Baby Friendly L.A.

Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party

Halloween family fun - Disney style!

If you are looking for something enjoyable to do with your kids this Halloween season, Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party is a fun, safe night out for the entire family.  The folks at Disney were kind enough to invite us down to check out the festivities and we are happy to say that it was an entertaining night had by all.

The California Adventure Park is closed to anyone without a party ticket to host this private, Halloween extravaganza. The streets are lined with dance areas and DJs playing modern mixes combined with Halloween favorites. You might get asked to dance by Sully from Monsters Inc. or take a twirl with the Little Einsteins. Beloved Disney characters are there to mingle and pose for pictures.

If you are all about the treats, never fear… there are plenty of trick-or-treating stations throughout the park offering a variety of sugary pleasures along with an assortment of healthy options such as apples, raisins and cranberries. There is a treat for every palate and you won't go home empty handed.

Over all, the Mickey's Trick or Treat party was an enjoyable, family night out. It was Ava's first real Halloween experience and while she wasn't quite sure what to make of some of the spooky attractions (although nothing was overly scary), she still had fun in her Snow White costume. She even got to blow kisses to Dopey! Our buddy, Christopher – or Captain Hook, had a blast partying it up on the dance floor and snacking on apple treats. There was something fun for everyone and we look forward to spending many more Halloweens with Mickey and the gang!

Tickets purchased in advance are $32 most days, while tickets purchased on the event day are $39.  For Oct. 30 and 31, all tickets to Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party are $42. Kids 2 and under are free.  For more information visit: www.disneyland.com/halloween

Snow White

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved Snow White. Yes, that little girl would be me. My father made a big production out of taking me to see it for the first time in the theater and I remember getting all dressed up for the special event.  If you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, without hesitation I would tell you, "Snow White." I'm sure the fact that I look very similar to Snow has nothing to do with it. Honest.

Flash forward to present day. I still love Snow White and her seven little friends. I still collect vintage and vintage looking memorabilia and best of all - I now have my very own mini-me, er, I mean mini-Snow in my daughter.  Thankfully she loves her as much as I do (ok, I admit it, she might have been influenced just a little bit) and just like me her first movie in the theater will be none other than - you guessed it - Snow White.

The movie comes to theaters about every 10 years so for us to be able to experience it on the big screen is incredible. To add to my excitement, it's playing at the very special Disney theater in Hollywood, The El Capitan. The El Cap provides a live action pre-show before the movies with dancing Disney princesses and an elaborate, interactive exhibit after the movie. I’m in Snow heaven.

The movie is playing for a short, limited time from September 19-October 1st only. There is also a character breakfast before the 10:00 a.m. showing. Show times vary.

For more information, visit: www.ElCapitanTheater.com

THE END.

The BFLA Shop

I'm excited to introduce the new BabyFriendlyLA Shop! Ava and I have compiled an online store powered by Amazon, including some of our favorite products.  We've made shopping easy by gathering some of the best products out there for moms and babies and putting them all in one place so you don't have to hunt them down. Nearly every item is a personal recommendation and many have been reviewed right here on BFLA. Here are a few of the selections you'll find:

• Ava's Favorites: Ava's section has her favorite toys, books, games, and many other fun things that she has loved since she was an infant. 
• Must Haves: I've compiled a "must have" section for items that I just couldn't live without or that made life with a newborn a little bit easier. From baby monitors to booster chairs, this is my essential mommy list.
• Baby Gear: This section contains products such as strollers, car seats, high chairs... Baby gear that we've used, abused and can't say enough good things about. 
• Yummy Diaper Bags: The name says it all. I've gathered a group of stylish, functional and fun bags to fit any budget.
• Mommy Style: My favorite section! This area is all about killer shoes and sweet handbags for stylish moms on the go.

More to come! I plan to update this shop with more books, gadgets and recommendations from mommies, teachers and baby experts.  You can easily visit the shop any time by clicking the circular SHOP icon on the right side of the website. Enjoy!

BlankyClip®

10% off these cuddly clips that keep your blankets in place.

If you've ever had a sleeping baby out in public, you know how important the blanket is. Not only does it help keep your little one warm and cozy, many times it is the shade that keeps the sun away and allows your sleeping beauty to snooze a while longer. The blanket is an important piece of baby gear, but keeping it in place is a whole other story.

I remember countless times pushing Ava around with her blanket draped over the stroller as she napped.  More often than not, the blanket would fly up whenever a breeze kicked in and I'd panic that she'd wake up sooner than expected. I wish I had discovered the BlankyClip® back when Ava was an infant.

BlankyClip® is an innovative product created by California mom, Adrienne Alitowski, who like many moms with a sleepy newborn, needed a way to secure blankets in place.  Adrienne didn't stop at function though… These clips are actually adorable, lovable little animals that are just begging to be cuddled. They are soft and safe for baby hands (meaning no pinching) and they are so cute that you'll want one just for a decoration.

There is a sweet little sheep, a delightful yellow duck and huggable brown bear to choose from. They are all so charming that it's difficult to choose a favorite, however Ava won't let the sheep (or "sheepy" as she calls it) out of her grasp. We bring him everywhere and clip him on to basically anything – such as the handle in the car above her car seat, her jacket, my purse, my shirt, her shirt… you get the idea. Before we leave the house she brings him to me and says, "On, on!" And we have clipped him on to blankets too! Ava and I are both in love with this product.

We are sure you will love BlankyClip® too, so Adrienne is offering a 10% discount to all BFLA readers! Enter 10BFLA at checkout to receive the discount. Be the hit at the next baby shower by bringing along these adorable (and functional!) cuddly friends.

www.blankyclip.com
10% Discount Code: 10BFLA

Twilight Turtle

Sleep under the stars with this adorable night light.

Ava's latest fascination is space. As in outer space. As in the planets, moon and stars kind of outer space. She's a big fan of the planet Mars. Yes, I said Mars. Add this to her interest in airplanes and I'm beginning to think we may have a future astronaut on our hands. 

Most nights we have to take her outside for the evening ritual of saying good night to the moon or "moooo-nah" as she calls it. I'm sure you can guess her favorite book. But some nights we just can't take her outside. Believe it or not, California actually has a few cold, rainy days a year. Only a few, but they do happen.  Thanks to FunFindsForMom.com, we were introduced to a cute little turtle that brings the moon and the stars indoors.

The Twilight Turtle Constellation Nightlight constellations and a discovery booklet is included to help you locate them. We haven't tried this yet, but we do have a good time moving the "mooo-nah" around the room for Ava to find and excitedly point out. 

The Twilight Turtle runs on three AAA batteries so it's easy to reposition him for the perfect star viewing experience. She "ooohs and ahhs" every time we turn it on and bedtime is becoming a more pleasant experience. The nightlight has a 45 minute timer so it will turn itself off after everyone is sound asleep. 

And the Twilight Turtle isn't just for babies… My husband doesn't know it yet (and I hope he doesn't read this), but he's going to have a romantic evening under stars right in our very own living room. A chilled bottle of wine, his favorite cupcakes and a room full of the constellations - all while Ava sleeps peacefully upstairs… Sounds like a pretty good Valentine's Day to me!

The night light, created by Cloud B, retails around $30 and is available as the original Twilight Turtle, Sea Turtle or Ladybug.

Kindermusik

Music classes for budding Beethovens

Ava and I have been taking Kindermusik classes with our mommy friends for the last eight months or so. Each week we gather around to sing songs and do little dances with our babies. If someone walked in on the class not knowing what it was all about, I'm sure they would probably think, "What are these crazy ladies doing in there?" But if you know what's up, then you know that singing and dancing with your kiddo is helpful in so many ways… like learning lessons, self discovery and not to mention that it's just plain good for the soul.

We have been lucky enough to enjoy Sarah Orfe as our instructor. Sarah's upbeat personality and cheerful demeanor leads the class in a fun and engaging way. The babies love her pleasant voice and the moms relate to her as a fellow mother of two young boys. Her classes are entertaining for both mommies and babies – even if we have to square dance once in a while.

The Kindermusik classes are structured around on the age of the child. Village classes are for newborns to 18 months. The routines involve creative play, stimulating exercises and experimentation with objects and instruments. Colorful scarves, egg shakers, and bells are just some of the favorite objects the kids play with during class. The songs are sweet, sometimes recognizable and often influenced by different regions of the world. Take-home materials accompany each course and includes a CD to sing along with, a book to read and a special toy to play with.  (Most children's CDs make me want to pull my hair out, however I honestly enjoy the Kindermusik compilations.)

Other classes offered through the Kindermusik program:

• Our Kind of Day - From newborn to age 4, children are encouraged to experience the class at their own pace and learn from each other
• Sign and Sing – a class that teaches simple sign language through song and motion
• Imagine That! – for children ages 3-5
• Kindermusik for the Young Child – for children 5-7 years of age

We have thoroughly enjoyed our Kindermusik classes and look forward to continuing with the series as Ava grows and develops. It's a wonderful way to playfully bond with your little one and exercise your baby's senses through music and dance. We love our weekly classes and we love our instructor, Sarah. And you never know, with all of this musical expression happening we just might be growing the next budding Beethoven or mini Mozart…

Kindermusik is a national program:
www.kindermusik.com

For more information on Kindermusik with Sarah Orfe visit her site:
http://kindermusikwithsarahandfriends.kindermusik.net OR
www.kindermusikwithsarah.com

Alphabooks

A fun way to learn your ABCs

Ava is pretty good at identifying her toys. She loves her oversized Minnie Mouse and says, "Mini-ini-ini" each morning before she crawls (and now sometimes walks!) over to give her a kiss. She knows her Milo the Monkey chair, her Ernie and her Elmos, her puppies, piggies and bears. And her favorite is this weird sheep pillow that snores (yes, snores like a man) that my brother gave her. We call him Sheepy. I thought, "If she can identify these toys, why can't she start learning her alphabet?"

First I tried flash cards. I love the idea of having only one letter per card. Unfortunately they didn't stand much of a chance. The cards were more fun to bend and crinkle before she shoved them in her mouth. Next up - books.  Ava LOVES books and would have me read to her all day long if I could, so I picked up a few that went through the ABCs with pictures. But having several  letters of the alphabet on each page was too busy and just ended up being distracting for her. So my quest continued…

And then I found Baby Einstein Alphabooks (Baby Einstein). They are wonderful! There are 26 books - one book for each letter of the alphabet. They are small in size, made of hard cardboard and only six pages long. Each page has one word that begins with the corresponding letter along with various pictures. Some pictures are realistic, some are cartoon images and some are museum style paintings. The letters are displayed boldly on both the front and the back covers in upper and lower case, so either way the book lands the letter is seen.

I love these books. And so does Ava. She enjoys turning the pages and looking at the pictures. I only take out a few at a time for her to play with and because it's just one letter per book, it's not overwhelming and she can learn them at her own pace. She can already identify the letters M, O, B and Z and make the corresponding sounds when I ask her to pick them up. The books are easy to throw in the diaper bag and are far more durable than flash cards. They come in a neat storage box which is also fun to play with. Ava likes to take each book out and then tries to put them all back.

The age requirement says the books are for 18 months and up, but it's never to early to start reading and learning your ABCs. Thanks, Baby Einstein for making it so fun and easy!

Baby Einstein Alphabooks (Baby Einstein)

Yep, Baby Joined a Gym

My Gym - Move over Jane Fonda... the babies are workin' out!

When Doug and I were thinking about having a baby we had numerous discussions and made various lists of things we would probably need. Diapers, bottles, cute little outfits... you know, the stuff little babies are made of. We never imagined our six month old would have her very own gym membership. A gym for babies? What could they possibly do? Lift weights? They are weights. What could a baby possibly gain from a "workout"? I know babies have chubby thighs, but really now... My mom still chuckles when I tell her that Ava belongs to a gym.

It's actually a pretty cool place. We joined My Gym, a national children's fitness chain, with several of our mommy friends when the babies were almost six months old. My Gym has different programs for different ages and stages of a growing baby. Before the babies were crawling, My Gym's program included activities that stimulated them at the level of their development. Now that they are crawling all over the place and getting into everything, My Gym is really exciting and such a fun place to visit each week.

Each class starts out with a few minutes of warm-up called "circle time." The mommies (and some daddies too) all sit in a big circle on the cushioned floor and with the guidance of the instructor we help the babies stretch their little arms and legs. We then all get up and move around the circle - either walking, dancing, bouncing -€“ with our little ones in our arms (this is often a work out for moms too).

After "circle time," the babies get to explore the gym which is filled with brightly colored activity areas, such as a ball pit, trampoline and slides. During this time the instructors set up "adventures" for the babies to participate in. They may create a mini maze for them to crawl through or take them on a guided "roller coaster" ride. It's a free time and a good time to socialize as well.

Next they bring out the swings. This is by far Ava's favorite part of the day. She's come close to shattering windows with her squeals of happiness. She kicks her legs and shrieks with laughter when is she is riding high and swinging away (I swear my kid is going to love thrill rides).

After the swings are put away, the babies move on to "separation time." The bins of toys are brought out for them to play with independently while the mommies sit off on the sidelines. Now that Ava is a champion crawler, her eyes light up as she races to the green, plastic turtle filled with multi-colored balls. They are her preferred toys of choice. It's also very sweet to watch the babies playing together. Some are sharing, some are lost in toy heaven and some wander off to do their own thing again.

The session ends with a short, but baby-mesmerizing puppet show and a happy good-bye song. The class goes by quickly and the cheerful instructors keep the mood light and the activities moving. It really is a great program to be a part of. My Gym is clean, well kept and an over all positive environment for both babies and moms. Not only do the babies really get a "workout," but they also get a lot of social interaction. And so do the parents.

So, yes, Ava does actually belong to a gym. But not just any gym... My Gym is very special and we are so happy we found it. Oh, and one more thing... Ava sleeps like a champ after her fun filled workouts. That alone is often worth the price of admission.

www.my-gym.com

California Locations

Red, Furry Baby Crack

Yes, Elmo, I’m talking about you.

What is it about that red, furry Muppet who speaks in the third person? Is it his high pitched, feathery voice? Is it his red fuzzy body? What the heck is it about Elmo that babies find so amazing?? I mean, he looks just like Grover, only Grover is blue. But poor Grover never reached the astonishing level of fame Elmo has. Grover doesn’t seem to stop babies in their tracks the way Elmo does. What is it, I ask you?? How did Elmo become the Hannah Montana of the baby demographic?

Elmo is Ava’s latest fascination. I allow her to watch small amounts of certain television programs, mostly PBS, and Sesame Street is one of them. Every time Elmo comes on the screen she stops what she is doing, screeches at the top of her lungs, and starts dancing, smiling and laughing. The rest of the Muppets do not hold her attention the way Elmo does. Sorry, Grover. (Although Ernie is becoming a close second)

Elmo has also leaped off of the television. If we see Elmo’s happy red face when we are out and about, the same squealing, laughing, dancing commences. She's totally hooked. According to Ava, Elmo is the best thing ever. It’s actually pretty cute watching her reaction. And because of her happy squeals, the power of Elmo is growing on me - even if that laugh of his is subliminally hypnotizing small children.

This weekend our relationship with Elmo took a serious turn. We were at a party for a two-year old and out came a Singing Elmo doll.  This Elmo sings the E-L-M-O version of YMCA.  Great. Ava went nuts.  She wanted that Elmo and would not put him down.  She hugged him, she kissed him, she laughed every time Elmo did his dance.  Every single time. Over and over... E-L-M-O... She was in Elmo heaven and there was no prying him away from her little hands - or stopping the madness. Needless to say, guess who came home with a Singing Elmo?  Yep. You guessed it.  And for some reason our friends were more than happy to pass him on to us...

I guess Elmo isn't all bad. There are times when parents need a few moments to make something, to clean something, to do something that doesn’t involve catering to a child. This is where Elmo comes in. I know for a few minutes she is entertained. She is happy and having fun. And old family classic, Sesame Street, does try and teach a lesson. That’s a good thing. Maybe she’s learning something too? I won’t push it, but a parent can hope. And best of all, it makes her smile. So, to end this tale, I give that red, furry, hypnotic Muppet my thumbs up (but if any of you reading this - and you know who you are – buy her a Tickle Me Elmo for her birthday you will be painfully tortured).

www.sesameworkshop.org

Bow to the Rainforest Gods

All hail Fisher-Price for creating the Rainforest Collection

 

Before I had Ava I vowed to keep my house neat, organized and decorated to likes of my adult tastes. Sure we were having a baby, but I wasn’t going to let “baby stuff” distract from my carefully selected, old world style décor. If I had to have “stuff” out it was going to at least compliment our home. Yeah, ok.

Six weeks into this new adventure of motherhood my first-time mom syndrome kicked into high gear and I panicked that I wasn’t stimulating Ava enough.  Surely I was a bad mom because she was desperately lacking toys.  So off to the store we went and home we came with the brightest, most colorful bag of goodies any newborn could want.

The first purchase was the Rainforest Mobile. This is my favorite item out of the entire collection. This mobile started off the Rainforest extravaganza that soon took over our house. I returned items from our registry just to get more Rainforest after the reaction we received from this mobile. It’s like a baby drug. It runs on D-batteries and lasts an impressive 18 minutes instead of a mere few moments like the wind-up mobiles. It plays three different classical songs and one button makes "rainforest sounds." It also comes with a remote that you can use from across the room to start it up again if you need another 18 minutes. Very handy indeed.

She was mesmerized the first time we turned it on. She stared at the large, green leaves that swirl around opening and closing to reveal adorable animals. The monkey is our favorite. And the best part of all... She was quiet. I could actually use the bathroom in peace when she was entertained by this mobile. I was hooked. We still use the musical base in her crib because now Ava likes to play DJ.  She presses the big buttons with her little pointer finger turning the different songs on and off when she is supposed to be napping.  Hey, whatever makes her happy.

Next came the deluge of sunshiney monkeys, giraffes, frogs and birds. We returned our elegant Harlequin patterned pack n’ play for the Rainforest because it had another mobile. We bought the bouncer, the jumperoo and the tummy-time mat. We already had our swing and high chair or we would have bought those too. 

And I have to admit something, the Rainforest Collection is cute. It reminds of the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. It may not match my old-world décor, but it makes Ava happy and that is the best adornment to any room.