preschooler – Page 5 – The Next Kid Thing

Little Fan: Beastie Boys Five Boroughs Tee

May 17, 2011May 17, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

One of the many wonderful things about being a parent is introducing the things you love to your kid. On that list of things we love, so far, we’ve shared travel spots, baseball, great books, delicious foods, and of course, good music.

I’m currently loving the latest release from The Beastie Boys, so as a longtime fan with my very own budding fan, I absolutely love this boy’s Beasties Tee spotted over at Axl’s Closet. The light blue Chaser Beastie Boys Five Boroughs tee is a nod to the beloved trio’s homage to their hometown. Currently available in 2t, 4t and 6, the Chaser Beastie Boys Five Boroughs tee is $24.

Healthy Choice Meals Offer Convenience and Wholesome Options

May 11, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Things have been non-stop around here for the past few weeks. There have been a few days, actually, where making lunch for myself was near-impossible due to such a hectic schedule. And as much as I’d try to avoid prepared foods because of all the unwanted added “extras”, I’m glad they’re there when you need them.

I recently had the chance to try some Healthy Choice meals. And with the way things have been lately, I think I may have found a new go-to lunch that definitely beats fast food or take out. I’ve always enjoyed the Healthy Choice brand, but it’s been awhile since I’ve had their frozen food. Apparently, I’ve been missing out.

I picked up two Healthy Choice Cafe Steamer meals at my local Target. As a sidenote: I noticed that my grocery stores also had them, as did Costco. I think I stood in the freezer aisle for 15 minutes trying to decide which meals to try. I was so indecisive, because all the choices sounded so good. I ended up grabbing two meals that sounded like a meal I’d make: Chicken Pesto Classico and Balsamic Chicken.

I was impressed by the ease, convenience and innovation of the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers. There are other types of meals, but I was drawn to the Steamer variety, since that’s typically how we cook our veggies on a regular basis. After microwaving the meals, I found that the meals retained the flavor, shape and colors, unlike other frozen meals I’ve had in the past. The ingredients, for the most part, were acceptable and met my expectations. My main concerns were the plastic steamer used in the microwaving process and sodium levels. But overall, I would certainly stock my freezer with a few of these meals for lunch at home or at the office, or even for dinner when I can’t cook.

And as my 3 year old said: “the noodles are so yummy, they make my dance feet.” So, yeah, I think he enjoyed them too.

Lego Encourages Kids to Rock Out with Duplo Jams

May 9, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

LEGO aptly describes their construction play sets as catalysts for ideas, and I couldn’t agree more. Like many of you, we’ve sat for hours playing LEGOs, building architectural masterpieces, crazy vehicles and pretend food, among other whatchamacalits… The possibilities are endless, but one thing’s for sure: creative play and LEGO go hand in hand.

At Toy Fair, LEGO once again invited bloggers to their booth for an after-hours party where we had the chance to check out all of the upcoming sets and more. Aside from their beloved bricks, LEGO gave us a peek at their latest foray into the creative play space: Duplo Jams.

LEGO launched Duplo Jams as a new dimension to encourage and inspire creative play for toddlers and preschoolers. The three songs that are currently available are all written and performed by a preschool dad that everyone listen to for free. Duplo Jams has a dedicated iTunes channel and Facebook Page where the free songs can be accessed and are also hubs for future anticipated releases. To encourage further creativity, LEGO says they plan to release a new song every month.

We found the British Pop inspired-songs, “Sort Out the Blues,” “Build with Letters,” and “Stick Together,” to be catchy and cool, and a funky musical backdrop while we play in the playroom. As more parents are realizing the importance of limiting screentime, musical outlets such as Duplo Jams are a fun way to shift the kids’ eyeballs to hands-on play and complement with good kid tunes, where copious sing-a-longs and dance parities are expected.

Many families already engage their kids in kiddie music classes, so I think Duplo Jams is such a great way to reinforce many kids’ natural love of music. We’re a musical family, so we can usually be found jamming out one way or another, and it goes without saying, Duplo Jams is perfect complement to our eclectic playlist.

Be sure to check out Duplo Jams’ latest releases on their iTunes channel—for free!

New Duplo Sets

And speaking of Duplo, have you seen the latest playsets? Here are just a few:

Gardening Goodies for Kids

May 6, 2011 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!

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.

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

May 3, 2011 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.

Check it

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.

Royal Wedding Fever

April 29, 2011April 29, 2011 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

April 26, 2011April 25, 2011 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.

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 cad dies? 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.

Crafts Go Green: Eco-friendly Art Supplies for Kids

April 21, 2011 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

April 20, 2011April 20, 2011 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.

“Love Me For Who I Am” Embraces Sweet and Special

April 11, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

For today’s Music Monday post, “Love Me For Who I Am” from Brady Rymer is a celebration, as much as it is an appreciation for all things sweet and special. As you may already know, April is Autism Awareness month, and Brady Rymer is underscoring this important message with his fun and infectious new release Love Me for Who I Am.

Debuting tomorrow, April 12, Rymer’s 10-track cd, Love Me for Who I Am, embraces kids of all sizes and more importantly, celebrates kids of all abilities. Hints of folk, rock, pop and reggae aid the colorful flavor of this cd, that’s full of inspiring lyrics and gives a nod to adventures and experiences that make childhood so piquant.

With funny and relatable reasoning that “food should never rub elbows and flavors should never move,” for those of you with kids with discerning palates, “Picky Eaters” is their anthem! And track eight is one that can’t be missed where perennial preschool favorite, Laurie Berkner lends her melodic vocals to “Soft Things” a song that praises the tactile joy and sweet smells of all things soft. And in the spirit of “celebrating and invigorating,” the upbeat and effervescent title track says it all, “please don’t try to fix me, love me for who I am.”