new england ice cream stands

Despite the snow still on the ground here in New England, our favorite nearby ice cream stand is open and serving out stacked cones of ice cream.


Something we love about living here in New England are all the quint little homemade ice cream stands that dot the towns here. They're everywhere. And super yummy!

Kimball Farm
400 Littleton Rd. Westford, MA
1543 Lunenburg Rd. Lancaster, MA
343 Bedford Rd. Carlisle, MA
158 Turnpike Rd. Jaffrey, NH

Sully's Ice Cream Stand
55 Graniteville Rd. Chelmsford, MA

Hudson Creamery
418 Main St. Hudson, MA

The Happy Chocolatier
509 Nagog Park Acton, MA

Sullivan Farms Homemade Ice Cream
176 Middlesex Rd. Tyngsborough, MA

Parlee Farms
95 Farwell Rd. Tyngsborough, MA

Davidian Bros. Deli & Farm
500 Church St. Northborough, MA

Trombetta's Farm
655 Farm Rd. Marlborough, MA

Slopeside Bar & Grill

1000 Main St. Shewsbury, MA

Of course, there's more out. If you have a favorite, pass it on and I'll add it to the list. Because everyone should access to good ice cream.

vacation

Hi Friends,

I'm on vacation this week with my family.

Before we leave, I'm hosting a double birthday pool party for my daughter and her cute friend. (Can you say twice the fun, half the work!) The girls requested this ice cream cake.

Then we're off to play in the pretty White Mountains. Handyman was just up a few weeks ago hiking Mt Adams and Mt Washington. I'll be back next week.

White Mountains, image source

In the meantime, you can stay in touch with me through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Have a good week,

camping {with kids}

Last summer, I took off a few day to take my kiddos camping. Unfortunately, Handyman had to work. I've never gone camping without him before, and our last trip was cut short by an unhappy camper -this little guy-so even though we went with friends, I was still a little bit nervous.

don't be scared, go camping!

camping with kids: easy meals and activities

six with a hook

While we had family in town this week, we went to Bearskin Neck for a little sightseeing and lunch. There were so many cute shops. I came across this darling little shop. I wanted to take some photos, but after asking in my nicest voice, the answer was no. (I always like to ask first -photography etiquette?) Her response was something like photos of her shop showing up on blogs. Hmmm. What's so terrible about that? But I did snap a photo of her shop sign. And although I can't share the cuteness of her store, I can show you what I did pick up for my family room.

pick your own

Summer is all about vacations, lazy days, lounging by the pool, sleeping in, bike riding, baseball games, and eating fresh fruit.

All of these activities make an appearance on our annual summer list. Since{for a time period} we used to move every summer, it was handy to know where to pick fresh fruit no matter where we lived. (It's also great if you will be visiting family or friends in a different area and get a hankering for nature's local goodies!)

visit boston

One of my favorite things about moving to New England has been getting to know the charming city of Boston. And since Wednesday was the 4th, it reminded me of all the fun things to do in the city.

NEWBURY STREET
Just a few blocks from the Marriott hotel, a Newbury St is a thriving vibrant downtown shopping and dining district.

COPLEY PLACE MALL AND SHOPS AT THE PRUDENTIAL
If you don't want to go outside to shop or dine, you'll love the 200 shops and restaurants connected via the Copley Place Mall and Shops at the Prudential Center.

BOSTON DUCK TOURS
Climb aboard a Boston duck Tour, a WWiii style amphibious landing vehicle shows you Boston by land and river. The comedic drivers really make this relaxing tour worth the ticket price.

COPLEY SQUARE
Copley Square s surrounded by magnificent buildings including the Trinity Church, Boston Public Library and John Hancock buildings.

FENWAY PARK
Celebrating its 100 Anniversary in 2012, this historic ballpark should not be missed. Take a tour to see where the Babe pitched, the Kid hit, Yaz dazzled and the Red Sox Nation roars.

FREEDOM TRAIL
Walk the 2.5 mile Freedom Trail and follow the American Revolution through 16 nationally significant historic sites.


SYMPHONY HALL
Go behind the scenes and see America's premier concert hall and where distinguished musicians come from all over the world to play.

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
The MFA is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world, with a collection of over 450,000 works of art.

BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN
Established in 1837 as the first public botanical garden, this beautiful park still features rich and unusual plants and a lagoon where the famous Swan Boats have been operating for more than 130 years. Plus, on any given day you can stop at any number of vendors for hot roasted nuts and hear live music.

happy fourth!

With today being the Fourth of July, I can't think of a better place to celebrate than Boston!

With the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra conducted by Keith Lockhart at the Hatch Shell, a performance by Jennifer Hudson, and the finale fireworks display over the Charles River, it really is a spectacular event. Well worth hanging out with half a million other people and taking an overcrowed train home.

We went a few years back when Neil Diamond performed. Here's some photos. . .

source

The Hatch Shell is all decked out for the event.

source
Get ready to cover your ears when the fighter jets do a fly by. It was seriously the LOUDEST noise I have ever heard!

source

And of course, Neil Diamond HAD to sing Sweet Caroline, a bottom of the 8th inning Fenway tradition.

What's your favorite 4th of July location?

favorite souvenirs

We recently traveled to Costa Rica and brought back some fun little souvenirs to remember our trip. Since we left our little ones at home, it was important that we bring back a few goodies for them.

At a small strip of shops along the beach, I came across the fun little musical frog. If you remove the stick from his mouth and run it along the bumps on his back, he creates an authentic sounding croak. My kids love it, and have already rubbed all the paint off the top of the bumps from so much use.

When I'm shopping for souvenirs, I try to select pieces that:
1) fit in my suitcase (or are worth shipping)
2) remind me of a specific part of my trip
3) will complement or enhance an existing space in my home

The iguana puzzle is representative of this sunbathing iguana we observed sunbathing on the roof every morning. This wooden iguana also houses a small, secret stashing spot.

A few years back I started collecting nativities. Through my own travels and those of close family members, I now have a small collection of international nativities. I'm fascinated by the different interpretations of the same event.

Since I know my children love to rearrange them, I selected two nativities that will tolerate their sometimes clumsy little hands. The brightly colored one is made of wood and can withstand lots of Christmas-time rearranging.

Photographs of where we stayed, posted here.

What criteria do you use when selecting souvenirs?

Linked to CentsationalGirl

costa rican villa

Last month we left the little ones behind and slipped away for a little adults-only vacation with Handyman's family. We flew down to sunny and warm Costa Rica.

The country is just beautiful. And house we stayed in was equally beautiful, situated right near one of Costa Rica's National Parks. As a longtime real estate lover, I was in pure house heaven.

Check it out. . .

Pool & Outdoor Patio

This where we would sit and watch the monkeys hop and swing from tree branch to tree branch.

Upper veranda with outlooking view

Gourmet kitchen and bar seating

The fully equipped kitchen included this high-end Viking range.

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

Master Bath

You can see more photos and get more information here.

fun for all

It's the weekend, and there's nothing better than having a little bit of time to spend with your favorite people.

But instead of doing the same old-same old with your loved ones, why don't you branch out and see what's new.

One site I like to check out is Boston Central. Our all-time favorite activities going on right now are the Swan Boat Rides, not to be missed.

But no worries if you're not local. Both City Search and Grandparents.com let you search by city.

Any great weekend plans?

this week

I'm off to sunny Costa Rica this week for a little vacay.

I've never been, so it should be lots of fun!

But, I have plans to update, so keeping checking in.

Up this week:

a partial shower reveal

the increasingly trendy pouf

and a family room update

What fun things do you have planned? Any great weekend projects complete?