Holiday Dressing + My Favorite Festive NYC Activities.

We are into the full swing of the holidays, which is so exciting. The holidays are, in my opinion, the best time to be in New York and I feel so lucky to live here as it turns into the most magical winter wonderland. Fun events and parties every evening, and festive activities on the weekends to take advantage of all the wonder the city has to offer. Today I’ve teamed up with Nordstrom to share two fun party looks. I am definitely partial to Nordstrom for all my holiday shopping as they have such a great range (all my favorite high end + more affordable designers) along with FAST shipping and attentive customer service!

One of my favorite (easy + warm) outfits for holiday get togethers is a long sleeve mini dress, a crossbody bag (leaving one arm free for hugs and the other free for a cocktail or a snack!), black tights, and boots or cute heels. It’s pretty simple but it never lets me down. So many of my favorite party dresses are sleeveless which is great but I get chilly and end up leaving my coat on all night. So I’ve been looking for more long sleeve dresses and love this one and this one. This one from Madewell is also very cute. (Nordstrom is great as you can filter by neckline and sleeve length which makes it so much easier to find what you’re looking for!) A few other dresses I love are this one, this one (which I bought and will be on the blog soon), and this fun metallic one.

Outfit Details #1:

 Rebecca Taylor Dress // Manolo Blahnik Suede BB Pumps // Madewell Coat // Okhtein Bag // Polaroid Sunglasses

Outfit Details #2: 

Madewell Dress (similar!) // Sam Edelman Boots (love these and these too!) // Polaroid Sunglasses // TopShop Coat // Gucci purse

Now that we’ve talked about what to wear, I wanted to share a few of my favorite things to do in the city this time of year. We talked a little bit about this on Instagram stories so I thought it would be fun to make a more official list here on the blog.

My Favorite Festive NYC Activities

 

one // Bundle up and take a wintery stroll on the Highline.

Admire the architecture and grab a hot chocolate for the walk.

two // go to Rolf’s!

Rolf’s is an old German restaurant with a cozy old world vibe. It’s also probably the most festive place to eat/drink in the city. The lines can get a little bit long so I would go early. Paddy Maguire’s is another good option.

three // go ice skating.

Rockefeller Center is my personal favorite (the TREE!) but Central Park has great skating too! Bryant Park and The Standard Hotel also have great ice skating.

four // Wander up and down 5th Ave to see all of the amazing storefront windows.

For bonus points, grab a frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity afterward.

five // go to Dyker Heights!

I went last year (we drove) and it was AMAZING. One of the most fun things I did all year. People go all out. You can also do a guided tour – tickets are available here.

six // volunteer!

New York Cares makes it really easy to find a place that needs your help – the signup process is so easy once you complete their orientation.

seven // Go see the Rockettes!

This is probably the most New York-y Christmas thing you can do. (Besides The Nutcracker!) I love it so much. Afterward, you can go see the tree at Rock Center orrrr go ice skating.

eight // donate a toy to Toys for Tots.

(or your charity of choice but Toys for Tots is always a good one).

nine // wander through Central Park in the snow.

Nothing is more magical (or romantic!). You could also go sledding!

ten // organize a cookie swap with your friends or coworkers. 

You don’t have to be in New York for this one, I just wanted to include it!

eleven // go to the train show!

The New York Botanical Garden has a big train show every year which looks so magical. I haven’t been yet so I’m hoping to check this one off this year.

twelve // ride a vintage train.

This is something I’ve wanted to do forever and still haven’t done! The schedule is posted here.

photography by Carter Fish // created in partnership with ShopStyle and Nordstrom.