D Moms
Moms We Love: A Peek Into Kidville Dallas Co-Founder Charmaine Tang’s World
Some of Charmaine’s favorite things: 1. Lucy Wrubel’s Mix of the Month 2. The DMA 3. MAC lipglass 4. The Lady and the Peacock 5. Tall black boots)
Who she is: Co-founder of Kidville Dallas and mom of Tyler and Charlotte.
Why we love her: Besides bringing the stylish NYC-based go-to spot for cool kid’s classes/preschool/birthday parties/haircuts/shopping (whew!) to Dallas, she also boasts enviable energy, is wicked smart, and is passionate about mentoring other women (a trifecta of crush-worthy qualities for sure).
Herewith a peek into Charmaine’s word…
Always in her handbag – This one is kind of laughable because my bag isn’t very interesting, but I always have “O” lipstick and “Pop Mode” lip glass by MAC, my 2013 Do It Planner (I call this my mommy calendar – it helps me juggle me, Kidville, my two kids, and my husband’s schedules), Bar Method grip socks, Goldfish, Purell, and Starbucks card (I am a Starbucks addict).
Her go-to outfit – Shirtdress and tall black boots
On her nightstand – I’m reading 2 books right now: How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton M. Christensen and The Lady and the Peacock by Peter Popham (a biography about Aung San Suu Kyi – the female political hero of Burma… her story is SO unbelievably inspirational).
What she’s listening to – Maroon 5, Vampire Weekend, Lucy Wrubel’s Mix of the Month (friend & fellow Lamplighter mommy) plus my favorite old school stuff – Chaka Khan, Mary J. Blige, and Steve Wonder.
Her mealtime haunts – Nosh, Neighborhood Services, The Old Monk, and Jeng Chi in Richardson (best Asian dumplings in town, my kids’ absolute fave) .
Her favorite family outing – Sunny day outing : Biking around White Rock Lake followed by a picnic lunch on Saturday mornings. Rainy day outing: Taking the kids to the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) – walking the museum and then enjoying their Center for Creative Connections. My kids, my husband, and I are inspired by what we see – we enjoy all the paper, tempera, and colored pencils. The four of us could sit there painting and drawing for hours!
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Keys to the Door: Franchisees Charmaine Tang and Amy Zicarelli.
Romper Rooms: The happiest place on earth is a relative term. For us, it’s a front-row seat (next to Ms. Wintour, of course) at a Tom Ford runway show. For a youngster, it’s likely a day at Kidville, the pint-sized playtime and entertainment place where tots get a taste of music, dance, gymnastics and art via specialized classes. “Think of it as a club for kids,” says Charmaine Tang, who, along with Amy Zicarelli, decided to open KV in Preston Royal Village after meeting — where else — at a school playground (Lamplighter, in fact), where their sons were classmates and buddies. “We were both stay-at-home moms,” says Tang, “and we knew there was a void in Dallas for an upscale place for young children.” Bye-bye void: From the bright primary colors and cushy fall-if-you-want-to flooring to the zip line and rock-climbing wall, Kidville has spared no expense. Another playtime perk? Tang and Zicarelli devoted an entire room to a small-scale grocery store, diner, mechanics shop, beauty boutique with plenty of pink dress-up accessories and — what made us giddy — a mini McKinney Avenue Trolley. For your budding socialite, you must commission one of Kidville’s fully themed parties, where your little one gets to be a superhero, princess or sports star for 90 minutes, complete with balloons, pizzas, party favors, even a cake — while you do practically nothing, as KV even handled the mailed invitations for you. The coolest kids in town? They’re hangin’ here. 6025 Royal Lane in Preston Royal Village, 214.378.7777; kidville.com/dallas.
Image: Kidville. Photo by Nicholas McWhirter.
By: Jennifer Barling
Photography: Steven Visneau
Date Posted: 3/29/2011
Mom Next Door: Kidville Dallas owners Charmaine Tang & Amy Zicarelli
When Charmaine Tang, a 36-year-old former Wall Street investment banker, and Amy Zicarelli, a 33-year-old former family therapist, met on a playground two years ago, an instant friendship began. Both were stay-at-home moms living in Preston Hollow. Both had a son and a daughter. And both, apparently, had big dreams.
Earlier this year, Charmaine and Amy opened the first Kidville location in Texas. Situated in a Dallas strip mall on the northeast corner of Preston and Royal, Kidville is a one-stop shop where kids from birth to age 6 can take classes, play, attend preschool, get a haircut, and shop for boutique-style clothes and toys. Business is booming, but both ladies still find that motherhood is their most important job.
Here's a link to their story: http://www.dallaschild.com/showarticle.asp?artid=1541
Shelley Logan
March 2, 2011
Dallas’ new hotspot for kids: Kidville
Dallas Family ExaminerShelley Logan
March 2, 2011
Kidville has come to Dallas! Located in the Preston Royal Village shopping center (just a few doors down from Purple Cow), Kidville is sure to be a hit with the zero-to-six crowd.
Kidville offers a wide variety of classes for different age groups (including music, dance and art) and a fun new place for kids to play. By registering your child for a class, you automatically receive a free Silver Membership package, which includes discounts on birthday parties, salon services, and more.
Kidville was founded six years ago in New York, by a mom who wanted a better option for her preschooler’s inconvenient music classes. There are now over a dozen locations across the country, and Kidville continues to grow. The Dallas location is owned by two local moms, who believed in the concept and also wanted a better option for area kids to learn, play and explore.
Five reasons your kid will love Kidville:
1. The cool red airplane chair in the Kidville salon where children can get haircuts
2. The zip line in the Big Muscle Gym (when classes are not in session, kids are free to climb the rock wall, somersault on the Tumbl Trak, shoot hoops, and build tall towers with oversized soft blocks)
3. The Little Maestros live band (picture the Wiggles but cooler and without the matching outfits)
4. The kid-sized town called Play Village, which features a 1950’s-style diner, service station, grocery store, and trolley car
5. Kidville is just a hop, skip and jump from The Purple Cow
Check out Kidville online or call 214-378-7777 for more details.
