Microsoft Launch of Office 2013 and Office 365 at Bryant Park

Tonight I stopped over at Bryant Park for Microsoft's launch of Office 2013 and new Office 365 subscription plans, targeted at consumers and small businesses. Office 365 Home Premium can be used across 5 PCs or Macs, including the basic set of applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook), 60 minutes of Skype calls per month and SkyDrive + 20GB storage for $99.99 per year subscription, or $9.99 per month. If you don't need an entire Office bundle, you can also buy individual Office applications such as Word, Excel or Outlook for $109 each. You can check out all of Microsoft pricing options here. 

The launch of Office 2013 and Office 365 will be going on all week at Bryant Park, so stop by to learn more and check out the demos, activities and tips!

- Kim Weling

Holiday Shopping at the Molton Brown Bryant Park Pop Up

If you are still doing holiday shopping and live near NYC, getting your gifts is as easy as walking over to the Molton Brown Pop Up at The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park, open through January 8th at Booth K07, 41 West 40th Street.

Molton Brown has some amazing shower gels, lotions, candles and more for bath, body, hair care and home. The gift sets make the perfect present. My gift pick is spectrum, $48, which comes with six 100ml bath & shower gels that are great for holiday travel - energizing seamoss, relaxing yuan zhi, travel-reviving cempaka, re-charge black pepper, warming eucalyptus and invigorating suma ginseng.

Another favorite of mine is heavenly gingerlily collection. I find the Molton Brown scents to be sophisticated as well as unisex.

What is your favorite scent to indulge in? If you can't pop over to Bryant Park then check out moltonbrown.com.

kaleidoscope body wash gift set, $48

spectrum body wash gift set, $48

- Kim Weling

Real Simple Holiday Pop-Up Shop, Presented by Citi.

The Real Simple Pop-Up Shop is currently open through December 13th, from 11am-8pm at Citi Pond at Bryant Park! The 4,000 square foot pop-up space includes free food tastings, gift bags, beauty makeovers and hair consultations by L'oreal Paris and memorable, affordable gift ideas taken from Real Simple's December gift guide.

Be sure to stop by the Citi Warming Station and Digital Lounge for complimentary hand warmers, apple cider, coffee or tea while charging up your phone.

Guest appearances include an eye toward "Making Your Holidays Real Simple," featuring the editors of Real Simple and notables like Gail Simmons (12/10 at 3pm), Dylan Lauren (Sunday 12/11 at 11am), Todd English (Sunday 12/11 at 1pm) and Mario Batali (Monday 12/12 at 12pm).

On December 8th, I attended the blogger preview at 10am. The opening ceremony and ribbon cutting was led by Real Simple Managing Editor Kristin van Ogtrop with special guests Carson Kressley, Sam Champion and DonorsChoose.org founder Charles Best.

Candace Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, during a cupcake-decorating demo

Delectably sweet cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes

L'oreal Paris makeup boutique

Vera Bradley totes, bags and duffels

Real Simple Managing Editor Kristin van Ogtrop with Carson Kressley

Learn more at realsimple.com/popupshop.

- Kim Weling