Sign Up Right Now: It’s first come, first serve. The first 100 people write in and mention iKidNY will receive a special voucher for 2 adults to be used either Saturday or Sunday. (Children are free)

Send your email to NewParentsExpo@manhattanmedia.com

Required Info: Name, address, and email address, and how you heard about the offer. Just say “iKidNY.”

Most importantly, ENJOY THE EXPO.

You can read all about the event at NewParentsExpo.com, but if you want to cut to chase here are the highlights:

* Happy Infants & Toddlers: The beloved Dr. Harvey Karp (author of “The Happiest Baby on the Block”) will be giving the keynote address each day, elaborating on his methods for raising happy babies (and getting them to sleep) and happy toddlers (and getting them to listen to you)!

* Incredible Speakers: Beyond Dr. Karp, Dr. Bob Sears, Liz Lange, Ali Wing (of giggle), Rosie Pope, Cool Mom Picks and other parenting and pregnancy luminaries will be speaking on everything from having a healthy child and a healthy home, to stylish but practical family shopping, to getting along as a new family.

* The Goods: Over 100 Exhibitors and the best brands and services and stores and experts for pregnancy, baby and toddler.

* The Attractions: Stroller Test Track (if you don’t have one) & Stroller Tune-up (if you do) * Special Lectures for New Dads (invaluable) * Child Play Area

* The Prizes: Big Prizes: $1,500 Nursery Gift from giggle! World Class Spa Getaway! * Full Package From Classic Kids Photography! Plus, strollers, high-chairs… the works……

* The Answers: Sleep! Feeding! Child Gear & Furnishings! Early Enrichment! Preschool! There’s a special area devoted just for your questions.

Sounds great, right? But don’t forget to REGISTER NOW for your free vouchers. Email NewParentsExpo@manhattanmedia.com, and mention iKidNY. And note: if you’re one of the families who happens not to be in time for the voucher, write in anyway and they’ll send you a special discount code for the event.

Enjoy and please say hello – I’ll be at the Expo too, of course!

Lara

Whitney Family Programs and Desert Island present a comic book fair featuring some of the most up and coming independent illustrators in New York City. In conjunction with the exhibition Lyonel Feininger: At the Edge of the World, featuring Lyonel Feininger’s pioneering comic strips in the Chicago Sunday Tribune, contemporary comic artists will be displaying and selling their work – prints, zines, buttons, and more! Kids and families can explore Feininger’s comics through drawing activities in the galleries, and each participant will receive limited edition prints by each artist to compile their own comic book.

This event will feature work by Partyka Collective (Shawn Cheng, Matt Weigle, John Mejias, and Sean McCarthy), Estrella Vega, Jen Tong, Tom Toye, Chris Patch, Jungyeon Roh, Sto, Chris Uphues and Noah Lyon.

No registration required; just drop in!

MiniMunchers and Britax are bringing you an AMAZING event on October 17th at 10:30am.

For a LIMITED number of moms & dads, we will be exploring the famed Chelsea Market with babies in tow. Delicious foods explored on the tour will include Amy’s Bread, Sarabeth’s Bakery, The Lobster Place, Buon Italia and MORE! The best part of is – Britax will GIVE each mom a FREEBRAND NEW Britax baby carrier to carry your Mini Muncher in (32 lbs and under, we suggest tops 8 mths!)

The tour will last 1.5 hours and is only $30!

Email Carla@MiniMunchers.comto reserve your spot.

Registration is EXTREMELY limited

New York Family and the American Camp Association have joined forces to offer us FREE Camp Fairs all around town this weekend and next. If you are thinking of sending your 3 to 15 year old to camp this summer, I highly recommend checking out the Camp Fairs to do your research. In attendance will be over 60 camp directors of both day camps and sleepaway camps. With so many amazing options to choose from, you’ll be able to scope them all out in one place at one time. Making life easier… now this is what I’m talking about. Oh, and don’t forget to pre-register at newyorkfamilycamps.com to secure your gift bag and to be eligible for their Grand Raffle for a family vacation.

Dates and locations:

Upper East Side
Saturday, Jan 22
St. Jean Baptiste High School
173 East 75th St

Upper West Side
Sunday, Jan 23
Congregation Rodeph Sholom
7 West 83rd St.

Downtown
Saturday, Jan 29
Friends Seminary School
222 East 16th St.

Park Slope
Sunday, Jan 30
** VENUE CHANGE ** The Grand Prospect Hall
263 Prospect Avenue (between 5th and 6th Avenues)

For more information, visit newyorkfamilycamps.com

SCORE! The Cooking Channel is hitting the road this summer in an Ice Cream truck and giving YOU free Ice Cream! As if that wasn’t cool enough they are bringing some of the network’s biggest stars along for the ride, and coming to a city near you. You and your kids will be treated to a scoop or two of your favorite Ice Cream flavor and will be able to meet the stars of Chuck’s Day Off, Everyday Exotic, FoodCrafters and more!

The kick-off will be THIS weekend in New York City! Here are the details:

Friday, June 25
12 noon- 4pm
Chelsea Market
75 9th Ave. (between 15th and 16th Streets)
Special appearance by Chuck Hughes from 1pm – 3pm

Saturday, June 26
12:00 pm- 10:00 pm
NYC FoodFilm Festival’s “The World’s First Food Truck Drive-In Movie”
Under the Brooklyn Bridge, DUMBO
Special appearance by Chuck Hughes from 1pm – 3pm

If you are not in NYC and would like to catch the Food Network’s Ice Cream Truck in your city here is the NATIONAL TOUR SCHEDULE:
(Dates and locations subject to change)

June 25-26 New York
July 1 Boston
July 4 Washington D.C.
July 17 Atlanta
July 19 Knoxville
July 20 Nashville
July 23 Cincinnati
July 28 Philadelphia
July 31- August 1 Atlantic City
September 4-5 Los Angeles
September 7 San Francisco
September 11 San Diego
September 19 Dallas
September 21 New Orleans
September 25 Chicago
October 7- 10 New York

Check out www.CookingChanneltv.com, Cooking Channel ‘s Facebook page and Twitter.com/CookingChannel to see the most up to date tour schedule.

Bank Street boasts more than 60,000 titles in 17 languages and offers events throughout each month.

Bank Street Bookstore
Corner of 112th & Broadway
(212) 678-1654
www.bankstreetbooks.com

Lunch afterwards at kid friendly hit, The Peanut Butter Co., didn’t hurt either. We got our fix of Elvis Sandwiches and I got to share my first milkshake with my son. A perfect NYC day.

WIN a FREE special event at New York Kids Club! The New York Kids Club, now in its ninth season, is a children’s enrichment center renowned for creative and innovative kids classes, day camps and as a place for creative kids birthday party celebrations. Luckily, there are six locations throughout the city!

In order to enter this contest, please post a comment at the bottom of this blog on which event you would like to win and the location you prefer. The winners will be chosen May 7th. Good luck!

Special Event options:

FRIDAY FUN FOR EVERYONE is an exciting opportunity for families to come together for a fun, social and enriching experience. Held every other Friday from 3:30-5:30pm, Friday Fun for Everyone events feature beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres for adults, and supervised Open Play, special entertainment, and a pizza dinner for children.

PJ PARTY is held every other Friday 6:00-8:00pm, pajama parties are a one-of-a-kind thematic “after hours” celebration for children 2.5 – 6 years and 7 – 12 years featuring gym exploration, art, story, cooking, games, relays, and more. All parties culminate in a disco dance party, and dinner is provided.

One FREE special event will be given away at each location. Here are the six New York Kids Club Locations:

169 Amsterdam Ave
601 Amsterdam Ave
219 E. 67th St.
38 E. 22nd St.
393 South End Ave
182 Henry St.

New York Kids Club
(347-706-4700)
www.nykidsclub.com

On Sunday, our family attended a matinee of “Funundrum”, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s circus’ latest and greatest three-ring spectacular. It was my 20 month old’s first circus experience and the first time in a long time for my husband and me. It was simply amazing and a far cry from the sawdust and clowns that we remember as youths. “Funundrum” did not disappoint – it was a huge elaborate extravaganza fit for Madison Square Garden! My son, although still young for the circus, loved every minute of the over 2 hour show. The highlights for him (and us!) were the elephants, of course, who are just amazing standing, sitting, or doing tricks, the glow-in-the-dark motorcyclists driving around in a steel cage at high speeds, and all of the dare-devil trapeze artists. The music and theatrics were larger than life and nothing other than “The Greatest Show on Earth”! We can’t wait to go again next year!

For half price tickets through March 31st click here.

I recently attended PSFK’s Good Ideas Salon with Seth Godin at Soho House. Seth presented ideas from his new book, Linchpin, in a dynamic atmosphere sorrounded by some amazing minds. Seth described historic changes in the economic landscape, specifically the advent of the Linchpins, employers/employees who are independent thinkers and passionate creators. These Linchpins own their own means of production, and, according to Godin, will be the only truly indispensable professionals in the future. Linchpins create “art” regardless of what they do, and they go out of their way to generate a human connection with their customers. To create “art,” Linchpins are challenged to overcome their ever-present “lizard brain,” which promotes safety, security, and adhering to the historical professional role of working as a cog in a business machine. Godin urged everyone to seek out and solve interesting problems and to keep “shipping” (i.e. creating), sometimes for free, in the quest to become a Linchpin.

Seth touched all of us in the audience. He inspired me to continue to create “art” and personally challenged me to expand my business with or without the necessary funds. I sincerely thank him for that.