Quickie: Great Sale at Macy's Going on Through This Weekend

My friend Michelle tells me that Macy's is having a sale through this weekend, and that she checked out the kids clothes on sale at Dadeland yesterday and they have some really cute stuff for as low as $4. Our kids are in 18 month - 2T sizes, so I'm sure that's what she was looking at. I'm going to pop into the South Beach location today if I can and see if they've got anything good. The greendog shirt pictured with this post is from the Macy's website, on clearance for $6. (And no I do not make commission from Macy's! I just needed a photo to go with this post!)

Algae in the Brita--Eww! *or* Good News About Miami Drinking Water Quality

So, I recently came across this article: "Miami-Dade County makes Forbes.com's top 10 list of 'Best Cities for Clean Drinking Water". I was SO surprised, and SO pleased to read this! Here's why:

• There has been a lot in the news lately about how certain types of plastic leach byproducts, and I've seen several specific mentions that you shouldn't refill and reuse the bottles that bottled water comes in for this reason.


• From another angle, there have also been many stories in the news about how all the bottled water bottles are creating so much more trash than before, and are really bad for the environment.


• And from a personal standpoint...are you ready...we use a Brita refillable water dispenser that sits out on the counter, and because we are here in Florida and have a skylight in the kitchen, every few weeks or so I have to clean ALGAE OUT OF MY BRITA! Gross!

[NOTE: Apparently, Brita Algae isn't an uncommon problem, because when I searched on the internet, I found several references to the problem, even on the Brita website. (In case you're wondering, if you don't keep the container in the fridge, algae is likely going to grow.]

OK back on track....for some reason, I always figured Miami's water wasn't too fantastic. I think it stems from memories of being a kid growing up in the Keys, and every so often, the water would run rust-colored, so I grew up with the mindset that Florida water was dirty. After reading the Forbes story, and also the original news release that I saw, I understand where our Miami water comes from and why it is fairly nice and clean. Lately, I've been filling the kids' cups with tap water, and also my own. And, I'm avoiding the chore of cleaning the algae out of the Brita!

How did "Dr. Beach" choose Bill Baggs as a Top Ten Beach?

According to "Dr. Beach" (aka Steven Leatherman), Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park (see photo) ranks as #9 on his annual list of America's Best Beaches. This beach has ranked before, and I've always wondered--how does he choose the winners? I visited Dr. Beach's website and discovered that he uses a list of 50 criteria to rank the 650 public beachs on the US shoreline. They include everything from number of sunny days, to midday air temperature to sand softness. Hmmm....here are miamibabymama's list of criteria for beaches in the area, and the winners in each category:

1. distance from home...................................Matheson Hammock Park
2. width of sandy beach.................................South Beach
3. is it free?......................................................North Beach (SoBe you can't avoid paying to park)
4. food and drink for sale?.............................Bill Baggs
5. quality of peoplewatching?.......................South Beach!!!
6. kid friendly..................................................Key Biscayne's Crandon Park
7. playground availability/quality?..............South Beach

We go to Bill Baggs quite often, because it is fairly close to the Grove, where we live, and we like to locate in the sand near their Lighthouse Cafe and then take a breather midday for a bite in their large, open air, shaded dining area. Feel free to list your thoughts on the area beaches, and your personal criteria!

Oye, Mama!

Kids or not, Miami is a way different kind of city to live in. The weather, the landscape, and I think we'll all agree--the crazy drivers--all this and much more make Miami unique. When I moved here, I was single and ready for anything. Short list of what I did with my free time? Here we go: nightclubs, sushi bars, nude beaches, late lunches, later dinners, happy hour, wine tastings, boats with bachelors, shopping on SoBe, jaunts to the Keys...I could go on, but I expect you get the idea. Now? A few years later with a coupla kids? The new short list: MiChiMu, BillyBaggs Beach, early dinners out, more playgrounds around town than I care to list right now, long walks (with the stroller), drives in the convertible (but with a car seat in the back)...
Reconciling Pre-Baby Me with Post-Baby Me has been an adventure so far, and I'm sure the adventure will continue here in this sunny, crazy, mixed up, gorgeous city. So oye, mamas! Let the blog adventure begin!