What Happened.

you, me, anyone with the American dream.

We don't usually chat about politics here, but I think it would be leaving a gapping hole in this cozy corner of the internet if I didn't write something about the current state of our country. Maybe selfishly I just need to write-it-out to try to feel better. Whatever the reason, I need to talk about What Happened.

Last November, I marched a 36 weeks pregnant, "Love Trumps Hate" clad belly into my local polling place and voted for a vision of our future which made me feel so buoyant and bright that when it did not come to fruition, in the wee hours of the following morning, I sat on the couch and cried. I cried for the little girl who dreamed of becoming the first woman president (yup), for the senate intern who ardently supported and admired candidate Clinton (MmHmm) and for the future mom who was going to bring a baby into a very different world than she'd envisioned. I felt crushed and baffled and scared, not only because my candidate had lost, but because America wasn't who I thought it was. My liberal, northeastern corner of the country had blinded me to a level of sexism, racism, chauvinism, anger and hatred that made my heart hurt. Who were these millions of people that believed in such a different vision for the future than me?

In the 11 months since Election Day, I've come to realize that being a woman, being Jewish, being a friend of minorities and immigrants and homosexuals and in favor of health care for all and the integrity of democracy mean something different than they did this time last year. I've watched free speech come under attack and nuclear war start to feel like a real possibility. It has taken over everything from the news to the football field, it's marching through the streets and across my social media feeds. It feels relentless. It's exhausting and scary.

I don't have any solutions, I don't know what we're supposed to do, but I know what I believe. I know that moments like this in history have called for action and activism not silence and sadness. So I will speak up. donate. stay educated. make phone calls. sign petitions. act in defense of my ideals. campaign. VOTE. This is where we are, but it is not where we will always be. I am ready for the fight. 

Take your stretchy pants to work day (hooray!)

Not this kinda pant, not this kinda work, but cool pose right?

Guys. Lululemon is making chic work pants and they're the splurge you didn't know you needed to make, because trust me, these pants are the real deal. 

Anyone who knows Dr. H knows that after me and Miss Awesome, the thing he loves most in this world are his "Lulu Man Pants" aka, the slim fit chino-esque pants made of stretchy material by yoga-world dominator Lululemon. He owns the ABC pant in like 4 colors and loves them for both their insanely comfortable fit and dress up or down ability (plus, look up what ABC stands for). Well ladies, it's our turn to take our Lulus to work and these two pants are it:

The Noir Pant (HERE) and On the Fly Pant (HERE) fit like butta over my booty and hug my hips and thighs in all the right places. They breath in the heat and are just heavy enough for when it's cold. They do NOT wrinkle and though they're pictured here with sneakers, I pair mine with booties or even strappy heals and it's a whole other work-date night situation (with enough stretchiness for dessert!). 

Now listen, I am not someone to casually spend $118 on a pair of pants. That's a decision I think about VERY carefully, but if you do the "what's the cost per usage?" calculation on a timelessly styled black dress pant (that just so happens to feel like a yoga pant) you're sure to realize your investment and then some. As I shift my closet to "less stuff, higher utility" (#adulting) these pants are definitely on the path to wardrobe dominance. Check em out!

ps- Lulu does free alterations so shorties like me, rejoice!!

Netflix to the Rescue!

This time of year is always a bit of a struggle for TV Land addicts like Dr. H and I because we're hanging in that awkward limbo of "summer shows are over" (I miss you Game of Thrones!) and "fall shows aren't back" (we're waiting This is Us!) meaning we sit on the couch at night like zombies flipping between reruns of Family Guy and gems like American Ninja Warrior (don't judge, it's intense!!) Thankfully, there is now a plethora of Netflix original programming to get on board with and we're riding that binge-watching train all the way to "Are you still watching?" (yes of course we are stop asking!) station. Setting aside the most talked about series like House of Cards (still addicted) and Orange is the New Black (gave it up last season) here are the top 3 Merry Meri Netflix selections of the moment. What are you watching!?

Glow - Trailer HERE

This series came recommended by a fellow 80s baby who I assume grew up with a penchant for pro wrestling like Dr. H (or he's just an Alison Brie fan, could be either!) and after just 1 episode I was completely hooked. The witty writing, awesome cast and of course lady wrestling makes for an extremely watchable series which mixes comedy with life's more serious issues in a poignant and highly entertaining way. Props to Alison Brie for absolutely crushing it in her lead role as Ruth (no more standing in Pete Campbell's shadow!) but also to the full ensemble of women who all have relatable, hysterical and emotional moments of their own.

Master of None - Trailer HERE

This show is so damn well written!!!!! I've loved Aziz Ansari since he first rose to prominence on Parks and Rec, but this show brings my admiration to a whole new level. Aziz's character clearly strikes some personal resemblance and his ability to touch on everything from modern romance to racism and fame are fantastic. Props to Eric Werheim (as Arnold, Dev's hysterical, huge and heartbroken buddy) and Lena Waithe (as Denise, Dev's blunt, black, lesbian, childhood bestie) for playing complex yet relatable characters as well. The show, also a New York City foodie's paradise (seriously, I want to eat at alllll the places) has two seasons available for viewing so get to work.

The Crown - Trailer HERE

If you are a sucker for the royal family like I am, this is the show for you. In this story of the modern British Crown, beginning with Queen Elizabeth's childhood, expect a beautifully shot, complex narrative about the weight of duty and the complications of politics and the royal family. Brilliantly acted by Claire Foy and Matt Smith, expect to learn a ton of history and spend a lot of time googling for more info during end credits! Hurry and catch up on this series before Season 2 comes out (December 8) and you start to feel too far behind.

Click HERE for Thrillist's list of the best Netflix original series', then throw on some sweatpants and CHILL (literally, not in the "Netflix and Chill" sense. TV binging is serious business and thanks to this list, I've got work to do too!)

Poor Derry...

Have you guys seen this hysterical video of the Irish family frantically trying to catch a bat in their kitchen!? It's a must watch, volume up, in a place where them cursing and your maniacal giggles are acceptable. Even the dog gets in on the action... The family, the Flemings, are very much enjoying their 15 minutes of fame, as evidenced by their appearance on Jimmy Kimmel this week: 

Wishing you all hysterical, bat-free weekends!

Introducing Miss Awesome.

All good indeed!

I know today is Wednesday, but it's kinda not Hump Day because of Labor Day and I haven't posted since last Hump Day, so how about I share a little something special today and tomorrow I'll give you some fun links to break up the week?! Cool? Cool.

So... Introducing Merry Meri's newest project, Miss Awesome*:

Affectionately dubbed Awesomesauce by Dr. H and I throughout my pregnancy, lil A entered the world on November 28, 2016 and has been living up to her awesome moniker ever since. I could write forever about the infinite joy that becoming a mom has brought me and the beautiful soul that is my daughter... Being a mom ROCKS and having Miss Awesome as my newest co-adventurer has been (1) so much fun and (2) great for Dr. H, who no longer has to accompany me to every museum, amusement park, hiking trail and food truck I seek to enjoy (when they're tiny they're so portable!) Awesome loves to travel, eat, smile and observe and I try to fill her universe with interesting, exciting, engaging and beautiful experiences. In short, we make an excellent team.

I have a long mental list of future posts about motherhood, from my experiences with birth, breastfeeding and being a workforce mom (all moms are working moms!) to thoughts on dressing a little girl and what to do when your kid sh*ts in the tub (laugh, you have to laugh) but this is not and will not be a mommy-blog. I'll try to keep the topics diverse and sprinkle adventures in parenting throughout because hey, ya gotta write what you know. So that's the new big news, now back to our regularly scheduled Merry Meri (also Mommy) programming.

* I made a decision back in 2011 (sooo long ago!) not to share pictures of Dr. H's or my faces on this blog and I feel pretty strongly about sticking to that policy for Miss Awesome (at least for now). Her punim is very adorable though, I promise :)

Hump Day Distractions

Hump Daaaaay!

Guys. Today is my baby boy Dugans' 2nd birthday!!!! Remember yesterday when I mentioned that I might be too obsessed with my dog!? Well, first of all, NO SUCH THING and second, how could you not be obsessed with this face:

LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

Dugans may not have come home to Dr. H and I until Nov. of 2015, but he was born on this day 2 short, but somehow seems like forever, years ago. I can remember getting the email from the breeder that there was 1 little dude puppy in the litter (I've only ever had male dogs and figured I'd stick with what I know) and that he was nearly completely white (only thing we'd said was "NYC is dirty, we don't want a white dog"). After a lengthy debate which seems truly insane now, we decided that this pup was for us and the rest is history!!!

In honor of Mister Dugs (pronounced Doogs) birthday, here's a doggy style (hehe) serving of hump day distractions. Enjoy!

* Here are some of the best dog instagram accounts. Personal favorites of mine are Toast, Muppet, The Dogist, Samson and of course DUGANS!

* Do you know DoggoLingo?!

* Adorable puppers grow up into adorable doggos

* I could go on for hours about the love affair blossoming between baby and puppy in my house (and I probably will at some point), but for now, THIS

* Halloween is coming and obviously in my house it's going to be a family affair!!!

* Dog memes are funny

dusting off the keyboard...

Gotta (re)start somewhere.

Hello? 

Anyone want to chat!?

It's been 551 days since my last post here. 551 days of Brooklyn living, Dr. H loving, mommy-becoming, adventures. That's a lot of days and a lot of stuff huh? For a little while I didn't have time to write or maybe it was that I didn't have the energy... or the interest. I'm not really sure. The ideas flowed as often as ever, but even the effort of jotting them down felt like too much. Then over the weekend I thought "Hmmm, maybe I'll write a blog post this week" and just like that, here I am.

I've missed blogging. I've missed having a place to share my random daydreams and late night musings, to crack some jokes, share some tips and just write. I really do love to write. Additionally, someone needs to know how passionately I feel about Google Photos, what I loved about Ireland and that there is such a thing as a Vanilla Churro Milkshake (it exists and it is even more glorious than you can imagine!) I want to talk to you about the overwhelming joy of motherhood, my latest career adventures, how I know I care more than I should about my weight and that I'm fairly certain I'm too attached to my dog.

I don't know how often I'll be able to post or how many of you will even tune in, but I am excited to turn the lights back on around here and see what it feels like to put the words on paper ("paper" ha!) I still seek to be merry and I hope you do too.

Let's see how this goes...