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Should I Take My Toddler to See SMALLFOOT? |No Spoiler Review

This post is in partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures.

Last month, RJ and I got to check out an advanced screening of SMALLFOOT at the Crosby Street Hotel (did you know they had a whole movie theatre in there?! Check out my friend Sanaa’s hotel review). I’m always a little hesitant about taking RJ to the movies because he’s one of those kids that yell at the screen and talk during the whole movie but thankfully the theatre was full of kids hyped up on dummies, cotton candy and popcorn so he wasn’t the only one that had EVERYTHING to say throughout the entire movie.

An animated adventure for all ages, with original music and an all-star cast, “Smallfoot” turns the Bigfoot legend upside down when a bright young Yeti finds something he thought didn’t exist—a human. News of this “smallfoot” throws the simple Yeti community into an uproar over what else might be out there in the big world beyond their snowy village, in an all new story about friendship, courage and the joy of discovery. Let me give you a chance to check out the trailer below:

How long is the movie?

The running time for Smallfoot is an hour and 49 minutes. If your little gets antsy (like mine does) I’m definitely team skip the previews. Also, SNACKS. RJ is much quieter and will sit still for a lot longer when popcorn is involved. He ate his whole bucket of popcorn and then asked if we could trade. So basically, he gave me his leftover kernels and then ate all my popcorn too.

But….. Yetis, should I be concerned?

Smallfoot really is a movie for all ages! I also say this to say, my 3 year old watches and loves Jurassic park without blinking an eye. But I think its pretty safe to say that as long as Migo and Meechee stay ON the screen then your little one will be OK. With us being at a private screening they showed up to take some pictures with the kids before the movie and RJ was NOT WITH IT. But he LOVES his Meechee stuffed animal, and he gets excited whenever he sees a billboard for the movie. No permanent damage was done LOL

Will I enjoy SMALLFOOT too?

Yes!!! Lessons on lessons on lessons, okay?! I was in the movie laughing, learning and getting emotional (pisces problems) just as much as RJ. There is humor in the movie for adults and children, lessons everyone can take away and amazing songs (because who doesn’t love music). You’ll probably take away more from the movie than your little one and it opens up an amazing doorway for a few different conversations. SMALLFOOT is a movie your whole family, from younger to oldest will remember.

SMALLFOOT stomps into theaters everywhere September 28th! Get tickets to see the movie .

So my only question now is…. are you YETI?!?! Do you plan on checking out #SMALLFOOT? Have you seen it already? What did you take away? Lets talk in the comments! xoxo.

** BONUS MOM HACK! I printed out the SMALLFOOT posters, glued them to index cards, and we use them for a memory card matching game. Thank me later! ;)**

September 22, 2018 By
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5 Interactive Experiences You Need to Visit for the ‘Gram |Explore NYC

It’s really not a secret that everyone wants to be “down” on social and these interactive pop up shops aren’t new at all. I went to my Dream Machine last month and it wasn’t exactly like I imagined but I had so much fun. If you love art, photos or just like taking pictures for IG then you NEED to check out these pop up shops.

It’s really not a secret that everyone wants to be “down” on social and these interactive pop up shops aren’t new at all. I went to my Dream Machine last month and it wasn’t exactly like I imagined but I had so much fun. If you love art, photos or just like taking pictures for IG then you NEED to check out these pop up shops.

Each of these experiences are coming to NYC (or are here already). Each also features different rooms, & the experiences take about an hour each. What makes them so all worth visiting is they’re all different themes, and the photo ops are endless! Perfect for a date night, or girls day!

Dream Machine // Now – September 9th

Rose’ Wine Mansion // Now – October 7th 

Candytopia // August 15th – November 15th

Color Factory // August 20th – September 30th

Museum of Pizza // October 13th – 28th 

 Have you been to any of these pop-up shops? Know of one coming to the city that’s not listed? Share in the comments below. 

August 8, 2018 By
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8 East Coast Festivals Every Black Girl NEEDS to Be At This Summer

Festival season is upon us and I suffer from major FOMO every year. I find that I always find out about festivals at the last minute and then I don’t have the proper time to get my life/coins together so that I can attend. After going to Curlfest for the first time last year, I’m determined to hit as many festivals as possible this year and I’ve created this list of festivals that are (mainly) on the east coast JUST so I don’t forget where I need (want) to be and when. If you love good vibes, good food and good music then you probably want to check a few of these out too! *festival names are clickable… you’re welcome ;)*

Governors Ball * June 1st – 3rd – Randall’s Island, NYC

Roots Picnic * June 2nd – Philadelphia, PA 

Essence Festival * July 5th – 8th – New Orleans, LA

Technically NOLA isn’t considered the “east coast” but if you don’t know by now that Essence is THE festival to be at I’m not sure how you even came across this list. Do you even festival?? 

The Greatest Day Ever * July 14th & 15th – New York, NY

Curlfest * July 21st – Brooklyn, NY

Panorama Music Festival * July 27th – 29th – Randall’s Island, NYC

Swing through @BrooklynSteel to peep the fresh mural 🌐

A post shared by Panorama NYC (@panoramanyc) on

Afropunk * August 25th & 26th – Brooklyn, NY

Made in America * September 1st & 2nd – Philadelphia, PA

There it is! Which festivals are you most excited about? I can’t wait for Curlfest and Afropunk! Hype to go to a festival that I didnt list? Not tryna go alone and want to meet up? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. xoxo

May 8, 2018 By
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Milk & Cream Cereal Bar Will Change Your Cereal Experience | Explore NYC

Cereal bars are definitely trending right now and all over social media I see memes and videos galore about visiting them on dates or while intoxicated or something of the sort. So naturally, I decided to go on a regular day, with no real plans, while I was waiting for RJ to get out of school. I searched Facebook HARD for an Insider video and found Milk & Cream Cereal Bar, located right over the bridge and easy enough to get to so that I wouldn’t be late for 2:40 school pickup. 

Menu via MilkandCreambar.com

Combining the best of both worlds, Milk and Cream brags on serving up nostalgia in every bite. And they definitely lived up to my expectations. I already knew what I wanted on the walk in. I did you the courtesy of posting the menu above because if youre like me, you need to plan in advance for food and prepare your taste buds for the amazingness youre about to endure. 

 

 

The possibilities and combinations seemed endless but I decided to go with the Apple Jack Avalanche on a waffle cone. It was heaven! I can’t wait to go back and try something else. This spot is definitely a cute place for a day date, or just to grab a snack if you need a pick me up before school pick up like I did. 

 What do you think? What’s your favorite cereal? Have you ever been to a cereal bar?  

March 20, 2018 By
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Toddler Approved | Laser Bounce is Now Open in Atlas Park, Queens!

If you’re wondering whether the new Laser Bounce location in Atlas Park is appropriate for toddlers then the answer is a resounding YES! We decided to visit the newly opened location during mid-winter recess to check it out and RJ had a BLAST! 

Laser bounce features a HUGE Ballocity Arena which gives the kids a chance to propel, throw, dump and vacuum foam balls. The arena is multi-level and features a huge variety of blasters, vacuums and even has a slide. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of balls in the arena and there was plenty of space to run around. Some of the vacuums/blasters were a little loud and RJ was startled initially but he got used to it pretty quickly.

The Bounce Arena had multiple bouncy houses including a basketball themed bounce house and a huge inflatable wack-a-mole. Anyone that knows RJ knows jumping is his THING. He wanted to stay in the bounce arena for a lot longer but we wanted to make sure he tried out multiple areas of the arcade since we purchased the package that also included arcade credits, highway 66 bowling and the ballocity and bounce arenas for $20. 

I didnt get to take that many additional photos because once RJ wasn’t in a confined area he was OUT! Luckily for us we went on a day that wasn’t super crowded and I suspect it was because not many people realized the location was open yet but its been a few weeks since then and I’m sure word has definitely spread. Luckily, the do split up the time in the Ballocity and Bounce Arena into sessions so that it’s not a free for all and I’m sure that reduces the crowding in the areas. 

Aside from everything mentioned, the location also has a huge laser tag arena, a mission impossible style laser maze, hologate VR and a huge selection of arcade games. While the first couple things I just mentioned may not work exactly for younger ones, a lot of the arcade games were perfect for RJs size. I loved that there were a lot of games he could play and didn’t really need my help which is hard to find in an arcade at 3 (minus Chuck E. Cheese) 

All in all this location has a wide array of things to do and they have packages that are priced amazingly! I can’t wait to take RJ back. It’s definitely a great place to have your littles burn off some energy and enjoy a nice quiet car ride home. 

For more information on Laser Bounce at Atlas Park feel free to visit their website here. 

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored in any way. I used my own coins to pay for our package and am simply giving an honest review based on our experience at this location. I definitely can’t wait to check them out again! 

March 12, 2018 By
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