Don't Stop Believin'

Have you seen this promo?



I have seen the ads for this show no fewer than 30 times and I love it more and more as the premiere date gets closer. I was a bit of a theater geek in high school. Maybe I'm feeling nostalgic. Whatever the case, I can tell you where I'll be at 9pm on May 19th.

So, does this show interest you? Were you a glee club member in high school? Do you like singing Journey songs?

"What If" Wednesday

I've decided to bring back "What If" Wednesday because I've got a nasty sunburn on my face that I don't care to share with you by VLOG I'm in need of jogging my brain with some potentially tough questions. This book is great and you should check it out! Now, for this week's question.

"If you could choose the music at your own funeral, what would it be, and who would play it?"

See, I told ya it would be a tough question! There are actually 3 songs that I would like to have at my funeral. And here they are in no particular order.

1. Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" - The lyrics really have no significant meaning to me, but this song is one that I've loved dearly for 20 years now. It calms me no matter what is going on in my life and transports me to a happier place.



2. Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" - Again, the lyrics really mean nothing to me. This song reminds me of one of the most happy times in my life. It's very relaxing and I guess the title would be a little ironic as funeral tunes.



3. Clarke's "Trumpet Voluntary" - This is my absolute favorite piece of classical music. I walked down the aisle at my wedding to this piece and I want to leave this world with this being the last piece of music played in my memory.




So, what music would you choose?

Mama's Got a Brand New Bag

As I've said many times before, I am not a girly-girl.

I don't keep up with the latest fashions. I'm happiest in my Old Navy jeans, classic t-shirt and flip flops.

I like jewelry and dressing up an outfit with necklaces and bracelets and funky earrings.

However, there is one accessory that is my weakness. The one thing that I rarely leave home without. The item that I wear with everything. The item that usually isn't retired until it's completely worn out. It's like an extension of myself. Part of the family.

This time, it all started with this little gal. An innocent little change purse that my youngest received as a Christmas gift from a friend.

I fell in love with the print and began investigating things. After thieving borrowing the change purse, I decided that it might be lonely. So, I found it a friend.

But these 2 little friends were missing their mommy. And I can't have that. A reunion was necessary. And now I introduce you to my new best friend. My everything. My new purse.

I've named her Lauren. Because it seemed fitting. And she shall walk with me everywhere until her clasps simply cannot bear the load anymore. At which point, I shall weep. There's a special bond between a woman and her favorite purse. I can't really put it into words, but she makes me feel like I'm a star when I walk out of the house with her.

For anyone out there who is looking to talk about their fashion sense and maybe win a ton of way cool jewelry, check out Apple Joos Springtime Contest!

Monday Morning Eye Candy

It's Monday again, which means that it's time for another installment of Monday Morning Eye Candy. Your one stop shop for cute guys and a guaranteed great start to your week!

This week's featured reader is Julia from Brainella the Librarian! Julia & I have a shared love...of British men. Her list includes some hotties from the British Isles. Let's check them out!

Sean Bean (nobody plays a bad guy better than him)

Jason O'Mara

Clive Owen

Gerard Butler

Colin Firth

Thanks for a great list Julia!

For anyone out there who would like to be the featured reader, please send an email to anticswithangie at gmail dot com with your list of 3-5 cute guys. See you next Monday!

Flying the Friendly Skys

I have been flying on airplanes since I was very young. However, in the last few years, I've begun to develop a bit of hesitation and fear when it comes to getting on a plane. I think flight attendants can go a long way in making uneasy passengers feel better.

When I saw this video, my first thought was, "I am only flying Southwest from now on." Check out why.

Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta

This is Kota.

Kota was a sweet girl who we adopted from a rescue. She had the softest fur and a shy disposition. She was slow to trust people, so when we finally won her trust, it the best gift ever. She was protective of our family and very gentle with the kids. She was strong despite physical limitations. She was a true best friend that gave us unconditional love. We miss her terribly.

We've been talking lately about adding a new German Shepherd dog to our family. It's something that we're hoping to accomplish this summer. I only hope that we find a creature as special as our Kota. Those are big shoes to fill.

For other photo stories, check out Candid Carrie!

Another super swap...check it out

My buddy Shannon is hosting a cool swap that you need to check out! It's all about sending a care package with stuff from your hometown to someone who is interested in knowing more about your area of the country. In turn, you'll get a package from someone who lives in a place that you want to know more about. Cool, huh?! So, click over and sign up and make sure you let Shannon know that you read about it here first. (There's a little something in it for me if you do. Thanks!)

Take THAT, June Cleaver

Like many parents, I struggle with trying to make sure that my kids are eating healthy. Here's a conversation from a few nights ago.

Little A: What's for dinner mommy?

Me: I'm not sure. What would you like?

Little A: Macaroni & Cheese!

Big A: Nooooooo!! Macaroni & Cheese is not something good!

Me: Well, what would be something good?

Big A: (after careful thought and a furrowed brow) Well, it's NOT chicken.

I was further reminded today of how great a job I'm doing in the menu department by the girls gymnastics teacher.

Teacher: During the group activity, I asked the kids to tell me their favorite nutritious snack. I gave them examples like grapes and carrots.

Me: Oh good! So, what did the girls say?

Teacher: Big A said pizza and Little A said macaroni & cheese.

Me: Fabulous.

Wordy Wednesday

I'll probably return to my VLOG next week. I was without internet service for a good portion of yesterday (Comcast, I am still cursing your name), so I couldn't get a VLOG ready. ANYWAY, let's do a little housekeeping here today. Follow along.

~ For all of you on reader, please click over to vote in the poll that I've got on the left hand side. I'm taking votes for the kind of giftcard you guys are interested in winning in the next giveaway that I'm doing. Poll is open through this Saturday night. Giveaway to be announced sometime next week!

~ I am thinking of doing a swap this summer. The theme I'm throwing around is Christmas in July where you send a goody bag to your partner based on things that they would like to receive as gifts. Thoughts? Would you be interested in this swap?

~ I am stunned to admit that I really like the new Miley Cyrus song that's out right now. I think it's called "The Climb". Please don't tell my hubby.

~ Have I mentioned that we finally booked our beach vacation for the summer? Hilton Head here we come!! We're also spending a full day in Savannah, which I'm really excited about. It's my mission to come home with something that has Paula Deen on it. Hopefully her autograph. So, for those of you who have traveled to either destination, please give me recommendations on things to do or places to eat. Thanks!

Ok, that's it for today. Enjoy this beautiful Earth Day!

A "Little A" Birthday

With all the drama that's gone around here recently, I've been lax in doing a recap of the very big birthday of the very Little A.

As you might remember, I made the mistake of asking her what theme she would like on her cake. She told me Max & Ruby. I panicked. Thankfully, hubby reminded her of how much she loves butterflies. And voila. Presenting, the birthday cookie cake.

First things first. Time for the annual birthday flowers. This is a tradition that hubby started with Big A on her first birthday. The birthday girl gets one rose for every year that they are celebrating. The mom and sister get 1 rose each...for good measure. It's very sweet and the girls love it!

Now it was time to party. I rented out a nearby gym full of trampolines, bouncy floors and ample room to tumble. Here are the A's ready to bound down the long trampoline.

The birthday girl was all smiles.

After munching on snacks and cake, it was on to presents. Both girls are currently obsessed with Hello Kitty. Little A was showing me her stickers that she was very excited about.

After a whole lot of partying, it was time for her big gift. Her first bike! She was more than ready to tackle this big girl gift and now she's off and running.

Another big birthday in the books. Now just another 5 months before the planning starts all over again for the next one. Sigh. Oh, who are we kidding? I love this stuff.

Monday Morning Eye Candy

I'm BAAAACK! Welcome to another fabulous Monday Morning Eye Candy! I'm happy to report that I'm on the mend and feeling much better. Thanks again for all the well-wishes! Now, let's get down to the cute boys.

This week's featured reader is Jen from Daily Mish Mash. Jen knows a thing or 2 about eye candy as she does a Friday Eye Candy post each week. You should definitely check it out. And without further ado, I bring you Jen's eye candy list. Enjoy!

Robert Pattinson - Jen likes a more Edward-y looking Rob, so I found this little number from my 2nd favorite scene in Twilight. Sigh.

Leonardo Dicaprio

The very swoon-worthy, James McAvoy.

And I've saved the best for last. It's the man who is like my Rob P. He monopolizes her thoughts and dreams. He is the ultimate guy in her world (next to her real life hubby of course).

Ryan Gosling

Jen, I hope this makes your Monday!

For other readers out there who would like their blog to be featured, please shoot an email to anticswithangie at gmail dot com with your list of 3-5 of your favorite guys!

Who needs a pick me up? That's right, it's me!

Ok, sorry for yesterday's post where I ranted and raved and got a lot off my chest. I was telling Angela this morning that I woke up today feeling a lot better and like a weight had been lifted. Hallelujah! So, let's focus on the positive.

There is a lot in my life that makes me happy and smile from ear to ear. One thing in particular is the opportunity to give to others! And so, I'm participating in Mamarazzi's Favorite Things swap to kick start my happiness this weekend. Check out the fun that you can join in on too!

How I didn't intend to spend my Easter holiday

It's Day 4 post-op and to put it mildly...I AM MISERABLE.

Speaking from the chair of someone who has had 3 major abdominal surgeries in less than 5 years, I can tell you that I hope you never have the opportunity to experience this kind of fun. It sucks. (Much like my attitude at this moment)

For those who don't know what's going on at the moment, let me bring you up to speed.

Saturday night, I was enjoying a lovely movie night with hubby as we were both enjoying some Blizzards from our neighborhood Dairy Queen. Within minutes of finishing my ice cream treat, I knew that something really bad was about to occur and I immediately ran for my bathroom. You see, this was not the first time that my gallbladder had attacked me. It was more like the 10th. In 5 years. And this whole time I thought it was really bad heartburn. So I ran for the Zantac and Tums, which not surprisingly, didn't help.

After an hour of pain & suffering, I drove myself to the ER, where they thankfully gave me a happy shot and ran lots of tests to determine that the pesky gumball sized stone in my gallbladder was the culprit and that I needed surgery. Hubby joined me at the hospital after calling in for reinforcements to watch the kiddos and I finally had the menacing organ removed around noon on Easter Sunday.

I'm sure that in another week when I'm not in serious pain and cursing the fact that there is no comfortable position for me to sit/stand/lie down in currently, I will be happy that I never have to worry about the pain that little organ caused me. Right now, all I can do is try to avoid the 4 incision sites and avoid the general public. Because I'm not in my normally happy place and that's not good for anyone. Just ask my family.

So as not to end on a downward spiral, I do want to thank those of you who have left get well comments, emails, texts and phone messages. I seriously do appreciate them! And hubby sends his many thanks to those of you who have brought meals by the house. You all are feeding us better than I do! Anyway, thanks very much!

Now, I'll go back to sulking and cursing to myself and promise that my next post will be back to the old me. Thanks for letting me vent.

Good Fortune Winner

Hi all! I'm still feeling pretty crappy, but wanted to go ahead and announce the winner of the Good Fortune sampler set giveaway. If I had known that having my gallbladder removed was going to be this painful, well, where are my pain pills already?! Anyway...

Random.org chose #17 which happens to be...

Anonymous said...

natural shea butter is amazing!
clarissa at digitaldeacons dot com

April 8, 2009 1:01 AM

Congrats to Clarissa!

I've emailed Clarissa and she has 3 days to claim her prize. Thanks to all who entered! I'll probably be out of commission for the rest of the week. You all have a great week!

Monday Morning Eye Candy

Hi, everyone!  Shannon here... filling in for Angie.  

If you haven't already heard, Angie was admitted to the hospital very early Sunday morning and ended up having surgery to remove her gallbladder!  Thankfully, her surgery went well and Angie's resting at home. 

Since she is indisposed at the moment, I've hijacked Angie's blog for today's edition of Monday Morning Eye Candy.  One of my all-time favorite shows is "Lost".  Angie doesn't know what she's missing watch "Lost", so for these hotties to be featured, I had to take matters into my own hands!  

Henry Ian Cusick... this sexy Scotsman plays the mysterious Desmond Hume.  I'm a sucker for a man with an accent... swoon!

Josh Holloway... his character, Sawyer, has shown both his masculine and sensitive sides... not many women (both on the show and viewers at home) have been able to resist his Southern charm... and it's easy to see why!

Matthew Fox... plays Dr. Jack Shephard.  I'd follow this "natural born leader" just about anywhere.  Ahem.  

Do you watch "Lost"?  Which "Lost" hunk (the ones listed here, or one not mentioned) is your favorite?  

If you'd like to have your favorite hotties featured on Monday Morning Eye Candy, just send your request to Angie at anticswithangie{at}gmail{dot}com!  

Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta - The Fan Letter

Today's Fx4 post is sponsored by the letter "C". "C" is for CRAZY, which could best describe my frame of mind when I decided to regress to age 14 and write a fan letter to Robert Pattinson.

Yes, you read that correctly. I wrote a fan letter to Rob Pattinson...and I liked it.

It was a 2 page, typed letter. A letter talking about how much I admire his musical chops and acting prowess. A letter explaining our common issue of "diarrhea of the mouth." A letter explaining why he & I would be such good friends.

And I didn't just stop at the letter. I sent a card too. A witty card. A card that will stop him in his tracks and make him say "I need to talk to this incredibly fun girl."

And now I wait.

Rob, can you hear me?

For more Foto Fun, check out Candid Carrie!

The Best Interview Parting Gift EVER

*If you're interested in winning a fabulous Good Fortune Soap gift set, click here.

You might remember a while back when I told you about a phone interview that I was really excited about. I didn't give many details then because I didn't want to jinx things. Well, apparently it just wasn't meant to be because I wasn't chosen as one of the "cool" mommy bloggers. (Had I known who my competition was for the positions, I probably wouldn't have bothered. Read, I'm trying not to have sour grapes.)

The position was on a panel for Goldfish Crackers Fishful Thinking campaign. They chose 10 mommy bloggers to help them build the brand and get the word out about this new initiative. It's a great campaign with a really insightful message about instilling optimism in our kids, which is something that I definitely can get behind. And I have no doubt that the women they chose will indeed get the job done because they have connections and traffic stats that I can't even begin to touch. I was, however, really disappointed not to be chosen. (Suddenly I'm having flashbacks of 7th grade cheerleading tryouts)

Anyhoo, I was stunned when I received a large shipment from Fedex this afternoon. As a token of appreciation for doing the 30 minute phone interview for the panel, Pepperidge Farms sent me this really cool gift basket.

I put the girls next to it so you could get an idea of how big this basket truly is. When we opened it up, we found 21 full-size packages of Goldfish crackers in several varieties, as well as my absolute FAVORITE Milano cookies. Score!!

Note to future potential employers: If you decide after my dazzling interview that I am not the ideal candidate for the position, it would be fabulous if you would send me a delightful basket of my favorite things. That is all.

P.S. A huge THANK YOU to Mom Taxi Julie! I won a contest on her blog last week and today I received the book, "The Devil Wears Prada." Can't wait to read it!

Weblog Wednesday

**If you haven't entered this week's giveaway yet, click here to do that. It's ok. I'll wait on you to come back here.

This week's VLOG is MUCH shorter than last week. For those who can't hear it or just prefer not to watch it, I am looking for feedback on what kind of blog content you look for. I'm preparing a major overhaul of my site and am planning multiple tabs for different content types. Please leave me a comment with the type of info that you like to see (e.g. recipes, celebrity news, music talk, frugal living). Thanks for your input! Enjoy the video!

P.S. Still no word from my fan letter to Rob. The waiting game continues. Ha ha ha.

Giveaway Tuesday

Good Fortune Soap

I am not a girly girl, but I am a HUGE fan of bath & body products. Some might even say I am an connoisseur of such things. So, when I find a product that I really love, I sing from the mountaintops about how great it is in the hopes that others will seek it out also. Good Fortune Soap is one of those products.

Good Fortune is the brainchild of an amazingly talented woman named Jennifer Jack. She is a former corporate employee turned small business owner who gave up a lot to pursue a dream and better way of life. Her products are all hand-made from eco-friendly, natural ingredients and lots of love, which is evident from the finished products as well as the packaging they come in. Jennifer is also very giving and donates a portion of her proceeds from specific products to some very worthy charities. You can read more about that mission here.

I found Jennifer through a mutual friend almost 2 years ago and have been happily using her soaps and giving them as gifts. Of the scents that she offers, my absolute favorite is AppleJack. (I love all things apple scented) AppleJack has the apple scent that I love, but it's got enough spicy undertones to have a fan in my hubby as well. The AppleJack faucet soap is a huge hit in this house! The sack that the soap comes in makes for great exfoliating in the shower & is easy to use.

And if you're looking for a great gift for yourself or others, the Sampler Set is the way to go! It's got a little bit of everything in the Good Fortune line and one of my lucky readers is going to win this set!

To enter, please go check out the Good Fortune website and tell me what product interests you. Leave it in a comment on this post and you're entered! If you do not have a blog, please make sure you leave your email in the comment so I can reach you if you win.

Bonus Entries can be earned in the following ways:
1. Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment here with the url to your tweet
2. Blog about the giveaway and leave a comment here with the url to your post
3. Become a follower of my blog and leave a comment here telling me so

You must leave separate comments for each entry since I'll be choosing the winner via random drawing. All entries must be received by Monday, April 13 at 6pm ET.

Monday Morning Eye Candy

Welcome back to Monday Morning Eye Candy! This week begins our reader requests. First up is a bloggy friend turned IRL friend, Kori! She just took her blog private, so I can't feature it, but for those of you who previously read her, you know that she's one of the sweetest people around!

Anyway, Kori is all about some Mike Rowe from The Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs." Let's check this cutie out. And remember, if you have a list of cute guys that you would like me to feature in a future post (along with your blog), just send an email to anticswithangie[at]gmail[dot]com.

Butterfly Baby

Three years ago today, you fluttered into my life so quietly and gracefully.

The first year passed so quickly. You put a smile on every one's face wherever you went.

The second year passed and all of a sudden you were no longer a baby, but a little girl. My little sun goddess.

Today we celebrate your 3rd year in our lives and every day that passes becomes the most precious. Happy birthday my sweet little angel!

Love,
Mommy

Twilight Download Winner

Congratulations to Heather who was chosen by the random number generator for the Twilight iTunes movie download!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

9

Timestamp: 2009-04-05 02:08:50 UTC

Thanks to everyone who entered and stay tuned for another giveaway announcement on Tuesday, April 7th!

Spring has sprung

Easter is just around the corner. You know what that means? Festival time!

I swear, this city doesn't really need a reason, much less a major holiday, to warrant having a festival. It's actually kind of cool. On any given weekend, you don't have to throw a stone very far to find a celebratory gathering of something or other.

A couple of weekends ago, my Dad's company threw a huge Easter egg hunt and festivities for employees and their extended families. Let's hit the highlights shall we?

Must get the requisite pic with the bunny

The girls were all about some face painting. Little A wanted a cat

Big A chose a rainbow

Now it was time to hunt some eggs. These girls took the challenge seriously.

After 60 seconds of feverish egg hunting, the girls were ready to unwind with a pony ride. Little A is up first.

Big A is all about moving up from a pony to a "real" horse. I'm not sure I'm ready for her to make that transition.

And so we wrapped up the day with some sweets and a much needed nap for everyone involved. A great day indeed!

Weblog Wednesday (and a giveaway)

So, I've decided to do a VLOG once a week. Here's my first shot. It sucks. It's too long and every time I tried to re-record, I was interrupted by at least 1 child. I'll try to do better next week.



Here's the giveaway info that I told you about in the video.

The Prize: 1 iTunes download of the movie "Twilight" plus bonus features (I'll email you the download codes once the winner is chosen)

How to Enter: Leave a comment on this entry (Isn't that easy?!)

Contest Closes on Saturday, April 4th at 10pm EST. Winner will be announced here and emailed, so if you leave an anonymous comment, please make sure to include your first name and email contact info.