Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, relaxing, the big Island, vacation in Hawaii on August 21, 2013| 3 Comments »
Today the kids went to the Keiki Club for an all day adventure of fishing and making some local cuisine and well, who cares really because it meant that Ron and I got to go get a massage a kid-free lunch and the afternoon in a covered cabana, reading, relaxing and staring at the ocean. Life is good. Happy Wednesday from paradise xox
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Big Island of Hawaii, family vacation, Hawaii, Hawaii vacation, Hilton Grand Vacations Kings Land, I love Hawaii, Kohala Coast, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Waikoloa, Waikoloa Village on August 19, 2013| 2 Comments »
My obsession to visit Hawaii started a couple of winter’s ago when I was stuck on the couch for a week with a nasty cold/flu. The weather outside was miserable, I was miserable and was looking for a new show to watch. I got sucked in to “Hawaii Five-O”. I am not even sure the show was that phenomenal but the incredibly beautiful scenery episode after episode was exactly what I needed. And I knew right at that moment that I MUST visit Hawaii one day. Flash forward and here we are. I still can’t really believe it. I am sitting here writing this poolside, the sun is dazzling, the sky is crystal blue and the palm trees are swaying in the breeze- heavenly.
After a day long traveling adventure and arriving late in the evening, we awoke bright and early the first morning to a spectacular sunrise. A cup of coffee on the balcony or run at this time of day really is good for the mind and body.
I have totally fallen in love with the Big Island. We are having an incredible time. It truly is a magical place. I feel like we have only just begun to see the amazing sights. Our hotel at Kings Land is sleepy and relaxing. The staff is welcoming and warm. Dinner at restaurants is served from 5-9:30. Unlike NYC, the vibe here is get up early enjoy a full jam packed day in the sun and then retire early to re-energize for the next day. We seem to be adjusting just fine 😉
So far we have chilled out at the pool, wave jumped at the beach, the girls have swam with dolphins, Ron and I tried paddle boarding, we have snorkeled, tried the local cuisine and most of all we have relaxed. Life is good. We are lucky and I am grateful. Here are some of my favorite pics so far. I look forward to sharing more of our adventures. Shaka Brah!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Family, Friends, happiness, Life in NYC, little brother getting married, Living in Manhattan, love, Paul and Andrea, summer wedding, wedding, Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday Pics on August 14, 2013| 3 Comments »
This past weekend the whole family traveled to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada to see my little bro also known as “crazy one-eyed uncle Paul” get married. It was an absolutely fabulous time. I can honestly say that I have never seen my brother that happy. He was ecstatic and it is clear to me that Andrea and Paul are a perfect match. From the moment we got off the plane, Andrea’s family was incredibly welcoming and warm and in true Italian style showed their love by feeding us with spectacular food. It was a wonderful time filled with love, laughter, family, new family, friends, Canadian warmth and hospitality and of course a little bit of adventure too 😉 I have included some of my favorite pics from the big day, hope you enjoy them. Congratulations Andrea and Paul, we wish you much joy and happiness as you start your new life together!!!!! xoxoxo
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged excited, heading to Uncle Paul's wedding, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday Pic on August 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »
We are sitting in the airport waiting to board our plane to Toronto and then connect to Sault Ste. Marie. The whole damn family is excited because crazy “one-eyed” Uncle Paul (brother Paul) is getting married. We can’t wait!!!! Look out Canada, here we come 🙂 We are SUPER excited even at 5:30 in the morning 😉 Happy Wednesday!!!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged friends coming to visit, Friendship, girls weekend away in NYC, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, new memories, Pics of NYC, visiting with friends, Weekend Away, Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday Pics on July 31, 2013| 1 Comment »
I always say that it has been a most excellent weekend in NYC if your feet hurt, your belly is full of good food, your bank account is a whole lot emptier, many drinks have been drunk, many excellent sights have been seen and much laughter has been had. Based on that criteria, this past weekend visit with my Ottawa girlies was a HUGE success and a much needed adventure for all. We walked and walked and drank and ate and drank some more, we shopped and shopped and shopped until I almost dropped. We rocked out to “Rock of Ages”, we laughed and caught up. We reminisced and made new memories. And we even managed to sneak in a viewing of “Twilight”. What more could you ask for really??!! Here are a few pics from the weekend, hope you enjoy them. Thanks for visiting Nina and Kel. Love you both lots and lots… (missed you D!) I guess it is now my turn to come back up North, eh?? xxoo
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Imran Qureshi, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Pics of NYC, relaxing in the city, Riverside Park Art, Roof Garden Commission: Imran Qureshi Pics, Summer in NYC, summer in the city on July 25, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Wow, it is hard to believe that it is the end of July. In just over a week we pick up the girls from camp. A month- poof!- just like that! Summer sure does fly by…
I have been enjoying the simpler things this summer. After we got home from Newport, I had a little minor surgery which ended up involving a little complication, no worries, all is good. I am good. But, it just meant that the recovery was a bit longer than anticipated. It forced me to slow down, relax and just take some time. Over the past couple of weeks I have been reading, binge watching “Orange Is The New Black” (thank you Dana for the recommendation, it is AMAZING!!!), strolling through the MET (loved the Punk exhibit and the Roof Garden Commission by Imran Qureshi), enjoying coffee with friends, brunch with family, celebrating a birthday, meeting a new baby, writing letters to the girls, going on long walks and basically just slowing down a bit. It has been very relaxing. And refreshing.
Today Ron is back from his week long business trip in Europe and cherished friends are arriving from Ottawa. I am very much looking forward to some serious fun in NYC this weekend. I am also missing my little monkeys like crazy and can’t wait to see them next weekend. I have enjoyed the peace and quiet but I hate to admit it, but I do believe I thrive on the chaos 😉
Here are some pics taken over the past week or so, hope you enjoy them and I hope you are all finding time to relax and enjoy the beauty of summer. xox
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Heatwave in NYC, hot in the city, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, NYC in the Summer, pic of dog, staying hydrated and doing as little as possible, surviving the heatwave in NYC, Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday Pics on July 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »
NYC is currently being crushed under a gigantic heatwave. You would think we were living in the deep south, people are moving that S-L-O-W-L-Y. I am going to take a page out of Dopey dog’s book on “how to survive the excessive heat” and stay hydrated and do as little as possible. I suggest you do the same. Be well my friends, stay cool and be positive. Happy Wednesday!! xox
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Goat Island, Hyatt Goat Island, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, mini vacation from the city, Newport RI, pics of Newport RI, relaxing and unwinding, Rhode Island, romantic getaway, the Breakers, town of newport, Visiting Newport, Wordless Wednesday on July 10, 2013| 1 Comment »
After dropping off the girls at camp in New Hampshire, Ron and I decided to stop half way back to NYC in Newport RI, for a little mini-vacay. We had a wonderful time hanging out with our fur-baby- Dopey, chillaxing by the pool, exploring the town of Newport, indulging in some good food and drink and even checking out a mansion or two- one we were allowed in (The Breakers) and others that we could just drool over as we drove along the coastline. We stayed at the Hyatt on Goat Island and it was the perfect setting for a little romantic getaway. Now we are back in the sweltering hot and humid city to a very quiet apartment. Can’t really complain though because I am finding plenty of me time and am already planning some adventures for the upcoming weeks. I will keep you posted 😉 Hope you enjoy the pics from Newport and Happy Wednesday!!!
The Lighthouse off of Goat Island
The view from our room
Historic homes in downtown Newport
The gate to the Vanderbilt “Breakers” Mansion
Just a wee summer home
Photo bomb 😉
The gardens
The stunning view from the second floor- not too shabby
The coastline
D-dawg enjoying his new surroundings
It’s a tough life, but someone should do it 😉
Beautiful tall ships and yachts in the harbor
Beer =)
Sunset
A litte run to the Naval Base
One tired pup…
And a little cool down
Home sweet home!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, start of summer vacation, summer fun, summertime in the city on July 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Summer is finally here and of course, it starts off with a massive heat wave in the city, that is just how NYC likes to roll. Oppressive heat in the concrete jungle 😉 I for one am glad that the lazy, hazy days of summer have finally arrived. I welcome the slower pace, the outdoor patios, fewer people around and the many cool summer activities, concerts and theater events going on. The vibe just feels a little more chillax.
I ended June on a bit of a crazy note, when four of my best girlfriends and I ran in the Rugged Maniac obstacle course race. It was truly an adrenaline blast and we had a ton of fun making our way up and down walls, and other insane barriers through mud and water. So. Much. Fun. Rachel in all her awesomeness ran along side us and took some pics.
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July started with the girls home and me trying to entertain them while organizing and planning for their departure for sleepaway camp. We saw a few movies, did some exploring and basically just tried to survive the heat and each other 😉 Have to admit, even though Monsters Inc. is my favorite kid movie of all time, I loved Despicable Me 2, way more than Monsters University.
We spent July 4th hanging as a family, trekking around on our bikes and avoiding the crowds and the fireworks, opting for an apartment picnic and movie night instead.
This past weekend we drove to New Hampshire and dropped off the girls at camp. They are gone for a whole month this summer, and as I sit here typing this I still can’t really process that we have no children for a month. I will miss them terribly but I am not going to lie, I am also looking forward to a little time in Manhattan to explore as an adult.
Today Ron, Dopey and I are hanging out in Newport, RI. As a little 12th anniversary treat to ourselves we decided to spend a couple of days relaxing in this beautiful oceanfront town. It does not suck 😉
Ahhhh summer… So nice to have you back.
Hope you are all enjoying a bit of a slower pace and are welcoming July with some fun! Xox
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged end of the school year, happy summer, last day of school, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, school's out for the summer on June 26, 2013| Leave a Comment »
School is finally out for the summer and we survived another year or should I say another June. Whoa, the insanity of the end of year activities!! I think we can all agree that it is time for a glass of cold bubbly on the patio. My fifth grader has graduated and will be starting middle school and next year the youngest will be going into third grade. Crazy really, time is flying by… Here are a few of my favorite pics from the last week of school and of course from today, the last day of school. Happy summer everyone!!!! Wishing you a restful, relaxing, fun and most of all, adventurous time 😉
It's Always An Adventure 