Maddie Lynn: New York

Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts

Booking & Choosing an Air bnb for travel

Saturday, April 27, 2019

My first time using Air bnb was January 2018 when I visited New York (picture above), and since then I have stayed in an Air bnb in Paris and in England. Booking an Air bnb for the first time can definitely be NERVE WRACKING, and I can't tell you how many HOURS I spent browsing listings online to find the perfect place for my travels, but in the end I have become more comfortable and confident with Air bnb and wanted to share some of the tips and lessons I have learned along the way:

Look At All Your Options: Air bnb can seem overwhelming at times, and to be honest there are so many options to choose from, but if you are on a budget or looking for something specific you really do have to take the time to look at all your options. Make sure to save your top places in a folder for that trip so you can go back to look at them. Once you have narrowed down your options then you can choose from those. If I am being honest I probably spent over 2 hours finding our air bnb for NY and about an hour for my Glasgow trip.
Thoroughly Check Reviews: Reviews are my lifeline on Air bnb....granted, I have only used air bnb 3 times, but I never add a place to my list or book unless the reviews are good. I always look to see if the host communicates well with guests, is available to help with questions or once you arrive, give you plenty of information, has the place clean, etc....
Check To See How Long They Have Been A Host: I also like to see how long they have been a host on Air bnb....it will tell you on their profile, but also if they have been a host for awhile they will have more reviews which helps you narrow down your choices. The crazy thing is that when I booked our Air bnb for New York the place we chose was very new, there was only 1 review and the host had only been on for about 6 months....it was kind of nerve wracking and I almost didn't book, but everything seemed perfect and the host got back to me in a timely manner and thankfully by the time our trip came around here were many more reviews (which were all good).
Message Them: Always reach out! I never book a place or even seriously consider it until I message the host and see how long it takes them to get back to me, even if it's just a simple general question like "Hey, I am thinking about booking your place and was wondering ___________". I like doing this simply to see if they are really active and if they would be able to answer questions if I need them to. It also shows them that you are interested and sometimes they will go ahead and put those dates on hold for you.
Make Sure it Offers What You Need: Air bnb always lists what the place offers like, wifi, and extra bed, coffee maker, etc....look to make sure it has all the amenities you need for your stay, especially if you are staying for a longer time.
Location, Location: Always consider the places you are wanting to go and see where you are traveling. I always like to try and pick a place that is in a central location to the sights I want to see. On air bnb, you can see the general location of the place, so you can visually see where it is in regards to sights you want to see. However, don't book a place just because it is cheap if it is super far from the places you are wanting to go. Also, if you are booking an Air bnb in a place that uses a Subway system as it's major form of transportation I like to find a place to stay that is near a subway station, bus stop, or train.
Mapquest and Research The Neighborhood: On air bnb they never give you the exact address of a place until you book it, so when you look on their map you will only get a general idea of where the place is at. For my New York trip I actually asked the host more about the neighborhood and location and they answered some questions for me. The helpful thing is that on air bnb they show you a map with the star of the general location, but you can actually zoom in to see a 3D google earth view and sometimes see the street, which is helpful in determining a location.
Pay Attention To Security Deposit: Air bnb always gives you a price breakdown for each place, but when you are searching places they only give you the general amount, so if a place says it $87 a night you won't know that it could have a $20 security deposit and $10 cleaning fee until you look at the price breakdown, so in total you would nto be paying $87, your total would be $117. This sometimes causes me to take places off of my "potential list" because when you add up all the costs it is more expensive. When I traveled to New York last January our apartment in New York was a higher price per night than some places, but the security deposit was lower so it evened out.
Check In and Check Out .... always ask if they are flexible with it: some places have self check in which is helpful so you have a lot of flexibility there but others have a specific time frame which might not always work with your travel schedule. A lot of hosts are flexible with times and are usually accommodating so ask before you decide. If you needed an early morning check in because of an early flight I might suggest booking the day before that way the place is already yours, and just communicate this with your host. Some hosts even have "self check in" where they give you the code to a lock box with the key to the apartment, that was the case for our Air bnb in England and it was so helpful with out weird schedule.
Communicate With Host & Arrive When You Say: Air bnb has a built in messaging interface (you are not supposed to contact them outside of the app) for you to contact and communicate with your host. Let them know your arrival/departure time frame and make sure to arrive when you actually told them you were arriving so that things are ready for you :) All the hosts I have had so far were great about communication and super helpful with my odd schedule.
Leave The Place Better Than You Left It: I have always been taught to leave any place I am visiting better than when I first arrived, so make sure to clean up after yourself when you leave so that there is less work for your host!
Go With Your Gut: It can be a bit nerve wracking booking on air bnb because you are choosing to stay at a random persons house/apartment. If something doesn't feel right stick with that feeling. Sometimes you might find a great place with perfect pictures and an awesome price, but if it is new to Air bnb and has no reviews yet I would be cautious.

Following these steps has helped to relieve any uncertainty about booking an Air bnb and I hope it helps you when planning your next adventure!

- Madison

Broadway Glam & A Night At Wicked

Monday, March 5, 2018

Dress: JC Penny | Shoes: Beall's (put brand) | Tights: Target (old)

Earrings: Target | Clutch: Vintage | Jacket: London Fog (thrifted) | Scarf: Old Navy (old)

When you are in New York its only fitting that you go to a Broadway show, and if you go to a Broadway show its only fitting that you "dress to the nines". When I think of Broadway or any kind of theater production I always think of dressing up, to me going to a production is a special event and I want to make the most of it (which is usually treating as an excuse to dress up). I guess the ideas of "Broadway," especially in New York always made me think of people donning their finest cocktail dresses or LBD's and enjoying a night out, so that was definitely the inspiration for my best friend and I when attending Wicked.

You can imagine our surprise then, when we showed up at theater and realized that we were the only ones (for the most part) who were truly "dressed up." Maybe it was due to the 15 degree FREEZING cold weather that most people opted for warm winter clothes, but I thought everyone would be dressed up. Nevertheless, that didn't diminish our enthusiasm for taking 2 hours to do our hair and makeup, put on false lashes, swipe on sparkly eye shadow and slip into our fabulous LBD's (little black dresses).

Seeing Wicked was AMAZING! Definitely a highlight of my trip:) Plus, I think we can all agree that seeing Wicked in NEW YORK (or any Broadway) is ten times MORE AMAZING! The show, the costumes, the music, the atmosphere......AMAZING! I had bought the soundtrack before seeing Wicked so it was so much fun humming and singing along to all the music. If you haven't seen wicked I would definitely recommend it, the story is so incredible and inspiring and the ending is so not what you expect at all, plus the musical actually explains the back story to three of the other important character from The Wizard of Oz (The lion, Tin man, & Scarecrow), and gives you the back story to the "Wicked Witch Of The West".

Since I wanted to go with a dressed up evening look, I settled on this LBD with was my graduation and Christmas dress and I knew that it would make the perfect dress for seeing Wicked in NY. I love that the dress has a 60's silhouette feel with touches of ladylike lace, ruffles, and velvet bows.....it's perfection and so comfortable. Since the dress was black and we were going to see Wicked (and since I like to dress for the occasion/theme) I decided to wear shimmery silver tights with these black strappy suede heels.....I ended up looking a bit "witchy" inspired but we were going to see Wicked so I was all for it:) The only jewelry I wore was a pair of silver sparkly drop ball earrings which really were the perfect accessory since the dress already had so many ruffles and bows. For leaving our Air bnb and walking to the theater I wore my wine red London Fog jacket and my green plaid scarf (also seen here), which was kind of funny because my best friend wore the same thing but opposite, a green jacket and red plaid scarf.....we looked and felt quite sophisticated.

Our evening at Wicked was definitely a highlight and made our New York trip so much fun!

Have you ever seen a Broadway show in New York?

Have you seen Wicked?

-Madison

Traveling As An Introvert

Monday, February 12, 2018

Jacket: Thrifted (London Fog) | Scarf: Old Navy (old) | Beret: Amazon

If you have been around this corner of the blogsphere for while and have followed along on my journey you know how passionate I am about sharing who I am as an Introvert and what that means in different facets of my life. Through the last couple of years in learning more about who I am I have learned how to maintain my energy and sanity amidst a busy and sometimes crazy life. Thus, when it comes to traveling as an Introvert, it can be both emotionally and physically draining more than the typical person.

On my trip to New York in January I learned just how taxing travel can be for an Introvert, but I also learned how to cope with that to keep my energy at a constant level. Not only can travel be fast passed, but it can be stressful, as was our trip the first couple of days. Our original flight got canceled due to weather so all my carefully articulated plans went out the window and I had to rework everything (not to mention we lost almost 2 days of city time). On top of our flight, our first night in New York (really our first 3 hours at 1:00 am in the morning) were not what I had expected at all and emotions were running high as quick decisions and judgments had to be made. All in all there were a host of unexpected things that came up before and during our trip that to the typical personal are a lot to handle, and to an Introvert (INFJ) are even more overwhelming.

Thankfully, both my best friend and I decided to just breathe and not try to rush or overpack our days in New York. Even though we lost two days (we were able to add two days on) we didn't want to make our trip stressful by over booking ourselves. We ended up only doing 2-3 major tourist stops each day and made it back to our air bnb no later than 7:00pm every night.

As the personality of Introverts go, being around lots of people for extended periods of time is what drains us. However, even being in a huge city like New York with lots of people and sometimes riding crowded subways wasn't all that draining for me (probably because I like people watching). The thing that always drains me is freaking out when the schedule or day doesn't go according to plan or when I am going non stop 24/7, while mentally thinking about what comes next. I had to learn to live in the moment while in New York, because otherwise I would have missed so many of the important or little things that the city had to offer.

So....in a nutshell what did I learn about traveling as an Introvert?

Make plans, but be FLEXIBLE: I am a planner, its part of my nature and personality and helps me not stress out about the need to be spontaneous. However, life rarely goes according to "my plans" and I have to be willing to let go and change things up. If I am flexible to change I don't allow stress in.
Take your time in the morning: Nothing sets your day off to a rough start being rushed! Set your alarm where you have plenty of time to get up, get ready, and eat something (or drink coffee) before you head out for the day. If your alarm just so happens to go off later, don't stress it. Get mentally prepared for the day.
Live in the moment: this seems like a bit of a stretch because it lends itself to being spontaneous (which I am not), but what I mean by this is enjoy every part of your day. If you are at a museum, enjoy taking in the sights and displays (don't think about the place you need to go next).
Take time to recharge during the day: Sometimes for me this was just sitting still for 10 minutes on the subway getting caught up in my thoughts. Other times this was stopping for a cup of coffee and taking a moment to be still amidst the constant moving. While this definitely didn't recharge me all the way, it helped me refocus and breathe amidst a busy day.
Drink your coffee and tea! So I'm basically immune to the caffeine in coffee, so sometimes it's more of a comfort thing, but my mornings and days aren't the same without a good warm cup of Jo! If you are into tea, that's good too. Typically I drink coffee in the morning and tea at night.....it's the start and finish to my day!
Don't Stay out late: I think this goes without saying....but after a long busy day of travel and sight seeing return back to your accommodations early in the evening.
Take a Slow lazy night: So during our trip we didn't actually eat dinner out anywhere in the evenings, we made all of our meals at our air bnb and sat on the couch in pajamas and fuzzy socks watching The Great British Bake Off like old ladies....it was great!
Always take a book: in true Rory Gilmore style always carry a book with you when traveling. You can read it in the car, on the subway, or on the plane....its your best friend.
You need your music: music lends itself to helping us escape and relax, so every body (especially introverts) need music when traveling. It can help you fall asleep in a new place, drown out the noises of the plane, give you energy, you name it!
Don't loose yourself: I think we as people can get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and through this loose who we are. The same thing can be said for introverts who go somewhere out of their comfort zone. Just because you are traveling doesn't mean you have to stop being an introvert or be more extroverted. Sure, you might have to stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone, but you don't have to compromise who you are to still get the most our of your experience or trip:)

What are your trips for travel?

-Madison

Top Of The Rock

Saturday, February 3, 2018

Sweater: Faded Glory | Skirt: Vintage | Tights: Amazon (fleece lined) | Shoes: Target

Socks: Forever 21 | Belt: Thrifted | Beret: Amazon | Purse: Vintage Coach

One of the most well known stops in New York is Rockefeller Center. While we didn’t actually get to spend time exploring Rockafeller center itself, we did go to Top of The Rock and it was one of my favorite things that we did while in New York. Not only is Top of The Rock one of the most frequented tourist stops for pictures, as well as a place that many bloggers frequent, but it gives you the most breathtaking view of the city! There is nothing quite like being 87 stories in the air to viewing the city from above…..so beautiful! Unfortunately, the day we visited Top Of the rock it was a dreary day which slightly clouded our view, but even with the clouds covering the city view it did manage to snow while we were there which we were very excited about!

On this day (Monday) I decided to dress up a bit more (which also meant I made the horrible decision of wearing heels) so I went with a very classy ensemble. The whole look ended up looking like I should be in Paris, but even with its French flair it was still the perfect look for a day in the city. I had seen so many bloggers wearing box pleat skirts and totally forgot I had this vintage suede inspired skirt in my closet. (not featured is the vintage crimson London Fog jacket). I pulled the whole look together with my "matchy matchy" black turtle neck sweater, beret, and belt.

I will say though, I quite regret wearing heels…..never again! I might have looked cute, but my feet were killing me. Our day started out with plans to take a boat taxi ride to see the city from the water, but through trying to get to our boat dock we walked six blocks only to turn around and head back to the subway because we missed our boats departure and had to get back to the city for our ticket reservation at The Downton Abbey Museum. We arrived back in the heart of the city early enough to stop off at a French bakery (fitting right) for a quick bite to eat (and much needed coffee for me). After our stop to the bakery we headed to the Downton Abbey Museum which was such a dream! We felt like we were in Downton Abbey itself surrounded by the characters, music, prop, and costumes and it was AMAZING! After the museum we made sure to visit Top of The Rock because we knew we wouldn’t have time for it the next day and took in the splendor of New York from above....definitely a memorable day!

-Madison

Travel Skincare & What I Can't Live Without

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Travel....it can be a bit of an overload for your skin! From changing temperatures, climates, and routines, lack of sleep, food, stress, its a LOT! I travel a decent amount throughout the year, but traveling cross country, especially flying, is a whole different ballgame. On my trip to NY I realized firsthand just how VITAL a good skincare routine is while traveling, so today I am sharing my Travel Skincare favorites, because my skin would not have survived New York without it:)

Lotion

Travel can seriously dry out your skin, especially if you are in a new and dry climate. Being in New York my skin got seriously dry (especially my hand) so I made sure to use hydrating lotion every morning and evening. I got Philosophy's Fresh Winter Morning lotion for Christmas and decided to bring it along. I am so glad I did because not only does it smell fresh (like a winter morning) but it helped my skin stay hydrated.

Face wash

So every once in awhile I change up my face wash/cleanser. I know....I know.....it's probably not the best thing to change up your skincare routine all to frequently, but every few months I usually give a new face wash a try if there is one I have heard great things about:) I have been hearing soooo much about Philosophy's face wash, specifically "Purity" and I personally was intrigued by their "Microdelivery Exfoliating Face Wash." Before I went on my trip I made a quick stop into Ulta and found a travel set of these two face washes from Philosphy. Since they were travel sizes and a great price I knew it was worth it to try them out (TIP: Buy the travel sizes of things before you know if something will work for you).

Purity: LOVE this stuff and it definitely lives up to the hype! I use it to take off my excess makeup and it is so gentle. What I love about it is that it isn't overly "soapy" so its cleansing power is gentle on my skin and makes it feel refreshed. Plus, as someone who struggles with breakouts this hasn't made me skin worse or bothered my acne. I typically use this in my morning routine, and use it occasionally at night.

Microdelivery Exfoliating Face Wash: OH MY GOSH!!! Seriously fell in love with this stuff too! I love using exfoliating face washes in my routine to buff away dry skin and smooth things out. Since this is a microdelivery exfoliator the exfoliation is small and gentle and I love how soft it makes my skin feel. I used this every night in NY and it was a great way to buff away the impurities of the day.

Face Oils

If you remember me mentioning in one of my past skincare posts I started implementing a "Korean" style skincare routine, focusing on more natural products (+ a LOT of steps) that help the general "health" of my skin. With that being said, face & skin oils are two things I have seen other bloggers and beauty gurus using and have always wanted to try them. I discovered MONASTERY through an Influenster group called Palm where am lucky enough to try out new products from unique small businesses. These two oils are so amazing & I am about to tell you why below!

Botanical Brighten Serum

MONASTERY'S Neroli Black brightening serum is sooo good! I have come to realize brightening serums & oils are a staple of my skincare routine. With everything my skin goes through (breakouts and acne due to hormones and stress......not fun) I am always focused on keeping my skin healthy and bright and Neroli Black has been a dream. This is a dry oil which soaks straight into the skin to rebuild cellular walls black English walnut oil (used to brighten dull skin) and regenerating squalane oil......not only does it smell amazing but it makes your skin feel and look amazing. Needless to say this oil had to come with me to New York because after long days, cold weather, and stress travel skin needs a brightening boost.

Rose Cleansing Oil

Part of Korean Skincare is using a cleansing oil and this rose oil from MONASTERY totally sold me! Anything Rose I am all for, and this elegant oil is so luxurious on my skin. I have used this to remove makeup (works great on eye makeup), renew parched lips, and even used as a moisturizer. I love that this oil is made with over 100 Edwardian rose petals and is gentle on sensitive and parched skin which I needed in New York. My skin got super dry being in the cold climate of NY so using this for more than a cleanser was a life saver!

VII Code Oxygen Eye Cream

If you caught my blog post about my collaboration with VII Code you will know how much I LOVE this eye cream! I don't know if you are like me, but I get super exhausted when traveling! Between late night plane rides, early morning, and long days, not only was my skin feeling the brunt of travel, but my eyes showed the exhaustion :) However, with this Oxygen Eye Cream I was able to give my eyes a boost in the morning so I didn't look like a total zombie....lol! Needless to say, eye cream is a travel necessity.

Coco Rose Lip Conditioner

And so my rose obsession continues....with good reason! This stuff is magic! Not only does Herbivore's coco rose lip conditioner smell heavenly and feel amazing on my lips, but it keeps them incredibly moisturized and especially pampered. And the fact that it is coconut oil + rose makes it a must have. I received this lip conditioner through Palm in my Velvet Report Vegan Beauty Box and absolutely fell in love (apparently I have fallen in love with a lot of skincare products recently). I am constantly applying chap stick throughout the day, so this lip conditioner is a perfect way to start my morning and end my evening and it especially helped my lips stay hydrate in the dry cold of New York.

SHOP SKINCARE FAVORITES:

Upper East Side

Monday, January 22, 2018

| Boots: Joules | Purse: Thrifted (Coach) |

Visiting New York was seriously a dream......and getting to experience the life of the city and what it felt like to be a "newyorker" was so fun. New York truly has so much to offer and taking part in that IRL rather than through movies and TV shows was so amazing. One of my favorite parts every day was walking along the sidewalk in all the different neighborhoods, especially ours.
Our Air bnb was in the Upper East side and each street had something special about it. The avenues had markets and bagel places, coffee shops and restaurants, while the streets themselves were lined with tall historic apartment buildings, all different in their own way.
I have always admired the architecture of New York, especially the neighborhoods themselves, and getting to walk four blocks each day to the subway was the perfect time to admire the doors, iron fences, windows, and stone work. Just think "gossip girl" and that is what our daily walk looked like, not to mention we were a 15 minute walk from the steps of the MET:)
On our Sunday (our second day) we went to brunch with one of my Instagram/blogger friends who recently moved to NY, which was so much fun! Since Sunday was still a frigid 15-20 degrees I layered it up with this look (not pictured, my parka and gloves). I picked a navy wool sweater for the day and paired it with this gray wool skirt I thrifted and altered from Goodwill. Since the look itself was simple I paired my plaid blanket scarf with it to match my red boots. I finished the look off with my cream slouch beret hat (because if you don't wear a hat in NY you will be very cold). As I mentioned my style inspiration for this trip in my last post, this look definitely went more along the lines of preppy with a nod to classic and it was perfect for a low key Sunday excursion.

- Madison

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