The Little Wing (at The Wing) Has Opened!

Have you heard about The Wing? Perhaps seen photos of perfectly color coordinated bookshelves & heard whispers of their women's empowerment vibe on social media? I got to experience the women's community space on Monday, and let me tell you, it lives up to the hype. The airy loft space in Soho, which, like all their locations offers a gorgeous place to work, take meetings & quiet phone calls, shower & freshen up, eat organic meals in the cafe, and after hours, attend networking and speaker events with the likes of Hillary Clinton and J. Lo-- now goes one step further: childcare! 

Yes, you can now drop off your little one (between the ages of 1-6) at their Soho location for a two hour block of time while you work upstairs (or hey, just enjoy a quiet moment with a cup of coffee). CPR and First Aid-certified Wing-sitters will engage with your child through weekly themes and activities in their cheerful play space. 2 hour windows can be booked for $25, which as we all know, is cheaper than a regular babysitter. Enrichment classes like music, theater, yoga and art will be offered for $28/class, and an open play from 9am-1pm is offered for $25 on the weekends.

The Little Wing will also offer parent support groups and workshops to help guide mothers in their journey as parents. And while the Soho location is the first Wing to offer childcare, founders Lauren Kassan and Audrey Gelman intend to include a Little Wing in future locations as the social & co-working club continues to expand. Three cheers to that!

I was really taken with the whole vibe at The Wing. It feels both uplifting and empowering that there is a place dedicated to women's ambition and leadership in what we all know is a changing, yet still male-dominated world.

For membership inquiries and more information, please visit their website. Photos are by the talented Emily Gilbert.

A Date Night Thanks to Chime: Let's Celebrate with a $50 credit!

Husband and I don't get out much. I'm not PROUD of this fact, but it is a fact just the same. Busy schedules often get in the way, and to be honest, we haven't had a regular babysitter since our girls were really little. Friends used to babysit occasionally when we had just one kiddo, but throw an extra kid in the mix and I feel like we're overstepping our bounds.

So naturally, I was very excited when Chime contacted me about helping spread the word about their babysitting service. Launched by the creators of Sittercity, Chime sitters are hand-picked and go through a lengthy vetting process. This includes: an application, and in-person evaluation, enhanced background check, identity verification and social media screening. As a slightly-anxious-to-leave-my-kids-with-a-stranger mom, I really appreciate their thoroughness.

The process of finding a babysitter (or "kid" sitter, as Millie prefers) is pretty simple, too. After creating an account on the site (or app), sitters are matched with you based on your zip code. When viewing a profile, you can discover each sitter's experience, reviews and ratings, video profiles and interviews prior to choosing your favorite. Sitters typically contact families beforehand (via phone or email) to get more information about the kid(s) and learn more about the family prior to showing up on the babysitting date.

And here's the SUPER easy part -- no worrying about cash to pay the sitter at the end of the night! Payment is processed automatically via credit card through the app or website.  Hourly fees vary per city with NYC being $17/hour (with each additional child $1 more per hour). With no subscription fees, Chime is completely commitment-free.

Leana showed up to our door on Monday night, and she couldn't have been lovelier. She immediately began engaging with the girls, and when I walked out the door they were playing a game of Candy Land. I got the full recap the next morning, and the girls had so much fun! Meanwhile, their daddy and I attended a screening and Q&A with the actors and producers behind Showtime's The Affair, one of our favorite shows -- such a fun date night!

To celebrate our kid-free evening, Chime is generously giving Baby Meets City readers a $50 credit to try their amazing "kid" sitters, which is good through July 31st, 2016.

Please use CITY2016 to receive your $50 credit, and enjoy a date night (or even some "me" time) worry-free!



Disclosure: I was compensated for this review with Chime. All opinions are my own.

Mama Needs a Date Night

Truth be told, Husband and I don't get out much. And by "don't get out much" I mean hardly ever. Actually that may be stretching it a bit. The reasons are not a-typical. Finding the time when Husband works long hours is one. Not having a regular babysitter or anyone that I really know well enough or trust with my kids is also a big factor. We used to ask generous friends to babysit, but it was one thing when we lived in Chelsea with a baby who slept a lot... quite another with two active toddlers and a trip uptown to Washington Heights. Our friends are amazing, but that's asking a lot. When we had a nanny, I would occasionally ask her to stay late, but always felt guilty about that when she'd already worked a full day.

Things need to change, of course. We need to get out every once in a while -- just the two of us. And not only for our own relationship, but for our relationship with NYC -- this can be a hard city to live in; it'd be nice to remember why we continue to live and love in Manhattan.

One one of our first dates at Bear Mt State Park... and again, 11+ years later with kiddies in tow!

In perhaps a small step in the right direction, I recently helped organize a "Speed Sitting" event with Urban Sitter. Have you heard of it? This online resource, which operates in major cities across the country, allows parents to find and book babysitters that are recommended by people already in their social circles (mother's group, the child's school, sports team, Facebook friends, etc). I love this concept because vetting someone on my own makes me a little nervous, honestly. Knowing that a friend of mine can personally recommend a babysitter adds a whole new level of comfort and trust in my decision. Not to mention the fact that Urban Sitter conducts background checks and you can find babysitters based on the amount of repeat visits they have with families. I also love that Urban Sitter allows you to book your babysitter and even pay he/she online (coming from the person who rarely has more than $20 on her, this is genius).

But I digress... the morning meet and greet took place at Kidville's bright and cheery new space on the Upper West Side. Over coffee and muffins (guests also took home Kidfresh coupons for their little ones), moms and babysitters got to do a series of mini interviews with each other. There's no question about it, friend referrals combined with your gut reaction after meeting someone for the first time mean a lot. I feel especially fortunate as I happened to meet a young girl who I think will be a perfect fit for the girls, and she already comes recommended by one of my connections on the site.

Now to book the date... 

If you'd like to learn more about Urban Sitter's membership levels and offerings, click here. Because we all deserve to get out every now and again!

Disclaimer: I received compensation for my work with Urban Sitter. All opinions expressed herein are my own.