A friend of mine is a mother of 16 month old twins. Naturally this means she doesn't get a lot of time for herself. On her day off we finally made plans for pedicures and lunch.
We made reservations at Bliss spa in Boston for their Food Patrol Pedicure! When making a reservation be aware of their cancellation policy (24 hour cancellation notice). I've also heard that they aren't too easy on those who arrive late either. We both fought horrible traffic into Boston (accidents everywhere), parked on the rooftop of our usual parking garage and made it inside Bliss with 2 minutes to spare. The staff were ready for us and offered us drinks (water and tea) or snacks from their buffet. We then sat in comfortable chairs and readied our feet for pampering. The water was a perfect temperature and the tub also had hot stones and rose petals in it. Our toenails were prepped, trimmed, and filed. Our cuticles were trimmed and our calluses were rubbed off. Next step in the process was a lovely warm paraffin wrap. Finally we had "flip flops" put on us and our toenails were painted. Our drinks and/or snacks were refreshed and we were given time alone to let our nails dry. Checking out was very easy and tip envelopes were available. Overall the staff were professional, friendly, and the experience was wonderful. For lunch we decided to go up the street to Davio's. We opted to sit at the bar and just have a casual lunch. We ordered the blackberry Marg and X (something) mule. Both drinks were delicious and didn't skimp on the alcohol. Our very nice bartender gave us some potato chips but once she heard that I have a dairy allergy (there's cheese on the chips) she also offered us bread. At this point I got the awesome surprise of seeing a childhood friend and her husband who was also dining at the bar. We haven't seen each other on years and it was awesome to catch up (sometimes FB isn't enough). For our meal portion we ordered the La Quercia Americano Prosciutto Pizza, Fig Jam, Arugula, Caramelized Onions, Shaved Parmigiano (sans cheese) and the Truffle fries (sans gorgonzola sauce). Obviously we weren't considering calories today lol! Everything was delicious and oh so satisfying! I definitely will return to both Bliss Spa and Davio's for more experiences!
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On Saturday we drove to Crane Beach in Ipswich, MA for a full moon hike with The Trustees of the Reservations. We pulled up to the gate right when the staff was letting people in. After a quick stop at the bathroom we met up with the group and made our way into the reservation area. Unfortunately the evening was pretty cloudy and while some used flashlights or headlamps there really wasn't a need for them. Our eyes adjusted pretty quickly and we could see just fine. We hiked through the forest area first, made our way up and down small sand dunes, and then decided to push on down a very large dune. As we started to go down the staff reminded us what goes down must come back up (we were given the choice to stay behind if necessary). Oye! We went to a lookout where we could see multiple cities and sights in the distance. Back up the dunes we went and hiked back towards the start until we deviated and headed towards the beach. Soon we could hear the ocean waves and suddenly we saw the bonfire waiting for us. After a 2 hour hike on sand in 45 degree weather the bonfire, cookies, lemonade and hot apple cider were a lovely sight! It definitely isn't an easy hike but if you are looking for friendly people, wonderful sights, and a great workout be sure to sign up for one of these outings. As an added bonus, if you are a member of the Trustees of Reservations you will receive a discount. We had a reservation at Pagu for 2 at 8:00 p.m. We arrived a little early and were going to just enjoy a drink at the bar but the hostess was able to seat us right away. We opted to sit at the chef's counter (we don't mind sitting side by side and we always love seeing the staff cooking).
To start our evening we ordered cocktails along with a few small dishes. The first dish was the oyster shooter. The shooter is a little intimidating at first but it wasn't actually too much liquid. A very refreshing start. Next was our favorite charcuterie.... Jamon Iberico de Bellota (acorn fed, 36 month aged ham). Greg loves anchovies so we ordered Pan Con Tomate with Boquerones (fresh anchovies). The Jamon was delicious as always and the portion size was generous. The anchovies were a delicious couple of bites. Our waitress came by and asked if we'd like to try a glass of Sherry (they were offering a promotion to try Sherry to anyone who ordered Jamon). We said sure we'll try it! I ended up liking the Sherry but Greg didn't. I felt it had a strong alcohol scent and yet a subtle earthy taste. Greg felt it tasted like he was licking a piece of wood lol! After a little while we ordered the rest of our meal. For drinks we opted for the Sake flight. The exciting part of our tasting was the locally made Sake (that we previously enjoyed at the Tasting Counter). Otherwise the Sake was a let down it was very basic Sake's that you can buy at any store. We chose the steak tartare, brussel sprouts, octopus, and fried rice. The steak tartare was served with potato chips and was good although it was a little on the bland side. The brussel sprouts were amazing! I usually like my brussel sprouts to have more color on them from being roasted but these were so flavorful and we both loved them. The octopus dish was surprising! On one hand the octopus was cooked perfectly and in the mojo rojo sauce it was delicious. My 2nd bite included the fresh herbs especially the mint and it was outrageously good. Savory, bright, and tender - perfect. We liked it so much we ordered a 2nd one. The fried rice was very good. The addition of Taiwanese sausage reminded us of our friends moms fried rice which is our favorite ever! At this point we knew we over ate so we skipped dessert and asked for the check. The staff thanked us for coming and we walked back to the parking garage. We both agreed that we enjoyed the meal and would return. On Saturday night we made our way over to Crane Beach in Ispswich MA. The Trustees of Reservations was hosting a Family Night Hike and viewing of the meteor shower. We arrived at the gate around 9:30 p.m. and were directed on where to park. After parking we had a few minutes wait while the beach area was being set up.
Finally we walked up the light path over to the beach. The staff provided a fire, lemonade/Iced Tea, s'mores and cookies. On a side note toasted marshmallows between Oreo Cookies (in case you didn't know Oreos are my weakness) are oh so yummy! We put our mat down a bit away from the fire and settled in. Luckily we brought sweatshirts with us as it was a bit chilly even though it was about 65 degrees. The sky above us cleared and we were able to see 2 meteors easily. About a half hour after relaxing we were enjoying the sounds of the ocean and all of the sudden we got a perfect view of a large meteor that was bright and almost an orange color which left a bright white streak afterwards. Very cool. Sadly after that the clouds continued to move in and all we were able to see was the moon trying to shine through. The evening was a success for us though. We got to see a few meteors, sit on the beach, enjoy a fire, eat toasted marshmallows, and relax to the sounds of the ocean. My sister is getting married this year and as her matron of honor I had the pleasure of throwing her and her fiance a wedding shower. My mother was a huge help to me throughout the whole process. Together her and I found the perfect venue together. With the perfect room, delicious options, and wonderful staff we were thrilled to book The Hawthorn Hotel in Salem MA.
The wedding will be taking place is Paris France later this year. On a side note stay tuned to hear about our stay in Paris including Versailles, Burgundy Region, Restaurants, Hotels, Airbnb, and the wedding venue itself! I wanted the shower to be a classic brunch but with subtle French influences. When guests entered the Grand Ballroom they could look for their names and tables on mini chalkboards. Next we asked for them to fill out advice cards with keys attached to them for our "Love Lock" Frame. For the centerpieces we found glass vases that were dipped in Gold paint. We worked with Salvy the Florist in Lynn MA to create a floral centerpiece that was soft colors and felt like it came right out of a garden. We were thrilled with the end result! For the table number cards I hand painted gold onto simple white frames. The interior was a combination of blue vintage look paper, white invitation cards, and scroll cut chalkboard paper. In addition to a traditional table setting we included two games. The first was bridal bingo and the second was he said she said. We chose the first two winners for each game and gave them boxes of French Macarons. The brunch menu consisted breads, pastries, eggs benedict, french toast, potatoes, ham, chicken and pasta, spinach salad, and mini pastries. The staff were also wonderful when dealing with food allergies. For a person with a gluten allergy they were able to make a separate Eggs Benedict with gluten free bread. For my dairy allergy they were able to make me a separate order of poached eggs. For drinks we offered our guests coffee, tea, mimosa's, bloody mary's, and non-alcoholic punch. Instead of going the traditional cake route I ordered a Croquembouche (french pastry consisting of cream puffs that have been dipped in caramel) from Caramel Patisserie in Salem MA. The Croquembouche was stunning and everyone raved about the flavors. Finally we created favors for our guests. The first item was small bunches of lavender sprays wrapped in natural colored tissue paper ties with raffia. The second item was a small gold box which held 2 Madeline cookies (that I baked including a gluten free option) and a small chocolate Eiffel Tower. I couldn't have been more thrilled with the way the day turned out. My sister and future brother in law were surprised and happy so it made everything worth it! A couple of months ago my mother in law came for a visit and we had such a fun time together. It was so great to relax and have fun with one another. During her stay we mostly spent time unwinding but we did have a couple of outings. We drove up the coastal route to Hampton Beach NH, Kittery ME, and Wells Beach ME and stopped in at Cape Neddick lighthouse. The weather however was awful! We have hardly any pictures because the minute we stepped outside the car we were caught in wind and rain. It definitely made for an interesting hair day! We decided to eat out most of our meals during her stay just so we could enjoy our time and not have to worry about cooking or cleaning. One day we stopped in at Eataly in Boston MA. We picked up a couple loaves of bread, proscuitto, salami, cheese, olives, and spreads. It made for a perfect light meal with some delicious wine. One night we went to dinner with my parents to The Hardcover in Danvers MA. The Hardcover is an old school dark wood steakhouse. This type of restaurant isn't my usual style but my NY Sirloin was perfection!! You can also check out my review of Gaslight in Lynnfield MA that we enjoyed during her stay. Another visitor we had recently was my cousin from Ohio. My cousin was in town to go to Boston's Lamb Jam but we did get to spend some time sightseeing as well. We first took a scenic route to Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester MA. The weather wasn't exactly beach weather but it was really nice to walking up the boardwalk onto the soft sand. We were able to take some pictures and catch a peek at some local surfers. We drove further up the road and parked in Rockport MA. We walked around, popped into a few shops, and my cousin purchased Greg's favorite....a baked clam to go. After sightseeing it was lunch time and we decided to try My Place by the Sea. For drinks we ordered the Lemonade Chiller. While we thoroughly enjoyed the cucumber lemonade the idea of calling it a Mocktail so that they could charge $9.00 seemed ridiculous. Our entrees were fine. My salad was deconstructed due to my allergies however I think it was actually for the best. The description was "Warm Salad of Zucchini, Summer Squash, Tomato, French Olive, Feta & Basil with Grilled Spicy Shrimp." I ended up having the feta and pesto removed. The salad was bright and filling. The morning of the Lamb Jam we went to my parents house for breakfast and then decided to go down to Newbury St in Boston. We walked around Newbury St a bit and went into Restoration Hardware to marvel at the buildings architecture.
Whenever family visits we try to take them all around New England. This time we had my grandmother, my eleven year old cousin who visits often, and my twelve year old cousin who has never traveled before.
The first day trip we took was to Rockport, MA. You can read all about that in the previous blog post. Next up was Mini Golf and Ice Cream. We ventured to Middleton, MA to visit Richardson's Ice Cream and for a round of Mini Golf. Richardson's has a large variety of flavors as well as some Dairy Free Sorbets. Our third day trip was to Taza Chocolate Factory in Somerville, MA. Taza creates Mexican style chocolates in a variety of flavors and bars. The tour takes you from start (the plants) to finish (the packaging of bars and discs). Along the way you are able to taste their chocolate discs, chocolate bars, and cocoa nibs. When the tour finishes you are able to walk around their shop. Here you will find all of their products, products from other companies that include Taza Chocolate, as well as other goods. Our fourth day trip was to Kittery, ME. We did a little outlet shopping: Crate and Barrel, Cooking supplies, Yummies Candy, etc. We then enjoyed some lunch at When Pigs Fly Pizzeria. You can read that review here. Before heading home for the day we drove up the road to Cape Neddick (Nubble lighthouse) and also were able to watch some surfers along York Beach. Below are some photos from our staycation. Stay tuned for Summer Fun Part 2. We have several family members visiting from Colorado and one of our favorite places to bring them is Rockport, MA. We started our day with a little bit of shopping. For unique and beautiful jewelry, scarves, and clothing you must stop in to Wicked Peacock. For free spirits looking for clothing, jewelry, incense, oils, and home goods visit Floating Lotus. For inexpensive dresses, purses, and jewelry sets visit Blue Lantern. For art you really can't go wrong with any of the fabulous galleries along Bearskin Neck. At lunch time we have two casual favorites. The first is for hot dogs at Top Dog of Rockport. My personal favorite is the Seeing Eye Dog with pickled vidalia onions and carrots. Our second favorite is Roy Moore Lobster Co. My favorite is the lobster roll while Greg's favorite is the baked stuffed clams. When you have a craving for sweets a must stop is for Apple Strudel at Helmuts Strudel Shop. The kids also enjoyed ice cream from Sunday's Ice Cream Shop. Sunday's also offers dairy free sorbet and dairy free Italian ice. |
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