A healthy yogurt with kid appeal

I hate how manufacturers of kids’ food think products need to be loaded with sugar and food coloring to appear appetizing to young palates. I can’t usually compete with the appeal of a package emblazoned with SpongeBob SquarePants, but I can convince my son to skip the Go-Gurt and opt instead for Stonyfield Organic YoKids Squeezables. It comes packaged in tubes similar to Go-Gurt but is organic, low-fat, has no high-fructose corn syrup and actually resembles yogurt. I lured my son in by freezing YoKids until the yogurt had an ice cream-like texture. Once he discovered the cow jokes printed on the tubes, he was sold. YoKids is available in a variety of flavors at Whole Foods and Safeway for $3.99 to $4.99 for eight 2-ounce tubes. — Donica Kaneshiro

Owl bling’s the thing

Tootsie Pop’s Mr. Owl taught us how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Blow Pop. Owl from "Winnie-the-Pooh" shared wise thoughts. Harry Potter’s Hedwig delivered more than one important message. These critters have been entertaining us long before they became a trendy commodity on T-shirts, handbags and just about everything else. I found this oversized owl necklace at Wet Seal for a mere $8.50. What a steal! — Nancy Arcayna

Energy-saving socket fights phantom menace

Sometimes I get creeped out looking around the house at night, noticing all the power-sucking devices plugged into the outlets in every room: cell phones, iPods, toothbrushes, hand vacs. These "phantom" energy drains can account for 5 percent to 10 percent of household power bills, according to the good folks at the Blue Planet Foundation, where I picked up this Belkin Conserve Socket power timer. It has three settings — 30 minutes, three hours or six hours — and automatically shuts off when the selected time interval expires. And it doesn’t use any power itself when not in operation. Available at Walmart, Best Buy and similar stores for around $10. — Christie Wilson

Honor Memorial Day at Punchbowl

There are many events on the military calendar, but none as moving as Memorial Day at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. Every grave has a small U.S. flag and a flower lei. Air National Guard F-15 jets fly a missing-man salute. And the veterans are there, some from as far back as World War II, to honor the friends they lost. The service starts at 8:30 a.m. Monday. Parking is limited. For bus information, go online at www.thebus.org or call 848-5555. — Mike Gordon

Celebrate 20 years of Pearl Jam with deluxe reissues

With Eddie Vedder’s solo album "Ukulele Songs" just released, it’s a reminder that 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of the band Vedder fronts, Pearl Jam. Always great in concert, the Seattle band has played some memorable shows here, from its debut at the University of Hawaii-Manoa’s Andrews Amphitheatre to a two-night stint in December 2006, first as headliners at Blaisdell Arena and then as an opener for U2 at Aloha Stadium.

Pearl Jam’s label has been reissuing deluxe editions of its earlier albums, and one of the selling points for the latest that combines "vs." and "Vitalogy" into one package is a bonus CD of a terrific 1994 show in Boston, with a set list created by the band’s road crew. It was during a time in Pearl Jam’s career when, even though flush with the immense success of its debut album, the band still wanted to keep its indie attitude. Thus, you have a fiery cover of the Dead Boys’ signature punk song "Sonic Reducer" that is indicative of the overall focus and passion of that night’s show. If you call yourself a rock fan, you owe yourself a listen. — Gary Chun