We have been packing our weekends with all sorts of fun summertime activities lately. Last weekend we partnered with Fidelity and MEFA to attend The WGBH Fun Fest and visit the U.Fund Dreams Tour! We are big WGBH fans at our house so it was a blast. Given Jane’s affinity for a lot of the WGBH kids shows, I was so excited to see her interact with the life-sized characters. She was really interested in them, and trying to figure out how her favorite TV characters were there in person!There were also tons of ice cream brands that popped up and we tried a flavor at just about every tent at the event – Jane is ice cream obsessed (and so is her mom!).
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It’s my first day back to reality after our awesome beach vacation and the struggle is real. I actually felt incredibly well rested and happy to get back into the swing of things when we arrived home over the weekend, but Monday has rolled in and my momentum hasn’t exactly picked back up yet. Unpacking beach bags, folding laundry and digging out of that post-vacation inbox are all on my to-do-list today. So naturally I’m avoiding those fun tasks at all costs and thought I’d share a few recipes, links, and finds that have caught my eye in the last week!
Someone asked me recently if I’m “busy” and my answer to that question is almost always and exasperated yes — too busy. But this time I answered honestly — I’m busy enough. I’m so lucky to have flexibility with my work schedule now and have been trying hard to capitalize on it while the weather is warm (and before the madness of my book launch in the fall! We’ve been cooking out most nights, enjoying walks down to the waterfront in our seaside neighborhood, and are gearing up for a family beach trip too! It can be hard to turn off the never-ending feeling that I should be crushing to-do-lists and hustling towards new goals, but the reward for taking it a little bit slower this summer has been sweet. Sharing some more of these summer moments, trips, recipes and reads below:
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We are halfway through the year (ah!) and I sat down this week to do a little bit of mid-year planning for the blog and my business. It involved the fun stuff: mapping out content, brainstorming ideas and events for my cookbook coming out this fall, and digging through my inspiration files. It also involved the not so fun stuff: finances and budgeting. Admittedly, I procrastinate that part as much as possible, until I can no longer avoid thinking about it. But, once I sit down and actually do the work, I always feel a lot better – like I have a clear plan and know what I need to do next. In reality, I should probably do that part first so I feel more relaxed and focused before I embark on the fun part. The process got me thinking about personal finances too, and how the same practices shift over when talking about all of those pit-in-your-stomach topics like savings and budgets.
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June is flying by in the blink of an eye, thanks to lots of time spent on the road this month. I spent almost a week in NY visiting family and working out my parents’ house, came home and turned right around for a weekend getaway with my best girlfriends in Portland, Maine, and then I spent an overnight in Boston for a fun work event. Phew! I’m getting really really good at packing (still obsessed with packing cubes!) and even better at ignoring the growing piles of laundry. That’s how summer always seems to go though, gone in the blink of an eye as we cram all of our adventures into these few short weeks of warm weather. Sharing a few more of my summer adventures, warm-weather recipes, and reading list:
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I had the opportunity earlier this week to spend the most amazing day in Copley Square with the team at Yankee Magazine. This year is the 40th anniversary of Massachusetts Farmer’s Markets, and the Copley Square market (one of my favorites) is one of the oldest continuously running markets in the state. We got the chance to tour the market with the Executive Director and meet with many of the farmers and vendors, and even enjoyed a big picnic lunch thanks to the chef at OAK Long Bar + Kitchen in the Fairmont Copley Plaza. The sun was shining, the food was tasty, and it was the most inspiring summer day. 
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Ignore what the calendar says – it’s officially summer over here. The temperature has been rising, my favorite sundresses and white denim pieces have made their way out of the closet, and we had our first after-dinner walk to the ice cream shop. I also spent more time than I’d like to admit researching kiddie pools today (I can’t decide: the watermelon or the donut pool? Tough choices!). I’m sharing a few of our recent and upcoming summer adventures below, as well as a few more links and updates in this week’s download:
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I have been feeling little bursts of summer all around this week — a few warm days, lots of playtime outside with Jane, and our yard is coming back to life! It’s been just the motivation I need (getting back on track post-vacation was rough) to get rolling on some new content with summer in mind. Get ready for grilling recipes, outdoor entertaining ideas, and home projects coming up in the next few weeks! And in the meantime, a few links to check out in this week’s download:
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I had an absolutely, lovely, low-key Mother’s Day. We woke up out in Western Massachusetts where we were staying for my brother’s college graduation the night before. I got to see my own mom in the morning and exchange some hugs and treats before we hit the road, stopping on the drive back for a quick visit to wish my mother-in-law a Happy Mother’s Day too! In the afternoon I took a long walk with Jane by the water, played with her in the yard for a bit, and then my husband got us take-out from my favorite Indian restaurant for dinner. It was a totally chill afternoon where I ignored deadlines and emails and to do lists, and that is exactly what was needed!
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Home, sweet home! I got back this weekend from an amazing vacation exploring London and parts of England. It was a wonderful trip, full of beautiful weather, tons of sightseeing, and my fair share of eating and drinking! But it’s true what they say, there is no place like home. It’s been a slow start to the week as I dig out of my inbox and ease out of the jet lag fog, but coming back to what finally feels like spring weather has helped with the adjustment. While I play catch up, I thought I’d share a few links and updates below:
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