Thursday, May 30, 2013

Hot at Last!


I'm mad at myself for not getting a pic of Lil Love Bird in the pool this morning during our first seasonal visit so I'm using a "Throwback Thursday" pic above from last July. ARGHHH! She's turned into quite the waterbaby that I was so busy with her that I couldn't snap one. This little girl will straight jump into the pool so I had to be on guard the entire time!

Anyway, now that it's finally heating up here in NYC there's a lot on my mind. I think it calls for a list . . .
  • I need to work on my fitness and this post on building a fit booty is definitely an area I need some help with 
  • With graduation season upon us, this style is making me wish I was natural when I graduated
  • I'm refusing to turn on the AC despite it approaching 90 degrees, but if it gets unbearable I'm totally cranking up the AC tomorrow afternoon when Nia naps and watching the last two episodes of The Bletchley Circle that I missed (yes, I'm a PBS nerd!)
  • Speaking of trips the beautiful images in this post are the reason why I now need to go to Bali STAT!
  • I've just added another profit center that I can't wait to share with you guys and speaking of which this post about preparing for life without a salary is a great piece if you're considering ditching corporate
How is the warm weather inspiring you? (and NO it's not summer, it's still spring - one of my huge pet peeves is people calling it summer already LOL!)

 
 

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Review: Snugg Galaxy S3 Ultra Thin Case Cover in White

I'm popping back in with another post today - a review of the Snugg Galaxy S3 Ultra Thin Case Cover in white.


To recap, the Snugg case provides a super-thin texture for an easy grip on your Galaxy S3: just pop your phone right into the case and you're good to go! I've had success using mine when I don't need the wallet case I usually use. It's important to note that it doesn't cover the screen so you might want to get a cover to protect it if that's an issue for you. I use a thin screen protector/anti-glare film, but I'm sure it was due to the slipperiness of the S3 that caused me to drop it in the first place several months ago. I never lose my grip with the Snugg case!

You can purchase yours for $14.99 here. Snugg also makes iPhone and tablet covers too!

Disclosure: I received a Snugg case for purposes of this review. All opinions expressed are my own. 
 
 

Wordless Wednesday: Twins Edition



 

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Memorial Day 2013 (& Lil Love Bird's 1 Year Weaning Anniversary)

Her face sums up how I'm feeling!
Something about long holiday weekends make me tired! Do you feel like that? Plus it's been on-again, off-again rain and cold for the whole of "spring" here in NYC, and I definitely think that has something to do with my recent lethargy.

We kicked the holiday weekend off with date night . . .

Star Trek is hands down the best movie of the year - IMAX 3D is a must!
Followed by some fun daddy/daughter moments . . .


Stopped by the Sweet Spot Festival  . . .


Thank you Foster Grant for Mr. Love Bird's sunglasses! (full review to come . . .)



Annnnd I have to mention it's Nia's 1 year wean-a-versery - the past year has flown by, and it really wasn't until this past February when she spent over a week with her cousins that her eating finally became normal. Before then, she'd peck over everything like a little bird and since then she's been eating consistently and packing on the pounds (or the "heft" as we call it). I've Instagrammed how she's still obsessed with boobs and loves to put her hand down my shirt and part of me is curious what will happen in the distant, far-off future when (perhaps, maybe, someday) she has a sibling and sees him or her nursing. Will she get jealous? I'm in no way anxious to find out, but I am curious . . .

Anyway, perhaps my favorite Memorial Day weekend was when we went to Arlington National Cemetery. It really was moving and something I highly recommend doing at least once in your life. You can see our visit here

 

P.S. We had a bit of a scare yesterday when someone threw something lit down the trash chute causing a small fire and interrupting our eating festivities and our first guest's visit - we hope we didn't scare her away! LOL! Thankfully, everything was fine, but it definitely threw us off (and Nia enjoyed seeing the firetrucks).

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Nia & Sophie: How Times Have Changed

Remember way back when Nia was introduced to her Sophie?

Well things have changed . . .


Have you ever witnessed a funny instance of your child's change in attitude towards their previously favorite toy?

 

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Wordless Wednesday





 

Monday, May 20, 2013

A Great Googa Mooga Kinda Weekend


Those of you in NYC, have you dried out yet??? 

I don't think I've ever recalled such a late start to spring as the one we've had. We get a couple days of sun followed by a string of chilly rainy days. 

C'mon spring!!!

Anyway, despite the rain we still eeked out a pretty good weekend . . .

Friday

I returned from the park with Nia to find a special surprise from Foster Grant - full review to come!
A special dinner for Mr. Love Bird's return
Saturday

Our monthly brunch ritual when Mr. Love Bird returns from his monthly week away . . .then we made the trek to Great Googa Mooga. . .


Momofuku Milk Bar's crack pie that Mr. Love Bird tried was EVERYTHING! He wasn't a fan of the compost cookie which Nia and I adore

Really enjoyed Lee Fields' performance  . . .check out the quick video below!



She was too small to enjoy them when we had a layover in Paris in 2012, so I treated her to her first macaron - she chose coconut


Rain started up (and the lines to enter Great Googa Mooga got hectic) and it was time to head to my friend's baby shower anyway. . .

I adore Alice's Tea Cup! It was nice to go for a girls' afternoon. (Check out the first time I took Nia here)
Sunday



My lovely child who insists on wearing only underwear around the house O_o
You WILL NOT see me doing this with the stroller (fun to watch though!):

 
Ended the weekend at my happy place - my sweet new neighbor let me hitch a ride! {BTW you MUST try the honey goat gouda cheese}
What's on deck this week? Anyone making plans for Memorial Day weekend? (I'm hoping to see Star Trek - Trekkies unite!)
 
 

Friday, May 17, 2013

Squeaky Wheel #13: My Quest for the Perfect Smartphone Walletcase

I have a bit of an obsession with finding the perfect cell phone case (you can check out my BlackBerry Squeaky Wheel case post here) and now with my S3 it took several months before I found the right case. There was one I thought was perfect, but it arrived cracked from an overseas vendor via Amazon, who reimbursed me (love their customer service!). It was while waiting for that case that my last S3 screen cracked. Just my luck!

The search for the next case was extensive and after scouring the internet I found this one:

{Image Credit}
 Here's what I liked about it when considering purchasing it:
  • The color - I didn't want a non-descript black case but not too show-offy either; the deep shade of purple was spot-on
  • The strap - so many cases didn't have a wristlet strap or if they did they were lacking in other features
  • Ample card slots including a clear one - I liked that there was a see-through pocket to put my ID into
  • A pocket for cash - I want the ability to just put my phone, cash, ID and MetroCard into one unit and dash. I didn't want to have to carry a wallet and a phone in a case      
Well when it arrived I noticed it had a ribbon attaching the wrist strap and slowly but surely it starting unraveling . . .



I promptly contacted the company, Navor, being sure to include the picture above. They sent the following response (grammar/punctuation unedited):


Dear Valued Customer

We are sorry for the inconvenience., caused due on product issue. I have forwarded the problem to our development team to rectify it in future production .

May we send you the same wallet case New condition totally free of charge.

Please let us know if we are handling this matter appropriately & if not do write us your concerns.

We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you.

Thanks and regards.

Customer Service


And in just a few days a new one arrived. In the interim the case was still fine apart from the strap so I asked my mom what I should do to stop the fraying and she recommended Fray Check. Have you heard of it?


Well it worked like a charm and I can get a bit more life out of the existing case and will hold onto the new one for later.

Regarding protection the case has done its job. I have dropped it a few times and the edges got a little scratched up but other than that it's provided great protection. Not a crack in site!

Oh and one more note - I added a screen glare protector as I read the cards opposite the screen can have a tendency to scratch it. So far it's been OK apart from a bubble that appeared randomly underneath that I can't smooth out but three came in a pack (I gave one to Mr. Love Bird) so I'll hold out before using the last screen protector. It really does make looking at the screen much easier!

So there you have it - my S3 walletcase situation solved with outstanding customer service. I really am happy with the case - I get compliments on it all the time, and it's a breeze for running around the city with everything easily accessible!

Are you particular about your cellphone case? What are your must-have features?       

 

P.S. You can read previous Squeaky Wheel posts here.

Winner: Mastermind Giveaway

Someone was happy to have pockets!
I'm about to run out to enjoy the gorgeous sunshine that seems to be sustaining at last here in NYC, but first I wanted to share the winner of the Mastermind giveaway . . .

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats T-Nicole! I'll be in touch shortly via email for your contact info. 

(Annnnd I'll be back with a Squeaky Wheel post . . .)

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Hi Virginia! Episode 5

We're taking it outside this month . . .

    

P.S. There are a few short hours left to enter my Mastermind game giveaway here! It really is a fun game for both kids and adults =)

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Mother's Day Family Photos


 

 



Take a stroll down memory lane with our previous years' Mother's Day family photos courtesy of our church: 2010, 2011 and 2012
 
    

Monday, May 13, 2013

A Different Kind of Mother's Day

When I opened my eyes yesterday to a dim room without rays of the usual sunlight streaming in as we've been having pretty regularly lately I was a bit unsure of how Mother's Day would be. I'm greatly affected by the sunlight - or lack of sunlight I should say. 

As I reluctantly got out of bed after about 30 minutes of slogging around the sun started breaking through and the familiar rays came streaming in. I smiled and knew it was going to be an awesome day.

And it was.

In fact, it was an awesome weekend.

Saturday 









Sunday




Her dad was putting her in the car seat so her straps weren't fully adjusted yet ;-)

I won tickets via Random Handprints and was able to enjoy the show with a fellow mom friend . . .
This was the perfect ending to my weekend

Hope my mommy readers had a wonderful Mother's Day as well! 
 
    

P.S. I'll have my church's annual Mother's Day family portrait later this week . . .also stay tuned later today for episode 5 of Hi Virginia!