The warm and fuzzies of a page flipping to a new year have largely worn off. What is left behind in this area’s food scene are the same issues and concerns we all had before 2021 made its official appearance. The good news is, no one will deny that we are closer to the end of the national nightmare than we are the beginning. There is still plenty of reason to be excited about what is ahead. We just need to get there, right?

Some news and notes to stir your beverage heading into the new year. And I will start with good news.

1. “Words are always good to hear. Gifts are sweet, but I keep every note I get. Every handmade card. Every ripped out sheet of paper with the words, ‘Thank you, Mrs. Peterson,’ or ‘You helped me today,’ or ‘This lesson really taught me something,’ or anything to make me feel like I'm making a difference in their lives.
2. Catalog; Home feed; The Buffalo News. Around & About / News and notes Lin­dor happy with Mets 2021-01-12 - Sports MLB Baseball Grapefruit League Baseball Francisco Lindor New York City Cleveland Florida Cleveland Indians Kris Bryant Chicago Cubs Toronto Blue Jays Toronto San Francisco Giants San Francisco Washington Nationals Washington.

*The streets of downtown Savannah were jammed over the two weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Day. I don’t think anyone could dispute the fact that downtown businesses were making great money for a short period of time.

This is a nice positive and relaxed writing lesson focusing on Emily Coxhead’s news paper - The Happy Newspaper. It is sure to put a smile on your Class’s. How to Live A Happy Life. Everyone wants to be happy in life. While individuals may define success or measure happiness differently, there are some basic qualities of a happy life that seem to be universal. Veteran happy teachers say that setting a friendly tone is key. Daily praise of each student’s good qualities, daily affirmations of class mottos, cooperation exercises, secret handshakes, and even daily post-it notes of positivity.

*The flip side of that coin is the fact that before Christmas, Savannah was largely a ghost town. Yes, that time of year is typically slow, but it was slower than normal. I was out multiple times before Christmas and the word I kept hearing was ‘sluggish.’ Again, that was December leading up to Christmas.

*The holidays, though? Crazy. Rusty Browne, Owner of Savannah Pedi Cabs said “I haven’t seen Savannah this busy in years.” Good timing, I suppose.

News And Notes Teach To Be Happy Birthday

*One thing I find particularly fascinating for no reason in particular, is the number of visitors we are now getting from South Florida. How do I know? Most of you know that Miami is my hometown. Between December 23rd and January 1st, I got three texts from family in Miami asking me about something in Savannah because a friend of theirs was here. That has never happened.

*Not only that, but I found myself chatting with a visitor from West Palm Beach in Ellis Square on Sunday. When I told her I’ve seen a significant uptick in people from South Florida she offered “Oh, half of Miami is here. We know a bunch of people who have been here this week.”

*All are welcome of course. Their money is green too. Speaking of green….Go ‘Canes…#beatbama. But I digress.

*We went out for a holiday celebration the week before Christmas. Our annual EIALI Christmas Crawl. A night of eating and liking and perhaps some drinking and liking. We hit Husk, Planter’s Tavern and St. Neo Brasserie. The highlight of the night was probably the Duck Charcuterie dish at St. Neo. Simply outstanding. Their menu changes daily so don’t go looking for it, but suffice to say St. Neo is just…awesome.

*The brand new Plant Riverside District was jammed all week. I stopped by twice for a few minutes each time during the week and saw a ton of activity. I was told they were sold out for a few days over the holidays, which is an indicator of how crowded this city was. I will say I struggle with $10-12 for a draft beer in their ‘biergarten.’ Local beers too. Especially when you know you can get that same beer for half that about 400 feet away on River Street. #notcool

*The crowds disappeared just. like. that. One restaurant manager told me they had 120 reservations on Saturday night (January 2nd). Plus walk-ins. On Sunday evening, they had 20. I was out for a bit Sunday afternoon, and it was clear the crowds that were left were largely day trippers headed out.

*That’s the perfect time to remind us all that our local restaurants may have gotten a nice bump the last two weeks, but I would dare say a large majority by FAR are still in a pretty deep 2020 induced hole. A restaurant owner once told me most restaurants close in January/February because they can’t afford to renew their liquor licenses. Kudos to Mayor Johnson for extending their deadline on that this year, but that isn’t going to put butts in seats. I cannot help but think it is going to be quiet around here for a little bit. Especially in January.

*Now more than ever, please remember to support local restaurants.

*If you work in the Food and Beverage industry, Bella Napoli Italian Restaurant on State Street downtown has been offering 50% off all Food AND drink to industry employees. Monday nights only. No reservations accepted. A tremendous deal for dinner if you throw in a bottle of wine.

*The Hilton Head Chamber of Commerce is going forward with their annual restaurant week. Usually it is held last week of January/First week of February. This year it will be February 20-27th. CLICK HERE for more information on that.

*Speaking of Hilton Head Island, Chez Georges Bistro and Bar is the hottest restaurant on the island right now. Exceptional food, cocktail program and atmosphere. I loved it. They just started Sunday brunch too.

*The Winter Igloos at The Lost Square atop The Alida Hotel have been a huge hit. You can book them in 90 minute blocks with a dining/beverage minimum charge. See more here.

*For those of you who watch on TV, Eat It and Like It with Jesse Blanco is back to noon on Saturday on WTOC-TV after a holiday hiatus beginning next week, January 16th. New episodes on the way!

*For the first time in many years, Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House will stay open through January. They usually take a break, but considering they are take out only, it is easier to manage. You can still eat at a table along the sidewalk on Jones Street, but there is no indoor dining. Of course, lunch only as usual.

*2021 is going to be pretty great for us at EIALI and on our food scene. More details next week. Trust me, there is big news on the horizon. Sign up for our newsletter here. It resumes this Thursday and every Thursday thereafter.

*Before we go, a quick story to share. Early December, I was out for margaritas with a gal pal. Nothing dramatic, it was happy hour. She left, I had one more and then asked for the tab. I opened the check holder to find a note that said “Thanks for all you do. It’s on us.” My understanding is that someone who was there picked up the tab and left. That doesn’t happen to me nearly as much as some of you would like to think. I was floored. I’m sharing here in hopes that the person who did that, sees this and knows how grateful I was for the holiday cheer. Thank you.

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Jesse Blanco

Eat It and Like It launched in Savannah, Georgia with television personality Jesse Blanco as the host. His passion for food and travel has made Eat It and Like It a two-time EMMY nominated program about contemporary and traditional Southern food.

You do not have to look very far to learn how to be happy. In fact, there are no expensive workshops or courses to take, or books that you need to read. You do not even need to sit in meditation to gain great insights. Well, if you are seeking for happiness, then notice who around you seems to be happy all day? That’s right – kids!

Laughter is a natural thing with kids. If you spend some time playing with them, it is easy to get infected with their happy smiles. While there are moments that kids get upset, you find that you can learn a thing or two from them about forgetting their anger just as quickly. It is also possible that you start to remember a time when you used to be a kid and how life seemed so easy and without worries.

If anything, here are 7 ways that you can learn from kids on how to happy:

1. Living in the present
   Kids have a wonderful way of living one moment at a time. Their feelings are often based on events as they happen. They are mostly joyful. At times, they may feel negative and this usually happens in a fight over toys or games. However, as soon as they get distracted with something new, they no longer hold on to their negative emotions. Instead, they are happy once again.As adults, we tend to remain angry or upset even way after the event. We are experts in accumulating anger in an internal storehouse. Our minds get stuck a lot in the past. We do not live in the present moment as it is now. It is hard to be happy when we have no present moment awareness.

• Single Focus While Doing Things
  When a child is playing a tag, he is playing tag. He is not playing tag and thinking about the picture he will draw later and the block castle he will build tomorrow morning. He is single focused.

As adults, we get stressed because we pile on many things into a single moment. We overwhelm ourselves with our “to do” list. Unfortunately, in trying to multi-task, our mind gets detracted from being present in each task. We end up rushing through time. There is no space for slowing down, let alone breathe. At the very worst, with so many things to do, we end up not accomplishing much.

So, if you find it hard to cope, slow down a little. Be single focused in the things that needs to be done first. After you finish, then move on to the next down your list. You find life more of a breeze, when you can reduce the number of things you need to do at any one point in time.

• Use of Imagination
  Kids are always using their imagination, whether they are playing a game or drawing a picture. They love pretend play and are intrigued by stories about magic, dreams and what seems humanly impossible. If you think about it, imagination is the seed of the feeling of joy. When you indulge in your dreams, endorphins are released, giving you a nice warm sensation.

It is funny that how as adults we have forgotten about using our imagination. School has trained us to be more left-brained and analytical. We also become more rigid in the way we do things and our expectations. Then, when events do not happen according to plan, we become very unhappy. We are less open to new possibilities, because we have lost our sense of imagination.

• The future is limitless
  To many kids, everything in life is possible. The sky is the limit and they have their whole lives ahead of them. There is no reason for them to feel as if time is working against them.

Well, you can adopt the very same attitude and not be held hostage by time considerations. It is never too late. If there is something you have been waiting to do with your life, then go for it. The last you want would be a life of regret. Joy escapes you when you allow life to become stale.

• Always Joyful
  Children are always happy because they find joy in little things. They get excited when they see a butterfly, jump over a puddle or get to go to McDonalds. They do not over analyze situations and do not assume the worst in people or situations. They keep things simple.

To remind yourself about being joyful, keep a gratitude journal. List down the many blessings that you currently enjoy in your life. Additionally, on a regular basis, do something small that makes you happy like reading one chapter of a book you like or taking a walk in the park.

News And Notes Teach To Be Happy Wishes

• Inherent Goodness and Trust in Others
  Children have an inherent goodness about them. They do not intend to hurt anyone and they do not naturally think that anyone would want to hurt them. With no such ill intent or worries, it is easy to be just happy all day!

Imagine what the world would be like if everyone could play and work nicely together. Adults should learn from kids to put aside their differences and care for each other. Love creates happiness.

• Absolute Faith In Getting Their Wishes Fulfilled
  It is amazing how kids can have so much faith that their wishes will be granted. Ever get badgered by your kids until you “cave” in to give them what they want? Believe me; it is not easy to stay firm when you are up against their cheeky smiles.

Another example I can think of is about the wishes of my kids to see the world. They talk about their travel plans all the time. There was never a shred of doubt that their wishes will be granted one day.

Do we hold as much faith in our own dreams? Probably not. We are too encumbered by unnecessary worries. We limit ourselves by our beliefs. If things are not working in our favor, we may even choose to give up half way and ditch our dreams.

News And Notes Teach To Be Happy Birthday Wishes

In conclusion, to be happy, reconnect with the inner child in you. Be around kids if it helps. If you do not have any, check out your local playground. Better yet, volunteer some time at a Children’s Orphanage. Bring out the imaginative, joyful, and trusting qualities in you. By becoming more child-like, you are well on your way to becoming less of a stress bag.

News And Notes Teach To Be Happy Music

-Evelyn