Your Frozen fan is in luck! Not only can your kiddo finally see Anna, Elsa, Olaf and the rest of their fave characters on the big screen again, but now they can also get their very own Frozen 2-themed water bottle or snack container on Amazon from S’well!
So what sweet scores does S’well have for your Elsa enthusiast? To start with, the nine-ounce stainless steel water bottle from beloved brand now comes on a Regal Elsa design ($25).
If your Frozen-fanatic prefers another cool character, S’well serves up film fun with the Daring Anna, Enchanted Olaf, Joyful Olaf and Frozen Quest options (all $25). Along with these picks, Amazon also has a 10-ounce stainless steel S’well Queen of Arendelle bottle ($15).
For snacking on-the-go, you can’t skip the S’ip by S’well storage containers ($20). Check out the Brave Princess, Queen of Arendelle, Trusty Sidekick and Frozen Adventure options!
Meghan is a writer, editor and professional twinado chaser. Previously she was the founder and former editor-in-chief of the award-winning digital wedding magazine, Portovert (now-defunct). Before that, she was a Contributing Editor at Family Circle. She has also held editorial positions at New Jersey Monthly and New Jersey Bride. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Time Out New York, Elite Traveler, The Bark and other publications. Meghan first came to the DC area as a journalism student at The George Washington University. After spending a few years in the Big Apple, she returned to her favorite city with her husband to put down roots.
Favorite place to play outdoors: The National Zoo is our outdoor catchall. We love the playground, the solar-powered carousel, feeding the animals in the petting zoo, the spray zones on a hot day and the holiday lights in the winter.
Favorite thing to do on a rainy day: We like the National Museum of the American Indian, the United States Botanic Garden and the National Air and Space Museum for their close proximity and kid-friendly exhibits. We can skip-hop-and-jump from museum to museum. And the area tends to flood, so it makes for some great puddle splashing!
Favorite street for an afternoon of fun: North Market Street in Frederick, Maryland. It’s about an hour outside the city, but worth the drive! We love the mom-and-pop shops and the farm-to-table restaurants.
Do you have a go-to restaurant you like to take the kids? Vola’s Dockside Grill. It’s casual, waterfront dining in Old Town Alexandria. The kids love watching the planes descend toward Reagan National Airport. There is also dock-side entertainment, like musicians and magicians.
Can’t-live-without mom product: Wipes. For me (not the kids).
Favorite thing about raising kids in the DC area: The French-inspired architecture makes us feel like we are always on vacay.
Most unique (or daring) thing you’ve ever done with your kids locally: When my twins were infants, every outing felt daring! But the most unique was taking then two-year-olds to bunny yoga.
Have a DC story idea or just want to say hi to Meghan? She can be reached at Meghan.Meyers@tinybeans.go-vip.net.
Your fave female detective is back at it again. The recently-released Nancy Drew movie, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, takes the original 1939 story by Carolyn Keene and updates it for a modern YA audience.
Chances are you read your fair share of Nancy Drew novels as a child. And it’s also just as likely that your mom—and possibly grandmother—did the same. Now the daring Drew is ready to meet your own kiddo in this old-but-new story.
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase follows the fearless female lead as she moves to the oh-so-small and not-so-interesting fictional town River Heights. The 2019 adaptation, which debuted in theaters on Mar. 15, stars a red-headed Sophia Lillis (who you may remember from the super-scary IT) as Drew.
The millennial-ized character still retains her feisty nature, with plenty of intellect, independence and so much more.
If you haven’t seen the new flick, or if you have and you just want more, check out this behind-the-scenes look at Twin Elms, on which the film’s central spookiness focuses. In the YouTube clip, Lillis takes us all on a sneak peek tour of the house—and it totally doesn’t disappoint.
—Erica Loop
Featured photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
One thing you quickly learn as a parent is that you can’t always be there to protect your teens. As they grow into independent young adults, teens need the freedom to explore and discover their world. It’s inevitable that they’ll be exposed to different dangers and probably find themselves in all kinds of risky situations.
I learned that all I can really do is prepare my teens and have a plan on hand in case things go awry. This lesson was driven home one evening when my teen daughter, Delila, came back home noticeably upset. After getting her to calm down, she finally disclosed that she’d been hanging out at her friend’s house and someone had brought out some alcohol, daring them to drink.
Luckily, the parents walked in just in time to ruin their fun. On asking her why she didn’t just walk out, Delila said that she couldn’t leave because was worried her friends would tease her relentlessly.
I get what she was going through. As a teen, I too had found myself in numerous uncomfortable positions and I’d stuck around because I felt I had no way out. I couldn’t escape without inviting ridicule from my peers.
Coming Up With The Plan
I didn’t want my teens to go through life like that so I went hunting for a solution. I came across this brilliant idea by Bert Fulks, a youth minister and educator, and decided to implement it in my own home.
A parent and teen had come up with an “X Plan” or a way for teens to reach out and easily get help out of a sticky situation. Here’s the gist of it:
Let’s say that Delila is invited to another party or goes out with her friends. Something happens that makes her uncomfortable- it could be drugs, alcohol, bullying, or unwanted sexual advances. All she has to do is get her phone and text the letter “X” to either her mother or I. Whichever one of us receives the text calls Delila’s phone within minutes and tells her that something has come up and they are coming to get her.
The script is very simple and goes something like this:
Delia: “Hello?”
Parent: “Hi, Delila. Something’s just come up and I’m on my way to pick you up.”
Delia: “Why? What’s happened?”
Parent: “I can’t tell you right now but I’m on my way. I’ll be there in about 5 minutes and I’ll tell you then.”
This gives my teen an easy way out of whatever sticky situation she’d found herself in. She can save face by simply telling her friends that something’s happened at home and her parents are coming to get her. She’ll then leave with minimal fuss.
Benefits Of The “X Plan”
The “X Plan” empowers my teens and gives them a way of escaping suffocating situations without affecting their social standing. Furthermore, I explained that they were under no obligation to explain what the “tricky situation” was unless they felt they needed to- or unless someone’s life was in danger.
Surprisingly, instead of becoming more secretive, my kids have opened up and have started conversations on what might be called difficult topics. It also helped us build trust with our teenagers that goes both ways: they trust that we’re a text away and we will offer our unconditional support and in return, we trust them to behave responsibly.
Of course, families are different and what works for one might not be ideal for another. However, I encourage parents to implement a form of the “X Plan” that fits in with their unique family characteristics and situation.
Tyler Jacobson is a happy husband, father of three, writer and outreach specialist with experience with organizations that help troubled teens and parents. His areas of focus include: parenting, social media, addiction, mental illness, and issues facing teenagers today.
Sometimes your little one wants to drench herself in pink, sparkles, and bows—and sometimes she wants to celebrate all the OTHER great parts of being a girl. We’ve collected 10 of our favorite girl power T-shirts so that your favorite #bosslady can share with the world how much she loves the brave, smart, creative kid at home—herself.
Be Bold
Because girls love everything from dinosaurs and math to art and soccer, these stereotype-busting T-shirts from Girls Will Be showcase fun graphics to celebrate those passions! Each T-shirt also features a unique in-the-middle fit, bold colors, and not a sparkle or ruffle in sight. We especially like the Bold, Daring, Fearless, Adventurous logo.
We proudly wiggle our dye-stained fingertips in the days leading up to the big hunt, but eating those hard-boiled beauties loses its appeal faster than the Easter Bunny can hop. Take a peek through the recipes below for creative ways to use up extra eggs—we’re betting the little ones will love the transformation!
1. Make-Ahead Wrap
One of the best things about this make-head, protein-filled wrap from the Cookin’ Canuk is that it can be made with any number of toppings—let your family’s palate be the guide. Get the recipe by clicking here.
2. Simple Deviled Eggs
What better way to use up Easter eggs than by making deviled eggs? These tasty bites are so easy your older kids can probably make their own version. Grab the how-to here.
3. Kiddie Cobb Salad
Want to do salad for lunch tomorrow? Well, hard boiled eggs are a cobb salad staple. Chop up a few eggs and add it to this kid-approved midday meal.
4. Ramen Noodle Soup Steamy ramen noodles are usually a family favorite. This recipe from Foodily calls for a hard boiled egg, along with corn, green onions, and other fresh ingredients. Click here to get your shopping list.
5. Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches
Who needs to visit those yellow arches down the street when we’ve found this recipe from Foodie Crush? We know monkeys of all ages will make those extra eggs disappear in no time, once they’re sandwiched between some cheese and bacon! Click here for the recipe.
6. Mexican Meatballs
These are definitely a meal for your older kids—the ones with tastebuds raring for a little kick. Packed with flavor and bits of hard boiled egg, this hearty recipe can be found over at Daring Gourmet. We especially love the roasted tomatillo sauce!
7. Southern Chicken Salad
We love classic picnic dishes as much as the next person, and chicken salad is our go-to. It’s quick to make, easy to take, and we can eat it any sort of way. Midday snack? Yum. As a hamburger side? Perfect. In a sandwich? The Kitchen is My Playground has you covered.
8. One-Pot Fried Rice
Spring seems to always be the busiest time of year. Between cleaning binges, afterschool activities, and blossoming gardens, one-pot dinners are a must. This guide to perfect fried rice from Savor the Thyme is bound to be a crowd-pleaser, with a host of vegetables, proteins, grains, and flavor.
9. Paleo Scotch Eggs
If your family ever needs a bite on the go (and store-bought granola bars aren’t hitting the spot), Ditch the Carbs has the quickest, easiest protein-packed recipe for scotch eggs. Just five ingredients for your five-fingered snack; your tykes have already hunted down the first item on the list!
10. Egg Salad Finger Sandwiches
These classic finger sandwiches from For the Feast require a certain level of dress up—oversized sunglasses, frilly skirts, floppy bow ties, and a fedora. It’s time for a tea party. Pinkies up, ladies and gents!
How do you use up your Easter eggs? Share with us in a Comment.
Annette Benedetti, Portland Editor Annette’s introduction to the world of publishing came when she collaborated with a group of writers and artists to create Washington State University’s first art and literature magazine, Salmon Creek. After giving birth to her first two children, she took the position of editor in chief for a parenting magazine in Bend, Oregon and eventually went on to work as a copywriter for an in-house marketing agency in Portland.
As a freelance writer, Annette has written for Zillow, Living Social and Wildlands Inc., and is thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Red Tricycle Team as their Portland Editor. When she manages to peel herself away from her computer, she can be found at her favorite yoga studio, snapping photos of her children around Portland, or running the local streets or trails on Mt. Tabor.
Favorite place to play outdoors: My family can spend the whole day at Mt. Tabor. The trail system makes you feel like you are in the woods and there is a beautiful playground with benches to relax on. If you are lucky, you can catch local live music at the amphitheater during the summer months.
Favorite thing to do on a rainy day: Get my yoga on at Love Hive Studio. Nothing warms the body and soul like getting into a good flow, especially when my daughters join me.
Favorite street for an afternoon of fun: Hawthorne has it all. Movies at the Baghdad Theater, ice cream at Ruby Jewel Ice Cream Shop, and the best vintage stores Portland has to offer—all just a short walking distance from my front door.
Favorite restaurant to take the kids: Thai Dish. The owner is as sweet as can be, the food is the best and we always have delicious leftovers for the next day.
Most unique (or daring) thing you’ve ever done with your kids locally: The Rose Festival on an unlimited pass. I think I saw my life pass before my eyes at least 100 times—or at least once—when the ticket attendant told me that the pass was good for 100 rides each.
