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Or juice, or coffee, or even water. Because when Contigo said these travel mugs were spill proof, they were not kidding. We are so in love with the AUTOSEAL technology on these that we may consider lifting the “no milk in the car” rule on occasion. That’s huge. That’s complete trust.

What else do we love about the AUTOSEAL on these? The fact that the stainless steel coffee mug keeps our coffee hot for over 4 hrs, and the clear water bottles are BPA free. No pop tops to pop off or snap on lids to lose. The top screws on and the container is opened with the push of a button when you are ready to drink. When the button is released, the container is resealed. Automatically.  Right side up, upside down, no leaks no spills, no worries. Simple, elegant, and from now on, a family travel essential for us.

Want a place to keep snacks handy for your kid while shopping? Check out OnTray. Just make sure to wipe down the handlebar before attaching the snack tray! This snap on storage container comes in four colors and includes a lid so you can fill it with healthy snacks or small entertaining toys before you even leave home. You might want one for yourself to use as well – it works great as a coupon organizer.

In a world where schools no longer allow cupcakes in the classroom for birthday celebrations, sweets have been getting a bum rap. And yet, the more we marginalize our treats, the more we long for the simple pleasures we remember from our childhood – the penny candy, the bubblegum cigarettes, the technicolor gummy worms. It’s so bad. But so good.

Forbidden fruit tastes all the sweeter and throw in a little nostalgia and you’ve got sugar shock in a good way.  Powell’s Sweet Shoppes turn everyone into the proverbial kid in a candy shop, serving up sweets, toys and novelties for just about every age and gender.

Got a hankering for an obscure, novelty, foreign or oldtime sweet? Chances are you will find things here that noone else has. Zotz, Flying saucers, Mary Janes, Aero Bars, Violet scented gum, Flicks, Crows,  Pez and hundreds of others took us on a stroll down memory lane. Meanwhile our kids delighted on newer novelties like Grilz and browsed the gummy bins for everything from gummy letters to gummy fried eggs.  With scenes from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory playing on a wide screen tv at the back of the shop and a custom candy themed soundtrack piped through the aisles, we knew we’d entered a magical place.

Not a candy person, I enjoyed the fresh gelato at the newly opened Powell’s in Laguna Niguel, California.  We were delighted to discover that this shop also stocks a grand assortment of  boutique and old fashioned sodas and a very impressive collection of sugar free confections that just about anyone can enjoy. Even if none of the edibles tempt you, the collection of retro lunchboxes and old timey toys and games will win you over.

If you are travelling out west, make one of these shops a destination and your kids will remember this as the best trip ever. It’s definitely worth going out of your way. For a complete listing of all the locations, see the Powells Website.

And don’t forget to say "Thanks for the Memories!"

Ok don’t judge me. I don’t like to give my kids candy. I want to be that "no food rewards ever" mom. But I just can’t do it. I take comfort in the notion that even Mary Poppins subscribed to the "spoonful of sugar" school of discipline. And she’s like the SUPER super nanny. Right?

My guilt load lightened up a tiny little bit when I discovered Yummy Earth Organic lollipops. These tiny little suckers now inhabit my glove compartment and my bag – ready to coerce my kids into doing my evil bidding. I myself feel like an evil genius, using a bribe on them that is vegan, kosher, dairy free, nut free, wheat free, and free of nasty corn syrup to boot.

Consider this twist, however. This morning en route to the grocery store I experienced a post venti americano caffiene crash, and at the same time my blood sugar took an unexpected dip. I was stuck in construction traffic, not a Starbucks in sight and on the verge of a massive mommy tantrum when I thought to myself, just be a good girl and get the grocery shopping done and you can have a lolly. So ten seconds later I dipped in to the dashboard stash and tried out a pomegrante pucker lollipop and all I can say is wow! It was seriously and truly the yummiest lollipop I have had in ages.

I’m almost tempted to have another. Just as soon as I take out the trash, put up dinner, and do a carpool run. Gotta love that the serving size on the package is listed as three lollipops. Yeah, they are that good. And a single serving is only 70 calories. Get Yummy Earth Lollipops at the Yummy Earth Website. They have 21 delicious flavors.