Saban Brand-Bassador – The Next Kid Thing

Power Rangers Dino Charge airs on Nickelodeon + Deluxe Dino Charge Morpher unboxing

March 11, 2015 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

We’re excited to partner up again with Saban to share the latest and greatest. This time, we’ll be focusing on the beloved Power Rangers franchise. Marking the 22nd year, this season is dino-mite. No, really…Power Rangers Dino Charge, which debuted in February, on Nickelodeon is fully charged with wild adventures.

This season in Power Rangers Dino Charge, an alien entrust powerful Energems to 10 dinosaurs, but when the dinosaurs went ext inct, the Energems were lost. Now, an intergalactic bounty hunter is determined to reclaim the Energems and rule the universe, destroying our planet in the process. A new team of Power Rangers must find the lost Energems and use their Dino Chargers to power up an arsenal of din-fueled weapons, zords and Megazords to save the world.

We had the chance to get a look at the new Deluxe Dino Charge Morpher ourselves. They’re pretty amazing and we can’t get enough of it!

Check out our video for our Power Rangers Dino Charge unboxing:

New episodes of Power Rangers Dino Charge will continue to air every Saturday at 12 p.m. on Nickelodeon, with encore episodes airing Sundays at 8 a.m. on Nickelodeon and Saturdays at 7 p.m. on Nicktoons.

New episodes of Power Rangers Dino Charge will continue to air every Saturday at 12 p.m. on Nickelodeon in the U.S., with encore episodes airing Sundays at 8 a.m. on Nickelodeon and Saturdays at 7 p.m. on Nicktoons.

Best Halloween Costumes for Boys 2014

October 29, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

We’re just few days away from Halloween, and more than likely, you’ve got your costumes all picked and ready to go. But for those of you who don’t, I put together a round up of some of the most popular boys’ costumes for the 4-8 year old range. Four is a bit beyond the cutesy animals and eight isn’t quite into all the gory monsters quite yet. There’s quite a few boy costumes that touch graze the gore factor but focus on that super hero/machismo theme.

Saban’s Power Rangers have some of the fiercest costumes at reasonable price points. My guys had the chance to check out the toddler ranger and the Red Ranger, both of which were bold and appear powerful with the muscle detailing. What we liked most about these costumes is that they featured a lot of details and were true to the characters from the show.

Spider-Man must have some kind of record for being one of the most popular Halloween costumes. This Marvel costume that can be found at Party City boasts lots of muscles and webbing details the only thing missing are the instant webs!

Batman is another favorite boys’ costume, particularly with the younger and much older boys. This toddler Batman costume mirrors the old school dark knight costume, and one that’s likely to be a hit with the littlest fans.

Ninjas seem to be a longtime favorite for boys, presumably for its mysterious, yet powerful stature. As opposed to the common black ninja costumes, this ninja costume from Halloween Spirit has green details that set it apart. Double swords and a draped mask complete this mysterious get-up.

Ninja Turtles are, perhaps, one of the biggest comebacks in terms of revived characters and surrounding frenzy. TMNT is expected to be one of the most popular costumes for boys this Halloween, so be on the lookout for all types of turtles, specifically in the likeness of Leo, Donnie, Mikey and Raphael.

Expect to see a lot of video game-inspired costumes this weekend, including Minecraft, Mario and lots of Skylanders. Activision’s über popular video game franchise recently released a new installment, Trap Team, so be on the lookout for Skylanders of any kind. My older guy will be donning a Chop Chop costume, which is essentially a ferocious skeleton warrior.

In case you’re on the lookout for a last minute costume, all of the above can be found at Walmart, Target, Halloween Spirit or Party City. Happy Trick or Treating!

School Days with Paul Frank

October 23, 2014October 23, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

For September, Saban sent us some awesome school supplies and essentials, all of which we’ve been enjoying. Paul Frank has a myriad of school supplies for kids of all ages, including notebooks, pencils, pouches and more. But, it’s the backpacks that we’re definitely digging the most.

These sleek backpacks keep it fun but stay stylish. I love the modern aesthetic of Paul Frank products. My older son loves the faux leather feel to this back pack. It’s easy to clean and carries everything he needs.

Be sure to check out Amazon for more Paul Frank backpacks and school supplies.

Full disclosure: As a Saban-Brandbassador, I received product samples to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions on NKT are mown

Review: Mega Bloks Super Megaforce Sky Ship Showdown

September 22, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last month, our friends at Saban sent us a Super Mega package in honor of the new episodes of Power Rangers Super Megaforce, which airs on Saturdays at noon on Nickelodeon.

We had the chance to check out the brand new Super Megaforce Sky Ship Showdownfrom Mega Bloks. This brand new 306-piece set includes a buildable Red Ranger Sky Ship Zord and features a working launcher. In the set, you can also build Damara’s evil ship, and get the Red Ranger and Damaras micro action figures into the mix. It currently retails for $19.99 at Toys ‘R Us, Amazon and Kohl’s.

It took us a few hours after school to finish up the Super Megaforce Sky Ship Showdown. For my 6 year old, it took a lot of patience and time to focus on completing the project. There’s always that awesome sense of accomplishment every time we finish a construction project. Biggie had a great time working on the Super Megaforce Sky Ship Showdown.

We also loved checking out the Power Rangers Super Megaforce Red Ranger Key and the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Mighty Morphin Green Ranger Translucent Key from Bandai.

The keys activate special features in other Super Megaforce toys such as the Deluxe Legendary Morpher, Battle Gear and all the items in the Zord Builder Collection. And I love this feature: when you use your smart phone’s camera, you can scan any Ranger Key with the free Power Rangers Scanner App and morph yourself into any Legendary Ranger onscreen. So cool.

With the Ranger Keys anyone can enter the Power Rangers “Unlock the Power” instant win game and sweepstakes. Be sure to download the Power Rangers Scanner app for a chance to win coupons and toy prize packs now through December 31, 2014.

Full disclosure: a sample was provided to facilitate this review. I am a Saban Brandbassador and was provided with products to share the latest updates on Saban Brands. As always, all opinions are my own.

Rocking Out with the Julius Jr. Rock ‘n Playhouse

August 6, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

When it comes to music, we love to rock out every chance we get. We recently had the chance to check out one of Fisher Price’s latest toys, Julius Jr.’s Rock ‘n Playhouse.

When Julius Jr. uses his imagination and creativity to create a playhouse with a cardboard box, awesome things happen. Though our kids can create their own awesome on their own with regular ol’ boxes, this Julius Jr. Rock ’n Playhouse is a great playset for toddlers and preschoolers. The Playhouse is a recreation of what can be seen on Julius Jr., including a spaceship, skateramp, disco ball and slide. What makes the Rock ’n Playhouse so great is the catchy music and Julius Jr. figures and accessories.

My little guy absolutely loves pushing the dance floor and watching it light up and play music. He loves to sing and dance, so the musical dance floor is, perhaps, our favorite feature. The cool skate ramp though? That comes in close second. You can’t go wrong with a playset that has a dance floor, skateramp and monkey that rocks out!

The Julius Jr. Rock ’n Playhouse is available at major retailers and retails for $49.99. Julius Jr. is on Nick Jr. at 5pm Monday-Friday and Sundays from 10-11am!

Full disclosure: A sample was provided to facilitate this review and as a part of the Saban Brandbassador program. As always, all opinions are my own.

Beachin’ it with Paul Frank Summer Essentials

July 7, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Lazy summer days simply don’t exist in our house. Since we live in an active lake community and an active town in general, we typically find ourselves trotting from one fun event to another. Most of our summer mornings are spent at our lake’s “beach,” so we are in beach mode for almost the entire summer.

For us, “beach mode” entails snacks and meals on the go or packaged to eat on the beach. We also always have our beach essentials packed into our beach bag and wagon. Beach essentials include staples for the kids such as sunscreen, towels, beach toys and, of course, snacks!

On that end, our June Saban Brand-bassador box included some super cool Paul Frank beach staples to supplement our ample supply. I love that our Paul Frank pride is on display with the Skurvy Beach Towel, Reusable Snack Pack and Tumblers.

The Skurvy Beach Towel is a big, cozy towel that’s both suitable for guys and girls. It has polka dots, complemented by the signature Paul Frank Skurvy. Both of my guys love warming up in this towel after a swim or simply laying out on it under the sun. This towel can be found on Amazon.com for $17.00.

The Paul Frank Snack Pack is a cool eco-friendly reusable snack pouch. It folds flat, yet opens up to an elongated triangular shape that seals with Velcro. The Snack Pack holds fun snacks like pretzels and popcorn and is perfectly sized for smaller portions. My only wish is that it was bigger! The Snack Pack retails for $6.50 each on Zak.com

The tumbler is a fun cup, perfectly suited for either of my guys. It has Julius on the front, with a convenient rubber bottom. Like the Snack Pack, the tumbler is BPA-free and dishwasher safe, so clean up is easy and convenient.

All of these beach essentials are perfect for on-the-go summer outings or relaxing days at home!

Full disclosure: samples were provided as part of the Saban Brand-Bassador program. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

Spring Fun with Paul Frank Kids Apparel

May 19, 2014May 19, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Paul Frank is brightening our spring days with a fun selection of graphic tees for the kids. This line embraces Paul Frank’s emphasis on fun and being carefree. Ideal for spring and summer days, the tees feature Paul Frank’s eclectic graphics and friendly faces, like our pal Julius!

Biggie is trying to be a ninja here. Don’t be afraid.

I checked out the girls’ tees online, and as expected, they’re super cute. I always love though, how Paul Frank caters to both boys and girls. Tees like the ones my guys are enjoying can be found at retailers such as Nordstrom.com, Macys.com, Amazon.com, Lord & Taylor, Bon Ton and Belk.com.

In addition to fun kids apparel, you can share your Paul Frank love on your iPhone case. On GetUncommon.com, you can customize a variety of iPhone cases with pics complemented with Paul Frank graphics. With the Dot Julius, Happy Julius or I Love Julius styles to choose from, not only can you share the Paul Frank love, but you can also show off your loved ones’ faces too.

I ordered the Dot Julius case, and I can’t wait to see how it turned out! I love these cases!

Full disclosure: As a Saban Brand-bassador, I received samples to facilitate this review. As always, opinions on NKT are my own.

Welcoming Spring with Julius Jr.

April 8, 2014April 8, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The snow has finally thawed and Spring is starting—just barely—to sprout. We’re anxiously waiting for warmer weather so we can enjoy the playground again, but until then, we’re keeping busy with crafts and games.

For March, Saban sent us a fun outdoor-themed packaged with Julius Jr. in mind. In order to get ready for spring, they sent us some fun activity sheets, which were created in partnership with the Center for Childhood Creativity. The activities highlight the CCC’s overall goal with Julius Jr.’s themes of adventure active play, imagination and imagination. Parents, caregivers and teachers can access these materials on the Center for Childhood Creativity’s website or pick them up when visiting San Francisco’s Bay Area Discovery Museum.

Sadly, it’s either been way too cold for us to all of these activities, but we’ve tried a few when we had a reprieve in the weather. The Nature Hunt, which is something that both the toddler and six year can participate in, is a prefect way to rediscover nature after our brutal winter. The best part, though, is watching the toddler collect items or discover items he’s not familiar with!

And of course, to go along with the fun activity sheets, the boys got their own tumblers to help us stay hydrated outside. Crossing fingers for more sunshine and warmth and playground.

Julius Jr. can be seen on Nick Jr. on weekdays at 5 and Sundays at 10am.

Full disclosure: as a Saban brand ambassador, I received products to provide content for this post.

Saban Brand-Bassador Program with Digimon Fusion

January 31, 2014January 31, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s never a dull moment around here with sicknesses and other real life craziness happening all day, every day. That said, I’m excited for 2014 and all the newness it brings with it. Of the great things upon the horizon, I have a few new partnerships lined up. One of the coolest ones, though, is this one right here:

This year, I was invited to be a Saban Brand-Bassador. What does that mean exactly? Essentially, as a brand advocate, I will share the latest and greatest about Saban Brands, which includes awesome properties like Power Rangers, Julius Jr., Paul Frank, Vortexx and one that I’m particularly excited about: the Popples. Popples, people! I can’t wait to find what’s in the pipeline for these great brands.

This month, we received our first mailing. It was a Digimon Fusion themed package that gave us a fun primer on this new property that debuted on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons last fall. Here’s our unboxing:

In its sixth season, Digimon Fusion can now be seen on the Vortexx on the CW, airing every Saturday at 10:30 am. From what we’ve seen, this is an exciting and action-packed cartoon geared to older kids and one that I hope to add to our post karate show line up.

In our fun Digimon Fusion box, we had a chance to preview the fun new toys from Bandai. We received Greymon, which is a ferocious dinosaur-looking character. The figures give kids a chance to replicated the DigiFusions that Mikey creates in the series. The DigiFusion Figures features a ball and socket construction system, where kids can create their own combinations and even fuse multiple figures together. The DigiFusion character reminds me so much of those old school toddler pop shapes, but for bigger kids. Though the figures are geared to bigger kids, I loved that the 2 year old could play along and help create a character. My older boy is in the action figure stage, so the DigiFusion Figure is a perfect fit.

A neat feature about the DigiFusion Figure is that it comes with a touch through technology card which will be placed on the Fusion Loader app and a sequence of numbers on the card in and an order that will activate the loader to call out the Digimon character on the card. These new toys will be available at major retailers starting in mid-February.

I’m super excited to be a part of the Saban Brand-Bassador program and can’t wait to divulge more information as we get it. For now, be sure to check out Digimon Fusion on the Vortexx on Saturdays. New episodes will return to Nicktoons on February 17. Even better, there’s going to be an all day marathon with two new episodes at 9pm that day.

Full disclosure: I was not compensated though received promotional material to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.