Little Fan: Beastie Boys Five Boroughs Tee

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.

Read More

Healthy Choice Meals Offer Convenience and Wholesome Options

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.

IMG_0394

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.

IMG_0395IMG_0401
IMG_0398

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.

IMG_0406

Read More

Lego Encourages Kids to Rock Out with Duplo Jams

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:

Read More

THE Mom of Moms: Q and A with Marion Ross

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

She’s played feisty grandmas, cartoon grandmas and not-so-perfect matriarchs, but many of us know Marion Ross best as the perfectly-coiffed Mrs. C., Richie and Joanie Cunningham’s Mom from Happy Days.  Back before the internet and too many electronic devices, there were tv shows like Happy Days that celebrated the perfectly imperfect nuclear family of a different era.  She may have tangoed with the Fonz and disciplined Richie and Joanie, but Mrs. Cunningham will forever be THE mom of moms.

Tonight, The Hub will be playing the best of Mrs. C, a Happy Days marathon in honor of Mother’s Day. Marion Ross took the time to chat with me about her iconic role as Mrs. Cunningham and shared wise words for single moms, working moms and new moms.  And you guessed it:  Marion was just as effervescent as Mrs. C.

NKT: Hi, Marion!  So, what do you think the kids are saying about the upcoming Happy Days marathon?

MR: I think the new generation isn’t too familiar with Happy Days, but when I tell the young kids that I’m Sponge Bob Square Pants’ grandma, they’re all a-twitter.  And then they show me their Sponge Bob underwear!

NKT: How did your role on Happy Days influence your own experience offscreen as a mother?

MR: It was very handy for me because I would practice at work and play “house” with Richie and Joanie, and my own children at home were about 3 years younger.  So, my kids wouldn’t have had their “situations” yet, and I could study it a bit, which help me a lot.  I was always a step ahead of my kids.  I always loved how the writers treated the crises on the show.  I was a single mother, divorced, so I’m sure I would’ve been more nervous and panicky, but the writers always treated it as a journey—as a very ordinary thing.  The first time Richie drinks, it wasn’t the end of the world;  these are natural things that happen along the line.  The first kiss, all of that; it helped me prepare for what was next with my own kids.

NKT: Obviously, Moms of this generation are different from a few decades ago, but mother’s intuition is timeless.  What piece of advice would you offer to new moms?

MR: For new moms I have to tell them to “not miss this.”  Don’t miss THIS; everyone gets so busy with careers and chores, it’s easy to forget to take it all in.  The young years go by so fast, it’s so important to take time to really enjoy time with your kids or you’re going to miss it.  First things first:  somebody said that to me, way back when I was fretting about my career.  I think that’s why a show like Happy Days is so treasured because, in a way, many of us would like to get some of those simpler times back.

NKT: Do you have any wisdom that you’d like to share with working moms? How did you balance it all?

MR: I think I did a good job balancing it all.  I was single, but I was able to balance it all because I didn’t have a personal life.  I had work, but going to work was fun because I got to play “house.”  And first of all, I didn’t know how to have a personal life.  And when you don’t know how to do it, you just don’t have it.  And once the work got successful, I had so much paperwork and trivia.  Someone said to me, “What’s your reward now?’ Now you get to work harder than ever.” That’s when I thought, I don’t have enough help.  So when you find the extra money and can afford it, I’d recommend getting help.  It can be too much for one person to handle.  And then I got an assistant who became my everything;  my husband, my helper…
When I had littler children, I didn’t have a dishwasher or a dryer; I had to cart everything to the corner to get it all done.  Nowadays, we have everything.

NKT: What are some your takeaways from your role on Happy Days?  Any memorable scenes/episodes that still resonate?

MR: One of my favorites was when I danced the Tango with the Fonz.  Another one was where I tried to revitalize my marriage and bellydanced for Howard.  The writers never asked you if you could do these things, they just wrote them and we did it.  It was always so fun and interesting.

Read More

Happy National Train Day

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy National Train Day, everyone.  National Train Day is a day that celebrates the service that our rail system provides.  As new-ish suburbanites who head into the City several times a week, we rely on NJ Transit to get us around quite a bit.

We can hear the train from our house, walk to the station in a few minutes and get to where we need to go, with almost no effort, thanks to our train system. *Almost*  Aside from loving toy trains, like many other families, trains are a way of life for us.

On the train to the City

Chuggington has so many great things coming up, and as a Chuggington Conductor, I’m always thrilled to share the latest and greatest Chuggington news with you guys!

In honor of National Train Day, I wanted to share some cool news from Chuggington.  As you guys know, Learning Curve offers some of the most amazing toy trains out on the market. In fact, in celebration of National Train Day, Learning Curve is offering a pretty sweet discount on one of our favorites, the Chuggington Interactive Trains.  Have you seen our vlog on YouTube about the Interactive Trains?  (It’s not the best video, but you get the gist of how cool these trains are!)

In celebration of National Train Day, get a Free Interactive Engine (a $13.99 value) with any purchase of $30 or more at Chuggingtonstore.com. Offer expires May 17, 2011 or while supplies last.

To take advantage of this offer, please follow these four steps:
1. Add $30 or more of Chuggington items to your cart at Chuggingtonstore.com.
2. Add the interactive engine of your choice to your cart at Chuggingtonstore.com. (Your subtotal should be $43.99 or more)
3. Enter coupon code TRAINDAY and hit apply. You will see a $13.99 discount reflected in your shopping cart.
4. Checkout.

We’ll be celebrating National Train Day this afternoon with a few neighborhood friends, sharing some fun Chuggington goodies.  I’ll have more Chuggington news later, but I definitely wanted to share this cool deal with my fellow Chuggington fans!

Check it

This year is Amtrak’s 40th anniversary, and to celebrate they will be touring the country with a special Amtrak exhibit train that will be stopping at 40 cities within the coming year. Chuggington will be sponsoring the Kids Depot, which will be a spot for children to read books, watch episodes, and color a Chuggington mural! For more information on this partnership (and to see when the Chuggington Kids Depot will be coming to a city near you), visit www.amtrak40th.com!

Tips for Greening the Kitchen

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Even though Earth Day/Month is over, I’m in the camp that hopes that the green momentum keeps going year-round.

On our transition from apartment to house, one room that I’ve emphasized greening has been the kitchen.  It’s the area that is responsible for feeding the people I love, and so, naturally, it’s also a place where we always convene together as a family.

I’ve read so many great resources on greening the kitchen, but I thought I’d reference Whole Living Body + Soul once again.  So, here are some helpful tips on how to green your kitchen.

1.  Use Glass Containers


Like many other homes, we used to use what was convenient and inexpensive…then concerns about BPA sparked several years ago, and the plastic binge began.  Why risk high levels of the hormone disrupting chemical, BPA?  For kitchen storage containers, glass is a safer alternative.  My rec:  check out the Glass Lock Storage Containers from Snapware.  They’re stackable, durable, BPA-free and are seriously air-tight.  I found the best deal on Snapware’s Glass Lock Storage Containers at Costco and loved them so much I had to buy more at Home Goods.  Even Lifehacker agrees that they rock.

2.  Compost

There’s so many good reasons why you should compost. but reducing trash and creating nutrient-rich feed for your plants and garden are pretty high up on the list.  My parents have composted since I was a little girl, so once we had better resources to do so at our house, it was second nature.  Most convenient way to integrate composting in the kitchen: have some sort of pail, whether it’s re-sealable, old coffee tin or a compost bucket by the kitchen sink.  Every time you clear your plates after a meal, scrape waste into the pail.  Veggies, fruit, egg shells and coffee grinds are just a few of the items that can be included in your compost pail.  My rec: check out TJ Maxx or Home Goods for inexpensive compost pails.  They’re unobtrusive and often have carbon filters that help with the smell.

3. Do Smarter Dishes
Whole Living Body + Soul recommends to run the dishwasher at night to avoid peak energy rates.  In the summer, too, this will keep less humidity in the air, which will keep things cooler, thus put less strain on the AC.  Also, switch to plant-based detergents.  I’ll have to do a separate post on this one day, but through trials and tribulation on finding the best natural dishwasher detergent, we had the best luck with BioKleen Automatic Dish Powder.  In my opinion, it cleans MUCH better than most conventional detergents that are found on the shelves.  The grapefruit smell is pretty awesome as well.

4. Minimize paper waste

Paper waste is one of my many downfalls in the kitchen.  I’ve added  dishtowels throughout the kitchen, as well as many reusable towels.  My next step is to use cloth napkins every day.  But there are times when reusable napkins don’t make the most sense, so it’s helpful to use paper products that use recycled fibers.  Scott Naturals napkins uses 80% recycled fibers, which fits the bill for us, especially with all the outdoor picnicking we’ve been doing.

And since it’s the last and final week of the Scott Natural 4-Week Test Drive, we couldn’t end it without another great giveaway.

Read More

Gardening Goodies for Kids

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!
IMG_0236IMG_0127IMG_0282IMG_0289

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.

IMG_9414
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!

Make Every Day Mother’s Day with ONE.org

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With Mother’s Day just a few days away, I’m sure dads, kids and loved ones have some great ideas lined up for the mamas in their lives.  I love baubles, flowers and “stuff” as much as the next gal, but I’ve been mum on the whole Mother’s Day gift ideas for several reasons.

Reason one: I don’t really *NEED* anything—well, besides sleep, I can’t think of a single thing that I need.  Want?  I can give you a long list…but, need?  I’m so thankful to be in a position where my wants continually outweigh my needs.

Most importantly, in our constantly evolving world, so many families are really, truly in need right at this moment.  Moms can’t provide for their babies, and sadly, there are some moms who aren’t healthy enough, or in a position to be an advocate for their babies.

And then, there are those women who pick others up when we can’t stand on our own.  And right now, my friends, our world needs more of that.

Cooper Munroe, one of the co-founders of TheMotherhood said it best in her recent blog post on ONE.org:

Mothers make the world go around.

Read Cooper’s moving post about how Maria Mchele Mwasonge changed her community in Tanzania with her small potato farm.

Today at 1 PM ET, The Motherhood will be hosting a live, text-based talk with the ONE Campaign and Every Mother Counts to celebrate mothers everywhere. Please join us and share what inspires you about mothers and learn more about what we can do to help mothers and kids around the globe who need us.  Along with several amazing co-hosts, I’m honored to lend my voice to help spread this message.

In case you’re not familiar, ONE is a grassroots campaign of more than 2 million people committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases.

If you have a chance, check out Laura Bush’s video about Making Every Day a Mother’s Day with ONE.  Let’s all pitch in to use our voices and platforms to help more moms with their needs.

Please, join us!

Review: Method Disney Foaming Hand Soap

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.

Week 3: Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive and Giveaway

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With greening the bathroom in mind, one of the recommendations is to opt for using toilet paper made of recycled materials.  Scott Naturals’ bathroom tissue uses 40% recycled fiber, which is a good step in the right direction.  According to Scott Naturals, substituting products including recycled fiber over 4 weeks reduces virgin fiber demand. Reduced tree harvesting based on average U.S. household sheet usage and saving 17 trees per ton of recycled fiber.

We’re just wrapping up week three of the four-week test drive, and I’d love it if you’d continue to click, support and raise awareness.

For every click on the Four Week Test Drive link, Scott Naturals donates $1 to NWF from Scott Naturals. While you’re on Scott Natural’s site, be sure to grab some coupons and enter to win a Ford Fusion hybrid car.

Giveaway

As part of the Four Week Test Drive, we have another Scott Naturals Prize Pack to giveaway.

Read More