05Jul 2017 by Christine Crutchfield No Comments

Touted Travel – Encinitas, CA

Our last travel spotlight focused on a fun town in the upper Northeast part of the United States. This week, I’d like to bring you all to the opposite corner of the country to the town of Encinitas in the coastal Southwest, another place close to my heart. I used to be one of those rarities you hear about - a native San Diegan, born in Balboa Naval Hospital and raised (aside from a couple brief stints before I was 4) in Spring Valley. At nineteen, I decided to check out life on the East Coast and headed to Connecticut for college, but for grad school I moved back to my home county, this time living it up and sharing space with a band along the coast in Del Mar…

03Jul 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 20 Comments

Making Summer Memories Within Budget Means

Living

School is out, the kids are home, and summer is finally here! It’s the time to make memories and have some fun with the nicer weather, extra daylight, and time together. Unfortunately, summer fun and memory-making can get expensive! Fairs, amusement parks, mini-golfing, vacations, arcades and more can certainly add up! Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be! With a little planning and creativity, there are lots of ways to make the most of it without draining the piggy bank. Here are 10 activities to keep the young and old entertained for the day (or at least a good chunk of it!) on a budget: Create a summer soundtrack. Have you ever heard a song that brought you back to a specific memory? Music has a funny way of…

30Jun 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 22 Comments

5 Friday Favorites – Fourth of July Edition

Living

The life you have imagined is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Happy Friday, everyone! The 4th of July is fast approaching, and if you happen to be lucky like my husband and I, you have a long, 4 day weekend to look forward to. For today’s Friday Favorites, I’m sharing my 5 favorite things to make your holiday festivities the most fun! 1. Sangria - If you know me, you know sangria is one of my favorite things. I rarely celebrate a holiday without creating some concoction of the sangria sort. I love experimenting with different flavors and fruits, so no two sangrias I make…

26Jun 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 1 Comment

It’s Coming! 8 Week Countdown to the Solar Eclipse

Living, Traveling

The life you have imagined is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I can’t help but to hear it in my head, “There’s nothing I can say, a total eclipse of the…” sun? Eight weeks from today, many people in the United States will have the opportunity to experience a nearly once-in-a-lifetime event, a total solar eclipse. Once in a lifetime? you might think. I’ve heard of lots of eclipses happening. And you wouldn’t be wrong. But there are many things that, when added up, will make this year’s eclipse extra special. Type of Eclipse: For starters, it’s important to understand that there are different types…

23Jun 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 8 Comments

5 Friday Favorites – Camping Hacks Edition

Living

The life you have imagined is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. It’s another glorious Friday, and I’m back to share my 5 Friday Favorites. Today, in honor of an annual friends camping trip I’ll be enjoying this weekend, I’m excited to share my 5 favorite camping hacks for a great time. As I've mentioned before, I love to camp. There is just something about sitting around the campfire with friends for the weekend that recharges me, whether it be being out in nature, escaping the usual weekend obligations, enjoying the company, or, most likely, all of the above. Just to clarify, these hacks are intended…

21Jun 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 12 Comments

First Day of Summer Celebration – Summer Bucket List

Living

It’s finally here! My 4th favorite day of the year after Christmas, Halloween, and my birthday. It’s the first official day of summer and nearly the longest day of sunlight (which actually happens on the 24th). To celebrate the first day of my favorite season, I compiled a bucket list of 50 summer activities to enjoy in the sunshine (and the occasional rain) this year, complete with a free downloadable checklist pdf for easy printing and marking off. I know I’m hoping to check a few of these off my list this week! Happy 1st Day of Summer! ~ Download FREE printable here ~ Spend a long weekend on the coast Go canoeing Fly a kite Eat a lobster roll Go sailing Watch a movie at the drive-in Have a…

16Jun 2017 by Christine Crutchfield No Comments

5 Friday Favorites – Fantastic Fathers Edition

Living

Happy Friday, everyone! It’s nice to be back celebrating my favorite day of the week. With Father’s Day only two days away, this week we’ll be honoring those people in our lives who have played a fatherly role, whether they be our biological fathers or not. I know I was happy being Daddy’s Little Tomboy growing up, but role models come in lots of forms, from mentors to step-fathers to single mothers. Often times, we get so distracted by all the multitasking and things we do in life that we fail to take the time to really connect on an important day like Father’s Day. We pick a gift and card and check the item off our To-Do list. Instead (or in addition), I propose this year we really take…

14Jun 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 12 Comments

Wednesday Wisdom – Gratitude

Living, Teaching, Traveling, Writing

Phew! This blogging thing bends my brain and captivates my attention in ways I’m not used to! My goal is to share thoughtful, quality posts consistently on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday basis, and though I am working hard to do so, I can’t seem to keep my days straight. It’s like being in my classroom in Connecticut on M/W/F and continually telling my students I’ll see them on T/Th (which I frequently do) when I teach in Massachusetts on those days. But so far I just haven’t quite gotten it down. So, we’ll consider yesterday a bonus post (hooray!), and today we’ll do something light and fun. I’ve been feeling really lucky to be working full time this summer on something I’m passionate about, so I want to take a moment to…

13Jun 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 3 Comments

Touted Travel – Wells, Maine

Living, Traveling

There is nowhere quite like Maine in the summer. The snow’s melted away and left in its wake vibrant green mountains and a plethora of rivers and lakes for the hiking or canoeing connoisseur. However, summer beach lovers have just as much reason to visit our most north-easterly state. With over 6,000 islands and more than 3,500 miles of crooked coastline, there are numerous coves, harbors, and beaches for the sandy-souled visitor to enjoy, not to mention a multitude of adorable coastal towns! Even better news is that the beaches of Southern Maine are actually more accessible than one might think. While Maine does seem quite far away, the drive from New York City to York Beach is less than 5 hours, and from Boston, it’s only an hour and…

09Jun 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 8 Comments

5 Friday Favorites – Fabulous Female Edition

Living

Happy Friday, everyone! In honor of my favorite day of the week, I’m starting a new feature called 5 Friday Favorites. Some days, like today, that feature will have its own theme, and other times it will just be a collection of my favorite discoveries of the week or things I am thankful for. This week, the theme only seemed fitting: 5 Fabulous Females! So, without further ado, I present them to you: Wonder Woman - so many amazing things about this movie. For starters, it’s about time, right?!? I was born in the late 70s, so I don’t remember the series when it originally aired, but I absolutely remember watching the reruns faithfully in the 80s and wearing that ridiculous plastic costume with the creepy mask. The return…