Travel, Wine, and Dine

Catching Up + Lessons Learned

February 15, 2019 in Uncategorized by traveleatlove | 2 comments

Is this thing on?

Welcome to the latest version of my blog, traveleatlove.me. It has been a crazy six months since I last blogged, and I am excited to be back in this space, even if it’s not quite the same as it was before.

What happened to my old URL?

Funny you should ask. New motherhood and running a business have been more exhausting than I ever could have imagined, and in that exhaustion and constant go-go-go until I pass out at night, I overlooked renewing my domain name. Someone else snatched it up and now claim they’ve been in that space for a number of years, which simply isn’t true. But, I suppose finders-keepers. . .

If you have my blog linked anywhere, please update to traveleatlove.me and please spread the word. It’s beyond frustrating that someone else gets the traffic for the work that I put in all those years!

I am hoping the latest rendition of blogging for me is a space where I can still share travels, food, and my love of wine, along with occasional snippets of family stuff and motherhood and work. We plan to do our best to raise a citizen of the world, so expect to see a lot of family travel, including recaps of past trips to Ireland and New Orleans and our upcoming first trip to Puerto Rico as a family.

While the last 10 months have been extraordinarily busy, tiring, humbling, and many days extremely frustrating, I have learned some lessons worth sharing. Some might be no brainers, such as, take a maternity leave when you have a baby. As a self-employed workaholic determined to grow my business I had severe anxiety about taking time off, and instead I worked from the recovery room, really only taking the first week of baby’s life off, then going back as full speed ahead as I could with him by my side. Working from home is a huge blessing, but when there is no boundary between work and life (and some people REALLY take advantage of that) it can be a curse. If I could do it over again, I would have taken at least two months off and really just let me myself be. I read a quote recently that said “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” I gave myself some really unnecessary stress during those newborn days, and it’s had an affect on me ever since.

I really wish I could Control ALT Delete myself! I need a reboot!

If I could turn back time, I would also have gotten help with the baby right away. With my husband at a client in central MA, I spent many, many 12-14 hour days alone working, caring for a baby, and paying zero attention to anything I needed. The summer was extremely hard and a bit of a tearful blur, if I am being honest. I am glad to have that season of life behind me.

One major thing I would have also done differently is to unfollow a lot of new moms on social media. Everyone seems to have had an easier experience with X,Y, and Z than I did. . . I have found things to be HARD, in case I haven’t mentioned it. I’m not perfectly coiffed or made up, I haven’t lost most of my baby weight, I don’t feel constant bliss, and I am generally a mess a lot of the time! I basically have (not enough) time to work and take care of the baby, and that’s it.

I know that social media is a highlight reel, but to be honest, even my highlight reel feels like a mess a lot of the time lately!

Lastly, before I wrap up this post and get started writing about travel again, I would say that I have learned to start cutting out things that don’t bring me joy. I haven’t gotten into the Marie Kondo stuff, but I have realized that life is too short to keep experiences and people that bring you down, and it’s also too short to get upset over these things. As long as my family is happy and healthy and safe, we are doing okay.

If you’re still reading, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It feels like to have even taken a few minutes to write this post and to have hope for my blog coming back to the fun space it once was for me, and hopefully for you!

Rosé All Year

August 21, 2018 in wine by traveleatlove | No comments

In recent years, rosé wine has developed a major following, with the hashtag #Roséallday becoming extremely common, especially among social media savvy millennials. It’s hard NOT to love a good rosé, the ultimate summer water, but truth-be-told, we have been loving dry rosé wines year-round for as long as I have been interested in wine. Yes, it makes the perfect pool-side sip, but a great rosé also pairs well with spicy Thai or Indian food or a piping hot seafood bouillabaisse on a cold winter night.

I recently had the opportunity to sample Inspiration Rosé and UP Rosé, two beautiful wines from the home of some of the best rosé in the world, Provence (which is definitely on my travel bucket list).

While I am all about what’s inside the bottle, it doesn’t hurt to have a gorgeous exterior, and both of these wines fit that bill. They’re more part of the décor than simply being something to drink. A bit about the wines:

Inspiration Rosé ($19.99) is made by Château de Berne, a historical estate that has recently been transformed into a laid-back luxury destination with a 5-star Relais & Châteaux hotel, Michelin-starred restaurant and cooking school. As the estate’s flagship rosé, Inspiration aims to express the terroir and identity of the region. Primarily made from Grenache, it offers bright red fruits, a hint of spice and an elegant mineral finish that showcases rosé’s versatility and explains why the style is served with nearly every meal in Provence.

Provence’s youthful energy and mindset for innovation are captured in UP Rosé ($22.99) from Ultimate Provence. The estate itself features a brand new winery, hotel, pallet amphitheater for live music and movie screenings, along with a restaurant serving globally-inspired family-style dishes made with Provençal ingredients. Complex and well-structured, this dry and spicy rosé impresses with its gorgeously etched glass bottle.

I loved both of these rosés, especially the mineral notes they offered, and definitely think they are perfect for summer and beyond. . . a little bit of delicious pink wine in your glass helps to extend the best season! They truly both are food wines, both able to stand on their own but not overwhelming like many red and white wines can be.

I am excited to have Inspiration Rosé and UP Rosé available in the Boston area, including in the following stores:

Whole Foods Boston Market
Bauer Wine, 330 Newbury Street, Boston
Burton’s Liquor, Fine Wine & Craft Beer, Newton

These wines were complimentary samples. Opinions are my own.

Tags: wine

Our Rhode Island Getaway–Where We Stayed

August 14, 2018 in Travel by traveleatlove | No comments

Summer has been flying by, and true to our wishes for a summer close-to-home, we have made some beautiful family memories enjoying our surroundings in the coastal Northeast.

My husband celebrated his 40th in July, and to make it extra special, I found a house on Narragansett Bay, where we spent three nights relaxing, eating, drinking, and playing with our little one, who happens to be a huge fan of the beach. We opted to stay a little closer to Boston than actual Narragansett and found the most adorable waterfront cottage in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Prior to booking, I had no idea that Warwick is home to such beautiful views and some great restaurants. . . more on those later. Bay Breeze Cottage is where we spent most of our time, and staying here again is definitely a priority for us.

The two bedroom house was immaculate inside and equipped with everything you could ever need to feel at home. . . a full kitchen, books, games, towels, linens, beach chairs, even sweatshirts for chilly nights. The home-like nature of the house made it easy for us to have some meals in, and the views made us never want to leave.

The beach was mere steps from the house, and being on the bay meant that the water was warm and calm. We enjoyed walks and taking turns taking dips while Myles looked on. He had his toes in at one point and wasn’t impressed. We’ll work on the swimming.

Right down the street from the cottage was a park with views toward more open waters and a beautiful lighthouse. Having the park nearby gave us even more reason to just leave the car in the driveway and spend our time outside walking and taking in the views.

One of the best parts of the cottage was the sunset view, which was spectacular and changed daily. We were blessed with clear and perfect weather every day which resulted in long, stunning sunsets.

And on our last night at the cottage, fireworks dotted the skyline over the bay. We never needed to turn on the TV or open our laptops because our surroundings and some great music provided the perfect backdrop for reconnecting and making memories.

We spent so much time outside that I didn’t get many indoor photos of the cottage, but it was truly lovely. Cottage owner Jackie thought of every detail to make the cottage an ideal getaway. And since it was just over an hour from Boston, we didn’t end up tired from travel and traffic.