Christine Knight, Author at Adventure, baby!

Christine Knight

Christine is the editor of Adventure, Baby!

Representing Your 'Hood: The Brooklyn Block Scarves

December 6, 2013 / Brooklyn Bites, Fashion, New York, New York Food, News, Product Reviews / 0 comment

One of the crappiest things about crappy weather is having to do all your usual toting around of your kid, but now with tons more layers and accessories. The one bright spot? Winter layers that have style and street cred, like these scarves from The Brooklyn Block.

The Brooklyn Block folks have created a line of scarves that represent different neighborhoods in Brooklyn, like DUMBO, Red Hook and Clinton Hill. The process is something to geek-out about: First, they take videos of the various locations across Brooklyn, then they process them into code to generate specific patterns. The generated pattern is then printed on a scarf, reflecting the colors, layers and textures of that particular neighborhood.

Since we’re full of Brooklyn pride, Alexis and I were eager to take these scarves out into our own ‘hoods; Alexis in DUMBO, and me in Clinton Hill.

Each scarf is its own little work of art. Notice how beautifully each scarf picks up the colors of the specific Brooklyn neighborhood it represents. In DUMBO, Alexis’s scarf picked up the mellow shades of blue and grey of a late winter afternoon. And in Clinton Hill, Christine’s scarf played off of the subtle purples of the brownstones, and the grays from the wrought iron railings on the stoops.

The Brooklyn Block scarves are currently available online. Current blocks you can wear are Clinton Hill/Fort Greene, Red Hook, DUMBO and Dekalb Market. No news yet on if Park Slope will make the cut.

Superheroes, Princess & Holiday Spirit: The Cute Outfit Gift Guide From Picnic

December 5, 2013 / Brooklyn Bites, Fashion, Guest Brunchers, New York, New York Food / 0 comment

Find the perfect gift for kids who love to dress up, rock out and get into the holiday spirit, thanks to Lindsey Engler, owner of Picnic, in Cobble Hill. Picnic is a Brooklyn parent’s go-to store for hip, playful, children’s clothing and accessory (they even have a little picnic table for the little ones to hang out on and where they can watch cartoons while you shop).

Picnic prides itself on outfitting kids for everyday adventures. See below for the Picnic gift guide to a little something for every kid on your Christmas list, from the superhero, to the kid with Brooklyn pride, and even the kid who is crazy for Christmas.

1. Fore!! Axel & Hudson, $30
2. Rowdy Sprout, $40
3. Babiators, $22

1. My Subway Ride, Gibbs Smith Publisher, $15.99
2. I’m So Brooklyn, $22
3. The ABCs of Brooklyn, Lynas Press, $16.95
4. Brooklyn Owl Hair Clip, $12
5. Tattly MTA Tattoos, $15

1. Jellycat, Dylan the Dragon, $32
2. Fluf, Lunch Bag, $22
3. Siaomimi, $22
4. Seedling, Make your own Superhero Cape Kit, $42

1. I Love Gorgeous, $124
2. Piggy Paint, $5
3. Wee One, $7
4. Pink Chicken, $92

1. Skylar Luna, $39
2. Giddy Giddy, Hair Clip, $8
3. Piggy Paint, Sometimes Sweet, $9
4. Seedling, Make Your Own Snow Globe, $30
5. Piggy Paint, Eat Your Peace, $9

What does the holiday season hold for Picnic?
Picnic is hosting its first ‘Decorate and Donate’ art project which it began in early November and runs through December 24^th. Children who visit the store are invited to sit down at the picnic table and decorate a cardstock mitten with stickers, crayons and gems. For each mitten a child decorates, Picnic will donate $1 to the Make A Wish foundation. Picnic also has the mittens hanging in the store for everyone to see! The kids are so proud that they are helping other children – and they love seeing their artwork on display!

Inspired by lazy afternoons in the park and hanging upside down on the monkey bars, Picnic is the brainchild of owner Lindsey Engler. Lindsey, a new mom and Brooklyn resident, had always wanted to open a small, neighborhood boutique and, after many years of work in Manhattan’s garment district, she decided to make the move shortly after the birth of her daughter.

Picnic
192 Amity St
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Grinches and Goat Cheese Tarts: Children's Museum of Manhattan + Cafe Lalo, Kid-Friendly New York

December 3, 2013 / Cheese, New York Food / 1 Comment

We often repeated this dually awesome combination of play for kids and great food for everyone during super hot summer days. Now it’s the opposite problem. Hail, sleet, cold rain, and snow! Visiting the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and Cafe Lalo is still one of our best indoor bets, with some pleasant updates.

Cafe Lalo does desserts extremely well. It’s what they’re famous for, and the reason we usually visit. Our go-to item in the summer is the Lalo Special (frozen yogurt and berries, $11.50). Now that the weather has cooled waaaaay down, we’ve branched into the more savory items on their menu. One of the really fun things about Cafe Lalo is that they feature dishes from all over the world. This visit, we tried the Baked Salmon Salad ($14), Fresh Mixed Seasonal Berries ($7), Goat Cheese Quiche (served with Mediterranean Salad, $11), and the French Fries ($7). The dishes were solid. Not extraordinary but really good, warming dishes, perfect for lunch before playing with a toddler. The quiche had big chunks of tart goat’s cheese, with a flaky crust. The salad had great seasoning and super-juicy tomatoes. Cheese picked at the French fries and berries — both of which were absolutely delicious, by the way. Ripe berries, even though it was off-season.

I have to say, the desserts are still the winning dishes at Cafe Lalo — we dropped by again after playing at the Children’s Museum and took home some cheesecake. Hey, we had a big workout, okay?

We covered the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMoM) pretty thoroughly in our previous post. The CMoM has a new exhibition open for the holiday season that’s worth checking out — The Grinch’s Holiday Workshop. This exhibit is suitable for all ages, and runs through till December 31, 2013. Inspired by Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, kids can step straight into the pages of this Seussian classic holiday tale. The walls of the room are wrapped in scenes from How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, which is fun to see for adults and kids alike, who have grown up loving Dr Seuss.

In The Grinch’s Holiday Workshop, kids can try “sock skating” on the indoor rink (including playing games of “freeze” with CMOM staffers); pretend to steer Max, the Grinch’s “Rein-Dog” on an interactive sleigh; make Dr Seuss-themed crafts and join in on story time to hear How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and other classic books by Dr. Seuss. Check out the CMOM calendar for daily events.

The most fun for us was the “sock skating”, which was really more like slippery dancing. CMOM staffers make sure that not too many kids get on the “ice” at a time, so it’s a safe activity for the smallest of toddlers.

High Chairs: No
Stroller storage: You can’t bring your stroller inside, but they’ll store it for you somewhere mysterious under the restaurant.
Easy access: No. Quite a few steps.
Change tables: No. The bathrooms are pretty small.
Kids’ menu: No, but there’s so much to choose from, from bagels and muffins to steamed eggs or homemade waffles.

Cafe Lalo
201 West 83rd St. (between Amsterdam Ave. & Broadway)
Upper West Side, New York
Phone: (212) 496-6031
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Thur 8am-2am; Fri 8am-4am; Sat 9am-4am Sun 9am-2am. Holidays until 4am.

Children’s Museum of Manhattan
212 W. 83rd St (between Amsterdam Ave. & Broadway)
New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212) 721-1234
Hours: Sun-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat 10am-7pm. Closed Mondays.

The Ultimate Gift Guide For Foodies Of All Ages, Thanks To Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

December 2, 2013 / New York Food, Product Reviews / 0 comment

Looking for a gift for the foodie in your house? Our friend Ann Cantrell of Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store in Brooklyn has rounded up the absolute ULTIMATE in foodie gifts for all ages, even babies.

Foodie Gifts For Dad
1. Mason Shaker: $34

2. Shake (Cocktail Book from Mason Shaker): $25
3. Tool Kit: $28

4. Brooklyn Slate Cutting Board: small 7″x12″ $26 or large 10″x14″ $30

5. Cheese Knives: $15

6. Brooklyn Brew Beer Making Kit: $40

Foodie Gifts For Mom
1. Edible Brooklyn: $18.95
2. Produce Bags: $11.50
3. Edible Food Wheel: $7.50
4. Easy as Pie Tea Towel: $25
5. Falcon Pie Set: $75

Foodie Gifts For Older Kids
1. I Cookie Cutter: $16

2. DIY Stamp Tea Towel: $32

3. Feed the World Cookie Cutter: $20

4. Frrrozen Hot Chocolate: $6

Foodie Gifts For Toddler

Kids Butcher Apron Butcher Apron: $45

Build your Own Epic Burrito: $22

Safari Cookie Cutter: $13

Foodie Gifts For Baby
Wooden Animal Face Plates (1. Rabbit or 2. Monkey): $18

The Foodie Gift For Everyone
Cheese Socks: $12

If you’re in Brooklyn, drop by the storefront in Park Slope (be warned, you won’t be able to leave empty handed!

Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store
232 5th Ave (Between President and Carroll),
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Phone:(718) 522 9848

Ann Cantrell - Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store — Ann Cantrell, owner of Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store.

Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store : a modern general store for a well lived life. We have something for everyone on your list!

Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving 2013

November 30, 2013 / Cheese, New York Life, USA / 0 comment

A very happy Thanksgiving this year, surrounded by loved ones and friends, old and new. Thanks to our friends Dan and Sue for hosting and inviting us to their amazing expat Thanksgiving feast.

This year I am very thankful to our community of friends, for my family, and for how lucky I really am. I like to whine and complain a lot about things that aren’t perfect, but the reality is I’m so lucky. A supportive, loving husband, a healthy, beautiful little girl, living in New York City, and really enjoying an amazing life. So many blessings, so very thankful.

#Thanksgiving 2013

#Thanksgiving

After lunch was some dancing. Cheese really loves dancing lately and was loving it.

What’s Thanksgiving without pie?!

#Thanksgiving

Your Latest Squeeze: aden + anais musy mate Giveaway

November 27, 2013 / Giveaways, New York Food, Product Reviews / 28 Comments

It was a spin out moment when I realised that most of my friends are having second babies this year! Really? Already? I feel like I just emerged from the trenches. Or on second thought, I’m still in them.

I recently visited this five-week-old snuggly boy, who has a new best friend to help him cope with the tough life of a newborn — an aden + anais jungle jam musy mate lovey.

The musy mate collection from aden + anais features lovies made from cotton muslin, just like the swaddles I used two years ago, and LOVED when Cheese was a tiny baby. I wish they’d been around then! I would have felt much more comfortable with her snuggling up to one of these than with the other lovies we considered, and eventually passed on. Other lovies on the market tend to be made out of non-breathable materials. But since these are made with breathable muslin, you can rest a little easier when placing them beside your newborn, or when buying them as a baby shower gift.

Since there are no sewn-on eyes on musy mates, they are fine to be left with a little one while they’re awake. However, aden + anais recommend removing all stuffed animals/loose blankets from the crib before your baby falls asleep.

Musy mates are not only super soft and cuddly, they’re also machine washable just like the swaddle blankets (yay!), so no need to worry about getting spit up all over them.

GIVEAWAY
aden + anais is giving Brunch With My Baby readers the chance to win their own musy mate to cuddle or to gift, valued at $24.95. (Adorable baby not included.)

Giveaway is open Wed November 27 to 11:59pm Tues Dec 10 2013 EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Entry open to US mailing addresses only.

Brunch With My Baby was given a product sample for reviewing purposes. All opinions are our own.

Four Thanksgiving Treats That Aren't Pie

November 25, 2013 / Manhattan Munchies, New York Food / 0 comment

Stand out at your Thanksgiving gathering (and fight off the hordes of hungry masses) by bringing a dessert that’s not a pie. You might want to buy extra — these Thanksgiving treats are so delicious they may not make it all the way to your party.

Georgetown cupcakes
The cupcake masters always have something special for the holidays. Order these babies online or stroll in and grab one for an afternoon (or morning!) snack. The Thanksgiving dozen includes three Pumpkin Spice cupcakes, three Caramel Apple cupcakes, three Chocolate Hazelnut cupcakes, and and Maple cupcakes. $29 a dozen or $2.75 each.
Georgetown Cupcakes: 111 Mercer Street (between Spring and Prince) New York

Jacques Torres
It’s always the right time of year for chocolate! Move over, Easter Bunny, because you can now get a chocolate Thanksgiving turkey from Jacques Torres, in various sizes from the Giant Turkey (a five pound beast made from dark or milk chocolate and hand decorated with feather accents,$98), to the Small Turkey (molded in milk or dark chocolate, $4 each). Searching for an even more unique gift for your host? Try the Turkey Puzzle, made from milk and dark chocolate ($8.50).
Jacques Torres: various locations

Betty Bakery
Drop by this Brooklyn bakery to pick up hand iced and decorated cookies in the shape of turkeys, owls and pumpkins ($5.25 each). They also have Thanksgiving-themed cupcakes decorated with autumn leaf sprinkles ($2.95 each), and assorted small cookies in flavors and shapes like chocolate-almond leaves ($21/pound).
Betty Bakery: 448 Atlantic Ave (between Bond St and Nevins St), Boerum Hill

Treat House
Inspired by a charitable school bake sale, Treat House is a gourmet rice crispie emporium. Their Thanksgiving flavors are Pumpkin Spice, Maple Pecan, Caramel Sea Salt and Cranberry Orange ($2.25 per treat; $24 for 12 pack). And you can feel good about yourself while you’re chomping down on your treat: ten cents of every treat purchased is donated to the Food Bank for New York City.
Treat House: 452 Amsterdam Ave, New York

Happy Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble (all that chocolate)!!!

Do I have a DreamTone? Let’s Find Out!

November 24, 2013 / Family / 0 comment

I’ve often thought about using anti-aging products but, with the steep prices and mixed reviews of the results, they’ve always been something that was on my “nice to have” rather than “must-have” list of beauty products to buy. So when Lancôme and SheSpeaks invited me to participate in a social media campaign that involved using their new innovative anti-aging skincare product, Lancôme DreamTone, I jumped at the opportunity for a test drive, even though it involved sharing a bare-faced selfie (uh-oh!). Oh yeah, and there’s even a hashtag for it: #bareselfie.

Lancôme DreamTone ($98) is an innovative new serum designed to correct dark spots, color imperfections and uneven skin tone. According to their research (global self-assessments of women of multiple ethnicities in an 8-week study), 74% of users saw glowing skin immediately after using the product, and 70% noticed a more even skin tone within seven days. After four weeks, 69% saw the appearance of dark spots reduced, with 78% seeing color imperfections reduced within eight weeks.

DreamTone comes in three shades (Fair, Medium and Dark). The results are supposedly more pronounced the longer you use it. I chose the Fair/Lightest shade of DreamTone and used it twice a day under my moisturizer for four weeks. Here’s a picture of my results (aka my #bareselfie).

While I’m not sure if my pigment markings have diminished, my skin definitely has a nice glow to it. I will continue to use the serum twice a day for another few months to get the full benefits. I really liked how the serum came in three tints, to suit all skin shades, and also how smoothly and evenly it went on. My skin felt super soft after after application, so I feel like the texture of my skin has definitely improved after using DreamTone.

DreamTone is quite pricey, so I would need to see more results before considering buying it in the future. I am hoping that as I continue to use the product, that I will see more results of the pigmentation reduction as I would love a more even skin tone.

Disclosure: SheSpeaks/Lancôme sent me a bottle of DreamTone to review for this campaign. All opinions are my own.

SMILING IT FORWARD with TYLENOL®

November 22, 2013 / Kids / 0 comment

Full disclosure – I am NOT a particularly empathetic person. While I’m sure I have (hopefully) many other good qualities, empathy is just not one of them. There’s one perhaps unexpected exception to this character failing of mine: my child. When she came along, many things changed. Not just the obvious (sleep deprivation, lack of personal time and space, new wing-lady 24/7), but also the surprising. My little girl opened my heart up in way no one else had been able to before.

When she’s sick, I struggle through her every cough and whimper. Boo boos result in tears shed by both parties. I feel every pain she feels as if it were my own. This, I discovered, is what it really means to be a mother – to have your heart forever living outside your body.

And who knew little kids could get so sick, and so frequently? The first fever was the worst – frantically calling the pediatrician for advice, cooling her in a lukewarm bath, carefully measuring TYLENOL® to bring the fever down. The sinking sensation you feel as a mother when your child is sick has no match to any previous experience. A piece of you is sick – the best piece of you that you value the most, and you’d do anything to make it better.

The upside is when your child comes out the other side again, healthy and happy and slowly smiling again. That slow smile that lights up their eyes, and means they’re going to be ok, that you can relax for a few moments while everything is at ease again. It’s the feeling of peace, of relief, and joy that you and your little one have survived another challenge together. Motherhood: it sure ain’t for the feint of heart!

You can help spread those “feel better” smiles by sharing a photo that makes you smile at SmilingItForward.com. For every photo uploaded, TYLENOL® will make a $1 donation to Children’s Health Fund, up to $100,000, helping to ensure a doctor’s visit is always within reach for children in need.

I have received information and products from McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., the makers of TYLENOL®. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks.

These Boots Are Made For Running: The High Line With Stride Rite + Giveaway

November 20, 2013 / Cheese, Chelsea, Giveaways, New York Food, Product Reviews / 28 Comments

Cheese is one active kid. She loves to run, jump and climb, and her favourite thing in the world is a playground. Because she’s so active, I’m really picky when it comes to choosing her shoes. I tend to go for practical first, and then style, because I want quality shoes that will fit her feet properly as they’re growing, and support her little feet in their athletic endeavours. Because of this, Stride Rite remains one of my top brands when buying shoes. They’re designed with the utmost care to fit tiny feet properly. They’re durable, made from top materials, and rigorously tested to ensure a high quality shoe.

This winter, I wanted a good pair of boots for Cheese, that would keep her feet warm and enable her to keep playing and running outside without hinderance. The Stride Rite Medallion Collection Roslin is the perfect boot for my busy little Cheese.

We took Cheese and her new boots for a spin on the High Line. The boots are great for an active toddler. Padded for comfort, strong but comfortable leather for long-term wear, and easy to get on and off. These boots are made for running, not walking! They get the Cheese’s tick of approval (ie she didn’t whine and yell “off, off!!”).

The High Line is a favourite place of ours to let the Cheese run wild. It’s pretty contained and in a long, straight line, so we can let her loose without worrying about her running into traffic or hurting herself in general. It’s lined with plants as well, which change during the seasons and provide Cheese with amazing leaves and flowers to discover on her eye level, that she can actually touch (we’re looking at you here, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens …). She really enjoyed the different levels on the High Line, with ramps, steps and viewing platforms, and loves peeking over the edge at the buildings, people and fire trucks down below.

There are actually multiple sections to the High Line, but we generally just enter it randomly when we get the urge (“Hey, there’s the High Line, let’s go up!”), and exit when we realise we’re kinda hungry/cold/tired/cranky (this may or may not be the toddler). That’s the best thing about it — it’s like a get-on-get-off bus ride through Chelsea, perfect for entertaining a crazy active toddler as well as yourself.

GIVEAWAY!
The generous people at Stride Rite are offering one lucky Brunch With My Baby reader the chance to win their own pair of Stride Rite shoes of their choice.

Giveaway open from Nov 20th 2013 to 11:59pm EST Tues 26th, 2013.

Open to US mailing addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway