By Charles Duhigg

This winter, I participated in a mastermind group with a professional life coach. It was a fascinating deep dive into running my business and seeing where I’m limiting myself. It was terrific to have a group of other female founders and to be inspired by our organized and thoughtful leader.

There were many, many takeaways from our six months of work. And one small one was a bit of suggested reading. As I put into motion some of the larger ideas from our group’s work, I also promised myself I’d keep checking in on the themes.

“The will to believe is the most important ingredient in creating belief in change.”

Right Book, Right Moment

I picked this book up this summer as a bit of a jump-start for my busy season. As a writer who focuses on winter, my work starts ramping up each fall. By November, I’m off and running.

Like most self-help books, the BIG IDEAS in this book could easily be boiled down to a one-pager. But Duhigg does a fairly good job of weaving in real-life examples to bring best practices to life. From Michael Phelps to top military leaders to everyday people in the chokehold of addiction, the people are what bring the habits to life.

Before the most meaningful parts of the book are revealed, we have to sift through some science. The first part of the book is a bit of a snooze. The focus is on the science behind the inner workings of our brains. I admit that I glossed over the neurology of habit formation. I don’t think my work in neuroscience is going to take off in the next decade or two. What I was after was seeing how people mentally change and form lasting, healthy habits.

“Habits can be changed if we understand how they work.”

This part is true, but it’s not the brain science we need to grasp—it’s the behavioral science. If we understand our triggers and weaknesses, we’ve got a shot at change. But the most important first step is believing in your own agency and free will.

“If you believe you can change—if you make it a habit—the change becomes real.”

While there’s not a particularly bad habit I’m trying to break right now, I would like to spend more time on creative pursuits and whittle down my screen time. For me, this means making my phone less available at certain times of the day and making my creative outlets easier to access.

I wanted to know the practical ways to set myself up for success. What I learned is the replacement theory—and how to recognize the cue that often leads to the behavior I’m trying to break.

For me, it’s the small gaps of time in my day. Waiting for a load of laundry to finish. Being on hold for a work call. Or finishing a hard task that requires deep thought and concentration. The cue is often the end of something difficult. The reward is a bit of screen time to check my Substack stats, play an online game, or head to Instagram (less and less appealing lately).

I can feel my mind taking a break, and that feels good. I’m not the one having to search for words or meaning. I can relax.

But the same feeling can be achieved by reading, embroidery, or a short walk with my dog. I’m trying to replace online relaxation with offline relaxation. For this type of habit, I don’t need a large group. I need practical solutions.

Changing Habits on a Larger Scale

That brings us to the second part of the book.

Scaling change is a much larger challenge. Here, we’re looking at something like getting a large group of people to spend more time offline (and my personal inclination would be to get them out to the mountains). Ultimately, Duhigg scales his ideas even wider, looking at how we change the habits of society. And that is a tough one. But let’s start small first.

“For a habit to stay changed, people must believe change is possible. And most often, that belief only emerges with the help of a group.”

Duhigg writes a lot about the practices of Alcoholics Anonymous. He tells the story of its founder and explores how AA uses replacement as a means of forming new, healthier habits. Giving oneself over to a higher power becomes part of what fills the void left by alcohol or other addictive substances.

In addition to having a crutch to lean on, Duhigg talks about the power of community. Once the addict admits to powerlessness, the support of the group can work its magic. The power of a small group of people trying to change TOGETHER is part of why AA can succeed where other approaches fail.

When we surround ourselves with others who have similar goals, making change is a heck of a lot easier. A less intense example: If you want to snack less at work and get in your steps, find a work buddy to walk with during lunch.

The Big Ideas

While individual change was what I initially sought from this book, something else became the big takeaway. Through Duhigg’s writing, I see the power of a group or organization to impact change on a larger scale.

“A movement starts because of the social habits of friendship and the strong ties of close acquaintances.

It grows because of the habits of a community, and the weak ties that hold neighborhoods and clans together.

And it endures because a movement’s leaders give participants new habits that create a fresh sense of identity and a feeling of ownership.”

This means a group of concerned parents can come together with the aim of helping families, schools, and society spend less time online. It can start with a personal goal to be offline more and be more present for your family. It can grow by finding friends who share this goal. From there, the group can become a movement.

“Movements don’t emerge because everyone suddenly decides to face the same direction at once. They rely on social patterns that begin as the habits of friendship, grow through the habits of communities, and are sustained by the new habits that change participants’ sense of self.”

Final Thoughts

No, this book probably won’t change your life. But it will reinforce some of the ways we can build lives of purpose and meaning through better choices and more mindful behavioral patterns.

These smart habit books (of which there are many) are a reminder that we CAN change. We are not passive bots reliant upon the universe to show us which direction to head. We can make changes, put down bad habits, and move forward with intention and hope.

The Power of Habit is particularly useful if you’re interested in understanding not just how to start a better habit, but why certain behaviors become automatic in the first place. Some sections feel more relevant than others, but Duhigg’s stories make the behavioral science accessible—and his exploration of how individual habits can grow into community-wide change gave me much more to think about than I expected.

Get in on Amazon here.

One-line takeaway: The Power of Habit is a reminder that meaningful change starts with understanding the patterns we repeat—and believing we have the power to rewrite them.

For fans of: Atomic Habits, Better Than Before, behavioral psychology, personal development, productivity books, and anyone trying to spend a little less time on their phone.

Where I read it: During the summer, as I geared up for my busiest season of the year and thought about which habits I wanted to bring with me into fall.

You can find this—and everything else I’m reading this year—on my running 2026 book list.

The post Book Review: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg appeared first on Mom Trends.

I felt such intensity for this family and all the challenges they faced. It’s sweeping historical fiction about survival, family trauma, Ireland, motherhood, colonialism and our connection to the places we call home. It’s also mystical, occasionally strange and deeply unsettling.

Which leads me to something you should know before I go any further.

Warning: This book contains several extremely violent and disturbing passages, including violence against women and dogs. It’s not the main theme of the book, but if these are triggers for you, steer clear.

Still with me? Good.

Because Land is one of those books that made me want to hug my daughters and my dog close, book a trip to Ireland and immediately read more Maggie O’Farrell.

The Setting: Ireland After the Great Hunger

Most of the novel is rooted in Ireland in the aftermath of the Great Hunger, or Irish Potato Famine, which devastated the country between 1845 and 1852. Roughly one million people died and another million emigrated. Potato blight triggered the crop failures, but British government policies and the continued export of food from Ireland intensified the catastrophe.

This history isn’t simply background noise. It shapes everything.

Tomás and Phina are each the lone surviving children of their respective families. They meet in a Dublin workhouse, carrying a kind of trauma that we would understand very differently today.

Tomás is quick with calculations and possesses neat penmanship—skills that eventually provide his passage out of the workhouse and into employment working on the British Ordnance Survey of Ireland.

Though poorly treated, Tomás saves enough money to help Phina leave the workhouse, and the couple sets up house in Dublin. They live with their growing family in crowded rented quarters. They have a home, but they don’t have much control over it.

For Tomás, the dream of land represents something different: permanence, independence and perhaps even peace.

Mapping a Country—and Its Trauma

Tomás continues his cartography work while Phina tends to their growing family.

His job is one of the most fascinating aspects of the novel.

Tomás is working on the British Ordnance Survey of Ireland, helping map and standardize a landscape whose ownership, population and place names have been profoundly shaped by British rule and the Great Hunger.

There’s a terrible irony here.

Tomás is an Irish famine survivor working for the British to map an Ireland that has been emptied of so many of its people. He wants his maps to record what happened—to show the abandoned homes, changed boundaries and scars left behind.

Add to this the survivor’s guilt of being the only member of his family to survive the famine, and Tomás is carrying an enormous psychological burden.

Then, during a surveying trip with his son Liam, something happens.

Today, we might interpret Tomás’s experience through the lens of trauma or a psychological break. In his own world, however, there is talk of demonic possession and supernatural forces.

Whatever happened to him, Tomás returns changed.

There’s no talk therapy waiting for him. Instead, the episode causes him to rethink his purpose and eventually uproot his family from Dublin.

His solace becomes Phina—and the land.

But Whose Land Is It?

This is where the title really begins to do some work.

Tomás uses the family’s savings to lease land from a local viscount, an aristocratic landowner, and moves his family to a remote peninsula. Their new home is a ruined cottage abandoned during the Great Hunger.

Importantly, Tomás hasn’t bought the property. He’s paying for the right to occupy and work land owned by someone else.

Before the Great Hunger, the estate had supported dozens of tenant households. Afterward, only a handful remained, with much of the land turned over to grazing.

People replaced by sheep.

We see capitalism—and colonialism—at their most inhumane.

And it raises one of the questions that runs throughout Land: Who gets to say that land belongs to them?

The aristocrat who holds the title?

The family who pays rent?

The people who work it?

The generations who lived and died on it before them?

Or the government that arrives to measure it, rename it and draw lines around it?

Tomás becomes fiercely connected to this patch of Ireland, but he never truly owns it. And despite all his efforts, he never quite finds peace there.

A Family Scattered

There is no guaranteed safety in the remote countryside.

Trouble follows the family even to the far reaches of the coast. Phina dies. Tomás is horribly injured during a surveying project. Those losses send ripples through the family, eventually scattering the children.

Liam, Enda, Rose and Eugene respond differently to the trauma they’ve inherited, but they remain connected to one another—and to their father’s troubled relationship with the land.

Can the children escape the cycle?

For me, this is where Land is at its best.

Like many families, there are fierce sibling bonds alongside deep rifts. There is loyalty and resentment. Children misunderstand their parents. Parents unwittingly hand their trauma to their children.

O’Farrell knows how families work.

Credit: Momtrends Media

The Mystical and Magical

And then O’Farrell goes back. Way back.

Thousands of years.

The novel reaches into an ancient version of Ireland, where earlier inhabitants of the same landscape also battle hunger, invasion, violence and loss.

The story of a young girl and her dog becomes intertwined with the later family’s experiences on the land. It’s as if the landscape itself possesses a memory, capable of holding what happened there long after the people are gone.

At the center of this mystical thread is a hidden well tucked inside a copse—a word I had to look up after listening to the audiobook. A copse is simply a small group of trees or little wooded area.

But there’s nothing simple about this particular copse.

The well becomes a place of power, danger and mystery, linking people who occupy the same piece of earth thousands of years apart.

It’s magical realism, but it also reinforces one of O’Farrell’s central ideas: history doesn’t disappear just because the people who experienced it are gone.

The land remembers.

And Then There’s Eugene

One of my favorite threads involves Eugene, who gradually becomes an almost mythical presence in the rural community.

O’Farrell turns him into a sort of gruagach, a figure from Gaelic folklore—a mysterious rural spirit associated with the land and domestic life, appearing and disappearing, taking what he needs and leaving something in return.

It’s a lovely device.

In a book where British surveyors are measuring, categorizing, naming and mapping everything they encounter, Eugene remains something that can’t be easily categorized.

He belongs to the landscape in an entirely different way.

What Land Is Really About

On the surface, this is an intergenerational historical novel about one Irish family and the fierce battles its members face to stay alive.

But it’s about much more than that.

It’s about who owns land and who gets displaced from it.

It’s about the trauma parents pass to their children.

It’s about famine and survival.

It’s about mapping and naming.

It’s about the stories that disappear from official records but remain alive in families and places.

And it’s about the possibility that a landscape can remember what happened upon it.

What Mattered to Me

While Tomás might appear to be the central character, he’s by no means the only one who will resonate.

For me, it’s the women O’Farrell really gets right.

The women in Land are fierce, but they are also extraordinarily vulnerable. They endure motherhood, violence, poverty, displacement and loss while finding ways to keep moving forward.

These women—and the dogs they love—will stick with me.

Yes, the dogs.

This is also, unexpectedly, a book about the extraordinary loyalty of dogs.

In particular, Bran, a lurcher.

Naturally, I went down a dog rabbit hole.

A lurcher isn’t technically a single breed. It’s a type of dog traditionally created by crossing a sighthound—such as a Greyhound, Whippet or Deerhound—with another breed, often a working dog such as a Collie or terrier.

They’re lean, long-legged, fast and very British-countryside-looking.

Which led me to the obvious question:

WHAT KIND OF DOG IS BRAN AND HOW DO I GET ONE?

I am now accepting lurcher applications.

Final Thoughts

Land is heart-wrenching historical fiction about resilience, inherited trauma, family and our complicated relationship with the places we call home.

It’s not an easy read. There is tremendous brutality here, and O’Farrell doesn’t shy away from showing how vulnerable women, children and animals can be in a world where powerful people control nearly everything.

But there is also enormous beauty.

I finished Land wanting to hug my daughters and my dog close, travel to Ireland to see these landscapes for myself—and read more Maggie O’Farrell. Get it on Amazon here.

One-line takeaway: Land is a sweeping, haunting family saga about Ireland, survival and the idea that people may disappear, but the land remembers.

For fans of: Hamnet, sweeping historical fiction, multigenerational family sagas, Irish history, magical realism, complicated sibling relationships and novels where the landscape becomes almost as important as the characters.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely—with the warning that some passages are genuinely difficult to read.

A Note for Audiobook Listeners

Audiobook note: I listened to Land, narrated by Dane Whyte O’Hara, who is a master storyteller. His narration adds another layer to O’Farrell’s already atmospheric writing. It’s a wonderful “listen” as well as a read—and an especially good choice if you want to hear the Irish names, places and language brought to life.

You can find this—and everything else I’m reading this year—on my running 2026 book list.

The post Land by Maggie O’Farrell Book Review: Family, Ireland and the Stories the Land Holds appeared first on Mom Trends.

After picking up a delightful bouquet of dahlias from my local farm stand, I noticed the farm behind this bouquet was right around the corner.

Credit: Momtrends Media

I found the farm on Instagram and dropped into their DMs. (To be fair, I do have a public profile. With a few quick clicks, it’s clear I’m a stalker of flowers and fun, not people.) That being said, Allison Chase, the farmer behind The Dahlia Daughters, answered my DM promptly and agreed to give me a tour.

I drove over to Allison’s farm on a sunny Thursday afternoon. Most people I know think of Sharon, Connecticut, as a place full of gentlemen farmers who made money in the city and came north to chill in wide-open spaces. But in reality, it’s full of locals who grew up here, with farms and small businesses, and who are the backbone of the community.

The locals aren’t in the business of scaring off newcomers. They’re proud of their towns and what they produce. And while they welcome the weekenders, they aren’t looking to turn passion projects into scalable startups. They seem comfortable doing things that make them happy, connect them with neighbors and spark joy—whether that’s a small farm stand selling zucchini run by a teacher or a business growing sunflowers as a side hustle from building.

There is joy in the process, not the profits.

A Generational Project

When Allison met me at her front door, it was immediately apparent that she was proud of her flowers and had a real passion for sharing her knowledge.

Like Allison, I’ve inherited my love of flowers from my mom. My parents fawn over roses and peonies, but for Allison’s mom, it was the dahlia. I have always loved the shape and careful intensity of the dahlia. (Fun fact: The dahlia was named for Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.)

Like many other flowers, the dahlia has depth and character. There are tens of thousands of named dahlia varieties in an extraordinary range of shapes and sizes (see below for a few new favorites). If you love a horticultural rabbit hole–you’ve stumbled on a good one.

Allison’s mom definitely got the “bug.” Over the years, Allison’s mom grew her collection of tubers into the thousands. From my afternoon chat with Allison, it seemed that, as a daughter, she observed her mom’s operation from a distance. Allison opted to pursue work that took her away from the farm (she still holds down her job as a risk officer at a Connecticut bank) but after her mom passed in 2020, something shifted.

Allison inherited all those tubers.

Thousands of the potato-like plant “seeds” sat in the basement, ready to be planted and transformed into the hearty and beautiful flowers that stopped me in my tracks at my local farm stand. To honor her mom (and get through COVID), Allison planted the flowers and resurrected the raised beds on the family farm.

And the planting process stuck.

The Dahlia Daughters Today

No, Allison doesn’t maintain the thousands of tubers that her mom did. She downsized the operation to the hundreds, but she’s managing this side hustle out of joy and as a way to honor her flower heritage.

She works with florists and a local shop, runs her own little farm stand and, every year, begins the process all over again.

How Dahlias Grow

In the spring( in Northwest Connecticut, this is around the first week of May, so mark your calendars), Allison covers her 25 raised wooden flower beds with black plastic tarp and places the tubers in cut-out sections.

Once planted, there’s not much to do. The tarp keeps weeds manageable, and the plantings don’t need much water during their first stages of growth.

Once they’ve sprouted and start to shoot up, it’s time to get the plastic netting up. Fitted between four stakes, the netted grid helps keep the flowers from flopping over under the weight of their heavy heads.

Right around the Fourth of July, Allison starts to see the first blooms. When the blooms start to appear, it’s time to up the watering. But these flowers demand patience. It’s not until August that things start to get lively. Then, in late August and early September, the blooms explode.

If you’ve got an early fall wedding, this might be the perfect flower to pick.

At the end of the season, Allison digs up the roots, rinses the tubers and stashes them in the basement until the next spring. A single plant can produce 30 tubers, and Allison sells tubers (which she says look like small potatoes) in the spring, too. (Be sure to follow her on Instagram.)

Naturally, I went home and down a tuber rabbit hole. A tuber is a thickened underground part of a plant that stores water and nutrients. Think of it as the plant’s pantry, helping it survive winter and grow again in spring. Each viable division needs part of the original stem, called the crown, containing at least one “eye” that can produce new growth. Unlike a bulb, which has distinct layers, a tuber is solid inside. Yeah, probably more than you needed to know.

A Few Growing Tips

The science of the tuber might not intrigue you, but these helpful tips could be more useful. One of Allison’s recommendations is Alaska Fish Fertilizer for Plants.

She also uses molasses in her dahlia-growing routine. A commonly shared soil mixture is:

• 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
• 1 gallon of water

Dissolve the molasses in a little warm water, add the remaining water and apply it to the soil around the base of the dahlias about every three weeks during early summer. This is a soil treatment, not a spray for the flowers or leaves.

Why I Love Dahlias

The flower looks ridiculously architectural.

The layered blossoms have incredible depth and geometry, and the color arrays are intense and varied. A dahlia “flower” is actually made up of many tiny flowers called florets. They remind me of the Sydney Opera House and the Oculus in downtown NYC.

While the symmetry is stunning, the variety of hues makes them even more captivating. From dusky sunset colors to showy pinks, these flowers won’t be ignored.

And that’s where the fun comes in. A garden can be a collection of varieties that offers incredible visual appeal. And just like a garden, a bouquet can be a mix of colors, shapes and textures.

Then there is the generosity of the flower itself: Cutting dahlia flowers encourages the plant to produce even more blooms.

So when they’re in bloom, cut a bouquet for yourself and your friends. Don’t be stingy.

The more you give, the more you get.

Then There Are the Names

This might be where my full-blown dahlia obsession begins.

Pooh. A cheerful collarette dahlia with red-orange outer petals edged in yellow, a sunny yellow inner collar and an open center. The warm colors call to mind the famously honey-loving bear from A. A. Milne’s books. Blooms are typically about 3½ inches across and are attractive to pollinators.

Hissy Fitz. Produces bright-yellow, roughly 6-inch blooms with dramatically fringed or “shaggy” petals. Strong stems make it a reliable cut flower.

Cornel Bronze. This popular ball dahlia produces compact, nearly spherical blooms in glowing copper, bronze, burnt orange and caramel tones. The 3½- to 4-inch flowers have sturdy stems and an excellent vase life.

Penhill Watermelon. This spectacular dinner-plate dahlia produces enormous, loosely ruffled blooms in watermelon pink, coral and peach, sometimes with soft yellow undertones. Flowers can approach 12 inches across and often vary slightly in color.

Café au Lait. One of the best-known dinner-plate dahlias, with large informal decorative blooms measuring approximately 6 to 10 inches. Its famously subtle coloring can shift among ivory, champagne, blush, peach and dusty rose—even on the same plant.

Hulin’s Carnival. This formal decorative dahlia has approximately 4-inch white blooms splashed, striped and speckled with red, pink or burgundy.

Peaches-N-Cream. Tidy, 3- to 4-inch formal decorative blooms brushed and streaked with peach, pink and creamy white. No two flowers display exactly the same markings.

Now I want to plan a full raised bed. And here’s one more tidbit my research unearthed: In the language of flowers, dahlias can symbolize strength, creativity, elegance and lasting commitment.

Where to Find The Dahlia Daughters

Allison works with florists, one local shop (my favorite, Paley’s) and manages her own little farm stand. Her mason jar bouquets hold about half a dozen stems and go for $10, while the large bouquets are $20.

It’s not unusual to see a driver make a very sharp U-turn on Route 41 when they spot the stand—and it’s also not unusual to see the stand empty very early in the day due to the high demand for these gorgeous flowers.

The Dahlia Daughters
Allison Chase
229 Amenia Union Road
Sharon, Connecticut 06069

Follow The Dahlia Daughters on Instagram

The post The Dahlia Daughters: Inside a Connecticut Flower Farm at Peak Dahlia Season appeared first on Mom Trends.

And then. And then.

It turned into a flimsy rom-com. Chick lit at its worst.

The plot became strands of spaghetti thrown at a wall, with a major detour into #MeToo territory that felt particularly jarring. There were simply too many threads in this meandering story and not nearly enough depth devoted to any of them.

My theory? Maria Semple saw a looming deadline and panicked.

Maybe a happily-ever-after that involved riding off into the sunset with a wealthy man felt too predictable. Too risky. Too easy.

So the book zagged. And then zagged again.

I want to save you the trouble on this one.

But if you really want more, sigh, here goes.

The Book I Thought I Was Getting

The setting is appealing. Our heroine flits between the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side, and Semple gives us plenty of New York texture along the way.

Adora is a philosopher who becomes enmeshed with a wealthy family in need of what amounts to an in-house philosopher.

Yeah, that’s a cool idea.

I loved learning about her philosophy work, and now I really want an enjoyable novel about a philosopher. Adora has meaningful work, a full social life and a teenage daughter she’s trying to connect with. She’s smart and interesting and has built a life that doesn’t revolve entirely around finding a man.

Then there’s the coven.

Adora lives in a UWS co-op building full of character—and characters. She’s the mastermind behind organizing a “coven” on her floor, pooling the resources and talents of a group of 50-something women who want to age gracefully, communally and with joy.

Now this is the book I wanted.

Give me smart women in midlife figuring out friendship, motherhood, work, aging, philosophy and what comes next. Give me more coven. Give me the complicated teenage daughter. Give me women building interesting lives together.

Tell me that happily ever after.

Nope.

And Then There’s an Art Heist

What we get instead is Adora mixed up in an art heist with a very questionable man.

Yep, it’s a love story. And not a very good one at that.

Every heroine needs a backstory, but Adora’s is a doozy. She was a comedy writer in the 1980s, when sexual misconduct at work—especially in Hollywood—was commonplace and routinely tolerated. Adora was horribly mistreated, and that history eventually becomes one of the book’s major threads.

It’s serious material. But in a novel already juggling philosophy, motherhood, female friendship, aging, wealth, romance and an art caper, it feels like one more very big idea competing for space.

Ultimately, this is the thread Semple leans into: second chances, true love, reclaiming yourself, yadda yadda.

And somehow the fascinating 50-something philosopher with her coven and complicated life ends up in another ho-hum midlife romance. It turns out our 50-something heroine is still sexy! She’s rediscovering her sensuality! She’s falling in love!

Fine. But I wanted so much more for her.

So What Exactly Is Go Gentle?

Is it a caper?

Is it a romance?

Is it a cultural criticism of how the creative industries treat women?

Is it a midlife coming-of-age novel?

Yes.

And that’s the problem.

Maybe a more skillful—or simply more disciplined—novel could pull all of those threads together. For me, the menu was too broad and generic, with no house specials.

What makes Go Gentle particularly frustrating is that the beginning showed me a book I really wanted to read. Adora was interesting before the plot started working so hard to make her life interesting. Her philosophy, her friendships, her daughter, her New York world and, yes, her coven were enough.

One hundred pages in, I was ready to recommend this book to everyone.

By the end? I was ready to recommend the book it could have been.

Final Thoughts

Go Gentle had me completely hooked for its first 100 pages—and then slowly lost me. Too many plotlines compete for attention, and the romance ultimately feels less interesting than the woman Adora already was.

One-line takeaway: Go Gentle starts as a clever, original look at women, aging and reinvention, then gets tangled in romance, an art caper and one too many big ideas.

For fans of: Maria Semple, New York City novels, complicated 50-something heroines, midlife reinvention, female friendship, philosophy with a side of fiction—and readers who don’t mind a plot that takes some very unexpected turns.

Where I read it: Mostly by the pool. This was a pretty quick read and I only finished it because it was my book club assignment.

Would I recommend it? Not really. I loved the book Go Gentle promised to be in those first 100 pages. I just wish I’d gotten to finish that one.

You can find this—and everything else I’m reading this year—on my running 2026 book list.

The post Momtrends Book Review: Go Gentle appeared first on Mom Trends.

Credit: Momtrends Media

Getting Your Feet Wet (or Muddy)

If you’re traveling with younger kids—or just easing into the weekend—start at the Catskills Visitors Center in Mt. Tremper. There’s ample parking, clean restrooms, and a beautiful, paved loop trail perfect for strollers and early walkers. This is an ideal place to get your bearings.

On the short loop trail, kids can spot bugs and birds, collect fallen leaves, and race beneath towering trees. Indoors, you’ll find interactive exhibits on the area’s ecology, along with helpful staff who can offer trail suggestions based on your crew’s abilities and energy levels. Take a minute to explore the conservation displays, especially those that spotlight the impact of invasive species and forest management practices.

Don’t miss the fire tower climb just off the main path—it’s a manageable ascent that gives even small hikers a sense of adventure and accomplishment. Be sure to grab a clipboard scavenger hunt from the front desk to keep little ones engaged along the way.

What to bring: Refillable water bottles, flat-soled shoes or sneakers.

Perfect for: Ages 0–99. ADA-accessible and stroller-friendly.

Credit: Momtrends Media

Miles to Roam

Ready to stretch your legs a bit more? Head to the Ashokan Rail Trail, an 11.5-mile scenic route that follows a converted Ulster & Delaware Railroad line along the edge of the Ashokan Reservoir. This is one of the most peaceful, well-maintained trails in the region—ideal for walking, running, biking, or just soaking in the mountain views.

This trail is car-free and mostly flat, making it perfect for young bikers or families pushing jogging strollers. For a manageable out-and-back route, start at the Woodstock Dike Trailhead, where a paved 2.7-mile section offers wide-open views of the reservoir and Catskill High Peaks.

Families can use the trail to talk about water conservation—the Ashokan Reservoir provides drinking water to millions in NYC—and with luck, you’ll spot herons, hawks, or even the occasional eagle. Use the free downloadable birding guide from the Emerson Resort to turn your stroll into a mini science lesson.

What to bring: Sneakers or trail shoes, refillable water bottles, sunscreen. Baby carriers or wide-tire bikes are ideal for cinder sections.

Perfect for: Ages 0–99. ADA-accessible.

Credit: Momtrends Media

Hiking Belleayre Mountain

If your kids are ready for a challenge, Belleayre Mountain offers a more rugged hiking experience—and big views to match. Park at the Discovery Lodge and follow the Deer Run Trail, a steep, 2-mile climb with around 1,400 feet of elevation gain. This hike will get your heart pumping, but the payoff is worth it: sweeping views of the Catskills from the summit, where you can see for miles across ridge lines and valleys.

Along the way, you’ll pass ski lift towers and construction updates, like improved HVAC systems and new accessibility features at the mid-mountain Overlook Lodge. The trail is open and wide, which makes it manageable for confident hikers ages 10 and up (or younger ones who love a challenge).

If you’d prefer a shortcut—or a ride to the top for younger family members—the Belleayre Gondola runs on fall weekends (check ahead for schedule and weather updates).

What to bring: Full water bottles, sturdy sneakers or hiking boots.

Perfect for: Ages 10+. Limited facilities—plan ahead.

Credit: Momtrends Media

For the Rock Hoppers: Red Hill Fire Tower

For kids who love scrambling over roots and rocks, the Red Hill Fire Tower Trail is an adventurous, 4-mile out-and-back hike with about 1,200 feet of elevation gain. It’s a bit more remote, so come prepared—but families who take it on are rewarded with a fun, woodsy trail and a 60-foot fire tower climb with incredible views at the top.

Be sure to sign in at the trail register (a highlight for kids who love to feel “official”) and bring a picnic to enjoy at the summit’s grassy area, complete with a lean-to shelter and picnic tables.

What to bring: Full water bottle, long socks, sturdy hiking boots, bug spray, snacks, and a small first aid kit.

Perfect for: Ages 8+ and active families. Not stroller-friendly. No bathrooms on site.

Credit: Momtrends Media

Home Base: Belleayre Lodge

After a full day on the trails, you’ll want a cozy place to unwind. We stayed at the Belleayre Lodge in Pine Hill—a thoughtfully renovated property just five minutes from Belleayre Mountain. The vibe is vintage-modern with plenty of Catskills character.

Each unit feels like its own little cabin retreat, with 2- and 3-bedroom options perfect for families. Expect fully-equipped kitchens, record players (instead of TVs), and playful touches like bold wallpaper and local artwork. There’s lightning-fast WiFi, but you’ll probably spend most of your downtime outside.

Onsite amenities include a fire pit, an outdoor hot tub, and a communal lodge with foosball, board games, and puzzles—ideal for keeping everyone entertained after dinner. We started each morning with breakfast in our room, using ingredients from a local farm stand, and ended each evening by the fire.

Bonus Adventures (For Rainy Days or Rest Days)

Even with the best hiking plans, the Catskills weather can throw you a curveball. Luckily, Ulster County is packed with fun, eco-conscious options for off-trail exploration.

Hudson River Maritime Museum & Solaris Solar Boat Tour
Head to Kingston for a hands-on experience at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, where exhibits explore the region’s nautical history and environmental efforts to protect the Hudson. Kids can learn about invasive species, climb aboard historic vessels, and get hands-on in the boatbuilding area.

If the weather allows, book a ride on Solaris, the museum’s 100% solar-powered boat. This quiet cruise takes you out along the Rondout Creek to the historic lighthouse once managed by Catherine Murdock, a trailblazing lighthouse keeper and mother of three.

Rough Draft Bar & Books
Warm up with cider and stories at this charming Kingston bookstore café, which encourages visitors to BYOM (bring your own mug) to reduce waste. Pick up a few reads by local authors, and don’t miss the children’s book Catskill Creatures, which celebrates the region’s wildlife.

Fabulous Furniture
In Boiceville, stop by artist Steve Heller’s Fabulous Furniture, an outdoor sculpture garden and upcycled art installation. From giant robots to retro rockets made from car parts, this is a fun and free stop that kids (and design-loving parents) will love.

Peekamoose Restaurant
For dinner, treat the family to a locally-sourced feast at Peekamoose, a Catskills institution known for its rotating seasonal menu, thoughtful cocktails, and kid-friendly touches like a reading nook and coloring pages. The towering onion rings are legendary—and never leave the menu.

Bearsville: Music, Murals, and a Little Magic

Being an art-forward destination, it’s no surprise Ulster County has a standout spot for live music. The Bearsville Theater in Woodstock is a cultural hub with deep ties to music history, offering performances for all ages across two indoor stages. While we caught a local singer-songwriter set that was more grown-up in tone, the calendar is full of family-friendly options—like the upcoming holiday tribute to Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas.

The campus includes two on-site restaurants and is known for its quirky charm—don’t miss the colorful murals in the bathrooms, which are practically a rite of passage for first-time visitors. For an easy pre-show meal, we loved Tibet Pho, just steps from the theater. The casual vibe, speedy service, and generous bowls of steaming pho make it a hit for both couples and families.

All Aboard: Rail Explorers & Scenic Train Rides

Want to keep moving without the uphill climb? Rail Explorers offers a unique, eco-friendly adventure—pedal-powered rail bikes that follow an 8-mile round-trip track in Phoenicia. Kids ages 4+ can ride, and the route is surrounded by mountain views, forested paths, and fall color at every turn.

Prefer to let the train do the work? Step back in time aboard the Catskill Mountain Railroad. Pulled by a 1950 diesel locomotive, the ride features a mix of open-air and traditional cars—so dress for the weather. Seasonal excursions include the charming Pumpkin Patch Ride and the popular Fall Foliage tour. Departures leave from Westbrook Lane Station in Kingston Plaza (with ample parking), covering a scenic 8-mile round trip. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before departure.

Why Ulster County Works for Outdoorsy Families

Ulster County makes it easy for families to slow down and tune in—to each other and to nature. Trails are accessible and thoughtfully maintained. Attractions center around sustainability, conservation, and creativity. And whether you’re chasing a summit or simply strolling along a lake, the pace always feels just right.

Family fall hiking in the Catskills isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about finding moments. A quiet view from a tower. A kid’s first bird sighting. A shared snack at the summit. These are the memories that last long after the leaves fall.

So pack your layers, fill up your water bottles, and head north. Ulster County is ready to welcome your crew—muddy boots, snack breaks, giggles, and all.

The post Family Fall Hiking in the Catskills: Your Weekend Guide to Ulster County Adventures appeared first on Mom Trends.

My daughter is 21 and about to launch herself into the job market. As a college senior, she’s weighing her interests against the realities of the current marketplace and trying to match her particular talents and passions with companies that need eager, ambitious people to train.

It’s exciting—and daunting.

As a parent, I’m cheering her on and helping where I can. I’ve connected her with friends and peers in different professions for coffee dates and informal mentoring. As a writer, I can steer her toward—or away from—the fields and jobs I’ve experienced myself. And as a reader, I can do some additional legwork by learning more about what’s really going on inside today’s workplaces.

Advice for Recent Graduates

I started with Jodi Kantor’s terrific book, How to Start: Discovering Your Life’s Work (read my full review here). It’s a roadmap of sorts for following a calling and turning it into paid work. The book is hopeful, practical and precise about its message.

Shop How to Start

Then I finished Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career by Kristi Coulter. The memoir spans Coulter’s 12-year career at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle. A transplant from Michigan, Coulter gulps the Amazon Kool-Aid and quickly becomes a worker bee striving for her next promotion—and the sweet stock options that accompany the unlimited refills of work.

Shop Exit Interview

An Inside Look at Amazon

After watching Nomadland—the terrific Frances McDormand film that includes a bleak stint inside an Amazon fulfillment center—I was curious to see what life looked like at the company’s Seattle headquarters. Exit Interview takes us upstairs, offering a view of the people and management culture behind those warehouses.

Watch Nomadland

This isn’t a whistleblower’s account of Amazon. If you like those, read Careless People, Sarah Wynn-Williams’ memoir about Facebook and Meta. Exit Interview is more personal. Coulter holds herself accountable for accepting the pressure and abuse year after year. She likens her attachment to the company to Stockholm syndrome: She knows staying isn’t good for her, but scraps of praise and an unquenchable thirst for approval keep her chained to her strange, door-like Amazon desk.

Shop Careless People

While Coulter’s lack of a technical background may have kept her from reaching the coveted Level 8, it becomes increasingly clear that she is being called toward more creative work than copyediting recipes and writing signage for new Amazon Go stores.

Amazon was clearly not the right place for Coulter. But judging by the company’s enduring financial success and the flood of applications for its white-collar jobs, it must be doing something right—or at least something extraordinarily effective. Amazon knows how to turn ambition, competitiveness and the desire for approval into fuel. Coulter’s sensitivity wasn’t simply a poor fit; it made her particularly vulnerable to a workplace that always held the next promotion just out of reach.

Credit: Momtrends Media

Why Exit Interview Works

Exit Interview would be a beatdown if it were only about the horrible treatment of female executives at Amazon. To be clear, Coulter tells us that life is miserable for many of the men, too. But the women occupy a particular circle of corporate hell, thanks to deep-seated sexism and the double standards surrounding ambition, confidence and leadership.

Coulter is such a fine writer that the book becomes much more than a peek at the strange habits of Amazon’s jargon-spewing executives. This is a book about sobriety, ambition and self-acceptance, wrapped in Amazon’s iconic packaging. The author’s journey back to her true talents as a writer is the hero’s journey we didn’t know we needed.

Lessons Learned

As a reader—and a mom—I kept begging Coulter to take her vested stock options and run. But I know how corporate workplaces operate. The next raise, promotion or juicy assignment can convince you that a new boss will finally be the one to get you where you need to go.

Along her winding career path, Coulter encounters some terrific bosses, some horrible bosses and even one who gets swept up in the #MeToo movement. In a tidy bit of symmetry, Coulter is interviewed by Jodi Kantor about Amazon’s policies surrounding harassment and assault.

In Coulter’s telling, however, the most pervasive problematic behavior isn’t sexual. It’s demeaning, dismissive and limiting. Her portrait of a particular type of Amazon man is one of the book’s funniest—and most cutting—passages:

“There are so many men here, men from Sloan and the University of Michigan and McKinsey and Deloitte. They’re transitioning to barefoot running. They bought Vibrams last month, and a sous vide machine…. They don’t just agree; they violently agree. They’re blocking and tackling and focused on the inputs and not getting distracted by orthogonal matters…. Can they just play devil’s advocate for a second? Can they just pressure test your idea? Can they just push back on that a little? These last three are them saying you are wrong.”

Thanks to Coulter’s compelling narrative style, humor and candor, Exit Interview is a terrific modern examination of ambition, addiction and the myth of work-life balance. It belongs on your reading list if you have a kid heading into the workforce—or if you’ve ever wondered what it takes to survive inside one of the world’s most powerful companies.

Amazon is one of the so-called Magnificent Seven, a group that represents roughly one-third of the S&P 500’s total market value. When so much financial and cultural power is concentrated in so few companies, what happens inside them matters—not only to their employees, but to all of us as investors, consumers and voters.

Credit: Momtrends Media

Final Performance Review

I learned plenty about Amazon Publishing, Amazon Go and the peculiar language of Amazon’s corporate culture. More importantly, I was reminded of what it feels like to be a young female executive determined to stake her claim in the world.

I want my daughters to read this book—not because every demanding workplace is toxic, but because ambition can make unhealthy management practices surprisingly difficult to recognize. Coulter’s story offers a valuable lesson: Learn to distinguish between a job that challenges you and one that steadily erodes your confidence, health and sense of self.

In Coulter’s imagined exit interview, she writes:

“I say I’m leaving with no more understanding of how to get promoted than I had the day I arrived. I say that Amazon set the stage for my addiction, but that sobriety has been manageable here, too.

The final question is yes/no: ‘Would you recommend Amazon as an employer to others?’ I stare at the choices for several minutes before clicking no.”

Hopefully, readers beginning their own careers will learn to recognize that answer long before it takes them 12 years to leave.

Final Thoughts

Darkly funny, candid and deeply unsettling, Exit Interview is both a revealing look inside Amazon and a cautionary tale about the price of ambition. It’s especially timely for young people entering the workforce—and for the parents cheering them on while quietly worrying about what they’ll encounter. Get it on Amazon here.

One-line takeaway: Exit Interview is a sharp, deeply personal workplace memoir about ambition, addiction and learning when professional success is costing you too much.

For fans of: Careless People, workplace memoirs, behind-the-scenes stories about powerful companies, women navigating corporate careers, and parents of young adults preparing to enter the workforce.

Where I read it: Riding the Subways in NYC and at night when my daughter and I regularly carve out reading time together on a cozy couch before bed.

You can find this—and everything else I’m reading this year—on my running 2026 book list.

The post Exit Interview Book Review: Inside Amazon’s Toxic Workplace Culture appeared first on Mom Trends.

Credit: Momtrends Media

The Plot Thickens

With many British novels of manners—think Austen and Brontë—there’s a criticism that not much happens. Well, that’s not the case here. Yes, there are the expected weddings and old people passing away, but in addition, there is scandal, violence, infidelity and financial misdeeds. Maybe that’s why the 1992 movie was such a hit. Watch it—the cast is amazing!

Back to the book. There are too many characters to mention here, but this is the gist: It’s a story about the Schlegel sisters, Helen and Margaret, and one particular family they cross paths with and become deeply intertwined with—the Wilcox family.

The Wilcox men seem to be drawn to these women and the life force that surrounds them.

Orphaned in early adulthood, the sisters are responsible for themselves and their younger brother, Tibby. With no one wiser to guide them, they lead a whimsical and rather charmed life full of lively dinners, intellectual discussions and travel.

Curiosity gets the best of the sisters. Because they put themselves out into the world of men, the plot starts to thicken. Then the proposals start rolling in.

The men make the money, lose the money, act with passion and jealousy, and drive the story forward.

It’s All About Men

The men make the money, lose the money, act with passion and jealousy, and drive the story forward. I decided to reread this book because my reading list of late has been woefully light on strong male leads. In Howards End, yes, the women are the central characters, but the men are the ones driving the plot.

Through them, Forster examines what it means to be a capitalist and an industrialist. The deals, land grabs and proposals are all based upon the desire to conquer. And it’s not just wealthy men we encounter. Through the rather pathetic and confused character of Leonard Bast, we’re shown a man who wants a life full of beauty and art, but because of his class and his miserable marriage, it remains beyond his grasp.

“He has worked very hard all his life, and noticed nothing. Those are the people who collapse when they do notice a thing.”

But It’s Really About the House

When the Schlegel sisters expose Leonard to art and beauty, it becomes his downfall. Cities are painted as horrific centers of ill repute, but they are also the centers of art and thought. Only a country retreat can provide the solace and life force needed to bring the sisters back together. That’s where Howards End (a house) is glue that binds and the balm that heels.

While Forster adores Meg’s pluck and Helen’s honor, let’s be honest: His favorite character in the book is the eponymous house. Howards End is where one can take root and live with dignity and purpose.

“The feudal ownership of land did bring dignity, whereas the modern ownership of movables is reducing us again to a nomadic horde. We are reverting to the civilisation of luggage, and historians of the future will note how the middle classes accreted possessions without taking root in the earth, and may find in this the secret of their imaginative poverty.”

Only when the sisters are ensconced in Howards End can they find true happiness and safety. Forster writes, “The Age of Property holds bitter moments even for a proprietor.” But in the end, property—more specifically, LAND—is the ultimate savior.

Dirty Money and Clean Hands

Forster knows things. He’s not like the Transcendentalists who dreamed of casting off material concerns and heading out into nature. One could read this book as a counterpoint to the American Transcendentalists, who were most active from the 1830s through the 1850s, especially in New England. Think Emerson’s Nature (1836) or Henry David Thoreau’s Walden (1854). Men who told us to cast everything off and head to the pond.

Forster is more realistic, especially when it comes to women.

“Money pads the edges of things,” said Miss Schlegel. “God help those who have none.”

And then:

“New for me; sensible people have acknowledged it for years. You and I and the Wilcoxes stand upon money as upon islands. It is so firm beneath our feet that we forget its very existence.”

These lines resonated with me because they are true. As today’s billionaires hoard more wealth and grab all the headlines, economic disparity grows. It’s easy for those at the top to forget the slippery sands beneath the working class. The Leonard Basts among us deserve beauty and opportunity too.

Unlike Emerson and Thoreau, Forster grasps the complexity of extending the healing power of nature to people of all classes. He holds farmers and countrymen in high esteem.

“Their hours were ruled, not by a London office, but by the movements of the crops and the sun. That they were men of the finest type only the sentimentalists can declare. But they kept to the life of daylight. They are England’s hope. Clumsily they carry forward the torch of the sun, until such time as the nation sees fit to take it up.”

What It’s About

It’s a story about class, the healing power of nature, striving and, most of all, the power of sisterhood.

That last part seemed to sit more deeply with me than ever before. Now the mom of two daughters, I was intensely invested in the relationship between Helen and Meg. One is practical and poised; the other is pretty and impulsive. What they share is compassion, a love of art and a penchant for intellectualism. I love the mystical powers afoot in this novel. The power of beauty and feminine charm feels almost sorcerous, and it is beautifully written. And I admit, the ending is one of the most satisfying around. No spoilers here, even though this book is more than a century old.

There are too many beautiful sentences to quote. His writing inspires me to do two things: get out into nature and carefully craft my words. This is an author who simply sticks with me.

I urge you to revisit your favorites as you age. Some will hold up. Others will surprise you because they no longer command the respect you once afforded them.

Howards End holds up. In fact, I love it more dearly every time I return. Do yourself a favor and buy this one in hard cover.

Final Thoughts

Howards End is a beautifully written novel about class, money, nature, property and the life-giving power of human connection. But on this reading, it was the bond between Margaret and Helen that moved me most. Now the mother of two daughters, I felt the power of their sisterhood more deeply than ever. This is a book that has grown alongside me—and one I love more dearly every time I return to it.

One-line takeaway: Howards End asks whether beauty, nature and human connection can survive in a world driven by money and acquisition.

For fans of: British classics, novels of manners, complicated sisters, questions of class and privilege, beautiful prose, houses that feel like characters, and books that reveal something new with every reading.

Where I read it: First in my twenties, again in my late thirties, and now in my fifties—three readings at three very different stages of my life.

Momtrends Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Book Club Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Outstanding discussion potential)

Would I Recommend It? Without hesitation—especially for readers who love beautifully crafted classics and books that become richer as you age.

The post Howards End Book Review: Why E.M. Forster’s Classic Gets Better With Age appeared first on Mom Trends.

What Happens During a 24-Hour Fast? Benefits, Risks and the Science

Fasting has become a major wellness trend, with devotees promising everything from rapid weight loss to better brain function and even a longer life. But what actually happens during a 24-hour fast—and which of those benefits are backed by science?

I was introduced to fasting at the Lanserhof health clinic in Austria a few years ago. Fasting is part of “the cure” their proprietary method to promote health and longevity. Most guests begin a fast on the first day of the one-week program. While I struggled with hunger pangs initially, by the end of the week, I was a believer. I felt lighter, more focused and definitely more energetic.

Credit: Momtrends Media

The 24 Hour Fast

The first day at the clinic kicked off the 24 hour fast, after that, we were working on having small meals 3x a day with no snacking. We let our food digest between meals and stopped eating around 6pm and didn’t commence again until 7 or 8 the next morning. But with these notes, I want to focus on the initial full day fast.

A 24-hour fast is one of the more approachable forms of extended fasting. It might mean finishing dinner at 7 p.m. and waiting until 7 p.m. the following day to eat again. During that window, you consume water and other noncaloric beverages but no food.

Going an entire day without eating can produce measurable metabolic changes. However, some of the more dramatic claims you’ll see online—especially those involving “detoxing,” extreme fat loss or cellular rejuvenation—are often overstated.

Here’s a realistic look at what happens during a 24-hour fast, its potential benefits and the important risks to consider.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider before fasting if you have a medical condition or take prescription medication.

What Happens to Your Body During a 24-Hour Fast?

The exact timeline varies based on your last meal, activity level, metabolism, diet and previous experience with fasting. These stages should be viewed as estimates rather than a metabolic stopwatch.

0–6 Hours: Your Body Digests Its Last Meal

During the first several hours, your body is still processing your most recent meal.

Glucose from carbohydrates provides much of your immediate energy, while insulin helps move glucose and other nutrients into your cells. Any excess energy may be stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles or as body fat.

At this point, very little has changed metabolically. You are in the normal post-meal state.

6–12 Hours: The Transition Begins

As digestion winds down, insulin levels begin to fall. Your liver starts breaking down stored glycogen to keep your blood sugar within a healthy range.

Fat burning gradually increases, although your body is still drawing heavily on its stored carbohydrates.

You may begin to feel hungry during this period, especially if it overlaps with a meal you normally eat. Hunger often arrives in waves and may fade once your usual mealtime passes. If start after a early dinner (which is what I normally do), these will be evening hours (with tea) and sleep. Easy peasy.

12–24 Hours: The Metabolic Shift Becomes More Noticeable

As the fast continues, liver glycogen becomes increasingly depleted. Your body relies more heavily on fatty acids for energy and begins producing ketones. I find that light exercise (think a chill yoga class, easy hike or a walk) helps at this point of the fast.

This transition is sometimes called the “metabolic switch.” According to the National Institute on Aging, the timing of this switch can vary considerably from person to person.

Some people will produce measurable ketones before reaching 24 hours, while others may take longer. Your previous meals, exercise habits and familiarity with fasting can all affect the timing. In my experience hours 16-18 are the hardest. Hours 22-24th seem to breeze by.

What Are the Possible Benefits of a 24-Hour Fast?

Researchers are still working to separate the proven benefits of fasting from the social-media hype. Most studies also examine repeated intermittent-fasting patterns—not the effects of completing one isolated 24-hour fast. For me, I try to do at least 2x a month.

Increased Fat Burning and Mild Ketosis

As insulin drops and glycogen becomes less available, your body begins relying more heavily on stored fat. Ketone production may also rise.

That does not mean a single fast burns a dramatic amount of body fat. It simply means the proportion of energy coming from fat increases during the fasting period.

Improved Metabolic Flexibility

Metabolic flexibility is your body’s ability to switch between carbohydrates and fat for fuel. Fasting gives your body practice making that transition.

This is one reason occasional fasting appeals to people interested in metabolic health rather than rapid weight loss. That’s where I fall. Full 24-hour asting for weight loss seems unsustainable.

Will a 24-Hour Fast Help You Lose Weight?

You may see the number on the scale drop after a 24-hour fast, but most of that immediate change is not body fat.

Short-term weight loss can include:

• Water
• Glycogen stored with water
• Food moving out of the digestive system
• A relatively small amount of body fat

Meaningful fat loss occurs when fasting helps create a sustainable calorie deficit over time.

Importantly, the most current evidence does not show that intermittent fasting is clearly superior to traditional approaches to weight loss. A 2026 Cochrane review analyzed 22 randomized trials involving nearly 2,000 adults and found no clinically meaningful weight-loss advantage over standard dietary advice.

That doesn’t make fasting useless. Some people find it simpler to limit when they eat than to count calories every day. The best approach is generally the one that is safe, nutritionally sound and sustainable for your lifestyle.

Does Fasting Improve Mental Clarity?

Many people report greater focus, steadier energy and improved mental clarity once the first waves of hunger pass.

Ketones can provide the brain with an alternative source of energy, but individual responses vary. Other people experience headaches, irritability, fatigue or difficulty concentrating.

The idea that everyone will feel mentally sharper during a 24-hour fast is not supported by strong evidence. Pay attention to how your own body responds. For me, I do see a boost in creativity and focus in the last portion of the fast. And I schedule writing sessions to make the most of this energy increase.

Can You Exercise During a 24-Hour Fast?

Healthy adults can often tolerate light or moderate activity during a short fast. Good options may include:

• Walking
• Easy running
• Gentle cycling
• Yoga
• Light strength training

Long runs, heavy lifting and high-intensity interval workouts may feel harder because you have less readily available glycogen. A fasting day is probably not the ideal time to chase a personal record.

If you are an active midlife woman, protecting muscle mass and supporting exercise recovery are especially important. Avoid allowing fasting to crowd out the protein, carbohydrates and total energy your body needs consistently. Schedule demanding workouts on days when you can fuel and recover properly.

Stop exercising and end the fast if you feel faint, confused, unusually weak or unwell.

What Can You Drink During a 24-Hour Fast?

Water should be your priority. Many people also include:

• Plain sparkling water
• Unsweetened tea
• Black coffee

Avoid turning the day into a test of how little fluid you can consume. Dehydration can contribute to headaches, dizziness and fatigue.

Coffee on an empty stomach can also cause shakiness, heartburn or digestive discomfort in some people.

How to Break a 24-Hour Fast

There is no need for an elaborate fast-breaking ritual after 24 hours. Most healthy adults can simply eat a balanced, moderately sized meal.

A good post-fast meal might include:

• Lean protein such as chicken, fish, eggs, tofu or Greek yogurt
• Vegetables
• Healthy fats
• Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, quinoa, beans or potatoes

Eat slowly and give your body time to register fullness. An enormous, heavy meal may cause bloating or digestive discomfort and can quickly erase the calorie deficit created during the fast.

Who Should Not Try a 24-Hour Fast?

A 24-hour fast is not appropriate for everyone. Avoid fasting—or speak with a qualified healthcare provider first—if you:

• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Are a child or teenager
• Have a current or previous eating disorder
• Are underweight
• Take insulin or certain diabetes medications
• Have a medical condition affected by food or fluid intake
• Take medication that must be consumed with food
• Frequently experience fainting or low blood pressure

People with diabetes face particular risks from fasting, including low blood sugar, high blood sugar and dehydration. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends planning any fast with a healthcare professional who can evaluate medication and monitoring needs.

The Bottom Line on 24-Hour Fasting

A 24-hour fast can increase fat burning, encourage mild ketone production and give your body practice switching between fuel sources. Repeated intermittent-fasting schedules may improve certain markers of metabolic health for some people.

But fasting is not a detox, a guaranteed path to weight loss or a proven shortcut to longevity. The evidence for dramatic autophagy, anti-aging and mental-performance claims in humans remains limited.

For a healthy adult who enjoys fasting and has medical clearance, an occasional 24-hour fast may be a reasonable wellness practice. It should complement—not replace—a nutritious diet, regular exercise, adequate protein, good sleep and stress management.

Ultimately, the question isn’t whether you can go 24 hours without eating. It’s whether fasting helps you build a healthier routine you can actually sustain.

The post What Happens During a 24-Hour Fast? Benefits, Risks and the Science appeared first on Mom Trends.

For our latest girls’ getaway, my friend Sarah and I spent 48 hours exploring Killington and Woodstock (check out our family’s last trip here). We balanced active mornings with leisurely lunches, squeezed in spa treatments between adventures, and ended each day swapping stories over cocktails. Whether you’re planning a birthday weekend, celebrating a milestone, or simply overdue for time together, this Vermont itinerary delivers the ideal mix of relaxation and fun.

Stay at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel

The Killington Grand Resort Hotel makes an ideal home base for exploring Vermont’s Green Mountains. Located slopeside at Snowshed, the resort offers everything you need for a relaxing weekend, including a heated outdoor pool, full-service spa, fitness center, restaurant, and market for grabbing coffee before heading out for the day.

The accommodations are spacious and comfortable, with many suites featuring kitchens that are ideal for longer stays or group travel. While the décor leans more practical than luxurious, the real attraction is the location. You’ll spend most of your time outdoors enjoying Vermont’s fresh mountain air, not sitting in your room.

Spend the Morning Outdoors

One of the things that makes Killington such a great summer destination is the variety of activities available. If your group enjoys golf, the Killington Golf Course is an excellent way to spend the morning.

The Geoffrey Cornish-designed course winds through the mountains with sweeping views at nearly every turn. It’s challenging enough for experienced golfers while still offering an enjoyable day for casual players who are more interested in conversation than scorecards. Renting an electric cart lets you soak in the scenery while making the rolling terrain much easier to navigate.

Just down the road, Woodstock Country Club offers a completely different experience. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., the course feels more relaxed and approachable, with shorter holes, beautiful mountain views, and a pace that leaves plenty of time for lunch afterward. Even if your group includes golfers of varying skill levels, everyone can enjoy a leisurely round together.

Recharge at the Spa

No girls’ weekend is complete without a little self-care.

After an active morning outdoors, we booked treatments at the Killington Grand Spa, where seasonal wellness services, massages, and body treatments helped us fully unwind. Our sugar scrubs followed by massages were exactly what we needed after hours outside, and spa guests also receive access to the resort’s pool and fitness facilities.

If you’re looking to elevate the experience even further, the Spa at Woodstock Inn is worth the short drive. Set among beautifully landscaped gardens, this LEED-certified spa offers an extensive menu of massages, facials, and wellness treatments in a tranquil setting that invites you to linger a little longer.

Where to Eat During Your Vermont Getaway

One of the highlights of any girls’ trip is discovering memorable restaurants, and this itinerary delivered from morning until night.

Mon Vert Café

Start your morning in Woodstock with expertly crafted espresso drinks and one of the area’s best breakfast sandwiches. The avocado toast is another standout, and the lively atmosphere makes it a favorite with both locals and visitors.

Killington Distillery

For happy hour, grab a table in the garden at Killington Distillery. The Trailside Blush cocktail—made with gin, St-Germain, hibiscus tea, and fresh lemon—quickly became our favorite, while the Brussels sprouts served kebab-style were unexpectedly unforgettable.

Preston’s

Located inside the Killington Grand, Preston’s offers elevated farm-to-table dining without leaving the resort. Fresh burrata, handmade pasta, local ingredients, and attentive service make it an easy choice after a full day of exploring.

Red Rooster

Inside the Woodstock Inn, Red Rooster serves refined Vermont comfort food in an elegant setting. Our standout meal included a rich tomato guajillo bisque followed by an elevated BLT layered with Billings Farm smoked cheddar on Red Hen Baking Company sourdough. It was the perfect reward after an active morning.

Beyond Golf: More Ways to Explore Killington

Even if no one in your group plays golf, Killington offers plenty of ways to enjoy the mountains.

Ride the K-1 Gondola to Killington Peak for panoramic views of the Green Mountains before taking a short hike to the summit. Adventure seekers can continue the fun at the Snowshed Adventure Center, where attractions like the Beast Mountain Coaster and Soaring Eagle zipline add just enough adrenaline to balance a relaxing weekend.

If your ideal getaway moves at a slower pace, spend an afternoon browsing Woodstock’s charming boutiques, linger over coffee in the village, or simply settle in beside the fire pit at the Killington Grand with a glass of wine as the sun goes down. Those quieter moments often become the most memorable part of the trip.

Why Vermont Is the Perfect Girls’ Getaway

The best girls’ weekends strike a balance between activity and downtime, giving everyone a chance to reconnect without feeling overscheduled. Vermont makes that easy.

In just two days, you can enjoy mountain adventures, indulge in spa treatments, savor exceptional meals, and spend hours laughing with friends against one of New England’s most beautiful backdrops. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, planning a reunion, or simply making time for each other, Killington and Woodstock offer everything you need for an unforgettable escape.

Sometimes the greatest luxury isn’t a five-star hotel or a perfect itinerary. It’s uninterrupted time together—and Vermont delivers that beautifully.

The post Vermont Girls’ Getaway: The Perfect 48-Hour Itinerary for Killington and Woodstock appeared first on Mom Trends.

Everyone knows Big Sky as one of North America’s premier ski destinations. I certainly did.

After nearly a dozen winter visits, I thought I knew this Montana mountain town inside and out. Then I visited in June and realized I’d been missing half the story.

The ski runs had transformed into wildflower-covered hiking trails. Chairlifts carried mountain bikers instead of skiers. Families lingered over outdoor concerts, children searched for gemstones in a mining sluice, and patios filled with travelers soaking in Montana’s endless blue skies.

It turns out I wasn’t the only one discovering Big Sky without the snow. According to the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research, nearly half of Montana’s annual visitors arrive between July and September, making summer the state’s busiest tourism season.

After spending a week exploring Big Sky, I completely understand why.

Whether you’re planning an active family vacation, a romantic mountain getaway, or looking for the perfect home base for Yellowstone National Park, here’s why Big Sky deserves a spot on your summer travel list.

Why Visit Big Sky in Summer?

The biggest surprise about Big Sky isn’t the scenery—although it’s spectacular.

It’s the variety.

One morning you can hike to an alpine lake. That afternoon you’re floating through whitewater rapids. The next day you’re watching Old Faithful erupt before returning to Big Sky for dinner beneath Lone Peak.

Unlike many mountain towns that feel sleepy after ski season ends, Big Sky comes alive in the summer. Weekly farmers markets, free concerts, mountain biking, horseback riding, fly fishing, hiking, rafting, and scenic lift rides create the perfect balance of adventure and relaxation.

It’s also remarkably easy to navigate. Big Sky sits roughly 45 miles south of Bozeman and 45 miles north of Yellowstone National Park’s West Entrance, making it an ideal basecamp for exploring southwest Montana.

Credit: Momtrends Media

Where to Stay in Big Sky

Choosing where to stay depends on how you want to experience Big Sky.

If your focus is mountain adventures, stay in Mountain Village.

The Summit Hotel (check out our full review) places you steps from the lifts, hiking trails, mountain biking, restaurants and scenic gondola rides. Waking up surrounded by mountains—and not having to drive anywhere—is one of the luxuries of staying here.

Families looking for a more walkable experience should consider The Wilson Hotel in Town Center (read the full review).

The Marriott Residence Inn property offers spacious suites, complimentary breakfast, a heated outdoor pool and easy walking access to restaurants, shops and community events. We parked the car after checking in and barely touched it again.

Don’t Miss: Ride to Kircliff Observatory

Every destination has one experience you simply shouldn’t miss.

At Big Sky, that’s Kircliff Observatory.

Perched atop 11,166-foot Lone Peak, Kircliff is unlike anything else you’ll find in North America. Equal parts architectural masterpiece and scenic overlook, the glass observatory welcomes both skiers and non-skiers to Montana’s highest accessible viewpoint.

The journey begins with the Explorer Gondola before transferring to the Lone Peak Tram, a remarkably quiet ride that climbs above forests, alpine meadows and rocky cliffs.

As the tram gained elevation, something unexpected happened.

Everyone stopped talking.

Phones slowly lowered. Conversations faded. Complete strangers quietly stared out the windows as mountain goats navigated rocky ledges below and endless mountain ranges stretched toward the horizon.

An Architectural Marvel in the Mountains

The base station immediately catches your attention.

Its soaring glass structure feels more like an art museum than a ski lift terminal, evoking the clean lines of I.M. Pei’s Louvre Pyramid in Paris.

The observatory itself is equally impressive.

Cantilevered over the cliffs of Lone Peak, Kircliff features towering glass walls and a transparent glass floor that creates the sensation of floating above the mountain.

Even if architecture isn’t usually your thing, it’s impossible not to appreciate what the designers accomplished.

Instead of competing with the landscape, the building frames it.

The View From the Top

Once you arrive, take your time.

Inside, panoramic windows reveal 360-degree views stretching across Montana’s mountain ranges.

Outside, an open observation deck lets visitors step directly into the alpine environment.

Even during our June visit, patches of snow remained scattered across Lone Peak.

We wandered across the snowfields, spotted marmots darting between rocks and could just make out the distant Tetons shimmering on the horizon.

Far below, the Yellowstone Club and Big Sky Resort looked almost miniature.

During winter, expert skiers begin one of North America’s legendary descents from this very summit.

For everyone else, simply standing at the top is enough.

Know Before You Go

• Open during summer beginning mid-June
• Accessible for all ages
• No hiking required
• Tickets include the Explorer Gondola, Lone Peak Tram and scenic lift access
• There are no restrooms or food service at the summit

More Family Adventures at Big Sky

Kircliff may be the headline attraction, but it’s only one piece of the experience.

Mountain Biking

Big Sky offers more than 50 miles of lift-served mountain biking trails ranging from beginner-friendly rides to technical downhill terrain.

Hiking

Families will love nearby Ousel Falls, while more adventurous hikers should head to Beehive Basin for one of Montana’s prettiest alpine lake hikes.

Whitewater Rafting

One of our favorite afternoons was spent rafting the Gallatin River.

The Class I through III rapids are exciting enough for first-timers while still being family-friendly, making this an ideal introduction to whitewater rafting.

Live Music & Farmers Markets

Summer evenings belong in Town Center.

Every Wednesday, the Big Sky Farmers Market fills the streets with local vendors, artisans and live music.

On Thursdays, Music in the Mountains transforms Len Hill Park into one giant community picnic with free concerts beneath Lone Peak.

Where to Eat in Big Sky

Big Sky’s dining scene has grown right alongside the destination itself.

Some favorites from our trip:

Cowboy Coffee

Start your morning with locally roasted coffee before heading out for the day’s adventures.

Montana Jack

Perfect after hiking or biking. Don’t skip the loaded nachos.

Block 3 Kitchen & Bar

One of our favorite meals of the trip.

Fresh Montana ingredients, excellent cocktails and a relaxed atmosphere make this a great choice for date night or a celebratory family dinner.

320 Ranch Chuckwagon Dinner

Looking for a true Montana experience?

Ride a horse-drawn wagon to a riverside cookout complete with steaks grilled over an open fire, live music and campfire s’mores.

Kids absolutely love it.

Yellowstone National Park Is Just an Hour Away

One of Big Sky’s biggest advantages is its location.

Yellowstone National Park’s West Entrance sits just over an hour away, making it easy to experience one of America’s greatest national parks without changing hotels.

Even with only one day, you can visit iconic sights like:

• Old Faithful
• Grand Prismatic Spring
• Fountain Paint Pot
• Fairy Falls
• Wildlife viewing throughout the park

We spotted bison, steaming geothermal features and one of the most colorful landscapes I’ve ever seen.

Just don’t expect to see everything.

Yellowstone covers more than 2.2 million acres, and one visit will almost certainly leave you planning your next.

Read our Complete First-Timer’s Guide to Yellowstone National Park.

A Three-Day Big Sky Itinerary

Day One

• Check into your hotel
• Explore Mountain Village
• Ride to Kircliff Observatory
• Dinner at Carabiner

Day Two

• Hike Ousel Falls or Beehive Basin
• Relax in Town Center
• Farmers Market or Music in the Mountains
• Dinner at Block 3

Day Three

Choose your adventure:

• Whitewater rafting on the Gallatin River
• Full-day Yellowstone National Park excursion
• Horseback riding
• Fly fishing
• Mountain biking

Planning Tips for Visiting Big Sky in Summer

• Fly into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.
• Rent a car.
• Pack layers—even sunny days can turn cool at elevation.
• Bring sunscreen, hats and reusable water bottles.
• Reserve Yellowstone activities well in advance.
• Spend at least three nights to fully experience the destination.

Why Big Sky Belongs on Your Summer Bucket List

I’ll admit it.

Like many skiers, I assumed Big Sky existed for winter.

Now I’m not so sure.

Summer reveals a completely different side of this remarkable mountain destination—one filled with alpine hikes, rivers, concerts, family adventures and some of the most breathtaking scenery in the American West.

Whether you’re traveling with young kids, planning a couples’ escape or introducing grandparents to the beauty of Montana, Big Sky offers that increasingly rare combination of world-class experiences without feeling overly crowded or manufactured.

And then there’s Kircliff. Yes, it’s an engineering marvel. Yes, the architecture is stunning. But what you’ll remember most isn’t the glass or the steel. It’s that quiet moment inside the tram when everyone stopped talking, looked out the window, and simply soaked in the vastness of Montana.

Learn More on The Ski Moms Podcast

In this episode, the Ski Moms welcome Tallie Lancey, a  real estate expert with 18 years of experience representing buyers and sellers in Montana’s premier ski destination. Tallie shares her comprehensive insights into Big Sky’s unique geography, explaining the three distinct areas: the Mountain (base area with ski-in/ski-out access), the Meadow (six miles away with walkable amenities and better value), and the Canyon (the scenic Gallatin River corridor). Tallie details lodging options from hotels to Airbnbs, private clubs and the ultra-exclusive . She offers practical travel tips including , renting a car and stocking up on groceries before the drive.

The post Big Sky in Summer: The Ultimate Family Guide to Montana’s Most Beautiful Mountain Escape appeared first on Mom Trends.