ML Interest Tag: enthusiast

“Jurassic World” Is Taking Over Your Local Target

by Erica Loop

It’s finally here! If your pint-sized paleontologist has been not so patiently waiting for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, they’ll finally get their wish—to see their fave dinos come to life on the big screen. But that’s not all. The Jurassic World collections at Target include more than 75 exclusive items that you won’t be able to find anywhere else!

Whether your kiddo just watched the fantasy flick or they’re still kind of reeling from the old school original that they’ve watched over (and over and over) again on your tablet, Target has just about every kind of dino-inspired thing they could ever need—seriously. The new collections include everything from bedding to toys—and your dino-lover is going to want it all.

So what does Target have in-store for your junior Jurassic enthusiast? To start with, the special Jurassic World Legacy Collection from Mattel features plenty of playthings from the original film. Look for the Jurassic Jeep, T. rex, an action figure set (filled with dinos) and everything else your creative kiddo needs to pretend play all day long.

Oh and if your child feels like dressing the part, Target has Jurassic World masks (complete with teeth) and claws. But there’s still more. Plenty more. The dino theme is spread across the store, extending to the grocery aisles—oh hello, Jurassic JELL-O kits—to the home section with sheets, comforters and throw pillows.

—Erica Loop

Featured Photo: Courtesy of Target

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This Viral Post of Mom Helping Another Mom Finish Her Target Run Is the Best

 

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Car-Tunes: A Sweet Playlist for Your Next Ride

by Nikki Walsh

In partnership with Kalahari Resorts

Hum a happy tune when you listen to this ultimate automobile playlist. In fact, you might even belt out some sweet solos yourself. From Drive My Car and Wheels on the Bus, to Mustang Sally and Life is a Highway, take a listen at this customized car track that has a song for every auto-enthusiast.

What car songs does your family sing to? Write us a little note in the comments below.

—Nikki Walsh

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Just Opened: NYC’s First Drone Store Takes Off

by Mimi O'Connor

Is the remote control Millennium Falcon the kid got as a gift last holiday season not quite cutting it? Looking for a cool new techy hobby for you and the family to enjoy outside this spring and summer? Then you might be interested to know that New York City’s first all-drone store opened on March 5, and is ready to serve all your drone-related needs, from equipment to education to field trips.

photo: Brooklyn Drones NYC

Drone HQ
Tucked away on the increasingly buzzing Fourth Avenue in Gowanus, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Drones NYC is the brainchild of Bay Ridge native Roger Kapsalis, a drone enthusiast and hobbyist-turned-expert and entrepreneur. (His impressive landscape photos captured via drone photography adorn the walls of the shop.)

Brooklyn Drones NYC only stocks what Kapsalis describes as “reliable, proven aircraft,” which means drones from companies such as DJI, Yuneec and Parrot, with possible models from GoPro to come. You can get a professional-grade drone here (the type used in movie and television production), but the store specializes in the microdrone market, which includes any drone under 4 1/2 pounds. Your basic, starter drone, DJI’s Phantom 3 Standard will run you $499, and you can get the Phantom 3 Standard Everything You Need starter kit for $589.99. (We never said it was an incredibly inexpensive hobby.)

Safety & Education
Brooklyn Drones NYC wants you to be an educated and safe pilot. In addition to posting FAA regulations and flight rules on its site, the store will also be offering classes and tutorials, and prospective pilots can stop in and take a practice flight via an in-store simulator or in the back yard flight cage. (If you do buy and fly a drone, you should familiarize yourself with all of the regulations, but some basic rules include: don’t fly over 400 feet, don’t fly at night and don’t fly within five miles of an airport. And you can’t fly anywhere in Manhattan. However, there are NYC Parks-designated Model Aircraft Fields in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island where you are free to take flight.

Beyond basic Intro to Drones classes, the store will also offer drone photography workshops, covering how to capture and then perfect shots with editing software.

Field Trips & Shows
Later this spring and into the summer, Brooklyn Drones NYC will also be conducting trips upstate, where drone pilots and photographers will have free rein at ski resorts in the off season. Additionally, the store plans to hold exhibits of photographs taken via drone.

Brooklyn Drones NYC
315 Fourth Ave.
Gowanus
917-520-5452
Online: brooklyndrones.nyc

Does drone flying as a family sound like a recipe for fun or disaster to you? Tell us what you think in the comments below!

—Mimi O’Connor

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Just Opened: Lincoln Park Zoo’s New Kiddie Train

by Kelly Aiglon

You’ve watched your kiddos scramble to get a good look at the animals at Lincoln Park Zoo. But sometimes, they might just want to sit back and enjoy the ride. Good news: Now they can! The zoo’s new kiddie train, the Lionel Train Adventure, has just opened. The track-less locomotive “chugs” around a scenic loop, giving excited tykes a break from the monkeys, lions and bears. Here’s what you need to know before you go.

Do the Loop
The train is best suited for little ones ages 2-6, but anybody (including parents) can hop onboard. Each compartment has small benches and open windows to view the landscape. While riders won’t see any animal exhibits up-close as they circle ’round, they’ll cross pretty terrain that will make them feel like they’re rambling through the countryside.

Choo-choo! Swerve past a craggy canyon where you can see faux T.rex fossils. Cross a bridge over a dry river bed. And sweep into a mini forest before you stop back at the red-brick station. The train goes around twice and the ride lasts a few minutes.

Bells & Whistles
The 28-passenger train was created through a collaboration with the iconic model train company, Lionel, which has been around since 1900. Any toot-toot enthusiast will love going for a ride — especially because there are piped-in engine noises and happy-go-lucky music playing in the background. If you want to do your own whistle blowing, buy a wooden train whistle in the pavilion next to the station. It also sells Zoo holiday ornaments, and Thomas the Train and Lionel gift sets.

The train experience was designed to be fun for kids and easy for parents. There is stroller parking at the station and the entire area is fenced off, so you’ll always be able to keep an eye on your child. Important to note: the train does not run during inclement weather.

While You’re There
If your kids need to cut loose, let them burn off energy at the Treetop Canopy Climbing Adventure. This maze of sturdy ropes and tunnels looks like something out of Swiss Family Robinson and is located in the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo.

Lincoln Park Zoo
Open April-May & September-October, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
November-March, from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
General admission is free; parking for 30 minutes or more is $20; train costs $3/person
Main entrance at Fullerton Parkway & Cannon Drive
312-742-2000
Online: lpzoo.org

What is your favorite thing to do at Lincoln Park Zoo? Let us know in the Comments!

— Kelly Aiglon

 

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The One App That Will Make Summer More Fun

by Kelly Aiglon

Round, round, round you go. Where you stop? Anywhere with monkey bars and a ginormous tube slide.

Your little playground enthusiast loves to twirl, slide, run and climb. When you’re looking for a new place to cut loose, download Playground Pointers. The app created by two local parents has a database of more than 700 Chicago playgrounds. It gives you an overview of each with maps, photos and insider tips. We gave the app a whirl one recent afternoon and found that what could have been a wild goose chase to find outdoor fun was instead, well … a walk in the park.

The Rundown
The app is available on iTunes for $1.99 — money well spent, considering the amount of good info it has. Its vast directory includes playgrounds across the city, from Rogers Park to Bridgeport, and nearby suburbs. Co-creator Mistie Lucht, a mom of three, gathers all the data and has visited more than 200 sites to provide accurate reviews. Her business partner and dad of four, Chris Cooper, takes care of the tech side of things.

At a basic level, use the app as a directory and look up playgrounds by name. You’ll see their map placement and, in many cases, the kind of equipment they feature (swing sets, slides, teeter totters, etc.). That’s in addition to tiny but important details, like if the sites have shaded areas, access to public transportation, water fountains, picnic areas, and nearby food and drink.

The Search Function
Along with being a great A-Z list, Playground Pointers is a search tool and GPS. You can get directions to any playground from your current location — something that comes in extra-handy when errands, or just the urge to explore, take you away from your usual stomping ground.

You can also search by geographical area. Want to plan an outing to Dunning on the West Side? Plug in the zip code (it’s 60634 and 60635) and see all the playgrounds that pop up. Or, search by features, such as splash pads, baby swings or picnic tables to find a new favorite. (For the record, we’re fans of the splash pad at Adams Playground Park, and Playground Pointers is, too.)

The Personal Touch
Stretch out the fun beyond the swing set and into the surrounding neighborhood. With the app’s Perfect Playground Day function, you can read about other attractions and activities in the vicinity of playgrounds. Mistie can vouch for each (she’s made the rounds, after all) and has even taken photos so you can get the lay of the land.

Plans are in the works for it to be possible to set up play dates, text and email from within the app.

Welcome to the jungle gym, everyone.

Buy the app online at itunes.apple.com and learn more at playgroundpointers.com.

What’s your favorite Chicago park? Tell us in the Comments section below.
x
— Kelly Aiglon

Photos: Courtesy of Playground Pointers

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It’s Reigning Cool Dads in Portland

by liz overson

Portland is home to some very cool dads. One part hero and two parts role model, our cool dads are an impressive array of men living, working and raising their kids in this fair city. So what makes these guys cool? They love their partners, successfully maintain a work/life balance, and they bring their A-game to their jobs. Read on to discover cool dads who make our city more awesome.

Cat Daddy

Kenneth Cat Daddy Pogson, Founder, Voodoo Doughnuts

Cat Daddy is founder of the self-proclaimed coolest doughnut shop in the world and we couldn’t agree more. Cat Daddy has created an economy and jobs for over 100 people locally. On top of that, he’s a beach-going, fishing-enthusiast dad to a nine- and six-year-old. Cat Daddy is passionate about sweet treats in pink boxes and about having the whole family home for dinner together each night. Voodoo’s store number four was just announced – guess where? Denver! Those lucky nuggets get first dibs at Cat Daddy and his biz partner’s efforts to reach out beyond state lines in 2013. Keep on rockin’ at home and at work, Cat Daddy!

To all the Top Pops and Rad Dads out there in Portland, we salute you as well! Let us know who else we should add to our list in the comment section below. 

— Liz Overson

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See Jane Run

by writerredtri

4066 24th St.
(Between Noe St. & Castro St.)
San Francisco, Ca 94114

Ever feel like chasing the little one around might not quite be cutting it for your daily exercise intake? While you’re in the neighborhood, stop by See Jane Run, and leave with a ‘fit that will give you that extra dose of inspiration needed to get back into shape. This store reaches out to individuals of all shapes, ages and fitness levels; the staff is committed to finding just the gear that caters to each woman’s personal needs whether you’re just starting out, or a seasoned exercise enthusiast. As a woman-owned and operated sports wear company, See Jane Run know exactly what moms are looking for in exercise apparel.  We particularly love the store’s Enell bras (Oprah swears by ’em,) but if this sports bra doesn’t suit you, we’ll venture a guess that you’ll most likely find one among the dozens they carry that will. Selected as one of the 50 Best Running Stores in America in 2006 and 2007 by Footwear Intelligence and The Running Network, See Jane Run believes that it is not only their job to sell exercise shoes and attire, but also motivate, and support. See Jane Run stands apart from other exercise stores because of unique elements like Train With Jane: an organized training program for women at all fitness levels looking to do marathons and triathlons.

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