December Books

 

47. Rocks Paper Scissors, Alice Feeney

48. Because of Mr. Terupt, 

49. Maids , Katie Skelly

50. The Family Plot, Meghan Collins

51. Persephone, Loic Locatelli-Kournwsky

I loved Rocks Paper Scissors, it was a huge twist, followed by another twist and I was enthralled. I didn't go to bed until almost midnight because I had to find out what happens. 

I was literally in tears reading Because of Mr. Terupt. It reminded me so much of The Noticer but in a completely different way. I've already put the second book on hold at the library.

I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels but I was interested in Maids when I read the inside flap. I prefer the context given in longer novels but this one was a struggle for me. A quick read but also I don't really understand what happened so maybe I just need to try another graphic novel... However, this is based on a true story from the 1930s, so it might be enjoyable for you... and I didn't love Persephone, and probably because I don't like graphic novels -- my brain likes to imagine the story itself...

However, I LOVED The Family Plot. I've always tried to figure out books before the end, but man oh man, I did not see this twist coming... highly recommended!

My favorite part is that I hit 50 books this year! I haven't binged any shows and I haven't had a gym membership for a few months, but reading was a wonderful outlet for me this year. I'm curious abou how many I'll read next year!

Launch Trampoline Park, Norwood

 We needed to run off some energy this week and found ourselves at Launch Trampoline Park in Norwood, MA.

AT less than $30 per kid for an hour of play time, plus arcade tokens, it was a great value. The kids each got a wristband and every 15 minutes, the speaker would let you know if you're colored band expired. Staff was walking around but I didn't see them ask anyone to leave; most people just left when it was their time. 

My kids especially loved the ninja obstacle course area and the massive foam pits, but also had so much fun bouncing across the entire room of trampolines.

There is a concession stand for drinks and snacks and the bottle of water was exactly what we needed. 

We cooled off after our hour of playtime and used our arcade credits. A handful of the machines were out of order but the kids were still happy with the games that were up and running.

A friendly reminder that you need trampoline socks but you can purchase them at Launch for just $3!

November Books

 46. Anti-Social, Jillian Blake

Only one book this month! I am so burnt out at work and finding time to just read didn't happen. This was a quick read that was enjoyable but I have no problem passing it on to someone else to enjoy.

Here's hoping I can read 4 books in December to finish off the 50!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I have always been a Holiday person.

I get up early and decorate for birthdays and any holiday that I can. I go over the top for birthdays and I live for the Holiday season with all the fun events!

There's a line between doing things because you enjoy it and doing things because you feel like you have to and it's important to know your line. 

Here's a list of all the exciting events happening before the end of the year that I'd love to do or attend!

1. Cirque Holidaze

They have two local performances next month in Boston and Providence, but the show goes country wide if you're outside this area!

2. Nutcracker Ballet

The Boston Ballet show is classic, but you can find lots of local performances that are often much less! We've gone to the Norwood Theater, and there is another show at Framingham State University this year as well.

3. Roger William's Lights

Roger Williams Park Zoo has had amazing success with their Jack-o-lantern Spectacular and are trying a Holiday Lights walk through this year! The walk through makes me think of the drive through set ups, but with walking! We'll grab some cocoa and meander through the lights.

4. Drive In Holiday movies

Moonrise Cinemas in Plymouth Ma is showing Holiday movies every weekend at it's drive in theater! They have concession stands and are playing some holiday classics. It's a fun, relaxing way to end the week.

5. Tree lightings

So many towns are doing tree lightings again this year! We're planning on going to a few local places but I've found that Facebook Events has the most up to date information for local lightings.

6. Drive around and see the lights

The drive through Christmas displays are a great way to see the lights while staying bundled up and warm. THe kids and I always grab some hot cocoa and blankets and get cozy in the car. There's a great lights display in one of Gillette Stadium's parking lots (Magic of Lights) and another great on in Waltham (Greater Boston Celebration of Lights)

7. See Santa!

He's everywhere right now, right? Kangaroo Community has done an amazing job pulling together so many locations to find him in the Metrowest area! We're especially excited to go to our favorite zoo and see him!

8. Decorate cookies

 Make them yourself, hack it with some store bought cookies and frosting, or purchase a "Decorate your own" set! Wegman's has a great set! Don't feel like baking? Just buy some delicious holiday cookies and call it a night! We love Bardellini's Cookies, Lauryn's Desserts, and Cheryl's Cookies.

9. Get family pictures done

Gear up for holiday cards with some great family photos. We're big fans of Wave Kissed Photography and Alisha Marie Photography. 

10. Volunteer at a Food bank

Even though it's always a good time to think about how fortunate you are, it's especially important for the holidays. Go make a difference. Volunteer at the Boston Food Bank or donate to A Place to Turn.

October Books

 39. Local Woman Missing 

40. Good Girls Guide to Murder 

41. Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

42. Everything Everything

43. Two Can Keep a Secret 

44. Where the Truth Lies

45. Memory Boy

What a busy reading month!

With it being the end of term at school, my three new books are done and were great to read with students.

Local Woman, Good Girls Guide, Two Can Keep a Secret, and Where the Truth Lies (Formerly known as Tall Bones) all fell into the murder, mystery genre that I just love. The twists in each story make it interesting.

Full disclosure: Where the Truth Lies was incredibly difficult to read for me. It centers on a small-town in Colorado complete with small town religious nuts who think that conversion therapy cures homosexuality and that the Bible says they should light a person on fire for being a gypsy and not an American. There is pedophilia and rape. BUT if you are able to detach and read it as a murder mystery, it is one that you will not want to put down because you will find yourself holding your breath and hoping these characters find a better world.

A 40 by 40 Update - So Many New Checkmarks!

Time for a BIG update! I checked off so many!

40 by 40

TRAVEL

1. Disney World or Disney Land with the kids (again) - August 2021

2. Lego Land in New York - check! So much fun!

3. Travel internationally - Europe ideally

4. Harry Potter World - Another we checked off on our trip!

5. Go to a Tropical Island

6. Go on a cruise.

7. Go on a road trip that's at least a week long a different place every night or two. - this was unreal! Check out the post all about it!

8. Fly 1st class.  - this was a surprise! On our way to Nashville, we got a free upgrade!

9. Go Glamping/ Stay in a Tree house

10. Camp at least 10 days in the five years

       - We did 3 nights to celebrate my sister's graduation - June 2021

11. Go to Ohana at Disney or real Luau in Hawaii.

12. See 5 National Parks

13. Go to an all-inclusive resort

14. Make a bucket list of travel locations  - done and done - check out my list here.

15. Get a new passport - I just sent in the paperwork this week! I can't wait to get it back and fill it in!

16. Visit 5 new states

    - California to see my brother and North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee this summer!

FITNESS

1. Try Barre or a new type of fitness class

2. Bench a full plate on each side

3. Run an in person 5k or 10k.

4. Run a half marathon.

5. Do a pull up

6. Try a pole fit class

FOOD

1. Try a juice cleanse

2. Eat vegetarian or vegan for a week

3. Go to a fancy dinner and splurge without looking at menu prices - Nick and I went to a deliciously amazing steak house.  We ordered amazing steaks and sides and drinks and didn't pay attention to the bill.  It helped that it was even less than we expected, but it was such a fun experience since it's so out of the ordinary for us!

4. One month take out/fast food free

5. Try barbeque in the south - so many times on our road trip. It. Was. Amazing.

6. Tip 100% on a bill /$20 on a small bill

FOR WORK

1. Take a spanish or ASL class - I signed up for DuoLingo Spanish! I'm a couple weeks in and I'm relearning so much.

2. Masters + 30 or a CAGS

FOR ME

1. Be comfortable in my body

2. Get another tattoo

3. Buy a piece of art -- real art, not a print from Marshalls/Home Goods

4. Do the AFSP Overnight walk NOT in Massachusetts or New York

    - I just signed up for New York in the Summer of 2022 since they just announced it but crossing my fingers for 2023!

5. Unplug completely for 24 hours

6. A spa day

7. Try diamond painting or another new craft with Em

8. Cross stitch something

9. Take a baking class -- cookies or cake decorating.

10. Pay off the car

September Books

What a better month for me! I was able to read so much more now that I'm settling into my school year better. Our weekends are so busy but it's perfect. 

32. Eight Perfect Murders

33. Imposter Syndrome

34. The Hunting Party

35. Let Me Lie

36. Smile

37. Nimona

38. Local Woman Missing

I got 6 books read this month! I might be able to pull off 50 this year!

Universal Studios Florida 2021

 We finally went to Universal Studios.

After finishing our four days at Disney, we made our way to the Hard Rock Hotel to meet up with my ex husband and his crew. With an extra set of adults, it was a very different trip than Disney. He offered to have the kids while Nick and I got to go out for a drink. A quick trip to Margaritaville had me feeling less stressed out and we went back and swam in the Hard Rock Hotel pool.

We started the next day at Universal Studios, and went right to Diagon Alley. I've wanted to bring my Harry Potter obsessed girl for years but we never had a car in Orlando before so it was first on our list to do! The kids got magic wands and butterbeer. We saw a dragon breath fire and ventured down Knockturn Alley. Emma really enjoyed taking the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade in Island of Adventure. The adults and Emma really loved the rides at Universal but Tyler and I had a lot more difficulty finding rides that he was okay going on. It made for a very long day and we spent a lot of time waiting around for everyone else to get off the rides. I was surprised by how early the parks close but it meant that we got to swim a bit more before bed each night!

Friday was another day of park hopping (it's so easy since they're so close!) but we took a late afternoon break to relax before going back to Disney for Boo Bash!

 I have to be honest though, other than the Harry Potter World, I'd choose Disney any day. More restaurants, more rides that Tyler could do, and just a general comfort level knowing the parks... maybe in the coming years we'll love Universal more but for now, we'll keep being a Disney family!

Boo Bash at Magic Kingdom

 For years Emma and I have talked about going to Disney's Not So Scary Halloween party, and even though it's smaller and called something different this year, I was beyond excited when I saw that the dates lined up for when we would be in Orlando!

Boo Bash at Magic Kingdom is a very scaled down version of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween. There was still trick or treating, and costumes, and mini cavalcade parades! The lines for rides were almost nonexistent and we were able to go on so many rides! Each kid ended up with a whole bag of candy and got to see four different parades with characters. There were also so many characters throughout the parks. Although you couldn't get close, it was still great to interact with them.

                                    

                              

Boo Bash is a seperate ticketed event, but gave us access to the park starting at 7 pm, even though the party went from 9:30-12:30. You can check for tickets here. If we head back again while parties are happening in the next years, we would absolutely go again!

Gobble Review

Have I said just how *freaking* hard it is sometimes? Being the one who gets the kids up and dressed and off to school, while also getting myself up and dressed and off to school, and handling the mental load of a house without having a spouse to shoulder that?

Man, it's hard. And then I have to come home every day and cook dinner too. It's just exhausting and the beginning of the school year is even more so.  Add in the newly back after school sports and I'm just exhausted most days. 

I tried Gooble because I wanted to see if having a meal "pre-started" would help make my nights a bit easier and I am so glad I did!

Each meal comes in it's own packaging, ready to throw together. I was able to customize the meals I received and was able to grab meals that I knew we'd all eat.

Try out Gobble today and see how much easier it can make your nights at home!

 

Disney World 2021

 We finally made it back to Disney!

The hope was to go in 2019 but I went with work so the kids didn't get to go.  Then I planned on a great trip in 2020 as a "you're amazing for dealing with the divorce and moving and switching schools and I love you" trip. So finally getting to go again was amazing!

Even though we divorced, I thought it was important to invite David and his girlfriend on our trip. Separate but together. Due to some plans they already had, they were only able to join us for the last Disney day but they did invite us to do Universal Studios with them (read more about that here!)

We stayed at the Dolphin Resort, which was walking distance to Hollywood Studios and Epcot. I fell in love with the Boardwalk and Yacht Club hotels in 2017 and loved staying right next to them.  With covid still very much a thing,  being in walking distance and not using the crowded buses seemed like the best idea. 

Surprising the kids was the absolute best idea. Emma's face when she realized we would be in Disney in ten minutes was more than I could have ever asked for. Nick hasn't been in 20 years and watching him fall in love with Disney again was pretty magical.

Our room was gorgeous and thanks to some birthday Pixie Dust, we were upgraded to a hotel room with a balcony that had a view of Epcot's fireworks at night. 

We spent our first day eating at Beaches and Cream (finally!) and then went to Disney Springs for some shopping. Our hotel pool was amazing and we spent a lot of time there.

Our first day was at Hollywood Studios. I haven't been since Star Wars area opened and it was only my second time since Toy Story Land opened. The kids and I were excited to ride Mickey and Minnie's Runaway train for the first time and thanks to amazingly short rides we got to go on everything. We walked on to Toy Story Mania and rode it 4 times in one day! Nick and I divided and conquered and he got to run off to the roller coasters while the kids and I did the more subdued rides. One of the most exciting parts of the day was getting the boarding pass for Rise of the Resistance. Tyler was actually afraid Darth Vader was attacking us but was okay after we got off the ride. 

That night we swam even more. :)

Day Two was Magic Kingdom! Thanks to the Boo Bash parties already starting, it was decorated with Mickey Pumpkins already! Emma and I have always wanted to go for Halloween so this was a great compromise since I won't miss school for a Disney trip. We rode every ride. We introduced Nick to our favorite rides and favorite snacks. Emma conquered her fear of the Haunted Mansion and David and his crew met us just in time for the fireworks!

Day Three started with a character breakfast at Toppolino's. With covid, many character interactions are limited and the big parades don't happen.  You also can't wait in line to meet princesses so this seemed like a great way to see the Fab 4. Since Epcot opens at 11, it was the best way to pass time before it opened. Another great perk was that the Skyliner runs from the Riviera hotel to Epcot so we got to take a quick ride on that!

I was especially excited that the Epcot Food and Wine Festival was going on.  The Food and Wine Festival is another thing I hoped to go to for a while! There is so much construction going on but we still had a great day - we rode so many rides and thanks to the Food and Wine Festival, we had so much good food. 

Our day ended relatively early and we made our way to the Hard Rock Hotel so we could go to Universal Studios for the rest of the week!

Going to Disney always makes me so happy and I loved sharing ti with my kids. Three days was the perfect end to our trip, but I can't wait to go back again for longer!

August Books

I didn't read much this month! You'd think with the last month of summer and the roadtrip I would have but I was just so tired every night that I didn't even have the energy.  I'm more than half way to my goal but I'll b cutting it close now, that's for sure! 

30. The Family Upstairs

31. Long Bright River

Both were enjoyable reads that I kept picking up. The family upstairs had some twists that I really enjoyed. Let's see what I read next month!

July Books

 26. American Born Chinese

27. The Vacationers, Emma Straub

28. Dear Martin, Nic Stone

29. Ginny Moon

Camp Nowhere, North Providence RI

 Finding amazing food locations is top of my list. Thanks to the Phantom Gourmet, I saw Camp Nowhere and decided to stop on our way home from the zoo one day. 

The food is delicious and everything is less than $4 (even my drink!). We ordered one of just about everything and shared across the table. 

Camp Nowhere is located in North Providence RI and absolutely worth the drive there!

Cookie Monstah, Needham

 Is there anything better than warm cookies and cold ice cream? Cookie Monstah in Needham recently opened and the kids were thrilled to go try it out.

There are over a dozen warm, freshly baked cookie varieties and lots of ice cream flavors.  You can choose to eat them separately, together, as a sandwich, or as a shake. The prices are super affordable and the portions are huge!

Cookie Monstah can be found at 1257 Highland Ave Needham, MA.

June Books

24. One by One, Ruth Ware

25. When No One is Watching, Alyssa Cole

Just a couple books this month but they were good! June is so hard with the end of the school year and prepping for summer programs but these two books were great - I absolutely recommend them both!

40 by 40 Update

This month I checked off a couple nights of camping and our trip to Lego Land in New York!

40 by 40

TRAVEL

1. Disney World or Disney Land with the kids (again)

2. Lego Land in New York - check! So much fun!

3. Travel internationally - Europe ideally

4. Harry Potter World

5. Go to a Tropical Island

6. Go on a cruise.

7. Go on a road trip that's at least a week long a different place every night or two..

8. Fly 1st class.

9. Go Glamping/ Stay in a Tree house

10. Camp at least 10 days in the five years

       - We did 3 nights to celebrate my sister's graduation - June 2021

11. Go to Ohana at Disney or real Luau in Hawaii.

12. See 5 Natural Parks

13. Go to an all-inclusive resort

14. Make a bucket list of travel locations  - done and done - check out my list here.

15. Get a new passport

16. Visit 5 new states

FITNESS

1. Try Barre or a new type of fitness class

2. Bench a full plate on each side

3. Run an in person 5k or 10k.

4. Run a half marathon.

5. Do a pull up

6. Try a pole fit class

FOOD

1. Try a juice cleanse

2. Eat vegetarian or vegan for a week

3. Go to a fancy dinner and splurge without looking at menu prices - Nick and I went to a deliciously amazing steak house.  We ordered amazing steaks and sides and drinks and didn't pay attention to the bill.  It helped that it was even less than we expected, but it was such a fun experienece since it's so out of the ordinary for us!

4. One month take out/fast food free

5. Try barbeque in the south

6. Tip 100% on a bill /$20 on a small bill

FOR WORK

1. Take a spanish or ASL class - I signed up for DuoLingo Spanish! I'm a couple weeks in and I'm relearning so much.

2. Masters + 30 or a CAGS

FOR ME

1. Be comfortable in my body

2. Get another tattoo

3. Buy a piece of art -- real art, not a print from Marshalls/Home Goods

4. Do the AFSP Overnight walk NOT in Massachusetts or New York

5. Unplug completely for 24 hours

6. A spa day

7. Try diamond painting or another new craft with Em

8. Cross stitch something

9. Take a baking class -- cookies or cake decorating.

10. Pay off the car

May Books

 

21. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, Stephen King

22. Ghost, Jason Reynolds

23. Look Both Ways, Jason Reynolds

It was a quiet month for reading.  It's always a busy month with birthdays and spring sports and I am absolutely overwhelmed at work right now. I am obsessed with the movie Shawshank Redemption so I was excited to read the actual novella.  I have to admit, it may be one of the only times the movie was better than what I read.

I really loved Ghost but didn't really care for Look Both Ways.  I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters and understanding how they were connected.

I grabbed a bunch of new books and with summer coming, I have high hopes for lots of new books! 

We Tried Baseball!

 Growing up, I was a baseball sister. Both my brothers played and I have so many wonderful memories of cheering them on from the sidelines.  I've literally been waiting for Tyler to play ball. As luck would have it, he doesn't love it and he only wants to play soccer. Honestly, I think baseball is too slow for him, but it was fun while it lasted!