Get your "Groupon" lately or feel like "Living Social?"

There are so many cool new websites you can now sign up for that give you special deals for all different things to do and/or eat in cities near you! In my experiences, I have gotten some really great deals. These sites are completely free and may introduce you to things you have never done in your city before or even get you to try a cool new spot.

Groupon.com
This is a great site that you can sign up for that gives you from 50-90% off in your city for all different things. They send you daily emails of special deals that go on and also can cater the specials to your own personal interests. Its a great site to sign up for activities with friends too. The deals last only a few days and activated only when the minimum amount of people sign up. You can then use your Groupon for up to one year from the date of purchase. Once the deal is closed, Groupon sends you a code you use to get the speical. Hurry to book the deal with your code right away because the events you sign up for fill up FAST! They have also designed an app for your iphone so you can sign up even faster. This site is a great way to get your friends together and do something fun for so much less than the retail price!

LivingSocial.com
This may be another site many of you may not know about. This site also gives you up to 90% off at local restaurants, bars, spas, shows and more. This company has been vastly growing as a large competitor for Groupon and often have some very different deals as well. It wouldn't hurt to sign up for this to have a larger opportunity to get the best deals possible. Living Social has also come up with a phone app that is completely free you can download to also make it much easier to sign up for deals if you are not near a computer.

Who doesn't like to save a little extra cash but still enjoy doing fun new activities??? These sites are always posting great new deals everyday. How about a helicopter ride for half off, a cupcake making class, half off at a hot new restaurant, a wine tasting, or a spa day for 70% off? There are so many cool things they offer that may be just right for you!

So........start saving and sign up today!

Jerry Seinfeld on Halloween (Stand-up in New York)

Always a great video to put you in a good mood AND a perfect video to watch before Halloween!

What is everyone going to be???

My top 5 most favorite Mexican Restaurants in NYC!!!

One of my most favorite meals to eat when I go out for dinner is....MeXiCaN!

Who doesn't love a great batch of guac, a frozen margarita, or SIZZLING fajitas!?!?!

It is my GO-TO!

I have been to quite a few delish Mexican Restaurants in NYC and I have also gone to some not so good ones....I pooled together all my favs and came up with the IDEAL 5.

1. Rosa Mexicano

Let’s just start with this restaurant; IT'S SO GOOD!!! Not only do they make your guac table side how you like it-but they make an amazing Pomegranate Frozen Margarita. The menu is not your standard authentic Mexican, they have a more unique menu but it’s a great place to expand your taste buds! The ambiance in the Union Square location is very nice and it’s a large restaurant so great for a large group of people. They often get very crowded so it may be best to make a reservation and you can grab a drink by their bar while you wait. The other good thing about this restaurant is that there are THREE! For people who don’t live near Union Square, they also have one on 1st ave and 58th St. and one at Lincoln Square.

2. Dos Caminos


Another one of my favorite Mexican spots in NYC! It's probably just as swanky if not more swanky than Rosa's. They have both an excellent lunch and dinner menu and another very distinct menu. They serve wonderful margaritas with over 100 selections of tequilas and also make a mean guac. I love the fish tacos and they have excellent entrees. They just opened a brand new location in the Meatpacking District, have a location in Soho, one on Park near Union Square and 3rd ave. Dos Caminos is a part of B.R Guest Restaurants consisting of 20 total hospitality destinations not only in New York but Las Vegas and Florida. Dos Caminos is also known to service the likes of many celebrities at all of their locations.

3. Mojave/Agave

Mojave is another great spot! Its more of a southwestern-type of Mexican food, but they do have some traditional dishes as well. If you want some great sangritas(margarita and sangria mixed) or if you want a great brunch; they have a delish menu on Sundays. I love their guac too and they have a great happy hour deals during the week. This restaurant is located in Astoria, but they also have a sister restaurant called Agave in the West Village. Both are equally as nice and not very pricey. The Astoria location also offers outside dining in the back so it is great when the weather is nice!


Do you DARE a PUNISHER shot?

The Punisher
100% agave tequila infused with Habanero Peppers.

If you can drink it (and keep it down without any help), it's on us... ( 5 minute rule applies) After drinking the punisher, one can be immortalized on the wall of FAME, or reside with the masses on the wall of SHAME.. it all depends on who is drinking it.

Are YOU brave enough to take on the challenge of THE PUNISHER?
GOOD LUCK!


4. Sinigual

 New to the scene is Sinigual. Its located on 41st and 3rd ave, its super cute inside, and has a great menu. My personal favorite is the Lobster Quesadillas; it may not sound good but OH it IS!! They are DELISH! They have a happy hour with $3 off margaritas during the week and serve great sizzling Fajitas; you cant go wrong with their fresh guac there either!!! (can you tell I LOVE guac yet??)

5. Toloache

Last but not least is Toloache! Another new fav on my list and it is a place I would definitely recommend, especially if you are in the Time Square area. Toloache has a more contemporary flare with an excellent list of cocktails, wood burning oven, even has a vegetarian menu for any of you vegan's out there! The restaurant is two floors and they sometimes have live mariachi bands that play too!


There are also many other great spots in NYC for Mexican food so if you need any more suggestions- just ask!

All this talk about Mexican- may have to be on my menu tonight....

Would love to hear any comments- if you so choose to visit any of these!


XO
Tina

The Results are IN!!!!!

Sadly, Spa Week is now over and let me tell you- I could do that once a week! My roomie and I had the pleasure of doing a facial at Elizabeth Arden-Red Door Spa. This is the second year I have gotten a facial from there and it was amazing from start to finish. Upon arrival, you are taken to change into a robe and sit in the relaxation room where you can sip on a wide variety of teas and juices. From there they bring you to your esthetician and its a 50 minute facial. During the facial, they clean your skin, exfoliate, and give you a mask treatment determined upon by your skin type. I have gotten many facials in the past and I have never left as happy as at this spa. Red Door Spa addressed all my concerns, they spent a lot of time on each step of the process, and were overall very thorough. The Red Door spa has been voted best facial in the past and IT IS!

 The next time you are considering a place to go, you should definitely consider going there :)

After the facial, they give you recommendations of new skin products you can try but you don't have to purchase them. I decided to try one product that has left my skin cleaner, brighter and more moisturized called:

Intervene 3 -in-1 
3-in-1 Daily Cleanser Exfoliator Primer is a unique foaming formula that cleanses, gently exfoliates and leaves skin primed to receive maximum moisturizing and treatment benefits.

Get it all in one and you are good to go:) It's also is very affordable at $21.50 compared to some of their other products that are priced at $75 and higher!

For a $50 facial, a great spa treatment, and an overall enjoyable experience, I would say this spa is top on my list. There are many other great spas available during spa week and they are all listed on the website so check in from time to time to see what other specials they may have!

XO

Tina

Been stressed lately??

STRESS is inevitable and everyone gets stressed at some point. I tell ya- living in a big city like New York- it’s not always easy! Whether it’s a bad train ride, bad hair day (hate that!), bad day at work, BILLS, bad break up, or even having mice (yes I have had and OMG it’s not fun); we all go through it. People also deal with stress in very different ways. There is NOTHING fun about being stressed but if you can find ways to overcome the issues, these things WILL get better :) I handle stress in many ways. Some work better than others, but I decided to write this posting to recommend new things you can do that can help to alleviate some of the stress you have.




1. SPA NIGHT! Who doesn’t love spa night at home?? One thing I highly recommend is Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal face mask- my ladies from Chicago and NYC- we did this after my birthday party last year and YOU LOVED IT. You can buy this product online or in any origins store and you have to try this stuff. It is a black face (kind of scary looking when it’s on) mask that is made up of active charcoal that acts as a magnet to pull bad toxin out of your skin. Living in a city there is so much dirt in the air! It feels great and leaves your skin feeling softer and brighter and doing this face mask always makes me feel better. This is a MUST HAVE!

2. YOGA!!!! This could go for men or women. Yoga is a great stress reliever. Yes some parts of yoga are weird for some people but in that one or two hour session- it’s AMAZING how it can make you feel. Now some of you may not do yoga because of the cost and there are a LOT of places that can cost $20-$30 a session. Don’t worry people, there are places you may not know about that DO cost less! I would suggest looking into it at your gym first if you belong to one- a lot of gyms don’t charge you extra for classes so if that is your gym- take advantage! If you don’t belong to a gym and would be interested in trying yoga for an affordable cost, I found a place for you….Yoga to the People is a donation-based yoga studio located in the East Village that asks for a $10 donation per class but they let you pay what you can afford. If you can’t afford $10, you can contribute what you can. It’s a GREAT idea and a great way for you to try it and go without the hassle of the high costs that other places charge, adding to MORE stress and aggravation and that is what we are trying to avoid, right!?!?!?!?

3. POTTERY!!!! Pottery is a great activity that can also help you relieve some stress by getting your mind off everything and using your creativity! Color Me Mine is a ‘paint -it yourself’ ceramic pottery store with hundreds of different pieces to choose from. There are locations all over the US for those of you who do not live in New York or Chicago so check out the site. You can grab a few ladies, a guy, or even go alone and spend hours painting pottery. They also have specials during the week like “ladies night,” were ladies get 50% off the studio fee on Thursday nights between 6-9pm. You should definitely check this place out!!!




4. COOK!!! I love to cook. It is a MAJOR stress reliever for me. I think it is so much fun and gets me to try new things. If you don’t cook or do cook, go online and pick out a new recipe you think you may like and try it out  Yes you may not get it the first time but when you do- there are so many things you can try! Not interested in cooking? BAKE! Who doesn’t love sweets? Mix up a batch of yummy cupcakes or cookies. Not sure where to find a good recipe?? There are LOTS of different sites you can check out. If not, you can even get a great recipe for cookies off the back of a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the baking section of the grocery store. Yes I may be blonde but this girl can cook! I will be posting recipes on this blog site soon…………………………………….

5. MOVIE NIGHT!???? You may not think this could work but it does! Rent a good movie, grab fattening popcorn, candy and veg out on the couch to a good flick. I suggest catching up on all the Molly Ringwald classics: Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club are some of her best! Ever heard of the Blockbuster Boxes?? They are located in Duane Reade throughout the city and each movie cost a BUCK!! Maybe this is why blockbuster is now bankrupt??? It’s a great deal and they have tons of movies available. If you want to see what each box has, check it out on their website by using your zip code and locating the Duane Reade closest to you.

Life is not easy. Everyone as a lot going on and there also never seems to be enough hours in a day. If you can find time for yourself, try one of these ideas. I promise you, it will help! I am sure you may have already had some of these ideas in mind or already do these things, but if not I hope you consider....Have any questions- just ask :) 

 

XO

Tina

Who doesn't love a good cup of Joe?

If you are a fan of good coffee and trying to cut your Starbuck or Dunkin habits, easy solution- make your own! Yes, not all coffee tastes like what you can get at a coffee shop but I may have a good suggestion for you to try that can be just as good......actually MORE delicious than spending 3-5 bucks on a cup!




New England Coffee Company is a family owned coffee roaster and distributor based out of New England. They make a wide variety of unique coffees you can try. Fancy a cup of "Pumpkin Spice," "Carmel Apple," or "Cinnamon Sticky Bun?" They make coffee to go with every occasion and every season. One of MY most favorite flavors is "Blueberry Cobbler." It may not sound so good but when you mix it with a little milk and touch of sugar- you will be sold. It also adds a hint of the blueberry smell in your house! DOUBLE DELISH.



They are starting to sell it in grocery stores but if your local store doesn’t sell it- check out their website and have it shipped. You will NOT be disappointed.

Drinks anyone??!!!!

New York City has some of the best nightlife spots in the world. Whether you already live here or are planning a visit, you should definitely check these out while you are in the city. I am only listing a few for now....but there WILL be more :)

1. PDT (This is also known as Please Don't Tell) It is a little hard to find but so worth the visit- if you can get in.....It's a hidden bar in the East Village in which the only way to get to the actual bar is through a hot dog restaurant called Crif Dogs. In the restaurant is a telephone booth and you have to enter the bar through this booth by picking up the phone. It's best to make a reservation, but they only take reservations the day of starting at 3pm so call fast. This sexy, seductive scene serves unique cocktails and is voted one of the coolest bars in the world by the Travel Channel.



2. Employees Only. If you are planning on going out in the West Village, this speakeasy bar is a great choice. This has a bit of an older 20's crowd but it is equally as fun as PDT. It has a fireplace, a candle-lit atmosphere and make some serious cocktails.



3. PLUNGE. Any friend that I ever have in town, I always take to this sweet hotspot. It’s located in the Meatpacking District on the top of the Gansevoort Hotel. You can get a spot outside along the edge or near the roof top pool and whether you want a view of the city or the Hudson River, you can have it all! They also offer food if you are hungry.



4. Cibar. All my single ladies!! If you like martini's, this bar is known for having the best martini's in NYC from Citysearch.com. It’s located in Union Square and they offer unique martinis with girly names like "The Pink Lady" and "Beauty School Dropout." They also have a great happy hour martini special weekly, offer $10 sangria and a red and white wine for $8 for those of you who don’t fancy the concocted cocktails.



5. The Waverly Inn. If you want to see some celebs, then this is one of the first places to start. The tavern is located also in the West Village, owned by the Editor of Vanity Fair, and you should expect to see paparazzi because they always lurk outside. Whether you want to stargaze or not though, they also serve delicious comfort food.



CHEERS!


XO Tina