LEGOLAND New York is OPEN!

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LEGOLAND New York is OPEN!

Back in November 2019, this fam took a chance on a Black Friday deal for an annual pass to LEGOLAND New York, poised to arrive in Goshen, NY for Summer 2020. Alas, LEGOLAND did not open in Summer 2020. But now it’s Summer 2021 and LEGOLAND is finally open!

So far we have visited LEGOLAND once during its preview days and once (for just a few hours) during regular admission. Here are my initial thoughts! PS Both days were so cloudy! It’s been a cloudy summer.

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At Least We Can Still Eat Summery Foods

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At Least We Can Still Eat Summery Foods

Yup. Memorial Day weekend 2020 seems to be mostly cancelled. No jetting off to crowded beaches. No outdoor concerts. No town pools and pool clubs. This Memorial Day weekend, it’s all about day drinking at home with your kids splashing nearby in an inflatable pool that you were overcharged for on Amazon.

But at least there’s one awesome warm weather activity that’s still mostly intact for this Memorial Day weekend: Eating Summery Foods.

Here are five places, all presently open for curbside pick up, that will at least make your mouth feel like it’s celebrating the start of summer.

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Coney Island + Spumoni Gardens = The Perfect “Real” Brooklyn Day

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Coney Island + Spumoni Gardens = The Perfect “Real” Brooklyn Day

There are parts of Brooklyn that have blown up in the few decades - parts that are all quite close to Manhattan. But deep into the borough of Brooklyn lies what some call the “true Brooklyn.” And perhaps no part of that “real Brooklyn” is more iconic and special than the Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk. Make the trek at least once or twice in your life and while you’re there, hit the nearby and also iconic L&B Spumoni Gardens.

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Quick Summer 2019 Maine Update

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Quick Summer 2019 Maine Update

Last year I wrote a long post about our annual summer visit to southern Maine. And I mentioned then that Maine has been a long-time special state to both my husband and me. Getting to share our mutual love of Maine with our girls now is a real treat. While we didn’t veer far off the course this time, next summer we’ve vowed to take on new and more northern parts of Maine.

For now, here’s a quick little supplement to last year’s post to shout out some of the spots we visited for the first time this year in the Portland and Ogunquit areas.

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Sunday Morning at Elephant's Trunk Flea Market

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Sunday Morning at Elephant's Trunk Flea Market

Elephant’s Trunk is a huge and well known flea market in New Milford, CT. As a person who likes modern design, I don’t usually seek out antiques or vintage stuff. But as an activity blogger living in CT, I knew I must check this spot out.

Elephant’s Trunk is open only on Sunday mornings from early April until early December. The flea market started in 1976 with just a handful of vendors, but these days around 500 vendors and food trucks greet huge crowds each Sunday.

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Get Away to Rockaway

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Get Away to Rockaway

There are beaches all over the New York area. But trust this Long Island girl when she tells you that the Atlantic Ocean beaches are so much better than the Long Island Sound beaches - the sand is smoother and softer and the waves are real. And there’s less of that smelly seaweed vibe.

I grew up in Wantagh, NY, home of the famous Jones Beach and less than a half hour from other great Atlantic Ocean beaches like Long Beach. The beaches on the South Shore of Long Island are dope - it’s why the Hamptons became what they are.

For years I’d been hearing about another well loved Atlantic Ocean beach in Queens - Rockaway Beach. We finally made it there Memorial Day weekend and I cannot wait to go back. Rockaway Beach is SO worth the trip. You’ll feel like you escaped on vacation.

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Saturdays Are For Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

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Saturdays Are For Flushing Meadows-Corona Park


The New York Hall of Science opened in 1964 as part of the World’s Fair and as one of the first hands-on science museums in the country. Today, NYSci is still a really cute place to visit with young kids on a cold,  rainy or wintry day….....OR

You could follow our lead and visit on a beautiful spring or summer Saturday. There are some cool things happening right outside NYSci in nice weather. Read on


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Five NYC Destination Playgrounds

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Five NYC Destination Playgrounds

Playgrounds and parenting go hand-in-hand in warmer weather. Young kids just absolutely love climbing, sliding and spinning their way through spring and summer. When we visit the city in nice weather, we always include a playground - preferably, a really good playground - to sweeten the deal for our kids.

So I hereby present to you my personal favorite NYC playgrounds I’ve visited so far as a parent. I would call each of these a “Destination Playground,” very much worthy of a visit.  And as a fun little added bonus, I’ve included a solid family friendly food stop nearby each playground.

There are still many good playgrounds I haven’t hit yet in NYC, so please send me any recommendations in the comments!

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A Visit to the Chelsea Waterfront

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A Visit to the Chelsea Waterfront

Hey fellow suburbanites who are intimidated by city driving!! A super cool new playground opened weeks ago in Chelsea, right off the West Side Highway. It's a straight shoot down from Connecticut or Westchester. Head out early on a weekend and you'll fly in!!

The Chelsea Waterside Play Area, located on West 23rd and the West Side Highway and part of the overall beautiful Hudson River Park, was recently gutted, redone and made AWESOME. Well worth the easy drive in from the 'burbs.

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Get a Sitter - Manhattan Late Summer 2018 Edition

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Everyone knows that Manhattan has a lot of really killer restaurants. Since I am a food obsessive and a general lover of Manhattan, I get asked often where to eat there. A daunting question, no doubt, but I’m always happy to wax poetic about NYC eats.

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Industry City Is Cool!

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Industry City Is Cool!

Industry City is a waterfront industrial complex in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn that’s home to an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, artisans, offices and warehouses. What was once a long time ago a manufacturing and shipping complex called Bush Terminal (no relation to the Bush political family), Industry City has seen a full scale renovation and modernization in the past six years at the hands of the same developers who turned the Nabisco Factory into what is now Chelsea Market.

We didn’t know what to expect for our visit, particularly since Sunset Park is a bit past the parts of Brooklyn that have seen a huge influx of recent development. We were VERY pleasantly surprised - a summer Saturday spent at Industry City is a blast!

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