At times my daughter runs errands and instead of packing them up I opt to just stay home. Babysitting starts with a prayer to the baby god for strength and endurance  as feeding two screaming & hungry infants is no little task. I have not had so many body parts moving at once for a long time. I sometimes break out in a sweat as the babies are testing my  patience  as they are secretly singing the new Britney Spear’s song “I’m gonna scream and shout and let it all out,” and believe me they do. But after they are both fed and changed and back in their beds there is nothing better than their eyes gazing up at you. Time to rest up for the next adventure.

-Mama Bell

I had the pleasure of sitting down at Peacefood Café yesterday with Dimity Kirwan, the CEO of Beyond Teaching a super savvy, fast-growing online community of teachers seeking extra work as tutors and caregivers.

Dimity connects teachers with parents who are looking for skilled and knowledgeable individuals to work with their children. Sound familiar to LLD?

Beyond Teaching believes that providing children with ongoing learning experiences is essential. Dimity and I understand that parents often struggle to find top quality childcare and tutors. LLD & Beyond Teaching are proud to collaborate in developing a solution for busy moms throughout the tri-state area by providing the best local tutors and caregivers. During the interview I had the opportunity to ask Dimity several questions about herself and Beyond Teaching.

Tell us about your story?

I’m from Wilton, CT, which is in Fairfield County. I have a twin sister, a younger brother and sister, and 3 much younger half sisters, for whom I often babysat and nannied. I went to Tulane University, in New Orleans. When I graduated, I joined Teach for America and completed a masters of education, specializing in Childhood 1-6, from Pace University whil

e teaching in Harlem.

What led you to start Beyond Teaching ?

Throughout my first three years of teaching, I supplemented my income through babysitting and tutoring, but connecting with families was always tough. I loved working with kids one on one and wished that I had more opportunities to do so, as did my fellow teacher friends. I thought it would be such a great business to connect these wonderful families I was meeting with great sitters/tutors.

What is the coolest thing that has happened to you this far?

My grant to start Beyond Teaching from the Jones New Yo

rk Empowerment Fund and meeting Dee Dee Meyers! I heard about this grant offer through Ladies Who Launch, applied, and received the grant in September 2010. All the recipients were featured in an ad campaign that ran in Elle & Real Simple Magazine.

So what is your goal with Beyond Teaching ?

On a larger scale, I’m hoping to empower teachers to utilize their skills beyond the classroom and to be compensated accordingly. I would love to do this full-time as I love being able to connect families and students with quality tutors.

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

Generally, playing outdoors with my siblings. Our house was in the middle of the woods, and we created a fantasyland out of nature! My love for nature has continued – when I’m not teaching or working on Beyond Teaching , I’m an avid rock climber and yogi!

So how do tutors get involved in Beyond Teaching ?

It’s easy – take 10 minutes to visit our website www.gobeyondteaching.com and register for free.

Thanks to Dimity for all the great insight! That’s all for now, make sure to keep following LLD!

-LB

A big shout out goes to all of the parents who brought their kids to our Day in the Park with Lucky Lil’ Darling sitters. It was a HUGE success! We loved having the chance to meet some new adorable kids, help them get a jump-start on homework after school, and spend some time in the great outdoors. The weather was beautiful and we couldn’t keep ourselves off the playground at the park. Some of the more adventurous big kids were climbing all over the rocks! As you can see, we were having a blast!

Our sitters helped kids pick different leaves, sticks and rocks for a school project about nature. LLD sitters really do try to go above and beyond!

Before we sent the kids on their way home, we had a tasty treat of ice cream and wandered around the outskirts of the park. We really were sad to see them go! Here’s a great picture of Lindsay hanging out with some of the kids during the event.

We really hope everyone enjoyed the play date as much as we did and we can’t wait to have another Day at the Park with LLD. Keep tuned for more upcoming opportunities to get involved with LLD! As always, make sure to follow us @Luckylildarling and like us on Facebook.

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!