Whether you have a major Disney princess fan or a little who loves a good dress up sesh, Janie and Jack’s newest line is fit for a queen (in training).
The Disney Princess Collection by Janie and Jack is a 50-item lineup of apparel, shoes and accessories all inspired by the most famous princesses of all: Cinderella, Belle, Ariel and Tiana. Each mini collection includes both casual and party clothes, in addition to items like headbands, gloves even wands!
We love the over-the-top cocktail-style dresses, but can’t wait to get our hands on adorable and comfy items like jumpsuits, leggings, joggers and sweaters.
The collection ranges in price from $16.50 to $135, and in sizes ranging from three months to 12 years.
In conjunction with the new collection, Janie and Jack have also launched the “Everyone’s A Princess” campaign, which shares the message that every child can be a princess by embracing attributes like courage and kindness––just like a Disney princess.
The campaign is highlighting the stories of five inspiring kids on Instagram, who are real life “princesses,” performing good deeds and sharing kindness in their community.
You can shop the new princess line at local Janie and Jack stores and on janieandjack.com.
What’s on trend for the upcoming school year? Stitch Fix, the clothing delivery service, studied shopping data for kid clients and came up with a list of the hottest requests for 2021. From tie dye to loungewear, read on for the results!
Matching lounge sets have surged in popularity among the adult crowd and they’re big for kids, too. An overwhelming majority (87%) of kid clients want coordinated outfits, aka head-to-toe matching sets. And they want them to be easy to wear: the keyword “cozy” went up 65% over the last year. Stitch Fix is calling this combination “chillwear” and adding a new shopping category as a result.
Tie dye isn’t a passing trend for the kid crowd. Requests for the popping pattern at Stitch Fix were up 192% in the last year! In the world of graphic tees, messages around positivity and kindness or outdoor themes are the most popular.
Finally, sporty clothes are here to stay. Stitch Fix’s top 10 most-loved kid styles are all active brands, including Under Armour, Nike and Adidas. Activewear requests have gone up 68% from last year and requests for joggers are up a whopping 138%.
So when you’re making your back-to-school shopping list, don’t be surprised if you hear requests for sporty sets or tie dye. They’re on trend, but better yet, they’re comfortable for both study and play! And if you really don’t want to brave the crowds, you can use Kids Fix for affordable, styled clothes sent straight to your home.
It’s cool to be kind. And it turns out, despite what you might hear in the news, Americans are pretty good at in general. So as you model kindness for your kids at home, check out this new data from Verizon and Kindness.org: a first-of-its-kind academic research study to find out the state of kindness in the U.S.
People in all 50 states took part in the survey and most (86%) said they’d donate part of their liver to a family member. Nearly three in four would lend money to a friend in financial crisis and more than half would donate their vacation time to a colleague.
The kindest things you can do for others? Respondents ranked becoming an organ donor for a family member, pulling someone from a burning car and adopting and raising a family member as the top three. Other popular measures of kindness include covering a work shift for a colleague, cheering up a family member or calling a friend to encourage them.
You and your family can get involved in Verizon’s “A Call For Kindness” campaign by signing an online pledge, downloading kindness cards and visiting murals with encouraging messages around the country. And if you’re looking for activities just for kids, Kindness.org has developed a whole K-8 curriculum that teaches students to Learn Kind, plus a series of easy-to-use activities.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are officially a family of four! Today Prince Harry and Meghan announced the birth of their daughter, Lilibet Diana. She was born Friday morning at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, according to a statement from the couple.
“On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili,” the couple added. “She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”
She’s named after the family nickname of her great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth and her middle name honors Harry’s mother, Princess Diana. Lili joins her brother, two-year-old Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The family is settling in together at home.
Buckingham Palace also released a statement on the happy news: “The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”
Congratulations to the happy family and welcome to the Queen’s 11th great-grandchild!
––Sarah Shebek
Featured image courtesy of ComposedPix / Shutterstock.com
In short, I’d say it’s for awareness and education. To make it more common and comfortable for people to see others with differences whether it’s in appearance, speech or behaviors.
I guess because we are so immersed in autism 24/7, I forget sometimes that there are people who don’t know anyone personally with it and it may feel foreign and possibly uncomfortable.
That’s okay! I get it. Before we had Alex, I think I would probably feel uncomfortable if I was standing at a bus stop and someone started jumping and flapping and making unusual sounds. It’s different. But I would love it if this could be put out into the world so people are made aware of it so it’s not scary. People could just be like “Oh, ok maybe this person is different. Let me give them some space or smile at them or whatever.”
Anything new takes time to get used to and feel comfortable with.
What’s not okay is bullying or derogatory language. It still feels like a little gut punch when I hear people say the ‘R’ word. You can come up with any excuse you want, but the fact of the matter is that it is used as an insult. It’s never used to describe something amazing. My Alex also has a diagnosis of intellectual disability and knowing that the ‘R’ word is often used to describe people like my son makes it sting even more.
This is why representation matters.
TV, media, us just being out and about in the community. Not just Alex and our family, but all the families who live with autism.
I feel there needs to be more representation of our kind of autism. We need to put faces to the word for there to be a human connection. People need to teach their kids to be accepting and be kind to people who are different.
The reason I’m writing this right now is that even though it’s 2021, I still see and hear stories of abuse and mistreatment.
Can I tell you how much preparation (both physically and emotionally) and courage it takes for some of us to just take our kids out of the house because we know the stares and judgment we’ll get just for being different? I can tell you how much it would mean to me as a mom, if someone would just show me a little smile, like “Hey, I see you. You’re not invisible. Welcome.” It would melt my heart, I tell ya. That’s all we want. Humanity.
Through our page, I hope that people will see Alex, first and foremost, as a human being who, despite his differences and challenges, also has gifts and a smile that’ll warm your heart, and that he deserves to be treated with the same respect and kindness that everyone deserves. If you feel brave to say “Hi” and he doesn’t respond, don’t take it personally. He can’t always speak, but he hears you and so do I, and it means so much that you tried.
If you see someone out who is having a meltdown, stimming physically or verbally, not responding? Don’t judge. Don’t insult. Don’t hurt or take advantage of. Remember: Different, not less. Just. Be. Kind. I promise you, it feels so much better than the alternative.
Remember, these people are someone’s child, brother, sister, auntie, uncle. They are a person with feelings and emotions just like you. Treat others how you would want yourself and your own kids to be treated.
Hi! My name is Laura and I'm a mom of two beautiful kids in Vancouver, Canada. I write a blog on Facebook called The Autism Ride, all about the ups and downs in life with our teenaged son on the spectrum.
By the time I was seven years old, I had experienced racism. Growing up as a person of color in the 80s and in the small town of Ajax, Ontario, I quickly became aware that I was different. Not only did I feel invisible at school, but also when reading books and watching TV. I never saw myself in the characters, which made me feel that much more unimportant.
I felt ugly—always wishing I could change the way I look—so much so that out of desperation, I tried to bleach my hair blonde with lemon juice. I was 13 years old. I was ashamed and embarrassed about being Iranian and hid a lot of myself. I stayed quiet and tried to blend in as much as I could. I became an extremely shy kid—who turned into an adult with anxiety. That anxiety is amplified because of the color of my skin. I’ve lived in Canada almost my whole life, but I still don’t feel fully welcome.
Art was always my safe place. I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil in my chubby hand. My parents were always supportive of my art and I’ve been fortunate to have teachers that encouraged me as well. I don’t know if I would be where I am today without my high school art teacher, Mrs. Doran. In the 10th grade, I had decided to drop my art class to take Spanish. To this day I still don’t understand what I was thinking, as I am terrible at languages! Mrs. Doran found out about my plans and made me march down to the counselor’s office that day to switch the Spanish class back to art. I have never forgotten what she did for me. Art gave me the power to be myself. In a world where big and loud voices are favored, art gave me a voice.
My confidence as an adult has gotten better, but I’m still not completely open or forthcoming with my culture and heritage. I’m always afraid someone is going to label me as a terrorist, just because of where I come from. Often I get asked, “What are you?” I’m a human being… just like you.
Year by year, day by day, I’ve learned to be proud of who I am. And my art has helped me along the way. As an artist, I’ve dedicated myself to spread kindness with my art and to be the voice for all kids and adults who have had to hide themselves in the shadows. And I do that with my books. I illustrate books with the intention of creating characters of color. To shine the spotlight on characters who have never been a hero of a story. And now as a mom of a biracial son, my mission of publishing diverse books is that much more important. I don’t want him to feel as I did growing up. I want him to be proud of who he is and where he came from.
For the first time, I have felt that I am a part of something meaningful and that my contribution, no matter how small, can make the world a kinder place.
Books and art are so much more than just books and art to me. It’s about having a platform for change. It’s about creating something where kids and adults can feel proud of who they are, step out of the shadows and be the bright voice this world needs.
Holly Hatam is the illustrator of the #1 New York Times bestselling Dear Girl and Dear Boy, as well as Unicorns Are Real, Made by Maxine, and Jack (Not Jackie). She loves hugging trees, drinking tea, sniffing books, music, animations and most importantly, unicorns. She invites you to be transported into her magical world by visiting hollyhatam.com.
Every family is different, which also means that every family’s experience with technology looks different. Whether you’re #TeamTech or a little hesitant about your child exploring online, we all have one thing in common: We want our families to have a safe, positive technology experience.
The new families.google is an all-in-one resource for parents navigating their family’s tech journey—whether they’re looking for info on the latest apps, tips for talking to their kids about kindness in the digital world or advice on how to build healthy online habits.
Three moms tried it out, and shared some insight on how they manage technology at home:
Mom-of-three Natasha has seen her kids’ screentime increase quite a bit over the last year, especially when you thrown in activities on top of virtual learning. Since she can’t be there to watch each move her kids make online, Natasha has relied on Google’s Be Internet Awesome Interland game to teach her kids online safety in a way that’s also fun for them!
New York-based mom Vera learned firsthand what can happen when kids don’t understand their tech, after her youngest accidentally racked up charges on his tablet! With the help of families.google, Vera’s family has had some helpful tech talks to keep everyone protected moving forward.
Between games, apps and connecting with friends, being online is an exciting adventure for little ones! SoCal mom Chelsi has used Google Family Link to help her three kids manage their screen time and manage device usage—so they can better balance online exploration with offline fun!
Find resources, games and more fun content to help guide your family’s tech journey at families.google
Get ready for a year filled with Disney princesses! Disney recently announced the “Ultimate Princess Celebration”—and this year-long event includes everything from awesome activities to magical merch.
The princess-packed celebration is more than just an ode to Disney’s fab, fearless ladies. Disney’s imaginative event and the accompanying activities spotlight the theme of courage and kindness.
The celebration will start with the debut of Disney Publishing Worldwide’s new Tales of Courage and Kindness storybook. The 14 original stories featured in the book are told by the Disney Princesses and include artfully crafted illustrations. Fans can download the book for free through the end of August here.
Your littles can also check out dramatic readings of the stories by Mandy Moore (voice of Rapunzel from Disney’s Tangled), Auli’i Cravalho (voice of Moana from Disney’s Moana), Tamron Hall,Kelly Marie Tran (voice of Raya from Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon) and Anika Noni Rose (voice of Tiana from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog).
Celeb singer Brandy, who starred in The Wonderful World of Disney,Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, will also debut a new song as part of the celebration’s launch. The song, “Starting Now,” is available May 21. If your princess fan just can’t wait, they can stream a curated playlist of fave Disney princess songs from Walt Disney Records here.
As if that’s not enough, in August the Disney Channel will premiere the video of Brandy’s song during a half-hour show— Disney Princess Remixed – An Ultimate Princess Celebration. If you miss the show’s debut, you can catch it streaming on Disney+.
Find princess-themed merch for this super-celebration at ShopDisney, score a sweet pair of sneakers from the Adidas Little Mermaid Collection ($96) from adidas.com, or get a Disney Princess Moana Lokai from Lokai.com ($1 of each purchase will go to Make-A-Wish).
It’s nearly April and everywhere you look you will begin to see the famed puzzle piece. Today I just couldn’t shake that weight that comes with the month ahead. In the coming days, you will begin to hear more chatter from parent advocates and self-advocates alike. You’ll see schools pasting signs about “acceptance” and “inclusion.”
You may be lucky enough to have friends that want to know, want to learn, will stand by your side, especially this month. That first Autism Awareness Month, you may want to hear it all. You still may be too raw to hear any of it. You will feel overwhelmed and underwhelmed and you will find moments you want to quit. The day. The month.
You may love the “Light It Up Blue” and you may hate the “Light It Up Blue.” You may fall in love with puzzle pieces and quotes and you may sob seeing puzzle pieces and quotes. Mama, this month is a lot. It’s a lot of good but in the good, sometimes we forget that good can be heavy.
There will be well-meaning supporters who say the wrong things. There will be people you never imagined who will become your best friend. If I could go back to my first April, my first Autism Awareness Month (that is what it was called five years ago), I’d tell myself these three things:
First, you do you. Share when you want to share and hide when you need to reset. Love the representation you love and be the representation you don’t see. Ignore what isn’t part of your story and share your story too because your story matters. Your child is a gift. Your child is unique. For you self-advocates, teach us. We want to listen. We want to learn. As parents, we want to know what our future may hold, how to help our children but do it with kindness, with the knowledge that we’d move mountains not just for the children we are raising but for you.
Second, breathe. It’s coming at you. Hard and fast. You’ll revisit the emotions that come with diagnosis, therapy, IEP’s, education perhaps even adult life. There will symbols and stories, walks and marches. There will be calls to action and it can be overwhelming. Remember, you are not the only parent living this, feeling this. When a child is diagnosed often they say this is a marathon. Scratch that. This is an iron man and while you don’t feel made for it, you were and your being here, as you are, is important. When the month gets heavy, when you’ve seen one too many stories, heard one too many quotes, on those days when you don’t feel strong enough, your tribe will remind you, you have this, you are making strides and you are incredible. So this month more than ever, lean in, find your tribe and allow them to be there.
Third, it’s okay to feel it all. You may feel all the emotions. Joy in the growth. Sadness in the challenges. Hope this is not just awareness but continued acceptance. Remember it’s okay to feel all the emotions because after April, when the ribbons are down and the stories are locked away for another year, you still are on this journey and that kindness, acceptance, and understanding may just be hidden away again until next year.
So to you, new mama, welcome. I want you to know, you are not alone. I want you to know I am here for you after all the quotes, the marches, the stories. I am here for you because in the last five years I have realized that overall more good has come out of this than I could ever imagine. I’ll be here to stand by and celebrate all the good that is yet to come.
I'm a mom of many who is living her best life navigating a busy world full of ups and downs. Managing five kids and one with additional needs I enjoy learning through living and sharing what I know. I can't wait to share our Messy World with you.
Do your kids look forward to that magical visit from the Elf on a Shelf every year? Now you don’t have to wait all the way until Christmas, thanks to Peep On a Perch.
That sugar-coated marshmallow chick we all know and love to eat is now in plush form and ready to join your family in the countdown to Easter. Designed to inspire good manners and kindness in kids, the Peep On a Perch works exactly the same as the Elf, which means start scouring Pinterest now for clever ideas on where to perch your Peep each night.
Just like the Elf the plush, Peep comes with a story book that you can read together to introduce your family to the concept. Then give your Peep a name and let the Easter fun begin.
Of course, the only thing that might be a little weird is when your Peep spies you devouring real Peeps!
