Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020! I have been MIA for many months now and I feel I have some explaining to do. As most of you know, I had gotten pregnant and married and well… life had taken over and I haven’t had much time to blog. I gave birth to my baby girl on the 3rd of December and she couldn’t be any more perfect! Motherhood has been quite the adjustment and to be honest, nothing like I had envisioned. Nobody tells you all of the ins and outs of pregnancy, childbirth and the first few weeks of motherhood. This has definitely inspired me to write more about my experience with pregnancy and childbirth (especially because it was a very rough time for me). I am now on maternity leave and trying to enjoy some time back home until I have to go back to work.

Speaking of work… I’ve made the decision to separate due to childbirth. Now before anyone gets cray cray on me, I’d like to clarify that I am NOT leaving the Air Force. Thanks to the kind souls on Reddit, I found that I could voluntarily separate due to childbirth and then take advantage of the Palace Front program to switch to the Air National Guard. This is the best decision for my family right now. My husband switched branches in order to change his career field and due to the limited bases in said career field, it was likely we wouldn’t be able to do join spouse. Pregnancy while being alone was hard enough, raising a baby by myself just sounds like it would be even harder. Plus, this option also allows me to go back to school.

Stay tuned for more posts in 2020. Drop a comment with any questions you may have and I will answer them in my upcoming Youtube Vlog!

It’s Fall, y’all! Today starts the first day of one of my favorite times of year. What better way than to kick it off with some festive activities! As most of you know, I am from Massachusetts. Luckily, I will be heading home on leave soon and will hopefully be able to enjoy some of these myself.

Here are 10 fun activities you can participate in this Fall in the great state of Massachusetts:

1. Connor’s Farm – Danvers, MA: Connor’s Farm is easily one of the best farms to visit during the Fall season. I am OBSESSED with their freshly baked apple cider donuts. They have a cute pumpkin patch (perfect for taking pics), a corn-maze and as we get closer to Halloween- a haunted maze! Fun fact: Before I left for Basic Training, I actually worked in the haunted maze as a scare actor. The farm is great for families with children as their is a petting zoo and child-friendly activities. The farm stand (where you can find the amazing apple cider donuts referenced above) sells a variety of farm sourced goodies and fall themed foods. For more information and to view their schedule visit their website here.
2. The Topsfield Fair – Topsfield, MA: The Topsfield Fair has been around since I was a kid and I make every effort to go each year. This year the fair will run from 4 October through 14 October. The fair has many different events- too many to fit in one post. Some events include cattle shows, the Giant Pumpkin weigh-in, concerts, horse pulling and much more! For more information and to view their schedule visit their website here.
3. King Richard’s Faire – Carver, MA: Every weekend from 31 August through 20 October, you can visit this fair in Carver, MA. The fair is also called the New England Renaissance Festival. It’s a unique and fun experience full of cool performances. They also have artisans that travel from all over to sell their unique products. This fair is also kid-friendly and has many kid oriented activities such as horse back rides. One of the most popular food items at the fair: Turkey Leg. For more information visit their site here.
4. Salem Haunted Happenings – Salem, MA: I could name a million different things to do in Salem during the Fall. It literally is Massachusetts’ very own “Halloweentown”. From 1 October through 31 October, Haunted Happenings events include a parade, costume balls, ghost tours, live music and much more! Learn more here.
5. Stone Zoo – Stoneham, MA: Who doesn’t love the zoo?! The Stone Zoo, part of Zoo New England, hosts two Halloween themed events in October. There is Boo at the Zoo and Zoo Howl. Both events include multiple fun family activities. For more information click here.
6. Brooksby Farm – Peabody, MA: Apple picking, pumpkin picking and other various Fall activities. Perfect place for a date or to bring your little ones! Click here for more information.
7. Plimoth Plantation – Plymouth, MA: This place is pretty neat. I remember going a couple times when I was younger for field trips. It’s ultimately a museum that tells the history of Plymouth Colony. Everyone is dressed up and play character roles to portray the great history. You can tour the Mayflower, Village, Mill and much more! Visit their website here for more information.
8. Wolf Hollow – Ipswich, MA: Open weekends now through 30 November (weather permitting), Wolf Hollow is a one of a kind experience for you and your family to meet real Gray wolves while enjoying a one hour educational presentation. You get to observe the wolves and their pack at close range. Gray wolves are a threatened species and with the help of volunteers and supporters, Wolf Hollow’s mission is to preserve wolf in the wild. For more information click here.
9. Old Sturbridge Village – Sturbridge, MA: Another historic experience- Old Sturbridge Village is a large, outdoor museum portraying a rural New England town in the 1830’s. Much like Plimoth Plantation, everyone is dressed up and play character roles to tell the historic story. You can find great fall foliage views here. There’s also a really great hotel I’ve vacationed at a couple of times called the Sturbridge Host Hotel. Visit OSV’s website here.
10. Black Friday Shopping – Multiple Locations, MA: Ok, hear me out; I hate shopping but something about Black Friday just makes me feel more in the holiday spirit. There is nothing better than sipping on a hot cocoa from Dunks at 4AM shopping some good deals in my comfy Ugg boots (I know, BASIC AF). Some of my favorite shopping outlets/centers in MA include: The Wrentham Outlets (Wrentham, MA), Patriot Place (Foxboro, MA) and Market St Plaza (Lynnfied, MA).