OFFSPRiiNG Magazine by OFFSPRiiNG Mag

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info PUBLISHER THE MAMAS NETWORK EDITOR LENI CALAS info@offspriing.com

assistant editor quiana mccarthy quiana@offspriing.com

COPY editor ELLEN NIZ CREATIVE DIRECTOR RODNEY STERBENZ design@themamasnetwork.com

DEAR READERS,

contributors Nicole weigl Erica Kazior courtney gorman stylish hip kids photography

These last few months before the start of spring seem to drag on forever. The short cold

DIRECTOR OF SALES RANDI MADRID

encourages you to bring local flowers into your home. Primo Flore brightened up our house and

randi@themamasnetwork.com

administrator maria adcock

days and black snow on the city streets make staying indoors a desirable option with children. Issue number 4 of OFFSPRiiNG is meant to warm up your mind during these dreary times. With articles like Handmade Heatwave that shows off summer inspired goods and Primo Flore that

covered it in flowers when local florists from Brooklyn and Queens came together to show us how bringing flowers into your life can brighten even the darkest of days.

Maria@themamasnetwork.com

Two extraordinary families let us into their homes for this issue to inspire you to make staying

contact:

indoors an enjoyable experience for you and your family. For the article Home, Sybil Domond of

general & press INFO@OFFSPRiiNG.COM advertising inquiries SALES@OFFSPRiiNG.COM

corrections & comments

We make our best efforts to publish accurate and positive content. If we have made any mistakes, please let us know.

partners:

O F F S P R i i N G w e lc o m e s c r e at i v e pa r t n e r s h i p s w i t h other p u b l i cat i o n s , events, and brands. Please contact us to share your ideas.

O F F S P R i i N G M A GA Z I N E m a y n ot b e r e p r o d u c e d w i t hout prior permission from T h e M a m a s N e t wo r k L LC

the store People of Tomorrow let us into her house and graciously spent the day talking with us about how she and her husband renovated their home over the course of six years. The ladies from Kumbayanyc.com crafted a charming family date night for the article Family Fondue Night and share their ideas for how to enjoy an evening together as family and friends. As you may already know, OFFSPRiiNG is published by a small community of outer-borough artists, creators, and writers who believe that parents deserve more than what they see on newsstands today. We work hard to bring you a guilt-free reading experience that will enrich and inspire your lives and I hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed creating it for you.

Leni Calas

Editor

OFFSPRiiNG Magazine

For reprinting requests, please email: info@offspriing.com

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13 18

Letter from the Editor

WARM FROM THE INSIDE OUT

seasonal foods, herbs, & SPICES THAT KEEP YOU WARM.

FAMILY FONDUE NIGHT

feed your passion for entertaining with a family fondue night.

primo flore

BRIGHTEN YOUR HOME WITH THESE LOCAL FOWERS.

26 30 38 41

HANDMADE HEATWAVE SUMMER INSPIRED HANDMADE GOODS.

FAMILY OF TOMORROW PARTNERS SYBIL DOMOND & DAN LESSIN TALK ABOUT THEIR UNIQUE HOME

in praise of summer camp

NOTABLE SUMMER CAMPS FOR YOUR KIDS.

replacement parts

REPLACEMENT WINTER FASHION ACCESSORIES.

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Warm By Nicole Weigl

It’s that time of the year when the chill is bone deep and you are starting to feel like the summer will never come. The good news is bundling up isn’t your only defense; you can eat and drink yourself

warm (and I’m not talking about putting on extra weight). In the

Warming Herbs and Spices

Cinnamon increases circulation and is warming. Try sprinkling it on your coffee, cereal, baked goods or making a tea with the sticks.

late winter months, fruits, vegetables and herbs that are naturally

warming are being harvested. Because out of season produce is

Ginger is spicy and produces heat in the body. It also increases

widely accessible we tend to forget about eating seasonally but

circulation relieving cold extremities. Try adding it to soups, stir-

by eating what’s in season we can help our bodies adapt to the

fry’s and marinades. You can drink ginger as a stand-alone tea or

climate.

add it to your favorite blend.

Warming Foods

Tumeric has recently gotten a lot press for it’s antioxidant and anticancer properties but it is also warming and helps fights cold

Winter squash like butternut, kuri, acorn, and pumpkin. These

and flus making a great addition to your diet during the winter

yellow and orange squash are packed with immune boosting

months. Add it to curries and soups, spice poultry and fish with it.

carotenoids and they are delicious roasted on their own with salt

Pair it with black pepper to increase

and pepper.

the body’s ability to absorb it.

Hearty greens such as kale, chard, rhubarb and mustard greens.

Thyme is a warming and relaxing herb that fights infection. Add it

These dense greens are packed full of nutrients that help you stay

to soups, stews, marinades, rubs and even try drinking it as a tea.

energized and healthy during the winter months.

Spices such as cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cayenne, thyme, garlic, ginger, and fennel.

Root vegetables like parsnips, yams, carrots, potatoes, beets, turnips, celery root, onions and garlic. Rich meats like duck and lamb.

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visit offspriing.com/recipes for recipe suggestions

5 natural remedies to fight off colds and flus

1. Elderberries

WHY: They have strong antiviral properties helping you and your little one feel better sooner.

HOW TO GET THEM IN: Find them as elderberry syrup or tea which both taste great.

2. Probiotics

WHY: Having healthy bacteria in your gut equals a healthy immune system.

HOW TO GET THEM IN: Probiotics can be purchased at a health food store in powdered or capsule form. For kids, sprinkle powdered probiotics on their food and increase probiotic rich foods such as yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi

3. Mushrooms

WHY: Shitake, Maitake and Reishi mushrooms contain immune boosting polysaccharides called beta glucans.

HOW TO GET THEM IN: Add them to salads, stir-fry or soups. If your child is like most others and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like the taste of mushrooms, you can find mushrooms dried or crushed and sneak them into any dish.

4. Color

WHY: These colorful fruits and vegetables are packed with immune boosting Vitamin A and C.

HOW TO GET THEM IN: Try substituting less nutrient dense side About the Author:

Nicole Weigl is a naturopathic doctor with a passion for helping her clients achieve optimal health and wellbeing.

dishes like white potatoes and bread with winter squash or snack on carrots and bell peppers, and squeeze lemon in your water.

5. Less Sugar

Using natural therapies and holistic

WHY: Sugar decreases the activity of your white blood cells (the

nutrition she helps both adults and

ones that fight bacteria and viruses) for hours after consuming it.

pediatrics with a multitude of different conditions.

HOW TO GET THEM IN: Instead of dessert, opt for fruit. Try baking apples with cinnamon then topping with almond butter. If you are

To find out more about Nicole visit her

making baked goods at home use fruit juice or applesauce as a

website atÂ www.naturalhealthnyc.com.

sweetener.

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family

fondue

night by erica kazior & courtney gorman

ark et

of kumbayanyc.com

photography by

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Exotic ingredients in far away places take a back seat to the warm and comforting meals of home. For us, fondue conjures up memories of backpacking in Switzerland and dinner parties in our first New York City apartment as singles. Â With children now in tow, exotic ingredients in far away places take a backseat to the warm and comforting meals of home. Our new normal has become eating with famiy and experiencing joy with every bite. Today, we are parents and partners in

Kumbaya,

a blog about finding pockets of creativity and fun throughout city life with kids. The short and cold days before the beginning of spring can be especially difficult with active babies, but we did not have to go any further than our kitchen tables to give our children more freedom; and ourselves a chance to relax and converse. Shedding the Elmo tablecloth, we set the table and styled a playful scene that could stand up next to our colorful menu of finger foods and melted cheese. Even though it was just the six of us (each other, our partners, and kids) there was something magical about creating a special dining experience for our families outside of a typical evening. Without the space to store a dedicated fondue set, we opted to use a simple cast-iron pot and wooden kebab skewers as our main dinner accessories and maximized family time with minimal meal preparations. Besides melting the cheese mixture and roasting vegetables, there is not much to do to prepare for this meal. Our menu centered around soft finger foods such as baguette tears, roasted vegetables, fingerling potatoes, marinated steak strips, and bite-size fresh fruit. For dessert, we served fresh berries and angel food cake alongside homemade whipped cream. Our children delighted in touching the variety of textures, squishing grapes and sneaking tastes of whatever they could get their little hands on. Their laughter, remnant strings of cheese, and little mouths covered in whipped cream were all the inspiration we needed to start planning our next Family Date Night. Â 14

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Our menu centered around soft finger foods such as marinated steak strips, roasted vegetables, baguette tears, fingerling potatoes, and bite-sized fresh fruit.

WINTER SANGRIA RECIPE Apples Cranberries Rosemary Bottle of Pinot Grigio Mix and serve chilled. 16

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BASIC TABLE ACCESSORIES A Fondue Set or Cast Iron Pot Wooden Kebab Skewers Small Plates for Dining Large Serving Tray

DIPPING INGREDIENTS BOIL OR ROAST Asparagus Cauliflower Broccoli Carrots Fingerling Potatoes BROIL Marinated Skirt Steak SERVE RAW Grapes Apples French Baguette

FONDUE RECIPE 1/2 Pound Gruyere cheese (shredded) 1/2 Pound Emmenthaler cheese (shredded) 3 Tablespoons Flour 1 Cup Dry White Wine Pinch of Nutmeg 1 Garlic Clove (finely diced) Toss shredded cheese in a bowl with flour. Add wine and garlic into pot over medium heat and gradually stir in cheeses until melted. Finish with nutmeg.

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PRIMUS, PRIMA, PRIMUM adj. early, first, foremost, at the beginning

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FLOS, FLORIS, n. flower, blossom, youthful prime

A bouquet of flowers will certainly make your loved one swoon on Valentine’s Day. But did you know that there are health benefits to living with flowers all year round? Consider this: Formal studies conducted at Rutgers and Harvard found that flowers had a measurable positive effect on one’s emotional health and well-being, increasing one’s energy and satisfaction; decreasing anxiety and depression; as well as improving one’s sense of compassion. This year, think about extending your floral giving to include the long, dark days of winter. An armload of flowers is not necessary --- a single stem is enough. Put a stem of any flower in a slender vase (or even a clean jar), placing the bloom wherever you want a burst of color or fragrance. You will find the mere presence of a single flower can uplift your spirits and add beauty to your living spaces.

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queen freesia

pink rose

astrantias amnesia roses

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flowers by Monica Ortiz of floresta

french tulips orchid

flowers by alex avdoulos of petals & roots

spray rose isle

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flowers by patrycja gosk of rose red & lavender

purple aster

mondial rose

pink ranunculus

cymbidium orchids

vibumum

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flowers by patrycja gosk of rose red & lavender

astrantia

flowers by alex avdoulos of petals & roots

green pomp

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flowers by Monica Ortiz of floresta

Papercraft Scanner Art : Take a Picture, It Will Last Longer The joy of a flower arrangement can be extended far beyond the days it sits on display. Consider a second life for your beautiful buds as a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art project by integrating your favorite parts into coloring pages. Directions: 1. Select flowers from your arrangement 2. Arrange them on the surface of a scanner or photocopier 3. Close the machine and scan or copy 4. The printed images can be used as coloring pages 5. Kids can use anything from crayons to paint to decorate around the flowers to create a work of art Tips: If you only have a printer, arrange the blooms on a white piece of paper, photograph and then print your photo For an advanced version of the project: fabric, placemats, or anything with texture can be laid behind the flowers to create a more complex design

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POM POM HAT @ 2MICE.ETSY.COM

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1. FINGERLESS MITTS @ NEEKAKNITS.ETSY.COM 2. FELT HAIR CLIP @ THEDOOBOBSHOP.ETSY.COM SMITHFITSBAZAARE.ETSY.COM ETSY.C

3. SUMMER SOCKS @

4. LEG WARMERS @ MIRABEANS.ETSY.COM 5. KNIT MITTENS @ LUDCHEW.ETSY.COM 6. MOHAIR HAT @ FINETAILORING.

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1. KITCHEN TOWEL @ EMBROIDEREDBYSUE.ETSY.COM 2. IKAT PILLOW @ PILLOWME.ETSY.COM 3. SAFARI SUN PLUSH @ THELITTLEBLUESTITCH.ETSY.COM 4. SUN PRINT @ PETITREVE.ETSY.COM 5. MISS SUNSHINE PLUSH @ VIOLASTUDIO.ETSY.COM 6. CUSHION COVER @ THEGRETEST.ETSY.COM

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THIS PAGE: wall decal @ madeofsundays.ETSY.COM

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FAMILY of

TOMORROW BY LENI CALAS

ON AN UNASSUMING BROOKLYN STREET STANDS A REMARKABLE LAVENDER-COLORED BUILDING WITH A LIME-GREEN DOOR, HOME TO SYBIL DOMOND, DAN LESSIN, AND THEIR DAUGHTER, YAELLE. THE FAMILY LIVES ON THE TOP FLOOR OF THIS ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR OLD BUILDING THAT THEY PAINSTAKINGLY RENOVATED. THE PROJECT TOOK HEART, RESOURCEFULNESS, AND SIX YEARS - EVENTUALLY CREATING A HOME THAT REFLECTS THEIR LOVE OF TRAVEL, VINTAGE STYLE, COLOR, CULTURE, AND FAMILY.

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WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND YOUR HOUSE?

it Green; and our decorative accessories were collected

DL: When we started looking for a home, we wanted a

during our travels, or salvaged, or picked up at flea mar-

neighborhood feel. We looked around for a long time

kets. I describe this look as Moroccan-Beach-Country

before we found this building. We ripped everything

where you will see one hundred-year old worn doors

out and started rebuilding it. I have a long-time love for

next to a bright caribbean piece of art. Color is really

working with salvaged and repurposed materials and

important to us especially during the winter when we

Sybil has always been passionate about vintage style,

want to feel warm and inspired, so we made our home

so our styles came together really well. Sybil and I did

as colorful as possible.

a lot of the work ourselves with the help of friends, and we renovated the building from the bricks on outward.

FROM THE LOOK OF YOUR NEW STORE PEOPLE OF TOMORROW, YOUR HOME REFLECTS THE SAME AESTHETIC. WAS

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT WENT

THAT INTENTIONAL?

INTO YOUR HOME?

SD: Our home was the inspiration for

SD: We had a conscious mindset to salvage and repur-

People of Tomorrow...an up-cycled boutique that reflects the

pose items for the space. The building had good

cultural make-up, uniqueness, and diversity of New York

structure. When we gutted the space, we went through

by bringing together curated pieces from all over the

the materials by hand and decided what we could reuse

world. People of Tomorrow is simply a retail version

and what we had to throw away. We hand-made many

of our home where I use my passion for shopping vin-

of the elements in the house like our cabinets. We have

tage and combine it with new items that can be mixed

traveled a lot in Europe and some of the design is

together to create a unique aesthetic. I worked in fashion

inspired by the openness of the homes in the South of

for many years where everything was produced in mass

France. We had our floor tiles salvaged and shipped...

market (and not locally). Because of this, I support local

from France; our appliances were purchased sec-

artisans in the store and make beautiful locally sourced

ond-hand from green demolition surplus shops like Build

items affordable and accessible to the community.

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"I use my passion for shopping vintage and combine it with new items that can be mixed together to create a unique aestheticâ&#x20AC;?. Sybil Domond

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HOW DO YOU KEEP SUCH A STRONG SENSE OF AESTHETIC WHILE HAVING A SMALL

IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE TO BUY A HOME IN NYC, AND EVEN MORE TO GUT-

CHILD?

RENOVATE AN ENTIRE BUILDING WHILE OPENING A BUSINESS AND STARTING A

SD: I am very conscious of what I bring into the house and choose wooden

FAMILY. HOW DID YOU MANAGE IT ALL?

toys or made something for her that we could all enjoy looking at. There are so many wonderful quality brands out there for children now that it is

DL: We were in the situation together and we dealt with it as a family. At

not hard to find beautiful goods for your child’s room.

the end of the day, we got it all done. We live in the moment and believe that if you want something, you fight for it, and you don’t give up until you get there.

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Y O U D O N â&#x20AC;&#x2122; T H AV E T O L I V E I N B R O O K LY N T O S H O P AT P E O P L E O F T O M O R R O W. Follow the store on Instagram.com/peopleof2morrow and call them to claim an item when you see something you like. People of Tomorrow 65 Franklin Street Greenpoint Brooklyn M-S 11am-8pm SUN 12pm-7pm 718.383.4402 peopleof2morrow.com 36

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The Biggest Baby Expo in NYC

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In Praise of Summer Camp BY RANDI MADRID

Connecticut Camp Awosting awosting.com Camp Chinqueka chinqueka.com

New Hampshire

I grew up in Greenwich Village. A fun

Over the course of that first summer, camp

Avenue to the playground and dancing

called the shots. The mix of autonomy

afternoon meant roller skating down 5th

with my mom to the ever-changing music of street performers. Despite all the city

had to offer me, I yearned for a backyard. I was jealous of my cousins who could camp

out in the woods behind their house, and

were allowed to ride their bikes to school. My parents appeased me with their recol-

lections about summer camp. My young

imagination wove their stories into dreams

of rolling country hills surrounded by a

navy blue lake. It was a different world, with horseback riding, songs sung around campfires, kids roaming around free, food

fights, and boating. By kindergarten I was adamantly ready for my own camp experi-

ence and on the last Sunday in June, 1979, we loaded my shiny new trunk into the car and set off for Lochearn Camp for girls in

Ely, Vermont. I was six years old. I did not know exactly what was going to happen

but I was certain that it was going to be the best summer ever.

That was the beginning of a 14 year love affair with summer camp. The drive to

camp became the gateway to my other world. Every year, the anticipation grew with each landmark we passed – Bakers

General Store, the cemetery, the green and

white sign, the cobbled road – each sighting never failed to fill me with an intense jab of excitement ad it signaled the start of my summer life away from the pavement. 38

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Camp Birch Hill campbirchhill.com

became my turf. It was a place where I

Camp Cody campcody.com

and nature began to shape me in ways the

Massachusetts

city never had, ways my parents couldn’t.

Becket Camp for Boys bccymca.org

problems, we solved them. When got mad,

Camp Kinderland kinderland.org

for help when we needed it but relied on

ChimneyCornersCampforGirls bccymca.org

a home.

Pennsylvania

We were free and happy and when we had

we fought and then we forgave. We asked ourselves in a way that I never needed to

At camp, I learned to define myself by my

Camp Wayne for Boys and Girls campwayne.com

my first bullseye in archery and 8 when I

Camp Weequahic weequahic.com

horseback riding in the horse show and

Upstate New York

own accomplishments. I was 6 when I shot got up on waterskis. When I was 12, I was fell flat on my face. I placed last that year

Adirondack Woodcaft Camps awc1.com

The green and blue ribbons were pinned

BerkshireHills Emanuel Camps bhecamps.com

power to change my reality. I came home

Camp Common Place campcommonplace.com

but in the next session, I won first place. side by side on my bunk, proof of my own confident and proud. It was thrilling to

show my family skills that I acquired all on

Camp Eagle Hill campeaglehill.com

my own – me, the city girl, sailing my father

Camp Schodack schodack.com

Arriving at camp meant being embraced

Frost Valley YMCA frostvalley.org

friends and foes, all of us happy and

Surprise Lake Camp surpriselake.org

around the lake in a boat all by myself.

by the same group of people each year, relieved to be back with our summer

family, a community just as real for me as

my family back in the city. Returning to the city each August, tan, tired, and my clothes smelling like campfire, was a relief in its own way, but the clock started ticking for next June.

Vermont Lochearn Camp for Girls lochearncamp.com

Prospect Park Zoo wcs.org/summer-camps

Queens

Textile Arts Center textileartscenter.com

Blue Dolphin Summer Camp bluedolphinsummercamp.com

Brooklyn

WCS New York Aquarium nyaquarium.com

Christ the King Summer Camps ctkce.org

Berkeley Carroll berkeleycarroll.org

WMA Karate Corp wmakarate.com

Kew Forest kewforest.org

Bonjour New York bonjourny.com/summer-camp

Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum wyckoffmuseum.org

Magic Carpet Day Camp magicdaycamp.com

Bricks 4 Kidz bricks4kidz.com

YMCA Summer Camps ymcanyc.org

New York Hall of Science nysci.org

Brooklyn Arts Exchange youth.bax.org

Queens Botanical Garden queensbotanical.org

Brooklyn Botanical Gardens bbg.org

Queens College Summer Camp queensknights.com/camps

Brooklyn Boulders brooklynboulders.com/kids

Queens Zoo wcs.org/summer-camps

Buckley Day Camp buckleycamp.com

Rose Academy of Ballet roseacademyofballet.com

Butterbeans butterbeanskitchen.com

Samuel Field Y Summer Camp sfysummercamps.org

Carmelo the Science Fellow carmelothesciencefellow.com

Sensational Kids Camp sensationalkidscamp.net

Childs Play childsplanyny.com

USTA usta.tennissource.net/programs.lasso

Eckford Street Studio eckfordstreetstudio.com

WorldofDiscoverySummerDayCamp worldofdiscovery.org

Esaie Couture Design School esaiecouturedesignschool.com Everyday Athlete everydayathelete.com/kids Fasttrackids ftkny.com Greene Hill School greenehillschool.org Gym Park Gymnastics thegympark.com InternationalSchoolofBrooklyn isbrooklyn.org Lango langokidsnyc.com LIU Brooklyn liunet.edu New York Skateboard Academy nyskateboardacademy.com NY Kids Club nykidsclub.com Oasis Camps oasischildren.com Park Slope Day Camp parkslopedaycamp.com Prospect Kids Academy prospectkidsacademy.com

Young Peoples Day Camps ypdc.com

Upstate The Nature Place Day Camps thenatureplace.com

Long Island Beth Sholom Day Camp bethsholomdaycamp.com Camp Jacobson at Robin Hood campjacobson.com Rolling River rollingriver.com Shibley Summer Day Camp shibleydaycamp.com

Manhattan Asphalt Green Day Camp asphaltgreen.org Backpacks and Binoculars backpacksandbinoculars.com Central Park Zoo wcs.org/summer-camps/ Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Museum of the Arts cmany.org NYC Parks Dept. Summer Camps nycgovparks.org/registration/summercamp/ Vital Theatre Company vital theatre.org OFFSPRiiNG.COM

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Kids lose stuff all the time; it’s inevitable. So prepare yourself this Winter by taking a look at some of our favorite “lost” items and you’ll know just where to find them.

HEART MITTEN

PagodaCozieShaggyHat jcrew.com

FAIR ISLE GLOVEs jcrew.com

TRAPPER HAT @ gap.com

PRO FLEECE DOT HAT CASHMERE STRIPE & NEON GLOVES

gap.com

SEQUIN DOT MITTENS jcrew.com

intarsia graphic hat gap.com

jcrew.com

RIBBED STRIPE CAP @ gap.com

CHAT COLORBLOCK HAT

NEON AZALEA CHAT HAT neon intarsia fair isle beanie @ gap.com

jcrew.com

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queensmamas.com/campfair

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