Welcome to The Mint Chip Mama blog! A fun, lighthearted parenting, lifestyle and travel blog for families on Long Island & the Tri-State area. Fun things we do at home, local hikes, new products, art projects, & giveaways.
Summering In Place: How to Make Your Backyard A Wicked Cool Summer Cocoon.
As we continue to shelter-in-place because of Covid-19, everyone is trying to pack their backyard with as much summer fun as possible. We all have the common goal to keep our kids busy. With the schools now closed through the end of the year and camp a distant long shot, the time has come to buck up. We can do this together. We can make our backyard a wicked cool summer cocoon!
Every summer I research the new and fun things out there and have amassed quite a collection! Here is a list of the highlights that have been repeat guests each year. Also included are some recent additions that have yet to be put down since they’ve arrived on our doorstep.
Also a quick thank you to all the front line workers who are caring for those in need, allowing us to safely shelter-in-place at home. It is because of you that we can create a wicked cool backyard cocoon.
*Update* Now that it’s the end of July, and we’re half way through the summer, I wanted to update this post with some fun inside things to do as well, because phew! It’s been hot! I’d love for you to go check out some fun, easy and free arts & crafts you can do with recycled things easily found around your house. These activities are just as fun as playing in your wicked cool backyard cocoon, with the added benefit of your wicked cool air conditioner.
What are some of your favorite backyard summer fun items?
What do your kids love to play with in the front of the house?
All items are very much loved by my kids. Some we bought, some were sent by the brands. The links above are affiliate links.
Stacey Gish Wallenstein created The Mint Chip Mama blog in 2013 to share her love and passion for giving children meaningful life experiences and helping moms like her navigate the challenges and benefits of raising children in the New York metropolitan area.
Before becoming a full-time mom in 2010, Stacey spent the better part of the preceding decade as a high-end customer relationship management (CRM) professional for some of the most well-known brands in the hotel, luxury, fashion, and beauty industries, such as Harrah’s Entertainment, Chanel and Christian Dior, Inc. She managed customer loyalty programs for thousands of clients around the country and created social media strategies for a span of industries including healthcare services, restaurants, consumer packaged goods, specialty foods, local attractions and retail locations.
After 13 wonderful years in Manhattan (the last three of which spent as a city mom), Stacey and her husband moved to Long Island in 2014, where they now reside with their three children (13, 9, and 6). There, she is a founding member of her local Parenting Center, which provides classes and coordinates events designed to educate and inform parents while fostering an environment of support and friendship within the community. Stacey is also an active PTA member ((including a former & current PTA president) as well as a Girl Scout troop leader. Her musings on motherhood, Manhattan, the suburbs, and more can be found here and on Facebook at The Mint Chip Mama.
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Stacey has been active in the New York area alumni organization for nearly twenty years, serving as a board member on the school’s University of Michigan Alumni Club of New York City. She also holds a Masters in Psychology from The New School in New York City.
Please check out The Mint Chip Mama in the Press: The New York Post, Psychology Today, NY Metro Parents, New York Family, Parents Magazine, Newsday, News 12, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt: Kids, NerdWallet, Big Apple Kids Guide, and more! The Mint Chip Mama was also nominated as "The Best Blog On Long Island" for 2022 & 2023, one of the Top 20 New York Mom Blogs & Websites, and one of the Top 100 Mom Lifestyle Blogs on the web!
For more updates, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Pinterest.
View more posts
6 thoughts on “Summering In Place: How to Make Your Backyard A Wicked Cool Summer Cocoon.”
6 thoughts on “Summering In Place: How to Make Your Backyard A Wicked Cool Summer Cocoon.”
You must log in to post a comment.