On The Brink

Disney On Ice "Frozen" (Boston) Tickets Giveaway!

2015-02-09T10:08:00.003-08:00

The winner is Laura O.!!!! Thanks everyone who entered. Stay tuned for more giveaways and discounts!
Enter for a chance to win a 4 pack of tickets to

Disney on Ice Frozen Opening Night on

Friday, February 13th @7PM at
TD Banknorth Garden Boston

Well isn't this a fitting giveaway for Boston...Elsa has taken over!

I am giving away a 4-pack of tickets to the highly anticipated Disney on Ice "Frozen"

Disney on Ice "Frozen" will be in Boston at the TD Garden

February 13 - February 22, 2015

To enter to win 4 tickets to Disney on Ice "Frozen" leave your name and last initial in my comments section. I will announce the winner this Thursday. Good Luck!

For more about the show click here Disney On Ice

or follow Disney on Ice on Facebook DisneyOnIce

and Twitter @disneyonice

Van Halen: A whole new level of crazy!

2014-07-07T08:51:00.002-07:00

I swear this boy is reincarnated from the 80s! My 7 year old son, Nolan started playing Guitar Hero over the summer. He then wanted to find out more about the songs they used in the game. In this version of the video game it was a lot of 80's rock. Thanks to Google and Youtube, he become entranced by Van Halen, to be specific Eddie Van Halen. I crack up because this was the music from my generation, some of it was even from the late 70s.

And so the Eddie Van Halen costume for Halloween started to take shape. I really got into it and realized I am just as crazy as him. I also realized I used to do the exact same thing to my mother--the poor woman made me a Michael Jackson glove for my 7th grade dance, spending countless hours sewing individual silver sequence on a white glove, see the whole family is crazy! (yup I wore a sequenced Michael Jackson glove to a 7th grade dance, I also dressed up like Cyndi Lauper for a Halloween dance that same year-wish I had a picture of it!)

I also remember my mother making other kick-ass costumes for us when we were kids. My brother's Kiss costume back in the early 80s. He won best costume that year! And my Red Riding hood wasn't to bad either.

Anyway back to little EVH. Here is the look we were going for:

I love this, in Nolan's "research" we learned that when Eddie played in MJ's Beat It song, he did it for free, just for fun.

For the guitar:

I used an old toy guitar and some red, white and black duck tape. I heart colorful duck tape! It comes in sheets as well as rolls. We used red sheets and then different sized black and white rolls.

I make Mommy do crazy things

Nolan found this picture and captured it on my iPhone for me to copy.

I cut the duck tape using a paper cutting board. First I covered the guitar with the red duck tape sheets

Then starting adding the black and white

Then I took a break...

to keep the creative juices flowing

finished!

Then (not the same night!) I tried to make the shirt. Nolan thought we would just find one at Marshall's...he looked, believe me. I took a white t-shirt and made squares with duck tape and painted the middle of them with black craft paint.

I pulled the tape off when the paint was dry, to reveal little black squares that I made to look like dice by using little bits of cut up white duck tape.

We used a red bandanna from the dollar store. I let Nolan rip a pair of old jeans. I got a $7 "rock star" wig from Target and these adorable Chuck Taylor's from Marshall's...

The end result:

Nolan trying to get Sean in on the act

DIY Wipe Board

2013-11-09T05:44:00.001-08:00

Not sure where or how I found/realized that you could use "dry erase" makers on glass and it would actually wipe off! I am pretty sure it was somewhere on Pinterest.

All you need is:
A frame - I got this one at Michael's, they are constantly having buy one get one free or 50% off sales.
Some fabric
Tape (duck tape or painters tape)
Dry erase markers and an eraser (Target)

I wrapped the fabric around the cardboard that was inside the frame. I pulled it tight and taped with some painters tape. Then I just stick it back in the frame.

I hung it in the kitchen. I put lists, reminders, messages to the kids/hubby, and countdowns (as you can see here, I did this project over the summer).

Sean loves it too.

NYC: Attending the Jimmy Fallon Show!

2013-03-28T04:58:00.000-07:00

Many people have been asking me how I got the tickets for Jimmy Fallon. The answer is, anyone can do this and it's FREE. It just takes perseverance and a some patience.

When I was planning a trip to NYC with my girlfriends, I thought how fun would it be to go to Jimmy Fallon?! I went to the Late Night With Jimmy Fallon NBC website. There is a phone number you call to reserve tickets. Unfortunately, the show was not taping the days when the girls and I were going to be there...wah.

I kept the phone number at my desk and would randomly call until one day, someone picked up the phone! I couldn't believe someone finally answered. I got two tickets (you can reserve up to four tickets) for me and my husband.

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon books one month in advance. If you have a ton of patience there is also a standby procedure that is explained on the website.

NBC sends you an email confirming the you have tickets reserved but not guaranteed (eek). The nice man on the phone told me to get to the "NBC Experience Store Cafe" by 3PM and I should not have a problem picking up my tickets and that everyone needs to have a picture ID with them.

We headed over to Rockefeller Plaza around 2:30 p.m. that afternoon to scope it out. We located and confirmed the exact area where we were to wait in line for our tickets. There were about five people hanging around. I was getting nervous, excited and...hungry! We ran across the street to Bouchon Bakery and split (inhaled) a nice sandwich. We ran back over and got in line for our tickets. We were probably about 15th in line. An NBC guy came over and said not to worry that we all had tickets!! PHEW!!! Yeah!

Promptly at 3:00 p.m. they started handing out the tickets and wristbands. We finally got ours...woo hoo.

They told to meet back at a specific escalator at 4:30 (no earlier and no later!). The other strict rule: No photographs whatsoever!!! If you take a picture inside the studio, they will make you delete it and kick you out. Oh and another big thing, you can't use the bathroom once you are in your seats.

We had some time to kill, which is easy to do in Rockefeller Plaza, so much to see. We wondered around for a bit, found the restrooms, and made sure we didn't drink anything!

It was finally time to meet at the escalator, there was a sign, welcome to Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. I would've taken a picture, but I was afraid to. Once we got in and up the escalator, they broke people up into groups. And then we were in another line for about 15 minutes.

We were finally lead to our seats, in the fifth row!!! Oh wait a minute, did I mention that Justin Timberlake was on the show (scream). The studio is small so, no matter what seat you get you can see...here we are in the audience

source: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon website

There was an audience "warm-up" guy who was a hilarious comedian. Then the house band, The Roots, came out, they were awesome. The guests were Justin Timberlake, Dee Snider, and Timothy Olyphant. All the guests were great but, Justin and Jimmy are so funny together. Then Justin and his band performed, it was thrilling to say the least.

I was truly an exciting experience.

On The Brink...of eating a cupcake!

2013-01-17T16:55:00.003-08:00

Ugh, why am I finding it so hard to eat better. I know what I should and shouldn't be eating...I know what is healthy. It seems the older I get the less willpower I have! Last year I blogged about being in my 40's and all the changes that come with it (good & bad). After yet another birthday in December and a weigh-in at my last check-up...eek, ugh, omg!!!
So today is the day...(although I said that last week, but this time, really, it is ;)
Here is how the day went....
Breakfast - plain greek yogurt w/blueberries & coffee (with cream, oops)
Dropped the kids off at school and went to Wholefoods for inspiration.
On the ride home from the market I had a "Think Thin" bar (Caramel) I was really trying to think thin and not think about bagels, donuts and greasy egg sandwiches.
Lunch - kale, spinach, avocado salad, I texted a picture to my friend, saying "I hope I don't puke" and if it wasn't for the little bit of dressing, Brianna's Lemon Tarragon, I think I would've at least gagged. Just a little side note, my sister-in-law Sheila introduced me to this dressing, I am obsessed with it, not only is it so good on salads, I marinate my chicken in it too, thanks Sheila!

It honestly wasn't bad, I do love avocado and it is filling...raw kale and spinach not so much, but I did eat it!

Then I started thinking about sweets...cupcakes...yummy cupcakes with sugary frosting! Maybe I'll make some with the kids after school...humm....

To try to get my mind off cupcakes...I had a cup of herbal tea with licorice root, licorice root is suppose to help with sweet cravings.

This tea is really good. Not as good as a cupcake but it did take my mind off it for a little while.

When the kids got home from school, I said let's make cupcakes, I mean smoothies! They love smoothies so I made each of them their specific smoothie and then I made one for me.

Frozen blueberries, rice milk and chia seeds (let the Chia seeds soak in water for like 10 minutes) in the blender. Cha cha cha chia seeds have omega 3's, fiber and other healthy benefits. This really helped my sweet tooth!

OK at this point, I'm starving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dinner - plain turkey burger and roasted asparagus - I know, you are all jealous.

And instead of a glass of wine, I am going to have this tea...

OK, who's sh**ing who here...

just a little glass...cheers!

...and for eating healthy and workouts check out my friend, "celebrity trainer" Jon Paul's blog

workoutwithjp.com It's informative and very funny. One of Jon Paul's quotes that keeps coming to mind is "You might even feel a little bit hungry when you go to bed. It’s okay. You’re not going to die." LOL

Disney on Ice "100 Years of Magic" (Boston) Giveaway!

2012-12-04T09:15:00.001-08:00

Looking for the perfect holiday gift or something fun and exciting for your kids to do on winter vacation? Disney on Ice shows never disappoint! I have a special code for you to get a discount on tickets and I also have...A GIVEAWAY!

Disney on Ice "100 Years of Magic" will be in Boston at the TD Garden

Thursday, December 27th through Sunday, December 30th

Enter for the chance to win a 4 pack of tickets to Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic for the December 27th show or to buy tickets at a discount go to http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/44z8h0
save $10 on $25 seats valid Thursday @7PM, Friday @11AM and 7PM, Sunday @5PM valid online or by phone. Save 10% on $35 VIP seats valid Thursday @7PM, Friday @11AM and 7PM, Sunday @5PM valid online or by phone.
For more about the show click here disney.go.com/disneyonice/
or follow Disney on Ice on Facebook www.facebook.com/DisneyOnIce

To enter to win 4 tickets to Disney on Ice "100 Years of Magic" leave your name and last initial in my comments section. I will announce the winner this Saturday, December 8th. Good Luck!

A Few of Our Favorites Things at Disney World

2012-05-26T06:34:00.002-07:00

We did two days in the Disney World parks. The first day we went to Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and the second day we went back to Hollywood Studios and spent the entire day there.
These are a few of our favorite things...

Nolan's absolute favorite thing was the Jedi Training Academy.

Upon arriving at Disney's Hollywood Studios the second day the first thing we did was head directly to the "Jedi Training Academy" to sign my Nolan up for this awesome Star Wars experience. A friend had told me that classes filled up extremely fast, we got in just under the wire! Phew!

Nolan said it was the best day of his life! Here is the video of him fighting the dark side (second kid up)

Nolan's other favorites, Star Tours ride and the Lego store...

We all went on the Star Tours ride, it was very very cool (although I am a wimp and got a really "carsick")

Lego store at Downtown Disney

Buzz made out of Legos

Buzz, Woody and the rocket entirely made out of legos

If you ask my younger little guy, Sean, what was his favorite thing at Disney, he would tell you EVERYTHING! He is four and was the perfect age to get that magical reaction when he saw Mickey & Minnie for the first time. When hard pressed for details, he will tell you his favorite things were the pool at the hotel, the Dumbo Ride, Goofy's rollercoaster, Buzz Lightyear ride (at Magic Kingdom) and of course, meeting Buzz!

and meeting Buzz and Woody together...

Buzz & Woody Meet & Greet

At Disney's Hollywood Studios we all loved the Toy Story Mania and the 3-D Muppet Show!

Mike and my favorite thing was the Tune-in Lounge in the 50's inspired Diner.

Nana's favorite was the American Idol Experience - She is a big Idol fan!

This was my favorite thing...I love this picture.

Nana, Nolan & Sean

Some very sweet family memories were created on this trip.

I received two complimentary Disney World Park Hopper passes to facilitate this post.

Disney and Food Allergies

2012-05-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I initially wanted to take the kids to Disney World was I had heard they accommodate food allergies. This is always a huge stress for me when we travel.

Disney has food allergy policies in place that really keep there guests safe and relieve some of the stress. I made restaurant reservations on Disney's website. When making the reservation I was asked to check off which allergies are in my party. Then I was told to contact Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com and they sent me forms to fill out. Those forms were sent to each restaurant. They then sent a confirming email and asked that when we got to restaurant to mention the allergies once again and the chef will come out and talk to us. Here is the lowdown on our experience.

The first full day of our vacation we decompressed at the hotel pool and then headed over to Downtown Disney for a late lunch and a little shopping. We had a reservation at The Rainforest Cafe

Rainforest Cafe had a really fun atmosphere for the kids. You were surrounded by lifelike jungle animals and huge fish tanks. Every 20 minutes or so there was a "thunder and lighting storm."

We informed our server, Shawn, that we had two kids at our table with food allergies. He send the chef out.

Chef Richard assured us Nolan could have the chicken tenders and that he would make something special for Sean--two plain hamburgers and fries that would cooked in a separate part of the kitchen.

After a long day at the pool, these boys cleaned their plates---so did the adults, the food was good.

One of the main reasons I wanted to check out Downtown Disney was Babycakes NYC. This wonderful bakery is peanut and tree nut free, egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, sesame seed-free.

Sean could pick whatever he wanted...

Sean ended up with two cupcakes, some chocolate chip cookies and chocolate frosted donut. He has never had a donut!

We brought the box of treats back to the hotel and he saved one for each day. He was so happy. Mumma was so happy.

The first day in the parks we went to lunch in Magic Kingdom at The Plaza Restaurant.

This time two chefs came right out, armed with a book of everything they served and all the ingredients. Nolan settled on a grilled cheese and Sean once again had a hamburger. We were again assured that it would be cooked safely in a separate part of the kitchen.

sliced apples to start

Nolan with one of the chefs

Sean could even have dessert. They had Rice Dream ice cream, a dairy-free treat that he loves, with Enjoy Life cookies for ears!

The next day we had lunch in Hollywood Studios at The Backlot.

The Backlot was an express type restaurant, which I was apprehensive about.

When placing my our order with Cody, I informed him of our food allergies. I have to say it was one of the best experiences. Cody was so helpful and then Chef Christa came out with that magic book. This time there were chicken tenders and natural cut french fries that Sean could have. And more Enjoy Life cookies :)

Every restaurant, express and sit-down, has a food allergy book, as well as every snack stand. Even the popcorn stand had a book. Sean and Nolan could have the popcorn too.

All-in-all we had great experiences eating in Disney World. Sean and Nolan eat like kings!

I received two complimentary Disney World Park Hopper passes to facilitate my reviews.

Oh so grand, Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort!

2012-05-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

We just came back from a great trip to Disney! Before we left my 6 year old (going on 16) said "when we get back from Florida our house is going to seem so lame" What?? After staying at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort, I have to say I think he had a point. This hotel is amazing!

Located inside the Walt Disney World gates, The Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort is just a short shuttle ride to all the excitement. We did two days at Disney parks and two days at the resort, it was the perfect balance.

Even if you are not planning to go to any of the parks, Wyndham Grand has so much to offer you don't even have to leave the resort. Fabulous restaurants, pools, spa, gym, arcade, bar, lounge, business center and luxuriously comfortable beds! Here are the details that make this resort such a great escape.

Our room - two deluxe queen beds and an alcove with bunk beds and a TV for the kids.

our room

A view of the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club. This tortured my golf-loving husband. Maybe next time he will get out there.

view from our room

I love lovely details and special touches. This hotel was full of them...

"Bath & Body Works" toiletries

Wolfgang Puck in-room coffee

Starbuck's Coffee at The Barista in the main lobby

And the decor, the beautiful, unique decor...I loved it!

Sean a little tired here?

funky blue chandelier

different sitting areas at every turn...

The Blue Harmony on-site spa...my husband had the best massage here.

The gym...never made it...LOL...but it's looked great!

Our room was on the concierge level (floors 12-14) which allowed us access to the concierge lounge-- another beautifully decorated area that included two large flat screens, a computer, fresh fruit and ice cold water...a great place to hide, I mean, relax!

And the pool, the fabulous pool...

a hot tub at every corner of the pool area

Nana escaped to the hot tub

We rented a cabana that was equipped with lounge chairs, fruit, water, a fridge, fan and TV.

My mum peeking out

Mike and the boys taking a break in the cabana

So many activities to entertain the kids!

games at the pool everyday

an arcade!

Kids club

Kids club has babysitting (ages 5-12) with loads of activities, in the evening if you would like a quiet kid-free dinner. We didn't do this because Sean is only 4. Next year!

Speaking of dinners...the restaurants were top notch. We had dinner one night at Tesoro Cove and had breakfast there each morning, which fueled us up for Disney! The food was delicious and service was great!!

There is also a 5-star restaurant, Deep Blue, that we unfortunately never made it to, but we heard from other guests that it was phenomenal.

Thanks to my Mom, my husband and I did enjoy some kid-free time. One night after spending the day in Disney, we went to Bar 1521 for a much needed drink and enjoyed a calamari appetizer.

Then the next night after a 12 hour day at Disney's Hollywood Studios (yes, that's right 12 hours...yes we are insane), my mom and kids went to bed and we hit the outdoor Back Bay Pool Bar & Grill. We had drinks, nachos and chicken quesadillas that really hit the spot!

Poolside bar during the day

Everyone we came in contact with was extremely courteous, friendly and helpful. From Lisa at the front desk who checked us in, to the girl at concierge desk who was so nice and helpful in trying to track down our lost luggage at the airport (thankfully it arrived very early the next morning). Sweet Foresia, who cleaned our room everyday and gave us extra towels and a great smile...Ron Presman, the manager who checked in with us to make sure we enjoyed our stay...the very nice Omar who took our picture and packed our luggage in our rental car.

On our last day we checked out and had a few hours before heading to the airport. We were able to store our luggage and hang out at the pool one last time. I can't say enough good things about this hotel, I absolutely loved it!!

Bye bye Wyndham Grand, we had a grand time!

www.wyndham.com

Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort - Bonnet Creek

14651 Chelonia Parkway

Orlando, Florida 32830

I received a complimentary stay at Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort to facilitate this review.

A Fun Way to Countdown to Disney

2012-04-20T05:22:00.001-07:00

With 20 days to go, we told the kids that we are going to Disney World! They were so excited. Nolan got on the Disney website to look at the Star Wars attractions and these were his questions: "can you buy Star Wars stuff there? what can we buy?" (oh God). Sean, my 4 year old was a little more clueless..."are we going today?" "No buddy not for a few weeks." Sean: "tomorrow?" I started to think maybe I should've told them yet, but I couldn't wait any longer!! I knew I needed to do something so they would get the concept of how many days to go...maybe it might teach them a little patience?? Anyway, we make a paper chain at Christmas time (my husband's family tradition) they kids tear off a link to the chain each day leading up to Christmas. So I thought I would make a Mickey countdown paper chain.

I "cut and pasted" a little picture of Mickey from the Disney website and shrunk it down...then I copied and pasted him a bunch of times and made numbered Mickey rows.

I cut them into strips on my paper cutter...

And then stapled together a chain.

Each day the boys take turns (they love taking turns LOL) tearing off a link to the chain and then they count how many days are left.

It's amazing how time flies. I booked this trip 90 days ago! I downloaded a "Disney Countdown" App on my iPhone (yup there's an App for that ;) that's how I've been counting down. Can't wait!

It's my Blogiversary!

2012-04-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, I posted my first blog post. To all that follow, "like", tweet, occasionally peek...even if you have only read one post---THANK YOU to each and everyone of you!! It's been a great year and it would not be possible without my dear friend Laura (Being Loopy).

Laura @Nordstrom Rack Tweet up

Laura was the one who got me started with my blog. Laura showed me the ropes, introduced me to Twitter, encouraged me, invited me to blogger events, held my hand and cheered me on! Thank you Laura!!! XOXO

Thanks again everyone! I hope you keep reading...there are some exciting things on the brink!

XO,
Kelly

I Made a Poof!

2012-03-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

I keep seeing these fabulous poofs or pom poms all over Pinterest. In searching for how to make them I came across this great blog: imperfectlybeautifulms.blogspot.com.

Click here for the poof/pom pom "how-to".

Fun and pretty easy to do. Mine is definitely not perfect, but I don't think it should be, that's the fun part. Try one!

Great "Facebook Friday" Deal on a Martha's Vineyard Hotel

2012-03-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Vineyard Square Hotel is running a last minute getaway special. I love this hotel. I've stayed here before and definitely plan to go back: Our Escape to Martha's Vineyard
Here's the deal:
"Facebook Friday Deal: We're enhancing our Soap Drive Special for the last weekend in March - just for our Facebook friends. Stay in a luxury suite March 30 and 31 and get 40% off your stay PLUS a $40 gift certificate for a future stay – simply by bringing in a new or gently used bar of soap! Must book before noon on this Sunday (3/25). New reservations only. Call 508-627-4711 soon - these suites will go fast!"

Click Vineyard Square Hotel to "like" their Facebook page to get this great deal or future great deals.

I was not paid for this post, just sharing my love of a great place.

Getting Back on Track with "My Fitness Pal"

2012-03-21T17:24:00.001-07:00

Has anyone tried www.myfitnesspal.com?

It is a FREE online fitness plan with tools that count your calorie/fat/carb/protein intake and track exercise. You input your current stats and your goals. Each day you enter what you eat and it tracks calorie/fat/carbs/protein. You also input any exercise that you do and keep track of all the water you should be drinking.

"My Fitness Pal" has nutrition facts for over 1,000,000 foods. For example, (on a whim) I started using it today. I was at work and I usually eat out--I know, I really have to start bringing lunch, I know! I ate a Dunkin Donuts multigrain bagel (no cream cheese) and then for lunch I went to Freshii and got a Vegan Wrap. My Fitness Pal had both of these listed in their data base with all the nutritional info...here are my results before dinner or even a snack:

Eye opening isn't it?! I thought I eat somewhat healthy today, jeez 78 calories left? What the hell am I going to have for dinner?! Carrots and lettuce? I'll have to exercise or I will starve tonight! When you input the exercise that you've done it allows you to consume more calories/carbs/fat/protein.

When I got home from work I went for 30 minute run/walk and got chased by the biggest German Shepard I've ever seen! Does being scared shit less burn calories? Eeek!

Anyway, after exercising (and having a heart attack) things looks a little better:

For dinner I had grilled chicken on a bed of baby romaine lettuce, boy am I stuffed (yeah, right). I'm going to bed early so I don't think about ice cream, wine or chocolate...cry myself to sleep. Hope I don't have a nightmare about that dog.

Here are my final numbers for Day 1.

Apparently I made some not so great choices today, seeing it spelled out and in my face will/should help me make different choices. I think this is a great tool to get back on track...and hello, it's free!!!!

Check it out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ they have an app for your iPhone and iPad too! With the iPhone app you can actually scan food labels, pretty cool.

Pictures of Ireland -- Happy St. Patrick's Day

2012-03-16T20:25:00.001-07:00

In honor of Saint Patrick's Day I thought I would share some pictures from a trip to Ireland Mike and I took in December 2002. Before we had kids, before we were married. We were only dating a few months and Mike took me to Ireland for my birthday. It is the most amazing place I've ever been. It is truly Heaven on Earth.

We rented a car and drove through the countryside for five days, staying at random bed & breakfasts along the way, it was quite an adventure. These pictures are before I had a digital camera, some of the quality is lost because I scanned them...

Traditional Music Shop in Doolin - County Clare

The Burren - County Clare

cottage in Dingle

sheep everywhere

more scenery from the Dingle Peninsula

Kylemore Abbey Castle

Cliffs of Moher

If you've never been to Ireland and have the chance to go, it is a magical place that you will find yourself daydreaming about years later...like I am today...

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Lunch and The City: Sorelle Bakery & Cafe

2012-03-13T10:10:00.001-07:00

I have been dying to try Sorelle Bakery & Cafe on my lunch hour. I walked by it a few times and it looks so inviting.
This past Thursday was a really nice day so I walked over. This one is located at 282 Congress Street (Boston).

It looked like most people were taking their orders to go, but you could sit and eat, which if I wasn't in a hurry I would have. The sun was shining in the big windows...soothing music playing...very nice atmosphere.

There was so much to choose from and everything looked amazing.

I decided to be somewhat good and got a Mediterranean Salad with chicken and it was really good, perfect actually.

But couldn't stop thinking about all of their desserts!

www.sorellecafe.com

Someday My Yoga Pants Will Make it to Yoga

2012-03-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

Yup this is me. My yoga pants have only seen the grocery store, the preschool, my couch and my bed. They may have gone for a few brisk walks and a random Zumba class, but no yoga.

We finally joined the Weymouth Club so my yoga pants may finally make it to yoga!
Although, I think will need new yoga pants, as all of mine are quite faded,worn and stained from all my non-yoga activities.

Shopping and Bar Hopping in NYC

2012-03-08T21:16:00.001-08:00

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

Keep Calm and Carry On

2012-03-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

I first saw this saying framed in a little shop on Martha's Vineyard called Portobello Road.

Portobello Road - found objects-curiosities-etctera

glimpse of Portobello Road Shop - Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard

I thought, how perfect to hang in my house! When things got crazy with the kids, maybe it would be a reminder to just take a deep breath and --Keep Calm and Carry On-- because you have no choice really, LOL. I didn't buy it because it would've meant (my husband) lugging it home on the ferry. Then I started seeing it in all sorts of places -- Boston Interiors, Paper Source, which has a entire line of "Keep Calm and Carry On" items. They also have:

and then I found:

Pretty sure I like this one better...as I say, it all depends on the day!

Anyway, I knew that the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster originated in England but it didn't know the exact history. Then today, The Huffington Post posted this on Facebook. I thought it was interesting.

Date Night at Sintra

2012-02-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

The kids were staying at Nana and Papa's on Saturday night. To celebrate (just kidding) my husband and I went out for a very nice dinner.

We went to Sintra, right in our hometown of Braintree. We had been here a few years ago and I remember the food was really good. Every time I drive by I think, oh, we should go back there...and then I think of 20 other things I forget about it.

You definitely need a reservation for a Saturday night at this place. Being that this was a last minute decision, we sat at the bar until a bar table opened up. It is very cozy and romantic atmosphere. I did sneak a few pictures but I couldn't use a flash (or Mike would die of embarrassment) so they are not the greatest.

We were seated in a nice little corner bar table and served fresh, right out of the oven bread with a hummus spread...yum!

We ordered an appetizer - "potato and chorizo spring rolls with romesco sauce"...O.M.G. delicious! It was like a mashed potato with little bits of chorizo (a spicy sausage), wrapped in a spring roll...so different, so good. Oh and I'm not sure what romesco sauce is but whatever it is, it's wicked good (can you hear my Boston accent).

For dinner we both got "beef shortrib canneloni with aspargus, tomato puree and shaved parmesan"...to die for. Amazing short rib, wrapped in pasta...total comfort food.

Oh my God these pictures are so bad, sorry! Click here for some pictures from Sintra's website

The restaurant was very busy and even though we sat in the bar area, the service was still excellent.
The dessert menu looked really interesting too, but we were so full of wine and food it was ridiculous. We went home and both fell asleep on the couch...pathetic!

Anyway, I highly recommend Sintra. Great for a date night, girl's night dinner (I am definitely bringing the girls here), special occasion or even just a drink at the bar. We tend to go in town (Boston) for nice dinners like this...we realized we can just go to Braintree Square - 906 Washington Street to be exact.

http://www.sintrarestaurant.com/
follow them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/SintraRestaurant?sk=info

I did not receive anything, and was not paid for this "review"...it's just lil' ol' me sharing my opinion of good food and a lovely experience.

E.T. Phone Home...the obsession continues

2012-02-23T15:56:00.000-08:00

This winter, New England has been unbelievably warm. My Nolan loves to be outside. Sean is much more of the indoorsy type. This picture was from last week. The weather was amazing. Nolan was out in the backyard right after breakfast. I keep peeking out at him. He was "fixing" his old bike.

Next thing he is begging Sean to come outside to see a "surprise." "Mom don't look yet." I thought, oh God!

"OK Mom you can look now..."

A few weeks before Halloween Nolan watched the ET movie and became obsessed. It started with him attaching a basket to the front of his little bike. Then he pleaded for a red sweatshirt. (That I found on Hanes.com for $8) He put Yoda (from his Star Wars obsession) in the basket, as it was the closest thing he could find that looked like ET.

So there was no question--he was going to be Elliot for Halloween. His uncle (my brother) fueled his obsession by crafting a paper mache ET head! Yes my entire family is ~~completely nuts~~ creative.

That was all fine and good for Halloween but ET stayed on his bike for weeks after...getting some strange looks at the park from other little kids who had no idea who ET was.

Most of the parents got a good laugh out of it...or maybe they were laughing at me for allowing him to ride around the park with ET wrapped in a towel strapped to his bike! That's normal right? I would tell myself, just like all his other ~~obsessions~~ favorite things--The Wiggles, Pirates, the Wiggles again, Star Wars, Harry Potter...this too shall pass...and God knows what will be next!

When the new Muppet movie came along, poor ET was put on a shelve in the playroom and forgotten. But for some reason ET has reared his funny big head again. Nolan had asked me to download music from ET the day before...but he also asked for music from Star Wars, Spongebob, Victorious and the chicken dance, so I wasn't thinking that ET was coming back in full force.

Not only did he stick his bike in a tree and dress Sean up like Elliot, he had the music playing for the full effect...

The next Steven Spielberg?
Although Sean will tell you, he can be a bit difficult to work with.

Pink and Green was the Theme

2012-02-22T07:49:00.000-08:00

I love looking at all the fabulous, creative party ideas and themes on Pinterest (yes, I am talking about Pinterest again!). Thought I'd post a pink and green baby shower theme I did last spring for a BFF of mine.

After having two boys my friend Kerri was having a third child and found out it was a girl! We wanted to throw her a little shower, a sprinkle really, of PINK! Kerri had told me Olivia's room is going to be pink and green, I immediately thought, hello baby shower theme! I love these colors together, it reminds me of the preppy early 80's.

I had so much fun putting this little shin-dig together for my very dear
and deserving friend. Here is all the pink & green greatness:

The Invitation - from the Paper Store (Hingham)

The favors - I found the little buckets at Target and picked up some flower seeds at Lowe's.

Also at Target, I found these fun pink lanterns...

I got some more buckets at Target and IKEA

I used the little ones to hold utensils and I put plants the big ones for centerpieces.

Pink lanterns from IKEA

Used this "baby shower" paper from Papersource to decorate.

The cake that our bff Heather got from Veronica's Sweetcakes that was so good!

a picture I wish I thought to take - our bff Maureen brought the wine for all the non-pregnant gals...it was a whole lot of wine!

Baby gift from me - given that I have two boys, had a great time baby girl shopping.

Inside the pink bin:

This adorable little tote bag from The Christmas Tree Shop. I had it monogrammed at Threads and Ink in Braintree (who I highly recommend!)

Some stationary...

that I personalized...

Cutie bootie socks

A tu-tu of course!

Here are all the ladies ou-ing and ah-ing over the baby gifts. I wish I had more pictures of all the adorable gifts but my camera was not cooperating :(

Here she is, Miss Olivia...she arrived in July 2012...always dressed to the nines...

The New Play Station Vita

2012-02-21T13:59:00.002-08:00

Yesterday we attended a very cool Boston Parent Blogger event hosted by Christy (Morethanamommy) at The Vita Hill Social Club in Cambridge. My kids (and husband) got to test drive the new Play Station Vita that hits the stores tomorrow.

I am so not a "gamer", but my boys are...apparently this is a very cool handheld game.

Sean played the entire time, he loved it. Nolan liked it too but was much more interested in the snacks.

One lucky attendee won PS Vita. There were other prizes Nolan won a tote bag, he was thrilled.

We had a fun time and I got to see some fellow bloggers...here is Melanie (The Coupon Goddess) and her girls.

Sunbutter Cookie Recipe Everyone Will Love!

2012-02-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law Sheila is a fabulous cook. Now that Sean can eat wheat, Sheila gave me some great recipes to try. My niece is allergic to eggs and peanuts so these recipes are egg-free, peanut-free and in Sean's case I will make them dairy-free and soy-free as well.

Last night I made Sunbutter Cookies. I've talked about Sunbutter a few times but if you are just tuning in, Sunbutter is a creamy spread made from sunflower seeds. It is a great peanut butter alternative.

These cookies are out of this world. They are just like eating a peanut butter cookie. They were a hit with the entire family. I seriously can't stop eating them! Here is the recipe...oh and for Sunbutter coupons click here:

Sunbutter Cookies

1/2 c margarine - for Sean I used soy free Earth Balance "natural buttery spread"
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c + 2 Tblsp Sunbutter
1 1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup choc chips - we use Enjoy Life choc chips

*Preheat oven to 325 and lightly grease a cookie sheet
* cream margarine and sugars together w/ a mixer. add the apple sauce and vanilla to blend. Beat in Sunbutter.
* gradually add in salt, soda, and flour until combined.
* stir or mix in choc. chips
* Roll dough into 1 inch balls, lay on greased cookie sheet, flatten the balls a bit w/ your hand and make a criss cross with a fork on the surface (like when you make peanut butter cookies). *Bake 10-12 mins.
* When the cookies first come out they are very soft. You might have to let them sit for a couple of minutes on the cookies sheet to firm up until you can use the spatula and take them off. Once you can get them off, put on a cooling rack for 10 minutes or so so that they can completely cool and firm up.

Thank you Sheila for sharing this awesome recipe!!

Girls Night at Disney On Ice (and a discount code!)

2012-02-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended Disney on Ice "Dare to Dream" at the TD Banknorth Garden. Since it was all about princesses, I took my friend Maureen, her daughter Ciara and her friend Ella. These two are quite the princesses!

We found on-street parking (free!) and grabbed a quick bite to eat at The Grand Canal.

Then we walked over to the TD Garden.

Before I go on about the show, I just have to point out that princess Ciara made the dress she was wearing! That's right, she designed it, made the pattern, picked out the fabric and sewed it together. She loves fashion and has been taking sewing lessons at "In-Stitches" in Quincy. This is one talented mini diva!

Back to the show. The girls loved it. Maureen and I loved it.

There was the Princess and the Frog...

Cinderella - a timeless classic. It was great!

Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald came out a few times.

There were so many little ones dressed in their princess costumes, it was so cute. This little Snow White was sitting in front of us.

Tangled -- the story of Rapunzel--was our favorite! Full of action and excitement and, of course, a love story...

At one point Rapunzel and Flynn were hanging from the ceiling, twisting around in the air like Cirque du Soleil! All my pictures of that came out blurry, they were moving too fast! I was amazing.

For the grand finale, all the famous princesses came out dresses in gorgeous white costumes.

We had a such a great time. I asked the girls what was their favorite part --Ella said "Rapunzel!" Ciara said "oh when we were in the hallway we saw a bald guy wearing a crown, that was so funny!"...giggle, giggle, giggle..."Oh and I liked the "lunch" scene in Rapunzel."
If you are looking for something fun for February vacation I have a special DISCOUNT CODE for tickets! Go to Ticketmaster and use the code EARLYMOM to get kids tickets for $15
You will definitely enjoy this show!

I was given a 4-pack of tickets to review the show, no other compensation was received.