An easy day trip -Ogunquit is beautiful in the summer
Summer 2021 is just flying by. With COVID still here, the weather not so great and with kids work schedule – all combined makes for a…..not the best time to travel. We still got a few day trips in and we still have a couple weeks left for beach trips and fun, local dinners and spending time together before the start of the school year. Of course my annual cape cod trip was an adventure and for the second year in a row it was a July 4th family style celebration in South Yarmouth. Any exciting last minute summer plans?
Well, I am glad that 2020 has gone but whoa, what a start to the new year! I am hopeful to get the vaccine and hope that it will put an end to this horrible virus. Travel plans, visits with family and friends, and gatherings have been postponed long enough. I am looking forward to hugging friends and family and of course travel. Whether it be day trips, weekends away, or week-long vacations….bring it on!
My love of travel continues even though it was shut down for 2020. Trendymommies.com will continue to bring travel recommendations and of course fun product reviews – my love of all fun products – all things beauty, food, pet and lifestyle products continue! Tell me some good news and what plans you have in store for 2021!
My pup certainly thought 2020 was great as we were home all the time! She really is a bright light during the darkest of days of 2020. She loves to be wrapped up like a burrito and, of course, loves to snuggle. She also loves a good day trip as well so I will be on the lookout for destinations that are dog friendly! Here’s to a hopeful, healthy, travel-filled and fun 2021!
As Massachusetts starts to open up traveling can be tricky. So far this summer we have taken day trips to Maine, a two week stay at the cape and an overnight for the 4th of July holiday. Here are some recommendations to make the transition to travel during this difficult time.
Know the property policy. Most resorts in Mass and New England you have to wear a face covering in the public areas of the hotel. Please do wear a mask! Mass numbers are down so that is a good thing!
Travel locally so you don’t have to quarantine. We in Massachusetts have so many nice destinations to choose from.
Bring your wipes and alcohol. While most resorts now do not offer room service and cleaning services, it is still a good idea to wipe down surfaces, door handles and wash your hands when you do go back to your room from the beach or from an outing.
It’s been a tough March and April as most families are hunkering down and staying at home due to the coronavirus. It is especially hard for parents that are working from home and having to make sure their younger kids are doing their school work and homework virtually. Both my girls are doing school work virtually and both my husband and are were already working from home. Trying to get family time in is tough as they are teenagers! Here are a few suggestions for activities if you have older kids and some of these we have done! I do like to get fresh air every once in a while with no one around so here are my top suggestions for social distancing activities.
Exercise – take a stroll in your neighborhood, on a path (while social distancing of course) or check out YouTube for a fun barre class. Every day I am trying to do something active and trying to get my girls to join in!
We try to do movie night as a family – we went back to some oldies the other night – Big, Clueless, Thelma and Louise – make popcorn and add some candies for a fun night.
Game night – while I’d like to say we do this, we tried it once – but those with younger kids can certainly have a blast with many board games.
Drive through fun – it was my birthday the other day and while you should stay at home, ordering out is one way to support local businesses. Amazingly we have only ordered out about 4 times during the months of March and April! Girls now would like to go to the drive through at Chick-fil-A. You all stay in the car and have a fun ride.
Driving around your town – My husband can’t sit still and likes to get in his car and just drive around. No problem there as he is not seeing anyone. Once his friend made him some ribs and they left it in their mailbox for him to pick up. In fact if you are running out of dinner ideas do a meal swap with one close family that you know and know that you will like what they make.
Finally, cleaning, organizing their spaces – My girls did this the first few days we were on the stay at home order. Every closet is organized and clothes have been donated. Our house is pretty clean for four people at home all the time!
Stay safe, enjoy the together time and we will get through this!
I cannot believe it is the end of January. With our holiday trip over and having just come back from Miami I am craving warm weather. I have never been to Miami in January and it was 80 degrees every day which was so nice. It looks like we will have a staycation this February school vacation week. Well, maybe we will plan a night or two away. April school vacation week is the same as sports will occupy most of that week as well as drivers ed! Wow…how did that happen? Anyway our goal is to travel more this year…..yes, I say that every year but it is a good goal to strive for right? On my list of course is London, Paris and Italy but also South Carolina, California and maybe Bermuda too. As for the staycations for school vacation week we love our day trips to Boston and Maine and NYC is a quick overnight so think about those locations if you are planning a staycation. Enjoy this lovely cold weather we are having and dream about spring temperatures!
Scenes from the beach in Miami
View from the Delano spa
Pool time at the Delano Hotel Miami
Even when it’s cloudy in Miami we are still at the beach
I cannot believe it is the end of January. With our holiday trip over and having just come back from Miami I am craving warm weather. I have never been to Miami in January and it was 80 degrees every day which was so nice. It looks like we will have a staycation this February school vacation week. Well, maybe we will plan a night or two away. April school vacation week is the same as sports will occupy most of that week as well as drivers ed! Wow…how did that happen? Anyway our goal is to travel more this year…..yes, I say that every year but it is a good goal to strive for right? On my list of course is London, Paris and Italy but also South Carolina, California and maybe Bermuda too. As for the staycations for school vacation week we love our day trips to Boston and Maine and NYC is a quick overnight so think about those locations if you are planning a staycation. Enjoy this lovely cold weather we are having and dream about spring temperatures!
Scenes from the beach in Miami
View from the Delano spa
Pool time at the Delano Hotel Miami
Even when it’s cloudy in Miami we are still at the beach
This year I was prepared and got everything ready for Christmas the weekend before so we could travel to Canada for a quick get-a-way. Our destination was the lovely Quebec City and what a beautiful, magical city. The Fairmont Frontenac offered me a discount to stay at their hotel and of course I said yes. This magical castle located on Cap Diamant overlooking the majestic St. Lawrence River is the place to stay.
It is a castle and it is magnificent! The lobby was decorated for the holiday season and had about 20 Christmas trees all decorated I believe from local companies. A cute dog greets you when you check in. The hotel is very dog friendly and you can pay a bit extra to have your pup stay with you. Daphnie is their St. Pierre breed (a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and Lanernese) and the story is she was trained to be a guide dog by the Mira Foundation. But because of her amazing social skills she is now the Canine Ambassador at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac!
In addition to exploring the grounds of the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac we ventured out to the Quartier Petit-Champlain. This area right below the hotel with adorable shops and restaurants is a must to visit. With the holiday lights and Christmas trees with snow it was like being in a snow globe! We were also able to experience the German Christmas Market. Beautiful decorations, tasty treats, choral singers – all around a magical time! The toboggan slide at the Frontenac is a must ride! It is open Mid-December to March and what a rush and fantastic views of the Frontenac and the River. I read that it can be as fast as 40 miles an hour! This is one activity that you have to experience! In addition, we took a ride and went dog sledding! This was the best experience. We went to Aventures nord-Bec Stoneham. The whole experience was a dream! First you learn how to maneuver the sled (yourself!) Then a guide takes you on a ride in the forest with your dogs. Each sled is for two people so you get a chance to ride and then steer the sled – it was a magical experience. We also got a chance to visit with the puppies after. They also served hot chocolate and cookies to us. This activity is a must if you go in the winter to Quebec. We also went ice skating too – there are a few places to go and here is a link. I do believe we stopped at this place – the Plains of Abraham. There are so many outdoor activities to enjoy in Quebec in the winter.
I would highly recommend a winter trip to Quebec and to stay at the Fairmont Frontenac! We loved it!
Disclosure: The Frontenac offered me a discount on the room and complementary breakfast. As always all opinions in this blog post are my own.
Me driving the sled during our dog sledding adventure
This year I was prepared and got everything ready for Christmas the weekend before so we could travel to Canada for a quick get-a-way. Our destination was the lovely Quebec City and what a beautiful, magical city. The Fairmont Frontenac offered me a discount to stay at their hotel and of course I said yes. This magical castle located on Cap Diamant overlooking the majestic St. Lawrence River is the place to stay.
It is a castle and it is magnificent! The lobby was decorated for the holiday season and had about 20 Christmas trees all decorated I believe from local companies. A cute dog greets you when you check in. The hotel is very dog friendly and you can pay a bit extra to have your pup stay with you. Daphnie is their St. Pierre breed (a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and Lanernese) and the story is she was trained to be a guide dog by the Mira Foundation. But because of her amazing social skills she is now the Canine Ambassador at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac!
In addition to exploring the grounds of the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac we ventured out to the Quartier Petit-Champlain. This area right below the hotel with adorable shops and restaurants is a must to visit. With the holiday lights and Christmas trees with snow it was like being in a snow globe! We were also able to experience the German Christmas Market. Beautiful decorations, tasty treats, choral singers – all around a magical time! The toboggan slide at the Frontenac is a must ride! It is open Mid-December to March and what a rush and fantastic views of the Frontenac and the River. I read that it can be as fast as 40 miles an hour! This is one activity that you have to experience! In addition, we took a ride and went dog sledding! This was the best experience. We went to Aventures nord-Bec Stoneham. The whole experience was a dream! First you learn how to maneuver the sled (yourself!) Then a guide takes you on a ride in the forest with your dogs. Each sled is for two people so you get a chance to ride and then steer the sled – it was a magical experience. We also got a chance to visit with the puppies after. They also served hot chocolate and cookies to us. This activity is a must if you go in the winter to Quebec. We also went ice skating too – there are a few places to go and here is a link. I do believe we stopped at this place – the Plains of Abraham. There are so many outdoor activities to enjoy in Quebec in the winter.
I would highly recommend a winter trip to Quebec and to stay at the Fairmont Frontenac! We loved it!
Disclosure: The Frontenac offered me a discount on the room and complementary breakfast. As always all opinions in this blog post are my own.
Me driving the sled during our dog sledding adventure
Hope it was a great Thanksgiving! Now as we head into December it’s craziness time. If you have travel plans or want to pamper yourself check out the latest products from Ona New York. Ona sent me the airplane mode intense hydration gel mask and the all eyes on me eye gels to test out. Soothing, cooling and super hydrating these masks make the perfect stocking stuffer gift. They are great to have on hand if you are heading out on an airplane this holiday season as well. The eye gels stay in place and help to reduce puffiness – perfect before you put on make-up to head out to that holiday party. The airplane mode intense hydration gel mask has hyaluronic acid and chamomile in it and is very soothing. It helps repair dehydrated, tired skin and perfect for a long flight or if you need a quick hydration to tired skin this holiday season. Check out their full product line here.
Disclosure: The company sent me the masks to test out and review. As always all opinions are my own in this blog post.
Hope it was a great Thanksgiving! Now as we head into December it’s craziness time. If you have travel plans or want to pamper yourself check out the latest products from Ona New York. Ona sent me the airplane mode intense hydration gel mask and the all eyes on me eye gels to test out. Soothing, cooling and super hydrating these masks make the perfect stocking stuffer gift. They are great to have on hand if you are heading out on an airplane this holiday season as well. The eye gels stay in place and help to reduce puffiness – perfect before you put on make-up to head out to that holiday party. The airplane mode intense hydration gel mask has hyaluronic acid and chamomile in it and is very soothing. It helps repair dehydrated, tired skin and perfect for a long flight or if you need a quick hydration to tired skin this holiday season. Check out their full product line here.
Disclosure: The company sent me the masks to test out and review. As always all opinions are my own in this blog post.
