Mothering. With Mother’s Day being this past Sunday, I am definitely grateful for mothering this week. There are so many beautiful ways to mother and I am especially grateful for my own mom, step-mom and grandma for the incredible influence they have had on my life. These are extremely special women and my life would not be the same without them.
The last 6 weeks have found me somewhere other than home more often than not. Atlanta for a bridal shower and wedding, Michigan to see my family, work travel…I’ve been all over the place and in an attempt to strike some balance with my weekend eating (there’s no way I would ever turn down Rosebud’s Shrimp and Grits!), Monday through Friday has been all about clean eating. Food as close to its original form as possible, trying to steer clear from anything processed and drinking copious amounts of water.
Here’s what I am loving lately: quinoa, steamed broccoli and kale topped with marinara and a little Parmesan cheese. Good protein from the quinoa, lots of nutrients from the veggies and super satisfying. Faux pasta, if you will, but better. So good.
Speaking of clean eating, check out Clean Food Messy Closet. Written by the fab Dana from Possessionista, Clean Food Messy Closet has tons of great recipes and tips for eating clean for normal people (because we all aren’t Gwyneth Paltrow). Plus, Dana is hilarious- we got together for a chat a few weeks ago and she is so sweet and relatable- no one better to talk yoga/celebrities/fashion/clean eating with!
This is the perfect way to end the most gorgeous day- taking some swings at the Diversey Driving Range. Lake Shore Drive to the East, city to the West and a sea of green with white dots strewn all over straight ahead. I love this city.
Side note: if you are single and living in Chicago, you must not have ever been to this driving range. Since I am here with my partner, this counts me out but ladies…seriously. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel over here. Consider it.
I’m in Atlanta for my best friend’s wedding, which means getting ready in the most gorgeous suite I have ever seen, the bride spontaneously happy clapping every 2 minutes and time spent with some people I love, love, love.
Oh, and it also means this:
Twisted Mac & Cheese. The bride’s favorite place is the Hard Rock Cafe so we celebrated last night with the most lively waitstaff on the planet, music, and twisted Mac. So much fun.
It is so beautiful to be around such genuine joy and celebration. Everything about this weekend has been so authentically this couple and as a result, fun, easy going and enjoyable. This is one incredibly special couple and I am 100% confident that this Once Upon a Time will result in a Happily Ever After.
Solitude. This week, I am grateful for solitude. I spent time in the town I grew up in last weekend and went for a run on the beach one morning. Once I finished, I walked out on the break wall, something I haven’t done in ages. Sitting there, I realized that this was probably the first time I have been alone, entirely alone, in years. I spend plenty of time by myself but in Chicago, there’s always someone in the next apartment over, beside me on the sidewalk, hanging out on the lakefront path a few feet away. But here I was on the rocks at the edge of Lake Michigan, not a soul in sight. There was no awareness of what i was doing, no “looking good”, no excessive stimuli. It was just me and the rocks and the sound of water lapping up against the shore. I love my life in Chicago and what I have access to mere feet from my home. But this weekend I realized that there is something to be said for the occasional opportunity to sit with myself in wide open spaces.
A look through the flowering trees in the Lakeshore East park spotted this father and daughter pair launching what looked to be their first kite of the season. After a few tries, it was up, up and away.
Lakeshore East is one of my absolute favorite parts of the city and while I miss living there so much, I love walking over every week to go to Mariano’s…and witness idyllic scenes such as this.
Sunshine and the river.
Sunshine and a green juice.
Sunshine and Michigan Avenue.
So, basically, Spring in Chicago has finally gotten its act together. To walk around and feel warmth and not be hunched over from the frigid cold is really just the most wonderful thing. And to everyone who is all “Oh em gee, Nina, it’s so sad we skip over Spring these days and go right to summer”, shut your mouth and be grateful it’s not snowing. Or freezing rain. Or hailing. Or flooding.
Sunshine for the (Tuesday) win!
Working side by side with my Dad today. When I was little, I didn’t think there was anything better than “Take Your Daughter to Work Day”. Now, I know there is- it’s being an adult with your own career and having the opportunity to rock your job while sitting next to your Dad, who is rocking his job.
It’s not often we’re in the same place but man…so much life love for today.
Fearlessness. My little buddy J takes swim lessons and his mom invited me to tag along this week. For 30 minutes, J and his little friends play games in the water with their adult (parent or nanny), putting their heads under water, kicking, splashing, jumping off the edge. Aside from the can’t-even-handle-it cuteness, what struck me the most was the fearlessness these kiddos had. Under the water they went and there was no doubt that they were going to find their way up to the top. They reacted to the water with such sheer instinct, it was incredible.
My mom told me that J’s age group, the under 2 years old set, are the ones who know fearlessness, who experience their environment on instinct. It’s as we grow older that fearlessness is replaced by panic. It got me thinking about how often I react from a place of fear and panic and how rare those moments of instinct are in the adult world. I think I want to be like J and paddle my little hands, knowing 100% that they’ll find their way to the top of the water. I am grateful for fearlessness…and the inspiration that little people can bring us.
Did the weekend fly by or did it fly by? I seriously can’t believe it’s Monday again.
Our weekend kicked off with an event at the Junior League of Chicago called “Perfect Pairings”. I joined the League this winter to get more involved with volunteering in my community and this event is one of their big fundraisers. While sampling the beverage side of the pairings, Ryan and I met the founders of Quincy Street Distillery, a local small batch spirits creator. Historic Riverside is home to the distillery and I want to get out for a visit ASAP. Hearing them tell us about how they make this boozy goodness sounded so prohibition, old-school Chicago and the French 75‘s they made us were really, really good. And it’s local! I know buying/drinking/shopping local is a thing now but businesses like this are the real deal and seeing their passion for their craft in person was really cool.
I see a field trip to Riverside in our future.