Fuego Box | Some Like It Hot

Everyone has that one friend. The daredevil who laughs in the face of danger, chugs the hottest salsa and takes on all challengers to eat the fieriest chile peppers. You may have gotten married to one of these guys and perhaps even borne children who may or may not yet possess the penchant for spices that singe the palate and whet their appetite for adventure. There is a perfect gift for these lead-bellied loves of our lives: introducing Fuego Box, a hot sauce delivery service designed to pack the heat.


With Fuego Box, you choose monthly or quarterly deliveries that include your choice of 1 or 3 bottles of expertly curated, hard-to-find small batch sauces and spices that will break a sweat fast. Not in the mood to commit? Fuego Box also offers a la carte bottles of subscriber favorites in their Hot Sauce Shop, as well as seasonal special delivery boxes like the limited edition Father's Day Fuego Box we received for review. Dad's Spicy Box of Awesome came in a seriously awesome wooden crate with the Fuego Box logo burned into its sliding lid:

Nestled inside Dad's Spicy Box of Awesome were five generous full-sized bottles of burning hot deliciousness:

• Bee Local Hot Honey
• Purple Panda Chili Oil
• Hoff Sauce
• Laguna Salt Smoke Ghost Pepper Salt
• World's 1st Dry Hot Sauce by Vesta

Now, I don't know if it's because I am super special or something, but our Fuego Box came with an extra little bottle of Marie Sharp's BEWARE Habanero Pepper Sauce, seen in the photo above at bottom left. It is reassuringly labelled "Comatose Heat Level" and "XXXXX." It is actually the only brand in the box that we have tried before because Annie, our favorite dental hygienist, is from Belize and brings it back by the caseload. She and Bob trade seeds and cuttings from the garden and she gave him a bottle of Marie Sharp's last year. Anyway, the stuff is good and HOOOOOOT.

Another thing that is clear about the Fuego Box curatorial mission is that the stuff they include looks pretty darned cool. I mean, hot. Or at least very well-designed. I know "artisanal" has become a bit of a hipster cliche but everything in this box looks as good as it tastes. It's obvious that the individual makers put as much effort into packaging as they do to making their sauces, which warms the little cockles of my BFA-in-graphic-design snob heart.

Locally produced, small batch goodies that look great in your pantry? Win!

I also love the variety in this Fuego Box. The Purple Panda Chili Oil is a nice version of the Asian home classic that I had run out of and the Hoff Sauce is a great replacement for your "basic" hot sauce but the Laguna Smoked Ghost Salt and Benny T's Vesta Dry Hot Sauce offer a totally new way to add spice with a little finishing flourish. And the Bee Local Hot Honey infused with Scorpion Chili Peppers is just totally off the wall good for everything from livening up your Greek yogurt and granola to dipping fried chicken or making a hot (literally!) toddy.

All in all, Fuego Box made a great Father's Day gift but one that fire-loving foodies of all genders and generations can agree on.

Father's Day Idea- PhotoJewelryMaking.com

Okay. Father's Day is one week away but you slackers still have time to make something personal and meaningful, even if your DIY skills are sorely lacking. I'm not talking macaroni necklaces or neckties, either. PhotoJewelryMaking.com, the Michigan-based family-owned and operated photo jewelry supply superstore offers a variety of elegant gift ideas that you can customize at home using your own printer.

We tried the Father's Day Easy Change Photo Cufflinks Kit. It comes with everything you need to make a pair of heavy weight silver cufflinks with your choice of images, including EZ Photo Resizer software (Mac and PC compatible) and a sheet of photo paper. All you have to do is resize your images to 15mm circles, print and cut them out. Then simply unscrew the cufflink and insert your photo with the protective plastic over it, then rescrew it and you're good to go.

My stepfather is the only man I know who wears tuxedos on a regular basis so I think these will make a great Father's Day gift for him, with a picture of Roo and Jasper on either cufflink. I like how easy it is to change to photos out, so you could conceivably update the pictures as the kids get older. (Or fall out of favor…) You could also use pictures from favorite teams or pets, or even a pretty patterned paper or thin fabric. There are lots of possibilities! If you have need of several pairs, like for a wedding party, there's a multi-pack available.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received the item featured in order to facilitate this review, which was made possible by Mom Spark Media.

Free Father's Day Cards from Company Kids

If you haven't already lined up a kid-produced masterpiece for next weekend, Company Kids is offering free downloadable Father's Day cards on their Facebook page. They're blank so your kiddos can customize them to their hearts' content. I recommend plenty of glitter and glue, perhaps a finger-painted portrait or a handprint.

By the way, you might also want to check out Company Kids' Clearance Sale for great bargains on clothing, furniture and bedding- all made from the high quality natural fibers that are a Company Store tradition. My current wish list: the jersey/tulle ruffle skirt and fair isle knit sidecar boots for Roo and the military-ish terry knit jacket and long sleeved tie tee for Jasper. There are some amazing deals on holiday finery and winter gear, too, if you are good at planning ahead.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I have received complimentary merchandise in the past from Company Kids but chose to share this information with you on my own volition because I like their stuff!