Saddle Up For New Adventures with DreamWorks “Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy”

by Jennifer SwartvagherMarch 20, 2020

If your kids are obsessed with horses, then I’m sure you’ve heard of Spirit. Your kids can catch all the adventures of Lucky, Pru, and Abigail when they move to the Palamino Bluffs Riding Academy. Tune in for new episodes of DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy Part 1 on Netflix on Apr. 3.

According to the description, “There’s never a dull moment as Lucky, Pru and Abigail are preparing to leave Miradero on their exciting adventure as they move away to boarding school at Palamino Bluffs Riding Academy! But moving far from home definitely comes with challenges as the girls are faced with fresh responsibilities and experiences. From meeting their new competition, the BUDs, to fitting in among their fellow Foals (first-term students) their transition to the academy is anything but easy. Along the way the PALs will make new friends and explore their individual talents as they grow up and discover their new home together.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: DreamWorks Animation

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“Pizza Baby” Celebrates Second Birthday With Pizza, Of Course!

by Jennifer SwartvagherFebruary 14, 2020

Coming up with a unique way to take monthly milestone pictures of your baby can be a challenge. Some parents use letter boards or adorable throws. One Maryland mother came up with a creative and incredibly cheesy way to keep track of her baby’s growth and it went viral.

Dani Giannandrea, a Maryland-area wedding photographer, took the social media world by storm when she posted Lorenzo’s (Enzo) first year calendar pictures. Instead of posing Enzo next to a sign depicting his age, she used slices of pizza to mark his growth.

As each month passed, Giannandrea added one more slice. When asked why she chose pizza, she said, “When brainstorming with my mom, Lorenzo’s Grammy, she said that I really should do something Italian as an ode to his name. I had tossed around a few ideas but ultimately decided if we were going to do this right, we may as well also get dinner out of it each month.”

When Enzo turned two, it was only fitting that they mark his birthday with pizza. Giannandrea jokes that she’s glad Enzo isn’t lactose intolerant since they plan to keep up the photo shoots every year. She said, “It will be cute for a few more years, then awkward, and then hysterical. Already contemplating the purchase of a drone to get him with 18 pizzas.”

Giannadrea adds that Instagram makes motherhood look easy, but she acknowledges how hard it really is. She loves seeing other moms post photos of their completed baby photos projects, from pizza babies to burger babies. One mom even used a dozen eggs!

She said, “ I know the commitment it takes to stick to a project and how complicated it is to get a wiggly baby to sit still for 30 seconds to get just one photo. So it is heartwarming to see moms who stuck it out and now have their own baby next to their favorite food.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Photos courtesy of Dani Leigh Photography

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This Rib Smash Photo Shoot Is First Birthday Goals

by Karly WoodFebruary 13, 2020

When it came time to celebrate their daughter Calista’s first birthday, pit master and restaurant owner Paul Morales and his wife Denise decided something a little more fitting was appropriate for their lifestyle. Basically, a regular cake smash just wasn’t going to cut it.

In a festive and funny photo shoot, the Texas family decided on a more meaty take on this tradition and served up two racks of ribs! The result was a delicious-looking set of pics.

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Little Calista wasn’t going to let those ribs pass her by for her first “Rib Smash.” Donning a white onesie and crown, the 12-month old dug right in, clearly not a stranger to Texas BBQ.

In a recent post by dad, Paul shares that Calista is becoming quite the sensation as a result of her unique photoshoot. We just wonder what kind of “smash” we’ll see next.

––Karly Wood

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Build-A-Bear Just Revealed the New Girl Scout Cookie Bear

by Shahrzad WarkentinJanuary 14, 2020

Girl Scout Cookie season is in full swing, which also means it’s time for a brand new cookie-inspired Build-A-Bear.

Build-A-Bear Workshop just revealed the new Girl Scouts Coconut Caramel Cookie Bear. Much like the cookie, the bear features a swirling pattern of caramel and brown-colored fur and it can be scented to smell like just like the Girl Scout cookie it’s named for.

You might be scratching your head wondering why the bear is named Coconut Caramel and not Caramel Delight or Samoa. Depending upon the region you live in, the name, which refers to the chocolate and caramel-coated cookie topped with toasted coconut, varies. So it only makes sense that the bear has a name fitting of both popular varieties.

In addition to the Girl Scouts Coconut Caramel Cookie Bear, Build-A-Bear Workshop also has new outfits and accessories to expand its Girl Scouts of the USA collection.

The new bear starts at $22 and is available online now. It will roll out in stores on Jan. 30.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Build-A-Bear

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Ruggable’s New Disney Collection Is the Perfect Kids’ Room Addition

by Shahrzad WarkentinDecember 20, 2019

Looking for a new rug to spruce up your kids’ rooms? Look no further than Ruggable’s new Disney collection.

With kids in the house, spills and stains are all but guaranteed. Ruggable’s unique 2-piece machine-washable rug system is a game-changer for families. All of Ruggable’s rugs feature a low-pile, lightweight Rug Cover which is stain-resistant, waterproof and made to fit in your washing machine.

Now this incredible system features a new collection of styles inspired by Disney. Unlike typical kids decor, these designs are stylish and will stand the test of time, not only because they’re washable, but because they will remain fitting even as your kids grow.

The Disney touches are subtle, with designs woven into classic motifs and color schemes that will fit in any room of your house, not just the kids’ rooms.

The collection also features rugs that are made with your general living space in mind, like the Mickey Damask and Persian.

The entire collection ranges in price from $109 to $399. Rugs are available in a variety of sizes from 2.5′ x 7′ to 8′ x 10′. You can shop the entire Disney Ruggable collection here.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of Ruggable

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TruMoo’s Mint Vanilla Milk Is the Perfect Treat to Leave for Santa

by Shahrzad WarkentinDecember 18, 2019

Why set out a plain glass of milk when you can jazz things up for St. Nick with TruMoo’s Mint Vanilla Milk?

Mint is the flavor of the season, taking over everything from hummus to Twinkies, so it’s only fitting that it makes its way into your milk cup. TruMoo’s Limited Edition Mint Vanilla Milk is destined to be a popular choice for the holidays.

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Not only does it feature a mint vanilla flavor, but it’s also tinted green. While this isn’t the first time TruMoo has released this special flavor, it’s never been a holiday offering until now. Usually the specialty milk is adorned with a rainbow and available around St. Patrick’s Day. This winter version features a friendly snowman on the label instead.

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TruMoo’s Mint Vanilla Milk is available at grocery stores nationwide. Check out TruMoo’s product locator to see if it’s in stores near you.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Dad Bod Snacks via Instagram

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Jennifer Garner Playing with Her “Friends” LEGO Set Is the Best Thing Ever

by Shahrzad WarkentinOctober 17, 2019

Friends star Jennifer Aniston just joined Instagram and her pal, and clearly biggest fan, Jennifer Garner welcomed her with an awesome LEGO Friends re-creation.

The actress had previously shared the addition of her new Friends LEGO set in an Instagram post and in a new video she used that set, which features all of the characters in Central Perk, to recreate one of the show’s famous episodes.

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In the video posted to Instagram Garner voices every cast member in a hilarious recreation of the Friends episode titled “The One With the Embryos” which is more famously known as the episode featuring the big quiz game. It’s packed with some of the best moments and lines of the show and Garner nails them all in her fitting tribute complete with a laugh track.

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The post received plenty of well-deserved praise including a comment from the Instagram newbie herself, Aniston who wrote “Genius,” followed by a handful of applause emojis. If only you could get a Emmy nod for an Insta video.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Karin Liu via Flickr

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JoJo Siwa and Betsey Johnson Teamed Up for an Epic Clothing Collab

by Shahrzad WarkentinSeptember 24, 2019

Fashion icon Betsey Johnson and Nickelodeon sensation JoJo Siwa are both famous for their colorful over-the-top style so it’s only fitting that they collaborate on a brand new line of girls clothes for Bloomingdale’s.

The JoJo Siwa by Betsey Johnson collection is available exclusively at Bloomingdale’s and is inspired by JoJo’s energetic personality and colorful style.

Featuring bright colors and dazzling designs like reversible sequins, this collection is perfect for girls that like to show off their flair, but still comfortable enough to conquer the playground.

The limited edition clothing and accessory line will feature tops, bottoms, dresses, backpacks and more in sizes 4x to 12x. Items will range in price from $32 to $68.

The JoJo Siwa by Betsey Johnson collection will be available exclusively at Bloomingdale’s in stores and online starting Sep. 30.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of Betsey JoJo

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This Business Magazine Is the First to Feature a Pregnant CEO on the Cover

by Shahrzad WarkentinSeptember 19, 2019

Juggling a career and motherhood is never easy, but that doesn’t mean being a mom should be hidden from view in the workplace. The Wing CEO Audrey Gelman proudly bares her baby bump on the cover of Inc. magazine and it’s about time.

The October issue of Inc. magazine features a cover story about female founders with a prominent image of Gelman in a snug-fitting black dress against a bright yellow background. There’s absolutely no denying that beautiful baby bump and it’s a groundbreaking day for working women everywhere.

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“My hope is that women see this and again feel the confidence to take greater professional risks while also not shelving their dreams of becoming a mother and starting a family,” Gelman told TODAY.

“You can’t be what you can’t see.” @audreygelman is the first visibly pregnant CEO to grace the cover of a business magazine ever.

She sat down with @MorganRadford to talk about why she’s proudly revealing her baby bump on the magazine cover. pic.twitter.com/TnBALec1YL

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 18, 2019

Gelman is the co-founder and CEO of The Wing, a women’s co-working space with locations across the country including New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago. She explained to TODAY that images like this are critical to eliminating the bias that women can’t successfully balance a career and motherhood.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Inc. via Instagram

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This Ellen DeGeneres-Themed Cakesmash Photo Shoot Will Make You Want to Get Up and Dance

by Shahrzad WarkentinSeptember 6, 2019

Celebration is the name of the game when it comes to that one and only first birthday, and if there’s anyone who knows how to celebrate in style it’s Ellen DeGeneres. So why not have an Ellen cake smash for a first birthday?

German-born photographer Ute Christin has been a huge fan of The Ellen Show ever since she moved to the United States 17 years ago. As a baby photographer, Christin dreamed of having her passion and her work collide with an epic Ellen-themed cake smash photo shoot. Now her dream has finally come true.

“This little girl’s name is Ariella and she had the most blonde hair I have ever seen on a newborn baby, so I knew back then (yes a year ago) that one day she would have to be my Ellen in the cakesmash setup,” Christin told Red Tricycle. “She just turned one at the end of August so it was time to make it happen. Lots of planning went into it, but I am so excited about how it turned out. I have done lots of cakesmashes before and parents always requests the themes such as Elmo, or Unicorns, or The Wild One, Disney characters, but I had never done an Ellen smash before.”

“She was not very interested in the cake but she was very interested in eating mini Ellen and messing with tWitch,” Christin explained. “She kept crawling off the set but once we played (the) Ellen theme song from Pink she started to hang out and got her groove on!”

The Ellen Show launches its 17th season this fall and there couldn’t be a more fitting tribute than this super cute cakesmash 17 years in the making. “I thought it would be a fun way to show off my love for her and the show,” Christin said. “I also think it is a great time to remind people to be kind to one another. Kindness is so much needed these days.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of Ute Christin Photography

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