Essex Steam Train Half Marathon - 10 Years Later

Essex Steam Train Half Marathon

In March, I ran my first half marathon since having kids, my first half marathon in ten years. 

Ten years ago I was 27 years old, living in Utah and in amazing shape. I was running, hiking, biking, as much as I could and when you live so far from your family, you have a lot of time for the outdoors.  Ten years ago, I ran my fastest half and set my PR, the Salt Lake City half marathon. I was running against my Garmin time of 1:55:36 at 13.15 miles which was a PR for me. AFTER the race, and only after, I logged back into the race website to see it was an entirely downhill course, and my official race time was 1:59:15. It's always best to go with the race timer knowing you add a bit of distance as you wind your way through the course (the course is measured on the shortest route possible running the tangents etc).

Intro to Backcountry Skiing - Tuckerman Ravine to Sherburne Ski Trail with Inclusive Ski Touring

Birthdays feel special to me. So often we celebrate the milestones: 16, 21, 30, 40, 50 and on, but we kind of let the rest of the birthdays go on as ordinary days in between the bigger milestones. I choose to savor and celebrate all the birthdays in between. Throughout my 20s and into my 30s, I embraced my love of winter and snowy birthday month, usually celebrating in the snow. I spent many birthdays on a ski slope, my 30th birthday dog sledding in Canada, 31st birthday snowmobiling in the Adirondacks, so on, and so forth. My birthday ski celebrations were put on pause for a few years thanks to my winter pregnancies, but 2025 and my 37th birthday was the time I crossed something big off my bucket list, while using my birthday to coerce Adam into joining me. Instead of just heading west or north for a ski trip, we were headed to the backcountry to hike up a portion of Mount Washington and ski down the back country on New England's famous Sherburne Ski Trail.

Weekender's Guide - Winter in the Berkshires

There's something about a mountain town in the winter. Cozy restaurants, Adirondack chairs around a fire pit at a lodge, family-friendly ski mountains, a classic diner, and decorated Main Streets. Vermont, New York, Maine, and New Hampshire offer some of these quintessential and oh-so-nostalgic mountain towns. They do, however, come with a longer travel time and higher cost.

A solution for the coastal Connecticuters who want a more budget-friendly option that is also a little closer to home? The Berkshires. The Berkshires are a section of Western Massachusetts where the Vermont-based Green Mountains spill into the Bay State.

The largest municipalities associated with the Berkshires cultural region include Pittsfield, North Adams, Great Barrington, Williamstown, Stockbridge, Lee, and Lenox. The highlands of Massachusetts don't boast towering jagged peaks but instead, host smaller peaks ranging from about 700 to 1,200 feet. The area is home to a few different ski resorts, Butternut, Berkshire East and Jiminy Peak being the most well-known. The mountain towns on a small scale which generally means easy access, less crowded, and more affordable options.

Couples trip, girls weekend, solo exploring, a long day trip, or a weekend away with the family. If you want to explore mountain towns in the winter, the Berkshires are a great option.

Puppy Adoption Party - Piper's 2nd birthday

Piper turned two today. Our little baby girl is growing up quickly and we are trying to soak up every minute and celebrate. We decided to celebrate her second birthday at home with two of her friends from daycare and their siblings, whose parents happen to be my good friends. 

We let Ashey plan the theme of a Puppy Party. There were dog houses the kids could decorate with stickers and markers, stuffed animal dogs the kid's could "adopt". The kids could also pick coats and collars for their dogs, and Ashley had adoption certificates printed. 

I decorated a puppy themed funfetti cake and made a balloon arch. It was the perfect little party with close friends, pizza, and cake.  

Chugga Chugga TWO TWO! Whitney's Second Birthday

It's 2024 and I am wrapping up a post on Piper's Second Birthday. Looking back, I found this half finished post on Whitney's Second Birthday and figured a side by side celebration of Two was in order. For the kid's first few birthdays, we found fun theme and celebrated at the house with family and friends. For Whitney's second birthday, we celebrated his love of trains with a Chugga Chugga Two Two train themed birthday party. 

We ordered pizza, had a homemade cake, and the perfect primary colored train theme. It was simple and perfect a cozy Saturday with family at the house and our train loving two year old.