Mid-Atlantic Mama

My heart belongs to Rehoboth

December 7, 2017 Mid-Atlantic Mama

When I moved to the east coast from Texas, I never really understood “east coast” beaches….I never understood the smell of the salty air, the fried chicken, the fresh seafood – all mixed in with whiff of sunscreen and beer. On winter days like today when it’s dark at 430pm and I’m all bundled up in a coat and gloves, I really yearn to pile the kiddos in the car, roll the windows down over the Bay Bridge and stop at some roadside stands for some summer plums or strawberries on the way. Ahh beach life…I miss it. There’s just this feeling of leaving the beltway craziness behind when you cross the bridge. Living so close to the Delaware beaches is one of the reasons I’ll likely never leave the mid-atlantic….once you go Rehoboth, you never go back:-)

Holiday Hosting – Tips and Travails

December 14, 2017 Mid-Atlantic Mama

For the past 16 years, I have traveled over the Christmas holidays. Last year, with a not-yet-2-year-old and a 3 month old, we traveled both to Texas and Connecticut. Not to be hyperbolic, but it nearly killed me. For 2017, I put my foot down and announced: we are not traveling over the holidays. Come to us, I said – and they are! My folks came for Thanksgiving, my sister’s fam is coming before Christmas and my hubs’ family is coming for actual Christmas.

Truthfully, while I’ve always traveled over Christmas, I do spend a fair amount of time hosting company and house guests. Our families are all scattered, but thankfully are all healthy and willing to travel to us. I’ve learned a few key tips along the way….

Baltimore: Maximizing 24 Hours Sans Kiddos (Hint: We brunched hard)

December 8, 2017 Mid-Atlantic Mama

My hubs and I are kind of wimps when it comes to leaving our kiddos overnight. It’s just so hard to be away from them for more than a day or two. Hence – the staycation! Or, more accurately – a tourist in your own back yard. For our anniversary, we decided to head up north to Baltimore for 24 hours of sans-children fun. Baltimore is such an underrated city on the East Coast – but it’s going through a real renaissance and it has a perfect blend of history, good food, water and enough walkability to scratch the city itch of this now suburban couple.