100 Days

There are only 100 days left until Christmas. Less if you're on the other side of the world.

Don't believe me? Check out the Christmas Countdown Clock.

Cause you know, we all need more stress in our lives - countdown clocks really ratchet up that old spazz level. You can sit there and watch it tick down. Freaky.

In twelve hours from this writing, there will be only 99 days left . . . double digits! Omg.

Pause for freakout.

I am unprepared.

Extremely unprepared.

For a lot of things actually . . . not just the 100 days until Christmas (lists? sewing? what?)

Slightly less than a month and half after that lovely little Christmas Countdown Clock hits zero and resets to 355 (actually my favorite part) I will be releasing my first novel into the wild.

Pause for slightly larger freakout.

Maybe I should create a countdown for that . . . just to see how high my blood pressure can get as I watch it tick down. It would be like a medical experiment!

There are also less than 7 weeks to the start of November, which means NaNoWriMo!
Planning, outlining, deciding how the darn thing ends?
Sure. Whatevs.

Not pausing for a freakout here because I am in d-e-n-i-a-l.

It's September. I now live in Montana. It could snow any day. Fall is like the blink of an eye here, at least that is what they tell me.

Pause for huge, out of control, I-have-no-winter-clothes-and-wear-flip-flops-everyday freakout.

But enough about me . . . and the celebration of the Christ Child's birth . . .

The biggest, most important countdown clock is this:

There are only 13 regular games left in my team's regular baseball season!

Thirteen.

Mind blown.
Whatever am I going to do with myself after the season is over?
Maybe, you know, finish editing that novel, sew those Christmas presents, buy some real shoes, or curl up in a ball and cry until spring training.
It's really a toss up.

Meanwhile, we are 3 back in the division race and starting to make some noise in the very intriguing wild card race . . . so GO ANGELS!
The rest of it can wait.

At least for another 13 games or so.



(gratuitous cute kid picture with Angels tie in. Um, yes, he's restrained with a jump rope, he seems ok with it, my kids are weird.)

If I Had a Million Dollars

I love this song by Barenaked Ladies, if you haven't heard it you are totally missing out. There are a million live versions on YouTube, but usually they include a lot of really hilarious ad libbing, so I thought I'd give you this original version (boring green screen with lyrics aside), it might be the best intro to the song. Love it.

So what would you do if you had a million dollars?

Not that a million dollars goes all that far these days, ahem.

If I had a million dollars (either via lottery or if I somehow become an ebook sensation and my novels sell like proverbial hotcakes, if you know, hotcakes sold in the millions), I think I would totally buy one of the newer condos near Angels stadium, get season tickets, and walk to all the games. The walking would a) save gas and parking costs, thereby making my million dollars go further and b) burn calories, so a win win.

Wouldn't it be awesome to get to see this approximately 80 games a year?

So, what is in on your "If I had a million dollars list?"

My Newest Article at Mama Buzz

My newest article is up at Mama Buzz. One of the categories that I am a supposed expert on is "entertainment," and I have yet to write an entertainment post because I didn't want to feel I was being blatantly promotional of one particular movie or book, etc. But it is spring and the surest sign of spring is that baseball season has begun, so I've written an article on baseball! (I am sure you are all just flabbergasted to learn I like baseball). I tried to include a little bit of everything, majors, minors, ticket specials for families this summer, movies! I would love if you could hop on over and read it . . . and leave a comment there! Thanks!!!

"Spring, Spring, Spring" Sang the Frog and a Winner!

I think we can officially say that it is spring!

So maybe we had some snow last Friday - but since then only lovely, gorgeous spring weather! Even when it rains it seems like you can always see at least a little bit of sun and blue sky . . . and when there is sun and rain you get insane rainbows like this:

Can you believe this sucker? And I am telling you the photo does not do it justice at all! We could see both ends where they touched the ground and it seemed like if we just walked up into the hills we would definitely find a pot of gold or two . . . it was so close!

Another sure sign that it is spring is that baseball season has started! Yippee!!!! And of course we had to have our famous opening day nachos! Yum!

Here is Maddie doing her best Vanna White with the official Melendez Family Opening Day Nachos Angels Plate (we got it at the kid's first ever game at the Big A, pretty sure James was about two months old):

And here are the nachos, yes, we make our own chips!

And because it is spring it is time to pick the winner of the spring fabric giveaway!

And the winner is the lovely Stephanie of Sand and Starfish! You lucky girl you!

I've sent you an email! Congrats!

In Celebration of Spring - My 5 Favorite Baseball Movies

One of the surest signs of spring is the return of baseball! I am actually obsessed enough to watch spring training games, so for me baseball has already started. It is fun to see all the minor league talent that is invited to training each year as well as the veterans that we know and love. So in celebration of spring I thought I'd share my top five favorite baseball movies with you!

As a note: this is no way meant to be an exhaustive list and is based purely on the enjoyment I receive from these movies and not on authenticity or what critics consider the best representation of baseball. I'm just a girl who likes baseball and movies!

5. The Rookie

The Rookie is just a fun, sweet, family oriented movie about a high school coach, Jimmy Morris, who makes it into the majors after promising to try out if his high school baseball team made the playoffs. There is something about Dennis Quaid's understated performance that just sells this whole movie.

4. Frequency

I always have to have a controversial pick on my lists! You may not realize that Frequency is a baseball movie, but I assure you it is (as well as a thriller, mystery, and family drama, also oddly, my second Dennis Quad movie on the list). "The Amazing Mets" are integral to this film, and it is awesome! In fact, everything about this movie is awesome! One of the things I like best about this movie is it shows how baseball, and a favorite team, become an integral part of a family. How that team's history becomes part of the fabric of the family's history and influences how the family communicates. It is also one of those totally quotable films. The song in the final scene & credits kills me every time. Watch it. Love it.

3. Field of Dreams

Of course this is on the list. It is gorgeous and moving. It's about fatherhood, and America, and America's pastime. Who doesn't tear up when they flip the lights on for the first time? Or get a shiver up your spine when you hear "if you build it, he will come?" Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe Jackson is perfection. When Ray Kinsella gets to play catch with his Dad? Well, by then I am usually a puddle of goo and sobbing quietly into my popcorn. I also have to give a shout out to the book this movie is based on Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella. Seriously one of the most beautiful things I have ever read.

2. Major League

And now for a comedy! Major League is truly hilarious. It is also rated R for pretty good reasons. There is a reason this is on most people's favorite baseball movies lists, it is a screwball satire full of great characters and amazingly quotable lines. I am sure I don't go a day without quoting Major League ("What do you want me to do dive for it?!" "Juuuuuust a bit outside.") Also, Corbin Bernson, whom I love, is in it. (Also, pre-insane #winning Charlie Sheen and the always fabulous Tom Berenger). Good times, people, good times!

1. The Sandlot

Best baseball movie ever! There a million reasons why I love this movie. First of all, it is about a pure, unadulterated love of the game. These kids don't play for big salaries or fame, they play because they love baseball. It's set in Los Angeles, and it's such a gorgeous representation of suburban L.A. in the 60s. Also, it starsJames Earl Jones and Dennis Leary, 'nough said. But the kids - and baseball - are the true stars of this film! "You're killin' me Smalls!" will immediately be your favorite saying after watching this movie, I guarantee it. The Sandlot also makes it into my top 5 buddy movies, kid movies, and L.A. movies . . . so I think it's a pretty good all around pick for my top baseball movie.

I must also give a quick honorable mention to A League of Their Own, mostly because I tell Maddie "there's no crying in baseball" at least once a week ;)

So, what about you? Any favorite baseball movies. Shocked that I left out classics like Bull Durham (yawn) and The Natural? Or maybe you haven't ever watched a baseball movie. If so, I suggest you start with my list ;)

Why I Am an Angels Fan

In life, much like in baseball, you don't always make it to the post-season. Not every year can be a championship year. Sometimes you lose more games than you'd like. You can get frustrated. Unexpected hardships and injuries can damage your offense.

I am an Angels fan, and this year I've often felt like my team's struggles on the field parallel what a hard year it has been for us personally.

I was raised in Southern California, I could easily be a Dodgers fan, and I was for most of my youth. However, for the last fifteen years or so my heart has belonged to the team on the other side of the freeway series. . . and maybe that isn't so surprising, our manager Mike Scioscia is one of "Tommy's Boys" after all.

The Angels play great baseball. Even in a bad year there things I know to be true and that I am proud of:

We don't cheat.

We play as a team.

We believe in the fundamentals of the sport.

We never, never give up.

This is why I am an Angels fan.

This is why I am glad my children are becoming Angels fans.

This is how I hope they play the game of life.

Jamie's Birthday - Field of Dreams . . . er, Cake

I am not a cake decorator. I never will be a cake decorator. I'd like things I spend so much time on to last more than a few minutes. However, I want my kids to have cute birthday cakes and (here's the rub) I don't want to spend large amounts of cash to get said cute cakes.

Earlier in the year I perfected my "grass" frosting technique with Maddie's Winne the Pooh birthday cake, and I was able to whip it out once again for Jamie's "Field of Dreams / Angel's Stadium Without Any Walls Or Other Identifiable Features" birthday cake.

The color is a bit off on these pictures because I took them with my iPhone mid-decorating at 2:30 am the morning of the party . . . cause, um, yeah . . .

I am pretty sure there are a few daylight pictures of this cake on the cd Grammy gave me, I so hope so because pretty much all I have of the cake from the party is this:

I love how the candle is standing amidst the wreckage . . . like a noble warrior among the destruction of his homeland . . .

Or something.

James seems to have enjoyed his cake and ice cream at least.

Spring (Training) Fever

Major League Baseball's Spring Training has begun, and the Angels played their first spring training game yesterday in Tempe, AZ!  We watched the game on Fox Sports West and brought out the hats and Rally Monkey.  We also had homemade nachos on our Angels Chip and Dip plate.

Here are my little Halos:

Maddie relaxing after her ice cream from the ice cream "yuck" (truck), the scary thing is that at 22 months she has a better throwing arm than anyone I know and applauds when Angels pitchers throw strikes or Angels batters get hits.  Me thinks she is a baseball genius.  (And no it's not Halloween, she just wears her Halloween shirt for pjs now).

Cutie patootie, I realize it's kind of inappropriate that he is wearing a Salem, Mass sweatshirt (from Uncle David and Aunt Brit) with his Angles hat . . . All I can say is we are going to kick you butt John Lackey - you and the Sox get ready for another sweep baby ;)

Jamie wants my hat!

And out comes the monkey!  Jump around!  Jump around!

Daddy's homemade nachos, yum!

And before you say it Tor, yes, I know I am funny when I'm in rabid fan mode.