A New York City Thanksgiving

Entrance to Macy's

It’s officially Christmas time, everybody! The most wonderful time of the year! Oh how I love it, but first, how about a little recap over that other holiday that just passed, Thanksgiving!

Given that the Christmas holidays are not too far off, and the cost of airfare being so high, I opted to stay in New York for the Thanksgiving holiday. At first I thought this may be depressing, since I’ve never spent a Thanksgiving away from my family before. However, it ended up being a really amazing day and I am so THANKFUL for that!

A few weeks before Turkey Day, the family friend I stayed with when I first moved up here, texted me to find out if I had any plans for the holiday. At the time, I was considering hitting up the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and then cooking myself some Thanksgiving staple items at home. She asked if I might want to meet up at the parade that day and then find a restaurant serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal to eat at. I promptly said YES!

Finally the big day rolled around and I was actually really looking forward to it! First up, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I woke up at about 6:45 AM, which is probably the earliest I think I’ve ever woken up on a Thanksgiving, to get dressed and head down to midtown to find a spot to watch the parade.

I read several articles in the days leading up in order to be best informed about the parade route and how early I should arrive for a spot. The area of the parade route I was shooting to be in, along 6^th Avenue somewhere in the 50’s, the articles said I could arrive as late as 7:00 AM to get a really good spot. Well, that just seemed entirely too early and I figured, for my first parade, a mediocre spot would do. I decided on a spot near Radio City Music Hall, which I found around 8:30 AM, and it ended up being perfect! Several families ended up being around me and everyone was so nice. The parade officially kicked off at 9:00 AM and at about 9:45ish, it finally made it to where I was standing. Luckily, the weather was pretty mild. I was comfy and warm in my coat, scarf and boots.

I will say, I’ve always watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on television, but it was never one of those things I was absolutely dying to do. I always just figured it’d be something cool to see if I were ever given the opportunity. Well, let me tell you guys, the parade is AWESOME!!! If you do ever have the opportunity to see it, YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD!!

The balloons are quite incredible to see with your own eyes. They’re MASSIVE, as one would assume. One surprising thing was how fast they move! On TV it always looks as if they’re slowly floating lazily through the sky. Not the case, I tell you! Some of the balloon handlers were having to run just to keep up!

My favorite balloon! Hilarious!

MASSIVE Paddington Bear!

Another thing, this parade boogies on down Sixth Avenue! They do not stop, they do not stall. They KEEP ON MOVING! So there’s constantly something to look at once the parade gets to your location. Not only are there balloons, but also the elaborate floats carrying performers like Andy Grammar, Train, Panic At The Disco, Jake Owen, Jennifer Nettles, and The Plain White T’s, to name a few. I saw Tom the Turkey, the giant mechanical turkey who leads out the parade, with my very own eyes! He’s huge! So many balloons, like Hello Kitty, Angry Birds, Spongebob, and Thomas the Train.

Tom the Turkey

Spongebob Squarepants!

Suddenly, there’s a shift in the parade and everything becomes much more Christmas-y. The balloons switch to candy canes, Elf on the Shelf, Virginia, and the iconic, Snoopy and Woodstock balloon. Headlining the parade was Mariah Carey, and there she came looking like a total diva atop her Christmas-themed float. To close out the parade was Santa and Mrs. Claus, of course!! Arriving on their sleigh, being pulled by a dozen reindeer, letting us all know the Christmas season had officially begun!!

Snoopy and Woodstock

Mariah Carey: The One, True Diva

The atmosphere is absolutely electric! The excitement just keeps on building as balloons and floats go by, all culminating with Santa Claus! The children were absolutely freaking out with each passing spectacle. Everyone around me had huge grins on their faces. It really was magical! Such a fantastic way to start the holiday and my favorite time of the year!

Santa and Mrs. Claus!

Once Santa was out of sight, the crowd began to disperse and I met up with my friend. After wandering for a bit, we figured it was time stuff our faces. We decided to see what the crowd was like at the classic New York restaurant Junior’s in Times Square. Having already done some research, we knew they were serving a prix fixe Thanksgiving menu, along with their famous cheesecakes and desserts.

When we arrived, the wait wasn’t too long, so we decided to stay. We were seated a little while later, and put in our order for the Thanksgiving plate and glasses of wine. Once our feast arrived, we were quite surprised by the HUGE plates set in front of us, full of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, broccolini, and cranberry. We ate to our hearts content, and even had food to spare! I mean, did Thanksgiving really happen if you don’t have leftovers?! Next came pie, obviously. Pecan for her and pumpkin for me. Simply delicious.

Happy Thanksgiving! Look at all that food! YUM!

We stayed at the restaurant for some time just talking and enjoying the atmosphere, before wandering off to browse at the holiday windows on Fifth Avenue. Soon, we parted ways, both in desperate need of naps! Overall, it was truly a wonderful day. I’m so thankful she thought of me and that we were able to celebrate the holiday together.

The rest of the weekend was spent being super lazy and trying to get in some studying for my upcoming CPA exam. On Friday, I did my Black Friday shopping obligation…from my couch. I ordered a nice lamp that was on sale at Pier One and picked it up later that afternoon. You’re welcome, U.S. economy. On Saturday, I made a quick trip to my neighborhood Ace Hardware, where I picked up some supplies for a Christmas project. I also stopped at the grocery store and picked up all the necessities for some nice fajitas, including some salsa that was made in Fort Worth, Texas!

The Christmas project I was speaking of above was Operation Christmas Tree. In case you haven’t figured it out already, I’m a major Christmas lover. This includes Christmas decorating. I LOVE IT. Unfortunately, my trusty Target Christmas tree and ornaments are at home. And while I could’ve had my mom ship it to me, I just don’t have anywhere to store it post-Christmas. I sort of just figured I wouldn’t really decorate this year…which really hurt…deep in my soul.

SO, on Friday night, my mom tells me about a command hook commercial she saw where they made a Christmas tree on the side of a wall, using command hooks and lights. She thought maybe I could do that as my Christmas tree this year…because she’s a genius! And, I had the PERFECT wall to do it on! I consulted Pinterest, obviously, to get photographic support and off I went to Ace Hardware.

While watching the Auburn/Alabama game, I set to work, positioning my hooks and getting the lights and garland ready to hang. After waiting the suggested hour for the hooks to properly adhere to the wall, I hung up the garland and lights, as well as the ornaments and big bow. And BOOM! Super adorable, simple Christmas tree! I absolutely LOVE IT! Now my apartment feels just as festive as my soul does! J (And yes, I watched the A&M game too…but we don’t have to talk about it!)

My Christmas Tree!

This week is going to be an exciting one! On Wednesday, the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center will be lit! I’ve always dreamed of seeing it and this year I finally get to! Then on Thursday, one of my best friends, Rachel, is coming to visit for a few days! We’re going to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring The Rockettes on Saturday, another thing I’ve always dreamed of seeing! And in only a few short weeks, I’ll be headed back to Texas to see my family and celebrate Christmas. I’ve truly got so much to be thankful for.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and have begun your Christmas decorating!

XOXO,

Alex