Celebrating Roald Dahl's 100th Birthday at Wave Hill

We spent the first weekend of fall at Wave Hill, celebrating what would have been Roald Dahl's 100th birthday. Since we just finished reading James and The Giant Peach with the girls recently, heading to the Bronx for James-themed activities (including a special arts-n-crafts project, storytelling and bug demonstration) seemed like a perfect fit. And what a fun day it was!

This was our first visit to one of NYC's treasured gems, and I have no doubt we'll be returning soon. As you can see from these pics, the grounds and gardens bordering the Hudson River are just GORGEOUS. After we finished the kids' programming, we got a snack at the cafe and spent the rest of our time exploring... don't you want to come for a visit, too?

Loving my new infinity scarf from J.Jill! The girls' cute outfits (Millie's shirt & pants & Vivian's dress & shoes)
are from Garnet Hill. Love their stylish duds for kids!

Insider tip: If you arrive between 9am-12pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays, Wave Hill is FREE (though you still have to pay for parking, which is $8). If you're coming via mass transit, see here.

A Night Out at The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze is one of those seasonal events that I've heard about for years but never gotten around to checking out. And that probably would have been true again this year if not for a friend's excellent planning skills. This VERY popular event sells out quickly, so tickets were purchased within the first couple of days they went on sale last month. And taking a quick look at the calendar this morning, it appears The Blaze is sold out for the rest of the month (though there are 2 days still available in November).

In case you don't make it this go around, I'd definitely recommend including The Blaze in your Halloween festivities next year. You'll see more than 7,000 carved pumpkins (by volunteers!) lit up & arranged in the most amazing ways... giant spider webs, witches, tombstones, dinosaurs, jack-n-the-boxes, animals, sunflowers... I could go on & on. It's truly amazing. Check out a few of our photos from the night... we now have incredible inspiration for carving our pumpkin at home this week!

An Apple/Pumpkin Picking Adventure in the Country

It's true, I really don't feel like it's fall until I've been out to the country for a little apple & pumpkin picking. I realize this makes me sound like A TOTAL YUPPIE (cringe), but in this particular case, you may be right. We are only just beginning to see our outdoor landscape change here in the city, but in the country, the leaves are simply spectacular already. Grab a pumpkin spiced latte & an apple cider donut & check out our pics! A gorgeous day for an adventure to Dubois Farms in the mid-Hudson Valley...

And yes, along with my apple cider, I do also love that with the changing of seasons comes fall clothes. It's my favorite season of the year for dressing, and not just because I get to cover up my arms again. There's just something about a long sweater and boots, what can I say. LOVE the Southwestern print & colors in this sweater from J.Jill, which now has 2 stores here in NYC! Will be sharing more of their fall seasonal looks in future posts...

The little gals are wearing dresses by the adorable children's wear brand from England, JoJo Maman Bebe, which is now available here in the US! The girls love these dresses because they're soft with pretty patterns, & I appreciate that this brand really focuses on classic, comfortable, affordable styles for children, not to mention their charitable efforts behind the scenes. I look forward to watching JoJo Maman Bebe as it grows on this side of the pond.

A special thanks to my friend April for helping me take some of these photos. Happy Fall, Y'all!

A Spring Photo Shoot with Samantha Ruby Photography

Last Sunday, on what was arguably NYC's first truly beautiful day of the spring season, we met up with Sam of Samantha Ruby Photography in Central Park. It's been a while since we've had professional photos taken of our family, so this was a real treat. The girls are finally getting to the point where they like smiling for the camera again (well, to a point...), so the timing felt right, too. 

Sam put us all immediately at ease with her warm and friendly personality, and she even showed us a little hidden nook of Central Park that we didn't know existed. Inside the entrance on Central Park West and 103rd Street, we headed up a hill to find the most gorgeous view of the skyline... I mean, I couldn't have found a better backdrop if I'd walked the park for days. As you'll see from the photos below, it couldn't have been a better place to hang out for a bit and take some photos.

I'm so pleased with how the photos turned out, and I couldn't recommend Sam more highly. She was great with the girls, completely down to earth and really knows her way around a camera. 



                       

And I've got some exciting news! Sam would like to offer anyone reading this post $25 off a 45-minute family session if they book before June 1st. Just mention Baby Meets City and you'll be good to go. 

Here's to preserving memories -- enjoy!



fall is beautiful. fall in nyc... spectacular.

We spent an absolutely perfect fall day in Central Park on Saturday. The weather could not have been better and the autumn colors balanced by the city skyline... seriously beautiful. No question about it, this was an "I love NYC" day (which is good, as I've been having quite a few "I hate NYC" days lately...)

First, we stopped by Belvedere Castle (Millie looked for dragons and princesses to no avail). Next up, a meander through The Ramble (it's impossible not to get turned around in there, but what a beautiful spot to get lost for a little while) and finally, we landed at Loeb Boathouse for a ride on the lake. SO happy we did this (you can find out more about row boating in Central Park here).

Lastly, I have to mention that I had the surprise of my life as we were waiting in line. I was approached by 2 actual FANS of this ol' blog (they also follow me on Instagram). Ummm... after I picked myself up off the ground, I had the best time chatting with Isabel and Kazmira. Never in my life did I think something like that would happen, but it truly made my day/week/month. Thanks, ladies!

In the meantime, happy FALL.

my baby's one!

Baby Sister turned one this month. ONE! How did that happen? It seems like just yesterday that I was announcing her arrival. This year has positively sped by, and while the old saying is true, time really DOES fly when you're having fun... in terms of raising more than one child, I might extend that phrase to include "... especially when you have a toddler at home." We simply couldn't obsess over every little thing Baby Sister was doing as we had the other eye on a constantly-on-the-move Toddler S.

Alas, while her first year of life seemed to zip past us in a heartbeat, here are a few things I can distinctly tell you about my Little One, my Heart, Vivian Ella (I've decided to share my daughters' names on the blog on each of their birthday posts this year).

Vivian can be rather serious when she wants to be:

And curious, very curious:

She's a happy go lucky kind of gal:

And her blue eyes are bright and sparkling:

Don't let that look fool you; this kid has spunk.

And, dare I say it, a bit of a mischievous streak...

Her hugs are simply the best.

And I could spend all day being completely ridiculous, just for a glimpse of that smile.

Vivi adores her Big Sister, but knows how to stick up for herself when Toddler Mayhem rears its "I refuse to share/I enjoy being disagreeable" head.

I think she might possibly be brilliant (a mother innately knows this sort of thing, you see).

But whatever she decides to become, or which roads she travels, or how she dresses, or with whom she loves,

I will always love you with my whole heart, my Sweet. Happy 1st Birthday, Vivian!

Thank you, Stickybellies, for helping me document my daughter's first year of life in such a fun and memorable way!