NY Aquarium

The NY Aquarium is right next to Coney Island. I want to return when the weather is warm so we can do both the boardwalk and visit the Aquarium after the renovations are complete.  

Currently,  the aquarium is under major renovations because of the damage from Hurricane Sandy. This still did not stop us from having a great time!! It was the kids' first time at an aquarium, so I actually liked that it was small and we were able to see everything in 1.5  hours. We got to touch coral, feel the sharp teeth of a piranha, observe hundreds of beautiful fish from all over the world swim together, watch sharks up close, watch a sea lion show AND experience 4D spongebob! We did not stay for the animal feedings, but they also do penguin and sea otter feedings. Unfortunately, the walrus exhibit was closed because of the construction. 

We sat in the 3rd row at the Aqua Theater for the sea lion show and the kids were AMAZED! During the show, the Sea Lions come around to greet the audience and if you sit in the front, they bark right at you! Henry and Em were definitely surprised! 

Also, PACK YOUR LUNCH! The cafeteria is under renovation, so there is no place to buy food. There are outdoor picnic tables, so dont forget to dress warm (temp is a bit cooler because of the ocean breeze).

Henry and the Piranha

shark tank

Em up close to the shark tank

PACK YOUR LUNCH! Cafe is under renovation.

Sponge Bob 4D! Bubbles and vibrating chairs...

PERFECT DAY!!!

It was a GORGEOUS 60 degrees today! Not only was the weather PERFECT but I also had a GREAT day! Wish every day was like this!

Day went like this: dropped Henry off at school, went to yoga in the AM, drank a mocha flavor Shake-o!, went for a run around the Jackie kennedy reservoir, kids got to enjoy this beautiful weather with their friends and the BEST PART WAS DINNER DATE WITH HENRY (&EM).

It was my first time taking both kids out to dinner by myself.. and it was a SUCCESS! We went to bareburger and Henry had a cheeseburger with fries and I had a fried chicken sandwich. Emilia slept through part of dinner, but when she woke up, she had her first taste of fries... and loved it! This is deifinitely a "mom of 2 milestone"!

Preview of Spring in NYC

It was GORGEOUS this past weekend! The snow is still on the ground from the last snowstorm and yet it was mid 60's in NYC.  We are so lucky to call CENTRAL PARK OUR BACKYARD!! We got tickets to watch The Princess, The Emperor and The Duck at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater in Central Park. It was such a great show! Super cute theater and you can even have your birthday party there. We then walked through central park and of course ended the afternoon at the playground! Central park has playgrounds every 5 blocks, AND they are the BEST CITY PLAYGROUNDS in the WORLD.  

waiting for the puppet show to start

The Princess and the pea

outside swedish cottage

Gorgeous Central Park

Diana Ross Playground

Lucky Emilia!

Hanging with our cousin E!

Play ALL DAY! at wild west playground, OUR FAVORITE!!

JFK to LAX DON'TS!!

1. Don't fly VIRGIN AMERICA

• We usually fly JetBlue to Long Beach airport because Rich's family live in North OC... but because this trip was so short, and Virgin America had the best departure and arrival times, we chose to fly VA. That was a mistake!! During the taxi for departure, an oxygen mask had deployed and the airplane had to make its way back to the departure gate so maintenance can come on and fix it. The staff on the airplane (to LA and back) were SO RUDE and NOT CHILD friendly. Did not smile and even gave a little attitude! They didn't even help with carry-ons! The audiovisual system was awful- even after paying for movies or tshows, the audio was spotty and skipped every few minutes.

2. Don't rent a car from THRIFTY

• We waited ~ 10 min for the Thrifty shuttle bus to pick up from LAX to get to the car rental depot. During that time, we saw approx 5 Enterprise buses, 4 Hertz buses, 3 Budget buses, 2 nationals....

3. Avoid LAX if you can!

• Airport is undergoing major renovations right now. Currently, there are NO resturants by the gate/waiting area in Termial 3. There is a Starbucks, Burger king, PEETS coffee and Blue window (premade sandwiches/wraps... NOT good). We wanted to sit and have a drink, but the sitting area by Angel city brewery was so small it couldnt fit a double stroller, and we were not allowed to take beverages past that area :(
• We usually fly in and out of Long Beach airport, which has recently undergone recnovations (and is finished!). Lots of resturants and bars to enjoy while you wait to board your flight!!
• Having to take a shuttle from the rental car site to the airport is a PAIN! At Long Beach airport, you can WALK to the rental car site from the airport. A HUGE BONUS!!!!

 

With this being said, next time we fly to LA, it will be through Long Beach Airport.

 

Yum yum yum!!!

The kids did not get the memo about the 3 hour time difference between NYC and LA and woke up super early (5am!!!). Thankfully Rich had gone to sleep early with them and Was able to wake up early with them as well. I got to sleep in a little!!  And then I woke up to this beautiful box! I haven't had donuts in so long!!

And inside: note the half eaten donut... Henry just kicked the chocolate frosting and sprinkles off the donut and put it back!

Traveling light!

We did it!! Packed everything into 2 carry on bags for the weekend trip to LA!!

What's in the bags?

Henry: 2 tshirts, 1 long sleeve, 2 pants, 3 button downs, 1 necktie, 1 blazer,  1 hoody, 3 pairs of socks and 3 pairs of PJs

Emilia: 2 dresses, 1 short sleeve onesies, 2 long sleeve onesies, 2 pants, 3 sweaters, 3 footed pjs and 1 sleep sack.

Me: 3 nursing tanks, 1 pair of pants, 2 tshirts, 2 button downs, 1 blazer, 2dresses, pair of pumps, 2 pairs of socks, 4 under wears,  2 dresses, 1 pair of black pumps, and 1 pjs.

Rich: 3 shirts, 2 button downs, 1 pair of jeans, 3 pairs of socks, 2 sweaters, 2 button downs, 1 suit, 1 necktie, pair of dress shoes, and 1 set of pjs.

Threw in as little toiletries as we could : toothbrush, glasses, face lotion, contact solution, face wash, makeup.  Then shoved in as many diapers as we could fit. We could always buy more in LA if needed. Also had laptop and small backpack of Henrys toys and books.

Our packed bags

On the air train toJFK

Shake shack while waiting to board the flight😁

Flying to LA for a weekend!

Wish us luck!! We are flying to LA tomorrow with both kids for FOUR days!!! I know they will be fine on the flight... But hope the time change doesn't kill them.. Or me!


 We are planning to bring 2 carry-on bags! Stay tuned for my next post: how to fly with  CARRY ON only!

Pic from 2 weeks ago, on the air train to JFK. 

Back to Reality!

We are back from our short vacation to the Dominican Republic! It was such a great time and I found it to be so relaxing! Rich said it wasn't as relaxing for him (maybe it was because he didn't sleep one night to play in the casino...?) We stayed at The Reserve at Paradisus Punta Cana Palma Real and LOVED it. The resort was BEAUTIFUL, food was DELICIOUS and the weather was AMAZING 4 out of the 5 days. I loved it so much, I wanted to learn more about the timeshares and condos there! But we didn't... because we hate having to sit through those presentations. I will totally return to the Paradisus in Punta Cana!!

I ate soooo much on this trip, that I am going on a mini diet! Im going to challenge myself and when I crave anything sweet, I will quench that craving with a glass of water! During my maternity leave, I joined a water challenge where you had to drink half your body weight (in lbs) in ounces per day. It was easy back then because I was home AND nursing so I thirsty all the time! When I went back to work and life because more chaotic, my water consumption was dipped A LOT! Im lucky if I get to have a glass of water at work! I felt so much more nourished when I was hydrated and Im hoping to get that feeling back!

Packing tips!! #2: your CARRY-ON

Trying to limit your bags and carry-ons is HUGE because you will ALSO end up carrying one if not both of your children at one point. Bags with a shoulder or cross body strap or backpacks are a MUST!

So we pack a his and hers bag & henrys backpack.

HIS BAG:
diapers, wipes, extra set of kids clothes, snacks, laptop, headsets, chargers.
*note this is top open!



We used to pack extra set of adult clothes too, because you never know what could happen (i.e. vomit, poo, pee, spilled drinks)-  but now, we just LAYER and LAYER! tank top, t-shirt, button down then sweater. It works!


HER BAG:
ergo, nursing cover, hand sanitizer x 2, wallet, water, thermos of milk, rose balm, miscellaneous toys wrapped in foil and saran wrap, charger, selfie stick :)
not pictured: emilias teething toys, babyfood, spoons, bib, henry pasta with butter

How I managed to shove all that in this small bag is beyond me... but once you take the ergo out in the airplane, easy to find things in this bag.  I love that this style has a cross body strap now!

BONUS TIP:
wrap a few small toys in foil and you can surprise your toddler over the course of few days



HENRY's BAG:
I picked his smallest backpack, which also happened to be a PAW PATROL backpack (he's obsessed) and filled it with several of his paw patrol toys. I picked a small bag because:
 1. it limits the number of toys we can bring
 2.  he would be able to carry it when it is full.

If I gave him the option, he would pack ALL his toys- and then the bag would be so heavy, he couldn't carry it and Rich would probably end up carrying ANOTHER bag.

Packing tips!! #1: your CHECKED LUGGAGE

When you travel with babies, you end up packing a LOT of stuff!! when you travel with 2 kids, you don't just multiply it by 2. Its exponential! We have been to many places near and far with our babies, and over time I have learned to decrease the amount of STUFF in our suitcase! Our first trip with our first baby, we checked 3 bags AND a carseat AND a stroller! After that trip, we swore NEVER to check more than 2 bags (one person will roll the suitcases and one person pushes the stroller).

Things we ALWAYS travel with: umbrella stroller (double stroller now), ergo, diaper backpack (for husband), handbag (for me), Henrys backpack (for easy access to his toys). I highly highly recommend a stroller bag! you can shove last minute things into it at the gate, like everyones winter coats, so you don't have to carry it onto the plane!! One less thing to take onto the plane!

Here are my packing tips:

1. Make a list!! 

2. Get travel cubes!! Keeps the packing organized and so easy to unpack the suitcase during vacation. ALSO helps limit your packing to things you really need. 

3. Find a quiet time to pack- usually before the kids go to sleep. With a list, you can even do it the night before (like I always end up doing!!) Otherwise, they will INSIST on helping you....... 

Good luck and safe travels!!!