Celebrate #DaddysDay with MAM and win a $500 prepaid card or tickets to a MLB game of your choice!

#DaddysDay - Chelsea

MAM is celebrating Father’s Day with a great contest!

 

This Father’s Day, MAM will be selecting one lucky person to win a $500 prepaid card or tickets to a Major League Baseball game of your choice! Share a story that shows what makes the dad in your family a great father with the #DaddysDay hashtag and MAM will select their favorite story to win! Enter here: http://www.facebook.com/mambabyusa

This contest ends June 18th.

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We have teamed up for a Giveaway! One winner will win a $30 MAM prize package! To enter leave a comment below telling us something great about your Dad or Husband! Deadline to enter is June 18th, 2017 at noon PST.

Follow MAM:

Facebook: MAMbabyUSA

Twitter: @MAMBABY

Pinterest: MAMUSA

Instagram: @Mam_usa

 

Credit: MAM.

STOP THE SUMMER SLIDE!

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Nine Weeks of Ad-Free Stories, Games and Activity Ideas, as part of Cricket Media’s Keeping Tech in Check Initiative, Available FREE to Everyone Via keepingtechincheck.com.

 

Research shows that just two or three hours a week of reading helps stop the “summer slide,” where children lose months of academic achievement through inactivity. This summer, families everywhere are invited to discover a world of adventure and learning with Cricket Media’s free BUG CAMP 2017.  Created with engaging content from Cricket Media’s award-winning and ad-free magazines for children and teens, BUG CAMP offers an interactive way to get the family reading and stop the summer slide!

 

Launching on keepingtechincheck.com on June 5, Cricket Media’s BUG CAMP 2017 will offer nine weeks of reading-focused fun, from downloadable stories and games, to recipes and easy craft ideas, and outdoor activities, all crafted by Cricket Media magazine editors for various age and grade levels.  From Day #1, kids may download the colorfully illustrated story, “A Day at the Pond” (originally published in CLICK magazine) and learn all about the animals, plants and environment in a summery pond through the week. Other weekly themes will include

“My Backyard,” “Travel,” “Sports,” “The Environment,” “Fourth of July,” “The Beach,”

“Gardening,” “Art” and “Night/Camping/Hiking”.  Kids, parents, and caregivers may grab great ideas to fill their summer days with engaging activities tied to each week’s reading, like making a water scope to view pond life, playing a “Nature Detective Bingo” game, or making dragonflies out of pretzels.

 

BUG CAMP 2017 is a feature of Cricket Media’s new Keeping Tech in Check initiative, launched this spring in conjunction with the Parents’ Choice Foundation.  A “Random Activity Generator” at keepingtechincheck.com will lead to even more ideas for family activities this summer. With the tagline, “a balance, not a ban,” Keeping Tech in Check offers a wealth of tools, tips and resources to help families find the right balance between technology and real-life experiences.

 

Also in June, Cricket Media joins with PBS Parents to help bridge the summer learning gap through PBS’ annual summer learning initiative, “Summer of Adventure.” Families may download Cricket Media’s free “My Nature Journal” at PBS Parents’ summer site: http://www.pbs.org/parents/summer/.

 

As a special deal to get summer reading rolling, Cricket Media is offering a “3 for 5” magazine exclusive subscription deal, available only from Cricket’s online store. Families may order 3 magazines for $5, for a limited time, from https://shop.cricketmedia.com/3-for-5.

 

Credit: CRICKET MEDIA

Cricket Media, Inc. is an education media company that provides award-winning content on a safe and secure learning network for children, families, and teachers across the world. Cricket Media’s 11 popular media brands for toddlers to teens include Babybug®, Ladybug®, Cricket® and Cobblestone™. The Company’s innovative web-based K12 tools for school and home include CricketTogether™, an employee engagement eMentoring program that builds literacy and problem-solving skills that expand students’ world views as well as the ePals community and virtual classroom for global collaboration. Cricket Media serves millions of teachers, students and parents in over 200 countries and territories through its platform and NeuPals, its joint venture with China’s leading IT services company Neusoft. Cricket Media also licenses its content and platform to top publishing and educational companies worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.cricketmedia.com.

Photo:Bug Camp bug by artist Michael Chesworth.

 

 

One Lucky Kiddo will be the next #zulilycutie!

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Exciting News!  zulily has launched the search for their next #zulilycutie! Here at zulily, they are ALL about inspiring their fans to share the unique and special #zulilycutie in their life on social media! So, in celebration of all the cuties out there, they are hosting another contest to find their next OFFICIAL #zulilycutie (aged between 2-5 years old), who will be the face of an upcoming zulily campaign!

So, what is a #zulilycutie? It’s an adorable kid with a unique style, personality and sense of fun. Above all, they’re looking for a cutie who embodies their zulily spirit. At zulily, what makes them unique is their use of real people as models to tell a story around the products their customers love. Many of their models are everyday people like you and me, unique in all the best ways!

The winner of the #zulilycutie contest will receive:

  • A trip to zulily headquarters in Seattle, WA for a photo shoot featuring the cutie, which will be used in an upcoming zulily campaign!
  • Featured in images and posts across zulily’s social media channels!
  • A feature blog post here on The Find!
  • The opportunity to take over zulily’s Instagram account and more!

Be sure to watch the zulily social channels for updates on this exciting contest! All information, including how to enter, is available at the link below.

Contest Blog Link: http://www.zulily.com/blog/the-find/may-zulilycutie-contest/

 

Credit: zulily. I did receive some form of compensation to post. The contest is not affiliated with SoCal City Kids.

5 things you need when your kids get their first job

Congratulations for your kid’s first job. Is he/she relocating to a new destination? It must be hard for the child to adjust. You as a parent must make it comfortable for your child.

You must be feeling very proud as parents! Your child has landed with a lucrative job offer. A lot is going to change for her/him after she/he bags the job opportunity. After all it the first job and it is a transition period that your kid undergoes. From being under your protective shell, she/he is going to a totally different world that she/he is completely unfamiliar of.

As parents there are several things that you need to do so that your child is comfortable enough when they get their first job and relocate to some other location. Moving out of the home and settling someplace else means moving out of the comfort zone and adapting to a totally new environment.

Have an open conversation with your child

Since your child is away from home, adjusting to a totally new environment with new people, you have to also assure your child that you are with him/her every time. For this, there is the requirement of an open conversation with your child. Your child must be comfortable and feel free to talk about everything. This attitude can help your child adjust faster.

Make sure your child has the right documentation.

When your child gets their first job there are a few bits of documentation they will need to have. They will need to set up a current account for their paycheck, have ID to show they are eligible to work and other more local documents, such as social security in the US and National insurance in the UK, these are easy to get, for example, National insurance can be easily sorted by sites like NI apply in the UK to get them in the workplace as soon as possible. Also, a pan card new registration is worthwhile having for tax records.

Words of encouragement are a must

The words of encouragement from the parents are the best for your kid’s self-esteem boosting. Your kid might be little shy and have a low level of confidence. Words of encouragement can be an excellent medicine to eliminate their inferiority complex and also help them adjust faster. This is a must step for all those parents whose kids are going out for jobs outside.

Avoid being judgemental

A new workplace, and that too when it is the first job, is not an easy thing to handle. Your child will be busy learning things in office. In fact, in the personal front as well, your child is adjusting to the new environment. In the midst of all such events, there is every possibility that your child might not get the adequate amount of time to make calls to you or even speak to you. It is advisable that you should not be judgemental about your child’s behavior because he/she is going through a lot of new things and that too all alone without your physical presence.

Always support your child

No matter what it is your duty as parents to support your kids every time. Even if your child’s performance at the workplace is not satisfactory, you must support him/her and encourage to do better. You should never discourage the child and compare with others. Everyone is different and unique in their very own ways.

 

 

Kids Eat FREE Every Wednesday Night at Ruby’s Diner Downey

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Ruby’s Diner in Downey is pleased to announce the launch of Ruby’s Diner Family Night: Kids Eat Free on Wednesdays beginning May 17, 2017. At the new Ruby’s Diner Family Night, kids 12 years of age and younger will eat for FREE from 4-9pm*.

“The Downey community has been extremely welcoming and has embraced our new Ruby’s Diner with open arms. We are thrilled to be able to offer this special kids Eat Free promotion to the community as a way of celebrating,” stated Abraham Kobi, franchise owner of Ruby’s Diner in Downey. 

Young guests of Ruby’s Diner can choose from an array of entée options on the kids menu including the kid-sized beef or turkey burger, macaroni and cheese, BBQ chicken breast meal, hot dog, grilled cheese, chicken fingers, turkey corn dog, peanut butter & jelly sandwich and cheese quesadilla. Every kids meal at Ruby’s Diner includes a choice of French fries, applesauce or sliced apples, plus a refillable drink with an upgrade option available for a handmade kid-sized shake, malt or float.

Bring the whole family and shooby dooby down to Ruby’s Diner at the Promenade at Downey every Wednesday for Family Night! 

*Family Night: Kids Eat Free Promotion Details –  Limit one free child’s entrée per each adult entrée purchased. One free toy with every Kids meal. Valid at participating locations only. Dine-in only. Additional charge on substitutions and additions may apply. Cannot be combined with any other offer, coupon, promotion or discount. 

Ruby’s Diner Downey

8801 Apollo Way, Downey, CA 90242

562 – 401 – 4011

Open Daily: 7am – 9pm

Self Disclosure:  No compensation was received to post. Credit: Ruby’s Diner.

Kiehl’s partners with Jeff Koons and International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children

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Jeff Koons and the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) to help raise awareness and funds for missing children.

 

In keeping with their longstanding commitment to children, Kiehl’s, Jeff Koons and ICMEC have partnered as we’ve never before:  Jeff is creating TWO original pieces of art with Kiehl’s – 1.) a Limited Edition Kiehl’s x Jeff Koons collectible tin for customers, and 2.) a public art installation in New York for all!

Beginning May 2, Kiehl’s will donate 100% of net profits from the sales of any product in our Midnight Recovery Collection, up to $100,000, to benefit ICMEC. Any customer who purchases any of the three items in the range will be able to take home the collectible tin, their own work of art from one of the foremost internationally recognized American contemporary artists.

The Midnight Recovery Collection is:

 

Kiehl’s will then further bring this program to life with the unveiling of an original Jeff Koons public art installation, in New York, the first week of May. (Location is under wraps for now!) With its incredible NYC backdrop, the installation will represent Kiehl’s commitment to community spirit and the greater good – right in our hometown.

Credit: Kiehl’s.

The Queen Mary’s Ships & Giggles Comedy Night Continues May 8

The Queen Mary welcomes back Ships & Giggles Comedy Night to The Observation Bar & Art Deco Lounge aboard the ship for another Monday night filled with laughs and drinks with some of the funniest comedians Southern California has to offer.

 

WHO:

Hosted by internationally known comedian, Rocco Stowe, this comedy showcase features top Los Angeles comedians including ANT, Joe Dosch, Craig Phillip Conant, Brian Monarch, and Kate Quigley. ANT was a regular guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Tyra Banks show and is the only comedian to appear on all five seasons of NBC’s hit series Last Comic Standing. Joe Dosch recently performed on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle 2 and has also written material for the Comedy Central Roasts of Rob Lowe and Justin Bieber. Craig Phillip Conant is a Los Angeles native who quickly became a rising star performing regularly at the World Famous Comedy Store. Brian Monarch can be seen on Fox, Hulu, and Comedy Central or at your favorite comedy clubs around town on any given night. Kate Quigley is a headlining comedian and actress who hosted the 2016 AVN Awards and can currently be seen on MTV2’s ADD TV. She is also a paid regular at the Improv, Laugh Factory, Icehouse, and Haha Comedy Club in Hollywood.
WHEN:

Monday, May 8 at 8 p.m.


WHERE:

The Observation Bar & Art Deco Lounge, The Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802

TICKETS:

Admission is $15 per person and $5 of the admission ticket value can be used at the Observation Bar and Queen Mary restaurants during the comedy showcase.

 

PARKING:
Parking is $8 with validation.

PURCHASE TICKETS AND INFORMATION:
http://www.queenmary.com/events/ships-giggles-comedy-night/

 

Credit: The Queen Mary.

Cricket Media Introduces KEEPING TECH IN CHECK!

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More and more, contemporary parents feel “tech shamed” over the amount of time that their children spend consuming electronic media.  Research released almost daily warns of the mental health value of unplugging and the dangers of unrestricted time spent in front of a screen for kids of all ages. While parents recognize that today’s technology offers numerous developmental and educational benefits, parental anxiety over the tech takeover of family life is real and growing-but it’s time to reframe the conversation.
This April, Cricket Media, the most award-winning children’s magazine publisher in the marketplace and Parents’ Choice Foundation, the nation’s oldest nonprofit guide to quality children’s media and toys, will launch theKEEPING TECH IN CHECK campaign. With the tagline, “a balance, not a ban,” KEEPING TECH IN CHECK offers families across the country a wealth of tools, tips and resources to help them find the right balance between technology and real-life experiences at KeepingTechinCheck.com.
Unlike similar efforts that focus only on “unplugging,” KEEPING TECH IN CHECK recognizes that screens are a mainstay in our 21st century lives, and this initiative is being launched to help parents mindfully manage screen-time as an intentional part of a daily “diet” of activities.
“Technology is here to stay, offering a wealth of resources,” says Stephanie Sharis, CEO of Cricket Media.  “Our magazines have always promoted active learning, acting as catalysts for children’s curiosity and creativity.  And with the Keeping Tech in Check initiative, we hope that we can help that play out in real life as much as online.”
The KEEPING TECH IN CHECK hub has been thoughtfully designed to give parents the information they need to navigate and manage technology guilt-free in ways that work for them.   Drawing from Cricket Media’s deep archive of award-winning magazine content, the site includes stories and downloadable activities, as well as news and current research. A dedicated blog will feature expert advice and real-life ideas for activities that shine the spotlight on balancing tech mindfully.
Launched on April 17, families everywhere are invited to join the KEEPING TECH IN CHECK community at KeepingTechinCheck.com. Among the site’s features at launch will be:
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics Media Use Planner and Media Calculator (both kids and parents will be able to monitor their tech use with these planners)
  • Downloadable content from Cricket Media’s award-winning magazines, designed for ages 3 mos. to 14+
  • Advice from experts and peers, including a regularly updated blog written by Cricket Media editors, parents and other experts, sharing seasonal and topical ideas for screen-free activities, including “Out of the Box” ideas to unplug. Guest bloggers offer real-life examples of unplugged fun for various ages
  • Programs designed to focus families on achieving their goals together, including a summer reading program; the Smithsonian Institute sponsored Folklife Challenge and Invent It Challenge; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Gene Yang’s Reading without Walls Challenge
  • Mini printable books -colorfully illustrated tales by top authors and artists, aimed at a variety of age levels
  • Printable activities – enjoy conversation starters, scavenger hunts, recipes, party ideas, ad-lib word games, writing prompts, and brain teasing games for the whole family
  • Parents’ Choice Family Adventures Map
  • Subscription discounts to the 11 ad-free and multiple award-winning Cricket Media magazines for various ages and interests: ASK, BABY BUG, CLICK, CICADA, COBBLESTONE, CRICKET, DIG, FACES, LADYBUG, MUSE, and SPIDER
 “We long ago crossed the Digital Rubicon,” adds Claire Green, president of The Parents’ Choice Foundation.  “Keeping Tech in Check offers parents ways to help balance families’ screen based play.  No PhD required.”
 
About Cricket Media
Cricket Media is an education media company that provides award-winning content on a safe and secure learning network for children, families and teachers across the world.  Cricket Media’s 11 popular media brands for toddlers to teens include Babybug®, Ladybug®, Cricket™ and Cobblestone™.  The Company’s innovative web-based K12 tools for school and home include the ePals community and virtual classroom for global collaboration as well as Cricket Together, an e-Mentoring program that builds reading, writing and critical thinking skills. Cricket Media serves millions of teachers, students and parents in over 200 countries and territories through its platform and NeuPals, its joint venture with China’s leading IT services company Neusoft. Cricket Media also licenses its content and platform to top publishing and educational companies worldwide.
 
About Parents’ Choice Foundation
Established in 1978 as a 501c3, Parents’ Choice Foundation is the nation’s oldest nonprofit guide to quality children’s media and toys. Best known for the Parents’ Choice Awards® program, the Parents’ Choice Award Seals are the Foundation’s internationally recognized and respected icons of quality. Parents’ Choice Award judges are experts in areas of industry and interest, from dinosaurs to digital media and from mathematics to making mayhem. The Parents’ Choice Awards committee members hail from families across the country who evaluate media and products based on developmentally appropriate content and challenges, design and function, the educational value, long-term play value, and the benefits to a child’s social and emotional growth and well being. Please visit www.parents-choice.org for more information.
Self Disclosure: SoCal City Kids is honored to say we are a member of the advisory panel. So stay tuned for more!