Woodloch Resort, The Perfect Escape

Remember Charlie the lil’ boy in The Santa Claus when he was whisked off to the North Pole by Santa ‘his dad’ and that look on his face when he entered Santa’s workshop? That is how I felt when I went to Woodloch Resort last week. It is rare, as an adult in the big city, to feel like you’re a kid again. That is why Woodloch Resort is the perfect weekend getaway. They bring it back.

Like Charlie I was immediately greeted with a smiling face. Herb introduced me to the history of Woodloch and told me his entire family worked at the resort. He’s proud of his job, his family and his hometown. That enthusiastic personality was consistent with everyone I met at Woodloch.

Woodloch is a kid’s dream. Each child's face would light up with joy as Tigger entered the dining area followed by Snow White for the dinner time entertainment. For the long winter weekends Woodloch has an indoor jungle gym for the kids, a huge a gym equipped with capable friendly staff to play games, an indoor water park, theater for fun enjoyable entertainment and I cannot tell you how top-notch the entertainment really was. They did an incredible job of entertaining for all ages; it was both colorful and educational.

And don’t forget their outdoor activities which are endless; skiing, hiking, go-carts, swimming, boating, rowing, golf and be sure to check out their new horseback stables. Seriously anything you want to do they have it.

I timed my trip to Woodloch perfectly with my parent’s trip to the Poconos. My parents are both retired teachers and are already planning our family trip to Woodloch. For dinner we enjoyed shrimp cocktail to start followed by fresh salmon with wild rice and green beans. It was that Midwest hospitality and home cooking that I miss so much that Woodloch really provided.

The next morning we made our way to The Spa, the adult only tranquil part of the resort. Now this is an adults dream. Enjoy organic eggs, fruit shakes and homemade banana bread while you read the paper next to the fireplace looking out at the rustic view. Next stop is the indoor pool and be sure to dip into the outdoor hot tub overlooking the mountains. Want to get a massage? No problem. Choose from a luscious list of pampering. Looking to do a little shopping? Check out the hotel shop, I’m not kidding you the clothes are adorable. Here is a picture of me in one of my favorite pieces.

My mother and I finished up our trip touring the amazing golf course and private homes they offer to their visiting families. You can choose a home based on your family size. The homes are new, fully furnished and easily accessible to the rest of the resort. What a wonderful place to meet the family for a holiday or weekend getaway. Woodloch is a family owned business. They pride themselves on making their visitors feel a part of the family and they do an absolute superb job.

Book your trip today at www.woodloch.com or feel free to contact me for more information. I’d be happy to help you plan your getaway! Mention Lucky Lil' Darlings now through December 31st first time guests can save $100 on your reservation.  Restrictions apply, based on availability, cannot be combined with other offers, limit 1 per reservation.

Date Night Sitter Check List

Never leave home without it!

Here are a few of my recommendations I have learned along the way:

1. Give your sitter a tour. Show your sitter the kids rooms, point out dangerous areas you want the kids to stay away from and give specific instructions on how things work; baby monitor, TV, security system, etc.

2. Bedtime Rules. Talk to your sitter about your bedtime routine with the kids i.e. What time do you begin to wind down the night? What is your child's favorite story and/or bedtime song? What time should they be asleep by? Would you like the sitter to text you when they fall asleep?

3. Special Instructions.  Are there any special rules you have? Do your kids have any allergies the sitter should know about? Are the kids sick and need medicine? Will you be expecting any deliveries?

4. Exchange Contact Info. Be sure to leave your sitter with your cell phone and an emergency contact numbers. Be sure to get her cell phone number so that you can text her throughout the night if you have any questions or to check in.

5. Anything else? Sitters are happy to lend a helping hand. If you'd like them to unload the dishwasher or change the laundry most sitters won't mind. Especially once they have been at your home a few times and you feel connected to them. They will be happy to help!

-LB

Chess NYC and LLD!

This week LLD was lucky enough to talk to Chess NYC about how they got their feet on the ground and what events are coming up on their calendar. Chess NYC is the perfect combination of what they call mind, body, and soul. They bring people together who love chess through tournaments, lessons, and other fun-filled events. Kids and adults of all ages are involved with the organization, and numbers are growing! And now, from a chess-lover and Chess NYC employee, Michael Propper:

How did Chess NYC get started?

Russ Makofsky started Chess NYC in 2007 after observing and playing chess with a consistent group outdoors on the Upper West Side. In 2008, Russ and I partnered and began sharing the great game of Chess in a way it had never been done before...Now 3 years and 7000+ players later, we're still just getting started and clients keep getting younger and younger.

 

Tell us about your upcoming chess events for kids?
Chess NYC Programs and Events occur yearlong: from lessons to classes to tournaments, camps and more! An upcoming event would be our Turkey Tournament open to all ages, 4 to 104 where every player can go home with a turkey. Winners bring home the Thanksgiving Dinner, totally legit. But something is going on every day.

LLD is very excited to have Chess NYC as our exclusive chess-tutoring provider, tell us what made you want to become part of the LLD family?

Safely assisting in the transporting of our littlest Chess Players has always been a goal of ours. Being able to partner with such a thoughtful and credible organization creates infinite possibilities for everyone, LLD, Chess NYC and families throughout the city, it provides greater reach to the youngest talent pool out there. The Lucky Lil Darlings Chess Buddies Group that you came up with is a brilliant and FUN way to bring Chess and children together.

What’s your favorite Chess NYC event of the year?

I have no favorite Chess NYC Event. We just try to out do the last one every time out. But in August we are hosting a Camp with the # 1 Chess Player on the planet, 21-year-old phenomenon GM Magnus Carlsen.  He's a great all around guy and a ridiculously good/great Chess player. That one will be hard to top!

Who’s your favorite chess player?

Too many to name but one of my local favorites is Justus Williams. Justus is just 12 years, already a Chessmaster and well on his way to becoming a Grandmaster. He is a fine young man and an example for all young people to follow.

How does a family get involved with Chess NYC & LLD?

We're easy to find, we're everywhere. www.chessnyc.com and www.luckylildarlings.com

Thanks Michael! We can't wait to start working with Chess NYC!

BIG CITY MOMS BIGGEST BABY SHOWER EVENT IS A HIT WITH EXPECTING MOMS

Tuesday night was shower night. Big City Moms (BCM) Biggest Baby Shower that is.

First, the venue pick was stellar, I love Metropolitan Pavilion plenty of space and the perfect location in the city.  Good thing all the new expecting moms came with an appetite. BCM partnered with Big Daddy’s Diner who supplied beef sliders, and The Soft Serve Fruit non-dairy yogurt had a pop-up store in the middle of the event, it was so cool and delicious…

I had the chance to speak with a few of the vendors that hosted tables: Zip Car, had great deals and Sprout Organic Baby Food with new recipes promoting healthy meals. Newly launched Buggy Love, revealed the first ever  stroller cleaning kit. No more wipes!  I also loved talking with HOP STOP; strapped with a stroller? HOP STOP now offers stroller-friendly routes.

On top of the informational sessions, the event also included a BCM step & repeat and Dad’s Corner full of video games sponsored by Dada Rocks. Each person who attended left with the ULTIMATE gift bag complete with everything a new mom may want. Go to BCM Facebook .com/bigcitymoms and give your feedback about the event .They are giving away strollers, car seats, accessories and more!

Can’t wait for next year’s!

LLD and the Baby Loves Disco Dance Party!

Last Saturday, November 5^th, LLD hosted the Cool Kiddie Tattoo Table in Park Slope outside of NYC. From 1 – 4 kids rocked out to a fab DJ, snacked on lil’ munchies, and danced the afternoon away. We had the pleasure of helping some adorable kids stick on some even cuter temporary tattoos.

There were games galore and the cute little kiddies were supervised by amazing LLD sitters Jessica Wisk, Jocelyn Noonan, and the founder herself, Lindsay Bell. Baby Loves Disco is the host behind this afternoon dance party. All over the U.S., Baby Loves Disco has hosted these community events with the goal of bringing kids and parents together for a fun-filled afternoon. Lindsay thinks Baby Loves Disco is the perfect indoor activity to keep the kids moving and active during the long winter months. Jocelyn said "It was great to see kids being active and sharing their moves on the dance floor- also a fun event for moms and dads!"

On top of that, LLD got to meet with hundreds of local families and help spread the world about what new things LLD is doing! Save the best for last! Because as families left they received a gift bag with gifts from partners Creativity for Kids, CleanWell, LLD, Woodloch Resort, H&M and more!

intenSati, the new way for moms to work out

Hey moms! Are you sick of your routine at the gym? Can’t get yourself to jump back on the same old treadmill or elliptical? We have the inside scoop from Jolynn Baca about intenSati, a revolutionary way of working out. IntenSati is a high-energy cardio workout that incorporates aerobics, martial arts, and endurance exercises and combines them with positive thinking to empower women. The results are mind-blowing! Lucky Lil’ Darlings is partnering with Jolynn during her month long intenSati class for moms being offered at Ripley-Grier Studios in New York. LLD sitters will provide childcare to moms while they’re working out. Now moms don’t have to worry about being able to get out of the house to go to the gym! If you don’t believe us now look at the inspiring words of Jolynn below about how she got involved with intenSati and why she loves it so much.

What inspired you to begin teaching IntenSati?

I had a friend who taught intenSati and was the happiest person I
knew.... she told me her secret was intenSati.  I wanted to feel that great
too!

Watching you instruct is motivating enough, but what other tactics can you offer to women following your class to stay motivated and inspired?


Staying motivated and inspired is the biggest roadblock to success of any

type!  The key is to remind yourself why you're doing something.  Revisit
the reason you started in the first place to reignite your energy.  Remind
yourself what it is you really want and why it's worth a little focus,
perseverance and faith in yourself. Whether it's getting to an exercise
class, following a healthy diet, creating a great home life or building a
career, the basic questions are always the same...."What do you REALLY want
and are you WILLING to do what it takes to get it?"

The mission of intenSati is to live a life you love in a body you love.  We
work on the physical body with the workout, but even more important is the
mental workout intenSati provides.  We speak positive affirmations while we
work out and set a private intention at the beginning of each class.  We do
these things to remind ourselves that our thoughts and words have
power...sometimes the conversations we have with ourselves are not very nice
and we don't even realize we're sabotaging ourselves.  By speaking out loud,
we are made aware of our thoughts and repeat positive words over and over so
that eventually these words become the new conversation in our head and we
feel empowered.

A weekly dose of encouragement and mega calorie burning brings me back every
week!

This is the first time you are offering an exclusive class to mommies. What made you want to offer this?

I have been teaching fitness for ten years.  I have only been teaching
intenSati for two years, but no other fitness class has had such a profound
impact on my life.  One of the amazing effects of these classes is the
sense of community that they form.  Since I am recently married and my husband and
I are considering starting a family of our own, I thought what a fantastic
opportunity to create a community of which I want to belong.  Lots of first
time moms seem to have questions the books didn't answer and they don't
always have mom friends to ask for advice.  This is the support system I
want to create with intenSati for Mommies.  I also want to encourage women
who are contemplating motherhood to join us and have their questions
answered by people who have already done it. AND we have our monthly "Mommy
Talks".  Once a month an expert guest speaker addresses relevant topics such
as prenatal nutrition, acupuncture for fertility and delivery, balancing
motherhood and work and so much more!

I know that sometimes gyms can feel intimidating.  My goal is to create a
nurturing environment for mothers trying to regain their pre-baby bodies or
safely exercise while pregnant.

I also know how hard it is for mothers to find time for themselves.... an
essential component of healthy living.  That's why partnering with Lucky Lil' Darlings was such a fantastic gift!  Now moms can BRING their
little ones with them to the studio without incurring childcare costs for
travel time or worrying that they're in good hands. They're eating organic
snacks and making crafts with your professional staff in a room

nearby...it's great!

Thanks so much to Jolynn for all the great insight! Moms, you can sign up here for the class being offered in November. Keep checking back with LLD!

HELP! My Baby Won't Nurse!

When I was pregnant, I spent a lot of time thinking about what my life would be like once the baby was born. It was so hard to imagine what it would feel like to be a mom. I could understand the concept, but it was nearly impossible to fathom a person who wasn’t born yet. Even so, I fantasized about the time we’d spend together. I’d sit for hours picturing myself pushing a stroller or reading a book or singing a lullaby. But without question, I spent the most time dreaming about the bonding time of breastfeeding.

I had seen so many women nurse, both in person and on television, and I was always drawn to the scene. It looked so natural and so special - an intimacy that I could not wait to enjoy myself. When Matthew finally arrived, as exhausted as I was, I was eager to begin the breastfeeding experience.  The nurse handed me my son (he was approximately 1 hour old) and I put him up to my breast and....nothing. He wouldn’t eat. In that first session I tried many different things and nothing seemed to make him want to latch on.

Over the course of the 36 hours that we were in the hospital, not much changed.  Feeding time would come and Matty would cry and cry and maybe he’d get a drop or two out of me, but not much else. I was given breast shields and sugar water and all kinds of things to help the process along. The nurses were encouraging me to supplement with formula, lest my poor infant starve. I was frustrated and miserable and I felt like a complete failure as a mother. The most natural, instinctive part of parenthood and I couldn’t do it.

If only I had known then what I know now.  If only I had known that it is a rare baby who latches on immediately. If only I had known that breastfeeding is hard – really, really hard. If only I had known to give myself a solid 6 weeks before expecting that my baby and I would really get the hang of it. But I didn’t know. And so I cried in my hospital bed thinking I would have to give up on the one thing I had been looking forward to the most. But, then a very wise and helpful nurse explained something to me. She explained to me that, even though eating is instinctual, babies still need to learn how to do it.  She assured me that it was completely normal for it to take some time and that if it was important to me, I shouldn’t give up.

My advice to new mommies is this: If it’s important to you, don’t give up. Find a lactation consultant. Go to a breastfeeding class with other new moms. There are certainly circumstances when nursing isn’t possible, but there are also times when new mothers give up because it just feels too hard. Rest assured, it’s not you. It is hard. And often it’s painful, too. But what I learned is that if you can acknowledge that it’s difficult and surround yourself with the right supports to help you through it, it can be every bit as rewarding as it looks.

Submitted by Tamar Barbash, Philadelphia Mom