Celebrating Mom

Posted on March 17, 2024 by mlenoach

My mom is a leap-year baby, so when it’s a leap year, it’s a big deal. This year is even more special because she turned 80.

We celebrated at our favorite local restaurant, Via Trenta in Astoria, on her birthday.

Last week, we celebrated with family and friends at Luigi’s Restaurant in New Hyde Park.

The day was filled with smiles and laughter.

We had a few interactive elements.

Also, shared some fun pictures of Mom.

We also had some goodie bags!

It was a fun afternoon. I’m glad we got to celebrate Mom, and cheers to many more birthdays to come.

Year of the Dragon

Posted on February 10, 2024 by mlenoach

Christmas Activities with Grandma

Posted on December 3, 2023 by mlenoach

I’m constantly looking for activities that I can do with both my three-year-old and my elderly parents.

I bought a felt tree with stick-on ornaments. It was straightforward to use and still gave a level of creative freedom to both my daughter and mom.

We also made ornaments for our Christmas tree. The string was a bit tricky to tie but the oraments came with stickers and were also easy to use. Everything came out really cute.

Christmas Traditions – Advent Calendars

Posted on December 2, 2023 by mlenoach

I got into advent calendars the year of COVID-19. I wanted to do something special with my Mom, and since then, it has grown into a family tradition.

This year, for Maxine’s calendar, I wanted something to keep her active. The Play-Doh calendar is pretty cool. It included Play-Doh, a surface to work off, and fun tools. Her first item was a tree cutter. They came out pretty cute on her first try.

I decided to get the Wall Street Journal wine advent calendar for my husband and me. The bottle is a pretty decent size, and the wine is pretty good so far.

For the third year, the cats are sharing a Fancy Feast calendar. It’s so cute and well-designed, and my cats love it.

My parents didn’t want calendars this year, but I wanted my mom to do something with Maxine, so they are sharing a Nativity calendar.

Are you into advent calendars? Which one are you doing this year?

Up goes the Christmas tree!

Posted on November 25, 2023 by mlenoach

It’s been a while since we put up a tree. I feel like since I was pregnant with Maxine, I stuck with Charlie Brown trees. Not this year!

We got a beautiful tree, and Maxine did a great job helping.

It took us less than a minute to pick out our tree.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Posted on November 23, 2023 by mlenoach

Maxine and I were extremely lucky to watch the parade at a friend’s apartment this year.

Halloween activities with the Family

Posted on October 30, 2023 by mlenoach

It was a fun-filled Halloween weekend!

We made pumpkin rice krispies treats 🎃.

My daughter Maxine and my niece, painted a wooden cupcake, and we also assembled haunted houses as a family. Which haunted house is your favorite?

Halloween at Kanga’s Indoor Playground and Cafe

Posted on October 29, 2023 by mlenoach

I’ve wanted to check out Kanga’s in Long Island City with the family for a while now. We ended up attending their Halloween party over the weekend. They had arts and crafts, face painting, and a discovery dig activity. The indoor playground was cool and had separate fun areas for various age groups. I also appreciated that they had a small cafe to get food; nothing fancy, but it was at least something. We will be back!