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Out of School…Out of Patience.
Thanksgiving vacation for the kids is always a great thing…for them. Since I work Monday through Friday I don’t see much of the kiddos when they are out of school. Crystal on the other hand works Tuesday through Friday and is able to take the kids to work with her during the times when they are off. We packed iPods, DS’s, coloring books, action figures and baby dolls in hope that this would keep them occupied for 5-6 hours.
Since Crystal is off on Mondays the kids and her stayed at the house on that day. Tuesday rolled around and I called her after they had been there for a couple of hours and when she answered the phone it didn’t even sound like her. The kids had been fighting, arguing, and being extremely loud in an office setting. We are so thankful though that she works in her father’s office and he tolerates it a bit. I told her to just hang on and the day at the office would be over soon enough.
The second day rolled around and she sounded like she wasn’t going to make it out alive because the kids were frazzling her nerves so bad. Thank goodness this would be the last day before Thanksgiving on Thursday because she would have been searching for flights to Dalaman to get as far away as she could and relax without the sound of kids haunting her earholes.
These kids do not listen at all. They are not scared of us at all when we threaten to punish them. They just laugh and point at us when we get on to them. I have no idea what next summer will hold when all three kids may be taking a trip to the office. We have to get through the Christmas break first!
Black Friday Deals from Fox
I have been streaming a great bit of the Stargate TV series lately. The franchise has easily become one of my favorite of all time. I have watched all ten seasons of SG-1, 3 of the 5 season of Atlantis, and seen all of Stargate Universe. Now I found out that Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has just made it easier for people to follow in my footsteps.
In the grand tradition of Black Friday FoxConnect.com has slashed a ton of prices on some of their best titles. These indlude DVD, Blu-ray, complete seasons, and complete series. You can find select titles up to 70% off on the FoxConnect.com in their Black Friday section. HOLY COW I am going to go broke!
Lands’ End Men’s Hooded Down Jacket
I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I am caring about how I look more than ever before. I am in my early 30′s, I have made my way back to the same weight that I was in high school, and I am building a little muscle in this bod of mine. Trying to keep up with a wife that just looks better and better as the years go on is really hard. I need to make sure that I don’t slack off in the fashion department not only so I can be seen in public with my wife but at the same time hope to never embarrass my kids by ever becoming the lazy-out-of-touch-with-society-these-days type of dad.
I have had to get rid of a good bit of clothes that are too big for me now. I have replaced those clothes with new clothes that are really nice and family approved. Once I got the shirts, the pants, and the shoes I knew that I had to work on the other items that would compliment a new wardrobe. I am not a hat person so I didn’t have to worry about that. The biggest thing to worry about now would be a new jacket and this is where Lands’ End comes in.
The fine folks at Lands’ End sent over a Lands ‘End Men’s Hooded Down Jacket. Starting off with the outside of the jacket I found that the windproof nylon shell features a water-resistant finish to repel rain and snow. There is a storm flap and oh-so ingenious concealed fleece storm cuffs that keep cold from sneaking in. The adjustable, insulated hood stays put on your head — even when Old Man Winter starts to blow. There are eight colors to choose from but if you know me I really tend to stick with black. Feel free to brighten things up.
On the inside you’ve got a lightweight inner lining that is packed with 600 fill down so you can bundle up without looking like the Michelin Man. There are some simple yet very practical details that include, zippered side pockets, a zippered chest pocket, and finished off with an adjustable drawcord hem. Another good thing is that when after you are done getting all wet and dirty (but still staying warm) outside you can throw this guy in the washer and dryer and be done with it.
Some Little Details
- Maximum warmth without traditional down bulk.
- Lightweight, super warm 600 fill down insulation
- Wind-resistant nylon shell with DriOff finish repels water
- Down insulated hood easily zips off when not needed
- Storm flap provides added protection
- Cozy fleece-lined pockets with secure zipper closure
- Internal pocket and cord port for MP3 player
I think anyone that needs a seriously warm jacket should snag this one. It is rated one of the warmest jackets out of all of Lands’ End inventory. I really like the fit and features of this jacket and if I had to say one negative thing about the jacket it would probably be that there are no layers or control to the warmth it provides. I guess I really kind of got spoiled with my other Land’s End jacket from previous winters where you had three different ways to wear that one.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I have been given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions in any freakin’ way.
My Growing Kids and their Shrinking Bathroom
We have been in the same house for almost six years now. During this time in the house I have always found the little “Jack and Jill” bathroom between the two kids rooms to be quite humorous and appalling at the same time. Appalling because it is only a toilet and a sink in a small confined area. Humorous because it is furnished with the smallest vanity and toilet I have ever seen in my life. I think that they went to a bathroom vanities sale for people from the land of Oz.
Whenever I see my kids at the sink that is exactly the perfect size for them it makes me chuckle. I just wonder what happens if we stay in this house for many more years when my kiddos start to sprout up and then look like Luke in Yoda’s hut bumping around in a area too small. I have thought before about replacing some of the fixtures in the bathroom but replacing the toilet seat is as far as I have gotten.
The toilet in the bathroom runs mysteriously every once in awhile and I can’t figure out why. In the case of the water wasting toilet I should probably look into eco-friendly bathroom furniture so that my money doesn’t get flushed down the drain…har har. Another bad thing is that the small area has carpet in it. If you have little boys under the age of…oh..I don’t know…twenty then you know that carpet in a bathroom is not a good idea. After writing out all of these things I think it is time for this bathroom to get some upgrades and finally grow up!
The Secret World of Arrietty
While in L.A. a few weeks ago I got to see a special screening of a movie called The Secret World of Arrietty. Crystal and I got to see it in a small screening room inside of the Dick Clark Productions studio. I love all animated genres and have had a great time with animes in the past. The Secret World of Arrietty is an animated adventure based on Mary Norton’s acclaimed children’s book series “The Borrowers. This is an animated feature that really pushed it when it came to Crystal because it really walks the line of “anime looking”.
After seeing the movie she came around and thought it was something really fresh and took you where you didn’t think it would take you. Traditional Japanese animation, or anime, doesn’t typically take the traditional “western” storyline approach like our movies do here in America. That’s what kept her entralled.
Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger.
I know that the kids are going to love this movie especially Taylor who will just fall in love with Arrietty and how strong she is despite her size. Hope you all get a chance to check it out as it hits theaters on February 17th, 2012!
Holiday Travel with the Muppets
I know some of you will be traveling this week for Thanksgiving and if not then go for a long drive so that you can play the game that I’m about to throw atcha’. Hopefully you will all have seen The Muppets on November 23rd so the trips to the grandparents house can be a fun-filled way to carry on your Muppet love.
See if you can spot:
- 5 Kermit green cars
- 1 Person who looks like a relative of Gonzo’s
- 3 People who look like they just stepped off the Electric Mayhem Band bus
- 4 of Miss Piggy’s biggest fans. How can you tell? Easy, they could be
- Singing to themselves
- Fixing their hair in the mirror
- Blowing kisses to you through the window
- Blowing kisses to themselves in the mirror
- 2 Bumper stickers that are so funny, Fozzie Bear would add them to his act
- 4 People wearing suits they stole from Statler and Waldorf
- 3 Cars that are so patriotic, Sam the Eagle just might be driving them
Bonus:
- Sing the chorus of “Mahna Mahna” or “Rainbow Connection” at a red light or while driving through a tunnel
- Find a license plate from Smalltown, USA (or at least one that is red, white and blue)
- Find the letters of Disney’s “The Muppets” in license plates
Hope you all have safe travels this next and don’t each too much!
Bye Bye Phone
Well after four months of being a Windows Mobile user on a HTC Surround I had to say no more. I said goodbye to my Apple iPhone at the end of August due to how slow the phone had gotten. It was several years old and I do not think that the plain old iPhone 3G could handle the software load and updates that it had taken on over the years.
I really did love the speed of the HTC phone and the handset boasted some very powerful specs. It was the availability of apps and features that ultimately did it in for me. When I first got the phone custom ringtones weren’t even an option. How does this happen in the age of phones today? My Nokia 3130 from 1999 at least did that. After four months of the Windows Mobile phone coming up short it was time to return to an IOS device.
The main thing that I was wanting to talk about is not the phones themselves but the Apple store itself. What is wrong with this place? As soon as you walk in the place you feel the cold distant feeling that overcomes you as you enter the sparse environment. Underneath the vast array of visible and hidden security cameras the employees are sure to be laughing at the customers walking in with confusion in tow.
I guess it just comes down to me feeling weird when I am in the Apple store. I have to check in as soon as I get there (like being seated at a table in a restaurant) and then wait for another person to actually talk to me. Also, the alarm systems hooked up to the devices are so touchy that I cringe with fear when near and refuse to touch them at all.
When we entered the store there was a special roped off section with some bearded young dude handing out white cards that had different iPhone and different specs on each card. You collected the card of the model you wanted and then proceeded to the roped off section to claim your electronic fruit. It was just weird and made me feel uncomfortable with the whole experience.
I did walk away with a sweet new iPhone 4S though so I guess it was worth all of the trouble and tasks you have to go through to get one. Kind of like letting your kids play outside and them getting dirty. Even if you have to clean them all up it is worth trouble if the reward of them going to sleep a little early is there.
Getting Ready for Wishlists
Christmas is on it’s way indeed. I have been picking my kiddos brains daily on what they might like Ole’ Saint Nick to bring them on the big day. The boys flocked to their usual Transformers, Imaginext, and XBox games. Taylor, on the other hand, is an eight year old that is finally getting into playing with toys like eight year old girls should. She has never been one to play with toys alot and even when she did it was not for an extended amount of time. So this year when I asked her what she wanted she said that she wanted Barbie gifts, makeup gifts, and a a few Kinect games.
It really thrills me like nothing else that she has embraced the activity of using her imagination to take things made of plastic to create grand scenarios that revolve around a woman that loves fashion and can have any job in the world she wants. Honestly I played with my action figures at least until I was around 14 or 15 years old and still collect some series today. I think it is very important for children to play with toys some time or another to keep their imagination free of cobwebs.
This year I am actually setting up online wishlists that the kids can go and add anything they want to their list for other family members to pick up. The gifts go on the list and when the items are purchased they come off of the lists so there will be no duplicates. Then you won’t get those awkward looks and outbursts exclaiming that they have that particular toy already. So everyone else can pick up the toys and games and all I have to do is pick up a truckload of discount makeup to last her till next Christmas. Who am I kidding she will put so much on I will have to refill her supply at Easter.
Muppets Anticipation
I think of my self as a fairly good parent. I do my best to try and share many things with my kids that I think that they would enjoy. While showing the trailer for the new Muppets movie to my kids I realized that they had never seen any Muppets movie before. How bad of dad does that make me if all that they have seen of Kermit the Frog was an occasional cameo on old Sesame Streets?
I am desperately scrambling to catch them up before the November 23rd release of the new movie. The movie were all on Netflix streaming but now they have seemed to disappear. I did notice that at some stores they sell a multi movie pack that have three movies on one disc. So, in anticipation of the movie I hope to catch us all up before I deemed an utter failure.
Winter Readiness with Dove Men + Care
This time of year is really rough on my skin. Fall and then winter really work a number on our dermis and cold temps usually aggravate skin conditions. With me being active at work for 10+ hours a day and also having an extremely physical job I need something that not only keeps me feeling clean, but also keeps some moisture in my skin. Many dudes put up with cleansing products that are harsh and drying, without realizing these products leave their skin feeling dry, irritated and uncomfortable. Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Body and Face Wash with Micromoisture technology is clinically proven to fight skin dryness better than regular men’s body wash.
I don’t usually like smelling like a girly-man with all these body washes that are out there. This body wash was formulated specifically for men who prefer a mild, unscented body and face wash.This ultra-light formula rinses off easily for a refreshing clean and total skin comfort. Also, the Active Clean Shower Tool was created to give an even better body wash experience by delivering maximum lather and maximum scrub in each shower.
- Ultra-light formula rinses easily and cleanly
- MICROMOISTURE activates when lathering
- For best results, use with Active Clean Shower Tool
- Available sizes: 13.5 oz and 18 oz
The first scented antiperspirant/deodorant from Dove specifically designed to give men protection—without compromise. Its unique formula combines one of the most effective ingredients for 48-hour protection against odor and wetness with non-irritant 1/4 moisturizer technology.
- 48-hour odor and wetness protection
- Non-irritating formula
- Tough on Sweat, Not on Skin
I hope that you all say hydrated this winter inside and out!
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I have been given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions in any freakin’ way.
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