Saturday, March 12, 2011

Decadent cupcakes by ICED by Betsy

Named one of the best cupcakeries in Philadelphia on the Philly Hot List in 2010, ICED by Betsy bakes up indulgent, gourmet cupcakes in traditional and not-so-traditional flavors.


We tried the Pieces of Reeses, a peanut butter cupcake, filled with chocolate mousse, frosted with chocolate buttercream and loaded to the brim with chunks peanut butter cups.

The cake was moist itself, but the mousse and icing made this cupcake amazingly delicious. This was my first time tasting an ICED by Betsy cupcake, and now I am looking forward to trying more and more!


ICED by Betsy can be found at the Phoenixville Farmers’ Market, the Kennet Square Farmers’ Market and the Skippack Farmers’ Market, as well as at Artisan’s Gallery and Café in Phoenixville and the New York Bagel Café and Deli in West Chester.

For all the up to date information on flavors and where to find ICED by Betsy cupcakes, find them on Facebook or on Twitter.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Review of Cooper Square Hotel, New York City on the Bowery


A unique hotel near Cooper Square is the Cooper Square Hotel. An interesting hotel with no signage on the front door, with the exception of the address number, and once you enter the front doors, someone is kind enough to open the main doors to the hotel for you.

Head into the library and have a seat and maybe a drink, while someone checks you in for your stay. The library is full of books of varying topics, both fiction and nonfiction. The seats are comfortable and the atmosphere is relaxed, and there is water, tea and wine to choose from while you wait or relax.

In the newly constructed 21-story building in the heart of downtown Manhattan, the rooms are beautiful. The rooms are small, but the large windows with unobstructed views of Manhattan make the rooms feel much larger.


Much more interestingly is the public spaces in the hotel. Many are “hidden” behind doors that look like walls, in a 1920’s Prohibition-style speak-easy. This makes it very interesting for the guests at the hotel, as the main bar and restaurant is hidden behind one of these fake walls.

That said, the Cooper Square Hotel’s staff and bartenders are very professional and helpful, and are more than willing to help navigate you around the hotel and around the city.

They offer complimentary wireless Internet and have a deal worked out with the gym across the street that guests also can get complimentary guest day passes.

If you do decide to stay here and are planning on taking a taxi ride to the hotel at any point, make sure to have the hotel address and phone number on hand, just in case. Our cab driver didn’t know of the hotel and had to call for cross streets to find his way there.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Disney's Pop Century Resort

One of Walt Disney World’s Value Resorts, Pop Century is a great option for couples, families and groups of all sorts. The hotel is a sprawling complex of four-stories buildings that traverse pop culture from the 1950s to the 1990s.

Decorations around the complex are gigantic replicas of toys and gadgets from the eras in pop culture – yo-yos, laptops, cell phones, Rubik’s cubes, bowling pins and more. There are also three pools at the hotel – the larger Hippy Dippy pool, and the two smaller pools, the bowling pin pool and the computer pool.

Classical Hall – the resort’s central building – contains the main check-in lobby, the Everything Pop shop, an arcade, and the food court.

The rooms are spacious, with connecting rooms available, and kept very clean by housekeeping before and during your stay. Housekeeping will also keep children entertained – one of our neighbors at the hotel found their new stuffed animal friends in their window shades upon their return the next evening!

The cast members at the front desk are also very valuable – when you first check in they can also answer all of your questions about the parks, extra magic hours, the dining plan, and more. And during your stay, if you have any problems or issues, they will see they are fixed, corrected or righted as quickly as possible. (We did not have plastic cups one night and went down to get more. The next day, housekeeping left the normal, as well as extras for us.)

The only complaint we had was the toilet paper – it was the roughest ever felt and rougher than the toilet paper in the parks, even. However, if this is the only complaint with the hotel, it is a small one, to say the least.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Disney transportaion: Magical Express, resort transporation, monorail service and more


There are lots and lots of reasons to stay at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels – my favorite is the joy not having to drive during your stay.

When you book your vacation, if you are flying into Orlando International Airport (MCO), make sure to choose tickets for Disney’s Magical Express.

Magical Express is a Disney transportation service that takes resort guests directly to their hotels from the airport, no additional cost. And then, at the end of your stay at Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s Magical Express will return you to the airport.

If you have checked baggage, you can skip baggage claim and someone from Disney’s Magical Express will pick up your luggage and take it directly to your hotel room for you. However, if you arrive after 10 p.m., you will have to claim your own luggage.

At the end of your stay, you can check in at your resort for your return flight and check your luggage at your resort.

While at Walt Disney World Resort, take advantage of the complimentary resort transportation, which will get you between the resorts, the parks, Downtown Disney, and more.

Busses leave approximately every 20 minutes. From the hotels you can reach the four parks and the water parks, as well as Downtown Disney. From the parks, you can reach all of the resorts, but not park to park or Downtown Disney.

Water taxis connect Magic Kingdom park to Grand Floridian Resort, Polynesian Resort, Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground and Wilderness Lodge. As well as a ferryboat that connects Magic Kingdom to the Transportation and Ticket Center.

A ferryboat connects multiple resorts to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. A separate ferryboat connects resorts to Downtown Disney.

A monorail system runs throughout the park, one running from Magic Kingdom and connects the Contemporary Resort, the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian and the Transportation and Ticket Center. There is also an express monorail service that originates from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Epcot and Magic Kingdom.

Monday, March 7, 2011

2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show: 'Springtime in Paris'

The 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show, Springtime in Paris, opened at the new Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City Philadelphia on March 6 and will run through Sunday, March 13.


The show, a beautiful array of floral designs and art pieces is a beautiful way to welcome in the spring, even if it is still a few weeks away.


As you enter the show, you are transported to Paris, with a large model of the Eiffel Tower, that fits as much of the landmark into the Convention Center as possible without shrinking down the size; floral carousel sculptures abound and tea time patios, peeks into backyard gardens, kitchens and floral dreams make the show a springtime success.


We loved the orchid display, found all the way in the back of the show – a larger display which, during peak visiting hours can get a long line for viewing. Not only is the display gorgeous (all orchids of many varieties), but the smell that wafts out to the crowd is so beautiful that it draws you closer for a deeper smell of the beautiful flowers.


At many of the displays, the designers are on hand to talk about their display and answer questions. This is a great time for at-home gardeners to ask burning questions about certain plants, techniques, etc.


“Ask a gardener” booths are also set up around the perimeter of the show for at-home gardeners to ask questions and get professional answers to their questions. There are also local landscapers, florists and gardens on hand (and for hire) for all of your floral needs. You can take home potted, cut, or hydroponic plants to try your own hand at gardening, whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a first timer.


The show opens at 10 a.m. throughout the week and is open until 9:30 p.m. However, going later in the day is better, when most people have left for dinner or to explore the rest of the city.


Also, a word of warning, many visitors found delicious foods next door at Reading Terminal Market. While I agree wonderful, local flavors can be found there, the lines can get atrocious because the amount of people trying to get lunch and dinner at the same time. Walk down to Broad Street and check out some of the local fare there, with shorter lines.