Category: goodies

Delivering Smiles: Donate to Toys for Tots with Alexa

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Amazon has done it again. The online retailer has made shopping for daily items, including holiday purchases, as easy as clicking a button. Taking their #DeliveringSmiles movement to the next level, Amazon is now helping families give gifts to charity with the ease of asking Alexa. Customers can now donate to Toys for Tots with Alexa, with a simple command: “Donate to Toys for Tots.” 

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Amazon kicked off Giving Tuesday by launching a new, easy way for customers to donate a toy to a child in need. Customers can now donate a toy to Toys for Tots via Alexa by simply saying, “Alexa, donate to Toys for Tots.” This is the first time that customers can donate a product to a charity via voice shopping and better yet, Amazon will be matching customer donations throughout the end of the year – toy for toy – doubling customers’ contributions!

As a family who volunteers regularly, including giving back to our community and donating to organizations such as Toys to Tots every holiday, I love that Amazon is leveraging Alexa to help families give to those in need. We consistently use the Smile program to give back to organizations that are important to us, so the Toys for Tots and Alexa initiative makes our love for Amazon that much greater.

More Ways to Use Alexa to Be Charitable

Amazon shared more ways that you can support a cause this holiday season:

  • Alexa Donations: Customers who wish to make a monetary donation to the charity of their choice outside of Toys for Tots are still able to do so. Simply say, “Alexa, I want to make a donation” to get started.
  • Charity Lists: New this holiday season, customers can shop Charity Lists and donate an item to their favorite charity. Charity Lists is a new feature that provides non-profits an easy way to create lists while providing a convenient way for customers to donate needed items to the charity of their choice with the reassurance the curated list is managed by the charity. Customers can shop Charity Lists from hundreds of charities by visiting smile.amazon.com/charitylists.
  • AmazonSmile: AmazonSmile is a way for customers to support their favorite charity every time they shop with Amazon, at no extra cost. Customers who start their shopping at smile.amazon.com will find the same Amazon they know, the added extra is that AmazonSmile will donate a portion of the purchase price of eligible items to the charity they choose.

Be sure to check out this out on Amazon. We’ll be making our donations this weekend! Let me know if you guys donate to Toys for Tot with Alexa!

Full disclosure: this is a sponsored post. As always, opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting NKT.

Hotel Transylvania 3 is Out on Blu-Ray/DVD Now

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In case you missed it: Hotel Transylvania 3 is out on Blu-Ray/DVD. And just in time since it’s Friday! And after this doozy of a week, we’re in need of a family movie as much as ever.

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Drac and his pals are back for some fun and shenanigans, but this time they’re on a hauntingly fun adventure! Just like the previous installments of this fun family flick, Adam Sandler lends his voice and humor to bring Drac to life. Selena Gomez is the voice for Mavis. Hotel Transylvania 3 features an all-star cast of voices.

The boys and I loved this crazy and off the wall voyage. It’s so silly and ridiculous, you can’t NOT laugh!

Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury, haunted monster cruise ship. Of course, the rest of the Drac Pack has to tag along, and that’s when things get a little…batty. The monsters are having a great time, indulging in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to colossus-sized buffets and exotic excursions, but then the unexpected happens when Drac falls for the ship’s mysterious (and dangerous) human captain Ericka. The third film in this family-friendly monster franchise is the best reviewed installment and you’re invited along on the haunted cruise vacation!

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In addition to the hysterical feature film, there are some equally funny bonus material, a “Plan Your Own Spook-tacular Sleepover” feature and “Vampire Make Over: Mavis and Drac Tutorial,” and go behind-the-scenes to explore the amazing talent who bring these characters to life in “Behind the Screams – The Voices of Hotel Transylvania 3.

Hotel Transyvlania 3 is out on Blu-Ray/DVD now and on digital.

Thomas & Friends Partners with the United Nations to Share Global Citizenship

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s as important as ever to help teach our littlest global citizens the importance of equality, diversity and other principals that will help guide the to create a more inclusive society. Together with the UN, one of our favorites, Thomas & Friends, has heeded this importance to create a dialogue about global citizenship.

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I was lucky enough to be onhand at the recent press conference that shared Thomas and Friends’ latest initiative.

 

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The event discussed how the UN and the producers of Thomas & Friends worked together to integrate elements of the Sustainable Development Goals, covering themes from Gender equality to clean water, in preschool-friendly way.  They also focused on why it’s important to start educating children at the earliest ages about these issues.  

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I’ll be sure to share more about this very important topic and how Thomas & Friends is sharing this message.

The United Nations and Mattel’s iconic Thomas & Friends series have teamed up on a first ever collaboration of this scope between a kid’s television show and the United Nations in an effort to further inspire preschoolers to become true global citizens. On Friday, September 7th at the United Nations Headquarters,  they co-hosted a roundtable event to bring awareness to the importance of inspiring the next generation of global citizens, starting at an early age.  Moderated by Pamela S. Falk, U.N. Resident Correspondent of CBS News TV & Radio, panelists included actress, filmmaker, and activist Olivia Wilde, Director of the Outreach Division in the United Nations Department of Public Information Maher Nasser, Senior Producer of Thomas & Friends Ian McCue, UN Women’s Africa Programme Advisor Tolulope Lewis-Tamoka, and President and COO of Mattel Richard Dickson.  

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Techlicious Lunch and Learn: Great Tech Gadgets for Travel

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s summertime, and for many people, that means it’s time for summer travel! When we talk travel, technology often goes hand in hand. While the idea of unplugging on vacation may be ideal for some, for us, it’s also a chance to test new tech.

 

IMG 5026Our friends at Techlicious invited us to another great lunch and learn sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association, where we had the chance to get a firsthand look at technology that comes in handy for travel. We take our long roadtrips to Va. in August, so I thought this would be a great time to share about the tech featured at the event. Here’s some of the tech that they highlighted at the event:

 

Roku Streaming Stick

The Roku Streaming Stick is a great for those who stream and need access to their shows on the go. The Roku Streaming Stick is convenient because you can use your voice to search for content with ease. You can customize your home screen to access your favorite content. And for added convenience, you can stream with private listening, which is a great feature for travelers.Roku 

 

Hum by Verizon

Hum by Verizon adds connected car features to make roadtrips navigate easier.  The Hum can help with roadside assistance, stolen vehicle assistance, maintenance Hum by Verizonreminders, mechanics hotline, vehicle location, boundary alerts, speed alerts, driving history, navigation, discounts and can act as a hotspot. This cool gadget does a little bit of everything and is ideal for vehicles that don’t have connectivity on their own. The device is around $100 and requires a monthly subscription.

 

Ashley Chloe Helix Cuff

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The Ashley Chloe Helix Cuff is a stylish wearable band allows easy accessibility to your headphones. You can manage your phone calls and listen to music on two different Bluetooth devices simultaneously.

 

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I love this limited edition myCharge power bank. The Limited-Edition Pride power bank is white with a Pride Flag heart design and it provides enough power (4,000mAh) for about 2x extra battery life for a smartphone. myChargeThe Pride Limited Edition power bank features convenient fold-out wall prongs so it can be plugged directly into a wall outlet for recharging, no extra cable needed. The Pride charger only weighs 0.42 lbs., making it the perfect light weight power bank to stash in a bag or pocket for extra battery life while attending Pride festivities, traveling or everyday use.In honor of Pride Month in June and to help support LGBTQ initiatives, myCharge introduced a Limited Edition power bank and committed 5% of sales from the charger to The Trevor Project, the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.

 

Modobag

Modobag is the world’s first motorized, smart and connected carry-on that gets you to your destination up to three times faster than walking.Modobag I thought this was a really unique gadget, that is sure to turn heads in the airport. Goodness knows, I could use one of these to transport my slow-going kids!

 

Sony SP700 Noise Canceling True Wireless Headphones

The WF-SP700N’s wireless earbuds let you listen to your favorite tracks with Bluetooth® connection and NFC connectivity, so you won’t be held back by wires.
 SonySP700These headphones are a great alternative to conventional earbuds allowing for more mobility either on the go or for workouts. Fully charged, the headphones give you up to three hours of music playback. While the compact charging case not only keep your headphones secure, but holds a further two full three hour charges letting you power up on the go. That’s up to 9 hours of music playback, so you can keep listening all day.

 

Thank you to our friends at Techlicious and CTA for providing such an informative presentation about travel gadgets, and, of course, for the delicious lunch and delightful company.

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What to Do at Casino Pier and Breakwater Beach + Giveaway

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With summer in full swing, our days have been full of sunshine and beach days, but just a few weeks ago we went down the shore to check out some fun new adventures at Casino Pier and Breakwater Beach. Located in Seaside Heights in NJ, Casino Pier and Breakwater Beach is a staple for family fun in this popular shore town, just over an hour away from NYC.

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Slides and Rides at Breakwater Beach

With so much to cover and experience, the boys and I headed down to document the fun. We started our day at Breakwater Beach, just at the gates opened. Greeted by the Perfect Storm, which is a towering, interactive multi-level water feature. Among all the different pipes and sprays and slides, it was the Nantucket Bucket that created so much excitement every time it dumped more than 800 gallons of water every time it filled up. My boys loved sprinting around the Perfect Storm and shooting water canons at each other and all of the other kids.

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The Revolutionary Wild River was, perhaps, our entire family’s favorite relaxing ride. It was fun to float together around on this slow-going, but sometimes exciting lazy river. My husband, who’s not much of a thrill-seeker when it comes to water parks, had some much-needed “quiet” time floating around—that is, until we sprayed him with some canons on the side.

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My little thrill-seekers and I enjoyed the dual rider water slides, including Two if By Sea’s Bullet Bowl and Topsy Turvy. The enclosed slide, Topsy Turvy, was my favorite of the two, because it was dark and gave us an element of surprise. It was just long enough to entertain but quick enough to want to ride it again as soon as we hit the pool at the end. The entire family loved racing down Patriot’s Plunge, which is a 6-lane racing slide. We raced down mats on our bellies and competed until the the very end! 

 

 

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Other favorite water rides at Breakwater Beach include Minute Man Express; the wave pool, The Harbor; and Revere’s Wild Ride. Since my younger guy is still learning how to swim and is about 45 inches, we didn’t spend as much time on these rides, but would sneak away when he was busy elsewhere. I love that Breakwater Beach had rides for every age and size. The kiddie area is plentiful, and the amount of slides and rides was perfect for a half a day or even multiple days. For small kids and others who may require it, there are plenty of lifejackets to ensure safety.

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We had a chance to have pizza and fries for lunch. The lines were often long at lunchtime, but the food hit the spot. Other convenient accommodations at Breakwater Beach include locker rooms, changing areas, multiple bathrooms, ample seating and shade and a first aid station.

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Though we could’ve spent the whole day here, we headed off to Casino Pier for a fun afternoon of games and rides.  When I think of the Jersey Shore, I think of fun amusements, carnival food and of course, games!

Rides and Games at Casino Pier

Casino Pier has iconic rides such as the Ferris Wheel, Tilt-a-Whirl, Surf Shack and Shore Shot and of course, their thrilling Hydrus Roller Coaster.  My boys absolutely loved the bumper cars, the mini coaster, Pirate’s Hideaway and Pirate’s Island. My big kid’s favorite was the Wave Swinger—what a view from this exciting swing ride! And my little guy loved every single kiddie ride, he probably rode every kiddie car, boat and slide 3 times, if not more. There are so many great rides at Casino Pier, everyone in the family is bound to find multiple favorites!

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While we love disconnecting when we travel and head to an amusement park, but there’s nothing quite like enjoying family fun at an arcade. The Casino Arcade features many of latest released games, as well as old school favorites such as skee-ball, pinball machines and slot machines. My guys loved playing the Walking Dead game, Flappy Bird, crane games and so much more! 

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Ride and Slide

The family loved hanging at Breakwater Beach in the morning and then changing courses and heading to Casino Pier. It was a perfect way to refresh and break things up to ensure everyone was engaged. Breakwater Beach and Casino Pier offers so many options for families to enjoy the fun in an affordable way. We were given a Ride and Slide four pack of tickets, which was the best of both worlds.

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We got to ride at Casino Pier and slide all day at Breakwater if we wanted. Ride and Slide can also be redeemed on separate days! Ride/Slide admission is $57.95 for guests over 48” and $51.95 for those under 48”. 

Giveaway

We’re giving away a family four-pack of Ride/Slide tickets for one of you to enjoy the same package that we did! Just enter below for this great summer getaway to Casino Pier and Breakwater Beach. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Full disclosure: this is a sponsored post. We were provided with tickets and vouchers to share our experience. As always, opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting NKT!

 

A Day Out With Thomas Makes a Stop in Phillipsburg, NJ + Giveaway

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Thomas and Friends are making a stop in Phillipsburg, NJ at Delaware River Railroad Excursions once again. The boys and love making the trip to check out A Day Out with Thomas and Friends. This fun outing is perfect for Thomas Fans and train afficianados alike.

 

 

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In celebration of this year’s theme, Day Out With Thomas: Big Adventures Tour 2018 will feature an array of friendship-inspired activities. Attendees will be able to participate in events that encourage and celebrate friendship including photo opportunities, and a fun activity that invites kids to collect passport stamps throughout the day to receive a Day Out With Thomas Foam Ball. The 2018 tour theme is in line with this year’s Thomas & Friends global brand campaign, ‘Set Friendship in Motion’ – a campaign that ties together content, social integrations, and event activations across the entire Thomas & Friends franchise to highlight the importance of first friendships and the development of key friendship skills in toddlers.

 

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A Day Out with Thomas is a whole day affair with train rides and activities galore—perfect for those who love Thomas and trains in general. The best part of this fun day is that there’s something for everyone. From the Thomas-themed story time to the mini petting area to the train play area to the arts and crafts area, the fun is endless at A Day Out with Thomas.

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 My sons and I have had the opportunity to visit A Day Out with Thomas several times over the years. And as major fans of Thomas, this is one of our favorite summer day trips; it’s so fun to get our fill of train fun.

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Beyond the fun ride aboard the train itself, we love meeting the conductors and engineers who are always so cordial with all of the kids. My boys love all the fun activities, especially the bouncy rides and toy trains and demos. We have such a great time exploring the grounds of the Railways, which is about an hour away from us.

  

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D1CBF9F3 C302 4AB5 A6E3 F9A7426314AB A couple of things to note for those in Northern NJ like me, Phillipsburg is about an hour drive. July is typically super hot and there isn’t AC on the trains, so bring plenty of water to drink and to stay cool! Definitely plan to arrive early to enjoy all of the activities as it does get crowded for certain times AND to figure out parking. I found parking to be somewhat tricky. It’s cheaper to park further away, but there are shuttles available. Be sure to take all of these things into consideration.  
 
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And of course, don’t forget to wear your Thomas shirts and conductor’s hats if you have them. There are lots of photo opps and the kids love being in character with their favorite Thomas friends.

Heading to Phillipsburg

A Day Out with Thomas will make stops in Phillipsburg, New Jersey on June 29, 30, July 1, 6, 7, 8 2018. Thomas the Tank Engine rides depart every 60 minutes, rain or shine. Departure times begin at 10:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. each day of the event.  Tickets for Day Out with Thomas are $21 for adults and children ages 3 through 12. Children 2 and under are admitted free.Tickets are on sale now! To buy your tickets or for more information, call The Delaware River Railroad Excursions at 877-train-ride  or visit 877trainride.com

Win it!

We are giving away a four pack of tickets for the July 1 at 3pm excursion. This is a quick turnaround for the giveaway. Before entering, please ensure that you can make the July 1 excursion in Phillipsburg, NJ. If you’d like to win the 4-pack of tickets, please enter below:
 

 
Full disclosure: We received tickets to review and share about A Day Out With Thomas. As always, opinions on The Next Kid Thing are my own.

Best Gadgets from the 2018 New York Baby Show

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last week, the boys and I went to the New York Baby Show in NYC to check out the latest and greatest for babies and families. As one of my favorite events that covers the juvenile and baby market, I love getting a chance to spot the newest products and services at such an expansive venue.

In the past, I’ve loved spotting cool strollers and the big ticket items. This time around, I opted to go the goodie and gadget route. As it turns out, the New York Baby Show was loaded with goodies and gadgets that can help the whole parenting thing go a little smoother.

Here are just a handful of our favorites from the show:

Travel Tray

The Travel Tray is a really cool concept, and one I can’t believe hasn’t been invented yet. When we heard about this cool gadget from friends at the show, I
 had to check it out myself!

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The Travel Tray pops into any cup holder and becomes an instant tray to hold small snacks and food. I love that it comes in a variety of colors, is BPA, PVC and PHT-free. This cool gadget is great for the beach, sporting events, road trips and beyond.

Stuck on You Bento Box

I’ve been into the bento box lunches even before I became a parent. Needless to say, I love bento boxes, which is why I was drawn to Stuck on You’s Bento Box.

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This bento box has a cool feature that can be personalized on the front. The interior features labeled sections for each type of food. These compartments not only help with portion control, but also promote variety and keep everything from touching! Be sure to check out Stuck on You’s other cool products!

Baby Tripster

This cool container is great for baby food on the go, fresh veggies or fruit and all kinds of snacks. I love that it has a gasket to ensure that it stays sealed. It’s small enough to pop into the diaper bag or cooler bag. It’s these cool new gadgets that make parenting so much easier. 

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And, when we weren’t scouting out all the new finds on the showroom floor, we had a great time catching up with friends in the Blogger Lounge. The Blogger Lounge had a lovely lunch provided by Boston Market. I don’t get to eat out at Boston Market that often, but when I do, I’m always reminded how it’s such a filling family meal. As I chatted with friends, the boys had a great time playing in the play area—even the bigger dude!

Once again, we had a great time exploring the New York Baby Show. After taking all the photos and shooting video along the way, the best part is always seeing how baby products continue to evolve, and now, my babies, who were the inspiration for this site, are helping me find and share cool new products.

 

Full disclosure: this post is sponsored, but as always, all opinions on NKT are my own. Thank you for supporting NKT.  

Royal Wedding Crafts: DIY Fascinator for Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The Royal Wedding of Harry and Meghan Markle is upon us, and amidst all the solemn happenings in the world today, this real-life fairy tale is a welcomed diversion.

 In honor of the wedding, we came up with a quick, easy and fun DIY fascinator for kids. We wanted to be dressed for the occasion, even if we’ll be in PJs.  

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Fascinators are fabulous accessories that are not quite a hat, but more a clip with fancy flair. Fascinators date back to the Renaissance and were typically worn by women. These accessories are often adorned with feathers, netting, tulle and other exquisite textiles. Hats and fascinators are staples at the Royal Wedding, so we wanted to dress the part at home. Josh is aware that fascinators are for ladies, but he obliged me with this fun project.

Supplies 

And because we’re fancy, we’ve created fascinators with supplies that we already had at home. No trip to the milliner for these fancy accessories!

For supplies, you’ll need a round base, either a small plate or coffee filters. The rest of the supplies should be what you’ll decorate your fascinator with: tulle, fabric, jewels, stickers. You should also have a pair of scissors, glue, hole puncher and ribbon or string.

 

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There’s no right or wrong way to create your fascinator. Josh went the paper plate route, while I went the coffee filter route. The paper plate was a bit harder to work with since it doesn’t conform a well to your head. 

 

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I chose the coffee filter since it was light and easy to decorate. Before decorating the fascinator, you should make the holes on either side of the plate or coffee filter. These holes should be directly across from each other and somewhat even. This is where the ribbon or string will go.

  

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Next, take the scissor and make several smaller slits, big enough to poke fabric ro tull through, but small enough so that it can’t fully fit. After you’ve made the slits, just tuck the tulle into the slits. Tulle was the best to work with since it’s light, yet stiff. Once the tulle is positioned to how you like it, it’s time to bedazzle and decorate.

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Josh wanted some ribbons, I wanted more gems. Go to town until the fascinator is as basic or extra as you wish! This craft is meant to be easy enough for little kids to do, so there’s no need to make it more complicated than it has to be; trust me, I’m good at complicating crafts!

 

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Once things are in place, it’s time to feed the ribbons through the holes. Once you feed the ribbon through the holes, tie it into a knot on both sides. Once you complete the finishing touches, try on the fascinator. Many people choose to wear their fascinators on a tilt on the side of their head. It’s your fascinator, so you choose! And there you have it! You can dress up for the royal wedding with your unique fascinator in just minutes!

 

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I’m especially excited for this wedding because I’ve always admired Harry’s candor and the way the couple are both champions for charitable causes. I love what Meghan symbolizes; she’s an American actress who has paved her way with her intelligence and style, and who happens to be biracial. We can’t wait to watch the wedding!

If you check out the wedding, don’t forget to check out all the great hats and fascinators!

Key Takeaways from Mom 2.0

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last week, I attended my second Mom 2.0 at the Langham in Pasadena, California and learned so much. For those who aren’t familiar, Mom 2.0 is a conference for content creators, many of whom are moms and parents. I don’t always talk about the conferences that I attend to network and sharpen skills, but I definitely wanted to share with friends who may be interested in some of the things that I learned.

 

While I’m still digesting the plethora of information and various content creation tactics, I wanted to share just a few of the key takeaways from the tenth anniversary of Mom 2.0.

 

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I’ve clocked several years in the blogging world, so finding a conference that’s a good fit and a worthy investment for my business and requisite social media endeavors can be quite the feat. It’s truly a monetary and time investment to attend a conference, especially one that’s across the country. Thankfully, Mom 2.0 is such a comprehensive conference for our industry, and I came away with a good deal of information and motivation that I plan to employ ASAP.

 

Instagram Growth and Authenticity

Like all the other social media outlets, Instagram is always evolving. I’ll have more to share on the topic, but one of the things that I learned in the Instagram algorithm session is that everything you do on Instagram matters in terms of growth and engagement. Like, comment and interact with content on your niche.

 

 

 

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Finding Your Growth Through Podcasting

According to this session, I learned that over 48 million people listen to podcasts at least once a week. I’m a relative newbie when it comes to religiously listening to podcasts. I’ve been listening to several podcasts over the past few months now, so it was great to sit in on the session that discussed podcasting. The most memorable quote from this session: What you can share in black and white with your writing, you can share in Technicolor with your voice. Those are some words to consider.

 

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Organize with Content Editorial Calendars

In the mini sessions, I sat in on a chat about editorial calendars. As a former magazine editor, I’m no stranger to editorial calendars. As a freelancer and blogger, I’ve found that I can be my own worst enemy when it comes to staying organized and producing timely content. In this session, I learned different ways of categorizing and cataloguing content for your editorial calendar. There are apps, to help you stay organize and to hold yourself accountable.

 

 

DIY with Intent

I do a lot of DIY at home, but I don’t always create content to share about it. It’s weird, I’m a major DIYer, but I don’t always think to write about it. I sat in on this session about creating DIY content, and learned that it’s important to create strong content with branding that represents you. Hopefully, I can follow through with this and share more DIY tutorials and projects in line with The Next Kid Thing.

 

 

Sisterhood is Important

I have to admit, I’m at a very tricky phase in life at the moment. We have had some major life changes in 2018, much of which made me realize for my own health and sanity that it was important filter our relationships that made me question my self-worth—you know the ones. Spending so much time with like-minded creatives and business owners provided the reminders that as much as I need to cultivate and curate relationships, just like I would my content. These real, authentic relationships provide the foundation for a healthy outlook on professional endeavors.

 

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Brené Brown is Awesome 

Based on some suggestions and what others have been saying, I fell hardcore for Brené Brown. She’s the writer and motivator that I needed to help inspire me through some adversities. I devoured her books on Audible, sometimes multiple times. So, when I heard that Brené was one of the keynote speakers, I knew that I made the right decision to attend Mom 2.0 for my second time. Arriving 35 minutes before her scheduled keynote, I snagged a seat right upfront so that I could take photos and absorb her talk. I loved learning that she has so a sweet connection to the conference and knows quite a few people who have been part of the community for a long time. 

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As usual, Brené’s words spoke to me and lifted me even higher to a place that I desperately craved to find. I wrote so many notes and took a billion photos during her talk, but if I was to pinpoint just one idea that she shared, this would be it: 

Vulnerability is not about winning or losing, it’s about choosing to be seen when we have no control over the outcome.

 

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Yes, yes, yes!

 

Did you make it to Mom 2.0 2018 in Pasadena? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Hollywood Darlings Q&A and Meet and Greet in NJ

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a fun meet and greet with the stars of PopTV’s Hollywood Darlings. The super funny cast of Hollywood Darlings was onhand at the West Orange, NJ Xfinity store to meet fans, take photos and chat with fellow bloggers and me. The lovely Jodie Sweetin (Full House), Beverley Mitchell (7th Heaven) and Christine Lakin (Step By Step) were so gracious to answer a handful of questions for us. These ladies were all so engaging and hysterical, and  relatable moms. Their fun personalities shined just as they do in their show!

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I was one of the first ones to ask a question. And while I could’ve asked anything, I chose to ask the ladies about social media and authenticity. I asked them what their thoughts are on keeping it real on social media. In the day and age where so many stars and influencers are faking it to make it online, how do they stay transparent for their audience? Jodie Sweetin, tackled this topic with such poise. In essence, Sweetin told us that what you see is what you get. She is a casual kind of person, so she often posts realistic photos of herself online. The other two stars chimed in and said at the end of the day, they’re all moms who get it.

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With so many kids and adults who admire them, I’m so glad they grasp the importance of authenticity and transparency.

While we could’ve chatted for hours, I totally enjoyed listening to Sweetin, Mitchell and Lakin share their thoughts on the show and how it came about. I’ll have a video to share on YT soon, so keep an eye out for that!

As part of this fun event, we were treated to mini makeovers with the Glam Squad, as well as a cool photo booth! So fun and glam! Thanks for the fun treat.

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Hollywood Darlings is a hilarious show that’s classified as an Improv Comedy. It’s not a full-on reality show, but a fun comedy that follows these three talented actors. Hollywood Darlings airs on Wednesdays at 8p.m. on PopTV. Check your listings for channels.

 

Full disclosure: this is a sponsored post as part of the RoleMommy Writer Network. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own. Thanks for supporting NKT.