Baby Loves Disco - A Great Place for ... Adults!

It is hard to be a parent, or a kid, in an adult's world. Remember when you used to hang out and mingle at the restaurant's bar, or get your groove on at a club? If your baby is with you, many bars won't even serve you alcohol - and really, you probably shouldn't have your kid at a regular bar anyway. Going dancing at clubs is also out. The blaring music with questionable lyrics, lots of drunk people hanging around creating drama, and the crush of hundreds of bodies isn't conducive to a fun family night out.

Don't you wish there was a place where a kid can be a kid, and an adult can be an adult? Believe it or not, it exists! You may have read my previous post about Baby Loves Disco. I really can't say enough about it. In a nutshell: a real nightclub deep cleans and baby proofs its interior for an afternoon. Parents (and grandparents, too!) can bring kids ages 7 years and under to mingle. Older siblings and other children are also welcome, but everyone must realize that this event is planned with the 7 years and under crowd in mind. Parents mingling with other parents, kids mingling with other kids. It's the all important socialization that we need as human beings!

Kids
Look, bubbles! Wanna see how many you can catch? How about playing catch with a scarf, or playing with egg shakers? I know! Let's run around and see how many balloons there are! There are hoops and toys, pillows and stuffed animals, and I bet you'll meet lots of new friends in the play tents. How about a juice box and some crackers? I saw lots of healthy snacks at the bar. Wanna sit on the tall barstools like a big kid? You can munch away while mom or dad reads you a book. I saw rubber duckies on the tables, and aren't these kazoos funny? Or lets dance and dance and dance all afternoon!

Parents
This is your night out - during the day! No need to sacrifice important quality time with your baby-love. Are you worried about having to dress to impress? You're with other parents with their kids and it's a very casual setting. Many moms and dads arrive in shorts, sneakers, and Crocs. There are also the parents in dresses, dress shirts, heels and slacks. Wear what's comfortable for you, but remember that you're in a confined area with kids. Kids bring mess with them wherever they go. Are you worried about poopy pants? There are diaper changing stations in the restrooms as well as in the hall, and wet wipes and sanitizing liquid are provided.

Are your babies bouncing off the walls? Bring your kids and let them get their wiggles out on the dance floor. Are you missing your gym time? Get your booty out there, too, and shake and shimmy the calories off! The DJ is out there spinning and mixing for everybody. And while we all appreciate Skip to My Lou and The Wheels on the Bus, you won't find any kiddie songs here. Music selections are generally a mix of 70's, 80's, and some 90's hits.

And what's a dance club without your favorite drink in hand? There's a full bar available for the parents. Kick back with a cocktail while the little ones play with toys or in tents. Have some wine while your baby has cheese and crackers. And make sure you keep that security band tab in a safe place! When you enter the club, kids are given a numbered security band to wear on their ankle or their wrist. You keep the tab with matching numbers. Security checks everyone on the way out to make sure you've got the ticket to claim your baby. You know your baby is the greatest in the world. This way, other people looking to upgrade their kid won't be able to walk off with your little angel. It seems like the good people at Baby Loves Disco have thought of pretty much everything!

We were able to check out the Baby Loves Disco Valentine's Day Super Dance Party in San Diego. My little 17 month old boy had such a blast at Aubergine on 4th in the Gaslamp Quarter downtown. He danced and danced, and I have to say, I'm pretty proud of his groovy moves! But his favorite distractions were the bubble machine raining bubbles on the dance floor, and the play tents in the Chill Out Area. He doesn't have any siblings, so I was happy that he got to be around other kids. And my husband and I had a good time being out of the house. We had a couple of drinks each, and we were able to chat and mingle with others, and we had some great quality family time with our boy.

The great and innovative people at Baby Loves Disco really hit on something special here. Check out their website for more information and to check for a location near you. I have to say, given the great time we had, we'll definitely be attending more of these. It's parent friendly, kid friendly, entertaining, safe and easily accessible. I have to give Baby Loves Disco my highest rating. On a scale of 1 to 5, this is definitely a 5 Happy Babies event!


Get your tickets early! These events sell out!
Upcoming Baby Loves Disco events in SoCal:
Los Angeles: Saturday, April 5th at Social Hollywood
Orange County: Saturday, April 12th at Shark Club
San Diego: Sunday, April 13th at Aubergine on 4th

My Baby Loves ... Music!

My baby is growing up and becoming a person with clear likes and dislikes. I find this extraordinarily fascinating, and I'm sure other parents out there can relate. There's just a happy wonderment that fills you up when you realize, "Oh, the baby is enjoying this!" It's such a progressive step from the time when your child sits around and stares, to the time when they focus on something, recognize it, and look forward to their next contact with it.

My 17 month old Mr. Baby currently likes musical amusements. I am very happy about this, as studies have found that playing music can be good for your brain, and can help with language development. (Check out these articles from MedicalNewsToday.com and SFGate.com.) Getting my boy interested in music, rhythm, and musical instruments is a great start. I can't wait for him to get a little older so he can take music lessons.

This is a list, in no particular order, of his Top 3 current music related entertainments.

1. The Backyardigans
Ahhhh... The exploits of five animal friends who have fabulous singing and dancing adventures in the backyard. I can honestly say that I really enjoy watching this with my son. A few of his favorite episodes include: Mission to Mars (which guest stars Alicia Keys), Into the Deep, and Cave Party, and he just really enjoys the great music.

2. Putumayo Kids Presents: African Playground
This is a very fun and energetic collection of music. One of my favorites is Mbube, which most people will recognize as The Lion Sleeps Tonight, by The Mahotella Queens. I put this on about an hour after breakfast and we dance around the living room. I'm excited because I can see my boy is developing great rhythm!

3. Melissa and Doug: Deluxe Band Set
This great set of musical instruments includes a recorder, harmonica, xylophone, rhythm sticks, castanets, kazoo, and triangle. Mr. Baby has figured out the harmonica, and it is currently his favorite, with the xylophone being a close second.

Music captures my boy like nothing else, and I love to see him dancing around, or just bobbing to a rhythm. If your babies are into music, please share! I'm always on the lookout for more fun and educational stimulation for Mr. Baby!

My Baby Loves ... Baby Loves Disco!

Attention all parents with kids 7 years and under!

This past weekend we went to Baby Loves Disco in San Diego. If you haven't heard about it,

"Baby loves disco is an afternoon dance party featuring real music spun and mixed by real djs blending classic disco tunes From the 70s, & 80s guaranteed to get those little booties moving and grooving."

Don't misunderstand. This isn't an afternoon of kiddie songs or playing Ring Around the Rosie and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. In a nutshell: a real nightclub cleans up and baby proofs it's rooms once a month, and parents with kids can come to mingle, dance to good music, and play for an afternoon.

The San Diego nightclub Aubergine on 4th, located in the Gaslamp Quarter, had a full bar available for the adults, juice boxes for the little ones, healthy snacks available for everyone, and a great DJ spinning tunes the entire time. There is a Chill Out Room for kids and parents to relax, there are games, books, toys and tents. There was even a room for adults to indulge in free 10 minute massages!

Our boy had a blast dancing under the bubble machine, playing with hoops, scarves, and egg shakers. There were kids and parents everywhere having a great time. What I especially liked was the kid friendliness of the place. Diaper changing stations, complete with wipes and sanitizing liquid were plentiful, there were areas to relax, away from the music, and areas to play. However, I was very impressed with security. When you enter the club, each child is given a numbered band to wear on their wrist or ankle, and parents keep a stub with matching numbers. You must present your matching stubs before leaving with a child. Not that I think people would mistakenly take the wrong kid, but I feel comforted with the added level of security.

Baby Loves Disco is for kids 6 months to 7 years of age, but older siblings are also welcome. Just keep in mind that the events are planned for the 7 and under age group. Check out the Baby Loves Disco website for a location near you. There are even spots popping up in the UK! Nothing in Canada yet, though. Hopefully, our neighbors to the north will hear about this and things will get going there as well! For my Southern California friends, click a link below:

Baby Loves Disco in San Diego
Aubergine on 4th
500 4th Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 232-8100

Baby Loves Disco in Los Angeles
Social Hollywood
6525 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Baby Loves Disco in Orange County
Shark Club
841 Baker Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626