The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

I think this is the most innovative Halloween event I have ever seen. Almost 3,000 pumpkins each hand-carved to a unique jack o'lantern by artists displayed in Van Cortlandt Manor's dark and mysterious 18th-century riverside landscape. Along with spooky music, sound and light effects it's sensational. I was amazed by the big spider web, dragons and snakes made with pumpkins. It's hard to imagine, so I would recommend you to go see it. Print your tickets online in advance because most nights are already sold out and there are only a few nights left. Don't forget it starts after 6 pm.

Celebrating the fall

As much as I love living in the city, I sometimes feel like I have to get out. I'm not really a nature's person but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate what she provides for us. Picking my own apples and pumpkins - something I have not done before- is a rite of fall that I'm beginning to look forward to since I moved to New York. It's a healthy day out in the fresh air and a great picture taking opportunity, but most of all it's the thrill of getting close to the land and bringing home fruit and vegetables that you actually picked.
There are so many farms around New York opening their fields to visitors during harvest season. Pickyourown.org lists farms that welcome strangers to harvest their own fruits and vegetables and bring home a crop of fresh picked produce. We picked Greig farm which is almost 2 hrs drive from NYC.

Tara hard at work picking apples.

Alice's Tea Cup

It was a birthday but it wasn't a party. There were desserts but no candles. We spent the afternoon chatting, laughing, sipping tea and eating delicious scones at Alice's Tea Cup Chapter II at Upper East Side. I missed being with long time friends because all we do since for a long time is gather up over play dates and try to chit-chat in that craziness.
Inside Alice's Tea Shop, there are photos depicting scenes from "Alice in Wonderland" on the walls. Parents can customize kids' parties, choosing from fairy dress-up parties or an Alice-themed party where Alice tells stories and paints little faces.
The Children's Menu features sandwiches of granny smith apple slices and peanut butter or nutella, grilled cheese, home made graham crackers, and even pureed baby food.
For those seeking a comfortable and cozy tearoom in the city, Alice's Tea Cup is a find.

Max Brenner

Oh My Goodness! as my little Tara likes to say these days, why haven't I yet written about one of my favorite places in this town? I love love love chocolate but who doesn't? And no wonder I found this place when I was pregnant. You can start smelling the chocolate when you step right into this place. And there is chocolate everywhere you look:) The menu includes yummi sandwiches (not made of chocolate), drinks and of course divine sweets plus a kids menu. Max Brenner chocolate culture is a holistic experience. Live it, don't miss it!

At 841 Broadway (between 13th and 14th Streets).

Crayola Factory

Last Saturday, we didn't have any plans for the day and I remembered an article I saw on TONY Kids about the Crayola Factory, as I was glancing through the pages.However, the only thing I remembered about its location was that it was at downtown. Naturally, I thought it was somewhere at Manhattan's downtown and at the same time I was wondering why I hadn't heard of this place before. I found the magazine and oops! to my surprise it was actually on the Getaways page and it turned out to be at Easton, PA. Well, that at least explained the question in my mind .

So we decided to take this trip the next day and we drove only 1.5 hours to get there. It's called a Factory but it's not where the manufacturing is made although you can watch live demonstrations. It's a hands-on discovery center for kids and even I had a few arts and crafts to bring home. You can create anything using their latest products and yes! you don't have to clean up after you're finished. The top 2 floors are the National Canal Museum where little ones can play with boats through a replica of a canal while learning so much from coal mining in the early 1900's to currents and transportation of canal boats.

The Crayola FACTORY 30 Centre Square Easton, PA 18042Phone: 610.515.8000

Family Swim at Asphalt Green

This summer I finally gave up on the New York beaches. We went to a beach chosen best of all US beaches, still I felt like I was hit by a truck on the way back. The big waves, sticky sand are not for me!

I've been taking Tara for swim lessons since she was 6 months old to Asphalt Green at Upper East Side. Thank God they have an outdoor pool open during the summer. Although we are not members to the Club, drop-ins are allowed on Sundays for a fee during Family Rec Swim. It doesn't get crowded probably because not many people know about this pool. Down side is there is no kiddie pool but Tara learned to swim on her own with arm floats. I'm so proud of her!

Planethailand 212

We hopped on our favorite rocket ship and flew to this 5000-square-foot galaxy for dinner. The first thing that took our attention (other than the dizzying 5000-square-foot space) was the video installation on the wall. Then we settled in our comfy leather booth in a room with red ceilings and walls and giant paintings on the floor. Through Bora's crying and Tara's running wildly around, it took us almost half an hour to concentrate on the menu which had 160 options in all. Luckily we were happy with all of our order and everything was delicious. The service really didn't add to our experience but if you are a family like us who don't want to be bothered by eye rolling waiters when your kid is either spitting on the table or climbing on top of the seats- it could be just what you need. Although when the check did not arrive for some time, we were wondering which planet it was coming from.
If you would like to travel to this planet it's at 30 W 24th St.