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Posts Tagged ‘Mommy Poppins’

I’m Bored!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 25, 2013| 3 Comments »

I'm Bored

It is that time of year again… the week and half of Spring Break. And while it is a welcome break from homework, test prep, homework, afterschool activities, homework, test prep, making lunches and the hustle and bustle (nagging) of the morning rush to get out the door it also means that it is time to entertain or at least occupy the kids. What mother or father doesn’t cringe at the whiny kid voice of “I’m bored!!”?? Seriously, it is worse than nails on a chalkboard. In my mind “I’m bored” translates to “I’m spoiled” because seriously, most kids I know including mine, do not have it too rough and have plenty of things to do around the apartment šŸ˜‰

But, that being said, I really do look forward to planning some cool activities for the kids and I to do over Spring Break. I mean we live in NYC, how freakin’ bored can we be????!!! We will be spending part of the break out of the city as we head to Washington, DC. on Friday for a long weekend and we are all pretty excited. This is the first time we will be there as a family and we can’t wait to explore all of the amazing sites. It seems to be a pretty popular NYC ‘weekend away’ destination as we know at least 5 other families who are also going to DC for the weekend. Until we head out on that adventure I have planned a few fun things to do in the NYC area for the next four days. If you are racking your brain for some things to do, take a peek or feel free to share your own ideas. Also if you have any MUST DO’s for Washington, please share those as well. Most of all, Happy Spring Break, have fun and don’t forget your patience, sanity and if all else fails, reach for the wine šŸ˜‰

My Spring Break Ideas:

*visit the new Whale Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural HistoryĀ -the AMNH never disappoints and we can spend a couple of hours there or most of the day, plus Shake Shack is right around the corner- YUM!

*we are going to spend a girls day shopping, the girls are at the age where they are actually excited to browse through the racks of clothing and they both need some new clothes for spring. We may even pretend we are tourists and head on into Times Square & mid-town to go to American Eagle 77 Kids, American Girl and other shops on 5th avenue. Mommy might need a drink at lunch šŸ˜‰

*this week at Grand Central Station (that is turning 100 years old this year) there are many cool events including performances by “Heard NY” where dancers dressed like beautiful horses give two performances a day in the grand hall. Definitely not something to miss.

*we will be going to see “The Croods”. Looks like a hilariously fun family movie, one that I am actually looking forward to seeing.

*we will also be getting ready for Easter by visiting Michael’s and getting dye and decorations for eggs, that is about as crafty as I get. And of course, we will have to visit Barnes & Noble because everyone needs a new book to sit down and read when the weather is crummy- we are expecting snow today!!!!

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*hopefully the weather will start warming up and we can do one of our favorite activities in the city, exploring parks and playgrounds in different neigborhoods- www.nycgovparks.org

*if we are feeling especially adventurous we can do some day trips out of Manhattan, a friend of mine just told me about the Spa Castle in Queens where children are allowed to go with their parents to enjoy the hot/cold tubs and relax. Now that definitely sounds like my kind of mom/daughter day! Maybe I can even sneak in a massage…

*another quick trip is to the Maritime AquariumĀ in Norwalk, CT. Just jump on the train and you can walk from the station to the aquarium. Norwalk is a pretty waterfront town to explore with great shops and restaurants too!

*a couple of great resources when looking for things to do with kids in NYC are: Time Out New York Kids and Mommy Poppins, they always have up to the minute ‘what is going on in the city’, be sure to check them out for ideas, including neighborhood specific ideas.

Worst case scenario, we will just have to get out and pound the pavement… you never know what you might find on the streets of NYC! It is always an adventure… and I am sure we will be able to find one! šŸ˜‰

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Staycation- NYC Style!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 21, 2012| 4 Comments »

It is that time of year again- Winter Break. Although, I feel funny even saying that because I really don’t feel like we have even had winter here in NYC. The kids have worn their snow boots twice!! It has definitely been a crazy year for weather! Anyhoo, enough about that. This is the February school break week for the girls. Even though it really hasn’t been that long since the Holiday break, I really feel like everyone needed a little bit of change of pace and scenery. Case in point, on Sunday both girls stayed in their p.j.’s until mid afternoon and were totally content to hang in the apartment watching movies, reading and playing with their toys. They didn’t ask to go out once. They just needed some well deserved down time. I know how they feel.

Ron and the girls snuggling on the couch =)

There is something about February the shortest month, that seems to drag, wear on our patience and generally pull people into a funk. If the crap is going to hit the fan it usually happens in February šŸ˜‰ So, on that note, it really is nice to have a bit of a breather right smack in the middle. While most New Yorker’s jet off to far away destinations or at least escape the Island, we have decided to enjoy a little staycation in one of the best cities in the world!! Ron is super busy at work right now and I have to admit, I am just enjoying NOT having a schedule to adhere to. I am sure by the end of the week I will be going a bit stir crazy, I am already missing my running group, but right now I am loving the flexibility. I also love exploring this incredible city and finding cool places to take the girls to.

NYC as our playground!!

Yesterday we decided to play tourist. The girls begged me to take them to the Times Square area because they really wanted to go to ToysRUs and American Girl Place. I was a little hesitant since it was a holiday and I did not want to get stuck in crowds and crowds of people. But, I gave in and we had a great day. We started off at the Empire 25 movie theatre on 42nd St. Over a healthy lunch of popcorn we watched the movie “The Secret World of Arrietty”. It was a wonderful movie and I highly recommend it. An enchanting, magical and thoughtful story. Each of us gave it two thumbs up!! After the movie we headed to ToysRUs. The girls had a specific “Barbie” that they were looking for and moved through the crowds like pros. I swear you would think those two had lived here since birth. I am often in awe of their confidence and resilience.

Striking a pose in Times Square

From ToysRUs we headed over to American Girl Place where they were eager to finally spend their gift card that Chantal had given them at Christmas. Again, they manoeuvred through crowds with comfort and ease. Not really sure what I was worried about, maybe MY sanity šŸ˜‰ We topped the day off with a Magnolia cupcake. Yep, totally touristy and we loved it. Especially the part where it was just a short walk home through Central Park to crash in our warm and cozy apartment.

Today, we enjoyed a leisurely morning, followed by a manicure for the girls (another gift certificate from Christmas) and then a shopping trip to Trader Joe’s. We are getting ready for a friend sleeping over tonight where we will be making chocolate chip pancakes for dinner in celebration of Fat Tuesday.

A little pampering šŸ˜‰

The finished product

And what does the rest of the week have in store for us? Who knows? I have a few ideas in the back of my head. My good friend Rebecca of Beccarama told me about The Museum of The Moving Image for the Muppet Exhibit, I know the girls would LOVE that. And then when they get home they can review it on the incredible Kidzvuz site (if you have kids/tweens and they haven’t visited this site yet, what are you waiting for??!!) There is also The Bronx Zoo, The Brooklyn Museum and of course, there is a Carlos Cake Boss mug that I have to replace… Really, a NYC staycation has endless possibilities!! We are looking forward to our next adventure. Oh, and February isn’t ALL bad, there is Ron’s birthday and on Friday we will dine in style to celebrate his 40th. By then, I will definitely need a drink or two šŸ˜‰

*Some other great resources for kids in NYC are: NYCity Mama, Mommy Poppins, Time Out NYC Kids

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