What strikes me as funny about this? Is it that we go through inordinate numbers of Wet Ones and related kid-wipes?

Or is it the thought that you need to spend big marketing dollars to convince parents that having pre-moistened towelettes on hand is a good thing? C'mon, you throw a travel pack in your cart each time you're in line to check out at Target, too. Don't you?

Now Wet Ones is on a nationwide tour during which the brand will…oh, let’s just use their words…"host highly visible and downright messy challenges in which food festival attendees race against each other to complete a number of messy tasks, using Wet Ones wipes to clean up as they go, to win Wet Ones T-shirts and other prizes."

Hmm. Sounds a lot like...parenting. Except no one give us T-shirts.

The Wet Ones Challenge began its tour at a BBQ festival in Washington, D.C., and is onsite now through July 9 at the Taste of Chicago food festival, one of the nation's largest food events (with more than three million visitors each year…wow).

The tour then goes to food festivals in Dallas, St. Paul, Sacramento, Syracuse, Kansas City, and Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Five things I cleaned up with Wet Ones recently, thanks to Baby A:
1. peanut butter, off of my upper arm, today at lunchtime
2. yogurt and granola, off of the kitchen floor, yesterday afternoon at snacktime
3. dried milk droplets, from A’s cup, from the leather seats of our car, yesterday morning
4. ground-in muffin crumbs from the floor next to our sofa at the coffee shop…before A could grind the crumbs into the soles of her sandals and apply them to (a) said sofa or (b) my shoes or lap or (c) said leather car seats
5. Baby A’s hands before snacktime earlier this week, when it was just too hard to get her to the bathroom to wash them for real.

So where's my T-shirt? And "other prizes?"

Posted by QSMama at 06:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Burger King restaurants nationwide will now offer Hershey brand low-fat (1 percent) white and chocolate milk (pictured right) in re-sealable 8-ounce plastic bottles.

The milk is available to all customers, but it can be part of a Kids Meal. The chain says the new milk options give customers a prime opportunity to help get three servings of dairy a day, as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

In its news release about the milk, Burger King says research shows two out of three kids are not getting the recommended 3 servings of dairy each day.

Visit the official 3-A-Day site all next month to learn more about the potential benefits of getting three dairy servings a day. On the site, mothers can sign up to be a 3-A-Day of Dairy Mom and receive a monthly "Get 3!" e-newsletter with recipes, offers, and tips from other moms.

McDonald's continues to offer toys based on the Disney/Pixar movie “Cars” in its Happy Meals, through July 6.

Kids and collectors can receive one of eight roadsters from the film, with the purchase of a Happy Meal or Mighty Kids Meal, at participating McDonald’s restaurants, while supplies last.

McDonald’s offers Apple Dippers (fresh, peeled apple slices) with low-fat caramel dipping sauce and beverage choices including Minute Maid apple juice and low-fat white and chocolate Milk Jugs, as options with its Happy Meals and Big Kids Meals.

Meanwhile, the consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is now chastising Starbucks, too.

This comes shortly after CSPI’s lawsuit against Yum Brands' KFC, which seeks to stop the chicken chain's use of trans fats in its products.

That MSNBC article does a good job of showing the big picture in cases like this. Points: The Motley Fool contributor Brian Gorman says success of the lawsuit is basically irrelevant…it's the negative publicity that counts.

The article also points out that other fast-food competitors like McDonald’s and Wendy’s have faced similar criticism, then made solid efforts to offer healthier options on their menus. Not, as the article points out, that consumers often choose them. (I know that’s right. How often do I choose the grilled chicken at Chick-fil-A? Maybe once in twenty-five trips?)

Finally, is it just me, or does this seem kinda sad?

Posted by QSMama at 06:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Trust me...when QSMama asks for something, she gets it. It’s easy for me to say that because, truth is, she asks for very little. Never has. She doesn’t have to have the coolest new jeans, or the most expensive shampoo. She won’t go on a buying frenzy for herself, ever! Even if she really wants something for herself, she’ll wait until everyone else is set.

So, when she asked me to chime in on this parenting blog, I thought, "No problem. I'm the other parent, I have a lot to say. This will be easy!"

But as I got to writing, I realized how difficult it is...

to write in this manner. My typical email conversations go something like this:

No, you can't do it that way. The price is X. I can't be there until the 7th. Look in the top drawer. It's in the manual on page 40...

So now that I’m trying to write something real with regard to being a parent, I must admit: it's got me stumped. I’m more of a list person than a paragraph one. So here's my list of five qualities that make a good parent:

(1) Must be willing to make funny faces, funny sounds, and pretty much act silly at will.
(2) Must have a high level of tickling expertise.
(3) Must be willing to read, sing, talk, dance, play, run, chase, hide, seek, and cuddle for long periods of time.
(4) There are other specialties that not essential but helpful...like Pillow-Tunnel Engineering and Airplane-Flight Pretending.
(5) Be as calm and collected as you can as you deal with your kid. Trust me, this one is not easy!

All in all, I think the most important thing in parenting is to listen to and talk to your kids and moms...because they’ll tell you exactly what they need from you.

I know the certain things that I’m not good at—such as saying No. I find the utter happiness that ice cream and cookies induce in Baby A, and the pleasure of watching her indulge, addictive. I am the pushover, the giver-in...and I’m working to change that. After all, parenting is a game of cooperation

- TWH

Posted by QSMama at 08:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Let's step away from the restaurants + parenting theme for a moment and consider just the parenting part. Specificially, the mom part.

I'm doing a shout-out this morning for One Chic Mama, a new mommy + style blog from my friend Michele. She's recently featured some indulgent and unexpected finds from The Gap, Laura Mercier, and The Body Shop, as well as social and charitable issues every thinking mom should know about.

The woman behind One Chic Mama also designs lovely children's clothes, is an active supporter of other women in business, is raising an awesome three-year-old girl whom Baby A looks up to, and has a second baby on the way. (How's that for a chic mama?) Because our sites launched around the same time, we've had fun learning together and sharing marketing ideas.

So give One Chic Mama a look, now and whenever you need a little mom pick-me-up.

Posted by QSMama at 06:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

SoCal readers take note: Pat & Oscar's Restaurants announced its menu is now 100-percent trans fat free.

After extensive development and testing, the company will make the change in locations throughout Southern California later this month. (Which, um, is tomorrow. Am I the only parent who lives in some kind of time warp? Is it actually almost July? Sheeez. Anyway.) CEO John Wright attributes the move to market demands for healthier menu options.

Pat & Oscar’s announcement comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by the CSPI against KFC complaining of the levels of trans fats in the chain’s fried foods, and shortly after Wendy’s declared it will go trans-fat-free by the end of August.

Trans fat is the result of an artificial process that converts vegetable oil into a more stable form of shortening. It’s not good for ya, generally speaking.

Pat & Oscar's says it was able to make its food 100-percent trans fat free by working with its vendors and suppliers to come up with healthier alternatives to ingredients already used in the company's recipes. The menu offers salads, pasta, pizza, chicken, ribs, and breadsticks, as well as a mini-pizza, a three-wing meal, a small pasta, and a kid-sized beverage on its Just for Kids menu.

Posted by QSMama at 05:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Some of the best feedback so far on Quick Serve Kids is this: If it's a parenting blog, how come we're not hearing from The Wonderful Husband?

Good point. (And thank you to everyone who's sent comments so far.)

So I've decided to give TWH the password to the Movable Type dashboard and invited him to write regularly. After all, he's been one-half of the learning process that's behind this site. And he's my co-Podcaster, too.

Look for his first post to debut soon.

Posted by QSMama at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ever feel like you force your kids into the same flavor routines you tend to get stuck in? Now and then, I realize I want to expose Baby A to some new tastes and cooking styles—you know, expand her culinary horizons.

But lately I don't have a lot of time to explore new recipes and grocery-shop for them. And it can be an expensive venture if the little Quicksie decides not to comply.

That's why I'm glad to see the increasing success of Latin-influenced chicken chains like El Pollo Loco (pictured here), Pollo Tropical, and Charo Chicken. Their brand of marinated, grilled chicken is a tasty, healthy alternative to fried chicken (without those increasingly controversial trans-fats). And the simple citrus-juice marinades are yummy any time of the year.

The sides at these chains are generally great, too, flavorful and relatively healthy—things like black beans, pinto beans, Spanish or yellow rice, garden salads, and fried plantains.

These quick-serve chicken chains, whose menus are based on traditional Latin cooking techniques, have so far been located mainly in states like California, Texas, and Florida. But, fortunately, they are finding growing audiences among mainstream Americans, and are expanding into lots of new markets. Watch for one near you.

Posted by QSMama at 07:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I got a kick out of these talking animal dishes ($18, from Chiasso).

When the easy-grip spoon goes near the bowl, the bowl moos, barks, or oinks. Sweet.

Got to say, though, these dishes remind me of a different bit of kid gear: the musical potty chair that's supposed to reward successful potty-goers with songs. From what I hear, toddlers quickly learn that throwing their blocks at the potty makes it play songs. So it seems to me any Quicksie worth his or her salt will learn that just waving the spoon around makes fun sounds...while the broccoli stays in the bowl.

Not to take away from the fun. I bet these dishes produce some big smiles—and sometimes that's all you need.

Posted by QSMama at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When Baby A was ready to start solids, at about six and one-half months, I felt overwhelmed. The decisions! One of the cool things about nursing exclusively is never having to think about it. The "food" is always perfectly nutritious, the baby chooses how much to take, and voila—instant meal, no clean-up!

Yes, planning meals was another game entirely. So I did what any geek-mom would do and got a book, Annabel Karmel's First Meals: Fast, healthy, and fun foods to tempt infants and toddlers. If you've got somewhat older kids, though, don't let the subtitle stop you. Karmel provides information, recipes, and meal plans for kids as old as seven.

But the thing that sold me on this book—besides the gorgeous photography—was the emphasis on planning family meals, ones that TWH and I could enjoy right along with Baby A (or is it the the other way around?). I'm so not into making two separate meals and cleaning two sets of pans and dishes.

Karmel, a Cordon Bleu–trained chef, has three kids herself, so I assume these recipes are, uh, kid-tested. This mother approves.

Posted by QSMama at 06:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I never appreciated the beauty of a good bag before Baby A, opting instead for a tiny purse or my pockets. Or for smushing things into my Coach briefcase. With a young child, that is just not possible. You gotta have the right gear, whether you're going to a restaurant, the park, or the market.

So now, for some Friday fashion fun, I give you two amazing ways to carry stuff.

My first fave is this collection of messenger and tote diaper bags from Holly Aiken.

These supacool bags serve two key purposes: They (1) organize your stuff so you can find it when your arms are full of squirming kids and (2) give you an instant dose of style—yes, the minute I hang one of these on my shoulder, I feel pretty darn good about my look, even though my shoulders also feature smears of peanut butter and cream cheese from the day's earlier meals. (Ever noticed how kids manage to get your shoulders? No shirt is safe.)

Another favorite, although I'm not lucky enough...

to own one of these yet (hey, TWH, my birthday is next month, **cough cough**), are these ultra-organized messenger bags from Chickpea. Twig? Chirp? Poppy? Kyoto? I'm in a decision spiral.

Chickpea is actually a line of baby and parenting goods created by Queen Bee Creations designer Rebecca Pearcy. All Chickpea items are made by hand in Portland, Oregon, of high-quality, non-leather materials. Witness the sheer number of pockets: The exterior has two front pockets underneath the flap, two side pockets (sized for pens, phone, iPod, keys, etc.), a large zippered pocket on back of bag with water resistant lining. The interior has three mesh pockets (sized for smaller items like bottles and sip cups) on one side, two medium mesh pockets on the other side, roomy and elasticized at the top for security. Plus there's a swivel hook for keys or toy on inside of bag

Who's your favorite bag designer? Use the Comments to let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This online film will either (1) turn your stomach or (2) fill you with admiration.

Globat.com, a web hosting(R), released the video of a family of three from Schulenburg, Texas, documenting their quest to drive 900 miles to a White Castle in Missouri and eat 100 hamburgers each.

Terri Scott, a longtime eBay'er, daughter Kerri Gomez, and Kerri's boyfriend GW Whitfield wanted to taste and experience the infamous Sliders so badly that they started looking for someone to finance their trip. Globat.com got on board, and the family arrived at the restaurant on May 9.

Each member of the family was required to finish all 100 hamburgers without leaving the White Castle location. According to their sponsorship agreement, they promoted Globat.com and DefyingGravity.com and had the company's logos on their vehicle, wore Globat.com t-shirts and temporary tattoos, and gave out Globat.com merchandise.

"I hope everyone who watches the video gets a sense of how wild this adventure was," says Terri Scott in the release. "14,000 calories and 700 grams of fat in 28 hours. What an adventure!"

Yeah. I think I'm falling under (1) above. How about you?

Posted by QSMama at 05:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ever since Baby A arrived on our scene, TWH and I have asked each other, "What did we do with our time before her?" Life seemed very busy before baby, almost overwhelmingly so. Now that schedule—or lack of schedule, other than workdays—sounds downright leisurely.

Today at noon EST Boston Market unveils the winner of its first-ever movie contest, in which the chain asked Americans, "How would you spend an extra hour in your day?"

Over the ten-week contest, Boston Market says it got hundreds of entries ranging from personal stories of survival to creatively scripted comedy/dramas.

If I ever DID have an extra hour in my day—you know, time enough to make a movie...

and enter a contest?—this one would've been nice. The grand prize is an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Hollywood (airfare, three nights at The Beverly Hills Hotel, luxury car rental, $2,000 spending money, Universal Studios Tour), plus a Boston Market gift card for dinner for four once each week for one year. Seven other prizes will also be awarded.

What would you do with an extra hour each day? Honestly, my entry would be pretty boring. I'd probably use that extra time to sleep. Use the Comments key to let me know what you would do.

Posted by QSMama at 06:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here's the address for that "Today I'm Taking Mom to Lunch at Panera Bread!" coupon. Use it today!

And another round of props to Panera for rolling out organic and naturally raised ingredients on its kids' meal menu. May the rest of the quick-serve industry follow suit!

Posted by QSMama at 08:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Have you been to Paris?

I first went to France the summer after my junior year in high school. My host family, a high-strung but kind mom and dad and their three children, lived in Lille, in the northeast near the Belgian border. They took me on a wonderful weeklong trip to Paris. I fell in love...with the city, the language, the culture and history, and oh my, the cafes.

As we were strolling down some rue or another one afternoon, the dad pointed to the sign for Quick, one of the early (this was mid-80s, I hate to admit) French quick-serve chains, and said, "You see this? This is your latest export to France. This American 'fast food' restaurant thing...pfahhhhh."

I didn't take it personally, but that moment did get filed away in my mind—along with many others—as lessons in what it means to be American and to be a citizen of the world. He was right: franchised fast food is an American invention. As we continued walking and talking, I learned he was concerned about what Quick, and later McDonald's and other brands, would mean for French dining traditions, kids' perceptions of those traditions, and, frankly, the overall impact on health.

With those memories in mind, I enjoyed this piece in today's New York Times about how ingrained McDonald's is into French business and life—and how successful it's been.

These highlights from the story are especially interesting...

• McDonald's operating profit in France last year was second only to that of McDonald's in the United States.

• All the buns, meat, and other ingredients are from France, and virtually all the work force is French.

• The only ingredient that is not French, paradoxically, is the cheese on the cheeseburgers. (France doesn't produce much cheddar.) Insetad, the cheese usually comes from the Netherlands or Austria.

• In Europe, just as it did in the United States, McDonald's attracted attention by introducing healthy food items, like salad and fruit. Wouldn't my host father be relieved to know that?

Years later, when I studied in Paris during college (French lit major, oui oui), we went to McDonald's because it was so much fun to order a beer in a quick-serve restaurant. (Wait. It was fun just to legally order a beer, but even more fun to do it in a McDonald's.)

When I think about the spread of American culture through the world, I often think back to my host father's somewhat tongue-in-cheek statement: "This is what you've given us." I'm looking forward to helping Baby A develop a good perspective on American culture and how it relates with and to other cultures.

But when I take her to Paris, we will not be dining at Quick. Or McDonald's, for that matter.

Posted by QSMama at 06:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Because TWH works in technical sales, we get Cisco's IQ magazine delivered to The Bungalow. This month's issue arrived today, and because TWH is away in Atlanta doing technical selling, or whatever the verb is, I'm reading it while slurping a bowl of Thai noodles for dinner.

There are some cool restaurant-related stories in this issue. This was the first one to jump out at me: Did you know there are 35,544 restaurants and cafes that offer public (free) WiFi access? Overall, more than 100,000 public hotspots circle the globe—marking an 87-percent increase in two years.

The five cities with the most hotspots are...

Seoul, Tokyo. London, San Francisco (yay!), and New York, in that order.

That's a lot of free surfing. And I'm all about it. But here's an interesting question: Is WiFi appropriate for a restaurant, cafe, or coffee shop?

I'm torn. I go to one nearby coffeeshop to work. It has wireless, and as a freelancer working around a young child's schedule, I'm so happy to have a retreat where I can work, drink, snack, and be among other adults.

Meantime, the owners of my other favorite coffee shop are adamantly against providing Internet access. They want patrons to relax, talk, interact, network—all the social functions that coffee shops have played for centuries, in many countries.

What do you think? Is wireless access allowing us to hide behind our laptops—avoiding interaction and allowing work into what should be a relaxing space? Or do you want all Net, everywhere? Use the Comments function to let me know.
Maybe someone can push me over one side of the fence.

Posted by QSMama at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Early this morning, as I carried Baby A from her bedroom to ours, I reminded her to greet TWH with, "Happy Father's Day, Daddy!"

She delivered, along with a sweet, "I wuv you!"

Good thing it was so cute, because I didn't have much else planned.

We took a family walk to the state farmer's market and filled bag after bag with treats—tomatoes, blueberries, cantaloupe, peppers, chipotle goat cheese (mmmmmm!), peaches—for less than $20. There was not a cloud in the sky. Glorious weather: sunny, breezy, no humidity. This after a downpour so hard we had 8 inches of water in the basement on Wednesday. We so deserved this weather.
Thank you, TWH, for accepting our good wishes and hugs as recognition enough this Father's Day. Thank you for helping out while I spend our precious weekend time getting this site off and running.

I wuv—er—love you.

Posted by QSMama at 08:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Are we born with some gene that compels us to yell into a fan and delight in the sound of our own voices, distorted and shot back at us?

Weekend mornings mean a family trip to the local coffee shop, where we meet informally with friends for breakfast, coffee, and talk/playtime. This morning the AC was broken, so the owners had several vertical floor fans going.

No sooner had we entered the shop when Baby A ran over to a fan, stuck her face up to it, and yelled, "Helloooooooo!," giggled when she heard her voice, and hellooooo-ed again. It took a lemon-poppyseed muffin to distract her.

I swear, we have never demonstrated fan-yelling (something I loved to do as a little kid) to her. Is it hereditary?

Posted by QSMama at 06:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How did I miss this on June 8? Oh, well.

Consumer Reports released a list of the best chain restaurants for families. Most of CR's choices are not quick-service chains. Rather, they're family restaurants or casual-dining places, where meals can cost a bit much for a kid—up to $15 or so a plate—but where I think portions are always big enough to share.

The report also names some less expensive options. It's good reading.

Posted by QSMama at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Burger King to license clothes, school supplies, Halloween costumes? Yes, says Adweek.

A report in Adweek, posted at Yahoo!, says Burger King plans to offer a collection of licensed goods—something the company has not done for decades. Some will be aimed at school-aged kids, while others will appeal to the chain’s core marketing audience of 18- to 34-year-old males.

Broad Street, a New Jersey licensed products and apparel firm, calls the collection a “lifestyle program.” The first collection might appear as early as this fall: T-shirts, pajamas, boxers, footwear, hats, and junior fashion tops for women that feature the creepy King character, the Whopper, and various Burger King taglines.

For 2007, Broad Street will likely propose items for kids, like back-to-school backpacks, lunch kits, notebooks, and other things. Adweek says licensed clothing options for juniors and tweens will “play to current fashion trends, be they washed, faded or tie-dyed.”

The report also says there is strong interest in Halloween costumes based on the chain’s creepy King character. Burger King made masks available last year online and at select Ricky's retail locations.

Posted by QSMama at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A new report from the firm Research and Markets says Americans today eat out nearly one out of every four meals and snacks, spending almost half their food budgets on dining out.

The study, titled “Attitudes Towards Dining Out in the United States,” also says—

• More than half of adults agree eating out is an essential part of their lifestyle.

• Some population segments frequent restaurants more than others: men more than women, younger more than older, Hispanics and blacks more than whites, households with higher incomes more than those in lower income ranges, and households with children more than those without.

The report covers what consumers who dine out expect at restaurants and the reasons why they dine out, but not what they’re choosing to eat. The report looks at

• the reasons for dining out
• the importance of customizing for taste, choice of side options, healthful options, and large portions
• dining out habits, including interest in trying new restaurants, desire to eat out more/less, and likelihood of eating too much when eating restaurant food.

Posted by QSMama at 06:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One interesting sidebar to MSNCB's online coverage of the trans-fat lawsuit against KFC is a poll asking how often readers eat fast food.

Try voting, then see how closely the results match your family's lifestyle. We were average, at least at the time I voted.

Posted by QSMama at 03:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday the American Medical Association voted to urge the government to require high-salt foods to be labeled. Many quick-serve menu items, including cheeseburgers, could be included in such labeling.

During the voice vote, the AMA also vowed to push the food industry to drastically reduce the amount of salt in restaurant and processed foods. The goal would be 50 percent less salt within a decade.
The AMA says Americans eat almost twice the amount of salt they should, which can contribute to high blood pressure and heart problems.

An AMA council report was the impetus for the vote and the new policy. The report suggests labels with pictures of salt shakers bearing the word "high" and red exclamation marks, saying such...

warnings might help consumers make better choices about eating high-sodium foods.
Foods considered high in salt are those with more than 480 milligrams of sodium per serving, according to the AMA report. That can include hot dogs, some canned soups, a slice of packaged pepperoni pizza, or a quick-serve a cheeseburger, according to a food chart accompanying the council report.

Meanwhile, the Food Products Association, a trade group for the food and beverage manufacturing industry, says the new policy is misguided. A spokesman for the group asked the Associated Press, "Why single out salt?," noting that the direct link between salt and negative cardiovascular outcomes is not always clear.
The spokesman added that the FPA feels existing food labels listing sodium content are sufficient for consumers to make healthy choices.

The AMA’s five-day annual meeting ends today.

Posted by QSMama at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jack in the Box announced it's adding Jack’s Fresh Fruit Cup to the menu, a 7-ounce serving of cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, and red grapes served in a sealed cup designed for on-the-go eating. The fruit is supplied by Del Monte.

The chain says it is also adding Dannon bottled water to its beverage menu.

The new Fresh Fruit Cup and bottled water are available for the suggested prices, excluding tax, of $2.29 and $1.29, respectively, at all participating restaurants. Based in San Diego, the company has more than 2,055 Jack in the Box restaurants in 17 states

Posted by QSMama at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

TWH had to spend a few hours at the office this past Saturday morning. After we dropped him off there, Baby A and I went on a little date at a nearby Starbucks. The store had posted a short article about Starbucks' rollout of newly designed paper cups containing 10 percent post-consumer recycled fiber.

I looked at the fine print on my cup, and, sure enough, it said, "Made with 10% post-consumer recycled fiber." Cool.

Starbucks claims this change will save some five million pounds of virgin tree fiber in just the first year. A pamphlet on the fixins' counter goes on to tout the company's work environment (including tuition reimbursement and adoption benefits), using sustainable trade and Fair Trade certified coffee, workplace and location diversity, and other areas of social responsibility.

Personally, I feel successful companies do owe some good works back to the people and communities...

that made it successful. That means treating employees like gold (with health benefits, child care assistance, free uniforms, comped or reduced-cost meals, and so on), providing loyalty rewards to regular customers ("every tenth cup is free"), and good business practices (support of local or organic farming, using Fair Trade certified products, donating money or goods to local schools).

Corollary: Doing such good works can help a company become successful in the first place. For instance, happy employees mean less turnover, which is a huge cost. And doing good things leads to great PR.

So where do you fall on the range? Are the big chains obligated to do some good works? Or is it enough when they simply provide decent products and jobs? Please comment and let me know. This is a topic I want to revisit often.

Posted by QSMama at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

During a web search for good kids' meal ideas, I ran across an award the Houston Press gave to Mission Burrito, which has two locations in (duh) Houston. This link is a little old, but it got me thinking. How cool would it be if the toys that come kids' meals are eminently usable, like the stick of sidewalk chalk that Mission Burrito handed out?

I can think of some prizes we'd treasure around here: non-toxic crayons and chalk, cool little pads of paper, spoon and fork sets, neat little containers for Baby A to fill and unload with her own belongings.

Are you satisfied with the toys that generally come with kids' meals? Or can you suggest some other ideas that would work well for your family? Use the Comments link and let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 06:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Disclaimer: Two Tanqueray & tonics were killed in the making of this Podcast. And we finished it at midnight on a Saturday.

But it was fun, and I can't wait to make more. I'll try to post about every two weeks, and I'll keep each Podcast to five minutes, give or take thirty seconds. You can use the QSK Podcasts link at the upper right to listen to an...a what...episode? A cast? Or you can use the same page to sign up for RSS delivery whenever a new Podcast is posted.

Thanks for listening. And for reading.

Posted by QSMama at 05:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I threw a box of these in the cart as I was shopping for supplies for Baby A's birthday party last

weekend. Thanks to the bungalow lifestyle, we're a streamlined, no-extra-stuff kind of family. To date, A has had probably two forks and four spoons to her name, each of which has been washed and re-used, what, a couple hundred times each.

But now I believe we've become friends with the ZooPals from Hefty. The knives, actually called "spreaders," are relatively safe, the forks work great in a toddler's hands, and the spoons are the perfect combination of scoop and mini-snowshovel.

Plus, every time I pull one out for Baby A, we have fun. "Mommy, whas dis? Is a snake! Sssssssss! That's funny! Ooooooh, octopus!"

So, we'll just keep washing and re-using the ZooPals. I think I'll throw a few in the car for those unexpected restaurant stops. Hope they hold up well with repeated use. Just thought I'd share what turned out to be a pleasant gear-related surprise.

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Beginning in August, Wendy's will switch to non- hydrogenated cooking oil for its French fries and breaded chicken items. The oil has zero grams of trans fat per serving.

Wendy's 6,300 U.S. and Canadian restaurants will adopt a new blend of corn and soy oil that will make its breaded chicken sandwiches, nuggets, and strips will have zero grams of trans fat. Depending on the serving size, trans fats in French fry offerings will range from zero to 0.5 grams. Because of the small serving size, Kids' Meal nuggets and fries will have zero grams of trans fat.

Wendy's says it is also working directly with its French fry suppliers to further reduce trans fats that occur as part of the par frying process at their facilities, with a goal of zero grams.

As part of an extensive year-long process, more than 370 Wendy's restaurants in Florida, North Carolina, West Virginia and Ontario, Canada have been testing the new cooking oil.

Wendy's use of the non-hydrogenated oil also means on average a 20 percent reduction in saturated fats in the breaded chicken items and French fries.

The changes to Wendy's cooking oil and chicken items will reduce TFAs for Wendy's breaded chicken and fries by an average of 95 percent.

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On June 15, Pennsylvania’s Palmyra Area School District will vote on whether or not parents who visit their children during lunchtime would have to eat school food, rather than bring the children fast-food lunches.

The Associated Press quotes one parent, Lori Swisher, as saying she has occasionally brought pizza or a sub to her kids at school. Swisher told the AP: "I like to think I serve mostly healthy meals, but when all three have sports, sometimes fast food is the option." She labels the proposal “one more government restriction.”

But this restriction would apply during school hours, right, not after school?

I do agree with Swisher on one point: If I had three kids all in after-school programs, I’d probably need to let quick-serve meals figure into our schedule sometimes, too. That’s what this blog is all about, anyway—how to do that in a smart, relatively healthy way.

The school district says this decision is part of a new wellness program....

But there are issues of fairness and school-day disruption here, too. I would’ve been very jealous of kids whose parents brought them special lunches. (It was bad enough watching other kids unwrap Ho-Ho’s, right?) And just imagine all the trades that a special lunch would set in motion. “I’ll do your homework for a week if you’ll give me the Subway sandwich you mom brought you.”

What do you think? As a parent, do you feel you should be able to bring anything onto campus for your kids? Or do you think schools ought to be able to set some limits? Use the Comments link to let me know.

Posted by QSMama at 09:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here's the address for that Panera coupon.

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Panera Bread Co. announced it is now the first U.S. chain with a kids' menu touting organic and all-natural items. Great news!

And watch for a one-day-only coupon for a free kids’ meal, offered online on June 21 The coupon, promoted as a thank you to parents for preparing children's lunches during the school year, will only be valid on June 21, the first day of summer. (A parent must buy a regularly priced menu item.)

New kids’ options at Panera include

• a grilled cheese sandwich made with organic American cheese
• all-natural peanut butter and jelly
• organic American cheese with roast beef, smoked ham, or smoked turkey.

Panera is serving the sandwiches on white whole-grain bread that has the soft feel of white bread with the added nutrition of whole grains. Sides include Horizon Organic Squeezable Yogurt and a choice of Horizon Organic milk or chocolate milk, or organic apple juice.

John Taylor, Panera's director of new product development, said the menu was developed in about a year and a half. Real kids taste-tested the items at Panera restaurants.

Quoting Taylor from the Reuters article: "What really drove the development of all of the items was food that kids say 'Whoa, hey I really like this and I'll eat it' but food that parents felt provided a better option than what they could get out there today."

The Panera Kids menu makes its debut days after a new report funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that restaurants can help prevent obesity by offering and promoting more low-calorie, healthy items.

Panera is not the first chain to add choices that make meals more palatable to parents looking for healthier fare for their Quixies. At McDonald's, for instance, children can order apples and low-fat caramel dip instead of French fries, and drinks such as apple juice and milk can be substituted for soft drinks.

And then there are the new Wendy's choices I posted about here last week.

The Panera Kids meals do not include toys or prizes, which are familiar components in meals at those fast food chains. The meals are priced at $4.49 at company-owned locations, or a couple of dollars below the average price of meals aimed at adults. Reuters says the Panera Kids menu hit all U.S. restaurants on May 24 after tests in Dallas Ft. Worth and Nashville.

Reuters says the kids' menu follows other health-related changes made at Panera. Since February, items have been free of trans fats except where they occur naturally. Panera also began selling antibiotic-free white meat chicken in most of its sandwiches and salads last year.

Panera is based in Richmond Heights, Missouri, and has about 900 U.S. locations.

Nice. This will be a great new option when Baby A and I meet TWH for lunch on workdays.

Posted by QSMama at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A friend and fellow blogger recently posted about how coffee shops are the hot new meet-up spot for moms, parents, and kids. I'm right there with her.

I'm sitting at one of my favorite local coffee shops right now with Baby A and my mom, who's in town visiting for Baby A's birthday. What I love is there's something here for each of us.

First, there are delicious caffeinated beverages. (smile) Second, there's a wireless, which allows me to get a bit of work done. And then there are snacks and meals, ranging from cookies to fresh fruit to full-on eggs and croissants, to suit any one, any time of day. There are magazines, fliers, and post cards for Baby A to sort, stack, and organize. And there are friends and associates, a true social and business network, to talk shop with and share business leads and ideas.

I like how the chains are working to provide a fuller environment for for customers like me and Baby A. There are the comfier seats and stay-a-while environments in fast-casual places. Even many of the traditional quick-serve places are striving to provide a wider range of choices in a more welcoming environment.

I hope to see more of this trend. Makes daily life with work and kids that much easier.

Posted by QSMama at 07:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

That's it.

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Two kinda funny things in today's news, both involving Taco Bell.

First, for someone with a very rich sugar mama, Kevin Federline, aka Mr. Britney Spears, seems sure he'll be able to teach his kids the value of a solid day's work.

Speaking to US magazine, as quoted in the Mirror UK, K-Fed says, "My kids are going to have to learn what a real job is, what life is. You don't have it easy with me. Period. My kids are going to work at Taco Bell, dammit."

On a related note, here's this.

Meanwhile, twenty-year-old Ryan Daniel Goff was sentenced to 16 to 30 months in prison for his botched attempt at extorting money from Taco Bell. Goff complained to employees at a Traverse City, Michigan, restaurant that his burrito tasted "funny." He then told the local health department and a Taco Bell regional office he found a dead mouse in his food.

But Goff's girlfriend ratted him out, telling authorities he'd bought frozen mice from a pet store and put one inside his burrito.

(TWH insists I should note Taco Bell is one of my guilty pleasures.)

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