Kangeaux information and discount

US Family Guide has partnered up with Kangeaux to share discounts and information about an awesome product that I think could be useful to parents everywhere. Kangeaux Outdoors.

Here is the information provided by Kangeaux.

New carrying concept, the Walkabout by Kangeaux Outdoors, is designed to be an industrial-strength and multifunctional carrying tool for the outdoor adventurer and sports enthusiast alike. With the development of the Walkabout, Kangeaux Outdoors has designed a carrier like none other. It is predicted to become a standard for those "In The Field" -- but just as easily, it's ergonomic fit is ideal for the everyday carry. The Walkabout's adaptable nature creates easy solutions for both athletic essentials like sports bottles and baseball caps, as well as everyday items like keys, phones, sunglasses, etc. There is truly no other carrier like the Walkabout. Save 20% on your entire purchase! Sign up and stay up to date with our Kangeaux Newsletter and receive a coupon code for 20% off your entire purchase! http://www.kangeaux.com

So what do you think? Can you see yourself using something like this? I can think of a few uses. I'm thinking to add it to my bug out bag. Check them out and don't forget to use the discount if you order!

Being Happy with your Choices

I’ve been reflecting on the choices I make daily, weekly, monthly and in general. How can I do better? How can I be more efficient? How can I improve my situations in life? And something was put into perspective by a conversation I had with a fellow employee of the company I work for.

Every week, the employees of 22 centers connected by the same franchise gather up for a Lync meeting. Some just listen and watch, some are able to be on the webcam, and all are expected to share in the triumphs and news of everyone else. At the location I’m employed in, we like to shake up these meetings. The Vice President of Sales is my manager. He’s also quite the prankster. My supervisor is also a prankster. Between the two of them, we bring laughter and silliness to these once-a-week meetings. This past Thursday was no different. We all put on red clown noses and when the camera panned to us for our reports, there was stunned silence followed by laughter.

After the meeting, I was on Lync with another employee who had missed this week’s huddle. She told me how thankful she was for our shenanigans. Why? Simply because it brightened her long day and brought the end of the week closer to a close with a smile. Not everyone will see it that way. But so many will still laugh or even smile at our antics. And that is all that matters. Laughter is the best medicine. And in the sales business… you need that release from time to time.
While talking with her, I made the comment that you are only truly successful when you are happy. Give that a thought. Money and power won’t truly bring lasting happiness. But being happy with the choices you make, will. If you are happy with your job, enjoy what you do, like the people you work with – you will work harder and be more productive. Being more productive can lead to higher success rates. And for some people, that means that the paycheck will be better as well. I know that I feel more willing to put in additional effort because of how much I enjoy my job.

There are other choices that I have to weigh my happiness with these days. I’m moving this weekend. While I’m wary, I’m trying to imagine all the ways it will be better. Certain health issues are making an appearance. Health is one of those things I like to avoid thinking about. Mine isn’t the greatest, no matter how hard I try. But I try to find happiness in the fact that it can always be worse.

So what about you? Can you look at your life today and see joy-inducing pieces spread over every aspect? Are you happy with the choices you have and are making? If not… maybe it is time to look for a change.

Show your appreciation

When do you appreciate your Boss?

How many times have you had a supervisor or a manager that you appreciated whole-heartedly? Did you have one that you could trust to go to bat for you? Someone that you would work harder for, if for no other reason than because you had a deeper respect for them than anyone else?

Now did you show your appreciation? When it was their birthday or Christmas, did you get them a gift?

Give yourself a moment to consider this. A great leader is one who leads by example. It is one that you have high respect for, and that you will strive harder for. But how often do you let them know that you believe they are that better person? They deserve to know. Especially as they are few and far between. Managers and other leaders are mostly chosen by degrees, it seems, these days. So few of them have the knowledge or understanding – they lack the connection ability necessary to guide their employees with confidence. They won’t have people willing to go the extra mile on the job unless there is some kind of monetary bonus or kickback they want. This is sad. Leaders should be approachable by everyone. They should have a defined respect from everyone around them, that can be seen by those coming in from the outside.

I’m happy to say I work for one such guy. My manager, Mark or Mr. V. is a guy that connects with his employees. He has managers under him to supervise the departments, but that doesn’t stop him from offering his help or talking to those other employees one-on-one. He wants to see everyone succeed. He knows how to run a tight ship, but his sense of humor keeps the mood light. He is a bit of a prankster, and he can handle getting it dished back. So when his birthday came around this week, you better believe that we treated him with as much as we could muster.

My supervisor took the time and effort to decorate his office,

take a group picture that she had a poster made of,

and coordinate with everyone in the office to help in the celebration.

I baked him a cake in the theme of his favorite candy bar, Baby Ruth.

The surprise was a fantastic success.

He really did expect the room to be filled with balloons thanks to having the balloons crammed in his window.

You don't have to go all out, but take the time to show your appreciation. Those worthy of such are a rare treasure in the business world. They need to know how much they mean to others sometimes.

Light but tasty snack ideas

Sometimes you want something to snack on that might not be the healthiest, but its just oh so good! One that I like doing is bacon wrapped, cheese smothered tater tots. Simple to make, takes only 3 ingredients… how can it get better than that?

What you need:

Bag of frozen tater tots

1 package of your favorite bacon (turkey doesn’t work too well for this one)

1 package of cheese (any of your favorite kinds)  

I like to deviate from the way I’ve seen them made online. I own a deep fryer, so I fry some tater tots first. Don’t need to crisp them too much though! Then you will want to let those sit on a napkin while you prep your next step. I cut my bacon strips in half. Get out that baking sheet and preheat your oven to 375. I cover mine in aluminum foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray. This helps to keep it from sticking too badly.

Grab one of the bacon strips, wrap up the tater tot, and place it on the baking sheet. Repeat this step with the rest of your bacon and tater tots until you have the desired amount. Bake for about 10 minutes. Then add your cheese and bake again for another 10 or so minutes. You want the bacon to be cooked and the cheese to be completely melted around your tots. You can make as much or as little as you want, based on how many people you are serving. I've also added chili to it and then covered it with cheese.

Another recipe I love is Doritos Nachos.

You know how Taco Bell has those tacos in the shells with Doritos flavoring? Well, you can pull that off with nachos as well.

What you need:

Your favorite Doritos chips (I use the HEB brand of them sometimes)

Cheese

ground beef

salsa

First thing you want to do is get that baking sheet ready. Preheat your oven to 375. Spread your favorite tortilla chips on it.

You can then top it with your favorite nachos ingredients such as ground beef, cheese, etc.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is all melted.

At my house, the kids like when I pour the Taco Bell sauce over them and then serve. You can use your favorite sauce and sour cream as well.

And lastly, I made bacon and cheese crescent rolls. I took a can of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, some bacon strips cut in half, and cheese that I sliced into strips and rolled them up together.

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes until they are golden brown. You can use any kind of cheese and your favorite bacon. Or you can switch it out for pepperoni or sliced deli meats.