I am just about the only one in my office this week.  Since all the offices we work with are closed the week between Christmas and New Years, it’s pretty much dead.  I drew the short straw and am the only one from my team who had to come in (represent!), but I don’t really mind.  It’s so quiet that I’m actually able to cross a lot of items off my personal to-do list (you know, like planning that lil ol wedding of mine that’s happening in about 3 months).  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday (no matter what you celebrate!) and are looking forward to a sparkle-filled New Year’s Eve!

After getting engaged, I began spending the Christmas holiday with my beau’s family in Connecticut.  The family is Czechoslovakian, and I particularly like the Christmas Eve meal that’s filled with traditional Slovak foods like pierogi, dough balls called bolbalki, and sauerkraut.  This year, since it coincided with the first night of Chanukah, my future mother in law also served latkes and I brought sufganiyot.  It was nice to blend tradition!

I completed another item on my Winter Checklist when I made my first ever wreath.  I love the look of boxwoods, so I chose that over pine or fir.  I found this one at Trader Joe’s for only $10 and then adorned it with a minimalist garland of wooden discs/stars and mini pine cones.  It’s nice to be greeted by a little extra holiday cheer when I arrive home.

We left Connecticut on Christmas night at were very hungry when we got back to the city.  We went straight from the train to a Chinese restaurant so we could experience the traditional “Jewish Christmas” meal.  We went to Nancy Lee’s Pig Heaven, a place I’ve liked ever since I lived in the UES years ago.  They’ve since moved into a new location about a block away from the original.  The space is a little nicer and the food is as good as ever.  Also as good as ever?  Nancy Lee herself, whose bubbly personality always makes me want to return.  I hope this becomes part of our Christmas tradition for years to come!