Health

July 15, 2019

Summer Date Ideas for Friends, Flings, or with your Significant Other

If you’re like me, you’ll find that dating – or going out in general – is exponentially more fun during the summer. Patio season? Yes, please! When Chris and I first started dating, I so looked forward (and still do!) to the breaking of the season and the many options and opportunities that came our way so that we could spend more time together and even just be happier around each other!

In general, the winter months are hard on our minds and bodies. This makes for a great opportunity for low key date nights in with you S.O., whether that’s watching a movie and ordering in pizza or cooking a nice hearty soup together and binge watching The Office on Netflix. As the months of winter drag on, I find that the lack of variety in date night becomes hard. According to this article on the Guardian, pleasant weather improves mood, memory and creativity.

Bottom line: the ability to do more and engage more with our friends and loved ones makes people happier.

However, summer isn’t necessarily the best time for dating for everyone. It can be hard on people who are just starting out in a relationship. Sometimes, you’re unable to peel yourself away from that family reunion across the country and your S.O. can’t come along or it’s not really introduce-them-to-the-whole-family level yet. Sometimes, life or work or commitments are just more demanding in the summer months and a social life falls by the wayside. It’s good to remember that summer is a great time to keep things simple and to spend quality time with those around you. Whoever they may be.

In this blog I rounded up a few of our favorite date night ideas for you to try with your partner, a new summer fling, or a friend or family member!

For Foodies

Farmer’s Market Shopping

Hit up your local Farmer’s Market for a half day of shopping and meeting/trying out new vendors. Try a ton of local and healthy produce that you don’t always find in your local grocery store and then create a meal together when you get back home!

Outdoor Brunch or Picnics

Whip up your favourite brunch meal together and eat it outside on your home deck or pack it up and bring it to your local park for a picnic. I find that picnics are grossly overrated and that people always picture a basket full of food, but in reality, it can be kept simple and delicious! Go to your local deli for some cheeses, crackers and other charcuterie munchies then enjoy them outside!

Wine Tasting

I mean, obviously. I don’t know what’s offered in your town but look into options in local restaurants. Wine tastings are great because they basically make you into a wine expert overnight and help you know what foods pair best with your favorite merlot.

Creative Dinners

Summer is the best time to get creative with your meals. If you have a BBQ at your disposal, get creative in how you use it! Make homemade pizza dough and cook your pizzas on the BBQ for the coal-fire effect.

Food Tour

Create your own food tour! Pick 4 or 5 different restaurants near you that you wouldn’t normally try out. For us, it’s always on the boardwalk. At the first restaurant get a soup, then the next a salad, then the next share an entrée, then share a dessert at the final one! It’s a good way to get in a meal, get in some steps and enjoy time together.

To Get Active

Bike Rides to the Beach

If possible, go for a long bike ride or ride over to the beach (if you live near one) for a relaxing day and a swim. Be sure to pack bottles of water and plenty of sunblock!

Long Walks, Taking the Ferry

If you’ve been experiencing a busy season, take some time to slow your pace by taking a walk and just chatting. Take your time and wear comfortable shoes and enjoy the fresh air. Chris and I are lucky enough to live in an area that has a cute little ferry. We choose to take it just for fun!

Paddle Boarding

Get ambitious and take some time to enjoy a new (or maybe old) hobby by paddle boarding. It’s a fun, grounding and exciting activity that both you and your partner will enjoy!

To Relax

Matinee Movie & Dinner Afterwards

On those blazing hot summer days, go see that new release that you’ve been dying to check out in a nice, air-conditioned movie theater and enjoy the smaller crowds. Afterwards, hit up your favorite go-to restaurant for dinner – as long as you’re not full from the popcorn!

Drive in or Dive In

If your city or town still has a Drive In theater, take advantage of it! A quiet nice and movie from the comfort of your vehicle! Or, see if a nearby hotel pool has a Dive In night where you can watch movies from the pool!

Daycation

Okay, this is one of my favorite things to do – go to a nearby hotel and spend the day by their pool or at their spa! See what the options there are for entry and spend the day thinking that you’re somewhere else and let all of the things on both of your minds disappear…

To Adventure Together

Amusement Parks

Whether it’s Disneyland or somewhere local, check out an amusement park and see who wins the oversized teddy bear first. Or, see who gets scared on a ride first 😉 In our relationship that would be me.

Sporting Events or Concerts

Outdoor sporting events and concerts are key seeing as most people want to spend as much time outside as possible. See what MLB schedules are like near you or even soccer and football leagues. Concerts in outdoor venues are also super fun as long as you cross your fingers that it doesn’t rain.

Take a Day Trip

Maybe you just need to get out of town – literally! Road trips are a great way to reconnect with your partner (or besties) and it doesn’t need to be extravagant. Simply pick a small town in your state that you’ve never been to before and go check it out. You’ll likely find a lot of fun, quirky shops and restaurants to enjoy!

Did you try any of these? Will you? Let me know in the comments below! I hope this can spark some summer creativity and overall, happiness.

Lifestyle

May 2, 2019

Boston 2019

Boston has become a place of many memories for Chris and I. He started traveling to Boston annually, years ago, before we even met. His mom had family there, years back, so they have a strong connection to the city and every sports team that it holds. It has now become a sweet tradition of our own, and hopefully one we can enjoy with our future kids.

Boston is such a charming city, and I’m excited to share all of our favorite spots from this years’ trip!

Where we stayed

In years past, we stayed at the Lenox Hotel, which I really liked until we had a less than positive experience with their customer service last year. We had always dreamed of staying at the legendary Fairmont Copley Plaza, so this year we made it happen!

The hotel is simply beautiful and filled with history. They even have their own hotel dog, Carly the black lab, who greets guests with her sweet face. My favorite part of the hotel is the long hallway, also known as Peacock Alley, where the lighting is gorgeous and any Instagrammer meets their best photo dreams. This hallway, since 1920, is named after the debutantes of Boston that used to saunter down the hallway wearing their finest designer clothing, to attend various events and balls at the hotel.

We had a great experience here. The robes are comfortable (A MUST for vacation life), and the room service is excellent; plus they obliged us with items from the bar downstairs but off the menu (more on that later). The front desk employees are super friendly, and the rooftop gym offers some very gorgeous views of the city.

The Fairmont also houses one of my favorite bars, Oak Bar. The bar is made of copper and has a rustic yet classy feel. Their menu has a little bit of everything, but the pretzels and cheese are a MUST. We probably had a total of 5 orders over the course of our stay in Boston (including the order we requested for room service). Even if you don’t stay at the Fairmont, add this bar to your list and you’ll feel super fancy!

What we did

Lucky for us, we were in town during the infamous Boston marathon. It was such a cool event to experience. Chris is a big runner, so he really enjoyed seeing the patriotism and hearing the stories that everyone had to share, for why they were running. The bartenders and locals in Boston had their own stories about the bombing and previous marathons, so it was cool to experience a little piece of Boston history.

Chris has done pretty much everything in Boston, including many of the tours, so we kept this trip pretty low key in terms of tours or plans. One thing he had never done, however, was see the aquarium. Boston has one of the coolest aquariums I have experienced, whose layout allows everyone to see everything without being crowded or trampled.

Bonus** You can even pet stingrays and baby sharks! You better believe that we pushed our way through the sea of children to get our hands on that sea life!

We spent a little bit of time walking through the Granary Burying Ground, where Sam Adams and Paul Revere, amongst many other historical figures, are buried. Seeing the super old, sinking grave sites that have been there for centuries, certainly puts the word history into perspective.

Walking through Boston Commons is always a tradition for us. It’s such a simple activity yet so enjoyable. I love seeing the families of Boston with their children, running amongst the squirrels and ducks. I love seeing the brownstone homes on the edge of the park. Can’t say I wouldn’t snag one of those if I had the opportunity!

We always walk Newbury Street on our way to the Commons, so that we can be lured into the amazing designer stores along the way. One thing you might not know about Chris and I, is that we both have a love for retail therapy. Once we get going… watch out! Chris snagged his first leather jacket on this trip, from All Saints. I had to nudge him a little bit… we’ll see if he wears it, but it looks great! I also picked up a pair of sunglasses that I totally didn’t need, from Burberry (always coerced by my husband).

Where we ate

On to the most important part of this blog… THE FOOD.

Every year we find new gems in Boston, but we also have our staple favorites. Unfortunately, we can’t make it to every single restaurant every single trip, although we certainly try! Let me be honest though… I’m still recovering from my poor eating habits in Boston (getting older sucks)!

You heard about Oak Bar at the Fairmont Copley earlier. Don’t miss it.

Just down the street is Saltie Girl. What we didn’t know, was that there is a list here and you have to sign up earlier in the day. You can’t call, you must sign up in person. At least that’s what we were told. We got super lucky and the bartender took pity on us and let us enjoy a hot lobster roll standing up. OMG. BOMB. It’s a small, swanky, little spot that is worth the extra trouble of signing up on the list.

We headed to Stephanie’s on Newbury on marathon day. It was such a fun scene. They have a ton of seating but also a really cool bar that was playing excellent music. It was a perfect place to hang out while the streets were packed with runners. I’ve heard the brunch is really good. We had lunch- a hot lobster roll and chips to share. They had a great drink selection and we will definitely go back.

One of our favorite experiences in Boston is at Lolita’s Cocina! Seriously, I can’t say enough about this food. It is SO good. We usually order the queso and a quesadilla as appetizers, chicken, fish, and steak tacos for entree, AND the churros for dessert. Yah, we eat it up here. They also serve cotton candy on the house, after your meal.

Beantown Pub (across from Granary Burying Ground) has some history for me. I had been to Boston once in the past, prior to meeting Chris, when I was going through a lot in life. I actually ended up crying in the bathroom. Haha, long story! But being there with him now just makes me smile. I had no idea that day when I was crying in the bathroom, that I would be back, with the man of my dreams. Funny how the world works, isn’t it? We like to stop in here for a Boston beer and some traditional bar food.

Chris had asked a local many years back, for the location housing the best clam chowder. He was told Sail Loft is where it’s at! It was nearby the aquarium so it worked perfectly for lunch one day. It’s the cutest little family-owned restaurant with a slightly different spin on clam chowder. It was SO good. We met the owner who was very personable and even gave us a few life tips on his way out. I love a small town vibe to any business.

Neptune Oyster– the holy grail of restaurants in Boston. The wait is long, but the lobster rolls are available HOT (the only way I eat them) and worth it! Chris and I made it our mission to try this place during our trip because everyone talks about it. You have to put your name in at the restaurant, as they don’t take reservations. We waited about an hour, but had a few drinks across the street so it was painless. The space in the restaurant is tiny; you’re sitting next to other groups of people and it’s a bit of a tight squeeze. However, the service is pretty quick for the amount of people they’re pulling through, and the food is worth it. We tried the Neptune Johnnycake for an app and lobster rolls with fries for dinner.

Last but not least… we don’t leave Boston without a trip to Mike’s Pastry. This is a long time favorite of Chris and his family. I didn’t get any still shots of our pastries this time, but I assure you, you would have judged us.

Some other restaurants that we love and some that have been recommended to us:

Pour House (chocolate chip pancakes)

Joe’s (late night nachos)

Boston Burger Co (two words: pizza fries)

If you have been to Boston, or are from Boston, leave your Boston recommendations below!

Career

April 28, 2019

Married to Medicine (guest blog post by Chris)

Marry a Doctor, they say. It’ll be great, they say. “No thanks”, I said! As terrible as that sounds, it was actually quite the case. Having been in public safety and EMS for almost 20 years, I had my thoughts about intermingling that home and work life. Besides, those doctors, their schedules are quite possibly as bad as a firefighter’s. Who would sign up for that willingly? I guess it’s easy to think you have it all figured out, until you realize there’s far more than meets the eye with this lifestyle.

With so much school and training, doctors are certainly more academically and time constrained than the rest of us beginning our careers. The naive me wanted to believe, there’s no way I’d have any kind of a social connection to someone of the sort! Every time I brought in a patient into the emergency room from the field, those docs always seemed so bland. Not interested!! I can also vividly remember thinking, “this career I’ve chosen takes such a heavy emotional and mental toll on me, I need my significant other to be in something completely unrelated”. It’s no secret that many firefighters find their life long loves in the hospital setting or other realms of public safety, but I was determined to alter course. When I was off duty, I needed to be OFF DUTY! Oddly enough, dating endeavors showed me that I was vastly wrong. What I needed was that doc who not only understood my world, but also had that deeply nurturing soul. And well, all that education, leads for incredibly good conversation and spirited debate after all. What more could a guy ask for?!

It’s quite the learning curve going down the path of life with a doc by your side. Their struggles are heavy and often times, incomparable to anyone else around us. I often times look at my wife and think, “how the heck does she remember all that stuff?” They’re held up on society’s pedestal and the elite of the elite. I guess you can say they have no choice. Admiration doesn’t begin to describe how I feel in those reflections. Do I ever feel inferior? Certainly not. We’re all experts in our own realm, contributing to the greater good as we’ve chosen to do. But the battle of wits can get definitely get pretty intense at home sometimes! That’s just good old fashioned competitive fun, right? At least I think so.

One of my biggest complaints from the start is validated regularly though. This schedule of my Doctor Cassie can be a complete mess. I’m quite certain that her and all of her colleagues live in a constant state of exhaustion. Never quite completely rested, its a rotating schedule between early morning shifts, graveyard shifts, and everything in between, can be absolutely brutal…. for the both of us. I was introduced to Cassie’s evil alter ego pretty early on. You know, the one that’s cranky and irritable and very unforgiving. Yes, that one. A common night shift theme around the house, the alter ego just comes with the territory. Treading lightly and choosing battles becomes a highly sought after skill set. I mean, that’s even if we get a chance to see each other, that is. As the saying goes, we’re quite often “two ships passing in the night”. The quick kiss as were both coming or going, has to be held onto tightly since we sometimes only get quality hours together once or twice a week. I can’t blame that entirely on the life of a doctor, considering the fire life has me coming and going at all days and hours of the week sometimes too. Either way, we definitely pride ourselves on making it work. Those “date nights”, days on the couch together and frequent vacations are an absolute must have in the lives of two people with so much at stake professionally.

Imagine the compassion one must have to commit their lives to helping others in their greatest time of need. Saving lives, taking the pain away, or even just providing the comfort we all deeply need sometimes. My medical professional rides the emotional rollercoaster every day as she holds each patient near and dear to her heart. Their outcomes weigh on her heavily, good or bad. Consequently, they also weigh on us together. I feel her sadness, grief and happiness, and try my best to be there for her regardless of the good or bad. I consider myself fortunate for knowing those same emotions first hand in my career, but the real victory is knowing that I can be her rock of support at any given time. This duty, I don’t take lightly, nor for granted. It comes with the territory. Only time will tell how our family-to-be will navigate these same waters.

We can’t wait to have our very own little ones. You know, so we can give them names that start with “C” just like us! Or at least we talk about it often. If I’m being honest though, we constantly find ourselves trying to figure out how it will all work. You know, our schedules, emotional/mental/physical drain, finances, a family house and so on. Will we even logistically be able to pull it off? To nanny or not to nanny… THAT will be the question!! Either way, we know we have so much love to give and some smarty pants genes to pass along, so we’re determined to make it work. In the mean time, we spend our days spoiling the dog and ourselves, as to enjoy the so well deserved fruits of our labor. After all, that shiny new thing is often the reward for working so hard right? We both believe heavily in monetary therapy from time to time, which provides for some incredible fun time together. Even if that means sharing interest in the latest and greatest purse or pair of shoes. What baby wants, baby gets!!! She deserves it.

This thing we have going is quite possibly one of the most difficult experiences I’ve experienced to date. Sure marriage is an adventure filled with ups and downs, but whoever said that, most likely wasn’t aware of what it’s like to be married to medicine. The downs can be much more prevalent if you’re not ready for how taxing the profession can be. My elite smarty-pants wife is the pillar of all that is good in the world to many, but when she’s home and in my arms, she’s my fragile, tired, emotionally ambiguous inspiration. Neither of us know what the next day will bring, even when we’re forced to schedule and hour of time together, 2 weeks ahead of time. But one thing is for sure, we keep it real interesting in this house!

Comment below if you’re married to medicine! Tell us about your experiences.

Photos by Lorely Meza

Home

November 27, 2018

Building the registry of your dreams

Who doesn’t want to pick out a bunch of fun, new things that others will buy for you?! Not to mention you get to carry around that awesome scanner. It’s what I consider one of the most fun things surrounding a wedding. The registry!!

My biggest piece of advice, is to go all out! You may not get everything on your list, and that’s ok, but after the wedding you will get great deals on those products you added to your registry. Most stores offer these deals, for up to a year!

Pick 1-3 of the most desirable stores (this can include online registries) in your mind, and take a day with your beloved to go in-person (or shop from the couch) and discuss how you want to decorate and supply your home!

Chris and I chose an online registry called Zola, Williams Sonoma, and Bloomingdales.

Zola was easy, they have TONS of products to choose from, AND you can set up cash funds for various things that you want (i.e. honeymoon, yoga classes, dining out, airfare). This allows your guests to feel like they are actually a part of a gift, even though they are gifting cash. You can even write in what you plan to do with the funds. For example, under honeymoon fund, you can detail this with where you are going, what you plan to do, etc. When someone sends you a gift, you get an email and you can choose to release the gift, or return for store credit, before it even gets to your home!

Williams Sonoma was Chris’ choice. He loves the vibe in that store! We chose our pots and pans, knives, and baking utensils for this registry. You can try out the products in store, and even sample some of the food that you cook with the products! They have a ton of registry store events, so you can really take advantage of what they’re offering.

Bloomingdale’s was my choice, because they have a huge selection AND the service there is impeccable. Bloomingdales has it’s own section of the store for The Registry. They have events for couples to attend and learn about the newest and greatest products. They also provide champagne, and water for the most luxurious registry experience. Chris had a great time walking around with the scanner. He pretty much scanned everything he could… and then weeks later forgot that he scanned said things, acting confused when we got them in the mail.

We had a bit of an incident in Bloomingdale’s because of Chris’ excitement for a chip and dip set. He flipped it over, assuming the glass bowl in the center was attached to the rest of the tray. It wasn’t. It shattered on the floor and I swear you could hear a pin drop it became so quiet. They assured us that it would be cleaned up as we apologized repeatedly. As I started walking in my open toe heels, I realized that my toe was painful and as I looked down I noticed it was bleeding. I had no tissues or kleenexes (because of course I had switched to my smaller purse that morning), and proceeded to bleed on the Bloomingdale’s floor as I walked. How embarrassing!!

Chris and I were mortified and fully expected to pay for the item. The Bloomingdale’s staff simply said “it happens”, cleaned up the mess, provided alcohol swabs/bandaids, and sent us out with a parting gift! I received a follow up phone call and email from the staff asking if I was healing ok. It really was the tiniest of injuries and stopped bleeding pretty quickly after it started. We definitely laughed about it all night. Chris is still to blame for this one!

I found most of the things I wanted at Bloomingdales. They have such a vast array of choices and beautiful pieces, for many different price ranges. I wanted to add items to our registry that I wouldn’t buy for myself, so for me, that included a lot of entertaining items, for all those future dinner parties and holiday hosting!

I never used to appreciate the presentation of food, and having all the right glassware, until I graduated from residency and enjoyed having an adult-like set up. Plastic dish ware be gone! The pieces below are all part of our registry, and I can’t wait to arrange and present them at future family holidays!

Don’t forget about all the cozy home items and practical products that you’ve always wanted! That includes sheets, towels, and any fancy electronics you can think of, to make your home, a home. If you’re a traveler, don’t forget about luggage!

Last but not least ladies… don’t forget the all coveted KitchenAid Standing Mixer!!! And all its attachments… there are MANY. And trust me, I could justify all of them, but I stuck to these below.

The best part, is when the boxes start to arrive! Minus all the box breaking to fit them in our small trash can! Engaged ladies out there- make sure your registry is completed before your bridal shower! Many of the gifts you receive from your registry will be during that time.

Happy engagements and registry shopping!! Comment with your favorite registry items!

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