An Open Letter To The Red Sox Organization

Dear Mr. Francona,
A 1.5 game lead? 1.5??? We had 14.5 games on the *spit* Yankees and you've pissed it all away. And listen, I know you want to give Eric Gagne a chance, but for the sake of my blood pressure, could you just not use him when the game is on the line? Don't turn into Grady Little on me.

Thank you.

With much nervousness,
Major Bedhead


Dear Mr. Farrell,
Could you please explain to me how someone of Okijima's caliber can become out of shape during the season? How is that possible? Is he scarfing down Fenway Franks on the side? Channeling Babe Ruth? Could you maybe give him a salad and start him on an exercise program? The way the bullpen is falling apart, we need every last one of those guys to be in top shape. Out of shape just won't cut it.

Yours in confusedness,
Major Bedhead


Dear Theo,
Way to go on the Gagne signing. Brilliant move, getting rid of Kason Gabbard for a guy who now has a 33.0 ERA. I think I could pitch better than him at this point and the only thing I can throw is a conniption fit.

Yours in disgustedness,
Major Bedhead


Dear Manny,
Heal, goddammit. We need you.

Yours in good health,
Major Bedhead


Dear Youk,
Heal, goddammit. We need you.

Yours in good health,
Major Bedhead


Dear Coco,
Heal, goddammit. We need you.

Yours in good health,
Major Bedhead


Dear Red Sox,
Please don't break my heart.

Yours in pessimistic hopefulness,
Major Bedhead

You Love the Red Sox, But Have They Ever Loved You Back?*

2 days ago, Eldest and Middle played at my Sis's house. She delivered them back to the Trenches after feeding them (!) and bathing them (YES!)

Middle paraded into the house, wearing nothing but a Derek Jeter shirt and proclaimed loudly, arms outstretched, "Introducing........the newest Yankees fan!" (he had obviously been well coached.)

Needless to say, my Sis loooooves to f*ck with my Hubby.

Before bedtime, Hubby pulled out all the stops to try to convince Middle (who's 3, keep in mind) to take off that shirt. Nothin' doin'. The more Hubby made a big deal about it, the more adamant Middle was that he was WEARING THAT YANKEES SHIRT.

Right before hopping into bed (battle lost by Hubby--shocker, huh?), Middle walked smack into his bedroom doorknob and bonked his head.

Hubby: "You gotta watch where you're goin', bud."

Me to Hubby: "Yeah, but you're really thinking, serves you right, you little turd, for wearing that shirt, aren't you?"

Hubby: "Yep."
*****************************

Things are tense here In the Trenches, folks. The Sox blew it again last night and allowed themselves to be swept by the Blue Jays.

This morning, I had two moping guys on my hands--Hubby and Eldest (he wakes up at 6:30am and immediately turns on NESN to catch the highlowlights.)

Eldest: "Mom, they choked it! Papelbon gave up a grand slam in the 8th. Now it's 90 to 88! (wins) I don't wanna talk about it anymore."

Hubby simply shook his head sadly in agreement and trudged away.

*What movie?

Splurge v. Steal

I am nothing if not consumed by beauty products. I am also a sucker for a. pretty packaging and b. what bloggers I like rave about on the internet. So, I thought I'd post my own take on the products I myself love. I posted a similar entry on my personal blog a while back - my favorite splurges as well as my favorite steals. I would love it if you'd post yours too. Because after all, who DOESN'T need one more thing from CVS - or, I submit - from Sephora?

Here's my take:

Shampoo/Conditioner
Splurge: Kerastase Bain Oleo-Relax shampoo and masque (around $30-50), and Lush Big Shampoo ($20) and Veganese conditioner- all of these smell amazing. The Kerastase is kind of flowery-smelling - yet not overpowering, and the Big smells kind of limey and clean. Big will make your hair shinier than it's ever been. It will also strip your hair of color so there's that. I use it every now and again if I feel like I need a little clarifying or before I get my hair re-colored.
Budget: Dove Intense Moisture Shampoo ($5) Smells great and makes my hair soft and manageable. Well, as much as it can be. You have no idea what it's like to manage this head of hair.

Face Cream
Splurge: Creme de la Mer ($125.00). Yeah, yeah, yeah I know. It's insane, you say, and I agree. However, I was lucky enough to get this handed off to me by my mother who "accidentally bought two" (???) and it lasts FOREVER. An investment, for sure, but I'm 34 years old and I don't have any wrinkles. So, there you go.
Budget: Oil of Olay All Day UV Moisture Cream, SPF 15 ($6.99) I keep this in the bathroom and also on my bureau. It's light and it works. Particularly great post-shower and pre-makeup.

Lip Gloss
Splurge: Nars ($23) Love this one in Stella. Stila ($16-20) Love this one in Blackberry. I would say that the Nars one looks awesome if you have dark hair and light eyes and fair skin like I do. The Stila? I have yet to meet anyone for whom this shade does not look amazing. So flattering and if you ask me, well worth the splurge.
Budget: Revlon SuperLustrous Lipgloss, in Cherries in the Glow ($6). Again, great shade if you're of the dark hair and light eyes persuasion.

*Note - I also have to mention Lancome Juicy Tubes. Spring Fling is one of my favorite shades but I really love them all. They're around $15 or so, super shiny, and taste like candy. I'm a compulsive glosser and I love these.

Eye Shadow
Splurge: Nars cream eyeshadow. I use/have used the shades El Dorado, Corfu and Granada. Great colors and they really last all day long.
Budget: Cover Girl ($3). I like "Snow Blossom" - more of a highlighter than a shadow, put some on your brow bone if you've got a good brow going and in the corners of your eyes and bam! You're awake and you look fabulous.

Perfume
Splurge: Stella by Stella McCartney for fall/winter ($44/1 oz. purse spray) and my old standby Marc Jacobs (45/1 oz. eau de parfum spray).
Budget: Bath and Body Works Signature Collection Eau de Toilette - I have this in Coconut Lime Verbena and Pink Grapefruit. Now, these retail for $18.50 but I got them for $10 each with an email coupon. I'm not sure I'd pay close to $20 but for $10 they're well worth it. Very light and clean smelling, I carry one or the other around with me in my tote bag.

I also want to mention Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets. At $4, these are a budget item for sure, but this is the best mattifying product I've ever used. You pull out one of the little blue sheets, sweep over your face, et voila - the shine is gone and your makeup is still all in place. I am SHOCKED at how much oil comes off my face every time I use these.

And now you know how shockingly oily my skin is. Moving right along...

So, there you have it - my take on beauty products both ridiculously expensive and insanely cheap. Let me know if you do this on your own blog so I can come and read it!

Visiting the Big E this Weekend

We go to the Big E every year.

The Big E, or The Eastern States Exposition, is like the world's fair, but geared towards New Englanders. It has rides, food, animals, vendors, entertainment - something for everyone. It's located in West Springfield, Mass, not far from the Connecticut/Massachusetts line.

My first visit was back when I was in high school. I was in the marching band, and we were invited to march in the parade on Connecticut Day, and then we had the rest of the day to enjoy the park. I looked forward to that every year! After high school, I took many years off from the Big E, just because my life was busy, and the Big E was a bit far for me to visit.

Fast forward to living here in Western Connecticut with my husband and kids, and we get up there every year, no matter what. We love the local fairs, but the Big E is worth the ride and the fun. I've walked the grounds very pregnant and pushed strollers through the crowds as well. I typically get a massage from one of the vendors (I LOVED this when I was pregnant) and I eat way too much. My husband and I enjoy the food and the animals. I gotta thing for cows - especially the swiss! I also love the horse shows. The kids love the rides, the petting zoo, the yummy treats and the circus!

And one of the best things is visiting the state houses, called the "Avenue of States." They set up state houses for the 6 New England states in a row, and you can weave in and out of them, checking out vendors from each state, which includes information about each state, favorite foods known to each, and little shops filled with great trinkets. One year we bought a wooden dog food crate that we STILL keep in our kitchen, and we bought our son's first wooden booster seat/desk/rocking horse that he'll be able to keep forever.

If you get a chance, check out the Big E, which runs from September 14-30. It may be a little bit of a ride, but it's a great day with the family. And if you have little ones, go during the week, if you can, to avoid the big crowds. Montgomery Gentry, Taylor Hicks & Josh Turner are live onstage, if you are interested. Eat a yummy baked potato, some blueberry pie and some chowder!

And enjoy it all!

A Kid Friendly Bed and Breakfast in Freeport Maine

For the past 4 years, my husband and I have made a point of taking a trip to Freeport Maine in September. Our family is out of state, so we do something different every year for the holidays. Thus we don't have many traditions around the holidays. Last year when we realized that we were enjoying our third September trip in a row, we knew we could rightfully call it a tradition.

Our first trip had been planned last minute, so we stayed at a random hotel that was about 15 miles away. Our second year was split between one night in Boothbay to celebrate the wedding of two friends and one night in Freeport devoted to romance and trying to get pregnant. With my older son being babysat at my home by my mother, you can imagine that we were pretty happy staying at bead and breakfast that only allowed "well-behaved kids" which is code for "we really don't want your kids here."

When we prepared for our third trip with a 3 year old and 3 month old (conceived the month after our trip from the prior fall), we somehow didn't think a place for "well-behaved kids" was the best fit. I had remembered when researching Bed and Breakfasts the previous year, seeing one called Maple Hill which advertised that it was not only kid-friendly, but pet friendly too. It was within walking distance from our favorite Freeport attraction, LL Bean. They had a golden retriever as their mascot, and they advertised fresh chocolate chip cookies available from a cookie jar every day. What could be better?

So we stayed there. It was really great! It's run by a very friendly family. They even ran our baby's bottles through the dishwasher for us. The cookies were as good as advertised, and the breakfast was absolutely delicious. They have 3 rooms. We stayed in the Birch Room, which is a 2 room suite with a bed in one room and a pull-out couch (and the pack and play) in the other. The only problem with the space is that the bathroom is behind the pullout couch, so it is difficult to walk directly from the real bedroom to the bathroom. However, both rooms have lockable doors that open into the B&B's living space, so it is pretty easy to go into the boys' room behind the pullout couch and get right into the bathroom. In fact, it takes less time to get to the bathroom than to read this sentence.

Continuing the progression from random hotel, to 2 of us in a B&B, to a family of 4 in a B&B, we brought our golden retriever with us this year. The family definitely made him feel welcome. They also made us feel welcome with him. He was allowed to stay in our room by himself when we went for our traditional lobster dinner and while we shopped at LL Bean. Since they didn't have guests coming into our room the day that we left, they allowed us to keep our dog in our room past the checkout time of 11 so that we could all go out for lunch. I admit that during some of my older son's more behaviorally challenging moments during the weekend, I would have been more than willing to stay in the room and send the dog out to lunch with the rest of the family.