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My Shopping Playground

Posted on July 5, 2018

So, I don’t know about you, but I love shopping. I mean, I really LOVE to shop (LOL). But, what I don’t like is spending all of my hard-earned money to get my favorite brands if I don’t have to. So…one of my favorite places to visit is Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, NY. It’s only about 40 minutes from my house (which is great) and we love heading there for the day to find great deals and those pieces I just have to have from my favorite brands. Honestly, I get way too excited anytime we plan a trip there! Haha. For me though, going to Woodbury Common is kind of like going to a different city for the day. We literally make a day out of it. And it you want to visit all 250 different stores, you better plan on making a day of it! I mean they have everything: fashion stores, sports stores, jewelry stores, handbag stores, a playground, food, snack kiosks, a bar…literally everything!

For me, I’m never really able to find any of the brands that I like in most malls near me and unless you live in the city, where you have access to tons of brands, you’re not able to actually try on clothes and really get a vibe on how these brands fit and how they look on you. The great thing about the outlets are that even if you do live in the city where these brands are available, you’re able to find these pieces at a much better price and maybe even get a different selection than your local store might have. I know anytime I leave Woodbury Common, I always have multiple bags in hand. I always luck out there, which is why I’m such a fan! So I was super excited when I got to partner with Woodbury Common Premium Outlets to show you how my family and I spend our day shopping and having some fun!

We started our day by grabbing one of the car buggies for Nate. Even though he has grown out of a stroller, we know a full day on his feet is not the greatest idea. At first, he said he didn’t want it (I think he thinks he’s too old for it), but he quickly changed his mind & wanted to jump in it and have me push him all around. At this point, with the way I shop, I knew I was going to wear him out! (LOL) Not to mention then he can play his tablet games throughout the day and last even longer for daddy. Haha. One of the first shops we stopped at was Vilebrequin. To be honest, it’s not really a brand I knew about or have ever really seen in person but let me tell you…they are now one of my favorite brands! Nate and I found some really fun pieces that were perfect for the summer and I was shocked to find out that they are not just a bathing suit company. Though, their bathing suits are so colorfully fun and have the perfect fit, for both me and Nate! They also have some really cool terrycloth pieces and linens that are right up my alley. Nate and I had a blast trying on all the different pieces! Definitely check them out if you’re not familiar!

When at Woodbury, I always make sure to stop at Vans. I don’t think I have ever been to Woodbury Common and not bought at least one pair of Vans. This time around we picked up 4 pairs…2 for me and 2 for Nate! We even got a matching flame pair which we couldn’t wait to wear, so we threw them on as soon as we left the store. Nate got the high tops and I got my favorite slip-ons. Slip-ons (Vans and other brands included) are definitely a summer staple for me. They’re affordable, comfortable and look good with almost any outfit. If you check out my looks on Instagram, you’ll see what I mean! I found another checkered pair in mustard yellow that I loved, they didn’t have my size, but they were able to order them for me and have it shipped right to my house and I was still was able to get the discount they were offering! I thought that was awesome. Nate was actually also really excited for his new kicks! I love the fact that he is really coming into his own and now picks out the pieces he likes all on his own!

After some more stores, Nate was starting to get a little antsy, so we knew it was time to stop at the park and let him have a little fun. I mean I was having the time of my life, but let’s be honest…just going in and out of stores without a break is not going to be fun for any kid. So, being able to let him get his kicks out and have some fun in the park is a must. We also got to try these cool little treats which I have never seen called Dragon Breath. They were crunchy fruit puffs in some sort of nitrogen substance that when you ate them, allowed you to blow out steam from your nose and mouth. So weird, yet so cool! To be honest, I didn’t love the taste but they were really fun to eat and I’m definitely happy I tried them. Nathan was a bit nervous but eventually came around and gave them a try but I’m not sure he really liked them (LOL). Still something fun to try during our Woodbury outing!

From there I stopped by Club Monaco which is another brand that I have been a huge fan of, but this is the first time I purchased something from them. They’re another brand that have a lot of clean summer-time pieces with great tones. I ended up scoring a great pair of floral shorts that are the perfect length and are made from a cotton/linen blend which is a summer must! The flowers also have some added embroidery on them, which I like, since most of the time they are just a print and that added detail adds some nice texture!

On to more and more and more stores… (I was in shopping heaven)

It was finally Nate’s turn to pick a store and of course he chose Nike! This is another store I never seem to miss when we visit. Although my wife still thinks I’m a shoe fanatic, I’ve definitely toned down a bunch since my sneaker freak days, but I still like to pop in to see what great deals they have! Nate was on the hunt for some football jerseys or cleats, but unfortunately didn’t luck out, but he was super excited to find a really cool mini basketball that was perfect for his little hands. After hours of shopping and him being so well behaved, he deserved it! Plus, getting him that basketball was actually perfect timing because it kept him occupied while mommy and daddy stopped by Black Dirt Bourbon Barn and had a cider! It’s amazing that I go to Woodbury at least 3 times a year and I have never noticed this bar. I believe they said they were pretty new, so I’m sure that’s why. But now it’s definitely going to be part of my Woodbury Common shopping routine! I love the fact that it’s part bar, part liquor store and had some cool bottles of bourbon and a great selection of beer and cider. Make sure you pop in if you visit!

Next shopping stop was UNTUCKit. Their main focus is providing shirts that are designed to fall at the perfect length: whether you let it all hang out or do that slight tuck…there’s none of that sloppy excess bulk! They pretty much only make shirts but did have a few pair of pants available that I got to try on with some of their shirts. They also had a pair of slip-ons there, that of course, I’m always a sucker for! They had some great linen short-sleeve shirts (which you know I’m a fan of) and I scored a clean white linen button down. During the summer, this is another one of my go-tos. I feel like you can throw it on with shorts, jeans, dress pants, almost anything, and it instantly gives you those clean vacay vibes that I love! EXCLUSIVE PROMO ALERT: UNTUCKit is giving all my followers 20% OFF Your Purchase if you mention code PREP20! (expires 7/20/18)

On to more and more and more stores… (still in shopping heaven and Nate and my wife were both still hanging in there with me LOL I always last longer than both of them when shopping at Woodbury!)

One of the last stores I stopped at is one of my favorite brands…Theory. I actually have quite a few pieces from them and they’re definitely pieces I wear over and over and never seem to get sick of. They’re just classic and clean. They had so many great pieces I liked like this stripe on stripe shirt and shorts combo. I’m really into the matching shorts and button-down looks lately but have yet to purchase one until now! I’m all about those matchy-matchy summer vibes, especially in some sort of pattern or print. Even though I went there looking for summer pieces, one of my favorite things to shop for at Woodbury this time of year is leather and suede jackets. This time of year, jackets that are normally really expensive you can score for a 1/4 of the price, and I did! I was so excited when I found this amazing Navy Suede biker jacket. I couldn’t resist! And I don’t even have to wait until fall or winter to rock it, I can actually wear it on cooler summer night with a plain white tee and let the jacket speak for the outfit. I was able to get it for such a great price with the help of the discount Theory is offering my followers. EXCLUSIVE PROMO ALERT: Theory is giving all my followers $50 off purchases of $250 or more! (expires 7/31/18)

Last but not least, it was time for a Wertz family tradition to hit up Shake Shack! This is a must for us to eat at any time we are at Woodbury. Give me a shake burger, bacon-cheese fries and a salted-caramel shake please! NOM NOM NOM So good! Ok, maybe not the last stop, because another one of my favorite stores, All Saints, is right next door! We literally only had 15 minutes left before all the stores were about to close (yep we were here all day & I loved it), but it was just enough time for me to pop in, scout it out and score a really cool suede leopard print card holder! Yeah, I said it…suede leopard print. It’s awesome and was only $15! I also walked away with a burnt orange Hawaiian style shirt. That print just caught my eye and I couldn’t leave without it. Printed flowy button-downs are also a summer staple for me. Whether on vacation or actually any summer weekend, they’re definitely another one of my go-to’s! Check out my instagram (@BlueCollarPrep) looks for some outfit inspo if you’re hesitant on the bold print shirts. I’m a huge fan! I was in such a rush at All Saints, that I didn’t get a chance to shoot and share these pieces with you, but I plan on wearing and shooting these pieces very soon and you’re going to love them!

Once again, I scored some amazing pieces at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. Like I said…it’s one of my favorite places to shop and I always score unique pieces, from top brands, that are in my budget. I rarely find an entire outfit from one specific store but just love popping into each and (almost) every store, to see what pieces I can find. I don’t know why, but I get such excitement from scoring such a dope piece, that’s on sale (LOL) from some of my favorite brands! Next time you’re looking for that one-stop-shop to get out of your city or town for the day, to do some shopping and eating, try Woodbury! And if you need some store guidance, hit me up, I’m starting to become all too familiar with this place! Haha.

Family Reviews Style

Red, White & (Old) Navy

Posted on June 29, 2018

Now that summer has officially kicked off and July is right around the corner, Nate and I can’t wait for July 4th! Nathan is super patriotic and loves all things American, so it was fun to pick out these outfits with him. We teamed up with one of our favorite brands, Old Navy, to get coordinating outfits for July’s BBQ season. With this beautiful NY weather, and school finally out, we can’t help but want to constantly be outside exploring, so we took Nate to a local farm to just roam around and get fresh apple cider donuts. This is normally one of our fall routines, but we were just in the mood to be outside and figured we’d see what goodies we could get this time of year.

On the way to the farm, Nate spotted a huge American Flag on the side of a barn so we had to check it out and take some shots in front of it! Nate and I both wore black (panther) Old Navy shorts. Nate’s wearing the Canvas Cut-Off Shorts and I’m wearing the 6″ Built-In Flex Shorts. I really love the length of these shorts and love the fact that Old Navy has so many different lengths to choose from. I like my shorts on the short side, and they aren’t always easy to find. I know a lot of guys don’t feel comfortable wearing a shorter length, so it’s nice that Old Navy provides different length options! Vintage style band shirts will never go out of style. They’re just classic! They have a vintage American feel that is perfect for those summer time vibes. The pairing of my Rolling Stones 3/4-Sleeve Tee with the slightly distressed black color shorts and these Round Top-Bar Sunglasses with the blue mirrored lens had me feeling like a summer time rock star!

Nate paired his panther shorts with the Soft-Washed Printed Mini Blue Stripe shirt which has a seersucker kind of stripe and an American Flag peace sign. I have to say, the only thing I don’t like about this shirt is that they don’t make a matching shirt for men! I love it. Nate actually has an Old Navy jacket from last season with the same peace sign and I love that on too! Of course he had to have the American Flag Sunglasses (unfortunately they’re sold out, but still might be in your local Old Navy) to match our Americana outfits and I think it was just what he needed to play up those USA vibes!

We are both officially ready for the 4th of July. Hope everyone has a happy and safe one!

Family Reviews Style Travel

Our Mini Getaway with Oyster Bay

Posted on June 13, 2018

Father’s Day is a special day for me. Having lost my father at a young age, it means a lot to be able to do the things I wish I could do with my father, with my son. Not to mention, what’s better than getting to spend the full day with my family, and getting to do whatever I choose for us to do. As Nate would say, “It’s your day, Daddy!”. I love hearing him call me daddy. Even though he’s almost 6 already, hearing his little voice say “daddy” will never get old, and still touches me the way it did when he said it for the very first time. I’m a mush for this kid!

Honestly, for me, what I love doing most is pretty simple – it’s really just being able to have a day, with no distractions, and getting to enjoy my little family. We decided to do a little local getaway, to make it feel like we were on a true vacation, and to get us away from the house distractions. Instead of heading to the city like we normally do, my wife booked us a room at The Time Hotel in Nyack, NY. Nyack is a cute little town right by the Hudson River, and has this really cool modern-style hotel (The Time) just blocks from the town. As soon as we got there, I had already forgotten we were just 45 minutes from home and immediately felt like we were miles away from reality.

I started my day by getting an awesome snuggle sesh with Nate in the morning and wifey started me off right and quickly got me a glass of Merlot from Oyster Bay. Despite wanting to keep it simple for Father’s Day, it’s still always nice to kick it up a notch, by adding in a nice bottle of wine to elevate the occasion just a tad bit more! Now don’t judge me, but when I’m on a vacation, whether it be for a day, weekend, or week, I usually enjoy a drink or two throughout the day. I mean who doesn’t? Now I’m not talking about spring break style drinking LOL, but just a few glasses throughout my day to keep me relaxed and as a constant reminder that it’s a special day!

After my snuggle sesh, we went straight to the pool! While loungin’ we ordered some pool-side snacks to go with our Oyster Bay. The Merlot paired so nicely with our maple honey smoked bacon slabs (drizzled with a balsamic glaze) and our honey drizzled goat cheese crostinis. Nate loved the bacon (but I guess who doesn’t love bacon) and I’m always a sucker for some crostini. Just having these sides paired with our glasses of merlot, in such a chic pool setting, really just made our pool time feel that much more special. I got to play with Nate in the pool and he got to show off by showing us how far he can swim. It’s so cute, because he’s becoming such a little fish when it comes to the water and is always pushing himself to see if he can swim from one end of the pool to the other. He impresses me every day! Shockingly he also actually let me and Sarina just lay and relax for a little…and that never happens! LOL Thanks Nate!

After getting dressed up and ready to head out for dinner, we got to enjoy a pre-dinner glass of wine while we checked out some of the cool art in the lobby and caught up on some sports on the T.V. in the lounge. This hotel had some really cool artwork and a lot of different design elements that made it fun to explore around. We just kind of kept a slow pace, taking in the hotel decor, strolling through the lobby, and sipping our Oyster Bay.

After dinner we head back to our room, and you guessed it, more snuggling was had, and Nate and I had our usual jumping on the bed session. I don’t know how all this sounds to an outsider, but to me, it really is all about the little things, and it was the perfect weekend. Playing in the pool with my boy, relaxing with a glass of Oyster Bay with my wife, exploring a new place or town with the family, catching a glimpse of sports on the T.V. together, and overall just taking it slow and enjoying each other….it’s these little things, with no work or home distractions, that really makes it feel special for me. I truly enjoy relaxing days like this that make me appreciate life. Thanks for my little Father’s Day getaway fam!

Family Reviews Style

Father’s Day With Angels Envy

Posted on June 11, 2018

Fathers come in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes they’re not even your biological father. I lost my father when I was at the young age of 15. I didn’t have my father around at the most important time in my life…when I was starting to become a man. After he passed, it wasn’t for another 4 years before I had another man/father figure as part of my life. Luckily, my mother has great taste in men and met my now stepfather, Joe.

It took me awhile to warm up to him and I couldn’t get past how much I missed my father. I think what really allowed me to begin to accept him as part of the family was that he never tried to take my father’s place, but just always treated my mother right and was always there for me if I ever needed him. He really just became a friend. My mother and Joe have been together for 20 years now, and he is someone I look up to, enjoy being around, and value as a friend. I know if I ever need anything he is there for me.

One of the many things we now bond over is our love for whiskey! At every special occasion when we get together, we usually take turns bringing a new bottle and sharing it with each other. Or, sometimes we don’t even need the special occasion, and just want to share our new bottle with each other LOL. This Father’s day we decided to get together and bond over some fishing and some Angels Envy. Joe is a man’s man and loves the outdoors. He likes hiking, fishing, and overall just any activity where he’s one with nature, so a day of fishing and whiskey was right up his alley. I knew as soon as I mentioned my plans for the day, his eyes would light up, and I was right. We had way too much fun! He loves telling bad jokes LOL and most of the time I have to give a fake chuckle after the punchline, but that day, he was on point with the jokes!

Even though no one caught a fish that day, we still enjoyed ourselves. Angels Envy is hand crafted in small batches, and I feel like small batch whiskey always seems to be my favorite. Maybe they’re able to concentrate on the details more when the whiskey is made in small batches. Angels Envy is super smooth, even when drinking it neat, and we had no burning sensation. It has a nice after taste, is not bitter, and has a sweet under-note which made us want to keep drinking more. A little fact for the whiskey fans out there – they actually lose 5% of the batch each year letting it age for typically 6 years. The end result is worth the loss though! They then finish off the aging process in a port wine cask for another 3-6 months. Overall, us whiskey guys over here are a fan! It is very enjoyable and has a nice maple-vanilla smell.

After our little fishing outing, my step father took the bottle but wouldn’t leave until we made plans for an encore the following weekend…same place, same time, and same bottle of our Angels Envy. If you’re looking for a new whiskey to try out, look for the pretty wings on the bottle!

Family Reviews Style

Finding Inspiration in Beacon

Posted on June 10, 2018

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After recently taking Nate to a painting class and then introducing him to the LIFEWTR artist profiles of students who created the cool labels on the LIFEWTR bottles, Nate has been a little more in tune with his creative side. Whenever we’re exploring a new town or city, I’m always drawn to check out artwork and murals, so I think my interest in street art has gotten Nate a little intrigued in the arts as well. We love exploring Beacon, NY. It’s an eclectic little up and coming city that is known for their arts community. We’re lucky enough to only be 20 minutes from Beacon, the home of a contemporary art museum which houses a collection of art from the 1960’s to the present. When we told Nate where we were going, I was actually a little shocked that he was so excited to check it out again! He’s been there before and really likes the crushed car exhibit. It was so cool to see how into it he was and how many questions he had. To be honest, I didn’t get most of the art myself, but I can still appreciate it. I thought if I tried to explain it to him from the descriptions they had at each exhibit, it would lose him, because to be honest, I couldn’t really understand it myself LOL. Most of the time I answered his questions and told him something that I thought would just let his imagination run!

Before heading off to our next spot, we picked up some LIFEWTR at our nearby 7-Eleven…my son loves the bottles with the sports caps so he can squirt it right into his mouth, or mine. He also thought it was a good idea to bring these because they’re “artsy” and we were going somewhere “artsy”, so it just made sense. He’s too cute.

Beacon is a great town to visit. Besides the museum, they have a lot of great places to eat, cute little stores, and a killer donut shop where you can customize your own donuts. Now that’s my kind of art! (LOL) It was such a nice day, we finished our donuts and at Nate’s request, decided to walk around. Down the street from the donut shop they have a really cool mural of a faceless man on a brick wall. As I mentioned, I love street art, and it was cool to show and remind Nate that not all art is displayed at a gallery or museum. He was impressed and loved the massive display!

The sun that day just kept us wanting to stroll around, so we did. We took a walk along the abandoned train tracks which actually brought us to a cool little brewery. I was driving so I didn’t partake in any of the beer and just stuck with my LIFEWTR!

It was a fun little day to just finally be outside, walking around. Normally I feel like we’re always on the go, rushing to our next commitment, but that day was an amazingly slower than normal pace and we all enjoyed it. We also got to show Nate some artwork that normally you might just walk by everyday and not really take it in, but someone did use their creativity to create it, and some of it is really impressive. We ended our trip by a little waterfall, which we told Nate was nature’s version of art! It was so peaceful to just sit there, sun beaming down, listening and mesmerized at the falling, glistening water.

After my 2 recent projects with LIFEWTR it definitely helped me realize to not just assume I know all of my son’s interests. We tried a painting class together for the first time, then had a painting session of our own at home, and then brought him back to a museum we originally thought he had no interest in, but surprisingly was super excited to go back. I love being able to expose Nate to new things, especially when he’s secretly learning while having fun!

Family Reviews Style

Head-to-Toe Twinning

Posted on June 7, 2018

Summer weather is finally upon us and I’m ready to bust out the bright colors and floral prints! I’m not the only one feeling this way…Nate is ready too. We partnered up with one of our favorite brands to find matching outfits. One of my favorite things about Old Navy is that when I pick out an outfit, we can pretty much find the exact outfit or coordinating pieces for Nate so we can get our matchy-matchy on.

We recently spent the day walking around Cold Spring, NY, just getting out to enjoy the nice weather, checking out some of the cool local stores, and of course stopping by Moo Moo’s, the homemade ice cream shop. They have the best ice cream! If you haven’t been, I would definitely check this little town out. It’s right by the water and is a beautiful little strip with some antique shops, some great restaurants, and is actually where my wife and I tied the knot…so we always have a little place in our heart for this town. There’s nothing sweeter than walking down the street and hearing the awww’s and OMG’s at how cute Nate and I are in our matching outfits. He’s the coolest, funniest and smartest little boy, and I’m so proud to be his daddy and have been a part of his creation. It also makes me feel really cool that Nate actually likes matching me. I mean if a kid this cool thinks I’m cool, I have to be at least some kind of cool! LOL

When I saw the Old Navy Getaway shirt, I thought the colors and floral pattern had a vintage kind of vibe that I liked, so I wanted to play that up. Nate got the exact same shirt and we both rocked white tank tops underneath, which I thought would also help give our looks more of that old school vibe. I actually never wear undershirts like this so this was something new for me and I kind of liked it! I paired my top with their Slim-Fit Built-In Flex Ultimate Shorts (6″) because I love how short the length is and the color matched perfectly. I’m not really a big fan of long shorts and feel like the length was perfect for the look I was going for. Nate loves wearing comfortable sweat shorts and has a few pairs of the drop crotch style, so we went with the style he’s wearing because we know they always looks good on him. I think they’re sold out online, but these are pretty similar! Plus, he’s a little skinny minnie, so we tend to lean towards elastic waste bottoms for him to ensure a good fit. The color also matched the pair I was wearing pretty well, without having to be the same exact pair.

I know I’ve said this plenty of times before but I cannot believe I’ve become that dad that loves matching outfits with his son. I seriously love it and I think Nate does too. Old Navy is the perfect place for those “Mini Me” styles. We always seem to luck out here when we’re looking for a fun summery matching outfit!

Family Reviews Travel

A Weekend in Newport

Posted on May 15, 2018

Not all vacations have to be a big trip, and you don’t need to fly hours away from home to have a good vacation. My family and I really love small weekend getaways and just overall exploring new places together. Newport, Rhode Island is only 3 hours from us and we had never been there as a family before. It’s a beautiful scenic town with lots of cute shops, mega mansions, and relaxing beaches.

Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to stay at the Grace Vanderbilt Hotel in Newport, Rhode Island for the weekend. When we first pulled up I didn’t realize how close to town the hotel was going to be, so we immediately got really excited to know that the middle of town was just a short walk down the block! We didn’t arrive until Late Friday night, but luckily got there just in time for s’mores by the fire. What’s more welcoming than s’mores by a cozy fire right when you arrive, right? It was really cute and we all had a blast shoving our face with the giant marshmallows they had.

As soon as we got to the room (which I’ll get to in a minute), we dropped off our bags and then we walked down the block to a bar right on the corner. Since we got there kind of late, we had the itch to check out the town before bed, so we stopped in for a late night dinner, and it was just what we needed! They had really good live music and great food. It was the perfect way to start off our little weekend adventure.

Within the first 2 hours of being at the Grace Vanderbilt we had already felt like we had done so much and forgot that we had just arrived. Luckily their pool is open until 10PM, because we love a late night swim, so we followed up our food and drinks with a dip in their indoor pool and Nate got to practice his snorkel skills!

Now let’s get back to the room! Let me just start off by saying that this is one of those rooms where it’s hard to get yourself to leave. As soon as you enter you’re welcomed by these super high ceilings, crown molding, beautiful built-in book cases, tall windows that let in a lot of light, and just overall, a sophistication of detail. This room seemed more like an apartment than a hotel room. There was the main bathroom, which had a claw foot bathtub, and inside they had a little corner set up that said “Nathan’s Corner”, along with some kid’s shampoo and soaps. It was really cute and Nate really got a kick out of it! In the living room they also had a little camping tent with a teddy bear set up for Nathan. What hotel does that for kids? It was really so sweet and made my son immediately a fan of this place. You wouldn’t think a hotel like this would be so kid friendly. It’s so refined and upscale that you think you’re going to have to keep telling Nate not to touch anything LOL, but it’s not like that at all. The bedroom, which had a huge King Bed and another amazing master bath with two sinks and a stand up shower, was gorgeous. It connected to the rest of the space with beautiful sliding doors. The room itself was so nice I couldn’t help to ask my wife if we should sell the house and get an apartment like this somewhere LOL. It was just perfect. The reason Nate loved it was because the ceiling’s were so high he could pass his plush toy football to me without it hitting the ceiling like in our house haha. I almost forgot to mention, we were also welcomed with a plate of cookies that included icing and sprinkles that we got to decorate together. Again, these little welcoming details, were just top notch!

We started day two off with breakfast in their Garden Terrace Cafe. Sarina and Nate had the pancakes (with Nate getting the chocolate chips) and I had the hazelnut french toast with berries. What a way to start our morning with a yummy breakfast and the picturesque room with sunlight shining through. When we got back to our room there was a paper in the tent for Nate that gave him instructions for a scavenger hunt. I’m pretty sure Nate thought his elf on a shelf put it there LOL. He had to go and ask different people around the hotel questions and he got a prize at each station. It was so cute watching him with his little paper and pencil, reading the clue himself and checking them off. When he got all of them except the last one complete, he had to go back to the room for a final surprise (spoiler alert, it was a yummy cupcake). Again, the efforts they put in with these little details for the kids is absolutely adorable and Nate definitely appreciated it!

We then hopped in the car and drove about 15 minutes from the hotel to a beach, and from there we walked along the cliff walk. The walk can be long if you take it to the end, but from my understanding you can see some of the mansions along the way. We didn’t walk the entire path, because we knew we’d need to walk back and Nate wouldn’t have it in him, but we did get to see some pretty big house from the walkway and there were also some little cut-ins to walk off the path and on to the rocks, but mommy didn’t let us get too adventurous, because she’s always a nervous wreck of Nate and I when we get too close to the edge of anything LOL.

After the walk we sat on the beach and had a picnic with a cute little basket that Grace Vanderbilt put together for us. It had sandwiches, water, cookies, and some local soda. It was cute to sit together and enjoy one of the very first warm spring days we had right by the water. It was recommended that we see at least one of the mansions while we were in Newport and if you’re going to see one, the Breakers Mansion is it. At first I thought it was pretty expensive at $30 pp but it was actually worth it! It was a beautiful site and was a pretty cool self-guided tour. The tour gave each of us headphones and a smart phone and it just played as you walked at your own pace. They had a children’s version, which my wife and I thought would be more suitable for us as well LOL. I was so impressed at how much Nate was into it. During the tour he would keep telling me facts he had heard that caught his attention. I mean, I even caught myself daydreaming, but there he was all about it, listening to every word. He mentioned parts of the tour that I honestly didn’t even remember. I just couldn’t believe how attentive he was to the audio tour. It was definitely really cool and interesting!

Once we got back into town we walked around, grabbed some food, Nate tried lobster for the first time and loved it, got some fudge, had some ice cream, and I got myself my traditional dad cap as I’ve been starting to get on every family trip. We then headed back to the Grace Vanderbilt for dinner at their on-site restaurant. At The Vanderbilt Grill they had a piano player, who was great and really set the mood. We love any live music while we’re eating, so it was a plus! The food was so good and they had a great drink menu. I started with the Seafood and Sesame, which was light and refreshing, and had the Dry Aged Filet of Beef as my main course, which was rich in flavor and melted in my mouth. For dessert we had beignets, which I was really excited about because I had always wanted to try them. This was the first time I’ve actually seen a restaurant offer them and since I’m not sure when I’m going to make it to New Orleans, I had to have them LOL. It was a great dinner! We were pretty tired, but I had promised Nate we would play a game of pool before bed so they actually sent the dessert up to the room so we could play pool while they were preparing it and then we got to enjoy the dessert in our room. That was the perfect option for us and Nate! They had a beautiful pool table in an elegant and masculine room. I could totally picture me and the fellas drinking some scotch and just totally hanging in this room. It was the perfect ending to a great day and night!

The next morning before we left Grace Vanderbilt they had a “tiny tea” for Nate, by the same fireplace where we had enjoyed the s’mores. We were served little PB&J sandwiches, little pastries, and some fruit with chocolate dipping sauce. It was really cute and we ate it while playing a game of chess by the fire. Although it was time, we didn’t want to leave. We definitely could’ve moved in!

Everything about the Grace Vanderbilt was absolutely perfect. Every inch of the hotel is beautiful, the attention to detail to all of their guests, especially the children, is on point, the hotel location is key, and the staff was amazing and on another level. For such a short little trip, they really made us feel welcomed and went above and beyond. This hotel has officially made Newport one of my fave local spots to weekend at. Grace Vanderbilt, thank you again for an amazing weekend, and we cannot wait to come back!

Family Home Reviews Style

Greens for Mother’s Day

Posted on May 9, 2018

It’s finally starting to feel like spring in NY. The sun’s out, birds are chirping, flowers are starting to bloom, and Mother’s Day is around the corner! I love holidays, especially ones where you get to show your appreciation and love for the special woman in your life. This woman does it all, and is the best wifey and mommy to her 2 boys. From laundry, to cleaning, to helping Nate with his school projects, shooting and editing all of my blog photos, and working her day job, it’s no wonder she freaks out that there’s not enough time in the day sometimes! She works from home so she’s in her office a lot and has slowly been trying to redo her space and make it less chaotic and more of an inspiring work space, so I thought us helping her with this would be the perfect gift!

This Mother’s Day I teamed up with JCPenney, to show you that you don’t have to break the bank on a gift, and also be able to find that piece you know she’ll love. From jewelry to apparel and home decor to those unique gifts you wouldn’t normally think of, JCPenney has a huge selection. They’re the one-stop shop for just about any Mother’s Day gift you can think of, with the best prices. No matter what kind of gift I decided to go with I knew I could find it here. Now I know I could have just went the easy route and stopped by the jewelry department and picked up something there, but I wanted to do something a little different this year.

She loves green plants. Real or fake, she just loves adding them to our home. We have a bunch of cacti, a palm, and then some little fake guys mixed in all around our house. And I do agree, they just add that freshness to our space. Unfortunately, we don’t get a lot of light in our house and most of the plants, besides the cactus, end up dying. My wife has been talking about finding a faux hanging plant for her office corner, so Nate and I took to JCPenney.com to do some searching, and luckily, we found what we were looking for! They had the perfect plant with just the right amount of droopiness! It’s the perfect size, is potted in a clean, white pot, and looks close to being real! It’s actually really pretty and I’m pretty proud of ourselves for finding it!

We picked up a white ceiling hook, and as soon as we hung it up, we knew she was going to love it! It hangs at just the right height, right above her desk decor and really completes that part of the room, and adds some depth to her new wall tapestry. We did good, Nate! We couldn’t wait for mommy to come home and see her new plant. We were right, she loved it! Just sitting at her new desk in her office that is slowly starting to come together, I can definitely see how working in a space like this, is much more relaxing when she’s juggling so much on the day to day. We love you mommy and appreciate all you do!

Check out this plant we found on JCPenney.com! It will seriously add the perfect touch of leafy greens to any room, whether you get that natural sunlight or not! We love it!

Family Reviews Style Travel

A Week at Sunscape Curacao

Posted on April 24, 2018

It’s no secret by now that my family and I love the Caribbean! That clear blue water and those beautiful beaches have us coming back trip after trip. This time, we decided to visit the beautiful island of Curacao. I have been wanting to visit the island for some time now and I’ve always heard it was a great island for scuba diving. Even though we didn’t get to dive this trip, we’ll definitely be going back, and when we do, diving is on the list! To be honest with you, I didn’t realize how much there was to do on the island! I honestly thought it was just a small diving island, but to my surprise, it was so much more!

We stayed at the all-inclusive Sunscape Curacao Resort. As soon as we got to the resort it was party time! We arrived on Saturday at around 1pm and the resort was bumping. It was actually also St. Patty’s day, but we did learn that they put on a show most days of the week. They had a DJ platform over one of the pools and everyone was dancing, drinking, interacting, playing the sports activities, and just all around there was energy everywhere! It was a little different than the trips we’ve taken in the past. Most of the time we usually stay at more quiet resorts, which we love, and at first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like a party, upbeat atmosphere, but it was actually a nice change from what we normally do! Nathan really liked the fact that there was always something happening to keep him entertained. When we weren’t snorkeling or getting our nap time on the beach, we were playing soccer, volleyball, checkers (they had a giant life-sized board which he loved), shuffleboard, rock climbing (they have their own rock climbing wall), or ping pong. It was great! It was really nice to be able to enjoy all these activities together without ever having a reason to say “I can’t right now bud”. Sadly, a lot of time during the week, we’re working or doing house chores and we don’t get to do all these little things whenever he wants us to. So, when on vacation, I make sure to never say “not now”. I might say “after this Pina Colada” though (LOL).

On top of the activities, there was so much food…I mean, I must’ve gained at least 15lbs while I was there. That’s another thing on vacation I never say NO too…food! They had a huge breakfast buffet that served everything from oatmeal to pancakes, and omelettes to fried plantains…you name it, they had it. I actually had oatmeal everyday. I don’t know what it was about their oatmeal, but it was soooo good. It’s weird, because I never eat oatmeal like that (especially on vacation) but it was just so good! Usually after breakfast (if we didn’t have an excursion or trip planned) we headed right to the beach. Make sure to get there early and claim your chair because people get there super early and do the same. The beach was small but pretty awesome. If you didn’t get a cabana or umbrella you could usually find a set of chairs under a palm for some shade, which I actually thought was cooler than an umbrella. While laying there it wasn’t uncommon to see a giant iguana walking around…pretty cool! The island is pretty windy (similar to Aruba, if you’ve been) which is nice, since it’s also very hot, so it keeps it cool. The resort has a rock wall built around the beach about 30 yards out, which makes the swimming area a calm pool. It also acts as a small reef and attracts some fish to look at while snorkeling right off the beach. Nate is really becoming a pro at this snorkeling!

The pools were huge and nothing beats a swim up bar! Since we were part of the Sun Club we also had access to a pool that only members could use. Unfortunately, we didn’t find the exclusive pool until our second to last day. The resort was so big I didn’t even realize there was another wing with a private beach and cabanas for Sun Club members! (LOL) Duh!

For lunch we normally hit up the Bluewater Grill where they had burgers, hot dogs, chicken and steak sandwiches. You also had another option for lunch to go eat from the World Cafe Buffet. There they had a stacked selection of food to choose from. Don’t miss the little window right near the buffet that serves the BEST, and I mean BEST cookies and cream (somewhat melty) ice cream cones. They were incredible and we always made sure to be back near the pool area when they were serving it!

The island is full of adventures, so we wanted to make sure we got to experience a good majority of them. We took a private tour with our airport transportation guy, Taxi Max. We left early to start the day and our first stop was to go see the flamingoes. Unfortunately, they were kind of far away, but you could see their pink, little pretty silhouettes in the distance. To be honest, I would probably pass on this if you’re expecting to see them up close, because I was a little disappointed. I wanted to get up close to take some photos! Maybe in Aruba I’ll get to. Taxi Max then took us somewhere (I forget the name of the place!) where we went on a brief hike (which Nathan loved) and we got to do some exploring down a narrow path and up some stairs made out of natural rock. When you finally get to the end of the walk you come upon a bench at the end of a cliff where you’re able to look down into a canal-like opening where you can take in the beautiful view of the crashing ocean. The coolest part of all is that you’re able to spot turtles swimming around in the water down below. It was here, that made us really want to now get in the water and start swimming with those little guys. Next stop, Playa Grandi beach! When first arriving at the beach you probably wouldn’t think much of it, but once you’re in the water, you realize why Max took us here. The fishermen clean their fish right off the beach and throw the guts in the water. This sounds gross, but you actually don’t see them doing this or anything in the water! What you do see is the many turtles that know where they can come for food. There were so many turtles it was amazing! If you swim about 50 yards out there is a reef where you can see some cool fish as well and even a pretty cool sunken statue. We just love swimming with turtles, so this was definitely a favorite spot of ours!

Once back at the hotel we were able to eat at one of the 5 options for dinner. There was the Italian restaurant, Da Mario, The Bluewater Grill, The World Cafe buffet, Oceana Seafood Restaurant, and our favorite place for dinner, the hibachi place, Himitsu. Usually after dinner we would either get a drink from the bar and get ready for the entertainment to start or go to Coco Cafe and get a hot or frozen cappuccino and a chocolate one for Nate. For late night entertainment they always had something going on to watch. Sometimes it was trivia games where they would ask for volunteers to go against each other and entertain everyone else, sometimes it was musical entertainment, and sometimes it was a parade or a show. One night they put on a spectacular show on the beach that had all kinds of fire spinning, twirling, dancing, and all this crazy stuff…it was very cool. We were lucky enough that we could see it from our room so once Nate started getting tired we could sit on the balcony and cuddle and still see it. We had a great view from our room!

Due to a storm in NY, Jet Blue decided to cancel our flight home which left us on the island for an extra 5 days! Even though we were initially shocked and thrown off, we decided to make the best of it. We decided to check out some more of the Island and since we loved Playa Grandi beach so much, we went back for some more turtle swimming! Be prepared…it is an hour drive from the resort, but it’s totally worth it! On the way back, we decided to stop at Shete Boka National Park. This was another highlight of the trip. Even though it was super hot you’re able to drive to the different sites in the park and see everything pretty quickly. The coolest thing we saw was a really cool blow hole. Nate really got a kick out of how high the water would shoot up between the rocks. It was beautiful. There was also a really cool natural bridge there as well. Nate and I also got to stack some rocks, which seems to be a thing to do there (LOL). We always love water activities the most, but since we had all this extra time on the island we wnated to make sure we saw as much of it as possible. Plus, Nate loves anytime we do hiking and exploring.

Not far from the hotel, about a 5 minute walk, is Mambo Beach. Though there were some cool restaurants and a beautiful beach, we didn’t spend too much time at the beach. This was definitely an upbeat and fun beach, but we had the same at our hotel. We did have some rolled up ice cream and walked around just to check it out, which was still fun.

A must when visiting Curacao is going to Willemstad. It’s such an amazing little city! It’s got beautiful colored buildings, tons of restaurants, a cool bridge which lights up with different colors at night, a fun fountain you can play in, and an old fort turned into shopping center which you can still get some history out of. We actually got to spend Sarina’s birthday in Willemstad. We took her out to eat at Porto. They had an amazing singer who could not have been more spot on with his voice and song choices. The food was ridiculous, and the whole family could not have been happier during our dining experience with them! In the middle of the fort they also had a bunch of restaurants & bars with a musician playing for everybody. Ever artist they had was really good and brought a lot of energy into the night. It’s just such a cute little area with great ambiance! We ended up visiting Willemstad a few times because we liked it so much, and we also liked the fact that you could go to a food truck and get an order of yummy churros for only 3$ (LOL).

During our stay on the island we also got to visit another amazing restaurant, Limoncello By The Sea, which had a great ambience and delicious food. It’s situated in the bay, which lends for a beautiful view. Ahhh, to be back there right now, eating my plate, stealing some bites of my wife’s and sipping some wine. I miss it so much!

We really couldn’t have been happier on this trip. The entertainment staff at the Sunscape Curacao was amazing. “Mr. Choco” and the “Candy Man” put on a show everyday and kept the party going. They always had so much energy and were super polite and friendly to my whole family. I have to also thank Chantilly from the Sunscape Curacao. She was absolutely amazing at making sure my entire family had a VIP experience. She was constantly asking if there was anything she could do for us, she gave us recommendations for island activities and made sure we had an unforgettable trip. She honestly went above and beyond. Thank you Chantilly (last photo of her & Nate) and all of the staff at Sunscape Curacao. Our not-so-planned extended vacay in Curacao was truly memorable. We’re already ready to come back!

Family Reviews

Getting Creative With LIFEWTR

Posted on April 12, 2018

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I teamed up with LIFEWTR and 7-Eleven to help communicate their belief that inspiration is as essential to life as water! LIFEWTR partnered up with some amazing artists to turn each of their bottles into a canvas for new art. Their current series focuses on arts in education and features the artwork of 3 young artists. (You can learn more about their initiative to bring art back into the schools here.) After reading about these creative individuals and being reminded of just how important art education is in our childhood, I felt the need to experience something new and artistic with Nate. So, we decided to take a paint class together! I’m not sure why, but we’ve never taken Nate to an art class before, and after going to one, I can’t believe it was our first. He loved it! I think the fact that we had an instructor, there were other kids around, we got to do it together, and the fact that he had all the right equipment (easel, paint brushes, etc.) it made it feel more legit and cool to him…rather than just sitting down at the table with some paper and water colors. We both learned some new techniques and had a real fun time together. We’ll definitely be going back!

Nate was so into his painting class, he wanted to have another painting day at home once I got home from work. I always stop at 7-Eleven for a coffee on my way home, so while I was there I grabbed some snacks and these super vibrant LIFEWTR bottles that caught my attention. Nate loves when a water bottle has a sports top so he can squeeze it into his mouth, so I made sure to grab a few! At home it’s a little easier to get distracted, so we made sure we got him an easel, brushes, and canvas, to make it feel just like the class. We then took some of the skills we learned and used them at home to create some art for Mommy’s office. I love art and have always loved it, but to be honest, when it comes to drawing or anything related to art, I’m pretty pathetic (LOL). My wife on the other hand, as with everything else she does, is really good. I’m hoping Nate takes after her! It was fun to do this with Nate because Sarina (my wife) normally is the one working on all his art projects with him and teaching him, so it felt good to be the one guiding him this time around. She’s really good at teaching him and explaining things to him in ways that he understands and to keep him interested, and I really think she’s the one that is going to inspire him to be artistic. Back to painting! We know mommy loves her cactus, so we found a picture of one online and traced what we saw on the canvas. I thought for starters it would be easier to trace it, rather than freehand since I can’t draw and Nate, being the perfectionist he is, I could see getting frustrated with me (LOL). We then grabbed our brushes, filled up the paint containers, and pulled up the picture on our laptop. We started by painting the cactus green. It was actually Nate’s idea to use a smaller brush to outline it first, and then use a larger brush to fill in the inside. He definitely walked away from our painting class with some new knowledge! Once we let the green dry, we moved onto the pink flowers. Nate and I tend to goof around and get silly with each other a lot, and we had a little too much fun fooling around and bumped into the canvas and messed up one of the flowers. At first he was upset that it got messed up but quickly stood back and reassured me it still “looked cool” (do not tickle the painter while he is next to the canvas).

While we were waiting for our painting to dry to move onto the next steps, we took a LIFEWTR break. I was showing Nate the artistic labels and explaining to him that they were designed by students. As a 5 year old, you’re definitely not at an age where you’re too interested in art history or who or how something is created, but the fact that I told him they were students, actually grabbed his attention. He actually started asking me questions that I didn’t know the answers to, so we hopped on the LIFEWTR website to check our the artists’ stories. I think he was able to relate to them a little now that he’s a big boy and in school himself. I thought for sure he was going to like the bottle with the monsters the most but he was really into David Lee’s geometric design. He also liked that David was from LA (LOL). Overall, he agreed that these bottles were the coolest water bottles he’s ever seen!

We next grabbed our thin black marker and added thorns all over the cacti. Once we were done, Nate then gave it his final touch by signing his name at the bottom. He did learn that every artist always signs their artwork, so he did and presented his artwork to a very proud mommy…she loved it!

It was really great and refreshing to see Nate interested in something other than sports for a change. He actually wanted to keep going, so we grabbed the Scholastic/LIFEWTR pack and had some fun with their stencils. He refused to stop until he traced every single one!

This was such a fun project to work on and it made us break our normal routine and try something new together and I’m so happy Nate enjoyed it. Besides LIFEWTR keeping us refreshed and having super cool bottles that my 5 year old loves, they reminded us of the importance of “unleashing our creative potential”! You can find more LIFEWTR inspiration here.

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