7 Year Old’s Lemonade Stand Shut Down

Is your child an entrepreneur?  Do they have a lemonade stand?  If you live in Portland, OR they could be shut down.  This 7-year old little girl was shut down by a Health Inspector.  They stated that she needed a restaurant license to operate, lol.  What is happening to this country?   We strive to teach our children morals, values, and a sense of self-worth only to have idiots like this steal their joy.

Here’s the story.  This adorable little girl saw an episode on Nick Jr. of Olivia the pig operating a lemonade stand.  She decided that she would like to have a lemonade stand as well to earn a little extra money.  Now with the economy the way it is somebody needs work, and if a 7 year old is the one lucky enough to be able to bring in a little income so be it.  Her mother decided to help make her dream come true.  They made a sign and packed the car with bottled water, Kool Aid, cups, and ice, and secured a spot at the local art fair.   

Much to her surprise, she was shut down by a health inspector.  The violation, she failed to obtain a $120 temporary restaurant license.  Not much surprises me these days, but when I read the article I was in disbelief.  Who in the hell would pay $120 for a license so a child can operate a lemonade stand.  The health department was holding a 7 year old to the same standards as a commerical business.

The inspector informed the mother that she could face a $500 fine if she continued to operate, so she packed up everything and tried to explain to her daughter that the people were just doing their job.  Now I’m all for sanitary conditions, but the mother and daughter were using bottled water, packs of Kool Aid, a scoop for the ice and hand sanitizer. How harmful can that be?

Other vendors who were nearby decided to come to the little girl’s aid and take measures against such a ridiculous law.  They spread the word using every avenue and venue available to protest the decision.  The Health Department eventually apologized to the mother and daughter stating they made a mistake.  They stated that the law should not apply to lemonade stands, and the inspectors should use professional knowledge to decide when a business should be shut down.  What has happened to people’s hearts in this country?

I hope this little girl wasn’t discouraged by the incident and will try her hand again at being an entrepreneur.  I love the cartoon Olivia on Nick Jr.  She’s adventurous and her messages are to teach our young ones to try new things.  Isn’t that what we want them to do.  How do we prepare them for the real world if we don’t provide opportunities to experience and try new things.  Most children are tied to the computer and the TV for hours, but this little girl wanted to get out and sell lemonade to make a few dollars.  If anything she should have been seen as an example.  

The funniest thing about the incident is the health inspector stated his children sell lemonade.  I wonder if he spent a $120 on a permit for them.    

Maybe Nick Jr. will create an episode on Olivia about idiot health inspectorsTheir lesson have a heart, you can’t learn everything from a book.            

Wordless Wednesday: Virginia Beach Mural

                                                                      Mural on a building in Virginia Beach, VA 

Living In Somebody Else’s House Is Gross!

Do you watch the New Jersey Housewives?  Do you remember Teresa Giudice stating that, “Living In Somebody Else’s House Is Gross”?  Be careful those words could come back to haunt you and it looks like they’ve come back to haunt her.  I remember the episode she uttered those words.  My response was wow, what did she live in before she moved into her mansion.  What does that say to the majority of people in America who have purchased a home who had a prior owner?  I say the joke is on you girlfriend.         

She’s now $11 million dollars in debt and the contents of her manison is scheduled to be auctioned on August 22.  Beauty and no brains is how I sum Teresa Giudice up.  Her beauty is noticeable, but so is the fact that she lacks a brain. The manison has 6 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, and more marble than Rome.  What I also noticed more than her opulence, is her ability to botch the English language.  She struggled with the word cleanliness and didn’t have a clue what an entrepreneur was although she was trying to describe her husband’s occupation.   

Back to that ugly ass mansion, frankly I wouldn’t have spent a dime on one thing that she owned.  She dished out a bundle on the ugliest furniture that I’ve ever seen.  Ornate is the style (shown above).  Huge, dark, chunky pieces of furniture that weigh a ton.  The house has more marble than Rome.  It boasts 10,000 square feet and it’s about to be empty.  This crazy woman owes $20,000 to Nordstorms, Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus.   They owe over $104,000 in credit card debt.  Now here’s the real crazy part, they only earn $80,000 a year between the 2 of them.  The payment on their Cadillac Escalade is $1200 a month.  That’s more than my mortgage payment.  

Why do people do this?  How can you possibly afford a $4 million dollar home and a $1200 a month car payment off $80,000 a year.  Oh, that’s right they owned 2 other homes, 1 on the Jersey shore as well.  The home on the Jersey Shore was the reason they didn’t have an in-ground pool.  

If you want to own a piece of Teresa’s ornate furnishings, check out the A.J. Willner Auction.  They have a list of what will be sold in the front yard on August 22.  I seriously thought about going.  Hell I don’t have anything else to do, lol.  I’ve even gone as far as Googling the address.  It’s a 4 hour drive, but since her style is really not for me it’s not worth the drive.  I did look at a mirror that will be auctioned, but I would need a Uhaul to get it home and once I did get it home it would take up an entire wall.  

I feel sorry for the children, their beds, toys and bikes are being auctioned.   What has she taught them?  They have 4 daughters, 2 will be old enough to remember this downfall.  It is so sad. I wonder how much she spent on her breast implants?  No, I’m not jealous.  I’m carrying enough for 3 women.  No implants needed here.  Just another unnecessary expense. 

Well Teresa won’t starve, she will be eating her words for quite awhile.  She’ll be eating these words too, “I ain’t got no budget”.  This is a reality show honey, get real.        

I’m An Addict

Hi, I’m Rhonda and I’m an addict. No I’m not a drug addict, but I am a reality tv and food network addict. I’m also addicted to blogging, Facebook, scrapbooking and on-line games. I’m not sure when it all started, but I do know that I’m in over my head. I believe it started with the Food Net Work, Iron Chief to be exact. I than moved to Project Run Way and on to all the Housewives shows. That’s right, Orange County, New York, Atlanta and now New Jersey.

I’m glued to the entire season of Project Run Way and now it Cupcake Wars. Did I leave out Bridezilla? I love then all. Damn Bravo, Lifetime and the Food Network. I’m yours, you own me.

The new season of Project Run Way starts this Thursday and I’ll be there. My favorite season of Project Runway was Season 4. I absolutely loved it. Chris March and Christian Soriano were on Season 4. Chris March was eliminated, Christian Soriano, above, went on to win at Fashion Week. Both were hilarious, Christian was my favorite. Maybe because he was from nearby Annapolis, MD. Maybe it was his catch phrases, Bitches, Hot Mess, I’m gonna die of barfness, Ferosh. If I was a 10 sizes smaller, this Bitch would be a Hot Mess in his Ferosh designs. Oh yes I would.

I’m not sure which of the housewife shows I like best. It would probably be the New York housewives if I had to choose. Why, because I think they’re probably the most real out of all the shows. I like the Atlanta Housewives, but I don’t like the fact that they are some broke ass bitches trying to betray themselves as Divas. I mean really. Now Nene keeps it real. I like Gretchen on OC, but Vicki irritates me at times. I respect the fact that she is a hard working woman with 600 insurance agents in her company. She’s not dependent on her husband’s income, she has paved the road to her own wealth.

I like Alex on the New York Housewives, but I think her husband is as sweet as he can be.  Ramona oh Ramona, you give me the creeps.  It’s the eyes girlfriend, they just freak me out.  I like Jill, but she was just not one of favorites this past season. I think Kelly is just a nut. Can we get a head doctor on the next season for her?

I’ve found a new drug that I use on Sunday nights, Cupcake Wars. You can catch it on the Food Network at 10:00 EST. I can’t bake to save my life, so I admire their creations. The show was summed up nicely, “This ain’t no cake walk, it’s a cupcake war”. 

I know that I need help, just turning off the TV is just not going to work for me.  I think I would literally have to take all of the TVs out of the house.  I also know that’s not going to happen, I just purchased a 37″ flatscreen for the bedroom.  Nothing has worked.  I’ve become a great multi-tasker.  I can watch all of my shows and play on-line games.  Love Plants versus Zombies, Bejeweled, and Cake Mania. 
I have learned to love myself unconditionally over the years.  That’s why I can stand before you proudly and say I’m an Addict.  Are you an addict?  Leave us a comment and tell us what you’re addicted to. 

Wordless Wednesday: Virginia Beach Fireworks

                                                          Fire Works On The Beach

Kathy Griffin Judges Kids Pageant

Imagine this 4, 5 and 6 year old girls looking like miniature adults with make up, tans, big hair and Kathy Griffin in the mix. Kinda scary isn’t it. I watched Kathy Griffin’s show, My Life on the D-List this morning. Kathy and her mother were judging a kiddie beauty pageant. Now I’m not much on children being in beauty pageants, seeing children made up to look like miniature adults is not something that I as a parent condone. I use the words “miniature adults” lightly, hookers would probably describe that scene a little better.
Kathy Griffin was hilarious. During a segment of the show there was a little girl, maybe 6 or 7, with tons of fake hair and getting a spray tan. She proceeded to tell Kathy that “if you can’t tone it tan it” and “beauty is pain”. What experience would a 6 or 7 year old have with toning or experiencing pain in relations to a beauty routine? Bikini or eyebrow waxing, lol. How sad for a little girl to be thinking that way. During another segment, Kathy stated that she was scared shitless of those little bitches, referring to the girls, because she believed they would cut you. Confirming that kiddie pageants were treacherous business, the kids were out to win. She also brought a few of her Emmys to the pageant, afterall getting a trophy was the goal.

It also showed Kathy asking a group of little girls about make-up tips. They clearly didn’t have a clue about make-up, which tells me these girls can’t possibly be making decisions on what to wear or how to wear it, but they did know about “cupcake hands”. Now for you moms who don’t know, cupcake hands is a position on how to hold your hands.

Can someone explain to me how a 1 – 2 year old can be furious competition? There was a mom who believed her daughter at that age was competition. Is this a mother living through her daughter or what? Kathy advised the mother to not have cosmetic surgery on the child anytime soon. The mother responded not before she was 6. Too funny.

This was the first time that I watched Kathy Griffin’s show, it was great for few laughs this morning. I may tune in again.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

My two year old grandson was visiting. Because I don’t see him often, he gets to sleep with Mama when he’s here. He wakes me at 7:30 am, and looks into my eyes. He says, “Mama, you have a booger in your eye”.

Mr. Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head is still alive and just as popular as ever. I remember playing with Mr. Potato Head when I growing up, when I came across these three adorable characters I had to have them for my grandson. I found these three at Big Lots. I love that store, you never know what you may find.

My grandson spends hours putting Mr. Potato Head together and taking him apart. Did you know that there is an Elvis Potato Head? Yes, Playskool will be producing an Elvis Potato Head (below), thank you thank you very much, lol. I loved Elvis when I was growing up. There was something about his smile and dance moves that just mesmerized me as a teen.

I doubt that I will purchase an Elvis Potato Head, there are others that are more appropriate for a 2 year old, but for those who collect Elvis paraphernalia here you go.

I also purchased a slinky for my grandson. I played with the slinky on the front steps for hours. Jacks was another one of my favorite childhood games along with hopscotch. He’s a little too young for these games, but I plan to introduce them down the road. We also had hula hoops and pogo sticks. These are games that can be played outside as well. Our children have lost the will to go outside and move, and as a result childhood obesity has become a big problem in this country. I refuse to allow my grandson to become an obesity statistic.  I will be writing on this topic in another post.  

What were your favorite games growing up? Leave us a comment, with the era that you grow up. I would bet that toy has or will come full circle and your children will play with those very toys/games one day.

Perez Hilton – What An Idiot

What an idiot! You’ve heard the controversy with Perez Hilton and the Miley Cyrus photo, right. If you haven’t, Perez Hilton placed a link on his Twitter Account that opened to a photo of Miley Cyrus getting out of a vehicle in an “unlady like fashion”. I watched him on The Joy Behar show tonight trying to explain himself. His explanation, she knew pictures were being taken of her, she should be careful how she exits a car. Hello, she’s 17 you fool.
I’m not a big fan of Miley Cyrus, but I am a mother. People are in an uproar over his attempt to exploit a 17 year old child in this manner.  Rightfully so, I would be furious if someone posted a photo of my minor child on-line with her skirt or dress a little too high because she was struggling to get out of a vehicle.  Perez went on to say he thought the photo was funny and further reinforced her provocative behavior so to speak. I saw the photo, and it appears that she just didn’t think about what she was wearing, her focus was just on getting out the car. The car appeared to be a low, 2 seater.  Have you tried getting out of one?  Hell, I have a difficult time getting out of an SUV.  My skirt probably would have been around my head if I had to get out of a vehicle that low. 
I don’t know of any responsible adult, that would post a photo of a child on-line and pretty much say she asked for it.  She knew she was being photographed.  She’s no longer a child, and it seems people want her to stay a little girl on the Disney channel.  Yes, she’s been photographed in what some would call provocative photos.  In particular, with a sheet wrapped around her, dancing up against an older man at a party and in her underwear.  Lets face it, there’s a new generation out there with a totally different view and manner of dress.  This young lady is growing up and she’ll make plenty of mistakes as we all have and are still doing. We’re just not in the eyes of the camera. 
There is no acceptable explanation for what is suppose to be a grown man who would post a photo of her in that position.  I wonder how he would feel if that was his daughter? We as adults need to remember that children should not be the objects of ridicule for any reason.  It’s funny, we’re suppose to be the adults and should be examples for our children. Perez Hilton made an attempt to show a 17 year old’s ass, but he ended up being the biggest one.

Kids Put On Wrong Flight by Delta

Would you allow your child too travel alone to visit a relative? Until I read the article today about Delta airlines placing two children on the wrong flight, I may have considered it. The Unaccompanied Minor Program is used by many airlines for children between the ages of 5 – 14 who need to travel without an adult. The airline is paid to take on the responsibility of the child until they reach their destination. The person who brings the child to the airport must show identification, and the person who is at the final destination must show identification before the child is released. They airline is suppose to ensure the child gets on the correct flight, feed them, make sure they make connections and turn them over to the right person for a hefty price.
It seems Delta Airlines needs some work on their program. Somehow they mixed up the paperwork for the children and placed them on the wrong connecting flights. How the hell is this possible? This is what you’re getting paid to do. My big question is, how do you mix up the paper work of a boy and girl? Did anyone ask them their name or put some kind of identification on them? Did anyone bother to check their identification? Obviously not. The little boy realized the mistake, he knew he was suppose to be in Boston and not Cleveland. Kids are so smart.

Can you imagine the grandparent’s or whatever adult that was on the other end’s fear. I would have been beside myself. Delta is conducting an investigation, and they are assuring parents across the country that the children were supervised at all times. Idiots! Delta has also stated that they issued refunds for the children and gave the families free tickets for a future trip. I may have accepted the tickets, but my child would never travel alone on that airline again. It’s doubtful that they would ever travel alone again.

To be honest, I’ve had a positive attitude toward this program in the past. I have witnessed children under the Unaccompanied Minor program in my travels, and they have been well taken care of by the airline. These type of incidents are suppose to be rare, but when they happen it causes you to become fearful and a little more protective of your child.

I may change my mind in the future, but tonight my little sweetie pie will get squeezed a little harder, and he will definitely receive extra hugs and kisses. What your thoughts on this incident? Leave us a comment.