Jul 30, 2008

Family Time

Mama Mia! Am I really managing to post 3 times in one day?

This last one is a quick photo recap of the wonderful, but far too fast, weekend that I had in Pittsburgh and Youngstown with my family. We celebrated my Dad's birthday all together on Friday night at a Pirates game, and then enjoyed the rest of the weekend at home in Youngstown.

It was relaxing, fun and delicious!


Favorite Things (Eat Your Heart Out Oprah)

Keeping with the theme of posting the topics which have been in draft mode for the past few weeks, I bring you my second blog post of today.

For some time now, I have been thinking about Oprah's "Favorite Things" list and decided that I could probably come up with my own version. There are a handful of materialistic items in my life that make me smile, and why not share those things with the people that I love? Here are my top 4 favorite things of the moment...
The iPhone: This is truly the best piece of technology that I have ever incorporated into my daily life. It is intuitive, smart and extremely useful to me, both at work and in my social life. Not a day goes by that I don't use the device as a phone, a computer, a camera or an iPod. I compare touching it to the first time that I ever touched cashmere. You can never go back. :-)
Crate & Barrel Grill Basket: This summer I have grilled and eaten more vegetables than ever because of this fun and easy kitchen tool! I love to cut up zucchini, squash and eggplant- toss them in some olive oil and grill them in this basket. It does a great job of cooking the veggies and incorporating that great "grilled" flavor. Plus, it makes for really easy clean up (thanks to Chad!)
H2O Milk Lotion: Most people who know me, know that I have loved this lotion for years. It is clean smelling, so moisturizing and lasts for quite a while. If you have never tried it before, summer is the perfect time. After a hot day in the sun, it is the best post-shower treat!
Foley + Corinna City Tote: I bought this leather bag prior to our trip to Greece back in May. I thought that it would be a great carry on bag- that could also be a nice day-trip carrier. Little did I know that my cost-per-wear ratio would become so favorable. I now carry this bag every day as my work brief. It fits my laptop computer, 2 notebooks and a small clutch- and it looks chic both folded over and open in full.

You can click on the images above to learn more or purchase any of my favorite things directly from their manufacturers- because internet shopping is my 5th favorite thing! :-)

New Google Tips & Tricks

While traveling, which has been way too frequent lately, I have come across a number of things about which I wanted to blog. Since we are nearing the end of July, I thought that I would beef up my July posts with the topics and occasions which I have been drafting in my head.

My first topic has to do with the wonders of Google. (Hey! I can hear those gags and groans!) I can honestly say that I learn new things about our products and services on a weekly basis, and I am continuously amazed by the smart and relevant technology that we have available to make our lives easier (and more fun). I recently came across these "tips" on how to search on Google.com and in your Gmail account more effectively. I couldn't resist sharing them. Use business name/category in directions search: Instead of looking up the address of a store and then having to get directions from one to the other, simply type "deli mountain view, ca TO ice cream mountain view ca," and the search results will provide you with a list of businesses to choose from and provide directions from point to point.

Public transit directions: Plan trips using public transportation at google.com/transit. For cities where transit is available, a search for directions will also provide the option for directions using public transit.

Check gas prices: With mapplets like GasBuddy, you can see gas prices throughout your area. Go to maps.google.com, select "My Maps", and browse the directory for "Gas Prices by GasBuddy.com." There are plenty of other useful and fun tools in the directory, such as AccuWeather.com, Weather Snapshot, Area Calculator, and Real Estate Search.

Movies: Find movie info by typing "movies," or the name of a current film, into the Google search box along with your location (city and state or zip code). For example, "Sex and the City Atlanta GA" or "movies 02459."

Package tracking: Enter the tracking # of a package from FedEx, UPS, DHL, or USPS into the search box.

Flight status: Check the status of a U.S. flight by typing the name of the airline followed by the flight number. For example, to see the status for United Airlines flight 134, search for "United 134."

Currency conversions: Google's built-in currency converter. Simply enter the currency conversion into the search box. For example, "80 pounds to dollars."

Definitions: Type "define" followed by a word in the Google search box to get the definition. You can also do this via Google SMS.

This next set of tips refers to searching inside of your Gmail account. These are great ways to quickly find emails or information inside of emails without having to comb through sent mail, folders or topics.

from: Specify the sender. from:amy
Means: Messages from Amy


to: Specify a recipient. to:david
Means: All messages that were sent to David (by you or someone else)


subject: Search for words in the subject line. subject:dinner
Means: Messages that have the word "dinner" in the subject

-word: Exclude messages from search. dinner -movie
Means: Messages that contain the word "dinner" but do not contain the word "movie"

has:attachment: Search for messages with an attachment. from:david has:attachment
Means: Messages from David that have an attachment

filename: Search for an attachment by name or type. filename:physicshomework.txt
Means: Messages with an attachment named "physicshomework.txt"


label: Search for messages by label. from:amy label:friends
Means: Messages from Amy that have the label "friends"

( ): Group words Specify terms that shouldn't be excluded. from:amy(dinner OR movie)
Means: Messages from Amy that contain either the word "dinner" or the word "movie"

subject:(dinner movie)
Means: Messages in which the subject contains both the word "dinner" and the word "movie"

And...you can string multiple operators together in one search! Happy searching, and finding!

*Major props to Gmail search tips and PCMag.com for providing me with the great tips and tricks to share with you.

Jul 22, 2008

Starring: Grandma Fitz!

This past weekend we headed to Cannon Falls, MN for Grandma Fitz's 80th birthday party. It was an unforgettable weekend, and one that definitely warrants more than one blog post.


Posted here is the photo album from the weekend. I also made an iMovie that was shown to the family on Saturday night at the birthday party, as well as to the visitors who stopped by Sunday's Open House. I will post the video in a future blog for all to see and share.

Grandma Fitz has 5 kids, 9 grandkids and 14 great-grandkids, and all of them showered her with lots of love for her birthday weekend. It was fun for me to meet many spouses and great-grandkids who I only knew from photos, and to connect with Chad's family for 3 wonderful days. I only hope that I have such an unforgettable bash for my 80th!



Jul 18, 2008

Just Chillin' in Minneapolis

Last week I spent two days in Minneapolis for business. Over the past year, I have traveled to Minneapolis countless times- but during this visit I discovered something new and charming in the twin cities. These 2 public art statues of little peanuts just made my day! They are in a small plot of grass in downtown Minneapolis. I just love when creativity and a sense of humor come together.