Besides the selection at Duane Reade, one of the other things I like best is that so many of their locations are open 24 hours. I’m not a huge shopper, but I have to admit I like browsing aisles, seeing new products and finding out what cool new things are about. The best time to get this “time out” is either before the craziness of getting the kids up in the morning or after they go to bed in the evening. That’s where the genius of having a 24 hour Duane Reade comes in.
I’ve found that Duane Reade’s LOOK Boutiques have a huge selection and many of the season’s newest trends, so even if I’m not buying it is still fun to look.
Because it’s easy to build a shopping list online, I loaded up the Duane Reader on my laptop. It also helps jog my memory for some of the everyday items I may need to buy like tissue paper. I need lots of that at the moment as my allergies seem to be going into overdrive. It seems so cruel to be punished with allergies for enjoying the outdoors, but so it is. My allergies seem to be worst after a run. Must be all the pollen in Prospect Park. The special offer of 2 Boutique Boxes for $3 was right up my alley for cost as well as being a green product. Did you know the Facial Tissue is 75% Tree Free – made from readily renewable sugar cane by-products. Neat, eh?
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One of the biggest changes our entire family has noticed about moving to the big city is the amount of walking we now do. In New Zealand, we used to have a car and because public transport was not always so reliable we drove everywhere. Now, in Brooklyn we walk everywhere. If there is not a blizzard or crazy winds, I will always choose to walk – to the library, to get fruits, groceries, to preschool. I’m happy to say I have taught Mr 4.5 well, he loves to walk too. But everyone gets tired, sometimes at the end of a long hard day at preschool (yes, preschool is hard!) he still wants to walk, but I can tell that he is a bit tired, and the walk that usually takes his little legs 20 minutes can end up taking closer to 30-35 minutes. This is one way that his Mini Kickboard 3 wheel scooter has come in handy. I carry it down to school and he scoots back on it, conserving a little of his energy.
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I am a long time geek from way back. I used to write a blog about mobile phone apps (before the iPhone was all the rage) and gadgets that I coveted. I still get all caught up in gadgets, but with diaper bags, carriers and strollers I like to streamline as much as I can. I normally leave the house with my iPhone, camera and Vado pocket video camera – the iPad stays at home. But I do wish that I could get it down to even less.
The other day when I was in at T-Mobile I had a look at a Samsung Galaxy and I instantly fell in love.
This bad boy fits so nicely into the palm of your hand. Not only is it a phone, but it is also a tablet. I didn’t get to do much more than talk to the sales assistant about its features as well as hold it (did I mention it felt good in my hands?) as it wasn’t hooked up to do anything. But, let’s just say I fell in love. I’ve vowed to get a better look at one seeing as I need to upgrade my phone real soon.
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I know Mother’s Day is meant to be special every year, but this year it really rocked. Apart from having breakfast in bed as a super surprise treat from my husband, what I really wanted was a nice family day.
I know, I know, us mothers always say that. But what I meant is a day with no tears (from neither the kids nor I) no drama (from neither the kids, nor I, nor dad) and for all of us to have the energy to enjoy each other. These days a day like that is easier said than done. Our family juggles work commitments, trying to fit in time to exercise, mommy and daddy time (get your mind outta the gutter, I’m talking PG-rated time to talk), a sometimes moody 4.5 year old, a teething hormonal 6 month old (hey, at least she sleeps 11 hrs overnight so I can’t complain) and an assortment of paperwork, filing and unpacking (yes, still unpacking) that comes with having relocated overseas. Often we get to the weekend and are either too tired to venture too far from home or we are overwhelmed by the endless choice of things to do. There is always more than one thing on in NYC that I want to do or be part of at any given time. This is quite different from life in Christchurch – for me their was only one thing on that caught my fancy…every couple of days. Auckland was immensely better for choice of entertainment and events, but I spent the better part of my New Zealand life in Christchurch, 7 years to be exact.
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Normally I DIY my nails, but this past weekend I decided on a whim to go check out one of the myriads of local nail bars on the main road just a couple of minutes from my house. I decided to write this post because shockingly, the last time I had a mani was in the week leading up to my wedding in 2004! Shocker, eh? And even at the time, my sister booked it for me as a pre-wedding pampering gift. I’m not your typical girly girl so the mani/pedi experience does not even make the list of things I want to/need to accomplish every week.
Because it was a relatively new experience, I found the whole thing to be a tad tricky. If like me you are not a regular, here’s my rundown of what to expect at your local nail bar.
Let me also preface this by saying, the fact that I didn’t know how to relax proves that I indeed need to do this more often.
those are my toes getting mucho love
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Praise the lawd, hallelujah, how cool would this be? Nothing worse than sitting underground unable to send a txt message to someone to say you’re running late or some other time sensitive matter. You could run up out of the subway to send your txt, but then you’d miss the next train and be even later. With wifi, you could obfuscate the fact that you can’t send sms and instead send a tweet or a Facebook message, brilliant!
New York was abuzz with the unveiling of the new look Brooklyn Nets logo. I like it, what about you? I’m looking forward to having a bball team right here in my borough, I say roll on September! I want tickets 
I wish I had of gone outside and looked up. Apparently people in neighboring Park Slope caught a glimpse and were able to snap some pics. History in the making.
More history was made as the One World Trade Center officially becomes NYC’s tallest skyscraper. I took a snap a few weeks back and being in its presence left me breathless.
May Day! May Day! Occupy Wall Street branched out and took to the streets all over Manhattan and Brooklyn. Here’s a pic of Big Monkey just before protesters marched Broadway Street. He said it was super quiet without cars.
What happened in your city this week?
