-          SCHNECTADY at Proctors Theater at 2:00PM, 3:30PM, 5:15PM & 7:00PM is Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey

Tuesday, January 31

-          MALTA at 20 State Farm Place at 10:00AM-12:00PM is Mobile Marketing Tips & Trends Seminar- $10 for clients of Mannix Marketing, $20 for non-clients

Wednesday, February 1

-          GLENS FALLS at the Glens Fall Civic Center is Megadeath featuring Motorhead, Volbeat & Lacuna Coil

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors at 3:30PM, 5:30PM & 7:30PM is a showing of the movie Drive at the GE Theater http://www.proctors.org/events/drive

-          SARATOGA at the Senior Citizens Center of Saratoga at 6:00PM-7:00PM is Saratoga Springs Grandparents & Relatives Caring for Children Public Forum for FREE http://www.grandparentsforchildren.org/events.asp

Thursday, February 2

-          ALBANY at the Washington Ave Armory at 8:30PM is David Guetta

-          SARATOGA at Vapor Night Club, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway at 9:00PM is En Vogue

-          ALBANY at the Albany Marriott Hotel at 5:30PM-8:30PM is ESSAE’s 33^rd Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet – members are $45 and non-members are $60

-          LAKE PLACID at 6:00PM is the BEGINNING OF THE EMPIRE STATE GAMES!

-          CLIFTON PARK at the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve at 7:00PM is Moonlight Ski for FREE

ONGOING

-          ALBANY (Until Feb 9) at Stuyvesant Plaza at 10:00AM-6:00PM is the International Artist’ Expo as Sorelle Gallery for FREE http://www.sorellegallery.com/

-          SCHENECTADY (Jan 27-29; Feb 1-5) at the Schenectady Civic Players is The Ives Have It

-          NORTH CREEK (Jan 29-Feb 3) is GORE MOUNTAIN RESTAURANT WEEK

-          SCHENECTADY ( Jan 20- Feb 19) at the Capital Repertory Theater is The Sisters Rosensweig

-          ALBANY at WAMC’s The Linda at 8:00PM is Diego Garcia

-          ALBANY at the Palace Theater at 10:30AM is Sesame Street Live “1-2-3 Imagine” http://www.palacealbany.com/eventsandtickets/eventtickets/event.aspx?eid=587586b2-194a-41c9-82cf-cb911da8a43d

-          GLENS FALLS at the Empire Theater Plaza at 5:30PM-7:30PM is Wine Tasting for Soroptimist (meaning “best for women”) International of the Adirondacks for $15

-          COHOES at the Cohoes Ukrainian Club at 7:00PM-12:00AM is 13^th Annual Cabin Fever Dance – $20, all donations will go to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital

-          CLIFTON PARK at Northern Lights at 7:30PM is Joe Budden $20 in advance and $25 day of- hosted by DJ Iroc

-          TROY at the Experimental Media & Performing Arts Center at 7:30PM is Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock for $6

-          MALTA at DiDonna’s South Shore Restaurant at 8:00PM-10:00PM is Laughter is the Best Medicine Comedy Night for $15 pp

-          ROUND LAKE at The Mill is Irish Night 4:00PM-12:00A with Frank Jacklitch Dues & Jeff Strange

-          ALBANY at the NYS museum at 7:00PM-10:00PM is the Eighth Annual Taste of Compassion to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for $75 per person, $60 for those 35 and under- for more information and tickets 518-438-3583 or email andrea.googas@lls.org or purchase tickets online at www.lls.org/unywinetasting

-          CLIFTON PARK at Northern Lights at 8:00PM is Joe Budden at 8:00PM with DJ Playground, etc.

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors Theater at 7:00PM is Toxic Avenger/TROMAFEST feat. Director Lloyd Kaufman & BONUS FILM Cannibal: The Musical by the creators of South Park http://www.proctors.org/events/toxic-avenger-tromafest

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors at 2:00PM (& MONDAY at 2:00PM, 3:30PM, 5:15PM & 7:00PM) is Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey

Saturday, January 28

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors is Party Horns NYC: Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber http://www.proctors.org/events/party-horns-nyc-3

-          ALBANY at Doane Stuart School at 10:00AM is an Open House!

-          SCHUYLERVILLE at the Saratoga Clay Arts Center at 11:00AM-3:00PM is their 1^st Annual Chili Bowl – $15 per bowl (to keep) plus $1 admission or 1 nonperishable food item

-          SARATOGA at the Gideon Putnam Resort at 11:00AM is Cabin Fever luncheon with Elaine Houston for $60 http://www.soroptimistsaratoga.org/

-          TICONDEROGA at the Ticonderoga Cornerstone Alliance Church at 12:30PM in their Winter Scrabble Tournament

-          ALBANY at the Delaware Branch of the Public Library at 2:00PM-5:00PM is Albany Mommies Monthly Meet & Greet Pizza Party- $5 to cover the cost of pizza

-          TROY at Uncle Sam Lanes at 3:00PM-6:00PM is CDCG’s 15^th Annual Garden Bowl to support the Capital District Community Gardens’ programs

-          CLIFTON PARK at Shenedehowa United Methodist Church at 4:00PM-6:00PM is their Annual Ham Dinner- $10 adults, $7.50 children 5 to 9 and FREE 4 and younger

-          CLIFTON PARK at Prime Bar & Grill at 6:00PM-10:00PM is Angelo’s Prime Bar & Grill GRAND OPENING – $30

-          ALBANY at taste at 8:00PM-10:00PM is Charmed & Danergous Cabaret & Burlesque how- $15 pp + $1.50 processing free or purchase with a 3-course pre-show dinner for $45

-          GLENS FALLS at the Charles R. Wood Theater at 8:00PM is Collin Raye Acoustic Concert

-          SARATOGA at Vapor Night Club at 9:00PM is Sights and Sounds at Vapor sponsored by JAMZ 96.3 and hosted by J.Will

-          ALBANY at McGeary’s Irish Pub at 9:00PM-12:00AM is Albany All Stars Roller Derby Pint Glass Party! First 100 people get a limited edition 16ox glass featuring the AASRD and McGeary’s logos- $5 cover at the door

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors at 1:30PM is Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance- $5 http://www.proctors.org/events/joffrey-mavericks

Sunday, January 29

-          ALBANY at The Egg at 3:00PM is Cinderella – NY Theater Ballet (Adult $18/ Child $12)

-          ALBANY at The Egg at 7:30PM is Carolina Chocolate Drops ($29.50)

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors Theater at 10AM-2PM at the Schenectady Greenmarket is the 3^rd Annual Market Cook-Off; DON’T FORGET to pick up your vendor passport to win a vacation package!

-          SARATOGA at the Hall of Springs and Saratoga Automobile Museum at 11:00AM-3:00PM is the Daily Gazette’s Annual Saratoga/ Capital Region Bridal Show Extravaganza

-          CLIFTON PARK at  Northern Lights at 4:00PM is Gorilla Battle of the Bands – $10

-          SARATOGA at the Southern Saratoga YMCA at 12:00PM-1:00PM is a Guinness Book of World Records event for the MOST simultaneous fist bumps http://events.timesunion.com/clifton-park-ny/events/show/236413824-guinness-book-of-world-records-attempt

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors at 2:30PM is Neshoba: The Price of Freedom http://www.proctors.org/events/neshoba

ONGOING

-          ALBANY (Jan 27-29) at the Palace is Sesame Street Live “I-2-3 Imagine with Elmo & Friends”

-          ADIRONDACKS (Jan 27-28) is the 6^th Annual Zuppy’s Crusade for Kids http://www.adirondack.net/whatsnew/2012/01/nascar-champ-tony-stewart-will-be-in-town-this-weekend.html

-          TROY (Jan 27-28) at Kokopellis at 3:30PM-3:00AM is Kokopellis GRANDOPENING, Ribbon Cutting & Troy Night!

-          ALBANY (Until Feb 9) at Stuyvesant Plaza at 10:00AM-6:00PM is the International Artist’ Expo as Sorelle Gallery for FREE http://www.sorellegallery.com/

-          SCHENECTADY (Jan 27-29; Feb 1-5) at the Schenectady Civic Players is The Ives Have It

-          ADIRONDACKS (Jan 27-29) at Woods In is the 2012 Adirondack Ice Bowl Pond Hockey Festival http://www.adirondack.net/winter/ice-bowl.cfm

-          NORTH CREEK (Jan 29-Feb 3) is GORE MOUNTAIN RESTAURANT WEEK

-          ALBANY at The Egg at 8:00PM is Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company ($24)

-          ALBANY at the Washington Armory is Roscoe Dash

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors Theater at 5:00PM is Art Night at Proctors for FREE http://www.proctors.org/events/art-night-jan-20

-          COLONIE at Colonie Center at 5:30PM is Family Scavenger Hunt with Radio Disney for FREE

-          SARATOGA at the Saratoga Winery & Tasting Room at 6:00PM-9:00PM is Skyler’s Dream Team LIVE for FREE!

-          LAKE GEORGE at the Wild Horse Saloon at 7:00PM is The Bluebillies! Classic Country and Bluegrass for FREE

-          CLIFTON PARK at Northern Lights at 7:30PM is Capital Underground Concert Series, $10 from bands and $12 day of show http://northernlightslive.com/2011/2012/01/03/friday-january-20th-museum-guards/

-          SARATOGA at The Mine at 9:00PM is It’s Cold Outside but it’s 80s in Here PARTY for FREE!

-          GLENS FALLS at the Glens Falls Civic Center at 7:00PM is Phantoms vs. Albany

Saturday, January 21

-          ALBANY at the Palace is Albany symphony “Copland, Barber & Bernstein”

-          SARATOGA at Vapor Nightclub at 9:00PM  is Biz Markie

-          ALBANY at the Washington Ave Armory (Originally scheduled for November 2011) is Rick Ross LIVE!

-          GLENS FALLS at the Christ Church United Methodist at 9:00AM-12:00PM is “Soup Off” at the GF Farmers’ Market and Mr. Edge’s Sharpening for FREE

-          LATHAM at the Latham Farms Petsmart at 10:00AM-1:30PM is Peppertree Rescue Adoption Clinic

-          GLENS FALLS at go! Where children discover the world at 10:00AM-11:30AM is Chinese Calligraphy and Zodiac Signs; $5 museum admission free plus $5 program fee

-          ALBANY at the Albany Institute of History and Art at 10:00AM-5:00PM is Play for All is FREE with museum admission

-          SARATOGA at Forno Bistro at 11:00AM is Forno Bistro’s Passport to a Country of Flavors- Northern Italy for $50

-          GLENS FALLS at Charles R. Wood Theater at 2:00PM-5:00PM is Audition Workshop to prepare actors planning to attend theunified Adirondack Regional Theater Auditions- $25 fee, limited to 20 actors. Contact Terry Rabine to reserve a slot 518-306-4404

-          GLENS FALLS at Crandall Public Library at 2:00PM-3:15PM is Northeast Mobile Search and Rescue Dogs for FREE for failies with children ages 5 and up, call or stop by the children’s desk to sign up 518-792-6508 x4

-          SCHENECTADY at Café Nola at 6:00PM-9:00PM is Jazz Connection

-          BALLSTON SPA at Ballston Spa Alliance Church at 6:00PM-8:30PM is FREE Movie Night showing Courageous: Honor Begins at Home

-          ALBANY at Waterworks Pub at 7:00PM-11:00PM is Warren Belcher Memorial Drag Show & Burlesque Benefit; for more information call 518-465-9079

-          CLIFTON PARK at Northern Lights at 8:00PM is BassLand for $8 http://northernlightslive.com/2011/2011/12/13/saturday-january-21st-bassland/

-          SARATOGA at The Mine at 9:00PM-2:00AM is Ugly Sweater Party for FREE

Sunday, January 22

-          SCHENECTADY at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons is their OPEN HOUSE from 1:00PM-3:00PM

-          SARATOGA at Empire State College at 1:30PM-4:30PM is Saratoga Reads! Book Introduction Event for FREE http://www.saratogareads.org/

-          ALBANY at the Albany Institute of History and Art at 2:00PM is a lecture by Michael Cassin on Dutch painter and etcher Rembrandt van Rijn

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors at 3:00PM is the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra- $12 adults, $8 for students and FREE for 7 and under http://www.proctors.org/events/schenectady-symphony-orchestra-1

ONGOING

-          ALBANY (Jan 20-21)  at the Times Union Center at 7:30PM is Thunder Nationals: Monster Jam, Monster Trucks- KIDS SEATS $5

-          ALBANY (Until Feb 9) at Stuyvesant Plaza at 10:00AM-6:00PM is the International Artist’ Expo as Sorelle Gallery for FREE http://www.sorellegallery.com/

-          NORTH CREEK (Until Jan 22) at Peaceful Valley is Take Your Daughter to Gore Week http://www.goremountain.com/mountain/moreinfo.cfm?id=97

-          SCHENECTADY at the Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium at 12:00PM-3:00PM is the LAST weekend to see the Model Trains for FREE with museum admission

-          LAKE PLACID (Until Jan 21) is the Lake Placid Freestyle Cup http://www.adirondack.net/winter/freestyle-cup.cfm

FACEBOOK PAGE —  https://www.facebook.com/518BitesNSights

TWITTER – http://twitter.com/#!/518bitesnsights

Or send them to my EMAIL — 518BitesNSights@gmail.com

Monday, January 16

-          ALBANY at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center at 10:00AM-11:30AM is Dr. MLK Observance Day featuring JAMZ 96.3FM http://www.nyking.org/

-          GLENS FALLS at the Glens Falls Civic Center is the LAST DAY for the Adirondack Northstars Winter Classic for FREE

-          ALBANY at The Music Studio at 11:20AM-12:30PM is Winterm Open House! http://www.the-music-studio.com/

-          TROY at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology at 1:00PM is Candy Science is FREE for CMOST members, $2.00 for non-members for FREE http://www.cmost.org/

-          ALBANY at Appletini’s Café at 6:30PM-9:00PM is Real Estate Investors- Networking and Deal Making Event, FIRST MEETING is FREE, for more information call 518-466-7127

Tuesday, January 17

-          ALBANY at the Times Union Center at 7:00PM is Kelly Clarkson featuring Matt Nathanson sponsored by FLY92 & B95.5

Wednesday, January 18

-          TROY at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology at 9:30AM is My Parent & ME classes begin for FREE, call 518-235-2120 for more information

-          VOORHEESVILLE at Old Songs Community Arts Center at 6:30PM is Accordion Jam for $3

Thursday, January 19

-          SARATOGA at the Saratoga Springs Public Library at 10:00AM is Saratoga Reads! Bookbag Giveaway for Children ages 3-12 for FREE

-          NISKAYUNA at Berkshire Bank, Vly Road at 7:45AM-9:30AM is The Power of Email Marketing, by Constant Contact for $20 http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e50ni371adf988aa

-          GLENVILLE at The Joyful Quilter at 10:30AM-2:30PM is “Golden Goose” class for $40 http://joyfulquilter.com/

-          LATHAM at Bettie’s Cakes at Hoffman’s Playland at 6:00PM-8:00PM is a Cupcake Decorating Class for $30/person, pre-register at 518-894-1179

ONGOING

-          ALBANY (Until Feb 9) at Stuyvesant Plaza at 10:00AM-6:00PM is the International Artist’ Expo as Sorelle Gallery for FREE http://www.sorellegallery.com/

-          NORTH CREEK (Until Jan 22) at Peaceful Valley is Take Your Daughter to Gore Week http://www.goremountain.com/mountain/moreinfo.cfm?id=97

Usually on Wednesdays I write about a Local Blog but today instead, though I’m still gonna keep it local,  I’m gonna talk about a local artist/jewelry maker Chrissey Dittus. I will preface this with the fact that she is my Aunt but besides that she’s very talented and if you haven’t heard of her yet- jump on the bandwagon!

You may know her from the incredible art she has done in the Lake George Region. One of her more recent was a drawing of Sacred Heart Church in Lake George that can be found on various mugs and ornaments sold at the Church.

One of my personal favorites ( & I’m probably biased because it’s of me) is a painting she did of a picture of me when I was in Ireland. To note: I look at my hair everyday and these ginger locks are hard to reproduce have it be in hair dye or paint!

She recently participated in the Knock It Off art show benefit where artists were asked to “Knock Off” a famous painting. Video footage can be found HERE. Can anyone tell which painting she “Knocked Off??”

What she’s currently working on are beading bracelets that she sewed together along with matching earrings. You have been able to find her jewelry for quite some time at Extoria tattoo in Lake George Village but more recently they are being sold at Seven Sisters Artisan Gifts in North Creek. A little bit about the local artists they sell can be found HERE.

I own my own Chrissey Dittus bracelet creation and love it. I love the fact that they’re so different and so beautiful. The magnetic clasp makes it easier to put on and take off instead of having to deal with the regular clasp that you need 3-4 hands to work. She makes them in all sorts of colors, each one just as if not more beautiful than the next.

If you’re interested in owning a Chrissey Dittus original, feel free to post a comment here  or email me at 518BitesNSights@gmail.com and I’ll put you in contact with her more directly.

Check out a more close-up view of these bracelets -take a look at mine! Note: most bracelets don’t come with the string of beads like mine does, I just asked for it because I’m prone to losing things

If you were following my Twitter earlier this week you may have caught my attempt at live tweeting my trip to NYC Tuesday/Wednesday. In case you missed it, don’t worry, I’m gonna give you a run down right now! I went down to the city with my boyfriend and some friends on December 17th for my birthday and wow was it crazy! My mother and I decided to go the this week in hopes that the tourist crowds would have gone down and we could actually enjoy Christmas in the city even though Christmas is technically over.

We decided to drive to Poughkeepsie and take the MetroNorth in which we’ve done before and is a quick and easy way to get to the city and not have to worry about parking- or so we thought. By the time we got in the region of Poughkeepsie we would’ve had to have waited there for an hour or so which neither of us really wanted to do so we figured we’d catch it at the next MetroNorth stop and be on our way. Apparently in our experience, Poughkeepsie is probably the easiest MetroNorth station to deal with. We stopped in Tarrytown and we would’ve had to buy a pass to keep our car there overnight through the police station but if we were there a MINUTE later than 24 hours there was a good chance we’d get a ticket. This was pretty much the same story all the way down the MetroNorth Hudson line. Aside from the fact that we got to see each of these stations and where they were and experience the small towns, all we learned was that if this happens again, we wait the hour at Poughkeepsie or just drive to the city. We ended up driving through.

We were hoping to get in with MetroNorth also because it goes into Grand Central and our hotel was right next door, the Hyatt. The room was really nice and from the reviews I read online, apparently this is quite an improvement from what it used to be. All the lights in the room were by touch and it was very clean and really pretty, though not much of a view and kind of small but all we expected to do was sleep so that wasn’t too much of a bother.

First, we decided to check out all the windows from some of the big stores: Lord & Taylor &. Saks. Sadly, Saks had already taken down their windows but I saw them two weeks ago and assured my mother that she wasn’t missing anything. Lord & Taylor incorporated local children’s drawings into their windows, it was really sweet. I also learned that aside from the fact that after Christmas, no one is hogging the space in front of the window, there are TONS OF SALES. I got myself a nice pair of Sperry’s for $270 yay, already ready for Summer! On our walk to Saks we saw Bryant Park and the NY Public Library which look very pretty at dusk. We did stop at Saks Fifth Avenue for a quick snack, one of my favorite hidden locations in NYC, Charbonnel et Walker on the shoe floor of Saks Fifth Avenue- take the express elevator! We each had our drinking chocolate which is thicker than hot chocolate but thinner than melted chocolate and a White Chocolate Cranberry scone- yum!

It was perfect timing because we had reservations at a restaurant at 7:30PM thanks to a Groupon and it gave up ample shopping time and time to walk off the chocolate goodies we just had with a second to pit stop of the Rockefeller Tree to take some pictures. Dinner was at Rino Trattoria.  We had a Groupon, as did everyone else in the restaurant it seemed, for two starters, two dinners and a dessert that we ordered off a special menu. We did stand there waiting for a little while but, as I said, everyone was using their Groupon that day so I think the staff was a little overwhelmed with the volume it brought. I had the soup of the day which was a tortellini soup with a tomato broth. To be honest, the broth didn’t have much flavor and could’ve used pepper that we didn’t have on our table but the tortellini were good. To drink, what else would I order? Sangria (Red) which was delicious, perfect sweetness- white is available also.

For dinner I ordered chicken in another tomato based sauce that came with cooked vegetables. Again, it wasn’t the best food I’ve ever eaten but I did enjoy it. The chicken was cooked perfectly as were the vegetables but I think they needed a bit more salt and pepper that wasn’t available on our table.  My mother ordered pasta and that too was cooked perfectly and quite good but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. For dessert we had Ricotta Cheesecake- delicious. What I didn’t know is that Ricotta cheesecake is actually much healthier than regular cheesecake. We ate that as we talked with 2 people from Canada visiting the city for the first time sitting next to us, like true Italian eating, you may have come as just two but you end up talking to everyone around you. After that, beside how freezing it was, we didn’t have anything else to do so we headed back to our hotel.

The next morning we  woke up and I stopped in to Tim Hortons for a quick breakfast sandwich.

at 11:00AM

They were out of English Muffins so I had it on a bagel but ended up only eating half the bagel. The sandwich was kind of greasy and I wish we’d had stopped at the McDonalds on Dunkin Donuts instead because it wasn’t very good but I was very hungry. This day we just shopped a bit, stopped at Bryant Park and looked at all the shops. I started at Max Brenner’s Chocolate by the Bald Man and got a chocolate syringe cold so that I could warm it up and eat it when I got home ($5). There, I also found possibly one of my new favorite stores in NYC, WRecords By Monkey. They had the coolest stuff in there: messenger bags made from inflatable tires, bracelets made from vinyl records (which I bought 2 of), mirrors made by records, light switch covers, etc. When I was there it was buy 1 get 1 50% so I bought 2 band bracelets which came to about $27. I love stores where everything is made locally and it’s different- I’ve only ever seen this here and it’s Made in Brooklyn!

We had to go pick up our car so after stopping at Urban Outfitters and Zara, it was time to go.

Magnolia Bakery

On our way out of the city we stopped at Magnolia Bakery and picked up cupcakes for the ride home. It was a great trip to NYC and if you can help it, wait out to see the Christmas decorations until after, there is less of a crowd and less of a hassle!

For a recap on some of the older blog entries I wrote about NYC, check them out HERE: NYC Christmas 2010 & NYC Archives

I wouldn’t call myself a beer connoisseur by any means but I have had my fair share and know what to expect when it comes to various types. As I’ve mentioned before, one of my favorite beer related supermarket options is the “Make Your Own 6-Pack” at The Fresh Market in Latham. I’ve also recently seen this same idea put into place at the Price Chopper on Rte 9 in Latham, I don’t know if it’s because people in Latham tend to drink more or what but my Schenectady Price Chopper has yet to install this.

I could make a 6-pack of all of my favorite beers and know for sure that I am content with my choices but I tend to try flavors that I wouldn’t otherwise try. For example, I tried Seadog Blueberry and I think it is the WORSE tasting alcoholic beverage, actually just the worst tasting beverage I’ve ever had. When I looked this past week, something peaked my interest: Anheuser-Busch Gluten-Free Sorghum Beer called Redbridge. How can a beer be made without wheat or barley you ask? Note my intrigue!

Instead of being made from wheat a barley, Redbridge is made from sorghum, a safe grain for those allergic to gluten or wheat. Redbridge partnered with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness recently and are going to help find a cure for this disease.

Now for the most important part, the taste. I was so surprised at the flavor of this beer. I expected to be able to taste the lack of wheat and barley but I couldn’t tell a difference. Budweiser isn’t my favorite kind of beer but I would equate it to that, another Anheuser-Busch product. The consistency was like that of a lager. I’m not a huge fan of a strong hoppy flavor which is what I tend to like about lagers since they tend to have a low hop count. This beer is definitely worth a try, especially if you’re allergic to gluten because I, honestly, wasn’t able to tell the difference. On their website you can type your zip code and they’ll help you find it either out or at a restaurant. Sláinte!

It may be getting colder outside but don’t forget all of the wonderful 518 attractions that are INSIDE! I’ve lived in Schenectady almost my whole life (aside from the couple years I went to school in NYC) and I tend to forget about the Schenectady Museum & Suits- Bueche Museum at 15 Nott Terrace Heights, Schenectady. For this week’s SATURDAY SPOTS, I’m gonna give you a little more in depth information about what is going on at the museum this month.

The museum is open Thursday & Friday 12:00PM-5:00PM and Saturday & Sunday 11:00AM-5:00PM. The best part of this museum is the great deal of an admission price it is for all that is inside. Adults are $7.50 for the museum ONLY but still only $11.50 for admission to the planetarium. Seniors (65+) are $6.25/$10.25 , children (4-12) are $5.00/$9.00. Still a little more expensive than you’d like? The FIRST SUNDAY of every month from 11:00AM-12:00PM is FREE general admission! Also, grab a $1.00 off coupon on their website HERE!

If you live in Schenectady and are always looking for something to do with the kids, BECOME A MEMBER! Membership includes unlimited admission to the museum, 4 free passes to the planetarium, 10% discount at the shop & for birthday parties, FREE admission to monthly lecture series and FREE admission to nearly 300 participating science centers worldwide (list on the website).

From December 10th-January 22nd, you can see the model trains run from 12:00PM-3:00PM. A 19×27 foot display of running O Gauge (Lionel) Trains thanks to the Upstate Train Associates. What I’m really excited about is the *NEW* Mars Show in the Planetarium! Narrated by Patrick Stewart of Star Trek fame, take a close look at Mars and see what we’re exploring with those Mars Rovers. For a list of all the current exhibits, check out the website HERE.

I haven’t been there for a year or so myself but I’m quite excited to see the Mars exhibit. My favorite part about this science museum is that though it’s primarily aimed at children, any age can enjoy what it has to offer! Who doesn’t like interactive Science and learning through doing? Never too late to learn!

FACEBOOK PAGE —  https://www.facebook.com/518BitesNSights

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Or send them to my EMAIL — 518BitesNSights@gmail.com

Friday, January 6

-          ALBANY at 9 Ten Broeck Place at 5:00PM-8:00PM is Twelfth Night Dinner at $100.00 per person; prepaid reservations required, call 518-436-9826 for more information

-          SARATOGA at the Saratoga Winery and Tasting Room at 6:00PM-9:00PM for FREE is Seth Warden Duo LIVE with wine, ribs, pulled pork and MORE!

-          SARATOGA at Vapor Night Club at 8:00PM is The Accents for FREE

-          SARATOGA at Putnam Den at 8:00PM is Play it Louder DJ Contest feat Lazerbass, DJ Rus, Primitive, DJ Prophet, etc for FREE (or $10 cover if under 21)

Saturday, January 7

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors is Te Laurie Berkner Band at 11:00AM

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors is Jim Gaffigan at 7:00PM

-          GLENVILLE at The Joyful Quilter at 9:00AM-12:00PM is Bob’s Paper Piercing Breakfast Club for $30

-          SARATOGA at The Pilates Institute at 10:00AM-11:00AM is FREE New Year’s Pilates Mat Class for FREE http://www.pilatesinstitutesaratoga.com/

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors at 11:00AM is The Laurie Berkner Band for $25/$35

-          ALBANY at the Washington Ave Armory at 6:00PM is the Albany All Stars Roller Derby (Adults $10 in advance, $12 day of and children under 12 are $4)

-          SARATOGA at Putnam Den at 8:00PM is 518 Talent Show Case for FREE

-          GLENS FALLS at Charlies R. Wood Theater at 8:00PM is To Kill a Mockingbird for $22

-          SCHENECTADY at The Stockade Inn at 7:00PM-10:00PM is January Jazzfest to benefit Free Clinic featuring Doc Spring and the Rehabilitated Dixieland Jazz Band ($60 per person)

-          QUEENSBURY at Ski West Mountain at 8:30AM-2:00PM is Goldstocks Free Demo Day for FREE http://www.skiwestmountain.com/

Sunday, January 8

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors is the Moscow Festival Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty at 2:00PM

-          ALBANY at The Egg at 3:00PM is Sylvester & the Magic Pebble ($12)

-          SCHENECTADY at the Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium is Kids’ Amateur Radio Day – FREE with museum admission

-          SCHENECTADY at the Schenectady Moose Lodge at 2:00PM-6:00PM is Elvis’ Birthday Bash for $15

ONGOING

-          SCHENECTADY at Proctors (Jan 7-8) is Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs at the GE Theater

-          LAKE GEORGE at Dunham’s Bay Resort (Jan 6-8) is 4^th Annual Bridal Show Weekend for FREE! Friday at 7:00PM-11:00PM is FREE Girls Night Out Party, Saturday 5:00PM-9:00PM is FREE Engagement Party and Sunday 12:00PM-3:00PM is AWA Bridal Show!

Sometimes, you may even find out that someone you see at least on a weekly basis may write a blog that you’ve already been reading! This is the case with Squeezing It All Together at ashallann.com written by Ash/All/Ann, depending on how you know her. You can find more about her personal story under “About” and “Radio” but in a nutshell, in the world of radio sometimes people go by radio names either because it sounds better, they don’t want people stalking them or because..why not? In the case of Ashallann the name is a mix of the names the tends to go by mixed with her real name.

A lot of the blogs I come across have one topic in particular have it be Healthy Living or in my case things that go on in and around the Capital District but what I like about “Squeezing It All Together” is that she does just that. Blogs entries vary from food to more recently her thoughts on the Facebook timeline and one of my favorite pages, “A Million Dollars” or things she recommends spending money on IF you happen to come across $1 Million- my favorite, I think being the $67,000 necklace that way I still have money left over and something pretty to wear! One of my favorite entries was about the Star Wars Holiday special HERE but maybe I’m biased because I was mentioned (but honestly it’s great, everyone should watch it and feel free to geek out like I did). Overall, if you’re just looking for a great blog to read no matter what the topic, look at “Squeezing It All Together” because every day is a surprise, you have no idea what she may write about and I like it that way!