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just a sarcastic working mom living life in New England

The year was 1996 September 30, 2008

Filed under: Me,things I love — nashsmom @ 7:06 pm
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Do you ever hear a song and get transported back to a time and place from your past?  You know, like hearing “Open Arms” and being transported to your junior prom?  Well today a little package arrived addressed to the hubby.  I knew there was possibly a special treat in said box so I called and asked for permission to open it (permission granted!) and lo and behold, there it was.  A CD of one of the most memorable live shows I’ve ever seen.  The year – 1996.  The band – Golden Smog.

Made up of members of Wilco, The Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, The Honeydogs and Run Westy Run.  All favorites of mine and seeing them play was/is a rare and special treat.  The location – Austin, Texas.  I watched this show with my best friend, my future husband and his best friend.  We rocked out from the second row (because we were too cool to be in the first row) of a capacity crowd at the Austin Music Hall.  We sang along, pumped our fists in the air and yelled out requests (PIE!!).  It was magic and I was falling in love as it all happened.  I remember every time a new song started we would look at each other and be all “Ohmygod!  They’re playing THIS?!  How awesome!” And we smiled.  And we knew.  We had our first kiss two nights later while searching for the moon tower from Dazed and Confused.  That was March.  We were engaged in May.  Married in November.   Cuz when you know, you know.

That night, those songs, these guys were all part of our courtship.   Hearing that show again today transported me back to a giddy young girl in Texas falling madly in love.   And I liked it.    

 

What makes YOU unique? September 25, 2008

Filed under: Nash — nashsmom @ 8:14 pm
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Tonight there was an open house at Nash’s school.  One of the lists in his classroom was a list called “What makes you unique?”.  I don’t know what kind of shenanigans he’s up to, but he’s clearly marketing himself as the class celebrity with some Swiss bank account I don’t know about. 

 

Simple yet brilliant September 25, 2008

Filed under: things I love — nashsmom @ 8:22 am
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I admit as I get older, the more and more obsessed I get with the weather.  It’s one of the highlights of the news for me.  I love the seven day grid with the highs and lows that shows either a big sun, or a nasty rain cloud or other simple graphic that tells me what I can expect in the coming days.  However, the million dollar question for me is – Do I need to bring an umbrella with me in the morning?  Really, that’s all I need.  Well, stop the presses because alas my dream has come true!  My Daily Candy Weekend Guide just informed me of this website:  Umbrella Today?  All you do is enter you zipcode and a simple YES or NO will appear.  Loves it!!  AND you can sign up to get a text message on the mornings that you do need to bring one.  And it’s free!  I’m just giddy….

 

Emmy highlights September 23, 2008

Filed under: Celebs — nashsmom @ 8:27 am
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Oh wait.  There weren’t any.  It was a snooze.  Even the dresses were fairly safe and besides Jennifer Love Hewitt’s hair, there was hardly any mocking material.  Even Sandra Oh finally managed to dress herself 

My personal highlight was that Nash not only agreed to let me have the TV to watch the red carpet arrivals, he watched them with me.  He gets that it only happens a couple times a year and for some ungodly reason, his mom HAS to watch.  So he watched with me and tried to understand why I liked it.  As the stars arrived, I would tell them their name (“Her name is America – isn’t that cool?”) and a little bit about them (Denis & Ann Leary “They’re from Boston!”).  Then we would discuss their dress and weather or not it was “working” for them and, of course, did they look pretty.  After doing this for a while he looked at me and asked “Mommy, how do you know all these people?”.  Just my little circle of friends, my son.   That and from my subscription to US Weekly…

What we learned from this boring show?  

If you haven’t seen it, add “Damages” to your Netflix cue.  

It was a better show without Katherine Heigel there.

Tina Fey rocks.

Eva Longoria is pregnant.  

Christina Applegate is my new hero.

For a first hand look at the Emmys from someone that actually attend the event AND has read my blog (OK.  Only once, but still), go to Ann Leary’s blog.   And if you want to see the TMZ video of her taking her dive, click here.

 

Oh, NYC you lucky little bitch September 16, 2008

Filed under: things I love — nashsmom @ 8:52 am
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Y’all know how much I love my Target.  Like pretty much my favorite place on earth.  All of the stores are different and I’ve seen a million of them (and I’ve rocked them all!).  When we fly to Minnesota every summer, our first stop is Target.  Preferably some new one we haven’t been to in the Twin Cities region.  Then we hit them all on the way “up North”.   Monticello, Alexandria (a fav), and hit Fergus and Fargo while there.  When we travel, it’s a must.  (The Targets in San Fran were spectacular!)  And I remember hitting every single Target in Austin Texas with my now husband as part our our “courting” (clearly meant for each other, right??).  I love the two-story Target, the Super Target (pleeeeeze come to the East Coast!!!!) But now – wait for it ………

 

 

TARGET BODEGAS IN NEW YORK CITY!!!!  


 


Dear, God.  I can hardly stand it.

Apparently there were four locations open for four days.  How do you spell T-E-A-S-E??

All these lucky, lucky bloggers made it there and have some great photos.  Check them out:

racked.com

coolhunting.com

I no longer feel complete….

 

More things I hate September 15, 2008

Filed under: things i hate — nashsmom @ 9:05 pm

Extra paper at the check-out at the grocery store, Target, etc.   All I want is a simple receipt with the total.  Period.   I don’t need coupon for diapers (thank God) or Chex Party Mix, I don’t care if I’ve earned 2 points towards a Thanksgiving turkey and I don’t want to take your stinkin’ survey for a chance to win a prize.

The up-sell.  I’m sure this started somewhere else a long time ago, but I first remember it at the movie theater.  You order popcorn and a drink and you get “Would you like candy or nachos with that?”  Yes, because clearly this bag of popcorn bigger than my head won’t be enough food for me to  to survive of for the next 2 hours.   But now it’s EVERYWHERE.  You order a coffee and get the “Would you like a scone or muffin with that?”.   One day I was at the post office buying stamps and the guy asked me if I wanted any framed Red Sox memorabiia with that.  WTF?  Like I would come in for a $8.40 book of stamps and decide to throw on a $45 framed photo of David Ortiz?  I actually asked him if he had do it and he said yes.  I gotta think these people hate doing it as much as I hate hearing it so just cut it out already.  

Guys who adjust themselves in public.  I’m not a man (surprise!) so I won’t pretend to know what’s going on with the junk down there, but COME ON.  If we ladies have a wedgie or an itch, we do a little wiggle and try to address the situation sans hands.  And if absolutely requires the use of the hand,  we discretely  back into a corner or go somewhere out of the view of others to address the situation.  Men however just do it anywhere and everywhere.  I’ve stood next to guys on trains doing it, at stores, in meetings  - they just don’t care!  I was walking towards a guy and his girlfriend in a Target parking lot once when I guy just full on put his hand down his pants and did whatever the hell he needed to do while pretty much looking right at me.  They JUST DON’T CARE.   Ick.

Waiters and waitresses that won’t write down my order. If you don’t, I will spend the next 20 minutes worried that you will forget to leave the cheese off my salad or to put the dressing on the side.  And even if you do remember, I won’t be impressed.  If for some reason this little memory game is something you insist on playing with yourself, fine.  But humor me and just pretend to write something down.  Or just draw a picture of me with devil horns.  I don’t mind.

 

this will either make you laugh…. September 12, 2008

Filed under: things I love — nashsmom @ 8:15 am
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Or you totally won’t get it.

 

where were you seven years ago? September 11, 2008

Filed under: Me — nashsmom @ 8:15 am
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Since this is the closest thing to a journal I now have (and some day when I’m all ambitious I will print this blog out on real paper to keep forever), I’ve decided I may from time to time throw in a story I want documented.  That said, here’s my “where were you when” 9/11 story.  

It started like most work mornings, taking the dog Buddy for a walk, showering, getting ready for work.  I remember how clear and beautiful the sky was.  Our friend Ilana had been visiting from Philly and my husband was taking her to the airport (Logan) a little later that morning.  I said goodbye and got on the train to Boston. The train got in to North Station around 8:45, the time the first tower was struck.  I, of course, have absolutely no idea yet that anything has happened.  I got on the subway and took the Orange Line to Back Bay.  On the way through the Copley Mall a little after 9 am, I pass a bar that is part of the Marriott Hotel.  There was a small crowd of people (mostly men in suits) standing in front of a TV  watching some “breaking news”.  I kept walking as I was almost to work and made a mental note to check online when I get there to see what they were watching. I got to my office and found a huge bouquet of flowers from a co-worker.  They are belated birthday flowers and they are gorgeous.  The card has the date on it which later would stand out more than the rest of the message.  I went to thank the person who gave the flowers to me and to find a vase.  People were talking about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center.  I had that same initial vision a lot  people had.  That of a small commuter plane with a couple people on it.  I remember this girl, Jane,  was crying and I thought it was weird.  Then I went to my office and Jeff was calling.  He was trying to tell me what happened and I just could not wrap my head around it.  I thought the plane hit the tower and then fell into the streets.  Without having seen the images on TV yet, I just did not get it.  He wanted me to come home but I couldn’t imagine they would close the office.  Then I went to a conference room with a TV.  It was packed and I squeezed in and then I saw those images that are forever burned in our memory.  I remember gasping the first time I saw the replay of the second plane crashing thinking it was a live shot.  I watched for about 10 minutes then went back to my office.  I remember looking online and the only thing I could find was a one sentence story on Yahoo that just said that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.  Nothing else. Then people in the office came by and said a plane had hit the Pentagon.  We had people from the company and from our department flying out that day to L.A. so there was a lot of tension. (they were all safe)  I still don’t remember if I stuck around until the official “you can go home if you need to” e-mail or if I just left.  It was somewhere around 11, I think.  The trains were PACKED.  One lady got on the subway and commented that she had never seen the train so packed at that time and wondered why.  A bunch of us looked at each other with that “Are you gonna tell her or am I?” look.  I finally told her.  There was something about saying it out loud to a stranger that made it really hit me.  We were under terrorist attack.  Holy WTF.  The outbound commuter trains at that time only run hourly so when they finally called the track number, it was a stampede.  I managed to get a seat and sat next to this older man.  We talked a little.  He knew a lot more than I did (none) about who “they” were.  People were not really talking or speculating.  Everyone was just sort of in shock and anxious to get home and connect with loved ones and watch the news.  I eventually got home some time between 12-1.  We spent the rest of the day and night watching the coverage and just saying WTF.

They closed Logan airport pretty quickly after it happened and I know Ilana had to stay another day (or 2?) and eventually made it back to Philly on a train.  I’ll never forget walking Buddy on the morning of September 12 and it was SO eerily quiet.  No cars, not planes, no people.  I ended up going to work the next day but of course no one could work.  I went to Starbucks with a friend only to return to my desk to find multiple frantic calls from Jeff wanting to know where the hell I was because they were showing my building on the news surrounded by SWAT teams.  They had tracked back one of the names of the terrorists to a name that was registered at the hotel next to us.  They hadn’t evacuated our building, but I looked out the window from the 17th floor where I was and the sight of all the emergency vehicles, men in full riot gear with their shields up was all I need to get the hell out of there and go back home.

Exactly one month later, on October 11, I found out I was pregnant with Nash.  

Where were you?  Have you written it down anywhere?  Share your story here if you want.  I’d love to hear it and save it with mine.

(Special thanks to Ann Leary for the photo.  I saw it on her site and thought it was perfect so I borrowed it.)

 

A is for Apple B is for Butt September 9, 2008

Filed under: Music,Nash — nashsmom @ 7:02 pm
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I hope by now you’ve all seen Juno.  If you have (and possibly if you haven’t) you’ve heard the story of Kimya Dawson.  She’s pretty much was the soundtrack to the movie.  She’s a quirky singer/songwriter from the Seattle area that was/is all “indie” but became sort of a big deal after the success of Juno.  And I’m sure she would be the first to disagree with that.

ANYWAY….

She’s now a mom to a two year old girl named Panda (really).   And like all songwriters, once you have a kid you know what’s next – a kid’s album.  Today she released (or as they say these days “dropped”)  Alphabutt.

I honestly haven’t listened to the whole thing through because we’re stuck on one song.  But if you don’t mind some of the not-so-bad words like “fart” and “butt” and you love to hear your child giggle like a crazy nut, download the title track (that would be “Alphabutt” by Kimya Dawson) from iTunes for .99.

Nash has been laughing his ass butt off all night singing – “F” is for fart, “G” is for gorilla fart, “H” is for huge gorilla fart……

Good stuff.

**click on the comments for the full lyrics!**

 

My favorite beauty products September 7, 2008

Filed under: things I love — nashsmom @ 9:08 pm
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I was in Sephora a couple weeks ago and bought some of my very favorite lip treatment for a friend for her birthday.  It’s made by Fresh and when I purchased it, they asked me if I’d like to come back for a Fresh consultation and meet me one of the founders of the company.  Hell yeah!  So this past Friday I spent my lunch hour getting all glammed up with Fresh products and got to meet Alina Roytberg, the wife of the husband/wife team that created this line.  I ended up buying and loving a few new products and thought perhaps this would be a good time to share some of my all time favorite beauty products.

I’ll start with the lip treatment I was talking about from Fresh:

 

 

This stuff is beyond amazing.  If I were stranded on a desert island, this is the one thing I would take as I can not live without it.  It will make your lips feel fantastic.  No waxy, sticky feel.  Just smooth, creamy, luxurious bliss.  It ain’t cheap ($22.50), but it is soooo worth it.    I’ll also give a shout out to the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser which I just started using after having washed my face with Neutrogena for the last 20 years. Time to grow up, I guess. 

 

 

 

My next can’t-live-without product is 

Oscar Blandi’s Dry Shampoo.  I’ve recommended this to tons of people.  They either try it and love it and thank me every time I see them OR they’re one of those “Oh, gee, I can go 5 days without washing my hair and it never gets greasy”.  If you’re one of those people, just go ahead and skip to the next product.  For my sisters still with me, listen up.  We all know we aren’t supposed to wash our hair every day.  We also know that washing and blow drying our hair can add an extra half hour to our morning prep time.  So get yourself one of these ($19) and on the days you don’t have time to wash, just put a little on your finger tips and work it through your scalp and voila!  You’re ready to go in just minutes. One tip – be sure to get the powder.  The spray stuff doesn’t last nearly as long and seems like it should be easier to use, but it’s not.

 

This next guy is tricky.  This is the longest running must have in my beauty box of tricks.  I have been using some formation of this since, I kid you not, 1984.  It’s a base that you put on your lid before you put on your eyeshadow that guarantees no creasing for the entire day and into the night.  When I started using it in college, it was made by Maybelline and came in a tube that you could buy at Target for around $5.  At some point it was bought by Revlon and they put it in a small jar and the only place you could get it was JC Penney.  The only place I’ve been able to find it lately is eBay for $10-$20.  The good news is that one little tub of this lasts about a year even if you use it every day.

 

 

 

And how do you take off all that eye make-up?  For years I used baby oil.  And when I lived in L.A. I met this famous actress that told me she used baby oil, too!  So I figured it must be OK.   But really I don’t think it was.  Especially if you wear contacts like I do.  So my mom turned me on to this stuff that I remember from her bathroom as a kid – Albolene.  She’s used it most of her life for all her make-up removal needs and she has fantastic skin.  So I’ve given up the baby oil and jumped on the Albolene bandwagon.  It was recently written up in In Style as well!  Again, giant lifetime supply tub for like $12.  You can get it at Walgreen’s or CVS.  

 

If you’re unfortunate enough like myself to still be getting pimples then this is a must have. You’ll see this on all sorts of celeb lists as the best zapper for zits.  It sells for $17 a bottle but once again, it’ll last you for a year or more and when you order it from Mariobadescu.com, they’ll send you a bunch of fun samples of some of their other great products.

 

In the shower – I am all over the place on shampoos and conditioners so no picks there,  but I am dedicated to one soap and one body wash.  After years of trying to avoid that sticky soap feeling, I finally discovered DHC White Soap.  I order from here a couple times a year and stock up on this stuff when it’s on sale.  The whole family uses it and loves it.  Clean, fresh & smooth!  

 

And there’s something about pouf of body wash that I love.  The smell, the rich lather and that little extra clean feeling.  I’ve tried them all from Lush, Bath & Body Works, etc. but finally found a favorite and guess what?  It’s like $3 for a giant bottle of it at Target.  Ladies, I present to you Dial Soy & Almond Milk Body Wash.  Add it to your list.  And get a pouf if you don’t already have one.  Bliss!!

 

 

And in the great deodorant debate of 2008 I can finally announce a winner!    Secret came out with a new anti-perspirant called Flawless and guess what?  It is!!!  FINALLY.  Dry? Check.  No stinky?  Check?  No stain on my white t-shirt?  Check.  Must be the Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY.  That’s totally what I thought was missing from all those others.

 

 

Other honorable mentions from my make-up bag are Stila & NARS eyeshadows, MAC eyeliners, Lancome Definicils Mascara, Anastasia brow pencil, Lancome Dual Finish Powder.

 

So there.  All things I love and why I can’t cram everything into one tiny overnight bag when traveling.  I can’t live without these things and I guarantee if you try any of them,  you’ll love them too.  Pinky swear.

 

 
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