Oldies but goodies

I haven't been using my cameras much since getting an iPhone, but found these photos from a visit to NYC last April. Now that we live here again, I don't always stop to relish in the beauty of the city.

making our way into the city as the sun comes up

blooms in the 'Heights

mini bridge in Cobble Hill

my favorite house in Cobble Hill

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What I'm loving lately . . . [February 2012]

I haven't done a post of favorite products for awhile now, but I've been meaning to. Here are a few items I can't seem to live without lately.

Like so many others, a goal for 2012 has been to become more healthy. This includes eating breakfast every.single.day. A harder feat for me than you may think seeing as I've never been one to eat much before lunch. I have two standby *meals* that I've been enjoying: Fage or Chobani 0% Greek yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup of Kashi Go Lean Crunch. The little bit of sweetness of the Kashi combined with the creaminess of the yogurt is just perfect for me in the mornings. The abundance of protein in the yogurt keeps me full till lunch. Really. Now, if only I could stop the mid-afternoon chocolate cravings.

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Another breakfast favorite, especially on those colder mornings, is steel cut oats. I try to whip up a batch -- with raisins, cinnamon, and a bit of honey -- on the weekend so that we have enough to eat during the week. Just add a teeny bit more milk, pop it in the microwave, and voila, hearty and delicious!

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Since I'm doing so well in the breakfast department, I've taken it upon myself to indulge a bit more in the wine department. I am a big fan of red velvet cake and red wine, so I had high hopes for Cupcake Vineyard's Red Velvet wine. E and I enjoyed a bottle last month, and I have to say it's my new fave. In fact, I've tried 3 of their varietals in all, and their Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon were also delicious. Affordable and delectable -- my kind of vino.

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I'm always stumped when it comes to buying gifts for E because, well, we just buy what we need, when we need it and I can rarely keep a secret, so even if I buy something in advance, I usually end up giving it to him as soon as I can. This Valentine's Day was no different in the surprise department, but I did manage to get E things he would have never bought for himself.

I use my iPhone's Instagram app daily and love the effects on my photos. I wanted to print some of them, but wasn't sure what format to choose. Instead of regular run-of-the-mill prints, I made two Snapfish *magic mugs* with a handful of my Instagram photos. The photos are revealed when the mugs are filled with a hot liquid. I love how they turned out! They are a sweet addition to our nightly tea ritual.

Another V-day gift [and my absolute favorite item on this list!] I gave this year was a watercolor print by Elisabeth of Poppy and Pinecone. I think I originally saw one of her state/province prints on Pinterest and asked if she could make a *city print* of Brooklyn, the city that brought E and I together. Elizabeth did not let me down and the resulting print is just perfect! I can't wait to find a frame for it. I also bought a smaller print of Maine for a friend's [belated] birthday gift. She loved it too! Definitely check out Elisabeth's Etsy shop.

[this photo doesn't do the colors justice.]

Even though this winter has been wonderfully mild, we've still been battling dry skin and chapped lips, especially Indio, who hates to have lotion smeared on his face. One thing he does love though is smearing lip balm all over his face. Lucky for me, McBride Beauty makes a stick perfect for lips and face, helping us avoid the *shiny-all-over* look. The Multi-Purpose Repair Stick is bigger than a regular Chapstick so it covers more surface area in one swoop and smells way more heavenly! Indio loves to apply his McBride stick on the train in the morning, much to the entertainment of our fellow riders.

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I'm perpetually on the search for the best undereye concealer to hide my dark circles. I've tried a bunch and most recently picked up a little pot of Laura Mercier's Secret Concealer in #4. So far, I'm loving it because it goes on smoothly and doesn't cake in my already-forming lines. A little goes a long way with this product!

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What have you been loving lately?

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Season of Splendour

Other than the freak snowstorm back at the end of October, NYC has been seasonably warm this fall. The trees seemed to be a bit confused at first, some changing colors on time while others remained green. I've spent a lot of time outside, both with family and my class, basking in the colors, trying to get in as much as I can before the leaves are gone.

This week, the students and I went on a neighborhood *leaf walk* collecting "specimens" to explore in class. Though I know the science behind the season, it's still quite difficult to wrap my head around the beauty that currently surrounds me.

little feet in crunchy leaves

interesting stoop dwellers

gold

prospect park

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Shark attack!

It's daylight savings time for those of you in my part of the world. Did you remember to "fall back" an hour? I thought I'd use the extra hour to finally finish my Halloween post.

pretty pumpkins

This was the first year [of 3] that Indio actually had some idea of what was going on. He was super-excited the days before because he knew he would get to wear a costume, though he kept changing his mind about what he wanted to be. In the end I picked up a cozy shark costume from Old Navy, which was perfect since Indy has been studying oceans at school and promptly told me he was going to be a "predator" when he saw his getup!

On Monday afternoon we set out to visit Louly's house -- my traditional Halloween stoop hangout pre-Indio and a perfect perch to watch all the costumes in the neighbourhood parade by.

Indy joins the gang on Louly and Bill's stoop

You cannot imagine Indio's delight when he realized that not only did he get to wear a costume, but he also got candy from complete strangers! After almost 3 years candy-free, my boy was delirious with excitement and an overdose of sugar! Lucky for us, he has no idea where his stash is now and doesn't seem to care. Phew!

After what felt like hours of trick-or-treating, we settled in on Ginna and Henry's stoop for a glass of vino with cheese and crackers. Thankfully, Indy ate some of the crackers and cheese and finally stopped with the candy only because Henry put him up to the task of handing out candy. Now I know what to do next year!

treats from Henry

the loot!

sugar overload

And a few from the previous weekend's parties:

pumpkin rings are the tastiest

snow in october? didn't anyone get the memo: we aren't in Canada anymore!

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And . . . I'm back!

For real this time! I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've posted and more importantly, since I've caught up on all the blogs I normally read!

School is in full swing and I've already survived the first field trip of the year. After a week of rain, the sun finally joined us for a wonderful [and tiring] excursion to Brooklyn Botanic Garden last Friday. I was shocked at how tired I was by the time we returned to school!

japanese garden at bbg

One thing we missed on Friday was our usual mid-morning snack. [Though our snacks are nutritious and delicious, I've been warned of the perils of eating *student-handled* snack. Needless to say, I've already had my first cold of the season.] Each student brings in snack on an assigned day, sets it up and figures out how much each person in the class is allowed to eat. The ensuing snack signs are hilarious and adorable.

absolutely no sneaking!

And in personal school news, Indy no longer cries at drop off and eagerly goes to his teachers in the morning. Monday, he starts attending 5 days a week! Yay, Indy!

my big boy on his way to school

Hope you're all enjoying your weekends. Can't wait to catch up on my blog reading!

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Weekend Update: Brooklyn

Another food-filled weekend in our soon-to-be-home again. I love watching Indio enjoy all the things I love about NYC.

melty mishap at the brooklyn ice cream factory

a *strawberry bagel* . . . aka indy's first taste of fried doughy goodness

burning all those empty calories with a scoot around crown heights

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Bittersweet

Load the car and write the note.
Grab your bag and grab your coat.
Tell the ones that need to know.
We are headed north.

One foot in and one foot back.
But it don’t pay to live like that.
So I cut the ties and I jumped the track.
For never to return.

Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.
Are you aware the shape I’m in?
My hands they shake, my head it spins.
Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.

[... I and Love and You by the Avett Brothers]

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A boy's-eye view

As Indio gets older, our visits to his birth city become more of an adventure for him [and me, trying to keep him busy!]. I try to think of new and exciting things to do with Indy, who is at an age where he's curious about everything but has the attention span of a, well, a 2-yr old.

We took a customary subway trip along the A line from Indy's grandfather's place towards Far Rockaway. The train travels above ground in this segment and goes through the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and along the ocean, so there's lots to see. Not surprisingly, Indio was just as intrigued with the workmen repairing the tracks as he was the Atlantic.

here comes the A train!

playing footsies on the train

Indio's current obsession with all things transportation meant a visit to the NY Transit Museum was in order. We met up with Julie, Jonas and twins, Jesse and Miles for a morning of exploring buses, trains "from the olden days" and enough turnstiles to make you dizzy.

don't let the pigeon [or toddler] drive the bus!
supervising an oil change at the mechanic

A trip to NY always includes a visit with Alicia, Monty, Dulce and puppeteer extraordinaire, Kirsten. And much to Indy's delight, our night was filled with children's songs, complete with actions!

there was a great big moose . . .

Of course, Indio wouldn't leave all the picture-taking to me. This boy has an eye.

indy showing off his shutterbug skills to me and louly

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Well Fed: Brooklyn

I know I've been MIA for a bit, but I finally found a moment to sit and catch you all up on our most recent trip to NYC.

Whenever I return to New York my trip seems to centre around food . . . delicious food. This trip was certainly no different!

My first stop wasn't actually in Brooklyn. After an overnight drive through torrential downpour I met up with my cousins who were stopping in Manhattan for the night for a piece of Crack Pie from Momofuku. And yes, it is every bit deserving of its moniker because it's that good. Bonus: it was served alongside a cup of Stumptown java.
Back in Brooklyn later in the week, we enjoyed dinner at Bocca Lupo in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. The evening began with an aperitif of Tequila with fresh strawberry, basil and balsamic vinegar. YUM!

My final night in Brooklyn I met up with Sophia for a delicious meal at Iron Chef in Brooklyn Heights.

new york, crazy couple and hardrock rolls

We walked through DUMBO before heading back to the 'Heights for some Crumbs cupcakes: Raspberry Swirl and Baba Booey, aka heaven in the form of peanut butter and chocolate!

bklyn bffs

love

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Home away from home

Packing for a visit back to my other home. So excited to see everyone!

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Technicolour Thursday: week 38

I'm really getting good at missing my Project 365 deadlines! Maybe it's a secret blessing in disguise that you can see two weeks worth in one shot...what do you think? It's funny how *not working* makes me feel more busy and overwhelmed than when I had a job! Hmmm... Well, we were in NYC for 5 days, which always throws me off and then I had my photos in so many different cameras that it took forever to download-then-upload them all.

Thanks for sticking with me this far. I don't know if I'll do this project again next year. Maybe I'll follow Paula's lead and do a *Project 52* next year: one photo a week!

[day 260: Picking up cupcakes in the rain from the Flour Studio, mmm....so delish!]

[day 261: Breakfast at St.Lawrence Market--peameal bacon sandwiches--YUM!]

[day 262: At the playground with Papa.]

[day 263: The best stop on the road--Sheetz gas station and coffee bar all in one! I always seem to stumble across new M&M's on our trips to NYC. These coconut ones were oh-so-tasty!]

[day 264: Riding the NYC subway always revs up my appetite too.]

[day 265: I always thought this place was called *Tea and Honey* until I finally looked at the sign up close...really close! Now I know where everyone is going when they say, "I'm going to grab an ice coffee from Ted and Honey!"]

[day 266: A little boy's dream--posing with a fireman and his truck. Extra special fact: Ladder 110 is from my old 'hood, Fort Greene!]

[day 267: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when it's enjoyed with Aja (grandpa) before heading out on the road back to Toronto.]

[day 268: Crazy-cool flower in North Park, Toronto.]

[day 269: Another day in the park with Papa.]

[day 270: Crazy-cool clouds. Crappy phone pic.]

[day 271: It is officially cool enough to test out the new fuzzy Australian slippers given to Indy by my aunt. And another crappy phone pic.]

[day 272: Late night laundry. The joys of cheaper *time of use* electricity rates.]

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