Grits in the City - Fitness. Family. Food.
Hope you enjoy all these as much as I do!
I have to admit, I’m feeling a little less red and green and a bit more blue this holiday season. Feeling similar? Hopefully it’s comforting to know you’re not alone. Here are some of the ways I’m combating those seasonal blues this year. (And worth noting it’s totally ok to just give yourself permission to hang out, be blue and just do you.)
Grief can make you lash out in unexpected directions, even at your favorite musician. Here’s why I couldn’t listen to Tori Amos for almost a year and what finally brought me back.
When I got my first job at age fifteen, I spent all my money on two things: Doc Martens and Tori Amos CDs. I’d be so into singing her songs that I’d often miss my exit on the interstate on the frequent weekend drives home from college. My all-time favorite album, Little Earthquakes, is one of hers. I even dyed my hair a shade of red around age 16 in part because of Tori’s vibrant locks.
Unsure of who to take with me to my first concert of hers, I finally decided to go by myself — something I’d never done but would do many times over the years following. I’ve seen her at 43 performances spanning 2 countries and 11 states — numbers that sound wild for anyone outside of her fans who understand these stats pale in comparison to those who got a jump start on her concerts back in the early 90s. Back when I didn’t have a driver’s license and would have never thought about crossing state lines for a concert. But in February 2018, I couldn’t listen to her music anymore. This might sound random but for me, it was huge.
Every year, many towns have an annual holiday celebration and the Berkeley Heights Winter Walk is the tradition for Berkeley Heights. We’ve never taken the kids to anything quite like this so we decided to give it a try this year — even if it would have to be a relatively quick visit with the me SEC Championship game starting in the middle of it.
It’s holiday crunch time. Who’s panicking? I’m not panicking (… ok, I’m starting to?)
As a mom that’s become increasingly dependent on ordering things online, the shipping delays and supply chain issues are looming there like the Grinch, determined to derail those festive plans. Fret not though – there’s still time if you start throwing things in your cart. Here are some ideas to get you planning and making progress now.
[Read more…]To have run a number of races, I’ve never ever done a holiday themed run. I decided it was time to change that this year! I saw the Chatham Turkey Trot had a 1 mile family run option, perfect for my still cranky knee and for running with our little man.
Q has never run anything consistently this long. I knew that a mile would be a bit of a stretch for him but was hoping it would prove to be a great way to get him moving his body on a day that can often lead to challenges and meltdowns. I got him a fun Thanksgiving T-Rex shirt, a cute turkey hat and complained profusely no one seemed to make Thanksgiving socks for kids this year. Missed opportunity.
[Read more…]We are gearing up to host our first Thanksgiving in our new house this week. After so long of smaller gatherings, it will nice to have more faces around the table. Sure, it comes with some level of anxiety — I feel like that’s the norm now for groups in general because there’s some degree of risk now. But it’s exciting that Q has begun his vaccine series with them now being available to ages five and up. Some progress indeed.
It’s been a long month since moving and I’ve been a bit MIA on here ever since. Hard to feel as creative when we are scrambling to make our sag through organizing everything to get our hands out of all of the things while finishing so many things on selling our old home. It’s been nonstop. Catching up on a backlog of content so get ready for lots more coming your way – starting with a rundown of a bunch of fun things from the inexpensive new desk I found to the Peloton classes that have helped to reinvigorate my fitness routine. Here we go!
[Read more…]Well, I did it. Last year this time, I was supposed to have run my half-marathon but I broke my foot on a training run and it didn’t happen. I finally did a half marathon this summer but as a virtual run. Even though my original plan last fall was to do a virtual race, something about doing one in person felt like a legit way to say I’ve bounced back from my injury!
The route for the Halloween Half Marathon went around through Morris Township, back towards Chatham before looping back. The course was two loops of the below. It was relatively flat, though had a couple of inclines that came outta nowhere!
[Read more…]Debt can be a challenging thing — and very personal, with people taking it on based on things they need and/or want versus what they can afford in the moment. And of course, usually not inclined to discuss it with each other to help for those experiencing challenges.
Over time, it can be helpful to take on some strategic debt you pay down over time because it shows you can take on a financial responsibility and properly manage it.
[Read more…]I’ve been fighting this moment with every ounce of energy I’ve got (which right now TBH isn’t much) but we are finally here — the first day of fall. The weather feels mostly cooler and those leaves are starting to do their annual dance as they prepare to blanket our backyard into a massive, crunchy mess. I have to concede I do love a lot about fall — from all things apple and pumpkin to tall boots to clothing in shades of oranges, yellows and browns.
To kick off the season, I wanted to share some of my favorites from over the years here on the blog on all things fall.
[Read more…]