Grits in the City - discounts and faves

Hope you enjoy all these as much as I do!

i promise you this

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Today is your day, baby boy.

I started this post back in late September, when motherhood was approaching but I thought I had a few weeks left to finalize it. I planned to get this live before I finished packing my bags for the hospital — but a certain little boy had other plans!

In reading these ideas, some of this I’ve done. Some of this is in the plans. And some of this — well, let’s just say that this is a good reminder of all these important things to not lose sight of along the way.

. . . . . . . . . .

Now that we are counting days and not weeks, it feels super real — well that, and my “basketball-esque” belly at the moment that serves as a constant moving reminder of just how close we are to our little boy’s arrival.

I remember writing a post what feels like not too long ago, though it was 8 years ago at this point, when I brought home my dog. At the time, I was excited yet terrified. Such a fun new addition to my world, yet so many new responsibilities, many of which I couldn’t begin to imagine answers for. I know that’s only a tiny touch of what we have in store for us with our upcoming addition. [Read more…]

west village brunch at the little owl

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For my birthday, T and I decided to head into the city and make a day of it. We anticipated a nice early Fall day but were surprised by a warm Saturday instead. No complaints. We thought a West Village brunch would be the way to start the day. I’d always been curious to try The Little Owl. It only seats 28 people, so in spite of trying multiple times I have never successfully serviced a dinner reservation. I did however manage to get us an early brunch reservation! [Read more…]

brunch at 33 greenwich

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When my good friend JG decided to come into town for the weekend to hang out with friends and see our new place, we obviously had to find the right spot for brunch. Out of the loop on the latest hot spots, I found myself scrambling to try find a good spot. Thankfully I didn’t let them down with my selection, 33 Greenwich.

Touted for a contemporary take on Southern fare, I knew that with 2/3 of our group being Bama girls this was going to be either a big hit or a big miss. We were instantly impressed when we were greeted by their cocktail menu – both innovative and visual in nature. [Read more…]

episode 1: welcome to mama’s got this

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I’ve trained myself to do all sorts of non-traditional things. Late in life, I decided to take up both the flying trapeze and ballet – with varying degrees of success. I’ve picked up and moved several times for work or school, living in four different major metropolitan areas. Surely I can figure out motherhood… right?

It’s not to say I couldn’t have figured my way here without the support of friends and family – but it wouldn’t have been as fun and it would have taken me way longer. I’ve always been a great networker, building out a group to help support me along any given journey. Motherhood was no exception, but it left me to think – what about people who don’t have that same support system? [Read more…]

brunch at volt

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Brunch was quite the norm when we lived in the city, but it’s a treat these days when one of us gets to go. We recently were in Maryland to visit T’s parents. While there (Q’s first road trip!) I made plans to catch up with my friend Alison over brunch.

We made plans to head to Sunday brunch at Volt, a spot in old town Frederick is been curious to try since she and I last had a meal in that same area. It’s in an old house which proved to be a fun backdrop. It’s full of all sorts of interesting art throughout the space. Still curious the significance of all these creepy looking baby faces? You can see them somewhat, below. [Read more…]

emergency kit for baby’s first sniffles

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I’ll admit, I feel like I’m still learning to interpret baby. So many cues and you’re always guessing to the exact meaning. Sometimes though, you get an absolute – and then it’s a question of formulating your course of action

A couple of weeks ago was an especially It’s rough week – and we found ourselves experiencing just that. All through Sunday night into Monday, we heard coughs and whimpers from Quinn. In the morning when I pulled him out of the bed, there were tears in his eyes. The look on his face said what is happening? Can you make it stop?

That Monday I stayed home with him. A visit to the doctor set out our game plan, which included a few items we didn’t have before. It also meant pulling out several things we had but I hadn’t thought of. Here’s a run down of the items we used for battle, in case helpful for your own first battle of fighting the evil sniffles. Note: in our case, it turned out our little man had something a bit tougher requiring antibiotics. Important to monitor progress and raise your hand if the situation does not improve.  [Read more…]

our first home!

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After months of negotiations, packing, paperwork and waiting it all finally happened. We have our first house! To say we are excited would be an understatement. And along the way, I think we were so worried something unexpected would go wrong that would mean this would somehow fall through.

But it didn’t! And we are in. It was a soggy weekend for a move, but we didn’t let that dampen our spirits in the least bit. We celebrated Friday night at one of our favorite spots, Trap Rock. We managed to get last minute movers and the damp ground made it easier for us to get everything quickly planted on the front and side of the house. Life is good! [Read more…]

presents for mama

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With my recent change in status, you could say I see all things mom all the time these days. If you haven’t already found that perfect gift for your mom (or for the mom figures of various natures) in your life, there’s still time. And if one of these is perfect and won’t make it here by May 14, maybe it’s worth a temporary IOU to treat them right. These are some things I found particularly fun. Hopefully you’re able to glean some inspiration for your gift hunt!

 

Pizza yoga mat
I have to say, my mind has likely wandered to pizza a number of times during shavasana over the classes I’ve taken in the past year. I wish I had this super cute ban.do mat to take to both my prenatal and mommy and me yoga classes as nothing could have been more perfect. Just because you’re a fit mom doesn’t mean you can’t be a foodie. Love that this gift manages to straddle appropriateness for both and owns it. [Read more…]

why being assertive in your career matters

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When I was in college at Mississippi State University, I majored in international business. The program was a big part of why I chose Mississippi State, as it gave me the opportunity to graduate with both a business degree (B.B.A. in International Business with a marketing emphasis) and a degree in a foreign language (B.A. in Spanish.) One of the final requirements for the program was to take a special class the semester before my internship. It was focused mostly on how to prepare for an interview, resume writing skills and the art of the thank you letter. It was tremendously helpful in providing guidance on some of those subtle things that can help make you stand out from other applicants – and ultimately get you hired. [Read more…]

finding my way back to “me”

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Hi, I’m Lara, and I used to be a writer. Three Novembers, I clocked countless hours at coffee shops and bakeries across New York City – writing as a part of NaNoWriMo. I’ve completed a memoir and a novel, and have another idea I’m noodling on.

I also used to be super active with some nontraditional exercise programs – back in 2008 it was ballet but for the last seven years, you could find me swinging once a week 25 feet in the air from the flying trapeze. Yes, in the class taught by a veteran of Ringling Brothers there was little me – along with a number of folks in their professional circus arts training program. I look at clips like this and go man, was I strong! [Read more…]