I Heart Local Business: A Restaurant Review

I went to business school (Fordham University CBA) and while I can't say that joining corporate America is my "calling", I can say that my education and business experience (I've worked in advertising for 8 years) has given me certain roots in organizational leadership and the passion for making things better. While I am still trying to figure out how to blend career with calling and use my talents to "make things better" I am extremely grateful and supportive of organizations that start with one person's idea to simply -- make things better.

I love small businesses and as a consumer, I make an effort to support local restaurants and shops by choosing them over a big chain. I think it is important for so many reasons... especially because I live in the Bronx and it is the 1 borough in New York City that is so underrated. People always seem so surprised when I tell them I live in a safe, family oriented, awesome neighborhood. Morris Park in the Bronx is a great place to live! Playground, public library, lots of local shops and .. RESTAURANTS. Really, really good restaurants I might add.

A new burger shop opened up in the area called "The Stand" and my husband and I could not wait to try it! Our first visit did not really go so well and because I really do care about local business, I followed up with a review on their Facebook page. I hoped that this was an isolated incident and said as much in my review. To my delight, the owner of The Stand immediately contacted me via Facebook.  To help make the situation right and keep me as a customer, the owner offered me and a guest a complimentary meal.  I immediately decided to give it another chance and brought my camera along this time to post a new review:

I got the classic cheeseburger with cheese fries, chicken strips for Aiden and bacon cheeseburger for the hubster :)

Seriously guys, it was cooked to perfection!

It really meant a lot to me that the owner invited me for a free meal... it showed that my business meant something to them and I thought it was really cool of them to do that. I have to say, that I do not regret giving The Stand a second chance. The food was divine and the service was great! The staff is friendly and helpful and I love the overall "feel" of the place:

Really fun vibe in decor

Front of the restaurant

Front counter

Would I go back to The Stand? Absolutely! And I will... many, many times! I am so glad this place is in my neighborhood!  So.. if you are in Morris Park, Trust me when I say -- GO TO THE STAND! You won't be disappointed :)

Fun Family Weekend

Since having a baby, there is definitely a different dynamic, something that makes our time together (the 3 of us) so special. The past few months have been a whirlwind to say the least and we've had constant visitors to see the new baby - which is awesome, I love to show him off! But, our alone time is so important and I love when we have days together as a family.

This weekend, we decided to hang out and take Aiden to the zoo. He has reached the stage where he is interested in everything around him and I do my best to make the most of that and give him as much stimulation as possible. He LOVED all the new sights the zoo had to offer! We took him to each animal and I read some of the info to him as he stared at them. He seemed most interested in the monkeys and started "talking" to them which was so cute! Whenever J.J. pulled out his camera to take a picture though, Aiden's focus would shift from the animals to the camera immediately... I sense he will be a techy geek just like his Daddy.

Aiden getting his 1st look at the monkeys

Aside from his favorite (the monkeys) he got to see a live seal show, the world of birds, and a full Madagascar exhibit. We sat on a bench and nursed, and then he napped in his stroller while Mama and Daddy checked out the Lions, Tigers, and Bears (oh my!) We are definitely going to purchase a membership so that we can take Aiden back to the zoo frequently. I love helping him explore!

On Saturday we took a trip to the supermarket and ran some errands together. We spent some special time just playing with Aiden, reading him books and making him laugh. His sleep schedule is working out really well. He is usually in bed between 7pm and 8pm and won't wake for his first feeding until about midnight. Our friends the Lopez's came over for dinner and a movie and we were able to hang out while Aiden slept the whole time.

Sunday was a rainy day so we just lounged around the apartment. Our friends the Agbai's came over for dinner and we got take-out from my favorite Chinese spot... yum! Aiden got to see their adorable 1 year old Nia and it was cool to see him interact with her.

Overall, it was an amazing weekend and it made leaving for work this morning pretty tough :(

Ohh before I forget; we also started using cloth diapers this weekend. We only have 5 diapers that we got as a gift and they've been too big for Aiden to use until now. Since we don't have a washing machine in the apartment, I have been apprehensive to give this a try but I found some great online resources and blogs of other mommies who have made this work washing the diapers by hand. Stay tuned for my follow up post about the weekend of cloth diapering. Not sure if it will stick, but it could be really nice to at least do it part-time and save some money. We'll see =)

Aiden having tummy time in his cloth diaper. They are really cute!

Happy Things

As many of you know, I am an incredibly busy lady... I work full-time, I'm a full-time graduate student, I sing with The Symphony Chorus and at my church New Season Christian Center, I teach Sunday school, I am a wife, an expectant mother and have a home to run... it can get quite stressful!! Somehow I manage to have a social life too, don't ask me how! It's kind of in my nature to multi-task and it's hard for me to limit myself on my activities because they are my "happy things". In my ideal world, I'd just give up my full-time job so that I can have time for all these other things that I love so much - ha! With Baby Picon on his way, I know that I will have to cut some stuff out of my schedule, but he is going to be my "ultimate happy thing" so I am not complaining =)

Still, it is nice to have quiet time to myself or down time with my husband. I have a few other "Happy Things" that get me from one day to the next with a smile on my face:

Manicures

I go to a really nice spot near my job called Lily Nails and get a manicure about once every two weeks. It takes about 15 minutes and then I usually stay and read a magazine while my nails dry for another 10 minutes. This little break is perfect in the middle of a busy day at the office.

My Nook

This is what saves me during my commute! It's about an hour and a half each way to and from work so I take the time to read books that I love. I'm really into Fiction (but I love Joyce Meyer so I'll read anything by her) so I like anything with a good story and fun writing style. Currently, I am reading "The Lost Hero" a spin off from the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series. YESS this is a children's book!! I keep trying to recreate my "Harry Potter" experience but so far nothing is as good. This series is really fun though and I enjoy reading it. Still, it's no Harry Potter. AND don't knock children's books! LOL if you haven't read the Harry Potter series you've been missin.

Pandora

I love listening to music on Pandora because it's so random and i love being surprised by new songs and new artists. I mostly listen to a station based on Josh Groban because I adore him and love anything that sounds like that. I wouldn't call myself a classical music junkie but I have developed a love and appreciation for it over the past two years. It is sooooo much better than all that fake crap out there that people call music. REAL INSTRUMENTS not computerized sounds... it's like a miracle! lol

Facebook

Yea, yea I have issues. I am on FB most of the day simply because reading about my friends and looking at new photos or articles they post gets me through the day! It's a fun way to take a break from office stress and what can I say? I love Facebook. I joined Facebook way back in the stone age when it was only intended for college students... it's been interesting to see how popular it has become.

Enrico's Pastry Shop

My new favorite bakery right in my neighborhood. They serve yummy Italian pastries and a great espresso. My favorite right now is a custard filled powder donut ...as much as I love them I try not to stop in too often but I admit that I see them about once a week :)

The Bachelor

I can't believe I'm admitting this but YES I watch... it's just entertaining television. I'm really smart, I am!! I made straight A's my first semester of grad school LOL.

Apricot Scrub

One wash of my face with this stuff and I instantly feel energized!

Aveeno Lavender stress-relief lotion

I can't explain it.. maybe it's the aroma therapy but this is a really great happy thing.

Fage Greek Yogurt with honey

It's like my new crack!! LOL Soooo yummy!

It's just nice to find joy in simple things and I'm learning more and more how important it is to appreciate and take time for these little things in life. There are many, many more but this is a short list of my "happy things". Do you have any "happy things"?

XO,

April