Happy Easter PEEPS!

'Tis the season for PEEPS -- you know, those cute little sugar-laden marshmallow chicks and bunnies in our Easter baskets? Starting tomorrow, PEEPS will go on sale at ridiculously low prices. Forget Black Friday; this will be Yellow (and Pink and Lavender and Blue and White) Marshmallow Monday.

So, I'm curious...What's the story behind this spring treat anyway? Leave it to me to do some research to find out... I had no clue how much information was out there until I started digging. I don't even really like the taste of PEEPS much, but after looking through an assortment of Web sites, I'm inspired to buy them in massive quantities so I can eat them, squish them, put them in the microwave, use them for art and perform science experiments on them!

I learned a plethora of information on the PEEPS Web site. Here's some points I found of interest:

• Peeps were born in Bethlehem Pennsylvania in 1953.(How ironic it's "Bethlehem" considering the Lenten season and religious origins.)
• The amount of PEEPS chicks and bunnies consumed at Easter could more than circle Earth’s circumference.
• The number of PEEPS chicks, bunnies and other shapes made each day could make a path from the factory door in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to the state of Maryland.
• It would take approximately 172 MILLION PEEPS bunnies end-to-end to circle the moon.
• Over 70 million PEEPS chicks lined up beak-to-tail are needed to reach from New York City to Los Angeles.
• If you had 8,000 PEEPS bunnies, and you stood them in a straight vertical line, you could reach the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago.
• In the early 1950’s, it took 27 HOURS to make one PEEPS chick. Today it takes six minutes!
• PEEPS chicks and bunnies come in 5 colors. Yellow chicks are the most popular, followed by pink, lavender, blue, and white.
• Each PEEPS chick has 32 calories and 0 grams of fat.
  

What is really amazing are the contests dedicated to preserving the little marshmallow critters -- from the Washington Post to the Baltimore Sun, media get downright PEEPalicious this time a year. My local fave is the Ann Arbor News' annual diorama contest. Check it out and prepare to be amazed!

And while you're at it, don't forget about YouTube. Just type in PEEPS and prepare for video splendor -- there are countless parody vids showcasing the little chicks (Star Wars Revenge of the Peeps, Peeps Jaws and don't miss my fave -- "Office Peeps" -- a. mockumentary on the 90's classic "Office Space.")

Hope you had a wonderful Easter, PEEPle! I'm PEEPin' out for tonight.

Sunday Song

"Sweet Pea" by Amos Lee. Download it and prepare to smile...it's dang cute.

Love Thy Neighbor -- It Can Be That Simple

I had to laugh when I came across this story about two feuding neighbors and the punishment they received. Taken from freep.com:

TROY
'Love thy neighbor' signs are punishment for pair
March 20, 2008

When counseling didn't work, a judge said he'd "try some embarrassment" on feuding Clawson neighbors.

Troy District Judge Michael Martone sentenced two men Wednesday to 250 hours each of community service, to be spent walking the sidewalks of Clawson with signs that read "Love thy neighbor."

After Michael Lehnert, 41, pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace, and Jeffrey Schachinger, 51, did the same to a nuisance ordinance -- each in violation of probation for earlier misdeeds -- Martone ordered three-day jail terms for the pair.

Then they must start walking with large sandwich board-type signs, "across the street from each other," he said.

In January, Martone had a teen lug a "Don't litter" sign.

Good old, fashioned embarrassment -- exactly what the pair needed in my opinion -- and just by listening to the golden rule they could have come out on top.

Now, if only more judges were like this, our tax dollars wouldn't be spent on jail time for silly reasons!

My Taste Buds <3 Tava

One of the things I gave up for lent is pop. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, after all, I don't drink that much pop. But, it's not good for me and when I am in need of a little boost, I turn to it and I feel like I shouldn't. I wish I could be one of those H2O nuts, guzzling away at the cool taste of nothingness, but I just can't do it. I like FLAVOR and I have a major weakness for carbonation.

So, the other day when I was zapping away items for my wedding registry at Target, I decided I needed a drink. Since the Target snack counter fountain mostly contained pop, I only had one choice: Tava.

"What in the world is this?" I thought.

Described as a "Zero calorie sparkling beverage," I was intrigued. The flavor was "Mediterranean Fiesta," and had a taste of citrus + berries (which I later learned should be black berry, tangerine and lime). I was pleasantly surprised after tasting it and I will definitely plan to purchase it in the future.

I didn't know where the heck the stuff came from or who made it (it didn't say on the fountain label), so I did some digging via the Internet. I learned the company was recently acquired by PepsiCo and from what I can tell, its marketing approach is looking to draw from the crowd of what I would call "artsy hipsters." The Web site plays music I've never heard before -- crucial to that type of audience (in fact, I may go download some of the songs...), says Tava supports emerging artists and the list of events where Tava will be present throughout the year include a combo of art/jazz/theater fairs from around the country (none in the Detroit area though -- BOO!).

The other Tava flavors include Tahitian Tamure (tropical fruit/ tangerine/ lime) and Brazillian Samba (passion fruit/ pineapple/ lime). Kind of nerdy names if you ask me, but the flavors taste good and for this artsy type of audience, they seem appropriate.

My research lead me to learn that Tava is one of those drinks fortified by vitamins (vitamins E, B6, niacin and chromium). The sodium levels aren't fantastic (35 mg per 16.9 oz.) and it contains aspartame, which apparently isn't that great for you, but shoot, nothing is bad in moderation. Tava sells for $1.49 for a 16.9 oz., which is comparable to many other energy/vitamin drinks out there.

All in all, for a girl like me who craves the carbonation but not the calories of pop, it does the trick and makes me feel like I belong in the "artsy hipster" demographic. Me likey.

(Side note: Read the story from this week's Fortune here about the changing face of Pepsi and how sassy CEO Indra Nooyi is leading the charge. You go girl!)

Mom Update

Good news -- my mom had her minor surgery and it went well and she is now cancer free. Granted, spots can come back, but at least now she is aware and knows what signs to look for.

I don't know about your personal beliefs, but this situation has really helped me to understand the true power of prayer... thanks to those of you who kept her in your thoughts.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Suess!

One of my secret passions is reading children's books, hence why I am ecstatic to honor one of the best authors ever (in my opinion) -- Dr. Suess. It's his birthday today.

Made famous for such books as: One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, Oh, The Places You'll Go!, How the Grich Stole Christmas! and The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Suess is definitely a man who understood children.

So, I am off to read. Check out his "Suessville" Web site... so cute/creative!

Happy b-day, Dr. Suess. Hope the children in heaven are able to crowd around you today and hear your wonderful stories! =)

(Fun fact: Dr. Suess was not really a doctor, but "his prescription for fun has delighted readers for more than 60 years." -- Wiki)

Sunday Song: Always On Sunday

"Always On Sunday" by Tammany Hall NYC.

It's a great song that depicts the inevitable bittersweet feelings associated with Sunday...