By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 10/22/12 1:47pm

Fashion Frenzy

Caramel

The Curious Case of Caramel Baby & Child

The aggressive market for upscale children’s clothing boutiques is roaring loudly. Fashion titans Gucci and Armani have opened up pricey outposts Uptown and a bevy of specialty stores are blossoming all around New York City. These boutiques offer designer duds, high-end toys, artsy furnishings and often plenty of gifts that even parents can enjoy.

Joining these ranks is British retailer Caramel Baby & Child, which recently opened its first stand-alone across the Big Pond. Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 8/30/12 7:31pm

Scooter Weekend: Labor Day

Bennet Sell-Kline for ElectricZooFestival.com

Ready To Rage On Labor Day Weekend?

No wedding in New England? Fearful of Hamptons traffic? No weekend escape upstate? No worry! New York City is the perfect place to be this Labor Day Weekend. Most of the City’s cultural institutions remain opened, the weather reports are peachy perfect and a few festivals are rearing and ready to go.

A non-conventional, and perhaps adventurous bet for families who like their music served rowdy with extra bass, is Made Event’s Electric Zoo electronic dance music festival in Randall’s Island Park. The surprisingly family-friendly event is open to all ages and hasn’t sold out of general admission tickets yet for the festival’s three days: August 31, September 1 and 2. Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 12:07pm

Scooter Pick

bottles_9oz_sky

On The Bottle

This week Scooter ventured to New York City’s Javits Center for the New York International Gift Fair to check out what’s new in the world of toys, learning, books, crafts and lifestyle for parents and their children. One product line that caught our attention was Lifefactory’s Go Glass 9oz glass baby bottle with silicone sleeves.

The configurable feeding solution is both innovative and attractive. Made of durable borosilicate glass, the bottle eliminates toxins such as BPA, phthalates, PVC and polycarbonates —making it a healthier option for your infant. Lifefactory describes it as a painless way to concoct and warm the perfect formula or store mom’s breast milk. Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 8/17/12 1:24pm

Swanky Scooter Weekend

Photo credit: C. Gabi Porter; courtesy of Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra

Putting On The Ritz At Governor’s Island? Ab-so-lute-ly!

The release of Baz Luhrmann’s sure-to-be-blockbuster, Great Gatsby, may have been postponed by Warner Bros. Pictures, but that doesn’t mean New Yorkers and their families have to miss out on all the roar! Governor’s Island, Scooter’s top-pick for in-City weekend escapes, is slated to host another year of its Jazz Age Lawn Party. On Saturday and Sunday from 11a.m. – 5p.m., Jazz Age Lawn Party will knock away prohibition, welcome flappers and funky-on-down to Colonels Row for much merriment. Children under 12 enter the festivities for free (tickets are required for all) and there will be plenty of opportunities for the young ones to dance, eat and play. An easy excuse to get all dolled up.
Live jazz music will come by way of Michael Arenella and His Dreamland Orchestra and instructors will coddle even the most horrendous dancer with free ’20s-period dance lessons. Bring a picnic for the family to enjoy or dine on the island and spend time playing games. “It’s the berries!” Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 8/17/12 12:35pm

kids3

Made For All! UNIQLO Launches Children’s Collection

As kids prepare to head back to school and parents expect to be shuttling them from sports practice, to rehearsal and a slew of other extracurricular activities, trendy Japanese brand UNIQLO is launching a whole new kids’ collection just in time.

Due in stores Friday, September 7, the fall/winter 2012 UNIQLO Kids collection will keep city boys and girls, from 3 months to 12 years old, stylish for all their many affairs.

“We are excited to launch our new UNIQLO Kids and Babies collection in the U.S.,” said Mr. Shin Odake, UNIQLO USA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Adding this product category is a natural step for us as we widen our consumer base.” Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 7/27/12 12:38pm

Parent Profile

Catherine London with her son Oliver.

Catherine London On Combating Pediatric Cancer And The Joys Of Growing Up In New York City

Solving Kids’ Cancer (SKC) champion Catherine London has worked tirelessly with her husband to build awareness of pediatric cancers and support for cancer research. A former prosecutor at the Manhattan D.A.’s office, Ms. London committed herself to the cause after her daughter Penelope, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at 16 months, lost her battle with cancer. Ms. London spoke with Scooter about SKC and her experiences as a mom. Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 7/02/12 5:03pm

Independence Afloat

© PatrickMcMullan

Set Sail on the Hudson

Still debating what to do for July Fourth? Quite a few families have decamped our scorching concrete jungle already, jetting to favorite seaside enclaves for the holiday week. Not to fear, stragglers, there’s still hope. In fact, a slew of New Yorkers enjoy hanging around the under-whelmed city as the rest duke it out for sunbathing realty in East Hampton. Read More

By Lindsey Cherner 3:03pm

Hot Child in the City

water

Beat that City Heat

It’s getting hot in here (so hot) so take off—from work and cool down with the kids. Not to worry, Scooter did your homework. Here’s how to beat the heat:

Douse down:
Madison Square Park’s 15-foot waterwheel sprinkler doesn’t just keep the grass green. It’s a great way to cool off on Read More