Traintastic: Chuggington Toys are Coming Soon

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

One of our favorite Disney shows, Chuggington, unveiled another new episode this past weekend.  I hope you guys were able to catch it.

I’ve got a bunch of Chuggington news planned in the coming weeks…and actually, I was planning a fun viewing party with a few of our fellow Chuggington friends for last week, but had to reschedule.  I’ll be sure to share our soiree once our family is moved and we can get together with our Chuggington pals.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share about some other Chuggington news.  Did you know as of May 17, you can now pre-order Chuggington Toys?  The toys, already available in the U.K. and other locations, are making their way stateside.

Read More

The Children’s Place Goes Americana for Summer

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to preview the Children’s Place summer collection, which includes a variety of super cute outfits, accessories and special collections.  I spotted a lot of fun, jewel-toned and vibrant prints for girls, but my favorites for the little ladies were the skirts and shoes that evoked the cool bohemian-inspired style.  The metallic sandals for girls though, yeah, I wanted a pair for myself.

If you were to inspect my son’s closet, you’d find no less than 80% of his clothes from TCP; I religiously stock up during sales and after seasons and stash for the next size up.  Needless to say, I’m a fan of the modern, but slightly edgy aesthetic, which TCP pulls off so well.  Their boys’ styles for this summer are full of the utilitarian and surfer/skater looks, with a punch of their own vibrant prints—one that I could’ve sworn was a licensed print, but wasn’t.

[nggallery id=1]

 

Read More

Summer Fun with Polarn O. Pyret

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

This weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, and I hope everyone is prepared for fun in the sun!  I’ve got quite the backlog of posts, so I thought I’d dedicate the next few to fun summer-inspired gear.

Speaking of which, I just eyed some fun whimsical summer prints, from the well-loved Swedish line, Polarn O. Pyret.

Polarn O. Pyret, synonomous with classic, well-made children’s clothing, has a distinctive European flair that stands out among the crowd.  Polarn O. Pyret accommodates sizes from babies to big kids and even mamas, too.  I love that so many of their prints and designs are gender-neutral, including this fun sailboat-clad Summer Fun T for baby.  The line also offers a fabulous variety of eco-friendly clothing that uses organic cotton, with sizes also available for baby, big kid and mama.

Check it

In the NYC area?  Citibabes is having Polarn O. Pyret trunk shows at its Scarsdale and SoHo locations.

Check out the Scarsdale Citibabes on June 3 for the Polarn O. Pyret trunk show.
RSVP to scarsdale@citibabes.com or 914.725.3334.

Check out the SoHo Citibabes on June 9th and 10th for the Polarn O. Pyret trunk show.
RSVP to soho@citibabes.com or 212.334.5440

 

Q and A with John Lithgow: Succinct, not Soporific

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

His theatrical and entertainment career spans four decades, through Broadway, Hollywood and back, garnering countless accolades, including a Tony, Oscar nominations, Golden Globes, some Emmys and four Grammys.

He has the capacity to make families laugh with eccentric roles like those from Harry and the Hendersons and Third Rock From the Sun, yet he can disturbingly induce the fear in his latest role as a murderer in Dexter and just as easily write seven endearing children’s books.

With all that, it’s safe to say this living legend transcends the “triple” requirements of being a triple threat.

And among those accomplishments, for the second year, Emmy-award winner John Lithgow will act as host for Turner Classic Movies (TCM)’s Essentials Jr., a summer movie showcase which highlights a lineup of iconic family-friendly films.  Set to run each Sunday throughout the summer, TCM’s Essentials Jr. includes films such as Old Yeller, To Kill a Mockingbird, Swiss Family Robinson, among others.

The other week, as part of his media rounds promoting TCM’s Essentials Jr., I had the chance to sit in on a short conference call to speak to Lithgow.

His voice resonated a little more than I expected it would.  And the phrasing of his speech was just as succinct as you’d imagine. In our short interview with the actor, author, singer, songwriter and performer, find out which films made an impact on him, what character he thought was brilliantly portrayed as a midwestern hick and why he thinks ‘soporific‘ is so fantastic.

Read More

Jonathan Adler Introduces Kids Line

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With our moving day pretty imminent, I’m decidedly in design mode.  Since we’re not only transitioning from the city to the suburbs, this is will be our first “real” house.  So, let the designing begin!


 

Jonathan Adler, perhaps, one of my favorite modern design influences, has recently unveiled a kid line, Jonathan Adler Junior.  The line, reminiscent of his signature straight lines and whimsical, yet modern designs, is softened for the kiddie set.  In addition to the playful ceramic animals, the Junior line has some sophisticated items that are making parents swoon, like this fucshia Junior Templeton chair.

Pack This: Laptop Lunches

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Always a fan of promoting healthier eating choices, I spotted Laptop Lunches, these fun lunch containers over on today’s Eco Baby Buys.


I was recently asked to review the toys from the latest happy meal, and as much as my kid is obsessed with the show that said toys are promoting, I had to decline the review opportunity.  I appreciate convenience as much as the next person, especially when we’re traveling, but as we all know, fast food isn’t always the best choice. With the unlimited selection and creative possibilities of packing fun and healthy meals, I think Bento Boxes are the new happy meal.

Read More

Playground Pick: Alex Toys Catch N Stick Monster Mitts

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Having just spent a wild and crazy afternoon at a dance party with our favorite characters yesterday and with a beautiful weekend ahead of us, I thought I’d share a quick playground pick today.

Catch N Stick Monster Mitts from Alex Toys is a fun twist to the playground favorite.  Playing catch helps kids with hand-eye coordination, which is a fine motor activity that’s important for development.  And what better way to work on playing catch than with oversized mitts and a soft tennis ball that both stick!

The ball and mitts have a Velcro front surface and adjustable strap on the back that make for a crazy good time for preschoolers and up.  The set that usually retails for around $13 is just $6.50 on one of my favorite kiddie sale sites, Totsy.

You need to register for the site, but in case you need an invite, feel free to go here.

I have a $15 credit from Totsy that I’m giving a random Facebook Friend for commenting on the update associated with this post!  Not a friend?  Be sure to “Like” NKT to find out about Facebook-only giveaways and fun discounts.

 

 

Can You Guess LeapFrog’s New Mobile Learning Device?

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

LeapFrog, always at the forefront of kid-friendly technology, is about to launch a new mobile learning device.  Like many of you, we’re huge fans of LeapFrog.  In addition to offering great products that I love as much as my kid, LeapFrog was one of the first big brands to reach out to me right after I launched this site.  In fact, I did my first (and only, so far) Vlog about Scout and the Text and Learn right after they launched last year.

Just as their microsite for this new mystery product went live, LeapFrog has once again enlisted us to get the buzz going about their new product. And they want NKT readers’ help, too.

Can you guess the device? What do you want it to be? LeapFrog wants NKT readers to guess what it is, or suggest what you think it does!  And we’re looking for creative guesses, so think about it and comment below.  And as an FYI, I have NO IDEA what this thing is either.

Giveaway

Each creative guess is entered into the giveaway for this mystery device.  Said NKT winner will be guaranteed front-door delivery of this new device the morning of July 15, which will be the very first day it’s available on shelf.  If that’s not the Next Kid Thing, then I don’t know what is.

So, check out their teaser and guess away and guess as many times as you like!

Comments below count as one guess, but if you decide to head over to the NKT fan page and add a comment to the entry associated w/ this post, I’ll count it as extra credit–3 entries!

 

Want even more entries?

Tweet about this giveaway for an extra entry.  Be sure to include @jenrab in your tweet.

Share about this entry on any social networking site for another entry.

“Share this” on facebook for another entry.

Get a friend to join the NKT fan page and get 5 extra entries.

Be creative and good luck!

Giveaway ends 6/6.  Winners will be notified via email and on the NKT FB fan page!

Tips on Avoiding Pesticides in Fruits and Veggies

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

On Monday, CNN via Health.com reported that a new study revealed what many of us already speculated about pesticides being linked to ADHD in children.

photo credit: maistora

 

 

The article said :

Children exposed to higher levels of a type of pesticide found in trace amounts on commercially grown fruit and vegetables are more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than children with less exposure, a nationwide study suggests.

Read More

The Hebrew National Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnic

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

This Saturday, I’m so honored to be a co-hosting a fun, family friendly event at Randall’s Island in NYC.

As the big, official kick-off to the 2010 Hebrew National Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnics, together with a fabulous group of NYC/NJ and PA bloggers, we will be picnicking, enjoying giant puzzles, mechanical bull rides, activities for kids and family, music and checking out the Hebrew National AirStream bus where hot dogs, fruit and drinks will be served up.

Updated:  
I just got word that Cheryl Hines will be our celebrity co-host!  Cheryl plays Cheryl David on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, but if your little one is a fan of Jack’s Big Music Show, they might know her as Sudsy Bubblestein.  Together with Hines, we’ll be working together on a service project. Our service project is in support of the Magic Summer Lunch Box and The Food Bank For New York City.

 

Hot dogs, mechanical bulls, a celebrity, service projects and family fun—what more could you want?

Won’t you join us?

Read More