Summer To Do List

I have a feeling that this spring is going to be as short as this winter was long. Just yesterday, Boston hit 80 degrees and this sun finally seems to be shining all day, every day. It's still the beginning of May, but if this weather is indicative of anything, it's that summer is coming for us, fast.

This will be my first full summer living in Boston and since about February I've been making plans of all the fun things I want to do in the city during the summer months. Now that the weather is finally cooperating, I think it's time to start making plans for this long awaited summer.

Take the ferry to Provincetown. Because I both enjoy going to Provincetown and riding on ferries. There are always fun things to do and crazy people to see in P Town so hopefully AJ and I will make it out there at least once this summer.

Walk the Harbor Walk. Not the whole thing, I guess. It's going to be a full 47 miles once it's fully completed. But it would be fun to walk it to Charlestown or South Boston on a breezy, sunny day. Nothing like walking along the water in the summer.

Eat a lobster roll at Sully's.

Attend Shakespeare in the Park at the Boston Common. I think they're performing King Lear this year!

Browse the food trucks at the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Especially The Cookie Monstah.

Go to a game at Fenway. We've gone to two games so far but both nights ended up being chilly and windy. I want to go to a game when no jacket is needed! Good thing AJ got tickets for a game in June.

Take day trips. I'm thinking Newburyport and Concord.

I'm sure this list will grow as summer gets closer and I hope we can fill it to the brim with fun things to do!

My 2014

Another year has (quickly) come to an end. I'm so looking forward to what 2015 will bring. I'm sure it will be a year filled with happiness and adventures and unexpected moments. I'm thankful for every new year, just as I'm thankful for every year that we say goodbye to. Now, I'm excited to look back on 2014 and look forward to the what comes next.

We started off the year with a trip to Minnesota in the middle of their coldest winter to date. We went to The Mall of America and visited family and friends. We'll go back again soon, but hopefully in warmer weather this time. 

Also in January, we took our engagement photos, which also just so happened to fall on the coldest day of the year. I couldn't feel my toes by the end of the shoot! But the photos are still great. 

We celebrated our one and only Valentine's day as an engaged couple this February with a fancy dinner at a dimly lit Italian restaurant and a lovely cake made by my MIL. 

In March, AJ and I moved to Boston for his final internship before his graduation. He worked a lot and determined that he did not love working in an out-patient facility and I read, wrote, and worked in this lovely city. 

I turned 22 on April 10th while we were still living in Boston. My mom and godmother drove up from CT to be here and a few friends from the North Shore came for a dinner of pizza from Fig's. 

May was a busy one! First, I celebrated Mother's Day with this pretty Mamma in Boston. We did all her favorite things, which included relaxing in her apartment in the morning with coffee, followed by a walk through the Public Garden where we sat and people watched from many different benches, book browsing at Barnes & Noble, and pizza from Upper Crust.

 Also in May, I graduated from Fairfield University! I really graduated in January, but I walked with my class in May. Luckily, it was a beautiful, warm Spring day and all my favorite people were there to watch me walk. I was also treated to a delicious brunch at my favorite restaurant in Connecticut, Centro.

AJ graduated, too! After a few years of constant studying and working, AJ graduated with a degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant. He then passed his licensure exam and was offered a job in Boston!

Every year in June, we go to Chatham for a relaxing week and this year was no different! This was AJ's second time joining our family trip to the Cape and I think he's starting to love this beach town almost as much as I do! I can't wait for our next trip out there to eat lobster rolls and Chatham Candy Manor chocolate and to sit on the porch for hours every morning, reading and watching the gentle waves get closer and closer. 

We celebrated our fourth 4th of July together with a family barbecue at my cousins' house and reminisced about the past four years. 

At the end of July, we celebrated our four year anniversary together with an al fresco dinner of finger foods followed by a movie and macaroons. 

In August, I finally visited my sister in New York City and spent a weekend with her and her friends all around town. 

I was also lucky enough to celebrate my wedding with the best bridal shower, thrown by my mom and sisters at my mother's house. All of my favorite ladies were there to help me celebrated and I was so generously gifted beautiful gifts along with a delicious brunch followed by cake and cookie trays. 

At the very end of August, AJ and I moved back to Boston for his new job and for me to start school. We are so happy here and were so excited when we moved back!

AJ turned 24 in the beginning of September and we celebrated with a delicious Italian dinner in the North End and some gifts, which included a magic bar cake. 

I also started grad school in September and quickly got to work reading, writing, and figuring out how to balance my classes and my teaching job. 

October was the most important month of the year because we got married! We had a lovely ceremony in New Canaan, Connecticut and had the best time at our reception in Darien. Every time I watch our wedding video, I wish we could have the exact same party all over again! This was definitely the highlight of our year. 

In October, we also did some festive, New England activities, such as eating apple cider donuts and picking apples at an orchard in North Andover and visiting Salem the week before Halloween.

In November, we celebrated Thanksgiving on our own. I cooked a big meal and we happily ate together before taking a nice walk through the Common and Beacon Hill before we started decorating for Christmas! 

And finally, in December, we decorated our cozy apartment for the holiday. We baked, watched Christmas movies, and burned candles that smelled like pine to get in the spirit of Christmas before heading home to celebrate with our lovely families. 

It was a crazy, amazing, and fun year and I'm so thankful for all of it. This was a big year of change for me but I had family and love surrounding me every step of the way and it could not have been better. I hope all of you had a wonderful 2014 and I wish you all a very happy new year!

Vacation Roundup

It's always annoying when fun and relaxing family vacations have to end. There is something about Cape Cod that, the minute I drive over the bridge, I know I'm on vacation and that it will be a wonderful time. Every year is great in it's own way and after 22 years of visiting Chatham, I know I will never tire of the small, sweet beach town. 

 Our last few days in Chatham were spent playing no less than 20 rounds of competitive Scrabble, soaking up the sun on the deck, taking long walks around the neighborhood and to the beach, and walking through town and shopping occasionally.

 I love getting to share this family tradition with AJ now. I can't wait until we have our own family to make even more memories with in Chatham.

 Our last dinner was eaten at home and shared with my mom and godmother. It consisted of Trader Joe's crackers, a variety of cheese, carrots, hummus, and delicious fruit salad. This was eaten between rounds of Scrabble and was followed up with rich chocolate from Chatham Candy Manor.

 AJ drove the whole trip home today. It took us just about 4 hours and I only nodded off for 10 minutes. We left around 10 am after sharing bagels and coffee while sitting on a towel at Hardings Beach, another one of our bagel traditions.

 Tessi rode home with us, too. She slept the entire way in her bed on my lap. It's always a funky feeling, getting back into the groove of regular life after being on a vacation for a while so I'm trying to throw myself back into life rather than ease into it. I already did some unpacking, I have my second load of laundry going, and I'm heading off to Zumba in an hour.

Tomorrow I have to restock the kitchen and get some writing done!

My Happy Place

Every year we come to Cape Cod, to Chatham, specifically. Every year I say, I wish I could live here everyday. The days here are perfection.

I wake up early and look at the ocean from my bedroom window before I come outside to the front deck. Here we have Dunkin Donuts iced coffee every morning while we soak in the early morning sun. This morning it was sunny but breezy enough that I needed a sweatshirt. 

For lunch, we make cold cut sandwiches and eat them on the deck, too, with Cape Cod potato chips and bread and butter pickles. Homemade fruit salad is always sitting in the fridge. Whole days can be spent laying in the sun on the deck, like yesterday was. Or they can be spent walking down Main Street in town, window shopping or grabbing a piece of chocolate or fudge at Chatham Candy Manor. Dinners are made up of seafood and fresh vegetables. Dessert is usually fruit and maybe an ice cream cone once or twice. 

Walks on the beach, in the burning sand, are a necessity and a way of life. Bunnies running into the manicured hedges are commonplace but always exciting. There's time to read in peace. There's no better place to read and there's no better place to be. 

But if I lived here year round, I wonder if some of the magic would fade. It's my happy place one week out of the year and I am able to keep any unwanted baggage from joining me in this trip. But after a few weeks here, the realities of everyday life would set it and while the beach is probably the best place to deal with life's truths, I'm content with this being my paradise. 

In Chatham

We made it to the Cape! Pre Cana class was awesome and so important, plus our wonderful group leaders decided to power through the scheduled class breaks and lunch break so that we could be done early because the weather today is wonderful up and down the coast. We were out of class by 12:50 and cruising down 95 by 1. 

AJ drove the first leg of the trip while I ate my Trader Joe's salad and we shared trail mix. We hit just a few spots of traffic around New Haven but the rest of the trip went fast and I took over driving the last hour. We got here just before 4:30. I was so happy when we got on route 6 and took the exit to Chatham. As soon as we turned off Main Street we rolled the windows down to feel the sweet, salty sea breeze. 

My godmother and grandpa had just arrived at the house so we all unpacked. Then AJ and I took a quick walk to the beach across the street, Hardings Beach, to snap some photos. 

For dinner, AJ, my godmother, and I went to one of our favorite restaurants, Pate's, and we all had seafood because it's the Cape. We did some grocery shopping for the house and now we are happily sitting in the living room, sipping wine and anticipating the gorgeous day we will have tomorrow! 

AJ and I plan to go to mass in the morning and to spend the rest of the day relaxing in the sun. I'll be sure to share photos! 

Summer Reading List As Seen On Collective Lifestyle

Good morning everyone! This morning I am off to Bridgeport with AJ for our first Pre Cana marriage class. Class runs from 9-3 and then we are immediately getting in the Jeep and driving off to Cape Cod! 

I hope to keep blogging whenever I get the chance while we're in Chatham, but it's a relatively shorter trip this year so I hope to keep my days packed with fun things to do, like all the things I wrote about here!

I do have two scheduled Book Review posts that will go up while I'm in Chatham so keep an eye out for those! 

And in case that's not enough book talk for you, here's an article I wrote over at collectivelifestyle.com about books that everyone should check out this summer! For your reading pleasure, I've included the article below or you can read it at the original source here. 

That's all for now as I head out but I'll be in touch from Chatham!

Summer Reading List

Is there a better place to read than the beach on a nice summer’s day? If you’re looking to get a few good reads in this summer, check out the list below of six books that are sure to complement a day at the beach!

Euphoria by Lily King: Featured on Amazon.com’s Summer Reading Picks list, this novel centers on three anthropologists in the 1930s. The anthropologists are real people, but their lives and love stories are fictionalized as they travel together in Papua, New Guinea studying indigenous tribes. As with any juicy story, an unavoidable love triangle forms and jealousy, rivalry, and inspiration play big roles in this complex story. The rich prose invites readers to weave through the setting along with these impossibly interesting characters.

My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff: Since the death of reclusive author, J.D. Salinger, biographies and secrets about him have been coming forth in print and on the big screen. My only nonfiction pic on the list, this is a memoir about a young woman in the late nineties who is tasked with the responding of fan mail meant to reach the hands of Salinger himself. The young Rakoff uses Salinger’s voice to find her own, making this a truly unique story that is more influenced by Salinger than it is actually focused on his life. For this reason, you do not need to be a fan of his to enjoy this memoir, but a fan of letters, language, and the possibilities of one’s own voice.

Funny Once: Stories by Atonya Nelson: A collection of short stories is perfect for beach going because it allows you to start and stop reading with ease. This collection is comprised of nine stories and a novella that are delightfully captivating. Despite the deep emotions and personal issues the characters are faced with, Nelson’s wit and comedic streak offer lighter moments among the dark. Because of the depth of characters and plotlines, each reader will undoubtedly find a reflection of his or herself in these stories.

The Vacationers: A Novel by Emma Straub: The title alone qualifies this book as a must read for the summer. Set in the beautiful and ideal summer vacation destination of Mallorca, Spain, this book follows a family trip full of secrets, betrayals, and love. The matriarch, a writer, plans the trip for herself, her husband who recently had an affair, their adult son and his even older girlfriend, and their heartbroken teenage daughter. This is not the typical tale of a family vacation. The language and wit set this story apart and will have its readers brimming with the love that is infused into every page.

The One and Only by Emily Griffin: For those who are looking for a romantic story to keep them company this summer, this novel covers every type of human love possible. Set in a small town with small town themes and characters who have trouble leaving, this story is filled with nostalgia and familiarity. The relatable characters and excellent story telling set this novel apart from romance novels and make it a truly enjoyable and engrossing read. The emotions are tangible and familiar while the story is unique enough to be fully entertained.

The Lobster Kings: A Novel by Alexi Zentner: The dreamy setting of this novel is the first quality that will grab the reader’s attention. The second is the family history and family curse of the Kings, the fictitious family framed in this novel. Set on Loosewood Island, where the Kings family has lived for three hundred years, their many blessings are faulted by the family curse: the death of each firstborn son. Cordelia Kings is set to inherit it all but she must first salvage the lobster fishing town from wrongdoers while taming family rivalries. This novel has a mythical, fairytale feel but is filled with the realities of our world. 

Chatham Favorites

In just over a week, AJ and I will be packing up the Jeep and driving four and half hours to the South east most corner of Cape Cod. Once in Chatham, we'll be spending about 5 days there with my family. Since I was a baby, my family has rented a house in the same neighborhood in Chatham for one week every summer. Last summer was the first time AJ joined us and I was nervous, not because it would be his first time spending an extended period of time with my extended family, but because I just really, really, really wanted him to love Chatham as much as I do! It's my favorite place and it's been a big part of my life forever. If he didn't like it, what would I do???

Luckily—even though he is not a beach guy—he loved it, too. And he's really excited to go back. We had fun taking long walks and exploring hidden parts of Hardings Beach. We would walk through town together and on our last day there, we put Greek yogurt and cereal into Solo cups, got iced coffee from Dunkin's and walked to private beach at the house to have a little breakfast in the sand. That's one of my favorite memories from that trip. My other favorite memory took place on our last full day there, it was drizzling outside so we were taking a little drive through town when we noticed that my favorite ice cream place, Buffy's, was open! It hadn't been open at all when we there because we went so early in the season but I kept telling AJ how badly I wanted mint Oreo ice cream from there. So, even though it was raining, we pulled a quick U-turn, picked up some ice cream, and drove to Lighthouse Beach where we parked the car, walked down on the sand towards the water, and ate our ice cream in the freezing cold rain. What a good sport he is!

So I am happily anticipating our impending trip and I am brainstorming everything I want to fit into this next trip to make the most of our time! Here are a few of the things that we will definitely do.

Watch a Chatham A's Game
We might be there too early in the season, again, so we might not be able to catch a game this time. However, if you ever are on the Cape during the summer, try to catch a baseball game! It's a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening when you want a change from going to the beach or out to dinner. It's a fun atmosphere and they sell T-shirts and ice cream and hot dogs at all the games.

Have Dinner at Chatham Bars
We did this twice last year because the first time the spot where we really wanted to eat at the Inn was closed for a private party so we ate on the Veranda, which I don't really recommend. The portions and options are slim but really pricey, still, it was a great view of the ocean for dinner. We went back the next day for a late lunch and ate at their patio grill which is actually on the beach. The food is a bit cheaper and there are plenty more options. Plus, the view is even better!

Get Coffee at Chatham Cookie
Last year was the first time I even noticed Chatham Cookie! And since I am known as a cookie monster, I had to check it out. It's right at the beginning of Main Street in town and it is the perfect place to take a break from walking around or to pass a cloudy morning. As the name suggests, they have dozens of cookie flavors (why aren't there more cafes like this? Enough with scones and muffins and cupcakes—we want cookies!) along with different coffees, teas, pastries, and even small buckets of food that are specially made to order for your day at the beach! It is such a cute idea and is well decorated. It has a beachy, mermaid theme with lots of cute signs with funny or inspiring quotes.

Watch the Fishermen Come In
Just passed the Chatham Bars Inn, you can park your car and walk over this little deck that overlooks the docks where the fishermen boats come in. You stand above them and watch all the fish pour off the boats and into buckets to be cleaned up and sent out to restaurants and stores. It smells, yes but it's interesting and you will always spot some seals that come in to try to get fish scraps. The seals are the real scene stealer, they flip over and pop their heads out of the water to stare at you like they're putting on a show!

Drive to the National Seashore 
I am always content to spend the whole trip parked in Chatham, but we usually drive to other beaches that are smack dab on the ocean, rather than the Nantucket sound like Chatham. The waves are taller, the beach is bigger, and the drive up the coast is beautiful. There are also bike trails that go through all the towns on the Cape that can shoot you out at the beach. I haven't tried that yet, but my sister and cousin did a few years ago and enjoyed it! Last year when we drove up the coast, it was raining and dreary so we didn't lay out on the beach, but we still walked in the sand, watched the waves crashed, and enjoyed the long drive.

Take Photos on Hardings Beach
Since we were babies, my mom has been taking photos of my sisters and me on Hardings Beach because it's where we stay every year. You can watch us grow up in those photos on the beach. Last year, neither of my sisters came to the Cape and AJ gladly stepped in to take photos with me. These are some of my favorite photos of us that we've ever taken and they were so fun! The weather was perfect and the sun was in the perfect spot. I definitely want to make this a new tradition for AJ and I to have photos on Hardings every year. And when we have children, we'll take photos of them in the same spot, too!