grab a cup of mom-fort at LAMill coffee

Although parenthood doesn't always lend itself to this, I like to eat like a grown-up every once in a while. At a table. With real dishware. And I don't always want to pay a sitter so I can get my civilized society fix.

Which is why I am grateful for European-inspired coffee houses. Most recently LAMill, which opened at the Four Seasons in Harbor East this past fall.

A little bit of mom-fort (or parent-comfort for that matter) in a what can be a kid-crazy world.

Think European-inspired baked goods with an American-twist meet fabulous coffees and teas with a side of soups, salads and melty-sandwiches. Are you swooning yet? You'll find a concise (yet delicious) breakfast and lunch menu that designed for on-the-go or eat-in. I can't speak for lunch as I was there for breakfast, but this review in Grub Street references a lobster pop pie. Hello, deliciousness -- and my next downtown lunch adventure.

{hot} dish: national aquarium extends purple pride deal

Just got this in my inbox. Thought you might appreciate the info!

To continue the city-wide show of support as the Ravens advance in the NFL postseason, the National Aquarium, Baltimore will once again offer a special $5 discount on general admission tickets to guests wearing Ravens or purple apparel on Friday, January 20. The promotion is available through on-site admission ticket purchasing only. The discount will apply only for operating hours of 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on January 20, 2012. One discount per person. Cannot be combined with any other offers.



Visitors are encouraged to join Aquarium staff in wearing their purple Ravens gear on Purple Friday, January 20 and for the rest of the weekend.

{hot} dish: hello, baby! still time to register...

There's still time to join the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance and the Downtown Baltimore Jewish Community Center for the winter session of Hello Baby, their group for new parents. Meet other downtown parents, participate in discussions, and enjoy music and sensory stimulation activities with your baby.

Classes will also focus on infant massage as you strengthen your bond with your newborn in this meaningful class. Benefits for your baby include sleep support, brain development, digestive support, constipation relief, relaxation, and more. Never underestimate the power of touch in your child's life! 

There are weekday and weekend classes -- all of which start the week of January 9th. Class is $80 for non-members and $50 for DBFA members. Register today!

hampden christmas lights

Nothing says "Bawlmer" holidays like millions of Christmas lights. And the illuminating miracle that lights up 34th street in Hampden is one of my favorite holiday traditions.

I suspect it may be one of the Bug's favorite things about Christmas as well since she keeps asking to go see the "WOW" twinkle lights (and inevitably we give in since it's so darn close to our house). A few weeks ago we even made a quick trek in our pajamas, at the Bug's cute little pre-bedtime whim {"Mom, I'm not tired. See twinkle lights?"}. Yes, we were that family in flannel pj pants, North Face coats and UGGs. Who says only college kids can pull off that look?

Annapolis-based filmmaker Josh Davidsburg shot me an email with a link to his fantastic video about this year's 34th Street Christmas light bonanza. Neighbors estimate that more than 120,000 will make a pilgrimage to the light display this year, which runs through New Years Day.  You can also check out the Baltimore's Sun's Lights Photo Gallery.

this isn't your grandma's christmas carol... new holiday concert debuts in baltimore next week

‘Tis the season for transformation. Or so says the classic holiday story, A Christmas Carol. But the timeless tale of Mr. Scrooge (heck, it’s even a Disney classic at this point) is getting a facelift this December... thanks to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the forward-thinking artists behind the international debut of A Christmas Carol -  The Concert.

A brilliant musical collage of rock, blues, gospel, classical, broadway show-stoppers and even a toe-tapping Irish fiddle number, this Christmas Carol performance is definitely not your Grandma’s orchestra concert.

But she'll probably still enjoy it.

“I’m trying to think of a genre I didn’t cover in this piece!” said composer Bob Christianson during a phone interview last week. “It’s very eclectic and fresh. It’s not a musical -- that’s been done before. This is a concert that tells a story. It’s more a hybrid piece.”

A Christmas Carol - The Concert reinvents the orchestra concert experience and, if Christianson gets his druthers, will appeal to a whole new generation of concert goers. Including the pint sizers in your life.

holiday magic at the b&o railroad museum (+ winner)

Yesterday, the Bug and I had a chance to visit the B&O Railroad Museum (right off Pratt Street) for the kick-off to their Holiday Festival of Train and Toys.

What does a holiday kick-off look like B&O style? Why, Santa and Mrs. Claus come into the station with grand fanfare -- aboard a cheery red locomotive right into the Roundhouse.

With festive snowflake lights, two wooden nutcrackers standing guard and the whole of the roundhouse decorated in greenery and 'sparkles' {according to the Bug}, it really did feel like you were in the middle of  The Polar Express.

Follow up that excitement with a stop by the Choo Choo Blue Zone, wander among the indoor and outdoor train gardens and catch a good old fashioned train ride aboard the One Mile Express (complete with White-Christmas twinkling lights and carols)... It's one fabulous outing.

santa claus is coming to town! the harbor transforms into winter wonderland this weekend!

We know the Thanksgiving turkey isn't even basting yet, but Charm City couldn't wait to get a jump on the holiday season. Santa Claus arrives with unprecedented fanfare THIS Saturday!

Join families and organizations from all over Baltimore at the Inner Harbor this weekend for the city's first Holiday Lantern Parade, this Saturday at 5:30 PM. Lights and luminance spark first at West Shore Park, continuing around the Harbor to welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus.  Didn't get a chance to make a lantern at one of last weekend's community workshops? No worries. You'll have another opportunity this Saturday afternoon at Winter Wonderland.

Yes, Charm City families will be walking in a Winter Wonderland at West Shore Park from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM on Saturday. Sponsored by The Waterfront Partnership, this FREE event includes live music, 'reindeer' pony rides, gingerbread cookie decorating, holiday crafts with Port Discovery, ornament making with the Charm City Circulator team, face painting, strolling magicians, Christmas plate decorating, and the play masters from KneeBouncers!

riddle me this... "don't miss" port discovery deal with certifikid!

What do tree houses, edutainment and saving the family budget have in common? Port Discovery and Certifikid, that’s what.

Baltimore parents know all about the awesome that is Port Discovery. From Tot-time activities in their terrific new “Tot Trails” room -perfect for tiny ones to explore in safety with soft edges, cushy floors- to their famous three story tree house packed with activities to amaze all, Port Discovery is the jewel of Baltimore family fun. But what is a Certifikid?

Certifikid (sur-tif-a-kid) is the result of one Bethesda mom’s passion for family fun and great deals.

help illuminate santa's arrival: baltimore's first holiday lantern parade

Baltimore is welcoming Santa and Mrs. Claus in a BIG way this year: the first-ever holiday lantern parade! If you love the grand illuminaria of the Great Halloween Parade in Patterson park, this is a definite 'don't miss.'

The parade kicks off at 5:30 PM on November 19th at West Shore Park, and is sponsored by Harborplace & The Gallery, Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, Nana Projects, The Maryland Science Center, and Patterson Park Public Charter School. 

You could go and watch the parade -- but wouldn't it be more fun for you and kiddos if you were well, in it? 

You can be! All you need is a lantern. Don't have one handy or not sure how to make one? Don't sweat it. Parade partners have set-up three different FREE family lantern making workshops, so you and the kiddos can get your 'elf' on without having to hit up three art stores for supplies:

mama wants her body back: fitness mini-session giveaway

The holidays are here. That means lots of running around, shopping, parties, family get-togethers, baking, turkey roasting, card writing, wrapping, lists... prime time for forgetting (or avoiding) taking time for yourself.

Then January 1st comes around and smacks you. It's time to think about you. You make a resolution. Thinking about the sugar cookies you OD'd on, you vow to fit in fitness and improve your health.

4 weeks later: What resolution?

The wonderful moms behind Body Back Baltimore want to help moms take care of yourself this holiday season, and get a jump on that new years resolution. They've introduced a 4 week fitness mini-session that launches after Thanksgiving and wraps up just before Christmas (November 29th - December 22nd). Perfect for helping you fit comfortably into that little black dress hanging at the back of your closet on New Year's Eve. Or heck, give you the perfect excuse to go buy a new one.

monster mash-up: baltimore's harbor harvest 2011

Many thanks to everyone who came out to play at Harbor Harvest 2011! We had a blast. The Waterfront Partnership estimates that more than 6,000 people came to the event, and many of them stopped by to make their best monster face. Take a look below or check out (and share!) the video on facebook.

healthiest cities for families? baltimore ranks 85th according to parents.com

Parents.com recently evaluated 150 different cities in the United States to determine which cities were healthiest for families. Examining 40 criteria to see which ones are making family well-being a top priority (i.e. schools that have frequent gym classes, kid doctors and specialists galore, businesses that don’t pollute, parks in every neighborhood, etc.).

Topping the list were: San Francisco for its gutsy moves to bring healthier foods to schools; Boston due to its more than 400 kids’ docs, a state-of-the-art children’s hospital, and one of the largest pediatric research facilities in the U.S; and Honolulu because it has the least ozone pollution of any U.S. city.

Where did Baltimore rank? 85th. Sandwiched between Wichita and Little Rock. New York and Philadelphia scored in the top 20. Washington, DC ranked 112th.

{hot} dish: new federal hill playground plan

The South Harbor Renaissance community organization recently commissioned a new playground design for Federal Hill Park -- and just released the plan on their facebook page. The new playground is being designed by Hord Coplan Macht and includes Baltimore-centric elements such as a Federalist model ship for kids to play on and explore.

From South Harbor's website:

The proposed playground design will provide a child-centered, parent-friendly experience that also honors Baltimore’s and Federal Hill Park’s rich history. 

The main theme of this plan is a set of miniature, child-centered historic icons, including “The Federalist” ship from the 1780s, for which Federal Hill is named; “Signal Hill Tower”, which stood watch for merchant ships in the 1800s; and “Fort Federal Hill”, which occupied Federal Hill during the Civil War. 

our next playdate: harbor harvest on october 16th

It's all about the urban pumpkin patch this Sunday at West Shore Park. And we'll be there!

Join us at the 4th Annual Harbor Harvest, hosted by The Waterfront Partnership and the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance. This year's urban harvest adventure features a pumpkin patch sponsored by IKEA, petting zoo, straw maze, face painting, kids crafts, pie eating contest, live music by Milkshake and more!

We'll be there, too! We've got a fun urban harvest family photo station in the works and a bundle of props to help you get creative. Think wacky and imaginative. We can't wait to capture the (cool) that is Charm City kids and families!

free fall baltimore: family events around town

It's October! That means the return of Free Fall Baltimore. Free Fall Baltimore is a program of the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA), the city’s non-profit special event and arts agency. BOPA champions the important role of creativity in building a vibrant, exciting and livable city, energizing not just the arts scene, but Baltimore as a whole.

BOPA developed the Free Fall Baltimore program to increase access, interest and attendance in the city's many cultural organizations, especially for families and young adults, who are the creative community's future patrons. Free Fall Baltimore is made possible by presenting sponsor Susquehanna Bank and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts.

For a full listing of FREE events associated with this program, check out the Free Fall Baltimore website. We combed through all of the fabulous programs and pulled the descriptions for the family friendly ones. You'll also find all of these events on our calendar.

baltimore walks: take the pledge

The Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance wants you to help make Charm City safer - by increasing Baltimore's walkability factor.

DBFA has launched a new campaign to make Baltimore safer for walking.  The organization believes that living in a walkable neighborhood decreases crime, enhances public safety, and increases home values, public health, and adoption rates of public transportation. However, according to a DBFA email newsletter, pedestrian injury is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 5 to 14 years old. Excessive vehicle speed is the leading cause of crashes in Baltimore City.

To start educating Charm City residents, DBFA created Baltimore Walks, a new website dedicated to providing information about walking in Baltimore neighborhoods. They're also gearing up for October 5th: National Walk to School Day, launched a city-wide pledge campaign encouraging drivers to break for pedestrians and are co-sponsoring a student pedestrian safety video contest with Baltimore City Public Schools.

ultimate block party rocks rash field in baltimore

The first chilly temps of fall didn't keep Baltimore families from coming out in droves to celebrate the art and science of play.

More than 25 family-friendly organizations set-up play-based activities across Rash Field as the third Ultimate Block Party descended on Charm City. There was playdough, dancing, zebra fish, sidewalk chalk, foam play cities and playground games.

Most importantly, there was just plain fun.

Ultimate Block Party is a national non-profit organization promoting how children learn best -- through discovery, imagination, play and collaborative learning. Each play-based station at yesterday's event had an explanatory display that detailed how the activity promoted a child's cognitive, emotional and social growth. Previous block parties have been held in New York City and Toronto.

scenes from the baltimore book festival

We had an opportunity to check out the Baltimore Book Festival this past weekend (it was one of the things on our fall bucket list). Even though the Bug wasn't feeling 100%, she had a great time! Some highlights of our outing: running into Lisa from Milkshake (she says she NEVER misses a Book Festival), dancing to the whimsical pop rhythms provided by Victoria Vox (on ukelele no less), meeting Clifford and climbing through the muddy tunnels in the kids' area. Be sure to check out the Festival next year for a fun, kid-friendly downtown adventure.

ultimate block party is coming to baltimore

It happened in Central Park. It happened in Toronto.

And now it's happening right here in Charm City.

On October 2nd, the Baltimore Ultimate Block Party will rock Rash Field at the Inner Harbor. But don't think burgers, brats and beer -- think play, play and more play. With a side of learning. For FREE.

It's a day of play all based on brain science. Or really, aiming to show how play supports a child's cognitive, emotional and social development.

2011 baltimore grand prix fun -- family style

It's here! The much-touted, highly anticipated, gee-whiz-when-will-traffic-return-to-normal, grand prix has arrived. Here's our list of family-friendly weekend prix events -- and not all of them require a jaunt downtown.

Family Fun Zone at the Grand Prix: The Hershey Park Road Tour and Port Discovery will both be in the Grand Prix Family Fun Zone this weekend. Create your own Indy car, hop on a go-kart or spin the RAACE Foundation Fun wheel. You can also tour the Paddock, which serves as the garage for all of the cars and race teams. Access to the Paddock is FREE on Friday for kids and adults. Children 2 years old and under are admitted free to all race activities, including the grandstands. There are special ticket prices for kids for all race-related activities.

Zoo Prix: The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is having lots of fast-paced fun this weekend, including animal obstacle courses and turtle races. (Not sure how fast the turtle race is...). If you show your Grand Prix ticket stub, you can get buy-1-get-one-50% off admission to the zoo on September 3rd and 4th.

Grand Prix Fun at Port Discovery: Free with your paid admission to the Port Discovery Children's Museum. Check out the Science of Speed by making a hoop glider or your tike can design their own race car! From Saturday, Sept. 3 through Sunday, Sept. 5, just pay $8.95 per person for general admission. {{Thanks to Amie at Economoms for the tip!)

Little Italy Street Celebration: Rev up your engines, Baltimore! In the spirit of the momentous Baltimore Grand Prix, Little Italy’s restaurants have joined forces for a gastronomical, fun-filled weekend. Sip and dine alfresco at one of Little Italy’s restaurants while enjoying lively music, bocce tournaments, and more.

Kids Can Dine FREE: Guess what? All kids under 12 are eating FREE with any purchase of an adult entree at The Point in Fells and Lebanese Taverna this weekend.

Grand Deal During the Grand Prix at the National Aquarium: Save $5 on general Aquarium admission when you purchase online for visits between September 1-5, 2011. Enter promo code GRAND at checkout to receive the discount.

Extended Hours, Discount Admission and the 100th Anniversary of the Indy 500 at Sports Legend Museum: Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards will serve as the "Official Retail Location" for the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix. Fans can purchase race merchandise at the Sports Legends Museum Store, located in historic Camden Station. Extended hours and reduced admission to the museum for 4 days (September 1-4, 2011), $5 per person. The 100th Anniversary of the Indy 500 exhibit includes a Kelso dynamics Special used in the 1960 and 1961 Indy 500.

Summer Live Concert Series -- Each evening at Harborplace Ampitheatre! Enjoy FREE top name entertainment at Charm City's premier outdoor waterfront. The concert series features bands ranging from Motown, funk and jazz, oldies, to blues, R&B, country and everything in between.

There are tons of deals happening in the city in celebration of race week, too. Check out Baltimore.org for a full list.

Trying to stay far far away from all race-related activities? ABC 2 News has a great advice on avoiding race traffic...