36 books in 2025! I’m excited to share both the best books I read this year and the ones I seriously could not get through. Drop your own favorite reads in the comments as I build my list for 2026. Real Americans by Rachel Khong 5 stars. A sweeping, multigenerational story about identity, ambition, and belonging. The novel opens in 1996 with Lily, a Chinese American woman working in biotech in New York City. When …
What I Read in 2024
From a new generation fighting for their family resort in the Catskills to a couple trying to build a new life in Mumbai, from sci-fi heists to cozy fantasies, this year’s reading list brought diverse characters and stories across genres. How many of my 2024 reads are yours, too? Mother Land by Leah Franqui 4 stars. Jewish-American Rachel has recently moved to Mumbai with her Indian-born husband Dhruv after a brief courtship and small city …
Things to Do in Brooklyn with Kids
After living in New York for almost 15 years, 5 of those with kids, I’m thinking I’m overdue to share my recommendations for what to do with kids in Brooklyn. Whether you’re a new parent in the borough or visiting New York with your kids, this guide will share family-friendly activities in Brooklyn. I’m focusing on things to do with toddlers in Brooklyn, and generally little kids under 5. Brooklyn Botanic Garden: No matter the …
What I Read in 2023
I always look forward to sharing my end-of-the-year recap of all the books I’ve read this year. And I’m happy to say that I had a great year of reading, with lots of books ranking 4 or 5 stars, and plenty I’d recommend you add to your own lists. Let me know which ones you’ve read or plan to read! The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin 4 stars. The Stone Sky is the last …
Asbury Park & Ocean Grove, NJ Beach Vacation
Our family has been spending a week in Ocean Grove and Asbury Park, New Jersey, for almost a ten years now, and longer for my husband who grew up with trips to the Jersey Shore. I thought I’d share my recommendations on what to do in Monmouth County, NJ, for a fun family beach vacation. Ocean Grove Over the years we’ve done both traditional bed and breakfast stays as well as renting a house in …
Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
One of our favorite family activities is taking a trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. The BBG website lists what plants are in bloom, so you can check before your visit. Wander through the rose gardens, inhale the blooming lavender trees, get lost in a field of bluebells, or check out the bonsai and orchid collections in the stunning greenhouse. The garden also brings in some art installations throughout the season. We loved the Birdhouse …
Puerto Rico
This spring, we were excited to take a 7-day trip to Puerto Rico, our first time visiting the island. Our kids are now 4 years old and 1 and a half years old, and Puerto Rico proved to be a great place to visit with little kids. I also want to return when the kids are older because there are a lot of adventure-type activities we couldn’t yet do since our kids are small, like …
What I Read in 2022
I’m really excited to share my complete reading list from 2022 for two reasons. First, I read 27 books this year, and I’m pretty darn proud of that. My past few years have been quite frankly abysmal in terms of the amount I was able to read, so reading over two books per month is quite an accomplishment for this working mom of two. Secondly, it’s been a very, very long time since I was …
Legoland, New York
We’ve now visited Legoland, New York, twice with our kiddos, so I thought I’d put together a little guide to some of our favorite things to do at Legoland with kids under 4. I’ll be focusing on which rides and activities at Legoland NY are best for little kids. We also stayed the night at the Legoland Resort, so I’ll include my review of the hotel as well. The Best Rides at Legoland for Little …
Bar Harbor, Maine with Kids
Bar Harbor is one of our favorite places in the world to visit, which is why we have taken an annual trip there for almost 10 years now. A few years back, I wrote a piece on my favorite things to do in Bar Harbor, but I thought it was worth writing an update now that we have a 3-year-old and a baby to share some of our favorite things to do in Bar Harbor …
Caitlin Kenney Smith 