April showers bring May flowers- but what do April snowstorms, thunderstorms, and hot-then-cold-then-hot-again days bring? A case of the sniffles and some crazy allergies, it turns out- but also the chance to see some beautiful blooming flowers/trees and plenty of time to plan for warmer, sunnier days ahead! Sure, the weather this past month may […]
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Although Earth Day was yesterday, I’ve found myself taking more and more proactive, every day steps in recent years to reduce my carbon footprint, cut down dramatically on harmful waste (i.e.- using less plastic, turning to biodegradable packaging, repurposing containers, etc.) and playing my part in trying to slow and/or reverse the effects of global […]
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Last Spring, when we were at the height of COVID-19 uncertainty- with lockdowns, quarantines, and mass cancellations/closures- it didn’t seem like there was an end in sight. Everything looked and felt grim, and it was hard to see the bright side of pretty much anything given how much we’d lost and were continuing to lose- […]
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When I started “Coffee & Chiffon” back at the start of 2020, one of the things I was most excited for was being able to write about and share some of my favorite local shops, restaurants and beloved attractions in and around my current home in the Pioneer Valley- particularly places I love(d) visiting in […]
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Do food comas typically last 48 hours? If you’ve ever spent a holiday at my mom’s house with my family- you’ll see that they most certainly can and often do. After last year’s Easter dinner- a beloved tradition for my brothers and I for as long as I can remember- was canceled due to the […]
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It took a couple of days to get used to being back on the East Coast with the time zone difference and the colder, rainier weather- but I’m feeling a little less groggy and a lot more productive now that I’m getting back into the swing of my usual every day routine- but oh how […]
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Although it may be difficult to find any upsides at all to COVID-19 and the subsequent quarantines/restrictions that have plagued us for just about a year now- being able to more easily stay on top of my apartment’s cleanliness and organization would surely have to be one of the somewhat good or positive things that […]
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Pre-pandemic, it was not at all uncommon for me to spend nearly every other weekend with my longtime friends Sean and Paulo. Be it going hiking, dining out, catching a scary movie at a crowded theater or just sitting around playing video games in our apartments- it was kind of a routine and definitely a […]
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Coffee & Chiffon 