Tag Archives: Housewife Heroes Contest

NYC Part 2 – I Had The Time(s Square) Of My Life

As soon as our driver, Hugh, picked us up at the airport, I felt like Cinderella on the way to the ball.  Hugh drives Melissa Gorga and other celebrities all the time, yet he made us feel like royalty.

He carried our bags to his pristine black Escalade.  As we approached the car, I felt as though I was walking toward our black Suburban.  I always wondered what the big attraction was with the Cadillac version over the Chevrolet.  Both have pretty much the same frame, so I just didn’t get it.  Until I sat in the Escalade.  Aaah, luxury.  Well, just the fact that it was 12 years newer than our Suburban and didn’t have French fries all over the floor would have been enough.  But it also had all the bells and whistles.  Plus opera music playing.  I felt so sophisticated.

I don’t know why New Yorkers have the reputation of being rude.  Hugh was one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met, as were most of the people we encountered.  He gave us a newcomers’ guide to New York during our ride to the hotel.  We didn’t get lost once during the trip, thanks to Hugh’s tips.

We checked in at the Time Hotel and, again, got a taste of how it feels to be a celebrity.  When we gave them our names, the hotel clerk exclaimed “Oh, you are the contest winner!”  We were told we had two care packages waiting for us at the concierge desk.  When we entered our room, there was a message on our phone from Voli welcoming us to New York and inviting us to go relax in the hotel cocktail lounge since our tab was prepaid for anything we wished to have.   We weren’t ready to start drinking vodka that early in the afternoon, so decided to go sight-seeing first.

The Time Hotel is (appropriately) located right in the Times Square area.  We took a stroll around to admire the grandeur.

NYC Part 2 Time Square Ball
Wow!
NYC Part 2 Time Square Diet Coke
I had to get a shot of my morning addiction, Diet Coke.
NYC Part 2 Broadway Signs
I want to see them ALL!

Everything was so impressively huge.  Except the iconic “ball drop.” I will never again look at it the same on New Year’s Eve.  That tiny little thing above “2013” is it?  I’m not sure what I expected, but I know it wasn’t that.

NYC Part 2 Ball

We didn’t realize the coincidence, but our next 3 stops were Roxy’s Deli, Hard Rock Café and Rockefeller Plaza!   I guess we were anticipating a “rocky” time.

We stopped for a late lunch at Roxy’s.  I must say after the hype about New York food, this was the one place that did not impress me.  We didn’t want to eat too much because we were looking forward to pigging out at Lombardi’s for dinner so we just ordered a couple of appetizers.  Perhaps if we had ordered the $25 deli sandwich (apparently they are expensive, but huge.  You can share…for an extra $7!), we would have enjoyed it more.  The appetizers were just “eh.”  Cool atmosphere though.

NYC Part 2 Roxy Deli

In the mirror’s reflection, you will notice the walls were covered with caricatures of celebrities.

NYC Part 2 Roxy Deli 2

Maybe the caricatures contributed to my disappointment.  It reminded me of the “I Love Lucy” episode where she ate at the Brown Derby, which also had caricatures of the rich and famous.  But the celebs often ate at the Brown Derby and Lucy saw stars sitting at the tables next to her.  The only famous thing I saw at Roxy’s was the New York Cheesecake.

Photo: media.kicktastic.com
Photo: media.kicktastic.com

Oh well, if I had someone to gawk at, they probably would have ended up with a pie in the face also.  Or, more likely, a cheesecake in the face. (I’m sure all the young’uns reading this right now have no idea what I’m talking about…You can watch the full I Love Lucy episode here.  I had forgotten how much I LOVE that show.)

Photo: hollywoodphotographs.com
Photo: hollywoodphotographs.com

Hard Rock Café was in fact full of fame and fortune.  Mostly in the form of rock star’s guitars.  This place got a thumbs up.  Lots of them.

NYC Part 2 Hard Rock Cafe 3

Taking a photo by the sign seemed to be the thing to do. Everyone was doing it.  So we did also.  Good thing everyone wasn’t jumping off the Brooklyn bridge.  NYC Part 2 Hard Rock Cafe signThis post is getting long and I’m out of time right now so I think my journey may need a “NYC Part 2B – Hey Waiter, There’s A Tree In My Drink.”  Watch for it later today!

Next stop, fabulous Rockefeller Plaza…with a few detours along the way…

(For the NYC details you may have missed, click here.)

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NYC Part 1 – Getting in an Empire State Of Mind

Yesterday I tried to figure out what to write about my Housewife Heroes trip. I started and stopped a couple of times, wondering what everyone wanted to hear.  Should I just stick to the glitz and glam of it all?  Does everyone just need the happily-ever-after-fairy-tale version?

But Momopolize is all about telling it like it is.  Was it an awesome, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?  Oh, yeah!  Does anything ever go perfectly?  Oh, no!  So…here it goes.  The good, the bad and the ugly. And, of course, the funny.

Bear with me on Part 1.  It’s not so exciting.  No celebrities.  Yet.  But still part of the story.  Parts 2 and 3 will contain the Access Hollywood worthy parts.  Actually, there really is an Access Hollywood part to the story.

I was so busy with work and holiday shopping before Christmas, that I didn’t have any time to even think about my trip.  Well, I had time to think about it.  To stress about it.  But not any time to DO anything about it.  That was ok though.  I’d still have a week after Christmas to figure out where the boys would stay, how they’d get to their sports and various activities while we were gone, buy an entirely new wardrobe.  And lose 30 pounds.

No problem.

Until I woke up sick on December 27.

For those that don’t know, I have Lyme Disease.  And Lupus.  So I’m sick a lot.  But this was a snotty nose, can’t talk without coughing up a lung sick.  Just what you want when going to have lunch with a celebrity.

Luckily after taking every supplement and medicine known to man, I was feeling better for New Year’s.  But I now had a DAY to figure out where the boys would stay, how they’d get to their sports and various activities while we were gone, buy an entirely new wardrobe.  And lose 30 pounds.

I splurged on an outfit I wouldn’t normally buy and ridiculous shoes to go with it.  I bought another outfit with a leopard print shirt.  Because even when you are scared on the inside, animal prints make you LOOK courageous.  Jim took care of the arrangements for the boys.  We were ready to go.  Except for the 3o pounds part.

The morning of, we were packed and ready to send the boys off to school with our heartfelt goodbyes.  With plenty of time to get to the airport.  Except we realized one child needed a prescription refill.  Mad dash to the pediatrician (who luckily had early morning hours that day) and then the 24 hour pharmacy.  Then one missed his ride to school.  Mad dash to drop him off…in a carpool line that seemed to take for. ev. er.  Then another one left his overnight bag at home that he needed to take to the friend’s house where he was staying.  Mad dash.  Then we noticed one left his lunch money home (won’t name names, but it was the same one who forgot his luggage.).  One more mad dash.

We arrived at the airport.  By the time we took a bus from the parking garage, got our boarding passes, checked our luggage, made it through security (why do I always get so nervous during that part even though I know I am not guilty of anything??), took the shuttle to the main terminal and arrived at our gate, we had about 10 minutes before boarding.

Our original seats weren’t together but we were told we could switch to the exit row once we arrived at the gate.  This turned out to be a fortunate event.  Because when we asked about switching seats, the gate attendant realized that while Jim had a printed out boarding pass in his hand, it wasn’t in the system.  He wouldn’t be able to board.  You’ll notice in my list of things we did when we arrived at the airport, the only thing before getting our boarding passes was taking the bus from the parking garage.  The rest of the things listed AFTER that took at least an hour.

Panic set in as I thought the attendant was telling us that Jim had to go back and somehow re-do all of it in 10 minutes 5 minutes before boarding.  While the attendant never was sure when or how the glitch occurred, he was thankfully able to make a call and do some magic on the computer to fix Jim’s boarding pass at the gate.  As he scanned our passes for us to get on the plane, he looked at Jim and said “it still isn’t working.”  He was joking.  Not cool Mr. United.  Not cool.

I won’t be going on this trip alone after all.  Whew.

All of that for a 55 minute flight which, fortunately, was uneventful after that.  We even had tons of extra leg room by sitting on the exit row.  So it was pretty much like flying first class, right?  Just humor me here.

When we arrived at LaGuardia, Melissa Gorga’s personal chauffeur was waiting at baggage claim.  Holding this sign…

Voli Sign Driver Airport Pick-up

Let the pampering begin!

To be continued…

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It Is More Than Just The Buildings In NYC That Are High-Rise

High Heels NYCI’m in bed, sick.  Until I am up for writing more about my trip, here is a glimpse into my day of glam.  And before you ask…yes, I did in fact almost break my ankle.  More about that soon…

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Fake Interview with a Real Housewife

One week from today we take off for our “Housewife Heroes” excursion to New York City, including lunch with Melissa Gorga and a session with her make-up artist.

As I made plans for the trip, it made me wonder what would happen if a Real Housewife of New Jersey (RHONJ) and a Real Housewife of Boring-town Suburbia (RHOBS, yes the “BS” was intentional) were both asked the same questions in an interview.  This is what I imagine their answers would be…

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Interviewer: Tell us about the car you drive?RHONJ car

RHONJ: I have a convertible and I just love the Italian Leather seats and feeling the wind blow through my hair when I put the top down.

RHOBS: I have an SUV with Italian spaghetti sauce stains on my leather seats.  Or is it ketchup?  Maybe I should pick up one of those old French fries on the floor and find out.  The wind blows my hair in my eyes but I can’t roll up the windows because the car smells like spoiled milk.  They really shouldn’t call those cups “spill-proof.”

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Interviewer: Where is your favorite place to shop?

RHONJ: The best shopping is in NYC, so I usually dash up there for a shopping spree.  I RHONJ targetcan’t say which boutique is my favorite, because of the paparazzi.

RHOBS:  Target!  You can get a new outfit, groceries, laundry detergent and kitty litter – all in one stop.  Best.  Idea.  Ever.

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Interviewer: What do you wear when having lunch with friends?

RHONJ clothesRHONJ:  I love a splash of color.  And heels and some bling are a must.

RHOBS: I wear whichever yoga pants are clean.  If I can find the matching shirt, that’s a plus.

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Interviewer: Speaking of Yoga, have you tried the new craze, Hot Yoga?RHONJ hot yoga

RHONJ: Oh yes, I go to a hot yoga class at my gym 3 times a week.

RHOBS: Sort of.  One time when I was doing yoga at home, the air conditioning was broken.  Does that count?

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Interviewer: When you’ve had a stressful week, how do you relax?

RHONJ: A day at the spa for an appointment with my favorite masseuse, a caviar facial and time in the jacuzzi.

RHONJ facialRHOBS: Well, last week I decided to try the green tea mud mask that I received as a gift two years ago. The doorbell rang after I applied the mask.  When I answered the door, it was a neighborhood kid who ran away screaming something about an alien.  I started to draw a bath before the doorbell rang but forgot to put the stopper in the tub. By the time I got back to the bathroom, there was no hot water left.  And I think the mud mask was past its expiration date because my face still has a greenish hue.

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melissa gorga cd
Photo: www.melissagorga.com

Interviewer: I was just listening to the new single “I Just Wanna.”  How do feel about the new song?

RHONJ: I love it!  The press has been hounding me since the release.

RHOBS: I love it!  When I try to sing, it makes my dog just wanna howl.

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Interviewer: What is your favorite quote?

RHONJ: “I never throw the first punch, but I’m always a knock out.”

RHOBS: “If I get knocked down, I will probably just lay there and take a nap”

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Interviewer:  How would others describe your life?

RHONJ: I live a life that most girls only dream of.

RHOBS: I live a life that most girls only have nightmares about.

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Interview: What is your favorite mixed drink?

RHONJ: Voli’s “Mango Coconut”

RHOBS: Voli’s “Mango Coco-My-Kids-Make-Me-Nuts”

RHONJ voli

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While there may be many differences between the lifestyles of The Housewives on TV and regular housewives, they all are real women, real Moms – and real housewives!  So when Melissa Gorga and I meet for lunch, hopefully we will have plenty to talk about while having a cocktail.  And maybe some “whine.”

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Have any questions you want me to ask Melissa???  Leave them in a comment and I’ll try my best to get the answers!

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What Would One Wear To Lunch With Melissa Gorga??

Because I need to know!!!voli housewife winner

Thanks to everyone who voted, I am NYC bound on January 3 and will be having lunch with Melissa Gorga on January 4!!!  I am so thrilled!!!  Thank you, thank you!  More details soon but, seriously, what the heck should I wear to lunch with one of the Real Housewives of New Jersey???

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P.S. I got the news about this a while ago but was sworn to secrecy until the official announcement was made.  So I am also thrilled that I don’t have to keep the secret any longer because it is apparent that I’m not good at keeping my mouth shut.   🙂

 

Want To See Me With BIG Hair??

Anyone who knew me in the 80s knows I can rock me some big hair.  You can help me get a Jersey girl make-over with Melissa Gorga’s (Real Housewives of New Jersey) make-up artist.  You can also help me get a trip to NYC, including lunch with Melissa, as well as some other fun goodies.  I’m one of 10 finalists for the Voli Light Vodka’s Housewives Hero contest.  And I need your vote!

Just click this link, go to the second page of stories and vote for my story (Angela M).  I will be eternally grateful.  No, I’m serious.  I will!

https://www.facebook.com/#!/volispirits/app_489717107739723

I’ve never been to NYC so I’m shamelessly begging for votes.  And I’ve only been on 2 trips without kids in the past 16 years!  Feeling sorry enough for me yet to click the link and vote? 😉

Not feeling pity?  Well how about curiosity?  If I win, I will post many photos of me with some majorly big make-over hair.  I have super thick hair so when I say big, I mean BIG.  No “bump it” help needed here. That should be plenty of incentive to want to help me win.

Unfortunately I’m starting out at a disadvantage because voting began almost a week ago, but I just got notified today.  Go figure.  But I’m hoping my friends and readers will come through for me and vote every day (yes, I will be a pain in the butt until Friday.  I apologize in advance.).

As a teaser, here’s a glimpse into the big hair era.  And this was the 90s.  You will just have to imagine how big the 80s look was.  Unless I win, of course.  Then you will see it first hand.

And my best “Real Housewives” impersonation…with Jim “The Situation”

Go big, or stay home.  I want to go big.

Please vote!  🙂

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My kids totally burst my bubble when they saw those photos.  “That’s YOU Mom??  You look nothing like that now.”  I wanted to say “Yeah, that was before YOU gave me grey hair and wrinkles.”  😉  BUT…with a make-over by Melissa Gorga’s make-up artist…