I recently found out about Priti Organic Spa on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I love a good manicure. And even more fun - a mommy and me mani! Priti is just the place. With polishes free of formaldehyde, toluene or dibutyl-pthalates (the bad stuff), the polish is perfect for little girls and pregnant women. Time to get Priti!
35 East 1st Street, NYC 212 254 3628. www.pritiorganicspa.com
On Thursdays, we're recapping events and activities from the prior weekend, and previewing the weekend ahead. Let us take the plunge, and if it's great, we'll let you know! So here goes:
[A New York Classic] We went to see the butterflies at the Museum of Natural History with our almost 3 year old daughter. On a freezing day outside, the butterfly habitat is quite toasty (I would recommend it on that alone). But better yet, she was mesmorized by the brightly colored animals, and we could discuss the migration of butterflies in the winter from Canada to Mexico, how they transform from catepillers to butterflies, and other lessons made more fun for seeing these little guys in person. We bought a book in the gift store and we reinforced the trip later in the afternoon (something I'm trying to do to make excursions more meaningful and longer-lasting). And no one's too young - even my 5 month old was mesmorized by the color and the fluttering.
This is a fairly expensive trip, however. You have to pay the ticket for general admission as well as the butterfly exhibit. Kids under 2 are free. That meant over $56 for 2 adults and one (paying) child, and really, with a young-one, 2 hours is the maximum visit. The Butterfly exhibit runs from October 7, 2006-May 28, 2007.
The Butterfly Conservatory at the American Museum of Natural History
Everyone also loved the dinasaurs, though, the other section I highly recommend with a kid. We reinforced it with a book (A Night at the Museum) and a Diego video (what can we say, we were exhausted.)
[tip: We hear that they order the butterflies every 2 weeks as the creatures only have a short life-span. I would steer clear of the last week of the exhibit, as the number of butterflies will start dropping off without replacement].
For this week ahead, I am thinking of going to see "Have a Little Bubbly", recommended by NY Magazine. Every kid likes bubbles, and this should be a fun one. It's at the New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, and tickets are $35-$41. I hear that kids of all ages have to buy tickets ($19.95 at the box office) ...
Gazillion Bubble Show
