On Vacation

BTG will be on vacation for the rest of the year! Gonna spend time with my family this week and relax with hubby on New Years Eve and Day.

Aruba, 3/2008, sunset cruise. Last Caribbean vacation as a family of two.

We will be back in 2011 with more adventures, more about the "exciting project" I have been working on, and a giveaway to get you off to a healthy new year!

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Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours!!!!

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Wordless Wednesday: My 2009 Santa Baby

Since we still have a few more days to go, here is a photo from last Christmas. C was 9 months old and this is him at his grandparent's house opening presents on Christmas morning!

oh and that toy is the LeapFrog Learn & Groove Alphabet Drum which C loved and still plays with. A great gift for a 9 month old!

Linking up with: Angry Julie Monday, Life of Rylie & Bryce, A Beautiful Mess,  Live and Love Out loud & Goober Grape, Monkey Man

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Winter Wondlerland: A 2011 Winter To Do List

Even though its been freezing here the last couple of weeks, and it even flurried one day, today is the official start of the winter season. So with a new season, comes a new to-do list!

See the Tree at Rockefeller Center

Catch a warm winter weekend day and take hubby to the Bronx Zoo

Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk, CT (ok we may already have plans to do this)

Winter trip to Florida

Imaginarium Museum in Fort Myers, Florida

PS 1 Sculpture Garden in Queens (again on a warm winter day)

Museum of Natural History (still on the list, but it is inside)

Take C sledding (is this safe?)

And now that fall is over.... who did we do?

Bronx Zoo 10/12 read my recap here and Cole's recap here

City Island (walk around and have a meal) I still want to do this. Maybe next spring!

day trip to North Fork. Wine tasting and picnic Might be better without C

Museum of Natural History  Could be a good winter activity

NYC Aquarium

Dia Beacon

Hiking (not sure where)

White Post Farm 10/30 read my recap (Fall Festival) here

Apple Picking 9/25 read the recap HERE, and I would like to cook some homemade apple dishes! read about Slow Cooker Applesauce HERE

Pumpkin Picking (and carving) I decided this was too messy with a toddler. Definitely next year!

visit to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx

PS 1 Museum and Sculpture Garden

San Gennaro Little Italy Italian Festival 9/24

Queens Farm  read the recap here

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C's 4th Trip To North Carolina

I am happy to report that we had a fabulous trip to North Carolina, baby C’s fourth visit to his great-grandpa!

We traveled with my father, flying all together. I was a little nervous about flying with a 20 month old toddler as a lap-infant, but on the way down, as soon as we started to taxi, C passed out in my arms (even though it was only 10am and a super early nap). But I guess it felt like the motion of a car and well, it worked! We also only nurse 4 times a day, so I wasn’t sure if I would be able to otherwise occupy him. The flight home was closer to nap time & a nursing time, so as I had hoped, he fell asleep in my arms, and I was actually able to enjoy the direct TV on Jet Blue!

While in NC, we spent time with family. We took my grandpa (he is 98) over to the mall each morning to walk laps as it was too cold to go outside. C enjoyed the mall carousel and playing on the ride-on car toys (but luckily without the money inserted, he just liked to climb in and out). We also shopped a little bit, but I was nervous about having too much stuff to haul back home. We also took advantage of the Barnes and Noble kid area, complete with awesome Thomas The Tank Engine Train Table!

One afternoon we took C to Monkey Joe’s, an indoor bouncy castle place that we had visited this past summer. It was only $5 to play and we spent about 45 minutes riding the huge slides together. So of course after about 15 times I was exhausted from carrying C up the huge ladder to get to the top and then sliding down and doing it again. But C of course loved it! He didn’t want to leave, but I was beat!

On this trip, C ate fairly well. Since we were at my aunt or grandpa’s house, I was able to shop and cook for him. He did try a Valencia orange and soon became addicted. He kept running to grandpa’s fridge and picking out an orange for his snack. At the mall he did enjoy his first taste of Burger King French Fries, and he even had a slice of pizza from Sbarro. He napped well (we both did, NC makes us tired) and he was up each morning around 5:30 am, but I went to bed before 9 each night, so I was fairly well rested to be the single parent with the little guy.

Already thinking about our next trip back to NC! Although hopefully it will be much warmer when we go again!

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A Beautiful Day for a Playdate

A virtual one of course! Usually on Saturdays we do chores and errands, but today, we are having a bloggy playdate with our friends Rylie and Bryce, from Life of Rylie… and Bryce Too! I think C would love having a real playdate with Bryce, since they are close in age and seem to be “into” the same toddler-boy stuff, but Rylie and Bryce live in sunny Florida! I know, lucky them!

Today we are the featured Saturday Playdate Blog, so be sure to check out Life of Rylie… and Bryce too, it’s a great blog with two adorable kids. LeeAnn makes it look like having two kids is super fun! And she makes it look easy! She also has some amazing giveaways going on. 

Like I said, they live in Florida, and seeing that its 20 degrees out here in NYC, that sounds like a great place to be! Happy Saturday! And stay warm!

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Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Okay, I know that is the cheesiest expression ever, and one my husband likes to say ALL. THE. TIME... but the winner of the Perdue Chicken Giveaway is....

Comment #4, left by....

Cheryl F, The Lucky Ladybug, I guess she is lucky, because she just won $40 in Perdue Products! She won't have to cook much this holiday season!

Thanks to Perdue for hosting this giveaway and thank you to all who entered. I plan to run another giveaway next week!

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My Swim Bug

This past fall, I enrolled C in Take Me To The Water Swim lessons. We began in September and end this week.

These swim lessons, for kids 6 months to 2.5 years are a mommy and me class designed to familiarize kids with the water and introduce them to swimming. The class met once a week for half an hour on Wednesday afternoons at a local indoor pool. Our class was very small, there were at most 5 kids in attendance, and some days we basically had a semi-private swim lesson!

Our instructor was great. Each week we sang songs corresponding to different movements in the pool, played with floating toys, barbells and mats in the water, worked on back and front floats and tried to get the kids to blow bubbles and also go under the water with their mouths closed. For some gross reason, C thinks its funny to try to drink the pool water. I know, gross!

Even though C prefers to float along and play with toys while I hold him, by the end of the fall, he made progress on trying to kick his feet and scoop his hands while “swimming.” He also went under water several times and became more comfortable with getting his ears wet.

The only downside to taking an indoor swim class in the colder months is all the gear, shleping and changing that needed to be done for a ½ hour class! I would wear my swimsuit to the pool and pack myself underwear to change into after. I would take C in his stroller and get him dressed (swim trunks, swim shirt, and swim diaper) in the small locker room. I would also bring our towels and two plastic bags to bring home the wet clothes.  After the class, we would attempt to dry off, get C dressed and in his stroller, get me dressed and then race home to avoid being out in the cold!

I can’t wait to head to Florida this winter to swim more and to practice what we learned in the class, But I think we will wait until the spring to sign up for swimming again. 

*** Be sure to enter the chance to win FREE Perdue Chicken Products! A $40 value! Click HERE to enter! ENDS TODAY @ 5 PM EST***

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Wordless Wednesday: Miami 2003

So we return to NYC from NC today. I promise a full recap of our trip, but for Wordless Wednesday this week, some old skool harmskills and hubby. This is from a December 2003 trip to Miami, on one of the coldest weekends of the year! That was the first year we were dating, and I can't believe its been 7 years since then!

*** Be sure to enter the chance to win FREE Perdue Chicken Products! A $40 value! Click HERE to enter! ***

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What C is getting for Christmas

Last year, C was 9 months old at Christmas. First of all, I remember that morning, being elated that he slept till 5:22 (why do I remember this stuff?). On Christmas Eve, he napped at Church (we went to a 4 pm family mass) and was pretty quiet about the whole holiday. I bought him a few presents, the Leap Frog Learning Table, Playskool Busy Ball Drop, Fisher-Price Sesame Street Silly Sounds Remote, and in his stocking, Fire Truck (WHEELIE BOOKS). From others he received a Vtech Sit to Stand Baby Learning Walker, some Little People stuff and a Disney Winnie The Pooh Ride On. All of which were fantastic gifts for a 9 month old.

This year, C knows something is up. Come Christmas, he will be 21 months old. He can say “tree” when he sees Christmas trees and each morning insists that we put the tree lights on before he gets his diaper change. When we see Santa on TV or in a book, I point it out to him, and if at home, he points to the Santa decoration hanging on our door. Unfortunately, the “threat” of Santa not coming is still lost on him. Maybe next year (I can wish!).

But anyway, I can’t wait for Christmas morning and for him to wake up (after 6, I hope) and come out to the living room and see gifts under the tree! Now he’s not even two, so I’m not going too crazy with the gifts, but so far, this is what he is getting from Santa:

Thomas the Train: Follow Me Thomas

Melissa and Doug Stack and Sort

Play food

A Mega Bloks truck

A Thomas DVD

Sesame Street pop up thing

Super Readers...to the Rescue! (Book)

I am also hoping to buy the Little Tykes shopping cart, but on my one trip to Toys R Us, they only had the pink one. And now I have a 20% off coupon for TRU, so I’ll probably try again. Of course the little guy can’t be with me when I go!

Overall, I expect C to make out pretty well. We do gifts with my whole family and since he has a wish list on Amazon, I bet he will get many more great toys.

What are you getting your toddlers for the holidays?

*** Be sure to enter the chance to win FREE Perdue Chicken Products! A $40 value! Click HERE to enter! ***

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Did You Enter? Perdue Giveaway

Okay, with the holidays approaching, who has time to cook? Your kids will be home from school and need a good, quick, healthy lunch. Or maybe you are just too busy getting ready for Christmas and New Years to think about dinner. And no one wants to spend a ton of money on take out. So what you need is to enter Baby To Go’s Perdue Chicken giveaway, with a chance to win over $40 in Perdue Frozen products.

There are three easy ways to enter and entries are open until 5pm EST on Thursday, December 16, so click HERE and good luck!

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