Category Archives: steller stories

apple picking in pa

apple-tree

henrywithapple

kidswithapples

walkingwithdaddy

 

It’s that time of year…apple picking season has commenced!!! Apologies for the excessive use of exclamation points, but I cannot contain my excitement! We couldn’t wait to take the kids, since they probably don’t remember last year (or maybe they do, somewhere in their subconscious, who knows). It was the perfect fall day here in Pennsylvania, and our area never fails to intoxicate me during this season. We headed a few minutes down the road to Highland Orchards, who also happens to make award-wining apple cider donuts – SO good. The kids were very excited, and I dressed them in appropriate apple picking attire. Ha…I went for style over practicality, as usual. They had the biggest smiles the entire time. Henry was especially into the picking, while Marie preferred to collect and bag them (she likes things orderly–my daughter all the way). Our local paper happened to be at the orchard and we ended up having an impromptu photo shoot!

 see more photos + a fun video on steller

our poconos vacation

kidsinferns

marieinferns

henryandcanoes

saltwaters

 

Our first big vacation as a family was a success! The rental home was dreamy, the days were filled with fun, and the weather was mostly cooperative. Amazingly, the kids adapted to the new environment quickly, taking naps and sleeping as usual…that was a big relief. They loved the lake, and requested to go to the beach (aka the big sandbox) every day. Having spent my summers as a kid on a lake in NH, I’ve missed it terribly, and I was happily surprised to find that despite it being in PA, the familiarity was there. Thanks to the kids, I conquered my bathing suit phobia and got into the water–it was quite liberating. We all loved being surrounded by so much nature – we saw a family of deer numerous times, and even had a wild turkey frequent the backyard (we named him Tom). As much as I wanted to see a bear (from afar), that didn’t happen…but they did manage to get into our trash and drag it into the forest for a feast. That made for a fun cleanup…good times. I was snap happy and took a zillion photos…you can see many more + some video of our vacation over on…

steller stories

french country farmhouse

french-country-decor

 

I’m excited to share a glimpse into this beautiful farmhouse that I toured in the Loire Valley of France. My brother told me about this amazing property and arranged a tour with the owner (one of his clients) while I was visiting. It is the quintessential french country farmhouse that so many of us dream of…rustic elegance at it’s finest. It is an experience I won’t soon forget – and I’m sharing the full story exclusively on Steller! If you’re not familiar with the app, you simply must check it out…it’s the latest and greatest way to share stories, and I’m obsessed. They’ve just released an update today, and Steller 2.0 is even better, with the addition of comments, hashtags, a snazzy new navigation, and more! Be sure to take a look at the full story, whether on the app or here. Be forewarned – it may leave you with severe wanderlust.

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