When in doubt...

Amazing pun to start your weekend right.

... just share something funny and amazing right? In case you hadn't guessed by the sparse posting this week, work is in beast mode at the moment, but I shall survive and so shall you. It's Friday B*tches! woo! Here to keep us entertained (without too much thought or effort) is this video, which is freaking hysterical:

Also, THIS IS THE GREATEST NEWS I'VE HEARD IN A VERY LONG TIME!!!!!! (all caps and many exclamation points to clearly convey my insane excitement). I had Freezy Freakies as a kid and I loved them so damn much. I remember them clearly and I also remember how I liked to put them in the freezer sometimes during non-winter months, just so I could see watch them change. 

If you know me and love me, you will buy me a pair of these gloves.

Classifieds: Lonely work-from-homer seeking office-dwelling friend with peppermint bark (or brownies. or cookies).

It is no secret that I'm still struggling a bit with my new daily routine of working by myself, for myself, at home. There are more than a few moments that I'm not exactly proud of, like the time I was so overwhelmed by work that I skipped showering and was caught by Dr. H wearing the same t-shirt 2 days in a row... or when I ate pizza for every meal... for 36 hours straight. (It's amazing what you'll find yourself ok with when you know no one is watching.) Well yesterday I hit a new low (or level of craftiness, depending on your angle). Yesterday at around 5pm I emailed my husband and said "feel free to bring home peppermint bark, brownies or a small sampling of any other good treats that have been delivered to your office." And by "feel free" obviously I meant DO IT and by "small sampling" I meant BRING ME ALL THE THINGS. 

I'm not proud that I have resorted to eating other office's seasonal "thank you" deliveries and homemade treats, but really, what choice do I have?! I can't miss out on holiday over-indulgence (and post New Years complaining), but I don't have an amazing admin bringing in her "famous italian cookies", or leftovers from the holiday party or fattening gifts from happy clients and partners (next year!?). I'm just a lonely work-from-homer seeking an office-dwelling friend willing to share his/her peppermint bark. #NoShame.

On working from home...

Maybe Someday...!?

This month will mark 4 months since I left my midtown corporate lawyer gig for self-employment out of my 1 bedroom apartment. I'm amazed to realize that it's already been 1/3 of a year because as the saying goes, the days are long, but the weeks and months are short. I could write a novel on working from home, but instead thought I'd share some of the top tips, lessons learned and rules I've made for myself so far. 

* Start your day with a routine, or a meeting, or something

For me, the hardest part of working from home is getting the day started. Without an office to report to I often sleep later or sit down to my laptop in pajamas and suddenly realize it's 2pm and I haven't brushed my teeth or eaten a thing. Having to get up and go to work forces you into a routine that working from home makes easy to skip. DO NOT SKIP this routine! After 2 months of disastrous days at home (and Dr. H questioning my basic sanitation) I made a rule to always get up, clean up and get dressed, even if it's into comfy clothing. I also try to schedule breakfasts and morning meetings that get me up and out of the house. 

* Be ok with having a weird schedule (and use it to your advantage)

Sometimes I'll have an entire morning without anything urgent to do or a crazy day that suddenly opens up at 3pm. And though you'd think I'd be all "awesome, free time!" more often I'm like "crap, I need to find more work to do because this is "work time"". It's ridiculous. One of the best things about working from home is how efficient you can be with your day, placing appointments, errands, meetings and breaks where you want them to be, instead of outside 9 to 5 or during lunch. Don't feel guilty about a 9:30am workout if it isn't going to impact your day's overall productivity. If you finish everything you need to do early, shut the laptop and relax... we're often our own toughest critics so you'll know deep down the difference between slacking and taking advantage of a good thing:)

* Get out of the house

As we barrel towards the cold, dark, winter months, I've found it increasingly important to leave the warm cocoon of my apartment and work elsewhere. Not only did staying home every day make me miss all my (awesome) work outfits, but it made me lonely and probably a little depressed. Now I work from coffee shops, restaurants, Dr. H's office, anywhere with other humans, at least once or twice per week. It's made a world of difference for my mood and overall enjoyment of working "from home".

* Have a physically separate work space in your home (if possible)

Earlier this fall Dr. H and I decided not to move to a larger apartment and while I don't regret that decision at all, I do see why moving next year to a place where I'll have an actual office will be a huge upgrade. Right now, my desk is in the living room and it's led to a variety of issues like difficulty disconnecting at night, lack of focus when Dr. H gets home early on nights when I need to work late and a desperation to "get out" on weekends instead of home feeling like a haven. If you can, have your office be its own space with a door you can open and close so that you can enter and leave work without entering and leaving your house!!

If you're a fellow work-from-home'er, I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you handle the overlap, isolation and lack of supervision... what are your tips and tricks!?

Hear it, Read it, Make it, Love it.

Looking out.

Welcome my friends to one of the most wonderfully weird weeks of the year where Monday feels like a Monday, but Tuesday feels like a Thursday and Wednesday feels like a Friday, but a summer Friday because you know you're cuttin out of work early Wednesday aren't you!? So even though it's Monday, we're all "I can conquer the planet if the planet only requires conquering for 2.5 days!" AmIRight!? To kick off the weirdo holiday week, I thought I'd deliver a long overdue Hear it, Read it, Make it, Love it for your enjoyment. Because you didn't really want to get any work done today anyway:)

* Hear It

Country girl legit takin hold of NYC.

I think it is time for us all to admit it out loud- Taylor Swift is awesome. There. I said it. I like Taylor Swift because her music is insanely catchy, she has mastered the power of reinvention and unlike so many other young musicians of her generation, T. Swift's talent is next level. The writing and instrument playing and now even sassy performing? On point Swifty. So stop being in denial and download a copy of her latest album 1989 today.

* Read It

Love this cover art.

I picked up a copy of Amy Poehler's Yes Please in hard copy last week and I've been enjoying every minute of my time with it. Well worth the investment over an eReader copy (there are cool pictures and graphics that just won't translate) this book is filled with stories of Amy discovering her comedic power, surviving a divorce and juggling a wild life (which she deeply appreciates while finding exhausting). The book has more advice and anecdotes than I expected and though  not outstanding or insanely laugh out loud funny (a la her buddy Tina's Bossypants), reading it makes me smile and I picked it over turning on the tv several times this weekend (and that's definitely saying something:) Go for it. (ps, OMGeeee I just learned while googling Amy for this post that her middle name is Meredith. How awesome!?!)

* Make It

May-jah Day after the Feast Nomnoms.

Because the only thing better than your Thanksgiving feast is the feast you get to have again the next day (and the next) with all those leftovers. I've got some serious leftovers inspiration for ya here, 50 recipes to be exact, sorted by item (e.g., cranberry sauce, turkey etc). A few of these recipes look so good you might be stowing away food for Friday on purpose!!

* Love It

Yes. Just so much YES!!!

Dressing & Impressing - tis (nearly) the season!

Fact... Until February. I'll be over it by February.

Ladies... we are officially at mid-November which means in 4 short weeks "Holiday Party Season" will be upon us (possibly sooner depending on when your December social calendar commitments begin!) I always love and simultaneously hate Holiday Party Season because:

1) dressing for these parties can be tricky, especially if it's an office or work-related function;

2) dressing for these parties can be pricy, since stores know just when to mark up their holiday-perfect pieces;

3) dressing for these parties can be glamorous, because there are so many chic black, gold, red and deep green options out there; and

4) dressing for these parties can be fun because holiday cheer looks great on everyone!

Here to help you get ahead of the shopping rush are a few gorgeous dresses I've spotted recently and how I'd wear them.

I absolutely adore this dress. I think it is chic, feminine, ever so slightly sexy, but without question elegant. Perfect for a holiday season wedding or a cocktail attire seasonal party, though a bit pricey, this dress is sure to turn heads. And just think, it will be perfect for Valentine's Day too:) Buy it HERE.

Is your office holiday party at the office or does it begin immediately after work making a "costume change" impossible (or maybe just inappropriate?) All three of the dresses above could transition beautifully from desk to dancing, have a little pop of holiday cheer (love that sassy gold belt!) and won't leave any co-workers questioning your taste for the office or the party! Buy it HERE, HERE and HERE.

If you're looking for a bolder, more unique holiday party look that is still unquestionably sophisticated, I love this jumpsuit. Pair it with high heels, statement earrings and maybe even a thin gold belt to take the look straight into holiday party rock star status. Buy it HERE.

Finally, if your holiday party is all about bringing the glam, this dress is the one for you. Just as fancy, but a whole lot more sassy than the lil red number I posted first, this dress does beading and sequins without screaming dance costume or flapper. I think it's stunning and could be paired with strappy, sexy shoes or black tights and heels depending on how high you want to turn it up. Buy it HERE.

Just Dance.

Truth.

Last night I came home from work stressed, tired and mentally pooped from the past few weeks. After talking to my mom on the phone, laying fully clothed on my bed like a mummy and then finally motivating myself to start cooking dinner, Dr. H rolled in (post-drinks with colleagues) to find his wife chopping onions and mentally beating workday dead horses. He exited the kitchen and turned on the stereo. He poured himself a drink and suggested I do the same, but I declined and moved on to smashing garlic. But halfway through singing Boyz II Men's Motownphilly together, I started to bop to the beat. We moved through several Motown classics before arriving at hit tracks from the Jock Jams collection at which point Dr. H took the large knife out of his wife's hand and demanded I come dance. So I danced.

I danced to those 90s hits like I was at a college party and then I took some wine out of the fridge and I kept on dancing. Though I may have taken a break (or 2) to check my phone for emails (I'm working on that compulsion) and I definitely talked more than my dance partner would have preferred (shocker!), eventually it all faded away and there I was in my living room, bottle of wine in hand, grooving with my guy to Zoot Suit Riot (#NoShame). The lesson my friends? Sometimes you have to just stop... and dance. 

Have a wonderful weekend friends (and don't be a afraid to just dance!)

So this is it.

That quote is currently my cellphone wallpaper and I repeat it to myself every time I see it. The reason, as some of you may have deduced (from subtle hints like THIS and THIS), is that over the past several months I've been in hot pursuit of something both terrifying and amazing and this week I decided to leap. This week I resigned from my current lawyer job to focus fully on my own business which will center around "giving back" and helping others to do the same. Making the world a better place has been my long term goal for as long as I've been long term goal-ing (up until college I actually aspired to be President (of the United States!) because I wanted to help people) so this transition feels like a whole lot of planning and dreaming coming to life.

But even good change is scary and I have to confess, I'm definitely scared. I have worked at the same company for 5 years and as an intern for a year and a half before that. My job has been a place to grow, learn and form relationships that have shaped every inch of the professional I've become. The people I work with, people I spend far more waking hours with each week than even my own husband(!!) are wonderful humans who I will miss sitting beside each day. And on top of all that, I've recently realized that it's quite easy to dream, but having the courage to make your dream real is a whole different beast.

So this is it. This is the beginning of a new beginning. I'm going to study all my inspirational quote Pins and be brave and remember that "doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will" because I think that's all we can do right? We can't live life wondering if we could have accomplished something, we've got to actually try to accomplish it and take reality from there. It's like (the amazing) Tina Fey once said...

Hump Day Distractions

Awww hehe.

This morning, halfway down the stairs to exit my apartment building for my scheduled weekly workout, a little voice in my head said "Meri, you forgot to pack a bra..." And I said "really little voice? How do you know that?" But with no time to waste, just to be sure, I ran back up and straight to my dresser. Sure enough, my black bra was in there, not in my gym bag. I thought to myself "Thanks little voice! Today is going to be a good day". Here to ensure that good day are some delightful distractions from around the web.

* Some super tasty looking 2 ingredient sandwiches. Yum. (via CupofJo)
* Tina on women's body image. God I love her! 

* It always strikes me as funny that actors campaign for awards, but they do. And these Emmy campaign posters from the cast of Mad Men are pretty freakin good.

* Do you work from home? Dr. H used to and based on his experience, all these tips sound like a great idea.

* Good for you Natalie! All beautiful bodies are created equal!!

* "I think if we met I would find you insufferable" and other missed connections of the hysterical variety. 

* If you love Billy Crystal or Mindy Kaling, or both, read this (super cool behind the scenes When Harry Met Sally info enclosed!!) 

* Have you heard of oil pulling? I am kinda skeptical, gonna have to consult Sis (20 minutes!?)

* Behind the scenes of the Photoshop treatment for all those food pics that make us salivate!

* I think I've shared pics of this duo before... but who cares? Here's more!! (thanks Sis!)

Hump Day Distractions

Good for you man.

So it's gonna be one of thooooose days is it? One of those subway isn't running, forgot my sunglasses, run in my tights kind of Wednesdays!? Well la-di-freakin-da! With barely more than 48 hours standing between me and a long weekend getaway to Miami (bienvenido a Miami!!) it's gonna take more than an office fire drill right after arriving to throw me off my game!! Let's hump it, shall we?

* When it comes to travel, I think it's important to always have a wish list on hand.

* The French sure do know how to make things sound naughty don't they!?

* So what you're saying is I'm plus'er than plus size now eh?

* Spotting one of THESE in public would absolutely make my day.

* If only more companies were willing to go to such lengths to make work/life balance more manageable for employees.

* Do you drink wine? If so, this is EXTREMELY VITAL INFORMATION.

* "I am running away because you think I farted when I didn't. PS you are mean." and other kid brilliance.

* So what you're saying is that Brooklyn has always been an awesome place to live?

* We all need more 30-minute meals in our life.

* A few hide-and-seek fails to bring a smile to your face.

Snow Day!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Sorry for the late post today friends, but it's a SNOW DAY!! An office closed, silent white city, gloriously sweatpants wearing snow day! After my 6am email check to confirm I wouldn't have to trek in the snow to work, I slept in a bit and have been in a cleaning, organizing, laundry-ing frenzy. A "home work" day was just what I needed to get life in order. Here to take you into the weekend are some cozy and tasty treats and eats. Stay warm:)

I'm a big fan of the "one-pot" recipes that seem to be trending right now because they're usually real easy to execute and produce tasty, cozy final products. This "One Pot Mexican Skillet Pasta" from Damn Delicious is made of basic ingredients and can be made healthier (if you're feelin healthy:) by subbing in whole wheat pasta and reduced fat shredded cheese (I like Kraft's reduced fat products). Pin it HERE, full recipe HERE.

Want to blow away your roommate/hubby/family/lovah tomorrow morning?! How about whipping up this tasty crustless quiche for breakfast? Loaded with spinach and mushrooms for health and cheese for... well cheese's sake, this quiche from Budget Bites is easy, inexpensive and yummy! Pin it HERE, full recipe HERE.

This recipe had me at "Boozy Skinny Hot Chocolate". With an almond milk base and amaretto kicker, this is the perfect way to snuggle up on a snow day and get down with the season. Pin it HERE, full recipe HERE.

The end (of the year) is near!

Cold and grey, but we're ok!

Hello and happy Monday my merry friends! Welcome to another weirdly wonderful holiday week where Monday feels like a Thursday, we get "two Fridays" and there's a bonus free day in the middle!! I've spent a lot of time this week trying to figure out how we get the work-week to permanently include Wednesdays off... tis truly a glorious thing:)

Here to make Monday more manageable (and as a perfect compliment to your Pinterest searching for all things glitter, black and gold) are some New Years themed goodies from around the web (and of course more lists!!)

A star shaped sparkler!!! Are you serious right now!? 

Check out all the awesome sparkler options from TOPS Malibu HERE.

Who can I buy THIS absolutely ridiculous and completely hysterical calendar for!? (SO funny!)

Effortless glam - grey top and sequin bottoms

Would you, could you, wear sequin pants!? 3 options HERE, HERE and HERE for the glamorously brave.

* 2013 was definitely the year of the Selfie. Thanks to smartphones and their ingenious "flip feature" that points the camera at you and let's you see what you look like, evvvveryone selfies everywhere now. In honor of our new self-photobsession, here are some of the most important selfies of 2013

* Some of the funniest moments from 2013

* The perfect playlist for your NYE party, here are the top songs of 2013 according to Rolling Stone. Do you agree!?

* The best and worst celebrity moments of 2013

* The 22 biggest sports controversies of 2013

* And finally, to make you smile, here are some totally awesome people who definitely "nailed it" in 2013.

But are you going to work?

This is not real life (except the heels of course).

Lately I've been doing A LOT of thinking about what my life will look like as a parent. NO I am not becoming a parent any time soon and NO I'm not developing baby brain (still purely puppy focused thank you very much) but nearly three years into my "working life" (thanks for the delayed start law school!) I've been thinking a lot about my "career track". Poised to grow in whatever direction I please professionally (for which I am thankful and grateful every.single.day.) my career compass can't help but consider whatever direction I will want to go in once raising a child becomes part of the picture. We ladies are blessed with maternal instinct and unprecedented opportunities in the work force which is a bit of curse if you're a die-hard "planner" like myself.

Much like my pondering the right time to have a baby, I wonder (without any expectation of finding an answer) how to steer a career that will someday have stiff competition for my attention from a totally-awesome (duh) miniature family member. How do you plan for something that you cannot predict in time OR emotion? Do you throw caution to the wind and hope that when the occasion arises you'll know what to do, or is it better to start thinking ahead of time about what you want? It all feels very impossible to determine at the moment. For now I suppose, I will just keep enjoying the 9 to 5 hustle (9 to 5!?) and wonder what the future will hold for me and my merry minion.

P to the S: For more on balancing work and motherhood, check out Cup of Jo's recent (awesomely interesting) interview series with some super-powerful mamas.

I want it all.

I cannot stop thinking about THIS ARTICLE that I read yesterday in The Atlantic. As I sat at my desk, letting my lunch get cold and my head cloud over with (worry/ sadness/ connection?) I was overwhelmed by Anne-Marie Slaughter’s words. “Finally!” I thought, “a woman admitting that women can’t have everything, women don’t always want to have everything and whatever it is she wants, we need to work for a world which supports her decision.” (The author says this and so much more with eloquence I cannot even pretend to possess. The article is long, but a very worthwhile read).

As I’ve mentioned before, I spend a lot of time angst-ing (I can’t help it, I’m an angst-er) about pursuit of a fulfilling career and family life. Dr. H and I recently found ourselves falling asleep at the dinner table, in a restaurant, at 10pm, on a weeknight (there is so much wrong with that picture) because I INSISTED on spending a meal together that didn’t involve an open laptop, television or couch. Even without children (or the dog I so desperately desire:) at times I feel the balance is already slipping. And I have also noticed, as I develop my professional self, that the work world doesn’t have much interest in the “loves to cook/craft/write” Merry Meri that is ultimately the truest reflection of who I believe I am. Just because I love my hobbies doesn’t mean I don’t love to work; just because I dream of many babies doesn’t mean I’m not going to have a kickass career… sometimes it just feels like the world isn’t ready for a lady who gets to pursue all of those things, however she chooses. To quote Slaughter, “last I checked, he [Thomas Jefferson] did not declare American independence in the name of life, liberty, and professional success. Let us rediscover the pursuit of happiness, and let us start at home.”

Holy whoa, that was hefty shizz for a Friday wasn’t it!? How can I make it up to you..?

A witty joke?

A totally rad sea lion?

Whatevs yo, I'm OUT!