Back-to-school season means back to stressful, busy days and exhausted nights. Add in a dozen tours of NYC middle schools with my tween daughter and my head is ready to explode! Lucky for me, Momtrends came to my rescue with a much needed influencer event full of friends, fun and food.

The Momtrends annual Mom’s Night Out was hosted by Parents Magazine at their downtown office near Brookfield Place and One World Trade Center. There were four stations with interactive activities sponsored by Parents Magazine, Parents Latina, Clorox® and Baby Dove.

I started with the Clorox® DIY Snow Globe making station and it did not disappoint. How cute is my NYC themed Snow Globe?

Moms night out, mom, clorox — Making snow globes at Mom’s Night Out with Clorox.

There were plenty of Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes on hand to clean up the glue and snowy glitter that covered my hands. Whether I’m on the road or at home, there are so many times where a mess needs to be quickly cleaned up and I love the convenience of using Clorox ® Disinfecting Wipes. The fact that they kill 99% of germs is a big bonus for me since staying healthy is a big priority for busy moms. In addition to cleaning messes, the wipes are great for killing germs around my apartment, on airplanes and at hotels (doorknobs, handles, remote controls, yuck).

I spotted my blogger buddy Suburban Wife, City Life and we caught up (yay for no kids) while checking out the Parents Magazine and Parents Latina DIY Halloween stations.

Always a fun time with my blogger buddies.

These magazines are always filled with clever entertaining ideas, parenting tips, gift guides, recipes and more. The current issue has a lot of Halloween ideas and we got to make some cute and yummy treats like spider donuts and fruit kebabs (to offset all the candy!). Once we gobbled them up, we decorated our drinks with sprinkles and cute accessories. Voila!

Such simple ideas that really inspired us to make them at home.

Momtrends Mom's Night Out — Custom perfume bar was a big hit at Momtrends Mom’s Night Out

We moved on to the next Parents station – Alchemologie’s natural perfume bar. We sampled dozens of scents and learned about layering the fragrances to combine our custom perfumes. Such a fun treat.

Lastly, we hit the Baby Dove station where we decorated bath caddies and filled them with new mom essentials including Baby Dove’s Tip to Toe wash. Baby skin is so delicate yet they have a living protective layer of microflora, known as their microbiome. Baby Dove is uniquely made with prebiotic moisture and 100% skin-natural nutrients to gently nourish a baby’s microbiome making it a must-have for new moms.

It was a great night to connect with old friends and make some new ones. And a reminder of how important these nights our are to our well-being. I look forward to another one of these evenings soon.

Thanks again to Momtrends, Parents Magazine, Parents Latina, Clorox and Baby Dove for organizing a great Mom’s Night Out!

NOTE: This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own.

Boston is my home away from home and I never ever tire of traveling to Beantown. I love that its an easy city to see by foot and that there are so many fun attractions for visitor of all ages.

Boston with Kids: Top 10 Family Friendly Attractions

If you’re planning a trip to to New England, here are my Top 10 Things to do in Boston with Kids.

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Boston Children’s Museum offers hours of fun.

1) Visit the Boston Children’s Museum

Children’s museums are always a big hit and the sprawling Boston Children’s Museum does not disappoint. There are three floors with dozens of interactive exhibits and I am pretty sure my daughter would have been happy to spend the entire day here. From blowing gigantic bubbles, conducting science experiments and creating arts and crafts projects to climbing in an enclosed sculpture, building towers and playing musical instruments, kids of all ages will be happily entertained for hours. I especially love the various cultural programs that teach children about different holidays, customs and and traditions. There are some great family friendly restaurants nearby which is handy because it will probably be dinnertime by the time you leave.

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The New England Aquarium is a great spot for families.

2) Check out the New England Aquarium

Boston’s waterfront aquarium offers some amazing attractions like a towering four-story tank filled with colorful fish, sea turtles and sting rays but for my daughter, the penguins stole the show. Kids will love watching the divers swim around at feeding time (including an interactive Q&A session) and seals doing tricks while more adventurous tots will enjoy interactive petting exhibits in the largest touch tank on the East Coast. If you have time, sign up for one of their famous Whale Watch cruises or take in a 3D movie in the IMAX theater.

The Swan Boats in Boston Common are a must for families.

3) Ride the Boston Swan Boats

Boston Common and Boston Public Garden are a great place to visit with young children who want to run around. You’ll find miles of grassy fields, playgrounds, a merry-go-round, balloon artists, the famed Make Way for Ducklings sculpture (great for photo ops!), the Frog Pond fountain and the iconic Boston Swan Boats. Pedaled by foot, these giant swan boats are a one-of-a-kind scenic ride that the whole family will enjoy. The line moves quickly and the ride is approximately 15 minutes so there is no time for kids to get restless. Families can leave strollers on land, next to the ticket booth. Tickets start at just $2.50 making it a very affordable pitstop.

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Boston’s Faneuil Hall is a must for foodie families.

4) Stop at Faneuil Hall Marketplace

For shoppers, snackers, or history buffs, Faneuil Hall Marketplace (aka Quincy Market) is a must-visit. There are dozens of shops and souvenir stands selling everything from sports memorabilia and home accessories to sunglasses and clothing. For dining, you’ll find sit-down restaurants like historical Durgin-Park, outdoor cafes, juice bars and a gigantic food colonnade featuring everything from sushi and lobster rolls to ice cream and pastries. Kids will enjoy the famed street performances so be sure to wander around till you spot one.

5) Follow the Freedom Trail

For school-aged children, Boston’s Freedom Trail offers a great opportunity to make learning history fun. The 2.5 mile red-lined route, leads you to 16 historically significant Boston sites related to the American Revolution like museums, meetinghouses, churches and burying grounds. Give your kids a map and let them try their hands at navigating or just let them lead the way (follow the red line)! Older children will last for the whole trail but for younger kids, I recommend going from Boston Common to Faneuil Hall.

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Check out Boston by land and sea with a Boston Duck Tour.

6) Take a Boston Duck Tour

This touristy option is on the pricy side (kids 3-11 are $29) but if you haven’t taken your kids on a water/land vehicle, I do recommend it. The interactive (you will be quacking…) sightseeing tour starts on land and drives past 30-something tourist spots but the excitement really begins when the bus turns into a duck and drives into the Charles River! The skyline water views are stunning but for my daughter, the highlight was getting a turn to steer. Kids (and grown ups) get a chance to navigate at sea so be sure to bring your cameras. If you’ve been running around on foot, this is a nice chance to rest and take in the scenery.

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Check out Newbury Street and Copley Square’s shops and restaurants.

7) Check out Copley Square and Newbury Street

Walking is the best way to take it all in and Copley Place and Newbury Street are great neighborhoods for families to explore, have a meal and people watch. Upscale Newbury Street is filled with cafes and boutiques (think toys, clothes, music and home goods) while Copley Square features a large mall (hello teenagers!), park and is nearby to the Prudential Center (Skywalk observatory has amazing views) and Boston’s enormous Central Library.

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Kids of all ages will love exploring the Boston Museum of Science.

8) Scope out the Boston Museum of Science

My daughter adores science museums and the Boston Museum of Science was one of the highlights from our summer visit. We visited the Planetarium first to see Big Bird’s Adventure: One World, One Sky which is great for children five and under. From there, we spent a half-day visiting dozens of exhibits where my daughter examined a pig’s heart and sheep eyes, played astronaut, built animal skeletons, solved engineering puzzles, created tunes on a musical staircase and learned about a proportions in gigantic math exhibit. The museum is huge with a nice kids Discovery Center (for kids eight and under) and an impressive cafeteria with water views.

9) Spend an afternoon at Harvard Square

Cambridge is a fun neighborhood to explore with kids. You’ll find cafes, shopping galore, street performances and parks to explore. This is a great spot to take in a movie, walking tour or comedy show depending on the ages of your kids. Don’t forget a visit to the famed university while you’re there.

10) Ride the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority aka The T

Boston’s subway system, knicknamed the T, is a very kid-friendly experience and easy way to get around when little feet tire out. The trains are color coded and you are either traveling in-bound or out-bound so its pretty hard to get lost. There are stops at several tourist friendly locales including Logan International Airport, South Station and North Station as well attractions like the aquarium, Faneuil Hall, Museum of Science and Harvard Square. Children 11 and younger ride free with a parent and the turnstiles are stroller friendly.

What are your favorite kid-friendly places to visit in Boston?