Jet Set Smart

AMAZING ASPEN!

2016-02-18T18:35:00.002-05:00

Hey guys! Boy, has it really been fine months since I've posted here?!? Life has been super busy between running around with the boys, my part-time teaching job, travel, family and friends. Everything has been great, and I sure do have a lot to catch you all up on, so I figured I would start with a little re-cap of our trip to Aspen, Colorado. We went to Aspen back in September for my best friend Louisa's wedding. It was the first time we've left our babies for more than a night and it was bittersweet. We flew out Friday in time for a BBQ at Louisa's fiancee, Tyler's family's house on Aspen Mountain. The food was incredible, and the views were unreal! It was so great to see Louisa who I hadn't seen in quite some time!

The rest of our long weekend (we flew back on Monday) was spent exploring downtown Aspen, eating, taking a gondola ride up to the top of Aspen Mountain, hiking the Maroon Bells, and just enjoying our time together as a couple. I had so many more pictures that I took on my i-phone (which I later lost), so this is the best of what we got on our camera. Hope you enjoy our picture re-cap of Aspen which is truly an amazing place!

ASPEN...WE'RE READY FOR YA!

2015-09-17T16:14:00.000-05:00

Hey there everyone!!! Boy has it been awhile since I've posted here!!! It has been a busy and fun summer for sure! I have so much to catch you all up on including a fun road trip we made out to the North Fork of Long Island, and an incredible vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida! In the meantime, Rich and are getting ready to jet set to Aspen, Colorado for my very good friend's wedding. It will be the first time we are going somewhere without the boys...and we are both so sad about it, but know it will be fun just the two of us! Well, I have to get back to packing, but don't forget to follow along on Instagram! Wheels up...Aspen we're ready for ya! ;-)

(This picture was taken by my friend who is getting married of the beautiful backdrop for her wedding!)

FASHION FRIDAY: SASSY SUIT

2015-06-19T09:18:00.002-05:00

Happy Fashion Friday jet setters! Hope you all have some fun plans for the weekend...and Happy Father's Day to all of the dads and grandfathers out there! Today's post is all about my love for the jumpsuit (a favorite of mine), and this sassy printed one for under $35 at H&M was just too good to pass up! I added a hat (bad hair day), a cardigan, a clutch and some sandals for church, but can't wait to wear it again for a date night with some high wedges and maybe a jean jacket. It's comfy and loose (two mom-friendly qualities), and looks like you spent a lot of time picking out an outfit, when it's just one piece and go! Gotta love that!

Jumpsuit: H&M

Cardigan: Forever 21 (old, similar)

Sandals: Forever 21

Hat: Urban Outfitters

Clutch: c/o Vera Bradley

Bracelets: BaubleBar

Ring: Banana Republic

Sunnies: Chloe c/o Mills at Jersey Mall

A NIGHT OF INDULGING!

2015-05-28T08:46:00.002-05:00

Talk about a night of fun!!! Well that's what this mama got to enjoy a couple of weeks ago for an event called "Indulge" at The Mills at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

I got a fabulous invitation by the stylish and adorable Corine from Complicated Mama to join her and Sheila from Pieces of a Mom to a "Moms Night Out" filled with shopping, drinks and food. I was in heaven!!!

The Mills at Jersey Gardens was recently taken over by Simon (who happens to own beautiful malls all over the country) and got a face lift that is worth checking out! The Mills at Jersey Gardens is New Jersey's largest outlet mall with more than 200 stores, including some of my favorites like Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Neiman Marcus Last Call and Century 21 to name a few!

This was my first time meeting Corine and Sheila, and the three of us hit it off and became instant shopping buddies, running all over The Mills at Jersey Gardens to see what great stores were there. We were all wowed by the incredible deals, and endless supply of gorgeous stuff, and we were in and out of dressing rooms all night. It was so much fun trying on sunglasses, shoes and handbags (and getting to do it without the kiddos in tow was even better)!!!

I left with some great pieces like this Rebecca Minkoff tote, Chloe sunglasses, Steve Madden sneakers for me and Penguin sneakers for my hubby...all for way under what you would pay in retail stores!

The Mills at Jersey Gardens is an absolute shopper's paradise! Remember you only pay 3.5% sales tax...so what are you waiting for? Check out The Mills at Jersey Gardens today...chances are, I'll probably run into you there!! ;-)

NEW JERSEY BLOGGER BRUNCH AT TALULA'S

2015-04-04T06:29:00.001-05:00

Blogging is my shot at entrepreneurship. It's my ideas, and my hard work that always go into what you see and read here. It's the same thing for Talula's in downtown Asbury Park, New Jersey-- a fairly new restaurant that opened it's doors only five short months ago, and has been serving up great farm-to-table food ever since.

Talula's entrepreneurs haven't been able to do too much advertising yet, but instead rely on word of mouth to promote the restaurant. That is why I picked Talula's as the spot to host my first New Jersey Blogger Brunch.

In attendance were Reesa from Mommalew- a website with tips for moms, recipes, travel ideas and more, Clarissa who is a Life Strategist and Personal Stylist from ClarissaNassar.com, and Sharon who blogs about petite fashion at The Tiny Heart. These women are entrepreneurs who have successful blogs because of all their hard work, sweat and tears. Having a networking event with these great women at Talula's just seemed like the perfect winning combination!

We got a chance to chat about what projects we are working on while enjoying such great dishes as the Avocado Toast with pickled vegetables, Scrambled eggs with Ricotta toast, Kale salad with roasted squash, a Hash bowl with eggs, a Margherita pizza, and some killer hot apple cider donuts! Talula's makes it's own breads and pizza dough, and uses locally sourced ingredients in all of its dishes- it's a great place to get a taste of Asbury Park while enjoying what this part of New Jersey has to offer.

Sira & Mara also sent me some pretty bracelets to give away as gifts at the event. Sandy is the entrepreneur behind Sira & Mara who started her business after moving to the U.S. from Spain without speaking English and with only $800 to her name. I absolutely love Sira & Mara's jewelry and accessory line, and to have Sandy's business be a part of this day also made perfect sense!

All of these beautiful pictures here were taken by Michelle Scelfo from Yellow Yellow Yellow. Michelle is a super talented photographer and entrepreneur who has an amazing eye for capturing great moments and is local to the Asbury Park area.

FASHION FRIDAY: HERE WE SNOW AGAIN!

2015-03-20T10:07:00.000-05:00

It's the first day of Spring today and Old Man Winter is preferring to stick around! That's right...more snow today!!! When will it end? We snapped these pictures a couple of weeks ago and I didn't know if I would ever post them because the weather was warming up and it seems Spring was coming, but with this forecast...I thought why not? At least it's supposed to warm up tomorrow! These are also the first pictures I've posted on the blog with my new bangs. I wanted to do something different and thought I'd give them a shot. I'm not too sure how long I'll keep them though because I have curly hair and they are very high maintenance! (they also look a bit messy here as I was wearing a hat) Anyway, hope you all have a great weekend and see some sun wherever you are!

Top: BB Dakota via Lord & Taylor
Leggings: Forever 21
Coat: Zara (old)
Hat: Purchased in Iceland
Boots: Rachel Zoe
Necklace: Stella & Dot
Bracelet: Sira & Mara
Sunnies: Italia Independent

LAKOTA WOLF PRESERVE

2015-03-10T05:36:00.001-05:00

(Photo Credit: TripAdvisor.com)

Imagine getting up close to wolves, foxes and bobcats to see how they live in the wild? Maybe it's because the PBS show Wild Kratts has been such a hit in our house, but I think it sounds pretty cool, and it's something we've been wanting to do with the boys for awhile now. The Lakota Wolf Preserve in Columbia, New Jersey is the only wildlife preserve of its kind in the state. The preserve is owned and run by two people who have raised and cared for the animals themselves. At the preserve you get to go on an educational tour and stand on an observation deck where you are surrounded by four different packs of wolves. You will get to watch the wolves play, interact and maybe even get to hear them howl! Wolf watch tours are offered twice a day, everyday except Monday at either 10:30am or 4:00pm. Each wolf watch tour is 90 minutes ($15 for adults, and $7 or kids up to 11 years old- cash only!). Unfortunately, due to the recent ice storms and bad winter we've had the Lakota Wolf Preserve is temporarily closed, but hopefully now that spring is 10 days away it will be reopening soon. Once it does we will be going and I can't wait to share with you how it is!

LAKOTA WOLF PRESERVE
89 MT. PLEASANT ROAD
COLUMBIA, N.J. 08732
(877) 733-9653

A GETAWAY TO CRYSTAL SPRINGS

2015-03-09T06:37:00.001-05:00

Last week we packed up the car and headed away as a family to Crystal Springs Resort in Vernon, New Jersey. We wanted to take Richie skiing for his 4th birthday, and we picked Crystal Springs Resort because it's not too far away, and the mountain and resorts are very close to each other with a shuttle bus that takes you to and fro.

Mountain Creek is where you ski, and then there are a couple of resorts to chose from nearby- Minerals Resort and Spa and Grand Cascades Lodge. We stayed at Grand Cascades Lodge. Minerals Resort and Spa is what they consider more of a "family friendly" resort because it has indoor basketball courts, tennis courts, a very nice pool and an arcade room (we checked it out while we were there and we were happy with where we chose to stay instead). I think it may have been okay if our kids were older and would have been able to use those facilities.

Grand Cascades Lodge is a bit fancier (no basketball, tennis or arcade room), and it has more dining options and a biosphere pool with a slide which is one of the coolest pools I have ever seen!

The cost to stay at Grand Cascades Lodge is more, and we had originally considered going Friday thru Sunday. But that wouldn't be the "JetSetSmart" way to travel and save, right? Well, if you go Sunday thru Thursday, you can either buy one night and get the second night half off, or buy two nights and get the third night free. We went Sunday thru Tuesday, and the price was half of what it would have cost us if we went Friday thru Sunday. The other plus was that the hotel had less people, so they upgraded us to a room with a fireplace, terrace and full kitchen, and the restaurant and pool was pretty empty so we felt like we had the place to ourselves at times!

As for the skiing, Richie got to do a two hour drop-off ski camp (which starts at age 4) where after a few falls ;-) he basically got the knack of the sport by the end. He seemed to really enjoy it!

We had a great little getaway, and look forward to more ski trips next winter!

FASHION FRIDAY: ADDED COLOR

2015-02-27T07:15:00.000-05:00

TGIF!!!!!!!! So happy it's the weekend! Today's outfit is pretty basic, sort of my "momiform" of what you can find me in on a daily basis running around with two little ones- jeans and a comfy top. I always tend to gravitate toward black, but here I added color by way of some new pieces I got from the Stella & Dot spring line. Added color can help make an outfit pop, it can add new life to an outfit you've worn a dozen times, and it helps make your mood pop too, especially with the winter we've been having! The good news is, Spring is just 21 days away and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is looking forward to it!!!!

Top: Lucky Brand via TJ Maxx (similar)

Jeans: Forever 21

Booties: Nine West

Bag: Michael Kors via Marshalls

Necklace: Stella & Dot (email me to order)

Earrings: Stella & Dot (email me to order)

Sunnies: Dolce Gabbana

BEST BANANA MUFFINS

2015-02-26T07:19:00.001-05:00

Hey guys! I've got a little recipe post for you today. It's for banana muffins (I know- easy, nothing fancy), but I promise you...this recipe really does make the BEST banana muffins ever!!! I have made banana muffins at least a dozen times in the past, and after a bit of tweaking, I have found the recipe that I will continue to make. My kids absolutely love these, and ask for them all of the time!!!

BEST BANANA MUFFINS RECIPE:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 ripe bananas
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 stick butter

Directions:
- Gather all the ingredients
- Preheat oven to 350*
- Line muffin pan
- Mix dry ingredients in one bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, sugar)
- In another bowl mix wet ingredients (vanilla, bananas mashed, egg scrambled, butter melted)
- Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ones and fill the muffin cups
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (I always bake for 25 because I like my muffins a little underdone)
- Enjoy!!!

DREAMING OF AN AMAZING GETAWAY

2015-02-17T11:11:00.000-05:00

It's probably scenes like this one over and over again this winter that have me craving warmer weather and jet setting to an amazing place...but, can you blame me? I'm so OVER all of the cold and snow!

So now seems like the perfect time to talk about a resort that truly is one of a kind- the One and Only Palmilla Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. I've written about the resort before here, and it's a place that is still top on my list to visit one day as a getaway with only the hubby. (Don't get me wrong, we love taking our kids everywhere, and thus far have brought them to every place we've been. But, sometimes it's just nice to have a getaway with only your spouse). The One and Only Palmilla Resort is a beachfront property that overlooks the Sea of Cortez and San Jose del Cabo. It has a private beach, infinity pools, a top-notch spa, great restaurants, and offers first-class service. It's a magical place where all of your needs will be met, and where you can go and just relax with your hubby for a few days without ever having to leave.

(Photo Credit: The One and Only Palmilla Resort)

That being said, Rich and I are the adventurous type, and when we go, there is one restaurant I would want to check out- Flora's Field Kitchen; an incredibly beautiful ten acre farm where all of the food on your table comes from! From what I've heard and read- it's a MUST if you are in Cabo.

(Photo Credit: kristinschell.com)

Well that's all for now on this snowy Tuesday. Remember, if you are thinking about traveling to the One and Only Palmilla Resort or anywhere else, email us for help and ideas for your trip!

FASHION FRIDAY: KRAZY FOR KIMONOS

2015-02-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I am "Krazy" for Kimonos!!! They are lightweight, great for travel, perfect to wear with a shirt and pants or over a bathing suit. I got this kimono recently from one of my favorite boutiques at the Jersey Shore, Foolish Ginger- located in Asbury Park, New Jersey. I love the colors and the pattern, and I know this will be on heavy rotation heading into spring and summer. On another quick note before I go, I wanted to say that I am looking forward to this weekend, as I will be meeting other New Jersey bloggers at a brunch on Sunday! I'll have more details about it next week. Happy Friday!!!

Kimono: Foolish Ginger

Top: Marshalls (love this)

Leggings: LOFT

Booties: Rachel Zoe

Clutch: Deux Lux

Sunnies: Dolce & Gabbana

Necklace: Sira & Mara

Bracelet: Sira & Mara

ROZMARYN RESTAURANT- TRENTON, N.J.

2015-02-12T06:30:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was reminded of the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover," when we went to check out Rozmaryn (pronounced rose-MAH-rin) Restaurant in Trenton, New Jersey for dinner! If I would have based my review from how it looks on the outside, I may not have enjoyed the amazing food that is served inside. We decided to check out this Polish restaurant (open since 2009) in Trenton after my sister-in-law got us tickets for us and our four kids (two are hers) to see Disney On Ice: Princes and Princesses at the Sun Center in Trenton. This place gets great ratings on Yelp, and we love Polish food, so we figured it was a worth a shot. Besides, I always love going to a place (be it a restaurant, a store, or a town) that makes me feel as if I've jet setted to the actual location. And once inside Rozmaryn Restaurant, you truly feel as though you have traveled to Poland and are eating in a family's home there!

We ordered cheese and potato pierogies, potato pancakes, kielbasa, and a Polish beef stew. Everything was better than delicious, but the one thing that was out of this world was the potato pancakes!!! Mouth watering, light and crispy...just perfect!

Some other things to note: Rozmaryn is BYOB and accepts most credit cards.

Bottom line, if you can get to this small, 24 seat restaurant in Trenton, you will be so happy you did, and you will be planning how fast you can get back!

Rozmaryn Restaurant

925 North Olden Avenue

Trenton, NJ

(609) 656-1600

#SISTERHOODOFTHETRAVELINGNECKLACE

2015-02-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Last Friday I told you guys about Sira & Mara and the story behind the #sisterhoodofthetravelingnecklace. I wore it last time with jeans and a sweater. So today, I wanted to pair the necklace with a dress since it is so pretty and fancy. I will be wearing this dress (that I scored for $24.99 at TJ Maxx) on Valentine's Day when we go to a a co-worker's vow renewal. I won't wear it that day with the necklace because I am going to ship it onto the next sister :(...but, that is the fun of it!!! I can't wait to see how the next ladies style it!

Dress: Jessica Simpson via TJ Maxx (available here)
Tights: Hanes
Necklace: Sira & Mara
Clutch: Stella & Dot (similar)
Bracelet: Stella & Dot (love this)
Shoes: Just FAB

A WILDY FUN WILD KRATTS PARTY!

2015-02-10T06:51:00.000-05:00

As a mom to a now 4 year old (sniff sniff), Wild Kratts has certainly become a part of my life! We watch the show quite often, we saw Wild Kratts Live, and my son even wanted a Wild Kratts themed party for his birthday celebration at school! Well, considering the PBS show is fairly new, there are no party decorations to be found in stores or online ANYWHERE, and when I even called my local bakery for a cake...they said to me what most people say when you tell them the name of the show"Wild What?" So, I certainly had my work cut out for me!!!

After having no luck at Party City and Toys R Us, I went onto Etsy.com (one of my favorite websites) and found a Wild Kratts printable birthday banner and some creature power discs. I bought them, downloaded them, and had them printed at Staples. I then bought animal-themed ribbon at JoAnn's and cut out the letters and made the banner. I was so happy with how it came out, and my son was ecstatic!

Next, I bought creature power suits in green and blue (the colors the Kratt brothers Chris and Martin wear on the show) at Toys R Us to give out as party favors to the kids in his class. I had all of the kids wear their suits at the party which they loved, and it really helped make it more Wild Kratts themed. On the boxes the suits came in, I taped the paper creature power discs I had downloaded from Etsy.com and wrote each child's name on it.

For the snacks, I only bought animal shaped foods...Goldfish...Gummy Bunnies...Animal Crackers...and Cheddar Bunny Mixed Pretzel snacks.

I also bought bottles of fruit punch, ripped off the labels and taped creature power discs onto the bottles and wrote "Creature Power Punch!"

My mother-in-law got the animal themed cupcakes and Wild Kratts creature power suit cake from Glace Cake Studio. Both looked amazing!!!

For the entertainment, I got Jumping' Jamie to come to play the guitar and sing to the kids. He was terrific! He knew nothing about the show when I called him, but he told me he would keep it animal themed. Well, he not only kept the one hour show fun and animal themed by playing animal songs, showing pictures of animals to the kids, having them act out their favorite animal movements and sounds, playing limbo and parachute, but he also learned the Wild Kratts theme song and sang it with his guitar to the kids! He was the absolute highlight of the party, and I highly recommend him if you are planning a kids birthday party in the New York Metro area!!!

I also couldn't resist buying this elephant sweater to wear to the party for $20 from Marshalls!!!

I often wonder if I missed my calling in life (I think I should have been a teacher)! LOL!!! In all seriousness, it really was a Wildly Fun Wild Kratts party!

Hope this post is helpful for any mom out there who may need to throw a Wild Kratts birthday party for their son or daughter in the future!

GO WILD KRATTS!!! ;)

FASHION FRIDAY: SIRA & MARA

2015-02-06T19:19:00.000-05:00

For those of you who read this blog or who follow me on Instagram, you know that I am a HUGE fan of Sira & Mara. Sira & Mara is a fantastic online accessories boutique that sells everything from pretty necklaces, to fun bracelets, scarves and leg warmers. The motto of the company is "Accessories that break the rules, not the bank!" And, as a mom of two who loves to shop and loves to wear stylish things, that definitely is something I like! I mean really...who doesn't love to wear on-trend accessories that you can buy ranging in price from about $5.99-$21.99??? But, the real reason why I continue to shop at Sira & Mara is because of the owner and founder Sandy Bodeau! Now, Sandy and I have never met in person, we've only become friends through Instagram (which may sound crazy), but we've really connected and continue to do so almost every day. Sandy has a special way about her that she loves to connect with people and she makes her customers feel like friends, not just people placing orders online from her website. I only know a little bit about Sandy's story, but it is truly amazing. She moved here less than a decade ago from Spain with only a few hundred dollars in her pocket, but she had a vision and she had a dream and that was to create Sira & Mara. And since then she has worked so hard to make her business become a success. She mostly uses social media outlets like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to promote her line instead of marketing. She is dedicated, she is kind, she is compassionate, she loves her family and her friends, and she has a really big heart and soul! That's why I really love wearing her stuff! I wear it with pride! I get compliments all of the time from people asking me where I got my necklace from. I'm always so happy to introduce them to Sira & Mara, and they're always excited to know that they can get the beautiful jewelry without burning a hole in their wallet! I hope to meet Sandy one day in person because she is just AWESOME!!!

Now onto this gorgeous necklace!!! There's a really fun story behind it!

The other night I got a package in there mail from Sandy with this necklace and a letter inside to me and two other fashion bloggers (Lauren McBride and Theresa Millio). Sandy wrote that this necklace never actually made it into production for Sira & Mara, but she loves it so much that she wants to share the love by letting us "borrow" it and wear it before finally mailing it back to her. She calls it the #Sisterhoodofthetravelingnecklace!!! I mean, how fun is that? I can keep the necklace and wear it as many times as I want to before mailing it off to Lauren, and Lauren to Theresa. Here I paired it with a new fun and colorful aztec sweater, boyfriend jeans and booties. I think I want to wear it with a dress next because it is just so stunning! Anyway, I just had to tell you all about Sira & Mara, Sandy Bodeau and the fun story behind today's post! Hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll catch up with you here on Monday!

Necklace: Sira & Mara (not available, but love this and this and this)
Top: Forever 21
Sweater: Katherine's Boutique
Jeans: Forever 21
Booties: DV by Dolce Vita via Marshalls
Bag: H&M
Sunnies: Marc Jacobs (old, similar here)

TASTY TALULA'S

2015-02-03T06:50:00.001-05:00

Asbury Park's motto is "It's Happening," and based on the experience we had at one of this Jersey Shore town's newest restaurants, it is! Talula's, located on Cookman Avenue in downtown Asbury Park, New Jersey, first opened its doors on Halloween day last year. It's now three months in, but this past Sunday we finally got to experience it, and we were just blown away!!!

The space at Talula's is like an open loft with high ceilings and brick walls. The decor is simple with hardwood floors and wood tables and chairs. To me it is very California clean which I just love! The service is also incredible, and very family friendly too! My sister-in-law was visiting, so between her twin 2.5 year old girls, and my 4 year old and 2 year old, I think it's safe to say most restaurants would have wanted to turn us away. Instead, we were greeted with a basket of toys for the little ones and a highchair (something not every restaurant in this town has on hand).

(Photo Credit: Behance)

As for the food, it is phenomenal...period!!! We tried as much as our tummies could handle off of the brunch menu, which included some delicious (and addicting) cocktails like the Gin & Jam (made with gin, lemongrass simple syrup, cranberry jam and lime), and the Brooklyn (not pictured; which has rye, dry vermouth, maraschino liquor and mere nouvelle).

We also had two of their pizzas- The New Yorker (tomato sauce, fresh + aged mozzarella and provolone), and a Pepperoni which has thinly sliced chorizo on it. These pies were as good, if not better than some of the best pies I have had in New York! The dough is sourdough (baked fresh daily at Talula's), and the ingredients are so fresh! In fact, many of them come from The Homestead at Seven Arrows Farm (the CSA that we belong to which I've talked about before here).

We also had some of their more breakfast items like the toast with Avocado + Pickled Veggies + Salsa Verde...The Fresh Ricotta + Soft Scrambled Egg Toast...and the toast with Benton's Bacon + Fried Farm Egg + Cheddar. The two later ones came with a small side salad (from Seven Arrows), and were simply amazing.

We also got to try the Brown Rice Porridge (which I would like to start my day with each and every morning)...It has coconut milk, cardamom, vanilla bean, cranberry jam and marcona almonds. And quite possibly the best thing on the menu was their Apple Cider Donuts!!! They were hot, gooey, and served with fresh whipped cream. Unfortunately, we scarfed these last things down so quickly, I forgot to snap some pictures, but if you look at my son's face while enjoying the donuts...well, need I say more???

Bottom Line: Talula's is such a welcome addition to Asbury Park.

Fresh, local, farm to table ingredients, and bread that will just knock your socks off!

This place is amazing and we can't wait to go back!

TALULA'S

550 Cookman Avenue #108

Asbury Park, New Jersey 07712

(732) 455-3003

Open Tuesday-Sunday

FASHION FRIDAY: WINTER NEUTRALS

2015-01-30T06:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday!!! For today's fashion Friday post, I put together an outfit that is mostly winter neutrals with winter white...a creamy color that I just love (everything from my earrings and bracelet, to my shirt and pants). I found this poncho at Forever 21, and love how it has winter white in the pattern. The brown then added just the right pop of color to the look, and I tied it all together with my bag and boots. I'm usually more of a person who will chose black when it comes to clothing, but every time I try a brown, white or neutral look, I always say to myself that I should try it more. I'm looking forward to lots of color for the spring and summer, but sometimes it's nice to embrace the current season and show it off by way of fashion! What are your favorite colors to wear?

Poncho: Forever 21
Top: Forever 21
Pants: Anthropologie (old, similar here)
Boots: DV by Dolce Vita
Bag: Calvin Klein (old, similar here)
Sunnies: Target
Earrings: Purchased in Paris years ago!
Bracelet: Stella & Dot (old, similar here)
Watch: Michael Kors

WARDROBE WEDNESDAY: RED LACE AND LEOPARD

2015-01-28T05:00:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is coming, and so I thought I'd pull together a look with a bit of red in it! I'm not a Valentine's mush, but I love being festive (especially for my kids), and I also LOVE the color red! I scored this top in store at H&M on sale, and got this leopard scarf online on sale too! This time of year I tend to spend my money on accessories. I feel like my closet is filled with enough winter clothes for now, and I prefer to wait and save up to purchase spring clothes. That being said, I can't pass up a good sale!

Top: H&M

Pants: H&M

Shoes: Rack Room Shoes

Scarf: Aritzia

Earrings: Stella &Dot

Bag: Deux Lux

Bracelet: Sira &Mara

WHITE MANNA...MANN-A GOOD ONE!

2015-01-27T11:46:00.000-05:00

One of my all time favorite foods is a cheeseburger! Delicious, juicy, cheesy perfection...well you just can't get much better than that in my book. So when I hear about a good burger place, I will venture to try it...(usually) no matter how far away it might be! I recently learned about White Manna in Hackensack, New Jersey. And let me tell you, if you live in the New York Metro area...it's ABSOLUTELY worth the hike!
White Manna is a Hackensack institution! The diner first opened its doors in the 1940's, and after one bite you can see why this place is still in business! There is nothing fancy about the pint-sized White Manna location (in fact, the place is so small we took ours to-go and ate it in the car), but the burger is phenomenal! You can order yours singe or double (referring to the amount of meat), with or without cheese, and with or without pickles and grilled onions. We ordered ours single, with cheese pickles and grilled onions, and that certainly was the way to go! The burger comes on a small potato roll (my favorite), and White Manna also serves up some delicious fries and shakes. The entire meal (of about 10 burgers), two shakes and two fries cost us around $20! Hamburgers are $1.05 each and cheeseburgers are $1.25!
White Manna also has another location (which is now independently owned and operated), known as White Mana is Jersey City. I have heard it's not as good as the one in Hackensack, but I have not tried it myself so I don't actually know for sure. What I do know for sure...we will be back at White Manna for another burger fix sooner than later!

WHITE MANNA (Hackensack)
358 River Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601
201-342-0914
Hours: Monday-Saturday 8:30am-9pm; Sunday 10am-6pm

WARDROBE WEDNESDAY: SARATOGA SHOPPING

2015-01-21T06:55:00.001-05:00

Over New Year's, we visited the town of Saratoga Springs in upstate New York while we were vacationing in Lake George for the holiday. I absolutely love Saratoga for two reasons- (1) It's where I spent four years of my life because I went to college there, and (2) It is the cutest town filled with great restaurants and some fabulous shopping!
I always enjoy boutique shopping because you can find unique pieces, and it supports local business...that's a win win in my book! While walking around Saratoga, my sister and I found a store we really loved and wanted to buy everything in it called Lucia Boutique! I bought this floral top and this sweater from there. Here I paired it with jeans and booties (I wore this outfit this past weekend when we took the boys to see The Fresh Beat Band Live at Madison Square Garden), but I think it would look great with a pencil skirt, tights and heels as well. The great news is, Lucia Boutique has an online website where you can shop, so if you can't make it to Saratoga, there's still a way to buy things you love! Happy Wednesday, and happy shopping!

Top: Lucia Boutique

Sweater: Lucia Boutique

Jeans: LOFT

Booties: DV by Dolce Vita

Necklace: Stella & Dot

Bag: Stella & Dot (similar here)

Sunnies: Target

MADRID, SPAIN- DAY 7

2015-01-20T06:59:00.002-05:00

It was almost time to say "Adios!" to Spain. On our last day we left Barcelona, and boarded the high speed train back to Madrid.

We checked back into the same hotel in Madrid where we stayed before we left for Barcelona- Petit Palace Hotel Lealtad Plaza. We decided to do this so that we could leave some of our belongings while we went to Barcelona, and also because it would make for an easy check in and out on our last night. Funny thing too, we even got the same room we had during our first few nights stay, and we were so happy about that! I mean, for European hotel room standards, this place was HUGE!!! It was perfect for the four of us and ALL of our luggage! ;-) I really can't say enough good things about this hotel. If you are traveling to Madrid (especially with kids), and have to stay on a budget- I would recommend staying here. It was clean, spacious, the service was very friendly, it's centrally located to all of the things to do and see, and the breakfasts were delicious with a lot of variety!

We spent the afternoon strolling through the absolutely gorgeous El Retiro Park which is right across the street from the hotel. We had lunch, played in the playgrounds, went out for a canoe ride, and shared some ice cream. It was so much fun, and the perfect way to spend our last night in Espana!

Thanks for reading about our trip!

If you are thinking about a trip to Spain, email us at jetsetsmart@gmail.com for help and suggestions!

Now it's time to start planning our next Jet Set Smart getaway!!!

BARCELONA, SPAIN- DAY 6

2015-01-19T06:44:00.001-05:00

After a good night's rest, Brody and I were back up and ready to join the crew for our last full day in Barcelona. We used our hop on hop off 2-day bus pass to take us to see more of the major sites, including Gaudi's famous cathedral, and walking Las Ramblas at night. I'll let the pictures do the talking!

Stay tuned tomorrow for more on our last day in Madrid, Spain!

FASHION FRIDAY: BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

2015-01-16T07:05:00.000-05:00

If you live in the northeast like me, then you know how cold it has been this winter! Not much snow yet, but absolutely freezing and frigid!!! I really should commit to dressing like a snow bunny from this moment forward (snow boots, snow suit, face mask), but the problem is when you spend so much time in and out of the car like I do, you just can't...it's way too bulky! Enter this sweatercoat from Anthropologie. It's warm enough for the quick trips into and out of the car, it has a faux fur collar, is long, and for those really cold days it can even be worn under your winter coat. I feel like this will be a great piece in my wardrobe for years to come. Hope you all have a fun weekend! Catch up with you here on Monday!

Sweater: Anthropologie

Jeans: LOFT

Boots: Steve Madden via Amazon

Bag: Michael Kors via Marshalls

Hat: Target

Sunnies: TJ Maxx

Earrings: Stella & Dot

Ring: Forever 21

Bracelet: Sira & Mara

BARCELONA, SPAIN- DAY 5

2015-01-15T06:58:00.000-05:00

Our second day in Barcelona, was our first full day in the city.

So the first thing we decided to do was to get on the hop on hop off bus.

We always love to do that in a new city, because it's a good way to get your lay of the land, get a good look at the city, and pick and chose the areas you want to spend more time in. The first place we got off was at L'Aquarium Barcelona to check out the fish and animals with the boys. It's a really nice aquarium with so much to do!

Afterwards, we enjoyed lunch on the pier as we enjoyed the view.

The boys then went on the carousel before we got back on the bus.

At this point, Brody and I were tired, and I was feeling a bit under the weather so the two of us went back to the hotel. Rich, Richie and Rich's parents continued on and got off by the beach.

Barcelona is really a beautiful city, and it has a beach...that's a win win in my book!