We woke up bright and early, packed up the car, the kiddo, and the dog, and headed out. We got to Kennebunkport around noon and our first stop was the beach. We needed to stretch our legs and Zoey needed a good walk. Kennebunkport Beach is a quintessential New England beach surrounded by gorgeous homes and huge jetties.

After our beach frolic, we headed into town to grab some lunch. We ended up at Bennett’s Store and enjoyed all things lobster.

With our bellies full, we explored the downtown, did some window shopping, and just enjoyed the beautiful fall views.

Next, we headed up the coast to Portland, where we were stopping for the night. We stayed at the Tru by Hilton and it was a great place to stop for a quick, one-night trip, but if we were returning to Maine for a longer trip, I would love to rent a home closer to the beach.

My husband often jokes that so many of our trips revolve around food, but when there are so many good things to try, how can it not?! For breakfast we stopped at Biscuits & Company and it did not disappoint. We got some good, strong iced coffee and some biscuit breakfast sandwiches. Sadly, the restaurant has since closed.

Every guide we looked at for Maine said we needed to stop at The Holy Donut for a potato donut, which sounds really weird, but was actually delicious and tasted nothing like potatoes. I got the toasted coconut because that is the best donut flavor ever. The Holy Donut has a bunch of locations throughout Maine, so give them a try!

After our breakfast, we headed out to Cape Elizabeth to visit the Portland Head Light. This historic lighthouse, built in 1791, was like walking into a living postcard! Fort Williams Park surrounds it, offering trails with breathtaking ocean views that are perfect for an Instagram-worthy adventure. 

Next, we headed to downtown Portland to explore and grab some lunch. The city is an eclectic mix of boutiques, galleries, and charming cafes. We strolled along the cobblestone streets, soaking in the atmosphere and popping into shops.

We are an oyster-loving family, so we searched for an oyster bar and stumbled upon The Shop by Island Creek Oysters. Not only was The Shop the cutest, most aesthetic little spot, but the oysters were also incredibly fresh. The local beers were delicious, and the charcuterie was excellent. The charming atmosphere combined with top-notch food and drink made it a highlight of our Portland adventure.

We reminisce about this spot regularly and cannot wait to return sometime soon!

We absolutely loved our quick trip to Maine and can’t wait to visit again! If you’ve been to Maine, let us know your favorite place to visit.

The post 48 Hours in Maine, a Travel Guide appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

WHERE TO STAY

There was a block of rooms reserved by the bride and groom at The Ridgeline Hotel. The Ridgeline is newly renovated and had just opened a few weeks before our stay. Some parts of the hotel were still under construction, but we not bothered by noise or anything during our stay.

The lobby was modern, but rustic and had a great seating area, as well as a station with infused water, coffee and the day’s paper.

We had a room with two double beds, which were very comfy. I loved the simplicity of the color scheme in the room and the accents on the wall. There was also a little seating area, and your standard coffee maker/ice bucket area. I really liked that each room came with yoga mats and a little card with ideas for workouts. If we were staying for longer, I would’ve totally taken advantage of them.

The bathroom was also updated with a new vanity and a nice big mirror. The tub/shower had a little timer in it with a challenge to shower in less than 7 minutes to preserve water. There was also a shampoo/conditioner/body wash dispenser in the shower, which is great if you forget to bring your necessities. 

The hotel also had a lot of cool amenities. The indoor pool was huge, and the flooring surrounding the pool was not tile, but like a grippy rubbery type floor which makes it safer for all the kids running around even though they’re not supposed it. [cough cough Alex] There was also a bunch of cool floats to use. Alex was a big fan of the whale. The hotel also had a game room off the pool area that had a pool table, cool bean bags for sitting and video game systems.

Estes Park, CO Travel Guide
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WHAT TO DO

If you’ve ever heard of Estes Park, CO, you know that it is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. We had very little time for exploring between the rehearsal and the wedding itself, but we woke up early before the wedding to hit up the park. The park was absolutely breathtaking. We didn’t have much time, so we drove the road all the way through the park and back, stopping at the overlooks and information centers. Even though it was the middle of June, there was still tons of snow on the ground and our choice of attire for the trip wasn’t the best. Like at all National Parks and Monuments, we were able to pick up a Junior Ranger Activity book for Alex to complete while we were at the park and he got his badge and took his Junior Ranger oath before we left the park. If you visit the park with kids, I highly recommend getting the book. They are completely FREE and come in different difficulty levels for different age groups. It’s a fun way to get your child involved and interested in the park, nature and conservation.

We also stopped at Rike-A-Kart for the boys to go go-karting. 

The best part of the whole trip was the wedding! The ceremony and reception were held at the Historic Crags Lodge and everything was absolutely gorgeous. I mean check out this view from the ceremony site, could it be any more perfect? Alex kicked butt at his ring bearer duties and looked quite handsome in the process.

It was such a fun weekend with some of my favorite people. I love every chance we get to explore a new place, try new foods, and see new things. Estes Park, we will definitely be back!

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On Saturday, we headed down to Easton, PA to visit the Crayola Experience. It was only a 30 minutes rides from Tommy’s parents in the Poconos and a great way to spend a Saturday.

As soon as we pulled up to the building, Alex was super excited. I mean, how could you not be seeing a box of crayons falling off a building.

After paying for our tickets ($15.99) we headed upstairs to watch the live crayon making show. The show was very cute and had a Crayola worker interacting with two virtual crayons on the screen. He also had scaled down machines that showed how they actually make crayons and at the end of the show we all got a brand new red crayon.

After the show, we went over to the make your own crayon name station. Alex decided to name his a bunch of random letters, but he had a great time picking out the little picture that went along side the text. We also made our own marker and got a bunch of Crayola model magic to take home. There was also a toddler section that Alex enjoyed. It didn’t really have anything to do with crayons, but the kids had a blast running around and shooting the balls inside the machine.

The log flume was also a favorite. We actually went through the course twice because the little guy enjoyed it so much. On our last time through, there was some sort of malfunction and all the water started draining out and no one knew where it was going. There was also a light studio, where you could draw with special markers on a light board, a huge crayon themed jungle gym, lots of coloring and craft stations and a drip design station where you melt crayons into a cool design.

Overall, we had a great time. The Crayola Experience is definitely geared toward younger kids, but is also a great day trip that won’t break the bank. With your ticket, you get a bunch of tokens that can be used at different stations to make crayons, markers, etc. I loved how everything there was Crayola themed, down to the benches in front of the place.

Afterwards, we grabbed some lunch. There are a bunch of places within walking distance and most of them have outdoor seating, which was great given the gorgeous weather on Saturday. After lunch, we decided to walk down to the river, just a few blocks away and we stumbled upon a great little playground on the water. The playground sad a seesaw, which I haven’t seen since I was a kid. Maybe it’s a New York thing but the last time I was on a seesaw was before they renovated the local park, a good 20 years ago. Alex had a blast and didn’t want to get off of it when it was time to go.

Our trip to the Crayola Experience was a success!

Have you ever been to the Crayola Experience? Are there seesaws at playgrounds in your area?

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As soon as you walk in, there is a sting ray pool where you can buy little fishies to feed to the sting rays. You’re also allowed to pet them all you want. Since their mouths are on the underside of their bodies, they can’t bite you.

I really loved that the whole aquarium was very hands on. There was another part where you could pick up and touch all different kinds of aquatic animals. Munchkin loved being able to poke and prob at all the crustaceans.

Aside from all of the hands on exhibits, they had a lot of different animals to explore with. Munchkin loved the sea lion tank and couldn’t get enough of them swimming right up to the glass. We also saw penguins, seals alligators and otters and there is even a salt marsh where you can go in without your shoes on and pick up all sorts of creatures in the marsh. I thought that Munchkin was still a bit too young to go in the marsh because knowing him, he’d try to swim in there instead of wading.

If you live anywhere near New York, I highly recommend you take the trek out to the end of Long Island to check out this aquarium, it is really worth it. Not to mention that the outlets are just 10 minutes away from the aquarium, so you can kill two birds with one stone.

What did you do this weekend? Have you been to any other aquariums?

The post Long Island Aquarium appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

We are going to be spending the weekend with Tommy’s cousins and their baby girl Arianna at their brand new first home! We are beyond excited for them and can’t wait to have an awesome weekend with them. We are planning on going to the aquarium, checking out the beaches and doing a little shopping at the outlets aka the things you need for an amazing weekend!

Of course, I’m not done packing and still want to get a quick run in, so I think I need to get a move on. Enjoy your weekend!

What are you doing this weekend?

The post Hitting the Road! appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Friday started out with a great workout, a great sale at J Crew (50% + 30% off!) and a great dinner, which I will save for a post coming up soon.

Saturday consisted of grocery shopping, sandbox buying and BBQing in the evening with great company. We had our first official BBQ of the season, complete with homemade veggie burger. Great friends+great food = perfection. Tommy also surprised me with a food processor! I have been wanting one of these babies for a long, long time. He told me that we needed to stop at Best Buy because he wanted to buy a new game for his PS3, but came out carrying this instead. Best surprise ever!

The weather for Sunday was supposed to be iffy, but Tommy and I made plans earlier in the week that we would take a trip all the way out to the end of Long Island, to Montauk. I have wanted to go to Montauk for a veeeeerry long time, but for one reason or another, I never made it out to The End. I woke up early Sunday morning and saw the sun shining through my window. A quick check of the forecast showed me that there would be no rain happening until the late evening, so I knew we were in for a great day.

We got ready and hit the road around 10AM. The ride out the Montauk is about a 2 1/2 hour drive outside of the city, so we packed some snacks and told each other no stopping until we get there.  Once we caught sight of the end of land, we pulled over to take a look.

We ventured even farther out to sea and explored the Montauk lighthouse. Tommy even climbed to the top to check out the view. Unfortunately, Munchkin was too small to make it up all the stairs, so we stayed on the ground and checked out the exhibits in the museum.

After the lighthouse, we set out to the beach. We parked our butts in the sun on the rocks and spent a good while just taking in the ocean and teach Munchkin to skip rocks. It was perfection.

All that rock skipping worked up quite an appetite, so we headed back into town to get some eats. On our drive out we passed by this little stand and knew that it was where we would be returning to eat.

I got a cup of New England Clam Chowda to start.

And rounded out my meal with a lobster roll and some of Munchkin sweet potato fries.

We finished off our trip with a stop at the outlets where Tommy picked up some shorts for the fast approaching 80 degree weather and I picked up a super inexpensive running top at Under Armor and a sweater at American Eagle. We drove home with nothing but smiles on our faces. Why do perfect weekends end so quickly? Only 5 days until the next one though!

Have a great Monday! Enjoy the 90 degree weather in you’re in my area!

What did you do this weekend? What was the last road trip you took?

The post Trip to The End appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

On Friday morning, we woke up bright and early and hit the road. Before long, we were greeted by some amazing views which made the 4 hour drive a more enjoyable.

When we finally crossed state lines and made it into Vermont, we stopped in the town of Manchester for some late lunch and outlet shopping.  Since we were both starving, we stopped at the Machester Bar and Grill. The place was super cute and had a real outdoorsy decor, complete with deer antler chandeliers. We started with mozzarella and salami rolls, which were panko crusted and delicious.

I got the Southwestern Chicken Salad as my entree and it was also spot on. The chipotle dressing left my mouth burning, but in a good way.

After we filled our bellies, we headed to the stores. The outlets here are not your traditional outlet mall, they are scattered around the town and you can walk from shop to shop, while exploring the town. These outlets had the BEST deals I’ve ever seen at outlets.

When we were all shopped out, we drove over to the Bed and Breakfast we were staying at, the West Dover Inn. The place is an original building from 1846 and served as a stop for carriage drivers a over a hundred years ago.

When we got to our room, we were met with some vino and a warm fire.

Saturday morning, we were up bright and early for breakfast and skiing. The great thing about staying at a B&B is the amazing breakfasts you get. Much better than a continental breakfast – blueberry pancakes with real Vermont maple syrup.

We skied the day away at Mount Snow, and had a great time. We lucked out big time because fresh snow had fallen overnight and we had fresh powder to ski on.

We stopped for lunch a bit before noon to beat the crowds and once I heard chowder in a bread bowl, I knew I had to have it.

After lunch we skied some more. Eventually, I headed into the cabin to warm myself by the fire so Tommy could get a few more difficult runs in. He’s a much better skier than I am, but he stays on the easy trails with me, it’s only fair that he gets to do some crazy stuff.

Around 3, we decided to head back to the Inn to rest up a bit. On the way there, we saw this sign and knew we had to stop.

When I say that this place smelled like heaven, I am not exaggerating in the least bit. We shared a cinnamon roll the size of my head before taking a much needed nap.

On our way back from the mountain, we passed by the Dover Forge and decided to go there for dinner. We started by sharing the crab cakes and a French Onion soup.

For my entree, I chose the Maple Miso Scallops. This was the best thing I ate all weekend. The scallops were super tender and were served with Apple Risotto and baby bok choy.

We also split apple crisp with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

On Sunday we woke up and grabbed breakfast before packing up and heading out. I forgot to bring my camera down, but I had French Toast which was just as amazing as Saturday’s pancakes.

On our way home, we stopped at a General Store in the next town over to pick up some gifts. I thought this sign was pretty spot on.

We ended up getting just what the sign said – cheese, maple syrup, fudge and a few things that say Vermont.

A few hours later, we were back in New York. I spent most of the evening taking care of some homework for the week – back to reality after vacay.

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Before I go for today, I wanted to announce the winner of the giveaway!

According to random.org, the lucky winner is comment number 16!

Congrats to Lena from Fit on the Rocks!

Have a great Monday everyone!

What did you do this weekend? Do you prefer winter or summer vacations?

The post Vermont Weekend Getaway! appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Let’s backtrack to dinner last night. In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that I was making Tommy a special birthday dinner, and let me tell you, it was a big hit!

At first glance, it may seem like any plain old meat and potatoes dinner, but you are mistaken, my friend. This dinner consists of slow cooker BBQ beef brisket, cauliflower ‘mashed potatoes’ and some semi home made garlic bread. Not too shabby. Since everyone loved it, I’ll share the wealth.

Brisket is one thing that I’ve been scared to make for a while. I don’t know why but meat freaks me out. (TWSS) I don’t mind working with chicken or ground meat, but other types of meat are not my forte. Not to mention, it’s so easy to undercook and overcook beef. No one wants to eat a brisket that tastes like a shoe. The recipe I found seemed easy enough and I figured the crockpot is almost foolproof, so I went for it.

Crockpot BBQ Beef Brisket (adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of fat
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups barbeque sauce

Directions

Combine spices in a small bowl; set aside. Rub brisket all over with liquid smoke, then rub with spice mixture. Refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight. Pour Worcestershire and barbeque sauces into a slow cooker; place beef on top. Cover, and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours, until fork tender.

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I know you’ve probably heard it a million times, especially in healthy living blogs, but the cauliflower mashed potatoes were so good that you can’t tell the difference. When I told Tommy that there were no potatoes in them, he was surpised. This is definitely something to use to trick your kiddos (or hubbies) into eating their veggies.

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Steam the florets until fork tender. Pat dry, do not allow the cauliflower to cool. In a bowl with an immersion blender, a food processor or blender, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, butter and pepper until almost smooth.

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And since no birthday is complete without a cake and candles to blow out, I stopped at Cupcakeland Bakery to pick up a few cuppies. The place was small, but very cute. Added bonus – they sell individual candles at 15 cents a pop, which saved me a trip elsewhere to get a candle.

Strawberry shortcake for the Birthday Boy! I hope your wishes come true!

Have a great weekend!

What’s your favorite not-so-good-for-you food substitute? What are your plans for el weekendo?

P.S. My giveaway ends on Monday. It involves cupcakes, so you’ll probably love it!

The post Yet Another Birthday Dinner appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

I had a great weekend in the Poconos with some great friends and it was an awesome way to ring in the new year. Unfortunately, I have zero pictures from the weekend because I’m waiting on the DSLR owners to send me all the great pictures we took. I seriously need to upgrade to a DSLR, if only those babies weren’t so pricy. My goal is to save up and purchase one before 2013. We’ll see how that goes. When and if I get those pics (I didn’t get them until April last year!) I will share because there are some great shots, especially of Munchkin.

Almost all of us rang in the New Year with a cold, so these three things were hot items this week. We stayed away from anything with real medication so it wouldn’t interact with alcohol.

We rang in the New Year, like the rest of the world, with champagne. I’m not a fan of bitter champagne, and my favorite is Fragolino, which is strawberry sparkling wine. We had three bottles for the weekend. Two were gone at the end of the night and we used the third to make mimosas on New Year’s Day with breakfast which were very yummy. If you’re not a fan of champagne, you will love this!

So with the New Year, I want to set some new goals for myself. First and foremost, I want to kick butt in school. Since I’m almost done with all the mandatory classes, I feel like school will be getting more interesting. Hopefully, this will help keep my attention and focus on getting the homework done.

Number two on my list is out regularly. I really enjoy working out, but I always seem to find an excuse not to. My goal is to work out at least 3-4 days a week. I’m also going to be keeping track of my workouts in the Workouts tab up top, if you’re interested. I’m not setting myself and food restricting goals because I like to eat and most of the time, I eat pretty well. I feel like if I workout more regularly, I’ll be able to get into pretty good shape.

Number three is to potty train Munchkin. Self-explanatory, I think.

Number four is to grow the blog. I love writing, sharing my life and reading other blogs and I hope to continue for another year.

Hope you’re having a great first Tuesday of the year!

How did you ring in the new year? What are your goals/resolutions for this year?

The post First Post of the Year appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Before we headed up into the sky, we filled up on some Chipotle. We both got burrito bowls and split some chips with guac. It’s also not a trip to Chipotle for me without an Izzie soda. I discovered the stuff the first time I ever ate at Chipotle and I always get one when I’m there. I love Chipotle and need to start a petition to bring one closer to my house. Anyone willing to sign?

The lines to get into the building were only slightly ridiculous, but that’s what we get for going during one of the busiest times of the year. If our tickets weren’t expiring on Saturday, we probably would’ve waited until after the holidays. Luckily we were able to get passed the first huge line by convincing the security guy that Tommy is an employee of the building because his company has an office there. Unfortunately, the mean lady at the next checkpoint didn’t buy our story. We also ended up taking the stairs for the last six stories because it was either a 5 minute walk up or a 30 wait to take the elevator.

There’s something about the view, that when you get up there you seem to forget how aggravated you were standing in the lines for such a long time.

It was a perfectly clear night and you could see for miles.

My house is somewhere among these lights.

We tried to take a few pictures, but when you use the flash you can’t see the view and when you can see the view, you can’t see us. But the twinkling lights are prettier than we are anyway.

I’ve been lucky enough to go up to the top of every observatory in New York and I have to say that the World Trade Center really had the best observatory and I can’t wait until the Freedom Tower opens to check out that observatory. But if you’re coming to New York in the near future and want to go up to check out the view, shell out the extra three bucks and go to the Top of the Rock. The views are pretty much the same, but the crowds are almost non-existent there compared to the Empire State Building and the observatory itself it newer and nicer, at least in my opinion.

The only thing you don’t get to see at The Top of the Rock is King Kong!

Have a great Thursday!

Where do you take visitors to your city/town?

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