The Next Kid Thing – Page 43 – The latest and greatest in gadgets, gear and goodies

Cooking With Kids Video Series Debuts

April 13, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Michelle Obama initiated a movement when she started her Let’s Move campaign to emphasize the importance of combating childhood obesity. Jaime Oliver embraced this same movement in his own way with Food Revolution, where he’s gone on to raise awareness of how skewed the food “system” has become and educate families about eating better.

Because I’ve become so interested in food and how it pertains to our kids, I’m always impressed when a company I already admire joins this movement. In line with getting kids to make healthier decisions, Weight Watchers, perhaps the favorite weight management program among my friends, has launched their “Cooking with Kids Web Video Series.

The Cooking with Kids video series, featured on Weight Watcher’s site, aims to bring to life “teachable moments to help kids value fresh and healthy foods to instill good eating habits at an early age.” Through this video series, Weight Watchers hopes to take kids beyond the kitchen to discuss topics like where the food is harvested, the culture behind the food and the difference between fresh food and processed. And as we’ve seen from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, it’s clear that these are topics that many kids don’t know about.

Navigating Food Allergies: At Camp, On Sleepovers and Playdates

April 12, 2011April 12, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With the warm weather upon us, for many families, that usually means vacation, camp and extra time spent with friends and family. For us, that means we ship the kid off to Va for a few weeks to our parents.

But for many families like ours, the logistics of spending time away from home also means managing kids’ food allergies. Just because a kid has food allergies doesn’t mean that can’t have fun while they’re away from home; in fact, many organizations and establishments have found a way to safely navigate around kids’ food allergies, working together with families to ensure that everyone has fun!

I’m excited to once again take part in a conversation on TheMotherhood.com, and this time we’ll be discussing Navigating Food Allergies: At Camp, On Sleepovers and Playdates!

Allergies, in general, affects so many families, so I know this topic is something that many of you may find informative. And even if your family isn’t directly affected, since food allergies are so much more common now, having this sort of knowledge onhand certainly doesn’t hurt. So, please, join us today!

Navigating Food Allergies: At Camp, On Sleepovers and Playdates on TheMotherhood.com

When: Tuesday, April 12, at 1 p.m. ET

Where: TheMotherhood – Join us!

What: The class is called Navigating Food Allergies: At Camp, on Sleepovers and Playdates. Join the experts to talk about ensuring your kids have fun and safe experiences in these environments away from home. Lori Sandler, Divvies Bakery will lead a discussion with Sandy Rubenstein of Camp Wingate*Kirkland and Renee Flax of the American Camp Association who have worked with many families managing food allergies. Come with questions and your own best approaches. The focus is all about making sure your kids are taken care of physically, emotionally and socially so they can have fun!

The class is sponsored by ConAgra Foods and hosted by TheMotherhood.

The hosts and other co-hosts of this class are:

Lori Sandler, Divvies, http://www.divvies.com
Sandy Rubenstein, Camp Wingate*Kirkland, http://www.campwk.com
Renee Flax, American Camp Association
Caryn Bailey, Rockin’ Mama
Eleanor Garrow, FoodAllergy.org
Jodi Grundig, Mom’s Favorite Stuff
Nirasha Jaganath, Mommy Niri
Jenny Kales, Nut-Free Mom
Jill Mindlin, parent advocate
Ariella Rogge, Sanborn Ranch Camps
Jo-Lynne Shane, Musings of a Housewife
Abby Shapiro, Camp Source Network

Full disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in this webinar, which is sponsored by ConAgra Foods and hosted by TheMotherhood. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

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

April 11, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

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

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

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

Friday Night Dinner with Fresco by Scotto

April 8, 2011April 8, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

If you watch the Today Show, perhaps you’ve seen a cooking segment with the Scotto Family. Known for their NYC-area restaurant, the Scottos have made a name for themselves by cooking up delicious Italian feasts.

For those not in the NYC area, you, too, can indulge in the delicious Scotto recipes without lifting a finger—well, other than the ones turning on the oven.

Schwan’s, known for their home delivery service and those boxy yellow delivery trucks, offers Fresco by Scotto. The Fresco line offers a variety of frozen, family style Italian meals, the same ones for which the family is famous.

Always reluctant to go the frozen food route, our family gave Fresco a try, courtesy of Schwan’s. We were treated to the new Baked Ziti, which is part of Fresco by Scotto. And by the way, when I first opened the package from Schwan’s I was amazed at the packaging; all of the food managed to arrive entirely frozen, including the ice cream they sent for dessert.

This entree, which is said to be a Scotto family recipe, was made with three cheeses (Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan) baked with ziti pasta and a hearty tomato sauce. Best of all, it was ready in about 30 minutes.

Obviously, not the healthiest of meals, but I loved the convenience of this alternative to other prepared foods. It was a delicious change of pace to our Friday night pizza and quite timely for our meatless meal in observance of Lent.

Cooking the food was a breeze. I just threw the meal into the oven and it was done in 30 minutes or so. The cheesy garlic bread was just as easy to pop in the oven for a few minutes. And the broccoli they sent, we steamed it in the microwave for a super-quick side dish.

Magnetic Alphabet Sets: Easy on the Eyes and the Noise

April 8, 2011April 8, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

When we first bought our refrigerator, I pretended that we’d be one of those families that would keep it sleek and clean from any kid-scribbled artwork or other child-like paraphernalia.

Yeah, right.

Fast forward a few months later, and our fridge is graffitied with photos of our own kid, other people’s kids, said artwork and now, those ubiquitous magnetic alphabets. Don’t get me wrong, I love LeapFrog’s Fridge Phonics, but just a few minutes at a time. So, out of personal preference, we opted out of the popular plastic ABCs in lieu of a set of the wooden (and quiet) kind.

As with most families of young ones practicing their ABCs and 123s, the magnetic alphabet has been an invaluable learning resource. Here’s a slideshow of our picks of alternatives to the more popular magnetic alphabet sets, and ones worth checking out.

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Burt’s Baby Bee Nourishing Lotion Touts New Formula

April 7, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Natural skin care and beauty care brand, Burt’s Bees, recently rolled out new versions of their popular Baby Bee Nourishing Lotions. The Original, Lavender and Fragrance Free formulas are pediatrician-tested, 99% natural and hypoallergenic.

In addition to being paraben-, phthalate- and petrochemical-free, part of the “new and improved” equation is that the fragrances in the Baby Bee Nourishing Lotions are also 100% natural.

I like the thick, but non-greasy consistency of the Fragrance Free Baby Bee Nourishing Lotion. The combination of aloe, shea butter and other ingredients create a gentle moisturizer for the tiniest babies, but are just as effective for rough and tumble kids, such as my own. This is my new go-to baby lotion, and one that’s worth checking out.

Quick Review: Vordak the Incomprehensible

April 4, 2011April 4, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

One new book that I’m currently loving is Vordak the Incomprehensible: How to Grow Up and Rule the World. Geared to tween-aged boys, Vordak hilariously highlights the most important How-Tos on becoming a supreme Supervillain.

In this 197-page tongue-and-cheek manual, Vordak speaks to his minions on important topics like perfecting the supervillain laugh (MUHAHAHA!), choosing the lair that’s right for you and how to spot your arch-nemesis. Vordak is a funny read with brilliant graphics that channel the same sort of hijinx that one would find in a Phineas and Ferb episode.

Books That Make a Difference

April 4, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In line for School Librarian Day today, I read a fantastic post over on one of my favorite sites, GeekMom.com. The post features several books that inspired the authors when they were kids.

To understand what our kids are going through as they grow up, it helps to look back at the pivotal books that made a difference during our own formative years.

That post got me thinking: books, the actual physical hard copies, will forever remain an integral part of my life. My personal love for books and everything about the library—my school librarians, included—most definitely made me the person I am today. My appetite to research, read, learn and write all stem back to my life-long love affair with books. It was my grade school librarian who introduced me to the biography and non-fiction stacks in the library; and perhaps, the path that led me to journalism all together.

Pat Bells Put Music at Kids’ Fingertips

April 4, 2011April 4, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Colorful, beautiful and eye-catching, Pat Bells from PlayMe aren’t toys, but unique musical instruments that can be played with a slight tap of a wooden knob. Each handbell in the 8-piece set is a different color of the spectrum, making it easy for kids to make their own music or follow song cards that feature notes with the corresponding bells’ colors.

Designed for kids ages 3 and up, the Pat Bells have been used in a variety of music education settings, including kids with special needs. As opposed to traditional handbells, there are no handles to hold or mallets needed to strike, so Pat Bells are described as being “easy to play” for younger kids or who have low muscle tone or delayed motor skill development.

When I spotted these gorgeous bells at Toy Fair, I was immediately drawn in by the colors and striking design. At $150, the bells may not find their way into personal music collections, but I’d love to see these in preschools, music classes and especially in the hands of music lovers of all ages.

Want to see the bells in action? I found a really great video on YouTube that gives a great demo.

Gag-Worthy and Gross: Dino Poop and Dr. Dreadful

April 1, 2011April 1, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy April Fool’s Day, everyone. I’m not one for pulling pranks, but I do enjoy laughing at clever gags—from a distance.

For April Fool’s Day, I thought I’d spotlight a few new toys that are sure to elicit a few gags and giggles for those who appreciate the gross factor. And yes, these are real toys!

Dino Poop

Uncle Milton has a great lineup of new Dinosaur Train toys, but one that definitely caught my eye is Dino Poop. This pliable dough that looks like, well, poop, lets kids discover what a dino had for lunch.