Earlier Bedtimes for Kids Is Better for Your Sanity, According to Study

by Shahrzad WarkentinJuly 20, 2022

Ah, bedtime. You know, that magical moment when you collapse onto a kid-less couch and enjoy the silence, a beverage of your choice, and quality time with your partner (or by yourself). You’ve earned it. But is that bedtime early enough? According to this study, earlier bedtimes can improve parents’ mental health, so you might want to rethink that time.

Starting in 2004, thousands of families participated in a study conducted by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, called Growing Up In Australia. While the research looked at many factors to study the impact of the immediate and broader environment on child development, tracking families over several years, one of the more interesting findings was that earlier bedtime for kids not only led to better health-related quality of life for kids, but it also improved the moms’ mental health.

Why? According to the study, kids who don’t meet the minimum sleep guidelines show symptoms of poor mental health (unhappiness and anxiety), tend to be late or absent more often and spend more time on homework. This can lead to stressed and tired kids which can lead to stressed and tired parents. And, even though sleep requirements decrease as kids age, many school-grade kids still weren’t meeting the guidelines. It showed that four out of five children thought they were getting enough sleep when they were not.

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A post shared by Erin Lawyer – Sleep Consultant (@chasingdreamssleep)

So what is that magic bedtime hour? It depends on the age of your child. According to the sleep chart above, if your six-year-old gets up at 6:30 or 7 am, their bedtime should fall between 7:30 and 8:30 pm! Putting kids to bed earlier might seem challenging, especially if you have after-school activities to balance, but there are ways to make it happen. If you have a first-timer heading to the classroom this year, this study on the effects of 10+ hours of sleep might convince you even more.

Is Target Open on Easter Sunday? Here’s Which Stores Are Open This Year

by Shahrzad WarkentinApril 7, 2022

Whether you’re scrambling to get the finishing touches on your Easter brunch menu or forgot to buy candy to fill all of those Easter eggs, you might find yourself on a last-minute shopping run, which means you need to know which stores open on Easter Sunday.

Of course all stores, even national chains, vary their hours based on location—so it’s always a good idea to call ahead and check before you run out for those forgotten Peeps. We’ve got this year’s list of all the stores that should be open this Easter, so keep reading.

Here are all the open shops you can still hop to on Easter:

Albertson’s
CVS
Fresh Market
Home Depot
Kroger
Meijer
PetSmart
RiteAid
Safeway
Stop & Shop
Trader Joes
Vons
Walgreens
Walmart
Wegmans
Whole Foods

Here are all the stores that you definitely need to hit before Sunday, because they will be closed:

While these stores will be open in some capacity on Easter Sunday, most will have reduced hours.

ALDI
Apple
Best Buy
Costco
Giant
H-E-B
Hobby Lobby
Kirkland’s
Macy's
Marshalls
Michael's
Nordstrom & Nordstrom Rack
Publix
Target
TJMaxx
Sam’s Club

If you’re reading this and it’s not Easter Sunday just yet, there’s still plenty of time to get what you need to stock those Easter baskets and plan a fun day. We’ve got the ultimate planning guide for Easter at home, fun things to make out of all those leftover egg cartons, egg dyeing hacks and fun Easter basket stuffers.

—Shahrzad Warkentin & Karly Wood

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How Long Does It Take to Build a 95,000-Piece LEGO Cab? Watch This

by Karly WoodSeptember 8, 2021

LEGOLAND New York has been busy the last year. After finally opening, the amusement park has just finished its MINILAND exhibit with one last must-see build.

What New York landscape is complete without a yellow taxi cab? The Master Builders agree, and that’s why they’ve just wheeled in the a 95,000+ piece taxi that is fit for the ages.

The huge project took over 370 hours of building between four master builders. In addition, it took a designer 117 hours alone to develop and bring this one of a kind taxi to life!

The taxi will join other iconic landmarks in the MINILAND section of the park, including Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, Central Park, Empire State Building and more. It’s actually life-sized and you can sit inside for the perfect photo opp.

Anyone else suddenly craving a major build sesh?

—Karly Wood

Featured photo: LEGOLAND New York Resort

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Imagine Getting a Block of Cheese That Looks Just Like You

by Karly WoodAugust 20, 2021

The holidays are a few months away but now is the perfect time to lock in the perfect gift for that hard-to-please relative. Thank to a genius idea, you need look no further than Whisps.

America’s best-selling cheese crisps company is sharing the must-have gift for cheeseaholics: a personalized cheese carving. Yes, you can let award-winning cheese carver, Sarah Kaufmann, whip up a custom cheese sculpture for the ultimate cheesy gift.

The Whisps Personalized Cheese Carving ($200) knows no bounds. All you have to do is upload a hi-res image of your fave pet, place, item or person and allow two weeks for Sarah to do her magic. When finished, it will measure approximately 6.75”x3”x2.5” and will last up to two weeks when refrigerated.

If you’d rather give out a more affordable gift for your fellow cheese lover, look to the Whisps Cheese Carving Gifts ($49.99). The smaller cheese carvings are about the size of an ornament and include a 90’s-inspired flip phone, mini cheese grater and a dollar bill. They also last up to two weeks in the fridge and are totally edible!

Both gift items will be available from Oct. 1 through Dec. 10 on whisps.com.

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of Whisps

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Track Moms Qualify For Olympics & Share Sweet Celebration With Kids

by Sarah ShebekJune 21, 2021

Parenting isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Unless you’re a mom qualifying for the Olympic track team! On Sunday night, Quanera Hayes and Allyson Felix finished first and second in the 400-meter dash to secure their tickets to Tokyo and celebrated with an impromptu playdate on the track.

After the race, Hayes brought her son Demetrius to meet Felix’s daughter Camyrn. An adorable moment ensued, of course. “Guys, we’re going to Tokyo,” Felix said and Hayes added “Super mommies, yeah!”

"SUPERMOMMIES! YEAH!"

Quanera Hayes' son and @allysonfelix's daughter met after their moms qualified for the #TokyoOlympics. The moment speaks for itself.@usatf | #TokyoOlympics x #TrackFieldTrials21 pic.twitter.com/MCrlvJ7G9e

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 21, 2021

The two moms gave birth to their children within weeks of each other in Fall 2018 and didn’t let that stop them from returning to top speed. Hayes won the race in 49.78 seconds, her fastest time since winning the 2017 U.S. title in a personal best 49.72. She told Team USA that it was tough to come back after giving birth and progress was slow, but her hard work paid off with the victory over a stacked field.

The most decorated woman in American track and field history, Felix qualified for her fifth Olympic Games and her first since becoming a mom. She clocked a season’s best time of 50.02 after racing past several runners down the stretch. It wasn’t easy—she suffered severe preeclampsia during her pregnancy and had an emergency C-section to deliver her daughter, but after a long hospital stay and recovery she’s running at elite speed once more.

We’re excited to watch these Super Moms compete in the upcoming Olympics! Here’s hoping for more winning track and field playdates, too.

—Sarah Shebek

Feature image courtesy of Andrew Makedonski / Shutterstock.com

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Senator Elizabeth Warren’s New Book Encourages Girls to Reach for the Stars

by Sarah ShebekMay 29, 2021

Girls can do anything: that’s the message of a new children’s book, Pinkie Promises, from Senator Elizabeth Warren who ran for president in 2020. It’s her first-ever picture book in her own words and it’s on sale this fall for kids who dream big everywhere.

Polly wants to make a difference, but she keeps hearing “that’s not what girls do.” She’s frustrated, but one day she goes to a rally to see a woman running for president. They meet in person and after a pinkie promise, Polly is inspired to embark on her own campaign for Class President. Win or lose, she’s been empowered to take matters into her own hands.

The book features art by award-winning illustrator Charlene Chua and is available to buy Oct. 12 in hardcover for $18.99. It’s targeted for girls in the four to eight-year-old range, but its message applies to all women. Warren would often introduce herself on the campaign trail to young supporters by saying, “My name is Elizabeth, and I’m running for President because that’s what girls do.”

Along with authoring books, Elizabeth Warren has served as the United State Senator of Massachusetts since 2013, the first woman senator for the state. She’s also a former law professor and she finished third in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.

—Sarah Shebek

Image courtesy of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

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Survey Finds Children of All Ages Have Increased Their Reading During The Pandemic

by Karly WoodMay 11, 2021

Did your kiddos find themselves reading during the pandemic? A new survey says they’re not alone.

Epic, in partnership with Morning Consult has just released a report on the habits and reading preferences in kids taken from a survey of parents. The report, titled Read All About It: A Report on the State of Kids’ Reading Habits and Interests During the Pandemic, combines the result of the survey on the activities and feelings kids had during the pandemic with date taken from Epic’s data team. What did it find?

photo: iStock

The report found that children of all ages increased their reading, resulting in improvement of their wellbeing. 2020 found that kids read an extra hour each month, read for fun four or more times per week and that they read for 20 minutes each day.

Most importantly, parents reported they felt that 69 percent of kids were happier after they read and close to 75 percent said their children were more creative, curious and willing to try something new.

Kevin Donahue, co-founder of Epic shares “It’s a dream for us to see that the data reflects one of the founding principles of Epic: to inspire curiosity in children and fuel their innate love of learning. Discovering that 82% of parents said their kids were eager to discuss what they read after putting down the book made us proud of what Epic has accomplished; not only in its ability to effectively engage kids in reading, but to spark family conversation and continue the learning beyond the platform.”

What else did the study find?

86 percent of finished books were fiction of the books kids finished in 2020 were fiction
Kids read more Monday through Friday and in June and July
The 10 most popular search terms were animals, friendship, funny, pet, cat, bedtime, strange, monster, family and dog

––Karly Wood

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This Is What Happens When Krispy Kreme Collabs with OREO

by Erica LoopApril 5, 2021

Krispy Kreme is teaming up with OREO for a doughnut experience that’s nothing less than extraordinary! Whether you’re a devote doughnut enthusiast, adore OREOs, or just can’t stay away from anything covered in cookie-coated frosting, this combo is for you.

The beloved brand is transforming the iconic Krispy Kreme glaze waterfall into an all-new OREO infused creation, starting Apr. 5. The Krispy Kreme and OREO pairing marks the first time in 84 years that the doughnut maker will partner with another company to create a new flavor of glaze.

Photo: Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme marketing office, Dave Skena, said in a press release, “We’ve taken everything fans love about OREO Cookies and ‘glazeifed’ it.”

The Krispy Kreme-OREO glaze will coat two new doughnuts—the OREO Cookie Glazed Doughnut (an original glazed doughnut covered in the special OREO glazed, stuffed with Cookies and KREME, and covered in an OREO Cookie piece icing drizzle) and the OREO Cookie Over-the-Top Doughnut (an OREO Cookie Glazed Doughnut with a Cookies and KREME filling topping, covered with a drizzle of chocolate icing, and finished with an OREO wafer).

The two new doughnuts debut nationally for a limited time starting Apr. 5, 2021.

—Erica Loop

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Coaching Your Kiddo’s Soccer Team? MOJO Is the New App You Need

by Erica LoopFebruary 18, 2021

Your kiddo’s soccer team needs a coach. Somehow you were the one picked from the sort of slim volunteer pool. Now what? If you’re not exactly a super-star athlete, MOJO is here to help!

MOJO is a new app that helps parents to learn the ins and outs of coaching. Forget about paging through playbooks, googling “youth sports drills” daily, or trying to figure out which YouTube coaching tutorials to trust—MOJO does all the work for you.

This interactive app is a parent-coach’s BFF. It features personalized practice ideas that are customized to the teams’ ages and skill levels along with high-quality short form instructional and entertainment videos, articles, advice and other content you’ll need to coach your kiddo’s team.

Ben Sherwood, MOJO founder and CEO, and a volunteer coach for the last 12 years with two sons playing four different sports, said in a press release, “With world-class technology and storytelling, our mission is to bring the magic—the mojo—back to youth sports.” Sherwood added, “I really needed an app like MOJO when I was coaching soccer, baseball, basketball and flag football. In fact, most parent-coaches wish they had a trusted one-stop solution that made coaching easy and fun. That’s MOJO’s goal – to save you time and effort, to give you what you really need, and to deliver more memories and magic on the field or court.”

If you’re still need sure whether you could use MOJO, Reed Shaffner, MOJO co-founder and COO, explained, “I just finished coaching a season of 10-year-old boys in Los Angeles, and despite playing soccer my whole life, it was really hard. The modern sports industrial complex largely ignores parent-coaches who need easy, age-appropriate help now more than ever.”

MOJO currently has soccer content, but will soon include information and ideas for all major youth sports. The app is available on iOS, with basic access free for parents. The premium MOJO+ tier is $19.99 annually.

—Erica Loop

Photos courtesy of MOJO

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Starbucks’ New Winter Menu Is Totally Nuts

by Jennifer SwartvagherJanuary 5, 2021

New year, new winter menu. Starbucks just launched their new offerings to help customers kick off 2021 feeling their best. Starting today, customers can enjoy the new Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew, Pistachio Latte, Kale and Portabella Mushroom Sous Vide Egg Bites, and Earth Cake Pop as well as celebrate the return of the Honey Almondmilk Flat White and Red Velvet Loaf.

Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew

Cold coffee and cold beverages continue to be a hot trend at Starbucks. This non-dairy beverage is made with slow-steeped Starbucks Cold Brew, combined with honey and then topped with almondmilk for a creamy finish.

Pistachio Latte

Sweet flavors of pistachio pairs with Starbucks Signature Espresso and steamed milk and then finished with a salted brown buttery topping for a cozy beverage crafted to comfort. The Pistachio Latte can also be ordered as a blended beverage or iced.

Honey Almondmilk Flat White

This flat white pairs almondmilk and Starbucks Blonde espresso with honey, making a perfect amount of creamy, nutty sweetness. Customers looking for more non-dairy milk choices will be happy to know that this tasty treat is part of Starbucks permanent menu.

Kale and Portabella Mushroom Sous Vide Egg Bites

These new egg bites feature delicious chopped kale and portabella mushrooms delicately folded into cage-free eggs with Monterey Jack cheese and cooked using the French “sous vide” technique. Joining the menu permanently, this delightful high-protein breakfast has 15 grams of protein and is under 250 calories.

Earth Cake Pop

Rich chocolate cake, dipped in a blue chocolaty icing and finished with green and white sprinkles to resemble the earth, a globe of goodness.

Red Velvet Loaf

Delicious vanilla cake swirled with classic red velvet cake and topped with a white chocolaty icing—a sweet spot of red velvety-yum.

Starbucks Reserve Whole Bean Coffee

If you are looking for new ways to enjoy your Starbucks from home, there are a few new Starbucks Reserve Whole Bean Coffees to discover this winter. These exceptional coffees have been hand-selected from family farms around the world and are roasted daily at Starbucks Reserve Roasteries.

Starbucks Reserve Guatemala Huehuetenango is rich and elegant with notes of candied orange, dark chocolate, and graham cracker.
Starbucks Reserve Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chelelektu features delicate floral aromas and sparkling acidity with raspberry and tangerine notes.

Customers can use the Starbucks app to find a store near them that carries the Starbucks Reserve whole bean coffees.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Starbucks

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