Giving Tuesday: Charitable Gift Guide

‘Tis the season for gift giving, but as we’re shopping for gifts for our loved ones, it’s important to remember those in need. In honor of Giving Back Tuesday, I’ve assembled a list of gifts that give back. I’ve known about most of this organizations, but had a chance to meet various representatives at my friends Kid Vuz recent holiday event.

 

NKTGivingTuesdayGiftGuide

Heart for Haiti

Heart for Haiti Fair Trade Collection can be found at Macy’s. Made by Haitian artisans, all of these handmade items give back to help provide economic sustainability.

Heart of Haiti Jonas Sunflower Metal Lantern

Handmade by artisans, this lantern is made of recycled steel. Artisans receive half the wholesale price for each item sold.

 

St. Jude‘s

St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital has done so much good for children’s health and medical research over the years. They have an expansive gift shop that includes patient-designed gifts, celebrity products among other great gifts that are perfect for the holidays. The great thing about these gifts is that 100% of the profit, after all related expenses, goes back to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

 

Save the Children

Save the Children provides aid to kids in the U.S. and worldwide. By giving to this organization, it would benefit children locally or those abroad who may require daily essentials, educational tools and beyond. You can sponsor a child, donate directly to Save the Children, or donate products, services or gifts that might benefit the children in need.

By purchasing gifts such as this baby, the organization is able to help children around the world.

 

Alex’s Lemonade Stand

Donations to Alex’s Lemonade Stand fund research to find better treatments and cures for children with cancer. The organization has raised more than $100 million since 2005 to fund 500 childhood cancer research projects at 102 top hospitals and institutions in the US and Canada.

The organization is featuring a Giving Tuesday special that includes one hour of research and an Alex’s Lemonade ornament for $60. Consider donating to this charitable cause to help children’s medical need.

Food for Thought Cards

These charitable gifts are simple: for every card purchased, one peanut butter and jelly sandwich will be donated to feed the hungry.

Since January 2013, Food for Thoughts Cards has happily donated the value equivalent to the cost of 23,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and other organizations that feed the hungry. This charity has reached many local organizations, including several in the Morristown vicinity.

 

Consider gifting or donating to one of these organizations this Giving Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Look Behind the Scenes at Macy’s Parade Studio

Tucked away in an industrial area of Moonachie, NJ, artists, builders and welders toil away in preparation for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. From the unsuspecting exterior, you’d never know that the office building that overlooks a distant NYC skyline houses the makings of magical displays and festooned floats. The 72,000 square foot building is home to Macy’s Parade Studio, which builds and designs many of the floats and balloons featured in the storied Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

IMG 9450

IMG 9449

 

After a 40-year stint in Hoboken, Macy’s Parade Studio has called Moonachie, NJ home for the past three years. From this studio, floats of all different shapes and sizes are designed, produced and assembled before the big day—Thanksgiving Day. 

  

IMG 9574

As families gather together, whether in-person along the parade route or in front of the tv to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, many hands had a part in the preparation for the festivities. Macy’s Parade Studio’s team of designers, carpenters, animators, metal fabricators and electricians are responsible for bringing creativity to life. As these creations come to fruition, the team must factor in logistics so that they’re able to make it from the Studio through the Lincoln Tunnel and safely to its Upper West Side destination by ensuring the floats can collapse to no more than 12.5 ft. tall and 8-ft. wide. And before the floats and balloons head for its grand NYC stage, we got a glimpse at the Macy’s Parade Studio for a firsthand look at some of the newest additions to this year’s parade. 

IMG 2383

IMG 2381

IMG 2382

 

This year, the parade lineup boasts the most new character balloons ever assembled, along with five new floats. Timeless classic Paddington Bear, Pikachu, Pillsbury Doughboy, the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, Skylanders’ Eruptor and Thomas the Tank Engine will take flight for the first time. Returning balloons include favorites Adventure Time, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Elf on the Shelf, Hello Kitty, Papa Surf, Ronald McDonald, Snoopy and Woodstock, Spiderman, SpongeBob and Toothless. 

IMG 2386

IMG 2387 2

IMG 2388

IMG 9495

IMG 9499

 

I had the chance to participate in a Q&A with Macy’s Parade Studio VP John Piper, who gave us a lot of really interesting background info on the parade, the new floats and how they get those floats from New Jersey to NYC.  

Cracker Jack Popcorn, Beauty of Beijing, Dora and Friends, Goldieblox and Pirate’s Booty will debut as new floats this year. Inspired by America’s pastime, the Cracker Jack float’s modern baseball theme will be a home run with its live cameras, giving spectators a chance see themselves on LED screens aboard the float and providing a surreal take on the ever-present selfie.

 

IMG 2346

IMG 9567

 

 

Beauty of Beijing showcases ancient and contemporary elements of Chinese culture.

 

IMG 2374

IMG 9486IMG 2373

 

Nickelodeon’s Dora and Friends’ float, full of vibrant colors and bright details, showcases Dora’s new home of Play Verde.

 

IMG 2377

IMG 2378 2

 

IMG 9518

 

The Girl-Powered Spinning Machine from Goldieblox brings creativity and engineering to life with a myriad of spinning gears, pinwheels, parachutes and jogging wheels.

IMG 2352

IMG 2334IMG 2333

 

IMG 9565

 

Meghan Trainor, pop star known for belting “All About that Bass,” will be performing on the GoldieBlox Girl-Powered Spinning Machine. Ubiquitous lunchbox staple, Pirate’s Booty Treasure Hunt pirate ship will make its inaugural voyage with its detailed Treasure map sail and plundering Pirate at the helm.

 

IMG 2330 2

 

IMG 9476

IMG 2355

 

 

New Jersey’s own B&G Foods, which is based in Parsippany, distributes Pirate’s Booty among other popular food and household brands.

 

IMG 9482

The 88th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air Thursday, November 27, nationwide on NBC at 9am. The parade will step off at 77th Street and Central Park West and will travel down to Columbus Circle  and continue down 6th Ave to 34th street and make its final turn at 7th Ave. in front of Herald’s Square.

 

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade by the Numbers

16 Giant Character Balloons, 

33 Novelty/Ornament Balloons, balloonicles, balloon heads and trycaloons

27 floats,

1,300 cheerleaders and dancers

1000 clowns

12 marching bands

 
 
 

 

Join Macy’s and Radio Disney for a Back to School Event at Bridgewater Commons

As we transition from these lazy days of summer, we’re starting to gear up for Back to School!  And because we’re all about the Next Kid Thing, we’re zeroing in on the latest and greatest for BTS gear.  Some of my personal favorite trends for kids this fall include bright neon accents, fun embellishments, quirky graphic tees and bold denim.

 

NKTMacys

Want to check out the latest trends for the kids while having some fun?  Be sure to stop into Macy’s at Bridgewater Commons for their Back to School event. Radio Disney will be onhand to help shoppers rock out, and there will be plenty of crafts, games and prizes!  My friend, Hilary of A Fancy Girl Must, will be tweeting and Instagramming Live for NKT, so be sure to say hello!  Follow or hang with us on social media by using #MacysBTS. 

The event starts at noon at the Bridgewater Commons Macy’s, up on the 3rd floor in the Kid’s Department.  We’ll see you on Saturday at Macy’s!

2014x17 bts fashion

In the meantime, check out Macy’s Back to School Shopping Guide to scope out some looks for the kids.  

 

Not in the NJ area, be sure to check out the other events going on in other towns.

 

Macy’s Citrus Park

Tampa, FL

Children’s Department, 2nd Floor

August 9th, 1PM

 

Macy’s West County 

St. Louis, MO

Kids Department, 3rd Floor 

August 16th, 2PM

 

Macy’s Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Kids Department, Lower Level

August 16th, 2PM

 

Macy’s Northlake

Charlotte, NC

Children’s Department, 2nd Floor

August 16th, 2PM

 

Macy’s Great Lakes

Mentor, OH

Kids Department, Lower Level

August 23rd, 2PM

 

Macy’s Arden Fair

Sacramento, CA

Kids Department, Lower Level

August 23rd, 1PM

 

Macy’s Sherman Oaks 

Sherman Oaks, CA

Kids Department, Level 1

August 23rd, 2PM

 

Macy’s Park Meadows 

Littleton, CO

Kids Department, Level 3

August 23rd, 2PM

 

Macy’s Robinson Town Centre 

Pittsburgh, PA

Kids Department, 2nd Floor

August 23rd, 1PM

 

Macy’s Downtown Brooklyn

Brooklyn, NY

Kids Department, 4th Floor

August 23rd, 2PM

 

Macy’s Clackamas

Portland, OR

Kids Department, Lower Level

August 30th, 1PM

 

Macy’s Walden Galleria

Cheektowanga, NY (Buffalo)

Lower Level

September 6th, 2PM


Macy’s South Shore Plaza

Braintree, MA 

Kids Department, 2nd Floor

September 13th, 2PM

 

 

Full Disclosure: I am a member of the Everywhere Society, who have provided me with compensation for this post. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.