Fellow blogger (and
Roxy's Best Of... San Francisco, California contributor) Jason Buckley stopped by earlier today to give me his sympathy, both for my extended series of defeats in
BlogExplosion's Battle of the Blogs, and for my Friday Girls' Afternoon Out at the Clearview Chester six-plex to see Disney's High School Musical 3. While you win some you lose some in those blogging competitions, what I tried to explain to Jason about the Disney movie was that the sappy mooommmy side of me had a terrific time....which is sort of a lead-in to this long overdue post about kiddie birthday parties in the Greater Roxiticus Valley (Mendham, Bernardsville, Chester, Randolph, Far Hills, Morris and Somerset Counties, NJ). And, whether you're here via
BlogExplosion, EntreCard, BlogCatalog, MyBlogLog, or some other method, here's a reminder that I'd love to have more of my fellow bloggers contributing the occasional post about your local faves to my
Roxy's Best Of... online community of local blogs. Do drop in and ask about starting a Roxy's Best Of... blog for your hometown.
When London and Maddie were in pre-school at
Westmont Montessori in
Mendham, NJ, and the birthday tradition was to invite the entire class, it felt like we were out at Toys With Love in
Chester, NJ buying presents every week, and attending one or two kiddie birthday parties every weekend, particularly in the late fall and winter seasons. It was actually a great way to get to know our children's friends, as well as a great bunch of parents....many of our "Westmont friendships" have lasted through the years. Thankfully, as my girls have gotten older, Mendham Township Elementary School birthday parties have been fewer and farther between, frequently same-sex, and smaller "productions." This weekend, however, was remarkably hectic with kids' birthday parties for the girls in Maddie's class.
After our Girls' Afternoon Out with my friend Susan and her daughter, Abby, to see
High School Musical 3 at the Clearview six-plex in Chester yesterday, Maddie attended a birthday party at Stuff-a-Roo and Teddy Too on Main Street in Chester, NJ. Today, we were off to the Florham Park Roller Rink for a rollerskating, rollerblading birthday party. Both turned out to be good fun in a hometown setting, instead of driving to a chain store in the mall.
All of this birthday activity has reminded me to make a list (and check it twice) of all the best kids' birthday venues in Morris and Somerset Counties, and to encourage our loyal Roxy's Best Of... readers to leave a comment to add your own raves and recommendations to the list.
Garden State Ballet in Randolph, Rutherford, and Newark, NJ. For Maddie's sixth birthday party last March, Miss Katie from Garden State Ballet actually came to our home and gave a ballet lesson for twenty girls in our basement ballet studio. For those who don't have our sweet setup at home, Garden State Ballet would be happy to host your ballerina's birthday party at one of their three studios.
Randolph Gymnastics and Randolph Rock Climbing in Randolph, NJ. Our family first discovered Randolph Gymnastics at a pre-school birthday party there back in the Fall of 2004. Since then, our girls have enjoyed the giant slide, tarzan rope and jumping castle with their friends at countless Randolph Gymnastics birthday parties. More importantly, we were inspired by the amazing “Olympic size” facilities to start gymnastics classes, and this year marks London and Maddie’s fourth year of lessons at Randolph Gymnastics. If you’re interested in hosting your child’s birthday party at Randolph Gymnastics, call (973) 584-4111 and tell ‘em Roxy sent you… you’ll save $50 off the price of a Sunday birthday party. Speaking from experience, I can also say that Sunday, particularly late morning into early afternoon, is the best time for a gymnastics birthday party. It just feels a lot less hectic than weekday evenings or Saturdays, and I’ve enjoyed catching up with the other parents while our kids get their ya-yas out with the exceptional staff of Randolph Gymnastics.
The Little Gym in Randolph, NJ. Not nearly as amazing as Randolph Gymnastics, but perhaps more comfortable for toddlers and pre-schoolers who are reluctant to let mom or dad out of their sight.
Time In,
Randolph, NJ. We spent a lot of time in Time In during London and Maddie's toddler and pre-school years, when climbing for an hour in a safe, padded environment followed by pizza, hot dogs, and birthday cake, was just their speed, and the Roxiticus Desperate Housewives could catch up on the latest gossip while our kids played together. When we went back to Time In last June for a 7-year-old girl's "late-over" birthday party on a Saturday night, however, it was clear that our girls, as well as everyone at the party, had outgrown Time In. Free Willy on the enormous HDTV couldn't save the day, and our family couldn't get out of there fast enough.
Pump It Up, Randolph, NJ. Giant pumped up inflatables where kids from about age 4 through maybe the first or second grade bounce, run through obstacle courses and let off some steam.
Aspen Ice, Randolph, NJ
Mennen Arena (ice skating),
Morristown, NJ. We had London's seventh birthday at Mennen Arena last January, and give it a huge rave. We had attended one of my friend Hope's daughter's birthday party at Aspen Ice in July, but I learned that we couldn't get a party room there without paying for pizza and hot dogs. What you may or may not know about Roxy is that I cannot, absolutely cannot, stand to see children eat, with all of their disgusting habits....I've successfully scheduled all of London and Maddie's parties from 2:00pm - 4:00pm and celebrate with a spectacular birthday cake from
Carol Falcone (our Cake Lady) in
Far Hills, NJ.
Pastime Lanes,
Mendham, NJ. You can rent out this four-lane bowling alley for your child's birthday party. It would be great for adults, too, but no kegs are allowed.
Chester Riding Club, Chester, NJ.
Studio U, Chester, NJ.
Stuff-A-Roo and Teddy Too, 54 Main Street in Chester, NJ.
Annie's Playhouse, Far Hills, NJ
Great for fair weather birthday parties in the spring, summer, or even the early fall...think apple picking, pumpkin picking, pony rides, farms in the area, including
Alstede Farms,
Riamede Farms, and
Stony Hill Farm, all in Chester, NJ, or
Valley Shepherd Creamery or
Ort Farms in
Long Valley, NJ.
Twenty years ago, during my first holiday season after graduating from college, I went up to Boston to visit one of my best high school girlfriends, Grey Hound, and learned about Boston's tradition for celebrating New Year's Eve. Even though it is technically the last night of the old year, Bostonians call their celebration "First Night." First Night is an outdoor artistic and cultural celebration on New Year's Eve, taking place from afternoon until midnight. The event celebrates a community's local culture, often featuring music, dance, comedy, art, and always has plenty of food, fireworks, and ice sculptures. Most entertainment is freely available outside, but admission to indoor events requires the simple purchase of a First Night button, whose profits support the celebration as a whole. First Night celebrations are generally alcohol free. The First Night tradition was started in Boston in 1976 by a small group of artists, and its popularity quickly made it an annual event. Soon other surrounding communities started their own First Night celebrations. In 1993, First Night International (click here to find the First Night celebration closest to you) became a non-profit organization dedicated to helping other cities set up their own celebrations. It has since spread to cities all over the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and New Zealand.
is a brand-new bundle of wonderfully magical cures for any bad habit. Tonight at bedtime, I finished reading the last chapter to London and Maddie, and I have to confess that I have two favorite cures that I wish Mrs. Piggle-WIggle could apply to our household: 
