My husband and I encourage reading for pleasure as much as possible but for us, reading is also it’s a way to learn about the world. I try to get my kids books that have an added value and can be educational so I was excited when I found out about two new books that teach kids about China in a fun way. Read the rest of this entry
NYC kids are in for a delicious treat this summer: there’s a new show from Vital Theater and it’s all about cupcakes! After the success of the musicals Angelina Ballerina, Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious (the last one is still playing) Vital Theater has produced Peace, Love and Cupcakes, a new musical based on the best-seller by the same name. The original book is written by Sheryl Berk (co-author of Soul Surfer) and her daughter, Carrie Berk, 11, who co-wrote it while in second grade! I recently attended a performance with my kids and we were all enamored with this fun production. Read the rest of this entry
My husband and I are big fans of road trips. The kids? Not so much. Last weekend my family and I took a five-and-a-half hour drive from NYC to the Essex Resort & Spa in Essex, Vermont with three small kids in tow. How did it go? Perfectly fine – the kids did great, probably due to the fact that we promised them a visit to the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory. As it happens, people will do a lot when it comes to great food and what place is better for foodies than Essex, near Burlington, Vermont – a city known for its incredible restaurants?! With innovative chefs that use a considerable amount of locally-derived food for their dishes, Burlington has emerged as one of the top cities for foodies in the U.S. On our agenda was a two-night stay at the Essex Resort & Spa and I was planning on checking out Camp Cook, a kids’ cooking camp, as well as trying an adult cooking class. What we got was everything on our list and then some. Read the rest of this entry
Coming-of-age stories have a special place in my heart. They’re always bittersweet and bring back distant memories and there’s always a lesson to be learned. The Ballad of Pondlife McGurk is such a story – two school-aged boys, both outcasts, making a connection and becoming friends and what happens when one succumbs to the pressures of being accepted by his peers. Read the rest of this entry
Are you a fan of a particular genre of music and are trying to get your kids into it? For me it’s music from the Jazz Swing era. I play lot of CD’s at home but it’s more as a background as my kids, especially my 7-year-old daughter, prefer music that’s popular on the radio. The Secret Mountain is a company that has a range of book & CD combos of lots of different types of music, such as African lullabies, French Creole songs, and classical masterpieces. I received Swing Cafe for review, which is a book and CD album with songs from the Jazz Swing era and played it for my kids. Here’s what we thought: Read the rest of this entry
I’ve been going to the theater since I was a little kid and I’ve seen a lot of different types of theater. A few days ago, for the first time ever, I experienced a show where the audience sits on stage along with the performers and is a part of the show. Saltbush, now playing at the New Victory Theater takes place on stage and is a really unique experience for kids and adults alike. Read the rest of this entry
The trees are finally starting to bloom with pink and white flowers here in New York and we’re getting a taste of spring and enjoying the sunshine. Being under the sun means I need to slather sunscreen on my kids and myself and I really don’t like the idea of chemicals on our skin. Luckily Kiss My Face has a line of all-natural sun care products that can make you feel good about slathering globs of sunscreen every day for the next six months. They are free of parabens, artificial colors and fragrances, phthalates, nanoparticles and oxybenzone and are also cruelty-free. Here are some the best products for kids (and their parents!) from this award-winning company: Read the rest of this entry
Mama's Bites 