What do you get when you combine an award-winning children’s book series and a powerhouse producer? An awesome new kid’s show on Netflix! Ada Twist, Scientist is coming to Netflix on September 28 and we have the details on what to expect!
The show is produced by Chris Nee, the creator of Doc McStuffins and Vampirina, in collaboration with Higher Ground, the production company of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. It follows the adventures of eight-year-old Ada and her two best friends, Rosie Revere and Iggy Peck. Ada is determined to discover the truth about absolutely everything and the show focuses on scientific discovery, collaboration and friendship. Watch the official trailer right here!
Today Netflix Kids also released the official cast list for the show, with some big names popping up! Taye Diggs will be Dad Twist, Susan Kelechi Watson will be Mom Twist and Amanda Christine will play Ada. Each episode clocks in at about 26 minutes and there will be six lined up to watch this fall. Episode 3 is available to watch as a sneak peek right now!
The Ada Twist book series were originally inspired by historical women scientists like Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie. The original book is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller. It champions diversity and brings girl power to science picture books. In the book and the series, Ada discovers that her questions might not always have answers, but that curiosity is key.
All icons start out as a kid with a dream. OshKosh B’gosh’s new back-to-school campaign, Today is Someday, celebrates that premise with three new inspiring ads. And one of them features Mariah Carey’s daughter, Monroe, in her first-ever brand campaign!
Carey is one of the trailblazers highlighted as children, along with Muhammed Ali and Outkast. The ads celebrate the kids’ determination and honor the real-life stars’ childhood experiences. Ali’s ad features the red bike that was stolen and launched him into a boxing career, Outkast’s ad was scripted in partnership with Andre 3000 and Big Boi and Carey’s ad has the most personal touch with her own daughter appearing. Watch to see how it turned out!
“As a little girl, I was determined to realize my dreams. Now as a mother, it brings me so much joy to see my children visualize and develop the dreams they hold in their own hearts. We did the campaign because we love the message of empowering kids to dream boldly and blaze their own path,” Mariah Carey said.
The campaign officially kicks off on July 23 but you can watch all three spots now on YouTube. They were crafted with the brand’s new creative agency Majority, founded in part by Shaquille O’Neal! Keep an eye out for the launch of the fall collection which promises “timeless and trend-forward styles” along with a new brand identity.
Nothing sounds better in the summer than a cold scoop (or two, or three) of ice cream! With National Ice Cream Day coming up on July 18, Instacart decided to research the most popular flavors in the nation. Although vanilla is a perennial favorite, Americans had quite the range of flavor preferences!
Using purchase data, Instacart determined a top flavor for each state. The results? Moose Tracks, which features fudge, peanut butter cups and vanilla ice cream, took home the most popular flavor, coming out on top in 12 states. In a tight race for second place, Rocky Road, Green Tea, Coffee and Birthday Cake finished in a four-way tie.
The four corners of the country all had their distinctive loyalties. In the Pacific Northwest, Green Tea reigned supreme. In the Southwest, Rocky Road was the overwhelming favorite. In the Northeast, Coffee dominated and in the Southeast, Rum Raisin was the winner.
The Midwest overwhelmingly preferred Moose Tracks and a few states had unique favorites. Delaware preferred Cherry, Pennsylvania screamed for Mint Chip and New Mexico bought pints on pints of Chocolate Chocolate Chip.
While I was growing up, I absolutely loved Barbie. I would beg my mother for a new Barbie every time we ventured into the toy department. As soon as we neared those Pepto Bismol-pink displays, I would get butterflies and daydream of Barbie’s and my next adventure together.
On one such trip, my mother finally acquiesced and bought me Peaches ‘n’ Cream Barbie. She kept her in the closet and said she would be my birthday gift.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) for me, Peaches ‘n’ Cream sat in her pink box staring down at me with her eternally painted smile through her see-through plastic window. I looked forward to our reunion with eagerness.
When the happy day arrived, I carefully removed Peaches ‘n’ Cream from her packaging, and slowly examined her with the precision of a doctor. She was perfect—she had waist length blonde tresses and big blue eyes. Peaches ‘n’ Cream Barbie was beautiful—and I looked nothing like her.
It’s bad enough that Barbie is a poor anatomical role model for young girls, all unbalanced rack and legs for days. But when I had asked my mother what was meant by “peaches ‘n’ cream,” she shook her head.
“I don’t know,” she had replied.
It was years later that I learned the meaning: a creamy white complexion with a blush of peach. Something I would never have. I was thankful that my 6-year-old self and my 30-something-year-old mother never knew this at the time.
Now that I’m a 30-something with young impressionable daughters of my own, I am determined that they have a doll who looks more like them.
Enter Nahji, from Assam, India. Nahji is part of a collection called Hearts 4 Hearts Girls whose proceeds partially go to helping young girls in the countries they represent, including Dell (USA), Consuelo (Mexico), Rahel (Ethiopia), Tipi (Laos), and Lilian (Belarus).
I immediately purchased this doll for Pumpkin’s 2nd birthday. Never mind that the box loudly stated For Ages 6+ or that my daughter was more interested in the box Nahji came in rather than in Nahji herself. She has dark beautiful hair and large lovely brown eyes. She is perfect—and she looks everything like us.
Jen Kathrina-Anne is a blogger, freelance writer, and graphic designer. When she’s not writing or designing, she enjoys spending time outdoors in the California Bay Area where she resides with her husband and two fearless daughters. Find her at www.hautemommyhandbook.com.
The last few years have seen a slew of live-action reboots of fave Disney classics, and this time Disney has turned to one of the most villainous in its newest film. Get ready to get evil!
Cruella documents the early days of the 101 Dalmatians foe in all her fashionable glory. Set in 1970’s London, viewers get to see first hand how this young grifter came to be the fur-loving villain we all know and loathe.
As we see in the trailer, Cruella actually starts out as Estella, a creative woman who is determined to make a name for herself. She ends up becoming friends with a few young thieves and one day catches the attention of Baroness von Hellman, played by Emma Thompson.
In the ensuing scenes, Cruella who was born “brilliant, bad and a little bit mad” shows off her crazy side (including her driving) in epic proportions.
You can catch the full film, and all those evil laughs, when the movie premieres on May 28, 2021.
For a while, my life was pretty miserable. My daughter had severe autism. I didn’t smile, laugh, or even enjoy anything. Every possible resource I had went to my daughter—no little treats for myself. No shopping. No eating out. Not even haircuts for a bit. And when I would drive from my house to the supermarket, there was a restaurant that I would pass by. There was a beautiful window with an arch. I would see people sitting at the table, laughing and eating. So different than what my reality was at that time.
Every time I passed by that window, I would say to myself, “When my daughter is better, I will go sit in that window, eat, and laugh.” I didn’t tie any specific goals to when that would be or what would qualify as “better.” It was just something that I would tell myself to inspire me. I wanted to laugh again. I wanted to enjoy life again. Every time I drove past that window I had a choice – look at it with anger and resentment that my life wasn’t great or look at it with anticipation of life getting better. I didn’t need anything else making me feel bad, so I chose anticipation.
A few years later, I drove past that window and realized that my daughter was doing great, things were moving forward with her, and that my life was indeed better. I decided it was time to have a meal at that table, laugh, and enjoy. So I asked my friend to join me, and she said no. I was so hurt. She said, “That restaurant isn’t good. The food is overrated.” I told her I didn’t care about the food and explained how that window motivated me through some tough times. That didn’t persuade her at all. So I let it go because I didn’t want to go alone.
A few weeks later, I asked another friend, and she also told me no. She said pretty much the same thing my other friend said. The food wasn’t good, it was overpriced, blah blah blah. I was hurt again. I explained what it meant to me, and she said she didn’t want to spend the money and was quite adamant about not going there. So I let it go.
Several months later, I drove past that window and became determined to dine there, in that window, laugh, and have fun. So I asked another friend, but I first told him what it meant to me and then asked if he would go with me. He told me the exact same thing that my two other friends said – the food wasn’t good, that it was overrated, he didn’t want to wear a shirt with buttons, blah, blah, blah, but he said if it meant that much to me, he’d go although he really didn’t want to. That was good enough for me.
I made reservations specifically for that window seat. Oooh it felt so good to sit there. I was so happy. I told him the story of how many times I drove past this window and promised myself that not only would my daughter get better but that I would also treat myself for all the hard work I did to get us there. I told him how two friends turned me down to come to this window and celebrate but that they just made me more determined…just like when sometimes things didn’t go well with my daughter…it just made me more determined. We laughed about everything. The waitstaff enjoyed us being there—it was such fun. I felt so satisfied with myself and my actions in life.
We had dinner. I’ve got to admit, my friends were right, the food wasn’t that good. LOL. However, it was not overrated because I was celebrating success! The food was irrelevant. My daughter was doing great, my life was so different, we both were happy, and I followed through on celebrating success. Life felt wonderful.
So do it. Go celebrate. I am sure there is something your child is doing now that people thought could never happen. That changed because of your hard work. Your determination. Your love for your child. You’ve worked hard, celebrate your successes, and be excited for what more will come.
COVID has changed a lot in life. I just drove by that restaurant, looked in the window, and saw a “For Sale” sign. The restaurant has closed due to COVID. I have no idea what will happen to that building. Will another restaurant open there? Will there still be a window seat? Who knows, and that’s how life goes. If I didn’t take the time to celebrate success right now, I would be feeling regret rather than satisfaction.
I am so proud of my determination. I knew my daughter’s life could get better, and I worked relentlessly to make that happen. And I made sure to celebrate success, even when two friends wouldn’t celebrate with me.
I’m sure you’re doing a lot of work for your child. Are there setbacks? Sure. Does everything go perfectly? No. But that doesn’t stop you for long, right? When you get an opportunity to celebrate success, take it. There’s no guarantee of a tomorrow.
Yes, there will always be more to do, but if you don’t reward yourself for your successes, how will you maintain the energy to continue?
I'm an autism parent and Yale trained scientist. I created the blog Navigating AWEtism as a valuable source of trustworthy, cutting-edge scientific facts about autism so that parents have quality information to make informaed decisions. You'll also find parenting inspiration, no matter where you are on the autism journey. Please check out https://awetism.net/
Are you looking to make a move in 2021? Before you start packing your bags, you’ll want to check out WalletHub’s findings on the best and worst states to raise a family.
Personal finance website, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 52 key indicators of family-friendliness, including housing affordability, life expectancy, annual family income, neighborhood support and unemployment rates. So who won out in the end?
According to findings, the top 5 best states to live in are:
1.Massachusetts
2. Minnesota
3. North Dakota
4. New York
5. Vermont
On the flip side, WalletHub also determined the lowest ranking states which include
50. New Mexico
49. Mississipi
48. West Virginia
47. Louisiana
46. Oklahoma
WalletHub coordinated with a panel of experts to discuss issues that include child development and how it’s influenced by the state a family lives in and what things to consider when setting down roots. The super detailed study compared all 50 states across five key dimensions: Family Fun, Health and Safety, Education and Child Care, Affordability and Socio-economics.
Finally, WalletHub used 52 relevant metrics that was graded on a 100-point scale, with indicating the most favorable conditions for family life. The super detailed study can be fund on the WalletHub website.
The holiday season usually means an above average consumption of special treats, and a recent study by Zinnia has figured out which sweets are the most popular by state.
The career site used Google Trends to search over 40 classics and determined which treat was searched for the most in each state. They found some interesting results!
All in all, 20 states prefer cake, 12 love candy, 10 need their cookies and nine states vote cheesecake as their top treat. Other notable treats include cinnamon rolls, vegan Christmas cookies, yule logs and yes––even fruitcake.
Zinnia also let a few liquids slip through, including egg nog and hot chocolate. You can get a more detailed view of the report at Zinnia.
Have you ever wished that you had a fairy godmother? Today, Disney+ shared the new trailer for its all-new enchanted Christmas comedy, Godmothered, starring Isla Fisher and Jillian Bell. This new film will debut exclusively on the streaming service Fri., Dec. 4, 2020.
Set at Christmas time, Godmothered is a comedy about Eleanor, a young, inexperienced fairy godmother-in-training (Jillian Bell) who upon hearing that her chosen profession is facing extinction, decides to show the world that people still need fairy godmothers. Finding a mislaid letter from a 10-year-old girl in distress, Eleanor tracks her down and discovers that the girl, Mackenzie, is now a 40-year-old single mom (Isla Fisher) working at a news station in Boston. Having lost her husband several years earlier, Mackenzie has all but given up on the idea of “Happily Ever After,” but Eleanor is bound and determined to give Mackenzie a happiness makeover, whether she likes it or not.
Godmothered is directed by Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Bridget Jones’s Baby) and produced by Justin Springer (Dumbo), Diane L. Sabatini (Lady and the Tramp), Tom Pollock (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) and Amie Karp (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) served as executive producers.
Godmothered also stars Santiago Cabrera, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Jane Curtin, June Squibb, Jillian Shea Spaeder, Willa Skye, Artemis Pebdani, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Stephnie Weir.
You may be looking for some new family shows to enjoy with your children. Peacock just announced that they will be expanding their kids programming with DreamWorks TrollsTopia and The Mighty Ones. These new series will premiere in November.
Peacock will also be adding all-new episodes of Curious George and DreamWorks Cleopatra in Space, Madagascar: A Little Wild and Where’s Waldo. The new episodes will premiere in November and December.
TrollsTopia
TrollsTopia is the next chapter in the hair-raising adventures of the Trolls. Now that Poppy knows there are other musical Trolls scattered throughout the forest, she bottles up her endless positivity and invites delegates from every Troll tribe in the forest to live together in harmony in a grand experiment she calls TrollsTopia.
TrollsTopia premieres Thurs., Nov. 19 on Peacock.
The Mighty Ones
The Mighty Ones follows the hilarious adventures of the smallest of them: a twig, a pebble, a leaf and a strawberry who call themselves “the Mighty Ones.” These best friends live in an unkempt backyard belonging to a trio of equally unkempt humans who they mistake for gods. Despite their diminutive stature, The Mighty Ones are determined to live large and have fun in their wild world.
The Mighty Ones premieres Thursday, Nov. 9 on Peacock.
Cleopatra in Space (Peacock Original)
In the new season of DreamWorks Cleopatra in Space, after facing off against the evil Octavian, Cleo and her friends embark on a mission searching the galaxy for an ancient artifact that could help defeat Octavian once and for all.
Season two of Cleopatra in Space premieres Nov. 19 on Peacock.
Curious George (Peacock Original)
A curious little monkey named George sets out on adventures to learn about the world around him.
New episodes from season 13 of Curious George premiere Dec. 11 on Peacock.
Madagascar: A Little Wild
In season two of DreamWorks Madagascar: A Little Wild, Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria continue their big adventures in New York City. The foursome become babysitters for a new litter of tiny hedgehogs, Melman gets stuck in a firetruck, and Alex is accidentally mistaken for a large house cat. While their shenanigans may lead to sticky situations, the little pals always work together and make the best of whatever life throws their way.
Season two of Madagascar: A Little Wild premieres Dec. 11 on Peacock.
Where’s Waldo? (Peacock Original)
In the new season of DreamWorks Where’s Waldo?, Waldo, Wenda and Wizard Whitebeard are off on all new globetrotting adventures celebrating cultures around the world from Canada to Buenos Aires to New Zealand and everywhere in between! It’s an international race to the finish for these intrepid explorers as they earn their wizarding stripes by collecting magic keys before the meddling Odlulu foils their fun.
New episodes from season two of Where’s Waldo? premiere Dec. 11 on Peacock.