Friday, October 24, 2014

Customize Your SkinCare: Skin Inc Sephora Event 10/23 &10/24




The closest I've ever come to getting a facial was probably me buying some St. Ives apricot scrub or Citrus Burst Clean and Clear and just using those at home when I have a mere 5 minutes to myself in the shower before the two monsters start banging on the bathroom door. Now that I'm in my thirties, despite being told that I look like I'm twenty, I've decided to start indulging in beauty products and services a bit more.




For the first time ever Skin Inc, the luxury bespoke skincare brand made in Japan and the first of its kind to use customization and ingredient encapsulation to meet a variety of skincare needs, will be hosting an exclusive facial event at Sephora stores in NYC. These two signature events will be taking place today, October 24th at Sephora, 130 W 34th street between 7th Avenue and Broadway and Saturday, October 25th at Sephora, 5 Times Square (200 W 42st), between 12pm-6pm.

Attendees will be able to indulge in a fully customized mini facial with a Skin Inc brand expert and discover their ideal product matches - including Skin Inc’s groundbreaking My Daily Dose serum - formulated precisely for your skin. Thanks to the lovely Victoria Pericon of the blog Beauty Sundae, I will get to try it out. So stay tuned for pics on Instagram and if you are free you should totally go grab a 15 minute facial to kick off your weekend too!



Saturday, October 11, 2014

Revel in NY: The Grand Opening of LongHorn Steakhouse in Queens, NY #RevelInNY



Are you someone like me, who gets excited when a new restaurant opens up in your neighborhood? Does the idea of chowing down with the family and friends for lunch or for a date night just make your stomach dance for joy? Well if you live here in NYC, you'll be happy to know that the wait is almost over because the first LongHorn Steakhouse to ever exist in the 5 boroughs is opening this Monday, Oct 13th in Queens at 11am!




You'll find this beautiful, new Elmhurst location at 92-30 59th ave, which is across from the street entrance of JcPenney in Queens Center Mall. Both the hubby and I have grown up in the neighborhood and frequently visit with our kids because their grandparents, aunts and uncles still live there. It'll be really nice to have another sit-down, family friendly establishment to eat at because this area draws a lot of visitors who shop not only at Queens Center Mall, but also spend their time at Queens Place and Rego Center especially as we are nearing the holiday season. Sometimes after spending so much time with the family shopping, especially with the kids in tow it's great to have another option aside from a slice of pizza or a quick burger and fries to go. 


The 6,570-square-foot restaurant will seat more than 240 guests and will create approximately 80-100 new jobs for the surrounding community. With a goal to become America’s favorite steakhouse, LongHorn currently operates more than 460 restaurants in 40 states.

LongHorn Steakhouse prides itself on its fresh, never frozen, expertly grilled and boldly seasoned steaks. The restaurant’s design is inspired by the American West and is reminiscent of a rancher’s home. Its interiors feature updated, contemporary artwork and sculptures of horses, western landscapes and sunsets complemented by warm tones, wood, stone and steel fixtures.



The restaurant will open featuring LongHorn’s new fall Peak Season and Chef’s Showcase menus, as well as the new Prime Time menu. 

What's New at LongHorn Steakhouse:
  • Fall Peak Season LongHorn’s Peak Season menu changes four times a year and features fresh flavors of the season. This fall, guests can enjoy new items, like Pub Pretzel Sticks, Mushroom Truffle Bisque, Potato & Leek Au Gratin, Bleu Ridge Wedge Salad, and Pumpkin Spice Lava Cake for dessert.


  • Chef’s Showcase - Chef’s Showcase celebrates LongHorn's Executive Chefs' culinary inspiration and creativity. This fall, it features a Harvest Mushroom Filet and Apple Cider Baby Back Ribs.


  • LongHorn Prime Time - This menu features late afternoon specials at all LongHorn locations across the country, including a variety of $3, $4 and $5 drinks and bold bites. Prime Time is offered Monday through Friday from 4pm-7pm and features dishes like the Spicy Chicken Bites and Sweet Corn Fritters.

The people of LongHorn aim to be a positive force that makes a difference within the communities they serve by supporting organizations and individuals that share the same values of fundraising, donations and grants that benefit local organizations and causes. As part of LongHorn Steakhouse's training period, they will be hosting a friends and family night with proceeds benefiting The Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens. LongHorn Steakhouse will be a welcomed addition to the Elmhurst community! 

Hours of operation will be: Sunday - Thursday 11am - 10pm and
                                              Friday and Saturday 11am - 11pm

Which new item on the fall menu are you planning on trying?


Monday, October 6, 2014

Lil' Monsters In NYC: Exploring The Discovery Room & Terrace Water Feature at The American Museum of Natural History #LilMonstersinNYC


 There was quite a crisp breeze in the air this morning and I can't help but wish that it was still Summer, is that crazy? Don't get me wrong Fall is actually my favorite season, I just think this year the warm summer days were far and in between this year and geezums, we never even made it to the beach! As we start grabbing more layers to wear and it starts getting chillier, I though over this next week I'd share some of our family excursions I never got to share.

The hubby and I have lived in NYC all of our lives and although there are quite a few attractions we haven't seen, we are pretty familiar with many of the local family friendly sites that are either inexpensive or free and make our best efforts to check as many out as possible with the boys. We have taken our kids to the amazing American Museum of Natural History a handful of times before, spending hours sitting under the ginormous blue whale (as Tristan reminds us that whales can't fly and questions how that really big whale got up to the ceiling), snapping pics of dinosaurs and pretending we were in the Ben Stiller family film, Night at the Museum.Yet somehow we  never knew of their really cool Discovery Room or the awesome sprinklers, seemingly hidden from tourists on their quaint rooftop terrace.


Imagine my boy's faces, full of amazement as they first walked into the AMNH Discovery Room to find this larger than life replica of a two story African baobab tree towering over them. Before they could even get instructions from the AMNH employee they ran up to the table, beyond excited and each went reaching for a magnifying glass, flashlight and a checklist/ activity sheet. They couldn't wait to start searching high and low for all the animals pictured on their list.










A game of memory kept Tristan preoccupied for quite a bit of time as he eagerly uncovered shells that were varied in texture and size. When I prompted him to put a shell to his ear to listen, he thought it sounded more like a ghost, than the ocean.


There were drawers with lots of hidden treasures that visitors were able to hold, which is really great sensory fun for the little ones and made for great conversation with CJ on where he thought he could find an object.




Now, one of the many reasons I love my two monsters is because more times than not, they are very open-minded to going to new places, doing new things (once you convince them to leave the house and the video games behind), meeting new people, or in this case BUGS! Without hesitation, when another employee asked CJ if he wanted to hold a Madagascar hissing cockroach he jumped at the chance. 







Kids can tap into their creative side by creating masks out of felt and if you squint one eye and tilt your head, you can sort of see how much it resembles his daddy, that Tristan was so proud to make. He nailed the bald head, don't you think?


On display you'll find gorgeously detailed masks from different countries around the world. Kids can even try some on, or take a moment to draw a few of their own in a quiet area.







I'm also really one lucky mama, because Tristan is a pretty well behaved kid and he received so many compliments from the staff and later earned himself two stickers because he cleaned up and sorted all the play food that was lying around.

Meanwhile because CJ is a few years older he and the hubby were able to venture upstairs to explore, and this time he was able to interact with a walking stick, which tickled him as he slowly made his way up CJ's arm. I wish that as a child, I had been more open to exploring all those things I thought were icky, but by having two adventurous boys I get a second chance.




There's just so much to be taken in and for little mind to absorb and you could see the kids throughout the space were in complete awe of the beautiful artifacts of old and new.




Another pretty cool feature in the American Museum of Natural History's Discovery room is that visitors can work together to piece together the fossils of a prehistoric crocodile and excavate, using tools that paleontologists use.








It was while reading my favorite blog , A Cup of Jo that I discovered this seemingly magical hideaway on the Upper Westside, that you could tell only those who actually lived in the neighborhood and a handful of others were aware even existed. The monsters absolutely loved splashing around in the sprinklers and making each other crack-up over things that only their crazy selves would understand. Only in New York can you splash around among the planets. It was just an amazingly fun-filled days I know made such an impression on the boys.





The Discovery Room is an exciting way for families and especially kids aged 5-12 by helping them with a behind the scenes and hands on, close-up look at science. You can go in for a timed 40 minute session for Free on Monday - Thursday from 10:30am to 1:30pm
            Friday's they are closed 
            Saturday & Sunday from 1030am - 1:30pm, 2:15pm-5:10pm



















Sunday, October 5, 2014

The WWE Goes Pink To Support the Fight Against Breast Cancer & Special Guests on Monday Night Raw #Sponsored #CourageConquerCure



Last week (Monday, Sept. 29, 2014) we were tuned into Monday Night RAW and  my two boys actually noticed rather quickly that their hero John Cena was rocking a new t-shirt which read "Keep Calm and Never Give Up", they also realized that the ring's middle rope was turned pink, which allowed me to open up a quick discussion with my 9 yr. old CJ about the WWE teaming up with Susan G. Komen to help promote the fight against breast cancer. 

If you haven't been watching recently, as a WWE brand ambassador and a niece and cousin to women who have battled with breast cancer,  I thought it was pretty awesome to share that for the month of October, the WWE Superstars and Divas will wear co-branded Komen and WWE apparel and all WWE platforms will “go pink.” The “Courage Conquer Cure” campaign will continue throughout National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and WWE will donate to Komen 20 percent of the retail sales price of all co-branded merchandise sold on WWEShop.com and at WWE live events, as well as 5 percent of all other WWE merchandise sold on WWEShop.com. For the first time, fans will have the option of donating $1, $5 or $10 upon checkout from WWEShop.com with all proceeds benefiting Komen.

Susan G. Komen and WWE have a history of success in raising awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer. The partnership launched in 2012 with the successful “Rise Above Cancer” campaign and has generated more than $1.2 million for Komen to date. The two organizations also partnered for “Make Mom Proud,” a campaign that coincided with Mother’s Day and called on supporters to do something meaningful for their moms and other important women in the their lives. This past May, Komen and WWE teamed up again for National Women’s Health Week with a campaign to remind women how a healthy lifestyle is critical in the fight against breast cancer.





Tomorrow, the lively, funny and entertaining co-stars of NBC TODAY’s fourth hour are putting down their wine glasses and joining WWE® as guest stars on MondayNight Raw® on October 6 at 8PM ET/7PM CT on USA Network.

Kotb, who is a seven-year breast cancer survivor, and Gifford will join WWE for its third consecutive year supporting Susan G. Komen and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Before Kotb and Gifford rule the ring, WWE Superstar John Cena® will make a guest appearance on the TODAY show in the iconic fourth hour segment to give them a pep talk to prepare for the show. 

Additionally, journalist Joan Lunden, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, will sit ringside as a special guest along with other breast cancer survivors. As TODAY’s special #PinkPower correspondent for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Lunden is celebrating survivors, supporting those currently battling cancer and remembering those we have lost. Lunden was also featured on the cover of last week’s People Magazine talking about her personal fight against breast cancer.


I passed a magazine stand in the subway just this week and actually stopped in my tracks because her cover photo was just so beautiful. Joan Looked strong and empowered! Having been diagnosed with a chronic auto immune disease like Crohn's I have to get checked annually for colon cancer. I know it takes a lot of strength to believe that you can persevere and beat the illness.

“WWE is thrilled to have Kathie Lee Gifford, Hoda Kotb and Joan Lunden join Monday Night Raw to help shine a light on the battle against breast cancer,” said Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer, WWE. “These women continue to be a voice for the millions that are affected by this devastating disease. We are honored to have their support in raising awareness and funds to continue the fight.”

Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest nonprofit funder of breast cancer research, and funds community outreach programs, public advocacy and global programs. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the United States. There are 3 million breast cancer survivors in the United States today. For more information about Susan G. Komen, breast health or breast cancer, visit komen.org/wwe or call 1-877GOKOMEN.


*Disclosure: As a WWE brand ambassador and a family member & friend to several women who have persevered through this disease that strikes both men and women, I am happy to share this campaign with readers. I was in no form compensated for this post.

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