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I’ve decided to say goodbye to my old Cup of Joe. He’s met me too many mornings and now he’s getting greedy with my afternoons. I’ve loved coffee since I was a kiddo but it’s time to see how I’ll feel without caffeine flowing through my veins. If you didn’t read The 5 on Friday devoted to what was once my favorite cuppa, please check it out here:

http://housewifeinhollywood.com/5-pop-culture-cups-of-joe/

Now on to new horizons, or at least a different perspective while watching the sunrise.

Teeccino

This caffeine-free herbal coffee has an interesting flavor and an aroma reminiscent of my dad’s old pipe tobacco. It can be brewed just like a Cup of Joe so you can still have that percolating habit in the morning. Every time I try to quit caffeine the first thing I miss is the coffee aroma and sounds of the coffee pot. Could be one too many Folgers Waking Up commercials but I love the routine of waking up to a hot, just-brewed beverage.

Teeccino has lots of great health benefits including potassium, and soluble fiber. It also helps restore alkaline balance and because it’s rich in inulin it can help improve digestion and absorb calcium and minerals.

Teecino comes in a variety of flavors. I think I’ll try Hazelnut next.

Postum

Postum was created in 1895. Yes, 1895!

If only I could find a retro commercial with the Postum invisible cartoon ghost named, “Mister Coffee Nerves”. I read he would appear in the ads to people suffering from coffee’s negative effects. Of course the people in these commercials always gave the instant beverage Postum a try and they’d say goodbye to irritability, insomnia, and of course “lack of athletic prowess”. This would send Mister Coffee Nerves running.

Click here to see a printed ad of Mister Coffee Nerves in action.

You can’t get Postum these days, it was discontinued in 2007, but we can look back at the history of coffee alternatives with a smile.

Roastaroma

This full bodied tea by Celestial Seasonings  is the ultimate tea trickster. It has a bold taste and dark thick color that can fool even the most caffeinated of coffee drinkers to sit and relax with a nice cup of herbal tea.

“This full-bodied, caffeine-free alternative to coffee has been a trusted favorite for more than 30 years. With the robust flavors of roasted chicory and barley, a hint of chocolate from roasted carob and just a touch of cinnamon and allspice, Roastaroma is hearty enough to give you a lift in the morning and delicious enough to enjoy all day long.” — Charlie Baden, Celestial Seasonings Blendmaster Since 1975

Soyfee

For those of you that find joy in soy you might want to try this coffee alternative. I think the name is fun and the taste isn’t bad. There are many benefits to soy and Soyfee can be brewed just like traditional coffee. It comes in many flavors too so try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

Smoothies

So after trying a few coffee substitutes I think I’ll mix it, or blend it up, a bit and go with a smoothie every other morning instead of my regular hot cup of something.

Here’s a Raw Food Rap from Dan the Man with the Master Plan

This is isn’t the first time I’ve talked about SpongeBob Squarepants. My interview with The Ghastly Ones talked a bit about the single they did for the SpongeBob “Scaredy Pants” episode.

http://housewifeinhollywood.com/the-ghastly-ones/

Then there was my interview with actor Maxie Santillan Jr., he played Gummy the Pirate in SpongeBob Squarepants the Movie.

http://housewifeinhollywood.com/my-conversation-with-maxie-santillan-jr/

How could I not mention Johnny Depp’s cameo as Jack Kahuna Laguna, a surf guru, on the episode,“SpongeBob vs. the Big One”?

http://housewifeinhollywood.com/spongebob-meets-depp-as-surf-guru/

This time around I’m talking about SpongeBob SquarePants: To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants, a DVD available now and loaded with 8 fun episodes.

Two of our favorite episodes on the DVD are:

To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants
SpongeBob’s shrunk his last pair of square pants, and no store has any others! Without his square pants, will anyone recognize him?

Slide Whistle Stooges
Patrick and SpongeBob use their new slide whistles to add sound effects to Squidward’s every move!

We love the special features Animation Art Gallery. It contains storyboard panels and character art. It’s always fun to go behind the scenes.

To purchase SpongeBob SquarePants: To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants click here.

Visit with SpongeBob at his official site: http://spongebob.nick.com/

What do you think, do SquarePants make the man? Or should I say sponge?

I’ve had a bit of information and household chore overload lately. If I’m not reading informative twitter updates and online articles, I’m writing blog posts or washing dishes, dusting and sorting laundry. I do these things daily but for some reason in the last month I’ve wanted to put it all aside and sit alone in a hammock on the beach for a week.

This got me saying aloud, “Calgon, take me away!”

I’d love to lose myself in luxury but I’m really not a bubble bath kind of gal. Ever since my 5 minute showers in Army training I get in and out of the shower before the coffee’s been percolated. Maybe a nice lounge in the tub would be the best thing for me. I doubt I’ll be on a tropical beach for a week any time soon.

Here’s one of the infamous Calgon water softener ads. I wonder what the difference is between Calgon for the bath and Calgon water softener? Maybe it’s an “ancient Chinese secret, huh?”

Calgon’s slogans like “Ancient Chinese secret, huh” and “Take me away” have been used and reused throughout the years in TV shows, music and movies.

I’ll try some luxurious bath beads and see how it goes. Maybe a Foo Foo Drink with a mini umbrella will help. How do you take yourself away when you feel overloaded by everyday routines?

Elvis had me all shook up since the first time I put on my mom’s 33 of Blue Hawaii. I used to Rock a Hula all over my bedroom.

I’d lip sync and hip shake my way through every Elvis album my mom owned.

I was thrilled when she bought me my very own Elvis album, Elvis Sings for Children and Grown-ups Too.

I played that record over and over. I cried while he sang about his dog Old Shep and I danced with my stuffed animals to Cotton Candy Land & Wooden Heart.

One day I came home from school and my mom was dusting the furniture in my bedroom with a very solemn look on her face. I asked her what was wrong and she said, “Elvis is dead.”

I found my favorite album and played Old Shep over and over. I wasn’t in a Rock a Hula mood that day. What about you? What’s your favorite Elvis album?

For all things Elvis visit http://elvis.com

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977

–Remember, for the full effect always click on hyperlinked text–

When I think of talk shows I think Merv Griffin, Arsenio Hall, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Tavis Smiley. When I think of radio talk shows I think about Petey Green, Howard Stern and my favorites on NPR.

With the popularity of podcasts these days we can find talk shows with niches that interest us and we can listen online. I’ve listed some of my favorite online talk shows all with their own unique style. Try them on and see if any fit.

5 Online Talk Shows:

1. PYDK Podcast

Eugene Ahn hosts the online interview show, the People You Don’t Know Podcast. Eugene talks to people who are doing interesting things in their lives. At the end of each interview they recommend someone they think would be great for an upcoming episode.

I was lucky enough to be a featured guest on Episode #16 Culture Shock. Click here to listen.

http://pydkpodcast.com

2. The Jeff Clark Spot

Jeff Clark doesn’t hold back when he hosts The Super Sonic Robot Talk Show. His latest is a Back to School Special starring Mary Birdsong and heavy metal stylist Tricia Hobby. Like I said Jeff doesn’t hold any laugh material back, the show has a parental advisory for explicit lyrics. While listening, you might also get a taste for grits, greens and sweet tea.

http://thejeffclarkspot.com

3. Geekland Podscast

“The Graceland for Geeks” and “Your one stop geek shop, for all things geek.”

These guys keep every geek satisfied with their comic book talk. If you think you know comic books then you need to listen in while Willie Gillis, Chris Eaton, Ben Songer & Justin Vactor break it down.

http://www.geeklandpodcast.com/

4. Random Talk Radio with Inga

You never know what you’ll hear when Inga talks with people in the entertainment industry on her Random Talk Radio show. It’s also the official radio for G Tom Mac. Remember “Cry Little Sister”?

This Friday’s episode she talks with actress and international model Jennifer Gimenez. Jennifer was on Inga’s show once before talking about Sober House. This time she’ll dish out details about her new show Model Latina: Miami and the upcoming Sober House Season 2.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/randomtalkradio

5. You Tell Me

That’s right I couldn’t come up with a number 5. So I’m asking you the HIH viewers to tell me an online talk show you enjoy.

Leave me the name and URL of your favorite podcast in the comments below.

Congratulations to Scott McCrea! His family will be dancing & singing along to the Wizards of Waverly Place CD.

Scott’s name was “magically” selected out of my Wizard hat.

Speaking of magic, here’s a few HIH Reruns all with a little “magic” in them:

Magic Mushabooms

Message in a Bottle: My Interview with Mario Della Casa

Kiddo Cookbooks & Pop Concoctions

If you have kids I’m sure you’ve seen Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place. It’s a family favorite at our house so we’re excited about Wizards of Waverly Place the Movie happening on August 28th.

We had a chance to review the Wizards of Waverly Place soundtrack that came out August 4th. Selena Gomez’s song “Magic” is one of 4 she performs on the CD soundtrack. The series theme song, “Everything Is Not as It Seems” is on the soundtrack too along with other magically inspired tunes. Many are covers from popular songs of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

Other performers on the CD are Steve Rushton, Honor Society, KSM and more. The kiddo was thrilled to hear some of her favorite Disney actors singing on the soundtrack including Meaghan Martin & Mitchel Musso. She had a tough time picking out a favorite but I think mine is Meaghan Martin covering Olivia Newton-John’s 1980’s hit “Magic.

I’m going to use some magic of my own to select a lucky recipient of the Wizards of Waverly Place CD. All you have to do is leave a comment, be sure to include your name and email address, and if you’re feeling creative conjure up your own magical spell.

I’ll announce the winner on Thursday so leave your comment & check back soon.

For more information and to order the Wizards of Waverly Place Soundtrack click here.

If your kiddo’s like making videos they can submit them to the Wizards of Waverly Place YouTube Channel. The funniest, coolest and most unique videos could be featured throughout YouTube.

Being a teenager in the 80’s had many perks. Rap, video games, New Wave, break dancing, boom boxes, MTV, cassette tapes… the list could take up an entire post but one of the best perks of being a teen in the 80’s was John Hughes films.

I heard about the news of John Hughes death yesterday via twitter. I quickly put this up:

RIP John Hughes. It’s hard to count the chapters he contributed to the Big Pop Culture Book of our lives. http://bit.ly/15Iwqf   — @suzannehih

In honor of John Hughes here are 5 of my favorite films that made being a teen in the 80’s so cool.

1. The Breakfast Club

This Hughes film probably packs the biggest pop cultural impact punch. While searching for a homage or parody video of the movie The Breakfast Club  I came across a dance club named after the film. Inspired by retro coolness this party place in New Jersey is called The Breakfast Club. Sounds like a blast to me.

Check it out if you’re in the area and let me know how it is. Click here to visit their fun website.

2. Weird Science

Oingo Boingo was a favorite band of mine back in the 80’s. When my friends and I found out they did the theme song to the movie Weird Science we were even more excited to rush into the theater.

3. Sixteen Candles

“The Brat Pack gets bunnied. The 1984 coming of age film, Sixteen Candles, starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling John Cusack, and Anthony Michael Hall, gets the bunny treatment. Three words: Long Duk Dong.”
— Minisode Network

4. Ferris Beuller’s Day Off

Just like most of the films above, this isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned Ferris Beuller’s Day Off. I don’t think I go a week without seeing a reference or quote from this film on some form of social media. How many times have you seen a Facebook update ending with “Bueller? …Bueller? …Bueller?” or “Anyone? Anyone?”

The Ferris Beuller’s Day Off soundtrack had a great mix of music. One song, Oh Yeah, by the Swiss electronica duo Yello was also used in commercials, TV shows and other films. They’re coming out with a new album in October 2009.

Visit Yello’s official site by clicking here. Oh Yeah!

5. Pretty in Pink

John Hughes had a way of taking the worst part of our teenage drama and making it interesting on screen. Pretty in Pink is considered another “Brat Pack” movie. This one was less about getting into teenage trouble and more about teenage love.

He’s crazy about her, she’s crazy about him, and he’s just crazy . —tagline from Pretty in Pink

Pretty in Pink was written by John Hughes but directed by Howard Deutch.

The Psychedelic Furs did the theme song. Here they are in a more recent performance of Pretty in Pink.

What were your favorite John Hughes films?

Click here to get the High School Reunion Collection from Universal Studios.

Dick Clark, Don Cornelius, Jack LaLanne and Cal Worthington, four guys I watched on my rabbit-eared TV.

Cal Worthington wasn’t famous for being a television host like the other three but he did become an Auto Dealer icon with his unique TV and radio commercials.

“Open till Midnight” he’d say with an Oklahoma accent. Cal wore his cowboy hat, did crazy stunts and offered up deals to would be car buyers with the help of his dog Spot. All that originality made Cal Worthington commercials as entertaining as the shows we tuned in to watch.

Cal’s dog Spot was always something other than a dog. The big surprise was seeing what animal Spot would be, maybe an elephant, killer whale or a rhino.

Worthington appeared as a car dealer in the 1973 film Save the Tiger in addition to numerous appearances on The Tonight Show. According to a spokesman for the Television Bureau of Advertising, Worthington “is probably the best known car dealer pitchman in television history.—Wikipedia.org

“If you want a car or truck, go see Cal! If you want to save a buck, go see Cal!” You know you want to sing along.

For archived “My Dog Spot” commercials and information about Cal Worthington click here.

Click here for the official Worthington Dealership Group.

I’m curious, tell us about your Go See Cal experience. Did you ever go see Cal and buy a car off his lot? Do you remember his My Dog Spot ads?