To Infinity and Beyond with Disguise Costumes

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With the upcoming release of the Toy Story 3 Blu-Ray and DVD, it’s no doubt that the streets will be filled with a copious amount of trick or treating Jessies, Woodys, and Buzz Lightyears.  As a well-loved franchise for years, Toy Story has captivated kids for years, so it’s really no surprise that they want to be their favorite characters for Halloween.

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Disguise, a division of Jakks Pacific, has a fun lineup of costumes this year, including our Toy Story favorites like Jessie, Woody and Buzz.  Their costumes are affordable and as realistic as store-bought costumes can get.

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Trick or Treat: Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s Halloween weekend, and we couldn’t be more excited!  Tricks, treats, parties and even more treats!  Since we’re all about eating healthier eats over here on NKT, I thought I’d share my (and the kid’s) personal favorite treat.  

YummyEarth Organic lollipops are a staple in our house, especially as of late with all the potty training rewards being given out.  YummyEarth candies are those special treats that I feel confident in giving the kid from time to time, knowing that they contain natural colors, natural flavors and real fruit extracts.  And who doesn’t love fun flavors like watermelon, lemon, mango, pomegranate and more?  Don’t be mistaken, these are still treats, but when given the choice, YummyEarth lollipops are our go-to treat.  I have the wrappers in my bag to show for it!

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Mouth off with the Moshi Monster MouthOff App

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With Halloween this weekend, I’m sure many of you, like us, have monsters on the brain.  And you guessed it—there’s an app for that.

The Moshi Monsters MouthApp app is a spinoff of the children’s online game, Moshi Monsters from Mind Candy. The Moshi Monster MouthOff App, which is available for the iPhone and iPod touch, is a whimsical, animated app where monsters’ mouths animate and mimic your voice.  You and the kids can choose from the six different Moshi Monsters to mouth off.

We had a riot playing around with the MouthOff App, with Poppet and Zommer being the kid’s favorites.  At $1.99, this app is a silly way to pass time, have a laugh or add some color to trick or treating, like my boy hopes to do!

 

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Are you a Ben 10 fan like us?  There’s a free Ben 10 MouthOff Lite app, which is developed by ustwo, the same creative people who developed the Moshi Monster MouthOff App.

 

Tackling Carbohydrate Stains with Wisk

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Just in time for football and tailgating season, we had the chance to test how Wisk did with carbohydrate stains.  Carbohydrate stains include condiments like ketchup that we love to slather on our burgers and dogs.

The kid and I made burgers for this experiment and to see how Wisk could tackle the carbohydrate stain, I let him wipe some ketchup on his white t-shirt.

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Check out the vlog to see how Wisk handled the carbohydrate stain.

 

 

Not bad, right?  I’ll be honest, I was completely anxious about the ketchup on a white shirt, but seeing is believing.

 

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

DIY: Animal Pumpkin Stencils from WWF

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Ever wonder how people carve such intricate Jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins?  Me too!  I’m a classic pumpkin carver myself, but have always wanted to be adventurous and do a cool design.

Good news, you don’t have to be an artist to carve super-cool pumpkins.  You can be the envy of the neighborhood with these fun and easy to follow stencils from the World Wildlife Fund.  You can download these free PDF stencils of interesting animal-inspired designs like a tiger, butterfly, a rhino and more.  Show your support for WWF while turning heads for Halloween.

Carving pumpkins is always a fun family activity, albeit a messy one, but the end result is so worth it!  If you carve any of these designs, be sure to share!

As always kids, take care when handling sharp objects!

 

Time for Kids Releases Two New Titles for Curious Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

While strolling Costco this weekend, my three-year old looked up at me and innocently asked, “Do donkeys go to church?”

And before I could answer the first question, he then asked, “What do donkeys do?”

The past few weeks, the kid has done his best to stump us with his curiosity and long list of questions, impossible questions included.  We do our best to answer them, but sometimes, truly, I have no answer because I really don’t know!  As every parent knows, kids are innately curious and they love to ask questions, which why I totally appreciate these new releases from Time for Kids.

Just in time for Halloween, the editors of Time for Kids released two new books for our inquisitive and answer-starved kid: That’s Awesome and The BIG Book of Why.

Geared to school-aged kids to read on their own, Time for Kid’s new books aim to answer many questions that even the littler ones might ask.

The Big Book of Why features 1,001 facts, including the science or history to further explain the answer in a straightforward and kid-friendly way.


And with Halloween in mind, here are some fun excerpts from The Big Book of Why:

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Snack Nation: Package Your Own Healthy Snacks

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In case you haven’t heard, apparently, we’re raising a generation of constant snackers.

As Wendy Sachs recently wrote in the Huffington Post, “From cleverly packaged organic cookies to crisp 100 Calorie chips, we offer snacks as distraction and entertainment.”

Those prepackaged snacks are so easy to grab and just throw in a bag when you’re on the go…or to alleviate meltdowns. I’m guilty of it, too.  No judgments here!  But on a different note,  just because it’s organic doesn’t necessarily mean it’s that great of a snack for the kid, especially if they’re having tons of it, all day long.

A lot of kids are devouring those prepackaged snack foods, which are high in calories and low in nutrients, as pointed out in a MayoClinic.com article.

So, why don’t we nip these bad habits in the bud, and go for a healthier, old-fashioned route: snacks that we package ourselves?

Grapes, cheese and crackers

Instead of grabbing for cutesy prepackaged and highly processed “fruit” snacks, why not put together fresh fruit and add a little protein like low-fat cheddar cheese?

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Happy 90 Years, Scholastic!

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I can still remember those awesome days, sitting in a circle, indian-style at the library, listening to my grade school librarian read a silly story about Amelia Bedelia aloud during story time.  Or, how about those days when the latest Scholastic book club flyers went out?  I can still remember circling every awesome book on every page.  Or what about those awesome book fairs? Or how about collecting every single Babysitter’s Club book and re-reading them five times over.

These days, I practically squeal with excitement when we head to Soho, because that usually means a gratuitous trip to the Scholastic store—a trip that I wholeheartedly enjoy as a lifelong book lover grooming the next generation of book nerds. My boy embraces his Clifford classics.  And hello, a specific Pirate potty training book made life a little easier during these trying months.

Perhaps you have similar memories, or maybe more current ones of how Scholastic has impacted your life?

Today, Scholastic celebrates quite a monumental anniversary.  Ninety years ago, Robbie Robinson created the first issue of a magazine called The Western Pennsylvania Scholastic. Today, Scholastic is now the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books.

Based on the awesome microsite to celebrate this anniversary, Scholastic has had a fabulous 90 years thus far!

If you’re in the NYC area today, be on the lookout for the many ways Scholastic is celebrating their special day.  They’ll be in Times Square, Central Park, outside the American Museum of Natural History, at the Liberty/Ellis Island Ferry Terminal, and  outside Scholastic HQ at 557 Broadway and will even be ringing the closing NASDAQ bell.  A busy day celebrating in NYC will be capped off with the Empire State building glowing a bright red as a nod to Scholastic’s amazing 90 years.

To emphasize their impact on the importance in reading for kids of all ages, Scholastic also announced their latest global campaign, Read Every Day/ Lead a Better Life.  It’s so fitting, isn’t it?  Check it out and be sure to fill out the Reading Bill of Rights to take part.

Congrats, and here’s to 90 more years of awesomeness, Scholastic!

 

 

Deal Alert: 20 Percent off at 77Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Deal alert:  NKT fave, 77Kids by American Eagle, is having a 7 hour sale today.  Aside from all of the cute new arrivals, like this and this, it looks like a lot of their fall merchandise is on sale.  Already discounted gear, plus another 20% off? Who can say no to some inexpensive and stylish graphic tees, hoodies and then some?  Stash and stock up for next fall or spring!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To save 20% online at 77Kids from noon-7pm (today only), use code 84678658.  Heading to a store? Just say ‘Happy Birday’ to grab your discount.

Though this post was inspired in part by my newly purchased, super-comfy aerie pj pants, this is not a sponsored post.

ImagiPlay Dinosaur Puzzle Play Merges Puzzles, Activity Fun

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Puzzles are well known activities that involve cognitive development, problem solving and hand-eye coordination for children of all ages.  Better yet, puzzles are awesome activities that can engage the whole family.  Who doesn’t love an activity that promotes brain power and team work?

 

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ImagiPlay, a toy company that creates sustainable toys and games, has found a way to combine an activity set and a puzzle with their Dinosaur Puzzle Play.  The Dinosaur Puzzle Play is comprised of 13 puzzle pieces that are made of rubberwood.  When not being used as a puzzle, the pieces double as wooden dinosaur play pieces.

 

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My dinosaur-loving preschooler recently acquired an interest in puzzles, so ImagiPlay’s Dinosaur Puzzle Play is such a fitting new activity.  The kid had a fun time with dad, putting the puzzle together over and over, and then going on to exercise their imagination to play a little Jurassic Park on their own terms, with a little help of some colorful dinos.  I appreciate the quality wood pieces, colorful and imaginative design, and the very reasonable price point.  ImagiPlay toys, always a perfect addition to our toy box, has great lineup of toys that would make great holiday gifts.  Don’t be surprised if you see more ImagiPlay on the NKT holiday gift guide.

 

Giveaway

Speaking of gifts, want a Dinosaur Puzzle Play for your kids?  Please comment below and tell me which ImagiPlay product you’d love to check out.

 

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Want to do some early holiday shopping?  ImagiPlay has kindly offered NKT readers a 20% discount from their website.  Just enter Play420 to receive a 20% discount from their website.  The coupon code is valid for 30 days and is only available in the U.S.

 

Full disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate this review.  As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.