Magic Beans was founded in 2004 by husband and wife team Eli and Sheri Gurock. The Gurocks conceived the idea while Sheri was pregnant with her second child. They envisioned a retail experience designed for kids and optimized for parents, a place that would balance the fresh and new with the tried and true.
WHAT’S ON YOUR HOLIDAY WISH LIST THIS YEAR? A new iPad Mini - the screen "mysteriously" cracked on my old one and none of the kids will 'fess up!
DO YOU BAKE ANYTHING SPECIAL AT THE HOLIDAYS? I used to be an avid baker and would put together boxes of holiday treats for all the employees at Magic Beans. It was a huge project! But over the past 18 months, my family has moved over to eating very clean - few or no grains, no gluten, no dairy, no refined sugar. So my baking has changed a lot. I still love to bake though, and am working on a recipe for grain-free gingerbread cookies. Wish me luck.
FAVORITE FAMILY HOLIDAY TRADITION? We celebrate Chanukah, and I love gathering as a family each evening and lighting the candles. But we also are big fans of Christmas and especially all the delicious foods that come along with it, so instead of ordering Chinese food on Christmas Eve, we will often cook Kosher versions of some traditional Christmas recipes.
IT GIFT FOR KIDS THIS YEAR? We are really excited about the SparkUp Reader for this holiday season. It's this really cool technology that allows you to record yourself reading your child's favorite books. There's a built-in camera, so the audio is always aligned with the page the child is looking at. It's amazing for kids who love to hear the same book over and over again, or for grandparents who live far away, or parents who are deployed or traveling for business. We think this is going to be a big hit.
ARE YOU ON THE NICE OR NAUGHTY LIST THIS YEAR? Oh gosh, I hope I'm on the nice list. But I have two pre-teen daughters, so best not to ask them for their opinion.
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