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October 11, 2022

5 Things

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Hi friends! Checking in with some randomness for you all today, so putting it in list format to make it seem slightly more cohesive. 😉 

5 Things

1) Our 10 year (!!) wedding anniversary is this week

Wow. I cannot believe it has been that long!

Take a trip down memory lane here in the wedding area of the blog if you’re into it. 😉 

!anne   matt-728

To celebrate, Matt and I are heading up to Acadia National Park in Maine to do a bunch of hiking! I’m super excited. We are staying at a nearby hotel, not camping, but plan to do as much hiking/outdoorsy stuff as we can while there.

I’ve been up in the Bar Harbor area of Maine once before (for a Wild Blueberry Association press trip back in 2014 – so fun, I miss getting to do cool press trips like that! pic below) and it’s gorgeous.

I’m super excited to go back, and to check out Acadia this time!

IMG_6143

If you have any recommendations for which hikes to do, places to eat, other things to do in that area of Maine, etc., we’d love your recs!

And a huge thank you in advance to Matt’s parents who will be staying home with our kids. This is the first time we’ve both been gone at the same time overnight – eek!

I know they are in good hands, though. 🙂 We leave tomorrow – bring on the vacay vibes!

2) We went to a fall festival last weekend

They had a corn maze. As Riese and I were going in, she said: “Let’s split up!” 

LOL. I had to inform her that that is basically the last thing you want to do in a corn maze… (that, and when in a horror movie, always run outside, not up the stairs).

Thankfully it was a fun vs. creepy one. 🙂

kid in corn maze

This guy also loved the fall festival – they had a bunch of big slides that he enjoyed, and he also enjoyed running the opposite direction from whatever the rest of us were trying to do… oh, 16 months.

This age is so freaking cute and also SUCH a handful! Speaking of, he had a major diaper blowout situation while we were there that involved throwing away his onesie… good times. 

toddler running away

We were at Butler’s Orchard – for any of you who were local, it was a good spot, def recommend! Tons of stuff for kids to do. 

3) I’m getting really excited for the Marine Corps 10k!

My friend Kathleen (who is running it with me) and I had a great training run over the weekend. 

We made it a little over 4 miles on the beautiful C&O Canal Trail. There was a TON of action out there that morning – a boy scout group, a 20 mile training run group (for the Marine Corps Marathon), and a half marathon race – the Georgetown Half, I think?

Busy morning on the trails! It was fun having people out cheering for us even though we weren’t doing the race. 😉

anne mauney running on c&o canal trail

It was also GORGEOUS weather for a run. I love fall running so much! Such a treat after hot and humid summer slogs. 

I felt good on this run, too… I’m not totally 10k ready yet but I’ll get there by race day!

picture of garmin watch

4) Fall grilling season is my favorite

Anyone else? Way better than summer IMO because the weather is much better!

grilling chicken on a grill

We had some friends over for a little backyard BBQ last weekend which was fun.

We had grilled chicken and sausages, a cheesy mushroom pasta, kale salad, and some unpictured fruit! It was all yummy and fun to catch up with our friends.

grilled chicken and bratwurst, kale salad, pasta

We actually went out to dinner with the same group the night before, but the little kids (they have a daughter around Wes’s age) were kind of hot mess and we barely got to talk, so this was our re-do where the kids could romp around and we could actually socialize! 

If you’re looking for some grilling inspiration – check out this post: Healthy Grilling Recipes for Summer (or Fall).

5) Riese is a good little hiking buddy nowadays!

There have been some school holidays lately where she’s home but our babysitter comes for Wes, so I’ve taken advantage with some morning hiking dates that would be a challenge to do with Wes in tow (because of his noon nap timing, or because the hikes are kind of treacherous – like the one pictured below we did with friends a couple weeks ago where all of us crawled along this log over the water – big excitement)!

climbing on a log in potomac overlook park

Riese and I did a hike yesterday morning just the two of us, which was a nice treat – we went to Huntley Meadows Park which we both love, and the weather was phenomenal. 

girl hiking at huntley meadows park on boardwalk

We saw all sorts of cool stuff – check out this picture with a heron, a bunch of geese, AND a mama turtle and baby turtles on the log! All the things!

wildlife at huntley meadows park

Riese is turning 5 next month and is at such a fun age right now – I feel like she’s coming out of the completely irrational everything phase (and also the “my whole life just got turned upside down because I’m not an only child anymore and I’m super mad about it” phase) and turning into more of a regular human/buddy.

She still has her moments for sure, but having a bigger kid is really nice!

She got so excited to bring her binoculars and go on this hike with me – we had a really nice time out there exploring and wandering around. The leaves are starting to turn here just slightly – I bet they are going to be amazing in Maine later this week!

huntley meadows state park in fall

I hope you have a nice week and that wherever you are, you are also getting some lovely weather.

Stay tuned for some recipe inspiration coming at you on Friday, and I’ll be back next week with some Maine hiking/food/adventure recaps! Thanks in advance for any recs!

- anne
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14 comments
  • Jess
    October 11, 2022 · 9:51AM:
    I just visited Acadia back in May- amazing! Definitely get New England oysters (my fav are wellfleets), Beals was a great pick your own lobster alive and then they cook it for you type of place, and popovers. Best hike was the beehive! Truly a beautiful place- enjoy your trip and happy anniversary 😊
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 11, 2022 · 12:26PM:
      Awesome, adding those to my list - thanks for the recs!
      Reply
  • Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
    October 11, 2022 · 10:36AM:
    Happy anniversary! Enjoy your trip together! My husband and I are taking our first trip w/out kids in December. We are going to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico as we wanted to go somewhere warm where we could relax. My parents will be watching our boys. Neither my husband or I have been away from our kids for a fun reason yet. I've been away for several business trips, especially this year and my husband has had a few nights away for work but that's it. I'm inspired by all of the girl trips and fun travel you guys have done! I'm hoping to do a girls trip in 2023. Acadia sounds amazing, though! I'd love to go there someday!
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 11, 2022 · 12:27PM:
      December somewhere warm is a brilliant idea! Hope y'all have the best time!!
      Reply
  • Ana October 11, 2022 · 2:54PM:
    Happy anniversary! Hope you have a wonderful time - Maine is beautiful!
    Reply
  • Roadrunner October 11, 2022 · 2:57PM:
    Very nice, Anne, thanks for sharing! How nice that Riese is a great hiking buddy, now, too!
    Reply
  • Emily October 12, 2022 · 3:32PM:
    I love Acadia! It's actually where my husband proposed, so I have fond memories. As far as hikes go, the Beehive trail is exhilarating! It's similar to Old Rag I'd say. The Jordan Cliffs trail also has great scrambles. I've only been to Acadia in summer when the Precipice trail is closed, but it's on my to-do list for sure.
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 17, 2022 · 5:19PM:
      Aw love that your husband proposed there!
      Reply
  • Jonna October 13, 2022 · 8:52AM:
    Hi Anne, I'm a long time reader! Love your blog! I have a big list of things to do in Bar Harbor and surrounding areas that I'm happy to e-mail to you if you like :) not sure if you have already gone on your trip but I'm happy to send! I just updated it for a friend who went this summer. It included kid friendly things as well if you ever go with your children. Ours are now 18 (twins) and 21 and we've been going to that area since way before our kids were born. IF you get a chance also do the 3 mile walk around Jordan Pond, it's beautiful and then you can grab popovers at the Jordan Pond House. Beehive is a great hike. My list has restaurants and other things. You can e-mail me at jkgreen2@aol.com and I can send if it's not too late :) enjoy your trip!!! Best, Jonna
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 17, 2022 · 5:19PM:
      Hey Jonna! I wish I'd seen this comment sooner - we just got back! But, I'd still love the list for future trips, if you don't mind sending it... my email is anne @ fannetasticfood.com. Thanks so much! And thank you for reading :)
      Reply
      • Jonna October 18, 2022 · 9:43PM:
        Hi Anne, Hope you had a wonderful time! I did just send along the list to you, hope it helps for future trips! If you have any questions or didn't get it, just let me know :)
        Reply
        • Anne
          October 19, 2022 · 4:08PM:
          Thanks for letting me know, it had gone to my spam, but I found it! Thanks again!
          Reply
  • Leigh October 13, 2022 · 12:56PM:
    Oooh October is a great time to go! I live in southern Maine but have family near Acadia, and my husband and I love going up there! In Bar Harbor you should go for a meal at Side Street Cafe- it’s a casual place and they have great margaritas! As for walks/hikes…in town Bar Harbor, Bar Island (if you can time it right with the tides) and the Shore Path are both nice. In the park, we really like Jordan Pond, Gorham Mountain, Sand Beach/Great Head. Anyway, that’s the longest comment ever! Have a great time!
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 17, 2022 · 5:17PM:
      Thanks Leigh!
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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