{41} Lately…

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Lately I’ve been…

reading  The 15 Invaluable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell.  Also finished Better Than Before by Gretchen RubinBoth are fantastic and I would recommend!

writing  Christmas card city! Pretty much did them all weekend long. Whew!

listening  To…what else? Christmas music! Pumping the Christmas jams all month long.

thinking About the fact that I haven’t started ANY shopping yet…

smelling  Still rockin’ a Pumpkin Spice Yankee Candle, and loving it.

watching  Watched Love Actually and The Family Stone while doing cards over the weekend. Need to get my hands on Elf and Home Alone!

wearing  Sweats, sweats, and more sweats. It’s getting cold! Though, I am going out tonight! Whoo mama’s going out on a Monday! (this is kind of a big deal haha), so I will be putting on real clothes (and a hat, scarf, and gloves, bc whoa, snow on the ground.)

exercising Finished the 3 Week Yoga Retreat last month, and I’m one week in to Core de Force. I’m OBSESSED!!! The workout times are a little longer than I’m used to. I’ve been spoiled with 30 min…but these kickboxing, Muay Thai based workouts are SOOOO kick ass. I’m in love. And they are working that core!

feeling  Strong, excited, cold, busy. Lots of random feelings.

wanting  To go see the Christmas Lights in Dyker Heights. They are simply MAGICAL.

needing  To clean my house. I’ve been good about tidying, but ugh, it really needs a good clean. It’s on the must-do list before we travel for the holidays.

loving  All of the snuggles from my boys lately.

wishing  That the preschool application process in NYC wasn’t feeling as difficult as applying to college. And that all the Catholic Schools weren’t shutting down. Holy moly.

hoping  That we can find some great schools, and get into our top choices. We won’t know until the spring though.

craving  Chocolate.

clicking  Well what I need to be clicking on are website for Christmas shopping, but at this rate, I won’t make the shipping, so I better hit the stores!

ANNOUNCING!!!! – Starting this week for the rest of December, I will be doing a HOLIDAY Giveaway series on my Instagram Page!!!! I will be partnering with some amazing brands and giving away some FANTASTIC things this month, so STAY TUNED!!! My first giveaway will take place THIS Wednesday!!! Trust me, it’s going to be awesome, and you will want to win!!! 🙂

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HAPPY MONDAY!

What have you been up to lately?

XO,

Gina

On Overcoming Pain

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So you may be looking at this photo, thinking “What the heck does this have to do with pain?” Bear with me. You all know I typically love to keep this space a happy, positive, fun place, but if I only shared the happy stuff, that wouldn’t be real life, right?

The other night, I was sitting on my couch prepping for my Leadership class that will go on tonight, and turned to the Chapter in John Maxwell’s “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Leadership” titled “The Law of Pain.” Ugh. To say that I was less than excited to dive into this chapter is an understatement. But this class has been so amazing and eye opening for me that I knew I had to continue on and reading this chapter is all part of the growth process.

So I dove in…and it was not easy. This chapter forced me to go back and think about all the painful experiences I have had in my past. And it asked me to evaluate how I had responded to this pain. Because no matter what…you can be the best person out there…but bad experiences have a way of finding you. It’s just a fact of life that there are ups and downs that we are unable to control. But what we CAN control is how we react and manage the pain.

As I looked back into my “pain file” of bad experiences, I looked over at my Christmas Tree and thought about one of the hardest times I have ever had in my life. It was a fall of 2012. It was supposed to be a happy time. I had just found out I was pregnant with my first baby. We named the baby Peanut. We were ecstatic. We called our closest family and friends and shared the news. Everyone was bubbling with excitement. We started looking at baby things online and thinking about how to shift our apartment around and decorate a nursery. And then only a few short weeks later, when I was 7.5 weeks pregnant our world came crashing down. I had started having some complications, but we were hopeful because we had seen a heartbeat on the monitor. But after one rough weekend, I knew something was wrong and come that next doctor’s appointment, our little Peanut was no longer on the screen.

It was the first time I saw my husband cry. And actually now writing this…as I thought I had come a long way from my pain, I am seeing that maybe it’s not true and it’s still very much there…as the tears are welling up in my eyes once again. I don’t know if I dealt with my pain very well at the time. I know I cried. A LOT. I know I felt empty inside. Like something was missing. Like I was supposed to be a mom, but then I wasn’t. It was just ripped away from me. Stolen. Like it was a fake, imaginary, dream…well more like a nightmare. Like this couldn’t possibly be my first experience at being pregnant. This negative, awful, scary feeling. Thoughts rushed through my head of “Would I ever be able to have a child?” and “Is there something wrong with me?” I think I closed up into a ball for awhile when I was alone and just wailed…and in public, I tried to put on a brave face and pretend that I was okay.

I think I finally decided to truly embrace my pain when I wrote about this experience on this here blog. When I decided the walls needed to come down. I decided that it wasn’t my fault, and that this terrible experience was out of my control. And that I wasn’t some weird anomaly. This happens to a lot of women, and they just don’t talk about it. So I decided to talk about it. And deal with it. And I pretty much wrote that post as therapy for myself I guess…but I never expected what would happen in return. I got an outpouring of messages, comments, + e-mails from other women who had gone through the same thing. People that I was close to, and had NO idea they had gone through this. People that I hadn’t talked to in years came out and wrote me. People said “thank you” for sharing this, and I realized wow…I am not alone. And neither are they. I truly wish no one ever has to go through this horrible loss of an unborn child…but if they do, I am glad that I was able to be there for them as someone who could relate to their pain.

Now what does this all have to do with the photo on this post? Well, this wooden rattle was the first toy that we had gotten for our little Peanut. My husband brought it home from work, and we just loved it. We were so excited. And when we found out the horrible news, I just couldn’t bear to hang onto it for another child or to give it away either. It was Peanut’s rattle. We weren’t really sure what to do with it…so when Christmastime came along, we decided to make an ornament out of it as a symbol of our little Peanut. So that we would never forget that first little ray of sunshine. I suppose this was a positive way to deal with our pain.

Each year we open our Christmas box, and we take out that ornament to put on our tree…and I don’t get sad anymore. Instead I feel happy. I feel that Peanut is a part of us. That he or she is watching down over us on this special time of year and is blessing our little family, which now has two happy, healthy little boys. And I keep that hope that eventually one day I will get to meet my little Peanut in “person.”

I hope that whatever pain you have dealt with in your life or you may be dealing with now during this holiday season, that you can find a positive way to overcome it and growing stronger because of it.

Lots of love and light this Thursday evening to you all!

XO,

Gina

{37} Lately…

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Lately I’ve been…

reading  Prayers for the Advent wreath and my new Advent calendar which was gifted to me last year.

writing  I honestly wish I could say Christmas cards, but alas I am behind this year…it might be one of those “Happy New Year” card years…hopefully I can get my act together!

listening  To the podcast, “Happier” by Gretchen Rubin. I loved her book “The Happiness Project” and someone recently suggested I check out her podcast. I am HOOKED!

thinking About Christmas lists and gifts. And that it’s also about time I start shopping. Eeep! What are your favorite places to shop for the holidays?

smelling  Christmas cookie candles and the beautiful smell of pine from my Christmas tree. ‘Tis the season!

watching  Recently watched the movie Pans Labyrinth. Weird. Just weird.

wishing  You all a Happy Holiday season!!!

hoping  For clear roads, clear skies, and safe travels on our road trip tomorrow.

wearing  This stunning new dress from ASOS. Looking forward to wearing it for the first time at a wedding this weekend. May also be the perfect Christmas Eve dress. Since this one is out of stock, here is another beauty.

loving  That the Holly station is back on Sirius/XM Radio. It’s gonna be a jolly ol’ car ride tomorrow! (My Jewish husband hates me right now…)

wanting  More days in December! I have so many fun holiday traditions I want to partake in from parties to light shows, train shows, a visit to Santa, and more. It doesn’t seem like there is enough time to enjoy it all!

needing  To start packing yet again. I don’t mind the traveling and the driving so much as I mind all the packing!

feeling  Snuggly. Christmas jammies anyone?

craving  Cookies! Here are some healthier holiday cookie options for you this year.

clicking  On one of my favorite websites to shop for sweet gifts and deals.

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HAPPY THURSDAY!

What have you been up to lately?

XO,

Gina

What a Treat

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Hey everyone!  Head on over to the lovely blog at Treat, where I am guest blogging for the day, and you can hear more about this crazy Italian family of mine 😉  Oh how I love them dearly.  By the way, the credit on this photo goes to my amazing cousin, Marisa of MisaMe Photography, and we couldn’t have captured this magic moment without her.

Speaking of family, my sister Angie, her boyfriend Adam, and my cousin Nick are on their way to Brooklyn RIGHT NOW to spend the weekend with us, and we couldn’t be more excited!  We even have a babysitter for tonight.  Whoo-hoo!  Just a little excited, can you tell?

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend as well!

XO,

Gina

Dyker Heights Lights

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Before skipping town for the holidays, we made our way to Dyker Heights, Brooklyn to check out their stunning Christmas Lights display.  We found a spot to park and had a fantastic night walking around the blocks to check out the all festive houses.  They were completely decked out with strings of lights, humongous wreaths, multiple blow up characters, reindeer, and toy soldiers.  We saw nativity scenes, dancing ballerinas, a giant Santa Claus, and even two carousels!  One house was selling hot chocolate for charity, and that ended our night with a sweet twist.  Dyker Heights has the most stunning display of lights I have ever seen in one neighborhood.  I definitely plan on returning for future holiday seasons, and I would love to bring some out-of-town visitors here to check out the scene.

We had a lovely time on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family and the day after Christmas with my husband’s family.  It was so much fun to see Nico get excited about opening his gifts this year.  He was very much into the wrapping paper, and wanted to play with every single toy or book he opened right away.  Simply magical!

We are spending another week in Maryland catching up with more family and friends.  Last night we went out to celebrate a friend’s 30th Birthday, and we are planning on spending New Year’s Eve in Baltimore.  It’s kind of nice to have free babysitting! 😉  Not to mention, we love that Nico is getting so much quality time with his grandparents and family.

Hope you all had a great holiday, and wishing you the best for the new year!

XO,

Gina

Santa Success

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I consider seeing Santa without crying this year a “GREAT SUCCESS!”  (in a Borat voice).  I was anticipating some possible tears due to the sheer fact of toddlerhood, but we tried to prep him with little Santa videos, talks about what we were going to do and just acting straight up excited about the experience.  Of course, the toddler right in front of us started screaming bloody murder as soon as he got anywhere close to Santa, so I sensed Nico getting a little scared/nervous about what was going to happen.  We ended up just easing our way up toward Santa slowly, chatting with him and giving him high fives, before we actually did the lap sitting.  Luckily, the staff at Bloomingdale’s was incredibly patient.  They did not rush us at all, and I love that you can also take your own photos there.  Nico gave Santa a few sideways glances and seemed a little unsure about the whole thing, but eventually he cracked a slight smile…enough to capture on camera.  And like I said previously, no tears this year equals success in my book!

We are now down in Maryland with family preparing for the holidays.  I went shopping with the mama last night and braved the crazy crowds.  I have also spent most of this week wrapping presents for family and friends.  We are getting excited for our Seven Fishes Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow night!

Happy Holidays to you all!

XO,

Gina

Plaid + (Faux) Fur

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(Faux) Chinchilla Fur Jacket: Express (a couple years old, but similar here) / Plaid Button Up: Target (on sale!) / Denim: Rag & Bone / Booties: Target (on sale!) / Sunglasses: ModCloth / Bracelets: Tory Burch (similar), Stella & Sparkle / Watch: Michael Kors / Lip: Lancome Luxe

Call me crazy, but I absolutely adore the mix of plaid & fur right now!  To me, it’s a perfect fall or winter look.  I was gifted this amazing jacket for Christmas a couple years ago, and I recently scored this bright button up at Target.  Mixed the two together, and boom.  I all the sudden look a lot more put together than I really am. 😉

I wore this on a little trip to downtown Annapolis when we were visiting family and friends for the holidays.  We started at Miss Shirley’s for breakfast.  Let me tell you, if you are a Maryland local, and you have not yet been to Miss Shirley’s, you need to go there…like immediately.  They have the best southern comfort food you could ever imagine.  Proof here.  From there, we headed down to walk around the gorgeous harbor, the historical homes, and popped into the amazing consignment shop, Navette.  I found this shop through Instagram, ordered from them over the phone, and even met one of their amazing owners for coffee in NYC, yet I still hadn’t visited their store front until this day!  I was very excited and delighted to see a bustling shop full of fantastic treasures and happy customers.  Unfortunately, due to a toddler naptime meltdown, I had to cut my trip there short, but I didn’t leave without scoring this fabulous Jonathan Adler clutch.

I’m looking forward to returning to Maryland again for Christmas, but until then, I am enjoying the holiday spirit up here in NYC.  Our tree is up, and we took Nico to see Santa last weekend.  Much to my surprise, there were no tears!  Yay!  I love New York City at Christmastime.  If you missed yesterday’s post about things to do in December, check it out here.

This week I have been working on my holiday cards (which is pretty difficult with a bum thumb), online shopping for gifts, and listening to Christmas music non-stop.  Tonight, I am getting out of the house to go to a holiday party with a friend, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Hope you are all enjoying the season!

XO,

Gina

 

Dusting of Snow

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Aztec Blanket Wrap: c/o Moon Cats / Denim: Paige / Top: Express / Boots: Steve Madden / Earrings: Stella & Dot (on sale!) / Bracelets: Guilty Jean / Watch: Michael Kors / Lip: MAC Rebel

We had a lovely holiday weekend in Maryland with family and friends.  We also experienced our first dusting of snow for the season.  If this winter ends up anything like last year’s, I am going to be in serious need of some cozy, comfy clothing.  I received this Aztec Blanket Wrap courtesy of Moon Cats, and it is so snuggly and warm.  Not to mention the fantastic print and fringe it has going on.  I plan on rockin’ this wrap all season long.

This scarf company has a killer sale going now ($20 off all orders of $50 and above) with the code BLACK20POPCORN.  I wish I could fill my closet with their amazing scarves, but if I have to choose my favorites I would include this Snowy Day fair isle infinity scarf, this fabulous Polka Dance scarf, and call me old fashioned, but I love this oversized Grandma’s Favorite piece as well.  If I don’t end up buying out the store for myself, I will at least pick up some gifts here this season.

On another note, I am finally taking care of this trigger thumb problem I have going on, and I have decided to get surgery tomorrow.  Apparently, it shouldn’t be too difficult or long, and hopefully recovery will only be a couple weeks.  The pain and popping/sticking of my thumb was getting too unbearable, and the cortisone shots worked well, but only temporarily.  I’m not exactly sure how I will take care of a toddler with one hand, but thank goodness for my mother-in-law who is coming to town Wednesday night.

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving, and hope you are enjoying the week so far.  Our Christmas tree is already up in full-force, so ’tis the season!

XO,

Gina

A Very Vintage Holiday

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 Dress: Vintage (1970’s) / Shoes: Kimchi Blue via Poshmark / Polka Dot Tights: Madewell / Necklace: Guilty Jean / Lips: Lancome Fearless

I stumbled upon this dress at a vintage clothing shop in Tucson, Arizona, and I just had to make it mine.  It’s absolutely sweet and perfect for the holiday season, and I am looking forward to all the upcoming parties and occasions that I can possibly wear it.  People will probably get sick of looking at this dress before the holiday season is over, but I don’t care.  I’m all about it.  And let’s talk about these shoes for a minute.  They originally came from Urban Outfitters, but I scored them through an amazing seller on the Poshmark app.  A marketplace to both buy and sell, you can find some really great items through Posh.  I will definitely be wearing these shoes all holiday season as well.

Speaking of the holidays, we arrived in Maryland late last night with no traffic (hooray!).  We are getting ready for another annual get-together tonight with friends, and we are looking forward to celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday with lots of family.  We have much to be thankful for this year, and I want to also thank you all for continuing to come back here time and time again to support this little here blog of mine.

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

XO,

Gina

{19} Lately…

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Lately I’ve been…

reading  A little here.  A little there.  Chapter here. Magazine article there.

writing  Finished up my Christmas cards over the weekend, and sent them out this week!

listening  Christmas music…duh.

thinking  I can’t believe the year is almost over, my maternity leave is coming to an end, and it’s almost time to go back to work.  Bittersweet.

smelling  Roasted pork in the oven.

watching  Vanderpump Rules (cringing as I write this, because it’s so trashy).

wishing  Everyone a Happy Holiday season and safe travels!

hoping  That all my holiday gifts I ordered arrive in time and ship properly to my parent’s house.

wearing  This tartan jacket, a gift from my aunt from last year’s Christmas.

loving  That Nico is now sleeping through the night.  I didn’t mind waking up once a night to feed him (he really is a great sleeper), but the two hour scream-fest before bedtime was not working.  I now feel like a human being again since we aren’t fighting to put him to sleep every single night anymore.

laughing  At this Xmas Jammies video.  An interesting take on the holiday card, and also a smart way to plug the new family business.

wanting  To get rid of this cough.  Have been sick for about a week now, and can’t seem to shake it.

needing  To pack for our holiday trip to Maryland.

feeling  SO excited for Nico’s first Christmas with my crazy, lovable family.

craving  Some new jeans.

clicking  Through photos that I need to edit.

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What have you been up to lately?

Have a happy one ya’ll!

Love,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

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