Early last month, I had a pretty awesome ladies’ night out at Pearl & The Beast.
You pick a muscle, open it up, collect the pearls, clean them, and decide what to do with them. I got a good haul of pearls, so I got two rings and two earrings done. They had someone onsite who put together the jewelry. Bonus; I actually got the earrings for free because they were doing a promotion at the time.
It was hands-on, informative, and fun! I highly recommend checking it out.
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.
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!
Maxine and I had a fun time at a holiday celebration on Steinway Street this weekend.
My husband’s job had a family day at Randall’s Island Park this week. They had food, a DJ, bouncy houses, an area where anyone could ride a horse, boat rides, a rock climbing wall, and a gaming station. My daughter Maxine was all about the bouncy houses and the ice cream. We also enjoyed the boat ride, but it was quite a wait. Next year we need to do the boat ride first. Also, I want Maxine to ride one of the horses, and I want to try the rock climbing wall if they do it again.
Last week, I had friends from out of town visit. We had three kids to entertain, one being my little munchkin, so we decided to go to a museum and headed over to the American Museum of Natural History.
My daughter had a great time and did well in her first museum experience. She loved the butterfly exhibit.
She is also a big Octonauts fan, so the Oceanic section was a big hit. She was so happy and proud to recognize some of the animals she saw on the show.
The dinosaurs, of course, was a big hit as well.
We’ll be back for sure!
The family and I recently had lunch at Mad for Chicken in Astoria. It had a bar feel but was still family-friendly. We ordered the wings and drumsticks combo (soy garlic and honey bbq flavor), japchae, and fries. All yummy!
My family and I randomly came across the new Nuts Factory on 30th Avenue in Astoria. They have an impressive selection of nuts, gummies, and chocolate.
We went a little nuts (pun intended) and got a variety of goodies. I selected strawberry and watermelon gummies and a crunchy corn mix. My husband, Andrew, got a few chocolate pieces, and we got our daughter Maxine banana chips.
A bit pricey but worth a visit in my book.
In Early May, my husband, daughter, and I went to Maryland for a friend’s wedding.
The wedding was on Sunday, so we left New York Saturday afternoon and arrived at night. The first stop before the hotel was Cracker Barrel, and we ordered a feast. Maxine got the scrambled egg and biscuit. Andrew got the country fried steak with green beans and bacon mac and cheese, and I got the chicken fried chicken with broccoli and dumplings. Everything was yummy. Maxine ate all my dumplings, so I wish I had gotten a larger order. I know for next time! We need a Cracker Barrel in NYC.
We stayed at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Frederick. It was a nice hotel near many restaurants and, most importantly, had an indoor pool. Maxine and I took advantage and were the only ones in there.
For lunch, we got food from the Silver Diner. Maxine got silver dollar pancakes, Andrew got a sausage omelet, and I got a shrimp and grits dish. Everything was good.
Then came the wedding! The wedding and reception were at Dulany’s Overlook. The space had a country feel; the main venue was a barn.
Here are some pictures of our night.
Before we headed home on Monday, Andrew wanted to check out a buffet situation, so we ended up at the Golden Corral. This is the first I have heard of this chain; the food was pretty good. I got about three plates worth of food.
Overall, it was a great weekend trip, and I want to come back to explore more soon.
I got to play tourist again but in a different capacity.
I volunteer with the New York Junior League, an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.
I’ve been a volunteer for nine years and have had many roles.
This year, I’ve had the pleasure of being part of the Personal Advancement and Leadership Committee (PAL), which focuses on mentoring young women (ages 14-18) on continuing education opportunities, broad career aspirations, and life skills.
One of the workshops was a tour of Radio City Music Hall. We were able to tour the whole venue and got to meet a Radio City Rockette. It was an excellent opportunity for the young women to see the space and hear from various employees on how they got their jobs and what their roles and responsibilities are.
It was an inspiring and fun workshop. Here are some pictures of the tour.
The Casual Explorer 