[blparent] meeting other parents and finding playdates

[Ronit Ovadia Mazzoni]

Hi everyone,
I have a question that I know some of you have experience with. I am interested in meeting more parents in my area. I joined a group of moms through meetup.com but all the meetups are either geared toward toddlers or are far enough away that I can't walk there. I did attend one meetup and asked for a ride from a mom. She was very nice and helped me get my carseat in her car for my son. It was a hastle though. And I felt bad asking for a ride. I offered her gas money but she wouldn't take it. I have met a few moms in this group but haven't made any real connections with anyone so I feel awkward about asking for rides to events. What have you done to find playdates and to meet moms in your area? Any other websites besides meetup.com that I should check out? How have you handled getting to events that are not accessible via public transportation? The moms I've talked to seem mildly sympathetic to my situation but most often don't want to do things close to where I live. I've gotten together with one mom who lives within walking distance and we've been out to lunch with our babies but there's only so many times you can go to that same sandwich shop. :)

I'm interested in your experiences. Thanks.
Ronit