24 THE COURIER SUN • FEBRUARY 21, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com victoria’s secrets VICTORIA SCHNEPS [email protected] A staycation in Manhattan Blake and Morgan with their square candles. come in for our WINTER specials DYNAMIC DENTAL WORK 718-297-4100 • 718-297-4106 175-15 JAMAICA AVENUE • JAMAICA $500 OFF $500 OFF I had planned on visiting my daughter Elizabeth in Dallas to celebrate her little Jonah turning four. His school holds its annual grandparents’ visiting day the same weekend, so I was planning to be there, but plans change. Clumsily I had slipped and torn the ligaments in my ankle and the doctor advised me to stay off it and keep it elevated. Very difficult on a plane, so no Dallas. My husband Stu had invited his son Harvey to visit from Houston with his girlfriend because I was going to be away in Dallas. So I decided to do my favorite staycation and spend time in Manhattan, and so I did. I had invited my daughter Samantha, her husband Spencer and my treasures Blake and Morgan to join me for a fun-filled day. There are unlimited possibilities. My little ones had their heart set on going to a store called Make Meaning. It’s a bright, colorful, joyous space that the children skipped into as we arrived. They had been there before and adored it. It’s a crafts place for all ages where you can paint, do ceramics, make a bracelet or necklace, or my favorite, create a candle or soap. A friendly, smiling assistant welcomed us to our table and explained how we could create a candle. First a shape is chosen. I selected a heart shape and the two little ones chose squares. We were then led to baskets full of brightly colored wax squares. I selected my color scheme with the idea of choosing ones that Jonah in Dallas loves, since I want to give it to him as a belated birthday gift. The last part of the candle making is to select a scent that will be added to the wax. That was the funniest part because sitting on a table are about 15 different scents with fun names. Blake chose “freshly washed man;” there was my favorite, “birthday cake”; there is even a scent called “dirt.” Morgan’s choice was “bubble gum.” We had such fun just sniffing each one and helping each other make the big decision. Our appetites were building so off we went to another favorite of the little ones, Dylan’s, a super duper candy store and ice cream shop. We made a beeline for the latter. The offerings were 20 different flavors and toppings, even a unique Oreo ice cream cone. We brought our treats to a glasscovered table with an inlay of hundreds of colorful gum balls. The details of packaging candy in a unique way is what Dylan’s is all about. With three full floors full of candy treats of all kinds, this place opposite Bloomingdale’s is heaven for kids! To complete our day we took Morgan to the Theater at Madison Square Garden, where we caught the greats of Sesame Street on stage. She was mesmerized as she “learned” her letters and numbers. It tickled my memory bank to think back to my children enjoying the very same characters. What genius to keep Sesame Street relevant and a fascination to the under four crowd for decades. I didn’t get to celebrate with my darling Jonah in Dallas, but I did get to enjoy precious Blake and Morgan with their beloved parents Samantha and Spencer. And I was lucky enough to have dinner with the family’s newest addition, Hudson Dean, with parents Josh and Tracey. I was lucky enough to spend time with Hudson Dean this weekend too. BY ALEXA ALTMAN [email protected] Instead of flowers or chocolates, students at Plaza College celebrated Valentine’s Day by raising awareness about domestic violence. On February 14, students at the Jackson Heights college sold sweets and raffled off prizes to raise money for Safe Horizons, an organization that helps victims of domestic violence by providing counseling, mentoring and assistance with finding jobs and homes as part of VDAY, a global initiative to end violence against women. In the past, Plaza College celebrated VDAY with poetry competitions and performances of “The Vagina Monologues,” a play typically performed on Valentine’s Day that contains a series of stories about the feminine experience. This year, several on-campus organizations teamed up to expand the event. “We have never done it this big before,” said Zahid Razack, chair of the Student Affairs Committee at Plaza College. “We decided to go a little larger so I decided to make it a little better and get a little more involved. We’re trying to raise as much money as we can.” Student Maria Torres organized a team of eight volunteers to set up tables and information at the event. Torres, who herself is a survivor of domestic violence, said one in three women will suffer at the hands of a parent or significant other in their lifetime. “This event is an eye opener,” Torres said as she handed out flyers with information about the history of VDAY to students. “I also do this to tell young ladies that we’re going to have obstacles. That’s when you grab on tighter and move on. A lot of students here are single mothers and some are victims of domestic violence – I’m here for them.” Razack said he hoped the event would raise more than $2,500 for Safe Horizons, which is located in the same building as Plaza College. “This is such an important cause because in the world, there are so many women and children who are victims of domestic violence,” he said. “We’re just trying to do what little we can to help.” Raising awareness of domestic violence THE COURIER/ PHOTO BY ALEXA ALTMAN Students at Plaza College celebrated Valentine’s Day by raising awareness about domestic violence.
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