In line with me doing things differently this holiday season, I’m excited to announce this year’s gift glossary. Sure, most of you have completed your shopping list, but for those of you who haven’t, I’ve compiled the best of the rest. Consider this my round up of NKT’s favorite things with an emphasis on my own charitable initiative, which I’ll share about soon.
From Toy Fair earlier this year to all the holiday previews, we’ve tested and played with a lot of toys and goodies all year, I’m excited to share them with you in this gift glossary. Be on the look out for a few giveaways, but much more holiday cheer for a very deserving family.
Category: gadgets
Free Shipping Day is Today
Haven’t finished your Christmas shopping yet? Yeah, me neither. If you need to round out that shopping list and were hoping to avoid the crowds and madness at the malls by shopping online, there’s still time. And lucky us, today, December 17th, is the third annual Free Shipping Day.
Free Shipping Day is a one-day event when consumers can shop online from their favorite brands and receive free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve.
Free Shipping Day features hundreds of retailers and popular brands, making it a perfect reason to wrap up your Christmas shopping without leaving the house. If you’re like me, and just have those last few people on your list to cross off AND already know what to get, Free Shipping Day was created for busy people (and procrastinators) alike.
Big retailers like Macy*s, Toys ‘R’ Us, JC Penney and Barnes and Noble are participating in Free Shipping Day, and smaller specialty stores are included in the list, too. In many cases, today, December 17, is the last day that retailers can ship to get products out in time for Christmas, but be sure to pay attention to the fine print, as some stores require a minimum purchase.
To finish my shopping list and take advantage of free shipping, I have my eye on the Discovery Store, Tilly’s and The Big Toy Book.
Happy Free Shipping Day!
Partying with Mattel’s Toy Story 3 Action Links
We’ve been talking a lot about food over here on NKT, but what we haven’t been talking about enough are toys. Well, that’s because I’m doing things differently this holiday season, which I’ll explain in an upcoming post.
In the meantime, we recently gathered some friends together to indulge in the very cool Toy Story 3 Action Links from Mattel. As huge fans of Toy Story 3, when I was invited to apply to host an Action Links party via MomSelect’s Mommyparties, I jumped at the chance.
Undoubtedly, Toy Story 3 has been the most talked about movie in our house this year, so naturally, this, too, would have been an exciting party to take on and share all about. So, when the giant box of toys arrived, you can imagine our excitement!
At our Toy Story Action Links party, we invited some of Jack’s fellow TS3 fans, all of whom are in the 3-4 age group. We played off the TS3 theme and had hot dogs wrapped with Pillsbury Crescents on sticks, veggies, cupcakes and more. Toy Story Action Links was a great reason to get friends and kids together for a fun afternoon.
I first learned about Action Links at Toy Fair earlier this year. But because the movie wasn’t out yet and because the toys recreate key scenes from the story, I could only talk so much about this interesting concept.
When we first opened the Action Links sets, my husband and I were reminded of the Rube Goldberg concepts, much like that game, Mousetrap. Remember that?
Action Links embodied that same Rube Goldberg concept, where each interlinking set created a chain reaction, complete with Toy Story 3 figures.
Epic Mickey Launches Today
The much-anticipated game, Epic Mickey from Disney Interactive officially debuted today, and the kid and I were onhand in Times Square for the launch event. We got up bright and early, before the sun was even up, and kid and I made our way to the Disney Store in Times Square for the festivities.
In addition to demos of the game with the creator and developers of Epic Mickey, in Disney fashion, there were celebrities onhand: Kyle Massey and Jennifer Grey, both of whom just finished up Dancing with the Stars.
I’ve been anticipating the release of this amazing video game, which is exclusively on the Wii platform. I had the chance to check it out at the Disney Media preview this summer, and I’ve been smitten ever since.
The incredible graphics, cool premise and overall family appeal of the game are reasons worth checking out Epic Mickey, and seriously, the only reason why I was up at 5am this morning…and randomly made a brief appearance in the audience as part of the Good Morning America’s coverage of the launch.
Since we haven’t had time to play the game to appropriately review this title, I’ll leave you with a quick vignette of Epic Mickey from my coverage this summer.
NKT Cyber Monday Top Picks
I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving! I took an unexpected, but much needed hiatus to focus on our family and home, but it’s always great to get back into the swing of things.
Now that the turkey and leftovers are a fond memory, it’s time to start wrapping all of those Black Friday finds. What? You didn’t make it out on Black Friday? You, too, can score great deals today, just like many of us crazies did in the wee hours of Black Friday. And in some cases, the deals are comparable or even better, considering you don’t have to wake up at 3am to deal with crowds.
There are tons and tons of deals all over the web all day today, toys included, but here are NKT’s top Cyber Monday Picks:
DisneyStore.com has a great sale for Cyber Monday. You can save up to 25% Extra + Free Shipping, and if you buy more, you can save more. Take an extra 25% off $125+ orders, 20% off $100+ orders, 15% off $75+ orders or 10% off $50+ orders on Cyber Monday. Plus get free shipping on all orders with coupon code CYBER. These cool Toy Story 3 bookends, which weren’t on sale on Black Friday, are currently on my list for the kid’s playroom. Not really a toy, but a unique, but functional way to fulfill a want for Toy Story fans.
- Macys.com has one of the best big department Cyber Monday deals. For today only, they’re offering free shipping for purchases over $75. Use the code CYBER
Only caveat? As with all major sales, you have to act quick. My pick for a great Macy’s pick, is this boy’s 4-n-1 Jacket System from Hawke & Co. for just $35. I bought a similar jacket for a bargain at Marshall’s, but this online steal is a great deal. As of 11am, this jacket was still available.
Barnes and Noble has quite a selection of DVDs for super cheap right now. These oldies but goodies would make perfect stocking stuffers. Horton Hears a Who and an older version of Green Lantern for under $5
- Game Stop has a lineup of games on sale for Cyber Monday, but my pick is Just Dance. Of course, you can’t forget the ubiquitous video games. A big, big trend for this holiday season are the awesome dance games, which are perfect for family gifts. At just $30, this highly-rated dance game is sure to pick a hot gift for the entire dancing crew.
- Think Geek is, hands down, one of our family’s favorite novelty shops. These guys have a penchant for curating the most interesting geeky gadgets and gift. Who wouldn’t appreciate plush bacon or wifi detecting hats? They’re offering free shipping to contiguous 48 states w/ the code, CYBERMONDAY10 or -$10 on $30+ orders w/
CYBERMONDAY10.
- Amazon is expected to be one of the powerhouse online retailers for Cyber Monday. They’re offering all kinds of great deals, but the Crayola Glow Explosion for $15.98 is my top pick.
Beyond toys and media, the kids need clothes, too, right?
- JanieandJack.com is offering 20% off until midnight. Sweater dresses and leggings for the girlies. Need I say more?
- With 50% off of everything in-store, I scored big time on Black Friday at the Gap for, ahem, myself. But, for Cyber Monday
Gap has 10% off the code CYBER10 and free shipping for purchases over $50. My top picks are this animal print coat and this sparkly scalloped dress for baby girls are both half off. Add that 10% off and free shipping for over $50, you can’t go wrong at Baby Gap.
- Those sweater dresses and leggings need boots, too! Piperlime is also offering 20% off for Cyber Monday. Check out thse adorable purple boots. I need a pair for me! For 20% off at Piperlime, be sure to enter Lucky20
- 77Kids, as I’ve said before, is my new g0-to retailer for boys clothes. I dress my guy in classic clothes with an edge, and
77Kids certainly fits that style. 77Kids and their sister stores, ae.com, aerie.com, are offering 20% off with Discount Code 45838295
Quality, but affordable snowboots for the boy have been on my must-buy list for the kid, so I’m hoping to scoop these Sorel boots today to take advantage of the Cyber Monday deals at 77Kids. Whether you live in the city or country and you get a good amount of snow, good snowboots are something I highly recommend in investing. Cold, frozen feet + kids are a soggy mix.
And while you’re there, be sure to design your own snowflake for childrens’ hospitals.
- The teens on my list are usually the hardest to shop for these days. Aside from video games, electronics and money, what else do they ask for? Tough one, right?
The teens in our family have their specific likes and wants, but for the most part, they all love music. Maybe Hot Topic isn’t a store for everyone, but you can’t beat the deal they have on music tees. Get two music tees for just $50. For today only, they’re offering free shipping on orders $50 or more. I’m loving this Rush tee for girls and Willie is always timeless. Discounts for music tees and free shipping are automatically applied to the shopping cart.
Happy Shopping, everyone!
Gabbing with Gabba
Slowly but surely, I’m owning up to the freelance writer part of my bio—at least I’m trying. Besides NKT, I’ve been writing, interviewing and pitching stories every chance I get. If we’re friends on Facebook or Twitter, you may have seen my work appearing in a few places, with New York Family as a recent example. I’m super excited about an upcoming article that’s slated to appear in a few weeks on a major parenting website.
Much of my work on NKT has provided for a myriad of cool opportunities, which includes interviewing kid-centric personalities and celebrities. My latest interview was with Christian Jacobs, the co-creator of Yo Gabba Gabba and frontman of The Aquabats. Jacobs dished about his favorite NYC spots and quelled my curiosity about Foofa’s inspiration. (Do any of you guys remember The Barbapapas?)
As originally seen on NewYorkFamily.com:
Gabbing With Gabba
Christian Jacobs, co-creator of the wildly popular and music-centric kid’s show, Yo Gabba Gabba, is also one of the guys behind the masked rock band, The Aquabats. The Aquabats recently released the three-song digital EP, Radio Down! which features guest vocals from hip hop legend Biz Markie. Comprised of MC Bat Commander (vocals), Crash McLarson (bass), Jimmy The Robot (keyboards / saxophone), Ricky Fitness (drums), Eagle “Bones” Falconhawk (guitar), The Aquabats have been entertaining audiences—young and old—for 16 years with their witty and eclectic sets.
Christian Jacobs aka MC Bat Commander dishes about their costumes, “Pool Party,” and his favorite NYC spots to bring the kids.
Click after the jump for the complete Q&A.
Thinking Outside the Business Box with PictureIt Postage
When I left my full-time job as an editor two years ago, I did it with the intention of building a freelance writing career to hone my passion. It was a big step emotionally and financially, but professionally as well. Most of my freelance ventures are hinged upon my blogging and social media efforts. For me, like many of my blogging colleagues, it started out with a name that we’re continuing to build a brand around. For some, it’s more orchestrated than others. For others, it’s evolved much more organically.
For those who treat their blogs as a business, making connections, building relationships and carving out our own niches seems to be the name of the game in this blogging realm. Most days, I have no idea what I’m doing; and like writer’s block, it can plague me for a while, and then, I’m inspired by those around me. Like any small business, it’s all about figuring out what works, and doing it well.
When my friends at The Motherhood asked me to check out PictureIt Postage for business, the timing was so impeccable. Not only have I been plotting out my family’s holiday cards, but I’ve also been brainstorming my business holiday cards.
In the several years that I’ve been blogging so far, this year has most certainly been my most productive. In the grand scheme of things, it might not mean much, but for me, I couldn’t be happier. And most of that can be attributed to my blogging friends who have helped or collaborated with me along the way, but also for the pr pros, company executives who have helped me make my job come to fruition.
So what does this have to do with postage you’re wondering? A lot, actually. Like many bloggers and editors, I get packages and mail every day; however, it’s rare when I actually get “real” business correspondence. I’m not talking about a printed information sheet that comes with a product sample. I’m talking about a genuine, hand-written note from a company. I’ve always been one for handwritten and personalized correspondence, and this holiday season is no exception. Who doesn’t love receiving hand written, personalized note in their pile of bills and junk mail?
PictureIt Postage is a cool way to personalize postage: perfect for families seeking a fun way to mail letters, cards and packages, it’s also a great way to mail business letters, cards and other mailings. I can’t think of a better way to say thank you or send holiday greetings to colleagues and completing the package with a branded logo or a fun graphic to complete the package. I actually have something fun in mind for a few holiday business mailings (I won’t ruin the surprise here, though.)
Making Music with Monster Melody Mash
What do you get when you mix dancing monsters and fun beats? Why, an app, of course!
We’ve been playing with another monster-centric app, or rather, jamming out. This time, the kid and I have been playing DJ with the Monster Melody App. Choosing between alien, volcano or classic monsters, players can create endless melodies by tapping the sychronizing monsters. Perfect for budding djs and even the littlest music aficionados, Monster Melody app harnesses music, playful animation and touch-screen technology to create musical goodness.
I know. More monsters! I’m on a monster kick lately…or should I say, developers and toy manufacturers are on a monster roll.
Meet the Freaky Pets
If you think all plush toys are all cute and cuddly, then you’re partially right. Combine cute and cranky, then you’ve got this new line of plush pets called Freaky Pets.
At first glance these imaginary creatures are sweet and innocent, then with a quick tuck, the Freaky Pets reveal their cranky alter ego.
Toy Story 3 Features Hidden Easter Eggs
The highest grossing animated film of all time and one of our family’s favorite movies of the year (and maybe yours too?), Toy Story 3, was released on DVD and Blu-Ray earlier this week. We, of course, were first in line to grab our copies.
Since picking up our copy of TS3, it’s no surprise that we’ve watched it no less than four times already. Each time, I’ve found myself searching for even more quirky surprises that I missed before. Pixar is well known for hiding easter eggs in their films, so I thought I’d repost the link to a great site that shares many of those hidden gems of Woody, Buzz and the gang.
Slash Film did a great job dissecting some of the most important scenes in the film that were chock full of interesting tidbits, many of which reference other Pixar films and characters, with quite a few nods to next year’s Cars 2. One easter egg that I found interesting was the significance of the number of A113 found in several other Pixar flicks, just like TS3.