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Every once in awhile, I write a post about Mazzy and people say, “I want to be her when I grow up.” I agree, I want to be Mazzy too. This time it’s because Janie and Jack dressed her in their new Coral Carousel Collection and asked me to take her out for a Parisian inspired play date in NYC.

Sure….. pull my leg, why don’t you.

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Mazzy even got to take her friend Skylar along (because a play date isn’t a play date without a friend), who wore an outfit from Janie and Jack’s Blue Chateau Collection. Also Paris-inspired. Obviously.

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Does it get any cuter than this?

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Skylar’s mom and I took the girls to Bryant Park for a carousel ride and an all-you-can-eat macaron feast. Dave Robbins met us there to take pictures and the girls ate the whole experience up.

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Don’t Mazzy and Skylar look like Blair Waldorf and Serena Van der Woodsen, the early years? Mazzy was even wearing a headband just like Queen Bee. Thankfully, I haven’t witnessed any friend sabotage or Brooklyn bashing as of yet.

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Bryant Park is an oasis in Midtown and one of my favorite places for kids in the city, although it’s not an area of city kids tend to hang out. They have a carousel, an outdoor reading area with children’s books and little eateries, pop-up shops and random events all year long. The park is even transformed into an ice skating rink in winter.

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Their carousel is small and sweet with whimsical characters to ride like cats and bunnies along with your typical horses.

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You can pay $3 for a ticket (adults accompanying kids ride free) or you can get a punch card for 10 rides for $15 that never expires. If you get the punch card, the kids get gold coins to give the person manning the ride.

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The music playing when the carousel turns is French accordion classics, like you would hear in an old movie when a couple takes a trip to Paris.

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So… there was Mazzy and Skylar looking like little ladies having a perfectly French moment on the carousel, with Dave busily snapping pictures… when another woman gets on the ride and starts screaming like she’s on a roller coaster while filming herself on her phone. Every once in awhile she would hand the phone off to two friends (personal assistants?) standing outside the ride to film a wide shot. Presumably she’s some sort of Vine or YouTube star and I thought— what a strange world we live in.

Mazzy and Skylar however, were too caught up in their own Parisian dream sequence to notice.

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Next up, we sat the kids at one of the many public tables and chairs set up in the park to eat French macarons I had brought from Macaron Parlour, a shop in the East Village.

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Mazzy had helped me pick out the colorful selection and was very excited to try them.

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Perhaps my favorite photos are this next series where Skylar discovers she loves macarons (I believe she packed away about five of them) and Mazzy discovers she doesn’t like macarons at all and demands a different snack selection immediately.

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I promised her a popsicle when we got home. That seemed to work.

Mazzy was wearing the Carousel Pony dress with the Blossom Headband.

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The Coral Carousel collection was inspired by the famous carousel next to the Eiffel Tower, using pastel colors, metallic shine and playful prints.

Coral Carousel Collection

Skylar was wearing a floral dress and boucle beret, which was really supposed to go with the ruffle boucle dress, but you try telling that to a five-year-old.

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The Blue Chateau Collection was inspired by vintage blue floral and boucle swatches found in Paris, which mixes blues and indigos with navy accents.

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This next photo series starts with the girls whispering secrets, then quickly devolves into the girls blowing raspberries in each other’s ears. I think Mazzy may have bit Skylar’s ear off by the end.

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Mazzy and Skylar both opted to wear the same silk bow shoes, despite me trying to convince one of them to wear the gold metallic ballet flats. You can only urge so much before risking a revolt.

Mazzy also insisted on carrying the purse, which was supposed to go with Skylar’s outfit, but sometimes you just have to trust your kid’s fashion sense over your own.

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When it comes to play dates, it’s fun over fashion every time.

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INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY:

I’m giving away two $100 Janie and Jack gift cards on Instagram later today! Follow @mommyshorts on Instagram to see how to enter.

SPECIAL OFFER:

Janie and Jack is offering Mommy Shorts readers 10% off their purchases, using coupon code: MOMMY10. The offer can be redeemed in-store and online, valid 8/3 to 8/10.

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This post was sponsored by Janie and Jack but you can clearly see how much the girls loved their outfits! All photos were taken by Dave Robbins Photography.