7 Must-Have Baby Products from Acure Baby Care

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

 What do you get when you combine natural and organic ingredients with a company whose mindset is all about taking care of you and our environment? Companies such as Acure who create organic skincare that touts efficacy and plant and food based formulas gentle enough for baby.

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Acure, known for their sustainable principles and accessibility, introduced their Acure Baby Care product line. The Acure Baby Care line includes organic and natural products specifically formulated for gentle skin.

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a media event hosted by Momtrends, where Amy Halman, Acure’s President and Formulator, introduced us to Acure Baby Care. Halman shared the premise behind Acure Baby and reinforced that their ingredients lists are understandable and their products are accessible and affordable.

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As we’ve been trying all the products here at home, I have to mention that I’m a stickler when it comes to labels. Not only that, if I’m going to pay a premium, I expect the products to work well. I love that the fragrances in the products are essential oils as opposed to synthetic fragrances, which have been known to be harmful. 

Acure, which is a line that I already appreciate and have tried in the past, does its due diligence with this lineup of baby products. Here are the seven products in the line up that I think are musts for baby care:

 

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1. 4-in-1 Foamer

Who doesn’t love products that multitask? Why not ditch the excess and grab a bottle of this Foamer that can do quadruple duty as hand soap, bubble bath, baby wash or shampoo. The 4-in-1 Foamer comes in fragrance-free (Bare Baby) or vanilla + citrus (Yummy Baby). The vanilla + citrus exudes spring clean! I can’t get enough. ($9.99) 

2. Lotion

The organic lotion in the Acure Baby Care lineup is designed to moisturize delicate skin. The organic formulation includes ingredients that are known to soothe gentle skin. Cucumber, colloidal oatmeal, calendula, olive oil and shea butter combine to make up this ingredient list. The Acure Baby Care Lotion is available in fragrance-free (Bare Baby) and vanilla + citrus (Yummy Baby.) ($9.99)

3. Baby Buns

I appreciate awesome diaper creams, and Acure Baby Buns sounds like one that could be added to that list. It contains zinc, as opposed to a petroleum base. The creamy, zinc-based creams always worked best for my sensitive skin babies, especially when rashes occurred. ($10.99)

4. All Better Balm

This organic balm was designed to be a multi-purpose quick fix for mom and babe. It can be used for itchy skin, irritation, cracks, chapped skin or diminish stretch marks. I have the All Better Balm in my console of the car and have been using a small dab on my hands to moisturize cuticles and my dry skin. The pomegranate scent is incredible! ($10.99)

5. Fix-It Stick

My kids fall a lot. While I don’t throw a Band-Aid on everything, I do put creams or lotions to help minor bruising. Acure Baby Care’s Fix-It Stick has been added to my boo-boo arsenal. The Fix-It Stick is perfectly sized to tuck in a beach bag or diaper bag. It contains a blend of pumpkin, borage and pomegranate oils. ($7.99)

6. Bug Stick

Another addition to my mom bag, the Bug Stick is DEET and chemical-free and is designed to keep the bugs away. ($7.99)

7. Sun SPF 30 Stick

We are outdoors all the time in the Spring and Summer months, so I love the thought process behind the Sun SPF Stick. The Zinc-Oxide formulation is mess-free in stick form, and perfect for quick touch-ups while you’re out and about. ($7.99)

 

I love the smells and efficacy that I’ve seen so far. One of the caveats of this line is that I want the Bug Stick and Sun SPF Sticks to come in bigger sizes or forms for daily usage. I’d love to see a bug spray or baby sunscreen spray. If you’re on the hunt for new baby soaps, lotions, balm, diaper cream or outdoor care, definitely give Acure Baby Care a try. Acure Baby Care can be found at retailers such as Target and Whole Foods.

 

Why I care + share

 

If you were to back track to 9 years ago, way before this site even existed, I spent hours researching baby products, especially baby wash and lotions. At this time, phthalates, BPA and carcinogens were starting to become mainstays in stories regarding products that were being used for babies and general consumers. This was not ok to me, and so I dug and Googled until I found the absolute best products for my baby.

This obsession with research and products was, of sorts, the impetus of this blog. There were always going to be baby products on the market for babies and kids. And according to research, new parents were going to spend millions to ensure their babies got the best products. 

I appreciate that this new baby line from Acure is free from gluten, paragons, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrance, harmful preservatives and artificial colors. As someone who pays extra attention to labels, it’s great to know products like those found in the Acure Baby Care line exist.

 

 

 

Full disclosure: This is a sponsored post. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

 

 

NYC Vlogging Challenge week 5

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

So we are on week 5 of the NYC Vlogging Challenge. And once again, it’s my turn to host.

 

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Together with Lisa from Atypical Familia and Divina from Dancing Hot Dogs, we’ve been hosting prompts to get our friends and community excited about vlogging and just sharing what we love about where we live, what we like to do and such.

How can you join the conversation?

Each week, one of us will host the challenge and we ask you to join us on Youtube, Vine, Instagram or your blog with a response video. Just take one of the below prompts as a thought and run with it. You only have to answer one question, but if you choose to do more, go for it.

That’s it! Join the fun!

For this week, these are my prompts:

1. How do you incorporate video into your blogging routine? Is it new? Have you been doing it for awhile?

 

2. If you’re new, what do you hope to learn? If you’ve been doing video for awhile, what tips do you have to share?

 

3. What’s your favorite social media outlet and why?

 

4. Now that the weather is getting warm, share your favorite outdoor activity.

 

5. What’s one thing that makes your life easy? Share a frugal/parenting/life hack.

 

We’re going to #DSMM in May

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Blogging has afforded my family and me the most wonderful experiences over the years. But, among all the cool experiences, some of the highlights have been being invited to Disney Social Media Moms Celebration (DSMM) multiple times.

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I’ll be the first to tell you: I don’t have the “biggest” blog, I don’t have numbers inflated by giveaways, and I’m almost always overwhelmed by life and how much work needs to get done. Nevertheless, I believe in staying true to myself and to this site I created 8 years ago. I’m proud of having the platform to keep my journalism background at work while creating a site that reaches such a diverse audience. NKT has ebbed and it’s flowed, but through it all, I’m so glad I’ve had an outlet to share all of the cool things for kids that make us happy.

When my littler guy was extremely sick 2/3 years ago, and we had nothing but visits to specialists and procedures on our calendar, I shared a lot of my life on social media as a way to cope. My community rallied and helped me stay sane. Sure, I use social media daily to promote the site and whatever’s the topic du jour, but in the end, it’s truly changed my life.

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At Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, I’ve learned how to hone my craft and how to better understand analytics for platforms such as Pinterest. Speakers have inspired us in storybook ways, just as one would expect Disney to showcase. But most importantly, Disney has brought my family together in the toughest times,—when we’ve been financially drained by medical bills, overcome by worries and consumed by what ifs. As my older son is quickly racing to become a teen and my younger son gets stronger every day, it’s the happy times that elevate us as a family.

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Our life is far from storybook, but we’ll always have our Disney memories to lift us up when we need them most. I’m forever grateful for Disney Parks and BSM Media for making those memories that much more magical.

I’m finishing up some video from last year’s Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, but for now, I wanted to share this recap video of last year’s event that was created for Disney. 

I can’t wait to share our experiences at DSMM again in May. Until then, I’m sure my Pinterest boards and blog posts will be flooded with Disney crafts and ideas inspired by The Mouse.

Read Across America Day: Tips for Reading with Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy Read Across America Day and Dr. Suess Day! Today marks what would have been Dr. Suess’ 112th birthday.

In honor of his birthday, many families, schools and libraries across the nation are celebrating by reading, and doing lots of it. In fact, in a few, I’m off to the kids’ school to read to the kids’ class.

There’s so many wonderful ways to engage with kids to help them develop a love for reading, books and literature. Here are just a few helpful tips that have help me and my guys along the way.

1. Let them see you read

Kids model behavior, whether it’s good or bad. If they see you reading, even if it’s a few minutes a day, this model behavior will undoubtedly provide a foundation for a love of reading. Because I have a print background, I still love magazines and newspapers. Admittedly, I don’t read the physical paper as much as I’d like, but I read the New York Times daily and various magazines. We’ve become a society that thrives on fragmented, viral news. Why not help the kids embrace a well-crafted story in kids’ magazine of their choice. J’s learning the basics of writing and we’re big on pointing out descriptive words in feature stories. Ranger Rick and Sports Illustrated for Kids are popular picks for my guys.

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2. Read together

I know a lot of families who love reading together. After a long day of school and work, it’s often the only way that some kids get to bond with parents on weekdays, before starting the cycle again. Our board books are tattered from all the love they’ve received, but man, are those always the best books! If your kids are older, pick a few chapter series that get them excited and take turns reading aloud every night. The Magic Tree House series is my older guy’s favorite series right now. Next up is the Harry Potter series!

 

3. Enjoy the Library

One of our absolute favorite weekly dates is our trip to the library. I feel as though we’re on a first name basis with librarians these days, not just because of our hyperlocal site, but also because the library is our happy place.

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With Little’s significant speech delay, he’s in therapy 5 days a week. He gets to play a lot at school, but there’s still so much structure in his rigorous special ed preschool schedule. Weekly story time at the library is a way for us to engage with other young readers. Our librarians are so enthusiastic and encourage imagination with their varied stories and fun crafts.

  

4. There’s an app for that!

If you know me, then you must know that I love technology and the way it helps make our lives as parents easier. While I will always choose a physical book or magazine first, apps for reading are an excellent way to encourage reading. With intuitive reading apps such as ABC Mouse, Speakaboos and MeeGenius, my preschooler is able to enjoy books at his pace, and in a fun kid-friendly format. For my 8 year old, we’ve been using the Kids’ Kindle Fire and enjoying books on the Amazon platform. With the Kindle Fire, it’s helpful when my son needs to look up words or wants to search for a new title. His classroom uses an app called Raz-Kids, which is an interesting app that tracks activity and encourages comprehension and reading aloud.

 

However you choose to read with your kids, make it fun!

Toy Fair 2016 Round up: Lion Guard toys and more

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Toy Fair 2016 has, once again, come and gone. As always, I love seeing and enjoying all the awesome new and upcoming toys. As video continues to gain so much momentum in the blog/vlog world, I was sure to upload videos over there while I was at Toy Fair. One of my videos has gotten so many hits already, and of course, it’s one of the poorer quality videos. I think I uploaded it at 2am after walking the show floor all day. In my haste and exhaustion, I uploaded the non-HD version. boo.

But as promised, I wanted to share some better quality photos of Lion Guard toys from Just Play. This playset was one of my absolute faves.

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From the looks of it, Lion Guard toys is one of the more popular toy lines, as well as Paw Patrol and Shopkins. All the new toys are so fun, but according to the searched items on YouTube, those were the things people were searching for most. 

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and blind bags are always awesome! Too cute.

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I’ll share more photos as I upload them, but be sure to check out my Toy Fair videos on YouTube in the time being!

 

NYC Vlogging Challenge: My favorite Spot around Town

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

As I previously mentioned, I’ve been participating in the NYC Vlogging Challenge. Together with Lisa from Atypical Familia and Divina from Dancing Hot Dogs, we’ve been hosting prompts to get our friends and community excited about vlogging and just sharing what we love about where we live, what we like to do and such.

This week, Lisa is the host and I was cracking up about what she shared about her travel must! Divina shared what she loves about her town. And, I decided to do the same! Instead of sharing about my actual hometown, Va Beach, I shared about one of my favorite spots in my current town. 

Straight from the gym, I filmed this video before the kids came home from school. The thing about vlogging is that it forces me to share the nitty gritty, usually in the moment, with little or no time to edit. So, yes, this is me in all of my makeup-less glory. I love the way I keep looking around to see if anyone is checking me out filming by myself in the park like a weirdo! Nonetheless, it’s all in good fun.

Be sure to check out our videos and to see what I love about my town!

  

NYC Vlogging Challenge Week 2

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s my turn to host the NYC Vlogging Challenge, and I came up with some prompts that will hopefully continue the conversation we started!

Last week, Divina started the conversation by sharing her prompts over on DancingHotDogs.com. Now it’s my turn to continue the dialogue.

NYC Tri State Vlogging Challenge

 

So, please, join my co-hosts, one of my dearest blogging buds, Divina of DancingHotDogs.com and BrillanteMedia.com

 

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and the lovely Lisa of AtypicalFamilia.com

 

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How can you join the conversation?

Each week, one of us will host the challenge and we ask you to join us on Youtube, Vine, Instagram or your blog with a response video. That’s it! 

 

My vlogging topics for this week are:

1. How do you stay organized?

2. What’s your creative outlet?

3. How do you involve your family in your vlog/blog/social channels?

4. What’s your favorite dessert?

5. What are you most looking forward to this Spring?

 

Film a vlog and link up with us!

 

Thomas & Friends Minis and DC Super Friends Mash Ups

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Thomas & Friends Minis might be tiny, but they’re certainly big with the preschool set. In a move that will likely blow my Thomas AND super hero fanatic’s mind, Thomas & Friends is unveiling even more cool DC Super Friends character Minis.

Last Fall, Fisher-Price launched a line of Thomas & Friends MINIs featuring mash-ups of the iconic characters from Thomas & Friends DC Super Friends™, including Thomas the Tank Engine as Superman, and friends decked out as The Flash, Robin, and Cyborg, and others.  The collection was a huge success among preschool and fanboys alike, selling more than five million minis at Walmart in just 10 months, and now Fisher-Price will be expanding their mash-up collection by heroic proportions, adding 36 new DC Super Friends mash-ups. In addition to the DC Comics mash-ups, Thomas is also taking things to a pineapple under the sea for an all-new set of 13 Thomas & Friends-SpongeBob SquarePants mash-up MINIs. 

Here’s a look at the 2016 Thomas & Friends  and DC Super Friends Minis releases:

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I want the entire collection for myself, please!Fisher Price is set to debut more than 35 new DC Super Friends mash-up MINISinspired by the world’s greatest Super Heroes. 

Brand new mash-up MINIS for 2016 include:

 

  • DC Super Friends:
    • Bizarro/Thomas
    • Batman/Thomas
    • Wonder Woman/Emily
    • Bane/Hito
    • Poison Ivy/Emily
    • Lex Luther/Paxton
    • Green Lantern/Gator
    • Supergirl/Roie
    • Catwoman/Millie
    • Green Arrow/Henry

 

  • Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants:
    • SpongeBob/Thomas
    • Patrick/Percy
    • Mermaid Man/Bash
    • Gary/Spencer
    • Plankton/Diesel 10
    • SpongeBob/Toby

 

 

 

What to See and Do at Play Fair in NYC + ticket giveaway

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

For the first time ever, kids will be heading to Javits Center in NYC for Play Fair on Saturday and Sunday, February 13-14. Presented by Nickelodeon and Lego, Play Fair will allow kids and families to experience the latest and greatest toys, as well as meet fun characters and YouTube personalities. 

Play Fair, hosted by Toy Industry Association and Leftfield Media, will be taking place alongside of the International Toy Fair, the annual trade show for industry professionals. Because it is a trade show, kids are not allowed to walk the showroom of Toy Fair. Play Fair, however, was designed for kids and families to experience new toys and then some. Hasbro, Mattel, Marvel, Cartoon Network, Crayola, Bandai, Toys R Us and Warner Bros will be onhand at Play Fair showcasing the coolest toys.

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My family will be onsite with me on Sunday to check out all the goodies! Though we get to check out cool new toys regularly, fun experiences like this excite my guys to no end. My 8 year old will likely be in amazement of his favorite YouTubers. While my 4 year old will most likely go nuts over the entire thing! As for me, I can’t wait to let loose and check out the fun. Toy Fair is work for me, so I’m taking videos, tons of photos and taking notes. Play Fair with kids and families will most certainly add a totally different perspective to Toy Fair itself!

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So, here’s what you’ll get to see and do at Play Fair:

•       Check out the new Batmobile from Warner Bros. Pictures’ Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in theaters March 25, 2016

•       Slide down the exclusive PAW Patrol slide, snap photos with PAW Patrol costume characters Chase, Marshall, Skye and Rubble, and get an exclusive look at the newest PAW Patrol pup, Tracker, who will join the series this fall

•       Join Hasbro for the ultimate lightsaber training session! With the help of the Empire Saber Guild, get a hands-on learning experience about lightsaber forms and techniques

•        Build a LEGO car and race it down a ramp against other LEGO builders

•        Explore the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle tunnels and mimic their favorite Turtle moves with Magic Mirror technology

•        Gross out with an epic booger battle, experience the slimy, gross play of Booger Balls for the first time by picking and flicking them at Booger Ball targets

•       Enjoy the interactive Thomas & Friends experience by Mattel

•       Create their own toy review videos and have chances to win Toys“R”Us gift cards

•       Test out the latest from NERF in the NERF arena

•       Test out the newest Razor rides, like Jetts, the new sparking Heel Wheels, and other awesome Razor rides like the Power Core E90, Crazy Cart and RipSurf

•       Purchase exclusive collectible toys

•       And every attendee will receive a gift bag with toys and fun goodies from event sponsors

 

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Play Fair’s live performances and appearances include:

•       Meet and take photos with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Shimmer and Shine, SpongeBob SquarePants, the Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir, Chase and Marshall from PAW Patrol, Dora, Saban’s Power Rangers Dino Super Charge, Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, and more

•       The cast of Nickelodeon’s hit show Game Shakers – Cree Cicchino (Babe), Madisyn Shipman (Kenzie), Thomas Kuc (Hudson), Benjamin Flores Jr. (Triple G), and Kel Mitchell (Double G) – will host a panel on Saturday to debut their new app, Nasty Goats

•       Jon Scieszka, best-selling author behind The Stinky Cheese Man and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, will read from his Frank Einstein science book series

•       All-ages comic creators Art Baltazar, Franco Aureliani, Abby Denson, Dave Roman, Matt Loux, and Misako Rocks! will sketch and sign their books for fans

•       Meet Toys“R”Us mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe, enjoy story time and participate in fun birthday-themed activities

•       Take in episodes of Ultimate Spider-Man: Web-Warriors, We Bare Bears, and Teen Titans Go! on a massive movie screen

•       Take photos with Shopkins mascot characters, including Strawberry Kiss and Lippy Lips, and color your favorite Shopkins characters

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•       LEGO Master Builder Erik Varszegi presents insider tips on creating LEGO masterpieces 

•       The girls of Make it Pop will reveal their new fashion doll series on February 14. Join them on the Toys“R”Us stage at 11:30 a.m. for an exclusive interview, live performance and a chance to meet the cast

•       YouTube personalities including DisneyCarToys, Mommy and Gracie Show, and KittiesMama will meet with fans and host toy unboxings live on the Toys“R”Us stage

Buy Tickets

Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased at PlayFairNY.com/tickets Family packs with a small discount are available online as well. Morning sessions run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and afternoon sessions are open from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

 

Giveaway

And thanks to my friends at KidzVuz, I have a family four pack of tickets for Play Fair to giveaway! Make sure you visit my awesome friends at KidzVuz at booth #156 at Play Fair!

Enter below! Good luck! This giveaway will end on Friday night 2/12 so the winner can be notified.

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Be sure to follow my coverage of Toy Fair from Saturday February 13 to Monday February 15! I’m @jenrab on Twitter, Periscope and Instagram. I’ll have photo and vids up on the Next Kid Thing Facebook page, and I will snap some Snapchat photos too! I’m jen_rab on Snapchat

 

35 Awesome Finds From Target’s New Kids’ Decor Line Pillowfort

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Later this month, Target is rolling out a stylish line for kids called Pillowfort. This new decor collection from the forward-thinking retailer embraces personality and whimsy, while touting affordability. Target is describing Pillowfort as a stylish decor line that appeals to kids and parents alike.

There’s so much awesome in Target’s Pillowfort decor collection, but here’s what we’re most excited about:

 

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While business publications are focusing on the gender neutrality of Pillowfort, I’m simply calling this bedroom collection: fun and fantastic for every taste. And how cute and catchy is the name? Pillowfort.

I made countless pillow forts with my brothers and cousins in my bright yellow mix-matched room. I love how this mix-matched style is on trend 30 years later.

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Designed entirely in-house by Target’s Design and Development Team, Pillowfort has an emphasis on statement pieces that are meant to grow with kids, with cool bedding and décor that can be mixed-and-matched as style evolves.

Target’s senior vice president of product design and development, Julie Guggemos describes Pillowfort as “cute enough for a three year old, and cool enough for a ten year old.”

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I just love that Pillowfort is suitable for babies to tweens. I’m all about furniture and decor that grows with the kids. Remember that Dream as Big as the Sea Whale Printable that I created last year? How sweet would it look in a nautical room with Pillowfort accents.

Though the collection exudes a style of its own, I think Pillowfort looks like Jonathan Adler meets Pottery Barn Kid meets your favorite kid deisgn Pinterest board.

 

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With hues of gray, mint, coral, indigo and scarlet, Pillowfort has so many pieces that I’m ready to add to my shopping cart now. The mid-century inspired pieces to animal prints to adventure designs, Pillowfort really has something for every taste. From the bulldog lamp, to the whale shelf to the sweet tent to the bear sheets, everything in Pillowfort is Pinterest-worthy and most certainly the Next Kid Things. Forget the kids, I’m getting several items from Pillowfort for myself.

The Pillowfort collection arrives in stores and on Target.com Feb. 21, with furniture arriving this summer. Prices will range from $4.99 – $59.99 for bedding and décor, and $39.99 – $599.99 for furniture.

And because I can’t get enough of this sweet collection, click on the photo of the arrows to check out the entire line:

The Next Kid Thing: Target Pillowfort

What’s your favorite piece in this collection? My 8 year old is obsessed with the teepee! My 4 year old wants the panda pillow. Me? I’ll take the bulldog lamp!