Sam’s Club Launches Curbside Pickup Nationwide

by Jennifer SwartvagherJune 13, 2020

Sam’s Club just announced the nationwide launch of curbside pickup. The service, which provides a contact-free, order online and delivery to car shopping experience, will be free for Plus-level members and is expected to be available in all clubs by the end of June. Curbside pickup is part of a list of Plus membership benefits, which also includes early shopping hours, free shipping on most online items, 2% cash back on qualifying in-club and pickup purchases and more.

Sam’s Club has been piloting curbside pickup at 16 clubs with positive results from busy families and business owners. The company is expediting the roll out, taking it to all 597 clubs, to appeal to customer shopping preferences and growing desires for convenient options that fit into consumer’s lives.

“Sam’s Club members have been integrating technology into their shopping habits for a while with Scan & Go, samsclub.com and in-club pickup,” said Lance de la Rosa, Chief Operating Officer, Sam’s Club. “As we continue to innovate to make the shopping experience better and faster for our members, we’re proud to be able to quickly implement and offer curbside pickup across the country, particularly during a time when they are searching for alternative ways to shop.”

After setting up an account, members place orders via the Sam’s Club app or at samsclub.com. Products marked ‘Pick up in Club’ are eligible. Members will then complete an online shopping list, select a pickup time and checkout. Same-day pickup is available. Upon arrival to the club, members will use one of the designated pickup spots, and a Sam’s Club associate will load items into their cars.

Plus members will be able to schedule curbside pickup orders between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., Mon. to Sat., and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sun. Non-Plus members will be able to use this new Plus benefit at no cost for a limited time, however, pickup times will be limited and only available 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.., Mon. to Sat., and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sun. Members who are interested in adding this free service can upgrade to a Plus membership at any time.

“While free Curbside Pickup is a new Plus member benefit, we recognize all of our members are looking for contact-free shopping options as part of the current environment,” said de la Rosa. “Because of that, we are going to temporarily make the service available for every member and do what we can to help them get the products they need, when and how they want them.”

Sam’s Club will also continue to offer its Concierge Service for seniors and high risk members every Tuesday and Thursday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and Hero Hours every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., until further notice. You can view a full list of member benefits on SamsClub.com.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Sam’s Club

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Bear Hunts and Rainbow Walks Help Lift Spirits

by Jennifer SwartvagherMarch 31, 2020

Parents are looking for new ways to keep their kids entertained. Getting out of the house to exercise and get some fresh air is recommended as long as you use social distancing practices. Some neighborhoods are setting up scavenger hunts to brighten the day of kids and parents alike.

If you have been on a walk lately, you have probably encountered a bear or two, stuffed bears that is. People all around the country are placing stuffed animals in their windows so that kids can go on “bear hunts” in their neighborhoods.

Linda Holihan a mother of three from Franklin, Tennessee has participated in these fun activities both by displaying items and searching for them. Since her kids have been home they have gone on a bear hunt, searched for shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day, left chalk messages on the sidewalk in front of their home, participated in a scavenger hunt and searched for silly faces on their walking route.

Other homeowners have been displaying rainbows.

Kristyn Dayter, from Scotia, NY, founded the 518 Rainbow Hunt Page on Facebook on Mar. 18. Dayter, the mom of a 7-month-old encouraged local families to hang rainbows in their windows to bring a little joy to the neighborhood. She said the group has grown massively since the first day. “It went from thousands a day to 10,000 in a week!”

Rainbow Hunt

518 Rainbow Hunt

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Kristyn Dayter

John Legend to Perform a Live-Streamed Concert Today

by Jennifer SwartvagherMarch 17, 2020

During the past week while you have been socially distancing yourself and unexpectedly homeschooling, you may have been searching for fun and educational things for the kids to access online. Now you can set aside an hour or two for yourself this afternoon. John Legend will live-stream a concert from his home on his Instagram page at 4 pm ET/1 pm PT.

On Twitter, Legend shared that he was inspired by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. He wrote, “My friend Chris Martin did a lovely little concert from home today. I’ll be doing one tomorrow at 1pm Pacific time. See you soon. We’ll try to get through this together!”

Legends wife, Chrissy Teigan announced on her Twitter that she would be there too. She writes, “I’ll be there!! because I literally have no choice.”

While you will be tuning in to hear Legend’s popular hits, he will also be performing the Office theme song, the Kars4Kids jingle, and Vanderpump Rules star Scheana Shay’s song, “Good as Gold.”

John Legend will perform a livestreamed solo concert today as part of “Together, at Home,” a new series of online concerts presented by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Global Citizen. Together, the organizations have launched a campaign called the Solidarity Response Fund that aims to raise $675 million throughout the month of April towards COVID-19 relief. Coldplay frontman, Martin kicked off the series Monday, performing his own song “Yellow” as well as a cover of David Bowie’s “Life on Mars?”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Chrissy Teigen via Instagram

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This “Schitt’s Creek” Cake Smash Will Have You Saying, “Ew, David!”

by Jennifer SwartvagherMarch 10, 2020

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!”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Ute-Christin Photography

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These Are the Best Places Around the Globe to Travel with Kids

by Erica LoopNovember 19, 2019

Are you planning your next family vaycay? Budget Direct Travel wants to help. Using TripAdvisor reviews, the site created a map of the world’s highest rated places for kids to visit.

Budget Direct looked at TripAdvisor data from August and September 2019, searching each country’s best things to do page. The travel pros then applied the “Good for Kids” filter to further refine the results.

So where are the best places to travel with your kiddos? The top picks in North America include Green Iguana Conservation Project in Belize, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and Varadero Beach in Cuba.

Europe’s best attractions include the War Childhood Museum in Sarajevo, the medieval town square in Krakow, Poland and much more!

When it comes to the best places to visit with kids in Africa, Budget Direct’s data suggests Ranch Yassmina Djerba La Douce on the Tunisian island of Djerba and Bab’s Dock in Benin.

If you’re traveling to Asia, some of the top-rate choices include South Korea’s Spirited Garden and the Living Land Company in Laos.

Travelers to South America may want to check out Mi Teleferico cable car in La Paz, Bolivia and families ready to trek across the globe should visit, according to the data, Tamworth Marsupial Park.

—Erica Loop

Photos: Courtesy of Budget Direct Travel

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This New Ride Share App Helps Parents Carpool with Other Families

by Shahrzad WarkentinSeptember 18, 2019

As a parent, it can feel like you spend half your life just shuttling your kids around to and from school and extracurricular activities. Timing it all out can be a delicate balancing act and things only get astronomically more complicated when you add more than one kid to the mix. Now there’s an app for that.

The Floc app is a rideshare app for carpooling families. Unlike similar apps, Floc was designed by parents for parents and doesn’t rely on drivers you’ve never met. Instead you can use the app to build a group of parents you know and trust and then utilize the app to organize carpools amongst your group.

Users can create several Flocs or groups based on categories, like school friends or baseball teammates, and then easily communicate with other parents and caregivers within those groups to request carpool rides.

Ride requests can be made well in advance or up to an hour before they are needed. Once a carpool has been completed, parents will receive a notification through the app letting them know their kids have been dropped off. The app also offers the ability to purchase and send a $10 gift card if you’re feeling the need to show gratitude to a parent who has gone the extra mile to help you out with rides.

“When my kids were growing up, my wife and I spent several hours each week trying to maneuver schedules or coordinate rides with other parents. And, I always thought – ‘there’s got to be a better way,’” said Aaron DaSilva, founder of Floc and father of two. “With Floc, people can easily schedule rides for their kids without the worry that their kids are getting into cars with strangers, but rather people they know and trust.”

Floc is currently available to download for free for iOS and Android devices. It can be found by searching “Floc Friends and Family Carpool.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of Floc

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Mom Finds Out the Hard Way That Daughter Asked Siri to Call Her “Poop Your Pants”

by Shahrzad WarkentinAugust 10, 2019

Technology can be pretty amazing, but when it’s in the hands of a toddler it might be a totally different story. One mom learned this the hard way when her daughter asked Siri to change her name to Poop Your Pants.

Florida mom Lauren Brown took to LinkedIn to share the hard lesson she learned when her daughter decided to have a little fun with Siri. Brown only discovered what her daughter had done after she noticed her name listed on a work email as “Poop Your Pants.” Luckily she was able to laugh it off with a hilarious post.

photo: Pan Xiaozhen via Unsplash

“In case you’re wondering how my career is progressing, my daughter asked #Siri to call me ‘Poop Your Pants,’ which I didn’t realize until I was copied on an email to a client. Let this be a cautionary tale to all you working parents!” she wrote.

Brown quickly discovered that she wasn’t the only mom of a tech-savvy tot that liked to have fun. Dozens of commenters quickly chimed in about their own hilarious experiences. “Been there, my nephews relabeled me “poop” as well, while I was job searching. Lol,” wrote LinkedIn user and Brown’s co-worker, Anais Dakin. While another user, Mindie Swan, said, “Ha! My daughter changed my husbands to farting purple unicorn…awesome!!”

Lesson learned, always check your contacts after your kids have been near your phone or you might have a new name.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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Dress Up Your Kiddo’s Lunch with This Dad’s Awesome Idea

by Erica LoopJuly 30, 2019

It’s almost back-to-school time, and that means you’re searching for new ways to get creative with your kiddo’s lunch. Take a tip from dad (and Disney Junior Muppet Babies producer) Tom Warburton and dress up those plain brown sacks with some pop-culture fun.

Warburton’s smart sacks include entertainment awesomeness that runs the gamut, from Seinfled to Game of Thrones (and just about everything in between). So if you’re looking for some serious lunch-time inspo, check out some of Warburton’s coolest creations.

Seinfeld

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A post shared by Tom Warburton (@lunch_at_warburtonlabs)

Seinfeld may have just celebrated its 30th anniversary, but clearly, the references are still relevant.

Where’s Waldo

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A post shared by Tom Warburton (@lunch_at_warburtonlabs)

Where’s Waldo? And where’s your kiddo’s lunch? This sweet sack includes plenty of activity fun.

The Simpsons

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A post shared by Tom Warburton (@lunch_at_warburtonlabs)

Combine two lunch bags to get this animated option!

Gumby

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A post shared by Tom Warburton (@lunch_at_warburtonlabs)

Gumby and his horse Pokey make an appearance on these bags.

Game of Thrones

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A post shared by Tom Warburton (@lunch_at_warburtonlabs)

This pick is perfect for your work lunch too!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Mr. Warburton via Instagram

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IKEA Recreates Living Rooms of “The Simpsons,” “Friends” & “Stranger Things”

by Erica LoopJune 7, 2019

Your fave furniture retailer, IKEA recently brought some of the most-loved TV sets to real life and you have to see it to believe it. The IRL recreations feature the famed sets of Friends and Stranger Things, along with the animated awesomeness of The Simpsons!

The eye-catching ad campaign is part of the IKEA Real Life Series, but before you start searching through the million-page catalog that shows up in your mailbox every so often, you need to know you won’t find these sweet set scenes in the United States. The ads are currently limited to the United Arab Emirates!

So do the rooms look true to real life? Or rather, true to TV life? You can see for yourself on the retailer’s website––IKEA’s United Arab Emirates website, that is. Along with each of the rooms, UAE customers can also click and purchase the pieces from each design.

Vinod Jayan, IKEA’s managing director in the UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Oman, told Ad Week, “The IKEA team worked closely with the creatives for months. They went through hundreds of items to find the perfect pieces that would bring those iconic rooms.” And IKEA’s hard work certainly paid off. While the recreations aren’t exact replicas, they’re close enough to wow the TV-watching customer!

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A post shared by Simplicity (@meetsimplicity)

—Erica Loop

All image courtesy of IKEA

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This Is How to Get Paid for Drinking Wine

by Shahrzad WarkentinMay 21, 2019

Looking for a side gig you can do from home? Are you super excited about rosé season (aka summer)? Then you might just earn thousands to rosé all day.

Rosé All Day is searching for a rosé influencer who will be paid $10,000 to create posts about summer’s best wine and score a free vacation to France. What mom doesn’t deserve a free vacation with wine?

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A post shared by Rosé All Day (@rose_all_day)

In order to enter all you have to do is follow @Rose_All_Day and post your best Rosé All Day moments on Instagram and tag the account. The more posts you make the more chances you have to win. The contest kicks off Jun 8 and runs through Labor Day. Five finalists will be announced and a winner will be chosen from one last rose-related post.

“The Rosé All Day brand was created based on the success and phenomenon of the #RoséAllDay lifestyle that has taken over our menus, our glasses, and our social feeds,” Principal of Biagio Cru Wines & Spirits, Darren Restivo said. “To embrace the community from which we were born, we want to find someone who relates to this lifestyle to digitally encapsulate the Rosé All Day life.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Rosé All Day via Instagram

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