May 21 2008

10 Things to Do in New Orleans with Kids

Things to do with kids: 10 Things to Do in New Orleans with Kids

I know when we've hit upon a good vacation spot when my husband starts to question why we live in NYC. It only took a few hours in New Orleans for him to start with the following line of questioning - Why do we live in NYC again? Do you realize what kind of house we could live in here if we sold our 5th floor walk-up? Usually I rebuff all this with reminders of how NYC is the only cool place in the country. But New Orleans left me with little response, I have to admit, it's got more culture and soul than even my beloved NYC.

While I don't think we are moving any time soon, we do want to go back for Mardi Gras which our friends have convinced us is a great event for kids. Though you need to know what to avoid, ie the boob flashing streets of the French Quarter and where to hang with kids, they suggest St. Charles Ave where families set up in one spot and watch the procession pass. And of course, the accumulation of beads is enough to entertain most kids for a long time.

But, N.O. is an amazing place to visit any time of year and there is always something going on in addition to the incredible architecture, food and music.

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May 20 2008

Top Resources for Family Travel

06-29-06_0818.jpgThe travel industry is notoriously ridden with a lot of "guides" that are actually just advertorials. But family bloggers and parent writers are stepping up to give parents traveling with kids real information based on their personal experiences. We've gathered together the top genuine resources for family travel from blogs to books.

DeliciousBaby
An excellent site I have found is DeliciousBaby. Debbie blogs about traveling with her two small children in the US, Canada and Europe, sharing their favorite destinations, kid-friendly restaurants, plus her site has lots of great family travel tips to make traveling with kids a little easier.

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May 19 2008

Get Outta Town: San Francisco

Things to do with kids: Get Outta Town: San Francisco

Despite the fickle weather, summer is just around the corner and it's time to get serious about planning those summer vacations. So, this week we thought we'd share some summer travel ideas with a couple of family friendly destinations to inspire your summer travel dreams. This first one is a guest post from Jackie Burwell from the Bay Area's aParentlySpeaking blog. Jackie shares her insider tips on a visit t San Francisco with kids. Thanks, Jackie!

We here at the Bay Area's aParentlySpeaking blog know families traveling to San Francisco are looking for a few key things: the soaring orange bridge, clanging cable cars and that famous Ghirardelli chocolate. So here's our idea of a perfect day or two by the Bay with tots, teens or tweens; five cool family outings that should give you and your kids your photo opps, trolleys and treats, but show you another side of our pretty city too.

Photo Credit: Contra Costa Times

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May 18 2008

Stroller Nazi's, Birth Stories, Riding Robots and More

linkin blogsI admit it, I'm lovin' The NY Times this week...

In a relationship rut? Check out this article on Michael Roach and Christie McNally, the Buddhist couple who vowed to be both celibate and never apart by more than 15 feet. It will either give you some ideas or make you feel just fine with what you've got going on. Either way, it's totally fascinating.

More Stroller Nazi Talk. Stroller Moms can't get no love in Park Slope. And is anyone else out there also getting tired of the term Stroller Nazi?

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May 15 2008

Free Fun Friday: Dance Parade, Kites, Horses, Mamapalooza

This weekend is absolutely jam-packed with festivals and activities, so I will just write about the top ten can't miss activities in brief. Also be sure to check out our Weekend of trickster and Folklore Events post for this weekend. This is yet another weekend I wish I could be in ten places at once (one of them obviously being in bed...oh, man, wouldn't it be great if you could spend the day in bed while your other self went out with the kids and did all kinds of fun stuff...sorry, little mommy fantasy moment there.) 

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May 15 2008

Get Tricky: A weekend full of trickster stories and folklore

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Photo: Anansi, The Spiderman of Africa

My son loves trickster stories (gee I can't imagine why). Trickster stories exist in one form or another in just about every culture. We have Bugs Bunny and Johnny Depp, but Native American and African stories are filled with animal trickster tales.

Trickster stories are great for kids. Kids love seeing grown-ups act like mischievous children and also getting fooled, but trickster stories also help children see mischievous behavior from another perspective and learn about the consequences of their actions.

This weekend there are a bunch of activities to expose kids to some fun and interesting trickster and other folk and multicultural tales.

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May 13 2008

Best Mommy Poppins Posts: Reader's Picks

I want to thank everyone for participating in our Mother's Day Giveaway Week. It was really fun reading everyone's comments and giving away all those prizes. Today we're announcing the winner of our Mother and Child Portrait Session Giveaway and I wanted to share the posts that readers picked out as their favorites in the comments of our Spa Giveaway. In addition to some of our most popular posts and favorite weekly features like Linkin' Blogs and Free Fun Friday, a bunch of readers have really been paying attention and chosen some of the hidden gems of the site as their favorite posts. Take a look at what your fellow readers have been liking on the site:

Reader's Choice: Best Mommy Poppins Posts
Armchair Exploring: Cool sites to discover off-the-beaten-path New York
Mom??™s Groups Roundup
best candy stores in NYC (Actually two posts, Economy Candy and Sweet Life)
Green Sites for Families
It's time to give up the (water) bottle.
100 things to do with kid in NYC
Indoor Activities for NYC Kids
where to ski with kids in new york
summer camp overview
Great Places to Swim
99 Sensory Activities For Any Child

Thanks, everyone, for reading the site and sharing your favorite posts with us. We're glad you like it!

And now to announce our big winner:

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May 11 2008

Free Range Moms, Bedbugs Ride Subway, Toddlers in Heels

linkinblogs.gifJust cause the last time you sat down to read a newspaper was when ???pooped out??? still meant tired to you doesn??™t mean you can??™t stay up to date with what??™s going on. We??™ve rounded up the top stories you don??™t want to miss from the NYC media this week.

Also, don't forget that you have until 11pm tonight to enter into our last Mother's Day Giveaway, an amazing portrait photography session.

Are you a helicopter mom or a free-range mom? NY Times reports on online programs that allow parents to track their kids daily progress in school for the ultimate helicopter move, while Lenore Skenazy of letting her 9 year old ride the subway alone fame grapples with other peoples' perceptions of the free range moms on her blog Free Range Kids.

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