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:

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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.

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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.

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“Puddlegear is raingear built for tough customers – PVC free and ÖKO-TEX certified - kids can play outside feeling warm, unrestricted and dry in their great looking rain gear. Turning puddles and rain into nature’s toys. When kids play they lose themselves in their imagination, weather won’t matter as long as they are warm and dry.

Puddlegear raingear is quality and function down to every last button and seam. And kids think its cool too!

100% waterproof-Machine Washable -Tear Resistant - Soft and comfortable - And there is a reflective flash for safety at night!

They also sell mitts, hats, booties and bibs…and can special order adult gear.

Puddlegear is happy to offer the lucky winner of the April Showers Giveaway one in store credit for the cost of a Jacket and Pant rain suit of their color choice valued at $95. Visit their website to see more! puddlegear.com”

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

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“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.

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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 mess 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!

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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)

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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)

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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.

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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. 

Unfortunately, the process didn’t have a happy ending.  This week, the Picasso Estate denied my requests to use the prints that I wanted on the tees.  (Now, I know why there aren’t any Picasso tees out there for the general public.)  I’m disappointed – they would have been so cute (I did mock-ups)!  My husband is so sweet.  He said, “You can do the line with other classic artists."  (He should know me by now – I had my heart set on Picasso- in my mind, its Picasso or nothing!)  It’s good to have some closure though so that I can move on…a year is a long time to wait to get a “no”!  Now, I’m over my initial disappointment and I’m excited to see what’s next.  My husband is so great.  He said, “What do you want to do now?”  I’m so fortunate to be in a place in my life where I can even think about that.  Do I want to pursue another product?  Do I want to focus more on blogging?  Do I want to focus more on speaking?  Do I want to focus more on writing for print media?  Do I want to focus on planning children’s events?  Right now, I just have the questions.  It’ll be exciting to see what new doors get opened (and shut!) as the year moves on…

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