Newport, Rhode Island (Momcation!)

Back in July, I took a "momcation" to Newport, Rhode Island to visit my friend Lindsey.  It was three nights away, and it was really, really great.  Kenny was about five months old at the time, and it was the longest I'd been away from him ever.  It recharged my batteries, allowed me to give attention to my friendship, and I had more energy and excitement about coming home at the end.  I highly recommend it!  It's also important to me to role model for Kenny that I'm independent and have interests and activities outside of my relationship with him.

Linds picked me up at the Providence airport in her gorgeous convertible, and from that moment on, it was top down, sunshine ON!  I flew in on the 4th of July, so some grilling out and fireworks were in order.

But first, we were HUNGRY!  So Lindsey took me to one of her all-time favorite nostalgic Newport spots: the Castle Hill Inn, est. 1875.  Gor-geous.

The Lawn at Castle Hill Inn

Their beautiful lawn and terrace have incredible water views, so we got a table to have lunch and a cocktail al fresco.  I enjoyed a wine spritzer, because they're totally underrated and perfect for summer day-drinking, as well as their chicken al mattone, with heirloom tomatoes, burrata, and a roasted tomato vinaigrette.

And of course, since it was my first visit since Linds moved to New England, we had to share a dessert.  It was some kind of incredible funfetti cake-inspired layered magic, with delicious whipped cream and raspberries!

Spritzers are underrated.

After that, we retired to relax at Lindsey's house, which had a rooftop porch with water views and the perfect fireworks vantage point too.  We drank rosé and grilled out for dinner, capping off a beautiful travel day for me.

Over the next few days, we took a road trip to West Hartford for some real estate shopping (spoiler alert: Linds lives there now!) as well as took in the wharf and seaside in Newport.

We had a delicious breakfast at the Corner Cafe; the portions were huge, and the menu was full of Irish, Portuguese and West Coast influences.  It's the kind of place where you find black & white pudding, chourico, and breakfast burritos on the same menu, and it works!

While at the wharf, I enjoyed seeing gorgeous yachts and adorable shops.  I even visited the original Alex & Ani storefront and bought two bracelets to commemorate my trip.  The pineapple represents my friendship with Lindsey, and the sun represents a song I like to sing to Kenny.  Together, they remind me the importance of love and relationships in many facets of life.

 

One of my favorite things during our trip?  Touring The Breakers mansion!  I love The Biltmore in Asheville, and so I wanted to tour at least one mansion in Newport.  The Breakers is part of the Vanderbilt family empire, so it was the perfect one for my visit.  These incredible mansions not only have ocean views, but the exteriors and interiors are luxurious and high-end.  I can't believe these were considered summer homes, versus permanent residences!  Very Downtown Abbey.

My getaway to Newport was perfection.  I enjoyed the company of my friend, the delicious food, refreshing drinks, beautiful homes and seaside, and overall New England charm.  I felt so refreshed and happy when I got home, and I'll always have these beautiful memories of my first real trip post-partum.

Connecticut Whirlwind Weekend

Mohegan Sun

I recently spent a long weekend in Connecticut for my friend LC's bachelorette/bridal shower.  Talk about a whirlwind weekend!  We packed so much into a short trip that I'm still exhausted... but I was super excited to be reunited with my friends VB, KC, and AM, plus meet a new awesome girl, JS!  :)

FRIDAY:  After landing in Connecticut, we headed straight for Mohegan Sun!  LC's Dad got us some rooms to stay the night at the casino's hotel.  All of us girls dressed in black, with blinking red devil horns and boas!  We had reservations for the Chef's Table at Todd English's Tuscany, a great Italian restaurant.  We were right by the kitchen so we could watch our meals be prepared, and it definitely felt VIP.  Afterwards, we headed out onto the casino floor, played some slots, then danced the night away at Margaritaville.  There was a live cover band playing, The Groove Junkies, and we had a really good time being the center of attention all night in our devilish horns.

The REAL Mystic Pizza!

SATURDAY:  After a leisurely breakfast, we drove to Mystic, CT.  (Don't ALL towns in Connecticut have the cutest names?)  We shopped for a while in Olde Mistick Village, where I found some adorable Christmas ornaments.  I've decided to collect an ornament every time I go on a trip, until I have a good collection for my personal tree!  We then caught lunch at the famous Mystic Pizza, channeling our inner Julia Roberts and chowing down on some delicious slices.  The rest of the night was spent at JS's house, where the bridesmaids worked overtime preparing for the main event... the bridal shower!

Saint Clements Castle

SUNDAY:  The bridal shower was held at Saint Clements Castle, the perfect venue for such an event!  I made custom table linens, JS created an amazing dessert/candy bar with adorable labels and apothecary jars, KC created a photo booth for guests, and VB organized all the food orders, schedule of events, and more.   It was a true team effort, and I think the bridal shower was nicer than most weddings I have been to!  That said, it was exhausting to pull off, so the apres-shower cocktail party at JS's house (complete with homemade limoncello and tiramisu) was the perfect ending to a whirlwind weekend.

I got home Monday night, and while I'm still recovering (three nights in a row of little sleep will do that!), it was definitely a worthwhile trip.  I already miss my girlfriends!!!  Can't wait to be reunited with most of them for our Blue Ridge cabin weekend in October.

I'll post a few photos once they are all compiled and edited.