Despite the fact that I lived in Charlotteville for over 8 years having a baby, becoming a mom introduced me to so many new businesses that I had never heard of before. So I've put together this little guide to some of my favorite local businesses for moms & toddlers (and some that I still need to visit!) 

The list includes health & wellness items for moms (because it is important to take care of yourself!), shopping, and some fun places to take your tots. I've also included links to a few other places that I know I want to take my kid as they get older, but we aren't quite ready for yet. 

I know this list is by no means complete and I will definitely add updates as time goes on. If you know of any place that should be added, please e-mail me and let me know! (christy@newleafcville.com)

- Christy 

Health & Wellness For Mom

One Fit Mother (onefitmothercville.com) Trying to fit in a workout with a baby is hard, but One Fit Mother makes it so much easier! They offer in-person classes at Pen Park & zoom classes to workout at home. The instructors are always willing to help out with a crying baby so you can focus on your exercise and they find many ways to incorporate kids into the class too. On top of that, it's an amazing community of moms from all stages of motherhood with a lot of community events & fun times. I could go on forever about how much I love this group and how important I think it is for both physical and mental health. 

Women in Motion (womeninmotionpt.com) While pregnant, I developed a nerve issue in my foot that I was told should get better after baby was born. Spoiler alert, it didn't get better and I spent months trying to figure out who could help. Then I talked to Kira at One Fit Mother who recommended Women in Motion and I'm so glad she did! Women in Motion offers both physical therapy & pelvic floor therapy (something all moms should know is available to them!), help with C-section scarring, classes for prenatal & postpartum moms, & they recently added lactation services too. They are a wonderful resource for learning to take care of yourself with all of the changes that pregnancy & motherhood can bring.

Kindred Cville (kindredcville.com) Kindred is a yoga studio focusing on prenatal & postpartum classes. Many of their postpartum classes are mommy & me style classes where you can bring your infants & toddlers with you for a class that engages them as well. 

Shopping

Green Bean Baby Boutique (greenbeanbabyboutique.com) I had no clue that an actual baby store exists in Charlottesville, but now that I know about this shop, it's one of my go-tos! They have great essentials for babies & toddlers including strollers, clothing, toys, meal time, and more. The staff is knowledgable about everything in the store and always helpful in making sure you get the right thing. They also work with a lot of local businesses for moms & young kids that you should keep on your radar. 

Kid-To-Kid (kidtokid.com/location/charlottesville/) When you wake up one day and realize that it's 80° and you don't actually own any 3-6 month shorts for your baby, Kid-to-Kid is the place to go! I'm always impressed with the quality of clothing that I find at Kid-to-Kid and it's where I typically head first when I realize that despite having an entire dresser of clothing, my child is missing some basic necessities for the season. I also very much appreciate that I don't need to remember how much store credit I have, I just need to remember my phone number. 

O'Suzannah (osuzcville.com)O'Suzannah has always been one of my favorite shops and the Downtown Mall and they have such an adorable array of things for babies & toddlers. I love the clothing brands they carry & my mother-in-law loves that they have so many matching accessories for when she wants to dress the baby up. 

Shenanigans Toys & Games (shenanigans.toys)  Shenanigans has been proudly operating in Charlottesville for 50 years and it's easy to see why. Whenever I walk in looking utterly confused, they offer great suggestions of things that end up being the absolute perfect gift every single time. And they're just a really fun place to visit. 

Whimsies (whimsieskids.com) Whimsies is one of my favorite places for holiday shopping because I can get clothing, toys, & games all in one shop! Located in Stonefield, this shop has a little bit of everything for kids of all ages. And because they have outfits for all ages, it's a great place to put together some really cute coordinating sibling (or, in my case, cousin) outfits. 

Here Wee Grow Again Sale (hereweegrowagain.com) This twice-yearly consignment sale is an amazing event that happens in the spring and fall. If you haven't been before, it's hard to imagine how much they have available. There's a room filled with baby gear including furniture, bedding, and baby carriers, then a massive room filled with racks upon racks of clothing from preemie through a kids 12, toys, books, games, and more. It is a wonderful event and a great way to stock up on clothing or sell your items. 

Merry Go Round Pop Up Shop (merrygoroundcville.com) Once-a-year, the Merry Go Round pop-up boutique comes to town. They sell clothing from newborns through kids 8 and carry a limited selection of brands. They also donate 100% of their profits to Stepping Stone, a local organization that I love. 

Places to Take Kids

Virginia Discovery Museum (vadm.org) For all the times that I passed the Discovery Museum on the Downtown Mall, I had no idea how HUGE it was. When we stepped inside for the first time, I was amazed. There are so many things to see & play with that you can't possibly do it all in one visit, which also means your kid can have a new experience every time they go. It's a great place for a kid to play with new things, tire themselves out, and need a long nap after. 

Blossom Play Space (blossomplayspace.com)  If you've ever thought "I love the idea of sensory bins for my kids, but don't want to deal with the mess at home", Blossom is the place to visit. Blossom focuses on child-led creative and inquiry-based play focused on a new theme each week. 

Blue Ridge Music Together (blueridgemusictogether.com) & Musicology (musicologyva.com) My kid loves music and dancing, so finding a music class was a must! And Charlottesville is very lucky to have two great options for parents to foster their child's love of music. I admit that I spent a long time debating which program I thought my daughter would enjoy the most, but ultimately I made my decision based on which class worked best for my schedule and I have zero regrets.

Get Air (getairsports.com/charlottesville) If you've talked to me in the past few months, you've probably heard me talk about Get Air. Our new favorite thing to do is go to Get Air's Toddler Time with friends on Sunday mornings from 8AM - 10AM, let the kids bounce all over the place for 2 hours, get a quick brunch, and enjoy the extremely long nap they take after. They also have an amazing little town where toddlers can run around with a grocery store, bakery, slides, climbing toys, swings, and more. 

Local Parks (charlottesville.gov/Facilities & albemarle.org/government/parks-recreation/parks) There are many amazing parks throughout Charlottesville and Albemarle with playgrounds, picnic shelters, hiking trails, and more. Some of my favorite parks are Riverview in Charlottesville which has a paved walking trail along the Rivanna River and a playground with swings and Pen Park in Charlottesville which has a wonderful playground and is the home of Bennett's Village, a multigenerational, all-abilities playspace.

Local Charities

Stepping Stone (steppingstonecville.org) After my baby outgrew their first diapers, I had a few open packs that I didn't know what to do with. I asked a few people and someone told me about Stepping Stone. They work with  local agencies, shelters, hospitals, and nonprofits to help provide families with some basic necessities for children aged 0-3. Since I learned about them, we've brought in many of our baby items that were in good condition but that we didn't often use in the hopes that another family can find some use for them. 


Local Websites/Social Media

Charlottesville Family (charlottesvillefamily.com) Charlottesville Family Magazine is a great resource for things around town. Their social media channel shares local events, new businesses that have opened, and great information for families to know. 

Cville Kids (instagram.com/cville_kids/) Cville Kids posts a weekly roundup of family friendly events happening each Saturday & Sunday so you can find new things to do each weekend. They also highlight local places to visit, hikes, and activities by season. 

For the Older Kids:These are places that my toddler isn't quite old enough to enjoy, but I've heard so many wonderful things about. I hope you'll enjoy them too!  

The Art Bar (theartbarcville.com)

Rose's Inspiration Station (rosesinspirationstation.com)

Sunpins (sunpins.fun)

Wildrock (wildrock.org) 

Bricks & Minifigs (bricksandminifigs.com/charlottesville-va/) While my toddler is too young Legos, this is such a fun store to visit. When you step inside, you'll find displays of Lego builds, rare and retired sets,  and an abundance of bulk bins to sort through for the pieces you need. 

Rock Revolution (climbrockrevolution.com) A new rock-climbing gym that offers a kids zone for ages 4-12. 

The Scrappy Elephant (scrappyelephant.com) The Scrappy Elephant is my go-to when I'm looking for art supplies. A creative reuse store, they have diverted over 200,000 POUNDS of arts & crafts material from the landfill. They also offer classes in a variety of arts and crafts projects for all ages and an art studio you can rent filled with materials that you can use from the shop.