Archives for 2013

NurturMe Introduces Yum-A-Roos Organic Dried Fruit and Veggie Toddler Snacks

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NurturMe, the first and only family of certified-organic, dried fruit and veggie meals, announced today the introduction of Yum-A-Roo’s, a new line of bite-sized organic dried fruit and veggie snacks for toddlers.

Big nutrition designed for little hands, NurturMe’s new Yum-a-Roo’s organic dry toddler snacks are made from bite-sized pieces of fruits and veggies that easily dissolve in the mouth. Tasty and good for little ones ages 1 year and older, Yum-a-Roo’s are extra nutritious since they contain veggies, in addition to fruit, and are dried – a NurturMe process that preserves the nutrients, freshness and flavor. Kiddos love the taste, and parents love that there’s 1.5 servings of fruits and/or veggies in every pouch. Yum-a-Roo’s are available in four flavors Tropical Twist (Banana, Mango and Pineapple), Caribbean Crop (Pea, Banana and Pineapple), Happy Harvest (Peas, Sweet Corn and Apple) and Bountiful Bites (Banana, Apple and Broccoli).   Suggested retail is $2.99 per each .75 oz. resealable pouch.

NurturMe Yum-A-Roos snack line is certified organic, gluten-free, non-GMO and kosher and contains no added sugar, salt or preservatives.  Yum-a-Roo’s come in small, re-sealable pouches that are perfect for lunchboxes, picnics, road trips, playgrounds, airplanes and of course, zoos!

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In conjunction with the launch of Yum-A-Roos, NurturMe has created a free iPad and iPhone App starring “Roo” their adorable Kangaroo character.  The fun and educational new App teaches tots about their favorite fruits and veggies.  The Yum-A-Roo App can be downloaded here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yum-a-roo/id656498831.

In addition to the new Yum-A-Roos toddler snack line NurturMe recently announced the expansion of their award-winning line of organic dried baby food – including the introduction of a 100% quinoa rice cereal alternative and a new line of blended NurturMeals organic dry meal pouches that combine delicious and nutrient-rich fruit and veggie flavors. The first “stage-free” food for little ones, NurturMe’s new convenient and healthy organic dry meal pouches and fruit and veggie snacks make it even easier for busy parents to ensure their children are getting maximum nutrition with every bite – from infants to toddlers, and everywhere in between.  All NurturMe products are made in the USA from specially selected organic super fruits and veggies that are lovingly harvested and quick-dried in order to preserve freshness, flavor, phytochemicals and other nutrients.

NurturMe products are available for purchase nationwide online, as well as in select Whole Foods, Kroger family and Babies R Us stores across the country. Please visit nurturme.com for pricing and where to buy in your neighborhood.

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NurturMe is having a  contest where you can win a free iPad Mini! Contest link: http://www.facebook.com/nurturme.

 

 

About NurturMe

A revolution in feeding little ones, NurturMe is the first and only family of certified-organic, dried fruit and veggie meals and snacks created for children 4 months to 4 years. The first “stage-free” food for little ones, NurturMe’s line of organic dry NurturMeal pouches and Yum-a-Roo’s dried fruit and veggie snacks were designed to meet every yummy need, from infants to toddlers, and everywhere in between. NurturMeals and Yum-a-Roo’s are certified organic, gluten-free*, non-GMO and kosher, with no added preservatives, sugars or salts – only the good stuff. All NurturMe products are made from specially selected super fruits and veggies that are lovingly harvested and quick-dried in order to preserve freshness, flavor and nutrients.

Please visit nurturme.com for pricing and where to buy in your neighborhood. Visit them on Facebook at Facebook.com/nurturme and on Twitter at Twitter.com/nurturme for news of special promotions, new product introductions and more.

Self Disclosure: NuturMe sponsored Feature. No compensation was received to feature.

 

Binteo

Attention all avid and amateur chefs! Do you love to match taste with presentation? Not sure how to keep your cookies from spreading too thin? Are you looking for tips on the easiest way to peel garlic or make a fabulous chocolate torte with just four ingredients? I know that I have personally wondered these things!

Then, check out the new and exciting way to get (and give) topline guidance and inspiration on the ONLY social media network that connects people with their pursuits:

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Binteo (www.binteo.com) is turning social networking upside down. It isn’t about connecting based on WHO you know, but WHAT you know – or want to learn about it. The site has several interest groups forming now, including cooking, with top experts in the field, as well as other enthusiasts like yourself, to offer great advice. The Binteo cooking community is where you can lead meaningful conversations, in real-time, with others that share your common interest. Is cooking breakfast more of your forte than making dinner entrees? You can connect with others who thrive on making top notch omelets rather than Pasta Bolognese!

Because the Binteo communities are specialized with people seeking specific topics, there is finally an online space where you can take your knowledge to the next level and help others, too, without fearing that your cooking questions or food pics are boring others (such as your Facebook pals).

You can even join sub-groups for specific cooking discussions – such as Mediterranean style cuisine, Italian style, BBQ tips & tricks, cupcakes and more – or start your own! The Binteo community has great communication options such as private chat/calls/video, public posts, group chat, video, photos and news feeds. Experts provide members with insights Q&A, one-on-one sessions and more!

Become one of the newest Binteo cooking community members to be automatically entered to win a $100 gift card to Chef Central, the culinary superstore!

 When you think of Binteo.com, think Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest all combined into ONE fabulous social space based on your specific interest, hobby or passion.  Currently the site is offering cooking, gardening, photography and Autism advocacy communities, but if you don’t see a group you want to join now, sign up and click on YOU DECIDE and tell us what you’d like to see next. Binteo will be launching many interest groups in the coming weeks and months as the new platform rolls out.

Learn more about Binteo in our short video:   http://www.youtube.com/binteoconnect

 

You can sign up now at www.binteo.com and help Binteo reach its new member milestone while it is still in beta! I just signed up and it really seems like a great new website!

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Self Disclosure: Binteo sponsored Feature. I did not receive any compensation to feature.

SENG Offers Free Parent/Educator Webinars!

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Does anyone really know what you’re going through as a parent of a gifted child? Parents need special understanding in order to raise and advocate for the social and emotional needs of their gifted children. To this end, Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted(SENG) is proud to sponsor, during the third week in July each year, National Parenting Gifted Children (NPGC) Week – an event listed in the National Special Events Registry. NPGC Week celebrates the joys and challenges of raising, guiding, and supporting bright young minds.

This year we are excited to announce a week of free SENG webinars (SENGinars)! From Monday through Thursday during NPGC we will offer one specific SENGinar recording for free each day. These SENGinars are perfect for parents, grandparents and education professionals. Even if you are not sure that your child is “gifted” chances are you will find a topic that resonates.

In order to download your free SENGinar, please visit thestore and find the title below on the specified date (they are listed alphabetically), or follow the link below, and purchase it. It will show up in your checkout cart, for that day only, with no charge! We welcome you to share this offer by telling your friends or posting to your social media sites, but please DO NOT share your downloaded presentation. Free recordings are for single-use only.

Here is the list of free SENGinars:

*Recorded SENGinars are always available in the SENG store for $40 for personal use and $150 for a site license. You can also learn more about our live SENGinars by clicking here.

Last year, SENG coordinated a blog tour of resources related to parenting gifted children. Links to those resources are available on SENG’s website here.

By: SENG (sengifted.org) and Lauren Longworth

Photo Credit: www.sengifted.org

Disclaimer: SENG is not a sponsor of SoCal City Kids. However, Lauren Longworth, Editor and Publisher of Macaroni Kid Santa Fe (and good friend of SoCal City Kids) is also the Manager of Online Communications for SENG. Please contact Lauren directly if you have any questions.

 

A Place at the Table

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“A Place at the Table” Will Open Your Eyes to the Harsh Realities of a Food Insecure Nation.

This documentary investigates incidents of hunger experience by millions of Americans every day and proposes solutions to the problem. Fourteen-year-old KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Cassandra reviews it below.

“A Place at the Table” completely transformed my paradigm of America. When I hear the words “hunger” and “starvation,” images of ravenous, malnourished, dying children in Africa instantly pop into my head. However, this poignant, simple, and impacting documentary showed me that “hunger” could be sitting right next to me in school. This 84-minute documentary details with moving austerity how and why even in America, the world’s richest nation, children are going hungry.

Featuring Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, the founder of the End Hunger Network, “A Place at the Table” follows people, all from different towns and cultural backgrounds, who are food insecure. In other words, they have no idea when and how their next meal is going to come in. 50 million people in America are food insecure. This not only stunts physical development but mental development as well. Take Rosie, a fifth-grader growing up in rural Colorado. She tries to focus in school, but hunger pains cause her to zone out or to imagine her friends and teachers as fruits. Her dream is that one day, her kids can do what they want to do and what they need to do without going hungry.

Another instance is Barbie, a single working mother with two kids. Her toddler son mumbles and has an attention-deficit symptom. This is because of the lack of food for Barbie and her family when he was born. The lasting effects of hunger in a child’s first years impact a child much more deeply in the brain than the body. It’s an emotional moment to see Barbie break down into tears in front of her kids, exhausted of the intense struggle to make ends meet.

The documentary grippingly touches on so many different issues. It clears up myths and breaks stereotypes. A false paradigm that America blindly looks through is that hunger doesn’t exist because children struggle with obesity.  However, obesity, hunger, and being food insecure go hand-in-hand. Because of a low income, families on a very limited budget shop for the cheapest foods in store – chips, cookies, and ice cream. Produce is simply too expensive.

Hunger exists not because there is not enough food. Hunger exists because it isn’t a big enough issue on the political agenda. The documentary is packed with real statistics and visuals that are not just standard, cold numbers, but the toll of hunger is shown in the glimpses of families scrambling to break the cycle of poverty.  This film calls out to audiences to end hunger in America by alerting politicians and the government. “It’s just appalling,” says actor Jeff Bridges. “You know if another country was doing this to our kids we would be at war. It’s just insane and it doesn’t have to be that way.”

“A Place at the Table” will truly open your eyes to the harsh realities of a food insecure nation. I am determined to push forward in this fight of ending hunger, and I believe our nation can rise out of the pit we’ve buried ourselves in. America’s youth has a passion and an unbendable will to fight for what’s right, and if pointed in the right direction, I believe that the American Dream of prosperity can come true. The only thing standing between now and the extinction of hunger is the hurdle of ignorance, clouding youths’ and the government’s minds. Share this documentary with friends and family – I recommend this for all ages. If we act with urgency and boldness, perhaps one day, everyone will have a place at the table.

 

Reviewed by Cassandra Hsiao, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

MAM

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You may remember that earlier this summer we announced that the  MAM products including the MAM Mini Air Pacifier,MAM Perfect Pacifier 0-6 months and 6+ months and the MAM Trainer training cup had been named 2013 National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA) winners.  The Perfect Pacifier was a Gold Winner in the Maternity/Breastfeeding category and MAM’s Mini-Air pacifier and Trainer cup were Silver Winners in the Maternity/Breastfeeding category.

We received the following products: MAM Night pacifier for 0-6 months and the Oral Care Rabbit which is for cleaning baby’s palate and gums. Since I don’t have a little one, a friend (and new mom) tried them out with her daughter. She agrees that these are new baby must-haves! The MAM Night Pacifier glows in the dark which makes it easier to find and it comes  in a sterilizer & carry box. Her favorite is the Oral Care Rabbit because it’s so easy to use and her daughter loves the cute bunny face. She even opens her mouth!

You can find these and many other amazing products at http://www.mambaby.com/

Self Disclosure: I received products to facilitate this feature but any opinions my own.

 

Pediped Originals for those First Steps!

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Do you have a little one learning how to walk? Are you looking for more comfortable shoes? I do remember when my son was little, it was tough to find cute shoes that were more than just cute! Pediped makes handcrafted, soft-soled leather footwear called Originals and they are especially made for those first steps! Perfect for infants ad children learning to walk. A friend of mine recently had her first baby girl and so we received a pretty pink pair to try out on her little one. First, they really are adorable! But, more important is how they are made and how comfortable they are.  The best thing is that they are made of the highest quality leather and also feature a soft foam insert between the leather layers.

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They really are made well and are comfortable. My good friend Jina says “My daughter likes to keep them on and she has refused to wear other brands of shoes!” I have actually seen her daughter not like to wear shoes but she seems to want to wear these! The Originals come in sizes XS (0-6 mo)-Lrg (18-24 mo) and are for ages 0-24 months. You can find them on the Pediped website. They also have shoes for little kids and bigger kids and for both boys ad girls. Actually, I am hoping they will soon make them in bigger sizes because my son has outgrown Pediped but loves their shoes! Pediped is currently having a Semi Annual Sale-so don’t miss out! Check them out on Facebook too!

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Self Disclosure: We received a pair of Pediped Originals to facilitate this feature but opinions are our own. Photo Credit: Pediped.

“Turbo” – A Movie for Younger Kids with Wit and Heart

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From the makers of “Madagascar” and “Kung Fu Panda,” “Turbo” is a high-velocity 3D comedy about an underdog snail who kicks into overdrive when he miraculously attains the power of super-speed. But after making fast friends with a crew of streetwise, tricked-out es-car-goes, Turbo learns that no one succeeds on their own. So he puts his heart and shell on the line to help his pals achieve their dreams, before Turbo-charging his own impossible dream: winning the Indy 500. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Cassandra Hsiao (age 15) comments, “Although initially skeptical, I changed my mind for the better because of the movie’s amusing wit and heart.” Stacy Belizaire (age 10) adds, “I love the movie ‘Turbo!’ It is really fun and must have been an awesome movie to act in.”

Check out their full reviews below and see the difference between a 15-year-old and a 10-year-old’s perspective.

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By Cassandra Hsiao, age 14, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

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By Stacy-Love Belizaire, age 10, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.

Stacy’s video review, with her older sister.

New Sally Hansen Ouch-Relief Wax Kit for Summer!

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I have to admit it! Waxing can be painful! So, I was thrilled to receive the New Ouch-Relief Wax Kit from Sally Hansen. This no-heat formula is simple to use, not messy and easily rinses off with water. The Pre-Treatment helps reduce pain while waxing and results can last up to 8 weeks. *Individual hair re-growth results will vary. I like how easy it is to use and that it really wasn’t painful! It’s great for the body and face. For more information, check out the Sally Hansen website. This really is a must-have this summer!

Self Disclosure: I received this product to facilitate this review but any opinions are my own.