Archive for October, 2010

Happy Halloween! Visit a local spooktacular before or after the parade (if you brave it).

See
Cirque Le Masque
Cirque Le Masque’s newest production, Carnivale, takes audiences to the streets of Rio de Janeiro for a European-style circus (sophisticated and animal free) featuring an international cast of costumed jugglers, acrobats, aerialists and clowns.
When: Sun. 10/31, 3pm; All ages; $27-$40 (kids under 18 are half-price).
Where: Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College, 2900 Campus Road, Brooklyn, 718-951-4500, brooklyncenteronline.org.

Do
A Spooky Kids Kula
Join Pure Yoga for an adventure including ghostly dances, Halloween yoga poses (move like a spider; meow like a black cat), goblin games and songs. Costumes are encouraged as long as kids are able to stretch and move.
When: Sun. 10/31, 12-1:15pm and 1:15-2:30pm; Ages 8 and under; $20 for one parent and one child, $15 for each additional child.
Where: Pure Yoga East, 203 East 86th St. at 3rd Ave., and Pure Yoga West, 204 West 77^th Street at Amsterdam Ave., pureyoga.com.

Visit
Halloween at Limelight Marketplace
Stop by for a meet-and-greet with Curious George and Madeline, read some of your favorite books at Halloween story time, take home a balloon animal and show off your costumes at a conga line costume parade and trick-or-treating.
When: Sun. 10/31, 1-6pm (storybook characters and Halloween ghouls also on Sat. 10/30, 1-5pm).
Where: 6th Ave. & 20th St., limelightmarketplace.com.

Shop
Pumpkin Trick-or-Treat Bag
Need a safe place to store all that candy? Pick up this adorable fabric jack-o-lantern bag to reuse with any costume.
Where: giggle.com.

The intense private-school admission process (and sky-high tuition) is just not for you — that’s not to say that finding a great public school to stimulate your kid’s mind is a piece of cake, either. Finding a great neighborhood school, or gaining admission to a coveted citywide spot, brings back memories of applying to college.

Get help now: Tomorrow, educational consultant Robin Aronow, Ph.D., will moderate a panel of public school parents representing District 3 (Upper West Side), plus citywide options including Hunter, Anderson, NEST + M, TAG and others on “Life After Nursery School.” Hear what fellow parents have to say about their experiences and gain some insight on each school’s special qualities (parents in Districts 4, 5 and 6 may pick up a tip or two as well). Sign up online (do it now before the price goes up tomorrow), hire a babysitter, and take notes.

When: Tues., 10/26, 6:30-8:30pm (registration begins at 6:15); $35 through 10/25, $40 on 10/26.
Where: Ansche Cheshed, 251 West 100th St. at West End Ave., schoolsearchnyc.com.

Take your little Isabella, Jayden, Sophia or Daniel (the most popular baby names in NYC) out on the town.

See
Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun
This Halloween-themed benefit show to raise money for the Manhattan Youth Ballet includes kid-friendly performances of aerial and circus wonders, plus a haunted open house of Halloween games and activities.
When: Sun. 10/24, 3:30pm (ages 2+) and 4:30pm (ages 5+), open house 4-4:30pm; $15/Adults, $10/Kids.
Where: Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, 248 West 60th St., 212-787-1178, manhattanmovement.com.

Go
Madison Square Market
Stop by the last weekend of this pop-up market featuring clothes, toys, art, gifts, snacks and more from 60 vendors.
When: Through Sat. 10/23, 11am-8pm.
Where: West side of Madison Square Park, 23rd St. near Fifth Ave. & Broadway, urbanspacenyc.com.

Do
Fancy Nancy Storytime
Don your finest bookstore duds as author Jane O’Connor reads from her newest Nancy tale, Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Fashion Boutique.
When: Sat. 10/23, 11am; ages 4-7.
Where: Bank Street Bookstore, Broadway & 112thSt., 212-678-1654, bankstreetbooks.com.

Shop
Boutique Week
Sign up online to get 25-percent off gifts and other goodies at great little shops across the city (Blue Tree, Raising Rover & Baby and Mxyplyzyk, just to name a few) — sales help benefit non-profit org Dress for Success.
When: Sun. 10/24-Sun. 10/31.
Where:  boutiqueweek.net.

You’ve finally found the perfect little sweater to throw over your shoulders on a crisp fall day, but your kid still hasn’t achieved the layered look necessary for the season’s constantly changing temps. Time to invest in a few great basics.

NYC-based designer Grace Sun recently launched O+Kay, a fab kids’ collection of luxury knit separates. Sun’s women’s line melds uptown chic with downtown cool, so it was only natural to expand the aesthetic to pint-sized pieces (the O+Kay name comes from the little ones of Sun and her business partner Emerald Ku). The first fall collection, for boys and girls in sizes 2T to 5T, features comfy cashmere ruffle capes (the line’s signature piece), hat and scarf sets and zip-up hoodies that will quickly become classic wardrobe staples that outlast anything overly trendy. Stock up online on the autumn must-haves, and stay tuned for an upcoming holiday collection.

It’s A-O+Kay.

Visit opluskay.com. 

Get those Halloween costumes ready before they change their minds — again.

Hear
Hot Peas ‘N Butter
Multicultural family music and contagious rhythms, from Puerto Rican folk to American blues, will get everyone dancing.
When: Sun. 10/17, 2pm; Ages 3+; $11/Kids, $13/Adults.
Where: The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd St., 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org.

Do
Baby Loves Disco
Groove with your kids to an afternoon dance party featuring music spun and mixed by real DJs blending classic disco tunes from the ’70s and ’80s. The 2010 Lemonade Tour raises awareness and money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to researching childhood cancers.
When: Sun 10/17; 12pm; $20 ($60 for a family of 4).
Where: Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., babylovesdisco.com.

Visit
The Little Orchestra Society
Attend a Lolli-Pops concert for children, where a merry band of characters (playing instruments both real and candy-shaped) serve up melodies including Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy and Debussy’s Cakewalk.
When: Sat. 10/16, 10:30am & 12pm and Sun. 10/17, 1 & 2:30pm; Ages 3-5; $12 & $40.
Where: The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, East 68th St. (bet. Park & Lexington Ave.), 212-971-9500, littleorchestra.org.

Go
The Future of Mothers and Daughters
To kick off the week, hear author Susan Shapiro Barash speak about her new book, You’re Grounded Forever… but First Let’s Go Shopping: The Challenges Mothers Face with their Daughters and Ten Timely Solutions.
When: Mon. 10/18, 6:30-8pm; $20.
Where: Marymount Manhattan College, 221 East 71st St., parentsleague.org.

Read
Ripe
You probably wouldn’t walk naked across the Brooklyn Bridge, but the pregnant nude portraits in photographer/mom Alexa Garabino’s first monograph, Ripe, may inspire you to do something bold.
Where: ripethebook.com.

It may be the city that never sleeps, but you’re pregnant and desperately need a nap. With an urban baby kicking around in your tummy, it’s time for an escape to the country.

Schedule a last-minute babymoon, no JFK required. The Lodge at Woodloch, a destination spa just about three hours from NYC in Pennsylvania’s lake region, is a scenic car or train ride away. Give yourself two or three nights to enjoy the serene spa, which includes prenatal massage, soothing body polish and gentle facial treatments, not to mention a relaxing indoor pool. In between appointments, schedule a mani/pedi at the salon (try the autumnal harvest-inspired options) or stop by one of the many classes going on throughout the day, from meditation and nature walks on the pretty outdoor trails to watercolor painting and cooking demos. Or, simply curl up with a good book and comfy robe in front of a stone fireplace. If you’re bringing the DH, keep him busy with cocktail mixology lessons, golf at nearby Woodloch Springs or couple’s massage. The Lodge is quiet as can be, which means you’ll (finally!) be able to detox from city noises, dream up a few new baby names, and get ready for that special delivery.

Relax and say spaaa.

Visit thelodgeatwoodloch.com.

10/10/10 is your lucky day!

Visit
The Rose Center
AMNH is celebrating the 10^th anniversary of the Rose Center for Earth and Space with performances including Native American Sky Stories, songs about the universe by The Chromatics, hands-on activities like moon rock viewings, and an appearance by a NASA astronaut.
When: Sun. 10/10, 10am-5:45pm; All ages: $13.50/students, $15/adults.
Where: American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West & 79^th St., amnh.org.

See
Starmite Puppets
A troupe of 20 unique characters entertains through songs, surprises, audience participation and a magical story by Tony nominee Barry Keating.
When: Sun. 10/10, 4-5pm; Ages 3-8; $20.
Where: City Treehouse, 129A West 20^th St., 212-255-2050, citytreehouse.com.

Go
Rumplestiltskin
Queens Theatre in the Park travels back to a magical time when people believed in sorcery, with an enchanted musical comedy kids will love.
When: Sat. 10/9, 11am & 1pm; $12.
Where: Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 718-760-0064, queenstheatre.org.

Hear
Funkey Monkeys
Described as “Seinfeld meets the Wiggles,” this six-member band does funny sketches and improvised bits alongside their funky kiddie tunes.
When: Sun. 10/10, 11:30am & 2pm; Ages 2-6; $11/Kids, $16/Adults.
Where: The Jewish Museum, 109 Fifth Ave. at 92nd St., 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org.

New Yorkers fell in love with the Novogratz family during their hit Bravo show, 9 by Design — even though most local folks can’t exactly relate to the fab city spaces (a rooftop basketball court, really?). Cooler-than-thou husband-and-wife team Cortney and Robert Novogratz of NYC-based Sixx Design are known for renovating otherwise drab spaces into spectacular homes any family would dream to live in (check out their book, Downtown Chic). But as parents of seven kids, they also have great practical tips for transforming your baby’s room, whether it’s your first or fifth:

Learn to Share
“A lot of people don’t look at the bright side of sharing a room,” says Cortney, who designed a joint bedroom for her then-infant twins and two older boys in a former home. Big kids may enjoy reading to little roommates, and everyone quickly learns how to share. Side-by-side cribs allow twins to pass toys or babble to one another. Give each baby her own toys and stuffed animals so she can express herself and start to form an identity that’s separate from her sibling – this can be as simple as giving one baby a teddy bear and the other a tiger.

Get Organized
Make sure there are enough soft books and blocks to go around, and establish an organizational system so toys can be stashed away quickly. Stock up on inexpensive baskets, or invest in an armoire with doors to hide the clutter inside.

Use Art Everywhere
“We love art, so we have a huge collection and don’t save it for just the living room,” Cortney says. “Open your whole house up, and put good things in every room. Since everybody comes to see the new baby, consider hanging your best piece of art in there.” Nursery art doesn’t have to be limited to the ABCs: Hang sophisticated pieces that you enjoy – after all, you’ll be spending a lot of time in there, too! Frame items in Plexiglas to make them more baby-friendly. Infants will quickly outgrow a room that is too juvenile, but if you make it hip and stylish they’ll still love it in their tween years.

Stick to the Essentials
When it comes to nursery gear, it’s tempting to indulge in every imaginable accessory – but you’ll do just fine with a few basics. Essentials: A basic crib that serves as a great focal point, a cool modern-looking chair, drapes or roller shades for the windows and an interesting piece with timeless appeal, like a cool lamp. And don’t forget a soft rug, since you’ll spend a lot of time on the floor with games and toys.

Visit sixxdesign.com.