johnporcaro: mktg@large

Emily and the PhartEphant

Maybe it’s just that I’m such a “guy,” or maybe it’s that these toys are so dang cute…  But when I heard about Fierce Fun Toys, and their line of stuffed animals that have a “sense of humor,” I had to find out more.

Angela Larson, Chief Story Teller at Fierce Fun Toys, sent Norman PhartEphant along with two new plush toys that just began shipping, Harry Hiccers and Ben KaChoo, for my kids to check out. 

Norman is the original “PhartEphant” that makes eight different ‘phart’ sounds, along with an “oops” and “sorry!”, when you squeeze his tail.  I always chuckle when I hear it, and my kids all thinks it hysterical! 

There’s a book (sold separately) that tells the story of Norman, who was adopted by a zoo, and because of a change of diet, he has a bit of a problem.  From the back cover:

Norman PhartEphant is a young African elephant adopted by a U.S. zoo and the change of diet does not sit well.  He becomes a very gassy pachyderm.  Although gassy, Norman explores his new home: intrigue and suspense build as he meets his neighbor, making a new friend, learning a bit of geography along the way. 

All four of my kids, including the “too old for stuffies” middle schoolers and high schooler, thought they were awesome—especially Norman and his unique sounds. But I wanted to give the toys and read the books to my eight year old, because she hasn’t lost her love for cuddly toys and picture books.

Emily loves all three, but I think she probably likes Harry Hiccers the best: He has an adorable accent, and as his name implies, he has a bit of an issue with hiccups. And what eight year old girl could resist the happy face of a koala?  The toys are soft and cuddly, and just the right size to carry around.

The stories teach about the animals, their geography, and they all end making new friends—a valuable lesson for a youngster who might feel shy about themselves.

  

All three animals are shipping now, and the books should be shipping soon (Norman PhartEphant is out, the other two should be out November 10).  The toys are sold at specialty retailers, so you won’t find them at the big box stores—which means your kids will have a toy that’s unique, educational, and sure to be a hit.  You can also buy them online at www.fiercefuntoys.com. 

    

  

Disclosure: I was given the toys, and galley copies of the upcoming books for this review.  All opinions are my own. I wasn’t compensated in any other way.

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved Looking Better and Better

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for the Xbox 360 Kinect is one of the products I'm looking forward to the most this fall.   It's the perfect mix of three of my favorite things: Working Out, Playing Videogames, and Men's FItness Magazine.  And knowing that it comes from Ubisoft gives me some confidence that it's going to be solid.  

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I got to try it out at BlogHer, and I was really impressed.  And today I saw some new screen shots Ubisoft published, to announce the partnership with Men's Fitness and Women's Fitness.   

Ubisoft released details of the game, that include keeping track of your stats, like calories and scores. And for the non-timid, all of your stats are uploaded seamlessly online and can be shared with friends and family. I love that you can create challenges among friends and help each other reach fitness goals.

The game comes with hundreds of exercises, and there will be regular downloadable content releases from Xbox LIVE. I can't wait to challenge my friends using Xbox LIVE Multiplayer.  Getting in shape will never be the same!  I can't wait to play it with my kids, but this time, by myself...   

From the Press Release:

The programs from Men’s Health include “The Sleeve-Busting Arms Workout,” and “The Ultimate Men’s Health Fat Loss Workout.” The workout programs from Women’s Health include “The Perfect Legs and Butt Workout,” “The Toned Arms and Shoulders Workout,” and “The Skinny Jeans Workout”. All workouts are designed so that users can integrate free weights into the programs.  Read more...

This post is my own opinion, and I have not received any compensation or products from Ubisoft, nor are they a client of my firm.  

Jif Peanut Butter Tasting Party

There are only a couple of things my family can't go without: Milk, TP, apples, bananas, and, of course Peanut Butter.  We all enjoy a good PBJ with cold milk, and who hasn't made good old-fashioned Ants on a Log?

I got to participate in an online tasting party, sponsored by Jif (a Mom Central client).  To prepare, they sent a nice box of goodies to a couple of us here, and to a dozen or so Mom Bloggers we work with.  The bag they sent included several flavors of Jif Peanut Butter, along with some things to try a few new ways to enjoy it. They also gave us a $25 gift card for Walmart, so we could buy fresh fruit and veggies.

Not sure what an Online Panel looks like?  By using UStream.tv, Jif was able to broadcast directly from their test kitchen, while we participated right along by trying out the things they showed us, and asking questions and getting responses in real-time.  Kind of a personalized Cooking Channel, just for the few of us participating.  Everyone had a blast, had a few surprises, and got to know each other, along with the folks at Jif. We all especially enjoyed meeting Sara Donavan, and our MC Cody.

And for the record, I had my eyes opened to the awesome possibilities of the crunchy combination of Jif and bacon.

For my part, I had a few PB and somethings yesterday.  For lunch, I debated how to keep the carbs low, while still eating a sandwich.  Patrick introduced me to the idea of carving out most of the bread from a bagel, and filling it.  In my case, I stuffed the chewy shell with Crunchy Jif, and sliced up a kiwi to sweeten it.  Yum.

During the tasting, I tried carrots, brocolli (really good!), animal crackers, pita chips, pretzels, teddy grahams, grapes, and for fun, cottage cheese.  Before working out, I mixed up a chocolate Muscle Milk shake, adding in a couple of tablespoons of Jif.  Talk about a dose of protein, with a creamy, chocolaty, peanut buttery taste.  Mmmmmm.

My daughter Emily especially likes Peanut Butter.  She'll take a big spoon, dip it in, and eat it like a lollypop.  And Alyssa likes spreading it on warm toast with a little honey.  She told me that just the other day, she ordered a PBJ shake at Emerald City Smoothy, where they added peanut butter and grape jelly to a protein shake.  Sounds pretty good to me.

A few things that I didn't know were talked about during the webcast:

• More creamy peanut butter is sold nationwide by Jif than crunchy: 80% to 20%.  Wow.  I'm such a huge fan of crunchy, that was hard to believe.
• It takes 1,218 peanuts to make a 28 oz jar of Jif.
• Jif has an unrefrigerated shelf life of 3 months.  Unopened, it will last up to two years.  Though most of the moms and dads participating never have a jar last that long.
• Jif's new Omega 3 has some interesting ingredients, but tastes really good.  I was pleasently surprised, and will probably make this my favorite brand to keep on the shelf.  Though I might have to mix it with crunchy every now and then.
• Jif's Peanut Butter with Honey ROCKS.

Jif has posted lots of recipes on their website, with sandwiches, sauces, desserts, main dish ideas, and more.   And a lot of them included bacon.  I've always wondered how to make a good thai peanut sauce.  They showed us how, so I'm going to try that this weekend.  A great way to get a little more protein along with chicken (or bacon).

My favorite idea was mixing in a ziplock baggie a a spoonful of Jif with a spoonful of vanilla frosting, adding a little cinnamon.  Take some scissors, snip the end of the bag, and use it to squeeze the frosting onto cookies or crackers.  My kids loved that idea.

Finally, they announced the Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest for kids 6-12, to submit their recipes to Jif.  The winner gets a $25,000 scholarship, and all finalists get a trip to NYC, and a $2500 scholarship.  So get out your jars of peanut butter, and get a little creative!  And while supplies last, if you enter by Sept 10, you'll get a Jif to Go Back to School Pack.  So get your entries in!

 

 

P90X Round 2.5

Now that I have an apartment, I can get back to my regular routine of working out.

It's been about a month since I started work here at Dad Central Consulting, and moved from Seattle to Boston.  In the middle of it all, I was traveling a lot, working crazy hours, and didn't plan well enough to carry everything I needed to do P90X the way it should be done.   I finished P90X in April, then started Insanity.  About halfway through Insanity, I started P90X Plus.  I was about halfway through P90X Plus, and ended up missing the last month or so.

This time, rather than start P90X Plus back up, I would go back to P90X Classic, and start again at the beginning.

I kept a pretty accurate journal on another site that I HIGHLY recommend, MyFitnessPal.com.  If you're regularly working out, or watching what you eat, this free site is really great.  Before starting P90X last January, I had never counted calories nor tracked what I ate.  It really opened my eyes to what I should be eating, how short I was in one area (usually Protein), or when I should be eating more to keep my energy up.

You might have seen the infomercials for P90X on TV.  I'm not usually attracted to that kind of thing, but the results they showed, and the low price of about $100 made me think it would be worth a try.  After checking around for reviews, I found almost NO negative reviews online, but I did find lots of positive reviews from enthusiastic people.

I really liked the format, different workouts everyday, a good challenge everyday, and almost immediate results.  I went from a size 40 pant to a 34 (that's what I wore in high school), and actually got the beginnings of a six pack in just 90 days.  I even impressed my brother enough that he gave it a try, and had similar results.

There's no secret sauce, other than consistently spending 60-90 minutes a day doing the workouts for 90 days, and following the eating plan.  So starting today, I'm back to high protein/low carbs (for the first 30 days).  Cottage cheese, chicken, greek yogurt, egg whites, and muscle milk--lots of it...

Thinking you might want to give it a try?  There is a 30-day money back guarantee...   :)

What have you done to work out?  What works best for you to stay in shape, with your busy lives?

Disclosure: I paid for my copy of P90X, and all supplements, etc.  I really enjoy BeachBody's products, and signed up to be a coach.  If you order through my coach site, I do get a small portion of the price.  But if you can find the product somewhere else, it won't hurt my feelings.

The Fantastically Amazing Story of Ralph Lauren

Last night, several Mom Central (and Dad Central) bloggers, and Ralph Lauren Ambassadors were invited to attend a special event hosted by David Lauren, Sr. VP of Mktg and Comm, and son of Ralph Lauren.  

 

The setting was cozy, intimate, and inviting, and everyone there was friendly and quite welcoming.  Even though we were already related by our passion for blogging, we felt right at home.  The staff of Ralph Lauren were genuine, and everyone involved really put a lot of work into making the night memorable. Event the food was amazing, especially the cupcakes, provided by Crumbs.

At the end of the evening, nobody wanted to leave.  Everyone came away with a sense of connection to what Ralph Lauren Childrenswear is all about--the iconic heritage of the American Northeast.  

The highlight of the evening was David telling the story of his father, and his life growing up with the famous designer.  He continues to share the passion for clothing as something more than just clothes, but also has a keen eye toward the future of communications and marketing.  

We got a sneak preview of the "First Shoppable Children's Storybook," called "The RL Gang, A Fantastically Amazing School Adventure."  It's narrated by Harry Connick Jr., and features several adorable kids wearing this fall's children's clothing line.  We got to meet the kids, and hear directly from David about his passion for trying new things that help feature his clothing in unique and inspiring way, while maintaining the warmth and history of the brand.  

From the media release: 

Designed for readers 2-8 years old, the story unfolds as eight characters in The RL Gang embark on their adventurous first day back to school. Each character’s personality comes to life through their individual sense of style as the virtual storybook showcases 24 new looks from the Ralph Lauren Childrenswear Fall collection. The interactive digital format offers “click to purchase” capabilities allowing shoppers to select their favorite fashions directly from the pages and purchase instantly through RalphLauren.com and Bloomingdales.com. If a reader identifies with a particular character’s style, they can also choose to view their “virtual closet” to shop other similar looks from the Childrenswear Fall collection. Readers can obtain their own hard copy of The RL Gang by purchasing the book on demand through Tikatok.comTM, a partnered site owned by Barnes & Noble.

For the first month, 15% of all proceeds from the sale of the Childrenswear Fall collection on RalphLauren.com will benefit the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music (EMCM) located in The Musician’s Village. Conceived in part by Harry Connick, Jr., The Musician’s Village is a cornerstone of the Habitat for Humanity post-Katrina reconstruction of New Orleans. The EMCM, at the centerpiece of the Village, is dedicated to the education and development of the next generation of New Orleans music enthusiasts and the preservation of New Orleans’ unique musical heritage.

Take a look at the teaser video they allowed bloggers to share.  I can't wait to find these clothes on store shelves this fall.

Disclosure: Ralph Lauren is a client of Mom Central, and I attended as an employee and blogger.  Attendees were given gift bags containing various items, including the storybook, and in my case, a bottle of Polo cologne.  

The Art of Shaving

 I normally not one who enjoys shaving.  Heck, sometimes I've even thought that laser hair removal for my stubble wouldn't be a bad thing.

My kids would probably enjoy it more when i hug them--but then giving them a good old rug burn with my stubble can be fun too.  

I usually shave every other day, because I end up with cuts and bumps. But I'm getting enough gray in my beard that I don't like to go more than a few days without shaving. 

I heard about a promotion being run from "The Art of Shaving." For a limited time, you can shave, er, save 20% on some very cool shaving supplies.  I've signed up, and I'm going to give a couple of items a try.  

I'm starting with the $25 starter kit, to see how it goes.  Looks like they also have 20% off Fusion Blades, not a bad idea to stock up.  Check this site out, and if you sign up now, you get 20% off until Sunday.  

While you're at it, be sure to check out the "Four Elements of a Perfect Shave." Maybe I can learn something about how to avoid some of the painful elements of keeping my face smooth and clear.  

Disclaimer: I work at Dad Central Consulting, and we occasionally work with the agency sponsoring this promotion.  In this case, I was not offered any product or compensation for this post, and I spent my own money on the website to try the product.

What Are You Doing for the Fourth?

Interesting idea from Dad Blogger Ben Martin, from The Father Life.  He worked with Hersheys Summer Celebrations to document how he made Red, White, and Blue parfaits.  Sounds yummy.

Check out his whrrl story, and check out the Summer Celebrations site for more ideas. 

More check-ins at Wal Mart

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Great Conversations for Boys Only Part Two

We attended the second night of Great Conversations for Boys Only last night.  The boys both enjoyed it, though I don't know if it was uninterrupted time with their dad, or sitting in a lecture hall talking about girls and puberty and periods...  Not quite as entertaining as the first night (no opera tonight), but packed with good information that was perfectly age-appropriate. 

He mentioned a few of his favorite books:

• Sex, Puberty, and All That Stuff (Jacquie Bailey)
• Getting to Calm - (Laura Kastner)
• A Child is Born (Lennart Nilsson)
• Secret Life of Teen Girls (Dakota Lang)

Couple of fun points:

He showed a chart of a woman's body, with ample breasts, and the reproductive system overlaid on the illustration. He had to point out that all of those things are inside the woman, that they're not tattooed on, or hanging outside like they do on men.  Interesting thought, that there are big differences, beyond those that we think about every day.  When it came to the breasts, he asked the boys what they were for.  He made a great point that they're not just for selling beer, although they do a pretty good job doing that. 

He also showed the boys chart from the previous class, and asked if anyone there was good at putting things together, like Lego's.  Which then led to the discussion about reproduction. 

A woman is born with all the eggs she'll ever have in her life, already made (though not mature).  There are about 500,000 of them.  Men, on the other hand, don't develop sperm until right before it's needed, about 100-200 million a day.  Over-preparation?  Or just have a few extra around just in case? 

A good description of what happens when one sperm gets to an egg: The Batmobile going into shield mode, where the scales cover the whole thing and makes it impenetrable. 

Only about half of men choose to cut the baby's chord when it's born.  I thought it was kind of cool, but kind fo gross at the same time. 

He made the point to parents there that kids listen, even when they are doing everything they can to show they're not.  He makes it a point to keep talking, keep explaining things, especially values and beliefs. 

He talked about peer pressure, and described it as two distinct kinds: 1) where your friends talk you into doing something you don't want to do; and 2) where you think your friends want you to do something or act some way, and you do it without them ever saying anything.  Do your kids ever act a certain way because they think it's cool, and it turns out that nobody thought it was cool to start with? 

As he talked about controversial topics, he made a clear point that he covers the facts, and that it's only the parent's place to cover values, beliefs, standards, and hopes for our children.  He was always careful not to say something was "natural," or "kids should be sexually active by a certain age."  A few times he asked us to talk to our kids about a question during the class.  For example, he had us ask our kids when they thought they would be ready to be sexually active.  My 13 year old though maybe 17 or 18.  My 10 year old said 28 or 29.  Good boys.  :)

He said there are recent statistics that show that HALF of all pregnancies in the US are unplanned.  Wow, that was amazing.  We all need to do a better job talking about thoughts/actions/consequences. 

He said that a MATURE BRAIN can do the following: 1) recognize future consequences. 2) choose between conflicting thoughts.  3) control feelings and impulses.  A brain matures at around 25 years old. 

He talked about sexuality, and made a really good point that it's a whole lot more than just sex.  It involves identity, respect, status, values, love, health, peers, self-esteem, and, of course, bringing a child into a family.

He mentioned a few websites with some good information:

• www.siecus.org  
• www.stayteen.org  
• www.drugfree.org  (teenage brain development)
• www.teenshealth.org

After the class, we had a little time to head to the University of Washington soccer field to kick the ball around.  It was fun, until it got dark and we got kicked out.  A great night with the boys, in the beautiful northwest.

Great Conversations Part One

Tonight, my two sons and I attended the first night of “Great Conversations for Boys Only.”  There were about 70 men with their 10-13 year old sons (and a couple of moms).  Every kid had that dreaded look of “do I really have to be here for this?”  And more than a few dads had the same look. 

As the instructor introduced himself, he asked how many of the guys there booked the class themselves.  Turns out that more than 70% of them were signed up by their wife (including me).  Either way, it was a good class that introduced topics that we on the minds of both the kids and parents there. 

The first class covered:

• What boys experience in puberty (muscle growth, hair growth, changes in hormones, reproductive system and skin)
• Problem solving and practical ideas for managing changes
• Common concerns for puberty, including pimples, nutrition, sleep, masturbation, and personal care. 
• Myths related to growing up.

Some key takeaways for me:

It was interesting to think about how I learned this stuff.  Mostly from my friends.  I was in 5th grade when my friends started talking about girls and body parts, before we’d seen the “program” put on by the school.  My dad also did his “talk” a few times, but I still remember us both being a little uncomfortable.

3 things kids need to know:

1. It’s normal to worry about being normal.  Everyone wants to fit in. 
2. You can be different and still be normal.  Some start puberty when their 8 or 9, others as late as 15.
3. It’s okay to talk about and ask questions about growing up.  In fact, the main point of the class was to make it easier to talk about topics that need to be discussed. 

4 things most boys ask about:

1. Acne.  Most acne comes from bacteria in skin pores.  Cleaning helps.  Some is from over-active skin cell production—it’s just a byproduct of hormones. Oily food doesn’t cause pimples.  Best thing is to leave the infections alone, don’t pick away at it.  Best topical solution is 5% Benzoil Peroxide and Salicylic Acid.
2. Shaving.  Beards come in slowly, usually only in late teens.  Shaving doesn’t speed up hair growth, but can clip off thin hair ends, making the hair thicker.  Facial hair might make you feel older or more mature.  But wispy mustaches look stooooopid.  (Just ask me, I had one all through high school.)
3. Body Odor.  You might not smell it yourself, make sure you clean yourself.  It’s the bacteria that smells.  Use deodorant, not antiperspirant. It’s good to sweat, but it’s good to smell good. 
4. Muscles.  Make sure you don’t try to be all buff and muscle-y when you’re still growing.  Wait until later in high school to do serious weight training.  And steroids are bad, bad, bad. 

One thing I didn’t know, only about half of American men/boys are circumcised.  It’s becoming more and more normal not to do it—it seems unnecessary except for religious reasons.

The instructor recommended having books around that are age-appropriate, but cover intimate topics.  His favorite books are It’s So Amazing, and It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris.  It gives kids a place to go to learn what’s happening to their bodies, and what to expect.  It can also serve as a way to keep the conversation going. 

Some fun stuff:

He mentioned that the word “Penis” is kind of a funny word.  The crowd named about 30 other words it is known by, several I’d never heard.  We then all sang “The Penis Opera,” with the boys singing the word in high voices, and the men singing in low voices.  It kind of broke the ice, and made everyone a little more comfortable talking about it.  I wish I had a recording of it, it’d be a hit on YouTube… 

When he talked about masturbation, he mentioned all the ways adults lied to us: going blind, hairy palms, start up your sex drive like a factory you can’t turn off, run out of sperm, you’ll go insane.  He said it might be fun for kids to get their parents' attention sometime just by using the word at the dinner table sometime.  Ya, I think that’d work.  I know in my house, growing up, it was something that was forbidden for religious reasons, and certainly taboo talking about.  The instructor didn’t make any moral judgments about it, didn’t say it was okay or it wasn’t, but just talked about the physiology of it, then allowed parents to talk about it with their kids later. 

We ended with homework.  Dads get to talk about 3 things that are great about growing up, and boys need to name 3 people you can ask questions to, other than dad.  After, we went to Kidd Valley to celebrate surviving...

Great class, highly recommended.  I’m looking forward to part two later in the week.

 

Are Your Kids (almost) Ready for the Computer?

My kids are a bit older, but my youngest is just becoming curious about why her big sister and brothers are always "on the Internet."  She likes the time she spends on Spelling City.  Our older kids use IXL, and spend too much time watching The Annoying Orange or (the equally annoying) Fred on YouTube.  Could be worse, I guess.

Jenna Hatfield writes a weekly Technology Column for Mom Central, and offers a review of a site called Zoodles that might be the solution for your kids.  I'm going to set it up for mine, and see how they like it.

From the article Zoodles - fun, safe and educational gaming for kids

"The goal of Zoodles is to provide a safe place to play and learn online. They have created a kid-friendly browser that strips out things like URL bars and back buttons as well as the (accidental) ability to visit sites that aren't exactly kid appropriate. The browser then uses your parental settings and child's age information to pull interesting, educational and fun games from all over the net into what Zoodles calls a “playground” for your child. The games that are incorporated are based on your child's ability, whether they're advanced or behind for their age.

I recently made an account for my oldest son. I am pleased with the browser in a way I can't adequately describe. Previously I had installed bookmarks to his favorite (me-approved) sites on the top of his browser. The problem was that he could still go wherever he wanted, click on ads and occasionally mess up his own settings. I love that he can't do that with Zoodles. Furthermore, I'm enjoying the fact that I can make sure he's spending the majority of his time on reading-based games right now. We're working on reading skills right now and I love that we can use games to help us along. "

How do you make sure your kids are safe online?  What things should I watch out for with kids ages 8-14?