Well, she did it.
Against me trying to stop her, my sweet Kensington turned ten on Saturday.
Andrew and I wanted to make this birthday extra special, so we decided to go to NYC for a girls weekend with Erika and Ebby Lee. We left early Thursday morning and had the BEST long weekend!! Erika said it and I totally agree…Kensington and Ebby Lee are like at the perfect age for a trip like this. They’re still little and so sweet (they wanted to play at the park and go to American Girl), but they’re big enough to be super fun, easy going and the perfect little travel companions.
Here’s a little look at our trip to the Big Apple to celebrate Kensington turning TEN!
My alarm went off at 2:50 AM but it was so worth it! We picked up Erika and Ebby Lee for our super early flight to NYC! Can you tell that we’re pumped?!
We landed!! Let the fun begin!
After getting our bags and heading to the hotel (we stayed at the JW Marriott on Central Park South and loved it by the way), we walked down to the Food Hall at the Plaza Hotel to pick up a late bite for lunch.
There are just too many yummy things to chose from here! Erika and I ended up with lobster rolls while the girls enjoyed pizza.
Lovin’ life at the Food Hall! After this, we made our way to the park…
…the girls played and played plus climbed on the rocks. After this, we walked down Fifth Avenue…
Strolling down Fifth with coffee in hand is my idea of a good time! While we were strolling, we walked into Saks and before we knew it, Erika and I each had makeovers at one of the beauty counters. Hahahaha…
…listen, there is no better time to make me over than after I woke up at 2:50 in the morning. Don’t we look nice?! This lady at the counter was so sweet and showed us some really great goodies (I’ll do a new makeup post soon!). After Saks, we walked to…
…American Girl 🙂 . Please note, after Erika and I bought our makeup, we got “free with purchase” totes that the girls wanted to carry. We arrived around 4:30 and it was deserted. We enjoyed the place to ourselves! After this, we walked back to the hotel and changed for dinner…
…we were all ready for our first NYC supper! Psssst: my dress is HERE, K’s is HERE and her shoes are HERE.
Someone tell me when they got this big?!
Our first dinner was at The Mercer Kitchen! We all gave it two thumbs up!! Erika and I split the truffle pizza and the burger (the waiter recommended both!), and they were outstanding!
Truffle pizza with a burger and fries? Yes, ma’am!!
We were in bed pretty early (after such a long day!) and then ready to take down DAY TWO…
Elevator selfie for the win!
First stop on day two…
…La Pecora Bianca for breakfast. It was so good!!!
Sausage and Broccolini Fritata anyone? YUM!
These two were so pumped about our day!
First stop after breakfast? Macy’s! I mean…who doesn’t want to go to their 34th Street Store if even just to walk through and take a peek?
Our second stop is right behind them 🙂 .
I loved how K took a pic of Ebby Lee taking a pic! Haha! My shorts are HERE and my striped tee is HERE.
After Macy’s, we walked right to the Empire State Building. Friends, there was no one there!! We walked right in and got right up there! We bought tickets that allowed us to stop at all three floors (the top being floor 102!). Here we are at the first stop!
Beautiful Manhattan below!
Stop #2 was outside!
I have traveled so much with this girl and it’s always SO MUCH FUN!!!
Side note: my earrings can be found HERE.
Our final stop was floor 102!
Whoa! That’s high!
After this, we took an Uber downtown to…
…this. Friends, in all my years and all my travels, I have never been to a more comprehensive and well thought out museum. We spent a little over two hours here and still probably didn’t see half. I highly recommend this for anyone coming to NYC. What we learned and saw here will stay with us forever. We have had some amazing conversations since we left, and I really can tell it made an impact on my sweet girl. I really loved this stop.
After we left, it was a little later and we were hungry, so we heard there was a big festival going on in Little Italy and decided to check it out…
…HOLY MOZZARELLA! This was SO FUN! We were here during the annual Feast of San Gennaro festival and it was HAPPENIN’!
The whole place was packed and smelled like a yummy Italian feast. Ebby Lee and I opted for pizza from a street vendor…
…while Erika and Kensington each got pasta. We grabbed our food and sat on a curb to watch…
…SO MUCH FUN!
After this, we walked on up to…
…this girl’s favorite cupcake place!!
Georgetown Cupcakes never disappoints! After this, we headed to Times Square to see what was goin’ on…
…it was packed and festive as always! From there, we walked back to our hotel to change and get ready for another fun dinner…
…elevator selfie before dinner!
Ah! I love these girls so much! My dress is HERE and K’s is HERE.
Our restaurant that night was in the middle of the park (where cars can’t pull right in), so we took this instead! Nothing beats a rickshaw to dinner!
We tried out The Loeb Boathouse for dinner and it was SPECTACULAR! Our table was on the water and the food was out of this world!
The waiter even brought over bread so that the girls could feed the fish and turtles below.
Three cheers for seafood spaghetti! Erika and I also shared a crab cake that would have been photographed, but we ate it too fast. Ha!
They asked why we were in town, so when we told them that the next day, K was turning 10, they brought out dessert and sang 🙂 .
After dinner, we took a carriage ride through Central Park.
It was beautiful!!
Name that fountain! Which six sang and danced in it???
The next morning, we woke up and this girl…
…was ten.
We started our day with breakfast at Sarabeth’s!
Ah! Ten! I just love her so much!!
After breakfast, we walked A LOT! We walked through Columbus Circle up the Upper West Side, through the park at 91st street and back down Fifth. Then, we walked over to…
…Dylan’s Candy Bar!
After that, a quick lunch and sundae at…
…Serendipity’s!
A girl and her sundae 🙂 .
After lunch, we walked over to Bloomingdale’s where she picked out a new dress and shoes for her birthday. Psst: My top is HERE.
And then…she wanted to climb on the rocks in the park some more 🙂 .
We cleaned up again ready to hit the town for our last night in NYC! We brought the sequins on this night! My dress is HERE and K’s is HERE.
We ate a big Italian dinner at Carmine’s…
…where we had no fun at all 🙂 .
I love this pic because it’s so THEM!
Framily birthday dinner! After this, we walked right next door to see…
…FROZEN!!!!
Friends, it was AMAZING! Even if you don’t bring kids, I think adults will love it too!
We were so excited for the show to start! While we were sitting here, my sweet friend Ashley Spivey tweeted Patti Murin to tell her we were there and to see if we could go backstage after. What?! What?! Patti Murin is ANNA! She was so gracious and added our name to the list so that we could meet her after the show…
…eeeeeeeeks! I mean, how cool is that?! It’s ANNA!! Patti was so sweet to us! Kensington’s birthday was MADE!
We even got to go on stage after 🙂 . It was such a special night!
The next morning, we boarded a flight home filled with lots of wonderful memories of this girl’s 10th birthday.
It was such a special trip, and I’m so blessed that sweet Erika and Ebby Lee wanted to come too. I will always remember our time in NYC!
Okay, want to see something really cool and here THE BEST NEWS EVER?!
MY FRIEND AMY HAS FINALLY OPENED AN ETSY SHOP!!!
Agh! I’m so excited about this!!! Here is Kensington’s 10th birthday sign (above). Isn’t it PERFECT?! After 10 years of me begging and pleading with her, she has finally been able to open a shop that I so hope you will all check out! Her signs are all custom and they’re GORGEOUS! Amy’s creative genius never ceases to amaze me. I went around my house and snapped a few pics of all the “Amy” signs we have at our house…
I am so excited for her! She is so talented and I’m so happy she’s sharing her gift with others. You can find her on Etsy HERE. It’s called HERESYOURSIGNBYAMY.
Have a wonderful day, friends!! xo
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
What a birthday! I’m 25 and I dream of spending a birthday in NYC too! Kensington’s such a lucky little girl! 🙂
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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Susan Jeffries says
SO much fun! NYC is always a great idea!! We saw Frozen last summer and loved it too!! May I please ask about the black sneakers you are wearing with your shorts? We travel to NYC a few times a year and I am always looking for cute and comfy shoes to take with me! Thanks!
polly peterson says
Wow! What a birthday! You obviously work really hard to have a great lifestyle and offer your kids great vacations, clothes, activities, etc. Do you ever get concerned that they appreciate all they have? I have heard other celebrities ponder this and hope they “keep it real” for their kids.
Mix and Match Mama says
Andrew and I try really hard to make sure our kids are grounded. The “lifestyle” my kiddos have is honestly just like the one I had growing up. My parents always place a high value on traveling and seeing things, and we do too.
Erika Slaughtef says
Ahhhhhh!!!!! What a birthday!! Ebby Lee and I were just talking about all the fun we had last night. Thanks for inviting us along to celebrate! And my goodness! We had some yummy food! Happy Birthday, K!
Beth Knecht says
Wow! What an awesome birthday, and I’m so excited to look into Amy’s sign shop! Hooray!
Narci says
What a fun trip!! I loved all of these adorable pictures!!! Happy Birthday, Kensington!
Sheaffer Sims says
What at AMAZING trip! Memories were made for a lifetime!
Carly says
I was following along all weekend. So much better than presents! I also loved that you and Erika seemed to have just as much fun as K & EL! Happy Birthday KensingTEN! Can’t wait to see what Smith does!
Kristine says
What a fun trip! I went to NYC for the first time this summer for a belated 40th birthday celebration, and I fell in love with the city! Thanks for showing how to make NYC “kid friendly”. I’d love to take my kiddos someday!
Elspeth Mizner says
What a fun and memorable weekend! A perfect age to celebrate in nyc!
Sarah Shaneyfelt says
What a perfect 10th birthday!! I love that you made it a friends’ trip, too!! I was trying to figure out what the temperature was while y’all were there haha! What time of the year do you think is the best time to visit NYC? Thank you!
MeetTheShaneyfelts
Mix and Match Mama says
It was weird. It was like 74ish and cloudy but humid so it felt a little warmer.
Peyton Cline says
Looks like y’all had a blast!! She will cherish this birthday forever!! Which color Nickel and Suede earrings did you wear during your trip? I love them all!!!
Mix and Match Mama says
Rust and then that new fall blue color.
Amanda says
Looked like such a fabulous trip! Can’t wait to take my little girl to American Girl when she’s old enough. What kind of shoes do you wear to walk around in while traveling?
Amber says
So much fun!!!!!!!!!! Random question… do you guys use a self tanner?
Mix and Match Mama says
When it’s not summer, I use those Dr. Dennis Gross tan wipes on my face.
Amber says
Thank you!!! Love reading your blog weekly!!!!
Lis says
YES!!! I’ve been hoping Amy would open an Etsy shop – so excited!
Your trip looked amazing – so many fun memories!
Dorey says
ah love the boathouse!! looks like a perfect trip 🙂
Brooke Richardson says
I love all the happy and sweet smiles in this post! What a memorable trip!!!
Leslie S says
What a fun trip! This is now on my bucket list to do with my daughters! They’re 16 mos apart, so I think we are getting so close to being the right ages. Thanks so much for posting your trip details – this is so helpful to see what fun NY can be with kids! LOVE reading about your adventures and the details you provide. Your blog is so fun!
Brea says
Oh my gosh, is that the fountain from the Friends opening credits?! So cool! Looks like such a fun trip!
Mix and Match Mama says
Hahahahah! Yes!
Kassy says
I’ve read that the Friends fountain is actually in California! Nonetheless, the trip looked so fun! Experiences to last a lifetime!
Laura Thomas says
What a PERFECT way to turn 10!!! Love it!! I love the “experience” over the party concept!
Nicole D says
Oh my God!! I’ve been waiting for years for your friend to open up a shop! I already messaged her haha.
I’m glad you enjoyed your weekend in the city! My hometown. I work on Broadway and love seeing the excitement for theater 🙂
Rachel says
Did ebby and Erica also get to go backstage at frozen?
Mix and Match Mama says
They did not. Ebby Lee started to not feel well and wanted to lay down, so they decided to go back instead of wait. Poor EL!
Melissa Terry says
You hit up some of our very favorites! There’s really nothing like NYC…what a fun bday memory!
Melissa Carswell says
Happy 10th birthday wishes to your sweet daughter! I love NYC. Looks like it was the perfect way to celebrate turning double digits. BTW, what lip color are you wearing?
Elizabeth says
Wow! What an awesome birthday weekend for Kensington! You guys look like you had a blast and totally made me want to go to NYC. I have not been in several years, and my husband has never been- so I think I know where I’m planning our next trip to!
Paula says
What an amazing trip! So special.
My SIL was visiting NY at the same time ftom Tennessee, so I saw a ton of pictures ftom that particular festival she went to as well. ?
Do you plan out every restaurant & make reservations prior to each?
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! I do!!
Barbara Parnell says
ok..so much going through my head! Glad you enjoyed your visit here in NY. You hit all the great spots and I imagine that this trip will be one of your daughter’s favorite memories ever! So glad you went to the 9/11 museum. Being on Long Island that day(I am right outside the city) was one I will never forget. The horror, the smoke, the silence in the skies after the attacks..then hearing military planes above our house. It was just awful. So important to remember it all.
Next, you ladies looked fantastic after the makeovers!
Lastly, I am thrilled your friend opened an Etsy shop! Heading there right now!
Kathy L says
Looks like a super fun trip to NYC to celebrate Kensington turning “double digits”! Love all those signs by Amy! So great that she now has an Etsy shop!
Kristy says
I am so thrilled she opened a shop!! Yes yes yes screamed us all!!!
Jordan says
SO FUN! I love that the girls got all dressed up for dinner each night! I’m sure they loved the quality time with their mama’s!!
Clare B says
Y’all looked so beautiful for your big night out! And the food pics — it all looks delish!! I just love NYC! So glad you got to give K a birthday she’ll never forget!
Angie G says
Loved this post so much! Happy Birthday to your girl! Waking up on your birthday and brunching at Sarabeth’s makes me want to do that for my next birthday! I love that place, one of my very favs in NYC! Love K’s seqins and sneaker booties! So cute!! I’ve added a few new places to my NYC list from this post for next time I’m in town.
Sara Mayo says
Fabulous birthday!! Happy birthday Kensington ?? most of all I love how sweet and happy EL is for her friend. Such a sweet friendship. Biggest blessings to have such wonderful friends. ?
Kim says
Wow what a fun trip to a wonderful city! Funny fact about that fountain, it’s not really the one from Friends, whomp whomp. Sorry, it’s a myth, I did the same thing with a pic I took there lol, but who cares right? I had fun while I was doing it haha! Happy birthday to your sweet girl and what a happy way to celebrate, memories to last a lifetime!
stacy says
What a magical 10th birthday! Looks like so much fun. Love the looks of all that food. 🙂
Kayla A Bruce says
Love all of this! And I recognized the FRIENDS fountain right away <3 I think when I turned 10 my mom took me to Chicago, and we for sure went to American Girl there as well. Love traveling in the fall, too. This all looks so great.
Debbra L Weber says
What a trip! Thanks for sharing. Thanks, also, for sharing your friend’s Etsy shop. My son graduates in May so my wheels are already turning on what she could design for his big day! Have a great day!
Rebecca Jo says
How does this birthday ever get topped??? Incredible.
I love that all that New York has to offer & she still wanted to go back & play on the rock. So stinkin’ cute.
ANNA!!!!! That’s amazing you all got to meet her backstage. That really is a birthday treat.
Happy 10th to your sweet baby – always your baby
Amanda @ That Inspired Chick says
That trip looked like so much fun!! Such a special friendship between all of y’all! That was definitely a birthday Kensington will never forget. And yay for Amy!!! Girl is gonna be BUSY!!! Hahaha.
That Inspired Chick
Kelsey says
What an amazing trip!!!! Such special memories I’m sure you will all cherish forever!
Amber says
What mode of transportation did you use to get from the airport to your hotel? We are planning a trip to NYC in November…
Mix and Match Mama says
We used a car service. When it’s just me, I wait in the taxi line, but since there were four of us, we took a car.
Taylor says
I now want to grab my best friend and go to NYC. Thanks for a great recap!
Heather says
Ahhh what a great way for K to spend such a special birthday! My hubby took me to Breakfast at Tiffany’s for my birthday this year. I highly recommend it next time y’all have a girls only trip! Yay for Amy’s shop being opened…..FINALLY! I just contacted her to do a first birthday sign for my son:)
Kelly Buffington says
Kensington will remember her tenth birthday forever! What a fun trip! Thanks for all the details, so helpful for when I want to plan a trip. Loved the makeover look and K’s dresses! She looked so pretty;).
Liz Thorson says
Wow! What a spectacular birthday celebration! Best friends, fun and fabulous food for the win What a wonderful memory of turning ten for Kensington to cherish!❤️??❤️
Liz Thorson says
What a fantastic celebration for Kensington’s 10th birthday with her best friend, so much fun and excitement touring, shopping, playing, eating fabulous food, seeing Frozen! She looked so happy in every picture and her outfits were all darling, too! What joyful memories she will have forever!❤️?❤️
Ahsia says
Looks like a fun trip. Happy Birthday to Kennsington !!!
Olivia says
LOVE the Friends fountain picture. Also, some of those pics of the girls are so good, like frameable!
Sheila says
I believe this is my favorite post of yours. Mother/daughter trips and NYC!!!! Sounds perfect!
Jessica says
Happy Birthday K! And I’m so excited about Amy’s Etsy shop!! My son just turned one, and I’m planning to do a birthday board wall like yours!
Jaimie says
This is so special – she will have these memories forever! xx
http://www.lilyparkeast.com
Madison Howell says
Just wondering when you do framily trips. How do you split the costs. Some of my friends are very peculiar with this sort of thing so want to get ideas.
Mix and Match Mama says
We have developed a good groove with the Slaughters after so many trips together, so we split things pretty evenly down the middle.
Julie says
What a wonderful way to celebrate ten! I have to share…I live in Boston and we bring our family of five to NYC often as my mother in law owns a place there (lucky us!). Anyway, no matter WHAT amazing activities we have planned, carriage rides, Dylan’s, museums, my kids are OBSESSED with those rocks in the park! All they ever want to do is climb the rocks in the park! What is it with those rocks? Too funny, it made me smile that Kensington wanted more rock climbing for her birthday. As a side note, I have climbed the rocks too. I find coffee and books way better-just sayin’!
Susie says
Shay, what a fabulous trip! Did you even make reservations for breakfast at Sarabeth’s & La Pecora Bianca? How early did you girls eat breakfast in order to fit in all your activities? (I feel like this is a silly question, but my kids like to sleep in, so I need some time management suggestions, haha.)
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! I made reservations for both!! We ate at 8:30 on Friday and 9:00 on Saturday (K’s birthday!).
Melanie says
I love how the girls wore dresses the whole time. And all of the dresses are so cute!
Jumi A says
I absolutely love this post with all the great ideas. I have a 2 year old and I’m already creating an itinerary from this post for her 10th birthday. Hopefully NYC is still as cool and hasn’t changed too much then.. LOL.. And Amy Opening up a shop is the best news ever. I’m going to get signs made for my now 2 year olds 1st birthday and a sign for my baby when she turns 1 next year… So excited !!!!!
Amanda @ Cupcake N Dreams says
This trip looked like so much fun!! I’m sure Kensington will hold it in her heart for a very long time. I’m ready for some Carmine’s now after your photos! How exciting that your girlfriend is finally opening a shop!! The signs have gotten better every year!
Amanda @ Cupcake N Dreams
Victoria says
Bringing back great memories of my first New York trip last Christmas from the UK, when we took my mum for her 80th birthday. We stayed just round the corner from the Empire State. I used all your older NY posts to figure out where to go!
The only downside was Sarabeth’s as we had an awful experience there. Even with a reservation they seated us in the front area, full of people waiting for tables who were literally leaning over our shoulder to eye up our food, and they refused to close the front door so we had to keep our coats on and our food was cold within minutes. Management were not interested even after speaking to them three times. Ruined Christmas Day for us. I didn’t even realise how far back the restaurant went (much warmer and more pleasant at the back) so my recommendation to anyone would be to refuse to be seated in the front area, especially in colder weather.
I did catch the security guard at The Plaza in a good mood so even though I wasn’t a guest they let me in to get a photo by the tree and use the lovely bathrooms! And we had the briefest fall of snow on Christmas Eve so we took a bottle of champagne and music up to our hotel roof and drank a toast under the lights from the Empire State. Such a lovely memory ?
Kensington must have lovely memories too.
Lynn Baker says
What a wonderful trip and memories to cherish for a lifetime❤️
My mom took me to NYC when I turned 13 and we were in some fancy jewelry store and the glass window that I was looking at that was displaying a very expensive necklace opened up and the alarm went off?
Happy Bday to beautiful Kensington?
Leanne Gilchrist says
“So, no one told you life was gonna be this way……” LOL! Every time I see a picture of that fountain, I always sing the Friends theme song!! Your weekend looked magical. Thanks for posting links to Kensington’s dresses. Shay, thanks for sharing your weekends, your travels, your family and your joy with us.
Erin Port says
What a fun trip 🙂 and so much fun to get all that 1 on 1 time with her! Love it!
Lex says
Hey Shay…I’ve seen you post pictures of that LV crossbody bag before but can never find it online. Do you know what it’s called?? Thanks in advance
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s the Pochette Metis!
Gale Johnston says
Kensington is one lucky girl, and you are a wonderful mom. You actually realize how the years fly by when your children are young. I don’t think that sunk in for me until it was over. So now I am relishing every moment with my two granddaughters. How do you always get me to tear up when I read posts about your kids?
Also, I’ve never been to NYC, and I’ve always been apprehensive about taking a trip there. Such a big scary city! But this post really inspired me. I think this is definitely something my husband and I need to plan. It looked like such a wonderful time for the four of you. Thanks so much for sharing!
Victoria says
NYC is the only place I’ve been that is exactly as it is on tv and movies! The stations are as busy, the vehicles are huge, the cab drivers are crazy and every vehicle, all the time, is beeping its horn. Loved it though and would like to go back. My mum was nervous about going on her own but going with us she really enjoyed it. I made a list of everything we wanted to see and do and figured how many days that would then booked that.
Amy D. says
What a fun trip! You are such an incredible mom and your family is beautiful and wonderful. I loved reading this recap. Frozen is on my list of Broadway shows to see!
Kacy M says
I remember when she was so little! How time flies! And what a birthday, when I was 10 I had a party at home with some family members LOL…can’t imagine getting a trip to NYC!
DetroitDuchess says
So much fun! I’m heading to NYC this weekend so hopefully I can make some of these stops too!