By Director of Operations, CityMommy Northeast PA and Family Travel Guide, Allison Wasko

Buried deep within an emerald green forest, in a secluded area of the charming Pennsylvania town of Hawley, my family and I found the most unexpected treasure!

No, it wasn’t a heap of gold and gems, but something far better – Woodloch Resort.

Woodloch Resort is a family destination in the pristine Pocono Mountains committed to a tradition of excellence and hospitality. Nestled on sparkling Lake Teedyuskung and surrounded by majestic hemlocks, the minute we arrived, we knew we found something special.

But don’t expect to see more than a photo or two of us sitting in lounge chairs admiring the breathtaking views; we were much too busy having the time of our lives and experiencing a wonderful vacation together. From check in to check out, we laughed, played, and made invaluable memories.

“I like to call it the ‘Magic of Woodloch,” explained Laurie McEvory, Woodloch staff member. “It’s the whole Woodloch package. Woodloch Resort is specifically designed so parents have as much fun as their kids.”

Perhaps the ideal resort, Woodloch was named “Among the World’s Best All-Inclusive Resorts” by Family Circle Magazine. No doubt, they were right on the money. Woodloch is a travel triple threat – unmatched hospitality; remarkable amenities and accommodations; and incredible food. No other family resort can come close to comparing.

All for Fun, Fun for All

Each day brings a slew of new, exciting activities for people of every age and background. In fact, there are so many things to do; guests need a daily pamphlet to keep track of it all.

The professional and friendly staff takes pride in presenting exceptional activities for their guests to enjoy. From the Island Day Carnival to the Island Olympics, game shows, scavenger hunts, petting zoos, pony rides, hay rides and special summertime cookouts, weekends at Woodloch are simply packed with the delightful and exciting things to do.

When we weren’t participating in the specially scheduled events, we were taking advantage of all amenities the resort has to offer.

We were blown away by the incredible indoor/outdoor kids’ splash pools, and beautiful swim facilities. In addition to swimming, my children climbed the three-level padded play gym, known at the resort as “Woodloch Forrest.”

We played several rounds of mini-golf, shopped in all three gift shops, checked out the go carts, bumper boats and paddle boats, and engaged in some creative expression in the children’s arts and crafts room.

And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, a breathtaking fireworks display ended our first day at the resort.
But that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface on the many possibilities for Woodloch fun!

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by Jenny from the Blog

Figuring out that your parents knew as little about raising children as you do is a mind altering experience.

I spend much of my time in disbelief that I am the mom of two amazing kids, because I often feel like a kid myself. How did this happen? When did this happen? Just yesterday I was getting my license, graduating college, moving to my first apartment… and somehow I am an adult with a home and children. Children that come to me in the middle of the night with growing pains, and nightmares looking to be comforted. I’m mothering by the seat of my pants. I creatively make up feel better songs or merely relay the advice my mother gave me as a young child.

How is it that I am winging it and my mother seemed to know everything? I walk around sputtering a slew of medical advice I got from this woman who was so thoroughly competent and mature at 35, they may have even let her practice medicine in some states, like West Virginia.

Was Dr. Mom wrong? Was she all knowing or just a teenager, stuck in a “mommy” body, spouting the information imparted by her mother before her? If your tongue has a green tint, do you not need to make a BM? If you get stung by a bee does toothpaste not soothe the sting? It all made perfect sense when I was 8.
I took these practices as gospel, logging the protocol in my “future motherhood file,” for safekeeping. I filled my arsenal with pertinent and sometimes even magical remedies, only to find myself at 35 in a CPR and safety class being jeered by the instructor, the “movie star” hot instructor.

Because I am mentally no more than 21, I was secretly praying he was a stripper, hoping his snug manly fireman’s uniform would Velcro straight off to the sound of some cheesy disco accompaniment. Don’t think I didn’t whisper, “bow chicka bow wow,” to get the ball rolling.

I attempted to impress him with the vast medical knowledge I had learned from the omnipotent Dr. Mom.

“Butter for burns?” He laughed. “Coke Syrup? “ He questioned. “Who taught you this stuff?” He prodded and not in a flirty teasing way. Apparently, my medical knowledge was archaic. Not only did it make me seem old, it made me seem Amish.

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by Kerri Jablonski, Director of Operations, CityMommy Seattle

RECARO has been making carseats for kids since 2006, but don’t let the newness fool you. They have been in business for over 100 years making bodies for cars like the Porsche 356 and race car seats in the 1970’s.

The RECARO Signo is a top of the line convertible carseat. The Signo features a 5 point safety harness, side impact protection, adjustable headrest and a latch bar design to make it super easy to change from rear facing to front facing.

The Signo was easy for me to install. I looked over the manual because I don’t have latch in my car and to make sure I had everything set up right. It’s definitely a tight fit in my Subaru rear facing, it took a little oomph to get it tight, and there isn’t as much legroom as other brands, but over all I am satisfied. Once we are ready to turn him around though, it will be great. I love that it sits higher up, he can really see what’s going on outside of the car.

For the price you really can’t beat it. Safety ratings are high — compares up to all Britax but when I personally compare the quality of construction of Recaro is much higher.

***
The Pluses

The material is soft and comfortable; I don’t have to worry about it scratching son’s skin. Did I mention the hand washable cover is easy to remove if it gets dirty?

This seat is heavy! It’s definitely durable!

The Side Impact Protection. The side wings are SOO deep!

You don’t have to rethread the harness straps as your child grows. Just use the adjustment knobs!

The fact that it can be used as a rear-facing carseat for infants, and can be used until your child is 8 years old! Which saves you money. (There are certain weight/height restrictions you can see at the RECARO site)

The harness adjust wonderfully and tucks away under the Velcro pocket.

The Midnight Desert fabric is gorgeous! Read the rest of this entry »

by Laurie Wolk

Okay fine, I admit it, I am obsessed with my neck. I am not sure how it happened but over the course of a month my neck seems to have grown, sagged and gained about 10 pounds. Truth be told, I had never even noticed my neck before this past month and then one morning, voilà, there it was: a turkey swallow. By the way, if you happen to be someone who sees me out and about town, please don’t stop and stare at my neck, as it will surely prove to me once and for all that I do indeed have turkey-sized giblets. In utter panic, I do what I do best: go out and buy something to solve my problems.

I head to Sephora in the city and set in motion a top secret mission to solve the neck issue. (Editor’s note to those living near NYC, go to the Sephora in the East 60’s so that after you leave the store feelin’ and smellin’ all pretty you can head up to Lululemon and Tasti d’ Lite for some special treats.) Once at Sephora I scour the shelves for anything that resembles a neck firming crème. I instantly steer clear of all the French brands, as I have never bought into the notion that the French folks really know how to solve us American women’s woes. Just as I am about to throw in the towel, as nothing seems to speak to my sagging jowls, I notice it. There in the Bliss section sits Thinny Thin Chin. Could it be true? A neck firming crème made by none other than my favorite city spa hot spot?

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By Allison Wasko, Director of Operations, CityMommy of Northeast PA

When I heard that the remarkable Karen Wolfe, wife, interior designer and mother to six beautiful children had launced the the ultra-preppy, “Palm Beach Blankie” company, I just had to interview her. She recently shared information about her exciting company with CityMommy. Here is what she had to say:

CM: Please tell us a little bit about your business/site?

Karen: Palm Beach Blankie is a brand new company specializing in lightweight, cotton, designer baby blankets. Our two-sided, reversible blankets feature fun and preppy patterns on each side and are trimmed with a silky satin edge all the way around.

We are known for our Palm Tree packaging in which we wrap up each Palm Beach Blankie to resemble a palm tree and package it in a bright pink box and seal it up with a grosgrain ribbon and pbb sticker.

These stylish blankets are the perfect weight for a summer blankie or for taking the chill off of an air-conditioned room. They fold up compactly and are easily stashed in a diaper bag or purse. They are generous in size (27” x 36”) and look so cute peeking out of your baby’s stroller as you go on your daily jaunts around town.

CM: How long have you been in business? How did you get your business started?

Karen: Palm Beach Blankie is a newly-hatched baby chick! We were founded in 2009 and just launched our website in April.

The foundations of PBB had been swimming around in my head for a while, but everything really came together earlier this year.

I am a born-and-raised Floridian and have always been attracted to a preppy, palm, beachy look. My background is in Interior Design, which allowed me to nurture an affinity for beautiful fabrics and neat-looking designs. But it was truly becoming a mother and having my own kids that made me really appreciate great baby products.

When some of my older kids were small, I received a couple of baby blankets that really stood out. They were cotton blankets in bold, geometric patterns and I loved them! They certainly weren’t the typical light-pink-and-blue-and-covered-with-bears stuff you usually see. I knew I wanted to create a similar eye-catching product that other moms would enjoy as well.

It had to be stylish, but yet exceedingly practical at the same time. After all, what good is a baby blanket that you can’t throw in the washer when the baby inevitably throws up on it or has a major blow-out?

I also love that PBBs are lightweight and feature the silky satin edge. My babies have always loved rubbing something soft as they fall asleep. As any mom knows, anything that helps babies go to sleep is a good thing! But I have to say the packaging is one of my favorite parts. It is really fun and distinctive and always gets a big reaction. I love watching people open them.

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CityMommy is excited to announce the launch of CityMommy Pittsburgh!

If you know anyone in the Pittsburgh area, please invite them to:
http://pittsburgh.citymommy.com

Or contact us for more information at info AT citymommy DOT com

CityMommy is excited to announce the launch of CityMommy Memphis!

If you know anyone in the Memphis area, please invite them to:
http://memphis.citymommy.com

Or contact us for more information at info AT citymommy DOT com

by Denise Schipani

In the six-and-a-half years I’ve been a parent thus far, I have bought an untold amount of: clothes, shoes, chicken nuggets, sippy cups, and diapers, diapers, diapers. (Enough to paper several ballrooms, at the least). What I have not purchased? Toys. Not one. OK, maybe one or two, but seriously, that’s it. There was a time I was in the baby superstore when my older son, Daniel, was a toddler, and fell in love with a little bed that came with three bouncing monkeys, and played the “Three little monkeys jumping on the bed” song as the monkeys bounced off the bed. The rest of the toys Daniel and his little brother, James, now have were pretty much all gifts. To me—and, it seems, to them—that’s enough.

Still don’t believe me? Two Christmases ago, I swear, was the first time we got Daniel, then 5, and James, then 3, any “from Santa” presents at all. My thought was, before they know what to expect and before they start asking (or begging), why invite it by forcing all that hoopla on them? I’d seen too many little relatives turning into wild-eyed, wrapping-paper-hungry dervishes while in the throes of toy-opening frenzy—not attractive. So when, that year, Daniel piped up and said he wanted a trumpet (where did that come from?!), I headed off to Amazon.com and found a toy version, silver with blue, purple, and red buttons. He loves it; it’s taken a lot of abuse and a couple of Krazy-Glue-mends, but it lingers in our playroom. And, for the record, this past year, at age 6, Daniel asked for an accordion. Even the mall Santa sat there in disbelief, waiting for the rest of the list. That was it.

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1. Please tell us a little bit about your business/site?

Child’s Play offers several age-appropriate playgroups for children as young as 4 months and as old as 4 years. The groups include a little bit of everything—singing at circle time, arts and crafts for toddlers, active play, story time, and more. A group leader guides everyone through all the activities. The group leader is also a parent who knows what it’s like raising young children. The prices are per family rather than per child, so siblings can come along to a play session at no additional charge. And only parents attend, no nannies or sitters, so parents can get together with their peers to discuss parenting and the rest of their lives, too.

Over the years, we’ve always tried to respond to the needs of families in our communities, so we now have a Mandarin program for babies up through school-aged kids. We’ve also had other language-based playgroups (like Korean, Japanese, and German) when families expressed a need for them and will continue to do so in the future.

2. How long have you been in business?

Child’s Play has been around for over 20 years, since 1986. When I was a stay-at-home mom with two small children, I needed an affordable, fun place I could take my kids that would also give me the chance to meet other parents. There really weren’t any programs specifically targeted just for moms or dads with their kids then, so I decided to start one myself!

3. Is your business online, or a physical location or both?

We have four locations, two on the Upper West Side and two on the Upper East Side: Rutgers Presbyterian Church at 236 W 73rd Street; West-Park at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew at 263 W 86th Street; Jan Hus Presbyterian Church at 351 East 74th Street; and the Church of the Holy Trinity at 341 East 87th Street. Even though Child’s Play programs take place in churches, there’s no religious aspect to the groups at all and anyone is welcome. We also are just about to launch our website here. You can also call Jennifer at 212-877-8227, x204 to learn more about us.

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CityMommy is excited to announce the launch of CityMommy Columbus, Ohio!
If you know anyone in the Columbus area, please invite them to:
http://columbus.citymommy.com
Or contact us for more information at info AT citymommy DOT com

Thank you!!