With our base camp in the shadow of the Cyclone, the kids enjoyed primo working conditions:  breaks included rides on the log flume, and snacks galore.  The environment made for happy work days with kids who couldn’t stop smiling – in other words, perfect for a photo shoot.

Providing local color and corn dogs for our shoot was the Coney Island landmark, Paul’s Daughter.  Serving seaside snacks for almost 50 years, the future of this iconic snack stand was uncertain when development plans threatened it’s future but luckily – thankfully – this piece of Brooklyn history will live on.  We were delighted to have this amazing family business as the backdrop to our look book.  Thank you Paul and Tina for your generosity

We love Amagansett but we’ll be going back to the boardwalk for years to come!

The weeks ahead are jam packed with excitement.  Along with our Spring/Summer line, we’ve got a brand new WEBSITE coming your way.  It goes live the first week in February and will showcase the kids, tween, and women’s line in a new and vibrant way and make for easy one-stop Pink Chicken shopping.

We’re also thrilled to be hard at work on our first New York City boutique – details and updates coming to you daily on Facebook and Twitter.  We’ve got a new home to settle in to and we can’t wait to meet the neighbors.

Stay tuned for:
How to open a boutique in 1,600 easy steps.

When the last of the holiday season is boxed up and stored, it seems like a long cold road to spring.  Here’s how I cozy up my home for the cold days ahead:  a faux fur throw to curl up with (from Restoration Hardware) is my constant companion.   I’ve added a little shine and shimmer with these great finds from Dwell Studio.  The gold ribbon vase holds the last of my summer hydrangeas, dried and deepened in color.  The peacocks move every few days, taking up residence here, there, everywhere.

I’ve also added a little subtle shine and pattern in the bookcases – this wallpaper added life and texture to the whole room – it’s one of my favorite little touches.  Adele is being played in heavy rotation around our house (the vinyl LP comes from Urban Outfitters).

This little reading nook is warmed up with textured wool and flokati pillows.  And who doesn’t love a little zebra print?

And honestly, I miss the lights of the christmas tree.   Lighted flower branches will replace them from now until spring.  A selection is available here or on Amazon.

But when I really want to feel warm, I just look at this and remember last summer.

When a friend offered us his house in Deer Valley for the week before Christmas, I logged onto kayak.com and booked the tickets to Salt Lake City in about 3.2 seconds.  It was too good an offer to pass up and we’d be back home in time to leave cookies for Santa on Christmas eve.

We had skied as a family in Vermont and New England but I was blown away by the whole Deer Valley experience.  From the gorgeous weather to the great atmosphere on the mountain we had one of our best mini vacations ever.

Let’s start with the ski school.  It’s NUT FREE which, when you have a highly allergic child, allows you to actually relax after you drop your kids off.  Belle and Sadie adored their instructors (shout out to Annie and Megan!) and were thrilled to show us their skills after class.  John and I were so proud to watch them schuss down the mountain and happier still to see the sense of accomplishment they both felt.  Deer Valley held another great surprise – real food!  From coffee at the Deer Valley Grocery to an actually healthy lunch at the Empire Lodge we were happily well fed – a total change from the standard grilled cheese and questionable burger cuisine of the northeast.

The Deer Valley blog offers some tips on skiing with kids and advised me to carry some treats to keep the kids happy.  Instead, we stopped at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for apres ski caramel apples.  My kids were very happy.  Belle and Sadie gave Daly’s Pub the Best Restaurant title.  With onsite bowling alleys and Wii, Daly’s has the club rec room that parents dream of in a restaurant – the girls actually skipped dessert to fit in more game time.  But I have to say my favorite meal was the grilled steaks and salsa verde we made back at the house.  Dinner, followed by a little ping pong and a screening of Back to the Future was the perfect ending to a few days of skiing with my crew.

Getting kids skiing from an early age (when they’re fearless!) is a gift they’ll appreciate their whole lives. The shared joy of skiing together as a family is, from a mom’s perspective, simply a treasure.  Sign me up for season lift tickets.

Here’s what I’m packing for the kids:  snow pants from Lands End – one of the greatest cold weather kid items ever, and a fabulous value, and a Burton Girls Mistique Jacket, (room to grow features means two seasons of wear and inside straps mean your little one can carry the jacket like a backpack when not wearing it), and Tecnica Moon Boots with leggings, turtleneck and the Fiona Fur Vest for a kicky kid apres ski look.

And don’t forget the sunscreen:  California Baby gets a great rating from Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database, my go-to guide for everything I use on my kids.

Next dilemma – how to fit a fondue pot fit in my carry-on?

For me, New Year’s resolutions aren’t so much a commitment to doing something new, but more a return to goals gone off track during the impossibly busy stretch of time between the first day of school and New Years Day.  From getting the kids settled into school and activities through Thanksgiving, travel, and the shopping and celebrating that takes us through to January 31, it’s difficult to even remember some of my goals let alone enact them.

So, my New Year’s resolutions are more of a renewal (like a book I borrowed from the library but I didn’t get to finish).

MORE GREEN

I say this amid a pile of spent gift wrap and boxes, all of which will become art projects over the next couple of months. Reducing plastic and synthetics in our home is a work in progress:

Lunchskins are adorable reusable sandwich bags (and the cheerful patterns brighten any lunch or snack period). Bye bye ziplocs.

A friend gave me The Concious Kitchen by Alexandra Zissu back in the fall. It’s a common sense guide to improving the health of your family by changing the way you shop and stock your kitchen – all of which seems obvious as you read it but somehow her book inspires me with its quick style and practical information. Check out her blog here.

In homage to the Girl Scout pledge which requires that we “use resources wisely,” I’m turning down the heat and adding a sweater.  Uniqlo’s $49 cashmeres fit in with this plan beautifully.

MORE PATIENCE

All mothers want this. Sadly, it’s not sold in any catalog. Ommmm.

MORE OUTDOORS

I was once at a wedding where the rabbi told the happy newlyweds to appreciate something in nature everyday. Great advice.

Ice skating at the Standard Hotel here in New York, or the Buckskill Winter Club on Long Island are two of our favorite family spots.

Bash Bish Falls in the Berkshires is a scenic short hike that ends at a rather magnificent water fall, iced over in winter, and is achievable by even the youngest of hikers.  Bear Mountain State Park offers beautiful trails and views for family hiking. Getting outside with the kids keeps us all moving and talking, away from the television, away from the KindleFire (which I’m told was one of this year’s hottest gifts).

SKIING

Skiing, skiing, skiing – it’s on.  Upstate, Vermont, out west.  If you have any family skiing information you’d like to share with the Pink Chicken community, please email me here and I’ll share.  Now that my kids are old enough to fully participate, we intend to do plenty of downhill in the months and years to come.

MORE MUSIC

Selena Gomez has taken over my ipod.  I would describe myself as an avid music fan. I’d like to get back to making that a true statement.  Bands I like to get know better:  Airborne Toxic Event, Bon Iver, Florence and the Machine.  I welcome any and all suggestions for updating my playlists.

MORE SPONTANEITY

Plan ahead, but not too much.  Quiet down Siri.

LEARN MANDARIN

I had to throw in at least one standard issue unlikely-to-be-achieved resolution. In case I make good on it, Rosetta Stone will show me the way.

Wishing everyone a happy healthy and wonderful New Year and thank you for your continued support of Pink Chicken!  Stay tuned for our spring collection, our new website, and so much more.

While Christmas Eve remains cookies-and-milk low-tech, there have been some changes in the ways that our kids (“digital natives” as they’re called) want to communicate with the Pole.

It seems Santa’s gmail account has been hacked, but the US Postal Service continues to offer reliable delivery system to the North Pole, with many letters answered by Operation Santa Volunteers (you’ve go to love that).  There’s something to be said for the handwritten envelope and its lack of appeal to hacktivists.

While there are a number of sites that offer email addresses for Santa and promise one back in return,  we can’t recommend any of them (bad graphics and the endless stream of daily advertisements that will no doubt result).

One thing we’ve enjoyed is Portable North Pole, where Santa will send a pre-Christmas video to your child, complimenting them on a variety of pre-selected achievements (from eating their vegetables to breaking up with thumb sucking).  Santa addresses them by name and hints at their most desired gifts (all pre-programmed by you).  Be ready for priceless expressions with the under-seven-not-yet-jaded crowd.

But if anyone knows how to ichat Santa, please contact us here.

(And don’t forget the power of baking…)

FOR LITTLE GIRLS

Make a Wish Necklace – sentiment meets style, these necklaces are just the right mix of “grown up” for tween girls.

Hampton Popcorn – delicious – greatly enhances any viewing of Merry Christmas Charlie Brown.

Kid Robot Zipper Pulls – cute, cool stocking stuffers that help little fingers zip up giant winter jackets.

Pink Chicken Gift Certificates – the kids can make their choices on-line with mom’s help.

Crosley Turntable – in our minds, this replaces the old Close and Play Phonograph.  A cool turntable with a USB port, this bridges our kids digital world with our favorite classic albums.  Vinyl can live in harmony with your ipod.

FOR BIG GIRLS

Nunu Chocolates – these salted caramels are special.  Made in Brooklyn and unusually delicious.  Great hostess gift too.

Kenneth Jay Lane Ring – Kenneth Jay Lane is the king of quality costume jewelry – this is a great signature piece.

Epicurean Cutting Boards – upbeat and colorful, these dishwasher-safe cutting boards enliven any counter top with their modernist illustrations.

Soda Stream – for sparkling water drinkers, this is life changing.  Add an aquasana in-sink water filter and you’re giving the greenest way to save money and the planet.

Baggu Tote Bags – Like the NY Times says, it’s all about the tote.  Monogram it to show how much you care!

Shorouk necklaces – these colorful necklaces (especially in pink!) can dress up anything.  Glitzy, playful, what’s not to love?

Glassy Baby – The colors are amazing and these hand blown votives look great in groups.  Give one now, and one for a birthday to start an ongoing theme.

Initial Mugs – from Anthropology, these are lively, personal, and feel good in the hand.  Love the patterns and the colors.

MY WISH LIST

Alexander McQueen Skull Ring -

And as always, more time to hang with my little chickens.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU!

My kids have mainly mastered the please-and-thank-you basics, so we’re moving into the next level and talking about what good manners are meant to support – being kind to others and making everyone feel comfortable. These discussions started early with books aimed at toddlers.  These books are fun and playful and get little ones thinking about how to be kind and polite.

Table manners can be tough for kids and they need constant reminders; they come home from school tired and hungry and they see no reason why they shouldn’t touch their spaghetti, spear a whole meatball with a fork and eat it like a popsicle, and engage in all manner of unpleasant dinner conversation.

Table Topics is a family dinner game that, on those days when whining and bickering have taken over the dinner table, can get the kids talking, thinking, and having fun. Questions range from silly to thought provoking and keep the conversation pleasant while I coach them on their knife skills and napkin use.

My current manners campaign is having my kids address grown-ups by Mr. or Ms. or Mrs. Parents have a lot of confusion about this but I’m going traditional in our non-traditional world. My kids go to a school where the teachers are called by their first names so I especially want to them to recognize that some adults, especially older ones, might prefer a little formality at the onset.

I’m committed to thank you notes; handwritten and snail-mail style. Opening a personal note is still a great joy and to make it fun for the kids, I’ve ordered them their own thank you cards and stationery. Check out Minted’s modern yet adorable cards.

And these from Polka Dot Design. (And, in the holiday giving season, personalized stationery makes a fabulous gift for a young lady or gentleman.)

One item on my Christmas list is The Kindness Kingdom, a board game where good manners makes you a winner.

The game’s website has the following quote “Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you, not because they’re nice, but because you are.”  That kind of thinking makes you a winner in life – now if I could just get my kids to chew with their mouths closed.

Now that Thanksgiving, with all its good food, is behind us, it’s a long distance sprint until New Year’s Day.  Parties, shopping, eating, drinking…. December is an endurance event (a super-fun one, but nonetheless, you’ve got to be on your game).

How to make it through and enjoy the season while still feeling and looking good?  We here at Pink Chicken are determined to fully enjoy the season and not come undone in the process.   Here’s our plan to stay fancy, fit, and healthy in the month ahead.

Green Day: no, not the band though we love them.  We’re doing one day a week of nothing but green food.  Besides keeping our weight on the straight and narrow, (or nearly) there’s the added plus of the added energy from a lighter diet.  Add ginger and garlic for their immune boosting properties, and cut calories one day a week - and it’s a win/win situation.  Set aside a Monday or Tuesday for a whole day of greens.

Here are some ideas:  this delicious broccoli and arugula soup that I first saw on Gwenyth Paltrow’s Goop newsletter,  raw kale salad, green beans with pesto, arugula salad with sliced green apples, green tea, a shot of wheatgrass juice, limeade (no sugar), spinach and cucumber salad, oven roasted zucchini, snap peas sauteed in olive oil, and kiwi.  (Sadly chocolate chip mint ice cream doesn’t make the cut.)

Added benefit:  Dr. Oz recently talked about decision fatigue.  Now that I’ve mapped out a green day diet once a week, there’s a blueprint to follow, no food decisions to make – it’s mind clearing.

A Little Lipgloss.  Brighten up and smile with these Sephora sheers - they’re long wearing and just the right amount of bright.

Never underestimate the healing powers of a mani-pedi.  They’re inexpensive and immediately make you feel more polished and pulled together.   Add an in-chair massage and you feel like a new woman.

When you don’t want to excercise – exercise a little more.  Add another class or two to your weekly routine this month to guard against the January guilt for December’s good times.  Add in a run, or an extra yoga class.  I’ll make time for a few extra classes at Soul Cycle to cash in on the major calorie burn and the energizing endorphins.

Blow.  Plan as I might, I somehow always find myself in the middle of the holiday season in need of a haircut with not one appointment to be had.  A visit to Blow saves the day for hair that’s freshly styled and festive, (and a blow-out is a quick, cheap, and cheerful way to spruce up for a party).

And most importantly, stay healthy.  This is no time to come down with a cold.  Dr. Andrew Weil  reminds that the best thing we can do to prevent colds and flu is to wash hands often and keep them away from your eyes and noses.  While we constantly advise our kids of this, we parents sometimes forget it.  A midmorning Emergen-C as a little extra insurance can’t hurt.

And don’t forget every girl’s best friend during this holiday season:  A good night’s sleep – or more concealer!

The big question: How to plan a New York City birthday party that’s down-home, different, and fun? Answer: SCAVENGER HUNT.  It was was my husband’s great idea to celebrate Belle’s 10th birthday with a neighborhood scavenger hunt, and so, we hit the streets.

John charted a course that took the girls around New York’s Lower East Side while calling their attention to several of the things that make this old New York neighborhood so very special.

Belle invited all of the girls in her class and John divided them into 3 teams (each with it’s own grown-up chaperone), John gave the team captains 10 envelopes, each containing the address of a different destination and a clue for what they’d be seeking out there.

The route (10 destinations in all) highlighted the flavor and history of the ‘hood, and really tested the girls on their map reading skills (some girls landed on that tried and true New York method of finding your destination – asking someone for directions – ingenuity comes in all forms.)

Our meeting point was The Pickle Guys on Essex Street. We engergized with Kosher Dills and began our hunt.

The teams scattered in their color-coded team bandanas, clues and maps in hand: Our first destination: Essex Street Market, an indoor market built in the ‘30s, the girls scurried around looking for a farm animal on a wall (found at Jeffrey’s Meat Market, the oldest family owned butcher in the city).

And then it was off to Economy Candy where they had to “find the title of a game we all play.”  Despite all the distractions of one of the best retro candy stores ever, the girls quickly spotted and photographed their item

and were then able to purchase $5 worth of candy. The sugar rush definitely derailed some of them. (The chaperones all noticed that this was where temperaments met math skills – some calculated their purchases to the cent, others were happy to choose just one awesome piece of candy, and others negotiated for a pay raise.)

Other stops included, the Sunshine Cinema and My Plastic Heart, a gallery of collectable Japanese toys where the girls were allowed to make another $5.00 purchase, (Birthday Party Plus: The kids bought their own goody bags).

Next it was on to the world famous Katz’s Deli, one of Belle’s favorite restaurants

Their task: Count the salamis in the window (127) and then calculate how many sandwiches could be made out of all these salamis (127 x 20 slices per salami). The kids all began to figure this out in their heads (the good news – TERC Math seems to work). A guy from Katz’s came outside to talk to the girls and point out the decades-old Katz’s motto: “Send a salami to your boy in the Army!”

The scavenger hunt continued as dusk hit the city streets. All three groups converged at Schiller’s for dinner and cake (love their unbelievable Sticky Toffee Pudding).

Belle couldn’t have been happier with her party and her friends, as they left, all said “this was the best birthday party EVER.” It was indeed a cross-cultural inter-disciplinary blast.

And so, Belle’s party was a huge success. And for me, not having to plan a birthday party was unbelievably luxurious. Some husbands score big with jewelry or surprise trips. Mine planned our daughter’s birthday. It was even better than a bracelet.

Happy Birthday Belle.

If you’d like to go on your own Urban Scavenger Hunt email us for the destinations, their history, items, and a map – makes a great walking tour!