• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Its a Hero

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Sponsor and Advertising
  • Categories
    • recipes
    • brews + food
    • wellness
    • events
    • dairy-free
    • money saving tips
    • Explore Ohio
    • Family Travel
    • tips + tricks
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • giveaway
    • printables

cleveland

The Bratsgiving Polish Boy : A Cleveland Twist

August 12, 2020 by Rachel 25 Comments

As a foodie, I’m always on the lookout for the daily ‘national food holiday’. It’s a fun and exciting way to switch up meals and meal plan. So I was excited to see that this month we are celebrating National Bratwurst Day (or, as we call it, Johnsonville Bratsgiving) on August 16th. I grew up in the Midwest. And, here in Ohio, we LOVE a sandwich called the Polish Boy. A traditional Polish Boy is made up of kielbasa, topped with french fries, cole slaw, and barbecue sauce, in the middle of a hoagie roll. So why not put a Cleveland twist on Bratsgiving with the Bratsgiving Polish Boy?

Bratwurst in pan

Well that’s exactly what I did.

Why Johnsonville Brats?

I personally love the flavor of Johnsonville Bratwurst. The Beer Brats and Original Brats are staples in our house. They don’t take long to grill (or cook on the stovetop) and our whole family will eat them up!

Cleveland twist - Polish Boy Brat

Why the Cleveland twist?

Cleveland is a foodie haven. What was once a rundown city in the rustbelt has turned into a bustling foodie travel destination. We have world renowned chefs, like Michael Symon and Dante Boccuzzi. But we also have critically acclaimed restaurants all over the place. It’s truly an incredible place to live. So why not “Cleveland”-up the Bratwurst?!

The Bratsgiving Polish Boy

What makes it a “Polish Boy”?

A traditional polish boy is on a hoagie bun and topped with coleslaw, french fries, and barbecue sauce. The french fries are a DEAD giveaway to this Cleveland twist. And, in this case, I ended up using both traditional coleslaw and a beet-sauerkraut.

The Bratsgiving Polish Boy

I opted for fresh cut fries, using this knife. While it does make it slightly more labor intensive, it makes the Polish Boys 100x more delicious. My kids, however, are ‘weird’ about crinkle cut fries — so I sliced some string thing fries for them.

How to make your own Cleveland Bratsgiving Polish Boy Sandwich

Yield: 5

Cleveland Bratsgiving Polish Boy Sandwich

Cleveland Bratsgiving Polish Boy Sandwich
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (5-count) package of Johnsonville Bratwurst 
  • 5 large yukon gold potatoes
  • Cleveland Kraut, Gnar Gnar or Beet Red
  • 5 hoagie rolls
  • Coleslaw
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Clean potatoes well. Using the crinkle cut knife, cut 5 large potatoes into fries.
  3. Line a baking sheet with the cut french fries. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt on potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes.
  4. Prepare Johnsonville Brats according to the package instructions.
    Bratwurst in pan
    Cleveland twist - Polish Boy Brat
  5. Once Johnsonville Bratwursts are cooked thoroughly, remove and place in hoagie rolls.
    Grilled bratwurst
  6. Remove baked fries from oven. Add on top of bratwurst.
  7. Add your choice of slaw or sauerkraut.
    The Bratsgiving Polish Boy
  8. ENJOY!
© Rachel

Vote for your favorite Midwest Cities #Bratsgiving Creation!

Here’s what I need you to do. Head to the Johnsonville website and choose which Midwest city has the best Bratsgiving recipe creation. Vote for your favorite chef-inspired recipe and Johnsonville will donate $5,000 to the winning chef’s charity of choice. How great is that?! I love when a company gives back!

Tell me — What’s your favorite type of Johnsonville Brat!?

Pin for later

PIN ME - The Bratsgiving Polish Boy : A Cleveland Twist
PIN ME - The Bratsgiving Polish Boy : A Cleveland Twist

Filed Under: brews + food, cleveland, easy recipes, recipe, recipes Tagged With: cleveland, easy recipes, ohio, recipes

Easy Tips to Help Stay on Track This Year

January 14, 2020 by Rachel 30 Comments

This post has been sponsored by Distillata. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Can you believe we’re about to open a brand new chapter in this book of life? A new decade is upon us and it’s hard not to think about goals for the coming year — or ten! As a busy family of 5, my priorities and goals are a little bit different. My goals aren’t as concrete as they were in the past, but they are attainable and sustainable for a busy family.

Health Tips

Drink all of the water.

We are huge H2O drinkers in this house. And I’m not just casually saying that. I mean that for the longest time my children did not know they could drink other things… like milk.

My biggest tip for getting your family to drink the appropriate amount of water is this — install a water cooler in your home from Distillata. Distillata delivers our 5-gallon water jugs at the intervals we choose. When I say we drink a lot of water, I mean a lot. We go through approximately FIVE 5-gallon water jugs every 4 weeks!

Boy getting water

Having a Distillata water cooler in our home has been a game-changer. The big kids can get their own water whenever they want, and that just means they’re drinking even more than they normally would!

jug of lemon water

Head here to check into having Distillata delivered to your home.

Take a daily multivitamin.

Newsflash: our kids don’t eat what we want them to. Do any kids? I mean, ours used to. But somewhere between two and 3-years of age, they started to get little minds of their own.

Where we lack in food nutrients we make up in the form of a daily multivitamin.

Keep moving.

I have gone through phases and stages in my life where I am always on the move and then never on the move. It’s hard to find a balance. For me, I have found instant accountability by wearing a fitness tracker. It’s like a game for me. I try to stay at the recommended move goal (which is usually 10k steps per day) and I despise breaking my ‘streak.’ It’s a great motivator.

Not every day is going to be a knock-it-out of the park type of movement day. And that’s okay. But the trick is to make a conscious effort to move more.

Life Tips

Stay organized.

As a busy mom of three, having a well-communicated schedule is key. I keep two schedules, the first of which is my Google Calendar. It’s easily accessed when I’m at home or on the go so I can keep track of all of our commitments, work, fun and otherwise. The second is a large wall calendar in our kitchen.

It may seem silly to keep two calendars, but I assure you this is key to keeping the whole family on-track. My husband can glance at our wall calendar and see exactly what we have scheduled on any given day.

Make life easier.

One of the best decisions I made for my family was to streamline whatever I could. I subscribed for services like Shipt, which helped tremendously when I was out of diapers and couldn’t take three kids out during a snowstorm. Or I would schedule grocery pickup with Curbside Express. Heck, I sometimes even subscribe to meal delivery services!

Mother and daughter cooking

But the real game-changer came when we started having our water delivered by Distillata. Prior to that, I would take all three kids to the store to fill up our two 5-gallon jugs of reverse osmosis water, carry them back to the car and in the house, only to have to constantly pour more water into our fridge container for easy dispensing.

Boy getting water

Distillata has changed the way we drink our water. I’m no longer going to the store, trying to manage filling up two jugs of water while fitting them in the cart with my kids. Our deliveries are scheduled every few weeks directly to our home. They take our old jugs away and leave us with four or five bottles of the same water I was struggling to get at the grocery store.

Work Tips

Focus.

Whether you’re a work-from-home mom like me, or a part-time employee, or a full-time worker, we can all benefit from having more focus. Personally, I struggle with wanting to attack all of my goals at once. That just isn’t feasible. Not for me, not for anyone.

I’ve found that by creating a to-do list based on three categories works perfectly. The first category is Must-Do’s. These are items that need to be tackled immediately. The next column on my list is Try-To-Do’s, and it’s exactly how it sounds. They should not be done before the must-do’s, but if I can get around to these items, then perfect!

The last column on my list is Bonus Items. These Bonus Items are things that are less of a priority at this moment (that doesn’t mean they are not a priority!).

Limit distractions.

I know so many people who get sidetracked from their workload due to outside forces and circumstances (*cough, cough* I am one of those people). Limiting those outside forces of distraction can and will be very helpful for your work environment.

Actions such as deleting social media apps off of your phone and drowning out office chatter with headphones can be a tremendous help. I find myself even being distracted by regular music so I’ve found a piano and classical playlist to help me limit the distractions.

Woman in front of building

The Big Picture

Regardless of how your year has gone thus far, there is one important thing to remember: You have the ability to change. You don’t have to wait for the start of a new year, a new month, or even a new day. You can implement changes all at once or slowly, but the important part is deciding to start.

This is going to be the best year yet.

EASY TIPS TO HELP YOU STAY ON TRACK THIS YEAR WITH DISTILLATA

Filed Under: #MomLife, Akron, busy mom, children, cleveland, Columbus, Cuyahoga Falls, deals, family, fitness, health, life, lists, living sustainably, Ohio, parenthood, shop local, tips + tricks, wellness, work from home, workout Tagged With: #MomLife, akron, cleveland, columbus, health, parenthood, shop local, tips + tricks, wellness, work from home, workout

Looking Back + Moving Forward: 2020

January 8, 2020 by Rachel 19 Comments

What. a. year! I keep seeing posts from friends regarding how 2019 was awful. I have to say, while we had some rough times, the good far outweighed the bad times.

Professional Life

2019 Summed Up

My professional life blossomed this year. It took a lot of hard work, including long hours and late nights. But I set big goals and surpassed my own expectations!

View this post on Instagram

Just over here cracking jokes with @clevelandbrowns alumni, Frank Stams! ? • This weekends Field Day event at Stow @gianteagle was SO much fun! We met Chomps, got a couple of autographs from Frank, and played Browns trivia for a chance to win tickets to a game. • Tell me — what has been your favorite Summer to Savor event at Giant Eagle this year?! . . . . . . #ad #Instafood #foodie #delicious #tasty #ohiofindithere #neofoodies #midwestbloggers #clevelandblogger #clevelandbloggers #ohiobloggers #cbusfoodscene #ohiofood #614eats #akroneats #akronblogger #gsmbsquad #rootandrise #614food #clevelandbrowns #clevelandbrownsnews

A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Sep 22, 2019 at 3:55pm PDT

2020 Goals

I’m going to push it even harder this upcoming year. I’m going to work smarter and harder. I may even hire some help (whether it be a VA or someone to help watch the kids one day a week while I work), which is huge for me!

I’m really excited to continue several partnerships and to take on a major undertaking with a local brand! It’s going to push me beyond my comfort zone, but I’m ready for it. Speaking of comfort zones, I really stayed out of photos this year. I featured mostly food, spaces, and my kids. But in 2020 I vow to be IN my content more! Stay tuned!

Personal Life

2019 Summed Up

Old House Stress

This year was a really stressful year for our little family. Chad spent most of his ‘spare’ time at our old house, getting it ready to be put on the market. This largely meant that we rarely saw him. The kids craved his attention in the moments where he was home and, well, he was just plain ol’ exhausted.

View this post on Instagram

Tomorrow! Tomorrow is THE day! . To be honest, I never imagined I would be part of the home-buying process. My husband purchased our current home long before we began dating, and I just assumed we would always make-do with our tiny, but cozy, home. . And then this all happened so suddenly. I fell in love with a century home just a block from our current home. And tomorrow we get the keys (even though I DID already sneak over and put this doormat out — in my defense the house is currently empty so I wasn’t creepin’ on anyone’s space). . Now let me go to sleep so tomorrow can come! ? . #imsobloggingthis #midwestbloggers #clevelandblogger #clevelandbloggers

A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Dec 3, 2018 at 3:28pm PST

Travel Time

The good news is that when he was around, we made the most of our time together. We took trips to Great Wolf Lodge, went camping at Jellystone Park in Pennsylvania, and even snuck in a trip to Kalahari!

We also (somehow) made it to Columbus several times as well as a trip to Kentucky! It was a crazy travel year, for sure.

View this post on Instagram

“I think I’m gonna kick it with my mom today.” ❤️ (Shirt courtesy of our favorite local shop, @reverie.gifts.xo) • In the last 24-hours that her two older siblings have been gone, she’s cut another tooth AND taken her first unassisted step! ? So yeah… I think she’s enjoying being the only little at home right now! ? • How’s your Monday going?! . . #reveriegifts #ohioblogger #clevelandblogger #clevelandbloggers #midwestbloggers #shoplocal #ohioexplored #exploreohio #cuyahogafalls #justakidfromakron #letthembelittle #letthembekids #rootandrise #cbusfoodscene #ohiofood

A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Jul 22, 2019 at 3:43pm PDT

Celebrations

We celebrated our final babies first birthday by throwing a big birthday bash at our forever home — our first real time hosting! It was a lot of work, but we were finally able to show our family and friends this incredible space.

The kids had so much fun playing in the yard and jumping on the trampoline.

2020 Goals

This year offers a fairly blank slate. I’d like to do some local travel ahead of our big trip to Hilton Head Island late this Summer. But other than that, we have no official plans.

I’ll be taking my kids on new adventures here in Ohio and exploring new neighborhoods in an effort to connect more with my community and to help nurture their curiosity.

Health

2019 Summed Up

Guys, I mildly failed at all things ‘health’ related this year. The stress of life and a serious time-management issue on my part resulted in very poor year of health and fitness for me. The one and only thing I did that is deserving of any credit is running the Pittsburgh Half Marathon.

View this post on Instagram

Wanna know a secret? You can be a social media influencer. YES YOU CAN use your influence to get discounts! With as little as 100 followers you can use your influence to get offers on LOTS of website offers. Go to the website in my bio to start getting awesome discounts from @localfluence. https://localfluence.com/offers-web?onboardSource=weboffers.itsahero.nov . . . . #ad #Local #BuyLocal #Instafood #foodie #delicious #tasty #craftbeer #craftbeerblogger #gsmbsquad #ohiofindithere #neofoodies #midwestbloggers #clevelandblogger #clevelandbloggers #ohiobloggers #cbusfoodscene #ohiofood #614eats #akroneats #akronblogger #akroneats #akrowdy #614 #clevelandfood #clefood #clefoodies #akronohio #rootandrise

A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Nov 8, 2019 at 4:22pm PST

2020 Goals

Things are changing. In fact, I’ve already started making changes. I’m being MUCH more conscious of my food choices and making MY health a top priority this year.

As cliché as it sounds, I am going to get back to my regular weight this year. For those of you who haven’t been following along since before this year, you’ll know that I used to be workout fanatic. I’ve lost some of my mojo thanks to pregnancy and kids, but I think I’ve figured out what I need to get my excitement back.

View this post on Instagram

Don’t let the fear of not being “good enough” hold you back from achieving your goals! . Today I finished my first postpartum race after having Mila and my second half marathon, the @pghmarathon . I was underprepared. Crazy, crazy underprepared. The days and hours where I should have been running were spent tending to sick children. . But I still got out there today. I still showed up. I realized in the wee hours of this morning that I CAN DO VERY HARD THINGS. HECK, I birthed three babies on very little sleep (and one without an epidural). So I knew my body was (and is) capable for more than I think. . So if you think “I could never do ___,” take a step back and give yourself some darn credit! YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS! . Thank you to @brooksrunning for helping me remember how strong my body truly is. . . #sponsored #runhappy #brooksrunning #2run6 #clevelandblogger #clevelandbloggers #midwestbloggers #MOVEpittsburgh #pittsburghhalfmarathon #pittsburghmarathon #ohioblogger #womensrunningcommunity #instarunners #runnersofinstagram #runningmom #runtoinspire #sweatpink #this_is_postpartum

A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on May 5, 2019 at 5:27pm PDT

Try new things

As a previous obsessive yogi, it has been years since I was ‘active’ in the community. I’ve tried the at-home practice, but it just wasn’t my thing. A new studio opened in my town and I’m going to try their hot power classes!

I’m also signed up for an OrangeTheory Fitness class trial. Now, if only I could get my hands on a Peleton 😛

Get back on track

Having babies and adjusting to being a work-from-home mom four years ago really did a number on my nutrition. I was no longer tied to a desk. You would think working from home would offer more balance, right? For me it did not. I have struggled with the freedom and my diet has suffered.

Now that we are officially finished with having babies (and now that we’re through the newborn phase entirely), I’m able to get a bit of my life back. And, for me, that means getting back in control.

For me, it’s less about weight than it is about comfort. And I just haven’t felt comfortable in my own skin for the last few years. I do have a goal-weight, but it is not unrealistic. I’ve set an attainable goal for myself as a ‘big picture’ thought.

View this post on Instagram

These kids had a BLAST at @discover_pinecrest and @neohioparent Family Fun Day this week. They played HARD and I got a reprieve from the grind of parenting! ? • I’m so excited that Pinecrest is offering so many family-friendly events this Summer, including two more family fun days! Head on over to my blog post to read more about the fun events happening this summer! [link in profile] . . . #ad #clevelandohio #clevelandfood #clevelandblogger #clevelandbloggers #ohioblogger #midwestbloggers #cbus #216 #akrowdy #justakidfromakron #targetdollarspot #targetdoesitagain

A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Jun 13, 2019 at 5:47pm PDT

Writing it all out feels surreal. I cannot believe what this last year has brought our family (and I can’t believe we made it through). But I’m infinitely excited for what’s to come.

What goals do you have for 2020?

woman with wine glass in hotel

Filed Under: #GetFit, #MomLife, cleveland, family, fitness, goals, health, mommyhood, parenthood, postpartum, wellness Tagged With: #MomLife, family, fitness, goals, health and beauty, motherhood, parenthood, postpartum, wellness

Giving Gifts that Give Back

November 29, 2019 by Rachel 19 Comments

After becoming a mom, one thing became crystal clear — Christmas is 100%, entirely about the children. Not just my children, but all children. This holiday season my children and I are using the spirit of Christmas and shopping at Gordman’s to give back to St. Jude’s.

Teddy bear and baby

I took my littlest helper to our local Gordman’s to grab some gifts while the big kids were in school. Since our main prerogative for this trip was a mission to give back, we picked up some toys at deep discounts to donate to our local children’s hospital. This week we are wrapping the gifts and my kids are going to turn them over to kids who will be stuck in the hospital for the holidays.

Bear’s That Care

I also purchased a couple of Bear’s That Care! Bears That Care is a partnership between Gordman’s and St. Jude’s Research Hospital. Gordman’s will donate $2 of each Bear sold this season to St. Jude’s. St. Jude’s believes that no family should have to worry about a medical bill while just trying to make sure their child lives.

Kid with teddy bear

How you can give back

Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is December 3rd. Consider giving a donation to St. Jude’s Research Hospital this holiday season.

teddy bears under christmas tree

Use the hashtag #BearsThatCare

From now until December 31st, Gordman’s will donate $1 to St. Jude’s for every time you use the hashtag #BearsThatCare on Instagram. How easy is that? If you’re going to use hashtags, add this into your post!

toddler looking at camera with teddy bear

Shop at Gordman’s and buy a Bear

Shopping at Gordman’s for gifts is at a deep discount is a given; but while you’re there, consider picking up the St. Jude’s bear.

Teddy Bear and little boy

Teach your children the power of giving back

As parents, we are delivering lessons to our children daily. Make one of those lessons the tradition of giving back this holiday season. Help in a soup kitchen, deliver toys to the hospital, or donate to a food drive. However you choose to make a difference, get your children involved in the process.

Tell me — how are you going to give back this holiday season?

Gift Giving that Gives Back with Gordman's
boy with teddy bear

Filed Under: charity, children, Christmas, cleveland, Columbus, giving back, gratitude, holiday gift guide, holidays, money saving tips, Ohio, parenthood, shop my favorites Tagged With: charity & fundraisers, children, Christmas, Christmas shopping, cleveland, columbus, explore Ohio, gratitude, holiday gift guide, holidays, money saving tips, ohio, parenthood, shop local, shop my favorites

Kid-Friendly Holiday Decorating Tips

November 26, 2019 by Rachel 30 Comments

This post has been sponsored by Big Lots. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Does anyone else feel like for all of the Christmas songs there should be at least a couple tunes for Thanksgiving? I, for one, am beyond excited to have our family over for our first Thanksgiving in our forever home. Our century-old farmhouse is the perfect place to host and decorate for this special occasion.

In our family, Thanksgiving officially kicks off the holiday season. We all have to be separate places on Christmas morning, but for Thanksgiving, we are always together. This years’ total attendance will be 6 adults, 5 (young) children, and 3 dogs.

I picked up all of the necessary decorations and table settings at Big Lots. They’re both adorable and kid-friendly — on a budget. The rustic holiday look with buffalo check, burlap accents, and red vintage feel was exactly what we need to keep the farmhouse-feel.

Big Lots Kid Friendly Decorating Tips

Kid-Friendly Holiday Decorating Tips:

Limit the breakables.

Instead of trying to keep breakable decorations away from my littles, I just eliminate them almost entirely. The items I’ve decorated with are sturdy, inexpensive, and made of soft or plastic materials. No glass here!

buffalo check living room decor

Get them involved.

Want your kids to respect the items you decorate with? Have them help you pick out the items at Big Lots! Getting them involved in the process gets them excited to have the items displayed in your home.

woman sitting on couch with coffee mug

Also? Kids love holiday chores. Get them excited to have company over by enlisting their help setting the table! My kids treat it like a craft project. They get to ‘put together’ all of the seats, plates, and settings.

woman sipping from coffee mug

Don’t take it too seriously.

I know so many people who take their holiday decorating to a whole other level. That’s great, but it also can set you up for major disappointment when something is out of place or doesn’t look right.

hot cocoa in front of christmas tree

Instead, have fun with it. Do you want to put your tree up now? Go for it! You don’t want to stick to one theme? Then don’t! The holidays should be a fun and happy time for everyone. So let it be.

If decorating farmhouse chic isn’t your thing, Big Lots also has a super gorgeous blue and gold line of decor as well as a colorful line! So something for everyone!

christmas living room

What’s your favorite holiday decor trend this season?

W

Filed Under: Akron, budget, celebration, children, cleveland, creative, holidays, home decor, money saving tips, parenthood, shop my favorites, tips + tricks Tagged With: celebration, Christmas, holidays, home decor, life on a budget, money saving tips, shop my favorites, tips + tricks

Experience Holiday Family Fun at Pinecrest

November 25, 2019 by Rachel 34 Comments

This post has been sponsored by Pinecrest. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Now that I’m a mom of three little kids, I’ve found that gift-giving to adults can be difficult, to say the least. We have two sets of grandparents to ‘buy’ for and, quite honestly, none of them need any more ‘stuff.’

But the act of gift-giving is still important. As is creating a magical holiday season for our children. So, as a family of 5, we are creating ways that our children can both have fun this season and make and create gifts that their relatives will enjoy for years to come.

Family-Friendly Events

There are so many opportunities for family fun at Pinecrest this holiday season.

tapestry on the wall

Tomorrow, November 26th marks the beginning of Skate in Central Park and this event is open daily through January 5th, 2020! Bring your own skates, or rent at the rink!

If ice skating isn’t your thing, there are other events to check out. Mingle with Kringle while you’re out shopping, or check out the choreographed light show, Pinecrest Nights of Lights.

Check out the full holiday event schedule here.

Creative Gift-Giving

Gifts made with love are the best types of gifts, am I right? This year we decided to make all of our grandparents’ gifts at Pinecrest.

Color Me Mine

My kids ADORE painting. I, on the other hand, would prefer not to have them ruin my kitchen table. Color Me Mine brings both my desire for cleanliness and my children’s desire to paint together in perfect harmony!

Kids painting pottery with adult

Color Me Mine, a DIY paint-your-own pottery studio. Their options of pieces range from small to extra-large, and they offer over 60 colors.

boy painting pottery

My children took approximately five hundred minutes picking out their pieces to paint. But, where they lacked in decision making, they made up for in creativity.

Mother and son painting pottery

I have to include major props to the employees of Pinecrest Color Me Mine. See, I had Mila with me and I was unable to be as hands-on with the big kids as I originally intended. But the employees helped my big littles bring their visions to fruition.

We picked up our finished pieces after the glazing process was complete (within just a few days). My kids are obsessed and they cannot wait to give them away as gifts to their grandparents.

The Candle Studio

Making candles is one of my favorite experiences. My kids have been dying to try their hand at it, so we decided to try The Candle Studio.

kids smiling

The employees at the Candle Studio were incredibly patient with my kids. They explained the steps from picking out their scents, to deciding on a container, and then mixing it all together. It was adorable to see them run back and forth to find scents they liked. It turns out they both like watermelon and bubble gum (shocker).

kids making candles

I sipped on a local craft beer as my kids decided the perfect watermelon to bubble gum ratio for each of their respective candles. Surprisingly, both of their candles smell different, despite both using the same two scents! Mixing is everything, friends!

candle making and a beer

I, on the other hand, mixed my own candle with a variation of hops and pine scent. Basically, it smells like Christmas beer.

kids making candles

I was surprised at how easy (and fun!) the Candle Studio was with young kids. I fully expected them to have zero interest and for me to be doing all of the work. But that wasn’t the case at all! They loved it. And just ninety-minutes later, we picked up our finished soy candles for the grandparents.

Making Memories Through Experiences

I know that these gifts aren’t extravagant, but they are perfect. Their grandparents will know full-well what kind of effort they put into these handcrafted presents. They will see the joy in the eyes of their grandchildren as they open up these gifts made by teeny hands.

Gifts Under Christmas Tree

The memories we’ve created will last a lifetime. Long after the soy candle has been burned down and well after the dust has settled on the unicorn tealight holder Remy made (sorry, Mimi — hope you like bright pink unicorn tealight holders! 😛 ).

Make your own memories this holiday season and discover all of the holiday magic at Pinecrest.

Filed Under: Akron, children, Christmas, cleveland, Columbus, crafty, Cuyahoga Falls, date night, explore locally, Explore Ohio, family, Family Travel, gift ideas, gifts for kids, holiday gift guide, NEO, Ohio, parenthood, shop local, shop my favorites Tagged With: akron, children, Christmas, Christmas shopping, cleveland, columbus, crafty, Cuyahoga Falls, date night ideas, explore locally, explore Ohio, family, family friendly, gifts, holiday gift guide, ohio, parenthood, shop local

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 32
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Blog Archives

Grab the Button

It's a Hero

Recent Posts

  • Instant Pot Valentine’s Day Truffles Recipe
  • Valentine’s Day Girl Superhero Cards With Printable
  • Game Day Ready with Baked Chili Cheese Dog Bread
  • Instant Pot Copycat In-N-Out Burgers Recipe
  • Instant Pot Cupid Hot Cocoa Bombs Recipe
  • Sheet Pan Pancakes
  • My Wish For the New Year
  • Air Fryer Valentine’s Day Strawberry Pop Tarts
  • Easy New Year’s Eve Rotel Dip Recipe
  • 2020 Year In Review Printable For Kids
Collaborate with Rachel Loza on influencer marketing
dealspotr.com
Follow