2020 wasn't a normal year. That's the biggest understatement of the year. Maybe some of you really thrived and maybe some of you really struggled to just survive. And both of that is ok.

There is no need to feel guilt if 2020 was full of many blessings, and there is no need to feel shame and embarrassment if 2020 was downright hard, and you got nothing you wanted to accomplishment. Instead, let's look to lift each other up this upcoming year. 

If you are looking to set goals for the new year, I would like to share how I set my goals for the year in a few easy steps. You can also sign up to take the Add One-A-Day 30 Day Challenge to help you stay on track with your goals. 

I'm still old school and need to write things down. A good planner helps me stay organized and on track with my goals. My husband purchased Christy Wright's planner for me for 2021. I highly recommend this planner if you are a lover of all things organizing and planning.

Divide your life into all the different areas of your life that give you purpose and meaning. For me it might look like this: 

• Christian 
• Mom
• Wife
• Teacher
• Writer
• Reader
• Coach/Runner
• Friend
• Traveler 

Each year have picked one area of my life that I feel as if could use some extra attention and focus, then I set a bigger goal for that one particular area than all the other areas of my life, and I use the most of the year or the whole area to dedicate my time to working on that goal. Hence, the title "Dedicated Year." 

In the past, I have done a dedicated year for being a runner. I signed up, trained for, and ran a half marathon.

Last year, I did a dedicated year as a writer and reader. I started a running, updated website, blogged consistently, submitted my work for publication, and wrote a book. I read 50+ books, many related to parenting and race.

The year before, I focused on being a mom by slowing down, clearing my schedule, and letting go. I struggled a bit with this. I had to tell myself that it was okay that I wasn't focusing as much attention on my career as I was in the past. That's why I wanted to dedicate the year to that area of my life. 

This year, I think as of this moment, I am committing to the Wife area! 

Since this is an area you want to work on for the whole year, you can set one big goal for the year or many micro goals throughout the year. For example, it might look like this:

Dedicated Year Area: Wife
Goal: James and I will go on 12 dates (inside or outside of the house) in one year without any friends and without our son. 

To help me reach this goal and focus on being a better wife this year, I would also read books related to marriage or perhaps sign up for a class. 

​Whatever I do, this is the area where I will be paying the most attention to. 

Here is where you can set smaller goals for the other areas of your life. You can choose all of the areas or just a few. Up to you. I recommend setting no more than 2 goals for each area because otherwise it's overwhelming. 

Here are mine: 

• Christian: Sign up to help with the marriage counsel at my church, which assists with volunteering at weddings. 
• Mom: I have no particular goal for this area.
• Teacher: Complete Component 1 and 2 of National Boards. 
• Writer: I've written my children's book. Now, I want to self-publish it. Continue writing about 2-4 blogs a month (this is enjoyable for me). 
• Reader: Read one potty training book, read 2 books on marriage, and 2 more books on race and then after that enjoy reading books for pleasure with no goal in mind.
• Coach/Runner: I do not wish to have a goal in this area for this year. I'm enjoying carefree, noncompetitive running at this time in my life. As for coaching, take our girls or boys team to State.
• Friend: I would just like to see some of my long-lost old friends again. Celebrate Friendship Day. Send birthday cards.  #cmonvaccine
• Traveler: Travel to NJ to see my grandma, travel to WV to visit friends and family, travel to Arkansas to visit my cousin, and travel to Chicago to visit three MLB stadiums. #cmonvaccine

Write your goals down and, this is important, put them where you can see them, so they are on your mind. Christy Wright's planner is useful in helping you break down your goals setting a plan for how to reach them. You can also read more on how I do this here. 

Good luck with all your goals! May 2021 be a happy and healthy year. One where we all emerge from the darkness. 

See you out there! 

For many, Jesus and Santa are the two main guys of Christmas. They steal the show. And although, Jesus is definitely the reason for the season in our household, there is another guy who is almost just as important to our family every holiday season. It’s the Card Guy. 

    We have a long-standing tradition on my dad’s side of the family of having a card contest over the years. What started out as a friendly game of voting on which Christmas card was the best to be sent to my uncle and his family turned into an all-out fierce competition of judging, alliances, secret voting, song and dance, tears, fights, and carefully crafting the perfect and funniest card for half a year. We’ve had family members become the Griswalds, Kardashians, Joe Biden and Obama, and Ralphie and Randy from a Christmas Story all in the name of the Card Contest. And out of that, the Card Guy came to life. 

    The Card Guy is my uncle. On the eve of the contest he transforms into character wearing a jean vest full of Christmas cards from days of yore. The lights dim, the music sounds, and he bursts into the room almost magically singing and dancing the opening number. Usually a spoof on a popular song. It’s oddly reminiscent of Michael Scott performing at the Dundies. Throughout his entire performance for the night, he does a spectacular job of hosting the contest. He divides the cards into categories: Nature, Religious, Plain Text, and the biggest, most coveted one of all- the Picture category. Then, he dazzles us with his jokes, wit, charisma, and charm until he ultimately crowns the winner of the night. For a while, the Card Guy was on top of the world. 

    But over time, we became greedy and hungry for victory. We pushed the Card Guy for more. More jokes. More songs. More pizzazz. And we riddled him when the contest dragged on for too long. We belittled him when our cards didn’t win. We booed him when his jokes didn’t land. We demanded him to perform like he was some kind of show puppet and not a real person with real feelings. We couldn’t see it, but the Card Guy was cracking. The pressure was too much. 

Finally, he hung up his hat and announced his retirement. Some family members made feeble attempts to encourage him to perform again, but he simply wouldn’t do it. But with the birth of children, weddings, surgeries, and the like, the family wasn’t able to be together at Christmastime for the past two years. We made some tries to have the contest over Facebook, but it was missing something. It was missing the Card Guy. 
​
Now with last year, 2020, being so hard and the holiday season approaching rapidly, we all need something to unite the world. To bring peace and simplicity back into the homes of America again. We need the Card Guy. But more importantly, we need the Card Guy because he unites our family together. He makes us laugh. He makes us value family traditions. He gives us hope that despite everything that has happened in the world, we will always have each other to lean on, fight and make up with, and ultimately create long-lasting memories with. Ones we can tell our children about. This isn’t the year for traditions to be forgotten. This is the year for them to be remade, rebirthed, restored in any way possible. This is the year for Card Guy. 

​

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Recently, we took our 1 1/2 years old toddler on his first flight. Before, the trip we backed his little suitcase full of activities: a water coloring book, finger puppets, books, stickers, and toy cars. My husband loaded up some YouTube videos we knew he would like. 

But, we didn't need those things. With some positive parenting tips, including, preparing him for the flight, and this one last-minute buy, we were all set!

What is the one thing? 

A couple days before the flight, I was scrolling Instagram and saw one mom post about window gel clings and how her toddlers kept busy for hours playing window grab at home.

I even did an Instagram story Q & A, and my cousin suggested window gel clings. I thought that they would be perfect for the plane. 

I hurried to Target, and there were a ton of Halloween themed ones for only $1.

Did they work?

They worked better than expected. My son played with them, and only them, for almost all four plane rides. 

He loved putting them on and taking them off. Plus, the Halloween themed gel clings were a hit because we had been talking about Halloween and seeing Halloween decorations out and about. 

Granted these were only $1, so we had to throw them out when we got home because they had fallen apart and were dirty, but well worth it.

How else can you use them

With the holidays coming up, you can use them on road trips or to entertain toddlers at family gatherings. 

They are great if you have to cook dinner and need something to keep your toddler occupied.

You can do storyboards with them, practice the ABCs or numbers, and teach about holidays, animals, transportation, etc. 

This article contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. 

I think we can all admit that we could stand to use more happiness in our lives right now. Our students could use it more than ever.

With the last semester spent on remote learning and secluded from their friends and with the upcoming school year looking to be anything but normal, we need to start thinking about how to address their happiness.

​Discovery Education has a great video about the 6 Key Components to Happiness, but here is a break down of the components and a few mini lessons to go with it. ​

1. Mindfulness
Our brains can move a mile a minute and jump from one thought to the next. Rarely, do we stop to just breathe and take those deep breaths that fill our lungs up with air and settle our minds.

Our students can have a lot of fears, anxieties, and stressors affecting their lives right now. Starting the class with a mindfulness activity can set the mood for the remainder of the class and even the whole day.

Take 5-10 minutes to practice breathing exercises or to do a guided meditation (check out this list of  Great Apps and Websites for Movement and Mindfulness in the Classroom). Remind students that, like anything else, mindfulness takes practice.

The first try they might find their minds wondering for four out of the five minutes. That’s okay. Tell them to allow those thoughts to creep in. Acknowledge them and then send them off on a drifting cloud.

​The key is to build a habit of this. Implement it into your lessons 2-3 days a week. You will start to see results in your students’ attitudes and demeanor. 

2. Gratitude
Research has found that people who practice gratitude are overall kinder humans, have stronger immune systems, and even sleep better.

Some easy ways to incorporate gratitude into your classroom is to have a Thankfulness Wall. Give students post-its and have them write two things for which they are thankful. Have them stick it on the wall.

Maybe on Fridays, students can share aloud if they want to. You can even just keep a pile of post-its near the wall and encourage students, whenever they are feeling thankful, to write it down and post on the wall. Another gratitude activity is to do thank you texts.

At random times, tell students to take out their phones (or if they don’t have devices, a piece of paper) and send a text to someone telling him or her that they are thankful for them.

Furthermore, students can start a gratitude journal and use it as a warm-up. They can list four things they are thankful for and why. That idea is a great way to get students in the right mindset for teaching and learning.

​3. Positive Outlook 
A positive outlook is very much associated with gratitude. The more gratitude you express, the more your outlook switches to a positive one.

The Mayo Clinic lists some ways to change negative thinking to positive thinking.

A good idea for the classroom is to hang an anchor chart of negative self-talk on one side and then how to change it to positive self-talk on the other side. In addition, get students journaling on what is going well in their lives.

​A lot of times students focus a lot on the negative and drama in their lives but neglect to realize all of the positive in their lives. Invite students to share those good things more. 

4. Generosity Generosity is all about science! When we help other people, our brains release oxytocin which naturally puts us in a good mood.

Generosity can be as simple as giving someone a compliment or holding a door open to as complex as building houses for other people. The possibilities are endless.

Teachers can give students a generosity bingo card and have students try to fill out as many as they can. Classrooms can do a 30-day Generosity Challenge with a new act of kindness a day.

​Even still, classes can take on a class project for the semester in which everyone works together to do an act of good deeds. Some ideas include: 

• Buying lunch for someone
• Inviting someone new to join your lunch table
• Planting a garden
• Community cleanup 
• Leaving encouraging messages in the bathrooms
• Writing letters to soldiers
• Visiting nursery homes
• Helping out at a soup kitchen

5. Human Connection
The human connection piece is so important. Even the most introvert of persons still wants to feel included and involved with other people. With social distances and the cancelation and shut-downs of many places, teachers have to get creative. Some ideas include: 

• Virtual lunch gatherings 
  • Invite students who you know who could use some positive interactions to attend as well as a few students who are your leaders.
  • Use the lunch to talk about issues in the school or some happiness projects to do in the school.
  • I have done this when everything was normal. I would take a group of students to a pay-what-you-can restaurant. The owner gave out free meal tokens to students. We would go every month. 
• Host small lunches in your classroom and play games with them. Uno, cards, chess. 
• Club Fairs where every student has to sign up for one club.

6. Sense of Purpose
Lastly, we all like feeling like we matter. We want our lives to have meaning. Give students opportunities to explore their potential, showcase their strengths, and foster their talents. Do career-inventories. Do personality tests. Show them what kinds of jobs they can have. Highlight what they are good at doing by giving them that role in a group project. Take them to career and college fairs. Show them that they matter because they do. 
I hope these help move your students along to happiness. 

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

We all know the toddler years can be full of fits, frustration, and total meltdowns. We even have terms coined terms for these years - The Terrible Twos and Threenanger.

But despair not, parents, not every day has to be a temper tantrum nightmare. I have 5 positive parenting tips to make your AND your toddler's day a little bit easier

1. Prepare for what's coming

Recently, we had to give our son some iron drops. The first time we did it, it was awful. It ended in a lot of tears. We had to force the drops down his throat, and I felt so bad. 

The second time we did it, we snuck it into his milk, but he wasn't born yesterday. He knew the milk tasted funky, and he refused to drink milk for a couple of days. 

The third day, I realized what we did wrong. We didn't prepare him for what was to come. So, I sat him down and showed him a video with kids taking medicine.

I let him hold the medicine bottle and dropper. I talked in simple to understand language about taking medicine. 

Guess what? It worked wonderfully! In fact, now he loves taking his medicine. I still cheer every time he does it because it makes him so happy. 

Prepare your toddler for what is to come. Doctor visits, dentist appointments, an airplane flight, Sunday church, etc.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Michelle Tangeman, agrees. 
​

2. Gossip about Your toddler within earshot

While getting our son to take his medicine, I would gossip to his stuffed animal, Prayer Bear, every night before bed. 

I would say, "Guess what Henry did today, Prayer Bear? He took his medicine! He is such a big boy! I was so proud!" 

I would exaggeratedly whisper this loudly to his little bear making sure Henry heard me.  He would beam and get excited!

Toddlers love this when they "catch" their parents gossiping about how good they have been. 

3. Set a timer

Toddler's have no concept of time, so they need a visual or auditory cue for when something is about to start or end. 

Either use the timer on your phone and give it a fun name like Mr. Dinger or buy a sand one and then set it to go off to let your toddler know when an activity is finished. 

Use a timer for 

• Mealtime
• Before it's time to go up for bed
• Time-ins
• A time out
• Playtime or an activity
• Quiet time
• Bath time
• Storytime

4. Play the fool

Toddlers don't get a lot of wins in their day. Mom and Dad are constantly telling them what they can and cannot do. Toddlers need a win. It builds confidence and improves their self esteem. 

What to do? Play the fool. Or, as Dr. Harvey Karp calls it, play the boob. 

How do you do this? It's simple. Make a silly mistake over and over and then let your toddler be the one to correct you. 

"Does your shoe go on your head? No? Silly, Mommy!"

"Where's Henry? Is he under the block? No! Is he behind the pillow? No! Where could he be?" 

Your toddler will be grinning in no time at how much smarter he is than Mommy or Daddy.

5. Practice patience

Toddlers have no concept of what it means to be patient or wait. To set them up for success and prevent fewer tantrums, start practicing building up their patience in this practice of patience stretching. 

When they want something, act like you are going to give it to them, but then at the last second slap your forehead and say, "Oh wait, Mommy forgot something. She will be right back. Wait. Wait Wait." Usually, I throw the sign language in for "wait" too.

Then, I turn my back on my son and count to 5. After counting, I turn back around and give my son what he wants and applaud him for his "good waiting." Gradually, I work up to 10 seconds of waiting. 

This might sound cruel to you, but this is actually teaching your toddler how to be patient for those times when you really can't be at his or her beck and call. If she gets frustrated during this time, teach her how to take "Magic Breaths" to make the waiting easier. 

Hope these tips help! Leave some of your positive parenting strategies in the comments. And subscribe to get more positive parenting and sleep strategies. 

Buy Dr. Karp's book to get more positive parenting strategies. 

Anyone can do the Challenge, but it is geared toward moms who have children older than 1. I write it as a mom for moms.

But if you are looking for ways to better your life, change your lifestyle, be more productive, or live each day present then this is the Challenge for you. 

This Challenge isn't for those who are going through a big life transition such as a new marriage, new baby, new job, or a new house. The Challenge takes commitment, preparation, time, and energy. It is hard, but the end results are worth it. 

The Add One-A-Day 30 Day Challenge is a lifestyle challenge. Every item added each day is researched-based and intended to improve your life in some way. Not all of the challenges will work for you, but in the end, you will leave the Challenge with new ways to better your life. 

It works like this: On Day 1, you will complete one task. On Day 2, you will complete two tasks - what you did on Day 1 and something new. On Day 3, you will complete three tasks - what you did on Day 1, Day 2, and something new. So on and so on until you reach Day 30. By Day 30, you will have done what you completed on Day 1 30 times.

The first 15 days are the most important to changing your lifestyle. They focus on sleep, eating, and exercise. That's why they are in the beginning because they are intended to be done more, so you build a habit. The second half are helpful changes to sprinkle into your life occasionally. 

Anywhere or anytime! 

If you are not going through a huge life transition than anytime is the right time to start. Stop waiting for that perfect moment. You'll never find it. There's always an excuse to not start it.

​Start today! But I suggest giving yourself 5 days to prep for the Challenge. 

I'm always looking for ways to be a better version of myself, and with this Challenge so can you. 

If you are looking to be happier, healthier and more productive, do this Challenge. 

With this Challenge, you are guaranteed to get long term results if you put in the work. No more gimmicks, no more fad diets, no more quick fixes. The Add-One-A-Day 30 Day Challenge gives you long lasting benefits. 

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

What is the Hatch?

The Hatch is a sound machine controlled through your smart phone.

It has eleven different sounds to choose from and ten different colors to chose from.

Parents can program when sounds can come on and turn off.

The product guarantees better sleep with its soft light and white noise. It also grows with your child.  

Should I Get One? 

I originally opted for a cheaper sound machine, but my mom recommended the Hatch to me after someone recommended it to her. I'm so glad that I made the switch. 

The Hatch has been amazing. According to Harvey Karp's 5's, babies need loud shushing in the first 3 months and even beyond to replicate the sounds of the womb. 

Inside the uterus is loud. There is noise 24/7.

Then, one day, your cute little baby is plucked from its comfortable, cozy home and expected to sleep in utter silence in the picture-perfect, gigantic nursery you created . No way! Imagine how terrifying.

Get a sound machine and turn it on for bedtime and naps.
When nighttime feedings were decreasing and we were aiming for that all-night stretch, we would feel dismayed when our son would start to wake and whine.

Then, we learned to try pausing first, followed by turning up the sound machine without even leaving our bed (phone-controlled sound machine for the win).

Worked. Like. A. Charm. Our son was back to sleep in no time, and we could breathe a sigh of relief.

The Hatch also plays an important role with bedtime and daytime routine. We have a getting ready for bed sound (water) and color (pink) and a naptime sound (lullaby) and color (pink) and then a bedtime and naptime sound (wind) and color (orange).

Our son has been conditioned when he hears those sounds that he knows it's time to get ready for nap or bed and soon go to sleep. 

We are still using our Hatch at 21 months and plan to even use it longer. 

​When our son gets older, we will use our Hatch for quiet time. The controlled lights will let him know when quiet time is finished (perhaps a green light) and when he has to stay quietly in his room (perhaps a green light). 

The lights will also tell him when it is time to get up and get Mommy and Daddy. 

​The Hatch is easily one of my favorite products as a mom. I give it 10/10 stars. 

Buy a portable sound machine for traveling. 

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

What is the Snoo?

The Snoo is a smart sleeper bassinet designed by Harvey Karp's Happiest Baby company. It combines three of the 5 S's - safe swaddling, gentle swinging, and a white noise shushing sound - to replicate the calming sensations of the womb. It guarantees a good night's sleep for you and your baby. 

I first read about the Snoo in Harvey Karp's book, "Happiest Baby on the Block," and instantly was intrigued and in awe of such a product. 

However, to shop and buy a Snoo it will run you $1, 395. To rent it costs $129 a month. Is there a price on sleep? 

Should I Get One? 

I hemmed and hawed over whether I should get one, but I decided to wait to see how my son slept with the 5 S's on their own. The Snoo was too costly for me to justify splurging on a sleeping device if my son already slept well. 

My son ended up sleeping well with the 5 S's and advice from sleep expert Cara Dumaplin of TakingCaraBabies. Although in a moment of weakness, I almost purchased the rent option in the middle of the night after two sleepless nights with my son. He ended up sleeping well the next night and pretty much from there on out. 

What Other People Say?

I ended up having a friend find one for half price on Facebook Market Place, and she purchased it for her baby. 

She loves it and says it definitely provides her family with the extra sleep they need. 

Her son LOVES the gentle rocking motion!

The swaddles have holes for the arms if your baby doesn't want his arms pinned down in the swaddle, and the swaddles keep the babies on their backs, for a good night of safe sleeping. 

She definitely recommends this product to all parents. The science behind it is proven, and when a baby and the parents get sleep, everyone is happier. 

She gives it 8/10 stars. 

I have been two Boston two times. One time, my cousin's boyfriend (now husband) was living and going to dental school there, so we took a road trip to the city. The second time, it was our first stop on our New England road trip. We stayed with my cousin and her husband who live in Weymouth. I love the city. But my cousin, Amy, loves it more, and her words describing the city are truly poetic. 

"The word of the Lord by night. 
To the watching Pilgrims came, 
As they sat by the sea-side,
And filled their hearts with flame." 

Ralph Waldo Emerson's opening lines of his poem, "Boston Hymn. There were no truer words written. 

Boston is the greatest city in this country. Sure, an exaggeration to some, but it is truly what Bostonians believe. There is a certain swagger in the streets of Boston, perhaps developed over time and adopted after the initial Sons of Liberty, as they strutted across the cobblestones on their way to the South Meeting House. 

I digress. To explore Boston properly, one must simply follow the Freedom Trail. You can book a guide or book a bus tour, but if you are moving on a budget, it is a very walkable city. 
​
Let's just pretend you booked a room at the amazing downtown hotel "The Godfrey," which is in the shopping/theatre district and a walkable distance to so many of the city's wonderful sites. There are another amazing hotels, but I'm just pretending you are staying here. 

I start at the BOSTON COMMONS & PUBLIC GARDEN. The Commons once had a dangerous past, as criminals were hanged on the square. Nowadays, there are food trucks, water fountains, an ice rink in the winter, gatherings of hipsters, free Shakespeare performances in the summer, and access to the T (the subway system, which you genuinely don't need unless it's cold and rainy and your venturing out of the city/have tons of luggage). There are beautiful views of the dome of the State House and Beacon Hill from the Commons. If you are a lover of history and Instagram-worthy pictures, venture up the hill and wander through the streets of Beacon Hill. Louisburg Square and Acorn street are two of the most photographable places. You can also book a tour of the State House. 

Down the backside of Beacon Hill towards the Charles River, is the Esplanade, a beautiful park with a walking/cycling path that winds all around the river. There are often performances there! But you also just see views of the river, and follow the path towards Back Bay for shopping in one direction, or head towards the North End in the other direction. While the shopping is great in Back Bay and it has some amazing row houses, I would opt for the North End myself. It is my favorite part of Boston. 

Oh! throughout your travels, you will see a brick path in the sidewalk- that is the Freedom Trail. You can hire a guide, or you can follow it. If you choose to follow it from Boston Common, it will lead you past some great sites: Granary Burial Ground (Sam Adams' & John Hancock's graves), King's Chapel (sign up for the crypt tour if you love creepy things), Old State House, Boston Massacre Site, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House & my personal favorite place in all of Boston, the North Church. All of these are along the same path and they are free to stop outside of. If you want a full tour, it does cost money. Recently, the North Church started requiring tickets just to go in. So you can purchase a pass that goes to all of them, or purchase individual tickets for the places you care most about- I recommend Paul Revere House & North Church. 


Fanueil Hall is the home of Quincy Market, so that's a good place to stop for lunch! Don't expect to sit and eat a table, because it's crowded, but it is definitely worth the experience. Regina Pizza is a famous and perfectly delicious pizza place in Boston. The original location is in the North End, and I recommend going, but you can also grab a slice at the Quincy Market location. 

All along the harbor of Boston is the Harbor Walk, which is a path that takes you all the way around the city. You could literally spend a day just walking the Harbor Walk, which goes all the way into Charlestown, across the Harbor, where Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution are. If you are a nautical person and like to be near the water and see boats, you can literally just do this and stop for food and fun things along the way. The Aquarium is also along the Harbor Walk. OH, and if you like some cheeesey historic fun, you can cross a bridge and stop of the Boston Tea Party Museum, and participate in a reenactment. They also have beautiful tea shop where you can sample teas and eat scones in the middle of the harbor. LOVE IT. 

You should end your day with dinner in the North End. There are so many Italian restaurants and bakeries, and the air literally smells like Italian food. Having traveled to Italy, it feels like you are walking around a small Italian town, as you walk around the North End: older Italian guys sitting in folding chair outside of cafes, drinking espressos, Italian grocery stores, religious shrines on every corner, and festivals to saints every other day. Some of my favorite places to eat are: Il Panino (amazing food, lots of seating, prices are more expensive than an Olive Garden, but won't break the bank), Regina Pizza (duh), La Summa (a family-run restaurant filled with black/white family photos), and the famous, cash-only, two-hour wait line, Giacamo's. Just go there at 4, and have an early dinner- worth it. Get dessert at Cafe Vittoria, Modern Pastry or Mike's Pastry, or Bova's. There are always long waits at Modern & Mikes, so I usually get a breakfast pasty at those two. 

Lastly, just some other food recommendations in other parts of town: Ice Cream- J.P. Lick's (Beacon Hill), Irish Pub- the Black Rose (near city center), Burger- J.M. Curley's (downtown/theatre district), The Gallows (South End), Coffee- Cafe Nero (downtown) & George Howell (inside the Godfrey Hotel). Also, you can visit the Boston Public Kitchen for amazing local vendors- cider donuts all year long, and more George Howell Coffee. This is near the north end and near Quincy Market. Steak: MOO. Yeah, it's called Moo. If you are in the mood to drop $50 on a steak, then this is the place to go. I know this sound sort of sarcastic, but it's the best steak I've ever had in my life. And the bread! oh the bread. Maybe you could just get the bread and then do a dine and dash? 

Don't forget seafood- a lot of people love Union Oyster House for its history and its great seafood. I'm not a seafood expert, but I am a lobster roll expert. So I'm only going to recommend one place: James Hook & Co. It's worth the price, and the best lobster roll outside of Maine. I'm not kidding. Don't try another place, and don't let the outside of the building fool you. Grab one for lunch on your walk around the harbor. 

There is just so much more...

Or you can ignore all of this and do a Duck Tour...because those are funny. 

I can't hold a candle to Amy's knowledge of Boston. She is quite the tour guide and when we went there, we traversed all across the city with her as our leader. 

A few things that she didn't mention that I enjoyed while there were Fenway Park and something really meta, drinking a Sam Adams at Beantown Pub while looking at Sam Adams grave in the Granary Burying Ground. 

As a lover of baseball, Fenway Park is a stadium you have to check off your list. It's one of my favorite ballparks (read my ranking here) dues to it's nostalgic feel and passionate fans. I have taken a tour of this stadium on one occasion and the next I watched a game. Both, I recommend doing. 

If you have some extra time, take a ferry to Martha's Vineyard for a quaint island feel, some good lobster rolls, and a leisurely bike ride. 

Hopefully, Amy's words inspire you to visit Boston! 

I am going to rank the 50 states from my least favorite to my favorite. I have no reason to write this list other than I just feel like it. Yes, it is going to be bias, but I am going to do it as kindly as possible. If you rather read a very crude and obnoxious list, read this article from my brother instead.  Remember this is all in good fun. 

50. Iowa
Honestly, what is there? I can't even think of one attraction worth going to. 

49. Nebraska
Corn, wheat, flatness. No thank you. 

48. Kansas
The only reason Kansas is ranked above Nebraska is the mere fact I can pretend, "There is no place like home," while clicking my heels together like in the Wizard of Oz. But, I've never felt like doing that, so that's why Kansas is 48. 

47. Mississippi
It is 2020 and they just rid of the Confederate flag in their state flag. Live in the past much, Mississippi? 

46. Alabama
More like Sweet No, Alabama, I'm not going there. 

45. South Dakota
They have the Badlands. Enough said. It literally has bad in the name. 

44. Oklahoma
I think of cowboys and tornados when I think of this place, and I don't want to think of those two things. 

43. North Dakota 
It's basically Canada. 

42. Missouri
Would be higher, but St. Louis is here. I have an unexplained deep disdain for St. Louis. 

41. Indiana
The whole state reminds me of Pawnee. 

40. Rhode Island
Yeah, it's pretty, but it is so small. I can get the same thing from Maine, Massachusetts, or Connecticut. Next. 

39. Delaware
It's basically Maryland, and if I wanted to go to Maryland, I would go to, well, Maryland. 

38. Idaho
Potatoes are yummy, but when you think of Idaho, does anything besides potatoes come to mind? Nope, exactly. 

37. Wisconsin
Cheese and Steven Avery. I guess I can think of worse things.  

36. Wyoming
Like my brother said, I imagine the whole state to be in Sepia like an old Western film. Which would be cool for a minute. 

35. Georgia
It's hot, humid, and in the way on your trip to Florida. Savannah is its only saving grace. 

34. Arkansas
It has the most racist city in America, but Bobby Bones is from here and my cousin now lives here, and she makes it look pretty beautiful. But I can't let it crack the 30s. 

33. Kentucky
Beer, bourbon, bacon. Not too bad, if it wasn't the stepbrother to my home state of WV. Kentucky is always trying to one up us on obesity and no teeth. 

32. Connecticut
Ok, Connecticut, I let you get to 32, but basically you are small and too expensive like Rhode Island. You get pretty much the same deal in your surrounding states. 

31. Virginia
It's not the same as West Virginia. I don't care if you have cousins in Virginia when I tell you that I am from WV. You're the older sister that thinks she is too good for everyone. Get out of the way, you are blocking my route to WV from NC when I want to visit home. 

30. New Hampshire
It's not as good as Vermont or Maine. Sorry, not sorry. 

29. Louisiana
Everyone is always going on about Louisiana, but I think it's overrated and humid. 

28. Ohio
Ugh, the only reason Ohio is so high there is because I practically lived in Ohio growing up. I felt obligated. 

27. Texas
Bigger doesn't always mean better, Texas, so I refuse to put you in the top half. 

26. South Carolina
SC makes me think of Myrtle Beach and South of the Border, and I shiver just thinking about those places. But, it has Charleston which is pretty cool. 

25. Nevada
Meh. The states to the left and right of it are much better, but, overall, Nevada isn't bad. Lake Tahoe looks pretty nice. 

24. Minnesota
Never been. Has a lot of lakes, and I like lakes. 

23. Michigan
Never been. Has a lot of lakes, and I like lakes. 

22. Illinois
Not sure how this state squeaked into the Top 25. I think for the mere fact that Chicago is there. The rest of the state, no thanks. 

21. Florida
All right, Florida, you made it too far. Your run ends here. You're too messed up to go anywhere higher. I have some family here and some of the beaches are pretty.

20. Maryland
This state is pleasant not sure why, but I find it satisfying. 

19. Alaska
This state is really pretty, but it's cold, but again, it's really pretty.

18. Hawaii
I would rank this beautiful state higher if it didn't feel so disconnected to the rest of the country. Imagine being there for the fake missile alert and thinking, "Oh crap, I'm stuck." 

17. Montana
I've never been, but would love to one day. Pictures make it look gorgeous. 

16. Tennessee
Bobby Bones lives here now, Nashville, and The Great Smoky Mountains. 

15. New Mexico
It really is the Land of Enchantment. 

14. Washington
The Pacific Northwest has some great scenery and backdrops. 

13. Oregon 
See above. 

12. Arizona
Slightly too hot in the south of the state, but Sedona and The Grand Canyon make up for it. 

11. Vermont
I find this state charming. 

10. Massachusetts
Football, baseball, and history. This state knows how to win, and I respect that about them. 

9. Utah
Those arches are pretty cool. 

8. California
LA makes this state a tad bit of obnoxious, but everything else makes this state #8. 

7. Maine
There is something about Maine that I just love. Maybe it's the lobster, the hiking, and the views. 

6. Colorado
Mountains! 

5. New York
Love the people and the sports teams no matter how much they stink. 

4. Pennsylvania
It will forever hold a place in my heart. I went to college here. 

3. New Jersey
It will forever hold a place in my heart. I was born here. 

2. West Virginia
It will forever hold a place in my heart. I was raised here. Country roads take me home. 

1. North Carolina
Carolina, keep calling me home. My home now. It's where I met my husband, and we had our son. 

It just goes to show you that the people make a place. All kidding aside, I love every state that makes up this great country. I would love to visit every state and get to know the people and their cultures, traditions, food, and lifestyle. The United States is at its best when we are what our name suggests, united.