Ryan and I headed to New Jersey for Thanksgiving this year. We spent a few days at his moms house and went to the Chart House on the Hudson for dinner and had an amazing meal.

The best

We took apple picking to a whole new level this year – we took kids with us! We went to the same orchard we’ve gone to the past 2 years but it really felt like a new experience. Elle and Nora were so happy and exited and fun. I have to say, showing them the ponies was my favorite part. What little girl doesn’t love a pony?

After a trip to the apple orchard I was anxious to make some fresh apple treats. I am not a huge fan of apple pie and I made apple crisp last year so I decided to try something new. I found a recipe for caramel apple bars and they were delicious. They were soft and gooey when they were warm and after being refrigerated they were nice any chewy. Here is the recipe, I will definitely be making them again.

I have the best kind of mom. I have the kind of mom that bought her daughter a pony. The kind of mom that knew what passion and love for animals had done for her, and chose to share that with her daughter. I have the kind of mom that put her daughter on a horse when she was 2 years old. The kind of mom that braided red yarn in that horses mane whenever she took her to the stable.

I have the kind of mom that taught her daughter to love unconditionally, to be patient and most of all to be kind. The kind of mom that taught her daughter how to make choices, always let her make her own decisions but was without a doubt there with encouraging support.

I have the kind of mom that held on tightly but always let her daughter feel independent. The kind of mom that let her daughter venture out on her own because she knew she would always be waiting for her at home. The kind of mom that let her daughter move 1000 miles away and has never once said ‘I wish you would come home’ even though it was always an option.

I have the kind of mom that has enough strength to hold a family together even though it is visibly falling apart. The kind of mom that looks at every situation with the kind and calm demeanor that only a mother seems to possess.

I have the kind of mom I can only hope to someday be. The kind that deserves to be celebrated, especially today on her birthday.

Happy birthday to the most amazing mom in the entire world. Thank you for being perfect.

I have a thing for tropical islands. My mom and I went to St. Thomas last year and I’d been looking for the next trip for a while. When I found the Samsara resort in Jamaica I knew it was the place. The hotel is built into the cliffs so the only way to get into the ocean is to jump. Or climb down the ladder or down the stairs but really, cliff jumping is way more fun. The sister hotel had a nice sandy beach so we were lucky to be able to experience both.

Sometimes I just don’t feel like taking my messenger bag when I ride my bike in the summer but I hate it when my purse strap swings off my shoulder. So, I got some leather at Tandy Leather and made a strap to hold it in place. I’ve used it a few times and it works great! Photos of the finished product coming soon!

The color run was hard to get to and even harder to get home from but from the start line to the finish line we had an amazing time. They give each person their own bag of color and everyone was popping them on each other throughout the race. I tried to be sneaky and ended up popping my bag all over myself and eating quite a bit of it. Trust me – that powder does not taste good at all.