Archives for September 2018

09/25/2018

12 Shopping Resources for Kids in the School Year

If the architects of the calendar were to create a redesign, the year would begin in September. Households are whipped back into reality, shaped into discipline with school, activities and iPad-free weeks. To keep the structure manageable we created twelve editor-tested resources for kids that includes everything from school necessities to dependable party vendors.

: School-ready with a pocket-friendly backpack and durable clothing.

: Hydro Flask is a solid water bottle with a secure top so backpacks don’t come home drenched.

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Posted By jdemontravel

09/19/2018

Kids who Rock Climb Really Do Go to the Top

Squirrels are gathering, leaves are beginning to fall and I am in a total panic. The onset of an endless winter presents a seasonal challenge. Do you think The Shining could have been set in the summer? Thus I’ve begun crafting a robust itinerary for the kids. Active ones where they are not losing themselves in digital worlds. One sport that stands out is rock climbing.

Rock climbing is an exceptional outlet for kids in a digital world.

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Posted By jdemontravel

09/11/2018

We Love Great Legs – And We’re Talking Furniture

Great legs aren’t designated to models and paleo dieters, they are also a covetable feature in home decor. Jenny Lind furnishings is a popular design, which has carved, knobby legs that look like a stack of Christmas ornaments. (The name is attributed to the Swedish opera singer who was the Victorian’s version of Beyonce due to her fame as a Barnum headliner.) The style evoked the cottage elegance of New England summer homes of the time. Today the look still reigns and is fashioned for a contemporary aesthetic. You’ll find pieces with slim silhouettes, bright colors, and varying scales to mark a designed quality to any space.

The Polly platform bed by AllModern shows how an inspired palette can command a look.

Slim Based Furniture Must-Haves

: 1. Stepstool

: 2. Changing Table

: 3. Accent Chair

: 4. Platform bed

: 5. Dresser

: 6. Metal twin bed

: 7. Lamp

: 8. Crib

: 9. Bookcase

: 10. Side Table

Lucano Two-Step Stool 2. DaVinci Baby Changing Table 3. Grand in Road Victoria Side Chair 4. Bed Bath & Beyond Platform Bed 5. Home Meridian 3-Drawer Dresser 6. Ashley Furniture Metal Bed 7. Crate & Barrel Lamp 8. AllModern 3-in-1 Convertible Crib 9. Crate & Barrel Bookcase 10. Sauder Side Table

Resources:

Polly Platform Bed: AllModern

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Posted By jdemontravel

09/05/2018

24 Hours of Rural Sophistication in the Berkshires

Getting away is more than a pause from everyday life, it’s a needed restart from everyday existence. I live in a town where home upgrades and trading in cars happen in the same cycle as an annual checkup. Life becomes a constant rotation of contractors and car dealers. This is why traveling to the Berkshires for nature, history, and a slower-paced existence keeps you connected to simpler values. Even taking Route 7 north to the region is less manic than those urban edged-highways with billboards telling you to buy everything from a swimming pool to the best pizza in the county. The scenery offers gratuitous visions of historic structures and bucolic settings that take you back to vacation drives when you used Mad Libs to pass the time.

View from The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Lenox home that is a repose from the everyday.

The Berkshires have long been known as an artistic retreat for urbanites. It was the home of Norman Rockwell and Edith Wharton for a decade before she settled in Europe. It’s also the summer stomping ground of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where they entertain music enthusiasts at Tanglewood from July through August. This attracts visitors who have a keen interest in cultural activities in a quiet seasonal setting. There is also an abundance of churches, hiking trails and quaint shops to explore.

Scene from No. Six Depot that has an urban sensibility in a rustic locale.

On route we stopped at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe in West Stockbridge, an innovative eatery that roasts and produces their own coffee. On Mondays you may even see employees packaging the beans in the back. Though the delicacies are not exclusive to coffee. The updated railroad station, the oldest in the Berkshires, features an art gallery and farm-to-table menu helmed by South American Flavio Lichententhal. Lichententhal moved from Manhattan to the Berkshire’s with his wife, Lisa Landry, who oversees the tea and gallery. The No. Six Depot experience goes hand in hand with the Berkshires as a sensual escape.