• Monthly Archive:: October 2014

    The North Pole, by way of NYC, just got a little bit colder. Build-a-Bear Workshop has opened a pop-up shop in NYC’s Brill Building, well in advance of the holiday season. Among the signature stuff-your-own-plush offerings is none other than Disney’s Frozen line. (Writing this on Halloween, we’re still riding the Frozen wave, since there’s bound to be a entire slew of Elsa, Anna and Olaf-dressed trick-or-treaters out today.) If you haven’t yet had your Frozen fill, or are looking for the latest fix of Frozen eye candy, Build-a-Bear Workshop’s line-up will not disappoint. Disney’s Frozen ‘Ice Queen’ Elsa Bear looks incredibly chic in her shimmering dress and snowy cape (there’s even an Elsa wig to top off her look, so to speak), while ‘Princess [&hellip

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    I wonder if there will ever be a day when I won’t find a broken crayon somewhere. Whether lying front and center on our family room rug, covertly lodged in the backseat of my car or buried at the bottom of my handbag, these classic signs of childhood prove that either my kids are very creative or that I can’t get a handle on clutter (probably a little bit of both, actually). If you’re known to stash paper and crayons in the car or anytime you’re on the go, consider the utterly adorable Mess Eaters Crayon Roll from P’kolino. Each high-quality European crayon has its own secure spot in this frog-shaped pouch. Unroll it and your child has a world of color at her fingertips. [&hellip

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    My daughters have finally settled on their Halloween costumes: the 6-year-old will be Pikachu from Pokemon (what, no Frozen?) and the 10-year-old is going the traditional route as a bat. While each girl purposefully planned to be something that had no relationship whatsoever to her sister’s (good old-fashioned sibling rivalry), as a mom I know far too well that whatever one kid has, another wants. (It’s why when one gets a present from Grandma, you can best be assured the other will be asking what she brought her.) If you’ve got a set of your own competitive kiddies at home, then you know firsthand how true this is, especially during the holidays. Right up our alley then is PLAYMOBIL’s Duo Pack Vampires, a twin set [&hellip

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    One of my friends is expecting her first baby this winter, and so naturally, I’m shopping for that perfect gift. She’s a city girl and someone who can appreciate the finer things in life. What do you get when you want to distinguish your baby shower present from a sea of adorable outfits, cuddly teddy bears and other baby basics? While I may turn to her registry for something she has already requested, I’d love a gift topper that speaks for itself. Well, after stumbling upon a new line of NYC-themed rattles from Estella, I think my search may be over. These hand-knit first toys are like nothing we’ve seen before. Designed in a variety of urban motifs, including a taxi cab, salted pretzel (of [&hellip

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    I don’t think I can last much longer. Any day now, I’m going to cave and dip into the Halloween candy before it gets the best of me. As if it weren’t bad enough that those chocolate-covered treats are staring me down, every store I enter seems to be enticing me with ‘buy one, get one free’ offers that it won’t be long before we’re buried alive in candy corn. Can you relate? If you’re finding it difficult to resist the onslaught of tempting treats, might we suggest some healthier alternatives? We recently got our grubby little paws on the newest snacks from Annie’s Homegrown and we’re delighted to say that there’s something for everyone in their latest selection. Little ghosts and goblins will surely [&hellip

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    What’s Halloween without a good ghost story? Before my husband and I had kids, we made our yearly trek to Tarrytown, N.Y., where “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was reenacted by a local theater troop. Held within a stone’s throw of a dark cemetery through which the Headless Horseman was said to make his nightly ride, this was the ideal experience to get us into a spooky state of mind. Because my kids are still a bit too young to experience this terrifying, but terrific tale, we’ll have to settle for some other festive fables. If your own brood’s Halloween style is more Henry Hugglemonster than Headless Horseman, we’ve found a new book worth checking out with you this season. Monster Party! is the best [&hellip

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    Is Frozen fever still alive and well in your house like it is in ours? Amazing how much staying power sisterhood and one cool snowman truly has (sigh…). And with Halloween just a few weeks away, we can only imagine how many Elsas and Annas will be storming the castle–and our neighborhood–later this month. If your kids aren’t ready to give up their thrones anytime soon, but you’re looking for a Halloween costume that’s a little slight departure from the traditional fare, may we present the latest addition to trendy dress-up wardrobes everywhere? The sparking Enchanted Ice Princess  dress is in a class by itself. Its icy blue satin skirt boasts a frozen glittery pattern that will be the envy of the entire kingdom. A [&hellip

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    I have always loved setting a holiday table. When my husband and I first hosted Thanksgiving, I remember putting out the miniature turkey place card holders that capped off each plate setting. A scattering of colorful fall leaves, carefully positioned away from a glowing candlelight, completed the festive look, one that I took pride in creating. As time passed and we had a family of our own, we traded Turkey Day for Christmas at our house. A glass tumbler filled with Christmas ball ornaments, pine cones and a few artfully arranged candy canes was front and center. Because we had small children with prying hands, I put my candles away for the time being…but not without a heavy heart. I missed that soft glow and [&hellip

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