Erica's blog

Although I love spending time with my girls, one of the best presents I received on Mother’s Day was two hours of mindless Facebooking, chick-lit reading, and chai latte sipping - thank you, Putt-Putt! My husband took the girls to mini-golf while Mommy got to relax. New Jersey has 53, that’s right, fifty-three courses but since we're pretty sure we're raising the next Michelle Wie, we’ve been exploring the bounty and are highlighting the best miniature golf and kid-friendly driving ranges we’ve found.

Let’s face it; our days of bar hopping are over.  To take their place, we have discovered a new way to fill our weekends: park hopping.  New Jersey has some of the coolest playgrounds for kids and over the years my family has become a connoisseur of parks, if you will. We can turn park hopping into a full day event then stop at a great pizza or burger joint and rate the parks we visit. Read on for our interview with the moms behind the website NJ Playgrounds and a chance to win a FREE NJ Playground Guide!

Flowering trees, babbling brooks, and baby animals, Oh My! Are you up for some free outdoor fun with your NJ kids? Located in scenic Allamuchy right off Route 80, Stephens State Park is a hidden gem in Warren County.  About an hour's drive from most NJ locations, it is toddler/kid friendly and offers nature fun for everyone. There are six miles of marked trails ready for walking, hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Bring your jogging stroller, butterfly nets, and baby backpacks!

I have to admit that I'm a coupon queen and rarely spend full price on any piece of clothing for anyone in our family. However, Easter is the one time I splurge and dress my littles ones up to the "nines". I also have many friends with children making their first Communions in the next few months. Sure, you could go to a regular department store, but New Jersey is home to some fun Easter and Communion boutique finery, so why not make it special?

One doesn’t usually associate the phrase, “fun things to do with kids in NJ” with spring cleaning. However, this beautiful weather has got me thinking about how to combine the two! I have started to clean out one closet a day and I’ve found a great way to get my two kids involved by adding a twist. My daughters sort the piles into ‘donate,’ ‘garbage’ or ‘consign’. Consigning is a great way to repurpose and recycle and save or earn money. With the money we make from consignment shops my kids can either buy a new summer toy/outfit or bank it in our family Disney Cruise fund. They’re so into it, it is getting a bit out of hand- I found my favorite pair of Tory Burch sandals in a ‘consign’ bag!!!!! Here are some of my favorite “green” consignment shops that are merchandised to look like boutiques in Northern New Jersey.