I never noticed cars until I got my very own. Similarly, engagement rings were off my radar until my future husband popped the question. Now that I’m a married lady, not only do I notice the jewels, I notice how women wear their jewels. A trend I’ve seen around town is to wear your wedding band sans engagement ring and chances are that you’ve taken note too. Marisa Meltzer of the New York Post recently wrote her take on the phenomenon. Check out her article here: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/fashion/with_the_band_Pt1n6uwDguPYuulp40n2eK
At UrbanNewlyweds we ask the tough, insightful questions that we want to get to the bottom of! So, please enlighten us!
Planning a holiday and want to bring your fur kid along? We’ve got transportation covered, but what about lodging where Buster is welcomed too? Believe it or not, there’s a website that can help you with that! Checkout www.officialpethotels.com A search engine dedicated to (you got it) hotels that allow pets! Genius! It’s as simple as typing in your destination city and stay dates. Honestly, how did humankind carry on without the internet? Thanks Al Gore!
Pictured is the Travel Dog House which can be purchased here: www.wannekes.com
Calling all urban wives, urban husbands, and urban milkaholics in general! Yeah Lindsay, I’m talking to you. Who out there has ever wondered why we New Yorkers get not one, but two sell by dates on our milk containers? We fortunate souls find a NYC sell by date and an outside NYC sell by date. Yet the question remains, why? And why are the NYC sell by dates typically three days earlier than the outside world?
Feeling sleuthy, I googled this topic and found the answers I was looking for. Because everything you read on the internets is true, riiight!? I had to unearth a New York Times article from 1982 to make sure the answers I found via Google were legit. Yes, this article is older than moi, but the explanation remains the same nearly thirty (really? oy veh) years later.
Moo juice, as I like to call it in our household, is more likely to stand unrefrigerated for longer periods of time before it arrives at it’s New York City destination and also on the journey from store to home. Thus, spoilage hastens. The city’s Health Department and milk inspector (yes, we have our very own milk inspector!) determined that our milk correspondingly has a shorter self life than the rest of the country. This is also part of the reason why our milk has a higher markup. And there you have it folks!
Ok questions answered, but is this for real? You mean to tell me that the bodega in Jersey City or corner store in Chicagoland is more efficient than the one in the West Village? You mean to tell me that in over the past 30 years we as a milk producing country haven’t made huge strides in milk transportation? I’m baffled and feel that this issue needs to be revisited Mr. Milk Inspector.
Are you scratching your head too? First read the entire NYT article here: The New York Times
Oh warm weather! I long for you (and my spring wardrobe). As I gaze out of my bedroom window I think “wherefore art thou?” You may sense that I’m getting a little stir crazy. Well, it’s true, but at least I’m not the only one in the apartment feeling it. The hubs and I fantasize about the upcoming nice days, reflect on the past vacations we’ve taken, and look forward to the excursions to come. Last year my beloved gal pal and her beau invited my husband and me to join them in the Finger Lakes region of New York for a long weekend. We dubbed the event “Wine Weekend.” Why you ask? Well, alliteration is always more fun and secondly we just hopped from winery to winery all weekend long! Needless to say we had a fantastic time and decided to make it an annual event. So, our stir craziness finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel earlier this week once we booked our favorite little bed and breakfast for our favorite little weekend getaway.
The Fox and the Grapes is our B&B of choice. It’s a beautiful Victorian Inn built in 1885 set on acres upon acres of land overlooking Seneca Lake. Mr. James Pellegrini and his staff make you feel right at home with their hospitality and delicious cooking. The Fox and the Grapes is minutes away from wineries (there are over 125 of them in a 20 minute radius!), restaurants, and other activities for the outdoorsy types. http://www.thefoxandthegrapes.com/
Standing Stone Vineyard was our favorite winery we visited. It’s an idyllic setting with superb wines and the best palette cleansers (warm bread, various cheeses, and dipping sauces) along the Seneca Wine Trail! Our preferred wine was their 2005 Pinnacle: A Bordeaux blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc. In Wine Country one must be careful of overbuying, however in hindsight we wish we bought an entire box of this perfect vino! http://www.standingstonewines.com/
Our days in Wine Country consisted of eating, wine sampling, laughing, sunshine, horseshoe playing, card game playing, more eating, and more wine drinking. It was as affordable as it was enjoyable. A fabu weekend getaway indeed and we can’t wait to go back!
Get out of the city and become a country bumpkin for a weekend! Want to plan your own wine weekend? You should! Start here: http://www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com/
Happy Valentine’s Day lovebirds! Whether you’re celebrating your first or fiftieth Valentine’s Day together we hope you take the time to appreciate each other and your love.
New York City is a great place to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but because there are so many choices it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed when planning the details. Here are some ideas to help you navigate the options that NYC offers:
Romantic Destinations in the City
For the Shoppers: Tiffany & Co – Even if you don’t leave with a little blue box, go all Holly Golighty wild and take it all in!
For the Cheesers: Carriage Ride in Central Park – Cuddle in a carriage instead of on the couch for a night!
For the Tourists: Empire State Building – A breathtaking view and a must-do, even if you’re not a tourist.
For the Nerds: Ellis Island – Discover your family histories together.
For the Foodies: One if By Land, Two if By Sea – Delicious cuisine, live music, impeccable service all in an alluring atmosphere.
There’s nothing more satisfying than a delicious meal at a great price. Sorry snickers you don’t cut it, but dinner at an established New York restaurant during restaurant week sure does! My doting husband surprised me with a birthday dinner at the Tribeca Grill. I’m embarrassed to say that I had never heard of it (my apologies Mr. De Niro!), so I became a tad skeptical on our way downtown. However, when we arrived to the quiet street block on a late sub-zero Wednesday night to find that the dining room was packed (always a good sign) I knew we were in for a treat!
Now, for those of you that don’t know, restaurant week takes place twice a year. Many of New York’s finest restaurants participate and offer a special menu at a fraction of the usual cost. It gives us New Yorkers the opportunity to experience these culinary gems that we may never otherwise try. There’s less financial risk involved, but possibly less reward: the quality of the food can be compromised and your server can cop an attitude once you’ve placed your order from the other menu. This was not the case for us at the Tribeca Grill. My husband and I were completely satisfied with our three course meals at $35 a pop and our waiter couldn’t have been more cordial or professional.
I had the octopus salad to start, followed by the black truffle cavatelli, and finished with the chocolate hazelnut mousse cake. Mmm Black truffle and chocolate hazelnut in the same meal? Treats indeed! My hubby was equally pleased with his choices which included the spiced chestnut soup, venison, and the New York style cheesecake. Was it the best meal we’ve had in New York? No. But we devoured a delish meal at a steal while enjoying each other in a warm ambiance and being served by a pleasant waiter. An enjoyable dining experience overall.
There was a very special birthday this week at UrbanNewlyweds, which calls for a Sunday edition post… Happy Birthday to Jen!
My lovely fellow blogger with the knock -em-dead smile and can-do-all attitude celebrated this past week. We all wish this wonderfully fashionable, smart, and generous co-blogger and friend a good day. May her insightful and witty posts continue. And thanks to her will power once more, for driving this blog to fruition.
The February 8, 2010 issue of The New Yorker was just too cute to pass up, and timely! Be sure to bundle up with your loved ones (your hub and your pup) and enjoy the snow-covered city scenery this weekend.
This adorable cover is the work of Ana Juan and titled “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
It’s February and love is in the air, but those W2’s laying on your desk aren’t getting any action.
Now that you’re married, you and your spouse can file jointly. Yay! Married filing jointly (MFJ) provides more tax benefits than married filing separately (MFS). However, everyone’s situation is different, so it may not always be the best way to reduce your tax liability. In order to determine which scenario is the most advantageous for your household you will need to calculate your taxes under both methods. So, open up those W2s and start calculating…together.
Newlywed Tax Tips
Make sure you have all the necessary paperwork: W2’s, bank statements, important receipts, etc.
Make sure the Mrs. notified the Social Security Administration if she took the Mr.’s surname. A mismatching name and Social Security number can cause problems and delay your return.
Make sure the IRS and the US Postal Service have been notified of any address changes.
Decide which deduction method to use: itemized or standard. Again, you’ll have to determine which process is the best for your situation. Just note that even if husband and wife file separately, both must use the same deduction method!
And while taxes are fresh in your mind, update your W-4 form from single to married. You’ll want to change your withholdings too.
Tax season is a perfect opportunity for you and your better half to discuss your newly merged financial life. It’s sexier than it sounds! You’ll chat about the future, set some goals, look at the past years accomplishments and search for areas of improvement. Steamy and you’re setting a sound fiscal foundation…We likey!
We have no doubt that your sassy self and smart spouse can’t tackle taxes together. Give it a whirl, but if it’s all too daunting don’t be afraid to seek an experienced tax preparer. There’s nothing wrong with outsourcing things that cause stress. – Chris Farrell, Economics Guru
My husband and I sleep in a cave. Unlike many New York City apartments with a view of the next building we are fortunate enough to have a beautiful view of the East River…Oh, and a well lit hospital parking lot. Thanks to this parking lot’s mammoth on-24-hour a day halogen lights, my husband and I had to create our manmade cave. When the sun sets, our floor to ceiling windows are covered in floor to ceiling blinds and the blinds are then masked in the thickest drapes we could find in Manhattan for under $150 bucks. So, you can just imagine our surprise (and delight) when we awoke on this past dead-of-winter Saturday morning with sunlight pouring into our boudoir! We knewit was going to be a good day and we wanted to make the most of it. So, we brushed off our dusty sunglasses and headed down to the High Line to see what all the fuss was about. Lemme tell you, it deserves all the fuss it’s getting!
The High Line opened this past June as a public park. It’s built on an elevated rail structure that used to transport meat, mail, and other goods to the Meatpacking District. I’m sure the other New York parks would be intimidated to debut in the see and been seen MePa, but after one flight of stairs up into the High Line you can tell that this was a welcomed new neighbor who fit right in! The High Line is just as sleek and stylish as the partygoers who frequent the bars below – and just like the flocks of dancing models at the latest MePa hotspot, it’s a photographers dream! Full of textures, views, and interesting elements and angles. My inadequate pictures do not do the park any justice, yet I felt like Ansel Adams discovering the beauty of Yosemite. Every turn there was something new to ogle over! Railroad tracks with flora here, view of the Empire State Building there, the coolest park benches I’ve ever seen here, view of the Statue of Liberty there…The High Line kept dazzling and we kept admiring!
The hubs and I began our High Line journey at the Ganesvoort Street entrance and easily snaked our way North through the entire park. We were sad to see the end on the horizon at 20th Street, but happy to find that the park will be extended in the future! The second phase of the High Line is scheduled to open later this year. We look forward to see what the new section will have in store and we definitely look forward to enjoying more of this beautiful and innovative park. If we enjoyed the High Line this much on a brisk (but sunny!) January afternoon, we might explode with glee when we take that first visit on a warm Spring day!
I never noticed cars until I got my very own. Similarly, engagement rings were off my radar until my future husband popped the question. Now that I’m a married lady, not only do I notice the jewels, I notice how women wear their jewels. A trend I’ve seen around town is to wear your wedding band sans engagement ring and chances are that you’ve taken note too. Marisa Meltzer of the New York Post recently wrote her take on the phenomenon. Check out her article here: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/fashion/with_the_band_Pt1n6uwDguPYuulp40n2eK
