Random Thoughts.

1. I’m really pissed off that Mother Nature had to tease us with spring, encouraging my magnolia tree to prematurely bloom, only to freeze the crappers out of it 2 nights ago, turning the entire thing into a brown, brittle, hot mess.

2. I don’t know why everyone loves going to the movies so much. It’s stupid expensive, the floor is always sticky and the seats aren’t that comfy. I’d much rather wait for DVD and get my Netflix on, curled up in my Snuggie.

3. Gummy bears have officially been made a food group. What, you didn’t hear?

4. Why do newscasters always shellac their hair to within an inch of its life? Actors don’t do that… why must newscasters? It’s not helping your cause, you know, to have that helmet blow out.

5. It makes me feel old that when I think back to college, the “internet” was kind of this new thing that everyone was talking about. I used to have to go down to the computer lab and get in line to check my email at an “email station.” And pretty much the only thing in my email was a reminder to change my password. Not 1,400 unread messages, 1,100 of them from brand promotions and spam.

6. My 20-month-old can not sit through an entire episode of Dora the Explorer, but he can sit through “Despicable Me” in it’s entirety. I’m convinced this is testament to his creative intellect. And, because Dora’s talking map couldn’t be more annoying, obviously.

7. My dog has pooped in the house every single day this week. That is all.

8. Ghirardelli brownies are far superior than any other boxed variety, and I’ve taken credit on more than one occasion for them being homemade. Is that so wrong?

9. This whole printed denim thing is just wrong. I’m sorry. I’m not ok with it. Unless you’ve got pencil thighs, printed pants are just not cute.

10.  Speaking of not cute, I really, REALLY don’t like those toe-shoes. Every time I see someone wearing them I think about how sweaty each of those little toe compartments must get. Ew. Gross. Just walk barefoot for crying out loud.

11. But toe cleavage is totally fine.

When in doubt, un-suck it.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Get this awesome print for $12 from Luckythirteen Design, here.

Dining Out with Littles.

If only meals out could be this civilized.

Admission: I used to be one of those snobby diners who’d glare at parents waltzing into a restaurant with their “Littles” in tow, armed with coloring books and toys and handheld DVD players. I mean really, how uncivilized can you get, you barbarian parents, to take your kids out in public. You gave up the right to dine out when you brought those sugar-boogers into the world.

And then, I too became a parent. And all that B.S. superiority went right out the door with the recycling. As we celebrated Jack’s arrival, Jamie and I talked about how we were going to be “cool” parents — you know, the same ones we once mocked for still enjoying things like dinners out. We were certain we could pull off this “new parent cool” like Angelina and Brad, their tabloid photos showing them completely unfazed by their 14-child brood,  captured in their natural habitat doing totally hip things like drinking coffee al fresco at at a cute corner bistro, or sharing pancakes and laughs at a Zagat-rated brunch spot. If their kids can be photographed looking civilized and totally cute for these types of activities, well certainly ours will be able to, we thought. “We’ll train ’em young – take ’em out from the get-go,” we said.

My, how naive we were. And still are, mind you. Because we just don’t learn. We still attempt, at least once every 2 weeks or so, to dine out with our Little – he’s now almost 20 months old. And each time, he throws a total fit (right when our food arrives), screaming, lurching around, doing the “my body has no bones” thing when you try to pick him up and hold him. It’s a sight. We’ve tried “activity kits” that include stickers (which for every other parent seems to be the miracle drug), iphones, fake phones, coloring books, regular books… All the things that have Jack’s attention at home. Hmph. And so now we are the parents getting leered at by snobby non-parents (or smarter parents who simply left their kids at home). Hey Angie and Brad: how cool are we?

In our endless quest for sane meals out with Jack, we have found a couple of local spots that are generally “safe” for cheerio droppage, the occasional whine, and tabletops piled with activities that won’t freak out other diners.

Wobble Cafe – This little Ossining spot is so cute, and I just wish we had something like it here in Kisco. They pride themselves on being kid-friendly, and even have a play area set up toward the back. They make a pretty kick-ass breakfast too, which makes it one of our favorite weekend spots for near-hassle-free dining.

Mount Kisco Diner – They may or may not agree about being a contender here, because I think they fancy themselves to be a “finer” dining establishment than your average greasy spoon, but the reality is, it’s just an expensive diner – and I’m ok if my kid colors while I eat here, or even throws the occasional cheerio or ten.

Bellizzi – This is really the #1 contender in the “Dining with Littles” category. They wrote the book on how to have a meal someone else cooks and serves, all while your kid (safely) goes bonkers in a padded playroom and you stay sane with a glass of wine. This is our go-to spot when I can’t bring myself to cook, and leftovers just sound so… well, leftover-y.

So hey all you smarter-than-me parents, it’s time to dish: What are your favorite kid-friendly eateries, and what do you keep in your kiddo bag of tricks?? Help a (new) mama out!!

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Because bad only looks good on 22 year old boys.

It’s Foodie Week in Westchester!

Ah, finally, a celebration I can really get behind. One that involves FOOD. It’s Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, which is actually two weeks long. So I’m not sure why they don’t call it Hudson Valley Restaurant Weeks. Minor infraction, I guess.

Last week I participated in a Twitter party hosted by Maria Colaco and Westchester Tourism, during which we talked food for an hour – and guess who chatted with us? None other than Peter Kelly of X20 and Iron Chef and all that jazz. Who by the way, only has a handful of Twitter followers. How is that even possible?? He’s like a food genius. If Tom Colicchio can amass 278,000 followers, Chef Peter Kelly should have at least that. I mean, what does that Colicchio dude even do besides act sarcastic on Top Chef? Does the man even cook? So go follow Peter Kelly. Poor guy…

I digress. The Twitter chat was great, and not just because I won a $100 gift certificate to Fig & Olive (Scarsdale), but because I got to chat with Fig & Olive peeps. Which makes them human, and friendly, and that makes dining there feel even more special. Which reminds me, it’s why I love getting emails from Crabtree’s Kittle House – they are fun, down to earth, and they don’t take themselves too seriously, despite their epicurean pedigree. (Note to self: I think I should make a Restaurant Week rezzie there too.)

This year I’m going to try to hit up some HVRW spots for lunch. I usually do the dinner thing, but it’s been a rough few weeks and the hubby and I are sort of on opposing schedules at the moment (I blame the Knicks and his new moonlighting career as a sports writer.) So lunch means I can get some quality time with friends for a fraction of the cost. Win win (except for the hubby, I guess it’s lose, lose for him). Wednesday I’ll be heading over to The Cookery, because really, what better place to enjoy a fabulous meal than one where the staff wear t-shirts that read “Eat More Bone Marrow”?

Where will you be dining this week?

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

You know you do it too.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Toddlering on Weekends.

I was so excited when I heard about the future Westchester Children’s Museum. Until I realized they don’t even actually have an open date scheduled, because the project is publicly funded, and well, still needs funds.

This brings me to my latest kvetch about Westchester County, and that’s the lack of weekend activities for the toddler set. Now maybe I’m being especially nitpicky here, but it seems all the great library programs and story hours and gym times for that age group (18-24 mo old) are for weekday mornings and afternoons. You know, when working parents work and kids of working parents are in daycare, with a nanny or babysitter, or left to fend for themselves with a box of Ritz crackers and the DVR remote.

Come the weekend, I’m so excited for my time with Jack. Sure, we could hang out in the house and color for hours, or watch Dora together (“We get it, you’re the goddamn map!“) or go to the park and freeze our tushes off on the swings. But what would be lovely is if there were some fun activities I could take him along for, and see the kind of fun he has all week long at daycare. So sure; maybe this is an entirely selfish post. I want weekend kiddie activities because it fits into my schedule then, and I want to see my kid have some f*%&ng fun. Is that so much to ask?!

So what’s the scoop, Westchesterati? What do you do with your little kiddos on the weekends?

Westchester Secrets

Everyone’s got secrets. Some of them are more scandalous than others. Mine involve the little “gems” I’ve discovered that I can’t believe the whole world doesn’t already know about. Because I’m feeling especially giving and community-oriented at the moment, I’m going to share some of my secret jaunts with you. Namaste.

Goldfish Oyster Bar (Ossining) – Monday through Wednesday, Goldfish has a $16 3-course pre-fixe menu. I know that looks like it could be a typo, but it’s not. I’ve never been a fan of “discounted” fish, or seafood deals. It usually ends with something “fishy,” if you know what I mean. But Goldfish somehow manages to serve a pretty awesome 3-course meal for the same price as a single cocktail at some other nearby spots.

Oriental Foot Reflexology (Mount Kisco) – I’ve never felt terribly guilty about paying $125 for a massage at a good spa. Since I spent 10+ hours each day hunched over my MacBook, I consider it a business expense (at least in my own mind, if not to the IRS). However, after my first visit to Oriental Foot Reflexology, I now can say I feel foolish spending the big bucks for an hour at the spa… when I can spend $35 here and emerge just as relaxed. Don’t let the fluorescent lights in the front fool you. While you may not get the sauna or steam room (I never use those anyway), and you don’t get to hang in a relaxation room pre-treatment, you do get one hour of an amaaazing leg and foot massage, in a comfy, fully reclining chair, beneath dim lights. They also give you a cup of hot ginger tea when you’re done. Just don’t tell everyone about this place, okay? I want to be able to still score an appointment every now and then.

Loehmann’s (White Plains) – I am a Loehmann’s Platinum Card Member. Yep, that’s right. Apparently I spend enough in this place to warrant a card that gives me a year-round discount on top of the discount on top of the discount. It’s exhausting, really, just adding up all the money I save at Loehmann’s. I spend most of my time in the Back Room where on any given day there are awesome deals on Theory, Donna Karan, Tracy Reece, Alice + Olivia and Nanette Lepore. And while the “open plan” dressing room is a bit of a fiasco (“Why is that woman trying on pants that are clearly 6 sizes too small?? They’re not gonna fit, lady!”) it’s worth the madness to know you’re scoring a pretty sweet deal.

Mount Kisco Seafood (Mount Kisco) – Sure, this place is no secret. Everyone who’s anyone in Northern Westchester gets their fish from here. What you may not know that they sell some delish seafood-based soups and bisques in their refrigerated section. And at $5 a half quart, $10 for a quart, they are a total steal.

Cornerstone Caterers (Rye) -Ok, I’m slightly biased. These guys catered my wedding. But let me just tell you, they make the meanest carrot cake in the county. It’s so good that I asked them to make me a carrot cake wedding cake. Booya.

Captain Lawrence Brewery Tasting Room (Elmsford) -The hubby and I love coming here for a few samples on a Saturday afternoon. There’s always a crowd, and it’s the perfect excuse for an afternoon nip (or three). Sampling is free, however in their new location you have to buy the sample glass (for $2) which you get to keep, and can bring back with you each time. A minor inconvenience, really, but they’re cute glasses and at $2, a total steal.

Now that I’ve shared some of my favorite county deals, steals and secrets with you… what are some of yours?