March 2016 – GoGo squeeZ Issues Voluntary Recall

by Red TricycleJanuary 7, 2016

GoGo squeeZ is voluntarily recalling specific applesauce pouches that may not meet quality standards. According to the company’s recall announcement, “Food product residue” was found by Michigan State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in two product pumps in the GoGo squeeZ Michigan production facility.

The recall includes any non-organic applesauce pouches with:

1. “Product of USA” statement and

2. a 5-character production code beginning with the letters US followed by a 3-digit number beginning with 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, or 08 and

3. a Best Before Date between 12/04/15 and 3/04/17 are included in the voluntary recall.

It also includes any non-organic applesauce packs with:

1. “Product of USA” statement on back of carton and

2. a 6-digit code ending in 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, or 08 and

3. a Best Before date between 12/04/15 and 3/04/17 are included in the voluntary recall.

Photo courtesy of GoGo squeeZ

If you have purchased the pouches listed above, you may contact the company directly at 1-844-275-5841 or click here for a replacement voucher.

This recall does not include the GoGo squeeZ Organic line or the GoGo squeeZ Yogurtz, and no illness have been reported.

New Blue Bottle Coffee Makes Back to School Better

by jolie loebSeptember 2, 2015

Blue Bottle Coffee, the Oakland import with a fevered following, opens up on Beverly Boulevard in Mid-City just in time to salvage the summer to school transition. Get our tips on what to get when you’re commuting solo and need a wake-up call, or when you’re heading home with little non-java junkies who want a cuppa something and an after school snack.

True Blue
Clearly we’re not short on boutique breweries in LA, but Blue Bottle has a legions of devoted fans, and there’s a reason. This is not where you line up for your fall pumpkin latte; this brew speaks to the coffee purist, patented by a time stamped vow. Nothing served, nothing sold, more than 48 hours out of the roaster. Pure coffee, the kids that wakes you up for that morning carpool. The new spot is most welcome to coffee purists, since the only other outposts in LA are tucked away downtown and in Venice Beach. Great spots, but not on your way anywhere, the way this new Mid-City locale is. And your coffee need is easy to feed with two-hour residential parking on nearby Sweetzer Ave.; clutch for toddler toting types, or anyone who’s trying to get ahead of those irksome tardy slips.

Cocoa for Kiddos
If you stop on the way to or from school with kids, there’s a beverage for them that will turn kids into Blue Bottle fans as well. TCHO Ganache plus Clover milk makes for a cocoa that is taken as seriously as their coffee. Swirly foam art and everything, so their drink looks just like yours. If your offspring are hard wired to inherit your java jonesing genes, you can cultivate the crafted obsession young, starting with this cocoa.

If you’ve got a small sipper who doesn’t favor chocolate (they’re out there), the almond milk steamer is made from sprouted almonds, pure cane syrup, and a dash of Himalayan sea salt. Not nearly as sweet as what’s steaming at some other chains, but so tasty they won’t miss the sugar that’s missing.

Summer Sippers
When the weather is warm, seasonably or un, there’s are a couple of addictive chilled drink for you to choose from. NOLA is their New Orleans iced coffee (comes in that cute little carton) made with Clover milk and organic chicory and it’s a little bit sugar, a little spice, and in one mini made for one carton, everything nice.

The Cascara Fizz is a lot of fun if you’ve already maxed out your caffeine card for the day. Made from Cascara syrup (it’s a tea concentrate), lemon syrup and simple syrup with a bit of sparkling H2O, it’s a slightly less caffeinated alternative when the September temps are behaving like mid-July (they do that).

To Counterbalance The Caffeine (Or Cocoa) Buzz
This café is the first Blue Bottle in LA to offer prepared food akin to the stuff served at the Mint Plaza café in SF. Tartine talent Caitlin Freeman (Blue Bottle bought the bakery last spring) helms the kitchen. While parents thrill to the sophisticated flavors of just about everything, kids tell us that the Peanut Rocher is a perfect complement to the cocoa, and the Fresh Ricotta & Apricot Jam (there’s a toast menu, natch) makes a great breakfast or afternoon snack. That’s if you’re trying to steer them away from the double chocolate cookies, which everyone loves, any time of the day.

Take that Buzz Down the Block
Beverly Boulevard provides a bevy of Blue Bottle adjacent kid friendly hangs for when the coffee or sugar kicks in and everyone needs a place to play. Pan Pacific Park’s but a few blocks down at Gardner and Beverly, and if the java has you and the kiddo amped to get some shopping on, The Grove and Farmer’s Market await you at Fairfax and 3^rd.

Echo That
In addition to one on Abbot Kinney and one in the Art’s District, there’s another Blue Bottle just opening in Echo Park. And they’ve got plans for more. Meanwhile, if you’re heading back to school and need a pure jolt of caffeine to make those early mornings more manageable, this mid-city blue is for you.

Open weekdays from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and weekends from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Blue Bottle
8301 Beverly Blvd.
Mid-City
Online: bluebottlecoffee.com/cafes/beverly-grove

Where do you get your morning cup to keep your peepers peeled during the carpool commute? Let us know your favorite coffee stop in the comment section.

—written and photographed by Jolie Loeb

The Best Rose Festival Events For Families

by Maura O'BrienMay 17, 2015

Carnival rides, day-glo floats and kids on bikes spread outward from the waterfront throughout the metro area this time of year for more than a month filled with activities. This year’s “Bloomin’ Good Time” Rose Festival kicks off on May 22 and runs until July 10th. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the extensive event calendar, keep the following highlights in mind for the littlest ones in your brood with the shortest attention spans and wacky nap schedules.

photo: Jeff Muceus via Flickr creative commons

CityFair
The fun begins Memorial Day weekend, as CityFair transforms the Portland waterfront into a wonderland of live music performances, local food and drink vendors, and carnival rides for children and adults alike. The youngest CityFair attendees will love the Kiddie Land rides designed especially for them, while children of all ages will be thrilled by the exotic live animal exhibits, which feature tigers, lions, snakes, and spiders, and help to fund an animal sanctuary and rescue program.

CityFair
May 22, 5-11 p.m.; May 23-25, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; May 28-29, 3-11 p.m.; May 30-31, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; June 3-5, 3-11 p.m.; June 6-7, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Gate admission: $7/ages 7 & up, or $5 in advance; free for children 6 & under, veterans, reservists, and active duty military.
Online: rosefestival.org/event/city-fair

Insider Tip: If you’re planning to attend CityFair more than once, pick up a $10 Rose Festival Souvenir Pin at Fred Meyer, which grants you free admission at the gate. But in addition to the entry fee, remember that ride tickets are required for both games and carnival rides. So if your kids are planning to make this a full-day excursion, consider nabbing $35 unlimited ride wristbands online or at Walgreens now through May 21. See the full list of advance ticket discounts here.

photo: Jeff Muceus via Flickr creative commons

Starlight Parade
The little ones may already be in bed, but older children will be thrilled by the glow-in-the-dark fun at the Starlight Parade. From bands to floats to hand-crafted light shows, this year’s event is expected to draw nearly 100 artfully-illuminated entries, as well as thousands of spectators along the 2.25-mile parade route. Best of all? The 2015 grand marshal is none other than “PeeDee”—the PDX carpet.

Starlight Parade
May 30, 8:30-11 p.m.
Downtown Portland (see the full route map here)
Admission: Free
Online: rosefestival.org/event/starlight-parade

Photo credit: Christmas w/a K via Flickr creative commons

Junior Parade
Ever since the first Rose Festival in 1907 included a children’s parade of 2,000 boys and girls, Portland’s youngest residents have played an integral role in this annual event. This year’s parade through the Hollywood District will feature dance and drill teams, baton groups, homemade floats, marching bands, and kids in costume, on bikes, and in decorated wagons. Not content to watch from the sidelines? The Junior Parade is open to all children middle school-aged or younger, as well as their adult chaperones. Find complete registration information here.

Junior Parade
June 3, 1-2 p.m.
Hollywood District (see the full route map here)
Admission: Free
Online: rosefestival.org/event/junior-parade

Grand Floral Walk
Before you fill up on corn dogs and cotton candy for the day, bring the entire family along for the 4.2-mile walk through downtown Portland. As your kids get a good dose of exercise, the throngs of spectators and rolling television cameras will make them feel like superstars—even if they’re actually in place for the Grand Floral Parade that follows. Find complete registration information for the Grand Floral Walk here.

Grand Floral Walk
June 6, 9:30-11 a.m.
Veterans Memorial Coliseum to Downtown Portland (see the full route map here)
Admission: $20/adults; $10/children ages 7-12; free for children 6 & under
Online: rosefestival.org/event/grand-floral-walk

Photo credit: Sam Churchill via Flickr creative commons

Grand Floral Parade
This parade has been the centerpiece of the Rose Festival for more than a century, and it’s easy to understand why. This year’s parade will feature 14 floats made entirely of flowers, 17 marching bands, 19 equestrian units, as well as vintage cars and dancing troupes. And don’t forget to be on the lookout for the Clown Prince and his Character Clown Corps, who add an extra dose of fun to an already festive afternoon.

Grand Floral Parade
June 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Veterans Memorial Coliseum to Downtown Portland (see the full route map here)
Admission: Free for unreserved spectator seats
Online: rosefestival.org/event/grand-floral-parade

Milk Carton Boat Race
Do you have a budding engineer in the family? If so, see if they’re up to the challenge of constructing a boat entirely out of recycled milk cartons and plastic jugs. Contestants can choose to enter in one of seven classes—from artistry to velocity—in pursuit of the Best in Show milk can trophy, while spectators will be treated to one of the most whimsical and entertaining spectacles of the Rose Festival. Find complete registration information and entry rules here.

Milk Carton Boat Race
June 7, 11 a.m.
Westmoreland Park Casting Pond
SE McLoughlin Blvd. & Bybee Blvd.
Admission: Free
Online: dairyfarmersor.com/103-milk-carton-boat-race

What are your plans for the Rose Festival? Let us know in the comments below!

— Maura O’Brien

10 Cool Ways to Beat the Heat

by Laurie HalterJuly 28, 2013

Regardless of where you live, you’re bound to have a few sunny days in the coming months, and when those days come, your kiddos will be champing at the bit to throw on their swimsuits and spend a few hours frolicking in the summer sun. Instead of heading to your go-to swim spot, try mixing things up with some creative ways to beat the heat in your own backyard. So stow away the inflatable pool and the shriveled up water balloons–these activities will give your little ones hours of fun without the mess or the lightheaded-ness.

1. Ice Treasure Chest – Put some favorite toys, and if you’re feeling brave some food coloring, in a bowl of water and freeze it overnight. In the morning your kids will love trying to chip their toys out of the “treasure ice chest” you’ve created.

2. Summer Obstacle Course – Sure your kids have experienced water play, but never like this. Set up a water obstacle course around your back yard. Start with them slip and sliding their way across the main “race way”, next have them grab a “treasure” out of the wading pool before heading to a bucket full of water and bobbing for apples. Next have them jump through a few lawn dart hoops in a row before coming back through the slip-n-slide for a spectacular finish. Want to up the ante? Time each kid to see who’s fastest on the course.

3. Stiff Competition – Here’s a fun way to get kids to cool down during the hottest days, have them race to see who can get a frozen T-shirt on first. Water down several T-shirts and fold them before putting them in the freezer overnight. The next day, enjoy the chaos as the kids do whatever it takes to unfreeze their shirt and get it on fastest. First one to get it over his or her head and through the arm holes wins.

4. Summer Snowball Fight – Grab homemade snow from your favorite specialty store or find it online. Help your kids whip up homemade snow in a few buckets and engage in a good old snowball fight in the middle of July!

5. Balloon Bonanza – Blow up a dozen balloons and arm the neighborhood kids with water guns. Challenge each child to keep their balloon off the ground using only the squirts from their water gun. The last balloon in the air is the winner.

6. Ice Boats or Princess Towers – Freeze water in milk jugs in order to create ice blocks. When frozen, use the blocks to make princess towers or race the “ice boats” in a wading pool.

7. Play “Hose” Limbo – Using a broomstick for limbo is so yesterday! This summer grab the hose and let the stream of water be your guide. Put on a rousing CD and line each kid up as the hose stream gets lower and lower to the ground.

8. “Paint” the House and Fence – Bust a move like Huckleberry Finn and set out an assortment of water buckets, paint brushes and sponges. Ask the kids to repaint your house and fence using water.

9. Make a Homemade Water Wheel – Have your kids help you poke a hole in the bottom of each of the four corners of a paper milk carton. Punch a hole through the top flap of the milk carton and tie a string through it. Next, have little hands cover each hole on the bottom as you fill the carton with water from the garden hose. When ready, hold the milk carton by the string (or hang it from a tree branch) and have your helpers release their holes. Enjoy the “spray” of water as the milk carton twists and turns from the rush of water.

10. Clamming for Marbles – Dump marbles in a wading pool, with or without sand, and have your kids “clam” for them by grabbing the marbles between their toes and dropping them in a bucket. The one with the most marbles added to their bucket wins.

How do you plan to “beat the heat” with your kids this summer?

— Laurie Halter

Photo courtesy of MiikaS, Merinda Gray, Roby Ferrari, Devin, Sharon Mollerus, and pawpaw67 via flickr.

ML Interest Tag: carton

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