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Tag Archive for NYC blogger

Just Kidding Presents Alastair Moock At NYC Symphony Space

January 4, 2013 Uncategorized No comments

NYC families, tomorrow check out Just Kidding Presents Alastair Moock and the Rowdy Roots!

Saturday, January 5, 11 am

2537 Broadway (at 95th)

New York, NY, 10025

Tickets: (212) 864-5400

boxoffice@Symphonyspace.org

More information: www.symphonyspace.org/genre/family

Tickets: $13 to $20

Alastair Moock has been called “a Tom Waits for your tots,” whose performances are rfull of audience participation, singing and dancing.

The show will feature classics by the likes of Woody Guthrie, Mississippi John Hurt and Leadbelly as well as witty originals from Alastair’s award-winning releases These Are My Friends and A Cow Says Moock.

NewImage “Alastair Moock’s all-American folk music plays out if he were the second coming of Tom Waits.” ~ Performing Songwriter

“Moock’s wonderful knack for filling catchy ditties with humorous lyrics will bring a smile to your face” ~ National Parenting Publications Gold Award

“With a gravely voice that has a smile just beneath the surface, I suspect he gets as many grown ups as kids singing along at his shows.” ~ CoolMomTech

“These real-life family songs are as sweetly satisfying as a mouthful of caramel, sung in an affable leap-froggy baritone.” ~ Boston Globe

Please stay tuned for all of this season’s eclectic and exciting performances in the Just Kidding series. Don’t miss the Justin Roberts (February 23), The KamiKaze Fireflies (January 12), Moona Luna (January 19), Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band (February 2), The Deedle Deedle Dees (March 2) and Hot Peas ‘N Butter (April 13).

Peppa Pig Toys For Christmas Joys

December 20, 2012 Uncategorized One comment

We have an unexpectedly awesome toy at our house that my 5 and 8 year old have been incorporating into A LOT of different play scenarios with everything from plastic green army men to Bilbo Baggins Legos.

This Peppa Pig Peek ‘n Surprise Playhouse is awesome… it has a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom and more than 18 play pieces, including Peppa and George figures.

A washing machine flips to reveal clean clothes, a fridge opens up to reveal food, a barbecue flips for different meals, and the bathtub flips to reveal bubbles.

All of the pieces can store inside (yay) and there is a handle so that your child can carry it around when closed.

Aww, look how cute the Hug ‘n Oink Peppa Pig Talking Plush is! She is 12 inches tall, and wait until you hear her voice! When squeezed she says different phrases like “A lovely hug!” in a nice, calm, not-shrill voice. I give this toy two thumbs up from a parental perspective. It talks with minimal annoyance factor. Win!

To round out the Peppa collection, you might want to add a DVD. We have Peppa Pig – Muddy Puddles, which contains the following “peppasodes”. (haha!)

1. Muddy Puddles

2. Mr Dinosaur is Lost

3. Polly Parrot

4. Best Friend

5. Hide and Seek

6. The Playgroup

7. Mummy Pig at Work

8. Camping

9. Gardening

10. Bicycles,

11. The New Car

12. Snow

I am a Peppa Pig fan because the shows are so calm and gentle but also entertaining! If you have a Peppa Pig fan (or if you think you want your kid to BE a Peppa Pig fan…) look for these toys at Toys R Us or online!

I was provided with the items mentioned in this blog post because of my relationship with Team Mom. This review is honest and I do think these toys are adorbs.

Free Cookies From @americanexpress @momomilkbar #AmexMakeMyDay

December 19, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

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American Express & Famed Momofuku Milk Bar Pastry Chef Christina Tosi were giving out cookies all over NYC on Saturday, December 15th!

It was a one-day only holiday cookie truck in collaboration with American Express.

This event is part of a new program brought to you by American Express and it’s commitment
to celebrating Cardmembers and their sources of inspiration.

AmEx can make you awesome…would you believe Christina started her own cookie empire just two years ago with the
help of her Amex Card?

Today, Momofuku Milk Bar has grown to ?ve bakeries and a commissary.

If you missed the free cookies (I did ) here is a recipe for consolation:

cornflake-chocolate chip-candy cane cookies

makes 15 to 20 cookies

16 tablespoons
(2 sticks)
1 ¼ cup
2?3 cup
1
1 teaspoon
1 ½ cups
½ teaspoon
¼ teaspoon
1 ½ teaspoons
recipe below
2/3 cup
1 ¼ cup
18 ea

unsalted butter

granulated sugar
light brown sugar, tightly packed
egg
peppermint extract
ap flour
baking powder
baking soda
kosher salt
cornflake crunch
mini chocolate chips
mini marshmallows
candy canes, broken into small pieces
(zip-top plastic bag and rolling pin works wonders)

1. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the
sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes. (

2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and
salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. (Do not walk
away from the machine during this step, or you will risk overmixing the dough.) Scrape
down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

3. Still on low speed, paddle in the cornflake crunch and mini chocolate chips just until
they’re incorporated, no more than 30 to 45 seconds. Paddle in the mini marshmallows
and candy cane bits just until incorporated.

4. Using a 2.-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1?3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto
a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the
sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do
not bake your cookies from room temperature—they will not hold their shape.

5. Heat the oven to 375°F.

6. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined
sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. At the 18-
minute mark, the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown
toward the center. Leave them in the oven for an additional minute or so if they aren’t
and they still seem pale and doughy on the surface.

7. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or to an
airtight container for storage. At room temperature, the cookies will keep fresh for 5
days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

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Families Who Rock Contest From Hyundai

December 6, 2012 Uncategorized 2 comments

This post is brought to you by The New Santa Fe from Hyundai. Think your family rocks? Show us by uploading a photo of your family rocking out. Enter now for a chance to win great prizes.

…

Do you have a family that ROCKS? I am the progeny of a DJ and the sibling of a musician.

My son dreams of being a Kidz Bop star!

Does this Strike a Chord for you?

If so, you should enter the Hyundai and Rolling Stone My Family Rocks Contest!

All you need to do is upload a photo of you and your kin at your most rocking, along with 500 words or less about you and your family.

See us rockin?

Whapow!

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I hope your family has one of those snazzy head mics. If not, we totally have an edge! In you FAYCE!

Good luck toping my rock star look in Nordstrom Rack. Aww yeah!

Here is a typical jam session with Jojo!

Why do you want to be a FAMILY WHO ROCKS? Obvi because prizes include a photo shoot in Rolling Stone featuring the winning family shot by an industry photographer, airfare, hotel and transportation to the 55th Grammy Awards, and a fully tricked-out Hyundai Santa Fe custom rock ‘n’ roller.

Contest ends December 14, 2012.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

I Am A Part Time Spirit Guide, and @Genworth

November 28, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

For 77 days now, I have been practicing gratitude. I say PRACTICING because I wasn’t very good at it.

Every day I write down 6 things that I have to be grateful for. And I write down other positive statements that I know in my mind are true, but my emotional, irrational side struggles with accepting.

In those 77 days, my life has completely changed. At first, it was just my feelings that changed. Focusing on good things makes me FEEL better inside, vs. worrying and fretting.

This morning, one of my friends messaged me to tell me they had a seemingly meaningful dream about me. I will share it here because I quite like my dream self:

i went to NY [to shop]

and i got lost

i was walking around and i saw you- but you were like, 10 stories tall, so not like i could miss you

so i called you over, and clearly i was shocked

you were just acting normally

i asked how you were

you were all like oh, sme old, on my way to an evet

made small talk amongst ourselves- i was waiting for you to bring up that you were giant

then finally i just asked what happened

you were like I don’t know, one day i woke up and broke my apt, i just grew overnight

i asked if it hurt

no

then i asked how you ate, where you got clothes

people made them for you

did you go to the dr?

no, you said you were fine

your biggest issue was bathing, but you just did that in the lake now, like the goddess that you were now (your words)

i said something was clearly wrong, you need to see a dr

you then looked confused, and asked me if i had been practising my gratitude

i was MORE confused, and said i was not, and to perhaps focus on the issue.

you said if i had been focusing on my grattitude, i would be able to see what a blessing it was for you, and that you were in a blessed place, and this was a good opportunity for you.

you were larger then life and people loved you. why can’t i open my eyes?

then you hit me in the head (not violent) with a leafy thing and i woke up

What I like about the dream is that it mirrors my own inner evolution.

My life was in a place I didn’t want it to be. I wouldn’t have chosen it, but I made the most of it and found the blessing.

Giant CanCan could have complained about what a pain in the bum it was to be giant, but Giant CanCan found the silver lining. Giant CanCan p’wned that.

I don’t stick my head in the sand anymore. I confidently face problems, believing that every obstacle is a unique opportunity.

Instead of worrying about how to teach and mentor my children, I’m taking action!

Genworth is a leader in providing free Financial Literacy resources for families, for people in every kind of transition.

They have free resources about how to teach your kids about money. Yay, money!

Observe:

12 Things I Want My Kids To Know About Money or Help Your Kids Achieve Financial Independence.

Post presented by Genworth Financial

Show Me Some Leg! Tights and Leggings at Duane Reade #CBias #DRLegwear

November 27, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

Duane Reade pharmacy has an awesome selection of legwear. Yes, seriously. They are manufactured by the same company that makes legwear for high end clients like Nordstroms.

At Duane Reade, you can get DR branded stockings, tights, socks, and leggings from $6.99 to $17.99 (for leggings!).

My legs are happy, they look awesome in DR Legwear. Frugal fashion? Win Win!

I was wearing DR Legwear when I went to Duane Reade a few weeks ago to shoot a video promo for the Show Us Some Leg Duane Reade Facebook Contest.

See my legs:

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Mreowrrr! Those DR Legwear stockings I am sporting are $6.99. SIX! NINETY NINE! I KNOW!

Here is CelebuStylist Jess Zaino in front of the vast DR Legwear selection. Awe-summ!

I made a whole Google + Album of our Legwear adventure. Go take a look!

Duane Reade legwear and the Show Us Some Leg contest is being promoted on the @DuaneReade twitter channel, Duane Reade Facebook channel, and DuaneReadeTV YouTube Channel.

Each week, for five weeks, upload a photo of you or a friend wearing DR branded legwear.

Three winners will be chosen EACH WEEK (first place gets an iPod touch, second place scores a $200 Duane Reade gift card, and 3rd place gets $100 in Duane Reade legwear!), and then all of the first place weekly winners are elegiable to win an iPad! Awesome!

Filming the video!

Oh, just chillin’ in my mocha ribbed tights from Duane Reade!

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Go enter the contest, and watch the awesome video I made! I am so good at making videos. I know, right?

“I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Duane Reade #CBias #SocialFabric”

Managing Migraines With Jordin Sparks #CBias #DRExcedrin

November 21, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

Excedrin kicked off their Managing Migraines campaign at Herald Square, near one of my favorite Duane Reade stores.

Jordin Sparks was in the house for a press conference and a surprise a cappella performance.

I hung out in the media tent and pretended to be suffering from a migraine. I totes wasn’t but look at this sweet acting:

Excedrin was represented and handing out a pretty decent coupon good for purchases at Walgreens and Duane Reade!

Also, to help me feel mellow, there were free chair massages going on in Herald Square! Woot woot!

Jordin Sparks and some of my blogger friends have reported great success with managing migraines using Excedrin! Get it at Duane Reade!

Excedrin Migraine is the number one neurologist recommended over the counter medication for migraines! That means it is awesome.

Jordin Sparks singing a little song for us! I had to bend down and take this photo from in between another photographer’s legs, because I wasn’t cool enough to be granted access to Ms. Sparks.

Excedrin® Migraine is the #1 neurologist recommended over-the-counter brand for migraine relief. It offers convenient and effective relief for migraines and was the first non-prescription medicine approved by the FDA to treat all the symptoms of a migraine.

· A recent survey conducted by the makers of Excedrin® Migraine found that an overwhelming majority (93%) of female migraine sufferers wish they knew more about their migraine triggers.

· Excedrin® Migraine now offers even more to those who suffer from migraines with the launch of My Migraine Triggers, a new app developed with a neurologist available free on iTunes, allowing migraine sufferers to track the causes of their migraines.

· Visit the Migraine Center at Excedrin.com or facebook.com/Excedrin to hear from other migraine sufferers, share tips and access free information to help better manage migraines.

I made a google + story of my day hanging out with Jordin Sparks and learning about Excedrin, so go take a look!

Be sure to follow @DuaneReade on twitter, Duane Reade on Facebook, and tune into Duane Reade TV on YouTube!

““I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Duane Reade #CBias #SocialFabric”

Holiday Shopping @DuaneReade #DRHappyAndHealthy #CBbigApple #cbias

November 19, 2012 Uncategorized 2 comments

My favorite place to shop in NYC (Duane Reade pharamacy, doy duh), just released their latest in-store magazine, Happy and Healthy.

You can read it online or pick up a copy at your neighborhood Duane Reade.

It really is like a magazine, besides having the sweet holiday shopping deals, it also has actual articles, like beauty tips from Halle Berry, and instructions on how to do a Sun Salutation in Yoga. I know!

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So it pretty much has the same Advertisment:Info ratio as magazines that you pay like $4.95 for in the checkout line. But Happy and Healthy is free, so total win.

Free information is my boyfriend!

I got excited about Happy and Healthy, and it is very holiday-focused, so I went berzerko and bought a Duane Reade Christmas tree.

I completely had my tree up and ready to go on the day it snowed. Remember the Nor’ Easter?

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Sidebar: I am from the south, and I thought Nor’ Easter sounded really fun, like Easter with a viking/norseman flair.

Maybe we would eat haggis (I assume they eat rawish, disgusting cuts of animals) and pillage something?

No. “Nor’Easter” just means really cold air comes down from some cold place (like too cold for life, like one of the ice planets, maybe Jupiter?) and dumps snow and misery all over your city.

That Nor’Easter wind totally BLOWS.

See what I did there?

Anyway, what DOESN’T totally blow is the awesome deals at Duane Reade (and see what I did THERE? I’m a genius, people. Hire me.).

OLOGY is a new brand of eco-friendly products available at Walgreens and Duane Reade. They have all kinds of stuff, from recycled paper napkins to super special world-saving light bulbs. Also, the price points are pretty decent and allow you to feel superior when you wash your clothes with eco-friendly soaps.

Or your hair, because they make shampoo even.

I know, they stay busy making cleany stuff at Ology.

I made a Google + album of my recent shopping trip to Duane Reade. Check it!

Also keep up with @DuaneReade on twitter. They are the most followed pharmacy in the world, so you know they must be fascinating!

Duane Reade on facebook often has lovely photos of NYC, so keep an eye on that too!

Did you know you can watch Duane Reade TV on YouTube? Give that a whirl.

“I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric”

LeapFrog Rockin’ Guitar and Touch Magic Learning Bus

September 16, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

My kids are SO into music and “performing”. Any time I see a music related toy, I automatically think, “Oh, Jojo would love this!”

I was lucky enough to be a host of the LeapFrog Touch Magic Rock ‘n Learn party, which meant checking out cool toys from one of my favorite brands. We were sent the LeapFrog Touch Magic Learning Bus and two LeapFrog Touch Magic Rockin’ Guitars!

These toys are kind of a new generation…the Touch Magic is pretty neat: the surface is flat and wipeable, yet each part of the toy is responsive to touch.

The LeapFrog Touch Magic Learning Bus has lots of different songs, plus a keyboard and percussion element! Of course you can also press each letter and learn about letter recognition and sounds.

You might have guessed that the LeapFrog Touch Magic Rockin’ Guitar has songs on it, but my favorite feature is that your child can control the tempo of the song by strumming faster or more slowly.

When I say “your child can control the tempo” I really mean “I amused myself for hours by strumming the LeapFrog Touch Magic Rockin’ Guitar as fast as I possibly could whilst kids looked on jealously”.

We know how to rock.

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Also included in the party pack were printed activities. Such as these snazzy paper masks based on LeapFrog characters:

Photo on 2012 09 16 at 22 16 And a make-your-own book, also featuring the LeapFrog animal friends!

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Leapfrog Rockin’ Guitar Contest:

Rock to learn for a chance to win $500! Upload a video of your kid jamming & learning with Touch Magic Rockin’ Guitar or your own play guitar that you can create out of your own materials and you could win $500. For complete contest details go to www.touchmagic.leapfrog.com

Disclosure: I received the LeapFrog products mentioned above to host the LeapFrog sponsored Rock’n Learn Party. Opinions here are not boughten.

We Had Fun At @TheLittleGym of the Upper West Side

August 17, 2012 Uncategorized No comments

My kids and I had the pleasure of attending an open house at The Little Gym of the Upper West Side, 2121 Broadway.

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I used to live in Asia and I remembered seeing The Little Gym signs in places like Bangkok, but had never been inside.

There are actually more than 300 locations around the globe, for kids ages 4 months through 12 years.

The Little Gym has created an environment that builds the body while also growing the individual. The Little Gym uses a Three-Dimensional Learning approach to promote a well-rounded learning experience.

Three-Dimensional Learning is based on three core tenets: • Get Moving! – Fosters flexibility, strength, balance, and coordination. • Brain Boost! – Fosters listening skills, concentration, and decision making. • Citizen Kid! – Fosters sharing, teamwork, cooperation and leadership abilities.

Read “The Little Gym of the Upper West Side” by Candice Kilpatrick at Britely!

Recently, The Little Gym launched a new initiative to collect used or outgrown shoes. The program, called “Big Hearts, Little Shoes,” benefits Soles4Souls.

Parents can visit www.TheLittleGym.com/BigHeartsLittleShoes to find the nearest “Big Hearts, Little Shoes” donation location.

Parents can connect through social media on The Little Gym’s Facebook page and by following @TheLittleGym on twitter!

“Mom Central Consulting invited me to attend an event at The Little Gym, and I received a gift bag and travel stipend to facilitate my attendance. I also received a promotional item as a thank-you for posting.”

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