FINALLY Friday. This week went by sooooo sloooooooowly. Indulging in one of my guilty pleasures on Wednesday night, The Bachelor Pad & a glass of wine, I was eyeing up things up in our teeny apartment during the crazy long commercial breaks. We do as best we can to keep it clutter free but after a wedding and the generousity of friends & relatives....well, we have a mixer sitting beside a wine fridge in one corner, piles of frames behind the chair, etc, etc. With it being wedding season and all (is it just me or is FALL becoming the new wedding season?), I thought I may do a quick FF post on my 5 favorite wedding registry pieces & apartment necessities for a new family of 2 with basically no space....for like anything;) Glass bottle with swing top. I mean, this is literally $3.95. And I bought it for myself but this little guy is a dinner staple. Fill with sparkling water and eliminate the plastic labeled TJ's ones from the tablescape. Even if it's takeout for dinner, doesn't the table look better with glass and flowers? The answer is yes;) A Wedding Bowl. Gift-wise, this is my favorite sentimental present we received from our wedding. Engraved with our names, location and date, we've filled this with our wedding cards and program which sits on top(idea stolen from the perfect homestylist Mrs LPA;) A constant memory of that day that I love wandering my eyes over when at home, and occationally dipping in to re-read a few... Grill Pan. You know what stinks? Not being able to have a gas grill (or a lawn, but I digress). Everything summer food related tastes better on the grill. And while I totally smoke out the apartment when using this, this pan comes as close to the real thing as anything else. It's cast iron and heavy as heck, but when your husband (read: you) craves blue cheeseburgers, this thing does the trick. Charring to perfection. The Coffee Canister. I know its sister the Utensil one is there too which I like but dont love. The CC, I love. I like this set because in our small kitchen this is really all that matters. A few spatulas and coffee. Nothing else necessary. Really. Pizza Stone. If there is one fru-fru, unconventional, kind-of specialty kitchenware that you register or purchase for a bride...GET THIS. Some of the best memories we have in our place are nights that we open some wine, grab authentic Italian ingrediants from Eataly and make some personal pizza pies. And you can entice you're friends over with it :) PS: Check out a new part of the sidebar for other fun, inspirational, witty, health-focused, everyday, girly blogettes that I follow. I couldnt do a top 5. I just couldn't pick!
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I dont remember being taught my manners as a child(ha, I mean, I WAS but I can't conciously recollect that time) but as an adult I watch in keen observance as my brother & sis in law, uncle & aunt...friends and strangers, remind their young ones to use please & thank you. Perhaps I'm documenting for future reference (file under: things to do as a parent) or I've simply given more awareness to this in the husslebussle bubble that we live in after a vacation out of the city. A few days ago, I made note of how lovely a welcome receptionist my bikram studio has---how she has known my name for so long but I didnt know hers. I always thank her for her speedy check-in of me upon arrival, but does she know how simple that smile and positivity she radiates truly affects the students that walk in the door? I doubt it.
I was jolted with a ah-ha moment kind of smile when I read the following quote from "The Help" and I'm glad to know I saved it in my clippings on the Kindle. It reads... "Saying thank you, when you really mean it, when you remember what someone done for you"---she shakes her head, stares down at the scrated table---"it's so good." Before week's end, I have promised myself to write a quick appreciative note (or a simple mention in person) to a few of those people in my life....the bikram welcome receptionist...our apartment building's doormen....the parking garage attendant who gets my car everyday....the cashier at Trader Joes whom I always seem to get when checking out. Perhaps in some way, it makes me feel better saying a real hearty thank you because they without a doubt do make my day a bit easier, a bit brighter. I mean, Oprah always said that every person in this world just wants to be heard. To be validated. And to have what they say and do matter to someone. AMEN SISTER OPRAH. Say your please & thank yous this week :) *i feel like i'm really settling into my body in a way i never have before.
*comfort in my own skin. *i've found a balance in my social activities and in turn have made habit of the "saying no sometimes means saying yes" mentality. *a summer rain ends this workday. *i have come to a quiet understanding about what my body needs and enjoying a greater sense of simplicity in the weekly routine. *i've pushed myself physically more than ever and challenges dont scare me so much these days. *today at work, the zipper on my dress completely ripped and broke. *and a pave diamond fell out of my wedding band. *sometimes you just have to laugh. *it was a cheap dress anyways. *the ring can be fixed. *tuesday..... *sigh* We did alot. And a whole lot of nothing. We needed a weekend like this to just catch up and BE. As per usual, the weekends of no plans gets filled here and there with blips of NYCness. Rooftop happy hour, bachelorette party planning, homemade banana bread, spinning, shopping, cleaning-organizing, reading, walking, dinner & a movie, club scene for a hot second (cameo by the newest Mrs M in Manhattan), and ending with a Sunday brunch at our neighborhood staple: Greensquare Tavern. Monday, you are here too soon.
The sheer number of photos that I take and collect is ridiculous. Equally ridiculous is that I print off so few of these amazing moments captured on film. Yesterday, I made some progress and completed our honeymoon photo album! Small personal victory. While putting that together, I re-went through our wedding photos (yet to be ordered/cataloged in an album yet, I know...I know) and trips/nights out from past years. Oh, how these pics can take you back to that exact second and you laugh or awe so organically that you actually think for a quick flash you ARE back in time. Love. Family. Friends. Moments. Frozen in time. Sisters in Alaska. Heading to the church with Dad on my wedding day. Family on Godwin Glacier. Lee and Jeff. St Patty's Day Pub Crawl circa 2009. Look at Elizabeth's cuteness in the background. Newlyweds on Christmas.
I'm in an overly nostalgic mood this week coming off the Alaska trip. I am a planner and an organizer in my personal life but I think for the most part I do a good job of living in the now and taking in the big and the small moments that comprise a day's living. But sometimes...well....sometimes (like this morning, very loudly) my mind is reaching back into memories gone by and ones that I'm blessed to have as a part of my history. Fun, sentimental, the works kind of memories. Today's favorites are 5 of those ones :) Abby's Bachelorette Bar Crawl. State College c. 2005. I get perma-grin looking at pics from that night. She was the first to get engaged and married of us 4. Now all of us are wed and little Eme Ward is getting excited to welcome baby Hollenbeck into the crew of wine weekend babies;) Grandma & Grandpa Kertz's 50th wedding anniversary party. I love this memory and picture solely because of Grace's dramatic tearfest. haha. No, in all seriousness, I am so fortunate to have a set of grandparents who have seen a milestone like this in their marriage and family. My tough German grandfather's tears of happiness that night spoke louder than words. Wexford ladies reunions. My high school galpals mean the world to me. This is us from our reunion trip in 2008. We thought we'd really "grown up" that year. I love naivete ;) Dancing with my Dad on my wedding day. I'm such a sap:) I love everything about that moment with my Dad. With the girls and Mr. Pontiere singing "My Girl." It was as special as special can be. Kristin's first visit to NYC. Let it be known there have been 6 visits since + her wedding. Those weekends with her in town go down as some of the most hilarious we've ever spent as friends. I mean, based on this picture, even Lee agrees :) *can we go back?
*like kate from LOST: "we've gotta go back, jack!!" *the stark contrast between alaska and nyc is almost too much to handle. *a weekend of nothing around the corner? *sign me up. *lee is begging me to see captain america this wknd. *boys will always be boys. *arugala in the AM smoothie = tastes like a pound of pepper. *how is it aug 4th already? *8 months of marriage:) *ooo i should get my rings cleaned this wknd. *it's the little things. I didnt get a good pic of a wild caribou. (shoot!) A Sarah-ibou will have to suffice. Those are real caribou antlers, though! And a moose on our bike trail in Anchorage and a grizzly bear in the Russian River Falls near Seward during a hike. Wow. What a TRIP. I've just finished uploading the pictures and I cannot even believe how much we did/accomplished/saw in our week-long journey to and in Alaska. We've called these family vacations "camp" for a few times now, but this time, well, it really was just that. Tents, campfires, breathtaking mountain views, outhouses, and a few pesky mosquitos (that ate poor Brady alive during that first hike.) Deet to the rescue! My mind is fluttering with details now as I begin to describe and document this past week in Alaska so I'll start with a quick map. My cartography skills are awesome. So yeah. Alaska is huge. Mom claimed it was 30x the size of Texas. "It is! The guide said so!" -Mom. *correction: the guide said 8x* Classic:) Love you. Clarification: Alaska is 3x the size of Texas OR if you like bigger #s, you could fit 62 Massachusetts inside the state. However you slice it, that is one big MFin piece of the United States. This was my outfit in transit to Alaska. Disgusting hiker with a bad Mom-look twist. It was comical and potentially the worst wardrobe choice I have ever made in life. It provided Lee and I with a ton of laughs on our trek up north:) JCrew sale rack: failure. (In my defense, I was trying to conserve room in my duffle bag by wearing the hiking boots.) Day 1: Anchorage. Above is the first pic of the entire group taken after a 30 mile bike ride along the water. Along the way we ran into more moose than we even saw in Denali! It was great to be outdoors in a city that has a massive 3-story REI at the center of the town square. We took in the sights and caught up along the ride, stoping once at a beach/park. Memorable Moment #1: Walking to the beach my sis Elizabeth asked me to be her Matron(old) of Honor in her wedding. GUSH. Happy times:) After the ride, we headed to an early (read: 3pm) dinner at Humpy's for some classic Alaskan fare: halibut tacos and a good ol' nachos grande. Lee and I sampled some of the microbrews of the state with Alaska White (a Blue Moon mimic) being my favorite. Full, fat and happy...we called it a day and headed back to our "B&B". I dont have any inside photos of this place, but let it be made clear it was a corner "suite" of a moldy basement. We got a good laugh out of it and figured even tent living would be better! It was:) *sorry, Mom...not deleting that fabulous pic ofyou in the helmet/hat, you'll be the one laughing with perfect non-sun damaged /ageless skin at 80* Ps: Before our bike ride, I took an early morning bikram class at Anchorage Yoga! It was amazing and I was in awe of the community spirit the studio had. All the students seem to know each other and have a vested interest in each other's practice. I felt a longing for something like that at my home studio in NYC. Thanks to Melanie for a wonderful class and for making me feel so welcome! Day 2-3: Anchorage --> Kenai Fjords National Park. Above is Lee after we successfully put our little tent for 2 (they say it fits 4? Four pocket-size Asians, perhaps.) It was our home for the majority of the week and we loved it. Backtracking a bit....we were picked up Sunday morning in Anchorage by our guide for the week, Mark. Marko = nickname. Marko is the owner and head guide of a wonderful company called Alaska Outdoors. (HIGHLY RECOMMEND booking a trip with them if you ever want to go to Alaska.) Marko's been a guide for over 20years and after picking us up, we quickly realized we lucked out. His knowledge and personality were a perfect fit with our family of 7. Speaking of families, I would be remiss if I didnt mention the other family that completed our group of 10 Alaska adventurers for the week: Meet the McGowen Family! Nell, Miles, and Robert. Three of the nicest & sweet Southern folk from Shreveport, Louisianna. Salt of the earth. The McGowens and Kernion clan become best buds on this trip and we hope our paths cross again someday! After loading up the van and hitting the road, the ten of us + Marko made our way to the Kenai penninsula. Along the way, we stopped for our first camp style lunch and quick scope out of the area before finishing the trip and setting up camp for the night at Hidden Lake. A gorgeous spot deep in the forest and perfect for our first taste of the Alaskan wilderness. It is here we received our "if you only listen to one thing I say" speech from Marko regarding what to do if we encounter a bear or moose. Scary stuff. It was then I fully realized that we had entered the food chain and were literally in bear country. Making noise while hiking ("heyyyy bear! just walking through! dont mind me!" was my go-to chant) is crucial for staying safe and animal free. Check. We put these skills to use for our first real hike to Sparrow lake where we spotted our first bald eagle! It really is such a regal bird. I felt very patriotic in its presence. Campfire, wine and a fresh salmon dinner in our bellies and we called it a night. First night in tents! Lots of firsts today. Let's do it:) Memorable Moment #2: It doesnt get dark until way after midnight in Alaska during the summer. Falling asleep in nature when the clock reads 11pm but your body feels like it's 4 or 5? Weird. Monday morning we were treated to a breakfast feast by Marko. Eggs, hashbrowns, the works. The man knows how to weild a propane grill like a pro. We headed out with the whole crew in tow to the Russian River Falls for a half-day hike. It was gorgeous. I felt safe in our pack of 10 + Marko leading the way, but definitely wary of the bears. We hiked for about 2 hours and came upon the falls and decided it was a perfect spot for lunch. There was a man-made overlook at this spot and it was a welcomed luxury to take a seat. Somewhere between my fig newton and PB&J, Lee goes "bear. it's a bear. it's a bear." (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) <---- me freaking out. Luckily, the grizzly was below the platform and in the river! And on the hunt for salmon! We had seen the pool of red sockeye swimming upstream about 10 min before and pooling below the platform. Well the mama bear sensed that too! (She was without cubs, but Marko could tell she was a parent hunting for food.) We watched her for at least 30 minutes dipping her head in and out of the cold water, but this young bear wasnt quick enough to catch anything yet. Poor cubbies! After that eventful morning, Lee and I were taken to the Russian River drop off point to meet up with our fishing guide, Jason for an afternoon of salmon fishing! I had never gone fly fishing before but I caught on (literally) pretty quickly and even snagged on to a few salmon but was unable to land any. The atmosphere was so serene. I stopped many times just to watch Lee fish. He is in his element when on the river and I love that he's been able to share a part of that with me. A father and son were fishing not too far from us and for many moments that afternoon my mind wondered about the day Lee takes a future son or daughter of his fishing. Memorable moment #3: thinking about just that. Day 4: Kenai -->Seward. Tuesday morning, we packed up our things and headed to Seward(@2-3hrs away). A popular stop for the massive cruise ships, the place had a funny mix of folks like us who were roughing it (so to say) and the 60+ crowd simply docking for a day exploring the kitchy shops in Alaska. We got some lattes and everyone was happier:) Up first on this day's agenda: sea kayaking. Everyone paired off, got a quick safty/directions rundown from our kayak leader, Zach, and we headed into Resurrection Bay. Sweeping views of the mountains and even a glimpse of Godwin Glacier (more on that later.) We paddled almost 2 miles off shore and decided to lunch on a "ghost beach" that was partially destroyed by a tsunami yearrrrrs ago. Good times. A quick turnaround at the kayak shop after our mini tour of the bay, and we were off to the most anticipated part of the day: DOGSLEDDING on the Godwin Glacier (!!!). I'm not sure what was better that day: the intense white wonderland at the top, the actual sledride, the sleddog puppies or the helicopter trip to & from....but it was certainly pinch ourselves amazing. Brady's camera secured what will undeniably be the "picture of the trip" of the entire family on the glacier (see fuzzy/blurry attempt of mine to take a picture of the picture). We learned all about how they raise and train the sleddogs, discovering even before the pups turn a year old how their personality will fit best along the team "line". My favorite was a 1yr old dog named Wichita who has outsmartted and outworked the lead male dogs to become the first female lead on this certain team. Love a good girl power story:) Day 5-7: Seward --> Denali National Park. We had a lonnnng journey that day (roughly 8hrs). I have never been so thankful for a shower than the one I took in Seward. Being so fresh and so clean made the trek a bit more bearable (pun, intented). First stop along the way: the Iditarod Headquarters. We lunched on the grass (Marko's wife Jen and two daughters, Morgan (3yr) and Isabella (3mo) joined us. Morgan became a HIT amoung the group:) Continuing onward, our first hint that we were close to our destination was our first Mt. McKinley sighting. I'm so bummed I dont have a good pic of her but will update once I get Brady/Jackson's pics. It is like the other mountains are mere foothills bowing at the base of its greatness, taking over the entire skyline at any angle. We finally made our way to the camp site(after another quick 45min hike in Denali State Park before entering the NP) for our final 3 nights in Alaska: the Denali Outdoor Center. We were lucky (with Marko's lead) to secure a secluded group camp site nessled back by a lake. It was serene and perfect. By this time we are pros at pitching our tents that they go up in no time. Before bedtime a moose and her calf literally walk right through our campsite. Beautiful. For some reason they seem less of a threat to me. We call it a night as Thursday is a big day in Denali NP.... It's a bit strange how things opporate inside Denali NP. There are no hiking trails (save for maybe a few at the park's entrance) but with 6million acres of land, it registers as next to nothing. Permits are needed for backcountry camping and can only be aquired with a 3-night minimum. Basically what they are doing is keeping out only the most seasoned campers (or daredevils---aghem Lammers/Dief;) and allow for hikers to simply trek their own course. Reminder: this is bear country in case you forgot. The park offers green bus tours for a $10 fee for those wanting to see the park by car and also to drop off hikers (us) in a more remote section of the vast area. We chose to jump off a spot recommended by Marko called Polychrome Pass. A few hours of hiking around there provided us with the most spectacular views of the entire trip. (Mt McKinley was clouded over, bummer). Along our hike we saw Dall Sheep (think Billy Goats), caribou and a grizzly (thankfully, wayyyy far off along the river.) I couldnt get over how, in any way I looked, the entire area was untouched by humans. Not a single telephone pole, electric anything. It was just how it has always been. I was in awe. Our final day in Denali was a pick your own adventure and I chose my Kindle and a lakeside rock/chair for the morning while the rest went mountain biking. It was nice to get some alone time and take in the silence, the birds and catch up on some reading (The Hunger Games=excellent). At some point that morning, I headed to the van real quick to grab something and found Jen, Morgan & Isabella had rejoined us again! Morgan's bubbly personality started to open up and (realizing quick that I'm just a big kid) she took my hand and wanted to show me something: wild blueberries! Memorable moment #4: For the next hour, Morgan and I bounced around camp with a little basket and filled it to the brim with blueberries. Her mom Jen and I talked and talked. It was such a treat and loved hearing tales of a family who is so connected to nature and the outdoors that their 3yr old is telling me about what this and that is. Priceless. The crew returned and Lee and I took out the canoe for a liesurly loop along the lake. So peaceful. We were the only ones out there alongside a mama duck and 10 ducklings:) We had dinner that night at the Salmon Bake restaurant in the closest "town" near the park entrance and pretty much inhaled tons of greasy food + microbrews. Nom nom. ...and just like that, the trip was complete. We packed our things the next morning and headed back to Anchorage and jetted back to NYC. "what is an experience? something that breaks a polite routine and for a brief period allows us to witness things with the heightened sensitivity afforded to us by novelty, danger, or beauty - and it's on the basis of shared experiences that intimacy is given an opportunity to grow. people...effectively bonded by what they have seen." -alain de botton. Mom & Dad, thank you for this trip and for the experience you gave all your children. Life memories that we will keep forever. PS: some videos of the trip for your viewing pleasure:)
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AuthorSarah: one part of a family of THREE with my husband Lee and sweet girl Morgan, simply wanting to chronicle the path I'm on and the path that will come to be. For now it's NYC urban mamaville where everyday is a new adventure! (Actually, just getting to the post office is an adventure.) Ask Me Anything!Blogettes I LoveJoey & The Owl
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August 2015
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