South Street Seaport (Pier 17)

The Seaport and Pier 17 have a rich history as impactful to NYC as Times Square, Central Park, and Wall Street. Featuring some of the oldest architecture in downtown Manhattan, the South Street Seaport includes the largest concentration of restored early 19th Century commercial buildings in the city. This includes renovated original mercantile buildings, renovated sail ships, and the former Fulton Fish Market. It also has a modern twist, including a tourist mall, putt putt golf, phenomenal seafood restaurants, shopping, music, great nightlife, and the most spectacular view of the Brooklyn Bridge in the city. In fact, this cultural marketplace along the breath-taking Lower Manhattan waterfront is a gateway to the harbor and one of the greatest places in the city for shopping, dining, and listening to live music. The Seaport even offers free concerts all summer long, making this place the destination that literally has something for everyone. And you don't even have to break the bank! You can make it a family affair putt putting along the waterfront, a girl's night out of shopping and dancing, or a romantic evening for two enjoying great dining and an intimate walk along the pier.

Why "30" Has Become the New "20"

Having worked in the beauty industry for over a decade, I've come into contact with my fair share of women looking for the miracle-worker of everlasting youth. Today more and more women are spending thousands of dollars a year and going through a multitude of products looking for a miraculous over night make-over. And, sadly, many, not able to find this imaginary ghost of a product, are turning to botox injections and plastic surgery. Well, being a huge advocate of not physically altering our God-given bodies, I'm here to tell you that there are ways of keeping your skin youthful and glowing without such extremities or a hefty price tag.
#1)The key is moisturization and you must be consistent! It doesn't matter how expensive the cream is, just be sure you use a brand you trust and be sure it has an SPF of at least 15, but most importantly, apply it daily, both in the morning and at night. This is the most important thing you can do for your skin to avoid wrinkles. I love Estee Lauder and Lancome but for a more cost-effective brand try Neutrogena. #2)Exfoliation. Two to three times a week you need to exfoliate your skin in order to slough off dead skin so that the moisturizer can penetrate all the way down to the root of the problem. If you put cream on top of dead skin cells, which accumulate on our skin daily, it just sits on the surface and does absolutely no good. #3)NEVER go to a tanning bed, ever! If you currently do, STOP! The UVA rays put off by them are detrimental to your skin, causing it to look crapey and aging you at a much faster pace. Also, never lay out in the natural sunlight without an SPF of 15 or higher all over your body and face. And make sure the SPF isn't outdated or it loses all it's effectiveness. And the average product with SPF only has a shelf-life of about one year. #4)Lay off the caffeine which prevents your body from making good use of the vitamins and minerals in your food and leaves you looking tired. Drink plenty of water instead which helps keep skin hydrated and looking fresh. And get plenty of sleep, preferably 8 hours each night. Lack of sleep can cause the appearance of unsightly puffiness and dark circles around the eyes. #5)Stop stressing!!! Stress can cause your body to do a frenzy of things, including some pretty serious medical complications. And it can also impact how you physically look. If you have a lot of stress in your life, take up yoga or start an exercise regime that will help you release negative energy. Remember, the better you feel on the inside reflects how you look on the outside. All in all, after having just celebrated my 30th birthday myself and having followed these 5 simple steps, I feel and look better than ever. My skin looks and feels better than it did 10 years ago and I'm confident and more ready than ever to show my fresh face to the world!

Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Extravaganza

Featuring more than 40,000 shells exploding at a rate of more than 1,500 per minute, Macy's definitely agrees bigger is better as far as fireworks are concerned! And with fireworks reaching heights of 1,000 feet in the air, they could be seen for miles in the perfect night sky on this year's 4th of July holiday celebration. Between 24th and 50th Streets on the west side of Manhattan, Macy's displayed six barges from which fireworks were shot into the sky with the ever-so beautiful New York City skyline as it's magical backdrop. "American Harmony" was the theme of this years 2010 fireworks spectacular featuring The New York Pops orchestra, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and some of America's top vocal groups all perfectly aligned with the fireworks extravaganza. It was like nothing I've ever seen or heard before! It was basically every big city's fireworks display times six, literally. From the vibrant colors and designs to the most riveting soundtrack around,  New York City just keeps proving to me that it's "the" place to be.

The Jersey Shore (minus "Snookie" and "the Situation")

The Jersey Shore consists of 131 miles of New Jersey coastal area from Sandy Hook in the North to Cape May in the South. It also includes a wide range of beaches along the eastern part of the Jersey coast including Monmouth, Atlantic, and Ocean counties. What was once known as the most polluted group of beaches in the nation has now become part of the most rigorously tested ocean water around, leaving it with the cleanest water in the mid-Atlantic Region. My husband and I went to Monmouth and were surprised at how beautiful it was. It was nothing like we had expected. It even had some pretty high waves. Not good enough to surf but definitely body-boardilicious! As we drove down Ocean Avenue I started bobbing my head, thinking about all the songs written about this incredible place. And, though the shore has been famously mentioned in countless songs throughout the years due to it's many celebrity ridden rock and roll bars, along with it's proximity to NYC, it really rose to national fame in 2009 with the MTV launching of it's beyond expected hit sensation, "The Jersey Shore", even though the Italian-American cast members aren't actual residents of the area. Though "Snookie" nor "the Situation" were anywhere in sight, we definitely saw our share of "guido's". You know who I'm talking about: buff, oiled, and tan with a strong Jersey accent talking about "chicks" and getting a new "ride". It definitely made for an entertaining day at the beach! So, grab a spray-on tan, a bottle of oil, and practice your Jersey twang and we'll see you at the shore!

Capturing "The City"

I know I'm not the only one out there secretly obsessed with reality television so don't judge me just because I'm one of the few who has enough guts to admit it. I, Lorrie from NYC, am a huge fan of both of MTV's hit reality shows "The Hills" and "The City". I feel like I should be at an AA meeting or something. But, in all seriousness, along with "The Hills" former leading lady, Lauren Conrad, my favorite cast member on the show has always been Whitney Port. Aside form her great "genes" (in both the hereditary and the denim type), career obsession, and unforgiving drive, Whitney seemed like the all-American, down-to-earth, "girl next door". So, obviously, when she got her own spin-off of "The Hills" and moved to "The City" to pursue her dreams in the world of fashion, I became an instant fan. So, when I was walking through Washington Square the other day and saw her filming an episode of "The City" with her spunky vixenesque co-star Roxy Olin, I was more than ecstatic, especially since I happened to have my camera by my side. I've learned the hard way that in this city, having your camera with you is as important as your wallet because you never know who or what you're going to see! And she was just as gorgeous and flawless in person as she always has been on the show. It was so incredible to watch one of my favorite shows happen right before my very eyes. Living in this city definitely has its perks--it's always exciting and you never know what's waiting for you around the next corner!

Sick in the City

Okay, so being sick is pretty much my least favorite feeling in the world. The stuffy head, chilling fever, nasal congestion, chest-wrenching cough, throat-on-fire feeling combined with the inability to breath, eat, or sleep, for that matter, is nothing short of a nightmare. But, what makes it all even worse is the reality of city life. In a city where the soles of your shoes replace the tires of your car, it is by no means fun to get your exhausted, lifeless body to take the 10 block hike to the nearest doctor, much less then have to walk 2 miles the opposite direction to the closest pharmacy to fill your prescription. Oh the woes of living in the city of transportation hell. In fact, I'm pretty sure I got the horrid illness from the guy hacking his guts out next to me on the subway just the other day. Guess I need to make a visit to my nearest Bath and Body Works to stock up on more antibacterial gels to ward off the evil germs spread by the careless people who neglect to cover their mouths when coughing up a lung in public!

Fashionista's Unite

In today's economy if you dare pay full price for anything you're crazy! It's as simple as the basic rules of supply and demand. With a lower demand on products due to a widespread lack of income, the supply increases thus lowering prices. So, many retailers are now offering all sorts of coupons and promotional discounts and all you have to do is supply them with your e-mail address. I get numerous e-mails weekly from all of my favorite retailers, such as Bath and Body Works, Victoria's Secret, Express, Macy's, and even Abercrombie and Fitch, to name a few. Their offers vary from free products with purchases to up to 40% off your entire purchase and even free shipping if you order online. So, as my mother has always said, "any fool can pay full price". Also, many grocery stores and even my favorite "everything" store, Target, now offer a variety of easily printable coupons to redeem in stores. I've saved up to over $25 at a time, with coupons alone. And living in a city that is as expensive as this, every little bit helps! I've even discovered an incredible new website called "I love free things" (www.ilovefreethings.com). Basically, you go there and they provide you with all these fantastic offers for free samples and products. You choose the ones you like, give them your mailing address and it's mailed to you like magic within 4-6 weeks. I've gotten free face cream, body wash, socks,  razors, coffee, coupons for free food redeemable at any grocery store, and even a free pantie from American Apparel. And, to top it all off, no junk mail! Pretty sweet deal, if you ask me. And I can never pass up a great deal!!!