Ice Cream By Any Other Name…Still Edible?

As an avid ice cream fan with an immature sense of humor and maybe too much exposure to obnoxious dodgeball team names, I have to say the controversy over this fudge-covered rum ball flavor treat, inspired by SNL’s Pete Schweddy (Alec Baldwin) and his circular baked goods, is just nutty (pun intended).

Do I want to be paparazzied purchasing *or eating* Schweddy Balls?…not so much. Should it be on store shelves for giddy teens looking for something to laugh at, ya, I’m ok with that. It’s not like my young children are going to understand the ridiculous innuendo, and if they did reach an age that it was something to chuckle at, well, I think that will be the least of my worries.

So, is it pushing the envelope ~ I don’t think so.

The real question here…one scoop or two?

SNL Skit: http://www.hulu.com/watch/4156/saturday-night-live-nprs-delicious-dish-schweddy-balls

photo credit: AP

Flat Acres Farm & “Corny” Family Traditions

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The harvest season marks a labor-intensive reaping of abundant crops. Following the harvest is a vast celebration. Now, I have to admit (because I’m sure you’re wondering,) I didn’t actually participate in any harvesting…but I did try to grow a small pumpkin patch in our back yard a couple of years ago – the Pumpkin Fairy had to save the day – shameful, I know!

Thankfully, in today’s culture, we don’t have to produce our own crops in order to participate in fall festivities! We’ve made it a tradition in our family to visit a farm each year and enjoy the games, mazes, food and fun.

Flat Acres Farm, a stranger to the Pumpkin Fairy, is decked with healthy mounds of rotund pumpkins and gourds, ranging in size and shape, waiting for a new home and transformation into a lovely Halloween jack-o-lantern. Every young patron visiting Flat Acres Farm takes a punkin home. This farm aint just for punkins tho…

Tall cornstalks loom overhead in the jungle of corn maze leading to a towering pyramid of hay bales.

Smaller twists and turns, designed with bales, allow parents to watch as children navigate their way through the maze.

Buckets o’ kernels await a full-body plunge (I resisted given that I didn’t want to embarrass US Family Guide – or my children, ha!)

The best thing about this farm…it’s 100% authentic. Family owned and operated with love and care for decades. The farm is used for – FaRMiNg –when not decked out in festive fall fun and most of the attractions are repurposed so they can be utilized throughout the year.

During growing season, bean stalks wind up
the structure of this snake tunnel!

Signs and photo cut-outs serve as lids to the corn boxes!

This farm has something for everyone and much to offer young children. It’s conveniently located on the south side of Denver in Parker, CO. I absolutely recommend this family tradition to everyone and a stop at Flat Acres Farm is a must for young families!

Honey, I Shrunk the Sippy Cup… (A Tale of Name Bubble Heroism)

In my ‘Bubbly Solution Solves “Mommy where’s my…”‘ editorial review, I explained the convenience of Name Bubbles…particularly this time of year with the various school supplies, drink cups, clothing, sports gear and now the epic ski wear collection! These adorable name stickers got us through last winter with few missing items – the ones that did go astray were easy to spot in the lost-and-found bin! I was thoroughly impressed with how well the Name Bubbles stayed adhered to clothing, toys, electronics and sippy cups!

It’s not so difficult for a cute little name sticker to stay intact when items are treated gently, BUT if you’ve met my little ones (the blondie in particular) you already know that not every item in our home can be protected at all times, hee hee, AND – believe it or not – sometimes even mom is the culprit to the ruin of valued items (not intentionally, of course!). This is one such case…

Mom + dishwashing machine power = shrunken sippy cup.

There is, however, a happy ending to this story – the Name Bubble survived, relatively undamaged – completely and securely adhered to the side of that warped and withered cup. We were excited, um, for the Name Bubble (sorry green sippy.)

~ My momfidence in this product now soars to whole new level. ~

Those who thought I was the “crazy label lady” before just best look out now…I’ve been set loose with EXcLuSivE, Limited Time Only, MoNstER MAsH LaBeLS…for both of my children. These, along with our new monogrammed “S” packages (for our spooky-long last name) make me the most dangerous, label-happy mama on the block. Ewww, and with ski/snowboard season just around the corner, the adorable monster Name Bubbles will be hitting the slopes with us!

Monsters not your winter fav, check out all the options available at Name Bubbles’ official website.

Oh, and FREE Pumpkin Head Labels this month too! These Name Bubble Halloween originals are beautifully designed for the cleanest jack-o-lantern decorating you ever did see…perfect for the little ones. Submit your ghoulish, spooky or pleasantly pumpkin design for a chance at a $25 gift certificate – 5 winners chosen Halloween Day! Details Here

Stay tuned for photos of our spooktacular jack-o-lantern creations…coming soon!

IKEA Children’s Play Tent Recall

With the summer 2011 premier of the new IKEA in Denver, I would guess that several of our children are playing in these potentially dangerous tents. Only three incidents have been reported at this time and only one injury, but with sharp wire ends posing a hazard as they break through the tent fabric, parents should be aware of this recall.

From the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

Name of Product: BUSA children’s folding tent

Units: About 58,000; 51,000 in the United States and 7,000 in Canada

Importer: IKEA North America Service, of Conshohocken, Pa.

Hazard: The steel wire frame of the tent can break, producing sharp
wire ends that can protrude through the tent fabric, posing a laceration or
puncture hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Three incidents were reported, including one
injury. No incidents were reported in the US or Canada

Model number 90192009 is printed on a label attached to the interior seam of the tent. They were produced in Vietnam and sold exclusively at IKEA stores nationwide in August – September 2011 for approximately $8.

The CPSC recommends consumers return the product to the nearest IKEA immediately to receive a full refund. Questions: IKEA at (888) 966-4532 or www.ikea-usa.com.

Further details from CPSC.

What to Do With All That Leftover Halloween Candy?

Too early to start thinking about this one…OR maybe, like at our house, this isn’t a real concern? Well, apparently some people actually have this problem because I was asked to write a little something on this delicious Halloween dilemma for Mile High Mamas…and when I did a little research on the topic (yep, I researched it too, hee hee) I realized it’s a rather common occurrence…one of life’s sweetest mysteries. Now, I’m not sure what the problem is at our house – maybe my children neglect to collect an adequate amount of sucrose, fructose and glucose in arrays of shapes, colors and flavors – but I don’t think that’s it because we seem to have loot-a-plenty. Maybe a leaky Halloween bucket or Bermuda Triangle looming near the candy dish, but we have a way of making our stash disappear quickly.

A little treat for the lunch box, an after school snack, maybe a quiet bedtime nibble…I share some with the rest of the family too! I keep a shameless “secret” chocolate stash in the top shelf of the freezer too. Not that anyone is unaware of my frozen delights, but the “out of sight, out of mind” technique seems to work with frozen chocolate. I guess rock solid goodness isn’t quite as appealing to the rest of the family either…crazy.

CANDY…just ONE reason I love HaLLoWeeN!

So, sweet tooth aside – if it were that we had extra confections just hanging around on into Thanksgiving, Christmas or the new year (crazy talk,) what would I do with them? I’ve come up with a fun top 10…but would like to hear from you.

What do you do with all that leftover Halloween Candy?

 

photo credit: blisstree