If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you certainly know of our proclivity for Ugly Treats. We wholeheartedly encourage people to make disgusting-looking cookies, cakes, and other desserts...just for fun. Well, an astute reader recently reminded me that dessert doesn’t have to be the only food group up for an ugly makeover. She pointed me to an article highlighting 21 Truly Upsetting Vintage Recipes. Below are a few of my favorites: Liver Sausage Pineapple Imagine mixing together liver sausage, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, mayonnaise and gelatin into the shape of a …
On A Budget
Adultitis Antidote #2: Spatula City
About once a month, the parents would pull out a bunch of unusual kitchen utensils and pile them on the table. Things like spatulas, spaghetti forks, soup ladles, whisks, potato mashers and giant serving spoons were on display. Each child was instructed to select one item from the pile. And then they would have to eat their entire dinner using just that utensil. To make things even more interesting, the mother kept the dinner menu a secret. This is an idea that I got from an elderly couple in Virginia several years back. Their kids loved it so much, that now that they're older, they …
Adultitis Antidote #1: Sticky Cup
This is a wonderful April Fool's Day prank that's fun to do all year long. Just be aware of the national emergency you will cause for everyone around you. Well, some people will not even notice. But the ones who do are likely to drive miles -- I mean MILES, people -- out of their way to let you know that you have Taco Bell on the top of your car. Of course, you and the people driving with you have the task of acting clueless. That's part of the fun (and a challenge). One guy reported to me that it's the perfect way to occupy kids on long road trips. They love watching the reactions of …
Adultitis Officially Grounded at Denver Airport
I spend a lot of time in airports. Airports are like kids. They can be a CAUSE of Adultitis or they can be a CURE for Adultitis. It all depends on your approach. Sara Alvarado LOVES airports. She gets a kick out of watching all the people with Adultitis freak out over stuff that in the grand scheme of things, don't really matter. On a recent visit to the Denver Airport, Sara and her son Leo bought some silly putty and did a little redecorating to some advertisements hanging on the wall. It doesn't take much to ground Adultitis. Lucky for us, we have people like Sara to show us how …
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Ben’s Purple Mustache
Adultitis was kicking our butt. It had been exactly a month since Virginia Rose was born. A good month, to be sure, but also a long one. Weary of the bitter cold weather, our entire family was tired of being cooped up, and the older two kids were passing time by pushing our buttons. Two-year-old Ben had a streak of purple under his nose, a colorful souvenir from "smelling" the markers we used to keep him quiet. Although we pined for an afternoon at a Florida beach, it was decided that going out to lunch was the best we could hope for today. As I went to wipe the marker from Ben’s face, …
5 Fun-Having Ideas from Awesome Folks Like You
With summer saying sayonara, my speaking schedule is back into full swing. One of my favorite parts is talking to people afterwards, and hearing the neat things they do for fun with friends and family. In fact, many of the ideas I share in my presentations, including Sticky Cup, Pajama Run, and Spatula City are from audience members. One of my fatal flaws is forgetting to write them down. I always think I'll remember them, but do I? Nope. Well I'm happy to report that I've been a bit more consistent of late, and wanted to share some recent gems: …
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Take a Bath in Warm Towels
Matt Haas has already been designated an official Champion of Childhood, but here's another reason why he deserves the honor: In my (childish) mind, there is little in this world that is more fun, joyous and just plain silly than giving someone a bath in warm towels. No, this is not a typo. We all have had to take baths and then use a towel. But if you have never had a bath in warm towels then you still have some Adultitis that needs to be scrubbed off. Here’s how it works: Take an entire load of still-warm towels fresh from the dryer and bring them to the nearest couch or chair. Look …
What’s Better Than a Banana Split?
A giant one that's ten feet long, of course! Banana splits are pretty good at thwarting Adultitis. But 10-foot banana splits have been known to give Adultitis the hives. If you wanna make one for your next party, they seem pretty easy to put together. This tutorial uses a carpet tube and this one uses a simple rain gutter (both were covered in heavy duty aluminum foil.) If you wanna go crazy, eat it for dinner. If you wanna go easy on the waistline, try these Banana Split Bites instead. Photo from OhHappyDay …
Dad Breaks Rule on First Day of Spring
The first day of spring is Wednesday. How are you planning to celebrating it? Wait...you weren't? A woman at a recent speaking gig shared with me a neat family tradition that I had to pass along. She grew up in Connecticut, and every year, on the first day of spring, her father would "kidnap" his kids and play hooky. They'd all load into the car as usual, but he'd eventually take a "wrong turn," and they'd never quite make it to school. One time, he took them sledding to take advantage of a new blanket of snow on the ground. Another time they ended up at the Statue of Liberty. Since it …
Snapshots From Our First Marathon
Training began about a month ago. Perhaps that wasn't enough time to prepare, especially if you have a hard time jogging around the block without feeling like you have to hurl. But Kim and I had each other to hold ourselves accountable and, as you can see from the photo above, Kim was all business. …