Lifestyle Center: Children's Beds That Create Live-Work-Play Bedrooms.

Catherine loves sleeping in our bed because it's "so comfy!"...and it is! We can't wait until we can find a big-girl bed in which to place her very own plush-top Heavenly Bed.

I stopped inside a shop today called: "Kids 2 College Furniture" which I had, mistakenly, assumed was a "dorm-room" furniture shop for teens and 20yr old "kids [going] 2 college". I poked my head in to check it out after my 3yr old daughter spotted miniature hand painted rocking chairs outside their front door. I was amazed to find Full and Twin beds for children that convert ( I know what you're thinking as I bought a "convertible" crib-bed that meant: gradually taking it apart piece-by-piece until there were no walls left around the mattress) from bunk bed castles for boys and girls to everything from modular study/homework centers under loft beds with hidden Murphy beds for guests (that are as easy to pull down as opening a drawer) to four-poster canopy beds.  

I was stoked to find this place as my wife and I had been trying to convince Catherine that she would love a "Princess Bed" (4 poster with canopy) but she has been insisting that she needs "a bed with a ladder so that Alligators can't get [her]" and so she can "rescue her dolls from mud-slides below with [her] Diego lasso".

Check out their website: http://www.kids2collegefurniture.com.  One of these "build-your-own" display models, in particular, has a bunk bed with a slide that converts from a castle themed play area with a wide safety rail and extra wide rungs (or steps) at a fairly moderate incline...to a four poster canopy bed...and we're all over it!    

Re-Branding: Omega 3s In Disguise

 

Here's the step-by-step for my Honey* Salmon Nuggets that a few have asked for.

*1-2tbsp of melted honey in the egg and also drizzled on top once out of the oven.

Response Time: Another Quick Re-Heat Meal

Hot Dog, Asparagus & Mozzarella Filled Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. Ready in like... 10mins. I freeze these and then re-heat them in the toaster oven (or microwave) for a fast meal when time gets away from me...as it occasionally does.

Healthy Competition: Too Young To Compete

First Lady Michelle Obama (via Twitter @FLOTUS), the USDA, the U.S. Department of Education, and Epicurious have joined together again for the second Healthy Lunchtime Challenge in which contestants are asked to submit their best original lunch recipes inspired by MyPlate (the USDA's user-friendly guide to healthy eating).

Sounded like something right up my alley. However, only children ages 8 through 12 and their parents / guardians are invited to compete... which leaves me and 3yr old Catherine Ruth ineligible.

Here are a few of the favorites we were discussing before reading all of the rules and terms: 

BURGER, FRIES & SHAKE

BURGER-

1lb 98% lean ground turkey

Salt & Pepper to taste

4-6 Green Onions

1-2 Egg Whites

½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs

1Tblsp Flax Seeds (We prefer minced pan roasted garlic)

Splash of Soy Sauce

Splash of Worstershire

Splash of Rice Wine Vinegar

1 tsp Montreal Seasoning Mix

8-10oz Chopped White Button Mushrooms

12oz Chopped Fresh Leaf Spinach (remove stems)

1 med Tomato chopped

Mix All Ingredients Well and use ice cream scooper to portion on skillet coated with cooking spray and set to medium high heat. Smash down with spatula and cook approx. 10-15 minutes on each side until slightly browned. Top with low fat colby jack, fresh avocado and serve in whole-wheat or multi grain bun

FRIES-

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Julienne fresh Sweet Potato.

Toss in bowl with spray light Olive Oil.

Salt & Pepper to taste.

Bake in Oven for 20 mins.

SHAKE-

Sliced Banana and whole or frozen Strawberries  (My daughter prefers ripe red pears)

2% Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1Tblsp Honey (My daughter prefers Nutella)

1-2 cup Crushed Ice

Splash of Apple Juice (or fruit juice of preference)

Blend All ingredients until smooth and serve with extra wide colorful milkshake straw.

PANDA DOGS n PEAR COOKIES

DOGS-

Jennie-O (or other brand) 98% Fat Free Turkey Dogs split in the middle.

Fresh Asparagus (AKA: Bamboo to Catherine) lightly grilled then placed in split hot dog.

2% Mozzarella Cheese lined on-top of asparagus spear resting in split hot dog.

Whole Grain or Whole Wheat Pillsbury (or other brand) refrigerated pastry dough.

Completely wrap dough around hot dog and asparagus topped with cheese.

Serve with baked beans.

PEAR COOKIES-

Nutella lighted smeared between Slices of Red Pear like sandwiches and then cut into different shapes.

SB&J* SUSHI

Fresh Multi-Grain Bread rolled flat after removing crusts (or flat bread)

Spread Sunbutter or Peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) on bread.

Finely Julienne Granny Smith Apples.

Create a “raft” of julienned apple atop Sunbutter.

Red Grapes (or Concord Grapes) lined-up in a row across apples length-wise.

Roll up ingredients with sushi mat (or a flexible placemat) then slice into disks.

Create “Kid’s 2min Chopsticks” in two minutes by following instructions at: http://dbadaddy.com/blog/2013/4/26/the-right-tools-for-the-right-job-chopsticks-for-kids

Serve with:

Remaining Red Grapes

Baby Carrots (boiled in water with 1Tsp of honey)

Steamed Edamame

Grahm Crackers (broken into ¼ pieces)

Chocolate Milk

*We sometimes substitute the SB&J Roll with my daughter’s favorite cereal coated cubes of salmon (cube fresh salmon, soak in milk, coat with ground Quaker Corn Bran Squares or Oatmeal Brown Sugar Squares, drop in egg wash, then in 2nd bowl of ground cereal then pan fry). 

Connectivity: Reaching a Target Market of 2-5yr Olds

A good friend of mine asked my opinion on an app that he and his wife are developing. They are creative designers and academics. Therefore it came as no surprise that the app was aesthetically pleasing and educationally focused...but there was no addictive quality to it. There was nothing cute or fun or silly about it. After learning that his target market was 2-5yr olds (and their parents), I remembered something my 3yr old daughter taught me: 

It's much more fun to make and take pretend phone calls from a fresh banana than it is from an old cell phone.

When marketing to children, it's imperative to remember two things:

First - Children want to have fun.

Second- They want to do things All-By-Them-Selves.  

If you wrap up something good, healthy or educational in that...it's as good as sold.

When things are too "high-brow" or only "mentally healthy", it's on a shelf that is within a parent's sight-line but too high for a child to see. When it's all "silliness and cartoons"  it's on the bottom shelf and only within easy reach of a toddler. The trick is to get the product or service placed right in the middle so that both audiences can see the value.

At the end of the day we, as parents, are often willing to indulge the desires of our children...so long as they aren't unhealthy or dangerous, we'll allow it.

I think a distinct "fun factor" woven into their brand equity...and thus all of their apps wouldn't mean they would be abandoning their reputation for serious childhood development...It would result, more, in a brand that holds a certain..."creative monotony" like the "TOCA" apps. Each one predictable but fun and unique. Beyond enticing to today's demanding children... and if masking some formative developmental process or educational exercise, likely to serve parents in a similar fashion as melted cheese on broccoli.  

Mixed Use: Her Favorite Cereal Makes Healty Dinners More Appealing

(Favorite) Cereal Crusted Salmon. Catherine ate half of this!