Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, are you stuck on what to give your significant other? Are you participating in a Galentine’s and want to get the perfect gift for one of your close girlfriends! I’ve spent a few hours browsing the Nordstrom website and came up with 10 his and hers gifts that go from $50-$1000 but trust me with a little browsing you can get some amazing gifts on a real budget.

First find out what your looking for it will be easier to narrow down. If it’s for her then focus on makeup/skincare/jewelry/clothes or accessories but if your truly lost then maybe go the easy route and get a nice candle, or a beautiful coffee table book.

Guys are pretty easy to shop if you also stick with a category. Is he into colognes or is he a watch guy. Does he collect shoes or sunglasses or is he an outdoors guy. I tend to buy my husband clothes, shoes and colognes but that’s because he uses it so why not get something that you know they need right?

Here is my top ten for the ladies.

Here are links to all the items pictured above.

Check out the Giant Check Print Wool & Silk Scarf from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3092484

Check out the Rose Delight Candle (Limited Edition) from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4864929

Check out the Bloom Eau de Parfum from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4699204

Check out the ‘Monogram’ Credit Card Case from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4379637

Check out the Vernis Gel Shine & Long Wear Nail Lacquer from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3717457

Check out the slip™ for beauty sleep ‘Slipsilk™’ Pure Silk Pillowcase from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4186794

Check out the slip™ for beauty sleep Slipsilk™ Pink Kisses Pure Silk Sleep Mask (Nordstrom Exclusive) from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4794882

Check out the Princetown Loafer Mule (Women) from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4262998

Check out the Beauty Bioscience® GloPRO® Rose Gold Microneedling Regeneration Tool & Eye MicroTip™ Set (Nordstrom Exclusive) ($329 Value) from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4798132

https://us.louisvuitton.com/eng-us/products/key-pouch-monogram-vernis-000946

Here is my top ten for the gentlemen in your life.

Here are the links for your connivence.

Check out the BLEU DE chanel Eau de Parfum Pour Homme Spray from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3948795

Check out the Marmont Logo Leather Belt from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4497206

Check out the Scuff Slipper (Men) from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2777632

Check out the 57mm Aviator Sunglasses from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4246641

Check out the ® Morris Park Razor & Travel Kit ($166 Value) from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4821695

Check out the for Men Well Traveled Well Groomed Set ($62 Value) from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4647297

Check out the ‘Aventus’ Fragrance from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3658281

Check out the ‘Classic Clubmaster’ 51mm Sunglasses from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3142275

Check out the Sandon Haymarket Card Case from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4702534

Check out the Trim Fit Dot Dress Shirt from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4895211

Thanks for stopping by and leave a comment tell me what’s your favorite gift to give? Do you prefer chocolates and flowers?

Xo, Jewels

Now that my little Liam is already 16 months I wanted to share some of my favorite newborn/baby essentials and gear that have been an absolute favorite of mine and also what maybe wasn’t.

1.Stokke Xplory Stroller

Check out the Xplory® V5 Stroller from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4531564

I can’t rave enough about my Stokke Xplory stroller. Its so comfortable and super stylish. I love how Liam can face me when we are out for a stroll or have him face forward so he can see the world! The stroller comes with tons of extra accessories like carseat attachments, bassinet or even a winter kit which it is sold separately but if your investing with your first baby its pretty great to have. I also love the bag that attaches to the stroller, there is a rain and mosquito net that is included. Overall its an amazing stroller and a great investment. We always get compliments when out and about.

2.Maxi Cosi Infant Car seat

Check out the ‘Mico 30’ Infant Car Seat from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4350134

When I was researching infant carseats while I was still pregnant one of the things I needed was a light carseat because I knew with Liam that I would have to have a c-section and one thing I didn’t need was caring a extremely heavy car seat. Another key factor which was super important was safety. These two things I found in the maxi cost infant carseat. Also the great thing with this carseat is that you can buy an attachment which can go on most new strollers including the Stokke which would make it easier for on the go mamas.

3. Mamaroo Baby swing by 4moms

Check out this item at Target https://www.target.com/p/4moms-174-mamaroo-174-baby-swing-gray/-/A-52338571

This is an essential with an infant and can be used up until 6 months or longer depending on your babies weight. Liam would take the longest naps in the swing and it made it so much easier for this mama after surgery. Honestly it doesn’t matter what swing you get babies love movement because it reminds them of the womb but since this is the one I had, totally recommend!

4.Breast Pump

Check out this item at Target https://www.target.com/p/medela-pump-in-style-advanced-breast-pump-backpack/-/A-10762066

This is basically as essential as it gets. Now if you plan to only breastfeed thats awesome but not every baby does and for most mamas this is extremely helpful. Liam wasn’t a breastfeeding baby from the beginning it took me 5 months of trying to get him to nurse so having a breast pump was a key for him to get the best nutrition. Im so thankful I got to nurse/pump for 11 months with Liam and honestly I don’t know what I would of done if I didn’t have a pump. I did purchase mine from target at first but if your insurance covers breast pump which is most likely does you will pay a very small amount compared to the retail price which can get pretty costly!

5.Dock-a-tot Deluxe

Check out this item at Target https://www.target.com/p/dockatot-deluxe-plus-dock-pristine-white/-/A-51818615

This is something I wish I had 9 years ago with my first born. My first boy was an emergency c-section so I had a really rough labor with him. Coming home in complete shock and having to constantly get up during the night was extremely painful. Having a dock a tot with Liam was a life saver. I loved having him next to me and also after the first month he slept all through the night. I honestly think it had to do with the snuggle feel which reminds babies of the womb. Liam was a big boy so he grew out of it after 6 months and slept in his crib afterwards but Im so glad that I invested.

6.Swaddles

Check out the Silky Soft Pack of 3 Swaddling Cloths (Nordstrom Exclusive) from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4630836

This is key, every baby needs to be swaddled so that they can sleep without waking themselves up from movements. They are so used to being in a tight space for 9 months so it’s really important to swaddle your little one. My favorite was the silky soft swaddles. You can find them pretty much anywhere even home goods has some. Try to have plenty because it’s a constant was and fold situation.

7.Baby Bottles

Natursutten Glass Baby Bottles with Newborn/Slow Flow Rubber/Latex Nipple, Clear, 2 … https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01673596S/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_rqtGAb7GRCQS3

Check out this item at Target https://www.target.com/p/baby-bottle-set-lifefactory/-/A-17213667

Check out the Baby Slow Flow Bottles (2-Pack) from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3962814

https://twistshake.com/us/product/122-starter-kit-s.html

There are lots of different baby bottles. I personally prefer glass especially when dealing with breast milk. Once the little ones are over a year or even formula fed I would recommend getting either the Comotomo bottles or the Twistshake baby bottles especially with formula it’s so convenient. I loved using the natursutten bottles with breast milk because it was an easy grip to feed and the fact that they where glass made me at ease.

use code everythingjewels to get up to 60% off the Twistshake neon collection.

8.Baby Shampoo & Skincare products

Check out the Newborn Arrival Gift Set from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/4699682

I used mustela with both my boys and it’s been my go to product. Again there are tons of amazing baby shampoos out there. Do your research as far as the ingredients. Now that liam is Oder I mix his shampoos often.

9.pampers swaddle diapers

Check out this item at Target https://www.target.com/p/pampers-swaddlers-diapers-giant-pack-select-size/-/A-15122174

I’ve used so many diapers probably every brand that exists. I’ve tried as organic as they get and cloth diapers but truthfully I love the pampers ones. They don’t leak for the most part and are super soft on a babies skin.

10. Baby Camera & Noise maker

Check out this item at Target https://www.target.com/p/nokia-digital-homevideo-baby-monitor/-/A-52421466

Honestly for these two definitely try to find the one that will work for you. I found a camera in the clearance section at target that works with WiFi so I can connect on my iPad. With the noise maker you can easily download apps on your phone or iPad and have that going 24/7. I have a spare iPad that plays calm water sound all day long. I made sure from the beginning liam was used to some sort of nose.

Thanks so much for reading this post I hope it was a little helpful. There is so much stuff a baby needs but these are the basics.

Xo, Jewels

Day 3: Friday

What’s on the agenda, Top of the Rock, Ladureé, central park, shopping!

Disclaimer: My memory is getting slighted faded at this point, but I will try my best to remember the whole entire day. I’m pretty sure there will be a few details that I will miss, but as always I’ll be as detailed as possible. Did you grab a snack? No ? Well I would advice you do because this post will most likely be pretty long.

Our wake up call, and getting out of the hotel was basically by 9am. Getting a good nights rest is pretty hard when your not in the comfort of your own home in your own bed, at least for myself I have noticed I am most comfortable in my own bed, in my home snuggled up with my most comfortable blanket and pillow. So since it’s the last day of being in New York I knew we had to see what was finally on my travel list! TOP OF THE ROCK! Have lunch at Ladureé, and maybe get some shopping in as well!

Since I didn’t want to miss going up to the top of the rock again, the night before I made reservations online and purchased our tickets. Honestly I recommend doing that if your tying to time everything out, other then that there are always slots open during the day, it just wasn’t in our schedule so I and super glad we did it first thing in the morning.

Before going up to the top of the rock there is a video that you watch about how Rockefeller center was built etc. Also it goes by groups everyone has to stay and watch while people go up the elevator about 8-12 humans at a time. Once you go up there are two levels the lower level is where there is glass around the building, if you want to have a more clear background then go to the top level. You get to see the whole manhattan from all angles. One side has the empire state building while the other side has the whole central park.The view is out of this world. For anyone who is thinking to go there I highly recommend it. Thanks to my beautiful Instagram friend @allthingsvictoria for basically giving me a must “to do list” in the city. This was something I was looking so forward to and it didn’t disappoint. Next time I go to New York city I am definitely going back and getting tons of pictures.

After our awesome view, the next to do of my list was having lunch at Ladureé, this is basically every persons place to visit if your a huge french pasty lover as I am. One thing I regret from the get go is that we didn’t do the bus tour. Personally its easy you just get on the bus and it makes stops throughout manhattan. As long as you have the map and know exactly where it stops it will save some time. We ended up doing it on the last day because my feet where killing me and I was just tired of following my hubby around lol. No joke I had blisters on my feet and I don’t think he got it. Ive mentioned this in my lasts posts that if you have a schedule try to stick to it so you get as much out of the city as you can. Yes you can just start from one point and keep walking but us being there for 3 days we managed to get 25 miles of walking. That is quit a lot and its not worth it because your so exhausted from walking you won’t enjoy the city, shopping or anything else for that matter.

Ladureé has the best latte, honestly I’m still craving it. The pastry are out of this wold stunning, for all the macaroon lovers this place is for you. I can’t remember exactly what my husband and I ordered but personally we both were not that impressed. The service was a bit slow too and I wouldn’t say they where that busy either. If it seems I have high expectations when I eat out thats because I do. I am a major foodie but I also believe highly in excellent customer service. Would I go back there? Yes I would, and I would most likely try something different from the menu or even go just for desserts.

My husband and I ended up going on the TOP tour bus, we didn’t get a chance to make it to the statue of liberty ferry because it took us to long to figure out what we wanted to do. I want to walk less and my husband wanted to walk more lol. We still managed to walk a lot that day so truthfully I regret paying for the tour bus but we did spend a good hour on it driving though manhattan, Soho, West Village, Chinatown, Chelsea etc.

Taking the tour bus at least for one day is nice that you can see everything at once. The views from the top of the bus are pretty cool. We got to see the Empire state building, one world trade center, the new York public library, Penn station, grand central station, pass through Bryant park, Flat Iron building, my favorite was passing through fashion Ave. Just to see so much in such a short time frame is pretty cool. Hands down my favorite was the streets of Soho. Something about it just made me feel alive and also made me miss the city so much.

After having lunch we continue to walk because we couldn’t figure out the next bus stop. And my husband isn’t one to wait, he would just keep walking so I basically ended up following him around lol. Funny now but it wasn’t funny then, seriously my poor feet.

The last on my to do list was to see and walk through central park. Well since we ended up walking from Soho to Central park I was officially done from walking. Im a little sad we didn’t actually walk through central park or do the free bike rental that came as part of the bus tour package (btw another reason why its worth getting a bus tour because so much in included, even for one day I say its worth the experience) although we didn’t go in and walk around I am pretty happy that we still managed to go there. By this time the day was coming to an end. We went into about 3-4 Zara stores and I think from how tired  I was there was no interest to shop.

For dinner time another place Victoria recommended was going into the “fancy food court” at the plaza hotel. She was so right and I am so glad we went there. I don’t have any pictures saved since everything was on my IG story, but I’m pretty sure you can google and get an idea of what kinds of restaurants and small food courts they have. I had the tuna poke salad bowl and it’s the best one I’ve ever had. Victoria also recommended these little donuts with the “Paris” flavor and they hit the spot. Once hubby and I ate we basically just continued to explore the beautiful city. We walked into trump tower but everything was basically closed except the Starbucks. We went into so many different coffee shops during our trip, I don’t think I have ever drank so much caffeine in my life, well worth it!

By the end of our day we got back to the hotel around 8, i was pooped, so my husband ended up checking out a close pizza place that had the nest ratings. We basically had to hit the bed early as our wake up call was at 4am.

If you have made it all the way down here high five! I tend to get carried away with these long posts so I will try to keep them shorter in the future. I just get so excited about sharing that I want to make sure I put as much detail into it as possible!

Thanks for reading about my New York city experience. Leave a comment if you plan to go anytime soon and if any of my travel tips are helpful!

Xo, J

Day two:

Wake up call, 8am.

Get out of the hotel by 9am because today is the day I get to go up the top of the rock. Well here is what really happened, left the hotel, walked like 20 blocks passed Bryant park (which is actually super cute). Side note there is a little store/shop which looks like its a one room nook that sells art work, (like the modern fashion girl type, don’t know how to explain) I wish that I had a picture to share with you all but I only recorded a video. If I ever go back there I’m so going in and buying something there. Sadly the shop was closed so I only got to stare everything down lol. So we get to Rockefeller building to find out that all the tickets are sold out and next available tour is about 4 hours away, instead of hanging out in the same area we decided to walk and explore because what else is there to do lol.

Hubby and I ended up grading lunch at Bouchon bakery, its located at the rockefeller plaza. We went in there just because it was the closest thing near us, and that had great reviews on yelp. Which btw (by the way) I use yelp for everything! The desserts, the sandwiches and the lattes are amazing here. So recommend.

Walking through 5th ave (which we did a lot of and memorized all the stores) walking past Saks was so fun to see, that store is HUGE. I wish we went in but honestly we didn’t want to lose to much time and we just thought that if anything we can always come back but never did. One thing I will say is just as advice for those going first time, just think of where you want to be like the side of town and where you want to go. We did a lot of walking up and down 5th, 6th and 7th street/ave and ended up seeing most things 2/3 times which for me it was a bit pointless since we should of just everything out better. Im glad we got to walk but honestly grabbing a uber or getting on a tour bus which we did (last day) would of been the best way to get around and see.We ended up using VIA (which is like uber) twice. (Once to get back to the hotel from Soho and the second to go to the airport from the hotel). I would recommend using it, I would say the price is almost the same as uber and thats because I would open both apps to check. We never used a taxi, honestly Its way more expensive. They charge by the minute and if you know New York traffic then you will know it takes like 10 minutes to get through a mile.

Overall Thursday was a interesting day, since we didn’t do what I planned originally we couldn’t get a schedule working right away. I mean we walked to not kill time but ended up killing time (because we kept walking lol) and wasted half a day. Eventually decided to go to Brighton beach which is basically Russian city for those who don’t know. My husband really wanted to go there and it was only fair that we both got to see what we wanted. It was a hour long ride on the subway. We made a mistake of getting of the first stop and had to figure out the best train to hop on. which was two stops, two different trains. Another thing for anyone who has never gone on the subway. Its $3 per person for each stop you get off. So if you know all the stops then sure it can be cheaper but for two people we ended up spending $20 on the subway. You can load a card for $10 or however much but again know where your going or else your just going to be spending so much. Not sure if it was cheaper or same price if we just took a VIA service but I’m glad we got the experience.

Brighton beach was also an experience and for anyone who is Slavic descent, you might want to check it out. Just to walk the strip on the beach and to hear everyone speaking Russian. It was interesting. The people are different. Its like a mix, you can tell all of them are from different parts of europe and Russia. The bakery in a grocery store there was amazing. I wish we had more time to sit and eat everything. Who doesn’t love a good Russian meal fight? One thing I had to try was some Piroshki. My favorite are the stuffed with meat ones. Guys … Like literally I can eat them all day everyday if someone would just come over and make them for me. (I have a sign up sheet for anyone who wants to volunteer, I pay in hugs mostly) There are different flavored ones, anything you can think of as far as Russian/ slavic cuisine its there. We spent sometime just walking around and then it was another hour to get to soho. We got of a stop in Chinatown, then ended up walking to Soho and getting some latte to go from Ladureé. Guys, ok maybe its just me.. I’m pretty sure its just me. I fell in love with that little place. Granted its not perfect you can tell its slowly losing its charm and a little worn out. I mean the traffic that goes through there. The pastry options are amazing. Highly reccomend trying. We managed to only stay for a little and then ended up meeting my husbands old coworkers/friends who moved to the city a year ago for some dinner and to catch up. They took us to the oldest pizza spot in Soho I can’t remember the name right now but I’m sure I can figure out if someone is curious. The menu wasn’t big so it was easier to decide. Cant remember what exactly we got but it had some prociutto. The pizza was really good, but it was even better with great company. That was defiantly the memorable part of the trip. You know what they say, good friends, good food and good company!.

Once we ended dinner, we went to get desserts at a crepe shop that I noticed before going for dinner which was still open. Of course Igot the Nutella and strawberry crepe I mean who am I not to get it. It was BOMB! I noticed the name of this place around the city, also can’t remember the name of it but for anyone who wants to know feel free to comment or message me.

One thing thing I forgot to make mention was seeing the flat iron building while we walked like 30 blocks. My husband btw kept a tally on how many miles we did each day and it came out to 7-8 miles every single day. That is a lot of walking folks, and if your going to ask did my feet hurt the answer is yes they did, so bad that I had bleeding blisters. Anywho back to the flat iron building, Its a landmark that I had to see. The building is beautiful, its smaller then I imagined but perfect for anyone who likes architecture. In front of the building is a mini park, and also tons of restaurants and shops. Honestly every corner of the city has something amazing to see and it’s hard to grasp it all in one day. I wish we managed that day a little better, we planned to see the Brooklyn bridge but never did because getting around was a little hard. Next time I would hit up some of the same places but not waste as much time getting there.

Ok I think this blog is long enough already, so guess what stay tuned for day 3! Yay!!!!

Xo, J

Ok, so this post was supposed to go up about two weeks ago, (or maybe more) and I actually had a whole post finished with pictures added so nicely when my app decided to crash on me. I know its totally my fault for not saving what I had written but what can you do here I am now trying to remember all the details of our trip, my memory is already faded (mom brain maxed out) but I’ll try to be as detailed as possible.

Day 1: Wednesday, November 1st 2017

We flew in to New York (JFK airport) around 1pm, knowing that we would have maybe half a day to actually explore I wanted to get as much done as possible in that short amount of time. The plan originally was to explore and see the brooklyn bridge etc. The plans didn’t go as planned (how many times can I say plan?) because it took us a hour from the airport via (airport) bus to get to our hotel. Except we didn’t get to our hotel in a hour, it took us an additional hour to get to the hotel because my wonderful husband decided it would be best to walk the streets since (instead of take a shuttle to the hotel as our drop off was at Bryant Park )and our hotel was (hotel Pennsylvania) it was maybe 10 blocks. I can’t blame him because it wasn’t fully his fault. During our trip we realized you can’t trust your phone or the map it’s so easy to get lost and go the wrong way. Maybe it was just us but somehow we managed to walk up and down 5th,6th and 7th street (a lot) during the whole 3 days lol.

While wondering around the city with our carry on luggage our check in to our hotel was at 3, we got there after because we managed to get lost, and stop for Starbucks but honestly if your in New York ever, never get starbucks not because its bad but because there are so many coffee shops why even bother. For those who may not know but hotel Pennsylvania is right across from Madison square garden which is were we stayed. When booking our trip I wanted to stay as close to budget as possible but also be in a prime location. I read so many reviews on so many hotels they all became a blur to me. I had about 3 that I kept going back and forth between but one day the hotel had a pretty fair price and well I just decided to take advantage.

The reviews on this hotel are spot on. After staying there honestly I would not recommend it even if you are like us and you are planning to be out and explore the city. You still want to come back and rest. I just felt like we stayed in a motel 6. When I was researching the prices for hotels I found it rather odd that specifically on the weekend we planned to go the prices of every hotel was through the roof. It was after halloween so honestly I didn’t understand. Our 3 nights cost us over $500. Maybe that is fair but I’m so picky that for me, I just can’t say it was a steal or bargain for that matter. Two weeks from that the prices on that specific hotel was half. So if you take away anything I would say book your trip carefully on the weekend you plan to go. Don’t overpay for a hotel even of the location because truthfully we walked everywhere that it didn’t really matter where we stayed.

If you want to see (statue of liberty, empire state building, chinatown, soho, rockefeller center, take pictures at the top of the rock etc) honestly be prepared to do walking or at least using a (VIA, Uber) service. Also if your not a pro on the subway its not worth it. You can easily get lost and waste so much money. Each time you get on and off its $3.  We also did that on day 2 which I will talk about.

Ok, totally went of subject but I wanted to be as clear as day.

Checking into the hotel wasn’t as long as I expected. The line was long but it went quick. We had a very warm welcome from the front desk got our key and I was so excited to know we had a room on the 17th floor. I couldn’t imagine the view. I mean 17th floor can you? Once we got off the elevator the hall was rather dark and smelled of strong cigarette smell, and weed. Yup you heard me Weed! The more we walked and got to our room the smell was so awful that honestly I wanted to pass out. The room was HORRIBLE. No blankets on the bed, it smelled so bad like someone had a smoking party, it was dark. It was like in the movies where someone kills somebody. Not trying to exaggerate but now I wish that I had some proof, I’m sure if I google there is plenty. I called the front desk and asked to be put in a different room in hopes that we might get a remodeled room as stated on some reviews. Well this time we went to the 10th floor. The room was slightly better but still outdated. If I was to like one thing about this hotel it would be the vault doors in every room. They are from 1912, it just made me feel like we went back in time. The hotel is very old and with some remodeling it could be a great place to stay but I wouldn’t go back.

Once we left the hotel it was more walking but we didn’t mind. We walked past Bryant park, saw the New York public library and Rockefeller plaza and got to take in all of the amazing views, then it was time to grab something to eat. We didn’t go far, while walking down the street passing a burger joint and it was already starting to get chilly so hubby and I wanted some comfort food and we went in. We both ordered the same thing except on my burger I requested with a brioche bun and not the one on the menu version. The burger we both had was rated best burgers by CNN on the menu (rated top 10). Honestly I have to say it was amazing. Maybe I’m saying it because we spent all day traveling and exploring but I would highly recommend for anyone going there to give it a try. (Bill’s bar and burger is the name of the restaurant.)

While we explored the streets, we saw the beautiful New York city library. We didn’t go in thinking there is plenty of time to walk around and we can see it another day (which we honestly didn’t have time) the beautiful architecture is picture worthy. We did manage to go into the cathedral which I’ll have to remember the name and wow was it beautiful. They had mass while we walked it but I’m so glad we saw it.

We ended up exploring time square, I honestly thought it would be bigger in person as I’ve seen in so many times in shoes and movies I guess in my head it would have been way bigger but none the less it was worth seeing. Another little stop we made before heading back to the hotel was getting a dessert at Lady M on the lower level of the Rockefeller building. This place was referred to me as many of our trip tips by the stunning @allthingsvictoria on Instagram. Before our trip she had sent me a text of a list with places to see, things to do, and most of all where to eat. I wish we could of crossed more off that list but it gives me another reason to go back.

Lady M is basically a bakery for crepe cakes. They are heavenly. First of all I love crepes so thats already a win in my book, but secondly they had a chestnut version for the fall time and I couldn’t pass it up. Still to this day my mouth waters when I think about it. I currently have a box of chestnuts in the fridge that I’m hoping to attempt and make a cake for myself lol.

One thing I love about New York besides all the sightseeing is that there is so many cafe shops and bakeries. I honestly had never drank so much coffee in a day. 2-3 cups I couldn’t fit it in my body but it was so good to pass up.

The first day seemed to go by quick for us, as we headed back to the room to get a good nights rest for a full day of exploring the next day, falling asleep to the never ending sounds of taxi drivers honking and all that city noise. I honestly couldn’t believe I finally made it to New York.

Maybe to some it might seem silly, but just imagine the expectations and dreaming of walking in the city. I was one happy girl.

Stay tuned for blog post 2 for our second day trip. With pictures followed, comment and let me know what your favorite places are in NYC. Did you go to any of the spots we saw, ate or explored?

Xo, J

My baby boy turned one, you think the first year time won’t go so fast but it seems like it completely flys. I feel like just yesterday I was planning my (first born) first birthday. Yet that was 8+ years ago and here I am doing it all over again. I noticed I’m doing a lot of things I wish I had the chance to do first time around, your learn as you go I suppose. When it came to planning Liam’s first birthday I had a few themes in mind. One was a vintage prince theme because I always wanted it do it with Adriel but never did. Another ways a simple and cute hot air balloon theme but I was afraid it would get to technical and I get really into the details so I decided to hold off, there is always next year right ? Few months before his birthday I went through my Pinterest board and I was inspired by simple arrangements, I wanted a vintage theme and after planning it out I decided on a vintage lemonade theme. Even my dad who by the way is in his late 60s said the decorations reminded him of his childhood living in Ukraine in a small village. All the galvanized decor brought some memories, and then he laughed because back then that’s what you had if you where poor, well now it’s totally in style. I wanted a home made stand so my dad built it for liam, most of the items we got from Home Depot except the wooden crates which I got from target they ended up being better quality then the ones I got from Home Depot which I returned. My dad sanded and spray painted it and I used most of the target decor which is in that dollar xention and t all came together. I can’t wait to plan more of Liam’s birthdays in the future but for now I just want to enjoy every minute with the sweetest little boy. I’m so thankful and grateful to be his mama and to have two wonderful little boys that I just adore so much. On a side note What is more cuter then a baby in a perfect little outfit, I think nothing and let’s not bring puppies into this lol. My favorite thing ever is to dress up my little liam when ever we go out of the house. Sometimes even when we don’t make it out I’ll dress him up all adorable and snap about a few hundred pictures on my phone because sometimes I just can’t help it. I still can’t believe my little nugget is already one. Where has the last 12+ months gone. I am just like any other mama afraid to blink and off to college he will go. So before I get all emotional here are just a few cute pictures of my little boy from his party just being his adorable self.

Enjoy

Xo, J