Seriously?

$40 dollars for a Halloween costume?

And a Woopie Cushion no less

It has gotten out of control...

Though this one is pretty freakin' awesome!

But I mean seriously??... $85 dollars for a Teddy Roosevelt costume?

I have to say I'm pretty partial to the home made variety:

Finn - aka Bob the Builder 2007

This costume was very simple and fun to make - despite the fact that I stayed up past midnight coloring in the white checks on the shirt. ("Mama, Bob's shirt isn't red and white!! It's red and orange!!!" He cried at 7 pm the night before Halloween..)

October brings a lot of excitement for my kids. The planning has begun. Now I just have to figure out how to do this...

Avatar Aang. the Last Airbender

I've got 30 days...
Wish me luck.

Hello Cutie

I have never been more ready for spring. And yet...

Illustration credit Steven Felmore

I have never been more sad to see these cuties go...

I Won!

I NEVER win anything. I am SO excited to have won a little something just for me from Liz at A Giveaway A Day!

I won a $10 gift certificate to Pudleduck Soap Company! Yippee!

Anyone who knows me knows I'm kind of a soap whore. Yep. Love the stuff. Can't have too much - every scent is a new adventure.

Citrus Calendula Goat Milk Soap

So this win is right up my alley! They have so many wonderful items it's going to be impossible to choose! (High on the list: Tired Ol Bones Goat Milk Soap, Lemon Verbena Kitchen Bar or the Bergamot Sage Cold Process Gold Milk Soap ) And, they're in Maine to boot!

All I know right now is I'm certain I'll spend way more than the $10.

Thanks Liz! I'm so excited!!

An Eye For an Eye

I knew there was something different about him the first time I met him. The bar was darkly lit and from where he sat a halo of light surrounded his head making it difficult to see the details of his face. It wasn’t until a few more Friday Night Happy Hour celebrations in the same dark bar, that I realized that one of his eyes wasn’t “normal”. As we got to know each other the story emerged.

When he was a young boy, he and his brother were playing “swords”. Their mother, listening from the kitchen, warned them to be careful; “Stop that before someone puts an eye out.”

Fateful words. Haunting really.

With one swift jab, Pete’s left eye would be damaged beyond repair.

He lived his life like a normal boy – just only with sight in one eye. It never stopped him from doing anything his friends did. I can only imagine it might have taken him longer to make those friends; how the staring and taunting by too honest children would have made him feel.

But he grew up. His mother taught him confidence and never treated him differently. He married; became a skilled woodworker; a world traveler; a loyal friend; a friend who is outgoing and fun. He makes friends easily. But he always has to live with the fact that people who don’t know him well and don’t know his story yet will look at his face, first with a nervous glance and try not to stare in to that dark, dead eye.

Pressure began to build behind the eye a year ago. He’d get awful, debilitating headaches. A trip to an eye specialist diagnosed glaucoma and fluid problems and warned it would only get worse.

So it was with nervous excitement that he prepared for the surgery to remove the eye and prepare for a glass prosthetic. It was supposed to be a simple procedure and within a few weeks he dreamed his life would be dramatically different. No more pain. No more stares and awkward questions.

The operation went as planned and he wore his pirate’s patch with pride and offered to show us what was behind it.

Um. Nope. Thanks though!

But the healing didn’t happen as everyone had hoped. It took months of pain and disappointing check ups, but it healed. Slowly. And the day finally came, 4 months delayed, but Pete finally got his new eye!

I am so excited to finally see him and eagerly anticipate forgetting which eye is the bad one. But I will always cringe when I see my boys pick up a stick to play “swords”.

Congrats. PG! We’re so happy for you!

Free Suave Shampoo

Hurry! It is only good for today.

http://suavenomics.com/

This is for a full bottle not a trial size. Every penny counts.

Come Back Snuggle Bear!!

I am so, so, so tired of politcal advertising that I actually miss the little fucker.



Oh wait. It's not really that bad. I can handle a few more days.
Must.Be.Strong.

Bargain

I never thought I'd feel like $3.70 was a bargain for a gallon of gas.

I really think that Americans are making a difference in bringing the price of gas down. We're thinking smarter. We're being frugal. We're questioning our consumption. We have made small changes in our household and I hope we're making a difference. I just hope we can keep it up and push the prices back to a more reasonable level.

Potato Chip Economics

I saw a news piece this morning on how the cost of groceries are skyrocketing.

Especially potato chips, of all things.

It seems the wacky summer weather combined with the cost of fuel has created a supply and demand issue which has forced manufacturers to raise their prices and even cut back production. The story interviewed shoppers who were somewhat distraught that they couldn't find their favorite brands of chips.

I found this somewhat disturbing. I mean, POTATO CHIPS? Come on. Now I love a good chip every now and then, but it wouldn't be devistating if I had to change brands or give them up all together. I'm not that loyal. (And I'm only Irish by marriage) When it comes right down to it though, it's these small things, especially in this troubled economy, that keep us comforted. That remind us we'll get through the tough times. That everything will be okay. Or maybe it's just at my house.

It'll be a sad, sad, really sad day when Daddy-O has to give up his hallowed Cumberland Farms potato chips.