Category: gear

Happy National Train Day

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy National Train Day, everyone.  National Train Day is a day that celebrates the service that our rail system provides.  As new-ish suburbanites who head into the City several times a week, we rely on NJ Transit to get us around quite a bit.

We can hear the train from our house, walk to the station in a few minutes and get to where we need to go, with almost no effort, thanks to our train system. *Almost*  Aside from loving toy trains, like many other families, trains are a way of life for us.

On the train to the City

Chuggington has so many great things coming up, and as a Chuggington Conductor, I’m always thrilled to share the latest and greatest Chuggington news with you guys!

In honor of National Train Day, I wanted to share some cool news from Chuggington.  As you guys know, Learning Curve offers some of the most amazing toy trains out on the market. In fact, in celebration of National Train Day, Learning Curve is offering a pretty sweet discount on one of our favorites, the Chuggington Interactive Trains.  Have you seen our vlog on YouTube about the Interactive Trains?  (It’s not the best video, but you get the gist of how cool these trains are!)

In celebration of National Train Day, get a Free Interactive Engine (a $13.99 value) with any purchase of $30 or more at Chuggingtonstore.com. Offer expires May 17, 2011 or while supplies last.

To take advantage of this offer, please follow these four steps:
1. Add $30 or more of Chuggington items to your cart at Chuggingtonstore.com.
2. Add the interactive engine of your choice to your cart at Chuggingtonstore.com. (Your subtotal should be $43.99 or more)
3. Enter coupon code TRAINDAY and hit apply. You will see a $13.99 discount reflected in your shopping cart.
4. Checkout.

We’ll be celebrating National Train Day this afternoon with a few neighborhood friends, sharing some fun Chuggington goodies.  I’ll have more Chuggington news later, but I definitely wanted to share this cool deal with my fellow Chuggington fans!

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This year is Amtrak’s 40th anniversary, and to celebrate they will be touring the country with a special Amtrak exhibit train that will be stopping at 40 cities within the coming year. Chuggington will be sponsoring the Kids Depot, which will be a spot for children to read books, watch episodes, and color a Chuggington mural! For more information on this partnership (and to see when the Chuggington Kids Depot will be coming to a city near you), visit www.amtrak40th.com!

Tips for Greening the Kitchen

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Even though Earth Day/Month is over, I’m in the camp that hopes that the green momentum keeps going year-round.

On our transition from apartment to house, one room that I’ve emphasized greening has been the kitchen.  It’s the area that is responsible for feeding the people I love, and so, naturally, it’s also a place where we always convene together as a family.

I’ve read so many great resources on greening the kitchen, but I thought I’d reference Whole Living Body + Soul once again.  So, here are some helpful tips on how to green your kitchen.

1.  Use Glass Containers


Like many other homes, we used to use what was convenient and inexpensive…then concerns about BPA sparked several years ago, and the plastic binge began.  Why risk high levels of the hormone disrupting chemical, BPA?  For kitchen storage containers, glass is a safer alternative.  My rec:  check out the Glass Lock Storage Containers from Snapware.  They’re stackable, durable, BPA-free and are seriously air-tight.  I found the best deal on Snapware’s Glass Lock Storage Containers at Costco and loved them so much I had to buy more at Home Goods.  Even Lifehacker agrees that they rock.

2.  Compost

There’s so many good reasons why you should compost. but reducing trash and creating nutrient-rich feed for your plants and garden are pretty high up on the list.  My parents have composted since I was a little girl, so once we had better resources to do so at our house, it was second nature.  Most convenient way to integrate composting in the kitchen: have some sort of pail, whether it’s re-sealable, old coffee tin or a compost bucket by the kitchen sink.  Every time you clear your plates after a meal, scrape waste into the pail.  Veggies, fruit, egg shells and coffee grinds are just a few of the items that can be included in your compost pail.  My rec: check out TJ Maxx or Home Goods for inexpensive compost pails.  They’re unobtrusive and often have carbon filters that help with the smell.

3. Do Smarter Dishes
Whole Living Body + Soul recommends to run the dishwasher at night to avoid peak energy rates.  In the summer, too, this will keep less humidity in the air, which will keep things cooler, thus put less strain on the AC.  Also, switch to plant-based detergents.  I’ll have to do a separate post on this one day, but through trials and tribulation on finding the best natural dishwasher detergent, we had the best luck with BioKleen Automatic Dish Powder.  In my opinion, it cleans MUCH better than most conventional detergents that are found on the shelves.  The grapefruit smell is pretty awesome as well.

4. Minimize paper waste

Paper waste is one of my many downfalls in the kitchen.  I’ve added  dishtowels throughout the kitchen, as well as many reusable towels.  My next step is to use cloth napkins every day.  But there are times when reusable napkins don’t make the most sense, so it’s helpful to use paper products that use recycled fibers.  Scott Naturals napkins uses 80% recycled fibers, which fits the bill for us, especially with all the outdoor picnicking we’ve been doing.

And since it’s the last and final week of the Scott Natural 4-Week Test Drive, we couldn’t end it without another great giveaway.

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Gardening Goodies for Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Spring is finally in full bloom, and I couldn’t be more excited to see the trees, plants and flowers come back to life.  And hello, meet my new garden that the kid helped me grow, of course!
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Along with the changes in scenery, I love that Spring also brings lots of new and interesting toys.  Last week, we were treated with a glimpse of some of the season’s latest and greatest at Time To Play’s Spring and Summer Showcase, and I love that good ol’ fashion outdoor play remains a trend.

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A few companies are honing in on kids’ ongoing affection for gardening and getting their hands dirty. Afterall, gardening with kids isn’t just a great lesson in a plant’s lifecycle and nourishment, but it’s also a rewarding and engaging experience for parents and kids.  Gardening is a great way to get kids and parents to disconnect, and in the end, it gives them a sense of achievement.

In general, you don’t need much to garden, other than some seeds, dirt and gardening tools, but check out these great goodies geared to make gardening even more fun for kids.

Miracle-Gro Kids

Miracle-Gro Kits from Peachtree Toys is a new line of gardening kits for kids.  With starter kits like the 3-n-1 Gardening Set, Terrarium and the Mini Greenhouse, among others, where kids can grow their own flowers or veggies with the Miracle-Gro Gro Mix.  We’re typically organic and old school when it comes to gardening, so I’m a bit apprehensive about the fertilizers involved in Miracle-Gro.  Nevertheless, I do appreciate the nifty kits in this line of gardening sets from Miracle-Gro Kids.

Growums


Growums are one of my favorite gardening kits for kids, yet.  This new line of gardening kits includes six different sets: an Herb Garden, Pizza Garden, Salad Garden, Stir Fry Garden, Taco Garden and Ratatouille Garden that include coco or peat pellets that make these sets a bit more kid-friendly.  Kids add water to the pellets and put them in a shallow dish.  Once the peats are expanded, they add seeds and put the dish in the sun and wait for the seedlings to grow.  And from there, the kids can plant their herbs and veggies in their garden.  But what makes Growums so unique is the online element that engages kids by giving them tips and info from quirky characters like Elvis Parsley. (haha!) I love these sets, and can’t wait to see more from the Growums.

Buddy B Children’s Gardening Tools


Kid’s gardening tools are all over the home improvement stores, but if your kids are going to be doing some serious digging, much like mine does, I can’t speak highly enough about Buddy B Children’s Gardening Tools.  These tools are scaled down replicas of the “real thing,” and they work so much better than the plastic kiddie versions you see everywhere.  We have the hand trowel and kid’s shovel and I have to say, I probably use both of these tools as often as the kid himself.  These tools come in handy and they’re great quality.

Burpee


Burpee gardening products are staples for many beginning and/or experienced gardener.  The biodegradable seedling cups are great for kids, but I’m also a fan of their great selection of organic seeds and other gardening supplies.  It’s my first season gardening on my own, and I’ve had great luck with the flowers so far and we’re crossing fingers on the the vegetables!

Review: Method Disney Foaming Hand Soap

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Method, known for their eco-friendly household products, has partnered with Disney to produce kid-friendly Mickey and Minnie-themed foaming hand wash.  The Mickey and Minnie Mouse Foaming Hand Wash from Method are available in stores now.

The ingredients contained in the mouse-shaped dispenser all seem safe and “green”-er than some children’s products that I’ve seen.  And although it’s not yet listed on EWG’s Cosmetic Database, Method products seem to sway toward the good-fair ratings.

The Mickey Mouse Foaming Hand Wash does the trick, as far as getting the kid to wash his hands.  The foaming aspect of the soap and the subtle reminder of Mickey make it hard to forget to wash hands after using the bathroom.

The design of the packaging, like most Method products, is modern and aesthetically pleasing. I appreciate that the kid loves the Mouse-shape, while not compromising my modern tastes.  I usually don’t welcome too many cartoon characters in my bathroom, but how could I turn away the Mouse, when he’s all unobtrusive.

My main qualm about the Mickey Mouse Foaming Hand Wash is that the scent is a bit too perfumey and overpowering for me.  Perhaps we’re more used to unscented soaps, or something a little gentler, but I just didn’t think the lemonade scent was all that fruity.  When referencing Method’s ingredient list online, a red flag went up about the hand wash’s fragrance.  Listed as partial essential oil and partial synthetic fragrance, all I could think was, “but does it have phthalates?”  According to Method’s listing, this soap is phthalate-free, but the synthetic fragrance does make me ask a few questions.

At $4.50 for 8.5 fl oz, I would’ve loved to get a little more soap for the money.  You get what you pay for, and you can’t deny that the kids love it!  Nevertheless, we use Method products all throughout the house, and I’m sure the Mickey Mouse Foaming Hand Wash will find its way onto my shopping list.  It’s an effective, safe and fun cleaner that’s a”greener” alternative to other products geared to kids.

The Mickey and Minnie Mouse Foaming Hand Wash from Method can be found at stores that sell Method products, like Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Harmon and Babies R Us.  You can also find it online at my personal fave online retailer, Soap.com.

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New to Soap.com and want 20%?  Feel free to use this code: JENR2049
If you enter the above code at checkout, you’ll get 20% off your first order (some restrictions may apply).  Soap.com will also donate $10 to one of the selected charities.  Double whammy.

Full disclosure: I received a product sample via The Mom Blogger’s Club to facilitate this review.  As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

Week 3: Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive and Giveaway

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With greening the bathroom in mind, one of the recommendations is to opt for using toilet paper made of recycled materials.  Scott Naturals’ bathroom tissue uses 40% recycled fiber, which is a good step in the right direction.  According to Scott Naturals, 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.

We’re just wrapping up week three of the four-week test drive, and I’d love it if you’d continue to click, support and raise awareness.

For every click on the Four Week Test Drive link, Scott Naturals donates $1 to NWF from Scott Naturals. While you’re on Scott Natural’s site, be sure to grab some coupons and enter to win a Ford Fusion hybrid car.

Giveaway

As part of the Four Week Test Drive, we have another Scott Naturals Prize Pack to giveaway.

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Tips for Greening the Bathroom

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Bathroom Wall ColoursWith spring cleaning still fresh on the mind, it’s a good a time as any to chat about tips on greening the bathroom. Aside from the fact that I absolutely abhor cleaning the bathroom, a dirty–not to mention toxic–powder room is unacceptable, considering it’s an area that harbors some of the most bacteria in a home.  And with kids constantly going in and out, taking showers, brushing teeth, sticking their head in the toilet (don’t ask), cleaning a bathroom is necessary evil for all us.  So, why not green-it while you’re at it?

Yesterday, I attended an event where we chatted about healthy living, and in the gift bag, I received a complimentary issue Whole Living Body + Soul. It had great content relevant to greening your home, including an insightful section on the bathroom.  So, here’s just a few takeaways from the article on greening your bathroom.

1.  Avoid PVC Shower Curtains According Body+Soul, most shower curtains are made from polyvinyl-choloride, otherwise known as PVC, a plastic that can release hormone-disrupting phthalates into the air. Suggestion: If you haven’t already, ditch all of those gross-smelling PVC shower curtains and head to Target or Bed Bath and Beyond to get yourself a 100% EVA shower curtain or shower liner.  They’re PVC-free, cost almost the same and are much better for your home.

2. Consider Low-Flow Showerheads One of the first things we did in our house after we first moved in, was replace the showerheads.  Not only did we want to dispose old germs, but we wanted something that was eco-friendly and efficient.  It’s recommended to replace older showerheads with Low-Flow models that deliver 2.5 gallons or less per minute.  Suggestion: We went with Waterpik’s Eco-Flow showerhead, which boasts the WaterSense label, the water efficiency label from the EPA.

4. Fresh Air When bathrooms inevitably get smelly, it might be your first reaction to grab an air fresher.  Problem is, most conventional air fresheners contain hormone-disrupting chemicals. Play it safe: opt for safer air fresheners that contain essential oils, or better yet, open a window.  Suggestion: make your own natural spray by using 30 drops of essential oil with one cup of water in a pray bottle.  I’ve tried peppermint, as well as lavender, but there are so many options. You can find brands such as Aura Cacia in health food stores.

5. Use Recycled TP and paper products If every family in the U.S. replaced a roll of conventional toilet paper with a roll of tp that contains recycled material, we’d save a lot of trees.  A LOT.  Some may complain that the consistency of tp made of recycled material isn’t as soft, but in the grand scheme of things, will that matter if our kids’ kids world is no more?  Suggestion: check out the next post.

Royal Wedding Fever

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Despite the excessive media coverage of Will and Kate’s nuptials, it was hard not to ignore the elaborate details that came together for the whole world to see.  I originally had this post scheduled to post yesterday—before the wedding.  Obviously, that never happened.  And since the wedding happened today, I thought I’d share a few kid-related items that gave a nod to Prince William and the now Princess Kate’s Royal Wedding.

Kate Middleton Paper Dolls

As a little girl, I can barely remember Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ Royal Wedding, but what I do remember was THAT dress.  And perhaps, just like many of us thought of Will’s beloved mother in her gown 30 years ago, I’m willing to bet a generation of little kids will forever remember just how beautiful Princess Kate’s dress was today.

Princess Kate’s dress was a secret leading up to the moment she stepped out onto that Royal red carpet.  The Wedding watchers of the world let out a collective gasp when she revealed that lace and satin gown designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen. I thought she looked demure and elegant, with the classic lines and modern details.  As one of the many people gawking at Kate’s dress, to get kids on the dress action, I particularly love Disney Family Fun’s paper dolls that you can print out online.  It’s basically the Disney princesses’ dresses with a brunette Princess that looks somewhat like Kate. Grab the glitter pen, crayon and help the kids create their versions of Princess Kate’s wedding dress.  If only there was a Wills Paper Doll to go along with Kate!



Lego Royal Wedding

Speaking of Wills…have I ever mentioned how much I love when people create Lego Art?  Or my love of Lego Mini Figures?  Check out the creativity of this Lego Royal Wedding featured over on BBC.  My favorite is I Thee Wed, although the real church scenes were much more romantic!  Be sure to check out the rest of the scenes!

Playmobil Special Correspondent

Playmobil has been cracking me up over on their FB page. They’ve had “Sarah” as a special correspondent covering the Royal Wedding all week.  Hilarious!

3 Sprouts Storage Bins are Sustainable and Cute

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last week’s Spring cleaning post was a perfect reminder that, not only do we have to finish our remodel so we can dig the rest of our stuff out of storage, but that we also need to organize the entire house—the playroom included.  Toys, toys and more toys!  I’m sure many of you can relate to the toy storage debacle.

Beyond the imminent purging that goes along with Spring cleaning, I’m on the lookout for sustainable, yet functional storage options for the kid’s playroom.
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I first spotted these incredibly adorable storage bins from 3 Sprouts at Toy Fair a few months ago.  The cute pink and blue elephants first caught my eye, but it was the eco-friendly composition and functionality of these bins that completely drew me in.

These circular bins are made of organic cotton canvas and the details are felt appliques made from recycled plastic bottles.  At 17.5″ in height and 17″ in diameter, the bins are roomy enough for laundry and ideal for mounds of toys.  When the laundry or toys don’t require storage, the bins can be folded and tucked away.  Roomy, cute and compact!

The designs of the animals are simple,  modern, and positively cute.  The owl, a prevalent trend in kid prints from last year, is one of my faves. I’m also loving the raccoon’s mysteriousness and that sly fox can’t be overlooked.  Also? How cute are their caddies?  Fill it all with books or layette, and all of the above are baby shower-worthy, without a doubt.

3 Sprouts storage bins retail around $39 and can be found online and in specialty stores, including one my fave NYC boutiques, giggle.

David Weinstone Celebrates New Release with NYC Show

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The best kind of children’s music is the kind that resonates, not only for the kid, but for the parents as well.  And David Weinstone and The Music for Aardvarks Band does just that for our family.  Having spent our baby days as city dwellers (and still dreaming of returning every day), Weinstone’s songs are so relatable since they transcend the usual cutesy topics, and instead, celebrates things like, taxis and the joys of Avenue A.  As a baby, the kid routinely fell asleep to the sounds of garbage trucks, cabs whizzing by and sirens wailing outside our window, so, like most urban families, we can totally relate to the fun songs from Weinstone and The Music for Aardvarks Band.

With alternative influences, clever guitar melodies and cheery percussion, Weinstone’s music strikes a chord for all families who appreciate good music.  We love classics like Birdie, Runaround Kid and Move Your Feet as seen on Jack’s Big Music Show on Nick Jr. (Get UP…get down!)

Besides catching him on Nick, perhaps you might know Weinstone from his classes that are said to be frequented by famous families here in the NYC and NJ area; Weinstone is also the creator of Music for Aardvarks classes, which has classes all across the country now.  So, not only do city families have the good fortune to rocking out to such fun music, but so can everyone else.

This weekend in NYC, David Weinstone and The Music for Ardvarks Band is celebrating their new cd, “All I Want!” with a concert at the Highline Ballroom on April 30th.

The theme of our new CD, All I Want!, is that what kids need most is quality time with caring adults. We hope the way we interact with kids at our shows reflects this.”

“All I Want!”, released March 8th, features all new songs and is David Weinstone’s sixteenth Music for Aardvarks recording.  This latest release is described as bringing together pop/folk/rock/blues styles to communicate a singular message:  “All I want is me and you!”

As fans of Weinstone, this is yet another one we’ll be sure to add to our playlist!

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In town this coming weekend?  Here are the details for their CD Release Party!

WHAT:                David Weinstone & The Music for Aardvarks Band
WHERE:             Highline Ballroom, 431 W. 16th St., NYC
WHEN:               Saturday, April 30.   12:00 noon.
TICKETS:           $12 in advance. $15 day of show. $40 Family 4-Pack.  Phone 212.414.5994.  www.highlineballroom.com.

David Weinstone’s discs are available online at musicforaardvarks.com, amazon.com, cdbaby.com, all major digital download sites and retail stores nationwide.

Happy Earth Day!

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy Earth Day, everyone! I hope your Earth Day is filled with lots of green and sustainable efforts. It seems, many people have the same idea today by embracing nature and going for walks and/or doing something for the greater good, such as planting a tree or exercising their green thumbs.

We’re in the “planting a tree” camp, well actually, I should say, we’ll be planting a bush.  One of our many projects in our ongoing remodel includes overhauling all of our landscape.  So, our formerly yard-starved kid has been loving all the digging that’s been going on lately—today included.  I recently bought a bright pink Azaela bush to plant in our side yard to add some color and to celebrate this day.  Azaelas, for me, are so reminscent of my childhood in Va., so I’ve always known that I wanted to add a few pink and purple Azaela bushes to our yard to bring a little bit of “back home” to our new home and rather colorless yard, here in NJ.

As far as Earth Day goes, there’s so much that we can do to help preserve our environment for our kids.  There’s easy steps like:

  • Invest in a BPA-free water bottle and drop the plastic water bottles habit. Kleen Kanteen stainless steel bottles are my personal favorite.  My amusement park tip: bring 2 or 3 reusable bottles and fill up at the water fountains all day. Your wallet will thank you.
  • Ditch the plastic bags and bring your own reusable bags.  I like to keep a few reusable small bags in my purse, so I can use them at the mall, not just the grocery store.  It’s not only convenient to use reusable bags, but most stores reimburse you a few cents for doing so!
  • Reinforce the 3Rs. Many kids “know” how to reduce, reuse and recycle, but are they really living what they learn?  For preschoolers and toddlers who are learning their numbers, recycling numbers on the bottom of plastic products is a fun learning tool and game.
    Each number represents the type of resin used to produce the plastic. Those numbers on the bottom are used to separate plastic types in preparation for the recycling process. Don’t forget: your local recycling center may only accept certain number plastics. The American Chemistry Association has some great info on Plastic Resin Identification Codes.
  • Shop locally. Organic is great, but often times, the more sustainable choice is to select locally-grown produce.  As a general rule of thumb, according to Grist: local organic first, local second, non-local organic third
  • Live Earth Day Every Day. It’s easier said than done, but truly, the greatest way that we can all make an impact on our environment is if we implement greener choices every day to lower our carbon footprint.  I love Earth Day as much as everyone else, but what good is all the talk if we only live green one day out of the year?
    Take public transit, grow a garden, enjoy nature, pick up trash on the side of the road, compost, shop locally…do whatever green activities that fit your family and lifestyle, but above all, let’s teach the kids to embrace this mindset every day.

Happy Earth Day.  Love your mama Earth!