Loving goodies.

Filled with love.

Even though Valentine's Day shouldn't be all about gifts, gifts sure are lovely aren't they!? And what better way to show someone you love how much you appreciate them than by sending a surprise goody their way!? Here are some great gift ideas for you and all the Valentines in your life. Happy (last minute!) shopping!

Love in Bloom.

Gentlemen, in my opinion you can do no wrong with flowers. Skip the 1-800-Flowers generic bouquets by searching Google for a local florist and I don't think there's anything wrong with having them arrive tomorrow to avoid the holiday markup and delivery crunch (they'll still be lovely on February 14th!) If you're in NYC, Sprout has a stunning collection of pre-designed bouquets at a very reasonable price point. Pre-order now!!

Dr. H and I received Pablo Neruda's collection of love poems as a wedding gift from a very thoughtful friend (who's also an English teacher!) and I think it would also make a beautiful Valentine's Day gift. Inscribe your own note in the front cover (maybe wrap with these adorable Anthropologie heart earrings!?) and let the woo'ing commence!

Dudes may not be into sentimental gifts the same way the ladies are, but that doesn't mean you can't have a little fun with them! If your guy won't enjoy more standard gifts like nice cuff links, a new golf club or sports team apparel, consider this awesome hot dog roller (with bun warmer!), a box 'o deliciousness from the infamous Peter Luger's or perhaps a set of these hysterical Jack Spade "Stop Talking" cards (Dr. H, would you like to put in a request!?) 

Plan a date night somewhere unexpected.

Never been kissed at the top of the Empire State Building? Always wanted to ride through Central Park in a horse drawn carriage? Dying to see the Knicks in action!? Whatever the activity, think of something you and your Valentine love and do it together. Silence your cell phones and enjoy a few hours of old fashioned quality time for two.

And if you need more inspiration, here are a few great gift lists from around the web:

* Via CupofJo

* Via Anthropologie

* Via Peppermintbliss

* And a few more ideas for the dudes via ThePostGame.

"Only in New York..."

I think I shall call it Tartine-y (emphasis on the "tiny")

After reading about the Parisian cafe inspired, reasonably priced, BYOB West Village spot Tartine, it immediately went on my dining to do list. Enter Friday night when Dr. H and I walked 10 soggy minutes to find a line at Tartine's door (no reservations allowed). The hostess indicated that there was no room for us to come inside (hmmm) so we waited for another 10 minutes, hiding from the rain under their awning. Once summoned in, I pulled back the entry curtain to see that the place was PACKED. I mean tables composed like a Tetris game packed. 

What's missing in this pic is 10 more tables and like 100 people

We were then shown to a table so wedged into the corner that we literally had ass-to-face encounters with the neighboring tables as we climbed to our seats (I hope they liked my pleather jeggings!), shouted our order to the waiter (who was physically blocked from getting closer) and cracked open our wine. I looked around and realized why I hadn't noticed the crowd situation from outside - completely steamed up windows. Oh boy. As we finished our (delicious) appetizers (wild arugula salad for me, french onion soup for him) Dr. H was sent over the edge. His forehead glistened as he moaned "it's a sauna in here! Am I sweating? I'm so hot. Ohmygod". I struggled to keep a straight face as I said "it's not so bad, the food is really good!!" knowing in my heart that this was clearly a merry Meri miss. Even the simply prepared and extremely tasty main courses (full menu HERE) could not improve our disastrous accommodations. Wedged into a corner, sweating profusely and unavoidably eavesdropping on the table next to us, thank goodness Tartine is byob because booze is a necessity.

The sauces melt together and fries soak it up and YUM.

Bless my husband's heart for smiling through this meal (I ordered him ice cream for dessert specifically to cool him off, buying myself enough time to enjoy a berry tart and polish off our bottle). As we paid in cash (because you know they can't be bothered with credit card) and shimmied out the door towards fresh air, at least we were laughing. Because only in NYC will a couple wait in the rain to be squished into a bajillion degree restaurant (with 100% humidity) for a delicious (but was it really worth it?) meal.  

Hump Day Distractions

Obviously humpback whales think Wednesday Rules.

Well hello there Wednesday, nice to see you again!! I'm feeling very merry this week and I'm grateful for the exchange of major ho hums for some of life's beachy/bachelorette-y/family filled/wedding-y/niece-playdate-y fabulosity. When things are good we must appreciate:) And speaking of good, I think these distractions will have you smiling while you hump the day. Get it.   

* Though I'm more of an English girl, this tuckered out Frenchie brought a big smile to my face.

* The perfect DIY for the MVP at my next theme party

* Grab your (wo)man and make it a date night

* All Dr. H tested, Dr. H approved (though he discovered he is not a spaghetti squash man)

* This season of Mad Men may be over, but here are some fabulous factoids to keep Sterling Cooper Draper Price on your mind (via CupofJo)

* Some cutesy, crafty printables for your next BBQ

* SOON

First comes love, then comes marriage...

It seems that once a woman gets married, people immediately want to know when she’s going to start a family. I’m amazed by how many people have followed their marital congratulations with “when are you planning to have children?” The (extremely personal!) topic explodes in your face mere seconds after the volume on “what color are your bridesmaids dresses?” is turned down. Sometimes I just want to yell “WHOA there! One life milestone at a time please!!”

What’s really weird about my reaction to this question is that I actually think about having children all the time; but not in the “ohman I want one RIGHT NOW” sort of way (stay calm Dr. H), more like “someday when I do this baby makin’ thing it is totally gonna rock!” I love imagining what Dr. H and I will be like as parents: I love envisioning our little family adventuring in NYC and knowing I’ll have the perfect excuse to indulge in all the “little kid” activities I find so entertaining (arts and crafts, circuses, playgrounds!) I love the idea of being a mom. But I’m also well versed in known “lesser joys” of parenting - the exhaustion, deciding whether or not to leave the city I love and navigating how to be a career rock-star like my Dad AND a supermama like my stay-at-home Mom (can it be done!?) In the see-saw of my mind, couples getaways and date nights are still far more appealing than having any tiny 3rd parties join us. Is this normal? Is there a normal? I keep imagining some day I will wake up and magically “be ready”. Until then however, I will smile politely through the Baby Inquisition while mentally planning bicycling trips in France, boozy Tuesday nights and awesome Saturdays where I hide in bed with Dr. H until noon.

Image via Pinterest

Know your roll?

These two definitely "know their rolls" (hehe)

Earlier this week I asked Dr. H if he wanted to have a "date night" tomorrow. It's rare that we approach the weekend without plans (or the burning desire to lay on our couch and have NO plans) so I thought it might be fun to dress up cool and eat somewhere trendy (something we do far less of since moving uptown... we'll be back soon Soho!)  "I'll pick wine and cheese for while we get dressed, you make reservations." Dr. H loved the idea, but rejected my suggestion that HE make the dinner plans. "But you're better at finding good food and cool places" he whined... I paused. This is true. I insisted however, that he play the planner role so I gave him a road map (aka a trusted friend to consult) and sent him on his way.

The exchange got me thinking though, about the roles we play. In my house, I am the planner and Dr. H is the participant. It's not that he can't plan; it's that he doesn't like to. To his credit, he married the perfect gal for this attitude because I truly enjoy researching and planning... but not allllways! Is it bad to want to step outside your "role" every once in a while? How do you play your role without getting locked into it? If one person in a relationship is better at some things, maybe it doesn't make sense to ever put those tasks on the other persons' plate. I don't know... I mean, I'm just not as good at washing the dishes as Dr. H is:)

Meatballs. So hot right now.

When I searched Pinterest for "meatball" this was the first image that popped up.
Obviously, I did not feel the need to look any further.

This past Saturday Dr. H and I had a date night at the Meatball Factory*. Not to be confused with Meatball Shop (are meatballs the new cupcake!?) Meatball Factory was opened this past October by former Top Chef contestant Dave Martin at 14th St and 2nd Ave.  Though most would assume we were on a quest to find the tastiest balls, (I had to) we actually selected Factory over Shop due to a rumored "epic truffle mac cheese". I am on a permanent quest for the mac cheese to end all mac cheeses (I feel a post on this subject in our future) and Dr. H knows how to keep his lady happy.

We started with a bottle of wine (nice beer/wine list, always a plus) and Dave’s World Famous Black Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Believe the hype, this shizz was AWESOME.

Stare at the deliciousness HERE

Moving on to meatballs, the MENU is a bit overwhelming. There are several types of balls and sauces and we found ourselves relying heavily on the recommendations of our waitress who patiently explained combinations, meats and flavors. In the end, I went super meaty (hehe) and Dr. H went for the sampler plate (variety is the spice of life?) 

Way better pics than my cellphone HERE

While the meatballs were certainly tasty, the main dishes took a back seat to our side dish. So much is right about roasted brussels sprouts with maple syrup & red chili sauce.

See, I ate my veggies!

And just when you're thinking "Good Lord how much can those two eat!?" we checked out the dessert menu. Meatball Factory's portions were just right - filling, but not stuffing, aka perfect for "making it" to dessert.

The Hot Tin Roof Sundae = malted hot fudge and sea salt caramel
with candied walnuts over marshmallow gelato. Seriously.

While the verdict is still out on who has the best balls in town, The Meatball Factory was a tasty, fun and reasonably priced night on the town which I'd happily re-visit. 

* Not an NYC resident? Want to do a guest post about a restaurant in your city that deserves some lovin? 

Shoot me an email at seektobemerry@gmail.com