Happy New Year 2013!

BY  |  Monday, Dec 31, 2012 3:00pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

Thank you for a wonderful, productive and fun 2012. Here at Barista Kids we had a great, and very busy, year:

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Essex County Hockey Tournament: Millburn High Wins

BY  |  Monday, Dec 31, 2012 1:00pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. presented the championship trophy for the Essex County Winter Holiday Hockey Tournament Blue Division to Millburn High School Hockey players. From left are Phil Pikus, Griffin Meselsohn and AJ Mallon. Millburn defeated Gill St. Bernards 8-3 on Sunday, December 30 in Essex County Codey Arena in West Orange. With them are Millburn High School hockey coaches Brandon Doria, Matt Blasi and Chris Lepore.

(Photo by Glen Frieson)

Thank You for Making the Orange Holiday Book Drive A Huge Success!

BY  |  Monday, Dec 31, 2012 9:00am  |  COMMENTS (0)

Book Drive

In partnership with Watchung Booksellers, Barista Kids’ first Holiday Book Drive in support of The Children’s Book Pantry of Orange was a huge success. Pictured above are just some of the more than 100 books that were donated to kids in Orange ensuring many children received the joy of a book of their own during the holidays.

We are grateful to all of those in the community who supported this effort, and especially to Margot and the wonderful staff at Watchung Booksellers who made this project possible by facilitating the effort in general, offering a discount on books purchased, and by going truly above-and-beyond in their generosity when they also provided many, many new books to the drive from the store directly.

Thank you again to everyone who made it possible to share the magic of reading with children this holiday season.

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Fun in the Snow

BY  |  Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 11:00am  |  COMMENTS (0)

Barista Kids New Year’s Round-Up

BY  |  Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 8:00am  |  COMMENTS (0)

It’s almost New Year’s Day! Here’s a round-up of our favorite New Year’s posts, including things to do, resolutions and fun crafts!

Edgemont Park Snowy Scene

BY  |  Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 2:15pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

I’ll bet your kids are at home, maybe playing in the snow like my girls. But maybe you’ll brave the weather and take them to play at Edgemont Park. Look how gorgeous it looks. Thanks to Michael Stahl of Best Friend Photography for captured the snowy scene.

If your kids are playing in the snow today, we want to see them! Send your snowy scene photos to us at tips@baristakids.com and we’ll make a slideshow.

Snow Day Fun: Making Snow Ice Cream

BY  |  Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 12:30pm  |  COMMENTS (2)

(Editor’s note: We first ran this fun recipe in 2010)

Quick! Put out a bowl and collect today’s snow for some yummy Snow Ice Cream tonight.

One of my fondest childhood memories of winter is making snow ice cream with my mom. My mom would make it growing up in Mississippi and she continued the tradition with me in Jersey City. The snow wasn’t as clean, but if you’re careful and get the clean top layers, it’s fine. And besides, a little dirt never hurt anyone. Actually, to make sure it’s clean snow, put out a big bowl or pot as it’s falling to collect what you need to make Snow Ice cream.

Snow Ice Cream

  • 1 cup of 1/2 & 1/2
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 – 5 cups CLEAN Snow

Blend it all together and enjoy!

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Brookdale Avenue School in Verona Hosts Scot Cannon and “The Gift Inside”

BY  |  Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 12:00pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

Last week Scot Cannon of Project Impact presented “The Gift Inside” to the students of Brookdale Elementary School in Verona. It was a warm and touching non-denominational holiday show which teaches that the best gifts we can give are the ones that come from inside.  Through pantomime and music, Scot told the story of a boy who could not talk, but through performing selfless acts finds his voice. The assembly was sponsored by the Brookdale SCA.

(Photo: Kelli Strlekar)

A Lesson From Kwanzaa

BY  |  Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 8:00am  |  COMMENTS (0)

Today is the fourth day of the Kwanzaa celebration— Ujaama, which celebrates “cooperative economics.” Even if you don’t celebrate Kwanzaa, there are great lessons to take from it and share with your children. Today you can take your kids to a local store, such as Watchung Booksellers, and show them how to support our community business owners.

For more information on Kwanzaa, visit Montclair Public Library, which has a great display of children’s books on the holiday.

Day Trip: Thomas Edison Historical National Park

BY  |  Friday, Dec 28, 2012 3:00pm  |  COMMENTS (1)

The desk in Edison’s library

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~ Thomas Edison

As an artist, people are always asking me where I come up with my ideas. As I develop ideas for Ask Holly, I have had loads that end up in the “Epic Fail” pile. Never did I think that taking the quick trip to the Thomas Edison Historical National Park complex in West Orange  would open so many doors in my mind. My children and I were fascinated  to learn the way this famous inventor worked.

Many of us know Thomas Edison as the mostly deaf  ”Wizard of Menlo Park,” who, before moving to West Orange, was the driving force behind inventing the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the first commercially practical incandescent light—to name only a few. He held 1,093 US patents in his name and was the driving force behind thousands of ideas and new concepts.

“I readily absorb ideas from every source, frequently starting where the last person left off.”

A trip to the Thomas Edison National Historic Park is a family day trip that you’ll love:

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