Event Picks March 12th and on…..

    by Karen on 3/12/10 | 1 Comment(s)

    ****First, remember to set you clock forward by one hour on Sunday, March 14th. For tips on dealing with sleeping and daylight savings, check our post about it here.

    Here are some highlights for this weekend:

    St. Patrick’s Day at the Irish Arts Center (Irish step dancing, animated films, dance and language classes)
    Last Week/end in Wollman [...]

    Family Flat: Sleeps 8- Modern Catskills for spring break and summer

    by Karen on 3/11/10 | 2 Comment(s)

    This stylish contemporary house provides a serene and secluded mountain retreat on 10 acres of scenic splendor, just steps away from crystal clear waters of Swan Lake. The house has 360 degrees spectacular views of mountain ranges, lake and an abundance of nature at its finest. Perfect for family reunion and romantic getaways. Adjacent to [...]

    Montessori Day School is moving!

    by Karen on 3/11/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    The Montessori Day School, located in Prospect Heights and Park Slope is moving to a new location this fall. Having visited their former and new locations myself, I can assuredly say that their new digs are a great improvement!
    Their new site will be at 237 Park Place (corner of Vanderbilt & Park Place) where the [...]

    Top 21 Baby Stores in America for 2010

    by Karen on 3/11/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    It’s a bit disappointing that only 2 New York stores made the “Top 21 Baby Stores” by Baby Bargains this year.  Second city Chicago has 2 stores on the list and the much smaller city of Boston has 2 also.  So, here are a few more NY stores that could be on that list: (They [...]

    BabyCakes on how to color frosting naturally

    by Karen on 3/10/10 | 2 Comment(s)

    Babycakes NYC on the Lower East Side is a destination for gluten-free, vegan, health-concious sweet lovers.  It has been a hit destination for anyone with food allergies, dietary restrictions, and all things “special” and alternative, and that, of course, has attracted celebrities. The owner, Erin McKenna, has written a book, BabyCakes: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) [...]

    Art Projects to do at home

    by Karen on 3/09/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    There are plenty of days that I wish I had an art project I could do with the kids- and a guiding hand to take me through it. Well, I have found help.  RADkidsART is the brain child of  Rick Anthony Diaz, who has been a teaching artist in New York City since 1995.  Rick [...]

    Vitamin storage turns out to be, yes, important

    by Jill on 3/09/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    Where do you store your vitamins?  We keep our vitamins in the kitchen and I know people who store them in the bathroom. The bathroom and kitchen seem two logical places to store them and for most of us, where we keep them is how we can remember to take them. Apparently  then, most of [...]

    Date Night? Try “Dine In Brooklyn”

    by Karen on 3/09/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    I love “Dine In Brooklyn” week: though I have never been able to make the lunch special ($20.10) with kids in tow, I have taken advantage of the dinner special ($25). Both meals include 3 courses and you are promised, “Quality food, no attitude on the side!” There are over 175 restaurants on the list, [...]

    Salmonella in food flavoring- which means a lot of your food

    by Karen on 3/09/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    Do you use Herb-ox bouillon cubes, Trader Joe’s creamy ranch dressing, eat honey mustard pretzels from National Pretzel, or other dips and chips? Chances are you might find it on the list that the FDA has recalled recently. The FDA reported that salmonella has been found in the Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) paste at  Basic [...]

    How much vacation and pay should your nanny get?

    by Karen on 3/09/10 | 1 Comment(s)

    Park Slope Parents wrote to tell me that their new “Nanny Compensation Survey” is out. Over 800 parents participated in the survey which included parents from these Yahoo list serves: Park Slope Parents (68%), Hudson River Park Mamas, DUMBO Parents, BoCoCa Parents and Flatbush Family Network. (All of which can be found in our Directory [...]

    Looking for a swim class in Brooklyn?

    by Karen on 3/08/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    Now is the time to get in some swim lessons before the summer starts and NY’s public pools open.  Many swim classes started last week or will start this week and will last through the spring. What kind of swim classes are you looking for? Those for a newborn or for a toddler? Try looking [...]

    Toddler open sports at Park Slope Armory

    by Karen on 3/05/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    Ben Aaron from LXTV volunteers to help coach for Toddler Open Sports at the YMCA at Park Slope Armory. It gives you a sense of what TOS is like and what the tots do!
    YMCA at Park Slope Armory
    361 15th Street
    Brooklyn, NY 11215
    (212) 912-2580

    Iris Lingerie (and bra fitter) is having a sale!

    by Karen on 3/05/10 | 1 Comment(s)

    Iris Clarke (the bra fitter) at Kimera Bridal Store is a Brooklyn treasure.  She can do everything, like fit you for a good bra, turn your regular bra into a nursing bra or shorten nightie straps, but mainly she can give your bust a boost. She has a sweet, little space inside Kimera Bridal Store [...]

    Event Picks for March 5th and on….

    by Karen on 3/05/10 | 2 Comment(s)

    Among all the great events going on this weekend and early next week, some stand out:

    Lingerie Sale
    Lizards and Snakes: Alive! and Butterflies and Journey to the Stars at the American Museum of Natural History
    Flybaby presents ‘Cabin Fever’ Disco
    Ft. Greene Park initiative with Kids Programming
    Crossfit with Lulemon
    Peter Pan at the Movies
    Pancakes Aplenty [...]

    Got milk? Yes, and delivered to your door!

    by Karen on 3/04/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    We used to have milk delivered when I was growing up. There was something special about that fresh, cold milk in those heavy bottles.  If you are as nostaligic about home milk delivery, you are going to be thrilled with this news. The Manhattan Milk Company is now delivering to select neighborhoods of Brooklyn.  You [...]

    Cool Map Games for Kids

    by Karen on 3/03/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    Are you searching for a fun way to teach geography to your kid…and maybe brush up on it yourself?
    Here are a few that I really like:
    Rethinking Schools’ Map Game
    This map game is easy to follow. Just drag a country’s name to its proper place. I admit I made quite a few mistakes- EEEK! If you [...]

    Forward Facing Car Seat to Booster…and car seat giveaway!

    by Karen on 3/02/10 | 10 Comment(s)

    My girlfriend “L” wrote me last week, “Quick question: have you  moved from a car seat to a booster seat for your older kids yet? Our son’s feet are touching the back of the front seats, so I’d like to move him, but he’s not quite 40 pounds, which is usually the booster-seat starting point. [...]

    Babies in Bars: The debate roars on

    by Karen on 3/02/10 | 2 Comment(s)

    This debate comes up every month or so- whether it is on a blog,  parenting forum like Brooklynian or a parenting list serve. Read all of the 1127 comments (as of 10:21 pm tonight) from the CNN article about Brooklyn bars and babies and you will find a lot of mean-spirited and vitriolic comments. Sigh…so [...]

    Recall: Scooby, Tweety and Batman utensils from Peachtree

    by Karen on 3/02/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Peachtree Playthings, today announced a voluntary recall of Children’s Fork and Spoon Sets by Peachtree Playthings. The recall is because the middle two prongs of the plastic fork can detach, posing a choking hazard to children. The company has received one report of a middle prong [...]

    How to Clean Toys, Backpacks, Shoes and…just about everything!

    by Karen on 2/28/10 | 1 Comment(s)

    Real Simple Magazine had 2 articles on how to clean everything from cotton to backpacks. I found them incredibly helpful. Here are both articles melded together.
    Both written by Sarah Stebbins

    How to Wash Cotton
    Made from the fluffy fibers of the cotton plant, most cotton fabrics are preshrunk, so “you really can’t mess them up,” [...]

    Study about SIDS finds some new information

    by Jill on 2/28/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    We have all done it, especially with our newborns: continually check on our sleeping baby to make sure he’s still breathing.  Thoughts about SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) contribute to any anxiety.  SIDS is defined as an unexplainable death of an infant less than one year old. The randomness of SIDS is part of what [...]

    Where to bowl in Brooklyn

    by Jimmy on 2/28/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    Are you looking for a fun indoor activity this winter? Take a break from play spaces and head to a bowling alley. Your options range from a true hipster joint where you and your kids will enjoy the leather loungers and colorful lights or visit what is perhaps the largest bowling alley at the early [...]

    School Deadlines, Tours and Info

    by Karen on 2/26/10 | 1 Comment(s)

    Joyce Szuflita, our School Expert, keeps us up to date on the DOE deadlines, school tours and any breaking school information. Below is information she sent to us that is also available on her blog. I would strongly suggest signing up for her newsletter AND reading her blog. You do need to check out both. [...]

    Event Picks for Feb. 26th and on….

    by Karen on 2/25/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    Among all the great events going on this weekend and early next week, some stand out:

    Math Midway at New York Hall of Science
    New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival
    NYC Arts has a list of great winter discounts for cultural institutions throughout NYC and the other boroughs.  The discounts last only through February 28th. The deals [...]

    Paperless party invites- that entice your guests to come

    by Karen on 2/25/10 | 0 Comment(s)

    Cool Mom Picks did a post today about Paperless Post. They were positively ecstatic about the site’s online invitations and the service’s new Children’s Collection.  I had to go to Paperless Post’s site to check it out myself.  And, yes, there is plenty to love here. Sending these stylish invitations online not only gets guests [...]