Shopping and Bar Hopping in NYC

My favorite hotel, The New Yorker, is having special 35% off sale.  This is a great deal for a great hotel with a perfect location.  Book now for a stay from now until September!  Sale ends today 3/9, so don't miss out!  Check out their shiny new website www.newyorkerhotel.com

I've mentioned my love for this hotel in a past post, but I also went back to stay there again the week before Christmas with three of my very best friends.  NYC is exciting anytime of year, but Christmas time is magical!

Our Trip:
Words cannot describe how excited we mamas were to go on this little trip!
We took an (extremely) early Amtrak train from 128 Westwood Station.  I did this last time and it worked out great.  Not much traffic and really easy to park--$12 a day.

We were able to check-in early!  The New Yorker Hotel lobby was decorated for the holidays.  Once again this hotel was perfect.

We scored a "Cyber Monday" deal that was a steal for Christmas time in NYC.

Our room was very nice and quite spacious...and as I have mentioned before the beds are so so comfortable.

The view from our room

We freshened up and then walked to Times Square.

We had a few celebrity sightings...one was real...Nick Lachey

and one was made out of wax...lol

Heather and faux Tony Bennett

We decided to see the sights by way of a Grey Line double decker bus!  You could get on and off all over Manhattan all day.  We were bundled up so we sat in the open air up top, it was awesome.  Kerri was our photographer...

Me and Heather on the double decker bus

Here are some things Kerri captured along the way...

cool black and whites suitable for framing

Empire State Building

Washington Square Park

We got off the bus for a late lunch in Soho/Little Italy.  We happened upon this lovely place, The Grey Dog.  So cozy inside.  The wine was 1/2 off after 4...of course we stayed until after 4!  It goes down in history as one of the best lunches ever...so relaxing, lots of laughs, good food and of course wine.  

It was dark when we left, Little Italy was all lit up...

We bought dozens scarves and pashminas on Canal Street and in Little Italy.  We hopped back on the bus...very cool riding on the top or the double decker at night...a little chilly but worth it.

Housewives of NY fans?  This is Jill Zarin and her
 husband's fabric business

Rockefeller Plaza

Home of the Rockettes!

We got back to the hotel and got ready for a night on the town!

View from our hotel room at night.

We started with a fancy smancy dinner at Ruth's Chris.  Excellent!

From there we went to a few bars/pubs and ended up at The Mean Fiddler--dancing and foolishness ensued until the wee hours.  Our last stop of the night (morning) was the Tick Tock 24 hour diner...this city really doesn't sleep!  I shall not reveal what time we finally put our heads on the pillows.

The next day (later that morning) we got huge coffees, thankfully Dunkin Donuts was right on the corner.  We checked out of the hotel but were able to leave our luggage locked up until we were ready to take the train home later.

Our plan was to walk to Rockefeller Plaza.  We saw some landmarks and shopped/haggled with  various street vendors along the way.

In the Fashion District they were selling some dresses on the street.

I got this one for 20 bucks.

Rockefeller Plaza was bustling with holiday excitement.

Woody was a little creepy and smelled like pee--sorry, just a warning

After one last stop at the Tick Toc Diner we headed home on the train back to Boston.  We had an absolute blast, but we were ready to get back to our kids and get some sleep.

Maureen said it best on her facebook status that evening "heading home from the city that never sleeps, to get some sleep"

Some of my loot

scarves and pashminas

The Rockettes Were Fabulous!

I went to the Rockettes Thursday night with my Mom, my Aunt Susan and my BFF Kerri.  The show was amazing.

We met at Viapiano, a great place for a really good quick bite and drink before a show.  Then we walked over to the Wang Theatre a little bit early to take it all in.  Just being in the Wang Theatre is exciting in itself.  The history, the ornate detail, the holiday decorations.  It makes you feel so fancy.

We met up with my good friend Laura.

My Aunt Susan and my Mom

The show was fantastic.  The costumes, the sets, the special effects, the singing and the dancing...OMG the dancing...so many different high-energy dance routines.  I was in complete awe.

We had such a great time.  This magical and uplifting show definitely put us all in the holiday spirit.

Me and Kerri

I was given a 4 pack of tickets to facilitate my review of the show

A Brush with Fame at Wahlburgers!

Last Saturday night, I went with two of my BFFs to Wahlburgers.  Wahlburgers is a cool burger joint the Wahlberg brothers opened this past fall. 

It was definitely busy but we didn't have to wait too long for a seat.  We had a glass of wine and checked  the place out while we were waiting.  The atmosphere is hip and fun.  Lots of pictures of the Wahlberg family growing up.  The restaurant is decorated with references to Wahlberg's accomplishments-- movies, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch and NKOTB! 

  

We sat at the bar.

 
The bartenders were great.

We all got the "Single Decker" burger and shared fries and sweet potato tots - everything was delicious.  I would've taken pictures of the food but I was distracted because...Donnie Wahlberg walked by and sat behind us!  I am not kidding!!

On his way out he did stop to pose for a few pictures and chat with some people...

...including us!!

We were like giddy schoolgirls.  He was really nice, friendly and didn't seem bothered by all the attention. 

Great place.  Great food.  If you go, have your camera ready, you never know who you might see!

A Birthday Message

So I turned 41 today.  I had high hopes for 40. 

I rang it in with a fabulous night out Boston last year with my terrific husband and our friends!

 

 

I had plans, big plans.  I was going to train and compete in a triathlon or at least get back in shape and run some 5ks.  40 had other plans for me.  40 was like, oh no, I don't think so!  Injuries, lack of time and energy sidelined these plans.

Now It's a year later, I am up a pant size and the only exercise I get lately is playing referee between my two boys.  But, life is good, well most days, let's not kid ourselves. 

While 40 has not been so kind to the body, it has been very good for the soul.  I have incredible friends and family who enrichment my life and never cease to amaze me.  I am comfortable (if I am wearing the right pants) with who I am.  Starting this blog shortly after my 40 birthday (thanks to my amazing friend Laura, who encouraged me) has given me a therapeutic outlet and brought some really great opportunities my way.

In honor of the fabulous women over 40 and to my best friends who will be turning 40, I leave you with this piece by the late Andy Rooney that my friend Sharon put on her Facebook wall a while back. 
Andy Rooney says:
"As I grow in age, I value women who are over forty most of all. Here are just a few reasons why: A woman over forty will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, “What are you thinking?” She doesn’t care what you think.

If a woman over forty doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it’s usually something more interesting.

A woman over forty knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of forty give a hoot what you might think about her or what she’s doing.

Women over forty are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it’s like to be unappreciated.
A woman over forty has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn’t trust the guy with other women. Women over forty couldn’t care less if you’re attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won’t betray her.
Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over forty. They always know.

A woman over forty looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over forty is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They’ll tell you right off if you are a jerk, if you are acting like one! You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over forty for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of forty-plus, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some twenty-two-year-old waitress.

Ladies, I apologize."

*A little disclaimer - upon reading comments on this article, I can not say for sure Andy Rooney wrote this, apparently there is some controversy as to whether or not it was him.  Whoever wrote it, I like it!

Mustaches on a Stick!

My youngest son Sean LOVES Mario.  Sean's birthday is the day before Halloween.  We always have a Halloween costume party, but I still let him pick a birthday party theme.  There was no question that this year it would be Mario!

We got Mario and Luigi plates, napkins, decorations, favors and...we made mustaches on a stick!

Here is the how-to:

I found a mustache template online.  I forget exactly where I found the template, just google "mustache on a stick" and you will find some templates and a lot of other funny things! 

I used black felt, a glue gun, pins and wooden sticks from Michael's.

I cut out the paper mustache patterns.  I folded the felt so that when I cut it I had two mustache sides that match up perfectly.  Pin the patten on to folded piece of black felt.

I cut it out along the pattern.

My older son Nolan wanted to help.

Mama going to need more coffee.

We made a mustache assembly line.

"Mum why are you like so subsessed (obsessed) with mustaches?"

pull apart the matching mustache pieces...put hot glue and the stick in the middle 

Then put on the other matching side and squeeze together.  Be careful not to burn your fingers on the hot glue like it did.

They were a hit at the Halloween/Mario Birthday Party!

Ciao!