It’s time for the first favorites post of 2020! If you’re new to my These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things posts a few things I want you to know:
[One]: Yes it’s a reference to The Sound of Music. I’m a total musical theater dork through and through.
[Two]: Yes, I talk about a lot of things I’m currently loving. But it’s also just a way for me to catch you up on some things I’m currently reading, watching, etc. Just an FYI 🙂
Alrighty, friends. Let’s dive on in:
Friends coming to visit
My absolute favorite thing from this past month? Friends that came to visit from out of town.
My BFF from college David was in and out of New York over the holidays. It was SUCH a treat to share a few meals with him and get to see Jagged Little Pill with him (more on that below.) It’s always sad when he leaves NYC but on the bright side, I’ll be seeing him in LA later this month.
I was so excited to see my friend Jordan. We grew up in the same town and have become good friends thanks to the blogging world, kind of crazy how things work out like that. It was good to see her and catch up — and I can’t wait to see her too while I’m in LA later this month.
And lastly, my friend Shira came to visit from Baltimore over the weekend. We met on a trip to Israel in 2014. We’ve kept in touch over the years and she’s come to visit a few times. I hadn’t seen her in ages so it was such a treat to catch-up. I joke we had the epitome of a Kayla weekend: we ate LOTS of food in my ‘hood, she took her first Bar Method class, we went shopping and we saw a Broadway show.
Dancing into 2020 at 305 Fitness
My friend Leah and I spent New Year’s Eve at 305 Fitness and it was seriously the most perfect way to ring in the new year. The founder Sadie led us in the signature 305 cardio dance class followed by one of their newer classes FLX. After that, we got cozy in our pajamas and she led us in a brief meditation right before midnight.
I had never taken the FLX class before and LOVED it. It’s like yoga in the sense that’s it’s stretching, but a bit more fluid. And with a whole lot of Lizzo. I’ll definitely be taking the class again.
TBH I had been feeling really sad about New Year’s Eve since the break-up. I’ve been stressing about it since September. I’m so happy I got to spend the night with one of my good friends and doing something I love – DANCING.
Postmates Unlimited
Clearly one of my resolutions for 2020 isn’t to cook more 😂
I’ve been totally hooked on Postmates lately and decided to upgrade to their unlimited plan for free delivery. So far it’s been well worth it. My favorite finds so far are hands down KazuNori (more on that below), BONDI Sushi and The Butcher’s Daughter (more on that below, too)
I love Seamless, don’t get me wrong, and I’ve been collecting Delivery.com points since freshman year of college BUT I gotta say Postmates takes the cake for me right now. The selection of options is really top-notch and I’ve found a lot of my favorite restaurants now suddenly have delivery fees on Seamless. One of these days I’ll really splurge for some Sugarfish delivery 😍
Kazu Nori Hand Rolls
KazuNori is arguably the reason I decided to do Postmates Unlimited. That’s how obsessed I am with this place. It’s the same people as SugarFish and they offer these incredible to-go box with a mixture of 4 handrolls (cucumber, Toro, crab, and yellowtail) and the most delicious sashimi.
(Kayla in the nutshell — eating sushi and watching Drag Race)
I still need to actually eat at the restaurant to experience their real deal hand rolls, but I’ve heard they have a crazy line.
The Butcher’s Daughter
The Butcher’s Daugther is totally my vibe — it’s all vegetarian but also has a ton of vegan options. Which means I can order something dairy-free and add an egg on it. The Kayla Dream.
A few weeks ago I ordered the Angel Hair Carbonara with a fried egg on top and tempeh for delivery and it was SO tasty. It’s not the prettiest dish to look at, but the blend of flavors is heavenly. I definitely recommend adding the fried egg and tempeh if that’s your jam.
Tulo House
I’ve been dying to try this super cute coffee shop known for their fresh nut milk — I feel like I’ve seen it ALL over instagram.
It’s pricey and not something I’d get regularly (and this is coming from someone that splurges every day for a Starbucks soy vanilla latte) but if you’re looking for a little something extra, hit up Tulo. I got the Choc Chagaccino with Tiger Nut Milk and it was chocolatey and delish.
Chicken Tortilla Soup from Taco Dumbo
On Monday nights I always eat dinner on the go in between my 4:30PM and was 7:00PM yoga classes. Now that it’s chilly out my usual go-to Sweetgreen just hasn’t been doing it for me. I’m always craving cozy soup. Turns out my beloved Taco Dumbo has the tastiest dairy-free chicken tortilla soup. I’ve been pairing it with a side of guacamole and it’s fabulous.
Also I just found out the ENTIRE menu is dairy-free. As if I didn’t already love Taco Dumbo enough.
What I’m Watching:
the Joker movie: I FINALLY say the Joker movie (you can buy it on iTunes now!). I have SO many thoughts on it and have been reading up on all the different fan theories. Have you seen it yet?
On Broadway:
Jagged Little Pill: I like Alanis Morisette but I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan or anything. While my friend David was in New York he took me to see Jagged Little Pill. It’s a lot as a show. It tackles a huge range of issues like drug abuse, rape, race, climate change… to name a few. Even though it feels like it’s trying to do a bit too much, overall I really loved the show and found it to be insanely powerful at times. I’ve also been listening to the cast recording on Spotify a ton.
Ain’t Too Proud: My parents and I always try to see a movie or broadway show on Christmas day. This year we saw Ain’t Too Proud, the Temptations musical. I didn’t know a ton about the band going in but found the history super fascinating. And of course the music and dancing was fab.
Tootsie: I went to see Tootsie for a second time with my friend Shira. I wanted to take her to something fun, light and not crazy expensive and Tootsie fit the bill. Sadly the show closes this week I believe, but I highly recommend it as a show. It’s one of the most fun, delightful musicals I’ve seen on Broadway in a while. I’m so sad it’s closing so soon.
I’m pretty sure it’s going on tour either in 2020 or 2021 so be on the lookout.
What I’m Reading:
Josh and Hazel’s Guide To Not Dating by Christina Lauren: This book is super cute, but not my favorite I’ve read by Christina Lauren.
After a super awkward beginning years ago in college, Josh and Hazel have become BFFs in their late 20’s and decide to start setting each other up on double-blind dates. The two unlikely friends end up bonding more than they expect. It’s a predictable rom-com in many ways, but it still has a few twists and turns I totally wasn’t expecting. As always the writing duo (Christina Lauren is actually two people!) writes such awesome, loveable characters.
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo: I wrote about Three Women in my round-up of favorite books from 2019. But it deserves to be mentioned again as I finished the book earlier this week. The book follows three real women through the lens of female desire. It’s disturbing. It’s eyeopening. And it’s also made me think a whole lot. Go read it!
One Day in December by Josie Silver: I just started this book earlier this week and it’s cute so far. Although TBH after Three Women it feels weird to go back to cutesy rom-com books. In 2009 Laurie randomly spots a super cute guy waiting at a bus stop. They share a cute moment and share a glance but then poof, he’s gone (well, the bus Laurie is riding starts to move again.) After fantasizing about this mystery guy for a full year she spots him again — turns out he’s her BFF’s new boyfriend.
I’m still just getting into the book but have heard so many people talk about how much they love it — and I’m looking forward to listening to the Bad on Paper book club episode for the book once I’m done.
✨
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