I've really put some thought into these this year. Some of them are repeats of other years (since they're so good) and some are brand new. Please, please, please make some for yourself, you think it doesn't help, but to have these in the back of your mind really makes you push yourself throughout the year.
Read at least one book per season.
Go to the gym or do some kind of physically strenuous activity at least ten times a month.
Juice at least five times a month.
At least once a month, go to a nice restaurant that you've never been to before.
Take Baby Dog on at least two dog adventures per month (this could include going to Central Park, Astoria Park, dog dates, etc.)
Properly go on a date with Nathan at least once a month.
Learn how to meditate.
Once a month, write a letter to someone that I haven’t seen for awhile.
Once a season, do a week-long juice cleanse or follow a completely raw food diet.
By the end of the year, stop waitressing and start editing full time again.
(UPDATE: To see how these resolutions went, come on over here.)
Read at least one book per season. - I did it! Winter (a re-read, but still), Spring, Summer & Autumn.
Go to the gym or do pilates at least ten times a month.
January - 6 times
February - 1 time
March - 5 times
April - 6 times
May - 9 times
June - 9 times
July - 8 times
August - 0 times
September - 6 times
October - 7 times
November - 4 times
December - 1 time
Yeeeeikes, well that didn't go well. But that means that I went to the gym 17% of the days this year, and while that's better than last year (in 2016 it was 14.5%) it's still not as good as in 2015 when I went 23.5% and in 2014 I went 37%. Welp, this year can always be better.
Juice at least five times a month.
Get at least three haircuts this year.
At least once a month, go to a fancy restaurant that you've never been to before.
January: Gotham Bar & Grill (two of the best things I've ever eaten were consumed here. The mushroom risotto with trumpet royals, shiitake, baby arugula, pancetta, aged sherry and gruyere cheese as well as the Gotham Burger with plymouth tomme cheddar, vermont bacon, herb aioli and kennebec french fries) & Giorgio’s of Gramercy (the Alex Friar Soup and Chilean Sea Bass were equally heavenly)
February: Nick & Stef's (decent) as well as Cagney's (slightly better than decent)
March: Gusto 101 (not entirely memorable, but a good meal), Augustine at The Beekman (ridiculously good) & CUT (extremely underwhelming, this was probably the let down restaurant of the year)
April: Il Corvo (crazy good pasta) and Canlis (one of the best salads of life)
May: None!
June: Blue Ribbon (the onion soup at their location on Downing Street was way better than this reincarnation)
July: None!
August: Fusco (the happy hour pasta that changes weekly is the main draw here), Il Buco (Finally! As good as I hoped), Employees Only (HARD PASS) & Keens (crazy good, must go back for dinner)
September: Michael's Back Door (honestly, not as good as everyone tells you)
October: AG (very lovely)
November: None!
December: Enoteca Adriano (such good specials!)
There were only three months when I didn't do this! I will forever love this resolution and continue to do it each year.
Make one Chrissy Teigen recipe (from Cravings) each month.
Take Baby Dog on at least one dog date each month.
Try at least one new hairstyle every month. (God, these are low/sad expectations, BUT THEY MINE.)
Properly go on a date Nathan at least once a month.
Finally go to Staten Island for pizza. See what the big deal is.
2018 resolution list coming soon!
I love this season. That video above is one my mom took of our backyard last week and words can't express how happy I am that it's already started to snow in Canada. There's nothing lamer than a green Christmas. In any case, there are bunch of things I want to do this season.
Drink a white Russian.
Play board games with the family at Christmas.
Finally eat at Raclette in NYC.
Visit the new Oscar Wilde inspired bar.
Build a snowman.
Finally try whipped cream vodka in a hot chocolate.
Successfully make a souffle for the first time.
Take at least five bubble baths.
Literally just sit and watch the snow fall.
Mail out holiday cards.
There's nothing too wild or unique on that list, I realize, but I wanted some simple and easy things that I can fully enjoy since I'm fully in Christmas mode at the moment. Happy first day of winter!
Holy hell, it's the last day of autumn. And while it was a really great season for me this year, I really didn't get to a lot of this list. Excuses ahead!
1. "Go on our annual pumpkin patch trip to Downey's." Of course, I went! If I find myself one year not having enough time to go and do this, please know that I've silently given up on life.
2. "Wear black lipstick in public for an entire day." Did it!
3. "Make turkey poutine with Thanksgiving leftovers." Completely didn't do this only because I was really over turkey right after Thanksgiving, I just couldn't look at it anymore.
4. "Make cinnamon sugar toasted pumpkin seeds and actually eat them." Nope. And I think I have come to the conclusion that I really don't care to do this. Fuck those seeds!
5. "Read outdoors." Did it, killed it.
6. "Jog before sunrise." Damnit, this is one I really wanted to do. I will do this eventually.
7. "Eat spaghetti squash for the first time and try not to be grossed out." Was too grossed out to try. Shame on me.
8. "Scare someone. If it goes well, scare others." I did it once and I wasn't good at it. Turns out I'm better at being scared. Sweet.
9. "See at least five Halloween movies I haven't seen before." Did it! I watched An American Werewolf in London (pretty good), Young Frankenstein (sucked!), The Thing (not my kind of movie), House on Haunted Hill (actually not that bad), Halloweentown (great!), Get Out (so great!)
10. "Create a fall door wreath." Hahahah, who the hell do I think I am.
All in all, I did 5/10. I passed! Winter list coming tomorrow!
I've said this for years and people continue to fight me on it. And look, I get it. It probably seems like a more romantic notion (and honestly, just easier) to have your partner be your best friend, but if you just let me explain myself here, you'll see why I'm onto something. (From here on, I'll refer to your partner as your S.O. (significant other) and B.F (best friend). It's easier that way and less redundant.)
If your S.O is your B.F. then who the hell are you supposed to go to when you want to complain about each one? YOU NEED EACH TO MAINTAIN SANITY. And I don't think that everyone needs to complain about every person in their life at some point (yes, actually I do think that but I'm trying not to be so negative) but it does help to vent once in awhile to someone that's always on your side. Without venting, people become murderers or republicans or worse, I'd imagine.
The activities. The stuff that I do with each of these people are vastly different from one another and thank God for that. I can be a well-rounded, functionally happy adult when I can do things with one that the other would never want to do.
The celebrations. As you're aware, I fully believe that friend anniversaries are just as important as S.O ones. And why shouldn't they be? Imagine you got an invitation to someone's ten year friend anniversary and it was treated like a wedding celebration? If I had any kind of money, I swear to you that's what I'd do. I'll never understand why romantic relationships are the ones most prioritized in our society, but I think it's bullshit. Yes, they're important, but they're not the most important (if you really want me not to shut up, it's the relationship you have with yourself that's most important, followed by the one you share with your pet, followed by your friendships/romantic relationships which are tied). Anyway, my original point was that by not having the same S.O & B.F in one person, you get more celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, babies, etc.). And celebrations are some of the best parts of living on this planet.
The more important, loving people you have in your life, the happier you'll be. Fact. There are certain qualities that each person in my life has, and I love knowing who to go to when I need a certain something that I'm yearning for. Does that make sense?
One day this person will die. And if they're both your B.F and S.O, who the hell is going to help get you through this time? Your dog? Well, maybe, your dog is great. But if you put so much onto one person, you're fucked on that day.
Have I sold you on this? I mean, it's an air-tight case. And if you disagree with me, I'm not trying to say that you're wrong. I just wish you'd open up to the idea that you don't need to depend on one sole person to get everything that you're after in this life. It's a lot of pressure.
Rant over.
Imagine I didn't write a list of fall things that I want to do this season?! IMAGINE LIVING IN THAT KIND OF WORLD? Thankfully, that will never be the case. Here's the magic I'd love to do this season.
Go on our annual pumpkin patch trip to Downey's.
Wear black lipstick in public for an entire day. (If this seems dumb to you, I'll assume you've never gone an entire day wearing black lipstick, so shut it.)
Make turkey poutine with Thanksgiving leftovers.
Make cinnamon sugar toasted pumpkin seeds and actually eat them.
Read outdoors.
Jog before sunrise.
Eat spaghetti squash for the first time and try not to be grossed out.
Scare someone. If it goes well, scare others.
See at least five Halloween movies I haven't seen before.
Create a fall door wreath.
I know people go nuts over this season, and I'm no different. Although it'll always be tied for best season of the year (along with winter & spring).
LAST DAY OF SUMMER, GEEKS! Here’s what I had planned on doing this past summer & the realities of those expectations:
- Eat a Coney Island Red Hot from Feltman's.
- Did it! And you know what? American hot dogs are gross. The only hot dogs I'll eat from here on out are the ones outside the Skydome or any Canadian Tire. Mainly 'cause they're grilled & not boiled, and those are amazing.
- Finally visit The Met Breuer and The Frick and The Cloisters since I've never been.
- Went to all three! The Met Breuer was the most boring, followed by The Cloisters, followed by The Frick. The Frick was actually a pretty decent time, but not better than The Met.
- Ride bikes around the top half of Central Park since I've never seen any part above 79th street.
- Nathan and I did this one on our anniversary last month and it was so much fun. That top half of the park felt like a completely different world, I loved it. The whole bike around the entire park took about an hour, too, which was way faster than I thought it'd take.
- Wear dark lipstick with all white outfits.
- Damnit! I forgot about this one. Still a great idea, though. Maybe one day.
- Eat the whipped steak tartare at Employees Only.
- You know what? I did eat it and BLEH. It was so average I could scream. I feel like they hand-make it front of you to make up for the fact that they know it's basic-tasting as hell.
- Go to the beach at least ten times.
- I went seven times, but that's pretty impressive for me. So glad I went so much.
- Go swimming at least ten times.
- Yikes, I went once. ONCE. That's appalling.
- Make an apple pie from scratch.
- This one's happening this week, so I'm counting this one as completed I DON'T CARE it's practically done.
- Take Baby Dog to a dog bar to meet other dogs.
- Not even close. I tried one day, but it started raining and then we got comfortable at home.
- Lay out with the kids and look at the stars.
- Ah man! I really wanted to do this one. Again, I'm doing this THIS WEEKEND. I vow.
Autumn's coming, baby, and I can't wait. The decorations go up October 1st for Thanksgiving/Halloween and the seasonal list shall be posted tomorrah.
Nathan & I just had our eight year anniversary this week, so I went on his podcast and HERE IT BE.
