CRAVE CRUSH the urban girl's blog to all that you CRAVE

Back-to-School Shopping for Kids (and moms!)

August 4, 2010 by Jackie | Comments (0)

Can you believe August has already started? That means it’s time to start thinking about back-to-school shopping.  NYC kids need to look stylish too!  Keep your shopping local and hit up these CRAVE-able boutiques that will have your kids wanting to try on clothes.  Your children will actually feel like going back to school when they see the cool fall clothes that local New York City women have to offer.

Estella (estella-nyc.com)

Do you CRAVE stylish fashion?  Well show that chic style through your children as well as your own wardrobe.  Estella is a local and online store that doesn’t sell the typical trendy NYC clothes.  They sell the most unique and interesting clothes for children around.  Estella has been making children and parents happy since 2002.  The parents love the fact that most of the clothes are machine wash-able.  Kids can be very messy and who has time for dry-cleaning anymore!  There is also a line of organic baby clothes which a lot of mothers seem to appreciate.  They also ship all around the country and world!  So Estella is good for sending trendy baby clothes to friends and family to make the perfect gift.

493 Sixth Ave
New York, NY 10011
(212) 255-3553

Planet Kids (planetkids.com)

Planet Kids has been busy and continues to grow with its two New York locations.  Your children will want to go into the store because of the cool space theme but you’ll want to stay because of the fashionable clothes on the shelves!  They have an expert staff who can answer any questions for news moms and mothers of four.  They also have a gift registry for the mom-to-be.  That can save your weird aunt from getting something well…weird for your new baby, ha!  Cool new clothes is the only thing kids like about going back to school in the fall, so make sure they go back in style.

247 E 86^th St
New York, NY 10128
(212) 426-2040

Bump Brooklyn (bumpbrooklyn.com)

Well, we talked about fashion-forward clothes for the kids, but what about for mommy?!  Bump Brooklyn is one of the best places to go in NYC for chic maternity clothes.  Just because you’re pregnant, doesn’t mean you have to look frumpy.  Hannah Macdonald and SaSaDi Odunsi came up with the idea for Bump, a boutique for the urban pregnant shopper who was not willing to give up her sense of style.  These clothes can be worn during pregnancy, nursing and that transitional phase.  It is also a place for moms-to-be to connect before their babies arrive.  They are also very affordable.  “Give up wine, coffee, sushi – not fashion.”

464 Bergen St
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 638-1960

Girls’ Night Out!

August 1, 2010 by Jackie | Comments (0)

The weekend is finally here and you know exactly what you need.  A girls’ night out! Forget about men tonight, it’s all about us ladies.  We sure know how to party when our best girlfriends are all together.  Here are some places that you will be CRAVE-ing all week:

La Palapa (lapalapa.com)

What says “girls’ night out” more than a margarita?  La Palapa has 10 different fresh fruit flavors of frozen margaritas!  They also have amazing “Mexico City style” food and two locations in NYC.  Margaritte Malfy and Barbara Sibley opened their first restaurant in November 2000.  They are both very experienced in NYC restaurants as well as art.  “A palapa is a palm-thatched shelter on a Mexican beach where you can relax with your feet in the sand looking at the ocean while you sip an ice cold cerveza flavored with lime and salt, and eat a spicy shrimp taco with salsa guajillo.”  Try this place for the perfect girls’ night out.

77 St. Mark’s Place

New York, NY

(212) 777-2537

Cheek to Chic (cheektochic.com)

You love to look your hottest when going out in NYC.  Before that girls’ night out, give Cheek to Chic a call so they can help you get the make-up for any occasion.  Cheek to Chic’s goal is to help women look their up-to-date best. Whether you are a busy businesswoman, a new mom, or a young woman, Cheek to Chic will help you get a handle on the overwhelming beauty industry.  They believe that make-up should be fun so gather up your girlfriends and prepare for your fun night together!

215 West 75^th St

New York, NY

(646) 319-6141

Pure Food and Wine (purefoodandwine.com)

Looking for an interesting place to take the ladies?  Try Pure Food and Wine, the wine part will entice most of you because all of their wines are either biodynamic, organic and/or vegan.  The restaurant has been featured twice in New York magazines “Top 100 Restaurants” as well as 5 years in a row on Forbes list of “All Star New York Eateries.”  In the spring and summer, Pure Food and Wine has a private back garden for lunch to start off your girls’ night out.  They also have a great assortment of “pure” cocktails and they are open late so get your party on girls!

54 Irving Place

New York, NY 10003

(212) 477-1010

Planning a Fun in the Sun Picnic

May 17, 2010 by Jennifer L. | Comments (0)

Food always seems to taste better when enjoyed outdoors and in the company of great friends and family. So, pack your picnic basket, grab a blanket, bring some companions, and take advantage of the sunny warm weather the spring and summer months have to offer with an al fresco dining experience! Don’t sweat, planning a picnic doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are some fun and fuss-free ideas for planning a picnic in the fresh air and sunshine!

1. Pick a Location:

• At the Park: Whether you’re on a grassy spot in the sunlight or under the shade of a tree, a park is the perfect place to gather for a picnic! If you’re feeling guilty about leaving your beloved pooch at home, there are plenty of pet-friendly parks so you can bring Fido along!
• On a Beach: Sun, surf, and sand is the ideal combination for a picnic on the beach! Just make sure you enjoy each element separately to avoid melted, soggy, or grainy grub.
• At a Drive-In Movie: CRAVing a romantic night with your sweetie? Dinner and a movie underneath a blanket of twinkling nighttime stars is a perfect date night combination. Don’t forget to bring popcorn and candy!
• In Your Backyard: Want to enjoy a meal outside but don’t feel like hauling a basket or cooler full of food around? No problem, a picnic in your backyard can be just as fun and probably less stressful if you happen to forget the napkins!
• On a Roof-top Patio: For those of you dwelling in the concrete jungle, many apartment and condo buildings have a roof-top patio for their residents to enjoy. The only difference? Rather than being surrounded by trees, you have adjacent skyscrapers to provide shade.

2. Picnic Menu Items:

We encourage you to be creative, but to also keep things simple with your picnic menu! Remember, you have to schlep these baskets around with limited heating or cooling available, and food poisoning is never included in the recipe for fun. Pack your picnic baskets with these simple palate pleasers, bon appetit!

• Savor: Definitely use your left-overs when you can! Roasted chicken can be used to make a yummy pasta or Caesar salad. You can also make some simple PB&J or turkey sandwiches the night before and refrigerate them until you’re ready to head out. Soft bagels with cream cheese are also a great and effortless menu option. Here are some other easy picnic recipes to consider.
• Sip: Class up your picnic with a bottle of wine to sip while you savor your meal, which is ideal if you’re enjoying a laid-back picnic on your backyard porch. For public parks and beaches, we recommend some bubbly and refreshing sparkling apple cider instead. Lemonade is also the classic beverage of choice for a sunny spring/summer picnic.
• Sweets: You can’t go wrong with brownies and cookies, which are crowd-pleasers for any age. A fresh fruit salad is delicious and nutritious, and also surprisingly portable! We generally don’t recommend packing anything that melts quickly, but if you’re having a backyard picnic you can get away with serving ice cream and popsicles!

3. Picnic Essentials NOT to Forget:

• Sunscreen/sun block: Don’t ruin your outdoor picnic with a painful sunburn, keep yourself sun protected! As the people from the land down under would say, “Slip, Slop, Slap: slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat.”
• Insect repellant: A good idea if you’re going to be outdoors long enough for the mosquitoes to come out for their own picnic.
• Big quilt/blanket: If you’re going to be dining on the grass, sit on a big quilt or blanket to protect yourself from ants in your pants, or even worse, in your food!
• Eating utensils: Finger food is always fun, but if you plan on serving something that requires a fork, spoon, or knife, eating with your bare hands will get messy and complicated.
• Plastic bag(s): Be considerate of others and the park in which you are enjoying your picnic and clean up any trash or food waste. Also, if your pooch joined you for your picnic, please pick up behind your pawed pal as well.
• Anti-bacterial hand gel/wipes: Ahh, germs! Need we say more?
• Entertainment: Don’t dine and dash, stay a while! Bring some playing cards, a Frisbee, or play bocce ball while your tummies digest.

CRAVE Book Featured on the Small Screen

May 7, 2010 by Lilla | Comments (0)

Just in time for Mother’s Day, our CRAVE guides were featured on Twin Cities Live as the perfect gift for stylish moms everywhere! Watch the clip here and see our lovely books take center-stage!

Bond with these Activites on Mother’s Day

May 3, 2010 by Aubry | Comments (0)

It’s that time of year – it’s all about mom. You know as well as we do – with a hectic lifestyle, sometimes traditional alternatives have to do the trick (isn’t it the thought that counts?). But with all that mom has done for you, we’re guessing you probably CRAVE some creative mother/daughter bonding activities this Mother’s Day. So take a break from the craziness of the day to bond with the number one woman in your life. Whether you’re a “like- mother-like-daughter duo” or have completely different tastes, you’re sure to find a fabulous way to celebrate your mom in style with our irresistible options! Get ready to make some memories!

Rediscover Family Recipes
What better way to celebrate the women in your family than with a day dedicated to the culinary queens that have graced your family over the years? We all have recipes stashed away in a drawer in the kitchen that we always talk about with family members during holiday time. How many times have you reminisced about Grandma Marie’s outrageous chicken Marsala or Aunt Susan’s legendary lemon meringue? It’s time to pull out those recipes and cook them up with mom! Be sure to recopy those recipes that are written on paper that is little worse for wear, organize them and swap memories as you savor your hard work. So, if CRAVE something spicy or sweet and want to share special memories of the wonderful women that have paved your way, get cooking with mom. Who knows, you might even make some mother-daughter recipes of your own!

Other ideas for the the crafty mother-daughter duo:

- Organize family photos in scrapbooks or photo albums.
- Transfer old family tapes to DVD.
- Take an art class together.

Mother-Daughter Massage
What better way to say goodbye to stress and pamper the number one woman in your life than with a mother-daughter massage and spa treatment? Sometimes, the unspoken shared moments in life mean the most. With a little time to meditate, make muscles melt and mend your bodies, you and mom will be bonding in no time. Take some time together to choose your lineup of indulgences for the day. Whether you and mom CRAVE some hot stone therapy, aromatherapy or holistic skin care, your Mother’s Day Spa date is sure to be one to remember!

Other options for mothers and daughters looking to chill:

- Take a yoga class together.
- Safely score some rays of sunshine at the beach.
- Pack a picnic lunch and your suits. Find the perfect place to swim, enjoy the water and indulge in some homemade picnic classics!

Generational Clothing Swap:
Admit it – you have always wanted to raid mom’s closet (maybe you already have!) for some of those classy vintage outfits she has saved over the years. She’s probably had her eye on some of yours! Now is your chance to share style secrets that span a few more decades. Spend the days discussing style and sharing trends that have come in and out of both your lives. You might find some similarities you would never suspect – styles always seem to come back! After you swap chic secrets, you might even want to have a generational fashion show. Whatever decade you and mom each CRAVE when it comes to style, the creative possibilities are endless when you put your heads together in the name of fashion!

Alternatives for moms and daughters with fashion in their blood:

- Get out there for some retail therapy, but here’s the catch – pick outfits for each other. You could be pleasantly surprised, or you might be laughing the entire time you’re in the dressing room!
- Score mother-daughter style makeover consultations.
- Go on a fashionable date – check CRAVE and other local listings for fashion shows and other styling events in your city.

No matter what you CRAVE and how you choose to celebrate mom, enjoy your time together. Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at CRAVE.

NYC Bloggers We CRAVE

March 17, 2010 by Emily | Comments (3)

Do you absolutely CRAVE blogs like we do? Since you’re reading this one, we’re going to go with yes! Check out the most CRAVE-able bloggers that we’ve found posting up content about fashion, style, food, and so many other exciting happenings in this city we love so much. What are your favorite blogs that you’re following? Keep us posted so we can add them to our blogroll!

What I Wore (whatiwore.tumblr.com)

What I Wore is the fashion and personal style blog of Jessica Schroeder. Each day, Jessica photographs her outfits and posts the when-where-what-why that accompanies each look. Among her other features are behind the scenes sneak peeks from thrift store adventures, runways and blogger meet-ups, do it yourself step by step projects, super sale notices and beautiful photography.

We absolutely CRAVE Jessica’s quirky writing, relatablility to today’s woman, and her killer style! Also, we are so excited for Jessica and What I Wore celebrating their second blogging birthday.

You have to love Jessica’s take on style and fashion. “I truly believe that the clothes we wear can affect our moods as well as the impressions we give of ourselves to others.  Looking your best doesn’t need to cost a lot of money – just a little imagination.”

Bobbin Talk (bobbintalk.com)

Aneta Genova is an accessories designer, a writer and a fashion instructor at Parsons The New School for Design in NYC and the Academy of Art University online. She was born and raised in Bulgaria in a family involved in fashion and creativity, and always wanted to be a designer. She has worked for companies such as Marc Jacobs, Polo Jeans and Ralph Lauren, and freelanced for multiple design houses. She now has her own luxury leather goods company, based on the concept “fashion for technology.”

Her newest venture is the fashion blog Bobbin Talk, and we totally CRAVE it! Aneta gives us her insight on the biggest fashion trends of the season, video interviews, and controversies that are hitting the blogosphere. So much to offer and so much to follow, keep up with the latest on Bobbin Talk.

STYLEMOM (stylemom.com)

Not only do we CRAVE Nichelle Pace and her blog, but we also love her self-proclaimed title of “Chief Fashionista.” STYLEMOM is the ultimate woman’s guide that helps women achieve a balance between her style self and her mommy self, ensuring that moms have the tools and insight to translate the sometimes obscure runway fashions and lifestyle trends into tangible chic and useful information that is relevant to a moms’ lives and stylish women as a whole.

Are you a mom? A fashionista? Someone in desperate need of style advice for your lifestyle? This is most definitely a blog that you will want to check out!

Looking for others to check out?

If you’re looking for a tasty lunch spot to hit up on your lunch break, check out Midtown Lunch (midtownlunch.com).

Share in your love of all things food related when reading A Full Belly (afullbelly.com).

And if you’re just looking for something to make you smile or make you think, check out the simple notes that have been posted on Post Secret (postsecret.blogspot.com).

Oh, baby baby!

February 17, 2010 by Emily | Comments (0)

With bouncing bundles of joy on the way, baby showers are bound to be coming as well. What to get a mother-to-be can be a tough decision. Do you opt for something cute and classic like a onesie? How about a toy or game? With so many options to choose from, we have found some shops to CRAVE to pamper a mother-to-be, and maybe pick up a little something for you too!

Magic Windows (magicwindowskids.com)

When you think charming boutiques and high end shopping, there is no place better than Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Magic Windows has been and UES fixture for over 25 years, and offers the finest collection of classic children’s clothing and accessories. They also create beautiful and luxurious layettes for mothers-to-be, and assist you in selecting from their extensive selection of newborn and infant items to create the most memorable gift for any expecting mother. So whether you’re looking to create a gift basket or pick out a special outfit, Magic Windows is a must. They also specialize in personalization and monogramming of the items they sell, we love that!

1186 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10028

Thérapie New York (therapieny.com)

Whether you’re looking for plush toys or warm baby booties, this Upper West Side luxury lifestyle emporium has all the necessities to pamper a mother-to-be. Filled with books, toys, cute little onesies, and so much more, the treasures to be found at Therapie are endless. However, the owner and founder, Renee Chow, brings more to this fun boutique than simply shower gifts. This treasure trove knows no bounds. It’s the one stop shop for your face creams and other beauty products, fabulous headbands and funky hats, and you can pick up an extra pair of Spanx on your way out. It’s the perfect little place to buy everything you need and plenty that you want. We surely misplace many precious hours browsing all that Therapie has to offer.  It is truly retail therapy at its finest!

309 Columbus Avenue (Between 74th and 75th Streets)
New York, NY 10023

EcoBabyBuys (ecobabybuys.com)

If you’re looking for the best in eco-friendly baby products, then look no further than EcoBabyBuys. They are committed to ensuring the four following criteria in the products they sell–the use of non-toxic materials and dyes, organic and/or recycled materials, eco-friendly packaging, and a commitment to the standards of fair-trade. Featuring everything from dolls to puzzles to diaper bags, EcoBabyBuys covers all the mom-to-be necessities in a super fabulous, eco-friendly way! Shop them online.