You know you’re a Millennial when you quote Death Cab for Cutie in the title of a blog post. I cannot freaking believe this song came out more than fourteen years ago. I still remember the day my friend handed me a burned CD in Creative Writing class and when I listened to it later that day when I got home, it was like my head cracked open or something. I miss very little about being that age, but there is nothing quite like that innocent teenage ability to lose one’s sh*t over music. I am so glad Facebook was not a thing yet when I was in high school.

Anyway.

I just spent another New Years in South Carolina with my parents. It was very mellow—a lot of quiet and some shopping and gym time and yoga and a good mix of home-cooked and local restaurant food. New Year’s Eve I was in bed by ten and don’t feel like I missed a damn thing. I like to wind down the year and begin with some activities and foods that help me feel grounded and centered, so it felt good to do that this year. I also spent some time on business planning and filled my calendar with meetings and events I’m excited about, like this #BarreForSurvival event in January. I’m also the featured speaker at this month’s Women Who Brunch event—can’t wait for that! I’m looking forward to getting back in the swing of regular corporate wellness events after taking a lighter load last semester to teach.

Taking a few days off meant diving back into a busy week here in NYC before having to go out of town again on Saturday, so today’s post is short and sweet. Here’s a look at the “what I ate” part of this year’s New Year’s holiday.

New Year’s Eve:

• Breakfast: Post-workout breakfast of eggs with leftover vegetables ; coffee
• Late-morning snack: Turkey jerky before running some errands

• Lunch: Salad with avocado, sautéed radish, roasted asparagus, and pan-seared scallops. I used a splash of prosecco to deglaze the pan I made the scallops in
• Dinner: Antipasti (mozzarella, tomato, marinated peppers), then pan-seared sea bass with very garlicky broccoli rabe ; (too much) prosecco and espresso liquer to drink
• Bedtime Snack: Sliced strawberries with a spoonful of yogurt.

New Year’s Day:

Not to sound superstitious, but I do think that the first day of the year can be a great way to set the tone for the days, weeks, and months to come. I like to start New Years Day with healthy foods and activities, so it felt great to slip on a new pair of sneakers and hit the gym for some easy cardio and reading a book. I also booked a yoga flow class for late afternoon. I love being able to incorporate some mindfulness into that first day of the year. The food part of delicious and energizing too!

• Breakfast: A repeat of the previous day’s morning meal
• Lunch: A spinach salad with salmon, goat cheese, and apple from a local place
• Snacks: Pre-yogurt frozen berries ; post-yoga plain Greek yogurt with cocoa powder (not pictured) ; a few sips of red wine at my parents’ friends house.
• Dinner: Spinach & spaghetti squash with homemade bolognese sauce made with grass-fed beef ; a half-glass of leftover prosecco ; a cup of tea and square of dark chocolate for dessert

Do you have any New Years Day traditions? 

To see more WIAW, check out founder Jenn’s blog Peas & Crayons or visit host Laura‘s blog.