Laura, Lindsay, Kristy & Jennifer. Photo courtesy of Bellamyblue.com

The children ranged in age from newborn to 8 years old. Parents had theoption to keep their children with them or to leave them with LLD’sprofessional sitters. We had a bunch of fun activities to inspire and excitethe kids! From the “black hole” to laser tag or arts & crafts toa fun scavenger hunt the kids were happy, entertained and learning. The event ended with surprise guest Darth Vader!

-LB

2. Bedtime Rules. Talk to your sitter about your bedtime routine with the kids i.e. What time do you begin to wind down the night? What is your child’s favorite story and/or bedtime song? What time should they be asleep by?

3. Special Instructions.  Are there any special rules you have? Do your kids have any allergies the sitter should know about? Are the kid’s sick and need medicine?

4. Exchange Contact Info. Be sure to leave your sitter with your cell phone and an emergency contact numbers. Be sure to get her cell phone number so that you can text her throughout the night if you have any questions or to check in.

5. Anything else? Sitters are happy to lend a helping hand. If you’d like them to unload the dishwasher or change the laundry most sitters won’t mind. Especially once they have been at your home a few times and you feel connected to them. They will be happy to help!

I stayed to listen to Kira Ryan, mom, sleep lover and co-founder of Dream Team speak about her infant& toddler sleep tips. Here are a few!

• Newborns should get 15-18 hours of sleep per day (24hrs)
• A good bedtime for an infant is between 6-8pm
• Signs of a sleepy infant: the cry is different, no engagement or eye contact, fussy
• What is normal?
  • Up to 6 mo infants take naps every1 ½ -2 hours
  • At 6mo infants usually take 2 naps per day
  • 15-18 mo 1 long nap in the afternoon
  • Naps or ‘quiet time’ is recommended up to 3-4 years
  • White noise machines are great especially for city noise
  • Crib should be a sleep sanctuary, anything that screams party or playground should be removed
  • Check the nursery temperature! It should be between 68-72 F.
  • Is the room dark enough? Get blackout shades!

For more info on Dream Team click here

1. Have some fun in the sun! Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponack in the Hamptons is perfect place to spend the day with the kids. The beach there has wide open spaces so your little ones won’t be throwing sand on your neighbor’s blanket when they are trying to dig a hole to China – giving you a little time to sit back and relax. Maybe even read a book! Be sure to check if you need a parking pass before you head out, parking is difficult to say the least! And we all know there’s nothing like driving around in circles with your kids in the back screaming to get out and play in the sun. If you’re looking for a little seaside help, Lucky L’il Darlings babysitters will be in the Hamptons this weekend, ready to help out and make your weekend that much better.

2. Go fly a kite at the Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City! Who needs to buy a kite when you can just make one! From 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm learn how to make your own kite, for FREE. Use your creativity and make your kite come alive in the sky. This is a great activity for parents and kids!

3. Bring the whole family out for a day of fun at Belmont Park Race Track! Sunday, July 3rd from 1-4 pm in Elmont on Long Island, the Family Fun Day will feature face painting, a petting zoo and fun carnival games. What a fun way to spend an afternoon with the kids!

4. Chow down at one of New York’s best Crawfish Boils! For all you seafood lovers that want to try a Southern-Style Crawfish Boil, The Village Pourhouse on the corner of 11th street and 3rd avenue in NYC is the place to be. For $40 per person, you can enjoy 2 crawfish baskets, unlimited Southern Chicken Sliders, Potato Salad, Corn-on the Cob and other sides. This deal is open from 6 pm – 8 pm on July 4th, giving you plenty of time to catch the fireworks afterwards. To buy tickets check out this website: http://downtownnyc.villagepourhouse.com/?p=events&i=2.

5. Go see the best fireworks in town! Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks never ceases to amaze us. This year on July 4th, beginning at approximately 9 p.m., Macy’s will have fireworks being released from six barges in the Hudson River. This year’s theme is The Gift of Freedom marking the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, as well as the 235th birthday of the United States. The music will be performed in sync with the fireworks and you can tune in on 1010 WINS to listen.

We hope you like some of these fun ideas for this 4th of July Weekend. We wish you the best weekend ever. Have fun and be safe!

We hope everyone had an amazing time at the trunk show last month organized by BrightZoo and Modern Mommy! The event was hosted in a beautiful space in downtown New York where parents could take in the beautiful views of NYC while shopping for their little ones. Even better, Lucky L’il Darlings was right there with them! While the parents shopped, we supervised their kids in a conveniently located playroom.

The clothes were the absolute cutest around from such stylish brands as Purebaby, Siaomimi, Serendipity, Three Little Trees, Masala, Soft, Pink Chicken Swimwear, shirin and much, much more. Round of applause for all those trend setter parents that made the trip because a portion of the proceeds are being donated to The Autism Society of America. Shopping and charity, what could be better!

If you missed out, don’t fret! You can check out more of the collection of baby products at MD Moms website. These pediatrician mommy’s have created a whole line of products for babies and kids that are coveted by moms everywhere!

Keep checking back at the Lucky L’il Darlings Blog, Twitter, and Facebook for upcoming events and info for all you loving parents out there!