Mommy FTW

Summer is almost officially over, but there’s still lots of time to fit in some fun Brooklyn adventures!   The post below is mostly a re post of the information I gathered on my first visit to the Prospect Park Zoo back in April – but maybe you missed it!  If you haven’t checked it out yet with your toddler, make some time to go and see it.  It’s not the most impressive zoo on the planet, but it’s a good size for little kids.

The main goal of  this post is to give you an idea of what to expect in terms of getting there, parking, and a little extra information to make your trip as easy as possible while still toting your little one(s).

How to get there and Parking:

My route, parking location, B,Q Station, and Entrance point to the Park and Zoo are marked.

Coming from Fort Greene, I found the easiest way to drive there was straight down Washington Ave – though the Prospect Park Zoo website recommends driving down Flatbush. There is no parking lot – so if you drive you will need to find street parking. I had thought this would be challenging, but going at 3pm on a weekday, I didn’t have any issues. I parked on Washington Ave near where it intersects with Sullivan Place (Pink). It turns out this was a decent spot, as there are actually two entrances to the zoo – one further in the park down Flatbush, and one near the carousel closer to the Flatbush Ave and Empire Blvd intersection (Green). I think in the future, I might give parking on Flatbush a try just to see if I can get a little closer. But my walk was certainly less than 10 minutes from the zoo entrance. This entrance near the Carousel was also the closest to the B,Q,S Prospect Park Station (Purple).

The Entrance point I used, Vending Machine Room, Barn area, Baboons, and Stairs are marked - click to enlarge.

A few other things of note (Food, Stairs, What’s Cool):

There is no real food to speak of sold at the zoo. There is a room with vending machines (Purple) – some sell drinks, some ice cream, and one hot dogs I think – or maybe pretzels? I didn’t really investigate it. Hot dogs from a vending machine? Yikes. Anyways, definitely bring some snacks or even pack a whole lunch. At the Flatbush entrance to the zoo there’s a huge set of stairs to navigate (Red) which isn’t so great if you’re bringing a stroller. There’s none at the other entrance I used. Also, if you are going to check out the sea lion feeding, you might want to stand on the south side of the Sea Lion area (Light Blue). Most of the action faces this direction, and you will get the best view. Sea Lion Feeds are at 11:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., & 4:00 p.m. The most favorite part for all the kids was the Barn with the domestic animals (Pink) which is basically a petting zoo type thing. I think it was exciting for the kids to see and touch a cow – even hear the cow let out a hearty MOO! In order to get out of the sun for a bit, we went to check out the Baboons (Blue). I think Cameron personally had more fun just exploring the building than looking at the animals – whatever floats your boat!

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

As I reported for A Child Grows in Brooklyn, Clermont Pool (At Parham Playground / PS 20 on Clermont between Willoughby and Dekalb in Fort Greene) opens June 29th! I stopped by this morning on my way home from the sprinklers at Underwood Playground to check out the scene. I was happy to see it is full and ready for action! And boy, did it look refreshing. I took some pictures of the rules and posted signs to give you all an idea of what to expect. See you soon for a refreshing dip!

It’s hot and the sprinklers are on at the local parks – But I some toddlers (including Cameron) are a bit water shy. If your little one is a little nervous about getting wet – here’s a few things you can try.

Cameron stages a ball rescue at Camel Park

I will often take one of Cameron’s favorite toys (his blue car, a ball, or doll stroller usually work well) and throw it in the sprinkler. Most of the time he will go and get it. Once he’s been in the sprinkler once, he seems to get over his fear (at least for the day). Warning – if your child is stubborn you might end up having to retrieve the toy yourself… or you can try and convince another kid to get it for you.

Another method I use is to hold Cameron and we run through the edge of the sprinkler together. Be sure to take your cell phone out of your pocket before you do this! Again, once Cam has gotten wet he seems to get over his fear.

This last method I saw a dad use with great success. He dared his 2.5 year old to run into the Camel Park sprinkler and tag the center of it. Who can resist a dare? After his first trip in, the little boy was soaking wet in 2 minutes.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Our vacation is coming soon and it’s made me think of the 5,000 things I need to do to get Cameron prepped and ready to go!  It’s also made me think about posts I did last summer which maybe some of my readers might have missed:

Baby Sunscreen Thick and Annoying?  Try This! – My favorite sunblock for baby…. check it out!

This is my pick for best baby sunscreen

Hot Baby? Heat Rash? Try a Soothing Bath – A simple home remedy to help deal with heat rash

Swings? Check. Shade? Check. Camel Park – It’s a classic for a reason – Camel Park is small but shady, and great for summer.

Hot Baby in the City – Last summer Cameron was rocking Lucky Wang Kimonos – and I plan to get him more this summer too.

Cute and Cool!

Swim Diapers Get a Second Life – How to reuse your swim diapers, and get more for your money!

Clermont Pool – You MUST go! – It’s not open yet, but once summer is in full swing you have to check out Clermont pool!

Are you ready for the hot days of summer?

The fact that there is a Target in Brooklyn certainly isn’t news to anyone, but I often forget to check it out when it comes to Cameron. I went recently and was happy with all of the great stuff I found.

Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and more!

On the second floor in the toy area, there is practically an entire aisle of bubbles. The ones I ended up are a real hit at the playground – children follow me around like the pied piper, and parents ask me where I got them. You can also pick up sidewalk chalk (50 pieces for $3.99!)

I was also able to find some great sandals and summer shoes for around 10$ each. Cameron loves them so much he refuses to wear any other shoes – so I bought him a pair in the next size up as well. The toddler / baby shoes are on the first floor with the rest of the shoes. There is a “boy” and “girl” isle – I didn’t realize this at first, and I kept wondering why there were only girls shoes!  It was a blond moment!

Currently in the kids department there are also swimming trunks, sun hats, and protective sun shirts (rash guards).  I got Cameron his swimming gear for our upcoming vacation at a great price.

So if you are in need of summer supplies, drop into Target and pick up a few things.

Posted from New York, New York, United States.

Starting Sunday, September 6, and every other Sunday in September Myrtle ave between Clinton and Emerson from 11am to 7pm will be closed to vehicles so people can walk, run, bike, or whatever.  Check out the Myrtle Avenue partnership website for more on Move about Myrtle.

Move about Myrtle

The other day I posted about a friend who had dried out her daughter’s swim diaper in the hopes of using it again.  Well, today Cameron and I were back at Clermont pool and I re-used one of his diapers.  It worked great, and I will definitely do it again!

The other day I was at the pool with my friend Yael and her little girl, Noa.  We were discussing the possibility of drying out swim diapers so that they could be used again.  After all, they are generally only worn for  a short amount of time, and not much happens (usually) in that time.  Yael said she would give it a try, and report back.  Here are her findings:

After our great day at the pool yesterday and realizing that the swim diaper we used was the last in our stock – and knowing that we wanted to swim again today and given that I had no patience for a quick morning trip to target – I wrung out the diaper and hung it from our drying rack near a window that gets partial sun.  24 hours later – it was completely dry and ready to go!  No odor -  pool or otherwise. I think drying out used swim diapers works – as long as they are not poopy!!  :  )

I’ll be trying this for sure for the rest of the summer, as I ordered one more pack of swim diapers and I want it to last for the rest of the season!

All summer I had many excuses as to why I wasn’t going to the pool at PS 20 / Parham Playground / Clermont pool in Fort Greene.  “Someone told me it’s really cold.”  ” I heard there are a lot of crazy strict rules.”  “I think it might be too crowded.”  Well, forget it.  It’s not cold at all, and on a hot day it’s downright lovely.  I even heard one kid exclaim to her mom “It’s warmer than the shower!”  As far as the rules go, the only ones I ever see them enforce are in regards to running and jumping.  I had heard there were restrictions about babies wearing hats, and wearing t shirts.  If these rules do exist, they don’t seem to be enforced, so I wouldn’t worry about it.  And while sometimes it can get a little crowded, its easy enough to roam around the pool, or sit your baby in the little side well where they can splash safely.  Overall, I have to say I’m embarrassed for not having gone sooner this summer, but you can bet Cameron and I will be there every afternoon we can until it closes!

Pool Time with Cameron

Clermont pool is open until Labor Day

Hours of operation are 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m

PS 20 Playground Between Clermont Ave. & Adelphi St

It’s a mini pool – perfect for kids – 40′ x 20′ x 3′

See you there!

Cameron and I just got back from a long weekend away which included lots of pool time and fun in the sun.  I had the chance to try out a few sunscreen options, some of which I found to be better than others.

I started out with California Baby, but besides the shockingly high price tag, I found it to be very thick and pasty.  I think I disliked applying it more than Cameron disliked having it on his skin.  So, I tried Baby Blanket Faces Sunscreen for babies.  The price was better, and the protection the same (no sunburns!) but it was still really thick, pasty, and difficult to wash off at the end of the day.  In the end I ended up using the Baby Blanket Sunscreen Spray Lotion.  It worked just as well as the thick stuff, but was much easier to apply and remove at the end of the day.  I highly recommended this as my favorite baby sunscreen so far!

Baby Blanket Spray Sunscreen