Weekender's Guide - Winter in the Berkshires

There's something about a mountain town in the winter. Cozy restaurants, Adirondack chairs around a fire pit at a lodge, family-friendly ski mountains, a classic diner, and decorated Main Streets. Vermont, New York, Maine, and New Hampshire offer some of these quintessential and oh-so-nostalgic mountain towns. They do, however, come with a longer travel time and higher cost.

A solution for the coastal Connecticuters who want a more budget-friendly option that is also a little closer to home? The Berkshires. The Berkshires are a section of Western Massachusetts where the Vermont-based Green Mountains spill into the Bay State.

The largest municipalities associated with the Berkshires cultural region include Pittsfield, North Adams, Great Barrington, Williamstown, Stockbridge, Lee, and Lenox. The highlands of Massachusetts don't boast towering jagged peaks but instead, host smaller peaks ranging from about 700 to 1,200 feet. The area is home to a few different ski resorts, Butternut, Berkshire East and Jiminy Peak being the most well-known. The mountain towns on a small scale which generally means easy access, less crowded, and more affordable options.

Couples trip, girls weekend, solo exploring, a long day trip, or a weekend away with the family. If you want to explore mountain towns in the winter, the Berkshires are a great option.

Puppy Adoption Party - Piper's 2nd birthday

Piper turned two today. Our little baby girl is growing up quickly and we are trying to soak up every minute and celebrate. We decided to celebrate her second birthday at home with two of her friends from daycare and their siblings, whose parents happen to be my good friends. 

We let Ashey plan the theme of a Puppy Party. There were dog houses the kids could decorate with stickers and markers, stuffed animal dogs the kid's could "adopt". The kids could also pick coats and collars for their dogs, and Ashley had adoption certificates printed. 

I decorated a puppy themed funfetti cake and made a balloon arch. It was the perfect little party with close friends, pizza, and cake.  

Chugga Chugga TWO TWO! Whitney's Second Birthday

It's 2024 and I am wrapping up a post on Piper's Second Birthday. Looking back, I found this half finished post on Whitney's Second Birthday and figured a side by side celebration of Two was in order. For the kid's first few birthdays, we found fun theme and celebrated at the house with family and friends. For Whitney's second birthday, we celebrated his love of trains with a Chugga Chugga Two Two train themed birthday party. 

We ordered pizza, had a homemade cake, and the perfect primary colored train theme. It was simple and perfect a cozy Saturday with family at the house and our train loving two year old. 

Lake George Winter Carnival, New York

Winter birthdays in New England mean you have to get a bit creative. You have to travel south for warmer weather, or travel north and embrace the cold. I usually do the later, involving the winter weather in my birthday plans. Last year I turned 36 and to celebrate, we headed north to Lake George, New York. Lake George has their famous winter carnival all through the month of February. My birthday landed on the weekend so we loaded the kids in the car and headed to the famous lake in the Adirondacks. 

Holiday lights downtown Lake George during the Winter Carnival

If you haven't heard of the winter carnival, it's a celebration of winter with the lake front stage and center. The Lake George Winter Carnival started in 1961 and has run ever since. There are a series of events hosted on the lake (or in alternate locations if it has been a warm year). The carnival runs every weekend (Friday to Sunday), typically through the month of February. This year, the carnival runs from January 31st through March 2nd. There is a schedule set for every weekend with a variety of activities. Most events happen in the area of Shepard Park, and if you head to the winter carnival (check the calendar first to see what events are on what days), you can expect to find free s'mores, an ATV poker run, motorcycle and ATV ice racing, dog talent shows, outhouse races, glacier golf tournaments, a chili cook-off, a parade, a polar plunge, karaoke, cocoa, fireworks, and so much more. Some events are free, and some events require advanced registration and purchased tickets. You can see the schedule here and buy tickets for the various events.

Here is an example schedule (starting this weekend)

A Year in Review - 2024

My Year in Review is truly my favorite post to write and usually one I have fired up on KW by New Years Eve.  You can read the last ten years here:
(2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014)

It's January 3rd and I'm just starting to write this post which paints the picture of how insane the year has been. Raising two toddlers (now almost 2 and almost 4) is not for the faint of heart. Throw in running my own company, and all the day to day basics of family life and trying to meet my personal needs and and I feel unhinged. Chaos aside, I hope I never let life get too busy to keep up with this blog. I hope to always have this creative outlet and diary of sorts to share with my kids one day. So let's get started wrapping up 2024. 

2024 was beautiful and hard. We had some amazing weekends away, an international trip to Italy, a successful year with my company, and a new dog we welcomed to the family. We watched our kids grow a year older, watching their bond build as they turn 2 and 4 in just a few weeks. We started to slowly find a groove in parenting young kids, even if it often felt like two steps forward one step back. It was the first year both kids were in daycare (Piper starting for the first time in August) and running my business became just a tiny bit easier. For all the beauty and growth 2024 had to offer, it also came with crushing losses and heartache as we said goodbye to both of our dogs within 1 month of each other. We did our best to navigate our overwhelming grief alongside our three year old who had to learn the tough lesson of death and loss. 

We've found a way forward through our sadness, eased by our new rescue dog Otto who distracts us and loves our kids endlessly. It was a year of highs and lows, highlighted month by month below.