You can never have too many wet wipes or Purell when traveling with kids. Now, thanks to a robot (yes, seriously) you can have one less thing to worry about on your next family vacation. Meet the CleanseBot, which zaps bacteria in hotel rooms so you can stop saying “don’t touch that” 24/7.
Launched on IndieGoGo last year, the CleanseBot is a tiny, packable bot that sanitizes and disinfects surfaces, including the hotel bed. It is built with a UV-C light that promises to prevent the spread of airborne viruses and according to the campaign page, a study found that the pint-sized bot actually kills 99.99 percent of E.coli.
The CleanseBot, which can run for three hours without needing to be charged, has three different modes. The first is an auto setting which will clean the surface of the bed underneath the blanket for 30 to 60 minutes. The second mode is a hand-held setting that allows you to clean smaller items, like the alarm clock or TV remote. The third mode turns CleanseBot into a portable charger allowing you to charge your devices using the USB-C port.
IndieGoGo backers can currently score this amazing little robot for $99. It is still in the prototype phase, but it is scheduled to deliver in April 2019. The original price is set at $259, which means the CleanseBot will likely jump to that cost when the product actually launches, so act fast if you want to score a deal.
We have been checking out these color-coded after school routine clocks on Pinterest for quite a while. Similar to an alarm clock, these clocks are designed to keep the kids’ activities organized and kids on track with minimal reminders. The new year seemed like the perfect opportunity to create a back-to-school routine and add structure to the afternoon and evening.
While not particularly crafty, we found the instructions pretty straight forward. You can even get the kids involved!
Supplies
White Wall Clock (Amazon has a large selection from $7.99 – $15.99)
Paint or Colored Markers
Ruler
Paper
STEP 1:
Take the plastic cover off the clock and use a ruler to outline your after school schedule. For us, it is
3-5 pm Playtime
5-6 pm Homework
6-7 pm Dinner
7-8 pm Reading / Quiet Time
8-8:30 pm Pajamas, Brush Teeth and Lights Out
STEP 2:
Paint in the outlined portions of the clock.
STEP 3:
Print off your list of activities and match the color to correspond with the colored section on the clock.
STEP 4: Find a place to hang the clock that is easy for kids to see. Tape your schedule below (or put in a picture from and set on the table). Now kick back and relax!
––video, photos and copy courtesy of Corrinne and Briana Van Dorpe
Steve Irwin’s legacy of animal conservation lives on, thanks to his wife and two kids. A new animal series, Crikey! It’s the Irwins, is set to premiere this fall, giving us all that up-close look at animal life with this animal-loving family that we’ve missed since Steve’s passing.
Terri Irwin and kids Bindi and Robert are all set to star in the new series for Animal Planet that will follow their lives as they work and live at Australia Zoo. The show will give fans a look at what daily life is like for them in their unusual home where they care for over 1,200 animals, as well as running a wildlife hospital. “It’s an amazing place to live,” Robert told PEOPLE. “Our alarm clock in the morning is the tigers roaring.”
‘Crikey! It’s The Irwins!’ I am so happy to announce that our brand new Animal Planet series will be airing on October 28th. 🐊🌿 We can’t wait to share our story with you as we continue Dad’s important work. This feels like a beautiful new life chapter. I hope to see you there. pic.twitter.com/je5VqCe4aG
Since Steve Irwin’s tragic death in 2006, his family has worked hard to continue his life-long conservation efforts. “We’re all about carrying on in our dad’s footsteps,” Bindi, 20, tells PEOPLE.
This won’t be the first time in front of the camera for the Irwin kids. Besides appearing on their dad’s show, The Crocodile Hunter, both kids have also hosted their own shows on Discovery Kids.
Crikey! It’s the Irwins premieres Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. Eastern on Animal Planet.
I remember vividly the day I decided to start blogging. We were riding home from the North Carolina State Fair and it was numbingly cold. We’d been married about two years, and had just moved into our little home by the roadside.
I was working full-time as a proposal manager and he was crawling under houses fixing leaky pipes and installing water heaters. We were both employed, but stifled creatively.
He started beekeeping on the side, which was a really sweet idea. But once your queen flies away from the hive, the whole thing is pretty much shot, so after two failed attempts at keeping her happy at home, we let her go and apologized to everyone we’d promised honey.
For my outlet, I decided to blog. At the time, the movement was still in its infancy and I could count on one hand the number of blogger mamas I knew who were really making a name for themselves. Side note: I still read them all.
My first post went something along the lines of “So, I’m Courtney. This is my little life in a little house in a little town. Let’s follow along together on some of my adventures!” I had a Master’s in writing but was really unsure how to start this thing.
I quickly learned the ropes. I researched the best blogging platform solutions and I figured out which types of image resolutions looked the best on a screen. I learned just enough HTML to get by and figured out how to turn a picture of my cottage into a blog badge (remember those?).
Turns out, for a normal girl living a normal life, I had tons to say! I wrote about my dog’s antics, my romance with my husband, and my hopes for the future. And slowly, people started listening. They also started commenting. They left encouragement, and praise for my prose, and the kindest condolences when my grandpa passed away.
It was more than I’d imagined, and I was so grateful. I also felt really obligated. To post. Every day. To manage the expectations. To keep them interested.
So I tried to do it. I woke up very early before work and tried to pound the keyboard for 30 minutes or so and make something remotely interesting come out. But you know how it goes when you catch up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while? You gab furiously for about two hours and spill everything about what you’ve been up to, but at some point, the conversation plateaus.
You reach a point where you’ve said all there is to say and the other person is finished with the conversation too. That’s how I felt about blogging. I wanted to be there, I just didn’t have anything to add. It wasn’t unlike my senior year of cheerleading, where everything suddenly became uber-competitive and tumbling was a highlight and girls like me who could barely do a back-handspring suddenly had no school spirit, even though we’d been on a squad since grade school.
So one morning, I just did it. I quit. I set my alarm clock for half an hour later, got up and ate breakfast, and headed off to work without glancing at my laptop. Of course, I got to work and immediately started scanning my phone and checking my social channels to see if anyone had commented and missed me. They hadn’t.
And day after day, it got easier, and I felt freer. I still blog intermittently, when something really significant happens to me or inspiration just strikes. It isn’t a chore anymore, but a choice, and that shift in itself is exhilarating.
My daughter came to me the other night and said she wanted to play soccer. I wasn’t surprised. I’d watched her at our neighbor’s chicken stew the weekend before and saw her kick hard and straight. Of course, every mom looks at her child and thinks “Did I birth the next Picasso?” every time she sees a finger painting, so only time will tell how deep this talent lies.
I’m going to enroll her for the next season. I’ll buy the cleats and the overpriced t-shirt and I’ll sit on a cold soccer field with my cup of coffee in hand. I might even go out and buy that “Soccer Mom” hat I saw in the local bakery the other day.
But if she comes up to me and tells me it isn’t fun anymore? I’ll make sure she fulfills any outstanding obligations to her team. Then, I’ll let her stop.
There’s a lesson to be learned in sticking with something, and seeing something through to completion. I get that. I’ll teach that.
But I’ll also teach her to search for the joy, and to run after it when she finds it. I’ll teach her that sometimes our feelings change and what once made us happy might not anymore and that’s OK. Studies show we’re more stressed out now than we’ve ever been. Three years old is too early to start that cycle.
I read this really great quote by poet David Whyte once that read, in part, “Anyone or anything that does not bring you alive is too small for you.”
Sweet girl. You’ve got so much to see, and so much to learn.
Hi, y'all! I'm Courtney. I'm a mama of two, married to my high-school sweetheart and making a life in the little town I grew up in. I'm a writer by trade, but a mama by heart. I love chocolate and I love family. Let's navigate this crazy, messy, blessed journey together!
Just a short drive away from both Portland and Seattle, the Olympic National Coastline and Kalaloch Lodge lies waiting for outdoor-loving families ready to explore, adventure and relax. If whale watching, tide pooling, witnessing a living tree hover above the earth and watching the sun set on the ocean while enjoying delectable meals prepared by a professional chef sounds like the ideal getaway for your clan, read on to find out more about this stunning Washington coast destination.
Located in the Olympic National Park on Washington’s scenic west coast, Kalaloch beach is approximately 3.5 hours from both Seattle and Portland by car making it a reasonable trek for families with young ones. Unsurprisingly, with immediate access to both the coastline and the nearby Hoh Rainforest, it is one of the most visited areas of the Olympic National Park. Weather you and your little explorers enjoy animal spotting, treks on trails through trees or playing in the sand and exploring sea life, there are plenty of activities to fill a weekend or week-long travel itinerary with. By the time you return home you are guaranteed to feel equal parts inspired, relaxed and rejuvenated.
Stay
Kalaloch Lodge If getting away from city life and cozying up with your family by the beach in a remote lodge or cabin setting sounds like bliss, then Kalaloch Lodge is everything you have been dreaming of. Set on a bluff overlooking the ocean, all accommodations are surrounded by both evergreen forests with winding trails and beautiful beaches.
The Lodge Experience
For families looking for more of a resort experience, the main lodge is a perfect choice. The Main Lodge Rooms come in a variety of sizes with either one or two queen beds featuring a custom-made Pendleton blanket. If you choose to stay in the Lodge View Rooms, you will enjoy a stunning view of Kalalach Creek and the ocean as well. Upgrade your stay to the Kalaloch Room or Becker’s Room and your family will have more than enough space for an extended stay with a king bed, sofa sleeper and table and a variety of added amenities.
Staying at the lodge comes with the added benefit of a public sitting area where you can grab a complimentary coffee and relax by a roaring fireplace before you head out on adventures for the day. When you your clan gets hungry, you simply head to the lodge’s Creekside Restaurant to grab your meal before heading out.
A Cabin Stay If your tribe prefers extra space and privacy, or if you have a four legged family member who joins you on your travels, then the Kalaloch Lodge Cabins are just what you need. There are a variety of cabins to choose from and most come with kitchenettes or full kitchens. There are units that also have wood burning stoves equipped with a complementary bundle of wood each night for that extra outdoorsy feel. Cabins are designed to accomodate groups of six to ten people, and some are duplex style and share walls.
All Accommodations Wherever you stay, you can expect to enjoy daily housekeeping, a private bathroom and standard amenities like a coffee maker, alarm clock and walking sticks. Kalaloch Lodge is dedicated to offering a true retreat experience as such they do not offer in-room hones, TVs or WiFi, so get ready to unplug and relax.
Where: 157151 US-101, Forks, Wa Rates: $205/night to $360/night Phone: 866-662-9928 Online:thekalalochlodge.com
photo: Annette Benedetti
Explore
The Tree of Life (AKA Tree Root Cave) Kalaloch beach is home to a mystery that will make both you and your littlest skeptics believe in magic and even miracles. Located on the beach just north of Kalaloch Lodge, this wondrous Sitka spruce tree hovers above a small cave that has been carved into the side of a cliff by erosion cause by a small stream that runs into the ocean. To any passerby the running water appears to flow into the cave from the roots of the tree itself, which are for the most part unattached to soil.
While the tree is attached to soil by a couple of thin roots, the fact that it is still thriving and sprouting new green leaves is astonishing. Only a short, 10 minute hike from the lodge, your young nature lovers will love the trek and the photos you’ll get beneath this amazement are well worth the energy it takes to get to it.
photo: Annette Benedetti
Ruby Beach With a system of beaches (none like the other), there are an endless number of ocean front adventures to go on. Ruby Beach is one of the most well known of the nearby beaches and it is name comes from it’s reddish colored sand and rocky beach. The hike from the parking area down to the ocean is short and easy for even the smallest members of your crew, but gives you a chance to peer at wildlife and enjoy sweeping views of the the mountains, rainforests and wilderness.
Young visitors can entertain themselves for hours exploring the driftwood piles and discovering sculptures made of man-made stacked rocks. Ruby Beach is also perfect for bird watching or, if you make there at low tide. your kids can explore tide pools and get up close and personal with mystical looking sea urchins, beautiful starfish, crusty crabs and tiny fish.
photo: Annette Benedetti
Tide Pooling & Whale Watching Ruby Beach is just one of the areas that offers arguably the most entertaining and educational beach activity for kids and adults alike: tide pooling. The tide pools near Kalaloch are known for having some of the most fascinating creatures and crustaceans to be found. Some of the best beaches for tide pooling (other than Ruby Beach) include Beach 4, Second Beach, Third Beach and Hole-in-the-Wall. Make sure to pick up a map of the local beach areas at Kalaloch Lodge before heading out on your tide pool adventure.
Once you choose your beach, get ready to get a sneak peak into the lives of seas stars, pricklebacks, brittle stars, clams, sea snails and barnacles. Remember to follow tide pooling rules: watch your step and stay off the sea life, touch gently, don’t remove anything from the tide pools, and leave only footprints.
While whale watching isn’t a year-round activity, if you plan your trip to Kalaloch during the peak season you are in for the show of a lifetime. May is considered peak whale watching season, but you can potentially catch a glimpse of the majestic gray whales from the shores or from your cabin or lodge room windows during the months of April, October and November as they journey up and down the Pacific Coast. While you are looking for whales, keep little and big eyes peeled and your cameras ready for seals, sea otters and even orcas!
photo: Annette Benedetti
Eat
Creekside Restaurant
All of your family’s seaside adventuring is sure to work up big appetites. Luckily the Creekside Restaurant, located inside Kalaloch Lodge, has something yummy for everyone in your clan. If you like seasonal seafood dishes and fresh local food, this diner will not disappoint. Dungeness crab cakes and lemongrass manila clams are just the delicious start of what this classy but comfortably joint has to offer on their menu. Try their Washington cheese plate, a grilled New York strip or indulge in Dungeness crab mac & Beecher’s Cheese. And the folks at this establishment haven’t forgot the little ones, their children’s menu has kid favorites like grilled cheese, hamburgers, and linguini pasta.
What is your family’s favorite seaside retreat? Share it with us in the comment section below.
—Annette Benedetti
This trip was paid for by Delaware North but all opinions expressed here belong to the writer.
Who says STEM toys are just for boys? Following recent market trends, toymakers everywhere are tossing the girl/boy idea out the window, and we couldn’t be more excited. After all, girls like to make things and boys deserve a cuddly companion. From gender-neutral dollhouse play to strong superheroes for everyone, it’s time to let a toy be a toy. Scroll down to see our favorites.
1. Build & Imagine StoryWalls These award-winning story blocks combine storytelling and engineering—something every kid can enjoy. Your little player can re-arrange the colorfully illustrated panels, which builds engineering skills like spatial reasoning and problem solving while utilizing his imagination to create a new story every time. Each set (choose from Marine Rescue Center, Fairytale Theater, Day at the Beach and more) comes with multiple accessories that make for hours of entertainment.
2. Circuit Cubes These electronic building cubes were designed by two veteran STEM teachers and are compatible with just about anything. There are three different options— Wacky Wheels Kit, Bright Lights Kid, and Smart Art Kit—and kids can build vertically, horizontally and diagonally (the blocks connect with magnets). All the cubes are compatible with other items including LEGO, cardboard, rubber bands and even wood blocks. The transparent design allows kids to get a good look at what’s going on inside, each block has a play life of about one hour, and is easily rechargeable with a micro-USB port. It’s brilliantly basic engineering at it’s finest and is ideal for mini-makers everywhere.
3. IAmElemental Action Figures The first-ever line of exclusively female superheroes originally launched to worldwide acclaim as a Kickstarter project. The figurines are designed to appeal to both girls and boys, as the company envisions kids as the creators (and in the lead role) of a play experience. The 4” female action figures take inspiration from strong heroes like Joan of Arc and Greek STEM pioneer Hypatia. The latest line, Series 2/Wisdom, focuses on all things STEM with characters Creativity, Ingenuity, Curiosity, Logic, Exploration, Mastery and Oblivion.
4. Wonder Crew
Most toys that teach kindness and empathy are aimed at girls, but the Wonder Crew—Will, Erik, James and Marco—want to help change this fact. Inspired by boys, but great for all kids, these 18” dolls help to build emotional intelligence, imagination, and confidence with different adventurous storylines and accessories, including superheroes, builders, explorers and more.
5. SleeperHero
This super-cuddly superhero stuffie/nightlight/alarm clock wards off bad guys at night and lets kids know when it’s OK to get out of bed in the morning. Accompanied by a book about a little boy who also gets scared in the dark, the SleeperHero is an empowering companion for even the toughest little people out there.
Even more gender-barrier-breaking toys will hit the market this year. Get a sneak peek below.
Melissa & Doug Star Diner Restaurant
Girls aren’t the only ones who can cook. The Star Diner Restaurant from Melissa & Doug makes a chef out of any kid. Available Fall 2017.
Code with Belle
Your little princess can code, too. Hasbro’s Dance with Belle doll comes equipped with an app that allows users to code over 100 different dance sequences. Available Fall 2017.
Baby Alive
The classic interactive toy will introduce a switchable “mom or dad” mode and the newest member of the crew, Snackin’ Luke, later this year. Available Fall 2017.
What do you think of these toys? Share your thoughts in a Comment below.
Keep those little hands busy with an at-home tinkering project that requires little more than a screwdriver and a discarded item, like the one in your closet you’ve been meaning to recycle. Just be sure and unplug or remove any batteries before beginning, and for the little tots watch for the many small parts that will be uncovered. Here are our suggestions for items perfect for table-top dissection on Tinker Day.
1. An old alarm clock, especially the wind-up kind. Yeah, they made those once.
2. A remote-controlled vehicle that doesn’t seem to work anymore. Or you lost the remote. In rare cases, you can dissect the remote control if you’ve lost the vehicle.
3. A toy you have in duplicate.
4. The printer you got tired of replacing all the ink, so you replaced the printer. You were just going to recycle it anyway, right? Why not let them see if they can take it apart and put it back together?
5. A toaster that won’t toast, a blender that’s seen better days, or another small appliance (remove the blades first, of course).
6. The VHS player you are never going to use again. And while you’re at it, let them take apart a video too. They’ll be amazed by this “ancient” technology.
7. Similarly, an old Walkman or cassette player, and the cassette tape that goes with it, (Mom, what did this do again?)
8. An old telephone. And by old, we mean a landline.
9. Flashlights. Pop the batteries out and let the kids see the simple mechanics.
10. A computer mouse. Go ahead, open that desk drawer. We know there’s at least one in there. And while you’re at it, let them dismantle that crumb-covered keyboard.
11. A lamp or desk light.
12. A calculator. Solar ones are extra cool.
13. A fan.
Tip: If you aren’t going to put it back together again, be sure and separate the recyclable and reusable items from the trash. And always dispose of old batteries and e-waste properly.
Spring ushered in daylight savings time, which means our sleep and wake cycles have been thrown in the washer once again. If you’re struggling to come up with ways to get the kids to wake up at a time that’s good for everyone in the family, fret no more. Whether you’re coaxing your tot to stay in bed longer or teaching your big kid how to tell time, stay one step ahead of the sleep and wake game by picking out an alarm clock that fits your child.
Kids learn so much from visual cues, and that’s where this alarm clock from Onaroo really shines. Parents can program what time the clock’s yellow display switches to green or ‘wake up time’ — because even young toddlers know that green means GO! The clock also has a digital time display and a gentle alarm sound that gets louder gradually to wake up big kids who want to get up on their own time.
Building on the ‘green means go’ idea, the Stoplight Alarm Clock is a match for little ones who are having a hard time understanding when it’s time to get up and hollering, “Is it time to get up yet?” from across the hall. This alarm clock uses a traffic stoplight to tell kids that a red light means stay in bed and a green light means it’s wake-up time. Two-year-olds love it and big kids will appreciate its cool design and digital clock feature right below the traffic light.
Is your big kid obsessed with all things Lego and World of Ninjago? If sword fights reign supreme in your household, your little ninja will love this digital clock. Kids can activate the backlight for night viewing of the LED display, and can snooze away by pushing down on the ninja’s head while yelling, “Haiii-ya!”
Here’s a clock that will look good in a 6-year-old’s fairy-themed room, mom’s home office or a contemporary home’s main entryway. There’s no better way to bring that pop of color into your kid’s room than with this iconic LEGO brick alarm clock, complete with a digital LCD screen, backlight, and snooze button.
We live in the age of ever-evolving digital products, and this Zazoo Kids Photo Alarm Clock knows that your 7-year-old early riser may want an alarm clock that reflects his or her modern taste. This multimedia alarm clock is a photo album, mp3 player, audio book player, and alarm clock — all in one product. It’s so foolproof that Zazoo claims that even the most sleep-deprived parent can operate it! The photo alarm shows kids ‘awake’ or ‘asleep’ images, depending on the time of day. Does your little one want a more personalized screen? Let him upload photos of him sleeping or playing from the family’s last vacation directly from his flash drive.
Land of Nod’s Talking Animal Clock is the perfect fit for a child who wants an animal-themed, candy-colored alarm clock on the bedside table. Program the child’s wake time and listen with delight as the alarm clock goes off with its corresponding animal sound: the owl clock goes “whoo-whoo!” and the cat goes “meow-meow!”
3, 2, 1, blast off! Discovery Kids Projection Alarm Clock beeps when it’s time to get up after naps and in the morning. And what’s even cooler is its projection of both the time and cool space images with just the press of a button. Your little space explorer’s imagination can run wild — and hopefully get tired — as he or she imagines what life would be like in Mars right before entering dreamland.
Do you have a family vacation coming up with at least a two-hour time change? This compact, battery operated clock might make jet lag a bit easier on the entire family. The technology is pretty simple: kids know to stay in bed if the ‘sleeping’ sheep on the screen is still lit. When the ‘awake’ sheep lights up, they know it’s time to start the day and go exploring in their new city. The Kid’Sleep Globetrotter also has a pleasant bird chirp alarm to let jet setting big kids know to rise and shine.
Did we miss any of your favorite wake-up time gear? Let us know in the comments section below!
–Cathy Lara
Photo credit: Onaroo, Stoplight Alarm Clock, Lego, Zazoo, Land of Nod, Amazon, and Kid Sleep
