Carole Mac

11/10/2022

Hi Friends!!!

I haven't utilized this page before, so here I go... I'm writing to share my latest two projects in hopes that they may be relevant to you this holiday season.

The first is a program that helps people struggling with grief and loss. It's a 4-Day online "How to Take Back Your Holidays After Loss" Challenge on Nov. 14-17 and Dec. 12-15 (https://takebackyourholidays.com).

As some of you know, it took me a long time to feel better after my son TJ died. One of the biggest things that helped was figuring out how to take back my holidays. Even 5 years ago, I still dreaded the holidays. The constant images of healthy, happy families nearly did me in. So I started by reclaiming Halloween by making it a kid-free zone with wine and candy, apple picking, jack-o-lantern parties, and hitting NYC rooftops instead of trick-or-treat. I did the same kind of thing for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother's Day, TJ's birthday, and finally TJ's angel day. The next year when Halloween rolled around, I was actually excited for the holiday season. I TOOK MY HOLIDAYS BACK!!! And that helped me take back my whole life. Once I did, I promised myself I would help other people do the same thing.

So this year, I'm offering my 4-Day "How to Take Back Your Holidays" Challenge on Nov. 14-17 and Dec. 12-15 FREE to friends and family who sign up within 30 minutes of clicking the link below (usually $247). If anyone you know is struggling with grief or loss, please forward this email. I would love to help as many people as possible this holiday season. https://takebackyourholidays.com

And here is an update for the amazing work that we have all done to help children with critical illnesses in 2022:

1. SENT GIFTS TO 200 KIDS!
We have gifted THE GIFT OF THE LADYBUG books and stuffed Polkadots to 65 kids at Make-A-Wish Metro New York, and 135 kids in hospitals and homes around the country. Wahoo!!!

2. Officially registered The National Gift of the Ladybug Day on January 28 (TJ’s bday) an official US holiday to honor all children with critical illnesses forevermore.

3. Partnered with Make-A-Wish Metro New York to donate books and stuffed Polkadots directly to kids, plus give a % of proceeds (DONATION PROGRAM HERE: https://shopgiftoftheladybug.com/optin1644006290619).

4. Relaunched The Gift of the Ladybug (2nd edition) with fun tweaks and updates

5. Launched The Gift of the Ladybug Hardcover as well as the adorable Stuffed Polkadot available on Amazon

6. Launched a Make-A-Wish Metro New York and Hospital donation program to give books and stuffed Polkadots directly to kids with critical illnesses.

7. Holiday initiative is to help 500 kids at Make-A-Wish Metro New York this holiday season! DONATION PROGRAM HERE: https://shopgiftoftheladybug.com/optin1644006290619

If you know of anyone struggling with grief and loss, or anyone who wants to give to kids at Make-A-Wish this holiday season, please forward this post to them! Thanks so much, and sending love to you all.

xo,
Carole

A story to Help Comfort Families with Difficult Diagnoses and Medical Conditions.

03/01/2022

Excited to share this Mike’D Up podcast hosted by . Tune in if you want some tips on loving yourself exactly as you are, getting through grief, or making your dreams come true. Thank you Mike for a beautiful interview, and for inviting me to be part of your podcast!! Available everywhere podcasts are streamed (YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio).

11/09/2021

This pumpkin soup is insanely good!! Even though I made it for Halloween, it’s perfect all fall and winter long.

Start with 4 pieces of bacon. Cool well, crumble, and set aside (keep drippings in the pan). Add one onion, 3 stalks of celery, 3 carrots diced into the bacon grease to soften. Add 1 tsp salt, pepper, 1/2 tsp red pepper flake, 1 tsp smoked paprika. Add pumpkin (we got ours , peel, separate seeds, chop into chunks). Then add stock (I prefer homeade or , but boxed will do). Season again to taste. Simmer until all vegetables are cooked through (30-45 mins), blend. Sprinkle with smoked salt, , roasted pumpkin seeds, crumbled bacon, fresh parsley. OMG is it good.
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🎃

11/01/2021

Happy Halloween 🎃 👻

10/27/2021

It’s fall! Several years ago I decided to take back my fall. Before that, I dreaded fall and Halloween because I associated it with kids. Kids at the pumpkin patch, kids and costumes, kids trick or treating. So after I lost my kid, I began to hate fall because of its constant reminders of what I no longer had.

4 years ago I decided that this had to stop! It was time to take back my fall and Halloween. So I planned a ton of adult fall activities with my dear friend . We picked apples at a distillery, hiked upstate, paired candy and wine, and picked out pumpkins while sipping on hot cider and doughnuts. Apples and bourbon sounded like a good start. You know what? It worked. We had a great time that fall. And as the following fall approached, I was actually excited! I did it. I took back my fall and Halloween. So now, the tradition continues. Here we are picking apples, tasting bourbon, and making new friends to kick off a fun holiday season. Next up, pumpkin carving…
If you struggle with the holiday season, I get it. Try creating a new activity that celebrates you, exactly where you are in your life, and see if it loosens things. Sending hugs. Xo
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🍁 🍎

09/03/2021

Grab some friends and explore new food this weekend! Here is a photo from our Greek food tour of Astoria. We went seafooding, baklava-ing, oliving, and feta-ing. My favorite part was hitting . We tasted feta, spanakopita, avgolemono soup, and stocked up on olive oil, olives, yogurt and honey. Check out my spread in photos. The next week I had yogurt and honey for breakfast and Greek salads for lunch. Sooo yum! What do you want to taste this weekend?

08/10/2021

Astoria Food Bliss Tour! We just had to taste Greek eats, seafood, and Middle Eastern desserts. 🤤 We began at a local favorite pick out our specific fish to have it made for us.

Next we hit the well-known spot for octopus, saganaki (fried cheese - yes please), dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), Ouzo (anise flavored spirit), and Greek wine.

Then we tasted some of the best Middle Eastern desserts in the US .sweet.

We ended our tour at the market . Many of the people there made the trip from other states. We tasted feta and filled our carts with cheese, olives, olive oils, honey, tea, fresh avgalamano soup (chicken lemon), and spanikopita (spinach and feta pie). OMG what a trip. All week I’ve been making Greek yogurt with honey and Greek salads.

Highly recommended a food bliss trip to Astoria!
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ITINERARY
Hamido Seafood
Taverna Kyclades
Al-Sham Sweets and Pastries
Titan Foods Greek Market
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08/03/2021

Such a fun bubbles tasting with the ! My girl invited to be part of this fabulous group of people right before covid hit. We went to an event together. Now, a year and a half later, we finally get to go again. Thank you for introducing me to this great group, sharing the love of wine, and your friendship. So thrilled that you are in my life Rhonda! And thx Astoria Wine Club for another fab evening!! ❤️🍾

07/26/2021

Bucket list birthday stop #2 in Astoria, Queens to taste NYC’s best-rated soup dumplings. The dinner was DELICIOUS!!! Every single dish was excellent (which is rare). We had a cucumber dish that I’m still dreaming about (we ordered 3). But having tasted nearly every soup dumpling in the city, I still vote for the #1 soup dumpling . Sorry Nan Xiang. I still adored you, and I will be back for those cucumbers! Such a great bucket list birthday… 🥟🍾
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07/25/2021

Another bucket list birthday in the books! Our shenanigans began on the rooftop for some bubbles in the city (photos). Thanks !
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07/22/2021

I used to be way into bucket lists. Then I lost my son, and I just didn’t care about them anymore.

Until one day, after tons of internal work, I was out with friends and started dreaming about a future trip to France! It literally stopped me in my tracks. I remember floods of tears coming to my eyes in that moment, because of what it meant about my progress, healing, and future. It meant that I was back!! Back to myself.

Now I do bucket list birthdays each year as a way to celebrate life and the fact that I’m back to myself. I’ve cycled from Champagne house to Champagne house in France, become a somm (passed my somm certification test), sailed around Manhattan with my friends for recent birthdays… and tomorrow I’m doing another bucket list bday. We are getting a limo, hitting rooftops, doing a food bliss tour, and landing at a bar with live music. The question is… tacos is Bushwick or dumplings in Astoria? Any other places we must hit?

What bucket list bday can you dream up for yourself? I would love to hear. Send me a pic when you do it!!! ❤️

07/08/2021

Tune in below for a heartfelt + fun conversation with the great Nolan Carroll about how I turned pain into purpose, pulled myself out of grief through food, and how to sharpen your wine game blindfolded. 😉 Thx for hitting all the notes with me Nolan. 🙌🏻🍷 ❤️ JUST RELEASED!!!

Carole Mac is a first class Sommelier and author. Carole went through an experience that would shake up anyone’s life but was able to learn to create beauty ...