Believe it or not, we’re over halfway to Christmas! And if you’re mentally starting to prepare in advance, Igloo Books just launched three awesome advent calendars that your kids will love. The Disney calendar, the Disney Princess calendar and the Marvel Super Heroes calendar each feature 24 books and they’re available to pre-order now.

When you’re ready to unveil for the holiday season, you’ll open a large fold-out wallet that contains two dozen paperback storybooks featuring beloved characters. Each book is wrapped in a recyclable paper sleeve and stored in a number pocket. The Disney Advent Calendar features stories from both Disney and Pixar. Disney Princess and Marvel have a collection of stories from each franchise.

Previous versions of the calendar boast more than 1,700 five-star reviews on Amazon. The reading age is listed at three years and up so the whole family can get in on the fun. The calendars are retailing online for $25.49, so a little more than one dollar per story for a whole month of fun.

Last year the Disney Advent Calendar reached #1 on Amazon’s Christmas Books list in Fall 2020, so you’ll want to preorder soon! And if you need a few more ideas for advent calendar fun, may we suggest the Harry Potter version?

—Sarah Shebek

Featured image courtesy of Igloo Books

 

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As our children continue to grow up in an ever-changing world, we can all do with a wider selection of inclusive books. That’s where Rebel Girls author, Francesca Cavallo, comes in.

Cavallo is embarking on another journey to bring inclusive stories to young readers with a new series of four illustrated books, Paralympians. The unique picture books will tell the stories of Paralympic champions Russian-American wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden, Afro-French sprinter and long jumper Jean-Baptiste Alaize, Iranian archer Zahra Nemati and Italian fencer Beatrice Vio.

But in order to make these stories come to life, Cavallo and her new children’s media company, Undercats, needs your help. The books are currently on Kickstarter where they are garnering support to meet their goal and be published.

One of the illustrators for the series, Valentine Toro, shares “With this book series, we want to start creating a blueprint for the representation of people with disabilities in children’s books.”

The Paralympians Kickstarter campaign launches Jun. 22 and runs through Jul. 21, 2:59 PST. The books are available for pre-order in both English and Spanish, and at the time of publication, the campaign is already halfway to its goal of $20,000!

––Karly Wood

 

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We are almost halfway to Christmas and with Lifetime and Hallmark releasing their Christmas in July lineup, why not get in the spirit with some festive wines, too?

That’s right, The Hallmark Channel has it’s own batch of wines! Not only that, the purveyor has branched out from their OG batch of holiday-only blends into summer and Valentine’s Day options.

Want to relax with a summer glass of Rosé as you sip away the afternoon? Grab a pack of Rosé Wine Seltzer for just $40.

If you want to spread the love, or just stock up in time for next Valentine’s Day, you can also snag a Love or Blush pack.

And if you’re in the mood to celebrate Christmas in July, don’t forget about the Jingle and Joy duo, a combo of cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc.

Cheers!

—Karly Wood

All photos courtesy of Hallmark Channel Wines

 

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Can you believe we are already Halfway to Halloween? With the spooky season on the horizon, Walt Disney World is gearing up with a new event guaranteed to become a fan fave.

Soon you’ll be able to grab tickets to Disney After Hours BOO BASH, a ticketed experience that will take place on select nights from Aug. 10 to Oct. 31 2020. From 9 p.m. to midnight, park goers can enjoy character sightings, spooky decor, lighting, music and treats, plus special performances by the Cadaver Dans.

All guests can come in costume for this special event and stock up on plenty of candy. While everyone can come dressed up, guests older than 14 will have to skip the masks. Well, costume masks, that is. All guests will be required to wear approved face coverings during the event.

Tickets will go on sale in June. Guests of select Walt Disney Resort hotels will have an an early purchase window available to guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels. For all the details, click here.

–Karly Wood

Feature photo: Disneyland

 

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Halfway through September, Facebook made an under-the-radar update to its Facebook Messenger Kids platform. Parents logged on to find a message informing them about a new “feature,” which allows kids to see who their friends are friends with, “making it easier for your children’s friends to connect with each other.” And thus, Facebook Messenger Kids went from being a messenger to a full-fledged social network.

The Trouble With “Easy” Connections
This new feature is off-putting for a few reasons: First, Facebook rolled the change out automatically. While parents need to opt in to allow their kids to be visible to their friend’s contacts, by default, kids can now see who their friends are connected with—and experience all the FOMO that goes along with that. And second, the change makes it easier for kids to connect with people they don’t know. And this is the first time that the tech giant’s platform has exposed kids to strangers. Back in 2019, a “technical error” allowed thousands of kids to connect with unauthorized users. This time, however, Facebook has intentionally opened up the Messenger Kids network to encourage kids to amass more contacts.

This shouldn’t be surprising, since Facebook’s number one goal has always been to have as many daily active users as possible. In general, the company wants its adult users to spend copious amounts of time on the platform because that gives them the chance to show more ads and generate more revenue. And while it’s true that Messenger Kids is ad-free, it’s not a huge logical leap to assume that this kids’ product exists to train the next generation of adult users. And, in order for children to access Facebook Messenger Kids, their parents also need to have an active adult account.

All of this is why I’m wary of the network—and why I’ve never considered putting my own young children on the platform. Even before they effectively turned Messenger Kids into a social network for children, I didn’t want my daughter to use it because I simply don’t trust the company. They’ve demonstrated a disregard for their users’ privacy over and over (and over) again, and I knew that their values didn’t align with my own.

But Where’s the Alternative?
This, unfortunately, also put me in a tricky spot as a parent: technology is going be a major part of my kids’ lives, and I wanted to be able to give them access to it. But when I looked at the available options for kids messengers, Facebook was the only option and that was an immediate non-starter.

Back in the day, I think Facebook did offer something novel to the world. When I first used the platform way back when, I found it was a decent way to connect with family and friends who were far away. But somewhere along the way, the predominant Facebook experience became less about connection and more about engagement and amassing as many “friends” as possible. (I remain convinced that was the sole purpose for the game Farmville.)

After a while, content became more polarizing and I started to feel like I wasn’t getting the same value out of it that I used to. And I believe that transformation in the user experience all ties back to their company values. Today, I do not trust their motivations because they’re a platform that’s optimized for growth above all else. I believe that this leads them to prioritize the needs of advertisers—often to the detriment of their users. So, I decided that I would solve my own problem, and hopefully, help out other families in the process. I knew that there were others out there who were also wary of Facebook, and I wanted to be able to give them and their kids an alternative way to stay in touch that wasn’t a thinly veiled onramp to a social network. That’s why I founded Kinzoo.

Competing on Values, Not Features
I believe that companies that are building products for kids need to hold themselves to a very high standard. They should always be striving to give children the best of technology, without exposure to the worst of it—and that needs to be built into a company’s values from the outset. Our mission is to be a catalyst for meaningful experiences, with kids at the heart. While technically, we’re vying for space in the same category as Facebook Messenger Kids, we’re not competing feature-for-feature. Rather, we’re competing on values. For us, the motivation behind our app is what’s important. We want to build something that creates real value for families without the mechanisms that often manipulate us.

So, as Facebook Messenger Kids starts to look less like a messenger and more like a Facebook training ground for children, I’m reaffirmed that families need an alternative. I’m emboldened in our vision to be the most trusted brand for incorporating technology into our kid’s lives. And I’m thankful that my own kids have a safe space to connect with family and friends—without the pressure that often comes with social media.

Sean Herman is the founder and CEO of Kinzoo, an exciting new company that helps parents turn screen time into family time. His first book, "Screen Captured," debuted at number one in Amazon's parenting category, and his writing separates technology fact from fiction for his fellow parents.

Halfway between breakfast and lunchtime are you searching for a snack? The Reese’s brand is here to save your morning with new Reese’s Snack Cakes. This first-of-its-kind mid-morning cake treat by the Reese’s brand is coming soon to calm your snack time cravings. 

Reese’s Snack Cakes

Research shows 83% say they have indulged in dessert before noon in the past month. Now Reese’s gives fans permission to have cake as a mid-morning snack whenever they want.

Reese’s Snack Cakes

“We wanted to create the perfect treat for Reese’s fans to satisfy that mid-morning sweet tooth,” said Mike Orr, Snacks brand manager. “We know that sometimes you just don’t want to wait until lunch – that’s how Reese’s Snack Cakes were born!”

Reese’s Snack Cakes feature real milk chocolate and Reese’s peanut butter creme in a 2-cake pack (2.75oz, SRP $1.99), available December 2020 at convenience stores nationwide.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy Reese’s

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The Tree That Got Away

It was about 10 feet tall and the morning sun was burning off the dew on its needles, making it glow. It was halfway down a hill of trees, but none of them was as full nor held as perfect a pyramidal shape as this one. It was perfect, and we would soon discover it would become the standard-bearer for every Christmas tree to come.

There was just one hitch. It was July, and we were two states and 5 months away from our home, and Christmas.

We were riding on the Virginia Creeper Trail, a rails-to-trails descent in Virginia that rolls through miles of farmland. Halfway down, nature and 20-ounces of blue Gatorade paid a visit to my 5-year old son, who raced for the privacy of a nearby grove of fraser firs.

I should note here that he did not drop trou on any of the trees. Realizing even in the heat of the moment that these beauties would end up in someone’s living room, I redirected his aim. So, while he found relief in the grass, I couldn’t help but notice what a delightful oasis we’d stumbled upon. The air smelled of Christmas morning, and trees grew along paths reminiscent of Scottish labyrinths. Our footsteps fell silently on needle-cushioned earth.

“We’re in the Candy Cane Forest!” exclaimed my niece, who had tracked us down, and who was also a big fan of Buddy the Elf. “Hey, look at this!” my oldest son shouted. We found him, awe-filled, in front of our perfect, glowing tree. It was pure magic.

After persuading them that we could not, in fact, take it home with us (no saw, hadn’t paid for it, nothing to strap it to except for Mom’s back, and besides, it was still swimsuit season), we hopped back on our bikes.

The morning after Thanksgiving, we were bundled up, still full from the previous day’s feast and sluggish from hours spent watching football on the couch. While making coffee, my husband suggested we take a ride to the hardware store to pick out a fresh Christmas tree.

“The hardware store?” my son balked. “No, Daddy. We already have our tree. We have to go back to The Creeper. I know exactly where it is.”

A 12-hour drive was not on my husband’s agenda, but neither was the hardware store on my children’s. They’d seen the promised land of treedom and would accept nothing less. We compromised. Just north of the city, we spent a lovely day in the fresh air, without a single electronic device nearby, walking off some of the thousands of calories that had been the gift of the day before.

We came home with a very fine fresh Christmas tree. It wasn’t THE tree, but we loved it anyways like you sometimes must. And so began our family tradition of trying to forever fill the tree stand of the “Tree That Got Away.”

Now through Christmas, share a photo of your family’s REAL Christmas tree memory-making experience for a chance to win $1,000!

photos: Shelley Massey

Shelley Massey is a writer and editor for family travel, fitness, and lifest‌yle publications. She enjoys exploring with her four kids ages 10 & under, running, good food, entertaining, and great stories. And though she and her family live happily in Atlanta, their hearts are in Tennessee. 

These “boo” friendly Candy Corn Marshmallows are one of the easiest treats you can make and only require a few ingredients. They make a super fun treat for any candy-seeking trick-or-treaters and your kids are guaranteed to love them, too.

Makes: 12 Candy Corn Marshmallows

Ingredients:
½ cup orange chocolate candy melts
12 marshmallows
½ cup yellow chocolate candy melts
½ cup brown chocolate candy melts

Method:
1. Melt your orange chocolate candy melts in a candy melting electric pot according to the package instructions, or in the microwave at 30-second increments.

2. Dip the bottom half of the marshmallow into the orange chocolate candy melts.

3. Place marshmallows in refrigerator until chocolate hardens, approximately 5 minutes.

4. Melt your yellow and brown chocolates as in Step 1. Dip the bottom of your orange-covered marshmallow in the yellow chocolate halfway to create a candy corn look. Place in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened, approximately 2–3 minutes.

5. Using a toothpick or the bottom end of a cake-decorating paintbrush and your brown chocolate candy melts, dot two eyes on your candy corn. Place marshmallows on a Silpat or parchment paper and place in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened, approximately 2–3 minutes.

Excerpted from Kids’ Treats: 50 Easy, Extra-Special Snacks to Make with Your Little Ones Copyright © 2015 by Katie Wyllie and published by F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Photos courtesy of Katie Wyllie.

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In spite of all your planning, there’s one thing that can ruin a family vacation in a hurry: losing or leaving behind a favorite stuffed animal. Vrbo has come to the teddy bear rescue with the new Vrbo Teddy Bear Service.

If you’re already halfway home from your family vacation when you finally discover that Mr. Teddy (or Sir Swan or Ellie the Elephant( has gone missing, don’t fret. Thanks to Vrbo’s new teddy bear hotline all you have to do is call 1-774-VRBOTDY or email TeddyBearHotline@vrbo.com to report a lost teddy or other item of sentimental value. Vrbo will then track down the lost stuffed animal and return it to you.

photo: Marina Shatskih via Unsplash

A survey conducted by Ipsos for Vrbo revealed that 55 percent of those surveyed said stuffed animals were the most important things kids brought with them on vacation and 69 percent said their child has left a toy or stuffed animal behind while away from home. Parents also admitted to the lengths they would go to replace that lost toy. Nearly half (48 percent) said they would buy a duplicate toy and pretend it was the original.

Luckily now parents won’t have to go such great lengths if they’ve booked a stay at a vacation home with Vrbo. “We know how easily teddies can get left behind under beds, in canoes, or in a vacation home’s best hide-and-seek spot,” said Melanie Fish, Vrbo travel expert. “Our goal is to make sure every teddy finds its way back home and to help kids and their families keep happy vacation memories fully intact.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

 

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Look up! There’s plenty of nighttime viewing for junior astronomers this July, and we’ve got the scoop on all the summer stargazing fun.

July has two new moons—and one of them is a “black moon.” So what exactly is a black moon? Even though the name sounds ominous, it’s really pretty simple. When two new moons happen in one month, the second is called a black moon. For those of us in North America, that happens on Wednesday, Jul. 31.

Not only is this month’s black moon a special treat (it happens once every 32 months), but it’s also a supermoon. This means the moon is near the closest point to our planet it gets on its Earth orbit, but sadly, we can’t view the awesomely illuminated surface. The new moon (black moon, that is) will line up between the Earth and the sun. With the sun’s rays shining on the opposite (far) side of the moon, we won’t have a view of the super sight.

But the black supermoon isn’t the only celestial event to see this summer. From Jul. 12 through Aug. 23 you can catch a view of the Delta Aquariids meteor shower, with its peak on Sunday, Jul. 28.

Your best chance at getting a prime view of the show is in late July/early August, during the second new moon. With the moon’s light out of the way, you could see as many as 20 meteors per hour, according to NASA!

Just head outside, preferably after midnight and away from street lights, and look halfway between the horizon line and the zenith.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Neale LaSalle via Pexels

 

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