Having a birthday in January usually sucks. It’s right after all the major holidays, right before Valentine’s Day, and smack in the middle of winter. But Matthew planned a truly unforgettable birthday weekend for me!

It started with dinner on Friday night (my actual birthday) with our friends Sasha and Berton at iCi, a lovely restaurant we’d been meaning to try for quite some time. The atmosphere was perfect, the food was delicious, and the company even better! Who doesn’t love a chocolate pot de creme with a candle?

On Saturday, Matthew planned a full day of pampering at Berdgorf Goodman, the gorgeous department store near Central Park. I was lavished from head to tow, starting with a meeting with Bella, my own personal shopper. Once she figured out my style, she found some beautiful things for me. Then we had lunch at Berdorf’s restaurant overlooking the park, followed by a luxurious facial at the spa. We capped off the shopping experience with some really amazing (and expensive) purchases, including the most amazing dress we spotted on a mannequin and were instantly drawn to. It fit like a glove, and I can’t wait to wear it! No expenses were spared, and I felt like a queen. We finished the day at Blue Ribbon Wine Bar in the West Village, talking about what a great day it had been. Thanks to Matthew for putting together such a fantastic day and making me feel so special!

Unfortunately we failed to capture this amazing adventure with photos, but here are the few we did take.

Mmm, chocolate!

The party crew

View of Central Park from Bergdorf’s restaurant

This is the only photo I got of the dressing room, but just an hour before, the rack was crammed with all the clothes I’d tried on, some I loved, some not so much, and the floor had been littered with shoes and boots.

On our way out, with some of my purchases in hand (the others are being tailored for a perfect fit).

Thanks to Sasha and Berton for helping me celebrate my birthday, and extra special thanks to Matthew for an unforgettably decadent weekend!

This was our neighborhood dog in Rincon. We nicknamed him Pants because he looks like he’s wearing black pants.

On our last full day in Puerto Rico, we spent the morning swimming and walking down the beach . Then we drove south to the town of Paraguera, where we rented a motorboat and toured the mangroves in the bay. The mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in salty tropical waters. Bunched together, they have the appearance of small tree-covered islands, with visible roots. As Captain Matthew navigated our boat around the bay, we also saw some seagulls searching for fish. That night, after it was dark, we went on a bioluminescent bay tour. I couldn’t get any pics, but trust me when I say it was by far one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. It was a great way to end our vacation.

Matthew perfected his surfside handstand.

We noticed these interesting ducks on our walk down the beach.

Fun with shadows!

Captain Matthew in Paraguera

Mangroves! (and stormy skies)

Seagull on the hunt.

Our 4th day turned out to be the perfect weather day - clear and sunny all day. It was a good day for relaxing, swimming and reading, and that’s all we did. I also had the chance to observe some of the local wildlife.

Body surfing is a favorite activity of ours.

Gecko comes out to play.

Yay for beach day!

Modesty

Matthew plays peek-a-boo in the palm tree.

Um, maybe we should move our beach chairs back from the surf.

I avoided sun burn with lots of sunscreen (SPF50!), my favorite hat, and a beach umbrella.

Matthew also needed to hide from the sun at some point.

Dog paw prints in the sand

Little crabs popped out of the sand every day to enjoy the afternoon sun.

After a long day of relaxing, it was time to admire the sunset.

And what better way than with a piña colada in a fresh coconut!

Mmm mmm good!

Perfect ending to a perfect day!

Our 3rd day started out bright and sunny, and we spent the morning swimming at our local beach. The water was warm and clear, a perfect day for snorkeling and diving. We decided to try a discovery dive, for people who are not certified for real scuba diving. The folks who run the dive shops suit up novices with tanks and gear and take them 20 feet below. Sounded like a cool idea to us. Unfortunately, the weather turned cloudy and the water became choppy while we waited for everyone to be set up, and in that time, we got cold, and I became sea sick. I eventually made it down to the bottom, but admittedly, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped. Matthew had some equipment problems and had a hard time sinking to the bottom, so he didn’t like it either. I guess we’ll stick to snorkeling from now on. Despite everything, I was still able to get some cool underwater photos.

The sun was still bright and warm for the boat ride to the dive spot.

We snorkelled while the crew set up the tanks and gear.

Underwater self-portrait

Fish sightings!

Matthew with his scuba gear

Going down!

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