Category: goodies

Special K What Will You Gain Tour Launches in NYC

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

IMG_6872Now that the confetti has cleared, the ornaments are packed away, resolutions and promises for change often mark the transition into the New Year.  But what makes this year different from years past?  For me? Motivation and discipline—two characteristics that I’m known to lose as quick as a tantrum rears its head.

For a recent assignment, some bloggers and I were tapped to help promote the launch of the Kellogg’s Special K What Will You Gain When You Lose campaign.  In addition to conducting some interviews, I found myself perched atop a bright red scale in the middle of Times Square Studio.

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Instead of releasing my own tantrum and running far, far away from that scale, I left feeling inspired—with a photo of me on the jumbotron as a reminder to boot.

In lieu of numbers, the bright red scale offered singular words, which served as gems of inspiration for people who seek change in the new year.

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From interviewing a few women who attended the event to weigh in, I learned that positivity and encouragement can spark motivation and change.

The creative brains behind Special K’s Resolution campaign sought to harness emotional benefits and sincere reactions from “real” women.  Women relate to each other, especially when weight management is concerned, and so, social media also plays a big role in the brand’s promotional efforts. Check out my interview with Special K brand manager Vivienne Edwards.

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In line with sharing sincerity and the value of emotional benefits, Special K interviewed and taped several women’s reactions after weighing-in at the Times Square event,with the intent of using some interviews in an upcoming commercial.  Some of the latest Special K commercials, which are already running, include “real” women and provide a genuine perspective of maintaining healthier lifestyles.
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Catchphrases like Sass, Guts, Confidence are just a few of the gems that Special K hopes women will GAIN when they lose.  I had the chance to interview one enthusiastic participant at the Special K weigh in, who genuinely embodied the emotions that the campaign was meant to evoke.  Felicia was a breath of fresh air, a bright personality, and someone that made an impression.  Apparently, the Special K team felt the same way; over the weekend, Felicia contacted me to let me know that she was asked to be a part of an upcoming commercial.

How’s that for some sass!? Congrats to Felicia!

Be sure to check out the What Will You Gain Tour on Facebook to “weigh in” and share/gain your own gems of inspiration.

Full disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in this campaign.  As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

NKT at CES 2011

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Howdy from Las Vegas, everyone!  As everyone was gearing up for the New Year and packing up their Christmas decor, I was fielding emails, setting up appointments and mentally preparing myself for the Consumer Electronics Show, the world’s largest technology conference.

What’s a blogger—more specifically, a blogger who focuses on kid stuff—doing at a tech conference?

I’m doing what most other members of the press are doing: checking out and reporting on the latest innovations in technology.  Most importantly, what I’m here for, is to learn about all this new technology and how it intersects with families and kids.

This holiday season, I noticed that more and more handhelds for kids and gadgets lined the shelves of big box electronic stores.  In the age of iPads and smartphones, apps help our kids to read stories, tablets are being harnessed for educational purposes and moms…well, we’re still doing most of the buying decisions, especially when it comes to technology throughout the entire house.  It’s more than evident that technology is embraced by the entire family, with mom and kids influencing a good portion of the techy marketplace, now more than ever.

With CES officially opening today, I be on the look out for a superfluous amount of #CES tweets, my pictures on Flickr, and of course, some blog posts all about the family friendly tech gear that I find on the showroom floor.

New Year, New Gain: What Will You Gain When You Lose

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

Now that reality is settling in, it’s time to reflect and renew.  In 2011, I hope to expand horizons personally and on NKT, but more importantly, I plan to walk the walk.  What I mean by that is, I’ve been covering a lot of healthier food options for kids, but I’m going to work even harder on practicing what I preach. And from that, I hope to gain much more than I lose.

Gain?

Yep. I hope to gain the confidence and self-control to follow through with healthier choices.  My problem is, I love to cook and bake, and well, I overindulge even when it’s healthy food.  So, self-control is the main goal for me this year.

In line with what I hope to gain this year, I’m excited to put on my reporter’s hat to help cover Special K‘s What Will You Gain When You Lose campaign.  Weight loss is a timely topic for my personal endeavors, as I’m sure it is for many of you.

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Gift Glossary: Outdoor Toys

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

First up on the Gift Glossary includes my round up of some of the most innovative outdoor toys from the year.  Scooters and caster boards continue to gain popularity in this section, which is exactly why I included quite a few in our list.  Other notable goodies include fun toys that have the potential to get a lot of play time outside from kids of all ages.

Whiplash Scooter

The Whiplash was one of the most notable scooters I saw this year.  First spotted at Toy Fair in February (maybe you remember the video I posted over on FB?),

this scooter combined elements of a caster board and scooter, making it a versatile vehicle choice with a lot of twists and turns. It boasts speed and swift maneuverability, but for those with skill, the Whiplash can turn heads.

Pulse Slither

The Pulse Slither, unlike other scooters, has the capability to drift.  Like its name implies, the scooter’s back end can drift in such a way that it slithers.

When first learning the Slither’s nuances, we found that the maneuverability, isn’t as smooth, but once riders got the hang of it, it’s fun to slide and drift around. Check out one of our kid reviewers take the Pulse Slither for a ride.

Zipfy Mini Luge

It’s snow season for many parts of the U.S. already, but I first caught eye of the Zipfy Mini Luge at the Discovery Store’s Holiday Preview this summer.

The Zipfy, which comes in a variety of bold colors, might be small in size, but its design puts speed on its side.  The feet first design of the Zipfy, which gives kids an easier handle to break with their feet, was one of my favorite aspects of the mini luge, which is sure to be a staple for kids and parents alike.  As with all outdoor sports like sledding, helmets and proper safety gear is highly recommended.

Little Nutty Helmets

With all these fun outdoor toys that made the list, how could I not include some stylish safety gear?  Little Nutty from Nutcase Helmets are among my favorite, eye-catching helmets for kids.

All Little Nutty helmets comply with US CPSC Bicycle Helmet Safety Standards for persons age 5 and older. Who says you can’t be safe and stylish at the same time?

Ybike

Ybike is a new, 3-wheel balance bike that combines the basics of riding a bike–minus the pedals.
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Preschoolers can scoot, navigate and “ride” on their own, which makes the Ybike a fun way to learn and implement balance.  Made of a durable plastic that can seemingly take a beating from little learners, the Ybike comes in a spectrum of vibrant colors.  Low to the ground, easy maneuverability and a sleek design make this balance bike an instant favorite for the preschool set.

Full disclosure: select samples were provided for editorial review.  As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

The Best of the Rest: Holiday Gift Glossary

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In line with me doing things differently this holiday season, I’m excited to announce this year’s gift glossary.  Sure, most of you have completed your shopping list, but for those of you who haven’t, I’ve compiled the best of the rest.  Consider this my round up of NKT’s favorite things with an emphasis on my own charitable initiative, which I’ll share about soon.
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From Toy Fair earlier this year to all the holiday previews, we’ve tested and played with a lot of toys and goodies all year, I’m excited to share them with you in this gift glossary.  Be on the look out for a few giveaways, but much more holiday cheer for a very deserving family.

Free Shipping Day is Today

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Haven’t finished your Christmas shopping yet? Yeah, me neither.  If you need to round out that shopping list and were hoping to avoid the crowds and madness at the malls by shopping online, there’s still time.  And lucky us, today, December 17th, is the third annual Free Shipping Day.

Free Shipping Day is a one-day event when consumers can shop online from their favorite brands and receive free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve.

Free Shipping Day features hundreds of retailers and popular brands, making it a perfect reason to wrap up your Christmas shopping without leaving the house.  If you’re like me, and just have those last few people on your list to cross off AND already know what to get, Free Shipping Day was created for busy people (and procrastinators) alike.

Big retailers like Macy*s, Toys ‘R’ Us, JC Penney and Barnes and Noble are participating in Free Shipping Day, and smaller specialty stores are included in the list, too.  In many cases, today, December 17, is the last day that retailers can ship to get products out in time for Christmas, but be sure to pay attention to the fine print, as some stores require a minimum purchase.

To finish my shopping list and take advantage of free shipping, I have my eye on the Discovery Store, Tilly’s and The Big Toy Book.

Happy Free Shipping Day!

Partying with Mattel’s Toy Story 3 Action Links

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

We’ve been talking a lot about food over here on NKT, but what we haven’t been talking about enough are toys.  Well, that’s because I’m doing things differently this holiday season, which I’ll explain in an upcoming post.

In the meantime, we recently gathered some friends together to indulge in the very cool Toy Story 3 Action Links from Mattel.  As huge fans of Toy Story 3, when I was invited to apply to host an Action Links party via MomSelect’s Mommyparties, I jumped at the chance.

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Undoubtedly, Toy Story 3 has been the most talked about movie in our house this year, so naturally, this, too, would have been an exciting party to take on and share all about. So, when the giant box of toys arrived, you can imagine our excitement!

At our Toy Story Action Links party, we invited some of Jack’s fellow TS3 fans, all of whom are in the 3-4 age group.  We played off the TS3 theme and had hot dogs wrapped with Pillsbury Crescents on sticks, veggies, cupcakes and more.  Toy Story Action Links was a great reason to get friends and kids together for a fun afternoon.
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I first learned about Action Links at Toy Fair earlier this year.  But because the movie wasn’t out yet and because the toys recreate key scenes from the story, I could only talk so much about this interesting concept.

When we first opened the Action Links sets, my husband and I were reminded of the Rube Goldberg concepts, much like that game, Mousetrap. Remember that?

Action Links embodied that same Rube Goldberg concept, where each interlinking set created a chain reaction, complete with Toy Story 3 figures.
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You Say Tomato, I Say Yum

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With the cold weather settling in, dinners at our house are usually hearty and wholesome.  I’m talking meat and potatoes, and sometimes tomatoes and other veggies too.

I know I’ve probably admitted this before, but I’m not a fan of hiding veggies.  While the sneaky route may work for many families, over here, I’m a big believer in doing what you can to expose the good stuff and see where it gets you.  Kids will surprise you.

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Tomatoes are an ingredient I’ve found myself including in recipes lately, more often than not.  We all know there are healthy benefits to tomatoes, but specifically, they’re a great source of fiber, Vitamin C and the antioxidant lycopene, not to mention they’re said to be good for your heart.

And in the height of sick season, I’ll take all the vitamin C and antioxidants we can get.

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Sesame Street Rolls out Food for Thought: Eating Well on a Budget

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

‘Tis the season for  joy, giving, graciousness…and eating well.  And by eating well, I mean making healthier choices, and helping others make healthier choices, too.

To further underscore the importance of healthier eating among families, Sesame Workshop announced that they’ve partnered with UnitedHealthcare and The Merck Company Foundation, to roll-out  a new outreach program, Food for Thought: Eating Well on a Budget.

At the Capital Food Bank in Washington, DC, celebrity chef and author, Art Smith, joins Elmo in a healthy and affordable cooking demo during the unveiling of Food for Thought: Eating Well on a Budget. Photo credit: Gil Vaknin/Sesame Workshop

Food for Thought: Eating Well on a Budget, part of the company’s on-going Healthy Habits for Life initiative, is a free bi-lingual (English-Spanish) multimedia outreach program designed to help support families who have children between the ages of two and eight, cope with uncertain or limited access to affordable and nutritious food.

According to Sesame Workshop, Seventeen million American children—nearly one in four—are food insecure, meaning they do not receive food that meets basic nutritional needs due to financial instability.  Of these children, more than half (9.6 million) are under the age of six, which is all the more reason to help spread this message.
As the country’s economic status continues to take its toll, the number of young children confronting food insecurity continues to increase, as do the subsequent effects on children’s health, school performance, growth, and development, Sesame Workshop said.

As part of this outreach program, 400,000 Food for Thought resource kits will be distributed through UnitedHealthcare, The Merck Foundation and other key organizations including National WIC association, Feeding America, Head Start, Meals on Wheels and other key organizations. The initiative will also include two public service messages promoting trying new foods.

I hope to do my part by continuing to share healthier eating and snacking ideas for kids, including ways to eat well on a budget.

77kids Gives Back with Wish-4-Snow Charity Program

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

IMG_2072The holidays are in full swing, and it’s certainly the time for giving.  NKT fave, 77kids, is once again in the spotlight for their charitable initiatives.  The retailer announced that they plan to keep their “Do Good” momentum flowing by giving back through a charitable initiative twice a year, once in the summer and once during the holiday season.

The Motherhood invited the kid and I, along with several of my NYC/NJ blogger friends, back to 77kid’s NYC design studios a few weeks ago to discuss their current holiday charity.  The execs from 77kids shared a lot of great details about their holiday line, plus gave us a sneak peek of upcoming lines.  But more importantly, we were on hand to learn about what matters most about the holiday season: giving back.  77kids has kicked off their holiday season with their Wish-4-Snow charity program that benefits children’s hospitals.

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Want to know why I love working with 77kids?  It’s not just because I genuinely adore their kid’s clothes and their “Do Good” mantra, but also because they enlist bloggers to spread their word.  As Betsy Schumacher, chief merchandising officer of 77kids mentioned, their grassroots approach to marketing involves moms and word of mouth.  And to me, that accounts for a lot; reaching out to the key demographic who makes the buying decisions and involving bloggers in their social media campaigns speaks volumes.  But better yet, this company continues to underscore the importance of charity, and  I like that even more.
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For 77kids’ Wish-4-Snow program, there’s a variety of easy ways you can get involved to make a big impact:

In stores

– Customers can donate 77 cents (or more) to benefit their local children’s hospital!

– Customers/kids will receive a snowflake to write their name and wish on, and then they can place the snowflake on the “blizzard wall” in the store for all to see!

– In addition to the snowflake, the customer will get a ‘you done good’ bumper sticker to take with them!

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Online

– Visit 77kids’ Wish-4-Snow microsite, featuring a fun “catch the snowflake” game and giving visitors the opportunity to design their own snowflake to help 77kids reach their children’s hospital donation goal!

– Help 77kids reach their goal to make a total of 100,000 snowflakes.

– If that goal is hit, 77kids will make an additional $25,000 donation to the children’s hospitals on top of the customer donations each store collects during the month!

– You can make as many snowflakes as you want – not just one! You’re asked to submit your contact information only after the first snowflake.

– Creating a snowflake makes you eligible to win a $77 gift card from 77kids (one gift card given away daily!) and enters you to win the ultimate grand prize: an awesome block party for you and 77 pals!!

Local benefiting hospitals include:

– Children’s Health and Wellness Center at Danbury Hospital

– Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota

– Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

– Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper

– University Hospital (Cherry Hill/Philadelphia)

– Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital (Syracuse)

– WakeMed Children’s Hospital (Raleigh)

– Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (Hartford)

– Children’s Memorial Hospital (Chicago)

So, log on and help 77kids give back by making a snowflake or three!

Giveaway

And because it’s the season for giving, 77kids would like to give one NKT reader a $50 giftcard!  All you have to do is, you guessed it, make a snowflake! Do you know of someone that needs a warm coat or a new outfit?  Nominate them for the giveaway! ‘Tis the season.  After you make your snowflake, just leave a comment below.

Would you like extra entries?

Become a fan of 77kids on Facebook

Tweet about this giveaway and be sure to include @jenrab and @77kids

Become a fan of NKT

Please comment below for all entries.  This will giveaway will end at midnight on December 6, so enter away!  Winner will be chosen via random.org and will be notified via email, so be sure to include a valid email address.  Good luck and have fun!

Full disclosure:  I am being compensated for my participation in this campaign, but as always, all opinions on NKT are my own.