Coquette Maman

App Review: Sago Mini Planes

Just launched today is the new Sago Mini Planes ($2.99), a fun flying game that lets kids take off on an adventures with all of their favorite Sago Mini friends. (My favorite is the cute little birdie!) The game is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers aged 2-5 but I think just about any kid will enjoy all the silly fun.

Kids can pick their planes that range in design from cute to wacky. Yes, there's a corn on the cob plane and a banana plane!

Next kids can add their favorite Sago Mini animal friends into the plane. The plane's flight path is controlled by the kids. Chloe's favorite thing to do is to get the plane up really high and enter space where there are not only meteors, but flying sports balls and space penguins! Kids can also make loop-de-loops, pop balloons, and even find giant piñatas.

At the end of the flight, there are fun and silly snapshot highlights of the trip. Chloe loves showing me the pictures and can't stop laughing. As usual Sago Mini lets kids explore and have fun with no in app purchases. It's the perfect game to have on your phone or your child's tablet before a long trip!

Watch the trailer above

Sago Mini Planes is available starting today at the Apple App Store, Kindle Fire and on Google Play for $2.99.

Review app provided by Sago Mini

Hello Kitty for President 2016

Need a super cute break from the real election? Here's a candidate your kids can really stand behind. Hello Kitty is running for President with her trusty friend Chococat as her running mate. She's leading the "Friendship Party" with a message celebrating friendship, fun and happiness.

To celebrate the campaign, there's the most adorable capsule collection of merchandise. The Hello Kitty for President collection includes unisex t-shirts featuring colorful campaign slogans, as well as a Hello Kitty for President 4-piece button set ($9), canvas tote bag ($34), beverage koozie ($7), and trucker hat ($22). You can view and purchase the products online at Sanrio.com or at select Sanrio stores. (I am still bummed we lost the Sanrio store in San Francisco.) A campaign bumper sticker will be given free with any Sanrio purchase through Election Day (while supplies last). Also, if you make a purchase of $40 or more from the Hello Kitty for President collection at participating Sanrio stores will receive a special presidential rosette featuring Hello Kitty and Chococat.

Hello Kitty is going to hit the campaign trail and you can meet her too! She will be visiting select "Friendship Party Headquarters" (Sanrio stores), where fans are invited to take photos with the candidate and pose with election-themed props.

Appearances:
October 2, 2016 - Queens, NY at Skyview Flushing
October 15, 2016 - Sunrise, FL at Sawgrass Mills
October 22, 2016 - Arcadia, CA at Westfield Santa Anita
October 23, 2016 - Costa Mesa, CA at South Coast Plaza

(See the full list of events and Sanrio shops participating)

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck will support the pop icon’s candidacy with a specially designed Hello Kitty for President cookie available through Election Day. The super limited edition frosted cookie will be limited to only 50 per stop. Guests who purchase the special cookie will receive a free bumper sticker at these select locations:

October 1, 2016 - Atlanta, GA at Atlantic Station
October 8, 2016 - Tampa Bay, FL at International Plaza
October 15, 2016 - Boca Raton, FL at Town Center at Boca Raton
October 22, 2016 - Miami, FL at Dadeland Mall
October 29, 2016 - Orlando, FL at Florida Mall
November 5, 2016 - Houston, TX at Woodlands Mall

The Hello Kitty for President cookie will also be sold at the Hello Kitty Cafe Pop-Up Container at Irvine Spectrum while supplies last.

Visit the Hello Kitty for President site for more info.

Book Review: Let's Play by Hervé Tullet

Let's Play
by Hervé Tullet
ISBN-10: 1452154775
Age Range: 2-5 years old
68 pages, Hardcover
Publisher: Chronicle Books
$12.43 on Amazon

Let's Play! by Hervé Tullet takes his colored dots and paint splatter into the world of adventure and emotion. This is the third book after Press Here and Mix It Up!, both New York Times Bestsellers which have been major favorites here in our home. In Let's Play, the little yellow dot takes the child on an ongoing play adventure -- hide and seek, a scary house, loop de loops and more. But it's really about emotion too and your child goes along with the little yellow dot through the journey of feeling scared, happy and more as it moves through the pages of the book. I love the part when the dot tries to jump up to the large red blob on the page, later making you realize that it was some sort of portal letting the dot leap up onto the child's head. You'll see your little one tapping his or her head wondering where the dot went! Trust me, it's adorable.

I have given Tullet's books a lot as gifts to moms of toddlers and young kids because they are just way too for kids to read. It really opens up their creative imagination. They learn about art, color and space while also enjoying the story. Now, with this third book in his series, it's now the perfect set of interactive page-turning book fun that no app can match up to!

Here's a peek inside some of Let's Play's fun pages:

Purchase Let's Play on Amazon.

Review book provided by Chronicle Books

Book Review: The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo By Laura Murray

The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo
By Laura Murray, Illustrated by Mike Lowery
ISBN-10: 0399168672
32 pages, Hardcover
Age Range: 5-8 years old
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
$10.61 on Amazon

Chloe and I love reading funny books together and The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo by Laura Murray/illustrated by Mike Lowery had the two of us in giggles during our bedtime reading. This was our first introduction to the Gingerbread Man books and now she wants to check out all of the other three.

In this fourth book, the Gingerbread Man goes on a class field trip to the zoo. The teacher has the students go on an animal-themed scavenger hunt map with riddles to solve in order to know what animal they are seeing next. Of course the Gingerbread Man is a tasty treat to animals so he ends up getting separated from the rest of his class. But in the end, he uses his senses to figure out where to meet his classmates next, while also helping a baby kangaroo get back to his mama.

I absolutely love the rhyming in the book which is even more fun to read when paired with the comic book layout and illustration style of Mike Lowery. Kids will love to help figure out riddles before the page turn. An added plus for this book is the special fold-out poster featuring the scavenger hunt zoo map. On the flip side of the poster, kids can color pictures and do activities. The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo is a fun book that all animal-lover kids will relate to. This is one of those that they will want to read over and over!

Here are some of the book's interiors:

Purchase The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo on Amazon.

Review book provided by Penguin Books

Minted Pop-Up's DIY Events

Minted Pop-Up
222 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94108
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 10 am-7 pm
Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm
minted.com

If you haven't had a chance yet to visit Minted's pop-up shop in San Francisco, you still have time as the shop is open now through the end of the year. You probably already know Minted as an online destination to buy cards or artwork but did you know there's so much more? In the shop, you'll find not only modern prints but fabrics, pillows, journals and lots of inspirational decor for your home. There's also an area where you can have a Minted stylist help you work on the perfect card whether it's for a wedding, baby announcement, holiday cards and more.

But one of the really cool things about the Minted pop-up is the many DIY classes that are offered in the shop.

Here are the classes for September/October:

Bridal Workshop: One Invitation, Three Looks
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
5:30pm-7:30pm
$15

Minted will be doing bridal workshops twice a month, so this is the first of many. The workshop will show you how one wedding invitation can spark many different design directions for tablescapes. Sip champagne whil learning how to bring elements from your invitation to life at your wedding.

Live Art Night
Thursday, September 22, 2016
5:30pm-7:30pm
Free

This is a free monthly event at Minted. There are 4 artists working throughout the store and you can watch them paint and draw. (Last month's event drew over 100 people!) You can also purchase what they make during the evening. This month there will be an artist who will be doing quick portraits during the event. This is a fun event for the entire family! Free wine and cheese is provided.

Floral Design Class
Thursday, September 29, 2016
5:30pm-7pm
$75

Learn the basics of flower arranging by Heather Lee an Oakland-based freelance florist and writer. You will learn how to care and prep for your blooms and work with the seasons. Leave the class with a beautiful centerpiece, plus know how to create more arrangements at home.

Watercolor Painting: Exploring Geometric Shapes and Patterns
Thursday, October 6, 2016
$35

Learn how to create beautiful watercolor paintings featuring geometric patterns and shapes taught by local illustrator and graphic designer Liz Conley.

Introduction to Embroidery
Thursday, October 27, 2016
6pm-7:30pm
$60

Needlework artist Lisa Anderson Shaffer of Zelma Rose will give you an introduction to the basics of embroidery. In this class, you will create a stylish home decor sampler hoop on gorgeous Minted fabric.

These are the classes so far listed for September and October. I'll update you on more of the offerings for the rest of fall and winter when I find out. There will most likely be a Halloween event in the shop for kids and family photo shoots for holiday cards.

Here are more photos around the Minted pop-up:

New Books from the Wee Society!

An Incomplete Book of Awesome Things
By Wee Society
ISBN-10: 0553459805
Age Range: 2-5 years
38 pages, Board Book
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
$10 on Amazon

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know how much I adore the folks over at the Wee Society who make such awesome projects, toys and apps for kids. Just out are two new books and one set of postcards featuring the fresh, modern style of Wee Society. An Incomplete Book of Awesome Things helps teach young toddlers and kids new words that are awesome such as s'mores, teepees, dandelions, tacos and more. You decide if you think they are awesome or not awesome at the end. It's a fun way to boost your kids' vocabulary and he/she can add more awesome words to their list!

Wee Alphas: 26 A to Z Postcards, from Angelfish to Zebra
By Wee Society
ISBN-10: 0553459783
Age Range: 2-5 years
26 Cards
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
$8.24 on Amazon

This box set of 26 Wee Alpha postcards are designed with a hidden letter for kids to find. The illustrations are so adorable and clever here I'm ready to sneak this box into my cute stationery stash! This is a great letter game to play with young toddlers to get them to find the letter and soon recite their ABC's.

You can see all the 26 postcards here:

Me: A Compendium: A Fill in Journal for Kids
By Wee Society
ISBN-10: 0553459791
Age Range: 4-8 years
96 pages, Hardcover, Diary
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
$8.66 on Amazon

This book is absolutely perfect for my Chloe. It's an activity book where kids can fill out information about who they are -- what they like and dislike. There are places for kids to write and draw about their favorite book and TV show as well as wacky things like "The number of times I can say fiddly fiddly think achoo". Kids can write on the cover and put their super secret stuff on inside of the book jacket. The size of the book is also great for small hands. It's not too big and overwhelming, yet is large enough for kids to doodle and write big inside the pages. The paper quality is great too - nice and thick so kids can use their favorite markers. I know they say the book range is good for as young as 4 year olds but I think this book skews more for the 1st to 3rd grader who know how to read and write. I think it's a great journal/diary that any kid will enjoy. Add this to the list of a great kids birthday gifts!

Review books provided by Clarkson Potter