Blip Blop Shop Studio- 718-643-6065 Cell- 347-512-7340 www.blipblopshop.com Brooklyn based artist Allyn Howard's custom murals can lighten up any child's room or nursery. If you can't commit to a mural, you can purchase her paintings or pick up a cool silk-screened tee of her artwork at the Blip Blop Shop. Check out the site www.allynhoward.com to browse through photos of her murals. Bija Backyard 20 Tiffany Place 718-360-4552 www.bijabrooklyn.com/backyard The owners of Bija opened this playspace a few blocks from their current location and it's a huge hit in the neighborhood. Bija Backyard, located on Tiffany Place in Carroll Garden's West, is a great place to warm up on a cool winter day. This immaculate playspace (no shoes allowed) is decorated in bright colors, which can cure the winter blues. Kids can play with trains, read books or hide in the plastic house that occupied my son Max for hours. For ten bucks, you get three hours of play for your little one. I assure you, they won't be bored, and you won't be disappointed. If you bring a sibling, they're an additional 7 bucks. Mamalu 232 North 12th Street 718-486-6312 www.mamalu.us For those of you who like to eat out, but don't have kids that sit still, this is the place for you. Max and I grabbed some lunch here after a music class that was housed in their hip backroom/playspace. The atmosphere in this restaurant/playspace is more Williamsburg hip than Chuck E Cheese. Instead of handing tokens to your little ones while you're forced to eat cheap pizza, here your tot can play with cool wooden educational toys, as you munch on organic eats. Mamalu has a very homey feeling (they have a huge chalkboard wall), it's very clean (no shoes in their playroom), and it's well worth the trip to the Burg. They also host birthday parties. Coffee Den 144 Union Street 718-875-8720 This cool coffee shop on Union Street in Carroll Gardens West (a neighborhood that is quickly becoming extremely kid-friendly) is a great place to refuel with your little ones. Coffee Den serves bagels and other assorted pastries and (of course) coffee. The back of the cafe is filled with toys to occupy your curious tot. Haystack Home and Body 130 Clinton Street 718-246-2510 www.haystackhome.com This Brooklyn Heights home and body shop is a great place to pick up a Mother's Day gift, and also has a nice selection of toys and gift items for a new mom. The items in this shop are thoughtfully chosen and tasteful. Carrying everything from soap to stationary to cute kids items from brands like Crocodile Creek, this is a nice addition to Brooklyn Height's quiet Clinton Street. Spangle 4 Wyckoff Street 718-852-1976 www.spanglejewelry.com Spangle, which recently opened off of Court Street is a great place to pick up a gift for the mom in your life. Filled with unique, artistic, and mostly silver jewelry, this shop is carries gorgeous bracelets, necklaces and rings. And for Father's Day they also sell cool cufflinks. Pizzazzz Kidz 271 Court Street 718-797-3177 If you are a fan on Pizzazzz Toys, a local favorite, then you will love the new Pizzazzz Kidz which is a couple of stores down from the toy shop. The new shop carries all of the baby essentials from Avent nursing products, the boppy, strollers, sheets, burp clothes and everything you'll need to survive the first few months with your baby. They also have reasonably priced clothes for babies and toddlers. There is a train table in back of shop for toddlers to play with, which gives expectant moms like me time to browse for the new addition while occupying your toddler. They gift wrap at no additional charge and the staff is always extremely friendly and helpful. Vayu Yoga Center 259 Columbia St 718-403-0305 www.vayuyoga.com Vayu Yoga Center on Columbia Street in Carroll Gardens West couldn't be more family friendly. Vayu offers prenatal yoga on Saturdays at 1:45 and mama/baby yoga on Thursdays at 11:15. They also host Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tots, a movement/yoga class for children from birth until age four. On Sunday March 12th, Vayu Yoga Center will offer a Family yoga workshop for ages 4-7 from 2-3pm, and for ages 2-4 from 3:30-4:30pm, you must pre-register for this workshop. Area Play 233 Smith Street 718-522-6455 Area Yoga & Baby 252 Smith St. 718.246.9453 Area Yoga & Baby 45 5th Ave 718.230.7495 Area Baby 196 Court St. 718.222.0869 www.areabrooklyn.com These hip shops for expectant moms, babies and toddlers in Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Park Slope are filled with everything from cool clothes for your newborn to comfortable prenatal yoga pants for the active mom-to-be. The shop in Park Slope on Bergen and 5th Ave is the flagship Area Baby and Yoga shop, and carries all of your baby essentials from the bugaboo to great wooden high chairs (Arrlington High Chair), and the popular ergo baby carrier. They also havea large assortment of yoga maternity apparel. The Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens locations are smaller shops and sell more specific items--The shop on Court is strictly baby and toddler clothes. The two Smith Street locations are only a block apart from each other, and one shop sells toys and bugaboos and the other shop sells baby and toddler clothes as well as yoga essentials. The Nursing Bracelet Unique Mums www.uniquemums.com With only a couple of months left until I have to start nursing again, I was glad to have found The Nursing Bracelet, a fashionable accessory that is not only pretty, but very useful to the nursing mom. The nursing bracelet is made with fire polished glass beads and white glass number beads. It's easy to use and helps you track a 12 hour day of nursing. Unique Mums was started in January 2004 by three Brooklyn-based moms, Susan Lazor, Kirsty Ball and Diana Plunkett. Check out their website for more information on this bracelet. Mini Jake 242 Wythe Avenue 1-800-646-4043 www.minijake.com Williamsburg finally has a baby superstore. Mini Jake carries all of the baby and toddler essentials - strollers, cribs, bedding, and a ton of toys. They also sell wood high and booster chairs. This is both a great place top pick up baby gear and also a cool shop to pick up a unique gift. Mini Jake has a very extensive website too. Bija Brooklyn 273 Columbia Street (between Carroll and Summit) 718-360-4552 www.bijabrooklyn.com Winter classes start on 12/5 at this new addition to Carroll Gardens West. Bija features movement classes for children 2 and up, as well as adult classes. Classes include tumbling, ballet and family yoga. On Wednesdays they have a non-registered playtime for babies and toddlers (9 months-4 years), a playtime session is only eight dollars. Bija is also available for birthday parties. Although Lucy and I have not taken a class at Bija, there is quite a lot of buzz at the playground about this movement center. The Painted Pot 339 Smith Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 718-222-0334 www.paintedpot.com.html Lucy fell in love with the Painted Pot, which is featured in City Baby Brooklyn's party section, when she painted a tile to support the art program at Carroll Park. This fall, The Painted Pot, is offering a Baby Mud class and Mommy and Me Story Time for ages two and up. Baby Mud focuses on building with clay (with the obvious help of mommy and daddy), and your little one's piece gets fired, and you must return to paint it. At Mommy and Me Story Time, they read a book that relates to the piece the children paint. There is also a snack included. Both take place well in advance of the holidays so you can hand off a piece of your tot's pottery as a present. Baby Mud is November 19 and November 30th 11:30-12:15. $15 to register. Mommy and Me Story Time takes place December 7 11:30-12 Snack included. $15 to register The Artistry Project 185 Sackett Street Brooklyn. NY 11231 718-858-0257 www.theartistryproject.com This new Carroll Gardens storefront on Sackett Street offers a variety of weekday art classes for ages two and up. Classes run for six sessions (fall session started 11/1) and cost $120. There are weekend classes for ages 3 1/2 and up. They also have a range of birthday parties with various themes for ages 4 and up. So unleash your little one's artistic spirit this winter at this local art studio. Small Bites 347-613-6902 www.smallbitesonline.com Small Bites is a company whose mission is to teach parents how to make healthy, safe and responsible food choices in a way that saves them time. Small Bites is run by Erin Patterson, a dynamic teacher with over ten years of training experience in the healthcare arena. Erin holds a master's degree in Community Health Education and is the mother of a toddler who loves to eat. Erin shares the "Slow Food" philosophy that the enjoyment of wholesome food is essential to the pursuit of happiness and that the table is a center of pleasure, culture and community. Small Bites is available for private consultations and for moms' groups. return home

Hazelwood Children www.hazelwoodchildren.com This cool website run by a Brooklyn native and local mom sells everything from clothes to home decor for infants, children and parents. Hazelwood carries items that are designed by artists and designers with an environmentally conscious emphasis. They also offer an exclusive line of products that they've designed in collaboration with some exceptional Brooklyn based artists & designers. Sir Hayes www.sirhayes.com If you have a Brooklyn boy this is the site for you. Sir Hayes, run by Brooklyn designer Khalym Schell, has the best street clothes for your mini gangster. From onesies that read Hug Life to toddler tees that say Laid Back in my Maclaren and Everybody is staring, Sir Hayes can certainly outfit any mini-Brooklyn hipster. I'm hopelessly addicted to listening to the rendition of Cum on Feel the Noise that plays on the site as I check out their threads for my son Max. Maggie's Threads 411 Seventh Avenue 718.369.0411 Maggie's Threads, a new kid's clothing shop on Seventh Avenue in South Slope is filled with cool threads for kids at reasonable prices. From cool graphic tees for babies and tots to nice outfits, this place is a good place to pick up a unique gift or to grab some new clothes for your Brooklyn baby. They also have a small shelf of books by local authors, which gives the shop a bit of local flavor. Alex Ostroy Children's wall paintings alex@ostroy.com There is nothing nicer than a mural to make a kid's room a bit more festive or to add color to your nursery. Alex will work with parents to create a design that works for your child's room. You can email Alex for photos of his murals and for pricing. Ola Baby 315 Court Street 718-422-1978 www.olababy.com With the Phil and Ted stroller in the window, you know the owner of this new baby/toddler shop in Carroll Gardens knows her clientele. She has also filled the shop with a smart variety of gift items from bibs that read Drool Barrymore to Melissa and Doug toys for the toddler set. Ola baby also carries diaper dude diaper bags, which are a big hit with the daddy set, and they are stocked with cribs, bedding and many other baby essentials. With a couch in the back of shop, placed next to a selection of books, and a TV that plays Baby Einstein, this baby boutique is both extremely inviting and a great addition to the neighborhood. Oh and did I forget to mention the spotless bathroom with changing table in the back of the shop? Brooklyn Yoga 474 Smith Street 718- 834-6067 www.brooklynyoga.com Brooklyn Yoga is a local favorite in Carroll Gardens, and they have recently added prenatal yoga and postnatal/mom and baby yoga to their schedule. In addition they have childcare available for their Thursday classes at 10am and 12pm for only five dollars per child. Prenatal yoga is offered on Wednesdays at 7:30pm and Fridays at noon. Postnatal/Mom & Baby yoga is offered at Wednesdays at noon. Every Day Athlete Studio 138 Union Street 718 852 6300 www.everydayathletestudio.com/ This new studio in Carroll Gardens West offers a number of classes for expectant moms and postpartum moms. Besides a prenatal yoga class, they also offer yoga for labor, post-natal strength, and mommy and me dance. An added plus is that on Monday mornings and afternoons and Saturday mornings, the popular Audra Tsanos teaches her Music for Aardvarks class at the studio. Perch Cafe 365 Fifth Ave 718 788 2830 www.theperchcafe.com This new cafe on Park Slope's Fifth Avenue appeals to both kids and parents. Colorful and well designed, in the back of the cafe are couches, so you can sit and relax with your little one, and a small open area for tots to move about. Open at 7:30 for those early risers, Perch also serves up breakfast until 4pm for those parents who find it hard to get out early. Perch's menu has light fare food like yummy sandwiches and salads, and a large selection of kid's meals. Besides good food, they also host free kid activities. They have sing-a-longs for tots on Mondays and Thursdays at 10am with Courtney, and sing-a-longs on Tuesdays at 10:30 and Wednesdays at 3:30 with Randy. Story time takes place every Wednesday and Friday at 10am. So grab some morning joe and sit back while your little one listens to stories and sings some fun kid's music. Oh and did I mention the spotless bathroom with a changing table? Perch is Park Slope's welcome addition to 5th Ave. Creative Kids NY www.CreativeKidsNY.com Creative Kids NY offers Mommy & Me arts & crafts classes in BrooklynHeights for children ages 18 months - 4 years. The new session starts the week of January 16th, and meets once a week for 10 weeks; each class is 45 minutes long. The classes focus on a variety of creative arts projects, and use materials such as watercolors, tempera and acrylic paint and lots and lots of glue! They try to do all the messy stuff that most urban parents don't want in their apartments - glitter, markers, etc. This class was recommended to me by a local mom who has a two year old. Brooklyn General Barber Emporium 144 Bedford Avenue (@N 9th) 718-486-3777 Open 7 days at week from 12-8 This funky Williamsburg barbershop on hip Bedford Ave offers tot and kid's haircuts in a super cool airplane seat for eighteen bucks. Parents and children alike will find their selection of cool candy and toys more than appealing. They have retro candy like candy buttons and red hots. They also do haircuts for adults too! Sparky's All American 135 North 5th Street 718 302-5151 When you think of hot dogs you don't usually think of organic, but this cool burger and hot dog joint off of the main drag in Williamsburg, has yummy fast food all made from meat that comes from organic local farms. For veggies like myself, they have meatless options. The place is very low-key, so toddlers and babies are both welcome in this hip restaurant. Tiny Cuts 9702 3rd Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11209 718-765-9822 Now Park Slope isn't the only home to kid-friendly hair salons. Tiny Tots in Bay Ridge cuts children’s hair in either, a racecar or jeep styling chair, as they get to watch a video. There are many more distractions for your little one besides the video and funky chairs: they have balloons and lollipops as well as a selection of toys. Another huge plus is that the salon only uses "chemical free" hair products. For first time haircuts, you get a diploma for your baby and a lock of their hair. For older girls, they host princess birthday parties. Brooklyn Bookworms www.brooklynbookworms.com It's time to register for Brooklyn Bookworms winter session. Bookworms is a 10-week course for preschoolers and their caregivers, which consists of reading books, learning songs, exploring movement, and doing art. All bookworms activities are centered around children's books, poems, and rhymes. This class is featured in the City Baby Brooklyn-- checkout the book for a review of the class. Classes begin Jan 9th. Classes are 45 minutes long, and meet once a week for 10 weeks. They cost $185 a session. Classes are held at Devi, 837 Union street (b/w 6th &7th Ave) in Park Slope on Mondays 9:30 & 10:30 and Tuesdays 9:30 &10:30. Toy Space 426 7th Avenue Brooklyn NY 11215 718 369-9096 South Slope was in much need of a toy shop, and Toy Space delivered. Filled with educational toys for kids of all ages, the staff is both helpful yet laid back, which is a huge plus, and the toys they sell are well chosen. With brands like Haba, Melissa and Doug, and Plan Toys, there is enough variety to suit everyone. In fact we couldn't drag Lucy away from the Plan Toys dollhouse on display in the back of the shop. They also have a nice selection of small toys, which make for good stocking stuffers and birthday goodie bags fillers. Romp 145 Fifth Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217 718-230-4373 www.rompbklyn.com This new addition to North Slope's Fifth Avenue has a well thought out selection of toys, clothing, and furniture. The shop's set-up is appealing to both parent and toddler, with a table filled with blocks to occupy your tot while parents are left free to browse through Romp's selection of funky clothes and educational toys. This smart shop is filled with a variety of wooden toys from reliable brands such as Plan Toys. Romp also has a gorgeous selection of hand knit stuffed animals. A perfect place to score a gift for a baby shower or birthday, and a serious plus is that they gift wrap at no additional charge.