Currently Loving September 2023

Here is what I am loving this month! And as always, please email / text / call / message me with everything and anything you love — I truly love hearing the little snippets of joy that you enjoy, too!

 

1. Manet x Degas Exhibition at The Met

 

One of the beauties of NYC is the access to all the museums. As I walk by the Met every single day to get to my daughter’s school, I became a member, and love popping in just for a quick look. On Thursday, on a whim, I stopped by the newly opened “Manet x Degas” — there was no line (I went an hour before closing) and IT WAS AMAZING. I loved every single thing about the exhibition and learned so much! I had no idea that Manet and Degas were friends and the similarities and differences between the two. I stayed for an hour, and will go back to soak it all in again. I highly recommend. And great to go when no line!

 

2. Pickling

 

I learned how to pickle! I made two varieties — one asian seasoning and one dill. It takes two weeks to fully pickle, so in two weeks, I cannot wait to try and report back.

 

3. Painkiller on Netflix

 

Highly disturbing about the Sackler Family and the opioid crisis. I went through the 6 episodes in a week – very depressing and sad. But very interesting and well done (and Tim Riggins — I love you!)

 

4. B Sides Lasso Jeans

 

My go to favorite fashion style inspiration and good friend told me to get these, and I love them so much! I wear them all the time. They are different, comfortable, and durable.

 

5. B Sides Jean Skirt

 

Thank god for you, Eleanor, with the best style and eye!!!!! She also told me about this jean skirt and it is the perfect skirt. I love it and plan to wear it all Fall!

 

6. Making Dog Food

 

Gourmet homemade dog food for my picky and uber sensitive dog! Let me know if you want the recipe, and I will do a post. If not, let’s just say that this process of making the dog food made me very happy!

 

7. Jewish Museum “After the Wild” Exhibit

 

The Jewish Museum is directly across my daughter’s school, so it was super easy to go to this quick exhibition. They don’t just have jewish work, btw. The main floor rotates different exhibitions. I loved learning and looking at all these pieces of work.

 

8. Ellenos Pumpkin Pie Yogurt

 

I am a huge fan of Ellenos yogurt and also a huge fan of pumpkin pie. So I couldn’t resist trying this yogurt. Sure enough, I loved it.

 

9. Choosing to Run: A Memoir

 

I listened to this book on audible in 2 days — loved every word from Des Linden. What an inspiration — thank you. If you like running, you will love this book. If you don’t like running, skip it.

 

Hope you are having a great last week in September! xx

Anika Yael Natori, aka, The Josie Girl

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Currently Loving July 2023

…and just like that, we are almost to August. Of course, when it comes close to August, I start panicking about the end of summer. Summer is BY FAR my favorite season — the weather, the freedom, the travel, I love it all. And August is like a BIG ‘OL SUNDAY…..So, trying to focus on the present moment, here is what I am currently loving!

 

1. Crochet Top

 

Crochet is definitely having a moment this summer, and I love this top. It is great over bathing suits, or on a hike 🙂 I love it so much.

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Currently Loving June 2023 #1

HOLY CRAP IT IS JUNE AND I AM IN DISBELIEF AND SO BEHIND IN EVERYTHING WITH LIFE. Including blog posts. Apologies, here I am! It is one thing after another and next week, I have to take my dog to Oregon and the week after, I leave NYC for the summer. Gulp. Lots to do. So without further ado, here is what I am currently loving!

 

1. Emmy Squared Pizza

 

Detroit style pizza — crusty, scrumptious, cheesy, and ever so delicious. Highly recommend.

 

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Currently Loving April 2023

I feel like we just got back from Spring Break, and now it is almost May. How does that happen? Literally time flies after the last school break and wooooooshhhh almost summer. Here is what I am currently loving this month.

 

1. Poems in Central Park

 

I love walking and strolling around Central Park on a beautiful weekend day and seeing so many different sights, people, performers, sounds. There is SOOOO much to look at. You don’t need to go to a Broadway show!!! Last weekend, I especially liked this woman who was writing poems for people. “Custom Poems on Demand.”

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Currently Loving Spring Break 23 Edition

OOPS. My kids had spring break for two weeks, and apparently I decided to not ever be on my computer, and not do the blog. Apologies! I brought the computer with me on all the travels, but WOOPS, didn’t write. So here I am. Back in NYC,  kids back to school, and now back to the blog! Here is what I loved over Spring Break and am currently loving!

 

1. Hello Beautiful

 

Best book I have read in a long time. Loved every minute and hated the fact that I read it so fast because then it meant it was over. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

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Currently Loving March 2023

And just like that….Spring Break is right around the corner. Here is what I am loving this month.

 

1. Notorious BIG Statue

 

Located near the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, this new statue of BIG is set up on a hill and is fun, colorful, and different. As a huge fan of BIG, I love it. VERY MUCH.

 

2. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

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Currently Loving Early February 2023

Here we are, already a week plus a couple in the second month of the year. How does time fly by so quickly? Before you know it, it will be spring break and then school is over and then POOF summer. Here is what I am currently loving this month.

 

1. NY Times article: Future Cringe

 

One of my favorite articles in 2023 — a must read if you haven’t seen it already!

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Currently Loving January 2023 Part 2

Is this month over????? Always SOOOOOOO long. Luckily it has not been THAT cold in NYC this past month. I mean, definitely hat and jacket weather, but not my big BIG coat. Here is what I am currently loving.

 

1. Feel Better Live More Podcast

 

Super insightful and love all of his shows. A must listen to.

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Currently Loving October 2022

Here we are in October! Fall in New York….here is what I am currently loving (and please send me what you are loving, too! I love to hear!)

 

1. Flash Flowers by Lewis Miller Design

 

Walking home from drop off yesterday and I saw this beautiful flower flash installation by Lewis Miller Design — always so beautiful.

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Currently Loving July 2022 Part 2

OH MY GOODNESS STOP SUMMER, STOP! It is going too fast and *GULP* it is almost the end of July! Here is what I am loving.

 

1. Never Have I Ever

 

So yes, the past month I have been with my 75+ parents and my 10 year old daughter, so it is not a shocker that I have been mainly watching teenager shows, but I am OBSESSED with ‘Never Have I Ever.” I love the characters, so charming, cute, loveable. Paxton — I love you.

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Currently Loving July 2022

There is a lot to love in July — summer, sunshine, no school, and a shift in seasons; but here are some other things that I am loving this month.

 

1. Gazpacho

There is nothing I love more than gazpacho — it is my all time favorite soup — and I craved it when I was pregnant with Cruzzie the entire pregnancy. So now that I am in Spain, on the few times we have gone out, I have ordered gazpacho — and it has always tasted delicious. I love tasting the different restaurants and styles — all absolutely delicious, healthy, and refreshing.

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Currently Loving June 2022

It is almost mid June and so the end-of-school-rush and start of traveling is in full swing. I am trying to pack for two camps, a cross country trip, a Europe trip, and still manage to get the kids to school. Needless to say, I feel like a chicken without a head. All good things, and I am happy to be here and healthy….so here is what I am loving this month.

 

1. Notorious BIG Metro card

 

A lover of BIG, I had to get this special metrocard. Going to frame it — love it. Definitely cost more than a normal metrocard, but it will last a lifetime.

 

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Currently Loving April 2022 Part 2!

Yes, another post with what I am currently loving for this month…I couldn’t help myself! Enjoy!

 

1. CODA

 

Best movie I have seen in a long time. Obviously, I had heard about it with all the Oscars, but I was never interested in seeing it, until this past weekend, we watched it as a family, and LOVE LOVE LOVE. Must watch (and not the most kid appropriate movie, but we all loved it nonetheless).

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Currently Loving March 2022

And just like that….April here we come! Here is what I am loving at the end of March

 

1. iphone Case with cardholder

 

A friend recently had this Australian Company phone case that stores 3 credit cards, and I am DYING for one….problem is that they dont have one for the current model of my phone…but I am obsessed and want to get a new phone just for the case!

 

2. Seaglass hunting

 

I AM IN LOVE WITH LOOKING FOR SEAGLASS. Another one of my COVID hobbies (that, obviously, only works when and if you are on a beach). We had great luck when we were in Mexico, less luck in Florida. We have beautiful jars of it at home that store so many great memories of us walking and collecting. There is nothing like the simple joy of spotting a piece of seaglass on the sand and in the water.

 

3. Little Twig Detangler Leave In Conditoner

 

A friend who knows everything about non-tocic beauty products, swears by this for her children. It is mild, effective, safe, and actually works (one of my greatest pet peeves is brushing my daughter’s hair that is basically a dread lock most of the time)….

 

4. MJ The Musical

 

In March, I was able to see three different broadway shows — hands down, my favorite was MJ The Musical. My kids didn’t like it as much as I did, but I found it fun with incredible dancing and acting. Highly recommend (especially if you are my age and not my kids’ age)…

 

5. Eminem Killer Remix

 

As an hip-hop lover AND an Eminem lover, I am obsessed with this song. It is great song to run to.

 

6. Friends from College — Season 2

 

I know that this series is old (2017-2019) but I recently binged the second season in two evenings and laughed out loud hysterically at every episode. I didn’t love the first season (I didn’t even finish it), but some reason, the second season was hysterical. I am very upset that the show has been canceled and will not have a third season….

 

7. American Idol Season 20

 

Back in my Stanford days, I religiously watched American Idol every week with our best friends. Then, when I moved to NYC, I continued to watch religiously. But in the past 12 years, I have never turned it on….until now. And I LOVE IT. LOVE. A great family TV show and I love the judges (who are new to me) and the positivity, optimism and talent it brings. SO. MUCH. JOY.

 

8. Scotch & Soda Sweatshirt

 

My favorite new hoodie is my son’s Scotch and Soda (given to him by his fashionable grandmother). I love the embroidery on it — can’t wait to try to embroider on a plain sweatshirt and copy this!)

 

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That is what I am loving right now — well, that and love and care. Hope you are having a great week!

Anika Yael Natori, aka, The Josie Girl

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Currently Loving January 2022

I know that the month has just begun (Omicron — go away already! Winter — go away, too!), but here is what I am currently loving!

 

1. The Sex Lives of College Girls

 

Hands down the most LOL show I have seen in a long time. It is so right on about liberal art colleges and I love the characters so much. A must watch! I am just sad I have no more episodes to watch — it is binge worthy (25 minutes each episode) and so fun, funny, and smart.

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Currently Loving December 2021

Last month of 2021! I can’t believe it — this year has come and gone…..here is what I am currently loving this month!

 

1. We Can Do Hard Things: Glennon Doyle podcast, episode “Runners and Cheerers: Marathon Life with Shalane Flanagan

 

I love Glennon Doyle — she is honest and acknowledges when she makes mistakes. I really liked this episode as it talked about marathons and what happens during them — her wife ran it and spoke about it. I also love Shalane Flannagan, but found the first half of the episode better than the portion when Shalane was featured.

 

2. Crying in H Mart

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Currently Loving October 2021

I blinked, and here we are in mid October. I know that as you get older, the time starts to fly by, but really, in the past year, it feels like a month ago was yesterday! And it literally feels like school JUST started, but here we are almost Halloween (gulp, my least favorite holiday). Here is what I am loving this month!

 

1. The Night She Disappeared (on audible)

 

Almost 3/4 of the way done with this book (listening to it) and I am now a huge fan of audible books and this story! A must read (or listen to!)

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Currently Loving May 2021

It is that time of the year where I can NOT believe that school is weeks away from being over. It has certainly been an unusual year, but nonetheless, a good year. Now I am in panic mode of organizing summer and figuring out all the logistics. In the meantime, here is what I am currently loving.

 

1. NormaTec Recovery Boots

 

These compressions boots saved me during my preparation for the Rim to Rim to Rim. I wouldn’t have been able to do the number of long runs without these boots. They reduce inflammation, increase circulation, and decreases muscle fatigue. They work MAGIC! Not cheap, but oh so worth it.

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Currently Loving February 2021

February is a bizarre month — it is the shortest, feels the longest, yet is gone before I know it. So here is what I am loving this month (before it is March — hip hip hooray, Spring, we cannot wait!)

 

1. In & Of Itself

 

Identity is an illusion. I don’t want to say much because it is best to go in to this movie / documentary / performance blind. It is absolutely incredible, 100% worth watching, and afterwards, read this and this. Available on hulu. Powerful.

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Currently Loving June 2020

Hello from LA! The kids and I started the summer out west with a California adventure before we ultimately end up in Oregon. So far we are truly enjoying the laid-back-vibe, the Pacific Ocean breeze, the sunshine, and just being out here! LA is truly la-la-land and such a beautiful and idyllic place to live — if NYC doesn’t work out, LA here I come! In the meantime, here is what I am currently loving this month, June 2020!

 

1. Money Heist

 

Spanish TV series — SO GOOD. Must watch!!! I am at the beginning of Season 2 and I can’t wait to watch it. OBSESSED.

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