keep your eye on the cronut.

we all know i feel about good food, and i'm usually down for anything. but before i went to new york i swore off waiting in any lines for a cronut. no cronuts for me, i told myself. no siree, they're overrated. but as it usually goes with my darn self, one thing leads to another and there i am... waiting in line for a cronut. luckily, i was in good company and we didn't wait too long {too long being about 1 hour. still crazy, i know.} and you want to know the best/annoying part? the cronut was stupidly amazing. soft, buttery, sugary and with the perfect ratio of apple/custard filling. i'm not even crazy about apple-flavored goods, but it really was awesome, y'all. the cronut wins this time. its so not overrated.

twick-o-tweat.

at the rate in which i'm consuming harper's halloween candy, i figure it's only fair that i take a minute to talk about our halloween before the skittles and milky way disappear. during the early afternoon, before the parade of sugar-high kids rush the streets, we walked down west 69th street to enjoy the decorated brownstones. we saw big spiders, wicked witches, overly-creepy ghouls and a whole lotta' pumpkins. i love how they get into the spirit up there.

after our stroll, we met papa downtown and began halloween part II. every year in tribeca, the stores open their doors and pass out candy to trick-or-treaters. it was our first time celebrating in tribeca and it was a blast! harps totally got into the spirit saying twick-o-tweat to every door she passed, whether they were handing out candy or not. bam! halloween success.

***this brownstone wins the award for most creepy. i think it was the body parts chained to the fence that really did it for me.***

***i never would have guessed that kings pharmacy would have been harper's first place to trick-or-treat #citykid***

***eyes on the prize***

***we're super lame and didn't dress up this year. we planned to dress as pirates to accompany our parrot, but i looked more like a gypsy than pirate in my stripes and head scarf.***

pumpkins, carousels, and a squawking parrot.

it's almost halloween, and i can't get enough! i love how this city celebrates for a whole week. with a child, this holiday is so fun and much less creepy. :) on saturday, the whole city was having holiday events so we dressed harper up in her costume and bopped around from one event to the next. it was crazy and fun, and todd and harper were great sports! we ended the night carving pumpkins on my brother's rooftop. it was harper's first experience with pumpkins, and as the photos go to prove, it was a success! pumpkin, meet harper. harper, meet pumpkin guts.

***pumpkin cookie in one hand & a pumpkin in the other*** 

***the masters at work*** 

***isn't this view something?***

***the cutest parrot i ever did see*** 

pepsi and 5 pointz. a day in queens.

last week, we spent some time exploring queens with friends. and i'm slightly embarrassed to say it was my first time over there! we explored gantry plaza state park and let the kids run wild along the promenade. it's just across the river from manhattan and has THE most stunning views of the city skyline. its worth the trip just for the views. and i can't even imagine what it looks like at night!

all the kids were born just a couple days apart, and it was hilarious watching them run, play, fight, kiss, and tumble around together. after tiring them out, we made a quick visit to 5 pointz. it's considered to be the world's premiere graffiti mecca and is quite a sight. and what was even more of a sight was us 3 ladies, 3 strollers, and 5 babies running around that place. which one is not like the other. unfortunately, 5 pointz is getting torn down end of this year, so it was cool seeing it before its gone.

***this little baby romance was the most adorable thing. they were feeling it all day!***

 ***love this. such city kids!***

my kind of weekend.

thanks to columbus, we enjoyed a long weekend with papa. harper loves time with her daddy, and by the time friday rolls around, she's begging for his attention. and it's only fair to add that i am too! with the impeccable weather we've been enjoying, the majority of our time was spent outside together.

on monday, we headed to central park to lay down a blanket in our favorite spot and just let harper run. this age rocks and is so challenging at the same time. harps is crazy energetic(!) and would run away without looking back if we let her, so it's nice to see her run free and enjoy herself. and in the park, there is always that puppy or child she makes friends with along the way.

***as you may see, we had quite the couple of yogis practicing their moves near us, so harper was eager to show off a few moves of her own!***

 ***like, gorgeous. i can't even...***

the abc of it.

last week, todd's parents came to visit, and we enjoyed playing around the city with them. on one particular rainy afternoon we needed somewhere to duck inside, and the public library was conveniently around the corner. a few weeks ago, harper and i visited the abc of it exhibit inside the library, so we were eager to take his parents back!

each room features a classic children's book and accompanying hands-on interactive activities. harper was in heaven, running {not so quietly} from room to room reaching for anything within her short, yet oh so aggressive, reach.

***every few seconds, this alice in wonderland head would scale up and down the wall, her neck folding like an accordion. it would be an understatement to say harper was terribly terrified. yet she was also so intrigued that she couldn't help but stand frozen, staring from a distance.***