November 2017 – Lullabies and Louboutins

You have waited all year for this day and it has finally arrived. Your stomach churns with both excitement and apprehension as you depart your home and venture off to an unknown fate. Black Friday: the day when people trample others for deep discounts mere hours after giving thanks for what they already have. Black Friday is an enigma in the truest form. It’s the one day of the year that integrates some of the most celebrated American pastimes – camping, shopping, and wrestling. In a real life manifestation of The Hunger Games, all common decency is abandoned as people cross swords for price-slashed luxury goods. Unless armed with helmets and shoulder pads, battling hoards of overzealous retailers is wrought with perils.

The first and most critical rule for Black Friday shopping – STAY HOME. There, I said it. With few exceptions, shoppers extraordinaire can access the same deals online as in stores. This year, stay in your pajamas, grab some spiced cider, and bask in the warm glow of your computer screen. Below is my ultimate Black Friday Cheat sheet because it’s an “add to cart” kind of day!

Moda Operandi – Take an extra 30% off sale styles with code 30EXTRA. Valid through 11/27.

Nike – Take an extra 25% off sale styles with code EPIC25. Valid through 11/28

Shopbop – Take up to 75% off sale items and 30% off full-priced styles with code MORE17. Valid through 11/27

Saks – Get up to 60% off at the Thanksgiving sale. Valid through 11/24

Rebecca Minkoff – Take 25% off all purchases over $100 with code BLACK25. Valid through 11/28

Kate Spade – Take 30% off all purchases with code GIVEJOY. Valid through November 211/26

Macy’s – Take 20% off with code HURRY. Valid through 11/25

LUISAVIAROMA – Take 20% off with code BFSUS17. Valid through 11/29

Intermix – Take 40% off select full-priced styles. Valid only 11/23

J. Crew – Take 40% off everything. Valid through 11/26

Topshop – Get up to 50% off plus free shipping. Valid through 11/27

Asos – Take 20% off everything with code WIN20. Valid through 11/28

Madewell – Take 25% off everything with code DONTSTRESS. Valid through 11/26

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG – Take 20% off site-wide with code THANKS20. Valid through 11/27

Farfetch – Take 50% off. Valid 11/23 for a limited time.

DKNY – Take 20% off your purchase + an additional 30% off sale with code BLACK. Valid through 11/25

Sam Edelman – Take 30% off Sitewide with code SAMSGIVING. Valid through 11/25

Urban Outfitters – Buy one, get one 50% off. Valid through 11/24

TOMMY HILFIGER – Take 40% off site-wide + extra 20% off $150+ with code THATSALE. Valid through 11/28

Boohoo – Take 50% off everything. Valid 11/22 only

Tory Burch – Take 30% off $250+ with code THANKS. Valid through 11/27

There is a time of year in New York when the weather grows cooler, days become shorter, and moms engage in a myriad of seasonal city rituals. Fueled by gingerbread lattes and pumpkin muffins, we busily unpack vacuum-sealed bags of woolen and cashmere sweaters while basking in the fragrance of pine scented candles. In our spare time, we take our kids on nature walks through Central Park in search of Autumn’s kaleidoscope of blazing colors, a seasonal reminder that change is, in fact, beautiful. We fill our bellies with hot chocolate and tiny marshmallows while watching the leaves flutter to the ground at our neighborhood playgrounds. In only a few short weeks, this concrete jungle will be hidden under a blanket of snow and the picturesque tree-lined streets of the Upper East Side will become a wintry obstacle course of slush lagoons and heaping mounds of yellow-tainted snow (yuck).

In New York, most people navigate the city by foot, which means our children are invariably outside even on the coldest of winter days. And city kids are remarkably resilient, using their mittens to brush off serrated icicles before swinging from monkey bars at the playground. But dressing these children in multiple layers and outfitting them with winter-ready accessories can be an arduous undertaking for parents and caretakers. My attempts to put a winter coat on my youngest are often met with meltdowns of epic proportions and blood-curdling screams akin only to medieval torture. There are many afternoons I raise my white flag of surrender and spend the afternoon reading books or doing craft projects with the kids in our apartment merely to avoid this imminent struggle.

It seems inconceivable that Mother Nature’s grand finale for October was met with short sleeves and open windows. But now, in a veritable race against time, NYC families are scrambling to participate in outdoor activities while the temperature is mild enough for even the most vulnerable little ones without the use of bulky snow suits and polar accessories. It seems like mere days ago we made our annual pilgrimage to Harbes Family Farm in Mattituck, NY. Comfortably clad in only in flannel shirts and jeans, we bypassed the painful process of layering and spent hours delighting in the farm’s many attractions. A refreshing departure from mundane strolls through pumpkin patches, the farm is home to an impressive 8-acre Barnyard Adventure. This city kid’s wonderland boasts an assortment of family-friendly attractions including pony rides, petting zoo, face painting, gem mining, pig races and more. Framed by velvety green pastures, a colorful jumbo trampoline sets the Barnyard Adventure apart from all other farms of its kind. A treat for children of all ages, the bouncy apparatus was an instant favorite among our crew. It’s no mystery why NYC families make the trek out East to visit this agricultural oasis. Harbes hasn’t forgotten about the adults either. After several hours of chaperoning boisterous children, parents can delight in some liquid patience from the Wine Barn on premises. Paired with their scrumptious apple cider donuts, this is the perfect adults-only afternoon snack. As the sunshine warmed my face for perhaps the very last time this season, I delighted in knowing that in only a few short months we will once again leave our apartment without the dreaded trifecta of winter coats, tears, and temper tantrums.