Andy Warhol + Bugaboo collaboration launch party, London

A day in pictures;
Andy Warhol + Bugaboo collaboration launch party, London on 12/04/2013

Bugaboo's latest collaboration with Andy Warhol

mobility brand Bugaboo proudly announces its latest collaboration with legendary pop artist Andy Warhol 

Andy Warhol + Bugaboo 
He is one of the world’s leading influential figures in contemporary art and culture, and his work comprises some of the most iconic and recognisable imagery in art history. More than twenty-five years after his death, Andy Warhol’s life and work continues to excite creative thinkers worldwide from Lady Gaga to Jay-Z and from Marc Jacobs to Bugaboo.

Andy Warhol’s innovative approach to art proved an inspiration for the mobility design company, which itself is driven by a passion for innovation. From May 2013 Bugaboo and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts start their multi-year creative collaboration with the spring launch of Warhol-inspired pushchair accessories. The collaboration celebrates the artist’s love for children’s inquisitive and creative minds and his ability to create timeless work that transcends any age or time period.

a multi-year creative collaboration 
During these initial two years (2013-2014), Bugaboo will present multiple collections. “With every new collection we look to further unfold the authenticity, style and originality of Andy Warhol’s extraordinary legacy”, says Madeleen Klaasen, Chief Marketing Officer Bugaboo International. Michael Hermann, Head of Licensing at the Andy Warhol Foundation, is excited about the collaboration: “We love working with brands that understand the relevance of Warhol’s influence on contemporary art and culture, and who create products that reflect his sophisticated sense of design. Needless to say, Bugaboo perfectly fits that description”.

In spring 2013, Bugaboo introduces not one, but two collections. Warhol’s well-known iconic ‘Flowers’ are used in The Flowers Collection while the lesser known and playful ‘Cars’ are featured in The Cars Collection.

the flowers collection 
With the Flowers series Andy Warhol explored his fascination with the fragility and beauty of flowers. Showcasing an eclectic mix of bright red and charcoal black, the selected print is both sophisticated and fun. The Flowers print is used on the sun canopy and tailored fabric set for the Bugaboo Bee, Bugaboo Cameleon³, and the Bugaboo Donkey. In addition, Bugaboo introduces a striking Flowers parasol, including Warhol’s famous print in light blue and green.

Bugaboo Bee

Bugaboo Cameleon³

Bugaboo Donkey

the cars collection 
Warhol’s images, which have become icons of American contemporary art, include an array of familiar products, like Coca-Cola and Campbell’s Soup cans. Automobiles were another, though lesser known, focus of his artistic interests. The chosen print origins from 1962 and represents a sense of movement tying in effortlessly with Bugaboo’s go-and- explore-in-style vision. The Cars Collection integrates a playful, bold and graphical print in black and off-white and is featured on the sun canopies and tailored fabric sets for the Bugaboo Bee, Bugaboo Cameleon3, and the Bugaboo Donkey.

Bugaboo Bee

Bugaboo Cameleon³

Bugaboo Donkey

in-store may 2013 
The Flowers and Cars Collections include a tailored fabric set for the Bugaboo Cameleon³ £149.95 and the Bugaboo Donkey £149.95 and a Bugaboo Sun Canopy for the Bugaboo BEE £99.95 The Flowers parasol retails at £59.95. Both collections will be available in-store worldwide from May 2013. For a retailer near you, please visit bugaboo.com/retail-locator.

Bugaboo Sun Canopy

Important Safety Announcement - Bugaboo replaces carry handle for the Bugaboo Cameleon³

The safety and wellbeing of our customers and their families is paramount at Bugaboo. It’s our policy to act whenever we identify potential risks for injury, or are made aware of them - even if the likelihood of this occurrence is limited. 
That’s why we’re sharing news about a replacement carry handle for Bugaboo Cameleon³ pushchairs with specific serial numbers S/N 190101115300001 to 
S/N 190105124800215. 


The Bugaboo Cameleon³ is compliant to all international regulatory safety standards. However, a small number of customer reports and our own follow-up testing confirm that in the case of these specific Bugaboo Cameleon³ pushchairs (serial numbers 
S/N 190101115300001 to S/N 190105124800215) their current carry handle connectors may break, presenting a falling hazard. No injuries have been reported. Carry handle connectors connect the carry handle to the carrycot or seat. 

Bugaboo is making replacement carry handles available to those affected Bugaboo Cameleon³ owners at no cost. Our replacement carry handle has been proven to withstand stress at the carry handle connection point in extensive, practice-driven tests by Bugaboo and recognised international bodies, TüV and Intertek. 
 Customers who have registered for a replacement carry handle will receive a replacement handle, with instructions for installation, within three weeks after registration subject to availability.


Bugaboo Cameleon³ carry handle

Customers with affected Bugaboo Cameleon³ pushchairs should remove their current carry handle. With the carry handle removed, the Bugaboo Cameleon³ is safe to use and compliant to all international safety standards. We strongly recommend that our customers use the pushchairs’ harness at all times when going out and about with your child and to make sure the straps are properly secured.
 Customers can check to see if their pushchair is affected and register for a replacement handle at www.bugaboo.com/cameleon3carryhandle or contact Bugaboo customer service at service.uk@bugaboo.com, 0800 587 8265. The serial numbers of the affected Bugaboo Cameleon³ pushchairs are: S/N 190101115300001 to S/N 190105124800215.

We sincerely apologise to our customers for this inconvenience. Bugaboo is determined to continue working in cooperation with our customers and safety authorities to improve our products, materials and testing methodologies.

Join in the Easter fun with the National Trust!

This post brought to you by National Trust. All opinions are 100% mine.
Are you stuck for something fun and egg-citing to do over Easter with the family?
Why not Join in the Easter fun with National Trust and kick off the Easter holidays with one of the Cadbury and National Trust Easter Egg Trails and family activities happening at over 240 locations. There is the fun new egg and spoon races on Easter Monday, plus the chance to go on bug hunts, climb trees and build dens, as well as a whole host of Easter celebrations including egg rolling and duck racing.

Cadbury Easter Egg Trails - running from 29th March until 1st April
Taking place in some of the UK's most beautiful ourdoor spaces, the Cadbury and National Trust Easter Egg Trails as an element of joy to the traditional egg hunt, with plenty to see, do and learn in the great outdoors. Whether you're a child or simply young at hear, adventrue is sure to lie ahead; you can follow cryptic clues around the spring gardens and parkland, complete fun-filled challenges and enjoy nature and fresh air in the nation's most spectacular outdoor places to hun down a delicious Cadbury prize.
Sounding fun; what are you waiting for? Hop on an Easter egg trail with National Trust and Cadbury!
Each trail is totally unique to its place and offers a wide range of outdoor activities for all to enjoy such as:

• Design Your Own Egg Head - children can enter the competition for the chance to see their design come to life on a real Cadbury Easter Egg Head
• Giant snakes and ladders - fun for all ages
• Sack races - leap ahead and bring out your competitive streak
• Face painting - a sure fire winner with people of all ages

Egg and spoon races - Easter Monday, 1st April
Brand new this year! Families can take par in another traditional Easter favourite - the egg and spoon race! National Trust is calling all racers, young to old, to join in with the fun and come armed with their lucky spoon to kick off the race of the season!
In the spirit of April Fools' Day, there will be races in fancy dress, three-legged, blind-folded, as well as an attempt to achieve the nation's biggest egg and spoon race!
Wider Easter offer - outdoor adventures
The Easter weekend is jam-packed full of Cadbury and National Trust Easter Egg Trails and activities as well as the silliness of the egg and spoon, but the family fun doesn't stop there!
Throughout the Easter holidays, there's the chance to go on bug hunts, climb trees and build dens, as well as a whole host of Easter celebrations including egg rolling and duck racing.
You can Find a fab family Easter event by typing in your postcode. A list of local places will display and you can click on each place to see what activities they will be running over Easter. Also, it will display the times which the trail starts and ends.
I found that 3 local National Trust locations are running trails. Two have face painters and one has face painters aswell as a game area; which I know Jack would really enjoy.

Zappar & Asda host a reality enabled Easter Egg hunt!

Zappar and Asda bring to life the classic Easter Egg Hunt

Zappar, the leaders in Augmented Reality (AR) - enabled products and entertainment experiences, has teamed up with Asda supermarket for the UK’s first-ever augmented reality enabled Easter Egg Hunt. Asda shoppers will be delighted to set off on an in-store Easter Egg Hunt, guided by an augmented reality Easter Bunny powered by Zappar. The fun will be taking place from 10am – 4.30pm on Saturday 23^rd March.

Specially designed Easter Egg point of sale will be hidden around almost 400 Asda stores across the UK for children and adults to discover. When zapped using the Asda app, each egg will transform into virtual 3D Easter Eggs revealing an Easter Bunny hidden inside that will display a secret letter. The letters will form a password that once completed, will entitle the successful treasure hunters to a free gift!

Shoppers will only need to download the free Asda app onto a smartphone or tablet and then get zapping in Asda stores across the country. The fun starts when the Easter Bunny will leap out of his hole from a floor mat and tell kids and their parents all about this magical hunt. It will also be possible to pose with the AR Easter Bunny to take photos and video to share with friends!

For those without a smartphone there will be Events staff on hand with iPads so everyone can enjoy the fun.

And the magic of this augmented reality Easter Egg Hunt does not end in store! Participants will be able to take home a face mask from stores that when zapped, replaces the wearer’s head with that of the Easter Bunny.

This exclusive experience has been made all the more possible with the recent installation of Wi-Fi in all Asda stores.

Max Dawes, Head of Partner Relations at Zappar, said: “Our specialism at Zappar is in creating AR-enabled products and entertainment experiences! Everyone loves an Easter Egg Hunt; it is definitely one of the highlights of the holiday in many children’s minds. To be able to provide a sprinkle of Zappar magic dust to the in-store experience and create the first ever augmented reality Easer egg hunt in partnership with Asda on such a grand scale is just fantastic.”

Steph Hughes, Head of Events Marketing at Asda added, “The AR Easter Egg Hunt is a great way to get across the Asda personality and another example of how Asda stores are a destination for mums and kids. We are really exciting to be embracing this new technology and incorporating it into the Asda app.  Hopefully everyone enjoys meeting the Easter Bunny!”

Kate Cuthbertson, Head of Mobile Innovation at Asda added, “More than two million Asda mums have already downloaded our mobile grocery app to do their online shopping with, saving them stacks of time which they can then spend with their families. We are now looking at how the app can come to life inside our stores so we can help make the shopping experience more fun and enjoyable for them and their families. Free WiFi in all our stores opens up all sorts of exciting opportunities, including the use of augmented reality (AR).  Our Easter Egg hunt is a fun way to promote the Asda mobile app to even more of our customers, demonstrating how easy it is to use, while wowing them some amazing new AR technology.”

Zappar for iPhone, iPod and iPad:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zappar/id429885268?mt=8

For Android:

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.zappar.Zappar

AMAZING CADBURY'S CREME EGG BROWNIES!

What you will need:

• 185g unsalted butter 
• 185g best dark chocolate 
• 85g plain flour 
• 40g cocoa powder
• 3 large eggs 
• 275g golden caster sugar 
• 6 Cadbury’s Crème eggs cut in half

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C and grease a 20 cm square baking tin. 
2. Melt the butter and dark chocolate together either in the microwave or in a bowl over boiling water. 
3. Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes. You will know it's ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. 
4. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, and then gently fold together. 
5. Hold a sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and sift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly. Gently fold in to the mixture. 
6. Pour into the baking tin and cook for 15 minutes then take out of the over and gently press the cadburys crème egg halves into the mix, spacing them apart evenly. Put back in the over for another 5-10 minutes. 
7. Leave to cool before removing from tin and cutting into squares. 

Recipe found via a Facebook friend.

First Impressions of Withings Smart Kid Scale

Withings Makes the World’s First Internet Connected Baby and Toddler Scale with App Available 

You can use the Smart Kid Scale from birth to age 8, as it comes with a removable baby basket. The Smart Kid Scale is the ideal device to help parents start their kids off on the right track to a future long term healthy lifestyle. 

Smart Kid Scale with removable baby basket

Bongo the monkey demonstrating the baby basket!

Withings has combined cutting edge technology and exquisite design to create a scale that will give parents a simple to use and extremely accurate way to monitor, understand and share their child’s growth using the power of the internet. 

The Smart Kid Scale has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, which allows for the instant transfer of data measured by the scale to be sent directly to the Withings Baby Companion application. By using the Withings Smart Kid Scale and accompanying application, parents can access the history of their child’s weight readings. Also, parents can easily communicate the progress of their child’s weight with their doctor, paediatrician, family and friends. 

Jack demonstrating the Smart Kid Scale

A clear display which recognises Jack. The weight data is then sent to the application via WiFi or Bluetooth.

In addition to storing weight data, the Withings Baby Companion app has been designed to allow parents to capture other important data and keep track of milestones. Users can log the child’s height and see how he/she compares with other children of the same gender and age. The app also allows parents to keep track of feedings. Breastfeeding parents can log when the last feeding was, which side the baby fed from and how long the feeding was. Parents using bottles can keep track of bottles and ounces. 

The Withings Baby Companion App; displaying the weight from the scales and also the measured height.

The graph from the Withings App; showing which centile Jack is currently on.

Withings Smart Kid Scale Technical Specifications:
•Weighing Range: 0-55 lbs
•Accuracy: 10g (0.02lb)
•Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart
•Display: Large graphical screen (120x58 pixels)
•Power Supply: 4 x AAA Batteries
•Dimensions: 11” x 9.1” x 1” (without baby basket) / 22” x 10” x 3.7” (with baby basket)
•Weight: 3.3 lbs

Withings provides an open API to allow third party service providers to retrieve readings recorded by the Smart Kid Scale, and thus offers parents additional services and guidance to monitor their child’s growth. The Withings Smart Kid Scale is available from Withings.com and other retailers for £140. The Withings Baby Companion app is available for free from the App Store at itunes.apple.com

Withings Smart Kid Scale suitable from birth up to age 8

About Withings 
Withings is an innovative company that creates smart products and apps to help people across the world easily take care of their health and well-being. Founded by French executives Cedric Hutchings and Eric Carreel, Withings has been pioneering Health 2.0 since the launch of their first Wi-Fi Body Scale in 2009 and is leading the way of the connected health movement. By extending the capabilities of an object through network resources, Withings provides access to infinite computing and storage facility at no extra cost, turning objects into smart connected devices. Since 2009, Withings has extended those benefits to a wide range of lifestyle friendly devices including the Smart Body Scale, the Smart Blood Pressure Monitor and the Smart Baby Monitor. By connecting through appliances such as mobile phones and computers and opening up its platform to the wellbeing ecosystem, Withings now works seamlessly with over 60 partner apps and devices, providing users with a whole new dimension to their day-to-day life. Read more about Withings on www.withings.com