Friday Frets - Sandwich Buns 8 Count?

fret

  [fret] (noun): an irritated state of mind; annoyance; vexation.

Friday's Frets are my little rants about something that annoys me, most often without reason. We all have them, those little peeves that you may or may not notice.




Who decided that sandwich buns should come in a count of 8? Why 8?  Why not 10 or 5? Or better yet 2? 

When I was feeding a family of five, 8 worked out okay. Sometimes there were a couple left over but most times not...teenage boys!  But now that most days I'm only feeding myself and my husband,  8 is too many.

We typically eat two and the other six are left to age. I just want to be able to buy the amount I need.  

The bakery, I guess that is my best option.

5 Rules of Office Etiquette

1. MINIMIZE HALLWAY NOISE: The hallway in an office building is meant to be used only as a corridor between offices and common spaces.  

• You should never carry on conversations in the hallway but if you must be quick and speak quietly.
• Do not drag your feet.
• No unnecessary noises; such as whistling, singing, snapping or tapping

2. RESPECT THE OFFICE MACHINES: Most offices now have a common area for paper processing; printing, copying, mail, etc.

• Always leave this common area the way you found it. Don't assume it is the job of the cleaning crew to pick up all the small hole punch droppings you just left.
• If you must send a large print job, schedule a less active time of the day or at the very least warn others that you may be monopolizing a machine for an extended amount of time.

3. KNOW YOUR DECIBELS: Be aware of how loud you are and your surroundings.

• When using a speaker phone from your office, close the door.  If you work in a cubicle, the speaker phone is off limits.
• DO NOT yell from your office to another or over a cubicle wall.
• Does your laugh annoy your co-workers? Likely! Try to maintain any obscene laughter. And obscene language for that matter!
• Not everyone is enjoys the same genre of music...remember that.

4. BREAK AREA: The break area should be an area of comfort for all employees.

• The Refrigerator is a big area of pain for most office staff. The rules should be obvious. Don't eat other's food. Don't leave food for more than a day. Don't take up more than your share of the real estate.
• Coffee: If you take all the coffee, replace it. And don't leave an empty coffee pot on a hot burner.
• Clean up any mess you might make.

5. NO IMPROMPTU OFFICE MEETINGS: Meetings should be scheduled.

• Just showing up at someone's office door and expecting discussion is not acceptable.  You should always schedule a convenient time for discussion.
• Be respectful of a co-workers time and attention.  If you do schedule a meeting be precise. Come to the meeting with an agenda.  Listen attentively to all opinions.

The "Golden Rule" applies.  Do unto others as you would have them do to you.

Friday Frets - Feet Draggers

fret

  [fret] (noun): an irritated state of mind; annoyance; vexation.

Friday's Frets are my little rants about something that annoys me, most often without reason. We all have them, those little peeves that you may or may not notice.

It just drives me crazy, the sound of someone dragging their feet. I'm sure it goes totally unnoticed by the person.  

I'm sure there are some that it is only an occasional occurrence when they are truly fatigued and somehow exhuming their last bits of energy to walk.

But for most it is merely a habitual trait of laziness. 

I notice it most often in the office.  My office is off one of the main hallways in the building I work in.  So unfortunately for me I get the pleasure of hearing everyone's hallway voyages and the hallways are not carpeted.

Over the years I have learned the distinction of foot patterns by person.  And most everyone has a distinct walk. Most I don't mind...it is almost a game at this point...guessing before they come into site.  BUT there are those that insist on dragging their feet. On days when I am trying very hard to concentrate I just want to scream, "Pick up your feet, there is no need to make that much noise walking!".  

When my daughter was younger she had a habit of sliding her feet instead of making crisp steps. Every time I heard her feet slide I would point it out. Now she points it out as well.

Not only does the sound annoy but it also makes you look lazy.  Believe me there is nothing graceful about dragging your feet.

Please don't drag your feet when you walk...if for no other reason than perhaps there is someone like me near that is barely holding on to sanity.  Do you want to be responsible for my break?

Dollar Store Containers

As I have said in the past I love the Dollar Tree.  Recently, I was looking for an idea for snack storage.  I found the containers for just $1 at the Dollar Tree.

I used chalkboard paint to add a label area to the front of each container.

The chalkboard label makes it easy to change the label as necessary.

These snack containers not only make organizing my pantry much easier but they also allow my children to quickly grab a snack.

Shared at: Diana Rambles, Costal Charm, Kathe With An E, Cuddle Bug Cuties, Woods of Bell Trees, Savvy Southern Style, A Creative Princess, Sincerely Paula

What to write in a birthday card.

It's hard to find the perfect thing to write in a birthday card.  You want something meaningful and witty but not tacky.  

So here are some basic rules:

• If you know the person well enough, use an inside joke. It will make the message personal. This will let the person know that you actually thought of them while you were writing the message.

• Reflect on something from the past.  Let the recipient know what they mean to you.  Noting an experience from the past will remind the receiver that he/she is important to you.

• Always portray a positive message.  

• Say your message aloud before you write it.  Sometimes a message sounds differently when said aloud than when in your head.

If all else fails use one of these ideas.

• Look to the future, because the best is yet to come.

• I hope "your" day is filled with love and laughter.

• Here's to another year of success, health, and happiness.

• A true friend will remember your birthday and forget your age!

• As you grow older, be sure to grow richer in all the important things in life.

Unbroken..the film

Image from www.unbrokenfilm.com

My husband I were flipping channels this week and ran across this movie. I was hesitant because I don't enjoy war movies or anything sad. And quite frankly I'm not an Angelina Jolie fan.  I guess I haven't yet forgiven her for stealing Jennifer's husband. Boy do I hold a grudge! 

But nonetheless there were no better options so we watched.  

I have to admit this was the best movie I have seen in a long time.  

I'm a sucker for a true story. It is the story of a American soldier that survived numerous war "battles" including plane crashes and extended time lost at sea. He also endure unbelievable circumstances and abuse in a war prison during World War II. 

Too often I forget what humanity has suffered. This man sacrificed so much for this country. His and many others are stories that definitely should be told.

I won't ruin the movie but do go out and rent it.

Or better yet read the book.


I was in no way compensated for this review.  I just don't want you to miss a good movie.

Friday's Fret - 5 day work week

fret

  [fret] (noun): an irritated state of mind; annoyance; vexation.

Friday's Frets are my little rants about something that annoys me, most often without reason. We all have them, those little peeves that you may or may not notice.

WHY? 

Why do we work 5 days and only leave 2 days for family, relaxation and ME? 

Why have we allowed this to become the standard?

Have you stopped to analyze how you spend your life?  

Let's take my life as example.

I'm a working mom, not that this applies to working moms anymore than anyone else. An average week for me is as follows.  

Monday thru Friday, I spend the majority of my day at my 8-5 day job, which I am happy to have to support my family.  The remainder of the other daytime hours are spent preparing myself and my kids for the work/school 8-5 hours. So in summary Monday thru Friday are consumed with work and school.

The bulk of Saturday is devoted to maintaining a household.  This includes cleaning, laundry, yard work and shopping.  I try to steal a few hours in the late evening to catch my breath.

Sundays - Sundays are the good days, church and maybe a few catch-up chores but on Sundays I enjoy my family.

Anyone else see the problem with this schedule. Too much of my life is monopolized with a day job. 

How would I propose we remedy this problem?

I would suggest small steps.  First, let's change the standard from a 5 day work week to a 4 day work week.  We can still give 40 hours, we just change the schedule. The work week becomes Monday thru Thursday 7-5:30, cut lunch breaks by 30 minutes and add an hour in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening, or vice-versa.  Then you are working 10 hour days but you gain an entire day for yourself.

This should apply to our children in school as well. I could easily get into a totally different "fret" on the working of our current school system here in the US...I'll save that for another day.

I wish I could develop a good plan to push this movement forward.  Maybe my fellow bloggers as you develop businesses and begin to hire employees you can be mindful of the 4 day work week, rested minds are much more creative.

I would love to hear your suggestions and opinions on this subject. Do you think a 4 day work week could be just as productive as a 5 day week?  Or maybe you have a better idea?

From Trash to Candlestick

I found these broken parts in the trash of what was likely a nice bed at one time. And to my sons horror I squealed, "I need those!".  

I had been looking for some antique wooden candle holders and hadn't found what I wanted.  I was certain I could re-purpose the posts from the headboard to get the look I wanted.

Despite my son's disdain he was willing to help me break away the pieces that I wanted to salvage.  He is my partner in crime and creativity...sometimes willingly. :)

We took them home and thoroughly cleaned them. 

I carefully chose the sections of each post that I wanted for my candlesticks and marked them clearly. I wanted the sticks to be of different height and shape. I also made sure there would be an nice "lip" at the top for resting the candle.

A quick run through the chop saw and I had my pieces.

I roughly sanded the edges and surface.

My plan was to make them look aged.  The end product wasn't exactly what I had in mind.  I will likely refinish them soon but for now they look pretty good on my dining room table.

First I covered them with white spray paint.  After they were completely dry, I lightly sanded with soft grit sandpaper. Lastly, I applied a dark walnut stain over the painted surface. I used long strokes to resemble wood grain. When completely dry I sprayed on a polyurethane.

When/if I refinish I will apply the stain first and probably add color.

The picture above is my fall centerpiece on my dining room table.  More details can be found here.

Share at:  Diana Rambles, Back to the Basics!, The Crafty Blog Stalker, Woods of Bell Trees, Cuddlebug Cuties. Savvy Southern Style, Sincerely Paula, Coastal Charm, Knick of Time, A Creative Princess,#GrowingCirclesHop

Featured at: Wake Up Wednesday Linky Party, A Creative Princess

Cute Little Pumpkins

I found these cute little pumpkins at the Dollar Tree.  I just love the colors. I think they will become an addition to my dining room table centerpiece.  

I'm amazed at the options for only $1.  I just love that store.

Rules for Retaining Documents

We all have those important documents that we know we must keep safe.  But how safe must you keep them and how long.  It is important to keep documents in a place that can be accessed when needed.

There are many options for storage.  At the very least everyone should have a home safe that can be secured and is fire proof.  From experience very few small safes are truly 100% fireproof. So for documents that are irreplaceable (or nearly) you should consider renting a safe deposit box at your bank. The expense is minimal especially when compared to the headache of trying to replace a document after a fire.

Here are a few guidelines.

What to store in your home safe

• Tax records for six years
• Pay stubs until W2 arrives
• Credit card statements
• Cancelled checks
• Utility bill

What to store in a bank safe deposit box

• Wills, deeds, and titles
• Birth and death certificates
• Passports
• Military records

What should you keep indefinitely

• Personal health records
• Medical history
• Retirement benefit statements

Shared at: Simply Sherryl