Macy's Celebrates Gordon Parks for Black History Month #MacysBHM13

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This past weekend, my son and I headed back to Brooklyn and into Macy's for their in-store celebrations for Black History Month. Since the Brooklyn Macy's store is located in one of the central areas for the African American community and families, it was great that it offered a variety of family friendly activities for Black History Month.


The first activity we joined in was at the children's "Design your own book" event with story telling. My son joined the other kids in crafting his own book, where he completed activities like drawing his hand and filling in questions about himself. While the kids filled up their book, an artist went around sketching portrait of the kids for their book covers. I thought that was such an cool idea.


After working on their book, the kids (and me) sat down for story time. A professional story teller read "of Thee I Sing" written by President Barack Obama. She also taught the kids a song in a African native language.


Our next stop was to the Soul Jam style dance party, where my son showed off his dance skills in a mini video that was turned into a mini book. A book he shared with Ann Tripp from the “Steve Harvey Show” on WBLS, who was there to share music and get the people dancing.


Later that day we took our seats for the "In Conversation" with Danny Simmons, Nelson George, Warrington Hudlin and Lauri Lyons for a discussion on Gordon Parks' influence on film and the future of African-American cinema.

Each of the panelists shared their memories and insights into Gordon Parks works as a filmmaker, author, musician and photographer. They discussed how Gordon Parks was really a renaissance man who was able to connect with anyone and share his vision.

What was remarkable to hear was that Gordon Parks was told he didn't need to go to school. That black people didn't need a higher education. Not only did Gordon Parks get his higher education but he went on to be extremely successful in many different areas including being a photographer for Life magazine and the director of the original Shaft movie.

The panelist also discussed current artist trends happening here in American, in African with Nolo films and online with independent media. For creative types within the African American community, there's lots of ways to produce work outside the mainstream.

For those interested, you can learn more about the American Black Film Festival and Macy's Sweepstakes for a trip for two to The American Black Film Festival in Miami, courtesy of American Airlines, a $1000 Macy’s shopping spree and Gordon Parks: Collected Works, a five-volume set of his photography. Enter by February 28!

Macy’s is continuing the celebration of the life of Gordon Parks with more "In Conversation" discussion with special guests and a photographic art installation featuring some of Gordon Parks most beloved works, such as American Gothic, Washington D.C. 1942 during the month of February! To learn more visit http://bit.ly/BHmonth

The life of Gordon Parks has shown.....if there's a will, you'll find the way. Keep being creative and adding your voice to both the artistic and to the human community. What a great lesson for Black History Month!

Note: As a member of Everywhere Society, I was invited as media to cover this event and was compensated for this post regarding Macy’s Celebration of Black History with Gordon Parks. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Taye Diggs & Kellogg's to Share 1 Million Breakfasts To Fight Childhood Hunger #ShareBreakfast

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In celebration of National Breakfast Week, Kellogg's is making a difference by sharing breakfast with children in need. Parents know that breakfast is essential to giving kids the start they need to help unlock their potential. But not every child gets this important start to their day. In fact, nearly one in five children across the U.S. goes without breakfast every day.


That's why Kellogg's, and their in-school breakfast partner Action For Healthy Kids®, have partnered with Taye Diggs for the third annual Share Breakfast™ program. Together, they are making it easy for families to help share one2 million breakfasts with kids who might otherwise go without.

"The Kellogg's Share Breakfast program is very personal and important to me. My mom was a teacher, and taught me at an early age that eating a good breakfast was key to succeeding in school," said Diggs. "Even now, from being on set to playing with my son, eating breakfast gives me the energy I need to start the day right, and keep going."

The Power of Breakfast in Action

Research shows that breakfast can help kick-start a child's metabolism, energy and focus for learning and can help set them up for a more successful day. Preliminary studies reveal that students participating in school breakfast programs generally had fewer school absences and tardiness than children who did not participate. Together, cereal plus one cup of milk is a leading source of ten nutrients important to growing bodies, and provides all four of the nutrients Americans are missing most7 – calcium, potassium, vitamin D and fiber.**

How to Join the Share Breakfast Movement

It is simple to join the movement. For every view, share, tweet and comment of the PSA and Great Starts videos, Kellogg's and Action for Healthy Kids will share breakfast with children in need.

Families across the country can share a breakfast with a child in need in a number of ways:

• Watching and sharing the Cypress Elementary and Hodge Elementary Great Starts videos on ShareBreakfast.com
• Sharing the public service announcement with friends
• Liking or commenting on the Share Breakfast Facebook page
• Posting on Twitter with the #ShareBreakfast
• Sharing and repining on Pinterest
• Viewing the Got Milk? Ad with Taye Diggs and his son Walker on ShareBreakfast.com
• Visiting spoon installation events in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. to "raise a spoon" and give a breakfast to a child in need

To learn about all the ways families can get involved for Share Breakfast 2013, Visit www.ShareBreakfast.com


1 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2012. Breakfast: Percentages of Selected Nutrients Contributed by Foods Eaten at Breakfast, by Gender and Age, What We Eat in America, NHANES 2009-2010. Available: www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/fsrg
2 Each time you share, Kellogg will donate the monetary equivalent of a school breakfast shared. Kellogg will donate up to $250,000 – the equivalent of 1.25 million school breakfasts shared. Program ends 4/15/2013.
3 Kleinman RE, Hall S, Green H, Korzec-Ramirez D, Patton K, Pagano ME, Murphy JM. Diet, breakfast, and academic performance in children. Ann Nutr Metab. 2002;46 Suppl 1:24-30.
4 Kosti RI, Panagiotakos DB, Zampelas A, Mihas C, Alevizos A, Leonard C, Tountas Y, Mariolis A. The association between consumption of breakfast cereals and BMI in schoolchildren aged 12-17 years: the VYRONAS study. Public Health Nutr. 2008 Oct;11(10):1015-21.
5 Cooper SB, Bandelow S, Nevill ME. Breakfast consumption and cognitive function in adolescent schoolchildren. Physiol Behav. 2011 Jul 6;103(5):431-9.
6 Kleinman RE, Hall S, Green H, Korzec-Ramirez D, Patton K, Pagano ME, Murphy JM. Diet, breakfast, and academic performance in children. Ann Nutr Metab. 2002;46 Suppl 1:24-30.
7 NHANES, 2003-2006.
**When eating a cereal that contains fiber
8 U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), 2010. 7th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, December 2010.
9 The goal of one billion servings is based on an approximate serving size of one ounce.

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Posted in: CelebNews, Food

KAPSYS SmartConnect Smartphone for Seniors, Like my Mom

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As a digital family, I cover a lot of tech products for children and their parents on this blog. However, they are not the only ones who use technology these days. More and more "seniors" are getting tech savvy including my own mother (grandma to my son). My mom has slowly but steadily staring making technology part of her life.

I remember the first time my mom sent me a text message. It took her about 20 minutes to write 3 words but it was a proud moment for her. Now my mother is a texting pro and looking to join social media sites like Facebook. She hasn't joined yet but it's just a matter of time before she's updating her status and liking photos of my son.

Now that my mother is trying to keep up with technology, she needs technology that can keep up with her. Technology like SmartConnect by KAPSYS

KAPSYS, a specialist in mobility and wireless communication devices for seniors and visually impaired people has launched two smartphones specifically created for people with specific needs.

Based on Android, SmartConnect by KAPSYS is the first smartphone with touchscreen and keypad designed for seniors that also is adapted to low vision.

Designed to be easy to learn and to use, SmartConnect by KAPSYS delivers the power of a state-of-the-art Android smartphone through a user-interface combining a 3.5" touchscreen, a keypad and an advanced voice interface. Particularly suited to senior technology enthusiasts, SmartConnect by KAPSYS offers a rich and user-friendly smartphone experience through a set of simple, easy-to-read list menus, featuring large icons and backed-up, when needed, by a voice assistance mode with voice recognition and text-to-speech.

For its users to always feel comfortable and safe, SmartConnect by KAPSYS supports a web-based assistance mode enabling any authorized person to remotely (re)configure the smartphone and an emergency call button with address send function.

To learn more about KAPSYS products, visit - http://www.kapsys.com

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Michelle Obama & Sesame Street Let's Move! PSA

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First Lady Michelle Obama and Big Bird have Team Up to get kids healthy and active in these new Let’s Move! Public Service Announcements Filmed in the White House.


The new PSAs, are launched as part of the third anniversary celebration of Let’s Move! – Mrs. Obama’s initiative to ensure that all our children grow up healthy and reach their full potential.



The new PSAs feature Mrs. Obama and Big Bird in the White House showing kids how easy and delicious it is to eat healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables and demonstrating fun ways to get active like dancing and jumping.

Soon, the First Lady will kick off a two day nation-wide tour celebrating the anniversary by showcasing progress and announcing new ways the country is coming together around the health of our children.

Mrs. Obama launched Let’s Move! on February 9, 2010 to unite the country around kids’ health and create real support for families to live healthier lives. Thanks to these efforts,

• Families now have access to more information to make healthier decisions for their children. 
• Young people now have more opportunities for physical activity in their communities. 
• Food in schools has been dramatically improved. 
• More Americans now have access to healthy, affordable food closer to home. 
• And the national childhood obesity rate has leveled off, and even declined in some cities and states.

More information on three years of healthy changes can be found here.

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Posted in: Health

Keeping Healthy with Tropicana, Hulu Kids & Honeywell Germ-Free Cool Mist Humidifier Giveaway

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After recovering from a very long and sick holiday break, I've been taking care to stay healthy. While I can't prevent myself from getting sick, especially during the current cold and flu season, I can try and boost my bodies immunity system and try to keep germs down around the home.

For the past few months, this is exactly what I've been doing. First I started with a "Back to Being Healthy Cleaning" using some of the latest cleaning devices and products.


Now that my apartment is clean, it was time to turn to myself. I made sure I stocked up on Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice so I can get my daily Vitamin C (and many other immune boosting nutrients). Plus Tropicana Pure Premium orange is made from fresh oranges so it tastes great in the morning.

To make sure I had enough, I bought the Tropicana Pure Premium 89-oz bottles. It didn't hurt that the bottles are well designed and pretty to look at. LOL. But I really like the ease of handling and pouring. Makes for getting a cup nice and quick during the day. Plus pouring when using in recipes. I have a few recipes using Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice so keep on the look out for them.


I also used Hulu during and after our sick time. Your probably think, how can Hulu keep you healthy? Did you ever hear laughter is the best medicine? Recently Hulu launched Hulu Kids and I really used it for the days when we laid in bed not feeling well. Check out the below video to see how to use Hulu Kids


I think using Hulu Kids to keep kids entertained will be very useful for parents. Kids will be able to watch some of their favorite shows a safe, commercial-free environment. Parents can connect to Hulu Kids using the Hulu Plus App on their mobile devices while on the road traveling, waiting at the doctor office, etc. No more hearing a child say I'm bored or dealing with them fussing.


As if dealing with cold and flu germs weren't enough, a few times my son and I had to deal with bloody noses. The between the dry winter air and the weird heat in out apartment, our poor noses were suffering. So to help put back moisture in the air in our apartment, I used the Honeywell Easy-Care Cool Mist Filter Free Humidifier.

I first saw the Easy-Care Cool Mist Humidifier during the Honeywell 2012 Products Preview and really liked the simple design that allows the water to have a continuous flow so that it keeps fresh. No more stagnant sitting water. The Humidifier also has no filters to change so caring for it really is easy.


Filling is as simple and pouring the water into the opening on the top. There's a water gauge on the side that lets you know both how filled the humidifier is and when you need to start a refill. The light glows a nice bright blue when you turn the Humidifier on. After being filled the humidifier will run up to 24 hours, which is great since that means I can sleep instead of worrying if I need to wake up and refill it.

So these are just a few products that are helping keep us healthy and entertained till we pass out of the cold and flu season. Hopefully they can help your family stay healthy also.

ENTER TO WIN THIS GIVEAWAY!

Since so many of my readers have families with you kids, I wanted to share a product that will hopefully help keep your kids healthy this cold and flu season also.


The Honeywell Germ-Free Cool Mist Humidifier helps temporarily relieve dry air discomforts for better home comfort. UV technology kills up to 99.9% of bacteria, mold, fungus and virus in the water after 2 hrs of continuous use. This provides the assurance that the moisture emitted from the unit is virtually free of germs.

Features include:

• Quiet Operation - Up to 25% quieter than other evaporative humidifiers
• Dishwasher safe water tank and tray
• Self regulating evaporative system - adjusts output to the amount of moisture the air can hold at a particular temperature.
• Perfect for medium size rooms such as bedrooms and living rooms. Runs up to 24 hrs per filling
• MSRP: $74.99 / 3 Year Warranty

WAYS TO ENTER:

For this giveaway I'm using the Rafflecopter form which is super easy! Go on and enter to win! Entries must be made on or before 11:59 p.m. March 9, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Please Note: As part of the Tropicana "TropiMomma" Ambassador program, I was compensated for this post. Views expressed are always 100% my own.

Please Note: I received Hulu Plus service so I could review Hulu Kids. I received Honeywell Humidifier for review purpose. No other compensation was received. Views expressed are always 100% my own.

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Posted in: Giveaway, Health, Review, Tropicana, TropiMom

Michelle Obama & Sesame Street Let's Move! PSA

To contact us Click HERE

First Lady Michelle Obama and Big Bird have Team Up to get kids healthy and active in these new Let’s Move! Public Service Announcements Filmed in the White House.


The new PSAs, are launched as part of the third anniversary celebration of Let’s Move! – Mrs. Obama’s initiative to ensure that all our children grow up healthy and reach their full potential.



The new PSAs feature Mrs. Obama and Big Bird in the White House showing kids how easy and delicious it is to eat healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables and demonstrating fun ways to get active like dancing and jumping.

Soon, the First Lady will kick off a two day nation-wide tour celebrating the anniversary by showcasing progress and announcing new ways the country is coming together around the health of our children.

Mrs. Obama launched Let’s Move! on February 9, 2010 to unite the country around kids’ health and create real support for families to live healthier lives. Thanks to these efforts,

• Families now have access to more information to make healthier decisions for their children. 
• Young people now have more opportunities for physical activity in their communities. 
• Food in schools has been dramatically improved. 
• More Americans now have access to healthy, affordable food closer to home. 
• And the national childhood obesity rate has leveled off, and even declined in some cities and states.

More information on three years of healthy changes can be found here.

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Posted in: Health

PlusMotif Interchangeable Cases for Tablets, Kindles & iPads

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PlusMotif are these AMAZING cases for iPads, Kindles, and Android Tablets with interchangeable Motif designs, PlusMotif also includes a notepad with a dual stylus/pen.


You never have to be stuck with the same case forever again, and with PlusMotif you can keep your style changing with the seasons, holidays, or even your moods. You can look up recipes, the latest fashion trends, or information about the newest tech gadget and then write down all the information you need right then and there.

PlusMotif variety of covers range from $17.99 - $39.99, and the interchangeable designs range from $3.99-$5.99.

For more information, visit www.plusmotif.com

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Red Carpet Ready Oscar de la Renta Children Fashion

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This weekend the Oscars will take place. There's sure to be lots of glam and beautiful clothing on everyone. Want to get your children Oscar ready? Here is a selection of red-carpet-worthy Oscar de la Renta childrenwear.


BOYS SOLID LONG SLEEVED SHIRT, $85.00
BOYS CLASSIC TWILL TROUSERS, $115.00
BOYS COTTON TWILL BLAZER, $250.00
BOYS CLASSIC TWILL TROUSERS $115.00
BOYS LINEN BLAZER $275.00
BOYS WIDE STRIPE LONG SLEEVED SHIRT $85.00


LEATHER MOCCASINS $110.00


LINEN PARTY DRESS WITH LACE SASH $275.00
GIRLS FLORAL PINAFORE DRESS $195.00
GIRLS SOPHIE PARTY DRESS $295.00
BOUQUET PRINT CHINE DRESS WITH SHORT SKIRT
ICE BLUE SILK FAILLE DRESS WITH LONG SKIRT


SABRINA VELVET BALLETS $145.00

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Posted in: kidsfashion

Giving Laundry "Spring" Scents with Gain Fabric Softeners & Dryer Sheets #GainFresh

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As we go into the last week in February, my thoughts are turning to Spring. Yes it's still cold here and many places still have snow on the ground, but that groundhog saw his shadow so Spring will (hopefully) be here soon.


And with Spring comes warmer weather and fresh clean scents on the wind. It was with this thought in mind that I started my pre-spring time laundry using a few Gain laundry products. I wanted my clothing and house linens to be clean and smelling spring time fresh.




Usually when I do my laundry, I mostly use the Gain laundry detergent. But this time I wanted to make sure my laundry would be surrounded with clean fresh "spring" like smells so I used Gain's Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener AND Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets.

When my laundry was done, it all smelled so GOOD. I confess I took a few extra minutes standing there "smelling" the spring scents before heading back outside into the cold and snowy streets. Spring might not be here yet but thanks to Gain I can at least enjoy "spring time" scents.


Gain has a large selection of detergents and fabric softeners, dryer sheets, dishwashing liquids, scent boosters, dryer bars and more that fill every room in your home with clean fresh scents.

To learn more about Gain detergent, visit www.ilovegain.com

Note: I'm working with Gain and will receive products samples and compensation. As always any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

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AMNH Kwanzaa 2012 & Black History Month "Stories We Tell" Event

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One of the things I like about living in New York City is the many ways the city celebrates Black American culture and history. Different festivals, films and live events can be enjoyed by families in many areas and places. One place that is holding different activities that celebrate the culture of the Black community is The American Museum of Natural History.


It's no secret that we LOVE this museum. There's always something going on there! Back in December, we visited the AMNH for their 44th annual Kwanzaa celebration with Kwanzaa 2012: First Fruits of the Harvest.


Sadly we were still recovering from being sick over the holidays so my son spent most of his time sleeping in the stroller. Still it was good to be there. While my son slept I enjoyed the music and dancing. I was able to catch master storyteller and actress Linda Humes on the below video for the opening performance





I was also able to visit with the different vendors showcasing during the event.


So many wonderful crafts and amazing back stories.


I was hoping to stay the whole day for the other activities, but since my son was sick we needed to head back home and rest. So I missed out on the following

• Karamu with B. Smith, where shares her reflections on what Kwanzaa and offered tips on creating a Kwanzaa Karamu feast that inspires togetherness and unity.

• Balance Dance Theatre, dance performance “Guardians” from Higher Ground: Still Rising!, based on African folklore, which lead into Black in the Box, an electrifying new work.

• Film Screening: The Black Candle, narrated by Maya Angelou, is a landmark documentary film that uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience. Popcorn was included!

While I was sad to miss out on the rest of the AMNH Kwanzaa 2012 celebration, I knew that for Black History Month the AMNH would have Global Weekends: Stories We Tell


The American Museum of Natural History celebrates Black History Month with Global Weekends: Stories We Tell on Saturday, February 23, from 11 am to 5 pm. The festivities, which include family-friendly activities and live musical performances, are presented in association with Community Works and New Heritage Theatre Group.

The day’s activities, performers, and artists include:

• 11 am to 4 pm in the Grand Gallery: Jerry Craft, creator of Mama’s Boyz, an award- winning comic strip, and contributor to Essence and Ebony magazines, will show visitors how to use simple shapes to create comic book characters and stories. In celebration of opening their Manhattan Showcase School in Harlem this spring, Edible Schoolyard NYC will run seedsprouting workshops all day long and provide seed packets to visitors.

• 12 pm in Kaufmann Theater: Internationally renowned master storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston, performing on the traditional 21-stringed kora, will breathe life and spirit into traditional and contemporary stories from African and African-American oral and cultural traditions.

• 1 pm in Kaufmann Theater: Composers Concordance will explore the influence of African-American and Native American music on classical and contemporary music. The performance will include a commissioned narrative poem by two-time National Slam Champion and HBO Def Poetry Jam performer Roger Bonair-Agard; exciting new music from Valerie Coleman, founder of the Grammy-nominated quintet Imani Winds; and works by Dan Cooper, Otto Luening, Milica Paranosic, and Gene Pritsker.

• 2 pm in Kaufmann Theater: Camille A. Brown, 2012 Mariam McGlone Emerging Choreographer Award winner, will perform a solo excerpt from her new work Mr. TOL E. RAncE, which celebrates the humor and perseverance of the black performer and examines stereotypical roles dominating current popular black culture. A Q&A and workshop to follow.

• 4 pm in the Cullman Hall of the Universe: The event concludes with the world premiere of “Rites of Passage,” a special hip-hop, jazz, and youth performance group collaboration by Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Delfeayo Marsalis, and IMPACT Repertory Theatre. A Q&A will follow, moderated by Museum Assistant Director of Cultural Education Monique Scott.

Thank you to The American Museum of Natural History for honoring the Black American cultures in so many ways. I hope some of my readers visit AMNH and enjoy the events for Black History Month.

For more information, visit www.amnh.org

Please Note: As media, I received tickets to review the exhibit. No other compensation was received. Views expressed are always 100% my own.

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Posted in: Blog, Event

our holiday break

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12.21
flew to utah after work (which took much longer than needed since i am cursed with delays every.time.i.fly.)
got in really late - thanks for coming to get us and letting us stay, katie!

12.22
happy birthday to my dad.
linny + her cute boys were passing through salt lake city and stopped by to say hi! we were so lucky we got to see them.
we met ben's family for christmas tea at the grand america. mmm tea.
took a tour of ben's dad's old neighborhood - vintage salt lake city.
drove to provo. talked, chatted, napped. dinner at communal in provo - a really delicious dinner indeed. much better than i remember it. such a great place for provo to have!

12.23
took advantage of the long morning and drove to lehi, just me, to see my bybes friend, her husband and the newest addition, baby rilo. new babies are the sweetest. old friends are the best.
christmas church at 1pm. let's just say the violin solo of "silent night" was incredible.
"watched football."
drove to aunt annie's house in slc for a festive and italian themed extended family christmas dinner. i am so in love with ben's family. so many great people who have always been so accepting of me. we ate annie's famous lasagne, played the name game and ate some of alexis' amazing caramels.

12.24
christmas eve.
ate lunch at foundry grill with ben's mother, linda and sister, katie. i am decided that sundance is the most picturesque utah ski resort - with a view of mt timpanogos, the foundry grill and tree room, the general store...all of it is what a ski resort should be: cozy. and it was snowing, a lot.
ben + i went up to snowboard the afternoon. you can get a cheaper pass if you do the "2:30-4:30pm" time slot. you can buy your pass starting at 2:15pm...we got ours at 2:14pm. boarded, boarded, boarded and waddled the rest of the evening (the first time every season is always the hardest).
we had a scandinavian dinner (to honor our ancestors) and told some christmas jokes that turned into our nephew zach making up the funniest jokes and our nephew colin showing off by walking more than he has at this point - all around the room! 

12.25
christmas!
it snowed in the morning. i thank utah for this. great family time. talked to my sister. dinner. did the christmas bells (we each play 1 or 2 bells to make christmas songs)! i love the bells. played poker - holla.

12.26
lots of snowing, lots of snowing. sundance for the afternoon again. lots of fresh snow. powder like powdered sugar.
dropped off dry cleaning because it's about 1/3 of the price in utah than in nyc. ohhh yeah.
cafe rio for dinner. yumms. costco! that's what you do in utah, go to costco.
les miserables. so. good. cry cry cry sobbing. moved. best review of the film, here.

12.27
shopping at j.crew! yes!
watched brave - i mention this because that cartoon character's hair is AMAZING.
dinner with fam at pizzeria 712. my sister kristen and broinlaw alan came to meet us! then we went to see the hobbit. it was fun...not as fun as i wished. kristen leaned over to me and said, "ben is like the opposite of a hobbit."
yep.

12.28
a full day of snowboarding at snowbird. the best place to go. the sun came out in the afternoon. the snow was so fluffy. we were so, so tired. but it was golden.
patagonia outlet (ben's favorite store). my sister, shayna flew in from san francisco as a surprise!
so we all had some dinner at sister kristen's house and talked about life, family and travel.

12.29
packed all morning (lots of stuff).
got my hair cut at the best place. and then met friends for a minute - at sammy's.
went to salt lake for a last family dinner with ben's fam.
went back to be with my sisters and fam and slept in slc.

12.30
flew away back home.

12.31
worked and had a fun closing-the-books-end-of-year gathering with my office people. then a small gathering with margaux, jonathan, their CUTE 3 dogs and amelia. we loved the low key new years and shaking our heads at all the insane people who go to times square for new year's eve (meaning, don't ever do it!).

01.01
a relaxing day off. with my favorite person.  

happiest new year to you.

standin' on canal and bowery

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whenever i am downtown, below houston street (and above chambers street), i feel totally different. there is no place like nolita, no charm like soho, no character like the lower east side (les) and chinatown. chinatown is a whole different city, if not country - like being in china!

i was down shopping with a friend this weekend (at second time around, erica weiner and old hollywood) and feeling so in love with the city. even though it was so cold and my legs stopped working after a while. such a sacrifice :)

i brought home this necklace and this necklace. a very successful outing.

pink morning.

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oh, harlem.
yesterday we went to the apollo theater (for the first time, which is shameful because it's just down the street from us and so beautiful, so historical, so much talent comes through there).

the theater had a free open house yesterday so people could come by and see what they have coming up throughout the year. like a hip-hop international festival in june. and urban spoken word and musical theater and most of all...music.

i am pretty sure when this talented 19-year-old woman did one of her spoken word bits...i was almost in tears. it was. INCREDIBLE. her story and the way she told it, really struck a chord.

and finally, i wanted to share this pink morning photo i took last week on thursday morning. it came just before the weekend of snow. it had to be shared.

the hudson valley.

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on our way to pick up our rental car (it's ok, it's a rental)west pointa vineyard in winter // a "ski resort"rainbow bridgefdr's homevanderbilt mansiontrain tracks to the cityhi, i'm freezing

we decided to get some veryfreeeezing fresh air on saturday and sunday and drive up the hudson valley. i must say, new york is a very pretty state. we are a little helpless when it comes to driving in the sense that it's hard to follow signs for little country roads and make the correct turns and navigate and we just aren't experienced in the driving department as of late. thanks for that, nyc.

saturday
we took the subway downtown to pick up our rental car. after waiting in a line of people renting cars for their own weekend getaways...turns out we got the mustang. ?! yes. the red mustang convertible. so funny. we both felt embarrassed the entire weekend to be driving that car (especially when some punk teenagers complimented us on our "cool car.") but it was a source of laughter for the weekend. and also a source of stress, we didn't speed once...

we drove and drove, spent too much time and money here...drove by west point, drove through tiny towns on the west side of the hudson and then crossed the bridge to the east side into poughkeepsie (pooo-keep-seee...although most say, poo-kip-see). we settled into our hotel. drove to hyde park were the culinary institute of america is, for dinner. even though we checked their website, turns out their restaurants were closed for the weekend :( boo.
but instead we ate at table talk diner in poookeeepseee. who doesn't love a good diner? diners are awesome. and we of course ate way too much.
we also managed to enjoy the hot tub at our hotel until our eyes were burning with chlorine. the hot tub made it feel like a real vacation :)

sunday
we made sure to sleep in and enjoy our morning.
we then drove back up to hyde park to see franklin delano roosevelt's home...you know fdr, the guy that was pretty cool and president of the usa too. the house was pretty incredible. and the setting so lovely, right on the hudson. i'd like to go back in the summer to see it in bloom. it's a really great place to visit, but be warned, it's $14 per adult to tour the house and presidential library.

we didn't have the time to tour the vanderbilt mansion - but we made sure to drive by. the mansion, huge. the grounds, very impressive.

we then drove back down to the city. stopping a table talk's sister diner, red line diner. we had our fill of diners. literally.
we drove by sleepy hollow manor. it's now a sort of village and all the street signs have headless horsemen on them. i don't think i'd be ok living there. we did our best to stay on the hudson until it got dark. man oh man, the hudson is a beautiful river, and its valley only makes it more beautiful.

it's so funny how we always breathe a sigh of relief when we get back home. even though the city is so busy and loud and unforgiving - it's home and it's so good to be home.