10 Cheap & Free Things to Do in NYC

Last month we took the minions to New York City for their first ever trip to the Big Apple. They were very involved in our planning process to ensure everyone got to see and do items on their travel bucket lists. Here are 10 of the best free and cheap items we found on this trip and on our other travels to New York City.

10 Cheap & Free Things to do in New York City

Take the Staten Island Ferry to See the Statue of Liberty

This commuter Ferry is free! We hopped on at about 10 am and had a fantastic view of lady liberty from the ferry. Honestly, the photos I have don't do it justice. Since you also take the ferry back from Staten island, you can view the statue twice! To get the best possible views of the statue of liberty at no cost, it's recommended that you avoid rush hour and weekends.

Women's Rights Monument in Central Park

Tour Central Park Statues, Fountains, & Movie Filming Locations

It's hard to be in Central Park without feeling like you're on the set of a movie or TV show. Check out The Mall in the middle of the park to enjoy the monuments and see what vendors are selling. This area also leads you to the famous Bethseda Terrace and Fountain. Movie locations in the park Molly and Jack were most excited about include Tavern on the Green (Ghostbusters), the snowball fight from Elf, and the bridge from Enchanted and Spiderman.

Get a Slice From Joe's Pizza

Jack is really into Spiderman and had to get a slice of pizza from the place where Peter Parker worked and was fired in 2004's Spiderman 2. Cheese slices were around $4 each and huge.

Take a Walk on the High Line

Get a birds-eye view of the city from the High Line at no cost! The High Line is open from 7 am to 11 pm in the summer and is a formal rail line turned elevated walking path and park and runs between 14th street and 34th.

Play in the Heckscher Playground at Central Park

This playground has a fantastic water feature to enjoy when it's hot out. It's really like nothing we've seen before. If you're not near this playground, consider checking out another one of the 21 playground the park offers here.

The kids called this mascot "Stop Touching me Elmo"

Visit Time Square

Going to New York without a visit to Time Square may feel like going to Vegas and not entering a casino. The bright lights and the hustle and bustle is bound to impress. Just be wary of the costumed mascots because if they pose for a photo with you, they'll want a tip, and if more than one poses with you, you may find yourself handing out plenty of tips.

Check out the Books on Display at the Flagship New York Public Library

Located 5th Avenue and 42nd Street this library is like nothing you've ever seen before. Check online in advance for ours or to arrange a tour of the Historic Rose Main Reading Room and more.

Visit the Harry Potter Store

Whether you want to buy something (Molly purchased a Scabbers plush, and the kids split the cost of a giant chocolate frog to share) or browse, this store is the ultimate for any Harry Potter fan.

Stroll Through Battery Park

Steps outside the Whithall Ferry Terminal (or the Ferry to Staten Island as I found no locals called it by the official name) is a long path that borders the water. While you walk, you can check out monuments along the water's edge and enjoy the ocean breeze.

The Rough Location Where Hamilton was fatally shot

Enjoy the Hamilton Monument

While this is technically not in New York proper, we serendipitously found the Hamilton Monument in Weehawken New Jersey, where we were staying, just in front of our express bus ride into Manhattan. After spending the majority of our car ride to New York singing alongside the soundtrack, everyone was pleasantly surprised to see this monument, the spot where sadly, Burr did not miss his shot. If you're staying in New York proper and want to check it out, you can buy a bus ticket to New Jersey from the Port Authority. It cost us $10.10 USD for the four of us each time we headed into the city.

Stay tuned for my next post on 10 splurge-worthy New York City experiences!

Paperback Writer - Sharing My Writing On Other Sites

It's that time again where I get to share some of the work that I've completed over the past month.  I am lucky enough that I get to research some fun topics and learn something new almost every day.

I continue to be inspired by the fantastic team I get to work with, and the fantastic people I meet in my work as Managing Editor and Writer for Future Female Magazine.  The summer issue launched just two weeks ago with a theme on Body Image and Self Love and it truly is a work of love and inspiration.  I encourage everyone to give it a read and enjoy!

Today for my full-time job I write and ghostwrite articles for online publications, organizations and blogs, in addition to providing public relations services.  While I can't really share my ghostwritten articles on this platform, cause then I wouldn't really be a ghostwriter would I, I can share some of the other stuff I have been working on.

Click on the links for the topics that interest you most, and if you enjoy what I wrote please share, like, and follow, and keep parenting and reading on!  If you have any ideas for a story, a playground review, or article on any front, feel free to shout it out!  I'm always looking for new sources of inspiration!

A snippet of the Future Female Magazine Cover

Future Female Magazine  

You can find my articles  (and a number of other amazing ones) on page 10, 32, 40, 44, 55, 60, and 64.

Marriage & Wedding Planning

Image Courtesy of The Richest

25 of the Strangest Places in the World to Tie the Knot

Entertainment & Travel

Image Courtesy of The Richest

25 Places to Eat & Drink Like They Do in Our Favourite TV Shows & Movies

Pregnancy

Image Courtesy of Babygaga

Pregnant Millennials: 14 Things They Do Differently And 6 Doctors Don’t Recommend

To get access to the newest posts from Multiple Momstrosity and more on Facebook click here and follow today

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Paperback Writer - Sharing My Writing On Other Sites

It's that time where I get to share some of the work that I've completed over the past month.  I am lucky enough that I get to research some fun topics and learn something new almost every day (even if sometimes it's just celebrity gossip). Some of the travel pieces I've written this month make me want to just pick up my passport and go!

Today for my full-time job I write and ghostwrite articles for online publications, organizations and blogs, in addition to providing public relations services.  While I can't really share my ghostwritten articles on this platform, cause then I wouldn't really be a ghostwriter would I, I can share some of the other stuff I have been working on.

Click on the links for the topics that interest you most, and if you enjoy what I wrote please share, like, and follow, and keep parenting and reading on!  If you have any ideas for a story, a playground review, or article on any front, feel free to shout it out!  I'm always looking for new sources of inspiration!

Travel & Wanderlust

Celebrate Halloween In Hell, Michigan

25 Strange Towns That Everyone Should Visit At Least Once

Central Park

30 Places In New York That Are Worthy Enough For Fans Of Gossip Girl

Food & Health

Image from McDonalds 

13 Healthiest Fast Food Options (12 To Avoid)

Pregnancy & Parenting

The One Where Rachel Really Wants to Go Into Labour

15 Things Dads Should Be Doing For Their Wives In The Third Trimester

20 Things That Happen During Pregnancy That Can Lead To A Big Baby

To get access to the newest posts from Multiple Momstrosity and more on Facebook click here and follow today

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Life Is A Highway - Tips for A Road Trip Down South With Kids

This past summer we test drove the minions on how they would react to a lengthy road trip when we drove to the East Coast.  The trip went really well, so well in fact, that we decided to take the plunge this past March and take on a 2250 KM road trip each way to visit the grandparents in Florida and take the children for their inaugural trip to Disney (more on that later).  While our trip to the east coast was shorter, it also took place in the summer, this meant we were able to take many of our rest stops as outdoor picnics and hikes, which really helped take the edge off the hours cooped up in a car.  (Here are ten tips for a great road trips that I came up with this summer.)  Driving from Ontario to Florida, with a stop off in Myrtle Beach, can make for unpredictable weather, so it changes up the rules a little, as does driving in the US instead of Canada.

10 Tips for An Amazing Road Trip Driving South With Kids

1. When Booking Hotels, double check Amenities
I was booking hotels on the road, I looked for ones with pools, but didn't bother to check if they were indoor or outdoor.  Even in Virginia, an outdoor pool is going to be closed in March or April because it's too cold.  In addition to this, when making a last minute booking for Columbus Ohio I searched for a hotel with an Olympic Pool, only to arrive and discover it had shortened Easter hours, so we were out of luck in terms of swimming.
2. Sack of Snacks
Before we left for the trip I went out and spent $50 on snacks alone.  Energy bars, apple sauce tubes, and fruit leathers kept us healthy each day and saved us money.  We topped up at the grocer regularly for carrots and cherry tomatoes, in addition to two new road favourites clementines and pistachios.  We even kept a separate shell bottle to help keep the car clean.

My sack of mostly healthy snacks

3. Be Wary of Portion Sizes
When on the road, travel will take you to restaurants with different portion sizes.  We felt a sizable difference in super sized meals on the road and found that two to three meals easily fed all four of us with left overs.  It's also better to under order, and then order more food, than it is to waste food and money.
4. Gas Station Differences
I guess Canadians are just more trusting than Americans when it comes to gas.  Most Canadian gas stations will let you pump your gas and go inside and pay after (particularly during the day).  In the states you need to go in and pay for your gas before you pump, and if you overpay you'll sometimes need to go back inside to get them to refund you the difference on your credit card.
5. Speaking of Gas
Both Chris and I have been driving long enough to know that when driving, particularly on a highway in an area that we don't know, it stresses us out to be low on gas. Travel can be stressful enough, so we made a rule that if the tank fell to a quarter we found the next gas station.  My grandfather always used to say, 'it takes the same amount of money to fill the top half of your gas tank as it does the bottom'.  By the time we hit a quarter tank it was time to get up and stretch our legs anyway.
6. Avoid Rush Hour
By making weekends the days when we did the largest blocks of driving we never hit 'rush hour'. This probably saved us hours on the road.
7. Learn Your Power Hours
You'll quickly figure out the times of day when you feel the most energized and alert, and are able to cover the bulk of your mileage with little issue.  For us an early start was key to getting to our destination and being able to kick back a bit and feel like we were still in vacation mode, even if we had just finished a big day of driving.

One of Our Best Mid-Day Stops was at the Art Museum in Indianapolis

8. Mid-Sized Towns Are King
Big cities are expensive to stay in and have a lot of local traffic, some smaller towns may not have a restaurant open by the time you arrive and settle in.  By booking our travel days around medium sized cities we saved on cost, but were able to order pizza to our room at 10PM if we needed or wanted a late dinner.
9. Know Your Maximum Driving Times & Stick To It
Figure out the maximum time you ever want to be in a car during the day and then subtract an hour to half hour from that total.  This way you can have a traffic mishap and still come out close to your intended time on the road (most of the time).  Take shifts driving, particularly on longer days. When I took a shift Chris would often fill his time helping Jack build Lego or playing Mad Libs in the car with the kids.  Sure it wasn't a break to sleep but it made us both better appreciate the driver.
10. Have Fun With It & Embrace the Weird
Some days won't go as planned, but have a sense of humour about it.  The family now has a number of vacation related jokes about how a field full of deer may have saved Chris a speeding ticket, some overly animated billboard posters, and the hopefully well-intentioned gentleman we spotted who accidentally hit an armadillo with his car and thought he'd kick it to see if it was okay.

What are your best tips for family road trips?

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99 Red Balloons (plus 2) 101 in 1001 - A Year Without A New Year Resolution

I am a list person, and I had a very specific New Year's Resolution, or more of a goal, in mind for 2018. I've been setting monthly distance running goals for two months now and have successfully completed both, including running over 64 miles in the month of December.  I wanted to set a goal for running for 2018, to run 800 miles total for the year, which I'm still going to do, but I want it to be a part of something even bigger and a lot more fun.

Today I read  an article about creating a 101 in 1001 list instead of a traditional New Year's resolution list.  Basically it's a combination of 101 goals and bucket list items to be completed in 1001 days (so around two and three quarter years).  Since I'm about to celebrate a major milestone in 2018 (the big 40) I thought it would be very timely and more fun than a resolution list.

I am well aware that it's very unlikely that I get to knock every item off of this list, but it will be fun getting there.  I will add check marks when I complete something and enter the date that I complete it, and write some entries on some of them as well.  Here we go! This list is in no particular order.  I hope I inspire others towards not just meeting goals, but sharing things and pursuing some dreams!

Cheers to the things I'll complete before September 28, 2020!

1. Run 800 miles in a single year
   (Progress: ran 75.44 miles in January 2018, ran 75.76 miles in February 2018, Ran 58.01 miles in March 2018, ran 59.94 miles in April 2018, ran 60.93 miles in May, ran 45.91 miles in June)
2. Write a children's story about and for Molly & Jack
3. Take the kids to Disney✔ Completed March 2018
4. Donate blood
5. Successfully complete the license plate game on a road trip (got 48 states on July 2018 road trip)
6. Indulge in a scalp massage✔ On February 2, 2018 I had this and it worked wonders on my laptop neck!
7. Run 1000 miles in a single year
8. Have a pay per view article go viral (and earn me the freelance white whale of $1000)✔ on January 31st, 2018 I broke this record and have received over 2 million hits for this article
9. Run an 8KM race
10. Run a 10KM race
11. Have a big 40th birthday bash✔
12. Learn how to better use photo shop
13. Grow my business by 20 percent in one year
14. Go hiking in the Catskill Mountains✔ Completed on July 12, 2018
15. Read the entire Harry Potter series with Molly and Jack (read book one with Molly and half of book 2)
16. Be able to complete a 3 minute plank
17. Learn to do a Kart Wheel
18. Be able to do a headstand (I was able to do these thanks to a regular Hatha Yoga Class in my 20's but have lost it over the years)
19. Go horseback riding with Molly and Jack✔ Completed August 10, 2018
20. Take a nature survivalist class
    
    
    

    

    
    

21. Get professional family photos that I love
22. Take an archery class
23. Swim at the bottom of a waterfall
24. Make a balloon payment on our mortgage
25. Send a message in a bottle (with the kids)
26. Paint a painting✔ See my blog entry on this here
27. Attend a blogger conference
28. Create a strategic business plan
29. Read Anne of Green Gables with Molly✔
30. Visit 5 new MLB stadiums for games (with Chris)✔ PNC Park July 2018
31. Get a professional biography photo I love
32. Run a 5KM colour run
33. Go to the outdoor movies in the summer for a picnic✔ August 13, 2018 - Before Sunrise in Christie Pitts Park
34. 10 pieces of mail for a friend in one month to show them I'm thinking of them (one per year)
35. Go on a special family vacation to celebrate my 40th
36. Get an article or short story published in a prominent magazine
37. Frame and hang my Alice in Wonderland prints
38. Write a fictional short story
39. Write a fictional novella
40. Grow my business by 25 percent in a year
41. Clean out the spare room closet✔
42. Use my office as an office to better divide freelance life and home life
43. Indulge in a professional cleaner for our house (just once)
44. Get published in a prominent newspaper (article or short story)
45. Participate in philanthropy that is Molly and Jack's selection
46. Complete 31 days to Building a Better Blog (not necessarily in 31 consecutive days)
47. See But I'm A Cheerleader on Broadway
48. Go on a date to see classical music in the Casa Loma Garden✔
49. Run a 12.5 minute mile✔ Completed on February 20, 2018 during mile 3 of a 5 mile run
50. Walk along the ocean in Myrtle Beach✔ Completed on March 26, 2018
51. Annual girls spa weekend to reconnect with friends✔
52. Finish Jack's baby book ✔ Completed February 24, 2018
53. Create a 3-7 year old photo album for both Molly and Jack
54. Get a croquet set and play croquet with the kids✔  Given to me by my parents on August 10th, 2018, played with M& J on August 14, 2018
55. Save up $1000 in coins and spend it on something indulgent for me
56. Run a 12 minute mile✔
57. Invest in a good camera✔
58. Learn to grow my brand/business using Instagram✔
59. Have my blog reach a million hits
60. Go on a winery tour/tasting with friends
61. Buy the perfect little black dress
62. Go Geocaching with the kids
63. Save up $1000 in coins and spend it on something indulgent for the family
64. Take a photo of the same view in all four seasons
65. Teach the kids how to tie their shoelaces
66. Celebrate our 15th Wedding Anniversary with something special
67. Visit Central America with the kids
68. Teach the kids how to fish (take them fishing) - Molly has been taught by Chris
69. Get eyelash extensions for a special event✔
70. Get more photos of the kids with their grandparents (Trip to Disney March 2018 some)
71. Run a 11.5 minute mile
    
    
    

    

    
    

72. Get more photos of Chris and I with our parents
73. Learn how to curl my hair with my straightening iron✔ achieved September 14, 2018
74. Go to a class to learn something new with the kids
75. Celebrate a friend with a really expensive bottle of sparkling wine
76. Run a 11 minute mile
77. See Vampire Weekend in concert  June 5, 2019✔
78. Join and play in an co-ed fun sports league
79. Treat the family to a special meal of cornish game hens
80. Find the perfect meal of beef wellington
81. No take out or fast food for a month ✔ Completed on February 28, 2018
82. Go on an annual date day with each kid one on one
83. Read Lemony Snicket Series to/with the kids (Book 1 - February 3, 2018, Book 2 - February 23, 2018 Book 3 - March 24, 2018, Book 4 May 10, 2018), 
84. Go out west to visit Chris's grandmother
85. Visit Redwood forest
86. Save $1000 in coins and spend it all on charity
87. Redo the basement bathroom
88. Visit The Thousand Islands
89. Go snowshoeing ✔ Completed January 19, 2019 
90. Go ice fishing
91. Take Chris to try Korean BBQ✔ Completed on February 24, 2018
92. Hike the Elora Gorge Trail✔ Hiked May 26, 2018
93. Donate and reduce 2 garbage bags of clutter each month for a year ✔  (done more in a big chunk thanks to Marie Kondo
94. Run a trail race
95. Treat my family to a themed dinner and a movie (at least one per year)
96. Get myself professionally measured for a bra
97. Go on a family vacation with my cousin and her girlfriend
98. Run a 10 minute mile
99. Stay overnight at the ice hotel in Quebec
100. Write 200 blog entries about my life with the kids
101. Teach the kids to ride their bikes

Anything you'd add?  Did I inspire you to write a list?  Let me know, I'd love to hear it.  

Road To Nowhere - 10 Tips For A Great Road Trip

We just got back from our first ever road trip as a family.  In just 11 days we travelled through four provinces and covered over 3200 KMs (not including day trips).  We weren't sure how the kids would cope with spending so much time in a car, the most they'd ever spent in a row in the past was four hours, and we knew we'd have a handful of days with upwards of nine hours in the car.

While we made a concerted effort to make the trip about the journey as well as the destination there was no getting around the amount of time we were going to be in a car.  It's still fresh in my mind, so before I share more about our trip (which was amazing), I thought I'd share some tips and tricks that totally helped us get through with minimal 'Are We There Yet?' questions.

Exploring Botanical Gardens Together

Here Are 10 Road Trip Tips For Families Travelling With Kids

1. Figure out the time of the day when you'll be able to log the most mileage with limited complaints and hassle (this goes for drivers and navigators as well) and take advantage of those "Power Hours".  For us it's always morning.
2. Make sure you have a full tank of gas each night before you park, that way when it's time to go in the AM there won't be a delay.
3. Multiple "surprise" treats on days with a lot of driving give the kids something to look forward to on the road (for us the dollar store for colouring books, mini dolls, figurines, and Amazon for cheap mini figurines was some of the best money we could have ever spent).
   
   
   
   

   

   Our First Stop On The Trip Was At The Big Apple In Cramhae Ontario

   
   
4. Research Road side attractions for fun stops that aren't too out of the way to help make the trip about the journey as well as the destination.  Things like museums, botanical gardens, hikes, or giant novelty statues can make for really fun breaks from endless hours on the road.
5. Fill up water bottles every night and put them in a cooler/fridge so you have them handy on the road.  This will save you money, keep you well hydrated and force everyone to take much needed bathroom breaks to stretch their legs.
6. Pack healthy portable foods for snacks.  Our favourites include baby carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, squeezable Apple sauce tubes, yogurt drinks, and cut carrots and celery.
7. Plan some games for the road.  We had an ongoing license plate game looking to find as many states and provinces we could for the entire trip (you can get printable ones online). We also played a game where we looked for all the letters in the alphabet and numbers (from A-Z with no repeats on the same license plate) until we were done. We spent six hours looking for the letter U one day, but everyone was excited when we found it.
8. Never underestimate the power of a pool.  Promises of accommodations with pools at the end of particularly long driving days let everyone blow off a little steam, and energy.
9. Understand that your kids sleeping hours are going to be wonky since they'll nap so much in the car.  Some nights the minions were up to 11PM because they'd gotten so much rest on the road, and that was okay.
10. Know your driving limits and that plans will need to change sometimes.  Our "down days" when we stayed two nights somewhere were always our best ones cause we could really relax with less of a clock to punch.

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Top 10 List 2016

As we start to take down our holiday decor, and there are only a few more days until the minions are back to school I'll admit I haven't fully leaped into 2017.  Ever since we've begun our winter bucket list I've been really excited about all of the amazing things the kids are capable of right now, particularly travel and experiences.  I'm hoping this will be a theme for our family this year.

On the blog front, as always, I am so touched by all the friends, family, and online readers who visit us to hear about our adventures. I can't believe that I've now been blogging for five years, and how much I continue to enjoy it.  It's been amazing to read about our lives with the minions years ago and to see how much they, and our lives together, have changed.

I thought I'd revisit my 10 most visited posts of 2016 and share them by topic, just in case you missed them and wanted to check them out.   I look forward to writing about many more adventures and lessons in 2017.  Thank you, as always, for your continued support.  Happy New Year!

Mother's Day Moment 2016

Twin Identity

Different ways kids show affection

Travel & Day Trips

The Art of Glamping

Exploring the Scenic Caves

Indoor Playground Reviews

Playtown Mississauga

Kidsopolis Oakville

Skipping Stones

Hard Parenting Moments

Helping your kids cope with stress, tips for self-regulation

The time we were banned from "family" yoga 

Dealing with kid rage, anger & tantrums

Relationships

Important parent & child bonding moments

51 date night conversations to keep connected as a couple




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