A Canadian Girl's Guide to NYC at Christmas: Tips for making your trip extra special!

I am super excited to be teaming up with Alex Inspired and an amazing group of Canadian bloggers for my first ever Blog Hop. Find the links to their blogs below my post and visit all of their pages for more holiday inspiration!

Have you watched Serendipity a hundred times while dreaming of skating at Rockefeller Centre?

Does the scene in Elf where they are trying to get Santa's sleigh to fly, make you want to be in Central Park, stat? 

Do you dream of the Rockettes kicking their way across the stage?

If you answered yes, then this is the post for you!

Earlier this year I visited NYC for the first time with my girlfriends for our 30th Birthdays, see post here. I.loved.every.minute.of.it. My husband, in an effort to make this year awesome (despite our baby troubles) surprised me by saying we would be going for the Christmas tree lighting! What this actually meant was that I would have to do all the planning, but hey, I am not complaining!

It was a dream trip, and many of my bucket list items were checked off! I know so many of my friends have always dreamed of NYC at Christmas, so I have compiled my top 4 tips for planning your NYC getaway.

1. BOOK EARLY & CHOOSE WISELY!

It's New York, things are not going to get any cheaper (especially with the exchange rate😂) so book as soon as you can!

Hotel: I booked our hotel 4 months ahead. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn on West 35. I highly recommend this location; it was across the street from Macy's, there was a subway station right outside the door and it was in the middle of everywhere (they don't call it midtown for nothing!) 
Don't feel like you need to stay in Times Square, I would actually say do not stay in Times Square - save the extra dollars it will cost you and explore a different area, you will go to Times Square anyways! I stayed in TS my first trip and preferred the Midtown location.

Flights: NYC has 3 airports, so choose carefully when booking your flight. If you choose the very large JFK you might be spending upwards of $80 to get downtown. LaGuardia (LGA) however, is the closest to midtown; it cost us about $30-$40  to get to our hotel (depending on traffic and time of day). There are airport shuttles that run about $15 as well, so it just depends what you want to do. See more details here. I would always choose LGA, if you can get a flight through there that works.

2. ACTIVITIES

Where do we start? This is the best part, you have to decide what are your MUSTS!

Mine were:

- Seeing the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular

- Carriage ride in Central Park

- Ice skating

- Macy's Santa Land

- Window Shopping on 5th Avenue

- Christmas tree lighting in Rockefeller Center

- Visiting the Chelsea Market and the Highline (Food Tour)

I feel like these may be everyone's musts, so let me start by sharing our itinerary and then I will give you some specific advice about each activity.

Day 1
11:00am Arrive in NYC at LGA, go to hotel and check in

1:00pm Visit Times Square, have lunch 

3:00pm Lion King

5:30pm Walk to Rockefeller Center and back to hotel to change for dinner

7:45pm Dinner at Chef's Club

9:00pm Quick wander through Macy's

Day 2
10:00am Food Tour of Chelsea Market/Highline (Trip highlight!)

3:00pm  Carriage ride in Central Park

4:00pm Stroll down 5th Avenue (to check out the window displays)

5:00pm Back to hotel to change

6:00pm Arrive at Rockettes (Trip highlight!)

9:00pm Visit Bar 65 at Top of the Rock (Amazing city views, while enjoying a drink). We did this instead of the Empire State Building.

Day 3

9:00am  Breakfast at Best Bagel and Coffee

9:30am  Shopping at Macy's and visit to Macy's Santa Land (only visit Santa Land right after it opens or just before close to save you from a giant line)

11:00am Visit the NY public Library

12:00pm Shopping in SOHO

2:00pm  Lunch at Gramercy Tavern
3:30pm More shopping!

6:00pm Back to hotel

7:30pm Dinner at Chelsea Market

9:00pm Wander through Bryant Park

Day 4

9:00am Visit Grand Central Station
10:00am Walk to Rockefeller Center - see Christmas tree set up

12:30-4:30pm American Museum of Natural History

4:30pm Stroll through Central Park

5:00pm Happy Hour at the Food Hall below the Plaza Hotel

6:30pm Dinner at Obao (Thai food)

8:00pm Billy Joel at Madison Square Gardens

10:30pm Rockefeller Centre to see the lit tree

11:30pm Max Brenner for hot chocolate

12:30am Late night pizza search

Fly home the next morning

Extra Tips
Booking a Broadway show. If you are going to book a show for the day you arrive, especially at this time of year, I recommend getting the ticket insurance. You will see the option for this as you are going through your ticket purchase online. This insurance will reimburse 100% of your ticket cost, if your flight gets delayed or canceled, or for a variety of other reasons.

When you get up at 4am in Canada and are at the Lion King in NYC at 3pm #hesexcited

Ice Skating. There are many options for going ice skating in NYC, I would say the top 3 are Rockefeller Center, Central Park or Bryant Park. All are great, it just depends on what you are looking for. Rockefeller Center is the most expensive place and also the busiest, the other two are a little less well known, but still offer a fun experience.  I actually think Central Park has the best view, as you see the skyline of buildings, while surrounded by all the beautiful trees. Strangely enough, we didn't end up skating because when we got to Central Park I felt like I would be doing it just to do it, so we skipped it, although I thoroughly enjoyed watching other people skate!

Rockefeller Center

Carriage Ride. It's not cheap, a 45 min tour costs $118 + tip, but when your feet are hurting and you need a bit of a break from walking, it was a little bit of heaven! We did it in the afternoon, but I imagine the evening would be beautiful as well! No need to book ahead, there are lines of carriages waiting when you get there.

Rockefeller Center's Christmas Tree Lighting. This was the entire reason for our trip timing and it almost didn't happen! Months after booking our flights and hotel, they changed the date. I only noticed because I was looking to see if they had released the concert details. Rockefeller Center's website didn't even acknowledge that they had done this, I found another website that confirmed it. When I called to complain they were rude and unhelpful. Luckily, my amazing boss let me extend my trip (and it only cost several hundred dollars to change flights and add an extra night at our hotel 😒).

Fortunately, the tree lives up the hype! It is the biggest, most beautiful tree I have ever seen, but the lighting event itself is not a MUST. The standing area is quite small and you have to be willing to be there for 6 + hours to get a good spot. The concert is on the rink level, so only a few people get down here (not even sure how). This year it poured rain the entire day and night and no one in the area was allowed an umbrella, so those who stayed got completely soaked. Jeff and I went to see Billy Joel instead (this was Jeff's bucket list and it was totally amazing) and we back after to see the tree. I held my umbrella down and had my own little reveal and it was incredible! I recommend booking your trip to be there after the tree is lit so you can enjoy it, but the lighting itself isn't as great as it might seem #tvmakeseverythingbetter

3. FOOD

Don't panic, but in NYC people book restaurant reservations a month early! This doesn't mean you can't get in later, it just means you may want to plan ahead for some places, depending on their popularity. Download the app Open Table, it's very easy and you can book everything through this, as well as see reviews. I was overwhelmed with work before our trip, so I only booked one ahead of time (Chef's Club) the rest we booked the day of, or just showed up at.

Food is one of the most fun parts of NYC as they literally have everything! You can spend as much or as little as you want on dining, from the highest end world famous restaurants, to the $1 pizza slices and hot dog carts. I would say have a few places booked or in mind that you want to try, but for the rest, explore, get lost, stumble on something and try it out! *It doesn't hurt to check TripAdvisor reviews.*

My Top 4 Food Picks:

Breakfast: The Best Bagel and Coffee

 It is quick, cheap and delicious!

Lunch/Dinner: Gramercy Tavern

I had a brussels sprout dish I will dream about and a Harvey Fitz Spitz  that was to die for! 

Dinner: Chef's Club

Sitting at the counter you get to watch the chefs as they prepare fresh, renowned dishes, with recipes on loan from world famous chefs. Excellent service and delightful dishes!

Dinner and a Show- Chef's Club

Any time of day: The Chelsea Market

Seemingly endless, beautiful novelty foods in a historical building, there is so much to see and try! Keep your eyes open for celebs like Rachel Ray picking up ingredients (Food Network is upstairs), Whoopi Goldberg getting our (I can say our because it's mine too) favourite grilled cheese or Hugh Jackman strolling back to his nearby home. I didn't see them, but I did see Damien Lewis casually eating his lunch. Make sure to visit Lucy's Whey for a life-changing grilled cheese - I had the aged cheddar and fig jam one *drools* just.do.it

#timessquareselfie

And that's it, friends! If you have any questions or want to share some of your NYC favs, comment below! Now, be sure to hop on over to explore some more holiday tips from these fabulous ladies!

Alex Inspired | Sunshine & Sugar | The Dream House Project | Glittering Ambition Lesley Metcalfe | The Lunchbox Season | Elizabeth Montilla Design | Once Upon a Maison | The Healthy Garage

Canoe Tripping: Meal Plans, Supplies & Packing List with updates

We are headed on our annual canoe trip today and for the first time, we are taking Finnegan. I am a little unsure of how it will all go, but here's hoping it works out. This year we are going for 3 days and 2 nights. I always google what other people bring to look for new ideas, so here is our list for meals, clothes and supplies.

* updated post trip with added items and crossed out things we didn't need*

Menu Plan

Breakfasts

- Eggs, for making scrambled eggs and for fish batter (cracked into a plastic water bottle for easier transport)

- Instant oatmeal

- Protein bites (recipe here)

Lunch

- Quinoa Salad (I made this one here)

- Cans of tuna

- PB sandwiches 

Snacks

- Pistachios

- Beef Jerky

- Licorice 

- Cut up pineapple

- Spitz

Dinner

- Fresh pickerel 

- Potatoes

- Pasta and sauce

- Italian sausages 

Cooking extras:

- salt, pepper, butter, parmesan cheese

Ready to be packed away

Packing List

Matches

First aid kit

Flash lights/head lamps 

Extra batteries

Water proof speakers/ipod

Bug spray

Sunblock

Scissors

Knife 

Garbage bags
Rope for misc. things and clotheslines & clothes pins

Toilet paper (in a ziplock bag)

Shovel (you can imagine for what)

Pot and frying pan

Spoon and flipper

Extra ziplock bags (for fish)

Plates/bowls/cups/sporks
Biodegradable dish soap, cloth and bucket for doing dishes

Travel Mugs

Water bottles (1 case frozen to be our freezer packs and drinking water)

Bottled water

Water purifier

Axe
Saw

Life jackets

Towels

Frisbee

Deck of cards

Book we were too busy fishing lol

Sleeping bags

Travel pillows (huge mistake, uncomfy as all heck - bring better pillow next time)

Cooler

Beer/drinks & coozies

Camping chairs

Tent

Stove

Fish filet knife

Fishing rods and tackle

Map

Bear bangers

Cell phone (no service but will use for pictures)

Cell phone portable charger

Canoe

Paddles (seems obvious, but don't want to forget lol)

I packed each Jeff and I our own snack/drink bag to have handy while canoeing. I put frozen waters, flavoured soda water, can of tuna, licorice and pistachios in mine.

My cooler bag

Clothing

This is what I will be bringing, I am sure Jeff will bring half as much

- 2 bathing suits Forgot about skinny dipping, no bathing suit needed

- 1 pairs of shorts

- 1 pair of capris (workout style)

- 1 pair of sweatpants

- 1 long sleeve shirt

- 2 workout shirts (with built in bras, so no bras required)

- 1 rain jacket with a hood

- 3 pairs of underwear

- 2 pairs of socks

- 1 hat

- 1 buff (similar here) *so good for soaking and wearing around your neck in the blazing sun*

- 1 rash guard shirt

- 1 pair of sturdy, waterproof shoes. I bought these ones (sexy, I know) *seriously best things ever*

For Finnegan (our dog)

He has been treated for ticks

- Dog life jacket

- Towel

- Travel bowls

- Food

- Treats

- Frisbee

                                                                  Look how cute he is! 

All ready for his first canoe trip! 

Things I wish I brought:
- Baileys for morning tea and evening campfire drinks
- Some sort of cookie, I can't believe I went 3 days without haha
- Lemon for the fish
- Binoculars for checking out nature!

My travel must haves

                                                    Okay, so I don't pack light.

From all my travels recently and as I get ready for NYC I have been thinking a lot about my travel must haves. Here is my list:

Bose noise cancelling headphones: Want to tune out that engine noise? crying baby? loud sniffer? or those annoying announcements about the cruising altitude of the plane? Well then, these headphones are for you! The ear muff style create some sort of pressure chamber for my head, so I can't wear those and I did not think these ear buds would work as well, but I was wrong. I bought a pair for the huz for Christmas (to be the test run) and I just used my regular apple head phones for our Asia trip. #BIGregrets. As Jeff listened to movies in perfect isolation from the goings on of a completely full plane with 300+ passengers, I heard every sniff, snore, and movement. Fool me only once...I have just received this pair in the mail. Thank you Visa points!Find them here

Snacks: If you haven't figured me out yet, I am ALL.about.the.snacks. I can't fathom travel without them, and you never know your airport options. My mother in law is my kindred spirit, we once picked her up for a trip to the states and moments after leaving her driveway she pulled from her purse, sliced aged cheddar cheese, gourmet crackers, wine, and spiced meat; she went next level! I usually only make my own travel mix at the bulk zone, some beef jerky for Jeff, gum, and chocolate covered gummy bears when I can find them. I am also in love with Nugo protein bars, they taste amazing and are so handy to have in your purse to avoid hangry moments. 

Tea bags: I am a tea lover and non coffee drinker and I NEVER want to be left with a flight attendants offer of a Tetley tea bag circa 2012..so I BMO. If you really want to take it up a notch, consider making one of these...then make me one!

Travel Pillow: For long trips and even car trips, this memory foam pillow is glorious. It clips in the front so it doesn't fall off your shoulders, it holds your ipod and it sings you to sleep (kind of).

Sunglasses: enough said. Currently crushing on these and these

Deck of Cards: or monopoly deal (see post here about that). I like to know that if there is a time delay or the opportunity presents itself, I can crush Jeff in a game of Gin Rummy.

Scarf: This is actually a MUST. Block yourself from coughers, or use as a pillow/blanket/backrest/napkin? It serves every purpose, so pack it! Find this one here.

Fit Bit: relish in those 20,000 steps a day because of all the sightseeing. Wearing this will push you take the long route of the non moving sidewalk variety and help you wear off those chocolate gummy bears. Loving this new pink colour!

Herbal Gravol: I get car sick, sea sick, roller-coaster sick etc., but I also have major FOMO,
 so I eat a couple of these babies and I am good to whale watch in the high seas or just survive a long car ride, without the side effect of sleepiness.

Tote Bag: I always bring a carry-on bag that can double as a beach bag, shopping bag, purse holder etc. I love this one from Chapters.

Travel Wallet:  My dear friend Shalini gave me the most fabulous travel wallet from KIKI K a couple years ago, mine is mint green with sparkle polka dots, its gorgeous. It holds my plane tickets, passports, travel itineraries, money etc., its invaluable for travel. Here is their current version.

Comfy & Cute Walking Shoes: fashion can only take you so far, then you need some comfort shoes. loving these ones (currently on sale).


                                      Do you have any unusual but amazing travel must haves?

30th Birthday Dream Trip to NEW YORK CITY!!

START SPREADING THE NEWS...


This was on my winter to do list, although we had no idea where we would end up going. I could not be more excited to say we are going to New York City.

My bf Nikey and I love to travel and after being roommates at uni and then spending 3 months of 24/7 together we realized we are also travel soul mates. Keep us well fed and we can make an adventure out of anything...just don't drag us to anything boring. It is rumored we viewed the entire Louvre including a 1 minute stop at Mona Lisa in 10 minutes...but spent 4 hours eating crepes. #sorrynotsorry #thatshowweroll #dontjudge

Throwback - us at the Grand Prix in Monaco. Fun Fact. Nikey invented the selfie!

As we we are turning 30 this year, we thought it would be a good chance to knock off some bucket list items and go somewhere new. We are looking for suggestions on must see things to do, please tell me any must do's or more importantly must not's! We have already booked ourselves into some seriously luxurious accommodations, because we wanted the true NYC experience, hotwire f**ked us over. We were led to think our room would be this....

but instead it's this....

On the bright side...it appears Ryan Gosling once stayed there and he made it worthwhile, so we plan to do the same. Stand by for our photo.

As for plans...
- Aladdin (Broadway production)
- Hop on Hop off bus tour
- Top of the Rock (but one level down for a drink)
- New York City library (working on convincing Nikey of this one)
- Central Park bike tour
- TV show taping - I am so excited, we already have Kelly and Micheal tickets for one of the days!!
- Brooklyn Bridge
- Times Square/Grand Central Station
- Statue of Liberty
- The High Line

As this trip gets closer, I like to alternate between singing New York, New York and songs from Aladdin. This is only amusing if you know that I can't sing to save my life. Poor Jeff.