Since starting graduate school, a significant change to my daily life is the time I start my days. Prior to June, I would start my day with a 7 or 8AM SoulCycle session. Now, I have to be at work by 6:50AM (thank goodness for late night and weekend SoulCycle class offerings!). When I leave my apartment at 5:55AM, there are few people walking around my Chelsea neighborhood. The ones who are, though, have unknowingly joined my social experiment of gauging New Yorkers’ reactions to someone greeting them with a smile and a message of ‘Good morning!’ I have been aiming for ten encounters a morning, and have had very positive responses from my unsuspecting subjects! 
I truly do believe that smiling and showing kindness to everyone you meet can really change lives. My mom and I recently had a conversation about how everyone must grapple with their own personal battles, even those that seem to be uber happy and effervescent. By spreading a little cheer through a wave, a smile, an embrace, or words, I hope to distract someone, even if it is very momentarily, away from their trials and tribulations to instead look at life with the glass half full.
Someone who is no stranger to public humiliation and self-inflicted struggle is former Congressman and NYC mayoral candidate, Anthony Weiner. Infamous for his Twitter dick pic scandal, he has had to overcome the elephant in every room that he speaks in to get potential voters to focus on his platform and stance on policy issues. On Tuesday night, I was honored to attend a mayoral candidate town hall meeting on education hosted by Familes for Excellent Schools. Each candidate had slightly nuanced and differing views on education, charter schools, colocation, teacher unions, and school safety. I will be continuing to follow the race to identify the candidate that will ultimately work for the well being of NYC children.
The mayoral candidates tried to convince the audience of parents, students, and educators last night that as the next NYC mayor, they would work in the best interest of children, our future, and will work to create a society that the next generation can safely emulate with pride.
http://www.mulberryandvine.com/
A new restaurant in NYC’s TriBeCa neighborhood, Mulberry & Vine, is creating fast, natural, organic, and locally sourced meals for families and working professionals to savor while maintaining a healthy diet. Founded by two TriBeCa mothers with backgrounds in business and culinary arts who wanted food that their families and friends could happily and healthily enjoy, Mulberry & Vine was born. They wanted their kids to eat real foods and flavors both at home and out to eat in their area to promote health and to grow strong bodies and minds.
Michelle and Genevieve were not lifelong friends venturing out on this lofty business endeavor to fulfill a shared lifelong goal; rather, the two accomplished women met at a mutual friend’s 40th birthday party weekend in Miami. They got to talking about their lives as TriBeCa mothers and the lack of healthy, affordable, and delicious dining options in their neighborhood. From this conversation, their restaurant was born. With an experienced head chef with cooking experiences in upstate NY, California, and Hawaii, Justin brings with him a vast knowledge of exotic spices and healthy, tasty cuisine.
I always boast about the great community and inspiration SoulCycle provides, and today was a perfect example of the power of the Soul pack in action. I attended class with one of my favorite instructors, Marvin, tonight. He complimented me on my bike dancing and tap backs, and I had a great time climbing hills and singing along to Rent. Post class, I saw a rider with a Mulberry & Vine tank on. I had read the SoulCycle blog post about the new TriBeCa restaurant in May, so I told the woman that. Turns out, the woman was Michelle, a co-owner and founder of the fantastic dining establishment.
Michelle and I got to talking, and she graciously invited me to the restaurant to sample a plethora of the great options served. I can honestly say I did not have a bad forkful. Everything from the beet, pomegranate, chile flake, and cilantro salad to the quinoa, kale, egg, feta, dill, cumin and chive cakes was refreshing. My favorite bite was the turkey meatball that had a great bit of a kick as it was seasoned with a great balance of ginger, jalapeño, and garam masala. Desert exceeded my expectations as well with Laughing Man coffee (Hugh Jackman’s local coffee company), toasted cashews straight out of the oven and seasoned with cumin, and a sweet and refreshing cup of chia seeds, maple syrup, almond milk, and strawberries.
True to their ethos to provide local, fresh, and natural options, Mulberry & Vine serves wine made in the Hamptons (Channing Daughters) and all natural juices founded in Battery Park City and made in Long Island City (LULI TONIX). Tomorrow, Thursday, June 13, from 11am-1pm, Lianna, the founder of LULI TONIX, will be hosting a tasting at Mulberry & Vine. Be sure to check it out if you live/work in NYC! The tastes are phenomenal, and most importantly, the drinks are not too sugary – they are solely natural with nothing artificial or processed.
As you look to finish this week up strongly, reflect on how you can find time and the care to smile and greet everyone you meet with warmness. Children model what they see adults in their lives doing; lead by example to everyone you meet by being a kind person concerned with your community and health like Mulberry & Vine has done such a great job of doing!
