crazedparent

Do you listen to music when you cook?

Q. had a cooking project in mind yesterday morning and there was no chance to change his mind. He was insistent, adamant and downright adorable as he listed out the ingredients, the shopping we needed to do and the steps involved in his project.

We ran our errands and as soon as we walked into the house, he ran into the kitchen and pulled his "chair" over to the counter, ready to cook. I began searching for music to play on the iPod and a smile crossed his face.

"Since you're cooking, you get to pick our music. What do you want to listen to?" I asked.

"The Backyardigans. Put on 'Buffalo Girls & Boys,'" he said, the words quickly rolling out of his mouth.

He sang as he stirred. He boogied as he baked. And it was clear he's been watching his mama in the kitchen.

I always play music when I cook. My husband mentions this as one of his favorite weekend moments, when the tunes are playing and I am fast, and yet peacefully, working in the kitchen to whip up the evening's family meal.

The music selection usually reflects my mood or the type of food I am cooking.  I might listen to Alejandro Sanz and Mana when I'm making Latin food. The soundtrack from "Big Night" for Italian food. Or some sort of version of "Elemental Chill" when it's Mediterranean or California cuisine. Lately I've been on a hard 80s vibe, listening to vintage Van Halen as David Lee Roth croons about "Jamie's Cryin" or "Runnin' with the Devil." And Def Leppard (must get ready for the concert next week).

Somewhere in that mix, the boys come in and ask for a song. I almost always oblige. And I do have a soft spot for The Backyardigans.

Do you listen to music when you cook? What's playing?

I went to BlogHer and got some really cool products...

BlogHer seems a distant memory, mostly because I spent less than 48 hours in Chicago and left before the conference even ended. But somehow, I still managed to bring home some really wonderful product samples thanks to generous swag bags provided by BlogHer, that hawt ladies of Room 704 (How I loved Vdog and her lovely feather boa. Hello, look at her getting her cuddle on with another bit of hotness, Chris Mann.), the cool mamas who hosted The People's Party, and of course, all of their respective sponsors.

Here's the thing--because there always seems to be a thing--I can't remember which products were in which swag bag. Why? Because I had to dump their contents into a big box, purge all non-essential packaging, paper documents and products that I knew I would not use (thank you BlogHer swag recycling room) and ship it all back home. I couldn't check any extra bags on the plane because on my return trip, I needed to land at SFO and quickly get to my ride so we could begin a drive to the wine country in time for a family reunion. There was no time for lengthy waits in baggage claim or Murphy's Law to grant me lost luggage.

Have I lost you yet? Okay, moving on the the products.

My rule for writing about products on crazedparent is pretty simple: If I don't love something enough to buy it on my own, I don't write about it. All of the products I'm going to mention are ones that I've now purchased on my dime since BlogHer. I have not been asked to write about these products, nor am I being compensated for writing about them.

First up, EOS Smooth Sphere organic lip balm. I am an admitted lip-balm addict. I've been hooked on Kauai Kiss since our last trip, but since it's too expensive to buy the lip balm and have it shipped to me, I've been savoring it until the bitter end. But at BlogHer, I was introduced to the EOS Smooth Sphere in honeysuckle honeydew and it's a nice, smooth balm. Very light on your lips and leaves them with a non-waxy, non-glossy texture. Just the perfect amount of moisture; you don't feel like you have to reapply every 10 minutes. Also? I love the weird shape. You can find it at Walgreen's or Safeway for US$3. Or buy it online.

Now, this must have come in the same swag bag as the balm. Totally in love with the EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream. My sample was in "island blue" and it has sweet fragrance that's not overwhelming on the nose. I'm a fan of this shave cream for three reasons--one, it's in a recyclable container; two, both my husband and I can use it because the scents don't linger for all to smell; and three, it's nice on your skin. Your post-shave legs feel smooth and moisturized, versus dry and well, dry. It sells for US$3.50 online. You'll have to check and see if you have any local retailers that sell it.

Finally, the cleaning stuff. Scotch-Brite really outdid itself with the swag it provided in one of the bags I received (I'm so so sorry I can't give credit where it's due...I wish I could remember which bag these came in!) I have been using all the products from the company's Greener Clean line and just love them, from the bamboo-derived wipes to to the soap scrubbers. I dig that they are truly biodegradable and that the packaging is made from recyled materials. I've already seen this line at my local Target and all of the products are reasonably priced.

And the last love of my life right now? The new Bounce Dryer Bar. I frequently forget to put dryer sheets in with the laundry and it drives me nuts. With the dryer bar, you stick a little holder case into your dryer and attach what looks like a dry bar of soap to it. The dryer bar acts like a dryer sheet. And you just need to replace it every two or four months, depending on which bar size you buy (and how many loads of laundry you do). I have found a few articles of clothing with dryer "spots" on them (looks like a spot of oil), but they have been easily removed with another wash cycle.  You can find the 4-month pack online for US$13. I have yet to locate this new product at my local grocery stores or Target.

What products did you end up loving after bringing them home from BlogHer?

Dear Ice Cream Truck: I still want you on my street...

A few days after we moved into our Silicon Valley Shoebox*, Seven (then Two), my husband and I were sitting in the backyard and enjoying our new pad. We heard the faint sound of music, growing closer and closer to our house.

"What is that noise?" Seven asked.

It took me a second, but I realized that it was the sound of an ice cream truck. An honest-to-goodness, old-school ice cream truck.

"Come with me," I said and grabbed his hand as we scurried in the house to grab some cash. We ran outside and waited. Finally, the white truck, covered with a few hundred popsicle stickers and dirty from exhaust fumes, drove slowly down our street. It came to a halt in front of our house.

"It's an ice cream truck, Nol. Pick out an ice cream cone and I'll buy it for you."

His eyes grew wide as I instructed him on how to pick his treat of choice based on the stickers that advertised his options. I recommended my childhood favorite, a drumstick, but he opted for a Spiderman popsicle, with black gumballs for eyes. His pick guaranteed him dessert and candy...a kid's gold.

Since there aren't many kids on our street, the ice cream truck didn't make frequent visits. We began listening for its song late in the afternoon and as it approached our cross-street, we'd run out of the house and hope it would catch us in time. One time, it came to a screeching stop as it passed us by and had to backtrack in a way that can only be described as channeling the Duke Boys.

Earlier this week, my husband sent me a New York Times story, "When Parents Rage Against Ice Cream." It seems that there's an effort around the country to ban ice cream trucks. Says the Times, "In a greener, more health-conscious, unsafe world, the ice cream man has lost some of his mojo."

I understand why some parents are irked by ice cream trucks. Some of them can be gross. Some drivers may have drug deals going on within the truck. The old trucks pollute neighborhoods and parks. (Although complaints about the "annoying ring and music" seem like bogus excuses.)

But seriously, it's an ice cream truck. A staple of childhood memories and Americana. 

Maybe it's a product of location. When I hit local parks and the ice cream truck arrives, the parents are just as excited as the kids to cool down with a sweet missile pop or ice cream sandwich. Maybe we're too juvenile. Maybe we're reliving our childhood.

Or maybe, just maybe, we just want to enjoy simple pleasures and once in a while, allow and teach our kids to do the same. If you don't want your kids to have ice cream from a vendor, set parameters. But a city-wide ban? Wow.

I wanted to laugh at the article. But instead I scanned my city's online message boards and news outlets to make sure no one in my hood was trying to implement the same sort of ban.

So far, we're safe.

*Silicon Valley Shoebox=overpriced, undersized house

Hawaii bound: Don't forget your surf booties

We were away two weeks ago in Lassen County enjoying a traditional summer vacation at Lake Almanor. While sitting on the dock on the west side of the lake, I reminisced about our winter vacation in Kauai, and started to get tingly in the tummy as I thought about our upcoming trip to Maui. Our time in Kauai was life changing for me, so I'm already visualizing sunsets on the beaches of South Kihei. (I also feel slightly like a champ for squeezing in two trips to Hawaii in one year, all part of my master plan to convince my family  WE BELONG IN THE TROPICS.)

Our trip a few months off, but it has become the golden ring as we all gear up for back-to-school season. I intended to post several reviews about places we loved and tips we had about traveling to Hawaii many moons ago, but these thing called "summer vacation" and "my job" got in the way. Since our friends are heading off to Maui and I am in full memory mode, it's a good time to jot down all those important tidbits that could help families traveling to Kauai and the other islands.

First up, surf booties.

If you're visiting the islands and are planning to splash around with your kids in the surf and/or snorkel, invest in a pair of comfortable reef booties. Yes for the kids, and YES for YOU.

Depending on the beach, walking in the sand and into the water can feel like you're stepping into your kid's room at midnight and a bucket of LEGO blocks are tossed about. Big ouch. Rocks jut out every few feet on the shore. In the water? More rocks and sharp reef.

After cutting my feet on Day One of our trip, I picked up a pair of XCEL round toe Reefwalker boots for 20 bucks at a surf shop in Koloa, which is a ten-minute drive from Poipu Beach. I used those booties every single day. Surf booties make it easier to walk in the ocean, but also on the sand. Unlike flip flops, they don't slip off your feet when they get lodged in sand. On the one morning I forgot them, I nailed my big toe on a nasty rock as I walked back to our condo to get them. From that moment on, I just tossed the booties on my feet the moment we left for the beach. (Dirty Secret: The XCEL boots are like bliss shoes. They slip on and are super comfortable.) 

Remember: When you hit the beaches in Hawaii, take care of your tootsies––you need them healthy and injury-free for the rest of your vacation. 

What are words for...

Q. jumped on the bed, "Do you hear me?" he yelled. "Do you care."

Seven walked into the room, "What are words for," he sang," when no one listens anymore."

It made my heart melt just a little bit more than normal.

I fell in love with the hyper-synthesized intro of "Words" by Missing Persons the moment I heard it on "Solid Gold." I was 10,  and mesmerized by lead singer Dale Bozzio and the thick hot pink streak in her platinum blond hair. The way she sang into what looked like a big Tootsie Roll lollipop. And that weird, eerie voice that made the song so cool.

If my boys watched that video, they'd be mesmerized for different reasons. Like the plastic clear bra she sported and the black duct tape strategically placed over her boobs. Also the crazy eyes.

I dig my kids.

They left for the nursery in search of a bag of dirt to plant new grass seedlings. They returned with said dirt, and a container of 1,500 ladybugs.

It's not the first time we've released ladybugs in our backyard. But there's something slightly odd about having to store them in your refrigerator next to what could be in your next meal. You know there's no possible way they can escape––unless your kids secretly release them––and yet, when you eat your dinner, you wonder if that piece of tender something or other your teeth just touched could have been, no, I won't dare to think it.

Releasing ladybugs in the garden with your kids should be on the list of things you must do with your kids. You can buy 1/8 pint at your local gardening store for about ten bucks.

 In the early evening when it's coolest, lightly water your garden and focus on the spots where you plan to let the ladybugs do their aphid-eating work. Then ask your kids to help you gently remove the top from the container containing more ladybugs than you thought you'd ever imagine yourself seeing in one instance. Scatter the bugs throughout your garden, watching their tiny wings flutter as they find a new home.

Smile when your kids try to get the bugs to land on their fingers.

Let one––or twelve––march in your hand, turning this way and that.

Marvel at the 1,500 ladybugs that will protect your plants from other destructive creepy crawlies.

Proceed to cringe and feel itchy because 1,500 ladybugs are in your garden, and this fact is slightly freaking you out.