07Jun 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 4 Comments

7 Ways to Celebrate Milestone Birthdays

Living

It’s been said that the people we meet in high school or college will be our friends for life. This rings true for a lot of us. An interesting, yet not unexpected, phenomenon that happens in these situations is that a lot of life’s milestones and celebrations seem to happen in waves, from engagements to marriages to births and so on. Our friends group often becomes stronger and more closely knit as we experience and help each other through these things together. Another of life’s celebrations that seems to follow this trend is milestone birthdays. Whether it be 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th or beyond, we all get to experience them together. This is currently the case with my husband and I. We’ve both had the occasion to celebrate a milestone…

02Jun 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 7 Comments

Ultimate Road Trip Playlist

Living, Traveling

Happy Friday Everyone! It’s the start of the first weekend in June. To celebrate, I’ve put together the Ultimate 50-Song Road Trip Playlist for your summer adventures and driving dance parties. This themed playlist has something for everyone, from indie to reggae, pop to hip-hop, and classics to country, to get your weekend started off right. Am I missing your favorite drive-themed song? Let me know in the comments! Happy and safe motoring! https://open.spotify.com/user/129247063/playlist/2uI9BSXM5tJD1uyB2PhV4m Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root Ramble On - Train Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf Road Trippin’ - Red Hot Chili Peppers Cruise - Florida Georgia Line Getaway - Hudson Moore Take the Long Way - Po’ Girl Life Is a Highway - Tom Cochrane Run Devil Run - Crowder Come with Me Now…

31May 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 8 Comments

Artistic Influence and Inspiration

Living, Writing

Growing up in San Diego, I thought I understood heat. Aside from the towns sprinkling the coast, Southern California is little more than a desert, after all. In July, August, and September, temps could easily top 100 degrees. In high school, we’d be dismissed early for heat days rather than snow days if temperatures were predicted over 90. Despite all that, it wasn’t until I visited my grandparents in Florida for July and August one summer that I truly experienced heat. The dry heat of San Diego was nothing compared to the thick humidity that soaked into my lungs after stepping out of the air conditioned airport in Orlando. And yet somehow, my cousin and I, desperate for that summer glow, would tug on our bathing suits and lay out on…

29May 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 1 Comment

Memorial Day – for My Father and Others Who Have Served

Living, Writing

Today is Monday, May 29th. Memorial Day. It is a day laden with multiple layers of connotation: most importantly, remembrance of those who died while protecting our freedoms, but also, the unofficial first day of summer, a long weekend off from work, the ushering in of nice weather, and for me, this year, the second anniversary of marriage to my husband. I grew up in a military family. My dad served in the Navy until his retirement. His father and my mom’s father served as well. My husband’s family is very similar. My maternal grandfather is buried among the uniform white rows of headstones that make my throat constrict in sadness no matter how many times I see them. There is nothing quite like a military cemetery, except maybe a…

14Apr 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 7 Comments

The Ultimate Guide to a Girlfriend Slumber Party

Living

Remember the days of junior high and high school? There was always some cute guy to gossip about, a scary movie to be watched, a few rounds of truth or dare to be played. Slumber parties became an outlet for girls to get together and form life-long bonds of friendship and sometimes conspiracy, depending on the truths revealed and dares performed. They were light-hearted, fun and fraught with teenage angst and excitement. Then, we moved on to college, and, if we were lucky enough to get along with our roommates, almost any night could turn into a slumber party. Gossip, movies and truth or dare often survived the transition to college, too, only to be joined by alcohol-infused confessions during “I Never” and maybe a boy or two. Sadly, college…

05Apr 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 17 Comments

Let’s Go to Camp! 10 Great Camps for Adults

Living

It’s early April, with Spring having just sprung, and the temperatures slowly starting to warm up (at least here in New England). With my mind on the warmer days ahead, I finally picked up the phone and booked my site for an annual friends camping trip in June. It’s one of two trips my husband and I enjoy every year, this one being more local, with another canoeing and camping trip up to Maine in July. And it got me thinking. What is it about camping that we love so much? Growing up, camping was a big part of my childhood. I enjoyed Girl Scout camp and 6th Grade camp, as well as family camping. There was always some sense of adventure that went with it, whether it was being away…

31Mar 2017 by Christine Crutchfield No Comments

30 Days to the Life You Have Imagined

Living

Many of us imagine a life full of doing things we are passionate about, following our dreams, having fun, being active, and enjoying every moment. Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy to translate those daydreams into reality. Our lives are full of distractions, obligations, technology, and other things that pull our attention away from living the life we imagine. Often times, it takes a serious plan to start turning those dreams into reality. We need to make it a habit to actively pursue our joys and passions, just as we do with other things that are beneficial for us. The good news is that once we start establishing the habit, it gets easier to keep up long term. I felt inspired to provide a jump-start toward a more fulfilling life…

24Mar 2017 by Christine Crutchfield No Comments

TGIF

Living

Today is Friday… my favorite day of the week, Friday! I feel like most people might pick Saturday as their favorite day, but no, not me. But I have to work on Fridays, some people might say. And sure, I’ve been there. But there’s a certain buzz about Fridays, a natural high from knowing that you’ve almost made it through the week, that feeling of freedom that sets in once you’ve put in your time and walk out the door into your weekend, and maybe you’ve got something fun planned for Friday night, and maybe you got to wear jeans to work that day, but there’s always the anticipation from knowing you still have two whole days off ahead of you. Talk about a natural high. It’s a lovely feeling,…

13Mar 2017 by Christine Crutchfield 5 Comments

“Go confidently!” – Thoreau

Living

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined!” - Thoreau I remember the first time I saw this quote. I was in grad school at San Diego State, working toward my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. I lived with a band near the beach in North County. My boyfriend was the bass player. I wrote, studied, gave poetry readings, taught freshman composition, went to the beach, partied with the band, and worked with amazing organizations like Poetry International, the Border Voices Poetry Project, and California Poets in the Schools. Life was good. I was in my element. I felt like I could conquer the world. I bought the magnet from the museum shop at the mall and promptly put it on the…