This has been a wonderful Christmas filled with family, delicious food, warm memories, and time that we’ll never have again.
Last night we went to the local church for Christmas Eve service before enjoying dinner back at the house. Today we’ve enjoyed Christmas brunch, presents, a long walk, and time in the kitchen before a delicious dinner!
Here is quick glimpse of the day’s events, courtesy of my brand new Canon Rebel T3 camera!
I can’t believe it’s already Christmas Eve! We’ve had such a wonderful time here so far but the time is flying! This is the first day I’m not skiing, instead spending my morning with my mom and sister in law baking Christmas cookies! I have a few different posts I’ll be doing today, one about last night’s sleigh ride and another the workouts we’ve done so far.
But, for right now, I thought it’d be fun to give you glimpse inside the snow globe, aka what we’ve been doing each day.
Breakfast The past few days are some of the busiest ski days of the season since Vermont received fresh powder and there are so many families up here for the holidays. Therefore, each morning our alarm clock went off at 6:45. After getting dressed, before hitting the slopes, we’ve eaten a protein filled breakfast at home that will hold us through four hours of skiing. My usual breakfast has been a bowl of 0% Chobani, blueberries, raspberries, banana, and Bab-A-Louis Bakery granola.
The weather each day has been around 20 degrees on the mountain and therefore I’ve dressed warmly to ensure I enjoy myself. The last thing you want to be when skiing is cold!
Here is what I wore each day, which takes advantage of my favorite winter running gear as well! Up at the top of the mountain the temperature dropped to a wind chill of 5 degrees!
I was warm and toasty until yesterday around noon when the temperature plummeted and the winds started gusting. But overall, this gear was perfect for four days of Vermont skiing! As you can tell, most of this is pretty inexpensive or dual purposed winter running gear. Since Bo and I only ski a total of 4-6 days a season each year we haven’t invested in anything beyond ski socks, pants, jackets, and goggles. I think the next thing I’d invest in is either a helmet or boots.
Stratton Mountain As always, we had a blast skiing Stratton this year. It’s about 15 minutes from my family’s home so while it’s further away than Bromley, the conditions are about 10x better. Most of our visit they had at least 4 different lifts open and over 40 something trails. Each person in our group, whether skiing greens, blues, or black diamond trails was happy with the options available even though the windy conditions limited some of the lifts. I love that Stratton offers multiple green and blue runs from the top of the mountain versus just blacks. Our group had a great time riding the lift or gondola up the mountain together, taking in the sights and watching people take on the moguls under the lift. This was also the first year that I felt comfortable enough as a skier to go down blue and green runs by myself versus having lesson. That in itself made me thrilled to be out there!
The snow capped trees reminded us of something out of a Dr. Seuss book they looked so unreal!
Lunch
We’ve skied each day from 8am-12:45, making it home by 1:15 for lunch with the whole family. It’s been an easy way to save some money this trip while also taking advantage of delicious leftovers and catching up with everyone. I’m trying to enjoy a healthy breakfast, lunch, and snacks during the day so each evening I can enjoy a few glasses of wine and delicious dinner. This is one of the ways I find balance while on vacation, especially when I know that in a few short days I’ll be on a beach in St. Croix!
Afternoon Adventures
Each afternoon my mom and dad have driven into Manchester or to a nearby town to explore and see the sights together. Grafton was the cutest of the towns we visited, decorated in fresh white snow and holiday decorations!
I love this historic home’s decorations including a traditional fruit wreath and the lamp post with a warm hospitality greeting of pineapple, ribbons, and greens.
As the holiday season is now upon us and the New Year is just a few days away, I want to take a moment to thank you all.
This year you guys have motivated and supported me in some incredible ways! Each day I am thankful to share my adventures in finding health and balance in New York City with readers near and far. This year especially, in light of the New York City Marathon and Hurricane Sandy, you all have been incredibly supportive. Therefore, it’s time for me to thank you guys with an end of the year giveaway.
One lucky winner will win a few of my favorite things:
1 pair of Pro Compression socks (Marathon pink is my personal favorite!)
1 Lululemon Scuba Hoodie of your choice (valued at $108)
1 Five Bamboo Item (I highly recommend the Holliday dress or the Fireside Cowl, my 2 favorite items)
How to enter?
1. Leave a comment below letting me know what accomplishment you are most proud of this year.
2. Earn an extra entry by tweeting or posting on Facebook: “I want to win @healthyhappier Favorite Things Giveaway including @procompression @lululemon and @fivebamboo! http://alturl.com/d9d5f.”
You have until Sunday, December 23rd at 11:59PM to enter. The winner will be contacted via email on Monday, December 24th. The giveaway is open to US residents only and if an email response is not received within 1 week, another winner will be chosen.