Weekend Sunshine: Sunday River Edition

Hi Friends! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! Mine was filled with friends, a zillion laughs, crisp Maine air, booze, delicious food, a Patriots win, outdoor activities, and as always... a little movement! These types of trips are always my favorite. There is nothing better than time away from the hustle & bustle filled with relaxation in a state that has recently become one of my favorite places. I seem to always leave Maine with a warm heart. Here's a little recap of the weekend... sentence per picture!

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Waking up to this beautiful view every day.

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Checking out the fireworks at the top of Sunday River.

Big smiles post Pats win.

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Snowshoeing with Rob in Bethel.

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The most gorgeous snow capped trees.

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A necessary snowy selfie.

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Getting in a little movement.

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Hanover BFFLs at The Foggy Goggle.

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The significant others that I feel so lucky to call true friends. <3

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A small snippet of what the food looked like this weekend -- aka YUM.

Have a prosperous short week! xo

Friday Favs

Happy Friday! Did you all feel like this week dragged a little? That's what I keep hearing. I actually didn't feel that way because I worked last weekend and a little bit over the holiday break, so I don't think it was as much of a shock to the system! Plus, I'm off today and I love a day off on FRIDAY! 

Moving on, I'm back with the zillionth edition of Friday Favs. This is that time of year when most photos contain comfort foods and smoothie bowls, because you know... cold weather and BALANCE. I hope your weekends are filled with relaxation, laughter, fresh air, and fun! Enjoy!

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{Penny filled bar top at the new Worden Hall in Southie.}

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{Comforting pasta, aglio olio style, with julienne asparagus. Simple and delightful.}

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{Brisk day on Castle Island.}

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{Smoothie bowl made with Icelandic greek yogurt, cherries, blueberries, almond butter, pecans, coconut butter, and cinnamon.}

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{It's the weekend. Take some time to put yo' phone down!}

Β 

xo

Reflecting on 2015 & Looking Ahead

Hello my friends! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, a happy new year, and a relaxing few days or so to re-charge your batteries and gear up for the year ahead. I've been noticeably absent from fff. The holidays were wonderful and filled with family and friend gatherings. Then, post-holiday happened and for the first time in what felt like forever... (I'm talking potentially 18-24 months) I didn't feel like I had somewhere to be, a task to complete, or something to worry about. 2014 and 2015 were incredible years, but, they also threw numerous challenges in the direction of both my family and Rob's (most of which has never been discussed on this blog and never will be). This holiday season marked the first time that we were able to catch our breath and let out a bit of sigh of relief. Now, don't get me wrong, there was an abundance of incredible moments, days, and weeks in 2015. Trips, weddings, beach days, births, milestones, and career success all come to mind when I reflect on 2015. It's been awesome.

So, what's my point? We should not measure our years by good or bad moments. Every hour, day, week, and year is completely different. Certainly, we can look back at some years and be blown away by the amount of incredible times or we can look at other years that bring back painful memories. But, in the grand scheme of things, aren't most years filled with highs and lows? That is life. Exuberant highs and tough lows. That is what makes everything so exciting. My advice? Be ever present in the best moments, laugh, and be grateful. During the tough times, know that the tide will turn and life will unfold to more happy moments again.

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So, during some of the free time I've had over the last couple days, I've done a bit of reflecting and also some planning for the year ahead. Although I don't think resolutions are necessary as I believe goals should be set any time during the year, as needed; I do think the week between Christmas and the New Year provide a time to re-charge the batteries and get energized for the future. As always, I'll be living and breathing by the below quote. I also will be focusing on being smarter with my money and working with a budget. I think after I bought my condo a couple years ago, I had the "I'm good, I'm an adult" attitude and stopped caring as much about my budget. This year, I'm bringing that back into focus. Besides that, I think I'm going to work on being more chill. (Lol, it's a goal)

Last but not least, I've skipped at least 4 or 5 "Friday Favs" and "Weekend Sunshines" so, I've put together "Scenes from the Holiday Season" below. I hope you all have a fantastic week and an excellent 2016... highs, lows, and all! (note: not one photo was taken on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day -- whoops! I was being present!)


xo