Tastefully Childish

Last Tuesday, I joined other parents and Mommybites for an Ultimate Night Out at the New Yorker Hotel.  The night began with a comedy show with  Lisa Blythe Perlman and Carolyn Castiglia.  After the show, moms, dads, and friends gathered for drinks, appetizers, and tasty desserts.  In addition to mingling, parents shopped and learned about new products and services available.  Parents left with a generous gift bag filled with products from sponsors and some walked away with raffle prizes from strollers to a round of golf.

Highlighted Companies/ Sponsors included:

New York Kids Club:

NYKC has six locations around  New York City.  They have opened locations on Long Island and their first overseas center in Beijing, China.  The Children Enrichment center offers a preschool program (3 hours for 2,3, or 5 days a week) as well as creative and innovative kids classes, day camps, birthday celebrations, and special events!    Daily open plays in the indoor gym are perfect for cold winter days or when there is bad weather.   Afterschool programs are available with a walk over option from local schools by a NYKC staff member.

We have been a New York Kids Club family since my oldest took her first class at 6 months. Both girls have attended the preschool program which has been fantastic.  NYKC offers fun drop off events on Fridays and during the weekend, if you need to run errands or you and your spouse want to grab a bite to eat or have a little time together.  Both of my girls started attending the themed Pajama Parties (Fridays 6-8) at 2 1/2 and always have fun.  The coaches are always energetic, fun, and the girls talk about them for days after.

For more information visit www.nykidsclub.com and while you are there check out their blog.

Inwood Country Club:

My husband loves to play golf any chance he gets.  Living in the city, I never thought about joining a country club because I didn’t want to spend hours in the car just for an afternoon at the pool while my husband golfs. Inwood Country Club is a private, member owned country club Located 20 miles outside of Manhattan on the South Shore of Long Island.  It sounds and looks like a great little escape from the city. Memberships include access to:

•  The Golf Club
• The Tennis Club: Tennis members have the use of the Inwood Beach Club, the newly renovated state of the art Heath Club and limited use of the historic Inwood golf course.  All levels welcome, clinics are available for beginners!
• The Health Club:  Newly renovated, state-of-the-art Health Club, with equipment ranging from free weights to the most sophisticated Cybex machines, also provides access to personal trainers, yoga classes, a masseuse, barber shop, steam room, and sauna. 
• The Beach Club, located a few minutes from the main clubhouse, transportation runs to and from the main club house.  Play a round of golf, then head to beach to let the kids build sand castles.
• The Clubhouse
• The Guest Suites: Suites are located on the 2nd and 3rd floor of the club house and are available for seasonal rentals.

The club is family friendly offering programs and clinics for children while parents play a round of golf, a game of tennis, or head to the Atlantic Beach Club.  The Country Club is also available for events.  Contact Inwood Country Club for membership details, prices, and more information on programs and clinics available.

Image from Inwoodcc.org

Ella’s Kitchen:

When it’s time to transition your child to solids, Ella’s Kitchen offers a variety of organic baby food options from new eaters (4 months) to toddlers (10 months and up) with lots of great flavors. Their meals and snacks are broken down into 3 stages, which go from smooth purees to more texture as the child gets older and learn to chew.  The stages are:

• Ella’s 1 baby food for 4+ months and 6+ months: Ella’s 1 Baby Cereal, First Tastes, Fruit + Baby Rice, Baby Brekkie, Ella’s 1 Baby Food, Smoothie Fruits
• Ella’s 2 baby food for 7+ months: Ella’s 2 Baby Cereal, Puffits, Ella’s 2 Meals, Yum Yummy Baby Cookies, Smoothie Fruits
• Ella’s 3 toddler food for 10+ months:

Ella’s also offers a selection of food for special diets which include gluten-free, lactose free, and vegetarian options.  Ella’s Kitchen is also free of peanuts and soy!  Their meals are perfect for on-the-go eating.  My girls love Ella’s Kitchen!  They still snack on Smoothie Fruits and Puffits.  Some flavors I would have been interested to try when my girls were younger are  the Ella’s 1 Blueberry Pear Baby Brekkie, Ella’s 2 Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Ella’s 3 Thai Curry Vegetables.  For more information visit Ella’s Kitchen.com and be sure to check out Stuff for the Senses.  Available at Whole Foods.

GetTaxi:  

When the weather is bad or I am with my girls, getting a taxi is challenging.  They are either full or the taxi’s don’t want to stop because I have the girls.  GetTaxi, which began in Europe, recently launched in New York City.  GetTaxi is an on-demand taxi service.  Simply download the app for iphone or android, then make your reservation.  A  “G-Car” will pick you up and take you to your destination (watch it in action).  The app allows customers to know their drivers information as well as their license plates after the reservation is made.  When booked in advanced you are able to request car seats for your little ones, an option that is great to have especially when traveling longer distances to the airports.  Because they just launched, a 2 hour advanced reservation is required.  At peak times, a maximum surcharge of $5 will be added to your fare.  At all times there is a standard rate (see sample below). No more waiting, searching for an open taxi, or paying ridiculous prices during peak times!  Looking forward to giving it a try!  Check out this video

Image from GetTaxi

It was a wonderful night out with friends!  It was so nice to meet so many wonderful vendors and sponsors!  Looking forward to the next Ultimate Night Out with Mommybites!

Mommybites connects moms and moms-to-be with parenting resources, education, and support.  Visit Mommybites.com for more information, resources for parents, and details about upcoming events.

Disclaimer: This was a sponsored post.  All information about sponsors/ vendors came from their websites, handouts or speaking with them at the event.

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