Labels

Whether you tag your lil one's items by choice or to meet day and overnight camp requirements, most mamas don't have the time to stitch the tickets through all of their children's goods. From traditional sewn-in labels to ink stamps and permanent markers, we've rounded up several shortcuts for completing the chore.

• A self-inking stamper like the Deluxe Marking Kit ($35) gets tots in on the action. With permanent ink and interchangeable stamps, the kit can be used for several camp seasons.
• Iron-on labels make adhering a cinch. Available in a variety of designs, classic name labels ($6 for 60) are mommy's lil helper.
• For those who label at the last minute, the Sharpie Laundry Pen ($1) is the permanent scribbler of choice available in a variety of widths.
• Mums looking for a sticky fix will get stuck on Stikins Clothing Labels ($25 for 60), which can handle a toss in the washer and dryer.
• Those handy with a label maker can type the camper's name into the gadget and spit out Fabric Iron-On Tape labels ($24).

Thanks to Say Cheese!, my weekly series featuring different types of cheese, the charcuterie drawer in my refrigerator is full of cheese. However, when the packaging is removed and the cheese is partially grated, many of them look the same. To ensure that I don't confuse the pecorino with the parmesan, I've started labeling them.

Here's how you do it: instead of writing out the cheese's entire name, simply write the first initial, like A for asaigo or R for romano. For easy identification, use a thick, colored Sharpie. Place the labeled cheese in the drawer with the initial facing up.

Are you an avid cheese eater? How do you distinguish one opened cheese from the other?

Do you have trouble keeping track of your kid's belongings? Maybe it's not your fault since junior likes to hurl things from the stroller when you're not looking.

Now there's no excuse. Stuck On You provides you with all the supplies you need to stay organized. Order personalized labels and stickers for cups, food containers, pencils, clothes and even shoes. For valuable items like luggage or backpacks, you can order specialized tags with any information you want included.

And for parents of children with allergies, Stuck On You sells nut, egg, and dairy free labels. Wristband labels are also available and can come in handy when you're anticipating being in large crowds. If your lil one wanders off, his information will be wrapped around his wrist making it easier to connect him back to you.

While searching the web to find the best wedding planning ideas out there, I came across these personalized wine & champagne labels. You choose from a label template, personalize it with your information and images, and choose the bottle of wine you put it on. It would make for a great anytime gift (favors for your bridesmaids perhaps? housewarming? anniversary?) or as a superb wedding favor (assuming your wedding favor budget is larger, or your wedding is small, half bottles are $10+ each).

Alternatively, you can order the customized labels only from Stoney Creek Wine Press. The price is around 80 cents per label with an additional setup cost starting around $10.

As you know, I have been pretty thrilled about all the bans on trans fat happening worldwide, but of course food makers are finding a way to still make food cheap and unhealthy, without the trans fat. Enter Interesterified Oils.

Being confused about it myself, I decided to look to Mr. Seth Braun, natural health expert and author of healthyfastandcheap.com, because he's really done his research on this new type of oil:

Food manufacturers are getting around the trans fat labeling by mixing small amounts of fully hydrogenated oil with liquid polyunsaturate oils and calling “interesterified oil.” They claim that fully hydrogenated oil is healthier. Since there is less trans fat, they can sell this product to food manufacturers for use in commercial dressings, baked goods, candies and anything else that used to have partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list.

In plain english, interestification means mixing fully hydrogenated oil with liquid polyunsaturate oil to produce a consistency similar to partially hydrogenated oil, which is the source of trans fats. The solution to the trans fat problem; from the manufacturer perspective!

So what's the moral of the story? Read those labels folks. Food makers are in the business of not only making food, but also in the business of making money. If it has interesterified oils listed, chances are it has trans fat too.