Mommy FTW

A Visit to Toren Condos – Family Friendly Ammenties and Programs

betsy — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:11:03 +0000

Recently the people at Toren approached me and asked if I would be interested in doing a write up on the family friendly aspects of the building. Honestly, I had never really considered Toren in a family friendly light (I didn’t really know anything about it at all) and I was intrigued. So, last Thursday I went to go check it out. In a word, I was impressed! It is truly a gorgeous building inside and out, and it has some great offerings for the family set. In this first post I’ll focus on the amenities and kid / child friendly programs they’ve got on tap, and in my second post I’ll finish with the absolutely incredible apartment they showed me (jaw droppingly beautiful doesn’t even begin to cover it….) as well as highlight the green aspects of the building.

Toren has a Yoga studio in house with class offered by Yoga Local. There are a few classes for babies and toddlers on the books for this fall:

Mommy (or Daddy) & Me, Fridays, 9:30-10:15
Creative movement for all babies, 6 to 12 months, with caregiver.
Tiny Toes, Fridays, 10:30-11:15
Creative movement for normally-developing toddlers, 12-36 months.
Special Tiny Toes, Fridays, 11:30-12:15
Creative movement for identified special needs toddlers, 12-36 months.

All of these classes are paid on a monthly basis, $80 per head per month. They are taught by Amalia Rose and Carmen Rosario, a mother-daughter duo with over 50 years of experience under their collective belts. For residents of Toren, these classes are free. Check out the Yoga Local website to learn more about them. Also, keep checking for info about prenatal yoga classes!

Toren has a large bi-level outdoor space. It’s a great place to take in some fresh air, have a playgroup get together, and enjoy a view of Brooklyn and beyond. This fall Toren, in conjunction with Big Movies for Little Kids, will be hosting 4 screenings (every other Friday) on the outdoor terrace starting in late September. These screenings are open to residents and the public. The outdoor space has a huge set of stairs which will offer great stadium like seating for the event. Toren will offer stroller parking and free concessions. Doors Open 6:30- Movies to start at 7pm. RSVP to Marco@torencondo.com. Here’s the schedule:

Sept 24th – Spirited Away
October 8th – The Muppet Movie
October 22nd- Pinocchio
November 5th- TBD

The pool at Toren is so beautiful, when I was emailed pictures of it I thought they were computer renderings (see the gallery). Well, I swear – it actually looks like that in person. The pool is essentially a lap pool – only 4 feet deep. It has a wide set of entry stairs that would be a nice toddler splash and play area. In it’s shape and depth it reminds me of my beloved Clermont pool – a perfect place for a little one to learn to swim. And of course, this pool is open year round. Toren is going to offer Children’s swim classes free to residents. Non residents can also sign up to participate. This would be a great winter activity! Although Cameron and I went swimming often last summer, over the winter his love of water seemed to dwindle. The Toren pool is a great way to keep this from happening, and is a lot closer to most of Fort Greene than the neighboring YMCA’s. Check the Toren website later this fall to find the class schedule for Children’s swim classes.

Toren has a lovely little library, a nice place to sit and quietly read a book – or have story time with the kids! Residents who are looking for a place to take their little ones who have a case of cabin fever in the winter time should take advantage of this great space. It would be a wonderful spot to organize a weekly story time, playgroup, or movie screening (they have perhaps the biggest TV I’ve ever seen).

Finally I wanted to note that there is an “upscale eco-friendly” Supermarket coming to Toren (according to Brownstoner, and confirmed by the Toren rep I spoke to). As a long time resident of Fort Greene, I can’t say how excited I am about this. It’s something I think a lot of folks in the neighborhood are really looking forward to – and I can’t imagine having it just an elevator ride away. This will be a major convenience for residents and is icing on the cake!

Check back in for my write up of the amazing family sized apartment I was able to preview, as well as to learn more about the Green aspects of the building which make Toren quite unique, and both eco and family friendly.

Toren is located at 150 Myrtle Avenue, at the intersection of Myrtle and Flatbush. Nearby are a huge array of train lines (B, Q, M, R, 2, 3, A, C) and of course Fort Greene Park. Your closest playground is one of my favorites, the huge and rarely crowded New Fort Greene, which I profiled in my A Gem of A Playground series. Also, in the summer time, directly across the street you can find the Myrtle Avenue Farm Stand. To learn more about Toren you can check out their websites – torencondo.com and mylifeattoren.com (for more of an inside scoop on what it’s like to live there).

In the spirit of full disclosure, Toren has compensated me for this post – which means I was paid to go and check out their building and do a write up. I want to assure you that the opinions expressed here are my own, and I was in no way told what I was to write. Those of you who read my blog regularly and know me, know that I wouldn’t speak positively about something I don’t believe in. If this write up as made you curious about Toren, please contact them and check it out for yourself. I would be surprised if you were anything less than impressed!

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Labor Day Weekend Fun

betsy — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:59:31 +0000

I’m taking the weekend off, but I wanted to remind everyone that there’s fun stuff going on in Fort Greene / Clinton Hill today and tomorrow:

Today (Sunday) from 12-6 is the first of four Move About Myrtle events of September. Check the Myrtle Ave Partnership website for more information.

Tomorrow (Monday) is the Habana Outpost Back to School Bash from 12-5. Check out my previous post to get all the info.

Also, I noticed yesterday a sign outside of Who’s Your Doggy (at Adelphi and Willoughby) saying that on Monday they will be turning 4! They will be having BBQ and Doggy fun, as well as FREE wash your own all day. So for you pet lovers out there, stop in and check it out.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

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What’s Cameron Eating? – Hamburger – and Lots of it!

betsy — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:10:04 +0000

For those moms out there that know me, you are probably aware that Cameron is a very picky eater. This is perhaps my greatest frustration with him. At his 18 month check up his Pediatrician did a blood test on him to check his iron levels. They were fine, but she wanted to be sure I was getting him to eat some red meat to keep them in good standing. Cameron has always been a turkey and chicken lover, but red meat is sometimes a challenge. Aside from the Trader Joe’s mini meatballs I wrote about before, there wasn’t a whole lot of it going on – except when we went to 67 Burger, where he would scarf it down!

Cameron chows down on burger, pickles, and sweet potato fries. Also pictured - Camelbak sippy and Skip Hop Mate Plate

On one visit to 67 burger I took an extra take out box home with me. The next night I cooked up a small hamburger and placed it in the box. Cameron was intrigued and excited (67 Burger is by far his favorite place to eat, and he recognizes their carry out packaging. Yes, I am slightly embarrassed to admit that). I opened up the box, and revealed the home cooked burger. He gobbled it up! Now Cameron eats burgers as part of his regular rotation – and since he isn’t skeptical of them any more, I don’t have to deliver them in 67 burger boxes.

So, if your little one needs a little more iron, consider making them some mini burger patties at home. It’s a quick and easy dinner served with some baked sweet potato fries, usually in Cameron’s case, and some pickles. And yes, I count both of those as vegetables. Pickles are cucumbers, you know! I’ll take my victories where I can get them!

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Summer is Almost Over! Have You Checked Out the Prospect Park Zoo?

betsy — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:02:44 +0000

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!

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Busy Moms, Salon 718 is For You!

betsy — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:28:49 +0000

Before I had Cameron I would get my hair cut and colored about four times a year. After I had Cameron, things went downhill pretty rapidly. I managed to get a few cuts, but color took way too long. I just didn’t have the patience for it, and I certainly wasn’t going to spend time traveling all the way to the city for some “me time.” I’m sure I’m not the only mom out there who has trouble making time for herself. It’s not that my husband won’t take Cam – it’s more than I don’t ask him to. This is definitely something I (and maybe you) need to work on!

But, with my brother’s wedding approaching I knew something had to be done – and one of my mom friends had been suggesting for a long time that I see her friend Michaella who has her own private salon in Prospect Heights called Salon 718.

First I should say that I decided this all a bit last minute – I called on a Thursday, and I was able to get an appointment for cut and highlights that Saturday – I was so thankful! So – I walked over from my home in Fort Greene to Michaella’s Salon 718 which is located at 539 Bergen Street. FYI – if you are coming from Fort Greene or Clinton Hill you can easily take the bus down Vanderbuilt as well. She started on me right away after a brief consultation. She was very fast with her highlights – something I really appreciated (it can be SO boring sitting under those foils!) And, the woman who washes your hair (her name is Sunshine) is some kind of goddess – your scalp will enjoy the massage. I was cut, colored, and styled and out the door in under an hour and a half – which was pretty speedy in my book – and of course, I loved the results. The color was beautiful, and the cut was very wash and wear, which is exactly what I asked for. She even gave me some styling tips as she did the blow out.

Overall, Salon 718 was a great experience – so if you are looking for a local place to get your hair done, give them a try. Currently, they are running a promotion for $25 off color – just mention “Win” to get the discount. Also, on Thursday nights they are open late for Merlot Thursdays – where you can have a glass of wine while you get your hair done and your hubby puts your little one to bed. If you’d like to give Salon 718 a try, call them at 718.623.6153 for your appointment.

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The BEST Stretch Mark Cream!

betsy — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:39:02 +0000

Recently I was talking to a friend who is 7 months pregnant and I asked her what she was using on her baby belly to prevent stretch marks. She said she had just run out of what she was using, and was thinking of trying something else. That reminded me of an amazing product I used when I was pregnant with Cameron which another mom friend had recommended to me – L’Occitane Shea Butter.

This product, while not specifically marketed as “stretch mark cream” is, I think, the best thing out there for the job. Most stretch mark creams have shea butter in them, but this stuff is 100% pure shea butter!

I knew from my own experience this stuff really works(I didn’t get a single one *knock on wood* for next time) but I wondered why shea butter actually helps prevent stretch marks so I asked my friend Google! Here’s what I found out:

Because of its high concentration of non-saponifiable fatty acids, shea butter has a moisturizing and healing effect on the skin. The lipids contained in the butter are highly beneficial to the cells found in the epidermis and promote skin healing and improvement. Shea butter works well to improve the skin’s elasticity, thus enabling it to stretch with greater ease.

Sounds good to me! You can buy this cream on Amazon.com, on the Sephora website, in Sephora stores, or at L’Occitane stores. It is a little pricey, but I would say that not getting stretch marks is worth it! One 4.9 oz tin will most likely get you through the whole pregnancy.

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Rainy Day Blues? Check Out These Indoor Baby Friendly Places in the Neighborhood

betsy — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:06:31 +0000

These last few days have been very fall-like! I’m sure summer isn’t over yet – but more rainy and gloomy days are on the horizon, so I decided to do a re post / update on an old topic I visited last winter – Indoor Baby Friendly Places in the Fort Greene / Clinton Hill area:

The Booklyn Flea – On Sundays you can find the Brooklyn Flea indoors at One Hanson Place (the big clock tower) from 10am to 5pm. The Flea is on the main floor and lower level. According to one mom, the lower level has food options, and the upper level is where the sales go on. She said the lower level is a great place to take kids and let them roam around, and that there is space for strollers. So if you are looking for a weekend activity – check out the indoor Flea!

Story time at Greenlight Bookstore – Greenlight Bookstore is located at 686 Fulton Street and has a free story time on Saturday mornings at 10:30 AM. Check it out for more weekend fun. And for any day of the week – Greenlight has a great childrens book section – you can browse while your child plays in the cardboard house, draws on the chalkboard, and snuggles with the giant stuffed bear.

Story time at Brownstone Books – Brownstone Books is located at 409 Lewis Ave in Bed Stuy. Story time happens every Wednesday and Saturday from 12-1pm. Unfortunately this is smack in the middle of Cameron’s nap time, so I have yet to check it out. The suggested donation is $5. For more information, check out the Brownstone Books website.

The Clinton Hill Library – Not only does Clinton Hill Library (380 Washington Ave) have a great and free Reading for Babies program on Tuesdays at 11:00 as well as Toddler Time on Fridays at 11, it’s a great place to take your kid to let them roam around even when no scheduled activities are going on. We spent many a cold winter day here!

Chuck E Cheese – Now this one, I never would have thought of! One day a few of us moms and babes were hanging out at Der Schwarze Kölner and one of the moms said that she had just been at Chuck E Cheese with her little one. She said that it was her nanny who had originally suggested it, and although she was skeptical – it turned out to be a great place for him to roam around, and it was free (since they aren’t playing any games). Chuck E. Cheese is located in the Atlantic Terminal Mall.

Der Schwarze Kölner aka the Beer Garden – As I mentioned above I’ve been going to the Beer Garden (710 Fulton Street) with Cameron and some other moms + babies. It is a great rainy day (or super hot day, or snowy day) option – and they are so welcoming and nice! Read more about Der Schwarze Kölner at this other post I wrote.

Finally, there’s the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. It’s not really in Fort Greene / Clinton Hill – but it’s just a short drive away. I did a complete write up on the Children’s Museum here, so check it out to get all the news you can use!

If you have other ideas to share, please leave a comment!

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Back to School Bash at Habana Outpost!

betsy — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:35:57 +0000

I’ve got another year ’till Cameron is heading to Preschool for the first time – but I know that since the summer is ending lots of families out there are gearing up for back to school!

Recently, Darcy, a Fort Greene mom, and General Manager of Habana Outpost (757 Fulton St, in Fort Greene) emailed me to let me know that on Monday September 6 from 12-5 Habana is hosting a FREE Back to School Bash. Here’s the info:

Bring the kids out for one last day of summer fun at Fort Greene’s favorite family eco-eatery! This year there will be free stilt walkers, clowns, face painting, games, prizes, crafts, a dance party and as always free notebooks and pencils for all school aged children while supplies last.

Thanks for the heads up Darcy!

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The Wilson Aquatic Center is Closing – Temporarily

betsy — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:18:25 +0000

Recently we were back in Washington D.C. visiting Cameron’s Grandparents and of course, the Wilson Aquatic Center! FYI – During the renovation of Wilson High School the entrance to the Aquatic Center is closed, so you have to enter from the Nebraska Avenue side (near the athletic field).

Cameron is ready to get his swim on!

While there I learned that the Wilson Aquatic Center will be closed from August 23 – September 14 for maintenance and a deep cleaning. According to the Department of Parks and Recreation website, here’s whats on the to-do list:

Remove and drain all pool water according to local or federal regulations.
Acid wash pool shell.
Clean all pool drains.
Service and perform maintenance on movable bulkheads.
Purchase and install new lighting throughout the facility.
Clean and seal all existing tile floors through-out the building.
Check hydrostatic relief valves.
Replace and recharge pool media for pool tanks.
Install and clean pool lights and pool shell lights as needed.
Pressure wash pool deck.
Deep cleaning of offices, locker rooms and lobby area.

Sounds good to me! Although it’s an inconvenience to have the pool closed, it’s good that they are taking care of it so it is there for years to come for us all to enjoy.

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Move About Myrtle in September

betsy — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:17:19 +0000

Every Sunday from 12 -6pm in September Myrtle Ave between Hall and Clermont in Fort Greene / Clinton Hill will be closed to traffic – and open to fun! It’s called Move About Myrtle – and of course, it’s free. Here’s a little preview of the events that are scheduled:

September 5th: Back-to-School celebration with activities for the whole family!
September 12th: Brooklyn Food Coalition’s GRUB FEST featuring the biggest potluck ever, a Mac and Cheese contest, and fun for foodies of all ages!
September 19th: “The Case of the Curious Pedestrian” will offer playful public art installations, performances and surprises on all five blocks…and the FDNY Smoke House!
September 26th: It’s Bicycle Day, and our 2nd annual tree giveaway!

And every Sunday: kids activities and games, sidewalk cafes, free yoga and dance classes by Move With Grace studio, music and performances, merchant specials, free tastings, and raffle prizes!

I will add more info as it becomes available – so stay tuned! And see you on Myrtle Ave in September!

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