Recently, I took a trip to one of my favorite places—Rockland, Maine. If you’ve never been to Mid-Coast Maine, and Rockland specifically, I encourage you to go. Hungry Bear (my guy) and I have been several times and we always enjoy it.

Since Rockland is about 2.5 hours away, we started out early by packing up the Pathfinder and heading north. The drive will take you up I-95 and over to Route 1. It’s very scenic, but there can be a lot of traffic in the summer.

Rockland is a town of approximately 7,300 people and it offers a lot of entertainment for its size. There are museums, an active downtown with an old-fashioned Strand theatre, tons of restaurants, and a Visitor’s Center. Surprisingly, there’s even a  synagogue. (It is so awesome to see Jewish Communal life flourishing, even in the most rural locations!)

We focused on sightseeing, dining, and outdoor attractions.

If you enjoy looking at ships, you will love Rockland. They have a working harbor and ferry boats that service 3 neighboring islands—Vinalhaven, North Haven, and Matinicus. We’ve always wanted to take the ferry trip, but there never seems to be enough time! (Some day soon we will, hopefully.)

At the ferry landing, there is a hidden jewel of a restaurant, Thai Tugboat. It’s run by a lovely lady named Sue who is from Thailand and makes delicious versions of her native dishes. We both ordered the Pad Thai. It’s a little different than most. It has chicken and noodles mixed with sauce, plus raw spinach and strips of cabbage on top. Very tasty! I ordered mine mild and Hungry Bear likes his extra spicy. There’s a nice rock table to eat at, or you can sit in the car.

After lunch, we were ready for some exercise. Rockland has an incredible rock pier called the Breakwater, which is 7/8 mile long and 20-feet wide that connects the land to a lighthouse. Pictures alone can’t convey how truly amazing it is! My only issue is that the rocks are uneven and if you’re not paying attention, it’s easy to slip. Also, good sneakers are a must.

If you’re not up for that, there’s also a lovely state park in the neighboring town of Owl’s Head that has woods with trails and a rocky beach. Just beautiful, very clean, and quiet.

After our walk, we were looking for a treat and encountered our only disappointment of the trip: Our favorite coffee/dessert place, a combo Tim Horton’s/Cold Stone Creamery shop had gone out of business! I’m not sure why, because it was fantastic. Instead, we tried a local ice cream hut called Dorman’s Dairy Dream. I ordered a pistachio cone and Hungry Bear got Banana. I thought it was only average, but I seem to be in the minority…

As we were eating our ice creams, I spotted a Smart Car at the dealership across the street, so we had to get a picture of that. (I have a slight Smart Car obsession.)

After a full and wonderful day, we had to head home, but there are many adorable Inns for those who want to stay overnight. Personally, I could spend an entire week on the Maine Coast and never tire of it.

Our last stop of the night was in the town of Freeport, halfway home.

For those of you who’ve never been to L.L. Bean, you’ll pass right by it along the way. Stop in! The place is legendary for a reason. They have free coffee and tea; they’re open 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, and they have the best winter boots you’ll ever buy.

Maine truly is Vacationland!

Anyone else having some holiday blues today? Normally, I love the 4th of July and always look forward to it. Instead of the awesome holiday I expected, it’s been a disaster! Here is how my crummy 4th of July transpired:

* I woke up to an ant infestation in the kitchen. All of the counters were covered in little monsters! I spent 15 minutes spraying everything down with straight bleach and another hour coughing, sneezing, and wiping my itchy eyes.

* I decided to tackle a huge pile of laundry. (I haven’t been washing during the heat wave and it had built up into a mountain.) On the first load, the washer began thumping, pounding, and screeching beyond belief! Evidently, it’s not rinsing and everything came out sopping wet. Did I mention it was a load of towels…

* Annoyed with the laundry and ant disasters, I tried out an eagerly-anticipated new recipe for Chicken with Apricot and Onions. Due to some extremely bitter apricots, it flopped royally! There went my special dish for the 4th…

* The 90-degree heat has broken, only to be replaced by wicked thunder and lighting storms. During the worst of it, Pumpkin decided to go outside to play. He returned covered in mud, shaking, and crying. Guess who had no clean towels to dry him with? Sigh…

* We enjoy going to the annual fireworks show. Due to the storms, it has been canceled.

So, here I am, at 2:00 in the afternoon, during which is supposed to be my vacation, having the world’s crummiest 4th of July! Oh well, there’s always next year…

I sincerely hope everyone else is enjoying a happy and healthy 4th!

A big thanks to the wonderful folks at Cumberland Farms for sending me this amazing prize pack! It contained an assortment of goodies—sunglasses, Frisbee, pencils, lip balm, a beach ball, and much more!

I loved getting a free Chill Zone almost as much.

For those of you who live outside of New England, let me familiarize you with this awesome chain. They have great coffee, snacks, and other tasty items. If you’re ever in the area, stop in. You won’t regret it!

Lately, I’ve been on a mission to get more energized. I’m used to waking up feeling exhausted. I’m talking about bone-tired, headache/backache, completely lethargic. Do you ever feel like that? It’s certainly not my ideal start. What I want to feel is happy, healthy, and most of all, energized! By making simple lifestyle tweaks, I have greatly increased my vitality. Here are my top 10 ways to increase energy:

1. Drink Water

Most people are mildly dehydrated all the time without knowing it. By the time you feel thirst, you are very dehydrated! Water is the most hydrating beverage. Things like coffee and tea actually have the opposite effect, so you can’t count on them to feel energized. There’s no magic number of glasses to drink, but I like to have at least 4 big ones daily. If you’re a water hater, try making Citrus Chillers.

2. Eat Healthy

If your breakfast consists of a sugary drink/pastry mix, you’re setting yourself up for an energy crash. Try lean protein, whole grains, and fresh fruit for breakfast. I guarantee you’ll feel 100% better.

As for lunch and dinner, focus on lots of fresh veggies. Go light on carbs, salt, fat, and all the other junk. Avoid the fast food trap. Bring a snack instead of hitting the vending machine. Nuts are a good choice in moderation.

While healthy food is most important, don’t expect to get all of your nutrients from meals. I recommend taking a multi-vitamin and any additional supplement you need.

3. Exercise

I love to take a walk at night when the weather is cool. My favorite place in the world to walk is at the beach. I don’t like the gym at all. I’d much rather be looking at nature and breathing fresh air. Even 10-15 minutes of walking can greatly improve health.

4. Eliminate Clutter

When my home is filled with clutter, I go crazy! It’s not fun to waste time looking for lost items in a sea of crap. Be ruthless with elimination. You will save precious time and energy when everything is pared down and put into its designated place. Don’t hang on to things for sentimental reasons. You know you will never use it again. Toss it!

5. Get Adequate Sleep

I have trouble with insomnia, so this tip is a biggie for me. The most productive schedule is an Early-to-Bed/Early-to-Rise, which I struggle with constantly. When I actually do go to bed and rise early, I am remarkably more focused and energized. Ideally, you will go to sleep and wake up at the same time, 7 days a week consistently and sleep 8 hours straight through. This rarely happens for me, but it is my goal, and I continue to work on it.

6. Reduce Stress

There is always something to be upset about—work, family, health issues, finance, home repairs, the weather… If you can’t control it, don’t obsess over it. Tackle one problem at a time, cross it off the list, then move on to the next. Trying to deal with everything at once will only make you miserable and exhausted.

7. Learn to say “NO”

Are you surrounded by “Psychic Vampires” who drain you dry with their neediness? I’ve been there! You have to keep such people at arms length. This is particularly true of family members who will guilt trip you into oblivion. I’ve learned to say no when I truly mean NO. If you don’t want to do it, have courage and say so.

8. Find time for fun

If all you do is work, watch tv, sleep and repeat, you will be left with zero energy! Life isn’t supposed to be drudgery. Carve out time for hobbies you enjoy. Personally, I love to read, coupon, try new recipes, and create stylish outfits. Even a few minutes of fun can renew and refresh me during a crazy/busy day.

9. Quiet Time

This is similar to fun time, but it has to be a quiet activity. If you’re listening to traffic, tv, radio, and yelling people throughout the day, it’s sensory overload and the mind just shuts down. I find that my quiet time also needs to be alone time.

10. Plan a loose schedule

This tip is especially important for those who Work at Home (me), or Stay at Home with little ones. It seems counterintuitive, but even though you’re physically in the home, stuff still doesn’t get accomplished. For me, I find that having a loosely planned schedule solved this problem. Don’t confuse this with micro-managing every minute. I just write out a basic To-Do list daily. Anything that remains unfinished is added to the next day’s list.

If you’ve tried all 10 of these tips and you’re still exhausted, make a doctor’s appointment. You may be anemic or dealing with a thyroid issue—both of which are easily treated. Don’t let fear of the unknown keep you tired and unhappy.

 

What makes you feel energized?