Smarty Mom: Carrie Dalton

I love Smarty Mom Saturday! I look forward to this all week! Today, I present Smarty Mom, Carrie Dalton, of Huntersville, NC. Carrie is a stay-at-home mom of two precious boys, William, 3 1/2, and Jack, 20 months. Carrie gives us a super-fun glimpse at life in the “north” with great style.

Smarty Questions for Carrie Dalton

1. Where is your favorite place to buy boy clothes? I am a huge fan of The Gap. I have two boys and I think that it is hard to find cute boy clothes. I like the classic look of The Gap and it fits my kids well and lasts forever. I also love the Gap Outlet in Concord Mills. They have great sales!

2. What is your favorite weekday activity? We like to go to the park all year long! There are so many different parks in this area. We pack our bikes and our lunch and make a morning out of it.

3. What is your favorite weekend activity? I love to go to the movies so anytime a new one comes out, Will begs me to take him! As a family, we like to play with the kids outside or ride bikes at the park.

4. Where is the best place to eat lunch with the kids? Since Jack is 20 months and on the move, I do not eat out with the boys a whole lot! It is a lot of work for me and everyone else in the restaurant to get through the meal with him! We tend to grab lunch on the go if we are out! Pizza and Chick-Fil-A are the family favorites.

5. Where is your favorite place to eat dinner out with kids? Brooklyn South in Cornelius is a restaurant owned by a family from New York and they have great Italian food. My oldest son is obsessed with Kabuto’s right now (it is a Hibachi Grill). He loves to watch them cook in front of us! The fire and entertainment is a great child distraction during dinner!

6. What is your favorite park? I love Jetton Park in Cornelius. It is right on Lake Norman. They have a great shaded park for those hot summer days, bike trails, and a little beach where the kids can go and look at the lake! Another park that I love is Freedom Park. We pack a lunch, bikes and head down to meet our friends on the “south” side!

7. Mini Van or SUV? I drive a mini van and I could not live without it! I love it! It has so much room and we all can fit comfortably. It has a lot of storage space and really cool features.

8. Best thing about raising a family in Charlotte? I love that Charlotte is filled with so many young families. It is nice to be able to walk in my neighborhood and see how many people are walking with their kids and playing in the parks.

9. Best kept secret in Huntersville? Poppies! Poppies is a store that is located in Birkdale Village Shopping Center in Huntersville. The store is adorable and I think of it as my second home. They sell stationary, adorable kids clothes, bags and basically anything that you can monogram!

10. Best Birthday Party you have been to? My friend throws that best “backyard” birthday parties filled with activities and creative games. My boys always look forward to her
kids’ parties. I, on the other hand, am scared to death to have 20 kids running through my house so I always have my kids parties off campus! We have had a few parties at Chuck-E-Cheese. The one in Concord is clean and if you have the party during the week it is not crowded at all!

11. I could not live without… my portable DVD player for the kids to watch movies on long rides. This terrific invention makes a long car trip pleasant for everyone!

12. I wish someone had told me sooner about…the preschool admission process. Getting into preschool up here is like getting into college! Best advice- the earlier you put your child in preschool the easier it is for them to get in!

Thanks, Carrie, for all of your great advice! You ladies up in Huntersville and North Charlotte, feel free to add any other great tips! We’d love to hear them:-)