Blogs

When visiting the Pocono Mountains you are sure to drive by at least one candle shop, if not more. I stopped by American Candle in Bartonsville this past weekend in search of a birthday present and found much more. As a child, I remember begging my parents to take me to American Candle. I'm sure you're wondering why a kid would want to be brought to a candle shop, but the store is much more than that. They have an amazing assortment of candy, anything you can imagine, they have. If candy is not what you're looking for, their assortment of candles is endless. You can find any scent, size and style candle possible. The possibilities don't end there, they have seasonal decorations, Swarovski crystal's, collectibles, and even wedding and special occasion gifts. I walked away with a beautiful Swarovski crystal flower. There were so many beautiful things I had to remember I was shopping for someone else!  Maybe, for my birthday someone will have the same idea for me.

With so many candle shops in the Pocono Mountains be sure to stop in and check them all out!

It's officially fall! It's time to break out the sweaters and jeans and put away the t-shirts and shorts.  The Stroud Mall will help you do just that. With amazing ways to save everywhere you look, you're sure to find great deals.

I personally love dressing for fall. There are so many great options from cardigans to jackets and everything in between. The perfect place to shop for fall in the Pocono Mountains is the Stroud Mall, where you will find a variety of great stores. You can find everything you need at department stores like JCPenney, Sears and Bonton. If you're looking for trendy stores, try American Eagle. American Eagle has great stylish attire for boys and girls. And don't forget to save while you're there. Sign up for an American Eagle member card for FREE and save big. You will receive discount coupons in the mail and through your email.

Save big this fall in the Pocono Mountains!

Living in the Pocono Mountains of course I've been to Callie's Candy Kitchen and Callie's Pretzel Factory. They are both a must when visiting the Pocono Mountains! You get the experience of watching candy and pretzels being made, with the enjoyment of being able to buy and eat it as well. First, I'll start off with Callie's Candy Kitchen. This place is a candy lovers dream. Wherever you look all you see is candy and unique candy at that. You won't just find the regular candy you can buy at a grocery store, you'll see anything from huge colorful lollipops, candy cartoon characters and chocolate covered everything. You will certainly not be disappointed leaving Callie's Candy Kitchen. Once you do leave the candy kitchen, make sure to head over to the pretzel factory right down the road. Pretzels are made fresh every day along with other snacks like gourmet flavored popcorn. After you see how they're made, make sure you try all the different kinds of pretzels available. They make everything imaginable from pretzels filled with cheese to pizza pretzels to buttermilk ranch pretzels! However, the pretzel twists are by far my favorite. Callie's Candy Kitchen and Callie's Pretzel Factory are both a great way to spend the afternoon.

With so many chain restaurants making their way into the Pocono Mountains, it's nice to take a break and stop by one of the locally owned cafes. Dale's Café in Bartonsville is just that. I've been to Dale's many times and always love looking at the forever changing artwork hanging on the walls. These paintings and drawings are for sale by local artists. Every time I go to Dale's Café I get the same thing, the Italian Panini, I'm hooked. If Italian Panini's aren't your thing don't worry, Dales has a large variety of high-quality sandwiches, wraps and even personal pizza's. Everything is made fresh and is guaranteed to taste amazing. I decided to introduce my sister's boyfriend to Dale's Café this past weekend and he loved it. He was skeptical at first since he was extremely hungry and didn't think a sandwich could fill him up, but he walked out stuffed. I of course, ordered the Italian Panini and both my sister and her boyfriend ordered the Chicken Firenze Panini. Our food came out extremely fast, we hardly waited at all. After we all finished eating, her boyfriend decided to pick up the check because he noticed how extremely affordable Dale's Cafés prices were. With daily specials located right as you walk in, there's something for everyone.

For other cafes in the Pocono Mountains try out, Bean's Roasting House & Café located in Honesdale and Café Origins in Jim Thorpe!

With summer coming to an end, it is the perfect weather to visit a flea market or farmers market in the Pocono Mountains. The Pocono Bazaar Flea Market in Marshalls Creek is a great way to spend your Labor Day weekend.

I have been to the Pocono Bazaar Flea Market many times over the past few years and everytime I go there's always something new to see. This flea market is huge! There are vendors set up indoors and outdoors with stands filled with anything you could imagine. From electronics to tools you are guaranteed to find something that catches your eye. My favorite part of the flea market is definitely the clothing stands. You can find brand new designer clothes at extremely affordable prices. Make sure you don't leave the flea market without trying out the food. The pretzels are amazing. There are stands for all ages, so make sure you bring the whole family. With the holiday weekend quickly approaching make plans to stop by the Pocono Bazaar Flea Market in the Pocono Mountains.

 

 

This past Saturday I decided to meet a few friends for dinner and drinks at Shiro in Swiftwater. Shiro, which means "castle" in Japanese, reflects the beauty of the building and all it has to offer. The restaurant offers you a front row seat for the ultimate hibachi dining.  Hibachi is always entertaining and at Shiro it was no different.  Our chef was humorous and really got everyone involved in the dining experience. For those that don't desire hibachi, Shiro also has a large sushi and Asian fare menu.  I ordered the hand cut, juicy, tender and filling Sirloin Steak. The portions are large and I had enough food left over to take home.  After dinner we decided we wanted to stay and have a few drinks at the bar.  Shiro has multiple bars stocked with plenty of bartenders; I never waited long for a drink. The dance club start opens at 9:30pm and plays great dancing music. Overall, the night was a success! We had a great dinner and a great night. If you're looking for somewhere to go this weekend I recommend Shiro in Swiftwater.

Check out Shiro's Martinis & Manicures Mixer tomorrow, August 27 from 5pm - 7pm!

Have you ever been to Barley Creek? If you're in the Tannersville area Barley Creek is the perfect place to stop and eat.  Last weekend, I was at Camelbeach Waterpark with a few of my friends, I suggested for dinner we stop by Barley Creek.  Barley Creek has a fun atmosphere and a large outdoor pavilion area where they host all different types of events.  My favorite is always Summerfest!  My friends and I decided this was exactly the place we wanted to go.  We jumped in the car and took the short drive down the mountain. 

Once we were seated, our server came to us promptly and asked us for our drink order.  Did you know Barley Creek is also a brewing company and creates their own variety of beers and wines? I decided to try the Rescue IPA, India Pale Ale which is Barley Creek's mug club's favorite.  Aside from drinks I also ordered a cheese steak which was delicious! Once we finished dinner we headed over to Pub 715 to check out the live entertainment.  Pub 715 is a local bar where you can go to hangout with friends and listen to great local bands.  On this particular night, Valley of the Giants was playing on the main stage.  I had a great time, drinks were fairly priced and the entertainment was free.  Can it get any better?  I will definitely be back for their famous wing nights every Monday!

Last weekend, I was driving past the Milford area and decided to make a quick stop to check out all the local shops.  My "quick stop" turned into several hours of shopping along Broad Street.  There's something about nice weather and streets lined with shops that I can't resist.  My first stop was at Reigning Cats & Dogs.  This store is a pet owner's paradise!  They have everything from pet strollers to houses for cats.  If you want to pamper your pet, visiting Reigning Cats & Dogs is a must! 

My next stop was at Upriver Home.  When I first walked into the store, I was amazed at the variety of products.  Upriver offers antique, as well as custom made furniture.  Upriver is fully stocked with lamps, rugs, pillows, framed artwork, hand thrown pottery and more!  If you've just moved into a new house or your just looking for home accessories, you MUST visit Upriver. 

My last stop of the day was at Patina Antiques.  Milford has many great antique stores and Patina Antiques was no different.  The red painted entrance allows you to spot Patina Antiques from almost a block away.  Being one of Milford's oldest and most beautiful shops, you're guaranteed to find something you'll like!  Patina Antiques is more high scale country living and they even have a professional interior design service available.  I found the most amazing green lamp that would look perfect in my living room and the price was reasonable, so I decided to buy it.  In the past week, I have gotten compliments on the lamp every time someone has come over my house.  Everyone wants to know where I got it from and I make sure to tell them Patina Antiques in Milford! 

To anyone looking for somewhere to go this weekend, be sure to visit Broad Street in Milford.

This past weekend I decided to visit Jim Thorpe and see what the town was all about.  When I got there, I was amazed by everything Jim Thorpe had to offer.   When I turned onto Broadway the street was lined with all different types of stores. I had to park my car and start walking right away!  The first store I came across was The Gem Shop.  The Gem Shop had Tiffany inspired jewelry that was beautiful and extremely affordable!  You won't be able to leave without buying something.  Next I stopped by Marianne Monteleone Designs.  Marianne Monteleone focuses on creating unique looks for any individual.  As I looked around, I noticed a staff member helping a customer pick out the perfect outfit for the dinner party she was attending later that evening.  Everyone seemed very friendly and eager to help.  After I found a shirt I liked, I went over to the accessories to try and find more jewelry.  I spotted a necklace that was gorgeous and of course I had to have it!  For my last stop, I decided to go into Homespun on Race Street.  Homespun is a cute shop that has everything from country décor to seasonal gifts.  Homespun is actually a shop and an inn all in one!  The first floor is the shop and the second and third floors are beautiful two bedroom suites.  As I looked around the shop, I found great gift items.  There were a lot of quilts, signs, picture frames and garden accessories.  I found everything I was looking for and decided it was time to go home.  Jim Thorpe is a beautiful, quaint town in the Pocono Mountains.  If you are looking for something to do, stop by the shops in the heart of Jim Thorpe and get shopping!

 

 

Last week, I decided I needed to shop and went to The Crossings Premium Outlets to do it.  I love The Crossings, you get to be outdoors and shop at the same time (who needs the gym when you can shop!).  As I was walking around and looking at which stores I might want to check out I noticed BCBG Final Cut, a store I have never seen before.  First of all the newly opened store is amazing!  They have high-fashion items at extremely low prices.  You can walk out of BCBG Final Cut with a stylish shirt for $30, and if you've ever been to a BCBG store good luck finding anything for $30.  After I bought a few things in BCBG Final Cut I continued my journey through The Crossings to find another store I might be interested in.   I found myself going directly to Coach without even realizing it!  If you have checked out my profile (and if you haven't you should!) you see the picture of me with my arms full of Coach handbags.  Don't worry they're not all mine; I would like to thank my co-workers for contributing to the reason why my friends think I don't need anymore handbags. LOL. Coach is known for their amazing quality and the outlet store doesn't forget this.  When I walked in I couldn't help but touch everything I saw from leather, to signature handbags.  I just wanted everything!  Of course I had to come back to reality and remember I should only buy one, but maybe one day I'll be able to by the whole store.  I was looking for a white handbag and saw many that were to my liking but I saw one specific handbag that I really liked but there were none in white.  Almost immediately a friendly staff member came up to me and asked if I needed help finding anything and right away I asked if the handbag came in white.   She told me she would check in the back and as she walked away I hoped she would come out with the bag in her hand, and she did!  I continued to the checkout and left a happy customer.  The Crossings Premium Outlets has everything for any occasion.  I recommend to anyone looking for high quality items at low prices to check out The Crossings Premium Outlets!