The Cozy New Englander — Eating, reading and traveling my way through New England blog

Top Five Things I bought at Nordstrom’s 2021 Anniversary Sale

July 28, 2021 No Comments

Or how a 6 am shopping spree became my new Olympic sport.

I am back. After a long hiatus, I decided to return to blogging and what better way to start than the day of Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale, or as some may call it “the best day of the year”. I woke up at 6 am to my iPhone buzzing off of a side table with alerts that I “may miss out” on my wish list items. Bolting out of bed, grabbing iPhone, iPad and last night’s coffee mug, I rushed to the kitchen to start the Keurig machine and settled on the couch for some morning shopping. Here’s what I bought:

AllSaints Ray Leather Wallet – This wallet looks classy with a removal zip pouch and plenty of places to store credit cards and cash. Does anyone use cash anymore?

RayBan Wayfarers – Classic, retro yet not too big. Anyone else abandoning oversized sunglasses?

Tom Ford lipstick – I went with “pink dust”. Not on sale, but my late grandmother always emphasized to me the importance of a good lipstick so I bought it. (PS: It also comes with a bonus lipstick in rouge!) XOXO, Grams!

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve – This is my secret to keeping my skin at 40 so fresh and youthful. Buy it! Don’t think twice.

B obbi Brown Perfectly Defined Gel Eyeliner – I blame Kamala Harris for making me want my eyeliner on point. I’m super excited for this!

Other honorable mentions:

Kate Somerville “ExfoliKate” – The cult favorite is a great steal at this price – $20!
Mo onlight Scuff Slipper – This Nordstrom classic is only $9.99 today. ok, I confess, I bought it!
Vans Classic Slip-ons for Women – I dropped it from my cart but am regretting it. Maybe later tongiht i need to think about it.

So, what did you buy? Most of these items are still on sale… if you want them, better act fast.

XOXO, Sara

Quarantined

Day 1: Sourdough Starter

April 11, 2020 No Comments

Ok, so like of most of you, I am trying to bide my time during this quarantine and to make the most of the amount of “free” time I have so why not try to create my own sourdough starter? I’m following the brilliant blog post from King Arthur Flour web site and it’s apparently *almost* foolproof! I don’t have a lot of all-purpose flour left, and there is 0 at my local store, so I subbed that out with 1 cup of bread flour. Fingers crossed!

PS: Does this look too dough-y ???

PSS: What are you doing during the quarantine? Please share below.

Events, Gifts, Miscellaneous

Fresh Start to Fall

September 22, 2019 No Comments

If you have been following me up until this point, you know I have been struggling to post on a somewhat frequent basis. For those of you who don’t, my apologies. I am hoping to turn over a new leaf so to speak this fall with some exciting new content.

More on that to come. Let’s talk about the start of the fall market season in New England. Every year, I make a point to mark my calendar for the start of the Brimfield Antique show and another year goes by and I miss it. This year was no different, however instead I managed to attend its sister show, The Pro.found Market in Lancaster, MA.

This market is a little smaller – think 120 vendors instead of 1000 – but it focuses more on sustainable goods and I like that. Here are some highlights from my market shopping today. Almost all of the vendors were female-owned local Massachusetts businesses. Enjoy! And if you bump into me at any of the markets next month, please let me know what you think of the blog.

Farm + Sea – paraben free body lotion and candles – Newburyport, Massachusetts.

The Crate Cottage is a local sustainable business that takes empty cranberry bog crates and reuses them as pet beds or foot stools. They have an IG and FB account if you are interested in contacting them for a future collaboration.

And lastly, I was able to find The White Cottage Co. of Westboro, Mass and their booth did not disappoint! I hope to visit their storefront next month.

Check out my IG stories for more about this fun event. See you soon around the New England fall markets!

Books, Miscellaneous

Slow Start

January 21, 2019 No Comments

How’s your 2019 going so far? I feel like toward the end of last year, I was definitely growing tired of the same-old stuff. In so many ways, 2018 kicked too many people’s butts that by default at the stroke of midnight, things are bound to be better, right? Let’s hope.

Since I have been struggling with this blog for about a year, I have decided to make one last commitment to make the most of my content or bust! Don’t get me wrong, I like writing and being creative, but sometimes it’s hard to find the time or the energy to produce stellar content for y’all on a weekly basis. But. I. Will. Try.

Books

My Three Favorite Beach Reads This Summer

September 3, 2018 No Comments

Have you missed me? I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the summer so much I forgot to keep this blog up to date. A number of you have responded to my poll a few months ago (thank you!) where I asked what this blog should focus on. After reading your responses, I’ve decided to focus on whatever sparks my interest – whether it be what I’m reading now, watching, or interesting places to travel to – I promise to update at least once a week. Instagram, too!

Food

A Slice of Heaven: Flour Bakery Pop Tarts

May 11, 2018 No Comments

Has anyone ever written a poem about the lonely pop tart? I think I could do it somewhat justice after eating a homemade version of the toasted squared goody at Flour Bakery in Cambridge, MA.

Gooey, heavenly, delicious frosted-ness comes to mind after I reminisce about my recent indulgence.

Miscellaneous

Mid Year Blog Crisis

May 8, 2018 No Comments

Did you miss me?

Events, New Year Resolutions

My New Year’s Resolutions for 2018

January 7, 2018 No Comments

Happy New Year everyone and cheers to the holidays being over and hopefully this cold weather! My New Year’s Resolutions for 2018 were quick to write – not true for past years. I think I have a good handle on what I want to accomplish this year.

When I first started this blog 6 months ago, I was hoping to learn more about marketing and SEO, but truth be told, I love the fact that I need to blog once a week, that I need to engage with all of you on some level, and that I need to find my voice and make this site unique enough to make you all come back to it every month.

So for this year, 2018, I decided to really focus on moving this blog into what I think it can be – a great snapshot of my view into the New England life. Maybe I won’t attract 100 users a day, or a week for that matter. But I won’t let that deter me from keeping this thing going.

Thinking about my goals for 2018, I have heard from many of you that this year is the time to focus on experiences rather than material things. I’m not sure that is on my list, although I definitely like the idea of an experience-focused year. For me, I am proposing a focus on things that I enjoy doing and for whatever reason stopped doing in 2017. So here’s to 2018 and all the blessings that it has to offer. And please comment below on what you want to focus on this year.

Cheers!

My 2018 New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Run more
2. Knit more
3. Read more
4. Write more
5. Socialize more

Gifts, Holiday

5 Last Minute Gift Ideas 2017

December 23, 2017 2 Comments

It’s two days before Christmas and you haven’t finished shopping. Now what? Amazon to the rescue? Don’t stress. Here are 5 last minute gift ideas that I think will surely save you from going to Grandma’s empty handed. Happy shopping!

Amazon Echo 2nd generation – charcoal black (wifi _bluetooth): The best gift for the techno-lover in your life. Hint, hint: Grandma. And with Alexa as your home assistant, she can help you find the best restaurants near you, make a reservation and order your next Amazon gift, all from the comfort of your home. PS: It has the best surround sound on the market too.
Hannajams – Hanna Andersson: These are the happiest pajamas on the market today. Equipped with their own hashtag on ig: #hannajams. Perfect for the family that likes to wear matching clothes on Christmas morning. Hannajams are sold out on Amazon, but you can save $60 on shipping if you order direct from the web site tonight.
Instapot: Come on, you really aren’t going to find this as a last-minute gift delivered in time, unless you are seriously lucky or there is a store near you with one left on the shelf. But you can order it and it will soon arrive (after Christmas) and you can tease the future owner with a cookbook or two while they wait.
GliderGlove touchscreen gloves: Who doesn’t find themselves in the freezing cold texting or trying to text on their phone? These were the best pair I could find online that were insulated and where the entire glove works on your touchscreen, not just a digit or two.
Casper Dog Mattress: Last but not least, fido needs some love this Christmas and what better way to show him with a memory foam mattress. After all, it is 2017. If that doesn’t work, on Amazon you can buy the dog teepee which for $39.99, might be the coolest thing you will give him this year.

Events, Holiday

Season’s Greetings and My Favorite Finds

December 17, 2017 No Comments

Hi Everyone! I finally got the chance to write a blog entry for December. Yay! Finding the time to enjoy the holidays and still keep up with the day-to-day routine is not easy. Especially since I’m a last-minute shopper at heart and it’s very stressful. I think it’s due to getting caught up in the season so much so that I realize too late – usually the week before Christmas – that I need to buy gifts. Like, NOW!