What's Cool? The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water!

The boys have been huge fans of Spongebob since...forever, really, so they were super excited to get to see the film before it opens in theatres this Friday, February 6th - we even brought cousing Madison along. Thanks to our friends, the Moms, we got a chance to see the film and hang out with two of its stars! I NEVER spoil movies, so I won't give you too many details. But, I will say that despite flashes of Patrick's butt and birds poo-ing (both things that kids find hilarious), as a parent, I liked that the underlying theme of the movie was about bringing people together to solve a common issue. In an age of bullying and kids that are in cliques that exclude others, it's nice that the movie showed how coming together, even with someone who may be your "enemy", can help the greater good. I can't help but also love the makeover's the characters got! Check out Spongebob's abs in the photo below!  Make sure to check out the film with your kiddos this weekend and visit here to learn more about it!

xo, Tiffany 

What's Up, City Kid! Episode 1 - Holiday Market Shopping!

Plants that grow in a cork? Donuts with lavender sugar? We met and interviewed some really innovative small business owners at the Urban Space NYC Holiday Market in Union Square last weekend!  We are huge supporters of small businesses because we love to spread the word about people who are following their dreams like we are. We've been sharing small business stories since the boys were 5 years old! 

Have you heard of Urban Space NYC? They set up shopping markets all around NYC. Just in time for the holidays, we headed to the Union Square market and checked out some really cool gift ideas from some super creative guys and gals! Need last minute holiday gift ideas? Take a look at our video HERE if you can't see it below and get inspired!  Please feel free to share via social media and tag us at @tristinandtyler so we can thank you for doing it!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

What's Cool: Getting a squeeze from Jennifer Garner!

We've all had those CRAZY days when nothing goes right…right? I am one of those people who just want to throw my hands up when I have a horrible day, but on October 10, Disney lightens things up and makes you think things might not be so bad when "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY" hits theatres! Thanks to The Moms, we got an exclusive sneak peak of the film, which was based off of Judith Viorst's children's book from 1972.  The film stars Jennifer Garner and Steve Carrell as a married couple with four children who have one of the worst days ever! T + T loved the movie because it was funny. I loved it because it had a strong message about family and how important it is to be happy with the things you have, and not stress the things you don't. After the film we got a chance to meet Jennifer Garner. Not only is she hilarious, but she is SO much like the characters she plays in films – totally charming. She spoke to the kids like they were her best friends and boy did that make them want to ask more questions like what did her kids think about dad being Batman, and whether she lives in a mansion. Before Jennifer left  T&T got a little squeeze from her and they couldn't stop smiling all night! Watch out, Ben! Will you see the movie on October 10? If you do, let us know what you think. Happy Weekend! 

We were not compensated for this post. We received a gift card. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

What's Cool: Stouffer's Mac + Cheese

Tristin is literally the macaroni and cheese king in my household. He knows how to make it himself, and he's working on making it from scratch with three cheeses. I'm pretty impressed with his love for cooking, but I have been looking for a way to make his favorite meal a little more healthy. Enter, Stouffers. Thanks to The Moms, we were invited to Make Meaning (one of our favorite places to craft) to check out the Stouffers food truck, try macaroni and cheese and learn tips for adding a twist to family favorites from Chef Donatella Arapia. I loved Donatella's tips for sneaking healthy ingredients into everyday meals so kids will eat them. Tyler literally devoured mushrooms in his mac + cheese, in ten seconds flat -- and he's never eaten mushrooms before! I've always been a fan of Stouffers frozen meals, but I never really thought of adding more to the box with different ingredients. Using Stouffers to start, I now I have a few new recipes to add to my weekly dinner routine. Do you have a meal that is a family favorite that you make each week? Do you ever try and spice up old recipes with a pinch of something new?

What's Cool: Amazon Studios "Tumble Leaf"

Now that kids are spending more time on tablets and other mobile devices, Amazon Studios is creating educational, thought provoking programming for kids that you can only find on Amazon Prime Instant Video - YAY! If you've been following Tristin + Tyler from day 1 - when the boys were about 6 years old - you know that educational content is where the boys got their start and we are big fans of kids media with a purpose. We believe in kids watching programming that inspires and educates. We're glad to report that Amazon Studios believes in these ideals as well. First up on their kids programming slate, Tumble Leaf  - a whimsical, stop-motion, pre-school adventure series about a blue fox learning important lessons through play. In each episode, you are invited to Tumble Leaf to follow Fig the blue fox and his friends Hedge, Stick and Maple learn science through play. Thanks to The Moms, we got a chance to watch 4 episodes of the series at a special screening event before it premieres on Amazon Prime Instant Video on May 23rd!

We also got to learn about the process of creating such a dynamic series directly from the creators of Tumble Leaf, meet Dr. Alice Wilder, who creates and develops educational products and programs for kids, and chat with our pal Angela Santomero, the creator of Blues Clues, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and another new Amazon kids series, Creative Galaxy. We are excited about Tumble Leaf and all of the other fun series Amazon plans to premiere over the summer! We will be watching for sure! Will you?

Make sure to check out the Tumble Leaf and let us know what you think! xx

Note: We were not compensated for this post. We were invited to the screening and recieved an Amazon Fire TV for our participation. All views expressed, as always, are my own.

What's Cool: Crafting Kid Made Modern Style #MyKindOfHoliday

Want to make your own cool holiday ornaments this year? There's a craft line for that! How about your own jewlery 
from pipe cleaners and beads? There's a craft line for that! 

If you're crafters like us and you're ready to step up your creativity game, boy have we got a product line for you! 
Meet Kid Made Modern, a craft and art supplies line created by Todd Oldham and sold exclusively at Target.  
We are big crafters/artists in our house so we pretty much own every crafting material known to man, woman 
and child, so we thought we had seen it all, UNTIL...Kid Made Modern.

We were recently invited to a fun Kids Made Modern #MyKindofHoliday event with Todd Oldham in his 
manhattan studio. Oh what fun the boys had! From creating jewelery and 3D art on canvases to sipping hot 
chocolate with whipped cream and chocoloate chips, the boys had a ball using these super-unique supplies. 
Oh and guess what? Kid Made Modern has awesome activity kits so kids can make things like picture frames and 
comic books! These kits rock as holiday gifts for kids. Definitely check them out here.

Have you used Kid Made Modern? You've gotta try it! I can guarantee your kids will love it becauase I do, and Tristin 
and Tyler (literally) begged not to leave the event so they could keep working -- I'm sure they would have moved into 
Todd's studio if they could! LOL! Happy Holidays and crafting!

 

Disclaimer: We were not compensated for this post. We were invited to the event and provided with craft supplies. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Tristin + Tyler on AMEBA TV!

Do you monitor what your kids watch on television? I do. The boys have a TV in their room but they only have a DVD player so I can control the content they consume. If you're the kind of mama (or dada) that doesn't want to deal with a DVD player, you've gotta check out Ameba TV. Picture this: fun, educational content, from independent artists and producers focused on music, activities and good ole' entertainment. That's Ameba TV. Oh and I have a bonus for ya, all of Tristin and Tyler's cooking episodes are now available on Ameba TV!! WOO HOO!  To learn more, head to Ameba's website. If you have an X-box, Roku, Google TV or an LG Smart TV, you can access Ameba! If not, just head to Ameba's website and find out how you can access the channel online.  Ameba TV is a great way to be assured your kids are not watching content that is inappropriate, oh --- and you get to watch T&T too! How do you beat that??