Seattle with kids

Baby Loves Disco: Just like Oz, weird but fun

Walking into a night club in the middle of the day is a really odd feeling. Especially when it’s gorgeously sunny outside, and scorchingly hot. Walking into a nightclub on a sunny day in Seattle with children in tow is even stranger. And yet, that is exactly what we did this past Saturday when we attended Baby Loves Disco. We stood in line, said goodbye to the sunshine and descended into a night club with no air conditioning, blasting music, and free juice boxes.

I think I was not the only parent there, feeling a little weird about this. I walked in to see many other adults with a deer in the headlights look, standing around not sure what to do next. I knew this had the potential to be really fun, I just wished someone had given me some kind of direction. I was handed tickets “for the baby legs” and handed stickers, “for the cupcakes” and turned loose without knowing where anything was or what I was supposed to do next. It took me a good half an hour to realize they were serving free snacks– the website wasn’t even clear about this and no one told me where they were. So for the first twenty minutes, I like everyone else, just wandered around in a daze.

And then it got more fun.

My kids were immediately drawn to the chill out room. Toys, tents and tunnels. They really couldn’t have cared if there was ANYTHING else, though they did spot the cupcakes immediately. So we hung out. Not the most fun for Charming and I , but the kids enjoyed themselves. I was impressed with how well done the chill out room was. I think the whole event could have just been one giant chill out room and been a success. But I wanted to DANCE. Isn’t that what we’d come for? So we bid farewell to the toys and sought out the boogie.

The dance floor had some great features. Bubbles would intermittently disperse throughtout the entire room, and my sweet Spider was pulled from her groggy, post-car ride limpness to just glance in awe at this. There were also well thought of bins full of scarves and shakers to help get our baby’s grooves on. Once the d.j. turned the music down a little, it was even better. (I know, I am obnoxious, but I had to ask– these little one have such sensitive ear drums.) Though it took a little warming up, we eventually tore up the dance floor, though not many other people did. It kind of reminded me of high school actually– everyone seemed a little self concious. But Sugar and I had a good time as we danced like no one was watching.

Now, admittedly, this was my first time in a night club (day or night) and so I felt a little out of my element. Though I like to dance, I am not a drinker of alcohol on any level and having married before I turned 21, there has never been a reason for me to frequent a night club. Personally, I felt that for the event to be truly kid friendly, there should have been no alcohol served. Yet, the bar was open, complete with a fully pierced, wife beater wearing bartender. There was a roped off area that the alcohol was not to leave, but I was uncomfortable. Again, bars aren’t my thing, so maybe it was just me.

But the giveaways wAnytime FREE is involved I am so there. I loved the free baby legs, the cupcakes and the other little perks like the donuts and the juiceboxes. We even got an extra pair of baby legs because Sugar walked in the baby legs fashion show. So props on that! Yay giveaways.

Overall, though we had a good time, I felt that some improvements could have been made. The time for example, was killer. Is there a baby on this planet that doesn’t typically take a nap from 1-4? I realize they were probably working with the club’s schedule, but I really think an earlier time would have helped it be better attended. Not only that, but I think the kids would have been more into the dancing. At least mine would have anyway. I got in for free thanks to Baby Loves Disco generously giving some tickets away to Seattle Mom Blogs, and I am glad I got to go, because I am not sure I would have paid the $12 a person to go. For my family that would have been $60 on top of the 45 minute drive one way, and though we got free stuff, we could have bought more baby legs with the same amount of money and enjoyed the sunny day too.

Bottom line? Great concept. And if you live in the city and you like/liked clubbing, this is a great venue for you. For me, I was just a little out of my element. I felt much more comfortable when we were home and we got to do this:

Stephanie is a work at home momma trying to make the world more beautiful while also trying to keep her sanity with three energetic children under the age of six.

You can read more about her fabulously crazy life over at The Mommiverse.