Mama About Town: April 2019

kids craft items and tin box
Wonder Crate

Spring showers bring May flowers, and I am thrilled that April is finally here. It felt like a long winter for most here in New York City! Wishing everyone a happy Easter and happy Passover filled with lots of laughter, love, and staying off technology for a bit—always good to take a digital detox for yourself and the kids over the holidays.

If you are always unorganized, like moi, I invite you to elevate your organizational style with the Sundry Slides’ elegant line of bags (in all shapes and sizes). These bags keep essentials together in your most-coveted handbags, gym bags, and diaper bags. You can stow away your workout items neatly, and pack for your travels and work beautifully. They are also awesome for finding your keys and holding your toiletries and personal care items.

I can’t tell you how many times I get stopped in a restaurant when I take out my Sundry Slide, with its beautiful signature pearl design, in restaurants to take out my lip gloss and blush. The best part is, now I can find the items without digging through my bag!

They range from $9.99/case of five to $16.99/case of five. You will love organizing your essentials in elegance. Purchase yours at spiritledluxuries.com.

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My newest fabulous that I am obsessed with for the kids is Wonder Crate, a subscription box that introduces kids to inspirational role models, sparks their curiosity, and connects them to their own possibilities. Each month, they feature brave, forward-thinking role models that are making the world a better place, and the skills that they used to make a difference. Each box contains a book and fun activities to spark curiosity and connect kids to their own possibilities. Who they see shows them who they can be!

Subscriptions start at $23.96 per month, and the best part is that they donate $1 from each box sold to a kid who is making the world a better place. Spark your kids’ curiosity at wondercratekids.com.

Believe it or not, summer is almost upon us, and that means getting beach-body ready. Recently, I signed up for several pilates classes with Erin DeLucia-Benson. I really need to firm up my core muscles, and DeLucia-Benson’s Pilates and Holistic Health is a private, beautiful, quiet place to improve your health. She is a mother, dancer, MUTU Pro, Pilates instructor, and holistic health coach.

She offers private and semi-private equipment-based Pilates instruction, and specializes in prenatal Pilates, as well as postnatal restorative pelvic floor exercise. She studied and certified directly with Wendy Powell of MUTU System. DeLucia-Benson is also a certified integrative nutrition health coach; she studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and learned from the leading doctors, nutritionists, and health professionals in the field. She is very kind, caring, and extremely knowledgeable.

Erin DeLucia-Benson Pilates and Holistic Health [850 7th Avenue, between West 54th and 55th Streets. (585) 309–9267, erindeluciabenson.com].

There’s a new Off-Broadway show that I think a lot of moms are going to love. In “Fiercely Independent,” Julie and Robert have been married for four years. They are not getting along. They decide to spend 24 hours together in a hotel room with no television, no cellphones, no internet or computers to see if they can work things out.

But hurry up, you only have until April 7 to check this show out. “Fiercely Independent” at SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam Street, between Varick Street and 6th Avenue. fiercelysoho.com).

Lyss Stern is the founder of Divamoms.com, bestselling author Motherhood Is A B#tch and If You Give A Mom A Martini, and a mom-of-three.

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Explore MetroWest Boston

<p><span style="white-space: normal;"> </span></p> <h1>Turn Whining into Winning in MetroWest Boston</h1> <p>From beer gardens to corn mazes, state parks to beautiful art, MetroWest Boston is a great destination for a weekend trip! Enjoy <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/get-outside/?imgoing-place=hopkinton-state-park-61a91acef30b531a665ab64d">Hopkinton State Park</a>’s gorgeous foliage while kayaking on the lake or hiking, mountain biking, or snowshoeing on the amazing trails.</p> <p>In the evening, catch a play, musical, concert, art exhibition, dance performance, or immersive theatrical event at <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=hopkinton-center-for-the-arts-63c03d7e0d792d753263b4d1">Hopkinton Center for the Arts</a>.</p> <p>Get a great night’s sleep at one of the region’s hotels, such as <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/where-to-stay/?imgoing-place=the-verve-hotel-boston-natick-tapestry-collection-by-hilton-61aa4790f30b531a666119e4">The VERVE</a>, with its fun and funky pop art décor, or <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/where-to-stay/?imgoing-place=aloft-framingham-6216279ccc891d1d0862c8c2">Aloft</a> with their pool tables and lobby games. In the morning, visit the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=danforth-art-school-61a8e11cf30b531a66592d90">Danforth Art Museum</a>, a jewel box housing 3,500+ artworks from three centuries, including groundbreaking sculptures depicting the African and African American experience by Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller.</p> <p>Cross the street to the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=framingham-history-center-61a8e11cf30b531a66592d92">Framingham History Center</a> to explore their new multilingual exhibit that traces the city’s immigration story, from those fleeing the 1690s Salem Witch trials, to the Irish and Italian influx in the 1800-1900s, to the current migration of Brazilians. “Framingham’s Collective Journeys” includes oral histories, interactives, and artifacts.</p> <p>No visit to Framingham is complete without stopping at legendary <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/eat/?imgoing-place=jacks-abby-craft-lagers-61a8e11cf30b531a66592da0">Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers</a>, one of 17 breweries in MetroWest, where you can enjoy a flight with a schnitzel sandwich or their famous Framinghamburger. Afterwards, spend a few hours at <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/activities/?imgoing-place=level99-64a8389c51f92a351a6a3f06">Level99</a> testing each other with 50+ mental and physical escape rooms and challenges.</p> <p>The next day, tour the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/where-to-stay/?imgoing-place=longfellows-wayside-inn-61aa7aa3f30b531a66621f57">Wayside Inn</a>. The oldest inn in America’s 100-acre property includes the Old Barn, now a farm stand with displays of antique farming tools, the historic Grist Mill, and beautiful grounds containing the Longfellow Memorial Garden, the Redstone Schoolhouse from the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, the Martha-Mary Chapel, and Josephine's Pond for fishing. Stay for a delicious gourmet meal in their historic dining room.</p> <p>Spend the afternoon at the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=american-heritage-museum-61a92852f30b531a665b17bf">American Heritage Museum</a>. Start your tour in the depths of a WWI trench listening to a nurse’s first-hand account from the Western Front while bombs explode above you and the floor begins to shake. This extraordinary museum features one-of-a-kind historic aircraft, tanks, cars and rare relics from the Revolutionary War to today, in immersive exhibits and living history events. Afterwards, wander the charming shops and boutiques of downtown Hudson.</p> <h3>MetroWest Boston offers these and many other attractions, activities and events for the whole family!</h3>

Adventuring Portal

<p><a name="m_-1473885667065203258__Hlk72147528"></a>Adventuring Portal runs Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) games for kids.   We have created a safe online space for tweens and teens to learn and play D&D.</p> <p>Our D&D Summer Camp session are a one-week experience.  Monday – Friday.  Each day will be 3 hours of gaming (with 2 breaks build in).  15 total gaming hours for $180.  If you have played with us before, you are entitled to 10% off.   </p> <p>Need your kids, nieces or nephews, grand kids or neighbor’s kids to be occupied for a bit so you can get work done & take care of your to-do list? Maybe your tween or teen is still a bit isolated and craves connection with their peers? Whether your teen/tween has played D&D before or is brand-new to the experience, this safe space brings players together to have fun and solve problems as a team in ways few other online opportunities do.</p> <p>All our games focus on experiential learning.   Our players leave knowing all the basic game play as well as experiencing: teamwork, bravery, compassion, generosity, negotiation, improvisation, gamer etiquette, strategy, critical thinking, problem solving, cartography and probability - all through online D&D adventuring!</p> <p>We are an inclusive organization and welcome gamers who are LGBTQIA+ and those on any spectrum. </p> <p>All girls’ groups available. </p> <p>I am a parent, a certified elementary school and middle school math teacher and last summer in the midst of the mess started Adventuring Portal, an online Dungeons & Dragons business for kids. There are so many benefits to playing D&D and I hope you will consider us as a great way for your child to safely socialize, grow as people and have a great time.</p>

Color Me Mine

<p>Color Me Mine Upper West Side proudly stands as a minority woman-owned studio, and we've been an integral part of the Color Me Mine franchise system since 2018! Pottery painting isn't just an activity; it's a captivating and inclusive experience that transcends age and skill levels.</p> <p>At Color Me Mine Upper West Side, we extend a warm invitation to dive into a realm of creativity, self-expression, and connection. Families, friends and teams grow stronger bonds when they create memories together, and at Color Me Mine, we're here to help facilitate those moments.</p> <p>Whether you're seeking a delightful family outing, a unique date night, or a solo adventure, our paint-your-own-pottery studio offers boundless possibilities. Step into our welcoming space in the heart of Lincoln Center and unleash your inner artist. Create unforgettable memories as you craft beautiful ceramic masterpieces to cherish for many years to come.</p> <p>Color Me Mine Upper West Side is also the preferred venue for celebrations of all kinds. Whether you're planning a birthday party, a baby or bridal shower, a team-building event, a gathering for college groups, an enriching field trip, or an adventure with scouts, we've got you covered. Our versatile space and passionate team provides the perfect setting for creating unforgettable memories and fostering creativity in every guest.</p> <p>Join us at Color Me Mine Upper West Side, at 177 Amsterdam Avenue in New York City where every visit promises a fun journey of color, joy, and artistic exploration!</p>