Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays from our family to yours! We had a wonderful time celebrating the Christmas season at our church and with visiting family, complete with long walks in Central Park, exploring Rockefeller Center, FAO Schwarz, Fifth Avenue, Bryant Park, and SoHo, and picking out our first Christmas tree as a family. We are so incredibly thankful for our little man. Wishing you blessings, health, true joy and fulfilled dreams in the coming year. xo 

Joovy Nook Review

The clean lines and sharp styling of the Joovy Nook High Chair literally stopped me in my tracks at the New York Baby Show earlier this year. So I was excited to try it out when my son started eating solids (we waited until he was six months of age...) and here's what we thought after a two-week testing period... 

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BornFree Glass Bottles Review

After having a positive experience reviewing the Born Free Classic & Eco Deco bottles, I agreed to try out their glass bottles (one of which came with a silicone no-slip grip protective sleeve.) The results of our three-month test of Born Free Glass Bottles...

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A Little Update

Sorry for the crickets! A little update on what I've been up to... 

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Family Photos

Our Atlanta friends Andy and Kate were in the city back in October, and we enlisted Andy (a talented professional photographer) to snap some photos of our little family. Want to peek at a few of our favorites? I love how Andy captured Townsie's personality...

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My Week in Five Sentences

We attended a Winter's Eve festival...

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday! We spent the morning at the Macy's Day Parade and just enjoyed a fabulous feast of all our favorite dishes. Wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving, from our turkey to yours. xo 

Just Tested: The Boppy Travel Pillow

 

I received the original Boppy pillow at my baby shower last year, and during my son's first few months of life, I used this product every single day for snuggling and breastfeeding. When Townes was ready for tummy time and sitting up, the Boppy pillow was a fantastic ergonomic support system during those milestone stages. The company recently launched a new product – the Boppy travel pillow – intended to take the best of the original design, but make it suitable for life on-the-road. We tested it on a recent trip, and here's how it held up to the hype...

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BÉABA Babycook Review

We waited until my baby son was six months old to start feeding him solids. I'd heard about the BÉABA Babycook from friends, so when I spoke with the company about a potential review I had a basic knowledge about its features & functions. After two months of testing, here's my thoughts on preparing baby's food in the Babycook...  [UPDATED JAN 2013]

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Jazz and Colors in Central Park

Sunday was a really fun day. The parks opened back up (they've been closed due to Hurricane Sandy damage & last week's Nor'easter) & the weather was refreshingly cool, but mild. So we went to Central Park to admire the last of the colorful leaves and enjoy Jazz and Colors, an annual outdoor live jazz festival that features 30 musicians in 30 different locations in the park playing the same setlist. It was a magical way to say goodbye to the season. The entire park was alive with music wafting on the air and vibrant color on the trees. Here's a few pics from our stroll...

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Five Ways to Increase Your Creative Writing Productivity

 

pic of my desk with my actual storyboard

Five tried-and-true strategies to sharpen your writing skills & meet your creative project goals...

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Product Review FAQ's

Answers to common questions about my product review testing process...

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Joovy Groove Stroller Review

New and improved, the Joovy Groove umbrella stroller is marketed towards families with babies ages 3+ months. It tips the scales at just 17 pounds and was designed to enhance on-the-go adventures. Since the beginning of September, we've been testing two test Groove models – one on the streets of New York City, and another on the beaches and boardwalks of Florida – and are ready to share our comprehensive review on this stroller's handling and features. After the jump, *tons* of photos from the testing journey and a full review of the Joovy Groove stroller....

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Travel Baby Gear: Inglesina Fast Table Chair Review

The Inglesina Fast Chair – a high chair designed for optimum portability without compromising convenience, safety, comfort and quality. We jetted off on several vacations with this little travel-friendly table chair in hand and here's how it performed for our family...

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Hurricane Sandy

the 'dollhouse' in the neighborhood of chelsea

Thank you to those of you who reached out to me during Hurricane Sandy. I flew home to New York City a few days before the storm hit, and I'm incredibly thankful that my family and friends are safe from weathering the storm. Our Upper West Side neighborhood wasn't impacted by flooding, but by debris and fallen trees/branches (view pics here), and we thankfully did not lose power. We were fortunate. A massive tree fell on our Aunt's garage, narrowly missing the house while she was at home... So thankful she wasn't hurt. This is a photo, below.

As I'm sure you've been following in the news, there's so much horrific devastation throughout New York and New Jersey, especially in the coastal areas. Please take a moment and donate if you can (online or by texting REDCROSS to 90999 for a quick $10 contribution) and volunteer if you're nearby & available (ESPECIALLY if you have a car + gas to drive out to the highly-affected areas.) There's so many people in great need at this time, people who have lost everything. THANK YOU to our emergency first-responders, FDNY, NYPD, shelter volunteers, medical professionals & all those heroic individuals who helped keep us safe during Hurricane Sandy. xo 

Hawks Cay Resort Review

This recent road trip was my first time visiting the Florida Keys, and October – despite the threat of hurricanes – was a perfect time to be there. Our resort was lively but not overly packed with people, the weather was pleasantly warm but not too hot (it hovered around the low 80's), and it was easy to score a table & parking space at area hot spots (like Bahia Honda State Park.) Contemplating a trip to the Keys? My review on Hawks Cay Resort after a three-night stay last week... 

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Scenes from Duval Street

While the golden south Florida sunset was spectacular and the old town of Key West completely charming, our visit had a chance overlap with the craziness of Fantasy Fest. Let's just say there were lots of body-painted people and leave it at that. Not my scene at all. But, overall, we had a good time wandering around Key West, enjoying the Mallory Square sunset celebration and chowing down on authentic Cuban food before we called it a night. Thank goodness our hotel was off the beaten path! Nicely done, TripAdvisor reviews. Here's a few daytime scenes along Duval Street...

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Key West Sunset Celebration

Have you ever been to Key West? It was our first time visiting this southernmost spot in the Keys. Every night, there's a sunset celebration at Mallory Square. Last night we went a little early to snag a prime table at a dockside restaurant, and crossed our fingers for the green flash at sundown (no such luck.) Want a see a few shots of the stunning Key West sunset?

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Nighttime Writing

 

Are you a morning writer? Afternoon? Night owl? Since I'm a stay-at-home mom with my eight-month old son & working writer with a few clients at the moment, I'd call myself an opportunistic writer. (Ha! A term I'm stealing from all the animal species I write about.) I've got to seize the moment whenever I can – and sometimes that means hurried ten-minute slices of typing time, scribbles on a scrap piece of paper, a voice memo on my phone, a conference call while pushing a stroller in the park, or an hour-long work session while my son naps. But usually – i.e. when I'm traveling, Write Nites, or during those pre-baby days – I prefer to write in the evening & at night (and these days, in my regular at-home life, I'm usually exhausted by 7pm.) So, after dusk during our last three nights here at Hawks Cay, I've sat down by the fire pit, soaked up the glorious weather & worked on both my personal creative & contracted clients' projects...

 

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Fresh Catch at Keys Fisheries

A local told me about Keys Fisheries restaurant, market & marina, and we liked it so much we went three times in three days. Seriously! The seafood is that good. Headed to the heart of the Keys? You've got to swing by this Marathon fresh catch favorite...

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