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New York, New York..The city that never sleeps..Where to go & What to do!

Lifestyle

New York the city that never sleeps

New York New York

New York, New York, what can I say..a city that never sleeps and every visit is a different experience…I’ve been to the City about 7 times now. I’ve been going there many moons ago when I would save like crazy for flights and stay with my lovely friend Lena or venture with hubbie before and after we were married and long before kids came along, I’ve gone in Winter, Spring and Summer and every time its been different.

The sights never get old and are as exciting as the first day I laid eyes on them!! Its a fast paced city and at times New Yorker’s are so straight, they ll say what they think, which may come across as rude, but make no mistake its a likable city.

The last time I visited was 2 years ago (2017) with my girls (then 3 and  a half and 6 yrs old) it was quiet different, it was a hot summer and places were busy, the city was the same but with two kids I was more aware of things I wouldn’t have noticed with girlfriends, I left New York that summer almost disliking some parts of it. But with a returned visit last week with my sisters, the city charmed me again, making me fall head over heels in love with it, even making me reconsider bringing the kids  again but not during summer!!

A good time to visit

Anytime is a good time to visit New York, for the most part I’ve visited in November, October, late February, March and July but this time around I went last week the end of January early February. Summer can be hot and at times very busy. Hand on heart end of January is the best time of the year to go!!

Why? Well for one it was cheaper to book flights from Dublin to New York, or Shannon to New York for my sister (working out at roughly €360 return flight with Aerlingus!! Now that was a great price!!) For me it was irrelevant as I was flying from Austin, and although it can get very cold around this time of the year (dropping to -9 degrees last week), it is worth it to avoid the crowds at most tourist attractions. For us there was barely any queues at “Top of the Rock” and we didn’t  even need a reservation at the beautiful “The Loeb boathouse” at Central park, there was ample seating!

Accommodation is easy come by at that time of the Year and pricing is quiet reasonable!

Where to stay

As its just after Christmas and the new year, New York is a lot quieter at the end of January and the 1 st week of February, (don’t go 2nd week of February as its fashion week, everywhere is booked out and you cannot get cabs etc) For our accommodation we stayed in The Courtyard by Marriott Fifth avenue, it was a nice clean hotel, (although there was no bar or restaurant) but it was an ideal location, right around the corner from The New York public Library, Bryant Park, 3 min walk to Grand Central station and 15 min walk to Madison Avenue, along with Rockefeller Center and Times square! It was also about a 10 min walk from the Empire State building. It was one of the best locations I stayed in, and the price for a two double bed room for 4 nights was $725 roughly , $276 each (that is 3 people for 4 nights!) I stayed in the Fitzpatricks Hotel Grand central previously, again a lovely Irish owned hotel with a great bar and restaurant and they are currently charging $138 a night for a double room this time of the year.

I also stayed in a bit more of a trendier hotel than the other two, completely different experience and a very modern New York hotel, it was called the W New York on 524 Lexington Avenue , whose next door neighbor was the Waldorf Astoria (which is currently closed down) again situated right near Grand Central Station and the Chrysler Building. The price per night at this hotel at the moment, for this time of the year, is $135.50 for a double room, again a fabulous hotel in a great location.

Air b&B is another good option if you are staying longer than a few nights and its nice to be able to have amenities to cook breakfast etc if you don’t feel like eating out, eating out can be expensive!! A side note on accommodation, New York hotel rooms are known for the tightness/compact area of the rooms so don’t expect anything large!

What to Do 

Where to start, New York is a big city and there is a tonne of hotspots. The best advice/Tip before going is plan your days out...I am not kidding time just flies and you get easily distracted with things all around you…so plan your day..

Here’s one suggestion  where it’ll get you around the city and see all the sights in two days. Big Bus Tour NYC ,this is by far the best to use getting around the sites of New York city, most of the time we used it as a taxi to get us to our next point. Its kid friendly too, my kids loved the hop on/hop off tour and it saves their little legs from falling off while walking the city.

There s Big Bus Reps absolutely everywhere that will try sell you tickets, which is great, but you will only get the best prices by booking online, you can use your phone to do this. Prices start from $89 plus tax for a 1 day pass + 1 attraction and increases  in price for 2 attractions, you can also do a 2 day pass (which I did before, well worth it) and its $129. You will get to absolutely everyone of the attractions and they sometimes include a cruise as an attraction. Include the circle line cruise as its a lovely way to see the city. Its about an hour and half long and gives gorgeous skyline views of Manhattan midtown and lower, not to mention getting so close to the Statue of Liberty. (we took the kids although it might be a little long for younger kids)

 City Pass If you don’t want to do a hop on/hop off but want to see some of the sights in New York, then the city pass is a must, you can get good deals on this. Attractions are expensive to get into, but the city pass gives you a better deal for entry and you even skip the queues. There are two options City Pass which is 6 attractions which include….

1The Empire State Building

2American Museum of Natural History

3The Metropolitan Museum of Art

4Top of the Rock Observation Deck   OR   Guggenheim Museum

5Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island   OR   Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises

69/11 Memorial & Museum   OR   Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

If you feel that’s too much for you and you don’t have much time you can do a C3 Pass where you pick 3 of the attractions above.

Prices for the main City pass is $126 but they always do special rates today’s is $96 (book online)  and the C3 pass is $86..the best thing about these passes is they last for 9 days once in use!

(Tip: Be prepared to walk absolutely everywhere!! Bring practical shoes!!)

Top of the Rock Versus Empire State Building Both top of the rock and Empire State building are super with excellent views. Everyone knows the empire state building as being the most iconic, but for me Top of the rock is a little better, mainly because the top viewing is all clear windows so your view is not obscured…The reason I choose Top of the Rock is the queues aren’t as long or as slow as the Empire state building. Although the Empire is a higher building, I still think Top of the Rock is better as you also get to face and see the Empire Building in your viewing line when up there. You also get an amazing view of Central park from Top of the Rock.  But if you have time Id do both, however if you are short on time Top of the Rock is great and right in Rockefeller Center!!

Rockefeller Center Everyone knows Rockefeller center , mainly due to  that Home Alone 2 movie, and that amazing Christmas Tree. Its beautiful to see it and its always buzzing!! This time of the year you can go ice skating and there is plenty of shops and restaurants surrounding it. Kids will love it as there is a Lego store right there at the center (although it can get pretty busy) You can also get the Radio City and NBC Tours here.

Museums

Museums are super in New York and there is so many, from MoMa (museum of modern  Art) Tickets are $25,  The Met  ($25) the  Guggenheim but for me the three below are absolutely excellent.

The American Museum of National History is a must especially for kids, I took my two girls when they were 3 1/2 and 6 and we literally spent hours there it was excellent, they loved it and its massive. (its $23 for adult and $13 for kids general admission but they do have shows on every day which may be extra)

The Tenement Museum The tenement museum, my New York friend told me about,  it can only be seen by a guided tour, and it tells the story of how immigrants started their lives in on Manhattans lower east side.  visitors take guided tours of apartments that recreate immigrant life in the 19th and 20th centuries. Along with a glimpse of the past. Ticket prices are $25 for an adult.

9/11 Ground Zero and Freedom Tower museum …At the time the observatory wasn’t open when I went to visit it in 2017 but I have  since learnt the observatory is now open giving you 360 degree views. The memorial grounds itself is very impressive. You’ll enter the 9/11 Memorial, where you can pay your respects to those who lost their lives in the World Trade Center. Michael Arad’s “Reflecting Absence,” a man-made waterfall that symbolizes the void left behind by tragedy is stunning and also somewhat saddening.This part is free to all to wander around.. 9/11 ground zero tour and the museum entry is so sad and a great reminder of that day, it was an experience but its also very sad so be prepared for that. Entry is $69 but there is also another tour for $35 which is a 90-minute guided tour of Ground Zero, led by New Yorker’s with personal connections to the events of 9/11. It includes a visit to St. Paul’s Chapel, Firefighter’s 9/11 Memorial Wall, and the 9/11 Memorial.

St Pauls chapel is worth going to see and I remember going to see it in February a few months right after the whole tragedy happened. At that time they were only starting to clear away the debris, all the names and photos of missing people were still hanging on the gates of St Pauls chapel along with flowers etc, but they have since been moved and preserved  into the chapel and it is a museum now.

Broadway Shows 

You cannot go to New York without catching a show on Broadway, this is definitely one thing you should do. It is amazing and so much fun, the production is nothing like you’d see anywhere, I’ve seen Wicked before (An excellent musical) and this year we went to “The phantom of the opera”, which was spectacular. I loved it. We got our tickets online from Broadway.com it was definitely the best price starting at $55 plus tax and even though it was high up and at the very back our views were still excellent, so you don’t need to be right up at the front.

You can also get tickets at TKTS by standing inline on the day of the show. You’ll find exactly where the booth locations are here, their flagship is in the heart of Times Square. Be warned though you could be queuing for a long time and when its cold that’s not the nicest!

It has been known that you can go to the theater on the day and go to the Theater box office of said show, and they offer cheap tickets if its not sold out. If the show you want to see is a big hit, you probably won’t be able to secure a discounted ticket, but there are still ways of minimizing the amount you’ll pay.

Buying tickets directly at the box office will let you avoid cumbersome service fees, and you can sometimes find very good seats—formerly reserved for house seats or premium sales—that have only recently been added back to the ticket pool and have not yet been scooped up and marked up by scalpers on the resale market. (Be nice to the box office attendants and they may give you some tips.)

And speaking of the resale market: You can sometimes snag tickets at great prices if you are willing to go to the theater right before the show begins. Even for very popular shows, prices on sites like StubHub (Stubhub is good too and there is a store in Times Square but we found tickets cheaper on Broadway.com) and VividSeats can fall dramatically right before curtain time, as vendors scramble to unload their unsold tickets. If you’re in the right place at the right time, you might get lucky.

Attractions that are free

We all know the main attractions but I’ll pop them down here, these are all free or only about $3 and definitely landmarks of the city you want to see, so here it goes….

Central Park ..it needs no introduction, the cities park is massive and beautiful and well worth a stroll through, watch street performers, pick up some artists pictures or just people watch or admire the sky scrappers, it is amazing. My kids loved it too and there was plenty of kids playgrounds scattered around, so take your kids, they also have tiny turtles in the lakes that kids will love. Not to mention Central Park Zoo but more on that below on the kids section.

Go skating in the winter, its beautiful. Another great find for us  on this trip was we went to “The loeb boathouse”. We wanted somewhere nice to eat with an unreal view, and this did not disappoint, but on entering the restaurant we discovered you don’t have to spend half your salary to go there, they have two options!! The main restaurant and the express cafe. The express cafe has the same view as the main restaurant but better prices for snack food such as burgers ($6.50), soup ($3.50), french fries ($3.50) Wine ($6.50) to name a few and it was perfect for us.  The boathouse also has a bar so if you don’t fancy eating and just want to soak up the atmosphere with a drink, you can do that too. As it was early February we didn’t need any reservation and there was ample seating, summertime is another story, but you can find more details here

New York Public Library All us girls know that Sex in the City scene where Big left Carrie on the steps of the New York Public Library, definitely go in and see it, its a beautiful architectural building and the library itself is fascinating. A must see (even if your not a SATC fan) and its free!!!

St Patrick’s Cathedral Its free and inside is beautiful, worth a visit just to pop in for a look as its pretty impressive and its on 5th venue which in itself is a mecca for shopping so its not out of your way.

Grand Central Station Another wow building, its just stunning and even with the hustle and bustle of commuters you’ll still gasp in awe!! Well worth it, and have a glass of wine while your there and people watch!! There’s two options to eat, an expensive one (Grand Central Oyster bar ) and an inexpensive one (Dining Concourse), so plenty of choice!

Times Square It needs no introduction, you’ve all seen it,its fun, crazy busy but definitely a must see, its so much better at night and so much fun to just wander around.

Brooklyn Bridge This bridge is beautiful and definitely worth the walk even just to walk a little bit and the views of the cities skyline is spectacular. (The hop on/ hop off bus stop is near here and you can walk to it, also the subway stops (4 5 and 6) stop at City hall near Brooklyn bridge so its fairly easy to get there)

The High Line This one is worth doing but not with kids, I did it with the kids but its far too long and I didn’t enjoy it as much as maybe I should have. Truth be told I found some of it a little over rated and it was extremely crowded so much so you could not stop for a rest or look at some of the landmarks without being in someones way. Granted that was summertime and very busy, so had it been a different time of the year and without kids maybe I may have a different opinion, but check it out as there is some parts that are beautiful.

Flatrion Building I saw this from the BigBus tour nice to see it, its a pretty impressive shaped building and memorable from the Batman movies. Its very near madison square too which is so nice.

Street Art Bushwick in Brooklyn If you like street art then this is the place to go, you can also get walking tours. Its pretty cool

Roosevelt Tram Myself and my sister spotted this as we were leaving and it is definitely something you should do. Its public transport for commuters but apparently it gives you unreal views over Manhattan. You can grab a tram from 59th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan to Tramway Plaza on Roosevelt Island. (You must exit and repay to get on again but tickets are $2.75 for adults and Kids are free they’d love it) It runs every 15 mins and goes from 10m to 2am in the morning!!

Staten Island Ferry This is a great way to get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty and its free, the ferry runs 24/7 and leaves every 30mins its fun and the kids will love it. Its a short ride to and from the island. Now just to warn you, it doesn’t get really close to the Statue, so the view isn’t  as great as the Statue is still a good bit away. However if you want to be closer to the statue then I suggest getting the circle cruises, which are much better as they go much closer.

230 Rooftop Its a bar/restaurant but a bar not like any other!! See details here Its based in the Flatrion area very near Madison Square gardens and has amazing views of the Empire State building, its free no reservation needed and you can grab a drink sit in igloos if its cold and soak up the atmosphere, kids are welcome too but not after 7pm. Definitely worth a visit!

Greenwich I  love this area, its great to potter around. Nothing beats Greenwich Village. Terrific shopping and restaurants as well as parks for hanging out and enjoying the outdoors on a nice day. Washington Square Park and The Triumphal Arch is fab too!!

Things to do with Kids

Apart from the few things mentioned above, Central Park, Empire state building, Top of the Rock, The American Museum of National History, Staten Island Ferry, BigBus Tours, Times Square (they’ll love the M&M store) but there is a few other things you can do.

Bronx Zoo It is fabulous and Wednesdays are free admission or discount day so definitely worth a visit. (Adults are $28.95 and kids are $20.95 so a bit pricey on normal days) If you buy a family pass you can also use that for other New York zoos and the Brooklyn aquarium. It has lots of sections and its quiet large actually its huge, prepare to spend 4 hours there (Bring good walking shoes, lots of snacks for the kids and buggies although you can rent strollers for $15 :)). In the summer I have been warned that it gets very hot and there isn’t much shaded spaces so be careful of that!

Central Park Zoo  This is a smaller Zoo than the Bronx but still just as good, its better for smaller kids as less walking around compared to the Bronx Zoo. You can buy tickets at the Kiosk but go early in the morning so avoid queues. Adults is $13.95 and kids are $8.95 general admission (kids under 2 years are free)

New York Aquarium This is based on Coney Island and I haven’t been, although I have asked around from friends of mine who lived in New York and there is mixed reviews, it is very small and will only take an hour to go around. The shark experience is good so I’m told but entry fee is expensive at $24.95 for Adults and Kids are $19.95. They recommend you buy tickets online as queues can be very long.

Now onto my favourite bit SHOPPING!!!!

Where do I even begin, New York shopping is unreal. Every street is better than the other but if you are looking for bargains then there is a few places you can go……lets start!!!

Woodbury Common I’ve always gone here in the past, its about an hour bus journey from New York City and you definitely can get great bargains but be prepared to waste a whole day shopping.  Bus is $32 return. There are 220 stores. If there is an outlet, it is here. Up to 70% off big names in luxury (Gucci, Prada, Chloe, Balenciaga, Burberry), and staples (Ralph Lauren, J Crew, Tory Burch, Lululemon). Be prepared to shop til you drop. And no joke bring an empty suitcase you will need it as you won’t be able to carry it all home!!  Although it is so good for bargains, since moving here to the states, I’ve since discovered you can still buy designer items for unbelievable bargains in other stores without even having to leave Manhattan (See below)

Nordstrom Rack  on Union Square.. If you are not familiar with this store then you need to sort that out asap!! This place is unreal for designer bargains, clothing, shoes, bags, sunglasses you name it. It is unreal and if you don’t mind rooting then you are going to love it!! It has unreal items and you’ll get lost in the place!! The Union square rack is one of the best I’ve been too with amazing designers from YSL, Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs, Prada at jaw dropping prices!!

Century 21  Another good bargain designer shop although not as good as Nordstrom Rack it still pretty impressive, and you have to search a little bit more, but with patience you can definitely find some great bargains! Its right near the world trade center so after you have done the 9/11 museum pop over here to cheer yourself up!! 🙂

Macys Herald Square Some Macys stores over in the States can be hit and miss but not Herald square, it is one of the best Macys, they have every sort of designer you can think off, and definitely good prices, but if you are really looking for a bargain then head for the “Last Act” section, I have got shoes there for prices as low as $21. Coach loafers for $69 and just amazing clothes and bags. The Last act section is definitely my favourite especially for shoes!!

Westfield World Trade center This shopping center is relatively new just off the 9/11 memorial and One world trade center. The Building itself is architectural pleasing and a work of Art, stunningly beautiful. Although you wont find designer bargains here, you will find all the shops you can think of including UGG, Under Armour, Victoria’s Secret, Apple Store, Banana Republic, and Cole Haan. Definitely worth popping into even just to admire the building.

Designer Rival I discovered this just recently through Retro Flames blog, it is a gem of a designer consignment store and you won’t be disappointed. It was larger than I expected and definitely bargains to be had. But bring a lot of cash as most things are $100 upwards, although they have discounted sales on an off, you still need a lot of cash.

SoHo area This is a beautiful area for pottering around and do a little bit of shopping it has great restaurants too. SoHo is a trendy neighborhood, it is easy to run into a celebrity or two as it is in Tribeca, but no-one seems to care much or stare…It has all kinds of shops and little boutiques but definitely a little more expensive. The famous restaurant from Sex and the City where big and Carrie celebrated their engagement party Balthazar is in this area, but it is pricey and very hard to get a reservation. In SoHo expect to see lots of Cast Iron and beautiful cobble streets, its by far the prettiest and trendiest area in New York and shops are very close to each other so less walking.

I purposely didn’t do restaurants as I think there is just way too many good ones that out way the bad ones, plus there is so many price points for restaurants from ridiculously expensive to cheap as chips 🙂 So I’ve decided not to do it, we ate in such random places and I don’t recall any bad meal.

For us to get around the city we mainly walked as our hotel was close to everything, or we got an UBER (uber is used everywhere in the states) You can download the app to your phone add your credit/bank card to your account (handy as you don’t need to carry cash) Before booking an UBER,  it gives you the exact fare so you know what you’ll be charged. We got the UBER from the airport JFK  (prices were $72 or $65 if its not rush hour)

It is impossible to cover everything when you get to New York, there’s no way you’d do all the above in 3 days. My advice is choose wisely and if you want to see everything in a short space, just book the BigBus Tours you’ll definitely cover a lot. My advice is to plan your days, pick two attractions per day, and if its shopping you want to include then allow a full day for this whether its at the outlets or in the city.

New York is an amazing city, it will charm you and amazing you, regardless of the craziness and fast pace of life!!

Hope you find this helpful and if I’ve left anything out or you have any questions please just ask!!

Until Next time

Love 

Pam 

xx

 

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Life as an Expat In Austin Texas :Part 1

Lifestyle

Life as an Expat in Austin, Texas. Its just gone 1 year to this day when we packed our worldly possessions and headed for a new life here in the States.

Life has been full of surprises, hurdles or bumps as you’d say but its been full of opportunities and definitely completely different to how we lived in Ireland.

Lots of you have requested this post and want to know why we moved and what does one need to do when making the move…let me begin by telling you why we moved.

When we lived in Ireland, Hubbie traveled a lot, I’m talking the majority of the month (every month) he was gone, as in 2 weeks out of 4. His work required him to be all over Europe, Middle East, Africa and sometimes the states, which may sound glamorous but its quiet the opposite. At first when the kids were small they didn’t seem to notice as much but gradually as they got older they began to understand. And with understanding they started to miss their dad more and more, especially once the eldest started school…it was hard on everyone, Hubbie missed school events or family events and it wasn’t nice for anyone.  So when an opportunity came for him to move within the company to do the same position in the states, it made sense. My question to him before we made the decision was “Will it stop all the travelling?” and once it was “Yes” that made our minds up.

There was a lot to consider before moving, missing Family and Friends was a huge part. It was exciting initially but as the departure date loomed and everything was packed it was absolutely terrifying too.

We were scared for our kids as to where we were bringing them to, the dangers they are exposed to here in the States, that we wouldn’t be faced with in Ireland (but I’ll go into that in a little detail in my part two post) plus the guilt of taking them away from everything they know, friends and family, cousins and everything else in between.

So before relocating and making the big move make a short trip to your destination. It allows you get a feel for the place and the different areas and neighborhoods.

I did this in October before we moved finally in January. It will be exhausting but worthwhile, as you can decide on an area and in my case, schools. But there is more on that below…

 First up once the decision is made to move to the states, your company will usually organise the VISA and paperwork as they will be sponsoring you. They may offer a relocation package. Check before going (and accepting any contract) if the company contribute towards health insurance (very important to have it in the states see below) A relocation package might include organizing and paying for a moving company to help you migrate/relocate and bring furniture etc (check with your company as some don’t do this). I’d highly recommend a moving company as it makes the move a little less stressful. They will pack and unpack everything, you will not be expected to lift a finger. (initially I didn’t believe this but its true they packed my whole wardrobe, hanging pictures absolutely everything). You’ll have two types of shipping, one by air freight and one by cargo.

Air freight should contain the absolutely essentials you will need to get you through until your cargo arrives. Air freight arrives 2 or 3 weeks after you have landed in the states. For me I packed enough clothes to get us through and some kitchen utensils and towels bedding etc we’d need. Bare in mind the house you rent will not be kitted out, it will be completely empty. There will be no Appliances (there will be a cooker but a fridge is not a guarantee neither is a washer and dryer so double check this when viewing houses!!)

The cargo arrives about a month or 5 to 6 weeks after you land in the states, its definitely a relief when you finally get the cargo as all your belongings are in there, family photos, furniture, bikes, you name it!!

For us we decided to use a facilities company here in the states, to kit out the house before we arrived. What they do is rent to you, absolutely everything you need to function in a house for the month until your own cargo arrives. Its very clever and they think of everything, including appliances such as irons hoovers, clothes hangers, cooking utensils, coffee makers everything you would need. Its well worth looking into it.

Before making the move, make sure that you have enough finance in your savings or that you have Irish credit. You will have to pay everything by cash as you will have Zero credit rating when you land and move to the states to live. It takes a year to build this up. So you’ll need a deposit for renting a house and the first months rent. We had to buy all our furniture or anything we needed for the house by cash, so you can imagine how that can all add up. Cars will also have to be bought by cash, although a lot of Expats use a leasing company to get their cars initially. That will still need a holding deposit of about $4K along with insurance which costs twice as much here due to having an Irish drivers licence. For our 2 cars we pay $5000 yearly on insurance.

Bear in mind too you will have to replace all your kitchen appliances or any electronic appliances as our Irish ones don’t work in the states, so you will need plenty of cash! Its so important to be aware of all this.

Get your driving license!! As soon as you can and are comfortable enough with driving on the opposite side of the road apply for your driving test. Although it is legal to drive on your Irish licence, most places look for Drivers license for everything. From collecting a simple online order, volunteering at the school,  to buying something like furniture etc on credit in a store. The main purpose and wanting to get a US licence is if you don’t have it,  you are penalized by car insurance company’s. They will charge you almost $1000 more than what you d pay if you had a US drivers licence. In Texas you need to redo the whole driving license procedure, as in knowledge test, video impact test, eye test and driving test, regardless if you have a full Irish driving test.

And so back to finding the house/area you want to live in. Find a good realtor that can help navigate areas for you, ours was excellent, instead of showing us houses or viewing houses, before we arrived in October on our short trip, he emailed us a list of houses in different areas, we narrowed down the houses we liked the look of. Before viewing a single house on our list, our realtor, for the first day, made us drive around all the areas of our preferred houses on the list, we wanted to view along with checking out the nearest schools in that area. It was an excellent idea as we got a good feel for the area and in our case the size of the school for our kids before even viewing the houses we liked. It saved us falling in love with a house but not the area.

One thing I found is area and school size was more important than the house for me. Safety was my main concern and a small school my priority. (some schools as in primary schools (elementary) go up to 1000+ students which is quiet overwhelming for a 5 year old coming from a small Irish country school. This exercise also saved us wasting time on Day 2 viewing beautiful houses that were not in the right locations due to schools or not ticking our requirements due to the area.

Write down before your trip the things that are important or top priority to you for the type of area you want to live in, i.e safety, amenities, location, scenery, schools etc. It will narrow down your choices and make the final decision easy. When you see a house you like, you need to apply to rent it and there is a fee to apply, this will cost $100 per application so be certain its what you want, and even when you apply you can still miss out on the house. It can get frustrating as your fee will not be refunded. But don’t be discouraged. (we lost out on 3 houses but the house we are now in is ideal and in a lovely community and less than a 2 min walk to school).

Once you arrive set up a bank account as soon as possible, the bank will also give you an option for a secured credit card (what that means is you pay for the credit card, you need a deposit of a minimum of $300 upwards) take this option as it will help you to begin to build your scores for credit rating.

What we have learnt the hard way and another top priority, is get all your utility bills set up in your name immediately almost as soon as you land. You need to physically go into the water company and electrical company offices and sign up the house account in your name and pay a deposit. You simply cannot do this over the phone (as we thought we could do initially). We didn’t do this straight away (we thought we could just call them up and sign up via telephone) and our water got cut off, it takes 12 hours for them to connect the water supply so for us it took 24 hours. 24 hours without water is not fun!!

If your company pay towards your health insurance, then register yourself with their recommended Doctors near to the area you live, its important to get all cards etc sorted. Every company is different so check with them what your health insurance cover is and what you need to contribute to it, it will save you a lot of medical and dentist expenses. Health insurance is very important, without it here in the States, it can become very expensive very quickly especially with kids.

Speaking of Kids if you have children, they need to have more immunizations here in the States than they would have at home. So even if you are up to date in Ireland, there is extra ones they need here (about 6 or 8 extra I think in total). Schools in the states will not let you begin school until all immunizations are completed.

It is hard at the start because there is so much to organise but you are also missing your family and friends and feeling incredibly homesick. But once all of the above is done you will settle into things and begin to explore and understand your area you live in. There is a lot of differences here in Texas some I never considered before moving but that’s for another post, the part two

Send any questions you have or if what you want to know other areas apart from the differences etc with Texas , message me and I will cover them all in part two…

Until then

Love

Pam 

xx

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Top 10 Things to do in Austin City over the Holiday Period

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(Pic Austin.com)

This will be my first time in Austin for Christmas as we wont be returning to Ireland for the holiday season. As much as I am slightly disappointed we won’t be home for Christmas I’m as equally excited to be spend Christmas stateside…already the anticipation of whats to come is building!

So after asking lots of local friends & colleagues not to mention doing a little research here is the top 10 things to do over the holiday Period!

  • I’m told it best to kick-start the Christmas season at the Downtown Austin Alliance’s Holiday Stroll on Saturday, December 1 along Congress Avenue between 9th and 11th streets. Congress avenue is pretty amazing and the Capital Building stands tall…which that alone is impressive on any given day! From 5:00 to 10:00 pm it will be nothing but holiday cheer in downtown Austin, where you re guaranteed a  Holiday Sing-Along and the lighting of the downtown tree.  Most events over the Christmas here in Austin are free, as is this, event and very family-friendly. I’m told Holiday Stroll has something for everyone including photos with Santa, a petting zoo, live ice sculpture, holiday arts & crafts, a live mural painting, local food trucks, artisan vendors, and more. And as always Austin city is all about the music so there will be a full night of live music with performances by the Austin Children’s ChoirGirlFriend ATXShy Beast, and many others. After the annual lighting of the tree at the Holiday Sing-along on December 3, the Capitol Christmas Tree will be on display nightly through January 3, 2017. Catch all the information here http://www.downtownaustin.com/holidaystroll.

(Pic austin.com)

  • Up next is one I’m really looking forward to, and again its a free event. This is the Austin Trail of lights. With a whooping 40 displays, 2 million lights, Austin’s favorite food trucks, nightly entertainment and holiday activities its known to be the highlight of the holiday season. It runs a total of 15 days and is open to the public. There’s even a 2.5 mile run to kick the event off that’s if your feeling energetic! Kids friendly and definitely one we’re not going to miss this year.

(Pic Flickr by rachinthecity)

  • Zilker holiday Tree, again this event is very close to the Trail of lights, on November 25th it is the lightning festival of the Zilker tree. The Zilker Tree stands 155 feet tall and is composed of 39 streamers, each holding 81 multicolored, 25-watt bulbs – totaling 3,309 lights. At the top of the tree, a double star measures 10 feet from point to point. On the night you can expect live music and entertainment, food and novelties…this is another event that runs throughout the month of December. We went to this the other night and it was fabulous, we booked early and it was so worth it to get in the hour before the large crowds, you could see the displays without being blocked with crowds of people, the rides on the carousel and wheel were less crowded too…it is such a magical experience and the kids will love it.

(Pic Flickr by rachinthecity)

  •  North Pole Flyer, this is a unique way to visit Santa…visions of my favourite Christmas Movie “The Polar express” comes to mind..Its a 2 hour excursion on a real train featuring a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, all-you-can-drink hot cocoa and a locally baked holiday cookie. Each car is decorated for the season where passengers enjoy a live reading of the North Pole Flyer book-the railroad’s own Christmas Story! Santa is known  to spend time in each carriage to “check your list twice”, and pose for photographs before handing out a gift to each child to remember this special ride! https://www.austinsteamtrain.org/special-events/north-pole-flyer/

 

  • Winter wonderland held at Circuit of the Americas (Home to Formula 1) Running from the 8th up until 30th of December, this year will feature World Famous Chinese Lantern Festival, a display of illuminated sculptures – each hand-crafted using a tradition that extends back centuries. The lanterns are created using steel frames surrounded by colorful rayon “skins” and illuminated from within by LED lights. I’m informed they will have Texas’ largest outdoor Ice Skating Rink (which could be dangerous :0) ), A Tunnel of Lights, Trips to the top of the North Pole, Carnival Rides, Camel Rides, Singing Trees, a Petting Zoo, oh and most importantly Santa’s Workshop. And being Austin there’s a Live Music Stage! There’s also a Human snow globe which I’m intrigued about and Holiday movies on the lawn…sounds perfect!!! More details http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com/blog/2017/11/14/winter-wonderland-lights-up-cota-all-december

 

  • Would it really be Christmas if there wasn’t a trip to the theater? And what better place to go but to a Ballet performance! From the scrumptious sets and costumes to all of the colorful characters you love, Ballet Austin’s The Nutcracker is the longest-running production of the seasonal classic in Texas. Stephen Mills’ take on this timeless tale features a cast of hundreds of dancers, including the charming and talented students from the prestigious Ballet Austin Academy who share the spotlight with our professional company of artists. Celebrate the magic of the holidays by experiencing this sweet treat with your family and friends. Featuring live accompaniment by Austin Symphony Orchestra. It runs from the 8th until the 23rd of December.

(Pic Ballet Austin)

  • Zach Theater based here in Austin are reknowned for their shows and they have not one but three shows running over the Christmas Holiday period, The traditional “A Christmas Carol”  (Nov 21 to Dec 30th) Its Austin’s most rockin’ holiday tradition and it returns to make merry with new music and surprises to get the party started. ZACH’s inspired adaptation of the Dickens’ classic is a musical sleigh ride through rhythm and time, infusing the traditional Victorian story with a score that spans all genres and eras. Motown meets the Ho-Ho-Holidays in this family-friendly spectacular, creating an infectious spirit that has everyone dancing in the aisles. Celebrate the season with the loving Cratchit family and three soulful ghosts as they take Ebenezer Scrooge on a joyride to rediscover his heart and love for human kindness. This is for all the family from ages 6 and up… they also have a show for younger kids from 3 years and up called “Holiday Heros” which is more fun with Holiday sing alongs. This runs from the 8th until the 15th of December at 11am and runs just 45mins with no intervals (so the time is more suited for the smallies). Another for the bit of adult humor, they have The Santaland diaries (ages 12 and up) running from 5th until the 30th of December, apparently ever-irreverent and cynical Crumpet is back! The outlandish tale of a Macy’s elf merrily jingles to life in the intimate Whisenhunt at ZACH Theatre. In this holiday cult-classic, Crumpet sarcastically expounds on the talent it takes to juggle tinsel, tearful tots, and not-so-sober Santa’s during what is hailed as the most wonderful time of the year. 75 minutes of rollicking (and not so politically-correct) fun, this laugh-‘til-you-spill-your-cocktail evening will delight adult elves who like it more naughty than nice! It runs from the 5th til the 30th of December and you’ll find all details of the shows here https://tickets.zachtheatre.org/single/EventListing.aspx

 

  • Mozarts Holiday Light Show, Mozart’s is one of the best coffee shops in Austin, mostly because they have a phenomenal location on Lake Austin and a great outdoor deck. It’s one of the best places in town to see some spectacular holiday lights. Each year they take Christmas lights to the extreme with an extravagant display. They decorate the deck with over 1 million LED lights and set up a show to everyones favorite holiday tunes. Admission is free and there is no assigned seating, so you can bring the whole crew and enjoy! They have a light show at the top of each hour starting at 6 p.m. Runs from November until end of December http://mozartscoffee.com/christmas-lights-show/ We did this the other night and it was fabulous..the display happens every 15mins so not too much crowds and the coffee is to die for!! Free admission and free parking across from the coffee shop!! Win win!

  • Georgetown’s Annual Christmas Stroll. The historic downtown Georgetown, Texas which is just a suburb of Austin hosts its 38th Annual Stroll (This town alone on any given day is beautiful) The festivities begin from Friday 30th November until Dec 1st with a christmas parade, santa visit and ice skating. They will also have a swing carousel and the younger ones can tackle a candyland obstacle course!!! What the Georgetown annual christmas stroll is most famous for is the re enactment of life 2000 years ago in Bethlehem Villlage and they have a live manager on display!! You can find all the details here http://www.downtowngeorgetownassociationtx.org/Christmas-Stroll—Guests.html
  • The Thinkery Gingerbread Workshops, the tinkery is Austins Children museum, its an amazing place to take kids, we go there almost always once a month, this year they are hosting Gingerbread workshops, Creative families build with fresh gingerbread and sweet treats in a fun and festive atmosphere you can find more information on this here https://thinkeryaustin.org/gingerbread

Plenty to see and do over the holiday period, to get you into the Christmas spirit!

So far we ‘re ticking of the boxes slowly but surely 🙂

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Oldie but Goodie

FashionMy Style

Oldie but goodie…

I got this jumpsuit before summer began and just before I went back to Ireland..I picked it up at Norstrom. Its by a brand called 1901 which is slowly becoming a favourite of mine for certain pieces. I’m beginning to discover new brands since moving stateside and these are definitely a nice label.

Its been worn to on many occasions in the last few months that I’ve lost count…the beauty is I can still wear it here in Austin in this heat! Its so comfortable as its made mainly of cotton and its so breathable even after loads of food! Unfortunately its now sold out, but I’ve linked some of my favourite jumpsuits around at the moment down below.

I love a good jumpsuit and here are some of my favourite ones around at the moment.  They last forever and never go out of fashion. Jumpsuits are a great alternative to  a dress. You can buy ones for nights out or wear with trainers or carry you through most seasons.

The heels are from Dunnes Stores, and the earrings from the jewel genie, which i adore!

Here’s a few of my top Jumpsuits around at the moment. This one from JCrew I’ve been lusting after but its more than id like to spend find it here ..this white beauty from River Island here , this casual one right here from Zara. I’m loving this from Asos too and this new look one is so cool check it out here

Until next time

Pam

xx

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I love Austin

FashionMy Style

I love Austin yes I do, I’m packed up to head home for the summer holidays..we get the best of both worlds this summer. It feels like since moving here to Austin its been one long holiday. The weather has been so nice, warm sunny and humid at times but such a luxury compared to the weather in Ireland. I can tell you I’m not looking forward to going home to a colder perhaps wetter country but I am looking forward to seeing all my family and friends. We are so lucky we can head home for a good few weeks and my girls are so lucky not to be missing out on Irish Summers with Cousins.

We’ll always have guaranteed hot weather when we get back here so we re looking forward to a bit of rain and cold ..our Austin friends are telling us we are so lucky leaving here during summer as Austin can get incredibly hot….I was melting at 29 degrees and this week was up to 37 degrees but my Texas friends were constantly laughing at me anytime I mentioned “it was hot” and have told me it gets worse!!…I know a few of them are tempted to jump into my suitcase to escape it…

So  with my looming trip home, with this look today on the blog I’m layering up as that’s exactly what ill be doing at home in Ireland. We’ve a trip planned to Spain amid our time at home so I’ll need some summer gear too…Above I’m wearing a floral bomber I got at Michael Kors Outlet for less than $70 but you can get similar here, there is some of these jackets left in store. I have found similar jackets here and here

The shorts again I picked up at the outlets (sorry girls) they are j.crew and so so comfy..I paid about $15 and you can find similar here from Vero moda and here from Mango. The white tshirt is from Dunnes stores last year. My necklace is from The temple wolf here and I love it!! (A piece of home!)

The shoes are new look but old but they usually bring similar out every year like this pair here.

So bags are packed and we’re excited to be getting home for a while…I have been warned though to turn on my heat to full blast before I get back to Austin in August 🙂

Hope you liked the look and thanks to my fab Austin Friend Abby who you will be seeing more of on this page once I get back after the summer!!

Until next time y’all

Pam

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Jumpsuit …Tickled pink with a bit grey

FashionMy Style

Jumpuits…since moving here I’ve picked up a lot of these type of jumpsuits. When you’re up as early as we are in the mornings, and the brain isn’t quiet functioning, these jumpsuits are just perfect to throw on. I have a few like this hanging in the wardrobe, and I tend to wear them for casual and dressy wear. They suit most occasions which is another reason why I tend to keep buying them.

This one I picked up from Target here in the states, for any of my US followers you’ll find it here.  I like this as the material is linen and very breathable in the heat we get here in Austin, even if it creases a little (Although the creases are not that obvious) I love the detailing on these and the frill adds a little to it.

This jumpsuit has cut out sides which at first I was a bit apprehensive about but you wouldn’t even notice it.

I’ve searched and found similar strip jumpsuits here from Miss Selfridges, although not exact same still very pretty. Also Warehouse have a fab striped one too  which you’ll find here.

These flats are from Target and you’ll find them in store…there is similar in Oasis for my irish followers and you ll find them here for 34 euro.

Again I love these murals around downtown austin, they make great backgrounds 🙂

If you have any questions on the outfit just let me know

Pam 

xx

 

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White Playsuit any one?

FashionMy Style

White playsuit anyone? Not to annoy any of my Irish followers but the suns heating up in Austin and its playsuit time…let me tell you about this little number, last year while touring the states I spotted this in HM New York. I fell in love but i knew Id have no business wearing it in Ireland… low and behold just before our big move here, this white little playsuit (eyelet I might add which is my new obsession) went on sale. Now you all know me and sales!!! It was reduced down to €34 and I snapped it up!! Such a  great buy as the weather here is scorching and I’m getting plenty of wear out of it!

Now I know this is last years stock but I have spotted similar around the highstreet such as this one here  for €35 or here for a little more euros at €87. A very close playsuit to the one above is from Zara for €39.99 and you’ll find it here. Along with this one here

As you can see I paired mine with heels which are from Dunnes Stores …How I miss there ha! You can find similar from New Look here for €28.

The beauty about this playsuit is you can wear flats with it too as in sandals or trainers and it looks good. With trainers drop the belt for a more casual look. If you re wearing it with flats, change up the colour of the belt, add a tan belt and tan flat sandals and you’ve a whole different look!

The belt I picked up here stateside in Target, I love it and its a nice nude colour which will go with a lot of things in my wardrobe. It was €24 but you can find similar here

You can always play around with accessories when wearing white and add as much colour or as little colour as you please…I preferred neutral and these earrrings are from Mango again last years product but I have seen similar here.  The glasses are from TJ Maxx and are Tommy Hilfiger paid about $9 but I know you’ll get them for €29.99 in TK maxx in Ireland.

So ladies if you see a white playsuit just grab it as you will get wear out of it for a summer night out or for that long awaited summer holiday..Im still working on my tan here and my current tan is out of a bottle (still trying to master the perfect application ha!)

Until next time y’all (getting the lingo from Austin!)

PS how amazing are these murals..I plan on doing a separate post on those!!

Pam 

xx

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The Handy Coat for throwing on over the christmas season

FashionMy Style

The handy coat for throwing on over the christmas season is one I picked up in Penneys of all places..

Its a good colour albeit its not that warm but that’s ok as I intend on wearing it thrown over outfits.

Its not the warmest of coats but at €40 it looks the part for evening time…I’m forever leaving my coat behind somewhere when I go out for dinner or drinks, as its so easy to leave them behind (nothing worse than leaving an expensive coat behind in a restaurant/bar never to be found again so this coat is perfect just to have!!). My intention when buying this, was solely for wearing going out for dinner or Christmas drinks…

Checked Trousers

The other reason for choosing this Coat was it ll be perfect for the spring too when the weather is a lot less colder so I can transition to spring/summer…

Penneys coat

Its a great colour as it goes with everything, I paired it with the checked trousers and black jumper but goes really well with grey colours too. In the spring I will wear it with blue jeans and pumped. The Grey culottes here are from a previous post, picked them up from Born Clothing and the boat neck jumper was penneys last year but you’ll find similar in penneys at the moment for €14.

Lost ink Culottes

I particular love the shape and lenght of this coat. It can be worn with dresses as it sits just at the knee and has subtle side splits. I also love that its belted. Its shape is almost bat winged on the shoulder sleeves area which makes it slightly over sized on top but fitted on the bottom. It is rather chic.

Now as I said its not that warm so you’d need to layer it up if you intend on buying it for every day wear, although in my opinion if its an every day winter coat you are looking for this isn’t going to keep you warm and you are better off investing in better quality.

I’m all for buying a good winter coat and spending a lot more than €40 for a good one. But as I said this is worth buying if you are looking to just have something to throw on over your outfit for a night out  or a light coat for Spring!!

Hope you enjoyed this

Until next time

Pam 

xx

Picks by my lovely friends Colette Walshe adn Eimear@thetwodarlings

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Body suits…the classy style

FashionMy Style

Bodysuits love them or hate them they can be so ideal under certain trousers or skirts…I remember years ago I got a shirt version from benneton and loved it. I wore it to work with trousers and it was ideal as it didnt fall out over your trousers by the end of the day..so you get my drift why they are so handy, no tucking or pulling at your top or shirt as it sits in place….

When I saw this bodysuit from Zara I know it would go with everything , its such a nice fit and has a satin feel (its not satin though its polyester)

As you can see from above, bodysuits wont budge when you’re sitting down and are so comfy, I love the large lapels on this one, the v neck is great for larger busts. If you are self conscious of it gapping you can also throw on a cami underneath (I have done this before and its still looks perfect). With bodysuits they tend to sit in place and hold everything together. This top has shoulder pads too which suits my shape but fear not they are removable!

These trousers I picked up in Born Clothing, they are by a label called Lost ink, who design pieces that are a little bit quirky. These wool culottes are my current favourite thing in the wardrobe and they go with numerous tops and jumpers. They were a great buy and really warm for this type of weather. You will find them available in Born Clothing in wilton so maybe check with them, they were great value at €54.99 but unfortunately and unsurprising they are sold out online.

These earrings girls were an absolute bargain …I bought them on aliexpress for €2.95 and I love them, that included delivery by the way!! You will find loads of fab pieces and you’ll find the exact pair above here.

So if you are apprehensive about buying a bodysuit dont be ladies as they are quiet comfy (even though its more time consuming in the bathroom!!) but they are nice and neat tucked into skirts or trousers and you wont have the fear of having to fix yourself all night!

Hope you enjoyed…

Until next time

Love

Pam

xx

Pics taken by my lovely Friends Colette x This isn’t a sponsered post all items I bought myself.

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Check Mate! And how to style this trend!

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(My trousers are Zara €25.95 here, and checked Coat New Look €34.95 available instores sold out online)

Check mate…So a bit late in publishing this post..had it done ages ago but Life got in the way….this season I am loving the check  print..initially when I bought the blazer above, I was suddenly transported back to being 10 years old looking at my much younger dad wearing a very similar style check jacket haha …regardless i love my current one now! So I have had a lot of private messages from you guys asking how to style these particular looks and I have pulled together a few examples for you below…

It is so easy style this look, it can be worn simply with a plain tshirt or top…Jacket is €39.99 here Earrings Warehouse €13, Dark Check jacket River Island €75 here. Black lace cami €22.99 available here. White logo tshirt Zara €9.95(in stores sold out online) similar here, Belt Topshop €20 available here. Black Jeans River Island (Amelia) €55 here.

I also love the long line Coats, penneys have a few in stock and they are fab but unfortunately way too long for my height 5’4. There is some other lovely lenght’s around and this is how I would style them.. again keeping it simple as check is a busy print! Above Pic: Jumper Oasis €47 available here,  Check Coat Zara €99.95 available here, White collared jumper Zara €25.95 sold out online available in store. River Island Molly jeans €55 available here Top shop boots €57 available here,  Check Coat New Look €49.99 here Black jeans Amelia River island as above. Flats River Island €40 available here.

Love checked Trousers at the moment so easy to style…I have all this look above in my wardrobe and wear it all the time….Black Jumper (a wardrobe staple piece) Zara €19.95 available here Patent Loafers €29.95 available here. Check Trousers Top shop €52 available here , Camel Coat €80 from Top shop available here, Center Check Trousers €57 available here, Zara Ribbed Bandeau sweater €29.95 here.

Above look: Red sweater Topshop €46 available here, Checked trousers Zara €25.95 here, Black Suede biker jacket New Look €49.95 available here, Black Ankle Boot Topshop €103 available here, and River Island Logo tshirt €22 here.

I hope you find this somewhat helpful and gives you a few ideas how to embrace the trend…as always if you have any questions just ask

Until next time

Pam 

xx

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