Dancing Meatballs, L.P.

So, you’re curious about the brains behind the operation that’s been keeping you sane without burning a hole in your wallet? Well, it all started when two Wharton business school students tried to create a product for a class project – luggage that would make traveling with kids easier and more organized. It was in the process of designing this elusive product that we first observed some of the daily challenges faced by parents with young children. What we consistently saw and heard from moms and dads was the need for a resource that would allow them to easily tap into family-friendly activities that were both diverse and affordable.

Like you, these folks were tired of hitting the grocery store eight times a week to beat cabin fever or running up their credit card bill just to meet other parents. But the day-to-day responsibilities of parenthood (for both the working and stay-at-home parents) didn’t allow them the time or resources to scour the Internet or call around town to conduct routine research. We also discovered that these moms and dads weren’t asking for fireworks – simplicity was the name of their game. Meeting friends and their children for an affordable brunch, visiting city museums on free days or attending a playgroup at the local community center were the goings on that they were after. They were essentially hunting for diversions that landed on the fine line between plopping the kids in front of the flat screen and treating them to an all-out shopping spree at FAO Schwarz.

Such was the setting for our newsletter’s birth in August 2006. Our team of researchers, writers and editors has one basic mission: to help make parenthood a more fun and fulfilling experience without risking bankruptcy. To that end, signing up for the online newsletter or visiting our web site will provide you with daily, cost-effective activity ideas to entertain you and your little one. And as our newsletter runs two weeks in advance, you can pull out your planner and abandon any worries about how you’re going to plan quality family time. In fact, with just one activity a day it’s easy to make plans with your friends a week or just a day in advance.

We are currently based in three major cities. So far, we call Chicago, New York and Philadelphia home. And since we’re sure you believe that variety is the spice of life we highlight a range of activities, including everything from yoga classes for parents and infants to affordable children’s theater productions to jamming sessions at home. What we don’t do is smother you with parenting advice and fashion tips, which you probably already receive in abundance from your mother-in-law.