A Family-Friendly Super Bowl Night Out

The Super Bowl approaches!! Seeing as how my beloved Washington football team hasn't had a real shot in ages, my level of interest varies depending on how much money my husband has invested in gambling opportunities, but there are a few things even the most disinterested can relate to - conversation-starting commercials, yummy snacks, and beer. Or cocktails, depending on your taste. This is the first year in many that we haven't hosted a party at our home. Yes, that was me frying chicken and baking cookies at 39 weeks pregnant last year and using the changing table as a snack station. This year we've been invited to a party at our friend's bar. "A bar? With a baby?! On Super Bowl Sunday?!?!" Slow your roll, haters. It's a small gathering of good friends in a comfortable, private room. Adding to that, Mini is a city baby. The rules are slightly different in NYC. We are a city of people who left their families (read: grandmas as baby-sitters) in our home towns, and child care here can often cost more than the night out itself. There are absolutely places and occasions wherein Mini can (and should) stay home, but my understanding of people doing their best to have a happy child AND a life has grown since I joined their ranks, and even though many of my friends are still childless, they enjoy having Mini around and encourage us to bring her.

So, to the bar we will go on Sunday night. As Mini grows and matures, her diaper bag needs have changed. It went from three spare outfits, bottles and blankets to one spare onesie, snacks and books. If I'm going out for a quick errand, both she and I are happy with her in Ergo carrier, but if we'll be out for a few hours, our UppaBaby Cruz is a dream ride - and just light enough for me to haul up and down subway stairs on my own if necessary.  It's also got a great big storage basket underneath, which means I can bring along those few little extras.

Since we'll be hanging out for a few hours, and settled in one spot, I'll be bringing along some creature comforts from home to keep her happy. Aden + Anais swaddle blankets still get a lot of use in our lives, because they take up so little space in a bag but make a great play area. I'm also obsessed with PackIt's foldable cooler bags. They make them in a variety of shapes and sizes, and because the bag itself freezes rather than dealing with freezer blocks, they're so much more lightweight and diaper bag-friendly than traditional cooler bags. Mini is not quite into buffalo wings yet, so I'll be bringing along some of her travel favorites - string cheese, squeezable applesauce and yogurt pouches, grapes, and blueberries.

Normally I try to keep the toys to a minimum because they add a ton of weight, but I'm thinking of bringing along her Leapfrog tea pot and tea set. It's not very big or heavy, and it's an interactive toy that we can play along with her. Her Skip Hop Pronto changing station is a must. Sometimes the standard diaper bag changing mats just don't cut it if you're out somewhere with no changing table and need to utilize a less traditional location. And since the game may interfere with our (occasionally flexible) bedtime, Mini will be changing into pajamas around halftime for an easy transition into bed when we get home.

Here's a fun fact for city parents - Uber has a fleet of drivers who provide a flex car seat that fold into their trunks. All the drivers who have one were required to take a training class with Dr. Alisa Baer, aka the Car Seat Lady. You can request one of these cars directly from the Uber app's front page in many cities, and it's a word-of-mouth-type situation in others.
For those of you not bringing along a baby, here are my thoughts for you  -
*If you're going to a friend's house, bring something other than a bag of chips or a six pack of beer only you will enjoy.  We're adults now.  Thinking outside the box? Bring a pack of toilet paper.  When your host is standing in their bathroom at 1 AM wondering where all the TP went, you'll be their favorite friend ever.
*If you don't win any money, don't get mad.  At least you didn't just lose a Super Bowl.
*If you hit it off with someone at the bar/house party, don't make out in front of your friends, and don't go home with that person.  It's Sunday night. Go to work in the morning and make arrangements for this little thing called a date, where you spend quality time getting to know someone you like.  It's an old-fashioned concept, but one I endorse.

Have fun and be safe!
The Rafferty Girls


Ergobaby Original Baby Carrier, $120
UppaBaby Cruz, starting at $499
aden by aden + anais Muslin swaddle 4-Pack in Life's a Hoot, $34.99
PackIt Double Bottle Bag in Dots, $19.99 and Personal Cooler in Dots, $20.99
Skip Hop Duo Diaper Bag in Metro Stripe, $58  and Pronto! Changing Station in Metro Stripe, $30
Baby Einstein Discover and Play Piano, $19.99 and Leapfrog Musical Rainbow Tea Party, $18
uberFamily in the DMV