Kelly Rowland is a mom––again!
The former Destiny’s Child member and “Coffee” singer announced her son, Noah Jon has arrived. He is the second child for Rowland and her husband Tim Weatherspoon who married in 2014.
Noah joins big bro, Titan Jewell and arrived on “the 21st day, of the 21st year, of the 21st Century.”
Congrats to the new family of four!
––Karly Wood
Feature photo: Shutterstock
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Reading is fundamental—unless, of course, those fundamentals are biased or racist. And so it goes with some of the most classic kids’ books. They were once apropos—sort of—but now they are a bit problematic and may require further explanation for your kid’s. From Little House on the Prairie to Peter Pan, these tomes prove that they aren’t necessarily timeless. What was once meant to comfort and entertain kids may now do major harm by spotlighting some of the racist ideology that many parents today try to shield from their children. Read on to learn more about six books intended for kids that you might want to shelve.
In its most basic form, the plot of Roald Dahl’s well-known children’s book takes readers on a journey through a zany candy factory. Sounds sweet, right? Maybe not. In Dahl’s original 1964 plot—two movie adaptations have since followed suit—the Oompa Loompas were not orange with green hair. Instead, they were described as black pygmies “from the very deepest and darkest part of the African jungle where no white man had been before.” It wasn’t until after readers decried the quite obvious slavery undertones of the Oompa Loompas, that later versions of the text remixed their skin color from black to white (which then turned to orange and green in the 1971 film).
There’s no denying the fact that Frances Hodgson Burnett’s early 20th century novel about an English girl (Mary) who is forced to move back to her green and picturesque hometown after her parents die in India, is full of some good moral lessons (think: caring for others as they have cared for you). Some of the dialogue, however, may furrow your feathers. Example: Mary meets a servant girl named Martha, who thought Mary would be black (coming from India and all). Stereotypical, yes. But, wait—it gets worse. Mary replies to Martha by saying, “blacks are not people.” Double yikes!
Before it was an Eddie Murphy or Robert Downey Jr. film adaptation, Dr. DoLittle was a popular kid’s book from the 1950s. The plot? A doctor realizes he can chat with animals. One part of the book, though, that you won't see in the modern flicks are when the doctor meets an African prince who wants to marry a white princess. Instead of his blessings, the doctor bleaches the prince’s skin so that he can ac
Mark Twain's famous story about two runaways—one trying to get away from his dad; the other trying to get away from slavery—may not have read as ghastly when it was first published in 1885; remember, slavery wasn't completely abolished until 1865, with plenty of holdouts in the early years. But in today's readings the snippets of racism found in this classic tale—the 'N' word is used over 200 times (yes, 200!) can make for a rather uncomfortable group reading. So much so, that in 2019 New Jersey lawyers requested that Huck Finn be banned in school districts across the state.
Laura Ingalls Wilder's world-famous series that follows the 19th-century pioneer family has been around for ages. In a bit of irony, many American schools have blocked the books due to the racist language. Native Americans are consistently demonized, minstrel shows are performed, and Black people are referred to as “darkies.”
We know what you’re thinking. Sherlock Holmes? And Watson?! Where’s the racism? If you’re thinking of the recent BBC adaptation of Sherlock, you won’t get too far—pretty much everyone (white, Black, yellow, blue) irritates him. It’s when you go back to Arthur Conan Doyle’s original texts when questionable phrases and pages start to pop up. In “The Adventure of the Three Gables,” for example, Holmes pursues a former slave and then tells him he stinks once he catches up to him. Also, Tonga (a character from “The Sign of the Four”) describes his people from the Andaman Islands as “having large, misshapen heads, small fierce eyes and distorted features…”
J.M. Barrie’s story of Peter, the Darling children and the Lost Boys is one part magical and one part outdated. Namely, the treatment of Tiger Lily and the other native Americans is majorly stereotypical—"they carry tomahawks and knives, and their naked bodies gleam with paint and oil. Strung around them are scalps, of boys as well as pirates.”
—Ayren Jackson-Cannady
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All book images courtesy Amazon
Featured image: Sharon McCutcheon via Unsplash
EPCOT isn’t the only Disney theme park getting an update. While Disneyland remains closed due to the pandemic, Imagineers have been hard at work giving Snow White’s Scary Adventures a major overhaul.
The only only ride-through princess attraction at Disneyland has been reimagined and renamed as Snow White’s Enchanted Wish and it finally gives Snow White the happy ending she deserves. Keep scrolling to get a first look at the park’s “new” attraction.
Imagineers used this time to update the Fantasyland attraction which last received an update in the 80’s. The ride uses state-of-the-art audio and visual technology, new music, LED black lighting, laser projections and a new animation system which brings the experience into the 21st century.
While there’s no word yet on when the park will reopen, when it does, Snow White will be ready for guests.
––Karly Wood
Feature photo: Disney
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It’s official: Drive-thru events are here to save the holidays, letting you celebrate the season from the comfort and safety of your car. See spectacular lights, Santa and his elves and more, with immersive experiences including The Elf of the Shelf’s Magical Holiday Journey, 6 Flags Magic Mountain Holiday Drive-Thru, and Dodgers Holiday Festival. Read on for all the details on these Los Angeles holiday drive-thru events.
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Tanaka Farms is hosting a special holiday drive-through. Hikari, which means shine in Japanese, is taking over the farm, with more than a mile of twinkling lights. As you drive through the 30-acre farm, you'll see light-covered scarecrows, tractors and more. Added bonus: Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Santa will make an appearance. More details.
Cost: $49 per vehicle (Mon. - Thurs.), $59 per vehicle (Fri. - Sun.)
Dates: Nov. 27 - Jan. 10
Tanka Farms
5380 University Dr.
Irvine
Online: tanakafarms.com/hikari
The 2020 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers are hosting a drive-thru Holiday Festival, complete with a light show, LED video displays, fake snow and interactive displays honoring the Dodgers World Championship and celebrating the holidays! More info.
Cost: Admission starts at $55 per vehicle.
Dates: Nov. 27 - Dec. 24
Location: Dodgers Stadium (enter through Stadium Way Downtown Gate E)
1000 Vin Scully Ave.
Los Angeles
Online: mlb.com/dodgers/fans/holiday-festival
Celebrate the Festival of Lights at LIT, a fully contactless drive-thru Hanukkah experience. Enjoy a blend of synchronized lighting displays and projection installations set to a curated soundtrack. The experience also includes a screening of The Broken Candle, an animated short featuring the voices of Tiffany Haddish, Mark Feuerstein and more.
Cost: $75 per vehicle
Dates: Dec. 10 - 20
Stephen Wise Temple
15500 Stephen S Wise Dr.
Los Angeles
Online: eventbrite.com/e/lit-a-drive-thru-hanukkah-experience-tickets-129792519921
It was only a matter of time before the elf got off the shelf and showed up in this larger-than-life theatrical experience, with performances kicking off on Nov. 6 at the Fairplex in Pomona. The hour-long drive-thru adventure takes you through a series of magical, holiday dreamworlds, including a Toy Repair Workshop, candy-covered Gingerbread Village, Arctic Winter Wonderland and more. More details.
Cost: Starting at $19.95 for children and $24.95 for adults (prices vary based on dates)
Dates: Now - January 3 (closed on select Mondays)
Location: Fairplex
1101 W. McKinley Ave.
Pomona
Online: elfontheshelfjourney.com
The rides may not be open, but the lights are on and twinkling at Six Flags Magic Mountain, where the Holiday in the Park Drive-Thru Experience lets you weave your way through the 125-acre theme park from the safety of your car. Roll down the windows and hear the sounds of the season while you cruise by a host of festive characters and beneath millions of synchronized lights. With eight immersive areas, it’s one of the largest drive-through events in SoCal. More details.
Cost: Tickets start at $25 per person (ages 3+); varies by date.
Dates: Daily through Jan. 3, beginning at 6p.m. each night. Limited reservations will be available each night and will be required by all guests in advance using Six Flags’ online reservation system.
Location: Magic Mountain
26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy.
Valencia
Online: Sixflags.com/magicmountain
From the same group that brought us Haunt 'O Ween comes a drive-thru winter wonderland, complete with millions of lights (synchronized with music), magical sets, a holidays around the world display and more. Of course, Santa will be there too, along with Mrs. Claus and all the elves. More details.
Cost: $70 per vehicle of up to 8 passengers; $80 for nine or more passengers.
Dates: Nov. 30 - Dec. 23; Dec. 26 - Dec. 30
Location: 6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Woodland Hills
Online: socalwonderland.com
Get happy with Happy Place, set to kick off on Nov. 20 on the 3rd floor of Westfield Century City's parking structure. The 50,000 square-foot experience will feature 18 awe-inspiring and interactive moments, including the world’s first giant piano you play with your car, a rainbow road and more. While not specifically holiday-themed, it's sure to bring plenty of joy! More details.
Cost: $49.50 per vehicle
Dates: Nov. 20 - Jan. 10 (closed Dec. 25)
Location: Westfield Century City
10250 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles
Online: westfield.com/centurycity
Rev up your engines and head to the Irwindale Speedway & Event Center for this immersive drive-thru holiday experience. Designed to make Christmas a little bit brighter, Santa's Speedway Spectacular will transport families into a winter wonderland as they drive along an actual NASCAR track and discover Santa’s Village, along with a series of jaw dropping Christmas vignettes and lighting displays, including the world’s largest free standing Christmas tree (made up of more than 2 miles of lights). More details.
Cost: $75 per vehicle
Dates: Nov. 25 - Jan. 10
Located little further away, at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, this drive-thru event boasts more than one million LED lights, holiday holograms and laser light animation. The spectacular displays will be projected all around for a fully immersive experience. More details.
Cost: Starting at $49 per vehicle (plus $8.59 service fee)
Dates: Nov. 22 - Jan. 2
Location: Ventura County Fairgrounds
10 W. Harbor Blvd.
Ventura
Online: eventbrite.com
Cruise through a mile-long course featuring over one million lights, themed holiday scenery and characters including Santa (through Dec. 23rd). There will also be animated light shows and tunnels and a spectacular Christmas tree lighting. More details.
Cost: Starting at $50 per vehicle (prices increase Thurs.-Sun.)
Dates: Dec. 3 - Jan. 3
For a limited time, kids can see this live, 30-minute re-enactment of the Chanuka story, from the safety of the car. The multimedia performance includes special effects and safe, interactive moments to keep little ones delighted and engaged. More details.
Cost: $99 per vehicle
Dates: Dec. 9 - 13
7729 Burnet Ave.
Van Nuys
Online: powerofyouthla.com
–Shannan Rouss
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For more than a century, the game of bingo has been used as a teaching device. In Germany, during the 19th Century, bingo was used as a means to teach children the alphabet, how to recognize animals and multiplication tables. Today’s educators are still using bingo as a way to teach students mathematics at every level from basic vocabulary concepts to full problems.
Kids are much more apt to retain math concepts if they are made fun of them. Games are a great motivator to get kids to participate in class. Students will often wholeheartedly dive into a math problem if it is put in the form of a game that they can play along with their classmates.
Such games have become so popular as a teaching aid that some teachers try to incorporate bingo math games as a part of their regular lesson plans.
Here’s an example of how to set up a math bingo game.
Create a bingo card for each student player. Having approximately 20 cards is a good place to start. You can create these ahead of time with answers to equations you come up with on your own, or you can find them online on various educational websites like the ones at the end of this article. If you are creating your own cards, try to keep the cards sufficiently random in order to ensure fairness among the students.
Give each student a bingo card and approximately twenty bingo tokens to cover up the correct answers that appear on their cards.
Write out the math problems for the bingo caller to give to students. The correct answer to the equations will be on the cards. If a player does not have the correct answer on their card for that problem, they don’t place a token on their card.
The game continues until someone gets five answers on their cards in a line that either goes vertically, horizontally or diagonally. The first person who gets a bingo is the winner. Answers should be checked to make sure that the marked answers correspond with what was called out previously.
You can have multiple winners for games if you keep going even after the first bingo is called. In the case of blackout bingo, the first person with all of the squares on their card covered by tokens is the winner.
The difficulties of the problems can be adjusted for various grade levels and math aptitudes. Whether students are studying addition and subtraction, multiplication tables, division, or even algebra, bingo is a great teaching tool. One variation is to pair students who are struggling in math with classmates who are better at the subject. Provide calculators, scratch paper and pencils for each team and allow sufficient amounts of time for kids to work out the answers.
Both parents and teachers have seen how well students respond to learning when it’s made fun for them.
Ana-Maria Sanders is a content writer at LoanStart.com. In her current role, she is responsible for managing the finance and operations of securities. Expect from all these, she loves writing blogs on various topics to give insights for managing finances.
Gummi candies are a fun and delicious treat when watching a movie or just because. For a century, the original inventor of the gummi bear, HARIBO, has delivered moments of joy to more than 100 countries worldwide with its delectable sweet treats. To celebrate its 100th anniversary this year, the gummi maker is releasing its new, limited-edition Passport Mix in May.
This fun, vibrant combination of popular flavors and shapes from various countries, HARIBO Passport Mix offers gummi lovers a mix of their go-to favorites along with international gummies.
Each bag of Passport Mix includes:
Crocs (France)
Balla Balla (Spain/Portugal)
Brixx (Spain/Portugal)
Rings (UK/Ireland)
Cherries (Germany/US)
Goldbears (Germany/US)
Happy Cola (Germany/US)
Airplanes (limited edition shape)
Passport Mix will be available at major retailers from May to September 2020 and retails for $1.49/bag.
—Jennifer Swartvagher
Featured photo: Haribo
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These days our homes are serving as work places, schools, playgrounds and even vacation destinations. You can’t hit the road, but you can hit the information highway for an afternoon at some of our favorite local travel spots. Go on a virtual field trip to the National Air and Space museum, travel back in time for a romp through 18th century Colonial Williamsburg or spend the day sipping chocolate milkshakes and riding Hershey Park’s virtual coasters. Read on for five trips you can take from the comfort of your couch happy travels!
Soak Up the Sweet Stuff
Grab a mug or a Mason jar and get ready to design your own King Size Shake as you sip your way through the Sweetest Place on Earth. (Don’t forget to share your creation on Facebook!). Take a spin on a virtual roller coaster (mug in hand, natch) and then print and color scenes from Hershey Park. Still want more? You can check in on Hershey’s ZooAmerica through live streams every weekday at 11 a.m.
Online: hersheypa.com
Dive In To Adventure
Go on an aquatic adventure with Baltimore’s National Aquarium. Print and cut-out an octopus mask for an authentic trip under-the-sea. Looking for some 8-legged companions? You can make your own socktopus with this tutorial. Every fish knows that the best place to be is in school (pun intended), so practice your alphabet with these ABC print outs, Anemone to Zebra Mussel. Turn on the live cams for the Blacktip Reef, Jellies Invasion or Pacific Coral Reef for the perfect backdrop to this at-home fun.
Online: aqua.org/activities
Time Travel Back to the 18th Century
Take a trip back in time with downloadable activity pages, 18th century recipes and DIY videos on colonial crafts. Color a famous painting from the historic collection, bake gooey Chelsea buns (the 18th version of a sticky bun), cook up some carrot puffs, and try your hand at creating an authentic colonial spring wreath. And if you have any questions on how to live the 18th century life (virually), you can ask 18th celebs, like Martha Washington or Thomas Jefferson, during their live chat sessions every weekday at 2 p.m.
Online: colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/explore-from-home
All Aboard! for Train Time Fun
Add some train-themed story times to your train play, courtesy of the B&O Railroad Museum. Every Tues. and Thurs. a new Junior Junction story goes live with an activity to complete after the book. You’ll also find coloring sheets, word search puzzles and history lessons on their at-home activity page.
Online: borail.org
Blast Off into Air & Space
You can virtually stroll the National Air and Space Mueum’s Udvar Hazy Center or National Mall building, but the real fun comes in hoping into the cockpits of some of the museum’s historic collection. Get panoramic views of iconic crafts like the Space Shuttle Discovery or the Spirit of St. Louis. When you’re done touring the museum, be sure to check out the space-themed games, like Pilot Pals (geared towards kids K-1).
Online:
—Meghan Yudes Meyers
featured photo: Hershey Park
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We work hard to be good moms. We do our research, give up sleep, and ensure our kids have the best chance at health, happiness, and success. At a minimum, we hope product choices we find are honest in their offerings, giving us one less thing to worry about.
This is why we’re taken aback when we hear news stories that shake the foundation of these facts. Like the latest news from the CDC that found that kids under a year are eating the equivalent of seven teaspoons of sugar PER DAY. That’s more than the recommended sugar intake for adults! What? How? The last thing we want to do is train our kids to crave sweet foods like candy, leading to the risk of diabetes, childhood obesity, and heart disease.
And yet, if we take a hard look at the history of baby food commercialization and the marketing tactics still used today, we find clues that explain how we got here.
I asked Amy Bentley, NYU Professor and author of Inventing Baby Food, about the history of baby food advertising. Here are 5 surprising facts you should know before you purchase food for your baby:
“DOCTOR RECOMMENDED” WAS A CLEVER AD PLOY
Original baby food advertisers latched on to the popularity of “expert culture” during the rise of organizations like the American Medical Association. Big baby food brands began to use “Doctor Recommended” as a way to advertise and sell their products, but what consumers didn’t know was that these health claims were often paid for. What was meant to be “better for your baby” was not always as transparent as it seemed. This continues to be a common practice among big brands today.
MOM GUILT PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN MARKETING
A big trend during the first half of the 20th century was to guilt moms into buying jars of baby food by suggesting that time spent making baby food meant less time taking care of husbands. True story. Cue the eyeroll!
THE SOLID FOODS DILEMMA
During the 1950s, Doctors began to encourage feeding solid foods after just one month (you read that right: ONE MONTH). Some doctors even pushed for solids just days after birth. Baby food marketers jumped on the bandwagon and capitalized on the opportunity to sell more jars.
MARKETING HAS HISTORICALLY CENTERED AROUND BLAND BABY FOODS
White rice cereal and bland foods were once the gold baby food standard. But it’s now known that broadening your baby’s palate is important, and spices like cardamom, cumin, garlic, ginger, and turmeric help them develop taste. Not much has been done from an industry perspective to spice up baby food, which is why bland foods still dominate the grocery aisle.
SUGAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM
Since the beginning of commercial production in the early 20th century, the problem with baby food has been added ingredients to make kids’ food more attractive. More recently, sugars from fruit predominate, meaning that products with less than one serving of kale can be marketed as a “healthy and organic” vegetable flavor.
While learning about marketing tactics and the history of baby food may be frustrating, understanding how we got here empowers us to make better choices. Knowing that most baby foods primarily use fruit sugars in kid’s products—even those marketed as veggie flavors—makes us aware of the problem and smarter about how we read labels. Always review nutritional information carefully and remember that in order to raise healthy eaters, we have to teach them to eat healthily.
Contrary to popular belief, kids are not born picky eaters. Picky eating is a learned behavior, so the more we focus on training their palates to accept a variety of flavors, the more kids can learn to enjoy bitter, tangy, earthy and savory foods that ease their transition to table foods and family meals. Try to skip or minimize the sugars in everyday foods and keep in mind that with a lot of practice and exposure, kids can learn to eat almost anything. Eating healthy is hard work and a long-term commitment that starts as early as a baby’s very first bite and continues through the rest of our lives.
I'm the Founder & CEO of Fresh Bellies baby food brand. I've won foodie awards, pitched to Shark Tank and appeard on Forbes and CNBC. Originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador, I live in New York with my husband, Fernando and daughters, Isabella and Alexa Luna.
Verizon recently announced a partnership with the Walt Disney Company—and this collab will bring customers free Disney+ service for 12 months!
With the upcoming Nov. 12 release of the Disney+ streaming service, your kiddo is already clamoring for on-demand Pixar, Marvel and more. Now Verizon wireless unlimited and new Fios Home Internet and 5G Home Internet customers can get all the Anna, Elsa, Thor, Buzz and Woody they want at no cost for one whole year.
Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg, said in a press release, “Giving Verizon customers an unprecedented offer and access to Disney+ on the platform of their choice is yet another example of our commitment to provide the best premium content available through key partnerships on behalf of our customers.”
Kevin Mayer, Chairman, Direct-to-Consumer & International, The Walt Disney Company, added, “The launch of Disney+ kicks off a new era of streaming for The Walt Disney Company, bringing nearly a century’s worth of content from our iconic studios to consumers directly.” Mayer continued, “We’re excited to share this moment with Verizon and bring Disney+ to the millions of customers across its award-winning wireless network.”
So how can you get Disney+ for free? All existing and new Verizon 4G LTE and 5G unlimited wireless customers and new Fios Home Internet and 5G Home Internet customers can activate the subscription and start streaming as soon as the service is available (Nov. 12). The free promo is good for 12 months. After that you’l need to pay $6.99 to keep the service.
—Erica Loop
Featured photo: Disney+ via Instagram
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Too many Amazon packages? Don’t worry, this UPS driver will hide them from your spouse.
Shopping online is one of the blessings of parenting in the 21st Century. You never need to leave the house to stock up on supplies, but the downside is your porch will probably be constantly piled with packages. One clever woman has the perfect accessory to pair with her online shopping, a doormat that reads, “Please Hide Packages from Husband” and that’s exactly what her UPS delivery person did.
In the now viral post that Ebony Freeman shared on Facebook, she shows a picture of a giant package hilariously sticking out from underneath that genius doormat. The caption reads, “Oh my god look! The UPS guy actually hid it under the rug!”
The post was shared and liked thousands of times, with commenters coveting both the awesome doormat and the delivery person. “I had no clue it was going to get that much traction,” Freeman told Good Morning America, explaining that her husband Mike doesn’t actually get upset with her shopping habit. “I have a package a day coming from Amazon but he thinks it’s funny.”
—Shahrzad Warkentin
Featured photo: Courtesy of Ebony Freeman
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