Jessica Laird

Latest posts by Jessica Laird

Tips for Preparing Your Child for the First Day of Daycare

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Tue, 09/07/2021 - 10:00am

Bright Horizons has been designing early education centers, programs, and schedules to meet the needs of working families for over 30 years now.

The reality is, everyone is likely to be a bit nervous on the first day of daycare. Starting at a child care program is a big transition for the entire family, and a little preparation goes a very long way for kids and parents alike.

While I’ve done my share of first day drop-offs, I connected with the experts at Bright Horizons to create the child care to-do list I wish I’d had myself. If you don’t know Bright Horizons, the popular early education and preschool program has been thoughtfully designing centers, programs, and schedules to meet the needs of working families for over 30 years now. With more than 1,000 locations worldwide—plus 3 brand new NYC centers opening at West 53rd, Essex Crossing, and down in NoHo—the team behind the innovative program for infants through pre-kindergarteners knows everything there is to know about gearing up for that very first day.

Brooklyn Youth Chorus Returns to In-Person Programming With Openings for Young Singers

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Thu, 09/02/2021 - 10:00am

Following a year of virtual programming, Brooklyn Youth Chorus returns to in-person classes and performances with online options.

After a year of virtual vocal classes and performances, Brooklyn Youth Chorus is back to in-person programming this fall, with plenty of safety precautions in place. Now in its 30th season, the Chorus offers world-class music training for ages 7 to 18 with an emphasis on healthy vocal development, music literacy, and group performance at all levels.

There’s no experience required to join the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, but a love of singing is an absolute must! If you’re interested in getting your music-lover involved, read on for class offerings, COVID-19 safety measures, and the lowdown on how to apply for the 2021/22 season.

Back to School and the Delta Variant: What Infectious Disease Experts Want Parents to Know

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Thu, 08/19/2021 - 11:00am

Connecticut Children’s has been working closely with other national and global health leaders to stay on top of the latest coronavirus data.

Just as families are preparing to send kids back to school, the highly-contagious Delta variant is driving COVID-19 cases back up. Parents everywhere are wondering what these soaring numbers mean for their vaccinated and unvaccinated kids and how to keep them safe.

Finally a Fast and Easy Way to Complete the Most Avoided Parental Chore

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Tue, 08/17/2021 - 12:11am

With Bestow, get a personalized term life insurance quote—no medical exam required—in as little as five minutes.

Nobody wants to think about life insurance, but securing a policy is such an important way to help protect your family in a worst-case scenario.

The good news is there's actually an easy way to apply for coverage and check this dreaded chore off your to-do list forever. With Bestow, you can get a personalized term life insurance quote—no medical exam required—in as little as five minutes. That’s less time than it’ll take your toddler to draw her next masterpiece on the living room wall.

So, how does it work? What does it cost? And—wait—what exactly is term life insurance anyway? Read on, moms and dads, because we’re serving up everything you need to know to apply for a plan now.

NYC’s Intrepid Museum Reopens for Families with a Free Child’s Ticket Offer

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Thu, 08/12/2021 - 11:00am

Where can you snap a selfie with the world’s fastest military jets? Stand beneath a world-renowned space shuttle? Or climb aboard the only guided missile submarine that’s open to the public? Since reopening its doors in March 2021, the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum has been welcoming families back to its home at Pier 86 with new safety guidelines, as well as new and restored exhibits alongside its tried and true attractions.

Wondering what to expect at the Intrepid Museum these days? Read on for answers to some of the most asked questions about visiting the historic complex since it reopened.

Book Flexible Family-Friendly Tours and Experiences in Any City with Viator

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Tue, 08/10/2021 - 11:00am

Book memorable experiences for the whole family, like a New York City express water taxi tour past the Statue of Liberty.

After being mostly stuck in one place for more than a year, so many families are now taking off on road trips, daydreaming about overseas getaways, or desperately seeking new adventures close to home. Falling hopelessly into that last category myself at the moment, I was beyond happy when I heard about Viator, a Tripadvisor-owned aggregator that helps people find and book popular tours, tickets, and Insta-worthy experiences across the globe (or, in my case, right here in New York City).

From a hop-on-hop-off double-decker bus tour of San Francisco to a scavenger hunt in the covered passages of Paris, Viator’s got all the hot spots covered, plus a simple search feature and helpful filters that make it easy to find a good fit for your crew. You can start your hunt by entering your location and dates, and then refine results with options like “Good for avoiding crowds” and “Kid friendly.” You can also filter by your preferred price, duration, or time of day, or even by the activities’ ratings. No need to find an activity and then have to go digging for intel.

Long Island Downtown Deals Travel Pass Offers Discounts on Family-Friendly Attractions

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Thu, 08/05/2021 - 11:00am

With the Downtown Deals Travel Pass, you’ll get discounts on family-friendly attractions like the Long Island Aquarium.

There’s a new way to save on some of the best Long Island has to offer families, from historic museums and seasonal boat rentals to hand-pressed burgers and craft doughnuts.

Discover Long Island has created the Long Island Downtown Deals Travel Pass to bring special money-saving offers to LI natives and visitors alike. The easy-to-use mobile pass serves up exclusive discounts and promotions across participating downtown areas while helping to support local businesses as they recover from the COVID-19 crisis. Meanwhile, Discover Long Island’s YouTube channel and new podcast offer the lowdown on the Island’s most-loved activities, events, and deal-packed downtowns, from Great Neck to Greenport.

The Best Kids Clothing Labels and Name Stickers for Back-to-School

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Tue, 07/27/2021 - 10:00am

Mabel’s Labels are durable, waterproof, laundry-safe, microwave-safe, and easily customized.

Yes, I was a masking tape mom, too. But when an order of quality, convenient personalized name stickers and kids clothing labels from Mabel’s Labels appeared in my mailbox for my two young daughters—covered in unicorns and rainbows, no less—I was a very quick convert.

Created by four mothers who were tired of digging through the lost and found bin, Mabel’s Labels are durable, waterproof, laundry-safe, microwave-safe, and adorably customizable with dozens of designs. Specially made to fit kids’ most-used (and most-lost) school items, you’ll find labels for backpacks, lunch bags, shoes, sports gear, and water bottles—plus options for the daycare and preschool crowd, like pacifier and baby bottle stickers. You can even shop by occasion to find the best labels to fit your needs, or snag combo label packs like “Little Kid School Combo” and “School Uniform Label Pack.” Yeah, they get it.

Latest posts by Jessica Laird

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