Tag Archives: family activities
FAO Schwarz VIP, A Priceless NY Experience
When I was a student in college and worked as a sales girl in a Fifth Avenue boutique, I would often walk by the famous FAO Schwarz toy store and feel the little girl in me come alive. There were times, especially during the holidays, when I would walk in and marvel at their display of one-of-a-kind toys, and feel complete joy.
Read more of this New York story and how to make it your priceless experience at MasterCard Priceless NY.
Smart Destinations offers Families the Family FunPass to Summer Fun
Just found out that our friends at Smart Destinations are offering traveling families an easier way to discover some of the best cities in the U.S. with one of their most convenient products for us, the Family FunPass. With passes to cities like Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, and Southern CA families can access major attractions such as:
Boston – Museum of Science, Fenway Park Tour, Hi-Speed Catamaran Whale Watch, Hop-On/Off Beantown Trolley (savings of almost $100 for a family of 4)
Chicago – Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium, Lake Cruise, SkyDeck Chicago – Willis Tower (savings of over $60 for a family of 4)
Barnes & Noble and Books for Kids host Storytime
Barnes and Noble and Book for Kids, a non-profit organization that promotes literacy among children, with a special emphasis on low-income and at-risk preschool-aged kids, would like to invite you to attend A Storytime Fitness Event, a fun-filled day of readings, fitness, and games at Barnes and Noble on the Upper East Side, on Sunday, July 24th, 2011.
They welcome you as they get kids movin’! The perfect weekend event to get out of the heat, but stay active. Ideal for adults and kids under 12.
Books for Kids (booksforkids.org) creates libraries, donates books and partners with literacy programs to help young children develop the critical early foundation and skills they will need to be successful in life. A portion of all sales at the store on July 24th will go directly to Books for Kids, when customers mention the organization at the register or enter Bookfair code 10523678 online at bn.com.
This event will feature a reading of Award Winning children’s book Wallie Exercises by Steve Ettinger, Q&A, book signing, and kid friendly fitness activity led by Ettinger, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, coach, and highly notable personal trainer. The event will also include a reading of Where’s Walrus? by author Stephen Savage, pin the hat on the Walrus game, and more!
More Adventures, New Priceless NY Moments
One of the things that I have loved the most about this blog has been the opportunities it gives us to share the experiences our family has in this wonderful city of ours, as well as the many places we travel to.
I truly believe that it is through these experiences and the adventures we set out to have – whether as a couple or with our kids in tow – we create a bond as a family and memories that will stay with our children long after they’ve left the nest.
Our hope has always been that through our adventures we inspire you to set out to have your own and create family memories as well.
And because this has been our passion for almost three years now, it is an understatement when I say how incredibly excited I am about the new MasterCard Priceless New York program which is officially launching today.
The Priceless Cities program, being introduced in New York, gives MasterCard holders the opportunity to access one-of-a-kind experiences that vary in interests as well as in price range, and that appeal to the belief we are so passionate about – that unique experiences create special memories and the moments we hold closest to our hearts.
This program will be ongoing with opportunities for cardholders to enjoy that which most interests them in the area of travel, sports, shopping, culinary or arts and entertainment. In addition MasterCard cardholders will also have access to exclusive offers, as well as VIP experiences to further compliment those priceless moments.
A unique experience is available at Yankee Stadium
With New York being my hometown, I couldn’t be happier to see the launch take place here. But I am even more thrilled to be partnering with MasterCard as one of their MasterCard Priceless NYC Insiders. As an Insider, I will share with you the offers to MasterCard holders as we experience them and detailing what those experiences have in store for you and your family.
While I will focus on sharing the priceless moments from a Parenting and Family point of view, other Insiders will share their experiences in the areas of Culinary and Food, Sports, and Lifestyle and Entertainment.
To celebrate the launch of Priceless New York, MasterCard will take over Military Island in Times Square today Thursday, July 14 to host an interactive event where cardholders and consumers will have the opportunity to see some of the experiences the program will offer including the opportunity to meet Yankee greats, take batting practice with a former New York Yankee pitcher; enjoy tacos from world-renowned chef Aarón Sánchez’s travelling tacqueria Tacombi; enjoy performances Jazz at Lincoln Center and interact with an exhibit from the New York Botanical Gardens. All subject to change.
Chef Aarón Sánchez
Our hope is that in continuing to share our adventures with you through the MasterCard Priceless NY experiences we help bring these experiences to life and inspire you to share them with your loved ones.
I look forward to sharing more with you and hope you will check our priceless experiences out at http://www.mastercard.com/pricelessny.
Disclaimer: I have partnered with MasterCard to help promote and raise awareness of the MasterCard Priceless New York program available to cardholders. I am compensated for my work with them, which include, but is not limited to, dedicated posts on their website as well as on NYCityMama.com, tweets (labeled #pricelessny), and giveaways. The Priceless Experiences are courtesy of this partnership, but the opinions and feedback shared from them are entirely my own.
New York Bus Tours Even A New Yorker Could Love
When you walk around the streets of New York City, especially in the Midtown area, the second most common sight one sees, after the iconic yellow cab, are the double-deck tour buses filled with camera touting tourists.
The amount of tours available to visitors can be daunting, and expensive. Trying to decide which tours are the best to invest in is hard to figure out with so many companies offering specials and package deals.
As a native New Yorker, I love seeing people delight in the sites and history of my city, and in order to keep friends and family informed on what the best options are, I often play tourist myself. In my opinion if after living here for as many years as I have I can walk away with a renew sense of love for New York and inspiration from a bus tour, than it’s the tour visitors should take.
Return to Governors Island
It has been two years. Two years since we have been to Governors Island. I don’t know why. Maybe because the last time we went it was so pathetically crowded (it was the opening day for the season after all), that I lost interest in going back, despite the great time we had. It had been so long since I had gone to Governor’s Island, that when I wrote about my experience, I was still writing this blog in the 3rd person. So long ago!
But we returned today. No particular day of importance, other than that it was a Friday before a holiday when most people have off – but not all – and a lot of those who do have off tend to go away.
Summer Solstice in NYC, 2011
How does a NYCityMama celebrate the summer solstice? Well, I started out with what most parents are doing at this time of year – graduation ceremonies – then continued the celebrations from there because when you are in this great city of ours, there’s always something going on!
We set out to enjoy it all and captured it with our Blackberry Playbook, provided to us courtesy of the good people at Blackberry.
We took pictures and videos and made sure to enjoy as many minutes as we possibly could from the longest day of the year!
From graduation ceremonies to yoga in Times Square and reading in the park, we hope you enjoy the glimpse into our day and the NYC summer solstice!
About the Blackberry Playbook:
It’s light, smaller than the iPad and easy to use, even for this Mac user. Speaking of Macs, I was able to easily upload all videos, photos, and documents stored in the Playbook onto my Mac without additional hardwire, purchase of extra software, or hassle. We got stopped a lot by people on the street asking us what it was, they hadn’t seem a tablet as small as this one. I was able to easily store it in its felt case and in my purse without a problem, which I appreciated when having to stop everything to run after my boys.
If you have a Blackberry phone, like my husband does, you can easily manage your emails and other documents from your Playbook in the same way you would from your Blackberry phone.
The battery life is wonderful. We set out with only a third of it charged, and still managed to take tons of videos and photos without it dying on us.
It is not a phone, but offers application options for video conferences and for social networking, among other options.
I have been enjoying the Blackberry Playbook, when I am not fighting off my husband for it.
Disclosure: This review is based on the use of a complimentary Blackberry Playbook. No agreement to express a particular point of view was made and the opinions share here are strictly my own.
Celebrating Summer at the Vail Farmer’s Market & Art Show
What do you think of when you think Vail, Colorado? Probably skiing and other snow activity. A though this is definitely something they are known for, they are much more than a destination for skiers. This mountain destination offers guests plenty of fun excursions during the warmer months as well, and guests staying at The Lodge at Vail, A RockResort and The Austria Haus are in the center it all in Vail Village.
Get a taste of Colorado with the Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show, open weekly throughout the summer. Colorado’s finest awaits in the state’s largest farmers market, including locally grown produce, international dishes, fresh baked goods and even Colorado wine. Once they have satiated their hunger, guests can enjoy even more local creativity at the Art Show. There is music each Sunday, along with something for everyone! Sundays 10 AM-3:30 PM June 20th – Sept 26th.
Rates start at $144 per night at these premium lodging establishments located in the heart of Vail.
Guests visiting Vail this summer should be sure to check out Bol, Vail’s newest bowling lounge featuring custom lanes, relaxing couches and a delicious menu with full bar. Another fun option is CinéBistro, a premium movie theater and dining experience located in Vail Village.
Other fun free activities in Vail in summer include free jazz and rock concerts, guided nature hikes, volleyball, bocce, horseshoes, gondola rides for kids, fly-fishing clinics, and more. Admission to the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and Colorado Ski Museum are both complimentary, as is parking in Vail Village.
For more information about The Lodge at Vail visit www.RockResorts.com or call 866-513-ROCK (7625).
For more information on Bol, visit www.bolvail.com.
To learn more about the CinéBistro, visit www.cobbcinebistro.comvail-info.asp.
Our Favorite NY Parks for Summer Fun
We talk so much about NYC being a concrete jungle. So much so that even Alicia Keys sings about it.
Truth is, and what most people don’t expect, is that New York City has a lot of green area that we can enjoy. There are truly countless of parks, from small to large, crowded to more private, for strolling through, playing in, and enjoy a picnic in.
In this post, I am going to share with you just a few of the city parks that we love that we hope you, your family and friends get to enjoy this Summer, or any season.
Connecting Families Through The Great American Campout
One of the things that I have missed the most about living in New York City is having a back yard. I remember as a kid, during a brief time in New Jersey, that we had a yard. My friends and I would go outside and build makeshift forts and spend hours upon hours sitting and sleeping in them or in our tents made up of chairs and my mom’s old blankets.
Ah. Such a great childhood pass time.
Now, as an adult, I have only gone camping a couple of times with my kids, and chances are we probably won’t be camping in the back alley any time soon.
But my heart still loves the idea of a backyard campout, which is why I wanted to let you know about the Great American Backyard Campout being promoted by the National Wildlife Federation. On the 4th Saturday of June, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) supports Great Outdoors Month by coordinating this nationwide event, raising funds and awareness of the benefits of camping as a way to connect people with nature. The locations and types of campsites vary from backyard family campouts, local campgrounds to high‐profile campouts in select public campsites on a larger scale.
You can follow all the fun buzz (and even join in on it) going leading up to the grand campout event on Saturday, June 25, 2011. The hashtag on Twitter is #campout – NWF will be tweeting about this at @NWF, @BeOutThere, and @Green Hour
You can find them on Facebook (and also “like”) at http://www.facebook.com/backyardcampout
If you can participate as a Campout State Leader (meaning, sleep under the stars) and you will be included on the “wall of honor” on National Wildlife Federation’s blog and if you blog about your experience, your post will be shared with NWF’s large social media communities.
How to participate:
· Register at www.backyardcampout.org
· Like on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/backyardcampout
· If you blog (but you don’t have to to participate in the campout), publish a post on your blog about the event before the big day (with a link to www.backyardcampout.org for registration). Visit this page for badges you can use on your blog.
· Please email your blog to campout@nwf.org, with the subject “State Leader Blog” so they can make sure to include you in their wall of honor.
There are a couple ways to register:
1. Create your own team (camp with your family, invite friends and neighbors)
2. Register as an individual camper
3. Join an existing team near you. There are quite a few shared events taking place at parks and campsites across the country.
You can camp in your backyard, on your back patio, or go to a campsite – it’s up to you. Once you are registered, the website has lots of camping activities, helpful tips, and recipes. This is also a fundraising event (not mandatory), but we encourage you to set a goal and recruit family/friends to help you reach it. Funds go towards NWF programs to help connect kids with nature.
Just a note: If you can’t camp out on June 25, but can do it another weekend, THAT’S OK! You can still register and camp on a different night! Some families definitely wait until fall to camp out, especially if they live in a hot-weather state.
Happy Camp Out Adventures!
