HOW DO YOU MAKE TIME TO HANG OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS?

 

DO YOU NEED TO MAKE SOME TIME WITH FRIENDS?

Many of my female friends and clients are talking about how damn busy everyone seems to be these days. It seems like we are trying to make up for 2020 shutdowns four years later.

I am not busy like that. I am doing busy as I want, but that could be because because I am older, I live on my own and don’t have the abundance of activities I once had that being a parent demanded.

It is also because aging is freedom, not a burden.

On the way up the aging ladder, we are building lives, buying homes, cars, having and raising children, building careers, doing and climbing.

When we are on the other side, we find ourselves adapting to a new sort of independence, maybe it is the in between of working and retiring, or waiting for weddings and grandchildren, but what I enjoy about this part of my life is the changes are the ones I decide to make.

This is not true of all of my friends, but what I have noticed is the joy of making time on purpose for each other as a new directive.

This is why I have created new experiences in my garden that are specifically designed to sit together, hopefully put the phones away or at least turned over face down and silent, and just be with each other, talking and hanging out.

The Flower Foot Soak and Charcuterie is one of my most favorite services. It has surprised many at the simplicity of the experience.

HERE IS HOW IT GOES:

• Arrive to happy people waiting to take care of you.
• Tour the small but beautiful garden space in the yard of a 1866 home that houses the business.
• Sit on the back deck overlooking the garden under a canopy of wisteria.
• Have a glass of something specially prepared for you.
• Enjoy a plate of homemade delights while you nosh and visit with your friend.
• Soak your feet in a warm bath of fresh herbs and flowers from the garden and close your eyes for a spell while you connect with how long it has been since you took care of yourself, let alone your feet.
• Visit. Talk. Sit. Listen to the birds. Smell the air. Be with each other.

2 hours of joy. Just for you and the person you choose to be with.

What I miss seeing in the younger generations are those plans my friends and I made when we were young to have lunch and go shopping in small towns or at a mall, now a thing of the past. It doesn’t seem that young people or new moms do this as much anymore since it is so much more convenient to shop online in your pjs.

This new service is to remind you to spend time this way again. An excuse for some old fashioned togetherness and to stop being in such an over scheduled hurry all the time.

I get asked, "Can you do this for more than 2 people?"

"Yes! It makes for a nice intimate party too, though I wouldn’t say it is as fun for any more than 8 at a time. 2-6 would be my recommendation."

Here are some other ways to add to this if you want to make a day of it.

IF MUSEUMS ARE YOUR THING:

• Visit Blithewold first and walk the grounds, they have a sculpture exhibit in the gardens that is magical.
• Take a tour of Linden Place or if you love manufacturing of boat history, Herreshoff Marine Museum on Hope Street- both have great gift shops.
• If you can catch one of the many walking tours that Bristol Historical and Preservation Society offers, do that, they are really informative.

IF BEING ACTIVE IS YOUR THING:

• A pretty yet hidden short walk is on the boardwalk from the Firemen’s Memorial on Thames St along the water across the parking lot on the water in front of the Bristol Harbor Inn where the tent is, head north in front of Dewolf Tavern and continue on boardwalk to Quitos. This eventually connects to the bike path crossing over Independence Park.
• If it is a Saturday, go catch the lovely farmers market at Mt Hope Farm and take a walk on the grounds all the way down to the water, it is one of the quietest most elegant walks in Bristol.
• Take a walk through Colt State Park along the water.
• Rent from Bristol Bikes or bring your bike and go for a bike ride on EAST BAY BIKE PATH.
• Take a walk on High Street, one of Bristol’s prettiest neighborhood walks, leaving your car at Alayne’s and heading north on Hope St. first, then taking a right at Hope Diner and then another right on High Street walking back to The Lobster Pot and taking a right back along the water to Constitution Street.

IF SHOPPING IS YOUR THING:

• After the foot soaks, meander to some of Bristol’s shops around the corner from Alayne on Hope St.
• Grab a Galao at Folklore (a delicious Portuguese coffee made with Azorean milk, iced or hot)
• Epilogues for antiques mixed with new
• Kate and Company, clothing, jewelry and home goods
• Beau Blue, clothing and jewelry
• Paper Packaging and Panache has cards and stationary if you need to pick up a card or two to send old school.
• Check out Caron Jewelers, an old fashioned jewelry store that has been there for over 50 years. Continue down to Franklin St and visit Grasmere, Jackies Loft taking a left on the Franklin heading towards Thames, both are beautiful shops to peruse. Take a right on Thames before heading back and make sure you visit Fenwick and Oliver one of Alayne's favorite gift spots.
• Grab an ice cream at Jules right next door to Jackies.
• Head back on Thames St walking south towards Alayne’s making sure to go to Woof Woof (left on Bradford) if dog gifts are something you look for and the many shops on State St. (a left)

IF MORE BEAUTY SERVICES ARE YOUR THING:

• You could also add some of our indoor services, like our award winning facials to either side of these foot soaks or even a Grown Up Makeup Lesson for 2 or 4, they are really fun.

TAKE THE FERRY + TAKE YOUR BIKES

• The Seastreak Ferry runs on the weekends until September, and a boat ride from Providence is really great because the ferry stops in Bristol twice a block from Alayne White.
• You can bring your bikes on the ferry too, if you would rather ride your bikes back on the path. It is a very inexpensive way to be on the water and see our beautiful harbor.

DON'T FEEL LIKE PLANNING ANYTHING?

• Let Alayne plan your time for you. Call or text 401-575-6670 or email beauty@alaynewhite.com

Let Alayne plan a day for you. text or call: 401-575-6670 or email Alayne@alaynewhite.com

Want some extra Bristol Info? I love Wood Street too and Unity Park is a wonderful foodie place filled with restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and whiskey.

Check out www.explorebristolri.com for all that is happening here.