The Tree House Play Cafe just assured us we will not be moving out of the city any time soon.

What local kids location in the burbs had me dying to get back to the peace and quite of the the city? That would be The Tree House Play Cafe in Chestnut Hill. As soon as we got there I realized that we had made a terrible mistake. This was so not the morning I had in mind. The place way small, overcrowded and so disappointing.

How could I lead my family astray this far? Well I will tell you. I just realized when I went to grab pictures to add to the blog how misleading they are. In fact there is no climbing equipment, train table or cute little play kitchen like they show in the picture below. That giraffe must have moved on to greener pastures because he wasn't there either.


The atmosphere reminded me of classroom that just found out they were having a substitute and early dismissal after a round of pixi sticks. The chaos wasn't cute, fun or the least bit enjoyable. The place is a hybrid. Part cafe, part play area and everything is way too small. You start by being smooshed in the check in area which is packed with parents and little ones. Then you go into the "cafe" part which is a sea of overweight suburban moms in sweatshirts zoning out and pretending to watch their children. Unfortunately I will be standing since the moms don't really get up much leave very little turn over of the tables. I found one that was missing the chairs but at least I had a place to put the car seat. It was right next to a mom that had her nose in her laptop. She looked up at me once with one of those interrupt my "me time" and I will kill you looks. So we didn't really chat it up.

We threw our jackets on the floor...since that was the only place for them and my husband and son headed into the play area. The play area is actually the smallest area in the place. The play area was filled with colliding, coughing, runny nose kids swirling around different mom cliques sitting on the floor. As far as the toy selection it pretty much resembled a grocery store the night before a major snow storm. Anything you really wanted they were out of. The play kitchen was bare because one little munchkin had all the wooden food in a wagon and was taking her time wheeling it around and around the small play area.

What they are not showing is all the merchandise that is throw in front of the hand washing station. If fact I didn't even see this until we were leaving and I was about 4 feet from it.



This train table...totally not there



The most disappointing thing I noticed was that very few parents were actually playing with their kids. The Tree House Play Cafe is basically a dumping ground for suburban moms.

Oh and how could I forget the woman that was flashing everyone while she was falling asleep breast feeding. I so did not need to see that. These women made me look like mom of the year.

These stacking blocks...totally not there.

Baby Slinger: an impossible task

Do I hate baby slings or do baby slings hate me? Am I the only one that can't figure out how to walk around in complete bliss with one of these things. No matter what brand, style or size the process always feels like stuffing an elephant into a bean pod. My babies look smooshed, cramped and any thing but comfortable.

The BoBa: This company expects we to coax my little one into hanging on me like a monkey so that I can swing them across my back, get there legs in the slot and then buckle us together. I bought it because the baby can be on your front and your back. Ahhhh no shocker that I fail this one hardcore.

This past month I have been unsuccessfully road testing The Peanut. Well the fabric is about as rough as a peanut and basically swallows Oliver whole. Not comfortable and I looked nothing like the smiling women on the box with their make up and blown out hair. I looked like I got hit by a tornado by the time I got him off and the sling off me. Today I was able to put him in it only to take him right back out. We never made it out of the nursery.

Next on our tour is the K'tan baby carrier. The how to book is like a diner menu with a million variations and options on the same position. The interesting thing about this one is that it comes with an Obi belt in matching jersey fabric (and a matching hat). I am not really sure what to do with this Obi belt but my husband insist it is part of the overall process. I will say this is the one I want to work out the most. I keep trying it over and over again. But like all the other I have to prep myself hardcore. I lay back on the couch, criss cross the fabric around Oliver like mama spider and hope...pray that when I stand up I did it right and that at some point I will be able to take this contraption off. Again I look and feel nothing like the picture shown when I am all K'tan'ed up. Today I was able to keep it on for a whole 5 minutes...progress.

The winner of worst in fabric is Hug-A-Monkey. I have read the testimonials on the site and again I just don't get how I am the only one in America that buys these freaking things and is not grinning from ear to ear in love with the thing. I bought two different sizes of this one. The only thing this is going to make is a well intentioned hand me down to my cousin's baby.

So I guess it is back to the Bjorn and I will dream of the expensive Ergo...

If my kids slept I would do this to them....

My aunt forwarded me an e-mail today with the most creative thing I have seen in a long time: Mila's Dreams. By the number of Facebook fans creative mom Adele has I quickly see I am late to party when it come to admiring her work. I don't know if I am more in love with her work or the fact that her baby sleeps through her creations. Both have me in awe especially since you will hear my harp on how little my kids sleep. Well Maybe I can try this with my dog! You better believe I am already planning next year's holiday card after seeing this.
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Is the secret to eating out in the placemat?

I am one of those moms that stares at relaxed families in restaurants in complete awe and envy. Eating out is not a relaxed situation with my crew. From the moment we sit down it is like a NASA countdown until things get out of hand. 3 minutes to enjoy the new location, 1 minute until I need to clear all the "weapons" off the table, 2 minutes I start to look around nervously for the waitress and now T-minus 4 minutes until Henry's melt down.

Ok so I am exagerating but to me that is what it feels like. We rarely take Henry out unless it is warm weather and we can sit outside away from other, with lots to look at, and a clear evacuation route.

The other day I came across Get Set Placemats from HelloHanna.com


I think if I whip these placemats out right when I see things starting to go down hit it just might do the trick. My dream is that these placemats can safely get my crew all the way to dessert. These little placemats will hopefully keep my little guys busy just long enough for someone else to cook me a meal and for me to get out a few sentences about my day to my husband. Here is to dreaming, good planning and the UPS getting these to my door as soon as possible.

Necklush - Why I don't own one.

AHHH I love Necklush. It just fits my life style. I feel the same way about Necklush as I did about the ponytail mowhawk...finally a way to dress up a dressed down look.

Necklush takes well planned color combos of printed jersey - cuts them like angel hair pasta and Bam you have a hipster neck piece that can be twisted into 3 different looks. They are my go to gift for my young hip friends but sadly my own personal closet is without a Necklush. I hit the site once a month, check out the inventory, fall in love and then....I get paralyzed by all the options. It is almost like if I buy one the mystic of having one will disappear. All I want to do in a pinch is throw on a plain T, a great pair of jeans and a Necklush and call it a day. My own indecision is holding me back from completing my hipster look. All the crap I waste my money on and I won't buy the item I really want...it is sad really. Oh and don't try to make one at home...it will end in a bulky disaster...trust me. Don't let my issues keep you from your Necklush
necklush.com
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First Cut at The DUKE's in No. Libs.

1050 North Hancock St. #77 Philadelphia, PA 19123 - (215) 469-1868
Open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am-5pm

My husband and I have always talked about opening an old school barber shop. We always dreamed about a great place to get a straight shave by an Italian guy and check out from the rest of the world for awhile. That "fun talk" got replaced by kids and work so I was thrilled when The DUKE's Barber shop moved into the neighborhood.


If there is such as thing as "old-school hipster charm" The DUKE is it. It just opened and there was already a line when we showed up on Saturday morning...so my guess is we were not the only ones dying for a place like this.

We showed up for Henry's first haircut. He is almost 2 and although I had no problem with his unruly look... we agreed it was time for a change. And the daily comment on how lovely my "daughter" is never really bothered me either - just for the record. I want Henry to have long hair...I just think it could look less scrappy.


Everyone at The DUKE was awesome and I guess Henry was digging the vibe too b/c what I thought might be a fight was a breeze. He sat right on my husband's lap in the 1930's barber chair and let William go to work on his lovely locks. Not a peep while I snapped picture after picture for the grandparents. Maybe it was the jazz, maybe it was the deconstructed manly setting or just the over all mystic of a new experience but Henry who is usually fight or flight was cool as a cucumber.

If you get a chance The DUKE is worth checking out and a great compliment to an afternoon trip to Northern Liberties. They can get busy so I recommend stopping in to see if there is a wait if you have a little one in tow.


The Duke's can be found on the back side of the Piazza on North Handcock Street.
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