After enjoying so much all the suggestions I received in response to my request, I thought I’d share the gems that we’ve come across in and around Austin. So here are my Top 5 Specialty Stores/Services for all things baby/toddler & Top 10 for Education/Entertainment of the little ones. Enjoy! Please do share your favorites in the comments!!

Specialty Stores/Services

1. Austin Baby Store and the Sling Library

Austin Babywearers
When: 2nd Wed of the month, 10:30am – 12:00pm
Where: 701 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Description: Learn about babywearing and meet with other babywearers at this informal group. Extensive baby carrier library available for trial and check out. For more information and updates, please join Austin Babywearers at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/austinbabywearers/ No RSVP required; free. (And of course, babies welcome!)

This group is really awesome. Definitely recommended if you are new to babywearing, wanting to try something before you buy or just speak to some really seasoned babywearers! Thanks, Laura, for introducing me to the group!

2. Baby Earth

If you love the stuff you can only find online for your baby/toddler but don’t want to pay shipping or want to check it out in person before purchase, hurry over to Baby Earth in Round Rock (near the outlet malls). They sell some really awesome stuff that you can’t normally find in a store because they’re an internet store that just so happens to be in our neck of the woods! Helpful, friendly staff, too (but limited in-store hours).

3. Family Connections’ Family Place Library (aka the toy library)

The Family Place Library contains children’s books and educational toys; books on child development for child care professionals and books on parenting; resources for parents and child care professionals.

I haven’t been going much since I have 3 “babies” and an abundance of toys, but when I had just one, I loved going down to the toy library and trying stuff out. Plus, it was a cool place to hang out and meet other moms.

4. Special Addition

This awesome maternity & nursing boutique was one of my favorite places to hang out as a new mom. The staff are so sweet & helpful and couldn’t be more supportive & informative regarding breastfeeding. Their products are on the pricey side, but of good quality. And the bonuses include a nursing room, a scale to weigh your baby and plenty of knowledgeable staff to get you just what you need (including nursing bra fittings).

5. Trinity Childbirth

I also want to give a shout out to my friend, Laura Nattinger, who offers childbirth education, professional labor assistance, and postpartum/breastfeeding support. She is a DONA-certified birth doula & a La Leche League leader. She was our childbirth educator and though we didn’t use her as  a doula, I know she’d be awesome!

DRIVE -THRU ADDITIONS:

And just because it’s so convenient, here are a couple really handy drive-thrus.

1. Spicewood Springs Library

You can reserve books on-line and pick them up in the drive thru the next day!!

2. Great American Storage/USPS

Eliminate the challenges of getting your children AND your packages into the post office and just drive-thru the fully licensed (meaning no additional fees) Post Office!

Education/Entertainment

1. Catechisis of the Good Shepherd Atrium (Austin)

There are several parishes in the Austin area that have an atrium (St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Louis, & St. William’s for sure). We are new to CGS so I don’t know how it works as far as dropping by (Sharon, maybe you could speak to this?) but after touring the one at St. William’s at a parents’ info session, I was completely smitten! There is a little altar section that is just like Church only preschool-sized – it’s adorable!

2. Capital Gymnastics (Austin)

There is a gym a couple blocks from our house that has open gym days regularly for $5 per child. It is a fun, cool (aka not out in the TX heat), fairly inexpensive way for the kiddos to run off some steam.

3. Sprinkler Parks – Brushy Creek & Champion Park (Cedar Park), Robin Bledsoe Park (Leander)

All free. All fun. Personally, I think I like Champion Park the best for 3 & under. It is smaller, less crowded and has less dramatic bursts of water. The one in Leander is quite a drive for us, but is a good size, too and gated, which is helpful.

4. Elgin Pumpkin Festival & Christmas Tree Farm (Elgin)

So far, we have made this a family tradition for the Pumpkin Festival. Helps us get in the spirit of the season amidst the sweltering heat (and it is definitely still HOT in October). We haven’t been out at Christmastime since we decided not to purchase a live tree because we go home (to Nebraska for Christmas) and don’t want to leave a live tree in the house or throw it away before Christmas day. Surprisingly, the fake tree is actually really nice and with an evergreen scented candle, I can hardly tell a difference! Check out our video here and enjoy the Christmas photos that JR put up last night! Slowly but surely, we will get the photos updated . . .

5. Sweet Berry Farms (Marble Falls)

We’ve never actually been here, but it comes highly recommended and I am hoping to get there eventually. There was a strawberry farm near my home growing up and I have fond memories of going to pick strawberries at Pine Crest Farms (who also ran Red Cross swimming lessons in the summer & sold Christmas trees in the winter & is now a Bed & Breakfast!).

CORRECTION: Well, I guess the memories are there, but the details are not! According to my mom, I picked strawberries at Martin’s Fruit and Berry Farm (about 1 mile north of 14th and Agnew Road) not Pine Crest–they only grow trees!

6. Zilker Zephyr (Park Train) (Austin)

The girls & I enjoyed this train ride when Great Aunt Jo came to visit. It was quite charming with a wonderful view of Ladybird Lake & downtown Austin.

7. Austin Nature & Science Center (Austin)

Again, we haven’t tried it yet but it comes highly recommended from our friends the Nattingers (see Trinity Childbirth above), especially for homeschoolers.

8. McKinney Falls State Park (Austin)

We have camped twice now at McKinney Falls and had a great experience. Best advantage – within the Austin city limits & pretty falls. Drawbacks – no swimming beach or swimming area good for little ones & a pretty pathetic playscape.

9. Bastrop State Park (Bastrop)

We have also camped twice at Bastrop State Park (both times following the Pumpkin Festival) and it was awesome. We did the primitive camping, which was totally worth the effort to be “lost” in the woods and all on our own. The Lost Pines are beautiful and provide plenty of opportunity for exploring for the girls. The drawback is that it has no natural water sources for swimming (though there is a small lake for fishing). It does have a pool, however, it didn’t seem right to be primitive camping and hike over to the pool (which I guess is why we’ve only gone in October/November)!

10. Cabela’s (Buda)

Have to give a shout out to Cabela’s out of hometown pride. Their founders are from Nebraska and the headquarters are there, too. They have a very impressive stuffed animal collection (and I mean stuffed as in dead and taxidermied) from all over the world as well as a large aquarium of local fish. We make it a usual stop on the way to & from San Antonio.