Rockin' True Religion and Counting Down to the First Day of First Grade

"When do we go back to school mommy, is it almost time?" You'd think Tristan was having the most awful summer the way he's been counting down until he heads back to the classroom and gets to see all of his lil' monster friends. Watching his face change as he tries to process how many days are actually in a month is hysterical. "So, how many more days exactly? Today is Tuesday, so after Sunday?" and his big brother laughs at him as I tell him not to worry about it, it will be here before he knows it.

Ice Age: Collision Course Screening & Interview with Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson #IceAge #CollisionCourse

I'm all for a family fun movie that's not only going to cause a case of the giggles but that inspires kids to make connections to science without them even realizing they are learning. Thanks to 20th Century Fox and the American Museum of Natural History the boys and I got to attend an early morning screening of Ice Age Collision Course at the NYIT Broadway theater in 3D, asked questions during an interview with pop-culture's favorite Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and enjoyed a private behind the scenes tour at the AMNH. 

Must Haves to Send the Kiddies Back to the Classroom from the #MomtrendsBTS Bash

Time sure does fly when you're having fun and I just can't believe we are almost through the month of July and already thinking about buying uniforms, lunch planning and after school activities for our lil' monsters. As my boys countdown until heading to the 1st grade and middle school, I'm realizing I've got quite a bit of shopping to do over the next 4-5 weeks and luckily I can always count on getting the scoop on the latest trends and product launches during the annual Momtrends Back to school party hosted by Nicole Feliciano and her awesome team. 

Getaway to Block Island to Escape the Hustle & Bustle of City Life #RIBlockIsland #BlockIsland

With the first official weekend of Summer behind us, I'm sure we've all been wander-lusting and counting down the days until the first travel adventure of the season as a way to get away from it all. It's bound to happen when you live in the city- all the scheduling, commuting and meetings combined with juggling family life can be quite taxing on a person mentally and physically. Unfortunately it can sometimes be really hard and often dang near impossible to get away from it all for a long block of time, so it's important to take moments to just catch your breathe & unwind even if just for a day. My recent trip to Block Island earlier this month was just the escape I so badly needed and I knew I had to tell you guys all about it. Block Island is a destination that has just a bit of everything from restaurants serving delicious foods {chowder and lobster rolls take priority} to hiking, fishing and insightful tours that are fun and educational. Thanks to Adam of Dada Rocks I was able to accept an invite from Rhode Island Tourism to cover the trip for both of ours sites, along with a very intimate group of fantastic bloggers. We were able to enjoy this serene, little island that has no traffic lights or chain restaurants with the exception of Starbucks {there go those priorities again!} and it was fantastic!

7 Weeks of Summer Camp At Home: Around the World

With summer vacation well underway whether you've been traveling or staying close to home with the kids it's so important to avoid summer brain drain by showing our children that learning can be fun beyond the classroom. This year I've teamed up with some fantastic parenting bloggers to bring you 7 weeks of themed activities and more to engage in with your little monsters while school is out. We are wrapping up our themed posts with a focus on "Around the World" and in light of what's going on in the news I think learning about the differences among races and cultures is perfect timing! As a former educator in elementary and preschool classrooms this made me miss teaching and was really fun to put together.

 I hope you all enjoy!

Reflecting on Why We Can No Longer Sit Idly: Please Tell the World my Son's Black Lives Matter Too #BlackLivesMatter #BlackSonsMatter

This weekend has been anything but normal and I've found myself caught up in my feelings & like many of you I'm sure, I've been trying to find all the words to express what I've been thinking after the news of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile's tragic deaths. Typically I write about reasons to celebrate life but realize with this platform I have a social responsibility to speak out honestly on things that are a far cry from jubilation, despite how tough the reality may seem. 

Writing & sharing posts on our most recent lived in moments - trips to Rhode Island, movie screenings of the latest summer blockbusters and the perfect holiday gift seem so irrelevant to write about when our social media feeds and email boxes should be filled with the voices in mourning & those advocating for positive change. I'll make room here for me to share this story because I knew as a mother of two brown little boys I couldn't come back to this space without discussing the current state of our country. There is a need to recognize the disproportionate number of black lives lost at the hands of law enforcement who are meant to serve and protect us all and to encourage you all to speak out against it.

Macy's 4th of July Fireworks at Gantry Plaza State Park: Flashback to 2015

With just 3 days until the biggest day of Summer have you made your plans for the 4th of July? 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of the Macy's Fourth of July fireworks display and I'm sure it's going to be one of the best shows we've ever seen. Although the Lil' monsters and I have voted to stay home to watch the spectacular show of lights from our rooftop here in Queens we definitely think if you're up to it, going out to see it up close will be an amazing and fun filled evening. Sometimes it feels like by living in Queens we miss a lot of the cool events and parades, so I was so excited when we discovered last year we could take in amazing views of the city skyline, have the kids play in the park and relax with our favorite people right in the midst of the beautiful Gantry Plaza State Park as we counted down to the show above us.