Fourth of July, Celebrations & Latest Fave Finds

I hope you’ve all had a great week! I’m excited to be back on more of a regular posting schedule around here, and I’m so glad you stopped by to check in and chat, too.

My mom and aunt are currently in town to visit, so we’ve got busy (but itinerary-less) days ahead of us in the City. They’re on my speed of mixing in time at home and in our neighborhood with a few outings in Manhattan while they’re here. I’m looking forward to spending time with them!

In true Friday fashion, I thought a good ‘ol Friday Favorites round-up would be fun to share today. I’m covering a few recent outings along with some product finds worth mentioning, too.

Happy Friday!

• Fourth of July at Coney Island

It was so nice having the holiday off this year! While most people tend to spend their Fourth of July on a lake or at a barbecue, Scott has fallen into the tradition of making a trip to Coney Island to catch the Hot Dog Eating Contest sponsored by Nathan’s. It’s been really crowded the last few years, so I was going to opt out and enjoy a restful day to organize and get things done around the apartment, but I couldn’t let the boys leave without tagging along. I wasn’t interested in the hot dogs, but I was having severe FOMO at the thought of missing out on spending the holiday with Skyler and Scott.

It was hot outside, but it was cool to be able to show our future lifeguard around New York City’s version of the beach and a small amusement park. I’d love to be able to take him back after the summer on a less crowded day, but it wouldn’t be the sights and sounds of summer without waves and sand, right?

We waited in a heck of a line to get a couple of Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, but wouldn’t you? It was the Fourth of July after all. We got a hot dog and a corn dog, and it didn’t come as a surprise that he was totally into it.

We decided to wait another year or so for the rides. They have a go-cart area that looked inviting, but we had full bellies for all of the movement that comes with them.

I’m very prone to motion sickness, so we skipped over them for now and spent the rest of our time at the beach.

Again, it was crowded, but we found a small spot to lay out our monkey mat and Scott took him to the water to dip his toes in the sand and run around.

We were all starting to get tired after a couple of hours in the sun, so we packed up and took the train home to wash up and get ready for dinner.

With Sky’s normal 7:30 pm bedtime in mind, we didn’t have plans outside of going to the roof to watch the fireworks. I was exhausted after a few days of being extremely on-the-go, however, and didn’t make it that far. Scott insisted on keeping Skyler up to watch the lights show and I ended up going to bed by 8:30 pm. You know you’re getting older when … your toddler stays up later than you do.

I had a great time for what I was awake for and thoroughly enjoyed my time with our little family. Maybe next year I’ll actually see those fireworks!

• Anniversary Date Night

Scott and I had a special outing this week as an early celebration for our eight year wedding anniversary! I bought us tickets to see Jason Mraz in concert, and we trained to Midtown extra early to get dinner beforehand.

I hadn’t had much Korean BBQ before trying several places in Koreatown, Manhattan. This area (very close to Madison Square Garden, by the way) is known for Asian barbecue, spas, and karaoke. I would definitely recommend arriving hungry for food because they don’t skimp on the add-ons that come alongside the main plates!

The food was good, and I can’t move on to our next stop without noting the cocktail that I ordered, too. It was listed as a cocktail that I could choose my flavor for so I said cucumber. A huge portion showed up in a teapot with two shot glasses and we couldn’t even finish it. You can’t really beat that for $20 in New York City!

We made a quick five-minute walk over to the concert venue after our dinner. It’s a smaller space inside of Madison Square Garden called Hulu Theater. I had no idea it was there!

We made sure to catch the opening band — Ripe. They’re really good and highly underrated. I started listening to their music on Spotify a few months ago after a friend of mine pointed the concert out. Truth be told, Jason Mraz was wonderful and very talented, but I enjoyed the upbeat energy and sounds of Ripe more. We’ve seen Jason a few times in concert, and we love his music, and it’s always a more chill vibe. I’m glad we were able to have a little bit of both and we had a fun night out to celebrate our anniversary!

• CC cream

I always end up buying new products after getting ready to go out with other girlfriends. They usually have fun products that are new-to-me, and I especially love getting to try new make-up, skincare, hair products, and other things you’d sample at big cosmetic stores.

It was a good time to run out of my bareminerals foundations, too. I was supposed to get a shipment in that got lost in the mail (!!) before I left, so I ended up borrowing something similar from my friend Melissa throughout my time in California. She uses the CC+ Cream and I quickly fell in love enough to get my own while on the trip!

It’s a full coverage cream that doesn’t feel too heavy, yet covers enough to act as a one-step coverall product to replace sunscreen, concealer, and foundation. It also includes SPF 50+ and acts as a hydrating serum! There are several different brands that make CC cream, and this IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream is what I’ve been loving. I’ve been using a small makeup sponge to apply it, and you can use a brush or even your fingers. It’s the perfect amount of coverage!

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• Madden Girl copycat Birkenstocks

I know I’ve been in Brooklyn for a few years now that I want to buy a pair of Birkenstock sandals. (Right?) I didn’t understand the obsession when I first moved here, but the more I see them and the more I walk around and need a comfortable and supportive slip-on, I feel like I need a pair.

Birkenstocks run over $100 a pair, so I haven’t brought myself to actually buy them. I randomly found a copycat version by Madden Girl at a local department store, but I really wanted to find a version in rose gold. With a quick search on Amazon right in the store, I found them for $30!

For a fourth of the price, they’re a steal! I do have to admit that they aren’t as comfortable as Birkenstocks, but they get the job done for now. I really wanted them to see if it was worth my investment in the real thing, and now I know I do. But, if you’re not looking to walk miles and miles in them, these would be great for you and come in several different shades.

• Herschel fanny pack

Fanny packs are making a comeback, y’all! I saw a few members wearing them coming to and from workouts and never thought to buy one myself until I realized how cute they look. A few of my friends also have different prints of them, so when I realized they were also under $30 on Amazon, I had to get one.

I chose the Fourteen Fanny Pack style because it’s on the smaller side, but still provides enough room for the essentials. I opted for the Glacier color which looks like a mint green/blue in person. The pack proved to be well worth the small investment on my recent Napa trip, and I look forward to bringing it on future travels and adventures when I’m not wearing a diaper bag, too!

• favorite LIL posts

In case you missed it, I recently shared along with my Top Ten Takeaways. The days were long, but they were jam-packed with educational sessions, workouts, networking opportunities, time with friends, and loops through an expo hall full of the latest and greatest health and fitness finds.

Check out the posts for more photos and stories!

I also recapped my first trip to California this summer with a . We had the best time, and I highly recommend doing if you find yourself roaming the vineyards as well.

I’ll be sticking around New York for a bit, but it was really nice to get out to the west coast and soak in the sunshine, hills, and waves while I could.

I’m off to get a workout in before playing tourist with my family in town, but I’ll be back to catch up again early next week.

Have a great weekend, friends!