The Scene: Sunday afternoon, driving down the highway with TWH and Baby A. The kind of highway with strip-mall development on both sides.

The Outburst from the Carseat: "Mommmeeeeeee! I want to shop at that store! Yook! Yook! Shop there!"

The Cause of Said Outburst: McDonald's, with a brightly painted, two-story playground and equally tall mural featuring Ronald McDonald, the bird character (Birdie? That was my little brother's era of mcD's marketing...will have to go look that name up), and other characters.

That little one-two visual punch was shining like a freakin' beacon from the side of the road. I can picture McDonald's marketing with their checklist. "Step 32: Two-year-old's reaction? Check."

Funny thing is she doesn't know it's McDonald's. She doesn't even know it's a restaurant. (Hence, "store.")

This feels like a huge glimpse of Parenting Challenges To Come, like the moment they realize puddles are fun to stomp. Always a big draw for the kid, occasionally okay to do, somewhat annoying for the parents. (Yes, even with the improved coffee.)

But it has inspired me to set up the microphone and produce our first QSK Podcast. I'll post a notice when it's available...probably sometime tomorrow. Cool.

Posted by QSMama at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Let's just say this up front: I've never bought a box of Bibsters. And Baby A has the stained shirts to prove it. So so so many times, we've decided on a whim to eat out and been caught unprepared. (I'm sort of anti–diaper bag, but that's a different post.)

Each time I've reached for a box of Bibsters, though, I see the price and think, "Pfahhh, we can just stick a napkin in her shirt collar. Besides, she's getting neater all the time."

Then, once again, it's OxiClean to the rescue.

So while I was doing some kid laundry today I started thinking about restaurant survival gear. We've definitely got some favorites that help make meals easier, both out and at home. I'm wondering—what are your can't-live-without items?

We have liked:

• Bumkins bibs. Waterproof, ultra-thin and -soft, but totally heavy duty, these bibs have velcro closures and a great catch-all pocket at the bottom. My favorite part is they rinse easily, wring practically dry, and are ready to go again in minutes. How cute is this doggie-bag-style gift set?

Moving on to...

• Easy-grip spoons from Sassy with holes that actually make food stay on better. (Behold the power of surface tension!) These are designed for younger babies who are just learning to self-feed, but I've kept them through Baby A's NO-I-do-it-mySELF!! phase...which is ongoing.

• The grab-bag. Here's what I do: Find a couple of small zippered bags, maybe at a thrift store or in the dollar aisle at Target. Cosmetics bags work great, like the ones the free gift sets from Clinique come in. Grab one and stuff it with a small book, a couple of toy people from a set, and whatever other small toys within reach. Baby A loves to unzip the bag and "discover" what's inside, one piece at a time.

Granted, this works better for the toddler and preschool set. All I know is it helps Baby A sit still for a few minutes, and that's a feat.

• Crayons and paper. Or, in a pinch, just crayons...and a paper napkin. I make sure to have at least two jumbo-grip washable crayons in my purse at all times.

How about you? What supplies are indispensable, even when the forks and spoons are disposable? Shoot me a comment and let me know. Help us all be better armed!

Posted by QSMama at 05:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Look to hear more about healthy kids' meals from Wendy's over the next few months.

Riding news of its first monthly sales gain in fourteen months, the company says it will heavily promote its Wendy's Kids' Meal Choices program, featuring two nutritious new Kids' Meal sandwiches—Turkey & Cheese and Ham & Cheese—and a low-fat yogurt and granola side option.

And here's another option for kids who get straight A's or spend their Saturday helping weed the yard: Wendy's will start promoting Frostys on national television this month for the first time in many years. Wendy's Fix n' Mix Frostys, with the customer's choice of M&M®s, Butterfinger®, or Oreo® toppings, are being highlighted. The company's research shows that the Frosty is one of the top four destination drivers on Wendy's menu.

Meanwhile, in news for those of you without kids at home, Wendy's says it also plans to re-energize its late-night business with national media support during the second quarter.

Ahhhh, those distant memories of late-night snacks on the drive home from midnight Ryan Adams and Tift Merritt shows....

Posted by QSMama at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I’m reading in the Boston Globe and USA TODAY that Starbucks plans to sell books in its locations by the end of the year. It's a logical follow-on to the offers of selected music.

Chairman Howard Schultz also hints the chain will offer downloads of books and maybe some proprietary reading materials through its WiFi network. (Did anyone besides me notice it took Starbucks forEVER to roll out that WiFi nationwide?)

Wonder if Starbucks will include some books or downloads featuring Maisy, Madeline, or Thomas the Tank Engine? I’d sure love to have some quality downloads for my iBook or even the mobile phone to help keep Baby A contented while I enjoy my coffee and maybe, just maybe, read a section of the newspaper.

Nah, like that’ll ever happen. But I can dream.

Posted by QSMama at 08:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

In spite of what I told my parents when I was about eight ("I will NEVER cook!"), I really do like to cook. I love my gas range, my copper All-Clad pans, and the wealth of fresh options around here. (We live two minutes from a rockin' state farmer's market, and Whole Foods and The Fresh Market are wonderful.)

The Wonderful Husband (TWH) is an awesome cook in his own right. He specializes in New Mexican cuisine, but can throw together a decent meal of any sort. We used to spend nice couple-time after work drinking gin-and-tonics or wine while cooking great meals.

Until the arrival of Baby A.

For the longest time, of course, she ate early and went to bed. Then we'd manage to throw something in the microwave (or TWH would run out for take-out). Now that she's older, we try to eat as a family almost every night. But HOW HARD is it to

(1) get everyone home
(2) spend ANY time together (maybe a late-day trip to the park up the street from The Bungalow)
(3) cook and eat as a family
(4) then do the bath-and-bed routine, all before 7:45 P.M.?

Surely you'll let me speak for you when I answer: Next to impossible.

So, it hit me last night during dinner...a really good dinner, actually:
I've joined the rest of America by getting hooked on convenience foods, albeit fairly healthy ones. These days we're liking

• naturally raised chicken or beef from Whole Foods that's pre-cut for stir-fry or into tenders

• ready-to-cook chicken breasts stuffed with all kinds of yummy treats...The Fresh Market has combos like Santa Fe, Parmesan, Cordon Bleu

• pre-made and pre-seasoned naturally raised hamburger patties, maybe with bleu cheese or, like last night, jack cheese and heavy Cajun seasoning.

For the past decade there's been Boston Market—the first real "home meal replacement" concept meant to provide fast takeaway meals, as in, meat and three sides,—along with a handful of other chains, plus grocery stores and, of course, pizza. Lately the old-school quick-serve chains have been responding to this trend, too, installing grab-and-go cases.

What gets your family through those mealtimes when there's just not time to cook? Now that groceries and even fast-food restaurants and convenience stores are offering grab-and-go choices, are they more likely to be on your list of options?

In other words, if you can duck into McDonald's and grab four relatively fresh, relatively healthy sandwiches (I know, I know, but let me finish), will you feel less guilty than if you'd gone through the drive-thru for burgers and fries?

I think I would. Let me know what you think.

Posted by QSMama at 05:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

McDonald's today announced it's forming a Global Moms Panel to guide the company on how best to serve mothers and families, inside and outside of its restaurants worldwide.

Yes. Thank you for listening. In fact, McDonald's theory behind its panel is a big part of why Quick Serve Kids exists. We need to be talking about this stuff, you Giant Corporations and Us Moms. Granted, McD's beat me to the punch. They're rolling, and QSK is still breathing its first breaths. But they've got a lot more money than I do. And they're not caring fullt-time for a 23-month old. Anyway.

Further official QSK reactions to McDonald's news release (release in bold, QSK not):

"The newly-formed international panel is part of an ongoing commitment by McDonald’s to connect more closely with its customers and engage them in meaningful dialogue. “McDonald’s recognizes and appreciates the important role moms play in the well-being of their families,” said McDonald’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, Mary Dillon. “We intend to listen and learn from our Global Moms Panel with the goal of providing the best possible experience for families in our restaurants around the world. We want to become the best ally we can for moms and a true partner in the well-being of families everywhere.”

There are a lot of us out here hoping the company will really listen. Mary Dillon is new in that position, and bringing the increasingly monied and powerful moms+families market into the fold is a huge part of her job description. QSK will be watching to see how she follows through. The journalist in me realizes this announcement will get McDonald's lot of coverage in the media and, more importantly, the parenting magazines. Public relations scoooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrre!

The McDonald’s Global Moms Panel will focus on such key topics as balanced, active lifestyle initiatives, restaurant communications and children’s well-being. The women bring diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to the panel and represent six countries: Argentina, China, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Like the diversity. Very cool. Note what's missing in that list: advising on the actual nutritional make-up of the food. We at QSK applaud the emphasis on healthy, active lifestyles—we adhere to School of Moderation in All Things—but the fact is, given the opportunity, there are specific changes I'd like to see McDonald's make to its menus...changes that would better support that healthy lifestyle.

If the moms say, "I don't want my four-year-old to see ads pushing French fries," will McDonald's take its ads off of Nickelodeon? Or at least change the ads to make it seem cool and fun to order plain bugers, side salads, fruit, and milk and reserve the shakes and fries for treats?

Bottom line: McDonald's wields a ton of power. It is also a brand that is here to stay, meaning it can shape policy and culture throughout the lives of our kids and our grandchildren. Let's hope this the formation of this panel marks a genuine effort to improve our kids' lives—and make parents' jobs a little easier, too.

Posted by QSMama at 07:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)