Lucky me. I just spent the past week in New York City with my husband and without our kids!! Such fun! (Seriously, NYC in the summertime is such a young, hip, sexy city… and it was so fun to spend a week with my husband pretending to be young, hip and sexy again!)

We were both there for a bit of work as well as play… and it just so happened that the Playtime NYC children’s trade show fell at the end of our stay. I attended the show on Saturday and I’m going to be bold here and say that it was the best trade show I’ve ever attended. Set in a cool venue in Soho, the intimate space and impressive selection of designers made for a lovely, lovely show. If you happen to be in NYC, today is the last day of the show and it’s definitely worth checking out!

x Courtney

p.s. I’ll be spending the next couple weeks filling you in on my favourite finds from Playtime so stay tuned…

One of my very favorite children’s shops from Brooklyn recently opened in Nolita last month — dangerously close to where I live (uh oh).   I have always admired Sweet William as it is a store that gets it just right.  The space is adorable and the clothes are incredibly well edited, wearable and unique.  I assure you,  you will want it all.  I am especially drawn to the store as a great source for newborn gifts — the teeny tiny outfits from the likes of Ketiketa and Tuss are criminal they are so cute.

-Dina

P.S. Check out all of the new city designs.  The girls at Petite Alma did such an amazing job capturing each city’s look and feel. We’ve also added some handy new features which will help make your visit even easier. We are so excited about them we can hardly sit still!

P.P.S. As always, we welcome your feedback.

But look — it’s not that we are afraid to leave our children with the grandparents for a few days – it’s just that we really love going here and honestly, when it comes right down to it… vacation for us at this juncture in our lives means sleeping past 7am, eating well, taking a bath without someone banging on the door, and long stretches of quiet.

We always have an amazing time at the Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington, CT. It is a luxury we treat ourselves to if we can once a year. They have an absolutely incredible spa with every treatment imaginable and the food and service is exceptional.  One of our favorite spots on the property is the amazing sun-room in the spa (pictured) that has huge picture windows and chairs made of marshmallows.  It’s a perfect place to read a book or just zone out before or after a treatment.  If you are in need of some weekend R&R I would say… run don’t walk.  Is is an indulgence but it’s worth it and I have not found many other places like this so close to the city.

-Dina

You see Metrotwin is a site powered by British Airways to offer reviews of all the best things to do in the London and NYC.  It is a fabulous resource if you happen to be travelling to or even if you live in either of the cities.

You can check out the Babyccino Kids London Address Book here and the NY address book here.

Enjoy! Mo.x

I ain’t gonna lie – this is Soho and it ain’t cheap, but everything in this store is really special and it is a fabulous place to pick up unique gifts. If you are in need of a special outfit for a young boy or girl this is a great place to look.

-Dina

1) Small group of kids in a comfortable, non-chaotic setting. Check.
2) Easy commute (my apartment builiding). Check.
3) Healthy dinner included (and eaten! and provided by someone other than me!).  Check.

For the past few months, thanks to Kulinary Kids NYC, we have found an after school experience that we all love!!!  A few families in the neighborhood came together to do this amazing drop-off cooking class that meets once a week in one of our apartments. From 4-5pm, the kids put on adorable little aprons and work together to whip up something healthy and delicious to eat.

The teachers, who arrive with all of the goods, worked in education and their approach is really terrific and engaging.  Not only do they post the weekly recipes in big letters on the wall but they incorporate art projects and books to teach the kids more about the meals they are cooking.  Right now they are working their way through the colors of the rainbow and each week it has been something delicious (yellow squash souffle, meatloaf with red sauce, and even green eggs and ham!). It’s a great way for kids to work together in a small and quiet setting and I find that they take great pride in the end result and want to try it! If you are looking for something special to do with a small group of friends this is a wonderful answer to a weekly playdate — and best of all Kulinary Kids brings the class (and dinner) to you!  That, my friends, is priceless….

-Dina

What I love about the clothes is not only the beautiful muted color palate but the hipper-than-hip French styling.   In addition to a bunch of great sweaters and dresses, I picked up a pair of cargo capris with a flowy top and a printed cotton wrap scarf.   The cuteness factor was off the charts!  Obaibi carries items from birth-5yrs and I am hoping that they soon open a store with the line for older kids (Okaidi).   I would say to all New York moms that it is worth the trip – the clothes are adorable, beautifully made and priced WELL WELL WELL below what you would find elsewhere.  Dress like a little French girl at Old Navy pricing.  Viva la France!

-Dina

I guess now, with time being what it is, those young men and women with the complicated haircuts and ironic t-shirts are getting older and having kids of their own.  And thank goodness they are because the children’s stores there are really just so darn cool!!!! If you have not been, you must go.  Make a day of it as there are so many amazing shops and little places to eat.

Mini Jake – is kind of like the Brooklyn version of the popular Giggle chain. It’s a huge space filled with all things modern and cool — strollers, cribs, bedding, feeding stuff… you name it.  In a nutshell, it is a modern parents dream as it is chock full of all those eco-fashionable brands that they go gaga for (Oeuf, Stokke, Bloom etc;). The store also has a huge selection toys (think Plan Toys and Playmobil) and a book nook with all the classics.

Sweet William – an absolutely gorgeous store carrying brands that I simply can’t find anywhere else. I am obsessed with under the radar brands like Makie and Talc and they carry both. The well edited selection caters mainly to the younger set — newborn to 5 yrs and has the type of stuff that you will hold on to for years just because it’s all too beautiful to part with.  A perfect place for gifts for a newborn.

Flying Squirrel – One word:  GENIUS.   Flying Squirrel is a consignment shop for gently used kid’s clothes, gear and toys. I bought an amazing fleece jacket here in perfect condition for $10 dollars which retails for like $100. There is a small selection of new items as well but that is not the draw here. Although you have to sift through the racks a bit, all of the clothing that they carry is “higher-end” stuff in perfect condition. When I stop hoarding all my girls’ clothing I might go here to unload.

Smoochie Baby – Another lovely modern store with a well edited selection of clothes and shoes. I was happy to find the tunic top that Emilie wrote about here and it was on sale! I also picked up an adorable dress (pictured) from an Australian line that they carry there called LittleHorn. So cute right?

-Dina

So anyway– Soul Cycle has had a following for quite some time in other areas of the city and I was nervous as hell to go.  I had never done a “spin class” before and I was pretty confident that I was going to die on the bike and make a total scene. As I stood in the lobby waiting for class to start I tried my best to look like a pro but when I saw the sweat drenched people emerge from the prior class I started to panic.

Anyway – long story, longer… I snapped my shoes into the bike, said a prayer, jumped on and just did it.  The teacher was amazing and led the class on what felt like a 45-minute spiritual journey through the mountains.  The music was loud and excellent, the dark room and the vibe made you want to really push yourself.   It was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be and I felt like a new human being when it was over.  I am now hooked and I would highly recommend it to all the sluggish, sleep deprived moms and dads out there.  It’s a boost both physically and mentally.

-Dina

Kidding Around is a toy store in Chelsea that I really love as it does a great job stocking toys which are both parent savvy and ones that your kids will love. The website is in dire need of a makeover but if you visit the store in person you will be extremely pleased with what you find inside. Not only is it huge but it has everything that a child could want from birth through the teen years — all of which is thoughtfully edited and categorized.  It is my go-to place for amazing birthday gifts and I always stumble upon something new when I go.

I have my sights set on this little red accordian to buy as a gift for someone who bought my girls two recorders last month.   Payback time!

-Dina

-Dina

With “three being the new two” and “twins being the new singleton” in NYC, the maternity business is booming! When I was pregnant I was determined to remain somewhat stylish (well with the roots growing in and the adult onset acne, the least I could do was wear a semi-decent outfit.)   One of my very favorite brands to discover along the way was Nom de Naissance, which is based out of LA and is carried at my very favorite maternity store in NYC, Belly Dance Maternity.   This adorable West Village shop carries a well edited selection of labels like Splendid, Diane Von Furstenburg and Ripe with the premise being that you can still dress like you did before you got prego. Two other amazing stores that I discovered along the way were Cappucine in Tribeca which does not have an on-line website but is definitely worth the visit.  The owner carries both maternity wear and adorable regular clothes in larger sizes (and the owner is French so you know it’s cool).  The other place that I found was Bump in Brooklyn which opened after I had the girls but it looks ultra, ultra swank.  For the gals that are not into “Pea in a Pod” and “Liz Lange” – these stores are for you.

-Dina

Pomme is an adorable little store in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn that carries a well-edited and unique array of items for young children.  You can call the store direct to get matching pillows or if you are feeling particularly fashionable there are booties to match!

-Dina

-Dina

When I was in the other day I finally asked who did the graphics for the place as I love everything on the walls.  The owner, who is the mom of two young children in the neighborhood,  has clearly thought of every little detail of the environment down to the take-away coffee cups (which are almost too beautiful to toss.)    I always go there to buy little note cards and I was so excited to see that the designer of all the amazing stuff in Moomah has a website.   Screech Owl Designs has beautiful prints,  t-shirts and stationery.   I especially love their note cards –  I think it would even be nice to frame a few and hang on the wall, and I am planning to get some as birthday invitations this year.

-Dina

Last winter however, I started taking classes at Physique 57 and everything changed.

Physique 57 has a major cult following in New York.  In a nutshell, it’s 57 minutes of upbeat music and fluid, muscle crunching movements that hone in on all the key areas.  Based on the famous Lotte Berk method, P57 classes focus on core strength and flexibility and the classes are taught by adorable professional dancers who really motivate you to keep going even when your insides are screaming.   What I love about it is that it is comprised of short routines –  every five minutes or so you work on a different part of the body.  And before you know it, the class is over — yay!

They have locations in Soho and Midtown and a great deal of the people I see here are working professionals or moms with young kids.  Too often moms run around like crazy and don’t take time for themselves — P57 is a good one hour break to do something to let you regroup and re-energize.  I would definitely try a class if you can, especially if you are not a “gym” person, like me.

-Dina

This unassuming and very hip burger joint in the trendy Meatpacking district is actually one of my favorite super duper secret places to grab a special lunch with the girls.  The burgers are delicious, and they come in sets of two which are perfect for teeny hands.  They also have a nice selection of healthier items like a salad or an excellent chicken burger which pair nicely with a thick classic milkshake and crispy fries.

Pop Burger is actually a popular late night club /hangout for the young and fabulous, but during the day they play upbeat ’80s and ’90s classics and my girls love to dance and flail around the place like Beyonce.   Warning:  the music is loud! So don’t send them with the grandparents because they will totally hate your guts but I assure you, if you were born in the ’70s or ’80s you will love it.  I have caught myself singing out loud and seriously, who would have guessed I know all of the words to “Rhythm Nation.”    I have vetted this place many times and always leave happy.  The only downside is that they have the most terrible flimsy cheap napkins known to man – bring a packet of wipes – it does get messy.

ps: There is also a location in Midtown.

-Dina

-Dina