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 November 30 - December 6, 2017! 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. 
ONGOING:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30:
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1:
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2:
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3:
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5:
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I hate to admit it, but I have just about zero skill at interior design. What shape sofa to buy and which way to place it in the room, against which wall to put the entertainment center, how to add some pop of color and beauty with cushions and wall art, what type of storage units will work best for all of our 3 kids' *ahem* "stuff"... It's all lost on me!! Add to that my extreme penny pinching ways and my lack of free time, and there's no question why I'm sitting in a room that looks the way it does. Cluttered and lacking theme and unity. In all honesty, it stresses me out. And I have enough stress. I need simplicity. Beauty. Inspiration!!
When a sponsored ad by Laurel & Wolf popped up on my Facebook feed recently, I liked what I saw! I reached out right away and am delighted to be partnering up with them to review their virtual service of personalized interior design plan for one room! YESSSS!!! Keep reading for my experience and to get a coupon code so you can try them out yourself!! 
You may be asking, how exactly does this work? A personalized interior designer will make over my room... without ever stepping foot in my room?? Basically, yes, and it's super easy! Here's how it works:
STEP 1: Register
Start an account and tell them all about your space, your needs, your budget, and your design preferences. They had a style quiz which I found very helpful, asking you to click your favorite from different groups of photos, so they could get an idea of your style even if you don't know it yourself! Apparently my style is transitional, industrial, and Hollywood regency. You'll have to take measurements, upload photos and a floor plan, and mention any items you would like to keep incorporated in the room. This is pretty quick and painless, maybe 20 minutes including measuring, drawing your floor plan if you don't happen to have one on hand (who does!??), and snapping photos. Here's a quick slide show with some screen shots I took during the registration process:
STEP 2: Design
Your personal interior designer will contact you (it's all on the website with message notifications via email), you'll go back and forth discussing various options, and they'll provide concept boards and a mock room layout ("style board") that you can revise together. You'll have 10 days to get through the design process, with more days being added for additional rooms. I felt a bit stressed out by the time limit at first, but it's actually a great idea, otherwise I would probably just drag my feet and never actually make any decisions! My only advice is to not start your design during a time when you have a lot going on or will be traveling. My designer was really quick, usually replying back within a day with the revisions or next step in the plan. My specific requests were that we need a sleeper sofa, ideally an L shape with more seating than we currently have, more hidden away smart storage for toys and other stuff, and more art and such on the walls. I was blown away with her layout plan - a 180 from how we currently have the room set up, and it made so much more sense! I just don't have the eye for this stuff, I'm telling you!! I love the entertainment stand she picked out (it's a very budget-friendly one from Ikea, we actually had it in black in our last apartment but it was more trouble than it was worth to bring it with us to our new home), and the large storage unit she placed next to the sofa. The cute and comfy ottoman is another creative storage unit. And she added a little craft table for the kids, and a much nicer desk and chair for my "home office" (i.e. my desk in the corner of the room haha). 
STEP 3: Bring it to life
When your room design is finalized, you will receive the curated shopping list for you to purchase and complete your new (ah-may-zing) room. You can order from hundreds of vendors with one easy checkout process and price match guarantee! They make it super easy, with all the furniture and accessories listed for you with the price, click for details or hit "add to cart" (collage of some screen shots below) and enjoy free shipping on it all! My designer included a note at the bottom with separate links to the Ikea items she picked out, I guess they're not partnered up with Laurel & Wolf so you can't purchase directly through them. 
My designer did go quite over my ideal budget, with everything totaling closer to $5K than $3K, but as I mentioned you can pick and choose what you purchase through them - for example look at all of the pillows she has lined up on my sofa, at $26 - $76 a pop, they really add up and I should be able to find similar ones much cheaper online or at a local TJMaxx or Target... Or, since she has me going to Ikea to get the TV stand and desk anyway, I could decide to just do the entire room at Ikea and do my best to find items similar to all of her recommendations and stick to the great room layout she created. That's the beauty of this, it's so flexible, and easy!! It looks like they even work with Home Depot to set you up with someone to assemble furniture, hang pictures, and more!
As far as the services and design fees go, they have a few levels:
For someone like me who doesn't have the time or talent to design a room, it is TOTALLY worth it and I honestly couldn't recommend them highly enough!! I'm loving the design my girl came up with and wish we could go ahead and implement it now. Unfortunately, my two year old twins are still on a mission of mass destruction and I think we have another year or two to go before we can start buying "nice things" again. Pretty much we are just letting them go to town with our stuff for now. Go ahead and jump on that sofa you little monkeys, mama's going to replace it soon enough, with the awesome Wayfair L-shaped sleeper sofa Laurel & Wolf found for me! HA!
But you, my friends, don't have to wait!!! The holidays are coming and what better gift to yourself, your partner, or kids than a room makeover!! Head on over to Laurel & Wolf now and drop in the code "usjapanfam" for your discount (good through December 31, 2017):
Don't forget to tag @usjapanfam on social with your before and after shots - I can't wait to see how your rooms turn out!!
DISCLAIMER: I was compensated to do this review, but hey, I'm no sell out - all thoughts and opinions are my own and completely honest and unbiased!
With family so far away and not having much time off of work, traveling home for the holidays just isn't feasible for us, so 5 years ago we started a new family tradition of going on a small weekend getaway! This year, we got a car (courtesy of Drive Shop and Mitsubishi) which made our getaway much easier, no longer limited to places on a train line! We searched for a good hotel deal, requirements being that they had a Thanksgiving buffet, an indoor pool, and cost under $200/night. Here's our vacation highlights in video form (keep reading below if you prefer the written form haha!) I was a bit nervous if the Mitsubishi 2018 Outlander Sport we were provided by Drive Shop for the week would be big enough for us - it's just a 5 passenger SUV and we had to fit 3 kids across plus luggage and a double stroller. But, it was actually no problem with our 2 Combi Coccoro car seats (only 15.5" wide, affiliate link) and Kenzo in his RideSafer Travel Vest! Mia ended up getting car sick and I was thankful to have her right behind me, not sure what we would have done if she was way back in the third row! Beside it being a super cute car providing just enough space and a smooth ride, we all thoroughly enjoyed the ginormous sunroof, and hubby and I made good use of the heated seats on the cold mountain nights! We also loved the video assisted back up, that the side view mirrors automatically fold in when you lock the car - so cool (and smart), and the iPad's audio could be pumped throughout the car via bluetooth - this totally saved us as we'd never used an iPad in the car for the kids before, and it wasn't loud enough on its own. (We bought the GoGear Tablet Holder (affiliate link) for the head rest, it was so easy and worked perfectly!) The Outlander's leather seats were gorgeous and comfy, and the back seats have a 60/40 fold, not that we could use that feature what with the 3 kids in back and all. And of course, the dual USB ports helped us keep our phones and tablets all charged up! Getting an average of 25MPG with an MSRP of about $26K, the Outlander is a fab SUV and now a top runner in our search for a family ride!  We previously stayed at Woodloch all-inclusive Poconos resort during summer over a year ago (see my review here) so we were eager to check out another family-friendly Poconos property during Fall season! We found a Groupon for Pocono Manor that included breakfast and jumped on it! The hotel, rooms, and facilities were outdated but charming, what you'd expect of a mountain lodge type place. The breakfast buffet was outstanding, definitely worth including in your package!! There were lots of rooms to explore and hang out in around the hotel, including an arcade and a "movie room" that had 2 pool tables, ping pong, and puzzles and blocks and other activities for kids. They had great playgrounds and an indoor pool, but no Jacuzzi or kiddie pool unfortunately. If you want an indoor water park, you'll have to pay major moolah for a day pass at H20ooohh!, Aquatopia, or Kalahari next door (which we did stop by to check out and ate lunch there twice), or stay at Woodloch, Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge, Camelback, or Split Rock Lodge.  Pocono Manor had some activities that were included in the $20/night resort fee (such as bb gun shooting) and others that were an extra fee, such as archery, fishing, and trap shooting. We splurged on the $10 pony ride - it was our almost 5 year old's first time on a horse, so cute!  They also had a really cute "Magical Fireside Christmas" set up across from the main hotel. Through December 24, you can explore the decorated building, visit with Santa, decorate cookies and ornaments, and more!  About an hour north, not on the way home but a worthy detour nonetheless, we hopped a ride on the Stourbridge Line's Santa Express in Honesdale! Grab some complementary cookies and hot cocoa as you board the vintage train (make reservations and get there early or you'll have a hard time finding seats together!!). The cars are heated and decorated very cute for Christmas. They'll read a story and before you know it, Santa makes his way through the train sitting with each family for a couple of minutes to talk to the kids, take pictures, and give them a small gift (be warned, ours was a little jingle bell, my 4 year old was super disappointed (watch his face in our YouTube video), I guess he was expecting a Transformer or something LOL but for real, take care to prepare them so they don't get their hopes up, mom fail over here!!). Overall it was a really fun ride, about an hour total, and the train goes very slow so don't worry about motion sickness or anything. Honesdale is a cute town, as well, with lots of little shops to explore. We ate at a pizzeria across the street. The car ride back to Brooklyn from there was about 2.5 hours, so possible for a day trip, but more realistic as part of a longer Poconos weekend getaway!  We had a great weekend getaway - as "easy" and "relaxing" as any vacation can be with 3 kids under the age of 5!! Do you have any tips for family-friendly spots in The Poconos? Or a great getaway from NYC we should try out next (you can see ones we've done previously here)? Leave a comment below!! DISCLAIMER: We were provided the car, SafeRider Travel Vest, and Santa Express tickets for free in exchange for promotion, but hey, I'm no sell out - all thoughts and opinions are my own, honest and unbiased!
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 November 23 - 29, 2017! 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. 
ONGOING:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24:
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25:
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26:
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27:
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28:
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29:
Here's our roundup of the kids' activities and family-friendly events going on in the Greater Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn for the 2-week of November 9 - 22, 2017! 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. 
ONGOING:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10:
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11:
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12:
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13:
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14:
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17:
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18:
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19:
... nothing on the radar...
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20:
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21:
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22:
**Enter to win this in the $600 value Toddler Fall Faves Giveaway at bottom of post** As a mom with 3 children under the age of 5, I've dealt with my fair share of snotty noses. I've tried a variety of baby nasal aspirators on the market, and while they all have their own set of pros and cons, there is one that I recommend hands down to all parents: the Baby-Vac! When we're talking baby nose suckers, this one sucks big time, in the best way.  The Baby-Vac is made up of a simple 3-part BPA & phthalate-free plastic design:
 Now, you may be freaking out by the fact that it is powered by your vacuum, but don't worry, it regulates the suction so that it's strong but not dangerous or painful (hubby and I have even tested it out on ourselves). Because it's powered by your (800-1800 watts) vacuum, it doesn't require a plug, adapter, or batteries! It's better with vacuums that can be switched and left on (as opposed to some cordless vacuums that require you to hold the trigger). Baby-Vac is easy to clean, small and lightweight for storage or even to travel with (assuming you have a vacuum to use at your destination), and its suction power is the best I've ever seen, outside of the doctor's office anyway! From newborn congestion to full blown toddler colds, there's no job too big or small. The collection chamber does a great job at keeping the snot contained, however I've had it escape a few times over the years so just keep an eye on it when suctioning or you might have an accident that will leave you with a messy vacuum hose to clean up later.  While their YouTube demo is not in English, it's still helpful to get an idea of how exactly it works, check it out here: Nose cleaning tips, tricks, and safety warnings:
 You can buy your own Baby-Vac on their website or Amazon (affiliate link) for $19.99, as well as Walmart, Ebay, and some pediatric offices. You can also win a Baby-Vac in my $600 value Toddler Fall Faves Giveaway ending November 8 at 11:59 PM EST!!! ENTER TO WIN HERE!!! Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Baby-Vac. I was compensated for writing this article, but all thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased. Cuz hey, I'm no sell out!
**Enter to win the $600 value Toddler Fall Faves Giveaway at bottom of post** If you love dressing your little ones in the most adorable boutique clothing and accessories, but don't have time to run to the store, you're in luck! I'd like to introduce you to a really great new online shop for baby and toddler wear, Bella Rae Baby Boutique, and BONUS, at the end of this post you can enter to win an outfit from them in my $600 value jackpot Toddler Fall Faves Giveaway!!  Created and curated by a former student of fashion schools in NYC and LA, Bella Rae was named after founder Maegan Rae's daughter and fashionista-in-training. Maegan fills her shop with the best for babies and toddlers, and you can be sure they are high quality and truly fabulous. Whether searching for an adorable outfit for bringing baby home from the hospital, a Pinterest-perfect first birthday photo session ensemble, holiday / Christmas dress clothes, or simply items that will have your kiddo named trend setter of his or her play group, Bella Rae Baby Boutique has gotcha covered! Special occasion coming up? Party, photo shoot, or birthday? Get fancy with Bella Rae!! Here are some fun options, ranging in price from $14 - $40:  You certainly don't need a special occasion to dress your little one in the cutest clothes. Here are some adorable daily wear from Bella Rae, ranging in price from $15 - $30:  Accessories can make or break an outfit, they can also keep baby warm and protect little knees when crawling!! Check out some of Bella Rae's cute options here, ranging in price from $10 - $15:  You can find even a fabulous Christmas outfit for your baby or toddler, check out some of the great options below, ranging in price from $18 - $30:  And of course, don't forget you can an outfit from Bella Rae Baby Boutique in the $600 value jackpot of the Toddler Fall Faves Giveaway I have running through November 8, 2017!!! Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Bella Rae Baby Boutique. I was compensated for writing this article, but all thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased. Cuz hey, I'm no sell out!
Another giveaway, guys!! I couldn't be more excited to share Mommy Scene's Holiday Giveaway, packed full of gifts for babies, kids and moms! Get inspired for gift giving this year with interactive gift ideas for creative kids, practical gift ideas for baby's first Christmas, and luxurious gifts for yourself or the new mom in your life. One lucky winner will receive this entire gift collection!
Gifts for Babies
Featured in Mommy Scene's Gift Ideas for Babies.
Gifts for Kids
Featured in Mommy Scene's Gift Ideas for Kids.
Gifts for Her
Featured in Mommy Scene's Gift Ideas for Her. 
Holiday Gift Ideas for Babies, Kids, and Moms ★ Giveaway★
Which products would you be most excited to win!?? Enter to win this fabulous gift collection of prizes for babies, kids, and moms! Don't miss entering my $600 value Toddler Fall Faves Giveaway (running through November 8 - enter to win here!!) This giveaway is coordinated by Mommy Scene and is open to US entries ages 18 and older. No purchase required to enter. One (1) winner will be randomly chosen and contacted through e-mail, and their name displayed on the giveaway widget after the giveaway ends on December 15th, 2017. Mommy Scene and the participating blogs are not responsible for fulfilling brand-sponsored prizes. Prizes will be shipped directly from each brand. 
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 November 2 - 8, 2017! 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.
ONGOING:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2:
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3:
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4:
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5:
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6:
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7:
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8:
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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, helping busy parents find the best for their families! Find what you need in the menu bar or search section above! 
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