Tippy Toes and Tantrums

SIGG Replacement Time is Dwindling

Get your old Siggs in the mail by the end of the week to participate in their exchange program after it was reveled that the liners in the older bottles contain BPA. I was livid when the news of this broke, considering we exclusively used about 17 Sigg bottles over the course of five years or so. We bought them because we were told they were safe and hey, don't those European countries have higher environmental health standards anyway? I just received an email today with a $233 credit for the 11 bottles we were able to locate and return. I'm going to spend every cent of that credit, even if it means buying bottles for charity.

We've switched over to Klean Kanteen - a California-based company - and to send the message home to Sigg, I returned our bottles in a Klean Kanteen box. FTS!

Mommy Bloggers Take on Digital Books

A lot of negatives were said about mommy bloggers this summer after BlogHer 's swag frenzy and it bubbles up from time to time when people accuse bloggers of being in the pocket of certain companies, but this week was a different story. This week - somewhat inadvertently - mommy bloggers were given a chance to shine.

Several bloggers were invited to a cocktail party/product launch by Disney Digital Books this week. I love Disney, I trust Disney and my kids really like the digitized books we own, so I went to the meeting with high expectations. It turns out the product is interesting and I'd like to learn more, but there were some gaps pointed out by the mommy bloggers and that was met with some resistance and it eventually turned into a drumming...on Disney...from the mommy bloggers. I don't know if Disney saw it coming.

Quickly: Disney has just launched an online library encouraging kids to read, where the books can either be read by the child or be read aloud by the computer. The program is mostly aimed at ages five and up, but younger kids can use and enjoy it too. Not to mention, they hope to add young adult titles the library of already 500 books and a learn to read option too. Of course, none of this is free, but Disney expects the cost of $9 a month or $80 a year is not prohibitive. To that I say ha! We were told that the cost would not prevent anyone (within the general middle class, I presume) from subscribing because the monthly cost is roughly the same as two paperback books.

My kids own a ton of books, but most of their reading material comes from the library, which is free. Disney is working on an institutional version of their library, allowing schools and libraries to participate, arguing it's much cheaper for libraries to subscribe than to buy the 500 books in the Disney program. Yet my children walk out of the library each week with roughly 30 books between them that they pour over all week at home. I like giving libraries and schools access to the Disney program, but I cannot see it replacing take home, paper books at the library. A library may subscribe to the program, but there will still be a significant demand for paper books for the next five or so years. One day when we all own readers and get our reading materials digitally, that may change, but for now take home books remain king around here.

The biggest issue where debate flared was the lack of multi-linguality. The books are in English - now American English and soon to be in Queen's English - followed by some Spanish by the end of the year, then possibly Mandarin. Ideally I'd like to see a book - take Winnie the Pooh - with the option to have it in various languages. I know producing multi-lingual books isn't simple - it takes times and money to get it all worked out - but if Disney can do it for movies at the same price, they can do it for books. Clover went through a princess phase and she wanted to see the Disney movies over and over again. After her initial viewing in English, whenever she wanted to watch the movie again, it was shown in French. She was in a French class, so watching Cinderella in French wasn't as cruel as it may sound. (Maybe the French class was the cruel part.) Our Disney DVDs had the option to watch the movie in English, Spanish or French, why can't the books offer the same option? Having a multi-lingual option would be what gets me to fork over $9 month because we don't have access to that many French or Spanish books. Actually, our library has a ton of Spanish books, but they don't have the options that Disney Digital provides (proper pronunciation and definitions, for example), making their program superior to standard library books.

The mommy bloggers stressed that Silicon Valley is not the only pocket of the country trying to raise bi-lingual children and that books with other language options would bring people to their product. Honestly, I don't feel like we were much listened to. It's business and trying to appeal to a relatively small group of bi-lingual families is not a clear revenue stream. There are other countries interested in the program, but for teaching their children English, making it harder for, say, the U.S. to piggy back on say the program designed for France.

Competitors were not mentioned at all during the formal talk, but Leapfrog was singled out afterward by the publishing president, who said it takes $100 to get Leapfrog's Tag loaded with a few books and there's a maximum of five books that can stay on the Tag at once, which is true and a definite downside of the Tag. Leapfrog, however, has one tremendous advantage: It's truly portable. Disney requires wi-fi and a computer - there is no reader or iPhone app - while Tag and other Leapfrog products can be tossed into a backpack and used in the car or in an airplane, the places where an educational option for occupying kids is most needed and appreciated.

Like I said, I love Disney. I think the product could definitely work for some households, for instance where the parents may want to instill better literacy in children, but not feel confident enough to read to their children aloud. Also, the programs aids with "patient support," as we were told, which is very true. I know there are certain books my kids love put it pains me to read over and over again. I've been known to page skip too, but the Disney product is calm, time after time, after time.

The goal of encouraging reading is worthy of applause, especially across all demographics, fewer kids are reading, but as was pointed out to us the other night, this is also a business. I hope to have my kids test out the program in the next month and I'm really eager to see more of how it works and how the program evolves over time, but for now, I need more convincing.

Product Review: Blackberry Visor Mount Speakerphone

Even though I try not to use a cell phone when driving because I know my focus is not 100% on the road, there are times when I do need to use the phone while driving, especially because I drive carpool. Sometimes last minute changes happen and I need to be connected. California is a hands-free state - which seems to have been widely ignored until as of late when Maria Shriver was caught holding and using her phone while driving. I hated the little Bluetooth earpiece I had to comply with the law so much that I either did not answer the phone or I broke the law myself there a few times as I was driving. The earpiece never felt secure and I don't think using one had to hold my ear really met the spirit of the hands-free law. This went on for over a year until recently when I was sent Blackberry's Visor Mount Speakerphone, which to my complete surprise, actually works.

It works with my iPhone, which was quickly established when two minutes of having turned it on for the first time, I heard "call from..." which caught me off guard. I almost thought it was a system test. The call also caught me off guard because it was Kevin reporting Rocket had thrown up, therefore he would not be going to school. As I turned around, the "call from..." happened again and this time it was Kevin saying it was a false alarm because Rocket had spit out food he didn't like. He wasn't actually sick. Apparently not everyone can tell the difference between swine flu and just being a pig.

It is a speakerphone, which means anyone else in the car is privy to the conversation. The plus side of that is that it silences the carpool kids as everyone listens to the call. I feel like I need to answer the phone with a warning to callers, "This call may be monitored..." I still use the phone as little as possible, but I'm happy that I finally have a solution that meets my needs for when I do need to make a call.

Disclaimer: I was given the Blackberry Visor Mount Speakerphone for free, without any stipulations, including whether I review it or not.

Coffee Fix VIA Starbucks at Home

I buy espresso drinks a few more times a week than I'd like to acknowledge. I know it's a problem not so much when the coffee houses raise their prices, but on a day like today when one kids stays home from school sick and I'm sad about missing the gym, but totally sidelined by having to forgo a trip to Starbucks. Yes, I know we can make coffee at home, we even have an espresso maker, but I'm too conditioned; I cannot make the same drink at home. Espresso drinks are like sandwiches: they taste better when someone else makes them.

Unable to make it to a store, I'm dipping into a stash of Starbucks' new VIA Ready Brew given to me last week. It's is not a grande mocha by any means, but it's good coffee that's incredibly simple to make.

Cliff Burrows, Starbucks president, introducing VIA

I went to a kick off event last week in San Francisco expecting to politely swallow down the VIA samples, so I was surprised to not only like it, but to want to keep some at home. It can be dissolved into either hot or cold water and I planned on trying it as an iced coffee, but the weather changed and so did my desire for a cold drink.

The packets are small, making them perfect for a purse, backpack or pocket. When I went to a Starbucks (inside Target, my favorites under one roof, not to mention both places sell VIA) last Friday, I got a VIA pitch from the barista who told me she'd already baked with them. I plan on trying to use VIA for cooking, so I perked up during this part of the chit chat. The barista put four packets into a single brownie mix box. Because the powder amount was pretty small overall, she did not counter balance it with any additional liquid, and the brownies came out perfectly, not noticeably dry and the coffee taste wasn't too strong, she said. I was the only customer and since I showed interest in the cooking info, she went on and on, saying she sent the brownies into work with her husband and his co-workers gobbled them up and asked that she make more. This is now going to be her signature dessert, she exclaimed, and this was also when I knew I had to leave because there wasn't going to be a break in the talk, even though I'd been creeping away from her as she spoke. Finally I waved and said, "Happy Friday!" "You should try making the brownies!" she called after me.

She never questioned that I'd already tasted and owned both types (Italian and Columbia roasts) of VIA, which was a relief because I knew I'd ramble on and on about how in my opinion, VIA is best pared with chocolate beignets.

And since the barista worked there, once I got reminiscing, she couldn't just wave and leave like I did.

All photos courtesy of photographer Stacy Cahill. 

Disclaimer: Starbucks provided an amazing brunch for free, along with packs of VIA to try at home - or give away to friends, as I did last week.

We Were All Over Family Game Night Like Flies on...

Oh my god, is this what I think it is? That was my first thought as I picked up my first card. My second thought was are the Garbage Pail Kids back? I decided to roll with it, which was the thing to do because we ended up having a lot of fun.

A package from Hasbro arrived Tuesday, the day before National Family Game Night, sending my kids into orbit. They were thrilled. Christmas had come early. We received Bop It!, Monopoly City and Boggle, games I'd shown interest in while at a cocktail reception at BlogHer in Chicago, which illustrates what a single Midori Sour does to my head. My kids pulled the games out of the box with great enthusiasm, while I grabbed the Advil because each of these games makes a ton of noise. Even Monopoly City requires batteries (according to Kevin, I haven't looked into it).

National Family Game Night happened to be on Weekly Family Soccer Night, limiting our time. We sat down to dinner as soon as we returned home from soccer. After a few minutes of eating, Rocket pushed his plate aside and asked to go to bed. "BUT! You're going to miss," Clover shouted until I hushed her. She couldn't hold back. "DON'T YOU WANT TO PLAY GAMES?!" I found out her biggest worry wasn't that her brother would miss out on some fun, but that he was the element that made us a family and if the family was gone, so was the game night. Once I reassured her we'd still play, she didn't think about Rocket again.

Because Rocket was sleeping, I opted for a quieter card game, pulling out Pictureka! that I'd received at BlogHer. We'd never played before, so it took a few minutes to figure out the point of the game, but once we got going, we had great fun. Even though young kids can play, it wasn't a boring kids game. We played three rounds - the final round was pretty heated as Kevin was fighting off a shut out. He came back to win the final game, ending the night with a win for everyone, literally and figuratively. Clover made us promise to play again tonight, possibly even Bop It! I'm going to be out tonight, so I agreed with her that yes, tonight is a great time for Bop It!

Disclaimer: The games were given to me for free from Hasbro. And Clover thanks them for it!

Product Review: Eating Right Kids

When the lunch bag full of food and a drink arrived for my kids to test, they were jumping up and down, as though someone had delivered a chocolate cake to our door. Rocket eats like a linebacker, so his enthusiasm wasn't a surprise, but picky Clover's interest caught me off guard. Maybe it was the lunch bag holding the food? Either way, both kids were game, and before their interest waned, I got cooking...or microwaving, as that was the only cooking required.

I'd seen the Eating Right label at Safeway before, but we hadn't tried it out because I don't buy much processed food. (Is ice cream considered a processed food? If so, we buy more than our share of processed food, just not processed food for a meal. Except for the nights where ice cream is a meal.) Eating Right now has a kids line too, which features Looney Tunes characters, and the food we were sent to review came from the Eating Right Kids line, all available at Safeway.

Here's how it looked:

Here's how it was met:

Beef and macaroni - Both kids hated it and wouldn't touch it after one bite each. The smell was not appetizing either. Clover felt conned because she thinks that the use of macaroni always assumes cheese will be there too.

Mixed fruit cups - The kids handled it like they would any other fruit cup: Clover ignored it and Rocket ate both of their servings.

Mixed fruit chewy bar - I thought it was a regular granola bar with chocolate, but Clover pointed out that it tasted like berries. Both kids scarfed it down and gave it a thumbs up.

100% apple juice - Both kids drank it and enjoyed it even though I diluted it, but I think they assume that is how all juice tastes because the straight stuff only comes out on special occasions.

Over all the lunch had hits and misses. These are not things I'd ever pack in their lunch; thankfully my kids ask for PB&J every day (and there are no allergy limitations at their schools). During the winter, we'll pack some warm food like leftovers, but in a thermos and not anything pre-processed.

While this had nothing to do with the food, I hate waste in the form of packaging. My kids are sent to school with reusable containers, no plastic bags or anything that would be tossed after each meal. I assumed everyone else did this too until I was snapped out of being naive when talking to a friend the other day who recounted seeing a trash can full of plastic sandwich bags after lunch at her child's school. Not only is it better for the environment, it's cheaper go reusable and it's not much harder. Every container we use goes through the dishwasher and is ready for the next day. This is all to say that throwing away the container for the macaroni and beef bowl was a little upsetting. 

Disclaimer: Everything reviewed was sent to us for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

Marketing to Women: Ford Gets it Right

A stripped down, wired up car skeleton

When offered the chance to fly out to Chicago a day early, I jumped. Part of it - okay maybe a large part of it - was because my kids were fighting and this offer from Ford would mean an additional night alone at a hotel. The other part was because I thought it would be exciting as I pictured myself wearing a race car driver's helmet and mic (to communicate with my pit crew, of course), barreling brand new Ford cars around an empty raceway. So that did not happen, but the day was much more informative than I had imagined. Ford managed to do something right where most companies stumble and fail: they pitched their products to women in a way that was intellectually engaging and encouraged open dialogue between the company and consumers. 

Ford talked to us about innovations and alterations that are in response to what the modern consumer wants. Sustainability was a big part of this. Ford is using more sustainable materials, such as soy-based foam seat cushions, different soy flour and soy meal (soy bean byproducts) to make rubberized parts like floor mats and also considering hemp. These materials would be replacing ones traditionally made with petroleum products. While hemp parts would make the car much lighter - therefore more fuel efficient - U.S. growing prohibitions make supply a serious challenge.

We were shown newer technologies like computer-assisted parallel parking (seriously amazing), front looking radar with adaptive cruise control (Ford is confident their version is better than the others on the market, making the adaptivity so seamless that the driver may not be aware that it is happening), collision warnings, rear radar for blind spot assistance, cross traffic alerts (making it great for pulling out of blind parking spaces). The technological improvements are great, not just for moms distracted by a loud car full of kids, but for older people too. When Ford introduced a capless fuel tank in some models, the positive feedback was better than expected. Not only is it one fewer thing to lose or fiddle with, it's a big help for those with arthritis who may have trouble opening a standard fuel cap.

Some changes didn't appeal to me, like having engine sound piped into the car. I don't need people on the street to be impressed by the perceived power of my car; I just want a solid, reliable, safe car.

Another thing was the "gaming" aspect of the hybrids, which includes a vine on the control panel where leaves grow as the car's efficiency increases. Leaves grew as I used the brakes, but then slowly disappeared as I used the gas, which brought out my competitive side and unfortunately I became a little more preoccupied with growing leaves than with paying attention to the road. However, this could be one of those features that initially are interesting, but fade into the background after using the car for awhile.

Ford brought out some of its top female executives and researchers to interact with us, a move that I doubt was coincidental. Still, it was fabulous to hear from the female employees responsible for some of these innovations. Also great was during unscripted times when the women talked about working for Ford and working in a male-dominated environment. They were upbeat and positive, several told us about family-friendly policies. For instance, a few of the women did not work five days a week. Ford allowed them to scale back their work time to have more time at home with their children. (And that had nothing to do with the recent economic downturn.)

We got a factory tour to show us how cars were made (my son would have loved this). Then finally the day ended with Ford asking for suggested improvements to their cars and not only did it feel like they were listening, but some really good suggestions were made. This was not the condescending cup holder talk normally given to women. One blogger suggested a control indicating there was someone in the back seat - a body heat sensor, possibly - to help avoid tragedies where young children are forgotten in the backseat.

This tag was explained as a interior trunk opener, in case you get "stuck" in the trunk. I guess they didn't want to say "in case you are kidnapped by a psycho-killer," but that's what they meant. Even the little figure is running for its life.

The day was excellent. When we next buy new cars, I can't say that we would certainly buy Ford, but after this experience, we would give their cars serious consideration. I would not have said that before this event.

There was one disappointment. The talk of commitment to sustainability was undercut by this:

One of the garbage cans after lunch. There was no recycling. Ford, get with the recycling program. Not just cans and plastic at lunch, but cardboard and other potential recyclables in your factory. Don't miss another cultural shift.

(Disclaimer: Ford paid for one night in a hotel in order for me to attend this event. Also, apologies for the iPhone photo quality.)

The Best (Okay, Only) Kiwi Lunch I've Ever Had

After two and a half days of the flu and eating nothing but a handful of Saltines and a little Sprite, I was finally better. While pretty much any solid food would have been welcomed once the flu had passed, I was treated to an amazing lunch at Calafia, one of my favorite restaurants, that was so good it may never be replicated. Since the lunch, I've found myself daydreaming about kiwi popsicles and bee pollen smoothies. It was that good. And because Rocket was at home with nonnie, I was free to relax and enjoy the first three hour lunch I've had since becoming a mom. It was heaven.

The lunch was courtesy of Zespri, a collective of New Zealand kiwi growers, which is sponsoring a recipe contest (more on that below), therefore the menu was kiwi-centric. A friend giggled when I told her I went to a kiwi-centric lunch, but not only was it excellent, I realized kiwis can do much more than be peeled, sliced and eaten straight. Soon after I learned that peeling and slicing for wussies and there's such a thing as a spife (the spoon-knife cousin of the spork) and kiwis can quickly be cut in half and then cut into easy to scoop out chunks, making it portable food.

After the smoothie, Calafia Owner/Chef Charlie Ayers (commonly known as the Google Chef from his former gig), served kiwi gazpacho with lump crab meat and vanilla salt, Lomi Lomi salmon with kiwi salsa on won ton chips, crispy chicken breast (a Calafia standard) with kiwi honey mustard relish, a kiwi popsicle and a vanilla tapioca parfait with kiwi and banana. Everything was delicious and light. He also made up a kid's sandwich using golden kiwi, almond butter, honey and thinly sliced strawberries, so we could see it. I'm not a big fan of nuts, so I had to trust that it was sweet tasting, regardless it did look pretty.

The gold kiwi (right) has more of an egg shape than the rounder green.

The gold kiwi was new to me and most of the U.S. It's predominantly in Asian markets - apparently overall Asians eat more fruit and are more adventurous in the fruit they try - and should not be difficult to find in the Bay Area, at least until late July when the supply is expected to run out. It's sweeter than green and as long as the gold kiwi doesn't feel overly soft, it's good to eat.

Lunch discussion focused on how best to get kids to eat a packed lunch. Clover eats the same thing for lunch every day - a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut into a circle shape - while Rocket likes a variety of foods. One tip is to aim for a (positive) visual impact when the kid opens the lunch box that makes the kid want to eat. We also got some small, but helpful advice like preheat a thermos with boiling water, then dump out the water and add the soup, noodles or whatever to the thermos. The pre-heated thermos will keep warmer whatever it is holding. However, when adding warm food to other containers, let the food cool a little before putting on the lid. If the lid is put on too soon, condensation forms, but it also makes it harder for the lid to be opened up later.

Charlie said that mostly vegetarian food was served at Google, helping to avoid the post-lunch crash and burn. Instead, he said the vegetarian diet gave Google workers an afternoon boost.

In between courses, Laptop Lunches gave us a peak at their new products unveiled this month. I always say that Crocs should sponsor Clover's school because all of the kids own at least one pair, but a close second for a ubiquitous product would be Laptop Lunches. So many of the kids have them, but not us as Clover's single circular sandwich doesn't quite work with a bento-style lunch box. However the new configurations actually have a much larger compartment that could hold the sandwich. I'm also considering it for Rocket because that kid loves a variety, plus they have a space-themed (okay, it's an alien) cover that makes me want to get it for him even more.

The big kiwi test was later that night when I cut a bunch of green and gold kiwis up as part of our dinner. Kevin thought it tasted close to a banana (it's high in potassium, maybe that has something to do with the taste similarities?), very picky Clover surprised us all by saying she liked it and asking for seconds, while Rocket, our football player in training, grabbed the plate and scooped up every last slice with his two hands...then after shoving them into his mouth, he asked me to cut more. The kiwis were a hit.

The Zespri recipe contest is for the best original kiwi recipe for a kid's packed lunch item. It could be a snack, entree, dessert...anything that uses a green and/or gold kiwi and can go into a lunch box. Six semi finalists will get a copy of Food 2.0 (I have it and it's awesome) and one of those people will win a $2500 grand prize. (See kiwiforlunch.com for more details on rules and how to enter.) For inspiration, here's the super simple and yummy popsicle recipe:

Charlie Ayers' Kiwi Popsicle
12 green kiwi *or* 12 gold kiwi
1 cup agave syrup
1 cup water

peel kiwi and puree with one cup water
add agave syrup
freeze for four hours

Traveling the Globe Without Leaving Her Room

Clover loves getting mail and even better than an envelope bearing her name is a big brown box delivered to her. When a package comes her way, she's more enthusiastic then a college kid opening a care package full of brownies. Knowing this, I jumped at the chance to try out Little Passports for two months. Little Passports sends out a monthly package from characters Sam and Sofia, who travel the globe on a magical scooter, sharing the adventure with your child. Like a magazine, you subscribe to the service ($10.95 a month) and each month your child receives a package with a letter, some stickers or other souvenirs and activities. (Access to online games and activities is included, but we have yet to try them.)

Clover loves mail and she's curious about other cultures, making Little Passports like an amazing penpal without the trouble of ever having to write a reply. For me, there was an additional bonus, which was that it brought home some of the excitement of travel, despite the fact that this year it doesn't appear we're going very far from home. We may only be spending our summer vacation camping, but Clover is still able to get a taste of different countries.

Thus far we've received our first box, which I assume is the starter box. It included a little suitcase, a map, some stickers and a letter introducing the characters and how they found the magical scooter. Clover was engrossed in the map, looking up where she was and where she's been, also asking me to point out some of the farther off countries I've visited. She excitedly read the letter aloud, seemingly thrilled that these older kids had written to her to tell their story (it's not clear if she knows they're fictional or not). Either way, she can't wait to be included in the next adventure.

The Mean Grean Cleaning Machine

There is always that one day when everyone seems to be having a birthday party, plus a recital and maybe a BBQ along with a sporting event. A day with enough activity to fill a month. We had one of those over scheduled days recently that would have had us going from one event to the other when we received an invitation to a party with Bill Nye the Science Guy at The Tech Museum. The invitation set off the nerd signal in our house and suddenly everything was dropped in favor of Bill Nye.

The event for Silicon Valley Moms Bloggers was sponsored by Activeion, promoting their novel method for cleaning without chemicals by ionizing regular tap water. Bill Nye used his hands on science approach, running fun experiments to explain how the Activeion works.

The kids had great fun and they got to meet Bill Nye, which made their nerdy dad's heart burst with pride. If Clover listed the highlights, she would also mention that she got her own bag of chips and her own (undiluted) bottle of apple juice at the lunch following the talk. I had not before realized how little it takes to impress Clover until she was blown away by getting her own tiny bag of Sun Chips.

The kids and Kevin spent the rest of the day exploring The Tech Museum, where they especially loved the simulated earthquake machine, while I left for another event.

I finally had some time to check out the Activeion, which couldn't be easier and the lower part of the bottle lights up green as it works, attracting the kids to it. It worked really well on sticky spills on my kitchen floor - one spray and everything would wipe up easily - and I tried to test it out on the dirtiest part of our windows, only to realize once outside that the reason those parts are so dirty is because they are difficult to reach. The Activeion was no match for my laziness. I wasn't about to drag a ladder outside to see how well it works. I refocused my test on the inside of the house and our filthy seat cushions. Our cleaning lady and I repeatedly scrub these seats, but nothing changes. I'd been thinking about getting our carpets cleaned, just to get the seats cleaned too.

Before, full of mashed in yogurt:

(for the record, the seat cushions only came in black, plus we bought them pre-Rocket)

After:

The main spill is much lighter and it didn't take much effort to get it to this point.

The exciting/gross part, for me:

I was excited enough to clean all of the cushions and after how well it did with almost all stains, I plan to try it on my car upholstery when I get a chance.

What this spray bottle does to tap water is pretty amazing and very cool. Not only does it clean, but it kills 99% of harmful bacteria. We were each given a commercial sized bottle, but we were told that a smaller household size is in development, which would be extremely helpful as I assume the price on a smaller bottle would be less prohibitive. (The current bottle sells for $299.) When water can make my counter tops shine as much as Windex, I'm happy.