With summer around the corner the countdown to Stranger Things Season 3 is on. From clothes to LEGOs, and even bicycles, there are a slew of items hitting stores perfect for chasing demi-gorgons and outfitting your Stranger Things summer.
Here are some of the best new items inspired by the Upside Down.
photo: Courtesy of H&M
H&M Collection
Netflix has teamed up with H&M on a Stranger Things collab to outfit a summer in Hawkins. Graphic T’s, swimwear, and Gorgon-print rompers are just a few of the items available that are inspired both by the popular series and the awesome ‘80s era. The collection will be available in stores worldwide and on hm.com, starting May 23.
photo: Courtesy of Schwinn
Schwinn Bike
Step back into your childhood with an ‘80s era Schwinn inspired by Lucas Sinclair’s ride from the first two seasons of Stranger Things. This limited release special edition bike, featuring a classic banana seat with a camouflage bandana accessory, will be available on Amazon starting May 15 for $349.99
photo: Polaroid
Upside Down: Polaroid Originals
Capture those summer adventures with a Polaroid camera inspired by the Upside Down. The Upside Down: Polaroid Originals is a Stranger Things version of its retro-style OneStep2 Camera available for $109.99. All of the text and icons featured on the camera are flipped upside down as a nod to the show and the camera also features a built-in “paranormal” flash, powerful enough to “kill monsters.” In addition to the classic 600 film and i-Type film, a Stranger Things-edition color instant film with 16 different designs is also available.
Get ready master builders, your favorite plastic bricks are headed into the Upside Down. No details yet on what promises to be an epic Stranger Things LEGO collab, but Netflix and LEGO have both shared some very cryptic messages on Twitter, saying only that more info is coming soon.
What should you do when you’re feeling blue? Turn that frown upside down. New research suggests smiling can make you feel happy.
Usually we smile because we’re happy, but the opposite can be true as well according to new research from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Encouraging your moody tot to say cheese might actually do more than result in a cute picture, it could put them in a better mood.
A team of psychologists examined data from 138 studies across 50 years which included over 11,000 participants and found that facial expressions have a small impact on our emotions. “Conventional wisdom tells us that we can feel a little happier if we simply smile. Or that we can get ourselves in a more serious mood if we scowl,” said Nicholas Coles, UT PhD student in social psychology and lead researcher on the paper. “But psychologists have actually disagreed about this idea for over 100 years.”
According to the results of their analysis different facial expressions can have a small impact on the way people feel. For example, scowling can make you feel angrier and smiling can make you feel happier.
“We don’t think that people can smile their way to happiness,” Coles said. “But these findings are exciting because they provide a clue about how the mind and the body interact to shape our conscious experience of emotion. We still have a lot to learn about these facial feedback effects, but this meta-analysis put us a little closer to understanding how emotions work.”
Spring has arrived and summer is just around the corner—which means we are that much closer for our next visit to the mysterious town of Hawkins, Indiana. If you just can’t wait, you can finally get a good look at the new season with the first full-length Stranger Things 3 trailer.
From the teasers that have already dropped, fans know that the new season of Stranger Things takes place in the summer of 1985. The kids of Hawkins will be spending their sunny days at the pool and the town mall, but the darkness of the Upside Down is clearly still lurking.
Without giving too much away, it’s clear from the trailer that the gang will be doing some growing up this season, but if it’s one thing that never changes it’s that the monsters just keep on coming back for more.
Ever get hung up trying to figure out how to organize baby onesies? With a growing mountain of baby basic-wear, your baby’s nursery might be getting buried. This smart mom’s organizing hack is totally going to blow your mind.
Last summer, mom Stacy Augustyn posted a beyond helpful hack on Facebook. Instead of folding, rolling up or trying to stash all those teeny, tiny bodysuits in a bin, Augustyn hangs them on a hanger.
While this seems totally obvious, her hack goes a bit deeper than just hanging the onesies up. Forget about stretching the arms or body of the suits out as you try to maneuver them over the hanger’s angles. With this hack, all you need to do is turn the onesies upside down, unbutton them and then button them up again—over the bottom (straight) part of the hanger.
Now you can organize your baby’s onesies, keeping them all in one place. Heck, you can even color code them or create themed groups—think animal onesies, polka dot prints, holidays or any other category that you can think of!
The holiday season might be behind us, but fans holding their breath for the next visit to the Upside Down have just been given a gift with the announcement of Netflix’s Stranger Things season 3 premiere date! The Fourth of July will bring more than just barbecues and fireworks this year. It will also kick off a summer of Stranger Things with the highly anticipated premiere of season 3.
The entire eight-episode season will be released on Jul. 4, which means after the fireworks have faded and you’ve tucked the kids into bed, it’ll be time for a marathon Netflix sesh just for mom and dad. Stranger Things‘ official Instagram dropped this amazing season 3 poster on New Year’s Eve:
But an even cooler tease was this eerie promo video, which also dropped on New Year’s Eve. Featuring the 1985 broadcast of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, the video is disrupted by green code and the screen turning itself upside down as fireworks explode.
“One summer can change everything,” the screen reads. “July 4, 2019.” And cue chills:
As fans learned last year in an amazing Stranger Things teaser video, the new season will take place over the summer of 1985. The show will center around events happening at the Hawkins Starcourt Mall, where Steve seems to have picked up his first after-school gig in the mall food court.
We know the New Year just got here, but is it summer yet?
Do you share your online accounts with others? If so, you’re not alone. With so many different streaming service platforms it can be tempting to share access with family and friends to cut down on costs, but is sharing online streaming accounts really safe?
According to a new study by Country Financial, three our of four Americans share their streaming service accounts, like Netflix, Hulu and Spotify, or other online or mobile app accounts, including Amazon Prime and Uber. Entertainment services were the most widely shared with at least one other person, while younger adults were most likely to use shared services.
Disney is getting ready to jump into the world of streaming services next year, joining an already crowded pool of offerings including Netflix, Amazon and Hulu—which means adding yet another subscription fee to your budget. To avoid paying to watch your kids’ favorite shows, you might consider sharing an account with other family members, but is that the best idea?
On the upside sharing an account, can save you more than you might think. According to a separate survey by Waterstone Management Group, 84 percent of consumers underestimate what they spend on monthly expenses. On average people estimated that they spend $111 per month on subscription services, but the actual average is $237. Sharing accounts could significantly cut down on those costs.
The downside to sharing, however, is safety. Along with sharing an account, comes sharing passwords, which might not seem like a big deal to do with family and close friends…but what if they decide to share the love even more and give access to others? Then your password, which you likely use for other secure accounts, isn’t exactly secure anymore.
Not to mention the fact that sharing likely violates the Terms of Service agreement, a.k.a. all that fine print that you scrolled through without reading. If you’re caught, there’s a good chance you’ll lose all access to your online account. While sharing is clearly common practice, it’s important to take safety precautions.
Just because school is out doesn’t mean that learning needs to end. But, since it’s summer vacation time, learning should be strictly fun in our book! We rounded up the coolest science experiments for kids that can be done on while enjoying sun, sand and surf. From the science of sand castles to studying the tides, here are a bunch of ideas to make your next beach day one to remember.
Look over the experiments below and pack along the needed items. Some will require assembly ahead of time, and most are easy to pull off, but if you’re like us, you might want to try them out by yourself before showing your kids in order to keep the eye-rolling to a minimum.
Things to Pack: Sandcastle tools (pails, shovels, cups of different sizes, etc.)
Things to Do: Scoop up the driest sand you can find on the beach and have your kid pack it in a cup as tight as they can. Turn it upside down and see what happens. When the sand comes pouring out, have your kid try it again with sand that has a bit more moisture and repeat. Continue doing so (perhaps adding a little water to the mix) until you get a nice solid cylinder of sand.
Things to Discuss: Kids will clue in pretty quickly that wet sand holds together better than dry sand, but help them understand that water actually creates a thin “bridge” or “glue” that helps to hold the sand together. This is due to the surface tension of the water. Too much water and the “bridge” or “glue” gets broken down. Continue making observations throughout your masterpiece making. Make a moat. Does the water stay in place or does it get absorbed in the sand?
Things to Pack: Two empty bottles or canning jars A funnel A few paper towels A few paper coffee filters
Things to Do: In one bottle, place the funnel at the top and line with a paper towel. Fill the second bottle with dirty water (We suggest filling water from the lake or ocean and adding in sand granules, specks of seaweed, a teaspoon or two of dirt, etc. However, you don’t want really muddy water.). Pour the dirty water into the other bottle through the funnel. Next, replace the paper towel with a coffee filter and repeat the process. Then, do the experiment one more time with two coffee filters.
Things to Discuss: At each stage, ask your kiddos what they see. Did the paper towel capture some of the dirt particles while others ran through? Does the water get cleaner the more filters that are used? Explain that we use filters all the time at home, and a water filter keeps the dirt out and makes the water safe to drink.
The Big Rocks in Life
Things to Pack: Two large wide-mouthed jars One smaller jar
Things to Do: Collect two piles of large rocks or driftwood of about the same size. Then gather two piles of smaller rocks and shells, two piles of sand and a jar of water. Have your kid fill one jar with the sand, then the smaller rocks, and finally the larger rocks. There shouldn't be room to hold all of the big rocks. Then repeat the process with the other jar placing the big rocks in first, then the smaller rocks and then the sand and everything should fit. For the grand finale, pour the water into the jar.
Things to Discuss: Were your kids surprised you could fit everything in the jar if they did it in reverse order? Did they think there would be a difference? This is an exercise that is often meant to symbolize life’s priorities, but it can also serve as a way to show spatial awareness too.
Become a Sand Inspector
Things to Pack: A few sheets of black and white construction paper A magnifying glass A magnet A clear “zippable” plastic bag A few toothpicks
Things to Do: Place the magnet in the plastic bag. While holding the magnet, push the bag into the sand. Slowly lift the bag up. If your beach contains sand made from granite, then little black specks should be attracted to the magnet. Sprinkle these granules on the white paper. Then, sprinkle some lighter sand particles on the black paper and look at them through the magnifying glass. Try to pile the grains of different sand with the toothpicks.
Things to Discuss: At first, all sand looks alike, but by looking more closely, you’ll see different colors and textures meaning that each sand particle came from much larger rocks of different colors and textures. The black sand is made of magnetite which forms when iron is mixed with oxygen.
Wave Watching
Things to Pack: A watch or stopwatch A pencil Notepaper
Things to Do: Look for an item bobbing up and down in the water like a bird or throw in a small piece of driftwood. Use your watch to time how long it takes for the object to go from the top of the crest to the bottom and back up again. That’s one bob. Record how long it takes for ten bobs to happen and then divide that number by ten. That will give you an average time for each wave’s period.
Things to Discuss: When the water is at its high point, it is called a crest. When it dips down to its lowest point, it is called a trough. The space between two crests is called a wavelength.
Explore a Tide Pool
Things to Pack: Water shoes – careful where you step!
Things to Do: Look for periwinkles – little snails that live on the top of rocks in the “splash zone.” Look for barnacles – grayish/white bits that look like tiny volcanos. Look for mussels – blueish/black shellfish. Look for sea anemones – they look like flowers. Look for starfish
Things to Discuss: All of these creatures are alive and are animals. When the rocks are dry, periwinkles will seal themselves up, so they don’t dry out. Barnacles close up when out of the water, but they feed on smaller plants and animals while submerged in the water. Mussels attach themselves to rocks so that they aren’t pulled away with the waves. Sea anemones will close up when gently poked. They stretch out in the water and shrink down when they are dry. Starfish “play dead” when they are out of the water but will slowly move when in it.
Things to Pack: Plastic ice cream bucket or something similar Plastic wrap Large rubber band
Things to Do: Before you leave the house, cut a hole (large enough to fit your kid’s hand in) about an inch away from the bottom of the bucket. When at the beach, cover the top of the bucket with plastic wrap and secure with rubber band. Make sure that the plastic wrap has some give to it. Pour water on top of the plastic wrap so that it sags down a bit. Then, have your kid hold different objects in the hole and look at them from the top of the bucket.
Things to Discuss: The water is deeper in the middle and shallower on the sides just like a swimming pool and also like a magnifying lens making those objects appear larger.
Become a (Wind) Speed Racer
Things to Pack: Two strips of cardboard Four paper cups Straight pin or thumb tack Pencil with an eraser Stopwatch Pen and paper
Things to Do: You’ll want to do the first part of this experiment at home. Cut out two strips of cardboard so that they are about an inch wide and about 12 inches long. Staple a paper cup at each end of the strips—one going the opposite direction from the other. Mark one cup with a large “X.” When at the beach, cross the cardboard strips together so that the top of each cup is pointed at the bottom of the next cup all the way around. Use the straight pin or thumbtack to puncture a hole in the middle of the strips and then stick it into the pencil. Facing the wind, see how many times the marked cup spins in 15 seconds. Multiply this number by four to get the total number of spins per minute, and mark down your findings. Repeat the process a few times during your beach visit.
Things to Discuss: You created an anemometer. How did the wind speeds vary from each time you recorded? Was it faster in the morning or faster in the evening? When the wind pushed the cups, the air molecules caused them to spin around the pin. The faster wind pushed harder than the slower wind.
Whirlpool in a Bottle
Things to Pack: Two empty and clear 2-liter bottles Metal washer Duct tape
Things to Do: Fill one bottle with about two-thirds of sea or lake water. You might want to toss in a few specs of seaweed or leaves too. Place the washer on the bottle and line up the empty bottle on top of the water-filled one. Wrap the duct tape around the middle securing the two bottles together. Then, turn the bottles upside down.
Things to Discuss: Does the water go straight down or do you see a mini whirlpool (Swirl the top bottom a bit for a better effect.)? The spinning water is called a vortex, and all tornadoes, hurricanes and typhoons are examples of air vortexes. Since you’re using water, this is an example of a whirlpool. As the water spins faster, it pushes to the outside of the bottle creating a hole in the middle. The air from the bottom of the bottle comes up the middle and the water from the top flows back down through the hole.
Hunting for Crabs
Things to pack: Small shovels
Things to Do: Walk down the beach toward the water, and look down for little holes. Sometimes you’ll find a bubble or two coming up. With your shovel, dig in the sand a few inches under the hole and scoop up the sand. When you brush away the wet sand, you might find a small crab or other creature.
Things to Discuss: Crabs protect themselves by burying themselves in the sand when waves or other threats come by. While your kids might be tempted to take the baby crabs home to live as a pet, you’ll want to discourage this idea as they won't stay alive for long.
When is your child’s bedtime? Chances are that it’s not the same as your neighbor’s kids, your child’s pre-k classmates or even your BFF’s baby. And it’s certainly not identical to children around the globe. At least, it probably isn’t. Bedtime is serious business. If your child struggles to sleep, rebels against bedtime or just outright refuses to sleep, it can turn your world upside down. Given the weight that parents put on bedtime, getting a world view may just help you to better understand your own nightly challenges.
Children’s bedtimes aren’t the only sleep-related differences that are found in different countries and cultures. In photographer James Mollison’s book Where Children Sleep, bedtime certainly didn’t look the same everywhere. CNN reported that Mollison said, “I met many families who sleep together in one room or children who sleep in a space of convenience, rather than a place they can in a sense call their room.”
When it comes to the time that parents send their little off to dreamland, the numbers differed almost as much as where the kiddos slept. A 2010 study published in the journal Sleep Medicine found that average bedtimes varied from 7:28 p.m. in New Zealand to 10:17 p.m. in Hong Kong.
With all the variation in places where kids sleep and bedtimes, it’s no wonder that nighttime antics can get parents down. And this isn’t just true for parents of babies or very young children. As kids age and start using digital devices, such as smartphones, shuttling them off to sleep can become increasingly difficult. On top of that, researchers have found a link between using electronics before bed and poor sleep quality, less sleep time, increased fatigue and even higher body mass index (in children who either used cell phones or watched television prior to going to sleep).
What can you do to help your child sleep? There isn’t a clear-cut answer. Creating a routine, ditching the devices and creating a sleeping environment that soothes is a start though.
What time do you think is the perfect bedtime? Tell us in the comments below.
Costco is at the top of the list for favorite family shopping spots, but sometimes the thought of hitting up that gigantic warehouse and its massive checkout lines with kids in tow isn’t exactly appealing. Now Costco wants to make it easier than ever to order online and have items delivered straight to your door.
The warehouse shopping chain just rolled out a brand new service that allows customers to order items online and have them delivered within two days. It’s like Costco meets Amazon Prime, just imagine the joy of avoiding a trip to the store in addition to not having to haul all those purchases from the car. The new service will be called CostcoGrocery and will come with a $3 fee, which will be waived for orders over $75. Only non-perishable food and sundries will be available through the service, however.
For those looking to get fresh meat and produce delivered at home as well, there’s more good news. Costco has expanded its partnership with Instacart offering same-day delivery service to more cities across the country. While Instacart charges a service fee and a delivery fee of $5.99 for orders under $35, the upside is that you can use the service to shop at Costco without needing a membership, so the fees balance out.
Have you had Costco products delivered to your door yet? Share your experience in the comments below.
If you haven’t noticed, puppets are kind of a big deal right now. From a permanent exhibit celebrating one of the masters of the form, to tons of new productions, and perennial favorites, NYC is a real puppet town this season. No matter your child’s age or puppet preferences — colorful and fuzzy, classic marionettes, funky and fun — there’s a place to catch a high quality show. Click through to see some of NYC’s top spots for puppets!
For Feel-Good Fun with a Retro Twist: The Joshua Show Episode 2
If you're feeling glum, Joshua Holden just might be the guy to turn that frown upside down. The whimsical puppeteer is closing out a run of The Joshua Show: Episode 2 at HERE on September 30, but he's been knows to pop-up around town at venues like Symphony Space and Lincoln Center. With his main man, the grumpy Mr. Nicolas and a cast of other puppetry wonders, Holden brings joy with a retro a flair to the art. (Meet Joshua and Mr. Nicolas here!)
