No doubt the high level of coverage surrounding the 2020 presidential campaigns has made kids curious about the voting process, and they’re likely getting lots of opinions thrown at them, directly and indirectly. If you need help navigating these tricky waters, we give ideas in our story Rock the Vote! 4 Ways to Teach Kids About Elections. Mom-owned Makoshey helps make the conversations fun with election-inspired clothing that’s comfortable and locally made. Read on learn how to purchase!


Educate Early and Often
They may be too young to vote, but it’s never to early to teach kids the importance and significance of their right to vote and how hard so many generations worked to secure and expand this right. The Future Voter T-Shirt is cozy, tagless and, just like all Makoshey-branded clothing, encourages kids to live a socially-conscious life.

 

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Don’t Forget to Add Stars
What’s cozier than a good pair of sweats? Uh, we can’t think of a thing. The comfort is that much more irresistible when they’re adorably stylish. The Be You Comfy Joggers Blue & Stars will have you wishing they made adult sizes. They come with a “Be you” message on the leg and they have the all-important pockets that are mandatory for most kids.

 

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Give a Nod to Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony was an outspoken, relentless advocate for women’s rights and an early leader of the movement to secure a women’s right to vote, declaring in 1875, “Independence is happiness”. The purple and gold colors of the Susan B. Anthony Suffragist T-Shirt are in honor of the use of these powerful colors in the suffrage movement, and the design is inspired by banners used by protestors of the time.

 

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A Note From Makoshey’s Founder, Kristen Flather
“As a mom raising three daughters, I believe strongly that they can do anything, be anything, and like anything.  Clothes are expressions of who we are, and so it is important that there are clothes out there for all girls. Makoshey (pronounced Mak-O-shay) is a clothing brand that makes clothes for active, independent girls ages 6-14 looking for a break from the trends of tight, short, pink, and sparkly.

Our t-shirts have unique and empowering designs and a super-soft feel.  We have three categories of tees: sports, power words, and inspiring quotes from historical women.  We are proud to print all our shirts right here in Chicago.”

— Maria Chambers

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adidas has been busy making new collaborative collections and you’re going to want to a piece of both. The 80’s-founded lifestyle brand has paired up with Pixar and LEGO to create two new lines that are both nostalgic and inspiring.

First up, adidas and Pixar have curated the Toy Story Friendship Collection which will debut Oct. 1 on adidas.com and is the perfect thing to sport to Disney’s Pixar Fest. The collection is made up of a sneaker and apparel capsule and will be available in infant, juniors and children sizes in prices ranging from $22 to $120.

Every shoe comes with it’s own unique theme and includes the D.O.N. Issue #2 x Woody, Dame 7 x Buzz, Pro Model 2G x Luxo, Deep Threat x Aliens, NMD_R1 x Jessie, Superstar x Hamm and Top Ten Hi x Rex.

Next up, adidas has joined forces with LEGO to bring a new look to the classic ZX8000 sneaker. Styled after the bricks we all know and love, the shoe is made up of multicolor mesh and synthetic suede upper with a rubber outsole.

The shoe will also have LEGO studs on the heels, adidas and LEGO branded tongue tabs and options for six different colored laces and interchangeable LEGO brick lace jewels.

The adidas Originals ZX 8000 LEGO sneakers launch globally on Sept. 25th and are available at adidas.com/A-ZX.

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of adidas and LEGO

 

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Two of the most iconic brands have paired up to bring us the most exciting fashion launch yet: LEGO and Levi’s! The dynamic duo is bringing consumers some major creativity in the form of wearable art options using this year’s new LEGO DOTS product.

In a first and exclusive to the collab, Levi’s products will features the first-ever flexible LEGO baseplate. The pliable LEGO silicone panel will be affixed to jeans, hats, jackets and more, where fans create their own customized designs using LEGO DOTS.

Each piece that features the base plate will come with a Levi’s and LEGO Group branded bag of 110 LEGO DOTS so you can make your own designs. While the graphic tees in the collection won’t have a baseplate, they will include unique co-branded graphics.

In addition to the flexible baseplate, you’ll also recognize some other changes. Expect to see fun primary colored shank buttons in yellow, red, green, blue, white and black and a baseplate replacing the iconic Levi’s® standard leather patch.

The LEGO Group x Levi’s collab is set to launch on Oct. 1 and will be available at Levi’s stores, levis.com and select retailers globally with prices ranging from $25 to $148.

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of LEGO

 

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For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Girl Scouts uniform has been redesigned. The new official Girl Scout uniforms for Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors is available now. Key components include a new vest, sash and 18 pieces suitable for girls in grades six to 12.

Girl Scouts Uniform

The Girl Scouts partnered with the Fashion Institute of Technology to design an update which was functional as well as fashionable. 

Girl Scouts Uniform

FIT students Nidhi Bhasin, Jenny Feng and Melissa Posner were selected to create this exciting new line for Girl Scouts.

Bhasin said, “We drew inspiration from the Girl Scout archives as well as current trends! The main focus was on styles that fit all body types and satisfy different style preferences. ‘Everyday fashion’ and comfort were also important considerations for us during the design process. Ultimately, we want girls to feel proud to wear their Girl Scout uniform and apparel everywhere they go.”

The new collection is made up of interchangeable items including full-zip hoodies, crewneck tees, skater dresses, jogger pants and trefoil-branded baseball caps. The items range in price  from $10 to $49 and are available in sizes up to 3XL.

Posner said, “We felt the Girl Scout uniform and other affiliated clothing needed to reflect more of the trends of the current time. The girls we talked with wanted more modern and functional clothing they can wear to Girl Scout and non-Girl Scout activities that can be easily styled formally and casually. With these points in mind, we elevated existing garments and created new pieces that reflected their requests, like incorporating pockets into the sash and introducing a denim jacket.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Girl Scouts of the USA

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Stargate Apparel has issued a recall on Bunz Kidz-branded sleepwear sets, specifically sold in a robe, top and pants combination. The notice was issued by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission on May 20, 2020 for failing to meet the federal flammability standard for children’s sleepwear, in which burn issues can be a risk if sleepwear is not either snug-fitting or flame resistant.

The recalled sets include a 100 percent microfleece robe and matching white pants with a pink star print and a 100 percent polyester pink top with “Dream in Glitter” printed in gold. The sets were sold in sizes two through 12 and “Bunz Kids” is printed on a blue sewn-in label.

The affected style numbers can be found on the blue label and include L23846, L43846 or L73846. Consumers can also check another sewn-in label to reference the GPU numbers which include 2017-246, 2017-446 or GPU 2017-746.

The recalled PJ sets were sold at Boscovs, Century 21, JC Penney, Macy’s, Marshalls and TJ Maxx, other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Walmart.com from August 2017 through December 2019 for between $24 and $48.

If you think you own one of the recalled products, immediately remove from within your children’s reach and contact Stargate Apparel for a full refund. Consumers can call toll-free at 866-351-0193 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email at recall@stargateap.com with “Product Recall” as the email subject or online at www.stargateapparel.com and click the Contact link on the upper right hand corner of the homepage for more information.

––Karly Wood

Photo: Courtesy of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

 

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The Smithsonian has released the following statement in regards to the Annual Museum Day: “Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day 2020 will not take place on April 4. As a public health precaution, the Smithsonian is postponing or canceling all public events, programming and gatherings through May 3. We appreciate your understanding.”

Original coverage continues below:

April 4, 2020 is the 16th Annual Museum Day! Designated by Smithsonian Magazine, this annual event invites museums all across the United States to open their doors for free to those who download a branded ticket.

This year is extra special, as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of Smithsonian Magazine. Museums, zoos and cultural centers from all 50 states will offer free admission, an emulation of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities, where you can enter for free every day.

 

photo: Alejandro Barba via Unsplash

This year, museums in all 50 states have signed up to participate in Smithsonian Magazine’s 2020 Museum Day. In all, more than 1,200 museums are anticipated to be a part of the event.

The theme for this year’s event is Earth Optimism, which is described as “a vision, a set of events, and a movement, to showcase a change in focus from the problem to solution, from a sense of loss to one of hope, in the dialogue about conservation and sustainability.”

If you’d like to take advantage of Museum Day 2020, you can can visit Smithsonianmag.com/museumday to learn more and download a ticket. Each ticket allows the ticket holder and one guest free access to any participating museum on Apr. 4, 2020, and there is a limit of one ticket per email address. To see the full list of participating museums, visit  smithsonianmag.com/museumday/search.

––Karly Wood

 

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Travelers have something to look forward to the next time they are at the airport. Now they won’t mind if theirr flight gets delayed. Beginning February 13, Nintendo will be providing Nintendo Switch On The Go pop-up airport lounges featuring Nintendo products and opportunities for hands-on time with the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite systems. 

Featuring comfortable seating, charging ports and Nintendo Switch game demos playable in both Handheld mode and TV mode, these lounges demonstrate the convenience and joy that the Nintendo Switch family of systems can add to everyone’s on-the-go adventures. Some of the games that will be featured at the demo areas include popular titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Party and Tetris 99, among others.

“With a vast library of exciting entertainment to launch into, we hope travelers discover that Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite make great companions for their trips,” said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Spending time with Nintendo games at our On The Go lounges will give people the opportunity to begin or end their journeys with a smile.”

In addition to spending time enjoying the latest Nintendo games, while visiting the Nintendo Switch On The Go experience, travelers can order Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite systems and receive a free carrying case with their order. Travelers can also order select Nintendo Switch games and Nintendo merchandise. Just for stopping by, visitors will also receive a free Nintendo Switch branded luggage handle wrap and a $10 coupon from Target to use on any Nintendo purchase of $75 or more (available while supplies last, terms apply).

The Nintendo Switch pop-up lounges and gateway experiences are currently scheduled to appear at the following airports, located beyond passenger screening:

Dulles International Airport, Washington, D.C.

Concourse B near west entrance/exit, next to Gate B62

Feb. 17 – March 29

Seattle – Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, WA

Concourse C, next to Gate C10

Feb. 17 – March 29th

O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, IL

Terminal 1, Concourse B, between Gates B12 and B14

Feb. 17 – March 29th

Dallas Love Field Airport, Dallas, TX

West Terminal, near Gates 14 and 16

Feb. 13 – March 29th

Passengers with flights booked at these airports are encouraged to swing by after passing TSA security to spend some time enjoying Nintendo Switch games while waiting for their flights. They’re also encouraged to wave hello if they spot Lakitu above the clouds!

Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite systems feature parental controls that let adults manage some of the content their children can access. 

For more information about this and other features, visit Nintendo.

—Jennifer Swartvagher  

Featured photo: Amazon

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Another big retailer is closing its doors for good. Papyrus is reportedly closing all of its stand alone stores across the United States.

The company’s branded products, like greeting cards and wrapping paper will continue to be available and stocked by other retailers, but the physical Papyrus locations will be no more.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7rupNThzn0/

Papyrus posted a statement on its Instagram account announcing that the company is closing its stores and thanking its customers “for so many years of loyal patronage.” The post continues, “The Papyrus brand lives on and we hope you will still find joy in it.”

Several locations have already begun liquidation sales. On the Papyrus website everything is currently on sale at 20 to 40 percent off and all sales are final.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Phillip Pessar via Flickr

 

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Sunglass Hut and Disney recently announced a completely cute collab—co-branded Ray-Ban Wayfarers featuring Mickey and friends Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto!

The sunglasses, which are available in adult and junior (kids) sizes, will launch in select Disney Parks retail locations starting Nov. 1. If you’re not traveling to Florida or California anytime soon, you can pick up a pair at Sunglass Hut locations following the Disneyland and Walt Disney World debut.

Disney Parks guests can buy their Mickey-themed Wayfarers at the Sunglass Icon kiosk in Disney California Adventure Park, the Sunglass Icon and kiosk in the Disneyland Downtown Disney District, the Sunglass Icon (West Side) in Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs, Island Supply and Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom Park and Singapore Sal’s in Typhoon Lagoon.

Each pair of glasses comes with an exclusive authenticity card. Adult frames with polarized lenses will retail for $243 and the junior version (non-polarized frames only) sell for $103.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Sunglass Icon via Instagram 

 

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