{Personal Style} Color Me Gray

skinnies: American Eagle | peep-toe pumps: Aldo | wrap bracelets: Stella & Dot | bow ring, double necklace: H&M | "blog a lot" t-shirt: Raygun | floral bag: BASIL 

School's out, which means it's time for jeans and t-shirts, and trendy flats or funky heels! You know, all the things I can't wear as a school administrator and whatnot.

I fell in love with this Blog A lot t-shirt when I saw it online a while ago and had to make it apart of my t-shirt collection. Score! Pairing it with skinnies and heels was simply a no-brainer, especially with the floral-print BASIL bag.

By the way, I love how stylish and practical this BASIL bag is. It's an all-purpose Dutch designer bag that I fully plan on rocking the life out of this Summer, particularly because it's super spacious, has lots of compartments, can fit all of my crap, er makeup bag, keys, wallet, etc, and all of Aiden's things (snacks, changing clothes, you know the drill).

Oh, and let's talk about the floral detailing on this bag. Yes ma'am!

{Disclaimer: I received a BASIL bag in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}

{Kids Style File} Urban Prepster

"Some people don't have dads. There're all kinds of families."

Such was Aiden's response when a little asked him, "You don't have a dad?!"

Sigh. When I heard Aiden's response, my heart broke into a million pieces and it was filled with joy -- all at the same time. While I was saddened by her question (and utter shock), I was happy to hear Aiden school her like it's no big deal. Because it's not. Because he's loved and cared for and adored. But it is. Because there's a void that no one will be able to fill. Except God. (We're praying on it.)

Eiher way, this didn't stop Aiden from rocking an urban prepster look for Father's Day as we went to church, brunch, and a boat ride through Central Park with The Guy (and his son).

At first, I wasn't too sure about the man capris look, but once I paired them with gingham suspenders, a bowtie that featured scull details, and denim slip ons, the kid looked like a trendy, urban prepster. Not too shabby.

Hope you all enjoyed your Father's Day with the significant guys in your life. Have a great week! Stay stylish!

Winging It

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time talking to, listening to, and/or reading about the ups and downs and ins and out of life and love and climbing the career ladder from folks whom I know and admire.

Their stories -- although kinda different -- have the same ring to it. They try something, the fail at it, they learn from their mistakes, they move on, they try something else... until they succeed.

And the cycle repeats itself. Over and over and over again.

These are people who I have learned from, who have mentored me, who I definitely admire for their drive, determination, and all around hustle.

For a long time, I looked at them and thought that they had it all together. But the more mature that I get, and the more I meet people who think that I have my ish all together (to which I laugh and say something along the lines of "That's so not true!), I'm beginning to realize more and more that this much is true: they are just winging it.

As am I.

As are you.

We're all just winging it. We're all just trying to do our best, learn from our mistakes, and press on. Doesn't matter if you've been in this game 3 days or 3 months or 3 years. Doesn't matter if you're fresh outta high school, fresh outta college, or you've been in your chosen career for quite some time. Doesn't matter if you're a single mom or an all boo-ed up mom. Doesn't matter if you stay at home or work at home or work outside of the home. Doesn't matter if your babies are toddlers or preschoolers or middle schoolers.

We are all in this game, winging it. Trying to be strategic, trying to make good moves, trying to win.

So the next time you have a day (or week or month) of "no's" or losses, find comfort in knowing that you can still get back up again and start all over again.

Fake it 'till you make it. Or, as I've recently come across, "faith it 'till you make it."

In Lieu of A Vacation...

Since I'll be Adjunct Professor-ing this Summer, Aiden and I won't be able to take a vacation vacation. But we will most likely take a little trip to Virginia or Myrtle Beach. (Check my Facebook status to weigh in on where we should go.) And we will take full advantage of all the local and amazing things that NYC has to offer.

First up: The New York Aquarium. Right here in Brooklyn. This weekend. June 7th and June 8th. In celebration of World's Ocean Day.

Photo credit: Julie Larsen

I'm particularly excited about this event because, believe it or not, Aiden has yet to visit the aquarium --even though it's right here in our borough -- which makes for an exciting first for him. He'll not only learn about marine species, but he'll also learn ways he can protect marine life. I'm sure it'll be fun for him to chat with professional divers about coral reefs. 

But there's more. 

Photo via NY Aquarium website

Molly and Gill from Nickelodeon's Bubble Guppies will be there to celebrate and teach. I mean, by the end of our visit, Aiden will learn how the world's ocean generates most of the oxygen we breathe, feeds us, regulates our climate, and cleans the water we drink. All while having fun with a TV fave!

There will also be prizes to be raffled off throughout the day, giveaways after children enjoy their meet and greet, and crafts (which will be made out of recycled goods).

Photo credit: Julie Larsen

This will be a really fun way to kick off our Summer adventures and I can't wait. If you're in the NYC city area, this is an event that'll be too good to miss. Visit the New York Aquarium website for more information.

See you there!

{Disclaimer: I am a member of the Wildlife Conservation Society's 2014 Zoo Ambassador program. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}

Saltbush at The New Victory Theater

Photo via Compagnia T.P.O.

If you're anything like me, you like finding activities that are not only fun and interactive, but also educational and one-of-a-kind. That's why I was happy to kick off my shoes (literally), put on my socks, and grab a bench to enjoy Saltbush, the dynamic show that's currently running at The New Victory Theater.

In this completely interactive show, everyone (and I mean everyone) is on stage. Even the audience. And everyone is dancing and acting. Especially the kids! The show features Aboriginal dancers performing on a Children's Cheering Carpet, a sensory landscape that allows them to interact with colorful projections on the floor, all while listening -- and being swayed and moved by -- traditional music.

Photo via Compagnia T.P.O.

The pre-show activities were really fun for Aiden. Not only did he have the opportunity to learn a bit about the show and draw Australian symbols, but he also used that time to play with other kids and decide who he was going to sit next to. Did I mention you can pretty much pick your own seats?! Since the show takes place on stage, there is bench-style seating along the perimeters of the Children's Cheering Carpet, which makes for a pretty intimate and cozy show.

Pre-show festivities 

The show itself helped Aiden and me to learn a thing or two about the origin of the show as well as Australian culture -- That "Saltbush" is the name of an aboriginal plant found in Australia. Or that "Saltbush" represents a commonality among the different nations of indigenous Australians. Or that the Aboriginal peoples' heritage consists of 50,000 years of invaluable survival techniques for the outback.

The show does all this while being fun, engaging, and interactive. Aiden loved that he could take part in the show. So much so that he cried -- literally -- when the show was over. We've been to New Victory several times this season and Aiden's well aware that this was a one-of-a-kind experience. "But... but... we won't ever get to sit on stage again!"

My thoughts exactly, Aiden. My thoughts exactly.

Saltbush will run until June 8th at The New Victory Theater in Times Square. The show is 50 minutes with no intermission and is best suited for children ages 5 and up. Tickets are $25 and worth every penny. Visit the website for more information or to purchase your tickets.

Have fun! (You're welcome.)

{Disclaimer: I was provided with tickets to the show in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}

Musicals Galore with Netflix.com

Aiden's grade. Their rendition of Annie.
{Photo blurred on purpose as I do not have
permission from the students parents to
share their adorable faces.}

This week, Aiden's class had their Spring performance. Actually, his entire school had their Spring performance and, from the PreK 4 class all the way to the eight graders, it was one big musical after another. The littles wowed the audience with their own rendition of Annie, and the bigs did an awesome job with their rendition of Grease.

I love Annie (and, personally, I can't wait until the new one comes out later this year), but Grease is like my favorite musical in the world. Favorite. In the world.

So I was excited to see the older students in Aiden's school get so into the musical and deliver such a stellar performance. Aiden was able to watch their portion of the performance and was very intrigued by the musical so I'm even more excited to share my love of Grease with Aiden, which is available for streaming on Netflix.com.

Another musical -- that's probs more in line with Aiden's age-range -- is Shrek, which is also available for streaming on Netflix.com. Aiden absolutely loves the movie and he couldn't get enough of the songs in the movie so I'm sure he'll really enjoy Shrek, The Musical.

What are some of your favorite musicals? Visit Netflix.com so you can stream them and share them with your littles!

Happy streaming!

{Disclaimer: As a member of the Netflix Stream Team Ambassador Program, this post is sponsored by Netflix. All opinions expressed herein are my own.} 

Our Biggest Fans

"Go Mommy... you can do it!"

Those were the words I heard this past weekend while Aiden and I were out bowling with my Godparents and God sister. Every time it was my turn to bowl, without hesitation, he'd faithfully jump up and down, declaring how awesome I was and how great I could be at bowling -- even if I didn't think I could do a good job.

He was definitely my biggest fan.

And the cheerleading didn't start with our little trip to the bowling alley. A few weeks ago, I was giving our living room a facelift by painting the walls in horizontal stripes (it's pretty dope... I'll share pictures once everything is complete), and Aiden was right there with me, cheering me on.

"I like your work, Mommy."

"Umm.... I'm not sure that I like that color, but I still like your work."

"You did a really great paint job, Mommy."

"Wow, Mommy... you did good!"

The cheering goes on and on.

Thing is, here I thought that I am the one who's supposed to be cheering him on. Here I thought that I am the one who's supposed to tell him how much I believe in him, how awesome he is, and what great things he can accomplish if he focuses and puts his mind to it.

But once again, he's taught me about love and life and what unwavering support looks and sounds like. He's witnessed me work hard in grad school, celebrated my graduation with me, watched me go to work and change jobs and get promotions. He's been there with me and has cheered me on every step of the way.

He's definitely my biggest fan.

And for that reason alone, I will push harder than I've ever done before, work smarter than I've ever done before, and go get my dreams like our lives depended on it.

Because it does.

At the end of the day, he's the best part of my day. And I want to make him -- my biggest fan -- extremely proud of me.