Party Planning Like A Boss Series: The Best Vendors, Party Favors, And DIY Decor For Your Next Unique Party – Part 3 Party Favors

Get Creative With Your Party Favors!

As I mentioned in Part 1 and Part 2 of The Mint Chip Mama’s Party Planning Series, planning an event is a big deal! A party of any size is a lot to plan.

The Mint Chip Mama WeSpoke Design Sweatshirts Tel Aviv Sunset 2 Party Favors

Party Favors

In my opinion, party favors are one of the most fun aspects of any party. Whether it be for a small birthday party or a large-scale event, I’ve always loved picking out party favors.

In my opinion, a good party is all about the little details – and party favors are just that. The extra special touches are what your guests will remember more than anything else. So have some fun with your party favors and get creative. As an easy place to start let your theme dictate what to get. This makes the hunt for your party favors more focused for you and more fun and memorable for your guests.

Let’s Get To Party Planning!

Parties are very overwhelming to plan. But like all overwhelming things in life, you need to take a step back, exhale, and start somewhere to move forward. With that said, sometimes this is the hardest part.

Party Planning Series: Party Favors!

Welcome to the third part of my five-part series on party planning. These posts cover everything needed to plan an awesome party – big or small – and within any budget. You can find each part here:

Party Planning Part 1: Where To Begin

Party Planning Part 2: Party Vendors

Party Planning Part 3: Party Favors

Party Planning Part 4: DIY Party Décor (coming Thursday)

Party Planning Part 5: Party Dresses, Suits, Hair & Makeup (coming Friday)

If you want to jump ahead to party planning finds, click on my Amazon store. This page is filled with party décor ideas, party favors, and even party dresses and party shoes for different themes and sizes.

Party Favors For The Kids

The type of event you’re having will often determine the appropriate favor. Where we live, many kids give out sweatshirts with the party’s logo on it as the main favor. These can get costly, but it means a lot for the guest of honor to see their friends wearing it in school. My daughter is artistic and designed her logo herself. We then worked with a great company to print it on a sweatshirt.

After ordering your party favors you also need a way to present them to your guests at the end of the night. For us, this meant party favor bags and name labels*.

As an avid recycler, I wanted to find favor bags and favor tags that could be useful and reused after the event. This was a place I felt ok spending a little money since it could be reused. To be honest, after researching disposable party bags and party tags they weren’t much cheaper.  

Again, continuing with our theme to bring everything together, we found beautiful iridescent bags that the kids can use as tote bags going forward. For the favor bag tags, we had each child’s name printed on a reusable label they could later use for camp or school.

Party Favors For The Adults

I didn’t plan to give out proper favors to the adults until my friend mentioned flip-flops. When she mentioned this, I suddenly remembered attending a wedding years ago where they gave out flips flops. I recalled it not only being very appreciated but also a creative and useful party favor.

Fast forward twenty years and now you can buy bulk flip-flop party favors in a variety of sizes! This was a last-minute party addition and since I was buying in bulk – and only for the women – it was not cost prohibitive at all. The company also printed my daughter’s logo on the sleeve, so they were super cute.

Back in the olden days, people would give out socks. However, now that so many kids wear sneakers, they don’t take off their shoes. With that said, the “painful shoe” problem only affects the ladies in the house (like me) so I was happy to have them. Plus, they were such a hit! I can’t wait to see them again on the beach this summer.

The Mint Chip Mama Party Planning Series Party Favors Astronaut Ice Cream Moon Pies

Party Surprises For All Guests

Since parties can get loud, we had individually wrapped blue and purple tie dye (on theme) earplugs for our guests at the bar and on the tables.

Additionally, one of my favorite things at the end of a party is the “to-go” treat. Not all parties have this so it’s very exciting when it’s there. Along the same lines, a DIY candy bar is a really fun, easy, and inexpensive way to send your guests off with something sweet.

Since our party’s theme was space I wanted to give out a space-themed treat. For me, this meant only one thing would do – astronaut ice cream. Not only was this vintage candy one of my favorites as a child, but I thought it would be fun for both the kids and the adults. Happily, everyone loved it. My daughter’s friend also suggested giving out Moon Pies and once I heard that I had to do that too.  

Party Swag

Where we live, party hosts often give out a lot of “swag”. Some of it the DJs provides – like sunglasses or light up items, but most of the time it means items printed with the party’s logo. This can include t-shirts, pants, etc. and gets very expensive. Since we were working with a modest budget, we decided against doing a ton of extra giveaways. My daughter felt that since everyone does it we had to do it as well. Consequently, I explained that just because lots of people do something, we don’t have to do it too (is this not the mantra of parenting?).

With that said, she felt very strongly about giving out flannel pants and would not waiver on this item. Since she had few party requests, we debated this frequently. Ultimately, we negotiated a small quantity within a budget making us both happy. We found inexpensive pants and put her logo on ourselves with the help of a very good (and crafty) friend.

In conclusion, your party favors will help guests remember a great event so have fun with them. Remember – much like an invitation is the first touchpoint of your event, a party favor is the last. Additionally, since parties go so fast it’s nice to keep a memory from it.

*Indicates a discount below

**********

Our Party Favors

The Mint Chip Mama Party Planning Series WeSpoke Designs Sweatshirts Party Favors

WeSpoke Designs

As mentioned above, my daughter only had eyes for hooded sweatshirts. WeSpoke Designs took our logo and made the perfect sweatshirt. They stayed within our budget, offered lots of creative insight, and went above and beyond with everything they did. I cannot recommend them enough. Additionally, they can print all types of party swag, clothing, or anything else you could think of to personalize.

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Planning Like A Boss Series Nush Nush Bags

Nush Nush Bags

I quickly fell in love with Nush Nush bags. These high-quality, reusable bags were not only gorgeous but well made so the kids (or their moms!) can use them repeatedly. Plus, they have so many beautiful colors, finishes, and sizes. They make great party favor bags and gift bags for any occasion.

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Planning Like A Boss Series Nush Nush Mabels Label

Mabels Labels*

Is there anything this company can’t do when it comes to labels? We’ve been fans of Mabel’s Labels for a decade. Anything for camp, school, or simply just leaving our house for any reason has a custom printed Mabel’s Label on it. They have all kinds of different logos and designs making it easy to stay on theme for any event. I was so happy they could accommodate my request for an affordable reusable bag tag for each child, they were a party favor themselves!

*Use code “MINTCHIP” for 10% off

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Planning Like A Boss Series LuvyDuvy Astronaut Ice Cream Party Favors

Luvy Duvy – Astronaut Ice Cream

I was thrilled that Luvy Duvy made my dream of giving out astronaut ice cream come true. Kids, adults, or anyone who has ever been to a science center or children’s museum knows this nostalgic treat is something special and unique. The packaging is so pretty and was perfectly on theme. To be honest, it made me so happy. I don’t who was more excited for this fun party favor – the kids, the adults, or me, so let’s call it a tie.

Moldex Spark Plugs

What? Can you hear me? IT’S LOUD. The number one complaint at every party (if you’re a certain age) is the volume of the music. We anticipated this and offered our guests beautiful spark plugs from Moldex. These moldable earplugs not only protected our guest’s ears but kept them in style and on theme because they were so pretty. Funny enough, they looked like part of the décor.

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Planning Like A Boss Series Kimberly Vernick Photography Reception Flip Flops 793 Party Favors
Kimberly Vernick Photography

Reception Flip Flops

I loved the look and feel of the shoes from Reception Flip-Flops. They had a rainbow of flip-flop color options and the ability to upload our logo right onto the site to create a custom sleeve. As an avid flip-flop wearer, I can tell the difference between inexpensive flip-flops and high-quality flip-flops and can say these are some of the best I’ve ever tried on. We passed them out as the party was pumping and we heard the collective “ahhhhs” of our friend’s feet. They offer additional bulk party favors like pashminas and blankets and have beautiful personalized party favor options as well.

My blog (and taco habit) is supported by you! With each click on one of The Mint Chip Mama’s affiliate links above I earn the guac. Because just like you, it’s extra. Also don’t forget to follow us on FacebookInstagramPinterestAmazon, and Tik Tok and email us at themintchipmama@gmail.com with what you want to see next!

Party Planning Like A Boss Series: The Best Party Vendors, Favors, And DIY Decor For Your Next Unique Party – Part 2 Vendors

The Best Party Vendors For Your Next Event!

As I mentioned in Part 1 of The Mint Chip Mama’s Party Planning Series, planning an event is a big deal – no matter the size.

Putting the very best party vendors in your room is a great place to begin. Hiring people on a recommendation is a surefire way to know you’re getting someone great. It is also an area where people can go a little crazy. Therefore, my advice is to call at most three-party vendors in each category, compare prices and vision and then make your decision. The fun part comes once the contract is signed.

Let’s Get To Party Planning!

Parties are very overwhelming to plan. But like all overwhelming things in life, you need to take a step back, exhale, and start somewhere to move forward. In truth, sometimes this is the hardest part.

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Planning Like A Boss Series Le Selfie

Party Planning Series: Party Vendors

Welcome to the second part of my five-part series on party planning. These posts cover everything needed to plan an awesome party – big or small – and within any budget. You can find each part here:

Party Planning Part 1: Where To Begin 

Party Planning Part 2: Party Vendors

Party Planning Part 3: Party Favors

Party Planning Part 4: DIY Party Décor

Party Planning Part 5: Party Dresses, Suits, Hair & Makeup

If you want to jump ahead to party planning finds, click on my Amazon store. This page is filled with party décor ideas, party favors, and even party dresses and party shoes for different themes and sizes.

The first part of this post is about the party vendors needed for a good party. Next, is the list of highly recommended party vendors we used.

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Planning Like A Boss Series Kimberly Vernick Photography K.Pacho
Kimberly Vernick Photography

Start Your Party Vendors Search With Music – The Most Fun Vendor!

I suggest your party vendors search begins with music. A good band or DJ books up quickly so as soon as your venue is signed, start looking for your music.

We attended a friend’s party and really loved her DJ. At the end of the event, I asked for a card and hired him Monday morning. Since I was going with a reputable (and popular) company I knew any MC they sent would be a good. Additionally, since we were party planning on a budget and our venue is very pretty, I opted for the basic package. As we got closer and our guest list grew we added in a dancer.

It’s also a good idea to have a call with your MC and venue contact a few days prior to make sure you’re all on the same page. This allows you to finalize your envisioned party flow so there are no surprises during your event.

Photos and Videos Help Your Party Live On Forever

Picking a good photographer and videographer was very important to me. As the host you’re pulled in so many directions you feel like you miss half of what’s going on. Having exceptional pictures brings it all together for you. We interviewed several party vendors and opted for someone who offered both services. The pictures we received far surpassed our expectations and we already hired her for another party. If you don’t have the budget for a videographer designate a friend to take your phone and film the most special moments of the event.

Next, we hired a photo booth and opted for single-printed images with my daughter’s logo. I loved that our package also included a photo book with each image taken by our guests. This book checked off needing a sign-in board (which inevitably would sit in our garage until the end of time) and gave us a little special end-of-night favor. As anticipated, we looked through this book as soon as we got home and happily relived the night.

The Mint Chip Mama Party Planning Series Basic Invite

You Need Guests At Your Party

Picking out invitations* is so much fun. It is your event’s first touchpoint for guests. Thusly, it is your opportunity to introduce the party, share its feel, and get your guests excited to celebrate. If you don’t know where to begin, start with your theme. This helps dictate the look of your invitations.

The first step is deciding if you want physical or electronic invitations and how your guests will RSVP. Surprisingly, the cost may not be that different. I wanted paper invitations but to gather responses electronically. This allowed me to have emails and phone numbers for each guest in case there were any last-minute changes.

We found a great company that created a QR code* for us which we put on the back of our paper invitation. Guests simply scanned it, tapped on the link, and it brought them to our party’s website to respond. We had lots of options for the design and tons of space to include additional event information. Even better once RSVPs were in we were able to quickly update our guests on party additions, send out event reminders, and do our seating arrangement.

Party Seating Arrangement

When it was time to set up the seating chart we opted to print and frame a big poster. This was easily done at a local printing shop, framed by us, and then placed on the restaurant’s easel.

Décor And Logo

Many people choose to include logo designing and décor companies as party vendors. We had a specific vision and felt we could DIY both so we did everything ourselves. We ended up adding in some floating balloon centerpieces from “Balloon Boy Steve” and it was perfect.

Let Them Eat Cake

Check with your venue to see if the event includes a cake. Since ours didn’t we got creative. I called my daughter’s favorite bakery and ordered their biggest cake. It was unique, pretty, and made her so happy. Plus, when you take home leftovers of your favorite cake it’s a win.

Just remember to hang on tight to every second of your party, it goes by so fast.

*Indicates a discount below

**********

Our Party Vendors

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Planning Like A Boss Series Basic Invite Promo

Basic Invite* 

Despite the trend to go digital, we wanted a paper invitation that we could design ourselves. Our theme was space and we wanted this to translate onto the invitation. Basic Invite was great, had an on-hand graphic designer to help, sent us proofs, and was excellent quality. Our invitation came out beautiful! We got so many compliments on it as well as the paper feel “Smooth Coated” was distinctive.

*Get 20% off and free shipping site wide by using the code in the image above.

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Planning Like A Boss Series - RSVPify

RSVPify*

After seeing a QR code on a friend’s invitation I had to have one on ours. From RSVPify’s backend, you could create all kinds of response options for your guests plus everything was customizable so you could easily stay on theme. Additionally, you could collect specific information from your guests. For example, since our event had two parts in two different locations, we needed two separate RSVPs. We also could add a map link to each location and collect dietary restrictions if applicable. Anytime we had a question their staff happily walked us through the process. Plus, let’s be honest – people thought it was cool. They do all kinds of corporate, personal, and ticketed events.

*Use code “MINTCHIPMAMA” for 10% off your upgrade to a selected premium plan (one-time fee plans only)

Kimberley Vernick Photography

What’s the point of a great event if you don’t have fantastic pictures so you can relive it over and over? I can guarantee you won’t find any photographer better than Kimberly Vernick Photography. Her pictures were perfection and boy is she lightning fast – at both the party and getting you the images afterwards! She was in so many places at once! I don’t know how she captured so many different things going on at the same time but I am so glad she did. I loved that she has a videographer on staff as well so she can oversee both. She is a pleasure to work with, an absolute professional, and already secured for my next party in three years.

Le Selfie Photo Booth

This was my third time using Le Selfie for an event. They have so many fun props and backdrops to choose from, including a green screen with endless possibilities. In truth, the stunning silver sequin curtain we choose added to our décor and was totally on theme. At the last minute, we added the selfie stick for some candid dance floor smiles as well. The photo book they provided was great quality and is big enough for us to add in the professional pictures from the event making it the perfect keepsake. We’ve been to a lot of parties and Le Selfie’s pictures always come out the best.

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Vendors Like A Boss Series Party Vendors Merrick Printing

Merrick Printing

Once your guest list is finalized, and your seating chart is set, you need a way to show it to your guests at the event’s entrance. Merrick Printing did a fantastic job printing our seating chart poster – and brought our space theme to life with the background. They were super responsive, quick with ideas, a pleasure to work with, and produced the perfect sign for our party. They can do all types of printing including personal and commercial and are a full-service union printer.

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Planning Like A Boss Series K.Pacho Uncle Joey's Rainbow Explosion 3590

Uncle Joey’s Rainbow Explosion

From the start my rainbow cookie-obsessed daughter asked for a rainbow cookie cake from Uncle Joey’s Rainbow Explosion. Since I am her cookie pusher, it was not a hard sell for me. We were worried their cake for 100 (the largest size they offer) wouldn’t be big enough for our 120 guests, but we ended up bringing half of it home! It is so delicious and so pretty. It was perfect.

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Planning
Kimberly Vernick Photography

ET Events Group

Without good music, your guests will be sitting down and not dancing. Our DJ from ET Events Group kept the party going and his music choices were exactly what we wanted. Our MC was right in the middle of the dance floor all night and the kids loved him.

My blog (and taco habit) is supported by you! With each click on one of The Mint Chip Mama’s affiliate links above I earn the guac. Because just like you, it’s extra. Also don’t forget to follow us on FacebookInstagramPinterestAmazon, and Tik Tok and email us at themintchipmama@gmail.com with what you want to see next

Party Planning Like A Boss Series: The Best Vendors, Favors, And DIY Decor For Your Next Unique Party – Part 1 Where To Begin

Let’s Get This Party Planning Started!

Whether you’re planning an event for yourself or your child, party planning for a large-scale event is a big deal. In my opinion, a good party is all about the little details. The extra special touches are what your guests will remember more than anything else. Well – maybe the food and music too.

I love planning big parties. To be fair, I also love planning small parties… and planning midsize parties. Did someone mention planning a birthday dinner, planning a class reunion, planning a wedding, planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah? Perhaps you mentioned planning a graduation party or planning a Sweet 16? Or maybe just planning a mom’s night out or planning a Taco Tuesday fiesta? I love planning all these fun parties. Maybe I missed my calling… Ok, so I like planning parties, any type of party.

Let’s Get To Party Planning!

When it came time to plan a big event for my daughter, I was ready to go. As with all big parties, they are very overwhelming to plan. But like all overwhelming things in life, you need to take a step back, exhale, and start somewhere to move forward. In truth, sometimes this is the hardest part.

Party Planning Series: Planning The Best Party For Any Theme And Size!

That is why I’m here – to help. Welcome to my five-part series on party planning. These posts cover everything needed to plan an awesome party – big or small – and within any budget. You can find each part of party planning broken up here:

Party Planning Part 1: Where To Begin

Party Planning Part 2: Party Vendors

Party Planning Part 3: Party Favors

Party Planning Part 4: DIY Party Décor (coming Thursday)

Party Planning Part 5: Party Dresses, Suits, Hair & Makeup (coming Friday)

If you want to jump ahead to party planning finds, click on my Amazon store. This page is filled with party décor ideas, party favors, and even party dresses and party shoes for different themes and sizes.

Where Do You Begin?

We started our party planning journey by choosing a venue. My husband and I discussed a budget but then said it’s difficult to say what we want to spend until we see what stuff costs. We looked at our bank account and decided on a ceiling, so as long as we were under that we were good. Equally, we agreed that parties go by fast and the next morning we still have to eat and pay the mortgage… We adopted this as our mantra and it prevented us from spinning out of control. Because let me tell you – it’s very easy to spin out of control when you’re party planning.

We began our (very quick) venue search with the idea that we’d have a “kid’s party”. This meant only inviting my daughter’s friends and our immediate family. I can laugh at that now because I’m sure many people start there. To be fair, since we could remember, she said she wanted a trip instead of a party, so when we started looking for a party (obviously), we intended to do something small.

Your Party Will End Up Bigger Than Your Expect

It is so important to write out your guest list instead of just guessing. You need this list to dictate the venue size. We thought it would be just kids, family and none of our friends. However, my friEnd* gave me some great advice. She said that so many party costs were fixed, adding some close friends won’t make much difference financially but will make the party exponentially more fun for us.

Again, I laughed because what started as a trip and no party evolved to a trip and kid’s party, and then ended up a big party (but still small compared to others). Thusly, it was like planning a wedding and then planning a honeymoon right afterward. Good first-world problems, but exhausting, nonetheless.

The Mint Chip Mama's Party Planning Like A Boss Series KPacho

Picking The Venue

In my opinion, the venue sets the tone for the party. We wanted something a little different and with more emphasis on fun than fancy. We had the date already and as the “one year to go” anniversary arrived I realized I needed to get my act together and find a place. It was winter, it was cold, and it was hard to motivate leaving my house to look in person so I called around for dates and pricing. With much luck, I had a dermatologist appointment near one of the venues and figured I’d pop in to look.

K.Pacho

I saw K.Pacho and immediately fell in love. First off, if you know how much we love Mexican food this would not be a surprise. Second, if you know this is where I ate when I was in labor with my third child (does spicy food really help labor?) this would not be a surprise. So, what was a surprise? I was sold and ready to sign a contract within five minutes. The catering manager could not have been more accommodating (thus beginning a wonderful relationship) and held the date over the weekend so I could bring my daughter and husband back to check it out. Happily – and even faster than me – they fell in love and our contract was signed within the hour.

The room was much bigger than our initial needs. Thank goodness for this as our guest list ended up double the size we expected! With that said, I suggest making the guest list prior to your venue search as one always underestimates how big this list can get.

We Booked The Venue! Now What?

Once our venue was booked and we knew what the room looked like (gorgeous, club-like, tons of lighting options) and what the room needed for décor (very little), we could move to phase two – party planning.

So, what does one need to plan a party for teenage kids? Well in New York that answer is both a lot and not that much. With parties every weekend these kids get spoiled and think they all need to be identical. As adolescents, they just want to fit in and be the same as everyone else. Unfortunately, they don’t yet know that being a little different is a good thing. Furthermore, they don’t yet realize that if their party is a little different, it could mean it turns out better!

Taking this all into account we began party planning. That meant filling our future night with the best vendors we could find. Click on Part 2: Vendors for the next post.

*private joke, not a type-o

My blog (and taco habit) is supported by you! With each click on one of The Mint Chip Mama’s affiliate links above I earn the guac. Because just like you, it’s extra. Also don’t forget to follow us on FacebookInstagramPinterestAmazon, and Tik Tok and email us at themintchipmama@gmail.com with what you want to see next!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Your Guide To Hot T, Navigating Mom Life, And New York. This Week: Intrepid, Perspective, and Valentine’s Day Lamb

Your uncensored weekly guide to perspective, mom life and the crazy inner thoughts of this tired mom of three.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae Mom Life

Weekly Mom Life Musings

This week I’m thinking about perspective. Specifically, perspective across many different areas. Also perspective on how my kids are growing up, in how we see things (even if we’re royalty, I’m still reading Prince Harry’s book), and how shifting our perspective can change our lives.

This week the world is talking about the State of the Union, Madonna’s face, Burt Bacharach, Chinese spy balloons, the earthquake in Turkey, the Grammys, Viola Davis’ EGOT, and the Super Bowl.

One of my 2023 goals is increasing my email list, so please sign up below. That way, each time I post something new it will come straight to your inbox. Every week I’ll be sharing answers to the same questions, like a mom blog Mad Libs. If there is anything else you want to see, just let me know!

Please sign up below to receive this weekly guide via email!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae All American Perspective

What Am I Watching? What Are My Kids Watching?

My friend turned me on to the show All American a few years ago and I love it! Keeping with the theme of perspective it’s what life is like for a bunch of teenagers living in Los Angeles on different sides of town. It’s a really good show. Plus – Taye Digs.

My boys just finished She Hulk. I still can’t tell if they liked it or not. I guess that’s perspective from a green monster?

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae

What Am I Eating?

We decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day early this year. We have a tradition where my husband makes an incredible meal of lamb, potatoes, and Brussel sprouts… and I… eat it. It’s a good compromise. It takes us back to our honeymoon in New Zealand where eating lamb was the thing to do.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Prince Harry Spare

What Am I Reading?

Yep I’m still reading Spare. That’s it. It’s great. My goal is to finish it by Wednesday. Do you think I can do it?

What Am I Writing?

Throughout this journey I’ve learned that when I’m going through something for the party it’s inspired me to write about it. I wrote this article about writing a speech while I was- wait for it – writing my speech. It may be my favorite one yet.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae Chicken War

What Are We Playing?

We love this game – Chicken War. It’s a strategy game where you have to figure out who your opponent’s head chicken is. It’s really fun. Guess who won – I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t me.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae Intrepid

Where Are We Going?

My son loves planes, trains, and automobiles. I was so happy to take him back to the Intrepid Museum. Even better he was now old enough and tall enough to tour the submarine which was really cool. Talk about a change in perspective! Imagine living in a submarine for two months!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae Perspective

Old Blog Post I’m Thinking About

Putting how quickly kids grow up into perspective was the hot topic this week. I wrote this post in February of 2019. I did a good job showing some longitudinal photography (a hobby of mine!). It was nice to go back and read it. Time sure does fly.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae Central Park Cristo

Before Mom Life. Thinking Of A Place I Went Long Ago

While this wasn’t somewhere that I traveled it was super cool. In February of 2005 the orange flags of The Gates by Christo and Jeanne-Claude took over New York City’s Central Park. It was a cool public art installation that was really fun to walk through. It was even more fun to see a place so familiar to us through a different perspective.

This Week’s Mom Life On Instagram:

From reels to posts and carousels, see what’s going. Basically I just did some silly dances about being cold, 90s moves, and staying up way too late. Plus I forces my kids to take a “numbers family” picture because I’m mean and it makes me happy.

Please let us know what you think of this post! Was it helpful? Did you go to any of these places? Try any of these things? If yes, please like the post, comment below, and share it on your social media.

Also don’t forget to follow us on FacebookInstagram, Pinterest, Amazon, and Tik Tok and email us at themintchipmama@gmail.com with what you want to see next!

My blog (and taco habit) is supported by you! With each click on one of The Mint Chip Mama’s affiliate links above I earn the guac. Because just like you, it’s extra.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Your Guide To Hot T, Navigating Mom Life, And New York. This Week: Titanic, Ana Bar and Eatery, Uno

Your uncensored weekly guide to mom life and the crazy inner thoughts of this tired mom of three and how I sometimes feel like a bigger shipwreck than the Titanic.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae Mom Life

Weekly Mom Life Musings

Hello and welcome to February! We have so much happening this month! I hope I can keep up. Most of it focuses around my daughter so I’m glad I was able to sneak off and spend some one on one time with my son this week at the most anticipated event of the year for this sweet nine year old Titanic: The Exhibition in New York City!

This week the world is talking about Tom Brady retiring (again), Jennie Garth & Tori Spelling launching a home line for QVC, Beyoncé announcing a tour, Wakanda Forever coming to your couch, and Punxsutawney Phil prophetically predicting six more weeks of winter.

One of my 2023 goals is increasing my email list, so please sign up below. That way, each time I post something new it will come straight to your inbox. Every week I’ll be sharing answers to the same questions, like a mom blog Mad Libs. If there is anything else you want to see, just let me know!

Please sign up below to receive this weekly guide via email!

What Am I Watching? What Are My Kids Watching?

My husband and I watched You People on Netflix this week. We liked it but shortly after watching it I started seeing so many negative reviews. This made me wonder if it is not a movie ok to like? It had a great cast and beautiful, colorful scenes, but I guess the topic and how people were portrayed in it was something to ponder.

My kids love the movie National Treasure (we even reenacted a scene on the steps at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia last Fall) so they have been loving the Disney+ show National Treasure: Edge of HIstory.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Ava Bar and Eatery

What Am I Eating?

We had the best lunch at Ana Bar and Eatery in Hudson Yards this week. This gorgeous quick serve restaurant is on the second floor of the destination shopping pavilion and worth going to all on it’s own. From the view to the live Jazz music (on the weekends from 3pm-5pm), to the 30+ “by the pound” food, to the freestanding stations – Bianca Latte, Tacos & Tequila, and the Roman style pizza counter, our bellies were beyond happy. Ana Bar and Eatery was the perfect solution for indecisive lunch people like us because we often want to eat different things, and finding a restaurant can be a challenge.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Prince Harry Spare

What Am I Reading?

I’m still hanging with Haz this week. So far I’ve read about his time at Eton and being labeled a “bad boy”. However, he promises his behavior didn’t warrant this title forced upon him by the British press. If this stuff is true, it’s sad this poor “Spare” had to keep taking one for the team. I’m really enjoying this book. I just wish I had more time to read it!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Thank You For Being A Friend

What Am I Writing?

This week I wrote an ode to my amazing girlfriends for Mitzvah Market titled “Thank You For Being A Friend“. It’s been so much fun planning our kid’s mitzvahs together with this group of ladies. I also highlight how special it is to have a long term group of friends like this and how it is such a gift to watch each other’s kids grow up. Included as well is a tribute to a friend’s parents who have had the same group of friends for the last forty years. I loved watching this “parent circle” dance at their son’s wedding and then again at their grandson’s Bar Mitzvah. I’m glad including them made them as happy as I was to see this beautiful act.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Uno

What Are We Playing?

This week I lost against my six year old at Uno. I won the first round so I thought I had a chance. Silly me. He probably let me win that round to trick me. But he has no teeth, so I win there.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Titanic Exhibition NYC

Where Are We Going?

We are a family of Titanic lovers – or Titaniacs – so Titanic: The Exhibition was one of the most anticipated events coming to New York for us in a long time. This Titanic exhibit was filled with artifacts from passengers aboard the Titanic, and images of prominent crew and passengers. Admission includes an audio guide which was well designed and informative. We loved the iceberg shaped sheet of ice and the model with one of the ship’s sides removed so you could see inside of it.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Long Island Playgrounds

Old Blog Post I’m Thinking About

Even though Phil predicts more winter, it’s somewhat mild weather here in New York. With that said it is a great time to throw on a coat and visit one of Long Island’s great playgrounds! The good news is they are free so if you get cold, you can just leave.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Jamaica 2007

Before Mom Life. Thinking Of A Place I Went Long Ago

This picture is from Jamaica in January of 2007. My husband and I booked a brand new resort that looked gorgeous. We wondered why it was so inexpensive… well we found out the reason upon arrival. It was not yet built. Ok, I should say most of it was built, but definitely not all of it. We tried to make the best of it and in the end they gave us a refund so in essence it all became just a funny story. I also like this picture because I read “Y2K” fashion is coming back hard and here I’m rocking a Bordeaux colored velour Juicy Couture track suit. I’d love to go back to Jamaica one day. Even more if the hotel has running water.

This Week’s Mom Life On Instagram:

This week I had some fun picking out an animal to donate from Heifer International‘s “Most Wanted” list for Valentine’s Day (check them out, it makes a great “out of the box” gift). Then getting these gorgeous iridescent tote bags from Nush Nush ready for our party and finally highlighting my love of coffee in this fun Scary Mommy mug.

Please let us know what you think of this post! Was it helpful? Did you go to any of these places? Try any of these things? If yes, please like the post, comment below, and share it on your social media.

Also don’t forget to follow us on FacebookInstagram, Pinterest, Amazon, and Tik Tok and email us at themintchipmama@gmail.com with what you want to see next!

My blog (and taco habit) is supported by you! With each click on one of The Mint Chip Mama’s affiliate links above I earn the guac. Because just like you, it’s extra.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Your Guide To Hot T, Navigating Mom Life, And New York. This Week: Prince Harry, Monster Trucks, 80s Movies, Paris

Your uncensored weekly guide to mom life and the crazy inner thoughts of this tired mom of three. Plus, sometimes we find peace in monster trucks…

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae Mom Life

Weekly Mom Life Musings

Happy Lunar New Year! I hope you were able to get out and celebrate this beautiful and colorful holiday! We had a fun week including some quality mother son bonding time watching monster trucks crush things. I joked the first time I saw this phenomenon that all these years I thought yoga was my Zen. Turns out I got more satisfaction from monster trucks. Ha!

This week the world is talking about Splash Mountain closing, football, the year of the rabbit, Buzz Aldrin getting married on his 93rd birthday, the M & M people retiring, and Marie Kondo giving up (however I still love the clothes in my drawers folded “Marie Kondo style”).

One of my 2023 goals is increasing my email list, so please sign up below. That way, each time I post something new it will come straight to your inbox. Every week I’ll be sharing answers to the same questions, like a mom blog Mad Libs. If there is anything else you want to see, just let me know!

Please sign up below to receive this weekly guide via email!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Knives Out Movie, Monster Trucks Newsletter

What Am I Watching? What Are My Kids Watching?

We got caught up in all the hoopla around Knives Out: Glass Onion and loved it. We were worried since it was the second in the series that we’d miss something watching the second one first, but they are not sequential. It was such a fun movie we decided to watch the first one… second. Knives Out the OG. We are split on which one was better. I vote for Edward Norton – I mean Glass Onion, where as my husband votes for Ana De Armas – I mean the first one.

Since my little one is doing a unit on penguins right now (in 1st grade) we thought we’d show them the movie Happy Feet. This movie came out a year after we got married and we went to see it on our anniversary. Don’t worry, we also did cooler stuff to celebrate too. It was fun to share it with them especially since we haven’t seen it since 2006!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: oatmeal, monster trucks newsletter

What Am I Eating?

There’s really nothing more to this than I just want to openly state my love for oatmeal. In fact, I often remember hotels by their oatmeal. Which I will be the first to admit is strange. For example – the Eden Resort & Suites in Lancaster, PA had excellent oatmeal. Yes we went there in 2016. Yes I’m still talking about it. But it was that good. Maybe one day we can return and in addition to all of the attractions of the area, I can enjoy a bowl once again. However, to be clear, the beautiful creation above is from Chef Ross’ kitchen. The only other person in my house who loves oatmeal as much as me – and makes himself a bowl like a king every morning.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Prince Harry Spare

What Am I Reading?

Is it just me or are you equally all into Prince Harry right now? His interviews and Netfix show worked on me. TELL ME MORE! I was so excited to start his book and excited to join the library waiting list early before the 750 other people got the same idea. As I said to Chef Ross, I understand there are three sides to every story so I’m taking his recollections with a grain of salt. But I do believe the first person narratives he’s sharing are true. Equally, I think it’s interesting how he speaks about how losing his mother at such a young age and in such a public way really affected him. Specifically how he had to console strangers dealing with HIS mother’s death.

I think it’s funny that his author citation is “Prince Harry”. With that said, do you think they file the book under P or H? Or maybe W?

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Keeping Healthy

What Am I Writing?

This week I wrote a piece for Mitzvah Market titled “L’Dor V’Dor – Keeping Healthy Before The Bar Mitzvah“. I was inspired to write it after my Dad told me a story about how his parents wouldn’t let him go to a Brooklyn Dodgers game the week before his Bar Mitzvah – ensuring he’d stay healthy for the big day. The conversation started by me saying how unhappy my daughter was with me that I want her to take it easy before her big day. It seems like with many things there is continuity in trying to keep your kids healthy the week before their mitzvah.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Battleship

What Are We Playing?

Here we have yet another game that I lost to my six year – Battleship. This is one of my favorite childhood games and I’m happy I now have someone to play it with. I’m an only child. Womp Womp. I was so close to winning this one but his two piece Destroyer outsmarted me with it’s stealth hiding. Meanwhile, my nine year old sat down next to me to spy for both parties and then told me when he plays he lines the ships up in proper Naval order. To which I responded… “that’s a thing? Why don’t you play this game with your brother and let me finish my book”.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Hot Wheels monster trucks Live

Where Are We Going? Oh Yeah, Monster Trucks!

Oh boy did we have fun this week! We were so excited to be back at the Nassau Coliseum for Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live! This year we were lucky to be hosted at the pre-show Crash Zone where we walked the event floor, met the drivers and trucks up personally, and got some autographs. I was very excited to meet Taylor Holman – the female driver of Demo Derby and winner of the Champions Cup the night before. In addition, I loved learning she’s a nurse when she’s not driving a monster truck! I thought that was pretty cool. But I loved even more when she came out of her truck to hug her dad – Bobby Holman – for winning one of the competitions.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: 80s Movies

Old Blog Post I’m Thinking About

There are so many movies that define the 80s and thus my childhood. I loved putting together this post titled “Fun 80’s Movies To Watch With Your Family Today!“. My kids love watching them because many are inappropriate despite their PG or PG-13 rating. In fact, we call this category 80s PG. I’m pretty sure the amount joy my kids get from hearing these choice words is equal to the amount of joy we get traveling back to our youth with Molly Ringwald and Marty McFly. However, sometimes the movie ends and they turn to us and say “what in the world was that”? To be honest, sometimes watching a movie now thorough a forty four year old’s eyes, I have to say the same thing.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Paris 2008

Before Mom Life. Thinking Of A Place I Went Long Ago

In 2008 I worked for Christian Dior managing their US customer service department and helping to launch their e-commerce website. They sent me to Paris for two weeks of training. It was before we had kids so therefore I was young, filled with energy, and equipped with an expense account. As you can imagine, it was a great trip. Once my training ended my husband flew over (his first trip to Europe!) and we hung in the 4th. Which is cool Paris talk for the fashionable Marais district.

This Week’s Mom Life On Instagram:

This week I complained about laundry, pretended to be 17 like Edward Cullen, and found a very cute group of customers to portray in my video about Popular Book Company’s new affiliate program. I love this company’s workbooks (as do my kids). Plus of course I posted about monster trucks!

Please let us know what you think of this post! Was it helpful? Did you go to any of these places? Try any of these things? If yes, please like the post, comment below, and share it on your social media.

Also don’t forget to follow us on FacebookInstagram, Pinterest, Amazon, and Tik Tok and email us at themintchipmama@gmail.com with what you want to see next!

My blog (and taco habit) is supported by you! With each click on one of The Mint Chip Mama’s affiliate links above I earn the guac. Because just like you, it’s extra.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Your Guide To Hot T, Navigating Mom Life, And New York. This Week: Vision Boards, Sequence, and Fainting

Your uncensored weekly guide to mom life and the crazy inner thoughts of this tired mom of three.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae Mom Life

Weekly Mom Life Musings

Welcome, welcome! This week was an eventful one for our health (I spent the night in the ER after fainting), but hopefully by press time everyone in my house of mirth will be fully recovered. The weather has been mild making my kids sad because all they want is for it to snow so they can play in the snow.

This week the world is talking about how they embodied the great Martin Luther King, Jr on MLK Day, That 90s Show (Do you know how much I love the 90s?!), basketball, the new Night Court on NBC, The Last Of Us on HBO, George Santos, Dolly Parton, David Crosby, Microsoft and Google layoffs, Madonna going on tour, and Alec Baldwin.

One of my 2023 goals is increasing my email list, so please sign up below. That way, each time I post something new it will come straight to your inbox. Every week I’ll be sharing answers to the same questions, like a mom blog Mad Libs. If there is anything else you want to see, just let me know!

Please sign up below to receive this weekly guide via email!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Twins Movie 80s Movie Guide

What Am I Watching? What Are My Kids Watching?

We noticed Twins is now on Netflix and jumped at the chance to show it to our kids. This is a fun 80s movie with Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Besides a few “80s PG” as we call it moments – some curses and the question – “Daddy, what’s a virgin?” they loved it. We joke that the rating’s guide has changed drastically over the years.

My kids love the show Series Of Unfortunate Events on Netflix so much they started watching it again. It is one of the few shows that make a 6, 9 & 12 year old happy simultaneously which is quite the feat.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Wildgrain Olive Oil Ciabatta

What Am I Eating?

I was not intending to talk about Wildgrain* (a bake-from-frozen) delivery service again this week but then I tasted this Slow Fermented Olive Oil Ciabatta and have not been able to think of anything since. Bread just gets me. This was one of the most of delicious things I’ve tasted in a very long time.

*$10 off your first box + FREE Croissants in every box! (Limited to the first 50 people)

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Elsewhere

What Am I Reading?

I’ve had this book – Elsewhere: A Novel by Alexis Schaitkin – on my nightstand since it came out in June. I have been dying to read it. From the first paragraph it’s grabbed me. I don’t want to put it down. There is a big mystery unfolding and I’m dying to know what the secret is in this town! But I shouldn’t be surprised that I love it. I love all of Celadon‘s books!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: invisible load guide

What Am I Writing?

My Mitzvah Market post titled “The Invisible Load of Bar Mitzvah Planning” is quite near and dear to my heart. As a mom planning every aspect of my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah myself – and then a big trip three days later – I’m totally overwhelmed. I knew planning this (very special) event in our lives would be a lot. However, I did not anticipate all the invisible things that would come with it.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Sequence

What Are We Playing?

Always a favorite on my annual Holiday Gift Guide, we have yet another game that my six year old consistently beats me at – Sequence. This game is easy and fun and can be played with 2 or 3 players. His favorite part is getting a one eyed Jack so he can take off one of my pieces and rub it in my face. He’s lucky he’s cute. It’s such a fun game and one both kids and adults can enjoy (my top criteria).

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: UrbanGlass Brooklyn

Where Are We Going?

One of my favorite places to go is UrbanGlass in Brooklyn. I used to glassblow at camp and it remains one of my favorite hobbies thirty years later. I found out a few years back that UrbanGlass offers seasonal open studios where you can enjoy their demonstrations, take part in their free activities, and even sign up for glassblowing if you want to try it! It’s perfect for beginners or someone who hasn’t done it in a while and wants to get back to it. They offer amazing classes for people of all ages – from kids to adults – and generous scholarship programs. If you’ve wanted to try glassblowing but never knew where to start, check out their next open house on March 12th, 2023.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Vision Board

Old Blog Post I’m Thinking About

I love looking at my blog’s statistics and seeing what posts people are reading this week. I’m guessing with the new year people are really into making vision boards. I had so much fun making vision boards with my kids a few years back and writing this guide “Vision Boards: A Great Camp Mom Project“. It was great to combine my love of arts and crafts with my love of recycling. Plus this is an easy, free, colorful activity you can do at any time. I’ve kept this image on my blog’s homepage for years because it makes me so happy. I love all of the colors and how the big block M jumps out (Go Blue!).

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Cruise

Before Mom Life. Thinking Of A Place I Went Long Ago

In January of 2004 my husband (then boyfriend) and I went on a cruise to the Caribbean. We went to Martinique, St. Thomas, St. John, Barbados, Aruba, and Puerto Rico. It was our second time going to Puerto Rico and we fell in love with it so much we decided to have our destination wedding there a year later. At the time of our cruise we had no money and agreed to just take whatever cabin we could get for the least expensive price. We ended up with a non-descript inside cabin and I want to say the whole cruise cost us $1,000. The room didn’t matter at all. We were young, happy to get away, and excited to sit on lounge chairs and read books.

I remember reading The Da Vinci Code – which had just come out – and I couldn’t put it down. We spent most nights walking around the track at the top of the boat amazed that we were in the middle of the ocean. We had an absolutely fantastic time and I’ve wanted to go on another cruise ever since.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: IG This Week

This Week’s Mom Life On Instagram:

This week I had some fun with 3D color changing moons that we’re using as centerpieces for an upcoming party. I also made a recap of our day glassblowing, and took a hike on a different part of a trail I frequent to have a little change of pace – pretending to be a tour guide.

Please let us know what you think of this post! Was it helpful? Did you go to any of these places? Try any of these things? If yes, please like the post, comment below, and share it on your social media.

Also don’t forget to follow us on FacebookInstagram, Pinterest, Amazon, and Tik Tok and email us at themintchipmama@gmail.com with what you want to see next!

My blog (and taco habit) is supported by you! With each click on one of The Mint Chip Mama’s affiliate links above I earn the guac. Because just like you, it’s extra.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Your Guide To Hot T, Navigating Mom Life, And New York. This Week: Tired Mom, Ashwagandha, Harry Potter, Pastina, Puzzles

Your uncensored weekly guide to mom life and the crazy inner thoughts of this tired mom of three.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae Mom Life

Weekly Tired Mom Life Musings

This week, we were back in our town’s high school auditorium for an amazing A cappella concert, took a gorgeous night hike in Yorktown Heights, and I pondered on the excitement that comes with sending out invitations for a big event. I also started taking ashwagandha to see if it helps with the stress coming from planning said big event. Have you tried it?

The world is talking about Mega Millions, The Golden Globes (did you see The Fabelmans?), ChatGPT, Pastina going bye-bye, The Buffalo Bill’s Damar Hamlin, the Boston Celtics win, Lisa Marie Presley, the FAA grounding all flights for a morning, The Menu, plus lots of football and soccer talk. Also for those way cooler than this tired mom, the Coachella 2023 lineup.

One of my 2023 goals is increasing my email list, so please sign up below. That way, each time I post something new it will come straight to your inbox. Every week I’ll be sharing answers to the same questions, like a mom blog Mad Libs. If there is anything else you want to see, just let me know!

Please sign up below to receive this weekly guide via email!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Tired Mom Ticket to Paradise

What Am I Watching? What Are My Kids Watching?

You can’t go wrong with George Clooney. This movie was adorable but even better I loved seeing how much George Clooney and Julia Roberts clearly love each other in real life. You can see they had so much fun making this movie, even if they’re playing characters who don’t like each other. Plus they dance to “Everybody Dance Now” by C + C Music Factory which was worth watching the movie in itself!

My boys are rocking it old school with Masters of the Universe: Revelation.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Tired Mom

What Am I Eating?

I’ve been loving all the treats Wildgrain* (a bake-from-frozen) delivery service sent me! These chocolate avalanche croissants were amazing. They went right into the oven from the freezer and came out perfectly golden brown. If I was Emily in Paris I wouldn’t have treats so delicious.

*$10 off your first box + FREE Croissants in every box! (Limited to the first 50 people)

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: January Mom Life Michelle Obama

What Am I Reading?

I’m still working my way through Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times. The part that resonated with me this week was the negative things adults (often strangers) say to children that stick with them for the rest of their lives. Obama speaks about how despite the success one may achieve personally or professionally, (using herself and Stacey Abrams as examples), we are always that little kid trying to prove that adult wrong. I loved how she brought to light how despite the adult most likely making the statement as a thoughtless, fleeting comment, the receiver of this message – the child – never forgets it. The child grows to internalize this comment, believe it, and make it their life’s work to combat feeling that it’s true. I had this happen to me, what about you? I wonder if this has happened to men as much as women?

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Tired Mom Mitzvah Market

What Am I Writing?

This week I wrote a piece titled The Adrenaline Rush of Sending Mitzvah Invitations about how one feels when they send out invitations to a big event they’re hosting. Whether you send out paper invitations or electronic invitations, getting your event out into the world is both exhilarating and a little scary. It makes it real and sets up a countdown clock to the event.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Tired Mom Kodak Puzzle

What Are We Playing?

I’ve always want to be a person who does puzzles, so I finally took the leap. Not only was this 1000 piece puzzle a fun family activity but I learned my six year old is a whiz at puzzles! He did most of the puzzle himself and I loved watching how his cute little brain worked so quickly matching the pieces. I can’t wait to do the next one! But maybe I’ll scale it back to 500 pieces.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Tired Mom Harry Potter Forbidden Forest

Where Are We Going?

We are big Harry Potter fans in my house and were super excited to visit the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience at Franklin D. Roosevelt Park in Yorktown Heights. They transformed this already beautiful forest into one that is stunningly illuminated and filled with key scenes from the books and movies. Plus I loved how they tied in philanthropy with their “Give a Tree, Grow a Forest” partnership with @onetreeplanted. At the time of our walk, they have donated 45,955 trees. If you want to go hurry up! The last time to wave your wand on this 1.5 mile Westchester trail is January 22nd!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Tired Mom Time Management

Old Blog Post I’m Thinking About

Now that the initial excitement of 2023 has passed it’s time to get to work. I don’t care about diets or exercise as resolutions, I just want to get my act together. I found myself reviewing Megan Sumrell’s time management points highlighted in my post titled “Hey Burnt Out Mama: Instantly Fix Your Day With Megan Sumrell’s Time Management Tips For The Busy Mom“. Because I certainly know this tired mom needs some tips!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Tired Mom in Bora Bora

Before Tired Mom Life. Thinking Of A Place I Went Long Ago

Keeping with my honeymoon pictures, at this point in 2006, we explored the North and South Islands of New Zealand and then headed to Tahiti and Bora Bora. Always searching for yin and yang, we toured and explored, and then finished up our trip by relaxing on the beach in an overwater bungalow which was as amazing as we imagined.

This is one of my most favorite pictures of me ever taken. We just bought me a pair of Bora Bora’s famous black pearl earrings (we even got to pick out the pearls and make the earrings ourselves!) and were hungry. It was lunch time so I asked the man who worked there where he went for lunch. He said it was a tiny place that tourists never went. I said “perfect! that’s exactly the type of place I want”. In this lunch hut we had the most incredible meal – what you see here is Poisson Cru. It is raw tuna marinated in fresh lime juice and then mixed with creamy coconut milk, cucumbers and tomatoes. It was so simple and so fresh and just incredible.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Instagram

This Week’s Tired Mom Life On Instagram:

From reels to posts and carousels, see what’s going on this week! Sunday is National Strawberry Ice Cream Day! See how we celebrated with LuvyDuvy’s freeze dried space ice cream. You can also see our tour of the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience, and a great mother daughter facial at Smooth Generation Facial & Laser Spa in Manhasset.*

*Mention “mint chip” when booking for 10% off! This discount code cannot be combined with other promotion offers.

Please let us know what you think of this post! Was it helpful? Did you go to any of these places? Try any of these things? If yes, please like the post, comment below, and share it on your social media.

Also don’t forget to follow us on FacebookInstagram, Pinterest, Amazon, and Tik Tok and email us at themintchipmama@gmail.com with what you want to see next!

My blog (and taco habit) is supported by you! With each click on one of The Mint Chip Mama’s affiliate links above I earn the guac. Because just like you, it’s extra.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: A Weekly Guide To Hot T, Navigating Mom Life, And New York

Your uncensored guide to January Mom Life and the crazy inner thoughts of this tired mom of three.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Mom Life Sunken Meadow Park

Weekly Musings: January Mom Life

Hello and welcome to my first Sundae! Like the name? My husband thought of it. So to be fair I will give him credit this one time. Thanks Ross!

I am so excited to kick off this new series! This is a very big year for our family and one we have been planning for years. I will have lots to talk about! I’ve wanted to start a weekly newsletter for so long. There is so much that I want to share each week. I hope you enjoy reading it and it gives you some unique ideas to bring into your home. Even better, I hope it sparks some good ideas to get out and go somewhere new! We love exploring the New York area, hiking on Long Island, and visiting different family friendly places in the Northeast. Where do you like to go?

One of my 2023 goals is increasing my email list, so please sign up below. That way, each time I post something new it will come straight to your inbox. Every week I’ll be sharing answers to the same questions, like a mom blog Mad Libs. If there is anything else you want to see, just let me know!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae January Mom Life

Starting With: My Question to YOU This Week

What’s the connection to the mug in the blog’s main image and the title of this series? Comment below! Need a hint?

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Mom Life Lyle Lyle Crocodile DVD

What Am I Watching? What Are My Kids Watching?

We just finished White Lotus. Wow. They don’t disappoint with their big endings!

My kids are watching Lyle, Lyle Crocodile The Movie based on one of their favorite books – Lyle, Lyle Crocodile.

What are you watching? Comment below!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Chocolate Peanut Butter Mochi Cake

What Am I Eating?

I’m still doing my spite diet of four almonds* for breakfast at noon after intermittent fasting. But with that said, our local supermarket had a sale on a cheesecake sampler so I got excited about that. Of course this was after we finished my favorite boxed cake mix – the chocolate peanut butter mochi cake from Trader Joe’s. Life is short, eat chocolate. If you squint you can see the “2023 in chocolate chips”.

*save 15% with code: “TMCM15

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: January Mom Life Michelle Obama

What Am I Reading?

Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times.

While I don’t have as much time as I’d like to sit and read I do always try to have at least one or two books on my nightstand. I’m really enjoying this book so far and think she really captured what a lot of parents went through at the beginning of the pandemic. Also – large print – oh yeah, it’s life changing!

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Mitzvah Market

What Am I Writing?

I’m so excited to have my next piece published for Mitzvah Market titled: From First-Time Moms to First Mitzvahs. In this article I write about all the emotions that recently rushed over me while sitting at the Central Park Children’s Zoo and thinking about the early days of being a first time mom in Manhattan.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: January Mom Life Zen Battle

What Are We Playing?

We are still completely obsessed with Zen Battle. This game is not only beautiful, but fast, fun, and easy. I love a new game that I can open and understand how to play in five minutes flat. The only thing I don’t like about it? My six year old keeps kicking my butt.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Mom Life Bryant Park

Where Are We Going?

We started our week (and year) with one of our favorite traditions – a first day hike. This year we went to Sunken Meadow Park on the north shore of Long Island. The weather was perfect!

We also took a hookey day to see Almost Famous on Broadway. Another day of beautiful weather was a gift and we caught a quick lunch in Bryant Park before the show.

The Mint Chip Mama: Stop This Nursing Strike

What Blog Post Am I’m Thinking About?

I’ve been thinking about breastfeeding and how much of a part of my life it was for so many years. I was also thinking about my middle son and how he’s had a decisive personality since he was a zygote. When he went on a nursing strike in 2014 it destroyed me. Some friends joke that I had my third kid because I needed breastfeeding closure. I will neither confirm nor deny this claim.

Awaroa Lodge - Kayaking in Abel Tasmen National Park, New Zealand January 2006

Travel Before Mom Life: Thinking Of A Place I Went Long Ago

Since it’s January I’m thinking about my amazing honeymoon seventeen years ago in New Zealand and Bora Bora. On this date in 2006, we were staying in the North of the South Island at a super cool resort called Awaroa Lodge in Abel Tasman National Park. Not only did this remote ecolodge have the most spectacular night sky view but we met travelers from all over the world and went on a gorgeous kayaking trip with them.

The Mint Chip Mama Sundae: Instagram

This Week’s January Mom Life On Instagram:

From reels to posts and carousels, walks to new products, see what’s going on in my Instagram. I can usually be found dancing around or lip-syncing to something silly. We have a picture at Upper Francis Pond from a nice winter hike, a reel lip-synching to the Backstreet Boys, a series of New Years’ Eve pictures from my favorite group – Long Island Ladies of Seasonal Style and finally my blog post “The Best Winter Family Activities Around Long Island: Winning December Break And Starting 2023 Like A Boss!”.

Please let us know what you think of this post! Was it helpful? Did you go to any of these places? Try any of these things? If yes, please like the post, comment below, and share it on your social media.

Also don’t forget to follow us on FacebookInstagram, Pinterest, Amazon, and Tik Tok and email us at themintchipmama@gmail.com with what you want to see next!

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The Best Winter Family Activities Around Long Island: Winning December Break And Starting 2023 Like A Boss!

Winter Family Activities

The Mint Chip Mama - Winter Family Activities LuminoCity

Outdoor Winter Activities For Families

Yes, it is cold but outdoor winter family activities are so much fun! From light shows to outdoor sports, exploring the outdoors in the winter is really great. There are so many kid-friendly things to do in New York in December.

Go to one of the many amazing holiday light shows in our area including Lightscape at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Shimmering Solstice at the Old Westbury Garden, Magic of Lights at Jones Beach, and LumicoCity at Eisenhower Park.

Immerse yourself in the wizarding world of Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience

Go ice skating in one of the town ice skating rinks or in your backyard

Visit LEGOLAND New York in Goshen

The Mint Chip Mama - Winter Family Activities LEGOLAND Westchester

Fun Indoor Winter Family Activities

Winter is the best time to visit indoor activity places. From spa treatments to ice cream tours, you have an unlimited variety available.

Fly through the sky at Urban Air

Visit LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester

Climb amongst colors at Hapik Yonkers

Learn Manhattan’s history including soaring over the city on a ride at Rise NY

Book a Mother/Daughter facial at Smooth Generation

See what’s popped up at TWA Hotel

Go to a New York Riptide Lacrosse Game

Go to an old time ice cream shoppe

The Mint Chip Mama - Winter Family Activities Urban Glass

Take A Class

Either as a family or with friends, taking a class is a fun way to spend a cold day.

Take a holiday glassblowing workshop at Urban Glass

Enjoy a class or spa day at Wow Mom World Long Island

Make some spin art at Casa De Spin

The Mint Chip Mama - Winter Family Activities American Armor Museum

Museums

We have so many museums in our area. Lucky enough you can find free admission to many of these through your local library.

Planes, space, and stars at the Cradle of Aviation Museum

Learn about transportation and see carriages from the 1700s at the Long Island Museum

Check out Native American history at Garvies Point Museum

Learn about Long Island’s Whaling History at the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum

See tanks galore at the Museum of American Armor

Visit an airport with its own museum at the American Airpower Museum

Learn about spies at Raynham Hall Museum

Dress up like a colonial person at Fraunces Tavern

Play all day at the Children’s Museum of the East End

Pretend You Own a House in Manhattan at The Frick Collection

Visit the New York Historical Society

Experience the Old Bethpage Restoration’s Candlelight Evenings

See the New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show

See if you can find art and make it a picture frame at the MOMA

Spend a day with the dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History

Walk around inside and then around the grounds of the Nassau County Museum of Art

Dress up like a firefighter at the Nassau County Fire Museum

Make giant bubbles at the Long Island Children’s Museum

Spend the day at The Met

The Mint Chip Mama - Winter Family Activities

Visit A Nature or Science Center

My kids love science centers. We always seek them out when we travel. It’s also fun to find them close to home.

Liberty Science Center in New Jersey

Harsco Science Center in Pennsylvania

The New York Hall of Science in Queens

Stick your hand in a tank at the South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center (SoFo)

Visit the turtles and frogs at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery

See all kinds of animals healing at the Sweet Briar Nature Center or Quogue Wildlife Refuge

The Mint Chip Mama - Winter Family Activities Riverhead Shipwreck

Enjoy A Complimentary Experience

Don’t forget any type of activity counts as fun winter family activities! Taking a drive to look at lights or driving to the beach are some of our favorites. Furthermore – remember – sometimes the best things in life are free!

Check out a new (to you) Long Island playground

Walk around Gantry State Park

Get lost in a beautiful winter outdoor garden for a different perspective.

Walk to Fire Island

Watch an early beach sunset from your warm car

Visit a World War One shipwreck on the beach in Riverhead

Enjoy your favorite summer body of water in the winter or discover a new one

Take a hike on one of Long Island’s great hiking trails

Walk around Bushwick and take in the street art and graffiti

Visit Huntington’s pedestrian walkway and tree and then go to Heckscher Park and Museum

Walk on the boardwalk at Jones Beach

Drive over your favorite bridges for fun

Walk around Little Island in Manhattan

See Louis Vuitton’s “200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries: The Exhibition”

Visit a new library like the amazing Middle Country Public Library

The Mint Chip Mama - Winter Family Activities Cinnaholic

Fun At Home

The easiest place to find winter family activities is at home. From a new game to a cooking or baking activity it’s a total win – and you can wear your pajamas.

Make a chocolate pop-it or chocolate bark

Start your summer garden now – yes now- from the seeds of things you eat.

Update your kid’s rooms

Show your kids an 80s movie and see if it’s the same as you remember

Watch a movie from the 90s and show them how fashion recycles

Download a personalized video game (with their face as a character!)

Decorate a Cinnaholic Wreath Cake

Make a vision board or collage with recycled holiday magazines

Look through your gently used books and donate them to The Book Fairies NY

The Mint Chip Mama - Winter Family Activities TWA

Take A Road Trip

We are so lucky to have so many great cities near us in New York. They are not only packed with history and winter family activities but lots of hotels where I’m sure you can grab a last-minute room and head on down.

Philadelphia including the Franklin Institute, Eastern State Penitentiary, Franklin Square Park, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell

Washington, DC. including Mount Vernon, the National Harbor, Ford’s Theatre, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, The International Spy Museum, and a White House Tour

Boston including a Duck Tour, Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum, The New England Aquarium, and the Boston Children’s Museum

Head out east to Greenport, Long Island

Visit one of these great family destinations in Pennsylvania: Strasburg Railroad, The Crayola Experience, Camelback Resort, Dutch Wonderland, Turkey Hill Experience

The Mint Chip Mama - Winter Family Activities

Congratulations! You Made It Through December Break!

Of course after all of this, you will need to sit down, pat yourself on the back for being an amazing show runner of winter family activities, put your feet up, and have a nice little cocktail.

While you’re there check out all the great gifts from my Holiday Gift Guide, Father’s Day Gift Guide, or Mother’s Day Gift Guide now on sale and stock up your gift closet for the rest of the year!

The Mint Chip Mama - Winter Family Activities Shimmering Solstice Old Westbury Gardens

Don’t forget to check out all the family friendly destinations we’ve researched!

Please let us know what you think of this post! Was it helpful? Did you go to any of these places? Try any of these things? If yes, please like the post, comment below, and share it on your social media.

Also don’t forget to follow us on FacebookInstagram, Pinterest, Amazon, and Tik Tok and email us at themintchipmama@gmail.com with what you want to see next!

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