Philadelphia Moms

Cash for Cribs?

While I'm not a huge Toys R Us or Babies R Us fan, both chains are running a pretty neat program right now. The Great Trade In Event runs today through September 20th. Being in your old crib, stroller, pack-n-play, high chair or car seat made by any brand, and receive a 20% discount on the purchase of another baby item from one of those categories by select companies.

The motivation behind all of this, if my understanding is correct, is that very few people seem to return items that have been recalled.  That's likely because who the heck can even keep up with all these recalls?  So, while the solution going forward would be for companies to, I dunno, make better products, the quick fix is to try to get people to turn in their old items so they no longer continue to use them.  The moral of the story here is to do your research here on recalls and to the extent possible, don't purchase used baby items.

What immediately caught my eye about this event was that Britax, Evenflo and Graco are among the participating brands.  So let's say you've had your car seat a couple of years and are thinking about an upgrade.  Just bring it in and you could get 20% off a new car seat by one of those companies.  And 20% off of Britax prices is nothing to sneeze at.

Big, Red and Furry

Have I told you yet about Learning Express Toys?  There are several of them in the general area, but the one closest to Center City is in Garden State Park in Cherry Hill.  These stores are like the end result if Toys R Us and a mom-n-pop toy store got married.  The stores are a good size, have plenty of toys for kids to test out and have a great selection of products by companies like Alex, Viking, miYim, etc.

And this weekend everyone's favorite (or not so much) furry red friend, Elmo, will be at the Cherry Hill Learning Express Toys. Friday, 1-5pm, Saturday, 12-6pm and Sunday 1-5pm.  For babies, it'll make for adorable photo ops.  For toddlers, it will be a terrifying lesson that Elmo is actually 6 feet tall. 

Duross and Langel

When my son was born, I swore I would not be one of those people who stopped taking care of myself on maternity leave.  Yes, having a newborn is exhausting, but surely one can find time to shower, no?  And I patted myself on the back that every day on my leave, I managed to shower, get dressed AND put on make-up.  Hell, I was even doing my nails and getting my hair cut somewhat regularly.

For me, the wheels came off the bus gradually and hit a climax when my son was somewhere between 15 and 18 months old.  Oh, I still showered every day and got dressed (going to work sort of requires that), but I began to realize that a lot of other things dropped off.  I wasn't doing my nails anymore.  Making appointments for my hair stylist seemed too time-consuming.  Any sort of skin regiment had gone out the window. I hadn't exercised in any capacity.  I put on some weight. I didn't feel like going clothes shopping, even when I really needed pants that fit better.  It all just seemed like too much effort.

And maybe it was.  But that I wasn't doing all those things bothered me just the same.  All those things equated "taking care of me", which you know, is still important, even when you're taking care of a little person or people.  You can lose yourself in motherhood a little bit (or a lot bit) and if that bothers you, you should take time for yourself now and again. Slowly, I've been trying to reintroduce certain "me" things back into my lifestyle. 

So, for a pick-me-up, Duross and Langel, at 117 S. 13th Street, is the perfect place. With a host of soaps, facial scrubs and other bath goods, Duross and Langel is sure to have something to perk your spirits up. The owners make most of the products themselves and you can read about their views on "natural" products here. 

And just in case you're feeling guilty for getting something for yourself, they usually have an assortment of bath toys and baby bath products.  The store layout is even wide enough to be considered stroller-friendly.

Main Line Mama: Upper Main Line YMCA

We recently joined the Upper Main Line YMCAand we love it! I don't know why we never joined before. I guess with out children we never had a reason to. We each had our own gym memberships (which cost more than one family membership at the Y), got in, worked out and got out.

Now that I'm home with my daughter, the Y has become my new sanctuary. They offer free daycare for members (for up to 2 hours) and the daycare center is clean and fully staffed with experienced care givers. So I feel comfortable dropping my daughter off for a couple of hours while I go work out, take a steam and maybe even sit in the cafe and check my email for a minute or two. We have also been taking advantage of the outdoor pools this summer, especially the "froggy" pool, which is a whole pool for tots complete with a froggy slide. The "deep" end is 2.5 feet. I thought my daughter was too young to take swim lessons this summer, but luckily the Y has indoor pools as well, and offers swim lessons, Mommy and Me, and other programs for us to take advantage of year round.

The Y is keeping me from aimlessly wandering the aisles of Target when I just have to get out of the house. But I also feel like when I'm there, I'm a part of a community. I chat with the other parents at the pool, and I complain about my sore muscles with the girls in my aerobics classes, and my husband has been making friends through the tennis program. So all in all, I would say joining the UMLY was a slam dunk!

Bean Exchange Coffee House

Admittedly, I have a coffee addiction.  Which is well-evidenced when we walk past a Starbucks and my two-year old yells "Mama, let's get coffee!" (for the record, no, I do not actually give him coffee.  He prefers the strawberry banana smoothies with soy milk, aka, "his coffee").

By far, one of my favorite coffee houses to visit when I'm out and about with my son is the Bean Exchange Coffee House, located at the corner of 7th and Bainbridge.  It's a charming mom-n-pop shop with floor to ceiling doors they open in the summer.  There's a good amount of seating both inside and along the sidewalk.  They have the usual assortment of coffees, teas and pastries.  It's all pretty good. 

The best part, at least in my mind, is that they have high chairs AND a changing table in the rest room.  Finding these two items in a coffee house is rare, at least in my experience.  Plus, it's easy to roll a stroller in the back door (even the front door only has one step so it's pretty easy to manage). 

Also?  The place is totally dog-friendly.  I don't have a dog, but you may and you could bring him/her here.

Right now, I'm loving their iced vanilla lattes.  You should go there.  Right now.