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Thermal Laminating Fun

Posted on December 21, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

When I was teaching in a classroom, I was best friends with the thermal laminator in our building. I used it for student work, for protecting my reference tools, and making sure that decorations were ready to use for multiple years. Yes, I spent many hours learning how to make that giant thermal laminator get a work out.

For quite some time, I was toying with getting a laminator at home. The other day, A Frugal Friend posted about a one day special on a Scotch Thermal Laminator on Amazon. When she told me that she has used it for two years now and that I would love it, I was sold. Of course the one day price was even better ($16.99 – now under $30). Yes, I bought the Scotch Thermal Laminator 2 Roller System on Friday and it arrived Tuesday. Wednesday morning my kiddo (home sick) helped me to test it out.

I asked JSL to find art that he had made. Of course, he picked one that would not fit in a pouch at first. Not to worry, we found some on a regular sized piece of paper and put it into a pouch. While that was waiting, I set up the machine. It was SO easy to use and the instructions were great.

The machine did not take long to heat up. Once it was set, I simply placed the Thermal Pouch into the machine and it literally fed right in without me doing more. JSL was mesmerized and curious what it would be like after.

The artwork that JSL made was now protected and ready for him to take around and share with others. Of course, once you laminate one item you, you start to think about other things to create. My mind immediately went to maps for the little kiddo. He loves playing with them and using them for pirate treasure hunts. So, I pulled out some extra Disney Parks maps and put them onto a piece of computer paper. That was then placed into a pouch to laminate.

JSL was in love and later on we made one more map so all four of the Walt Disney World parks were accounted for. In the end, I was happy with my purchase and my kiddo now can not wait to try the laminator (he says this in a Dr. Doofenshmirtz voice) again.

So my question this week is inspired by my new laminator:

What would you love to laminate if you had a machine and why? Yes, I am also using this to come up with more ideas.

It's Me

Disclosure: An Amazon Affiliate link is included in this post for the thermal laminator mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to purchase it through that link.

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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 #234

Categories:
Aloha Friday arts and crafts me moments

Hobbit Phobia

Posted on December 20, 2012 10:59 am by TheAngelForever

It all started in the fifth grade. That was the year my teacher broke away from the traditional basal readers for Language Arts instruction. There were two to four books that we would all be reading in different groups during the academic year. For some reason, I can only recall two of them. The first one that I read was The Diary of Anne Frank. It was the year after my Hebrew School teacher talked with us about the Holocaust. She and her husband were survivors and had the tattooed numbers on their arms. From that day on, I wanted to learn everything I could about the time period. I wanted to know so I could be sure it would never happen again.

On the flip side, there was another book that we read. It was by J.R.R. Tolkien. This was the first time I was forced, yes I am using that word, to read something I did not like. The small writing on the page, the long chapters, the descriptive nature by the author all turned me off of reading. What was the book? It is quite popular these days and you probably know just from the title. He’s a photo of TechyDad’s prized copy:

I’m sorry Bilbo Baggins, I have nothing really against you I just did not like The Hobbit. Truth be told the style of writing just was not for me. This experience helped me in the classroom when I was teaching Language Arts to sixth graders. I could understand that not everyone would adore the books that I selected and had to help them to work around this. I even told them about my life experience being told I had to read something. Yes, humanizing and relating to my students helped.

Fast forward to the release of The Hobbit in the movies. You see, this is a favorite book for TechyDad and he really, really, really wants to see the movie. When we first were married, the Lord of the Rings movies were out and I tried to watch them with him. I fell asleep and never made it past the first part of movie one. Yes, I do believe that some of that was me protesting thanks to my reading experience in fifth grade.

Now I’m conflicted. Do I spend the money to attempt to see the movie with him and try to ease up my Hobbit Phobia, or just send him off to see it alone? Have you ever had experience reading a book where you just could not move forward?

Categories:
books looking back me moments

Birthday with Mickey

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

I have always dreamed about being at Walt Disney World for my birthday. This year, I am coming very close to this dream thanks to our trip for the New Fantasyland media event . You see, I will actually be leaving for home just hours before my birthday. Of course, this means I will be celebrating my birthday Friday evening.

TechyDad told me to pick out a restaurant to have my birthday dinner at. I really want to go to California Grill at The Contemporary Resort, but there were no reservation available. Since we want to be at Epcot and Hollywood Studios that evening, I looked at those locations, and The Boardwalk for options. In the end, I decided to try something new. When we had to cancel our Labor Day 2011 trip, one of our meals was going to be at Les Chefs de France. So yes, I will be eating at Epcot on my almost birthday in a French restaurant under the Eiffel Tower.

So my question to you this week:

If you could eat at any location and/or restaurant for your birthday, where would it be and why?

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 #232

Categories:
Aloha Friday birthday Disney me moments

Being Brave and Channeling My Inner Merida

Posted on December 6, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Disney’s Brave burst onto the scene last year and everyone was talking about Merida and how feisty she was. I recall people mentioning what a great role model she was for young girls. We finally got to sit down and watch Brave the other day. Our entire family was swept away into the movie. I adore it for many reasons. One of those is that Merida is not fixated on her appearance. She loves her hair, wants to keep it out, and literally tosses it into the wind.

The Disney princess has no problems allowing her frizzy, long, red hair fly. Imagine that – not spending a fortune trying to tame your tresses. While out and about after watching the movie, the wind kicked up and my hair was down. It was flying around. I noted to TechyDad that I was channeling my “Inner Merida” at the time. Of course, in hind sight, it was really my outer Merida.

This winter, I have a feeling I may toss my hair up, ease off the Frizz-Ease items pictured above and allow my hair to be free. Yes, I will be channeling Merida while I just keep swimming along from day to day. The reality is that frizzy hair or not, I need to spend more time focusing on more important things in life.

Can you identify with Merida in any way? I would love to know how you view this spunky princess and if you are comfortable letting your hair down.

It's Me

Categories:
Disney me moments

Tuesday Tales – Getting Swept Away in a Book

Posted on November 27, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

One of the beautiful things about reading is that you can be swept away to a different land, time, and become part of the world of amazing characters. I recently finished a book that I couldn’t wait to write about. The book took control of my life for a while. Which one? It was The Middlesteins: A Novel by Jami Attenberg. The picture below was an Instagram I sent out when I first started the book.

The Middlesteins for Kindle

I have been digesting the book since I finished. It made me think a lot about family life, Jewish guilt, and beyond. I seriously fell in love with the book and did not want it to end.

The plan was to review it today, but illness changed that. I have been battling something for over a week now. After an asthma attack on Thanksgiving, I was home for two days and really sick. While resting up, I decided to read another book that a lot of people have been talking about.

I now understand why everyone said that Gone Girl: A Novel by Gillian Flynn would pull you in until you finished. I can’t stop reading. My Kindle was on while waiting for the dentist, while waiting outside of school in the freezing cold for the boys, and just before I fell asleep. I must finish this book.

So please know that both of the books I have mentioned are ones that I have enjoyed a lot. The Middlesteins will be coming in a future Tuesday Tales shortly. Now, I must be off to read more.

Have you read The Middlesteins or Gone Girl? I would love to know your thoughts. As always, please share what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: Two Amazon Affiliate link are included in this post for the books mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.