Toy Story 3 Hits Theaters Today

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!

 

 

Check it!

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!

Bamdino Plates and Bambu Utensils Make Picnics Greener

One of the best parts of spring and summer is the joy that is eating outdoors.  In fact, tomorrow celebrates just that!  June 18th marks national picnic day.

With keeping sustainability in mind, paper plates and plastic forks and spoons have gone by the wayside for many families.  So, besides using reusable picnic gear, what’s a family to do?

Go the bamboo route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, bamboo!

Bamboo, well known for its ability to grow quickly and decompose just as fast, has become one of the most sustainable materials out there…and that goes for kid plates and utensils.  As much as I dislike the idea of disposable gear, sometimes, for the picnic or beach, there’s no way of getting around it.

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Wish List: Artek for Kids

In the madness that has been our family moving and transitioning, one fun facet of the whole process has been plotting our the renovation and decor of our home.  As with everything, I’m thinking practical, sustainable, while keeping a classic and modern aesthetic.  And did I mention affordable?

But as most design fans know, sometimes the sleekest pieces aren’t always the most cost-efficient.  But man, are they gorgeous.

On my never-ending hunt for beautiful children’s furniture that would fit our casual, but modern taste, I’m currently in love with Artek’s Children furniture.  A mama can dream.

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Angelina Ballerina: The Next Step Embraces Music, Dance

Some of the fondest memories from my childhood include the years that I was enrolled in dance class.  I loved ballet and jazz so much that I took my training and lessons with me beyond high school and even danced for several years in college.  And because it’s the end of the school year, it also means that it’s recital season for many little girls (and some boys, too).

 

With recital season in full swing, coupled with my love for dance, one show that comes to mind for Music Monday is, Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps, which airs on PBS Kids.  The show is based on the award-winning children’s book series by author Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craigre.  Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps debuted this past September in full CG animation, incorporating elements of choreography from top dance organizations from American Ballet Theatre to Alvin Ailey.

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MobiGo Review and Giveaway: VTech Introduces New Handheld Learning System

 

VTech has introduced  a new handheld learning system to its lineup of electronic learning toys.  I had the chance to get a glimpse of the MobiGo at Toy Fair, but got an even closer look at the unit this week before it officially hits the shelves.

The MobiGo is packed with features, including touch screen technology, sliding screen and is web-enabled via USB.

The MobiGo retails for $59.99, which is comparable to other handheld systems in this category.  In addition to the touch screen technology that mimics that of mom and dad’s iPhones and smartphones, what sets the MobiGo apart is its flip-up screen.  That feature made quite a few heads turn when we were toting the MobiGo around this week.

The MobiGo has a variety of game cartridges (19.99) and a carrying case (14.99).  The system is available in the blue/yellow or a pink/purple option.

Vtech MobiGo at ToyFair Read More

Axlscloset.com Features Cool Threads for Cool Kids

While most of you are updating and/or breaking out your summer wardrobes, our family continues to pack for our move. Between us, there’s nothing I’d love more than to chuck all of our clothes and start over so we can be done packing already!  But that would be too easy.

With all of these summer clothes posts lately, it couldn’t be more timely to introduce you to a rather sweet shopping site for cool kid gear. Alxscloset.com is a site that features trendy kids clothing from the outdoor, surf, and snowsports markets. The clothes reflect that slightly edgy surfer/skate aesthetic that I mentioned that I adore, especially for boys.

Growing up in Virginia Beach, and even to this day, we’ve always worn skate and surf brands, and this site caters to like-minded shoppers and parents.

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The site features brands like Patagonia, Volcom, Roxy, Billabong, DC, Quicksilver, just to name a few, that I know my tween nieces and nephews would appreciate. Among the cool logo t-shirts, shorts, pants, jackets, dresses and more, there’s also a few vintage-inspired tees I wouldn’t mind for myself!  How about that adorable summer dress from Roxy!

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Traintastic: Chuggington Toys are Coming Soon

One of our favorite Disney shows, Chuggington, unveiled another new episode this past weekend.  I hope you guys were able to catch it.

I’ve got a bunch of Chuggington news planned in the coming weeks…and actually, I was planning a fun viewing party with a few of our fellow Chuggington friends for last week, but had to reschedule.  I’ll be sure to share our soiree once our family is moved and we can get together with our Chuggington pals.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share about some other Chuggington news.  Did you know as of May 17, you can now pre-order Chuggington Toys?  The toys, already available in the U.K. and other locations, are making their way stateside.

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The Children’s Place Goes Americana for Summer

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to preview the Children’s Place summer collection, which includes a variety of super cute outfits, accessories and special collections.  I spotted a lot of fun, jewel-toned and vibrant prints for girls, but my favorites for the little ladies were the skirts and shoes that evoked the cool bohemian-inspired style.  The metallic sandals for girls though, yeah, I wanted a pair for myself.

If you were to inspect my son’s closet, you’d find no less than 80% of his clothes from TCP; I religiously stock up during sales and after seasons and stash for the next size up.  Needless to say, I’m a fan of the modern, but slightly edgy aesthetic, which TCP pulls off so well.  Their boys’ styles for this summer are full of the utilitarian and surfer/skater looks, with a punch of their own vibrant prints—one that I could’ve sworn was a licensed print, but wasn’t.

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Summer Fun with Polarn O. Pyret

This weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, and I hope everyone is prepared for fun in the sun!  I’ve got quite the backlog of posts, so I thought I’d dedicate the next few to fun summer-inspired gear.

Speaking of which, I just eyed some fun whimsical summer prints, from the well-loved Swedish line, Polarn O. Pyret.

Polarn O. Pyret, synonomous with classic, well-made children’s clothing, has a distinctive European flair that stands out among the crowd.  Polarn O. Pyret accommodates sizes from babies to big kids and even mamas, too.  I love that so many of their prints and designs are gender-neutral, including this fun sailboat-clad Summer Fun T for baby.  The line also offers a fabulous variety of eco-friendly clothing that uses organic cotton, with sizes also available for baby, big kid and mama.

Check it

In the NYC area?  Citibabes is having Polarn O. Pyret trunk shows at its Scarsdale and SoHo locations.

Check out the Scarsdale Citibabes on June 3 for the Polarn O. Pyret trunk show.
RSVP to scarsdale@citibabes.com or 914.725.3334.

Check out the SoHo Citibabes on June 9th and 10th for the Polarn O. Pyret trunk show.
RSVP to soho@citibabes.com or 212.334.5440

 

Q and A with John Lithgow: Succinct, not Soporific

His theatrical and entertainment career spans four decades, through Broadway, Hollywood and back, garnering countless accolades, including a Tony, Oscar nominations, Golden Globes, some Emmys and four Grammys.

He has the capacity to make families laugh with eccentric roles like those from Harry and the Hendersons and Third Rock From the Sun, yet he can disturbingly induce the fear in his latest role as a murderer in Dexter and just as easily write seven endearing children’s books.

With all that, it’s safe to say this living legend transcends the “triple” requirements of being a triple threat.

And among those accomplishments, for the second year, Emmy-award winner John Lithgow will act as host for Turner Classic Movies (TCM)’s Essentials Jr., a summer movie showcase which highlights a lineup of iconic family-friendly films.  Set to run each Sunday throughout the summer, TCM’s Essentials Jr. includes films such as Old Yeller, To Kill a Mockingbird, Swiss Family Robinson, among others.

The other week, as part of his media rounds promoting TCM’s Essentials Jr., I had the chance to sit in on a short conference call to speak to Lithgow.

His voice resonated a little more than I expected it would.  And the phrasing of his speech was just as succinct as you’d imagine. In our short interview with the actor, author, singer, songwriter and performer, find out which films made an impact on him, what character he thought was brilliantly portrayed as a midwestern hick and why he thinks ‘soporific‘ is so fantastic.

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