Coast 2 Coast Mom

GameStop Video Games For The Holidays

GameStop recently shared the results from a shopper survey that revealed that nearly half of all plan to gift video game-related items this holiday season. According to the survey, 42% of respondants said they plan to purchase video games, video game consoles, and accessories for their children. That's a lot of video game fun coming to kids this holiday season! Before you start to worry about if technology and video games are the best gifts for kids, and about how expensive they can be, let me share some food for thought. I recently toured the Upper West Side NYC GameStop... Read more →

Milk Mustache Breakfast In Bed GIVEAWAY #GotMilk #MilkToastToMom

I’ve been working over Mother’s Day weekend with The National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign to promote their milk with breakfast initiative, and the launch of the new Katie Couric Breakfast Project ad campaign. They’ve sponsored this giveaway and given me an inside look at the making of the ads with Katie Couric and her daughters. Mother’s Day morning can feel a lot like Christmas morning: filled with anticipation, whispers, and when little kids are involved, proud li’l helpers. After an hour and a half of laying in bed listening to the Kiddo and my husband in the kitchen, I... Read more →

Hilton Times Square Family Holiday Getaway

Without a doubt, there’s more energy and action in and around Times Square than any other part of New York City, so when we had the opportunity to stay at the Hilton Times Square in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, we immediately planned a fun family weekend in NYC. We’ve stayed at the Hilton Times Square before, so we already knew it was a great location, within walking distance of a lot of great things to do, places to shop, and restaurants to eat. It was a particularly perfect place to stay around the holidays, as we’ve developed an annual... Read more →

ANNIE the Musical on Broadway in NYC

ANNIE the Musical premiered on Broadway in NYC recently, and I was invited to preview the show a couple of weeks ago. I was stoked to attend ANNIE on Broadway as I'd only seen the movie before and wanted to see how they compared - and I was excited to introduce the Kiddo to the songs and story that led to his Aunt Annie being named Aunt Annie. ANNIE the musical delivered pure enjoyment. The characters I remembered from my childhood embodied the lyrics and era. I remain in awe of the ability of the kid and teen actors to... Read more →

Hilton Honors AmEx Card Helps Families “Hotel for the Holidays”

As Generation X and Millennial families leave their hometowns to settle down in distant cities, more and more families find themselves traveling over the holidays. When all of the siblings head home, there may not be enough “room at the inn” for everyone to comfortably stay under your parents’ roof, (hello air mattress, pull-out bed, sleeping bag!) so you head to a hotel. Or, sometimes the road trip home to visit family may seem too long for a weekend trip, or too expensive to fly home for every holiday, but you still want to make memories and establish traditions for... Read more →

New Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies Coming Soon

New Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies are coming to a grocery store near you! While visiting Trumpeting Media's R&R Suite at the Four Seasons New York last week, I was introduced to a few new Pepperidge Farm varieties arriving on store shelves beginning at the end of August 2012. Meet the Milano Melts and Milano Slices: I tasted the Vanilla Creme Milano Melts and Salted Pretzel Milanos (those are pretzel bits on the Milanos) which should both be available in grocery stores within mere weeks . . . . . .but my FAVORITE new Milano cookie is the Peppermint Milano with... Read more →

The Children's PLACE Holiday Preview 2012

The Children's PLACE offered a sneak peek at their 2012 holiday baby and kids' clothes last night in NYC. Yes, that's right - HOLIDAY 2012! While we're just beginning back-to-school shopping now, it was nonetheless inspiring to see the winter trends for kids' outfits - and to see what we need to pick up to ensure that the Kiddo's sporting some style this next school year. Overall, the Loft Suite at the Bryant Park Hotel was bustling and it was interesting to hear The Children's PLACE's own Michael Giannelli discuss some of the winter trends for kids with Nicole Feliciano,... Read more →

A PBS KIDS Cat in the Hat-A-Thon To Celebrate Dr. Seuss's Birthday

PBS KIDS is hosting a two-hour Cat in the Hat-A-Thon in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday on Friday, March 2nd. This year would have been Dr. Seuss's 108th birthday! PBS KIDS will air two new episodes of "The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That!" during the Cat in the Hat-A-Thon: “Seasons – Spring and Summer/Fall and Winter,” which takes the Cat, Nick and Sally on a journey through the four seasons, and “When I Grow Up/Doing It Differently,” in which Nick and Sally explore what it means to grow up and learn that trying a different approach... Read more →

Dylan's Candy Bar Easter Egg Hunt with Jelly Belly in NYC

Dylan's Candy Bar is prepping to host the ultimate Easter Egg Hunt with Jelly Belly in NYC in a few weeks and the Kiddo and I are so excited! An Easter egg hunt in such a legendary candy shop!! Tickets go on sale tomorrow Wednesday, February 29, 2012 on GiltCity.com for the candy-riffic Easter Egg Hunt that'll take place Sunday, March 18, 2012. The event includes a continental breakfast, the opportunity to explore Dylan's Candy Bar in search of eggs, and games and activities like photos with Dylan's Chocolate the Bunny and Mr. Jelly Belly, and playing with the Jelly... Read more →

Star Wars Holiday

We decided to celebrate our own Star Wars holiday this last day of vacation (yes, I know it's Jan 2nd and not May 4th, or "May the Fourth Be With You" day). The Kiddo's been such a trooper throughout our travels, errands and home organization the past two weeks that we wanted to spend the day doing something special just for him. We were inspired last night by his Star Wars pj's, and the fact that we hadn't yet watched Star Wars The Complete Saga, which would be phenomenal to watch on our new TV and Blu-Ray player. Besides, we... Read more →