FOMO

I must read and go and see and do!

Last night I announced to Dr. H that I am going to make a conscious effort to plan less in August. With July shaping up to be a travelling /celebrating /plans-on-top-of-plans whirlwind, I'm back to having a plan to plan less (oy!) because I need at least some of my summer to just chilllll baby! Living in NYC means that there's no shortage of tempting activities to participate in (concerts, free events (like all of THESE), shows, baseball games, dining al fresco) and we love to travel to see family and friends for long weekends while our work schedules are a bit lighter. BUT, all this fun has meant sacrificing things like relaxed nights cooking together or waking up on a Saturday and letting the day take shape organically (also, cleaning, laundry? naaahhh.) I'm always so torn between my love of "doing" and my desire to relax and just "be". 

How do you balance your adventures with "me time" (or "we time" as it may be)? Is it weird to try to try not to do things that you really kinda want to do (go to ALL of these and these for example)? I think it's essential for my energy (and sanity) to let some potential activities pass me by, but I have such Fear of Missing Out (aka "FOMO"; best acronym ever right!?) that it's tough to decline an invitation or skip a trip to somewhere that I know will be a great time. Maybe I can overcome my FOMO with a heavy dose of chill pills... I will let you know!

Hump Day Distractions

Do not surrender! We're halfway there!!

Welcome to Wednesday my merry friends! It's all kinds of toasty here in NYC so I suggest we turn up the AC and hump this week out together.

* Pluto hasn't been a planet in over five years (and other things that will make you feel OLD!)
* Obviously I taste as I go (who doesn't do that!?) but I'm making a ton of these common cooking mistakes... until now!

* Dog vs. Bubble

* A great read about the relationships we form with our Nannies (of the caregiver, not grandmother variety)

* "I think it's a book about a haunted theme park and it stars a magical magic guy and he's good and evil and he's trying to get rid of the ghosts" - a 6 year old's guess as to the plot of The Great Gatsby based on the cover art.

* Take me to the dollar store, I have dishes to make! (Has anyone ever tried this? Does it really work!?)

* Looking for fifteen friends to take a bike ride in Des Moines, Iowa with me. (via IowaGirlEats)

* When it's time to sleep, it's time to sleep (doggy style).

Time to eat (out)!

Illustration by Craig & Karl for NYC Restaurant Week

Be still my food-loving heart... NYC Restaurant Week has arrived! It's that time of year when prices drop and Manhattan foodies venture to places new and long lusted after in search of the tastiest prix fixe meal. From July 16 through August 10 some of the city's tastiest restaurants are serving up 3 course lunches ($24.07) and dinners ($35) for our tummy's enjoyment which means it's the perfect time to try somewhere new, get a great deal at your favorite spot or enjoy eats normally out of your budget (also, how often do you go out to a 3-course lunch?! DO IT!) As I consider myself a food fiend and restaurant lover (with a specialty in NYC dining) here are a few tips for making the most of Restaurant Week 2012.

* Tip #1: Be sure to check the menu in advance! Many restaurant week participants put together a very limited selection for their prix fixe menu and it's not worth the $ (even if it is a great deal) if they aren't serving up options you'll enjoy. Most menus are available online (HERE) so do your research in advance.

* Tip #2: Make sure to plan your culinary adventures wisely. Restaurant week menus are not available on Saturdays, are only available at some locations on Sundays and a few locations participate for lunch only (I'm lookin at you Il Mulino) so know before you go!!

* Tip #3: Reservations are key. Many people (eghm..!) wait all year for a chance to indulge in high end eats for cheap (A Voce; Blue Water Grill; Fig and Olive; The Hurricane Club; Lure Fishbar; Mercer Kitchen; Spice Market; Tao; and Tribeca Grill are all Meri tested and Meri approved in case you were wondering) so plan way in advance or risk getting closed out of prime dining hours (NYC'ers take their meals very seriously:)

Happy eating my friends! (PS- restaurant recommendations welcome in the comments section!)

Super...

The cat came back, the very next day...

Around 9am last Friday, Mom emails me and asks "Where's your blog today? It's Fri the 13th!" I looked at my desk calendar and realized "HOLY CRAP today is Friday the 13th!" (Moms can be so wise:) Now I am not one of those super superstitious people, but I am just superstitious enough to be wary of Friday the 13th, avoid walking under ladders (safety first!) and generally steer clear of black cats (also, all cats. I'm really allergic). What my mom's email made me realize however, is that superstitions are really super silly - I hadn't even noticed it was a bad luck day until she mentioned it, but once I knew, I was all kinds of worried about how my day's plans would turn out. 

Now I know that I am quirky, but I can't figure out why I care about Friday the 13th, but I work on the 13th floor of a skyscraper and don't think twice about it (Did you know that many buildings in NYC don't even have a 13th floor!?) Superstitious, super silly or not, I guess I'll just have to hope that luck is on my side!

PS - did you catch my Raffi reference!?   

Coming undone...

Owl not be embarrassed!

So yesterday, after a fairly "high level" meeting at work, I returned to my desk to discover that the middle button on my button down shirt was undone. Undone as in "hey meri, your shirt is wide open and your bra is on display" kind of undone. Instant panic set in: "how long has my shirt been like this?" "Did it happen at the meeting? after?" "Did anyone see my boobs!?" I squirmed and turned red at my desk realizing that I would never know the answers to my questions and I cursed the button for failing me in a time of need (aka, all the hours of the day I'm expected to have my clothing fully ON).

Isn't it crazy how embarrassing things like this can be? An unzipped fly or undone button can make you feel like a tooootal nincompoop (always wanted to use that word in print) and I can't decide if someone alerting you to the faux pas makes you feel better or worse! Last week when I spotted a girl at a bar with toilet paper on her shoe and wanted to tell her, Dr. H got all "mer, you're bein a weirdo, don't do it" and I just kept thinking that if someone let me keep walking around with half a port-a-potty on my foot I'd be mortified!! (Note: I did not approach her and I'm still disappointed in myself about it.) So here's to all those quiet awkward moments when you realize you've been strutting a slightly undone version of yourself... to whomever sees, I hope they enjoyed the show:)

Go ahead, stay the night.

Do you think the Pink Ladies stopped having slumber parties
when they left Rydell High behind?

Grown ups need to have more sleepovers. I've given this a lot of thought and I see no reason why adults don't have more slumber parties. As children, all the coolest parties are sleepovers, college is basically four years of continuous sleepovers and then suddenly, just because we all have the option of "going home at the end of the night" we stop acting like extending our good time late into the night and on to tomorrow isn't totally awesome!

Now, is your friend's futon, pullout couch or air mattress as cozy as your own bed? Not a chance, but there's something irreplaceable about late night antics, snuggled up chats in sweatpants and sharing a lazy breakfast. More than the obvious bonuses (go ahead and have another drink; don't bother with a hotel) I think that sometimes the best time with friends is just "being" with friends. No planning, hosting or activities, just being together for no reason other than that being together makes you happy.

So next time you and your crew are hanging out on a Saturday night, don't call it quits and head for your house, pack up your pillow and toothbrush and offer to bring bagels for the next morning.

Ed. Note: I recognize that seeing "no reason" why adults don't have more slumber parties is a bit of an overstatement (especially for those of you with kiddos!), but sometimes tossing reason(s) aside is good for the soul:)

Hump Day Distractions

Frogs need to get through Hump Day too!

You know what's great about taking a vacation day on Monday!? (other than a VACATION day of course.) You get to Wednesday 1 day earlier than expected!! Just in case you aren't cruisin through the week all vacation --> birthday lovin --> hump day like I am, here are some distractions to move the time right along!

* This can be filed in the "Duh! Why didn't I think of that!?" file (via CupofJo)
* Way to go Washington D.C., and New York City - apparently I have mighty fine taste when it comes to city living!
* Celebrity twinsies.
* Survive wedding / bridal shower season with this adorable (and easy!) gift idea
* A brand new take on a classic appetizer... bring on the buffalo mozzarella!
* Supposedly these are the Best Albums of 2012 (so far). Do you agree?
* 16 amazing displays of laziness that will make you seem active by comparison.