The Baseball Hall of Fame/Cooperstown New York

The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown New York is a must see for anyone who loves the game of Baseball. It was especially fun for my sons and I as we are HUGE Red Sox fans. You may not think this is a good time of year to go, but it is! Lets face it, the museum is an indoor event and without all of the summer traffic there is parking everywhere. We drove up and stayed at the Best Western, they have great rates this time of year...ask about the winter family special rates. We went up with my family (dad, sisters and their families also) and made a little party of it. They have a pool and a jacuzzi, a small game room and good restaurants right near by. Plus, if your also into soccer, the soccer hall of fame is located here too. We didn't have enough time to see that but I've heard it's really good too.


Inside the hall of Fame you will find something from just about every baseball icon you ever knew. The displays are beautifully done and did I mention there were no crowds! It was easy to wander around the museum and just take it all in. I especially liked the show they run I think every hour or so about the history of baseball. The special effects are really well done. I won't say more because you'll want to see that for yourself. My sons especially loved the actual "Hall" where all of the plaques are for everyone who has been inducted. It's very cool to see and touch all of the plaques. I personally could not wait to see the World Series display. My favorite Jacoby Ellsbury's bat is in there with his picture and everything! Can you believe a rookie from Pawtucket could go that far in one year. It's like Zac DeOssie a rookie from Brown university who is now playing for the NY Giants and is going to the Superbowl! I know I just changed sports but stay with me. I'm just in awe of the rookies going out there and playing so well. Don't forget Dustin Pedroia, he's there too. Another great sight was to actually see Curt Shillings bloody sock. The blood is all brown now and I took a lot of teasing from my Dad the Yankee fan about it really just being ketchup. In the same room as that are all of that are the Rings!! They are awesome to see. The new Red Sox one is not there yet but the last one is really pretty! Oh yeah, there are a few Yankee ones there too. Another cool little exhibit is the one where you can lift up a flap covering any ballpark and it will play the theme song form that park. There are so many displays of records and guys who pitched no hitters etc. There's just so much to see. The town is adorable and plenty of places to shop and eat. Anyway, the trip is a blast and the ride is a long one but an easy one. I definitely say take the kids and get up there before the little league and high school baseball seasons begin. One they start, you'll never find the time.


Take me out to the ball game....take me out to the park................(you know how it goes....)

Family Night...Watch American Idol

Kids are always running to the playroom to play video games or onto the computer to I.M their friends. Parents are busy with work, dinner preparation, clean-up, meetings, etc. Frankly, spending time together can be really difficult to fit in without everyone just forcing the issue and feeling a bit uncomfortable about it. I sometimes wonder if this is what is all supposed to be. It doesn't have to be that way every night. Try watching American Idol as a group. It is a terrific way to have any generation of family member all in the same room, watching something together, without anyone having to feel uncomfortable about a shows content, or be bored by droning cartoons or countless basketball games. It's on on Tuesday nights and Wednesday nights. One of those nights is bound to work for your family and if not then record it. Especially now, while the show is in the audition stage, everyone gets big laughs out of the most outrageous auditions peppered in with some of the real talent that will prevail through the season. We like to make "Idol" snacks like popcorn, chicken wings or some other fun hour 'derv and sit together in the family room and watch! As the season goes on you'll see everyone gets so attached to their favorites that at the end of the show, we all go scrambling for the telephone to try to log in as many calls for our idols before the phone lines jam up. The next morning the kids at the bus stop are all saying "did you watch idol last night?" "who did you like?" It kind of becomes a bit cult like but in a fun and enjoyable way. I'm not kidding, I've heard many a time at little league fields moms whispering under their breath, "Hurry up and make the last out...Idols on in 10 minutes!!" High School age boys are the toughest to sell this idea to (believe me, I have one) but for the auditions shows he will indulge us with and he seems to really enjoy them. Family accord can be tough to achieve in these busy times with all of our families activities. American Idol can offer a light hearted and entertaining way to just relax and enjoy the evening together...and its FREE! My top picks over the years were Kelly Clarkson...love her. I picked Clay Aiken over Ruben even though Ruben won. I knew right away that Carrie Underwood would win, and I always liked Chris Daughtry and Taylor Hicks. Who will it be this year?



P.S. If anyone watched last night I thought it was terrific the way Paula, Simon and Randy treated Temptress.
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Clean Kitchen Grease and Grime or use WAX paper

You know when you really...and I mean really...clean your kitchen and you try to clean the tops of you cabinets. The grime up there could rival a sandblaster!! Well someone gave me the best tip ever and I will pass it along to you. When your cabinet top if finally clean roll out a long sheet of wax paper and lay it down on top of the cabinet, curl side down. It lays flat and it is the exact width of the cabinet. No one can see it!! Then when you clean the next time, you just carefully take it off...it will be very grungy...and throw it away. Lay down new wax paper and your good to go! Could you find a better way to spend the mere 2.99$ that it costs for the wax paper!!!

Remember that for your spring cleaning