Camps are out. Programs are suspended. Amusement parks are shuttered. Concerts are questionable. It’s hard not to focus on all the stuff we (probably) won’t be able to do this season. But chin up! Because here are a few things Coronavirus won’t cancel this summer: Sandy toes Ocean breezes Bike rides Warm sunshine Long walks […]
Out and About Mom’s Guide to Virtual Field Trips
Over the past several weeks of blogging in this new reality we’ve discovered so many online opportunities for “visiting” some of our favorite local destinations, as well as destinations across the country–and even around the world! We’ve been documenting these discoveries in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 of our new series: Staying in […]
Staying in with Out and About Mom: Week 5
So here we are again. End of week 5. I saw this posted on Facebook recently and it felt rather accurate: On the other hand, long days at home mean more time for things we otherwise wouldn’t even imagine doing. Like over the weekend we baked our own homemade carrot cake granola. And then the […]
Staying in with Out and About Mom: Week 4
So turns out vacation week has been a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Without the pressure of schoolwork we quickly settled into a comfortable routine structured around Facebook Live events, coloring and crafts, bike/scooter rides and various around-the-house projects. We revisited a few of our favorite entertainments from WEEK ONE, like […]
Staying in with Out and About Mom: Week 3
Spring break. It’s definitely a mixed blessing this year. On the one hand, I’m looking forward to just being “mom” for a week as opposed to juggling the role of “teacher” as well. On the other hand, without all that e-learning material it’s going to be totally on me to come up with the daily […]
Staying in with Out and About Mom: Week 2
So how’s everyone doing? I definitely feel like reality has set in this week, realizing that we’ve got another month of social distancing in our future (at least). We’re trying to stay positive, focusing on the family time and counting our blessings that we can all be here together playing Scrabble and watching movies. Like […]
Staying in with Out and About Mom: Week 1
When Mandy and I started this blog almost 9 years ago, we could not have imagined that one of our greatest challenges would be needing to stay at home 24/7. Indeed, we first started this site when our oldest children were still just babies as a way to motivate ourselves to get out of the […]
Feeling antsy already? Try these family-friendly trails.
It was only a few weeks ago that I was lamenting how, once again, the school year seemed to have wizzed by. Here we were approaching the end of February, with only 3 1/2 months to go until summer break. I was getting particularly teary about my 4th grader, thinking how next year would be […]
Sensory Saturday at Imagine Nation
Imagine Nation is currently an Out and About Mom sponsor. No additional compensation was received for this post and all opinions are 100% the blogger’s own. Hi everyone! We have a really special post today. It’s a post that’s been a long time coming. For many years we have hoped that one day this blog […]
Maple Sugaring Activities in Connecticut (2020)
One of the things I love about writing this blog is that over the years I’ve grown increasingly aware of the subtle rhythms of New England agricultural life. I know that pick-your-own season officially opens with strawberries in June, that fresh berries and stone fruits start to top pancakes in local eateries in early July, […]