Meet Callie

Kids: Jack (7), Hudson (4), Ben (2)

Hometown: Detroit

 

I’m a stay at home mom. I live in Detroit with three boys and my husband, Ryan. We moved here in 2011 with a 1 year old and a blog, With Love From Detroit. There were not a lot of parents who stayed home with their kids at that time. When I would see someone strolling around with a baby on a Tuesday, I would stop and introduce myself, probably a little too excited about the prospect of friends during the week. I’m so happy to see that today’s Detroit has things like, baby music classes, family co-working spaces, and changing tables at more than 3 restaurants…

 

DETROIT INSTITUTE OF BAGELS // CORKTOWN

The kids each have a custom bagel order and I make sure we grab a side of fruit for good measure. There is one large table in the back and since we get there before the weekend rush, it’s usually ours. They have toys, books and highchairs. Sometimes, if we are feeling fancy, we take those bagels to go and eat them on the Riverfront. For family dinner, we love a good bar. Seriously, Honest Johns has board games for kids and beers for parents and Checker Burger Bar has a little arcade in the back. The best part of a bar, the noise. It’s already loud so no one bats an eye at the hubbub that comes with a family of five.

 

LOCAL BARS // DETROIT

For family dinner, we love a good bar. Seriously, Honest Johns has board games for kids and beers for parents and Checker Burger Bar has a little arcade in the back (and upstairs). The best part of a bar, the noise. It’s already loud so no one bats an eye at the hubbub that comes with a family of five.

 

BELLE ISLE // RIVERFRONT

We live on the east side, so we spend a lot of time on Belle Isle. Kids Row was a favorite for a long time but the new, ADA friendly

 

LIL DUMPLINS + MOTOR CITY MUSIC /

My youngest, Ben and I have a couple of favorite classes we attend during the week. There is Lil’ Dumplins, Art and Movement, where he can create an art piece and shake what I gave him. Then we have Motor City Music Together, where we sing, clap, dance and experiment with instruments.

 

HALLOWEEN // INDIAN VILLAGE

Our favorite annual event in Detroit would have to be trick or treating in Indian Village. We get anywhere from 600 to 800 kids in the neighborhood and most of the Village participates in handing out candy, or in some cases burnt toast.

 

“What’s right for one family may not be right for another. DON’T JUDGE! We are all just doing our best and that’s the best we can do.“