There are ordinary dolls—then there are keepsake dolls. Piccolina, a brand dedicated to empowering today’s young children to become tomorrow’s leaders, has launched a new collection, Trailblazer Dolls. They celebrate heroic women in history, including Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie and Rosa Parks and they’re an heirloom quality edition to any playroom.
Each doll is 16″ tall and comes with removable clothing and accessories, as well as a matching drawstring bag. Jennifer Long, an artisan doll maker, designed and handmade each creation, and each designs is based off of the illustrations from various artists for the Trailblazer collection. And there won’t be any shortage of imaginative play, since each doll has an incredible, true backstory!
Piccolina is making the collection available in limited runs, so you may want to act fast to grab your child’s favorite historical character. The launch riffs off the company’s popular Trailblazer t-shirts, which feature colorful illustrations of real-life, inspirational women. There’s even matching mommy and me attire so you can get in on the fun!
At $98, the dolls are the perfect special gift for a birthday, Christmas or big milestone. The only issue might be choosing which one to buy!
The beloved brand Hess recently announced the debut of a new member to its toy truck collection. The 2021 Cement Mixer is available now—and it’s the perfect plush for the truck-obsessed kiddo!
Available exclusively at HessToyTruck.com, the new Cement Mixer is more than your average variety of vehicle. This plush mixer is super-soft and cuddly, lights up and makes music.
photo courtesy of PR Newsfoto/Hess Toys
The 2021 Cement Mixer includes squeeze-activated flashing LED lights, an auto shutoff night light with a 15-minute timer and plays two sing-along songs (“Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” and “The Alphabet Song”). Along with these fun features, the plush toy also has a silent mode, commemorative license plate and customizable keepsake driver’s license tag.
According to Hess, this soft toy truck is “safe for all ages.” It’s mixing drum and side exhaust pipes also make the plush easy for your younger tot to pick up and tote around. Order your own 2021 Cement Mixer plush for $29.99 directly from the Hess Toy Truck website. The truck comes with free standard shopping and Energizer batteries.
The LEGO Group and Chronicle Books are adding to their lineup this year. The book company plans to release 13 new products, including a new book that shows the inside of the famed LEGO House.
The 2021 releases will include a LEGO wall calendar, activity book for adults, a guided notebook for Master Builders-in-training, and four new books! Keep scrolling to get a sneak peak at some the goodies coming out this year.
LEGO 2022 Wall Calendar
Enjoy 12 months of fun LEGO art in this special wall calendar that's perfect for your home or office.
Head to the a LEGO fan's dream come true, the LEGO House! Jesus Diaz gives an insider’s tour of the “home of the brick" and a peek at the amazing design and experiences within the destination near the LEGO headquarters in Denmark.
Chronicle Books Senior Editor Brittany McInerney shares “We are thrilled to announce this year’s line-up and our continued collaboration with The LEGO Group.During this challenging time, when so many of our lives look different, more people of all ages are turning to building with LEGO bricks. We want to offer them new ways of finding joy and creativity with the LEGO brand…”
You can head to lego.chroniclebooks.com to purchase or get preorder information for all the upcoming 2021 products.
Looking for a new way to connect the kiddos with grandma? Spending time in the kitchen is a great bonding experience for everyone––and once it’s safe to do so, Little Bridges has a great option.
The Grandma & me: in the kitchen activity kit has everything you need fun a fun afternoon with Grammy. Each box comes with instructions, a book, keepsake potholder and apron, fabric paint and an activity recipe journal.
The kit was created by award-winning children’s book author, Kate Jerome, and offers a way to have meaningful connections with grandparents. It makes for the perfect birthday, Valentine’s Day or grandparents gift, or just as a fun way to say “I love you.”
The Grandma & me: in the kitchen Kit retails for $34.95, is for kids four and older, and is available at littlebridges.com.
Got a tree? Good. Now it’s time to decorate! Show some true NYC cred by decorating your tree with one of these NYC-inspired Christmas ornaments. Or, give one to your most hard core New Yorker friend. Another reason to love this collection of NYC Christmas ornaments? Most are from city cultural institutions or local makers, all of which need our support now more than ever! (Need more NYC gift ideas? Click here!)
The Blue Whale
American Museum of Natural History
You can now have the American Museum of Natural History's famous Blue Whale in the house thanks to this exclusive ornament from the museum.
For the true transit nerd, an ornament featuring one of the constellations from Grand Central Terminal's ceiling is a pretty deep cut they'll appreciate. (And for the price, they should.)
Granted, it's a little abstract, but so was the concept of the High Line when it was first introduced. Valerie Atkisson is the artist. (Also: who else do you know with a High Line ornament?)
When has a collection of ornaments ever made you say "Awwwwww!"? Not only is this off-the-charts cute, it has a Santa. Wearing an I Love NY t-shirt. Holding a piece of pizza.
This cherry wood ornament doubles as a keepsake and is a great gift idea. Choose from three of the boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens or NYC Metro, in addition to adding your own details like family name.
There are so many pressing questions for parents to answer when it comes to the tooth fairy and tradition. How much does she leave? What does the tooth fairy do with the teeth? Does she have a day job? We’ll leave the answers up to you, but if you’re looking for ways to add magic to this memorable moment in your kid’s life, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to find your inspiration.
The Tooth Fairy is always looking for ways to make things more magical. Hold The Magic is all about inspiring magic and stories (no money required), with adorable tiny gifts that are Tooth Fairy approved. Each gift includes supplies for three Tooth Fairy visits and a gold bag that holds a miniature treasure, a tiny Tooth Fairy letter in a sparkly envelope and Fairy Dust.
A keepsake leave behind makes your sidekick’s encounter with the tooth fairy even more magical. In addition to the traditional cash stash she leaves, drop the tooth fairy’s own pressed penny coin as a extra treat. Parents can choose from two different finishes, and a hole punch location if you want to turn this keepsake into a wearable memory.
Cost: $4.00
Find it on Etsy
Fairy doors are all the rage, so why not install one for the Tooth Fairy to use? Hello Little Cloud’s fairy door has everything you need to create a magical experience for your sidekick. The included ladder, wand, fairy dust and key make it easy for your kiddo to prep for the tooth fairy’s arrival. And the poster strips that won’t damage your walls are just for you.
Your winter elf leaves messes. And your family’s leprechaun drops gold coins in the trap. So it only figures the tooth fairy would leave behind some trace too. We love these shimmery little footprints you can stick just about anywhere, if you’re looking to up your tooth fairy game. They come 10 to a pack.
Peter Pan fans know it takes a pinch of fairy dust to fly. Leave some behind on a dollar bill to really make your kid’s eyes light up. Find out how to turn make believe into reality at tenkidsandadog. We guarantee your kiddo won’t easily part with this special keepsake.
Help your Little know where the tooth fairy can find him with this hand-sewn door hanger designed by Pins and Seams. Each one has a little pouch, which means mom or dad doesn’t have to sneak in to find a pillow in the dark. And it doubles as an extra incentive for your kiddo to get up and at ‘em in the morning.
If your kids are anything like ours, they’re firm believers in the give/get exchange rate. So if they leave a tooth, they’ll expect something in return. When they wake up to find this fairy wand bracelet with a simple poem composed by the tooth fairy, they’ll know they’ve gotten the big end of the stick. Parents can go with the gold wand pictured, or customize their kid’s card by adding a name and charm of their choice.
Bypass the long raging debate about just how much parents should leave under the pillow, and focus on the presentation instead. A carefully crafted origami design tucked under a pillow is always more magical than a dollar bill stuffed into a pillow, no matter what the occasion. Try your hand at folding a heart, butterfly or how about a crane to leave in exchange for one clean, pearly white tooth.
Imagine waking up after losing your first tooth to find your tooth gone, a little something special left under your pillow and—look!—a stamp that magically appeared on your hand. If she wasn’t convinced before, she will be when she wakes up to find the tooth fairy’s signature stamp that appeared magically overnight. Thanks goodness for sound sleepers!
If proof is what your little skeptic is looking for, make like a cashier and leave a receipt for him to find. Parents fill in the important details on this official looking document that includes a sweet reminder to brush, before silently slipping one under the pillow. Our favorite part? They can help you fill in those blank baby book dates when you finally get around to it.
When your kid wakes up and finds a special pint sized note the tooth fairy left behind just for him, he’ll flip. And with this pack of 20 personalized letters it’s easy for you to make his day, even if you’re short on time. Need letters for more than one kiddo? No problem, there’s more than one series to choose from at this shop, which means they’ll be none the wiser.
When that first tooth starts to wiggle, add this adorable kit to your Etsy cart. It includes tooth-themed trinkets and baubles for your kid to play with, as well as a jar of fairy dust, the tooth fairy rules and a simple note from the night visitor herself. It all comes in a drawstring bag so you can keep everything together. And parents can personalize the kit.
Follow the lead of mom-blogger, Lisa Moore of Moore Minutes who suggests leaving gold coins, and some fairy dust to match, under your kiddo’s pillow. Call your bank ahead of time to find the golden Sacajawea or Presidential dollar coins and then stock up. Sure, they’re legal tender, but your gap-grinned kiddo may prefer to hold on to these special fairy coins.
Turn up the AC and cozy up with a pint of ice cream. Christmas in July has begun. Starting Jun. 29 The Hallmark Channel will once again offer a selection of their holiday classics.
“Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries once again bring the yuletide poolside this July, with the return of the networks’ popular summertime Christmas-movie programming events starring fan-favorites Candace Cameron Bure, Lacey Chabert, Holly Robinson Peete, Danica McKellar, Chad Michael Murray, Ryan Paevey and more,” according to a press release from the network.
Three Yuletide tales will be offered each weeknight starting Mon., Jun. 29, beginning at 5 pm ET/PT. Double Feature Fridays will pair together original movies of the same franchise, with Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas and Time for You to Come Home for Christmas on July 3, and Christmas in Angels Falls and Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday on Jul. 10. On Sat., Jul. 4, the network will honor our country’s service men and women with a daylong tribute to Veterans, featuring military-themed holiday movies including Operation Christmas, Holiday for Heroes and A Veteran’s Christmas.
Hallmark Channel’s annual “Keepsake Christmas” will continue with the tradition of nonstop Christmas cheer with 17 days of original Holiday movies beginning Fri., Jul. 10 at 12 p.m. ET/PT with Christmas at Dollywood. The festive marathon runs through Mon. Jul. 27 at 6 a.m. ET/PT with favorite movies including The Nine Lives of Christmas, A Christmas Duet, Switched for Christmas, Christmas in Evergreen:Tidings of Joy and Christmas in Rome.
You’ve got hundreds (possibly thousands) of photos of your little bundles. The problem is, most of them are still on your phone. Luckily, this common dilemma just got even easier to solve.
Tinybeans, the family photo sharing app that helps parents capture and organize their children’s life stories online, announced its launch with Chatbooks, an automatic photo books app. Now Tinybeans families can add photos and captions they have saved in the Tinybeans app to a Chatbooks photo book, through a safe and secure integration.
Tinybeans is a modern day baby book at parents fingertips that helps save them time. Tinybeans was created by parents so that all families have a safe space for their children’s memories. The primary advantage for parents is not having to give away ownership of the images and videos they post. The app itself, also includes additional privacy features not typical of larger social media sites.
It’s super easy and convenient to use. Once you install the Chatbooks app, selecreate a standard photo book and choose Tinybeans as your photo source. (If you don’t already have the Tinybeans app, you should! It’s an awesome way to record milestones and share with friends and family but still remain private. Use code REDTRI20 to get one month of Premium for free). You can select what photos you want to include and have them shared directly to create a beautiful keepsake photo album.
You can get a lot of things at a Disney theme park, but did you know you can walk out with a fresh haircut, too? The Harmony Barber Shop located on Main Street, U.S.A. at Walt Disney World has been providing old school cuts for years and is a must-see on your next trip to the park!
When you step inside, guests are immediately transported back in time, where hair tonics line the shelves, leather barber chairs are front and center and a striped barber pole marks the spot. Harmony Barber Shop’s big claim to fame is the special first haircut service that includes “pixie dust,” bubbles, Mickey Mouse stickers, a keepsake lock of hair and a special “My 1st Haircut” set of Mouse Ears and certificate for $25.
Older kids can also get their ears lowered! Haircuts for children age 12 and start at $15 with the option to add colored hair gel for $7.50. Adult cuts start at $19, with beard and mustache trims costing a mere $10.
All stylists are state-licensed cosmetologists, and there are no shampoo services so make sure your hair is clean upon arrival. Due to the popularity, its recommended that guests make a free reservation (cancellation fess apply), although there are limited walk-in appointments available each day.
To make your reservation, simply call 407-939-7529.
Hurry down to Diagon Alley. It’s time to introduce your kids to the magical world of Hogwarts. A new edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone will be flying onto shelves soon.
On Thursday, Scholastic revealed the new cover of the first installment in the Harry Potter book series set for release on October 20, 2020. The innovative new edition is designed and illustrated by the award-winning design studio MinaLima, best known for establishing the visual graphic style of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films.
With brilliant full-color illustrations on nearly every page, this new edition also includes eight interactive special paper craft features. Readers can open the beautifully designed, elaborately folded Hogwarts letter and Diagon Alley shopping list, reveal the magical entryway to Diagon Alley, open a die-cut, fold-out Hogwarts Castle, make a sumptuous feast appear in the Great Hall, and more.
“This new edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the perfect way to start a new generation of readers on their Hogwarts journey, and at the same time is sure to be a treasured keepsake for fans to add to their collection,” said Ellie Berger, President Scholastic Trade. “The Harry Potter series continues to inspire readers of all ages with its universal themes of friendship, imagination and the triumph of good over evil.”
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published by Scholastic in the U.S. in September 1998 with a first printing of 50,000 copies. More than 20 years later, the Harry Potter book series has sold more than 500 million copies worldwide.
