Just an Imagination of your Figament

Alter Ego: RAKing Strangers

Fancy Simple challenged: Today, do a completely random act of kindness.
Do something nice (big or small) for someone you don't really know.

I've been RAKing off and on for the last week (I gave 4 bags of Ninja Turtle figures and accessories and 3 bags of clothes to a family that is facing money challenges), but today I did some "fun" RAKs vs "needed" RAKS. I made gift baggies of embellishments and pattern paper squares for the women I'm cropping with tomorrow (I only know 2 out of the 6 that will be there), sent a Thank You note to Fiskars for all the wonderful things they do (I've received many products and goodies as a Fiskateer) and tonight I'm making some cards to send out tomorrow to military personnel in Iraq for Thanksgiving.

Alter Ego: Developed Connections

Today over at Fancy Simple Angie has challenged us to find 5 photos that explore our connections. I wonder if I can get this to work better than I did last week!

A love connection 15 years ago (taken about a week after we got engaged and about a week before getting pregnant)

4 genereations of crazy connection (Grandma, Me, TTP and Mom)

an ever changing connection

Best Friend connections

These 2 are tradition connections... The dresser/changing table was originally my uncle's dresser when he was in high school and my grandpa built the top for it when my brother was born in '80. Since then, my bro, sis, TTP, K-Monster, Madster (my niece) and Spidey-baby have had their butts changed on it. I started the tradition of "decorating" it when I got it for TTP and this is it's latest look for in Spidey-baby's room.  The bassinet skirt is a tradition my grandma did when I was born (don't know about before that at all) and has done for all the babies in our family and some family friends. This is the first one I did. Spidey-baby and Tadpole (my other nephew) were due 5 days apart, so Grandma did a cradle set for Spidey and I took over the skirt making.

Alter Ego: Connected Pop Culture

Today is Pop Culture Day over at Fancy Simple, so here's my "finds" for today!

Movie: Just Like Heaven- First I have to say, as much as I expected to dislike this movie just based on the cheese factor of the story, I LOVED IT! K-Monster likes it too (I don't know, he's a weird 8yo). I am a strong believer in the universe connecting you with people (experiences) that you need and it doesn't give up even when you don't "get it". I love that they were supposed to meet, ended up meeting in a messed up way, fell in love with each other's "spirit"/personality (and I loved that they annoyed the hell out of each other but still connected. As I joke with the hubster "Marriage is about finding that one person you can annoy for the rest of your life"), found out that they had people in common and ended up happily ever after....

Book: The Kite Runner- This is a wonderful book, although disturbing in places. It really shows how the connections we make as children can influence and follow us all through out our lives. It also shows the strong connections within ethnic communities in the US.

Gadget: Blogs! Like Barb said about email, blogs aren't a gadget necessarily, but I think just saying the computer doesn't work. I've made many connections with people that I never would have met through their blogs (and now mine!) and I'm very grateful for those connections. My life has been enriched by the women bloggers I've gotten to know and I just wish I could have all of them over for a dinner party sometime!

Alter Ego: I'm connected!

So, today's challenge is looking at how all our dots are connected... Right now, all I can think about is John Gotti and the Sopranos!  Ok... shifting gears and getting my brain in place....

• Do you come from a large family? Is your family close in a traditional sense?
  Nope, not a large family, but big enough! I'd say we were close in a traditional sense when TTP was little, but things have changed (and my sibs have grown up) so we're not quite as close as we used to be.
• Do you like to throw parties of strange groupings of people?
  Yep! Those are my favorite kind!
• Where do you make most of your connections?
  Through my kids and the hubster (since most things that are done outside of family things are usually through them)
• If you wanted to make a new friend, where would you look first?  Ummm... I don't know... I've been trying to figure this one out for some time now. I am in need of some IRL friends and haven't been able to find any connections that stick.
• Who is your most trusted with a secret connection?  Teri, my BFF since 7th grade who is now my step-sister!
• Who is your connection who knows the most people? Erika, she's a cosmotologist and I swear she knows EVERYONE!
• Who is your connection that you have lost touch with but would like to rekindle? Stacy. We were best friends for close to 20 years, but have lost touch in the last 8 years. The sad thing is that we live 5 blocks away from each other now and don't talk.
• Do you make a lot of new connections or stick with your older connections? I think I do both depending on what's going on in life.
• Have you ever had to move and start over? yep! Twice. The first one I didn't make many new connections and none stuck after leaving and the 2nd time I made a lot of new friends, but due to one being psycho, I cut ties with everyone when I moved away from there.
• Do you believe internet connections are as powerful as real life connections? Yes!!! I've been in an email loop with a group of women for 10 years and I can honestly say they are 8 of my closest and deepest friends in the world.

Alter Ego: Connections

Today's challenege is to find a quote that inspires thoughts of connection with others. Here's one of my favorites from Dr Maya Angelou (one of my heroes!)

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Alter Ego: 7 habits

Saturday's challenge was to make a list similar to Covey's 7 Habits for Highly Effective People.  A lot of Covey's habits don't "fit" right with my life as a SAHM, so here's a list of habits that I've found work for me (and most of my friends)

1. Be Flexible

2. You can do anything for 15 minutes

3. Divide and conquer

4. Try new things

5. When you know better, do better and don't beat yourself up for what happened before you knew better.

6. Don't take life too seriously

7.  Put yourself first

Alter Ego: Routines in pics

 

1. Habits in Action: doing the dishes EVERY night!

                                     2. Good Habits: Writing everything down on the giant calendar so everyone can be responsible for what's going on.

3. Not-so-good Habits: The pic says it all!

4. Habits to Aspire To: Not the current state of my desk, but I want it to be!

5. Habit Forming: Taking care of my appearance

Today's Alter Ego: Daily must check

I have a ton of blogs, mbs and other places I check daily, but I think the biggest MUST read every day is A Life- Unrehearsed. I love Bonnie's energy, enthusiasm and personality! She's a joy to read and often gives me things to ponder for the rest of the day.

And since I got sidetracked yesterday with small children, I'll finish this up with the rest of the answers....

Movie: Not a traditional movie, but Blue's First Holiday Movie is a great example of routines! Every Blue's Clues episode (and movie) follows the same routine. First Blue decides what her answer is going to be, then she gives clues, Joe (or Steve) find the clues and then solve to figure out what Blue's saying. Routine, routine, routine!

Song: Again, I'll reference kids' shows (can you tell I'm around kids a lot?). Blue's Clues Mail song is definitely a routine song!

"Here's the mail, it never fails, it makes me want to wag my tail, when it comes I want to wail... MAILLLLL!!!!" Both my kids learned the routine of mail coming from this song.

Yesterday's Alter Ego: routines

1. What's your morning routine?  I wish I had a "real" morning routine! I roll out of bed (hopefully before 7), get the K-Monster up and moving, stare at the tv while drinking a dt coke, greet SpideyBaby when he gets here at 7:30, get breakfast for the 2 boys, get K out the door by 8:10 and then watch the rest of Sesame Street while deciding if I'm getting dressed for the day or just staying comfy.
2. What's your bedtime routine? Drag self off the computer, attempt to not get sucked into a Law and Order (original, CI or SVU) episode I've seen before and try to get to sleep before 1.
3. What's missing from your daily routine? Order, discipline.... Who am I kidding... routine is missing from my routine!
4. What is a habit you're working hard to develop? Getting dressed, hair and makeup done and being presentable every day even if all I'm doing is chillin' with the kids.
5. What is a habit you're working hard to break? Procrastination and smoking
6. At your favorite restaurant, do you always order the same thing or do you try the special? I usually have different things everytime I'm there. Not necessarily the special, but it's rare that I have the same thing 2 times in a row.
7. What things do you buy at the grocery store every single time you go? Dt Coke
8. What would someone close to you say is your most annoying habit? smoking
9. Which outside forces have the biggest impact on your routines? My family's tendency to procrastinate, so then I end up scrambling to do whatever needs to be done that wasn't.
10. Describe the person you know who is most driven by habit. My best friend is very much a habit person. Every morning there's a routine for her boys to get ready for school, afterschool there's a routine for snack, homework/backpack, she has specific bath nights for them and bedtime routines.