Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

Alternative Thanksgiving Plans in NYC

Now that Halloween has passed, we are onto the next holiday…Thanksgiving! I myself am not from the East coast and can rarely go home for the holidays, so here are some things you can do to celebrate the festivities while away from home and family.

FIT Residential Life Thanksgiving Feast

Res-life always hosts a Thanksgiving dinner for students that stay in the city for the holiday. Take advantage of a free meal and hang out with friends on campus.

Thanksgiving Day Parade

This Nov. 28th will be the 92nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade celebration. Come celebrate an iconic and historic NYC event along with the rest of the city either in person or live on TV. If you want, you can go the night before to watch the balloons get inflated as well.

Bryant Park’s Winter Village

Bryant Park is a wonderful place to stroll through and take a look at all the holiday gift and food shops. This is a great place to look out for that perfect present or to get a cheap bite. There is also the the skate rink which as free admissions but costs $20 to rent skates. It gets cold on the ice so make sure to bring gloves and a jacket.

Friends-giving

Gather a group of friends to have a home cooked (or ordered out) “family” meal. You can make it a potluck to make the menu easier on whoever is hosting, but make sure to contribute something to the group.

(Window) Shop around on black Friday

There are so many online and in store deals to take advantage of. Check off all your Christmas list items or just peruse. You can also stop by the famous Macy’s window displays at Herald Square along your way.

Volunteer with New York Cares

New York Cares is the largest volunteer network in NYC that has opportunities in all 5 boroughs. It requires a quick and simple orientation but after that you are free to sign up for as many volunteer opportunities as you’d like, spanning from gardening to child and senior care to tax prep.

Explore the changing season at Central Park

Get a breath of fresh air at one of the many parks around NYC. Central Park will be showcasing the full force of Autumn with its beautiful foliage. Grab a bite to eat and walk around to one of the many locations in CP, such as the skate rinks, the CP zoo, the boat launches, or the Bethesda fountain.

Visit a Zoo

Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and Central Park Zoo are all open the day of Thanksgiving. Tickets for all three locations are $13 (unfortunately they do not offer a student discount). View animals such as exotic birds, sea lions, red pandas, grizzly bears, and snow leopards.

Happy Friendsgiving!

Hello there!

So last year I wrote a post all about different ideas you could do for Friendsgiving. This year I thought I would switch it up and talk about what I’m planning on doing during the thanksgiving holidays. And maybe who knows might give you some inspiration to do the same.

This year I decided to go away, but like most of us I didn’t want to spend a lot. My friend and I wanted to pick a place that was not too close from Manhattan, but not too far either. We came to the conclusion that Washington D.C. would be a great idea. I’ve never been to Washington D.C., and researching more about it, there was a list of things to do. Washington has some of the best museums and it’s literally only a 4 hour bus ride from Manhattan. In total we spend $64 for the bus ticket, and picked a hostel right in the center and paid $29. Honestly, I was shocked that I paid under $100 to go to Washington (for some reason it felt so much further) and stay over night. This would never be the case where I live, the train ticket in itself would be more than $100. Anyways, if you are feeling a little homesick, or need a little break from school and the city, I would highly suggest taking a short one day or two day trip to a city close by. For example, a few weeks ago I went to Philadelphia by bus for really cheap and it was amazing. I feel so closed off living here in New York, it feels like the center of the world and I forget that there are cities so close, that are incredible too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo

-Z

Tips for Staying FIT during the Holidays!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving! Food & family, what’s better than that right!? As we all are beginning to regret our holiday indulgences, just remember that winter break is among us! As the year comes to an end, I’m challenging myself to stay healthy during this holiday season! Here are a few tips I’m finding helpful and hopefully will inspire you to join me as well!

1. WAKE UP and GO! – Waking up a little bit earlier than usual to get a head start on the day can really help you out! Mornings are perfect for a calm and relaxing jog or walk to wake up your muscles. You get your workout in and have plenty of time for getting all the busy holiday stuff done during the day!

2. Use yourself, not the gym! – Gyms can be intimidating if you are not used to working out on a daily basis, but to stay healthy high-tech, state-of-the-art machines aren’t necessary! Use your own bodyweight to work yourself out. Push-ups, crunches, squats, and jumping jacks here and there is all you need (or even try lifting leftover cans of cranberry sauce and gravy ☻)

3. Don’t deprive yourself from holiday meals! – With all of the tasty treats on the holiday table, it’s hard not to give in! You should never deprive yourself from enjoying your favorite holiday foods. Eat up, but limit yourself to one serving. Once you’re done, put the rest in a container and slide it in the fridge. You’ll be less likely to dig in for seconds when the food is already put away.

Until next time…

– Mariano

Notes From The 6 Train: Thankful for Thanksgiving

How was your Thanksgiving!?

I hope it was spectacular as mines. This Thanksgiving was particularly special as I got to spend it with my best friend in Boston.

No, that's not what you think. It just seems red cups are the only readily available cups on college campuses. (go figure)

No, that’s not what you think. It seems red cups are the only readily available cups on college campuses. (go figure)

After the four hour ride at 2 am in the morning I arrived to Boston just as it began to snow. I am not a fan of snow primarily because it’s a indicator of just how cold it is outside, but I didn’t mind the snow this time. It was my very first white holiday (white as opposed to brown that often results after snow has been trampled on). This was the first time I’ve cooked traditional Thanksgiving food. I prepared dinner with my best friends from Atlanta who go to school in Boston.

I traveled to Boston for Thanksgiving, despite the freezing cold, to be surrounded by people who love me. With all the craziness and let downs (specifically of our judicial system and the recent rulings of the murders of Micheal Brown and Eric Garner) I’ve been in less than a joyful spirit. In fact, I’ve been extremely frustrated and sad, so taking a momentary break from it was necessary for my sanity.

I felt extremely grateful to spend Thanksgiving with long life friends to cook a number of fantastic dishes, we prepared macaroni and cheese, kale, cornbread, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and an orange, cinnamon & apple cider drink. The best part was that it was all vegetarian. (Yay!, I literally went around replacing chicken stock with vegetarian broth so that I could eat it. Sometimes, you have to be proactive.) We brought of all our food to a huge potluck to dine, play cards and spend hours conversing until the wee hours of the morning. I go to experience a piece of home in Boston and get a few days to recharge. I hope you did too.

All things Color, Love, & Fashion,
Ayanna L.

Thanksgiving Emotions

Thanksgiving is one of the most emotional holidays in my opinion. By emotional, I mean there is a total range of emotions that fluctuate before, during, and after Thanksgiving. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Keep reading/watching as I take you through the endless hysteria happiness that is Thanksgiving.

Sitting in class the week of Thanksgiving: