I took a 'staycation' at home on the Jersey Shore and here are some of my favorite things from the past ten days:

First of all, I finally had a chance to catch up on "Bethanny" the new talk show starring our favorite Skinny Girl. It is on at 11 am in our area so I am at work and have been taping it. And it's great. I love her most of all for being outspoken and 'going there'....to all the places we are embarrassed to discuss in public or even sometimes with our closest friends!

 

I loved my pedicure from Mario at Graceful Nails in Brielle...complete with a complimentary chair massage while my nails were drying.

Thank you Kate for doing my hair at The Styling Company in Belmar...I love you and Lea and all the girls there are all wonderful!!!

I did some window shopping and scored a couple of great deals at some of my favorite stores that I rarely have time to shop at, including the Boutique at Avon Pavillion, Pier One in Manasquan, and Bed, Bath & Beyond in Brick.

On the morning of July 4th while it was raining, I took the boys to THEIR favorite breakfast place: iHOP in Brick.....a big hello to Lou and ToniAnn who are amazing and their pancakes and kid's breakfasts ROCK!!!

I also enjoyed the Avon Pavillion restaurant for lunch, and the Sand Bar for dinner with friends.....great meals with unbelievable ocean and river views!

The boys and I waited on a half-hour line (on a Monday night!) at Strollo's on Main Street near the Belmar drawbridge...because there is hands-down no better Italian ice....especially their homemade peanut butter ice with HOT FUDGE!!!!!!!!!

We saw our first show at the Spring Lake Community Theatre: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This was a beautiful, classic theatre and the cast was excellent. We enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

Of course we spent time at Manasquan beach (Sea Watch is where you'll find us) and even went swimming off of a friend's dock on the Glimmer Glass!

We took an early-morning stroll through the shops of Ocean Grove, just to get out of our own town and see another!

And we spent an amazing night at the beach Tuesday to see a parade, band on the beach, and fireworks in Squan.

We had Rocco's pizza and subs on a heatwave night when I just wasn't going to cook. (Okay...let's be honest....I didn't feel like cooking MOST nights on vacation....so there was also Wendy's, McDonald's, and chinese food involved in our vacation week, lol!)

And not only didn't I feel like cooking, but I also didn't feel like grocery shopping, doing laundry, paying bills, or washing dishes over our staycation....so needless to say that when I get home today the work I have to do will be quite a shock to my system!!!!!

Overall, even with the things that I have forgotten to mention that we did on our staycation, the moral of this piece is that even my children understood by week's end that we live in a vacation destination that sometimes we take for granted....but when you finally get time off from work and school and have a chance to relax at home on the Jersey Shore, you remember why everyone else comes here in the summer!

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