GC Lifestyle

GC Youth Lacrosse at its Finest: The PAC

Posted on by insidegardencity

Peter LeSueur is back- guest blogging about Garden City’s newest lacrosse camp- the PAC (Performance Athletic Club). Pete is a GC native and co-founder of the PAC. If you missed our initial article about Pete and his lacrosse history, you can find it here.

As some of you may know, my dad, Paul LeSueur,  ran THE Garden City Soccer Camp for over 30 years.  It was common for young campers to eventually become coaches… and in many cases they eventually became the parents of campers.  His camp spanned generations, and I was a part of it for as long as I can remember.  I guess you can say that the passion for coaching and inspiring kids is in my blood and I always knew that I too wanted to share it with young athletes.  I have been in and around the lacrosse scene my whole life and decided that I wanted to create the same memorable sports moments for young lacrosse players that my dad had done for young soccer players.     
Motivation, Positive Thinking, Coaching and Confidence:

Over my sports career as a player and coach I grew to notice a serious problem in sports with coaches abusing their players.  We’ve all heard about the worst cases of it, but generally speaking I think even the slightest bit of negativity limits players.  I am so sure that coaching positively and motivating players is the “right way” that it disappoints me when I see kids’ dreams dashed at a young age.  Not everyone can be the best player, but they can all benefit and improve through supportive coaching and inspiring mentors.
I’ve devoted a lot of time into studying cognitive science and the art of motivating people.  I’ve practiced it with my players, fitness clients, friends, family and most importantly myself.  I have realized the benefits of thinking positively and want to share that freedom with every child that I coach.  As a stickler for the fundamentals of lacrosse, I’m positive that kids will learn skills and gain comfort with the lacrosse stick at the PAC camp.  However, as long as every kid is smiling at the end of the day, my partner Tim and I will be happy because we know that giving the kids a chance to love the game is the best gift we can give. 
Tim Goettelmann and I have been friends for a long time and were casually speaking about what we could do to add value to the youth lacrosse scene.  Tim’s energy and enthusiasm was a strong motivating force in finally moving forward with all of the PAC ideas I had been dreaming up.  Tim, a Manhasset guy that Garden City was lucky enough to steal, has 3 girls and a boy, and I have 4 nieces and 4 nephews in Garden City.  Tim’s personality is larger than life, and he has been called “a big kid.”  His excitement is spread among all the campers making the atmosphere better than any activity around.  On a separate note, Timmy also runs Monster’s Kids, a non-profit charity that raises money for the North Shore LIJ Cohen’s Children’s Hospital. Monster’s Kids hosts the Woodstick Classic Alumni Game that you might have seen or heard about. We also held a youth lacrosse clinic the Friday night before the Woodstick Classic to raise money on behalf of Monster’s Kids.    

What we decided was that we would focus on the fundamentals of the game among very young players BUT most importantly… we’d strive to make camp so much fun that kid’s would be able to fall in love with the game.  In our first year we had a kid’s only camp as well as a “Family Fundamentals Camp” meant to bring parents and children together to learn the sport together, and more importantly for them to spend quality time together creating life lasting memories.  This year we will hold the Family Fundamentals Camp in the fall. It was very well received and a lot of people have asked for it again.  The feedback we received about PAC last year was extremely positive and it reinforced the belief that we were doing something great.  
One of the greatest feelings I had last year was realizing that I was actually coaching and inspiring the children of my own childhood idols who played lacrosse with my older brother back in the 90s.  At one point, I realized that there were generations of lacrosse players at my camp (similar to the history/legacy that my dad had built). Parents and grandparents, who my family had know for decades through lacrosse, were on the sideline socializing and watching their children/grandchildren having fun at the PAC camp.  It was a beautiful scene depicting many of the positive benefits of participating in sports… fun, fitness, and lifelong friendships.
Click here to register your son or daughter for the PAC camp next week, July 21st-24th: www.performanceathleticclub.com
Remember to like Inside Garden City on Facebook and visit http://www.InsideGardenCity.com
  

A Farmers Market Inside GC? Yes, sort of…

Posted on by insidegardencity

Do you like reading labels at the grocery store with words you can’t pronounce? Do you enjoy factory farmed meat, eggs and milk? Do you like supporting chain supermarkets who often give very little money back to the local community? Do you find GMOs tasty? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, read no further. If you agree that eating local is all the rage (with good reason!), read on…



Hi Garden City Neighbors,

I’ve recently joined Farmigo, a year-round, online farmers market. As of Wednesday, July 16, they’ll be delivering locally sourced, freshly harvested food to 131 HAYES STREET, CORNER OF STRATFORD AVE each Wednesday, between 5:00-6:00 PM.
Being a Farmigo Organizer means being able to provide our community with the freshest and tastiest food around. The Farmigo marketplace is bursting with locally grown fruits and vegetables, hormone- and antibiotic-free meats, beautiful pastured eggs, freshly baked bread, and some truly delicious cheeses…and new items are being added every week.
 If all of that sounds up your alley, ordering couldn’t be easier:
●      First, become a member of my food community, and view the online marketplace by clicking  https://www.farmigo.com/farmstandatpcnutrition. There aren’t any subscription or membership fees to worry about, so feel free to test the waters.
       USE COUPON CODE 10OFF20 to get $10 off your order of $20 or more
●      When you’ve pulled together some good items, you just need to place your order every week, by midnight on Sunday (to give the farmers time to harvest-to-order the next day).
●      And that’s it! Just pick up your order at THE FARMSTAND AT PC NUTRITION 131 HAYES STREET, CORNER OF STRATFORD AVE each Wednesday, between 5:00-6:00 PM.
Our first delivery is scheduled for Wednesday, July 16, so if you’d like to give this a try, just have your order in by midnight Sunday, July 13. Farmigo is supported by community efforts (just like this one!), and each pickup spot needs 10 people to get the ball rolling, so please – help spread the word…and then we can all start digging in! I hope you will join us.  Not sure?  Stop by during pickup for some free samples.  See you Wednesday!
Your neighbor,
Lisa Licari, RDN, CDN


Lisa is a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist.  Her private practice, Permanent Change Nutrition, is located in Garden City and she accepts most insurance plans.
Lisa Licari, RDN, CDN

Permanent Change Nutrition, PC

520 Franklin Ave, Suite L3

Garden City, NY 11530

(516)366-0072

Lisa@permanentchangenutrition.com

www.permanentchangenutrition.com


Remember to like us on Facebook and visit http://www.InsideGardenCity.com

Lisa Licari- A Nutritionist’s {Healthy} Eating Survival Guide

Posted on by insidegardencity

What a beautiful summer day to bring you some tips on healthy eating. I know that I occasionally fall off the wagon and need to improve my eating habits. Well, bathing suit season is upon us (who’s ready for the beautiful GC pool?), but who ever wants to diet?? No one! Nutritionist and Garden City resident Lisa Licari is here to help with some easy tips that will render dieting a thing of the past! 


Me when I think of dieting:
I was invited to write a post for Inside Garden City, so I thought I would introduce myself. I have to admit, I am probably not what you would think of as your typical “nutritionist”.  To start with, my two favorite foods are bacon and butter.  And anything chocolate. I also believe wine is one of the greatest inventions of man.  Thankfully, the last 2 foods, wine and chocolate, have some benefits that help me balance out the first two.  I include all foods in my diet as a true omnivore and embrace my Italian heritage.  Vegetarianism and low carb diets not only don’t work for me, they tend to make me very angry.  Despite all this, my health is excellent as per my doctor.  There is a way to make it all work!  Here are some basic tips:
1.  Don’t buy crap.  Food the way it came from the ground (or the cow) is always best.  The less processed, the better.  When buying packaged foods, read the ingredients.  If you don’t know what an ingredient is, you probably shouldn’t buy it or feed it to your family.  Check out Trader Joe’s if you haven’t already.  It has lots of great snacks with ingredients you can pronounce.
2.  Your eyes are ALWAYS bigger than your stomach.  Take your time with eating and portion control.  One helping is usually enough.  Choose treats that are REALLY worth it.  
3.  Listen to your mother- EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES- REALLY!  Low cal, fiber, antioxidants, etc.  When shopping, buy 4 kinds of fruit for variety, plan one veggie per night you are cooking at home, plus veggies to snack on with hummus or spinach dip, and lettuce and veggies for daily salad.  Do this to balance out the indulgences (fried foods, cured meats, eating out) and fill you up so you don’t overdo it.
4.  Fail to plan and you plan to fail- Know what you are going to eat for 3 meals and a snack for the upcoming week and shop accordingly.
5.  Love what God gave you- Garden City is full of beautiful people and they are all shapes and sizes.  Strive to be healthy, not to look like the girls in your Bunko group.  Exercise because it is fun and it is a way to show yourself you love YOU.  Give that gift to yourself and to your family.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email or post and I will be happy to answer.
Make a change.  For you.  For Good!
Lisa Licari, RDN, CDN, is a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist.  Her private practice, Permanent Change Nutrition, is located in Garden City and she accepts most insurance plans.
Lisa Licari, RDN, CDN

Permanent Change Nutrition, PC

520 Franklin Ave, Suite L3

Garden City, NY 11530

(516)366-0072

Lisa@permanentchangenutrition.com

www.permanentchangenutrition.com

Please like us on Facebook and visit http://www.Insidegardencity.com


Youth Lacrosse: Pete LeSueur’s PAC is Back

Posted on by insidegardencity

One of the reasons people choose to raise their families in Garden City is because of the outstanding youth sports programs. Granted, that may mean dealing with a few overzealous parents on the sidelines sometimes, but that’s another topic. When I was growing up, I was considered a good athlete- ran track and played varsity soccer all four years of high school. Not too shabby, right? I bet a lot of people look back favorably upon their athletic glory days. Well, regardless of your past athletic prowess, allow me to deflate you ever so slightly.

Since we’re living in the hotbed of lacrosse, Inside Garden City chatted with Peter LeSueur, one of the best lacrosse players in the town’s history. Not surprisingly, Pete happens to be a product of the quintessential athletic GC family:
  •        Father played for the NY Cosmos and ran THE GC soccer camp for over 30 years. 
  •        Mother was an AAU swimmer.
  •        Older brother was an outstanding GCHS lax player and captain of the Johns Hopkins lacrosse team.
  •        Older sister was an All-American lacrosse player and captain of Notre Dame’s Women’s lacrosse team.
  •         Twin sister is the all-time leading point scorer in Long Island HS women’s basketball history and went on to captain the Georgetown Hoyas.

And you thought your family’s annual “Turkey Bowl” football game in the backyard was impressive. I haven’t even gotten to Pete yet…


At GCHS, Pete LeSueur was the only three-time All-American and has the most points in school history. He was named the LI Attackman of the Year and LI Player of the Year. He played lax at Johns Hopkins where he was a 2x Academic All American, co-captained the 2005 NCAA championship team and was named Most Valuable Attackman. If you weren’t feeling inadequate earlier, unless your father is Pele or your name is Derek Jeter… you probably are now.

   
Pete’s lacrosse days are not over. He now brings his engaging personality, positive attitude and expert skills to his very own GC lax summer camp (in its second year) called The PAC- Performance Athletic Club. The camp is at St. Paul’s during the week of July 21st and is for both boys and girls ages 4-7. Pete’s PAC partner is Tim Goettelmann. Tim’s impressive lacrosse resume includes All American honors both at Manhasset HS and Loyola as well as the most goals in Major League Lacrosse history. 

Together Pete & Tim are a strong team now focused on igniting a passion for lax in future generations—and Garden City is lucky to have them around. With their history and expertise, its no wonder The PAC camp is the best new game in town.
http://performanceathleticclub.com/camps.asp

Click on the above link to register. 


Please visit http://www.InsideGardenCity.com and like us on Facebook. 

Out With Belmont- In With The World Cup

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From parties to street fairs to restaurant and bar specials, there was plenty of excitement around town (and around the nation) when the Belmont Stakes came to town. GC held its annual festival on Seventh Street which proved to be successful and very, VERY, well-attended.  It was lots of fun but I must say it was way, way under bouncy-housed. If someone is able to invent a bouncy house that can fit 100+ over-tired, hungry and cranky kids they may have a shot at the Nobel Peace Prize (at least if GC parents have a vote). In fact, Dunkin’ Donuts had a shot at the Peace Prize this year by giving out free donuts during the festival, however, they forced you to purchase a beverage (which the compassionate capitalist in me can’t blame them for)… so close but no Peace Prize for D&D.

I will say, the after-dark keg beer in red solo cups / live music outside was many levels of awesomeness. A little taste of Bourbon Street-style partying right here in our own GC. I really hope they keep that up in years to come – it was GC at it’s finest and everyone had a great time.

Since then, the 146th Running of the Belmont Stakes came and went. This third and final leg of the triple crown proved to be quite thrilling, drawing an estimated crowd of 100,000 spectators to Belmont Park. For those who wished to see history being made, it was a disappointing finish. For those who were here to enjoy the excitement and the show of the big hats and fancy clothes, your wish was granted- both at the track and at the GC Hotel’s post race party scene:

But… move over Belmont… the 2014 World Cup is here now! This may be the most unique sporting event in that it brings the whole world passionately together for one sport. Now that the dreadful opening ceremony is behind us (and hopefully the World Cup theme song is too) it’s time for us GCers to spend the next month or so trying to convince ourselves that watching soccer on TV can be as exciting as watching it from sidelines of St. Paul’s.  If you need a little inspiration around you to get the adrenaline flowing, you may want to try the following venues:

Prost Grill and Garten on Franklin Ave. They call themselves Long Island’s only soccer bar. They’ll be offering drink specials, beer specials (like the German beer Hofbrau) and Belmont Festival-winning wings (yum!).

BK Sweeney’s will have drink specials as well as wing specials at the bar during all soccer matches.

Revel will have a 10 foot (yes, 10 foot) screen behind the bar for prime viewing of all matches. Discounts on the bar menu and cocktails during all games. They’ll also serve specialty cocktails representing the playing teams.

Shackletons Bar and Grill in Franklin Square will have drink specials during the games.

Plattduetsche Park Restaurant in Franklin Square promises beer specials, fun and lots of passionate fans. They say this is the place to be for the World Cup!

Where will you be watching the World Cup?

Please like us on Facebook and visit http://www.InsideGardenCity.com

Sunflower Fine Art- A Belmont Keepsake?

Posted on by insidegardencity

If the events of last weekend have left you in a New York (or Garden City) state of mind, have a walk down Seventh Street to Sunflower Fine Art and Framing.

Seventh Street’s Belmont Stakes Festival was a successful community event last weekend, followed by an exciting albeit disappointing (well, for us California Chrome fans anyway), horse race at Belmont Park on Saturday. The fun continued on Sunday at the Tulip Ave Belmont Street Fair in Floral Park. The excitement of last weekend, coupled with the beautiful weather, seems to have left some of us wanting more. I snapped a few shots of these in the window of Sunflower Art and Framing this weekend. If you’re looking for a Belmont keepsake or to just extend the excitement of Belmont a bit longer, these may help:

And if you’re in a more specific Garden City state of mind, this would make a nice addition to any GC resident’s (or former resident’s) home:

I like to roam through Sunflower now and then to browse the prints and paintings. I’m currently eyeing a fun candy apple piece (if you’ve been recently, you’ll know which I mean). I recommend stopping in to see what’s new when you have a chance. You might walk away with a new favorite! Have you been?

Please like us on Facebook and visit http://www.InsideGardenCity.com

Win a gift basket like no (M)other!

Posted on by insidegardencity

Inside Garden City presents:

                                                  THE MOTHERLOAD

Who needs a crowded Walmart or shopping mall when you’ve got great shopping right at your doorstep? GC’s many locally owned restaurants, boutiques, delis, cafés, salons, etc. are at the heart of our community. I’m happy to support them in any way I can, in addition to frequenting them often! They’re a crucial component of our local economy as well as a convenient alternative to braving the traffic of Old Country Road.

When we patronize our local businesses, we give money back to our community. A successful local business generates higher revenue and pays higher taxes. This tax revenue helps pay for many of the things we all love about Garden City.

While our local businesses may be the heart of GC, I’m sure many would agree that our mothers are the soul. In honor of Mother’s Day, a number of local businesses have made generous donations to enable Inside Garden City to create a Mother’s Day gift basket like no (m)other. Actually, this gift basket has grown so much in the past few days, that we are now calling it “The Motherload”!


How to enter:
1) Be a mother, have a mother, or know a mother  
2) Like Inside Garden City’s Facebook page (if you haven’t already) AND
3) Like or comment on any FB post which mentions “The Motherload” raffle.

Your name will then be entered into a raffle for the Motherload and one lucky winner will be randomly chosen on Mother’s Day night!


Sneak peeks will be given… such as which of our amazing local businesses will be featured in “the Motherload”.       





Please visit us on Facebook & at http://www.InsideGardenCity.com

Earth Day- Do Your Part

Posted on by insidegardencity

Earth Day is a great time to think about our planet and what we will be leaving behind for future generations. We can all take steps to improve upon our “green” behavior and encourage others to do the same. There are so many ways to make our world greener and many take very little effort. Here are some easy tips to reduce, reuse, recycle:

1. I like adding the words “refuse” and “rethink” to the green motto mentioned above. One easy thing you can do is refuse plastic shopping bags in the grocery store, or any other store for that matter. Bring your own reusable cloth bags or reuse the plastic ones you have at home. I know I’m not the only one with a plastic bag filled with plastic bags in my cabinet!

2. Try not to throw away the plastic bags that you don’t need. Drop them in a bag recycling bin found at CVS, ShopRite and most other grocery stores. These bins will also usually accept plastic dry cleaning bags, plastic bread bags, etc.

3. While most of us are pretty good at acquiring “stuff”, we are probably not as good at discarding things. There are many options to recycle our no longer needed goods to someone else who could use them. Craigslist has a free section. Freecycle is a great website that makes it easy to turn one man’s trash into another man’s treasure. Donate to a thrift store, Salvation Army or consignment store (if you want to make some cash on your goods).

4. Another option is to donate your goods to a local cause like the annual GC Andy Foundation Yard Sale or the upcoming Benefit Yard Sale this Sat, 4/26, at the Tanners Pond Environmental Center in GC. Call 516-326-1720 for more information about donating.

5. Walk more/drive less: With spring upon us it’s a great time to reduce some of your car trips. Do whatever errands you can by foot to reduce air pollution. Visit Big City Bicycle on Nassau Blvd to give your bike a tune-up or to buy one (better yet- try Craigslist, a yard sale or Freecycle for a used bike). And when it’s time for a new car, think fuel-efficient!

6. Eat local/healthy foods. Patronize local restaurants that support local farmers. I may as well mention the local wineries here too. There are plenty of great wines produced on Long Island’s North Fork that we can be proud of!

7. Use a reusable coffee cup and save the cardboard. Hint: this only works if you actually bring the cup with you to your local coffee shop! Definitely refuse styrofoam cups. Tsk Tsk… Dunkin Donuts.

8. And the easiest one of all that we do we every day… unplug appliances and chargers when not in use. How simple is that?

It’s really not that difficult to go the green way. Visit http://www.earthday.org for more tips and ideas. Happy Earth Day!


Please visit us on Facebook and at http://www.InsideGardenCity.com

FENG SHUI ADVICE-Being a Helpful Person Matters…

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InsideGardenCity has recently been opening up the IGC blogosphere to guest bloggers. If you haven’t read any of them yet, you probably should because they’re quite good. Today on the blog, Laura Cerrano of Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island is back with an inspiring and informative post. Read on and find out more about Ms. Cerrano at http://fengshuimanhattan.com 


Emotional Feng Shui Insights
A powerful area on the Ba-gua map for Feng Shui that many tend to overlook is called “helpful People.” What does this mean? The area of Helpful people connects you to those who step into your life to help teach you lessons and offer guidance when needed.  Let that be family, friends, “strangers-earth angels” and more.  Yet, you too can be a helpful person and one simply way is by donating items and objects that you no longer need, use or love.
Another way to contribute to the flow of helpful people in others lives is by saying “thank you” and giving gratitude to those who have helped you during your life’s journey.
This week, I have made it a point to reach out to past teachers from my high school who I felt truly helped ignite a certain point of awakening during that period of time in my life.  In particular my guidance counselor/Softball coach and Art teacher.
Each had a different approach in how they helped me and what was interesting when I said thank you, they didn’t really understand how they helped. I knew how and wanted to share that insight and also show that how they treat students (people) really and truly does impact them in a positive way. So the message to them was to keep doing what they’re doing and encourage that continuation of being a helpful person because it matters.
Please visit us at http://www.InsideGardenCity.com and like our Facebook page. 

A Masters Party

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I must admit, I’m not a huge golf fan, but I do enjoy southern food. What better excuse to throw a party and enjoy some cheese grits than the Masters Tournament?

Similar to a Super Bowl party, I knew I’d need a large flat screen (check), comfortable seating (check), beverages (Arnold Palmers happen to be one of my faves- check) and last but certainly not least- some good ‘ole southern cuisine (double check). The Masters is in Augusta after all!

I prepared a couple of pitchers of Arnold Palmers- virgin as well as spiked. The vodka spiked one was dubbed the Tipsy Arnold Palmer.  Both versions were very popular and it seemed my guests enjoyed the party’s golf theme.  If anyone needs a recipe for an Arnold Palmer you can find it here.


Continuing with the theme, I wanted a southern menu and asked Capo of Floral Park to get creative. Southern grub is far from their specialty (unless you’re talking about southern Italy) but Paul, the owner, did some research for me and came up with a very southern menu: 

pimento cheese sandwiches (always on the Masters’ menu at Augusta National), 
BBQ chicken with brandy peaches, 
kale sautéed with bacon, 
dijon roasted potato salad like none I’ve ever tasted, 
green salad with goats cheese and diced fruit (think banana chips) and 
a down-home southern staple– cheese grits (added bonus: they go great with eggs the next day for breakfast).

For the last course, I baked chocolate cupcakes with green frosting and white golf tees placed on top. Although we didn’t get to witness history (Jordan Spieth came up three strokes short of being the youngest Masters champion ever), my southern-theme food and drink menu was a pure hit.

I haven’t seen any azaleas blooming around Garden City just yet (although I have seen a bunch of daffodils and tulips which is pretty cool), this tournament has a nice way of making you feel that spring is in the air.


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