Category Archives: Holidays

Mother’s Day Is Coming Up Fast

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Lilacs are the flowers of Mother's Day always blloming around mid May

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and the big question is always the same: What do you get for the moms in your life? Or maybe you’re a mom yourself — in which case, feel free to start dropping hints in strategic locations around the house.

Let’s be honest: flowers are lovely, but indulgence is better. And what’s the number‑one indulgence most of us reach for? Chocolate. Always chocolate.

But if you want something that feels a little more spring‑kissed, take a look at this Lemon Coconut Cheesecake — bright, sunny, and just the right amount of decadent. 👉 shop here

And if sugar is something you’re watching, don’t worry. Andy Anand has you covered there too. Their Sugar‑Free, Gluten‑Free Chocolate Chip Cake looks so good it practically winks at you from the screen. 👉 Shop here

A little sweetness for Mother’s Day never hurt anyone.

Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase — at no extra cost to you. As always, I only share products I genuinely like and think you’ll enjoy.

May Day: The Traditions, the Mischief, and the Magic of May 1st

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🌼“Kids holding colorful ribbons as they dance around a tall maypole on a sunny May Day, with families watching from the crowd.”

I haven’t revisited May Day for a few years — fifteen, to be exact — but who’s counting. If you’re curious (or just in the mood for a laugh), you can see that original 2011 post here. May Day.

May Day is one of those holidays everyone’s heard of, but almost no one can fully explain — which is probably why it’s so much fun to write about. Depending on who you ask, May 1st is about flowers, bonfires, maypoles, ancient goddesses, or childhood memories of weaving ribbons around a pole without tripping over your classmates. And honestly? All of those answers are right.

🌸 A Holiday Older Than… Well, Almost Everything

May Day goes all the way back to the ancient world. The Romans celebrated Floralia, a weeklong festival honoring Flora, the goddess of youth, spring, and flowers. When they reached the British Isles, their festival collided with the Celtic celebration of Beltane, also held on May 1st — a fire festival marking the start of summer. Over time, the two blended into what we now recognize as May Day.

🌿 “Bringing in the May”

By the medieval period, May Day was the spring holiday across Europe. Villagers would wake up early to gather flowers and greenery — a tradition called “bringing in the May.” They decorated homes, barns, and even livestock with blossoms to welcome the season.

🎀 The Maypole (and the Competition to Have the Tallest One)

At the center of the festivities stood the maypole — usually a tall birch tree pulled into town by flower‑decked oxen. People danced around it holding colorful ribbons, weaving patterns as they went. Some towns even competed to see who could raise the tallest or most impressive pole.

👑 The May Queen

Many villages crowned a May Queen, a young woman chosen to preside over the day’s games, dances, and pageantry. Think of it as the original spring influencer — minus the hashtags.

🔥 Bonfires, Dew, and a Little Magic

In some regions, May Day included bonfires — a holdover from Beltane — and people believed washing your face in May morning dew would bring good luck and beauty for the year ahead. (Honestly, that one might be worth trying.)

🌼 And Then There’s New England…

Here in New England, the Puritans were not fans. When an Anglican merchant erected a maypole at Merry Mount (today’s Quincy) in 1627, the neighboring Puritans chopped it down and shipped him back to England. No sense of whimsy, those folks.

So while the Puritans may have tried to shut the whole thing down (party poopers, the lot of them), May Day survived — flowers, maypoles, mischief and all. And honestly? I think that’s worth celebrating. Even if the only dancing you do is from the coffee maker to the couch.

 

Patriots’ Day 2026

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A modern soldier and two Revolutionary War reenactors symbolizing centuries of American service. Taken on the Lexington Battle Green on Patriots Day

A Weekend of History in Lexington & Concord

Patriots’ Day doesn’t always line up neatly with Marathon Monday — and in 2026, it definitely doesn’t. If you live in Lexington or Concord, the celebration stretches across an entire weekend, with events beginning Friday night and continuing through Tuesday morning. Strangely enough, the actual date of Patriots’ Day — April 19 — is the one day with nothing scheduled.

Friday, April 17: The Weekend Begins

The spectaors line up for the Battle of Lexington.. 2011

The Crowd Gathers- 2011

Festivities kick off Friday evening with awards ceremonies and speeches, but the real highlight is Paul Revere’s Ride at 9 PM. Watching the rider thunder into town under the night sky feels like stepping straight into 1775.

Saturday, April 18: The Big Reenactment

Most of the major events happen Saturday. If you’re brave enough to get up before dawn, you can catch the famous 5:15 AM reenactment on Lexington Green. I did it once, back in 2011, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget. I left the house at 4 AM and still found parking tough and the crowd already deep. People even brought step ladders so they could see over everyone’s heads.

When the Redcoats marched down the main street, their uniforms looked astonishingly authentic. And the muskets — I had no idea they were that loud. The smoke from the black powder hung in the air like fog. I’m glad I went once, though I don’t feel the need to repeat the 4 AM wake‑up call.

After the battle, everyone heads to one of the three pancake breakfasts happening around town. I skipped it in 2011 and still regret that choice. If you’re already up before sunrise, you might as well reward yourself with pancakes.

Smoke from the musket fire drifts over the redcoats

Sunday, April 19: The Quietest Patriots’ Day

Here’s the odd part: Sunday is the actual date of Patriots’ Day, but there are no scheduled events. Maybe because it falls on a Sunday this year — who knows. But it creates a natural pause between Saturday’s reenactment and Monday’s festivities.

Monday, April 20: Patriots’ Day Meets Marathon Monday

Events pick back up Monday morning at 9:30 AM, with activities continuing until Paul Revere’s arrival at 12:30 PM on the Battle Green. By the time Revere completes his ride, the Boston Marathon will already be well underway. Two Massachusetts traditions, running side by side — literally.

Tuesday, April 21: A Ceremony Worth Noting

The weekend wraps up with something truly special: a Naturalization Ceremony at 11 AM on the Battle Green. Imagine becoming a U.S. citizen on the very ground where the country was born. If I were one of the new citizens, that moment would move me deeply.

 

Happy Easter

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May your Easter be colorful, cozy, and just a little bit sugary. Happy Easter!

Enjoy a colorful, spring Easter Cake with family and friends

Make your Easter Special

Classic Easter Traditions

  • Play Easter Games.
  • Enjoy an Easter Meal.
  • Dye Easter Eggs.
  • Eat a Giant Omelette. …
  • Host an Easter Egg Hunt. …
  • Make Hot Cross Buns. …
  • Fill Easter Baskets. …
  • Eat Chocolate Bunnies.
  • Enjoy an Easter Cake
  • Share an Easter Basket of Goodies

 

Happy Easter from my kitchen to yours!

April Fools!

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Balboa did this all on his own. It really is my life

April Fools!

🌼 April Fool’s Day: A Little History… and a Lot of Eye‑Rolling

April Fool’s Day is one of those holidays that refuses to explain itself. Historians have theories — calendar changes, spring festivals, general human mischief — but no one can point to a single moment when someone declared, “Let’s dedicate a whole day to tricking each other.”

Honestly, that feels about right.
Humans didn’t invent pranks on April 1.
April 1 simply became the day we admit we enjoy them.

🎭 The Calendar Confusion Theory

In the 1500s, France switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, moving New Year’s Day from late March to January 1. People who didn’t get the memo (or ignored it out of sheer stubbornness) were teased as “April fools.”

Imagine missing a calendar update and suddenly everyone’s taping paper fish to your back. Tough break.

🌱 The Spring Mischief Theory

Across cultures, spring festivals often included jokes, role reversals, and general silliness. After months of winter gloom, people were ready to laugh again. Hard to blame them.

🤷‍♀️ The “We Honestly Don’t Know” Theory

This is the historian’s shrug.
April Fool’s Day may simply be the result of centuries of people deciding that life is more fun when you keep everyone on their toes.

👀 My Role in All This? The Quiet Observer

Some people plan elaborate pranks.
Some people fall for them.
And then there are people like me — perched safely on the sidelines, watching the chaos unfold like it’s a nature documentary.

I don’t set traps.
>I don’t spring surprises.
>I just sip my coffee, keep a straight face, and enjoy the show.

It’s peaceful up here above the fray. No whoopee cushions, no fake spiders, no “your shoelace is untied.” Just calm observation and the occasional raised eyebrow.

🎣 But This Year… I’m Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

In honor of April Fool’s Day, I decided to contribute one tiny prank of my own — something gentle, something silly, something very me.

Here it is:

**“Happy April Fool’s Day!

In true New England fashion, today’s forecast calls for sun, snow, rain, hail, and a light chance of frogs.

Or as we call it here: Wednesday.”**

A harmless little wink to the weather gods — and to anyone who’s ever lived through a New England spring.

🐾 Banner & Balboa’s Official Statement

Of course, Banner and Balboa fully support April Fool’s Day.

  • Banner believes every day is a good day to knock something off a counter.
  • Balboa has been practicing stealth ankle attacks since February.
  • Together, they consider themselves pioneers of the holiday — true innovators in the field of household mischief.

Frankly, I’m just grateful they haven’t learned how to order prank supplies online.

🌸 And Now… the Required Dad Jokes

Because April Fool’s Day practically demands them.

  • Why are trees so excited in spring?
    They’re releafed winter is over.
  • What do you call a bear with no teeth?
    A gummy bear.

  • Why did the scarecrow win an award?
    He was outstanding in his field.
  • And the classic:
    I told my dog it was April Fool’s Day. He said he didn’t believe me. I told him I wasn’t kitten.

(Groans are optional but encouraged.)

🌼 Final Thought

Whether you’re the prankster, the prankee, or the quiet observer like me, April Fool’s Day is a reminder not to take life too seriously. Spring is here, the days are brighter, and a little silliness never hurt anyone.