You Heard It Here First

If you read my blog often, you know that I have a penchant for anything sugar related. I once blogged about whoopie pies and how I had discovered the perfect whoopie pie in the city.


Well, it seems that the New York Times has caught on to the delicious whoopie pies that true dessert aficionados like myself have known about for years. Last week, Micheline Maynard wrote an article called “Whoopie! Cookie, Pie or Cake, It’s Having Its Moment” that explored the origin of whoopie pies. It was quite interesting to learn about the origins of whoopie pies since I grew up enjoying them. Now all of New York will know what I knew already–that whoopie pies are truly a fantastic and delicious treat.

Go to my previous blog to find out where in NYC you can get the best whoopie pies: http://davidmonn.blogspot.com/2008/03/whoopie_28.html

Pick A Color, Any Color

Recently, when an employee of mine embarked on the adventure of painting her apartment she struggled to decide on the right colors to use. The most commonly asked question is “What color should I use?” I believe there are more important questions that apply.

When should you use color?

Can the architecture of your apartment or home support colors?

If you have a room with multiple angles, windows with no trim, walls that are shared by two or more rooms, or walls of broken heights, then I believe that these spaces are best suited for shades of white. White will cover a multitude of sins and the clean finish will empower your home decor.

As a child you are taught to color within the lines. When painting our homes, the architecture of the rooms serves as our lines. We have to stay within the bounds of our architecture to illicit the beauty of the scene.

A second thing to remember is that the quality of paint can make the job effortless or dreadfully impossible. I love the fine paints of Europe. The primer and base coats are formulated to support the top color and the primer found in Europe is the best in the world. Although this significantly increases costs, I believe that there are no short cuts in painting. You get what you pay for.

Here is some food for thought:

The average American Household paints approximately every 4 years.

The average European Household paints approximately every 12 years.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Even though it’s snowing in New York, it’s the first day of Spring! And as I did last year, I wanted to write about one of my favorite non-profit organizations, The Fresh Air Fund. They contacted me a little while ago because they are in need of hosts and donations to keep their programs running and wanted to see if I could help.

If you missed last year’s blog, here’s some information on The Fund:
Each year, The Fresh Air Fund provides free vacations in the country to children from low-income communities. Whether the children are able to get out of the city for a two-week trip to the country at a host family’s house, or stay at one of the Funds’ camps, The Fresh Air Fund sets the stage for unforgettable memories and new experiences. Although the children are from New York City, they stay in 13 different states and Canada, so you don’t have to be from New York to volunteer to host a child. And, if you don’t want to host, you can always give a charitable donation to the organization or volunteer at one of its events.

Every year, they give 10,000 children the opportunity to get away for the summer, gain some new experiences, and most of all, have FUN! If you would like to help children have fun this summer, please visit www.freshair.org.

Tea Time

I recently heard of Tracy Stern, a tea lover like myself. She is the creative force behind the famous Salonteas and has a tea salon in NYC.

Tracy’s inspiration was based on old French Salons and the most elegant tearooms of the 1600’s. Tea was a social connector for artists, musicians and socialites who would all come together and discuss the topics of the day. Although times have significantly changed, Tracy hoped that style, art and tea would still bring people together.

Salonteas are hand-picked from the finest private estates throughout the world and given cute names such as, “The Fashionable Dandy” and “The Romantic”. Tracy really gives the teas a personality. And her salon in New York City has bright colors and antique accessories that really make the environment unique and fun to be in while enjoying a good cup of tea.


Visit http://salonteas.com/ to get custom-made teas and tea drinking accessories.

Fresh Breath Has Gone To The Dogs

Recently a really good friend of mine lost her dog during a routine teeth cleaning. It came as a shock to everyone because we, as humans, don’t view a dental visit as something dangerous. As a pet owner, I know that teeth cleanings are vital to Sammy’s health. Studies have shown that the number one health problem in dogs and cats is oral disease. Accumulated bacteria in the mouth can also lead to disease in other organs, such as the heart, liver and kidneys. Small breed dogs should get a dental cleaning done at a young age, around 2 years old. A large dog may not need to get his or her teeth cleaned until their senior years.

When you take your pet to the veterinarian to get his or her teeth cleaned, they will be placed under anesthesia, so make sure to get preliminary blood work done. It is also important to understand the procedure:
1) Your pet will be put under
2) An oral exam is performed
3) The plaque is scaled off and teeth are polished
4) Any lose or broken teeth are extracted
5) Pain medication is administered

However, if your pet doesn’t like the vet, or you are uncomfortable putting your animal under anesthesia, a great alternative to teeth cleaning is Nolvadent Oral Cleansing Solution. This is how I clean Sammy’s teeth and it works great. Nolvadent helps maintain your pet’s oral health and freshens breath too! It can be used as an oral rinse or with a toothbrush to remove food particles and debris from the teeth and gums of your pet.

Whether you decide to take your pet to the vet or clean their teeth at home, make sure you do your research and ask questions!

Joyful Heart Foundation

I believe life brings people and circumstances together and a friend recently told me about this fantastic organization that believes in just that.

Most of you know Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson from Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, but Mariska takes her character and the issues that are brought up on the show very seriously. In 2004, Hargitay started the Joyful Heart Foundation to help survivors of sexual assault heal their minds, bodies and spirits and reclaim their lives. The mission of this charity is to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues.

Joyful Heart focuses on the phrase "stronger together, weaker apart" and their goal "is to let the light, and the life, back in--to banish the darkness and let the healing begin." With the help of crisis centers and safe houses, victims regain their strength both emotionally and physically. Victims become motivated to live their lives as self-determined people and donations and supplies are given to mothers and their children to begin fresh.

While the issue of domestic violence has been in the media recently due to the Rhianna/Chris Brown incident, it is really important to remember that domestic violence happens every day, all over the world, to every kind of person.

When you get a free moment, take a look at the Joyful Heart website: http://www.joyfulheartfoundation.org/index.html.

Via Emilia

If you happen to be in New York, here is a recommendation for a great Italian restaurant I discovered a few months ago:
Via Emilia, on 21st Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue, is a great authentic Italian restaurant. It has a modern look to it and is very appropriate for a twosome or small group to have dinner. The food is fantastic and very affordable.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who is in the area. However, be warned that they do not accept reservations and will not take credit cards—it’s cash only at this typical Italian eatery.

http://www.viaemilianyc.net/