the dinos are back!

We made our first trip of the season to the Bronx Zoo last weekend, and it was so great to be back again. The zoo is one of our favorite places to go as a family... the girls love being there, and we always have fun checking out the animals, having lunch and going to the carousel. We had beautiful spring-like weather, too, which made for a perfect day to be out and about (it seems like spring is FINALLY here... hurrah!)

The girls were also excited to discover that the Dinosaur Safari is back again this year! I wrote about our experience last year, and this year was even bigger and better. While the process is the same (riding in the back of a bouncy flat bed truck with tour guide), the story featured is a little different as are the dinosaurs you find along the way. Simply put, if you have a dino-loving kid at home, they will LOVE this up-close-and-personal look at prehistoric creatures. 

After the ride is over, you can walk through an archeologist's camp and see how an electronic dinosaur is operated (and even move him yourself!), sift through sand looking for fossils, and of course, get your picture taken from atop a stegosaurus. So much fun!

We spent the rest of the day checking out animals, hitting the Bug Carousel and just enjoying walking around outside without heavy coats on. Such bliss. Oh, and I personally enjoyed watching Husband and Millie ride a camel (though he has banned those photos from the internet). We've just renewed our Family Membership, so will no doubt be back to visit the Bronx Zoo (a membership gets you into the Central Park, Queens and Prospect Park Zoo and NY Aquarium, too) many more times this summer.

And you should, too!

sprout launches "mom is here" sweepstakes (#momishere)

Sprout is one of our favorite networks, thanks to programming like The Chica Show, Sid the Science Kid and Caillou (the list goes on...). They've just launched a really fun sweepstakes, which I'm excited to share with you!

The Mom is Here photo contest invites you to get in the photo with your child, then submit your picture to their Instagram account or website and be entered to win some quality R&R time for yourself (the grand prize winner will win a $2,000 spa package and 10 runner ups will win $100 spa gift certificates). Isn't that fun?

If you're like me, you've always got your phone out taking pictures of your little ones. But if I scroll back through my photos, I'm in very few of them. Kind of a bummer. I've tried to be more conscious about that lately, particularly because I love to look back at old photo albums of my own childhood. It's so fun to see photos of my family together, 1970s clothing style (which my mom rocked!) and the look on my parents' faces around my brother and me.

While photographs of the kids are wonderful, they're even better when you're in the shot with them... sharing in that moment or activity. A part of the experience. I want my girls to look back at photos of their childhood one day and have as much fun as I do. When it comes down to it, our memories are one of the most important things in life, don't you think?

With that said, here's the photo I'm contributing to the Mom is Here campaign (rainy day silliness with these two):

It's time to start clicking. Have fun!



Disclosure: This sponsored post was written while participating in my partnership with Sprout and One2One Network, but as always, all opinions are my own.

wow... almost there

Thanks to all of you who have signed Seventh Generation's petition for safer chemicals at FightToxins.com. As of this evening, we're less than 7,000 signatures away from 100,000!

To recap, the goal of the Toxin Freedom Fighters Campaign by Seventh Generation is to obtain the attention of Congress. And here's why: believe it or not, but the Toxic Substances Control Act was passed in 1976 and has never been updated, which is beyond ridiculous. And unsafe.

And we can do something about it by signing this petition.

Like I mentioned in my original post, I'm beyond thrilled to be working on this campaign. On April 30th, Seventh Generation will present our signatures to Congress and urge lawmakers to put chemical reform on their agendas.

By signing the petition, we have been given a voice and a chance to be a part of real change. And I love that Seventh Generation is passionate about this subject, in addition to making the best product line out there that's chemical-free yet works great.

Oh, and if you've got a little freedom fighter at home, wouldn't he/she look cute with a mask on like Millie? After signing the petition, check out "Mask Yourself."

Less than 7,000 signatures away from 100,000. If you've already signed the petition, please pass it on to family and friends. Let's show Congress there is strength in numbers.

brooklyn baby & family expo this sunday, april 6th

Mamas-to-be and new parents in NYC:

If your weekend plans are still being ironed out, keep A Child Grows' Baby and Family Expo in mind. Taking place this Sunday, April 6th (11am-3pm) in Brooklyn Heights, the 3rd Annual Expo will feature all sorts of useful parenting info and sessions on everything from installing car seats to baby food-making classes. There'll be vendors galore and a keynote address by none other than The Honest Toddler, aka Bunmi Laditan (kind of geeking out about that and hoping I can snag a selfie with her). It's a super fun and informative day on all things kiddo, and A Child Grows steps it up each and every year.

Lucky for you, tickets are still available and more information can be found HERE.

I'm excited to be a part of the day with Expo vendor Bumblebean, a website which sources the most adorable and unique products from specialty brands. What sets Bumblebean apart, however, is their relationship with parenting bloggers like myself. Trusting my taste and experience, Bumblebean has given me an "expert collection," which basically means I'm like that personal shopper I always secretly wanted to be... scouring the site for my favorite products and then listing them all for you to peruse. Check out my curated collections and let me know what you think!

Or better yet, tell me yourself on Sunday. Until then, check out some of my favorite products on Bumblebean: