Meltdown! Chocolate Dinosaur at Alps

/
I've been getting chocolate cravings something fierce, and my cupboards are bare for sweets! Usually I get a chocolate chip cookie, but Crumb was sold out. How silly of me to forget that we have a chocolatier here in Beacon, Alps, on Main Street! And Bank Square also sells Mast Brothers bars of chocolate.

But I wanted a little piece, so my daughter and I strollered to Alps with 3 minutes to spare until they closed. Not only did we find bags of chunked chocolate pieces, but we found this chocolate dinosaur lollipop! A lot less mess than holding a chunk of chocolate (but that's what I got because I like chunks).

Yum!

A Mama Needs a Comfort Seat

/
When George Vargas first joined our small business community at 'PRENEUR, I checked out the Holland based company he represented, and longed for their invention: the Comfort Seat, a flat cushion of comfort fitted with 14 adjustable sitting positions. Their website is covered in pictures of glamor girls reclining in the sun or on boats, and while this seat is perfect for that, I find myself sitting most of the time inside, on a cold kitchen or bathroom floor, helping my babies eat and bathe.

Then I was Skyping one morning with my friend in Dubai while she happened to be giving her son a bath. My friend is glamorous, lives in a nice place, but there she was, in a long cotton dress, wine in hand, sitting on the floor of her bathroom while her little one took a bath.

And then I was overcome. This floor sitting to get closer to little people is uncivilized! We must sit in something! My fantasies of using the beach bound Comfort Seat over came me, and I got one. Love it! It's so easy to cart around the house to go wherever I need it (this morning found me in the kitchen for an early bout of mango eating and dishes that my toddler wanted to do - I relaxed in the seat while she worked).

I shared my thoughts with George, how the mom market could be great, and he let me know that in Holland, several schools used the Comfort Seat in the classroom because for whatever reason, they sit on the floor there to learn.

Do you garden? Do you sit outside? Get one. You'll be so glad you did.

Pink Radio Flyer Toddler Bike at Trendy Tots

/
Will it be yours? The price is less than what you'd find it for at Target, and it's in a local shop! Unusual, I'm told, for this bike that is now sold in mass. This handle bar is super easy to steer the bike while your toddler is riding it, and it's a great trainer for knowing what to even do with pedals before you get to real training wheels.

Why I Love My Nissan Quest's Tailgate

/
Trunk of my Nissan Quest
So many reasons why I love my Nissan Quest. I'll start with this one area: the tailgate. This picture sums up the flexibility I have with this minivan, and why boxiness is good. The picture isn't sexy, but sums up a typical day on our road trip to visit family. I can haul around our big jogging stroller (the Baby Trend is my favorite), with plenty of extra diapers, a baby-baby toy stroller, an umbrella stroller (the Lamaze is my favorite) , and a computer bag stored underneath the jogger. Meanwhile, I can comfortably change my baby in the space on the left, and hang his clean but summer-pool dampened onsie to dry on a little hook on the back of the seat. I can then sit in that same spot, on top of the lovely storage, and read a shapes book to my baby while my toddler sleeps on her car seat in the next row.

Diamond Brass Knuckle Rings and a Pink Purse

/

There's a new boutique in town on the west end of Main Street, and it's called Mi Nena's Boutique. It's in the storefront that has a sign that says: "Credit is a disease, but you won't catch it here." I've always liked that message.

Anyhosey, with my non credit budget (aka cash), I'm adding to my wish list this pink bowling bag style purse, and maybe some diamond brass knuckle rings to bling it off with!

Gypsie Summer Road Trip in Our Nissan Quest

/
Road trips were the other reason I wanted to get the Nissan Quest. With 2 car seats, my dog could no longer fit into our car with luggage, and we are a driving family. Airport news and delays? Eh, it's news we don't need to follow. But what we do follow are car commercials about roomy cars with storage! Or I do at least, one night while watching Up All Night. And that's when I saw a commercial for a Nissan Quest.

So what are you looking at here? You're looking at a family pit stop at Wendy's, where we are having a picnic in the back. Yeah, that's right. Two big luggages, a set of gulf clubs in a big bag, 2.5 suits for David to possibly wear to a wedding, a beach bag, a bouncy seat, a diaper bag, 2 rolls of diapers, a Lamaze umbrella stroller, a pink baby stroller that is Ruby's size, and...a small bag of my French press coffee situation.

How is it, you ask, that we are eating in the car in total comfort, and little Baby Cole is getting changed (see that white blob?). Underneath the baby blob is a storage well, and it's my favorite part of the Quest. Cole is laying on the trap door of the well. Right next to him a small black strap that if you lift up, many of our smaller items will be revealed, like the two strollers, diaper packs, beach bag, and the bouncy seat. The third row of seats are down, so the back of the car is like a flat bed. And because the storage well has the flat cover, we can use it like a changing table or picnic spot!

The other minivans, like the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna do have storage in the back, but neither have this nifty, flat cover, and neither have as perfect of a well. I'll do another post on it to show you, but it's smooth in there so that you can pack objects into it easily.

Hurrah!

ps: If you're in Beacon, Wappingers Falls, Poughkeepsie or anywhere in the Hudson Valley, and you want a Nissan Quest or any car, go to Poughkeepsie Nissan on Rt 9, ask for Nick, and tell him Katie from A Little Beacon Blog sent ya. I'll get a little referral to spend back on Main Street (or on my car payment, lol)!

Trash Picking on a Jog - Nissan Quest to the Rescue

/

Two things I love: trash picking in Beacon, and my mom mobile, the Nissan Quest.

I was out on a jog, just me and my baby son, who was just dozing into sleep in his infant car seat on my Baby Trend jogging stroller. Taking my usual route, noticing the new flower bed in someone's front yard, I saw it: a standing mirror on a swivel. It was black with cute little knobs for the mirror to turn. If I painted it white, it could go in my daughter's future redesigned room.

I hesitated, as I was fresh on a jog and free time like this is precious. But I also know creative folk in Beacon, and the popularity of yard sales and trash picks. The mirror wouldn't last long. I've hauled things home before - with baby strapped to me and I was pushing the stroller with my older daughter in it. The comment I got that time from a man letting me cross Main Street was: "Try multitasking sometime!"

Oops, got to go...I' e stopped jogging in order to walk and blog, and my son is waking up. Ta ta for now! Look for Part 2

Beacon Zero Waste Garden Tour June 9 2012

/
Are you going to the Beacon Zero Waste Garden Tour on June 9th? It looks like some blog readers are going to be on the tour as featured gardens! Philomena? Jill Rubin? Exciting!

According to the tour's official flyer found in the city calendar page, the City of Beacon Conservation Advisory Committee presents a garden tour of 6 local residents with an emphasis on organic vegetable, ornamental and native gardening, compost and organic pest management. The tour will encourage neighborly knowledge sharing to assist in organic gardening efforts. The tour is on Saturday, June 9, 2012 and tours begin at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and will meet in the DMV parking lot (223 Main Street) 15 minutes beforehand.

Their Facebook page has recent news and snippets of gardeners planning. We may even see some beehives, and I'm sure we'll see some chicken coups as well. I'm going to try to walk the tour, are you?

Had a Baby!

/

Hello Blog World!
It's been radio silence on this blog, but for good reason! On March 27th, our second child was born. After a month of "It's going to happen really fast! Watch out!"

I kept my NYC doctor because I just love and trust her, so there a lot of train rides into and out of the city, on which I was wrapping up and starting new client projects for Studio Pixelated, and ever nurturing our entrepreneurial membership and small business readers at 'PRENEUR. So...I wasn't out and about as much (and it's still tricky with the little one and an independent toddler who likes to walk instead of ride in her stroller). One handed blogging (from my iPhone) became a little harder to come by.

But nevertheless, just like Beacon, the blogging and photo contest with prizes will prevail!

Watch your RSS and Facebook feeds for new little love affairs with all things Beacon as I stop to smell the roses.

Chocolate Making Classes in NYC - Truffles!

/
How I WISH I were in NYC to take this class! But you might be, or have friends who are. If you are, pass this along. It's from a friend of mine and fellow member at 'PRENEUR, Jill Frechtman. She is the founder and chief chocolate covered pretzel designer at Fretzels.


FOR THE LOVE OF TRUFFLES! (Chocolate Truffles 101)
Indulge your taste buds with the ultimate chocolate lover’s treat – Truffles. In this confectionery class, you’ll learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about truffles, including their history, basic recipes, and various techniques for creating, flavoring, and designing your very own sweet truffle treats.

LEARN FROM THE MASTER:
World-renowned second generation master chocolatier (and Chocolate Works co-owner), Joe Whaley, makes a guest teaching appearance.

CLASS SCHEDULE:
Thursday March 8th, 7-9pm

PRICE:
$65 per person

Classes are run by Fretzels by Jill Founder & Chief Pretzel Designer, Jill Frechtman, known for her edibly artistic twists on traditional treats and held at the brand new Chocolate Works NYC on the upper west side.
641 Amsterdam Avenue (@91st Street)
New York, NY 10025

For more information or to reserve your spot, call Chocolate Works at 212.799.3630.

And here is the Facebook page for Chocolate Works.

Advertising & Sponsor Opportunities

/
This whole page has moved! Please see the new advertising page here:

Advertising Packages


ADVANCE NOTICE OF ARTICLE IDEAS & OPPORTUNITIES
Sign up for our Editorial & Sponsor Email that gives you advance notice of what types of stories we are working on. Is your business a fit for a story we are working on? Pitch us what you've got going on. Consider advertising for even more focus on your offerings. For editorial advertising opportunities, we pair a business with an article for targeted advertising.
Sign up for advance notice on upcoming articles & advertising opportunities >

We Made A Kazoo! Toilet Paper Roll and Tissue

/
In my dream life, I was searching on the Internet for kids craft ideas, printing them out, and putting them in a pretty binder I have from Target. But I never made the time...until Pinterest digitized it for me! It occurred to me I could have a virtual pinboard/binder of kids crafts I actually want to try. The Kazoo Project, courtesy Martha Stewart, is our first attempt.

Make it with a short toilet paper cardboard roll (or long paper towel roll). You can make this a Kazoo by placing a piece of wax paper over the end and secure with a rubber band. You may even want to glue the wax paper down on the sides, and then rubber band it to prevent slipping. We decorated the Kazoo with scrapbook paper from Amy Butler, and tissue paper from the uber cute store, Olive and Bette's. One doesn't get tissue paper from that store very often (at least I don't), so I had to find a second use for it. We glued the scrapbook paper around the cardboard roll, and rouched the tissue paper around the end of the roll where the wax paper was rubberbanded. The tissue paper covered the rubber band.

Then, voila! You have a Kazoo!

It's Official! Spring 2012 is Here

/

But we'll probably have one more snowstorm in late March, because that is when I'm due with The Little Baby. It snowed horribly for Halloween, and it will again on these little flowers and my fast and furious drive. But that's ok!

I'm having visions of what I'd like to do to the front yard, to personalize the landscaping and make it more our own. Is it bad to fully remove large bushes just because I don't like them? If it's not a huge project to dig them out (yeah right), then I'll see if there are any takers. The problem is, I just can't plant any flowers around them because they are too huge!