February 2009 - Page 2 of 3 - Angry Julie Monday

My Version of the Hallmark Holiday

February 16, 2009

Saturday was Valentine’s Day. I had to work and so did Angry Husband. No big deal. We didn’t have any special plans to go out that night. We don’t have our “special” place that we go too. But that’s ok. I’ve never been that type of girl who wants to be wine’d and dine’d. Yes, my friends who know me, will say that I am high maintenance. But I’m not a foodie at all.

I pre-ordered a pizza from Papa John’s Pizza. I know that they always have heart shaped pizzas on Valentine’s Day. I figured that they would be busy with lots of orders, so I went online and scheduled my delivery for 6:30pm. Isn’t that cool.

Angry Husband knows that I don’t like received flowers on Valentine’s Day. Cause seriously, they die and you’re out like $100. You know what I could buy for $100, lots of things! That’s a whole Target shopping spree.

I got Angry Husband a pair of DVS skateboard shoes on e-bay. They are the style that he likes, and he needed some new shoes. He got me an itunes gift card. I love my music and shows!

Angry Husband made some cupcakes Friday night. Angry Toddler and my mom frosted and decorated the cupcakes on Saturday morning.

Oh, and I got Angry Toddler a trash truck. He’s been wanting it for awhile. I almost bought him the truck for Christmas but it was expensive, like $80. I had already bought him alot for Christmas so I held off. I was shopping my local TJ Maxx (love that place) and found the same trash truck, for $19.99.

We ate the pizza, watches the tv, and hung out. Some nice family time.

Filed Under: Holidays 8 Comments

Preschool Valentine’s

February 14, 2009

Today was Angry Toddler’s preschool Valentine’s Day party. Last year, I just took in cards. Cause that’s what you do, right? I try to follow the school’s crazy rules (no sugar, frosting, candy, etc.). But last year, Angry Toddler came home with a ton of candy. I guess Valentine’s Day is exempt.

My BFF, Stacey, pre-bought some really cute cards for Angry Toddler. They were dinosaurs and then some other ones with temporary tattoos. Cause Stacey rocks like that as a friend.

I also took in these little goodie bags. They were pink camouflage party bags from Tar-jay, filled with little candies. And of course, I personalized them with some cute labels from Etsy.

I took everything in Thursday night when we picked Angry Toddler up from school. It’s very hard to get him to school on Fridays in a timely manner. Angry Husband takes Angry Toddler to school on his way to work. Angry Husband didn’t want to fight with AT about digging into the Valentine’s, etc.

Angry Toddler came home from school today very happy. He had a bag full of cute V-Day cards and candy.

Filed Under: Holidays, Parenting 4 Comments

Pink Swap Package

February 13, 2009

I participated in Monograms and Manicures Pink Swap. I was paired up with Nora from Vineyard Girl (a private blog). Nora and I have been e-mailing back and forth about the swap, ever since we were paired. I’ve also been reading Nora’s blog too.

I have been soo busy this past week but I wanted everyone to know that I received Nora’s swap gift late last week. I love everything!

Thanks Nora!!

Filed Under: Blogging 3 Comments

Phineas and Ferb…finally a new cartoon we can all enjoy

February 12, 2009

Angry Husband installs Custom Home Theaters for a living. If you didn’t know that already? He’s always coming home with his stories about his customers, their houses, families, children, etc. Yes, I go into people’s homes and businesses, 40+ hours a week, but nobody wants to hear my stories…

A few weeks ago, he walks into the house and picks up the remote control for our tv. He starts looking up things on the DVR. Bless that beautiful invention, the DVR. He started talking about a TV show, Phineas and Ferb. I said, “What is that?” He says, “It’s on the Disney Channel, and it’s super funny.”

I usually walk out of the room when Angry Toddler’s shows are on. Our office is connected to the living room so I can see Angry Toddler but tune out the tv.

So you are probably wondering? What is Phineas and Ferb all about?

Phineas and Ferb is an animated show about two stepbrothers and their adventures in their backyard during summer vacation. The show also features their sister, Candace who’s trying to get them in trouble. But they never get caught.

There is also a sub-plot going on with the show with their pet platypus, Perry. Perry is secretly a spy going under the name, “Agent P”. Perry is usually battling the enemy, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.

It’s a hilarious show and Angry Toddler loves it. He can even sing the theme song now. I think we have at least 4+ hours of this show DVR’ed. Angry Husband and I are quite happy that Angry Toddler likes this show. We were finding that his other favorite show, Justice League, was a bit inappropriate.

Graphic from listal.com

Filed Under: Parenting 8 Comments

Amazon.com Releases Kindle 2

February 11, 2009

I’ve posted before about how I read alot. I have books sitting on every surface of the desk of my office. Yep, I’ve read them all. I probably need to start donating these books or giving them away.

I’ve been watching Amazon’s Kindle for awhile now. The Kindle is a wireless reading device. You pay for books and then download them onto the Kindle. They had a great deal on them last Fall and I hesitated to take advantage of it. I heard that they were coming up with a new improved version of the Kindle.

Yesterday, I got an e-mail from Amazon. They were releasing the new, Kindle 2.

Here are a few highlights from Amazon.com about The Kindle 2:

Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines

Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback

Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots

Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required

Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images

Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging

More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books

Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns

Read-to-Me: With the new Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud to you

Large Selection: Over 230,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs available

Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise Say Hello to The New Kindle

I sat on the computer for an hour yesterday and watched videos on how this device works. It’s pretty cool. Angry Husband and I had a discussion about this last night. Cause he’s the gadget guy in our household. I might have to get one of these when we get our tax return.

Filed Under: Uncategorized 3 Comments

Thomas & Friends Live

February 10, 2009

On Friday night, we went and saw Thomas & Friends Live at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Angry Toddler had never been to a live stage show. I got an e-mail from the Performing Arts Center a couple of weeks ago and they had discounted the tickets. We ended up getting orchestra seats for $15 each. My parents, Angry Husband, Angry Toddler, and I went.

Of course, it was pouring rain Friday night. Angry Toddler was beyond excited. Note to self: never tell Angry Toddler that we are going to an event, that far in advance, he couldn’t contain all his excitement and was totally over stimulated.

We found our seats and sat down about 15 minutes before the show started. The place was full of 3-5 year olds, mostly boys. Angry Toddler was beyond excited. All of the parents were taking pictures of their kiddos. So I pull out my camera. Yea, so I brought my digital SLR. It’s a little bigger than the average pocket sized camera. Our current point and shoot sucks. We doesn’t the cranky woman in front of me start commenting, “well they told me to put my camera away and I was just using my phone.” Yes lady, I overheard you. You weren’t very discreet. Did she really think I was going to take pictures with my big ole’ flash while the stage show was going on. Seriously. I wanted to take pictures of my son, at his first show, to capture his excitement. I was able to get these photos below, before somehow the usher was contacted and told me to put away my camera.

My mom had bought him a $15 Thomas flashlight toy, which he was really happy about. Notice, his cheesy smile.

I put away my camera and then show began. It was very whimsical and musical. Totally not what I expected. Angry Toddler would get up and dance during some of the musical parts. And his got some very dirty looks from a little girl in front of us. Seriously Miss 5 yr old girl, he’s THREE.

And during most of the show, there were kids coughing and hacking behind us. Do you really need to bring your kid who probably has bronchitis to a kid’s show?

But, Angry Husband even agreed, it was a great production and Angry Toddler has been talking about it every day.

Filed Under: Parenting 3 Comments

Historic Photos of Orange County, A Review

February 8, 2009

I was contacted by Turner Publishing in December to review a book called “Historic Photos of Orange County”. I jumped at the chance to review it. I love books.

I have lived in Orange County since I was 11 years old. I was looking forward to see photos of the origins and beginnings of this County, I live in.

I received the book, which is a 10″ by 10″ coffee table size. It has a beautiful shiny laminated cover on it. The photos inside are all black and white.

The book is split into four chapters ranging from the 1870’s to the late 1960’s. There is a huge range of places that they covered in Orange County, from north county to the beaches.

If you live in Orange County, California, or have ever lived in Orange County; this book is a must have. It has you dwelling on the past. It’s amazing to see some of the places that I go to everyday, fifty to sixty years ago. It is simply beautiful.

Here is a description of the book from their website:

Perpetual sunshine, palm trees, miles of unbroken beaches, yachts, cliff-top mansions, millionaires—these are the images of Orange County that come to mind for many people, and there is much truth in this depiction, for Orange County is a place of boundless natural wonders that attracts more than 25 million tourists a year. However, the full story of Orange County is far more complex. It’s a story of Juañeno Indians, conquistadors, Franciscan padres, rancheros, wildcatters, artists, and filmmakers. Historic Photos of Orange County offers some 200 images drawn from the county’s fascinating past, from the mission ruins of San Juan Capistrano, to the turn-of-the-century celery fields of Westminster, to the eye-popping fantasia of a young Disneyland.

By East Coast standards, Orange County is a relative baby—just over a century old—and tiny compared to most California counties; but its population is second only to neighboring Los Angeles County and growing every day. This volume captures the story of Orange County’s evolution from a sleepy backwater suburb of Los Angeles to an international tourist destination.

This would also be an awesome gift; ranging from house warming parties to birthdays.

It’s retail price is $39.99.

You can find it on the publisher’s site, and also on Amazon.

Turner Publishing also has other Historic Photos from several other places, like Austin, TX, Las Vegas, NV, and The White House.

Disclosure: I was provided with this book, free of charge for review.

Filed Under: Orange County, Reviews 1 Comment

Toy and Product Recall Finder

February 7, 2009

As a parent, I try and read all the reviews on the products that I buy my son. It hard with all these choking hazards, safety issues, poisoning issues, car seat laws, and other things going on. I don’t remember my parents dealing with any of this. I really don’t even remember being in a carseat. But alas I survived.

Being in law enforcement, I unfortunately see lots of incidents that the normal public doesn’t see. I tend to be on the overly paranoid side of things. Even Angry Husband has jumped on this. He can install a carseat without any effort.

I was recently contacted by a Representative from Parent’s Magazine. They wanted to let my readers know that they now have a Toy and Product Recall Finder on their website. It is really easy to use.

For more information on product recalls, you can also check out, The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

For more information on recalls relating to car seats, you can check out, SaferCar.Gov.

Filed Under: Parenting 3 Comments