Making resolutions in 2021? What a concept. Even though we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic, I managed to do a couple of notable things last year. I started out the year in Canada since I tested positive and had to stay put, so I spent most of those days watching the snow fall and never missing an episode of Jeopardy with my Dad. I kept making my seasonal lists (spring, summer, autumn, winter). I did Nathan’s podcast eight times:

I got fully vaccinated and got a booster too, I took Baby Dog to Coney Island, I worked as a hostess on the Upper East Side for a few months (where I seated Woody Allen and then quit the next day), I went strawberry picking in Connecticut and ended up eating at Mystic Pizza, I went to two beautiful summer weddings, Nathan & I celebrated twelve years together, I started working part time as a literary agent, I saw so many Broadway plays (Wicked, Aladdin, To Kill A Mockingbird, Dear Evan Hansen, Girl From The North Country), my niece Layla came to NYC for the first time, I started taking online classes to help make my site better, I went to Salem in October, I got fake nails four times and look how gorgeous.

I finally saw the pumpkin float in Central Park, I took tours of gorgeous old mansions upstate, we all dressed up for Halloween, Nathan drove my parents to Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia while they were visiting, I wrote about my very favourite Thanksgiving recipes, I went blonde, I compiled my favourites of 2021, my parents met Nathan’s mom for the first time, I spent Christmas with my whole family for the first time in two years, and I found my favourite photos of the year. My two biggest failures of the year? Trying to eat these A-Z foods and my attempt at wardrobe challenge. Here’s how my 2021 resolutions went.

1. Read at least one book per season.

Winter: The Answer Is… Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek
Spring: Enter Talking by Joan Rivers
Summer: The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Archor and The 5 Buckets: A Framework For Living With Intention by Bobby Dysart
Autumn: Okay so here’s the thing, I was so bored by Charles Grodin’s book that I didn’t even think about reading for months. I blame the Grod.

2. Juice at least five times a month.

I feel like I was a completely different person at the beginning of 2021 and all the prior years before that? Juicing is not the answer, honey. I did start out the year still doing them, but like, what a weird thing to track each time…? Eating disorder much? I’m not stating how many times it happened and I promise it won’t be on this year’s list. I’m sorry to anyone I’ve ever triggered any time I’ve talked about juicing.

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

Winter: we took her to Canada for four months, so I think that counts for at least two adventures.
Spring: one trip to Central Park and one to Coney Island.
Summer: took her to New Jersey for a wedding and then to upstate New York for another wedding.
Autumn: took her to Canada for Thanksgiving & then to Central Park to see the fall foliage.

4. Get Nathan to take more photos of me.

Okay, I need to amend this one to include more people than just Nathan, especially since 99% of men I know have zero idea how to take a flattering photo.

5. Try at least one new restaurant each month.

January: Old Bagel House (woof, bagels should be illegal outside of New York, come at me)
February: <the whole month I either had COVID or was recovering>
March: Bar Primi (great spot, dim lighting, you can’t go wrong)
April: Bar Dalia (wonderful, intimate)
May: Dame (absolutely stellar fish and chips), Vicolina (oddly subpar, overpriced Italian)
June: dell'anima (very okay, but not worth the trek to 11th Avenue), Forsythia (one of my favourite new Italian places), Mystic Pizza (wildly average, but very cool to be there because of the movie)
July: Mimi Cheng’s (great dumplings), Spunto’s (great pizza), Marks Off Madison (crazy good turkey club sandwich)
August: Society Cafe (decent!), Ten Bells (very cute, even for Brooklyn), Vic’s (perfectly okay, but don’t think I’d return), Ruta (best new Mexican place I’ve tried in a long time)
September: Amylos Tavern (pretty good!)
October: Minton’s Playhouse (decent for a venue)
November: Red Hat on the River (incredible mussels), Di Fara’s (great but not worth the trek)
December: Carbone (thoughts over here), Via Carota (so so good), Dolly Varden (great food and cocktails)

6. Submit pieces to publications at least five times each month.

It’s better if I don’t tell you how little I did this. I didn’t do zero per month, but I definitely didn’t do five.

7. Save $50 every Monday to use for travel spending money.

I did this for the first half of the year and then lord only knows what happened.

8. Buy nothing from Amazon or Wal-Mart, or at least limit it to once per month.

All right so I went nuts with the Wal-Mart shopping anytime I was in Canada. And you don’t want to see my Amazon orders from November and December. I want to stop, but I guess I’ll just have to come to terms with being a terrible person.

9. Cook A-Z new things.

This one really fell off the rails. I’m not against finishing the list, but this feels more of a within-a-decade kind of goal…? Haha?

10. Stop being so afraid.

Truthfully, I’m still pretty afraid. But this is a baby steps kind of resolution. I’d never have even dreamed of dying my hair blonde even a year ago, so that’s big for me. I’m also getting better at communicating boundaries in my relationships, so that’s also big.

One thing that I’ve very pleased to have kept up with? My monthly roundup posts. They’re my favourite to write, so I’m grateful that anyone wants to read them. Here are the links to the last twelve months of them: December 2021, November 2021, October 2021, September 2021, August 2021, July 2021, June 2021, May 2021, April 2021, March 2021, February 2021 & January 2021.

2022 resolutions coming tomorrow!