*sparklingly

Playing with pauses

2013-05-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

{ A little Versace place-setting action at The Plaza Hotel | NYC | April 2013 }

I've been doing a little experimenting with Intermittent Fasting (IF) recently. May sound a bit nutso at first, but I did lots (and lots) of reading on the science behind it and the biologic and physical benefits that may come from it before I gave it a try. IF is the idea of giving your body a break from routine ("conformist") eating for a set period of time. The only "rule" you introduce into your daily life is choosing when to eat. If you already eat a clean diet, great, if not, well that's still okay—the only change you make is the times of day when you enjoy a meal.

[ This may seem faddish, but if you think about it, regular fasting is a way of life for many diverse religious groups (Catholics at Lent, Muslims during Ramadan, etc.), so it's not really a new idea. ]

There are tons of ways to do this, and naturally, many have created brands around their philosophies, e.g.,:

+ The Fast Diet / 5:2 Intermittent Fasting: Eating normally 5 days of the week and much less (i.e., 500 calories) 2 days of the week. This has taken off in the UK.

+ Eat Stop Eat: Eating normally apart from one or two 24-hour fasts each week. Doing this means you still eat every day, but the day you're fasting you don't have two meals, just one, i.e., you have dinner on Tuesday night at 7PM and then give your body a break until you have dinner on Wednesday at the same time. I like this premise because it means you don't go to bed on an empty stomach, which sounds like a whole lot of not-fun-at-all to me.

+ Leangains / 16:8: Geared toward athletic, muscle-building individuals and proposes 16-hour fasting windows and 8-hour eating windows every 24 hours. Followers also plan their workouts at the very end of their fasting window to break the fast with a feast right after intense physical exertion (the program also recommends specific ratios of macronutrients depending on your windows and workouts—it's a lot more involved than other "brands"!). Most adherents eat their day's meals between 12PM and 8PM so this really just works out to not eating breakfast (or a different meal, depending on your "feasting" window).

+ Fast 5: Similar to Leangains, but they promote 19 hours of fasting and 5 hours of eating.

+ And then there are just people that listen to their bodies and eat intuitively, when they're hungry.

There are lots of reasons to minimize the times of day when your body is eating, digesting and metabolizing food, but for me, it all came down to wanting to:

+ Break nonsensical food habits: Sometimes I make breakfast or have lunch just because it's "time" to eat, even though I'm not hungry. To be honest, I do love the ritual and pomp of proper meal times, but it seems silly to take the time to prepare a meal if I'm not really hungry and only because it's a certain time of day. I also tend to get "hungry" when I'm bored, and it's annoying to give in to that.

+ Increase energy levels: This is something I am still struggling with (and the main reason I began tweaking how I live, exercise, sleep and eat a few years ago). From all that I've read, it seems like most people feel more energetic and are often able to set personal records in their training when working out in a fasted state (i.e., being able to do more reps with weights, or being able to run faster), which seems counter-intuitive, but according to research it's true.

+ Promote greater secretion of growth hormone: Growth hormone stimulates growth, cell reproduction and regeneration—more GH = more fat burning, cleansing of our systems, rejuvenation of our bodies and, ultimately, creating an environment that does not breed disease or suffer the effects of aging. Who wouldn't want to encourage their bodies to pump a little more of this (especially people like myself who are hitting a milestone birthday later this year...).

+ Increase productivity: If you're a fan of fresh, from-scratch dishes, it takes a lot of time and effort to prepare three good meals at home and carry one to work. While fasting you get that time back (which for me went directly to sleeping later or spending that time reading / knitting!) and because your systems aren't focused on breaking down food and funneling nutrients around, your mental cognition apparently goes way up (which is something that really intrigued me).

+ Build muscle: This is a big one. We've been told to never skip meals because your body will start attacking your muscles for energy. Tons of recent research disproves this. When your body needs energy it metabolizes your fat deposits first. I've seen lots of great results by changing how I work out and the way I eat, but I wouldn't mind becoming even stronger.

+ Lose weight (by losing fat, not lean muscle mass): By reducing your caloric intake, of course you'll lose weight—that's the point of dieting. But fasting, which is not dieting but a lifestyle switch, ensures you're not only consuming less over the course of a week, but you're giving your body long stretches of time to recover, clean itself out, and recalibrate. We've also been told that eating constantly (the often-touted "grazing" method of eating every few hours) keeps our metabolism up, but research has disproven that, as well. I'm currently in the best shape I've ever been in from a physical / visual standpoint, but I think that better balancing my muscle-fat composition may help with my energy levels and help me "age" a little more gracefully (and, of course, looking good / better in my clothes would be a nice perk, too).

+ Decrease insulin levels: The presence of insulin inhibits lipolysis, which is the process that releases stored body fat for energy. When you don't sleep well, your insulin levels go up. When you fast and eat and sleep well, your insulin levels go down and your body starts lipolysis to burn body fat for energy.

There's lots of other reasons someone else might do it, but if this is something you're interested in, do a little Googling and see if what you find makes sense to you. It did for me (and the reasons above were the most provocative), so I started playing around with 24-hour fasts 1 to 2 times a week and the other days enjoying my meals during a shortened period of time (usually 12:30PM - 8:30PM) a la the 16:8 routine.

Here's what the first few days were like:

Rather than mess with fasting and feeding windows, I decided to do one full day of fasting as a bit of a total reset to start. For my "last supper" I went to dinner with a friend after work and enjoyed a glass of Pinot Noir, olives with labne and harissa to nibble on as we perused the menu, a calamari salad to start, followed by savory lamb chops with a Persian lime yogurt sauce, and then a tasty Kanafeh to round out our lovely meal. We were paying our bill a little after 8:30PM, so I used that as the start time for my fast.

Once home, I read and watched a little TV and then went to bed feeling nice and satiated.

The next morning I let myself sleep in until 1 hour before I had to be at work—without all the rigamarole that comes with one of my breakfasts, I didn't need to get up as early as I usually do. After I got situated at work I made a cup of black tea at 10AM and another at 11:30AM. I felt a little bit of a hunger pang before the second cup of tea, but no serious discomfort, and the tea helped.

Around 2PM I had a green tea. Feeling pretty hungry now, especially with everyone around me having lunch. But still manageable.

Around 3:30PM I was really super hungry. Reading my "foodie" list on Feedly (testing it out since Google Reader is going bye bye) did not help one bit. I was going to take a nice walk through the pretty sun-lit day to a nearby coffee shop for a proper cappuccino (many people who have studied the benefits of fasting have learned that having a little bit of milk/cream with your coffee or tea during a fast doesn't halt the clean-up processes happening within your system. Knowing that, and that this was my first time trying it, I thought a yummy, frothy cappuccino would be a good idea). But I got busy at work and just kept drinking water and straight-up tea until 5:30PM when I had a bottle of Harmless Harvest Coconut Water (which would have been equivalent to a cappuccino, in terms of tax to my system). Then, at 6:30PM I headed home on foot.

As soon as I arrived I started prepping dinner and sat down to break my fast just before 8:00PM.

It actually wasn't super difficult until the afternoon—perhaps because I had mentally prepared for it and knew it was coming, versus a situation when you're traveling or have back-to-back meetings and unintentionally skip meals.

Since that first day, I've incorporated IF regularly over the last few weeks (of course not while on vacation though!). What I've noticed is that after the first day it was really easy. Eating breakfast in the morning is "normal", but I'm not always hungry then. And sometimes I come home from work and I'm not hungry, so I either have something light or some tea, rather than forcing myself to have dinner because it's time. This is a big change for someone who used to believe she was "hungry" like clockwork every day at 8AM, 1PM and 7PM!

Other than realizing it makes lots more sense to eat when I'm hungry, I haven't noticed any drastic results on the energy front yet. But, I have noticed a slight change in how I sleep (a little better / deeper), a general "tightening" across my entire body and more regularity ( <---awkward! ). All of which are good starts, so I'm curious to see if I give this lifestyle a little more time any other improvements, particularly in my energy level, level of strength and general health / physique show up (and if any negatives start appearing!).

Lullaby oil concoction

2013-05-14T08:22:00.000-04:00

{ via }

Even though the weather is warming up, I'm still hanging on to my spicy-scented winter oil concoction, although recently I've been doing it up with equal parts of coconut oil and raw cacao butter, which makes for a soufflè-like spread that goes on like whipped goodness and smells like yeasty, freshly-baked bread. The smell is seriously intoxicating.

But, I did mix up a new blend that I keep on my nightstand and smooth on before climbing into bed to moisturize my arms and neck and, theoretically, lull me to sleep:

+ 1/2 cup of coconut oil (or your favorite carrier oil)
+ 5 drops of orange oil for cleansing and freshness
+ 8 drops of lavender oil for relaxation and calmness
+ 12 drops of vanilla oil for warmth, comfort and coziness

Slather on a bit and slip between the sheets!

Postcard from Mexico

2013-05-11T10:44:00.000-04:00

{ Cocktails on our terrace with a view | Cancun, Mexico | May 2013 }

This trip down to the Mexican coast was truly, JUST what we needed. I mean, really, just LOOK at this technicolor splendor—what do you think, totally a good call, no? It's funny because this trip almost didn't happen...

{ Poolside | Cancun, Mexico | May 2013 }

First because we were really more interested in trying out a new-to-us Caribbean island (St. Lucia and Grenada were high on the list), but since we booked this 5 days before our plane took off, Mexico made the most sense. Because it's such a popular destination (for multiple types of travelers: couples, singles, families, etc.), it's really affordable. And there are TONS of non-stop flights. The smaller, boutique islands? Two - three times more expensive, less (if any) direct flight options and, to be honest, the islands without an Hispanic background are hit or miss when it comes to culture and food—at least the ones I've visited.

{ Scrumptious, colorful breakfasts | Cancun, Mexico | May 2013 }

But, Mexico? The land of white sands, turquoise water, tequila, mariachi, mezcal, mole, the Maya and lots and lots of spicy foods? It really was the perfect choice—and, I think it was a nice touch that we arrived in country on Cinco de Mayo. Plus, we were able to book at a brand-new, 5-star resort for a fraction of what a mainstream place on a small island would have cost, which of course made the spontaneous vacation that much more enjoyable.

{ Such a sucker for palapas | Cancun, Mexico | May 2013 }

So the decision to pop down to Mexico was made, but the second reason the trip almost didn't happen was maybe, just a teensy bit my fault.

I always book our travel arrangements—we both research of course, but I pull the trigger and then coordinate frequent flier numbers, booking car services, calling the credit card and cell phone companies, etc. Trust me, my detail-oriented, down-to-the-quarter-hour scheduling heart loves it and so I gladly hog all the planning duties and have yet to make a bad call.

But this time I made an executive decision that it would be ever so much more civilized to wake up at 4:45AM and take a 5:30AM car the 20 miles to the airport for our flight. Our international flight. Which was to take off at 7:10AM.

Yep—oops!

Now, my reasoning was that every time we go to the airport we always end up futzing around the airport for two hours, which seems like such a waste. And besides, there's never any traffic at that hour of the day. Except of course this time we hit traffic on the BQE, right before the Kosciuszko Bridge—meaning no way out. For a very tense little bit I was quietly freaking out, while trying not to freak R out so that he wouldn't have reason to say, "I told you so" (which of course he would have had every reason to say). Google Maps told me there was a three-car pile-up and I made up my mind that we were going to miss our flight and I began stealthily checking for the next flight out.

Luckily, after about 20 minutes we started moving and swooped up in front of JFK at 6:20AM—ran in, got berated by the check-in staff for arriving so late (note: we were already checked in and weren't checking any luggage), zoomed through security and screeched up to our gate only to see that they had just started boarding.

Whew.

The rest of our travel down was blessedly uneventful. R dozed and I got started on my pile-o-reading materials, which included 1 book, 3 e-books, and a backlog of NYT Magazines.

{ Crystal clear waters | Cancun, Mexico | May 2013 }

And then we walked into our hotel's lobby and that's when it happened.

Utter deliriousness hit.

I couldn't stop smiling, twirling around with my arms extended, beaming at everyone and everything. Our resort was so pretty and shiny and glam and lux and sunshiney! So very sunshiney! By noon local time we were sitting at a teak'esque table by the pool, under a gazebo, ordering ceviche and two tequilas to sip as we looked giddily about.

{ Evening lull | Cancun, Mexico | May 2013 }

{ Crashing surf | Cancun, Mexico | May 2013 }

For the next few days the euphoria totally continued—although I wasn't quite so batty. We woke up when we woke up, dawdled down to the pool or the beach when we felt like it, enjoyed some crazy delicious food and drink, pampered ourselves with two hydrotherapy circuits at the spa (cool shower, sauna, steam room, plunge pool, jacuzzi, repeat) and a deep tissue massage for each of us.

I don't even mind that it was a repeat country for me (something I try to avoid because there's oh-so-much to see in this world). There's actually not one single thing I would have changed about our trip—well, except maybe I wouldn't have worn a stack of rings on my right hand the whole time. I came back with a pretty ridiculous tan line!

All this to say: that was a damn good trip.

{ We're definitely doing this more often! | Cancun, Mexico | May 2013 }

Fleeing the foolishness

2013-05-06T06:31:00.000-04:00

{ Riviera Maya via }

I said we were NYC hostages until we had some movement on the various citizenship process appointments, but the never-ending winter + mind-boggling, rage-inducing Italian news came together last week in a spark of combustive fed-up-ness that sent me right to Orbitz.com to book a mini-retreat on the Mayan peninsula.

{ Riviera Maya via }

So, we're here now. Laying in the sun. Ignoring the headaches of NYC. Banishing bureaucratic madness from our minds. Replenishing our Vitamin D reserves. Zooming through a figurative stack (thanks, Kindle!) of books. Drinking tequila. And just generally spoiling ourselves silly.

{ via }

Be back soon.

Maybe.

Smited by the Gods

2013-05-02T06:28:00.000-04:00

{ Not even a glass...or a bottle...of wine helps | April 2013 }

So that whole rigamarole I went through to obtain alllll the fingerprinting, background checks, notarizations and apostilles for my Italian Citizenship Request?

I might as well have just spent that time banging my head against a wall while watching all the checks I sent burn.

Even though my appointment date was moved up, there's another big hurdle: When R called the Italian consulate to find out the process for starting citizenship proceedings for me, they told him to get my documents in order first before making an appointment (note: making an appointment means paying $15 to dial a number and be given a random time). They now deny this, saying, but why would we tell him that when sometimes it can take a year to get an appointment and your documents are only valid for 3 months?

Precisely.

I now have to REDO every single document. Last time it took about two full days for me to run around getting photographs and fingerprints taken, fill out forms, go to the bank and the post office, etc.—I'm not counting waiting time, of course. And, I paid about $200 for duplicative documents (people: doesn't it make sense that if you have a free-and-clear document from the FBI you'll also be free-and-clear in every state?).

How fun that I get to do it all over again.

2013 in pictures: April

2013-05-01T06:48:00.000-04:00

Click to catch up!

{ Easter Dinner 2013 | Apr. 3, 2013 }

{ A taste of spring | Apr. 4, 2013 }

{ Waking from a deep sleep | Apr. 8, 2013 }

{ Mamela | Apr. 10, 2013 }

{ Fresh & springy knit napkins | Apr. 12, 2013 }

{ Supposedly sweet Hudson Valley | Apr. 22, 2013 }

{ Fratelli d'Italia | Apr. 26, 2013 }

{ Goings on | Apr. 28, 2013 }

Goings on

2013-04-28T13:30:00.000-04:00

I've decided to ignore the fact that it's the end of April but as cold as November, and have been busy focusing on what's good—lots more hours of (shivery) daylight! So while I haven't been checking in here much lately, I have been:

{ Belly dancer at Casa La Femme | NYC | April 2013 }

+ Enjoying dinner at Casa La Femme, a ridiculously sensual Egyptian restaurant in the far West Village where R took me for a surprise mid-week date. Cleopatra would totally be at home here among the drippings of gold and silk. Note: the meal was just fine, but not nearly as delightful as the ambiance of this restaurant. It was a brisk 60 degrees with a breeze coming off of the Hudson when we dined here, but the restaurant had its floor-to-ceiling windows/doors thrown open to embrace the briskness of the evening.

+ Going to opening day of the Fulton Stall Market, even though there weren't many vendors and it was a little bleak, still felt nice to support the market!

+ Enjoying another meal at cozy Balaboosta, this time dinner. Just as lovely!

+ Spreading pastel blankets on sunny spots of grass in Hudson River Park, watching the boats go by and thumbing through the latest NYT Magazines.

+ Satisfying random cravings for bibimbap at Do Hwa.

+ Meeting R for an impromptu picnic (the first of the season!) after work on the East River Waterfront Esplanade. Gorgeous river / skyline views, lots of planes crisscrossing the puffy clouds above, and a splashy apricot sunset enjoyed while feasting on a salmon risotto

+ Pitter-pattering around the city on foot on the weekend, discovering sidewalk messages that make me smile:

{ 10th Avenue Happiness Here Circle | NYC | April 2013 }

Fratelli d'Italia

2013-04-26T15:37:00.000-04:00

{ Letojanni, the Sicilian seaside town down down the hill from Roberto's hometown | June 2008 }

A little weekend happy news (for me)—we just heard that the Italian consulate had a cancellation and they've bumped up our appointment up by two months! In just a few weeks I'll be strolling down Fifth Avenue with my myriad notarized and apostille'd documents to lay at their Gucci-clad feet.

PS. Fratelli d'Italia

{ Sicilian musicians at our second wedding in Sicily | September 2010 }

{ Our patriotic speedboat off the coast of Lampedusa during our 2nd honeymoon | September 2010}

Supposedly sweet Hudson Valley high

2013-04-22T16:10:00.001-04:00

{ Aerial view of the Hudson River | via }

I love the Hudson Valley, I really do. It's pretty and bucolic and I love supporting the farmers and artisans that hark from Hudson, but, after 7 years of living back in New York and a few trips up and down the river (to Millbrook, Millerton, Hudson, Harmon-on-Hudson, and Cold Spring), I have to say—writers like these are either pulling the wool over our eyes or I'm doing something wrong.

Or, maybe it's just that the towns with train stations depositing visitors directly onto Main Street—the only ones we can easily visit via Metro North, given our lack-of-car—are the problem. Maybe if we could meander further and deeper to where the locals are without worrying about train tracks and schedules we'd find the quaint and charming Hudson Valley town of my dreams?

Either way, doesn't change the fact that the towns we have poked around in have been woefully despondent and unwelcoming. Think: closed storefronts, barren streets and buildings with lots and lots of peeling paint. Now combine that with $60 train tickets, and you've got one sullen J.

So, if you've heard of any adorable train/foot accessible towns along the Hudson, please share! We're stuck in the city while we wait to hear back from our applications, so until we can take a proper holiday any and all day trip suggestions welcome! We haven't left New York since the the very beginning of the year and our lack of Vitamin D (yep, still cold and overcast here) and abundance of concrete barriers are making us decidedly un-Springy and peppy.

Serious cases of city fever here, people.

{The Hudson Valley | via }

{ Hudson Valley glory | via }

Fresh and springy knit napkins

2013-04-12T19:08:00.000-04:00

{ Knit cotton dinner napkin, in situ | March 2013 }

I've been thinking about converting to knit linen or cotton napkins for our table—as much for the tactile pleasure as the good environmental citizen juju, but haven't gotten around to it for us just yet.

{ Getting ready to ship the full set of knit cotton dinner napkins from NYC | April 2013 }

But, I did make a set of 4 for a dear friend who recently had a birthday. I picked these colors because the nautical, preppy, chic, fresh thing is totally her deal. What do you think?

{ Knit goodies + card safe in SF | April 2013 }

PS. The last picture is from the birthday girl herself—she sent me a note and picture when the package arrived. I do this, too when I receive a gift and love love love having people do the same for me when I've sent something. Makes me happy to see them "at home"!

Next project: something similar for us in a natural palette.

Mamela

2013-04-10T06:08:00.000-04:00

{ The Lion King Musical | via }

One Easter some 20-odd years ago, I planned an elaborate Easter Egg Hunt for my family in our backyard and woods (benefit of growing up in Virginia: you can live at the end of a cul-de-sac on an acre of land). Before we headed outside to follow my Harriet-the-Spy-type-clues, I remember sitting at the kitchen table with a red top on and my hair half tied up with a white ribbon pulling goodies out of my Easter basket until I got to the VHS tape of The Lion King. Do you remember those thick, white-edged plastic cases from Disney? They always reminded me of baby chew toys.

+ + +

I watched The Lion King regularly, faithfully, taking photographs while the movie was paused so I could develop them and carry them around. I had all the lyrics and words memorized, the gestures, the glances, the dance moves. It was all stored in my mind, ready to reproduce, like a party trick. There was something mesmerizing to me about the heart of the story, the rhythms of the African-influenced songs, and of course, the animals.

+ + +

But, this two-decade cherishing of a movie about a lion cub's life in no way prepared me for the onslaught of emotions I felt when I finally (finally!) sat down at the Minskoff Theater in Times Square to see the Broadway Musical this past weekend. I kid you not, when the show began and these gorgeous dancers / actors recast as exotic and elegant savannah animals began prancing down the aisles with their puppet machinations, I lost it. Positively lost it. I began crying and could not stop (well, until I started laughing, because there are some very funny scenes).

The pageantry of colors, amazing staging (seriously: the stampede scene was ingenious!), Zulu chants and an almost Gospel-like chorus was just so breathtakingly beautiful. It made me feel like a child again—in the best possible way. Can you remember what it felt like the first time you beheld something we take for granted now (like, ice cream or a parrot or a skyscraper)? That's what I felt like the whole time.

I still have chills thinking about it.

New York—you were good to me this weekend. Seeing The Lion King was no doubt, one of the best, most wonderful experiences I've had in this perversely beautiful city (right up there with picnics under the Brooklyn bridge, cocktails on a rooftop with an expansive view of the city at sunset, sailboat trips around the NY Harbor, etc.). Let's do it again some time, okay?

PS. Mamela means "listen" in Zulu and is featured in one of my favorite numbers. Here's a clip:

Waking from a deep sleep

2013-04-08T06:35:00.000-04:00

{ Our former Police Headquarters—Google the current one if you want to cry | 1 April 2013 }

This winter seems to be dragging on a bit, despite the sporadic bouts of warmth, and with it, I've definitely been dragging a bit, too. My hibernation mode means I'm not feeling as sleek (cold air and high heaters wreck havoc on the skin!), strong (have been quite the lazybones when it comes to weights and things), or flexible (ditto on yoga) as I did just a few months ago.

The only thing that has been somewhat countering this yucky situation I find myself in are the loooooong walks I've been taking—and even those I had to stop for a while because they were too painful. Watery eyes from blustery winds + freezing temperatures = Frozen face. You may think this doesn't bode well for any future move to Sweden, but at least there I'll be expecting it and will be prepared. Here I'm still in denial about the meteorologic state of things.

Clearly I need a little seasonal freshening up, so recently I've been:

+ Drinking stovetop-heated water with liberal squeezes of juice from Meyer lemons first thing in the morning to boost my immune system, balance pH levels, gently push toxins out, keep my lymph system happy and get my digestive juices flowing (sometimes I add a capful of Apple Cider Vinegar to my potion if I've had a particularly heavy or spicy meal the night before).

+ Dry brushing my whole body before a shower and my face in the morning and evenings to get rid of dead skin, promote elasticity, cell renewal and blood flow, continue to keep my lymph system happy, get toxins on their way, and help with digestion. I found a natural, long-handled brush from the drugstore for my body and this wee, horsehair brush for my face from MUJI. In the mornings I use the face brush dry on my skin and in the evening I smear my winter oil concoction on my face first to take off makeup/dirt and then swirl the brush over my face and neck.

+ Reinvigorating how I exercise. I think one of the reasons I haven't made an effort lately to get up and move in the morning is because I was bored (and / or cold!). So last week I looked up some new ideas for strength / body-weight moves (Pinterest is great for this!), updated my routines (I put together Google Drive slideshows targeting different muscle groups or grouped by style of workout and then I just access them on my phone when I'm ready to go—they're easy enough to see while my phone is perched in its armband). I also downloaded some new Yoga Podcasts because I want to get back into it after a bit of a break. I liked how I felt and how my body aligned itself when I was practicing regularly. You could say that I'm a little unaligned at the moment.

Hopefully a little of this and a little of that will give me a little spring-appropriate rebirth / rejuvenation of sorts. So far I've noticed the most benefit from face brushing—my skin looked much brighter after just one day. And! Even though I didn't have the best luck with Pure Synergy (although I've been thinking of trying them again since I didn't take the full dosage the first time around and they're still the cleanest product I've seen), I HAVE had some luck with the Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega D3 capsules that I started taking a month ago. Given how hard it is to buy fish I feel good about, I wanted to get my Omega 3's from a supplement and I figured that while I was at it, a little Vitamin D was in order. While I haven't had the elusive burst of energy I'm looking for, I did at least notice a slight uptick in my energy level and way less of the endless yawning I usually do, so maybe there's something to it?

I've also been looking into a few other vitamins and supplements to augment things, but it'll be a while before I can share since I'm still awaiting my Amazon box of goodies to arrive and I want to incorporate them one at a time so I can pinpoint which ones actually have an effect.

And, I hope I don't sound like one of those slightly neurotic, pill-popping fanatics—the wacky type that makes everyone around them feel slightly uncomfortable (the odd thing is I don't really talk about this at all except for here). I've just become interested in these things over the last few months because even after eating and living fairly cleanly for a few years, I've never felt as good as I think I should feel by living that way. Plus, reading about how our produce today has less vitamins and minerals than a generation ago (thanks to soil depletion and pollution), I figured it might not hurt to give my system a little help...right?

A taste of spring

2013-04-04T12:59:00.001-04:00

{ Brunch at Balaboosta | 30 March 2013 }

This past Saturday, after checking in on and rotating the marinating lamb for our Easter dinner party, I headed out to enjoy some of my favorite things:

+ Sunshine
+ Homey brunches
+ City strolls
+ Girl talk over cocktails

After months and months of frigid temperatures, the sun shined its little heart out all over the city and the temperature eke'd above 50 in the morning and hovered juuust under 60 for the rest of the day. To celebrate I met some gals for brunch—something that I will most definitely miss if and when we leave NYC, as I've yet to have the great, quintessential brunch experience in any other city.

My friends let me choose the place, which worked out well since I'd had my eye on Balaboosta, a Yiddish word meaning "the perfect housewife, homemaker, wonderful mother, cook & gracious hostess" for a while. How can you go wrong with that kind of philosophy, married to Israeli cuisine and a warm and cozy interior?

We snuggled three on the booth side and two on the chair side and ordered 2 Green Scrambled Eggs, 2 Shakshouksa's and the Braised Short Rib Hash (that was me), with frothy cappuccino's to start, Bloody Mary's to end and a chocolate mousse to share as the finale. With tasty dishes and great service, Balaboosta's definitely a keeper!

After we waddled out, we moseyed around Soho, ducking into shops here and there. There was a little shopping, a little manicure/pedicuring and just in time for cocktail hour we found ourselves in Gramercy, in front of this chic and classy little townhouse with a restaurant inside and seating outside—I haven't seen any sidewalk tables since lo back in September! We promptly set ourselves up next to a French Bulldog and had a plate of deviled eggs with jalapenos and lobster and a quartet of cocktails, two were springier (my Josephine Baker and my friend's Cucumber Martini), while the two gals feeling a little under the weather had The House's Spiked Cider for their scratchy throats.

Perfect Intro-to-Spring day, no?

{ Springy cocktails at The House | 30 March 2013 }

Easter Dinner 2013

2013-04-03T18:33:00.000-04:00

{ Table set for 8 | Easter Dinner | 31 March 2013 }

Not to toot my own horn (tooot toot!), but I'm simultaneously relieved / shocked / proud that I pulled off an Easter dinner for 8 (including one vegan couple) that was gluten-free, sugar-free and apparently tasty, given the clean plates, this weekend.

Usually R cooks the main stuff when we have friends over for dinner, and I do the scheduling, grocery-shopping, music/candle/flower/table situation, and dessert, but with him working this weekend (and me secretly wishing for the chance to try my hand at the whole shebang), it worked out perfectly.

We had:

+ Hot roasted and salted almonds, a wheel of Paesanella cheese, and Gaeta olives to start
+ A gratin of cauliflower, olives, Pecorino and Parmesan cheese
+ Roasted asparagus with almonds, hard-boiled eggs and a smoky yogurt sauce
+ Lamb marinated for 48 hours in a garlic/parsley bath
+ Lemon, coconut and almond bars to finish

Then, R made the vegan dish for our friends (a pasta with mushroom sauce), plus they also had the asparagus, since I served the eggs and yogurt sauce apart.

The most exhausting part was prepping enough vegetables for everyone—so much washing, chopping and boiling/sauteing! Might need a break before our next dinner party. I was most scared about ruining the lamb—we don't have a meat thermometer (should probably invest in that) and I'm always nervous that I'm about to serve either hideously overdone meat or even-too-rare-for me, but the lamb ended up being the easiest thing.

And, to be honest, I think my most favorite part of the whole preparation was setting the table and arranging the flowers—I get such a Martha Stewart-It's-a-Good-Thing-vibe-o-happiness when everything is just so.

Just a few more pics from the weekend and table for you—sadly no actual shots of the food to share, though. Next time.

{Good Friday Mass, OSP's Basilica |29 March 2013 }

{ Procession Prep, OSP's Basilica | 29 March 2013 }

{ Close-up of the table, yes those are place cards! | Easter Dinner | 31 March 2013 }

{ Post-dinner, pre-dessert | Easter Dinner | 31 March 2013 }

2013 in pictures: March

2013-04-01T06:11:00.000-04:00

Click to catch up!

{ "I am here" days | Mar. 3, 2013 }

{ Thyroidy | Mar. 5, 2013 }

{ Beating the winter blues | Mar. 7, 2013 }

{ Snowy deliberations | Mar. 8, 2013 }

{ NYSS Art Lectures | Mar. 12, 2013 }

{ Monday meanders: 8 | Mar. 18, 2013 }

{ An extension | Mar. 19, 2013 }

{ Banished from the bedroom | Mar. 21, 2013 }

{ The Nomad Hotel Library | Mar. 22, 2013 }

{ So worth it | Mar. 25, 2013 }

So worth it

2013-03-25T16:42:00.000-04:00

{ Mast Bros Papua New Guinea Chocolate + Gasoline Alley Kombucha (enjoyed separately) | 21 March 2013 }

NYC is the be all end all for many, the epicenter of disgust and loathing for others, and for me it's just the place I live. I'm used to its foolishness after all these years—the tourists clogging up the sidewalk, the never-ending cacophony and how the price of every single thing here is quadruple what it would be elsewhere (except for manicure/pedicure specials at Asian-run salons—bless their efficient ways and lovely massage chairs!).

But, sometimes even I can't believe how much I pay to live in a city that may be bad for me (see the comments here). I mean, it's accepted that we pay an absurd amount on rent, on drinks, to unwind and even to escape the city...but even for a blissful moment of escape at my desk I pay a lot—without even blinking an eye (which is the absurd part in this little scenario).

I'm willing to spend a little more when I can on good, clean food and products, but the fact that I didn't even notice I was handing over $9 for a bar of chocolate last week is a little crazy, no?

No! It's actually not (really that) crazy at all because this chocolate is FANTASTIC. I remember passing Mast Brothers on a walk in Brooklyn two years ago (which of course, is adorable), but for whatever reason, I didn't go in and have a taste. But when I headed to a local coffee shop for a kombucha last week and spied these gorgeously wrapped treats, I snapped one up.

Not only is it nice to have a truly locally-made treat, but I love that it only has two (pronounceable) ingredients! And, of course, the taste is amazing. I wish the descriptions were online so you could look at them all, but suffice to say this little Papua New Guinea Dark Chocolate had me at: "After harvest, these beans are uniquely smoked. This post-fermentation process imparts incredible flavor: think hickory smoked bacon and aged scotch."

And seriously, that is EXACTLY what it tastes like. Incredible.

I'll be going back for more, obviously—this is an addiction worth having!

Mid-week treat at The Nomad Hotel Library

2013-03-22T18:33:00.000-04:00

{ Nomad Hotel Cocktails via Kathy YL Chan }

Earlier this week R and I finally got around to meeting up at The Nomad Hotel's Library for that drink we tried to get a few weeks ago. It ended up being quite a pricey mid-week frisson-inducing treat, but, nothing wrong with an occasional splurge, especially in such a pretty place, no?

Even on a Tuesday, the restaurant, bar, parlor and library were jam-packed and we only got a table because R went over around 5:30 to try and snag one—and snag one he did! We got the coziest one snuggled along the bookshelves where we paged through some art books and tried to figure out which of the delicious looking cocktails to indulge in. Luckily for me, they had quite a few of the spiced, spicy, deep and bitter drinks that I favor. My top choices?

Fig & Thistle:
Highlands Blanco Tequila, Cardamaro Amaro, Fig, Lemon

The Brunswick:
Bourbon, Campari, Averna, Carpano Antica, Maraschino, Angostura Bitters, Sarsaparilla

Satan's Circus:
Rye Whiskey, Thai Bird Chili-Infused Aperol, Cherry Heering, Lemon

Five Families:
Rye, Barolo Chinato, Averna, Zucca, Maraschino

R ended up getting The Brunswick, while I took the Five Families—both were tasty, but I wish I had gotten Satan's Circus, since ours ended up being so similar. We also ordered a few nibblies: the Salmon Rilettes and Beef Tartare, both of which were yummy, but certainly not filling.

A problem we remedied by ordering a pizza as we walked home from the subway later that evening.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Banished from the bedroom

2013-03-21T06:57:00.000-04:00

{ The homemade pizza that fueled the change | 10 March 2013 }

I've finally deemed all smartphones permanently verboten from entering our bedroom—something that should have been forbidden a long, long time ago—but, it took three things to finally prompt their exile now: my attempt to self-diagnose my (supposed) thyroid issue + common sense finally sinking in + my lil' ol' manifest project.

I always knew it wasn't a good idea to sleep with my phone so close. It just makes sense, right? A close phone means:

+ A constant source of radiation pulsing less than a foot from my head for 7'ish hours straight a night.

+ Saying "let me just check this one last thing" becomes entirely too easy. And, the more I check my phone, the more I see its harsh blue screen, which confuses our brains into thinking it's not nighty-night time, and that, plus frequent checks, means my bedtime is suddenly pushed back 30 minutes to an hour.

Knowing that, it still took reading that the electro magnetic frequency shooting out of our phones can affect my thyroid to get me to shift my habits around and wean myself off.

After gathering my strength from a delicious homemade pizza night, I got to poking around behind our TV stand to figure out the wire situation and make room for another surge protector that I could turn on at night to charge our phones. Fighting with the cables to make sure they all worked and nothing was visible from the other side (I loathe visible cables) was the easy part. The hard part turned out to be trusting I'd be able to wake up from an alarm clock in another room—the first night I tried this I woke up every hour or so to make sure I hadn't overslept!

One week later, know what I've realized?

+ I actually DO feel like I'm sleeping better with two less blinkety-blinking lights in our bedroom and no phone screen glare attacking my eyeballs in the minutes before bedtime.

+ Having to get out of bed to turn my alarm off is an effective balm to my snooze-ing habits.

+ I've now gotten into the routine of plugging my phone in on its little shelf when I get home and then not looking at it again until just before bedtime to check messages and set my alarm (which was a February intention, under the "Energy" category, oddly enough). It's so nice to not be staring at another screen after 8 hours of staring at one at work, not to mention completely freeing to not feel the need to "check-in" every few minutes (something I learned recently). Plus: more time for other more enjoyable things!

+ Speaking of: minimizing digital distractions in the bedroom maximizes a whole lot of other things.

It's too early to know if this will have any thyroid benefits, but the other four are reason enough for me to be glad I finally booted those bad boys out of our bedroom!

An extension

2013-03-19T06:50:00.000-04:00

{ Washington Square Park: you're still mine for a bit longer | 13 March 2013 }

After a pensive weekend, followed by a week of email negotiations, our apartment situation is finally settled: we agreed to a 6-month lease renewal at a slightly higher (but lower than market-price) rent.

WHEW!

Things were looking bleak / expensive for us when our building said they could only offer a 3-month renewal, which wouldn't help since the new lease-end date would coincide with my Italian consulate appointment. Our building reasoned that we could always renew again in three months, but of course we ran the risk that the price would rise. Again.

We put off responding to the three-months-only-option e-mail, and were in the process of very grudgingly resigning ourselves to another year in New York (since subletting isn't an option for us and we also wanted to avoid another price hike in three months) when we received another communiquè.

Our landlords had reconsidered given my history with the building (six years, people!) and offered us a 6-month extension at a locked-in price. Not sure what prompted them to change their mind—maybe giving them the cold shoulder made me more attractive, the way boys are way more into the girls that give them the brush off?

Regardless, I quite like the idea of one last summer and fall in NYC. Although that does mean if we are able to leave when the new lease ends, we'd wind up in Sweden just in time for winter...oops!

Monday meanders: 8

2013-03-18T06:42:00.000-04:00

[Some tidbits from my online poking around...enjoy!]

{ More anti-winter orangey goodness! | 11 March 2013 }

+ Traveling with kids: Even though I'm a little averse to super "kiddie" looking things for children (says the childless woman), I can't get over how adorable this "Skootcase" is. (via)

+ What do you call a group of X? A group of flamingos is called a "flamboyance" and a group of pugs is called a "grumble"...and other adorable/happy nubbins for you.

+ Living small while living large: This, THIS is one of my life goals. I already tend to live with less, but oooo, hoping an international move will help me cull even more. Great story of a man who went from normal to obscenely rich in money and belongings to rich in experiences:

"For me, it took 15 years, a great love and a lot of travel to get rid of all the inessential things I had collected and live a bigger, better, richer life with less."

+ Balance: Another goodie from the NYT about balancing life and work. Loved reading a successful woman's perspective, including her regrets:

"Sometimes young women tell me they admire what I’ve done. As they see it, I worked hard for 20 years and can now spend the next 20 focused on other things. But that is not balance. I do not wish that for anyone."

Art lectures at NYSS—Matisse: In search of true painting

2013-03-12T06:19:00.000-04:00

{ Still Life with Purro 1, 1940, Matisse }

{ Still Life with Purro 2, 1904-05, Matisse }

This little 2013 plan is working! If for no other reason than I'm a perfectionist and since my list is out there, I feel compelled to check things off (even though I haven't shared an update recently, oops!).

Anyway, under "Discovery" I included an intention to get back into art history—a subject I loved so much I was on track to minor in it in college. One of my favorite things about it wasn't so much wandering around museums, but hearing someone who devoted their life to periods and movements and artistes speak about the crazy connections between people, art and history. So back in January I started Googling for lecture series in the city and found NYSS (New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture) and their free evening events.

I added the February Matisse and March Courbet events to my calendar, but by the time the date of the first event rolled around I was thisclose to going "eh, I'm too tired" after work and just ignore it, but, but! knowing I would have to fess up and share my progress with y'all I woman-ed up and took myself to the school on a Wednesday evening at 6:30PM for the first lecture (it also helped that I invited a friend—someone I know who is always up for anything, the exact opposite of me, to join and go for dinner afterward).

The little room was packed when we got there—lots of students and lots of older people (for whom we could tell this was their thing, especially given their extremely in-depth, slightly whackadoo questions afterward), but what I didn't realize was that the woman speaking on Matisse had actually curated a "live" exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and was there to talk about it.

As soon as the lights dimmed and I snuggled into my chair I remembered why I loved these kinds of lectures so much. The dark room, the flashes of canvases from far away and close up with arrows pointing to obscure details, the aged photographs, the maps, the tentative hypotheses backed up by debatable proof (art is always open for interpretation), it was just fascinating!

This lecture specifically was really interesting because the whole premise was that Matisse wasn’t born an artistic genius, in the way that Michelangelo or Beethoven were considered prodigies. He worked hard at it, only becoming a painter in middle age and after teaching himself by copying masters. Even when he became recognized for his work, he still wasn’t satisfied, often repainting, re-evaluating and even re-doing his work in an entirely different style, while keeping the subject matter the same.

Meaning, this exhibit was about comparing multiple versions of the same subject matter and showing how this one was influenced by Gaugin, and that one by Seurat. And the name "in search of true painting" was about his obsession with the process of creation, pushing deeper, further to get at something more "real".

As a cranky perfectionist, I understand him completely and am so glad I went.

Snowy deliberations

2013-03-08T11:18:00.000-05:00

{ Snow falling...horizontally | Lower Manhattan | 8 March 2013 }

As you can see, we've got a wintry-white weekend ahead of us.

Perfect for me, as I've got two days of taxes to look forward to, which will hopefully keep my mind off of fretting over (1) needing to decide within three weeks where we're going to live in NYC for the foreseeable future and (2) when we'll hear back from the US, Italian and Swedish consulates, which may make our need to prolong our time here null.

I think an Excel spreadsheet would call this a circular error.

Beating the winter blues

2013-03-07T06:06:00.000-05:00

{ Fresh flowers | 2 March 2013 }

Still winter.

And, yes, while I do like cold weather, I'm a bit tired of wearing boots and my skin misses sunlight! So, as usual, I've been doing a few new'ish things in an attempt to beat-S.A.D. and attack-my-tiredness-(potentially-hypo-thyroidism?), like:

+ Color / Oxygen: Adding even more lush green plants to our windowsills AND more fresh, saturated-tastic orange and yellow flowers in vases throughout the apartment.

+ Sleep: Aiming for 8 hours of actual sleep, instead of 8 hours in bed and only 7'ish of sleep, which means: getting into bed at 9:30PM and reading until 10PM'ish, instead of getting into bed at 10:30PM and reading until 11PM, AND getting out of bed at 6:30AM instead of 6AM. How funny would it be if my years of non-stop yawning was actually directly related to me only sleeping 7-7.5 hours a night? (Not that funny, actually).

+ Vitamins: Taking fish oil supplements with Vitamin D (see: "Still winter", above). I've still got some of my Pure Synergy Vit-Min-Herb supplements, but as I use them up, I'm phasing in some good oils. I've never taken fish oil supplements before, and after doing a little research, seems like a good thing to work in, especially since it's so hard to get good (as in: clean, humanely-raised, affordable) fish these days.

+ Turning back the clocks: Granted, this one isn't of my own doing, but am so glad that Daylight Saving's Time kicks back in this weekend. Whew.

Thyroidy

2013-03-05T12:10:00.001-05:00

{ Pretty greens at breakfast | 21 February 2013 }

A few years ago my mom began to have really odd health issues—she put on weight very quickly (without any lifestyle / diet changes), but it came on unevenly. It wasn't so much as getting "fatter", as it was that her face / neck / upper body got massively bloated. That was the biggest sign that something was happening (along with a few other more personal / TMI issues).

She finally went to the doctor and had a blood test which showed that her TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) indicator was at a 6.5, and at that time doctors agreed that a "normal" thyroid would return a result between 0.5 and 5.5, so she was definitely above even the "high-end", which lead to a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, an issue with the endocrine system.

With hypothyroidism your thyroid doesn't make enough thyroid hormone, which regulates your metabolism, affects protein synthesis, regulates long bone growth, and affects how your cells use energetic compounds (protein, fats, carbohydrates)—some pretty major stuff. This isn't like that lazypants appendix that hangs around slothily. To combat the serious complications she was facing (and would face, if left untreated), my mom was put on prescription medicine and the situation is under control now.

+ + +

I didn't even think about any of that until I went to visit a Functional Medicine / Integrative Medicine doctor last month. Ever since making drastic changes to my diet / lifestyle a few years ago, I've been interested in an holistic approach to medicine, i.e., treating the root cause, addressing every aspect of your life to make positive physical / mental changes, and using food / environmental adjustments as the first line of defense, rather than drugs.

I had never seen one of these types of doctors before because insurance (of course) didn't cover it. But, my company switched plans in December and the first thing I did was to see if any of the Functional Medicine doctors in NYC were now covered and hoooboy, hit the jackpot. The Continuum Center for Health and Healing here in New York was mostly covered! I immediately made a few appointments for yearly check-ups.

When we showed up for our appointments (I dragged R along, too) they allowed us to be checked out together—I'm a firm believer in needing support to make big changes, so I wanted us both to hear what the doctor had to say to the other—so that was a good start. The questions about our medical history / life included "how do you like your job?", "what do you do to relax?", "are you religious / spiritual?". I loved the focus on our environment and the understanding and belief in how everything affects us.

My blood test results came in a few days later and here's where things get interesting.

Ten years ago the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, at the recommendation of the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry, re-evaluated prognoses based on TSH results: no longer would "normal" be 0.5 to 5.5, but only to 2.5.

Remember my mom got a 6.5? I didn't get that high, but I did get above a 2.5 and below a 5.5, which perhaps is still a "gray area" for some doctors, but it had me crazy worried!

Even though my doctor told me my results were fine, my Google-ing/uber-researchy mind set about to figure things out for myself when I got my PDF readout. I called him and asked, "are you SURE that I don't need to be worried about this, because it would explain a lot of the issues I have, namely: I'm always tired and have continuously cold feet / hands (despite being hot everywhere else)".

He stayed firm in his opinion that I don't have hypothryoidism, based on the congruence of all of my other tests (which, to be fair, I have no idea how to determine that), but even so, I think I'm going to look into things I can do myself (sans drugs) to boost my thyroid performance, which is what I would have done anyway.

+ + +

A few things I've read about that affect the thyroid negatively:

+ Fluoride: which I use ABUNDANTLY, since I have a genetic disposition to cavities despite a seriously fierce teeth cleaning routine. Rather than have both fluoride toothpaste + fluoride mouthwash, I'm going to take one out of the equation. (I'm afraid removing both will launch a thousand cavities). I'm also going to check our pants to see which ones are non-stick (and thus, a source of fluoride).

+ Soy: I really dislike soy, although I've recently been into tempeh (fermented soy). I thought the fermentation alleviated the issues with soy (which for me manifest in an upset stomach), but perhaps it's time to cut back on that, too?

+ Estrogen: I think a lack of any prescription pills on my part and a mostly organic-meat diet takes care of keeping extra estrogen away from my systems, but I do enjoy my Ronnybrook milk in coffee, but surely that's not enough to cause an issue, right? Either way, I may be easing off of that a bit.

+ Processed foods: Fake foods, artificial flavors / colors, preservatives, white flower, white sugar, hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup are all majorly bad in general, but also for the thyroid. Luckily, no issues for me here.

+ Cruciferous vegetables: Now this is a problem, since I eat a LOT of broccoli, Brussel sprouts, kale and cauliflower. Dislike. (Although, I think cooking mitigates the problem—goitrogenic compounds—so perhaps I'm okay?).

A few things I've read about that are good for the thryoid (and thank goodness, are already a part of my life, just need to boost 'em):

+ Alkaline foods: Lemons, limes, grapefruit, asparagus, onion, parsley, spinach, broccoli, garlic, olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

+ Gluathione: This is an antioxidant that strengthens the immune system and some foods that help the body produce it are asparagus, broccoli (so, ignore the cruciferous thing above, I guess?), avocado, spinach, garlic, squash, grapefruit and raw eggs (yes! I love raw eggs!).

+ Chlorphyll: There's some in my Pure Synergy green powder, but I can find more ways to add this into my diet, I think.

+ Coconut oil: HA, got that covered, for sure.

+ L-Arginine: A non-essential amino acid that our bodies produce, but that we also get from food (dairy, beef, pork, gelatin, poultry, seafood, nuts, chick peas, seeds). I think I get plenty of those foods, but wouldn't hurt to up it (as I don't really want to take a supplement).

+ L-Tyrosine: An amino acid we use to synthesize protein, which (naturally) comes from protein sources in our diets. Like L-Arginine, I think my diet gives me enough, but perhaps I can work some more in or, ugh, take a supplement at some point?

+ Probiotics: Helps keep healthy gut bacteria flowering and whatnot (thank you Whole Milk Fage for my regular dose!).

So, let's see how this goes...

"I am here" days

2013-03-03T18:05:00.000-05:00

{ Waiting for the IKEA ferry | Pier 11, Slip A, Manhattan | September 2012 }

This article about exploring New York "unplugged and on foot" from The New York Times described exactly the kind of "flaneurs" I want to take advantage of here...and anywhere. I love everything about the premise of this, the idea of going against the "reigning cults of productivity and connectivity" to:

+ Forage in the city: picking an area you don't know well and immersing yourself completely in it for the full day

+ "Give our gadgets a secular Sabbath"

+ "Revel in friendship and conversation"

+ "Be thickly in one place, not thinly everywhere."

+ "Nourish a single, rolling conversation among the group, not one-on-one side chats"

Rather than just admire the idea from afar, I decided to grab some like-minded urban adventurers to join in the fun and experience an "antidote to our frenetic, insatiable age" by spending a few hours rooting around Red Hook—a place in Brooklyn I've always wanted to putter about.

We met Saturday afternoon at the IKEA ferry boat terminal near the South Street Seaport for the (free! scenic!) East River crossing to Red Hook. Just like the article, we headed over to home/made bklyn down Van Brunt Street for brunch (highly recommend the kale salad topped with a warm bacon / mustard vinaigrette and poached egg), stopping to take photos (with an analog camera!) along the way. All through brunch, and a long walk that took us out of Red Hook and up through Columbia Street Waterfront District and Carroll Gardens, the four of us managed to keep our phones in our pockets AND stick to one conversation (okay...with a few minor slip-ups caused by walking two-by-two down a crowded sidewalk) for four and a half hours!

At the end of our afternoon I realized, not only did I NOT miss out by not checking my phone every few minutes, I was actually able to really enjoy my friends and the freedom of not having to keep clicking around. Red Hook ended up being as rough and tumble as I had heard, and I think had we not been on this mission I would have most certainly been scrolling around my phone while walking down abandoned streets, but instead, we noticed a million and one things and even though I didn't really fall in love with the neighborhood, at least I experienced it.

We are definitely doing this again—soon!