Ciao Baby. Cool Baby Kid’s Final Post.

The Cool Baby Kid story dates back to pre-blogging when I created a website for my classroom using Netscape. No teacher I knew managed a website, and I had limited knowledge of creating one. After finding out my first child was coming into our family July 2006, my focus online became a site for the new baby. Shopping habits turned quickly from the latest lipgloss to finding the ultimate stroller. With some time off of work, all of the above converged as I turned my wiki of cool baby finds into a blog while somewhat unsure of exactly what blogging was all about. Cool Baby Kid was born in 2007 and has seen at least four major re-designs all with a singular focus…brining cool picks and tips to families. From baby products to educational ones, naturally over the years CBK evolved with my own interests. For instance, always a Disney lover, in 2011 when our family joined Disney Vacation Club (DVC), I began to infuse the site with weekly doses of the mouse.

 

Along the way, as with all bloggers who have been in the business of sharing their thoughts online, life happened. In 2009 I met Bridgette (Experimental Mommy) at BlogHer and together we realized bloggers who balance other life tasks–motherhood, careers, fitness–were truly Double Duty Divas.  A network of women bloggers to support each other, eventually adding post opportunities as it grew to over 1,000 members, the Divas became a springboard to Reviewers Retreat, the first blog conference geared 100% to blog/brand relationships.

 

Needless to say, double became triple duty and while relinquishing my blog was once unfathomable, the time came to streamline so many tasks and so, with a heavy heart but an excited one too, I leave Cool Bavy Kid begins to managing the Double Duty Diva blog. Together with the Diva team including Angie at My Four Monkeys and Jena from Ramblings of a Healthy Chic, I can now be found in my new Diva home.

 

Ironically this final CBK post is being finished on the morning of BlogHer12. Three years ago at BlogHer09 the new chapter of my blogging career was set in motion when I walked the streets of Chicago in slippers with two fabulous ladies from New Orleans that I hardly knew, Bridgette and Renee from What Mommies Need. Now, they’ve become close friends, business partners and an integral reason while I’m completely comfortable moving on from Cool Baby Kid to my new role. I will miss cool picks and tips but hope you’ll join me at DoubleDutyDivas.com.blog. The Divas can also be found on Facebook and Twitter although I will be blogging and tweeting as Cool Baby Kid keeping my CBK Twitter handle.
Ciao Cool Baby.

Cool Contest: Cinderella Fantasy Sweepstakes

Enter to win a trip to NYC with the family to meet Cinderella with a $1,000 Disneystore shopping spree from Disney movie Rewards. Good luck!

Disney/Pixar’s Brave Movie Review & Reflections

Photo Credit: Disney

We loved Disney/Pixar’s Brave.

Not surprisingly, both our kids and their parents enjoyed every minute of yesterday’s opening show. It’s getting harder and harder for me to pick a personal favorite Disney film–The Princess and the FrogTangled…now Brave.  While unrelated, my all-time favorite (non-Disney) movie of all time happens to be Braveheart and visiting Scotland has been on my to-do list for some time. Amidst the background of this beautiful countryside, feisty Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor, butt heads in an epic, albiet not uncommon, mother-daughter battle. With echoes of my own mothering–”guys, stop fighting”…”please don’t pound your fork on the table”–I could relate to the queen who both loves her princess daughter and wants the best for her but also tends helicopter-parent. As an 8th grade teacher and well-versed in adolescent behavior, I also identified with protagonist Merida whose desire to chart her own course reminds the audience of headstrong Juliet with a less tragic ending.

Once, as a graduate student in a Children’s Literature class, we were asked to draw contrasts between Grimms’ and Disney’s fair tales; I was struck by the dominant message of princess meeting her prince. While I’m far from having to remind my daughter every time she watches Sleeping Beauty that it’s not a good idea to fall in love with a strange man, Brave‘s message of finding your fate and lack of a swooning princess is a refreshing turn. At times dark but others funny with Merida’s young young brothers offering fun-loving foils to the film, there’s much to love about what’s bound to become another Disney/Pixar success story.

I’ll confess to already owning a wee bit of the merchandise. And  I may have downloaded the Brave soundtrack on our way home from the film. But aside from heading to the drive-in last night after having seen it in theaters earlier in the day, it’s not like our family has been completely been Brave’d this weekend. We didn’t book that trip to Scotland just yet.

Cool Tips

Get the incise scoop from my blogger friend MomSpark: Disney/Pixar’s BRAVE: Walking the Green Carpet and Rockin Mama: Disney/Pixar’s Brave Premieres at The Dolby Theatre. Thanks ladies for the tip on VisitScotland.com where you can enter for a chance to win a trip to Scotland!

Get Ready for Disney’s BRAVE on June 22nd

Cool Tip

“Like” BRAVE on Facebook as hit gets ready to hit theaters June 22nd. We are SO excited!

Sneak Peek of Disney’s “Sofia the First”

Cool Tip

Look for the debut of Sofia the First, whose life changes dramatically when her father marries a queen, with a primetime movie this Fall and series debut in early 2013. Some tidbits:

  • Sofia voiced by Ariel Winter, Modern Family 
  • Queen Miranda (Sophia’s mom) voice by Sara Ramirez,  Grey’s Anatomy
  • Wayne Brady  plays a woodland creature,Whose Line Is It Anyway?
  • Tim Gunn voices Baileywick (castle’s royal steward)

 

The Doctor Is In! McStuffins Back for Second Season

Cool Tip

Popular new show Doc McStuffins has announced a second season on both the Disney Junior block on Disney Channel and the 24-hour Disney Junior channel (for those lucky enough to have it!) It’s our kids’ favorite new show, and we’re thrilled that Disney will introduce “Doc McStuffins” books, apparel, party goods and role play toys, dolls and accessories, beginning this summer through early 2013, its quickest to market launch ever for a preschool property.

A “Doc McStuffins” DVD will also be released on August 21.

FREE Disney Apps Including Jake’s Never Land Pirate School

Cool Tips

In addition to gearing up for another  ”Yo Ho, Let’s Go Summer!” with new games, activities and more on DisneyJunior.com. Just as exciting, they released two new FREE apps including “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally Appisode” and “Jake’s Never Land Pirate School” for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch available in the iTunes app store.

Doc McStuffins: You Go Girl!

The premiere of “Doc McStuffins” (March 2012) became the #1 most-watched preschool series launch in cable TV history in Adults 18-49! Check out what my fellow bloggers are saying:

Too many times, dads on television are portrayed as dim-witted and/or unwilling to have a close relationship with their children. Doc’s dad is neither of these. He’s a stay-at-home dad that does the gardening and cooking. He might not be a doctor, but he’s intelligent and loves his kids. Whether he’s taking Doc and her brother out on a camping trip, or recognizing that Doc’s brother (who stayed up late one night) needed a nap, he provides a great Dad role-model for kids.

- Techy Dad

The show gives great positive messages, including different family dynamics from the parents reversed gender roles, to encouraging preschoolers to follow their dreams and seeking positive role models, as Doc wants to be a doctor just like her mom. Doc McStuffins teaches children problem solving, critical thinking, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and the basics of good personal hygiene.

- Black and Married with Kids

With a daughter terrified of doctors, the show’s premise–a 6 year old girl “Doc” who takes care of her stuffed animals and toys that come to life–is refreshing. After just one episode the kids are already asking to “see it again” and the doctor kit came out almost immediately.

- Cool Baby Kid (That’s us!!)

Doc McStuffins really appeals to kids’ imaginations and encourages healthy habits in addition to other important values, such as helping others. It looks like Disney Junior has another great hit in its lineup – a show that teaches important lessons in an entertaining way that families can watch and enjoy together!

- Sage and Savvy

Cool Tip

Tune in to Disney Channel and Disney Junior Monday, May 14 – Friday, May 18 for Doc McStuffins: Friendship is the Best Medicine Week featuring episodes highlighting Doc’s toy friends airing each day and the premiere of a new episode “Hallie’s Happy Birthday/Shark Style Toothache” on Friday, May 18 where Doc throws a surprise birthday party for Hallie and gives a toy shark a check-up after he breaks his tooth in the bathtub. “Doc McStuffins” airs at 10:00 a.m., ET/PTduring Disney Channel’s Disney Junior programming block for kids age 2-7 and at 7:30 p.m., ET/PTon the new Disney Junior channel.

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