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CELEBRATE FERRAGOSTO WITH BARONE FINI AND I TRULLI RESTAURANT ON AUGUST 15 #baronefini #ferragosto

8 Aug

On August 15, Barone Fini wines will partner with I Trulli Enoteca e Ristorante, located at 122 East 27th Street between Lexington and Park Avenues, to bring a taste of Ferragosto to the United States. Ferragosto is an annual Italian holiday celebrated on August 15; I Trulli and Barone Fini have created a celebratory menu in honor of this tradition. For every glass of Barone Fini wine that’s poured, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to The Food Bank For New York City. 


Ferragosto originated as a celebration of the Italian harvest. Enjoyed by peasants and aristocrats alike, the festival gave everyone the opportunity to gather together, break bread, and enjoy the fruits of the labor season. Today, Ferragosto is celebrated on August 15th marked with parties, abundant feasts, and fireworks.


 

Barone Fini dates back to 1497 when two noble Venetian families (Bonmartini and Fini) united in marriage and began producing wine. Today, 15th generation family member Giovanni Bonmartini-Fini serves as President of Barone Fini, overseeing the winery’s production, including the winery’s hand harvesting and sorting to produce quality Italian wines at an affordable price point. 


 

I Trulli Enoteca e Ristorante is one of New York City’s landmarks of fine Italian dining. Its wine list features more than 450 Italian labels personally selected by owner Nicola Marzovilla, and the pasta remains hand-rolled daily by matriarch Dora Marzovilla. On August 15, I Trulli will feature some of its finest foods paired with Barone Fini wines with a specially-curated menu to commence the Ferragosto celebration in NYC. The four-course menu will be $58, plus $10 per glass of Barone Fini wine.


I was invited to I Trulli to a wine tasting and enjoy authentic pasta and learn about  Barone Fini wines. I just have to say I really enjoyed this special day and the delicious meal and wine. It was a pleasure meeting everyone. It is also great to see 100% of the proceeds from every glass of Barone Fini wine that is poured will be donated to The Food Bank For New York City. August 15th where will you be? Hopefully enjoying great wine and food at I Trulli Enoteca e Ristorante. 

Disclosure: I was invited to attend this amazing press event at I Trulli. Opinions are mine 100%. Swag was given. 

NEW Del Monte Adult Fruit Cups (Fruit Refreshers) #TimeToRefresh

1 Aug

Del Monte introduced a new product at their NYC launch at the Gramercy Park Hotel rooftop July 28th and I was invited to see it all go down. The only thing I knew was it was their first ever Adult Fruit Cup. So what makes it an adult fruit cup you might ask? Well if you’re thinking its infused with liquor you’re wrong. Or maybe you’re an alcoholic who was praying you finally got your wish. JUST KIDDING!!!! 


I couldn’t wait to find out. Once I saw the fruit cups the first thing I noticed was the packaging which looks very grown up compared to the fruit cups in kids lunchboxes. The colors of the fruit are bold and bright and I love it! The amazing flavors was the next thing I noticed. My favorite was Pineapple in Passion Fruit flavored lightly sweetened with Fruit Water. I am a huge fan of pineapple and the passion fruit is also very delicious. I love the fact that it’s packed in fruit water. Another plus I noticed was it does not have any High Fructose Corn Syrup, Artificial Flavors or Sweeteners. If you’re around me I’m always talking about how I can’t stand high fructose corn syrup and if one of the first three ingredients in any product is sugar put it back. That goes for high fructose corn syrup too. 


The third thing I noticed was it only has 90 calories. Can you say winner? My family has always been big on fruit cups but a lot of them were flavored in heavy syrup and that wasn’t what I wanted.

These Del Monte Fruit Refreshers fruit cups already have me hooked. Another flavor introduced at the launch was Mandarin Oranges in slightly sweetened Coconut Water. Yes, that’s right Coconut Water. This flavor only have 100 calories. Another winner. 


Two more flavors coming to stores are Red Grapefruit in Guava Flavored Fruit Water and Grapefruit and Oranges in Pomegranate Flavored Fruit Water. 

Spokesperson for Del Monte Fruit Refreshers, Actress and Lifestyle Blogger, Katrina Bowden was in attendance to tell us why she supports Del Monte. “She said as a healthy person who stays fit she likes snacks that she can throw in her bag everyday to enjoy whenever she needs a moment to refresh.”


I love the adult size of these fruit cups and I can’t wait to try all the flavors. Speaking of flavors we had some pretty good refreshing drinks and amazing seafood appetizers and desserts. I felt like I was at a party Under The Sea visiting Spongebob’s pineapple house. Facials were also given if you chose to get one. 

Keep checking your local supermarkets. Hitting shelves soon. Check out @delmonte on Instagram and Twitter for more info. 


Thank you for the invite. I had a great time. 

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. Opinions are mine 100% as always. Gift bags were given. 

#IceAge #CollisionCourse Screening, Neil deGrasse Tyson & AMNH Fun Filled Day

28 Jul

Grandma and her grandkids attended the screening of Ice Age Collision Course held at NYIT Auditorium on the Upper West Side in NY. After the screening there was a Q&A with American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. He’s the voice of Neil deBuck Weasel.


My mother said she really enjoyed this event. She talked about it the whole week. She enjoyed the Q&A with Neil deGrasse Tyson. She enjoyed the answer to this question a young person asked: 

Child: “Why did you become a scientist, and what college did you go to?”

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Not knowing that science is a thing, I just, in the planetarium, this universe looks cool. I want to learn about it, and then I figure out that learning about unknown things in nature is what a scientist does, okay? And then–you asked what schools I went to. In this book that I haven’t written yet, and will not write for years, I’m developing strong views on how irrelevant it likely is what your school choice is.  

Now, parents don’t want to hear this, and school administrators don’t want to hear this. They want you to believe that your school choice matters everything in your life, and I’m gathering evidence that doesn’t really support that. In the end of the day what matters most, above all else is your ambition. We can talk about Albert Einstein. You can say, “What high school did he go to?”  

No, you’re not going to ask me that, because it’s irrelevant. He’s Einstein. Did everyone else from his graduating class of high school become Einstein? No. He’s Einstein. His ambitions got him there, okay? So, this is what I’m saying. If you start saying, I went to this school or that school, then all of sudden, the school becomes your–that’s your–you want people to respond to what school you went to, rather than what you actually accomplished in life.  

Once you accomplish things, and if you accomplish really great things, people are not going to ask you what school you went to. They’re going to ask you, “Tell me about your life and your own ability to discover and your own capacity to explore.”  

After the Q & A everyone enjoyed an amazing lunch then they were whisked away to the Museum of Natural History. What  a great way to end a fun morning. They hopped on shuttle buses and explored the Museum. My kids and my mother really enjoyed the Museum. They haven’t been in a while. They stayed about three hours and loved it all. AMNH is one of my favorite museums and since I didn’t make it this trip I will take the kids with me next time. This is their second time seeing the movie because it’s that good. I also would like to see it as well. 


Thank you to everyone who put this fantastic day together and the wonderful experience my family had with Neil deGrasse Tyson and his expertise on Science and talking about his character, and the trip to the Museum Of Natural History. Shout outs to Big Honcho Media, 20th Century Fox, and American Museum Of Natural History. 
ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE – IN THEATERS NOW

Synopsis:

Scrat’s epic pursuit of the elusive acorn catapults him into the universe where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the Ice Age World. To save themselves, Sid, Manny, Diego, and the rest of the herd must leave their home and embark on a quest full of comedy and adventure, traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colorful new characters. 

Check out Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Cold Hard Facts” clip


Official Websites:

Like Ice Age: Collision Course on FACEBOOK: http://fox.co/IceAgeFacebook

Visit Scrat on FACEBOOK: http://fox.co/IceAgeScrat

Follow Ice Age: Collision Course on TWITTER: http://fox.co/IceAgeTW

Follow Ice Age: Collision Course on INSTAGRAM: http://fox.co/IceAgeIG

Connect with Ice Age: Collision Course Online: http://www.iceagemovies.com

Fandango Ticketing Link

All heads on deck. Get your tickets to see Ice Age: Collision Course in 3D, in theaters now. http://fox.co/IceAgeTickets

Disclosure: This post is not sponsored. My family were invited to attend this special event. Everything mentioned was included in invite. Opinions are mine and my family 100% as always. Thanks again. 

We’re Going Back To School With Kidz Vuz #KidzVuzBTS

28 Jul

I love Back To School events. A lot of them take place in the summer so parents and kids can get the scoop on all the latest products and fashion that they must take back and wear to school. 

Kidz Vuz Back To School was held this month and we were off to have some fun. I always tell my kids when it’s a kids event they get to network and hand out business cards while I take pics and talk with friends. That’s the easy part. I get to follow up and write all the emails. They agree of course. 

My kids will always be young at heart when it comes to Kidz Vuz events. I love kid friendly brands and enjoy seeing my kids talk to them and tell them what they like about their product. 

There were thirteen sponsors in attendance. Here are the names and you can follow them on social media: 

 Juicy Juice @JuicyJuiceUSA


Classroom Direct @ClassroomDirect

Galxyz @GalxyzLab

Galxyz is an intergalactic science adventure. It provides self-paced, fun and motivational games-based learning with the entire school science curriculum for grades 3-12.


Fin Fun @FinFunMermaid

Domain.Me @DomainME


Philips @PhilipsNA and @PhilipsSonicare


Pips Island @PipsIsland


EZ PZ Patches @EZPZPatches


BackYard Foods @backyardfoodco


Lucky Bar @pickyeatersrule


Bway Zone @BwayZone


Zandra Beauty @ZandraBeauty


Love, Hallie @love_Hallie_

LOVE HALLIE Foundation encourages young people to  get involved in the causes they care about. 


Cartoon artists made Caricatures of us and did a great job. My daughter enjoyed being in the Kidz Vuz spotlight giving her review on the Slinky. 



  And from the gift bag:

@drinktickle – yummy natural sparkling water

@baronfig – bespoke notebook

@nealbrothers – amazing potato chips

@DTailsULike – Adorable jewelry

@storyarcs – Pop Tropica and Galactic Hotdog Books

@MabelsLabels – indispensable write-away labels

@NYIscream – BackPack Squishems

@sillicandy – Awesome baking molds

These brands are going to make back to school a breeze. Kidz Vuz got us covered and we can’t wait to show you what back to school will look like. 

Disclosure: This post is not compensated. Opinions are our own 100% as always. Thank you to Kidz Vuz for the invite. We had a blast! See you next year. 

     

Blogger Bash Recap 2016 #BBNYC 

26 Jul

I received an email congratulating me that I was picked to volunteer at Blogger Bash this year and I was super excited. I almost didn’t sign up to volunteer but I’m glad I did. Always go with your gut. This year Blogger Bash was held on the Cornucopia Majesty Boat at Pier 81 in New York. That’s right we were on a boat for two days and I couldn’t wait to see how much fun it was going to be. I’ve attended every Blogger Bash so far. 

The first day I was scheduled to volunteer at 10am. I arrived early and was given my assignment. It really is a lot of work with preparing for a successful Blogger Bash. Seeing what goes on behind the scenes is incredible. It takes a village of people to make everything perfect. I assisted with a few brands and helped them carry their boxes to their tables, handed out water, retrieved tools, tables and whatever work needed to be done. I had no problem running up and down the steps. That was my exercise for the day. It was nice and cool on the boat. 


I loved the Speed Pitch part of the agenda and getting to know the Food & Lifestyle brands one on one. Everyone was so friendly and I look forward to working with each and every one of them. I even tried crickets. They were dead. 

The Expo part was also another favorite of mine as I went around table to table learning about the brands and who I wanted to work with. I just want to say everything from vibrators, to pizza and Mario Kart electric racing cars were on tables. Can’t wait to bring you my reviews of all the goodies from Blogger Bash. 


It’s always hard to see the last day of Blogger Bash come to an end. I met so many great people and made new friends. But I’m glad we always go out with a bang. It poured rain right before the party started and the sun came out of nowhere and everyone was able to party on the upper deck outside. We danced our hearts out and took a tour to the Statue Of Liberty and back. It was great! 


I can’t wait to see how they top this Blogger Bash next year. I also wouldn’t mind volunteering again. It was such a pleasure and great experience. 

Disclosure: My ticket was provided to me through Blogger Bash in exchange for volunteering. Opinions are mine 100% as always. Thank you to the Blogger Bash staff. 

Back To School With Momtrends #momtrendsbts

23 Jul

Kids might not want to hear it but school is right around the corner. I attended Momtrends 6th Annual Back To School Event and I’ve got the scoop on everything from fashion to food and everything in between. 


Brands in attendance or in gift bags were: 

The Nanny League- Need a college educated nanny or on call sitter? Like ok no further. Check @thenannyleague on Twitter for more info.

Mabel’s Labels- Every year my kids and I look forward to labeling school supplies and clothes. Head to Twitter @mabelhood


Nalgene- Making sure my kids drinks are in a spill proof sturdy bottle and they’re lunch doesn’t get soggy or squished makes for a happy day with these products. Go to @NalgeneUSA on Instagram and stock up.


USANA-Nutritional Science @usanainc on Twitter & Instagram  

Vamousse- Non toxic- and pesticide free lice products to treat, prevent and protect children against lice. @vamousselice on Twitter.

Play-Doh- We all love play-doh. You already know the amazing things you can do with play-doh. My daughter can’t get enough of this. Head to @playdoh onTwitter. 

Chewbeads- I fell in love with these amazing chewbeads and I don’t need a baby to own them. They are colorful and go great with anything. I want them all. 100% silicone teething jewelry that’s worn by mommies. Check out @Chewbeads on Twitter for more info. 


KEEN, Inc- Outfoor footwear for the whole family. From the mountains to the city streets. @Keen on Twitter for footwear fashion. 


WallPops- Wall art, peel and stick wallpaper. Amazing wallpaper that can brighten up a room. See what @Wallpopswallart has for you on Twitter. 


Paula’s Choice- Skincare products you can feel confident about buying and using. @paulaschoice on Twitter. 

Joules-Britain’s best loved lifestyle brand. Clothing for the entire family. Take a look at the mini models below. On Twitter @joulesclothing 

Yoobi- Supplies for school, home and office. Very colorful and unique. For every Yoobi item you buy, another is donated to a classroom in need in the U.S. You must check out@Yoobigives on Twitter 


Earth’s Best- Natural and organic products for your growing baby. @EarthsBest on Twitter.

Ella’s Kitchen- Healthy and natural organic food for babies and kids. They are on Twitter @EllasKitchenUSA


Disclosure: This is a compensated post. Opinions are mine 100% as always. Gift bags were given. Thank you Momtrends for another awesome event. My kids thank you too. 

Family Fun with NY Liberty At Madison Square Garden #ShowUp

13 Jul

KidzVuz invited me and the family to a NY Liberty basketball game at Madison Square Garden. We love sports and basketball is our number one sport, and what better place to watch basketball than at Madison Square Garden. We arrived early to watch NY Liberty warm up before the game started. The kids enjoyed this as we were right on the court. NY Liberty were up against Seattle Storm. NY Liberty is a great team and we were routing for them all the way. We had great seats and my kids and their friends were shown on the Jumbotron about four times. They loved it!! 


The game was nail biting as I though we were going into overtime but there was no need be aside NY Liberty beat Seattle Storm 78 to 74. It was a great game. I can’t wait to take the kids back to plenty more games at Madison Square Garden. MSG is happy to extend a 25% off ticket offer to my readers. The code is NYLMOM and the offer is “Save Up to 25% Off on Tickets!* 

*Offer valid on select seats to all regular season home games”

Disclosure: Huge thanks to Kidz Vuz who provided tickets for my family and I to attend the game. Opinions are our own 100%.

Fashion Alert: kidpik basics launch for girls in sizes 4-14

5 Jul

I was invited to the launch of kidpik basics. The collection comes in super-soft materials and yummy colors. Parents can now stock up on all the essentials that a girl needs in multiples at http://www.kidpikbasics.com

Click the basics tab at kidpik and discover a trend right, colorful collection of not-so-basic-basics, including tops, tanks, shorts, leggings, pants and more. The site is arranged by color, making it easy to shop and replenish your girl’s favorite wardrobe staples quickly and easily at awesome prices.

Basics are an essential part of a girl’s wardrobe.” says Ezra Dabah, kidpik founder and CEO. “We are thrilled to offer a great selection of basics to complement the kidpik fashion collection.”

Kidpik basics are available for girls in sizes 4-14. Prices range from $6.50 – $17.50. Enjoy free shipping on orders of $50 or more. Orders under $50 ship with a $5 flat rate fee.  


Walking into the showroom was very colorful and kid friendly it reminded me of a box of crayons or a rainbow. There were even colorful bagels to match. My daughter and I love how soft the clothes are and she’s able to play without stiffness and the colors don’t fade. I like to dress her in bright colors when I take her to the park or public places so I can spot her easily. These colors are perfect. 


Everyone was rewarded with 4 pieces of clothing and I took home 2 lace shirts, a lace cardigan and a pencil skirt for my daughter. She loves it and can’t wait to wear. Looking forward to the fall collection subscription boxes. 


Nina kids shoes fall and spring 17″ are amazing. Gladiators, wedges,sandals, baby shoes, and boots are just some of the footwear to keep an eye on. My daughter already picked out a few dozen pair. Check out @kidpik on Instagram 


Disclosure: This is not a compensated post. Opinions expressed are mine 100%. Clothing was given for review. 

Char-Broil Nights NYC Pop-Up Shop #CharBroilNights

1 Jul

I love BBQ and grilling and the smell of meat on the grill. I attended Char-Broil’s first ever NYC Pop Up Shop. This invite only event was a hands on experience complete with grilling and smoking stations, deliciously prepared foods, cocktails, spice bar and s’mores bar. I just have to say a two-in-one gas grill and smoker is on my wish list. The baby lamb chops with chimichurri sauce, the pulled pork sliders, sausage souvlaki tacos,skirt steak skewers and jumbo grilled shrimp were banging. Cocktails on point and appetizers were very good. I made a jar of spices to take home and roasted s’mores. I enjoyed the evening with my friends.



Char-Broil is offering grillers the best of both worlds with the debut of Gas2Coal™, a two-in-one gas and charcoal grill that provides grillers the option to grill with the ease and convenience of gas or with the smoky flavor of charcoal – all within one sleek grill. The grill features a first-ever, patented charcoal tray which lights coals with the touch of a button, eliminating the hassle and mess of lighter fluid and helping grillers of all skill levels to take their meals to the next level.

Gas2Coal saves space while eliminating the hassle and mess grillers typically experience with charcoal, while making it easy to experiment with different grilling methods. With Gas2Coal, grillers of all experience levels can explore different cooking methods to help expand their palates and culinary imagination just in time for grilling season.

Gas2Coal is available for purchase exclusively at Lowe’s store through June 2016, or online at Lowes.com.


Char-Broil, one of the world’s oldest and most respected outdoor cooking companies, made it easier than ever today for consumers to monitor and control the smoking process with the launch of the Simple Smoker ($299) and Digital Electric Smoker ($399) with the Char-Broil app and SmartChef™ technology. The first of their kind, these smokers sync to your smart device over Wi-Fi utilizing the Char-Broil app, which allows connected users more convenience and freedom than ever before. Users of all skill levels will have an outdoor cooking experience that is all about leveraging innovative technology to consistently create superior taste, perfect cooking techniques and enjoy an effortless smoking routine.

Adding to Char-Broil’s portfolio of innovative products and features consumers can get real-time cooking info through the Char-Broil app and make adjustments as needed, including:

*Meat temperature

*Estimated cook time and done time

*Chamber temperature 

When users are connected to their home network, they have the ability to control and adjust these settings at their fingertips. But – unlike other competing products – once users are out of their network range, they can continue to monitor the smoker from the Char-Broil app.
Signaled by an integrated meat probe, the app will send notifications at key cooking times, so users never need to worry about overcooking or continuously checking their meats. The app also provides a preprogrammed library of recipes for the amateur or adventurous cookers and is compatible with iOS and Android phones.
Both are perfectly suited for holiday meals and everyday use. The Digital Electric Smoker gives users long lasting smoke and more capacity allowing for large meal preparations, while the Simple Smoker offers convenience and versatility, allowing users to slowly smoke a brisket at a low temperature or safely fry a turkey to perfection without oil.

The Simple Smoker and Digital Electric Smoker are available for purchase on the Char-Broil website ( http://www.charbroil.com) and Amazon. 

Disclosure: This is not a compensated post. Opinions are mine 100% as always. I was invited to attend this event. 

American Girl Doll Launches Wellie Wishers At Momtrends Event

30 Jun

My daughter recently turned 9 years old and I’ve never taken her to the American Girl Store. I’ve never been there myself. We’ve passed by it plenty of times but I’ve never had the time till recently. The only problem is that she still hasn’t been there. I attended an event given by Momtrends for the launch of the new dolls Wellie Wishers. 


Wellie Wishers are a group of sweet and silly girls who each have the same bug bright wish to be a good friend. They are rocking cute colorful garden boots and are cared for by their wonderful Aunt Miranda. 

They are finding out that “good deeds” such as cooperating, sharing, taking turns, respecting feelings and making it right aren’t always the easiest things to do but they are just the right things to do to make beautiful friendships bloom. 


Walking into the American Girl Store was wonderful as I followed the footsteps up to the third floor where a tea party awaited. It was beautifully decorated and I met author Valerie Tripp who has written over 40 books for American Girl. She spoke about the Wellie Wishers and other books and also gave everyone signed copies of a Wellie Wishers book. We also got to choose a Wellie Wishers doll. I chose Ashlyn for my daughter. That was her first choice and it kind of rhymes with her name Taylinn. The description of Ashlyn is: She’s the generous soul of the social circle. Her fancy-free party themes are just the right thing to turn a friend’s frown upside down. I picked the right one. 


If Ashlyn wasn’t your choice there was Emerson, Willa, Kendall and Camille. They’re all adorable. 
The dolls are 14.5″.They retail for $60. You can also purchase matching outfits for your daughter and her doll, wellies, socks, doll houses, etc. I purchased socks and a ladybug hairbrush for my daughter. The boots (wellies) don’t come in her size. If you order online there’s free shipping through 7/31. http://www.americangirl.com/shop/dolls/


Now you know I have to take my daughter to Ametican Girl Store because I’ve been and I want her to experience it with her doll and have a tea party as well. She was very happy with her doll and accessories. 


To explore the world of the Wellie Wishers through books, online games and more check out http://www.anericangirl.com/play/welliewishers

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. Opinions are mine 100% as always. I was given a doll and book for my daughter. Thank you Momtrends and American Girl for everything. 

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