All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel
To celebrate my dad’s 75th birthday, my family stayed together on The Cape for a week at the end of August. It was a wonderful way to celebrate several birthdays in August while getting to all hang out together. I loved getting to spend time with my brother and sister and their families. Everyone had a blast!!
…
Autumn loves Minnie so much that when I found a Minnie costume that would fit actually fit her I snatched it up. Of course, I based our costumes off of her’s so Price was Mickey and I was Daisy Duck.
But first, we started our Halloween a day early as Autumn went to daycare in costume on Friday in a spider costume. She actually wears it regularly. ha!
Price and I were having a rough week so we decided to perk ourselves up by having tons of fun on Halloween.
As it is our last Halloween up here, we decided to go up to Salem to enjoy the festivities up here. Price and I had been once before for Halloween with our friends Emily and Peter and it was a lot of fun and really busy. We didn’t want to deal with the crazy crowds so we decided to go up for breakfast, enjoy the morning there, and head home before lunch.
We went to The Ugly Mug for breakfast. (thanks for thesuggestion Twitter Peeps!!) It was so good that we are already planning on our next visit there.
Minnie and Mickey!!!
After breakfast, we headed out to wander around Salem.
We first visited the Witch Trials Memorial before heading over to the adjoining Charter Street Burning Point.
I love the rich history that is scattered throughout New England. It’s incredible in Boston and the surrounding areas.
Boil Boil Toil and Trouble
Witches were everywhere!
At least this witch was a nice one!
I told Autumn to wiggle her nose like Samantha. She looked at me strange.
There is a fantastic exhibit called Stickwork at the Peabody Essex Museum that we will come back to visit in depth one day. Especially in the snow!
Also, they have another exhibit that we want to see one day so we will be back soon.
I will defiently miss Fall in New England when we move. I can’t stop taking pictures of the changing pictures so I can capture all the carious hues of greens, yellows, oranges, reds, and purples that fill the trees and sidewalks.
I mean, come on…
There was a festival for kids on the Salem Common. They had dressed up characters that Autumn loved/was scared of, games, bounce houses, and face painting.
The bounce house maze experience was greeted with so much enthusiasm (she tried to go in before it was fully set up!!) but some big kids (4 yo’s?) ventured back through and they didn’t mean to scare her but did so we had to yank her from the side and she clawed for her freedom. Poor Minnie!!
Hey dude. Thanks for settling Salem.
 
We wrapped up our Salem adventure with some more wandering around and some shopping just after 11am and headed home.
Autumn was so upset to be leaving but she was just over tired from the busy morning as the hysterics lasted a minute before she was passed out for the ride home.
Keep it up New England. You rock this time of year.
We carved our pumpkins in the afternoon after watching a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Halloween special (but of course!). Plus, I made an apple crisp and a frity flax oat bran bread. The house smelled so good from the baking and the hot cider we had warming on the stove.
Later on, Autumn and I went out for an hour for trick-o-treating. It was confusing to her but she had fun with it.
She was wiped out after it so she ended up going to bed at 6pm! Now that’s a great day!!!
Unfortunately we don’t get a lot of trick-o-treaters. It’s a nasty cycle in our neighborhood… kids don’t go here because people don’t hand out candy>>> people don’t hand out candy because kids don’t come here. This doesn’t sit well with me as I LOVE to hand out candy to kids in costumes.
I ended up calling my Dad to see what we would be getting ourselves into next year when we are down in FL with him and he had to just rub it in that he had 300 kids. OMG!!!!!
I’m thankful we had such a great day celebrating Halloween in Salem this year.Mickey, Minnie, and Daisy had a great Halloween!!!
What do they say about best laid plans?
Oh that’s right, they often get screwed up.
We had planned on going apple and pumpkin picking at Applecrest Farm with Price’s sister this past weekend. We went there last year, and had a blast, so we wanted to go again to get some more apples, pumpkins, and cider donuts.
Unfortunately, the day was much chillier than what would have been comfortable for apple picking. The temperature was okay, but the wind went right through ya! Â So we changed things up and checked out their large farm market instead
First, we bee-lined it to cider donuts stand for fresh donuts, which are my most favorite fall things ever. Autumn seemed to enjoy herself too!
Oh, hello.
Since we skipped the orchards, we got all our apples in their new Farm Market.
They were building it last year when we were visiting so it was fun to go back and see it completed. It is so charming with crates of fresh fruits and vegetables, a lot from their very own farm. As well as a selection of beer and wine, frozen prepared foods, and freshly baked goods. Rounding that all out is a healthy stocked refrigerated section, that includes fresh cider. It’s hard to find in the area, but they have raw cider, which is needed to make hard cider, so they are a great resource for home brewers.
There even is a Farm Bistro. Adorable. Timing wasn’t right for us to visit and try it out, but I’m really hoping to go back one day.
 
I love fall in New England.
We grabbed a lot of apples from our visit so I have plenty of apples to eat (Idared) and bake (Cortland) with. They cut a blue hubbard squash in half for us (to split with Catherine), which roasted up so very well! Plus, I grabbed day old cider donuts, that I used to make a bread pudding. That I then smothered with a lot of homemade apple cider caramel sauce. (recipe coming soon!)
Apples and pumpkins are still available for picking so be sure to check out Applecrest Farm this weekend!
133 Exeter Road (Rt.88)
Hampton Falls, NH 03844
603.926.3721
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Open Daily, Year-Round.
Eggs Benedict is my favorite brunch dish. I love to try it everywhere we go from greasy spoons to top rated restaurants. I love the classic version, but I also love trying other fun variations. I share my experiences and personal ratings in my Eggs Benedict Reviews in my Dining Out Section. Check them all out!
While we were visiting Price’s mom, Elaine, in Maine earlier this summer, we were on a mission to get a new grill for her house there. Since her house is on a itty bitty island it’s a decent drive into the closest town containing big box stores, like 45 minutes.
So we needed some strength to make such a journey (ha!), so we stopped for breakfast on the way at Millbrook Company in Segwick, Maine.
 
Of course, as soon as I saw an Eggs Benedict on the Specials Board, I was immediately interested. Not just you’re typical Eggs Benedict, but a Crab Benedict, and for just $12.95. It sounded like a delicious deal!
In the unassuming building on the side of Rt 15, sits Millbook Company. A breakfast and lunch place opened Wednesday- Sunday from 7.30am to 2.00pm. They have the basics, and they serve them well. When you serve a limited menu, you better do it right, and it seems like they really do with the nice crowds in there and the food we all enjoyed, from the standard breakfast favorites to the delicious specials.
 
Millbrook Company has a great bakery that creates fantastic breads, cookies, bars, sticky buns, and much, much more. They serve there delicious baked goods at the restaurant, as well as sell them at area farmer’s markets.
While I didn’t get a breakfast that had a side of toast I did get a bite from Elaine just so I could try their house made jam. I love that they pay so close attention to their products that they make their own breads and jams.
We ordered the Blueberry Buckle for Autumn, figuring it is similar to a muffin, which she enjoys. She did thoroughly enjoyed it, as did we, when we snagged bites ourselves. It was moist, rich, and packed with blueberries. I loved the crumb on top too.
I’ve had plenty of Crab Cake Eggs Benedicts before, which are always enjoyable, but I enjoyed the similar approach with just serving crab on the English muffin. It didn’t muddle things, it kept it all perfectly simple, allowing the crab to shine through.
I would have loved some bigger lumps of crab, but the crab itself was delicious and overall I appreciated that it was affordable.
The eggs were poached perfectly. I just love watching when velvety soft warm yolks start to trickle down when the eggs when cut. It blends really well with rich Hollandaise sauce.
The side of potatoes was a little bland, but I I didn’t mind that much as I do appreciate getting to season the potatoes myself as I often find they are under-salted or over-salted. The crust on the potatoes certainly made up for any deficiencies in the amount of salt used when preparing the potatoes. I love the good crust on homefries.
If you are in the area I suggest stopping by this charming small breakfast and lunch spot. The simple home-cooked meals for affordable prices make for a great place to visit. Be sure to check out the beautiful views from the pavilion too!
English Muffin– 17/20 pts
Crab– 16/20 pts
Poached Egg– 23/25 pts
Hollandaise-Â 23/25 pts
Homefries– 8/10 pts
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160 Snows Cove Road
Sedgwick, Maine 04676
207.359.8344
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This past weekend was really wonderful. Not just because it was Labor Day but because we to Tougas Family Farm in Northboro, MA.
We are moving to Florida next spring so I am determined to do as many Autumn related things here in New England. I really love the fall, but then my dreaded winter comes. So I’m soaking up every possible thing that we can do like apple picking, pumpkin picking, watching the Head of The Charles, go leaf peeping, and much, much more.
We kicked off the Autumn related activities with some apple picking. Thankfully, I found Tougas Family Farm, which also had peach and nectarine picking available. I couldn’t have asked for a better day as we were able to pick all 3 fruits.
As the farm is 45-60 minutes from Boston, we timed our departure with Autumn’s normal morning nap time. It worked out perfectly!
We arrived in great time just after it opened at 10am to get in line to purchase our box ($36 for a 1/2 bushel, approximately 20 pounds of fruit) that we would fill up with our treasures.
From there, we got in line for a short tractor pulled wagon ride to the fields. The first stop had 2 varieties of apples for picking, but everyone on a wagon opted to just go to the 2nd stop where there were apples, peaches, and nectarines available for picking.
I highly suggest some babywearing for apple picking.
It can be a lot of walking for little legs so babywearing helps you carry your kiddo while your arms are still free for picking and carrying around your box of fruit. Plus, then you don’t have to juggle with getting a stroller on and off the wagon.
We started with picking Ginger Golds which are great eating apples, as well as baking apples as they hold their shape well.
After picking some massive Ginger Golds, we headed up a few rows to get the New England Classic, the McIntosh. They are are great all around apple for eating and baking. They are great for pies and that is my #1 priority when it comes to apple picking as I love fall baking.
 
We started picking apples first as they are sturdier fruits compared to peaches and nectarines, so we filled the bottom of the box up with our apples first, to then place the peaches and nectarines on top of them.
Autumn loved picking the fruit with us. She was very delicate with them from picking them on the tree to putting them in the box. She would light up with each fruit picked.
Autumn ate plenty of fruit at the farm, but continued her attempt at eating our 1/2 bushel  for the rest of the long weekend but walking over to the box on the counter to request a ‘beach!!’. After inhaling the sweet fruit, she would come to me with the pit, then sign for ‘more’ while saying ‘mas beach!!!’.
Tougas Family Farm has both White and Yellow peaches. Yellow are my favorite but you can’t go wrong with any fruit freshly picked from the tree.
Movin’ to the country,
gonna eat a lot of peaches.
They had ladders available to help you pick fruit that is out of arms reach. We though this was really helpful, as a lot of farms we’ve been do don’t offer ladders. This way we would easily could carefully reach a lot of sun ripened fruit. Plus, there is something extra fun about climbing a ladder to get a piece of fruit.
Autumn was very proud of the fruit she picked. She carried this peach around like a baby for a long time!
After we filled our box, we headed back to the farm via wagon ride, to put the box in the car and check out the farm animals and the farm store.
A quick stop at the large playground for some swing action and then we were were off to the farm.
The goats there are very friendly as kids, and adults alike, can feed the goats pellets ($1) directly from their hands. Autumn was basically freaked out by them, so she watched them cautiously in Price’s arms.
Price made fast friends with a goat who loved being rubbed on his head and back.
I tried very hard to convince this chicken that it wanted to come home with us, but as chicken as, she was very stubborn and refused all my offers.
The pig ignored me as well.
Lastly, we stopped by the farm store for some apple cider donuts.
They also had picked fruit, jams, and prepared foods available for take out and for picnicking while at the farm.
Apple cider donuts are my Achilles heel. And it appears that they are Autumn’s as well. I guess the saying is right, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!!!” She
Such a wonderful day together!!
246 Ball Street
Northboro, MA 01532
508.393.6406
The Provincetown Fast Ferry from Boston Harbor Cruises takes just 90 minutes from the docks of Boston to Provincetown. 90 minutes of blue waters, crisp salty air, and fun!
We took the 9am ferry from Boston to P-town a few weekend’s ago. We’ve been talking about it for ages and finally managed to make it work. I’m so glad we did. The weather was beautiful in the 80’s and the skies were bright and blue.
 
I wore Autumn for most of the boat ride in our Ergo. It kept her in there so she would relax since she didn’t nap in the morning at her typical time. Plus, I knew she was safe and sound in my arms on a very crowded boat.
Once we got to P-town, we checked out the area closest to the pier where the ferry came in. Immediately falling in love with the area. Charming details, cute stores and restaurants, and happy people. It all felt so sweet.
Of course, we quickly stopped off at the beach!
There was a charming little beach just next to the long pier we walked into town on. There are beautiful beaches in the area, but we just hung around here for a few minutes so Autumn could dip her toes in the water. She loved it!
 
Autumn eventually fell asleep in her stroller as we walked all around Commercial Street checking out the stores and galleries.
There was a farmer’s market set up next to City Hall so we stopped there to relax our feet and catch some shade while Autumn napped in the stroller.
We also grabbed some Farmer Willie’s Ginger Beer. It is alcoholic so it backs a bit of a gingery and boozy punch. Sadly, it’s only available on Cape Cod, so I will have to stock up at the next chance I get.
I mean, come on, this is just so damn adorable!!!
We wanted to go to the Lobster Pot but they didn’t have a patio and we really wanted to enjoy the beautiful weather, so we headed over to the Governor Bradford Restaurant after Autumn woke up from her nap.
It worked out perfectly as Autumn loved her clam chowder. It was her first time trying it and she absolutely loved it. So cute!!
P-town is well known for its acceptance of the LGBT community. There are several events throughout the year, especially during the summer, focused on and hosted by the LGBT community. Unfortunately there were no major activities that weekend for us to watch or participate in.
Autumn’s first experience with facing painting was met with mixed reviews- she loved it but her expression of disdain was priceless. Of course I couldn’t miss another chance to see that scowl so I rushed her over to her to face painted at the vendors in town. Fortunately, she enjoyed it and, unfortunately for me, no scowl.
Damn, I love this kid so much!
Besides just walking around and enjoying the day, we had the goal of getting some ice cream. Perfectly refreshing during the summer!
We found the most adorable gelato place that had an adorable girl scooping up the gelato. She was very sweet and very generous
Oh my goodness P-Town, you’re awesome.
This guy had several outfit changes throughout the day to showcase his fabulous style while promoting a show that night. It was fun every time we saw him around town promoting a show happening later that night.
Such a sweet little Daddy’s girl!
Our time in Provincetown wrapped up when we took the 4pm ferry back to Boston. Autumn ate a quick dinner and crashed from the fun filled day. We skipped the normal bathtime routine and she went to bed with the face paint on. Ha!
I highly suggest that everyone visits Provincetown if they have the chance. So much fun!
After our wonderful morning trip to ‘The Hub’ for mussels, we had the most amazing dinner. It was a wonderful way to experience Maine all together.
Elaine set the table full of plate, bowl, platters to serve us freshly cooked corn, steamed lobsters, sauteed garlicky kale, and mussels. And, of course, wine!
Prior to cooking the lobsters, we showed them to Autumn. She was interested but still very cautious of them. Understandably!!
While the lobsters and mussels cooked, Price and Autumn did some golf in the front yard.
And then the feasting began!!
This wild child loved loved the corn on the cob, strawberries, and crackers she munched on for dinner. She didn’t try any mussels or lobster, which didn’t surprise me, but she did check them out.
She cautiously held on to the lobster tail as she examined it. She picked it up and slowly rotated it in her hands as she checked out the shell. It slipped out of her hands and almost hit her face. Oh, poor thing looked so spooked!
There were some little pearls in the mussels that Price had picked for our dinner. One guy had like 12 pearls, but the majority of the mussels were pearl free and delicious.
We cooked up the mussels with some water, wine, and plenty of garlic. A little dip back into the briny broth after we removed the meat from the shells was all you needed before slurping them back.
Sometimes you just need to give your lobster claw with a big rock to crack it up. I insist it’s a much better technique than using a cracker. Louder, but much better! ha!
Dinner was thoroughly enjoyed!!
You can’t beat fresh seafood, good drinks, and wonderful company.
The best things about our visits to Maine generally are related to just relaxing and being outside.
I can’t get enough of the soft green grasses under my feet when I walk on the lawn. Or when just how quiet it is. I love the peace of it all.
But the best to me is the smell of the robust salty air.
Every time we arrive and we are driving over the last causeway to get to the house, we open up the windows to take in big gulps of air. It is the best. It means we made it. It means vacation has begun for us.
There are so many inlets, coves, bays, and watery nooks and crannies to explore. Our favorite place is what is we call ‘The Hub’. It’s an island at high tide and a wonderful place to explore at low tide.
Price starts to track the tides before we leave for Maine so we can properly schedule our visit to the tide. It’s fun to stroll around there looking at the tiny hermit crabs, slightly larger crabs, and teeny tiny fish along the shore.
Our main mission is to get mussels that are clinging to rocks, hidden under layers of seaweed. Picked, cooked, and eaten within a few hours. Damn, they taste so good.
This year we headed over to The Hub in the morning to get the lowest of the low tide. Price was in charge of getting the mussels and I was in charge with Autumn, who loved checking out the water’s edge.
 
So much to explore!
She loved checking out the snails sunning themselves on the rocks and watch the crabs scuttle around while Dad went around back of the island to get our dinner. She climbed on rocks and jumped over puddles. It was fun watching her explore and discover.
Price found a bunch of sea stars nestled on the side of a rock as the tide lapped just under them. He carefully picked out the largest one to show us. It was just so stunning.
We hung around for it bit enjoying the smells and sights of the Maine coast before we headed back to the house to enjoy the rest of the wonderful day.
We went up to Maine for the 4th of July.
It was so much fun. It was so relaxing. It was so needed.
We  fully embraced the break from technology- no TV, no computer, spotty cell service, spotty 4G service!- allowing us to completely relax. It’s so nice to disconnect. To put the phone down and read a book or just take a walk.
Or just take in a parade!
We went to the Deer Isle 4th of July Parade that is held in Deer Isle Village. This year’s theme was Under the Sea. Super cute.
Mixed into the floats where antique and classic cars.  I loved the old trucks. A nice rustic glance into the past.
This float was created by realtors on the island. They built a lobster trap ‘house’ as lobster traps have 2 parts – the parlor and the kitchen. They merged the parade theme with their own realtor theme and I think it was a big success.
I wore my lobster tunic (Gretchen Scott Designs) to celebrate Maine, but it worked out well that it matched the parade’s Under the Sea theme too!
Autumn finally seems to be embracing hats and sunnies!
There were several times that Autumn wanted to just run out and join the parade. I had thought she would enjoy the pair of miniature ponies she just seemed a bit nervous about them. ha!
Autumn did enjoy the lemonade that Price got for us. Even the lemon!
It was a great 4th of July morning watching the parade in Deer Isle. So much fun!
I’ve been looking forward to going apple picking for a while. It’s one of my favorite fall things to do. The leaves underfoot are crunchy and colorful, I love the smell in the air, and snagging an apple off the tree is one of the best things ever. Of course, after hot Apple cider donuts.
 
This year Price, Autumn, and I headed up to Hampton Falls in New Hampeshire to meet his sister and mom to go apple picking. We picked Applecrest Farm Orchards because it was local to his sister’s house and it had great reviews.
The 101 year old Applecrest has acres and acres of Pick-Your-Own apple and peach trees, raspberry bushes, and pumpkins. As well, fields of produce ranging from tomatoes to onions, brussel sprouts to green beans, and squash to lettuces that they sell in their on site store and CSA.
Autumn was quite smitten with the big pumpkins.
We milled around the Farm Market for a bit before meeting Catherine and Elaine to go apple picking. The overflowing bins of fresh produce were so enticing but we held our horses and decided to get it later so it wouldn’t just be sitting in the hot car on the bizzarely warm fall day.
It did feel super weird to go apple picking in shorts and a tank top!!
I mean, these caulifowers… come on! So cool!!
To get to the orchards where you are able to pick apples you have to take a short ride on a tractor pulled trolley/train system. The ride was great because you are able to view all the different fields where they grow their produce that they sell.
We were greeted by super friendly staff that went over the rules of apple picking (no damaging trees, no climbing on trees, etc) and how to pick (twist, twist, pull!).
It is there where you are provided with a peck or a 1/2 bussel bag that you use for the apples. Since we were dividing this up among the 3 of us we went with a 1/2 bushel for $30. Thankfully, they accept cash and debit cards there.
Yep, she bit right into an apple as it hung on the tree.
I held her up so everyone could take a picture of her reaching and grabbing an apple, but she took it a step further and pulled it right down to her mouth. Ha! She loves apples so it was so surprise but so dang cute.
I think Autumn did a great job apple picking her 1 apple. She ate it for the rest of the time that we were there in the orchard and even on the train ride back to the main farm.
Oh damn, I love her so much.
Price dropped the apples off at the car and then we did some shopping at the Farm Market to get some produce. We picked up some purple cauliflower, carrots (with tops that we fed to Bunny!!!!!!), 3 types of squash, bussel sprouts, and a few tother things. And of course, a gallon of fresh pressed cider. All for less than $30. Not too bad!!!
Applecrest is currently under construction as they are building a restuarant, which I can’t wait to visit. I image they would serve produce from their farm and local meats and seafood from the same sellers that they sell in their Farm Market. OMG, I’m drooling just thinking about it.
The only really bummer about Applecrest is that the apple cider donuts are sold in a seperate shop from the main farm that only takes cash. As someone who doesn’t carry cash ever (really, really) I was heartbroken that I couldn’t get an inapporiate amount of donuts to binge on. Thankfully, Price’s mom, Elaine, had some cash so we did get donuts but that cash only situtaion was a killer for me.
They offer their donuts in 3 versions: plain, sugar, and cinnamon and sugar coated. Obvioiusly, you skip the plain. We got the cinnamon and sugar coated donuts which were mesy and delightful.
Considering that we hadn’t yet had lunch we passed up enjoying local ice cream from the creamery, but we did check out the flavors, which all sounds amazing. They had a apple cider donut sundae… be still my heart. Plus, they make their own waffle cones. I tell you, that smell is intoxicating.
Catherine did get a lemonade and Price got an Arnold Palmer. I skipped stealing a sip from Price since I think lemonade is ew.
It was such a wonderful time. I am going to enjoy making a pie tonight and some some crisps and breads this week from the apples we picked. I can’t wait!
And these babies were across the road from the parking lot. Beauties.
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133 Exeter Road (Rt.88)
Hampton Falls, NH 03844
603.926.3721
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Farm Market is Open Daily, May through December.
A few weeks ago Price and I packed up the car to go camping with Autumn and Kemper. Yep, camping with a 7 month old.
Our original plan was to go to Pillsbury State Park in Washington, New Hampshire early Saturday morning to stay at a specific camp site but it is one that can’t be reserved and, unfortunately, someone beat us there and was staying the weekend. So it meant for a change of plans. We sourced some books and searched online and ultimately found a spot at Sand Pond Campgrounds in Sanford, Maine.
Normally we are very organized and have everything packed up properly the night before we go away or go camping. Well, not this time. Of course. Unfortunately, one of our rabbits died that day and Price discovered it when he went down to our den to get camping stuff and feed them. So our productivity on Friday night came to a screeching halt. Instead, it was all about crying, feeling sad, saying good bye, and burying him. All of that meant we threw in the towel before we were done packing and decided to finish it in the morning.
People- don’t do that! I hate to say but we should have sucked it up and finished packing because then we would have (probably) had our act together and wouldn’t have needed to make THREE different stops the following morning. Yep, three. Sigh.
Anyway, after leaving an hour later than expected (hey, not so bad) we headed up to Sand Pond Campground in Sanford, ME. Because I can never resist an opportunity to go to Sonic, we stopped there for breakfast burritos and drinks.
While we left later than planned we still managed to arrive before 8.30am giving us plenty of time to get checked in and begin to get set up.
As we brought a baby and a dog with us, they put us in our own field. Thankfully, it was a quiet weekend and we were only 1 of 2 families tent camping. They have 2 fields for tents so they put us in our very own field, which meant we basically had 4 campsites to ourselves so we wouldn’t be disturbing others (as much) compared to being put right next to the other people. This consideration was so nice as it allowed for us to relax a bit more.
While we unpacked the car and set things up, we put Autumn on a picnic blanket. She loved it. She also loved pulling the blanket up and ripping up (and then eating- ugh) grass.
 Did your awful parents forget a bowl for you so you had to drink water out of a pot? yep.
This year we upgraded our 3 person tent to an 8 person tent. We used our 3 person tent for the past few years but with the baby and the dog we knew that we wouldn’t fit in there. I was thinking we would get a 6 person tent but Price decided to ‘go big or go home’ and picked out a Coleman Montana 8 Person Tent
.
It felt funny setting it up as it was just 2 adults, 1 infant, and a dog but we all have a lot of stuff for each of us -bags for clothes, bags for cooking stuff, my pumping bag, stuff for the dog, etc. All of that stuff takes of a lot of room, and even when they say ‘sleeps 8’ they show the people in the diagram practically touching each other so I don’t feel that bad about such a big tent for all of us in the end. The tent was pretty easy to assemble so it made for a quick set up.
I took Autumn to the pool for a bit so she could splash around and play. There were a few families there but it was pretty mellow and quiet. It was a smallish pool but there was plenty of room for adults to hang around the edge while kids played in the deep end (not deep enough for diving!). There aren’t too many umbrellas so be sure to to bring plenty of sunblock, sunglasses, and a hat for you and your family.
Price later on enjoyed some solo pool time so that he could cool off and relax a bit while I sat back at the campsite enjoying some sun while Autumn napped.
Kemper enjoyed swimming around when we were at Pillsbury State Park last year, which is part of the reason that we selected Sand Pond this year. We wanted to give him that same opportunity this year so having a place for him to swim was one of the factors involved in picking out the campgrounds.
After 1 jump from the dock that resulted in him going under the surface, even with the life jacket on, Price would lower him into the water so he could swim out to the sticks we wanted to retrieve. He definitely got spooked going under the water so I’m really glad we had a life jacket on him to make him come up quickly and to have something to grab onto to get him out of the water quickly. Once he caught his breath he was ready to go again!
After Kemper did his swimming adventure… he was exhausted!
Well, we were all tired. 🙂
Autumn loves to be outside. This little camping adventure was right up her alley.
For dinner we ate hot dogs and store bought side salads. We enjoyed the leisurely pace of the evening as we hung out and walked around with Autumn. The sunset was really pretty but the best part was that we went during the full moon. We purposefully planned that when we were planning on when we were going camping during the summer. A gorgeous big moon, camp fire, and s’mores make for the best kind of night outside under the stars. Shoot! I didn’t even mind the squeaky bats that danced and darted above our heads. Thanks for eating all those pesky bugs guys!
Throughout the camping trip I would sneak away to the car to pump. Ah, the joys of pumping! I could have brought my battery pack with me to pump in the tent but I figured I would enjoy some AC in the car so I just brought the car adapter. Plus, it always gave me a chance to charge my phone which functioned as our clock, alarm, and always at hand camera. (I did bring my big Nikon as well.)
We brought a cooler for our food and for my to store my milk. We just made sure we had plenty of ice and it was simple to keep things safely stored for all of us.
We survived the night!
Of course, right as I was putting Autumn down in the tent a bunch of fireworks went off (off camp property) so she was spooked and took longer to get down. As well, she was up more at night as it was an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar sounds and smells. Thankfully, we didn’t have any close neighbors, but we still didn’t enjoy her crying so quickly brought her onto our sleeping bags (she was on her own at the start) to snuggle. Well, she mostly just batted me in the face!
Price made us breakfast!
Autumn was fussy and I needed to pump so I ending up giving Price some morning peace and drove around with her while I pumped. Plus, I grabbed some coffee’s from Dunkin’s which is just a few miles away (Thankfully, if you forget anything while camping here you can just drive a few miles and grab what you need at the grocery store or (the dreaded)Â Wal-mart).
Price’s mom sent us this ciao! baby Portable Highchair
Price made cornbread just to try out the process. Ultimately, having a lid is key to making it cook properly. Gotta try to learn!
Hello Bacon Egg and Cheese!!!!
In the morning I took Autumn on a long walk around the campgrounds to get some exercise and kill some time while Price tidied things up around our campsite so we could pack up and get on the road early.
On our walk we kept looping around the campsite checking out everything that Sand Pond had to offer. One thing that I really enjoyed was that they have really clean, well organized facilities. There are 2 locations for restrooms and showers, one being by the pool. As most of the people there are in RV’s, which have bathrooms, the facilities were quiet and extremely clean. Even pretty of bugs as the screen doors are on closers so no one can forget the door open and fill the restrooms full of bugs!
They also have spaces for events and places for kids to play around. The playground had a jungle gym and a basketball hoop. Great for kids (even adults!) with tons of energy.
They were hosting BINGO on Saturday afternoon. I didn’t play but it was fun to walk by all the action.
They also host other events throughout the summer, for example, there was a blueberry bake off on the next weekend. Bummer to miss that!
They had a cute little beach which would be fun for Autumn to play in when she gets in older.
After the walk we broke down the tent and chucked stuff in the trunk and we were on our way home. We prefer to just get home and properly unpack/repack thing later. Like the tent was covered in dew so it would have been gross to fold up and put away in it’s case, we unpacked it, let it dry out and then packed it up later that afternoon.
Thankfully we have a car seat cover for our car since Kemper was filthy!!!This Kurgo cover is a lifesaver when it comes to keeping the car clean with Kemper.
We were all pooped when we got back. That is when you know it was a very successful camping weekend. So much fun!
So, we survived our first camping experience with Autumn and are looking forward to going again. Things will be very different next year with Autumn running around but I think it will just make it even more fun! So exciting!
Tips and Tricks for Camping at Sand Pond Campground
Tips and Tricks for Camping with an Infant
 to make this easier for meal times.____________________
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I swear I could eat Mexican food twice a week and never get bored of it. It’s just a cuisine that is so flavorful and delicious. I can’t resist the opportunity to have it. And we had been recently been talking about going out to dinner so I just knew we had to try a place that we always say ‘oh we should go there!’ every time we drive by. So we headed to The Fat Cactus- A Mexicali Cantina for a great dinner.
 
The Fat Cactus is located on Rt 1 in Lynnfield, MA
Price enjoyed both a frozen Fat Cactus Margy and a Fat Cactus Margy on the Rocks ($6.59). The Fat Cactus is their classic margarita consisting of Tequila, triple sec, sour mix, and fresh lime juice. He said that both were good but he preferred the one on the rocks much more.
I had the Prickly Pear Margy, which is their #1 best selling special ($9.95). I thought it had a great boozy kick to it as it was pretty sweet from the prickly pear juice. Because the margarita had orange juice instead of lime juice I decided to get it with sugar on the rim as I thought the sweetness would be a perfect pair. I would definitely order this margarita again.
We started with some complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were crisp and salty, which went well with the salsa that came with a kick. Typically restaurant salsa is pretty plain and mild but this was good with some bite.
The Baja Spicy Popcorn Shrimp ($8.99) sounded like a great appetizer so we ordered that. It was a great alternative to the calamari that we typically order. The shrimp were small and the perfect poppable appetizer. The shrimp’s light coating was lightly fried to a toasty brown color. The shrimp were flavorful on their own but even better when dipped into the Baja dipping sauce. The dipping sauce was creamy and really quite spicy amping up the flavor of the shrimp even more. I dipped some chips in the sauce as well since I enjoyed it so much.
For dinner I ordered the Tacos AL Pastore ($9.99). The pair of pork tacos came with a choice of rice, refried beans, or black beans. I selected therice, which was seasoned nicely and loaded with vegetables as well. The portion was rather large, and I was looking forward to dessert, so I only had 1 taco and some rice but that taco was so dang good. The pork was dang tender and flavorful. The rotisserie pork was marinated with pineapple and red Chilies, and then topped off with fresh onions, cilantro, and the same Baja sauce that was served with the Baja Spicy Popcorn Shrimp. So many layers of flavor!
Price had a Chimichanga filled with Carne Deshebrada ($12.99). Carne Deshebrada is  marinated, slow-cooked moist shredded beef. It was a perfect filling for the chimichanga, which basically is a deep fried burrito, which is then covered in queso. umm… yum! Again, the portions were generous, as the chimichanga was served with rice and a choice of refried beans or black beans, so Price saved half of his to make room for dessert as well.
We shared the Deep Fried Ice Cream dessert ($5.99). A softball sized ball of ice cream was plated before us. We dug into the ice cream which is rolled in cinnamon and sugar and then coated with crusted cornflakes. And if that wasn’t enough it was topped off with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry! It was really good but it honestly would have been a bit better if it was softer as it was rock hard, but I suppose it’s tricky frying ice cream.
 
We are already looking forward to our next visit to The Fat Cactus. They have great deals during the wee, like on Monday any Burrito or Chimichanga is just $5! As well they post specials on their Facebook page.
215 Broadway
Lynnfield, MA 01940
781.592.0077
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