Intentionally Getting Cold and Other Ramblings

On this snow day while my kids are home and I'm not working, I'm reflecting on one of my biggest fears about moving up north, not being able to go outside during the winter months. Before we made the move, I had a fear we would be stuck inside for months at a time, eating carbs and sobbing. I worried we'd suffer from a lack of vitamin D and exercise, and constantly fight with each other while the kids tore the house apart with all their extra energy that wasn't getting released because it was too snowy and cold to go outside.

What I've learned so far is that my fear could come true if we let it.  The kids could easily get absorbed in Fortnite and I could sit on the couch eating the latest Trader Joe specialty flavored potato chips every night dreaming of warmer evenings outside.

If we don't make a point to go outside, it would be easy for us to hibernate all winter. It's cold and there's a lot of snow on the ground, and sitting in front of the fire is easier than putting on layers and brushing off our cars.

We have to be intentional about going outside. This takes a little work and shift in thought, especially for me. Instead of taking the kids to an indoor jump house last week where it was warm and cozy, albeit full of unruly children, we decided to go to a second-hand sporting goods store in Amherst to buy used ice skates and snowboards. (Side note, there needs to be one of these in Niagara Falls, is there one that I don't know about? Someone needs to open a Play-It-Again Sports around here. I can't imagine that it wouldn't do well. The place in Amherst is tiny.) Back to my ramblings, we made a small ramp off our back steps so our kids could practice snowboarding. My husband made an ice rink in the backyard, which wasn't hard at all because there was already a decent layer of ice from previous melted snow. On Tuesday evening before the temperature dropped too low, the kids practiced snowboarding and my husband ice skated. I walked around the yard taking in the winter wonderland we were creating. The snow cascaded down all around us and it was beautiful. I wish I had taken pictures but I was too busy enjoying it.

My friends in Charleston have been texting me nonstop over the last two days checking in on me during the winter storm. They want to know if I'm surviving. It's not that bad, really, it's not. I love the texts, I feel loved, but I'm doing ok. It's too cold to go outside today but by Saturday we will back on the ice rink.

And it's not just about being outside, it's about getting out. Last Friday night I was feeling a little stuck. I'm a freelance writer and I've been writing a lot, which is great, but it also means I'm home a lot. I haven't been exploring as much as I want. I voiced this to my husband and instead of ordering pizza like we normally do on a Friday night, we piled in the car to go to Lewiston for dinner. It was cold and snowy but we had a great time. The restaurant was packed and it reminded me that winter is what you make of it. We (maybe not the locals but the rest of us) let images of snow and cold temps stifle us but we can't let the instinct to hibernate take over.

A Storm is Brewing

There is a winter storm coming this weekend and I feel like I need to prepare. My kitchen is already stocked as I went to the store earlier this week but there are a few things I still need. I began making a list and realized that preparing for a winter storm is much like preparing for a tropical storm in Charleston. I have lots of experience in this area so it's easy to relate the two. It's not quite like preparing for a hurricane as that would involve many more canned items, which honestly no one ever gets around to eating. We lost power for five days when hurricane Matthew hit Charleston a few years ago. We ate everything in our house, except the canned items.

Lucky for us, the storm is coming over the weekend so we can all stay home and enjoy the snow. I'm sure I would be panicking a bit more if I had to get out and drive in it. I know this isn't the case for everyone and there are lots of people that will need to go to work this weekend. For those folks, I'm hoping everyone stays safe on the roads. In Charleston, when a storm was coming, the locals that had been through many storms in the past would laugh at those that freaked out and bought all the bread off the shelves. I wonder, are the locals here laughing at this post? Honestly, I hope you are. I'm a newbie, I deserve it.

Here is the start of my grocery list, sorted by priority.

Since I have snow on the brain, there is something else I've noticed. Kids are resilient when it comes to weather. When we lived in Charleston, my kids rarely put on a heavy coat. There just wasn't the need. When they did have to, there was always lots of grumbling and pretending to be uncomfortable. This morning, my kids put on their heavy coats, snow boots, gloves and winter hats without one word. They just do it now. We've only been here six months and it's only been cold a few months but they already have this cold weather thing down.

"Mom, snow is a lot like sand at the beach. It's fun to play in you just need different clothes." Resilient. And wise.

The Tattered Tulip Isn't So Tattered

Oh, Joanna Gaines. She gives me such inspiration and heartache. I yearn to have her style and loathe that I cannot afford to redecorate my house, rip out my kitchen and install trendy black and white tile in my foyer.

To cure my decorating fix, a friend took me to The Tattered Tulip the other day. It's out towards Lockport and you sort of feel you are in the middle of nowhere when you pull up to the barn-like building but after looking on a map when I got back home, it's really not that far away. I just have a tendency to glaze over when someone else is driving.

The Tattered Tulip is filled top to bottom with the most adorable things. They carry vintage items and new things, too. They offer a mix of styles. Lots of modern farmhouse decor, some boho inspired items and a few mid-century designed pieces. I had never heard of this store before but I think it's definitely worth the trip if you live in the area or if you are visiting.

I also found that everything was very reasonably priced. I purchased a modern gold-framed sign for only $13 and it's now one of my favorite things in our living room. I took a picture of this wall planter because I desperately want to go back and get it.

If you've been watching too many Fixer Upper reruns like I have, make sure to check this place out. It's enough to make Joanna Gaines drool.

Snowbirds Like Pizza, Too.

It snowed the other night. While that might not mean anything to you, I'm still getting my snow legs. I'm still a little hesitant about driving while it's snowing out. But I'm a mother and my kids needed dinner and my husband offered to make pizza. I volunteered to run out to get the stuff he needed.

There is a small market called Pellicano's Marketplace on Niagara Falls Boulevard. They sell lots of things but mostly they sell Italian brands, lots of meats, and soups and pastas. It's in an old building that has lots of character and they are always playing Italian music inside. I think what I love most about the place is that everyone who works there wears a fedora. I like to wander around and look at all the brands I'm not familiar with. It's such a treat for me each time I go there.

Pellicano's Marketplace has pizza dough delivered from a bakery over the border in Canada. It's a great alternative when my husband doesn't have time to make his own dough.

So while it was snowing out, I ventured over to Pellicano's. As I pulled into the parking lot, as silly as it sounds, I was very proud of myself. And when I arrived home, I grabbed this pic. Home Sweet Home.

Apple Picking, Foliage and DiCamillo Bakery

I know it's winter and you're wondering why I'm writing about apple picking and foliage but I'm playing a bit of catch up on the blog. Despite that there is currently snow on the ground, I am writing about this past fall. Living in the South my whole life where it's 90 degrees until November, I've never experienced fall for what it really is.

One of the best things about living in the Niagara Falls area is experiencing all four seasons, or so I've been told. I've been through two and half seasons thus far so we'll see how spring goes. If I'm thawed out by then, we'll call it a success.

This past fall I wanted to do all the "fall" things I had seen in movies and pictures. The first thing I did when the temperature cooled down was take my boys apple picking.

We picked way more apples than I thought we could ever eat, somehow we managed just fine, and I'm sure the boys got sick of getting apples in their lunch boxes everyday but the abundance of apples made me branch out. I made my first apple pie and my first batch of apple sauce. Both were quite good.

We went to Smith's Orchid located in Pendleton. They had Apple Cider Slushies and Cider Donuts available and they were perfection! The boys also had fun watching how apple cider was made.

When October arrived, the leaves started changing and all the colors I ever imagined lined each street. The foliage here is breathtaking. On Halloween, I spent more time taking pictures of the leaves than I did of my kids trick-or-treating.

The other wonderful thing I discovered this past fall was the ice cream sandwich at DiCamillo Bakery. Fall has nothing to do with an ice cream sandwich, it just happens to be the season in which I was introduced to this heavenly thing. If you live in the area then you no doubt know about DiCamillo Bakery. We get our bread fresh from there weekly. The doughnuts are amazing and they have the best broccoli pizza I've ever had. When my in-laws, who live in Niagara Falls, would visit us in Charleston, they would bring us a broccoli pizza in their suitcase.  Unconventional, yes, but it worked! I'm sure the other passengers on the plane were curious about the smell.

But in my opinion, even better than the bread and the pizza, are the ice cream sandwiches. The cookies, despite being frozen, are remarkably soft and they don't crumble or fall apart. The whole thing is heaven in your mouth. You must go out and try one.

Moving Up North

When I told my friends and family we were leaving Charleston, SC and moving to the Niagara Falls area, the reaction was the same, "why?" It wasn't just what they asked, because the question alone would most certainly be asked by anyone but it was how they asked it. There were gasps and stunned faces and wrinkled foreheads. It was as if I had told them I was moving to Mars and never coming back. My husband and I would sigh and repeat ourselves, "Yes, yes, we are moving up North." And then without pause, we heard this, "but you're going in the wrong direction!" Even the PODS moving guy I first spoke with on the phone when looking for quotes said that to me. Did you know it is cheaper to move North than to move South because everyone is going South? Apparently they need PODS to also go in the other direction. Well, I've always marched to the beat of my own drum so moving in the wrong direction made sense to me.

I grew up in the South so moving to New York was a little scary, I must admit. I'm not going to lie. Cold winters, no warm ocean breezes, are the people as friendly? Do I know how to drive on ice? Does it really snow in April? But my husband grew up in Niagara Falls and I knew he would help us navigate snowy winters, and help me find southern BBQ and chicken biscuits when I was having a withdrawal. Turns out, I'm doing fine so far.  I just needed a heavy coat, some good boots and a snow brush.

We have lived in the area for six months and I love it. It's beautiful and there is so much to see and do. As 2019 kicks off, I've decided to share how lovely it is here in hopes that no one will ever have that "why" reaction again.

And guess what? The people are friendly, the food is good, there are wineries and parks and history! And I am going to share it all with you!

The Gorge and The Goat

I'm not going to share posts about the actual waterfall, because everyone, whether you have visited Niagara Falls or not, knows what the falls look like. I'd rather write about some of the areas that visitors might not be familiar with.

The first time a friend took me to hike the gorge I was blown away. There are beautiful, winding scenic paths all along the Niagara River that make for great walking and hiking trails. They are so great in fact, that I took my parents when they came to visit and they were also blown away. If you're more adventurous you can hike down a narrow staircase to get closer to the river but we stayed up high. I plan to get more adventurous this spring.

Spending a day just walking along the gorge is rejuvenating and you get some great exercise. There is something about being near water that makes me feel alive. Not to mention on your way there you can drive through the Deveaux neighborhood and look at all the old, historic homes, which is worth a trip itself.  I'm going to do a separate post on the historic homes in downtown Niagara Falls later.

But back to the gorge. The State Parks all along the river have lots of parking and every time I'm there the lots seem empty making it super easy to find a spot. There are also bathrooms near each parking location. I recommend parking by Devils Hole and walking along the gorge towards the whirlpool.  The path opens up often to views up and down the river and these openings would make great spots for photography. I went in the summer months and in the fall and it's equally beautiful. Next up, I'm going to bundle up and try it on a snowy day. I'll post pics when that happens.

I'd love to pack a picnic and sit along the river on a nice day. I found several spots on Goat Island where I wanted to sit for hours and take it all in. I have no idea if this is possible but I could just imagine myself with a blanket, a cheese plate and a bottle of wine. The only noise you hear is that of the water and wind.

This is my mom and me walking along the gorge near Devil's Hole State Park.

And this is my husband and two boys walking along a path on Goat Island.

A Little Winery Here and There

I have been visiting Niagara Falls every year for the last thirteen years. My husband grew up here so we came back annually to visit his family. In all the years I have visited the area, I had never ventured to the wineries.

This past fall, after we had moved here, my parents came up for a visit. We were on our way back from Wilson, a small village on Lake Ontario about thirty minutes from Niagara Falls, when we drove past a winery. It was right after lunch, my kids were still in school, and I had nothing to lose. On a whim, I pulled into the vacant lot. I imagine the winery gets very busy during peak times, but that day, we were the only ones there.

We sampled four wines for five dollars, let me repeat, five dollars! Then we bought a glass of our favorite sampling and took it outside to sit at a picnic table and enjoy the view of the vineyard. The rolling hills and rural setting is so different than the scenery in Niagara Falls. I could have sat there all day sampling wine. They have wine tours that take you to all the wineries in the Niagara area. But if you are like me and like to do things on a whim, just stopping into one is also great.

Here are a couple of shots of my parents and me.

We visited Long Cliff Winery. There are lots to choose from but that just happens to be the one we drove past that day. They let us walk all around outside and into the vineyard. The staff was very nice and knowledgeable and told us all about the wines we were sampling.

It was a great impulse day!