All posts by Alicia

Viceroy Miami Hotel – Great for a Family Vacation or Romantic Miami Getaway

Travel, ,

If you are planning a  trip to Florida and are considering a stay in Miami, you need to consider staying at Viceroy Miami!

I stayed at Viceroy Miami recently during a press trip with Toyota to review the 2014 Toyota Corolla and while my initial thought was that the hotel was too fancy to be a hotel that I would be anxious to take my kids to, I totally wanted my husband to jump on an airplane so that he could enjoy the gorgeous hotel and their outdoor living space, with me… in my ‘spare time’.  🙂  The second day of my visit I saw a couple of young children at the pool with their parents (or nannies) and realized that just because a hotel is very fancy, doesn’t mean that they don’t cater to and enjoy having kids as visitors.   Why else would Viceroy Miami have Florida’s longest infinity pool than for kids to enjoy? 😉

Viceroy Miami is a luxury Miami Florida resort and is the centerpiece of the groundbreaking Icon Brickell project, a 10-acre bay-front enclave adjacent to historical Miami River Circle Park.   Several family friendly attractions including Miami Children’s Museum and Miami Seaquarium are just a short drive from Viceroy Miami.

Viceroy Miami hotel review

My room at Viceroy Miami had a queen bed, desk, balcony, stocked mini-fridge, microwave, coffee/tea maker, and a large flat screen TV.

The 2 bedroom suite in Viceroy Miami’s residence tower is ideal for those traveling with children.  Viceroy Miami’s residence option spans from 1300 to 1400 square feet, supplying the room and seclusion of a main home with signature Viceroy Service.  Situated on elevated floors, these luxurious lodgings present restricted entrance from the residents-exclusive elevator vestibule, complete kitchens, expansive verandas, and first-rate sights.  The two bedroom residences showcase classy and modern inner design.

Residential rooms contain a epicure kitchen with first-class appliances, in addition to cutlery, glassware, flatware, and cooking utensils. The spacious bathroom displays enormous vanities with single or double basins, soaking tubs, and upright showers.

You and your kids will enjoy Viceroy Miami’s immersive outdoor entertaining center.  After relaxing in your room or suite for a bit, why not head outside to the relaxing outdoor spaces?

Viceroy Miami’s outdoor areas include:

  • Two-acres of open-air living, featuring the lengthiest infinity pool in Florida (reaching Biscayne Bay)
  • Enormous outside fireplace
  • Full-scale chess set
  • Two parks
  • Jogging trail
  • And much more!

Parents should take time to relax at the spa!  Viceroy Miami offers a variety of health, social, physique, and liveliness packages at the eminent Miami luxury spa.

Vacationing with children can be difficult, but only if there is not anything for your kids to do. Below are some nearby places to visit with your kids while you’re staying at Viceroy Miami.

Family Friendly Attractions Near Viceroy Miami

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Miami Children’s Museum
980 MacArthur Causeway

Miami Children’s Museum is dedicated to enriching the lives of all children by fostering a love of learning and enabling children to realize their highest potential. The museum encourages visitors of all ages to play, learn, imagine and create.
Miami Children’s Museum offers interactive exhibits, programs, and learning materials related to arts, culture, community and communication.

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Miami Seaquarium
4400 Rickenbacker Causeway

On a 38-acre tropical paradise with spectacular skyline views lies a South Florida attraction like no other. Welcome to Miami Seaquarium®, a place where dolphins walk on water and killer whales fly through the air. Where sea lions delight children of all ages and endangered sea turtles and manatees find a safe haven. Enjoy a world-class marine-life entertainment park with eight different marine animal shows and astonishing daily presentations. Miami Seaquarium® is a place of inspiration, education – and fun!

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Jungle Island
1111 Parrot Jungle Trail

Step into a lush, tropical jungle and mingle with birds, monkeys and the world’s most rare and exotic creatures. See sensational animal shows, meet a real liger, and kid around with kangaroos, lemurs and penguins!

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Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
3251 South Miami Avenue

Vizcaya is a European-inspired estate with a Main House and formal gardens on Biscayne Bay. Built in the early 1910s by Chicago businessman James Deering as his winter home. Vizcaya is a National Historic Landmark and museum owned by Miami-Dade County that welcomes 150.000 visitors each year. We invite you to visit this serene and stunningly beautiful retreat in the heart of Miami.

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All of the above attractions are close to Viceroy Miami hotel and feature age-appropriate camps, activities, and much more. Your children will be sure to have a blast on your next trip to Miami… which should be soon!

Connect With Viceroy Miami

485 Brickell Avenue
Miami, Florida 33131 USA
Guestroom Reservations: 866 781 9923
Viceroy Miami Website

Fashion Finds: 5 Leather Detailed Sweaters For Ladies + 1 For a Little Girl

Clothes - mom & dad, Fashion & Style, Style Guide, ,

I was looking through my wardrobe yesterday as I attempted to organize my closet and it dawned on me that my clothes are pretty boring. My closet is full of solid colors, mostly black tops, jeans, and black leggings.  Fun, right?

I used to wear cute clothes.  Back when I was a size 4.  Pre-kids.

As I was organizing I tried to think of ways I can add fun, interesting clothes to my wardrobe without getting to risky.  I’m not a fan of patterns or bright colors but I do love leather.   I’m not ready to jump into a full leather piece though.

One way to jazz up a wardrobe is by including pieces with leather detail or trim.  It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.  I found a few sweaters with faux leather detail that are under $100.  Not one to be left out of fashion-finds, my daughter spotted a purple long-sleeve cardigan with faux leather detail from about 10 feet away while I was searching Macys.com for pieces.   How cute is #6?

If you’re looking for a way to spice up your wardrobe, check out the sweaters below and search online stores like Nordstrom.com or Macys.com for “leather + sweater”, for example.

leather trim sweaters

 

1 – Faux Leather Trim Tunic available in Regular & Petite at Nordstrom.com – $79

2 – Faux Leather Trim Cardis at OldNavy.com – $36 (plus sizes available and on sale online now!)

3 – LAmade Suede Shoulder V-Neck Sweater with Leather Detail at Nordstrom.com – $128

4 – Vince Leather Sleeve Sweater at Shopbop.com – $335
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5 – Long-Sleeve Faux-Leather Cardigan at Macys.com – on sale for $44 from 69

6 – (Little Girl) City Faux Leather Sweatshirt at Splendid.com (available sizes: 7/8, 10, 12, 14) – $82.00

 

Do you have a favorite piece of clothing that has leather detail on it?

Alicia, The Mommy Insider blog author
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My Favorite Work From Home Clothes

Fashion & Style, Personal, Style Guide, ,

No, it’s not pajamas. 🙂  Do you have a work from home uniform? I realized today that I do.  I have.. I don’t know.. several pairs of leggings and long tops that make up my work from home uniform.  They are my go-to clothes when I know I’m not leaving the house until the evening.  Even so, sometimes I just put a necklace on and go out in my ‘uniform’.

Only after I’d been working from home for 5 years or so, did I discover that if I actually got dressed I would be more productive, energetic, and happy.  When you work from home it is important to stick to a normal routine of showering, getting dressed, and putting a little makeup on, even if your office is just down the hall.  It’s proven (by me) that when we look good, we feel good.  When we look bad, we feel bad.  Plus wearing pajamas can make you think (even if in your subconscious) that you can get back in bed anytime.

Get out of your pajamas!

On that note, I’d like to share my current work uniform with you.  It’s simple, the pieces are easy to find just about anywhere, and super comfortable, but stylish at the same time.    A couple of accessories, cute shoes, and brushed hair and you could even leave the house in your work ‘uniform’! 😉

Most of the clothes I wear I work from home are from H&M

Most of my ‘work clothes’ are from H&M.  The clothes are cheap, comfortable, available in lots of sizes.. but as to be expected when you pay $24.95 for a sweater, it may not last as long as your favorite $150 sweater.    The good thing about H&M’s prices is that you can buy a lot of things and put together several outfits for the price of one top somewhere else.

Comfortable, stylish work from home clothes

1 – H&M Melange Leggings – $9.95

2 – Oversized Knit Sweater – $24.95

3 – Dylan Muscle Tee with Drawstring – $143 (pricey but it’s a top that can be worn a lot!)

4 – Oversized sweatshirt top – $24.95

5 – Chain Necklace (available in gold and silver) – $5.95

When shopping for leggings keep in mind the thickness of them if you want them to hold ‘stuff’ in.  When I’m feeling particularly good about myself I wear thin leggings but on my off days I wear thicker leggings because they tend to hold ‘stuff’ in better.

Be mindful of others ladies and as Grechen says here, cover your ass when you’re wearing leggings!  Leggings are not to be worn with short tops. 🙂

Alicia, The Mommy Insider blog author

Join Us for the Kmart Halloween Twitter Party

Twitter Parties, ,

kmart Halloween Twitter Party

I hope you’ll join us for the #KmartHalloween Twitter party!

To RSVP and have a chance to win one of the prizes, make sure you do the following:

  • Follow the host @Kmart account and co-host/participants @KmartDeals
  • Retweet one of the promotional tweets announcing the party. These normally contain “RT to RSVP” in them.

Let’s talk creepy costumes! Join our #KmartHalloween Twitter Party 10/16 at 12pm CT, $200 in prizes. RT to RSVP: http://syw.co/17oBPzC

Participate in the conversation when it occurs Wednesday, October 16th at 12pm CST by answering questions and chatting to others under the hashtag #FreakyFab13. Make sure you use #KmartHalloween, or we won’t be able to see your replies!

Read the official rules: syw.co/17oBPzC

The winners will be selected as the party goes on, but if any of the above criteria are missing you will be unable to claim your prize. If you are announced a winner, simply reply to @KmartDeals you accept the prize and a rep will be in contact with you via DM for the next steps.

Thanks again and see you at the #KmartHalloween party!

The Newly Redesigned 2014 Toyota Corolla, A Car With Wow Power!

Car Reviews, , , ,

Is looking for a new car something you’ve had on your mind for a while but haven’t decided on which vehicle you want to look at and learn more about first?  While finding the right vehicle can sometimes be a challenge, when you take time to check out the newly redesigned 2014 Toyota Corolla, you’ll be amazed at this car’s “Wow Power”! Wow Power is when a car impresses you on more than just looks alone and the Toyota Corolla has great looks and much more! Cool new features for the tech-savvy driver, a sleek, restyled design that appeals to the eye and the same Toyota reliability that’s been a favorite among buyers for many years adds to the allure of this contemporary and affordable car.

2014 Corolla Safety with 8 Airbags

My review of the new Corolla found the addition of several great safety features, including 8 airbags that come standard on all 2014 Corolla models which include:

  • driver and front passenger airbags
  • driver and front passenger seat-mounted side airbags
  • driver knee airbag
  • passenger seat-cushion airbags
  • and front and rear side curtain airbags.

These, along with the three-point seat belts for every passenger make the 2014 Corolla one of the safest vehicles around. Sure, no one plans to be in an accident, but even the most seasoned driver on a familiar commute may still contend with the traffic becoming faster and heavier. Even with the convenient 60/40 rear seat split, no matter which seat you’re occupying, you can be reassured that you will be as protected as possible.

2014 Toyota Corolla review

The Corolla has a beautiful interior as well and you’ll be sure to notice the aerodynamic dashboard with sleek, fluid lines.   I can almost guarantee that when you get in the Corolla for the first time, your hand will involuntarily caress the dashboard as if you are touching a $1500 handbag you’ve saved for for years.

2014 Corolla Backup Camera

The addition of the backup camera which comes standard on all 2014 Corolla models with the exception of the Corolla L, is a superb touch. How is this a benefit to you? The touch-screen on the control panel gives you not only a view of the area behind your car, but also peace of mind that when backing up there is nothing in your path.   You never know what prompts a child to run behind a car and the addition of backup cameras in a vehicle can be a life saver.  Additionally, the camera also assists in parallel parking, making it easier to see the curb and vehicles in front or behind you. Tight spot to park? No problem now.

Inside the 2014 Toyota Corolla

Now, let’s take a tour of the other features inside the Corolla that make driving this car an immensely satisfying experience. Available only on the LE, LE Eco, and S Models, the ENTUNE Multimedia Bundle combines everything you love about technology and takes it on the road with you. The touch-screen features a 6-inch display and the AM/FM CD player and six speakers gives you an excellent surround-sound quality. There’s also an auxiliary audio jack for headphones, a USB port, and iPod® connectivity. With the advanced voice recognition and hands-free phone capability, you can dial, talk and control your phone effortlessly. The music streaming via Bluetooth® technology adds to the appeal of this intriguing and sporty vehicle.

2014 Toyota Corolla review

Under the Hood

Under the hood, the Toyota Corolla offers two engine options and three transmission choices in the four differing models ranging from a six-speed manual shift to the classic four-speed automatic. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention the impressive gas mileage this car can get with an EPA estimated 42 miles per gallon on the highway. In short, the newly redesigned 2014 Toyota Corolla has everything you could want and more. It’s the ideal vehicle for everyone from long-distance commuters to budget-minded college students. It definitely has Wow-Power!

Cost:

MSRP 

  • L  – $16,800
  • LE – $18,300
  • LE Eco –  $18,700
  • S – $19,000

Explore, Build, or Test Drive a Toyota Corolla Today!

Thank you to photographer Ernesto Roman for providing a few of the photographs above.

Toyota flew me to Miami Florida to learn about and test drive the 2014 Toyota Corolla.  They provided accommodations at the gorgeous Viceroy Miami hotel which I will tell you about in another post so stay tuned.  All opinions are my own.

Want to read more about the 2014 Toyota Corolla?

I had a blast hanging out with Zippy from Champagne Living during this trip, who also provided a review of the Corolla on her blog.

 

Alicia, The Mommy Insider blog author