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A Child Grows in Brooklyn's 6th Annual Brooklyn Baby & Family Expo is just around the corner, guys!!! To be held at 501 Union Street in Gowanus on Sunday, April 22, 2018 (11AM - 3:30PM), this is the only event of its kind here in Brooklyn and it's not to be missed for any families with children under 8 years old!
A family-friendly event for those with babies on the way or with children under 8 years old, you'll find exhibitors of the latest and greatest products and services, a children's marketplace featuring locally made clothing and accessories, a food truck, Whole Foods snack bar, great samples and prizes, and an amazing lineup of speakers, seminars, demos, music and entertainment!
Tentative Schedule: 11 AM - doors open 11:05 AM - "Go Milk Yourself" with Francie Webb in The Lounge 11:30 AM - storytime in The Kids' Annex 11:35 AM - author talk & book signing with Jancee Dunn 12:05 PM - "Green & Healthy Living with Kids" talk in The Lounge 1:00 PM - Sleep Experts panel on the Main Stage 1:30 PM - "The Art of Screen Time" in The Lounge 2:00 PM - Yellow Sneakers Puppet Singalong in The Kids' Annex 2:00 PM - "Connecting to your baby through Music" in The Lounge
TICKETS:
$10 - Individual Ticket $25 - Premium Individual (with new baby gift bag) $35 - Premium Family Pass (with new baby gift bag - for 2 adults and their children) $35 - Premium Family Pass (with child gift bag - for 2 adults and their children) $55 - Toddler Parent Pass - includes adult lunch, kid's snack, gift bag and book $110 - Deluxe Family Pass - includes priority entry & seating, VIP gift bag, & lunch coupon for 2 adults 
TICKET GIVEAWAY!!!
I'm giving away ONE Premium Family Pass to our grand prize winner, & ONE individual ticket to our runner-up winner!! Giveaway will end at 11:59PM EST on Wednesday, April 4. Open to US residents ages 18 and above. Enter in the rafflecopter box below - a comment on this blog post is mandatory to enter, and then other options for bonus points will be revealed! Good luck and hope to see you all at the expo!!
Disclaimer: I've received complimentary tickets to the event in exchange for my hosting of this giveaway, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. It's a great event, we've been 3 times!!
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Here's our roundup of the kids' activities and family-friendly events going on in the Greater Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn for the week of March 29 - April 4, 2018!
Don't forget to sign up for our e-newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay in the loop of all the local goings on!! All the events and ads below are linked, so click away for more details and to double check before heading out for an event (time changes, cancellations, and mistakes do happen on occasion). Click here to submit your Bay Ridge area family-friendly event or program for a complimentary listing in an upcoming events roundup! Businesses are invited to read more about advertising with us and to sign up for our advertisers' newsletter to receive occasional ad specials and upcoming deadlines. 
Our 2018 Summer Camps Guide to Bay Ridge and Beyond is LIVE!!! Some camps are already filling up, so head over to start planning your child(ren)'s summer now!! Also, contact us ASAP to make sure your summer camp gets its complimentary listing, or to advertise your business or service to thousands of families in South Brooklyn and New York City - read more about Summer Camp Guide advertising options here!!
UPCOMING / ONGOING:
THURSDAY, MARCH 29:
FRIDAY, MARCH 30:
SATURDAY, MARCH 31:
SUNDAY, APRIL 1:
MONDAY, APRIL 2:
TUESDAY, APRIL 3:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4:
If you are a new or expecting parent in the Tri-State area, this post is for you!! We're giving away TEN TICKETS to the 2018 New York Baby Show, to be held on May 19 & 20 at Pier 94 in NYC!!
The New York Baby Show, now in its 8th year, is the largest show for new and expectant parents in the country. No other event provides a better experience for thousands of expectant and new families from New York and neighboring counties, seeking a family-friendly jamboree of top brands, great speakers and seminars, big giveaways, and lots of learning, support, bonding, and fun as you make your way into parenthood.
To get a better feel for what the New York Baby Show is like, check out my roundups from the previous years I've attended:
Normal ticket price is $30 per family (for 2 adults and up to 4 children), and $20 per individual, but you can enter in the Rafflecopter box below to win one of the 10 tickets we have to give away! Each of our 10 winners can choose a single or family ticket. The giveaway will end Monday, March 26 at 11:59PM EST and winners will be e-mailed with a special link to claim their tickets. Even if you don't win the giveaway, you still win because you can click here to get your tickets for 50% off!! 
Here's our roundup of the kids' activities and family-friendly events going on in the Greater Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn for the week of March 22 - 28, 2018!
Don't forget to sign up for our e-newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay in the loop of all the local goings on!! All the events and ads below are linked, so click away for more details and to double check before heading out for an event (time changes, cancellations, and mistakes do happen on occasion). Click here to submit your Bay Ridge area family-friendly event or program for a complimentary listing in an upcoming events roundup! Businesses are invited to read more about advertising with us and to sign up for our advertisers' newsletter to receive occasional ad specials and upcoming deadlines. 
Our 2018 Summer Camps Guide to Bay Ridge and Beyond is LIVE!!! Some camps are already filling up, so head over to start planning your child(ren)'s summer now!! Also, contact us ASAP to make sure your summer camp gets its complimentary listing, or to advertise your business or service to thousands of families in South Brooklyn and New York City - read more about Summer Camp Guide advertising options here!!
UPCOMING / ONGOING:
THURSDAY, MARCH 22:
FRIDAY, MARCH 23:
SATURDAY, MARCH 24:
SUNDAY, MARCH 25:
MONDAY, MARCH 26:
TUESDAY, MARCH 27:
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28:
We were just hosted for a long weekend at the family-friendly all-inclusive Woodloch Resort in The Poconos and had THE BEST TIME!! Not being a cold weather kinda girl, I was a bit nervous, but it was just as awesome as when we went in summer (see that review here). For a taste of what activities and food to expect, keep reading, and don't forget to watch our highlights video on our YouTube channel!
OUR RIDE THERE:
Last time we journeyed to Woodloch, we took the bus and got a complimentary shuttle from the station to the resort. This time, we rode in style!! We were provided a beautiful 2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid LE from Toyota for the weekend. With seating for 8 passengers and producing a 280 hybrid system net horsepower with 30 city mpg and 28 highway mpg, the Highlander was just what we needed for our familiy of 5. Using the LATCH system for our twins' Combi Coccoro car seats (affiliate link) and our 5 year old sandwiched between them in his Mifold booster (my blog review here), we were able to easily fit all 3 in the center row. This meant I was able to hand them snacks and screens, and it was extremely helpful when my son got super car sick on the way home. Thankfully mama had thought ahead and brought some metal bowls just in case the Dramamine didn't do its job! 
The 2018 Highlander has great cargo space, especially with the back row folded down (or you can utilize the back row's 60/40 split). It earned the "Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle" (SULEV) rating, which is surprising for a SUV, and its electric on-demand all wheel drive with intelligence (AWD-i) made driving on curvy mountain roads a dream (except for aforementioned carsickness...). With a MSRP starting at $36,670 it's a great option for families needing safety and space!
OUTDOOR WINTER ACTIVITIES:
There was a lot of snow, but we didn't cross a single slippery step. They do such an amazing job of clearing paths and roads, even the go carts were safe to race around the track! My kiddos loved simply playing in the snow, but we all had a blast on their complimentary Snow Tubing run!! It's a hike up the hill lugging the tube (especially with a toddler bumming a ride) but a great way to burn off that morning's breakfast LOL! We didn't partake in their "Winter Olympics" but watched others for a bit and it looked like a lot of fun! 
Some of their outdoor activities are seasonal and thus closed during winter (such as lake and outdoor pool activities, horse-drawn wagon rides, and snow covered play grounds) but others are year round, weather permitting. We had a blast driving the go carts, even our twins got to ride along this time!! They also have a new outdoor covered 9,000 square foot synthetic ice skating rink, with skate rental ($5 per 2 hours) and walkers for little ones to learn to skate with.
INDOOR YEAR ROUND FUN:
Our go-to indoor activities at Woodloch are the bumper cars (1 rider per car, 40" and up can drive - this was the first time our son was tall enough and he looooooooved it!!!), Woodloch Forest Indoor Playground (a multi level climbing structure for ages 3+ though our 2.5 year olds did ok with our help, with zip line, slides, rolling barrels, you name it - SO fun for the kids and parents, you'll have to watch our video to get a better feel of it; they also have a 5 and under section for the littlest ones), and the Toddler Room (a small play room with TONS of toys, and parents can kinda sit back and relax). Our kids love the "kiddie cars" (electric kid-sized SUVs) but to be honest they make me really anxious since the kids are HORRIBLE drivers and crash into each other and parents as they try to supervise. It's hilarious, but nerve wracking haha! 
And of course, the indoor pool complex!!!! Be sure to set aside at least 2 hours for this on the daily. There's a huge room with a big pool, a few hot tub options for various ages (one is adults only because it's so hot, one is 1' deep wading/infant pool), and one is an all ages not-too-hot hot tub LOL). In another section is a decent sized kid's area with lots of little water jet activities, and 2 teeny water slides. In a completely separate room, and not to be missed, is the Splash Zone with a huge double cork screw water slide (you must be 42"+) and 300 gallon bucket that tips over every couple of minutes!! They have a rack of PuddleJumpers and life vests to borrow (though I didn't notice any for under 30 pounds, so you may want to bring your own baby float or be prepared to carry babies and smaller toddlers)!
There were some new activities we didn't get a chance to do, but definitely worth mentioning!!! They have a new Escape Room (ages 13+) and mini bowling (extra charge for both).
MEAL TIME:
You don't have to get a meal plan at Woodloch, but I highly recommend splurging for it (you can get a 2 meal or 3 meal plan). The food is phenomenal and meals are a highlight of our trips there!! A different character greets your children at the entrance for each meal, 2 of our 3 kids were over the moon about this, I loved seeing their faces light up as they run over and give hugs and high fives to them (our more reserved child was terrified of all except the "human" characters i.e. Minion was a no-no, but Captain America was great!). 
Breakfast doesn't start til 8:30AM though, and if you have early 5-6AM risers like we do, it's pure torture waiting for food, and none of the activities open til 8-10AM, so consider bringing snacks to munch on and activities to kill time in the early morning - or make use of their cable TV and free wifi.
I can't even go into all the yummy food we had, so I'm including a slide show of some of the meals below. You're given a table that will be yours for the entirety of your visit, which is cool because you don't have to figure out seating and where to put the high chairs and all that, and the kids enjoy being the leaders and taking the family to your table each day!! Each breakfast you'll have a HUGE crumb cake waiting for you on your table. Lunch and dinner have a selection of entrees to choose from, but each meal is all you can eat, so you can select multiple entrees or custom order such as a half size of 2 different ones. Some side items are family style, and Sunday lunch is a buffet. They also have a selection of kid-friendly staples such as pizza, chicken tenders, PB&J, and grilled cheese. They have crayons and coloring booklets if you ask, and their high chairs are really great, escape proof for my little Houdinis!!
OUR ROOM:
We were provided 2 nights in an Edgewater Suite in Springbrook on the main Woodloch Pines property. It was the perfect location in winter because we could get to the pool complex without going outside! And it was just a 5-10 minute walk to the dining area, indoor playground, and bumper cars, and a 10-15 minute walk to the go carts and ice skating area. They do have a shuttle that goes around the property every 20 minutes or so, but mostly we walked because we were lucky with beautiful, albeit cold, weather and enjoyed walking around the property. Last time, we had our double stroller with us and found it doable, though some of the paths are quite steep! The room was spotless, with gorgeous lake views from the living room (with balcony) and bedroom! A sleeper sofa and matching love seat, and they installed bedrails on both of our queen beds so we could co-sleep with our kids without worrying about anyone falling out! Every plug not in use had a baby proof cover on it - they really think of everything! The room also had 2 bathrooms (one with a shower, one with a tub) which was a treat since our own home only has one bathroom!! 
So, pretty ahhhhmayzing, am I right!? It should go without saying that Woodloch is by no means considered a "budget" vacation. But you get what you pay for, and you get a LOT at Woodloch! You could spend well over a week here without doing all of the free activities they offer! With a 3 meal plan for a family of 4 during peak vacation times, you could easily spend over $1K for 2 nights (but don't forget, that covers your room, food, and activities!). That said, there are certainly ways to score a better deal, so check out the "exclusive offers" page on their website occasionally - off peak rates start at $159 per adult per night (plus tax and 15% gratuity that gets divided by all the staff).
Some offers they currently have going on include: Have you been to Woodloch or any other family-friendly resorts or destinations? Leave a comment below and let us know!! And don't forget to check out our fun highlights video of our trip below (be sure to subscribe!)
DISCLAIMER: While we were provided complimentary room & board by Woodloch and a complimentary vehicle by Toyota in exchange for our reviews, all thoughts and opinions are our own - completely honest and unbiased - we're no sellouts!! We only share what we truly loooooove!!
Here's our roundup of the kids' activities and family-friendly events going on in the Greater Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn for the week of March 15 - 21, 2018!
Don't forget to sign up for our e-newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay in the loop of all the local goings on!! All the events and ads below are linked, so click away for more details and to double check before heading out for an event (time changes, cancellations, and mistakes do happen on occasion). Click here to submit your Bay Ridge area family-friendly event or program for a complimentary listing in an upcoming events roundup! Businesses are invited to read more about advertising with us and to sign up for our advertisers' newsletter to receive occasional ad specials and upcoming deadlines. 
Our 2018 Summer Camps Guide to Bay Ridge and Beyond is LIVE!!! Some camps are already filling up, so head over to start planning your child(ren)'s summer now!! Also, contact us ASAP to make sure your summer camp gets its complimentary listing, or to advertise your business or service to thousands of families in South Brooklyn and New York City - read more about Summer Camp Guide advertising options here!!
UPCOMING / ONGOING:
THURSDAY, MARCH 15:
FRIDAY, MARCH 16:
SATURDAY, MARCH 17:
SUNDAY, MARCH 18:
MONDAY, MARCH 19:
TUESDAY, MARCH 20:
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21:
Here's our roundup of the kids' activities and family-friendly events going on in the Greater Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn for the week of March 8 - 14, 2018!
Don't forget to sign up for our e-newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay in the loop of all the local goings on!! All the events and ads below are linked, so click away for more details and to double check before heading out for an event (time changes, cancellations, and mistakes do happen on occasion). Click here to submit your Bay Ridge area family-friendly event or program for a complimentary listing in an upcoming events roundup! Businesses are invited to read more about advertising with us and to sign up for our advertisers' newsletter to receive occasional ad specials and upcoming deadlines.
Our 2018 Summer Camps Guide to Bay Ridge and Beyond is LIVE!!! Some camps are already filling up, so head over to start planning your child(ren)'s summer now!! Also, contact us ASAP to make sure your summer camp gets its complimentary listing, or to advertise your business or service to thousands of families in South Brooklyn and New York City - read more about Summer Camp Guide advertising options here!!
UPCOMING / ONGOING:
THURSDAY, MARCH 8:
FRIDAY, MARCH 9:
SATURDAY, MARCH 10:
SUNDAY, MARCH 11:
MONDAY, MARCH 12:
TUESDAY, MARCH 13:
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14:
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About ME:I'm a NYC metro area mom blogger living in NJ with my Japanese husband & our 3 kids (twins plus 1), focusing on fun and honest product and travel reviews, saving moms time finding the best for their families! Find what you need in the menu bar or search section above! 
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