Travel Archives - Biscuits in the Oven

Christmas Time in the City

December 24, 2015

Merry Christmas Eve (to those who celebrate!) A couple of weeks ago, we ventured back to the city to do some holiday celebrating. It was a brief 24 visit but just enough to hit up a few of our fave spots and get a healthy dose of holiday spirit running through our veins. Firs stop, Bubbys at the Highline, obviously. It was Everett’s first biscuit and it didn’t disappoint. Next stop, Bleeker Street playground (I may or may not have ditched the crew for a quick appointment with my hair gal!) My parents joined us for our visit to Rockefeller center to see the tree in all it’s glory and the windows at Saks. Ellery loved them! She kept saying how they were all princesses! The Princesses! Lighting some candles at St. Pats The real reason for our visit was to see my very favorite Santa there ever was-at ABC Carpet and Home. We weren’t able to go last year because Everett had just been born and I was anxious to get back. Ellery was thrilled and so happy that she even gave him a hug. Ev on the other hand was a bit more nervous at all the people surrounding him. A sweet treat from Santa helped curb any remaining nerves :) ABC has the most glorious children’s section, which the kids had a ball playing in while we waited for our reservation at ABC Cocina. A late afternoon visit to City Bakery for hot chocolate and cookies topped off our sugar high for the day! I miss the city so much during the holidays but I also realized how nice it was to come “home” back to CT after running around non-stop for 24 hours. Happy Holidays!

a Sprinkle/Sweater Weather/36 Weeks

October 31, 2014

I’m beginning to nest, it’s official. After an amazing surprise Sprinkle my Sister threw for me last week (Mayflower Inn for lunch with the ladies followed by a Sister sleepover, prenatal massage + yoga!) I am finally realizing it’s time to get ready for this babe. In preparation for the baby’s arrival, I’ve done a few things (and trust me, this list is a lot shorter than the list I had with Ellery!) -Bought supplies for the hospital bag: new cosmetics/shampoo/conditioner, etc…everything that I don’t want to worry about having to pack and remember when I go into labor. I ordered some go to faves from Sephora but am also trying out this new website called Beautycounter for some safe, toxin free products. -Bought new baby items that I don’t want to re-use like some new swaddles, a new Ergo wrap baby carrier, several new gender neutral outfits/jumpers/sleepers until I can get a chance to go out and buy some things once we know if it’s a boy or a girl. I’ve also been itching to shop for some cozy fall clothes but I don’t want to spend a ton of money on items I won’t wear again or that I’m not sure will fit, so I’ve decided to get a few sweaters that are open in the front so that I can get loads of use while nursing over the Winter. The one thing I remember with Ellery was what a pain it was to basically undress every time it was time to feed her. Here are a couple I’m loving…both from Zara. Can we also take a second to swoon over this baby outfit!? Totally gender neutral and reasonably priced (which is a far cry from the other outfits I’ve been purchasing!)

“Babymooning” in Maine

September 6, 2014

Mach and I spent a few days “baby-mooning” in Maine a few weeks ago and I’m still swooning over a few of our discoveries… Kennebunkport: Eat- Clam Shack Earth-Insane locally grown food, cozy atmosphere, romantic and yet somehow still babe friendly. Check out the whole resort, Hidden Pond. It’s my list for next vaca either with just the girls or with the fam. Shop- Daytrip Society (the adult store AND the kids shop around the corner) Sleep– White Barn Inn-We stayed at one of the cottages down the street from the main Inn, which was cozy and more remote (and also right on the water) but made it more difficult when we wanted to head to the pool or main house. Our cottage. The view from our cottage. Since we were remote from the main Inn, the hotel delivered breakfast to our cottage every morning. Relax: Check out the beaches-the one down the street from the White Barn Inn was huge and beautiful but be warned, the waters (even in August) were bitter! Portland (we did a day trip to Portland, which was totally worth the drive from Kennebunkport): Shop: Judith-Carrying all the best woman’s brands, think Ace & Jig + Clare Vivier. Portland Dry Goods– Great gifts for the men. K-Colette- Mach had to drag me out kicking and screaming. Their baby section…oh my. Website isn’t as great as the actual store, FYI. Eat: Scratch Baking Co.-delish. everything. El Rayo Taqueria-Total hole in the wall type/side of the road stop but SO fun and delish, authentic, local Mexican cuisine. Lolita-Cozy restaurant serving up locally sourced ingredients. Try a bunch of their “pots”…perfect for sharing. Visit: Portland Head Light:

Traveling and Toddlers

March 31, 2014

I am definitely no expert on flying with a baby or a toddler for that matter BUT I will say that in the more than a dozen or so flights we have now been on with Ellery, we have learned a thing or two. I find friends and friends of friends asking for tips before they go on airplane trips for the first time. We recently came back from a trip in Turks and Caicos and we were lucky enough to have a direct flight. We have generally find traveling first thing in the morning is the best option, even if it means waking up the baby. If we fly in the morning, there is a better chance that she will nap on the plane. That being said, sometimes you can’t be so lucky (aka our flight home) and you need to be prepped with tools to deal with an over tired, cranky, not wanting to remain in the two laps of your parents. Here are some items that I’ve found to be helpful to have in the carry-on: -Snacks…literally anything and everything. Ellery is 17 months now so we are very much on real foods. She is loving all fruit so we made sure to pack loads all pre-cut (think berries, grapes and a banana). I also packed an almond butter and jam sandwich in a Tupperware so it wouldn’t get crushed. Then there was the back up crackers and dried fruit she loves. You can never have enough snacks. -Water. We brought her sippy cup with water through security. They did have to check it but it made for an extra two minutes and then we were able to have it with us without worrying about needing to go buy water right after going through security. E gets thirsty often and I like to make sure there is water with us at all times. -Lollipops. I packed a bunch of these lollipops for takeoff and landing. Since E doesn’t take a bottle anymore, and we can’t force her to suck her thumb or drink water, I figured sucking on a lollipop (that is usually saved for shots at the doctors) was the next best thing. It worked when we weren’t in the middle of a total meltdown where the lollipop ended up somewhere too close to my hair. -Activities! You don’t want to bring a ton of stuff…

16 Months and a Trip to Turks

March 16, 2014

We were lucky enough to take a trip with my Parents, Sister and Brother in-law a few weeks ago to Turks and Caicos. This was right after Ellery turned 16 months old, so I am going to do a quick roundup of the best and latest pictures for the 16 month update. (it should be noted that a lot of these pictures were taken by Mach, even though I would love to take credit for them :) Discovering her love of accessories. Quick trim (while sitting in a boat watching Sesame Street on the flat screen, obviously) Enjoying a brief break in the cold with Dad (NYC is no Turks and Caicos) Our continued love of “baby” continues. We’ve added a stroller to the collection of items for baby. I can’t begin to tell you how much time she spends tending to this baby. More than enjoying her first ever ice cream cone cupcake at her first “big girl” Birthday party for our 4-year-old friend, Quinn! Talking Updates: Ellery is beginning to say more and more words that we can understand. Here is a rough list of what we can understand now: Dog Cat Shoes Socks Shirt Eyes (referring to actual eyes as well as our glasses) Momma (though not saying it that often) Dadda (all the time) Bebe Auntie Jess Woof Woof Hi Bye Bagel Eggs Nose Duck Bear Cheers Bow Cheese Sleeping Updates: We are trying to consolidate naps but it’s still a struggle. Some days she’s ready to nap by 9:30am, therefore making it necessary for that second nap. I would love for her to take one long nap midday/afternoon instead of two short ones, but I also recognize that it will happen when she is ready. She is still sleeping about 7/7:30pm-7:30am so we can’t really complain :) Eating Updates: Eating is going great. Ellery will try anything-even if she decides she doesn’t like it. After reading about some very picky eaters, I’ve realized that we are lucky that she eats as much as she does. I am due to try some new recipes and now that she has a couple of molars, we might be able tap into a whole new area of food! I’m excited for her to be able to chew lettuce and some more raw veggies. The only thing I need to work on is the snacking. We snack a lot when…

52 Week Project | Week 10

March 10, 2014

While down in Turks and Caicos, Ellery got a portion of her hair braided by a lovely local. Ellery was so patient and fascinated by all the beads. I hope this becomes a tradition as she was so cute with those braids!

10 Signs you’re a NYC Parent

February 27, 2014

10 Signs you are a New York City Parent 1. Your stroller (most likely the UppaBaby or Bugaboo) is “pimped” out with diaper bag hooks, stroller gloves (most likely these) an organizer for your much-needed coffee/iPhone and probably the latest footmuff to keep your babe warm during this polar vortex nonsense. It has also become your new favorite shopping accessory. (photo taken in the dressing room of Anthropologie, which I might add is super stroller friendly :) 2. Your toilet is too loud when flushed so there is an understanding in your apartment that if the baby is sleeping it is necessary to uphold the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow…(you know the rest).” 3. Sleep sheep is your best friend (see #2). 4. One of your first outings (after the visit to the pediatrician) as a new family is to your local coffee shop-for caffeine, obviously. (In this photo, Ellery was one week old. We went to our local coffee shop, Grounded, for bagels and coffee.) 5. Your music class instructors are most likely Broadway singers/actresses needing to make some money on the side. 6. No one brought you home cooked meals when you had the babe, instead seamless web kept you alive (and might also be the reason there’s still 5 lbs of baby weight to lose 14 months later :) 7. You’re forced to learn how to change your baby’s diaper on your lap in the bathroom of restaurants because who ever heard of changing tables in NYC? (okay, this might be a West Village specific issue, but come on…) 8. Nannies outnumber stay-at-home Moms in said baby classes. 9. One of your first accomplishments was taking a form of transportation (cab/subway) to another part of the city. It’s a big deal here in NYC! (Ellery looks skeptical but she actually does enjoy the subway) 10. You think there is no place like New York City and you have no idea how everyone else does it who doesn’t live here!

Almost One (and a trip to AZ & FL)!

October 9, 2013

This past month has been crazy! I finished up a Wedding I’d been working on in Newport, R.I. and then headed off to AZ for my first trip without Ellery with some of the loveliest ladies I know. It was a trip to celebrate us all turning 30 this year. Here are a few spotty photos (mostly taken from our iPhones). I was back for a few short days and then Mach, Ellery and I were off to Florida to visit our lovely friends who came from SF. We spent a few days relaxing, meeting/hanging with babies and drinking lots of wine! Here we are on our very early flight (going on about two hours of sleep) Learning about building sand castles Bros and babes. Waiting on some teeth. Loving the wading pools on the beach. Finny relaxin’ to the max Getting as much snuggle time in as possible! They have no choice but to be the best of friends :)

18 & 19 Weeks (& Ellery’s First Plane Ride!)

March 13, 2013

These past two weeks packed with many “firsts” for Elle-belle Nugget Lady! (The nicknames are never-ending these days!) Not only did she take her first boat ride (Ferry) but she flew on 4 planes and took a major step by rolling over while we were away! She is going to be mobile before we know it! I am going to do a specific post on traveling with an infant, but for now, here is a photo round-up of our amazing 8 days in Nevis. We left NYC early am on Friday. Here is Mach doing some laps with Elle to keep her asleep while we waited to board. Some snuggles in preparation to take off! We found a quiet spot to nurse and give a bottle during our layover in San Juan! First leg of the trip was over! She did great! We had a pretty small plane into St. Kitts, but Elle did great and barely made a peep. We waited at the airport for the rest of the family to arrive on a different flight. They were definitely more excited to see Ellery than us. We arrived early evening to the Four Seasons Nevis. Our villa had a little pool out back. We wasted no time taking a quick dip before getting ready for dinner. Elle’s first swimming experience was so much fun! We managed to squeeze in her morning nap sometime around breakfast. Usually, Grammie and Grampy would babysit after we ate so that the Jess, Brian, Mach and I could get in some exercise (tennis, hiking, etc…) while Elle napped. Naps looked like this most of the time… Some sort of beach/poolside sleep. We had our own “sleep sheep” with the waves from the ocean and the palms swaying in the breeze. We had lunch late one day at the hotel and Elle decided she was tired. So, they let us pull up a lounge chair and she just slept there while we ate! Right after her hat blew into the water! Other than swimming, we spent all our time under the umbrellas and she constantly had her special sun gear on with her baby sunscreen. We were very worried about her sun exposure. We all got dressed up one night for dinner in an old sugar mill. It was fantastic! (although she looks less than enthused here!) Mach feeding her at dinner in the…