Summer Of Chipotle: Chiptopia 2016

This is a tribute post to Chipotle’s Summer Reward program that was held over the summer of 2016 (1 July to 30 September) in the States. From my knowledge, Chipotle never ran this same Summer Reward program again. And this is probably why… Back in in 2016, Chipotle just couldn’t shake off all their bad…

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Experience

Back in 2015, Jon and I had bid and won some "priceless" Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade grandstand seating tickets at a charity event.  On the day of the Parade we managed to sit between 68th & 69th Streets along Central Park West. Our seating location was amazing! It gave us an awesome view of the parade.…

Applying for a New York State Driver License as an expat

Do you want to transfer/convert/exchange your Australian Driver License (or nearly any other nationality license) for a New York State license? According to the New York DMV site: “You can drive in New York State with a valid driver license from another country. You don’t need to apply for a New York State driver license…

FreshDirect Thanksgiving Dinner Feast Kit

This is a review for the small 2016 FreshDirect Thanksgiving Feast kit. I am posting early so that people (in New York area) that like to plan ahead (like me) can consider this as an option! Our first Thanksgiving in New York was in 2015 when we went to the Thanksgiving Day Parade. That year…

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert & Stevie Wonder

This is a story about really, really good luck. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert studio is just around the corner from our apartment. Husband and I walk past huge lines of people waiting outside the venue. Last year, I thought that I should finally start applying for all the live show filmings around New…

2016 PaleyFest – Elementary & Gotham

What is the PaleyFest? The PaleyFest: Made in New York was an organized event by the Paley Center for Media. The event ran over a couple of weeks in October 2016. Actors from different TV shows filmed in New York came out to discuss their show on stage. Fans got to see a screening of…

NYC Speakeasy bars

Finding the NYC speakeasy bars was one of my NYC bucket list to-do's. What is a speakeasy bar? It is an establishment that sold alcohol during the Prohibition which meant they were out of sight (hidden) from the general public. How did you come to the list above? I collected a list of bars from…

Jean George, NYC

Eek, this post is long overdue! Especially since our 3rd wedding anniversary is coming around the corner! I gave Husband a cotton shirt with a panda on it as his 2nd wedding anniversary gift, because in the US the 2nd year gift is cotton. Husband's parents had gifted us a restaurant gift voucher at Christmas…

A Visit To Coney Island

Coney Island has always been on my NYC bucket list, and on Easter Saturday I was able to tick it off. Husband and I caught the Q train from 57th Street station straight down to Ocean Parkway station. It took roughly an hour each way, and for some reason, the subway wasn’t very busy during…

Murder. Mystery. 2017 birthday!

I recently celebrated my 35th birthday in February. I’m not shy about disclosing how old I am because as I just noted, it’s a celebration! I love celebrating birthdays and it doesn’t even have to be mine. There is nothing to dislike – birthday cake, birthday cake ice cream, birthday cards, birthday parties, birthday presents,…

Food Truck Friday

Food trucks are always lined up on 55th Street & Broadway on Friday. It is close to our apartment building and I have always termed it “Food truck Friday”. I decided to finally write about these food trucks and take my photos this past Friday, 3 March. Unfortunately, only 3 food trucks were parked on…

My Stay At The Plaza Hotel, NYC

I am so grateful to have a job that allowed me to stay at The Plaza. Otherwise I don’t think I would have had such an opportunity in this lifetime, unless I won the lotto or some sort of prize, because the rack room rate is approx $800-1000+tax. I stayed at The Plaza for a…

Levain Bakery, NYC

Almost any New York guide book will tell you to head to Levain Bakery up on the Upper West Side and grab a cookie, or two. Not being one to turn away from a cookie, or two, Husband and I headed up to UWS in November. The ‘thing’ about Levain cookies is that they are…

Husband’s 2015 birthday – NYC style

Husband celebrated his birthday in December. Since his parents were in town, I planned a full day of events for all of us to enjoy. First up - breakfast at Sarabeth’s Tribeca. There is a Sarabeth’s near our apartment at Central Park South, however the reviews on Yelp for that location were hit and miss…

A New York New Year (2016)

I am not sure what date you’re allowed to wish someone a Happy New Year until but I am guessing it would be around now (late Feb).  So.. Happy New Year, Happy Chinese/Lunar New Year. Apart from the post I made about eBates (where I just received over $200 in cash back – so get…

“Fall”ing more in love…

I have always loved fall/autumn. And by "always" I mean since 2007. In Australia, especially Queensland where I am from, we don't tend to get distinct 'seasons'. Sure - we were taught there are 'seasons' - we are not that uneducated as some other countries may believe - but in reality, for me while I…

NYC Marathon fireworks 31 October 2015

A view of the 2016 NYC Marathon fireworks from our apartment window on W 55th. https://youtu.be/C8Ca7K4HZsg

Our Cultural Day Out in Manhattan

Our "Cultural Day Out" involved Husband and I utilizing our NYCID cards (which gives us an annual membership to loads of cultural institutions). I planned a big day out for us which started at 9:30am and ended sometime after 6pm. First up, after we grabbed some breakfast (of course), we walked from the coffee shop…

Mindy Kaling & Tina Fey – 92Y, NYC

This Wednesday I attended one of Mindy Kaling’s book tour events where she was interviewed by Tina Fey on stage at the 92Y Center. This was part of her #whynotme book tour. I love Mindy and I love Tina – so this Wednesday night was just an amazing experience for me and I was getting…

BookCon 2015 – Saturday, May 30

I attended the BookCon earlier this year, and my main reason for going was to see Mindy live.BookCon is like the famous ComicCon but for.. well, books and authors. It’s relatively new as the first one was only held last year. The 2016 event will be held in Chicago. Bodhi the menswear dog - http://mensweardog.tumblr.com/ The…