June 2010 - Page 3 of 3 - Angry Julie Monday

I Hearts Faces Photo Walk Across America

June 7, 2010

This past Saturday, I participated in the I Heart Faces “Photo Walk Across America”. This event was being held in 20 different cities across America. Our photo walk took place in the Dana Point Marina area of Orange County, CA. We had a great group of photographers present and I think we definitely represented Orange County.

I came equipped with my Nikon D80, and I was ready for some photographs. It was pretty awesome to have some people that actually want to pose for my photographs, since everyone else around me usually runs away from the camera. I may post a ton of photos here on my blog, but usually they are the 4 or 5 out of several hundred that turned out.

A Group Photo Taken by Susan Keller, one of our co-leaders. She set her camera on a timer to take it. I think it is pretty fabulous.

I thought I would share a little scenery of the location where our Photo Walk took place. We were down by the water, so it was very “beachy”. It truly represents Orange County. Our day was surrounded by June gloom, which is quite common around these parts, this time of the year.

But this was an I Heart Faces Photo Walk, right? I had to take some pictures of people. Although I did like the landscape, I got some pretty decent shots of people too. I’m quite impressed with myself. Even if I took most of the photos in automatic. Yes, JJ, I’m going public. I really don’t play with my camera(s) much and I use automatic, like A LOT.

Such Happiness

Casual Pose

Setting up for our self-portrait group shot

Random fisherman, catching a fish. I had to photograph it.

A sign to hang out on. What a great prop.

But I saved the best photo for last. It was classic photo of our fearless co-leader, my personal paparazzi, and friend Jen. Susan said that she did not own a cellphone. Jen just gave this look. I’ve seen it before. I think it is quite hilarious.

I had a great day with some excellent conversations. I can’t wait to look at all of the photos that we taken that day.

I took a bunch more photos that day. I have a set on Flickr with all of my photos taken that day.

Filed Under: Orange County, Photography 13 Comments

It is already a summer of fun!

June 6, 2010

Running Along The Beach

i heart faces Challenge, Week 23: Play

This is Angry Kid. This is Angry Kid after his first jaunt in the ocean. Yea, I know, we live in Orange County. We have never taken Angry Kid to the beach before. Angry Husband loathes the sand, the beach, the beach traffic, and the parking. I had an impulsive moment, go figure, and jumped in the car. We headed towards Huntington Beach. It was immensely crowded. The AVP Tour was going on this weekend. I obviously didn’t get the memo with my spontaneous beach trip.

Oh and by the way, Angry Kid loved the ocean. Even after a medium wave came up and smacked him to the ground. He wants a surf board. I told him that he needs to learn to swim first. Did you notice all the sand in his hair? He had also just spit out a ton of salt water and sand that he ingested. He is a boy. He will survive.

My parents came over for dinner on Memorial Day. We fixed up some last minute hamburgers and hot dogs. I will say last minute, because I picked up some things from the grocery store at 4pm, on Memorial Day, on the way home from work. I was tempted by all of the goodies aka cupcakes, cookies, and other sweet goodness. By I actually chose to be a little bit healthy, who knew! I bought some fruit to cut up, because it looked delicious and practically screamed, “summer”.

I had to make “the dip” for the fruit though. It is a very simple and “not so healthy recipe”. 8 oz. of cream cheese plus a jar of marshmallow cream. You mix it together. It is that simple, seriously.

I had to throw in another beach photo. Angry Husband was burying Angry Kid in the sand. Do you see the jeans and t-shirt? I said it was “spontaneous”. Angry Husband finally gave in, and sat down. He even made some castles with Angry Kid. He may have been a little angry about the sand getting anywhere.

It has been awhile since I’ve gone to the actual beach. You know right down where the sand meets the ocean. I forgot about all of the interesting outfits that people wear the beach. I saw some inappropriate bathing suits, bikini bottoms with hoodies, people wearing clothes in the ocean, and biker shorts under a one-piece woman’s suit. I just gave Angry Husband “that look” several times.

Since I’m writing about summer, I thought I would include my lunch from today. I could not think of anything to eat for lunch. It was way too hot and nothing sounded good. I decided to go with the “Yogurt” food group, along with the strawberries, gummy bears, and Butterfinger food groups. Yea, I need to go to the gym this week, alot!

And it is just the beginning of June. I can’t wait to see what the rest of summer brings us!

P.S. I think I’ve tried all of the local Frozen Yogurt Shops. Yogurtland is my fav!

Filed Under: Orange County, Photography 18 Comments

Spotlight Saturday: 05.30 to 06.05.10

June 5, 2010

Here are FIVE of my favorite posts from the past week. Each week I will be highlighting some of my favorites. I have many blogs in my reader, as I have many friends with all different types of “niches” or “non-niches”. I will post serious stories, fun stories, pictures, recipes, etc. They will most likely be in a random order.

1. Kara’s Party Ideas-Retro Surf Birthday Party

I love to see party planning/idea posts on blogs. It is so inspiring to me as I do not have a party planning bone in my body. I wish I could magically wave a wand and have a party like this. But alas, I can just read about them on fabulous blogs like this.

2. Joy’s Hope-A Carnival of Tiered Trays

I pretty much love Julie because we share the same and she also loves turquoise. She was the Mistress of Spray Paint when she made these fabulous trays. I love the bright colors.

3. Tip Junkie-3rd Annual Tip Junkie Birthday Bash

Laurie is approaching her 3rd Anniversary of her blog, Tip Junkie. She is requested links and submissions for your party posts, printables, and anything that would be a GREAT party tip for her readers. She will also be doing some giveaways, the week of 06.14.10 to 06.19.10.

4. Nesting Place-Summerize Your Home Part II: Keep It Calm

The Nester has some simple and easy tips to bring a little “summer” to your home by decorating and accessorizing.

5. Musings of a Housewife-Helicopter Parenting

Jo Lynne talks about the community pool and the parents knee deep in the pool with their children. She said that all the law chairs are crowded with towels and flip flops, yet the parents are hovering over their kids in the actual pool. Where there are a ton of training lifeguards.

Filed Under: Blogging, Photography Leave a Comment

We broke up

June 4, 2010

It’s official. It has been FIVE weeks since I’ve had a Monster Energy Drink. I was starting to have crazy sugar cravings when drinking them. I constantly wanted more and more Monsters. I then wanted candy. It was time to stop. We had quite a long standing relationship. I’ve broken up with my Monsters before. But this is probably the longest time that I’ve gone without them.

I haven’t given up caffeine entirely. I’m not that crazy. I still make my daily visits to the little store at the local gas station. I pass by the Monsters, and stare a little. Then I move onto the fountain drinks and get myself a Dr. Pepper. I try not to keep any soda in the house, because I would probably drink it all.

I admit it. I miss my Monsters. They made me so happy, yet they were very very very bad for me. I was known for showing up to an event with my Monster in hand. They were my signature drink. I even had my picture of me with a Monster in my “About” page. I changed that picture also.

Onto other things though…..

My BFF, Stacey got me one of those acrylic Starbucks’ Acrylic Insulated Tumblers. She got me a Venti. It is fabulous and I drink about a bazillion glasses of water daily. I think Angry Husband is jealous of my tumbler. I see him looking at it with jealousy.

I went and saw Sex and the City 2 with Stacey. I liked it. I laughed. Some of the Samantha scenes were a bit much. I totally related to Charlotte when she was crying in the kitchen pantry. I’ve been there before. I learned a new word, “InterFriendtion”. I loved how the showed the characters “in their youth”. It was very long. It was a good girlfriend movie. The previews before the movie even started were “chick flicks”. It has been decided, it is the summer of chick flicks.

I staged a family room makeover with only a $100 rug from Costco. Angry Husband was impressed. It looks so much better. Perhaps, there is an extra chair sitting in our garage now.

We are in the midst of swim lessons again. Oh save me from smacking some of these parents. Seriously, step away from the edge of the pool. Your child can fix their goggles themselves.

My TV shows are all ending for the summer. I need something new to watch. Any suggestions?

I’m reading Eat, Pray, Love. I saw a preview for the movie. I never wanted to read it before. So I just started it. I finished The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and The Help within the past month. They are all GREAT books. Read them!!!

And last but not least, I returned to the gym today. I went to a 24Lift class this morning. My friend, Doris teaches it and I think I shocked her by showing up! I’m going to be very very very sore this weekend.

So this is what summer looks like so far!

Filed Under: Uncategorized 14 Comments

I have appliance envy

June 2, 2010

At the end of April, I was invited to a trip in Scottsdale, Arizona by Bosch, along with several other fabulous bloggers. Yes, that Bosch with the fabulous appliances. I went to their beautiful showroom and training facility for a tour and some instruction about their products, specifically their Vision Washers and Dryers. I have a problem with my own washer and dryer that I currently own, they make me angry. Seriously, we’ve had nothing but service calls and problems with our current ones.

Bosch has a great facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. They share this training/showroom facility with two other brands from their parent company, Thermador and Gaggenau. I could tell that I’ve aged a little. I got giddy when I saw all of these awesome household appliances. I usually only get this excited when I enter the Louis Vuitton store, seriously.

We entered an area sectioned off for laundry appliances aka washers and dryers. I think the word “appliances” sounds so much more sophisticated than washers and dryers.

Meet the Bosch Vision Washer and Dryer. Aren’t they beautiful? These beauties can hang out side by side, or they can be stacked. You get the best of both worlds with these snazzy appliances. I think they are mom’s new little secret. They are whisper quiet and have all of these really cool awesome technology aspects built in. I learned more about these babies than any other appliance currently in my house. I think that this phrase sums it up, “knowledge is power.” It was amazing, seriously amazing to find out what these washers and dryers do. There are so many features, well I’m just going to outline them for ya!

Vision washers and dryers use an advanced network of sensors and intelligent controls, to deliver the most efficient performance without compromising cleaning results. In Vision washers, this network continuously analyzes the wash cycle and automatically adjusts water level, temperature and suds level. Water savings are amplified with ActiveWater™, a system that uses 70% less water per load than the industry average. In Vision dryers, sensors detect remaining moisture throughout the cycle to lower the energy usage.

*Efficiency

The ActiveWater system multiplies the cleaning power of each gallon of water. Combined with advanced sensor technology, Vision uses just 13 gallons of water per load while delivering the cleaning power of 400 gallons.
Curved Vision paddles effectively saturate clothing by lifting and “raining” water as clothes are gently tumbled inside the drum.

The dryer’s EcoSensor® measures the moisture level of the clothes and adjusts cycle length and heat level automatically for efficient and gentle drying.

The Bosch exclusive EcoAction® feature is available on all Vision washers and dryers. With just the simple push of a button, consumers can reduce energy use by up to 20% per wash load and 10% per dry cycle.

*Cleaning Performance

The washer’s ActiveClean™ system adjusts the number of rinse cycles for custom cleaning results.

The exclusive Stain Removal option tackles all stain types in one convenient wash cycle.

New specialized wash cycles such as Baby Care and Allergy Rinse are ideal for family members with sensitive skin or detergent allergies.

The Bosch Vision ActiveDry™ system utilizes the moisture sensor and intelligent controls to deliver the exact level of dryness selected by the user.

*Thoughtful Engineering

A new Anti-Vibration System makes Vision one of the lowest vibration washers on the market.

Bosch’s exclusive AquaStop® Leak Protection System is the only laundry system on the market that prevents major water damage to the home from an unlikely leak in the machine or hoses.

We had Chris, from Bosch, who was an awesome instructor in all things, laundry. He educated us about the products, stain treatments, how to pre-treat stains, you name it. But the best part about our laundry training, we got to create some laundry.

We took some brand new white t-shirts, and applied some “stains” to them. It was quite fun. I think Angry Kid would have enjoyed this experiment. Actually I think all of our kids would have enjoyed this experiment with laundry.

We put our shirts into the washing machine while we began our lunch preparation. We were able to see the finished and laundered shirts the next day. Most, almost all of the stains came out. Some of the other bloggers, got a little excited with the chocolate sauce.

Oh, did you see me say, “lunch preparation”? That’s right, we made our own lunch. We split into two groups, pizzas and fish tacos. Well if you all know me, I went for the pizza group. Angry Julie doesn’t eat anything that once swam or lived in water.

Shanna from My Favorite Everything took this photo of me. I look a little confused when the chef is trying to show me how to properly “toss a pizza”. Seriously, it wasn’t easy, and I had tiny holes from my thumbs in my dough. I magically pieced it all back together with some extra dough.

Shanna also took a picture of me with the finished product, before it went into the oven. I was quite proud of my little pizza. It was even edible. It was cooked in a Bosch oven. Can you believe that? Yea, I know, it was actually a functioning showroom. The crust on my pizza was perfect and delicious.

During lunchtime, I was able to walk around and explore more of the showroom. Even though this particular training was about laundry, I got to see all of the other appliances that Bosch manufactures. We are in an awkward stage with our house right now. We moved in five years ago, and had to buy new appliances almost immediately. It was one of the higher points in the real estate market at the time. We did not have much money to budget for new appliances, so we shopped for basically the “cheapest” that we could find. Well obviously, cheaper was not the best option. Angry Husband and i have decided that we are going to do a bit more research when we eventually re-do our kitchen and buy new appliances. I was a little spoiled by Bosch, and after learning about all of their features, I am SOLD.

Look all of the dishes in the dishwasher. I love the silverware drawer on the top. It is so much better than the cheesy plastic basket that we put our silverware in.

I was quite impressed with the Thermador appliances also. I would like to call those, “when I win the lottery and buy me McMansion Appliances”. They were beautiful, and so was the elaborate cabinetry that they were placed in. I took a picture of Sarah, hanging out with the refrigerators.

I had a great mini vacation in Scottsdale, and met some wonderful new friends. I may have relaxed a little too. I will have to do another post, just about our hotel, the Intercontinental Montelucia. I gave a little teaser about the event and the Hotel in April.

Right before we left to go home. Yes, we had to actually leave the beautiful resort, we were able to get a group picture.

I borrowed this photo from Shanna. She has a great site, and I also love her photos.

Back Row left: Elizabeth I Traded my BMW for a Minivan, Sugar Sugar in the Raw, Jennifer The Dirty Shirt, Katie La Jolla Mom, Shanna My Favorite Everything, Jen Tiny Oranges

Front Row left: Sarah Organized Mom, Jocelyn Hip Mama’s Place, Jamie Savvy Housewife, Linda Peachhead, Me, Caryn Rockin Mama

Disclosure: I would like to thank Bosch for this trip and all of the education that they provided. It was a paid trip, but they didn’t force me (aka tie me up and stick a computer in my hand) to write this post. I had a great time, learned a lot, and want everything Bosch. That’s the truth.

Filed Under: Blogging, Reviews 14 Comments

Wordless Wednesday: Spaghetti & Meatball at Olive Garden

June 2, 2010

Welcome to “Angry Julie Monday’s Wordless Wednesday Linky”! If this your first time here, HELLO! I am doing a link-up every Wednesday! Post a picture(s) that you took in the past week and link back to it here.

I’m using a new thumbnail version of linky. By using this version, you are able to see a thumbnail of all of the pictures. Please use a thumbnail of the photo for your Wordless Wednesday Post.

Filed Under: Photography, Wordless Wednesday 27 Comments

5th Birthday Celebration

June 1, 2010

This is a little late, about two weeks or so, but I’ve been quite swamped lately. Plus, I had to edit all of the pictures. We had Angry Kid’s Birthday Party on a Friday night at Scooter’s Jungle, which is a bounce type place here in Orange County. The party was from 6:30-9pm. Angry Husband questioned me when I scheduled the party at that time. I told him that Saturdays have been taken over by sports and other activities. It is getting harder and harder, as Angry Kid gets older, to schedule “the perfect time”. I figured that it was Friday night, and the kids could stay up a little later that night.

I wasn’t surprised at all, ok maybe a little that almost EVERYONE that we invited showed up. Seriously, Angry Kid had his biggest birthday party ever. We had a ton of people, which was over 23 kids and 30 adults. It was a good thing that I selected the Ultimate Party rather than the Jr.

All of the kids had a great time playing, and they found something that was perfect for their size. The little kids climbed, crawled, and slid down all of the obstacles.

And the even bigger kids (adults) also got in on some of the action. Angry Husband had quite a fun time. He even had some bumps and bruises later that night from all of the fun.

After all of the playing, we had some fruit and vegetable snacks. Look at me, the healthy mom, who knew! And some cupcakes of course!

I had to do the ritual of goodie bags. Which I wish we could stop that ritual. I did a simple bag with coloring pages (printed out from the net), some fruit snacks (bulk from Costco), bouncy balls (Party City), bubbles (Party City), and these awesome Lego crayons that I had made (Gaddy Nipper Crayons).

After the party was over with, we were all famished. Yes, it was 9pm. Normal people would have gone home. Oh no, we headed to Chili’s. Angry Kid ordered his usual, an adult size platter of ribs and rice, along with a birthday treat!

I’m quite happy we our finally done with all of the Birthday celebrating. Now if someone would just come to our house and pick up all of these Legos and Star Wars toys!

Filed Under: Holidays, Orange County, Parenting 8 Comments