...because we all have our motley moments!


Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Things that make me go "grrrrrr..."

I was packing lunch for a play date the other day, and when I grabbed a container for our sandwiches I noticed the symbols on the bottom. Inspecting them started my mind reeling with the little things that, well, drive me a little nuts. I try to be a positive Mommy, but sometimes I feel like there are things that are just a little more complicated than necessary in my hectic day (and, honestly, most of the time they are pretty funny, too). For example...

Pictures instead of words.


This is the bottom of the container that I was studying the other day. I get the snowflake--that probably involves the freezer. Since these are freezer containers, I would think that little symbol means that yes, indeed, the container can be frozen. That looks like a fork and goblet on the other side. That must mean something about food. The other picture, however, has me lost. Is it a cassette tape? Can I use the box to store my collection of cassette singles from middle school? Is it a VHS tape? The container is too small for those. Maybe the container is made of recycled VHS tapes. It could be an owl looking through a window. I don't really know why, but it could be. What if it's important? Should I devote a Google search to it? How would I even start a search for a symbol when I don't know what it means?

This is a page from the "directions" we were given when we bought our son's bed at Ikea. Ikea is a big company, and they have stores nearly everywhere in the world, so instead of printing words in their directions (that would involve way too many languages) they give much clearer illustrations. Here's a fun game--study the three pictures above and tell me what's different among them other than the exclamation mark and the giant "x." I'm not sure either, but I do hope we pointed at the bed correctly when we assembled it. (*FYI: See note at the end of the post.)

CD's and DVD's as toys in kids' meals.

Dear Fast Food Restaurants:
When I bring my toddler to your establishment and take the time to order inside and actually sit down and eat, I would appreciate it if you would provide us with a ready-to-use toy instead of a CD or DVD. You see, the whole reason why I bother ordering your over-priced kids' meal is because that little plastic car or action figure might just buy me the time I need to finish my fries before they get cold. The sleek multi-media we've been receiving as of late is really just useful as a weapon. Please, please bring back the junk toys. Seriously.

What about you? What gets under your Mommy-skin? :)

(*My husband just informed me that the Ikea directions above are referencing the matress thickness for the bed. I still think it has something to do with making correct hand gestures.)

14 comments:

Pam said...

This is hilarious!!! Loved it! I'm not sure what drives me crazy, but I am sure I will think of somethings after my coffee :)

Donna said...

You got me laughing, girl!!!

What about the clothing tags that only have symbols for washing instructions. What the heck does the triangle mean??? I'm sure they are supposed to be universal, but we were not taught the meanings of these symbols in my universe! Maybe this is something you learn in home ec., which I never took.

How about the infant ibuprofen and probably all infant over the counter meds. For ages under 6 months (infants, right?), instead of a dosage it says "call a doctor." What the?

Sippy cups with more than two pieces up top. ARGGGG!

Bowls and dishes that are not microwave safe...why aren't they catching on yet? Microwaves are NOT new technology, people!

Children's books that use incorrect grammar. I hate that.

Shoes that are incredibly easy for them to take off by themselves, but incredibly hard for them to put back on. I need to invent shoe locks or something.

Snacks that pretend to be healthy. Cookies in 100 calorie packs are not healthier than regular cookies. Multigrain crackers loaded with msg and the bad kind of oils are not contributing to our overall health.

That's it for now. I'm sure I have more pet peeves, but I'll stop there. Rachel, maybe the owl eyes are a kid with his face plastered to the microwave as it radiates the food inside.

Lindsay said...

LOL I need a laught this morning so thank you. Although I do have to say that I prefer the CD/DVD's in the happy meals over the plastic toys. We got a really great book on CD from Chick-fil-a awhile ago that my kids just love. And I hate throwing the littls plastic junk toys away...hehe

I am sure I will come up with some more to add later, but I am actually quite grouchy this morning and not in the mood to think. :)

Rachel said...

Lindsay, I had forgotten about the Chik-fil-a meal toys--we've gotten some great board books from them, and they put so many extras in their meals (like the sticky placemats) that it's a more fun place to eat.

McDonald's giving us a copy of Kidz Bop, however, didn't please me too much.

The infant meds drive me crazy, too, Donna.

Here's one for the snacks: "Organic" bad for you snacks like "organic" Oreos. What a relief that I can get all of that fat and sugar without the use of pesticides! Whew...

Fawnda@Fireflies and Jellybeans said...

I hate that everything has to come with a warning message now. Like "Careful Coffee is Hot" (DUH!) or "Do not put your finger into the saw blade or you may risk injury" (double DUH!)

I think the first picture on the container is of 2 one-eyed people. It must mean that Cyclopes can eat out of it! : )

Thanks for the laugh!

Rachel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rachel said...

I love this one, Fawnda: (From the back of the peanut jar) "Warning: Contains peanuts. Processed on equipment which also processes tree nuts."

Brenbren said...

So, maybe it's trying to tell you it's microwave safe!?! OR it's safe to allow owls live in it. Not sure, but that was a funny post!

Unknown said...

GOOD STUFF! I'm totally with you on the infant meds, AND the food that pretends to be healthy. Fruit snacks - because it has the word "fruit" in it. but really it's just fruit flavored candy.

Liz said...

Hilarious! That DOES look like an owl! And how I hate those Ikea directions...

Tara said...

This is hysterical! And I agree about the owl and the cassette tape. Maybe it's one of those things that can be either, depending on how you look at it. And they did it just to make you wonder what it is. lol It's like a puzzle to keep you entertained while Isaac plays his CD. :P

Fawnda@Fireflies and Jellybeans said...

I thought of another one!

Juice that says "100% fruit juice" on the front but on the side by the nutrients info it says "10% juice" WHAT?!?!

Rachel said...

I like, "100% fruit juice with added ingredients." Hmmm...did someone not pay attention in math class??

Donna said...

Those tricky, tricky juice makers know how to make 1000% juice concoctions now. 100% of it is real juice...also known as 10% in my math class. (Special thanks goes to Miss Sebring for all my mommy math ability. I knew these math skills would pay off eventually.)