One particularly good low-cost way to escape the “same old, same old” of modern life is to dig out a box of food coloring from the recesses of your kitchen cabinet. Most people have a box of the stuff somewhere, but it’s usually only used to color cookie frosting around the holidays. Rather than sitting forgotten in a pantry, we believe its rightful place might be right next to the salt and pepper shakers that get used every day.

I fell in love with the stuff during my first ever attempt at the Escape Plan. I made myself some green eggs (thanks for the inspiration, Dr. Seuss!), red orange juice, and enjoyed Capn Crunch in some blue milk. I can’t think of anything that made me feel like a five-year-old faster than mixing in a few green drops to the eggs I was whisking. 

Kids love stuff like that, and your inner child still does, too! Some people get weirded out by food that comes in strange colors, but considering that the taste is left unchanged, we think that any apprehension might just be Adultitis talking.

So here are some ideas to make food coloring more of a staple in your home:

1) Celebrate holidays. Think green yogurt smoothies for St. Patrick’s Day, pink pancakes for Valentine’s Day, or orange eggs for Halloween. (Read more…)

Photo credit: bossanostra

So an employer decides that his team needs a little cheering up. It’s Christmastime, nearing the end of what has been a tumultuous year. He remembers his daughter’s recent birthday, and a simple party favor he purchased that was a huge hit with the kids. It was also a huge hit at his own birthday party, some twenty-five years earlier.

A simple red clown nose.

He bought enough for every one of his employees — he had to visit three different stores to collect enough for everyone. Because of the holiday, the clown noses became “Rudolph Noses” and everyone was encouraged to wear one.

He wore his all day long.

So the employees wore them too, and had quite a hoot. Laughter was everywhere.  The customers enjoyed the fun as well. After all, it’s impossible to take yourself too seriously while wearing a clown nose.

Now, this didn’t occur at a place you might expect, like an elementary school or a design firm or an internet startup. Nope, this happened at a bank, arguably one of the least desirable places to work during this economic downturn. A place often filled with stuffed shirts and even stuffier demeanors. The story is true. The ringleader was the CEO, and his name is Morty. I met him today in Tampa, Florida.

Many industries have been hit hard by the weak economy, maybe yours is one of them. Don’t wait for someone on the news to give you something to smile about (you might be waiting a long time.) Clown noses cost about a quarter. If the CEO of a bank can give his employees permission to have a little fun with some red foam, imagine what fun you could have where you work.

The expense is minimal, but the benefits could be priceless.

Often as adults, we get trapped into the thinking that we have to constantly chase the “bigger and better,” especially when it comes to vacations. Well, that can get expensive. In this video, I share some thoughts on escaping adulthood by investing in smaller, but no less gratifying, delights:

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These days we’re busier than ever. Unfortunately, all this busyness tends to pull us away from regular family dinners, which are terribly important to the health and happiness of your family. 

You may be one of the scores of people who are struggling to find the time (and the money) to cook good, easy meals for your family. I’m happy to share with you a brand new web site called BudgetFriendlyCooking.com.

Katie is an everyday chef who cooks on a budget. She shares recipes and demonstrates her technique in a series of weekly videos. Her ideas are sure to save you time and her recipes will save you money, which will certainly go a long way to cutting down the stress and Adultitis in your life. Check out this episode on making tacos:

Learn more at BudgetFriendlyCooking.com!

I’m a sucker for movies that challenge me to be a better person, ones that help me remember to live each moment to the fullest. If you’re going to spend two hours of your life doing something, you might as well walk away fired up about living a richer life. Here are my top 13 picks that will leave you inspired and excited about living life more abundantly. Let us know which ones I forgot.

1. The Bucket List: Two terminally ill men escape from a cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die.

2. Young @ Heart: A story of the Young at Heart Chorus, a group of senior citizens who perform contemporary and classic rock and pop songs.

3. Yes Man: A guy challenges himself to say “yes” to everything for an entire year.

4. Peaceful Warrior: A chance encounter with a stranger changes the life of a college gymnast.

5. City of Angels: Seth, an angel watching over Los Angeles, begins finding his job difficult as he falls in love with Maggie, a beautiful heart surgeon.

6. Evan Almighty: God contacts Congressman Evan Baxter and tells him to build an ark in preparation for a great flood.

7. Dead Poets Society: English professor John Keating inspires his students to a love of poetry and to seize the day.

8. Rudy: Rudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame.

9. Braveheart: William Wallace, a commoner, unites the 13th Century Scots in their battle to overthrow English rule.

10. Mr. Holland’s Opus: A frustrated composer finds fulfillment as a high school music teacher.

11. Chariots of Fire: The story of two British track athletes, one a determined Jew, and the other a devout Christian who compete in the 1924 Olympics.

12. Rocky: A small time boxer gets a once in a lifetime chance to fight the heavyweight champ in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.

13. Frequency: An accidental cross-time radio link connects father and son across 30 years. The son tries to save his father’s life, but then must fix the consequences.

Have you ever watched one of those hugely expensive summer blockbuster movies with the eye-popping special effects and thought, “That looks like fun; I’d like to try that.” After all, we all loved dressing up and playing make believe when we were kids, right? Well, coming to the realization that you don’t have a hundred million dollars burning a hole in your pocket, you probably dismissed the idea immediately.

The good news is that you don’t need $100 million to have a little fun playing “make believe” and trying your hand at interjecting some special effects into your home movies. 

We recently had a chance to explore a cool Adultitis Hospital in Madison known as Mallatt Pharmacy.  It’s got all the prescriptions you could want, but they’re also known for their costumes (see the video here) and awesome stage and special effects makeup. Here’s some short videos of our tour down the makeup aisle:

They’ve got mustaches…

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…and sweet tattoos…

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…and the prices are out of this world…

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Now, if you’re bummed out because you don’t live in Madison, have no fear — they sell a lot of their stuff online!

At www.mallatts.com, you can buy removable tattoos that look like slashes, cuts, bruises or vampire bites for under $3.  Fake beards, mustaches, and sideburns can be had for anywhere between $3 - $11. Prosthetics, like horns, noses, werewolf faces, and old age makeup (transform yourself into Benjamin Button!) are yours for $16 or less. They even have a huge selection of student and professional grade stage makeup.

As you can see, with a little imagination and less than twenty bones, you can have quite an exciting day with some friends and your video camera.

Because when it comes right down to it, who says Halloween is the only time adults get to play dress up and make believe?

P.S. For more insights into what it’s like being a special effects makeup pro, check out our interview with Toby Sells.

Fire up the ol’ time machine for a trip back to the 80’s. Here are 22 classic movies from the decade that are worth revisiting for your next movie night. They’re generally very family friendly, but some may contain some scary scenes or questionable language, so be sure to pre-screen them if you have little ones!

E.T. (1982): A group of Earth children help a stranded alien botanist return home.

The Dark Crystal (1982): On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and so restore order to his world.

Gremlins (1984): A boy inadvertently breaks 3 important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.

Neverending Story (1984): A troubled boy dives into a wonderous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.

Ghostbusters (1984): Three unemployed parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.

Karate Kid (1984): A handyman/martial arts master agrees to teach a bullied boy karate and shows him that there is more to the martial art than fighting.

Back to the Future (1985): In 1985, Doc Brown invents time travel; in 1955, Marty McFly accidentally prevents his parents from meeting, putting his own existence at stake.

Real Genius (1985): Teenage geniuses deal with their abilities while developing a laser.

Goonies (1985): A group of kids embark on a wild adventure after finding a pirate treasure map.

Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (1985): Eccentric man-child Pee-Wee Herman embarks on the big adventure of his life across the US mainland, as he sets out to find his beloved bike, when it is stolen in broad daylight.

An American Tail (1986): While emigrating to the United States, a young Russian mouse gets seperated from his family and must relocate them while trying to survive in a new country.

Short Circuit (1986): Number 5 of a group of experimental robots in a lab is electrocuted, suddenly becomes intelligent, and escapes.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986): A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school, despite of what the principal thinks of that.

Lucas (1986): A socially inept fourteen year old experiences heartbreak for the first time when his two best friends — Cappie, an older-brother figure, and Maggie, the new girl with whom he is in love — fall for each other.

The Princess Bride (1987): A classic fairy tale, with swordplay, giants, an evil prince, a beautiful princess, and yes, some kissing (as read by a kindly grandfather).

Adventures in Babysitting (1987): Chris  is settled in for a dull night babysitting when a girlfriend calls to say she’s marooned at a downtown bus station with very seedy characters around. The three plus one of the boy’s friends get into the parents station wagon for a trip to the inner city. All is well till the flat tire.

*Batteries Not Included (1987): Apartment block tenants seek the aid of alien mechanical life-forms to save their building from demolition.

Beetlejuice (1988): A couple of recently deceased ghosts contract the services of a “bio-exorcist” in order to remove the obnoxious new owners of their house.

Willow (1988): A reluctant dwarf must play a critical role in protecting a special baby from an evil queen.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988): A toon hating detective is a cartoon rabbit’s only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder.

Big (1988): When a boy wishes to be big at a magic wish machine, he wakes up the next morning and finds himself in an adult body literally overnight.

Honey I Shrunk The Kids (1989): Wayne Szalinski is your average “nutty scientist”, working on a top secret machine which miniaturizes objects. When it unexpectedly starts working, he’s so amazed he forgets to tell his family to be careful.

[Plot synopsis for each movie courtesy of The Internet Movie Database.]

Most of us pull out the trusty video camera for the standard occasions: birthdays, weddings, Christmas, and stuff like that. It’s always nice to chronicle those big moments, especially when you incorporate our tips to make watching them even more enjoyable. But if your video camera only sees the light of day during major events and holidays, it is being sorely underutilized as a device for escaping adulthood! Here are some home movie ideas to try the next time your inner Spielberg awakens:

1) A Day in the Life Of… Again, everybody films the major events of life. But what about the everyday occurrences? Why not make some movies involving cutting the grass, making dinner, washing the car, cleaning the house, or eating breakfast. Now, this may seem like a snoozefest (and we don’t recommend shooting hours and hours of this stuff), but we remember people most in their everyday settings. In the long run, short candid clips of the everyday will have the most meaning.

2) Family Storyteller. Everybody has one or two people in their family who are particularly good story or joke tellers. At the next family gathering, record their greatest hits. What a treasure to have some of Uncle Larry’s classic jokes or Grandma Emma’s timeless yarns on tape for future generations to enjoy.

3) Music Video. Remember when MTV played actual videos? Those days may be long gone, but there’s nothing saying you can’t make your own. Get a few friends or family members together and have everyone pick out their favorite song. Then grab some props, get into costume, and rock out! This is also a perfect opportunity to use some of those crazy special effects hidden in your video editor.

4) It’s a Dog’s Life. Pet lovers, why not film your pet in his or her everyday setting, doing things like eating, sleeping, and playing. Be creative and include shots from your pet’s point of view. For an extra dollop of fun, dub in your own voice as the pet’s inner thought process.

5) Pie Fight. This one might work better outdoors. Get a few dozen pie shells and plenty of whip cream. Launch the first pie at a family picnic and film the craziness as it ensues. Water balloons are also a fine substitute. In post production, you can add in a couple of announcers calling the play-by-play and doing color commentary of the melee.

6) Claymation. If you’re the patient and creative type, try your hand at a simple stop-motion animation using some figures made of Play-Doh. Just record a series of single frames, with each frame showing a subtle movement. Here is a great tutorial on making your own stop-motion masterpiece.

7) Magic Show. Have everyone in your family learn and perform a magic trick. Go all out and get dressed up, and come up with great stage names, like the Amazing Fran, or the Great Loudini.

8) As Seen On TV. This one is great with kids. Have them put together short, impromptu commercials. Have them sell your car, dish detergent, a breakfast cereal or their favorite stuffed animal.

Whether you have a 19-inch TV or a big flatscreen, movie nights should be a blast. They are an inexpensive way to relax and enjoy the evening with those you love. Here are 10 simple ways to jazz up the movie nights in your household.

1. Light it up. Set the mood with candles, or hang a string of Christmas lights. If you have a fireplace, get it going. No matter what, make sure the lights are low.

2. Get comfy. Blow up the air mattress, set up the pull-out couch, or simply cover the carpet with piles and piles of blankets and pillows. The goal is to be so comfortable you don’t even make it to your bed after the movie, you simply sleep where you are.

3. Dressing up. Invite all of your movie watchers to dress up in clothing that is connected to the theme of the movie. Think ties and scarves for Harry Potter night, or red shoes for “The Wizard of Oz.” Props are welcome.

4. Read it first. As a group, read the book ahead of time, then watch the movie together. Enjoy the lively discussions afterwards comparing the two. Was the book really better than the movie?

5. Creative munchies. Have snacks that tie into the specific movie. For instance, if you’re watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, pick up some bars of chocolate or get a box of chocolates for “Forrest Gump.”

6. Pop Deluxe. Go beyond butter and serve uniquely flavored popcorn.

7. Avoid surprises. You don’t always have the time to preview every questionable movie that your kids might want to watch. Use the site www.commonsensemedia.org to learn about specific movies from a parent’s point of view ahead of time.

8. Rent an outdoor theater. Although a bigger expense, you can invite a crowd and have everyone pitch in a few bucks. There’s little better than watching a good flick under the stars.

9. Personal pans. Have a Make-Your-Own-Pizza night in conjunction to your movie night. Everyone gets to create their own personal pan pizzas to eat during the show. Have fun with lots of toppings!

10. Classic scenes. Instead of watching an entire movie, watch only your favorite scenes from a handful of movies. Have everyone get involved by bringing their favorite DVDs and sharing why they love the scenes they do.

Typically, couch potatoes are people who spend a lot of time in front of the television. And many people have blamed television and video games as a major reason for the rise in childhood obesity in this country.

But your television can actually serve as a catalyst to help you lose those unwanted pounds AND bring your family closer together. 

Don’t believe me? Then you’ve obviously never strapped a white Nintendo Wii controller to your wrist. Mickey DeLorenzo is a regular guy from South Philadelphia who lost weight with his beloved Wii and had fun doing it. In 2006, he began his “Wii Sports Experiment,” in which he simply added 30 minutes of Wii Sports to his day for six straight weeks. Pounds melted away and a media onslaught followed.

We caught up with Mickey for an interview. We asked him about the details of his workout regime, his favorite Nintendo game, and got him to share some tips for people who’d like to try using their Wii to get fit.

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