The Next Kid Thing

Words can’t adequately convey the gratitude and overall excitement I’ve experienced over the past week. From Disney to PBS Kids and through the platform I’ve created on this corner of the Internet, I was bestowed the honor of participating in conferences hosted by the aforementioned.
Perhaps you’ve seen the influx of tweets and Instagram images I’ve shared from my journey, but in case you haven’t, I thought I’d share just a quick pictorial recap of my PBS annual meeting.

As a PBS Kids VIP, together with a group of like minded parent influencers, I was afforded the opportunity to sit in a variety of sessions and breakout sessions to learn more about what’s on the horizon for PBS shows and digital properties.

On day one, we met the newest cast member of Sesame Street. The character, Mando, is a bilingual writer who will explore his creativity and hone his appreciation for culture in the venerable show’s 44th season.

During one of our breaks, I received a text from the husband at home, who showed off a Cat in the Hat craft that my big boy just completed. Seconds later, I bumped into the Cat himself. I love it when my life comes full circle like that!

Today, we learned all about Peg + Cat, the adorable new preschool series that has an emphasis on math. I’ll speak more in detail about this awesome new show, but I’m especially excited about the great music, digital platforms that will parallel the show and of course, the super funny characters, Peg and her BFF, Cat.

Along the way, I met Mr. Steve and Wilder Valderrama, too! I have much much more to report, but will share as soon as I get back!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Editor’s Note: I wrote this on the plane, on my phone, as the babe slept in my arms. How I managed that with my normally happy/angry screamer, I’ll never know, but I’ll take it!

Everyone needs a little magic in their lives, right? In the midst of chaos and specialists appointments, I was so fortunate to get a little bit of pixie dust thrown our way—in the form of an invite to Disney’s Social Media Moms. Goodness knows, we needed it.

Having attended the 2011 DisneySMMoms, my family is well aware of the magic the Disney Parks team has a knack for throwing.

We’ll get an inside look at what’s coming up for the Disney brand and their partnerships, as well as convene to listen to social media mavens who have made their mark in their fields and the social media realm.
This time we have our tough as nails and loud as anything tot in tow. 2011 was my husband and older boy’s first visit, and of course my first visit as a parent. So much has happened in those short 2 years; namely, the addition of our very storied baby boy. Because if baby’s special needs, we asked my parents to accompany us, which in itself, will make things a little more magical.

Unlike our last #disneysmmoms trip, this trip I was invited as opposed to registering. And so, even though i don’t have the most trafficked and update so sporadically, it’s such an honor to be tapped to be included in such an esteemed group. (All that tweeting accounts for something, I guess!) I’ve attended my share of conferences, but this one is much more intimate, so don’t mind me if you see me gawking at some of my favorite social media voices in person.

Disney, as always, has been working hard to ensure DisneySMMoms is an incredible experience. Even before we set foot at the park, all of the attendees received a Colora Spinner from American Tourister to ensure we #packmorefun.

And just the other day, Disney Interactive sent us a package full of props as a teaser for the new Story app for iPhone. I’ve yet to download or check it out, but it sounds like this iOs app helps families do as the name suggests: create stories. As a digital mama who tries to keep my pulse on new and innovative things for kids and families, the Story app sounds like it will be a great fit for this very storied family.

Even though we’ve had a rocky start thus far, in certain the stress, frustration and exhaustion from missing our flight will be forgotten once we get to the Happiest Place on Earth.

This year, we brought along my parents to enjoy Disney with us (and to help the husband with the kids while I’m in the conference.) So, being with my family, including my amazing parents, will truly magnify the magic of the Mouse!

I can’t wait to share the latest and greatest from Disney, so be sure to stay tuned. Join me on Facebook, Instagram, Vine and Twitter for up to the minute updates on the magic Disney has in store. Follow all the buzz at #disneysmmoms

As they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  In our house before we start our day on school days, our breakfast of choice is usually a bowl of cereal.  I’m not talking about the sugar-laden cereals with crazy colors of my youth.  I’m talking delicious, wholesome cereal that I always feel confident feeding my two boys. Of the few brands we buy, Nature’s Path is very high up on our list.  In fact, “gorilla cereal” was one of Biggie’s first words—that’s how much we love Nature’s Path.

Nature’s Path, a family owned company, believes in wholesome ingredients and creating delicious food, perfect for growing families like ours. Nature’s Path’s kids line, Envirokidz, has a great range of kid friendly cereals and snacks that are free of preservatives, gmos, HFCS, additives and other “fake” ingredients that end up on the more commercialized end of grocery lists.  As appealing as those “other” foods may be, I’d much rather opt for the more wholesome option.

And speaking of Gorillas…

Nature’s Path is giving away 50 gorilla adoptions through the EnviroKidz Great Gorilla Giveaway in partnership with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International.  To enter, just go to Nature’s Path Envirokidz’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/envirokidz/and describe in 100 words or less why you or your child would make a great gorilla parent.

The winners will be awarded a framed gorilla adoption certificate and photo, an adoption report, an EnviroKidz Gorilla Munch T Shirt, a field notebook and an Eco Pac of Gorilla Munch cereal.

The contest ends soon!

1. Hello Kitty Raincoat

2. HDMX Jams Portable Speaker

3. Playmates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

4. Lunch Bots Quatro

5. Feeding Baby Green by Dr. Alan Greene

Everyone’s favorite monkey is helping us to usher in spring today, just in time for Earth Day. Curious George, like most of us, has spring fever after a long winter.

As usual, George finds himself in quite the predicament in the new PBS Kids movie, “Curious George Swings into Spring.” As he finds his way, George is able to enjoy and learn about the beauty of spring firsthand.

To prepare for Curious George’s “Swing into Spring” hour-long movie that coincides with Earth Day celebrations, we did some fun outdoor activities. After all, the best way to learn for the little guys is to do it hands-on, especially if it involves getting dirty!

We’re getting the groove of this suburban thing, which includes a new-found appreciation for gardening. The whole family gets into planting flowers, working on the lawn and cultivating a garden.

As part of this fun Curious George promo, our friends at PBS Kids sent us a fantastic spring care package, that included materials for planting tomato, as well as instructions for a fun bird feeder that incorporates recycled materials.

Together with our other plants, we planted our tomatoes last week. As we were working on the garden and seedlings today, we noticed the tiniest sprout! We’ve been careful to plant and keep our pots in sunlight and out of harm’s way. We’re looking forward to see the wonderful fruit it will bear!

We enjoyed today’s beautiful sunshine by building a bird feeder from a recycled soda bottle. After cleaning out the bottle, punching several holes for the twine at the top and holes to position the chopstick to act as a perch, we then filled the bottle with seeds. After closing the bottle and flipping it over, we found a perfect spot to hang our new feeder right outside our window. We’ll be watching for birds to come visit!

As our buddy Curious George reminds us, it’s important to embrace spring and to enjoy nature as often as we can! After checking out Curious George’s Swing into Spring, make sure you make time to go for a walk or find a special way enjoy the outdoors on Earth Day and every day.

Tune into PBS Kids on April 22nd to catch the hour-long special, “Curious George Swings into Spring.”

As a PBS Kids VIP, it’s a privilege to share the latest PBS Kids news. I was not compensated, and as always, all opinions are my own.

If you happen to know my husband, then you surely know that his favorite things in life are family, the Mets and beer…and in that order.

In our 17 years together, the Mets have always been a part of “us.” But before us, my husband, grew up idolizing his favorite baseball team. In the 80s, the decade of excess, the Mets had a rockstar status, and for Jeff, that status will never fade. (Through good times and the bad)

As Jeff and I grew to become the three of us, I announced my pregnancy with a Mets onsie. We’ve been instilling our love for the Amazins since our boys were in diapers, so much so, Biggie’s first game was also my first Mother’s Day, which we lovingly spent at Shea!

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenrab/357882244/” title=”preg 013 by jen_rab, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm1.staticflickr.com/146/357882244_7b57330b08.jpg” width=”500″ height=”375″ alt=”preg 013″></a>
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenrab/2485534200/” title=”Mother’s Day at Shea by jen_rab, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2209/2485534200_1359dc1689.jpg” width=”500″ height=”375″ alt=”Mother’s Day at Shea”></a>
Our love for baseball transcends the commercialism that sporting events have seemingly become. To us, baseball and the Mets are synonymous with passion and family, which is why I’m truly honored and elated to be invited to be a part of the Mets Blogging Community!

I’m excited to share fun details about the Amazins and perhaps a few behind the scenes pix! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for my latest updates.

Spring is well underway, and it’s finally starting to get warmer here in NJ. I just noticed my tulips and peonies are starting to emerge. It’s been a long, cold winter, so we’re all excited to see the landscape and outdoor color scheme transition from gray to lush, green and bold.

With that in mind, my boy and I have been crafting every chance we get during Spring Break. When we weren’t out playing or visiting family, we’ve been busy cutting, ModPodging and thinking of spring-inspired crafts. So, I thought I’d share a few that we found and enjoyed, much thanks to Pinterest.

First of all, a few weeks ago I scored a crafter’s delight at our local TJ Maxx. I scooped up a few containers of Mod Podge, a variety of baker’s twine and a cool date stamper—all for under $20. Not bad, considering a large container of Mod Podge can run you close to $10. I’ve had my large container of Mod Podge for 5 years, and I craft with the kid a lot! So, be on the look out at TJ Maxx and HomeGoods for crafting supplies.

Biggie has been inspired by the timely activities they do at school. So, to build on this conversation at home, I let him go to town with construction paper, crayons and scissors. From that, he created these imaginative spring objects. I especially love the bee and tree—they’re crazy-looking, but so fun.

The tree he created, we actually spotted on Pinterest. The craft originally found on

CrazyMommy’s site was intended to be a flower with hand cutouts as the petals. J made it a tree and made his handprints into the leaves. It originally had 4 handprints, but it looks like we lost one along the way. I love the way he decorated the trunk; I had a hand with the heart

And here’s our current work in progress:

As this guy dries, we’re off to enjoy this amazing day at the zoo!

According to the CDC’s latest reports, 1 in 50 school children have autism, up from last year’s estimate of 1 in 88.  With those numbers getting higher, we’re all likely to know and love someone with autism spectrum disorder (ASD.)

Today, April 2nd, is World Autism Awareness Day, and the whole month of April you’re encouraged to light it up blue, too.

As a mother of a baby with special needs, helping to spread autism awareness hits home more than ever.  To be truthful, because of the baby’s medicine regimen and their effects, I don’t even know if our baby will be in that above stat.  Whether he is or isn’t you better believe I’ll be on the frontlines helping to spread awareness to better understand ASD.

The president had some uplifting words in regard to Autism Awareness and how his administration is addressing them.

And looking ahead, my Administration is investing in medical research that can help unlock tomorrow’s breakthroughs in autism detection, intervention, and education. Leveling the playing field for Americans on the autism spectrum also takes commitment in our schools. That is why we are advancing initiatives to help students with ASDs get a good education free from discrimination and undue hardship.

To read the presidential proclamation go here

And speaking of Obama, I actually found this article quite interesting:

Obama brain intiative announced on World Autism Day

BRAIN — which stands for Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies — is a $100 million project that is focused on mapping the brain to better understand its function, and hopefully one day understand the causes and treatments for certain diseases. Autism advocates and organizations like Autism Speaks hope that this push will help reveal the mysteries behind the disorder.

This is a very big deal. Very big.

Here’s more information on this BRAIN Initiative.  Politics aside, this initiative affects a lot of people, and in a good way.

Today at the White House, President Obama unveiled the “BRAIN” Initiative—a bold new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and uncover new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

I will update this post later with some great articles I’ve read on spreading autism awareness and how you can help, but in the meantime, please visit LightItUpBlue.org and AutismSpeaks.com .

I have a classic penny candy jar sitting on my kitchen counter. It’s where I collect and store most of Biggie’s candy from parties, school, holidays, etc. Many days go by and the candy is left untouched, but then there are other days when a piece of candy is a reward or dessert or just because. This, for us, allows us to moderate that slippery slope of candy possession and have frequent conversations on “sometimes treats.”

Treats, for me, have always been associated with sugar. When I was a kid, I would hoard and hide candy because that’s what I did. I’d hide it because I knew it was bad and I’d indulge when no one was looking. And by indulge, I mean, OVERindulge.

This relationship with sugar is how I see stealth sugarin our food today, especially the food that’s marketed to our children. Just because it’s hidden or disguised doesn’t mean it’s healthy. The food that’s marketed to our kids is big business—to the tune of $10 billion a year. I see the trends in marketing to food to kids, I talk about said trends, and hey, I even fall for said tactics, often because it’s convenient or it’s on sale, or my friend recommended it.

What we need to see are food companies more accountable and transparent about the stuff they’re putting on our shelves and advertising to our kids.

I bring this up because I am attending a media event discussing a popular smoothie marketed to kids. They’ll be sharing a “secret” that they say moms will want to know, and believe me, I do want to know…but what I want to know may be a little different than what they’re telling me.

I’ll be up front: I’ve bought these “sometime treats” for my kid before. I took advantage of coupons and was duped by the clever placement (eye level for my 5 year old) in the dairy aisle. I haven’t bought these smoothies in awhile because, quite frankly, I haven’t had to: I won a year’s supply of our favorite organic yogurt at BlogHer last year.

This is a photo of some of the sugary treats and yogurts from my fridge right now. While some may be good, the sugar content of most of these items are through the roof, hence sometimes treat.

While researching for today’s event, I had to refer to this AHA abstract to read up on the suggested sugar intake for kids.

Like most kids his age, Biggie gets sucked into the commercials that are geared to him and his peers. If C.C. and Rocky from Shake it Up are selling pickled herring, I’m sure he’ll spot it in Target the next time we go. It’s a well proven fact that marketing foods to kids with well known characters works. Hello? The partnership with Shrek and onions was awesome, but seriously, I need to see the Disney juggernaut market more wholesome food to our kids. Throw Mickey and Minnie on some apples and oranges, put Goofy on a banana and give Donald some broccoli to peddle: I hope to see a bigger shift in the food marketing paradigm to embrace produce and more unprocessed goods. See: Kids love Cuties.

Most food being marketed to kids have crazy sugar content, or dyes, or artificial everything. You and I know that, but does everyone else? According to AHA, sugar content in yogurt and dairy products hasn’t shown much adverse effects, but it’s the amount of sugar intake. Too much of anything is never any good.

I researched a bit about yogurt and added sugars, but will save my opinions on this after I learn more today. In the meantime, here are two important articles that I will be using as references for today’s media event this one from Marion Nestleand this one from Fooducate. Btw, I just downloaded Fooducate’s app—it’s brilliant!

Thought provoking quote from Marion Nestle’s post:

As I wrote of the competition between Dannon and Yoplait (owned by General Mills) in the yogurt chapter of What to Eat,

The chief weapon in the yogurt battles is sugar. Both brands are desserts. Sugars constitute 55 percent of the 80 calories in Go-GURT, 67 percent of the 90 calories in Danimals Drinkable, and 68 of the 170 calories in Danimals XL. Even in Stonyfield’s YoBaby organic yogurts…53% of the 120 calories come from added sugars. Some of Stonyfield’s yogurts for older kids appear berry-flavored, but they have no fruit at all….

Back to the issue at hand: I have a list of questions I am hoping to ask the executives at today’s media event. I am attending this event as an advocate for my children and someone who has a voice in the parenting space. I’m not shilling or here for coupons, but instead, seeking answers. I will be sure to share the takeaways and everything in between.

Labels of the above yogurts from my fridge:

I report about “sometime treats” here on NKT as I learn about them, hoping that you take that information and make decisions that work best for your family. Reminder: I’m upfront when posts are sponsored and today, I’m being hosted, but am not being compensated.

Here are just a few more articles I was up late reading:

http://business.highbeam.com/435361/article-1G1-172907906/youth-analysts-gaze-into-their-magic-eight-balls-predict

www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/food_marketing_to_children.pdf

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ftc-reports-food-marketing-children-down-195-146169

http://foodstampfeast.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/the-uses-of-yogurt/

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sugars-and-Carbohydrates_UCM_303296_Article.jsp

http://business.highbeam.com/435361/article-1G1-172907906/youth-analysts-gaze-into-their-magic-eight-balls-predict

www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/food_marketing_to_children.pdf

The total amount spent on food marketing to children is about $10 billion a year.1

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ftc-reports-food-marketing-children-down-195-146169

http://foodstampfeast.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/the-uses-of-yogurt/

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sugars-and-Carbohydrates_UCM_303296_Article.jsp

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/120/11/1011.full.pdf

It’s that time of year! If you check the calendar, then you must know what today means. If you’re gullible like me, you’ll believe almost every “new” product everyone’s shilling today. Here’s a collection of just some of the funniest Next Kid Things floating around the interwebs:

Crib Dribbler

The Crib Dribbler sounds like the perfect answer for exhausted parents. Better yet, this automatic feeding system, fashioned like a water bottle hung in a rodent’s cage, would be a must have for the lazy parenting types. You know the kind.

Thank goodness this system is just a gag box from Prank Pack. The back of the box, though, is the best! Ha!

Munchkin Naughty Mouth Soap

The Munchkin Naughty Mouth Soap actually sounds like it would have some weight in the tough love aisle. According to the spoof press release: Parents of little children who are prone to potty mouth now have a valuable tool in their parenting arsenal. The Naughty Mouth Soap is non-toxic but foul-tasting deterrent to stop the future use of inappropriate language. As a sushi fan, my favorite is Whining Wasabi. Other flavors include: Lying Liver, Spoiled Child Spoiled Milk, Vulgarity Vomit and Extra-Strength Sour Pout Face. Well played, Munchkin!

I’m actually a big fan of Munchkin products (I swear by the White Hot Safety Duck Tub!), so I got a big kick out of this funny April Fool’s Day joke!

Skip Hop Sippy Helmet

This Sippy Helmet would’ve been perfect on our whirlwind road trip. For a sippy cup wielding baby having to ride in the car for 12 hours in one weekend, this gag would actually come in handy for the trip. Too funny, Skip Hop! Haha!

Even though these fun products are just gags for April Fool’s Day, it’s fun to chuckle at all of crazy possibilities for the next big thing for kids. What crazy things have you seen today?

Happy April Fool’s Day. Be careful and have fun!