Birthday Week = Week of Pampering

So okay...I admit it...I LOVE getting rubbed, pushed, kneaded, smoothed out, scrubbed, stretched, buffed and polished! In other words, spa treatments!

After my lovely day spent with Nikki, I had a birthday dim sum lunch treated by Daniel the next day. Always wonderful to see him and catch up.

Then on Friday, I got a much needed manicure but went the extra mile and paired it with a pedi. I am going to a new salon after my old salon went out of business. And like a trusted hair dresser, a good manicurist is hard to find. I had been going to Inga for decades when I was in Forest Hills and CSI. When I left and money started to get tight, I gave up mani's & pedi's. Sad but true. Then my 35th HS reunion rolled around and I wanted my nails to look good and started up again. Found a place closer to home and after a few technicians, finally settled on Grace. I couldn't believe that pedi's were now $18-$20! When I was getting them, they were $10 so I did my own. When Grace closed up her business, I found a new salon also in the "hood" and loved the decor and new fandango equipment. I have been saying...if I opened a salon, this is what the salon would look like! After a false start, I found my new "girl"...Mandy and then I discovered their pedi's are $15 but the real plus was the look of the pedi area. Very plush and elegant. I wanted to experience it even if only once. And what better time than my birthday week.


Photo courtesy of Niki L.@YELP

As I sat in the chair waiting, I was set up for the massage portion and I have tried other massage chairs but this one was unbelievable. It felt as if someone was behind me and was pushing and pressing all the right spots on my sore back. O-M-G! It lasted about 15 min. and I found the controls and had another go at it! I kept thinking I wanted to sit in the chair all day! The pedi was also fabulous especially when the pedi girl wrapped my cracked heels in paraffin...my heels are still nice and soft!

Today - the pampering continued! This time...a 2 hour massage. Yep. 2 hours. Water Lily Spa on Broome and Elizabeth offers 2 - one hour treatments for $100. What a deal! I invited Nikki along and it's a no-frills place but that also means no hard sell for other things. They offer 9 different treatments for this deal. I chose aromatherapy and reflexology. Nikki, aromatherapy and deep tissue. And even better yet...I purchased Spa Wish gift certificates - $100 value for $70! Almost a crime not to take advantage!

Prior to the spa visit, I got my hair trimmed, spent some time with my mom and after the spa, Tom met up with us and we all enjoyed a Vietnamese dinner. (It has been a full day!)

Friday I will meet up with Laura from Home Lines days. We have an annual "catch-up" lunch out on Long Island. Always good to see old friends.

Then Leslie, a virtual new friend (met her in 1999 at a Singles Club Med resort) is taking me for a birthday brunch at Colicchio & Sons. I will be sure to take some pictures. So stay tuned!

An Absolutely Awesome Day!

And the celebration continues! I made a date with Nikki to meet in the city by Herald Square to try to collect as many birthday freebies as we could! It was a truly awesome day!

First off, I had a doctor's appointment who happens to also be in the area and my report was really good!! Dr Tung and I were very happy and I flew off to meet Nikki on 34th Street. She had already been to Sephora to pick up her b-day lip duo. She also picked up a gift card for me. :-) and presented me 3 cupcakes from Baby Cakes.

(Two chocolate & one Red Velvet)


Then we went across the street to DSW where we looked at shoes and I used my b-day $5 DSW gift and picked up a small ID wallet. On to Macy's. I got a Coffee Buzz Buzz cone at Ben & Jerry's located on the 4th floor. Yep...free. While there, I also picked up some costume jewelry for myself & Nikki along with a very cute color-blocked dress for Nikki. I was able to use my Macy's gift cards that I received from answering surveys on-line. Cha-ching!

We walked along 6th Avenue towards downtown until we reached 19th Street where I stopped into the Container Store and easily picked up my b-day gift from them. A reusable "Happy" tote.

Across the way at Old Navy, Nikki picked up 6 tee shirts while I got a fleecy type sweatshirt and shorts using a $15 off $50 birthday voucher. (Since I hadn't gotten anything for Nikki yet, this was also a birthday shopping spree dedicated to her...)

From there, we went crosstown to City Crab! I had b-day vouchers for Big Daddy's and Dukes but Nikki suggested City Crab and I'm so glad she did!

City Crab's "gift" is a free entree - value up to $40! I opted for the "New England Steamer" pot consisting of lobster, mussels, clams, scallops, King crab legs, shrimp, andouille sausage and corn on the cob. (cost: $33.) Nikki went with the Lobster Cobb Salad. ($22) And yep...$33 came off the bill)What a deal!
And it was FA-BU-LOUS!




My Steamer Pot


Nikki's Cobb Salad





Ready to dig in with my lobster bib



So I did very well...getting many of my birthday "goodies. Doing it with Nikki was a super bonus which made the whole day so wonderful! Fan-tan-bu-lous!! Loving my birthday more and more despite the age thing. LOL

Happy Birthday To Me!

Spent the morning and afternoon with Winnie for my big day. The Wendy Williams Show was enjoyable. The warm up guy, Kevin asked if anyone was celebrating a birthday and I stood up along with several others and the rest of the audience sang Happy Birthday to us!

In the waiting area, they have a photo-booth. Winnie & I quickly took the opportunity to try it out but we, kind of, didn't look at the instructions and winged it. Here's the result! (Still...FUN!)



I took advantage of one my birthday freebies. At Ruby Tuesday: Any of their "handcrafted burger" along with 2 sides. Yum! I went with the Premium Cheddar Cheese burger with all the fixings and my 2 sides were onion rings and grilled zucchini....de-lish!

Then the waitress, Maggie surprised me with this:
That's a cupcake under all that icing! (Sweet!!)



Great start to my celebratin'!!!

Happy Birthday, Nikki!!

Nikki...


Time to blow out the candles...


Hope your wishes come true...


Have a party and ENJOY!!


Happy Birthday!! With Lots of Love, Mom

A Day Spent with The Girls

Mothers will understand. A daughter calls out of the blue and asks you to breakfast/brunch or lunch and then afterwards to spend some time in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and/or the Brooklyn Museum. For no reason at all. Just because. Her cousin, my niece is also part of the plan. I do not hesitate. YES! YES! YES!

She suggested Tom's Restaurant near where she lives. She's mentioned it several times saying she wanted to take me there. I wholeheartedly agreed. I started the "date" by driving to Astoria to pick up Kris and then to Brooklyn where we met up with Nikki. It had been raining and overcast but by the time we were together, the sun was breaking through.

After a hearty delicious breakfast - we all ordered the same...the "2x2x2" - 2 eggs, 2 pancakes, 2 pork sausages. Even I couldn't finished it!

The gardens are free on Tuesday and we wandered in and immediately saw the blooming Dafodils but that was basically it. There were some other blooms but it was few and far between. The most unusual but gorgeous sight was a huge pink Cherry Blossom tree in full bloom. This among gray & leafless trees so it was a delight. It should be a wonderful sight to behold in May. Everyone should have one of these kind of days!

(Just a tiny bit of gossip...this could be Nikki's wedding site...she certainly has a lot of details and information off the top of her head!)

Tom's Restaurant:


Kris & my 2x2x2


Nikki's order


A weird and funny "personal" sign


Showing off the Dafodils


See the Cherry Blossom tree in the back?










Nikki thought it would be cute & funny to pose like Asian tourists


At the Japanese Garden - Koi Pond

Favorite Daughter, Favorite Nephew

Found a bunch of photos. Circa: 1995 - a photo session with Nikki & Xavier. Nikki was 10 and always wonderful with "kids". I used the last shot as my Xmas card that year.