NYC

Orchids

Josie Girl 15 Comments

There is nothing more beautiful than a fresh, crisp orchid in the house. Problem is, orchids from florists tend to be expensive – easily between $100 and $200. And if you are anything like me, no matter how well you try to care for the orchid, their life expectancy is a month, 6 weeks at best. So, if you live in New York, the flower district on West 28th street is the best deal in town! Not only are there beautiful fresh flowers for you to choose from (all event planners go to 28th street to get their flowers for events), but they sell the most affordable and beautiful orchids in the city! AND THEY DELIVER!

aisles of orchids

Rows upon rows of orchids in every color, size, and style.

Although most of the stores in the flower district deliver, it also makes for a fun early morning adventure to see all the colorful flowers, holiday plants, and New York Flavor.

my little buddy

My little buddy on our search for the perfect flowers and orchids.

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NYC Tourist Adventure

Josie Girl 10 Comments

While Ken doesn’t necessarily tout the fact that he is a born and bred New Yorker (far from it), he does take pride in his ability to successfully navigate the city and its surroundings.  Tourist traps and ripoffs? He identifies and avoids them. Local roads, highways, short cuts, and parking spots? He knows them (and will be happy to tell you about it). Hidden gems off the beaten track?  He loves them. So it is somewhat ironic that we decided to celebrate Cruz’s third birthday by taking the family on the symbol of all things tourist:  the New York City sightseeing Double Decker Bus.

Cruz loves all things transportation.  And we love Cruz.  So we decided to bite our lips and make his dreams come true.

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3 NYC Adventures

Josie Girl 12 Comments

This past month after summer break at home, I returned to my life in NYC of work, kids, school, city life, friends, and responsibilities. Although it was hard to leave my world of paradise and simplicity on the West Coast, I made the decision to bring more Oregon to NYC. Although it sounded impossible, I wanted to simplify, slow down, and not have to worry about much other than myself and my family. One of these shifts included making a conscious effort to embrace all that New York City offers. I researched some adventures off the beaten path to explore together with the kiddos and completed some of them. These little adventures have been unbelievable and have helped me set the right tone for the New Year ahead. Shana Tova, everyone!

Here are three adventures that I found to be extremely kid friendly, easy, interesting, and adventurous. New York is so big and too often, we all get trapped in our own lives, and stuck in the same routine and neighborhood.  I highly recommend these afternoon trips solo, with friends, with kids, or on a date.

1. Tram to Roosevelt Island

tram

TRAM

With only a metro card and a quarter, you can take the tram from 60th street and 2nd avenue to Roosevelt Island. Once you get there, you can take a bus (for 25 cents) all around the island. The highlight of the trip was seeing the view of Manhattan and the East River from up high.

view

Cruzzie was in heaven pointing out all the cars, trucks, cement mixers, tow trucks, and every other kind of truck on 2nd avenue.

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Best Chicken Truck in NYC

Josie Girl 10 Comments

OK.  Left turn, today.  This blog has given you uber-healthy recipes for weird concoctions like Cauliflower-Broccoli Mash, Raw Brownies, and Kale Salad. Today, we are looking at… Street meat! I never thought I would be into it until I tried the chicken truck on the corner of 62nd and Madison.  Now, I am a convert.

cart

Meet Tony, the chef of this street cart.

This cart has been situated on various corners of 62nd and Madison for the last 25 years. So, Tony, is a legend. People come from all over — schools, businesses, apartments — to eat Tony’s food. Every day when I pass the line, I am always in awe of the number of people who line up for such a long time to eat street food. But let me tell you, it is so incredibly delicious and out-of-this-world, that I am hooked!

meat

Cooking up the meat (chicken and steak), onions, and peppers.

When we ventured out to try this cart, it was late in the day (no line), so we could ask embarrassing questions like “what do you sell?” etc…No menu, so we were clueless. Basically, you can get a salad with whatever meat, a platter of salad/rice/meat, a sandwich on pita, or a sandwich on a baguette. Every item looked scrumptious.

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Spring To-Do Wish List in NYC

Josie Girl 4 Comments

Nothing is better than New York in the Springtime (well besides the Pacific Northwest in the summer….). The trees bloom, flowers blossom, birds chirp, people shed off their layers, and the energy is vibrant. There is magic in the air and in the streets and you don’t seem to notice the cars honking, the pollution, the garbage, or the negative people; everything just seems to glisten and glow. This Spring, I have a lot to accomplish on my to-do list of activities, because before you know it, mid-May will be here, and I will have a little Baby Girl in one arm, a Toddler Boy in the other, and it will be nearly impossible to move off the couch. So even though I am a waddling whale, I want to take advantage of the city in the spring and knock off some of my wish list activities STAT. Here are some of them:

High Line Kids Earth Day

highline

This Earth Day, Sunday, April 22nd between 2 – 4 pm, the High Line will celebrate with live music, a giant communal mural, face painting, wildflower seed balls you can grow at home, and the Children’s Workyard Kit. Families will be able to dance, draw on a 15-foot mural, and partake in planting wildflower seeds in a garden. Kids will also be able to build vehicles, forts, creatures, structures, and machines from custom-designed wood planks, nuts, and bolts by Cas Holman. What seems better than that? I know that the past two summers, I have thoroughly enjoyed taking the little boy down to the High Line, playing and splashing barefoot in the water, eating popsicles, and being a part of a New York City moment. So for Earth day, 2012, I am so excited about heading down there and being a part of this celebration.

highline

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

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Levain Bakery

Josie Girl 10 Comments

I am slightly obsessed with desserts. So much, that now I have to worry that I have borderline gestational diabetes (obviously, not awesome). I live to eat sweets — I have the biggest sweet tooth ever and feel that my meal is not finished unless I have a nibble of sugar. One of my favorite treats is a cookie from a bakery on the Upper West Side, Levain Bakery. The bakery is a true New York City establishment.  Tucked away at the bottom of a brownstone building, the little tiny room barely holds more than 10 people either waiting in line or sitting on bar stools chowing on their cookies. Often times, there is a wait up the stairs to the sidewalk because the cookies are just that good. AND HELLS YEAH, they are that good.

The tiny little entrance down to the bakery.

stairs

The steep stairs. Don't go with a stroller.

COOKIES

Sampling of goodies.

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