There’s nothing quite like potty training that brings a whole new kind of stress to a parent’s life. From pull-up diapers to potty seats and positive reinforcement, every parent is looking for just the right tool to help their little one master this important milestone of child development. Baby born Surprise has introduced its latest doll, Magic Potty Surprise, which helps you teach your little one how to go to the potty on a real potty.
Baby born Surprise dolls are adorable and lifelike babies and pets. Each one is full of surprises, and they give kids the experience of caring for a lifelike "baby" through activities like bathing, diaper changing and now potty training. Magic Potty makes potty training magical because your kiddo can learn to potty train while she teaches her Magical Potty Surprise doll to potty train at the same time.
Your little one will love taking care of her Baby born Surprise Magical Potty Surprise doll. She can feed her doll her real doll food, then give her toddler doll water from her sippy cup, help her doll sit on the potty and then discover the doll peed colorful, sparkly glitter pee. And when she adds a Potty Pod to the potty, after giving her water and sitting her on the potty, she’ll discover her doll has “pooped” a magical charm. Magical Potty Surprise doll comes with more than 30 magical surprises, and a charm bracelet that your little one can proudly add charms to and wear.
Magical Potty Surprise comes with 9 doll food packets, 10 potty pods with surprise charms, a plate, spoon, sippy cup, potty, hairbrush, charm bracelet and a pacifier. And she has beautiful hair that your kiddo will love brushing, and a cute outfit and shoes. After all, fashion is important when baby is potty training!
Make potty training an exciting time in your little one’s life. Click here to buy the Baby born Surprise Magic Potty Surprise.
September 1st marks a momentous day for wizards and muggles alike. “Back to Hogwarts” day signals the beginning of a new and magical year. Today also marks the addition of new pieces to the Harry Potter collections from Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen.
This year may look different for those looking to catch the Hogwarts Express to head back to school for a new term. Excitement and magic can still be created. Harry Potter fans everywhere can experience the magic of Hogwarts at home with innovative décor and accessories as well as comfy apparel.
Prep the perfect desk space anywhere with the Deathly Hallows Lapdesk and Hogwarts Ticket Desk Mat and stay cozy with a variety of plush robes, festive pjs and nursery essentials.
This enchanting table lamp is inspired by The Wizarding World. Hand-painted in a gold finish with a white linen shade this lamp adds a touch of magic and charming style to your nightstand. The lamp retails for $199.
This plush beanbag captures the Deathly Hallows in a stylish way. The bean bag retails for $159 – $259 depending on whether you need just the cover or the insert as well.
This collection is good to its core! TOMS footwear fans will be happy to slip on a pair from this highly anticipated collaboration with Once Upon A Farm, an organic food company co-founded by Jennifer Garner. With adorable farm-fresh styles, this collaboration will be the perfect accessory for a picnic or family barbecue.
Both TOMS and Once Upon A Farm are certified B corporations sharing a vision of a healthier happier tomorrow. Together, the brands are celebrating their shared values through the introduction of a limited-edition collection rooted in whimsical prints, quality materials and TOMS original Alpargata.
Featuring picnic-perfect slip-ons for women and kids, TOMS x Once Upon a Farm is ripe with charming details such as gingham uppers, apple decals and sweet sayings on the interior. Since a healthy tomorrow calls for a healthy environment you will find earth-friendly elements throughout, including 100% organic uppers and lining. Some styles also feature green EVA outsoles derived from sugarcane.
TOMS x Once Upon a Farm will be available on TOMS.com and at select TOMS retail locations starting Aug. 1st, 2020, with prices ranging from $24.95 – $59.95.
It’s summer time and we’re looking for all the reasons to leave our house and be outdoors. With great weather comes exceptional views. From picture perfect patios to rooftop restaurants, we found the best places to enjoy summer dining while social distancing.
photo: Market Salamander
Virginia
Market Salamander
This unique restaurant and market reminds us why Middleburg is so adorable! Market Salamander prides itself on fresh homegrown ingredients and exclusive recipes. The outdoor patio provides a charming experience for breakfast, lunch or dinner. After you’re done dining, the family should go and explore the Middleburg village.
200 W Washington St
Middleburg, VA 20118
(540) 687-8011 Online: marketsalamander.com
Jackson 20
This beautiful restaurant in Old Town Alexandria is actually located in The Alexandrian hotel. It has a beautiful courtyard that is currently featuring a special summer BBQ, albeit a bit sophisticated, but still with many summer classics. Its a must visit for the summer time to take in the twinkling of the stars with an old town feel.
480 King St,
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-549-6080 Online: jackson20.com
Barrel & Bushel
This Tyson’s rooftop spot, is perfect for taking in beautiful views of Tysons Corner ever changing skyline and giving the kiddos room to play and explore, as there’s plenty of space to roam and even a playground near by!
Tysons Corner Center Mall Rooftop
Tysons Corner, VA
703-848-6340 Online: barrelandbushel.com
Red’s Table
Overlooking Lake Thoreau in Reston, Red Table is casual outdoor dining at its best. The patio resembles sitting on the deck at home, but you don’t have to worry about doing the dishes when you’re done!
11150 South Lakes Drive
Reston, VA 20191
(571) 375-7755 Online: redstableva.com
An upscale Italian restaurant with a charming outdoor patio. Throw in an array of pastas to keep the kids bellies full and how can you go wrong? While adults must adhere to a dress code, accompanying children can come as they are.
Located along the Annapolis waterfront, Pusser’s is quintessential summer dining! Your family can’t help, but stay a while to watch the boats sail by and enjoy the lazy days of summer while taking in Caribbean delights!
80 Compromise Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-626-0004 Online: pussersannapolis.com
Located in Georgetown along the Washington Harbour, this sister restaurant to Founding Farmers is surely to keep the little ones minds occupied with a view of the Potomac and the bustle of boats and people out on a stroll to enjoy the summer sun.
Have you ever wondered what the birds outside of your window are up to? Written by Andrew McDonald and illustrated by Ben Wood, Real Pigeons Fight Crime reveals that they might just be keeping you safe. Nickelodeon has teamed up with James Corden and Ben Winston, and their production company Fulwell 73, to produce an animated movie and TV series based on the book.
The movie and TV series are being developed to air on all Nickelodeon platforms.
Winston said, “We are so delighted to be working with our great friends at Nickelodeon on this wonderful, charming and funny book, and can’t wait to help bring it to life for kids everywhere!”
Ramsey Naito, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Animation Production and Development, said “Real Pigeons Fight Crime is about a secret squad of crime-fighting pigeons, with high stakes and true hilarity making it a perfect fit for our audience. By fusing the humor and expertise of the incredible team at Fulwell 73 Productions, we are ready to show kids what pigeons really do–fight crime, solve mysteries, take down bad guys, and keep neighborhoods safe!”
Drive along the sandy stretch known as Mustang Island, in the Coastal Bend region of Texas, and you’ll find yourself in the quirky community of Port Aransas. Dubbed “Port A” by the locals, this charming town has all the vibes of a traditional beach town with a Texas flair you won’t find anywhere else. Discover over 18 miles of wide, sandy beach, a variety of lodging, family-friendly dining, and an array of outdoor fun for kids and their grownups.
It’s the perfect family getaway, just hours from your door.
The author of the popular Notebook Doodles coloring book series is releasing a new book designed to build confidence and self-esteem in young girls. Notebook Doodles Mis Amigos Journal is a bilingual guided journal filled with charming middle school-friendly activities and prompts in both English and Spanish. From reflecting on their favorite qualities to describing memories and so much more, this journal is an excellent ESL learning opportunity for young girls while they have fun and think creatively.
According to the book’s description, “Kids will have a blast with their friends completing fun prompts like: ‘What characteristics make you a ‘great’ friend? Do you look for the same qualities in your friends?’ /’¿Qué características te hacen una ‘gran’ amiga? ¿Tratas de encontrar esas cualidades en tus amigas?’”
This book offers a perfect way to practice English as a second language, as well as develop narrative, descriptive, and compare/contrast writing skills. This journal is one of a kind and makes an excellent ESL learning opportunity for young girls.
Available Jun. 23, you can preorder this book on Amazon today.
“You can just feel the respect emanating from her.” That’s how my husband describes my former employer and now friend for life, Mrs. Kymberli Parker. She always has a “sir,” “ma’am,” “please,” and “thank you,” rolling off her tongue. She holds the door for you, then offers you her spot in line. “My pleasure,” she says when you thank her. For Mrs. Parker, it’s all about kindness. Case in point: she made friends with someone who she got into an accident with in traffic. That’s not usually a scenario that ends amicably.
In my humble opinion, that’s what makes her so excellently suited to teach etiquette—not to mention her impeccable manners, great taste, and stately sense of style. Just sayin’ (can you tell I adore her?). But it’s not just that. Mrs. Parker brings her spunk and personality—and her six-foot-tall fabulous self—to a subject typically considered stuffy. She bursts into song spontaneously while setting the table. She does a two-step at the podium. She throws hand signs to help you remember your formal dining skills. “A little bit hip-hop, a little bit Coco Chanel,” as she puts it. She pulls it off: a cute sweatshirt with pearls and a Chanel bag.
We were working in her Hillcrest (a neighbohood in San Diego), stationery boutique, Ink by Kymberli Parker, when Mrs. Parker told me about her idea for charm school.
“Promise you won’t laugh?” she said. “I want to start an etiquette business.”
“Great idea, I’ll make a flyer,” I said. And that’s how Mrs. Parker’s Charm School began. Since her girls were attending Francis Parker Lower School in Mission Hills, right around the corner from the store, we decided to start lessons there.
The first after-school course comprised six weeks of one-hour lessons with ten “squirrely” second graders, as Kymberli called them. We spent hours coming up with content, flipping through the training binder she had studied at the Emily Post Institute in Burlington, Vermont. She had a solid plan. And snacks, to keep the squirrels from squirming. On the first day of class in 2012, as she prepared to head over to Francis Parker School, she stopped and looked at me for a moment.
“Leorah,” she said. Her voice sounded serious. “I know what the BLEEP I’m doing, right?”
“I think so,” I said, trying to keep a straight face. Sometimes even the etiquette lady lets one slip. We collapsed into giggles.
“But seriously, you shook hands with President Obama,” I said after we recovered from laughing. True story—she met him at a fundraiser. When they shook hands, he did that thing people do when they are especially delighted or charmed. He shook her right hand, held it for a second, then put his left hand over her right in an intimate gesture, smiling and making eye contact with her. She just has that effect on people.
When I left in 2016, Mrs. Parker had added Prada, Extraordinary Desserts, the Girl Scouts, Balboa Park, Vista Hill, Junior League, San Pasqual Academy, Sycuan, San Diego County Bar Association, Ameriprise, the Lodge at Torrey Pines, Just in Time for Foster Youth, and many others to her client list. In 2018 she visited two Southern California prisons, Donovan Correctional Facility and California Institution for Women, to teach dining skills to inmates participating in a business skills training program. She told me she was nervous as heck beforehand, but the “entrepreneurs-in-training,” as the participants are called, made her feel like a rock star. I figure if she can teach inmates, she can teach kids table manners.
With cheerleading from me, and assistance from her two savvy daughters, home from high school and college (fun fact: they’re a year apart, same birthday!), Mrs. Parker is adjusting to the virtual nature of doing business during the COVID-19 crisis. She is now starting to offer video snippets of her teachings online.
“Thanks for nudging me,” she said when she told me she was posting the first video. She’s too kind to call it nagging.
“Setting The Table with Mrs. Parker” invites us into her home for the first lesson in her most popular class—Dining 101. At her dining room table with her Tiffany china (which she usually takes to class in a charming picnic basket), Mrs. Parker lays down the basics. With sticky notes. Who knew post-its had a place at the table?
Setting the table is something perfect to practice now, while we’re at home. Check parkercharm.com for a list of the goodies you’ll need to get started, and ask the kids to gather up the supplies. Double and triple the recipe if you have multiple kids. Put the kiddos in charge of setting the table every night for dinner, maybe with a different color or theme of their choosing every night. Get out your good china—why not? Mrs. Parker says you have to use your nice things.
Be sure to share your table settings @parkercharm. I know Mrs. Parker would be delighted to hear from you.
Hello, I'm Leorah. I am a local writer in San Diego, where I also have a "day job" at a seaside aquarium. Staying home, spending time together, is one of our favorite activities. I hope to share some ways to enjoy the little things.
Hello Kitty is an international pop culture icon and she sure is adorable! ALEX AND ANI has just launched an all-new Hello Kitty-inspired collection available exclusively on the website. Now you can take this beloved character with you wherever you go.
The collection consists of two Duo Charm Expandable Wire Bangles, a Pull Chain Bracelet, and an Adjustable Necklace. Available in silver and trendy rose gold finishes, each piece features an adorable charm of Hello Kitty herself.
Earthlings of Los Angeles, did you know that you could be transported to another planet just 20 minutes outside of town? Epic, glacier-like rocks jut jaggedly from earth to the sky at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park. If they weren’t real, you’d think it was an elaborate movie set, but sometimes the truth is cooler than fiction. So pack up your sunscreen and hiking shoes, and go explore this final frontier in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Since we live in LA, we question the reality of everything, right? In fact, Vasquez Rocks has been the location for tons of movies like The Flinstones, Austin Powers, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (yes way!), and it was used as Spock’s home planet in Star Trek. But these are natural formations, and we’ve got the science and history to prove it.
About the Rocks
Here’s a (super) quick history and geology lesson to make the experience educational as well as fun. It’s as cool as a movie plot. Twenty-five million years ago—extra points for saying million with a Dr. Evil accent—two tectonic plates collided (the North American and Pacific to be exact). The earthquake caused the rocky earth to uplift, and over time erosion created these incredible rock formations.
Fast forward to 1872 and meet Vasquez Rocks’ namesake, a “charming” criminal named Tiburcio Vasquez. Vasquez was wanted for a saloon-brawl-turned-murder, and on the run, he made a living robbing wagons and stealing horses. He did time in San Quentin Prison, escaped San Quentin, and became one of the most notorious bandits in California’s history, dubbed “The Scourge of California.” His main hideout was, you guessed it, in the caves of Vasquez Rocks. It’s rumored he hid a 500 pound brick of silver in one of the rock’s crevices. So tell the kids you’re on a treasure hunt!
When you first get there, the Interpretive Center is a must-see. You can catch a kid-friendly movie on how the rocks were formed, cool off, see some local animals, use the restroom (only port-a-potties outside otherwise), and fill up your water bottles from the only drinking fountain on the premises. Make sure you stop here first to grab guidebooks that will explain trail markers.
Now head outside, where it’s all about being an explorer. There are low sloping rocks for little kids to crawl and gigantic, steep ones for those who are older and more adventurous. Geology trails are bountiful but many just walk around without taking a formal path. Picnic benches are scattered throughout the sandy-dirt and brush park. If you veer right off the main road, there’s a “secret” hideout cave. There’s no official trail to it, but you can see it from the top of the main rocks and navigate your way there, like an outlaw.
Packing List
Consider this your “don’t leave home without it” list, in order to fully enjoy the park.
SPF & Hats: There is very little shade and it can get 20-30 degrees warmer here in the summer months than in the city. For those up early, consider going at sunrise when it’s the most peaceful and the sun gives the rocks an ethereal glow. (You may run into Charlize Theron who has been known to enjoy the park with her son at this time of day.)
Sturdy Hiking or Tennis Shoes: Absolutely do not wear flip-flops or sandals here.
Water: Bring twice as much as you think you’ll need. Bring a cooler for the car filled with fresh cold water on the drive home.
Pants: The brush can be scratchy and if your kid (or you!) take any kind of stumble, it’s skin vs. rock, and rock always wins.
Camera: There are so many scenic spots here you will want to capture.
First Aid Kit: There could be some slipping in the loose sandy dirt. Make like a scout and be prepared with some ointment and band-aids just in case.
An Old Towel or Change of Shoes: After your adventure, it’s helpful to have an old towel to dust off or a change of shoes to make the drive home more comfortable.
photo credit: Shannon Guyton
Nearby in Agua Dulce
You’ve done the drive, you’re sweaty and hungry, so why not hop over to nearby Agua Dulce, a charming small town just a few minutes drive from the rocks?
If you just want to get something “quick” on the way home, there’s always the In-N-Out Burger off the 14 freeway at Sand Canyon. And you’ll wish you could beam up a burger because the lines are just as long here as elsewhere in the city.
Cost: Free and open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset. Parking’s free as well (a dirt lot amid the rocks you’ll be climbing) until 7 p.m. Warning: this is not an “ish” closing time—your car will be locked in as of 7:01 p.m. Hours: Spring/Summer: Wed.-Fri. from 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Close Mon. & Tues.
