Light It Up Blue for World Autism Awareness Day

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s World Autism Awareness Day today, and like millions of others, to further spread awareness, I am Lighting It Up Blue here on NKT.  Last night, prominent buildings in major cities, including our very own Empire State Building shined blue lights to commemorate, today, April 2, which is World Autism Awareness Day.

World Autism Awareness Day shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health crisis.

This year marks the third annual World Autism Awareness Day, and various events will be held worldwide throughout the day to mark the occasion.  Just a few fact from Autism Speaks that you may or may not know:

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Fill the Easter Basket with These Sweet Treats

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Easter is upon us, which means it’s that fun time of year when the Easter Bunny fills the kids’ baskets with loads of goodies.

Easter is second to Halloween as the most important candy-eating occasion of the year. A 2009 Nielsen survey reported that consumers were expected to buy more than 120 million pounds of candy in the week leading up to Easter.

That’s a lot of candy!

 

With Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution creating waves, in addition to Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, healthier eating for kids is a topic that’s important to me and my loved ones, as I’m sure it is to all of you.  Like many others, I’m learning so much from this new revolution that I’m happily campaigning by sharing here on NKT, on Twitter and to whomever will listen.

 

LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames suggests: “For Easter this year, think beyond the usual sweet treats.”

For kids, sometimes a new and interesting “treat” is just as good, or maybe even better than the usual sweet treats.  My agenda this year for filling the Easter basket is to go beyond the candy aisle.  Believe me, I love candy, especially Easter candy a little too much, which is EXACTLY why it’s important to me to put more thought into treats for the kid.  There are more sweet treats than Cadbury Creme Eggs and Solid Chocolate Bunnies!

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Party with us for GNO

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I know it’s only Tuesday, but after the kids go to bed, I hope you can join me for Girl’s Night Out.  Ok, so we might not really be going “out-out,” but we’ll be partying nonetheless over on Twitter!

Starting at 9 p.m. EST, along with my fellow panelists @bonggamom @jimsilver @jodigrundig @jollymom @lisakothari @nycitymama @ohmariana @timetoplay and @thetoyguy, we will be talking party planning—the kiddie kind.  Specifically, we’ll be chatting about topics such as party checklists, budget and etiquette.

And if you’re not already following me on Twitter, join me!  I’m @jenrab.

Hosted by the fabulous Jyl Johnson Pattee of Mom it Forward, tonight’s GNO is sponsored by THE toy authority, Time to Play Magazine.  So, yes, that means toy giveaways are involved—to the tune of a $300 giveaway.

(One of the giveaways is for Battle Strikers, a battling set that I reviewed last fall.  Check it out!)

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First Lady Honored with Big Help Award from KCA

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Saturday nights definitely aren’t like they used to be.  This past Saturday, we tuned in to watch Nickelodeon’s 23rd Annual Kids’ Choice Awards.  I love awards shows to begin with, so watching one with the kid made it much more fun.  Even after the kid went to bed, I had to watch to see if any of my favorites took home the top kid honors.

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An Amazin’ Citi Field Kids Day

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Opening Day might be two weeks away, but this past weekend, our family enjoyed an afternoon at the ball field.

On Saturday, together with Vera from INOmommy, Alicia from Today’s Moms, NYC Single Mom and Suzanne of Mom Confessionals, our families were invited to participate in Citi Field’s Kids Day to take in some kiddie activities, as well as enjoy a behind the scenes tour of the Mets’ new stadium.  The husband, who is a lifelong Mets fan, was as giddy as a school girl. The kid, well, as usual, he was filled with excitement…and all for good reason.

Kids checking out the field

In line with its community outreach efforts that started last year, Citibank, the namesake and sponsor of the Mets’ new ball field, invited three hundred children from Boys and Girls Clubs of America and local YMCAs to attend the private event. Though players were in Florida for spring training, Citi Field, Citibank and the Mets staff created a “game day” atmosphere for the kids. With all the dancing, endless supply of hot dogs, hamburgers, face painting, balloons, ice cream and baseball fun, to see the pure joy on these kids’ faces throughout the day was priceless.

Kids with Mr. Met

Children’s laughter filled the Caesar Club all afternoon, which overlooked the parking lot and where beloved Shea used to stand. Our families, along with all the invited kids enjoyed photos with Mr. Met and private tours of Citi Field. After all the tours, the kids held their own dance party to the tunes played by the Radio Disney AM 1560 New York Road Crew who were on hand.

clubhouse


Mets games stream from our tv beginning in April until October, which is both good and bad.  Through all the injuries, disappointment and of course, sometimes stellar ball playing, we’re Mets fans through and through. The exclusive tour, (including a peek into the visitor’s clubhouse and learning tidbits like, players often spend their downtime playing Rockband and the Wii), taking photos with Mr. Met, and get this–walking onto the actual field–made for a pretty memorable day at the ballpark.

 

IMG_3106Citi FieldIMG_3136Uniform PolicyIMG_3208IMG_3169

A huge thanks to Citibank, Citi Field, the Mets organization and of course, my blogging buddies for such a lovely day!   Our trip to Citi Field was one of my favorite events that my boys were able to experience as well!

Citi Field Tour

 

Nintendo 3DS: 3D Gaming Minus the Glasses

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

From movies, to tvs, and now, gaming systems, it looks like 3D is here to stay.

 

Nintendo announced it will release the 3DS, the successor to the DSi (above).

 

The internet is abuzz today over Nintendo’s announcement that it will launch the next version of its handheld Nintendo 3DS in March 2011.  Nintendo said that with the 3DS, games can be enjoyed with 3D effects without the need for any special glasses. The 3DS will be compatible with games from the entire Nintendo DS series.

Little details were provided, but various sites have been annalyzing Nintendo’s latest announcement.  Nintendo plans to announce more details at the E3 Show, slated for June 15th in L.A.

In the meantime, checkout what TechCrunch is saying about the innovation behind Nintendo’s next handheld gaming system.

 

Toe Tapping Goodness: Putumayo Kids Jazz Playground Concert Tour

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Jazz will endure just as long people hear it through their feet instead of their brains, said John Philip Sousa, the musician who put marching band on the map.

…if only he could see and hear all the tiny little feet tapping and dancing to the rich, vibrant beats at the Putumayo Kids Jazz Playground Concert last Saturday.

 

a glimpse of the Putumayo Kids Jazz Playground cd's kid-friendly booklet

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2K Sports Releases MLB 2K10

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s not quite official yet, but Spring has sprung in our neck of the woods, and you know what that means…

It’s time to root, root, root for the home team!

Just in time for Spring Training, 2K Sports has released Major League Baseball 2K10.  For the MLB video game series’ tenth anniversary, this variation showcases perhaps the best graphics yet.  Check out the trailer to see for yourself.

The ongoing battle of pitchers vs. hitters is the highlight of the game, where pitching mechanics and right-stick swing control enhancements convey realistic experiences.  MLB 2K10 also boasts a revamped fielding system, new signature animations, as well as a new star player rating system.  The game is available for XBox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS and PC and is rated E for Everyone.

The kid and I had the chance to preview 2K Sports’ MLB 2K10 the other week, just before it hit the shelves.  During the demo, I was in disbelief how incredible the graphics were; if I didn’t know any better, I could’ve mistaken this new game for a live broadcast of an actual ballgame on tv.  The audio adds to the whole realistic experience as well.  During our demo, we chose to play using our team, the Mets in their homefield, Citi Field. Having visited the new ballpark for the first time last summer, I was in awe of just how realistic the graphics of MLB 2K10 were to the park.  Speaking of Citi, did you know 2K Sports has a cool gaming suite within the Fan Fest area at the ballpark?  It’s a must-see and must-do if you make it out to the park.

For the most part, I watched the demo, rather than played MLB 2K10 myself, but I plan on having a more thorough review of the game as soon as we have the chance.  There’s quite a few other baseball games that are big for sports gamers, but as a non-sports gamer who reviews a host of games for kids, I think MLB 2K10 is certainly one to check out.

Win it!

Two of lucky NKT readers will have the chance to win a copy of 2KSports MLB 2K10!  That’s right, two.

To win a game, let’s make it easy, tell me about your favorite MLB team, players or stadium.

Per usual, share on any social networking site for extra entries.  Comment below for all entries.

 

Check it!

While we’re talking about baseball favorites… together with some fellow bloggers and kids from the NY Boys and Girls Club, our family was invited to participate in Citi Field’s Kid’s Day tomorrow.  As diehard Mets fans, we’re over the moon about this cool experience.

Citi Field

Want to see what we’re up to at the ballpark?  Be sure to follow me on Twitter and on Facebook to get live updates throughout the day!

If you’re in the NYC area tomorrow, Citibank branches in the five boroughs will host baseball themed activities, including kids’ games, food, face painting, balloons, clowns and characters. Former Met Ed Kranepool will visit the Park Slope Citibank branch from 12:00-1:30pm to sign autographs. Baseball themed refreshments will include hot dogs and cracker jacks.