You are going to feel the need…the need for speed. Hasbro and Paramount pictures are teaming up to bring you the first ever Transformers-Top Gun collaboration starring the brand new character, Maverick. This new Transformers robot is the ideal wingman taking form as the iconic Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat jet from the original Top Gun film.
The new Top Gun mash-up Maverick robot was created in honor of the highly anticipated sequel to the iconic film. Top Gun: Maverick is expected to premiere Dec. 23, 2020.
The new Transformers Autobot Maverick stands at 7 inches tall in robot mode and can convert from a robot to a Northrop Grumman F-14 Tomcat in steps. Maverick includes a screen-inspired miniature motorcycle accessory and two alternate hands that can hold the included volleyball accessory. The figure also features folding jet wings, movie-inspired details, including a helmet design inspired by the new film. It also includes four missile accessories that can be mounted on the figure’s arms while in robot mode and under the wings in jet mode.
The Maverick figure is available now for pre-order at HasbroPulse.com, while supplies last.
The only thing better than a bike ride is a family bike ride. Now you can get outdoors and stay socially distanced while cycling through town or your local rail trail. Trek Bicycle has all the must have cycling gear and accessories for families to keep your family safe during your next bike ride.
Keep your kids riding safer, happier and more confidently with a helmet and lights.
The new Bontrager Jet WaveCel Helmet is the first-ever kids’ helmet to feature WaveCel, a leading technology in the protection against cycling-related head injuries. Key features include:
Skater-inspired kids’ bike helmet design
Comes with a sticker pack for kid-friendly customization
Fidlock magnetic buckle that fastens quickly and easily
Dialed fit system for a secure and comfortable fit
Thick helmet pads that are easy to remove for cleaning
The helmet retails for $100.
The Safety Bike Lights and Daytime Running Lights are the perfect biking addition to provide visibility all day and night so kids can constantly be seen by passing drivers.
The universally beloved Mr. Rogers has a now-famous quote, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” Since the shutdown of schools and businesses and disruption to the normal flow of life that began in mid-March, we’ve seen Chicago business owners and organizations impressively pivot to not only save their life’s work with new modes of operation but to find ways to selflessly offer support. We’re shining a light on this beautiful bright spot during a ridiculously tough time to share a bit of happy news. Mr. Rogers would be proud, Chicago.
Chance the Rapper's SocialWorks
Humanitarian and Grammy-award-winning Chance the Rapper is a native Chicagoan who has succeeded in his mission to have a life-changing impact via his SocialWorks non-profit that empowers Chicago youth through the arts, education, and civic engagement. During Covid-19, SocialWorks is helping using a three-pronged approach: creating a hyperlocal resource guide, conducting an inspirational #30DaysofOpenMike challenge (with a $500 weekly prize for eligible students), and a webinar series titled SWorkshops. Viewers can stream SWorkshops using the link or via social channels on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
Bandwagon Champs makes some pretty sweet Chicago-themed gear that features the Chicago flag and themes that embody what it means to be a true Chicagooan. They created the Chicago Strong collection to help those impacted by the coronavirus, with 100% of the net proceeds benefitting the Chicago Community Covid-19 Response Fund. They need your help to hit their goal of donating $3,000 in May!
How to support Bandwagon Champs: Purchase a t-shirt or hoodie from the Chicago Strong collection and use them as your go-to going forward when looking for Chicago-themed apparel.
For every kid, rituals and routines can be of great comfort. For kids with autism, they are a necessity. Autism Speaks knows that your world is being turned upside down and new structures are needing to be put in place. Their Autism Response Team (ART) is available to provide personalized information and resources to people with autism by calling 1-888-AUTISM2 or for Spanish-speaking callers 1-888-772-9050.
How to support them post-Covid-19: Much uncertainty surrounds largely attended events in Chicago; but, keep your eye on whether their annual Autism Speaks Walkin Chicago will still be scheduled for 2020. They also have a walk scheduled Oct. 11 in Northfield. Also, consider making a donationon their website. You can even donate stocks!
Summer House Santa Monica made movie night magic for a great cause in May. In support of Lurie Children's Hospital, they created Movie Night Kits for Four and $25 for every kit sold directly benefited Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Covid-19 Relief Fund.
How to support Summer House Santa Monica: Order delivery and pick-up of family meals, weekend breakfasts and cocktail kits. After restrictions are lifted, visit their stunning Lincoln Park restaurant that will make you feel transported to the warmth of the West Coast.
Great Wolf Lodge
Not only did Great Wolf Lodge develop online content for stay-at-homers, to show its immense gratitude to the courageous nurses battling Covid-19, they offered a special rate to all and pledged to donate up to 10,000 complimentary overnight stays to registered nurses. From May 4-12, every room booked using the code THANKYOU gave a room to a registered nurse and unlocked a significant discount for guests staying Jul. 6-Oct. 29.
How to support Great Wolf Lodge: Once Great Wolf Lodge opens their doors in Gurnee, book a stay with the family!
Krispy Kreme Chicagoland gave out 25,000 dozen Original Glazed® Doughnuts for free to healthcare workers on Mondays, beginning with National Doctors’ Day on Mar. 30 through May 11 during National Nurses Week.
How to support Krispy Kreme: Visit www.krispykreme.com to place an online order for delivery or door side pickup, find your closest Krispy Kreme shop and get Hot Light alerts.
Portland Timbers goalkeeper and children's book author Jeff Attinella donated 1,000 new copies of his book The Curse Ends: The Story of the 2016 Chicago Cubs to Cradles to Crayons Chicago, a non-profit that provides children essential items they need to thrive. With the Covid-19 situation, Cradles to Crayons is only donated new learning supplies to students, so donations like this are essential to their success of supporting Chicago's most vulnerable residents.
How to support Jeff Attinella and Cradles to Crayons: Donate to Cradle to Crayons' Emergency Essentials Fund and purchase one of Jeff Attinella's books via his sports-themed publishing company It Had to Be Told.
Cradles to Crayons and Radio Flyer
To help keep kids active and provide imaginative play, Radio Flyer donated 1,000 wagons, tricycles, scooters and ride-ons to Cradles to Crayons to distribute to Chicago families. That equated to two truckloads of product to Cradles to Crayons’ Giving Factory that were distributed to those who need them most.
How to support Cradles to Crayons: Donate to Cradle to Crayons' Emergency Essentials Fundto get diapers, hygiene supplies, and other urgent supplies to our most vulnerable families.
The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago teamed up with Houston-based nonprofit, Comp-U-Dopt to supply underserved children in Chicago with free refurbished computers that will allow them to participate in remote learning and close the digital divide.
Local YMCAs are closed to normal activity, but they created Y on the Go, which gives access to the best local YMCA instructors and education facilitators guiding you through DIY projects, family activities and workouts.
They also partnered with the City of Chicago to serve as emergency shelters to house hundreds of displaced and homeless individuals who were in shelters where they were unable to practice social distancing.
How to support the YMCA: Make a donationto or joinyour local YMCA or share your talents and become aY volunteer.
Nurture Life
Nurture Life
Chicago-based Nurture Life, a subscription food service for kids, has donated 2,300 meals to Lakeview Pantry and continues to provide donations.
How to support Nurture Life: Sign up for their subscription service the provides fresh, ready-to-enjoy food options that appeal to kids ages 10 mos.-18 yrs (and family meals). Each meal focuses on organic produce, antibiotic-free proteins whole grains and can be served up in 2 minutes or less.
The Field Museum printed 3-D face shields for healthcare workers and Meals on Wheels volunteers. The Field normally uses 3D printers to make scientific models used for research, educational toys and materials for visiting field trips. The machines were converted to print NIH-approved face shield support bands. Then, letter-sized sheets of clean 10 mil Mylar or PVC was attached by hand to make complete face shields.
How to support Field Museum: Purchase a family membership or visit them in person once restrictions are lifted.
Lou Malnati's has raised nearly $50k to feed healthcare workers, firefighters and police officers via their Kindness Rock's initiative.
How to support Lou Malnati's: Place an order for contactless delivery or curbside pickup and visit their website to make a donation to help feed frontline workers.
Jet's Pizza
For every large, regularly priced pizza purchased on Mondays and Tuesdays through the end of May, using code FRONTLINE, Jet's Pizza's city locations will donate a pizza to a Chicago organization helping to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
How to support Jet's Pizza: Order a pizza delivered or via curbside pickup from Jet's Pizza in the city on a Monday or Tuesday in May and help their cause! And, continue to show them love once restrictions are lifted.
Looking for a few new ways to entertain the kids this weekend, beyond all the home science experiments and movie nights—no judgment. (Like, really, none at all, because right there with you.) Fortunately, we’ve uncovered some unique ideas especially for LA parents. From a big night-sky event you can see from your own backyard to story time with celebs, here are 7 awesome activities for your #SaferAtHome weekend.
It’s a Girl!
Spend some time with the latest addition to the Los Angeles Zoo, an adorable baby gorilla named Angela. Stop by the zoo’s Instagram or YouTube channel to see little Angela and mom N’djia in action.
Seeing Stars After the sun sets on Sat., Mar. 28, take the kids outside to gaze up at the sky for a chance to see Venus, the crescent Moon and the star cluster Pleiades. According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, the Pleiades are so bright they can be seen by the naked eye, even in urban areas. But grab binoculars or a telescope and you’ll be treated to a truly dazzling display of lights.
Rock On!
LA’s most popular kids musicians (and regulars on the birthday party circuit), The BeatBuds are doing live shows every Friday. Check their Instagram account for more information.
Story Time
Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams have joined with Save the Children and No Child Hungry to create Save with Stories in response to COVID-19 school closures. Visit them on Instagram to hear stories read by Reese Witherspoon, Kamala Harris, Brie Larson and more!
Museum Day
Check out all the fun and educational online resources from some of our favorite local museums. Find out how to build a balloon car, create a colorful rain cloud and more. Get all the details here.
Want your kids to excel in the classroom, then turn them into jet-setters. A new survey reveals an important reason why kids should travel more often.
A recent survey conducted by the Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) found that 74 percent of educators believe that travel has a positive impact on students’ personal development. From the more than 2,000 responses collected, SYTA found that 56 percent of teachers said traveling had a very positive impact on a student’s education and future career.
The educators surveyed agreed that travel reinforces curriculum taught in classrooms and increases cultural awareness among students. Traveling also had many important social impacts on kids, according to teachers.
More than half of teachers responded that travel increased a student’s willingness to learn more. Many teachers also agreed that travel increased independence, self-esteem and self confidence, as well as developing intellectual curiosity, better cooperation skills and adaptability and increased tolerance and respectfulness of others.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced a recall for the Baby Trend Tango Mini Stroller due to a possible fall hazard.
A statement on Baby Trend’s website said, “At Baby Trend, safety is our #1 priority and we design, engineer, and test all our products with that in mind. As part of our rigorous process, we recently identified a potential safety issue. Since we strongly stand by our safety priority, we have decided to voluntarily recall certain models of the Tango Mini Strollers. The recalled models, under excessive pressure, both hinge joints could release, allowing the stroller to collapse and pose a fall hazard to children.” If you have this stroller, read on for important recall information.
Recalled Product Description: Tango Mini Stroller
The current recall includes Baby Trend Tango Mini Strollers in the color/model number combinations Quartz Pink (Model Number ST31D09A), Sedona Gray (Model Number ST31D10A), Jet Black (Model Number ST31D11A) and Purest Blue (Model Number ST31D03A).
The strollers were sold from October 2019 through November 2019 for $100 to $120 in Target stores, on Target.com and on Amazon.
Why the Strollers Were Recalled
It’s possible for both hinge joints to release and collapse under pressure. This poses a potential fall hazard to a child seated in the stroller. As of now there are no reported injuries due to the recalled product.
How to Tell If Your Child’s Stroller Was Recalled
Look for the model number printed on the white sticker on the stroller’s leg. The model numbers recalled include ST31D09A, ST31D10A, ST31D11A and ST31D03A.
What Parents Can Do
If you have the recalled stroller don’t use it. Contact Baby Trend immediately for a replacement or full refund. Consumers can reach Baby Trend at 800-328-7363 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT Monday through Friday. For more information visit Baby Trend’s website and clock on “Safety Notices” at the bottom of the main page.
—Erica Loop
Photo: Courtesy of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Halloween is on the horizon, but that doesn’t mean we can’t daydream about Christmas decorating. Forget about the same ol’ green tree you get every year. This year jet-black faux firs are it!
If you’re not ready to ditch your typical holiday greenery for something darker, check out Best Choice Product’s black artificial Christmas tree on Amazon. This six-foot tree comes with 1,477 tips (or you can get a seven-and-a-half-foot version with 1,749 tips) and plenty of holiday style.
Don’t worry if you’re not completely sure how to decorate such as dark tree. You can always hang all you ornaments on the branches as you usually would—or you can take a peek at some of the ways that Instagrammers have decorated their versions.
The not-so-ordinary family next door is returning to the big screen this fall and now you can enjoy a very special Addams Family Black Cherry ICEE when you see it in theaters.
There has been a slew of food related promos for the new animated Addams Family movie and the most recent one is the perfect to treat to enjoy while you’re actually watching the film. AMC theater locations across the country will be featuring a special Black Cherry ICEE in honor of the new film and you can only score it in theaters.
The jet-black colored ICEE is called a Spooky Black Cherry ICEE and, as the name implies, it’s sure to turn your tongue a very spooky color as you sip.
The Addams Family hits theaters Oct. 11, but you can already get a taste of this kooky treat at AMC locations.
Moving a family to a foreign country is no easy task. Traveling with kids is enough of a challenge as it is, let alone making the adventure a permanent change. Not only are there new cultures and languages you may have to adapt to, but there are also different laws and regulations that you must learn and follow.
If you’re moving to a foreign country for work or any other reason, your mind is probably bogged down with endless to-do lists and worries. Luckily, you’re not the first person to take your family on a global experience, and you definitely won’t be the last. If you’re a parent currently considering moving abroad, make sure you do these things before you make the trek. Any parent knows how tough travel, alone, can be with kiddos—moving internationally is a whole other ballgame!
1. Secure an International Work Visa
Chances are, you and/or your partner will want to secure a job in the place where you’re going. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as moving there and handing out resumes—you’ll need a visa. Obtaining a work visa is easier and quicker in some countries than others. Research the different work visa laws in some of the major countries across the globe to see what you and your family will need to do.
From interview and background check requirements to how long your visa will be valid, different countries have different processes and policies. You can expect to wait anywhere between 4 days to a full year before your visa is processed making you eligible to work abroad. This means you should look into applying for a visa as soon as you know you’ll need one so that nothing delays your departure.
2. Start Adapting to a New Culture
If you or your kids have only ever lived in one place, relocating can lead to serious culture shock. This, on top of missing home, can make for a very difficult adaptation process. Instead, do your research before you jet off and have conversations with your children so they know what to expect. Start introducing the new culture into your life, even if it’s as simple as introducing typical cuisine at meal time so that your kids are less overwhelmed with different menu options. With adequate preparation, your family will feel at home in your new country as soon as you land.
3. Meet People on Similar Adventures
Simply talking to someone who understands your situation can be extremely comforting. There is something soothing about talking face-to-face with someone who has been in your shoes and knowing that they survived. This alleviates some of the uncertainty of leaving your homeland that you know and love.
It’s also a good idea to network with people who may be living close to you abroad so you feel less alone after your move. If you are moving for a job, try to build relationships with co-workers who are also making the move. This is especially beneficial for your children so they feel like they still have a strong group of friends and family in a new place.
As a parent, taking your child from the place they’ve always known can seem like a very risky move. But it can also help them grow exponentially as a person, improving their cultural and adaptability skills. With the right preparation, moving abroad doesn’t have to be as stressful as it sounds!
I'm a Los Angeles-based mom of two. I'm passionate about personal finance and love getting to know other parents! If you love dogs, you're a friend of mine (and and kids).
Lucky Charms announced the very exciting news of the collab between your favorite breakfast cereal treat and Kraft Jet Puffed on Instagram. “Magically delicious in EVERY form!” the post reads, and by the looks of these colorful marshmallows, it’s absolutely true.
The pack is comprised of the original shapes from when the cereal first hit the market in 1964. Those famous green clovers, pink hearts, blue moons and yellow stars have never looked tastier than in their puffed form and your s’mores game just got a series upgrade.
A 7-ounce bag will run you a mere $1.50 and will be rolling out in stores nationwide starting this month. You can check the Kraft site for locations here.