FOOD

Wholesome Eats Disguised As Treats

We’ve noticed a dessert trend popping up around the city, and it’s one you don’t have to feel guilty about: bakeries and ice creameries that specialize in vegan, kosher, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, you-name-it-free options. Friends Dan Dunbar and Christopher Hollowell recently opened their Dun-Well Doughnuts shop in Williamsburg with more than 50 delicious all-vegan varieties. BabyCakes NYC™, founded by Erin McKenna, uses agave nectar instead of sugar and offers alternatives for those with wheat, gluten, dairy, casein and egg allergies. Eleni’s, a “No Nuts Allowed” bakery, features peanut- and tree nut-free iced sugar cookies and cupcakes. And for those who enjoy a frozen treat any time of the year, Simply Peeled serves up dairy-, gluten- and soy-free soft-serve that uses only natural fruit, filtered water and organic cane sugar. 

BOOK

Wanna Get Stuck?

Has your child ever gotten something stuck in a tree? Has a towering Central Park oak or maple swallowed your kid’s kite or taken your tot’s toy? The scenario is hilarious and its comedic potential is fully realized in Stuck (Philomel Books, 2011) by Brooklyn-based author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers. In this delicately drawn picture book, little Floyd uses a shoe, a bucket of paint, a ladder, a whale—even the kitchen sink!—in an effort to free his kite from the clutches of a gigantic tree. Let your children read all about out how Floyd resolves the crisis with resourcefulness and aplomb. 

BLOG

Green Living Online

Here’s a local and green-minded blog to add to your RSS feed: AlexandraZissu.com. The eco-obsessed writer provides parental insight into how to find safe everyday products for families. From cosmetics for moms to cribs for tots, Zissu scours the market in an effort to learn what’s clean and green, and what’s not. Informative and enlightening, Zissu’s blog complements other great resources including her co-written books The Complete Organic Pregnancy and Planet Home, along with The Conscious Kitchen. 

APP

iKid In The City

Are you an NYC parent on-the-go? There’s an app for that. When native New Yorker Lara Serebrier Paul began navigating the city with her new baby, she found it difficult to whip out her notes about the nearest subway elevator or playground. Soon after, iKidNY was born. The app offers vital info in five categories that city parents need most: Indoor Activities, Outdoor Activities, Changing Tables, Subway Elevators and Kid-Friendly Restaurants. With one-touch navigation, an interactive map with directions and auto-connect to phone numbers and websites, all of Lara’s tips are at the tips of your fingers. 

THERAPY

A Therapist For The Very Young

With the motto “empowered parents, happy families,” Dana Rosenbloom, an expert in early childhood education and development, works with parents and children to tackle family issues. Rosenbloom’s organization Dana’s Kids provides services in Individualized Child & Family Therapy that cover an assortment of topics for moms and dads (like bringing home a new baby and raising a child with special needs) and for kids (such as improving play skills and decreasing temper tantrums). Families can also work together with courses on sleep training, dealing with sibling rivalry and more. Along with family therapy, Dana presents her techniques at parenting programs and play groups.

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