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Spring Break in New Orleans

We just returned from five glorious days in New Orleans! I have always wanted to visit the city and finally decided to go for it by combining the girls’ spring break and J and my anniversary trip.

J and I are too old to participate in the raucous activities that one usually associates with NOLA, and we obviously can’t do it with two tweens in tow. But we still had a great time in the city because it has such a rich history and culture — and the locals are so friendly and welcoming. This isn’t to say that we didn’t have any adult fun. I always had a bloody mary or a mimosa with brunch and a cocktail or two with dinner every night, and they make those drinks very strong in New Orleans!




On our second night, we took a Haunted History Tour — a two-hour walking tour featuring the city’s ghosts, true crime, vampires, voodoo, and other frightful history. Although it was a lot of walking (and a couple of people in our group dropped out midway because they were too tired), our girls had a blast and Aerin even cited this tour as her favorite part of the trip. Who knew Jackson Square, now a picturesque park, had such a gruesome history?

New York Basketball Is Back

You see, I've been a Knicks fan since the 90s. I cried when we lost the Finals in 1999. I know we had a glimmer of hope with Melo (and we can't forget Linsanity), but you can't deny that being a Knicks fan in the past 20 years has been tough. But two years ago, we finally made the Playoffs. Sure, we were knocked out in the first round. But the excitement was palpable. With Julius Randle, that year's MIP, the Knicks were relevant again. And this year, with the acquisition of Jalen Brunson, we're even better. And as of now, on March 6, 2023, we're on a 9-game winning streak — the longest in the NBA. And people are taking notice. Last...

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Skincare Device Reviews: NuFACE, Light Salon, & Medicube

As a self-proclaimed geek, it's a give-in that I incorporate technology into my skincare routine. There are three devices I have been rotating regularly, and they are: the NuFACE Trinity (with Eye and Lip Enhancer attachment), the Light Salon Boost LED Face Mask, and the Medicube Age-R Ussera Deep Shot. The NuFACE Trinity is the one device where I can see an immediate effect upon use. The device sends microcurrents down to the muscles of the face to tone, lift, and contour, eventually reducing lines and wrinkles. I swear that when I do one half of my face, it looks more lifted than the other half! I actually have the NuFACE Trinity with the Eye and Lip Enhancer attachment. The Eye and...

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Simple Skincare Routine, Early 40s Skin

As I've gotten older, I've pared down my skincare routine greatly. Gone are the days of the 10-step routine. Time is too precious. Simple, effective products are key. Although I don't use TikTok (I'm too old 😝), I do read about the big trends and I discovered skin cycling last year. Basically, the concept is: Night 1: Exfoliation Night 2: Retinoid Nights 3 & 4: Recovery Since I hadn't been using retinoids every day anyway, I began skin cycling ever since I read about the concept and I have to say I really like the results! Anyway, back to the routine. My morning routine is as follows: Cleanse (water cleanser) Essence Sunscreen That's it. Because of skin cycling, my night routine is a bit more complicated: Cleanse (oil cleanser) Cleanse (water cleanser) Exfoliate...

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It’s Been a Minute

So it's been more than five years since I've last written here. I debated even keeping this blog up every time I got a bill for web hosting or a received a renewal notice for the domain name. But I had written here since 2006 and there are 2,156 posts on this blog (2,157 now). I know I could've just archived it but I had put too much work into it. I have learned much, gotten many opportunities, and met many wonderful people through this blog. 😊 And when more than a few people recently suggested I start blogging again, I decided to dust off the cobwebs. So let's see. What's happened in the past five years? Well, in 2018, my family...

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