June 2009

Truth In Advertising: Does It Exist?

by MomGrind

The Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 established truth in advertising law. It says that advertising must be truthful and non-deceptive, and advertisers must have evidence to back up their claims.

An ad is considered deceptive if it contains a statement, or omits information, that is likely to mislead consumers acting reasonably under the circumstances.

Obviously, there are many gray areas when it comes to truth in advertising. The following ads, from as early as the 1920s and from as late as the 1970s, demonstrate it well:

 

1. Pepsi Cola is wholesome and light

vintage-pepsi-adImage credit: Miss Retro Modern

“Today’s delicious, pure Pepsi Cola – the wholesome, light refreshment.”

 

2. This inflatable doll looks just like a real woman

inflatable-dollImage credit: jbcurio

“Just add air. Life like in every detail…just add air and instantly I become a 5’4” beauty who wears size 8 clothes… take me to a party, boating or swimming (I float).” 1970.

 

3. This gentle exercise routine will enlarge your breasts

vintage-exercise-adImage credit: Uh.. Bob

“Now, through the famous Swedish method of gentle exercise that doctors recommend, you can develop the beautiful form that you desire. Yes, just 10 minutes a day of this scientific development based on modern up-to-date principles allows you to put weight on where you wish – take weight off where you don’t want it.”

 

4. My special garments dissolves fat by perspiring

reduce-your-fleshImage credit: jbcurio

“The entire body, or any part, can be reduced without dieting by dissolving the fat through perspiration produced by wearing my garments.” 1923.

 

5. Canned spaghetti is a “wonderful eating”

heinz-vintage-adImage credit: jbcurio

“An easy to fix, money-saving dish that’s truly wonderful eating.”

 

6. Corn syrup on toast for breakfast is yummy and energizing

corn-syrup-vintage-adImage credit: Miss Retro Modern

“Top off your toast with ENERGY. Bee Hive for breakfast gives you two big benefits… a refreshing taste of delicious flavor and plenty of instant energy.”

 

7. Sugar can help you keep your weight down

sugar-ad-1Image credit: Miss Retro Modern

“Sugar keep your energy up and your appetite down. Sugar: only 18 calories per spoon, and it’s all energy.”

 

8. My nose shaper will fix your nose without surgery

nose-shaper1Image credit: jbcurio

“My new nose-shaper corrects ill-shaped noses without operation, quickly, safely and permanently.” 1916.

Apparently, “truth in advertising” often means “stretching the truth to its limits.”

No More “Mommy, I’m Bored!” – 43 Activities For Kids

by MomGrind

child-reading1Being prepared with a list of activities for kids is essential if you want to stay sane during the long summer break.

After all, it’s summer break for the kids, but not for us. I work from home, so for the next couple of weeks, until the kids go to summer camp, I will have to find a way to keep them busy at least a few hours each day while I work.

I do plan on getting out of the house and doing something fun every day, and I will definitely allow more screen time than usual, but I do want my kids to keep themselves busy for a few hours each day doing something creative.

I created this list of activities for kids with the help of my children. When the list was ready, I printed it out and placed it in the playroom. Whenever the kids complain that they’re bored and ask if they can watch more TV, I remind them to look at the list and find something they want to do. So far, it’s working quite well.

Activities For Kids That Do Not Involve TV

1. Read a book (shocking, I know.)

2. Play an instrument. The instrument can be a real one such as a piano or a guitar, or a homemade instrument such as an old pot used as a drum, or maracas made from sealed empty toilet paper rolls with dry rice.

3. Write a poem.

4. Write a short story and illustrate it.

5. Draw or paint a picture.

6. Practice hula-hoop.

7. Take photos around the house or in the yard.

8. Start a scrapbook with your thoughts and photos (we always end up with extra photos that the kids can use for these projects.)

9. Create a “joke book” filled with your own jokes and riddles, or with jokes and riddles that you like.

10. Make bracelets using string and beads.

11. Water plants around the house or in the yard.

12. Cut photos from a magazine and create a collage.

13. Create a dance or a gymnastics routine.

14. Play hide and seek.

15. Play tongue twisters.

16. Do a crossword puzzle or sudoku.

17. Make up a play, write it down, rehearse it and perform it to your parents.

18. Create with clay or play-dough.

19. Wash the dishes.

20. Help your parents cook or bake. Or look at recipes and cookbooks and select the recipes you would like to make together.

21. Go exploring in the backyard.

22. Find something to draw or paint around the house or in the yard and draw a still life.

23. Get active: do jumping jacks, sit-ups and push ups.

24. Draw a self-portrait.

25. Play a board game or a card game.

26. Play dress up.

27. Make paper airplanes in different sizes and from different types of paper, and see which one flies best.

28. Clean up your room. Find stuff you no longer need and make a pile for donation.

29. Write a letter to your grandparents or to your friends.

30. Invent your very own code language. Write the code down, then write sentences using the code.

31. Have a tea party with your dolls or stuffed animals.

32. Listen to music on your iPod.

33. Look at family photo albums.

34. Take a long, luxurious bath.

35. Give your dolls a long, luxurious bath.

36. Make your very own recipe book and fill it with creative recipes you have invented.

37. Do you have Hama Beads in the house? If you do, create with them.

38. Make an award, or a ribbon, for someone you admire. For example, make a “BFF award” for your very best friend.

39. Play hopscotch.

40. Practice skipping rope.

41. Do you own Heelys? If you do, practice them.

42. Draw with sidewalk chalk.

43. Go to the back yard and blow bubbles. See if you can string a few bubbles together.

Do you have any more ideas for activities for kids that they can do around the house while parents work? I’ll be more than happy to add to this list.

Photo credit: John-Morgan

Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe

by MomGrind

frosted-cupcake-2

We use this cupcake recipe every time the kids’ school announces a bake sale. The recipe is super easy, the cupcakes are fun to decorate, and they are always sold out within minutes.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
0.5 cup (1 stick) butter, softened but not melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
0.5 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon high quality vanilla or coconut extract

For frosting:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1.5 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon high quality vanilla or coconut extract

For decorating:
M&Ms, sprinkles, small marshmallows, or any other favorite candy.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl, stir together flour and baking soda.

In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add sour cream, milk and vanilla or coconut extract and mix until you get a creamy batter.

Add flour mixture to the batter. Mix until combined.

Spoon cupcake batter into muffin tin, filling lined muffin cups almost full (you might be able to get more than 12 cupcakes from this cupcake recipe – maybe 14 or 15):

batter-in-muffin-tin

Bake 17-18 minutes. This is how the cupcakes look in the oven after about 15 minutes. Almost ready, but not quite:

cupcakes-in-oven

To me, this is the magic of baking and why I love baking so much: watching the heat turn limp, sticky batter into an airy, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth treat. It’s pure magic.

This is what the cupcakes look like when they come out of the oven, after about 18 minutes:

cupcakes-in-muffin-tin

Allow the cupcakes to cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack:

cupcake-closeup

 

These cupcakes are excellent without any frosting, but if you want to frost them, or if your kids are making you frost them, prepare the frosting while the cupcakes are cooling: beat the cream cheese until softened, using an electric mixer on medium. Slowly add the sugar and vanilla or coconut extract, and beat for a couple more minutes, until creamy. When the cupcakes are cool, frost them (we use very little frosting, but you can use as much as you like) and decorate! This is the best part.

Well, ALMOST the best part. :D

Ten Ways To Hate Yourself As A Woman

by MomGrind

woman-on-a-dietIf you read my previous post on how to love yourself as a woman, you can probably skip this one.

It is pretty much the opposite of following the advice on my last post, and if you follow the steps here, you are guaranteed to end up hating yourself.

1. Invest in a bathroom scale that also measures body fat, and weigh yourself at least once a day, and especially the morning after a large salty meal.

2. Every few months, declare you’re going on a diet. Count calories religiously, refusing to see food as a source of pleasure and seeing it as numbers, as something bad, as something that makes you feel guilty and out of control. To help you achieve this step, you can find a lot of inspiration in various women’s magazines and in fashion spreads and ads.

3. Go through extreme cycles of being a complete couch potato, then guilting yourself into paying for a gym membership, hating every minute you spend there and ending up back as a couch potato.

4. When you look in the mirror, always focus on your “bad” parts: the round belly, the wide thighs, the cellulite. Instead of reminding yourself that this is the shape of an adult woman, tell yourself you’re fat and disgusting and why can’t you look more like that gorgeous, “perfect” 14 year old model.

model1
Photo credit: Art Comments

5. Be your own worst critic. Remind yourself every day that you are imperfect, ugly, fat and old. What a loser you are. You should listen to the Facebook ads that explain that while Julia Roberts looks remarkably young for her age, you can achieve the same results if you only buy a specific product. WHY DON’T YOU?

julia-roberts-ad

And while you’re at it, maybe it’s time to whiten those disgusting yellow teeth of yours:

whiter-teeth-ad

6. Subscribe to at least five women’s magazines and read every issue cover to cover, focusing on fashion spreads and ads, on diet advice, and on articles covering celebrity culture.

7. Remember that when a woman is raped, it’s no big deal and she probably brought it on herself. After all, that’s why we have a vagina. Why was she dressed like that, anyway? And what was she doing in his apartment??

8. Devour ads in magazines. They are a great source of reliable info. Trust advertisers: after all, there are laws about truth in advertising. Accept that women are portrayed by the media as pieces of meat because that’s exactly what we are: our main value lies in how we look and in how fresh (er young) we are. A woman who is not sexually attractive to men is worthless.

tom-ford-ad

9. Accept that a woman must suffer for beauty and attempt to look as close as possible to the current “beauty ideal.” Become a fashion victim, a cosmetics junkie, and a sucker for any new beauty treatment on the market. Unhappy with your looks? That’s what plastic surgery is for. Go ahead, it will make you feel so much better about yourself.

10. Bicker at, undermine and criticize other women, especially successful, powerful women in business and politics. After all, deep in your heart you know that men are better. Plus, if she works so many hours, who is going to take care of her poor kids?

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Photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography