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How a Christmas Desk Paved the Way for Small Space Hospitality

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Adding a desk to our kids’ bedroom launched an apartment reshuffling akin to a game of musical chairs. The desk was the last player standing, so to speak, as we shed the outgrown or underused contents of our New York City apartment–all for the sake of making our home a welcoming gathering place. My eldest daughter had included a desk on her Christmas wish list . For a suburban family with ample room, this would have been a no-brainer. As a mom fitting a household of six into a two-bedroom apartment, however, her wish seemed unrealistic. I saw the value in upgrading our toddler table to a scale appropriate for my eight, ten, and twelve year olds. An extra workstation would come in handy, especially considering they often invite friends over for homework playdates. However, we needed to think outside the box to seriously entertain the idea. Two bunk beds, two dressers, and a bookshelf monopolized all four walls in the kids’ bedroom, so where could we squeeze in a desk? As an experiment, ...
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Head to Midtown West to Hit Some of NYC’s Best New Highlights

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As part of my new school year’s resolution to more regularly venture out of my neighborhood, I recently explored New York City’s revitalized Midtown West along the Hudson River. Despite having lived in NYC for more than 17 years, most of my time spent along this waterfront has been in a car, en route to the Lincoln Tunnel. Last week, however, a doctor’s appointment in midtown inspired me to tack on a fun outing while in the area. I set off on foot, determined to discover this delightful section of town up close.  Hudson River Park I began my day perched on a bench just south of the Intrepid Museum and gazed over the inlet, sectioned off for kayaking so that paddlers aren't capsized by approaching cruise ships. I took in the huge aircraft carrier, amazed as always by its sheer size and imposing stature, docked right here in the Big Apple. The early hour made the setting quite serene. A pair of police horses added some ambience as they walked slowly along the bike path. I set off o...
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I Make My Resolutions in September

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As hot August nights roll into crisp September mornings, I kick back into gear. My body knows that something is up. I naturally begin waking up earlier despite my love of sleeping in. Perhaps this is because, after nine weeks of summer, I’ve finally caught up on all the sleep I missed during school-year mornings. Most likely, these earlier wakeups are prompted by my mind gearing up for all the new beginnings September holds. Even more so than in January, I catch myself making resolutions for the new year in September. I’ve lived my entire life to the rhythm of the academic year–first as a student, then as a teacher, and now as a mom of four school-age kids. As a result, Labor Day has always been the beginning of my year.  And I love it. It’s a chance to start anew. Fresh folders and perfectly pointy pencils. Revamped routines and optimistic outlooks. I’m recharged from summer and ready to return some structure to my days. The sky's the limit.  As a stay-at-home mom , I h...
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Barcelona Day 5: Castle and Harbor

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Late Monday morning, we took a cab up to the very top of Montjuic, where we admired the sweeping views of the Mediterranean and the vast city of Barcelona from the vantage point of the castle, which served as a lookout tower (guards could send signals down to the city with daytime flags or nighttime fire if an enemy ship approached), prison, and execution site over the years. We wandered through the tiered plazas of the Jardins del Mirador with more great mosaics, dry fountains, switchback gardens, and forested paths downhill to the Teleferic del Port cable car. It carried us across the expansive port with its yachts and cruise ships and down to the sliver of beach.  We lingered at a beachfront bar, where I waded in the sea before cooling off with cava sangria (my new favorite drink), a mojito, and white wine. Locals used the beach as their gym, running sprints in the sand and doing pullups on the bars. We hopped over to a restaurant next to the W Barcelona for more wine, tapas...
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Barcelona Day 4: Art and Opera

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On Sunday we slept in, only setting our alarms for 9:00 a.m. to catch the tail end of breakfast: churros with chocolate, melt-in-your-mouth potatoes and eggs, and a salad (because I was craving fresh veggies after our meat-, cheese-, and bread-heavy restaurant diet). We perused the Picasso Museum that morning during a pocket of unscheduled time. Favorites included a blue still life with doves perched on a window and Picasso's many variations of Velazquez’s Las Meninas painting. Apparently, Picasso preferred to study the masters by copying their work at the Museo del Prado in Madrid rather than by sitting in a classroom. Afterwards, we picked out pottery and tile magnets at a shop, wandered around the greenhouse and lakefront fountain in the Parc de la Ciutadella, and shopped for a hand-made leather bag at an atelier.  We strolled north for a late lunch at Els Quatre Gats, the restaurant where Picasso held his first solo exhibition. A delicious seafood paella and brisket with g...
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Barcelona Day 3: Mountain and Vineyard

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With Saturday came a total change of scenery in the form of a day trip out of the city to Montserrat Monastery and Oller Winery about an hour northwest of Barcelona in the physical, cultural, and spiritual heart of Catalunya. We navigated the multi-level bus depot Estacion Del Norte, met our peppy tour guide Leslie (dad joke expert), and listened to 2,000 years of Catalan history in 20 minutes. Apparently Barcelona was originally a Roman outpost useful for trading along the Mediterranean Sea. Under Franco's dictatorship (Franco was buddies with Mussolini and Hitler), attending Catholic mass was mandatory and speaking in Catalan was illegal–but the language survived with the help of subversive monks and congregants who continued to chant in their native tongue during mass. We transferred to a cogwheel train and ascended Montserrat (which means Serrated Mountain), recognizable by its knobby crest like a dragon's back that likely inspired the towers of La Sagrada Familia and...
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