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…)
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…
…and sweet tattoos…
…and the prices are out of this world…
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.
We’re back with our series on parenting, designed to be as candid as it is low-budget, and providing you with fresh insights on living life with less stress and more fun, whether you are a parent or not. This episode we talk about how the busyness of life can keep you from documenting treasured memories. We share some inexpensive tips for easily preserving your favorite moments.
iPod Version (39 MB) | Subscribe with iTunes
I’ll admit, I’m not known for being “the chef” in our household. Jason is much more of the creative type in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, I can make a mean grilled cheese and a fabulous box of mac ‘n cheese, but when it comes to recipes, Jason is much more interested. One of our mutually favorite channels, though, is The Food Network. It has some great shows, but in my opinion it’s missing out on a interesting niche – non-edible recipes. It’s still cooking, but with a very childlike slant. So, in an attempt to fill the void, I have compiled fifteen of my favorite recipes to resurrect your childlike spirit and leave Adultitis in the dust. Happy cooking!
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Halloween is the time of year when kids and adults alike exercise their creativity and imagination, often in the form of being gross, creepy, and scary. If this isn’t a childlike holiday, we don’t know what is! It’s no surprise that Halloween has become the favorite holiday of many adults. Hey, no gifts to wrap, cards to send, or birds to cook. It’s simply about having fun. Now you may be a bit too tall for trick-or-treating, but that doesn’t mean you have to eat healthy (boring) grown-up food at your Halloween party. Have some fun getting creative with your menu. From Boogers on a Stick to Kitty Litter Cake, we’ll get you started with 9 gross and gruesome ideas that are guaranteed to get your guests having a good time!
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This episode offers a tip on how to get into the Halloween spirit AND banish any Adultitis that may be lurking in your life (or in the lives of your loved ones!) It will teach you a new skill, strengthen a relationship with someone you care about (or a complete stranger), and it costs nothing — except for a piece of paper. Sweet.
iPod Version (23.8 MB) | Subscribe with iTunes
In this episode of the Escape Adulthood Show, brought to you from studio 315 in Madison, Wisconsin, we talk about llamas (again), the hidden danger of sour candy, our latest trip to Boston, and share 6 easy but awesome Halloween costume ideas. Just click “Play” to listen to the show, or you can subscribe to the show with iTunes…
Show Notes…
• Halloween Horror: California Dental Hygienists Issue Warning About the Dangers of Sour Candy (MarketWatch.com)
• Check out these sites for more cool homemade costume ideas: costumeideazone.com and www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com
• Me and My Llama: Here it is…the nostalgic and possibly disturbing video Kim remembered from Sesame Street.
• Cool Thing: Candy Corn Soapsicle
• Show Music: Coyote Sleeps by Ethan Elkind
• Show Length: 28 minutes, 24 seconds
• Shout Outs: A big welcome to all the new members from Greeley, CO, Jamestown, ND, and Belchertown, MA
• Feedback: What do you think about the terrors of sour candy? Do you have any fun homemade Halloween costume ideas? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Add a comment below, e-mail us, or give us a jingle via the exclusive Club K&J Hotline at 608-554-0803.
Earlier this month, we shared 5 games you can play with your office mates in episode #34 of the Escape Adulthood Show. We had more ideas than would fit in one episode, so we’ve included five more here. Enjoy!
1. Just For Fun Day
Incorporate some simple fun on a certain day of the week, like wearing goofy or retro ties every Thursday. Pick something that fits the culture of your group. Have customers vote on the best or wackiest tie. Other ideas: hat day, funny t-shirt day, barefoot day, dessert day, silly sock day, Hawaiian shirt day, bandana day, pajama day, etc.
2. Show & Tell
People love to talk about themselves. Take turns every month giving each employee the chance to share about him/herself. Designate a bulletin board for this, so that the staff can hang pictures of their family, sports logos, favorite TV shows, etc. Encourage them to bring in a favorite dessert on one of the days.
3. Book/Movie/TV Show Club
Have the staff agree to read a certain book, or watch a specific movie or TV show. Then have everyone discuss it over lunch or on a Friday afternoon.
4. Snack Break
Who says kindergartners are the only ones who get snack time? Make it a daily habit to take a 15-minute mid-afternoon snack break each day as a staff. Healthy snacks keep the energy levels up and the metabolism firing. Each person can bring their own snacks or you can assign days.
5. Competition
Healthy competition is a great way to team build. Incorporate some playfulness by playing darts, mini golf around the office or assigning partners and conducting chair races.
What should you do if you’re at a social gathering with friends and the fun grinds to a halt? Or if you’re cooped up inside with your family on a rainy day and all the board games are missing their crucial pieces? This episode features an awesome idea that’s great for groups of many sizes and will leave you laughing on the living room floor.
iPod Version (10.8 MB) | Subscribe with iTunes
In this episode, brought to you from studio 315 in Madison, Wisconsin, we talk about new changes to the show, the pros and cons of “staycations,” and share 5 totally fun (and extremely cheap) things to do with the rest of your summer. Just click “Play” to listen to the show, or you can subscribe to the show with iTunes…
Show Notes…
• The Year of the Staycation (News Examiner-Enterprise)
• Paying the Price For Your Staycation (BloggingStocks.com)
• Staycation, schmaycation. Try these instead (LA Times)
• Cool Thing: Cool Jewels
• Show Music: Coyote Sleeps by Ethan Elkind
• Show Length: 31 minutes, 47 seconds
• Shout Outs: Thanks to Judy Irené for the cool e-mail!
• Feedback: We’d love to hear your thoughts! Add a comment below, e-mail us, or give us a jingle at 608-554-0803.
