Man, I sure was bummed one morning when I stopped by Main Street Bakery and it was closed. The door was cracked open a bit, so I stuck my head in to see what was happening and met Brenda, the new owner. (Yes, I’m that nosey.) Now the bakery is back open for business. I picked up a bag of homemade plain cake donuts and, boy, were they good. Stop by for breakfast or lunch next time you’re in town; you can see the menu online at www.mainstreetbakery.org

If you’re reading my blogs consistently, you’ve probably come to realize that I’m working on an article for Kearsarge Magazine. I’m not really giving anything away with this series of blogs – as the final article is so very different than what I post – but since I’m limited to word count on paper, it’s nice to be able to babble online. (Take that last run-on sentence, for example.)

ANYWAY, I stopped in to The Clothing Orchard on Route 11 in Newport. Jody Manson opened the consignment shop two years ago, and she’s got some pretty nice stuff. I learned that thrift stores aren’t choosy – they’ll take any donations they can get. (Many of them support nonprofit causes, so the more merchandise the better.) There’s also a lower price point at thrift shops, so if you’re looking for a shirt under $5, you’ll probably find one. Consignment shops are more selective. Jody says, “I’m very particular about what comes in. Items have to have the tags on them, or look brand new. All buttons should be attached, and all zippers should work.” And having a brand name doesn’t hurt. I picked up a dress for my picky 4-year-old; it had a brand name I’d seen at a children’s shop in West Lebanon and it was only $9.

Sorry, no photos. I tried my best but my best wasn’t good enough. (I can name that tune in five notes.)

Dianne King-Borcuk isn’t in retail for the money. “This is a service. I’m not going to get rich on it,” she says. But Mary’s Little Lamb, a consignment store on John Stark Highway in Newport, has clothed her grandchildren, as well as a lot of other children in the area. She has 2,000-plus consigners, which means that a lot of high-quality clothes come in and out of the shop. Longtimers may remember Mary’s Little Lamb at its old location in Guild; it moved to Newport in 1996 and Dianne’s owned it since 2006. We found some good deals on a recent trip there – my mom got three shirts, brand new with tags intact, for $30. I picked up a pair of much-needed shorts for my daughter for $5, also brand new with tags, but then found the same brand (and style) shorts at Target for $3.50. (Bummer.) So know your prices before you shop, and you’ll be sure to get a good deal. You certainly can’t beat the selection. I counted 20 tank tops in size 5-6 alone, and then gave up.

It felt like a Friday night in Newport. The grocery store was packed, the traffic was backed up on Main Street and you missed the green light on the first try. But it was Thursday, and Newport was hopping. I hadn’t been to the new Jiffy Mart on John Stark Highway, so I was surprised at how large it was inside. In addition to the regular convenience store merchandise, there’s a huge, walk-in cooler with beverages of all kinds; a nice seating area with booths and tables; a Subway; and a Ramuntos Pizza Express. I picked up the “family special,” which was two large pizzas, garlic knots and a two-liter bottle of coke. It was only $23 – a good deal considering my husband and I have eaten at the Hanover and Lebanon locations  and spent that much on five slices with drinks. On my way back to the car,  a man saw my dinner to go and said, “I’m coming to your house!” I replied, “There might not be much left – three kids will be beating you to it!”

It’s February, and you need to throw a birthday party. The season means that you probably should to have it indoors…but what will you do with 20 kids in your home? Never fear, Pioneer Gymnastics in Newport has a solution – you can have the birthday party there. My son, who was turning 7, was able to invite all of this first grade friends, have a great time being entertained by Jeff for two hours, eat cake, hop on a trampoline and play with a parachute – and all I had to do was unload the car and cut the cake. What could be better for both kid and mom? On the ride home, my mother said, “That was a birthday party the kids will remember.” Contact Pioneer Gymnastics if you’ve got an upcoming birthday in your household: www.pioneergymnasticsnh.com

I was finally able to check out the Main Street Bakery, located at 12 Main Street in Newport. I’ve been meaning to stop by for weeks, but I pick up my daughter from Newport Montessori School at 2:30 – and the bakery closes at 1 p.m. Today was early release Friday, so I was in town at noon – perfect timing. I should know better than to go into a bakery on an empty stomach, but I was happy to find that the new bakery offers homemade soup. Every day there are two different offerings – Friday’s specials were meatball and cream of mushroom – and a roll or a piece of bread are complementary. A small soup (12 ounces) is $3 – a good deal, if you ask me. And because you didn’t overindulge at lunch, you can pick up a sweet treat for dessert or a later afternoon snack. I purchased two chocolate toffee bars (75 cents each) to bring back to the office to share…a big hit. Stop by the next time you are looking for a breakfast sandwich (Anna and Jenn even make the English muffins) or some hot soup on a cold winter day. www.main-street-bakery.com                 

We always get our tree at the last minute. With two small children, it’s best to get it a week before Christmas, so you are only yelling “DON’T TOUCH THE ORNAMENTS!” for seven days, instead of a month. So we pick a lovely, snowy weather day to drive to Newport to get our tree. I, of course, make the kids stand near it for a photos. They are troopers – this is classic – they are cold and squinting from the wind and falling snow – but still smiling for mommy!