Category: accessories

TempleTouch: Convenient and Non-Invasive Thermometer

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

We all probably have an arsenal of medicine, homeopathic remedies and gadgets in our medicine cabinet to help ease our little ones’ illnesses.  One gadget, however, I’ve found that’s always either hit or miss: the thermometer.

Because my husband works in the health and beauty sector, as I’ve mentioned, I often get a chance to sample some of the latest products, and that includes a slew of lackluster thermometers.  They either take too long, are inaccurate or inconvenient to use for a small child.  Sadly, I have yet to find a thermometer that’s affordable and also works well.


While visiting the MomSelect Swag Suite, I visited the Temple Touch table, and like the cynic I am, I was reluctant to try it.  Afterall, after trying at least 15 or so mediocre thermometers, how could this one be different?

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Freezer Fruit Pops Make for Healthy Summertime Snacks

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram


Summertime snacks for our family are often synonymous with fresh, ripe fruit and chilled frozen yogurt or ice cream.  Actually, with all this heat we’ve been enduring this summer, anything cold sounds good right about now!

This post and activity was inspired, in part, by Healthy Child Healthy World’s weekly twitter party, and by a recipe I stumbled accross on one of my favorite kiddie cuisine sites, Weelicious.

Since we’ve been staying with family for the past few weeks, with three kids in the house and a Costco down the street, we’ve been stocking up on all the delicious fresh fruit.  And fruit from Costco…you know what that means.  We had a ton of it!

 

We had a surplus of strawberries and mangos; meaning, we had more ripened fruit than we knew what to do with!  Cue in Weelicious’ yummy recipes!

With all the extra fruit that was on the cusp of getting too ripe, I enlisted the two bigger kids to help me make some fun homemade popsicles!

I used:

1 set of Tovolo Groovy Pop molds, which yield 6 bigger fruit pops
2 ripe mangos, sliced into thirds and then cubed and pureed
1 cup of ripe strawberries, pureed
1/2 cup of blueberries, pureed
1/2 cup of Mott’s Medley’s juice

I mixed and pureed fruit for each pop, personalizing each flavor for each kid.  Since these fruits had so much of their own fruit juice, I only had to add a few splashes of the juice to help solidify the mixture once frozen.


It was fun to get creative with the kids and let them mix, then help pour each pop.  The making of the pops was a fun outdoor activity, and I’m sure it’d make a great (albeit messy) indoor or rainy day activity too.

 

The beauty of the Tovolo freezer pop molds is that each container is a good size and actually stays put.  I’ve used other molds in the past that used questionable plastic and the sticks never stayed in place.  Plus, Tovolo has a bunch of great shapes to choose from.

Looking for more healthy summer snacks?  Check out Healthy Child Healthy World’s Twitter Party (tonight at 9-10) and their site for more great ideas!

 

 

Clek Introduces Two New Designs

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Just in time for road trip season, Clek has introduced two new Paul Frank designs to its award-winning line of Olli Booster Seats.

The camoflouge-inspired Skurvy Camo Olli Booster Seat features a puzzle pattern with fun orange accents.  The Julius Hearts Me design highlights everyone’s favorite monkey, Julius, alongside of jewel-toned hearts.

Clek’s Olli, a backless, belt-positioning booster seat, is best suited for children whose height and weight are between 40-57 in./101-145 cm. and are 40-120 lbs.

I thought matching our convertible car seat to our car’s interior would be a good thing.  Now, years later, I’m sort of itching for more color and spunk, something that better matches our pirate and Julius fan.  With Skurvy Camo, it’s almost like Paul Frank had us in mind.

Olli Booster Seats retail for $100 and can be found at baby and kid stores that sell Clek products, including Babies R Us, Diapers.com and Buy Buy Baby.

Let Them Eat Cake!

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last weekend, I had a fun mini-party that I billed an NKT playdate.  It was a super small gathering of some of my friends from back home, some of whom I hadn’t seen since we embarked on our own crazy adventures of parenthood.

At the playdate, I showcased a number of toys and product samples that I’ve received, but haven’t had the chance to write about on NKT.  It was a great way of getting the products into my friends’ hands, and getting a different perspective while sharing some cool kid finds.  I’ll be sure to write a more thorough post on what I shared and what some of them had to say.  Since it was my birthday earlier this week, naturally, I still have cake on the brain!

 

One of the cool activity sets I featured was the Girl Gourmet Cake Bakery from Jakks Pacific, which came out last fall.  The Cake Bakery is one of those fun activity sets that’s quite timely in relation to the ongoing cake craze.  With the rise in popularity of cakes from hit shows like our neighborhood favorite, Carlo’s Bakery of The Cake Boss fame to the ever-inspiring Ace of Cakes, cake-making and decorating has never been so sweet.

This set allows kids to create cakes with a little help from Duff of Charm City Cakes, the bakery which is chronicled on the Food Network’s Ace of Cakes.  With the Girl Gourmet Cake Bakery, kids can create a mini 2-tiered fondant cakes. Kids just add water to one of the cake flavors, stir and pour into the cake molds, and then place into the container and microwave for 30 seconds. To create one of the fondant mixes, water is added and then can be rolled out onto the non-stick mat. The cakes are then removed from the mold after they cool, which are then ready to be covered with the fondant. The mini cakes can be placed on the decorating turntable and can be fancied up by using the air powered gel decorator gun.  Need more embellishments? Add the included candy garnishes!   How sweet it is!

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They Say it’s Your Birthday: Do Goodery Edition

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

If I made a laundry list of things that I wanted for my birthday, besides the obvious choices, I doubt any of it would carry that much weight.  I mean, what do I really need?

Given the influx of bad luck, drama, and not-so-happy times our family has been weathering the past few weeks and months, now is the time to negate all of that bad energy.  In fact, the husband and I were talking about how we needed to find ways to give back to our community. So, just in time for my birthday tomorrow, I will be doing some Do Goodery in NYC with some fellow bloggers.

77kids, together with the fabulous TheMotherhood.com have tapped seven bloggers in each of the 11 participating cities (77 peeps altogether!) to do random acts of kindness in our communities on July 14; and I’m so thrilled to be a part of the vibrant NYC team.  It sounds like the other teams have a number of truly wonderful acts of kindness lined up.  Our team is hammering out the last details, but once we’re all set, I’m sure I will be tweeting as we go!

Who is this 77kids I keep mentioning?  In case you aren’t familiar, be sure to remember the name, because you will hear more about them soon!  77kids is American Eagle’s new baby: it’s their baby, toddler and youth division that evokes the same fun, modern, casual and cool style, but for the smaller set.  77kids, which is about to debut a handful of retail locations, seems like they’re all about following through with their do good philosophy.

Do Goodery on my birthday?  Happy, indeed!

Disclosure:  I will be receiving a stipend for my participation in this campaign.

The Little Seed Blooms at Target

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Soleil Moonfrye and Paige Goldberg Tolmach, the eco-savvy moms behind the LA-based boutique, The Little Seed, have teamed up with Target to distribute their line of organic baby clothes.  The Life Saver-hued baby line, a shift from neutral and pastel colors that are usually associated with organic baby items, is comprised of layette necessities such as hooded towels, onesies, pull on pants, baby hats and baby booties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to LA Time’s All the Rage blog, it looks like, The 100% organic cotton line is reasonably priced, ranging from $7.99 to $12.99.

The Little Seed items at are available online and in Target stores now.

 

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Junk Ball Features MLB Players

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The Boys of Summer are in mid-season right now, gearing up for the All Star Game, which is just a few weeks away.  Just in time for the All Star Game, Little Kids sent us a sample of their Junk Ball Bat and Ball set.

This year, Junk Ball was granted the MLBPA license for their bat and ball sets which feature some of the hottest MLB players including, Tim Lincecum, Dustin Pedroia, Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, Johan Santana and our family’s favorite player, David Wright.

The Junk Ball Bat and Ball set comes with a classic Junk Ball Baseball, Junk Ball Bat and a sheet of stickers that features 6 players, so that kids can customize their own bat. The Bat and Ball set retails for $9.99, (an MLB ball featuring one of the aforementioned players can be purchased separately) making it an extremely affordable outdoor toy that little ones, all the way up to big kids, can enjoy their very own game of ball.


“Junk Ball,” in baseball terminology often refers to a pitch that is difficult to hit due to movement rather than velocity or power, such as a breaking ball or a knuckleball.

And what makes this Junk Ball pretty cool is how it makes throwing “junk balls” so easy.  In addition to the diagrams on how to throw a few pitches, Junk Ball balls feature a “Dial a Pitch” that allows anyone to throw curves, sliders, even knuckleballs—-again suitable for the little guys and big guys, including daddies, too!

Junk Ball, David Wright

For our family, there’s nothing more synonymous with summer, outdoors and family time than baseball, whether it’s watching a game at Citi Field, catching a Sunday game on tv or playing our own game of Junk Ball.  The kid, dad and I had a great time fielding and hitting the ball around.  I personally love the sound of a bat “cracking” and the whizzing of a ball, even if it is a plastic set meant for kids.  It’s the love of the game!

If you’re on the market for an alternative to those other plastic baseball sets, be sure to check out Junk Ball’s bat and ball set and get your game on.

A product sample was provided to facilitate this review, but the opinions expressed herein are my own.

Lego Debuts New Store in Rockefeller Center

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Amidst a complex of skyscrapers and shopping, Rockefeller Center, a celebrated NYC landmark serves as a backdrop to 30 Rock, home to NBC, some of the most iconic art deco and architecture, the famed namesake Christmas Tree and now, Legos.

Lego Store in Rockefeller Center

 

Lego lovers, specifically the Tri-State contingent,  rejoice: Lego officially opened another retail location, this time in the heart of Midtown Manhattan in Rockefeller Center.  Overlooking the skating rink, taking over the old Brookstone location in Rock Center, the NYC Lego Store location is sure to be a tourist must-see and local resource for stocking up on Lego essentials.

 

This location features the largest Pick-a-Brick Wall, as well a “big apple” Lego set and I Lego-Heart NYC merchandise, which are exclusive to the NYC store.  Overlooking 49th street, the location has a Master Builder Bar, which can double as a space for birthday parties, Lego Club meetings and other events.  The midtown location also features a Shop & Ship option where tourists and locals alike can purchase items in-store and have them shipped instead of schlepping them around town and on to trains, planes and buses.

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The retail location drenched with sunlight and complemented with views of the hustle and bustle of Rock Center, boasts wall to wall shelves full of the latest and greatest Lego sets, paraphernalia and accessories.  Because of the Lego Store’s unique location, Lego commissioned their Lego Masters to recreate architecture, art, mosaics and replicas that mimic Rockefeller Center.  Some of the incredible oversized Lego creations on display include a huge Atlas replica, a cityscape of Rock Center and several mini scenes that portray life in NYC.

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During my sneak peek of the store the day before it opened, I was in complete awe of the attention to detail that the dioramas and custom Lego models showcased.  But it was Atlas overlooking the skating rink and the enormous and intricate Rockefeller Center diorama truly blew me away; I could have stared at the hundreds of different Lego mini people all day.  Lego Master Builders have quite an imagination and sense of humor to boot.

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Lego, a true classic toy and one of, if not the favorite toy in our house, has outdone themselves yet again!  At Toy Fair, with several other bloggers and members of the media, I had the chance to check out their new Lego games (while I’ll talk about later and perhaps give one away.)  I’m truly, truly excited about this Lego store not only because it’s in NYC, but because it may just be a contender for a special birthday party/play date/ tourist outing in the future.  Take note, family.

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In the NYC area?

Check out Lego’s new store in NYC and help build a giant 16-ft. Big Apple to celebrate the store’s debut. Lego is hosting a free, three-day public build in Rockefeller Center.  The build begins on June 29th with New York Yankee, Nick Swisher laying the first brick and ends with the last brick being added at 3pm July 1st.

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Make Music with Educo Early Melodies Instruments

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

For the littlest music lovers, age-appropriate musical instruments are few and far between, but leave it up to Hape’s Educo line to think of a few fun and eco-friendly options for instruments for toddlers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geared to ages one year and up, Educo offers the Early Melodies Slide Whistle and Flute.  Colorful and whimsical alternative to the plastic and sometimes questionable instruments often found on shelves, the Slide Whistle and Flute are made with maple and finished with non-toxic, child-friendly paints and finishes.

These instruments are perfect for promoting hand-eye coordination, appreciation for rhythm and music and sensory perception.  I love the transition from infant to toddlerhood, where curiosity and awareness of surroundings becomes so much more prevalent.  Musical exploration with fun and safe instruments, such as these from Educo, make for a melodic playtime.

Find the Educo Early Melodies Flute and Slide Whistle at Oompa.com.  At just $3.99 a piece, how can you not want both?

Toy Story 3 Hits Theaters Today

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Well, the day has finally arrived!  After years of preparation and months of anticipation, Toy Story 3 officially hits the big screen today.

As Andy heads to college, Buzz, Woody and the gang find themselves in a precarious predicament after mom mixes up the trash and the “keep” pile.  The toys find themselves at a daycare where they befriend new pals in an eclectic lineup of other toys from the daycare.

The third film in the wildly popular Toy Story series, TS3, like the earlier installments, is expected to break the bank, and be one of the biggest tickets of the summer.  The original Toy Story earned $191 million with its original release and $363 million worldwide.  As evidenced by the plethora of licenses for towels, shoes, cereal bowls, Pull Up diapers, bread and more, TS3 is quite the hot commodity in children’s gear.  And I’ll be the first to admit that our toy box has been filling up with our own respective gear in anticipation of the film!


Why is this flick so popular?  Well, for many reasons.  In part, what started 15 years ago as a collaboration between Disney and Pixar, has turned into a fleeting success.  Since their initial partnership, the studio has gone on to develop a laundry list of computer animated classics, with the original Toy Story as its springboard.  The story, cast of characters, exceptional graphics and more have kept audiences engaged for well over a decade.  Now, the original audience’s kids, nieces, nephews and perhaps grandkids, are just as excited for the toys’ shenanigans as we were 15 years ago.

 

Fifteen years ago, I was still in school.  [Let’s just leave it at that ;)]  Today, I’m planning to take my 2 year old who has been harping on Buzz and ‘Wooly’ for months now!  It’s incredible to think how much has changed for me between now and then; but what’s even more incredible is how these characters are still touching lives, even after all these years!

After all of the movie’s clever marketing, the film’s early reviews are looking quite bright!  I can’t wait to share my thoughts, and maybe even a some of our favorite kid gear to boot.  For now, take a look at this pretty cool behind the scenes clip with interviews from some of the voices.  If you go to see Toy Story, be sure to tell me what you thought!

 

 

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Speaking of how much things have changed in 15 years, did you know Disney Pixar has a Facebook app where you can buy Toy Story 3 tickets via Facebook? You FB-obsessed people (like me) don’t even have to leave the site to secure your own movie tickets!  Just head to Disney Together to get the app and click, click and you’re done!