Grits in the City - discounts and faves
Hope you enjoy all these as much as I do!
I love roses. I do. But let’s be real, I’ve always been a tulip girl. My now husband can tell you some of the best bodegas in NYC to find them where they are still closed up, holding their beauty in for you to enjoy them in your home as much as possible.
Hi, friends. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’m playing a bit of catch-up and have some new things to share in the coming weeks. But first, time to share a fond farewell to March, that month that somehow manages to somehow bring us winter’s final punches after spring has arrived.
Amazon Finds
Of course the Magicool Cami Hanger I purchased is already off the site, but this Zedodier version is almost identical. If you are like me and your sports bra collection has become a bit out of control, this is such a helpful way to get organized.
[Read more…]I know what’s not making my list — the weather. Ugh. Still quite a bit more to go and I’m very much over it already. Here’s a bit of what’s good this month that’s helping to get me through.
Cozy socks and sweatshirts
This is where working from home is getting dangerous because I have to force myself out of my thick sweatshirts on workdays. On the weekends though, I’ve been living in my Tyed With Love sweatshirt, complete with mama at the neckline and the kid’s name embroidered at the sleeve.
[Read more…]Birthdays have really been scaled back during the pandemic. We were thinking about this as we started to plan for L’s celebration, which was just going to be for those living under our roof. We went into it thinking how can we still make it extra special?
Choose a fun theme
We always do this for the bigger group parties but did less with it last year. Never again! The theme helps you set the decor, the cake, everything!! Just transforming your space to the theme will have an impact on your little ones feeling that birthday magic. This year’s theme for L? Unicorns!
[Read more…]Before starting these, I took a look back at the year before’s list. Blank. Totally blank. I always set some sort of resolutions or intentions for the year. Well, until 2021. Sounds about right though.
I’ve taken some time in setting these. Everything is still so crazy that the last thing I want to do is add some unnecessary pressure for resolutions. And I was definitely on team “tip toe into 2022,” since I’m not sold on a new year being any sort of magical change for us. But I do like the idea that it’s a good time to check in with yourself and what you need to motivate you. That being said, here’s what I’m thinking for 2022…
[Read more…]To be honest, this has been a crazy long year. It feels like it’s been the longest year ever. And for that, I’m thrilled we are turning a new chapter. The biggest event of the year was moving houses. It’s been a huge change for us all in so many ways — but one that’s been the move we needed. We celebrated Christmas this year with not one but *two* trees. And although we ended up with it just being us for Christmas, we got to enjoy our beautiful new space with a full table at Thanksgiving.
Even though we’ve been ordering in for the majority of the year, we still managed to enjoy some extra special moments along the way. We started the year with seeing the virtual version of Dan White’s amazing show. If you haven’t seen it yourself, highly recommend! We also had a lovely evening for Valentine’s thanks to Goldbelly which featured some NYC gems like Blue Ribbon Sushi and La Newyorkina. We enjoyed our only meal indoors this year to celebrate our anniversary at Summit House. We also dined outside at one of our faves, Stirling Hotel, to celebrate T’s birthday during the summer.
I just passed 15k minutes on Peloton for the year. 250 hours! I’ve taken all sorts of classes — from cycling to running to barre to boxing. I know people are always looking to change up and try something new — or maybe you’re trying out a free membership and trying to figure out where to start. Here are some of my faves from the year. To pnote, there are a few non-2021 classes I took a lot on repeat this year so I’m adding those in on the technicality that Peloton shorts us a bit anyhow on outdoor run content!
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.
