This year as we think about our Thankful issue, we are very thankful to celebrate our second-year anniversary as publishers and owners of the Chatham + Short Hills City Lifestyle magazine and our latest addition now six months young, Morris City Lifestyle.
I always feel it’s important to wake up every day with a sense of purpose. It fills you with happiness, and a warm feeling of accomplishment to do what you love every day. For us, it is raising our kids, enjoying the craziness of being active parents, engaging with our local communities and readers, and running our publications. As we look back at our journey, we are very grateful for the amazing people we have met, a blend of our advertising partners, the exceptional products, and services that they offer to our local community members, the rooted relationships that they have with you, stories that they share about you, memories that have made throughout the years of service. We are also grateful for you, our dedicated readers for welcoming us into your homes, your emails, calls, and in-person compliments mean the world to us!
Here are some things I’ve learned throughout our journey. You’ve shared with me that “we always learn something new”, and “we keep your issues on our coffee table for a long time”. I learned that sometimes a fitness story is more than about fitness. We featured two NFL players in our January issue, both asking about their journey and their NFL fitness routines. We received a wonderful and surprising email from a private school teacher where she shared with me that from our article on Matt Amendola, former kicker of the NY Jets, she had extracted “22 life lessons” she was going to share with her students! We learned that our stories travel near and far. We received requests as far as Las Vegas asking for copies of our Premier issue that featured Paul Stanley’s Guitar 4 artwork on the cover and story from the Wentworth Gallery. We met local celebrities like Ben Bailey that grew up in Chatham, and lives in Morristown, and when he drives by his childhood home, he takes pride that the house number he made in woodshop is still up and can be seen from the street.
We are grateful for doctors that provide the latest technologies including sports medicine doctor and surgeon Dr. Lois Rizzio who stays on top of the latest innovative technologies and has helped John with his tennis elbow, even though he never played tennis! My kids say I yell too much and that I have a hearing problem. I am thankful for Dr. MaryAnne Pladdys, who graciously tested me, and confirmed, it was my kids simply annoying me, and that my hearing was perfect! I am grateful for that!
I discovered that we have amazing entrepreneurs with hearts who provide a unique selection of high-end products and expert service you won’t get at a big box store, like Window Works in Livingston, Cove Carpet in Summit, GPS Plumbing showroom in Morris Plains, and Pool Boss’s luxury pools. Local bakeries and restaurants like Splurge, Casa Das Natas, Calabria’s Restaurant and La Pergola who take amazing pride in the quality of ingredients and treat you like family!
I learned that Cooperman Barnabas and Atlantic Health, hospitals where our three kids were born, are more than just hospitals, they are centers of health excellence that also offer classes, and innovative treatments and win top awards in their industry.
I grew up in a family-owned business where the mailman would get off his shift, bring coffee to my dad and hang out with him in his TV repair shop. I learned that there is still a sense of “main street” and that our local business in town share this similar experience with you. They tell us stories about our community members, and the quality and meaningful relationships they have established with you.
We love what we do! We are grateful for all of you! We look forward to another year of service, fun and friendships with all of you who welcome us into your homes each month, and to our advertisers for your dedication and support in providing the best to our communities, your products and services and your partnership in our publications! As always, like I write every month in our editor’s letter, if you have any stories you would like to share with us, or content you look forward to reading, please let me know at ana.meyer@citylifestyle.com . If you own a business and would like to be part of our publications, reach out to John at john.meyer@citylifestyle.com .
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We look forward to seeing you around town!
