Get outside

Nicer weather is much needed for pretty much everyone in the country right now (shout out to Texas - I bet you are just dying for warm spring weather). So, when the spring weather finally does come around, get outside and actually soak in the warm weather. There are so many spots in New Jersey to enjoy during the spring and summer months - and lots of photo ops too, for all of my fellow bloggers! You can take in breathtaking views from the highest elevation in New Jersey when you trek up Monument Trail at High Point State Park in Sussex, which follows part of the famous Appalachian Trail before continuing to the top. For a little bit of history with your hike, follow the Watchung Reservation History Trail in Union County, which includes interesting sites like a copper mine, the 1920s Drake Farm House & Barn and tons more. No matter what you choose to do, there truly is no better time to explore and get outside.

Start supporting local businesses

While this is not limited to only doing during spring, I did want to include it in this post because I feel like it is so important to do! Supporting local businesses is so important right now (but always, too!) and I think that we should all do our very best to support them all as much as we can. Cowan Investigations, a local private investigating company, makes a great point about why it is so important to hire local! They say: 

“It is a fact when you hire an out of state National Private Detective Agency you might only talk to the initial representative of the firm you have retained. You will be told by this employee the reason for this is that you will have the firms expertise in managing the case during the course of the investigation. However, the real purpose is to insulate you as their client. This is not a good thing for your case for a number of reasons: 1) your case manager will likely be managing your case from an out of state location far removed from New Jersey, 2) In most instances a client needs to be interviewed by a person on the ground in New Jersey who is actually managing the case as well as participating in its investigation, 3) by retaining an out of state firm you are placing an additional layer of communication between you the client and the New Jersey Private Investigator who are actually working your case, 4) since the out of state agency will take a management fee of up to 60% this will result in the New Jersey Private Investigator cutting corners thereby affecting the quality of the product in order for the acceptance of the outsourced contract to make financial sense.”

So, if you want to hire a private investigation team that is local to New Jersey, consider Cowan Investigations instead of hiring just any company that is listed on Google. The owner, Bob Cowan, is the former Chief of the Jersey City Police Department and grew up and lived in Hudson County most of his life, in addition to residing in Monmouth County and Ocean County where he currently resides. He knows the state like the back of his hand and is ready to help all of his clients to the best of his ability, no matter if you news help with New Jersey computer forensics, concealed cameras, background checks, or any other type of investigation need, call Bob Cowan with Cowan Investigations! 

Plan a road trip

Again - I think a lot of people need and deserve a vacation right about now. If you are still worried about catching COVID, then make it a road trip! You can see so many beautiful towns and sites by road tripping instead of flying. Plan out a fun trip, no matter if it is only 30 minutes away, or across the country. What I will say, however, is that the keys are calling my name, and a key west (all through the keys - visit the different islands) road trip sounds amazing to me. You can stop at each island, explore the beaches, and of course explore the restaurants, too! I know of someone that made it a goal to try a piece of key lime pie on every single island during her road trip. She said that it was a blast and highly recommended it! If the keys are not your style, do an across-the-country trip to California or Oregon! 

Have a picnic

I guess this paragraph technically could have fallen under the “get outside” paragraph, but I felt that a picnic needed its own paragraph because it brings me back to my childhood and brings so many feelings of joy! There are tons of places that you could have a picnic at, but here are 2 good options: at Palisades Interstate Park, unpack your lunch at the Alpine Picnic Area, a waterfront area with views of the Hudson River, picnic tables, grills, restrooms and access to the nearby trail system. Ringwood State Park in Ringwood offers picnic tables and food concessions (I’m not sure if it is open due to COVID) at the 74-acre Shepherd Lake, where you can enjoy a picnic followed by a paddleboat, kayak or canoe ride. 

Get rid of what you do not need

Spring cleaning is always a must in my house and I feel so great after I do declutter and ger rid of what I don’t need! Start with the rooms that need the most TLC and knock them out before you jump to the rooms that are in better shape. This way, you get the hard tasks out of the way to begin with. A few places that I always try to declutter and deep clean: closets, under beds, behind couches, in random kitchen cabinets, the fridge, the pantry, in the attic (if you have one), and so much more. You will feel so much better once you get rid of what you do not need - and deep clean the rest!