What I’m Loving Lately: November 2017

You guys, I just realized that my last monthly “What I’m Loving Lately” post was from JULY! Where the heck has time gone!?

When I look back on the last three months, it’s crazy to think about how much has happened. Let’s recap: I decided to spend the last few weeks of August (right before our wedding) with my parents in Maine. I had numerous wedding-related appointments on the east coast, so it didn’t make sense to fly back and forth from Los Angeles multiple times. Travis and I were married in Boston at the beginning of September, and spent the following two weeks honeymooning in Greece. When we arrived back home in Los Angeles at the end of September, we immediately started looking for an apartment in NYC (remotely) and packing up our apartment. It took us longer than we would have liked to find an apartment, so ultimately Travis had to fly to New York to start his new job, while I finished packing in Los Angeles and handling all of the little details that go into a cross-country move. So needless to say, the last three months really have been a whirlwind.

I am relieved that we finally found a (great!) apartment in NYC and got here smoothly. I just wish our movers would get here already with all of our boxes and furniture from Los Angeles. Even though we aren’t totally settled here yet, there are still plenty of things I’m loving, so let’s get this monthly series back on track, shall we!?

 

Our New Apartment (and Location!)

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When looking for an apartment in NYC we had a lot of must-have criteria on our list. Since I spend a heck of a lot of time in the kitchen, we needed a place with a gas stove, a good amount of counter space, and lots of cabinets and storage. We also wanted a large(ish) living space because we love hosting dinners and get togethers with friends. And finally, we wanted to be near some sort of park for Bessie because we were worried how she would adjust to the “Concrete Jungle” after being surrounded by greenery in Santa Monica. It’s fairly well known that our three main criteria: a large kitchen, large living area, and close proximity to a park are generally pretty hard to find in NYC, unless you’re ready to spend $$$$. Well, thanks to Travis, we somehow managed to find all three, and I feel extremely lucky. In addition to being close to Central Park, we’re also walking distance from multiple train lines, a Whole Foods, a TJ Maxx and HomeGoods (my jam!), pharmacies, a veterinarian, and basically everything else we could ever need. Once we’re all unpacked and the apartment is furnished, I think we’re going to feel great.

 

Whole Foods Sales Flyer

I am a big bargain hunter (hence my love for TJ Maxx and HomeGoods), so even though I love shopping at Whole Foods, I also try to make sure we buy products that are on sale. Did you know that Whole Foods publishes a sales flyer on their website every week? You can filter by your specific store to see what’s on sale in your area. The sales are updated on Wednesdays, so I like to check the flyer that morning to see what’s on sale for the week, and I often plan our dinners around some of those items. For example, if I see that wild salmon is on sale (something that’s usually pretty pricey), I’ll make sure to incorporate salmon into our dinner plan that week. It’s a really helpful tool if you didn’t know about it before.

 

Easy Storage Collapsable Dish Rack

I recently bought this collapsable dish rack for our kitchen and am so happy with it so far. It takes up very little space on our counter, and I love the idea of being able to collapse and hide the dish rack when we have company over or just need more counter space. Despite its small size this dish rack is pretty deep, so it’s able to hold multiple bowls, cups and cooking utensils at one time. If you have a small kitchen, I highly recommend this one!

 

Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips

After Travis took his Pinnertest and learned that he’s intolerant to corn, he’s been trying to eat as little of it as possible, which doesn’t exactly pan out well for his tortilla chip obsession. I’d heard a lot of good things from other bloggers about the Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips, so I grabbed a bag at Whole Foods last week and we flew threw it in two days! Siete chips are made with cassava flour (cassava is a root vegetable) and only real, good ingredients. After one bite, we were both hooked! These chips have a delicious salty flavor and that perfect tortilla chip crunch. They’re seriously addicting!

 

Joseph Joseph Slotted Turner

Isn’t it funny how the smallest invention can make you so happy? That’s how I feel about the Joseph Joseph spatulas. There’s a built in elevated rest that keeps the main portion of the spatula off the counter, reducing mess that would otherwise be created by letting it rest flat on the counter. I love these spatulas so much that now own three! So many spatulas start to peel or wear over time, and these don’t. Our longest lasting Joseph Joseph spatula is going on 6+ years now. We’ve used it almost daily, and it’s been run through the dishwasher hundreds of times with no problems. It’s perfect for flipping everything from roasted vegetables, pancakes, fish, and chicken. This is one of my most-loved small kitchen tools and you can find it for less than $10 at Target!