AMAZING ASPEN!

Hey guys!  Boy, has it really been fine months since I've posted here?!?  Life has been super busy between running around with the boys, my part-time teaching job, travel, family and friends.  Everything has been great, and I sure do have a lot to catch you all up on, so I figured I would start with a little re-cap of our trip to Aspen, Colorado.  We went to Aspen back in September for my best friend Louisa's wedding.  It was the first time we've left our babies for more than a night and it was bittersweet.  We flew out Friday in time for a BBQ at Louisa's fiancee, Tyler's family's house on Aspen Mountain.  The food was incredible, and the views were unreal!  It was so great to see Louisa who I hadn't seen in quite some time!

The rest of our long weekend (we flew back on Monday) was spent exploring downtown Aspen, eating, taking a gondola ride up to the top of Aspen Mountain, hiking the Maroon Bells, and just enjoying our time together as a couple.  I had so many more pictures that I took on my i-phone (which I later lost), so this is the best of what we got on our camera.  Hope you enjoy our picture re-cap of Aspen which is truly an amazing place!

ASPEN...WE'RE READY FOR YA!

Hey there everyone!!!  Boy has it been awhile since I've posted here!!! It has been a busy and fun summer for sure!  I have so much to catch you all up on including a fun road trip we made out to the North Fork of Long Island, and an incredible vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida!  In the meantime, Rich and are getting ready to jet set to Aspen, Colorado for my very good friend's wedding.  It will be the first time we are going somewhere without the boys...and we are both so sad about it, but know it will be fun just the two of us!  Well, I have to get back to packing, but don't forget to follow along on Instagram!  Wheels up...Aspen we're ready for ya! ;-)

(This picture was taken by my friend who is getting married of the beautiful backdrop for her wedding!)

LAKOTA WOLF PRESERVE

(Photo Credit: TripAdvisor.com)

Imagine getting up close to wolves, foxes and bobcats to see how they live in the wild?  Maybe it's because the PBS show Wild Kratts has been such a hit in our house, but I think it sounds pretty cool, and it's something we've been wanting to do with the boys for awhile now.  The Lakota Wolf Preserve in Columbia, New Jersey is the only wildlife preserve of its kind in the state.  The preserve is owned and run by two people who have raised and cared for the animals themselves.  At the preserve you get to go on an educational tour and stand on an observation deck where you are surrounded by four different packs of wolves.  You will get to watch the wolves play, interact and maybe even get to hear them howl!  Wolf watch tours are offered twice a day, everyday except Monday at either 10:30am or 4:00pm.  Each wolf watch tour is 90 minutes ($15 for adults, and $7 or kids up to 11 years old- cash only!).  Unfortunately, due to the recent ice storms and bad winter we've had the Lakota Wolf Preserve is temporarily closed, but hopefully now that spring is 10 days away it will be reopening soon.  Once it does we will be going and I can't wait to share with you how it is!

LAKOTA WOLF PRESERVE
89 MT. PLEASANT ROAD
COLUMBIA, N.J. 08732
(877) 733-9653

A GETAWAY TO CRYSTAL SPRINGS

Last week we packed up the car and headed away as a family to Crystal Springs Resort in Vernon, New Jersey.  We wanted to take Richie skiing for his 4th birthday, and we picked Crystal Springs Resort because it's not too far away, and the mountain and resorts are very close to each other with a shuttle bus that takes you to and fro.

Mountain Creek is where you ski, and then there are a couple of resorts to chose from nearby- Minerals Resort and Spa and Grand Cascades Lodge.  We stayed at Grand Cascades Lodge.  Minerals Resort and Spa is what they consider more of a "family friendly" resort because it has indoor basketball courts, tennis courts, a very nice pool and an arcade room (we checked it out while we were there and we were happy with where we chose to stay instead).  I think it may have been okay if our kids were older and would have been able to use those facilities.

Grand Cascades Lodge is a bit fancier (no basketball, tennis or arcade room), and it has more dining options and a biosphere pool with a slide which is one of the coolest pools I have ever seen!

The cost to stay at Grand Cascades Lodge is more, and we had originally considered going Friday thru Sunday.  But that wouldn't be the "JetSetSmart" way to travel and save, right?  Well, if you go Sunday thru Thursday, you can either buy one night and get the second night half off, or buy two nights and get the third night free.  We went Sunday thru Tuesday, and the price was half of what it would have cost us if we went Friday thru Sunday.  The other plus was that the hotel had less people, so they upgraded us to a room with a fireplace, terrace and full kitchen, and the restaurant and pool was pretty empty so we felt like we had the place to ourselves at times!  

As for the skiing, Richie got to do a two hour drop-off ski camp (which starts at age 4) where after a few falls ;-) he basically got the knack of the sport by the end.  He seemed to really enjoy it!

We had a great little getaway, and look forward to more ski trips next winter!

FASHION FRIDAY: ADDED COLOR

TGIF!!!!!!!!  So happy it's the weekend!  Today's outfit is pretty basic, sort of my "momiform" of what you can find me in on a daily basis running around with two little ones- jeans and a comfy top.  I always tend to gravitate toward black, but here I added color by way of some new pieces I got from the Stella & Dot spring line.  Added color can help make an outfit pop, it can add new life to an outfit you've worn a dozen times, and it helps make your mood pop too, especially with the winter we've been having!  The good news is, Spring is just 21 days away and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is looking forward to it!!!!

Top: Lucky Brand via TJ Maxx (similar)

Jeans: Forever 21

Booties: Nine West

Bag: Michael Kors via Marshalls

Necklace: Stella & Dot (email me to order)

Earrings: Stella & Dot (email me to order)

Sunnies: Dolce Gabbana

BEST BANANA MUFFINS

Hey guys!  I've got a little recipe post for you today.  It's for banana muffins (I know- easy, nothing fancy), but I promise you...this recipe really does make the BEST banana muffins ever!!!  I have made banana muffins at least a dozen times in the past, and after a bit of tweaking, I have found the recipe that I will continue to make.  My kids absolutely love these, and ask for them all of the time!!!

BEST BANANA MUFFINS RECIPE:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 ripe bananas
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 stick butter

Directions:
- Gather all the ingredients
- Preheat oven to 350*
- Line muffin pan
- Mix dry ingredients in one bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, sugar)
- In another bowl mix wet ingredients (vanilla, bananas mashed, egg scrambled, butter melted)
- Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ones and fill the muffin cups
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (I always bake for 25 because I like my muffins a little underdone)
- Enjoy!!!