trends – The Next Kid Thing

Prelude to Toy Fair 2014

February 16, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s that time of year again when toy makers, idea generators, retailers, movers and shakers convene at Javits for the 111th International Toy Fair.

There’s so much to be excited about this year, but in specific, I’m gearing up to check out the latest and greatest in fun, smart toys. Toys that aren’t just mindless, but instead, toys that have substance, smarts, interactivity and are sustainable.

Before setting foot into Javits, I know we’ll see a lot of monster and zombie-inspired toys. This segment, we know, has been a major hit with kids of all ages. Zombies and monsters aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

I expect to see a lot of new Disney properties brought to life in toys. With Muppets Most Wanted out in the spring, Captain America in April and Marvel-Guardian of the Galaxy out in August, Disney will be out in full force at Toy Fair per usual.

Toys will be smart, as in app centric or have some sort of parallel online presence. In fact, Alicia Keys, co-creator of the interactive children’s app The Journals of Mama Mae & LeeLee, will help cut the ribbon at Toy Fair’s opening ceremony on Sunday, February 16 at 10 a.m. Singer/songwriter/producer, entrepreneur, humanitarian and app co-creator Alicia Keys, along with Jessica Walton, have teamed up with Bento Box Interactive to develop a series of storytelling app experiences for tablet and mobile devices under the The Journals of Mama Mae & LeeLee franchise. The apps engage children 4+ on an interactive journey through stories, journaling, games and original music scored by Keys instilling important values for the target audience.

Alicia keys talks journals mama mae leelee 527x285 Photo credit: Aliciakeysmedia.com

From babies to big kids, I hope to seek out toys that both parents and kids love. But most importantly, I hope to find toys that have a bigger meaning; whether it’s toy companies involved in charitable foundations or toys that reach kids of all abilities or toys that truly transcend gender.

Be sure to follow along at #TF14 or #TFNY, and of course @jenrab on both Twitter and Instagram.

Ralph Lauren Gang: Meet the Class of 2012

March 26, 2012March 26, 2012 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With Spring now in full bloom, it’s time to update the kids’ closets with warm weather clothes. I’m always excited when we can finally replace the monochromatic shades of winter with a more colorful palette, full of weather-appropriate goodies. And with Spring comes all the fun new fashion lineups, including those for the most fashionable kids! Designers like Ralph Lauren have a penchant for outfitting the entire family with classic, yet versatile pieces, and that goes for the 2012 RL Gang Spring line.

RLGANGBloomies — Photo Credit: Momtrends

The line, which is out now, features classic pieces synonomous with Ralph Lauren’s Americana influence, and mixes it up with some edgy, girly or preppy flair. Like many of the kids who wear these pieces, RL Gang reflects this diverse spectrum. Whether it’s the tattered jeans, ruffled details or classic stripes that suits your kid, the expansive and super cute 2012 RL Gang Spring collection has it covered.

My favorites include the girl’s white blazer with pink detail and the boy’s dark denim paired with classic Polo stripes.

Because our entire family loves Ralph Lauren, I’ve mentioned RL Gang in the past; in fact, I posted about last year’s Spring debut. So, it was quite a treat to be invited to this year’s RL Gang Spring launch and video preview at Bloomingdale’s. The RL Gang Spring event was hosted by my friend, Nicole Feliciano of Momtrends, whom, I’m sure you know, is a style maven and fixture in the fashion front.

This was my first blog-related outing with both baby and big kid in tow, so it was quite fitting to preview this Spring line firsthand and meet some of the beautiful kids who comprise the RL Gang Class of 2012. The precocious little girl, dubbed Willow and epitomizes Bohemian chic, approached the baby and me and made small talk. I’m imagine she’s about four or five, and asked if she could carry the baby. Even though I politely declined, I got a little chuckle out of it.

The big kid, who waxes poetic about being a movie star/model/rock star one day, enjoyed all the fun treats and rubbing elbows with his “peers” at the RL Gang Spring event; he even has his Flipbook to show for it. To boot, one of the local tv news outlets, WPIX, was on hand to cover the event. The boys and I made a super quick cameo at the very end!

Be sure to check out the Spring RL Gang and the adorable Class of 2012 online.

Mameshiba: talking beans the next Hello Kitty?

May 18, 2009May 18, 2009 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Word on the street says a talking bean with a puppy-dog face is poised to be the next popular character from Japan.
Talking bean, huh?

la09993 With $30 million in retail sales, 250 products and 20+ licensees in the matter of months, it’s safe to say, Mameshiba is a licensing phenomenon in Japan. Mameshiba, literally translated as bean-dog in Japanese, are described as characters that spout random bits of trivia and have a quirky tone and family-friendly message that appeals to kids and adults. With a face that cute, how could you not love the Mameshiba characters.

It sounds like Mameshiba gained popularity from an ad campaign and has since gained so much popularity to become a household name. Other than keychains and small stuffed toys, it looks like there are various products like cell phone accessories with the Mameshiba license. I’m so intrigued by these talking beans.

The Mameshiba characters include Fava Bean, Tiger Bean, Red Bean, Soybean, Chili Bean, Almond, Edamame, Peanut, Lentil, as well as Jelly Bean and Coffee Bean characters. There are also a trio of Green Peas, a Chickpea and “The Scream,” based on the famous painting of the same name by Edvard Munch. Thought-provoking bits of wisdom include, “Did you know that the color of a hippo’s sweat is pink” and “Did you know that mosquitoes have 47 teeth?”