Eclipse Fun

We headed over to the Poconos to watch the eclipse. Although we knew we wouldn’t be able to see the full eclipse, it was fun to visit our friend’s house, have some space, and enjoy nature.

It was a bit cloudy, but we still got to see some cool eclipse stuff with and without the glasses.

My Astra Lumina experience

Before today’s solar eclipse, I wanted to share my Astra Lumina experience from last month.

Astra Lumina is a unique traveling light show. In New York, it was held in the Queens Botanical Garden. Stargazers enjoyed walking around the garden and got interpretations of ‘stardust rays’, ‘falling stars’, ‘cosmic choir’ ‘celestial trail’, and ‘stellar visions’.

We did this as a family and loved it!

Now time to enjoy the eclipse!

Celebrating Easter this year

I had a fun Easter with friends and family.

My daughter enjoyed these two Pete the Cat books the week before Easter.

Maxine had a blast at the New York Junior League’s egg hunt.

We had Easter lunch at Katch in Astoria. The Easter Bunny was in attendance and there was a small egg hunt!

After our lunch, we celebrated with family and had another egg hunt.

Check out the cute Easter baskets!

Say Cheese – Indoor Playground in Astoria

Hidden in Astoria is a pretty cool indoor playground called Say Cheese. From the outside, it looks a little small, but it’s a pretty decent size once you walk in. The space includes slides, wall games, projector games, and a ball pit.

So far, Maxine, my daughter, has been there twice, one time with her school and another time with her cousins. I highly recommend it for rainy days or even when school is closed. I would have an exit plan; the kids are having so much fun they don’t want to leave!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

We went all out this year to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Maxi wore a Papa’s Lucky Charm dress.
We made cute goodie bags for family members and for her classmates.

Maxi had some sticker fun.

We read some fun books.
We also made some Irish soda bread.
Looks pretty good for our first try!

May the luck of the Irish be with you today and every day!

Celebrating Mom

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.

We had an amazing menu!

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!

For the adults
For the kids

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

Reviewing my 2023

I’m late as usual, but I wanted to take some time out to truly reflect on last year. I definitely had some amazing moments.

In January, I participated in ShawshankD, an immersive speakeasy cocktail experience, for my friend’s birthday. It’s loosely based on the movie and was a blast.
In February, I had a surprise dinner for my husband’s birthday at The Boil in Astoria. Surprising him was hard but I managed to do it and had a few of his friends there as well.
We stayed with friends in the Poconos in March. We had special visitors (the deer) each day. My daughter was heavily invested in their movements.
I planned an egg hunt at the New York Junior League (NYJL) in April. We had approx 60 kids participate. It was a lot of fun, and my daughter had an awesome time.
In May, I helped plan a Career Day at the NYJL. The event is designed to help high-achieving female students from underserved communities navigate their options after high school. Over 80 girls participated in the event.
We visited my family’s beach house for a week in June. It was still cold, but it was great to get out of the city.
In July, we joined friends and explored the American Museum of Natural History. They have a fantastic butterfly exhibit. Maxine made a cute friend.
My family rented a house in Monticello, New York, for a week in August. We like to do this every year. The house had an outdoor pool, a jacuzzi, a game room, and plenty of space. It was great to connect with family.
In September, I officially started my role as Affiliation Council Head at the NYJl. I oversee two committees, Membership Engagement Events and Greeting and Outreach. Both committees are tasked to keep members engaged and provide experiences and opportunities to enhance membership.
In October, I spent some time in Myrtle Beach for my birthday. The weather was great, and the town wasn’t too crowded. I had an amazing time with Andrew and Maxine. It was also my daughter’s first time on an airplane.
My daughter and I got to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade live at my friends house. I’m so use to watching it on tv. It was a totally different experience watching it live and I was lucky I got to share it with Maxine.
December was all about enjoying time with family. We enjoyed our tree. I made personal ornaments with pictures. My Mom and Maxine also crafted some ornaments. Andrew and I enjoyed the Wall Street Journal wine advent calendar. Maxine had a Play-Doh one and a nativity scene one that she shared with my Mom.

Overall, 2023 was pretty kind to us. Looking forward to all the amazing moments that I know will happen in 2024.