Scholastic Store

Located in the heart of Soho, this store is stocked with books and interactive stations for kids to play at — Harry Potter fans can test their knowledge.
Check the website for free events at the weekend

557 Broadway
between Prince and Spring Streets
212–343-6166
www.scholastic.com/sohostore

Chinatown’s Lunar New Year Parade

The parade travels from Little Italy through Chinatown with marching bands, floats and lion and dragon dancers twirling the entire way.
The parade begins at 1pm at Mott and Hester Streets
January 29th @ 1pm
www.betterchinatown.org
917–660-2402

Standard Hotel Ice-Skating Rink

Families can skate alongside the High Line in t this 3,000 Sq foot rink outside the Meatpacking District hotel.
Enjoy spiced apple cider, steamed eggnog and crepes at the outdoor Kaffeehaus.

Monday-Thursday, noon — midnight.
Friday, noon –1am.
Sat, 9am — 1am
Sun, 9am– midnight
848 Washington Street at 13th Street
212–645-4646
www.standardhotels.com

Tonight we will put the finishing touches on our toddler size Santa. We have been making this since I was a girl, mum and I continue the tradition with the girls. I will post the fruits of our labor in the next few days.

Now is the time to think about table decorations for the many meals we will to cook for family and friends in the next few weeks. Here are some of my inspirations for this season’s decor.

I tend to create a big display with Christmas tree branches, holly and pine cones that runs down the table and accent with candles but love some of the cleaner looks show below. I do find that napkins tied with ribbon always make a table looked pulled together and have a thing for burlap as you can see with my outdoor decorations. The bunches of rosemary tied to each chair would make a fantastic aroma as well as a beautiful decoration.
Happy Holidays!

Peter and the Wolf

Isaac Mizrahi narrates Sergei Prokofiev’s charming children’s classic, as George Manahan conducts the Juilliard Ensemble and artist Jason Hackenwerth brings the production to life with newly commissioned balloon sculptures.

Dec 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18th
2.30pm and 4pm
Tickets — $35

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue
(at 89th Street)
New York, NY 10128–0173

The Nutcracker Ballet by New York City Ballet

Our girls love this performance at the Lincoln Center
Now through December 31st.
nycballet.com
212–496-0600

Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Gardens

Within the enchanting setting of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, model trains zip over bridges and past replicas of New York landmarks made of plant parts such as nuts, bark, and leaves. Show favorites include the original Yankee Stadium, Statue of Liberty, and Brooklyn Bridge.

nybg.org
2900 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10458
718.817.870

Peter Pan

Tony Award nominee Cathy Rigby takes flight in an all new production of Peter Pan! Discover the magic all over again of this two time Emmy award winning and two time Tony award nominated production. The New York Times says “Rigby still carries off the flights, fights and acrobatics that make Peter Pan audiences mesmerized.” Peter Panis filled with timeless magical moments and a captivating hook. The legend you thought you knew, is now the adventure you never dreamed possible…Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan

Madison Square Garden
From December 14th to 30th
thegarden.com

Dimenna Children’s History Museum

On November 11 the museum reopened on the Upper West Side after a $65 million renovation. The mini-museum, occupying 4,000 square feet, is groundbreaking not only because it caters to the youngest visitors but also because it focuses on historical figures when they were children themselves.
Kids descending the main staircase to the children’s center enter a virtual “time machine,” where silhouetted figures on the walls represent New York from the present back to the era of pre-colonization. Once inside, kids can look for their exact street on the museum’s floor, which is covered with a map of the entire city, and listen to music from different time periods.

New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street)
New York, NY 10024
Phone (212) 873‑3400
www.nyhistory.org/childrens-museum

The Children’s Museum of the Arts

The Children’s Museum of the Arts has always been one of our favorite spots for inspiring kids’ creativity. And its new, 10,000-square-foot home in Hudson Square does not disappoint. At more than three times the size of the original Soho location, the institution sports an enormous 2,000-square-foot gallery, a media lab complete with a sound station and video-making exhibit, a ball pit and plenty of work spaces for kids to sculpt, paint and draw in.

103 Charlton St
between Greenwich and Hudson Sts
212–274-0986,
www.cmany.org

New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia
At The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The new Islamic galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York are magnificent. Some 1,200 works (from a collection ten times the size) arranged across 15 rooms vividly illustrate 13 centuries of art and history. This will excite not only scholars and the art world, but also the many neophytes who will be drawn to these exceptional examples of manuscripts, textiles, glass, ceramics, jewelry, armour, painting, scientific instruments and carvings (from wood to stone and ivory). This exhibit took eight years The Introductory Gallery, for example, is paved with a design of white and gold marble inspired by decorations at the Taj Mahal, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. For the Moroccan courtyard the museum commissioned carvings by craftsmen from Fez.

1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street)
New York, NY 10028
Phone: 212–535-7710
www.metmuseum.org/

I love this cranberry sauce and make it every year.

Apart from serving it with the turkey it makes a fabulous appetizer. Top slices of grilled french bread with a little of the cranberry sauce, add a slice of goat cheese and a garnish wig sprigs of wild thyme.

Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen cranberries
2 small heads fennel, cut into small dice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup golden raisins (also known as sultanas)
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
Juice of 1 medium orange (about 1/3 cup)
Zest of 1 medium orange (about 2 teaspoons)

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, cranberries are beginning to fall apart, and fennel is tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, and serve at room temperature or cold.

Oranges Stuffed with Sweet Potatoes.

I lived with a wonderful family in California for my first 4 years in USA and the wife introduced me to the recipe below. The recipe is not precise or that healthy but she passed away years ago and as I make it each year I remember her!

Ingredients
1 orange per person
Sweet potatoes
Maple syrup
Small can crushed pineapple
Mini marshmallows

Instructions

1. Cut the top off each orange scoop out the flesh and juice.
2. Peel, boil and mash the desired amount of sweet potatoes.
3.  Add a little maple syrup and small can of crushed pineapple to the mashed sweet potatoes and mix.
4. Stuff oranges with sweet potato mixture
5. Top with mini marshmallows and bake in oven @ 350 for 30 minutes

Happy Thanksgiving!

I try to block off a couple of days in the Autumn for our family to enjoy the delights of fall. Here are a few ideas for you to consider:

1– A great fall day trip idea would be to head over to Lambertville NJ. Lambertville is located on the Delaware in Central New Jersey, right near the Pennsylvania border (See map here). With over 20 awesome Antique shops in downtown Lambertville. After you shop until you drop, you can unwind a bit at the Unionville Winery in nearby Ringoes. When your done sipping wines and learning about wine making in New Jersey, you can jump over to Stockton Carriage Tours and tour the lovely area countryside. After your tour, you can head over to the Lambertville Station Restaurant for some fine dining on the Delaware.

2 — If you prefer a romantic overnight getaway, then there is no other Bed & Breakfast in New Jersey that even comes close to the Woolverton Inn. In the evening, you can head over to New Hope Pennsylvania (Only about 10 minutes away) to visit many unique gift shops, restaurants and bars.

3 — Chester is another great New Jersey  town to visit and famous for it’s great antiques. In the fall, there are apple orchards and pumpkin patches around the area. Hacklebarney Orchards is a really nice place to pick your own pumpkins and such, located off of Route 24.

4– Closer to home for some of us is Central Park.
Climb the steps to Belvedere Castle and borrow nature kits to spy on local critters.
Take a row in the large man made lake and enjoy the nature around you.
At the Charles A Dana Discovery Center, borrow poles for a spot of fishing (catch and release) and check out the center.

Does your family have a favorite place to enjoy Autumn? We’d love to know your secrets! Leave a comment & let us know.

The Great Jack O’lantern Blaze at Cortland Manor, NY

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is my favorite on this list but tickets sell fast!

See more than 4,000 individually hand-carved, illuminated jack o’ lanterns in this elaborate walk-through experience.  Meander through an 18th-century riverside landscape and discover a breathtaking display – all made of jack o’ lanterns! See slithering snakes, a giant spider web, an undersea aquarium, super-sized dinosaurs, pirates, ghosts, and a collection of creatures based on Greek and Roman mythology.

Adults, $16; Children 5–17, $12  (Saturdays $20, $16
FREE for children under 5 + membersJennifer Hartshorn
Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 South Riverside Avenue, Croton-on-Hudson
www.hudsonvalley.org/events/blaze

Fright Fest at Great Adventure

Jackson New Jersey
Central NJ
It’s thrills by day and chills by night as Six Flags Great Adventure is transformed during Fright Fest. Venture into the Main Street Graveyard, the Demented Forest Terror Trail or the Lakefront Graveyard. If you’re feeling extra brave check out the Circus Psycho and Bone Butcher Terror-Tory. Great for little kids
www.frightfest.sixflags.com/greatadventure

Halloween Experience at Tomahawk lake

Sparta, New Jersey
Northern NJ
Haunted wagon ride, one and one-half miles through the haunted mountain and Indian burial grounds.
www.tomahawklake.com/halloween_experience.htm

Headless Horseman — Hayrides and Haunted Houses

Ulster Park, NY, 845–339-2666
New York State
Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses is located in Ulster Park, NY, part of the Historic Haunted Hudson Valley. The property incorporates over forty-five acres of naturally landscaped property that includes foreboding woods, surreal ponds, fruit orchards and more. It has been Named #1 Hayride in America! Headless Horseman is a theatrical experience like no other! Every friday Saturday and Sunday in October as well as October 29th and 30th! About an hour and a half from most parts of Northern New Jersey, but well worth the ride!
www.headlesshorseman.com

The Haunted Pumpkin Garden at the NY Botanical Garden

October 1 — 30, 2011
Pumpkin sculptures of spooky scarecrows, frightening spiders, sneaky snakes, and more designed by artist Michael Natiello await discovery at every turn in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Youngsters play inside a ”gourd-geous” Pumpkin House, put on a scary show at the Pumpkin Puppet Theater, have a ”hoot” finding out what owls eat by dissecting pellets, and look for wiggly worms under a rotting log. Kids of all ages are encouraged to wear scary costumes for daily parades through the Adventure Garden
www.nybg.org/exhibitions/haunted-pumpkin-garden/index.php

Milena Jimenez, from our studio, had as much fun as the children, photographing them as they worked on their projects. If your child was a part of this program and you are interested in seeing the images please contact the studio at (201) 610‑1199.

Hartshorn Portraiture has been located in The Monroe Center for the Arts for nearly 10 years and specializes in Pregnancy, Newborn, Children and Family portraits. This Summer we will be shooting at the Jersey Shore during August and September.  In Autumn, look for our Holiday Card packages including sessions on location at Pier A in Hoboken. Thank you again to Nora and Geri Fallo for putting together a wonderful program for the children of Hoboken to enjoy.

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

Every Wednesday in July and August, Cobra Kites hosts free flying events on the beach in Seaside Heights.
On the last Wednesday in August, Cobra does a night fly with illuminated kites.
Visit CobraKites.com for details

Cattus Island County Park

We have so much fun here!
The Cooper Environmental Center has a collection of snakes and reptiles in addition to a beautiful butterfly garden.
You can borrow  ‘discovery backpacks’ that come equipped with  binoculars,  field guides, an audio guide to bird sounds, a fishing net, tools for catching and holding insects, and several suggested activities and games.
The girls spend hours poking around in the little creeks, while we enjoy the fresh air.
www.ocean.nj.us/parks/cattus.html

Hoffman’s Ice Cream

We look forward to our Summer visits each year. Locations include Point Pleasant Beach, Spring Lake Heights and Little Silver.
Buy a bucket of your favorite flavor and bring it home to enjoy!
www.hoffmansicecream.net

POINT PLEASANT BEACH
800 Richmond Avenue
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
(732) 892‑0270

SPRING LAKE
569 Church Street
Spring Lake, NJ 07762–2204
(732) 974‑2253

LITTLE SILVER
78 Oceanport Avenue
Little Silver, NJ 07739
(732) 530‑3773

We fell in love with the custom belt pictured above; it’s a new piece that you won’t find on her site but rest assured, it can still be ordered.
You can even make cuff-links for Dad!
Great gift for any occasion!
Get It: (Mention Hartshorn, save 10%)
(201) 280‑2215
www.camillecesari.com