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Category Archives: Birthdays

Climbing out of our Comfort Zone

Posted on December 11, 2023 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, Classes, Classes for Kids, Day Trips, Day Trips, Health and Wellness, Out and about..., Party, Reviews, RNYM's Picks .

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post.  All opinions expressed are my own.

As a child, when we were driving somewhere and we would pass tall rock formations on the side of the road, I would daydream about climbing them.  I’ve always been a very physical person, I like to push my body’s limits, to try new things.  But I never got around to trying it.  I was super excited when we were invited to the climbzone to try it out, as was my action/adventure loving daughter.  My son, a true first child, was a bit more skeptical.  

So we made an appointment to go try it out and wouldn’t you know, my daughter gets sick.  She was SOOOO bummed. Gotta love the cold and flu season.  

We went on a Tuesday so that it wouldn’t be super crowded, and decided to make it a mother son date of sorts, we would grab some food afterwards and have an evening out.  It is easy to find in the food court and is slightly intimidating at first.  

The staff was friendly and took the time to explain the safety measures to us first and foremost as they fit us with harnesses and went over the safety procedures.  They chatted with us about how long they had worked there, and about the ratings of the different climbing walls.  We decided that as a first time, we would stick to the 1-2’s. 

BOY WERE WE NERVOUS!  Our first climbs were our lowest, as we cautiously learned the ropes.  Slowly during our time we began to challenge ourselves and then each other.  Eventually making it to the top of the tower of London, and scaling a dinosaur skeleton.  At the end one of the employees even suited up and climbed with us (it is not fair how effortlessly she was able to climb, just saying).

We had a BLAST.  Though A and I tend to be more cautious, we really got up there, and afterwards said we would definitely do it again.  Especially because E missed out, we will have to go back. 

It was good though, because A is the harder sell on this one.  He loves the puzzle type places where you work to solve something, but is more skeptical of some of the adventurous ones.  When we went to dinner afterwards, I asked his honest opinion.  He said he loved it, would do it again, and wants to go when I bring E. 

It’s a great activity for a fun birthday party, and I can see it being perfect for any scouts, as well as team building opportunities.  When I asked A if there was anything special that he wanted me to add to the review, he said to make sure that I mentioned multiple times how lovely the staff was.  They didn’t just do their job, they got to know him, laughed with him, challenged him to climb higher, and complemented his behavior.  

It was a super good experience, I enjoyed watching A overcome some of his inhibitions and challenge himself physically and mentally.  I look forward to returning, and bringing with us the most fearless of the crew so that she can in turn challenge us to do even more. 

As Always if you should choose to visit Climbzone after reading our review, please let them know you heard about them here <3

 

Four Stars for Movie House Paramus

Posted on July 26, 2023 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, Day Trips, Day Trips, Events, Out and about..., Photography, Reviews .

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  All opinions expressed are my own.

My kids are getting older, and I am looking for more and more activities that I can do with them, or activities that might be fun with friends. They are at an age where they may want to get dropped off somewhere and adventure on their own now. Have some independence-  but I still like to know that we can spend some time together, and that if they are going out there, that what they are doing is safe and wholesome to a degree.

This past Friday we were invited to check out the Movie House in the Paramus Park Mall.  When I read the description I quickly realized that it was the perfect place to spend some time together.  

What is it?

Movie House features 10 intricately themed rooms, each filled with captivating details, collectibles and hidden surprises.  From Willy Wonka to Harry Potter, Top Gun to Alice in Wonderland guests can lose themselves in the magic of the films they know and love.  Test your knowledge with room-specific questions and indulge in the immersive environments, from sandy beaches to enchanted forests.

How was our visit?

I love this experience because the Paramus Park Mall is so easy to get to, and I always feel safe there with the kids.  Movie House is easy to find on the ground floor of the mall underneath the food court.  We parked outside of the Old Navy and were able to walk straight in.

The visit comes with a guide to walk you through moving from room to room, but they don’t pressure you to move on, you’ve got plenty of time to take your Instagrammable Photos, test your knowledge and enjoy the moment.  In fact, you can circle back afterwards if you would like.  Which is especially lovely when they give you a little bag of popcorn to enjoy.

The movies chosen for each room are relevant and enjoyable for all ages.  A family that loves to dress up, we had fun putting on hats, robes, eye patches and more.  We were surprised and loved walking into the Blockbuster video store where us adults were struck with some major nostalgia, and we explained what it was to the kids.  Loved it so much I had to snap a photo of (A) and send it home to RNYDad. 

Although walking through and taking photos etc is fun, I was inspired when we saw the screening room.  Fun and comfy to stop in with the family and watch the movie that was on at the time (Dr. Strange).  Immediately I thought, this would be the perfect place to have a birthday party for my now “tween” daughter.  She and her friends could run around and take photos in each of the rooms, and screen a movie “under the stars” in the screening room.  It’s a great way to have a run time, and not worry about the weather (as I end up doing when I throw backyard parties). NO mess to clean up at my house afterwards, no need to spend extra money on photo op props that I have to find homes for afterwards.  I inquired about this when we exited and YES they do it.  You even talk to them about the group and choose an appropriate movie to show.  

This means that the possibilities are literally endless.  It’s the perfect activity for really hot, or rainy days during the summer.  You can go as a family, group of friends, or host a party/event for groups!  You choose your tickets and time slot online- it’s so easy.  

It took us about an hour and fifteen minutes to get through the experience.  We took our Great Aunt, and everyone was raving about what a great time it was.  We ran right upstairs afterwards to grab a bite to eat before heading home.  

What I love

  • It was fun with family, but I would feel comfortable with my kids going with a group of friends.
  • There are possibilities and enough things to keep every age occupied (we ranged ages 10-67 when we went).
  • The staff was super friendly.
  • The experience was clean- well kept.
  • Affordable outing for a family 
  • The kids were excited to head to the next room and see what it was- no complaining happened.
  • The possibilities for groups, events and parties. 

Important information:

Movie House is open through August 26th of this year.  This location will also house “Halloween House” and “Christmas House”.  These both sound like things our family will totally enjoy.  In fact, I can absolutely imagine doing a family party watching a scary movie under the stars since we love Halloween.  The same can really be said for Christmas!

For tickets: www.moviehouseparamus.com

Family and group packages are available.

Children Under 3 are free

Contact: 201-402-2880

Hours:

M-Th 4pm-8pm 

Fri 2 pm- 8 pm 

Sat 11 am – 8 pm

We pride ourselves in being able to bring to you attention unique and fun activities. 

As always, we appreciate it if you let them know you heard about them here!  

 

Kicking off Spring Break with a Time Mission Review!

Posted on April 2, 2023 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, Day Trips, Party, Reviews, Things to Do! .

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  All opinions expressed are my own.  

My kids are now 9 adn 12.  We do a lot of different activities than we used to.  Our adventures are growing with us.  That’s one reason we were excited when Time Mission in the Palisades Mall reached out.  Admittedly we don’t spend a lot of time down at the mall, and hadn’t even heard that it had opened.  Checking out the website got us excited- even RNYD- who puts up with my antics- but is rarely excited about them.

What is Time Mission?  Geared toward kids 7+ and adults, it’s along the same lines as an escape room experience, except instead of one room to escape, there are up to 32 different rooms to solve, all like mini timed escape rooms.  They play to different strengths and different interests in each room.  You can go for an evening/afternoon of family fun, bigger kids can go to hang out, and they do birthday parties (which is awesome because its harder and harder to find places for the older kids who are FAR too mature for the same old places).

We decided it would be the perfect way to kick off Spring Break together, so we made reservations for Friday night.  Making reservations is easy, you simply go online to their Website and choose a day, time and whether you would like a 60 or 90 minute session.  The process is easy, and they had us all set when we showed up for our reservation.  There was no waiting online to choose and pay, we were right in.

After locking up your loose belongings, you are given a chipped bracelet to wear which is what unlocks each room.  Outside of each room is a graph that tells you what strengths this particular room plays on, and a brief description.  If you press the “i” there is information on how to solve the room, TRUST ME READ THE “i”.  There were a few that we had NO clue how to solve simply because we got so excited to go in we forgot to read first.  The good news is, you can go in again and try once you’ve calmed down and read the information- you just can’t stack the points. This wasn’t an issue for us, since the first time in we hadn’t scored any points.

Before we began, we walked around and read all the descriptions and scenarios.  We gravitated toward the rooms with higher mental abilities since we had two adults and two kids. They were more difficult than we anticipated.  We had greater success with the more physical rooms, the kids enjoyed them greatly, and we did as well.  We had so much fun (paired with some frustrations) that we ran out of time to do all of the rooms that we had planned to.

We were there an hour and a half, and there’s still plenty more to check out, plus the rooms that they are building.  We were glad to see on the leader board that we defeated the people who were there before us.  The staff was super friendly.  Which is a major plus, as that is not always the case.  At the end on your way out, they cut off your chips to recycle them (which is also great).

I asked the kids their thoughts at the end and they said, super fun, would go back, some was frustrating.  I like it though, if it was all too easy, you would get through all the rooms too quickly, and although you would feel like a genius, you wouldn’t have been challenged.

Time Mission is a great place for a Birthday Party, Class Trip, Team Building Outing, Family Outing, or just a Friends Afternoon.  It wasn’t crazy busy- was easy to find up near the food court and it was a different night out for us.  Especially when you are looking for something to do with the kids for a day, or on a cold, rainy day off.  My kids liked it, and I am certain that we’ll end up back here.  This is a great new addition to the local entertainment scene for kids.

The kids have asked me to add that their favorite rooms were the castle, the spy laser room, dystopian forest, paleontology discovery, and the planet ball one <3 in case you were looking for their favorites.

They also wanted me to add:

  • Wear comfortable clothing
  • Wear sneakers
  • Read the directions
  • Go out for your favorite treat afterwards <3

 

Trolls World Tour Birthday

Posted on November 22, 2021 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays .

Disclosure:  This is an original post about parties that I have thrown for my kids.  Some links included are affiliate links.

Like many other kids her age, (E) has been struck with the Trolls bug.  The music is enough to keep the rest of us happy honestly as we love that the kids were all introduced to many different kinds of classic music when “Trolls World Tour” came out.  SO, this just HAD to be (E)’s birthday theme this year.  As we were still kind of in ‘Lock Down” it was a family only, but it was special nonetheless. 

Setting the Stage– When guests first arrived we had them color in their very own concert wrist bands (we found this free printable) and taped them onto their wrists like they were at a concert-Next they went down to the hair station- where each guest was given “troll hair” with water bottles and spray color (even glitter) dudes with short hair just went with color and even grandparents got in on it!!

Behind the cake/food area I used a second backdrop– as well as the other online party supplies available on amazon.  Then I displayed her Princess Poppy “8” that I made for her.

Press- Once camera ready rockers were lead to the Backdrop area – complete with rock banners and blow up guitars for props.

Fashion Trolls- Little (E) loves fashion, so we did a station where everyone got a sweatshirt and a tutorial on cutting it fashionably, then they got to tie- dye it.  These came out SO GOOD!

Glow in the dark dance party– No rock event is complete without dancing, and of course in the dark is even better!!!  To help them rock out they got glow in the dark bracelets- wands, and necklaces, then we had some extra large neon sparklers from the grocery store to add to the fun!

Calling all Ghouls!

Posted on November 15, 2021 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, We're Having a Party .

Disclosure:  This is an original post about parties that I have thrown for my kids.  Some links included are affiliate links.

(E) has decided to take her birthday parties in a new direction.  As of late she has really started to love classic monster movies (not my deal talk to her father), and has also really gotten into “Monster High”.  So its the perfect party theme.

Even the best laid plans sometimes fall apart right?  I am so behind on my birthday posts that I am catching up on ones from 2 years ago now!!!  I will have them all out soon <3

I was foiled for this one as it was originally planned as a backyard bash, the kind I usually love to throw, but the forecast called for thunderstorms ALL DAY, so I had to come up with something and quick.  I called around about a few places to see if I could rent them with no luck and that’s when it dawned on me to call Danielle at Matisse-chocolatier a directory member who is always up for some fun.  She has a great size room in the back, and if she didn’t have a party I wanted to know if I could rent the room to throw mine.  I could even add a chocolate themed activity.  I could NEVER have pulled this shindig off without her, my aunt, and my sister in law.  Danielle said I could rent it, no chocolate needed and we were off to the races.

*I had a few other things planned for the theme, but we were unable to do them since we were now indoors. 

Pre-party rituals  like pajamas on theme for the night before-are now a standard operating procedure, so she got this adorable nightgown.  I also made family shirts for RNYD and (A).* (if you want family shirts but don’t want to make them yourself- I can recommend someone local if you’d like-  I just wore an (E) approved fancy dress and heels to be on theme, and did my face and hair like hers.  She dressed as Frankie-stein her favorite ghoul.

Monster Makeovers

As kids arrived we got them dressed for the part.  For this I printed a few ideas for face paint for the kids and got some colored hair extensions they could put in.  (The characters in the show have long fun colored hair).

“Fearbook” Photos

Once guests had their face paint and extensions, we used a polariod camera as a guestbook where the kids too “Fearbook” photos, signed their names and put them up on the cork board.. Should have taken 2 photos of each so they could take them home, because a few wanted them and we obliged so (E) doesn’t have them anymore.

I used one of my two backdrop holders with sheers for behind this with some Halloween items from home.

THE BLOB

(E) loves the movie The Blob because watching people run away from strawberry jelly is hilarious to her.  So our activity for the group was to make “The Blob” or glow glitter slime and put it into our special mason jar containers.

Supplies:

  • Glue
  • Glow Glitter
  • Saline Solution
  • Slime Coloring
  • Bowls
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Mason Jars

The Mummy

I got different colored crepe paper and had the kids compete in two groups to see who they could wrap up best as a mummy.

Ghouly Bags

What is a classic horror party without Dracula?  We got a great pinata and filled it with vampire teeth, spider rings, and eyeball lollipops, and had the kids swing a wooden broom at it (or that was the plan).  Actually since it was indoors, we ended up pulling the bottom strings like civilized monsters.  This served  as a portion of their “goody bags”.  For the rest we made journals that looked like school books for the kids, and they also got multicolored pens (both of which (E) adores).

DECOR

I used my second backdrop holder, some sheers, and twinkle pink lights for behind the cake.

  • Table runners
  • Candelabras
  • Chandelier
  • Monster High Balloons
  • Ghost Balloons

After a 2nd birthday photo shoot with IC You Photography where they made my children  Large age Numbers with their theme, I have been continuing ever since, putting my own spin on things.  I made a lage 3 and painted it then hot glued some of the fake flowers on it.

Here are some of the photos from the birthday shoot with IC You– for the full story and all the photos CLICK HERE.

Here is my “6” with not so little (E).

 

 

BASICally the Perfect INVITE!

Posted on April 25, 2021 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, Events, Items, Party, Photo Obsessed, Reviews, RNYM Events, Rockland Babies, Services, Specialty Items, We're Having a Party .

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post, all opinions expressed are my own.

I am a High School Teacher.  More specifically, a teacher of Senior students.  It stands to reason then that at this time of year (every year) I am very focused on Senior events.  All which culminate in the big event, graduation. 

Last year the kids didn’t get much leeway in terms of celebrating.  This year, we are able to again have some gatherings, especially when outdoors, and distanced in some way.  Having just spent a year (give or take a few months) with so many restrictions, it’s no wonder that people may be doing things up a bit more than usual.

Well, it’s almost MAY and time to get planning.  I know that lots of people have made the switch to online invitation platforms, but I still LOVE a paper invitation.  In fact, if you follow me you know that I am VERY picky about my invitations.  I like them to usually be photograph invitations for that personal touch (also makes a nice memory), something you can really personalize (180 colors- and you can customize EACH element on the card).  In addition, I like the invite itself to be of sturdy card stock.  There is something about receiving a card or invitation in the mail, that is made of nice thick card stock.

So, as always I will share a favorite with you, and then explain why.  You need to check out Basic Invite.  Their invitations, announcements, photo graduation announcements etc are completely customizable. While looking around I found that they had some really cute nurse graduation announcement choices as well (quite a few of my students go into nursing)!  They are printed on sturdy card stock, attractive and fast, but there’s more.  There are 40 different color choices for envelopes (which are also peel and stick, thank goodness)- so your envelope can coordinate with your card!!

There are also these SUPER cool clear (we called them see-through) ones you can order!!!

Basic Invite has great customer service, and even a service where they ADDRESS the cards for you!  Don’t have time to upload them?  There’s also an address capturing service!!!  As a super busy working mom, this is HUGE!  This allows you  to share a link on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media to request your friends and family’s addresses. The addresses are stored in your account and can be selected during the design process. Basic Invite offers recipient address printing at no cost on all card orders!!

Then ANY TIME you are sending cards (think parties, announcements, holidays) you can click on the people you want to send the correspondence to and BAM, Done. For me personally, this is AMAZING, it’s hard enough to find time to design all of these things let alone sit and write them all out.  

My 5th grader is also “graduating” this year.  So it’s even more on my mind.  We may do a small family event to celebrate for him (think immediate family BBQ), since he is missing so much. Well, it stands to reason that I would need to look at invitations or a grad announcement.  I was able to find a few that I liked, customize them just the way that I wanted, and then order SAMPLES to see which I would like the best, yep that’s right custom samples!  Changing colors and fonts as well as the style or card was super easy, you do not have to be super computer savvy to do it.  I even let AJ customize one (can you guess which one?).  Uploading the photos was also easy as pie.  I was given an ETA of one week and they arrived as promised.  You may have watched me unveil them on our social media stories.  Excuse the cell phone photo, I couldn’t help myself… The quality is impeccable, in fact, we have decided to make my new nephews birth announcements with Basic Invite as well.  ANNNNNND, we may have fallen in love with this Birthday Invite…

Let’s get social!  If you want to see more Basic Invite check them out on their social media handles: Facebook –Pinterest –Instagram –Twitter! 

I (of course) have a discount code for you too!! Right now Basic Invite is offering 15% off with coupon code: 15FF51 

Your kids can become a “Code Ninja”

Posted on November 17, 2020 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, Camps, Classes, Reviews .

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post as we were invited to a class.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Finding things to do with kids is HARD.  Nowadays its even harder.  Where is safe? What protocols do they have in place?  Is the activity worthwhile?  Here at RNYM as you know we love to explore all the extracurricular options available to us in our area, and that’s how we found Code Ninjas Norwood NJ.  

Located just over the border on 303  in NJ, it’s nestled in a little shopping center.  When we walked in we were greeted right away and out temperatures were taken.  We were then asked to sanitize our hands and walked around a bit. 

The dojo is located in a “parent free zone” which is good firstly for bodies in an area, and so that the kids are free to learn without fear of parents putting pressure on them.  This is also great for parents because it is so easy to reserve your time, drop your child(ren) off and return when time is up.  (What? I might be able to run an errand child free?!)  Oh yeah and because the kids work at their own pace, my 7 year old and my 10 year old can attend at the SAME time on their different levels.  You don’t have to reserve separate times and run around all evening!

To attend a class you call, text, or email to reserve your spot.  There is no set “class time” you can come and go anytime during their hours (which fits nicely if your kids do multiple things). This is one way that they make sure they are not crowded.  The kids attend for 1-2 hours per week.  Once the kids go in you can clearly see that the work stations are set up 6 ft or more from one another.  I watched as the Sensei’s sanitized these stations and other equipment between users.  

What are they learning?  Great question.  As the name suggests Code Ninjas teaches kids how to code.  They play “games” and complete activities that teach them how to create actual code.  By the time our one hour was complete both of my children had written their own games, AND had STEM time.  STEM time is an opportunity for the kids to get up and stretch their legs.  They work with remote control cars, drones, the 3D printer or a different type of video game if they choose.  This was nice, especially because my kids were able to sit undisturbed and complete the games they built (they were so into it) with assistance from the Senseis, and when they were done, they appreciated being able to get up and move about. 

Speaking of the Senseis, they are college and HS students who are high performing students, and either major in computer science or education.  They have all gone through the entire program themselves, and can help the kids as they navigate through the levels.  They circulate the room helping the kids get started, and then come over to their work stations if they raise their hands and ask for help.  It’s all one on one help, no large group instruction for these classes.  In fact, they can tailor a program so much, that they are even able to cater to students with various disabilities including but not limited to physical, learning or spectrum disorders.  They have students who fit all the criteria, and after a conversation with parents regarding your specific child’s needs, they are off to the races.  

My kids were SO excited to show me their games when they had completed them.  They each fit their personalities perfectly.  The sense of accomplishment was so obvious.  When they were all done, we were able to catch a belt ceremony too.  These ceremonies happen just like in martial arts.  When a student passes a level, they are awarded a certificate, a new colored wristband with a personalized RF chip in it, they get to ring the gong, and move their name up into a new section in the waiting area for all to see their progress.  I wish I could have taken photos, this child was also BEAMING ear to ear.   I am a big fan of these promotion programs, because it makes the progress that your child is making tangible and gives them the opportunity to celebrate.  

It’s exactly like their motto “Kids have fun, parents see results.”  On our way home we called my brother in law, who creates websites and apps for a living to tell him what they had done.  He was SUPER impressed.  My KIDS LOVED THIS CLASS, and are begging me to continue on with lessons.  So much so that my daughter did her weekly writing for school all about the experience.  

Her game was titled “Diamond Fish” because she enjoys diamonds and fishing.

Anyone who knows (A) would expect the dragon involved in his game, but maybe not the bowl of cheese doodles?

Interested and want to learn more?  They offer free 30 minute trials- after which they talk to you about how it went and whether or not they think it is a good fit for your child(ren).  Also available are BIRTHDAY PARTIES- with various game themes (think Roblox, minecraft, among us, etc), and scouting activities (both boy and girl).  They also offer various workshops for the weeks that kiddos are off of school, as well as camps.  

The Dojo we visited: 508 Livingston Street Norwood, NJ 07648  (201) 267-2633  Get Directions

Other Locations available locally:

Midland Park

85 Godwin Ave
Midland Park, NJ 07432
 (201) 882-1234  Get Directions 
 

Ramsey

171 Lake Street
Ramsey, NJ 07446
 (201) 402-2601  Get Directions
 

Saddle Brook

383 Market Street, Building B Unit 6
Saddle Brook, NJ 07663
 (551) 300-2633  Get Directions –

Take the Trip…

Posted on January 22, 2020 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, Health and Wellness, Money Momma, Opportunities, Reviews, RNYM's Picks, Self Care, Services, Things to Do!, Thoughts.., Travel .

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  All opinions expressed are my own.

A little while ago, I posted about how I am done giving gifts of “things” and am moving toward gifts of time and experience.  I am about to turn 40. I don’t only believe in time and experience for others, I do for myself too.  I’ve always dreamed of traveling, especially to Europe, but everywhere.  For one reason or another it just hasn’t happened.  Well with 40 knocking on my door I decided to do something about it.  

EDIT TO ADD:  I wrote and was supposed to post this article early fall, but I am kind of glad that I didn’t.  Due to normal “Life” situations, I am more glad than ever that we got a chance to do Disney this year as well as to have taken this trip myself.  I do not know when the next time I will be able to take the family on a trip or go myself might be able to happen.  Those who know me know that I am not exaggerating, my new advice…..When you have the chance, Do it.  I intend to try to figure out how to continue to travel, and bring the family along, but its going to take a whole lot more work now.  

Due to unforeseen circumstances RNYD was not available to travel (which is cool anyway cause he’s much more of a home body), so I begged my bestie Michelle to come with me.  I gave her a list of places on my bucket list and let her choose.  I also wanted to hit up a cruise if possible because I have never done one.  She was game, and she choose Greece.  Perfect for a cruise, and really one of my top two trips.

We picked a cruise and booked it, since it left and returned to Rome and neither of us knew when we would be back, we decided to take 2 days to explore there as well.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

  1.  I will never book a trip with a travel agent other than Scott Walters (sorry dudes say what you will, he’s bailed me out 2x now).
  2. Cruises are great because you don’t have to pack up your stuff every day to move, you have a home base.
  3. You can make friends on cruises, which is neat for when you are done sightseeing for the day you can meet for dinner/drinks/dancing later.
  4. Get the drink package (just saying)
  5. Try all the different foods
  6. Clarks are the best sandals ever (and yes you can find some that don’t look like your grandmothers shoes).
  7. Greece is REALLY HOT in the summer so May or September may be better.
  8. I AM OBSESSED WITH TRAVEL.

At each of the islands we went to Scott sent us 2-3 excursions that he thought we would like based on our “profiles” and we chose 1-2 for each.  The tours that we took were so complete that I actually don’t think we missed anything, BUT we didn’t have tons of time so it was more like a taste test, I may have a list of places that I’d like to get back to if I ever check off my list the other trips I want to take.

Travel Agent Extraordinaire Scott Walters helped  me out immensely on this trip, and I am so grateful.  I have just reached out to him again, about a possible trip for 2021, that I would like to start saving for.  I am so excited, and hopeful that we can make it happen despite our challenges.  He’s been super helpful in understanding and helping us with the physical needs of our family, and I am hoping that his expert advise will help us to be able to make the trip happen for our whole family.

cott Walters (845) 558-1225

scott@goawayoftentravel.com

http://www.goawayoftentravel.com

A full service travel agent specializing in family vacations to amazing destinations. From simple weekend getaways to multi generational once in a lifetime bucket list filling journeys, Go Away Often Travel can get you there. It’s YOUR VACATION, let me do the work!  Worth noting here that I always thought I couldn’t afford a travel agent.  Turns out that you don’ t pay one, they are paid by the people they book your trip with.  The few times I have reached out to him to see if he should be consulted about a trip and he couldn’t help me with a deal, he encouraged me to book on my own to save the money.

Art Party!

Posted on December 5, 2019 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, We're Having a Party .

Disclosure:  This is an original post about parties that I have thrown for my kids.  Some links included are affiliate links.

Last year (E) has become more and more obsessed with Art of any kind.  She loves to color, she doodles even when we drive to swim or dance lessons.  That means its the perfect theme for her 5th Birthday Party!!!

*I’ve begun a few pre-party rituals now like pajamas on theme for the night before- this year she got tie dye.  I also made family shirts which included tie dye shirts and a funny one for RNYD.* (if you want family shirts but don’t want to make them yourself- check out MHC Creations.

I also found her the perfect dress for the day of :o)

I made a few art party games to play, and let the kids run around and have fun in the yard as well.  Food was supplied by our favorite Luigi O’Grady’s.  Whenever I need to throw a party Michelle and I engage in the funniest email strings.  I tell her the theme and she makes suggestions, I just never know.  Luckily she does.  This time however it wasn’t too necessary except for some additions as (E) knew that she wanted chicken finger and fries since its her absolute favorite meal. 

One of my closest friends is a CRAZY talented cake artist, who works at La Promenade in Tenafly, NJ so she always makes my cakes.  They are not only beautiful one of a kind works of art, but they are so very good.

If you are looking to re-create any parts of the party and need supplies, click items that are “blue” as they will take you right to the item on Amazon.  These are affiliate links. 

*Note- at each station I had a package or two of Baby wipes on hand for clean up.  Totally necessary.**

Ceramics

My kids adore Jills Ceramics (if you are a reader you know this by now).  Although we wanted to do the party at home, we made sure to incorporate something similar as a portion of the party.  If you are local, you can go to Jills and purchase the supplies for the party at home.  If you are not local- the boots  (or other item you may want to paint) Amazon.  We chose boots because (E) actually LOVES SHOES (lord help me).

Here’s the links also to the brushes, paint, smocks, Styrofoam plates and sealant I had on hand.

Chalk Art

(E) loves to draw on the driveway, but RNYD despises it (see funny shirt I made with my Circuit cutter and some vynil).  Sooooooo obviously we had to take the opportunity to make a driveway mess.  I drew assorted frames ahead of time and then left out some chalk, some chalk paint, spirograph and stencils for the kids to have a blast with.

Photography (see a theme in my parties? its art LOL)

I used a large frame that I always put into the ground as a setup for photos, and put some photo props there for the kids to use.  It’s super cute (even the adults jumped in).

I found my large frame at a garage sale, which is a great place, but they also have these fun and easier to store ones online: Photo frame

DECOR

I used things I had lying around like old paintings and frames (which I love) but here are the other parts that went into the great look of the party.

  • Multicolored Fans
  • Splatter Table Cloth
  • Splatter Decor
  • Palette and Brush
  • Splatter Balloons

After a 2 & 5th birthday photo shoot with IC You Photography where they made my children  Large age Numbers with their theme, I have been continuing ever since, putting my own spin on things.  I made a lage 3 and painted it then hot glued some of the fake flowers on it.

Here are some of the photos from the birthday shoot with IC You– for the full story and all the photos CLICK HERE.

Here is my “5” with not so little (E).

Who you Gonna Call?!

Posted on November 5, 2019 by RocklandNYMom Posted in Birthdays, We're Having a Party .

Disclosure:  This is an original post about parties that I have thrown for my kids.  Some links included are affiliate links.

At our house we have “Classic Movie Night” where we watch old movies that we LOVED as kids to show our children.  We showed the kids Ghost Busters (all 3) this year and they loved them.  So much that (A) choose it as his birthday theme at a local laser tag place.

*The laser tag place won’t be named as we actually had a bad experience there, luckily in the end the kids had some fun, so I am sharing the fun ideas I had and special things with you just for reference should you decide to do a similar event.  This theme is easily adapted for a water gun party, or a nerf party.*

I made sure to get (A) his t-shirt and pajamas so that he had some special birthday items.  (no photos in pajamas he’s getting so big he barely lets me)

Pizza was ordered from a local establishment and I brought red and green juice for the kids, nothing too crazy there, they are far more interested in the action than the food.  I made chocolate dipped treats that looked like ghosts for centerpieces, that the kids then took home as favors.  I will be honest, they were a pain.  If I chose to do something like this again, I would have Danielle at Chocolatier Matisse do them, shes better at it and I can use some time to work on other things.

One of my closest friends is a CRAZY talented cake artist, who works at La Promenade in Tenafly, NJ so she always makes my cakes.  They are not only beautiful one of a kind works of art, but they are so very good.

There wasn’t much to do activity wise as the main event was the tag, and I had learned the last time that I wouldn’t have time in the room to do other activities so instead I shifted my focus.  I decorated the venue not only in the room but also in the tag area with some Ghost Balloons, and also a City Backdrop that would later become our photo area.  I used lime green table cloths cut to look like slime as well.

I made an Ecto 2 sign for behind the cake, used caution tape on the tables, and cut out some on theme items.  I also put up a Ghostbusters costume and proton pack on the wall to make it realistic.

After a 5th birthday photo shoot with IC You Photography where they made my children  Large age Numbers with their theme, I have been continuing ever since, putting my own spin on things.  I made a lage 3 and painted it then hot glued some of the fake flowers on it.

Here are some of the photos from the birthday shoot with IC You– for the full story and all the photos CLICK HERE.

Here is my “8” with (A).

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