Grits in the City - discounts and faves

Hope you enjoy all these as much as I do!

afternoon tea at the pembroke room

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Even though it’s almost always to a place I’ve never visited or even heard of, I always know that there’s a tasty meal in store when my friend N comes to town. Wherever it is we end up going. We used to meet up for a big Saturday dinner. That changed to Sunday brunch (easier to coordinate with the kids) before taking a new twist this time — a full weekday in the city instead!

I started the day at Rockefeller Center, enjoying some coffee and a bit of shopping (the Rock Center Anthropologie is my absolute favorite). I just barely missed getting to meet Hoda Kotb on the TODAY Show Plaza, which would have made for the most appropriate unplanned addition to my staycation tourist day. I’d planned to go simple on breakfast but instead indulged in coffee and cream cheese danish (my weakness) from the Rock Center location of Bouchon Bakery.

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christmas tree meringues

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Every year, we decorate gingerbread houses with the family. Each year, our choice of gingerbread houses evolve to those that are even more pre-made (such a wise move) and I’ve begun to use this as an opportunity try a new holiday treat. This year I chose these Christmas tree meringues from Make Bake Celebrate.

The upside of these is that they don’t take too many ingredients. The main thing you may not have is cream of tartar. The downside is they take a long time (bake slow and long) and the piping process, if you aren’t already a piping pro. I want to get better at piping before baby girl’s upcoming first birthday which is another reason I chose to give this recipe a try.

The version below is slightly altered as I learned my oven has a minimum temp. I did some googling and apparently this was done to try to help present salmonella, which I get, but also found annoying! Thankfully the recipe worked just fine.

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2019 toddler holiday gift guide

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Toys, games, books… oh my. The struggle for the perfect gifts for a toddler aged child or younger is real. If you’re still looking for some things to fill up the empty space under the tree for your little one, here are some of our current favorites to get you started.

Ambulance & Doctor’s Kit from Green Toys
We love Green Toys in general. A big fan to begin with knowing that they’re made with 100% recycled plastic! The great thing about the ambulance & doctor’s kit is that it’s both something the kids can wear and a vehicle they can play with. We’re fully into the realm of costumes and this manages to straddle the line of costumes and vehicles. Win all-around in our household. We’ve also spent a lot of time reading about comic book superheroes and we’re starting to explain to our son that real people like doctors can be super heroes too.

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i #chooseWOMEN

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December 4th is Choose Women Day, but let’s be real. In my book, every day is. There are so many amazing companies I’m proud to support that have become such a part of my life. I wanted to share some of my favorites, below.

Spanx

Spanx has been one of my favorites for years. They are the best tights I’ve found out there and are also the ones I lived in while pregnant both times. Magic. This fall I’ve discovered their amazing pleather leggings — one to stalk if you don’t already have in those post-Christmas holiday sales. I also love Sarah Blakely’s story of how she first founded the company – only with $5K and a good idea. It’s an expiring story of how you don’t always have to have it figured out 100% when you take a leap. [Read more…]

2019 holiday style round-up

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If you’re following me on Pinterest, you have seen some of my latest trend obsessions – from sweaters to pants to dresses. So much out there that has me stalking for some fab sales and deals this Black Friday. Below are some of the specific styles that recently have caught my eyes.

High and mid-waisted pants from Universal Threads. My wallet and heart have been captivated lately by Target Style. These have been a constant fave of mine and that hasn’t changed with some of their latest styles. I recently caved and bought these rust-colored cords as I continue to go all-in on the fall color palette. This pairs great with other fall hues or to add a pop against a neutral. Basically, all of their high waist pants are amazing. Their black ones? Actually stay a deep black (I got these curvy ones). And their jeggings look perfect with boots. Basically, Universal Threads are the MVP of this postpartum round. They’re stylish and regularly on sale – like oh say right now!

Pretty much all holiday dresses from ModCloth. I used to buy often from ModCloth but have been on a bit of an unintentional hiatus as of late. Well, it’s romance back on these days. Their holiday edit is one of my favorites. Their classic and slightly vintage looks are on point! Especially loving this metallic midi skirt, this sparkling striped romper, this amazing twofer navy/cream dress (both velvet AND tulle?) and these velvet t-strap heels. 

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five tips to make the most of black friday shopping

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Well, it’s almost here. We are close to a week out from the frenzied madness otherwise known as Black Friday. If you’re like me, the stack of presents purchased is nonexistent and the list of those to buy is long. But that’s okay because it’s still early and those deep discounts are right around the corner!

Next Friday kicks off the shopping season with a bang. I’ll admit I don’t always go in person for Black Friday sales. Over the years, I do have some fond memories of going out early with my mom. Like me, she always appreciated finding a good bargain. Now though, Black Friday is much broader than a day — with many stores kicking off their discounts as early as this upcoming weekend. Here are some ideas to help you purposefully approach the day so you too can find some this year and, hopefully, with a touch of sanity.

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october loves

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October was a bit of a whirlwind. I always forget just how busy fall ends up being. Phew. We think the holidays are crazy, but fall comes pretty darn close. Here’s a rundown of some of the month’s highlights and things I just can’t stop talking about.

Fave kicks

Forget Marsha. Oh it’s totally Marta, Marta, Marta in my book! Earlier this month, I got to attend an event previewing the new Rothy’s merino wool line and their collab with Italian designer Marta Ferri. I am loving the soft feel of them and upscale profile they’re adding to my wardrobe. (Note, the Marta line is a limited run. Check them out! And use this link to shop and grab $20 off your first pair.)

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still not a runner

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I have been curious to visit Laurita Winery for a bit. It’s close(ish) to our house – enough at least to make a trip down and back in a day a doable idea. They have all sorts of fun themed nights and events and a number of races. When I saw they had a run through their vineyards (their Run the Vineyards 5K) I thought that was a perfect time for a visit.

I admittedly have been light on the training. The last 5K I ran involved zero outside training. That was the Chardonnay 5K several years ago, ironically with the wine at the finish line the only kind I absolutely can’t drink.

I tried to do this at least a touch better. I did at least one outside run a week for the last month and a half trying to ensure that I could make my way through a 5K without injury.

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tiny tattoo, big story: a visit to jonboy tattoo

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When I reached out to book with JonBoy Valena in August, part of me honestly didn’t expect to hear back. A number of the articles I read recommending him for fine line tattoo work were older. Before he’d built out his roster of celeb clients including Hailey and Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Post Malone and Noa Cyrus. Before he moved to his own solo studio over at the Moxy. After perusing Pinterest for around a year and a half, I finally found what I wanted so figured couldn’t hurt to ask. I was pleasantly suprised when I heard back in only a week. 

His books are indefinitely closed so I didn’t know where things would go, if anywhere. After some back and forth, we were able to land om some date options. I sent over what I was wanting. His team sent me back a price and a contract to lock in an early October date. Thanks to a stipend for reaching my fifth anniversary at work, this was something I could swing.  This was really happening.

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