Something to Sneeze at

When I'm surfing the web, I never pay any attention to advertisements on the sides of pages; they're invariably for some miracle weight loss plan, teeth whitening, or ultra-low mortgage rates (hmmm, maybe I do pay attention to them?). Anyway. I never click on them. But today I saw something so intriguing that not only did I click on the ad, but I was inspired to write a spontaneous blog post!

I'm talking about AllerMates: medical ID tags for kids with allergies featuring an amazing cast of characters! Now you can send little Tommy off to school wearing a set of dog tags alerting everyone to his food allergies:


Or, make a fashion statement with a wristband featuring the offending foodstuff:

The AllerMates include all the usual offenders:

Professor Wheatly

Soy Cool

Pint

Eggie

Nutso

P. Nutty


It's too bad that everything says "allergy" on it. I for one, would certainly wear a Professor Wheatly bracelet. I can imagine that kids will begin to fake allergies just to wear these cool characters. Kids will probably collect and trade the dog tags. The website indicates that a variety of other products will be coming next year including plush toys, stickers, lunch boxes, and epi-pen holders. That last one isn't so much fun, but I know I could face the possibility of anaphylactic shock a lot better with a cute character like P. Nutty on my wrist!

Pick a Pak of Pickle Pilgrims

If the menu for your Thanksgiving feast isn't finalized yet, you might want to consider adding some pickles. That's "Picklicious!" according to Mt. Olive Pickle's spokespickle Ollie Q. Cumber:

Ollie is taking his new role as spokespickle quite seriously, and he even has his own on-line space with a variety of activities including coloring pages and postcards.

Can't get enough of Ollie? You can get your very own Ollie t-shirt by sending in some proofs of purchase (and shipping and handling). Or better yet, submit a recipe to the Picklicious Showcase. If it's chosen as a Showcase Recipe, you'll win your very own Ollie t-shirt! So be sure to send in your recipes for pickle stuffing, sweet potato and pickle casserole, and pumpkin and pickle pie.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Food Marks the Spot

Last week I was delighted to receive a birthday package from Curly Wurly brimming with wonderful surprises! As usual, she has the knack for finding just the right gift, and I'll be sharing some of those with you here.

First, I was excited to find the bookmarks (or "magnetic page clips" as they call themselves) that I had admired a few months ago!

These kawaii cuties are by Paperchase. I'm looking forward to using them, but I will be sure to heed the ominous warning on the back about just what magnets can do to your intestines if swallowed.

Being a bookmark aficionado I naturally like to give them to others, and handcrafted bookmarks were often among the gifts I made as a child. Here's an early example of a mixed media (paint, yarn, felt, paper from Tastykake package) bookmark featuring three peas in a pod:

I've collected bookmarks for as long as I can remember, and the nice thing about a bookmark collection is that a 38 year accumulation still fits in the top drawer of my nightstand. I try to match the bookmark to the book I'm reading. These new bookmarks will be perfect for when I sit down with For Whom the Bell Pepper Tolls, Jane Pear, or The Grape Gatsby! Thanks, Curly Wurly!

Thank You, Veterans!

If you're looking for the perfect way to thank your favorite veteran, why not surprise them with an item featuring Spammy the Spam can? It's sure to remind them of one of their favorite service memories: a delicious meal of Spam at the mess hall!

The Spam Shop features an array of Spammy merchandise including:

A Spammy Bean Bag Plush:



A magnet:

A bobble head:

A wall clock:

Golf balls:

Keychain:

Spammy Jammies:

A blanket:

There are many other Spammy and Spam-related items to chose from. With the holiday season right around the corner, it could also be the solution for all your gift giving needs!