We pulled up at MP Taverna hoping for a seat in the garden, but our waiter, Dan, informed us that they were still working on permits and were not allowed to let people dine out there just yet. Our waiter was amazing and let Alex chose our table. He selected a table next to the big window. While we browsed the menus, Dan put Alex to work, asking him to help bring water to the table and even place our orders into the computer. Alex was thrilled and had such a blast through the whole meal.

And if the service wasn’t enough to convince us to come back, on top of it all the food was A-MAZE-ING!

We started with the Greek Antipasti. I rewrote this sentence like 10 times before deciding to say – just go and try it for yourself because my words won’t describe it properly for you anyway. A close second was – SO GOOD!

For my entree I got the Spicy Greek Paella, which was made with orzo instead of rice, Tommy got the lamb burger and Alex ordered the meatballs. All of our entrees were delicious and super hearty. I ended up bringing my paella home and finishing it for breakfast the next morning.

Even though we were full from dinner, we had promised Alex that we can go for ice cream. We decided to be adventurous again and headed over to -321 for some ice cream that is made in front of you using liquid nitrogen.

There is a menu of about 8-10 flavors, some of which are permanent and some seasonal. We chose three different flavors to try- Cookies & Creme, Milk Biscuit and Mint Chip. The ice cream was pretty good and it was really cool to see the smoke coming out of the machines as our ice cream was made. If you’re planning on stopping in, don’t be intimidated by the crowd of people. It takes a few minutes to make the ice cream and the shop is small, making it look really crowded when there is virtually no wait.

With our bellies full of Greek food and ice cream, we headed home.

What did you do this weekend?

The post Saturday Dinner [and dessert] in Williamsburg appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

We started off Friday with an early Valentine’s Day dinner. Tommy and I went our for Thai food at Qi. It was our first time trying the restaurant. The food was excellent and the decor and ambiance of the restaurant was on point!

For appetizers, we got sriracha wings and soft-shell crab. For my dinner I got Steamed Ginger Chilean Sea Bass in a Cast Iron Pot and it was delicious. The fish was cooked perfectly and the veggies and glass noodles that it was served on top were super flavorful. Tommy had the Qi Pad Thai, which was a little different from traditional Pad Thai and came wrapped in an egg crepe. It was really tasty, as well. For dessert, we shared a slice of the seasonal fruit tart with ginger ice cream on the side.  We were going to take a walk around the neighborhood and check out some new shops, but it was already getting so cold that we decided to head home after just two blocks.

Saturday was cleaning day. We tidied up the house and I pulled out our infusion pitcher that we got for our Bridal Shower and made some strawberry lemon water.

We started getting stir crazy in the afternoon and decided to brave the cold and head out to do some shopping. We went to a few stores, more to kill time than to shop and when the sun went down it got downright cold. By the time we got home the temperatures were in the single digits, which is rare in NYC.

Since it was getting late and we didn’t really feel like cooking a big meal, we decided on making pizza for dinner. I picked up two whole wheat pizza crusts at Aldi last week for less than a dollar. They baked up nice and crisp and made a great dinner for less than what we would have paid for two slices at the pizzeria.

On Sunday, we woke up to record breaking cold. I can’t remember it ever being in the negatives for real feel temperatures. Alex and I did some experiments to see how quickly things could freeze outside.

Alex loved his Valentine’s gifts and spent most of the day drawing Pokemon.

I absolutely adore the jewelry from Alex And Ani that the boys got me, and I can’t wait to wear it!

In the afternoon, Alex helped me with some photography for the blog. If you every wondered how bloggers get those nice pictures, then wonder no more. Tommy walked into the kitchen and caught us looking like this, trying to snap the perfect shot.

I get Alex to help by bribing him with chocolate chips.

We stayed in for the rest of the day and just relaxed and watched some TV.

How was your Valentine’s Day Weekend?

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We kicked off our three day weekend with dinner at Rabbit Hole. It was a double birthday/going away dinner. Tommy’s cousin is going to study abroad in South Africa this semester so the cousins got together for a final dinner before her departure. It just so happened that this weekend was also Alex and Tommy’s birthdays so we celebrated those, as well.

The food was excellent and Alex even got the mussels he has been asking about for weeks. This was the first time we had tried Rabbit Hole for dinner, and I know we will be returning, especially for the Earl Grey creme brulee.

Saturday was Alex’s birthday so after he went to bed, we decorated a bit to surprise him when he wakes up.

Alex was super excited to open his presents when we woke up and to eat his special birthday breakfast request of cinnamon rolls. Saturday for the most part was a lazy day. Alex was a bit under the weather so we stayed home, relaxed and napped. In the afternoon we had some friends come over for cake. I still seriously can’t believe that my little man is six years old. Where did the time go?!

On Sunday, we headed out to Staten Island for a birthday party for Alex’s friend at the Staten Island Children’s Museum. I never realized how many of Alex’s friends were also January babies, but we have at least one birthday party every weekend all month long.

All the kids really enjoyed the construction area of the museum. Give these two some tools and they are as happy as can be.

After the party, we went grocery shopping to Costco and Trader Joe’s and bought two new humidifiers for our apartment at Bed, Bath & Beyond. The heat has been running non-stop and making the air so dry that we were all waking up feeling terrible. The two humidifiers have made a huge difference!

Even Steve and the Minecraft animals are enjoying the humid air.

Monday was a super lazy day. After breakfast, I spent some time cleaning the house while Tommy took Alex to his next job site.

After they came back, Alex had some friends over for a play date and we had some friends over in the afternoon. It was a great ending to a great weekend.

If only every weekend could be a three day weekend!

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Parts of the beach and boardwalk were still covered in snow and ice, but it felt so good to get outdoors and feel the sun on our skin.

We climbed up on the jetty and made it almost to the end. The waves were pretty big at the end of the jetty and we didn’t want to get splashed too much because it wasn’t warm enough.

We also collected a ton of gorgeous shells which I will be putting into a bowl that is currently filled with pine cones in our living room. Maybe if we summer-ify the house, the warmth will actually come and stay!

Here’s to hoping that the temperatures keep rising, so next time we can hit the beach without coats!

How’s the weather in your area?

The post First Beach Day of the Year appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

We started off our Friday at Bounce!

Bounce is an indoor trampoline park and it is so much fun! The place is separated into different sections and you can go for free bounce which is just a bunch of trampolines to jump on or you can try the different swings into the foam pits or even play dodgeball. We went with a few kids from Alex’s preschool and they all had a blast. I joined them in the trampoline area and it was so much fun. They do fitness classes there and have adult jump times, which I would love to try out!

When we got home, we arrived to the best package in the world…coffee!

I was all out of my regular coffee k-cups and was stuck drinking flavored coffee for the last two days. While I do enjoy flavored coffee every so often, I need a cup of good strong coffee in the mornings.

Friday night was sushi night. Alex and I picked up Tommy at the subway and headed to our favorite sushi spot. I was really excited when I saw that they redid their menu since the last time we has been there and had a ton of new rolls to choose from. This one was called the Crystal Roll and was spicy tuna with jalapeno and sriracha on top. Yummmmy!

Saturday was our lazy morning of the weekend. We lounged around in our pjs until noon, drank coffee and played board games.

Alex got this iSpy game for his birthday and it is so much fun to play.

In the afternoon, the little man had a birthday party to attend.

The party was a lot of fun for the kids, with clowns, face painting, balloon animals and even a visit from “the real” Spiderman.

After the party, we planned on going to Pennsylvania for the rest of the weekend. Our usual two hour trip took almost 4 hours because of the snow and the fact that none of the highway was plowed or salted.

We had to go super slow to prevent the car from sliding all over the place and half of the time we couldn’t even see where the lanes were. It was a pretty scary trip.

Luckily, the roads were all cleared on Sunday and we were able to hit up the outlets for a little shopping. I got a ton of stuff on clearance for Alex at Osh Kosh. They always have amazing end of season deals and I stock up on basics for next year. I also picked up a few things for myself at the Gap and Banana Republic.

I am in love with the dress and cannot wait for it to be warm enough to wear it. I also scored a really pretty white blazer at the Gap for only $30. I have almost zero white clothing and with our wedding this fall, I am going to need some white bride-ish things to wear to the bridal shower and other events.

The rest of Sunday was spent on the couch and watching the Oscars while folding laundry. Not a super exciting way to end the weekend but I can’t complain!

What did you do this weekend?

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If I had to choose a theme for the holiday weekend, it would be water. A lot of water. On Thursday, we headed to Tommy’s aunt’s house for a 4th of July pool party. We had a ton of fun swimming in their gorgeous pool and catching up with friends and family.

Since no 4th of July weekend is complete without a trip to the beach, on Friday we headed out to Long Island for more fun in the sun. It was incredibly hot and the ocean breeze didn’t help much so we didn’t stick around for very long, but Alex enjoyed the time he got to spend splashing in the surf.

On Friday night we headed out to the Poconos. The city skyline is something I could never get sick of.

We spent Saturday poolside and when I say Saturday, I mean all of it. The first words out of Alex’s mouth when he woke up were can we jump in the pool and we had to pry him out of the pool around 7pm. He is getting so good at swimming, that I’m able to lounge while he splashes happily in the pool.

On Sunday, we spent the day running in the sprinklers and washing the car. The real feel temperature was 101 degrees when I checked so the ice cold well water felt amazing!

What did you do this weekend?

The post Weekend in the Water appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

The only time I spent away from the pool, other than sleeping was for my workouts. Tommy’s parents have a slab of concrete that is perfect for working out, and it happens to be where Tommy’s brother keeps his tires. If you know me, you know I love tire flips and I go out of my way to do them.

On Saturiday I created a WOD for myself. AMRAP 15 min – 50 jump ropes, 10 tire flips, 5 pushups. I got through 7 round and all the tire flips.

On Sunday, I jump roped pool side while the little man swam.

We also didn’t skimp on the treats! We has cinnamon bun waffles for breakfast on Sunday, and no Saturday is complete without a trip for some fro yo. I love the fro yo place, Yo Fun, in the Poconos that we go to. It is so colorful and happy on the inside, you can’t help but get a huge smile on your face when you walk in!

I’m so happy that this week is a short one because come Thursday, we will be poolside once again!

What did you do this weekend? Do you have any plans for the 4th?

The post Weekending appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

As usual we ordered way too much, but had enough to enjoy on Saturday as leftovers. We also walked our pizza off while taking in the amazing sunset. This is a view I will NEVER tire of.

On Saturday, we got up bright and early to head out to the farmer’s market to get all the things we needed for our BBQ that night. I love the farmer’s market! I could wander around all day and take in all the fresh fruit and veggies.

After the market we headed home to prep for the evening. We had a bunch of friends over and good food + good beer + good friends = an awesome night.  Tommy was the grillmaster and I give him all the credit for all the amazing eats. Also if you’ve never grilled pineapple you are missing out. I couldn’t get enough!

Sunday consisted of a whole lot of leftovers!

What was the best thing you ate this week?

The post WIAW Weekend Eats appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

We are sillies, and I love it. We took funny face pictures while we waited for Tommy to wake up on Saturday.

Once we were dressed and ready to roll, we headed out to Long Island to run some errands. I needed to exchange my and Munchkin’s TOMS and I needed to get my Pandora bracelet cleaned because it was starting to look dingy. While we where there I got to check out the charms and fell in love with this little guy.

Hedgehogs are kind of special to me because Tommy’s last name in Polish is a variation of hedgehog and his mom collects all sorts of hedgehog things. I want this little guy so bad! We also picked up some more fun bath things at Lush for the little man. He loves bath bombs and bubble bars!

On Saturday night, we went bowling! It was my friend Mo’s birthday and we all met up at Bowlmor Lanes in Times Square to do some bowling. I was horrible, but it was a ton of fun. I actually contemplated putting up the bumpers for myself, but I saved myself the embarrassment.

After our time on the lane was up, we headed over to Mo’s apartment for some Jenga, with a twist. The game is very similar to the card game Kings, except each Jenga block has a different command on it. We had a ton of fun and laughs with the game, but when you have good company, even the silliest games are a blast.

We decided on Saturday night that Sunday’s breakfast would be Brooklyn Bagel. These are seriously the best bagels in the world.

I got a whole wheat everything with lox and scallion cream cheese. To die for! If you have the opportunity to get to this place, don’t think twice. While waiting in line after I had already placed my order, I spied that they have cannoli cream cheese, so I know what I’m getting next time!

The rest of our Sunday was low key with a trip to Target, doing our taxes and just lounging around the house. I wish Mother Nature would lighten up and let the warm temps get here already. The weatherman keeps telling me its supposed to me in the 50s, and I cannot wait until we can grab some iced coffee and head to the piers with Munchkin. We just want to frolic already!

What did you do this weekend?

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Friday

I got an e-mail confirming my registration for the upcoming Fitmixer Bootcamp which is starting in January. I am so excited to get my booty kicked and try their products!

After picking Tommy up from work, we headed out to sushi for dinner. Amazing as usual. Munchkin is starting to get the hang of using chopsticks and it was a lot of fun to watch him pick up a piece of sushi and get super excited.

After dinner Tommy suggested we stop for something sweet, and who am I to say no to desserts. We stopped at Cafe Riviera in Greenpoint and to my surprise, they had a new item for sale – macaroons! You have not lived until you’ve tried a coffee macaroon.

 Saturday

I woke up on Saturday to the pleasantly surprising news that we were heading to the AT&T store to upgrade our phones. I am now the proud owner of a sexy white iPhone 5. After turning to twitter for some advice, I decided on the Incipio Stowaway case and am patiently awaiting it’s arrival so I can take the stupid plastic off my phone.

Since Saturday was also the day of my mom’s 50th Birthday party, I had to run a few errands associated with the party. Picking up the cake was my favorite! My dad and I stopped in for a cappuccino and cannoli break! (Judging by the desserts in the post, Fitmixer Bootcamp can’t come soon enough!)

After that it was come home, shower and get ready to party! My mom decided that it was her birthday, she didn’t want to spend hours cooking and prepping the food, so she had it catered. This pineapple tree was my favorite!

Sunday

After the fun of Friday and Saturday, Sunday was very low key. Just some kombucha and corporations. Even though it’s the holiday season, it’s still finals season! :/

Other than cleaning up the house after the party, my whole Sunday was spent in the books. Not the best Sunday, but in two more weeks I’ll be free from the books for a month, so I can’t complain!

What did you do this weekend?

The post InstaWeekend appeared first on Frolic Through Life.