Coast 2 Coast Mom

Double Fine Happy Action Theater Launches in Xbox LIVE Arcade

Double Fine Happy Action Theater just launched in Xbox LIVE Arcade and is great for playdates or families with multiple kids because everyone can interact with the video game download on their own simultaneously. So you can totally avoid getting annoyed by the sibling or friend who runs in front of the Kinect sensor while others are playing mid-game ;-) Double Fine Happy Action Theater is a fun interactive experience with no instructions or required gestures, and no way to "win" or "lose" the game, making it great for preschoolers and up. The game includes 18 different environments where up... Read more →

J&R Jr. Grand Opening in NYC

Yesterday we were invited to a private launch event for J&R Jr. - an entire floor at J&R Electronics just for babies and kids clothing, equipment, technology and toys! The public J&R Jr. grand opening is scheduled for February 11-12th 2012 and includes some phenomenal children's entertainment. You don't have to visit the store to check out all of their great gift ideas, you can shop JR.com/jr from home across the country. As you arrive off the escalator, you quickly see that J&R Jr. is more than just electronics for kids. There's an entire floor filled with a variety of... Read more →

Despicable Me 2 Toys Planned for Summer 2013

Despicable Me 2 is in production and making its way to theaters next year, and I just learned that a toy line is brewing for 2013. Universal Partnerships & Licensing (UP&L), Illumination Entertainment and Thinkway Toys announced earlier this month that they'll partner on the global production of toys based on the highly anticipated follow-up to the blockbuster hit Despicable Me. Thinkway Toys has been awarded the master global toy license for Despicable Me 2, and will develop a wide variety of toys featuring the Minions and other key characters including interactive toys, figures, plush, dolls, playsets, vehicles, role play... Read more →

LEGO Kingdoms King's Castle Photos

The Kiddo received the LEGO Kingdoms King's Castle construction set for his birthday and we recently spent a weekend putting it together as a family. We were impressed with the detail and intricate, yet simple LEGO blocks and pictoral instructions for putting the castle together. It's what we've come to expect from LEGO, and why it's on the Kiddo's wishlists for each holiday and birthday. If you have a castle/knight fan in the fam, show your kid the LEGO Kingdoms site for some cute mini games and short movies about the characters and contstruction sets. Love, love, love the LEGO... Read more →

7 Favorite Transformers Toys and Gifts for the Holidays

Last winter during NY Toy Fair, I had the pleasure of visiting the Hasbro showroom for a peek at the toys coming over the course of the year :-D There was a lot going on for our family that weekend in the city, so we drove in, and as @c2cdad and the Kiddo dropped me off, they shouted out in simultaneous excitement, "That's Optimus Prime! Optimus Prime's here!!" It was exciting and hilarious both at once - the real, full-size Optimus Prime from Transformers Dark of the Moon on the streets of NYC. But of course, here was Optimus inside... Read more →

Don't Let The Pigeon Run This App by Mo Willems Launches from Disney

On Friday we had the opportunity to lunch with Mo Willems and learn more about his darling new Pigeon app, "Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App!" from Disney Publishing Worldwide. You may know Mo Willems as the Caldecott Honor-winning author of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, the Elephant and Piggie book series, and the famed Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! He led the design, writing, voicing, and illustrating of the app and you can feel his touch as you interact and play through it: the animation, a Pigeon drawing tutorial, or shaking the pigeon to begin a... Read more →

2011 Hess Toy Truck Available November 11th!

The 2011 Hess Toy Truck and Race Car set was unveiled today and will be available starting November 11th for $26.99 at Hess and Hess Express stores along the East Coast from Massachusetts to Florida through the holidays (or they run out of 'em - as we learned the hard way our first Christmas in New Jersey ;-) ). Woo-hoo! I was just thinking of the collectible Hess vehicles yesterday and wondering when they'd be available! Here's this year's model: For the first time since 1964, both vehicles in the set will be equipped with lights and sound. The utility-style... Read more →

K'NEX Mario Kart Wii Building Set Launch

Earlier this week the Kiddo and I visited the Nintendo World Store in NYC for the launch of the officially licensed K'NEX building sets inspired by the Mario Kart Wii game. The new building sets bring the famed Nintendo video game characters, Mario, Luigi and Yoshi to the hands-on construction set world. The Kiddo had a blast playing Mario Kart Wii, building with the new K'NEX pieces and getting to meet Mario and Luigi! Here's a sample of the new building set tracks: A look at the character figurines and their battery-operated carts (motorcycle bikes are available too)... The K'NEX... Read more →

LEGO Star Wars The Padawan Menace TV Special

The LEGO Group and Lucasfilm are joining forces to present LEGO® Star Wars: The Padawan Menace, their first-ever original TV special. Premiering on Cartoon Network on Friday, July 22 at 7 p.m., the 30-minute original standalone special will feature the charm, action and humor that we've come to expect from the LEGO Star Wars animation collaborations. (We just love their facial expressions and animated noises - such creative personalities for bricks!) The LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace TV special will feature characters and locations from throughout the entire Star Wars Saga, and was written by Emmy® Award winner Michael... Read more →

LeapFrog Announces LeapPad Pre-Order Availability

Early learning device experts LeapFrog Enterprises announced they're taking pre-orders for their upcoming LeapPad. I had the Kiddo with me last week for a day of meetings and was grateful that of all days to have him with me, it was probably the best day to take him along. We visited the LeapFrog holiday product showcase together and he got the chance to play with the LeapPad before it will hit store shelves in a few months. I literally had to pry it out of his hands. You could say he loved it. You can also pre-order the LeapPad now... Read more →