NYC Gets Nutty with the Perfectly Powerful Peanut Pop-Up! #PeanutPower

I'm checking out a special preview of the Perfectly Powerful Peanut Pop-Up space tonight in New York City, which will be open (and free!) on Tuesday, March 31, and Wednesday, April 1, from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm and then from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm both days at The Corner at the Roger Smith Hotel (47th and Lexington).

Stop by to enjoy free peanut powered breakfast and snack samples as well as to visit exhibits and learn about how America's peanuts grow and are feeding the world. You can even get your photo taken with a peanut farmer!

I'll be back tomorrow sharing photos of the Pop Up space as well as recipes from Chef JJ Johnson of The Cecil restaurant in Harlem.

To learn more, visit the Perfectly Powerful Peanut website.

The Perfectly Powerful Peanut Pop-Up is sponsored by The National Peanut Board, which represents America's more than 7,000 peanut farming families.

My Seven Favorite Finds from New York Toy Fair #NYTF #TF15

I recently made my annual visit to the spectacle of all things kid and beyond at the New York Toy Fair. This gigantic trade show is held at the Javits Center and is literally miles of toys, stuffed animals, wooden blocks, Christmas kitsch, dainty dolls and anything else you can imagine.

I always love seeing the latest and greatest in toys, dolls, stuffed animals, and kids products and this year was no exception. Surprisingly, or not surprisingly, over half of my favorites are not even traditional toys, but instead, innovative products geared towards kids. Also, again maybe not a surprise, of the products that made my favorites list, I had only heard of three of them before attending Toy Fair

In no particular order, here are my seven favorite finds from the New York Toy Fair:

1. Shwings - I had just seen these awesome shoe accessories a few weeks earlier at Bank Street Books on the Upper West Side, and had immediately thought my son would like a pair of wings for his sneakers.

 

In addition to wings for shoes, Shwings also has rhinestone decorating kits, and other cool accessories for decorating shoes.

For the young, or the young at heart, I honestly think everyone should have at least one pair of shoes adorned with Shwings. Available online at Shwingsonline.com.

2. Zorbz Self-Seal Water Balloons - That's right, these water balloons self-seal instantly, no tying required! The only self sealing water balloons on the market, they seem like a must-have for summer. Available in packs of 50 and 100; purchase and learn more at ZorbzWaterBalloons.com.

3. I am elemental action figures - Created by a New York City mom in 2013 who was disappointed with the choices in female action figures, these action figures are powerful, and specifically created to provide healthy female action figures for girls. Based on the Periodic Table of Elements, each Element action figure represents a unique power. Purchase single action figures (which come with shields and inter-changeable accessories) or get the lunchbox carry case with all seven. Ages 4+, available online at IAmElemental.com.

4. earZings are pierce-free earrings, especially geared towards girls who don't have pierced ears. These earrings have a unique coil design that makes it possible to easily put on the earnings as well as (according to the founder, I didn't try them) makes them less painful than the usual clip-on or magnetic earrings. Tons of cute designs to choose from, and sure to be a big hit with tweens! Available online at EarZings.com.

5. Plus-Plus - I had spotted these cool building blocks at Sunshine Sam, a battery-free toy store in Bloomfield, NJ previously, so I was already familiar with this great product. This toy from Denmark can be used by kids of just about any age, with older kids building more complex projects and younger kids enjoying the fun of putting the plus-shapes together while developing motor skills. Plus-plus is available in a variety of quantities, as well as building sets.

6. Frogglez - A new innovation in swim goggles, these goggles have a thick neoprene strap that makes them easier to adjust and more comfortable to wear and remove, less hair pulling is one of the features. With a five-year-old son who just started swim lessons, and who cannot seem to get his goggles comfy, this product definitely seems one that will be welcomed by many parents. Available online at FrogglezGoggles.com.

7. Squishables - My tween daughters are obsessed with these adorable stuffed animals, so even though I was pretty sure there was nothing new I could learn, stopping by their booth was a must. I kinda thought it was impossible to top the current adorable creations, like this narwhal, a family favorite,

but one look at new release Hedgehog in Tutu and I knew, there are plenty more lovable creatures coming from Squishables.

Others to be released soon include chocolate milk cow and fortune cat, so really the cuteness is endless. If you don't already have a Squishables habit, now is the time to start one. Available online at Squishable.com, but beware, they rotate styles often, and the tutu hedgehog has not yet been released.

I received press admission to the Toy Fair, and the kind folks at Schwings made sure I didn't arrive home empty handed. My kids loved everything from the butterfly wings to the rhinestone stickcons.

Seen in NYC

How cool is this?

Spotted at Metropolitan Locksmiths, 165 7th Ave in the West Village.

Blue Man Group is a Great Family Show - and I have Tickets to Giveaway!

This spring, my family and I went to see the Blue Man Group in downtown Manhattan. Our kids are ages 10, 8 and 4 and while I was pretty sure the older two would love it, I wasn't quite sure about the youngest.

My husband is a huge fan, and has seen Blue Man Group perform eight times. I've seen the show twice myself, but not recently, so we were both thrilled to share this show we both enjoy so much with our kids.

All three kids loved it, and it really was captivating, even for our four-year-old son, Ziggy. The show has some written word portions, but Ziggy was able to follow-along just fine even though he doesn't read since there is so much that is expressed through the performance. Also, perhaps worth noting, the "blue men" on stage don't talk at all. Like not at all.

I highly recommend the show for a great family outing, just be sure with younger kids they can sit for the duration of the performance, which is about an hour and forty-five minutes without an intermission, and that they know there will be some bright lights and loud noises during the show.

Here are my daughters after the show, thoroughly delighted to meet the Blue Man they had just seen perform on the stage. It was a very special day, and my kids still talk about how much they loved the show.

Go experience the amazing Blue Man Group yourself! 

Blue Man Group performances are at The Astor Place Theatre, located at 434 Lafayette Street, New York, NY.

GIVEAWAY

I'm giving away FOUR TICKETS to a performance of Blue Man Group. Enter here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Small Print:
Winner will receive two vouchers, each good for two tickets to a Blue Man Group performance Sunday-Thursday, subject to availability. Further details about the offer are explained on voucher.

I received tickets to the show for my family and myself to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum

My mom lives near the newly opened National September 11 Memorial & Museum (also known as the National 9/11 Memorial Museum) so she was able to be one of the first to visit it, and to do so free of charge. The museum officially opens today, May 21.

My mom admits that she went thinking she would not like the museum at all, but left feeling it was a beautiful and solemn tribute to a terrible event. In addition to an emphasis on the events of September 11, the museum also focuses on the construction of the twin towers, and the complex and massive engineering feat that construction was, as well as on the rebuilding of the towers that are present today. On display are a few of the massive beams, as well as other relics from the original towers.

There is also a "museum within the museum" where personal artifacts, photos of those who died, and other personal tributes are displayed, which while sharing important historical pieces from September 11 does not necessarily complement the feeling of reflection and contemplation brought on by the open spaces of the rest of the museum complex.

One of the highlights of the museum is the ten minute film Rebirth at Ground Zero created by Project Rebirth, which will be permanent part of the museum.The film, which is a time lapse compilation of the reconstruction of the towers, is the final piece in a series of nine short films which followed nine people directly affected by the 9/11 attacks over eight years. You can read more about the film, and the experience of viewing it at the museum in their press release "Rebirth at Ground Zero" Opens at the National 9/11 Museum. The film's score is by composer Philip Glass, and is magnificent.

In general, my mom thought the 9/11 Memorial Museum was very well done, with just a few misses. One of those misses is the regrettable choice to have a gift shop, and the other, to charge a very steep admission fee -- $24. (Both of these choices are discussed in 9/11 Memorial Museum's Admission Fee, Gift Shop Spark Controversy.)

In addition to the museum there are also 9/11 Memorial walking tours of the area.

All about RoC Brand and how anti-aging products can help your skin age gracefully

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

Despite my many perseverations about my appearance, I will admit that worrying about wrinkles was not one of them. Until recently. Seemingly overnight, and in conjunction with turning the big - and I will admit dreaded - 4-0, I now devote much time and interest into the state of my skin and what anti-aging products can help my skin age as gracefully as possible.

When I heard about the opportunity to learn more about RoC Brand skincare products as well as skincare in general from New York dermatologist Debra Jaliman, I knew this was information I needed.

I got the amazing chance to meet and learn from Dr. Jaliman last week at the #Eyes4NYC event at Duane Reade where we got to "walk the aisle" with Dr. Jaliman.

Dr. Jaliman had a lot of tips for keeping the best care of your skin, including that it's never too early, or too late, to start an anti-aging skincare routine. Dr. Jaliman also recommended when using product to remember that a little goes a long way. A dab of product is usually enough, and more is not necessarily better.

Dr. Jaliman also covers skincare basics and her advice for maintaining beautiful skin in her 2012 book Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist.

We discussed ways that RoC products can help keep skin healthy and also reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and that when choosing a product to look to see if there are clinic trials to back-up any claims about results that are being made.

Since then, I've been using RoC's Retinol Correxion Eye Cream, and it has definitely made a difference both in puffiness and in the wrinkles around my eyes.

RoC has lots of other products to help with anti-aging including Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Daily Moisturizer, Retinol Correxion sensitive eye cream for retinol-sensitive skin, and Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum, which is especially for deep wrinkles and works well under makeup.

All of RoC's products are priced well, have great packaging, clear directions on how they should be used, and are easy to find at Duane Reade stores.

Do you have a great skincare tip? If you do please share in the comments!

Thanks so much to Collective Bias, RoC Brand and Duane Reade for including me in the great #Eyes4NYC #collectivebias event!

Seasonal Allergy Sufferers: Duane Reade and the Poncho Weather Service are to the Rescue!

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

Did you know I am kind of, sorta, maybe possibly a weather geek? No? I admit it, I am. I follow the Twitter and Facebook accounts of several independent meteorologists. And I also follow the official reports from the National Weather Service, both New York City and Mount Holly, just in case they're different. So you can imagine my interest when I heard about a new app, the Poncho Weather Service, and about their partnership with Duane Reade (you can read more about it on Mashable) to help with seasonal allergies by alerting users which days have a high pollen count and offering a coupon for allergy relief products.

Poncho is my new weather best friend. When I signed-up for the service I picked-out a Manhattan Zip Code and provided the times of day that I wanted updates based on when I wake-up as well as when I leave work. I also chose how I wanted the updates (email or text, or both), and now I get my latest weather forecast right on my phone via text as well as in my email. It's awesome.

One of the many reasons I love Poncho is that the weather forecasts are so fun. One day last week I got an all caps directive to "GET OUTSIDE NOW!"

Another day it was "You guys, I've met someone new. Their name is Spring, & I think it's love."

In addition to personalized weather reports, Poncho has subway and train delays based on the  commuting information provided, and if you choose, allergy alerts. As I am one of the many who suffer from seasonal allergy symptoms, I'm glad to be alerted on days when the pollen count is low, moderate or high. And, Poncho goes one stop further and even has coupons to save on allergy relief products at Duane Reade.

My favorite text so far: "Ain't no party like an allergy party cuz an allergy party means a Duane Reade trip," with a link for $4 off Non-Drowsy Claritin.

A few days later I also got a text reminding me to make sure to redeem the coupon, as it expires soon.

When Poncho sent me an email informing it was a high pollen day today, tomorrow and the next day I knew I should stock up with some allergy relief stuff, as I always suffer from seasonal allergies this time of year.

Apparently I'm not alone, because when I got to the top of the escalator at Duane Reade there was a huge display that included a variety of allergy medications and the always necessary, tissues.

There was also a separate Claritin display, and a huge aisle of allergy relief products. In addition to allergy relief medications, there were also cough drops and saline solutions, really everything you could need to feel better.

On my way to pay, I also stopped and got some peppermint tea as I've recently heard it can help allergy sufferers, and I'm always up for trying a new solution.

Back home with my Duane Reade supplies, I'm ready to face allergy season and with Poncho weather service, at least I'll know I'll be as prepared as I can be for days with high pollen counts.

To stay up to date with all things Duane Reade join them on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias (#collectivebias) and its advertiser (#DRAllargy).

Notes from the New York Toy Fair

One of my favorite events of the year is the New York Toy Fair. I go every year to see what's new in the world of toys. And while I saw a ton of amazing products that I can't wait to write about and also to buy my own kids, I also saw a bunch of stuff I just don't think is good for kids.


There's a ton of pink for girls, and blue for boys which just seems so limited.


There's a ton of Hello Kitty and Snow White and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on decks of cards and board games, which I think would be just as good (i.e., better) without the commercial tie-in.


But alas, pink princesses and Disney characters sell stuff, and so I do get it.

I shared my picks for the best and the worst from the Toy Fair at Barista Kids. You can read Trends and Top Picks from the 111th Annual American Toy Fair HERE.

Farewell Noel: The Greatest and Most Depressing Christmas Tree Video You'll Ever See

For anyone who has ever laid awake at night wondering what happens to all those New York City Christmas trees, this video reveals the sad truth.


Farewell, Noel.

With thanks to A.E., the genius behind Farewell Noel.