WHERE DID YOU STAY + EAT AND GO IN NYC?

This was actually the first time we have ever took the kids to New York and we went for Lily’s 13th birthday.  It was such a fun trip and we had the absolute best time there.  Since it was Lily’s first time in the city she really wanted to be in the middle of it all and get the full city experience.  Because of that we stayed at the Westin Times Square.  It is a beautiful hotel and perfect if you want to be in the hustle and bustle of the city.  If it were just Steve and I going we would probably stay somewhere a little quieter and more secluded, but it was perfect for the purpose of our trip and the kids loved it.

The eating was definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip and we had so many amazing meals.  My favorite meal of the trip was at an Italian restaurant called Carbone.  It is a true authenic Italian restaurant and was so good.  We ordered the mussels, Luke ordered the Lamb Chop, Lily got Spaghetti and Meatballs and Steve got Sausage and Spicy Vodka pasta.  The lemon cheescake is a must order.  the lasgana is not on the menu, but we heard it is to die for.  You literally have to reserve a piece when you call in to make your reservation.  My second favorite place we ate was Robataya.  It is a Japanese restaurant that serves Robatayaki style Japanese food.  I know!  What does that even mean?  Basically they cook your food for you right in front of you in a big open hearth.  It was delicious and very entertaining.  I would definitely recommend a reservation and sitting at the dinner counter to get the full experience.  It was so fun!  After we went to School of Rock we went to Black Tap for dessert.  It is actually a burger joint that makes really delicious looking hamburgers, but we went specially for their world famous milkshakes and it did not disappoint.  We ordered the Cookie Shake and shared it.  I can’t really eat a ton of ice cream but I definitely loved eating all of the cookie pieces off of it.  We tried a great spot for brunch called Rustic Table.  They do breakfast and lunch foods with a Mediterranean twist.  I got the Avocado Toast and loved it.  And last but not least, I have to mention Eataly.  It is basically a food lovers dream and a must visit in NYC if you are a foodie.  I am a sucker for aesthetic, package design and all the things and Eataly is definitely all those things!

Since we were there for the kids we made sure that we hit a lot of the big must-see’s in NYC.  We spent a ton of time in Central Park which is one of my favorite places in the city.  We went to the Central Park Zoo and I highly recommend it.  It is small, but is really well done and the kids really loved it.  We went to the Museum of Natural History and spent and afternoon there, and could have spent more time.  We visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and it was one of the most moving, powerful experiences.  In my opinion it is a must visit. It is pretty intense and emotional, so you might want to consider that if you have younger children, but mine were okay at 10 and 12.  I will say that since they weren’t alive when 9/11 happened it was a little easier on them visiting because they didn’t grasp the full magnitude of what happened.  We went to the top of the Empire State Building at night and honestly I thought it was expensive and over-rated.  If I was going to do something like that again I would go to the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center because I have heard good things about that one.  We also did a double-decker bus tour as well.  Don’t use the company we used, Top View, they didn’t stop frequently enough, the audio tours didn’t work half the time and the buses were old.  I would recommend Big Bus Tours if you go.  They were a little more expensive, but as we learned you get what you pay for.  We also went to see School of Rock and I HIGHLY recommend it.  The kids in that show are so incredibly talented and my kids absolutely loved it.  It is a great one to see if you are in NYC with your family.

WHERE DO YOU SHOP FOR STEVE?

So many of you guys have emailed in to say that you have husbands who are a similar size as Steve and have wanted to know where I shop for him.  First, can I say I am so excited to know that I am not the only one who has to struggle with dressing a big guy.  I am not going to lie, it can be tough….and expensive.  And it you can imagine it was even harder to shop while he played.  Basically everything had to be either custom made or altered.  Thank goodness he has lost 50 pounds since he quit playing, so I can finally shop off the rack for him more.  Luckily, I have years of practice so I have a few tricks up my sleeve.  Just for reference Steve is 6 foot 5 inches, wears a size 15 shoe, a 38×34 pant.

Here are some of my favorite places to shop for him.  If I need inexpensive places Target and Old Navy are my go-to.  This is were I get his t-shirts and more casual clothes.  At Old Navy I only shop t-shirts-graphic and solid tees in a XXL.  Target I can do a XXL t-shirts and I can get shorts if I size up a waist size.  Nordstrom is my next go-to because they have the best variety and I can get him some of his nicer clothes there.  There is basically only one brand of jeans that fit him, because he is a very athletic build and jeans/pants are always too tight on his quads.  He wears the AG Graduate Slim Straight in a 38×34.  They also make a chino in this same style and we own every single color.  They are a little pricier, but totally worth the investment.  Some other brands I love to buy at Nordstrom that fit well are: Nordstrom brand shorts, Nike bought Hurley and they have great shorts, RVCA shirts, James Pearse (size 5) and a new one I just discovered James Campbell.

If he needs a dress shirt/button-down unfortunately we typically have to do custom made shirts because his neck size is still so big- although WAY down from the 22 inch it was when he played.  I will say I do also have some luck at Nordstrom Rack with the XXL.  As with all things, it is trial and error and hit and miss.  For his shoes, we either try Nordstrom and literally have them bring everything the have in a size 15 and pray that one works.  Usually I just order off of Zappos. One of his favorite brands of shoes is Blackstone.  They make stylish tennis shoes/casual shoes in larger sizes.  I can find them at Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, online and sometimes at DSW.

WHAT DO YOU WEAR WITH YOUR NEW JOGGERS?

A lot of you have emailed me saying that you bought the Sun Setter Joggers that I got and wanted to know what kinds of tops I wear with them.  They are really athleisure wear pants so I typically stick with tank tops and muscle tank style shirts.  I love a sporty, comfortable pulled together look and these pants have become a part of my uniform.  They are now my go-to when I have to just run around and do errands.  The material is different from a typical jogger because it is so lightweight and breathable and I can easily wear them in the summer.  The pants are a little bit of a looser fit (they look like MC Hammer pants on the rack…don’t be scared), so you want to make sure that you are wearing a tighter or more slim-cut top so you don’t look like you are wearing a bag.  Here are some of the favorite tops I am wearing with them right now.