I was able to score access to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons while they were getting inflated. It was amazing!! Extra bonus, I got to share the experience with some of my family members.
Seeing the balloons up close
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Tag Archives: Exploring
Masquerade
I can’t believe Halloween is tomorrow. I feel like I breezed through October! I did start the month right with a fun date night. We ate at Paris Bar inside the Le Meridian Hotel on 57th street and attended the immersive Phantom of the Opera experience, Masquerade.
We had a blast! The food before the show was amazing and I loved the immersive experience.
New Orleans this past February
We got to spend some quality time in New Orleans before and after our cruise in February. Most of the time was spent walking around and/or eating (which is not a bad thing 😜). This was also not my first time in New Orleans; it will not be the last. Next time, I want to take a Ghost or Voodoo tour and enjoy more nighttime stuff.
Back on the NCL Getaway – February 2025
One more day until our Disney Cruise! I’m revisiting some of our past cruise vacations to get us pumped and ready to go.
This past February, we enjoyed a 7-day Caribbean cruise on the NCL Getaway. This cruise was memorable for many reasons. We celebrated my husband’s birthday, cruised with friends, and flew to our port this time (instead of leaving from New York). We also stayed at our port location, New Orleans, for a few days (one day before the cruise and a few days after).
This cruise was more relaxed for us. I booked a few things in advance, but kept it flexible to accommodate all our friends. We got the drink package, the wifi package, and the digital photo package. I also paid to decorate the room for my husband’s birthday. My daughter didn’t do the kids’ club this time, but we got some pool time.
It’s definitely a different experience when you go with a group. We made time to explore on our own, but also made time to do things together. I also didn’t pressure myself to do everything. I made a list of what I wanted to do, and we checked it off (in the best way). We are going on our Disney cruise with our family, so I want to set the same expectation.
Some photos of our experiences.
Cruising the MSC Meraviglia – Fall 2024
Two more days until our Disney Cruise! I’m revisiting some of our past cruise vacations to get us pumped and ready to go.
In October 2024, we enjoyed a 7-day Caribbean cruise on the MSC Meraviglia to celebrate my birthday this time. We learned a lot from our first cruise in February! For our NCL cruise, we waited to book everything on the ship. Frequent cruisers know that booking packages in advance is the way to go; it’s cheaper, and you have more options. So we bought everything in advance! We got the drink and wifi package (worth it to us), we got the specialty dining package, and enjoyed four amazing restaurants. I prebooked excursions, spa treatments, and little goodies throughout our cruise. I even booked a little photo shoot for us. It was all worth it!
We had the best time! Learning from our February cruise, we took advantage of every amenity we could. Our daughter participated in the kids club this time, while my husband and I enjoyed the spa and the nighttime entertainment. We also got to enjoy some shows with our daughter. She slept through one show (lol), but she enjoyed the acrobatic one, in the carousel lounge. My daughter was better potty-trained this time, so we got to take advantage of the pools more. The one negative we experienced was the weather. It definitely wasn’t on our side, and we only made one of our ports, but we made the best of it on the ship. The ship had tons of activities to participate in. We plan on going on another MSC cruise in February 2026!
Celebrating on the Hornblower Atlantica
I celebrated my cousin’s 40th birthday on the Hornblower Atlantica this past Saturday. It was so much fun! We had the whole boat to ourselves. She had a package with drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and a buffet. She also had a fun DJ. The best part was catching Manhattan’s Hudson and East River views.
Bluey x CAMP
My family visited Bluey x CAMP this past weekend and had a blast. We were transported to Bluey and Bingo’s home. My daughter and two nieces ran, played, and enjoyed all the rooms and slides. The counselors were friendly and engaging, and they facilitated a dance mode moment and story time. We also had a fun picture moment with Bluey and Bingo. It goes by fast, but I would recommend it, especially if you are a fan of the Bluey show.
Thankful for this year
As Thanksgiving weekend closes, I want to take the opportunity to share what I’m thankful for.
My family
My friends
My teams
My hobbies
My adventures
Getting back to Mah Jong
Back in 2022, I signed myself up for Mah Jong classes. I had fun learning, but it didn’t stick.
I recently got the opportunity to join a group and learn again through Ready Set Mah Jong, and I’m having a blast. Maybe it’s my teacher, maybe it’s my group of ladies, but either way, I’m hooked this time!
If you are in the NYC area and curious to learn, check out Ready Set Mah Jong.
Family dinner at Mokja
Last month, we had dinner at Mokja in Astoria. The food was amazing, and I still can’t forget how cute this restaurant was.
The restaurant had a very romantic kind of vibe. There were lights and flowers everywhere.
Another thing I loved about the restaurant was that it had a lot of personal touches. They had bag holders at each table. They also had bowls, cups, and silverware for kids. It was so cute and made my daughter feel special.
I will definitely be back. I recommend it for date nights, families, and small groups.
The Casual Explorer 