Happy Turkey Day!

I hope everyone out there in bloggy-land is able to take time today to enjoy loving family, delicious food, and good drink.

If you are traveling, take it slow and get there safely!

The little stuff...

When I am exploring somewhere new, one of my favorite things to do is to find Main Street.  I love to meander down a bustling street that flanked by bakeries with fogged up windows from fresh bread, eclectic shops that display their wares on the sidewalk to entice you inside, and pubs with open-air fronts that allow the boisterous laughter of their best customers to spill out onto the street.

Why do I love this so much?  Because it is small.  It reminds me of what downtown areas probably were like decades ago.  I enjoy seeing things that you will never see at your standard grocery store, mega mall or Target.  And of course, it is really great to know that my business has supported the little guy.

So, why am I telling you about this now?  Well, as most people know, Black Friday is coming up.  A day to sprint through stores, claw your way to bargains, and stand in long lines at the register while you hold your $8 all-in-one waffle iron/coffee maker/blender.  While I admit that I do shop on Black Friday and I do shop at the mall and Target quite often, this year I want to support a different tradition.  Small Business Saturday is a day to cross some items of your holiday shopping list, find unique gifts with character, and to once again, support the little guy who isn't likely making millions of dollars, but truly has a passion for their business.

There are all kinds of small businesses to support - restaurants, liquor stores, yoga studios, dry cleaners, hair salons, and of course, etsy shops!  If you aren't familiar with etsy, it is an online marketplace for homemade and vintage items.  I used it quite a bit during my wedding planning to add special DIY details to the day that were beyond my skill level. 

Our awesome etsy wedding invites from Cricket Printing!

These days, I have my own etsy shop that combines my interest in DIY, my business-school learnin', and my love for doggies!  Check out The Muddy Paw Dog Treat Barkery!  While you are there, be sure to check out the etsy shops of awesome crafters to see if you can find any gifts for those who are on your list this year.

Until next time, shop small!
Maggie

What do forts, notebooks, and shooting stars have in common?

Well, it is almost here - Thanksgiving.  Food, family, and football.  People are already stating to get their grocery lists, dining room tables, and stretchy pants ready. Bring. It. On.

Let's not forget what the day is really about - we are supposed to take time to give thanks for the great things in our lives on this holiday.  If I wait until Thanksgiving to think this through, I will be halfway into a tryptophan-induced coma before I am able to make my list.  So, tonight, as I find a few moments of quiet and calm to myself on the couch, I'm doing just that - making my list of what I will be giving thanks for this upcoming Turkey Day.

via here

I'm thankful for the fact that my life lead me to find Mr. C.  I don't remember the exact moment that I realized that he was going to my best friend for the rest of my forever, but I've been convinced of that fact for quite a few years now.

I'm thankful for the wet-nosed, bed-hogging, crazy-shedding dog named Murphy who joined our family.  From the moment that he licked my suede shoes at the shelter we adopted him from, I knew he was ours.  He is a good sport that puts up with me showing him human love by hugging him and petting him and snuggling him and I adore him when he shows me puppy love by giving licks to the face and dropping his favorite toys at my feet.

I'm thankful for a career that has a clear purpose which in turn gives me purpose.  Like most jobs out there, I experience tough days, stressful days, frustrating days, and long days in my job, but for every one of those days, there are those rewarding moments that make all of the tough stuff worth it.

I'm thankful for my healthy body.  Health is definitely something that is tough to appreciate until it is gone.  It takes effort to remember how special it is that I have muscles and joints that move like they should, a heart that pumps like it should, and senses that let me see, hear, taste, and feel like I should.

I'm thankful for chocolate.  Thai food.  Funfetti cake.  Blanket forts.  Pretty notebooks.  The color blue.  Lucky numbers.  etsy.  Pink nail polish.  New running sneakers.  Fuzzy socks.  Yankee candles.  Shooting stars.  Bargains.  Sea glass.  Traditions.  Organization.  Country music.

What is going on your list of things to be thankful for this year?

Who needs stickers?

Both Murphy and I had doctor appointments yesterday, so as a reward for putting on our brave faces, instead of getting "We were stars at the doctor today" stickers, we decided to take a drive into the historical town of Lexington, MA.

The sun was out and the air was crisp, so I decided to put down the windows in the car.  As Murphy gets older, he is getting more and more comfortable with putting his sniffing snout out the window and taking in all of the smells that are flying by him.  Also, as he gets older and older, I'm getting somewhat better at not being such a clingy parent and can now actually allow him to reach the end of his nose out the window.

 

 

Our first stop was to pick up a special treat for me and Mr. C to enjoy for dessert later in the day.  When he and I were in Napa Valley this past summer, we found a great bakery that is known for their macarons (stay tuned for a future post all about Napa!).  Macarons, with one "o" are delicate pastries made with almond flour, not to be confused with macaroons that are made with flakes of coconut. 

Needless to say, we really enjoyed these special treats in Napa, but with the exception of small bakeries that are nestled in large cities, it can be pretty hard to find these tasty, crispy, melty macarons.  About 6 months ago, I found Macron Sweeterie, located on Mass Ave in Lexington. 

This small boutique cafe features macrons, gelato, and coffee.  Before you even taste these little treasures, you eyes are dazzled by the colorful hues of both the cookies and their fillings.  I thought the fig and honey lavender macarons looked the most beautiful in the case, but my taste buds were drawn to the Nutella, salted caramel, almond, and dark chocolate macarons.

Next up on our list of fun places to visit was Wilson Farm.  I love stopping here, especially in the fall months.  Here, you can purchase every kind of fresh fruit, veggie, cheese and bread that you can want in addition to flowers, plants, and pumpkins.  The best reason to visit Wilson's Farm though?  On the weekends, they make fresh apple cider donuts outside and you can smell the deliciousness all the way from the parking lot. 

For just 50 cents, you can watch dough be dropped into hot, sizzling oil which puffs up the batter into a perfect ring.  Soon, it travels on a conveyor belt that slowly inches the golden dough closer and closer and closer to the brink of being tossed into a giant bowl of cinnamon sugar.  Before you know it, that freshly-made apple cider donut is picked up in a small sheet of parchment paper and is in your hot little hands (no, seriously, the donuts are still really, really hot!).  Talk about heaven.

So, the macrons are already gone and the donuts will be following suit really soon.  Do you have special treats that you have found at shops around town?

Until next time, travel on...
Maggie

Falling Back

What are you going to do with your extra hour of time this weekend as we "fall back" for daylight savings?  If you are anything like my friend Stephanie, you will probably be using it to work on some project in your house or for some craftiness as you turn something that was outdated and old into something fresh and fun. 

Stephanie's blog, Sandpaper and Glue, features the projects that keep her and her fiance Matt busy as they continue to settle into their first home that they purchased last year.  I always read along loving all of the ideas she comes up with and being secretly super jealous of her mad skills!

Another reason that I like to follow her blog and another reason that I am proud to call her a friend - I love seeing updates about her dog Dutch who was rescued through the Lucky Lab Rescue last year!  Look at those ears!

Stephanie is hosting a fun giveaway on her blog through this Monday.  Want to know what the prize is going to be and where it is coming from?  Well, I've got the answer for you!  I recently opened my etsy shop, The Muddy Paw, which features healthy and homemade treats for pups.  I really enjoy making special dog bones and treats for my dog Murphy and realized that I could take it a step further by starting my own little business venture.  Check out my shop and let me know what you think!

Also, when you read Stephanie's post about the giveaway, you can learn about how your purchase of Muddy Paw treats can actually help other dogs at Lucky Lab Rescue who have not yet found their forever families, but are certainly in the best hands possible until then.

Want your shot at winning some treats for your four-legged friend?  Find out how to enter Stephanie's giveaway here!

Until next time, travel on...
Maggie

On a summer must-do list...

Every summer, I make a list of must-do's for the span of June, July, and August.  Towards the end of this summer, Mr. C and I decided to take a drive on a Saturday afternoon on back roads to see where we would end up.  After driving through many centers of small towns and driving down narrow roads that were hidden beneath leafy overhead canopies, we arrived to Nashoba Valley Winery.  On this balmy August day, we just stumbled on this spot, but it was in fact one of the last remaining items on my summer 2012 must-do list!

We found a place to park in the big gravel lot and strolled past the apple trees that would soon be covered in crisp fall fruit and past the small pond filled with tadpoles before getting to the main house on the property.

As I mentioned, we were visiting on a particularly warm day, so the beer tasting bar actually called our names right off the bat.  We shared a set of samples and tried a light, seasonal summer ale, a frothy, dark ale, and a hard cider made from native apples. 

I made a few of the selections and Mr. C made a few as well. Spending an afternoon at a winery probably isn't considered the most "manly" of activities, that is, until you hear that he ordered the BBQ brew.  I gave this a try - I mean, hey, we were there to sample and try new things, but let me tell you - this was a big mistake!  This tasted like I licked the bottom of a meat smoker and washed it down with some used wood chips.  Bleck.  Not your best work, Nashoba, not your best.

After recovering from the smoky beer, we moved from the beer tasting bar to a room in the back of the building for wine tasting.  This room was pretty packed and we had to nestle our way into a space at the bar between bus tour groups and rowdy bachelorettes.  Nashoba makes both traditional grape wines, but also quite a few wines from other fruits like blueberries, apples, and raspberries.

We again enjoyed sharing a tasting flight between the two of us - we were after all driving ourselves home.  We made our way through the dry and sweet whites, then the reds, and found that we had one remaining sample. 

We both thought that trying the Oak-Aged Apple Brandy would be a good last selection.  The bartender smirked a bit as he poured the small splash of brandy into our sampling glass and I now know what that smirk meant.  "Good luck you crazy kids, prepare to feel like your lungs, throat, stomach, and face are on fire on this hot August day in this packed, sticky room filled with too many people."  Yipes - I'm pretty sure we both hacked a little bit after taking little sips of this brandy.  I think that if I ever want to give brandy another shot, it will have to wait until the winter rolls into New England, which shouldn't be long now.

We enjoyed our afternoon adventure together and I'm glad we were able to check this item off my summer to do list!

Until next time, travel on...
Maggie