I have a two year old son, and he is starting to understand the concept of "checking out" at the store. He likes to help write on the credit-card screen (I help him to type in our zip code, for example) and is generally very curious about all of this. But it occurred to me today that my son very rarely sees a cash transaction, or any cash at all for that matter. I use a debit or credit card (which is paid in full every month) for nearly every transaction.

I'm wondering if I should start using cash much more often so he can see the money and understand what is going on, and prepare him for using cash when he starts getting an allowance. Or, since cash is so un-used in my life (and so many others), should I teach him how banks and debit cards work?

In other words, how do kids today learn about "money" as a concept, when they so rarely see actual money changing hands?

(Photo: Jakesdad)

Even milk-covered desert cereals like Lucky Charms, Reese's Puffs, and Cookie Crisp have 3-4 health claims on their boxes, the report finds. And most of the cereals with the lowest nutritional content are still pimp themselves out as being "better-for you" or "Smart Choices."

The cereal companies typically "dual-market." From one side of their mouth, convince parents that it's a healthy and wholesome start to the day. Out the other, tell kids that cereal is a fun game.

Someone should tell these companies childhood obesity is no game. Parents need to make smart purchasing decisions, but regulators need to start taking on these bogus health claims.

Mixed Messages From Sugary Cereal Makers [The Atlantic]
Cereal FACTS:Evaluating the nutrition quality and marketing of children's cereals (PDF) (4-page summary (PDF))

Incident #1: Police were called to investigate reports of a fight. "Police said they determined a 16-year-old girl to be the main aggressor in the fight. The girl continued to be disorderly outside the restaurant, attempted to flee from police, then resisted attempts to arrest her, police said. She was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, and released to her family, police said."

Incident #2: Police were called to investigate an abandoned 2-year-old, who was apparently left by his family (we presume they were fleeing the raging teenage girl).

Incident #3: Police were called to investigate an abandoned 20-year-old special needs woman who had "left the restaurant unattended and had to be stopped from running into traffic."

This establishment should get rid of the animatronics and just install huge plate glass windows so diners can see the cop drama outside. That's clearly where the real excitement is.

"One day, three police incidents at Susquehanna Township Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant" [PennLive.com] (Thanks to Howard!)
(Photo: TheTruthAbout...)

See, Baby Einstein products were marketed to parents as beneficial to children's brain development....even though research indicates that the videos may be, um, the opposite of that.

Last year, lawyers threatened a class-action lawsuit for unfair and deceptive practices unless Disney agreed to refund the full purchase price to all who bought the videos since 2004. "The Walt Disney Company's entire Baby Einstein marketing regime is based on express and implied claims that their videos are educational and beneficial for early childhood development," a letter from the lawyers said, calling those claims "false because research shows that television viewing is potentially harmful for very young children."

The letter cited estimates from The Washington Post and Business Week that Baby Einstein controlled 90 percent of the baby media market, and sold $200 million worth of products annually.

I am not a parent, it's true, but am I the only person who finds the existence of a "baby media market" incredibly creepy?

Disney and Baby Einstein fired back, insisting that they make no claims that their products are educational, and this is all the result of a propaganda campaign by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

Unfortunately, with [CCFC Director] Susan Linn's latest stunt, we cannot be silent any longer. Linn's obvious dislike for Baby Einstein has now turned into a sensational, headline-grabbing publicity campaign that seeks to twist and spin a simple, customer satisfaction action into a false admission of guilt. This is clearly not the case.

Linn's moves are carefully crafted to prey on parental guilt and uncertainty. This time, she began by asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to go after Baby Einstein because, she said, we claimed that Baby Einstein was educational. But we do not make any such claim – and the FTC brought no action.

Baby Einstein products and videos are extremely common in American homes, even though pediatricians recommend that children under 2 should watch no television at all, and early TV exposure may be linked to attention problems later in life.

If you have videos and would like to take part in the program, visit the company's Guarantee/Upgrade Offer page.

No Einstein in Your Crib? Get a Refund [NY Times]
The Baby Einstein™ DVD Upgrade / Moneyback Guarantee [Official Site]
Baby Einstein Sets The Record Straight On Refund [Official Site]

RELATED:
Do Baby Einstein Products Make Your Child Stupid? Well, The Lead Tainted Blocks Don't Help
"Baby Einstein" Videos Probably Don't Work, Might Even Hurt
University Of Washington Stands Up To Disney, Will Not Retract "Baby Einstein" Press Release

(Photo: _Nezemnaya_)

I especially like the one where the bowl of fries is grabbing the bottle and shaking it onto themselves. Underneath each design is a student's name and school. Turns out it's part of a Heinz packet design contest for schoolchildren. Kids get some name recognition (and $1,000), teachers get a free lesson plan (and $1,000 in art supplies), and Heinz gets to infiltrate the minds of K-12 students (and give schools $1,000 of their ketchup). Wins all around. [KetchupCreativity]

The website Attorney At Law notes:

The AVMA said the current outbreak of salmonella, which began in 2007, has sickened 107 people in 34 states, with about one-third of those affected requiring hospitalization for the illness. So far, there have been no deaths linked to salmonella spread by turtles kept as pets, officials said.

...and from MSNBC:

The 2007-08 outbreak involved mostly children in 34 states; one-third of all patients had to be hospitalized. In many cases, parents didn't know that turtles can carry salmonella.

The easiest way to avoid this is to not buy your kid a pet turtle. For those of you who have no intention of following that advice, just try to keep your turtle and your child from getting too intimate:

• don't let your child swim with the turtle (that's how two children got sick);
• don't let your child put the turtle in her mouth (which is actually why the ban on small turtles was enacted in the first place);
• don't let your turtle walk across food preparation surfaces, like kitchen counters;
• don't bathe your baby in a sink where you've washed the turtle cage.

"Salmonella Outbreak Traced to Pet Turtles" [Attorney At Law]
"Pet turtles sickened children in 34 states" [MSNBC]
(Photo: reggie35)

Theaters will allow children to watch film clips of their own selection, participate in karaoke contests or chat live with Disney Channel stars via satellite. Computer chips embedded in packaging will activate hidden features. Walk by a "magic mirror" while holding a Princess tiara, for instance, and Cinderella might appear and say something to you.

It's your birthday? With the push of a button, eight 13-foot-tall Lucite trees will crackle with video-projected fireworks and sound. There will be a scent component; if a clip from Disney's coming "A Christmas Carol" is playing in the theater, the whole store might suddenly be made to smell like a Christmas tree.

The makeover happened only after much internal debate at the company. Indeed, some Disney board members fretted that the concept was so lavish that parents would try to use the stores as day care centers. Others worried that people would come for the entertainment but not buy anything.

"It's time to take risks," Mr. Fielding said he told them. "When consumers are ready to spend again, we will be ready."

The article says analysts estimate Disney will spend about a million dollars per store for the remodeling. We think it might be cheaper, and just as effective, if they simply build American Girl facades and hide the Disney stores inside.

"Disney's Retail Plan Is a Theme Park in Its Stores" [New York Times]
(Photo: indy138)

We started the game dreading the inevitable edu-boringness that these sorts of things always deliver, but actually it's not that bad. At crucial points in the match, you have to answer a question to determine what happens next. Answer correctly, and your team will successfully make the kick/tackle/snitch-grab (I really don't know soccer). Prove you're a financial idiot and your team will lose. To make it more interesting, the really valuable shots can only be completed if you answer harder questions.

Financial Soccer via Kansas City Star

Turns out the team pulled the old switcheroo on Jennifer, handing her a polished, new ball autographed by Howard. She didn't buy the trickery and went home and told her mom, who asked the Phillies for the ball she gave up. After a long struggle, which included a lawsuit, she's finally gotten the Phillies to back down. CNN reports:

If the girl wants the baseball, Webb continued, contact Howard's agent, "since the player now has the ball."

By Monday of this week, with the regular season over and no ball in hand, Kent took the extraordinary measure of suing on behalf of Jennifer. He sought the ball and a judgment "in excess of $15,000."

The ball was promptly returned.

"Ryan Howard 200th career home run," it says in capital letters across the ball, now encased.

"My ball," Jennifer says with a smile.

The Phillies may be the reigning world champs, but they're no match for Jennifer.

Girl, 12, slugged back at Phillies slugger [CNN]
(Photo: jaredrubinsky)
(Thanks, Lauren!)

"Target fined over lead paint in toys" [Reuters]
(Photo: j.reed)

Kelly Whalen, a mother of four who runs a personal finance blog called The Centsible Life, offers this advice:

In my family of 6, we pay our kids bi-weekly an amount equal to their age. We used to take them shopping on payday, but quickly learned by doing so we were teaching them to spend every dime. The kids use wallets to hold their cash, and take them along when we go out. They have been saving more this way, and all 4 of the kids are now interested in opening up savings accounts.

They use their money as they see fit. I do not ask that they donate a certain amount, or save a certain amount. My oldest daughter decided she likes buying lunch at school, so she invested $10 in her lunch account so she can choose when she wants to buy.

We do not pay our kids based on chores. Chores are an expected part of life, and since mom and dad don't get paid for chores neither do they. I will pay extra for chores that are outside the norm. A quarter for picking up a bucket of pinecones, $1/bag for the older kids to rack up leaves and put them in a bag, and $5/week for cleaning the cat litter (so far no one has taken me up on that one!).

What do you think is best — to pay kids based on chores or a standard rate based on seniority? And how much control do you think a perent should you exert over their kids' money?

Kids and Allowance [The Centsible Life]
(Photo: foundphotoslj)

Everything from McDonald's burgers and fries to Pizza Hut dishes to candy and soda is sold in public schools, often in lunch rooms. While companies that market to children have adopted guidelines that ostensibly ban in-school food marketing to kids under 12, the rules are ambiguous, to say the least. The Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative's Fact Sheet on the Elementary School Advertising Principles [pdf] allows for so many loopholes—marketing on vending machine exteriors, branded display racks, sponsored curricula—that the limits are mostly useless.

Want to support a bill to study food and food marketing in schools? If so, write your Representative using this handy form and ask him or her to support the National School Food Marketing Assessment Act.

Food Industry Seeks to Maintain Junk-Food Marketing in Schools [Center for Science in the Public Interest]

(Photo via The Gifted Photographer)

"The 7 Most Inappropriate Products For Children" [Huffington Post] (Thanks to Daizy!)

"It took only seconds for the extremely high temperature of the interior portion of the food item to severely burn and blister (Cullen's) skin," attorney Joseph K. Curran Jr. wrote in a complaint filed in Norfolk Superior Court.

Before handing the hash brown to her son to eat, the boy's mother, Robin, checked it and found it was "lukewarm," the suit states. The family claims the hash brown heated up "unevenly" and that the food's interior temperature was "unsafe for public consumption."

The family's attorney insists that this case is absolutely nothing like the infamous McDonald's scalding-hot coffee case, and have not yet explained what kind of amazing heating device cooks hash browns from the inside out.

Parents feel burned after Dunkin' Donuts visit [Boston Herald]

(Photo: Morton Fox)

Last night, our reader "w_mworker" said it was an official display campaign called "Family Fun Night":

There is also supposed to be board games and other family games next to the DVDs. (probably not noticed since they actually belong in the toy dept) The idea is one stop shopping for a cheap family night at home. By a board game, kid dvd and some snacks.

And guess what: today on Twitter, Walmart made an official announcement.

Walmart on Twitter (Thanks to m_worker and Travis!)

Children's safety products blog Z Recommends notes that this puts the company in a bad position going forward.

..The epoxy lining used for years in SIGG bottles - which they secretly swapped out for a new liner last summer - contained the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A. There's more to the story than that, but the bottom line is that this company is in a very vulnerable position, and there are a couple of factors that will make it hard for them to claim the high road on this issue.

Bottles manufactured after August 2008 contain no BPA whatsoever. Sigg argues that consumers shouldn't worry, because their tests show that the liner doesn't leach BPA into the bottle's contents—it simply contains the substance. So why did it take the company a year to admit the change?

The SIGG BPA Confession: You aren't going to like it any more than we do [Z Recommends]
About Our Liners & Reusable Bottles [SIGG USA Press Release] (Thanks, Shaula!)

RELATED:
No More BPA Baby Bottles In US?
Industry Brainstorms How To Convince Consumers BPA Isn't The Devil
Study Finds Bisphenol-A Can Enter Your Body Through Non-Food Sources
Confirmed: BPA Will Harm Your Monkey

(Photo: TreeHugger)

MSN Money claims that the cost of a child is $221k, and that's only through age 17 (doesn't include college, which could double the amount) for families earning between $56,870 to $98,470 a year. For higher-income families, the cost skyrockets to almost $370k for rural families and over $400k for urban dwellers. Even lower-income families spend $160k raising a child. No matter the level, raising kids is going to take a big bite out of your finances.

The cost break downs, as well as basic suggestions on how to minimize them, are as follows:

Housing cost through age 17: $53,100 to $126,180. You could ignore one of the basic assumptions used in calculating additional housing costs. You could decide not to move into a larger home.

Food cost through age 17: $29,250 to $44,790. Set strict limits on the more discretionary forms of food spending [such as fast food.]

Transportation cost through age 17: $22,710 to $45,570. Avoid buying a new car. Instead, look into a used car such as a relatively new model that's coming off of a one- or two-year lease.

Clothing cost through age 17: $10,860 to $18,540. take full advantage to skirt the outlandish expense of buying clothes for your little one(s). Also, seek out some of the thousands of manufacturer outlets across the country where you can buy perfectly good clothes as low as half their original price.

Health care cost through age 17: $12,810 to $19,860. Because much of this expense comes from health insurance premiums, it pays to shop around if you have the option of choosing your insurance carrier.

Child care and education cost through age 17: $20,670 to $77,130. If staying at home full time isn't feasible, look into forming a cooperative with other parents.

Miscellaneous cost through age 17: $10,470 to $34,590. General cost savings strategies.

These expenses seem a bit over-inflated, and MSN Money recognizes that individual results can vary dramatically (either higher or lower.) However, it's clear to see that there will be extra expenses associated with raising kids and these costs won't be trivial. So, before you "go forth and multiply", it's probably wise to consider and plan for the expense multiplication that occurs when a family gets larger.

Raising your $221,000 baby [MSN Money]

— FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: foundphotoslj)

Sports drink recipe from "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook"
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 cups cold water

In a quart pitcher, dissolve the sugar and salt in the hot water. Add the remaining ingredients and the cold water. The drink contains about 50 calories and 110 mg of sodium per 8 ounces, approximately the same as for most sports drinks.

The Times warns that sports drinks aren't designed to quench couch potato exertions like reaching for the remote and the pretzels, but "are only appropriate in the context of sports, and I mean serious sports."

Phys Ed: Are Sports Drinks Actually Good for Kids? [The New York Times]
(Photo: Welvis Tarn)

"Pricetag to raise a child — $291,570, says U.S." [Reuters]
(Photo: jessicareeder)

"Woman Drags Child on Leash Through Verizon Store" [IntoMobile]

Cited in a Baltimore BusinessJournal story, the survey says 64 percent of parents plan to spend less this year than last year on erasers, protractors, binders and other such staples. Last year, the survey found that 71 percent of parents were spending less than the year before.

Not exactly great news for edcuation, but at least the rate of speed at which parents are devaluing their kids educations is slowing, huh?

The overall picture is bleak for higher-end supply sellers, but great for dollar stores:

"The overall tone is basically that the consumer is going to be very cautious about their spending," said Tony Torres, a Deloitte & Touche partner based in Kansas City, Mo.

Ninety percent of respondents said they will shop at discount or value stores, 40 percent said dollar stores, 29 percent said office supply stores, and 28 percent said off-price stores.

With school starting up soon, now is the time to open up that 75 cent store you've always fantasized starting.

Deloitte survey: Fewer consumers plan to cut back-to-school spending [Baltimore Business Journal]
(Photo: frankieleon)

A couple of hours and two Walmarts later, they found themselves at Toys R Us.

If the problem was just that Walmart's "approximate" store inventory system sucks, it wouldn't be that much of a story. But what really ruined the family's experience was that at the Walmarts, it took either a small army or a 51-minute-wait to find out that the item wasn't there.

By contrast, Toys R Us managed to save the birthday shopping trip with a smile:

On our happy way, we surfed the Internet on the phone found the item also in stock at Toys R Us and frantically called them. We were immediately transferred to a bubbly manager whom raced, not waddled, to the shelves to check if the product was in stock. It was! Even though they had four in stock an associate dragged the fifty pound box to the front counter and attached a HOLD note to it. Do you know how valuable it was not to drag three children through a toy store trying to locate the seasonal department? Or wait? Priceless.

We drove halfway across Cleveland with a tired toddler and one devastated customer to pick up the item. Parked our minivan next to another minivan in a different color and stepped inside Toys R Us. The skies parted and the angels sang.

Three point two minutes later: One very satisfied customer making his first big purchase with his savings, a purchase he will always remember. Not taking place in Walmart. Heh.

"You won't find me at Walmart" [Classy Chaos] (Thanks to David!)
(Photo: Unkle_Cheese)

His father, John, wrote to Consumerist:

My 7 year old son got mail from American Express and Northwest Airlines today. They want him to have his own credit card card it seems. He's already been scavenging our home for things that look like gold to send off to CashforGold.com to fund the ant farm he wants, so luckily I got to this before he could fill it out in crayon and send it back in. This isn't as funny as when my dog got a credit card offer about 10 years ago, but its still pretty funny.

We can only hope that he wouldn't be approved, but I am slightly disturbed at this insight into how Cash4Gold commercials are affecting our nation's youth.

Developmental problems are pervasive in their nature. They affect nearly every aspect of a child's life. Some disorders, such as birth-trauma induced cerebral palsy, impact both the mental and the physical development of the child. As a result, these children often require specialized equipment, supplies, services, or devices able-bodied children do not need.

Unfortunately, health plans and insurance companies characterize such special requirements as not "medically necessary" — almost always at the plan administrator's sole discretion — and deny these benefits. As a result, many families are forced to pay expenses out of pocket or to make the unsettling choice of forcing their child to do without the needed benefit. Compounding the insult is the fact that the law makes it exceedingly difficult to reverse the decision of the plan administrator.

One glaring example of the anti-consumer state of the law is the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Originally designed as a measure to protect workers and ensure they would receive the promised benefits of their employment, a series of court decisions over the past two decades gave plan administrators tremendous authority to deny claims. Only very recently have some courts begun ruling in favor of individuals instead of corporations.

Just another sign that it's "medically necessary" that our health care system undergoes major surgery.

Special Needs Children Pay When Insurance Companies Don't [InjuryBoard]
(Photo: ChristophrHiestr)

Our tipster writes:

My 13 year old daughter Taylor's best friend Kayla moved to Colorado last year. As Taylor and Kayla were saying their goodbyes we told them we would have Kayla out for a visit someday.

So this summer Kayla's parents arranged for Kayla to come visit my Daughter here in California for a week in June. Kayla's parents flew her out via Frontier airlines and paid the extra $100 unaccompanied minor fee. My wife picked Kayla up from the airport without a hitch and everything was fine.

Fast forward to the day of the return trip a week later.

Kayla's flight was scheduled to leave from San Diego at 2:59PM. I called Frontier Airlines around 11:00 AM to make sure the flight was on time and to see how early we needed to arrive at the airport and to verify her reservation. While talking to the agent I found out that even though Kayla's mother had put me on the list of people authorized to receive a gate pass so I could walk Kayla to her departure gate, I was not showing up in Frontiers computer system. After a few phone calls to Kayla's Mother and to Frontier we straightened this out and I was placed on the approval list in Frontiers System.

We showed up 2 hours early to the airport for her flight. While checking Kayla in I was required to fill out Frontiers standard unaccompanied minor request for carriage form which contains all the contact information on who is dropping the minor off and who will be picking the minor up from the destination airport. The form was filled out completely with both kaylas mother and father being the recipients. Kayla bags were checked in and I was given a gate pass.

After waiting an hour and a half at the departure gate the same ticket agent that checked us in called Kayla's name to board early. We walked up to the gate and gave the agent the paperwork we had along with the request for carriage form. The agent took the paperwork, said thank you and immediately turned and started walking down boarding ramp with Kayla. I stopped the agent and asked, "dont I get a receipt or anything?! " The agent stopped and looked at the other agent at the gate. "I guess we could give him our copy" she said to the agent behind the check in counter. She then flipped through the FIVE duplicate pages on the form and pulled out a canary colored copy and gave it to me. I commented to her that I just gave her a very precious passenger and to be careful with her. I also told Kayla that if she was taken off the plane for any reason to immediately call me. I called Kayla's mother and let her know that her daughter was on the flight and was on her way home and to call me as soon as she had Kayla in hand.

So fast forward 3 hours later and I get a call from Kaylas Mother. I was expecting to hear that she had Kayla but instead she asked who's name I had filled out on the request for carriage form. She had been getting the run around at the Frontier check gate in Colorado. Even though she was the legal guardian and had the proper forms and I.D. Frontier would not let her have a gate pass to meet and pick up her daughter at the gate. When I talked to her she was frantic. I checked the receipt that I insisted the agent in San Diego give me. Her mother was listed first and then her Father.

So I called Frontier airlines and explained the situation. They told me that they didn't know why her mother was not on the list but that her father was listed and there is only room in the system for one name. They said it was corrected and I called Kayla's mother back to inform her. At this point the plane had been on the ground for some time and through text messages we found out Kayla was taken to a security station at the denver airport and placed in a holding room. It was about an hour before she was finally reunited with her mother.

In my opinion this is inexcusable. Not only did her mother have to pay an extra $100 unaccompanied minor charge to the airline, but the airline dropped the ball and didn't get it right. They left a mother in a panic for an hour in a busy airport and scared the heck out of an innocent 13 year old girl by placing her in a security room. All the agents had to do is look at the request for carriage form that was with her.

I'm writing this because I think Frontier Airlines needs to carefully review and revise their procedures to insure that this never has to happen to another parent of child flying with them again. I think they also owe Kayla's mother a refund for at least $100 for the unaccompanied minor fee and a huge apology .

(Photo: ATIS547)

1. A Budget: Yeah yeah, you've already read one of our numerous guides and written a budget, but a baby requires a wholesale re-write. Figure out how you're going to pay for day-to-day necessities like diapers, while starting to save for long-term budget-busters like college.

2. Life and Disability Insurance: If something happens, you're not going to be the only one to suffer. Take out life insurance worth four to eight times your annual salary, and consider disability insurance that can covers your whole salary in case of an accident.

3. Health Insurance: Make sure you have health insurance and don't forget to add your new child to your policy! Check your spouse's policy and see whose will best accommodate your new baby. Without insurance, delivering a baby can cost more than a semester at college.

4. A Will: Even if you have life, disability, and health insurance, you're still going to die. Hopefully it won't happen anytime soon, but if it does, you don't want a court deciding who's going to raise your kid. Hire a lawyer and name a guardian to raise your kids and manage your estate.

Crib? Check. Toys? Check. Don't Forget a Budget, A Will and Insurance. [Kiplinger]
(Photo: darabidduckie)

We have also shared with all of our pharmacy departments that this is an unacceptable practice and should not be repeated. At Sam's Club we always have the health and welfare of our customers and members in mind with everything we do and we deeply regret that this incident occurred.

You can read the full response over at Salisbury News.

(Note: Joe says Sam's Club gave him permission to publish the email, so you can ignore the "privileged and confidential" warning at the bottom of it.)

(Photo: Joe Albero/Salisbury News)

On the downside, as a pill recipient at Salisbury News notes, "Now my 3 year old thinks all prescription pill bottles are just tasty snacks".

I can't wait to see what's next. Wal-Mart promoting its gun department with the Pez "suicide" dispenser?

Saturday at Sam's Club [Salisbury News] (Thanks to Droford!)
(Photo: Joe Albero/Salisbury News)

Guest Bloggers Carrie McLaren & Jason Torchinsky are coeditors of Ad Nauseam: A Survivor's Guide to American Consumer Culture. In previous lives, they worked together on the hopelessly obscure and now defunct Stay Free! magazine.

Either way, no need to worry that your kids will receive replacement subscriptions to Maxim. Nickelodeon promises that they will issue refunds to subscribers. As always, you know who to call if they don't.

Nickelodeon Magazine folds [Publishers Weekly]
Nickelodeon Magazine shutting down [Media Life]

Colby was a movie fan, [mom] Lisa Curtin said, and she latched onto Pixar's movies because she loved animals.

[On April 30] Colby's health began to worsen. On June 4 her mother asked a hospice company to bring a wheelchair for Colby so she could visit a theater to see "Up." However, the weekend went by and the wheelchair was not delivered, Lisa Curtin said.

By June 9, Colby could no longer be transported to a theater and her family feared she would die without having seen the movie.

At that point, Orum, who desperately wanted Colby to get her last wish, began to cold-call Pixar and Disney to see if someone could help.

Pixar has an automated telephone answering system, Orum said, and unless she had a name of a specific person she wanted to speak to, she could not get through. Orum guessed a name and the computer system transferred her to someone who could help, she said.

"Pixar grants girl's dying wish to see 'Up'" [OC Register] (Thanks to Mike!)

Tell us, is there anything actually raunchy on that Family Guy box, or are they just teasing?

Yesterday, Jonathan's ten-year-old daughter boarded a plane from Boston to Cleveland to visit her grandparents. She flew as an unaccompanied minor, meaning that her family paid an extra fee for airline staff to keep an eye on her and make sure she was taken care of and ended up where she needed to be. They didn't. She ended up on a plane bound for Newark, NJ.

The planes to Cleveland and Newark, both regional jets, used the same departure gate and were parked next to each other on the tarmac. Airline staff put the little girl on the wrong plane, and no one realized that anything was amiss until Jonathan's in-laws in Ohio received a phone call telling them that they could pick up their granddaughter. In New Jersey.

Jonathan wrote about the situation and the immediate aftermath on his blog:

When the flight arrived in Newark, no one there noticed that my daughter had been put on the wrong flight and flown the wrong city, again despite the fact that her paperwork clearly spelled out both the flight number and destination. The Continental people in Newark called my in-laws' phone number to tell them to come pick her up as if nothing was wrong, despite the fact that their address on the form was an Ohio address and their phone number had an Ohio area code. The people in Newark did not call my home or cell number to find out why no one was at the airport to pick up my daughter, despite the fact that they had both of those numbers on the same paperwork as my in-laws' number.

We didn't find out something was wrong until my father-in-law called me from the arrival gate in Cleveland to ask why my daughter wasn't on the plane.

It took forty-five minutes from that point until the Continental people in Cleveland finally confirmed that she was in Newark. The only reason they were able to figure it out at all is because I told them that there had been a flight to Newark boarding at the same gate and the best possible explanation for her whereabouts was that the gate agent put her on the wrong flight (the alternatives were much worse!). God only knows how long it would have taken them to figure out where she was if I hadn't noticed the Newark flight leaving from Boston and mentioned it to them.

The folks in Cleveland "graciously" offered to refund the unaccompanied minor fee. My father-in-law laughed when they made the offer, it was so outrageous. You can bet they'll be refunding a lot more than that fee by the time I'm done with them.

I can see all of the parents reading this post shuddering right now. Jonathan has contacted the airline as well as the FAA, and hopes to hear back from them very, very soon.

Another airline screwup you just will NOT believe: Continental puts my unaccompanied minor daughter on the wrong plane! [Something better to do]
Frequently Asked Questions about Children Traveling Alone [Continental Airlines]

(Photo: quinnanya)

Earlier this month, Ian Goodson discovered this close encounter. It disturbed him, because his 9-year-old daughter regularly checks the programming guide to see what's playing on ABC Family HD and Disney HD. Even though all she might see is a few suggestive words, rather than the programs themselves, Goodson does not want his daughter to stumble upon the obscene while seeking out the wholesome.

"At noon there's pornography right above the kids' channel stuff," Goodson, 28, a sales rep who lives in Minnetonka. "It just doesn't make any logical sense at all."

Comcast already offers a way to screen what it calls "rather graphic" titles out of the programming guide, but even cable execs should realize that kids shows and porn shouldn't play anywhere near each other.

Comcast agrees with angry parent: no more close encounters between porn channels and kids' channels in program guide [The Star Tribune]

Of course, the cereals will also remain a good source of sugar—adding fiber won't change the rest of the nutritional package, so be sure to read the nutrition label and not just the "now with Fiber!" badge plastered on the front of the box.

Fearing a clampdown by the Obama administration, "Companies that make highly processed foods are looking for ways to make them look less processed," adds Tom Vierhile, director of Datamonitor's Product Launch Analytics. "Besides, consumers perceive more fiber as good for you."

Adding fiber alone won't make a product better, says Michael Jacobson, director of the consumer group, Center for Science in the Public Interest. "You can gussie up any product by adding fiber and vitamins," he says, but says what consumers need to check for are added sugars, sodium and dyes.

Still, we think John Harvey Kellogg would be proud to see that nearly all of the breakfast cereals produced by his brother's company will soon be as concerned about bowel movements as he was.

"Kellogg adds fiber, hoping to bowl cereal consumers over" [USA Today]
(Toilet photo: mararie)

For instance, tonight, kids eat free at Applebees. Tuesday, children 10 and under eat free at Red Robin from 5 to 9. Every day at IHOP your meal is comped if you're 12 or under. To keep the savings coming, parents, eat your own meal ahead of time before bringing your brood to the dining establishment so you're not tempted to splurge on your own meal. This may not always work as sometimes purchase of adult entree is required.

Another important caveat to this list: call the specific location you plan on going to ahead of time to make sure they're participating in the kids meal program. Sometimes individual franchise owners opt-out of national promotions.

Kids Eat Free [Frugal Living] (Image: Paxton Holley)

Combine:
1 cup Flour
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Salt
2 tablespoon Cream of tartar
1 tablespoon Oil

Cook until ingredients start to clump together. Turn out onto a plate or piece of wax paper, and knead in food coloring if you wish.

If the mix starts drying out, knead in a splash of water or whip up a new batch. Once you've made your doughy ball of fun, give your kids a few miscellaneous kitchen tools like cookie cutters, a rolling pin, or that mellon baller you got for a wedding gift but never use.

There are plenty of alternate recipes that use varying amounts of the above ingredients, and the kids don't have an exclusive claim on the fun. Some of your older friends may want to come over and get their hands dirty while enjoying a cheap bottle of whatever.

Creating your own play dough kit [Frugal Village]
(Photo: chanchan222)