Tetra Pak Milk!

I'm not sure how new it is, seems to have been out for a year or two now but it was new to me when I found Tetra Pak milk at our local Trader Joe's last week. I think I'd seen it before but it has always been chilled and I didn't realize it was stable outside of a refrigerator. The Tetra Pak company site suggests one issue in the North American market for them is that "American" consumers don't trust their packaging for sensitive products like milk.

I'm not sure about the market at large but I was more than pleased to both find and trust picnic basket and diaper bag friendly milk that doesn't require a cold pack. Granted, cold milk is still preferable but my little one doesn't really seem to mind the temperature either way.

Definitely one to add to the daddy arsenal if you haven't already.

Activity: Daisy Chains

The term daisy chain is common enough but it seems we don't see many being made in our parks, yards and woodlands these days. Even as recently as a few decades ago most children would have known how and made them at least once in a while. It would be a sad thing to lose, so here's a quick verbal "how to" guide to making daisy and other flower chains to pass along with the next generation.

1.Find some flowers.
This works well with daisies because they are relatively common and have slightly fibrous stems. While dandelions are even more common and would no doubt make a lovely chain, the stems are so fragile I doubt they'd survive the crafting.

2.Using your thumbnail, make a small slit in the stem of each flower. It only needs to be big enough to slip the stem of the next flower in the chain through the opening.

3.Chain the flowers together, inserting each stem in turn through the flower that precedes it until you have a garland the length you'd like.

Nothing to it.

So, take your troupe out into whatever constitutes the wilds in your area and hunt up some pretty flowers. The size, color and type don't matter so much as that they have a fibrous stem.

Dad Skills: What I've learned about knitting

Mobius Scarf!

I'm always interested in learning skills that will allow us to enjoy nicer things and save money at the same time. Anyone raising a child understands the constant need to watch your spending. So in another effort to live better and have nice things without going broke, I've been knitting for a few months now and while it isn't compelling to have a conversation about yet, it is somewhat compelling to do once you start. Likely it's simply lingering "guyness" that prevents me from striking up knitting chatter. Though, it did gain me entry into at least one play group for Bea. It's pretty hard to feel threatened by a guy who is knitting a hat.

Thus far I have learned that it's a pleasant activity that both takes practice and rewards it. The learning curve isn't steep but as noted before it can seem so at first. I've knitted a scarf and simple hat for my daughter and a sort of hood/scarf for myself. After being shown the ultra basics at the knit shop in something like five minutes, I've been able to sort out rib stitching, purling and binding off on my own. I've also seen that while there are a multitude of variations they all essentially stem from those same basic knit and purl stitches.

It's become evident that knitting is very useful and I'd say in terms of DIY, self sufficiency, prepping and even survival, there is no good reason to not know how to at least make a scarf, something simple that can easily be turned into almost any other item with simple blanket or whip stitching. If you are blessed or cursed with a job that has a lot of wait time, maybe security or rendering images, something that requires a person to sit and be present and awake but not actively engaged in much for even a half hour at a time, you might consider using that down time to hand make things you need, can trade for things you want or need, or to stretch those gifting dollars around the holidays. Though, knitting things like blankets and sweaters is not cost effective unless you happen to have a ready supply of wool or yarn, most of us don't and won't in the foreseeable future.

Bottom line, it's no worse a time suck than video games and the usefulness of the end product goes a long way to easing the guilt of what would otherwise be lost or idle time.

Doing Things

Hey there,

just to let anyone who might be interested know, I've got another blog going over at http://www.icollecthobbies.blogger.com/.

I've also got more articles coming up for the Examiner and a here at Bay Area Dad. 

Thanks!

The Jimi Wallet

One piece of essential dad gear is a decent wallet. Being somewhat of a minimalist about certain things, the Jimi Wallet designed by Mike O'Neil right here in San Francisco has been my constant companion for about four years now. It is very compact so if you tend to stuff your wallet with cards, cash, receipts and other things it may not be for you. If the idea of simplifying your life by carrying just a few bills, an ID, debit/credit card and maybe an insurance card sounds good, you are in luck!

It makes for a great front pocket wallet. Something your Dr might like as wallets in rear pockets, especially large wallets, can actually lead to back problems. Not to mention just being an uncomfortable lump in you pocket. One other possible advantage if you ever absentmindedly throw your wallet into a diaper bag or messenger is that the shape and feel of the Jimi is distinctive enough to find by feeling around inside your bag. Comes in handy whether your hands are holding a coffee cup or busy wrangling a little one.

They will also handily survive spills, downpours and anything else your day might throw at them. You can even feel good about wearing one out as they are 100% recyclable. While they do not take kindly to being over stuffed the wallet is surprisingly durable. They are sadly not toddler proof. Two in two years have been taken out of commission by my curious toddler. Just keep in mind that like many things as long as you take relatively good care of them they will last a very long time. Far longer than leather or vinyl wallets costing even double. If you are the sort that likes conversations with random strangers, shopkeepers and waitstaff, they also garner a lot of comments and tend to be an excellent conversation starter. At an affordable $14.95 you can't go wrong.

Having had both the Clear and the Stealth I can say being able to see through the case has distinct advantages. The stealth looks a little more grown up with workaday clothing but if the Jimi is to your liking you're probably not much of a herd animal anyway.

Visit the Jimi website
http://www.thejimi.com/

See an ancient blog post I wrote on the Jimi for PSFK
http://www.thejimi.com/images/PSFK-Culture-Blog.gif

Disapearing Family Heirlooms

In an age of mass produced plastic toys, clothing, jewelry and just about everything else, family heirlooms are disappearing. As fewer things are made to last fewer and fewer things are surviving or being kept to pass along to the next generation. To some that seems less like progress and more like a tragic loss of our traditions and family and cultural heritage. For those that value them there are still quality items on the market that families are sure to hang on to. The focus if this article is heirloom quality baby items.


Tiffany's offers a number of sterling silver items for babies like spoons, rattles and cups. A nice touch is having the gift monogrammed. Having a child's initials or name put on a silver rattle is a great way to permanently associate the object with the person. You might also try Hermes or even shop online for companies like Empire and Lunt. Something like a sterling silver rattle can cost anywhere from around $50 up to several hundred and buying one with from a known company with some history can both add value and encourage future generations to keep them in the family. The idea is to spend a little more and get something that the child will be inclined to give to their children some day or possibly continue the tradition by getting the child one of their own. Even things like baby bracelets and tiny rings can be both affordable and worth keeping.

One family, interviewed for this article, has a tradition of getting each new member of the family a monogrammed gold ring when they are born. The rings are seldom actually worn by the child (for obvious reasons) and may even only be placed on the fingers for a few photos or special occasions but they are kept by the parents until the child turns sixteen when they are given back strung on a necklace. It's a fun thing for the family and neat to see in photos or at gatherings when many(especially the women) are wearing their necklaces. One described it this way, "It makes us feel closer. We have a tradition, a shared history we can see." Even the men have them though they seem less prone to wear the rings on necklaces one gave his as a wedding gift to his wife and another gave his to his wife when they were expecting their first child. One woman said she wore her daughter's baby ring on a chain for most of the sixteen years before the girl's sixteenth birthday. She did so again when her daughter went to college and asked her to wear it while she was away from home.

Unlike an adult signet ring, a baby ring can be very affordable. Some can be had for under $30 while others might go for upwards of $100 or more. You can find them virtually anywhere in jewelry and vintage shops or online at places like www.Jewelbasket.com. Though this might be another item to consider splurging on a known company that has been around for a while.

To some this sort of thing might seem a little stuffy but it can also help symbolically tie generations together and start a child off "right" with something that is not disposable. If our current throw away culture doesn't sit well with you, teaching children to buy less and buy things that will last is a great way to be the change you'd like to see.

There are endless options for gifts, traditions and heirloom quality items to give to your loved ones. The key is to think ahead and spend wisely. Things like grandfathers watch, your great aunt's ring or even the quilt your great grandmother made that now covers your sleeping child have real value beyond any dollar amount. We might as well get attached to things that have some character and a chance of being around later when we get nostalgic.

Photo JT Barnhart 2009

Just For Dad: Must See Robot Movies

On those rare nights without the family you might grab a few movies, a pizza and improve your manly cultural literacy. What genre is more manly than robot movies? They don't necessarily have to be full on about the bots. There are a number of films that feature a great supporting cast of mechanical friends and foes. Here are some suggestions that might do the trick. You've surely seen some but even those might warrant another viewing.

Metropolis. The grandaddy of modern sci-fi films featuring robots as a main element. Even as a silent film it hits home as an icon of past greatness. Might be best for when your in a quirky mood or as a way to kick off that robot movie night you and the gents have been planning.

West World. This has to be one of the best robot films of all time. Yul Brynner as a six gun toting bad guy gunslinger bot? Yeah, beat that one. A must see if you haven't yet.

Silent Running. An under appreciated all time favorite. Surprisingly relevant with it's ecological theme... and cool robots.

Saturn 3. Probably not the best acting we'll ever see but probably one of the best murdering robot rampages.

Virus. This one is a bit unusual and probably billed as a B movie but within the robot world it' s red carpet all the way. As cool as Water World wasn't. Not as big budget and explosive as Transformers but much more creepy.

Terminator. Kind of obvious but the first one was awesome.

Star Wars gets a mention for the entire series but it's even more obvious and a little pedestrian... maybe save it for a Star Wars film fest if you're into them.

The Alien series on the other hand feature some of the craftiest robots ever. Way more manly and far more cool... but they prefer the term "synthetic human".

Iron Man. Certainly more current but I'll take Tony Stark's workshop bots over R2 and day.

I, Robot. Another obvious one but worth mentioning just in case you missed it. Probably worth a lot of the hype it got.

That should keep you entertained for at least a few evenings and you'll get a great overview of movie robots through time. There are admittedly a number of good ones absent from the list. Feel free to comment a nominate your favorites as well as suggest additions too great to leave out.