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Posts Tagged ‘Life in NYC’

Family Fun In Florida

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 3, 2011| 1 Comment »

I fully believe in the importance of taking a breather and finding some time to spend with just our family, the four of us. The chaos of our daily lives means that sometimes we are so caught up in our day to day activities that we barely have time to connect with one another. Whether it is just a day trip to a new destination or family movie night with take-out, the time spent as a family is essential for our overall sanity especially in a city like New York where sometimes the pace seems a wee bit speedy =)

This past weekend we were very fortunate to take an extended weekend and enjoy a sunny family retreat to Orlando, Florida. A positive side of Ron’s frequent travel is that every once in a while we are offered rewards from hotels that he has stayed at in the past. The Hilton SeaWorld Resort gave us a ridiculously low price on our one bedroom suite and well, it seemed like an offer that we couldn’t refuse. We hopped on a plane at JFK and 2 1/2 hrs later we arrived in hot and steamy Orlando.

We checked into our hotel and then made our way to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. The girls were super excited to be back at Disney and couldn’t wait to go on all of the rides and see the characters.

Mickey showing his Hallowe'en spirit!

The girls with Mary Poppins

We had a fabulous day at the park, topping it off by staying late to see the Magical Parade of Lights and the Fireworks. You know you have lived in NYC for awhile when you happily plunk down on the curb side of Downtown Disney to watch the fireworks thinking that it is the cleanest sidewalk you have ever seen!!

The sun beginning to set behind the castle

The next day we ventured over to SeaWorld, which was just a short five minute walk from our resort. We had a lot of fun taking in the whale and dolphin shows and feeding sharks. We even braved Atlantis and got super soaked careening down the roller coaster’s fast curves into the water at the end. That night we ate poolside at the resort and shared a hot tub under the stars. Perfection.

Waiting for Shamu and being our normal crazy selves 😉

After two action packed days the girls decided and we happily agreed that they would just like to spend the next couple of days hanging out at our resort, swimming in the pool, playing some ping pong, trying their hand at pool and shuffling through shuffle board. It was wonderfully relaxing and best of all we were able to re-connect and have fun goofing around just the four of us.

The view from our balcony

A quiet moment (I didn't even want to take the picture for fear of ruining it!!)

My two little dolphins

I could get very used to this!

And now we are back to reality- Ron is out of town, there will be homework tonight and sisters will fight, dinner has to be made and laundry needs to get done. But, I think we all have a bit of renewed energy to tackle these tasks. Getting out of the city, recharging the battery, talking to the kids without hurrying them out the door and sharing a convo and drink poolside with my man was wonderful. Much needed family time, so incredibly important. Now, just remind me of this by Wednesday when I am trying to escape them all 😉 Have a great day and take some time to hug the ones you love.

And here we are being just as crazy in NYC- for you Chantal 😉

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Manhattan Mommy Pressure

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on September 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »

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Being a mom in NYC, what’s it really like? I came across this question the other day when skimming the internet for something else and it kind of jumped out at me and stayed with me for the day. Is being a mom in Manhattan really that different than being a mom in any other North American city? Well hello, of course it is, this is NYC and well, isn’t that what my entire blog is about?! But still, it got me thinking. As my regular readers know I have lived in the Bright Lights and Big City for just over a year, having moved from the suburbs of Ottawa, Canada. And of course, our life has changed significantly but I started to reflect on my life as a mother, how had that changed? Was being a mom in Manhattan really any different than being a mom in Ottawa? Were the every day pressures and chaos the same?

The answer is a complicated one. Being a mother is a damn hard job, we all know that. Is it harder in Manhattan? I think the answer is yes and no. This island is one hell of a competitive place. Add to that the accelerated pace, the difficulties of actually getting into an overcrowded public school, the few judgmental mommies on the playground, the desire to want what is best for your child and navigating the city itself and some days can be pretty overwhelming. On the positive side, the plethora of activities, opportunities and learning experiences for children in this city are second to none.

Fundamentally though, the pressures of mommy hood are universal. Instead of carpooling, I take kids back and forth on the subway, play dates are held in local parks instead of backyards, the insanity of making lunches and helping with homework remains the same. Manhattan families are just like any other families, we juggle schedules, argue, strive for balance and look for ways to ease up on the pressures we put on ourselves and our kids. And yes, sometimes this can be a little harder in a city that prides itself on never sleeping.

It is too easy to get caught up in the crazy no matter what city you live in. Surround yourself with supportive people, don’t forget to breathe and always know where the closest Starbucks and Wine Bar in your neighborhood are 😉 Have a great weekend!

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Anxious

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on September 10, 2011| 4 Comments »

September 11, 2011. 10 years later. And I live in New York City. I love New York City, I honestly can’t imagine living anywhere else in the world right now. And yet, right now I am feeling a little unsettled, a bit on edge, anxious. I am not afraid, no I am not. I will NOT be afraid.

I just feel not quite right because the city feels not quite right. This is NYC and New Yorkers are resilient and strong.  The security level is high, there are traffic check points everywhere and the news is on a non-stop loop of the horror that was September 11,  2001.  But still, we carry on with our lives as usual. Although in reality not totally true, because there is that unspoken feeling, glances shared on the subway, stories told quietly among friends. We are carrying on as usual but the city is remembering and mourning, everyone in their own individual way.

We all remember where we were on that day, how could we not? It is a day that forever changed the world as we know it.

I can only imagine the pain and emotions that the people who lost loved ones and dear friends are feeling on this anniversary. My heart goes out to them as well as to all of the first responders, volunteers, recovery teams, flight crews, construction teams and so many more. They are all truly heroes.

My New York never included the Twin Towers and the World Trade Center. My first visit, where I lost my heart to NYC was in March 2002. But like the rest of the world, I will never forget them.

Tomorrow, I will take the time to remember, to grieve, to say a few prayers for peace, to hug my family a little tighter and to also embrace this incredible city and be fiercely proud to live here.

LOVE

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Wordless Wednesday: How to Vacuum a Whale??!!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on September 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Today, we met up with a few of R’s former classmates at the American Museum of Natural History to hang out on our last day before the start of school. We decided a great meeting place would be the “Whale Room”. You can imagine our surprise when we got to the large hall and found that the exhibit was closed due to whale vacuuming. Yep, you heard it right, the giant whale was getting an over due make over. Not something you see everyday!! Hope you have a good one =)

Now that is a large whale....but I guess all whales are large 😉

That is a lot of dust...

Way more interesting than vacuuming the apartment.

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The Perfect End to Summer

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on September 5, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Well, it is Labor Day and with it comes the unofficial end to summer. Soon the weather will be turning cooler, the sun filled days will shorten, school will start and schedules will need to be followed. And while I have to admit I am very much looking forward to the promise and excitement of new adventures to come in the fall, I am always get a wee bit sad at the end of the lazy, hazy days of summer. Luckily we managed to jam pack tons of NYC adventures in to this past weekend and I feel like we did our best to have a rockin’ good time saying bye to a fabulous summer =)

My brother was in town this weekend and it inspired us to do some exploring and galavanting around Manhattan. We started the day off on Friday morning by taking the Staten Island Ferry over to SI and back. We waved at the lovely Statue of Liberty and took in the breathtakingly beautiful sunny views of downtown Manhattan from the water.

Well, hello there Lady Liberty

Hopping off the boat we made our way to the World Trade Centre site, amazed at the awesomeness of the Freedom tower and taking a moment to reflect at the memorial for those who lost their lives on 9/11.

The Freedom Tower

We will not forget

We continued to South Street Seaport where we had lunch and took in the views of the Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO. The kids even convinced us to let them stop and play at one of their favorite parks- The Imagination Playground.

Paul, Andrea and the girls with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background

Can't you just feel the sibling love?! 😉

View of downtown Manhattan from the pier

For a change of scenery all together, we jumped on the subway and headed right into the heart of Times Square. The girls wanted to show Uncle Paul some of their favorite places which included ToysRUs and of course, The Disney Store. By this time we had already but in a long day and we soon realized the crowds and chaos of late afternoon in Times Square on a Friday, was something we had very little patience for. Cool drinks back at the apartment were the perfect end to a jam packed touristy day.

Hanging out with a new friend at ToysRUs

Gotta appreciate the honesty... oh Times Square

On Saturday we spent the day doing a whole lot of walking. We ventured from one side of Central Park to the other and then we made our way to Chelsea where we had a deliciously late brunch at Dos Caminos, sampled some treats at Chelsea Market, got yelled at (me) for taking a picture at Hogs and Heifers (where I had to do penance shots and BARELY left with my bra), eye balled some crazy behaviour at the Standard Hotel (gotta love those windows) and strolled along the beautiful HighLine park.

Wall of bras from Hogs and Heifers- Meatpacking District

Street view from the Highline

Yesterday was truly one of my best days in NYC, it was my first NY Yankees game! What a thrill, it was an awesome time. It really is hard to describe the feeling you get when you enter the stadium among the sea of blue and white jerseys. The air is filled with excitement and the die hard fans are ready to cheer on their team. We had a blast! It was an exciting game and fittingly they were playing my old home town team the Toronto BlueJays. Don’t worry we were cheering for the Bronx Bombers as they easily defeated the Jays. There really is nothing better in the summer than sitting in a baseball stadium in the afternoon, sipping on a beer watching a great game.

On the subway on the way to the game...

Yankee Stadium

The view from our seats

My little Yankee family

And today, well today we decided to hang out at the park and go for a walk with Dopey. (Bogie wanted to stay home in the air-conditioning). It is supposed to rain tonight and the weather is going to cool off. I am already getting organized for the first day of school for the girls on Thursday. Shopping needs to get done, activities are scheduled. Yep. It is that time of year again. But right now, I think I am going to cherish these last few hours of summer and the weekend by chilling out on the couch with a good book and a cold drink. I am sure I can convince someone to join me 😉 I am raising a glass in your general direction- “To Summer!!”

Saying goodbye to the lazy, hazy days of summer

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Wordless Wednesday: Back to School Shopping Is Thirsty Work!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on August 31, 2011| 1 Comment »

The most wonderful time of the year is almost here. I can say that now because I am currently not teaching and am not going back to school 😉 This week we (I) have been spending time getting us organized for the new year. Today was the day that the girls and I went out to do some clothes shopping, something they are actually excited to participate in. In NYC there are a lot of shopping options and I fear that they are already getting a love of discovering the perfect dress or pair of shoes *sigh*. And so it begins… Here is a cute pic of the tired shoppers taking a refreshment break.

Happy shopping and back to schooling 🙂

The shopping divas and their juice boxes

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The Calm Before the Storm

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on August 27, 2011| 1 Comment »

So… it’s coming… the big hurricane that is Irene. And well, we are ready. I guess we are ready, as ready as a family who has never experienced a hurricane and lives in an apartment on the island of Manhattan can ever be. We have extra food, water, flashlights, candles, batteries. We are charging cellphones, iPads, Nooks, DS’ and all other electronic devices. I mean God forbid the power goes out and we would actually have to TALK to each other for two days straight 😉

I am trying to make light of the situation because I have to admit I am a little bit freaked out. It is all over the news and I recommend that you DO NOT watch CNN as all it will do is reduce you to panic and hysteria- “there is a hurricane the size of Europe about to make a direct hit on NYC!!!!” “Here is the worst case scenario that could happen in Manhattan…blah, blah, blah”. Yikes, thanks guys, that is really reassuring to all of us who are trying to chill and ride out the storm. We get that it is a dangerous situation but inducing us to all panic is not helping anyone.

The one thing that I did find disturbing is that they have closed all the public libraries in NYC. C’mom, we have all seen “The Day After Tomorrow”, that was my escape plan, I was just going to hop in a cab and head on over to the library and start burning books until I was rescued. I guess we will have to resort to Plan B. We have stocked the kitchen with junk food, downloaded some great family movies, made sure that we have lots of wine and of course we are hoping the children will learn to appreciate the value of a good mid-day nap 😉

To all our friends and family we will keep you posted and don’t worry, we are safe and sound. The only time we will be in jeopardy will be when Ron and I are duelling it out deciding who will have to take the dogs out for a quick pee out front of the building- the rock, paper, scissors battle could get ugly.

Here are some pics that I took about an hour ago when we went on a family walk to burn off some energy and get outside before being apartment bound for the next couple of days.

Have a great weekend, lots of love- The Guirgi xox

Quick run to the park to burn off the pre-hurricane energy!

Chirping Chicken all taped up

Signs like these on most businesses around the city

Nice!

Dude, I think we will need a bigger umbrella 😉

Does NOT look good!

Notice at the 72nd Street Subway Station

A bit of humour from the Trader Joe's gang (No laughing matter to those panicking because stores are closed)

The line at the Duane Reade was about 100+ people long

Only one bagel left but don't worry...

They still had beer 🙂

Fairway- Closed (An eerie sight)

Starbucks closed, this shit is getting serious!

Here comes the rain!

Good choice to leave the bike parked

Dopey is clearly stressed out

The stash!!

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Wordless Wednesday: Coney Island and The New York Aquarium

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on August 17, 2011| 3 Comments »

This past Saturday our latest family adventure took us to the weird, wacky and wonderful Coney Island. We explored the piers, walked the boardwalk, visited the New York Aquarium, ate the world famous Nathan’s Hotdogs and marvelled at the Midway. There were many interesting sights and sounds. We had a blast! Here are some of the pics from the day. Enjoy and have a fantastic day 🙂

Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs- we all enjoyed the delicious cheese dogs!

Hot Dog Eating Contest Wall of Fame- 68 Hotdogs in 10 Minutes- BURP!!

The Boardwalk

My gang checking out the sights

The Beach

Gazing off the pier

The top of the Pier

The Cyclone

Games, games and more games!

New York Aquarium

Row, row, row your boat...

Showing off 😉

Feeding time

Dancing on the Boardwalk

LIve music on the Boardwalk

For once I am left commentless, perhaps you can leave an appropriate description... 😉

Exhausted and asleep on the subway after a full day of fun!

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A Little Dose of Fitness Reality

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on August 14, 2011| 1 Comment »

Don't make me laugh... my abs hurt 😉

As I sit here, I am recovering from a brutal strength training workout. I mistakenly thought that I was in fairly good shape. I mean, I HAVE been walking everywhere non-stop, this is NYC, you have no choice AND I have actually been getting up at the crack of dawn to go to spinning classes at the gym. These efforts did very little to prepare me for my sports doctor’s fitness workout on Thursday evening.

I have been doing very little running lately because I have hamstring tendonitis and the running tends to aggravate it. This is a nagging injury that has been bugging me for over a year and I finally decided to see a doctor about it. The injury does not bother me when I am actually in the process of running, cycling or working out but it flares up after I work out. Mainly it hurts when I walk, which is not good because again this is NYC and I walk everywhere! The first doctor I went to see dismissed my sore knee and didn’t really take me seriously. My x-rays were fine and since I wasn’t an “elite” athlete he told me I should just treat it with advil and ice. Right. I am no doctor but I am pretty sure that this would not help me in the long run OR help me go for a long run. So, after leaving Dr. Arrogant, I was fortunate to have a friend refer me to a wonderful doctor/surgeon who even though regularly treats professional athletes and is an ironman himself, made me feel like I actually mattered and that I should be able to enjoy recreational sports and walking pain free.

All you need is a wee bit of motivation...

Anyhoo, after a trial in physio, Dr. Ironman (Ron objects to me calling him Dr. McCutie!) assessed my hamstring and told me the cold hard facts- I needed to do some serious strength training and that was the only way that this injury would go away permanently. Right. No way around it, I would have to start building some serious muscle to help support the running and cycling that I love to do. Dr. Ironman runs his own strength training workshop once a month where he offers a class to his patients. He leads the class in various exercises that are designed to help athletes avoid injuries through strength training. He suggested that I attend his next class to get started on my muscle building journey.

So, on Thursday I headed to Equinox in the Village to attend this class. I was very nervous. I knew it was going to be a tough workout and I had survived many bootcamps and cry or puke moments in the past but this guy is an Ironman!!! And, I was NOT disappointed. This was definitely one of the toughest classes I had ever attended. The class was full of extremely fit people including a kid who would be attending Yale in the fall on a full basketball scholarship!! Gulp! There was a lot of abdominal torture, plyometrics, burpees, mountain climbers and weight work. There were many moments when I was tempted to just walk out and quit. Instead, I stayed and did the best I could.

It was an eye opening experience for me. I left the class exhausted, I was definitely not in as good of shape as I thought I was. I have been making choices to eat healthier and be more active but I also need to work on those little things called muscles 😉 As I inch closer and closer to the big ahem, 4-0, it seems to be  a bit harder than when I was younger to be strong and active but not impossible. I am actively choosing to be strong and not just on the inside. I have signed up for a cycling class tomorrow morning but I am also going to make time for a wee bit of strength training too. That is, if I can lift my arms over my head by then 😉 Right now I am going to limp over to a nice hot bath and relax… ouch… those forgotten muscles are reminding me not to forget them again!!!

Good to know 🙂

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Manhattan Overload

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on August 8, 2011| 1 Comment »

It sounds kind of crazy, but every once in awhile it is tough to actually figure out what to do in NYC. I know this sounds weird especially in the city that never sleeps and has a million and one activities going on at any one time. Just yesterday 15,000 people stood on line at the MET to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit!! But see, this is exactly the problem, there are soo many things to see and do that it can be a little bit daunting. I know, I know, you are probably thinking “nice problem to have, now shut up and stop whining!” and I get that, but hey, it’s my blog so I am going to whine if I want to 😉

On Saturday, I was reading the NYTimes and there were numerous ads and stories for exhibits, shows, events and performances taking place in the city. Soo many exciting and wonderful opportunities to take part in, right here. Too many in fact, I felt like I needed a piece of paper to write down all of the things I was interested in doing or seeing. As I sat there in my p.j’s drinking my cup of tea, I started having this irrational fear that we were missing out on the really cool and amazing things going on in the city. I feared that we were getting stuck in a bit of a NYC rut. Sure, we had been visiting a lot of the sites with recent visitors but I felt like we hadn’t been anywhere “new” as a family in quite some time. The past few weekends have started with the question “What do you want to do today?” and we always have fun but we usually end up staying in our neighborhood or not venturing off to see anything new. I vowed that this weekend would be different. Ron, used to my crazy rants and outbursts, readily agreed and we gathered up the children and hopped on the subway.

And did we throw caution to the wind? Did we stay up to all hours? Did we walk until our legs could walk no more? Did we try out new and fancy restaurants? See one of a kind exhibits? Wait on line to see limited engagement performances?

Not exactly. BUT, we did have an incredible time as a family hanging out in the most incredible city in the world and really that is all that matters 😉

On Saturday, we decided that we were going to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge into DUMBO. We had never fully walked over the bridge into Brooklyn and we had a fantastic time making our way through the crowds of people to the other side. There really is no better view of Manhattan. It is spectacular.

View of Downtown Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge

Once in DUMBO, Brooklyn (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) we feasted on delicious pizza at Ignazio’s and then had ice cream on the pier. The kids had fun playing at the park and we explored this very cool and artsy neighborhood before the clouds moved in and we decided to make our way back home.

On Sunday we again hopped on the subway this time making our way to the West Village. The girls wanted to see where the original Magnolia Bakery was and I have to admit Ron and I caved and we all had cupcakes… they just smelled too darn yummy. From there we wandered up Bleecker Street to So Good where the girls spent time perusing all of the jewellery and Ron checked email.

Too many choices!!

After So Good, we continued down the street to two of my favorite places Murray’s Cheese and Amy’s Bread.

I LOVE cheese!!

From the Village we walked into Soho, had a great lunch at Dos Caminos (hello Margarita!) and then ventured down Prince St. with stops at various stores along the way. We came home tired and happy to chill out on the couch in the air conditioned apartment. I felt like we had definitely made progress crawling out of the rut or in NYC it could have just as easily been a pothole 😉

The girls watching a 3D movie with very cool 3D glasses at the Oakley store

A little down time and sisterly love in the Scholastic Store

Don’t get me wrong, I am still working on my MUST DO/SEE list for New York City. I consider it a bucket list of sorts and I plan on adding to it daily. This is an overwhelming city and it can be a bit daunting but I plan on tackling it one adventure at a time!! =)

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