Sunday Swoon: Snackeez For Snacking On The Go

July 27, 2014 By Cori

The inside of a Mom’s car can be… well… interesting. The hidden gems we find between seats and amongst crushed up goldfish on the floor are often scary. But alas, this is the life of an on-the-go Mom.

Sometimes as we shuttle around through our busy day, meals and Snacking On-The-Go are our only option. While our kids love snacking in the car, the down side of this is usually the mess it leaves behind.

After seeing the infomercial for the Snackeez 2-in-1 snack and drink cup, we stumbled upon them in Bed, Bath and Beyond. We bought them for the kids and they’re OBSESSED.

Available online or in-store at Bed Bath And Beyond, $9.99

The bottom of the Snackeez cups holds a 16 oz. drink, and the top snack cup is the perfect size for snacks or quick finger-food meals like cereal or nuggets.

Kids can easily use their cup holders while in the car grazing, so you there won’t be any requests of, “Mom can you hold this?” being called from the back seat. We totally plan on taking these for our up coming road trip.

These cups aren’t just for kids though. They could also be perfect for adults looking to grab a shake and quick breakfast on their way to work.

And perhaps the tried-and-true best part about these cups? They are dishwasher safe and SPILL PROOF!

Anything that helps keep my car cleaner is swoon worthy in my book!

Tell us, what kid-find are you swooning over this week?

Feel free to link it up below and let us know why you love it.

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Find even more great kid-gear. Check out what the other Mamas are sharing this week

Staten Island Family/ Complicated Mama / Stroller In The City / Lady And The Blog /Mom Generations /Marino Bambinos

An InLinkz Link-up

An Afternoon At The Gorgeous Liberty State Park, NJ {Photos}

May 12, 2014 By Cori

This Mother’s day, I was given some truly amazing gifts– including a Universal Remote (Hallelujah!!), some good ol’ fashion catholic guilt (My girl is serious about her religion. Love.) and the 50mm fixed lens I’ve been pining for.

photo 1-1 — Look out Instagram friends, I am totally going to be rocking that thing like Flava Flav.

Unfortunately, the spring flu (Which, by the way I can’t believe is even a “thing”. Crazy weather!) took my own mother hostage this weekend, so we did not get to see her- but the weather here was particularly beautiful, so we headed to Liberty State Park here in New Jersey for a family picnic and fresh air. I also got to test out my new lens a little bit– so this one is photo HEAVY, you guys.

I noticed that both of my kids mentioned in their Mother’s Day school projects that their Mom loved to work. My son mentioned that one of his classmates wrote the same, which on one hand is great that kids know that they can do something they love, but it also made me stop and realize that I need to manage my time better. Balance is always a struggle – mostly because it doesn’t exist. I am not perfect, but I don’t want them to remember me as working on the computer all the time. There are certainly many other things I love to do– things that I can be doing with them– and I need to get back to that a bit more. So unplugging a bit and spending time with them outside is exactly what we all needed.

The day before Mother’s day, an old friend of mine had posted on Facebook reminding us Mama’s to get IN FRONT of the camera. I’ve written about this before, but still need the occasional reminder. As much as we love to take million pictures in an attempt to bottle up some of these fleeting moments, when our babies are babies, when our kids are older, they will want to look back and see US with them.

So a few times I did hand off the camera.

An Afternoon At Liberty State Park

If you are unfamiliar with this gorgeous park, Liberty State Park is located in Jersey City, New Jersey, directly opposite Lady Liberty, Ellis Island and has breathtaking cityscape views off the bay. From the park, you can take a ferry ride over to New York or just sit back and take in the views– which is what we did.

If you are visiting New York or seeking a truly great picture with the New York City skyline, or with Lady Liberty in the background, the view from Liberty State Park is like no other. I highly recommend making the trip!

*Ryan took this photo above. Is it amazing or what? I’m considering bartering NBA cards for his photography services here on the blog.*

Liberty State Park has one of the most amazing views of the Freedom Tower I’ve ever seen and is home to a gorgeous 9-11 memorial, named Empty Sky. The memorial is made up of 2 parallel walls engraved with the names of the victims. The walls narrow at the bay area right where the Twin Towers once stood amongst the skyline. As we walked and scooted around, we stopped by the memorial and took a moment to remember the Moms and children that were being missed that day.

There is a playground for the little ones and out side of the transportation center there is a set of old retired trains that Ry was fascinated by. Lately, he is all basketball all the time – so it was refreshing to see him exploring something new.

It was such a gorgeous and peaceful afternoon. I could have stayed for hours, but eventually the kids were getting tired and hungry.

We headed back home for some dinner and marshmallow roasting.

Simple. Pure. Joy.

It’s time to unplug and bask in it a bit more.

{Family Travel} Exploring Oahu With Kids

August 5, 2013 By Cori

Both of my kids have been traveling since they were 6 months old. They have grown to love everything about it– even the flying– which I personally loath. So with the new baby coming this fall, we wanted to be sure we got in one more “big” vacation, as it may be quite a while before we get to visit anywhere that requires a long flight.

After much thought, we ultimately decided to head back to Hawaii– this time, to the island of Oahu.

When we told people about our trip, they mostly had the same reaction “WOW! Hawaii – AGAIN??” But, believe it or not- when we worked the math (and by math I mean various reward point clubs we belong to) traveling to Oahu as a family was incredibly less expensive than going to Disney World (which, in a brief moment of insanity- I did throw into the running)… and well, who wouldn’t want to see more of Hawaii?

{Side note: James is the Wizard of reward points. He amazes me every time. I am trying to get him to write a post about it, because I think it would help so many families cut travel costs and see some amazing places.}

I have an entire post dedicated to Disney’s Aulani Resort, which is where were spent the bulk of our stay and is the epitome of kid-friendly Hawaii.

But beyond the tons of resort activities– just as we did in Maui– we wanted to really explore the island as a family. So we began our family adventure by staying 2 nights at the Hyatt Regency on Waikiki Beach and ventured out every day through out our trip to get to know the island better.

Exploring Oahu With Kids

Picture taken at sunrise on Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach

While staying at Waikiki Beach, we quickly realized that Oahu is a very different island than Maui.

On the plus side, the ocean was incredibly more vibrant and blue. On the flip side, because most of the business’ in Hawaii are on Oahu, much of the island was built up and city like– especially, the famous Waikiki Beach area, which reminded me a lot of the beach strip in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

It’s not that we didn’t appreciate Waikiki beach’s beauty– we definitely did. Even with the tall buildings and city hustle and bustle, there were plenty of absolutely breathtaking places to visit all over Oahu!

The Kuhio Beach Torch Lighting and Luau Show is a fun and free activity for the whole fam that takes place on Waikiki Beach Tues-Thurs-Fri-Sat, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Unfortunately, we were not there on a performance day but we heard rave reviews of this authentic Hawaiian dance show from the helpful staff in the Hyatt Regency Club. (* It’s good to note if you are planning to attend this show- it takes place at the Kuhio Beach Hula Mound, near Duke Kahanamoku statue, beachside at Uluniu & Kalakaua Ave.)

Lanikai Beach Sunrise

While we were still jet-lagged and waking up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 4am, we took a ride to a ride to Lanikai Beach to watch the sunrise.

We had learned about this “secret” Oahu beach through Instagram (oh, social media- how I love thee). It was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.

The kids loved swimming in the calmness of the warm water. There was virtually no one else on the beach except for one or two passers by walking their dogs. They felt like this ocean was all theirs, and for a moment… it was.

Sunflower fields in Haleiwa

Another sight we found through Instagram, the Sunflower field located in the surf town of Haleiwa. This hidden gem is pure happiness.

We’ve never seen so many bright, beautiful sunflowers standing so tall. Just look at these flowers and TRY to have to be in a bad mood… I dare you.

Matsumoto Shaved Ices– North Shore

We had heard a lot about the famous Matsumoto’s Shaved Ice in Haleiwa, so while we were in town we made it point to stop in. When we drove up, there was no question where Matsumoto’s was. There was a line around the building. The good news is that this long line moved fast! They make and take shaved ice orders like a well oiled machine. I was impressed.

The ices are HUGE- even the “small” ones, but they were just as delicious as we had heard. My tip? Go for the sweetened condensed milk on top- it. is. amazing!!

Go Oahu!

While explore things that are “off the beaten path” and allow you to explore on on your own time is always our favorite thing to do when traveling, there were a few popular tourist sights on the island that we wanted to check out. For those attractions, we used our Go Oahu Card.

The Go Oahu Card allows you to visit up to 36 Oahu attractions and activities for one low price. The card can be purchased daily and is is best utilized when you plan multiple tourist attractions in one day.

Sea Life Park

Hawaii’s Sea Life Park was one attraction we wanted to visit for the kids. They love touching, feeding and getting to know animals better and Sea Life park offers these experiences, as well as fun shows.

The dolphin show at Dolphin Cove was my personal favorite part of Sea Life Park.

Dolphin Cove is the parks open-air arena that is right off the the ocean! Twice a day there is a dolphin show and it just gorgeous!

The Dolphin and Penguin show at the park’s Hawaiian Ocean Theater, was another favorite for my kids because it allowed them to sit in the front and be splashed.

The Kualoa Ranch

The home of many famous movie and TV sets, the Kualoa Ranch offers a variety of activities including, ATV Tours, Movie Tours, and horse back riding.

During our visit, we chose to use our GO Oahu card to experience the Movie Tour which allowed us to see remnants of scenes from Jurassic Park, LOST, Big Foot and more via a tour bus.

While I do wish the tour stopped for more photo opps along the way, this Jurassic Park moment made James and Ryan more excited than I can possibly tell you.

Dole Plantation

We heard so much about the Dole Plantation, it didn’t feel right going home without visiting. Our kids weren’t thrilled with the train ride through the plantation, that was narrated by a pre-recorded guide, however they did enjoy the maze and the ridiculously delicious Pineapple ice cream!

I am not normally a big ice cream fan, and this was easily the first ice cream cone I’ve finished in over 10 years! This alone, was worth the visit.

credit: Dole Plantation

The “Others” Camp From Lost

Ok. So this last one was really for me and the hubs and may only be impressive to those who followed the show LOST- but we had so much fun I had to include it.

The popular TV show series, LOST was filmed on the island of Oahu. When the show was on, we watched religiously, so we made sure to seek out every possible LOST sight that was left to be seen.

Sadly, we found that most of the props, etc have since been removed from the island. However, the “Others Camp”? Still standing!

It is a YMCA camp and for a nominal donation of $5 a person, you can tour the camp- we were all over that!

The kids were unimpressed, but hey! its only fair that Mom and Dad get to have a little fun too right?

(For the record, their expressions were planned. Promise they were not this miserable- ha!)

Disclosure: Many popular attractions we visited on Oahu, such as Sea Life Park, The Kualoha Ranch and The Dole Plantation were visited using our Go Oahu Card, which was provided to us by the Oahu Visitor Center. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

A {Bay-B-Moon} Weekend In San Francisco

August 2, 2013 By Cori

Before baby number three arrived, James and I thought it would be fun to hop on the Babymoon trend and spend a weekend away, before we embarked sleepless nights once again.

The stars aligned for us when my mother and stepfather were taking the kids for a week in the summer, the same week that James had a business trip planned in the lovely city of San Francisco. So, we thought why not extend it and explore the city!

When we arrived, we of course stopped at In-N-Out, because we’re from the east coast and this is a big deal.

Stocked up on the sparkling water because… it’s my preggo thing.

And hit the roads of San Francisco– the steep- steep-roads.

Tony Bennet left his heart in this fine city, (possibly right outside our hotel in Union Square) and it quickly won ours over– despite the summer chill. I had no idea San Francisco was chilly in the summer before planning this trip. Seriously, summertime visitors, don’t let the palm trees mislead you– pack a sweater.

In this obligatory tourist picture of the gorgeous Golden Gate bridge, we. were. FREEZING. It’s laughable actually. In between shots, our eyes were watering and the out takes were pretty hilarious. I should have saved some.

If you follow Complicated Mama on Twitter or Instagram, you may have seen some highlights with our #BayBMoon hashtag– and now we’re sharing some more details.

If you are planning a baby moon or just a quick get-away to this city by the bay, I found this trip to be the perfect mix of relaxation and fun to pack into one short weekend.

Here are some of our suggestions for a short fun weekend in San Fran:

1. Golden Gate Bridge

As seen above, is clearly a staple and must have photo opp. We drove down beneath the bridge to a beach area to get the full shot of the bridge. It was foggy, and as I mentioned already- chilly, but it was still gorgeous. You can also walk across the bridge, which I would have loved to have done but our trip was a short one and we had been walking all day when we were nearby.

2. Muir Woods

While I’ve never considered myself a nature lover, as I travel more I am learning that maybe to some extent, I am. There is just something so peaceful and therapeutic about taking a hike through a beautiful wooded landscape.

When you visit the Muir Woods in San Fancisco, you have the option of taking 1 of 3 trails:

The Main Trail (2 miles)

The Sun Trail (4.7 miles)

The Ben Johnson Trail (5.2 miles)

We took the sun trail and it was absolutely breath taking.

There are tons of beautiful photo opportunities along the trails. We set ours up with a timer and captured this Bay-B-Moon of ours perfectly.

I didn’t bring sneakers, as per usual when I find myself in these hiking situations and ended up doing the trail in ballet flats-which I do not recommend (especially 6 months pregnant), but I did survive with a few “charlie horse” breaks and water.

3. Ghiradelli Square

A pregnant woman’s heaven, but really… is chocolate not heavenly for everyone?

When we visited Ghiradelli square, it was lunchtime mid-week and the store was hoppin’. I’ve heard it gets busier on weekends and at night. That being said, the deliciousness inside was well worth the wait. We sat in the cafe area and took in the sweet smell of the chocolate that surrounded us and indulged in a milkshake and brownie… it. was. magic.

3. Lombard Street

Famous for its steep-winding road, this street is said to be the crookedest street in the world! (And really? Who even knew crookedest was a word? Not I.)

Lombard Street is a one-way block on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, with eight sharp turns surrounded by tall apartment buildings and colorful flowers draped about.

4. Fisherman’s Wharf + Alcatraz

Pier 39, part of Fisherman’s Wharf has a lot of great sights to see including Alcatraz, which unfortunately was SOLD OUT when we went! So if you are planning with some more lead time than we were, book it!

In addition to Alcatraz, Pier 39 is known for their sea lions, good eats (hello, Boudin’s Bakery sourdough bread), shops. You could spend the day walking around and seeing it all.

5. The Painted Ladies, AKA “The Full House, House”

These pretty houses all in a row can be seen from Alamo Square Park. This former DJ-tanner fan was stoked. Unfortunately, due to over the fog my picture does not reflect the gorgeous colors of these buildings (That fog San Francisco is known for is REAL, you guys!), but it’s a sight you don’t want to miss.

There really was so much more to be seen, I wish our trip were longer but alas our Bay-B-Moon had come to an end.

We have family that live nearby so we hope to visit again soon and explore it some more.

Rockstar Travel: From NY To LA And Back In A Day

February 7, 2013 By Cori

This week, James and I traveled like rockstars in a jam packed 24 hour transcontinental trip to celebrate Delta’s newly upgraded non-stop services from JFK to LAX.

9:15 a.m.: Arrive at JFK, Terminal
From the moment we arrived at the gate we knew the next 24 hours would truly be- Non-Stop. We were greeted with Mimosas, balloons and dance music being mixed by DJ Theory.

All Aboard The Party Plane!

10:45 a.m.: Board Delta flight #212

Equipped with THE best flight crew I have ever had the pleasure of flying with and 80 super fun Delta winners and guests , Delta Flight 212 kicked off our in-flight celebration with wine tasting and a 4 course Napa style meal by Delta’s gourmet chef Chiarello.

pictured above: @SeanMeeh42 / photo credit: @MariaMMouna

By far this food was the best food I have ever had on a plane. That cheese and salad platter (top left) had an ah-mazing parmesan dip. If they sold bottles of it in flight, I’d have bought it. It was that good.

Chef Chiarello’s meals were specially created for Delta and are served in the Elite cabin on cross country flights– which will soon also have flat bed seating! So, save those Skymiles®, my friends!

Being airline loyal pays off- BIG TIME –Skymiles® are my family’s top travel secret. Racking up miles from business travel and using our Delta Amex card every chance we could is how our family of 4 flew out to Maui last year and how we are flying out to Oahu, HI this summer. True story.

And while, cross-country flying is something many dread due to jet lag (and if you are like me, anxiety), the views are like no other. Where else will you get to see views like these of the Colorado Rockies and Grand Canyon?

3:00 p.m.: Arrive at LAX & Depart for Malibu

Can’t lie. I did not want that flight to end– and I am a typically a super nervous flyer. If more flights were laid back and fun like that, I think it could totally curb the anxiety I typically feel before traveling.

Private stand up show by Aziz Ansari

5:30 p.m.: Surprise performance at Pepperdine University

We were treated to a private stand up performance by Parks and Recreation star, Aziz Ansari that took place Pepperdine University. This campus overlooks the Pacific coast Highway, and it is gorgeous! My fingers are crossed one of my kids goes to school there so I can go visit.

Aziz performed a hilarious set about dating in the age of text messaging.

Ladies who love Aziz Ansari, this much I know… he is single… and its all because of smart phones. So if you want to win his heart ladies, don’t text- pick up the phone.

Dinner at NOBU Malibu

6:15 p.m.: Private cocktails and dinner at Nobu Malibu

– How does one pack when going from a 5 hour flight to NOBU in Malibu, CA? {find out here} –

NOBU (co-owned by Robert Dinero), is famed for it’s Asian Fusion cuisine and it’s regular A-list patrons including, Madonna, Halle Barry and The Kardashians.

When we arrived we were welcomed by Chef Nobu himself and enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvre on the patio with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean.

The menu for the night was a parade of NOBU’s signature dishes that were out-of-this-world delicious.

During dinner, Chef Nobu came around to each table to see that everyone was enjoying their meal and also gave each of us an autographed copy of NOBU: The cookbook – that includes his recipe for the lobster spinach salad we ate that night… and let me tell you, that salad is to die for! I can’t wait to try and prepare it at home.

SLS Hotel , Beverly Hills

10:00 p.m.: Check into the SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills

After dinner we headed to the posh SLS Hotel, where we would be staying for the night. Part of the Starwood hotel family, the SLS is a luxurious four diamond hotel located in Beverly Hills.

Photos credit: SLS Beverly Hills

The “reflection” on the left of the hotel room pic, is not a reflection at all. It is actually the flatscreen TV inside of a mirrored wall; with the TV off, you could barely see it was there.

Everything from the decor in the lobby to these ultra-modern rooms was first class. I only wish our stay was longer.

Exclusive private performance by FUN.

10:45 p.m.: Private concert by GRAMMY® nominated band, Fun.

FUN. played the perfect 45 minute set that included their hits Some Nights, Carry On and We are Young. The concert was so intimate and casual that the band and the guests were having conversations from the stage.

The band shared their love for Delta’s classic safety video {Smoking is noooot allowed on Delta flights} and FUN guitar player Jack, joked about how he would love to see the band make a cameo in their next safety video.

11:30 p.m.: After-party at The Bazaar by José Andrés

(Note this is 2:30 am, “our time”)

The after party at Bazaar was the ultimate ending to this whole celebrity-like experience. DJ Theroy played music, even more delicious food and drinks were passed around (seriously, how are celebrities so skinny?)

This station at the after party drew me in right away- he was making a margarita sorbet from liquid nitrogen!

At around 12:30am, James and I had to call it a night because we were loopy and had exactly 3 1/2 hours to catch some Z’s in that posh hotel room of ours before hopping on our flight back home- which departed LAX at 6:30am.

We came came home, got the kids and passed out with our Delta sleep masks.

THE END.

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