Baby To Go: Baby Travel Blog

Happy One Year (+ one Month) BTG!!!!!!

2011-02-15T07:00:00.007-05:00

So with being sick, and the craziness that was January, I missed the one year anniversary of BTG, but today marks the 13 month "birthday" of this blog. As to be expected, I started with a "welcome post" explaining a bit about who I am and why I started this blog. I have posted over 300 times this year and I'm very happy with the state of the blog and its progress. Yeah, I wish I had more time to work on it, clean it up a bit, maybe try a new layout, but right now I'm just making sure to get the content out and document our trips, adventures and my ideas. I love when readers and friends write me, or ask for baby travel suggestions, that is the essence of what Baby To Go is all about. And I love that someday I can print this blog and show my little guy what fun we had (and will continue to have). So thanks for sticking around these past 13 months and I am excited for the future of this blog!

Flying with a Toddler

2011-02-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

This past trip to Florida represented the end of an era. C’s 21^st and 22^nd flights, and the last one where he would fly free of charge… he turns 2 on March 18^th. The cheap side of me was psyched to squeeze in one more trip with “Infant In Arms” but the practical side of me wondered if flying with an “older” infant, sans ticket, was actually a good idea.

Flying down to Florida, I was with my husband, so I was less concerned about that leg. We booked our flight around naptime, instead of the 6am-er which would have gotten us there much earlier, but in the long run was a better decision. On this trip, we traveled with our Britax Boulevard Car Seat in our JL Childress Ultimate Car Seat Travel Bag, my 49.2lb suitcase (do I know how to pack or what?) and my Vera Bradley diaper bag, which has been a travel staple. The day before we left, there was another huge snowstorm in NYC, so I knew that there would not be open seats on the flight, so we checked the car seat at the ticket counter.

We tanked C up on an early lunch at the airport and he was asleep in my arms right around take off. He didn’t sleep quite as long as we had hoped, but the flight was less than three hours and the two of us entertained him with snacks (gotta love Jet Blue for their snack selection), walks up and down the aisle, an Elmo DVD, and Trader Joe’s stickers.

The flight to Florida was such a success, that I was nervous about flying home, alone, with C. I even thought about buying him a seat at the last minute, but I’m glad I did not. I was so lucky that there were open seats on the flight home! I carried our car seat through the airport in the backpack, installed it on the airplane seat and during taxi/take-off, C passed out. He slept almost the whole flight! It was great, I was able to watch TV (Jet Blue) and enjoy snacks and a beverage!

Flight home was a total success, although in the cab ride home, C was sitting on my lap, facing me (no car seats needed in a taxi and I have always felt safe holding the little guy this way…) he barfed all over me when we were still about 15 minutes away from our apartment. So I had to sit there, covered in barf (at this point he was fine and happy) while the taxi driver complained and I tried really hard not to puke myself!

Next flight, Puerto Rico in May. We will be purchasing three seats (yikes!), but we have had a good run with C flying for free!

Back in Blogging Action!

2011-02-10T16:46:00.001-05:00

Yes, I am still alive. And still blogging. Just been on a bit of a hiatus. Some time being sick, and then 12 glorious days in Florida = quiet around BTG. But I’m back and our most recent trip was so FREAKING FABULOUS, I don’t even know where to begin!

This trip had so many adventures, and I do plan to write about them in more detail. But lets just say that leaving snowy, cold NY and enjoying 12 days in 70-80 degree weather (you don’t always get so lucky in Florida) was just what the doctor ordered. Add in time with my husband, and lots of time with my mom and dad, who had such a blast with C… and I enjoyed resting lots while my parents doted on the little guy.

I will upload pics soon (still trying to get my life back on track, you know how that is after a vacation) but in Florida we enjoyed three days at the beach, a trip to a science museum, a visit to a citrus factory, lots of walks, time at the playground, a visit to the zoo, a swim in the pool, and a side trip from Ft. Myers to Orlando and Nickelodeon Hotel. Hubby and I enjoyed two date nights and I played golf with my dad one afternoon. Glorious! Just glorious!

PS I really didn’t want to come home! And I want to go back ASAP

A Quick Hello... and the Chiquita Mom Winner!

2011-01-20T19:20:00.000-05:00

I know I have been uncharacteristically absent from BTG, FB, Twitter and email. But I've been a bit under the weather and just trying to relax and feel better. I plan to write about my one year blog-anniversary (which was on 1/15) and how we are settling into winter. But for now, the winner of the Chiquita Moms Giveaway:

comment number 12, left by:

The Rosanova Family! Congrats! I will email you shortly!

And I'll be back soon!

Last Day To Enter! (Healthy Giveaway)

2011-01-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day to enter the Chiquita Moms Giveaway. Please submit entries by 5pm EST. I will announce a winner tonight or tomorrow! Good luck

PS Even if you already entered, you can tweet again for another entry!

Wordless Wednesday: Why Do I Buy Toys?

2011-01-12T06:00:00.004-05:00

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

*** Get Healthy in the New Year, be sure to enter the Chiquita Moms giveaway HERE***

Stepping Stones

2011-01-11T06:00:00.034-05:00

So I cheated a little and added a visit to the Stepping Stones Children’s Museum to my Winter 2011 To-Do list, knowing full well that I had a visit planned before Christmas. My friend, Emily* was visiting the Norwalk area for the holidays and invited C and I to come with her and her daughter to the museum one morning before Christmas.

Now, living in NYC, Connecticut may seem like a word away, but without traffic (and you have to hold your breathe and keep your fingers crossed on that one), Western CT is really not that far. I allotted 90 minutes to get to Stepping Stones and I was there in under an hour (so I had to sit in the parking lot with C because it wasn’t even open yet, and it was wayyyy too cold to wait outside).

Stepping Stones does not have reciprocity with The NY Hall of Science, to which we are members, but it did have reciprocity with a museum that Emily belonged to, so we were able to enter free of charge. At first we let the kids (C, 21 months and K, 15 months) run around in what was really an area for older children to explore the exhibits, but as the museum started to fill up, we all headed to Tot Town which is where we remained. In fact, C spent about an hour playing with the play kitchen. And what a mock kitchen it was, complete with sink, stove, fridge, and granite countertops... only in CT I guess. But I forgot my camera, so I have no photographs.

We skipped the very large indoor water exploration area (for obvious reasons) and around 11:30 decided to leave the museum and go out for lunch. We called in our order to Valencia on the drive over and our food was ready when we arrived. At Emily’s suggestion, I had a wrap with deep fried, breaded, cauliflower, white beans and some other fillings that I can’t remember. And it was… AWESOME! Topped with this fresh herb sauce, this was one of the best lunches I have had in a while. And apparently this restaurant is quite a gem, good enough to be featured on Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives (Guy’s signature was on the wall!).

Luckily we did not hit traffic on the way home and were back in Queens in about an hour. I definitely plan to return to Stepping Stones, and Valencia again!

*Emily has been a frequent, and awesome guest blogger for BTG. Read about her BOB Revolution, her Hawaii trip, or her adventures in Cloth Diapers.

Also, our bloggy buddy Cole visited Stepping Stones over the holidays! Read his recap HERE.

*** Get Healthy in the New Year, be sure to enter the Chiquita Moms giveaway HERE***

The Big Tree

2011-01-10T06:00:00.010-05:00

Well Christmas has come and gone, but before we could officially ring in 2011, we had to squeeze in a family outing to Rockefeller Center and the famous tree.

Now all season long, C has been in awe of Christmas “trees.” Spotting them blocks away, waking up each morning saying “tree, tree” and loving the big one on the Today show! So I knew he would get a kick out of seeing such an enormous Christmas tree!

On the Thursday before New Year’s, hubby took another unprecedented day off, and we headed out around 10am. We rode the subway with C in the Bugaboo Frog, because the sidewalks were still slushy from the blizzard (usually we take the Uppa Baby G-Luxe on subway trips, but with two people to carry the Bugaboo down the station stairs, it worked out).

Not only did C love seeing “choo choos” pass while we were on the subway, he LOVED the tree! “Tree, tree, tree” he kept saying, all while pointing up at the beautiful tree. We took photos, and let C run around for a few minutes before stumbling upon the Lego Store (which is new to Rock Center, its where Brookstone used to be) and C enjoyed playing at the Lego Table, and especially liked cleaning up all the Legos on the table (he is really into "clean up" at the moment).

After the touristy fun, we headed over to Chipotle on 48^th street for an early lunch. C does love him some tortilla chips and enjoyed eating some rice out of daddy’s bowl. Couldn’t get him to try some guacamole though, kid doesn’t know what he is missing!

But alas, 2010, and Christmas Trees are now a thing of the past. Last week, we took ours down and put it back in the box and in the closet for next year. Bye Bye Tree!

*** Get Healthy in the New Year, be sure to enter the Chiquita Moms giveaway HERE***

Start 2011 Healthy (Giveaway)

2011-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday everyone! Isn't this weekend just a total detox from the holidays? In our house it is. Getting back on track after Christmas, New Years, and the NYC Blizzard! We start up classes this week (Gym and Music for Aardvarks) and my parents leave for three months in Florida. At least next weekend is a three day weekend!

And now that January is in full swing, I know you are thinking about getting healthy (and saving money) for your family. So be sure to enter the Chiquita Moms Giveaway. It is open until Thursday, 1/13. You can win free bananas among other items to get your family off to a nutritious 2011! Good Luck!

Get Healthy in the New Year (Giveaway!)

2011-01-06T06:00:00.050-05:00

Baby C is a picky toddler, but he loves his bananas. He eats one each day, usually in the late afternoon. Sometimes we share one. Even hubby eats bananas (umm.... it might be the only fruit or veggie he sees all day, but he eats one for breakfast on the train to work). So in the BTG house, we always have a bunch up on the counter (and I'm constantly running to the deli next door to buy them). So when Chiquita contacted me about becoming a Chiquita Mom, I knew I was perfect for the job!

As a Chiquita Mom, I was sent a package of banana related goodies. Information about bananas, recipe cards, a reusable grocery bag, some freezer bags (thats right, you can freeze your ripe bananas for up to a month for baking and up to two months to use in smoothies... who knew?), and they also sent me some coupons for free bananas.

I loved reading through the little book of information they sent me. I mean, I know bananas are a fruit, and fruit is healthy (and I knew bananas were high in potassium) but I had no idea all the vitamins bananas contained (A, C, E and K in case you were wondering). I also didn't know that you could freeze bananas when they are ripe I hate throwing them away and being wasteful! Also, when they are ripe, you can store them in the refrigerator (only when they are ripe). The peels may turn brown, but the insides will stay yellow. And of course bananas come in their own biodegradable packaging, which is part of why moms on the go love them so much!

Love bananas? Not sure you do and want to try them again? And remember, a banana is a perfect first solid food for an infant just starting out... mash to desired consistency and thicken as your child gets older. You can read more about bananas and grab some recipes from the Chiquita Mom website. Or you can enter to win a Chiquita Mom kit (complete with all of the above mentioned items).

To enter:

1. Follow Baby To Go via google friend connect or subscribe via emai

2. Follow me, @harmskills on twitter

3. Tweet about it! @harmskills wants me to #win Free Chiquita Bananas #giveaway http://bit.ly/eUCSZh

Thats it! Just leave a comment for each thing you do! Make sure I can contact you via email if you win. Entries will be open for a week. You can tweet once a day (just leave a separate comment each time). Entries will close at 5pm EST on Thursday, January 13, 2011. One lucky winner will be chosen by random.org.

Disclosure: I was given the Chiquita Mom package with the aforementioned items to review . I did not receive any other compensation for this review.

Wordless Wednesday: My 2010 Santa Baby

2011-01-05T06:00:00.011-05:00

Since BTG was on vacation after Christmas, here are some photos of the big day!

in front of my parent's Christmas Tree, Christmas Eve 2010

C in front of our Christmas Tree on Christmas morning!

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

A Little Bit of Ketchup

2011-01-04T06:00:00.038-05:00

It was great to have a blog "vacation" but so excited to be back and catch up, (ketchup, get it?) on the exciting last few weeks.

Dec 23: I actually convinced hubby to take an unheard of day off, and we had a great family morning playing at the NY Hall of Science. We have a family membership, and C and I use it often, but hubby had never been, so it was great for him to get to see the little guy in his favorite play area. After the Hall of Sci, we went out for a fancy lunch at Parkside, my favorite Italian restaurant.

Dec 24: We drove out to Long Island to see my parents in the late morning. Unfortunately, C fell asleep on the way out and since we really wanted him to get a good nap in, I ended up sitting in the car with him for over an hour in my parent's driveway. When he finally woke up, my dad took C, hubby, my sister and I to lunch at Cheeburger. My aunt and I made it to 4pm mass, along with every other family in at least a 30 mile radius... seriously, the place was packed to the rafters! After mass, we had one course of our traditional Italian Christmas Eve meal before it was time to put C in his jammies and head home to wait for Santa. And to finish wrapping presents and watch some of A Christmas Story.

Dec 25: The little guy let us sleep in until 5:50am which was much appreciated. When he woke up, as per his usual, he was saying "tree, tree" and wanting to turn the tree lights on. He hardly noticed the plentiful pile of presents (most of them had his name on the tag). It took C about an hour to open 3 gifts. In fact, the first gift he opened, a play food set, he would have been content to just play with that! But with a stop for a chocolate chip pancake breakfast, we finished opening the presents, continued to watch A Christmas Story, and then headed out to my parent's house for more presnet opening. My mom bought C a ride on fire truck, which was a big hit with him, and he loved playing "golf" with grandpa with his new golf club set. Overall the little guy made out very well with toys, awesome Pottery Barn towels, and some clothes. I recieved a spa day, a pair of Coach boots, and a 10 piece Rachael Ray cookware set.

Dec 26: I headed out around 8am to the Great Jones Spa for a massage and mani/pedi. This was one of my Christmas gifts from the hubby. I love Great Jones Spa because they have a water lounge, complete with hot tub, sauna and steam room. Its really a great mini retreat! When I left around 1pm, it was snowing. And as you probably know, continued to snow and snow. I think my neighborhood had about 12 inches or so. The White Christmas missed us by a day, but the snowy/slushy/snow-turned-black mess was with us for a long while!

2010 How Sweet It Was!

2011-01-03T06:00:00.036-05:00

Happy New Year to all of you! I know last week many blogs were looking back on their year, with their favorite blog moments or posts. But since this is a baby travel blog, I thought it would be fun to start 2011 off by looking back on some of the great trips of 2010.

In January, I not only started the blog, but was inspired by a trip to NC with C.

At the end of January, into February, baby C, hubby and I visited my parents in Florida. We also went to Disney!

In March, C turned one! 3/18/2010 to be exact.

In April, C and I returned to Florida again for some more fun in the sun and his first dunk in the Gulf of Mexico.

In May, our family of three took a much needed vacation to Puerto Rico. At the end of that month we traveled to Maine.

In June, we bought our car and had our first road trip... to Atlantic City.

July kept us close to home, with fun day trips to the LI Aquarium and the local beaches.

In August, C, my dad and I returned to NC for a too hot trip down South!

In September, we road tripped to Virginia Beach and spent a week there.

October kept us busy, but close to home, doing pumpkin-y things and Halloween!

In November, we had our NE road trip adventure with stops in Connecticut, Maine and Boston.

And in December, C, my dad and I returned to NC for another great trip!

Wow! I'm tired just thinking about it. But need to get ready for our next adventure... a trip to Florida, and hopefully it will be warm and sunny. I'm already "over" this winter weather!

On Vacation

2010-12-27T07:00:00.006-05:00

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!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T08:00:00.003-05:00

From my family to yours!!!!

Wordless Wednesday: My 2009 Santa Baby

2010-12-22T06:00:00.010-05:00

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

Winter Wondlerland: A 2011 Winter To Do List

2010-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

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

C's 4th Trip To North Carolina

2010-12-20T06:00:00.023-05:00

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!

A Beautiful Day for a Playdate

2010-12-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

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!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

2010-12-17T19:31:00.000-05:00

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!

My Swim Bug

2010-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

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***

Wordless Wednesday: Miami 2003

2010-12-15T07:00:00.006-05:00

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! ***

What C is getting for Christmas

2010-12-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

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! ***

Did You Enter? Perdue Giveaway

2010-12-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

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!

Wordless Wednesday: Santa Stranger Danger

2010-12-08T06:00:00.009-05:00

this pic, in all its cuteness, is one for the record book. Not the 2010 Christmas card

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

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

Perdue Whole Grain Chicken Breast Nuggets Review & Giveaway

2010-12-07T07:00:00.058-05:00

Loyal BTG readers will know two important things. First, I have been a vegetarian for 14, almost 15 years. And my son is a picky toddler. I offer him meat, but he has no interest. I have tried chicken nuggets, meatballs, turkey, gyros, sausage, bacon (I mean come on, even I could see jumping ship for bacon) but he wants none of it. I even blogged about my infamous chicken-nugget story. So Perdue found out about our chicken nugget struggles, and contracted me about trying out and reviewing their new Whole Grain Chicken Breast Nuggets.

Well I can't say I've tried them. And I can't lie to you, C won't eat them. But then again he won't eat chocolate or bacon. So his opinion doesn't count. But you know who loves them? Hubby. And since we were sent several bags by the generous Perdue people, hubby gets to eat them often because they are also super easy to make. You can microwave them in just under two minutes! Hubby says, "I like em because they taste good and are healthy, but they don't taste "healthy" Ahh words of wisdom from my love, no but seriously they are made from all white meat chicken and with whole grain breading!

Fast, healthy and yummy? Want to win some? Well, Perdue is giving one lucky Baby To Go reader 5 coupons for a FREE package of any variety of Perdue Frozen Fully Cooked Chicken (that's a $40 value!)

To enter:

1. Follow Baby To Go via google friend connect or subscribe via emai

2. Follow me, @harmskills on twitter

3. Tweet about it! @harmskills wants me to #win Free Perdue Chicken #giveaway http://bit.ly/eagAFr

Thats it! Just leave a comment for each thing you do! Make sure I can contact you via email if you win. Entries will be open for over a week. You can tweet once a day (just leave a separate comment each time). Entries will close at 5pm EST on Thursday, December 16, 2010. One lucky winner will be chosen by random.org.

Disclosure: I was given several bags of Purdue Whole Grain Chicken Breast Nuggets to review . I did not receive any other compensation for this review. The coupons expire 4/30/2011

The Quiet Car. Travel Without Baby

2010-12-06T06:00:00.005-05:00

This past weekend, I took the Amtrak down to Philadelphia and met up with my two friends from DC. These are my gal pals of 10 years, and each of us represents a different decade (I'm in my 30's, one girl in her 40s and one in her 50s) but when we come together we always have such a blast and we are a great trio.

I'm also glad I decided to take the train to Philly instead of drive. My ticket was only $70 RT and if you add up tolls (ummm... its 11 bucks just to cross the Verrazano Bridge), gas, and parking it cost about the same, BUT on the train I was able to relax, read, knit and stare out the window... all in the quiet car! Yes, they really do have a quiet car, where there are no kids (cause kids cant be quiet) and no jackarses gabbing on their cell phones!

We arrived in Philly around lunch time on Saturday, checked into our hotel, the Sofitel (which is super fancy and in a great location, also a 20 minute walk from the train station), and headed down to Reading Market. Now Reading Market is a food lovers dream, with a ton of booths where you can buy any kind of food imaginable. After a long look around, I chose a falafel plate! Super yummy.

And I'm glad I fueled up at the market, because after that, we spent the next three hours exploring the city on foot. We walked past the Liberty Bell (see artsy pic to your left), Independence Hall, and Ben Franklin's House. We walked down to the river, and over to Society Hill and then up South Street, window shopping our way back to the hotel.

After an hour or so of vegging and regrouping at the hotel, we dolled up a little and ventured out to El Vez, a Mexican restaurant close to our hotel. We had hoped to eat at Zahav, but the earliest we could get was a 9:00 reservation, and this acclaimed Israeli restaurant was kinda far from our hotel.

So we started at the bar with Chardonnay for me, and pomegranate margaritas for my friends, and after about an hour we were seated for dinner. We quickly ordered some fancy guacamole, with red peppers, goat cheese and pistachios. Needless to say we practically licked the bowl clean.

I can't say we partied till the wee hours, but we did blast through some more wine and another pitcher of 'rita, so after dinner we headed to bed and I of course slept like a rock. My girlfriend arranged for us to have room service coffee delivered in the morning, best idea ever! On Sunday morning, we took our time getting ready and headed out for another walk around the neighborhood and some brunch at a restaurant called Marathon.

Marathon was super yummy and I ate way too much, which left me in a bit of a food coma for my train ride back to NYC. Although I of course could not wait to get home and hear the little man call "momma." I missed him (oh and hubby too) so much, but it was so great to get away, explore a new city, chill with my friends (who are also moms) and relax.

Thanksgiving Week Eating

2010-12-03T06:00:00.020-05:00

One of my favorite things about traveling is being out of my normal routine. I love to see different places, take in new sights and try new foods. Even if it’s as non-exotic as trying your first McFlurry at a Connecticut rest area McDonalds. But since we have had C eating much, much better than he was a few months ago, I had a feeling that this recent New England Thanksgiving adventure would he hard on his eating schedule.

From home, I packed a bag of Goldfish, two bananas, several Fruitables Peach and Pear juice boxes (I usually just dump the juice in his juice cup, since he likes to squeeze the juice box, but he is learning how to drink from a box and those boxes have Elmo on them), a Tupperware of graham crackers, three things of applesauce, a few Plum Tots pouches, two extra snack traps, an extra juice cup, a milk cup, munchkin spoons, and three extra Gerber bowls with lids for storing leftovers. I put all this food in a reusable grocery bag, and we kept this in the backseat of the car with us. It was easy to have all the food together and accessible for snacking. I also packed some Kashi bars for myself and a bag of Parmesan goldfish for hubby... and of course a reusable water bottle!

That about covered us for snacks for the week. We were at Foxwoods the first night (and they do not have a grocery/convienience store/market on the property) I had to order C food from restaurants. He had a slice of pizza at the food court for lunch, and then some more pizza for dinner from CPK. In the morning, I bought him a bagel at Dunkin’ Donuts and he had some McFlurry when we stopped at a rest area.

When we arrived in Belfast, I was able to shop for him at the Hannaford’s. I bought him a four pack of YoBaby 3-in-1-meals yogurt, and some bread and cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches. And some more fruit. For breakfast he was able to enjoy toast and waffles from the Comfort Inn continental breakfast spread. Here we were also able to fill up his juice and milk cup each day. I made sure to have a fridge provided in each hotel room we stayed in, for storing the yogurt and any leftovers.

I had hoped C would try more things, but he did eat pizza, and have some McFlurry. In general, he did fairly well with eating, but we are still at a point where I feel we have to pack or grocery shop for him, and not rely on restaurants or him trying new stuff.

Wordless Wednesday: Thankful for Waffles

2010-12-01T06:00:00.003-05:00

This is C, chowing down on a fresh cooked waffle at the Comfort Inn in Belfast, Maine. Thanksgiving morning, 2010.

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

Its Been a Week Since C Has Slept Past 4:50am

2010-11-30T06:00:00.010-05:00

Which pretty much sums up the dirty details of the New England Thanksgiving Road Trip! Yes, he was great in the car, he napped good, ate well, but kept waking up earlier. And earlier. AND EARLIER each day. With the last night, waking up at 12:30 am and refusing the go back to sleep until hubby put the Pack N Play next to the couch and slept next to him. Now, we are no strangers to early wake ups, but my son has not woken up in the middle of the night since he was about 11 months old. And CIO/Ferber goes out the door when you are in a hotel or a friend's apartment!

At least each night hubby and I were asleep by 9pm (okay, I'll admit, on Friday night hubby and I went to bed at 8:45 pm. By choice). So hubby getting up at 4:30 or 5am after I fed C, he was pretty well rested. And ate least C napped REALLY well which came in handy during our many driving stints. I expected the car part to be the worst part of this road trip, but it was actually the most relaxing.

On this trip, C ate pretty well. He is into pizza now, and he loves french fries, especially yummy deep fried ones from restaurants and McDonald's. Oh and he enjoyed some McFlurry, but just the ice cream, not the M&Ms. And don't worry, he had his usual fill of fruit and other healthy items too! But C isn't too great in restaurants, especially at dinner. We only ate dinner out twice, Monday night at the California Pizza Kitchen in Foxwoods, where he refused to eat his pizza until we brought it back up to the room, and then on Wednesday we went to Darby's Pub in Belfast and C refused to eat anything, refused to sit in the high chair and refused to play in the empty part of the restaurant, instead wanting to run around where the servers were coming out of the kitchen. Needless to say, the dinners out were not fun. Lunches (Olive Garden & Hillstone's) were better, and we ate breakfast each morning at our hotel, The Comfort Inn in Belfast.

In retrospect, we should have brought more toys along. We had C's favorite, his blue baby doll stroller, and we brought some other small toys & books that fit in the suitcase, but he was pretty bored of these. It was also too cold (well, too windy really) to play outside, so as the days wore on, the boredom got worse and worse. At least we realized that an Elmo DVD could capture his attention for about 15 minutes and also that we could watch Super Why! on youtube.

Now we are well into Christmas planning and Thanksgiving is feeling like a distant memory. Although we seemed to have brought the early wake ups home with us :(

1022.7 Miles and Three McFlurry's Later...

2010-11-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

And I live to blog about our New England Road Trip Adventure. To Maine and back! That's right, in just six looooonnnngggg days, I drove over a thousand miles, and gained like at least 1000 lbs! And after these kind of adventures, I feel like I could write a book about our travels, but I'll keep it to a few posts this week and today I'll just tease you with some of the highlights of our Thanksgiving 2010 trip.

Last Monday we hit the road and drove about three hours and spent the night in Connecticut. And by Connecticut, I mean Foxwoods. Which if you don't know, is a casino in the northeastern part of that state! We swam, hit an arcade (which 20 month olds are pretty much too young for), and hubby won some money in the "grown up arcade," while I lost a bit.

On Tuesday, we did the bulk of our driving (over 5 hours) from CT to Belfast, Maine. With a stop in Portland for lunch at the Olive Garden (a Baby To Go favorite), with a good friend of hubby's and his wife. That afternoon we arrived in Maine, where we spent three nights, and turkey day with my mother in law (although we spent the nights in a nearby hotel).

On Friday, in icy, sleety conditions, we set out for Boston, a drive which took longer than expected due to the weather, but we rolled up to Fanuiel Hall a little after 1 pm to meet up with more friends for a fabulous lunch at Hillstone. Our two sets of plans for the remainder of the day fell through, but we were all pretty spent by this point so we relaxed at our friend's apartment, ate take out from Anna's Taqueria and watched Elf on TV.

By Saturday it was time to head back to NYC, but first a stop at my brother-in-law's house and breakfast with hubby's two brothers, their wives and C's three cousins. Which was by far a highlight of the trip! Family, food and good times, I hope that is what your holiday was about as well! Oh and I did manage to have not one, not two, but THREE M&M McFlurries on this trip. Well, I did share them with hubby and C.

Give it a Big Click

2010-11-27T19:21:00.000-05:00

If you like Baby To Go, can you click this banner below to vote for this site for Top Mommy Blog? The site has reset again, and if you "win" you don't really win anything, but it helps BTG get exposure, more readers, and that exciting project I mentioned a few weeks ago we a direct result of high placement on this site. Thanks a lot! And have a great weekend!

PS. You can vote everyday when you see this banner on posts!!!!

Fall To Do List: Two Month Recap

2010-11-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

How is it Thanksgiving already? Fall is almost over!!!! Although my favorite time of the year is Thanksgiving up until New Year's. Then of course it just turns cold, and grey! But two months into the fall to do list, here is where we stand.

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

City Island (walk around and have a meal)

day trip to North Fork. Wine tasting and picnic

Museum of Natural History

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)

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

Okay, so less than one month to go before winter is officially here!!!!!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T07:00:00.003-05:00

Although we are on the road, I wanted to check in and wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Our family plans to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade (yes, I will be glued to the TV between the hours of 9 and 12 and I think C will love the balloons and floats and anything Sesame Street or Thomas related), hit the hotel hot tub, eat and relax!

All the best, and if anyone wants to write about your holiday travels, please email me at babytogo@aol.com.

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Wordless Wednesday: Thanksgiving 2009

2010-11-24T06:00:00.012-05:00

"Thankful for Mommy" shirt: Carters. In Belfast, Maine on Thanksgiving 2009

Eating Thanksgiving dinner in his Regalo Easy Diner Portable Hook-On High Chair. Bib by Carters. Bad haircut by mom. Belfast, Maine 2009

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Manhattan Two Times

2010-11-23T06:00:00.011-05:00

Last week, C and I made two trips into Manhattan. Something we haven’t done in a while. Mainly because now that he eats lunch around noon, and naps after, it’s hard to travel in (about 30-60 minutes on subway depending on where in Manhattan you are headed), do an activity, and be home for a reasonable naptime. But I was coaxed by some friends, and lured in by pumpkin scones, so I figured we would make a plan and see what happened!

Last Thursday I met a friend and her toddler and we headed to Central Park. We spent about an hour or so at the playground near 67^th & 5^th avenue (not sure what the playground was called, but it had the big slide and a sandbox). C of course loves his playgrounds, especially a new one to explore, and the weather was so nice in NYC. Then we headed to Alice’s Tea Cup, a Baby-To-Go favorite (site of the infamous run-in with an obnoxious teenager).

My friend and I had been craving the Mad Hatter Platter (aka Tower of Treats) and especially the pumpkin scones, which were luckily on the menu. When we arrived (before 11:30) we were told that they had many reservations (note to self, they take reservations) but that if we ate in ½ an hour we could have the only open table. “Sure,” we said “no problem.” I mean we already knew what we were going to order, plus I selfishly wanted to be out of there quickly and back home for naptime.

But the service was super slow and 40 minutes later we were still waiting for the food we ordered. My son was past the point of a potential meltdown and to summarize, I ate my sandwich and a few scones in about 6 minutes. My son threw all his French Fries on the floor. Oh well, we tried!

The next day, we had plans to meet up with a big group at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. I decided to just take the subway in by myself and meet the others at the museum. That way, I figured, I could head out early and get some time in at the museum before nap. We arrived at the museum around 10:30am and in we went. We visited the new Wizard of Oz exhibit and then finally met up with our friends on the 3^rd floor. C played and played until he ran out of steam and started to get super cranky. We left around 12:15, I ran into Starbucks to stuff my face with a very delicious egg white wrap (who knew SBUX has those?) and home we went.

All in all, 2 hours on the subway for an hour and a half of playtime at the CMOM, so I’ll probably pass on that next time. But we did manage to make it in, do something fun, and get home for nap. So that bodes well for heading in and seeing the tree at Rockefeller Center! Soon!

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Thanksgiving Week Travel Tips

2010-11-22T06:00:00.011-05:00

So the big day is almost here and millions of families will be hitting the road or sky to travel for Thanskgiving. Some parents will be traveling with children for the first time. So here is a summary of some of my best travel tips for Thanksgiving 2010. You can always click on the labels, or browse through old posts for more detailed info.

Airplane: When traveling domestically, you do not have to buy a ticket for a child under age two, but without a ticket, they will have to sit on your lap for the flight. At check in, make sure your ticket says you are traveling with an UNTICKETED INFANT; you will need that to go through security. With domestic travel you do not need an ID for your child, but I always travel with a copy of my son’s birth certificate just in case.

When going through security it is very helpful to carry your baby in a Bjorn or other type carrier. You will have to fold your stroller and put it through the x-ray machine. You can gate check your stroller planeside with no charge. That way you can use it to walk through the airport. You can also check your car seat (and infant car seat base) for free upon arrival at the airport. These items do not count toward your baggage allowance.

On board you can bring a “reasonable” amount of liquid for your baby. I always pack extra snacks, diapers, wipes, toys then I think I need, and always an extra outfit for you baby. If you child is a big spitter upper, you might want to bring on another shirt for yourself.

Road Trip: Pack a wide variety of snacks, toys, and books. Fuel up before you go and only stop for gas, or for the baby to stretch their legs and run around (or when he or she needs to nurse or a diaper change). Pack snacks for the adults so you do not have to stop for the grown-ups. Although pulling over at a fast food restaurant that has an indoor play area is a great tip someone once gave me. Also, plan your drive around naptime as much as possible.

Hotel: Hotels will provide you with a crib (or pack and play) and a fridge upon request. It’s always a good idea to confirm this a few days in advance. Most hotels we have visited have provided a portable playard for baby, and I always bring with me a pack and play sized sheet since many hotels just use a regular sized one. Also the scents of home are soothing to a little one when on the road.

Since my son goes to bed early (around 7pm), we try to book a suite or a larger room when possible (to us, worth the extra money) so that when the little guy goes to bed, us parents can watch a movie or read. We usually end up watching movies on our laptop, with headphones.

Please feel free to add your tips or suggestions in the comments! And I have also posted something similar this week in my Babyssentials post, so be sure to check that out! And bon voyage!!!!!!

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Thankful for Cooks... and Whole Foods!

2010-11-19T06:00:00.019-05:00

I love Cole’s monthly blog hops. I mean the guy is only one year old and already hosting twitter parties! But this month, I can’t say I have too many words of wisdom. Well, okay a few, but no real recipe to share.

I have never cooked a Thanksgiving meal in my life. Or a Thanksgiving dish for that matter! Up until meeting, and getting “serious” with hubby, I ate with my family. My mom has always cooked the most FABULOUS meal of the year. Turkey (which even as a kid and a non-vegetarian I did not care much for), stuffing (The best! She lets the rolls sit out and get hard for days before making this), corn (from a can. God Bless America), the best sautéed mushrooms, and of course 10+ pounds of mashed potatoes. And she always buys the best pies at White Post Farm.

I think our first Thanksgiving in Maine was in 2005, with hubby’s mom. Who although has lived in the US for a long time, is a Brit and not really into the traditional Thanksgiving menu. So for a few years, we ate a fancy meal, but not really a Thanksgiving dinner. This was fine, but a couple of years back I insisted we at least have a pie for dessert and started ordering an apple pie from a local bakery. Last year, I decided that I wanted to eat Thanksgiving food on Thanksgiving (I’m such a bitch, I know) so we compromised and she made a bird (not a turkey, I cant remember what it was, I don’t eat meat anyway) and we bought a slew of vegetarian side dishes from Whole Foods in Portland (and of course pie from the local bakery).

Which turned out to be a great idea on so many levels. It was so easy to pick up the food the day before, and heat it up when we were ready to eat. I remember getting some sort of vegetarian stuffing (dressing to you Southerners), mashed potatoes, a root vegetable dish and some cranberry chutney. We had plenty for the meal and lots left over for the next day. And considering Thanksgiving 2009 will remind us of a time when C first started sleeping through the night, but was up each morning around 4:30am, hubby and I were too exhausted to cook, shop, or prep anyway!

So as for Thanksgiving recipes, that’s what I got. Have someone else do the work. Your mom, mother-in-law, sister, brother, uncle, friend, whoever. Or go to Whole Foods. But make sure there is a pie.

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I Just Wanted One Picture

2010-11-18T06:00:00.040-05:00

As you will soon see, I love Christmas. I love lots of things about the holiday, but one thing I really enjoy is sending, and receiving Christmas cards. For the last 4 or 5 years, hubby and I have always sent out picture cards that we, I mean I, create on Snapfish. Obviously last year the card was totally C focused, with a picture of him sitting on Santa's lap at the mall, and two smaller pictures of him in a Santa suit taken at JC Penney.

So this year, I made my holiday portraits appointment nice and early, for this past Tuesday at 11am. My mom came to the mall to meet us, and I arrived at the portrait studio at 10:50. I of course saw a ton of other toddlers and preschoolers waiting for their pre-nap portrait appointments. But C was in great spirits running around the lower level of JC Penney, eating goldfish and drinking juice. We were as patient as possible, but the wait was getting ridiculous.

They finally called us at 12:10. Note, this was over an HOUR after our scheduled appointment. And past lunch time, and butting up to nap time. (You might already see where this story is going).

I attempted to put C's red Christmas sweater on, and for some reason, he did not like this. And proceeded to freak out and cry. And which point I knew, this portrait session was probably not going to happen. We (meaning me, my mom and the nice photographer lady) tried to salvage it by using toys as a distraction. When he went running to his stroller and started grabbing his coat and saying "Jacket" we even considered doing a jacket pose with the fake tree/snow background. But no. We were done. Not even one picture was snapped.

So we are going to try back on Friday with a much earlier appointment. But, before we left, I did get a little "Sheree" on the poor photographer, who clearly is not in charge of booking appointments 10 minutes apart. Now I understand that you get what you pay for in this world, but seriously JC Penney??? Can't you give each person 15, or 20 minutes, therefor not getting as behind schedule causing 20 month old toddlers to have to wait over an hour and then have a meltdown and not even get any pictures? It's not rocket science, but it is Christmas. 'Tis the season for mall insanity, cranky parents and toddler meltdowns!

Christmas Portraits 2009

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Wordless Wednesday: Mommy To Go

2010-11-17T06:00:00.007-05:00

A few words: First of all, I know I need new sunglasses! My awesome Armani Exchange ones broke! (which may or may not have been a toddler's fault). But this is me, as we are crossing the Brooklyn Bridge this past weekend, Lower Manhattan in the background. Wearing a t-shirt in NYC in the middle of November! Does life get any better?

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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NYC Food Crawl 2010

2010-11-16T06:00:00.030-05:00

As promised yesterday, here is the recap of the NYC 2010 Food Crawl. Yes, gone are the days of pub crawls and all day drinking. Now we just like to stuff our faces... and take in the sights of New York City.

We began our crawl in Brooklyn. The first stop on the agenda was Grimaldi's... famous for their pizzas, and their long waits. We all took in the beautiful fall morning by walking along the East River through Brooklyn Bridge Park, and over to Grimaldi's. Where there was of course a hour long wait, even at 11:30 am. And even for take out. So we decided to skip that stop, but since the pregnant friends were hungry, (okay we all were starving) we grabbed a chicken taco and a vegetarian quesadilla from the Calexico food truck near Pier One of Brooklyn Bridge Park. And the funny thing is, this was every one's favorite food of the day! We should have ordered more!

Next, we headed across the Brooklyn Bridge, something I have never done! And what a beautiful day it was! Once in Manhattan, we headed to Chinatown for some dumplings. We ended up at Joe's Ginger, again not the original plan, but this restaurant could accommodate a party of 10 at lunchtime. There we had an assortment of dumplings, scallion pancakes, and tea. Our server was a little peeved that a party of 10 came in and had a bill of $44, but this crawl was a food marathon, not a sprint. He just didn't understand!

So on we headed to the Lower East Side, to the Doughnut Plant (see photo in yesterday's post). Yes, this is one of those trendy joints that serves one food... and serves it VERY WELL! And I highly recommend trying this place out with several friends, as we ordered a box of everything and were each able to sample many of the wonderful flavors. My favorites were the chocolate chocolate, the peanut butter and jelly and the cranberry doughnuts.

Next, we pressed on over to Little Italy to finally have some pizza at Lombardi's (a restaurant I have been dying to try for a very long time). Lombardi's, like Grimaldi's is famous for its pizza pies (NO SLICES) and long waits. We had a 45 minute wait, but we just hung outside and digested the earlier eats. When we sat at Lombardi's we ordered two house salads, a pizza margarita, a pepperoni pizza and a white pizza, as we decide this would be the last stop on the tour. I loved the margarita and white pizza, the salad was awesome, and I definitely ate too much at Lombardi's.

As we headed back to the Spring Street subway stop, we passed a bakery named, The Best Chocolate Cake in the World, so we had to go in and purchase an entire cake to go. I never got around to eating again before it was time for me to head home the next day. So not sure if the cake lived up to its name. I guess I will have to return to Little Italy and find out!

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Eating and Sleeping... A Girl's Weekend!

2010-11-15T06:00:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I was a little quiet with blogs, facebook and twitter. And hubby and the little dude had plenty of male bonding time while I headed to Brooklyn (I know... real far) for a fabulous girls weekend. That's right, no kids (well just four fetuses in my 3 pregnant friends' tummies) and no husbands (well except for one who did join us for part of the day on Saturday). And for me, no one to take care of but my damn self! For two whole nights!

Now even though I only had to travel 8 miles to Brooklyn, the other girls traveled from Minnesota, DC, NJ, CT and Massachusetts to get together in NYC. I arrived on Friday night, and we pretty much laid low as everyone trickled in. We had some Thai food, wine, and chatted! Don't you just love doing that with your girlfriends? We laughed and stayed up way too late!

But it felt great to sleep as long as I wanted on Saturday morning (I got up around 8:45 literally the latest I have slept in 20 months) and to take a nice, hot shower. We all had a small breakfast and some coffee and headed out for the main activity of the trip: AN ALL DAY, TWO-BOROUGH, NYC FOOD CRAWL! Okay I have to give the food crawl its own separate post tomorrow, but needless to say, much food was consumed (again three of my friends are pregnant, one with twins, and well, we all like to eat!).

Saturday night, still in a bit of food coma, we ventured out a party. And not one that begins at 10 AM and takes place in some brightly colored gym! One that didn't even get going until around 10 PM although some of us left by 11!

Sunday morning when I woke, I could not wait to get home to my guys! They had a fun time without me, and I think hubby was super proud that he could care for C all that time. And I am of course proud of both of them! I really needed this trip to relax and just reconnect with the friends who know me best.

Stay tuned for more on the food crawl... but here is a sneak peak...

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Brooklyn Gym Park, A DoodleDeal

2010-11-12T06:00:00.005-05:00

Since May, when my son began to walk, we have spent most of our free time at the park or playground. So with colder weather approaching, I have been scoping out indoor play options for my son. We do structured classes twice a week (gym & swimming) and we have a membership to the NY Hall of Science, which has a great playroom, but I’m always looking for new place to head. So when my friend told me about a doodledeal for Gym Park, I bought it and off we went.

First of all, what is a doodldeal? Well, it’s like a Groupon, but for local kids’ stuff. (And btw, a Groupon is a deeply discounted coupon that you have around 24 hours to purchase and certain restrictions with use). With this doodledeal, we bought 3 open play sessions for $25 (and were waived the membership fee). Five of my neighborhood friends purchased this doodledeal, so last Wednesday we all went for the 10:15 open gym.

Gym Park is in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and we all took the train there. My son loved running around and sitting in this little fire engine toy they had. He liked the trampoline and running in between the baby-parallel bars. We stayed and played for about an hour and then headed out to Cookie Road for a quick (and yummy) lunch and then back to the subway to head home.

Some of my friends thought the safety was a little questionable at this place, given that some of the equipment had some bars sticking out. So they emailed doodledeals and received a refund. I decided that although this place wasn’t great (it’s a big gym space with a ton of potential), that I would use my two more open play times this winter.

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Wordless Wednesday: More Fall Fun

2010-11-10T06:00:00.013-05:00

Okay Halloween is over, but the fall is still in full swing! In fact, I think I love November more than October. And I love December even more than that!

White Post Farm, 10/2010

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

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Not Sure What To Call This One...

2010-11-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

I've been a little MIA from the blog writing (and definitely from the blog reading... and tweeting) but I've been busy in that beyond "we all are busy" kinda way. Basically I have been working on a project (that is blog related) that I am SUPER FREAKING excited to tell you all about... but its gonna have to wait a week or two until I can share with you the final product!!!!

But I can tell you that every night for the last two weeks, when C went to bed, I have been working on this project and this past weekend was out Friday night and all morning on Sunday to work on it. And Saturday I actually worked a real job and well... Saturday night was Mom's Night Out here in the 'hood, so basically all my would-have-been blog time has been taken up.

And I do have some adventures to write up, but I'll give you that soon. Cause I need to go to bed soon (ummm tired out, read about crazy weekend above) and my body still has not 100% adjusted to the time change. Oh and speaking of! My little plan to put the C-man to bed later and later last week totally blew up in my face and by Wednesday morning he was waking up EVEN earlier, so we stuck with our 7pm bedtime up until Saturday night and have dealt with 4:30 wake ups since the time shift. I figure it will take about a week before we are back on track.

What have you been up to? How have your lil'ones done with Daylight Savings?

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A Day on the Farm

2010-11-05T06:00:00.015-04:00

One of my favorite Long Island activities is a visit to the White Post Farm. A stone’s throw from my parents house, its only about a 35-40 minute drive from Queens. The store, petting zoo and farm stand are open year round, along with seasonal activities, but the highlight of their year is the annual Fall Festival. (oh and the Thanksgiving pies are AMAZING!!!)

Last year, when C was 7 months old, we visited the Fall Festival with the little guy in the Bjorn. There wasn’t so much for him to see or do, but ever since last fall I’ve been super excited to return with a toddler!

We arrived at 10am and the Farm was very empty. We had our $2 off coupons (you can print them here) and in we went. Going early was the best, we didn’t have to wait in line or anything! By the time we left around noon, the place was a mad house, there was nowhere to park and there was a huge line to even enter.

First we hit the petting zoo, the camels in fact, and C actually freaked out a little due to their sheer size! My husband bought a bucket of feed and since we were clearly some of the first customers of the day, the animals must have been ravenous, they were practically knocking us over to get to the bucket.

So to calm the little guy down, we took him to the toddler playground and climbed & slid for a while. After about 15 minutes we returned to the petting zoo, this time to the sheep and goats. C has a book and a toy with sheep on them, so he actually recognized the “eeps”! These he loved petting and feeding. We had given up on our bucket, but I had some quarters to get a handful of feed out of the machine. C enjoyed feeding the sheep and goats off the little plastic shovel that came with the feed bucket.

After a snack and some hand sanitizer, hubby took C on a train ride (an additional $2 charge) and then we all went on a hayride around the fields. C actually sat on the bench, looking around at the other kids and enjoyed some pretzels.

After a relaxing hayride, we frolicked in the pumpkin patch and took the obligatory fall-kid-with-pumpkin photos! And even though “pumpkin picking & carving” is on my Fall 2010 to-do list, we decided against that this year since C really is too small and it make such a mess. We do however, have a decorative gourd from Trader Joes in our kitchen.

As it approached lunchtime, we sat for a few minutes and enjoyed a bit of the “Pork Chop Review” a show with super large pigs performing tricks and wearing silly costumes. And at the end of our visit, we tried out the bouncy house area. C did not enjoy the toddler bounce house, because he had to go in by himself and no parents allowed. But even though he was too small to go in the big bouncers by himself, kids under 36 inches could enter with a parent. Which was me!

Actually the huge bouncy slide was the highlight of the day. C and I went up the ladder and down the slide I think a total of 8 times. We were both worn out after that!

The Fall Festival is actually over for this year, BUT the day after Thanksgiving ushers in the holiday festivities at White Post, so maybe we will return this winter. And I’m sure we will be back next fall.

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Wordless Wednesday: Dragon Lair

2010-11-03T06:00:00.010-04:00

trick or treating with my little dragon, 10/31/2010

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

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NYC Farm

2010-11-02T06:00:00.011-04:00

No, its actually not an oxymoron!! I have lived in Queens for over two years and only last week had my first trip to the Queens Farm! What a hidden gem, NYC’s oldest and largest working farm, the Queens Farm is open to the public 7 days a week and was a fantastic place to spend an afternoon with a toddler.

I visited the Queens Farm with my son and four other moms from the neighborhood. Even though the Farm is accessible by bus, we all drove and met up around 3pm. Since we visited on a weekday, admission was free, although some of the fall attractions (hayrides, corn maze, etc) were not open.

So we walked around, saw goats, horses, cows, sheep, chickens and rabbits. We all bought some animal feed ($3 per bag), although most of the kids were a bit scared to feed the cow! In fact, the kids primarily just enjoyed running around in the grass, playing with the hay stacks, and climbing the steps of the old farmhouse.

Since we visited on a Monday afternoon, on a perfect fall day when the leaves were changing and the sun was low in the sky, the farm stand was not open. So I want to return on a Wednesday through Sunday to take advantage of the produce for sale. And perhaps return on the weekend when there is a more extensive petting zoo. But for a free, fun, outdoor activity, the Queens Farm is worth a trip any time!

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The Worst Day EVER!!!!!! (and I don't exaggerate!)

2010-11-01T06:00:00.015-04:00

I don't like to be all melodrama, but really I have been dreading the first Sunday in November* for quite some time. Well, since last year on the first Sunday in November. And I normally love Sundays, and love November... but well, its daylight savings day... when we "Fall Back." ugggggg!!!!!

Now that we FINALLY have the C-man sleeping until around 5:45 - 6:15 am... when the clocks change, we are looking at a 4:45 - 5:15am wake up time. Too early! I think last year we were up around 3:45 with the little dude... details remain fuzzy in my brain.

So I am trying to be proactive this year and formulate a plan of attack. I think each night this week we will put C to bed 10 minutes later (he now goes to bed at 7 pm on the nose) and pick him up from his crib 10 minutes later. So on Monday night, to bed at 7:10 and Tuesday morning, don't pick him up until 6:10. Then by Saturday night he will go down at 8 and we wont pick him up till 6 am (new time).

In our experience, putting him to bed later does not make him sleep later, or duh we would have tried that by now. So we will see if this gradual approach does anything. I for see alot of morning crying...

Any parents have advice on how to deal with the Fall time change? The "Spring Ahead" is great!!!!!

*The First Sunday in November is also the NYC Marathon, which is one of my favorite NYC events!!!

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$50 to Diapers.com... And Happy Halloween!!!!

2010-10-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

So C is going to be a dragon this year. And I'll probably upload his Halloween pics to my Wordless Wednesday, but for now, everyone have a great Halloween and be sure to enter the Springo Kids Virtual Halloween Costume Contest. Today is the last day! Good luck!!!!

Calling all Ghosts, Goblins, and Vampires!

Itching to try on your Halloween costume? Springo Kids, a visual discovery homepage for kids, and Diapers.com, the largest online retailer of baby goods, are partnering to co-host a Virtual Halloween Costume Contest!

Springo Kids and Diapers.com are eager to see what your kids have come up with this year. Entry is simple: All you have to do is snap a photo of your child in costume and tweet:

"Happy Halloween @Diapersdotcom @Springocom + [pic of your kid in his/her Halloween costume]"

And that's it! You're entered to win $50 to Diapers.com.

The contest runs from Monday, October 25 to Sunday, October 31. The participant with the best Halloween costume will be announced on Monday, November 1st from @Diapersdotcom and @Springocom. Make sure you’re following Springo Kids and Diapers.com on Twitter, to see everyone’s costume entries.

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Trick or Tweet!

2010-10-29T06:00:00.031-04:00

Halloween 2009, dressed up as a zebra. I bought this costume at Wal-Mart for around $7 and it was basically like a sleeper! All one piece with feet and hood. This picture was taken at Washington Square Park as we lined up for the Greenwich Village children's parade.

Mom, Dad and Zebra. Halloween 2009. We leave the costumes to the kids (although we like to partake in the candy eating).

Baby's 1st Halloween outfit. This is what C wore under his costume. I bought this outfit in the Fall of 2008 when I went into Buy Buy Baby to register, it was half price! This picture was taken at Acme Bar and Grille in Greenwich Village, where we went to eat after the parade. Its also one of my favorite NYC restaurants.

This year C is going to be a dragon. I bought his costume at Carter's last year, after Halloween. I think I paid about $7 for this one too (see a theme here!). I don't think we are going to do the Greenwich Village parade, but I'm sure we will do something fun on Sunday! Happy Halloween!

With Halloween days away, Cole (& his mommy) are hosting a Halloween Blog Hop #trickortweet. So join the virtual Halloween parade and link up! Trick or Tweet is open long past Halloween... so link up by November 5th.

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Two Different Posts, One Theme

2010-10-28T06:00:00.026-04:00

Tuesday's post (in case you missed it) where I get all sappy about living in the moment and seeing the good in everything (part of The {Very} Young Philosopher Link Up hosted by The Stroller Ballet).

My Babyssentials post of the week (in case you missed it) all about my experience in finding a babysitter and why I use one.

Two seemingly unrelated articles, but really they go hand in hand. I do think working one night a week has made me a much better mom. And to appreciate my time with C because being out of the house one night, missing dinner, our playtime and bath, makes me realize how precious the moments I get really are. In some ways it was the perfect storm of the timing of the conversation with hubby, and my landing this one night a week jobby job.

And working is phenomenal. I make some extra money and get some time to be the professional-me. But this past week, I had the babysitter come one afternoon so I could have time to myself. To make an appointment, do a little shopping, eat lunch out and get my hair cut. This is something I hope to do... no NEED to do... at least twice a month. And yes, I know paying a babysitter is no small chunk of change, but if you are considering something like this... do it once a month, or once every other...

Because coming through the door after being gone, to plant a million kisses on my lil dude's face... that makes all the "bad" worth it!!!!!!

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Wordless Wednesday: Two Years Ago! (& a Contest)

2010-10-27T06:00:00.005-04:00

Two years ago this week... this is what I looked like:

20 weeks pregnant, 10/29/2008

with a teeny little baby bump carrying this little bundle of love:

20 week ultrasound 10/29/2008

which two years ago we found out "it" was in fact a "he"!!!!!!

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

Since you know you are going to take at least 700 pictures of your kids in costume!!!!!!!!! (And who doesn't love diapers.com and free stuff!)

Itching to try on your Halloween costume? Springo Kids, a visual discovery homepage for kids, and Diapers.com, the largest online retailer of baby goods, are partnering to co-host a Virtual Halloween Costume Contest!

Springo Kids and Diapers.com are eager to see what your kids have come up with this year. Entry is simple: All you have to do is snap a photo of your child in costume and tweet:

"Happy Halloween @Diapersdotcom @Springocom + [pic of your kid in his/her Halloween costume]"

And that's it! You're entered to win $50 to Diapers.com.

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My {very} young philosopher. And an older one too!

2010-10-26T06:00:00.038-04:00

One night recently, my husband and I were talking and he flat out said that all I do is complain about being a mom. Complain about how my son won't nap (unless on my lap), how he gets up so early (he does... at like 4:30am some days), how he won't eat (you've heard me mention this before) and how he is fussy/cranky/clingy, well you get the point. Typical mom of toddler stuff. Everyone has their issues, their good days, and their bad. And at the end of, I seemed to recap only the bad to hubby.

That was about a month ago and it really got me thinking about how blessed I am, and how I really needed an attitude adjustment. I realized that I was only seeing the "bad" in many situations. So I very consciously started to try to see the good in everything. When C would nap on my lap, I would spend time gazing at him, and trying to remember every detail of his adorable eyelids. I reminded myself how fast the last 19 months have gone, and that one day, I'd be longing for those cuddly times.

One morning, when hubby and I were up in the wee hours with C, I took him into my bed and snuggled him, and instead of being angry for being up so early, I cuddled close and took in his sweet, milky breathe.

I have also spent more of my time at home on the floor, reading to, and playing with C. I've let the blog be, the Internet wait, and the apartment be a bit of a mess. Although now that I allow C to play in the kitchen every now and then, he "helps" me put away the dishes.

I usually don't get too sappy and mushy on this blog. Usually I write about trips to the zoo and which strollers are the best. But as my son (and husband) have recently reminded me, slow down. Stop and take in your life. Find the positive in things. You will be much happier having done so. I know I am!

This post is part of The {Very} Young Philosopher link up hosted by The Stroller Ballet.

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Fall To-Do List: One Month In

2010-10-25T06:00:00.007-04:00

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

City Island (walk around and have a meal)

day trip to North Fork. Wine tasting and picnic

Museum of Natural History

NYC Aquarium

Dia Beacon

Hiking (not sure where)

White Post Farm (Fall Festival from Sept 25-October 31)

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)

visit to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx

PS 1 Museum and Sculpture Garden

San Gennaro Little Italy Italian Festival 9/24

Queens Farm visit

What are you planning to do with your lil one this fall? Oh and if any NYC mommies want to meet up and check a thing off this list, let me know babytogo@aol.com or @harmskills on twitter.

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Relax & Surf

2010-10-24T07:00:00.004-04:00

Seriously, this is the best blog hop ever (hosted by Life of Rylie... and Bryce too), because all you have to do is add your link and surf the blogs on the list. Nothing required! And doesn't Relax & Surf just sound so... relaxing! So I wanted to pass along this link. Happy Sunday!

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Montreal Avec Les Enfants: Part 2 (DEUX)

2010-10-22T06:00:00.002-04:00

Written by Lara, mommy-on-the-go to a three year old daughter and a little man on the way! Here is her recap of fun activities & good eats in Montreal.

To Do:

Botanical Garden. Very expansive, full of various beautifully themed gardens, fountains, a little train and kids art activities in the arboretum section. It’s a full day excursion for sure so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it if you were only in town for a long weekend, unless you are really into plants. And while they do have some fall/winter activities, the summer was definitely a great time to visit.

La Ronde. This is the Coney Island of Montreal. It’s a theme park that was built on an island at the time of the World Expo in the 60s. The island also has a Biosphere with a huge geodesic dome and some nature trails and I think a race car track that we did not have time to visit. While it retains some of its old charms (it has one of the world’s oldest wooden roller coasters), it has been officially taken over by Six Flags. One interesting side note, when taken over by Six Flags, they instituted a policy that you could not bring food in (like in coolers) consistent with other Six Flags establishments. The French food-loving side of the city revolted and they rescinded the policy so you can actually bring food in. Of course they have the standard amusement park fair – pizza, nuggets, as well as Indian and Chinese food stalls. It was really fun even though I hate rides! Luckily the rest of my family, including my toddler, love them. I would encourage anyone interested in going to measure their child before you go to see what rides they can go on. There’s an interactive map on their website. There were about 11 rides that my daughter could go on even though she was just half an inch shy to ride the ones by herself like the kids roller coaster. She has vowed to go back when she grows up a little more. There’s also a huge Ferris wheel (La Ronde) where you get an awesome view of the City and lots of roller coasters if you’re into that thing. Also you can rent strollers there, which is great at the end of the day for those post cotton candy, exhausted toddlers.

Parc du Mont-Royal. I would recommend in the warmer months, a trip to Parc du Mont-Royal (the namesake for the City); there are great trails leading up to the top with beautiful views of the City along the way and on the northern side of the park near Monument St. George there was a playground and a public spray park that was a nice stop before we walked our daughter to sleep on our way to the Plateau neighborhood where you can go into funky shops and grab a bite to eat.

Vieux Port. Lastly I should mention the Old Port area – we took a fun boat tour from one of the piers (about 18 dollars for an hour tour/ kids were free) where I learned quite a bit about Montreal in a short time and we got to be on the water – the St. Lawrence River is amazingly powerful by the way – you don’t really go on it on most of the boat tours; you stay on the canal. I had no idea it was that large and fast. Anyway, the City has taken what used to be quite an industrial port area and turned it into more of a tourist / recreation area with an IMAX theater, a Science Center, a National Geographic Exhibit Area, some playgrounds and even a large internal maze. We went on a day when it was pretty hot for Montreal and it was our first day there and I think it was just a little too much for everyone without any shade and some long distances on the old piers to walk with our toddler and a first trimester pregnant lady. That being said the boat ride was great and I think for older kids it might provide a great days worth of activities.

To Eat:

Speaking of eating, the food in Montreal is amazing! Aside from the five wonderful public markets to choose from, there are tons of restaurants, cafes and bars (Old Montreal and downtown were a little bit more sparse than the other neighborhoods). We did not try any haute cuisine – French style cuisine but instead opted on our nights out to eat Portuguese food in the Plateau neighborhood. We went to an extremely family friendly place called Chez Portuguese where the owner and waiter spoke French, Spanish, Portuguese and English. He quickly whisked out a plate of fries for my daughter who boldly announced that she wanted French fries (how American); we also managed to get some other protein and vegetables in her later. They had amazing fish dishes and good wine (so says my husband – I only tried a sip as I am pregnant with my baby-on-the-go #2). When our daughter was done and wanted to run around, they let her and also invited her to watch cartoons with their son who was about 6 years old– we don’t let her watch TV very often so she was glued and we actually had a nice adult conversation only interrupted when there were commercials. In Montreal, there were also lots of vegetarian options, as well as Italian, Vietnamese pub style – you name it.

Montreal was completely different than I had imagined – it was less European looking than Europe itself or even Quebec but did definitely feel as if you were in another country. I thought it was a great place to go with my family; there was definitely something for everybody and going for a whole week allowed us to get a feel for the neighborhoods and also relax without feeling like we were rushed. Maybe we’ll go back when our daughter is old enough to ride the big rollercoaster…

Lara & her daughter, all photos courtesy of the author

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Montreal Avec Les Enfants: Part 1

2010-10-21T06:00:00.028-04:00

I've only been to Canada once... for a couple of hours (Niagara Falls), but my friend Lara, mom to the most dear three year old red head ever (and a little dude on the way), recently traveled to Montreal and agreed to share her story with Baby To Go readers! Here is part one of her recap, all about planning a trip to Montreal!

I too have a baby on the go and enjoy reading my long time friend, Harmony’s blog for great tips and ideas and have been meaning to write about one of our trips for some time now. Married to a Dutch man, and with family in the southern U.S. and a host of friends across the country, our three year old has been a lot of places! Most recently this summer we went with my parents and sister to Montreal. My parents flew in and we drove from central Massachusetts - about a 5 hour drive. The good news is, there is hardly any traffic and it is a gorgeous drive. We went up through NY where you drive through the Adirondacks through rows and rows of trees and returned through Vermont’s rolling green hills including a pit stop in Burlington for awesome food and a little stretching our legs by Lake Champlain.

Where to stay: Because we were going with a group of five adults and one child, my husband researched renting an apartment; which turned out to be a great deal. We stayed near Atwater Market which we visited everyday (sometimes twice a day) for fresh croissants, amazing fruit and vegetables, cheese that even a Dutch man could love, fish, wine, etc. Altogether we paid $1200 for a full week which split three ways was very reasonable. We saved on food (sort of - although we splurged at the aforementioned market!) by cooking at home for breakfast and most dinners. So down to the nitty gritty – if you’re going to Montreal with kids some things to keep in mind:

To stroller or not to stroller... and the subway. This was a tough one. We do love our Ergo especially for urban adventures but our toddler is getting heavier and since we were driving, we brought the stroller anyway. We realized quickly that Montreal is not super stroller friendly with respect to their otherwise very nice metro system. This is due in part to the fact that it was constructed in the 1960s and many of the stations do not have elevators (also not very wheelchair accessible either) so we ended up hauling the stroller up many flights of stairs which is not so fun. While the sidewalks were wide in some places, in others like Old Montreal, the streets and sidewalks were narrow and or made of bricks and full of rushing shoppers etc. So just something to keep in mind if you are bringing young ones who are sometimes in a stroller. Other than that, I found the directional signage and the metro system itself fairly easy to navigate and went all the places we wanted to go. We bought week-long unlimited subway passes that were a great deal ( I think 30 dollars)

The language thing. So, I had a really great experience in Montreal – my husband and I speak very rudimentary French. For example, I can order coffee and a croissant and I can read directions and figure out little placards on monuments but I do not really communicate in French. Neither do many English speaking residents of Montreal! Some people I have spoken to who have visited Montreal seemed to feel they were looked down upon if they spoke in English, but I did not have this experience at all. Many of the young baristas, shop clerks etc. spoke with their colleagues in a total mix (not like Spanglish so much) but complete paragraphs in French and then complete paragraphs in English and usually greeted you with “bonjour/hi” leaving it up to you which language to start out in. Even at the Atwater Market and La Ronde (the amusement park we went to) that were predominantly French, no one huffed and puffed or rolled their eyes as I pointed at things and gestured with my limited vocabulary. I was surprised at the number of Scottish street names and there is a whole Portuguese neighborhood as well. I thought it was really great and would not discourage you to go if you don’t speak a lick of French.

Stay tuned for part 2... kid-friendly Montreal activities and my favorite... eating!

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Wordless Wednesday: More, More, More

2010-10-20T06:00:00.001-04:00

More pics from our Bronx Zoo trip. Photos courtesy of Sarah, Cole's mom (since my camera battery died!)

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

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Stroller Happy

2010-10-19T06:00:00.004-04:00

Anyone who has ever interacted with a toddler knows they are quirky little dudes. They have their particulars, but I think my son has gone a bit off the deep end with his stroller preference. Right now, he refuses to go in our Bugaboo Frog Stroller and wants to sit ALL DAY LONG in his UPPAbaby G-Luxe Stroller. Weird, right?

So my son knows that before we go out, we put on his socks, shoes (aka ooos), and his jacket. And then we get in our stroller. But he has been refusing the Bugaboo and wanting to ride in the Uppa Baby. Okay fine, but he wants to sit in the stroller in the apartment. And at friend's houses. And during his gym class. Its kinda weird. I don't mind taking the fold up stroller, usually we use the Bugaboo as our main stroller and the G-luxe for subway and airplane travel, but it does not "handle" the sidewalks as well, it has a small basket underneath and no cup holder for me (it came with one and broke off).

But I guess with everything toddler related, you gotta choose your battles. And if he wants to sit in the stroller, why not! My husband even got him to eat breakfast and watch Sesame Street quietly while sitting in the stroller. But this is bordering on obsession...

first nap in the Uppa Baby G-Luxe, September 2009

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Bronx Zoo: A Blog Switcherooooooo

2010-10-18T06:00:00.007-04:00

Harmony and Mommy originally planned a Bronx Zoo trip for Tuesday, October 5 - but the weather that day was rainy and gross and we've already gone to the zoo in a monsoon so we were not looking to repeat that.

We finally went last week, on the 12th - and despite an iffy forecast, it was a gorgeous day! I was a little disappointed that Eliana and Max were sick and couldn't come, but I was really excited to meet C's friend Madison!

You know what? We had the BEST time! This was far from my first trip to the zoo (2 former trips to the Bronx Zoo, 2 to Van Saun Park, and the ill-fated Central Park visit), but it was the first time I was big enough to walk around on my own and enjoy the exhibits.

We saw SO much! We started off at Astor Court with the Monkey House and the Sea Lions, before heading over to Tiger Mountain - the giant tiger was pacing right at the front of the exhibit! From there we went to Asia for the Bengali Express (Mommy's favorite!) and Jungle World.

We took a break for lunch before heading over to the Children's Zoo, which was *definitely* the best part of my day! On the way there, we saw a snake that must have been visiting some of his cousins - he crossed the path right in front of us!

At the Children's Zoo, we sat in a giant birds' nest,

pretended to be prairie dogs,

tunneled through logs,

learned about wallabies,

and went down a big slide,

before feeding the goats and sheep in the barnyard. (They say "baa!" and I do, too!)

We had such a great time - and Mommy got a membership so we can go back on mild days this winter (there are plenty of indoor exhibits to explore and enjoy!).

I'm so glad C and Madison helped me cross a trip to the Bronx Zoo off my Fall Field Trip list - I look forward to our next Bloggy Baby Adventure! If you want to join us, come visit me on my blog and let me know!

Written by Cole, of Cole's First Blog (he is one and very talented... okay his mommy might have helped). But you can read my recap of our Bronx Zoo trip here, at Cole's First Blog.

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Nu Hotel

2010-10-15T06:00:00.015-04:00

Last Saturday, my husband and I spent one night at the Nu Hotel in Brooklyn. We stayed because the bride and groom chose it for their wedding block of rooms. This hotel is very small, there are only 93 rooms and it is a very funky design. The rooms actually felt more like bedrooms that you might find in a downtown apartment rather than hotel rooms. I think that is because the furniture was not your typical cookie-cutter hotel type stuff.

We drove to the hotel (it cost us $25 to park our SUV in the adjacent garage for 24 hours) and checked in around noon. We were told that as part of the wedding we would be eligible for early check in, if available. I immediately went up to suite 416 where the bride was getting dressed. This suite was totally… well, sweet! It had a large bathroom with dual sinks, a sitting area that we used to have hair and make up artists make us pretty and a rocking king bed set in a white cave. There was also a hammock in the room! Pretty cool.

The room my husband and I shared was a bit smaller (Room 424), with a queen bed, and a smaller bathroom. We loved the mounted flat panel TV, although we had trouble getting it to work properly. I also enjoyed writing on the chalkboard wall behind the toilet with the provided chalk!

In the morning, there was coffee and a cold breakfast offered in the lobby, although we opted to go to the diner across the street. Since we had bus transportation provided to and from the wedding at Bubby’s in DUMBO, we left our car in the lot. However, this hotel is close to many subways and much of what is happening in the downtown Brooklyn area. The Nu Hotel is located at the corner of Smith and Atlantic in the Downtown/Boerum Hill area of the borough. I definitely recommend it for your next NYC visit... or a night away from your lil'one!

photos courtesy of the hotel's website. I didn't get good photos of the hotel myself

Hotel Review
Brooklyn

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Baby To Go, And He Went

2010-10-14T06:00:00.026-04:00

This time it really was baby-to-go… getting him ready for his big night out, a slumber party at his aunt/uncle & cousins house!

Last Saturday, my brother got married here in NYC. Both hubby and myself were in the wedding party. Hubby's brother & wife agreed to take C for the night. To which we are of course so grateful. This was our first night away from the little dude, together. But packing C for his night out, along with us for the wedding, was no easy task. (We also had the rehearsal dinner on Friday night and weekend-long house guests!)

I of course made a list of what to pack for C. And a schedule/C-man cheat sheet. I mean my in-laws are pros, their kids are 7 and 4, but I wanted to set them all up for a great night. C was gone for 24 hours and for him I packed, his stroller, pack and play, pnp sheet, sound machine, pjs, a towel, an out fit for Sunday (don’t forget socks!), an extra outfit, diapers, wipes, cream, overnight diapers (2 just in case) and a bib. And of course toys and books. I also packed all of his food and drinks. Milk, apple juice, bread for toast, a piece of soy bacon (seriously in a Ziploc baggie), bread and cheese for grilled cheese, Dora Yoplait kids yogurt, A Danimals, mandarin oranges (these are a big hit with C right now), graham crackers, pretzels, goldfish, strawberries, banana, and avocado (also high on the kid’s approval list).

I mean with a picky eater, and no nursing for 24 hours (I had to bring my pump to the hotel and pump 3x) I wanted to make sure he had the food I know he likes. I also encouraged them to give C some new foods and maybe the peer pressure of seeing his big-girl cousins eating would make him want to chow down (which it didn't).

On Saturday, we dropped C off around 11 am, and as soon as he saw the girls, and their huge stash of toys, he was sold. He didn't even cry when we left (either did I). My husband and I headed to the Nu Hotel (review to come) to get ready and check-in for the night. I thought that as soon as I got to the hotel, I would feel relaxed and forget about C (well not forget about him, but enjoy our time apart). But I really did miss him more than I anticipated. Not like it put a damper on my fun, but I really missed him a ton (so did hubby).

bridesmaid & groomsman (not mom and dad) at wedding reception, Bubby's Brooklyn, NY

But we had a great time at the wedding (more to come on that) and enjoyed sleeping past sunrise. C did awesome with his cousins, went to bed easily at 7 and slept till 6:45 am! Played, went for walks, went to the playground and only cried a little bit. He also went 24 hours without nursing, although Sunday he was clinging to me and wanting to nurse all day.

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Wordless Wednesday: Why I've Been MIA

2010-10-13T06:00:00.007-04:00

me & hubby, Brooklyn Bridge Park 10/09/10

Last Saturday my lil bro got hitched. I was a bridesmaid and hubby was a groomsman. We spent our first night away from C (at a hotel) and the little dude stayed with his aunt, uncle and cousins. Between working Thursday night, the rehearsal dinner Friday, primping & partying on Saturday and hosting house guests all weekend, I am wiped... beyond wiped... so I'll have to update more later in the week.

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

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Recycling (Again): 10 months old and already been to Disney!

2010-10-11T07:40:00.000-04:00

So this past weekend was my brother's wedding. Lots to write about, but for now, some vintage Baby To Go, recycled. This post orginally aired on February 9, 2010. Its about baby C's trip to Disney! Enjoy and Happy Columbus Day (we might try to go to the parade on 5th Avenue, gotta show our Italian pride)!

Since our return from Florida, many friends have asked me, “how was Disney?” To which I say it was awesome, but I have to preface this by stating that WE GOT IN FOR FREE!!!!!! We were already visiting my cousin and her two kids in Orlando, and she knew someone who worked at the park that hooked us up. I would not plan a trip to Disney for a 10 month old, nor would I pay $80 (for me, under 3 years old = free) with such a little guy. There really wasn’t much for baby C to do there. But we walked around, took pictures, rode the train and carousel and my cousin’s 2.5 year old son went a few rides. So I can’t comment too much on our experience other than to wear comfy shoes, take a stroller that folds up easily, take a small purse for your valuables (you have to park your stroller in the "stroller park" while you go on the rides, its easier to just leave the big diaper bag behind), and I would recommend bringing a carrier like a Bjorn or Ergo. It also seemed like early February was an ideal time to go. The park was not crowded, for the monorail, rides, bathrooms and snacks, we hardly waited in line.

One thing that we did do, which was exciting for all three kids (age 7 months, 10 months and 2.5 years) and us adults was the Supercalifragilistic Character Breakfast at the Grand Floridian hotel. For $21 an adult (kids under 3 are free), you get a really yummy, extensive, buffet breakfast complete with Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter. The characters come around to each table to greet the children and take photos. The food is excellent (Mickey waffles sooooo good) and you get up close with the characters, which even the little guys enjoyed!

Oh and if you do the breakfast, you can park at the Grand Floridian for free, and take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

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Only One, and Already a Member

2010-10-07T06:00:00.014-04:00

...aka how we plan to survive rainy & cold days!!!!

So last week and this week, the weather in New York City has been less than desirable. Cold and rainy. At least there haven't been any tornados, and at least last weekend, when I was on a tugboat for 4 hours the sun was shining. And luckily the forecast for this weekend (baby brother's wedding) is looking good. BUT weekdays + bad weather + toddler = no fun. None at all.

To pass the time, we had friends over, went to friends houses, went to the mall & Target, and to the New York Hall of Science (twice). We went last Friday afternoon, when admission is free, and once this week when it wasn't. It only cost $11 to enter ($11 for an adult, kids under 2 are free, and I street-parked, saving the $10 parking charge) but after paying admission, I decided to put the eleven bucks towards a yearly membership, which for a family is only $85!

So we plan to make the pre-school play area at the Hall of Science our "go-to," literally, when weather prevents us from hitting the playground or park. Although we do have to drive to Hall of Sci, so if its snowing, this wont be an option for us, but for $85 it seems like a no brainer! Our whole family can go any time we want (I actually want to go one day by myself and actually see the rest of the exhibits) and we can park for free in the lot. Membership also has a reciprocal relationship with other museums in NYC such as the Brooklyn & Staten Island Children's Museums and the Imaginarium in Fort Myers, near my parent's winter condo!

If anyone wants to plan a meet up at Hall of Science, let me know. The toddler play area really is phenomenal!

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Wordless Wednesday: WDYT? Girl Shirt? Unisex? My Little Man in Drag?

2010-10-06T06:00:00.014-04:00

apple picking, September 24, 2010

I bought this shirt for my son C last year, after Halloween, at the GAP (which is a great way to get seasonal items on the cheap). But when I put it on him for our apple picking adventure, its seemed like it was quite possibly a girl's shirt. What do you think?

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

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Work It

2010-10-05T06:00:00.039-04:00

My last day as a professional was March 13, 2009. The Friday before spring break. I took off for spring break and never came back! Well to visit of course, but I haven't taught since.

Until three weeks ago!

I started a tutoring job one night a week. Working with a great family (all three kids), which has allowed me to #1 get back in the math saddle #2 make some extra money for my family (all going into college fund and savings) and #3 allow C to be cared for by a babysitter on a regular basis. All of which is a really great thing for us.

The first week I started working, my husband was out of town, as was my immediate family. While in VA Beach, I was texting friends back home and starting to scramble to find a babysitter. I had a few good leads but after posting a note on Facebook of all places, a former student of mine contacted me that she was looking for work! Perfect!

So now its been three weeks of tutoring and I'm really enjoying it. I also worked this past weekend as Front of House staff for the New Yorker Magazine Festival, a job I did in 06, 07 and 08. This year I was assigned to a play/one man show on Saturday night (The Human Scale, its still showing at 3LD and apparently it is a very detailed dissection of the Gaza conflict, we did not get to see that show).

On Saturday night, I did not get home until 11:30, and then had to be out the door by 6:30am the next morning to head to the South Street Seaport Museum for a one hour lecture and then a 4 hour tugboat tour which was incredible! We left from S Street Seaport and then headed down to the Port of Newark, and all the way down to Fresh Kills in Staten Island. We had a cold, but clear day. I missed the boys terribly, but it was a cool, unique experience to be able to participate in NY'er Festival again!

I have another employment opportunity in the hopper and I'm also looking for more kids to tutor. I love, love, love being home with C, but I also love being a working mom once a week!

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Apples, Slow Cooker & The Fall To-Do List

2010-10-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

So one of the items on the Fall 2010 to-do list is to cook something apple-y with our bounty of apples from our recent apple picking trip. Last week I decided to try out this recipe for slow cooker applesauce.

My only hesitation was having to peel and cut 13 apples, but otherwise this recipe seemed pretty easy. I unfortunately did not have a jar of apple juice on hand (my son drinks Apple/Carrot Mott's Medleys... so I didn't want to add in the carrot flavor) so I used this:

One box! So once the apples were peeled and ready, and all the ingredients were added, the slow cooker worked its magic for four hours and that was it! Lots and lots of sauce for C's breakfast. Very yummy.

We still are working our way through our bag of apples, so feel free to leave me some more ideas for apple deliciousness.

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How did This Happen?

2010-10-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

CLICK HERE

Seriously... I saw this on my google alerts (everyone should have a good alerts for their blogs, name, kids name, etc). How (and why) does a newspaper like the NY Daily News pick up an article from a lil'ol' baby travel blog such as Baby To Go? I'm curious... flattered... and excited!

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Turn the Kid Around

2010-09-30T06:00:00.002-04:00

Its official. As of around 5pm last night, C is a forward facing car passenger. We went 18 months, 1 week and two days with him rear facing. I think that qualifies as extended rear facing.

I hadn't really even given a thought about turning him around until recently, because two important things happened. First of all, as of his 18 month old well visit on Sept 17, he is officially over 20 lbs (21 lbs, 2 oz and still off the charts low, to be exact). But also, he has shot up like a tree and seeing him in that car seat I started to feel bad for him because his long legs had nowhere to go. He was starting to fuss in the car and clearly on our ride back from VA Beach he was trying stretch his legs, literally, for hours.

C actually hasn't been in the car yet to see his new "ride". We probably won't use the car until tomorrow, so I am curious his reaction. I think he will like it!

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Wordless Wednesday: Birthday Party Fun

2010-09-29T06:00:00.012-04:00

A couple of Sundays ago, we were at a 2nd birthday party for one of C's neighborhood friends. (Before the tornado destroyed their backyard). The birthday girl's cousin managed to snap some of these amazing pics of C, who may have been flirting with her/wanting to touch her fancy camera.

if any area moms would like to hire this photographer for a small fee, let me know!

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

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Apple Picking & Not-so-Fall Weather

2010-09-28T06:00:00.036-04:00

Since our October weekends are pretty booked up, we decided to try some apple picking last Saturday. Even though it was about 90 degrees and didn't feel too fall-like. But still, it was a great trip! And now we have a whole bag of apples to eat and cook with.

The last time I went apple picking I was probably about 6, so this was a new adventure for our little family. Based on recommendations, we decided to check out Applewood Orchards, about a 1.5 hour drive from our apartment. Applewood is located about 15 miles west of the famous Woodbury Commons outlet shopping center.

We left our apartment a little before 9 (I wanted to leave early but I was so tired from going out the night before... feels good to say that!). It took us almost two hours to get there, with a little traffic and a bathroom stop. (Seriously I need Depends for any car trip over 30 minutes long). But it was still early and not too crowded when we arrived.

We left our stroller in the car and headed to the tractor to take us out into the orchard. We spent about an hour picking apples off the tree... and by that I mean one parent holding C, helping him "pull" the apple off the tree, and then letting him throw the apple in the bag. The throwing and kicking of apples was by far the highlight of the little man's day.

Hubby and I sampled the green/red apples and they were delish! Local eating at its best, right? But picky C wouldn't have any of it. Even though he cracked up laughing when we crunched into the fruit.

After picking and paying for our apples (they only charged us $12 for our bag), we hung out by the store, saw a puppet show, looked at rabbits and sheep and ran around in the grass. There was also a singer and hubby did some wine tasting in the tasting room. We forgot to pack a lunch (if you go, bring a picnic, they only sell donuts, hot dogs and chili at the orchard) so around 1 pm we headed back to Queens. C passed out before we even hit the highway and slept for 2 hours and 20 minutes. (The last 45 minutes of his nap we were sitting in the car outside Panera convinced he would be waking up soon!).

Last night I made hubby a chicken, apple and leek dish*, and I plan to make some apple cobbler (with a mix I bought at the orchard) and some applesauce. I think I also have a recipe for a blue cheese & apple salad that I need to dig up. Feel free to share some apple recipes! And happy fall.

*two chicken breasts, four apples quartered, two leeks, salt, pepper and olive oil at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. from an old Real Simple magazine

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The Feast of all Feasts

2010-09-27T06:00:00.027-04:00

Why do we call street fairs, feasts? Maybe its just NY people? Or Italian people? But each September there is THE FEAST, not just a feast, the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy, New York.

Our family has been to San Gennaro every year since I can remember. C went last year, when he was only six months old and couldn't walk or even crawl and was content to sit in his stroller while we perused the booths and ate at a restaurant. This year, I had to leave an hour early, to head to a park downtown so C could run around before stroller confinement time. Such is life with a toddler.

So around 11:30, we hit the park at the corner of Spring and Mulberry. The playground was sufficient, but was the dirtiest playground we have ever been to. Which of course my son did not mind. We spent an hour there before meeting up with the rest of the family and heading down Mulberry Street.

eating lunch in Little Italy, wearing his Mommy's Little Meatball shirt

We ate lunch at a mediocre restaurant, I don't even remember the name (we had gone to Il Fornaio for many years, and decided to try somewhere different... next year, I hope we head back to Il Fornaio). After lunch I had a chocolate covered cannoli from Ferrara's, and we tried to take C on some carney rides but they weren't open yet. We then we shopped for cheesy ITALIA t-shirts and other Italian-American souvenirs. New this year were funny Jersey Shore shirts, which I was tempted to buy... but seriously, who really needs a GTL t-shirt?

After some fresh zeppoles, C passed out. The feast is over this year, but if you find yourself in NYC next September, a trip to San Gennaro is a fall must-do. Although Little Italy is great any time of the year!

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Hello Fall!

2010-09-24T06:00:00.002-04:00

My favoritest season (well next to Christmas)... leaves, cool weather, longer nights, longer shadows, pumpkins and all things pumpkin! I am so excited about this Fall 2010 to-do list. And as I write this, our weekends are pretty booked up with fun fall activities!

White Post Farm Fall Festival, Oct 2009

Some of these activities are carry-overs from the Summer and like the Summer To-Do List, I plan to check back each month and see what we have accomplished!

Bronx Zoo

City Island (walk around and have a meal)

day trip to North Fork. Wine tasting and picnic

Museum of Natural History

NYC Aquarium

Dia Beacon

Hiking (not sure where)

White Post Farm (Fall Festival from Sept 25-October 31)

Apple Picking, and I would like to cook some homemade apple dishes!

Pumpkin Picking (and carving)

visit to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx

PS 1 Museum and Sculpture Garden

San Gennaro Little Italy Italian Festival

Queens Farm visit

What are you planning to do with your lil one this fall? Oh and if any NYC mommies want to meet up and check a thing off this list, let me know babytogo@aol.com or @harmskills on twitter.

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Summer is Over... The Recap.

2010-09-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

On May 29th, I posted a summer to-do list. Now that the summer is over, here is my Summer 2010 recap:

Bronx Zoo: we will make it here soon!

Queens Zoo 6/12/2010, see my trip recap here

City Island (walk around and have a meal) still interested in doing this. Okay in the colder months?

Staten Island Ferry seriously, how have I lived in NY my whole life and have never rode the SI FERRY????? And its free!!!!

day trip to North Fork. Wine tasting and picnic I really want to do this in the Fall. Need hubby to take a day off of work.

Central Park Zoo 7/13 you can read my (& Cole's) recap here, we also went on 9/14

NYC Children's Museum 8/24 you can read my recap here

Museum of Natural History

Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island

NYC Aquarium

Coney Island

Atlantis Aquarium in Riverhead 7/16 recap here

Dia Beacon

Hiking (not sure where)

Long Island Children's Museum (to enjoy the outdoor area)

Splish Splash (or Splash Down in Dutchess Co.) C is too small for this. I'm gonna add it to Summer 2011 to do list.

Sesame Place (possibly in the fall) We looked into going this fall, but I think C is still too young and we are so busy this fall it was hard to find a weekend. Definitely next spring or summer.

Beach (Long Beach, Jones Beach, Robert Moses) Jones Beach on 7/15 read about it here and on 8/6

Saratoga Springs for the races Hubby REALLY wanted to do this, but the racing season is so short and we had no free weekends. Next summer for sure!

White Post Farm 6/20/2010, see trip recap here

So that's it! Summer 2010 was amazing and I can't wait to see what fun activities fall will bring!

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Wordless Wednesday: 6 & 18

2010-09-22T06:00:00.007-04:00

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

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I signed up for Jersey Shore night

2010-09-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

Eating is an integral part of any vacation, and our recent trip to VA Beach was no exception. On this trip, we mostly ate at our house, but did go out a few times.

Since we had a big ol’ kitchen, and 16 adults at the Happy Daze house, we divvied up the first four nights of dinner cooking responsibilities (and then figured to eat leftovers for lunch and some of the remaining nights). And since my friends are not only super organized, but also SUPER FUN, someone coordinated themes for each dinner. We all signed up for a team, and a shoppin’ and a cookin’ we went (and then it was your team’s turn to clean up the night AFTER you cooked… yes we are organized and fair!).

So I signed up for Jersey Shore night. And our menu included eggplant Parmesan (vegetables from my friend’s garden), homemade lasagna (meat and veggie), a simple salad and garlic bread. Since there were 4 people on our team, I was assigned the task of breading the eggplant. This is a really great way to get everyone involved, and to make sure the same people aren’t always taking on the burden of cooking.

The other theme nights were Little Miss Sunshine Night, which was the first night, with a make your own salad buffet and garlic bread (because we weren’t sure if people would be arriving in stages and this is an easy dinner to put out and let folks help themselves, we did it last year too). The second night was Napoleon Dynamite Night. Since Napoleon & Kip love their quesadillas and nachos, morphed into a make your own taco night, complete with Meg-salsa (I need to get the recipe) and tator tots. And on Monday night, we had a Monday Night Football (even though we were a week early) macaroni and cheese cook-off competition where three friends made a different type of macaroni and cheese. Yes, you read that right, there were three types of macaroni and cheese to try!!!! And the winning one was this recipe, made by Meg of salsa fame.

Hubby, C and I went out for lunch once during the week. To this exotic dining establishment that we had heard so much about and had never been to… SONIC. And we thought it was terrible. Why do they constantly show Sonic commercials in NYC when the closest one is in like Maryland? Maybe we hyped it up in our minds, but does this look good to you????

Sonic: No GOOD!!!!!!!

At least the unsweetened iced tea was good, and C liked his French fries and toy car that came with his happy meal (the grilled cheese sandwich he wouldn’t touch, and I can’t really blame him). Oh well.

On the second to last night, after about ½ the folks had left, four of us girls went out to dinner in the downtown VA Beach area. We found a restaurant that had good reviews by locals, lots of seafood options, vegetarian options and outdoor seating. Tautog's and it was really, really good! We started with a roasted goat cheese appetizer, which came with a roasted head of garlic. Yes, I know, I don’t even need to say more. For an entree, I had a vegetarian gumbo, because it was a special of the day and I have never had gumbo before. It was really yummy! Everyone else enjoyed their seafood and honestly, the best part for me was having a dinner out with my friends who live scattered about. That was really special.

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Doggy To Go. And Cole too!

2010-09-20T06:00:00.002-04:00

When Harmony asked Mommy and me if we might be interested in guest posting, we jumped at the chance - after all, Baby To Go is one of our very favoritest blogs AND we had a real life play date with Harmony and Baby C. Finding a topic, though, was another story... what should we write about? A recap of one of our adventures? Travel tips? (HA! Everything we know we learned here...) And then we thunk of it: traveling with a dog! Now that you all have taken Harmony's advice and are expert at traveling with your infant, we can offer some tips about taking your furbaby along, too. So here we go!

Doggy To Go

Henry was Mommy and Daddy's first baby. He fit into the family as soon as he came home, and joins us whenever he can. Before I was born, he made road trips with Mommy and Daddy to Howe Caverns, Mystic Seaport, and the beach. Most recently, he joined us on our family vacation to Ocean City, Maryland - after all, he *is* part of the family! Here are some considerations to think about before bringing your puppy on your travels.

Before You Go:

Consider your pet. Henry is a young, very active Wheaten Terrier. He enjoys spending time with our family and is used to traveling in the car. If your pet is used to a more sedate routine, you might want to take him along only on shorter trips - or it might be better for him to stay home in a familiar environment with a trusted pet sitter.
Consider your activities and accommodations and plan ahead. While there are *many* dog friendly adventures out there, and pet-friendly hotels in almost every area of the country, think about what your dog will do when you are not around. Will you bring his crate so he can stay in a hotel room without you? Is there somewhere for him to be if you are participating in an activity where he is not welcome? Check the guidelines concerning pets; some hotels only allow smaller dogs, others will accept large breeds as long as you bring a crate; you may need to pay an additional pet deposit. If you are traveling by air, see if they can accommodate your dog in the cabin, or look into the special new pet airline; the cargo area is not ideal for animals. If you *must* have your pet travel in the cargo area, it might be a good idea to go to your vet first to make sure they are fit for it, and let the crew know you have a pet down there when you board the plane. If you are traveling by car, invest in some sort of restraint system; Henry has a harness that connects to a seat belt. Not only is it safer for your dog, in a collision it prevents him from becoming a flying object that could harm you or your passengers.
Pack a doggy bag. In our family, Mommy packs my diaper bag and Daddy packs Henry's bag - this way *one* person is responsible for making sure we each have everything we need. Henry's bag has enough food for the trip, plus a little bit extra, his bowl, his leash, a collapsible bowl for day trips, a full water bottle, treats, toys, a long-length leash and stake, and any medications he may need. It might be a good idea to bring a copy of your dog's rabies/vaccination records as well.

While You're Away

Give your pet time to acclimate to new surroundings. Henry does a crazy run around a new place for about 10 minutes, checking things out, before tiring himself out. Set up his crate and show him where to go out.
Always clean up after your pet; hotels are more likely to continue to be pet-friendly if you are a responsible pet owner and don't leave a mess or destroyed property.
Never, EVER leave your dog in the car alone - not only do temperatures climb to dangerous levels very rapidly, it is also illegal in many states; police can and will break into your car to respond to a pet in distress. On our way back from Ocean City, we stopped to visit Lucy the Elephant. Mommy and I took the tour inside, while Daddy stayed outside with Henry. When we walked around Cape May, Mommy and Daddy took turns going into shops.

Bringing your dog along on vacation can be fun for everyone involved, and is just as easy as traveling with an infant or toddler (which is to say, it's do-able with a little planning and the right circumstances). Enjoy your travels!

If you want to read more about my adventures, and some of Henry's, too, check us out on my blog!

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Baby's First Tornado

2010-09-18T07:00:00.015-04:00

hmmm... does Carter's make a romper for that? Well if so, C would be sporting one.

Thursday night I was freaking out and super nervous. About the weather? NO! About my first night back to "work." I recently landed a great tutoring job and Thursday was my first day. My husband was out of town and my family was in Florida. So not only did I have to find a babysitter, that sitter would be the first person EVER to put my son to bed... besides my husband and I. Yikes!

I was also nervous that I had forgotten math, or how to be professional. (Which I of course, did not). I even cried a little because due to this job, I would miss putting my son to bed once a week. So I dreaded Thursday, was scared for it to come.

But it came, and I showed my babysitter around the house and went over C's routine with her (and by babysitter I mean a former student of mine, who I taught in 8th grade when I lived in DC... she is now 24).

I arrived at my tutoring job right as lightening and thunder were heading into the area. But I made it inside before it rained. Around 8pm, my phone started to blow up. Calls and texts from family members. I started to get freaked out. Until I saw a text asking if my In-Laws in Brooklyn were okay, because apparently there had been a tornado there! But I had already received a text from the babysitter saying C was in bed, and all was well at home. So I didn't think much of it.

Taking the subway home, I heard announcements of the delays and reroutes for trains going into Queens and Brooklyn. I was lucky that my trains were not effected (or is it affected... I can never remember that one). I arrived home and the babysitter mentioned that the storm was pretty intense. But she didn't say anything about a twister. Oh and she told me that C broke the TV. So I went to bed and planned to fix it in the am.

In the early morning, there were tons of helicopters circling about. I could hear them and lots of sirens as well. When we came into the living room to start our day (and reboot the TV), I realized that the cable and Internet was out. So I decided to do something we NEVER do, I decided to take C out for a walk and go out for breakfast. With no tv or computer, what else is there to do at 7am?

As I walked toward Continental Avenue, I noticed more and more destruction as I went. Leaves, branches all over the place, and then trees down. About 1/4 of a mile from my apartment, I stumbled upon a park that was destroyed and saw the CBS Early Show News Guy broadcasting this:

sorry its off center, you can also watch it here

I continued to walk around the 'hood (after stopping for bagels) and talked to many onlookers out on the street. Apparently the situation was even worse the further south. I hardly knew anything had happened and without TV or Internet, I couldn't even watch the news on Friday (Luckily the service came back Friday night). In a way, I'm glad I wasn't home on Thursday night. I would have been sitting home with C, watching the news and the storm and totally freaking out. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. I'm glad we are okay and my neighborhood friends are alright as well. Scary stuff, that puts my nerves about leaving C with a babysitter in perspective.

But in case you were wondering, he did awesome with his sitter! And it felt so great to get out, earn some money for my family and be a teacher again, even if only for a few hours!

damage in my neighborhood. what most of the streets look like. photo from ABC7 Online

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Fun Activities in VAB

2010-09-17T06:00:00.052-04:00

I love doing "fun activities" and recapping them for BTG readers! Although in VA Beach, besides the beach and pool (and hanging at the house/going for walks) we only "did" three activities. So if you rent a house in Sandbridge, and need a break from your swim suit, here are some ideas of fun things to do with your family:

1. Virginia Beach Aquarium. This Aquarium was awesome! We arrived early, right when it opened and we had the run of the place (with a toddler, that is a literal statement). Upon entering we saw turtles, and then some fish tanks. There were many interactive exhibits, where C loved "pushing buttons" and making stuff happening. Hubby and I learned alot about the marine life of the Chesapeake Bay. There was a sting ray touch tank and lots of fish and reptiles. BUT by far the best part was the "observation deck" which was this enormous wood deck built over a real marsh. C loved, loved, loved running around and hubby and I were able to look at crabs and mussels that were down below. And when we went outside, we were the only folks on the deck. Worth the $34 admission price ($17 per adult, C was free).

learning about fish

"let me touch the string rays!"

outdoor deck = awesome

pushing buttons and learning about volcanos

2. Playground. We found a great playground (of course, you know C loves his playgrounds!) in Sandbridge next to the Elementary School. We took C one afternoon for him to run around. I actually spotted several playgrounds while driving around VA Beach. In my opinion (and I know my son would agree) playgrounds are a great free, outdoor, kid friendly activity!

3. VA Beach Boardwalk. Since we were staying in the Sandbridge neighborhood, the VA Beach downtown/resort area/boardwalk was about a 20 minute drive north from our house. One afternoon hubby, C and I went to check it out. We weren't sure what to expect, although we figured it would be like the Boardwalk in Ocean City, MD or Atlantic City, NJ. However, the boardwalk was paved (not wood) and although the boardwalk was lined with huge high-rise hotels, there were no shops right on the beach. So we parked (at a meter, not at a $7 lot) and walked up the boardwalk about 10 blocks and then turned around and walked back down Atlantic Avenue (parallel to the water) and browsed some shops and had a snack.

VA Beach Boardwalk

We were so lucky with the weather that we were able to enjoy many outdoor activities. I definitely recommend the Aquarium if you are in the VA Beach area, even if it means heading indoors for part of the day!

Family Vacation
Virginia Beach

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Driving, Driving, Driving

2010-09-16T06:00:00.085-04:00

My friends, IRL and online, keep asking me "how was your vacation?", which if you read Tuesday's recap, you know was amazing. Next they ask, "how was the drive?" because everyone knows I was nervous about driving from NYC to Virginia Beach with a 17.5 month old toddler. In short, the drive there: GOOD. The drive home: DREADFUL.

A few weeks ago, we decided to leave a day early for the trip and drive part of the way to VA Beach on Friday, the 3rd. Hubby and I did a ton of thinking, research, and decided to book a suite at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Fruitland, MD. We booked through hotels.com, so we got a good, but non-refundable rate. Of course once we booked said non-refundable room, all we could hear about on the news was HURRICANE EARL, headed in the DelMarVa peninsula direction on that very day! Yeah... a little stressful!

NJ TPK rest area

So on Thursday the 2nd, I watched the weather channel for approximately 5 hours and learned all of nothing. On Friday morning it was sunny in NYC, so we left as planned. We pulled out of the 'hood at 8:45am (as soon as we were packed, showered and ready to go). We made it to the Jersey Turnpike in 50 minutes. Seriously. There was NO ONE ON THE ROAD! I think Earl scared everyone away. We even stopped at a rest stop around exit 7A and not only was there no line for gas (gas is cheap in NJ), there was no line at Starbucks! Unheard of! And on the Friday before a three day weekend!

After the rest area, C passed out for about 2 hours and by 1pm, we were in Salisbury, MD and stopped at Chick-Fil-A for lunch/play area. A BTG reader suggested looking for fast food places with playareas, which was such a great tip! We arrived at our hotel earlier than expected so we enjoyed the indoor pool & hot tub. In the late afternoon we headed to a mall with the hopes that there would be a place for C to play, and there was a great toddler play area!

The next day, we had 3 hours left to drive to VA Beach. C slept for about 1/2 the ride and we made it without stopping. A highlight was driving across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel, which is a bridge & tunnel 17. 6 miles long, that saved us 95 miles over driving through Baltimore and DC! Who knew?

Since lightening does not strike twice, I knew that going home was probably not going to go as well. We drove back all in one day. Googlemaps quoted a trip time of slightly less than 7 hours. It took us 9. And by us I mean me, baby C and for part of the way, my friend. Hubby had to leave VA Beach early to attend my brother's bachelor party in Vegas. So Saturday morning, after cleaning up and saying good-bye to Happy Daze, we hit the road at 9:30am. My friend driving my car, me in the back with C, and my friend's husband in their car caravaning behind us. C passed out within the first 20 minutes, and slept for a little over an hour. We actually drove until 1pm when all of us needed some food and to stretch our legs. After we got back in the car, C started to meltdown. By this point we had played with all the toys, eaten snacks, napped and I even tried to get him to watch an Elmo DVD (which held his attention for about 10 minutes).

So we stopped around exit 4 in NJ for C to run around, and then again after exit 8A for my friend to join her husband and head home. I got behind the wheel and C promptly passed out. Which was great for so many reasons, especially since it took me two hours to get home from there. Should have taken one, but Staten Island & BQE traffic... nightmare!

But we made it home and I lived to blog about it!

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Wordless Wednesday: VAB in Pix

2010-09-15T06:00:00.011-04:00

we spent most of the week in bathing suits!

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

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16 adults, 4 toddlers, and 2 dogs = Happy Daze

2010-09-14T06:00:00.042-04:00

Our week in Virginia Beach was awesome! Seriously? Where do I even start the recap???

First of all, anywhere I go with this group of friends (spouses, kids and dogs included) is bound to be full of laughs. Like the kind where your belly hurts and hurts. Friends that I am going on 15 years knowing and love more and more (and there are four babies on the way in late 2010-early 2011!) Last year this group headed to OBX but this year we rented a house (named Happy Daze) in the Sandbridge area of VA Beach.

In addition to some extra adult hands to help entertain the little guy, C had three toddler friends (and two doggies) to play with. Our house was a block off the beach and we had an awesome pool to swim in. There was even a three hole mini golf course in the backyard. C is still a little small, but I tried to teach him how to putt.

Our days were spent with hubby getting up with C, taking him for walks or playing on the deck while I slept in. I awoke to friends having brewed yummy coffee (Trader Joe's Bay Blend) and time out in the sun. We beached it every morning, C loved playing in the sand, standing in the waves, and swimming in the ocean. C napped each afternoon while hubby and I hung out, sat in the sun & relaxed. Afternoons were spent in the pool, going for walks or exploring more of the area. Each night, C was tired out, went to bed early and evenings consisted of wine, good food, friends, games, star-gazing, hot tub and a Man vs. Food marathon.

Like I said, this trip was amazing! Chill and relaxing. More details and photos to come.

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