If Only All Playdates Were This Amazing #PlayskoolPlaydate #DC {sponsored}

When I was a child, I played with my cousins every day. There was no meeting up at a local playground, gathering at the sandbox or moms and dads sitting on a park bench sharing stories about their adventures in parenting.We just used our imagination and created a world of fun with whatever resources surrounded us – trees to climb, ropes to jump, balls to kick, bikes to ride and dirt to play in.

That was then!

Fast forward to this past Wednesday, July 9. Liam and I were invited by Hasbro (and the lovely ladies at Litzky PR) to attend a Playskool Playdate at Top of the Town in Arlington, VA, just minutes outside of D.C. When I say the views were epic, I am being totally modest. If there was ever a photo opportunity to be had, this was the place to do so. I could have consumed my entire picture roll with shots of the National Mall just across the way.

When we arrived, we made our way up twelve floors on the elevator. Even that offered great views. Liam was excited for that ride. We could have turned around and gone home after this alone. But I knew that there was so much more for him to explore. I was excited about all of the body-length mirrors outlining the hallways at Top of the Town. They made for great SELFIE moments (well, USIE, because it was Liam and me).

We arrived a bit late. Liam fell asleep during our drive there, so waking him up, changing his diaper and getting him dressed consumed a chunk of the time. That did not stop us from immediately joining in all the fun as soon as we arrived. I was so impressed with how I was greeted. I did not even have to give my name. I was handed my guest badge and given a warm welcome. I guess the ladies of Litzky do a bit of research and familiarize themselves with the bloggers that attend their events. Kudos to them.

Liam was himself. Busy. Bossy. Charming. Exploratory. Did I mention busy? Oh well, you have to let a toddler be a toddler. I did, as much as possible. But, I also had to make sure he did not harm any of the other children. It is much different than playing with your cousin or sibling. No one is going to go home and talk about how destructive that one child was if it's a relative. I wanted to make sure no children were harmed during any interaction with Mr. Liam. Ha!

Even though the room was filled with the brightest, most fun and exciting toys, Liam was so intrigued by the view. He parked himself on the window sill and had a few quiet moments to himself....with his cape and crown on, obviously.

He did stand still enough to take a picture on the boat. Luckily, he did not go overboard.


There were light refreshments served. They were the perfect fuel for these little bodies after running around the room seeking out toy after toy to play with.

This playdate wasn't all about the children. I finally had the opportunity to meet some of my online blogger friends in person. They included Mindi, Heather, Allison and María. I saw some familiar faces, too – Tonia, Holly, and Andrea. I also made new connections with other bloggers. I love the local meet-ups for this purpose alone. It gives you the chance to really put a personality to a Twitter handle, website, etc. Here is a shot of the group and some of their children (not all pictured):

This past year has been an adventure and quite hectic since becoming a Mom, again! Having and raising a baby twelve years apart from your first born is no easy feat. That is why you may see less and less of me – getting dressed and out of the house takes a lot of effort. However, if I keep getting invited to events such as this Playskool Playdate that cater to children and allow them to be free, I just may get out more often. I always love when I can head to the city anyway. I take it for granted.

What I don't take for granted are the opportunities I am given because of my blog. I have a lot of non-blogger friends ask me how I get to do all of this stuff or to "hook me up". The truth is – I have worked hard (and not so hard) to get to this level. I still have so much learning to do and way more professionalism to master. I take pride in building relationships with companies and brands so that I can be invited to share in all the fun. This isn't a hand-out. I know it's a running joke that all bloggers like to receive "swag", but I could have left with nothing and been just fine. We have plenty of toys. In fact, I am going to donate the items we did not play with (Elmo stays, though). Here is what we took home:

I wanted to say 'thank you' again to the wonderful ladies at Litzky PR, to Hasbro (Playskool) and to all the lovely bloggers in attendance. Thank you all for making the day wonderful...and keeping Liam occupied for two hours. It made the car ride home just a little more easy. He fell asleep quickly. I guess it was too much excitement.

...about this picture...yeah, don't ask!

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Disclosure Information

Liam and I were invited to attend the Playskool Playdate thanks to Hasbro. We enjoyed great company and conversation. We also received some fantastic toys to take home as a 'thank you'. The opinions and views are my own.