I’m definitely not one of those moms (read: momfluencers) who plans gram worthy photoshoots at the farm. Honestly I’d rather engage my kids in a 500 piece puzzle or take an early morning trip to the art gallery.
But once or twice a year, we head out to our local neighbourhood farm to support their small business.
The girls enjoyed “getting lost” in the corn maze and searching for the perfect pumpkin. The fresh air and crisp air really got us in the autumn mood!
Google what b-roll is and you’ll see that “it is essential in narrative features to create a sense of time and place and to add layers of meaning to a story.”
When we think about life, we think mainly about the starting points and accomplishments. But we hear so very often to “enjoy the ride”. The ride could be any combination of the daily mundane, errands, simple pleasures and maybe even stumbles. And it’s the ride that is b-roll. As someone who is a creative and who is constantly documenting life – I know that b-roll is life.
The internet has been a buzz for several years with words like #BossBabe and #She-EO – all of which sound incredibly hazardous because as of recently they are also followed by themes of burnout and mental wellness.
I love being ambitious and setting goals that I work towards. But I also strive for balance and grace. And I think being both a mom (at home) and a mentor (in my corporate career) I feel compelled to underline the truth: give yourself grace because you can have it all…but not at the same time! Sharing my suggestions below, with a mini recap of some outfits I wore on vacation recently (you know me, all about the inspiration & motivation!)
Click here to check out my entire NYC in 4 days series!
Although is been almost a month since we went to NYC, I still have 3 days left to cover on the blog (for my memories and for any families out there wondering if they can road trip to NYC with their kids and have a good time – spoiler alert …you can!)
The second day was planned as a full day in Manhattan and it did not disappoint. Our New Jersey hotel was a 30 second walk to the bus stop that went straight to Times Square, so we took advantage of that (with a backpack full of snacks). However, we did purchase tickets to the Big Bus Tour. I got a deep discount for the bus and we were glad we got it. More on that in the next post!
At Times Square we enjoyed all the screens, the people watching and the energy. And a few blocks away was Brant Park and the New York Public Library. Because it was so close – we just walked! Totally do-able!
The NYPL was on quiet hours so we didn’t get to explore any of the book rooms but the kids were just as mesmerized by the interior structure. Another few blocks away was Grand Central. Perfect place for more people watching and Magnolia cupcakes!
We then spent 2 hours at Empire State building LOL. Given that we’ve already seen sky high views at the CN Tower (Toronto) and the Twin Towers back in the 90s – I wasn’t sure there would be anything novel here. However the Empire State had a completely different vibe. Maybe it was the NY history (the story and details of how it was built) or the related culture of the landmark (King Kong move) or how art was incorporated into the experience (helicopter city sketch) – the whole experience was really all encompassing. We could easily have spent another 2 hours there.
After the Empire State building, we grabbed some NY Pizza and hopped on the Big Bus, which ended up being a great way to see some of the sights and learn history about the neighbourhoods. We did get off at the Brooklyn Bridge to take some pictures and get a few souvenirs.
The bus took us back to Times Square, where we grabbed dinner and watched some street performances. The girls did really great given it was a lot of walking and standing. But I think having a place to sit and just take in the sights as they passed through thru a window (without actually having to drive) – definitely helped the whole family.
Next up we have the MoMA, Statue of Liberty and DUMBO!
About a week ago
On a whim, we decided to do a road trip to NY for March Break.
Going to NYC is a ALWAYS a good idea (well that’s at least how I felt before coming a mom) ha!
But I’m happy to confirm, it’s still a good idea with kiddos tagging along.
Since it was the first time our girls had been, we knew that we had to hit up some of the touristy spots. But we also wanted to try things we had never done before. And although the post says 4 days, it was actually 6 (because the travel days there and back were 10-11 hours each way! – which surprisingly also wasn’t as bad as it reads lol!
We decided the first full day post travel that we’d take it SUPER easy! We were staying in Weehawken and decided to take the kids to the Nickelodeon Universe Indoor Amusement Park. But not before hitting up Target!
In all honesty, this was the 1st of 3 trips to Target. This first trip was all about the clothes and accessories – spoiler alert I didn’t find much! TikTok made me think I’d be making OOTDs in my shopping cart 😆
The Nickelodeon Universe is located inside the American Dream mall. It’s a MASSIVE mall with every store, specialty restaurant + food court and every community amenity under the sun (ice rink, ski hill and waterpark!).
We spent some time exploring the Secret Garden. It’s a specifically designed garden made of moss, gnomes & crystals.
Then we spent about 3 hours at the amusement park. With height appropriate rides (both joy and thrill) the girls really enjoyed themselves – even going on their 1st rollercoaster!
Next up? Checking out the tourist sites in Manhattan!
It was a GREAT 20 days of blogmas! I am pretty impressed with my ability, consistency and ambition. I think it was the longest streak of blogging I’ve had in a long time. For January, I’ll be returning to more regular yet less frequent blog posts. Maybe, it will be twice a week and centered around a new theme – I haven’t confirmed my creative process yet! :P
<Admin reminder for myself> I’ve also yet to share all the posts on Pinterest so that will take some time in January also. So between editing titles (taking out the word “blogmas”), promoting on Pinterest (and twitter & instagram for that matter) I know I’ll be scaling back. </end reminder>
So here is my first post – post blogmas! It’s a multi day vlog showing my routines & habits. All things I want to continue focusing on in the new year. Whether that’s nature works, morning workouts, journaling, reading, meditating, doing well in my career – it’s a reminder that my Focus and Intention needs be all about consistency. So hopefully it inspires others out there who want to start (or stay on …like me) the journey of their personal development and self growth.
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