Posts filed under ‘Family-friendly culture’
Facials, cool Brookline Village boutique, and artsy library visits for kids
Far too much time has passed without a post…so I’m going to try something new: mini-posts on mini-experiences. I haven’t written much about life in Brookline – how great it is in general, how especially great it is for families. After 3 years, it seems it’s time to start chronicling the things that make me want to stay here, try as my husband might to get us more space in the ‘burbs.
Three things for today (two for big people, one for little people):
1. A facial at Lavinia Borcau Skincare on Harvard Street in Brookline Village (which seems to become significantly more interesting every time I go). I’ve been coming to Lavinia’s on an off for years, ever since I worked reception at the very cool, art-loving hair and beauty spot HC Studio down the street and heard about her aesthetic talents. Organic products (her own line!) are a plus. And you can choose what you like and need – a pure-pleasure experience or a deeper, more intense one – the pleasure from that comes about a day later and looks beautiful for weeks.
2. After Lavinia’s, I popped into Abeille just down the block – what a transformation that little corner jewel has undergone. The owner, Lisa, is lovely and her shop is brimming with a carefully curated collection of jewellery, kitchen and bath things, pictures, clothes… It’s a perfect place for gifts – for, say, Mother’s Day (I loved their modern teapots and beaded bracelets). And gifts for yourself, of course.
3. This Tuesday afternoon, I’ll be taking the kids (now almost 3 and almost 5) to the Coolidge Corner Branch Library for their weekly arts-and-crafts and storytime with Paula (3:30 – 4:30 pm). It’s been a sanity-saver much during this insanely long winter. They can do the artsy stuff they love (Paula comes up with ingeniously simple crafts – often courtesy of Pinterest – like cotton-ball-sheep or paper-plate-caterpillars) – and I don’t have to scrub paint off the walls and floors. Win! They have special programming during vacation weeks, too – some great events coming up over April break.
Cultural playdates at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston!
It turns out the MFA has monthly playdates (last Friday of every month except February) for kids under 4! A pretty incredible thing, given that most institutions of its caliber typically feature events for older kids, leaving parents of toddlers wondering how they can possibly see any art while their littler walker/runner tears around, coming dangerously close to priceless statues, etc. There’s a read-aloud story time, followed by a short tour and activities.
Info about the next MFA Playdate
Theme: Latin-themed stories and activities as a part of the MFA Fiesta celebration.
Time: Friday, March 25 · 10:30am – 11:30am
Location: MFA Boston – Meet at the Sharf Visitor Center.
Admission: Free with Admission – No Ticket Required.
Additional Info: This program is for accompanied children 4 and younger. No registration required.
The most up-to-date info is on the Museum’s Facebook page.
Hope to see some of you there!
Moomah: a creative haven/cafe for families in Tribeca
You won’t often hear me say that a weekend trip downtown with a toddler in the subway is worth it. But this one was – and we now have a brightly-colored canvas made by our 1.5 year old son to prove it.
I’ll be honest: the website left me confused about the unique Moomah concept. But here’s how I’d describe it, in a nutshell. You show up whenever it’s open, sit down for some really nice, casual food and drink with your kid(s), then watch as the kids escape to explore either the many art project options on display or the “Funky Forest” – a dark room with interactive animations projected on the wall that’s extremely minimalist yet bizarrely appealing to little people of all ages. When you’re ready, you pick an art project (we did the $25 canvas painting), and an ultra-friendly staff member will get you set up with smock, paint, brushes, and whatever other gear you need or fancy.
Then there are loads of workshops and other scheduled activities you can do, but I think the beauty of it is that you can just pop in whenever you have a spare couple hours, and be sure that even your tiny, curious toddler won’t get in trouble as he bobs around while you at least half-relax to enjoy your almost-grown-up cafe experience.
Rumor has it Leonardo DiCaprio was there the week before us. So, add celebrity sightings to the list of happy Moomah experiences.
Big World, Little People 