Things have been pretty quiet around here lately, but recently we came across something so stupendous that we just had to share: sweet, soulful children's music by local group Mountaintide. Mountaintide is duo Jim Newsom and Holly Bishop, a fiddle and a flute, and their songs for kids (they also do music for grownups) are about going outside, having adventures, and imagining the silliest things.

We saw them at  in Virginia Beach one rainy afternoon a month or so ago and within thirty seconds of them taking the stage Anouk had abandoned her scone and was up and dancing with a crowd of kids. Of course we had to go home with the CD and have listened to it every day since.

To listen to Away We Go (Mountaintide's children's album), click here. Our favorite is Outside on a Saturday but they are all so much fun.

For the past several weeks, we've been testing a Marsupial Mamas exclusive wrap, Natibaby Homestead. We were lucky enough to get to try this wrap in a variety of styles -- 100% cotton in a broken in size 4 and loom-state size 6 and a 50/50 cotton-wool blend in a size 4. (In the photos in this post, the burnt-orange colored wrap is the cotton and the green is the wool blend).

Homestead is thick and blankety but doesn't feel too bulky or beastly. In loom state, it was rough and textured but after one wash and a day of wearing, it felt almost as floppy as the previously broken-in version. There was enough cush so that I was able to wear Gus for hours at a time without my shoulders getting tired and enough stretch so that I was able to move passes into place with ease. But once they were in place, the microtexture locked them there without slipping.

Cotton Homestead in a 6 made an easy and comfortable double hammock, and really shined in a simple ruck. Gus stayed high without sagging and without popping his seat, which is saying a lot as he is a champion bouncer and leaner these days. This wrap is a true workhorse/beater wrap -- it's the kind you want to wear while you're doing heavy duty chores or housework. The design of Homestead was inspired by the art of Terry Redlin, a master of the wilderness scene and I found myself gravitating toward it whenever I was going to be outdoors for a while, hiking or gardening or even for an afternoon of strawberry picking. Still, it was cuddly enough for when my still little guy wanted a wrap nap which he did a lot (because apparently Homestead comes with extra sleepy dust, too).

As far as the wool version of Homestead goes -- Natibaby wool must be magic because after being washed once and laid flat to dry, this wrap was so soft that I felt like I had to confirm with Marsupial Mamas that it actually was wool! As someone with a wool sensitivity, I can safely say that this wool was not prickly or itchy at all. Because spring in Virginia is changeable, I was able to wear wool Homestead in both hot and cool weather and it was equally comfortable in both. I appreciated the added strength and bounce that came with the wool version and the pop of emerald made me smile every time I saw it.





Overall: I'd recommend Natibaby Homestead as ideal for bigger infants all the way up to big kids. I'd recommend the wool version to the woolie beginner and for anyone who wants the stretch and support of wool without the fussiness! To get your own Homestead, visit the Marsupial Mamas marketplace here. And be sure to come back and let me know how much you love it!

P.S.: The little line of ducks swimming across this wrap slays me every time. *heart eyes*

My friend and fellow local blogger Brittany introduced me to Baby Talk Cafe in the Churchland area of Portsmouth and I'm so glad she did! It's difficult sometimes to find a place where, as a parent, you can go with your child and not feel like you have to spend your whole time there wrangling your child to act like an adult. Baby Talk Cafe is a coffee house that is set up specifically to let kids and adults coexist happily in the same place, and the result is wonderfully welcoming and comfortable, the kind of place you want to go back to again and again. The cafe's motto is "more than a cafe -- a community" and it really truly is.

We met up there a week or so ago for an impromptu play date and had a great time. The kids ran around in the (generously sized) play area. The moms sat on comfy couches and talked and drank coffee (which is actually GOOD) while the owner, Tanya, chatted with us about some of the upcoming events Baby Talk has hosted (including craft nights and game nights, vendor marketplaces and story times).



I posted something on Facebook last week about feeling overwhelmed since Gus was born and I get acquainted with the task of managing two children. Since then, I've heard from people telling me that they struggle with this, too.  I appreciate places like Baby Talk that let us relax and unwind WITH our kids (since it's hard to carve out time away from them). Remember to do something nice for yourself today, everyone!

We've been trying to have our friends over to dinner one night a week and last week, Molly brought PIE FACE, which holds the current title as messiest and also funnest game in our repertoire. Basically, the idea is Russian roulette but with whipped cream -- you roll the die, turn the lever the appropriate number of times and hope that you escape without pie (whipped cream) on your face.

The best part is that every single person who plays makes the same face while playing their turn. You can see it up there. That squinched up wait-for-it face. Makes for the best pictures.

What are you guys playing lately? HAPPY WEEKEND!

A week or so ago we made a brief visit to Bennett's Creek Park in Suffolk with our friends. The park features a playground, skate park, and fishing pier, but our favorite part was climbing rocks and exploring the tiny beach down by the Nansemond River. It was incredibly muddy but that's spring, isn't it? Tons and tons of mud. An added plus: on your way out you can stop by Bennett's Creek Farm Market for some of their amazing she-crab soup, yum!



We've had a lot going on lately, including a trip to Asheville (such a gorgeous town!), Easter (here's A. and G. in their finery), and oh, yeah, by the way, Anouk turned FIVE last week. Five! Can you believe it? We made our annual donation to March of Dimes in honor of our former preemie and if you haven't already made other plans for your charitable giving, we hope you will, too.

So in case you hadn't heard: there are BABY TIGERS at the Virginia Zoo! The zoo's breeding program for this critically endangered species has prospered and been fruitful and now little 000 and 001 (temporary names for the tiger cubs) have taken up residence in our fair city. Every day at 1:00 PM the almost 10-week-old cubs are on display at the Animal Wellness Campus and put on a display they really do, at least the three times we've visited, rolling and tumbling and biting each other and playing with toys. Just generally being adorable. So exciting!

For those of you not in the area (or those of you who are but can't make it to the zoo on any given day), you can see our precious cubs on the Malayan Tiger Cub webcam here. As a general note, be sure to check the time that the tigers will be on display before you visit -- it changes as the cubs grow and their schedule changes.

Speaking of cubs, how big are these ones getting?


We love our zoo now more than ever!

The Norfolk Botanical Gardens being closed for a month to set up for Lantern Asia really put a cramp in our style. I never realized how often we go or how much we depend on the Garden as a place to play on warmer days! But now that we've walked through the Lantern Asia exhibit, I can safely say without any doubt that the wait was worth it.

Lantern Asia is a traveling lantern festival put on by the China-based Tianyu Culture Communication, and features a mile of incredible lanterns to explore. The 36 lantern installations are made of silk and steel and represent Asian traditions and landmarks found in China, Japan, India and Korea, among other Far East nations. There's a giant color Taj Mahal, an elephant parade. Dozens of kawaii pandas tumbling over lighted flowers, and a child-sized ladybug parade. By day, the lanterns are sculptural works of art, detailed and colorful and lovely. But at night -- they're magic.

Our big kids -- Anouk and her two-year-old buddy, T. -- had an amazing time running around each exhibit and exclaiming over all the tiniest details (caveat -- it was increibly hard to keep them from touching and in one case, T. almost ran over an electrified rail (!) so just a strong tip, keep to the path). Even Baby Gus had a good time watching the lights (when he wasn't snoozing). All in all, our walk took about two hours, and this is including the time spent standing in line at the food truck court.

Lantern Asia will run through the end of April, with daily admission free for Garden members from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM. After that, all garden guests have to pay, though admission is discounted for members ($15 versus $20). Kids 3 and under get in free! Worth pushing back bedtime a few hours (and we take bedtime super seriously in this house).

With all of these beautiful mild days this winter we've had to really search for new places to go for family "hikes" (I use quotes because it's virtually impossible to actually hike in the Hampton Roads area, the best you can hope for is a nice flat pretty walk). But one of the prettiest nice flat walking places we've found on our travels is Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve, in the Western Branch area of Portsmouth.

Right in the middle of Hoffler Creek revolves is Lake Ballard. A trail that winds around the lake, with littler trails peek off from the main one like spokes. To explore each one would take the better part of an afternoon. During our last visit, we visited the kids trail, where A. had fun looking out for the yellow blazes that marked the path, a bird blind overlooking the river, and the Oyster Pier, where we saw baby oysters resting in protective baskets as part of a restoration project. There's also the homestead trail, leading to the site where the Ballard family used to live, and a Bluebird Trail, which is popular with birders.



Hoffler Creek is set up to get kids excited about nature, offering guides that point out native plants and giving kids the chance to look out for wildlife and mark them on a wildlife sighting map. An interactive play area is in the works. For bigger kids (with adult supervision), kayaks can be rented for a fee.

There are some exciting events coming up at Hoffler Creek this spring, including a volunteer work day (keep our area beautiful!) and a Spring Tasting Tour which will teach you to identify and cook with edible plants around the preserve. Read more and register here.