Despite the slow pace that summer brings, there was still lots of news, entertainment and interesting tidbits that caught my attention this week.
1. I read recently that our beloved treat/toy for budding engineers, Kinder Surprise eggs, are illegal in the U.S. Do people know this? Apparently they are banned from importing into the States due to the "non-nutritive object embedded in it," which means the toy is viewed as a choking hazard. I can't help but note the word "nutritive" when referring to the chocolate -- but I digress. According to the National Post, two Seattle parents returning home from Vancouver last week were stopped at the border in possession of the illegal substances and told by a border guard that they could be fined $2,500 per egg. They were then ordered to head to the port of entry, where they waited for more than two hours. In the end, the fines were dropped, the family was released and allowed back into their country. With the eggs in hand. (Slow day for the border police?) Good to Know: Don't pack those illegal eggs in your travel bag of goodies for the kids when crossing the border.
2. Run, Fat Bitch, Run is the title of a new book written by Ruth Field, a British mother of twins and a hardcore runner (hardcore being the operative word here). She takes the tough love mantra to a whole new level, but does so in an effort to get women off the sofa, or rather, "that large arse-shaped dent in your sofa." Apparently her straight talking, funny, take-no-prisoners approach to self-loathing is working. Book sales are taking off. Imagine all those skinny British bitches running around England...and the sequel...The Skinny Bitches Win the Race. Let's wait and see.
3. What caught my attention with this product was the title of the post: "Water Bottle Doubles as Wallet?" That seemed a bit far-fetched, so I looked further and found that this No-Spill Kangaroo Bottle by Contigo is actually a pretty handy water bottle with a neat little contraption for keeping change or a key. I thought it might be perfect for those "fat bitches" running around England. They'll get thirsty, and I'm sure they'll need a place to store some pounds.
4. On a more serious note, this cover of Newsweek caught my attention. The fact that technology and social media causes anxiety came as no surprise to me. Just a few weeks ago I actually heard my 13 year-old son say, "I'm going to turn my phone off. I need a break from the pressure of trying to keep up to date with everything." Thankfully, he went outside to throw the ball around, with other live humans. I felt a bit better, but I'm still aware that his brain is actually being rewired. According to the article, internet addiction is real, as real as any other kind of substance addiction. I'm not a scientist, but the thought of my son's brain being re-mapped doesn't thrill me. Reminder: Get them outside as much as you can, away from their devices. This article from The Daily Beast provides some good tips to avoid the psychosis.
5. Maybe all our kids need is some time in the kitchen with a bit of bacon. Everywhere I look these days I see it. But what really caught my attention was this recipe for Frozen Elvis Bites that our food editor, Jan Scott, sent in. It's clear that bacon is the new "it" food among foodies these days. Now, that's something I know my kids could get addicted to.