I have not left the house today

I could give a million excuses why I do not leave the house with the baby when hunny is at work  - I do not drive. The heat wave is unbearable. I am too tired. I have too much to do around the house.  None of those are the real reason why. Honestly, I am simply afraid. Maybe it is because I watched too many episodes of Law and Order : SVU when I was pregnant or because there are so many horrible news stories about children being hurt, but the idea of leaving the house with CJ kills me. Every parent wants to protect their child, but I worry that I am taking it too far. I live in a wonderful neighborhood filled with good people. I grew up here. It is a great place to raise a family. Yet, I still worry that when I walk out the door with the baby, some crazy person is going to hit me over the head and steal her. Is this a common concern? Am I taking it too far? I am really not sure anymore. 

Friday Five: A Little Bit of Paris

Happy Friday. I cannot believe it is already the middle of July. This Summer is flying by so quickly. CJ is already 11 weeks and I am baffled at how that even happened. I hope to make the most of the next few weeks and create some wonderful memories. Here is my Friday Five for this week. I hope it gives you some great ideas for making your own memories!

Bastille Day Festival-   I have blogged about this before, so it is no surprise that it should make the top of my list. The Bastille Day festival is this Sunday, July 14 on 60th Street in NYC from noon - 5 pm. Can't wait until Sunday to check out the Bastille Day festivities? There are several other celebrations happening across the city to celebrate Bastille Week. Attend a ball, indulge in a decadent French meal or play a traditional game of petanque. There are plenty of ways to celebrate this French holiday. 

Fete Paradiso - This traveling festival of vintage carnival rides and carousels is making its way to Governor's Island this weekend to coincide with Bastille Day. This attraction features a collection of 19th and 20th century rides that are open to the public until September 29th. In addition to the nostalgic rides, Fete Paradiso will feature a beer garden, musical performances and plenty of French food (crepes, please!). 

Cronuts - There is a new dessert craze that is stomping all over the macaron and the cupcake. It is the cronut. Part croissant, part donut, the cronut was created by Chef Dominique Ansel this past May. Getting an original cronut is no easy task. There is a 2 cronut limit per person at Chef Ansel's bakery and only several hundred are made each day. It is  not unusual to see a line forming at the bakery before 7 a.m. daily. New Yorkers are seriously into the cronut. There are even those who peddle the dessert on craigslist . When a $5 treat gets $50 on the secondary market, you know it is just that good! If you don't want to wait on line or cannot get to the bakery, Stew Leonard's sells their version of the cronut and I hear it is pretty good, too. 

St. James for J.Crew -  One of my favorite things about J.Crew is there "In Good Company" section. Partnering with amazing companies across the globe like Comme Des Garcons and The Laundress, J.Crew In Good Company brings clothing, accessories and sometimes home goods to their customers. Their  collaboration with French clothing company Saint James is one of their best. The classic French striped shirt is offered for men, women and kids (check out the adorable striped hat on sale right now). 

Saint James for J.Crew shrunken tee in ivory navy

Films on the Green -  This free outdoor French film festival has been produced annually in New York City by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the City of New York Parks & Recreation since 2008. The Festival brings both classic and contemporary French cinema to New Yorkers. This year's theme is Love - a subject synonymous with the city of Paris! Running through September 5, the festival even has a film (U)  that children will love screening on July 26.   

U, 2006