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…people like lists (vol. 7)

1. We saw Toy Story 3 on opening weekend. It was clever, poignant, laugh-out-loud funny, and bittersweet. It won’t surprise anyone that I cried multiple times, because that’s what I do. A character named Big Baby pretty much broke my heart. I came across this article outlining all the easter eggs Pixar places in their films. The continuity is astonishing and demonstrates how they think in the long term. The most interesting aspect is that characters from multiple films seem to know each other.

2. I thought I’d share a recipe that is dear to my husband. His late great-grandmother used to make this and he gets very wistful when thinking about it. It is easy peasy to make. I can’t vouch for the taste, however, because I loathe cream cheese if it isn’t molten and disguised by loads of Frank’s Hot Sauce. I also don’t like blueberries if they aren’t tucked into the folds of a fluffy muffin.

Blueberry Pie

1 can blueberry pie filling
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tbsp. milk
1 Hershey bar
10 oz. Cool Whip
1 9-inch baked pie shell

Put blueberry pie filling in the baked shell. Whip cream cheese in a blender with about 1 T. milk. Pour cheese mixture over blueberries. Grate 1/2 of the chocolate bar over the cheese. Pour Cool Whip on top. Grate the other half of the chocolate over the Cool Whip.

3. McDonald’s is being sued by the Center for Science in the Public Interest over Happy Meal toys. Apparently, it’s the toys in Happy Meals that attract children to the restaurant. The food is secondary, but somehow that secondary food is making kids fat. Here is a statement from the CSPI regarding their lawsuit (emphasis mine):

“McDonald’s marketing has the effect of conscripting America’s children into an unpaid drone army of word-of-mouth marketers, causing them to nag their parents to bring them to McDonald’s,” CSPI’s Stephen Gardner wrote to the heads of the chain in a letter announcing the lawsuit.

A private company is at fault if a parent can’t say no to her child? My kids have never asked to go to McDonald’s because of a toy they are featuring. I will go to McDonald’s and buy Happy Meals to get the Madame Alexander dolls they feature every few years. I admit it. I nag MYSELF.

4. One of these fine summer days, I am going to make Kool Aid play dough. I found the recipe at Scribbit. I bought 3 packets for 15 cents each and extra flour, so we’ll be ready to roll on one of those days when boredom is beating on the door like the Center for Science in the Public Interest. I really don’t like playdough because it gets everywhere. It spreads. But I thought I’d try this because at least it will smell good as I am chipping it out of the carpet.

My mom thinks they will want to eat it. She could be right.

5. Could you have used a diaper on your wedding day? Some say this is an urban legend, others claim they are very real: Bridal Diapers! The idea is that your dress takes 20 minutes to put on and to take off. What to do if a potty emergency arises? You don’t have to worry if you are wearing a special diaper designed just for your big day.

16 comments to …people like lists (vol. 7)

  • bro-de-mopsy

    Heh — my boys choose their fast food destination not by the toy, or even the food for that matter — but by who has the best slide in the playground. Seriously.

    When will people like this realize that we don’t need the goverment telling us what to eat? I remember when America was a “free country”.

  • That McDonald’s thing cracks me up. It reminds me of my 6 year old son saying “But he MADE me!” when I tell him to stop screaming at the top of his lungs at his brother. Because God knows…we have no WILL, everyone MAKES us do things…like I can’t help myself driving to McDonald’s and buying gross food for my kids…they MAKE me! Darn them!
    .-= Sarah Turner´s last blog ..Simple Summer In and Out =-.

  • The Original Other Gretchen

    If your child can be conditioned to drag you to McD’s for bad food so he can get a toy, then you are just as conditioned to be dragged by him. Who is in charge here anyway??? Sheesh. You might as well say we forced the doctors to prescribe us all sorts of enhancement medications so we could get the awesome lifestyle we see on tv. Oh wait, that’s called advertising. Maybe instead of suing McD’s, we should all try a little harder to teach our kids to be smarter; and in fact, to be a little smarter ourselves?

    BTW, I go for the hotwheels and the Legos. And as for “bad food,” that’s relative. We often go and I make them get value meals instead because I don’t want the toy. LOL

    #5: the dress is hard to get off? Who takes their clothes off to go to the bathroom? A dress is an easy lift! Ok, a bridal dress is not “easy” but that is what the maid of honor is for, isn’t it? I took mine with me to the bathroom, and I returned the favor for her at her wedding. Not so private, but the dresses (and the brides!) were fine.

    #3. My kids are only allowed to have playdoh outside or in the garage, where it scrapes off (or hoses off) the concrete pretty nicely. NEVER in the house.

  • 3. Thank goodness someone is looking out for us instead of asking us to be responsible, do research, understand what we are feeding our children and gasp! actually parent them ourselves. The horrors of self-responsibility.
    5. LOL. Finally someone invented something truly useful. Like a dress it takes 20 minutes to get in and out of. 😉

  • I had the exact same thought about the mcdonald’s thing. It’s not the kids buying the happy meals – it’s the parents. And if they don’t want their kid to have one, then don’t buy it. Maybe this organization should spend their time or money teaching parents how to say “no.”
    .-= Aubrey´s last blog ..My Wife is Famous =-.

  • Amy

    I cried at Toy Story too. The ending just tore me up.

    The Bridal Diaper cracks me up. I can’t think of anything that would have made my wedding day more special than walking around in a diaper filled with my own pee. Eeeewww.

  • Can’t wait to see Toy Story 3! And um, NO to the bridal diapers. NO.

    Steph
    .-= Adventures In Babywearing´s last blog ..Backstage =-.

  • I’ve been IN EIGHT weddings. None of those brides needed a diaper because part of my duties were to help her hold that blasted (er, I mean beautiful, wonderful, exquisite) dress out of the toilet & off the floor while simultaneously keeping it wrinkle-free. The things we do for our friends… And to think I eloped… Needless to say, I have a lot of IOUs to cash in when the time is right. 😉
    .-= The Casual Perfectionist´s last blog ..And I’ll never look at a pit toilet the same way again. =-.

  • P.S. My last post was about pit toilets!! You’d think this was a common theme! Hee hee
    .-= The Casual Perfectionist´s last blog ..And I’ll never look at a pit toilet the same way again. =-.

  • McDonalds. It really is a genius marketing plan, isn’t it?

    Bridal Diapers? I wonder how the husband would feel about those? Gross.

    Kool Aid Playdough. It’s not meant to be eaten? I thought that was part of the package deal!
    .-= Kristin´s last blog ..My Poopy Day =-.

  • Bridal diapers — when practicality has gone too far.

    And yes. I almost gagged when I read about the latest McDonald’s debate. How about we sue the parents for not growing a pair and allowing their children to grow obese?

    Can I say that on this blog? 😉
    .-= Kelly @ Love Well´s last blog ..My Favorite Non-Dinner Dinner =-.

  • Oh my. Bridal diapers.
    .-= Rose´s last blog ..Hooray for Coffee =-.

  • OH, the movie was so wonderful and poignant… My heart was dying when, well, I won’t spoil it…

    Pixar is my dream employer…
    .-= Jill´s last blog ..I am going to push to start this lovely tradition tomorrow night =-.

  • I think McDonalds can do alot better with their happy meals, and I’m sure they will!

  • amy

    H definitely wants to go to McDonald’s for the toys, he hates the food. He doesn’t know which toy they are featuring, but he knows they have toys. I’m not sure that makes McDonald’s marketing strategy criminal, but if we agree it’s bad to market cigarettes to kids, then I can see how some people would think marketing food devoid of nutritious value to kids might be equally as odious.

    We stopped at BK on way back to Cali and they were giving out Eclipse toys (?) in kids meals — I think they have the demographic wrong, I don’t think teenagers eat kids’ meals and judging from my kids, the preschool to early elementary set have no idea what to do with banners with pictures of the three main characters and neither do their parents. J gave hers to A and he stuck it in his mouth, which seemed about right.

  • Bridal diapers are a very odd concept. I must say that I did manage to rip my dress going to the washroom but it never occurred to me to try to take it off before going. (Really?) I don’t think a diaper would have helped. And also? EWWWW… Around here most kids think McDonalds is kind of gross. Not sure a cheap toy helps.
    .-= Mary @ Parenthood´s last blog ..July 10- 2010 =-.

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