From one of my favorite companies…

“the method family is growing a lot lately. we’ve welcomed five new babies into our world recently, and there are four more on the way. to keep these future people against dirty squeaky clean, we’re using nothing but squeaky green: hair + body wash, baby lotion, diaper cream and bubbly bath that clean like a mother. available at retailers nationwide, and as a special baby bonus, for a limited time, you can get the whole bundle shown here online at 20% off ($22.50).”

Click here to get the discounted bundle.

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On Friday, my husband and I took Michael and Sean out for the evening. First we went to Toys”R”Us - Times Square. Afterwards, we had dinner at T.G.I. Friday’s. It was so much fun!

Initially, Michael and I were going to go for a ride on the ferris wheel at Toys”R”Us. After seeing it up close, Michael changed his mind. “It’s too big!” he proclaimed.) Sean is my last hope for having a roller-coaster partner in this family!) Below is our outing in pictures:

We began our journey on the lower level with the intention of riding the ferris wheel.

The “It’s Too Big!” Ferris Wheel

Instead, we went to the “R” Zone (where we could look at all of the newest Wii and Nintendo DS games).

My Little Gamer Michael at the “R” Zone

After looking at sports equipment (it’s time for Michael to get a “big kid” soccer ball), musical instruments and cars/trucks, the boys rode around on some of the bikes.

Sean and Michael in Motion

Then, we headed to the second floor. (We skipped the first floor/main level.) We had to pull the boys away from the first display (Disney) that we saw. Many of their favorites (Mickey Mouse, Pooh & Little Einsteins) were featured.

Longing…Sean’s #1 Christmas Gift Wish

As we walked around this level, a fake dinosaur freaked my kids out. It was HUGE, it moved around and it roared. (I thought that it was pretty neat!)

The “Scary” Dinosaur

Then, we stopped to get some candy for later (after dinner).

Candy Pit Stop (yay!)

Afterwards, Michael found his Christmas gift wish.

Fisher-Price’s Shake ‘n Go Crash-Ups Speedway

Before leaving, we let the boys play in their favorite area - the toy train section.

At that point, we were all a bit tired, so we went to T.G.I. Friday’s for dinner. The Times Square area one is totally overpriced, but (happily!) the food was good…especially the baby back ribs. Everyone agreed that it was a great “date”.

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We’re giving away 5 copies of Abby In Wonderland which is being released today (9/30).

“Are you ready to follow Elmo into the world of a children’s classic tale? Join Sesame Street’s resident fairy-in-training, Abby Cadabby, when she and Elmo embark on a magical storybook adventure in Abby In Wonderland, from Genius Products and Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street. When Abby falls asleep and is dreaming, Elmo transforms into a frantic, fuzzy red rabbit and she follows him into an enchanted “Wonderland.” Abby is persistent as she pursues the elusive rabbit that, inadvertently, has pocketed her magical wand. On her quest, she encounters an incredible cast of fantastical characters such as a bilingual flower, “Rose”-ita (Rosita), The “Counter”-pillar (The Count), The Cheshire Cookie Cat (Cookie Monster), Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (Bert and Ernie), The Mad Hatter (Grover), The Mouse (Zoe) and the cranky Grouch of Hearts (Oscar). Without the assistance of her usual fairy magic, Abby must rely on her knowledge of rhyming to defeat the Grouch of Hearts, reclaim her wand and find her way back to Sesame Street.”

Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win one of the DVDs by leaving their name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Abby” in the Subject line by October 31st.

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The Backyardigans Live

Dates: October 4th and 5th

Location: The Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State Street

Discount Offer: 20% off of $35, $30, and $25 tickets

Discount Runs: Now – Oct 3rd

Click here to purchase tickets
Use Code: CTBYL4

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We’re giving away a copy of the popular new Nintendo DS game, Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir.

Recently, I wrote a review of the game which you can read here: It’s not “Pac-Man” or “Donkey Kong”: MillionHeir Review. Enjoy!

Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win the game by leaving their name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Mystery” in the Subject line by October 31st.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday.)

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FreshDirect is offering one lucky Mom in the City member a $50 gift certificate (which must be used by 10/30/08).

FreshDirect provides high quality fresh foods and popular grocery and household items to the New York area (They deliver to some parts of Westchester, as well as most of Manhattan, and some NJ suburbs. In the summer, they also deliver to the Hamptons). They are continually expanding their offerings (including major brands of baby food, formula and baby supplies in their Baby Store) to make life easier for parents. Their “New Parents’ Survival Kit” is also a helpful resource to help parents survive those first few (sleepless!) months.

Coupons:
Current customers:
Free delivery on your next two orders
Customer needs to enter code each time
Promo code: MOMBLOG
Start: 9/16/08
Expires: 10/30/08

New customers:
25% off first two orders
Customer needs to enter code each time
Promo code: MOMBLOG25
Start: 9/16/08
Expires: 11/30/08

*Web orders only. Limited-time offer. May not be combined with any other offer. All standard customer terms and conditions apply. Offer is non-transferable. Void where prohibited.

Giveaway:
Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win the gift certificate by leaving their name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Groceries” in the Subject line by October 15th.

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The Gal to Gal Virtual Walk for patients and families battling stage IV breast cancer is rapidly approaching (10/1 - 10/31). In the following clip Kim Zimmer of Guiding Light encourages fans to join “Team Guiding Light”. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this is a great charity, so please spread the word…

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TADA! Youth Theater is giving away a 6-pack of FREE T.O.T.S. classes for one lucky Mom in the City member and her little one.

“Join us for a unique combination of musical theater and movement exploration perfect for you and your little one.* TADA! T.O.T.S. builds trust in the baby-caregiver relationship while developing depth perception & body awareness all to the tune of live piano accompaniment! The Fall 2008 semester is led by a duo of teaching artists qualified in theatrical education and creative arts therapy.

Fridays Oct. 24 -Dec. 12: $180
TOTS 1: 0-20 months old at 10:00 a.m.
TOTS 2: 20-42 months old at 11:00 a.m.

Register online or call Maya at 212.252.1619 x13.
*All T.O.T.S. classes are with parent/caregiver.”

Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win the set of classes by leaving your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “TADA!” in the Subject line by October 24th.

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Today, the Fourth Friday in September (September 26th this year) is a holiday called Native American Day. This is a great day to teach our kids to honor and celebrate the first “Americans” who lived in the United States. Following are a few suggestions to help your kids (and us parents!) to learn about the various Indian tribes and their traditions.

-Visit the National Museum of the American Indian in New York. This museum is focused on preserving, studying and exhibiting the “life, languages, literature, history, and arts” of Native Americans. Almost every American Indian tribe in the United States, most of those in Canada, and many from Central and South America as well as the Caribbean are represented. Their collections include not only cultural and historical objects but also spiritually significant pieces. In addition to the various collections and exhibitions, the museum also offers a variety of events including films (including ones especially for kids), performances, workshops and special programs. Located at The George Gustav Heye Center (Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House; One Bowling Green; New York, NY 10004; Phone: 212-514-3700), the museum offers daily free admission. For more information, visit their site at www.nmai.si.edu.

-Enjoy performance by Native American artists. The Kiowa War Mothers will be performing on Saturday, September 27th at 1 & 3 PM at the Rotunda of the National Museum of the American Indian. At this free concert, they will be singing traditional songs from the Kiowa War Societies along with providing educational information about their history and modern Native society.

-Learn about the role that clothing plays for Native American women. The exhibit, “Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women’s Dresses” addresses this issue. Beginning Friday, September 26th, this exhibit will be on display for a year at the George Gustav Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian. Showcasing a wide variety of over fifty dresses and accessories from the Plains, Plateau, and Great Basin regions of the United States and Canada, the display demonstrates how dresses are expressions of culture and identity for Native American women and their communities.

-For a special treat, take your family to a Pow Wow. From the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning “spiritual leader”, a Pow Wow is a traditional Native American gathering. Dancing, singing, socializing and honoring American Indian culture are usually included in the get-togethers. The American Indian Community House (AICH) maintains a Pow Wow Calendar on their site (www.aich.org). If you’re willing to travel upstate a bit, you can participate in the Native American Heritage Celebration of the Lower Hudson Valley at FDR State Park in Westchester, NY on Saturday, September 27th - Sunday, September 28th. For more information, please call (718) 686-9297. (The AICH also host various performing arts events that can be found on their site’s Events Calendar.)

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Lately, I’ve been reading an interesting book called Who’s Your City?: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life by Richard Florida.

On the most basic level, the book is about why it’s so important where we live. Wealth and “personalities” of various cities are covered. However, the part that interests me the most is Part IV: Where We Live Now. It is about the three big moves that people make over a lifetime (The Young and the Restless/Married with Children/When the Kids Are Gone). I think that section registers the most because my husband and I are thinking about where we’re going to live next.

When I was “young and restless”, Manhattan was ideal for me. I had no problem sharing an apartment with roommate/multiple roommates, because we were all rarely home at the same time. Even when I was newly married, having a cramped little one bedroom on the Upper West Side of Manhattan was fine. Once again, we were primarily out enjoying all that the city has to offer. Even now with two preschool aged kids, it’s manageable. (We moved uptown to Harlem for more space/an extra room, but we still love the city life.)

However, now that our oldest son Michael will be going to Kindergarten next year, we’re steadily moving towards the “Married with Children” move. We love our Harlem neighborhood and still being in the city, but something has to give. You see, Harlem is “up and coming” as evidenced by all of the construction/raised rents/gentrification/etc. BUT the schools still leave much to be desired. Our education choices: locals zoned schools (no); private school (not my cup of tea); charter schools (you have to win a “lottery”); or open/unzoned public schools. We were leaning toward traveling to an “open” school like CPE1 or CPE2, but I don’t think so. Michael loves his pre-k but traveling to and from it takes a toll on Sean and I (we have to take two trips – drop-off and pick-up). Fortunately, Michael is only going to school part time, so it’s manageable. I can’t see doing a long commute with a full-day of school. I think that it would be too much of a time and energy drain on our family. So, we’re looking to move next summer to an area (probably Queens) that has easy access to the city by train AND a great local, zoned school. We’ll see what happens…

Anyway, these are the type of dilemmas that the book covers. The author also includes some of the best places for people to live at every stage of their life. (New York is one of the best “large regions.) All in all, this is an easy, informative book to read.

(To read about what others are reading this month, visit What’s on Your Nightstand.)

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