Cookie magazine, PTA get ready to celebrate School Year’s Eve

Moms looking for new ways to celebrate the beginning of the school year will want to check out  www.schoolyearseve.com.  In addition to having great back-to-school fashion tips, parenting advice, fun recipes and coupons, the site also includes tips and ideas for throwing your own School Year’s Eve celebration.  School Year’s Eve is a new national initiative created by Cookie magazine and the PTA to help families and schools celebrate the beginning of a new school year.  On Sunday, August 30th, families, schools and PTAs across the country will be participating in numerous School Year’s Eve activities including a big event being held at Disneyland, which has declared August 30^th as “School Year’s Eve Day” at the park.  All School Year’s Eve participants are encouraged to submit photos of their own celebrations to the site for a chance to win $1,500 for their school or PTA unit!  Sponsors of the initiative include GAP, Kindercare, Children’s Zyrtec and the Hot Moms Club.

Pre K readiness can now be found at PreKScholars.com

With parents and educators everywhere getting ready for the new school year, Pre K Scholars has officially launched its new retail and informational website, www.PreKScholars.com, which offers comprehensive kindergarten readiness kits for preschoolers. Veteran kindergarten teacher and mother of four, Amy Schwary, created the Pre K Scholars program in 2003 after watching countless children in her kindergarten class struggle to keep up with the material. Despite the fact that state and federal funding of pre-kindergarten education now exceeds $4 billion, most kindergarten teachers surveyed estimate that upwards of 50% of students entering kindergarten are inadequately prepared for school success. With the help of early education experts, teachers and artists, Schwary set out to develop a comprehensive, research-based preschool curriculum that was affordable for parents and fun for the kids. “Kindergarten readiness has always been a hot-button issue for parents,” says Schwary. “Today’s kindergarten is yesterday’s first grade and students who start behind frequently stay behind so proper preparation is extremely important for school success.” PreKScholars.com offers kindergarten readiness kits for retail including a Parent Kit for parents who want to teach pre-K basics to their own children and a Teacher Kit for those who want to supplement their income by teaching preschoolers in their home. Included in the Teacher Kit is a detailed business plan to help parents and teachers get their own home-based business started teaching Pre K Scholar Classes. According to Dr. Alan Pierrot, co-founder and CEO of Pre K Scholars, “As more mothers are considering re-entering the work force for economic reasons, the Pre K Scholars Teacher Kit provides a unique opportunity to earn income while still remaining the primary caregiver in the home.” In addition to offering educational kits and materials, the PreKScholars.com website also acts as an educational community for moms and teachers who want to promote their classes and connect with other moms and teachers. The business model seems to be working. Already, Schwary has added a group of new Pre K Scholars teachers to her roster – moms who teach the curriculum out of their homes in Fresno, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa and Ripon, California. The new website, www.PreKScholars.com is also taking orders for Pre K Scholars Kits from as far away as North Carolina.

Moms have new germ-fighting tool

Concerned parents have one more new product to add to their germ-fighting arsenal. A Los Angeles based company, COVERPLAY has introduced a line of playful play yard slipcovers that fit snugly over most portable play yards protecting the surface from germs.  Play yards are convenient for keeping a baby or small child in a protected area, but inevitably, the play yard will bear the brunt of messes and stains that come with kids and nature. Without proper cleansing, bacteria and other germs could thrive. COVERPLAY slipcovers offer an essential solution for parents. The soiled play yard slipcover can be pulled off the play yard and thrown into the wash for a good cleansing. In a very short time, baby has a clean play yard to enjoy.  “COVERPLAY Slipcovers are fun and fashionable, as well as easy to use to protect your child,” says Allison Costa, the creator of COVERPLAY Slipcovers. “Parents always worry about what their kids are touching, but with these vital removable play yard slipcovers, you can sit back, relax and let your children play. . .at least until the next emergency arises!”  The mother of twin boys, Costa grew concerned after discovering how difficult it was to clean her children’s play yard. The resulting convenient solution was COVERPLAY Slipcovers to make life easier for moms. With fellow designer and partner Amy Feldman, they created a line of play yard covers in over 20 different designs, ranging in price from $49.99 – $59.99. COVERPLAY Slipcovers have been featured in Parenting Magazine, Twins Magazine, BabiesToday.com and many other media outlets and placed as a finalist in the Whirlpool® Brand Mother of Invention Grant competition.

P&G’s Swiffer brand targets parents with Allergen Reduction Campaign

Just in time for back-to-school season, Procter & Gamble’s Swiffer brand has partnered with Dr. Paul Ehrlich, doctor for Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, NY, to create a campaign to educate parents on indoor allergens from cats, dogs and dust mites that are lurking in their child’s classroom – and in their homes – this fall season. “Understanding that children spend more than six hours a day in their classrooms, it is inevitable that with all of the dust-collecting hot spots, such as bookshelves, planters and stuffed animals, allergens from cats, dogs and dust mites are lurking,” said Dr. Ehrlich. “I’m glad to be a part of Swiffer’s Allergen Reduction Campaign because most parents don’t realize that there are simple ways to reduce a child’s exposure to allergens from cats, dogs and dust mites and that it should be a topic of discussion inside and outside the classroom.” As part of this campaign, Swiffer has also partnered with School Family Media and PTO Today to share tips and information from Dr. Ehrlich with over 6,600 PTO/PTA mom leaders across America. These leaders are encouraged to share the information from Dr. Ehrlich with the parents and teachers in their community to help raise awareness and take steps to reduce indoor allergens from cats, dogs and dust mites in their schools and homes. “Since Swiffer 360 Degree Dusters fit almost anywhere to help clean large items, like tables and electronics, and easily get into tight spaces, like blinds and spindles, they are a great tool to help teachers reduce allergens from cats, dogs and dust mites in the classroom,” said Dewayne Guy, external relations manager, Swiffer. “This Campaign allows us to interact with Swiffer’s loyal following and give them the information they need to keep their families informed during this busy back-to-school season.”

Baby Genius® launches new line at Walmart

Pacific Entertainment Corporation, creator of the Baby Genius® brand of musical “edu-tainment” for infants and toddlers, is launching a new line of Baby Genius pre-school learning and development toys at Walmart. The Baby Genius toy line, which will begin arriving at Walmart stores nationwide this month for the fall season, will target pre-schoolers ages 2-5.  “We are excited to bring thousands of families more access to Baby Genius products at an affordable value at Walmart with a new line of toys priced from $5.00 to $25.00. The timing of the launch couldn’t be better for those who start shopping early for the holidays,” said Klaus Moeller, CEO of Pacific Entertainment, creator of Baby Genius.  “The newly developed toy line in Walmart will serve to further establish Baby Genius as a must-have brand among parents and children. We believe this major presence at the nation’s top retailer throughout the U.S. will lead to additional licensing opportunities in other product categories as we continue to expand the brand in both the U.S. and international markets with DVDs, CDs, books and Video-On-Demand,” added Moeller.  The initial assortment of toys includes activity toys, musical toys, and role-play toys that incorporate the Baby Genius principle of music as a core learning tool to engage and encourage children to communicate, connect, discover, and use their imagination to express themselves.  The Baby Genius toy line will be supported by a strategic advertising and marketing campaign targeting moms with children 2-5 years old. Online advertising will extend to leading parenting websites such as NickJr.com, Noggin.com and DisneyChannel.com. On-air television advertising spots will run on Comcast and Cox VOD channels where Baby Genius commands the #1 spot in children’s VOD on the Comcast Baby Boost Channel with over 10 million views per year. Baby Genius product information sheets promoting the line will be included in Baby Genius DVDs and CDs.  A dedicated national publicity campaign including a television media tour hosted by Baby Genius creator, Larry Balaban, will include appearances on network, syndicated and local broadcast and cable programs this fall. The campaign will also include outreach to key mommy blogs and placement in holiday gift guides in top parent and consumer media.

New celebrities share vacation tips on Walt Disney Moms Panel

Looking to plan an unforgettable Walt Disney World vacation? Stars Joey Fatone of “Dancing with the Stars,” Lisa Whelchel from “The Facts of Life” and Alfonso Ribeiro of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” have teamed up with the Walt Disney World Moms Panel to share vacation planning tips in helpful, funny and practical “How-to” videos available at www.disneyworldmoms.com — home of the Moms Panel. From keeping up with their own little princesses to sharing personal in-park memories, these family-focused celebrities step in front of the camera to offer guests their favorite Disney tips. “When we began filming the Walt Disney World Moms Panel celebrity videos, we never imagined how much Disney knowledge we would find — these stars definitely know how to have a good time at Disney,” said Leanne Jakubowski, director of social media. “Each star has a unique perspective on vacation planning and together with our Moms Panel we can offer even ‘famous’ insight into navigating the Parks.” Star-Studded “How-to” Videos

• Joey Fatone and Alfonso Ribeiro, Dads to Princesses – Best friends and both dads to little princesses, Fatone and Ribeiro travel to Walt Disney World on a daddy-daughter vacation and give their real-guy vacation tips.
• Lisa Whelchel and the Facts of Family Travel – Former star of “The Facts of Life,” motivational speaker and author, Ms. Whelchel reminisces about her favorite trips to Walt Disney World and gives moms the lowdown on how to keep a large family happy on the road.

These never-before-seen videos will live solely on the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, www.disneyworldmoms.com, alongside existing videos from television personality Joan Lunden, actor/comedian Brad Garrett and actress/singer Angela Bassett.

Walmart survey shows attitudes, concerns of college freshmen and their moms

College students and their moms have more in common than expected when it comes to worrying about the transition from life at home to life at school, according to a new survey released by Walmart. The survey investigated the attitudes and concerns of incoming college freshmen and their mothers and found they worry most about:

• Saving Money: Not surprising, both moms and students ranked having enough money as a top concern. Interestingly, students were significantly more worried about finances than their parents (58 percent of students ranking it as their top concern vs. only 42 percent of moms).
• Studying: 65 percent of parents surveyed said their child doing well in school is their number one concern as their child transitions to college life. Fifty-two percent of kids surveyed said the same.
• Staying Healthy: Families differed when it came to health. Moms ranked staying healthy as their number five concern, but students only ranked it at number eleven.
• Stress: Worries about feeling overwhelmed or stressed ranked third among both students (32 percent) and their moms (51 percent).
• Socializing: No surprise, students ranked making and entertaining new friends as their number 5 concern, but moms put it in 12th place.

OfficeMax announces results of “Get Organized for Back-to-School Blogcast”

OfficeMax Incorporated recently announced the results of its “Get Organized for Back-to-School Blogcast,” which drew 185 participants on August 6, 2009. The 40-minute live web event, which featured author and organizational expert Peter Walsh, “Tween Teacher” Heather Wolpert-Gawron, mom and blogger Ana Picazo, and two students, offered insights into preparing and organizing to go back to school with tips for parents, teachers and students.  “For many parents, the biggest challenge they face right now is figuring out how to get themselves, their home, and their kids organized for heading back to school, both physically and mentally,” said Walsh. “To that end, OfficeMax and I teamed up, along with an amazing cast with a range of expertise, and produced this live web event to serve as a practical resource for all things back to school.”  Throughout the blogcast, participants submitted questions that were answered on-air by the cast, and immediately following, Walsh, Wolpert-Gawron and Picazo joined the bloggers in a live Tweet-up session on Twitter to address additional questions and concerns about back-to-school organization. The blogcast, which has received more than 1,200 unique views, is now available on-demand in its entirety at http://www.officemaxsolutions.com/btsblogcast/. The hash-tag set up for the event, #OMX_Blogcast, rose to the No. 3 Trend Topic on Twitter after securing more than 1,500 tweets on August 6. To date, more than 60 blog entries have been published as a result of the blogcast.  “We sell school supplies and classroom tools, but if we can also serve as a resource for parents, teachers and students and offer compelling content, this is what sets OfficeMax apart,” said Ryan Vero, EVP and chief merchandising officer, OfficeMax. “Going back to school should be a celebratory time for families and teachers, although we know it can seem overwhelming. We hope that our latest effort inspires excitement and anticipation for a successful school year.”

Green Works® partners with Clothing Swap on swapping events

In the old days, swapping clothes (or ‘hand-me-downs’) was something you tried to hide – both giving and receiving them. Now, with green living mainstream, recycled clothing has become a fashion statement and clothing swap events are all the rage. The makers of Green Works® natural cleaners are teaming up with Clothing Swap, Inc®, the leader in hosting clothing recycling and swapping events, to encourage clothing swaps by providing information on www.greenworkscleaners.com for individuals interested in hosting their own “mini” clothing swap with their friends and families in the comfort of their own home. With a focus on creating an eco-friendly environment, over the next 12 months Green Works will also sponsor 10 in-city clothing swap events conducted by Clothing Swap, Inc. To help women refresh their wardrobes across the country, the greener way, clothing swap events will take place in major markets including Los Angeles, Chicago and Denver. In addition, for the September back to school shopping season Green Works and Clothing Swap will host a family swap event in New York to give parents and children an opportunity to gear up for the fall season. From clothes to shoes and accessories, attendees will be able to swap their way to a new wardrobe without breaking the bank. Green Works is partnering with Clothing Swap Inc. as part of its launch of Green Works™ Natural Laundry Detergent and Green Works™ Natural Laundry Stain Remover. “We’re delighted to help moms shop responsibly for the environment and their wallets,” said Emmy Berlind, marketing manager, Green Works natural cleaners. “We look forward to partnering with Clothing Swap, Inc. to make that happen.”

Kellogg’s and MSN.com launch Mom’s Homeroom

The new school year is on the horizon, and moms are looking for ways to help their kids do well next year. In fact, 26 percent of the 34 million moms going online this year are looking for parenting resources. That’s why Kellogg’s® Frosted Mini-Wheats® and MSN.com have created Mom’s Homeroom, a dynamic online education resource that’s built on the experiences of real moms. Moms can connect by visiting: momshomeroom.msn.com. “Having all the right tools is essential for learning, like knowing what your child’s learning style is so you know how to help them study,” said Victoria Tierney, elementary school teacher and a Mom’s Homeroom mom. “I also know that kids need to be ready to learn, and starting the day with a wholesome breakfast is a great way to start.” Ranked among the top 20 websites for parenting and family advice, MSN Mom’s Homeroom gives moms an opportunity to connect with each other, find quick, useful ideas or dive deep into topics such as learning styles, memory and retention, classroom attentiveness, and giving back, all of which are vital to kids’ success at school. Mom’s Homeroom, which is updated twice a month and influenced by users’ interests, includes unscripted videos, articles and discussion boards geared toward helping parents find helpful and time-tested ways to help kids succeed in school. “Frosted Mini-Wheats is committed to connecting moms with resources, and each other, to help their kids do their best in school,” said Anne-Marie Suarez-Davis, mother of two and director of mom brands at Kellogg Company. “Parents carry a wealth of knowledge and experience and it’s exciting to help them share it with one another, while connecting them with the resources they’re looking for.”