If you’re an ALDI fan, you probably know about the company’s Monthly Finds! There are some real gems this month, including a new batch of cheap houseplants, an adorable cactus LED lamp, a s’mores cookie kit and pulled pork chips!
Starting July 28, you can snag a cute little aloe vera plant for $3.99. A new batch of mini succulents will drop on August 11 for $1.99. And an adorable geometric terrarium is coming your way on August 25 for $13.99.
If you kill any plant you lay eyes on, there’s another fun decor option this month. The LED novelty lamp features a glowing saguaro cactus for $8.99. Perfect for dorm room decorating or a WFH glow up!
You’ll remember the S’more Cookie Kit we’ve covered and it’s finally available to buy on August 25! There are a lot of intriguing food finds for the upcoming month, but we’re especially interested in the Pulled Pork Kettle Chips that come out August 25. They’re krinkle cut and gluten free!
Dolphins that glow neon. Manatees and manta rays shining the brightest of blues. Fluorescent fish that kerplunk into your kayak. These may sound like visions only possible in whimsical dreams, but this natural wonder is absolutely real at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. The window of opportunity to experience this underwater phenomenon is small, so read on to learn how to infuse a little magic into your summer family vacation plans.
From June to October, the water at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on Florida's Merritt Island glows blue because of single-cell bioluminescent organisms that gather here annually. The resulting unusual light show gives the illusion the world has turned upside-down and you're paddling through comets, shooting stars and fireworks when viewed from a kayak.
Bioluminescence feels more like something out of a sci-fi movie than a reality, but it's one of nature's most incredible phenomena. It's the ability of a living organism to create and emit light. When these organisms move through the water, they create a dreamy glowing effect that allows you to see fish underwater at night.
Edith Widder, founder of the Ocean Research & Conservation Association, says the bloom is consistent in this location because it happens in an estuary that tends to be protected and stable.
For the most memorable way to experience the glow, book a Get Up and Go Kayaking excursion. Your paddle will glow as you maneuver through the waterways and the natural flow of water will illuminate the organisms. The clear bottoms of their kayaks allow you to see what's below, as well as what's all around you. They launch from the northwest side of Haulover Canal, which is an area that's home to large manatee and dolphin populations, making it very likely they'll make an appearance during your ride.
Best Time to Go
For bioluminescence at its brightest, book your trip in July or August. The best nights for viewing are the darkest with a moon phase that's at 55% or less. Get Up and Go Kayaking has a handy calendar on their website to help you plan the best date for your experience.
Merritt Island is also home to NASA'S Kennedy Space Center. Kids who are intrigued by space travel will flip over the Visitor Complex that's organized into Mission Zones with attractions and tours grouped by chronological era. You'll leave with a good understanding of the history of humans in space, from the dawn of exploration to current missions.
If luck is on your side, you'll even get to meet an astronaut or experience an unmanned rocket blast from the space center or from the adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
For ideas on where to stay, NASA's website has a comprehensive list of hotel options that fit a wide range of budgets. If you decide to fly vs. road trip, book your flights into Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Say it with us: Butterbeer Bar. If your travel plans include New York this summer, you’re in luck, because the first official Butterbeer Bar is scheduled to open soon at the flagship Harry Potter Store.
Just as it sounds, this bar features only one product in all its glory, butterbeer. You can drink it on draft, in bottles, or even enjoy it in ice cream form. Your frothy, butterscotch beverage comes poured in a souvenir tankard or in a bottle with an exclusive collectible label. The bottle is only available in-store and the label is designed by MinaLima, the duo behind the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series.
There’s much more to love about your trip to the Butterbeer Bar. Once you step inside, you’ll be greeted by a giant cascade of glowing Butterbeer bottles. As you walk to the bar, the bottles will appear to ‘float’ as Butterbeer transports magically through copper pipes. And the bar is part of Harry Potter New York, the world’s only official Harry Potter flagship store.
The store and bar open on June 3 and are sure to be must-stops for the wizards and Muggles in your life. You’ll find exclusive products, interactive elements and an eye-catching design from top to bottom—three floors, to be exact. At over 21,000 square feet, the store will hold the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beast products anywhere. Start plotting your trip now, because what’s life without a little magic!
—Sarah Shebek
All photos: Courtesy of Harry Potter Flagship Store New York
Another boy will meet the world, because Danielle Fishel is pregnant! The former Boy Meets World star turned 40 today and had a sweet announcement ready to celebrate. She’s expecting her second son with husband Jensen Karp.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to enter my 40’s with my amazing husband and son, excitedly expecting the arrival of baby boy #2. My birthday wish is for all of you to tell someone how much you love them and walk through today with more patience than you normally might,” Fishel noted in her caption on Instagram, accompanying a glowing bump photo.
Fishel and Karp married in 2018 and their first son, Adler Lawrence, was born a month before his due date in June 2019. The infant faced some health scares and spent 21 days in the neonatal intensive care unit, after being diagnosed with chylothorax. Today he’s healthy, happy and on his way to big brother status.
Proud dad Karp also posted a sweet tribute on his Instagram, penning “Happy 40th birthday to my life partner, a team captain and the greatest mom to our now soon to be 2 boys. She believes in our squad and even when I held a newborn Adler like he was a fragile piece of china for the 4 first months, she had the patience and care of a saint.” We’re looking forward to watching the Fishel Karp family grow!
The first 48 hours go by so fast. You’re basking in the glow of love. Take a few moments and capture those precious moments of bonding before you head home and the family arrives to see the new addition.
Because of COVID-19, hospitals aren’t allowing professional photographers into the hospitals to take any pictures. Most mother-baby stays are shorter than normal to ensure that mom, dad, and baby all stay healthy.
So what’s the best way to document the first memories of your baby’s life? Kendra Greenberg Photography has tips and tricks for taking professional-looking pictures that you will want to frame, put in an album, and use for your baby announcements all from your iPhone. You can absolutely create some lasting images from your time in the hospital.
Kendra is a maternity, newborn, and family photographer based in the Los Angeles area. She has photographed over 1200 newborns at the hospital in their first two days of life and also does posed newborn photography. To learn more about Kendra, visit her website at KendraGreenberg.com and on Instagram @kendraslife.
1. Make a Plan
Visual examples are your best friend. Check out this free PDF Kendra has included if you need some inspiration. Also, if you have time, you can create a Pinterest page of in-hospital baby pictures that you would like to recreate.
Make sure to pack the items that you want with you in the photos, for example, a nice robe, baby outfits/headbands, plus any make-up and hair styling tools you’ll need if you want a certain look.
2. Kendra’s Must-Have Shots
Mom with baby
Dad with Baby
Baby Portrait: Pictures of the baby by themselves
Tiny Pieces: Close-ups on the head, hands, and feet
Family Picture: Have the nurse take this one!
3. It’s All about the Lighting
First, turn off all artificial lights and get everyone by the window—trust me—turn them off. Natural light complements all skin tones the best. If you leave any other lights on in your room, your baby and the photo will look orange, regardless of your skin tone. Also, turn off your flash. The flash will ruin the natural shadows that we love in documentary-style photography. On your iPhone screen, tap on the part of the image where you want sharp focus. This will also correct the brightness of the image.
PRO TIP: Don’t photograph anyone with the window directly behind them. Most hospitals have a blackout curtain and a shade curtain. Use the shade curtain if it’s too bright. Make sure there is no harsh sunlight on anyone. Make sure the soft light from the window is lighting their faces.
4. Frame It Up
Get close to your subject to make the photo look more artistic. With intense close-ups like these, you will naturally get a blurry background which will give the picture that professional effect. You’ll want to focus the image in the same way as you did for step four: on your iphone screen, tap on the part of the image where you want sharp focus. This will also correct the brightness of the image. This technique is especially nice for images of the head, hands, and feet.
PRO TIP: Physically move your body closer instead of using the in-phone zoom feature. If you zoom in digitally the image will pixelate and you won’t get good print quality.
5. Get in the Picture
Moms, Dads, get in the picture with your baby! Don’t worry about how you look! Years from now all you’ll see is the glow of love on your face. Those first 48 hour memories are priceless and you can’t recreate the moment when you get home.
For parents who would still really prefer not to be photographed: Consider using your hands under the baby’s head or cheek for an artistic shot. As the baby gets older, they will cherish the image of you and them together.
PRO TIP: Photographing a parent from above with his/her eyes closed and head leaning in close to the baby is a very artistic and flattering shot. Everyone looks good in this picture! Regardless of how much sleep they’ve gotten. Just make sure to get very close and tap the screen to focus on the baby’s face.
6. Choose the Right Moment
Babies are either sleeping, eating, pooping, or everything at the same time, lol! You want to take your pictures when the baby has a full belly and/or is drifting off to sleep. It’s very difficult to get pictures of a one-day-old baby when their eyes are open because that usually means that they’re uncomfortable for some reason.
A warm room will make the baby more comfortable, but don’t let it get too hot for too long. Remember, if you have any questions, consult the medical staff. A tight swaddle, gentle rocking, and shushing sounds mimic the conditions in mommy’s womb. The nurses are expert swaddlers and they love to help new parents.
Most of all, have fun with it! Your first 48 hours with your baby are magical. Enjoy every precious minute of it together and remember, don’t forget to take the pictures!
I'm a mom to 3 crazy kids, wife and, photographer! I’ve been a photographer for 20+ years. I have photographed over 1200 newborns in hospitals all across Los Angeles and it never gets old. I’ll never lose the awe and wonder at this journey of self discovery that is parenthood.
Walt Disney World Resort is turning the big 5-0—and there’s plenty of bday magic for the whole fam to enjoy!
Get ready for “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” at the Florida resort. Starting Oct. 1, 2021 guests can enjoy new experiences in the resort’s four theme parks. Along with the all-new experience awesomeness, the Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park will get a royal makeover. Look for new gold bunting, gold embellishments and more.
photo: Courtesy of Disney/Matt Stroshane
At night the Cinderella Castle will transform into one of the resort’s new Beacons of Magic, glowing with a radiant light display. Other resort landmarks, such as Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park’s Tree of Life, EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth and Disney’s Hollywood Studios’s Hollywood Tower Hotel will also glow as Beacons of Magic during the 50th anniversary celebration.
The Cinderella Castle isn’t the only fave park fixture to get an anniversary upgrade. Mickey and Minnie are also getting a sparkling makeover. The iconic pair will sport custom-made looks in EARidescent fabric with shining gold highlights.
“The World’s Most Magical Celebration” kicks off Oct. 1 and will last for the following 18 months. Stay tuned for more details about the resort’s plans or visit DisneyWorld.com/50 for future information.
The food coloring in your kitchen cabinet can do more than turn vanilla frosting into a magical unicorn-esque rainbow hue. While creating crazy colors of pancakes, baked goods and more is always welcome by your fam, you can also use food coloring in science experiments for kids. From how to tie dye with food coloring to dying eggs (and everything in between), check out these easy science experiments for kids!
What happens when you drip a few drops of food coloring onto a coffee filter? Before you add the food coloring, ask your child to predict whether the drops will stay put or move. Drop one hue onto the edge of the filter and watch what happens (the color will magically move). Repeat with other colors, letting them mix and turn into new hues.
Fill a shallow dish with a thin layer of milk. Add a few drops of different colored food coloring. Make sure the colors don’t touch. Dip the end of a cotton swab into dish soap. Press the soapy swab into the milk and hold it there. Watch as the colors magically swirl through the milk; even though the colors look like they’re moving on their own, it’s really science at work! The soap reduces the surface tension of the milk and makes the fat molecules move. The addition of food coloring makes this process easy to see.
Your child explored what happens when you put food coloring into a shallow dish of milk. Now it’s time to add a liquid-to-solid experiment to the mix. Drip a drop of food coloring into each compartment of an ice cube tray. Use the primary colors or choose a rainbow of hues. Fill the tray with milk and mix the color in each compartment. Freeze the tray. Repeat with food coloring water. Compare the ice and ask your child to guess why the colors are different in the two trays. Hint: The white milk lightens each color! Drop the pastel milk cubes into a fresh glass of milk and observe the colors as they melt.
How can your child make glowing paints? All you need is tonic water—and a black light! Add in food coloring to take this science experiment for kids to the next level. Pour the tonic water into a clear plastic cup or freeze it. Bring the liquid or ice into a completely dark room and turn on a black light. Watch as the bubbly water glows. After your child observes the glow, add a drop of food coloring into the cup or freeze a colorful tonic water cube to see what happens next.
Take color mixing science one step farther with this artsy idea! Make red, yellow and blue ice cubes with food coloring and help your child to hypothesize what will happen when they mix, blend, and splash each one in a cup of primary-colored water.
Your creative kid has already made food coloring ice cubes. But what happens if you replace the water with oil? Compare and contrast the two different liquids with colorful science exploration. Get the easy-to-follow how-to steps here.
Check out this easy rainbow ice-making how-to. After your kiddo makes the colorful cubes, they can line up a rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet) and race each one. Even though the cubes can’t move on their own, your child can push them across a piece of white card stock paper. As the cubes move, they’ll leave behind a colorful pattern. Ask your child to explain where the colors come from. Add on to the science experiment and coat the bottom of the cubes in salt. Observe or time the cubes to see if they melt at the same rate as plain (unsalted) ice.
Did your child use the primary colors to mix secondary ones? Now that you have six plastic cups filled with custom colors, it’s time to break out the hard-boiled eggs. Dying eggs with food coloring is an easy way to explore and experiment. Before you dunk or dip the eggs (with the shell on) in the colorful water, ask your child to predict what they think will happen. Dip one egg in each color, wait 10 seconds and pull the eggs out. Put the eggs to the side and repeat, dunking a new set of eggs for one minute this time. Repeat the experiment—but wait five minutes or more. Compare the eggs and ask your child to explain the differences they see.
Yellow and blue make what? Help your little learner to explore the primary colors—red, yellow, and blue. Pour tap water into three clear plastic cups. Add three to four drops of each primary color into each cup. Now it’s time to mix the colors. Use additional clear plastic cups to blend the primaries into secondary hues (green, orange, and purple). Pour part of the yellow water into an empty cup, add blue, and watch what happens. Repeat with the other colors.
How can your kiddo turn a white flower blue, pink or purple? This experiment allows your child to see how water moves through a flower. Fill a clear cup half-way with water. Add a few drops of your child’s favorite food coloring hue. Cut the end of a white carnation’s stem and place it into the water. Repeat with different colors in different cups. Watch and wait! Ask your child what they think will happen to the flower. As the flower sits in the water, the food coloring will make its way through the step and to the petals—changing the flower’s color.
Yes, tie typically means adding fabric-ready pigments from the craft store to plain white tee’s, tanks, socks, and more. But you can also use food coloring. Ramp up the experimental aspect of a seemingly simple tie dye craft and compare the differences between fabric pigments and food coloring from your kitchen’s pantry. Try each of these dye crafts with both color options, hypothesize what will happen and observe the similarities/differences.
We know your kids haven’t forgotten about the glory of an overnight at the Great Wolf Lodge, and the Great Wolf Lodge hasn’t forgotten about your family, either! While some Great Wolf Lodges are open with strict safety protocols in place, for many of us a visit won’t be possible this year. Throughout the pandemic closures, they’ve been working to keep that pawesome vibe going for you by offering at-home activity tutorials for fun crafts and creative projects to keep the kids happy. For New Year’s Eve, they’ve created an entire lineup for you and the kids: the ultimate Glow-In-the-Dark NYE Party. Read on to get planning.
At the Great Wolf Lodge blog, you’ll find the following activities to throw your own Glow-in-the-Dark NYE Party:
Are you wondering how to get your glow back amidst all the stress of being a busy mom during this especially crazy year? It’s a big deal to try to find doable, healthy skincare routines while managing working from home, kids learning from home, and much of our “normal” being thrown out the window. It’s also extremely important to take care of ourselves as moms—you’ve probably heard this time and time again, the phrase “you cannot pour from an empty cup.” When we take care of ourselves we are more easily able to care for those around us. And, taking care of our skin is also just FUN!
So, where to begin if you are feeling stressed and want to take better care of that beautiful face of yours? Start small! If you are a beginner—do not start by taking on a 10-step routine! All this will likely do is overwhelm and confuse you and you’ll end up right back where you started. What should you do instead? Focus on ONE issue you’d like to start correcting.
Maybe you have acne from mask wearing—start there by introducing a detox mask and exfoliation a few times a week to help purge your skin of excess dirt and oil. Seeing added wrinkles from the additional stress of mom life this year? You are not alone! But again, instead of adding an hour to your nightly routines before bed, consider 1-2 anti-aging products you can easily introduce while you brush your teeth!
Like anything else in life—creating glowing skin free of the negative side effects of stress is a process that is built on consistent, healthy habits. And, those habits do not just come down to the things you use to wash your face! Eating a balanced diet, consistent and adequate water intake, and cutting down on stress in general all contribute to how our skin looks and feels. But, what you do use on your face to cleanse, tone, and moisturize does play a huge role.
Focus on the big things first-daily cleansing, wearing SPF no matter your activities or the time of year, and build from there. Find a way to track your daily usage and maybe even a partner to keep you accountable. You’ve got this, mama, and you will be thrilled at the results you see as you make your skin a priority.
1
Unblemish Clarifying Mask
Struggling with acne? This mask is a must have! The sulfur is a magical way to clear up acne quickly and to unclog your pores.
$60
I love this mask because of its simplicity! All I need to do is use it before bed a couple of times a week to see major results in how my skin looks and feels. It's been a game changer for keeping the pesky breakouts at bay.
Puffy eyes got you looking like you haven't slept in years? This one is for you!
$70
I LOVE this eye cream because it's such an easy item to introduce into anyone's daily routine. I've seen dramatic decreases in my dark circles and the wrinkles around my eyes. It's gentle, works for even sensitive eyes, and is very affordable.
Looking for a way for your skin to feel as soft as a baby's? You need this stuff.
$83
I adore this scrub because it smells and feels heavenly! It's refreshing and the perfect way to relax and pretend like you like at a spa for the day. You can use it from your face all the way down to your feet, and it really does leave your skin feeling extremely soft and smooth. Plus, exfoliation is super important for our skin for getting rid of the dead and dry stuff on the surface AND for cell turnover.
Is your skin feeling dry these days? This is one your one stop shop for hydrating your dry skin!
$66
I've searched for YEARS for something to keep my hands, legs, and feet truly hydrated and moisturized, and this is what I've finally found that consistently does the job. It's different because it uses a molecule to pull water from the air to hydrate the surface of your skin. Goodbye dryness, hello hydration! Huge jar that lasts for months and can be used all over. Oh, and did I mention it feels like a spa treatment? Because it does!
Seeing wrinkles all over your face? This is your solution!
$227
This tool has been my BFF for over 5 years now! Why? It WORKS! After the first couple of years of mom life, no sleep, working, etc I was seeing deeper and deeper wrinkles forming that I did NOT like. I began incorporating this tool and serum into my nightly routine and I've watched the wrinkles nearly vanish completely from my face. It only takes one minute at night, the serum is like silk, and it's fun to use and easy to figure out. A must have for anyone wanted to keep the wrinkles away.
Looking for Lucious lashes without an appointment? This serum is the at home answer for the lashes of your dreams!
$155
This serum has become a staple for me and so many of my friends. It could not be more simple or easier to use--it's a serum you put on your top lash line before you go to sleep. It literally takes one minute and the results are incredible! It gives you darker, longer, and fuller looking lashes. You won't find a better at home lash product out there!
We’re interviewing Power Parents who in our opinion, are killing it. From the board room to the changing room, these moms are filling us in on everyday life of how they juggle it all.
Join us as we chat with Lindsay Ellingson, former Victoria’s Secret Angel and Co-founder of Wander Beauty about how this new mom has dealt with newborn life during quarantine, and the inspiration behind her clean beauty brand.
Being a first-time mom can be overwhelming to begin with, throw a pandemic/quarantine at the same time and you’ve got a whole nother ball game! How have you adjusted to being a new mom during Covid?
This was oddly the perfect year to have a baby. Even under normal circumstances, I would have been inside more than ever with a newborn. Now that I’m back from maternity leave and around people a bit more, I do worry about being exposed to Covid-19 so we are being as careful as we can, wearing masks and socially distancing. It’s also been challenging to be so far away from family. My sisters haven’t met Carter yet so we have been FaceTiming more often. As soon as it’s safe to travel, we will go and see them. I can’t wait to see his face when he meets all of his cousins and aunties!
What was your inspiration behind creating Wander Beauty?
Women are busier than ever and most have less than 15 minutes to spend on their beauty routines but at the time, there was no beauty brand speaking to them. We felt women deserve products that work just as hard as they do so we created Wander Beauty: clean beauty essentials, that you reach for everyday, wherever you wander. Our multitaskers help to streamline your routine and save you precious time so you have more time to do the things you love.
We all know that being in quarantine wasn’t ideal, but what did you find was the best part of having a baby in quarantine?
My husband and I quarantined on Lake Eerie. His parents were so sweet to offer their lake house for those months when the pandemic was really bad in NYC. Despite how horrible and scary quarantine was, I look back fondly on those times. It was the last couple months of my pregnancy and Sean and I got to spend every moment together. I made pancakes every morning, we watched the most beautiful sunsets, and I got to sleep so much. But most importantly, we were safe and I’m so grateful for that. Then when Carter was born, we were together with both Sean’s parents and mine, who had isolated for 2 weeks prior to his arrival, so we had lots of help and support. I’m so thankful that I was able to change my birth plan so quickly and we found an amazing doctor in Ohio who took me on. It was really special for our parents to see Carter and to bond with him during his first month.
What is your most memorable moment from working with Victoria Secret?
My most memorable moment was also one of the most challenging shots in my career. We were shooting one of the holiday commercials in Prague. We would wake up at 4am to shoot before the streets got busy. In one of my shots I was wearing heavy wings, lingerie, and platform heels. I was asked to walk quickly towards the camera down a windy and steep cobblestone street. It was pretty challenging and I couldn’t take more than a couple steps without my ankles wobbling. After numerous takes and crowds of people gathering to watch, we finally got the shot. It ended up being a couple seconds in the final commercial. A lot goes into every single second!
We love seeing pictures of your cockapoo Carly! How did it go bringing the baby home to meet your first “fur-baby”
Carly was my only baby for seven years and always had my undivided attention. When we brought home Carter, she was completely disinterested and slept in the closet for a few days, I think mostly because the crying annoyed her. Now she’s starting to warm up to him and gives him kisses on the cheek. It was very hard to focus on anything other than Carter the first couple months but thankfully we had lots of help. Now that I’ve gotten the hang of being a mom, I’m able to include Carly more and give her more of the love she deserves.
As you know, moms don’t have much time for makeup in the morning, what are your Top 5 must haves for busy mamas from Wander Beauty?
Yes, now more than ever I need time-saving multitaskers!
1
Mist Connection Essence and Toner
I love this! It’s a 2-in-1 essence and toner which helps to soften and hydrate the skin and preps it for the rest of your skincare routine.
My Holy Grail! An amazing formula that gives me buildable volume without flaking or smudging. It's also clean and enriched with castor seed oil to nourish the lashes.
