Weekend Wrap-Up: A Festivus for the Rest of Us

I try not to waste any time when it comes to the holidays. When the calendar says December, that's my cue to start decorating, baking and shopping (can't forget that one!). This weekend was just perfect, and what better way to share it than through pictures!

Hope you had a very festive weekend too! Stay tuned for Wednesday's post on a new and healthy breakfast idea to spice up your morning routine!

We finished the week with some ice skating at Bryant Park. Thankfully, no bones were broken (I have a
long history with skating rinks).

LOVE the huge tree at Bryant Park!

Spent the early hours of Saturday morning at my favorite coffee shop in Park Slope, Cafe Dada.

We've mastered the art of brunching... 1) Arrive to James early enough to get a table, 2) promptly place food order and
3) sit back, relax and watch as the latecomers fight for a spot.

What's a Saturday morning without a bloody mary?...

Followed by a black kale salad  with quinoa, almonds, ricotta cheese and a poached egg for me...

...and the pulled pork, pickled slaw and cheese scone for Adam.

What better place to purchase your Christmas tree! 

Yeah, that tree was too big for me. Thanks for man-handling it home, Adam!

Walter's first Christmas tree.

A late afternoon trip to check out the new David's Tea in Park Slope, followed by a quick trip
to Barnes & Noble for a good book.

We passed a health food store and I went slightly nuts.

Now for the decorating...

The glittery ornaments had my name all over them.

Walter's guilty face.  I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of a ball rolling
across the bedroom floor. Guess who?

The flair on my tree. Isn't he cute?

Ta dah! My very first real-live New York City Christmas tree! It only took 4 years!

...and my Charlie Brown bathroom tree with the leftover trimmings!

A Sunday afternoon trip to Harney & Sons for more tea. 

Tea heaven... for real.

Yep, we went Christmas shopping for other people and only bought things for ourselves.
 Christmas - 1, Lauren and Adam - 0. Better luck next time!

Weekend Wrap-Up: My Happy Place

This weekend, I decided to focus on relaxation. I have a bit of an OCD problem. I live and die by my to-do lists, scrawled half-legibly across multiple post-it notes and stuck to my computer. It's very hard for me to just sit down, relax and do something I enjoy. So, after two weeks of moving, unpacking and settling in, I decided this weekend needed to be different.

Maybe some of you have the same problem. You find it hard to give yourself any 'me' time because you have a million other things you should be doing. Honestly though, that to-do list will always be a mile long. Life is one big to-do list. So before you spend your whole life running around like a chicken with your head cut off, remember to stop every once in awhile, smell the roses, do something you love, meet up with a friend for a coffee and a chat, and maybe even take a mid-day nap. These are the beautiful moments in life that we sometimes miss when we're being too OCD for our own good.

I know it's Monday and we're all back at it, but I encourage you to find a way to feed your soul today.

And now, my weekend in pictures...

The view from my new bedroom window. A very nice sight to wake up to.

The view from my living room window, facing west, meaning I get fantastic sunsets.

What's a Saturday morning without a hot cup of joe? Cafe Dada did the trick.

Man, I love my neighborhood... so many cool brownstones and beautiful, old trees.

The Grand Army Plaza Farmer's Market was rockin' this weekend... fall crops are here!

Just look at these peppers! Ay yi yi!

The apples were looking crisp and tasty!

These little girls were pumped about the pumpkins. 

The Indian corn pretty much makes fall official.

...Same goes for the autumn-colored mums.

Isn't this just the cutest? They sell milk in a bottle like the old days.

You gotta get free range pork if you're gonna make....

...homemade pulled pork! Nice job, Adam. Perfect game day food.

My favorite farmer's market booth.

...and the flowers I took home with me. Aren't they just beautiful?

Shopping on Smith Street (Oh Brooklyn Industries, why are you so pricy?)

A lazy Sunday morning

Watching Felix Baumgartner skydive from the edge of space (I'd hate to be his mother).

He survived!!! Phew.

A quick trip to Brooklyn Homebrew for the ingredients for Adam's latest homebrew... a Belgian Dark Strong Ale.

A beer-ice bath, apparently part of the brewing process. Maybe I shouldn't have cleaned the bathroom pre-brewing.

A little late-night blogging before bed.

Oh, and I saw John Mayer this weekend. His Escalade almost ran us over. Man, oh man, if my camera hadn't been deep inside my purse, that would've been some good blog material!

Oh well... can't win 'em all!