Thursday, June 30, 2022

Monthly Musings: Summer Travel Edition- June 2022

 



Hi Friends!  Patty and I are so glad you stopped by!  It's time for Monthly Musings and this month we are talking all things Summer Travel- yeah!  See our questions below and if you answered them in your blog today, please link up with us below!




Here we go...



1. Favorite Summer Destinations?

Any of the New England Beaches in Maine, NH and MA...as far as I am concerned, there is no better place to be in the summer than on the Northern New England coastline.





2. Do You Prefer Warm Or Cold Trips?

See answer 1- WARM all the way!




3. Are You Traveling This Summer?  Flying?  Driving?

We actually are and for the first time in a long time, we are leaving New England!  If you have been reading for a little bit, you know we flew to NYC last week and in August we are flying to Washington DC- can't wait!

 


 

4. Ocean?  Lake?  Mountains?

Yes to all three but if I had to pick one, Ocean all the way!  To me, the ocean is pure bliss :) 

 


 

5. Best Travel Tips To Share?

 

I am a planner...it is hard for me to be last minute or spur of the moment so my advice is coming from that place and that is to PLAN- I like to plan an itinerary beforehand and also make reservations ahead of time, whether they are for excursions or restaurants...I like getting to our destination with a plan so it ends up being pretty relaxing! 

 


 

6. Vacation Budget Tips?

I am going to take one out of my Mama's book- you don't necessarily need to eat out three meals/day.  My Mom would always pack us breakfast so we would eat in our hotel rooms before heading out for the day.  Sometimes my parents would also pack a cooler and make us lunch too. That way we were only going out for dinners.  We try to do 2 meals/day on vacation.  It saves money AND time! 

 


 

7. Overpacker or Underpacker? 

Overpacker for sure!  My line is always "I have to have options!" Rob is all set with me- ha! 

 


 

8. Vacation Planned in Advance?  Last Minute Adventures?

See #5 - I am a planner for sure! 

 


 

9. Group Vacations Or Your Immediate Family Only?

I like both- sometimes you are in the mood to travel with families and kids and all of the fun and other times it is more relaxing just to be with your fam 

 



 

10. If You Have Them, Do You Travel With Your Pets?

Not yet...wondering if Remi might get in the vacation action eventually....we shall see! 

 


 That was fun!  Hope you will join us!  Check out our schedule for the rest of our linkups this year below!

 


 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Wednesday, June 29, 2022

What's Up Wednesday: June 2022

 





Hi Friends!  It is time to wrap up the month and share what's up with us!  I love this and I love looking back on what we were doing....so glad I started this virtual scrapbook 15 years ago!  So without further ado...here goes nothing.....



What We're Eating This Week


Monday- Orzo with Broccoli


Tuesday- Teriyaki Chicken and Fruit Kabobs with Rice

Wednesday- Snacks at the Town Fireworks- Veggies, Hummus, Cheese, Sausage, Pita Chips and Gold Fish plus whatever snacks the kids scam us into buying 

Thursday- Breakfast for Dinner- Fritatta with Chicken Bacon, Berries and Blueberry Waffles

Friday- Pizza and Salad Night

 

 

What I'm Reminiscing About

 

4th of July Weekends of Past....since we are approaching one of my favorite weekends all year, I think back to past ones and all of the red white and blue excitement.

 

 2021


 

 2020

 


 

2019



2018


 

 

2017


 

2016



2015



2014



2013



2012



2011



2010



2009


 

2008


 

2007




What I'm Loving


The proofs from our family photo shoot- going to be so hard to decide which ones to get!


Love my girls!



 

What We've Been Up To



We decorated with our patriotic decor that will stay up all summer long!




Date Walks Have Continued!



Mama got to visit with the team and her firm's founder in Marblehead


Eva received her first penance


Mama and Liz started up our business networking meetings again- felt so good after not doing these for over two years!


We celebrated Cass's Bday with a cozy little girls' night at our house


 

and the Summer of Softball began for Pidge!



We enjoyed a lovely Memorial Day Weekend with family and friends and more softball...and soaked up every last minute of Daddy's last Memorial Day Parade...so bittersweet

 

 

I enjoyed one last Starbucks Date of this dance season


and time with Lea guarantees plenty of laughs and selfies of course ;)

 

There have been plenty of snuggles with Remi!




and June was our busiest month in years!


We rocked Tech Week!



We LOVED Eva's very first chorus concert!


Diana loved getting dolled up for her 8th Grade Promotion Dance


and the girls wow'd us in Beauty And The Beast!


We had some family portraits done...now going through the proofs is going to be a difficult task!



Mama helped to put on the Senior Breakfast again


Diana met with and auditioned for a Broadway Writer/Producer and it was an incredible experience.  It is already opening doors for her and it is an exciting time for sure...maybe a little overwhelming for Mama...no wait...A LOT


Time with Besties is always essential AND therapeutic


 

Daddy attended his last WHS graduation as a school board member but we are grateful he can still come back to give our girls their diplomas when they graduate....volunteering does have its benefits :)


and you would never know the tough night this little love had...after a couple of good pep talks, she was smiling again...that's what I love about her...her grit and determination!

 

More Softball...


 

and Wicked for Miss Thing and her Bestie!

 

Diana was honored at the WMS Night of Student Excellence


 

and then she was promoted- she is officially a high schooler!


We wrapped up a great school year!  8th Grade and 2d grade done- on to 9th and 3rd- you got this my loves!


 

Zach helped Zoe move down South

 

and we created our Summer List!



We celebrated our fave Dads throughout Father's Day Weekend!



 

We had a blast in NYC exploring and especially attending Diana's Film Premiere!


 


and then spent this last weekend spending quality time with friends and family....and the softball fam for some of us too!






Looking forward to a more relaxing July!



What I'm Dreading


Nothing at the Moment...really forcing myself to live in the present...easier said than done but making a conscious effort every day!





What I'm Working On


Family- Work- Life- Exercise- Volunteering- Balance

 


 


What I'm Excited About


Our Town Fireworks tonight- one of the hokiest times and oh so fun...and excited for the wonderful weather we are supposed to have throughout the holiday weekend!






 

 

What I'm Watching/Reading


We finished The Staircase on HBO- very good but frustrating not to see a resolution at the end




Who Killed Garrett Phillips 

Documentary on Hulu- outstanding




and just started "The Summer I Turned Pretty" on Prime and I am loving it :)



and my two books for June were.....


Summer Love by Nancy Thayer


 Definitely a cute beach read!

When four strangers rent bargain-basement rooms in an old hotel near the beach, they embark on the summer of their lives. First there’s Ariel Spencer, who has big dreams of becoming a writer and is looking for inspiration in Nantucket’s high society. Her new friend Sheila Murphy is a good Catholic girl from Ohio whose desire for adventure is often shadowed by her apprehension. Then there’s small-town Missourian Wyatt Smith, who’s immediately taken with Ariel. The last of the four, Nick Volkov, is looking to make a name for himself and have a blast along the way. Despite their differences, the four bond over trips to the beach, Wednesday-night dinners, and everything that Nantucket has to offer. But venturing out on their own for the first time, with all its adventure and risks, could change the course of their lives.
 
Twenty-six years after that amazing summer, Ariel, Sheila, Wyatt, and Nick reunite at the hotel where they first met. Now it’s called The Lighthouse and Nick owns the entire operation with his wife and daughter. Ariel and Wyatt, married for decades, arrive with their son, and Sheila’s back too, with her daughter by her side. Life hasn’t exactly worked out the way they had all hoped. Ariel’s dreams have since faded and been pushed aside, but she’s determined to rediscover the passion she once had. Nick has the money and reputation of a successful businessman, but is it everything he had hoped for? And Sheila has never been able to shake the secret she’s kept since that summer. Being back together again will mean confronting the past and finding themselves. Meanwhile, the next generation discovers Nantucket: Their children explore the island together, experiencing love and heartbreak and forging lifelong bonds, just as their parents did all those years ago. It’s sure to be one unforgettable reunion.
 
This delightful novel from beloved storyteller Nancy Thayer explores the potential of dreams and the beauty of friendship.

 

 

and 

Meant To Be by Emily Giffin


 

Might end up being in my top three this year!

 

 The Kingsley family is American royalty, beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance. In 1967, after Joseph S. Kingsley, Jr. is killed in a tragic accident, his charismatic son inherits the weight of that legacy. But Joe III is a free spirit—and a little bit reckless. Despite his best intentions, he has trouble meeting the expectations of a nation, as well as those of his exacting mother, Dottie.

Meanwhile, no one ever expected anything of Cate Cooper. She, too, grew up fatherless—and after her mother marries an abusive man, she is forced to fend for herself. After being discovered by a model scout at age sixteen, Cate decides that her looks may be her only ticket out of the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. Before too long, Cate’s face is in magazines and on billboards. Yet she feels like a fraud, faking it in a world to which she’s never truly belonged.

When Joe and Cate unexpectedly cross paths one afternoon, their connection is instant and intense. But can their relationship survive the glare of the spotlight and the so-called Kingsley curse? In a beautifully written novel that captures a gilded moment in American history, Emily Giffin tells the story of two people searching for belonging and identity, as well as the answer to the question: Are certain love stories meant to be?

 

 

What I'm Listening To

 

A Whole Lot of my Patriotic Play List that I had created a few years back for Memorial Day Weekend


 

 

What I'm Wearing



A mix of Boden....and Lilly....and work gear...and workout gear....and swimsuits and cover ups of course!  (so bad at getting pics of myself unless they are selfies with my people-sorry)

 

I have also been really into the midi/maxi dresses lately and have found some great deals at Banana Republic Factory and Macys!

 

Some examples....

 


 



 

 

What I'm Doing This Weekend

 

Celebrating the 4th of July with our Besties at the McLain's Lake House- lots of sun and fun and boating and such in store for all of us-can't wait!



 

 What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month


Seeing the girls in the Triple Threat Theater Show, Finally getting to the beach...God it has been TOO LONG....and relaxing as much as possible and doing that OUTSIDE :)



 

 

What Else Is New?

 

Blackout work is picking up...putting the pieces in place  



and Thursday is Monthly Musings!  Hope you will join Patty and me as we talk all things Summer Travel!  Check out our questions here...
 

 

That's a wrap!  June...you were such a great month but I am looking forward to a little more down time in July!


Linking up with Shay and Sheaffer HERE