Guide to Fall for "Basic" New Englanders

The kids are heading back to school here in CT, the nights are pleasantly cool, NFL preseason is in full swing and labor day is just over a week away...this can only mean one thing: Fall is coming.

image credit: nerdapproved.com

Fall is a favorite season amongst New Englanders and we really feel we own the season of fall since we have a corner on the foliage market. But we all know some basics that can take their fall game a little too far on social media, and as a basic who has made some of these mistakes, I feel inclined to offer a Guide to Fall for Basic New Englanders:

DO: Get your pumpkin spice on, enjoy a Pumpkin Spice latte or two, they're delicious and you earned it.  Better yet, make it a pumpkin spice K-cup, at about 500 less calories a cup you can enjoy them with much less guilt and more frequently. Drink some pumpkin beer and bite into a pumpkin donut, there's some delicious pumpkin treats to enjoy in fall and you should take advantage. 

DO NOT: Overdo it. There are over 80 different pumpkin spice flavored treats out there and not all of them are meant to be (Popsugar ate them so you don't have to). Pumpkin spice peeps?  Too far, too far.

DO: Get outside and enjoy some foliage!  Peep those leaves, or spend half your weekend raking them if you're a homeowner with a decent sized yard like me. Better yet, invest in a good leaf blower, it's worth the time you'll save. Feel free to put up some foliage pics on all your accounts to make your non-New England friends jealous of your leaf life.
DO NOT: Rake leaves without gloves and then complain endlessly about the blisters you got...you live in New England and you knew better. Also, keep your foliage pictures to a reasonable level.  We get it, you saw some cool leaves, we see them too, we don't need 80 different instagrams from your weekend hike.  Just pick the best and roll with it.

DO: Wear flannel as much as humanly possible. Flannel is comfortable, it's practical, and it's cute! You can never have too much flannel, and if you're lucky you'll find a flannel themed fall party to attend.
DO NOT: Mistake flannel pajama pants for real pants. I know you're enthusiastic about fall and flannel, but that still doesn't make it cool to wear your pajama pants in public. Stick with flannel on top and pair it with some jeans...it's a classic look and you can't go wrong.

DO: Enjoy football season! There is no better excuse to eat deliciously unhealthy food and drink beer all afternoon in the comfort of your team apparel. You can do so from the comfort of your couch with your pets or the comfort of a bar booth with some friends, but either way get your football on.
DO NOT: Antagonize fans of other teams. You're better than that...seriously bring up deflategate one more time...you see where I'm going with this?  Every team has something negative that can be said about it and every fan has heard it before, enough already.

DO: Go apple picking, enjoy a cider donut, run through a corn maize, enjoy all your local apple orchard has to offer.
DO NOT: Spam everyone with pictures. Much like foliage, we get it, we're doing it too and you don't have to post 100 pictures from the orchard in your flannel to prove to us that you had a great time.

DO: Enjoy a local fair, get together with some friends for some good old fashioned fun while supporting your local economy.
DO NOT: Invest $40 trying to win the ring toss game so you can take home a goldfish...if you really want a goldfish that bad just spend $5 at the pet store. It's more cost effective and far less frustrating.

And there you have it, so bust our your football jerseys and your flannel because it's time to enjoy fall. 

You can never have too much food in your house

Joe and I have very different philosophies when it comes to grocery shopping: he thinks you wait until something is gone to replace it and I think you should replace something as soon as your supply is remotely low.  There are things we all know better than to run out of, toilet paper being at the top of the list, but there are plenty of other things you will always find in the Martin pantry.

At all times we have no less than 2 boxes of pasta and 2 jars of sauce, a frozen pizza, frozen chicken, no less than 4 cans of soup, no less than 8 cans of tuna, tostitos, cereal, triscuits, 2 emergency bottles of BBQ sauce, and a minimum of 10 rolls of toilet paper...you get the idea.  Am I a doomsday prepper?  No, but you never know when you're going to have dinner or cocktail guests on short notice and I like to be prepared. (We didn't even get to the liquor cabinet, but know that if you're ever in need of a drink...there will be options for you at the Martins.) Along that same vain we always have a stash of disposable utensils, cups and plates. Joe does 90% of our grocery shopping and he get's annoyed with me if I put plastic forks on the grocery list and he finds another box in there when he's putting them away.  The box in the cabinet is my emergency stash!  If we're having people over and I know about it I get a box of utensils for that party...I never dip into my cabinet supply unless we have spontaneous guests and then I need to go out and replace it immediately the next day.

Joe on the other hand, never notices something is running low until it's gone and doesn't believe in having a backup supply.  For example, I always like to have a backup box of Ziploc bags because we use them every day.  Joe went to the grocery store this morning, and then used the last Ziploc bag this afternoon because he literally just does not notice to how much of something is left until it's gone. Good thing we have tupperware containers that he could use for his sandwich and that wasn't an emergency trip to the store before his night shift, but...if you always keep a spare box and get a new stash as soon as the spare box gets opened you will never run out of anything!!  That's why as soon as we drop below 4 cans of soup, it goes on the list and I never wait for it to get to zero (and the same goes for all our other pantry staples).

Obviously this doesn't work for fresh foods like veggies and fruits and if I'm being honest we still end up at the grocery store at least 3 days a week for some fresh foods we forgot to get or ran out of.  But what Joe thinks of as hoarding groceries I think of as being prepared for guests, a storm, being too lazy to grocery shop for a couple days, ya know whatever comes along. Nothing makes me happier than a fully stocked pantry and someday Joe will be on the same page...

The Weekday Diet

My weight yo-yo's by up to five pounds every week due to a little thing I like to call the weekday diet and it goes like this: the weekends are crazy.  We never have a routine and we're never home on the weekends. We eat pizza, french fries, ice cream, you name it...and we tend to drink our weight in beer usually leading to some weekend bloat/weight gain. But weekdays are a whole different story. During the week I have a routine. I get up in the morning and have a cup of coffee while I watch the news and play with the dogs.  Joe and I both eat the exact same things for breakfast everyday, and since we don't currently have chickens/eggs, he has a bowl of cereal and I have a Kashi bar at my desk and that's it.  I don't snack throughout the day and for lunch I either have dinner leftovers or a homemade grilled chicken salad. For dinner I make something healthy pretty much every night primarily consisting of lean proteins and vegetables. During the week, we cut that weekend bloat and by Friday we're back to the weight we were the previous Friday...only to gain it back throughout the weekend and repeat the cycle all over again.

I don't know what it is about the weekend that means self-control goes straight out the window but things I would never dream of eating during the week I don't think twice about on the weekend. I would never dream of eating a Kashi bar for breakfast on a Saturday, I need either a bagel or something with bacon. For lunch...definitely not a salad.  We've got time to cook!  Let's grill up cheeseburgers...and you can't eat a cheeseburger by itself please pass the chips.  Dinner is an event, since we're always with family or a big group of friends we cook together and we make a big feast: lasagna, BBQ chicken, homemade pizzas, you name it but dinner for a crowd is generally not the most healthy and filled with carbs.

So here we are on Sunday night, I had a bagel for breakfast, tons of cheese and crackers for snacks, a buffalo chicken wrap for lunch and when Joe and I got home I fully planned to cook a healthy chicken dinner...until it was time to cook and I just wasn't feeling it. So as I write this, I have a pizza in the oven and we made plans to meet up with friends for ice cream later...because once  you've gone off the rails you might as well embrace it.  But don't worry...tomorrow it will be kashi bars and grilled chicken salad so that I have the room to pack 5 pounds back on next weekend and still fit in my pants!

Blue Apron Follow-Up

About a month ago I posted that I decided to try Blue Apron and now I am a month in and I have to say, I really love it.  The meals we've had in the last month are: stuffed peppers, Vietnamese chicken wings, summer soba salad, curry lamb burgers, chicken milanese, cod w/ miso soba noodles, steaks and potatoes, mexican chicken tortas (sandwiches), crispy catfish, pork chops, tandoori chicken, and rigatoni puttanesca. 2 out of 12 meals were vegetarian and 10 out of 12 were things I never would have cooked without Blue Apron.

The convenience of not having to plan any meals or buy the ingredients is phenomenal. I do have to say that I wish there was a 2 meal per week option instead of 3 but there isn't.  In the summertime we're gone pretty much every weekend which eliminates Friday-Sunday nights, the delivery comes anytime between 4 and 8 on Monday so sometimes it comes in time to cook it but if the Blue Apron box isn't on the porch by 6 we order something. That leaves exactly 3 nights a week we're home to cook assuming no social plans and I'm gone at least one night a week doing volunteer stuff so it's very tight to get all 3 meals made.  Sometimes I pick the one that will make the best leftovers and cook 2 meals in one night and just package the second meal for next day lunches. On the bright side, you can skip a week very easily just by logging into your account and viewing your delivery schedule and there's no limits or rules on how much you can skip so we might just go with an every other week situation. On the whole, the recipes have been awesome, the ingredients are fresh and it's a nice change from the grilled chicken salad, zucchini noodles, and homemade pizza pattern we had fallen into! 

Again, it's $60/week or $20/meal for two people which is a little more than a standard grocery trip but cheaper than a meal out and still convenient. The meals are healthy and average 600-700 calories per serving but usually I eat closer to 1/3rd of the total food and Joe eat's 2/3rds of the food which works out to about what we should each be consuming for dinner. If you are stuck in a food rut or find yourself going out to dinner more than you should, I would definitely recommend Blue Apron as a way to spice up your diet and force yourself to eat at home more. 

No longer the life of the party

Those of you who have known me for a long time know that I was a quite the party animal in college.  I thought the worst thing on the face of the Earth was staying in on a Friday or Saturday night.  I would never say no to a drinking challenge (or any challenge) and I was the loudest, craziest person at most of our parties. But, I've kind of 180'd over the last few years.

This weekend I was with a group of my college rugby friends up in NH for the weekend and it was the 7th year in a row we've all gone up to the same house and had beer olympics and lit off fireworks and drank late into the night.  But it's a lot different now than when we first started.  I can't drink like I did when I was 21, nor do I want to try anymore, so I was almost dreading beer olympics. Turns out, I wasn't the only one who was apprehensive so we substituted some of the shotgunning and chugging themed events for more casual events like cornhole where you just have a drink in your hand.

When we started this 7 years ago I would be up drinking until 3 am, nap for a few hours and then be the first one up again in the morning to go waterskiing and start back up with my drinking.  This year I was so proud of myself for staying awake past midnight on Friday night (and I made it until 2 am, I was very proud) but I was still the first person to go to sleep. When we got up the next day, we all got off to a slow start.  We spent over an hour making breakfast and then sitting around the table talking before we really got into the day.  We didn't make any morning boat runs for skiing or wakeboarding and didn't make it into the lake at all until almost noon. Beer olympics lasted for about 2 hours instead of 5 hours of competitive drinking.

Everyone has slowed down and matured a little but I think the change is most drastic in me because I was such a wild child and now I am perfectly content spending my weekend watching netflix or going to the bike path with my dogs.  I know my friends are sometimes a little disappointed in how "lame" I've become but my life has just changed so much.  I was the first one to get married and my life is just really settled now, our lives are all in really different places and we all have different goals. But one thing that hasn't changed is my love for this group of friends, and I couldn't imagine not getting together with them every year for our annual lake weekend and Friendsgiving traditions.

Sorry I was the first one asleep and I could only handle a scaled-back version of beer olympics but thanks for putting up with me and still loving me friends!  Things are only going to keep changing more over the years but it's nice to know that there are some things that will always be the same.

I'm not a regular Aunt, I'm a cool Aunt

I'm from a pretty small family, I have no cousins at all on my dad's side and only 4 cousins on my mom's side.  Growing up, my cousins lived an hour away from us but we still only saw them a handful of times a year: Christmas, Thanksgiving, and a family BBQ or two. They're my family and I love them, but we've never been very close.  I remember growing up when other kids would go on big family vacations with their cousins and family friends, I'd always get so jealous that I was stuck on vacation hanging out with just my little sister...and my big brother if I was lucky.

Joe's family is huge, he's the youngest of 6 and his mom is one of 9.  He's got more than 20 cousins and we have 11 nieces and nephews on his side of the family (2 so far on mine).  There's always a helping hand when you need it and someone's always having a party. We get together with his immediate family pretty regularly; but with 6 adults and their spouses and kids all hanging out together it can be hectic and we don't necessarily get a lot of quality time with each person.

This weekend we were lucky enough to spend 2 days and nights with just Joe's mom, his brother and his wife and their three sons down on the cape. Like I said, we see the boys a lot but rarely (never?) spend one-on-one time with them.  The energy level of a 7 year old, 4 year old, and 1 year old boy was more than I anticipated, and at times overwhelming, but we had so much fun with them.  With 5 adults and 3 kids, we had to take 2 cars everywhere but by Saturday afternoon the boys wanted to ride in our car instead of with their parents and it made me feel like we achieved "fun Aunt and Uncle" status which I loved.  We went go-karting and I figured they'd all be fighting over who got to go with Uncle Joe and who got stuck with Aunt Nicole but when the oldest said, "I want to go with Aunt Nicole!" I can't lie I was PUMPED.

As a kid I definitely had my favorite aunts and uncles, the "cool" ones...I realize now that what all my cool aunts and uncles had in common was no children of their own. They had no idea what to do with us. They didn't enforce any rules because they just didn't know what they were and they talked to us like we were adults because they didn't know any other way.  They snuck us ice cream for breakfast and took us out for fun adventures because they didn't have to deal with us all the time so they could set the bar high and maintain it one or two weekends a year.

So in 6 months we'll have to do a winter weekend adventure with the boys, and hopefully try to get in some more quality time with all the rest of our nieces and nephews as well! I'm already planning fun winter activities: sledding, snowman making, cookie baking (eating really), the CT science center, the sky's the limit!  Being the cool Aunt and Uncle is the best...gotta make sure we maintain our status :)

My last 10 Google searches

Most people are terrified of anyone seeing their Google history and finding out the weird stuff they search for.  I look for some weird stuff but not *that* weird and I'm also not embarrassed about my weird searches so I decided to share my last 10 google searches with you:

1. How much should I feed my 2 lb puppy
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TO FEED HIM! The vet says let him eat as much as he wants but if his stomach feels too full when you pick him up then cut back...I think he feels like an over-inflated balloon when I pick him up so we should cut back...but I also don't want to deprive him.  Puppy parenting is hard work.

2. Flavor Flav
In the car on the way home from dinner last night Joe said, "You know that rapper with the clock?" and I said "...Flavor Flav?" and he said, "Yeah...what's he famous for like does he have any songs I would know?" I have no idea where this thought came from but then I needed to know...according to Wikipedia he was a member of the rap group Public Enemy and invented the role of "hype man"...now you know

3. bananarepublic.con
I just fat fingered bananarepublic.com so Google turned it into a search.  25% off all online orders yesterday!  I got 2 new sweaters for fall...

4. copper stallion
Was meeeting a friend from Boston halfway between our houses for dinner (Sturbridge) and trying to find a good place.   Turned out Copper Stallion was closed for the week (I guess even restaurant owners need a vacation) so we went to a place called Bentley Pub.  I didn't have to Google that one because Joe informed me about it via text.

5. Highland park market 
This is our local grocery store, and I was trying to figure out if it opened early enough that I could stop and re-stock on my Kashi bars on the way to work.  It doesn't open until 8am...I drive past it at 7:15 so I was FORCED to stop at Dunkin for breakfast instead.

6. dog loud stomach noises
Coby's stomach was gurgling SO LOUD yesterday morning that I was worried he might explode.  He was acting perfectly normal, I took him outside and he didn't even poop but I was pretty worried about the cause of this noise (did the puppy give him worms?!) but he's fine now...I think he was just hungry.

7. ronda rousey
Really no explanation necessary necessary here...she kicks ass and I want to know all the things about her.

8. patriots lanyard
FOOTBALL SEASON IS COMING PEOPLE, I must show off my team pride at work.

9. patriots leggings
See above...but not for work, just for life.

10. captain america leggings
Fall in general is coming, I need some new fall clothes but I don't want to be a totally lame adult that buys ALL my clothes from Banana Republic (90% is fine though).

So...would you ever let anyone see your last 10 Google searches?

Puppy Cam!

When we first got Otto I toyed with the idea of setting up a puppy cam so I could watch him from work during the day.  The first few days he was so small and sleepy that he didn't care about being in his crate, he just plopped right down in bed.  But as the days have gone on he cries a little when I put him in his crate and cries if we don't let him out of his crate the second we walk in the door.  I wondered...does he cry in there all day? Does he sleep? I was reluctant to set up the camera because what if he DOES cry all day?  There's really nothing I can do about it, I have to work. I've been going home every day at lunch to feed him and let him run around for about 20 minutes but that's the most I can do for him.

This afternoon I finally caved and set up a live stream, and I'm so glad I did!  I downloaded an app called livestream to both my ipad and my iphone. I set up the ipad in filming position and set up my phone to watch it all (without broadcasting it to the entire internet).  I watched for 5 minutes from the driveway before I even left and was pleasantly surprised to see that he stopped crying the moment I walked out the door (he's just trying to manipulate me!) and slept almost the entire time.

He woke up about 20 minutes before Joe got home, perfect timing!

I also discovered he prefers to cuddle with his stuffed Armadillo over sleeping in his puppy bed and he's not drinking the water I leave for him every day he's rolling around in it and spilling it all over his pee pad! I only let myself check the video stream every 15 minutes for about a minute, because mostly he was just sleeping so it wasn't that exciting but also I can barely stay within my monthly data limits as it is. So while this will definitely not be an every day thing, I'm happy I tried it out so that I know my pup is happy and sleepy when I'm not here. Maybe next time I'll be nice enough to blast the link out to all of you so that you can enjoy some cute puppy cam action too :)

Quit Complaining!

I complain far more than I should for a happily married woman with a beautiful home and 2 perfect pups!  And it seems to me that the better off people are the more they complain; we as a society focus far more on what we don't have than what we do.

For instance, if you were to ask me how my weekend was I would say: "It sucked, I had drill." Drill isn't exactly my favorite way to spend a weekend, but it's something I volunteered for...no one made me sign up for the National Guard. It also puts a little extra money in my pocket...not a lot, a little, but hey it's something! Not to mention the fact that I spent a lot of quality time in with my dogs, had a good workout on Sunday and didn't have the "Sunday Scaries" that accompany a hangover and realization that you have accomplished nothing after a weekend of partying.

I've noticed my co-workers all have similar complaints about their weekends, "We went fishing which was great BUT...." "We went shopping and got an awesome deal on new furniture BUT..." [Insert complaint here].  It's like we're all trying to find something to complain about.  Is it because we feel guilty after everyone else complains if we say "Oh...sorry you all had crappy weekends but my weekend was great and I have no complaints."  NOBODY LIKES THAT GUY! But...no one likes Debbie Downer either.  The person that is constantly complaining about being too busy, too tired, too broke, that get's old fast.  Everyone could use more time, sleep and money but the bottom line is our lives are all a result of the choices we make...and they're pretty nice lives.

I might be tired, but I have a nice bed to sleep in (and 3 spare beds for any friends that might be in need of one).  I might wish I had more money, but I pay my bills on time every month and I own a house and a car that I love. Every day might not always be perfect, but I come home every night to a loving husband who puts back together any pieces that might have fallen apart during the day. And there are a lot of people in this world who don't have any of that.  There are over a million victims of human trafficking worldwide. There are children with no beds to sleep in and no food to eat right here in the USA.  There are people in countries around the world that go to bed in fear of the war and terrorism that has overtaken their country.

Whenever I feel the urge to complain, I'm going to remind myself of these people who have so much less than I do and who would switch places with me in an instant. I am going to feel grateful for what I have and happy about the life I live...and you should too!  I don't want to get too crazy, I am going to start small and see if I can make it an entire week...just 7 days...without making a single complaint and we'll go from there.  I'll let you know how it goes!  And you should try it too!