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 Blog Pick: What Mommies Need

Cool Pick

I’m asked often from readers “Which blogs to you read.” Here’s one I adore with everything and anything moms need. Enjoy!

Q&A: Will you have a 2012 Mother’s Day Gift Guide?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year, rather than a gift guide, I will soon be sharing a Mother’s Day Gift Pick to feature on the site. In the meantime, check out this contest by one of my favorite companies, M-Edge, creator of the coolest covers for your technology.

Post a family photo that you think would make a great iPad or e-reader jacket to M-Edge’s Facebook Page. They will select 10 winners at random to receive their special gift (custom cover) in time for Mother’s Day! All contestants will receive a 20% off promo code to design their own. Contest ends 4/27 11:59 PM EST. Check out their Mother’s Day Gift Guide too.

What for Dessert Tonight?

 

Answer

Skinny No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie from SkinnyTaste.com. Follow my Yummy Recipes board on Pinterest.

Q&A: What Toys Do Your Kids Love Most?

Of all of the toys you’ve reviewed, which are the ones your kids still play with? Which do they like most over time?

~Laura P.

Great question! Sometimes we’ll purchase a toy convinced it will be our kids’ new favorite only to languish in the toy box. Without a doubt the toy they play with is their three year old Step 2 Lifestyle Dream Kitchen (pictured). As they play with it nearly every day and imaginative play is something we highly encourage, it’s a worthwhile investment. Another larger ticket item worth the price tag is Mattel Disney Princess Castle. I was surprised with Amazon reviews since the kids play with and love this particular toy.

Other favorite toy notables include:

We’ll follow up with some of their favorite Learning Time products, but in the meantime would love to hear what toys your kids play with the most?

 

Q&A: What is Your #1 Favorite TV Show

In our Q&A series I’m happy to answer reader questions (submit via Facebook or email) and find our more about CBK readers. Today question was tough for me since I’m a loyal Survivor fan and have been since season one. But when it comes to the show I can’t wait for the next week to arrive, the nod goes to Bravo’s Real Housewives. With Beverly Hills wrapping up I’m excited for a new season with the original ladies of the OC. The Real Housewives of Orange County premieres Tuesday, February 7th and 9:00 p.m.  Not surprisingly, season six of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” was the highest rated season and season seven with new cast member and former actress Heather Dubrow, Gretchen’s new role as a Pussycat Doll in Vegas and Vicki’s introduction of a new beau. Come to think of it, I may need to have an OC viewing party even if it is a Tuesday. My housewife friends rarely hit the town mid-week with work and school looming (5 a.m. comes early) but we may have to make an exception. For more information visit BravoTV.com and follow Bravo on Twitter.

Q&A: Disney Dining Plan Recommendations?

 Question

We are going to Disney this year and have booked the Port Orleans French Quarter and are on the Plus dining plan (1 snack/1 quick meal/1 sit down meal) per day.  Our travel agent said we can and probably should start booking reservations early, which can always be changed/cancelled later.  Can you recommend some places that are a must to eat at?  I would like to at least try to reserve some places now and figured we can always change down the road.  Of course, we have looked online but there are so many and it seems so overwhelming that I really would like to know the better places that may be worth going.  We are looking for places that are included in the dining plan (don’t want to pay extra).  We are planning on doing the princess story time at Epcot that AAA members are allowed to go to so that will most likely be the princess adventure the girls will do. Whatever info you can provide would be very helpful.  Thanks!

 

Hi Debbie,

You should definitely make dinner reservations as soon as possible since some are in high demand and resort guests can reserve 180 days prior to their check-in date. They can be altered or cancelled later, so if you change your mind it’s better to have something in the books now. Our favorite is Cinderella’s Castle, but since you already have a Princess experience on the agenda, here are a few more of our favorites:

Character Dining

Crystal Palace, Magic Kingdom, Winnie the Pooh & Friends

Favorite for Food

San Angel Inn, Epoct (Mexico)

Wispering Caynon Cafe, Wilderness Lodge

Dinner Show

Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue, Fort Wildneress Resort (2 TS credits)

Best Counter Service (No Reservation Necessary)

Wolfgang Puck® Express, Downtown Disney


One our agenda for Diney 2012:

Fantasmic Dining Experience (Mama Melrose), Hollywood Studios

Boma, Animal Kingdom Lodge

‘Ohana, Polynesian Resort

Tusker House (breakfast), Animal Kingdom Park

My Disney Girl’s Perfectly Princess Tea Party

Hope this helps! Enjoy your Disney World vacation!

Top 5 Tips for Travelling to WDW Toddlers & Preschoolers

Last week we visited Magic Kindgom for the day, and while our family would have preferred a longer stay, especially now that we are new Disney Vacation Club members, it was fabulous nonetheless.  In September 2010 we visited for a week, staying at Port Orleans Resort and are planning a trip for 2012 at Animal Kingdom Village. In the meantime, this mini-trip was a perfect way to recapture the magic.

I concur with Beyond the Attractions: Disney World with Preschoolers that any age is perfect for Disney World with attractions for toddler and teenagers alike. The toddler/preschooler age group is unique, however, and we’ve gathered a few tips along the way. Since our recent trip focused on Magic Kingdom, we’ll start with that particular park.

1. Ditch the Minute-By-Minute Iteneriry

While having a plan can help maximize the fun, an extremely detailed plan is better saved for a visit with older children. For instance, though we planned to start at Adventureland, our daughter’s new favorite princess, Ariel, arrived just as we entered that section of the park. Immediately ditching our original plan, we waited for pics with she and Prince Eric and left Adventureland to make our Princess FASTPASS, coming back later in the day.

2. Use FASTPASS!

It’s hard to imagine a trip to Disney World with using the FASTPASS system. Essentially you grab a pass at more popular attractions with typically longer waits and return within the time specified, skipping the longer line and using the quicker FASTPASS one. Bonus Tip: If your FASTPASS time is 3:00-4:00 p.m., for example, you can get a 2nd pass at 3:00 to another attraction to maximize your FASTPASS usage since, in general, you can only have one out at a time.

3. Take Advantage of the New Mickey & Princesses FASTPASS

For the first time visitors are able to use a FASTPASS for a Mickey meet and greet and, during construction of the new Fantasyland, even the Disney Princessess. We’ve waited over an hour for each Princess meeting so this was by far the most exciting development on this trip!

4. Managing Naptime at Magic Kindgom

Ideally, an early start will allow for a mid-day break. During our week-long stay, we returned to the resort each day where our toddler took a nap and preschooler swam in the pool with her dad. Since this was not possible during the day trip, we again re-arranged our plan with the little one fell asleep. Dad strolled through the park while the girls visited two of our favorite attractions, “it’s a small world” and Mad Tea Party.

Another strategy which works helps beat the heat as well, is to intersperse inside and more relaxing attractions such as Peter Pan’s Flight and Carousel of Progress with outdoor favorites like Dumbo the Flying Elephant.

5. Parade Strategy

Everyone loves a parade, and each day at Magic Kindgom you can catch special events which allow little ones to see all of their favorite characters all in one place. Unfortunately, waiting for parades and firework shows can trigger melt-downs without proper planning. New coloring books and bubbles are two easy ways to distract during the wait, but my #1 tip is…avoid the wait. Many arrive extremely early for prime spots, so instead we’ve begun to skip the cue and find a place to watch just before the parade or fireworks show. We’ve managed to snag excellent viewing spots overtime making long waits not worth the effort.

Disclosure: Park tickets were provided for review purposes; all opinions are 100% ours. Read our full disclaimer and frequently asked questions.

Cool Tip: Look for more tips (such as meet Rapunzel & Flynn at Magic Kingdom) and Disney posts by subscribing to Cool Baby Kid CBK via RSS or email and be sure to follow on Facebook and Twitter too.

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