Wondering what to spend your time on this weekend? Wet your whistle with a some sweet, liquor-tastic libations, take the kids out for a swim and try some of the other top-notch stuff we like in this week's OnMilwaukee.com Recommends.
Opa Cove Sea Squirts Swim Assist Vest – Available in six colors, you know your tot is going to love the clownfish design best of all on this swim vest that helps kids learn to swim. Made of tough neoprene, the vest – which has a fin on the back! – fits snugly and comfortably, and best of all, looks more like a toy than a flotation vest, which might help tough to teach kids forget they're practicing swimming skills. There are three removable flotation panels that help adjust buoyancy, so you can remove them one at a time as kids begin to become more and more advanced swimmers. The vests carry a suggested retail price of $59.95, but a quick web search turns them up at considerably lower prices. – Bobby Tanzilo
Krupnik - Call me single-minded, but this delicious and potent Polish liqueur is what I look forward to most when Polish Fest rolls around. Poland's "honey liqueur," krupnik delivers just what it promises - a strong drink with an equally prominent honey flavor. While most liquor goes down smooth and has a smoky, alcoholic aftertaste, krupnik is all fire going down, followed by the lingering sweet flavor of honey. It's available year-round at Discount Liquor, but something about sipping it out of the plastic cups at Polish Fest (which is this weekend, by the way) gives it just a little extra punch. - Renee Lorenz
The Dreamsicle - I'm sure I didn't invent this, but lately, I have been drinking a little concoction I dubbed "The Dreamsicle." It stars vanilla vodka and any orange drink: orange juice, Orangina or, if you want it less sweet, orange LaCroix. I am not a big fan of Sunny D, but that would probably work, too. Hell, in that case, give Tang a whirl. The result, regardless of your orange beverage of choice, is an easy-to-create cocktail that tastes like summer and reminds me a little of being a kid. I know, I know: a cocktail that reminds one of childhood is wrong on a couple of levels, but hey, it's refreshing, too. - Molly Snyder
Garmin Nuvi 1200 – My first GPS device wasn't much to rave about – a Garmin Nuvi 205 won out of a claw machine at State Fair. Still, it did the job and lasted a good two years before finally dying in May. I needed a replacement and found the Nuvi 1200 on sale and, in a pinch, I gave it a shot. I'm pretty pleased. Sure, it's nothing out of the ordinary, but it does the job, was affordable and has plenty of options for customization. The only issue I've found thus far is the lack of speed limit information (please, Garmin... fix this in a software update) but other than that, pick one up if you're looking for an inexpensive and reliable GPS for your next trip. – Andrew Wagner
