NJ Weekend Events May 8-9: Mother's Day Flowers, Flour, Strolls, Songs, Tea and Treats for FREE!

Whether she likes flowers, music, brunch or theater, New Jersey offers the perfect event to make mom feel extra-special on Mother's Day!  She can sit back and relax with tea parties, plays and concerts; events at nature centers and gardens; FREE admission to children's museums and the aquarium; and even FREE flour (supplies permitting) for moms whose children are willing to try a hand at household chores of the 1880s.  Still don't have a mother's day gift?  No worries–there’s plenty of events that let kids make mom a special mother's day craft or even a simple bouquet of flowers–and hey, just an extra-sweet hug from the little one goes a long way!

Playdate 5/3/2010: I'm Speaking at Prenatal 101, New East River State Park Playground, Postcard Project

Photo of the Week: My daughter walked on stilts at the Tribeca Family Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival's annual street fair, handing out cards for her tumbling class. The Family Festival was better than ever this year, spidering out onto several adjacent blocks because there were so many different activities and booths. The ESPN zone was particularly a big hit with the kids as well as mini-golf, imagination playground, hair spraying, and a free screening of the film Snowmen. While the fair was unbearably crowded right in mid-day having he activities on the side streets helped bring some relief.

Mothers Day Giveaway: Free Photo Session with Family Photographer Karen Haberberg

Yesterday we posted about our Mother's Day wishes. I always find it hard to think of what I'd like myself. How do you possibly capture all the different sides of Mother's Day—the beauty of motherhood, your love and joy for your child(ren), and maybe just a little something special to make you feel like someone really went the extra effort for you with a wonderful, thoughtful gift?

There's one Mother's Day gift that I think fits the bill perfectly, a professional portrait. Whether you want to give mom a mother and child portrait to show off her beautiful maternal bond, a portrait of dad and baby so she can gaze on the ones she loves most, or a portrait of the whole family, I can't think of any Mother's Day gift more perfect than a portrait sitting or a professional family portrait.
 

Kid Show: Stanley's Party at Manhattan Children's Theater

Sit. Stay. Don't jump on the couch. There are an awful lot of commandments that apply to your dog and your kid. That's the beauty of Stanley's Party, the latest production at Manhattan Children's Theater. The musical, based on the Stanley book series by Linda Bailey, features the title pooch wrestling with house rules, but it could just as easily be your pre-schooler. Stanley wants to be a good boy, but when his people leave home for a few hours he just can't resist squeezing under the fence. After rounding up his friends, the dog pack take off for adventure that concludes with a house party Stanley's owners won't soon forget.

Our Mother's Day Wishes

We've been watching lots of TV, with my son in the hospital for the last few weeks, so he's gotten pretty well versed in the facts of life according to commercials. Accordingly, he has learned that what all moms want for Mother's Day are flowers...or edible arrangements (because they're not just pretty but you can eat them too).

He had me convinced, but just to make sure, I asked the other folks at Mommy Poppins what their Mother's Day wishes were. Not one person mentioned Edible Arrangements, which is weird (Maybe that's just cause they haven't seen the commercial yet). In fact, every single person has a different wish or plan for their day. Read on to find out what this crew is doing...or dreams of doing (or getting) for Mother's Day this year.

 

Celebrate Cinco De Mayo in New Jersey? Sí! Free!

In other words, “let’s party!” We always love a holiday that combines history with just plain fun, and Cinco de Mayo has it all. The Fifth of May celebration commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, but you don’t need to know the facts, ma’am, to join in the festivities. From the Camden Children’s Garden to The Community Theater, Jersey is doing Cinco de Mayo and doing it right, with lots of FREE and inexpensive “partido”’s!

NJ Weekend Events May 1-2: Fish, Fairs, Farms and Fossils–from FREE!

Finally!  Looks to be a full-on weekend of fine weather in which to frolic freely—but wait, there’s only so much time you can spend at the local playground before you hear the old, “I’m bored!” rear it’s ugly head.  So grab the fishing poles, the spelunking headgear, the sheep shears, the Wonder Woman costume, and don’t forget the camera, because this weekend, New Jersey covers it all!

Wildflower Week in NYC - May 1 - 9, 2010

Because I live in the concrete jungle, or perhaps in spite of it, I am crazy about getting my son involved in nature activities and events in the five boroughs.  I don’t want him to think he lives in a place devoid of nature - because it just isn’t true. Here in New York City we have many diverse natural environments and thankfully we have lots of groups full of passionate people dedicated to preserving them.  One of these groups is the Torrey Botanic Society, who is sponsoring Wildflower Week in New York City.  A week of educational program all around the city devoted to exploring and hopefully conserving the plants indigenous to New York City.

Saturday is the kick off and there are a lot of really cool and interesting things scheduled for adults, kids and families.  Here are some highlights of  NYC Wildflower Week 2010:

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