*This book review was dictated to me by my 9 year old daughter.  We call her Girly.

Whenever my family and I visit New York City, we always go to Dylan’s Candy Bar.  My whole family likes candy, but my mom and I are candy monsters; it’s one of our most favorite places in the world!   If you’ve never been to Dylan’s Candy Bar and you like candy, then you have to go someday; it’s the best.

But in the meantime, you can read the book: Dylan’s Candy Bar-Unwrap Your Sweet Life.  I was so happy when I got it in the mail by surprise right near my birthday; a family friend sent me a signed copy.  I sat down and read it immediately.

(image from dylanscandybar.com)

Dylan Lauren, the author of the book and the owner of Dylan’s Candy Bar, starts by telling the story of herself and her love of candy.  It’s a big book filled with pictures of candy.   The photographs are great; they make me want to eat all the candy!  She tells you how to plan a candy-themed party or event, like a baby shower, wedding or a birthday; the candy decorations are really creative.

Then there are candy recipes, facts and stories about all the big holidays like the Chocolate Bunny for Easter or Conversation Hearts for Valentine’s Day.   Of course there’s a section in the book about Halloween and she even gives you tips about How To Get Twice As Much Candy On Halloween!  Here are a few examples:

• Always wear a costume that is creative.  People want to reward you for the effort that you put in.
• Start trick-or-tricking earlier rather than later, so the good candy doesn’t run out or get taken by all the young kids.
• Bring along a cute kid or even a baby (since they can’t eat candy anyway) as “arm candy.”  You’ll be rewarded with extra loot for seeming charitable for taking them trick-or-treating.
• Map out neighborhoods that are wealthy and have tall building.

I also like the candy quizzes in the book.  My mom and I had fun trying to figure out the answers.  Do you know the answers to these candy questions?

1. Which is not a character on the Candy Land game board?

(a) Mr. Grapehead

(b) Mr. Mint

(c) Grandma Nutt

2. On Seinfeld, which candy accidentally lands in a patient’s body during surgery (thanks to Kramer)?

(a) Pez

(b) Junior Mints

(c) Bazooka Gum

This is a fun book and I really liked reading about candy and looking at all the yummy photos.  If you love candy like me and my mom, you will love this book.

*P.S. The answers to the quiz are:  1. (a) and 2. (b).

*******************

Other posts about candy that you may like:

Kickin’ It Old School: Candy Memories

Halloween = Candy

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*Today I am participating in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop by answering the prompt: 4.) Link up and show us something you’ve created for Halloween, anything qualifies…costumes, recipes, crafts, party invites, treats, decorations etc..

Girly is an apple this Halloween.  No, she’s not a piece of fruit, she’s an Apple brand product.

Get it?

An iPhone 4, to be exact.

See the earbuds dangling from her head and the apps on her chest?  Those are actually the apps on my phone.

She thought of this costume all by herself; I just executed her design.  I swear.

Really, I dunno where she gets this stuff.  ;-)

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

******************

Other posts about Halloween that you may like:

Halloween = Candy

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*Today I am participating in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop by answering the prompt: 1.) A book (or tv show … or something) that you watched/loved as a kid, that you see through entirely different eyes as an adult/mom.

I LOVED Sesame Street as a kid, absolutely LOVED IT.  You know, back then we didn’t have 15,000 channels dedicated to children’s programming; PBS and few local stations were pretty much it.   As a child I felt that all the Sesame Street characters were my friends and I loved watching them sing, dance, joke and experience the same life joys and disappointments that I was experiencing.   It was funny and relevant.  Yes, it was educational and of course I learned as I watched, but as a child that didn’t matter to me; the interaction between the characters and with ME sitting at home resonated the most.

Eventually I grew out of watching Sesame Street and moved on to programming targeted to older children like Zoom and The Electric Company (until Melrose Place took the place of all that), but when I had children of my own, I was happy to see Sesame Street still on the air and even better than ever.   Watching it with my kids was like coming home to old friends; they were all still there–Ernie, Bert, Oscar, Big Bird, Grover, Cookie (except Mr. Hooper, God rest his soul)–but there were new characters as well.  That was cool; I welcomed Elmo and Zoe into my home with open arms (even though Elmo’s laugh is only tolerable but for so long.  This long: *squinching my fingers together about 1/8 of an inch*).

Sesame Street has always been a parental ally by teaching both social and academic skills on the show, but as an adult I noticed something about Sesame Street that I took for granted as a child: that there were people of color on there.   Human people like Gordon, Susan, David, Maria and Luis and also muppet “people” like Roosevelt Franklin (♫ Elementary School ♫….remember that little ditty?) were on the show from the very beginning.   I didn’t think much of it as a child because I lived in Chicago and my real world was diverse like that; in my child’s mind, everyone else’s world was just like mine.

As a parent I lament the lack of diversity in children’s programming (how come Hannah Montana doesn’t know any black people?  I know, I know; it’s Malibu.  But if she can pretend to be someone else just by changing her hair, then they can get some black people in Malibu), but Sesame Street has always made the show to represent ALL children.

And the show is still evolving; always willing to learn, expand and grow.  One of the most recent songs on Sesame Street has taken the show and social media world by storm; I Love My Hair was created by head writer Joe Mazzarino in response to his adopted Ethiopian s daughter’s comments about (not loving) her own hair.  If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out:

I count at least 12 different hairstyles that the little brown muppet girl is wearing in the video; a little brown human girl watching has got to identify with at least one of those hairstyles.  I think it’s wonderful that Sesame Street realizes the importance of affirming the unique beauty of ALL little girls.

Thank you Sesame Street for all that you were to me as a child and all that you continue to be for children everywhere.

P.S. It is one of my life’s dreams to be on Sesame Street.  If you know someone who can make that happen, please tell them about me. Just thought I will put it out there, because you never know; your cousin’s hairdresser’s aunt could be a producer on the show. Can’t you see me chilling on the neighborhood stoop?

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

********************

Other posts you may like about Sesame Street:

Kickin’ It Od School: Sesame Street Classics and Richard Pryor

Who Would Be My Roommate On Sesame Street

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*I don’t get paid for my opinions in any way; this is just me sharing stuff that I like and I think you will too.

The leaves are turning colors and falling to the ground, the air is crisp and the sun sets earlier.  It’s fall.  And that means one thing…Pumpkin Pancake Mix at Trader Joe’s!

I love pumpkin baked goods; don’t you?  Pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin scones, pumpkin fudge (oh, my friend brought some pumpkin fudge to a school function once and she gave me the recipe…I must find that because it was so delicious)–they are all so yummy.

A few years ago I discovered the Pumpkin Pancake And Waffle Mix at Trader Joe’s and my pumpkin world was rocked.  I’m actually not a big pancake person, but these pancakes turn out so moist, so delicious and so pumpkin-y that I must make them every Saturday during the fall season.

I discovered the hard way last year that this pancake mix is seasonal; it appears sometime in October and when they run out, it is gone until next fall.  I’m no fool; I only make a mistake like that once.  This year I went to my local Trader Joe’s in early October and put my name on a list to be called when the shipment came in; this week I got the call.   Greedily I picked up the 3 reserved boxes and I will go back for some more next week.  I must stock up!

I urge you to run–don’t walk–to your local Trader Joe’s for the Pumpkin Pancake And Waffle Mix.  Do you think it’s just me who’s pumpkin mix crazy?   Ha! I wish.  Trader Joe shoppers are a devoted bunch to begin with, so you know any popular seasonal item is just going to cause mayhem.

Don’t get left behind making plain ‘ole boring buttermilk pancakes this fall.

Go.

Run.

Now.

******************

Other posts you have like about grocery shopping:

Let’s Go Shopping At Trader Joe’s

Let’s Go Shopping At Whole Foods

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

*Today I am participating in Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop by answering the prompt: 2.) About me. Do you have an about me page? Because people want to know. Write a page that describes who you are and what you’re about or spruce up your current about me page.

This is my Check Me Out page on my website; I think that it describes me pretty well!   Even though I’ve had this website for well over 2 years, I’m always tweaking my About Me page; that’s a fairly new photo and I linked to some more ways to learn about me.

Because I know you want to know!  You were sitting there with bated breath, anxious, tossing and turning at night, mumbling under your breath “Tell me more Funkidivagirl; I need to know more!”  I know.  It’s okay.  Here I am.  Shhhh.

Can you be both crunchy and fabulous at the same time?  Absolutely!  That’s me!

I shop almost exclusively at Whole Foods and believe that yes, organic foods are better for you.  My children slept in the family bed, I nursed them both well beyond their second year of life and I birthed one of them at home.  I have dredlocks.  That’s the crunchy me.

But I’m only a psuedo-hippie because I also like some BLING!  Peace signs are my favorite icon, but they are even better covered in Swarovski crystals or diamonds.  I don’t consider myself a shopper, but somehow they know me in Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.  I am also a beauty product junkie; Sephora is one of my favorite stores and I’m always searching for the perfect mascara and lip-gloss.  The fabulous me!

I am a stay-at-home mom, but that is what they call an oxymoron, as I am never at home.  I have been married forever and have a teenaged son and ‘tween daughter.   I live in the South, by way of the Northeast, by way of the West, by way of the Midwest.  But I plan to move to the beach and become a surfer.  I will take my husband with me; he’s cool even though he is irrationally afraid of birds.

I have an uncanny ability to remember lyrics to a frightening number of songs. Even obscure grocery store loudspeaker ones. Or sappy sentimental ones, which I hate. I haven’t figured out how to parlay this skill into a beach house, but I’m sure it’s marketable somehow.  I love cartoons, but not politics and certainly not political cartoons.  I am very opinionated and not afraid to say so!

I started this Lifestyle Blog because my husband, who is a social media big wig, made me.  He thinks that I have a lot to say.  Or maybe he just wants me to say it to someone other than him.  Either way, I accept my mission: To Save the World From Mediocrity.

New to Funkidivagirl.com?   Start with The Best of Funkidivagirl to read my favorite posts.

Want to know more about me?  Learn useless–yet fascinating–random facts about me in Betcha Didn’t Know and on-going revelations (or confessions, depending on your point of view) in What About Me.

You can also find me on:

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

Got questions?  I’ve got answers.  Email me at Funkidivagirl@Funkidivagirl.com

If you read my blog, I promise to be charming and witty. Make sure you don’t miss a thing by subscribing via RSS Reader or email.  Please come back and visit me often and leave nice comments.

Peace,

Funkidivagirl

Visit Mama Kat’s Losin It to write a prompt of your own.

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.