Activities

Activities, Motherhood, New York City Kids, Things to do
NYC With Kids: The Art and Whimsy of Mo Willems Exhibit
- 12:00 am
- 0 comments
- by Adanna Dill
My kids are obsessed with the Elephant and Piggie book series by Mo Willems! I mean they’ve memorized many of his books and they laugh really loud and raucous whenever we read them. My daughter’s love for the Elephant and Piggie books even led her school librarian to order them for the school’s library. They’re little but clearly big fans so when I heard about The Art and Whimsy of Mo Willems exhibit taking place at the New York Historial Society, I knew that they had to go.

The Super Knight next to Piggie wearing a necklace he made at a craft station at the NY Historical Society.

I decided to take them last Sunday when I discovered on the museum’s website that the Elephant and Piggie characters would be there on that day. The kids were so excited they spent the entire ride sharing different scenarios about how their meeting with Elephant and Piggie’s meeting would go and what they would say to them. They didn’t have to wait a long time to meet the beloved characters because we were greeted by Elephant and Piggie the minute we walked into the museum. My kids immediately forgot all that they planned to say so we took photos of them together (photos they now really cherish) and we went off to do some crafts in a little station set up on the first floor. I love that the museum had these activities inspired by the exhibit for children because not only did it make the experience more exciting, it gave us parents some fresh ideas of ways to use Mo Willems characters to encourage creativity.

The kids made necklaces and we quickly head up to the second to The Art and Whimsy of Mo Willems exhibit. The NY Historical Society has a children’s museum which is where I thought the exhibit would be housed. However, I think there was so much more to the exhibit beyond the children’s books that adults would appreciate. For me it was learning more about Mo Willems creative story, I wasn’t aware that he started out on Sesame Street and I was fascinated watching all of his drawings as he developed his characters and stories. These were things that didn’t mean much to my kids especially my toddler well except that he worked on Sesame Street (they love Sesame Street).

My kids were excited about playing on the bus from the ‘Pigeon Drove the Bus’ book. The bus also serves as a cute little reading nook but we went on a rainy day so it was a really packed area where parents relaxed and read to their kids. There are a few other places where you can sit and enjoy the books with your kids if you visit. I love that there are so many of his books there as I think it really brought the exhibit to life. Since the kids have most of the Elephant and Piggie books in their library collection we used the opportunity to check out other Mo Willems books.

There was also a really cute gift shop in the exhibit where you could purchase signed copies of your child’s favorite Mo Willem’s books and well as toys and gifts inspired by his work.

I think this exhibit is worth a visit if your children are fans of Mo Willems books or even to introduce them to his work. When we left the museum, the first thing my son said was, “I love Piggie and Gerald!” and I knew the visit was all worth it for him. If you’re going to be in New York City this summer, this is definitely an exhibit you should visit with your kids. The exhibit ends on September 25, 2016.

Here is a video of our visit to The Art and Whimsy of Mo Willems exhibit.

Thank you, New York Historical Society for providing my family with complimentary admission. You can learn more about The Art and Whimsy of Mo Willems exhibit and the museum address and hours here!
Activities, Family Travel, Motherhood, Sponsored, Toddler
7 Tips for The Perfect Summer Family Beach Day
- 10:09 am
- 0 comments
- by Adanna Dill
This is part of a sponsored collaboration with HBO and DiMe Media. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

As many of you know, I grew up on the beautiful island of Grenada in the Caribbean. There are so many beaches on the island that you’re never far away from a beach no matter where you go. I’ve shared that my family spent a lot of time hanging out on the beach and I loved those times especially playing in the sand. It brings me so much joy to see that my kids love sun, sea and sand as much as I do. Those of you who follow us on social media know that we had our first beach trip of the year on Monday. With a long cold winter behind us, this was really a nice time for us to enjoy our family and savor the moment. But the beach can be an awful experience for us moms if we’re not properly prepared. I wanted to share 7 tips with you to ensure that you enjoy the perfect summer family beach day:

1. Schedule your trip for after 2 pm.

If you’re heading to a beach with little or no shade from the sun, aim to go after 2:00pm. Why? Well, the likelihood of you and your children getting a sunburn is pretty low although the best time would be after 4:00pm but with most beaches closing at 6:00pm that may not give you enough time to enjoy the beach. Not only is this time of the day more comfortable for kids to play in the sun but if you have babies and toddlers they would have a chance a to take a nap by this then and are energized to enjoy their time at the beach.

2. Bring sun protection.

Okay, so this is an area where I have failed before and let me take a quick moment to explain why. When I was growing up, all the beaches on my island had trees that we were able to use as shade at the beach. Once I moved to the United States, I assumed there would be trees on the beaches but I’ve found that on many beaches (here in New York) there are no trees so I had to learn the hard way by struggling under the piercing heat of the sun. Now, I always ensure that I protect my family from the sun by walking with hats for the kids and sunscreen with UV protection. A beach umbrella, hat or UV protected swimwear are also great for added protection.

3. Stay Hydrated.

Whenever we spend a lot of time outdoors during the summer especially on the beach, I make it a point to ensure that our family is properly hydrated. I’ve shared before that we love sparkling water and it’s one of the first things I pack infused with a slice of lemon or fruits. My kids favorite fruits for beach time snacking are grapes, oranges, and papaya. An advantage of going after 2 pm is that we’re still full from lunch so we can pack lighter meals.

4. Bring toys for the kids.

One of the few times, that I’ve seen my kids really focused is when they are busy playing in the sand building castles and domes. They could literally do this for hours if they’re never interrupted. It’s like the sand has some magic that keeps them contented to play with it. Here’s my little guy in his own little world playing in the sand. A bucket and spade, molding toys, beach ball, kites, and bubbles are all great options for the beach.

5. Extra bag for wet clothes.

Forgetting to bring an extra bag (I use plastic bags) to store wet clothes can be annoying so make sure to pack one or keep a few stashed in your beach bag.

6. Focus on bonding.

As I shared on Instagram and Facebook, my daughter and I had a fantastic time collecting shells and splashing each other in the water. We played with the beach ball as a family which my husband really got into it. We had fun taking photos and recording clips fo Snapchat but the best moments were when we put all the electronics down and just enjoy some good old school family fun.

7. Keep toilet seat covers handy.

With two small children, I know that the words “I need to use the bathroom” can be a downer for moms. The public bathrooms at some beaches may have wet floors or are littered with sand, trash etc making it uncomfortable for kids to use the toilet. I always walk with waterproof disposable toilet seat covers that the kids can sit on without worry.

My children are always excited about summer beach days but on the days that they’re not on the beach you would find us getting into other outdoor activities or hanging out with Elmo and friends on Sesame Street. You can catch new episodes of Sesame Street every Saturday morning at 9:00 am ET/8:00 am CT on HBO.

Don’t forget to pin!

Do you have any tips to make summer family beach day perfect?
Activities, Lifestyle, Motherhood, Sponsored
5 Ways to Celebrate Summer Indoors With Kids
- 1:06 pm
- 0 comments
- by Adanna Dill
This is a sponsored post. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Woot! Woot! Summer is only one month away and my little ones are very excited. As you will see, we have a really fun summer planned but if it’s one thing that I’ve learned over the past few years as a mom is that it’s important to always have some cool indoor activities for rainy or cool summer days. The warm toasty summer weather that most of my friends in the south are already enjoying is always fashionably late to New York City so we have to be creative. Our little crew refuses to allow the weather to shade our indoor sunshine so we decided on 5 fun ways to celebrate summer indoors to have an indoor celebration when it’s raining or not so warm outside. Here are 5 fun things to do indoor with kids instead of sitting at the window stressing about the weather:

1. Throw a concert.

There isn’t a kid who doesn’t get excited about a mic in their hands. Even a shy kid would enjoy a little concert performing for the family, lip-syncing to their favorite songs. Make the experience even better by letting the kids design and make their costumes.

2. Ice Cream.

On rainy days, we can’t run outside to get an ice cream cone from the ice cream truck so having a little ice cream in the freezer is compulsory.

For instance, yesterday was really rainy here in New York City, so we played around with summer toys and indulged in the new Nestlé® Drumstick® S’mores which comes in three delicious flavors: Toasted Marshmallow with Fudge, Toasted Marshmallow and Chocolate Marshmallow.

My son is a huge fan and he’s looking forward to trying out all of the flavors in the Smores variety box. My personal favorite was the Nestlé® Drumstick® Toasted Marshmallow with Fudge.

The taste of marshmallow flavored ice cream, a rich graham cracker, chocolatey coating is very delicious. So yum!

3. Summer Crafts Competition.

Set up a competition for your kids with a cool reward. For example, whoever makes the brightest sun or uses shells from your family’s beach trip to make the coolest necklace is the winner. This is a great way to keep your little ones busy, get their creative juices flowing and keep their minds off of going outside.

4. Host a fashion show.

Fashion shows are really fun! My daughter loves to play fashion show and we really have fun with it. I usually allow her to pick out her outfit. She gets to not only show off her outfit but to describe it to her “audience”

5. Play with outdoor summer toys indoors.

I’m usually a stickler for playing with outdoor toys only outdoors but on rainy days this summer, I am going to let up on the kids and let them have fun with their bubbles and pool toys. Even if it’s for only a few supervised minutes.

So those are 5 ways to enjoy summer indoors with kids. If you have any other ideas feel free to share it with us.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.