Jungle Junction Party Invitations and an Immaculate Winner!

Hello readers, I would like you to meet my nightmare friend, Ellyvan from Jungle Junction, a giant blue elephant on wheels (who thinks of this stuff?):

I only say “nightmare” because my soon-to-be 3 year old LOVES this show (the real nightmare is my oldest son who planted the idea in his brother’s head for a Jungle Junction themed birthday party!).  In case you are unfamiliar (like I now wish I were) with Jungle Junction, it is a preschool show that airs on The Disney Channel. Currently, there is NOTHING on the market in terms of toys, party decorations, cake toppers, you name it.  Nada.  Zip.  Zero.  I have made a mental note that my children are never allowed to watch another show that does not have available “accessories.”

Luckily, my friend Kristen saved half of my “you-know-what” by making me some super cool custom Ellyvan invitations, using her paper cutting machine:

Didn’t she do an amazing job??  Thanks Kristen!!   At the end of this post I will share more cards Kristen has made for me (Star Wars and The Very Hungry Caterpillar), as well as her contact information if you are interested in learning how she makes them (she’ll email you a free SVG file, just tell her Heidi sent ya!).

I used the same cards to make the toppers for the goodie bags:

For the treats I added Aroma Dough Gluten-Free Play Dough (they have several great new colors and scents, including Lavender, Root Beer, Banana, Peppermint, Spearmint, Orange, Vanilla and Bubble Gum).  Aroma Dough does small quantity orders and private labeling for events like birthday parties, etc. I reviewed Aroma Dough back in December, and it was a big hit with my kids (okay, mom and dad too!).

I also added Yummy Earth Lollipops and Gummy Bears to the goodie bags.  If you have not tried Yummy Earth candies yet, you simply must, they are the best tasting lollipops I’ve ever had (and I’m not exaggerating)!  Not only that, check out the ingredient label and what is NOT in Yummy Earth’s candy:

I buy Yummy Earth candies on Amazon (this is not an affiliate link, but you can visit my Amazon store in the right side bar and buy them through there too).  You can also visit the Yummy Earth website to see if there is a store near you!

Now for the winner of the Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cookie Dough from Immaculate Baking Co.

I used the Random Number Generator to pick the winner and that person is:

Veggievance!

Congratulations, I will email you for your shipping information.

Last fall Kristen made some Clone Trooper Helmet Invitations for Sam and her son’s joint birthday party:

she has made me a few others as well, including a Darth Vader card:

and The Very Hungry Caterpillar card for Luke’s party last year:

Aren’t they cool?

If you are interested in learning more, you can contact Kristen directly at: s-n-khallenbeck2001(at) comcast (dot) net or visit her website, Katydid Creativity & Paper Adventures.

Gluten-Free Link Love:

The Cinnamon Quill posted a delectable looking dessert recipe yesterday for Financiers, which was adapted from a recipe that Sea (Book of Yum), had previously posted.  I have never heard of Financiers before, so thank you to The Cinnamon Quill and Book of Yum for sharing!

My very dear friend Maggie, from She Let Them Eat Cake, posted a recipe for, get this, “Triple Chocolate Pudding Sandwiches!” Oh. My. Heavens.  Luke will hyperventilate when I make these, LOL!  Now, I know what you are thinking, but fear not my friends, these are healthy (and dairy-free)!  So go ahead, click the link and see for yourself.  Go on, click it.

Another healthy summer treat that I am anxious to try are the Avocado Fudgesicles from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen.

If you have trouble believing that avocados and chocolate go well together, check out this post for Tricky Chocolate Pudding and you will see!

Lastly, the makers of SUSTA Natural Sweetener contacted me today with a coupon code for you!  From now through August, 1, 2010, you can get $1.00 off either a box of SUSTA or bag of SUSTA Bowl (SUSTA’s baking product).  To redeem, simply visit www.sustastore.com, order your product, enter in the coupon code “GFMOM“and you will receive $1.00 off your purchase.  Coupon codes are not case-sensitive, so gfmom, GFMOM, GFMom, etc. will all work.

Stage Cakes and a Synthetic Dye-Free Adventure

This post is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays Cake Challenge.

Back in the spring I took several cake decorating classes in order to pick up a few tips for making the boy’s birthday cakes.  One class I took was called “Stage Cakes.”  Basically, you build a stage out of cake and then build a scene.  I made a Monster Truck cake since I have a house full of testosterone!  I have made a few since then including one that I made this weekend for Mike’s grandpa’s 86th birthday.

One of the unintended consequences for me while taking my cake decorating classes, was the affect the food dyes had on me.  Using such a high volume of concentrated food color gels (and the resulting stains on my hands and cutting boards, of which the black will NOT come off), really made me start think about how safe they are in the long term.

Many kiddos cannot tolerate food dyes and I read a disturbing article on the blue dominoes website that most food dyes contain lead, mercury and arsenic (I’m sure the amounts are minute, but with synthetic food dyes being in so many foods, one has to wonder about the cumulative effect.  Kind of like with gluten, 20 ppm may be deemed “safe” at the moment, but is that 20 ppm per meal, per day, what?).

Red No. 3 has been linked to breast cancer.  I also read an FDA Public Health Advisory on Blue No. 1 which really expressed to me that there is not enough research to support the safety of synthetic food dyes.  I used to take the approach of  “everything in moderation,” but that was before I realized that synthetic food dyes are in EVERYTHING!  There are the obvious products like Koolaid, brightly colored cereals, candies, colored yogurts, etc. but it is also in things that one would not necessarily think of, like pickles, salmon, orange peels, vitamins, children’s medications and the list goes on and on.  I used to think I was doing well by limiting added food coloring to special occasions like birthday cakes but I didn’t realize how often my kids were still consuming them.

So, I have decided to challenge myself and my family to go synthetic dye-free for the next 3 months.  One, I want to see if we can do it; but more importantly, I like to walk in other people’s shoes for a while and want to teach my boys to do the same.  I think it is not only a great way to feel compassion for others, but I think it is a great way to learn about and implement new ideas.  I also want to see if removing the dyes will help with Luke’s eczema.

Over the past few months I have been experimenting with natural food colors derived from fruits and vegetables.  I have purchased a few and I have even tried to color icing with vegetable powders.  I have had two problems with this.  One, the overall color effect was too pastel to impress my kids (namely my 6 year old son), who is subjected to seeing his friends’ brilliantly colored birthday cakes, etc.  Natural Red colorings usually end up pink which would be fine for a girl (or Luke, he loves pink), but Sam would put me out to pasture.  Two, when using vegetable powders, the icing tends to develop a strong vegetable flavor over time.  Spinach flavored icing put me on Sam’s ” bad list” for about a week.

An idea occurred to me during my cake decorating classes from all the extra accents used to decorate cakes, namely toys.  Why not ice a cake with naturally white or chocolate icing and embellish with non-food items that can add a pop of bright color without being edible?  I also got the tip from my instructors that you do not need to limit yourself to specialty cake decorations, you can put pretty much anything on a cake!  I have since been collecting trinkets from craft stores, dollar bins, you name it, to use for decorating cakes and cupcakes.

I tried this out for the first time over the weekend.  Mike’s grandpa was turning 86 and I wanted to personalize the cake to his interest, namely woodworking.  I decided I would try and make a replica of his garage, complete with a workbench, pegboard, etc.  During a recent trip to Hobby Lobby, I discovered the doll house/miniatures section.  I found all sorts of little decorations that I could use on this stage cake.  I also bought a flat piece of wood (I am sure there is a specific name, but I’m no Bob Vila and if I ask my husband, he will laugh at me ).  I painted it to look like a peg board then attached miniature tools with a hot glue gun.  I used the same approach to make a replica of his work bench.  For some added flair, I embedded a few mini battery-operated lights, called “Celebration Lights” that I found in the wedding section at Michael’s Craft Store.

The following photos are of the cake that Sam, Luke and I decorated (Luke’s main contribution are all the holes in the icing from his repeated “taste testings”).

The black bottom border is ribbon.  The top part of the cake represented one of H.G.’s favorite places to go and spend the afternoon with his late wife (Mike’s grandma), up in the Sandia Mountains.  I made the “H” and “G,” as well as the “86″ out of chocolate.  I did this free hand, which is why they are not even; I will use a mold next time so they come out smooth.  I did paint the chocolate with edible gold dust.

Inside the wheel barrel, we added melted chocolate and cake crumbs to make it look like a pile of dirt.

The cake was a big hit, especially with Sam and Luke!  This gives me a lot of hope that their upcoming birthday cakes can be free of synthetic dyes and they will still think they are cool!

Luke really wants a Jungle Junction birthday cake and I am fretting a bit because they do not make any toys for that show yet.  My friend Kristen, who made the Star Wars party invitations for Sam and her son’s co-party last year, is working on designing some Ellyvan and Zooter invitations for Luke’s party.  I am thinking that I could laminate a few of those and prop them on the cake somehow.  Or, maybe even use some Aroma Dough to make the characters and that way Luke won’t be tempted to eat them (okay, who am I kidding? Luke requested a bowl of Aroma Dough for a snack once!).

See why I am beginning to panic, how does one accomplish that ↑↑ without using chemical dyes and with zero toys on the market??

That’s okay, I am up for the challenge and where there is a will…   (and a good bottle of wine), there is a WAY!

(have any idea’s for me?)

I will get the photo tutorial up for building the stage cake within the next few days, it is really easy to do!

Aroma Dough Giveaway Winner!

Thank you all for your great ideas!!! It would be exciting to see them all come to life!

The winner of the Aroma Dough Giveaway is… Lily Belland! Congratulations, Lily!

Lily’s idea for an Aroma Dough character with color and scent was:

Color:  Purple (not too vibrant)

Scent:  Lavender/Vanilla

Name:  Violet Val

I think this would be great for kids with sensory issues.  Sometimes scents can come on a little strong, and this would be something these kids could handle a little easier.

Lily, please email me at heidikelly13@gmail.com with your mailing address and I will have Aroma Dough ship your Splat Mat Set right away!

Aroma Dough Giveaway!

This is SOOOO Exciting! I have ANOTHER giveaway!

A few days ago, I posted my review of gluten free play doughs. Aroma Dough was one of the companies whose product I reviewed and Diane (one of the founders and a fellow mom!) has so generously offered to give away a Splat Mat Set to one of my lucky readers! Woo Hoo! Just in time for the holidays…what an awesome stocking stuffer!

The Splat Mat Set includes: 3 cookie cutters, rolling pin, 11×17 Splat mat and 4 assorted gluten free tubs of Aroma Dough. The retail value of this set is $25.95!

I want to share a little more information on Aroma Dough because I really think they are an amazing company with a unique product. The following highlighted sections are from the Aroma Dough Website:

At Aroma Dough®, Inc. we only use 100%, child safe, natural ingredients. Our gourmet, kid-tested formulas are whipped up fresh in our factory and shipped off directly to your school or child-care center fresh with absolutely no petroleum distillates. Featured in articles in Redbook and American Baby Magazine and sold nationally at Sam’s Clubs and Discovery Toys, we now bring our original Aroma Dough® aromatic formula directly to you…..only the safest, natural, parent & teacher approved ingredients are used for your little ones to enjoy hours of aroma infused creative play!

Invented in 1992, ORIGINAL Aroma Dough®’s soft and pliable original formula is packed with a variety of natural, aromatic oils to spark your children’s creative senses. And don’t be fooled, Aroma Dough® truly brings out the kid hidden in all of us … no matter what your age! So go on, pick it up and give it a squeeze and breath in the aromas of childhood.

Winner of Seal of Approval by Parent’s Choice

Stays soft and pliable for hours of fun

Non-crumbling formula

Washes easily from carpet and clothing (no kidding, really!!)

Natural formula safe for little ones

NO ARTIFICIAL PRESERVATIVES OR PETROLEUM DISTILLATES USED as in other modeling compounds!

Confirms to ASTM-4236

Organic, Gluten-Free/Wheat Free Formula:
ALL products are Gluten Free  made with 100% organic, wheat-free rice flour, sodium, water, moisturizing oils, natural aromas (no perfumes). This formula is perfect for children who have special needs such as Autism, Celiac’s Disease, ADD/ADHD, or other allergy related issues. It DOES NOT contain nuts, nut oils, perfumes, soy, dairy products or wheat.

This GF play dough is AMAZING! I can only imagine how this dough would be beneficial, not only for all children (and adults alike!) but especially for children who can benefit from the sensory stimulation of the intensely inviting and relaxing aromas, the moisturizing oils in the dough that keep your hands very soft (NOT greasy!) and the bright, vivid colors. I know what I am putting in the goodie bags for Sam and Luke’s birthday parties this year!

Considering the affect Aroma Dough had on me, (I felt very calm, focused and relaxed) I think this would also be a great gift for companies to give their employees during these stressful economic times! Think of it as the new stress ball!

Aroma Dough also does customized products as well!

Aroma Dough play dough can be private labeled
for your company or product, with aromas customized to match your product,
corporation, theme or party.

We can even do small quantity orders for:

• birthday parties
• bar mitzvahs
• corporate giveaways or fun gifts
• personalized with your own photo

We have done private labeling for such companies as:

• Discovery Toys “Scentsational Dough”
• Natural Wonder Stores
• Sesame Street Stores
• Right Start Catalog

Products for Teachers:

---

Gluten Free Aroma Dough Play Dough Class Pack™ $19.95

Is ideal for educational environments such as school and childcare centers. One color of Aroma Dough® fills a 5 lb. air-tight sealed clear bucket with handle.

• Cherry Cola Fizz (memory booster)
• Groovy Blue (creative thinking)
• Lemon Drops (uplifting)
• Lollipop Lime (for concentration)

So here is the contest:

Name a New Aroma Dough Character!!

Leave a comment on this post about what you think would be a great new Aroma Dough Character. Include a Color, Scent and the Name of your character!

The deadline for this contest will be Friday, December 11th, 2009 so we can be sure to get the Splat Mat Set to you before the 25th! Good Luck and have fun!

GF Play Dough Reviews

This has been a fun “research” project for the Kelly household!  Over the past month or so, I have been collecting different brands of GF play dough.  In this product review, I will be including 4 different brands of GF play dough: Aroma Dough, Blue Dominoes, Colorations and Soy-Yer Dough.  My husband has been playing with the dough with the boys as well (“dad, do we have to do play dough AGAIN?) and is very excited about these alternatives, so he has helped write some of this review.

Aroma Dough

Aroma Dough is the ORIGINAL gluten-free play dough. It was invented in 1992 by two moms, Diane Scott & Maryanne Gallagher.

From the website:

We turned Aromatherapy into AromatheraPlay!® Using the power of aroma derived from flowers, plants, and fruits from nature, not only is Aroma Dough® fun for kids, but our specially Gluten-Free formulated aromas can lift spirits, calm over-tired kids, aid in concentration and allow hours of fun play simultaneously!

I have had the pleasure of chatting with Diane via email about the Aroma Dough product.  One very important thing about Aroma Dough is that they do not use chemical fragrances like some of the other GF play doughs on the market.

Aroma Dough is made up of 100% organic, wheat-free rice flour, sodium, water, moisturizing oils, natural aromas (no perfumes). This formula is perfect for children who have special needs such as Autism, Celiac Disease, ADD/ADHD, or other allergy related issues. It DOES NOT contain nuts, nut oils, perfumes, soy, dairy products or wheat.

When I received my package of Aroma Dough in the mail, I could not wait until the boys got home from school to open it.  I was so excited just by the way they looked on the website and could not wait to see them!  As soon as I opened the container, I was in aroma paradise!  The doughs smelled better than I ever could have imagined.  How do I explain it?  Do you know that burst of intense flavor when you first bite into a piece of bubble gum?  Well, Aroma Dough smells that good, but unlike bubble gum, the scent of Aroma Dough does not go away (at least it hasn’t for the few weeks we’ve had it).

I can definitely see how this gluten free play dough would be therapeutic, it calmed me completely as I rolled it around in my hands.  Maybe it’s my ADD.    Even better, the aromas match their colors (ie. the green dough smells like lime).  Another nice thing is that Aroma Dough does not have the drying effect on your hands like some of the other GF doughs.  The moisturizing oils softened my hands as I played with it.  They could make a spa treatment out of this stuff!   I must issue a warning with Aroma Dough though: the smell is so realistic of lemons, limes, cherry cola and tutti fruiti that it is very tempting to eat it, in fact some will!

Exhibit A:

This is the importance of GF play dough for kids with celiac disease.  Well, in the case of Aroma Dough anyway, I can’t say I Luke has ever been tempted to eat other play doughs before.  Okay, I will admit, I was tempted for a second to join Luke and lick it, they smell that delicious. Apparently the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, LOL!

Cost Breakdown (not including shipping):

You get 4 tubs for $16.95

Each Tub is about 6 1/4 ounces (weighed it myself).

So, 4 tubs x 6.25 oz. = 25 oz. of dough for $16.95 is $0.67/oz.

My opinion: I would definitely buy this dough! The boys also really liked it but Sam did say that it wasn’t as easy as some of the other GF play Doughs to mold and “build” things with due to its softer consistency. I definitely would recommend this product, especially for children who would benefit from the tactile and sensory stimulation.

Soy- Yer Dough

From the website:

Soy-Yer Dough is a wheat free modeling compound. The leading modeling compound that we all grew up with is wheat based, which causes children with an aversion to wheat to feel completely left out. Modeling compounds stimulate a child’s mind and inspire creativity, but kids with celiac disease, autism, ADD and ADHD are forced to find other means of creative inspiration. Now, with Soy-Yer Dough, all children can experience the benefits of handling a modeling compound that is gluten free, non-toxic, and fun scented.

Modeling compounds are important not only for small children to make dinosaurs, but in the classroom to learn everyday issues regarding topics of supply and demand and gross domestic product.  This makes a safe product that allows for all children to create their own imaginary worlds and become more familiar with topics such as finance and sales.

Soy-Yer Dough does not contain the following allergens or toxins:

• Does not contain Borax
• Does not contain Latex
• Does not contain Dairy
• Does not contain Egg
• Does not contain Gluten
• Does not contain Peanut & Tree Nut
• Does not contain Kerosene

We do offer a Gluten Free, Soy-FREE alternative as well! Just click Soy-FREE durring checkout!

I am just going to review the regular GF dough and not the Soy-Free GF dough.  I noticed right off the bat that the color of Soy-Yer dough is not as vibrant as the Aroma Dough.

The scent is very mild, and if you are not thinking about it, you may miss it all together; which could be a good thing for people who are sensitive to smell.

In my opinion, Soy-Yer Dough seems to have the exact same feel as the homemade GF Dough; and there is a little residue that gets transferred to your hands and leaves a dried out gritty feeling.

Soy-Yer Dough DOES hold up well when used to “build” things.  A trade-off, though, is that the dough will seem to crystallize a bit after it has been stored awhile, even in the container.  It will “re-soften” with a few aggressive turns in the hand, but FYI.

Each color comes in its own container.  There are 11 colors, a BIG plus.

The creator of this dough, Sawyer Sparks was recently on the show Shark Tank and not only has Play Doh made an offer for Soy-Yer Dough, but the company owner received some venture capital from the Shark Tank, so this is something to keep an eye on.  If Sparks can build a dedicated production line with his new cash (instead of mom’s kitchen), or if Play-Doh acquires the company, the cost of this product could really come down.

Cost Breakdown (not including shipping):

Each container is $2.00 (or $2.50 for the Soy-Free, Gluten-Free version). There is a variety pack price you can buy which consists of 11 colors for $20.00, which is what most of you will buy.

Each container is about 5 1/2 ounces (weighed it myself).

So the variety pack price is 60.5 ounces for $20.00, or $0.33/oz.

You can also order even bulkier bulk orders, with the expected drop in cost per ounce.

Blue Dominoes Safe Art

From the website:

Our patent-pending playdough contains Organic and All Natural Ingredients, is free of Lead, Heavy Metals, Bromine, and Bisphenol-A; and does NOT contain Artificial Colors, Dyes, Gluten or Wheat.  bluedominoes Activity Dough is Physician Approved, Celiac Sprue Approved, and Feingold Accepted.   Our playdough will not dry out like other brands.  Hours of safe play time for your child or a special child that you know!

Bluedominoes creates safe lead-free art supplies, beginning with our SafeArt Activity Dough. This gluten free, artificial color free playdough is safe for all children including eco-friendly families, children with celiac disease, children who are sensitive to artificial colors, as well as children with autism and ADHD who follow the GFCF diet or the Feingold Program. In addition, our playdough contains Organic and All-Natural Ingredients, is free of Lead, Heavy Metals, Bromine, and BPA. bluedominoes proudly make its eco-friendly playdough in the USA.  Add SafeArt Dough to your list of lead free toys!

This is a great “one-stop shop” product, as it is both wheat-free and soy-free.  The company has also taken care to laboratory test the product for lead and other heavy metals, which of course is very important for a product that will almost certainly find its way into your child’s mouth at some point!  This does not mean that the other doughs are not safe, but the laboratory testing does demonstrate a certain level of commitment!  They also won Dr. Toy’s Best Pick award for New Children’s Products in 2009.

The dough is close to odorless.  It is VERY workable and Sam says it is the best one for building and molding (as in the Play-Doh barbershop, etc.).  Regardless of my opinion, I am not going to argue with a 6 year old!  But yes, it is very sturdy.  It comes in five colors, and I would have to say that the only real drawback is that green, blue, and red are not among them.

The dough stores VERY well in the snap-lid container.

Cost Breakdown (not including shipping):

A 5-pack costs $15.99 + shipping

Each container is 5 ounces, so 25 oz. for $15.99 = $0.64/oz. You can also get 5 of the monster 3 pound tubs for $110.  That’s 240 ounces for about $0.46/oz.

Colorations

Colorations is a bigger company and manufactures an array of school products.  I will say that it is nice to see a larger company making the effort to make a GF product.  It is only available through Discount School Supply (at least as far as I have seen), and is a pretty straightfoward product.  You get the 8 basic colors, all of which are vibrant.  The molding and shaping texture is pretty good and it isn’t too sticky or gooey.

The dough overall is just fine, but a BIG word of caution is that each color is saran wrapped and all are shipped in a single big tub.  This is not so big a deal for storage (isn’t that what Zilpoc baggies are for?) but it can get cumbersome when playing because you can’t just grab a piece of a color out of its container while the rest is safely separated from the other colors.  It can get messy real fast, and don’t be surprised if you end up with a ninth color that I call “goo.”

Current price is 5 1/2 pound tub (8 colors in all) for $23 (excludes shipping).  88 ounces for $0.26/ounce.  Very reasonable, but somewhat inconvenient.

General Conclusions

The Aroma Dough is very cool and I would recommend it for 1-3 year olds who need as much sensory input as possible.  The combination of tactile shaping, strong aroma, and appropriate aroma/color match is great for this age.  The company is addressing the limited colors soon, and although it does not shape and “build” as well as others, for the young ones, that is not as important.

Blue Dominoes would be a tie for first with Aroma Dough.  The product is obviously uber-safe, durable, and the best “builder.”  I think this would be a better product for the 4 and up kids who are probably much more into building and shaping actual things than just pounding and rolling (and eating) the dough.  The lack of colors is clearly a drawback, but the fact that the company won’t put out a product with un-safe coloring shows dedication.

The Soy-Yer Dough is fine if price is a concern.  I also think the monster bulk pricing would make it a great option for a teacher or homeschool group.  Eleven colors is great, but the smell really isn’t there and it will need to be re-worked each time.

Colorations is the cheapest by ounce and will be fine if you only have one child.  But with multiple kiddos reaching across each other and inevitably mixing, it would be nice to have separate containers (“this is yours and this is his”).

Tags: Aroma Dough, Colorations, Gluten Free Play Dough, Safe Art, Soy-Yer Dough