Four Days of Giveaways from Little Beans Cafe: A Little Time for Mama

Listen -- I like quality playtime with my kiddos as much as the next mama, but I am not afraid to admit that sometimes I need a little break.

And by break, I don't mean a leisurely nap or anything like that. Sometimes I need a break from my kids so that I can attend to all of the other pressing issues in my life -- like paying bills, finishing up work assignments, actually having an adult conversation with a friend, or getting through the myriad of items on my to-do list.

Sometimes Mommy needs a minute of alone time (preferably with a hot beverage and something sweet to go with it).

Luckily for me, the newly-opened Little Beans Cafe can help with this kind of predicament. In addition to being a fabulous indoor play space and cafe destination for city families, Little Beans Cafe has a few really unique offerings for parents -- including supervised play and several other "mom-centric" offerings such as manicures and yoga classes.

Supervised play is basically on-site entertainment and fun for your kiddo while you return that phone call or meet your deadline in the adjacent cafe space. Your little ones will be placed in age -appropriate groups with a trained staff member who will keep them entertained with various activities and projects while you do what you need to do (while remaining on site). Parents must sign up in advance to reserve their space. Supervised play costs $20 for 1 and a half hours (admission to play space included).

Another great mama-only option is the Mommy Time Yoga class offered several times a week. Be sure to check back and see what other mama-offerings are added to the calendar in the coming weeks (I've heard rumors about manicures and classes on how to make your own baby food!).

In the spirit of celebrating quality mommy time, Little Beans Cafe is giving away one free play date package -- a play date for a group of up to 10 people. This would be a fabulous chance to get together with some of the mamas in your life that you never get to really sit and talk to. Let the kids explore the custom Little Beans village while you sip coffee and catch up.

There are a couple of ways you can enter to win this fab prize: (1) leave a comment on this post (make sure you include your contact info so we can get in touch with you if you win!); (2) Become a Fan of Little Beans Cafe on Facebook (and leave a separate comment telling me that you've done so); and (3) Follow @LittleBeansCafe on Twitter (and leave a separate comment telling me that you've done so).

So three total entries per person. All entries must be received by midnight CST on Friday, January 28, 2011. We will randomly choose and winner and contact that lucky, lucky individual on Monday, January 31, 2011.

This is the final giveaway of the week. If you haven't done so already, be sure to enter to win the other amazing prizes listed below (but hurry, because time is running out!)

• A free class session at Little Beans Cafe over on Self-Made Mom
  
• A birthday party package worth $325(!) on Sassy Moms in the City
• A one-month unlimited play pass (value: $85)
  

Four Days of Giveaways from Little Beans Cafe: Play, Play All Day!

Have you heard about the hottest new opening in town -- at least for the age 6-and-under set? Trust me when I tell you that Little Beans Cafe (an indoor play space and family cafe located near Elston and Webster) is going to be the place to be for Chicago families this winter.

Little Beans offers the perfect combination of fun for kiddos and comfort and convenience for parents. It is part imaginative play space and part family cafe. Kids can play, run and explore in the customized indoor interactive village (which is a-maz-ing!) while mom and/or dad grab something yummy to eat from the cafe.

Little Beans is really all about creating opportunities for Chicago families to engage in imaginative play together. Drop-ins are $12 per child (plus $7 for each additional sibling). Adults are free. Stop in and let your kids explore this interactive, creative space while you grab an Intelligentsia coffee, goodies from Flirty Cupcakes or one of the many other fantastic menu offerings (seriously, yummy stuff for you and the kiddos).

Want to get in on the fun? For free? Little Beans is giving away a one-month unlimited membership (Value: $85). There are a couple of ways you can enter to win this fab prize: (1) leave a comment on this post (make sure you include your contact info so we can get in touch with you if you win!); (2) Become a Fan of Little Beans Cafe on Facebook (and leave a separate comment telling me that you've done so); and (3) Follow @LittleBeansCafe on Twitter (and leave a separate comment telling me that you've done so).

So three total entries per person. All entries must be received by midnight CST on Friday, January 28, 2011. We will randomly choose and winner and contact that lucky, lucky individual on Monday, January 31, 2011.

Wait, there's more -- lots more! All week long, Self-Made Mom (Sara Fisher), Sassy Moms in the City (Alison Ray) and I are going to be giving away fantastic items from Little Beans as we gear up for our big Media/VIP event at Little Beans Cafe on Friday.

So enter to win this great prize right now and then head over to Self-Made Mom's site tomorrow to see what cool Little Beans item she is giving away to a lucky reader (could even be you!).

Disclosure: I am working with Little Beans Cafe to help promote the grand opening and Media/VIP Event. I am being compensated for my time.

Our Week with Penny: A Retrospective

Another snack, Penny? Sure, Why not.

Let's play ball in the backyard! Everybody -- snowsuits on! Let's go!

Back to my spot on the living room couch.

More playing! More playing!

And . . . back to the couch again.

We miss you Penny (some of the little people in the house really, really miss you).

We Got a Dog! (well, sort of)

Meet Penny!

She really belongs to my sister and her family -- but this week, she belongs to us!

When Ellie was about three years-old, she asked me when we could get a dog. Like an idiot, I said, "When you are ten."

Of course, she remembers that exchange perfectly and we've been in a count-down ever since.

Most days, the three-and-a-half year wait until Ellie actually turns ten seems entirely too short and I rue the day I ever uttered those words.

With all of the people and needs that we already have in our house, I often question my ability to competently deal with more potty and discipline issues.

But when the opportunity to babysit Penny for a few days arose, we jumped on it. So this week, we are giving it a trial run.

Admittedly, this isn't really a true trial because Penny is the easiest dog ever. But she still needs to be fed, played with, let out and loved. And I actually think we're doing a pretty darn good job so far.

Miss Penny is pretty nice to have around actually. The kids love her and she seems to find them kind of intriguing, at least part of the time (and the other time she spends snoozing on my living room couch in relative silence -- which is fine too.)

Penny will be with us for a few more days. So I'll be back with updates on our so-far pawsitive foray into dog ownership.

Ice Cream Clown Sundaes for Colin

We aren't really cake people.

Between Colin's egg allergy and Ellie's general anti-cake-or-cupcake sentiment, I've found that it is easier to stick to ice cream for birthday celebrations.

For Ellie's birthday last April, we made ice cream flower pots (complete with hidden gummy worms) and those were a big hit.

For Colin's recent birthday celebration, my clever and talented sister-in-law Bethany created these ice cream clowns. We dipped the rims of plain ol' sugar cones in melted chocolate and then covered them in sprinkles. Bethany piped frosting up and down the "hats" to create the most adorable puffs. We used chocolate chips for the eyes, a red M&M for the nose and a piece of Twizzler for the mouth.

Viola. Tasty and fun.