Milking Our Good Fortune for All it's Worth!

Once the boredom with turkey and stuffing sandwiches has set in (We know, we know, but it will happen eventually!) pop by 186 Underhill Avenue to play in the cozy playspace and catch Vino in the act of fun, mixing flour, food coloring and a handful of other kitchen cabinet staples into homemade play dough for the birthday party he'll facilitate with Bag of Tricks Babysitter Rachel Black on Sunday. While we've always been proud of the personalized children's birthday parties that carry the NY City Explorers name, we're especially excited to unveil our brand new series of mix-and-match parties, designed to make planning a party perfectly suited to your tot a breeze! Be on the look-out in the coming weeks for our Plan-a-Party menu which will present add-on options including a pinata, water balloons and karaoke!
Babysitter Rachel Black may not have held her grown-up birthday party at our playspace, but it was filled with style and flair nonetheless. Joined by friends, including NYCE staff members Sam Pinkleton and Amy Yurcan, Rachel ushered in another year on Earth during a cowgirl-themed celebration at Manhattan's Rodeo Bar, a venue perfectly suited for a Southern belle like Rachel!
The long weekend ahead has most Explorers delighted at the prospect of extra time with mom, dad and the rest of the family, but those tots who have been pummeled by the yucky stomach bug that's been making its way through the borough won't be able to enjoy tomorrow's feast quite as much as their healthy friends. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to all affected little ones, including Kisha's youngest, Shelton. A baby who loves to eat that much missing out on Thanksgiving dinner would be bad news bears indeed!
During this upcoming Holiday season, as you reflect on all of the many things you are thankful for, consider that not all babies are born as lucky as those who share your home. Volunteering time and resources at soup kitchens, shelters and Goodwill are great ways to help those less fortunate than ourselves. New moms, however, often have another precious gift that they can share with the most vulnerable among us. Huge numbers of infants are born underweight, premature, drug-addicted or orphaned every day with no access to the myriad feeding options that many of our own newborns have. To that end, check out www.milkbanking.net and consider donating breast milk to little ones in need!