According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, The Boy Scouts of America has recalled Cub Scout outdoor activity pins because the pin’s face and shaft contain levels of lead that exceed the federal lead content ban. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health issues. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the rhomboid-shaped pin is silver with a gold animal paw painted on a blue background.
Consumers should immediately take the recalled pin away from children and return the pin to any Boy Scouts of America retail store or contact Boy Scout of America’s National Distribution Center for a full refund, including shipping, or for a merchandise credit.
You can reach the Boy Scouts of America at 800-323-0736 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.scoutshop.org and click on “Product Recall” at the bottom of the page for more information
The pins were sold exclusively at Boy Scouts of America retail stores and authorized distributors nationwide and online from Apr. 2016 through Jan. 2020 for about $1.No injuries have been reported.
—Jennifer Swartvagher
Featured photo: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
In an ongoing effort to keep kids learning and experiencing a little culture, the Metropolitan Opera has launched Free Student Streams! The new program is a slew of free opera streams for both teachers and students all over the globe.
The Met website will release free resource materials on Mondays at 10 a.m. EDT, which will include activities, coloring pages, audio clips and tons of background information for the opera streaming that week. On Wednesdays at 5 p.m. EDT, the opera will begin streaming and will remain active for 48 hours on the Met website.
photo: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera
Even more exciting, students can tune into a Zoom call an hour before each performance to interact with an opera singer or a member of the creative team for a virtual conversation! To access the streams, listeners can head to the Free Student Streams page or view the Met Opera on Demand apps.
The next three weeks of free student streams include:
When the calendar rolled to 2020 you likely had no idea what Zoom was. Boy, has that changed. While Chicago is sheltering, the free video-conferencing platform seems to be the center of attention as a way to stay connected with family, friends, school and work and access programming you typically experience in person. The next time you hop on to chat with friends, host a work call or your kid takes a yoga class, why not show your hometown pride with these Chicago-themed Zoom backgrounds?
360 CHICAGO
360 CHICAGO
360 CHICAGO Observation Deck at 875 N. Michigan Ave. now gives your fellow Zoomers something to admire other than you and your makeshift home office.
From twinkling city lights at sunset to stunning lakefront and skyline scenes unique to Chicago, it’s easy and free to swap out backgrounds for aspirational views of 360 CHICAGO and TILT from its 94th-floor perch.
Don't worry, southsiders, we have you covered, too. Until you can take your seat at Guaranteed Rate Field, host your next Zoom call with White Sox as your background. Download here.
The NBA's regular season came to a screeching halt in March. Show your Bulls fandom with the United Center backdrop. Download here.
Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is home to the Chicago Bears and also doubles as an epic concert venue. Its gates are closed for now, but daydream of game days with Soldier Field as your Zoom backdrop. Download here.
Skydeck Chicago will transport you and your Zoom participants 103 stories above the city streets, atop the world-famous Willis Tower. Experience the thrills of stepping out on the Ledge, without the fear factor. Download here.
Chicago Booth grad? Show your school pride with a themed Zoom background. Download (and find more!) here.
Northwestern University
Northwestern's Global Marketing & Communications has created a variety of University-branded Zoom templates, and some that show the cityscape. Download (and explore options) here.
Elmo’s dad has a message for parents everywhere. Sesame Street knows how much hard work is going into working from home and helping with distance learning. They made a new PSA to remind parents to take a moment for themselves.
The PSA, which is part of Sesame Workshop’s new Caring for Each Other initiative, features Elmo’s dad, Louie. Elmo is in the background asking to build a pillow fort, but Louie needs to take a moment to himself. He says, “It is wonderful to be able to spend so much time with our children, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. So I just wanted to say, parents, you’re doing an amazing job. Remember though, it’s important to take some time for yourself. Take care of you. Listen to your favorite song, stretch, or just take a moment to breathe.”
Sesame Workshop’s new Caring for Each Other initiative includes resources for families to help them with distance learning and creating new routines for children to follow. Free eBooks and other downloadable materials are currently available as well.
If you are a mom, you can already relate to this story by the title alone. There is something about taking a phone call that instantaneously turns our kids into incapable, whiney, and loud little souls. In the world of texting, most of my phone calls are quick passages of information, booking appointments, or passive chit chats with friends and family.
However, there are times when a phone call is serious business and when you are a work from home parent, you have no choice but to wing it and book calls when you can. Because I have a two-year-old and a five-year-old, I am careful with booking phone calls with potential clients and meetings to time when my children will be the most cooperative. With one child in school full-time and one still at home, I am never at a place where there is complete silence.
My latest encounter with an important work call left me, prisoner, in my room with screaming kids on the other side of the door. First, we live in a small two-bedroom home, and my room doubles as my “private office” when I need to lock the door to ensure a quiet(er) phone call. When I booked this phone call with a potential client, I tried to schedule it during “after school relaxing” (i.e. screen time). Which in theory, should be the closest time to absolute silence a work at home mom will ever have (that or during the three seconds it takes them to scarf down their desert). Either way, this was my best bet.
The phone call had been set up for a few weeks and I was as prepared (or so I thought) as I could have been. Of course, unforeseeable “mom life” madness ensued. The first clue my plan was going to fall apart? When I realized my daughter’s extracurricular class was scheduled for that day, therefore cutting the hour I gave myself to get the kids home and settled from school, down to only 15 minutes. I hesitated about whether I should move the appointment back, but I did not want to come across as flakey or unorganized, so I opted to keep it and hoped for the best.
Attempting to be prepared, I had readied a plate of afternoon snacks and had them waiting for our return home. At pick up, I rushed them to the car, but we were on track and everyone seemed in good spirits! While driving home, I prepped them on the importance of the phone call, what I needed from them, what they would do, and where I would be. We made it home with one minute to spare, just enough time to unlock the door and give the remotes to my oldest—who can very well operate the tv without my help. When the phone rang, I reminded them about my phone call and asked her to turn the tv on as I skipped to the bedroom, greeted my client, and tried to make witty jokes to set a good tone.
The conversation began and within one minute my littlest one was banging on my door and screaming about the tv. Figuring it would all sort itself out once my daughter got a show on, I did not pause the phone call. Well, this continued for several minutes. By this time, I was hoping my potential client could not hear what was happening in the background. There was nothing I could do. If I opened the bedroom door to see what was going on, the screams would have been louder, and it would have taken several minutes to try and negotiate between the two kids; I was trapped in the room and tried to hurry the phone call along.
But it gets worse. On the other side of the door, unbeknownst to me, my son threw down a large house plant, spilling wet soil all over our carpet. My daughter, being five, thinks she needs to inform me right away (trumping the important phone call I asked her to stay quiet for). She then screams “mmmmoooooooooooooooooooooooommm” for about 20-second-long intervals for the remainder of the phone call. By now, I am literally crawling in my skin of embarrassment and trying to wrap up the phone call once and for all. And if I was wondering whether my client could hear the chaos in the background? Yeah, that all ended when she said: “Um, sounds like there is a lot going on, do you need to go?!” Trying for some comedic relief, I laughed and commented on, the life of a mom, and completed the phone call.
When I came out of the room, my kids took one look at my face and knew. Yes, I spent more time than necessary stewing and replaying the phone call back several times in my mind, allowing myself to fall trap to unnecessary stress. It is funny to think about how different this all would have gone down had it been my husband versus me. With my husband, my kids are much more self-sufficient, first-time listeners, and all around-complain less. But when mom enters the equation, it means everything is just more extreme. These are the moments I will look back on and laugh—I already have several times writing this article. Life is hard. Life as a mom is hard. Life as a work from home mom is hard. Even though yesterday I probably gave myself a few new gray hairs and added some wrinkles to my face, the minute I put those kids to bed and look at their sweet slumbering faces it all fades away and spend my evening looking at photos of them from Facebook memories. Let this be a reminder to give ourselves a break when “mom life” happens; because no matter how prepared we think we are for life, it will still happen, in the way we least expect it!
Hello! My name is Brittany and I am the creator of Mama Bear Britt! I am a child development specialist, former preschool director and mama of two littles. I am working hard to create a place for parents to gather, learn and share. Join my tribe!
Just when you thought the Baby Shark craze was subsiding, another holiday arrives to bring it all back. This time, you might just love it!
Pinkfong’s massive hit “Baby Shark” has spawned plenty of remixes and covers on the song that you just can’t seem to ever get out of your head. The Baby Shark Valentine’s song follows the formula of all the rest, with the doo-doo-doos and the entire shark family joining in the heart-filled fun, but somehow the holiday of love manages to soften the song just enough to be tolerable.
“Valentine’s Day Sharks” as the song is dubbed, follows the Shark family as they gather flowers, balloons and cards for their loved ones. Instead of running in fear, the sea animals in the background are dancing and feeling the love.
The best part by far, is the breakdown at the end, where you get some relief from the doo-doo-doos as the sharks belt a rendition of “Skidamarink” to bring it home. Your kids are guaranteed to fall in love with Baby Shark all over again, and you might actually sing along.
There’s nothing quite as peaceful as the sight of your baby asleep in the crib. The only thing that can make the moment even more magical is a scenic backdrop, which is exactly what you’ll get with these unique crib sheets.
Uncommon Goods is selling scenic crib sheets that are sure to inspire some imagination at bedtime. Designs include a space scene, a bird’s nest and a beach blanket. Your baby might be to little to appreciate the big picture, but the colorful designs are still stimulating and they make for an awesome background for those sleepy baby pics.
When the Kar-Jenners give presents, they go big—really big! After getting a mega-sized lux playhouse from the greatest grandma (Kris Jenner), Kylie Jenner’s daughter Stormi got a special visit from a life-sized version of Poppy from the animated big-screen blockbuster Trolls.
Jenner recently posted oh-so-sweet videos and pics on Instagram of Stormi and Poppy’s afternoon playdate, adding the caption, “Best day ever.”
Even though Stormi’s surprise may seem like another in a series of well-orchestrated (and mega-elaborate) Kar-Jenner gifts, this Trolls treat was actually thanks to Travis Scott. While sharing the day’s awesomeness on her Instagram Story, Jenner wrote, “thank you @trolls & @travisscott for surprising Stormi <3 best day ever.”
So what did Stormi and Poppy do on their playdate? Judging by the videos and pics, they ran around the yard, danced indoors (as Trolls played on a TV in the background) and cuddled together in a super-sized hug.
Sir James Matthew Barrie’s Peter Pan has been recreated plenty of times, but none quite like the newest version, Wendy. Director Benh Zeitlin is returning to filmmaking after a seven-year break with a new tale told through the eyes of the oldest Darling sibling, and it’s unlike anything you’ve seen before.
In the first theatrical trailer, a young and adventurous Wendy is seen hopping aboard a train and traveling to a mysterious island where volcanos, lost boys and a suspension of time and age await.
Fox Searchlight explains the story revolves around the tasks that “Wendy must fight to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth from the deadly peril of growing up.” While a bigger plotline hasn’t been revealed, it’s clear from the trailer that the main character won’t be coming from the privileged background in the traditional story.
Parents are so embarrassing! Even celeb parents. When actor Jerry O’Connell tried to school his kiddos on one of Prince’s epic hits (“When Doves Cry”), what happened next is pure comedy.
O’Connell recently posted a clip of himself driving his children to school with the caption, “Teach Your Children.” As one of his daughters screams, “Turn it down,” O’Connell responds, “This is real music!”
As “When Doves Cry” plays in the background, O’Connell sings the lyrics and says, “Listen to it.” Of course, the more his kiddos plead for him to stop, the more the actor/dad sings.
Not only does O’Connell keep singing, but he also plays with Prince’s lyrics, adding in a bit of a dad joke. Instead of, “Maybe I’m just like my father, too bold,” O’Connell croons, “Maybe I’m just like my father, too bald.”
Check out the full clip on Twitter—where O’Connell has now change his profile pic to one of Prince!
