The Wizarding World is going on tour—in 2022! In a collab with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Imagine Exhibitions is bringing a brand-new Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts to fans around the globe.
Harry Potter: The Exhibition will include fan fave characters from the Harry Potter movie franchise, Fantastic Beasts and the rest of the Wizarding World. The traveling exhibit will feature an up-close behind the scenes look at authentic props, original costumes, and more.
photo courtesy of PR Newswire/Harry Potter: The Exhibition
Peter van Roden, Senior Vice President of Global Themed Entertainment at Warner Bros. Consumer Products, said in a press release, “We are thrilled to be partnering with the experts at Imagine Exhibitions, on this all-new Harry Potter exhibition.” Van Roden added, “Everyone involved with this project is committed to bringing a masterfully crafted newly innovative Wizarding World experience to fans around the world.”
Of the collab, Tom Zaller, CEO of Imagine Exhibitions, said, “We are honored to be entrusted with the iconic Harry Potter brand and excited to develop and share an exhibition experience that celebrates the magic of the Wizarding World.”
The touring exhibition will travel through North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle-East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific Region. While there’s no set start date yet, Imagine Exhibitions will announce the initial venue information in the coming months.
There are so many themes to choose from when planning a cake smash for your baby. Connecticut photographer, Ute-Christin Cowan, was looking for the perfect idea when planning her 10th anniversary shoot. When Cowan’s assistant, Emma, suggested their favorite show, Schitt’s Creek, they set out to find baby doppelgangers of the famous cast members.
Cowan knew she wanted to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her photography business in style. She said, “What better way to celebrate than with another fun celebrity cake smash?” In the past, her most popular themes included, Ellen, Live with Kelly & Ryan, Carpool Karaoke, The Kelly Clarkson Show and Watch What Happens Live.
She put out a casting call among her clients searching for the biggest Schitt’s Creek fans. She looked for kids that would best resemble Dan Levy, Annie Murphy, Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara and it looks like she hit the jackpot.
This was Cowan’s most involved cake smash yet with two backdrops, many props and even a wig for baby Moira.
Cowan reports that the kids were a riot. “Moira ( Harper, 13 months) was the most energetic; she was smiling at everyone and just had the best time. Johnny (Liam, 12 months) was not fazed by anything. He was the calmest and just observing the chaos. Alexis (Evvi, 13 months) was a very dramatic little one. She had to take a few emotional breaks throughout the shoot. David (Hudson, 10 months) was just his handsome self. He loved eating cupcakes, I think he had about five in total.”
Cowan and her assitant already have tickets for the Schitt’s Creek farewell tour coming to Connecticut in June. Cowan said, “With this homage, we wanted to thank them for all the laughter and the warm fuzzy feelings in the last 5 years!”
Lucky Charms is getting a St. Patrick’s Day makeover! To celebrate Lucky the Leprechaun’s St. Patty’s Day birthday the iconic cereal will feature a new, limited-edition marshmallow.
Now through March 2020 you can find gold in Original and Chocolate Lucky Charms. Of course, the cereal doesn’t contain real gold—but select boxes will include marshmallow gold coins.
Along with the magical marshmallow gold coins inside, the back of the box also features a Leprechaun Trap design and celebratory recipes for Lucky’s bday.
Boxes of Fruity Lucky Charms and Chocolate Lucky Charms will also include festive photo props and cut outs for your kiddos to make their own holiday fun!
Limited-edition gold coin marshmallow Lucky Charms are available in grocery retailers nationwide from January to March 2020 for the suggested price of $2.50/10.5-ounce box and $3.33/ 19.3-ounce and 21.2-ounce boxes.
Disney Parks attractions never seem to get old no matter how many times you visit them, but even the best rides need a little sprucing up now and then. Disneyland is refurbishing two of its most popular attractions in 2020.
It’s been 25 years since Disneyland unveiled the Indiana Jones Adventure and it’s time for an overhaul. The OC Registerreports that Disney Parks has filed a permit with the city of Anaheim to refurbish the ride in 2020. The theme park will replace a plank bridge and its steel structure in a portion of the ride, as well as refurbishing rock work according to the permit.
photo: Courtesy of Disney Parks
There’s no information yet on when the renovation will take place or how long the ride might be shut down during that time. With the 25th anniversary set for March 2020, however, there’s a good chance the park will want to complete the refurbishment before.
Disneyland will also be giving Snow White’s Scary Adventures a major overhaul next year. According to the city permit, Disney Parks are set to remove and replace show sets, props and scenes, install new structural beams, refurbish rock work and make electrical upgrades on ride. The attraction, which is one of the few that has been open since day one in 1955, might also get some modern upgrades. The permit also reveals that Disney will be adding projector platforms.
Calling all Potterheads! Now you can count down the holiday season with the brand new Harry Potter: A Hogwarts Christmas Pop-Up!
One part advent calendar and one part festive decor equals a whole lot of fun for Harry Potter fans all December long. This beautiful pop-up display will have young wizards feeling like they’re celebrating Christmas in the Great Hall. A massive, 13-inch pop-up Christmas tree towers at the center of the famous hall.
The pop-up sits at the center of what is actually a beautiful hardcover book featuring 25 windows which open to reveal removable ornaments. These can be added to the tree each day to complete the count down. The pop-up also comes with a mini-booklet full of behind-the-scenes details on the props, set designs and special holiday moments featured throughout the films.
Harry Potter: A Hogwarts Christmas Pop-Up is currently available for pre-order on Amazon for $39.99 and will ship on Oct. 22.
Pop star Nick Carter recently revealed the birth of his baby girl. Even though he and wife Lauren Kitt announced their baby joy, via a rep, they didn’t provide the deets—that is, until now.
In a new Instagram post, Carter shared a pic of his daughter’s face and her name!
So what did the new parents name their baby girl? Carter’s post includes the line, “So on January 28th 2019 when I walked out of that bathroom with that positive test I already knew that Saoirse was coming back to us” in the caption. He also added a hashtag with his new daughter’s full name, #saorisereigncarter.
Along with the name, Carter also gave some major props to his wife, adding, “To my incredibly strong wife…For two years I watched you endure some of the hardest things a husband could ever witness. Going through the ups and downs of pregnancy all in the hopes that just maybe, with a little help from up above, we would get to this point.”
Congrats go out to the Carter family—Nick, Lauren and little Saoirse!
João Stanganelli, Jr.’s dolls are getting major props on social media—and for a very good reason. The grandpa from Brazil crochets inclusive dolls, including toys with vitiligo, cochlear implants and so much more.
So how did this grandfather get into the crocheted doll business? Stanganelli’s first crocheted project was a vitiligo doll for his granddaughter. The grandpa has had the skin condition, which results in the loss of pigment since he was in his 30’s. Wanting to give his granddaughter something to remember him by, Stanganelli crafted a doll with vitiligo patches.
The 64-year-old is semi-retired from the gastronomy industry and told Bored Panda, “I’m not yet retired, I still keep up my old work with food, but much less intensely. At the moment I spend 90% of my time with the dolls. I have many orders.”
He told Bored Panda, “My view of vitiligo seems to me to be very different from the general, I think it is necessary first that you have vitiligo, after this acceptance you choose what you want to do.” Stanganelli continued, “I still quote Benjamin Disraeli: ‘Life is too short to be small.’”
Along with vitiligo dolls, Stanganelli has also branched into other inclusive options. Not only are these dolls awesomely adorable, but they can help children understand, value and normalize the conditions Stanganelli crochets.
The holiday gift giving season is upon us. Never before have we been offered the ease of procuring whatever we want to give to whomever we want. Online retailers deliver unique items to our doorstep at all hours of the day and night with the slightest bit of effort on our part. We have access to a staggeringly expansive selection of all manner of items to give but we still often end up purchasing the most touted and “pushed to the top of our Amazon queue” items.
When I look at these lists of “Best Toys” and “Top 10 Holiday Gifts,” I am often disappointed.
While technology or technology-enabled toys will always be heavily represented in these lists, I’d love to challenge all of us this year to include toys that are tech-free in our offerings. We could change the world if we gave priority to toys that encourage a sense of embodiment creative invention and presence. Technology-enabled play items often short change these opportunities. In addition, they elevate the stimulation a child experiences in relation to play things creating an inoculation-type reaction to toys that might encourage the development of boredom tolerance or creative expression and struggle.
Boredom tolerance and the ability to persist are correlated with creativity and resilience. While technology-focused items certainly feed a desire to persist, they are often doing so via addictive neural pathways. This is different than focusing one’s attention on slow moving tasks or in playing in such a way that small failures can lead to new insights and growth.
Why not provide toys that offer children more? Not “more all-sensory-channels-stimulation” or “more bells and whistles”—instead, more opportunities to be present in their bodies, in playful and curious ways? This may require more than normal buy in but getting this is worth it for the massive creative and resiliency that can be developed through such play.
LEGO and Playmobil both offer toys that develop creativity and imagination as are any number of “pretend play” props (think costumes, props for story telling and such). Skill based toys such as Kendamas, diabolos, yo-yos, jump ropes and juggling balls allow a child to try, fail, succeed in powerful ways. Kinetic sand and thinking putty may seem like a bland gift but can become treasures as one becomes familiar with their regulating potential when over stimulated.
Musical instruments are fantastic as are art supplies for open ended exploration. Gifts of experiences—think tickets to a play or makers faire or sporting event or gift cards to local golf ranges, improv theater classes or circus arts schools—are similarly wonderful.
All these things and more could be huge helpers in raising children who can focus, delay gratification and regulate their internal selves and their outward expressions of that self.
Here’s a quick list of some great tech-free toys that make great holiday gifts.
Creativity-Building Toys: Art Supplies (e.g: Paint/Brushes/Canvases, Leather and Leather Letter Stamps, Clay), Sewing or Weaving Supplies and Tools, Musical Instruments, Costumes
Experiential Gifts: Tickets to plays or concerts, memberships to local museums and zoos, subscription to a “gift of the month” or “book of the month” club, valuable coupons to take the recipient and a friend to a movie, festival or car race, skating, dancing, or to a cooking, sewing, or art class
doreen dodgen-magee is a psychologist, author, & speaker who thinks about how technology is shaping people. Her book, Deviced! Balancing Life & Technology in a Digital Age was awarded the 2018 Gold Nautilus Award for Psychology & has been featured in the New York Times, Time Magazine, & the Washington Post.
Make sure your Instagram and Facebook photos are instant hits by arming yourself with some pro-style props. From sheepskin rugs to the sweetest bow ties, here are a few of our favorite items to make your baby photos stand out.
This darling milestone blanket from Copper Pearl makes for adorable monthly photos and is soft enough to use as a swaddle or receiving blanket. You'll just need something to highlight or encircle the correct month, like a picture frame, leaves, pompoms, floral wreath or ribbon. Pro tip: Copper Pearl sells top knot hats ($12.50) in a matching pattern for babies 0-4 months. Once baby has outgrown the hat, you can use it to indicate the correct month.
Photographing your baby on a sheepskin rug instantly creates a classic, cozy shot you're sure to get comments on. There's no need to splurge on a large run; a 2 foot by 3 foot rug is big enough for your little babe. Post-photo, the rug becomes a soft spot for playtime.
Skip the outfit and adorn your baby only in a sweet headband and bloomer set. Wait for your girl to take a snooze and then break out the camera!
Available at ellasbows.com, $23.95. You can also purchase the headband alone for $11.95.
Dress up your boy in a bowtie
Dress your newborn boy up like a little man for maximum cuteness. This soft and sweet handmade getup includes crocheted pants and suspenders in addition to the bowtie.
Sometimes all you need to take an image from amateur to pro is an eye-catching background. Pick a colorful blanket to lay your baby on, and just like that you've improved your picture. Baby Tula has 3-packs of super soft swaddles that offer both solid colors and a fun pattern. They're also great for wrapping and covering naked wee ones for sweet shots.
If you plan to take monthly snaps of your baby in the first year and beyond, this clever set of blocks makes it easy. It includes three blocks with the numbers 0 - 9, and these words: days weeks, months, and years. The blocks also look great on a bookshelf and are a tactile way to help baby learn letters.
Take a photo of your baby on one of Coveted Things' wordy swaddles. If the above phrase doesn't suit your style, pick a sweeter saying such as, "You are my greatest adventure," or "I love you to the moon and back."
Oversized plush toys not only make great nursery decorations, but they're also sweet props for pictures. Take photos with the stuffie monthly to see how your little one grows in relation to it. Of course, for safety, you should never leave your sleeping baby unattended with a plush toy or put it in the crib, but this elephant makes a fun friend to lean on at playtime.
Personalize your photos with baby's monogram or name
Announce your newborn's name with a personalized hat and blanket set. This makes for a great announcement photo, and you can continue to use the blanket as a backdrop for monthly baby photos.
Having a soft and comfy spot for playtime and tummy time is important for your baby anyway, so why not choose a graphic option like this black and white wonder. The simple color combo offers a striking backdrop for baby photos, or you can add a colorful blanket or rug underneath for even more contrast.
Available at Etsy store The Bears Design on etsy.com, $77.48.
Make a scene with wall decals
Removable wall stickers add a magical background to your baby photos. These decals come with individual pieces that can be repositioned to create a customized scene behind baby, and do double duty as nursery decor.
Prop up your baby for a photo on a clever pillow like this one. As with some of the other ideas mentioned, you can use the pillow as a size reference when you take monthly snapshots. And the pillow options are nearly endless, as you can find them in all sorts of shapes, sizes, patterns, colors and sayings.
It’s springtime, which means celeb baby season is abuzz with news that Lauren Conrad is pregnant with her second child! The 33-year-old star of The Hills made the announcement in a sweet and of course, super stylish post on Instagram Tuesday morning.
“It’s been hard to keep this one to myself!” Conrad captioned her post. “Very excited to share that our family will be getting a little bigger this year,” she added.
No word yet on whether Conrad and husband William Tell are expecting a boy or a girl, or even a hint at her due date. Chances are, however, they’re likely to find out the sex of their baby, as they did during Conrad’s first pregnancy. She told People at the time, “I don’t really love surprises. I like to have all the information. And I was sharing my body with someone—so I wanted to know as much as possible about him.” Conrad and Tell welcomed their first child, son Liam James, in July 2017.
“When we found out [we were having a boy, I was so excited,” Conrad told People in 2017.
Let’s also give major props to Conrad for waiting until the day after Apr. 1 to make her pregnancy announcement—so as not to be mistaken for an April Fool’s Day prank done in poor taste (Justin Bieber, take notes).
Congrats to the whole fam—and we can’t wait for even more stylish pregnancy updates at Conrad’s gorgeous IG feed.
