Who: Children ages 6 months to 6 years.
(Along with their parents and/or caregivers)

What: Will enjoy this gym event featuring free play, structured play and a zipline finale. Pizza will be served for the kids. Sandwiches and salad will be served for the adults.

At the end of the event, each family will receive a great gift bag filled with "eco- friendly" products to take home. There are items from Ecobags, Belli,
Happy Baby, Kiwi Magazine, priti organic spa, Cranium Bloom, Sunchips and method.

There will also be great giveaways from Belli, Happy Baby, lotuspad, priti organic spa and method.

When: Saturday, April 5th from 12:30- 2:00PM

Where: PLAYGARDEN
95 Franklin Street on the corner of Church
New York, NY 10013

How: RSVP to events@mominthecity.com
Cost: $10 per child before 4/1; $15 per child afterwards (Parents FREE)

Why: To have some family fun! We will also be collecting new or nearly new clothing for Room to Grow

**Although we will be using both levels of the space for this event, we will only be able to accommodate the first 30 families for comfort and safety reasons**

Sponsors:

Posted by kdc521 at 02:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lotuspad Yoga Mats is giving away one of their popular eco yoga mats.

"Kids love yoga, why not give them a special yoga mat that's not only attractive and cushy, but is also good for the Earth?

Unlike common "sticky" yoga mats made of cheap and harmful chemicals, high-quality Lotuspad yoga mats are made from a newly developed and patented material called TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), which is free of PVC, phthalates, toluene, heavy metals, as well as common allergens such as rubber and latex. What the Lotuspad does have is an attractive surface pattern, thick and foamy texture, and an amazing grip that gives excellent traction."

The winner will be chosen at our Earth-Friendly Family Playdate on April 5th.

Posted by kdc521 at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rugged Idea is giving away one of their popular weatherproof blankies.

"As the weather is starting to warm up, these blankets will be useful for picnics when the grass is damp, stroller protection when the weather is still a bit nippy or unpredictable, outdoor play blanket at the park, and indoor play mat when the floor is hard." 

Mom in the City members can enter to win simply by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with "Rugged" in the Subject line.  The winner will be chosen on April 30th.

Posted by kdc521 at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by kdc521 at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"In February 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDME autism prevalence report. The report, which looked at a sample of 8 year olds in 2000 and 2002, concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 150 American children, and almost 1 in 94 boys." - Source: Autism Society of America 

April is National Autism Month and I have two great dvds developed for children on the autism spectrum to give away .

1. Skill-Building Buddies: Handling Transitions and Change by Mazzarella Media

2. Kibbles Rockin Clubhouse Volume 1: Expressing Yourself by NoteAbilities, Inc.

Mom in the City members can enter to win simply by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with "Autism" in the Subject line.  The winner will be chosen on April 30th.

Posted by kdc521 at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know that I usually do seven favorite things, but I couldn't come up with two more (?!)  So, here's my top five. 

1. Massages:  Massages are my "thing" for 2008 (as in I'm going to have one at least once every 3 months).  I had a really great hour-long deep tissue massage at Graceful Services.  I felt so fluid and relaxed immediately afterwards.  The next day, I felt a little sore (which is supposedly normal).  Then, I came down with the flu.  So, I'm not sure if the rest of the body aches were from the massage, the flu or a combination of both.  Hopefully, I won't be catching the flu again this year, so I'll have a better judgment after my next massage!

2. PedEgg™: My family members (this time it was my mom) keep giving me these products that they see on television.  I love this one though. It's this egg-shaped foot file that collects the skin shavings (which is simultaneously kind of gross/kind of fascinating).  In any event, this file really works.  I just may be able to wear some of those cute open-heeled shoes for the spring/summer after all!   

3. Clinique Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick in Pink Chocolate;  I've never really thought about Clinique's makeup.  I've always associated them with skincare.  However, when I was at the Macy's in VA with my mom (that doesn't have either MAC or Bobbi Brown), I tried out their lipsticks.  I was looking for a pink shade for the spring and I fell in love with their pink chocolate.  (Of course my mom takes the credit for picking it out...)

4. Forever21: This is my new, favorite place for cute, inexpensive trendy spring dresses that I only plan on wearing once or twice. (My rationale: If I don't spend a lot, I won't really care if I get kid "schmuck" all over me.)  I'll save my money to spend on timeless, classic pieces.

5. Live Chat: Several online merchants that I've been dealing with (from Clairol to Corbis) use this technology. Basically you talk with an online customer service person by typing your questions and answers back and forth.  I love it.  I'm not a huge phone person (I never know when one of the kids will decide to use this time to practice their vocal "skills"), but I love getting an immediate answer.  This is the best of both worlds!

Posted by kdc521 at 02:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At last Bob gets a house, and not just a house!  The whole story is divided into three parts, really, and other projects are included.  Before the last, "Fantastic Flex," special features are inserted.  These must be done by the same company and are included as promos due to having room on the DVD.  I was confused for a moment as to whether my machine had turned off and if the cable was showing the other ones.

The Bob the Builder series attracted my children first for the machines.  My 4 year old found his BtB tractor to hold while it played.  BtB was never their first choice, and is seldom played on the channels of cable the way it was 1-2 years ago, but the kids surprised me by their interest yesterday watching episodes back to back.
 

I've done construction as a sideline for years, and always learn a thing or two from the show.  Bob and Wendy's experience can't be denied...the writers know how to put a lot of thought and planning into how they portray the building process.   Of these episodes I especially enjoyed when they reviewed all of the projects done in the area to borrow ideas to complete, or 'spiff' up Bob's House.

I found that the series had less of the bungling that is given many of the characters is other episodes.  Another favorite part I enjoyed was when the film director is introduced, and where this leads.  This is clever!  I also imagined that Bob would lose his patience with the paint job they do for the shed, but he stays in character- a patient gentleman to the end.
(Review by Toby Crane)

The Crane Family will be providing family reviews of movies.  Their family consists of Toby (a teacher); Ana (a flight attendant); and their two adorable kids - Prince (4 years old) and Star (2 years old).

Posted by kdc521 at 02:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This DVD features Caillou in four different episodes: “Caillou’s Surprise,”  “People I Love,” “Captain Caillou,” and “Knowing How.” Caillou, which my kids first saw on PBS Kids, has become one of their favorites. They get to join along as Caillou explores everyday life in a way that truly reflects a child’s mind and sparks their imagination, while learning some valuable lessons along the way. The stories are not action packed but seem to connect to a kid’s life in a very real way. In these episodes, the theme of encouraging others is visited, leaving kids with a great message to think about others and surprise them with thoughtfulness. Another theme visited was how to face disappointments and still have fun, another great lesson for kids to learn. This is a DVD our whole family really enjoys.
SRP: $14.99 U.S.
(Review by Lesley Thompson)

Lesley Thompson is originally from Houston, TX. She came to New York in 1989 to attend NYU where she received her B.A. in English. She is married to her wonderful husband Marc and is a full-time mom of two boys Joshua and David. Lesley has recently started back down the writing path and is eager to see what the future holds.

Posted by kdc521 at 02:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From March 24th to 27th, Microsoft Small Business Summit is being broadcast live for FREE on the web.  I listened to a few of the segments from yesterday and today.  If you have a small business (or are interested in starting one), this is a great way to get advice from established experts like Tina Wells, Donny Deutsch, and Lisa Druxman.  (Did I mention that it's FREE?)  Of course, there are advertiser "plugs" between the sessions, but I haven't found them to be too annoying. 

If you can't listen live, it's not a problem.  Each session will be recorded and available for viewing online. As soon as they are available, on-demand broadcasts will be accessible by visiting www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness.

Posted by kdc521 at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Okay, so it's really not that dramatic as my title suggests...

Without a doubt, I love the parenting writing and speaking work that I do.  However, I’ve always wanted a product to sell.  Last year, I began laying the groundwork of a t-shirt company geared towards babies, toddlers and preschoolers.  (Yes, I know – another t-shirt line.) 

The idea began after reviewing a gazillion (I’m exaggerating) tees.   Some of the tees were great but very pricey.  I would think to myself, “It’s just a t-shirt, not a work of art.”  Then, I had a mental click – why not start a line of classical art t-shirts?  I came up with the name (Masterpiece Tees) and the tagline (“Merging art and fashion for the preschool set”) By the way, I’m only sharing this stuff now, because I’m not going to do it anymore.  Feel free to steal/borrow any of the logic.  Anyway, I got a SCORE mentor, took a class on the t-shirt business, lined up supply sources, etc. 

The last hurdle was to get the art license that I had my heart set on.  I only wanted to do a Picasso collection to start (perhaps this is a throwback to my Art Humanities classes while at Columbia College).  I had it all planned out – start with five classic black and white prints (The Dog, Owl, The Butterfly, The Camel, and Dove of Peace) and then later, I would add colored prints on tees.  I contacted the Artists Rights Society of New York (ARSNY) and they were great.  They walked me through the whole submission process over the last year (I took some time off when Sean was born).  It’s been an interesting process dealing with art dealers, museums, etc. 

Posted by kdc521 at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Love Our Children USA will be holding their Fifth Annual National Love Our Children Day on Saturday, April 5th in NYC.  Full of fun, entertainment, food and celebrities, the event is a celebration of children for kids of all ages."

Love Our Children USA will be giving 10 Mom in the City families admittance to the event at no charge. 

Posted by kdc521 at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This weekend was a blur…a wedding in Virginia, my son’s fourth birthday party and (oh yes) I can’t forget …my hair caught on fire!

On Friday night, I caught a Greyhound bus to Hampton, VA.  (I haven’t caught a bus home since college days!)  My dad was having a wedding celebration in VA on Saturday evening, so the bus schedule was the only thing that worked out.

I thought that I would take a (kid-free: I left the kids at home with my husband) nap once I arrived on Saturday morning.  I was (happily) wrong.  My sister and her kids met my mom and me at a great breakfast place.  Then, I spent the rest of the day with my mom doing girly things (salon/shopping, etc.) and catching up.  Afterwards, I went to my dad’s wedding reception.  It was a lot of fun.  Great food, great music and (best of all) my dad and his new bride seemed really happy.  After, the reception, my dad drove me to the bus station and waited with me until the bus came.  It was great having some one on one time with my dad.  Our relationship has grown so much over the years.  I’m so happy to be his daughter!

So my bus arrived back in NYC on Sunday morning.  Then, I needed to wait two hours for the subway to take me home.  I was so happy when I finally set foot in my home.  I was only gone one full day, but I really missed my husband and kids.  (Note to self: don’t ever take a job that requires a lot of travel!) 

Once I got home, I had 45 minutes to get ready to go to church.  We made it on time.  However, I missed most of the service, because I was running around looking for the perfect birthday cake to match my son’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” cake topper that I had ordered from Amazon/ The PartyWorks.com.  I ended up getting two cakes – one for the pirates and one for the princesses.

As soon as service was over, my husband and I jumped in our car to go set up for Michael’s “Pirate and Princess” party that started an hour later.  Overall, everything went really well.  (I have really, great helpful friends and family!)  Everyone seemed to have a great time.  The girls had fun with their princess activities, especially the face-painting.  The boys had fun with their pirate ones, especially “Pirate Sean” singing pirate songs while playing his guitar. One of my favorite parts was that one of the smallest girls at the party was the one who pulled the string that brought all of the candy/toys down from the Pirates of the Caribbean string piñata.  I was also happy that there was room for everyone to move around freely (1500 square feet).  For the first time in a long while, I didn’t feel claustrophobic at a big birthday party.  Most of all, I was happy that my son “loved” his party.

Oh yes, my hair catching on fire…  At the end of the party, we were getting ready to sing “Happy Birthday” to Michael.  I had already gotten over the fact that some unnamed person had placed a phone book on top of my cake topper ruining it.  Oh well, Michael still had two cakes – he would be okay.  So, three of the candles were lit, but my husband was having a hard time with the fourth candle.  I leaned over to help get the wick out.  All of a sudden, I see flames – coming from my hair – one of the candles had lit my hair on fire!  Thank God that I don’t use a lot of hair product or this story might not have had such a happy ending.  I was able to quickly put out the hair fire.  Then, we promptly finished lighting the candles, sang for my son, and served the cakes.  That’s what we moms do...keep on keeping on   Fortunately, I didn’t lose any hair in the incident.  Some of the guests and I were joking about my “Michael Jackson” moment.

After the party, we went to an (unexpected) early St. Patrick’s Day dinner (corned beef and cabbage) over my husband’s aunt’s house.  Suffice it to say, by the end of the week-end I was a zombie…albeit a happy one.  My dad was happy.  My son was happy.  Who could ask for anything more?

Posted by kdc521 at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Michael, my oldest son, is making me and my husband laugh with the planning of his fourth birthday party this month.  Once we finally settled on a theme (pirates and princesses) that all three of us could agree on, the fun began. 

Who should we invite?  My son: “Everybody”.  He’s been going around to his friend’s parents asking if they received their invitation.  (God forbid if I hadn’t invited all of his little friends!)  Well, we didn’t invite everyone.  However with about 30 kids along with their parents, we’re looking at 70+ people.  My husband: “Who does he think that he is - P. Diddy?  We wouldn’t even invite that many people if we were throwing a party for ourselves!”

Where should we have the party? My son: “At our house” That’s not happening.  I get too claustrophobic with a bunch of kids running around in a tight space.  So, we’re having the party at Chelsea Studios.  They have great spaces at reasonable prices (Unlike other studios in the city that charge you 3 to 4 times as much when they hear that it’s a party, Chelsea Studios charges the same rates as they do for rehearsals, auditions, etc.)

What should we give the kids that come?  We looked through various pirate and princess themed things and came up with bandanas, tattoos, eye patches and pirate bracelets for the boys along with swords that they would make as crafts at the party; tiaras, nail polish, lip gloss and princess bracelets for the girls along with the glitter wands that they would make as crafts.  That was reasonable.  Then, my son tried to start adding things for the girls. “We should get all of them glittery purses and necklaces and…” No.  Anyway, Birthday in a Box has great party decorating packages while Oriental Trading has really great party favors and craft supplies.

Michael also mentioned that he wanted a (real) ship at his party with water (to sail it on) and a parrot. (No.)  He also wanted all of the guests to have “tickets” to get in the party (like at the Children’s Museum).  What can I say?  At least he knows what he wants. 

Posted by kdc521 at 09:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anyone who reads this blog on a semi-regular basis knows how much I love books.  I primarily like non-fiction for myself.  However, I love all types of books for my sons.  My oldest son Michael loves books too.  His new favorite book is a customized one, "The First Adventures of Incredible You" by Custom Made For Kids.

When I asked his opinion, Michael said that he liked everything about the book.  He especially liked:

-the picture of the Earth (He has been learning the planets dues to his fascination with Planet Heroes.)

-the bright, colorful animal pictures ("Oh I have to use my imagination," he said after I wouldn't tell him which image he was in the book.  For some reason, he made the little mouse be his little brother Sean throughout the entire book)

-the park (Overall, he most liked the areas in the book where Sean's name is mentioned with his, the main character.)

and 

-the basketball game (I had customized it to his dad's favorite team, the Knicks.  What can I say?  My husband is loyal.)

As a mom, I think that the writers (two Sarahs) and the illustrator did an amazing job.  The writing really makes kids feel wanted, special and ready to go on new "adventures".  They have more books coming soon which I'm looking forward to adding to the Coleman family library.

Posted by kdc521 at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My (Kimberly's) family recently sat down to watch the recently released  DVD of this classic Disney movie.  It was great.  It kept my, my husband's and my almost 4 year old son's attention.  At almost 80 minutes, that's no small feat as all of us have pretty short attention spans!  The picture and sound have been restored and enhanced which keeps it relevant to new audiences.  However, it hasn't been tampered with so much that it loses its original appeal. 
 

The dogs are still as adorable as you remember.  It had been a while since we saw the original movie (we had forgotten the story line - after the dogs had 15 pups, we were like "How did it get to be 101 dalmatians?"). Of course, we had our answer as the plot unfolded.  Our son's favorite character was Cruella De Vil (AKA "the bad lady").  My favorite was the little pup who kept saying, "I'm hungry mother".  He sounded so cute and reminded me of my little always-hungry boys.  In addition to the movie, there are games, additional songs, behind-the-scenes featurettes and more on the second disk of this two disk set. 

Sometimes oldies are the best.  That proves true in this Walt Disney original classic.  101 Dalmatians: Platinum Edition comes to DVD on March 4, 2008 for a limited time only.  I highly recommend that you get this dvd for your family's dvd library. 

Posted by kdc521 at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)