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Happy New Year 2013

Posted on January 1, 2013 4:20 pm by TheAngelForever

It is so hard to believe that 2013 is already here. I am still working on a post about the year that was 2012. This past week was time to focus on being with the kids, getting everyone healthy, and going back to school tomorrow.

So for now, I am wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2013. Be sure to stop and enjoy those special moments while making memories with your own families in the year ahead.

It's Me

P.S. Thank you to JSL for letting me use his Snowman Project for my photo today. This was his kindergarten project that is due after break.

Categories:
arts and crafts family holidays

Time for Girl Scout Cookies

Posted on November 30, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

A long time ago, I was a Girl Scout. For many years, I was in a troop that did a lot of amazing things (thanks Mom). Crafts, cooking, winter camping, volunteer activities, and we traveled.

Of course, I remember selling Girl Scout Cookies. It was a way for us to get credit for summer camp and for the troop to get funding for new adventures. As the mother of two little boys, Girl Scouts is not something I will experience with my children. Of course, I always help other kids in the neighborhood and this year, I get to support my niece. Yes, my niece SG is in kindergarten and now a Daisy. Check out what we just bought from her over Thanksgiving weekend.

The names of some cookies are different (they use a different baking company in her area), but they look and taste just as delicious. I had to laugh at the QR codes on the back of the boxes.

So my question to you this week is:

What is your favorite type of Girl Scout cookie and why? If you’re not able to get them or can’t remember, let me know your favorite cookie that you bake.

It's Me

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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.

Aloha #231

Categories:
Aloha Friday family looking back

Disney Attire

Posted on October 24, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

There is a method to the madness in how I pack for trips to Disney. I pull out clothing for the kids for a fashion show. Then, I check to make sure the items fit the boys. After that, I pair up outfits for each of them. Oh, did I happen to mention that every shirt is something from Disney? The only exception to that rule is sometimes what they wear when flying down. Once we are there, we have a tradition of wearing our matching shirts on the last day, but nothing else. In April, NHL made sure that he and JSL were wearing their Phineas and Ferb shirts when they met the dynamic duo at Hollywood Studios. Here are some of photos from our last trip that follows the Disney Wordless Wednesday theme of Disney Attire.

Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.

Categories:
Blog Hop Disney family travel Wordless Wednesday

Together Counts for Fall Activities

Posted on October 11, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

We live in a part of the country that is lucky enough to experience all four of the seasons. My favorite really is the fall. The weather is not too cold, hot, or humid like other times of the year. Typically, there is not a lot of snow, we do not need to wear heavy jackets, and usually we can do a lot outside. This year, the weather has not allowed us to get to our favorite family activity for the fall. We love to go apple picking. We are able to explore the orchards together. It is fun to watch the kids running around and picking apples that they proudly snack on. Then, when we get home TechyDad, the kids, and I think about items the make. One of our favorites is to get the apples ready for our own fresh applesauce. Eating it warm out of the crock makes it seem like a special treat.

Since the weather is not cooperating, we probably will skip the apple picking and possibly go to get a pumpkin at a local farm. Then we can bake up the pumpkin seeds to have a tasty snack. Until that time, the kids love to explore the blocks around the house on their scooters. They enjoy collecting colorful leaves, pine cones, and other items that nature has left on the ground. Just the other day, my youngest hopped off of his scooter to save a caterpillar that was in the middle of the sidewalk.

Together Counts is a program for all of us. Their goal is to inspire families to lead healthy and active lives. Energy Balance is key and the main principle with their pledge. This means that the calories that we eat are the ones that we burn. Together Counts brings together more than 200 retailers, food/beverage manufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods stores, insurance companies, non-governmental organizations, and professional sports organizations to get the message across. For additional information, head to the Together Counts website learn more and take their pledge on finding balance and moderation. Families need to get eating and active together while practicing moderation.

For more information and ideas, you can head to the Together Counts Facebook page, look for them on Twitter, and also on Pinterest.

Please be sure to join Together Counts for their Twitter party on 10/17 from 8-9 PM EST using hashtag #TogetherCounts. More information on Resourceful Mommy with details about the prizes.

So have you made the Together Counts pledge yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

It's Me

Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a compensated Global Influence campaign. As someone who strives to find balance, I love the principles behind Together Counts and am happy to share this with my readers.

Global Influence Network

Categories:
exercise family fun health awareness jsl photos PSA sponsored post

My Viking Family Experience – #DragonsLive

Posted on October 7, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Right now my brain is whirling around and I feel like I am flying. Flying with dragons, of course, so it is a good thing. Thanks to just getting back from an amazing time at the DreamWorks How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular at the Times Union Center. TechyDad was contacted by PR from the show and he shared some of the specifics about it recently. After watching the movie with the boys the other day, I was excited to see what the VIP Hero’s Welcome would be all about. As JSL (5) says, it was stupendous!

A huge thank you to the amazing VIP tour gentleman who was stationed outside. He was fantastic chatting with us and answering questions from our boys. He told us about previous cities and more about the upcoming shows throughout North America. After this, we were whisked away into the arena before they opened for the show. We received our Hero’s Welcome badges, bags, and posters. Then, we were taken to an area to get dressed like Vikings for a family photo.

The crew helping to dress our Viking family was fantastic. We never told Papa about this part and he played along and had fun. Before long, the five of us were sporting chic Viking styles for our photo shoot.

We were not able to get a photo with our camera dressed up, but we took a quick picture of the one they gave us. Yes, I present you with my Viking family in their finest attire and all of their weapons and shields.

Although it took some time to get this done, it was a worthwhile experience. Seeing the smiles on the kids faces and knowing that memories were being made was priceless. After we returned our Viking items to the bins, it was time to wait for the official Hero’s Welcome. We went a small area with seats to wait and meet Hiccup and Astrid who are some of the stars from the show.

This was just the start of an amazing adventure with the Vikings and Dragons. More coming soon about the show and the Dragons 101 session after the performance. The session after was a geeks dream come true and the VIP team member from this part was also super (wish I could recall his name from the 11:00 am show). If you are in the Capital District and have a chance to see the show before it leaves town, I highly recommend it. It will also be touring to many other cities in the United States and Canada in the months ahead.

If you are interested in attending a show, you can find tour dates and tickets by going to http://www.dreamworksdragonslive.com/tickets.php. You can also save 25% off the cost of select seats by using the promo code "MOM". Oh and do not forget to think about the VIP packages that you can add on for your family. All of the items seen above were thanks to that.

Disclaimer: TechyDad received tickets and the VIP package to the How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular for our family. No other compensation was given and all of the enthusiastic Tweets, Instagrams, and posts that follow are 100% my own opinion of the show.