March 22, 2023

Spring List 2023

baby dog in Central Park NYC Liz Heather Spring — Baby Dog in Central Park

Welcome to the best time of the year! The hours are longer, it’s still cold outside and the birds simply will not shut up - what more could you want?

Here’s what I’d love to do this spring.

1. Deep clean my apartment and donate all the clothing I haven’t worn in years.

2. Prepare steak Diane at home.

3. Finally have lunch at S&P.

4. See the cherry blossoms in Central Park. (There’s a tracker to see what’s blooming before you go.)

5. Finally tour the old City Hall subway station.

As always, I encourage you to make your own spring list, even if it’s just two fun things you’d like to do. We’re all busy and I get that these lists may seem childish, but let’s be honest - I’m a lot happier than most people my age, so I think I’m onto something here. Just a thought.

If you’re looking for some ideas for yourself, here are some past spring lists I’ve made:

Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018 and Spring 2016.

Lisa Simpsons chipmunk spring GIF Liz Heather The Simpsons

March 20, 2023

Winter List 2022 Revisited

by Liz Heather in Personal

winter snow Canada Liz Heather — Snow on trees *might* be the answer to everything, March 2023

It really feels like I made this winter list about a year ago. Here’s how it went!

1. Take at least five bubble baths.

C’mon, I’m not an amateur. Of course I did this one.

2. Finally get my own ice skates and skate around this beautiful rink.

Bought skates! I couldn’t get to that gorgeous rink in Huntsville, but I did manage to skate on this wonderful figure-eight rink in Etobicoke.

3. Go skiing.

Sadly, no. But this is top priority this year.

4. Make lasagna soup.

Made! Ate! Loved!

lasagna soup Liz Heather — Lasagna Soup - looks horrifying, tastes heavenly

5. See at least two Broadway plays.

Death of a Salesman, Moulin Rouge and Shucked!

death of a salesman broadway january 2023 Liz Heather — January 2023

moulin rouge broadway january 2023 Liz Heather — January 2023

shucked new york city broadway Liz Heather — March 2023

4/5! Love when that happens! Spring list coming tomorrow!

March 15, 2023

February Feats 2023

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Travel

snow Canada backyard Liz Heather — Backyard snow, February 2023

Forgive the lateness, it will absolutely happen again. Here’s what went down last month!

The best tweets of February can be found over here. And my favourite Valentine’s Day ones can be found here.

the tonight show Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather February 2023 — Nathan at rehearsal for The Tonight Show, February 2023

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Liz Heather The Tonight Show Nathan Macintosh February 2023 Jimmy Fallon — The Tonight Show outfit #2

Okay, so two biggest things: Nathan did his second Tonight Show and his special GOT REVIEWED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES.

the new york times Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather — Nathan’s NEW YORK TIMES

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The French baguette candle from Bath & Body Works? Whoa. I hate how much I love it.
Could not be more in love with this black sweater.
Had dinner at The Bar Room and the grilled chicken on top of their caesar salad was unparalleled. Another thing I love doing when I’m eating in midtown is going to JG Melon afterward for coffee or dessert. It’s the only move.
Speaking of good moves, have you ever sat out on a patio just as the weather’s starting to change and ordered a Peroni? Just one, for the whole afternoon? Might be the answer to everything.
I had a blister on my heel and these Band-Aid Hydro-Seal bandages worked perfectly.
I got drinks at Nubeluz by Jose Andres at The Ritz-Carlton and it was so lovely. The service is great, the views are wild and the drinks and food were perfect. The only thing that made no sense was the waitress/hostess uniforms, but I’m picky as hell??

nubeluz jose andres ritz-carlton nyc view — View from Nubeluz, NYC

nubeluz jose andres bathroom nyc Liz Heather — Love when places care about wallpaper, at Nubeluz

I tried two products from Hero since I love their blemish patches - the lightening pads and the brightening stick and both were shit. Returned.
I made these Greek chicken meatballs and they were so bland, so I think I’ll stick with that sweet and spicy recipe I love.

I ate at Golden Unicorn in Chinatown and it was really nothing special. I did love the atmosphere, it was very 90s banquet hall-y. But the food was wildly underwhelming.

golden unicorn chinatown nyc new york city Liz Heather — Pigs at Golden Unicorn, NYC

chinatown new york city Liz Heather — Chinatown, NYC

Also ate at Olio E Piu and wow was that bad. It was just insanely loud, had way too many 22 year olds with flashes going off, and the dessert was hard as a rock. Never again. Hate getting burned like this.

Went to The Guggenheim to see the Nick Cave exhibit and yes it was good/fine, but my dumbass thought it was the other Nick Cave. So that’s on me. I guess I’ll just always be disappointed by the exhibits here until they decide to make use of their central space again like they used to do years ago.

nick cave guggenheim new york city Liz Heather — The Guggenheim, February 2023

Some things I watched:
- The Player: this started out as one of the coolest movies I’ve seen in such a long time (especially the opening twenty minutes) and then as it went on turned into one of the worst? That rarely happens, so that was confusing.
- Pamela, A Love Story: so great. One thing I especially love about her? At the first sign of abuse in any of her relationships, she’s out the door. You don’t hear that a lot and it makes me love her even more. God, it’s still infuriating that Hulu made that series without her permission.
- Split: okay, I may be the only person with this opinion (HOW?!). but holy hell did I hate this movie. It should be studied how polarizing M. Night Shyamalan can be. I have absolutely loved some of his movies and I have wanted to vomit at others. How can this be possible? I don’t understand it.
I had this stupid little reaction video blow up on Instagram, which is wild. Stay out of the comments though, it’s crazy in there.

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I was also in Canada for a little bit, so I went skating, ate that perfect caesar at Scaddabush, shoveled driveways and basked in numerous snowstorms.

backyard snowstorm Canada Liz Heather — Parent’s backyard, February 2023

ice rink Ontario Canada Liz Heather — Ice rink, Etobicoke

caesar salad Scaddabush Mississauga Ontario Liz Heather — Caesar salad at Scaddabush, Mississauga

Baby Dog Stan Heather Canada Liz Heather — Baby Dog & Dad, February 2023

snow on tree Ontario Canada Liz Heather — I took this while laying in the snow and it might be my favourite photo of all time.

Some things I’m looking forward to this month: so many birthday things, it’s almost aggressive.

If you have any interest in reading what went on in January, come on over here.

winter sunset Queens NYC Liz Heather — Winter sunsets, man.

February 7, 2023

January Jewels 2023

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television

costco parking lot Astoria new york long island city Liz Heather skyline — The best Costco parking lot view, hands down.

Oh my god, this month is the ten year anniversary of this blog.

How.

If you don’t know me very well, let’s just say that I don’t have a great reputation for following through with things, so this seems a little crazy.

Okay, I wrote that last sentence and now I’m thinking about it and lately I do try really hard to follow through with things. What the hell was I talking about? Years ago, I used to be terrible at it and my head still gets stuck in that mindset sometimes. I think it’s really easy to think you haven’t changed since we’re hardest on ourselves, but maybe it’s smart to take a moment to actually see how far you’ve come. Clearly I can follow through with things because it’s ten years later and I still love writing in this space. I’m rambling when I’m really just trying to say thank you for even wanting to read this. Any of this. I do it because I love it, so anyone who even kind of cares about it makes me so happy.

ANYWAY, here’s what went down last month.

I finally wrote about the Thierry Mugler exhibit at The Brooklyn Museum, as well as the new Museum of Broadway.
I wrote my annual best of the year list.
I recapped how my 2022 resolutions went.
I found my favourite photos of 2022.
I made my resolutions for this year.
Nathan’s special came out and it’s so, so good. (If it weren’t, I would’ve “forgot” to mention it here, so you can trust me.)
I compiled the best tweets of the month.
I stopped by FIT to see the student creations in the lobby.
Nathan and I saw Death of a Salesman on Broadway and yes it’s good, but it would’ve been smarter of me to look up the plot beforehand. Sometimes you need to prep yourself for a horribly depressing, but beautifully written piece of work.

death of a salesman broadway nyc new york city — Death of a Salesman, January 2023

Nathan Macintosh Liz Heather January 2023 — Before the most depressing play of all time

I also saw Moulin Rouge with my dear friend Diana and it was a beautiful spectacle. We had such a fun time, but maybe because we had an edible and we’d have fun anywhere together? The musical itself was like diabolical karaoke. The sets and performers were unbelievably good, though.

Liz Heather Moulin Rouge Broadway January 2023 — You should always dress for the musical/play you’re about to see

Sephora birthday gifts are back as well as the always-underwhelming Ulta birthday gifts as well.

Made and loved these sweet and spicy chicken meatballs.
I’d never made penne alla vodka at home before, so I made the Half Baked Harvest spicy one and it was terrible. Crushed red pepper flakes should be banned as an ingredient, it always tries to bring life to a dish that is seasoned poorly.
Okay, so I might need to do goat yoga.
Love this list of little changes you can make to your home.
There’s never a bad time to head to a pool, so Diana and I went to the one at the TWA Hotel that’s open all winter long.

TWA Hotel Liz Heather NYC January 2023 JFK — The pool at the TWA Hotel at JFK, NYC

My friend Paul introduced me to apple nachos and after I made fun of him for a few minutes I ate them and now I make them multiple times a week. (Sliced apples, almond or peanut butter, grainless or normal granola pieces and chocolate chips.)

apple nachos Paul Fishman Liz Heather — Apple nachos that are unfortunately amazing

Speaking of Paul, he has a TikTok account with his husband Richard and it’s perfect, you should take a look.

@thingsmyhusbandlikes Rhymes with “did I stutter?” #thingsmyhusbandlikes #butter #tastetesting #gayfoodie #testofthegays ♬ original sound - Paul + Richard

@thingsmyhusbandlikes Butter girl is her new nickname @thingsmyhusbandlikes #thingsmyhusbandlikes #buttertok #butter ♬ original sound - Paul + Richard

I made lasagna soup and it was exactly what’s needed on a cold night. Leftovers were a nightmare because Nathan was out of town so it was just me eating beef soup for four days straight, but nonetheless! Great recipe for a family.
God, I love Mercer Street in Soho. I didn’t even know they had a Zimmerman store. I bought one of their swimsuits years ago and it’s still my favourite to this day. Look at these beautiful pieces.

Zimmermann NYC Soho Liz Heather fashion — Zimmermann, Soho

And are you kidding me with these coats from ZCRAVE (also on Mercer)?? I want a closet full of these beauties. One for every mood.

Zcrave NYC Soho Liz Heather fashion — ZCRAVE, Soho

I went to a sale at Showplace Backstage where they sell used/vintage pieces from film & television.
Got drinks at the lounge inside the Mandarin Oriental and it was nice, obviously overpriced but still nice.
Had dinner at Carne Mare, which has such a beautiful space, it’s perfect for a special occasion. The caviar mozzarella sticks were slightly overrated but everything else was good and the service was stellar. Can't wait to go again.

Carne Mare NYC New York City restaurant Liz Heather — Mozzarella sticks with caviar at Carne Mare, NYC

The Body Shop came out with a new winter scent (Wild Pine) and I’m head over heels in love. I’ve always wanted to smell like a big, beautiful Christmas tree year-round and now I can. (This sounds sarcastic, but I’m deathly serious.)

Tried the pistachio cream cold brew at Starbucks and yep, I forgot again how sick that cream makes me. Can they please stop introducing new cream flavours?? I think it’s abundantly clear that I will not learn, so they just need to stop.
I know absolutely nothing about wine (other than South African reds taste like trash) but oh my god, the wine brand Josh? Truly putrid.
I think I’ve finally learned that hair serums do absolutely nothing for my hair. I’ve been going through all of my hair products that I never use and it’s really wild what we’re told we need for our hair. Getting rid of it all. I can’t wait to have a clearer dresser top.
I like to sit and peruse the new cookbooks at Barnes & Noble every so often and the Don Angie one seems kind of great (the spicy crab panzanella and the spiced lamb ragu with marsala and fennel, specifically). The new Via Carota one however was a real letdown. I hated that it was organized seasonally for some reason.
So I got a frother recently and wow was it not worth it. Returned it immediately. I think I was expecting espresso-machine-level frothing, so I kind of set myself up for disappointment.
I got a new Kipozi straightener after using my niece Layla’s over the holidays and oh my god it’s insanely good. I’m gonna do a short video about it because I still can’t believe how long the curls last.
The winter mushroom soup at Giorgio’s of Gramercy continues to be untouchable.
Went to Little Ruby’s Cafe in Soho and it was a perfect lunch spot. Also rediscovered Blue Ribbon after completely forgetting about its existence and it remains a great late night place.

little ruby's cafe soho coffee nyc New York City Liz Heather — Little Ruby’s Cafe, Soho

I know it’s pretty dated, but I always love Bistro Les Amis. I hope it never shuts down.

I finally went to Bistro Eloise for the first time in Queens and it’s wild that such a great restaurant is in a little plaza mall. Maybe not wild actually, but unexpected. Had the best onion soup in all of NYC (that broth was unreal). Escargots was fantastic, the specials were wonderful and the service was perfect, too. Go, go, go.
Had one of the worst banking experiences of life with TD Canada recently, so I’m gonna transfer everything completely to another bank. Don’t fuck with me, CORPORATIONS.
I made this short rib bolognese and it was heavenly. I will now always make short rib at home. It’s overpriced when you order it out and the fat is always kept on it when it’s served, so it’s absolutely not worth it. When I made the recipe, I did everything instructed but at the end when the meat is cooked, I separated all of the fatty bits to throw away and it elevated the sauce times a million.

short rib bolognese recipe Liz Heather — Short rib bolognese

Some things I watched:
- The Banshees of Inisherin - so incredibly good and unexpected. Cannot sing enough praises about it. To anyone who thought it was boring: grow up.
- The White Lotus (both seasons) - obviously season two is juicier, but both were good. Love Steve Zahn. Is the show as great as everyone laments? Maybe? It’s hard to say because yes it’s good, but aren’t we all so sad and broken right now that anything even mildly good is considered revolutionary? Personally I liked it mainly because I like to watch people on vacation.
- Jennifer’s Body - holy god did it suck. Why the hell was this on my must watch list for over a decade? SUCKFEST.

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’d love to go ice skating at least once more this season, I know it’s lofty but I’d also love to go skiing and I really want to make a tres leche cake after recently discovering that it’s my favourite cake in the world.

If you have any interest in reading what went on in December, come on over here.

Baby Dog Liz Heather January 2023 — Baby Dog thinks you should come to bed

January 16, 2023

2023 Resolutions

by Liz Heather in Personal

It’s 2023. How.

Before I let you know what my 2023 resolutions are, here are some other things of note that you might be interested in doing right now.

Every January I make sure to:

Mark down all important anniversaries/birthdays/holidays/weddings (also Daylight Saving Times, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving) on my calendar.
Check expiration dates for passport/license/health card/insurance/vet vaccinations and write down any important renewal dates.
Schedule all your doctor, dentist and hair cut appointments for the entire year.
Go through your entire fridge and throw away anything expired (this should really get done every month, but I’ll tell you right now that I never remember to do that).

RESOLUTIONS

Read at least one book per season.
Take Baby Dog on an adventure at least twice a season.
Try at least one new restaurant each month.
Properly go on a date with Nathan at least once a month.
Every month, cook something I’ve never cooked before.
Go on a solo, alone trip.
Have at least one advertiser on this site.
On the first of each month, try something new.
Buy a keyboard and start playing piano again.
Have my book in at least one bookstore by the end of the year. Even if I have to self-publish and then physically put it on a shelf myself.

God, I love a resolution. Everyone should make at least one resolution for themselves, even if it’s something small or something purely aimed at one’s frivolity. We’re all headed the same place, shouldn’t we enjoy some of this time right here and now? Happy new year!

You can see how I did with my 2022 resolutions over here, if you’re interested.

And if you’re looking for more resolution ideas, here are some past ones of mine: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014.

(UPDATE: To see how these resolutions went, come on over here.)

January 15, 2023

2022 Resolutions Revisited

by Liz Heather in Personal

Time to revisit the resolutions that I made in 2022! This is probably my favourite post of the year because I love accountability. The best part about making resolutions is going back and seeing how the hell they went in reality. Also why do people think resolutions can’t be a mixture of regular goals and FUN goals? We’re all barreling towards death, why on earth wouldn’t we prioritize the things that make us genuinely happy as well? Resolution doesn’t have to be a dirty word. In any case, here’s how my year went.

Throughout the year, I kept making my seasonal lists (spring, summer, autumn, winter). I walked through a deserted Central Park in the middle of a snowstorm, I wrote about the best snow day sitcom episodes to watch, I went to the beautiful New York Transit Museum, I did Nathan’s podcast twice (‘Who Hurt You?’ and ‘Happy Wife, Happy Life’), I saw a ton of shows on Broadway (Phantom of the Opera for the millionth time, MJ: The Musical, Come From Away, Harry Potter, Birthday Candles, American Buffalo, Mr. Saturday Night and A Christmas Carol). I went to as many fashion exhibits as I could (The Met’s In America: A Lexicon of Fashion as well as when they updated that same exhibit a few months later, the truly disappointing In America: An Anthology of Fashion and the Thierry Mugler exhibit), I compiled my favourites of 2022, and I found my favourite summer photos as well as my favourite photos of the year. And here’s how my 2022 resolutions went.

1. Read at least one book per season.

Winter: Taste: My Life Through Food By Stanley Tucci & Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark By Cassandra Peterson

Spring: Still Me By Christopher Reeve

Summer: Fuck Your Diet: And Other Things My Thighs Tell Me By Chloe Hilliard (I didn’t do a review because there wasn’t that much to say about it)

Autumn: The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music By Dave Grohl

2. Take Baby Dog on an adventure at least twice a season.

Winter: I took her to Canada with me for Christmas and we also went to Central Park once in February on an unseasonably nice day.

Spring: I took her to Cooper Beach in the Hamptons and to Central Park as soon as the cherry trees started to bloom.

Baby Dog Cooper Beach Hamptons Liz Heather chihuahua dog — Baby Dog at Cooper Beach, The Hamptons

Summer: I took her to Astoria Park, to the American Dream mall in New Jersey, to see the Amityville House on Long Island and we also took her to Las Vegas.

Autumn: I took her to Canada for Thanksgiving, to Los Angeles for a wedding and to Central Park again for Halloween.

3. Try at least one new restaurant each month.

January: Alidoro (super sucked), Mamo (good but nothing special) and The Regency Bar & Grill (service and food were both lovely)

February: Sarabeth’s (pear salad & mussels were fantastic), La Petite Joie (love any place that does oysters Rockefeller every night of the week), The Independent (again, great mussels, I’m easy to please mussel-wise), Suprema Provisions (good, but I never need to go again), Vam Dam Diner (loved it) and Sotto Di Luna (hated it, who cooks PIZZA badly??)

March: The Palm Court at The Plaza (just for drinks, love a fancy drink at the beginning of an evening), The Dowlings at The Carlyle (FINALLY somewhere that has steak Diane!), Robert (nice view, but the food was nothing spectacular and the decor was confusing), Vallata (the lunch special is the main reason to go), Rezdora (incredible pastas), Raoul’s (their burger au poivre might be the sexiest burger in NYC), Glass House Tavern (I still dream about the roasted corn and couscous risotto)

April: Peak (great view, food was good, but Manhatta is the better option here)

May: Bar Crudo (wonderful, must go again)

June: Ristorante Pizzeria Eden in Barcelona (literally the best veal lasagna I’ve ever had on planet earth, the pizza was crazy too), Encercle in Barcelona (the best calamari OF LIFE), Padella in London (great pasta), Cottiers in Glasgow (had an incredible Sunday roast)

calamari Barcelona Encercle Liz Heather — Calamari from Encercle, Barcelona

July: Bar Marseille (great food, near the beach) & The Grid at the Great Jones Distillery (really not worth it)

August: Riverpark (food was great) & The Wild Tart (for tea service, so good!)

September: Fiaschetteria Pistoia (the duck ragu was great, but the space isn’t inviting), The Bedford by Martha Stewart (good but overpriced and overrated), Bazaar Meat By Jose Andres (stellar) and Sala (too, too good - both brunch and dinner)

October: Ozzy’s Burgers (crazy good), The Arch (beautiful place, but the food was nothing to return for), Tocoya (tacos were phenomenal), The Hearth By Lynn Crawford (surprisingly great for an airport restaurant)

November: Don Angie (the lasagna is everything you hoped it would be & more, but skip the desserts)

December: Soothr (great new (to me) Thai place)

4. Properly go on a date with Nathan at least once a month.

Okay, it’s none of your business exactly what we did but actual dates only happened six out of twelve months of the year. They were good dates (trips, plays, bars) but still. I really want to do better this year, we spend so much of our boring/everyday time with our significant others that it’s easy to stop trying to have fun and I refuse to settle for that.

5. Make a receipt box to track monthly expenses.

I did this one! Now I just have to take a few hours and see how much money was spent on what… oh no.

6. Go on a solo, alone trip.

I didn’t do this and it’s my biggest regret.

7. Wear FUN clothes.

I think I did! I mean, one can always do more but this was a great start.

8. On the first of each month, try something new.

January: Ate pork because of how lucky it is to eat on New Year’s Day (and you know what? It turned out to be a great year. Why doesn’t everyone listen to me?)

February: Forgot.

March: I made scallops at home for the first time. Never again, I’m not a skilled enough cook to make them well.

April: I went to an antique shop in Chelsea that underwhelmed.

May: Forgot.

June: Forgot.

July: I swam first thing in the morning, even before breakfast. Loved it.

August: Forgot.

September: Forgot.

October: I went to a random wardrobe sale downtown Toronto (it sucked).

November: I watched a new horror movie AFTER Halloween for the first time (Halloween Ends) and it. was. terrible. LESSON LEARNED.

December: Went to a new museum. Loved it.

9. Vow not to do eyelash extensions ever again.

I absolutely did not do any extensions… until June came around. Then I went nuts. What can I say, I had that huge trip coming up and I was weak. But no excuses! Vowing again to never do them again, starting NOW!

10. Have my book published by the end of 2022.

Eep. Okay, I’m days away from having a manuscript in my hands, so I’m counting this as progress. I still failed at the resolution, but the progress of being further along than last year is making me hopeful.

One thing that I’m so happy that I kept doing throughout the year? My monthly roundup posts. They’re basically little monthly journal entries that make me realize how good I have it sometimes, and I’m so grateful that anyone wants to read them. Here are the links to the last twelve months of them: December 2022, November 2022, October 2022, September 2022, August 2022, July 2022, June 2022, May 2022, April 2022, March 2022, February 2022 & January 2022.

And here are all the best tweets posts from 2022 as well:

January (part one) tweets & January (part two) tweets
February (part one) tweets, February (part two) tweets & best Valentine’s Day tweets
March (part one) tweets & March (part two) tweets
April (part one) tweets & April (part two) tweets
May (part one) tweets & May (part two) tweets
June (part one) tweets & June (part two) tweets
July (part one) tweets & July (part two) tweets
August (part one) tweets & August (part two) tweets
September (part one) tweets & September (part two) tweets
October (part one) tweets & October (part two) tweets
November (part one) tweets & November (part two) tweets
December (part one) tweets, December (part two) tweets & best Christmas tweets

Sidenote: I think I’m gonna go back to just posting those best-of tweets once a month.

So if we’re keeping score (we are), I did 6/10 on my resolutions (oh god). But I only intend on doing even better this year, so let’s start this, baby.

2023 resolutions coming tomorrow!

January 10, 2023

The Best of 2022

by Liz Heather in Beauty, Best of NYC, Food, Halloween, Links, Movies, Personal, Products, Recipes, Television, Travel

The very best of 2022.

January 7, 2023

December Dalliances 2022

by Liz Heather in Best of NYC, Family, Food, Movies, Personal, Recipes, Television

christmas at home view Liz Heather December 2022 — Christmas Eve view, December 2022

You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here. (I also made a list of my very favourite Christmas tweets.)
I recapped my autumn list of things to do and made a new seasonal list of things I’d like to do this winter.
I compiled my favourite photos of 2022.
I finally wrote about my trip to Las Vegas from back in September.
I read and reviewed Dave Grohl’s memoir.
I went to the newly opened (and fantastic) Museum of Broadway.
I got a seasonal latte at Elevenses Cafe in Astoria and it was very cute, I’d go again.
I have fallen in love with The Body Shop’s new scent Wild Pine. I’m fearful that it may be a seasonal scent, so I’ve already stocked up.
I ate at Soothr and it was so, so good. Love a new thai place.

soothr nyc thai food Liz Heather — Paul at Soothr, NYC

Some things I watched this month:
- The Santa Clauses (the new Tim Allen show): Ugh, it was terrible. Maybe I’m not the audience it’s supposed to be for, but still - just a stinkfest.
- Jack Frost: I love Michael Keaton, but I just couldn’t get past the first half hour. It’s way too sad.
- The Crown (seasons 3-5): Loved the season three Wales episode. The moon landing one was also perfect. It’s a great show, but extremely depressing if you’re binging it over a short period of time.
- Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?: God, I hated it. Netflix has this annoying habit of making documentary series out of things that could easily be 40 minutes long and it is obnoxious as hell. You do not need to watch this. Read the Wikipedia page about it instead, you’ll save yourself so much wasted time.
I was looking up trivia for the movie Scrooged and learned that the childhood house in the movie is a real place in Queens! So obviously I walked over to see it in person. Insanity that it hasn’t changed after all of this time.

frank cross childhood home Queens New York Scrooged film set film location Liz Heather — Frank Cross’ childhood home from Scrooged (1988) in Queens, New York

I won a lottery ticket to see A Christmas Carol on Broadway and… YIKES. I can’t describe how bad it was. First of all, IT WAS A ONE MAN SHOW. And I didn’t know that beforehand, so yes that’s my fault. But oh my god, it was agony.

a christmas carol broadway new york city december 2022 Liz Heather — A Christmas Carol on Broadway in New York, December 2022

Are we all aware of how garbage the brand Silani is? I tried it for the first time and lord was it bad. Never again. Spend the extra dollar and eat something edible.
I watched the final World Cup game with my parents and I’m glad France lost, give others a chance to win too, ya know?

world cup final game 2022 Liz Heather — World Cup final with my parents, December 2022

I will never be above latte art.

santa claus christmas latte at san remos etobicoke ontario Liz Heather — Latte art from San Remo’s in Etobicoke, Ontario

I went to Bell, Book & Candle for some Christmas themed drinks and it was great. Love a divey, but good bar.

bell book and candle christmas theme drinks nyc Liz Heather — With Irene at Bell, Book & Candle, NYC

Is it even Christmas if I don’t make Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies? I also made a few batches of Alison Roman’s amazing chocolate chunk shortbread cookies that were a big hit.

nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies Liz Heather Christmas cookies — The Nutella stuffed chocolate chip cookies from Ambitious Kitchen

Obviously I went to my parent’s house for Christmas and it was exactly what I wanted & needed.

nephews christmas tree december 2022 Liz Heather — My nephews watching Jingle All The Way, December 2022

holiday christmas lights home christmas 2022 Liz Heather pretty lights — My mom’s Christmas window can’t be beat

Christmas Morning family photo December 2022 Liz Heather presents gifts — Christmas Day, December 2022

Christmas tree gifts presents Liz Heather December 2022 — Our Christmas tree

snow falling hedges christmas winter Canada Liz Heather December 2022 — Snowfall before Christmas is everything to me

Went ice skating for the first time in twenty years and it was great. Think I’m gonna buy some skates and make this a yearly thing.

ice skating Mississauga ontario celebration square Liz Heather Gary Heather winter activity — Ice skating at Celebration Square in Mississauga, Ontario

Jackbox and Nintendo Switch games remain the perfect family activity around the holidays.

nintendo switch family game Liz Heather Phantom of the Opera funny — The game Use Your Words on Nintendo Switch

nintendo switch family games funny Liz Heather — The game Use Your Words on Nintendo Switch

My mom and I saw a wild fox in her backyard and it. was. incredible. It was just playing in the snow and I can’t believe we got to see him/her.
Winter skies might be the best skies.

winter sky Mississauga ontario canada Liz Heather December 2022 — December 2022

winter sky Mississauga ontario Canada Liz Heather deep blue sky December 2022 — If only I could bottle this kind of blue and keep it in my pocket

I made the Christmas tree spinach and artichoke dip and it was a hit. It did not look pretty, but the flavours were great.

I also made a leftover turkey sandwich with STUFFING WAFFLES and it was so, so good. Again it photographed rough, but tasted incredible. I used this recipe to make the waffles. Definitely have to do this again.
The main reason to go to the Union Square Holiday Market? Duck confit poutine at Duck Season. It’s honestly a better poutine than some Canadian places.

duck poutine new york city union square holiday market Liz Heather — Duck confit poutine at Duck Season in NYC

I fell absolutely in love with the newest Bob’s Burgers Christmas episode, The Plight Before Christmas.
Crate & Barrel continues to have the cutest fabric Christmas ornaments.

crate and barrel christmas tree fabric decorations Liz Heather — Harry Potter-looking cat ornament at Crate & Barrel

Trader Joe’s had Christmas wreaths this year, so I got one and it was perfect. It makes me feel so together to have a wreath on my door. I still have it up. I don’t want to say goodbye.

trader joe's christmas wreath new york city Liz Heather — Christmas wreath from Trader Joe’s

I went to see Noah Baumbach talk about his new movie White Noise at a NYPL event and it was very all right. I wish he’d talked more about older movies of his that I’ve loved, but I guess it makes sense that he didn’t since he was promoting this one.

noah baumbach nypl white noise — Noah Baumbach speaking at an NYPL event promoting White Noise, December 2022

The candy cane cold brew from Blank Street? Unparalleled.
One of my favourite things to do in December in New York is to walk around the city looking at the holiday lights and listen to that Darlene Love song on repeat.

christmas tree rockefeller center Liz Heather December 2022 — The Rockefeller Christmas Tree, December 2022

saks christmas decorations holiday lights new york city Liz Heather December 2022 — Saks holiday lights, December 2022

macys holiday display new york city december 2022 — Macy’s holiday decorations, December 2022

new york city christmas decorations fifth avenue Liz Heather December 2022 — Holiday taxi display on Fifth Avenue, December 2022

I went to Essex Market to see their Gingerbread Village display, which was cute but I wish it was bigger. And since I was there, I took a look at the sandwich menu at Shopsin’s and holy christ I need to go back.

gingerbread house village essex market new york city Liz Heather December 2022 — Gingerbread Village at Essex Market in NYC, December 2022

Nothing better than a Boxing Day puzzle.

boxing day Canada family puzzle december 2022 Liz Heather — Boxing Day, December 2022

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m going to get real dressed up and go see Moulin Rouge on Broadway with my friend Diana, I’m excited about seeing the Restaurant Week menus for this season, I’m going to start using this first-of-the-month checklist again, Classpass is doing a free monthly promotion right now so I’ll keep doing that until it starts charging again, and I really can’t wait to make this lasagna soup.

the heathers christmas family photo December 2022 — The Heathers 2022

If you have any interest in the other monthly roundups of 2022, they can be found here: November 2022, October 2022, September 2022, August 2022, July 2022, June 2022, May 2022, April 2022, March 2022, February 2022 & January 2022.

baby dog christmas Liz Heather Nathan Macintosh December 2022 chihuahua — Baby Dog, December 2022

January 2, 2023

Favourite Photos of 2022

by Liz Heather in Family, Personal

(You can see my favourite photos from 2021 over here.)

December 30, 2022

Winter List 2022

by Liz Heather in Personal

“I realize there’s something incredibly honest about trees in winter, how they’re experts at letting things go.”

— Jeffrey McDaniel

God, I love winter. I will be counting down the days until the first really big snowstorm, so in the meantime here’s what else I’d love to do this season.

Take at least five bubble baths.
Finally get my own ice skates and skate around this beautiful rink.
Go skiing.
Make lasagna soup.
See at least two Broadway plays.

Other than that, I’ll definitely watch some of these movies. As always, I encourage you to make a list of your own. And if you’re stuck on ideas, you can see my past winter lists below: