Randi Zinn

Walking Baby: How Amazing!

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:57:00 -0400

To think that up until now, I thought Micah was developing quickly. It seems that since he began walking, every day he’s discovering something new! One day he’s learning to walk faster, the next day he’s learning to stand up from the floor, the next day he’s learning to twirl in a circle. The world is becoming more and more exciting to him and as the Mommy watching, I’m just in awe. His body is waking up and so is his mind. I’m watching my little baby, who just over a year ago was a helpless little peanut in my arms, become a wide-awake, inspired individual! It’s probably the most amazing thing I’ve ever witnessed.

Looks I Love: Gold Edition

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:26:00 -0400

Marsell Sandal

Chloe Ballet Flat

They always say there’s a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. I found mine….

Spent The Day: Mom Edition

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:40:00 -0400

On my husband’s last business trip, my mom came up for a visit. Since she arrived on a Tuesday we had several days ahead with our babysitter on schedule. We promptly booked a shopping day at Barney’s including lunch at Fred’s. By 10 am we were out the door and by 10:30 am we were roaming Barney’s shoe department like two women on the hunt for a great treasure…well, weren’t we?! We giggled, and inspected beautiful shoes and probably tried on a million pairs. Mom settled for a gorgeous pair of turquoise blue heels by Dries Van Noten and I, a distressed golden pair of sandals by Marsell. A treat for us both.

After wondering the floors of designer clothes we made our way to one of the most delicious lunches I’ve had in ages at Fred’s (resident restaurant of Barney’s). Carrot ravioli with a tomato cream sauce and a lobster BLT…and how can I forget the most perfect steak fries I’ve ever tasted? For a moment over lunch I thought about the wonderful time we were having and it occurred to me that it had been SO LONG since my Mom and I had the chance to just be US. No baby, no pregnancy, no husband, no other family- just us the way it used to be. Two girls enjoying each other’s company. There was indeed a void in me that I hadn’t been able to define for quite some time and low and behold, this was filling it. I needed to just be myself for a day and to have my mom all to myself. To do the stuff we love to do together (shop, eat, talk) and do it uninterrupted and undistracted.

When we got home, we were worn out in a most happy sort of way. Personally, I was excited that we had a dinner scheduled out the following night…more time to get real, talk deeply and just be together.

Don’t get me wrong- the presence of a child has added to my relationship with my mom in many giant ways, but I realize now, you still need that alone time with your mom. Just like you needed alone time with your husband. Each relationship has its own little life that needs to be nurtured, watered, fed, and given to.

What relationship do you need to give a little more too? Can you create some moments for undistracted time with someone who nurtures you? If you are a mom, which relationships could use a little extra that might be getting a little less since baby arrived?

Mother's Day Wishes

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:14:07 -0400

Several people have asked me what I want to do for Mother’s Day- I’d like to go to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (something about being around flowers seems right on that day) and I’d like to have a nice meal with my family. But actually I just want to do something that my son will enjoy, because the fact is, and I suppose this makes me way more selfless than I’ve ever been before, making him happy makes me happy. My heart lifts with his smiles and when he laughs, dances, and shouts with glee, I feel complete. He is my heart outside my body so the day that celebrates my role, as mother couldn’t be spent more perfectly than watching him be his silly, exuberant self! Happy Mother’s day to all of you mamas out there- we work hard and love hard and isn’t that the greatest gift of all!?

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Thu, 09 May 2013 11:24:00 -0400

My Favorite Person To Date

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:41:00 -0400

Our recent trip to Antigua was a family vacation, minus my husband! He was on a work trip and I decided that I really needed to get away. My son’s wonderful babysitter agreed to come with us (we all needed some sun!) and to give me that extra set of hands. She took the baby in the mornings and I took him in the afternoons and of course we shared breakfast and lunch together. Dinnertime was an interesting time. After he would go to sleep for the night, we would each shower and get ready for dinnertime. But one of us had to stay with the sleeping boy so dinner inherently was a solo time for each of us. For me, this was perfect. I’d been quietly longing for some time to myself. For the time to sip a glass of wine, be with my own thoughts and to not have something to DO. I used to have trouble with the idea of having dinner by myself- almost like it was highlighting some kind of loneliness that I didn’t want to face. What a silly idea, I now realize! Time to myself is prized and to sit, calm and grounded, with myself is a pretty powerful place to be! That’s how I felt as I took myself to dinner on vacation- like I was given this amazing gift to be with myself! Looking back on the trip, these dinner moments were some of my favorite times- quiet, calm, and relaxed. Could it be that I love dates with myself? Why yes, I think I’m my favorite person to date! And how lovely to realize I’ve reached that place in my life. I’ve written about taking myself to lunch and those calm moments during an otherwise speedy day, but perhaps on this vacation, I took this idea to the next level. Dinner with myself is pure heaven!

Home Design > Redesign 2

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:44:00 -0400

As the redesign of the home continues, I find myself falling in love with wallpaper. I was never a fan in the past, but I now see the light- it’s a simple way to really spice things up! This wall has always been our family wall- meaningful images of our family right as we enter the front door. Before there was a simple painted wall. Now we have fabulous, bright, and retro wallpaper that absolutely highlights the images of our family that we hold so dear. I also LOVE that this wallpaper is of a green standard. And water based glue was used to put it up. Awesome all around! Another big shout out to Rhobin DelaCruz (in photo) for his general fabulousness and wonderful design work!

Growing Garden: The Seeds

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:27:25 -0400

Upstate this past weekend, I saw the real beginnings of spring: our magnolia trees are blooming and the daffodils are yellow and full. I created the garden map for the year, choosing which plants or seeds to purchase and planning out where they should go. Two years ago we had an explosion of cucumbers and tomatoes struggled. This past year it was tomatoes galore and very few cucumbers. What will this year be? I feel myself getting excited…

Finding The Om In Mom Retreat-Join Us

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:28:38 -0400

Announcing the second “Finding the Om in Mom” day long retreat! Upstate Moms, you don’t want to miss this! NYC Moms, you’re next! For reservation information contact Terri@randizinn.com!

Aloe Plants For All Uses

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:45:00 -0400

I love aloe! My Mom always had a plant in our house for use on a burn or skin problem. I was psyched to see aloe growing all over the resort we visited in Antigua- such a beautiful plant with so many healing properties! We asked permission before we cut a piece of a plant to bring to our room and to use on our sunburn and on Micah’s residual eczema. The cool aloe gel right out of the plant couldn’t have felt more soothing on my red shoulders! I’m definitely going to get myself a plant for the apartment- a natural and easy home remedy that I’ve been reminded to take advantage of!

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Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:58:30 -0400

Cute Little Soaps

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:31:00 -0400

via newyorkmagazine

How adorable are these shea-butter infused egg soaps? They even come in a protective dairy crate! (sold at the Rubin Museum of Art for $25).

Serial Television: Yay or Nay?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:17:00 -0400

I lead a pretty busy life. Between my businesses, my son, and trying to have a social life, I have little time to devote to languid television watching. I catch the occasional Oprah network show and I manage to squeeze in a Girls HBO episode. But everyone around me is obsessed with numerous other television series. I’m hearing a lot about Walking Dead, Homeland, and Downton Abbey. Since I don’t have a lot of free time, I’m not succumbing to the peer pressure but I am intrigued by all the hype. Is this something I need to get into? And will I get hooked and lose whole weekends because I need to get through a whole season of something in just one go? I am scared. Interested but a little scared.

No Activity Is The Best Activity

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:50:00 -0400

On vacation, I didn’t want to lose my workout so I plunged into the pool for aqua aerobics- get your exercise while still basking in the sun- perfect! Movement makes me feel good and it always has. But on our last day, I realized that I was walking toward 11am aerobics out of habit, not out of a deeper awareness of what I really wanted. Since vacation is about doing what you want, I slowed myself down and actually asked myself if I really wanted to work out. The answer was no…what I really wanted to do was to lay on the beach and finish my book! So despite my habit for movement, I allowed myself to relax and read on my last day of vacation.

I’m so glad I did that….I think that last day of relaxation made the vacation even more impactful for me. It got me thinking though about our habits or the repertoire we create for ourselves. It’s a wonderful thing to achieve that rhythm of schedule but periodically; we do need to ask ourselves if we are really in it anymore. What part of ourselves is being satisfied or developed or are we doing something like a zombie? My realization is that I really want to be present with what I do so periodically I need to just ask myself the question: do I really want to be doing this? Does this activity serve me physically and mentally? Rarely do we simply ask this question but I think we should ask it a little more often.

Looks I Love: Vince Dresses

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:45:00 -0400

Loving these tunic dresses from Vince! With spring coming soon, I will be adding these to my wish list!

Peanut Journal: 24 Hours Without Sugar

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:02:00 -0400

At our recent NAET acupuncture appointment, Dr. Crandall told us that it was time to do a treatment for sugar. I cringed. To educate you: for an NAET acupuncture treatment, whatever you “treat” you must avoid for 24 hours. No sugar (or grain as it quickly converts to sugar) for 24 hours! My son is not given sugary things specifically, but he certainly loves things that are naturally sweet- fruit, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, and spaghetti. My mind begins racing- not only searching for the foods that he can eat, but also more specifically, the foods that he WILL eat.

Yes, my 15 month old’s will is now part of the discussion. Right after his appointment, I race like a lunatic to the health food store- he can eat protein, veggies, and legumes. I grab a can of salmon, eggs, turkey bacon, yellow peppers, cucumber, tomato, plain yogurt, and a container of hummus. And a big bag of white rice since he is allowed to have that. With these ingredients I must get through dinner and breakfast and lunch the next day. Oh God!

Let me jump ahead. We made it through the 24 hours. Micah surprised me with a passion for lemon flavored hummus and a fascination for sticking his thumb into the container, laughing hysterically, and than licking the hummus off with abandon. He ate most of his veggies and seemed to like packing his cheeks with white rice. I did cringe as he cried for his cereal, but the point is we made it.

I continue to keep my eye on the ball: healthy, non-allergic, strong immune system child. And all of these little challenges are well worth this ultimate prize!

Home Design > Redesign Part 1

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:29:00 -0400

At some point, once you’re married and definitely once a baby has come, you may realize that your home no longer reflects your current state of mind. You look around and realize that both furniture and decorative items were chosen when you were perhaps single, or perhaps had a different career path.

I looked around my apartment recently and realized that the person who chose the look of the place had a different life outlook and that it was time to get current. Husband and I are also looking to host some work-related and fund raising events in the near future and we definitely want our home to reflect the fun, stylish, yet serious people we like to think we are! We brainstormed for a while but realized that our ideas felt stale.

We found an amazing interior designer, Rhobin De La Cruz who is currently reinventing our space with more color, more edginess, and yet, staying loyal to our needs for a comfortable family space. I’m super excited to see how our space transforms and how it affects my mental space. What a fun process. The pics here give you a feeling of the before and please don’t fear, I’ll be sharing with you some of the after!

To Go Or Not To Go?

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:01:00 -0400

24 hours before our big trip to Antigua, Micah had a pretty bad stomach bug- diarrhea, fever, lethargy, and a loss of appetite. I found myself at a cross road- cancel the trip or go with it? The greater population felt that the trip should be cancelled, that one should never schlep a baby through the traveling process in a situation like we were in. Mom, Grandma, even my adventurous husband weighed in with the “stay at home” vote.

Some of my Mommy friends told me of travel adventures that included fevers and illness and that everyone got through it. My fear was that he would get worse and my selfish desire to bask in the sun would be to blame. The day before the trip became a hellish one- my monkey mind bouncing back and forth between the worst case scenarios involving small Caribbean hospitals and sleepless nights and my hearts desire to escape winter with my son and have some fun. Finally, a friend came over, looked at both Micah and me and said “Get on that plane tomorrow. The sun and the ocean is EXACTLY what you all need. GO.”

I guess those were the words I needed because the next morning we were in a car headed to Newark airport at 6:30 am. The flight was rough and I won’t recount some of the more gory details. But within two days in the warm climate, the sunshine, and the crystal clear blue-green ocean, Micah somehow came back to himself…he began eating….and then eating A LOT. His afternoons of frolicking on the beach were a delight for him to experience and for me to watch. We found moments of quiet, meditative sweetness that I doubt I will ever forget and true to form, he made friends both old and young and charmed the entire staff of the hotel.

We all got brown and definitely all rejuvenated. I’m so glad we went! Again, another lesson in parenthood is learned. Conditions may not be perfect for your so-called “plans” but you have to keep moving forward. Nine times out of ten, your kid will flow with you and be just fine. Will I worry the next time he’s sick? Of course I will! But at least I’ll have this experience to look back on as an example of when things turn out just right!

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Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:47:02 -0400

Your Loss Is My Loss

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:21:00 -0400

One of my nearest and dearest lost his brother not long ago. It was unexpected and tragic. My heart broke for him and for his family. I suffered my own haunting after I found out the news: memories of my father’s death, too young and totally unexpected. I was reminded of the way that life as you know it literally stops and the searing pain of loss invades your every breath. I cried for my beloved friend and I cried for my Dad, the ache still there, just below the surface.

But quickly, I felt myself snap into gear. Without much thought the painful memories began to download into words and emotions I could express to my friend- not to take his loss away, that is impossible- but to let him know he is not alone and there is someone in the world who understands and who has SURVIVED.

I didn’t need to preach anything or tell him that he would be ok eventually; I just told him that I understood and this will transform him and that I love him and that I will use my understanding of this loss to help him through his. Ultimately all anyone needs in these moments is validation and support. I love you, I’m here for you, you’re not alone, you will grow through this…eventually. It’s an honor for me to be there for someone I love so deeply, but what makes my life seem the most meaningful is taking my own loss and the lessons that have come from it and being able to offer it to someone in need of it; to be an example of someone who has lived past the loss and who is happy again. It is possible. And most importantly, it’s humbling to feel the immense compassion and space that now exists in my heart for anyone who is in this kind of emotional anguish. It gives meaning to all of it. And what about you my friends? When have you felt empowered by a challenging experience and what it now allows you to do or to give? How has a hard experienced revealed its true purpose to you? Please share! Sending love and support to anyone who needs it.