Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory Tour

What could be better than a pint of heaven? Going to the place that makes it! Nestled in the Green Mountains of Waterbury Vermont is a place that will make your mouth water. 

It's a family friendly place with a little playground for the kids, and more than a few beautiful photo opportunities. Every 30 minutes you have a chance to tour the wonders of ice cream making.

This isn't just any ice cream. Next time you are in the store pick up a pint of Ben & Jerry's and pick up a pint of any other brand of ice cream. Choose one that's similar in price. Feel the difference in weight. All pints are not created equal. That's not from all the stuff added. That's lack of air. Why pay for air?

If you find yourself on the tour one day, remember these words - pay attention to the details the tour guide tells you. When I was there, as the tour was ending there was a quiz. The tour guide gave out treats for the person that answered each question first and correctly. This might have been a tour guide preference, but why risk it? Besides, if you pay attention you'll have lots of fun facts to share with your friends and family when you get back home.

Until next time, go forth and get brain freeze with a pint of your favorite Ben & Jerrys!

Pirate Dice Game

There is a game that's been out for over a year with the real Disney Pirate's look to it. Shake your dice, tip over the cup and carefully spy what you have. Take turns lying like a rug, or don't. Just don't let on, and don't get caught without any dice or you are out of the game! It's best played with three or more players. What makes this a good game, besides all the fibbing for fun, is that it is a great pickup game and it lasts about five to ten minutes per game. It may take longer if you like to play up the drama and suspense.

For all you pirate fans out there, the best part of it all is, if you think your friend is lying, you get to say that famous line from the movie, "Will Turner, you're a liar!" Everyone then promptly takes up their cup and the truth is revealed. Was your friend correct when they said there were five sixes? You better hope not, or you lose one of your precious die! Arrrrrrh!

If you don't want to get the rules online and use coffee mugs and snitched dice from other games, Pirates of the Caribbean Pirates Dice: A Game of High Seas Deception is not too expensive. I've seen the price vary, but you certainly shouldn't have to pay more than 15 bucks for it. It comes with four rubber cups that look very real, including some barnacles for that extra special touch; 20 dice, which is five for each cup; and some instructions. There's a nice twist to this game. There are no 1's. They are little skull and crossbones that are wilds. Certainly makes things more interesting!

UPDATE: This game is reaching collectible status and is getting harder to find, so grab it while you can!

Yuengling - America's Oldest Brewery

Beer - there's no denying it is part of our culture. Popularity rises and falls, depending on fads, but overall beer in general always hangs strong. This decade microbreweries are in high fashion within the beer world. In what other time in American history could you walk into a local pub and ask for an oatmeal stout with chocolate overtones and not get laughed at?

But let's take a step back to the beginning of American beer history. If you've ever wondered what beer brand has been around the longest there is only one undeniable answer - Yuengling! It's been pleasing pub frequenters for over 178 years.

I'm not the biggest beer fan, as I only drink it less than a handful of times a year, but I do like good beer - beer that has a distinctive flavor and full body. Don't worry I'm not going to go connoisseur on you, so beyond those two descriptions that's it for my basic needs as an infrequent beer consumer.

I've been on one beer tour to date and that was a spur of the moment, dropped in because I happened to be nearby, trip to Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville Pennsylvania. It was very educational and you are paid well for your journey up and down all those steps by having a chance to sample 2 cups of Yeungling straight from the tap. I found two new favorites that day - Porter and Lord Chesterfield. It was during the last leg of the trip that I attained enlightenment over what a bung hole was. If you go to their website and click on "Fine Beers" they give a nice description of every beer they make.

Pottsville is a friendly little town tucked away in the hills of Eastern Pennsylvania. (I'd call them mountains, being from the East, but those of you that have experienced The Rockies might argue what makes a mountain.) Nearby there are coal mines to visit as well as natural caves. If you are traveling by car, are in the general area, and have some time, be sure to pick up some brochures of the area and discover some real gems.  If you are a fan of American Literature you may already know that John O'Hara was born in Pottsville and there is a historical marker a few blocks from the brewery, marking where he lived.


If you have not tried Yuengling, and are lucky enough to live in a state it distributes in, be sure to ask around for it. I'm seeing a variety showing up in liquor stores that only had the Lager if I was lucky. This Christmas I was pleasantly surprised to find not only Lager, but every single flavor Yuengling makes stocked at my local liquor warehouse.

Merry Christmas to me and the six pack of dark and yummy Yuengling Porter! (Full of B vitamins by the way.)

Until next time - Have a Happy and Safe New Year!

Free Survey Site - Get Paid for Your Opinion!

I've spent quite a good deal of time figuring out the best survey sites. Some are legitimate, but many don't pay all that well for the amount of time spent. Learn to identify these time wasters and increase your chances of a pleasurable experience. 

It has been a long journey, but I think I have reached a peak in quickly identifying survey sites worth spending my time on.

My favorites are the ones that send checks or deposit money directly into my PayPal account. The website has to make it easy to get the money, and not make me jump through almost impossible hoops. After all, didn't I earn the money already by taking the surveys and giving my valuable time, so the owners of the sites could get paid (very well I'm sure) by companies that need my opinion to make informed decisions?

They also have to not make it impossible to get a survey that I "qualify" for. Too many websites waste your time by allowing you to be "pre-screened" with dozens of questions, ones that you already have answered many times before, or that require a lot of reading to answer properly, only to tell you that you do not qualify.  Even worse is to have this happen over and over and rarely being able to complete a "real" survey.  It's also insulting to answer lengthy pre-screenings only to be told the survey is full. 

According to my criteria, Survey Spot is the top in the list. It is not to say I haven't made more on other sites, either in money or in things that translate into something valuable to me, but this one pays straight to PayPal, it is easy to request and I actually receive the funds I have earned.

I will say this: don't rush survey questions. Give thoughtful answers. I believe these better clearinghouses for surveys do, in some way, keep track of how mindful you are of answers. It is not to say that you should answer in an unnatural way, just be mindful and honest and you will be fine.

As for Survey Spot, make sure you check your email every day; several times a day if you can. The good surveys always fill up fast, sometimes within a few hours.  I am sure that Survey Spot figures out certain things about you and over time sends you invitations to surveys that you are more likely to qualify for. Also, if you are a mindful survey taker, in time you will get more valuable survey opportunities.

You may also get free stuff to try. I'm still waiting to get something big like a vacuum or a car, but you never know! I've gotten everything from cereal to fruit snacks. None were out on the market yet. Make sure you answer the follow up questions on anything you receive. A lot of times there is a week or so window to answer the questions, so don't mess around. They may opt not to send you anymore products to review if you don't give them feedback.

Every time you at least try to complete a survey they give you a chance to win in their sweepstakes. They give away nice chunks of money every year, several times a year, as well as gas cards, mp3 players and other various prizes. That's a nice bonus, but I'll gladly take surveys for cash.