Messing Around at Borders

Okay Moms...who is feeling couped up??? ME! The parks are buried under the snow, the pools are empty and taking a stroll outside is just plain dangerous. Do not fret! Brayden and I have a plan for you. And this one is free, free, FREE!

Go to Borders! The Borders at North and Halsted is a makeshift indoor play area for your tot!

Brayden and I popped into Borders on an errand day. I wanted to find a place where he could run around and exert some energy (so we could stay on our sleeping through the night schedule...hooray). I decided to check out Borders hoping they had some kind of kid area because I didn't want to spend money to entertain him. I had, after all, already spent plenty of money that afternoon!

And to my surprise the Children's Section is HUGE! There were about 15 kids all 5 and under running around, playing with toys, reading books, hugging giant stuffed animals (our fav was the giraffe), writing on the easel, sitting around the kid table jabbering to each other, playing with an awesome stand alone toy abacus and making an enormous mess! It was so great.



I mean it! A mess! The section resembled Brayden's playroom at the end of the day. A disaster. BUT the employees at Borders simply embraced it. No sighs under their breath, no dirty looks, nothing except an occasional giggle. Incredible! Tots are totally welcomed to be tots! Of course, all the moms and nannies did clean up after their tots.

More great news about Borders...Seattle's Best. It is no Starbucks (I'm a fan) but you can grab a coffee and have a snack with your tot.

And there is even more, every Wednesday at 10:30am is story time held in the Children's Section and Borders hosts elaborate kid parties for book releases (Fancy Nancy, Diary of Wimpy Kid, etc.) as well as some of the holidays. These parties are pretty much only advertised in the store. However, if you do not make it to Borders often DO NOT WORRY...I will keep you in the loop on these events. I am crossing my fingers for a Valentine's Day party at Borders.

In brief, head to Borders and let your tot run around the way he/she does at the park! You'll both have a ball...in fact, feel free to bring a ball! Now that is what I call Customer Satisfaction.

BRAYDEN's Pick: The Good Night Show on the Sprout Channel.

Mingling Topic: City Parking is Getting Pricey! Ugh.

First of all, these new pay boxes are already a hassle. Sometimes, I have to lug Brayden a half block to the pay box, wait behind someone whose credit card is authorizing and then double back to our car to put the receipt on the dash. Oh how I miss the convenience of the 'old fashion' street parking meter.

Remember saving your quarters for laundry well get back in the habit. As of February 11th meter prices are going up up up! Parking Downtown/Loop will be $3.50 and hour, Non-Loop/Central Business District will be $2.00 an hour and the Neighborhoods will be a $1.00 an hour...this is quadruple the old rate!

This roll out is planned to take 24 days (beginning Feb 11). We, the City, are locked into this (and many more rate hikes) for 75 years!

Happy 1st Birthday to Marley on January 13th!

K&B