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Posts Tagged ‘Living in Manhattan’

Wordless Wednesday: We Are Outta Here…(With a few fave pics!)

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on June 29, 2011| 2 Comments »

Well, right now the suitcases are mostly packed, just about everything is crossed off the “to do” list and the kids are bouncing around the apartment with excitement. And I, I am beyond excited too! The girls are going to Ottawa for two weeks while Ron and I embark on our own adventure to Europe. This is my first trip to Europe and I can barely contain my excitement and did I mention we are going without children???!!! Yes, I will definitely miss them but I am also looking forward to some quality time with the Mr. This past year has been insanely busy and crazy to say the least and as you know there have been a few minor adjustments to our life 😉 I can’t wait to just slow down and re-connect. So my friends, we are outta here… I will update from Prague, Rome and Tuscany as often as I can, there will be many stories to tell and pictures to share. And of course while we are gone our one year anniversary of living in NYC will pass, so in honor of that and Wordless Wednesday, here are a few of my very favorite pics that I have taken in the past year. Ciao!

From the car, July 2nd, 2010- Welcome Home!

Lady Liberty

On the roof of the MET

Sketching at the MOMA

Times Square

Central Park

Snow Storm!

Girls in the City

Graffiti

Home Sweet Home

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My Top Ten Favorite Places to Explore in NYC

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 24, 2011| 4 Comments »

In keeping with my top ten list theme, I thought I would end the week by sharing some of my favorite places in the city that I love to explore, hang out at or just can’t get enough of. I know that the list is always expanding as I find new and wonderful spots in the incredible city of Manhattan but here are some of the places I have really come to love as part of my new home.

1. Central Park– I mean really, what is not to love? I have lived here for almost a year and I have not even come close to exploring all of the wonders that the park has to offer. As you wander into the beauty that is the park, you are instantly forced to slow down, breathe deeper and just let the serenity of the nature surrounding you relax and calm you. I love wandering through the ramble, looking for turtles at Turtle Pond, admiring the skyline of the surrounding city that peeks over the trees, sitting by one of the many bodies of water daydreaming or simply relaxing on a park bench watching the people stroll by. On a beautiful Manhattan evening there really is nothing more magical than a hand in hand wander through the park.

Central Park in the Fall

2. Chelsea and the Meatpacking District- This is one of my favorite areas of the city to explore. I love all the various architecture in the buildings, the amazing restaurants, the hip nightlife, eclectic shopping and the vibe in this part of town. There is soo much to see and do and it seems like this neighborhood is always evolving. It also includes two of my other favorite spots: The Chelsea Market and The Highline.

Street View- Chelsea

3. Chelsea Market– Chelsea Market is a fabulous indoor market that includes too many mouth watering restaurants and stores to mention. This is a family favorite to go to on the weekend where we treat ourselves to various yummy delights such as homemade bread, cookies, brownies, chocolate milk, cupcakes, crepes, fresh pasta, etc. (not all at once!!) There are also specialty non-food shops and the occasional sample sale 😉 It is a great way to start or end your Highline (see below) walk.

Eleni's Cookies, one of our faves at the Market

4. The Highline– The Highline is truly a wonderful gift to NYC. They have taken the old railway tracks and made a beautiful garden/outdoor/walking space. You can walk for blocks elevated above street level with fabulous views of Chelsea, Meatpacking District, The Piers, Hudson River and of course, the many amazing buildings surrounding the area including glimpses of the mighty Empire State Building. A must see!!

The gorgeous Highline walkway

5.Brooklyn Bridge And The South Street Seaport– There is truly something awe-inspiring about the Brooklyn Bridge. Walking across it or simply standing under it and looking up is mesmerizing. And the view from the middle of the bridge, is worth the huffing and puffing to get there 😉 If you make it across the bridge- DUMBO is a very cool spot to hang out.  I also love the area right beside the bridge on the Manhattan side, the South Street Seaport. It is a fun place to visit in the summer where you can watch passing boats, have a drink on a patio or simply watch the kids play in the funky Imagination Playground.

Clouds over the Brooklyn Bridge

6. The Rockefeller Center and Surrounding Area– Yes, I know that this is an incredibly touristy area but it is one that I don’t mind fighting the crowds in. I really enjoy all of the different seasons at Rock Center. It is especially magical at Christmas with the tree and the outdoor skating but I also enjoy it in the summer months with its large outdoor patio. The girls love the stores in the neighborhood including American Girl, Lego World and FAO Schwarz. The walk down 5th Ave. during the holidays is incredibly spectacular. My goal is to enjoy tea at The Plaza this year!!

Rockefeller Center and the Tree

7. Riverside Park– This is a bit of a lesser known park than the ever popular Central Park but that is part of its allure. More of a neighborhood park than a tourist site, it is one of my favorite spots to walk the dog, go for a bike ride, pound out a run, have a picnic, talk to the water, play with the girls in the park or simply hang out on a bench and read my book in a shady quiet spot. The views are pretty spectacular too!

The Girls on one of the piers in Riverside Park

8. The American Museum of Natural History– There are tons of museums in the city and I have to say that I really do love them all but if I had to choose one right now that is my favorite it would be the AMNH. I love the building that it is housed in, the diversity of the exhibits and the proximity to my apartment. If it is a rainy day or an extremely hot day or just a day when we are all a wee bit bored we can head on over to the AMNH. Even if we go for only an hour, I always learn something new.

A large Dino hanging out at the AMNH

9.St. John of the Divine Church– There are also many beautiful churches in the city, but I have to say that St. John of the Divine Cathedral is truly one not to be missed. It sits on an incredible piece of property near Columbia University and is a majestic building with a deep history. It is a calming area of escape from the hustle and bustle of the streets. Also Morningside Park behind the church offers a stunning view into Harlem.

St. John of the Divine

10. Home Sweet Home (My Nabe)– It is hard to believe that we have been here almost a year. And yes, although there have been many adjustments moving from the ‘burbs to the big city, I guess I just feel lucky to have such an incredible opportunity to really get out and explore NYC and the surrounding area. I love where we are living. I know my neighborhood shopkeepers, the local doormen, the people I see on my dogwalks, the fruit guy, my fresh direct delivery man etc. I have favorite restaurants, food shops, clothing stores, delivery options etc. It feels comfortable, happy, safe… it feels like home =)

Ron and his girls relaxing at home!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!!

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Hot in the City!- “Top Ten Ways To Stay Cool In NYC”

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on June 20, 2011| 1 Comment »

Alright, as I was sitting under a shady tree in the park this past weekend, it occurred to me that we were going to be in for another hot and humid NYC summer. We moved here almost a year ago right in the middle of a smokin’ hot, pavement burning, unrelenting heat wave. I was a newbie to the city then and struggled daily to keep my cool. Here is what I have learned about survival in New York City in the summer. My top ten list:

1. Escape– If you do not have an endless travel budget like myself, then find yourself some friends who have weekend retreats (preferably near the water) outside of Manhattan. Be extra nice to these friends and hopefully you will get yourself an invite. When you do get invited make sure you keep getting invited back by supplying your host with lots of wine/champagne upon your arrival. Worry not, if you do not have any friends with weekend retreats there are a ton of beautiful beaches that are only a train/bus ride away. Plan little day trips that will allow a bit of a reprieve from the never ending over-heated sidewalks and attitudes.

Head to the Beach!

2. Go Shopping– Once place you can be guaranteed to find wonderfully crisp and cold air conditioning are in many of the shops lining the streets. In my opinion, the higher end the store, the colder the air conditioning (and usually the salespeople ;)). So, leave your wallet at home, head to Fifth Avenue and browse in and out of the lovely refreshing stores. My suggestion is Tiffany’s- extremely sparkly, there are five floors and the restrooms are beautiful.

3. Hang out at parks with water– If you don’t have children this can be a bit challenging and down right weird but if you do have children, embrace the water! The kids will be entertained for hours and you can sit and read a book while occasionally dipping your toes in the sprinklers to cool down.

4. Go to the movies– Summer is the time for blockbusters. Grab an iced drink and head into the dark air conditioned bliss and let Hollywood take you away!

5. Stay hydrated- Always carry water with you, this way you will avoid having to shell out $1- $1.50 to the guy on the corner. Better yet, find a local pub with a shaded patio and grab a nice cold brewskie, eh!

Cheers!

6. Get to know your local ice cream/gelato spots– It is a great way to offer your kids a treat when you are secretly coveting a cone yourself. You will be in their good books and everyone gets to cool off. Best of all, it is guilt free because everyone knows that an ice-cream/gelato/popsicle is a MUST have survival food group during the summer months.

An ice cold treat =)

7. Walk on the shady side of the street– I believe that this is the one true way you can tell the difference between native New Yorkers and tourists in the summer. New Yorkers are all walking at a brisk pace on the shaded side of the street trying to avoid the sun by ducking under the biggest buildings possible while tourists are walking in the blazing sun,wiping brows and squinting at maps. Trust me, stick to the shady side.

8. Join a swanky gym and hang out– The pricier the gym the nicer the facilities. Join one that costs what people in other parts of the country pay for rent and then simply go and hang out. The A/C will be pumping, the shower is spotless and there is usually a juice bar. Walk around with a towel, pretend you are either coming or going, hang on a couch and watch the beautiful people 😉

9. Hide in your apartment and nap– When all else fails, grump and complain and then just simply collapse on your sofa in front of your window air conditioner and nap until night falls and the temperature cools just a few degrees. Remember everything is still open, this is the city that never sleeps!

10. Stop Complaining!!– Like I said in my previous post New Yorkers love to obsess and complain about the weather. I just want to remind you right now about the brutal winter and spring we just survived. So, put on your sunscreen, grab a hat, venture outside and suck it up Princess!

Snow covered streets!!

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

Always keep your sense of adventure and humor 😉

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It’s Been Almost A Year: “Top Ten Things I Say In NYC All The Time”

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on June 17, 2011| 120 Comments »

Okay, it is hard to imagine, but it is coming up on our one year anniversary of living in New York City. What an adventure it has truly been! Over the past few days I have started to reflect back on this past year and all of the challenges and changes that we have encountered. I wouldn’t change a thing. Although I do find myself desperately missing a BBQ, but I will save that for another post 😉 This city is crazy, intense, awe inspiring, but best of all it is now our home. Over the next few days I am going to post some “top ten” lists about moments/events/sights that I think reflect this past year. Today I am going to start with phrases/thoughts that I find myself saying/thinking repeatedly since I have moved to the Big Apple. I hope you enjoy my insights. Happy Friday!!

1. “Please don’t lick the pole!!” -I never thought I would have to say this, but with small kids, I am always reminding them to get their faces away from all parts of the inside of the subway- EWWWWW!!!!

Anyone have some hand sanitizer? 😉

2. “I moved from Ottawa (blank stare), it is in between Toronto and Montreal (nodding)” It still amazes me how many people do not know where Ottawa is. I like to remind them that it IS Canada’s capital. The response is always “Oh, our Washington”. Exactly… sigh.

Oh Canada!

3. “Yes, I live in NYC with these two big dogs” It is a bit strange for a person living in NYC to have two large dogs. The norm is owning pets on the smaller side. We get lots of attention on the street from natives and tourists alike. The truth is, as long as they get some daily exercise big dogs just like to find a nice quiet space and chillax.

Dopey taking over the couch 😉

4. “If you want to go to the American Museum of Natural History keep walking up 79th street and you can’t miss it” I answer the question of how to get to the AMNH at least three or four times a week. Tourists always get off at the wrong subway stop and need some help getting oriented. I LOVE getting this question because I feel like they know I am from here and it makes me think that I look a bit like a New Yorker, or maybe I just look a little less lost than they do 😉

American Museum of Natural History

5. “Yes, that is the Empire State Building” My children are always asking as well as friends from out of town. There is a certain magic about the building. In certain parts of the city it almost seems to be following/watching you.

The Mighty Empire

6. “Be prepared to expect the unexpected” Walking the NYC streets is ALWAYS an adventure with interesting people and places around every corner.

Why hello there Superman!

7. “Look Up” I am constantly telling friends and family to do this. You will miss most of the true beauty of Manhattan if you never look up and enjoy the amazing architecture that surrounds you.

Buildings in Battery Park

8. “What’s the weather like today?” I have discovered something interesting about New Yorkers. They are as obsessed with the weather as much as Canadians. I think this is due in large part to the fact that we rely on walking as our main form of transportation. It is essential to know if we will need to pack umbrellas, sunscreen, hats etc…

Miserable in the rain

9. “Are we taking the 1, 2 or 3 train?” Just as important as the weather is the subway schedule. It is important to always be on top of schedule changes due to construction, incidents etc. I feel like I spend tons of time googling stops and routes from the subway to various places. I am not sure what I would do without mass transit!

The "1" train buried in snow

10. “Always keep your eyes open for the next adventure!” You never know when something interesting will cross your path. The joy of living in this city is that there is always something to look at and experience. Don’t be afraid to embrace it. “It’s always an adventure” 😉

A very cool little factoid that I found on my walk last night!

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Wordless Wednesday: My View of NYC this Week

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on June 15, 2011| 1 Comment »

I have been doing a lot of walking this week keeping up with my hectic June schedule. Here are a few pics I took along the way. Enjoy 😉

Alright, I'm paying attention!

The Beacon Theatre- host of the Tony Awards

Times Square- Outdoor seating to view the Tony's on the big screen

Some of the nominated shows on billboards

A family favorite- Woohoo Bobby!!

Everything a dollar, except...

Caught in the rain!

Scary- it appears people are still living in the building. Also best use of "perilous" that I have seen.

Church in the City

Summer = Construction (and a cool view of what lies beneath the streets)

On the Rocks (fence view)

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Being a Drama Mama

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on June 13, 2011| 1 Comment »

One of the amazing things about living in NYC is being surrounded by all of the incredible opportunities to experience theatre, one of my true passions. This weekend, however, was a true first for me. I sat in the audience and watched my oldest daughter perform in her first musical. My daughters are very fortunate to attend one of the city’s best public schools where they have many opportunities to try out and experience a wide range of activities. For those of you that know ‘A’, she is a true drama queen and loves everything that revolves around acting, singing and dancing. So, it was only fitting to sign her up for an after school program called “Shining Star Musical Theatre” where the students spend the school year learning about the aspects of musical theatre and then rehearse and prepare for a final performance. This year they performed “Bye, Bye, Birdie”.

My little shining star!

Now, I am used to being in the theatre. I am used to pre-performance jitters and last minute panic attacks of “OMG, I hope everything goes okay” but nothing really prepared me for sitting in a packed auditorium waiting for my little girl to come on stage. The waiting is unbearable. All I could think about was that I finally knew how all of those parents of my former students must have felt as they anxiously waited for the lights to go down. I had to remind myself to breathe. My baby was going on stage and no matter how prepared she felt she was, I wasn’t really sure I was prepared 😉

And then it happened, there she was, commanding attention as the formidable Mrs. Peterson. The audience was laughing at her perfect comedic timing and over the top performance as the overbearing mother. I was in awe. I was beyond proud. She was incredible. I started to breathe again and wiped a few tears from my eyes, looked at Ron and squeezed his hand. Our baby was on stage. We had created a monster!!! =)

Rose, Albert, Conrad and A as Mrs. Peterson

The whole production was simply amazing. I had to keep reminding myself that the kids were 8, 9 & 10. They were all so professional and talented. An incredible piece of theatre all around. ‘A’ had an unforgettable experience, working with an ensemble, learning self discipline and hard work and most of all feeling the joy of being a part of full length production on stage. After three days of performances, she was quite happy to chill out and take it easy on Sunday. I was too. Being a drama mama is hard work. It’s not easy to just sit back, relax, take in the view and trust that all will work out. I guess I had better get used to it, just like her mother, ‘A’ seems to have been bitten by the theatre bug. And who knows, one day she may end up here:

Tony Awards, June 12, 2011- Beacon Theatre

I am just not sure my nerves could handle it!!! 😉

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The Birthday

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on June 5, 2011| 7 Comments »

As I sit here and do a little bit of reflecting on this Sunday afternoon, I am feeling very blessed and lucky. Ron is traveling, the girls are snuggled on the couch watching a movie, the dogs are stretched out snoring and I am feeling at peace. There is nothing like a birthday to make you feel all warm and fuzzy and well, generally loved. Thanks to Facebook, the messages start pouring in and even if you wanted to forget that you were turning a year older, social media won’t let anyone forget 😉 So, on Friday I embraced another year in my life and celebrated in a wonderful way. It was a little tamer than my wild girls weekend in NYC last year but it was equally as special.

I started off the day by heading to R’s Kindergarten class for a poetry celebration. It is amazing to see how far the students have come in a year and how grown up they seem now. Each student read a poem that they had written, out loud to the parents. I am telling you there was not a dry eye among the parents. It was precious. R’s poem went something like this:

Dopey

Dopey went

SPLASH

in the pool, made a hole in the water.

R and a couple of her friends

It was the perfect start to the day. After the poetry reading I headed over to Starbucks and enjoyed a birthday chai while hanging out and reading my book. Lovely. I then headed to the gym and met Cass who introduced me to a class called Impact! Yes, it was as brutal as it sounds. Basically non stop punching and kicking a heavy bag with some push ups thrown in for some extra fun. It literally kicked my butt, but in a good way. At least that is what I am telling myself =) After the class we had a birthday smoothie and then I headed back over to the school to help unload supplies for the street fair and spend a little time reading with my little reading dude (one of my favorite things to do!).

After school the girls and I headed home to freshen up so that we could go and meet Ron at his office and head out for a family dinner in Little Italy. The girls INSISTED that we take a cab, since I deserved to be treated “fancy” on my birthday and should not have to get into a dirty subway car. Too cute! Little did they know that getting a cab on a Friday at 5:00 was extremely hard to do and no cabby liked to head into midtown at that time of day. But, luck, or birthday karma was on our side and we found a cab that half heartedly took us to 42nd street. We met up with Ron and headed into Little Italy to one of our favorite nostalgic NYC spots (Ron and I went there on one of our first trips to NYC), Il Cortile. The food was incredible, the service exceptional and the company, irreplaceable 😉

My lovely dining companion...

And the other two 😉

It was a fabulous evening and after dinner we strolled through Chinatown as the girls devoured some fresh gelato from Mulberry Street. On the cab ride home both girls promptly fell asleep in the back while Ron and I took in the sunset along the Hudson River and the NYC skyline. It was magical.

All partied out!

Too much gelato??!!

We made a quick stop at Magnolia Cupcake for my birthday treat, you know I LOVE my cupcakes!! When we arrived home there were some long distance birthday messages that added to the perfection of the day. That night as I snuggled under the covers with my noise cancelling headphones (Thanks Ron!!) I said a little prayer of thanks for all of my blessings, I am truly, one lucky lady.

The whole crazy family!!

P.S. Everyone is NYC should have noise cancelling headphones!!

P.P.S. Next year is the big 4-0, I am already starting to plan 😉

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Sandra’s Big Adventure off the Island to the Mall…

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on May 30, 2011| 1 Comment »

The other day I was speaking with a friend of mine and it came up in conversation that since moving to Manhattan I had never been off the island to visit Target or any other large big box store. When we moved here, we got rid of both of our cars and have been happily getting around NYC and beyond using public transit. However, I have to admit I had been missing (just a little bit) getting into a car, driving to a store, leisurely pushing a cart around wide open aisles and shoving purchases into a trunk. So, on that note, my friend Claire invited me to join her on an ‘errands run’ that would be taking her to The Container Store, Target and The Westchester Mall. We picked up her car at the parking garage and sped off down the Hudson River Parkway to embark on our shopping adventure.

My lovely and gracious chauffeur 😉

It was a beautiful, sunny day and the drive was quite pretty taking us out of the city along the Hudson Parkway up through the Bronx, into Riverdale, past Yonkers and to our final destination of White Plains, NY. Soon we were in the ‘burbs passing gas stations, movie theatres, stand alone shops, chain restaurants and of course the big box store. We pulled into the parking lot of The Container Store grabbed a cart and strolled through the air conditioned retail, uh, mecca.

Hello Big Box!

Our next stop was the The Mall. Now, just for reference, when I think of “The Mall”, this is what comes to mind: circling the parking lot trying to find a suitable spot that is not miles away from the main door, cheesy instrumental pop music being piped through the cheap tinny speakers, rows and rows of stores book ended by a large department stores such as Sears, The Bay or even a Walmart, a food court consisting of every fast food restaurant that your body does not need to eat from and of course, roaming bored teens huddled in masses at various locations. So, I was extremely unprepared for The Westchester Mall.

First of all, the parking lot is a paid parking area. There is also VIP concierge parking available if you don’t feel like actually parking your car. We parked at one of the department store entrances- Nordstrom’s and walked in. Just like any other mall we went up an escalator and through the store to get to the stores in the main mall area.

SALE! Woohoo!

And Voila! Hello Mall!

THE Mall

Wide open shopping spaces, no crowds, everything in one place, but wait something was a bit different than the malls I was used to…

I started looking at the stores in this mall and that is when I looked at Claire and laughed. This was no ordinary joe mall. In fact, I felt like 5th Avenue had been scooped up and put into one fancy building. We passed Tiffany’s, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, Juciy Couture, Pottery Barn, Burberry and list could go on… Yep, this was not exactly like the malls I was used to shopping at in Ottawa.

You know I LOVE Kate Spade

Mr. Vuitton

Luckily, for my husband and his credit card we spent very little time at the mall as Claire had to only do a quick return, but I have to admit I did enjoy my first visit to the big department store Neiman Marcus where I may have drooled over a few Manolo Blahniks =) I know that there are many “normal” malls all over New York but I just can’t help but laugh that the first one I get to visit was just like strolling through Manhattan. For the record, I never did see the food court and there were very few teens hanging out.

Our real destination for the day was Target and I was more than a little giddy about perusing the rows and rows of stuff that I probably really didn’t need but was going to buy anyway because it was such a good deal and I couldn’t get in the city. Yes, we did need “Phineaus and Ferb” bandaids and “A Little Mermaid” beach bucket- don’t judge 😉

Target- there is something that draws us here...

A successful shopping trip!!

Overall, it was a super fun day. A nice mini-escape from the city. Fun shopping with a good friend, sharing laughs and chatting. Best of all was being dropped off at the door, retrieving my bags from the trunk and walking into my apartment building. A nice treat and a fun reminder of what life used to be like when shopping at the big box store and the mall was the norm. A big THANK YOU to Claire for patiently answering all of my questions and being such an excellent guide =)

Heading home, a view of the George Washington Bridge

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Wordless Wednesday: The Piers, Chelsea and the Meatpacking District

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on May 25, 2011| 1 Comment »

This past Saturday while anxiously awaiting the end of the world (NOT!) we decided to get out and enjoy a rain free day in the city. After the girls gymnastics classes at Chelsea Piers we wandered along the water and then meandered into Chelsea and the Meatpacking district. It was a beautiful day and this is definitely one of my favorite areas to explore in Manhattan. Hope you enjoy the pics!

Sisterly Love

Driving range at Chelsea Piers

View of New Jersey

The Standard Hotel

Highline

A little shopping...

Wall art

Street view outside of Pastis

Top Chef Touring Show and Exhibits

Clouds behind advertising

Street View

Street view from the Apple Store (W. 14th Street)

Stepping down at the Apple Store

A little city climbing!

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Why I Have Love For Lady Gaga

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on May 20, 2011| 1 Comment »

I have to admit that I definitely have some love and respect for the amazingly talented Lady Gaga. Not only do I like her music but I really admire what she stands for. Being yourself, standing up for what you believe in and living in an world of inclusiveness. These are all excellent messages. Yes, she can be shocking, outrageous and a tad bit inappropriate at times and her fashion sense is not really my taste but hey, to each their own, right? She is bold and courageous and dare I say it, a great role model for young women.

Last year for our anniversary, my incredible husband took me to my first ever concert at Madison Square Garden, it was Lady Gaga. Her concert was mind blowing- the energy, the costumes, the music, the dancing, the sets, but what struck me most of all was her message. She talked about how she had once sat in the nose bleed section at MSG and dreamt of one day being a big star. She also talked about how she never gave up, even when people told her that she couldn’t do it or that she was strange or different.

As a mother, this is the message that I want to pass on to my daughters. They can achieve anything that they set their mind and hearts to. But so often in life we are held back by fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of getting hurt, fear of being different and most of all, the fear of failure. As parents we often try and protect our children from failure and hurt by making sure that we choose paths for them that avoid the bumpy roads. What Lady Gaga reminds me as a parent and as an individual is that sometimes the bumpy roads are the ones that will lead to the most rewarding ending.

My daughter has said that sometimes kids at school will call her “weird” because she likes to sing out loud and make up songs. Her response is to tell them “thank you”. She doesn’t want to be “normal”. Perhaps she is embracing her inner Lady Gaga and I have to be brave enough to let her do that. Being “normal” IS boring. As I learned time and time again in the classroom it is those people that are willing to take a bit of risk that will have the greatest success. Failure only makes the rewards that much sweeter. Being yourself and believing in yourself are the hardest lessons to learn and to pass on. It is a life long work in progress. I guess that is why I have love for the Lady, she sings it loud and proud and it is a message that we all need to hear.

On that note, it’s the weekend. I think we should all step into some platform boots, embrace our Gaga and just dance!! =)

Lady Gaga Subway entrance @50th St.

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