5 Things I Loved in November
It's already December, but before we embark too far into it I want to make sure that there's a mindful reflection of the month prior. There was so much to be grateful for in November - let's take a look.
newborns and toddlers
My second nephew, Theo, was born in October and I finally got to visit a few weeks later for a nice long visit. Let me tell you, two kids under two is TOUGH. My sister is documenting the journey (and also doing Blogmas) in her own website.
As tough a week it was, it was also incredibly rewarding to see Zeke (Theo's Kuya) at such a fun age where he is learning tasks and language, and getting to know this new being in his house.
Some toddler-, newborn-, and post-partum-friendly things we did:
- Breakfast at Born and Bread
- Brunch at First Watch
- Lots of Baby Shark
- Sometimes napped
- Mostly burping and diaper changes
friends visiting nyc
When you live in New York City, you get a sudden influx of friends and family that come for 2 reasons: to see you, and to have affordable (aka free) housing to explore the City. I'm always happy to be a place to stay for loved ones. I was especially excited that my dear friend Marti came right before it was too late in her pregnancy to fly. She also lives on the West Coast, so I'm even more grateful she was able to squeeze in a visit.
Some pregnancy-friendly things we did:
- Brunch at Alice's Tea Cup, Chapter 1
- Laughs at West Side Comedy Club
- Walks through Bryant Park Winter Village, New York Public Library, and Chelsea Market
- Cup of caffeine at Black Press Coffee
getting older
It wasn't just a month of nephews getting older, but partners too. Howard turned 31 and it was much more chill compared to last year when he ran the New York City Marathon on his 30th birthday. We had other friends in town and spent the evening eating and drinking our way through St. Mark's Place in East Village.
Some places we grazed:
We also brought some Hot One's The Last Dab XXX in case anyone wanted to try ;)
jury duty
You might be surprised that this made it on the list, considering most would agree it's quite an inconvenience to spend the day at Jury Duty, terrified that you might get selected to serve.
While this was completely true for me, what stuck with me was the Clerk who ran the show that day. At the very end, she said that without us showing up there would be no Jury system in this country, and that the OPTION of having a jury of our peers is a foundational component of our legal system in the United States. She reminded us that we can control how we follow the law, but can't always control who decides to sue us. And in that position, we likely would want to have a choice between 1 judge or a body of peers.
With the poltiical and social justice climate of today, I felt her statements deeply and appreciated the "why" that I will take away with me forever. Of course there is a problematic history of our jury composition, but we must acknowledge this as well to move forward and grow.
I also got to explore a new place for lunch during the break: Pho Bar.
bon appetit
One thing I started doing during my trip to visit my family in Florida, was get hooked on Bon Appetit videos on YouTube. Like many, I started out with a taste of Gourmet Makes but there are 1,000+ videos in the archive and I'm enjoying them ALL.
It's the ultimate escapism that also makes me feel like I can cook fancy things, but also very entertaining. It inspired our Thanksgiving menu, too!
Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I4kAW_BjoE&t=5s
At the end of the day, one of their goals is to get viewers to convert and subscribe to their magazine. Guess what: IT WORKED. I can't wait to get my first magazine in February 2020!
Overall, November was quite a month. It was filled with lots of work but also holidays and much-needed vacation. I'm excited to see what December has in store - the last month of the DECADE!
Comments powered by Talkyard.