The Hunger Games

Firstly, I am so embarrassed by the lapse between my last post and now. My life has been a whirl of midterms, term papers, and homework. Life is busier than ever and has to come to a standstill with regards to anything non-academic. I have friends I have not seen in months. The hubby and I are long due for a date night. I cannot even remember the last time I stepped into a movie theater. And ofcourse I am not getting to workout as much as I would like to.

Sigh. My four-week winter break is looking mighty appealing right about now.

On the plus side, my daily commute involves walking along Central Park South and so I have been getting to see scenes like this a lot recently....

Pretty. No?

What I am getting to do, however, is spend some time with the little guy. We celebrated our first Halloween last month and now that, at almost 11 months, he is a whole lot more responsive, we took in our first trip to the American Museum of Natural History and the Central Park Zoo (both are such treasures!).

The other thing I have managed to do is sit down and read a book. The Hunger Games. I am hooked. I must be the last person in the world to be reading it so I shall spare you a review. Is this book really targeted to middle school children?

Anyhow, the official movie trailer came out today and it looks amazing! I cannot wait to go see this in March!

Question: What did you read while in middle school? I will admit that I was going through a major Sweet Valley High phase...  

Things I Could Do Without on the Subway

With my new (rather long) commute I have come to spend a good amount of time on the subway and it has been quite interesting. Often, I see scenes like the one depicted below which bring a smile to my face. At other times it's a different story.

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Here are some things I could do without on my morning commute:

1. Watching a Lady Trimming her Cuticles:
Two weeks ago I was thrilled to nab the last seat on a subway car. My delight was short-lived when I realized that the lady sitting next to me was trimming her cuticles, complete with manicure scissors and some sort of tweezer. Talk about unhygienic. Completely disgusted, I had to swerve over to the opposite side to avoid flakes of dead skin landing on my shoe.

2. Flossing:
I don't know what it is about me getting stuck in cars with people that love to groom themselves but this really happened also. Last week, a man sitting in front of me started to floss. Did I mention that we were on the subway? He did this for a good five minutes. Five minutes. Really. Wait, it gets better. He then pulled out a mini toothbrush (slight digression: I should really get one of these for my baby) and started brushing his teeth. I wish I were making this up. I stared at him for a while and then joined the other straphangers in their nonchalance.

3. Early morning Mariachi bands:
A lot of the subway performers are really talented but a loud mariachi band first thing in the morning can be quite jarring.

4. Listening to Sermons:
The express trains are a haven for preachers. Nothing like proclaiming your message to a subway car full of unwilling people who have no means of escape until the next station.

Aah, I love New York.

Yup, could do without seeing these two also
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Question: What is the strangest thing you have ever seen on the subway?

I'll Take Manhattan

I have been out of commission for a while but I am back. Nothing like coming back home. Especially after a horrendous 14-hour flight on which my kid cried for two straight hours! Not his fault. He was sick and the dry cabin air did his sore throat no favors. Nevertheless, I was THAT person on the plane. The one that everyone is staring at because their kid just won't quieten down. Sorry, fellow passengers, but sometimes you just gotta deal with it!

I lightened up once we were comfortably settled in the back of a taxicab and on our way home. Driving from the airport and seeing the glorious Manhattan skyline always makes my heart skip a beat. My jaw drops and I just stare. Every time. And I have been living here for 10 years. What is it about this place that makes me love it so much?

 * It's the comfort of knowing I can order a pizza at two o'clock in the morning. Or a Reuben. Or a Greek salad. Really. I have done that.

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 * It's going out for brunch and finding out that I am being seated on the table next to Richard Gere (true story).

 * It's the exhilaration of running along the Reservoir in Central Park, a calm oasis smack in the middle of this bustling city.

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 * It's spending hours perusing books at the Strand Book Store.

 * It's eating a Shake Shack burger (in my opinion, the greatest burger ever) in Madison Square Park.

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 * It's watching the gorgeous dancers of the New York City Ballet so effortlessly do their thing season after season.

 * It's screaming my lungs out while riding the world's oldest roller coaster, the Cyclone, in Coney Island.

 * It's watching Madonna rock it live at the Garden.

 * It's walking through the rooms at the Frick Collection, imagining what it must have been like living in this mansion when it was a residence in the early 1900s.

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 * It's singing along to the Jersey Boys on Broadway on my birthday.

 * It's discovering little-known but amazing dance companies at the Joyce Theater.


I could go on and on. So many wonderful experiences from this one city.

I couldn't live anywhere else.

Question: What do you love most about the city you live in?

July 4th weekend recap and Uncle Sam Cereal Giveaway Winner!

Hey all. Hope you all had a great July 4th weekend! Alright, first thing's first. I am going to announce the winner of the Uncle Sam Honey Almond cereal giveaweay courtesy Attune Foods.

I compiled the following list:

Then used random.org to generate:

Congratulations to Sofia! Please email me your mailing address at momatthebarre@gmail.com and we will get that box of cereal over to you as soon as possible!

So the weekend was pretty relaxed but highlights included:

1. Dinner at Rouge Tomate with a friend.
 
The space is gorgeous. Clean and minimalist.

The food? Phenomenal! The seasonally inspired menu is Modern American with a strong emphasis on fresh and locally sourced ingredients.

To start, we shared the Chickpea hummus with sweet pepper, house-cured olives and flat bread crisp.

Then, for my main course, I had the Grass Fed Lamb Loin, with fennel, turnip, Beldi olives, bing cherries and Greek yogurt. It was lip-smackingly good! Also, not a huge portion, which I am often afraid of whenever 'Lamb' and 'loin' are on the menu!

Yum!

For dessert, I decided on the Passion Fruit Tart with pineapple, mango, coconut and pink peppercorn. This I could probably have done without. The first few bites were heavenly but it became a little too sweet afterwards. Gorgeous presentation though, no?

A lovely evening with great food. Highly recommended if you are ever in New York!

2. Worked out on each of the three days of the Holiday weekend:
- Tried Core Fusion Sport for the first time on Saturday-which I shall review soon. I bought a $25 certificate on Gilt a few months ago for two weeks of unlimited classes at Exhale Spa. I thought it was an amazing deal! So I am looking forward to trying all this studio has to offer.
- Took a Physique 57 class on Sunday when it was pouring. I got to the studio drenched and grumpy but once we got started I fell into the groove and had a fun class! I tried a new instructor and thought she was great (thanks Brigitte!). I love Physique 57 so much.  It really is like my therapy.
-On Monday I tried Exhale's newest class, Core Fusion Bootcamp-which is also to be reviewed in the near future.

3. Spent some quality time with friends and family in the Park.
With the exception of Sunday, the weekend had some gorgeous weather and we were able to take advantage of it and spend some time in Central Park, where we caught the roller-bladers in action. Check out the guy roller-blading while balancing bottles on his head!

Ah, love New York city in the summer!

Question: How did you spend your July 4th weekend? 

"Winging It": The Five Things I Have Learned as a New Mom

You may have noticed that the word 'Mom' is in the title of my blog. You may also have noticed that I have yet to write a post related to my being a mom. I think the reason for this is that it's still not something that has really hit me. I see my beautiful boy every day and still wonder incredulously, wow, Sam, you're a mom? While it is still something I am trying to accustomize myself to I am happy to say that I have learned the following five things which have helped make the transition smoother:

1. Multi-tasking: I can now multi-task like it is nobody's business. At any one moment in time I am feeding baby Z a bottle with one hand, checking Twitter on my IPhone with the other and have a cup of coffee handy  to make a quick switch in duties. I am also (I sheepishly admit) watching a recorded episode of "The Real Housewives of New York City" but let's not dwell on that too much. I'm sure that will come up once Z starts therapy.

2. The Art of the 10-minute Nap: Those days of sleeping in are long gone. Regardless of what time I have gone to bed the night before I am up at the crack of dawn. Not by choice. I have to. That is precisely when babies decide that they would like their day to begin. To deal with this disruption in my sleep cycle I have perfected the art of the 10-minute nap. Throughout the day, I try to take a few of these, usually coinciding with when baby Z takes his (micro) naps. Not the healthiest thing in the world, sure, but it keeps me going.

3. "Me" Time: Before having a baby I was fiercely protective of my "me" time. After having a baby I am even more fiercely protective of my "me" time. Thankfully I have a husband who understands that Z is as much his child as mine and so "me time' is not so hard to negotiate!

4. Learn to say Yes: As a rule I hate asking people for favors. Even if someone volunteers their services I am known, by those close to me, to always (politely) refuse. Not the case anymore. I soon realized that I needed help and that I had better ask for it. If you are lucky enough to have friends and family that are offering to help you, don't refuse it. I have cashed in my fair share of babysitting offers from friends. You know who you are, love you guys!

5. Learn to Laugh At Myself: You can read as many books as you want, talk to as many doulas as you like, be as prepared as you think you will ever be, but something will always one-up you in the baby-game. That is okay.  I did not read any books or even prepare, as such. Not wanting to stress or overwhelm myself, I decided to 'wing' it and learn things on the fly. As you can imagine there have been some bumps along the way. One particular incident showcased my inability to properly position the rain canopy on my child's stroller. This resulted in my pushing a stroller around the Upper East side of Manhattan with the rain canopy perfectly plastered over my child's face. I noticed the looks from other moms and nannies and, cluelessly, figured they must be admiring my little guy's cute get-up. Shortly afterwards, horrified, I realized the error of my ways and swiftly rectified the situation. I got over my horror quickly though. For me the take-home message was that I will mess up, lots, and the only way to deal with it is to see the humor in it!

The hood needs to come out, people, in order for the rain canopy to function properly!

It has been 6 months but I am still learning, however, I am pleased to report that the learning curve is pretty steep, and the experience is actually a lot of fun!

Have a great July 4th holiday weekend!

Also, don't forget to enter my Uncle Sam Honey Almond cereal giveaway. I am accepting entries till Monday July 4th at 10pm EST from readers in the Continental US. I shall announce a winner on Tuesday July 5th.

A Dancer in Another Life

In another life I think I would have been a dancer. At least that's what I tell myself whenever I am sitting in the audience, captivated by a particularly scintillating dance performance. The muscular lines of a dancer's body, the controlled precision with which they move, the smooth grace with which they carry themselves all make me think what if...

Alex; Source: Lois Greenfield Photography

I recently went to see my friend and Physique 57 instructor Alex perform, and those feelings resurfaced. Alex dances for the Amy Marshall Dance Company, a modern dance company going strong in its 11th year. The performance was held at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, home of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Walking past the theater you can see the Ailey dancers rehearse, the windows of the dance studio looking out onto the street. You would think that this would make them self-conscious but the dancers don't bat an eye-lid at the passers-by gaping in. It's called being professional, I suppose!

The company; Source: Lois Greenfield Photography

The performance was beautiful. Modern dance has such a carefree and whimsical quality to it. While I love classical ballet and I danced for a few years when I was younger, I really love going to see modern dance performances. The choreography that night was fun, highly inspired and very athletic. The dancers made everything look so easy as they effortlessly lifted each other high above their heads and landed gracefully after high jumps.

Obviously that was the moment that jolted me back to reality. No, Sam, you cannot be a dancer; but you can still live vicariously looking at captured moments like this...

My dancing heyday

Question: Would you do anything differently if you had the chance to go back and do it again? Would you choose the same career?