My window

Turtle Pond

 With young children to put to bed at a somewhat decent hour, we weren't really able to be out and about with other partygoers on New Year's Eve. Instead, we flung our windows wide at the stroke of midnight and screamed "happy new year!" to the city from 25 floors up. I'm pretty sure some revelers on the street may have replied, their answers floating back up to us on the chilly 2014 air. I know I did the same thing when the news confirmed that Obama had been elected - I stuck my head out the window and yelled my joy to the city. I waved at people in the building across the street, thrilled that I was bringing my first child into a world where we finally had an inspiring leader.

People say that sometimes you can feel lonely in New York City, even amid the rushing and the pushing, and the hustle and the bustle. But in those celebratory moments, when the city is bursting with communal happiness, you can actually feel the connections in the air, a solid, tangible string of emotion between buildings. On New Year's Day we took a long and very chilly walk in Central Park - reminding me of family walks we took every January 1st, although in a very different setting. It felt like the best way to start the new year, and we arrived home with frozen fingers and pink cheeks, happy to sink onto the couch with a satisfied sigh and a cup of tea.

Opera singer performing in Central Park on New Year's Day

food

Not sure how Molly at Remedial Eating made me swoon over the thought of leeks, but swoon I did.

Donal's post on his Irish Christmas made all of my childhood memories come flooding back. From sausages and rashers for breakfast to the anticipation of the arrival of family members so we could finally start the big Christmas day dinner which was always turkey or goose, it made me long to recreate that here in the city.

Loving this simple and delicious-sounding salted rosemary latte from Megan at Passports & Pancakes.

And if you're more of a tea drinker, then you have to check out these vegan earl grey chocolate shakes from Laura at The First Mess.

interior design

In the midst of this polar vortex we're experiencing I'm dreaming about relaxing in this Aussie beach shack posted by Desire to Inspire.

Ideas for a more efficient kitchen here on BHG Style Spotters - I'm coveting those pull out pantry shelves.

I guess I'm all about the kitchen today (it is one of my 2014 goals to organize that space in a better fashion) and in case you're redoing your kitchen (I have friends who are) take heart from this post from Centsational Girl on kitchen trends that are here to stay.

Stay warm everyone!