Grits in the City - Fitness. Family. Food.

Hope you enjoy all these as much as I do!

a goldbelly valentine’s day

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The snow came and it feels like it’s just kept coming since. In our household, it’s less about Valentine’s Day and more about a few days later — which is the anniversary of our first date. February 17th we met up at Six Degrees in the East Village for a maybe date and, well, here we are!

We booked our deliveries for around the 19th to bring us a little of NYC for the occasion. If you haven’t tried it yet, Goldbelly is a fabulous way to try a new restaurant that’s located in a different city or, in our case, that you’re temporarily unable to access. (Click here to get $15 off your first Goldbelly order.) T ordered us a fancy sushi spread from Blue Ribbon Sushi. I ordered us some desserts from La Newyorkina, a spot I will always fondly remember for their cart on the High Line I’d frequent on the summertime walks home from flying trapeze.

So I was honestly a bit meh on the idea of getting sushi. Ever since having the kids, my appetite for sushi has been pretty nonexistent. T wants to get it often and I’m always shaking my head no. I think we’ve gotten it a couple of times and we’ve always been underwhelmed. I’m definitely glad I let him convince me on this!

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peloton must have accessories

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Remember when we thought 2021 was magically going to be amazing? Yeah. That was cute. It’s been a rough month and one thing that’s helped to get me though again has been the trusty Peloton. The bike is legit amazing. Just thinking about starting your journey on your own Peloton bike? Use my discount code 26DYC2 to get yourself $100 off accessories for your purchase, like clip-in cycling shoes and weights.

I’ve found a number of things though that help to make your experience on the bike even better. Sharing some of my fave finds, below.

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2021: 365 days of self love

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I’ve taken my sweet time setting my focus for the year. I’m well-aware we’re just shy of February but believe me, I’ve had my focus set since the beginning of the month. It’s funny – I took a look back in December at last year’s resolutions and, as always, there were a lot of misses.

  • Moving more: Check. Even while my mobility was impaired, I managed to move my body in some form or fashion and before the injury, I was totally crushing it.
  • Pausing more: Ha! Well, related, the injury kind of forced me to do this. And I think the pandemic in general made us all stop somewhat, whether we liked it or not.
  • Smiling more: To be honest, I tried to make this a focus but I think I could do more. I’m giving myself a C.
  • Connecting more: I honestly didn’t make this an intentional focus for the year, but it just ended up being a natural one. I’ve found my posse of fellow Peloton riders and we’ve been encouraging each other and riding together from our respective corners of the world. A number of those are newer friendships. Love that I’ve been able to build new connections even in our weird current world.
  • More bravery: So my goal was to pick back up Mama’s Got This, my parenting podcast. That didn’t happen in 2020 – but I did continue the work on our Bachelor podcast (I’m still continuing it along with some guest co-hosts! Interested? Drop me a line!). Last year was one of the hardest from a parenting perspective, so having a hard time dinging myself here.
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2020 quarantine loves

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Not having much of anywhere to go made for a year of unusual wants, needs and discoveries. A number of my random purchases and splurges ended up being my favorites of the year — and to finding some overall faves I never knew I couldn’t live without.

Apple Watch

I held off on this one because initially, I wasn’t super excited about it. And then I got into running and thought the Apple Watch might be fun and oh my goodness, was. I surprised how quickly this became my new favorite thing. The fitness tracking (and the competitive layer to it) has honestly really helped get me way more active over the last 6 months. I follow a handful of friends and it sounds silly, but seeing them out and about doing their thing is yet another way to feel connected to my friends during this weird time. I’ve enjoyed just competing with myself and all the personal fitness data it begins to build for you.

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the magician, virtual edition

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We last saw The Magician Dan White at his usual show location, The NoMad Hotel back in May 2018 during our epic weekend in NYC. Not being a big fan of magic I was skeptical, but the show completely floored me. When a virtual option popped up this year (because 2020), I was intrigued. Thankfully Topher remembered that and surprised me with tickets to the January 2 show for Christmas! He didn’t just surprise me with the show, though. He surprised me with a whole night out in NYC from the comfort of our own home – from a nice dinner, to nice wine, to dressing up, the show and even dessert.

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cya, 2020

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Writing a year recap for 2020 is … something. Like has been the case for everyone else on the planet, this year has been challenging. I love going back and reading through because it reminds me of some of the good moments and things I accomplished — because who doesn’t need a moment to feel good about things that actually did happen this year?

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last minute gift ideas

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If you’re like me, you’re down to the last few thing to buy for the last person on your list. But fret not, there are plenty of fun things for just about everyone on your Christmas list. Here are some options for you to consider!

For that family member who has EVERYTHING

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cyber monday picks

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We’ve reached the final stretch in the holiday shopping marathon! If you’re like me, Cyber Monday marks the end of my shopping spree to finish off my shopping. Even more so this year with the need to plan for longer ship times. A lot of the Black Friday sales just never ended, but there are a few additions worth a look!

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black friday fun

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Happy shopping! I love me a good discount, even more when I can easily get it safely and comfortably from my own home. I’m a little late to sharing this but, let’s be honest, a lot of them are running through today if not through the end of Cyber Monday. Here are a few things that have caught my eye.

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oh hello, nanowrimo

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I’m doing NaNoWriMo for the first time since having kids. I’m 99% sure I’m going to both regret it every day in November and the same amount positive I’m going to be so happy I did it come the end of the month. I spent some time looking back at my projects from prior NaNo wins, thankful for the hard work and, for some, equally that I never returned to finish them off. 

It’s a perfect moment for it though in some ways. I can’t resume my exercise routine and that’s been very hard on me. I’ve been in a boot for 9.5 weeks and after falling on my broken foot yet again today, will have to see how long this will be my reality. I’d hoped the weeks of later(ish) wake ups would be restful for my body but to be honest, I feel much worse and sleep-deprived for it. I’m also bracing for what could shape up to be a long month of election-related drama, so the distraction of this project could prove to be perfectly timed. 

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