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!
Jumping right in here, I absolutely loved this book. I didn't know too much about Jen Kirkman before reading it, but good god do I want more from this woman. Best parts ahead.
- "Bob Odenkirk once said that people should make their art, whatever it is, "as though their parents were dead."" - Love this, will continue to remember this from here on out.
- "I would never want to go through another wedding--a wedding that involves, literally, everyone and their brother attending. What's romantic about making out with someone in front of your uncles? I think the sexiest man in the world is the guy who could approach me at a bar and say, "Hi, I'm an orphan."" - Hahah, love this woman.
- This idea: "Go visit your family on the Fourth of July. There's a lot less drama because nothing is expected of anyone. Without the pressure of having to buy gifts or feel merry and bright - it was the best holiday we ever spent together."
- I will forever enjoy any person who expresses disdain for any kind of Live, Laugh, Love paraphernalia.
- The idea that she buys a new coat in every new country she visits as that country's souvenir to herself IS JUST A GREAT IDEA.
- Love, love, love: "I saw a burrata appetizer that looked like a small bag of heavenly, oozy cheese - I guess because that's what it is. People should feel bad for people who don't have burrata - not boyfriends."
- "Trust me: traveling with a man doesn't always mean that everything in your life is perfect."
- "...and gazed at the unstoppable stars in the sky." God, I love the way she speaks. Am I, like, IN love with her?!
- "I never understood why traveling is something reserved for lovers only." YES.
- "Having someone who is more frightened than you is the greatest gift to someone who is a little bit frightened. It gives the less frightened person the chance to soothe someone else - which in turn self-soothes."
- "I don't know if I'm a true romantic or just an idiot with an ample imagination or if there's even a difference."
- "A female customer said to me, "You may not have direction but you have style. Your outfit is fantastic. And I hate people and talking to people so for me to even say this - you know you've got it going on." Those kinds of interactions always make me think that if women ran the world there could be world peace."
- "There's no reason to stress out about what you do for your fortieth or whatever-ith birthday. It's not about doing something one night to make memories for the rest of your life - it's about looking at the rest of your life and say, "Am I going where I want to go? Am I who I want to be? Am I defining my personal success based on other people's morals or goals? Can I only achieve happiness with outside validation or would I be truly happy just sitting in a pile of wood chips, being me? How can this year not be a repeat of last year's mistakes and patterns?""
- "All my romantic relationships have ended. Were those relationships not successes? Is success in a relationship only determined by it never ending? That's like saying that someone's life was a failure because... well, death."
- Mental Note: I've got to remember to read Joan Rivers' book Enter Talking because of how fondly she spoke of it.
Those were just a few of my favourite parts of the book. She also included quotes at the beginning of each chapter, and I know we all think we're above a really good quote, but the fact is that we are not. Quotes are the fucking best. If you're in denial about that, well, I don't wish to debate your sorry ass. I purposely didn't include the quotes from the book that I especially loved in this post because I intend on posting them over the coming weeks. No one wants to be bombarded with twenty phenomenal quotes all at once, your heart can only really take on one at a time, there's a science behind this, I'm telling you. So I'll dole those out in good time. I wish I could endlessly read about this woman's life, she's so funny and great. I can't believe it took me this long to discover her.
