Faith & Begorrah! Aldi Has St. Patrick’s Day Cheese & It’s Green, Too

by Erica LoopFebruary 27, 2019

Forget about Shamrock Shakes: Aldi has St. Patrick’s Day cheese! The newest in themed cheese launches follows on the heels of several successful dairy delights, including a cheese Advent calendar, heart-shaped cheese for Valentine’s Day and set of punny limited-edition wedges.

Aldi is taking St. Patty’s Day celebration to a new level with five holiday-inspired cheeses. At a time of the year when just about everyone is making gratuitously green products, the Happy Farms collection—available in Aldi stores starting Feb. 27—is no slouch.

Forget following rainbows for a pot of gold, just follow directions to your nearest ALDI for these delicious Irish cheeses before they’re gone! Get all the info from our friends at @foodandwine. https://t.co/TRs7G4siYe

— ALDI USA (@AldiUSA) February 22, 2019

The line includes a green Pesto Gouda and English Sage Derby. Along with the colorful dairy deliciousness, the collection also includes an Aged Irish Cheddar and a few alcohol-infused picks: Irish Cheddar with Beer and Irish Cheddar with Whiskey.

If you’re wondering, yes the beer and whiskey picks do contain actual alcohol. That means your teenager can’t buy them and your kiddos shouldn’t go anywhere near “mommy’s special cheese.” It also means that Aldi stores in areas prohibiting grocery store alcohol sales won’t carry the two two alcohol-infused Irish Cheddars. But they will have the other three (non-alcoholic) holiday options! The cheeses retail for $3.99 each.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Moose via Foodiesfeed

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The New Exhibit That Will Have Them Thinking Outside the Box

by Beth SheaFebruary 22, 2017

Want to give your kids a break from all that screen time? Unplug and show them some good old-fashioned play like we used to enjoy back in the day. Head downtown to the interactive art installations at The New Children’s Museum; where their newest exhibit, Make/Shift, will introduce your kids to one of our favorite retro toys: the cardboard box. Your little techies won’t miss that iPad one bit. Check out four of the museum’s current installations below!

Make/Shift
The New Children Museum’s latest installation Make/Shift reinvents the indoor playground. The 1,200 square foot space invites kids to reconfigure and design a collection of plywood furniture, cardboard boxes, ropes and loose objects. Inspired by the popular Adventure and Junk playgrounds often found in the UK and Scandinavia, Make/Shift gives kids of all ages the opportunity to get active while they climb, destroy, build, swing and hide. The structures are on wheels so they may be easily moved into various formations. Kids can also create tents and large-scale forts using a plentitude of cardboard boxes and wall panels with anchor points.

The Wonder Sound
Adventurous kids will relish the chance to explore this “labyrinth of rooms, nooks and ropes” that is a “work of art that you physically enter into and discover.” Resembling a treehouse, an impressive and astounding 18,000 hand-cut wooden shapes were used to create The Wonder Sound. Kids can climb through and get lost in the structure that is filled with an eclectic host of junkyard objects from all over the city.

Wobbleland
What could be more fun for a tot than playing in a giant kitchen sink filled with huge, soft, food sculptures? Wobbleland is like a scene out of a fantastical fairytale where infants and toddlers age 4 and under have the rule of the land and the freedom to explore and make discoveries. The food sculptures are not only fun by design: giant tomato slices, a teeter totter avocado, a watermelon boat, a giant cheese wedge… they all make for great climbing, rocking and stacking equipment to help develop motor skills.

Desert Derby
Toy car lovers (and what kid isn’t?) will love zipping and zooming down the open roads of the Desert Derby. But this art installation is more than meets the eye. The patch of blue in the center represents a reservoir, an homage to the 700 mile-long California aqueduct that delivers water from Northern California to Southern California. Since SoCal residents are all too familiar with the freeway systems and know very little about the local waterways, Desert Derby raises this awareness among kids through organic play.

Insider’s Tip: The cafe at The New Children’s Museum is currently under construction. We like to walk down the street to enjoy breakfast or lunch at Cafe 222 (222 Island Avenue). Additionally, the museum recommends these family-friendly restaurants, all within walking distance, to grab a bite at during your visit. If you dine at one of the restaurants the museum recommends, show your museum receipt to get a discount off your meal.

The New Children’s Museum
200 West Island Avenue
San Diego, Ca
619-233-8792
Online: www.thinkplaycreate.org
$13/adults and children over 1; $3 on Target Family Day (the second Sunday of every month).
Hours: The New Children’s Museum is open weekdays from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sundays 12 p.m.– 4 p.m. , and closed on Tuesdays.
Parking: The Museum offers limited $10 parking on weekdays and $15 parking on weekends in their underground paid parking structure.

Have you visited recently? Tell us about your experience below!

–– Beth Shea

Photos Courtesy of The New Children’s Museum

Winter Wonderfest Opens Dec 17 at Discovery Cube OC

by Tinybeans TeamNovember 12, 2016

A snow storm of thrills and excitement is heading towards Discovery Cube for Winter Wonderfest! Slide down a 75 foot snow ramp, play in real snow and race in the Gingerbread Derby while learning about the science of weather. This annual festival is for guests of all ages and features real snow!

Ready, Set, Go! Plan a Tricycle Race

by Allison SutcliffeJune 6, 2016

Danica Patrick. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Racing lightweights compared to your little tyke when he puts his pedal to the tricycle metal. Feed his need for speed with totally tricked out trike-able courses that challenge him to take the pole position. From wild obstacle course ideas to a full on neighborhood drag race, scroll down for five tricycle track set-ups that let your Little burn rubber.

photo: Donnie Ray Jones via Flickr

1. Set up a killer obstacle course with all kinds of silly fixings. Sports cones and sidewalk chalk are the basics you need to plot a zany obstacle course for your little clown. Think turn-arounds and crazy eight loops when you set out the cones to make the course. Then draw chalk arrows (and other helpful suggestions) to keep tiny tricyclists on track. Once you’ve mapped out the basics, it’s time to get creative. Use what you’ve got to put in a few tame ramps, a cardboard box tunnel or two, and maybe a even a sprinkler to ride under so mini racers can cool off as they approach the finish line. Have your wee one navigate this one solo, or invite her besties for the ride of their lives!

photo: mazaletel via Flickr

2. Take on the neighbors in drag racing heats. Got road? Will travel. Set your sidekick’s trike for maximum speed on a straightaway that runs till the sidewalk ends. Line up mini competitors at a starting line, then let the flag drop as they make a beeline for the finish. Keep time on a stopwatch and run through a few heats where kids race against others who are just as fast as they are, before declaring the winners. No pink slips needed to race here!

3. NASCAR doesn’t have anything on your tricycle derby. This one’s all about the laps. And it works best if you’ve got a pond with a paved path or a public track, that the kiddos can ride around, nearby. Set a lap limit and then let ‘em race! Keep your little athletes hydrated with a water station (one for snacks too!) at the starting line, and keep them up to date on their track speed every time they fly past. The best part? Parents can cheer on their champions and get some grown-up convos in too while the minis lap it up.

photo: Roy Luck via Flickr

4.Race to the finish with your tricycle relay teammates. Riding this relay is just the first half of this fast-paced event. Settling on a team name and sporting colorful team uniforms is the other. Once your tiny avengers have assembled, it’s time to host a head-to-head competition pitting Team Tot Lot against the Half Pint Heroes in an all out down-and-back relay-style race. No baton passing here, just hop off the trike to pass the torch to the next tiny rider. On your mark!

5. Strike sweet poses during a stunt competition. Think old school skateboarding and roller skating when you stage this event, complete with glitzy costumes and decorated trikes. Map out 3-5 simple tricks that any tot cyclist can master, like riding one-handed or leg lifts off the back step (using the handle bars for balance of course!). Then have each competitor strut her stuff on her glammed-out tricycle before doling out scores. Hand out some shiny medals for all the hard work the kiddos put into preparing their best tricks ever, and you’ve got an event to remember

photo: Jonathan Silverberg via Flickr

What tricycle race looks like it’s right up your alley? Share your race experiences in a comment.

—Allison Sutcliffe

Meet LA’s Grooviest Kids Bands

by Shahrzad WarkentinSeptember 9, 2015

LA is a haven for arts and entertainment, so it should come as no surprise that there are dozens of amazing local bands just for kids—and for their music savvy parents. You shouldn’t have to choose between listening to the Frozen soundtrack for 2 years straight and precociously playlisting pre-teen pop to tiny tots. So don’t! Check out our favorite stars of the local scene; we guarantee you’ll want to jam to these LA kids bands just as much as your mini DJs.

Jazzy Ash

Bringing the Big Easy to the big blue Pacific, Jazzy Ash will have your kids swinging and jiving like they've eaten one too many sugar-dusted beignets. This LA kindie queen lends her brassy voice to fun ditties about cleaning up and keeping your hands to yourself. You'll be reminiscing about that brief summer you spent swing dancing at the Derby, while you cut a rug with your kids on the living room floor.

Online: jazzyash.com

photo: Jazzy Ash/ Brock Christoval

Note: In addition to their awesome albums, these bands can all be found playing at various venues around town so that you can introduce your tush-shaking tots to the joys of watching their favorite bands play live. Check websites (or our calendar of events!) to see when these bands have local gigs.

What are some L.A. kids bands that get you grooving right along with your kids? Share your favorites in the comments!

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Calling all LEGO Maniacs: Brick Fest Live Coming Soon!

by Mimi O'ConnorJune 3, 2015

If you or someone you love harbors an intense passion for those colorful little click bricks, here’s the event of the summer to buy tickets for now: Brick Fest Live. This massive, interactive celebration of all things LEGO is touching down at both the New York Hall of Science in Queens from June 20-28 and the Meadowlands Expo Center on July 10-12. Here’s what you and your little builder can expect at the event.

photo: New York Hall of Science/Brick Fest Live

Brick Fest 101

Brick Fest Live bills itself as a touring LEGO fan event featuring hands-on activities and exhibits built to inspire, educate and entertain. Attendees not only view mind-blowing, large scale LEGO creations, they get clicking themselves at building stations, while also taking part in LEGO-themed games and activities. (And yes, you can buy LEGOs there, too.)

photo: New York Hall of Science/Brick Fest Live

In the Brick House

Among the many activities and exhibits attendees at Brick Fest will find are “Inspiration Stations”; where visitors can add their own custom LEGO creations to existing LEGO cities; a video game arena, where attendees can play LEGO-themed video games with friends and other event attendees, and a LEGO mosaic area, where guests can build a piece of LEGO art for all attendees to see.

The event will also feature a Brick Fest Derby, in which kids can build and race cars of their own design down a 35-foot long track in a timed heat; a Brick Fest Theater Trivia and Entertainment area, where visitors can put their LEGO knowledge to the test, and a Glow Zone, where LEGO creations shine under ultra-violet light.

photo: New York Hall of Science/Brick Fest Live

Go to Brick Fest Live for Free!

Brick Fest Live sounds awesome; Brick Fest Live for free is even better! Here’s how to try to score free tickets to the New York Hall of Science stop on the tour:

Name the Mascot: Try your hand at naming Brick Fest’s mascot made of LEGOs. The winner receives four tickets to the event. (Submit entries by June 7 at nysci.org/brickfestlive; you must be at least 13 years old to enter.)

Submit a LEGO creation: Build a LEGO creation and upload a photo to social media with the hashtag #brickfestnysci. One winner will have their piece exhibited at NYSCI during Brick Fest Live, and also receive four tickets and a NYSCI t-shirt. Contest ends June 14, and you must be at least 13 years old to enter. To enter the contest, head to nysci.org/brickfestlive.

If all of that hasn’t gotten you pumped for Brick Fest, check this out!

Brick Fest Live
New York Hall of Science
June 20-28
Tickets: $15/adults; $12/children 2-17 and seniors ages 62 and up
47-01 111th St.
Corona
718-699-0005
Online: nysci.org/brickfestlive

Brick Fest Live
Meadowlands Expo Center
July 10-12
Tickets: $27/person; free/children under 2
355 Plaza Dr.
Secaucus, Nj
Online: showclix.com

Will you be heading to Brick Fest Live? Tell us in the comments below!

—Mimi O’Conor

Tough Chicks: LA Derby Dolls

by rtelenawfOctober 1, 2014

It’s not often you get to encourage your kiddos to scream their hearts out, but we’ve found a place that’s loud and wild in all the best ways. We’re talking about roller derby, a sport you may not have seen live, but that you and the kids will love. So what if LA doesn’t have a football team? We’ve got the Derby Dolls, where lipstick and tackles go hand in hand.

More Than Just A Pretty Face
As soon as you enter the Doll Factory (where the Dolls play) you and your kids will feel like rock stars. Leave your inner princess at the door and summon up the punk goddess; the atmosphere here is an edgy blend of girly and gritty. Think pink meets skull & crossbones. The crowd is mixed, from young hipsters to cool parents with kids (yep, even babies attend brawls – wearing headphones to soften the noise).

Before you get your seat, a giant hot pink neon roller skate beckons you to enter the Doll Mall, which is a craft market that sells everything from funky printed knee pads to roller skate jewelry and hand-made hats. It all has an underground feel, like you stumbled down the rabbit hole to discover the Mad Hatter’s tea party, only Alice is wearing fishnets and tattoos with her cute pinafore.

Buy some snacks for the little ones and feel free to treat yourself to a grown-up drink before you head to the stadium. The viewing areas are divided into two sections: one half is standing room only, and the other is the VIP area with bleacher seating. The only difference is the price of the tix. While you’ll still have an awesome view of the action no matter where you are, we recommend springing for the VIP tix when you have young kids – those little legs get tired of standing.

photo credit: Rink R. via Yelp

The Crowd Goes Wild
The real excitement is when the game begins and the skates start burning around the banked track. These ladies are fierce. They zoom around at lightening speed, and not a girl among them flinches when she takes a hit to the ground – there’s no crying in roller derby! With team member names like Oblivienne Westwood and Darla Daredevil, you know these women are packed full of as much adrenaline as the sport demands. You and your brood will buzz with all the excitement in the crowd, from the wild cheering, to the referees animatedly blowing their whistles, to the cupcake intermission. Don’t know how to play? They’ll show you a cartoon at the beginning of the bout so you know your jammers from your blockers. And keep those kiddos rowdy! The noisiest sections of the audience get tossed free tee-shirts.

photo credit: LA Derby Dolls Facebook Page

Grab Some Grub
If all that cheering has worked up some hunger, pop outside at half time to get a bite to eat. Several of the yummiest local food trucks are waiting for you, so ignore the late hour (half time is around 9 p.m.) and scarf down a taco or two. Don’t forget to get the kids a souvenir from the Doll’s Merch Booth, and if you’re feeling lucky you can purchase raffle tickets for a chance at prizes.

After munching, stroll back into the Doll Mall to catch some tunes. Live music is played at half time, like the awesome School of Rock, a band exclusively showcasing kids and teens. You’re little one will be in awe of the way these young people rock out, and you may be tempted to sign up your future musician in a School of Rock class.

photo credit: Junior Derby Dolls Facebook Page

When all is said and done, your tuckered out tykes can meet their favorite skaters and take photos with them. But keep in mind, this is a late night of entertainment for little ones (while there is an occasional Sunday afternoon match, most bouts begin at 8 p.m. and end at 10 p.m.). But it’s worth it when they fall asleep in the car with roller derby dreams.

photo credit: Junior Derby Dolls Facebook Page

But if the late hour isn’t meshing with your kiddo’s schedule, fear not: there’s a kids team. Junior Derby Dolls is for fearless 7 to 17 year olds. They mirror the Derby Dolls schedule, so when the Varsity Brawlers combat the Tough Cookies on a Saturday night, the mini Brawlers and tiny Cookies will compete on Sunday afternoon. You’ll get to root for gutsy girls as they whiz around the track. You can even sign up your rebel rouser if she gets the roller skating bug. It’s a great way to build friendships and support Girl Power in a setting that’s always PG. Games are 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays, at the Doll Factory. It’s a great (afternoon) intro to the sport.

photo credit: Junior Derby Dolls Facebook Page

Check out the Derby Dolls and Junior Derby Dolls websites for calendars and tickets. Tickets to Derby Doll bouts are $15 for General Admission in advance, $18/adult and $10/kid at the door. VIP tickets are $40. Kids under 2 are free. Parking is $10 across the street from the Doll Factory, at the Silverlake Medical Center. A couple more things to keep in mind when bringing young ones: there are no baby changing tables available, and you aren’t allowed to bring in outside food, so snack before coming, or enjoy those cupcakes!

The Doll Factory
1910 W Temple St.
Silverlake
Online: derbydolls.com

We hope you catch a match soon. Let us know what you think!

-Elena Wurlitzer

ML Interest Tag: derby

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