Author: Caryn

RIDEMAKERZ Launches Cars 2 Line

My nearly four year old son is a tad bit attached to his cars.  Not only does he carry at least one in his pocket on school days, you’ll find one or two on his pillow at bedtime.  Children, particularly little boys, are fascinated with cars. And not just play cars…my son frequently asks my husband if he can “drive” daddy’s “big” car.  He’s a typical boy in this way with his vrooming and zooming all around the house.

Toy cars to a littte boy are fun. Motorized, custom-designed cars that he can help build are awesome. Last year around this time, RIDEMAKERZ re-designed and re-opened it’s store in Downtown Disney.  Building on the concept of stuffing and dressing your own bear, founder and ZEO Larry Andreini originated the idea of building and customizing your own ride.  His vision is to contribute to the positive development of children which I wholeheartedly support.

Boys and girls can exercise their creativity while having fun as they design something unique and original at RIDEMAKERZ. While I definitely think that children who can should have the experience of going into the store to build their ride, the online experience does not disappoint.  Here is a brief overview of the process:

Children CHOOZE from over 70 body and paint styles including their newly released Disney-Pixar Cars 2 line which includes Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, and Sally and either a Street or Monster chassis; Motorize (we opted for Radio-Control but you can also Free-Wheel it!); Mobilize by selecting wheelz and treadz and then building their RIDEZ in the RZ Pit Challenge;  Customize by adding specialty lights, spoilers, side pipes, hood scoops, blown engines, roll bars, decals and more; and Cruize  once they’ve loaded their Ridez into the RZ Cruizecase.

As I mentioned above, this is our second experience and my son was even more excited this time because of the tie in with Cars 2. We each ended up building a character from Disney-Pixar Cars and then put our own unique twist on each ride. With the help of a crew member, my son was able to use the power screw driver (with daddy’s assistance) to attach the chassis and then secured his wheelz onto Mater the Greater.  Once he customized Mater with side pipez and a hood scoop, he was ready to Cruize!

Children have a wide variety of options when it comes to the body, engines, parts, and decals which makes each experience and car unique.  This also means you can opt for a less expensive car or go all out and opt for ultimate customization.

Along with their 5 nationwide locations, RIDEMAKERZ is located within select new-format Disney Stores and Toys R Us stores nationwide.

This Father’s Day weekend, you can build one ride, and get one free (the Cars line isn’t included).

No compensation was received for this post. We were invited to build a ride at RIDEMAKERZ.

My Perfect Sandwich

Over the last month, I’ve been sharing some of the amazing sandwich recipes Bobby Flay has created specifically for Hellmann’s. 2011 is all about the perfect sandwich and I thought it was time to tap into my own creativity to come up with what I think is the perfect sandwich.

In my opinion, the choice of bread can make or break a sandwich, so it’s rare for me to choose a simple slice of white bread.  I prefer sourdough, whole wheat ciabatta, or a French roll, because very often the condiments spread on a simple slice of bread render it too soggy.

While I don’t always have the time, I prefer a grilled sandwich because I find the flavors come together nicely when heated.

The inside of a sandwich is where I find I can be the most creative.  If you’re a cheese lover like I am, experiment with Brie, Goat Cheese, Burrata Mozarella, and Swiss.  Try combining sweet and savory flavors in sandwiches for a unique, gourmet twist. Some of my favorites (although not to be used in combo) include cranberry, chutney, sun dried tomatoes, and pesto.  You can also get creative with your meat and veggies, but my preference is to go light on the meat and heavy on the fresh veggies.

Earlier this week, I created two Hellmann’s-inspired recipes.

Red Potato Salad With Dill

First, cut up the red potatoes into quarters and boil them about 15 minutes or until soft (but not falling apart).  Drain and cool the potatoes.  Cut up red onion and mix in with Hellmann’s mayonnaise, fresh or dried dill, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. You could also substitute rosemary for the dill and I think it would still taste amazing.

Grilled Turkey Breast Panini With Fresh Spinach, Warm Goat Cheese, and Pesto

To make the Pesto, puree fresh basil with olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic.   Spread a layer of Hellmann’s mayonnaise and pesto on one side of a Ciabatta roll, sliced in half and goat cheese (it’s spreadable) on the other side of the bread.  Layer fresh turkey breast, fresh spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes and heat with a panini grill until the bread is toasted and the cheese has melted.

We served the sandwich with the potato salad and a pickle and it was perfect!

What would you put in your perfect sandwich?

Disclosure:  This post was created in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in Hellmann’s Club Sandwich Program. For more great ideas, go to www.facebook.com/hellmanns.

 

 

Disney and Nordstrom Launch it’s a small world Collection

As a little girl growing up in LA, I have many fond memories of our family trips to Disneyland.  I can remember the excitement of riding Space Mountain with my father, and the wonder as we sailed through the different countries on ‘it’s a small world.’

This year marks the 45th anniversary of ‘it’s a small world’ at the Disneyland Resort and in celebration of this historic, beloved ride, Nordstrom and it’s a small world‘ will be available in four collections, released seasonally throughout the year.  The collection was inspired by world-renowned Disney artist Mary Blair’s original artwork created for the attraction and Walt Disney’s belief that we are united in our love of children and our dreams of a better tomorrow.

This season you’ll find pieces from the Japanese Spring collection including dresses, tees, onesies, bibs, shoes, totes,

Unlike conventional branded items, the designs are elegant and subtle while still reminiscent of the original art from the ride.  If you look at the prints and patterns on my daugther’s outfits, you’ll notice the butterflies and parasols, with the same aesthetic feel you find in both the artwork and on the ride.

When the collection launched, Nordstrom and Disney collaborated with TOMS Shoes and FEED Projects to offer philanthropic pieces in the collection.  TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need and FEED Projects’ line will benefit UNICEF, which was the original beneficiary of the ride.  Specifically, each FEED Our Small World bag sold will provide 500 children with Vitamin A capsules for one year to prevent deaths associated with malnutrition.

Beginning in June, you’ll find pieces from Indian Summer featuring warm colors and pattern.  Scottish Fall will debut in September and Russian Holiday will debut in November.  Throughout each of the collections, you’ll find items from collaborators such as diaper bags from Petunia Pickle Bottom, shoes from TOMS Shoes, bags and shirts from FEED, sock gift sets from Trumpette, and more.  While you’ll find items in varying price ranges, you can expect wardrobe pieces like shirts to retail for $26-$34 and dresses to retail for $42-$46.  While supplies last, you’ll receive a collectable limited-edition lithography of Mary Blair’s artwork each season with purchases from the line.

While the line is moderately priced, the fabrics are durable and the designs unique and unlike anything you’ll find on the market today.  For more information, just visit Nordstrom.

No compensation was received for this post. Product samples provided.

 

Keeping You Connected and Hands-Free With Motorola’s Roadster

A few years back, California instituted a hands-free law which makes it illegal to use a handheld cellular phone while driving. While bluetooth devices existed prior to this law, I’m not certain they received as much attention as they do these days.  I remember using an older bluetooth device that had to be plugged into a phone.  Companies began to take a look at the existing technology and strived to make it better.  These days you can find a variety of wireless bluetooth devices, the latest being Motorola’s new Roadster.

 

Photo Credit: Motorola

Motorola’s in-car speakerphone is easy to set up and features up to 20 hours of talk time, MotoSpeak Speech-to-text and Text-to-speech technology (on some platforms), dual microphone noise cancellation, auto On/Off, and an FM transmitter. Unlike your mobile phone’s speaker, which is often unclear, the Roadster offers clarity while eliminating background noise.  If you’d prefer to listen to your calls over your car speaker, you can use the FM transmitter (I haven’t tried this function yet).

Because I own an iPhone, I wasn’t able to test out MotoSpeak which makes it possible for users to hear text messages and dictate a reply.  MotoSpeak will also announce who is calling from your contact list.  This technology is only available on Android-powered mobile devices and  Blackberry 4.5+ GSM devices and offers limited functionality on Blackberry 4.5+ CDMA devices.

As I mentioned earlier, the Roadster is easy to set up. I simply scrolled to the Bluetooth section on my iPhone which identified the bluetooth and set it up.  If you leave the device on, it will automatically turn off when you leave and on when you’re in the car.  Set up and use are very intuitive. I only wish I could use MotoSpeak since it’s also illegal to text and drive in California.

Motorola’s Roadster retails for $99.99 and is available at retailers nationwide.

No compensation was received for this post. A product sample was provided.

 

Getting My Dance On! *Giveaway*

Do you ever get bored with exercise?  I do!  And if I’m not bored, I’m tired…or busy. Too often exercise takes a back seat, despite the fact that it’s vital for physical health and emotional wellness.  I’m a firm believer in changing up your exercise routine. Not only will it help you stay motivated, your body will appreciate the change.

I really enjoy fitness gaming because I can exercise on my time and have fun doing it.  My favorite types of games are those that involve dance.  THQ recently released Dance Paradise on Kinect for Xbox 360 (more about my new Kinect/Xbox 360 in a upcoming post).  The game features 40 chart-topping dance hits in a variety of genres including Hip-Hop, Rock, and R&B.  Play solo or side-by-side as you mirror the movements of the on-screen avatars.  Because the game was designed for the Kinect platform, you don’t need a controller which means you can focus entirely on getting those moves down.

 

Photo Credit: THQ

I’ve played another dance game on this platform and while this post is not about comparing the two, it’s worth mentioning that Dance Paradise makes it very, very easy for players to pick up the dance moves.  Unlike other dance games, I can definitely see children enjoying this game without getting frustrated. In fact, my nearly four year old son often jumps in to play with me, even though he’s definitely still working on his moves!  The multi-player aspect means that families can play together which I always advocate for with regards to video games.

 

The game is definitely about having fun, but I challenge you to play this for 20 or 30 minutes to see if your heart gets pumping!  Speaking of challenges, try the “versus” mode which has players replicating moves as accurately as possible before their avatar reaches the end of the four colored bars.

For more information, just visit THQ!

Win It! TWO of you will win a copy of Dance Paradise on Kinect for Xbox 360 (ARV $49.99).  Simply leave me a comment with something you like about the game!  Comments will close on June 1st, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST.

US Residents only.  Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

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No compensation was received for this post. Items for review/giveaway supplied by THQ.