Wildfire smoke crept up on NYC a couple of weeks ago from Canada and I was quickly reminded of how drafty our 100 year old windows are when our air purifier was giving nearly the same AQI (or Air Quality Index… a term that I now check daily) got up to the 300’s. We didn’t know how long it would last and the idea of being cooped up inside with a wild toddler and a big dog who already has a heart issue was quickly boosting my anxiety.

Continue reading A Pet-Friendly Hotel Gem in Maine at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

After stopping by Long Valley Peonies this past weekend I wanted to list a round-up of some of my favorite flower fields and farms we have been to and some that we would love to go to this summer. There are so many farms and festivals within about 2 hours of New York City during the summer so hopefully this list helps you create some fun summer plans. There are a couple of places on this list that peaked in the early spring but I added them anyways so you can save for next year.

Continue reading Flower Farms Outside of the City at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

Our first international trip with Brooks went surprisingly smooth so I wanted to share some thoughts and items we brought that made things easier! When planning our trip to Copenhagen we knew we would need to try and keep Brooks entertained and happy on the 8-hour flight and then adjust to a new time zone. We hoped that he would sleep for most of the overnight flight, but knew we would have our hands full on the flight back to NYC during the day.

Continue reading Our First Time Traveling to Europe with a 1 Year Old at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

What I’m Wearing

My sister moved to Copenhagen last summer for her job and, since then, it’s been on my list of European cities to visit. We decided to split up our stay by spending half the time at her home (in a town 15 minutes outside of Copenhagen) and the other half in the city at Hotel Sanders. I’m so glad we got to experience her everyday routine and ride the train into the city but also experience staying central to the city which was when we really started learning our way around more.

Continue reading Everywhere We Went in Copenhagen at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

TJ, Brooks, and I got to do something that has been on my fall bucket list for the longest time… travel to Woodstock, VT, in (almost) peak foliage week and stay at the Woodstock Inn! If you are like me and love quaint towns, colorful mountains, local history, and great people, Woodstock is a must visit. I have wanted to visit multiple towns in Vermont (and New Hampshire) for years now it did not disappoint!

Continue reading A Weekend in Woodstock, Vermont at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

I mentioned previously that I’ve been in a major road trip mood this summer. I never really wanted to leave NYC those first couple of years here because everything was so new! I wanted to experience everything I possibly could in every season so we really didn’t leave very often. These days, I’ve felt a desire to see new places and retreat outside of the city for a few days at a time, especially since we have a car again.

Continue reading Exploring Greenport and Lavender By The Bay at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

Recently I asked locals what their favorite spot to visit/vacation in the Northeast was, especially with a big dog. Pearl is over 100lbs right now and it is a struggle to find resorts or places that accommodate that size of a dog (even though she is the sweetest ever). There are a lot of beautiful places up here and I have a strong desire this summer to explore as many as possible! But here are a few that were mentioned multiple times that also accept large dogs:

Scribner’s Lodge – The Catskills

Scribner’s Lodge is located in Hunter, NY, about a 2.5 hour drive from the city.

Continue reading (Big) Dog Friendly Stays in New York on our Summer Wish List at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

TJ and I agreed that this was our favorite part of our recent trip… it was our first time ever visiting Italy but it was also the most relaxing part of our entire trip. After driving 2.5 hours from Nice, we parked our car for 3 days at Imperiale Palace Hotel in Santa Margherita. This town is about 8-10 minutes down the road from Portofino and our hotel was a quick 5 minute walk to all of the restaurants and shops Santa Margherita had to offer.

Continue reading Where We Stayed in Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

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We recently returned from our second visit to France and we loved it just as much as we remembered. We traveled there two years ago and it was one of our favorite trips we’ve gone on so we knew we had to return one day. I think it’ll be a place I’ll want to continue visiting every couple of years or so… it gives me so much inspiration in so many areas of life.

Continue reading Planning a Trip to the South of France at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

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With a baby on the way this December and the recent loss of our sweet lab Colbie, we’ve somewhat last-minute decided to squeeze in some travel to a couple of places as a family of two. TJ and I have been together for almost 12 years and traveling together has always been one of our favorite things to do but, like most people in the world, we haven’t left our home too much in the last 1.5 years.

Continue reading Packing for an International Trip at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.