18 Saturday May 2013
Posted in Baby, Creative Kiddie, Daily musings, DANCE, DESIGN, Education, Fashion, NYC, Parenting, Tween, Uncategorized
Tags
bums, daily musings, dance class, hello moto, iphone, midtown manhattan, penguins, photo, photos, pictures, reading time, sums, We
^^ midtown manhattan as seen from a media event this week^^
^^ my shoes. tagged #inthirdposition ^^
^^ reading time and baby bums ^^
^^ a dog and his boy ^^
^^ happy moto.. with penguins on his shirt ^^
^^ selfie because I hardly have any pics of me ^^
^^ hello MOTO ^^
^^ i love her so… and this pic sums up her cool factor ^^
^^ after dance class in Brooklyn ^^
17 Friday May 2013
Posted in Creative Kiddie, DESIGN, Fashion, Lily Style file, STYLE WATCH, Tween, Uncategorized
Tags
back to school, childrens place, fashion, fashion for kids, forever 21, gap kids, kid style watch, kids clothes, kids fashion, lambs wool, lands end, lily style file, polka dots, school trends, splash of color, style, style trends, style watch, suede leather, tween, tween fashion, ugg Australia
The second post in the Lily Style File…
Polka Dots and Denim with a splash of color! And I am loving her tan suede, leather and lambs wool lined shoes from Ugg Australia.
16 Thursday May 2013
Posted in Culture, Food, Media, NYC, Outdoors, Sponsored Posts, Uncategorized
Tags
arts, aviation, brooklyn, Flaming Lips, food, food festival, food trucks in NYC, gaming, googa mooga, googa mooga 2013, GoogaMooga, illustration, instagram, kid friendly events, kid friendly events in brooklyn, kid friendly nyc, Matt & Kim, nyc food festival, restaurants, Saturday, the great googa mooga 2013, transportation, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Then head over to THE real deal hollyfield food fest – The GREAT GOOGA MOOGA.
This is a feast to feed your foodie bellie with no shortage of food, beer, wine, music.
So grab your pals and head down to Brooklyn for all the festivities.
“But what about the kids?” you say…
Bring em along.. Googa Mooga is kid friendly! * but watch out for the LOOOOONG food lines and smelly people*
The fine folk over at M Booth and American Express Serve are sponsoring this post and are giving us the full VIP treatment on Saturday so make sure to follow me on twitter @thenewyorkmom and Instagram – thenewyorkmom to get a play by play!
LOCAL TIP - make sure you check out the website and download the app and plan your foodie attack before going. This way you are sure to hit up all your favorite food trucks first!
I’ve got my foodie list ready.
*I am working with M Booth on behalf of American Express Serve for this entry. The opinions and experiences are my own. *
15 Wednesday May 2013
Posted in Baby, Daily musings, Parenting, truf be told, Uncategorized
Tags
arts, aviation, broadway dance, business, Career, cars, dance, dance and kids, dance career, dance company, Employment, Full-time, gaming, home, jonah, mariacolaco, modern dance, new york city, new york mom, parenting, stay at home mom, staying home with baby, transportation, United States, videogames, work from home, work from home mom, working mom
This week I cleaned the kitchen sink and it shined…like gleaming!
and it was such an accomplishment.
No I did not clean the entire kitchen… just the counter tops and the sink.
While I stared at my shiny sink with pride, little tiny tears started to welt up in my eyes.
You see… much like today… I had not changed out of my pj’s, had not slept more than 4 hours in over 3 days and I had nothing ‘pending”. Nowhere to be but home… rocking my babe, changing poopy diapers and cleaning my sink.
There I stood… staring at my shiny sink and realizing that no matter what I do, I just can’t get this house together. Things are always a mess, and cluttered and I just can’t keep up. I even apologize to the babysitter about our messy home and how I feel bad that she has to spend her day with the babe in the clutter.
Staring at my shiny sink, I felt that this massive full-time job of motherhood had defeated me and no matter what I did or how hard I tried, I just couldn’t find my rhythm, my choreography, my 5,6,7,8.
I just knew that the moment we woke up in the morning, my proud shiny sink would be returned back to its cluttered piled up mess.
We have amazing moments in our life. We really do…but once in a while a little negative self-doubt-pity-party-throwing voice creeps into my brain and whispers things like, “your peers are moving forward in their career and you are home cleaning a sink” or “career? what career?” or “summer is coming and nothing in my closet fits me” or just “aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh”. And don’t forget the whole “everyday is your day off” Bull Schmack.
It’s Ok. It really is.
You see all this is coming from a huge career altering job offer I received a few weeks ago. An amazing company… like who would NOT want to work for this giant in online search and social… approached lil ole me and offered me a job that was schweeeet!They had heard about me through the social media grapevine and were interested. After much going back and forth, I had to say no.
When we had Lily, I watched my dance career come to a SCREECHING halt. I lost friends, I lost my community and I lost my dance. I grieved over this for years… and some days in the wee hours of the night I still grieve over the sudden unexpected loss of my dance career.
Now… I have created and worked REALLY hard toward a career in Social Marketing. Speaking on panels, holding seminars, having awesome clients… I work hard… and a classic, ideal job falls into my lap… i wasn’t even looking… and I had to say no.
I did the right thing. I know it.
But i can’t help but feel (insert word of despair here).
If I had forged forward with my dance company touring and dancing full-time… Lily’s well-being would have been compromised and THAT is something that I could not have lived with.
As much as I love my little monchichi’s sometimes it’s nice to have a deadline and have your creative mind sparked and just talk to people who inspire and feed your brain.
Last week Matt was super busy with meetings every single night. I had no one to talk to all week. It’s rough when I’m home with a baby and an 8-year-old and have not a soul to talk to, and we moved to a new town a few months ago and I don’t know anyone here and it’s very VERY lonely most days!
I really can’t be wallowing in my boo-hoo ness for much longer.
I always look at Lily and Thom…and even Jonah Bear… and think… to them I am the WORLD… so their WORLD needs to step it up and stay strong.
For now… it’s about small victories…and mine is my shiny sink!
14 Tuesday May 2013
Posted in Creative Kiddie, DESIGN, Fashion, Tween, Uncategorized
Tags
fashion, fashion for tweens, gilt, style, target, trend, tween fashion, tween trend, ugg Australia
My little Lily has her own sense of style and makes up her own rules as she goes. Just like it should be!
I always get asked what she’s wearing… And I want to document her style…so I’m going to post some of her outfits from time to time and share her trendy ways with you peeps!
14 Tuesday May 2013
Posted in Advocacy, Media, NYC, Sponsored Posts, Uncategorized
Tags
bras, Breast, Breast cancer, breast cancer research, Cancer, clothing, harlem, marathon, medicine, midnight walk through NYC, MoonWalk, moonwalk nyc 2013, new york city, NYC, research, science, shopping, style, the moonwalk new york city 2013, walk for cancer, Walkathon
You’ve done 5K’s and walk-a-thon’s and even gone swimming in the Hudson * gasp* all in the name of a cause you believe in.
But… I ask you dear reader… have you gone walking through NYC in the dark in ONLY bra… all to support Breast Cancer Research.
MoonWalk NYC
– In July 2013, Walk the Walk will bring The MoonWalk marathon from the United Kingdom to America for the first time to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer causes. At 10 p.m., on July 20, 2013, thousands of women and men will Power Walk through the city wearing brightly decorated bras to inspire and encourage others to get fit, have fun, and raise money for breast cancer charities in New York.
The Walk will start at 10PM at Randalls Island and then participants will set off on a 26.2 milewalk around NYC’s most iconic landmarks… brightly lit. You and the estimated 8000 participants have to option to participate in the lesser mileage option… to accommodate all needs.
MoonWalk NYC
The MoonWalk started in 1996 in NYC when 13 women walked the NYC marathon in their bras.. years later… it’s back in NYC.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year… The MoonWalk hopes to raise two million dollars in one night, most of which most of which will be granted to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, to help support their Breast Examination Center in Harlem (BECH), one of the first free screening facilities for breast cancer in the country where 80% of the patients are uninsured but guaranteed support and guidance.
Doesn’t this sound like a ton of fun!!
So what do you say! Let’s sign up!
You can sign up for the half moon – 13.1 miles or full moon – 26.2 miles HERE!
* I was paid for this post by One2One Network and Walk The Walk. All opinions stated are my own. *
12 Sunday May 2013
Posted in Baby, Daily musings, Parenting, Pregnancy, truf be told, Uncategorized
Tags
dayon, digital wedding, family, Grandparent, happy mothers day, holidays, home, India, indian wedding, love, mother, motherhood, mothers day, parent, parenting, parents, pic file, Sari, sari sari, saris, songs, twitter, wedding pic, wedding pictures
Lily sings this song to me-
on mother’s day on mother’s day oh how i love you mommy you bring me joy and happiness i give you love, a hug, a kiss on mother’s day on mother’s day oh how i love you mommy.>>// followed by a big huge kiss.\\<<
Here are a few pictures of my mom and grandma. My mom pulled double duty and raised me and my siblings alone. She sacrificed a lot and loved us a lot. My mom and grandmother live in florida and I wish they were closer. I always look at these pictures from my wedding when we were all in saris and it makes me feel close to them.
I’m not sure when we will all be in sari’s again. My mom doesn’t wear hers anymore… except for weddings. My grandmother wears a sari to church sometimes and I love it.
When I had the MOTO, my mom and grandmother came to NY for 10 days and swooped in and did everything for us! I was SOOOOO sick for 4 days and could hardly get out of bed…my mom stayed in bed with me and the babe while Lily was in school and watched shows with me and chatted with me and made me soup… like back in the day.
As old as I am these days… I still need my mommy. 
Mothers… they are special people.
Happy Mothers Day to all you mama’s. Your babies need you forever – the work is never done!
* I totally took pictures of these pictures because i can’t find my digital wedding pic file. ugh! *
10 Friday May 2013
Posted in Adoption, Arts, Baby, Creative Kiddie, Culture, Daily musings, DANCE, Green, NYC, Outdoors, Parenting, Tween, Uncategorized
Tags
blow bubbles, central park, Cherry blossom, cherry blossoms, climbing trees in central park, dance, dancing, nature, New York, new york city, new york mom, outdoors, peanut butter cups, picnic in new york city, picnic in NYC, Recreation, spring in new york city, springtime in central park, springtime in new york city, theme parks, trees, United States, where to go in central park, Woody Allen, woody allen film
Last weekend… I can’t believe it’s been a week already!
So last weekend… we met our siblings in Central Park to celebrate LILY DAY!
We keep this special day to ourselves.. it’s a day for family and celebrating being a family and what better way to do this than blow bubbles and run among the blossoming cherry blossoms in Central Park!
My sister made the yummiest peanut butter cups with this icing that was a desert in itself. It was a special LILY DAY treat! They were gobbled up in no time!
I love Central Park. It’s one of my MOST favorite places on earth. I think if you are a tourist and you skip through Central Park you have failed your vacation. Where else can you be immersed in total nature yet surrounded by the sky line of one the most amazing cities in the WORLD. 
The Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom and love is in the air. Every corner of the park seems to have a couple folded in each others arms and lip locked.
Springtime in Central Park is like walking into a Woody Allen film. 
These weekends with my siblings are precious. I know I say this all the time. but really they are. Never in a million years did I ever think - when I moved to New York to become a dancer- that I would be surrounded by my sweetest brother and sister… and now their spouses.. who are practically my brother and sister as well.
Lily loves the park. Everytime a soft wind would pass by and the cherry blossom petals would go floating by, Lily would say {with absolute delight} “the flowers are dancing” !
The flowers WERE dancing that day.
And they showered us with all their flowery well wishes and fragrance and covered our sweet family with moments captured in laughter and conversation. 
Gosh I wish I were dancing everyday. My lack of dancing these days is like missing a whole part of me and I really pray that I get that back one of these days. 
So where to go in Central Park? Let me tell you my spots: Last week we entered the park at 86th/ central park west. We set up our picnic on the highest rock right as we entered and had the whole area to ourselves.
After we ate and played we walked up the reservoir a few blocks and parked ourselves beneath the cherry blossoms.
See everyone goes to the more popular spots like Sheep Meadow and the area around the fountains. But I like to stay above 86th street. Here’s my LOCAL tip- If you enter on 101th street and walk through the North Woods… there are waterfalls and caves… yep in central park..and don’t forget the amazing rock climbing. But don’t tell anyone because I love the North Woods and we go all the time and it’s not very crowded.
You know what the BEST part of this day was… LILY.
She’s 8. it’s a funky age .. 8. Somedays she’s a baby and wants me to do everything for her.. and other days she’s a teen and thinks I am SOOOO uncool – Eye roll is free! But this day in the park… I was asked to climb trees, and run through the dancing flowers and roll in the grass… with her. She asked me to do this. And I happily agreed. I was included in her adventures in Central Park, I picked flowers with her and she laughed at my jokes and let me kiss her and snuggle and when she fell and skinned her knee she let me hold her and cried on my shoulder. THIS IS A GIFT! A GIFT folks. I felt so full of love this day…just being included in Lily’s fun creative world as a partner .. and not her “rule-enforcing-not eating-candy-all-day -sooo-not-cool” mom. Most day’s I am not cool… but this day among the dancing flowers… I was totally cool! 
Tis the season folks… pack up your picnic basket and head to the park!
And call me when you go… I’ll join you!
09 Thursday May 2013
Posted in Adoption, Baby, Daily musings, Parenting, Uncategorized
Tags
5 months, adoption, aviation, baby, baby kisses, baby stories, baby's first year, books, daily thoughts, family, health, home, kisses, lifestyle, lily, Matt, Michael, mother, motherhood, nature, new baby, new york mom, outdoors, parenting, pets, plants, saint bernard, shopping, sloppy kisses, st. bernard, the new york mom, Thom, what to expect at 5 months
This little man-man is 5 MONTHS. already! I know!
A solid 17 pounds!
Gosh my heart just aches when I think about how fast he’s growing up. and Lily too.
Matt and I met Lily for the first time when she was 5 months old. She was {and is} such a special baby. We had an INSTANT connection. I remember meeting her and there was this moment when I knew… I just knew she was meant to be in our family. At 5 Months she would look at me with these telling eyes and just smile and squeeze my cheeks and give me wet drooly kisses. It was meant to be. It was as if Matt and I were waiting for Lily all along and never even knew it. because when she made us a family… we all fit. perfectly. And it could not have been any other way.
Thom at 5 months is also giving sloppy drooly kisses.. or trying to eat me… i can’t quite tell.
Although 5 months is a relatively short period, having him does feel like forever ago because of all the activity around these parts and I just could not imagine our lives without him.
Since we skipped all these precious months and years – until age 3- with Lily… all this is a whole new experience for both Matt and myself. Babies are cool folks! I mean just watching them change every single day is such a gift in itself.
Thom pretty much, eats, smiles, poops, and sleeps. He started saying ‘ MAMMA” 2 days ago and says it on a constant loop. Now yes, i know that he’s just saying this sound not knowing what it means… but man does it ever melt my cold cold heart!
He’s always happy and smiling and sometimes just stares at me with these gorgeous eyes in serious thought … I think he’s just plotting a takeover.
5 Months is fassssst. Word on the street is that it only gets faster from here… they do so much more so quickly. It breaks my heart you know… I wish they would stay little just a bit longer.
Even my Lilypie, I notice fun changes in her every week… attitude, personality. She’s such an individual and is already teaching Thom some of her fun tips on life. I can’t wait! I can’t wait to see the two of them in action, Lily teaching Thom how to dig for worms, or how to swim or how to climb trees or where to hide the candy stash all over the house and both cars!
Every night she reads books to him, her favorite books and he stops what he’s doing and listens to every word she says. When she’s done with the reading he gives her the gummiest-no-teeth smile you have ever seen and looks at her as if she’s the most beautiful girl in the world.
She is.
So here we are 5 months… can we freeze frame this please.
07 Tuesday May 2013
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
business, CHalk NYC, chalknyc, children, clothing, fashion, fashion for kids, fashion trends, FDS design studio, Fur, fur vest, kids fashion, lamb leather, Leather, new fashion, new york city, NYC, NYC fashion week, old babe, pima cotton, shopping, stars, style
Earlier this week I was invited to the preview of CHaLK NYC a new – wicked cool- line for kids.
The NYC based – husband/wife design duo of FDS Design Studio have created one hell of a clothing line for the kidlets. Inspired by their 2.5 Year Old babe Alba, this über edgy line has all the makings of a ” I WANT THESE CLOTHES IN MY SIZE’ line.
From luxurious furs to silk slouchy tees, leather and the finest pima cotton… this line is built to last..through the years and through the style files. *don’t worry the fur and lamb leather jackets use only overstock by-product animal skins and pelts *
CHaLK is a premium apparel kidswear brand born and bred in NYC for trailblazing kids around the world, which radiates edgy effortless style with chic details, fusing a downtown vibe with luxury clothing.
Check out what Designer/Creator Colleen Crivello had to say about the line!
Every single piece in the line is so luxurious! This is for the kids 2 years – 10 who like their pants in leather with a whole lotta rock n roll.
I love the leather pants, the fur vest, the star screen printed super soft tees… and i mean I LOVE THEM.. for me. I want them in ME size. {Colleen do you hear me}
But alas! It’s for the littles.
CHalkNYC is available at BARNEYS starting in JUNE but can be purchased online right NAO… $40-$700.
Visit CHaLKNYC for all the deets!
