New Hampshire Beach Day

It was mid September, a bluebird day and warm. I was not ready to give up summer yet and wanted one more beach day. Living in Southern New Hampshire we have a wide variety of beaches we can go to. Within a two hours radius we can be at beaches in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. We decided to stick with a New Hampshire Beach as I wanted to get in a walk and some time on the sand.

We parked at North Hampton State Beach, where there is a small fee. We started out by taking a walk on Little Boar’s Head Scenic Walk. Which is a path that goes 1.5 miles from North Hampton State Beach almost to Bass Beach in Rye. The walking path follows a mostly paved path with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the beautiful homes lining Route 1A on the other.

It was so peaceful walking this path taking in the beautiful ocean views, the ocean breeze and the stunning homes. We saw others walking, running and bike riding.

We ended up walking a little past the end of the path on the side of the road until we hit two miles.

If you are looking for a side trip on your walk, I highly recommend stopping at Fuller Gardens which is about a quarter of a mile off the path. It is such a beautiful garden. We made our way back to North Hampton Beach while basking in the ocean views.

As soon as we got back to North Hampton Beach I could not wait to jump into the ocean to cool off. It was nice that they have a clean restroom and changing area. The parking lot is steps to the beach. Despite it being mid September the ocean did not feel too cold and I dove right in. I was able to enjoy the waves and do some floating.

We spend another hours just laying on the beach and enjoying the warm sunny day.

On my list of foods to try has been Fluffy Chowder. This is a clam chowder with chunks of lobster meat on top. This delicacy is found at Rye Harbor Lobster Pound, a little shack in Rye Harbor. They are open until Columbus Day, weather dependent. You can park for free for 30 minutes in the harbor. There was a little line, but we didn’t wait too long. My husband got a lobster bisque and I got the fluffy chowder. Next door was Rye Seafood Company, which was serving raw freshly shucked oysters, my husband’s favorite. He picked up a half dozen of them. We took our food back to North Hampton State Beach to have a little picnic.

The food was so good. It was fresh and flavorful. I highly recommend the fluffy chowder. It was so fun eating looking out over the ocean. It was the perfect way to end our New Hampshire Beach day.

Day Trip to Southern Vermont

If you have been following my blog or social media you know I love Vermont. We had not taken a day trip to Vermont in a while so on a recent vacation we spent one day exploring the southern region of the Green Mountain State. Below is how we spent our day.

Since we were leaving from our home in the Monadnock Region, we started the day by stopping for a late breakfast in Keene, New Hampshire. Brewbakers has become a favorite breakfast stop. It can be very busy, we visited late morning and luckily go served quickly. My husband got the farmers plate with a cold brew, my daughter an açaí bowl with a lemonade and I a Veggie Hash and green tea with lavender. We all split a donut. As always our food was fresh and flavorful and the staff were friendly and prompt.

Next stop was Wilmington, Vermont. This is such a quaint Vermont town with an adorable downtown area. My main reason for visiting was this is home to Vermont Bowl Company. This company makes beautiful wooden bowls and other items.

After exploring around the two sections of the store I finally choose a cutting board and two smaller bowls. I was in my happy place with all the beautiful creations. If anyone wants to get a beautiful gift this is a great store.

I was a little nervous on how to care for them, but the staff provided me clear instructions. I have already used them and am very happy with my purchase.

Next stop was Pike Falls to do some swimming and rock jumping. Located on Pikes Falls Road, a dirt road, in Jamaica is the trail to Pike Falls. There is no designated parking area, you park on the side on the road and there are a couple trails leading into the falls. It is about a quarter of a mile hike down to the falls, where there is a small pool, rocks to lay on and jump off from and falls to enjoy.

It was a lot of fun jumping off the rocks. There is also another falls and more shallow pool a little further up. Then it is private property.

We spent a couple hours playing on rocks, swimming in pools, sitting under waterfalls and swimming.

Next, I wanted to check out another swimming hole. Scott Covered Bridge is located on the West River in Townshend. There is parking along State Forest Road and on the other side of the river on Route 30. There is a rocky shoreline. As well as a rope swing.

It is mostly calm water for floating and swimming. We also saw some kayakers. A very beautiful area.

That was a wrap on our day in Southern Vermont. One of my favorite things of the day was we ended up taking a lot of back roads allowing us to see some beautiful country side. As always a very enjoyable and relaxing day.

US Ghost Adventures Portsmouth

I was recently invited to take a Ghost Tour through US Ghost Adventures. I have never taken a ghost tour , but I am up for any adventure. I was given the choice of several locations around New England. I chose Portsmouth, New Hampshire because I love exploring this city.

My husband, teenage daughter, her friend and I all participated in the tour. We parked in the parking garage on Hanover Street near Market Square and walked to the meeting point at the Langdon House at 143 Pleasant Street in Portsmouth. There was a parking lot across the street from Langdon House. We met our tour guide Bob. He was very friendly asking everyone’s name and where they were visiting from. There were about 15 people on the tour. Bob did a nice job explaining what to expect which was a mix of history, spirits and ghost stories.

We spent about an hour walking to different homes and landmarks around the city, where Bob would give historical education along with stories of spirits and how locals had experiences with these ghosts. Walking around the older section of Portsmouth after dark brought out the feeling that spirits and ghosts could be around you.

We had an extended tour add on where we visited three additional sites ending in Strawberry Bank and in a cemetery. The extended tour added about 30 minutes onto the tour.

This tour sparked a lot of conversation with the teenagers about ghosts and the after life. The teenagers said they really enjoyed the tour and would absolutely do another one again.

I talked to another woman on the tour who was training to be a guide, she had done several ghost tours stating they are all a little different. Some tours have a little jump/scare factor to it, others are more historical and some have a mix of both. I would say ours had a mixture of both.

After doing this ghost tour I would absolutely do another one. This was a great way to see a different perspective of Portsmouth that you would not see on your own. My husband and I agreed that we loved walking around the older homes after dark and experiencing the eerie factor.

Some take aways:

• This tour allowed dogs, there were a couple dogs on our tour and they were very well behaved.

• There was a younger child on the tour as well as a few teenagers. You know your kids the best, but children are welcome.

• Make sure you bring comfortable shoes. There is about 1-2 miles of walking.

• If there is an option for extended tour ,do it, it is worth it.

• Bring a small flashlight as there are times when illumination will be handy.

• Tips are appreciated for the tour guides, make sure you bring cash with you.

• Tours are rain or shine and year round.

• If you are looking for a unique perspective of exploring a city, I highly recommend booking a Ghost. Tour.

• You can book the Portsmouth Ghost Tour through their website.

Top Five Swimming Spots in New Hampshire

We are lucky in New Hampshire to have an abundance of places to go swimming. From ocean beaches, to beautiful lakes to cold mountain streams. With having so many great places to swim it was hard to narrow down my favorites, but below are my top five places to swim in New Hampshire. Remember to always use caution when swimming as currents can be strong and dangerous.

Franconia Falls: Located in Lincoln Woods off the Kancamagus Highway is a trail to access Franconia Falls. This is not an easy swimming hole to access, but if you are up to the over three mile hike it is worth it. There are falls and pools to swim in. For those who are brave, a natural waterslide. The water here can be dangerous depending on currents so please use caution if you decide to make the trek in to Franconia Falls.

Georgiana and Harvard Falls: Located in Lincoln this one requires a little bit of a moderate hike to access. With variety of pools to swim in, waterfalls to climb under, a cool mountain stream and beautiful views it is a perfect place to get in a hike and enjoy a refreshing dip.

Upper and Lower Ammonoosuc Falls: Located at the base of Mt. Washington is a set of falls that are fun to jump off the rocks and swim around the pools. Unfortunately if we have had a dry summer the falls and pools can dry up making it not swimmable. When there is enough water this a favorite spot of my daughters.

Wallis Sands State Park: Located in Rye this is my favorite New Hampshire ocean beach. It is a smaller beach, but has great sand, fun waves and overall a beautiful ocean beach. There are changing rooms which is always nice at a beach. The parking lot can fill up fast, so I recommend reserving a spot in advance.

Wellington State Park: Located on the shores of Newfound Lake in Bristol is one of my favorite state parks in New Hampshire because of Newfound Lake. This is one of the cleanest, deepest lakes in New Hampshire and I love swimming in its clean water. Wellington State Park provides a nice long beach to be able to spend the day enjoying the lake alone with picnic tables, restrooms and changing areas. I also recommend reserving a spot in advance as the park can fill up.

I hope you are able to enjoy some of my favorite swimming spots around New Hampshire. I would love to hear where you love to get in a swim.

Woolx Running Outfit Review

I am in love. I do not usually say this about an item, but I am. A few weeks ago Woolx reached out to me about sharing their summer sale. I looked through my Woolx items and thought, I only have winter items, I can’t share those. I love my leggings, gloves and sweatshirt, but did not feel they were appropriate to share for a summer sale. Also when I think Woolx I think wool for cold weather. I looked through their website and saw an array of summer workout items. As someone who is new to running, I am always looking for running clothes that will work for me. Woolx agreed to send me a couple items. I selected the following to try.

Dani Bike Shorts: When I received these shorts they were a little longer than I expected and the material felt like wool. With the hot days we have been having this summer, I was concerned the material was going to be too hot to wear (I was wrong!). I did love that the shorts felt light weight and had pockets.

Livi Bra: This crisscross sports bra had the same material as the Dani Bike Shorts. They felt thin and did not have adjustable straps. I wear a size D bra so I was a little worried that without adjustable straps it was not going to be supportive enough.

It was a warm July afternoon and I set out on my run. I was instantly pleased with how comfortable the set was. The bra was very supportive and held me in place with limited bouncing. The shorts stayed in place and prevented any chaffing from my thigh rubbing together, which was amazing. It is hard to find running shorts that do not rise up during a run and prevent chaffing. These bike shorts stayed in place for my three mile run.

Though it was hot, the merino wool bike shorts and bra were moisture wicking even with the amount of sweat I was producing. The padding in the bra stayed in place. At the end of the run my clothes did not feel too wet. Despite the sweat, I did not struggle to get the shorts and bra off after my run.

I am so in love with these Dani Bike Shorts and Livi Bra. I have now worn them on two runs and a walk. They are light weight, comfortable, supportive, moisture wicking and actually stay in place. They claim to be odor resistant and I can confirm that after three sweaty workouts they do not have an odor to them. They are on the pricier side, each item being around $100, but with the quality of these items I feel it is worth a little splurge on yourself. As a new runner it can be hard to find clothes that fit my body and are supportive. These Woolx items cover all these areas and I highly recommend these to other active women.

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Exploring New Boston

Located just north of Milford, in Southern New Hampshire is a quaint little town that is worth the visit. Below are some of my favorite places to visit in New Boston.

Start your morning out with a coffee or a tea and some breakfast from The Cure Cafe nestled along the Piscataquog River this Cafe has some great breakfast items, a small bakery and a variety of coffee and teas. I just love that a part of the proceeds go to childhood cancer research.

After breakfast take a walk or bike ride on the New Boston Rail Trail. I just love the beauty of this trail. We have biked, ran and walked this trail in all seasons. I enjoy being along the Piscataquog River.

Visit Frogg Rock . This Frogg shaped rock is such a fun short hike for all ages.

Get some relaxation in at Salt and Soul NH. This is a newer business in downtown New Boston featuring red light therapy, salt therapy and PEMF therapy. The owner is very knowledge and passionate about these therapies making you feel well informed and relaxed during your visit. I have done the PEMF cellular recharge therapy, it was so relaxing. It was just what I needed to help myself recharge. A friend and I have scheduled to return to try the salt and red light therapy.

After all the exercise and relaxation stop at Riverside Grill for some yummy food. During the week they are open for dinner and the weekend lunch and dinner. I love their drinks and nachos.

If you are in the area for July 4th make sure you visit for their spectacular fireworks show.

New Boston is a quiet town, but you can easily spend the day getting some time in nature, enjoying some good food and getting in some relaxation.

A Garden and Beach Day Trip to Rhode Island

Rhode Island is a favorite place for my family and I to visit. We have done a few different day trips to Rhode Island, but always find more places to explore. The Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend we left Southern New Hampshire heading for another day trip to Rhode Island.

Our first stop was for coffee and lunch. After consulting Yelp, I found an intriguing nursery with a cafe. Located in North Attleboro Massachusetts, near the Rhode Island border, is Briggs. A large garden center with a variety of indoor and outdoor plants and home decor. Despite the large crowds it was very relaxing to walk around the garden center.

In addition to the garden center is Briggs Cafe located in the back of the store with indoor and outdoor seating. The line was long, but we were intrigued by the food and drinks. The line moved fairly quickly. Staff were friendly and prompt.

It was my husband, daughter, a friend and myself. The three of them ordered coffee’s and I had specialty ice tea. The drinks were amazing.

My husband and daughter had Açaí bowls. My daughter’s friend and I had sandwich’s, a Sunrise BLT and a Garden Club. We loved our food.

With the relaxing atmosphere of the garden center and amazing food and drinks Briggs has easily become one of my favorite places to visit.

Next stop was Kinney Azalea Garden’s located in Kingstown, Rhode Island. Parking is along Kingston Road. There are signs marking the areas you can park. There is also a sign marking the property.

You walk behind the house and there was someone collecting entrance fees for the garden. There is a map of the grounds. You are immediately immersed in beautiful azaleas and other plants and flowers.

We wandered around the various paths enjoying the beauty of the flowers. Some flowers were starting to go by, but they were still stunning.

There were fairy gardens, small bridges and a beautiful Full Moon Circle pictured below.

My teenage daughter and her friend thought it would be a great place to have senior photos taken. We spent over an hour exploring the grounds and enjoying the vibrant colors.

Even though it was a cloudy day we still wanted to get in a little beach walk. We drove about 15 minutes to Narragansett Beach. Even though it was Memorial Day weekend we were able to find parking. Many of the lots were charging a parking fee, but we found street parking for free, probably thanks to the poor beach weather. We walked under the Towers on Ocean Road along the seawall enjoying the ocean views.

We got ice cream at Monahan’s Clam Shack. It was pretty good. They also serve lunch and dinner. My guess is this restaurant can get busy. The girls had fun playing a ring game in the outdoor eating area. My husband and I enjoyed the fire pits on this cloudy and cool day.

We walked back to take a walk on Narragansett Town Beach. There were signs that there were shark teeth, but we did not find anything. It appeared that during the busy season you have to pay to access the beach. We enjoyed taking a stroll along the ocean looking for sea treasures we saw lots of jelly fish and a few horseshoe crabs.

Despite the cloudy Memory Day Weekend, we really enjoyed our day trip to Rhode Island exploring beautiful gardens and a fun beach walk with lots of laughs with my daughter and her friend.

Clearwater Beach Vacation

A few weeks ago my husband and I looked at each other and said we needed to get away to somewhere sunny and warm. This long, cold, icy, snowy New Hampshire winter was getting to us. With some guidance from a travel agent friend we decided on Clearwater Beach, Florida. Below is how we spent our time away.

Day 1: We flew out of Logan Airport in Boston heading to Tampa International Airport on JetBlue. At my husband’s request, we rented a Jeep Wrangler through Enterprise. Thanks to a co-worker we were able to get a discount. My husband was in heaven.

We were starving after our flight and found an amazing hole in the wall restaurant, The Cuban and Mexican Restaurant in Clearwater. The food was fresh and delicious and the staff were very friendly.

We stayed at Clearwater Beach Hotel on South Gulf View Blvd. Our hotel was located across the street from the beach with a glimpse of the ocean. It was a little older, but clean and the staff were very friendly. Our room was simple with two queen beds, bathroom, mini fridge and microwave. The lobby had a small selection of drinks and snacks. There was a pool, but we did not use it.

After unpacking we walked to Clearwater Beach, about 5 minutes away. The sand was white and so soft. With us being on the gulf side the ocean was pretty calm.

In this area there was much to do from various food options, shopping, water sports and activities, playground, ferris wheel and blow up waterslides. We walked around getting familiar with the area.

For dinner we went to Surfside Taphouse. Grouper is the fish in the area, I tried the grouper tacos, they were so good. We all enjoyed our food and our service was great.

Gelato is my daughter’s favorite. While exploring the downtown area we found an amazing gelato shop, Gelato Cafe. Some of the best gelato we have had.

As we headed back to our hotel, we stopped to enjoy the sunset.

Day 2:

The day started out with an amazing breakfast, drinks and water view at Patrona Coastal Cafe in St. Petersburg. My family said it was some of the best coffee they had. I loved their Coconut Matcha. The food was fresh and delicious. Staff were friendly and prompt. It can be a busy cafe, which we could see why.

Next stop was Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg. This was a beautiful botanical garden to explore with various plants, turtles, koi fish and birds.

The flamingos were my favorite.

Next stop was Fort de Soto Park. There was so much to do here from renting bikes, kayaks and paddle boards, a couple different beaches, an old fort to explore, a campground, boat shuttles and overall beautiful views. You pay a one time, daily, parking fee of $6 and can park in any of the designated parking spots in the park. We started out by renting bikes. There are some great bike and walking paths around the park. You can go several miles.

After a five mile bike ride we went to the beach near the snack shack, changing rooms and the bike rentals. There was plenty of parking. Photos do not do justice of how beautiful the sand and water was.

After some time on the beach we were hungry and drove out of the park and found a beach side restaurant, Paradise Grill in Pass-a-Grill. We got wraps, sandwich’s and frozen drinks. The food was fresh and flavorful and the drinks were refreshing. It was so fun to eat overlooking the beach and water.

We drove back to Fort De Soto to explore the fort and more beach time before heading back to our hotel.

Once back to our hotel we walked the main area of Clearwater to get some gelato and watch another amazing sunset.

Day 3:

We all wanted to go back to Patrona Cafe for breakfast. With it being 30 minutes away the drinks and food were so worth the drive.

After another amazing breakfast we drove to Ana Maria Island to explore the beaches, about an hour and half drive from our hotel. We found a cute park, Ana Maria Bayfront Park, with a parking lot, changing rooms, picnic tables and a beach. Parking can be a little tough on the island as they are very strict on where you can and cannot park and this was the only parking lot we saw. The water and beach were stunning.

My husband really wanted to visit Bean Point. We lucked out and found street parking near Bean Point, which is another stunning beach, but due to rip currents not a great place to swim.

Lunch was delicious pizza at Pizza Social it was fresh and flavorful.

With rain moving in we decided to take a chance and drive a little out of our way to try to see manatees. We drove to Manatee Viewing Center at Tampa Electric, unfortunately we did not see any Manatees. They did have a nice boardwalk and a touch tank of sting rays.

We drove back to our hotel and walked to Jimmy’s on the Edge Rooftop Bar in the Edge Hotel for dinner and to watch the sunset. They had one of the best drinks I have ever had, a Key Lime Colada.

Our food was good and service was great. At sunset servers gave everyone a shot and we did a sunset shot, which was fun. The views from the rooftop were stunning.

We walked back to our hotel along the beach to enjoy more of the views.

Day 4: This was our final full day in Clearwater. We ventured down the strip of Clearwater to try a different breakfast place. Blessed Cup Clearwater Cafe is located on the second level in Pelican Walk Plaza. This super cute cafe had a variety of coffees and breakfast items. My daughter and I both got the chocolate waffle which was a homemade waffle with nutella and fresh fruit. It was so good. My husband got a breakfast sandwich. My husband and daughter got coffees and I got a tea.

Our next stop was a dolphin tour through StarLite Cruises in St. Pete’s Beach. This high speed boat tour cruises around the waterways of the gulf to get dolphins to ride their wakes. The staff provided information on the surrounding area while enticing dolphins to jump in their wake. We were able to see several dolphins and take in some great views while being on the water for an hour and half.

We went back to Paradise Grill for lunch and beach time. After some food we decided to go back to Fort de Soto Park to enjoy the beaches. It was a little cloudy, but we enjoyed limited people on the beach and the warm water.

We headed back to Clearwater Beach to enjoy one more sunset.

We got dinner from the Taco Bus located across the street from our hotel. Their Mexican food was so good and a great way to wrap up our wonderful time in Clearwater Beach.

Takeaways from our trip:

• The hotel was average. It was clean, reasonable priced, as many of the hotels in the area are very expensive and the staff were very friendly. It was a five minute walk to the beach and close to so many things to do on the strip. Once we parked at the hotel we could walk to a lot of activities. A downside was that it being an older hotel a couple nights it was very loud with spring breakers in others rooms and the noise from the busy street. We felt very safe. Even walking around Clearwater at night there was a strong police presence and never felt unsafe.

• The food surprised me. I did not have a lot of expectations, but we had some amazing food from fresh seafood, amazing breakfast, fresh and flavorful Mexican and gelato. Service was always great.

• I did very little planning for this trip as we planned it last minute. I am usually a big planner and have an excel sheet of things to do, but this time I just winged it. I had a couple things on a speed sheet, but no real plans. My husband and daughter picked activities and restaurants to visit. My husband said this was one of his favorite vacations because of how laid back it was.

• There was a lot of traffic. I felt like we sat at lights or in traffic every time we went out. That was a little annoying at times. I was thankful we could do a lot of things from our hotel.

• Every beach we went to was clean and beautiful.

Overall, we had an amazing vacation and would absolutely return to the Clearwater Beach area.

My Goal of Running a Race a Month in 2025

Each year I set a movement goal to keep myself motivated. Some past challenges I have done are 52 Hikes, 365 Miles in a Year and 500 Miles in a Year. In 2024 I was hit hard with symptoms of perimenopause. While exploring ways to help manage these symptoms a friend suggested I try running, as she found it helpful. My husband had taken up trail running and was constantly trying to get me out with him. I have never been a runner and always hated running. In trying to manage my hormones I was willing to try anything, so I slowly started running in September of 2024.

At the end of 2024 I found running helpful in managing my hormones, but I was not always motivated to go for a run. I have been fairly successful with setting goals for myself, so I set a goal to run a race each month. No distance or speed goal, just a goal to run any organized race. Below is how I did on that challenge.

January: Peanut Butter Chip Race Temple, NH. At age 42 I signed up for my first ever race. The race took place on New Years Day, I was so nervous. It was a 5k loop around the roads of Temple, which had a couple good hills. I had to do some walking throughout the course. Thanks to a friend who ran with me and a cheering section at the end, I was able to complete my first race.

February: Monadnock Milers Winter Chiller Race in Jaffrey, NH. I remember driving to this race after we had just had a snow and ice storm thinking it was beautiful, but I how am I going to run in these conditions. With the help of my Nanospikes, determination and friends at the finish line I completed my second 5k race of the year despite the messy weather.

March: Monadnock Miler Winter Chiller Race in Hancock. A friend asked to join me on this race, I always feel weird when friends want to run with me as I know I am slow and do not want to slow them down and I have to walk at times during the races, but my friend insisted she wanted to run with me. This was a nice 5k course through the roads of Hancock. It was helpful to have someone to motivate me along the way.

April: Stonyfield Field Earth Day 5k Londonderry, NH. As we were driving to this race we were at the tail end of a snowstorm. We could not believe the race was still happening and that it snowed this much in April. This was one of the more crowded races I did. With so many people it a felt a little intimidating. My friend ran with me. We ran through the neighborhoods of Londonderry that had some hills. My friend helped keep me motivated. Afterwards there were booths set up with food, alcohol and swag. It was a fun atmosphere despite the snow.

April: Issac 5k New Ipswich, New Hampshire. Held in New Ipswich was a road race for a special boy who was diagnosed with cancer. The race ran through neighborhoods of New Ipswich all to support Issac. It was great to see so many people turn out for this race. My daughter even joined my husband and I on this run. It will be a yearly event.

May: Brookline Bolt, Brookline, NH. I really enjoyed this race. The start line was at Camp Tevya. I ran 1.6 miles on the railtrail before turning back to the start line to complete a 5k. My husband stayed with me for this race to help keep me motivated. The scenery was pretty and with the race being on a railtrail it was nice and flat.

June: Mines Falls Trail Series Nashua, NH. This 5k race was on a Monday evening on a 90 degree day. I remember my co-workers telling me I was crazy, but I had to get my June race in. The race course was beautiful running through the trails of Mines Falls. It was also fairly flat, which was nice on the hot day. I was able to complete this race with the support of my husband and ice cream and cooling towels at the end.

July: Monadnock Milers Scorched Sneaker Race Hancock, NH. An evening weekday race through the roads and a short section of trail around Hancock. My friend joined me again for this race. This was a different course than the winter run and a little over two miles. I love the support of the Monadnock Milers, they are such a great running organization.

August: I unfortunately could not do a race in August due to a hip injury. I saw my physical therapist at Elevation Physical Therapy. She was able to get me back to running.

September: Viking 5k New Ipswich, NH. Every year on home coming weekend there is a 5k that goes through the woods of the elementary and high school’s grounds in New Ipswich. This is a double loop race with some hills. With the hills and going through the woods this race is not easy, but a fun one with the support of the community. My friend ran this race with me.

October: Groton Town Forest Race Groton, MA. When I registered for this race I did not think of the timing as a friend and I planned to hike our first 4,000 in the White Mountains two days before this race. I decided to stick with the race. Despite being sore from my hike. I did not do too bad. There was different mileages for this race, I did the 5k. I ran by myself, but kept my eye on a couple runners in front of me that kept me motivated to keep running. The trail through Groton Town Forest was pretty and I would like to go back and explore these trails further.

November: Running for a Cause House of Hope 5k Peterborough, NH. A newer running organization is holding a variety of races to provide support to local organizations and those in need in the Monadnock Region. It was a pretty road race along a river. I had a couple friends run with me for this race and it was nice to have the distraction of the two of them talking.

December: Yule Light Up The Night NH Motor Speedway Loudon, NH. Many years we have driven through the Lights at the Motor Speedway so when I heard they did a 2.1 mile family friendly race through the lights, I had to sign up. My friend who has run most of my races with me, joined me for this one. It was so fun to run through the lights. The course was a little hillier than I expected for a track. With so many people it was a slow run, which I was fine with as we were running to enjoy the lights, not to get a fast time.

Even though I did not run a race in August, I still managed to get 12 races in by running two races in April. As someone who was never a runner, I cannot believe I was able to complete the goal. Once I got past feeling guilty for being slow or having to walk, I found it helpful to have someone to run with as it kept me motivated and preventing me from walking too much. I am not sure what my goal for 2026 will be, but I know it will be hard to beat this one.

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Favorite Coffee Shops in Southern New Hampshire

I have a confession, I do not like coffee, but I do love exploring coffee shops. My husband and daughter love trying different coffees. I love trying a variety of teas. We all like trying the foods that most coffee shops offer. Below are my family and I’s favorite coffee shops to visit.

Brewbakers: Located at 48 Emerald Street in Keene is a popular cafe with coffee, teas, baked goods and brunch and lunch items. We visited at lunch time on a Saturday and the line was the length of the dining area, which is a good size, and all of the tables were full. We debated wether to wait, but the reviews were good so we decided to stay. The wait was not too bad. We ordered an Acai Bowl, a Chicken Salad and a Portabella Rice Bowl, along with a Italian Soda, Lemonade and Ice Tea. No one in my family tried coffee this trip, but said they would another trip. The food and drinks were amazing. I had the rice bowl and it was one of the best rice bowls I have ever had. Everyone else loved their food as well. The atomphere were cozy with couches, chairs and tables. There was also a craft space and an art section where local artists were selling their items. Next time I am Keene I will absolutely be returning.

The Cure Cafe: Located on Mill Street in New Boston is a cute cafe. The cafe gives a portion of their proceeds to research for childhood cancer after the owner’s son was diagnosis with cancer. A friend kept talking about this cafe and telling me how I needed to visit. On a busy morning parking can be difficult to find. The cute and cozy cafe is located on the Piscataquog River. There is a small outside deck and inside a few tables and chairs. The menu consists of a wide variety of coffee drinks along with seasonal specials, tea’s, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, bakery items and lunch. We have only visited once, but loved it. My husband had The Robert breakfast sandwich and an Iced Americano. I had a asiago bagel and blueberry ice tea, we shared a scone. We got our daughter an iced peppermint mocha. We all loved our food and drinks. The staff were prompt and friendly. This is one of our favorite coffee shops we have visited. If you have time, I highly recommend taking a walk on the New Boston Railtrail.

Flight Coffee: Located in Bedford and Goffstown is a must stop coffee company. We stop frequently when driving through Bedford. We have not been to the Goffstown location.. This fun coffee company has a large variety of coffee, teas, other drinks as well as breakfast items, an amazing bakery and lunch items. Flight has my husband’s all time favorite cold brew. He is also a fan of their breakfast sandwiches. I loved their ice tea’s and homemake syrups along with their rosemary seasalt bagel. My daughter mixes up his drink order and enjoys their bakery section. The pumpkin oatmeal cookie is my all time favorite bakery items. They can be very busy and have a long wait time, but they are worth the wait. They have several seats inside and a few outside. Staff is always friendly and prompt. I have noticed a few times that their kitchen is closed, but the coffee area is still open. If you are looking for food you may want to check their Facebook Page before going to ensure their kitchen is open. If you are looking for a local hike, check out Van Loan Preserve.

The Optimist: Located on Coll’s Farm Road in Jaffrey, NH is a wonderful cafe that sells a variety of coffee and teas and our daughters favorite, lavender lemonade. Their breakfast is top notch. My husband loves their breakfast sandwiches with homemade bagels and house mustard. I love their breakfast bowls with fresh ingredients. They have a delicious bakery section. They also sell lunch items and have specialized diner nights, like Burger Nights. Staff are always friendly and prompt. They have a large indoor seating area and a smaller outdoor patio. On occasion they have live music playing. On the weekends the line can be out the door, but we always feel it is worth the wait. If you are looking to get in a walk afterwards I highly recommend checking out the Jaffrey-Rindge Railtrail.

O’Sheas Cafe & Tae: is a speciality tea and coffee shop with locations in Amherst and Londonderry. We have only been to the location on Route 101A in Amherst. This cozy cafe serves a good variety of breakfast and lunch items. My husband likes their cold brew, breakfast sandwiches and O’Chicken Pesto Club. I like their bagels, açaí bowls and tea’s. Their scones are one of the best I have ever had. My daughter likes their açaí bowls. There is plenty of seating inside and out. The staff are always friendly and prompt. If you are looking for a short hike nearby check out the Ponemah Bog Boardwalk.

White Cap Coffee: Located on Turnpike Road in New Ipswich is a must stop coffee truck. Majority of the time this coffee trailer is set up in an lot off of Turnpike Road, but they also travel around the area for different events. This popular coffee trailer offers a wide variety of coffee drinks and Italian sodas. They also serve baked goods from Wildflower’s Bakery. My favorite drinks is the pomegranate green tea with lemonade and coconut syrup. Many of their flavored syrups are homemade. My husband loves their Iced Americano with Maple Syrup and our daughter loves a variety of their speciality coffee drinks and creating her own ice coffee drink. The staff is always friendly and prompt. In the warmer months you walk up to the trailer and they have a few chairs around. In the winter months it turns into a drive thru. If you are looking for a hike with a view close by, check out Kidder Mountain.

I hope you have enjoyed learning about my favorite coffee shops in Southern New Hampshire. I also always looking for new ones and would love to know your favorite coffee shop.

A Vermont Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holiday’s. This year we spent it in one of our favorite places, Vermont, with some of our favorite people.

Our friends and my family stayed at an adorable log cabin in the middle of the woods of Bradford, Vermont. We arrived the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and settled into our cabin. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, living room, basement with a pool table, porch and lots of land to explore. Both couples had their own room and our daughter’s shared the third bedroom.

Thanksgiving morning the adults went for a hike up Wright’s Mountain. The trailhead was just a couple miles from our AirBnB. This was a beautiful 3.75 mile hike with some gorgeous Vermont Views.

After our morning hike my friend and I did some exploring around Bradford. With it being Thanksgiving we were not sure how much would be open. We found a cute coffee shop, Sunny Side Coffee Company in Fairlee the next town over.

In Bradford there is a Hannaford’s grocery store, gas station and drug store right off the highway.

In downtown Bradford there are a couple restaurants and stores and my favorite, a beautiful waterfall. Waits River Falls is located in the downtown area and can be seen from the road. There is a small parking area, park and picnic tables if you want to stop and enjoy this beautiful falls.

We spent the rest of the afternoon preparing our Thanksgiving meal. Our friend smoked the turkey and it was amazing.

After enjoying an amazing meal we settled in for a game of Scatagories and lots of laughs.

Friday morning we opted outside for a hike up Tucker Mountain. This hike was easier than Wright’s Mountain with more beautiful views of the New Hampshire White Mountains and Vermont Mountains.

After our morning hike we all did some exploring. It was recommended to check out Farm-Way, a spacious Vermont general store with items ranging from clothing & outdoor gear to home goods & furnishings. It was such a fun store to explore. With it being Black Friday they had some great deals.

Next stop was Chapman’s General Store next to Sunny Side Coffee. I just love exploring country stores. They had a lot of local food, beverages, toys, jewelry, gift baskets, decorations, games & puzzles and books. We had to make another stop at Sunny Side Coffee Company for more coffee and tea drinks.

The rest of the day was spent playing games, relaxing and enjoying leftovers.

We left Saturday morning to head home. The AirBnB was perfect for our holiday needs. Our only complaint was we wished there was a little more seating for the six of us, but overall it had everything we needed for a great Thanksgiving weekend. We had an amazing Thanksgiving getaway with a lot of outside time, exploring some Vermont stores, lots of laughs and just enjoying each other’s company and being in the woods of Vermont with friends.

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Rhode Island Day Trip

Rhode Island is one of our favorite states to visit. We had the opportunity over Labor Day Weekend to do a day trip to Rhode Island. Below is how we spent the day.

Blithwold Mansion and Gardens located in Bristol Rhode Island is a 33 acre summer estate set on the Narragansett Bay. For a fee you can explore the mansion and beautiful grounds of this estate. They provide a map and point out different points of interest. We first did a self tour of mansion. There were staff around to answer any questions you had. The mansion was beautiful with stunning views of the bay.

Around the grounds were large sculptures of birds, which were pretty cool to see.

We walked down by the bay to take in the views.

Lastly we explored the gardens. There was bamboo to walk through and many different flowers and plants to explore. We spent about an hour and half exploring the grounds.

Mother Pizzeria located in downtown Newport is one of our favorite restaurants. We discovered this Pizzeria on our last overnight in Newport. Since it was the middle of the afternoon we were able to get seated right away. We started out with fresh oysters. These are some of the best we have had in New England.

Next was pizza. We got a Margarita Pizza and like a Mexican Street Corn Pizza, that also had zucchini on it. It was so good.

Lastly was gelato. They drizzle it with sea salt and olive oil, delish.

Next we drove along the ocean and stopped at Kings Beach. I wanted to stop at Gooseberry Beach, but since we were not staying long I did not want to pay the $30 fee to get in. Kings Beach was not much of a beach, mostly just a bunch of rock outcroppings and some grass areas. We did see a couple people swimming.

On our drive back to New Hampshire we made a final stop at Federal Hill in Providence. This is an Italian neighborhood with restaurants and shops. The road through the main area was closed down to traffic. We walked around the main street. There is a cute fountain in the center of a large eating area.

There was a lot of outdoor dining and shops to explore. We stopped at Scialo Bros Bakery for some delicious pastries.

That wrapped up our day trip to Rhode Island. For a small state there is so much to explore. I cannot wait until our next trip to this beautiful state.

Lakes Region Getaway

The Lakes Region of New Hampshire is made up of towns surrounding Lake Winnipesaukee, Lake Winnisquam and Squam Lake. This is a popular tourist destination due to the outdoor activities on and around these lakes in all seasons. A friend of mine recently got a property on Lake Winnisquam and allowed us to spend two nights. When she lists it as a rental I will provide more information on her property and the resort it is located in as we enjoyed our stay there.

We arrived at the property late on a Wednesday night. It was after dark when we arrived so we were not able to do much except get settled in.

The next morning I got up and took a walk around the resort and enjoyed views of Lake Winnisquam.

Our family and I started the morning out by kayaking around the lake. We have our own kayaks that we brought with us. With it being a Thursday morning there was not much boat traffic on the lake. I know on the weekends the lake can be very busy so kayakers have to use caution. We spent a couple hours paddling around. I was happy to have my waterproof phone case for these kayak adventures.

There is a beach at the resort we were staying at so we spent the rest of the morning relaxing on the beach and swimming.

In the afternoon we wanted to do a little exploring. We first stopped at Tilly’s Market Cafe in Belmont for some lunch. This cute little cafe had sandwiches, salads, and açaí bowls, along with coffees and teas. I had a Southwestern Salad, my daughter a Nutella açaí bowl and my husband had a California Turkey wrap. We all throughly enjoyed our food. It was fresh and well prepared. My daughter said it was one of the best açaí bowls she had had. The staff were friendly and prompt.

Our next stop was at Gunstock Mountain to ride their mountain coaster and the chairlift. We have been to Gunstock in the winter and past summers. We got the unlimited pass for the mountain coaster and chairlift. Luckily the mountain coaster was not too busy so we were able to get in several rides.

One of my favorite things about Gunstock Mountain is the view from the top. We took a chairlift ride to the top of the mountain to enjoy the views. It was a little hazy out, but we still enjoyed the ride and the views.

After spending a few hours at Gunstock Mountain we took a drive to Alton Bay so I could check out a new bookstore. Winni Reads Bookshop is an independent book store carrying many of the latest books along with a used section. The store is very cute inside and well organized.

We headed back to the resort for a swim and dinner. We spent the evening relaxing, enjoying a campfire and s’mores. Thanks to an employee at Market Basket I found the best candy to put in s’mores, these Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars.

The next day we packed up to leave and went back to Tilly’s Market Cafe for breakfast sandwiches and açaí bowls. We could not leave the lakes region without making a stop at the Tanger Outlets for some discount shopping. Overall, we had a relaxing couple days in the Lakes Region and are excited for our next adventure.

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Cape Cod Getaway

We always try to get away for a couple days after school gets out before the craziness of summer starts. We only had time for two nights away and chose to visit Cape Cod. We have visited before, but still had activities on our to do list.

We left our home in Southern New Hampshire on a Wednesday morning. Luckily traffic was not too crazy getting onto the The Cape.

Our first stop was Heritage Gardens and Museum in Sandwich. At $25 per adult it is a little expensive, we did receive a small discount with our AAA card. From entry we were impressed with the facilities and grounds. Heritage Gardens and Museum was much more than we expected. In addition to several beautiful flowers and gardens there was a car museum, cranberry bog museum, tree house, water features, kids play area and so much to explore. We spent almost two hours walking around the grounds.

Our next stop was Sandwich Boardwalk which leads out to Town Neck Beach. I just love walking a boardwalk.

It is always a bonus when there is a beach at the end of the boardwalk to explore.

It was mid afternoon and time for some food. My husband wanted oysters and a friend recommended Sesuit Harbor Cafe in Dennis. The Cafe takes cash only. It is walk up service with a variety of seafood options and raw bar. There are menu items for those who do not like seafood. The best part is the outdoor seating overlooking the marina. I did not see any indoor seating. The raw oysters and seafood was fresh and delicious.

Next stop was Mayflower Beach in Dennis. There is a fee to visit the beach, but it is so worth it. With it being on the bay side the waters were calm and almost tropical looking. The picture does not do it justice.

Before checking into our hotel we stopped at the Cape Cod Mall area to pick up a couple things. They are adding many new stores and restaurants to this area.

Our hotel for the next two nights was the All Seasons Resort in South Yarmouth. We found a good deal through Hotels.com. Staff was friendly and prompt at check in. The hotel offers an indoor and outdoor pool, a hot tub, sauna, workout area and free breakfast. The rooms were clean and updated. We had a fridge, which I always appreciate.

Across the street was a small plaza that had gelato, which is my daughter’s favorite, so we had to get some.

After our gelato we drove to Bass Hole Boardwalk. We were hoping to catch the sunset, but unfortunately it was cloudy out. It was still pretty to visit.

That evening my husband enjoyed the hot tub and sauna while my daughter and I relaxed in the room.

Day two started with an Açaí bowl from Chattam Moods for my daughter and breakfast sandwich’s and drinks from Cape Cod Coffee for my husband and I. The food was ok. Neither place impressed me much.

We stopped at Chatham to see the light house and beach and drove through the downtown. It was a cute area.

Next we drove to Provincetown and walked around Commercial Street. It is such a fun area for shopping and food. My daughter got a Nutella crepe from Mama Matcha Green Bar that was so good.

Next we spent a few hours at Race Point Beach. There is usually a fee to get into the beaches for the National Seashore, but there was no staff there yet. Race Point is such a beautiful beach on the ocean side of the cape.

The best part was there was so many seals swimming by us. They were so fun to watch.

After spending a couple hours at this beach we drove to Corn Hill Beach on the Bay side. The water was warmer and not as rough.

Next stop was Coast Guard Beach on the ocean side. The waves were pretty intense. We did not swim here. I really loved the high sand dunes and just walking the beach.

It was time for some food and we found Captain Parker’s in West Yarmouth it was a large busy restaurant, but we waited less than ten minutes. We were pleasantly surprised with the food. We had oysters, fish tacos, tuna poke bowl and a salad. All the food was fresh and flavorful.

My last goal of this Cape Cod getaway was to watch a sunset. At the recommendation of a friend we went to Cold Storage Beach in Dennis, which was next to Sesuit Cafe where we had a meal the day before. There was a rock jetty with beautiful views of the sunset over the bay.

This was our last night. The next morning we got up early and headed home. First we stopped at Hole In One for delicious donuts, bagels, breakfast sandwich’s and drinks.

We had a great couple days exploring the cape, enjoying the beaches and indulging in yummy food. I am also thankful for friends who shared with me their favorite places on The Cape.

Fuller Gardens

It was finally a nice Sunday after many weekends of rain, so we decided to take a drive towards the seacoast of New Hampshire.

First stop was lunch in Exeter. If you have not visited Exeter, make sure you do as it has such a cute downtown. We had lunch at Street, an eclectic restaurant that adds a world wide flair to their menu. My husband had a Cemita, a chicken sandwich with Mexican flair, my daughter a burger and myself a falafel wrap. The star of the meal was the specialty fries. My husband and I shared the Subarashii fries, which had an Asian flair, they were so good. It was a fun atmosphere with friendly and prompt staff.

Next stop was Fuller Gardens. Located off Route 1A on Willow Ave in North Hampton, New Hampshire is small, but beautiful gardens. I am not sure how I have driven Route 1A so many times and did not know Fuller Garden was here. With it being June 1st, there was not a lot in bloom, but still worth the visit. There is a small fee to enter. There is a larger rose garden with many different types of roses, only a couple of them were in bloom. In a few weeks this garden should be amazing. There was even a bunny hopping around.

There were water features throughout the gardens.

There is a conservatory that had a lot of cactus and warm weather plants. This is also where the Koi Fish were until it gets warm enough to be moved outside to the Japanese Gardens.

Next we explored the Japanese garden.

Then onto the Front Garden that also had a lot of rose bushes and other plants.

We spent about an hour walking around the different gardens. In a few weeks many of the plants should be in bloom, which I am sure the gardens will be spectacular.

After exploring Fuller Gardens we stopped at Hampton Beach for a walk along the beach before heading home.

Overall, a great afternoon of delicious food, a beautiful garden to explore and a nice walk on the beach.

Exploring Northhampton and More

We have not explored much of the Northampton area of Massachusetts even though it is only a little over an hour away from us. After seeing places to explore on social media we decided on a daytrip to the area.

On our drive to Northampton we needed a breakfast snack and stopped at Adams Donut on Federal Street in Greenfield, MA. It was after 10am they did not have a lot of donuts left, but did notice the baker restocking shelves. They do serve breakfast sandwiches, but they grill closes at 10am. We each got a donut, a Boston Cream and two Maple Creams. These were the lightest donuts we have ever had and so flavorful. I was so excited about them I forgot to take a picture, but so worth the stop.

The main reason for this daytrip was to visit the Botanical Garden at Smith College. It was reunion weekend so parking was a little difficult, but we were able to find a spot. We did have to walk through campus, which was nice, as the campus is beautiful.

The Botanical Garden is free to visit, but they ask for a $2 donation per person. There are a couple different greenhouses to explore, plus the grounds around the greenhouses have a variety of plants.

We spent about an hour exploring the different greenhouses and plants. Our teenage daughter said if she went to college here, she would spend a lot of time in the greenhouses as they were so relaxing.

After exploring the botanical gardens we walked to the downtown area of Northampton where there was a variety of shops and restaurants.

We went into Thornes Marketplace which is more shops and restaurants. Such a fun marketplace. I loved the vibe of the downtown area. The college and downtown area were very walkable.

We grabbed lunch at Highbrow Wood Fire Kitchen. My daughter and I shared a grilled chicken salad with a lemon olive oil dressing, my husband had a seared tuna appetizer and we all shared a margarita pizza. The food was very flavorful and tasty. The staff were friendly and prompt. We would absolutely return.

Our next destination was about 25 minutes south of Northampton. I am sad I did not learn of this place sooner. Lupa Zoo is located on Nash Hill Road in Ludlow, Massachusetts. This is a hidden gem. This zoo has a wide variety of animals, play areas for kids including a splash pad, a gift shop, place to get food and overall a fun place to visit. Parking was easy. Pricing is reasonable at $15 an adult. We were surprised at the large variety of animals to explore. We loved the monkeys.

And the adorable white fox.

The grounds were easy to walk around and navigate. We spent a little over an hour exploring the zoo. We wished we knew about this zoo when our daughter was younger. Even as a teenager she enjoyed the animals.

I did not get a lot of pictures of our day, but that means I was enjoying the moment. I want to go back and explore this area more. Overall, we loved our daytrip and the new places we explored. If you have a favorite place in the Northampton area please let me know.

Exploring Southeast Massachusetts

It is April vacation week for New Hampshire. With my daughter playing high school sports we did not have time for a bigger trip, but was able to sneak away for a day trip. We lucked out as the weather was beautiful.

We left our home in Southern New Hampshire heading into Massachusetts. Our first stop was for breakfast at one of our favorite places, Salt and Light Cafe in Groton, Massachusetts. We love their bagels, breakfast’s, pastries and drinks.

After a delicious breakfast we headed south to Dartmouth, Massachusetts. A few people sent me social media posts of a daffodil forest and I had to check it out.

Located at Parson’s Reserve at 50 Horseneck Road in Dartmouth is a land trust. There is limited parking and volunteers are directing traffic. With us visiting on a Thursday we did not have difficulty finding parking. There were porta potty’s, a playground and spots to have a picnic along a river. Across the street was the trailhead to the daffodils. The path was easy to follow. Dogs are not allowed.

After about a quarter mile easy walk you to come to the daffodils. They ask for a $5 donation per person. There are volunteers providing information and will take a photo if you ask. These daffodils were planted during World War Two and have sustained all these years. There are paths throughout the one and half acres of daffodils.

The daffodils were absolutely stunning, we walked around enjoying them for about 45 minutes.

I’m so glad we made the drive, as this preserve was so stunning.

Our next stop was Haskell Gardens in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Located at 787 Shawmut Avenue in New Bedford is one of the oldest homes in the city. It is now a public park and garden. Parking is street only, which we did not have a problem doing. There is a small gift shop. The greenhouses did not have anything growing at this time. There were some flowers in bloom along a pathway.

In the back of the property was a large field with flowers, a spiral labyrinth garden and a cool wooden garden structure.

We only spent about 30 minutes exploring the property. With not a lot of flowers in bloom there was not a lot to see.

Our next stop was Borderland State Park located at 259 Massapoag Ave. North Easton, MA. The State Park offers a variety of hiking trails, a disc golf course, fishing and home to Ames Mansion. There is a small fee to enter the park. We walked some of the hiking trails, which were easy to navigate.

The main reason for the visit to this park was to see Ames Mansion. I did not realize that you could only go inside if you booked a tour, which we did not have time to do. We walked around the outside of it.

There were many people playing disc golf, fishing or just enjoying the open space. There is a small visitor center to get information and book tours through.

Our final activity of the day was visiting Supercharged Entertainment in Wrentham, Massachusetts for my daughter and husband to ride the indoor go carts on their multi level track. We were able to get tickets without an issue and did not have to wait too long, but it was not busy. My guess is it can get very busy and have long wait times. My husband and daughter really enjoyed the go carts. They rode for about 10 minutes.

Our final stop of the day was dinner at Rail Trail Flatbread Company in Milford, Massachusetts. We usually go to the one in Hudson, but I navigated to the wrong location, not realizing there are two of them. My husband had some delicious wings and a Big Mac Pizza, my daughter had a greek chicken salad and truffle fries and I had a Mexican Street Corn Pizza. All of our food was excellent. Our waiter was friendly and prompt. With it being a nice day we sat outside, which we really enjoyed. We will absolutely continue to return to Rail Trail Flatbread Company.

Overall we had a great day exploring south eastern Massachusetts. The daffodil forest was the highlight of our day trip.

One Year into Perimenopause

About a year ago I was hit hard with Perimenopause symptoms, which you can read about in Perimenopause Hit Me Like a Brick Wall. This past year has taught me a few things about trying to manage these crazy symptoms and how to be my own best advocate. I have spent a lot of time talking with other women going through similar symptoms. I am fortunate to know several people who work in the medical field, I have had several conversations with a wide variety of medical professionals. I have read many books and listen to several podcasts about women and hormones. I have worked with my own health care providers. I have tried a variety of different things just to get through these changing hormones. I wanted to share what I have tried to help alleviate and manage symptoms of perimenopause.

Symptoms: The symptoms I have been experiencing this last year are anxiety, brain fog, decrease in energy and motivation, decrease in interest in my hobbies, hair loss, increase in blood pressure, low libido, night sweats, not wanting to be alone, poor sleep and overall not feeling like myself.

After a lot of research, below is how I have tried to decrease symptoms of perimenopause.

Accupuncture: Some of the research I did suggested that accupuncture could help balance hormones. I started going to New England Family Acupuncture in Peterborough, NH. Jewell was wonderful from the first visit. She took time to listen to my concerns and explain how acupuncture could help my hormonal symptoms. I started seeing her weekly and found acupuncture to be very relaxing, falling asleep most of the time on the table, yes, even with needles inside me. The energy I would feel go through my body was interesting and was explained that it meant the acupuncture was working. She also talked to me about essential oils and overall self care. I now go about once a month for maintenance. My health insurance and flex spending account covered these visits.

Dietary Changes: Certain foods and drinks were impacting how I felt. Alcohol made my night sweats worse. Caffeine, sugar and salt made my anxiety, energy and sleep worse. I slowly starting making dietary changes and keeping a diary on my phone of how I felt after each meal. I have not had any alcohol in almost a year. I have missed an occasional cocktail, but found it was not worth it and have been embracing mocktails when out to dinner. I significantly reduced the sugar in my diet, I still have an occasional, but it is not worth how it increases my anxiety. Caffeine also increases my anxiety so I have switched to a small green tea once or twice a week. I did a lot of research on best and worst foods for perimenopause. Due to the hormones in dairy, I switched to mostly raw dairy products. I increased my protein and fiber intake along with my fruits and vegetables. Due to the increase in my blood pressure I also cut way back on salt and processed food. I still enjoy eating out, but sometimes have to get a little creative with what I order or I know my symptoms will increase. This is ever changing and I have my difficult days, but am continuing to work on my eating habits.

Educating myself: I am someone who loves control and perimenopause has taken that control away. I educated myself on how to feel like myself again. As I said in the beginning of this post I talked to a lot of women my age and older including those working in various health care professions. I had several conversations with my own health care providers. I read many books, some of my favorites are The New Menopause by Mary Clair Haver, The Menopause Manifest by Jen Gunter and Next Level by Stacy Sims. I listened to several podcasts, some of my favorites were Not Your Mother’s Menopause and Perimenopause Simplified. I read medical journal articles and did a lot of internet searching, which you have to be careful with as not all the information out there is valid so I tried to stay with medical facility websites. By education myself I was helped to make informed decisions about my health and how I wanted to treat my hormones.

Essential Oils: Lavender essential oil has become my best friend. Whenever I am feeling anxious I use some to help lower my anxiety. I would also put it on my pillow at night to help me sleep. For a few months I used Progessence Plus™ Serum by Young Living which is is designed specifically for women and made with natural, bioidentical progesterone from wild yam to promote well-being and feelings of relaxation, harmony, and balance. I stopped using it when I was put on hormone replacement therapy. Before taking this essential oil I did consult my medical providers to make sure it was safe to use.

Exercise: I have always been fairly active walking and hiking, but I upped my exercise game. I found that exercise helped with many of my symptoms such as lowering my anxiety, improving my sleep and energy and help me manage my blood pressure. Since I have lost interest in some of my active hobbies my husband pushed me to get back out there. I am hiking at least once a week. I walk on my lunch break and again after work. I read a lot about how important strength training and lifting free weights is one to two times a week. I am not great at being consistent with this, but I am trying. Despite all these changing I was still struggling with anxiety and a friend recommended that I try running. I have never been a runner and have never been interested in running. I was desperate to try anything to see if it helped. I slowly starting running at my local track and school and found it very helpful. I do not run a lot, but a couple times a week and have a goal to run one 5k race a month, which I have done so far. A friend starting going to HotWorx, where you workout in an infrared sauna. I have done a couple classes with her and found it helped me feel relaxed and refreshed. A local wellness center has a sauna and I found sitting in a sauna helps me feel relaxed and reenergized.

Hormone Replacement Therapy HRT: Over the years there has been a lot of negative publicity on hormone replacement therapy for women. After more recently studies and information this has changed. I did a lot of research on this topic and talked to many different health care professionals to see what would be best for me. My OBGYN was not comfortable prescribing it as she did not have enough education on it. After a few months of research and talking with my PCP she recommended that I see a local specialist who has been treating women in perimenopause and menopause. I scheduled an appointment with her and my husband joined me. Ladies if you have a significant other in your life it is so important that they join you in your health care visits. My husband has been so helpful with my decision making. After over an hour discussion with the specialist I decided to go on a low dose estradiol patch and progesterone. I have now been on HRT for about five months and it has helped me a lot. My anxiety has decreased. My energy is improving. My hair loss has decreased. My sleep is better and my night sweats have decreased. I have played around the dosing a little bit with the guidance of my provider to make sure I am getting the maximum benefit. At this point after all my research and medical guidance I am happy I am on low dose HRT. It is important for you to do your own research and talk with your medical providers around HRT.

Mood Stabilizers: When I was first experiencing my hormonal systems anxiety was one of my biggest symptoms. My OBGYN put me on an anti-anxiety medication that would also help with night sweats. My PCP prescribed me an as needed anxiety medication for those days I just can’t settle my mind or body. After a couple months on the daily anxiety medication my night sweats had decreased, but I did not like how the medication kept me in a dream state most of the time and ended up working with my OBGYN to ween off the medication. I have kept the as needed medication for those tough days which fortunately are few and far between now, but it is nice to have just in case.

Supplements: I have tried a few different supplements through the guidance of my health care providers, but did not find them helpful. The only supplement I am currently taking is collagen powder to help with my skin and hair.

Support System: I am so fortunate that I have an amazing support system from my husband and daughter to my friends, co workers and medical team. They have supported me through the ups and downs of this perimenopause journey. When I was really struggling with being alone I was so thankful for my supports that would sit with me or go for a walk with me. They were there when I needed a reassurance through text, phone call or in person. Reminding me that these feelings are my hormones, not me. Being able to talk to others going through similar symptoms help me feel less alone. I did see a therapist for a couple sessions, but it was not a good fit. With the encouragement of a couple friends I am now on a waitlist to see another therapist. I also attended a six week support group which was very helpful to connect with other women and have discussions around our hormones. I have created a group space for women in my community to share hormonal stories, frustrations and what is working for them. These women have been so supportive of each other. Now being part of a running community I have gained a whole new support system with many of them running my 5k’s with me or cheering me on at events.

Weight Loss: With all the health changes I have been making this past year I have been able to lose 75lbs. I believe the weight loss has helped me with some of my symptoms as well.

It has been a year of growth, education and self forgiveness. Despite all the work I have put in, I still have days I struggle and become frustrated knowing I have put in a lot of work, but am still not back to myself. I need to accept that I may not be back to where I was prior to going into perimenopause. My husband is frequently reminding me how far I have come with my weight loss and fitness level and I need to be proud of what I have accomplished. In my 40’s I am now a runner! My anxiety has decreased, I am now able to be alone again and be ok, my sleep has improved, my hair is growing back in, my energy is better. I am still working on finding my motivation and drive. Libido is still an issue. Night sweats have reduced. My blood pressure has stabilized. I have tried going off my blood pressure medications a couple times, but it has made me feel terrible, for now I need to accept that I need to be on a low dose blood pressure medication. One of my biggest take aways from this past year has been to be your own advocate and do your own research around whatever your goals are. I also know I am fortunate to have a good medical team in my corner that has really supported me.

Always consult your health care provider before making any health changes, adding supplements or medications.

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Exploring the South Shore

We have not spent much time exploring the South Shore of Boston. On the first nice day of the spring season we decided to do a little exploring. I did not have an itinerary, just winged it. Our first stop was Hull Massachusetts, which is a small costal town with views of Boston. It was such a cute area.

After driving around Hull we went to Nantasket Beach and walked the beach. There was a lot in this area, a carousel, playground, several shops and restaurants. We walked a mile and a half one way on the beach and did not walk the whole beach. I was shocked at how calm the waters were.

After walking the beach we drove to towards Scituate. The drive along the ocean was beautiful with many amazing homes.

We stopped Scituate Lighthouse, which was so cute and had some fun rock piers to explore.

We drove through Scituate Harbor which had a cute downtown area with shopping and restaurants. You could also see the boats in the harbor.

From here we started our drive home. We stopped in Brockton for some food. We found a great brewery, Brockton Brewery located in the downtown area. This fun brewery had a Vietnamese flare. They had refreshing beers and sodas. The food was fresh, flavorful and delicious. The staff was friendly and prompt.

We enjoyed our time exploring the South Shore, there seem to be a lot of great beaches and small towns to wander around. We will definitely be coming back to explore more of this area. If you have a favorite spot on the South Shore I would love to hear about it.

Newport Rhode Island

We have come to love Rhode Island and have done a few overnights and day trips to this beautiful state. For February vacation we wanted to get away for a couple nights, but were not feeling the winter activities. With the weather projected in the 50’s and sunny we decided to head to Newport, Rhode Island.

We left on a Tuesday after work and made a stop in Providence, Rhode Island to check out the ice bumper cars. We parked at the Providence Place Mall and walked over to the Providence Rink, about a half mile walk. Here you can ice skate, rentals are available or you can ride the ice bumper cars. I recommend getting tickets online in advance as they often sell out.

We got about 20 minutes on the bumper cars, they were so much fun. Like bumper boats, but on ice.

After having fun with the ice bumper cars, we walked back to our car and drove a little further south. We were getting hungry and remembered a brewery that we had loved. Apponaug Brewing Company is located in an old mill building in Warwick, Rhode Island. There is a large outdoors space with a fire pit and lights hung. Inside is mostly communal dining with some individual tables. Our favorite is the Banh Mi Fries, fries with pickled vegetable and an Asian Sauce, so good.

After a wonderful dinner we drove to our hotel in Newport, Rhode Island. Thanks to Hotels.com we decided to stay at Wyndham Long Wharf. We had difficulty finding the entrance of the hotel, but a staff member helped us. Check in was smooth. We had a two bedroom townhouse with full kitchen, living room and two bathrooms. The room with two double beds was located downstairs where you enter the townhouse and everything else was upstairs. If I had young children I am not sure I would want them on the bottom floor by the entrance and away from the master bedroom and living area. For adults or families with older children it is great.

The hotel had some nice amenities like a small game room, a movie theater with a couple different movies playing through the day, filtered water stations, coffee station, activities were happening like slime making and donut hour. I’m not sure if this is all the time. They had a weight and exercise room. There is an indoor/outdoor heated pool and two hot tubs, one inside and one outside. These are open year round. There is also another outside pool, that is only open in the warmer months. We spent about an hour enjoying the outdoor hot tub and heated pool.

Wednesday we started the day out by taking a walk towards Thames Street, where there are a lot of shops and restaurants. Unfortunately the places I had on my list for breakfast were closed so we ended up grabbing breakfast at Starbucks.

After some food we explored the downtown area before going back to our car. I really wanted to check out Sutton Farms as they had baby goats and a farm store, but we could not find them. I tried reaching out to them, but never heard back.

It was a beautiful day and I wanted to walk the beach. We stopped at Second Beach to enjoy the sand, sun and ocean views.

Next stop was a walk around Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge, just up the street from Second Beach. This two and a half mile loop provides some amazing ocean views. We saw a lot of ducks in the ocean and even a seal. We saw evidence of deer, but did not see any. There is also a building with rest rooms, staff and a little museum.

It was mid afternoon and we were getting pretty hungry so we took the car back to the hotel and walked back towards the downtown area.

A friend had recommended Mother Pizzeria to us, so we decided to check them out. It was mid afternoon and not busy, we got seated right away. The staff were prompt and friendly. We started out with an order of fresh local oysters, they were amazing.

Next was their sourdough pizza, also amazing.

We wrapped up our amazing meal with some gelato. The salted caramel was delicious.

We had done around eight miles of walking and decided to head back to the hotel to enjoy the pool and hot tub. With the temperatures being in the high 50’s and sunny it felt amazing to enjoy the pool and hot tub in the sun.

After enjoying the pool I wanted to catch the sunset, we drove over to Brenton Point to watch the sunset. A perfect spot for sunset viewing.

We spent the rest of the evening relaxing in the townhouse.

Thursday morning we checked out and started our drive home. I had one stop on the way home and that was the Botanical Gardens at Roger Williams Park. Over the years we have visited the park several times to enjoy the zoo, planetarium and just the beauty of the park. For some reason we have never been to the botanical gardens.

The entrance fee was only $5 a person. There are four different greenhouses and staff around to answer questions. There were also various activities set up to help keep your get kids engaged. I loved the greenhouses, they gave us a taste of spring and were beautiful.

I always love when there is a water feature and there were a few.

There was also a koi pond with some of the biggest koi I had ever seen.

Outside they had a couple goats that during the day go down to the fields, we were able to catch them before they went to the fields.

We had a great couple days exploring Newport, enjoying family time and relaxing. We already cannot wait until our next trip back to Rhode Island.