Woolverton Inn- Bucks County’s Best Kept Secret!

You’ve heard of a “baby moon”, right?  You know, that last relaxation moment you can grab before your life is overtaken by a crying, pooping, eating, and clinging mini.  Of course, a joyous occasion, but the baby moon, now that’s a genius invention!  Well I missed the boat, baby #3 was born in April 2012 and I haven’t had a break since a girls weekend in December 2010!  So I’m inventing the “Mommy-Moon”.  It’s when you’re already a mom and deserve a fabulous getaway to regroup!!!

Side view of the main house

My husband and I went on my “Mommy-Moon” to the Woolverton Inn.  Perched high above the scenic Delaware River in Stockton, New Jersey, The Woolverton Inn offers a romantic 18^th Century storybook escape for prospective and seasoned parents, complete with rolling hills and grazing sheep. Located on 10 park-like acres and surrounded by 300 acres of preserved farmland and forest, the inn feels a world away though it’s just five minutes from the shops and attractions of New Hope, PA and Lambertville, NJ.  If you have never been to New Hope, it’s a must see!   There is so much to do we wished we stayed for 2 nights.  But, alas, we had one FABULOUS night.  So I’ll tell you about that!

Dining room (breakfast, snacks and refreshments served)

Family room

On our way up to the inn we stopped at a local winery for tastings.  It was relaxing and delicious and a definite “Mommy moon” thing to do at 2pm on a Sunday!  The Woolverton Inn was easy to locate.  Plenty of signs led us to the gravel path in between green pasture and a corn field.  The scene was so serene that my husband and I both sighed aloud as we pulled in.  We parked our car and walked to the main house, which was built in 1792 by pioneer industrialist John Prall Jr., whose mill is nearby.  The main house has 8 rooms for guests to stay in.  Carolyn McGavin, the Inn keeper, welcomed us when we entered.  She immediately gave us a tour of the downstairs, including showing us where the afternoon snacks are.  Who doesn’t love an afternoon snack of homemade biscotti and sugar cookies with delicious iced tea?  Throughout the Inn, the decor was comfortable, beautiful, and really respected the history of the Inn with the relaxation that the guests are seeking.  Carolyn then took us to the cottage we were staying in.

Main house front porch

Our cottage

Our bed and wood from old barn

In 2001, Woolverton added these two cottages, that have 2 separate rooms each.  We stayed in the Hunterdon Cottage suite.  She pointed out all that our quarters had to offer.  Just a few of the perks: a split-level bathroom that has a double jacuzzi raised for a view of the fireplace through an opening over the wooden framed bed (which is super cool because that wood was taken from the original barn) and then the two leather chairs that look out on the sheep pasture, plus a mini fridge, coffee maker, cork screw and wine glasses!  We were beyond set.  But then it got better.  There are two fluffy terrycloth robes in the room and ALL of the beds at Woolverton Inn have a featherbed on top of the mattress, then Egyptian cotton sheets covering that.  Snooze-inducing, for sure.  These are so popular that people order the featherbeds and robes from the Bed & Breakfast all the time!  

Seats along the nature path

After checking in, we toured the grounds a bit more.  We walked the path along the cornfield, hung out with the sheep, walked to the stream at the bottom of the street, and looked at Tom, the keepers pet dog who watches everyone from his window perch in the Carriage House.  Then we returned to our cottage to relax before my husband and I went into New Hope.  

Jacuzzi!

After walking around the town a bit, we ate dinner at Triumph Brewery, which was really good and most dishes are made from locally grown/raised items.  After dinner we walked around some more and then enjoyed a ridiculous, diet-destroying dessert at Nina’s Waffles & Sweets (my apologies to my trainer… nah, I’m not really sorry, it was worth every calorie).  When we returned to the room, we had some fabulous “unplugged” time relaxing in the tub, watching the sheep, and sitting on our screened in porch.  Granted, we did take advantage of the Bose cd player/radio in the room, but we enjoyed that there was no television or computer available.

Watching the sheep out our window

Breakfast!

My plan was to sleep until it was check-out time, well, not really, but to sleep until the last possible minute I could enjoy breakfast.  So, more like 9:45am.  However, my body woke me up at 7:30am!  I felt rested and happy and just laid in bed looking at the top of our 20-foot high cupola as the sun got brighter and brighter.  And then it happened, we heard a “baaaa” coming from our wooly friends outside the window.  Laughter ensued.  It was a fabulous way to start the day!  We showered and got ready, then went to the main house for breakfast.  Bob, the other Inn keeper, had us sit wherever.  We were going to be inside the dining room, but it was so gorgeous out thatwe went to the front porch and had our coffee there.  Then I decided I wanted the sun, so went to the side patio and had our breakfast there.  I had the lemon ricotta pancakes and my husband had the mozzarella, tomato, and basil omelet along with sausage.  We both had the yogurt and home made granola (recipe is on their webpage), home made apple walnut muffins, and fresh squeezed orange juice too.  Hungry?  Shoot, I know I am after just typing this!  Carolyn does an amazing job cooking up a gourmet and special breakfast to suit everyone’s pallet.  Many of the herbs, greens and berries she uses are taken right from the Inns garden.  

Two of the beautiful resident wooly friends

Where we ate breakfast, & the wedding ceremony area

When we finished breakfast, which was so filling, we hung out and looked at the gorgeous gardens and acres upon acres of green landscaping.  Just as we were saying this would make a breathtaking wedding scene, we realized the gardens we were looking at were built to hold a ceremony.  Reading further about the Inn, I learned they do host weddings of up to 150 guests!  Wow, I bet that is an amazing site to see.

And then, it was time to check out.  I was so sad to go.  It was our first Bed & Breakfast experience, and now our standards are so high, we may only return to this one!  On our departure, Carolyn asked if we were going to take advantage of the area.  We weren’t sure if we would go back to New Hope, visit local Lambertville, or see Peddler’s Village on the way home.  We then decided on Fonthill, Henry Mercer’s castle in Doylestown, and Carolyn agreed that it was an awesome sight.  Here I thought I was in need of a “Mommy Moon” for all of the things I’m responsible for.  Well, Carolyn takes the cake for the amount of “hats” she wears!  Business woman, Inn keeper, chef, gardener, sheep caretaker, travel guide, and on and on and on.  

Front of main house

So for those who need to get away, maybe for a “Baby Moon”, or my newly invented “Mommy Moon”, an anniversary or birthday, I highly recommend checking out Woolverton Inn.  For those who plan to Bond Before Baby, the babymoon package includes a handful of sinfully rich chocolate truffles, fragrant candles, body lotion, and a signature Woolverton Inn plush lamb stuffed animal (that my 16 month old hasn’t put down since we returned).  Regardless, just enjoy!

Our baby moon stuffy!

Disclaimer:  My husband and I were provided complimentary accommodations at Woolverton Inn, but all the opinions expressed in this review are mine.

Sleep: Why You Need It, Why You Lost It, and How to Get It Back

Moms, repeat after me: SLEEP IS NOT A LUXURY. WITHOUT IT, I AM NOT AS GOOD AS I CAN BE. I MUST SLEEP.

Now, to get you to believe it. 

First, let me explain my credentials:

1. I am a physician. In other words,  I have had countless sleepless nights during my two decades of schooling. Now years after graduation, it is my crotchety employees and heartbreakingly ill patients that keep me up at night. 
2. I am a mother of three. As such, I have spent countless sleepless nights rocking colicky babies, cleaning up vomited chocolate milk shakes (by the way, when your little one reports that their tummy hurts, milkshakes in general, are a bad choice) and cramming Christmas presents into various obscure nooks around the house. By the way, these gifts will undoubtedly be forgotten until Easter when you find them while searching for a place to hide eggs. 

Now that I have established my experience as a non-sleeper, let me share some of my medical expertise. 

First, after several nights of sleep deprivation, one exhibits signs of impairment not unlike that of being under the influence of alcohol. Our reflexes are slower AND cognitive skills evaporate. The simplest of tasks seems like solving Pythagorean’s theorem. Metabolisms become sluggish and moods plummet. 

One Monday evening in my bleary eyed exhaustion, I barked, “stir the pot of poop so that I can wipe your sister’s rice.” Meeting my eldest daughter’s blank stare, I realized the ridiculousness of that statement. With that realization, I literally sat on the floor and cried.  I then proceeded to console myself with a pint of Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip right from the container. 

Nothing is worse than being sleep deprived AND being busy. Sleep deprived multitasking is a figurative train wreck in the making. 

Admittedly,  I am busy and all too often, sleep deprived.  A few weeks ago,  I was horrified to find that I was roaming around the house in search of the cell phone I was talking on.  It seems that I am incapable of even looking for my cell phone without simultaneously trying to schedule my kids dentist appointments. 

So, the need for sleep clarified, how do we get it back?

First, allow enough time to sleep. Staying up late and getting up early does in fact lengthen your day. However, brain fog from sleep deprivation rapidly overwhelms that benefit. 

Second, be consistent. You are disciplined about brushing, flossing, getting your mammogram, and exercising (ok maybe not the exercising part).  Apply that same discipline to your sleep hygiene.

Tips for Better Sleep Hygiene

1. Keep bedtimes and wake times the same seven days a week. 
2. Keep your bedroom comfortably cool and dark. 
3. Avoid late night exercise, caffeine and alcohol. While you may actually fall asleep faster after a few glasses of wine, your sleep will most likely be disrupted. 
4. Keep the TV off in your bedroom. Subconscious imagery (good and bad) can really interrupt your sleep. 

If despite all of the above, you are still unable to sleep effectively, consider a sleep aid. Naturally occurring melatonin and valerian root can be gentle sleep enhancers. Over the counter Benadryl is also effective and safe for short term use. 

Lastly, don’t be shy about asking for and taking a prescription sleep aid. The sleeping pills of today are far different than the pills of years past. 

Some prescription medications used appropriately, can really help restore your body’s natural rhythms. In short, after getting several good nights sleep your body learns to sleep again on it’s own.  Those medications  soon become unnecessary. 

While everyone worries about becoming “addicted” to sleeping pills,  the wording is unfortunate. You may in fact “need” the pills to sleep adequately but to become physically addicted is virtually impossible. Medications like Ambien or Lunesta can be life changing to chronically sleep deprived patient. 

As a physician I believe that the benefits of consistent good sleep far outweighs the negatives of using a sleep aid. 

Now, imagine the damage a multi-tasking, highly organized, ridiculously efficient Wonder-Mom can do on a solid seven hours? 
   

Christine Meyer, MD

Christine Meyer, MD is a Board Certified Internal Medicine Physician and Chester County Mom of three amazing kids. I love to blog about my practice of medicine and living of life..