Cape May

Greetings from the Jersey shore! 

We’ve been down here since last Saturday, after a long journey down, and we’ve been soaking in all the sun, sand, and surf we can hold. Cape May is definitely our favorite place to relax as a family, despite beach vacations with babies being less than relaxing at times. I think we’re finally getting into a good groove before we head over the bridge to spend next week with Stephen’s family in Wildwood Crest.

I don’t think I’ve ever done a post on the stuff I like to check out while I’m down here. So, I’ll include a quick list of my top picks for you here. One thing I have yet to do, but I’m hoping to next week, is get a loaf from Enfin Farm’s “bread lady” in West Cape May. You have to arrive early and wait in line . . . but apparently her loaves are unique (sage + polenta, anyone?) and absolutely delicious. Here’s a well-written article I found about her.

Food + Drinks

Panico’s Bistro

Cape May Brewing Company

Cape May Peanut Butter Company

Good Earth Organic Eatery

Kohr’s Brothers Frozen Custard

Uncle Bill's

Shopping

Cheeks (FLAX! I found a pair of flax pants for $10 on a super sale)

Cape May Running Company 

Whale’s Tale

Givens Circle

Beaches

Cove Beach is my favorite

Poverty Beach is Stephen’s favorite

Sunset Beach is Ada’s favorite

Higbee Beach is also fun for walking around

Entertainment 

Climbing the lighthouse

Listening to live music in the Washington Street Mall

Playing games at Congress Hall’s family carnival

Heading out to Cold Spring Village to steep in Colonial times

Listening to ghost stories about the different haunts 

Trekking to DE on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry

Walking the streets and looking at all the victorian houses

On our last day here, we started out by heading to the beach for a swim. Ada is currently relaxing with the iPad while Eloise naps and Stephen does a few loads of laundry. We’re planning to head back out to the Cape May Brewery this afternoon and to grab lunch at the taco joint next door. We also have some free tickets to the aviation museum, so we may check that out, too.

Hmmm, what else? Oh, this year we became better acquainted with Cape May Point. It’s a quiet residential community at the very tip of New Jersey. We went to the beach there a few mornings. It’s a bit steep, but nice and quiet. There’s a sweet church near the beach where you can park for free. Very quiet and off the beaten path.

Some of you may wonder why we don’t vacation anywhere else. I mean, we come here year after year after year. I grew up going all over the place with my family because my dad had lots of business trips. I don’t know. There’s something about Cape May that pulls us back year after year. I like having a familiarity, not having to learn the lay of the land. Each year, we dig a bit deeper into the community and learn about new places and things we’d like to try . . . but we still fall back on all the old favorites.

My highlight this year was taking a trolley ghost tour out to the lighthouse at night. The tour itself was actually not that great. The stories were too brief and not well timed. But when we climbed the lighthouse in the dark of night and reached the top -- I loved feeling the cool breeze and hearing the waves beneath me while everything was black. Well, except for the beam from the lighthouse. It’s still working, after all.

I’m hoping to jump on here next week to write a bit more. We’ll have some family help, so downtime may happen more than it did this week. Here we are in the middle of July. I turn 34 late this month. I can’t really believe it. But things are good. This is our big trip of the year, so I’m going to sign off and go enjoy. See you soon! And wish you were here!

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Life in Isolation

I recently had a good chat with an old friend via Instagram messages. I only share where we had the conversation because it’s funny how little snippets of connection can impact the day. We live in quite a world, don’t we? I remember when I’d turn on our old Apple computer and head the “Uh-Oh” of ICQ ring out over the speakers. Or the ding of an email coming when I was just, like, 12 years old. Back then, talking with people -- even people I knew in real life -- was such an insane novelty.

Now? It’s a way of life, for better or worse.

As a work-at-home mom and freelance writer, I conduct the majority of my business online. I chat up my editors on the opposite coast throughout the day, but I’ve never met them. I click over to Facebook messages (because I still use those despite mostly quitting Facebook) to say hey to a few people before heading back to work during naps or spending the majority of my day with a nonverbal baby. My days are quiet. So quiet that when I’m around people, I actually get irked at the noise. I often joke I’m an old lady because I feel like I’m always shushing people.

I think this last year has been particularly difficult because, while I’ve been isolated in the past, it reached new heights. When Ada was in the 3s and 4s, I would shuttle her off to preschool, chat with the other parents and teachers everyday, and often meet up for post-school play-dates, etc. I’d go to the gym or meet up with people when Ada was at school. And now, the bus does the shuttling. I only email with the teacher. Any opportunity I had to volunteer was often hampered by Eloise’s nap schedule. And with a baby napping so much, getting out of the house when I had free time was challenging.

Isolation is something I deal with regularly. It’s gotten better over the summer with Stephen home, and I can feel a huge difference. So much so that I know I really need to work on in my own life, when fall comes again. I’ve already started by making a concerted effort to hang out with friends. But schedules when you have little kids is tough. Many of my friends have children in school or older toddlers/preschoolers. I am definitely looking forward to getting on the one-nap-a-day schedule.

Now that E is older, I think I’m going to try my best to commit to going to story hour at the library once a week. That may be my first step. As an introvert, this doesn’t come naturally to me. This all said, I do feel fortunate to live in a time where we can have meaningful connections with friends via online platforms. I even love connecting with people I’ve never met. Sometimes I feel like I have more in common with this group I’ve carefully curated. It no longer feels artificial. It feels awesome to know there are other people out there who can relate to the daily highs and lows.

Anyway, we’re off for our two-week vacation to Cape May soon. I am hoping to get some time to share some shorter, but more regular thoughts during this time. Oh, and some photos of my trip. I love good beach photos. We’re hoping to hit up a few new spots this year, like Cape May Point beach. If you have suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

And while I’m crowdsourcing: What are things you do to combat isolation in your own life? 

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My Little Extrovert

Ada loves people.

And I mean LOVES, like, everyone. Anyone. Even this mannequin. Being on vacation has brought out her extroverted side more than ever. Like, WOW. In fact, it’s like she doesn’t have a shy bone in her body. Not only that, but she gets so revved up and excited from being around new places and faces. It gets her out-of-this-world happy.

And this mama is exhausted. Each time we go to the beach, the minute we get there, I see her dart off. It isn’t toward the ocean. It isn’t to dig in the sand. Nope. She’s headed toward kids. The boys over there. The girls over here. That unsuspecting baby. I am actually in awe of her social fearlessness. She’s the one in the group that’s always like “C’mon, guys, let’s PLAY!” Then she’ll lead her friends onto the playground or on some other adventure.

This is so totally not my personality, so I’m working hard to give her what her little soul craves. A lot of people are surprised when they learn I’m an introvert because I can hide it quite well. I actually do enjoy talking with and being around people . . . to an extent. When I schedule it. But when they’re not my close friends, I usually feel like I need to take a nap after all that smalltalk. OK. It even happens when it’s my friends. You introverts get it. Being around people can zap energy.

Ada’s quest to meet #allthepeople makes me feel like I’ve gone a week without sleep. But I’m also so proud of her. And I love watching the little girl she’s turning into.

I guess it doesn’t help that virtually all the families down here seem to have three or four kids. Of course that’s an exaggeration, but surprisingly not a large one. Maybe we’re just surrounded by unusually fertile women. Ada has asked me so many times on this trip when a baby will be joining our family, and I’m sad to say that this first cycle back at TTC seems to have been a bust.


Do you have a little extrovert?

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Our Weekend // Beach Ed.

We’re at the beach! Our annual vacation kicked off Saturday with a 6.5 hour drive to Cape May, NJ. It shouldn’t take nearly that long -- but wow did we run into some horrendous traffic. This was our first long car trip where Ada didn’t have some complete meltdown, and I think our van might have something to do with it. All that space sure came in handy when we were packing, too.

Here’s what’s going on:

We feel so fortunate to be on vacation. We don’t do it often, so when we do get away -- it feels absolutely amazing. And this is silly, but I look forward to visiting the ocean each year because my allergies completely disappear! In fact, my sinuses clear up and I usually feel amazing. Less stress, too. Might have something to do with my 5-mile beach run this morning.

Sigh. If I only had $1,000,000 to move here.

OK. Here’s something I just have to share with you. I hate being in the sun. So, spending days on the beach can be hard because I’m basically sunburn-phobic. I looked around on Amazon before our trip and found this absolutely amazing umbrella called the ezShade Umbrella.

Check it out:


The shade area is SO BIG and GLORIOUS. The umbrella also blocks out 99 percent of UVA + UVB rays. And if you don’t want or need a whole new umbrella, they also just sell the sunshield. You attach it to the umbrella with velcro and anchor the bottom with sand. Then as the sun moves throughout the day, you just remove and move with it. It also gives major privacy (like -- I wish I had it when I was nursing!). Seriously cannot say enough good things.

You might also spy our Allen Bike Trailer/Jogger in the background. This is the first time we’ve brought it to the beach, and we’re so excited to try it out and bike around. Right now we’re just using the stroller function, but it’s nice to have the double duty. It’s also great at hauling some of our beach gear.

I’ll hop on soon to share a fun vacation recipe with you. For now, check out some of the articles I’ve written for other sites. I share these only to give you some fun reading material -- I don’t get paid per click or anything like that.

15 Awesomely Fun Toys You Can DIY
10 Cool Companies That Pay You To Refer Friends
7 Things You Need To Know Before Buying Your First House
8 Ways To Eliminate Ants Without An Exterminator
10 Cool Ice Cream Cakes For Your Next Celebration
A Week Of Camping Is Only $160 At These National Parks
More of my articles on Wise Bread . . .
11 Natural Ways To Induce Labor
Does Evening Primrose Oil Safely Induce Labor?
5 Signs You Should Take A Pregnancy Test

Happy Monday!

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Seasonable Beach Brew: Bud Light Lime

We recently embarked on our annual summer vacation to Diamond Beach, which is a quiet, sandy space near Wildwood Crest, NJ.

We go with Stephen's family each year the last week of July, and it's the sort of vacation where we all let loose and let go of plots and plans. You could say we're #upforwhatever life brings us for this single week -- looking for some spontaneous fun when our schedules are usually so horribly routinized.

We load up our beach carts, umbrellas, and coolers in the early AM and head down to the sand for the bulk of the day. Amidst all the trail mix, tortilla chips, sandwiches, and countless jugs of water, we always have a good stash of beer chilling for those hot afternoon hours. But instead of hauling heavy craft brews down the shore -- we prefer more seasonable, light beers for easy drinking. So, when BlogHer offered up an opportunity to try Bud Light Lime last week, I jumped on the chance.

I've sampled Bud Light Lime before. In fact, I had just purchased a case of its new sleek cans (we're getting more into cans these days!) to serve to our friends while they helped us move. Definitely a hit, especially when the temperatures soared well about 90 degrees and all those couches needed to go in and out of our moving truck. It seems people like the Bud Light Lime cans so much, they snagged all of them at the liquor store down in Wildwood.

But don't fret -- if you can't find them either, the bottles contain the same crisp and light beverage that's perfect for whatever you happen to be doing this season. It's also a general crowd pleaser, which is nice since cramming into shore houses often brings up lots of decisions and opinions that just don't belong on vacation. Vacation is for fun.

This choice is quite easy!

This summer, Bud Light Lime is bringing you the flavorful, refreshing twist of lime that will keep you ready for spontaneous fun all summer long. And now, the perfect beer for whatever happens invites you to click here to prove that you’re #upforwhatever. Yes! Bud Light is creating its own town -- Whatever, USA -- and you can win a ticket for three days of fun by submitting a 10 second audition video (you can also browse videos on the site).

I hope you guys are all having a great summer, and please remember to drink responsibly.

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A Cool Day

Yesterday's temperatures didn't rise much above 70 degrees and the weather featured thick cloud cover, a steady wind + occasional spitting rain. I thought it was absolutely perfect -- and it's the kind of day I secretly wish for whenever I'm at the shore. I'm not one to lounge on the beach all day -- I'd rather be out exploring, which is harder to do when it's hot, humid, and super sunny.

After a cool 6-mile run followed by a peanut butter pancake breakfast, I did some research and found Higbee Beach near West Cape May. It's a bit off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. The preservation area includes a few miles of sandy trails that wind through dense vegetation and a semi-secluded beach where dogs are welcome + gigantic ferry boats pass by every once in a while.

A toddler's heaven.

It's sometimes always more fun to go beyond the usual attractions while on vacation. After Ada's nap yesterday, we got some local flavor by heading to the Cape May Brewing Company in North Cape May. Again, a bit of a drive . . . but when we got there, it was packed with people.

Good beer -- and on the way we saw a couple wineries in the area, too!


We'll definitely be back to Higbee and the brewery before the vacation is over. And I'd love to book a trip on the ferry and head over to nearby Delaware. Possibly even to Dogfish Head for a brew. Fares are a bit steep, though, and we're hitting the half-way point on our trip, so time will be limited and I'm sure we won't be able to hit everything we want to see. One day at a time.

Onto Friday! Hope you all have a great weekend. I'll be celebrating my 30th birthday on Sunday and I hear another stormy day is in the forecast!

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Running + Vacation

We're on vacation, which I wrote a bit about (from a family perspective) today on Writing Chapter Three. Since this blog is more exercise + food focused, you'll be getting that highlights reel over here. And what's more of an issue on vacation than fitting in exercise?

As much as the beach is a runner's wonderland, when you're juggling two running schedules + a toddler, things can get tricky. Here's some ways we're both sticking it out and enjoying a good sweat session each day.

// 1: Stephen runs in the AM, I run in the PM. It may sound like I'm getting the short end of the stick, but I'm an afternoon runner anyway. Since I'm still working mornings while on vacation, it's better to split stuff up this way. Plus, the shady streets of Cape May + ocean breeze get things comfortable again after the mid-day heat by 5:30 or so -- squeeze it in before dinner.

// 2: We brought our jogging stroller. And we both plan to use it for more than strolling. Since we aren't down here with family (yet), we realize it might be best some days to get in a run together. The BOB (we have the Revolution SE) took most of the storage space in our tiny Kia, but packing light to make room was well worth it.

// 3: We're being active otherwise. I may not totally meet my 30 mile goal this week, but with all the additional walking to the beach and town we're doing, I'm moving my body more each day.

// 4: I'm skipping long runs. Stephen isn't, but whenever I'm on vacation, I'm just not in the mood to run double digits. Plus, dehydration is an issue since it's so much warmer/sunnier than we're used to. Instead, I opt to run more days of the week at up the mileage a few of those days versus loading it on one day. Instead of a week that's got a 4, 3, 4, 6, 12 . . . I do something like 4, 5, 4, 6, 8, 2.

// 5: I push through. Sure, there's a lot of other stuff I'd rather be doing (like eating mounds of pizza or lounging at the beach), but there's time for all of that. Taking a half hour to hour out of the day to exercise is important. And it's a great way to explore the new scenery.

// 6: I pay attention to hydration. I didn't write about it, but I had some type of sun poisoning or dehydration issue at the shore last summer. It may have had to do with running + breastfeeding + being at the beach all day, but this year, I'm paying better attention. Drinking water with chia seeds. Avoiding peak heat/sun times. Etc.

How do you keep up with running (or other exercise) while on vacation?

Other running-related stuff I've written recently for WalkJogRun:

Simple No-Bake Energy Bars
To Get Faster, Run Slower
Running in the Heat: A Northern Girl's Tricks
Keeping Baby Occupied On the Run

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Swimmingly

If you follow Writing Chapter Three, you know we're a little grumpy over here. Thank goodness Ada enjoys the water! Just like daddy.

Some rain today, but the rest of the week looks clear. Anyone have any good beach workouts to share? I'm running, but can always use variety!

Psssst: Don't forget to enter the Veggie Meal Maker giveaway!

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Tuesday and Veggie Meal Maker (Giveaway)

Internet has been spotty at best. Just hopping on to share some photos from this morning's beach stroll. I absolutely love when it's windy and cloudy at the water's edge.

Ada has been doing well so far, but between naps, work, and workouts . . . We have yet to return to the sand.

And now to highlight one of our sponsors: Veggie Meal Maker!


Who are you? Veggie Meal-Maker is a small family business that strives to help families save time, save money & eat healthy. Our family is composed of Nick (owner/operator), Shae (stay at home mommy) & Paisley (15 months).

What is your business? Our goal is to make the process of planning, purchasing & preparing healthy meals - easy! We offer weekly dinner menu suggestions, a growing recipe database, the ability to import, organize and save your personal recipes plus build personal menus & shopping list based on your recipes. For you smart phone users you can access your account via our mobile site to reference your menu, recipes and shopping list from anywhere!

Why should I use your site? A healthy lifestyle does not happen without a plan. As a newly married couple we spent our Sundays laboring over menu planning with the goal of eating healthy - on a tight budget! When we took the time to make a plan we did awesome...we we didn’t we blew through our budget by eating out and impulse shopping and we didn't have what we needed on hand to make healthy meals. Veggie Meal-Maker was born out of our struggles to plan and organize our meals and it has revolutionized our meal planning process!


Nick and Shae have been generous to offer a GIVEAWAY with two winners! Check out the details and be sure to enter by Wednesday, August 8th by midnight ET.

First Place
Calphalon Santoku Chefs Knife ($35)
Bamboo Cutting Board ($25)
1-year Subscription to Veggie Meal-Maker ($72)

Second Place
Cute Vintage Apron ($25)
1-year Subscription to Veggie Meal-Maker ($72)

How to enter? Signup for a free 30-day trial at: veggiemealmaker.com then leave a comment below -- make sure to include some way to contact you -- sharing your biggest meal planning struggles (or victories).

Good luck! If you haven't yet, check out yesterday's post with some Tips for Beach Running. This morning's workout: 5 miles with a total of 75 burpees at random parks I found along my route.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Beach Running Tips

I look forward to beach running all year long. The nearest beach to where we live is at least three or four hours. So, it's a real treat to train at the ocean. The minute I smell the salty air, I slip off my sandals and don't wear shoes -- unless they're required -- until we head home. Not even for running.

Likely, if you're running at the beach, you're on vacation. You're sleeping in a different bed. Eating different foods. So, don't expect your runs to be the same as they usually are.

A few tips to help . . .

#:1 Run in the AM. The sun is not your friend. Neither are crowds. And you don't want to be that person slogging through all the mid-afternoon sunbathers. Also, if you're at the beach, it's probably warm. Stay cool. Run early.


#2: Go barefoot. It isn't essential, but for the full beach running experience, you'll want to bare your toes. I see plenty of people wearing shoes on the beach . . . and if your feet aren't used to minimal support, you may want to ease into it with a walk/run approach.


#3: Pay attention to the tides. The day we arrived, the tide was high. I tried my best to jog, but the sand was soft and people were in the way. (I didn't take my own advice. It was in the hot afternoon sun.) If you run at low tide, you have maximum real estate. The sand will be nice and compact.

To track the tide, just visit these Tide Tables.


#4: Don't worry about pace. Chances are, the wind will be wicked by the ocean. Either at your back or in your face. On this morning's run, I headed out -- the wind blowing hard against me -- at 8:50 pace for the first couple miles. On the way back, I was at 8:00 and then 7:30. Yup. Average for five miles was 8:28, which is around my usual, even pace.

(And when I'm on vacation, I usually take things easy anyway. I only wore a watch today to mark distance for future jogs.)


#5: Stay hydrated. There isn't any shade on the shore. The sun is hot. It's sort of a water, water, everywhere-and-not-a-drop-to-drink scenario. So, figure out where water fountains are (in our case, on the boardwalk) or bring your own.

Last year, above, I brought my hydration backpack. Worked out great!


#6: Find a landmark. Scope out something -- a particular hotel sign, for example -- at the beginning of your run so you know when you're back. And this tip is also helpful when figuring out distances. As I mentioned above, I used Stephen's watch today to map out miles. I took note of landmarks at each so I can go watch-free for the rest of our stay.


#7: Wear Deodorant. (This tip is from Stephen.) Not in your underarms -- well, there, too. But apply it to your bikini zone -- especially if you plan to run where the sand meet the surf -- to avoid the salt/sand chafing.


#8: Watch the weather. In the morning it isn't quite as much of an issue, but beach areas tend to attract isolated thunderstorms. Just random bad weather spells. If you're on the beach, you're vulnerable and have little options for taking cover if lightning strikes.


#9: Wear clothes you don't mind getting wet/salty. Obviously. But I like to swim for a while when I'm done running. And why not! The ocean's right there, calling to me. So, you may not want to wear your nicest gear.


#10: Have fun. We get fewer than 10 days of beach training in each year. If I'm having a bad day or don't feel like fitting in a workout, I at very least get out and walk. Vacations aren't necessarily the time to go nuts with your running routine, so being active is the key.

Soak in as much sun and fun while you still can.


For a few vacation photos, check out Writing Chapter Three!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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