My grandmother died of lung cancer. She was a cigarette smoker for over thirty years and smoking ultimately killed her. It was horrible to watch her suffer as she struggled to breathe during her final days. You would think that this experience would have been enough of a deterrent for me to avoid smoking at any cost, but it wasn't. One day, a friend in college passed me a cigarette and it began my addiction to a dangerous habit. I smoked on an off for about eight years and finally quit, cold-turkey, in 2007. It was definitely a difficult habit to kick but, I am proud to say that I have not smoked a cigarette in almost ten years. Due to my experiences with tobacco, I am constantly warning my high school students about the dangers of smoking. Unfortunately, the tobacco industry spends billions of dollars on promotions, in places where children can see them. They promote cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to young people and funnel a lot of that money into advertising that … [Read more...]
Let’s Make New York Tobacco Free! #SeenEnoughTobacco @TobaccoFreeNYS #Ad
Visit Southampton, New York This Summer! @Southampton_Inn #Ad
I've always wanted to visit Southampton, New York with my family but I never felt that such a vacation would be within our financial means. After all, everything you see about the Hamptons on television features rich socialites spending the warm weather months in their summer homes. When the opportunity arose to stay at the Southampton Inn this spring, I was thrilled to be able to cross this experience off my bucket list. It was a wonderful escape from city life and I was extremely surprised to find out that the experience was not only family-friendly, but it was extremely affordable. We will definitely be returning this summer! The Southampton Inn is located on Long Island's East End. It is a quaint boutique hotel and within walking distance are a variety of enchanting restaurants, celebrated boutiques, unique galleries, and cultural opportunities. Guests at this Hamptons East End hotel enjoy wine tasting, garden tours, food events, and recreational … [Read more...]
Make Your Everyday Life And The Holidays Even Better! #NYTough #Giveaway #AdPG
Living in New York has always been an amazing experience. It's a city that is full of life and a melting pot for many nationalities and cultures. Those of us who reside here are cut from a different cloth and tend to exhibit a sense of strength that radiates from within. I've always said that if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. During the holidays, you can literally sense the excitement in the air and the city is bustling with many festivities and sights to experience and take in. This time is also a very hectic time for most of us New Yorkers because we have to carry groceries and packages on mass transit as well as make sure that our homes are festively decorated for our families. In our family, we love having this time to spend with our family and those who matter the most in our lives. It's the perfect opportunity to celebrate with one another and to feast on some of our traditional foods. Of course, this also means that there is a big … [Read more...]
We Visited Legoland Discovery Center! @LDCWestchester #LegolandNYC #Ad
*I participated in this campaign on behalf of Legoland Discovery Centers US. I received a promotional item to facilitate this review and as a thank you item for participating. All opinions are my own. When I was a little girl, my younger brother had so much Lego® that we used to build magnificent structures and pretend play for hours on end. There are just so many great memories that I associate with these building blocks that revolve around family and togetherness. This past Easter weekend, my husband and I decided that we wanted to plan a fun family outing after attending mass in the morning. Sunday is the day that we are both off from work and our boys are off from school and it is important to be able to spend quality time together. Our destination of choice was the Legoland Discovery Center in Westchester, NY within the Ridge Hill shopping district. Both of our boys are huge Lego® fans and have used them since they were toddlers to spend … [Read more...]
Be Careful Getting Out Of Your Car!
Many of you who follow me on social media probably already know that my car was struck last week. While this is not the first time that we have had an accident, the details of this particular one are quite unusual and you will probably be surprised to learn a few things, especially if you are a driver. It all began last Wednesday, which was the day after the East Coast was slammed with some serious snowfalls. New York City was no exception and we received over a foot of snow in some areas. True to his passion as an athlete, my husband expressed that he wanted to take the kids snow tubing since they were lucky enough to be enjoying a snow day, unlike their public school counterparts. A few hours after they left, my husband called me and I could immediately tell by the sound of his voice that something was seriously wrong. He proceeded to tell me that he was exiting our parked vehicle on the driver's side when another car struck our car door and almost took Hubby's … [Read more...]
Check Out The Ruum Back To School Collection! #RuumBTS #Sponsored
*This post was written by me on behalf of Ruum American Kids Wear. I received a gift card in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine. School is starting in a few weeks here in New York City and that means that moms and dads are scrambling to get their kids ready for the new academic year. Most kids will tell you that having the right Back to School wardrobe can make a world of difference in launching the year off on the right note. Ruum American Kid's Wear has an exciting collection of childrenswear for kids ranging from newborn to age 14. Ruum collections are designed to coordinate easily and take the guess work out of putting outfits for school together every night for the next day. Aside from offering quality clothing for a great value, they also offer a wide selection of accessories including a wide assortment of shoes for boys and girls. There is something for everyone at Ruum, from bodysuits and sweaters to dresses and … [Read more...]
Let Sportime USA Plan Your Child’s Next Birthday Party! @Sportime_USA #sponsored
*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sportime USA. They are sponsoring me to attend Blog Her 2013. All opinions are 100% mine. Last weekend was my son's tenth birthday and my husband and I spent a lot of time checking out different venues that cater to children's birthday parties in the New York Tri-state area. We wanted a location that catered to children and families and that had the kinds of activities that would keep my son and his friends entertained throughout the party. I remembered having gone to Sportime USA when I was a kid and I had great memories of being there so we decided to check out their website to see if they offered party packages. For those of you who are not familiar with Sportime USA, it is Westchester's premier indoor amusement center. It boasts over 150 arcade games, laser tag, rock climbing wall, 4 dimensional motion theater, bumper cars, amusement rides, batting cages, billiard tables, 3 level indoor playground and … [Read more...]
