Lunch With A Friend

March 20, 2009 by

I had lunch this week with friend at one of my favorite restaurants, The Bavarian Inn. I absolutely this place. It’s a local restaurant that specializes in German crusine, but they have the best crab cakes and whipped potatoes. The decor is wonderful and they have a great view of their chalets, which have great paintings.


While having lunch with a friend a question crossed my mind. Have you found that food tastes better when you’re enjoying it with a good friend? I’ve taken a look at my friendships over the last few months, and I have few people that I consider a friend. Now to some that may not be a good thing, but to me it shows that I’ve matured and I’ve learned that you can only have a few friends. I have associates, but I can count my true friends on 1 hand.

The majority of them have been in my life for a long time. They’ve stood by me through marriage, motherhood, divorce and now my current relationship. They were there to hold me and wipe my tears when I lost my father to cancer. They’ve fixed soup when I was sick and vowed to take care of my daughter if anything ever happened to me. They’ve stood by me when I’ve made a complete fool out of myself and said things that I later regretted. They’ve stood by me when I’ve made brilliant decisions and not so brilliant decisions. At every turn of my life, they’ve been there. These people have made my life easier with a kind word, a hug, or a pat on the back. These are the people who I call my friends.

What’s your definition of a friend? Leave us comment and tell us about your friendships.

Filed Under: Bavarian Inn, friendships, Uncategorized

Lunch Tote Give Away

March 17, 2009 by

Is this not adorable! Say good bye to the little brown bag, you can carry your lunch in style. We found this fabulous tote at Tote Town. Not only do they have great lunch totes, you can find bible cases, garment bags, diaper bags and cosmetics bags. They also monogram or you have the option of personalizing the item with your name.
The laptop bags caught my eye too. The colors are fun and bright. They’re perfect for Today’s Woman. I travel, and leaving my laptop behind is not an option. These laptop bags would be so much easier for me to get through the airports than my bag on wheels. I would make a line of people behind me so happy if I would leave that piece of luggage at home, lol. This grandma gives Tote Town 3 snaps and a booty shake. If you’re looking for a great baby shower gift, you must check out their diaper bags. They’re trendy and the prices are great.

Tote Town is giving one of our readers a Lunch Tote. You get to choose your favorite. Don’t you love these sponsors. I guarantee you will receive lots of compliments on this fabulous find. Here’s how you can win: Visit www.totetown.com. Leave us a comment on your favorite lunch tote. Be sure to browse the other bags while you’re there. These bags will make great gifts.

Want extra credit:

Follow our blog (Upper Left)
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Subscribe to our Giggles & Sugar Kisses’ Newsletter www.gigglesnsugarkisses.com
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This give away will end April 23, 2009 at mid-night. The give away is open to US and Canada residents 18+ only.

Good Luck!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Baby Dipper Bowl Give Away

February 22, 2009 by

Need to free up a hand when you feed your infant? Wish the bowl didn’t move when your toddler eats? The Baby Dipper Bowl is your answer. Barbara Schwartz holds the patent on this ingenious invention and owns http://www.babydipper.com/

I was excited when Barabar asked me to review The Baby Dipper Bowl. We’re always on the look out for products that make make life easier for mom. When I received the set, I was impressed. I love the color of the bowl and the shape was well thought out. The shape helps with placing the food onto the spoon and the spoon rests in the bowl easily. Great concept if you have the baby in your arms rather than the high chair, which happens often when visiting friends or grandma.

The spoon is contoured with a contrasting handle in yellow. This is a great stimulation for baby. The bowl has a non-slip base to help prevent sliding. This benefit is two-fold, great bonus for mom keeping the bowl stationary while feeding baby and a great bonus for toddlers learning to feed themselves.

The bowl is great for cereal or apple sauce for infants and toddler’s fruits or spaghetti. This set would be a great practical baby shower or new baby gift for a first time mother too. The Baby Dipper Bowl gets two snaps and a booty shake. It goes in grandma’s bag for sure.

One of our readers will be the recipient of The Baby Dipper Bowl too. How awesome is that! The packaging is very nice, it’s ready for gift giving when received. Here’s how you can win? Visit The Baby Dipper Bowl and let us know what you like about the set. Please leave a valid email address. Posts with invalid addresses will be disqualified Give Away will end April 1, 2009 at mid-night and is open to US and Canada Residents 18+ only.

Want extra entries:

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Good Luck!

Filed Under: Baby Dipper Bowl, baby shower gifts, Give Aways, infant feeding set, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Leg Huggers Give Away

February 17, 2009 by

Love to keep your baby fashionable? We found the perfect product. Adorable Leg Huggers for baby. They are fabulicious and available in variety of styles. Not only are they adorable, but they are functional as well. They fit perfectly over baby’s chubby legs and provide a layer of warmth under dresses or while they’re roaming around the house in Mom’s favorite onesie. I love the fact that they help protect baby’s knees while crawling too.
Worried about hypoallergenic problems? Don’t, they’re made from Bamboo. Yes, I said bamboo. It’s the new cotton. Bamboo is more antibacterial than other fabrics like cotton or wool, which are very absorbent and often hold the dampness in. Bamboo keeps moisture away.
I was so pleased with the variety of styles Leg Huggers offers its customers. They offer the Bow Leg Huggers shown, popsicles, flowers, butterflies and more. They are sooooo soft and the packaging is great. They arrive ready for gift giving.
You could win the Leg Huggers shown and enjoy this great product for yourself. Here’s how: Visit Leg Huggers and let us know which is your favorite pair. I love the bows shown and the popsicles. So cute! Come back and leave us a comment with your email address and we will randomly select a winner from the posts.
For extra credit do the following:
Follow this blog. (Upper left corner).
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Blog About This Give Away.
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This give away will end March 15, 2009 at midnight and is open to US and Canada Residents 18+.  Entries with invalid email addresses will be disqualified.
Filed Under: Give Aways, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Quotable Sunday

February 8, 2009 by

It’s Quotable Sunday thanks to Toni at A Daily Dose of Toni. I love Quotable Sunday. It’s an opportunity for me to reflect on the quotes that I share with my readers. Because it’s Black History Month, I decided to use African Proverbs or quotes from African Americans for Quotable Sunday during the month of February. I hope you enjoy them.

All great achievements require time. – Maya Angelou

There are two kinds of worries — those you can do something about and those you can’t. Don’t spend any time on the latter. – Duke Ellington

I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. – Bill Cosby

I know that you cannot hate other people without hating yourself. – Oprah Winfrey

Character, not circumstances, makes the man. – Booker T. Washington

If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. – Booker T. Washington

We hope that you enjoyed our quotes. Leave us a comment and let us know which is your favorite. Be sure to visit A Daily Dose of Toni for more quotes.

Filed Under: famous quotes, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

This Murder’s Friend Contacted Me

February 1, 2009 by

I had an interesting response to the review of this book, Out Of Control. On Thursday, January 29, I received an email response from Amy Redus. Amy stated that she and Clara Harris were best friends. Needless to say, I was shocked. I always look forward to comments on my posts, but to have someone respond that is connected to the murder was totally unexpected.

I’ve asked myself if it would be unethical to share my conversation with Amy with my readers, and I’ve concluded that it is not. I have removed her email address. My blog and the comments made are open to everyone. Also, Ms. Redus stated that her intentions was to post a comment on the blog as you will see below.

Here’s Ms. Redus comment:

—– Original Message —–
From: Amy Redus
To: rhonda@gigglesnsugarkisses.com
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 12:56 PM
Subject: Out of Control

Hi Rhonda,
I enjoyed your blog and tried to post on it but am not sure if I was successful or not. I saw that you had read Out of control by Steven Long. I am just wondering what you though of Clara Harris before and after reading his book? I read the book also and thought he did a pretty good job.
Thanks,
Amy

Here’s my response:

—– Original Message —–
From: Rhonda Gales
To: Amy Redus
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 7:34 PM
Subject: Re: Out of Control

Hi Amy,

Thanks for stopping by. I really didn’t know Clara Harris before reading the book except what I had heard on Oprah, so I hadn’t formed an opinion. After reading the book, I believed she was a scorned woman who lost sight of what was really important. God, herself, and her children. If a man chooses to stray, there’s nothing you can do to stop him. You can loose weight, color your hair, buy new clothes, but that won’t change his direction if he decides that’s how it’s going to be.

I can understand her anger and frustration. She built a million dollar business with this man, helped raise his daughter, gave him twins and maintained his home. It had to be difficult to face the fact that he was willing to throw it away for the Office Assistant. I would have fought back in the court room, but it wouldn’t have been for murder. He would have been facing adultery charges.

We as women forget, that a man can’t make us or break us unless we allow him. She could have moved on with the business, home, children and someone who really appreciated her. Now she has nothing, but a life behind bars. Such a sad situation for the children.

Amy’s Response:

From: Amy Redus
To: Rhonda Gales
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 7:58 AM
Subject: Re: Out of Control

You are right, only one thing she didn’t mean to kill him. She wanted to stop him from leaving with her. She knew Gail or had heard Gail was lesbian and knew that she was just after David’s money. She meant to run into gails car and just lost it. She was just at her breaking point. She happens to be my best friend and I know that in her right mind she would never in her right mind even hurt David. You were right again and she says her priorities were out of line. To her David was her King/God she thought he was everything so when he betrayed her like that it was very emotional. Even David’s mother who is like a moo to me says Clara loved David too much. I was just curious about what you though. Oprah went to Mountain view to interview Clara not really liking Clara but mainly going for the story. She left the interview with a better understanding of her emotional state.
Yes things would have been so much easier if she would have just left that night but she did Allow David to break her and something in her snapped and she lost control of the situation. She has lost everything but she has gained a deeper relationship with God, her friends and many people He has sent to help her through this time. She has served 6 years and we are in the beginning stages of looking for a parole attorney for her.
Amy

I sent another response to Amy. I didn’t agree with everything she stated in her response, so I had to voice my opinion on several of her statements. I’m currently waiting for her comment.

While waiting for Ms. Redus response, I decided to check her out. I probably shoud have done that before my initial response, lol. Anyway, I googled Ms. Redus and she is truly connected to Clara Harris. According to the transcripts on CNN Connie Chung interviewed Ms. Redus on January 23, 2003. According to Connie Chung, Amy stated that she just knew Clara Harris through church. From reading the transcript, it doesn’t appear that Amy knew Clara Harris very well.

My search on Yahoo turned up additional information. From that search, it would appear that Ms Redus and Clara Harris have established a closer relationship. Amy Redus speaks of Clara Harris at Friends For Clara Harris and another site also entitled Friends For Clara Harris.

I’m unsure if I will hear from Amy Redus again, but I welcome her comments and I’m striving for an interview with her regarding her friendship with Clara Harris and the site The Friends Of Clara Harris and their cause. Inspite of our different view points of Clara Harris’ actions, I believe that we have connected for a reason. I will keep each of you in the loop, and I welcome your comments on this post.

Filed Under: Amy Redus, Clara Harris, David Harris, family murders, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Quotable Sunday

February 1, 2009 by

It’s Quotable Sunday thanks to Toni at A Daily Dose of Toni. I haven’t participated in a few weeks, but I decided this Sunday would be a perfect time for me to get back on track. In honor of Black History Month, I will be using African Proverbs for the month of February. I hope you enjoy them:

*It Take A Village To Raise A Child
Hilary Clinton made this African Proverb famous. It was true than, and it is true now.

*We start As fools and become wise through experience.
None of us are born with tools for life. We learn as we go and from our experiences. I look at each day as a learning experience with the expectation that I will go to bed knowing more than I did when I woke.

*Don’t set sail on someone else’s star
Don’t wish for someone else’s fortune. Be happy for them, but set your own destiny. You will enjoy the experience so much more when you arrive.

*Confiding a secret to an unworthy person is like carrying grain in a bag with a hole.
Oh yes, your secret will leak out little by little. Be careful what you say, and who you say it to.

*There is no medicine to cure hatred
Be kind to one another. When you open your heart to love and respect, there is no room for hatred.

I hope that you have enjoyed these proverbs, I have enjoyed sharing them with you. Let us know which is your favorite, and don’t forget to visit A Daily Dose of Toni for more quotes.

Filed Under: African Proverbs, Black History Month, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Diaper Clutch Give Away

January 24, 2009 by
Oh, so cute. We found this adorable diaper clutch and wanted to share this fabulous find with our readers. We understand how difficult it is to stay organized with a baby or toddler. I have a 16 month old grandson, and it’s so much easier to have everything in one place when I change him. His attention span is so short, all it takes is a second before he becomes distracted or wants to take off. It is imperative that I have everything within reach. This diaper clutch does just that.
It is the perfect item to carry when running errands. You can also stick this fabulous clutch inside your diaper bag or purse and have everything readily available for a quick change. The clutch is large enough to hold up to 4 diapers and wipes can be included. Why not tuck a travel size bottle of powder, diaper rash creme or hand sanitizer inside. Everything is at your disposal. I tuck disposal diaper bags inside my clutch when running errands too. I’m able to dispose of the diaper or seal it properly until I get home.
Hip and funky fabrics are available under their New and Classic Styles. I adore the Morning Glory fabric, but The Diaper Clutch will custom design for you. Step out in class ladies, this hip little clutch is chic. We can be mothers and grandmothers without being boring. Most importantly, any item that makes my life easier gets 3 snaps and a booty shake.
Cynthia Poblete, owner of The Diaper Clutch, has been gracious enough to offer our readers a free clutch. You could be a winner. Here’s how:
Head over to the Diaper Clutch and check out this great product. Let us know what style and fabric you would like if you’re a winner. This give away will end February 25, 2009 at mid-night. The give way is open to US and Canada Residents 18+ only. The winner of this give away will be notified via email, so please leave a valid email address. Posts without valid email addresses will be disqualified. The winner will have 3 days to contact us. Failure to contact us within 3 days will result in disqualification.
Want extra credit. You can enter once for each:
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Have fun browsing and good luck!

Filed Under: diaper clutches, Uncategorized

Multiple Births – Quintuplets Overwhelm Mom

January 24, 2009 by

Five beautiful babies. Adwai Malual, a 28 year old first time mother from Sudan, gave birth to 4 girls and a boy in an emergency birth last month while visiting her sister in Prince George’s County. It took a team of 30 doctors and nurses to handle her birth. Fortunately, mom and babies are doing well.
Adwai says she is exhausted, but she feels blessed to have all five of her bundle of joys. Her quintuplets are the first at the Anne Arundel Medical Center in the hospital’s 106-year history. Her mother is visiting from Sudan to assist with her new grandchildren. The quintuplets go through approximately 40 diapers and numerous bottles of formula each day. Adwai and her mother work in 12 hour shifts feeding, changing, burping and holding the little darlings. Adwai said by the time she gets the last baby feed and changed, the first is crying again. Can you imagine, lol. I struggled to handle one, I don’t know what I would have done with five at once.
Adwai’s husband has not seen his children. He is over seas working as a liaison for the military in southern Sudan, and her mother will return home soon. Adwai is without insurance and she is unsure how she is going to continue to sustain the children. Even though the United States would be a better place to raise her children than war torn Sudan, Adwai realizes it is expensive to live in the United States. She said donations came in for several weeks, but they have slowly tapered off. Everything she has, has been donated from the clothing and diapers, to the crib to the changing table. Usually corporations such as Johnson and Johnson, Pampers, Similac etc. assist families with multiple births, but they are not volunteering to assist her. The economy has taken its toll on everyone.
If you would like to assist Adwai or know of an organization who can help, please contact Reverend Barbara Sands, the hospital chaplain at the Anne Arundel Medical Center, who is coordinating donations. Reverend Sands may be contacted at bsands@AAHS.org or 443-481-5120.
May this family be blessed.
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Poingo Give Away

January 18, 2009 by

It’s amazing how far technology has come with children’s books. We had the opportunity to review Poingo, the latest in interactive books for children 3 – 7, and we were pleased with the results. This review was a great way to promote Giggles & Sugar Kisses goal to promote reading in 2009. Our starter package contained: two books, Nemo and The World Of Cars, and the Poingo stick. Poingo is the pointer used to make the story come alive on various pages in the books.

I put the book to test with my nieces ages 3 and 7. The set is very easy to use. Poingo has a switch that you can move to the on and off positions and was ready to use immediately. The children were able to figure out the positions easily and loved moving Poingo across the pages. The 3 year old choose Nemo, which left the 7 year old with The World of Cars. Both books were entertaining, but The World Of Cars seemed to be the favorite. They enjoyed playing the games found on various pages as well.

One of the things that I liked about the games is that it allowed the children an opportunity to try again if they missed an answer. There was a response to tell them if they were right or wrong. The questions asked were easy to difficult depending on where you placed Poingo on the page. I felt the questions challenging. There was lots of sounds while moving the Poingo around the pages too.

My 16 month old grandson wanted in on the action. He loved the noises while moving Poingo. I wouldn’t recommending a child his age playing with the books alone, the pages can be torn easily.

Overall, I give Poingo 3 snaps and a booty shake. It definitely goes into Grandma’s bag. It’s a great entertainment activity for the kids and it would make a great birthday gift. I will be purchasing Hanna Montana and Cinderella to round out the set for my nieces when they visit.

Did I mention that these books would be great while you’re traveling with your child or on visits to Grandma’s. In addition to Nemo and The World Of Cars, Cinderella, The Lion King, Pooh’s Wishful Thinking and Sleeping Beauty are available. High School Musical and Hanna Montana will be available shortly.

One of our readers will be the winner of a Poingo starter kit. That’s right, you could be the lucky winner. Here’s how: Visit My Poingo and check out their site. Let us know which books interest you. We will randomly select a winner from the posts. For extra entries:
  • Follow our blog (top left)
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  • Follow me on Twitter (to the right) and Tweet about our give away
This give away is open to US and Canada residents 18+ only, and will end February 20, 2009 at mid-night. Posts with invalid email addresses will be disqualified. Winner will have 3 days to claim their prize. Good luck!

Filed Under: children's books, Uncategorized Tagged With: