Why I Oughta...

The Babe got right up there in the front with her Cousins and mixed it up with the big kids to get all the candy she could eat.  The weather today couldn't have been better for a parade and while the company was good (my sister and Equation Boy/Man invited us to tag along with their group of friends), some dear angel brought a cooler full of cooked/bun'd hotdogs and I was able to enjoy one of those beauties.

That's me on the back left (behind Equation Boy/Man) right before we took on the Elmhurst Chiefs Hockey Club in a Father/Son (in my case Uncle!) game.  My nephew plays for the Chiefs and I was lucky enough to be able to get on the ice along with these Dad's. I'm not standing that far away from the other guys because I don't like them.  Nope.  It's because I'm not that adept on the skates as some folks and I didn't want to risk falling in any attempt to move closer to get into the photo.  No injuries were reported and I had a lot of fun.  Equation Boy/Man had a hat trick and my nephew had a goal off of a nice rebound!

The three of us caught the Twins/Cardinals game in Ft. Myers this week.  It was the first time I'd been to a Spring Training game (ever) and it was a lot of fun.  It feels A LOT like Minor League baseball, but it certainly isn't priced like Minor League baseball.  We left before the end, but the Cards were up 3-1 when we took off.  Even though it was a 'home' game for the Twins, there were plenty of Cardinal fans in attendance.  Not one peep about Pujols.  Not one.

Well, well, well.  What do we have here?  Looks like lots of thin white roots are springing from the French Pussy Willow cuttings that I put on our window sill just two weeks ago .  With warmer temperatures right around the corner, looks like we'll be able to put these in the ground in a few weeks.  Looks like I know what I'm giving my mom for Easter?!?

While they're always one of our earliest bits of green in the Spring, these are coming up particularly early due to the VERY mild winter we've had.  *Fingers crossed* that we'll see the continued mild weather and these won't get a frost shock treatment from the lingering Old Man Winter.

In a week, my niece turns two!  To celebrate, her parents are having a party for her where our whole family with gather.  I came across a fun project that *seems* appropriate for a two year old, so I started to put it together.  Can't spill the beans just yet on what it is, because my sister reads these posts on occasion.  After the party, I'll post a full how-to with more photos.

Anyone ever use these solar chargers from Solio in a pinch when they're stuck somewhere with a dead mobile?  Do they work?

9 bucks for 3 cans?  Seems cheap to me.  They are stamped D.O.P but are they really from San Marzano?

Last week, I posted a photo and description of the Suncast Wood and Resin Playset from our local Costco in Oak Brook Illinois and commented that I was pleased that we purchased the Cedar Summit version last year because I preferred the looks of all-wood version over this year's edition that has a lot of plastic panels and elements.  I was surprised that Costco eliminated the Cedar Summit folks in favor of Suncast - it seemed odd to me that they'd take out a nice (seemingly) higher-end product and replace it with something that I perceived as being lower-end with increased pricing. A few days later, I received a nice note from the folks at Cedar Summit that set me straight and provided some good news for Costco Playset/Swingset shoppers around the country.  They, indeed, are selling this year's Cedar Summit edition and it is called the " Mountainview Resort '.  He also laid out the facts: The Suncast plastic/wood playset is ONLY available in the Midwest an

Guess who runs an award-winning event design firm in Chicago ?  That's right, my dear wife Nat now does with her Chicago event design and planning firm   Pemberley Events ! Last week, it was announced that her team won the "Inspired Creations" contest at IndieWed.  I'm so very proud of her and all the effort she put into it.  I went to IndieWed to help her team break down their booth earlier this year and even though I don't have a lot of sense of style/fashion/what have you, it was plain to see that Nat's team put the most thought and effort into the contest and deserved to win. If you're looking for event planning and design ,   wedding planning and design in Chicago , or even just a Chicago Wedding Planner , you can't go wrong with Pemberley Events .