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.
Last month, Andrew and I had lunch at Andrew’s favorite Thai restaurant, Pye Boat Noodles, in Astoria. The food and drinks are always delicious.
Here is what we got!
I’m incredibly grateful my family has a beach house in Shirley, Long Island. Two weeks ago, my husband had off, so we took advantage. The weather wasn’t great, but we had a great time regardless.
My daughter, Maxine, was obsessed with counting how many mermaids were in one of the rooms.
We took advantage of the time we had outside as much as possible.
My Uncle was nice enough to take us out on his boat. Maxine was not a fan of the boat going fast, but she was all smiles after awhile.
The beach is about a 10-15 min walk from the house. It was so windy, and no one was around because it was cold. It was extremely peaceful, regardless. Maxine did not care for the beach. I think it was too windy for her.
While we were out east, we enjoyed the Animal Farm Petting Zoo in Manorville.
They also had really cool playground areas within the zoo.
We also enjoyed some yummy food from the area. On our first night, we ordered from Fratelli’s Restaurant and Pizza.
One night, we steamed some clams my Aunt and Uncle caught; they were so tasty!
We also stopped by Varney’s in Brookhaven. They are known for their muscles, which were delicious (the red and white sauces were both good). I also couldn’t resist the lobster roll.
We also got ice cream and shakes at Carla Marlas Ice Cream Parlor and Candy Shoppe in Bellport. So good!
Hopefully, we will be back soon to create more amazing memories.
In April, I had family from California visit. They explored NYC for many days, and I was able to spend some time with them and enjoy some sites I hadn’t been to before or hadn’t been to in a while.
I have been wanting to check out Little Island for a while now, so we went there first. It’s a great little park with lovely views.
From Little Island, we went straight to the High Line. I haven’t been in years! The High Line is a public park built on a freight rail line elevated above the streets of Manhattan’s West Side. The park is from 14th Street to 34th Street and has impressive views and great artwork along the path.
The High Line goes directly into Hudson Yards. We enjoyed the mall there and some yummy food.
Overall, it was a great relaxing day, enjoying the city.
I had a fabulous Mother’s Day last week.
I greeted all the extraordinary women in my life and got plants for my mother, mother-in-law, aunt, and sister-in-law.
I treated my mom and myself to a seafood feast!
My husband bought me flowers and I made beautiful arrangements with them.
Overall, a great day!
I’m a bit late, but I want to share my Easter this year. It was extra special because I helped organize an egg hunt at the New York Junior League (NYJL), and I had family from California visit.
We had approx 70 kids participate in the egg hunt at the (NYJL). The kids decorated their egg-hunting bags, bunnies and chicks, and photo frames. It was a huge hit.
Here are pictures of my family enjoying the event.
For Easter, I did most of the cooking. I wanted to cook ham but couldn’t find any, so chicken it is!
This year, I went a little light with the Easter baskets. Less is more!
For family activities, we did cookie decorating and classic egg coloring.
Nothing better than spending quality time with the family.
The Casual Explorer 