All posts tagged: summer

San Pedro, Belize

Everything You Need to Know for a Week in San Pedro, Belize

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If you have been following us on Instagram, you’ve seen us post some dreamy, tropical photos lately. After a few months of hard work at our day jobs while balancing the blog and home life, Eric and I were in desperate need of a getaway. With that, we met Eric’s family for some good, ol’ fashioned R and R in the sunshine and aqua ocean of San Pedro, Belize. I think the main lesson for me during this vacation was to unplug! I’m a web designer by trade so I am constantly plugged in. The good news was internet connectivity was spotty. Just what I needed! Though it was tempting at first, I soon found myself only needing my phone to take a million, dreamy summer pictures. I even stopped paying attention to the time and what day it was. I call that a success! I was really able to finally relax for once and engulf myself in the tropical paradise of San Pedro. This being my first real international trip (Mexico and Canada don’t …

Date night ideas with baby

Date Night Ideas with Baby

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We love supporting local businesses and bloggers. That’s why we’re excited to have Kristina Lough from the blog, “Loughs in Love” and local business, “Painted by the Shore“. You can find her beautiful hand painted totes, glasses and other goodies in shops across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. We hope you enjoy her fun (and honest) perspective of motherhood and date nights. Make sure to leave her a comment if you’ve enjoyed her post!     About a year before baby, my husband Eric and I instituted Friday date nights. Each week we take turns planning something fun to do together. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just a chance to set aside everything else and enjoy time with one another. Cue baby Cooper. Our first date night after Coops was born consisted of Chinese food and bedtime for the both of us at 7:30pm. We were exhausted and actually getting that quality time back seemed seriously far fetched. Especially when the next couple of weeks passed with the same, take out food and early to …

Hammock Date Night

Summer Date Ideas: Hammock Together

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While fold out chairs have been the gold standard for enjoying sunny summer days, the hammock is the completely underrated runner up. We thought investing in a hammock would add some flavor to our summer days and we were instantly overjoyed when we were right. While you’re sitting atop a heap of metal and plastic, you could be gently swaying in the wind between two trees strengthened by time and patience. Okay, I get that my description is a little too picturesque but hammocks are just better. One fateful summer evening, we decided to head down to India Point Park in Providence, RI. The temperature was in the mid 80’s and was dropping as the sun was dipping lower in the sky. We found a spot between two trees with sufficient strength atop a small null in the middle of the park. It was the perfect spot to either watch the walkers go by or see what the local fishermen were pulling in. It was made all the better by snuggling with my wife and …

Seared Tuna Ahi Salad Recipe

Summer Date Ideas: Seared Ahi Tuna Salad Recipe

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Summer evokes a lot of memories for many people. It could be the feel of the warm summer sun on your skin or even the cool ocean waters on your feet. Often times it’s the smell of barbecue from the grill. We completely agree, but we also enjoy a cold and crisp salad with some seared fish to top it off. When the humidity of the New England summer sweeps through like a rushing stampede, if there is anything that makes us think cool thoughts, we are on board. This dish was born out of an early date in our relationship. Given that I made the first move, our first couple of dates were orchestrated by me. Then I challenged my at the time girlfriend to cook dinner. I could not have prepared for what was to come. It was a delicious meal composed of greens and fresh ahi tuna all why we watched the San Diego skyline light up the sky from Coronado Island in a small, hidden park on the water. This particular …

Flintlock Trail, Rhode Island hiking

The Man Approved Outdoor Date Idea: Flintlock Trail, RI

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It is the beginning of summer and we were asking ourselves, “What can we do outside for a date?” True to our form, we decided on a hike that we could involve our pup on. We love to hike as many people do, but we are not intense about it. We wanted something that would be challenging but have some gorgeous scenery, and most of all, secluded time to spend with each other. The fore-mentioned criteria led us to the Flintlock Trail in West Greenwich, RI. Before you decide to go romping through the woods of Rhode Island, I must warn you. Make sure you have drenched yourself in tick repellent as well as given your pet the proper preventative measures. Due to the incredibly warm winter we have had (thanks global warming), the tick population has boomed and so please plan accordingly. We want you to have the best experience possible. With that out of the way, we can start talking about much more interesting hiking topics rather than parasites. Flintlock Trail is nestled …

Cold Soba Noodle and Pork Salad

Summer Recipe: Cold Soba Noodle and Pork Salad

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It’s not quite officially summer here in Providence, Rhode Island, but it sure feels like it. We live in a cute little Victorian house with no AC so as the days have been getting more hot and humid, our meals keep getting colder and colder with more salads and fruits. It’s a little tough to think of a cold meal in conjunction with date night. When you think of dinner dates, you typically think of a beautiful steak or a fancy fish. But with the early summer we’ve had, being in a hot kitchen and eating a hot meal afterwards sounds awful! We decided to get a little creative on date night and came up with a delicious cold soba noodle and pork salad recipe that we absolutely loved. Yes, I know what your thinking. Noodles with salad? Cold noodles? Are you nuts? But I promise you, this is the best dang noodle bowl combination you’re going to want during the summer. And it’s great for date night because it’s more than just a salad. …

The Farmers Market Treasure Hunt: Fish Tacos, Pico de Gallo & Sriracha Aioli

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Sometimes date nights don’t need to be dinner and a movie. Sometimes they can be something you least expect, like perusing the farmers market. This Saturday, thunder clouds loomed in the distance but the sun shined over Providence. We decided to take advantage of the cooler day and the sunshine by checking out the local farmers market. When we arrived, our first stop was Harvest Coffee for some strong cold brew (the way we like it!). With coffee in hand, the next stop was Humble Pie Co for something sweet for me and something savory for my husband. We took our peach pie and quiche lorraine, grabbed a bench, enjoyed the sunshine and people watched. Once the pies were consumed and the coffee was no more, we took in each booth one at a time, admiring the heirloom tomatoes the size of small cantaloupes, purple peppers and giant sunflowers. In California, farmers markets for the most part carry the same veggies and fruits year in and year out. However, living in the land of seasons …

Free Things to do in Providence: Movies on the Block

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With Eric back in school full time pursuing his MBA, we’ve had to get clever when it comes to budgeting for dates. So when we found out we could watch classic movie favorites in the beautiful and historic Downcity Providence under the stars, we immediately jumped at the idea. Especially when we could get out of our stifling apartment on a nice summer night. Who knew New England could be so hot?! But first a little background on what we found out about Movies on the Block: Apparently they’ve been putting on movies for the community for the last nine years. They’re located on Grant’s Block, right off of Westminster Street and they start in the beginning of June and run all the way through the last of September. They play an array of classic movies from old black and whites to newer films like Gangs of New York. This year’s line up includes Jaws, Groundhog Day, The Shinning, Dracula and Who Framed Rodger Rabbit. These are just a few that caught our eye, but …

Date Adventure: Ben Utter Trail to Stepstone Falls

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The Ben Utter Trail to Step Stone Fall’s has to be one of our top ten favorite hikes and we’ve done a lot of hiking from Washington down to California. This isn’t on our list of challenging hikes as it’s mostly flat terrain, well marked trails and a short distance of three miles. But what it lacks in challenge, it makes up for in scenery with its luscious greenery, pretty foot bridges and lots of water. It’s the perfect summer leisure hike for a fun day date, and from what we’ve heard, is worth the visit during spring and fall as well. One disclaimer we will say is that it is very hard to find. Yelp is our usual source of information and recommendations, however Yelp’s address was completely off this time. It led us to an empty field featuring no waterfalls nor trails. We found another website that led us to Purgatory Road half a mile down Ten Rod Road to a golf resort. We should have known anything with purgatory in the name …

The Perfect Picnic: A New Spin on Picnic Lunch Classics

The Perfect Picnic: A New Spin on Picnic Lunch Classics

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With summer and Fourth of July weekend in full swing, we got busy in the kitchen and came up with the perfect tasty picnic recipe combos that are easy to make and sure to impress. Picnic as a fun date idea in the summer when the weather is perfect or you’re on a budget. We’ve gotten creative with the typical favorite classics for you like corn on the cob, potato salad, lemonade and chocolate chip cookies. We decided to keep the fried chicken southern and classic though, because it’s hard to beat southern fried chicken. Enjoy these yummy treats, have fun in the summer sun and have a happy Fourth of July!!   Buttermilk Fried Chicken Adapted from The Newlywed Cookbook: Fresh Ideas and Modern Recipes for Cooking With and for Each Other by Sarah Copeland Chicken Brine 3 cups of buttermilk 2 tablespoons of salt 1 tablespoon of pepper 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper 4 lb of chicken pieces Chicken Breading 2 cups of all-purpose or plain flower 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme 1 teaspoon …

Blount Clam Shack Riverside RI

Carousels and Clam Cakes

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If you’re looking for a date to chill, enjoy some conversation and maybe take advantage of a precious and perfect summer day that’s so rare in New England, we’ve got the perfect idea for you. On this particular date my wife and I decided to head down to the carousel in Riverside, Rhode Island on the corner of Beach Rd. and Bullocks Point Ave. This is a beautiful little hideaway that features local entertainment and community functions at least once a week. It’s also the perfect trifecta of food, fun and beautiful views. It’s a great place to come if you have small children because in addition to the carousel, there’s a vast amount of parks, playgrounds and beaches. Kids aside, this location works well for a first date or a relaxed date as there are plenty of places to walk around or lay down a blanket and have a picnic. The first thing on our minds when we arrived in the Crescent Park area was to get some food, enter Blount Clam Shack. There …

Waterfire Providence RI Summer Event

Waterfire & Superlative Sandwiches

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As summer begins to heat up, so does Providence – particularly the Providence River. Every Rhode Islander is well familiar with the phenomenon of WaterFire. If you’re not, here’s the quick and dirty breakdown. On most Saturdays beginning in mid May until the first week of October, local business in Providence come together and host the lighting of over eighty floating braziers from Waterplace Park to Memorial/South Main Street Park right at sunset. Foreigners flock, avid instagramers snap furiously and locals and tourists alike rush to the walls and bridges over the water to watch the sun set in downtown Providence and enjoy a multitude of floating bonfires. This beautiful demonstration exemplifies the quirky individuality that makes Providence the city we’ve learned to love in the past year of adventure here. It just so happened to be one of our first larger events we went to when we first moved to Rhode Island. I come from San Diego, a big shiny city (quite literally due to the amount of sunshine we get) where large monopoly businesses are king and …

Homemade Chicken Tortilla Wrap Recipe

The Perfect Dinner on the Go: Chicken Tortilla Wrap

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These chicken wraps are perfect for any outside date ideas: a day at the beach, an afternoon getaway on your bikes or hike into the woods together. Just roll them up into tin foil and throw them your bag. What’s not to love about avocados, juicy chicken, cheese and the best part, easy to make homemade tortillas? Yes, I said homemade tortillas – it’s in my San Diego nature to boycott packaged tortillas. No judgment though if you want to skip the tortilla portion of this recipe (ok…maybe a little judgment). My husband was literally trying to snatch these delicious and healthy wraps off of the plate before I was able to snap a picture for the blog. Try shooting on a manual camera while swatting your husband’s hands away from the framed shot. I’m sure all the busy mamas out there are laughing at me but this was no easy feat. And that’s also a testament to how mouth watering these wraps are. We hope you enjoy this recipe just as much my husband …

Greek Dinner Recipe - Tzatziki Sauce, Pita Bread, Tabouleh and Chicken Souvlaki

Homemade Greek Dinner for Two

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This was one of the first date night ideas I put together when my wife and I were newly dating. This is a dinner date that takes a lot of forethought and prep so if you are looking for a quick date night idea, you may want to rethink this one. This date was meant to impress and it definitely did, as evidenced by the rock that resides on my wife’s left hand. For those that are not very confident in their cooking skills, this dinner is fairly easy as the ingredients are minimal and the prep is intermediate. If all else fails, run down to your local greek restaurant. Now down to the details… Note: Actual ingredients and detailed instructions for each recipe is at the bottom. The dish I prepared was chicken souvlaki (chicken kebab if you need a visual) and pita bread with tzatziki sauce. My wife helped out by preparing tabouli (or tabbouleh? Who cares! It tastes good!) to add some veggies and color to the plate. Stopping right there, this …

East Bay Bike Path

Bikes and Ice Cream

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If you’re the active couple and are looking for something fun and sweet (no pun intended), the East Bay Bike Path just might be the perfect activity for you. With 14.5 miles of safe and unobstructed pedaling through coves, marshes and beautiful Rhode Island state parks, it’s the perfect romantic getaway for the day (not to mention, budget friendly!). If 14.5 miles seems to be a bit much, don’t sweat it! You can choose any pretty spot along this path to eat lunch, enjoy each other’s company and admire the breathtaking views. If you don’t live in the Rhode Island area, you can also easily adapt this idea for bike paths closest to you. To make this date is a success, we highly recommend prepping beforehand, as you’ll be outdoors for a few hours. 1) Pump up the tires of your bikes! Who wants unnecessary huffing and puffing! 2) Bring enough water bottles for the two of you. There is also a Shaw’s viewable from the Bike path on the right side (heading in the …