Coachella Trading Company - recent posts from Home & Family Life community

Nalgene Grip-N-Gulp for Kids

2009-06-29T20:39:47-07:00

This is a great cup for kids that are learning to drink from a cup, as well as for those that have plenty of experience. They don’t spill and are easy to clean. These bottles are also great to take to school and daycare. The schools don’t allow kids to bring standard bottled water anymore, and if they do allow it, you cannot refill it because of possible bacteria and chemical bisphenol A (BPA). This chemical is an endocrine (the body’s hormonal system) disruptor and is typically found in plastic bottles made of polycarbonate (which bear the number 7 and the letters “PC”). Bleach, harsh detergents, and high temperatures (like those found in the dishwasher) may increase the amount of BPA leaching. It is still unknown how much BPA people are actually exposed to when they use polycarbonate bottles and what level of exposure (if any) is safe.

Do you offer personalized Grip-N-Gulps for schools and groups?

Easy and Fun Ice Cream!

2009-06-16T13:46:13-07:00

I am a huge fan of Ice Cream! I remember when I was young we had a hand crank ice cream maker, I wanted Ice cream all the time and my Dad would only bring it out about once a year! The truth is I cant blame him! It made a bit of a mess, and I would get tired of the whole process just a few cranks into it, and Mom and Dad would have to take over. Not there idea of fun!! But let me tell you the Ice Cream was like no other!

I finally tried the UCO Ice Cream ball this past weekend! And WOW! Talk about easy and fun! First off it only takes 3 ingredients to make the basic ice cream, I added some shaved Dark Chocolate which took mine up to a whopping 4 ingredients!! Check out the following link for recipe ideas:

http://cotradeco.com/pages/189-uco-ice-cream-ball-recipes

We live in a Complex Downtown and have a common area roof, we headed up there with are filled up ball some extra ice and some extra rock salt. It started out with just the two of us rolling it around and passing back and forth, which actually was fun (unlike the old crank). After a few minutes we had several people ask us what the heck we were doing? When we told them making ice cream no one believed us. When we explained the process we had lots of volunteers for help (all adults), if they could taste the ice cream when it was done!

About 15 Minutes when it was time to stir it up, we were all like a bunch of kids looking into the ball to see how close we were to having ice cream. After stirring adding more ice and rock salt we went about passing and rolling the ball for another 15 minutes. It was then time for the big reveal! I went downstairs and got some small plates and plastic spoons and we dug in! It was fabulous just like the old times when I was a child! I now realize that I will need to get the Mega Ball just to share with everybody! The small works good for 2 maybe 3 people!

My plan is to make dinner for my dad for Fathers Day and I am taking the ball with me to make up Ice Cream for dessert. I know he will be impressed with how times have changed and I am sure he will tell me that he wishes they had that when I was a kid! I can tell you for a fact I am glad they have it now when I am an adult!

Is education getting better or worse? Take an 8th grade final exam from 1895

2009-04-10T13:45:43-07:00

I’ve seen this quiz around the internet and decided to share it here. Supposedly this final exam comes from an 8th grade curriculum in Salina, Kansas, USA. The original document is said to be archived at the Smoky Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

Let’s just say I hope you (and kids in 8th grade) would do better than I would.

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS (1895)

Grammar (Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
2. Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
4. What are the Principal Parts of a verb? Give Principal Parts of do, lie, lay and run.
5. Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
6. What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.
7. (7-10) Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50 cts. per bu., deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per m?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per are, the distance around which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of theRebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates:

1607
1620
1800
1849
1865

Orthography (Time, one hour)

1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret ‘u’.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final ‘e’. Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: Bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono,super.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: Card, ball, mercy, sir, odd,cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences, Cite, site, sight, fane,fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced andindicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)

1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is theocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America.
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba,Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fermandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give inclination of the earth.

Well, how did you do?

old school room image used under a
Creative Commons License
courtesy of Caitlyn at Flickr

Happy Easter

2009-04-10T06:47:39-07:00

This Sunday we will celebrate Easter with family and friends. Instead of listening to all the news about the economy and how bad off we’re all supposed to be, let’s be thankful for all of the things we have and focus on the future. We’re going to dye some hard boiled eggs, eat more candy than we should and Bar-B-Q. Happy Easter

Now you won't forget to brush your teeth

2009-02-27T16:57:32-08:00

This comes from a new Colgate (Thailand) campaign entitled, “Don’t forget!”

Talk about a creative way to remind folks to brush after eating! What better way than to give someone something that will rot your teeth out (if you don’t brush) and have a “toothbrush” inside. It would have been better if they had used real toothbrushes for the “sticks”. I’ll bet somebody at Colgate suggested that, but really who would want to use a toothbrush that has been frozen into chocolate and ice cream? Um, well I would.

Text in the Ad

Colgate normally gives out small product samples at annual events like ‘Oral Health Month’ to remind target consumers, especially kids, to take better care of their teeth after eating sweets. This method does not drive strong results as most consumers tend to forget the message, even if they have collected samples.

Instead of giving away product samples, ice cream and cotton candy were given out. The stick carrying the ice cream and cotton candy carries a hidden message. One consumers are done the message printed on the tip of the stick shaped like a toothbrush reveals ‘Don’t forget’ with the Colgate logo. The simple message effectively reminded consumers to brush their teeth.

_Agency: Y&R Bangkok, Thailand _

Zoey! You're the shiznit!

2009-02-22T17:04:26-08:00

Post the cycling Lance Armstrong pics :)

Coffee 101

2009-02-01T22:21:54-08:00

I had the pleasure of a personal tour of a local coffee roaster. I had no idea what it takes to make a great cup of coffee. It is a true art to hand roast coffee. At Caffe Calabria they roast beans like it is a culinary art because it is. At Caffe Calabria the roaster does not rely on timers or push buttons to roast, each batch of coffee is done by hand. The goal is to reach the sweet spot, which is when you reach the peak flavor for each varietal. When coffee reaches that perfect temperature the beans caramelize bring out all the natural sugars and flavors which is considered the sweet spot. The sweet spot is a very small window, if you were to look at a clock the only time you can hit perfection is when it’s 12 o’clock and the hands pointing directly North.

Arne Holt(Founder) has a simple philosophy and it is “Create and deliver an exceptional product” this truly his passion. Arne offers ongoing barista training. Training requires reservations, you learn about the beans from ground to cup, expresso boot camp, barista finishing school and tea tasting. I thank Arne for the tour and his time, he has built a very successful business during a depressed economy and continues to grow keep up the positive energy.

I will never think of a cup of coffee the same…........

Steve Spangler how making ice cream works with the Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball

2009-01-02T09:29:00-08:00

Steve and a few friends make ice cream using a Play and Freeze ball which uses ice and rock salt in one end and ice cream mix in the other end. After about 20 min of shaking, passing, and rolling it around, you have some delicious homemade ice cream!

One of the cooler things about the Play & Freeze Ice Cream making ball is the chance to share science with children in the coolest way possible.

You might also be interested in:

And of course, The Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker Ball is available in the store, in the MEGA 1 quart size and the Original Single Pint size .

One cool dad makes Ice Cream with his son with the Play & Freeze

2009-01-02T09:24:42-08:00

The Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker is just one of the coolest gadgets (if you can call it a gadget) and this video shows one of the coolest dad’s turning ice cream making into an adventure.

It’s unclear exactly what flavor they made, but it definitely includes some flavor of jam and some smarties. Did we mention that this is one cool dad!

Though we should note that UCO, Industrial Revolution, the makers of the Play & Freeze warn against kicking or throwing the ice cream ball. Dad let’s his son “kick” the ball in this video, but then the boy doesn’t seem to make serious content. But then again they do roll it down a paved road as well. Which is fine if you are the cool Dad, but that might void your warranty :)

At the beginning of the video there is a graphic that reads, “parcel-a-robo-jam” and I just might have to contact them to find out what that means. A video review of the Camper’s Dream -Ice cream maker was posted by yoooreds And the music is Ice in the sun by Status Quo.

You might also be interested in:

And of course, The Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker Ball is available in the store, in the MEGA 1 quart size and the Original Single Pint size .

5 days of Christmas, a babies perspective

2008-12-25T11:31:18-08:00

Merry Christmas! Stay relaxed and happy.

Pretzel Turtles

2008-12-23T20:06:28-08:00

These are so easy, and so good!

Bag of pretzels, square, waffle shaped or round work best
Large bag of ROLO candy
Pecan halves

Place pretzels on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Put one chocolate covered caramel candy (Rolo) on top
Place in oven at 300 for 3 – 4 minutes, you want candy a little soft, but not too soft
Take out of oven, push pecan on top
Place in refrigerator to cool and they will come right off the parchment paper, enjoy!

More funny things kids say...I don't think Mom liked this one!

2008-12-22T13:32:00-08:00

I like cookies a lot too! But I think that might be a narrow method of deciding who you like or don’t like. And though he only likes Mom when she gives him cookies, at least he still loves her.

It really sounded to me like Mom wasn’t too happy about this revelation.

Two year old says truck for his parents (NSFW R-rated)

2008-12-22T13:26:14-08:00

Who knew kids could have such a filthy mouth.

I was testing updates to the website locally when I found this gem. I needed any video to embed to test posting functionality and I popped over to YouTube and just clicked on the first video I saw on the home page and subsequently found myself laughing out loud and had to post for you all here as well.

I glanced over the comments at YouTube and apparently the parents were attacked for “training” their child to say a curse word. Happily though the parents shut off the comments and simply stated that…

...is 5 now, and can say TRUCK just fine. So, those of you who bashed us as parents, we didn’t teach him this, that would just be wrong. He out grew it, just like any normal kid would. It was funny when it happened three years ago, and it still makes me LOL today. None of my children have seen it, we’ll save it for his wedding!

Good for them! What a hilarious (and potentially embarrassing) thing to have for his wedding.

Is education getting better or worse? Take an 8th grade final exam from 1895

2008-12-13T12:54:40-08:00

Let’s just say I hope you (and kids in 8th grade) would do better than I would.

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS (1895)

Grammar (Time, one hour)

Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no modifications.
Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
What are the Principal Parts of a verb? Give Principal Parts of do, lie, lay and run.
Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.
(7-10) Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)

Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50 cts. per bu., deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per m?
Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per are, the distance around which is 640 rods?
Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.
Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
Show the territorial growth of the United States.
Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
Describe three of the most prominent battles of theRebellion.
Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
Name events connected with the following dates:
- 1607
- 1620
- 1800
- 1849
- 1865

Orthography (Time, one hour)

What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
What are elementary sounds? How classified?
What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
Give four substitutes for caret ‘u’.
Give two rules for spelling words with final ‘e’. Name two exceptions under each rule.
Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: Bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono,super.
Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: Card, ball, mercy, sir, odd,cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
Use the following correctly in sentences, Cite, site, sight, fane,fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
Write 10 words frequently mispronounced andindicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)

What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
Of what use are rivers? Of what use is theocean?
Describe the mountains of North America.
Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba,Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fermandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
Name all the republics of Europe and give capital of each.
Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
Describe the movements of the earth. Give inclination of the earth.

Well, how did you do?

old school room image used under a
Creative Commons License
courtesy of Caitlyn at Flickr

scary

2008-12-12T14:35:39-08:00

my 2 kids scary and cute, i did not dress up this year.

Reindeer Feed

2008-12-11T13:01:58-08:00

Place 1/2 cup of oatmeal and a 1/2 a cup of sugar in a bag (we always add glitter to ensure the reindeer see our house from up above, it sparkles in the moonlight).

Directions:
1. Wait until Christmas Eve
2. Open the bag. sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn.
3. Hop into bed.
4. Listen for Santa.
5. Close your eyes.
6. Watch the sugar plums dance.

Favorite Christmas Cookies

2008-12-11T12:59:07-08:00

Everyone was so kind as to share Thanksgiving dressing / stuffing ideas, how about Christmas cookies?

How about Hermits, does anyone like these?

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 eggs
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar and spices. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until well blended. Stir in molasses and raisins.
To make bar cookies: Spread mixture on cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Cut into bars while warm and let cool on wire rack.
To make drop cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Drop batter about 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes.

Let cool on wire racks.

Once upon a time...Capucine tells an amazing story!

2008-11-29T19:35:45-08:00

Ily posted a link to this (the embed didn’t work when she did it) but after watching it I just had to share it here.

A little French girl by the name of Capucine shares the most astounding story. You will want to hear it out. What an imagination! Hilarious, full of detail, with amazing scope. And she looks she’s only 2.

From the page at Vimeo:

“A breathtaking story by Capucine. Starring baby monkeys lost in frightening trees, a witch, crocodiles, a tiger, a “popotamus” and a lion, and even a “tremendously very bad mammoth”. There are also magic powers and an orange ring, but sometimes, “something goes amiss”. Bring your popcorn and enjoy the show.

See the original page and watch more videos of Capucine

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T17:11:34-08:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy holiday! I trust and hope all is well with you and yours!

Thank you for posting your recipes and anecdotes; I look forward to hearing how Turkey day went!

Hugs,
Happy Camberbus

Are we nuts or what?

2008-11-23T16:24:38-08:00

We’ve avoided visiting family in New Jersey during the winter for years as we hate the cold weather. Last Thursday we flew back for a long Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends expecting that the weather would be in the mid 50’s. When we landed it was 31 degrees and it hasn’t hit 40 in four days. Yesterday the wind chill was in the single digits and the wind was blowing 35mph. Every time we call back to someone in California all they say is how warm and nice it is. So far I’ve purchased a ton of warm clothing that after this week we will not need, how smart is that? Keep the warm weather on tap until next Tuesday when we return as we’ll need it to thaw our bodies out. Dan

Stuffing or Dressing Recipe?

2008-11-17T07:59:17-08:00

So I am curious, now that I know the difference between “stuffing” and “dresssing” – does anyone have a family recipe for one of these two Holiday favorites they would be willing to share?

Bakugan Brawlers

2008-11-03T14:34:29-08:00

Can anyone tell me what in the world a Bakugan Battle Brawler is?
I have been browsing all the stores to see what it is, but everyone is sold out.
Any parents out there with information on this, please post!

Leftover Tootsie Pops?

2008-11-03T14:22:05-08:00

Not sure what to do with your freetime and extra Tootsie Pops? Try this:
Things you will need:

scissors
hot glue gun
pompom, small (red)
google eyes (1/4 in.)
Tootsie pop
pipe cleaners (brown and metallic gold)
jingle bell (1/2 in.)
1. Antlers: Cut a 7” piece of brown pipe cleaner. Fold in half. Cut two 1.25” pieces of brown pipe cleaner. Wrap a short piece of pipe cleaner around each side of the longer piece, about 1” down from the ends.
2. Glue the base of the ‘antlers’ to the bottom of the Tootsie Pop. Bend the ‘antlers’ so that they follow the curve of the Pop. Glue ‘antlers’ again at the top of the ‘head’.
3. Cut a 3” piece of gold pipe cleaner. Thread the bell on to the pipe cleaner. Wrap around the base of the Tootsie Pop. Twist ends to secure.
4. Glue ‘eyes’ and ‘nose’ onto the reindeer’s ‘face’.

NOTE: Other than needing to remove the Metallic pipe cleaner, everything will come off with the wrapper. Making this a great treat for even the youngest child!

Thanksgiving Dessert?

2008-11-01T12:09:31-07:00

Hungry for something easy and so yummy?

Try this:

1 (16 ounce) can chocolate syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
19 ice cream sandwiches
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup salted peanuts (I use chopped Peanut Butter cups instead)

Pour the chocolate syrup into a medium microwave safe bowl and microwave 2 minutes on high. Do not allow to boil.
Stir peanut butter into hot chocolate until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Line the bottom of a 9×13 inch dish with a layer of ice cream sandwiches.
Spread half the whipped topping over the sandwiches. Spoon half the chocolate mixture over that. Top with half the peanuts. Repeat layers.
Freeze until firm, 1 hour.
Cut into squares to serve.

I’m thinking of serving this up at Thanksgiving in additional to the ole favorites.

What’s your favorite fall dessert?

Which fits me better, Pirate or Horse, you decide!

2008-10-31T12:52:34-07:00

Hi I’m Riley. This year I was both a Pirate and a Cowboy on a Horse, couldn’t decide which I liked best.

Small Mouse in the House

2008-10-31T12:48:11-07:00

I’m enjoying my 1st Halloween Party, roasting marshmallows over a pretend fire, don’t mess with my dream!

Halloween in the nick of time

2008-10-23T23:43:20-07:00

I threw this costume together fairly last minute. In fact, I had ordered the tattoo sleeves online and they arrived in the mail on the 31st! I was at a Halloween event to take photos which explains why I’m holding a camera.

Dog keeping baby safe...cute and hilarious

2008-10-13T22:42:37-07:00

I can’t tell if the dog is keeping the baby safe or if he really just doesn’t want her to see what is in that drawer. The last time the dog closes the drawer looks kinda dangerous if you ask me!

What is the orgin and history of Halloween?

2008-10-10T09:34:09-07:00

What is the orgin and history of Halloween?

Halloween have its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced “sah-win”).

The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. Samhain was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and prepare for winter. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops.

The festival would frequently involve bonfires. It is believed that the fires attracted insects to the area which attracted bats to the area.

Masks and costumes were worn in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or appease them.

This question is from our HalloweenMagazine.com FAQ page. See more there as well as dozens of Halloween articles such as Have a Frightful Night , A Wizard’s Halloween Party , and Using Your Box of Old Halloween Decorations in our Halloween Articles section.

Halloween and children's safety from HalloweenMagazine.com

2008-10-10T09:26:34-07:00

Halloween Magazine hopes everyone will have a safe and exciting Halloween. Here are a few links from our Halloween Safety page at our website that might help.

The Official Halloween Safety Game – Since 1996, we have provided this fun way for families and students to learn Halloween Safety while trick-or-treating. If you are going to go door to door trick-or-treating, you should play.

Children’s Safety Zone
A non-commercial site dedicated to children’s safety issues.

LAFD – Halloween Safety Tips
Safety Tips from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Visit the Halloween Safety page at our website for more.