Category: gadgets

Crafts Go Green: Eco-friendly Art Supplies for Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Crafts are a fun family activity, and one that we love doing outside on our deck.  When we’re painting and doing messy crafts outside, the little artist’s canvas seems limitless, and thankfully, cleanup time is much easier—or so it seems.

Many of my favorite eco-friendly crafts are of the DIY variety.  The kid and I are fans of repurposing old household items and painting scraps of wood from our ongoing remodel.  Even better than recycling the medium is making your own tools.  Aside from DIY crafts, there’s a myriad of eco-friendly and kid-friendly art supplies that make craft time safe and colorful.

Here are just a few of my faves:

Glob Arts and Crafts Paints

Glob Art & Crafts Paints are botanically-based paints that also have fruity scents. These paints are colored naturally with pigments from fruits, vegetables, flowers and spices with natural food-grade ingredients. I love the Glob paints that come in packets; all you do is add water when you’re ready. Whether you and the kids are more watercolor painters or gauche painters, you add water and can determine the desired consistency. Glob also comes in Easy Shake jars, paint sets and other kits.

The color palette that’s offered is pretty basic, but after mixing and matching the paints, the spectrum of colors is seemingly endless. Glob can be used for paints, as well as for coloring DIY play dough, coloring eggs and more.

P’kolino

P’kolino, the makers of gorgeous modern children’s furniture and toys, also have a great line of art supplies.  Through a collaboration with Jovi, P’kolino offers kid-friendly, non-toxic art supplies that includes, Triangle crayons, fingerpaints, markers, colored pencils, dough, creative dough and poster paints.  P’kolino recently introduced their new line of art supplies which are inspired by famed Pop Artist, Romero Britto.  And a coloring book inspired by Romeo Britto?  Yes, please.  The sustainability, bold colors, combined with the modern influence of P’kolino’s products make these art supplies ones to check out.

Stubby Pencil Art Studio

Stubby Pencil Art Studio is the mecca for eco-friendly art and school supplies. This online shop has a plethora of kid crafts and a great selection of supplies that are non-toxic, recycled, fair trade, educational, sustainable or environmentally responsible. I love perusing all of the different crafts and unique supplies, many of which you’d be hard pressed to find at your local big box craft store. Of all the green crafting goodness, however, I’d have to say my personal favorites are the cupcake crayons (!) and the colored Smencils. Ideal for birthday party gifts, the colorful, hand-poured cupcake crayons come in a 4-pack and are made of soy. The Smencils are made from 100% recycled newspaper, sharpen just like wood pencils, and have delicious scents like watermelon, bubble gum and cotton candy!

Changing the World, One Flip Flop at a Time

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Flip flop season is almost upon us; the time of year where many of us bare our toes and opt for the ubiquitous summertime footwear.  At our house, weather permitting, we tend to wear our flip flops from the end of April to October.

I’m such a fan of flip flops, but among our many pairs, I’ve never really considered what happens to the flip flops after we’re done with them.  Donate? Hand them down? Let them collect dust?

How about recycle?

Genius.

There are a few organizations that accept old flip flops to recycle them into something else to give them a new life.  Check out what cool things that can be done with those 10 year old flip flops that have put in many, many miles.

TerraCycle

This forward-thinking company isn’t new to recycling and upcycling.  TerraCycle is the organization behind those cool Capri Sun bags, among other functional items.  I absolutely love what they’re going to be doing with old flip flops.

TerraCycle and Old Navy are partnering in a month-long drive to collect used flip flops and recycle them into four public playgrounds around the country.  The public can stop in any Old Navy store in the U.S. between April 22-May 21 to deposit used flip flops in designated collection bins.

As such a big supporter of getting kids to play outdoors, combined with this innovative recycling effort with a major retail store, I think TerraCycle and Old Navy’s partnership to create playgrounds is simply awesome.  I’m looking forward to hearing more about the playgrounds and the neighborhoods where they’ll go.

My only wish about this program is that I’d love to be able to donate all of our old flip flops to recycle them to create playground mulch for our neighborhood.  Maybe one day?  With kids constantly outgrowing their shoes, I’m sure many families would pay good money for something like that, and truly repurposing objects that would inevitably create more waste in our landfills.

Old Navy will collect old flip flops in designated collection bins from April 22 to May 21.


UniquEco Designs

UniquEco is another innovative organization that recycles old flip flops, but has an emphasis on cultivating social liveliness in more ways than one.  UniquEco, out of Nairobi, Kenya, collects old flip flops and employs talented artisans who create unique consumer goods out of the flip flops. Check out the UniquEco shop.  The Champali bracelets and necklace are currently on my wishlist.


As trash and thousands of flip flops washed up on the shores of Africa, UniqueEco was started in part as a clean up effort, which in turn, became the organization it is today that employs local people who create amazing handmade products.  I love the significance behind UniquEco and think this is such a valiant foundation to support.

Involving kids to donate and collect old flip flops to send to UniquEco underscores the ‘recycling’ and ‘reusing’ lessons they’re taught, but also teaches kids the impact of being socially aware and responsible by contributing to a cause that also provides a sustainable livelihood to those in need.

To send your old flip flops to Uniqueco:
PO Box 15565-00503
Nairobi, Kenya

UniquEco will donate 9% of the sale price for all products sold from your footwear.

Tips for Greener Spring Cleaning and a giveaway

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Just in time for Earth Week, I have quite a bit of green coverage planned, but I thought I’d kick it off with some helpful tips on greening your Spring cleaning and an intro and giveaway for Scott Naturals.

If you’re like me, perhaps you’re eager to transition away from the cold weather and welcome Spring with a thorough house cleaning.  Ha! Who am I kidding?

Cleaning is not my forte, but it must be done. And with our homes full of kids, pets and loved ones, we can all do without all of these harmful chemicals contained in conventional cleaners.  Among the most cost-effective and convenient cleaners are ingredients that you can already find in your home.

At a recent Healthy Child Healthy World Twitter Party, we had a great discussion about this same topic.  And like most Healthy Child Healthy World discussions, I always come away with a lot of really great information.  Additionally, I’ve been reading Planet Home from Seventh Generation’s Jeffrey Hollender, which has a lot of great information on greening your home.

Here are just a few of my takeaways from those resources and tips for greener spring cleaning:

Baking Soda

Baking Soda is a versatile cleaner and an ingredient that can be found in most homes.  It’s composed of multiple mineral-derived ingredients, making it a safe, yet effective alternative to most conventional cleaners on the shelves that contain long lists of toxins. It can be used as a deodorizer, nonabrasive scouring powder and polisher smoother.

Make your own homemade soft scrub cleaner
2/3 cups baking soda
1/2 cup liquid castile soap (Dr. Bronners Tea Tree is a good option since it is antibacterial)
1/2 cup water
optional: 3-5 drops of essential oil–if using an unscented castile soap, you can add essential oils to create a natural scent.  Depending on what you like your house to smell like, I bet peppermint and lavender would smell great.  If you’re used to pine smells when cleaning, there’s also pine essential oil.
Squeeze bottle–this would be a good time to reuse an old shampoo bottle, cleaner or squirt container.  Just make sure it is thoroughly cleaned out before refilling with the soft scrub solution.  If you don’t have any old plastic containers to reuse, you can buy empty bottles or squeezing containers at stores such as Target.

Mix baking soda and castile soap until it is thick.  Add water and mix until it reaches desired consistency. A little soft scrub goes a long way.  This cleaner works well in bathrooms, kitchens and areas where surfaces are smooth.  I have a white porcelain kitchen sink and this soft scrub does wonders in getting out the gross discoloration.

In lieu of  expensive and extremely toxic oven cleaners, try this DIY option. While it takes a bit longer than conventional cleaners, it’s safe and just as effective.

Make your own oven cleaner

1/2 cup of baking soda
enough water in a spray bottle to dampen baking soda
time

Sprinkle your oven with dry baking soda, enough to cover all the grease and grime.  Once covered, spray enough water to dampen all of the baking soda.  Let this solution sit overnight or for several hours.  Wipe clean with paper towels or cloth towel.

White Distilled Vinegar

Throughout our family’s ongoing home renovation, vinegar has become my best friend.  An acid that’s derived from the fermentation of dilute alcoholic liquids, vinegar makes an excellent disinfectant.  It is known to kill most bacteria, molds and germs.  Vinegar can be found in most kitchens or for super cheap in the grocery store.

Besides being used as a disinfectant and mold inhibitor, vinegar can also be used as a hard water deposit remover, greasy buildup remover, tarnish remover, stain remover and wood and glass cleaner.

To replace conventional window cleaners

1 cup distilled white vinegar
5 cups of water

Mix one cup vinegar and 5 cups of water together. I usually eyeball this, because you really can’t go wrong with the two ingredients.  Pour solution into a spray bottle and go!  This cleaner doesn’t leave streaks or emit that awful smell of harsh chemicals.  Best of all, I can let my 3 year old chief window washer can do the windows all by himself with no worries.

Lemon juice

Another one of my new favorite cleaners, lemon juice, has a pH of 2.0, which makes it a great cleaning ingredient.  Lemon juice known to cut grease on tables and glass; can remove stains and rust; can be used as an alternative to bleach and is also a great alternative to conventional deodorizers.

Growing up in a beach town, we always enjoyed fresh fish, crabs and seafood.  Blue crabs were a summertime favorite; the best way to eat crabs is to spread the newspaper out on a picnic table and crack up the shells by hand. Yum! But of course, any time you eat crabs or enjoy any other seafood by hand, it leaves that fishy smell. Washing hands with fresh cut lemons was the best cleaner and deodorizer ever!  Likewise goes for garbage disposals and the like.

Fresh lemons aren’t the only way to use lemon juice! Stores like Costco sell economy sized Real Lemon Juice that is awesome to have onhand for cleaning and cooking purposes.

Meet Scott Naturals

So, the above are just a few of my favorite homemade cleaning methods.  But together with these cleaning solutions, you have to have something to wipe it all clean. Reusable cloths and old cut up t-shirts are the most eco-friendly options, but there are a few “greener” paper towels and paper products now available on the market, including Scott Naturals which uses 60% recycled fibers.

I’ve used Scott paper towels in the past, but was recently introduced to their Naturals line which uses recycled materials. Scott Brands describes the Naturals line as hybrid products because it’s made with a blend of virgin material and at least 20% recycled material in products or packaging. The quality and sustainable efforts make this paper towel option a “greener” alternative to what I’ve been using.  It’s absorbent and not papery like the other eco-friendly paper products I’ve tried.

Four Week Test Drive

Fact: If everyone who took a flight today took the 4-Week Test Drive, there would be 14,240 trees saved.

According to Scott Brands, substituting products including recycled fiber over 4 weeks reduces virgin fiber demand. Reduced tree harvesting based on average U.S. household sheet usage and saving 17 trees per ton of recycled fiber. So, take the Four Week Test Drive!

Check it

Natural Wildlife Federation Partnership
As part of this project, Scott Naturals will be making a donation to the National Wildlife Federation.  For every unique click-thru at http://www.ScottBrand.com/4WeekTestDrive, Scott Naturals will donate $1 (up to $25,000 total) to the National Wildlife Federation.  One unique click equals $1 donated to NWF, so please help this great cause by clicking and telling all of your friends.

The Scott Naturals Pledge
Check out the Scott Naturals pledge between April 4 and September 30, where you can pledge to participate in the Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive Program and enter for a chance to win a Ford Fusion hybrid sedan.

Giveaway

Interested in giving Scott Naturals a test drive for yourself? Scott has offered to give a lucky NKT reader a Scott Naturals Prize pack that includes a pack of Scott paper towels, napkins, toilet paper and flushable wipes.

To enter: comment below and tell me your favorite “greener” cleaning method.

For extra entries

Comment below for all entries.  I will be doing 3 more of these giveaways, so be on the look out.  This giveaway will end 4/20 at 11:59 p.m.

Full disclosure: as part of my participation in this campaign, I am being compensated by Scott Naturals and TheMotherhood. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

Magnetic Alphabet Sets: Easy on the Eyes and the Noise

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

When we first bought our refrigerator, I pretended that we’d be one of those families that would keep it sleek and clean from any kid-scribbled artwork or other child-like paraphernalia.

Yeah, right.

Fast forward a few months later, and our fridge is graffitied with photos of our own kid, other people’s kids, said artwork and now, those ubiquitous magnetic alphabets.  Don’t get me wrong, I love LeapFrog’s Fridge Phonics, but just a few minutes at a time. So, out of personal preference, we opted out of the popular plastic ABCs in lieu of a set of the wooden (and quiet) kind.

As with most families of young ones practicing their ABCs and 123s, the magnetic alphabet has been an invaluable learning resource. Here’s a slideshow of our picks of alternatives to the more popular magnetic alphabet sets, and ones worth checking out.

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Pat Bells Put Music at Kids’ Fingertips

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Colorful, beautiful and eye-catching, Pat Bells from PlayMe aren’t toys, but unique musical instruments that can be played with a slight tap of a wooden knob.  Each handbell in the 8-piece set is a different color of the spectrum, making it easy for kids to make their own music or follow song cards that feature notes with the corresponding bells’ colors.

Designed for kids ages 3 and up, the Pat Bells have been used in a variety of music education settings, including kids with special needs.  As opposed to traditional handbells, there are no handles to hold or mallets needed to strike, so Pat Bells are described as being “easy to play” for younger kids or who have low muscle tone or delayed motor skill development.

When I spotted these gorgeous bells at Toy Fair, I was immediately drawn in by the colors and striking design.  At $150, the bells may not find their way into personal music collections, but I’d love to see these in preschools, music classes and especially in the hands of music lovers of all ages.

Want to see the bells in action? I found a really great video on YouTube that gives a great demo.

Gag-Worthy and Gross: Dino Poop and Dr. Dreadful

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy April Fool’s Day, everyone.  I’m not one for pulling pranks, but I do enjoy laughing at clever gags—from a distance.

For April Fool’s Day, I thought I’d spotlight a few new toys that are sure to elicit a few gags and giggles for those who appreciate the gross factor.  And yes, these are real toys!

Dino Poop

Uncle Milton has a great lineup of new Dinosaur Train toys, but one that definitely caught my eye is Dino Poop.  This pliable dough that looks like, well, poop, lets kids discover what a dino had for lunch.

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Goodies and Gear: Opening Day

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Citi FieldIt’s that time of year again; it’s Opening Day, a day that celebrates the Boys’ of Summer’s reemergence from the offseason and time to play ball again. If your family is anything like ours, reality and kiddie shows are happily swapped for 6 months of  America’s Pastime streaming on the tv—that is, when we’re not outside enjoying the outdoors ourselves.

With snow in our forecast, it may not be the most ideal weather for this time of year, but that’s not to say we can’t celebrate Spring and Opening Day with some of the latest and greatest in baseball fun for the kids.

This morning, while I was reading the news online, I was pretty disappointed to read about the decline in kids playing baseball over on WSJ.  To be quite honest, despite what the studies show, you’d never know there was a decline from the plethora of great toys and gear that are aimed to share the love of the game.

Here are just a few of my baseball picks in honor of Opening Day:

Melissa and Doug All Star Sports Fill and Spill

Baby can’t throw or catch quite yet, but Melissa and Doug’s All Star Sports Fill and Spill helps to familiarize tiny fingers with ball shapes.  Each of the four balls rattle, jingle or crinkle and are suitable for 6 months and up.

Grand Slam Baseball from Step 2


Spotted at Toy Fair last month, Step 2’s Grand Slam Baseball is an electronic auto-pitch machine that encourages hand-eye coordination, not to mention, promotes outdoor play. Geared to the smaller baseball fans, Grand Slam Baseball gets kids fielding balls and a chance to work on their swing.

EA Sweet Spot Baseball Bat


For the bigger kids, EA’s Sweet Spot Bat incorporates a little crowd cheer every time the batter hits or holds the ball in that sweet spot.  Ideal for beginners, it features a soft bat, and helps the rookies to refine their accuracy and hand-eye coordination.

SKLZ Sweet Spot Youth Training Bat


Beyond the tee-ball phase, SKLZ makes the top-rated Sweet Spot Youth Training Bat.  The training bat features an all-wood barrel and handle, as well as a fiberglass rod, and provides instant feedback and “stings” if hit too far off.
Looking for training tools for entry-level players? SKLZ Hit-A-Way Jr. is something that I’m going to check out for batting practice and hand-eye coordination for our not-quite Tee Ball-aged little guy.

Sports Illustrated Kids: All Access


And to better understand and appreciate America’s Pastime, Sports Illustrated Kids has a new book that delves into the inner sanctum of baseball.  Sports Illustrated Kids: All Access grants readers a behind-the-scenes look into cool findings, including favorite stadiums, the story behind the Green Monster and something that I want to know more about: Lousisville Slugger’s journey from big trees to the big leagues.

Go Mets!

And Speaking of behind the scenes look at baseball, did you miss our family’s adventure at Citi Field last season?  If you’ve been reading NKT for awhile now, you must already know that we’re Mets fans–in good times and in bad.

It’s always been my husband’s dream to sit in our beloved Mets’ Clubhouse, and thanks to a fun media invite, we had the chance to learn more about the Mets’ new stadium.  Be sure to see where our exclusive behind the scenes tour took us at our beloved (and sometimes beleaguered) Mets’ CitiField.

Citi Field Tour

Hooray for a new season!  And yes, even for us Mets fans, it’s a brand new ball game!

US News and World Report: “Can I Afford a Baby?”

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

“Can I Afford a Baby?”  That’s a loaded question, right?

I know we asked ourselves this very question a few years ago, and maybe you’ve done the same.  A new article in US News and World Report asks this question and uncovers several important points to consider.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is $12,000 for the first year alone (for middle-income couples earning between $56,700 and $98,000).

So that’s where our money’s been going!

Even though I don’t focus just on baby products on NKT, as a mom and writer in the baby-rearing stage, when I decided to start NKT I considered my personal interests and the ongoing growth of this niche.  I knew baby and kid gear was a sector where the story well wouldn’t run dry any time soon.

In light of the economic disparity that was going on two years ago when I started, research showed that parents were and still are spending beaucoup bucks on our kids.

And despite the recent recession, the baby products industry continues to grow at a steady clip: Market research firm Mintel estimates it’s now a $9.8 billion industry.

Aptly titled, “Can I Afford a Baby” and filed in the finance section, this US News and World Report article outlines several important points that all new parents should consider such as, some of the itemized expenses one could expect in the first year, hidden costs (I wish someone would have told us about the cost of out of network hospitals and emergency procedures!), common mistakes and more.

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Interview with Seth McMahill: Pokemon Black Version and White Version

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version, both released earlier this month, have reported record sales as well as positive reviews.  PCMag.com reported:

According to publisher Nintendo, both versions have sold over 1 million units since their March 6 launch. The record was previously held by “Pokemon Diamond” and “Pokemon Pearl,” which came out in 2007 with a combined sales total of 780,000 units in one day.


And the gaming blog Joystiq said the latest additions to the Pokemon lineup:

represent the very best that the franchise has to offer: An endearing cast of monsters and trainers, addictive collection mechanics, a 40-plus hour single-player campaign and a bevy of bolstered multiplayer functions.

And though I’ve yet to check them out firsthand, I did, however, have a chance to chat with Pokemon expert, Seth McMahill.  See what McMahill has to say about the latest Pokemon titles.

I’m back and some quick thoughts on DisneySMMoms

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

As with every trip or major event where I have limited internet access (or time for that matter,) I always plan to schedule posts in my absence. Eh, next time. A vacation wouldn’t have as much value if I was constantly plugged in…or at least I think so.

The conference part of our trip was incredible…as in, one of best conference experience I’ve had to date. Professionally, I’ve been to my fair share of conferences, but in the professional blogging realm, I’ve only attended BlogHer.  My DisneySMMoms experience surpassed my own expectations.

In any field, conferences are an invaluable resource to consume and share knowledge. In most cases, the backdrop is often an added extra, but in DisneySMMom’s case, the celebration part was an integral part to this specific conference experience. One day was devoted to keynote speakers while the other days were devoted to experiencing and learning about the institution that is Disney.

It’ll take me a few days to completely wrap up my thoughts about DisneySMMoms, but I thought I’d at least end my non-blogging week with a post or two. So, my most important takeaways from the event include the following from featured speakers or individuals involved in the success of celebrating the power of moms in social media.

  • Chris Brogan, President of Human Business Works and social media rockstar, reached out to the moms in attendance and urged us to raise everyone up, instead of bringing each other down. While he may have been directed that advice to mom bloggers, I personally think it’s safe to say that this piece of advice applies to all parents—myself included.  This is something I’ve become quite conscientious about and hope to work on judging others, something that seems to happen too much and too often.
  • Good Enough is Good Enough Rene Syler, former cohost of CBS’ The Early Show and author of Good Enough Mother, shared raw emotions about her life’s experiences, including her mastectomy and getting fired from her job.  Syler spoke candidly about her expansive broadcast journalism career and how at one time, she couldn’t imagine her life without it, but now, she couldn’t imagine her life with it.  Her keynote spoke volumes for me and her mantra, Good Enough is Good Enough hits so close to home—for so many of us.