of all, I have food allergies so, I need to know which shake is which to avoid a reaction. We asked her which one was witch. She said I don't know what order he made them in....well ok. Don't get snippy with the people who have been very patient for about 40 minutes waiting for 4 shakes. We noticed my sons was pretty much milk. Mine was really runny. My daughters was almost ok and my husbands was runny. We pressed the button to ask for a manager and no response. We finally just left and drank our substandard shakes. They never even ran it through a mixer. We know this because the flavor was all in the bottom. So it was never even mixed. What i think happened was someone was using the mixer someone put the stuff together and put it aside and then after a while..someone said oh man that was supposed to go out. And it did but it was never mixed.
So I have already sent a message to the corporate office. No response. So I guess we won't get anything there any more. Sad though. I love their little snacks.
I did not receive anything free for writing this blog and I have not been paid to do this blog.
Recently, someone said to me, so you blog...what is your blog about. Honestly, I write my blog the same way I would sit down with you and have a cup of coffee and chat. I see so many blogs where they are like everything is DIY, or everything is healthy eating. I am not a one dimensional person. I don't work in that realm.
I am a person who has many facets. I wear many hats in my life. I am a mom. I have two kids. My daughter is turning 21 in less than 2 weeks. My son will be 20 this summer. I have been divorced and remarried my ex (reference for probably a further blog DON'T DO IT!). Then that path led me to the most amazing man who I have known for almost 4 years and married last August. I have had to relocate many times. I have lived all over the country. I have friends around the world.
I don't understand why anyone wants to be put in a box. I know the only thing they know or the only thing they do isn't the one thing they blog about. And OK so you want to know some DIY stuff, you can go to their blog. Or you can come to mine. Find out about redefining yourself when you have adult children but are still young and are struggling with the idea of adoption or foster care. Find out about moving. Learn some DIY, some recipes, some craft ideas. See some great VLOGs that will feature everyone in my family! I struggle with my weight. I never did in high school but after having children and some medical issues, I have. I am now 40. (Yikes). So I will probably talk about weight loss.
I mean who lives a one dimensional life? I want to know what you want to know about. I want to find out information and learn with you. I want to know about your families. What are your struggles. I want to have relationships with my readers where you can ask me questions.
I have struggled reading some blogs in the past where people come across as look how perfect I am. And I can't even stay reading their blog because I know it's fake. I am the last thing from fake. I had a friend who has read some of my blog and has said to me, I sincerely feel like you just talked this all out. Its totally your voice. That is me. Anything I put out here right or wrong, is me my opinions. I know that sometimes things I think are based on my frame of reference and someone on the outside may not see it the same way. But.....I never mean to offend anyone. That will never be my purpose.
I have a girl I grew up with. She started a blog recently. Now growing up, I was the skinny one she was chubbier. Over a summer she went on one of those crazy diets where you like eat nothing. She lost a bunch of weight and she changed. Our friendship went like the toilet water gone. Everyone who liked her for her, was no longer worth her time. I saw recently that she has started a blog. She goes over food and such. I thought about the group picture of us that I had tagged her in from when we were little and she blocked me from tagging her in photos. I checked out her blog. How everything is so absolutely perfect you would think she just rolls in cotton candy and hundred dollar bills.
Please know what you read and see here is me. None of it is perfect. I am not perfect. I am just me. And that is what my blog is about. My blog is about things, people, places and events. Nothing is one sided. Nothing in my life is empty. So my blog, may have a few days without a post if 10,000 things come up or if someone is sick. Life happens. But, I'd love to have you along with us for the ride and hopefully you will pick up some good tips!
Ok, so when I was younger. I could take $10 go to the theater watch a movie AND have popcorn and soda. That is totally not the case now. I just don't get it. Other than people being paid WAY more money than they are worth I don't see why these theaters are so expensive.
First issue Candy at the theater. I can purchase that same size box of candy at the dollar store for $1. Why is it $5 there? I know the dollar store makes money because they are still open. So why so much?
In 2000 the price of a movie ticket averaged $5.39 and it increased to 7.92 in that same year. That means in that year the price went up 50%. At our local Premier Theater in Spanish Fort a prime time movie ticket is $8.75. Nationally the resources I used averaged the price of a movie ticket to be $8.12, so I guess our theater is significantly over the quoted averages, however, I have heard friends talk about paying $10 per ticket to go to the movies so I don't know what I think about my online research findings.
At any rate, if you have a family of four. Tickets alone are going to be at least $32, unless you go to a maintee which may save you about $10 for 4 people. Now, most people now are just sneaking in snacks etc. I don't blame people. With the price at the theaters, you have to save where you can. My research shows that the average bucket of popcorn is $8.15. A professor in California did a study that the popcorn bag you pay $8 plus for actually only costs the theater 90 cents.
I do realize that this is a company that is for profit. I also realize they have the cost of the buildings and the employees wages. But, it seems to me that a lot of people now just wait for movies to come out on DVD and get it on Redbox. So in the end if they dropped the prices all over, it would increase attendance and they would make more money overall. Sadly I fear that their ignoring the trends will create a time where we don't have theaters at all. Maybe they will remain in a big city but, I don't think the average area will be able to support a theater.
I had the opportunity to meet someone who is an art director for some major movies. He does one or two movies a year. The rest of the time he will sometimes work. His wife is a teacher. His kids go to private schools far away. Here is my thing, even if I was the richest person in the world I would NEVER disrespect someone's home. They came into my home and commented on the age of my tv and the quality of my furniture (which we bought new 6 months earlier from a very nice store). But, it was just rude. Although off topic, I think what I am saying is these people who work in the film industry are not 'regular' people. They don't struggle to pay bills, put food on the table, cover the increasing costs for school services that used to be covered at 100%. They have no concept at the end of the day how when they come out with a movie that our kids want to see, we get pressured as a parent to let our child go see the movie their friend went to see etc etc. The movie makers and movie theaters need to wake up and realize where we are all at as a nation financially and show it some respect if they want to stay in business.
My daughter is very into a lot of the more popular Vloggers. They all do favorites. Today she said to me, Mom, have you done your favorites. I said I think I touched on some yes. She said no like your favorites for this month? I said well no. So I figure why not try it out. Maybe we can find out how alike we are?
TV Shows - My current dirty little secret passion is Lip Sync Battle.
Lets be honest...When you saw The Rock sing Shake it off...you laughed.
I sincerely hope he is as laid back in real life as he seems in
everything I have seen him in. I love seeing people who have made it
but still stay grounded. It happens way to infrequently for my liking.
In case you missed it...look below!
Movies -We don't ever go to the theater...it just too expensive and since we are trying to get debt free that is something that is easy to cut out. We keep a list of movies we want to see and hit them on Redbox. But, I am very excited that Pitch perfect 2 is coming out. I have to admit, I don't like sequels at all. I feel like they never really meet the first one. That is just me though probably. I have heard good and bad things in the reviews for the movie...not gonna lie I would LOVE to get to watch a movie before it comes out and tell others about it. Serious dream job.
Lets be honest, no matter what, the music is going to ROCK!
Favorite song - Well right now my favorite song is a church song. Shameless plug, the first soloist is my daughter haha. I almost missed her solo because I did not realize that they were not doing an extra intro line before they started....but yeah. My church choir sang No One Higher. LOVE IT!
Well that is a few of my faves! Coming soon. A few unboxings and shopping loads. Just amazing things coming up in our future! Keep in tune to get some great tips! Next stop YOGURT!!!
If you haven't you really should go on Youtube.com and just search his name. He really is amazing. Recently, he asked some of his readers and followers to review his new book. I of course JUMPED at the opportunity.
First let me tell you about him. Sam has learned a lot about mistakes and management. He has been an employee and he has been in management. He has a great outlook on life in general. You don't have to be in management to learn something that can help you grow. He does all of his speeches in a manner which inserts funny stories. Now he is not a comedian. But he can talk about thoughts we have all had about other people or situations we have all been in or wondered about.
Life really does reflect how you think about it. If you have a bad situation and you flip out.....how does it really benefit you? I really think his outlook, although it all should be a no brainer, really makes you think. Sometimes in the whirlwind of life you lose site of what is important. Sometimes you get yourself so turned around you forget that it is all in how you look at things.
So the new book, It All Starts with Attitude. 7 Qualities that Make Outstanding Organizations Stand Out
It is available on his etsy website: The Attitude Shop for $10.00. It is well worth it!
If you are in management, one thing you will learn is what your employees need to achieve great goals. If you are not in management, what you will learn is what you should be asking your employer for. What things are important to you? What things make you excited to go to work? It is really important for employees to feel comfortable bringing ideas that can build their company and build their job enjoyment.
Here are some pieces of information that I found really interesting and something that companies need to look at.
Signs of Negative Work Environment:
People in leadership roles are unfriendly.
Employees are unfriendly and critical of each other. (I will touch on this one in a second)
There is a high employee turnover.
There is low employee Morale.
People watch the clock. (Will touch on this one too)
People don't give much performance feedback. (Will touch on this one as well)
Limited Communication.
Increased complaints.
1 - Employees are unfriendly and critical - I have worked here! You don't want to make friends because people will stab you in the back in a heartbeat if they think it will move them forward in the office or will walk you out the door before them. It is a horrible place to be. If you work here, and management won't work on it...if you bring it to their attention, you need to run not walk. It won't improve if management doesn't want to see it.
2 - People watch the clock. Have you ever notice when you are doing something you love, you start doing it and then suddenly poof two hours have gone by. That is really how work should be. Maybe the tasks are not fun. In the right environment, your job should be almost simple and fun. If you are doing what you love and you are being treated right, you will fly through your day and wonder why it went by so fast. I know that I have been here as well. You have so much done at the end of the day. You are excited to go to work. It really is the best position to be at. Now, one thing about this is that is not insurmountable. You can change your attitude. Maybe set little goals through out the day to keep your day moving and feel like you are producing a lot more. It is a way to make this not really be a problem for you.
3 - People don't give much performance feedback. When you meet with a supervisor.... Do you tell them the things you see that need improvement or do you keep it to yourself. Do you stand up against or question criticisms for your work? Do you just know that if you question it, your boss is going to just tell you that you can't do anything about it or you are wrong or the system is there for a reason? That is not ok. You deserve to be able to have a conversation with your supervisor that tells them that maybe what they thought isn't right. There needs to be open communication between employees and supervisors.
This is just information on ONE PAGE! One page of information from a small book that is packed full of great information. Just an FYI 1-3 commentary was just my opinion. He doesn't list that. It was the three parts that I feel are so telling of your future at a company.
I have been in a job where the first year all I felt was that no matter what I did I would never succeed. I was working very hard but there was politics and 'opinions' from other people that played way to much of a role in whether or not I should succeed. Then I turned my attitude around, honestly, because of watching and finally saying, OK this whole Sam Glenn idea might work lets see. Before my husbands job relocated us I spent 1 year really putting his way of thinking into my life. Things just started working out better. I started getting better reviews. It really does work.
So I highly suggest this book. It will definitely help you in management or as an employee. Order it today! Don't forget the link is above!
So you are moving! Awesome! Well hopefully awesome. My husbands company is in the process of closing. So, we were offered to fight for a job locally and get a stipend pay out when they closed or laid him off or we could accept a job in Alabama. It wasn't easy. I have family where we lived, he had family there. He had never lived anywhere else. So even though the move has been rather smooth for us to adjust etc because we came down here with him having a job, it has been emotional. You need to make sure if you are moving with a spouse or partner or a family that you are making sure you take time out and together.
So in your old place you had friends and maybe family and you had your place all set how you wanted it. Now you are going somewhere maybe you don't know anyone (fingers pointing at my own head!). If you are buying or even renting, a Realtor is a GREAT option. They will help you find the home of your dreams. Other options are Facebook groups in the area you are moving to. Often people will post houses for sale by owner or for rent.
Also start googling your new area. Find out what there is to do there. As you can see from my blog. We did a lot of googling. We have tried a lot of great places. Our area recently started a newcomers group and I have met lots of people from all over who have ended up here as well as getting lots of tips on places to eat and visit. Great thing to look for. Find groups or things that happen in a group setting ie: pottery classes, paint and sips, bar crawls...whatever you enjoy doing.
Get on the Facebook sales sites for your area. Lots of local companies will advertise. It is a great resource for services. Don't be afraid to post on there that you are new to the area and looking for x services. By these posts I have connected with some great people! I have also found that finding a church if you are a church person is a great thing. Ask people online to suggest churches. Now I will tell you that you need to know what you are looking for in a church. Do you prefer contemporary services? More traditional? Specific religion? Are you uncomfortable with anything in a service ie: speaking in tongues etc. You need to know these things when you post. And be honest. YES you will receive some backlash if you say you do not like certain things. People who love their church and their religion are sometimes overly upset if they feel like you are dissing their religion. Which is to be expected by some people. Most people are awesome and will be very helpful.
The most important thing to remember is this is a new start. A new beginning. You can wipe away your past mistakes and start over and begin again. Start with a new lease on life. So take a deep breath. Take this opportunity. And THRIVE!
