I moved this past week and while moving is the worst thing in the world, I have to say how impressed I was with my movers (who did not pay or sponsor this post in any way). I found Excellent Quality Movers through a site called CityMove.com where you post your moving job (including all the furniture and boxes you have) and different moving companies bid on it. My last move I went with Flat Rate movers and they were great. They were efficient and came on time and knew what they were doing. They also did not break anything. However, this time when I called them to get an estimate, they wanted double of what EQ Movers were willing to do it for. Really!! EQ offered $680 and Flat Rate offered $1200. Of course I was a little hesitant that Excellent Quality Movers would be late, unprofessional, etc. since I had not heard any reviews from any trusted sources but for half the price I figured I had to go for it.

And here is where the praise begins. I have not enough time to explain how wonderful these guys were. First of all, not only were they on time, but they were early. Our move was set for 7am and they were there at 645. They showed up a half hour early to snag parking, setup operations and assess the situation. Awesome, right? Yep, until we were informed that our building's elevator was broken. So we were forced to sit and wait for over 3 hours until they fixed it. Can you imagine how angry I was? I woke up at 6am on a day I wasn't goin to work and then I just had to sit there until almost 10am. But can you imagine how early the movers (who didn't live in Manhattan) had to wake up? You would have thought they would have been furious. But nope. They were so amazingly sweet and understanding. More so than me! I was ready to go crazy on my Super. Finally they start. They worked as hard as I've ever seen movers work. They did not stop for one second. They wrapped everything professionally and quick as lightning. They were also sweet as sugar. And they spoke English, which I can't say for my Flat Rate movers. It just inspires a little more confidence when you say, hey be especially careful with that box, it's crystal from TIffany's and you know they at least understand what you're saying.

The move took about 5 hours total once we were able to get going. They included 3 free wardrobe boxes and were very mindful for the rest of the closet stuff not to use the most expensive boxes. He used 2 smaller boxes because he said, hey I can fit these in 2 of these which is less money than one wardrobe box. They wrapped our flatscreen so professionally we could not believe it.

When we went over the final numbers with us, tallying the promised rate and boxes purchased, the whole move was right at $711.  I was waiting to argue about all those little incurred costs and see if they tried to tack any fee on to my "Flat" rate they had given me and guess what? Nada! They only charged me 8$ for the 2 extra boxes they built for me (and taxes obv). I could NOT believe it.

I cannot tell you how impressed we were with these guys. They're based out of Brooklyn so if you live in the area I highly recommend them. Nothing broken the entire move. Not even a light bulb. No scratches on the newly painted walls or the furniture. They were clean and did not smell (ridic I know but the Flat Rate guys had such bad B.O. before the move even started at 8am that it was difficult to bear.

Here is my Smartypanties advice to save money on your move. Get boxes ahead of time and pack everything up that you possibly can. You'd be surprised how many boxes you can get from stores like Staples, Duane Reade, CVS, etc. for free. I would stay away from Grocery stores because I am sooo scared of bugs. Though I did steal Fresh Direct boxes people had had delivered to our building. Also, if you know of any friends moving in the near future before you ask them to save their boxes, one of the fiance's friends is moving in a week so our living room is still stuffed with our boxes. No reason he can't just use ours though. Buy Mattress bags for your bed and couch. This summer bedbugs have been on the rise and I am none too pleased. If you don't want your mattress wrapped in a dirty blanket or in a used bag, splurge and pick these up at a moving store near you. They're about $10 each and you'll need one for the mattress and the box spring but they're worth it. We also bought one and used it for the couch. Then they wrapped blankets around the plastic and I could breathe a sigh of relief (even if they totally thought I was OCD).

Lastly, the question of whether to go Flat Rate or hourly…if you have a ton of stuff like we did and you live in a doormen/elevator building where you're subject to restrictions and elevator issues out of your control I would absolutely recommend doing flat rate like we did. I can't say for sure what would have happened if they were sitting in the truck for 3 extra hours whether we would have been charged for those hours but I sure as hell would have been nervous. Flat rate ensures with these guys that you're charged what you're promised.

(888) 846-6683

Unfortunately for most of us, we aren't rich enough to own our own home gyms or hire our own personal trainers on a daily basis. Enter the nasty, crusty, life of NYC gyms…unless you're rich and belong to Equinox, which at the moment I do not. We all know that getting daily exercise boosts your immune system but working out in a gym is like taking a germ bath so it can be counteracting your sweat sessions. You're sharing gym equipment with some dirtballs, people you wouldn't want to shake hands with let alone sit in their sweaty leftovers. Delish, I know. Here are some pointers not to get sick at the gym. I'm sure y'all know them but just as a reminder!

1. Wash your hands the second you're done with your workout and again when you get home or back to work.

2. Wear clean clothes every time you go to the gym and take them off before you go. Don't stew in your sticky clothes after a class and go cuddle up with your sweetie. Uch, the thought. My FiFi(fiance) knows this would never happen. I barely will let him near me before I hit the shower. Plus, eww do you really want sweaty pants on your couch?

3. Don't touch your eyes/nose with your hands during a workout. Eww do you want someone else's goo and gunk in your eyes? No. I didnt think so.

4. Flip flops. Do not let your precious little yams touch those sick shower floors that are begging for a cleaning.

Happy Working Outing!

Photo Courtesy: HaveYouHeard.com

I hit up Covet’s restaurant opening the other night, hosted by Ramona Singer, of Real Housewives of NY fame, and I was definitely impressed. (Though secretly, I love RHONY so much even if the food had been terrible I would have been psyched to see her). The space is two floors, the first of which hosts a large dining room with a gorgeous chandelier and cozy booths.  As for cuisine, think Mediterranean meets Pacific Rim, chef John Keller (formerly Bruno Jamais) will be serving up creative dishes with a twist–featuring signature dishes such as Hamachi Duo, Lobster Brulee, and Wild Boar Tenderloin.

After dinner you can descend to the lower level where creative cocktails are stirred and there are plenty of cubby holes and couches for you to snuggle up in.  The ambiance is cave-like, cave-chic, LOL. It’s spattered with animal skin pillows and cushions.  It’s like a naughty cave, though I think the theme they're going for is secretive, saucy, ski lodge. The lounge is open until 4am. This is going to be a great, late night spot for swanky patrons to get a nightcap before heading up to lavish upper east side abodes.

Photo Courtesy: NY Magazine

Cocktails range from $18-$24, unless you’re a baller looking to impress that special someone–the Icarus is a $160 bevvie that packs in house flambé, premium saffron, Louis XIII Rémy Martin Cognac, and of course hand chiseled ice. I’m available any night of the week if anyone wants to buy this for me, bt-dubs.

The apps were delish, though I have to go back to try the food. Judging by the menu, be prepared to indulge in inventive cuisine—but bring your credit card, it don’t come cheap. 

Lemons are full of amazing magical powers! Even better? They're super cheap!

Lately I've been using them as acne medicine and just putting lemon juice on my face after I wash it before bed. I swear this has been keeping my skin impeccable. I also made a sugar/lemon scrub last week that I used in the shower. It was a little sticky but my skin was so smooth after.

After I use lemons for my green detox smoothies in the morning I pour a little baking soda on the used squeezed up fruit and scrub the counter down. Not only does it leave the counters sparkling, but it smells amazing and I don't have to worry about hazardous fragrance fumes.

Then I read this ingenius article by Cheap Jap that lemon juice fixed up her ailing soles! I'm going to have to try this one STAT!

I'm obsessed with this water bottle by Life Factory. I bought it when I was in Hawaii (because I'm weird) and because you just feel so at one with nature that it makes you feel like you don't want to taint your bevs with plastic.  I carry my Green Smoothie now every day to work with this bad boy. It's a glass bottle that's covered in a silicone case (think iPhones). I'm a pretty big klutz and haven't broken mine yet. It's only $21.99.

Visit Life Factory's Website to purchase.

They also have other awesome things like teethers that are:

• BPA, phthalate, PVC, and latex free.
• Can be worn as a bracelet so it is always close by and can be refrigerated or frozen to soothe aching gums.
• Available in 3 colors: raspberry, yellow, sky

During our stay at Four Seasons Lodge at Koele we booked an excursion to do the Clay Shooting at Lana'i Pines and we were not disappointed.  They pick you up from the hotel and drive you a quick, maybe 5 minute ride out to the course, which is picturesque.  It's such a fun early morning activity to get you off your butts from just sitting at the pool sipping mai-tais.  For those of you who don't know exactly what clay shooting is (like moi), it's when you shoot at different clay targets that simulate different flight patterns of the different birds or animals.

I learned that it's one of the most challenging sporting clay sites in the world, the course features a dramatic landscape of deep gulches and ravines, vast expanses of pampas grass and groves of Australian pine and lantana brush. Beginners are introduced to the sport with a 45-minute lesson by a certified instructor, emphasising the essence of the sport and gun safety.

Safety is a top priority here, which of course the girl in me really appreciated.  The staff makes you go through every proper precaution before you begin.  The instructor we had was absolutely amazing. He really knew how to teach you to hit the targets. Even me, the most inexperienced sharp shooter was able to hit many of the targets.  You'll have a fun time and a unique experience to share with your friends.  Plus, you get a cerficate and a pin for free.

It was a great time. Visit Four Seasons Lodge at Koele's website for more information.  Open daily from 9-230 pm.There are also other activities like archery available.