Our nanny agreed to take Maddie for 24 hours. We dropped her off at noon and headed into town for our date day, determined to pack in as much non kid friendly activities as possible.

First stop was Miyake for lunch. I had the daikon salad and salmon lady roll. Delish as always! Tom had the Bento Box complete with foie gras, foraged mushroom soufflé, grilled chicken, tuna sashimi and a salmon roll. We had green tea – my first caffeine in two years. Maddie was super sensitive to it in utero and in her breastmilk. Since I wasn’t feeding her for another 22 hours, I was free to indulge. Yes indulging is having a small amount of caffeine to this nursing mommy. It’s the small things. We love Miyake and were “regulars” before Maddie was born. We’ve only been a handful of times since , but I was heartened that the waitress remembered our names. She even remembered Maddie’s name.

Tom getting a foot soak at Soakology.

Then we headed to Soakology, where we each had foot soaks with essential oils and herbs, more tea and mini-massages. This place is highly recommended for parents that need to destress. Call ahead well before you want to get it. They book fast. I called two days ahead and was only able to get a 20 mins treatment.

After that it was time for a little retail therapy, the kind I like because I don’t HAVE to buy anything, which means I end up spending more because everything is an impulse buy. Luckily I’m in good company since Tom tends to buy more this way too.

Pinecone and Chickadee

T-shirts at Pinecone and Chickadee,

First stop was Pinecone and Chickadee because it was across from where we’d parked. It’s a cute hipster knick knack kind of place. I was drawn to the baby t-shirts of course. Before Maddie, I had a t-shirt obsession and now I still do, but all the t-shirts I buy are for her. I bought her three t-shirts, two of which have animals acting rather like Godzilla, one with flames come out of their mouth.

Simply Scandinavian

Second up, Simply Scandinavian. This is where we got all Maddie’s nursery furniture. The owner, Tom, is super nice and really funny. He carries high-quality products from Scandinavia of course, ranging from nursery items, clothing, housewares, jewelry and food items. We bought Tom a hat, jacket and slippers, (house shoes as store owner Tom called them, which my Tom decided he’d adopt) slippers for me, and a set of napkins. Buy local this Christmas and support Tom at Simply Scandinavian please.

My new slippers

Next we went to the Salt Cellar. I’ve been meaning to head into this place for years. A co-worker of mine reminded me of the antibacterial properties of rock salt a few weeks ago. Apparently the salt lamps they sell will fill a small room with negative ions that will boost the immune system and improve our moods. Sounds good to me. We bought one for Maddie’s room and our room. It gives off a nice pink glow so you can see at night without keeping you awake. Time will tell if it helps at all. They also have tasty table salt too of course.

Drinks at Portland Hunt and Alpine Club

Eggs stuff with smoked fish and dilly beans.

Semi-private room at Portland Hunt and Alpine Club

Then it was time for a drink. Off to the Portland Hunt and Alpine Club. I know everyone else has already been there, but it was our first time. Delish! I had the Modern, with scotch and gin! Yes I was tipsy after one drink. Tom got something with tequila I think. I was way into my own drink to even taste his. We got the pickled veggies and deviled eggs stuffed with smoked fish of some kind (I think it was cod). They have somehow successfully blended the feel of a cabin ski hut with a euro-style cafeteria. It works. So much so that I brought a friend there for drinks a couple nights later.

Cassoulet at Artemisia

Risotto at Artemisia

We then headed out of the Old Port to Artemisia for dinner. If you haven’t had brunch there, go! The food is awesome and the service is super quick. We’ve joked for years that the woman in the kitchen (it’s usually just her) is actually an octopus with eight arms because it’s not humanly possible to cook that much food, that fast. We heard that they recently opened for dinner, so went to check it out. We found that a new “owner” has taken over at night. Octo-lady (if anyone knows her, please DON”T tell her that), has leased her space to a couple from Maine by way of California for dinnertime only. The food was very good. Think gourmet comfort food. I had risotto, which they kindly made vegan, and Tom had an untraditional, but tasty cassoulet. The portions aren’t large, but adequate and the wine list, while short, was well-selected.

Breakfast at Sillys.

Sunday morning we slept in till 6:45am, even with the time change. Then we went to yoga together for the first time in let’s see, how old is Maddie. And even before that I couldn’t do heated yoga, so I guess it has been two years. When we got home, we showered and realized we still had 3 hours till Maddie would be home. So we did something else I can’t remember the last time it was we did it. No not that…brunch! We headed to Silly’s. If you haven’t been to Silly’s, you must go. Funky, vegan, gluten free, paleo friendly joint with milkshakes and a bar. I also noted the high chairs, although I was happy for the moment to not need one.

And there you have it. 24 hours in Portland without Maddie. I think we did a pretty good job jamming in a number of activities, many of which have been impossible with a baby. Next up is Boston in a week. This time for two nights!!