You deserve a night out....

Mark down Thursday, March 11th on the calendar! The Blue Bunny and the Dedham Parent Time group are hosting a Parents Night Out Reception with author Kim Foley MacKinnon. Kim will be there to sign copies of Boston Baby. The Blue Bunny is offering a 10% discount on all merchandise for the evening! Head on over to The Blue Bunny, and enjoy an evening of refreshments, hors d'oeuvres, and (sigh!) a night of adult conversation with Kim and other local parents.

Thursday 11 March, 2010, 7PM-8:30PM, 577 High Street, Dedham Square, Dedham, MA 02026

And get this... THEY LOVED IT!

Check out the latest review of Boston Baby by New York City Mama. New York mom Carol Cain says New Yorkers visiting Beantown should grab a copy of Boston Baby.

"If you live in Boston, or even if you just like to take trips with the family to this great city, I would highly recommend you pick up a copy."

I ♥ MY BOSTON BABY @ AURA

 Join us at Aura at the Seaport Hotel as we celebrate the publication of Boston Baby: A Field Guide for Urban Parents. Each family will receive a copy of Boston Baby compliments of Aura and a bundle of great gifts from local businesses who are spreading the love.

This is a seriously kid-friendly event! Friday nights at Aura are high-class, no-fuss, family-style dining. (The homemade baby food is divine!)  And Aura is one of author Kim Foley MacKinnon's top picks from her chapter on "Best Spots for Dining Out with Kids." Kim will be on hand to sign copies and speak to patrons about exciting urban adventures in and around Boston. In addition to Aura's fantastic restaurant romper-room, Artbeat will be on hand to run an arts & crafts table for the little ones!

Friday, March 5, 2010; 5:30PM-8PM. Reservations are highly recommended.

Our books and authors are getting some fantastic coverage today! Congrats to Christopher Klein and Kim Foley MacKinnon!

This morning, Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands and author Christopher Klein were featured on NECN's Morning show. Catch Chris' interview here for connections to Lehane and Scorsese's Shutter Island, as well as some of the fascinating history behind the real harbor islands. And you don't have to wait until the spring and summer to get out there--head out to Spectacle Island this weekend for some adventures in the snow! Read more on how to get there here...

In The Boston Globe today, Kim Foley MacKinnon and Boston Baby: A Field Guide for Urban Parents are featured in "A Friend of the Family." Globe editor Kaufman writes,

"So let us now praise Kim Foley MacKinnon, author of the new book, Boston Baby: A Field Guide for Urban Parents, for doing all the legwork necessary to keep local families entertained for months, perhaps years to come."

Don't let the winter get you down, use Boston Baby to get outside and explore the city with your kids! 

Read Local Boston readers, send us your thoughts and comments on the interviews!

If you're a mom then chances are you know all about the great programming and baby merchandise at Isis Maternity's four locations. Union Park Press is proud to announce that Boston Baby will now be carried by this fantastic family resource as well!

It’s been home to a quarantine station, a horse rendering plant, and a city landfill over the centuries, but today Spectacle Island is a recreational jewel in the middle of Boston Harbor. During the summer, the island is filled with swimmers, kayakers, and hikers soaking up the sun. But this Saturday, February 20, Boston’s Best Cruises is sponsoring a boat trip out to Spectacle Island for some wintertime fun on the island.

Hopefully, there’s a blanket of snow since REI will be sponsoring snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and it will be providing a limited number of loaner snowshoes on a first-come, first-served basis. If you prefer to keep your boots on the ground, you can also hike the island trails that lead to incredible vistas of downtown Boston and the other islands.

Visitors will be able to leave their gear and use the restrooms aboard the boat. The boat’s snack bar will also be open in case you want to warm up with some chowder, hot chocolate, or coffee.

Boats leave from Quincy and Boston’s Long Wharf. Cost is $14. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

If you need a traveling companion for the cruise with full visitor information and history of Spectacle Island— and all the islands— check out Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands.

I don’t know about everyone else in the world, but at my house we’re glued to the 2010 Olympics coverage. Somewhat to my surprise, my daughter loves the snowboarding competition, while not surprisingly, my husband can’t get enough of hockey. Me? I’m a sucker for pairs ice skating. But really, it’s not healthy to stay inside glued to the TV.

If you are inspired by the winter sports, get out and try some. The Department of Conservation and Recreation is holding its own version of the Olympics with an Opening Ceremony this Friday night at Revere Beach from 6-8 p.m. And yes, here’s another plug for the Harbor Islands – head to Spectacle Island on Saturday from 11-2 p.m. with your snowshoes, cross-country skis or hiking boots for Snow Day with park rangers and REI staff who will lead winter activities. Finally, on Sunday, there will be ice skating and winter sports at the Reilly Rink at Cleveland Circle in Brighton from 2-4 p.m. Activities are free and there are sure to be lots of fun surprises. Visit www.mass.gov/dcr/ for more info.

And if you’d rather shed your coat and put on a swimsuit instead, a couple of area hotels offer day passes at their indoor pools. The Boston Harbor Hotel charges $25 for adults and $15 for kids and the Seaport Hotel charges $20. Call for specific hours. You can also try your local YMCA. If it has a pool, it likely has non-member hours. Visit www.ymcaboston.org to check.

IS THE WINTER WEATHER GETTING YOU AND YOUR NEWBORN DOWN? 

Switch up the routine and get out of the house! Bundle up baby and head over to the Coolidge Corner Theatre  for a family-friendly matinee of The Last Station (nominated for two Academy Awards.) Arrive at 12:30 to meet Kim Foley MacKinnon and chat about her new book, Boston Baby: A Field Guide for Urban Parents. To learn more about the Box Office Babies click here.

Chris Klein, author of Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands, will be LIVE on NECN at 7:45am this Thursday, February 18, 2010. The timing of the interview could not be better, as Scorsese’s Shutter Island hits theaters on Friday. Tune in as Klein reveals the true stories behind the reformatories, quarantine stations, and social institutions that once existed on the Boston Harbor Islands.

Be sure to catch the interview and turn to the pages of Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands for a more historical perspective on the real harbor islands--plus be sure to pick up a copy for all the Shutter Island fans in your life!

For media inquiries, author events, and trade distribution, contact publicity@unionparkpress.com.

Looking for things to do with the kids over February break?

Head off the usual vacation-week madness and get the wee ones to the Roslindale Branch Library. The library and Roslindale's Village Books have teamed up to host Kim Foley MacKinnon at 11am. Kim will give a short presentation about Boston Baby: A Field Guide for Urban Parents, sign books, and stick around to talk about all things family-friendly in and around Boston. (Think: Summer Camps!)