Apartment Living: Toys for Toddlers

It's the holiday season. The turkey has been eaten and the Black Friday holiday shoppers were trampled but some are still searching for the perfect toys for our little boys and girls. I have found that the following toys get a lot of playtime action these days.

 

Ipad 2

LeapPad or Ipad - He uses mine whenever I am not looking so I finally gave up and downloaded some great learning apps for him. I mostly get the free ones but I did buy two educational apps for his birthday and he loves it! Ipad 2

Make Believe toys - My son loves to play in the kitchen, push shopping cart or stroller and pretend to vacuum. At the play dates the vacuum is the toy all the boys fight over. I hope he can learn to use the real one and keep the vacuuming passion going which is why this one is definitely on our wishlist!

A fold-able play tent and tunnel is perfect to get those jitters out when it is too cold for outdoor activities and it folds easily and stores right under the couch. 

Playgroups - Finding the Right One

As my son grows he is need of social interaction with other children and I need some interaction with other moms and the outside world. I have searched playgroups and got plenty of suggestions from my sister in law, friends and research online. As a Stay At Home Mom funds are tight because we are living off of one income. We made the choice to have me stay home to care for our son but that doesn't mean we have a large disposable income, we live on a budget and can't afford to pay exorbitant prices for Mommy and Me, music classes and playgroups.
When looking for a affordable place to play in the colder months and even a regular hang out for your child there has to be some criteria. For us it needed to be safe, clean, close by and affordable.
When beginning to look for a playgroup consider churches and other places of worship. They usually  have a basement or spare room and sometimes offer free or low cost playgroups to the neighborhood. Sometimes they are hard to find because their websites aren't up to date or even online but ask around the neighborhood or go to your local church and ask about the programs offered for children. Elementary or pre-schools may also have a playgroup or Mommy and Me program available.
Some play gyms have open play but you have to be a member in order to take advantage of the free play time. The problem with scheduled groups is that things come up and there are instances where your child is sick or you are sick or you have relatives in town and won't want to go. I like the playgroups that let you pay as you go, this way we can go when we want and aren't committed to any program. Some are worth it and some are not. Take a look at prices and see what fits your budget.
We have been frequenting a playgroup now that I was introduced to by my sister-in-law. It is closer to her but it is well worth the drive. This playgroup is at a religious school and they have plenty of toys, mats, games, jumpers and chairs for moms to socialize and children from infants to toddlers to play and have fun. The cost is five dollars and is pay as you go. They have a small coffee and bagels tray for adults and juice snacks for the children. After free play the head of the group asks everyone to clean up and then we sit on a mat and are read a story, sing songs, march and play instruments and other group activities. It is well worth the money and is lots of fun for my son. I only wish it I wasn't always late from getting a slow start in the morning and getting lost on the way there. Hopefully in the future we can get our act together in the morning to get us there on time.
Another option we like is the church right around the corner on 37th Street. It is in the afternoon and they only ask for donations to offset the cost of the snacks provided and there is plenty of room for my son to run around. The only complaint is that the play area can be very warm and dusty but I guess it is to be expected in a basement of an old church and there is no real structure and I don't see why they can't read a book or sing a couple songs but I guess you get what you pay for.

If you know of a great place to play please comment on this post and share with other moms

Here are a few sites in Queens that helped me in my search
- nymetroparents.com
- mommypoppins.com
- nyparenting.com

Cameron Remmer: Cameron Come Home

Cameron Remmer: Cameron Come Home: Cameron Remmer went missing on Oct 6 in San Francisco. He checked out of the Fairmont and has not been seen or heard from since. We are des...

Back To Reality:

So I took a small summer break from writing the blog. I was hoping to be posting from Sao Paulo, Brazil and make it a Bom Dia! Urban Living Abroad post but in a any event the market took a downturn and my husbands company decided he is needed here in NY. So all the planning and packing to move to another country was quickly shifted to making plans for the fall here in the city that never sleeps. No siesta's or soccer or Portuguese lessons, Fugghedaboudit! Here we stay - home sweet home.
Yes - I said Husband. We finally got married and made it official! In part because we were going to be relocating but it was time to do it anyway. Because of the uncertainty with the time frame we had to do a very low key wedding and just went down to city hall. It was a lot of fun and not really stress free but I'm sure less stress than planning a whole wedding. Hopefully we can have an anniversary ceremony in five or ten years.
Anyway I have again changed gears and am devoting myself to NYC urban living and will hopefully post some more blogs about our "adventures" as a family and  some other stuff along the way. I'm discovering that home is where my family is and it's the only place I need to be.
My son has been growing so much it is crazy to see. He is such an energetic, smart, sweet little boy and he makes me laugh every day. I was having difficulty coming to terms with the fact that we were not embarking on a life changing adventure but when I looked at his face I realized that each day is adventure and I can't help but smile. It takes away from the disappointment of not being able to live abroad and of having to tackle the issues that I face at home but I've found a new focus on family, myself, education and motherhood.

I'm looking forward to sharing new experiences and tips I'm learning on the way.

Here we go!

Jackie
NYC Mommy

New Grade System for NYC Restaurants

As a mom and a somewhat foodie the new grades posted on my favorite local restaurants had me wondering. What exactly does a grade of an A or B mean? Can I still go to eat there and is the food safe? I can't help but cringe at the thought of a B restaurant because my thoughts wander to pests and nose pickers and I can't help but wonder why the owners wouldn't work harder to get their sanitary inspection grade up to an A.
Is a B grade ever good enough?

I know many others who have been wondering the same and I'd like to share some information I have found.

What are the grades, and what do they mean? 

Grades reflect how well a restaurant complies with the food safety requirements of the New York
City Health Code and the State Sanitary Code. When inspectors examine a restaurant’s sanitary
conditions and practices, they assign numerical points for different violations of the Health Code.
Different violations carry different numbers of points, depending on their nature and severity. The
total number of violation points provides a measure of the restaurant’s general condition. Under the
new system, the Health Department will use the scores from certain inspections to generate letter
grades that are easier to interpret. Here are the grades:

• Grade A. 0 to 13 points for sanitary violations. 
• Grade B. 14 to 27 points for sanitary violations. 
• Grade C. 28 or more points for sanitary violations. 
• Grade Pending. A restaurant’s B or C grade is not final until the restaurant has had the
opportunity to go before the Health Department’s Administrative Tribunal to contest the
violations cited against it. Until then, the restaurant has the option to post either the
preliminary grade or a card that says “Grade Pending.” Once the grade is final, the restaurant
must immediately post the letter grade card and take down the Grade Pending card.

How should consumers interpret grades of B or C?

In the first year or so of grading, we expect that most restaurants will earn a B grade. Restaurants
with B or C grades should improve their overall food safety practices, but the Health Department
immediately closes restaurants with conditions that may be hazardous to public health.

Where can I search for restaurants or learn more about a restaurant’s inspection history?

Visit nyc.gov/health/restaurants to see inspection details and to search for restaurants by grade,
neighborhood, cuisine and more.

Click here for more information - www.nyc.gov

Happy and Safe Eating!!!

Baby Talk

Can You Spoil A Baby?

When you have a baby one of the things you may worry about is if your going to be a good mother. You ask yourself questions about disciplining and after school activities and what you would do in certain situations but those things don't happen until later. What about when the baby is brand new? Can you spoil a baby?
When I was pregnant I said that I was going to be a strict mother and I wouldn't let my baby get away with anything because who likes a kid with no manners? We both thought it would be me saying no but when I held that baby for the first time in my arms I knew all that would change. I tried my best to be serious when he threw his food on the floor but when he flashed that baby grin with all gums and only two little teeth I couldn't help but laugh. Now that my son is getting older he knows that he can get away with it a little (who am I kidding - a lot) more when Mommy is around. I am so grateful that we did sleep training early and he at least doesn't fight nap time.
Our son was about four months when we decided to sleep train in his own room and crib. He seemed more comfortable in the crib and I knew he was safer there than sleeping in bed with us. We read all the books and came up with a plan that I thought would work. After four months of not being able to sleep a full night and all the changes my body was going through, it felt like I was in the twilight zone. I was cranky, exhausted and delirious.He didn't sleep through the night just yet but having him in our room was not working and I needed to sleep through the night as much as he did. Every little sound he made woke me up and when it was too quiet I woke up to make sure he was still breathing. The first night we "trained" him, it was so hard for me. Daddy kept telling me to leave him alone and let him cry for ten minutes before checking in on him. I stared at the monitor with the little screen and saw him squirm and cry. I went in after five minutes because it was torture to hear my baby boy cry like that. I knew he was tired and he wasn't hungry or wet so I couldn't pick him up, I had to let him cry it out. I rubbed his back, said I love you until he calmed down a little and then left for another five minutes. Wouldn't you know, he cried for five more minutes but then went right to sleep. We were both so relieved. Now that I knew we could do it, letting him cry for five to ten minutes didn't seem like a big deal. It got easier the next time but it still was really difficult to hear him cry.
My husband said we were spoiling him but all the books I read said that it is impossible to spoil a baby at that age. As he got older and smarter he knew that being in his crib meant it was sleep time and he would eventually just play or babble until he fell asleep. I am now grateful we sleep trained early because I hear some horror stories now about mothers who have to rock and hold their baby even for naps and I wonder how they ever get anything done. I do sometimes wish that my baby would like to sleep with me in bed but that is my own selfish wish of having him to cuddle with and the best thing for him is to be able to relax alone and fall asleep on his own.