Elizabeth Banks attends Target opening in East Harlem

Michelle Tractenberg attended the NYC Target store opening

Even Jerry Seinfeld made it out!

Click here to see more pictures!

I can't wait to get out to the new East Harlem Target! Wahoo!!!

Images Courtesy of Getty Images

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

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. 

Last weekend I had the pleasure of being an NYC tourist. Now, isn't it funny that when you're in other cities you do all the cheezy touristy activities but when you're in New York you scoff at all the tourists taking pictures with the most mundane things (cue photos in front of Macy's, cocktails etc.)

The day started out well. It was 70 and sunny. The tour guidess was freaking awesome. She's a standup comic, Amy Albert and quite possibly the funniest I've seen in a while. She kept the energy high and the crowd laughing. Amy laughed, joked, pointed out Sex and the City landmarks and then played the clips from the show to refresh your memory. For an avid fan of SATC the tour was a dream come true, and this is coming from a New Yorker(yeah, yeah I'm from Cleveland, I've lived here for 5 years). There are so many places you didn't realize were where your favorite scene took place. It really made the show come to life. 

• Visit over 40 locations seen in Sex and the City on this tour!
• Listen to hilarious narration from your guide-ess aboard a luxury air-conditioned bus.
• Have a cupcake at the bakery where Carrie and Miranda noshed the tiny treats (cupcake included).
• Stop at Aidan and Steve's bar used on Sex and the City (drinks not included) to get a Cosmopolitan.
• Visit the church where Samantha meets The Friar.
• Stop at the store where Charlotte bought her Rabbit.
• See the furniture store where Aidan designed his pieces and Carrie got humped by Pete.

There are also locations from Sex and the City: The Movie interspersed in the tour (think Carrie and Big's rehearsal dinner).

Note to all you Mommies on vacay with your daughters, this tour is NOT PG. The guide starts off the tour by exclaiming that this isn't the TBS version of SATC–we're on the HBO show tour. We then began the day by screaming obscenities to warm ourselves up. 

We had an awesome day and I'd absolutely recommend this tour to anyone–girls looking for fun, bachelorettes, fashionistas. 

I'm happy to be able to host a giveaway of 2 tickets to the daily public Sex & the City Tour (an $84 value) courtesy of On Screen Tours – the gift certificates never expire so the winner can use them whenever you visit New York in the future.

To enter just leave us a comment AND either:

Subscribe to our Daily Email; or

Mention @MsSmartypanties and the Giveaway; or

Post about it on your personal blog for 2 entries!

Winner will be announced April 17th! So get your entries in!

“It's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes — that's why you sometimes need really special shoes!" –Carrie Bradshaw

*FTC Disclosure: We were given two tickets to do this review*

Get ready to belt out your favorite theme song from the Hills! 

The John Frieda team is hosting a series of events and perks available for blondes (haters! But I love my blonde readers too:). The blonde VIP program begins on March 18^th in New York City at the Highline Ballroom with a private performance by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and blonde icon Natasha Bedingfield, whose third album drops this spring.  The elite event lets all girls experience the benefits of being blonde with the royal treatment, from makeovers at hair stations to complimentary food and beverages—all set to the music of Natasha Bedingfield.

The concert is completely free for all who sign up at: www.forblondesonly.com

The rest is still unwrittennnnn….