Valentine's Day Story for Old Navy

The story of how we met: Hank and I met the night of September 25, 2010. It was our mutual friend's birthday party. I seldom go out alone, but that night I really wanted to wish my childhood friend a happy birthday so I did. Call it fate or destiny because I know if I went with friends or even a singular friend, I wouldn't have had the chance to make conversation with a complete stranger! I was at the bar with the birthday boy when Hank turned around and offered to buy the birthday boy a drink, and by default bought me one too. The birthday boy, being the birthday boy, got pulled away and that's how our story began. Hank was lively, spontaneous and most of all, fun. We chatted the night away~

That night he mentioned planning to check out an art fair in Dumbo, Brooklyn the following day with his friends. He called me first thing in the morning (I can tell he had just woken up from his voice), asking me if I'd like to join him. Behind the scenes he told his friends they no longer have to go with him, making it a "date". Hank wore a beige argyle sweater and I wore a loose fitting t-shirt with a graffiti print of monster characters on the front and back. Hank recalls thinking I must not be interested in him to wear an outfit like that!

It was our first time exploring Dumbo. Being by the water and both Brooklyn and Manhattan bridge, it was very scenic. The best part being that there was art just everywhere, both inside the studios and spilling out on the the streets - even a huge installation on the rocky "beach" that leads into the water. 

It was then it became apparent we make a good fit because I am extremely right brained (creative, visual, imaginative), while he is far left brained (practical, logical, analytical). It was almost like we needed the other and clung to each other. We've been inseparable since. This is where we are different and compliment the other's weaknesses with our strengths, but over time we found ourselves very compatible in many ways. I think traveling with someone, anyone, really reveals a lot about your compatibility. That's when we knew there was something long term. We went on our first vacation together to Napa only a couple months in and were engaged and living together by 6 months. It also helped that we had both been in long term relationships in the past and knew what we were (and were not) looking for.

Hank is the most patient and even-tempered person I've ever met. He makes me feel loved the entire range of ways. From the big gestures to being the most hands on husband/father on an every day basis. On top of that, he loves to make me laugh. I don't think there's enough I could do to live up to how he makes me feel. I've learned what love is from him, it's selfless and about doing whatever it takes to see the other person happy.

All relationships take work. In our case, it's about quality time - especially now that we have a child together, and one on the way! Hank doesn’t have the shortest work hours, so we have to make an effort to make time for each other. I'll even follow him into the bathroom while he showers to take any extra chance to talk to each other. When we are home together, we implemented a no-technology "family hour" for eye-to-eye face time. I think it's really important to connect and cherish what we've built so far, not taking a moment for granted. 

This Valentine's Day, we'll probably celebrate it over a nice relaxing and romantic dinner either out or at home. We often leave the house taking turns watching our son, but rarely just the two of us for dates. When we do get alone time, I love how it reminds me of when we were dating and those early butterfly feels.

Thank you Old Navy for this mini Pre-Valentine's day date around downtown!

Read our more from our interview on Heymama.co!

• Photographed by Stevi Sesin

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A Day in my NYDJ Maternity Jeans

At 5 months pregnant I may be just starting to "show", but I'm in full swing maternity pants mode! My friends used to notice how I never wear jeans. In my 20's I realized how uncomfortable jeans were and naturally phased them out of my wardrobe. This ALL changed with my first pregnancy with Chase. Discovering maternity jeans was like tasting a donut for the first time. It's a whole new world with the elastic waist band, I honestly wonder why we don't wear them all the time! I wore them for at least a year after birth as it was too hard to let them go just yet.

Working from home, I can get away with pjs all day. But on the weekends, my husband and I like to go out for a little adventure. Here's a day in my NYDJ jeans running after Chase and staying comfy all day long at the Botanical Garden!

I love watching him explore!

It was "giant pumpkin weekend"!

Costume I made for him last year.

Chrysanthemums exhibit

'Can you see my bump now?' pose

Watering plants in the green house.

Another successful play date with Charlotte and her family filled with lots of hugs!

I learned an awesome trick to fold the bottom of the pants long-ways, and then rolling them up for a more fitted ankle. 

Shop the look:

I like skinny jeans because as you are expanding, it helps give you more polished look. I recommend getting a size smaller than usual as they run a little loose. 

Maternity Boyfriend

Maternity Legging

Maternity Legging

You can be casual, put together and playful all in one look - I styled my jeans with a neutral palette as this pregnancy is really making me feel neutrals these days. But I'm always one for a little touch of whimsical! 

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Pumpkin Patch

IF YOU PLAN ON TRAVELING HERE READ THESE TIPS FIRST:

Over the weekend we took the Metro North from Grand Central to Croton Falls station for a fun day at Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard up in North Salem, NY! Wear comfy shoes and be warned - they only have porta potties.. You can use the bathroom at Gordon's Deli as soon as you get off the train from Croton Falls station where they happen to have yummy sandwiches! We envisioned a quiet day in nature. Not so~ There's loud (fun) music and dust kicked up by what reminded me of a "Times Square crowd" if you go on a weekend. Last year we were faced with a lot of traffic (from the station to the orchard) and long lines for everything, so we went earlier in the morning this year and it was much better traffic wise. Also prepare to stand still often, there are quite a lot of bees. Lastly, bring cash.

First things first! I've learned that as a parent, your greatest joy comes from watching your child have a blast. Chase quickly spotted the row of bouncy castles in the back so we zipped there first. At 2.5 years old, he was only allowed on 2 of the 3 inflatables. We paid $3 for the bouncy castle where Chase waited patiently on line. Once he got in he realized it is not connected to the slide he saw and stayed for less than 30 seconds. I pushed him back in but he wasn't interested in jumping. So to the big slide we went! It was $2 per turn or $5/3 turns. I paid the $2 to see if he can handle it and he LOVED it! I got him the bundle ticket and let him go 3 more times in a row. I thought it was worth it because he rarely comes across such a giant slide and laughed the entire time. Plus I really enjoyed watching him come down in an "X shape". The 3rd inflatable was an obstacle course for kids older than 6 years.

Pumpkin picking! Got one!

Dancing with his friend Charlotte to the live music during our (second) lunch break! I'll share a video on Instagram - they were soo cute!!

The tacos were pretty good! Do'h - Don't forget to try the homemade cider donuts like we did this time~ Had them last year and they were really good. 

Apple picking: Apparently due to many circumstances such as an extremely hot summer, apples (and pears) were no longer on the trees and only in bins. You can only enter this "picking" section if you are buying a $20 bag. It's worth the short, but steep hike up because there is a great view, fresh air and you can get away from the crowds.

I'm including this because they had the longest line of all. Just FYI: might want to go early if you're interested!

We only picked a couple of mini pumpkins for easier traveling. I would have picked some larger pumpkins had we drove. Grab a single serving cold apple cider while you're paying inside the store - it's so fresh!

Once we got back to Grand Central Station my friend Nancy (Charlotte's mom), whose family spent the day with us, pointed us to Joe & the Juice. I ordered "Joe's Green Mile" and guess who stole it from me. I was happy to share it because he has gotten pickier about his vegetables and it has spinach, avocado and broccoli! It was one of the tastiest juices I got so I am curious to go back and try every flavor. I was a little surprised when I was paying because at $10, it was pricier than Juice Generation which I already find a bit expensive. It will be the occasional treat!

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Memory Lane from exactly a year ago at the same place - looks like we are starting a tradition!

I can't believe he was small enough to put in the bin. Today, those pumpkins would have been squashed to pumpkin pie!

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I got this pumpkin costume last year for the same event and it still fit~ Milking it ;)

Boo at the Zoo

Hi all! It's been a while since I blogged. I've been extremely tired my first trimester, so I had to use all the energy I could muster on work. Now that I'm fully in my second trimester, I am feeling more like myself again~ 

This past weekend my husband and I headed over to "Boo at the Zoo" at the Bronx Zoo, via the 2 subway train (from Manhattan). We were excited for Chase's first Halloween parade which they hold at noon and 2pm! There are 3 more weekends left until their last day on October 30th and I recommend it if you want to feel the Halloween spirit with your family!

With this pregnancy, my back has been killing me when I sit and work all day, so it was nice to leisurely walk the entire park!

They have a small art station where kids can color pumpkins - next to the pumpkin carving demonstrations.

The space is perfect for toddlers to run around safely and freely. If you are around children, you how helpful that can be. Dippin' dots was my ultimate favorite ice cream as a kid, so I was excited they had a stand (it was by the mouse house/4D theater when we went). When Chase is well behaved we allow him to share a treat! We got the "festive" orange colored ice cream by chance since it is not pictured on their menu: the flavor is cookies and cream. My go to flavor (on the bottom) is banana split!

As we entered the Hay Maze, we passed at least 5 kids saying the maze was not a "maze" at all and they found it unchallenging. You can see from this image why they thought so because you can see above it. However Chase, being 2.5 years old, had the biggest smile on his face and copied the older kids running after them. 

Chase loves making friends! His costume is from last year so you can see the bottom part is open. Last year he didn't want to wear this costume at all - it went back in the closet after 1 photo for the 'gram. I thought if we were lucky he will be distracted and just keep it on for the parade. But everyone points out each other's costumes and shower compliments - Chase soaked it up! He would pull the hoodie over his head as he went up to people to show off his costume! He was proud to be a shark and kept it on the entire day! Literally took it off once we got home in our apartment lobby.

If you eat in the outdoor food court, peacocks will come right up to you. They've been around picking up fries for as long as I can remember (decades ago haha). I will share a cute video of Chase gently running after them on Instagram: "peacock escapes shark".

There are candy stations around the park so bring a trick or treating bag! This sweet kid is about to share with Chase when his mom mindfully points out that Chase might be too young for candy. We did bring a small bag for Chase to use, but once we got here we saw that the barrels are taller than his height. He couldn't see the candy - phew! They are smart. I grabbed a bag of mini sized gummy bears (it was in the Zoo Center when we went) and used one gummy at a time to bribe him throughout the day.

As part of the parade, there are several characters and they hang out throughout the park as well. They came to the food court while we ate lunch - Chase was a bit nervous of this grasshopper! So we stayed at the back of the parade away from the tall mascots. They might be intimidating for little ones but the older kids were fascinated and posed for photos with them.

Nap time! All the excitement will knock a toddler out. There are lots of peaceful nooks to calm them. He wanted to see snakes, so we saved that part of the park for when he woke back up. I won't post photos of them in case you have a phobia. He said "Hi" to every snake~

We got general tickets and we barely covered half those sections because of all the halloween stops. The Jack O'Lantern exhibit is an additional $3 per person or covered by an upgraded ticket (addition $14 per person). We made it at 4:50 and they let us in for free since the zoo closes at 5. Good thing because its held in the dark bat cave with spooky music and Chase did not want to stay in there. He left saying "no pumpkins". It was cute overhearing some of the older kids wondering if the jellyfish pumpkins (pictured above) were really in water.

My husband and I went to the park making note to appreciate and really enjoy the fact that it's just the three of us! Once in a life time memories to cherish :)

Side note: I've been wearing these Mickey Mouse leggings often since it became fall. Many of you ask where they are from. I got them at a market in Korea - if you've been to any markets in Asia, you know they often don't have any official brand tags and commonly "one of". They seem like a really easy iron-on DIY with patches. I opened up Amazon and looks like appliques go for only a couple dollars (I found a mixed dozen for $4!). Tag and show me if you make any!

Lastly, I don't want to be a mood killer or anything. But I will disclose saying - yes we had a wonderful day and I want to relive it! All I want as a mother is to watch Chase have fun, laugh and learn. However zoos are a bit depressing for the animals.. The polar bear was pacing back and forth and it looked extremely boring in there.. I can't imagine any man made space doing justice for lions.. I will teach Chase that animals should be free in the wild. 

Get the look:

Last minute Halloween shopping? Be ready for lots of "aww"s with a shark costume!

Use code "MAINEVENT16" for these looks on Shopbop.com until Oct 14, 2016 for up to 30% off!

Aaaaaaand~ shameless plug from my line:

Thanks for reading!! Let me know what you and/or your kid is going to be dressed as this year! Chase will be Marshall from Paw Patrol on Halloween weekend :)

Castle Dreaming

During the middle of our Spain trip, we got to sneak away to a romantic Languedoc France. We took the train and as we got closer to Languedoc, the scenery become more tranquil and stunningly serene. The high speed train was so smooth and we whizzed by horses, vineyards and a large lake. It's funny - I think the freshest baguette sandwich I ever had was at a train station during a transfer in France. I had no idea Hank planned a Michelin star lunch so I accidentally spoiled my appetite a bit with 2 of those sandwiches (no regrets). We stayed in a fortified town called Carcassone in the south of France. We stayed at Hotel de la Cite which is the most charming hotel straight out of a medieval fairytale. You step outside the hotel and the basilica is right there. Because the bulk of the people there were tourists, the town felt a bit like Disney World's Epcot except everything is actually authentic. Nonetheless, we admired the church and headed out to edge where we got hit by the wind and soaked in the views. There was something so fresh and exciting about being here with my husband, I was excited to see him in his element during this leg of the trip and spontaneously go out to explore with my "adventure buddy". He was especially excited for our wine tasting tour that took us out to a couple local vineyards and another picturesque town, Minerve. I wish we had taken our time to explore it since it is known as one of the most beautiful towns in France and some of the views reminded me of the Grand Canyon. Because we were with a group and it was unfortunately a bit rushed. During our tour it was my first time trying organic and live wines (In case you are wondering, I am not pregnant yet so it was safe to try the live bottle - which I liked and learned I like "tannin"). Ugh, without a doubt the best part of France was the price of their wine. It's ludicrous how expensive a glass is here in NY compared to their 2.5 euro. A side note: Feeling a bit adventurous I ordered "black pudding" and apple salad - turns out it means "blood sausage"! Being Korean we have something similar so it wasn't bad, but it was definitely not what I anticipated. I think my husband knew what I was ordering and gave me no warning, haha. 

Packing wise - cute outfits are fun, but hey I'm on vacation and nothing feels better than stealing my husband's cozy cardigan come the moment to put an outfit on. I noticed I wore the buttons unaligned when I was uploading these photos - a sure sign of a relaxing time~. It's always a good idea to pack a set of comfortable clothes for back up because at the end of the day, you want to feel good and enjoy yourself! Lastly, you're in luck~ I found the embroidered blouse I'm wearing at a market from our last trip to Korea- I typed in "bohemian top" to find something similar since I figured some of you might ask about it- and I found the exact one! (Korean markets often sell wholesale to brands). It happens to fall under both "cute outfit" and "comfortable outfit" so it's a winner! Well, that's the last of our week and a half in Europe - next stop, Paris!

Postcards from Barcelona, Part 3

Park Güell

Park Güell

Brunch and Cake

Park Güell

Chok

Park Güell

Sagrada Familia

La Rambla

Brunch and Cake

Park Güell

Sagrada Familia

Park Güell

Palau Guell

Dunkin Coffee on La Rambla

Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia

Casa Batllo 

El Nacional

Pika Pika

Chok

El Born CC

Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia

View of Passeig de Gracia from Airbnb

Oh man, how do you put into words the work of Gaudi. It's no secret that he is a huge part of what makes Barcelona a special place. Sagrada Familia (angels chiming *ahhhhhh*) is TRULY a gem. My jaw dropped to see the stained glass in this enormous space is ombre! The sun light piercing through was just magical and breath taking to say the least. I was lucky to have come back 16 years later and it caught me off guard to see new parts of the building I did not remember from 2000 (a 10th grade Spanish class trip). Turns out it was only half built back then. I remember climbing the spiral stairs up a tower, terrified that there's no guard rail, holding onto the wall as I courageously made it to the top. Now they have an elevator! It's pretty cool to see people still working on it both from the outside and inside (by the museum) on a structure started over a hundred years ago. Can't wait to come back with Chase when he's old enough to appreciate it and perhaps it will finally be complete by then! Each of Gaudi's creations are pretty spectacular, Park Guell is a sunny day in tangible form and FYI Palau Guell is free on the first Sunday of each month. If you like visiting historic and architectural spaces, the MUHBA was more interesting than I honestly expected it to be - you can walk around Roman ruins discovered under street level with all sorts of shops and homes in a rather small vicinity.

Tamara from Theglamandglitter was in Barcelona just before me and recommended Chok, a chocolate and donut specialty shop. Don't expect a sit down cafe, just a couple seats for a quick bite and the most fabulous concoctions! I am so glad she recommended this spot because we went back anytime we were near one. The cronuts are beautifully garnished, we got a white chocolate one with edible flowers and a an amazing tarty crunchy topping. Contrary to how they look, they're not too sweet so you can manage to eat an entire donut. It's really hard to choose a flavor - their combos are really sophisticated and interesting! I also got a package of dark chocolate covered potato chips for the road which is perfect for a salty tooth like me.

I absolutely have loved this Self Portrait dress for ages! The powder blue was perfect for Park Guell but a lot of shoes were dressing the dress too up. I wanted to wear it casually and the weather was non committal, so I paired it with boots. Try wearing your favorite dresses this spring whenever or wherever you want by accessorizing appropriately! 

Post cards from Barcelona, Part 2

Sagrada Familia

Castell de Montjuic

Ciutadela Park

Ciutadela Park, wearing Shopbop

Montjuic Botanical Garden

Brunch and Cake

Ciutadela Park

Montjuic

Ciutadela Park

Barceloneta Beach

Port Vell, view from cable car

Ciutadella Park

Barceloneta Beach

Barceloneta Beach

Mirador de Colom

Barceloneta Beach

Tibidabo

Tibidabo

Tibidabo

Brunch and Cake by the Sea

Brunch and Cake by the Sea

Montjuic

La Rambla, view from Mirador de Colom

Placa de Gaudi

Placa de Gaudi

Montjuic

Montjuic, wearing Shopbop

MUHBA

El Nacional

Ciutadela Park

Welcome back for Part 2 of our trip! I mashed together some of my "naturey" photos and ended up with a parks list. I have come to realize I have a soft spot for parks when I travel. When you're running around seeing all the sights, it's especially relaxing to sit and listen to some water trickling while soaking in the surrounding culture. My favorite place was Ciutadela Park, as we went back twice by choice. There's something about this park that brought out a sense of home away from home. It reminded me of a condensed Central Park in NY, except this park has palm trees galore! 

We also went back to the beach for a second time. The first time, we stumbled upon it on our way to the cable car that takes you up to Montjuic. We saw people selling blankets and decided to come back for a picnic if we had time. On our last day we happened to walk by the beach again. Before making it to the sand, we got distracted by some people making large bubbles for the crowd. It was then I noticed groups of people buzzing around on electric bikes and scooters of all kinds. Right there in the middle of the board walk we spotted a rental place and had a spontaneous ride! I definitely recommend going along the entire boardwalk this way. It was so fun that had we discovered it sooner I may have convinced my husband to do all day rentals everyday~ 

El Nacional is a gem! There are multiple restaurants in one large open space with THE most fabulous interior. Our Airbnb was just around the block and I would have missed it had I not just seen it on my friend's instagram (@mjtraynor). I think we tried most of the sections and I can't really recommend one over the other. The tapas section was a unique experience because they come around announcing available plates in their hand (kind of like dim sum carts). Definitely check out this space if you're in the neighborhood!