After a wonderful double date at Ofrenda last night which included more than a few end of the week drinks, waking up this morning wasn’t easy.

In fact, it took me over 45 minutes just to get dressed and moving. Luckily, I had somewhere to be and people to see! This morning, Theodora and I volunteered at Sara D Roosevelt Park in the Lower East Side with the NYJL Playground Improvement Project.

Over the past 20 years, the program has grown into a major effort and collaboration with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Parks and PIP partner annually to restore and rejuvenate parks throughout Manhattan, all of which require immediate attention and have the potential for the greatest impact on the surrounding community.

I decided to kill two birds with one stone and run the 1.6 miles down to the playground instead of taking a cab or subway. It was faster, easier, and helped me wake up.

When I arrived, I realized that a bagel and coffee wasn’t what my body was craving. Luckily, I was able to pick up my own breakfast, exactly what I was craving, from Whole Foods. I enjoyed an unpictured banana and coconut water. Both helped me recover from last night’s sodium filled dinner and the long week.

We spent the morning in destruction mode. Our challenge was to remove all the weeds, foreign plants, and debris from a large flower bed. We were also warned to watch out for glass, shredded cans, and needles. Luckily, no one in our group had to go to the lab after the park to get tested. 😉 Our group had a blast with this task and spent most of the time laughing in the dirt.

  By the time lunch arrived, we had more than 15 large black bags filled with debris!

In case you were wondering, the Junior League doesn’t mess around with their box lunches!

I ate half the krinkle sticks, half the fruit cup, and 3/4 of the sandwich. I took off the cheese and as much mayonnaise as possible. This lunch was delicious but left me craving a nap instead of more gardening.

Our afternoon task was to rejuvenate our newly emptied gardens with new plants and shrubs! There were two flat bed trucks filled with over 100 plants!

This task was definitely harder than the morning destruction. Digging perfectly sized holes is not as easy as it looks; especially when you’re digging through trash, concrete, and sandy dirt!

Volunteering, spending time in the dirt, and enjoying fresh air with friends was a great way to spend the morning. It’s so rare that I’m able to garden in New York City since I don’t have a yard or any personal green space. If you’re interested in volunteering through the Playground Improvement Project, click here for more information!

Since I have a bridal shower dinner tonight at The Standard, I left an hour early. I ran the 1.6 miles back home up 2nd Avenue, taking in all the tourists, activity, and street fairs. The city was alive this afternoon once the sun came out! You can really tell that people are trying to summon Spring through their clothes and attitudes. Every restaurant was packed, even at 2:30, with people enjoying the fresh air.