{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

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

December in the City

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Since I moved to New York City in the summer of 2007, I am constantly asked for advice from hometown visitors on places to go and eat, things to do and see, and of course, where to shop. Since December is one of the busiest tourist seasons here due to the holidays, I decided to put together a little list of “non-obvious” (obvious being Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes) things to do on your New York City visit this year. Maybe, I will even surprise some of you locals with and idea or two as well.

 

New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show

Located in the Bronx from November 15 – January 19, the Holiday Train Show has been around for 23 years.  The twinkling Haught Conservatory has been transformed into a miniature version of the city with recreations of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and Rockefeller Center all made out of tree bark, leaves, and other natural materials.  The model trains zip past as you walk through this tiny wonderland.

 

Holiday Market Shopping

There is nothing more exciting scoring adorable handmade gifts at the outdoor holiday markets during Christmastime.  Vendors boast hand knit hats, stunning jewelry, tree ornaments, clever tee shirts, artwork, soaps, and so much more.  Not to mention, who doesn’t love an apple cider donut or a hot chocolate while walking around from booth to booth?  My favorite market remains the one at Union Square, but you can also find fabulous goodies at Bryant Park, Columbus Circle, Grand Central (indoors), and Brooklyn Winter Flea (also indoors).

 

Ice Skating

Of course, we all know about the famous ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center.  While it’s completely iconic, it’s also completely overrun, small, and a bit stressful for my liking.  I prefer Wollman Rink in Central Park for it’s quintessential view and also because it doesn’t get much better than Central Park for me in New York City.  Bryant Park also has a skating rink that is less crowded.  If you don’t particularly care about views or shopping, you can also skate at the Lasker Rink in the northern part of Central Park or the brand new Lakeside in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.  There are a few other indoor rinks as well, but I tend to lean toward the outdoor rinks during the holidays (and always actually).

 

Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

If you have some time to spend in NYC, consider making the trek out to Dyker Heights, Brooklyn to see their stunning Christmas Lights display.  These lights are like nothing you have ever seen before.  Houses are decked out and over the top.  Some are even decorated by professionals and neighbors are constantly trying to “out-do” each other, so it gets crazier and crazier each year.  The lights will be on display from Thanksgiving – the New  Year starting from around dusk and staying on late, maybe even past midnight.  It’s best to drive and street park to walk around, or take the bus in (subway is a bit of a hike).  This is totally worth seeing!

 

Winter Solstice Celebration

If music and performance is your thing, check out this concert at the gorgeous Cathedral of St. John the Divine on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  The event features Paul Winter’s ensemble complete with dancers, drummers, and a contemporary take on ancient solstice rituals.  Puerto Rican singer, Danny Rivera will also bring a new twist to the event this year.  If you’ve done Radio City and the Nutcracker, this is a fantastic holiday alternative to add to your list of shows.

 

Gingerbread Lane

Head to the New York Hall of Science in Queens from November 14 – January 11 to check out the stunning display of handmade gingerbread houses.  Created by chef Jon Lovitch, all the houses are made of edible ingredients, and last year’s display was named the largest gingerbread village in the world by the 2014 Guinness Book of World Records.  There are also certain dates set aside where visitors can create their own gingerbread houses under the guidance of Lovitch.

 

Bronx Zoo

If you have children, the Bronx Zoo could be a fun trip during the holiday season.  Children can meet the reindeer herd or take a ride on the horse-drawn wagon.  You can also watch the ice sculptors create beautiful animals in front of your eyes.  The zoo’s theatre will be playing A Mammoth Christmas in 4-D throughout the holiday season, and from December 26 – 31 there will also be a Tropics on Ice playground complete with an ice slide, treehouse, and ice throne.

 

MOMA

This last place on the list isn’t holiday specific, but if you enjoy art, you should definitely visit the MOMA to check out the Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs exhibit that will be on display from October 12, 2014 – February 8, 2015.  The exhibition consists of over 100 cut-outs composed of painted paper cut and pieced together in a most unique way.  It has gotten rave reviews, and I cannot wait to make it over there myself to check it out.

 

I had a lot of fun putting this list of things to do in NYC this December.  Since I am so often asked my opinion on what to do in this big, bad city, I may incorporate a few more NYC-based posts in the upcoming year.  Would love to hear your thoughts, dear readers!  Would this be something of interest to you?  Places to eat, shop, visit, things to do in different months of the year, etc?  Let me know if this is something you think I should continue for the new year.

I have been busy recovering from my thumb surgery that I had last week, so I’m sorry for the lack of posting, but it’s been a bit difficult to type, text, write, and basically use my right hand in general.  Try changing a diaper with one hand people!  It’s not easy!  I will hopefully be getting my stitches out on Friday and see how things are healing.  Looking forward to getting back to normal soon!

Hope you are all having a great week!

XO,

Gina