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cupcakes

Our Summer in Pictures

August 28, 2017 by Rachel 18 Comments

Guys – something amazing happened this Summer — we had fun — and I stepped a bit away from this here blog. I did, however, start posting all kinds of photos to my Instagram stories as a way of ‘photo-blogging’ my way through the summer months!

In case you aren’t following me on Instagram (which, why aren’t you!?), here’s our Summer in Insta-stories:

 
























 



I worked out a LOT.







We visited the farmers market often.






Adventures at the zoo!


We spent a lot of time eating samples at Costco.






My children had a blast at the YMCA — both while I was working and while they
(well, specifically, Ari, was in swim lessons!).







We went to Kentucky to visit my parents.














We celebrated my nephews first birthday!





We took a BIG family vacay to Hilton Head!


































Basically, all of these pictures and I’m all “OMG I can’t believe it’s nearly September!” And now we have exactly ONE WEEK left of Summer break before our new school year starts. I’m absolutely going to make the most of this week and get one more ‘hurrah’ outta Summer! 😉

Summer 2017 — you kinda rocked. 

Filed Under: #GetFit, #MomLife, #SweatPink, Akron, beer, brews + food, busy mom, children, cleveland, Cleveland Flea, coffee, Columbus, cooking, creative, cupcakes, family, Flea Market Fun, food, in this moment, life, life with a toddler, live happy, Lululemon, mommyhood, NEO, Ohio, parenthood, pictures, Remy Bea, restaurants + bars, road trip, running, social media, starbucks, workout, yoga, Zoo Tagged With: #GetFit, #SweatPink, akron, brews + food, cleveland, cleveland flea, coffee, columbus, life with a toddler, mommyhood, motherhood, oh baby, ohio, parenthood, pictures, workout

better late than never // our weekend wrap up

April 29, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Friday  // 

My BFF from high school, Carli, moved down to Akron over a year ago. As mucha s we SAY we’re going to get together now that we’re living down the street from each other, we just haven’t been able to as much as we’d like. ‘Cause life happens, y’all. But Friday night we had a date! We planned on hitting up The Office Bistro for a glass of wine and dinner, but the hostess was incredibly rude so we just left. (Note: this is not my typical experience at this restaurant; but her attitude completely justifies us leaving without a second glance).

I told Carli that I had had great experiences with Craft Beer Bar, right next door. Sure there was beer (hey, Bodhi!); but there was also an incredible spread of food.

I will say, Shawn and Dustin did not disappoint! Dustin was insistent that we try some of their new menu items and pretty much force-fed us. Ha! The potato pancakes (in the upper left hand corner) are not yet on the menu, so we were lucky to get a “sneak peak.” And they were delicious! As soon as we were completely full, thanks to the Bacon Queso (upper right), Poutine (lower right), and the Mac and Cheese (lower left), Dustin came out with yet another surprise — an orange creamsicle ice cream sandwich. I honestly don’t know the menu name for this dessert yet because I was in a serious food coma by the time it came out.

weekend2
While we were out I got a call from my husband that he had a work emergency, so I quickly rolled home — ha! — so that he could run out to Cleveland for a night of work. Unfortunately, he was out ALL night and didn’t get home until 6am. I swear if we didn’t have events scheduled for Saturday, my poor husband wouldn’t have gotten out of bed. And I don’t blame him one bit.

Saturday //

We had a bit of a lazy morning. Between Chad working all night and Moosh sleeping in bed with me, we were all kind of exhausted. We did manage to make it to Crafty Mart, a local artisan and maker show located in downtown Akron, in time for Chad to go to a kombucha-making workshop with the Bearded Buch!

weekend3
We’ve been fans of the Bearded Buch for a while now; and Chad has been itching to make his own Kombucha at home; so a workshop with the ‘buch guru himself?! Hecks yes!

While Chad was in his workshop, Moosh and I walked around Crafty Mart where the first stop was the Akron Art Museum! The art museum is one of my favorite places in Akron, so the fact that they open their doors for these local vendors to showcase their craft just is that much more awesome.

But it was definitely one of the most popular Crafty Mart locations. And my dearest, dearest, Crafty Mart — as a patron, the one piece of advice I would give you is that as this event grows (which it has!), please locate this event in one single location! 🙂

weekend5
But one of Mooshie’s fave places is the Akron Art Museum. He ADORES this place. We bought a few things and headed over to Musica, a local music venue. Musica. Oh dear Musica. You are a beautiful location. I would love to see a show at this venue. Scratch that. My early 20-something-year-old self would love to go to a Taking Back Sunday show at your venue. Cause this gal finds herself in PJs by 6pm these days, let’s be real.

I didn’t get any pictures at Musica because it was way too crowded. Way too many vendors in such a tiny space. I think this does the vendors a disservice because people, such as myself, aren’t lingering nearly as long because they are getting quite claustrophobic. After one purchase, we popped out into the alley for some air.

weekend4
Post-Musica, we ended up at Summit Artspace. It’s a little “off-the-beaten-path,” that’s for sure. It’s a spot I’d heard of in passing, but I didn’t really KNOW what it was.

Apparently this spot is one of Akron’s best kept art secrets. I’ve likely heard of it in passing, but I had no idea that it was a space where local artists have their own little ‘shops’ inside to showcase their art. It’s fantastic to have this, but sad that I had no idea it existed up until this point.

But back to the art and the vendors… I was majorly impressed with the fact that this space was a bit more open. Plus, they borrowed an idea from the way the Cleveland Flea is set up and had vendors on one floor and food and drinks on another (just like the last holiday flea). A HUGE thank you to Nuevo (remember that amazing mod mex restaurant we went to for our anniversary??) for providing tacos á la carte (along with amazeballs guacamole and homemade chips!), Thirsty Dog for the beer, and Stray Dog Cart for the ‘dogs and the (free for kids!) cannolis!

weekend6
This is exactly what we needed to ‘rest’ until we were ready to do more shopping. I hope next time there are even more food/beverages available.

After Chad was done with his Kombucha workshop I took a terrarium workshop with Land Of Plenty. It turned out beautifully and wasn’t nearly as difficult as I imagined it would be!

weekend1
Sunday  // 

I was supposed to go to an event in the early afternoon, but after such a busy busy Saturday and severe lack of sleep, I decided to stay at home with my boys and get things done instead. It was just what we needed. <3 Sometimes you’ve just gotta listen to your body/family. 🙂

It was a wonderful weekend, but unfortunately our week has begun with a sick Moosh, hence the not getting this post up until mid-week! Sigh. Blog fail; parenting win.

The next weekend is just around the corner…

Filed Under: Akron, Ari Davis, cleveland, coffee, crafty, creative, crunchy granola, cupcakes, desserts, domesticity, drinks, events, explore locally, family, food, fun, girls nite, goodies, life, life with a toddler, links, live happy, love, marriage, mommyhood, Moosh, Ohio, parenthood, pictures, weekend Tagged With: akron, ari davis, being a mom, celebration, children, cleveland, coffee, crafty, domesticity, dude mom, events, explore locally, family, food, foodie, friends, fun, goodies, kids, life, life with a toddler, Live Happy, local, motherhood, night out, ohio, parenthood, pictures, weekend

recap // Red + White On Thursday Night

February 8, 2014 by Rachel 1 Comment

I can’t believe this event was already TWO weeks ago! Time flies, y’all.

First of all — I love date nights! We haven’t had a real date night in ages! So it was just nice to just get out of the house and spend time talking to each other (as opposed to talking at each other about Ari).

The event was at the same venue as last year — Quaker Station at Quaker Square.

But it was better than last year. Which I wasn’t sure was even possible until it happened!

CYMERA_20140204_190301

We went straight to the VIP lounge after checking in.

Here’s what made this years VIP lounge even better than last years:

  • It was open for the duration of the event. Last year the VIP lounge was only open for a couple of hours. This year? 5:30-9PM!
  • A VIP bar with signature drinks. I didn’t expect a wine event to have signature mixed drinks, but they did. And they were delicious!
  • There were fewer servers with hors d’oeuvres. But also a better spread at the buffet section (which included prime rib and a full ice cream sundae bar!). All of the catered food was delicious.
  • More seating available. Last year I remember trying to juggle my wine glass and a big plate of food on a teeny table top. Not a problem at all this year!

After indulging in a chair massage in the VIP lounge, we ventured into the general admission room.

CYMERA_20140204_190124

There were 18 restaurants/caterers and I literally lost count of the wine vendors. But I’m fairly certain I tried everything — well, at least all of the food. There was a LOT of wine! And if I had tried all of it, I would have been comatose.

I, of course, ate my dessert first! Salvino Dolci Bakery was back again with her amazing cupcakes, including a gingerbread Great Lakes Christmas Ale confection. Of course I didn’t manage to get a single picture of her gorgeous cupcakes (I was too busy eating them!).

CYMERA_20140204_190414

My other favorite restaurants of the night include The Lockview (of course), Sushi on the Roll, and the soon-to-open Nuevo Mod Mex (which reminded me a bit of Momocho).

In regards to the wine:

I think I tasted every Cab/Cab-blend that was there. And the wine vendors were so helpful to choose the right wine to try (which, let’s be honest, isn’t too difficult considering I would tell them all I needed was a dry red).

redwhite

Other items of note: 

  • Attendance this year was noticeably more limited than the previous year. And I’ve got to say, that was an improvement. In 2013 we waited around a LOT for wine and for food. This year was much more intimate. There were fewer patrons, fewer vendors, but much, much, more relaxed and fun. We were able to visit each vendor multiple times; we were able to make conversation with them and really get to know their restaurant; and we were able to find a table to pause and eat at.
  • The bartenders (and the police officer! ha!!) in the VIP lounge were so sweet and so kind! They stood there waiting on all of us all night, so Chad & I brought them lots of food goodies that they were missing from the main room (sorry, Alicia! I’m not certain that was in the ‘rules’ but they were totally grateful!).
  • It was fun to run talk to restaurants/caterers one-year after ‘meeting’ for the first time last year. Chad & I love to support local restaurants/bakers and it was fun that some of them remembered us from conversations at last years’ event.

 

 

Filed Under: Akron, bloggers, cleveland, cupcakes, events, explore locally, food, fun, nightlife, Ohio, party, social media, wine Tagged With: akron, cleveland, events, explore locally, food, life, local, ohio, party, wine

Baby Ari’s Yo Gabba Gabba 1st Birthday Bash!

October 21, 2013 by Rachel 8 Comments

ygg
TGIO! Thank goodness it’s over! Ha ha! But seriously, I planned and planned for that party like it was my job! The weather was terrible, but that didn’t stop us from having a great time.

1st birthday set up 1

 

1st birthday set up 2-1

I’m short on words today because I’m beyond exhausted (still). Sorry (#notsorry) this post is a bit heavy on the pictures!

1st birthday set up 3-1

1st birthday set up 4-1

I made the DJ Lance Rock Boomboxes by taping print-outs from Nick Juniors website to individual animal cracker boxes. And I made the Muno chocolate covered pretzels myself.

1st birthday set up 5-1

And the yellow popcorn boxes were purchased from WholesalePartySupplies.com. The characters were printed out from Nick Junior and glued on. Lots of hours went into these projects!

1st birthday set up 6-1

I ordered his smash cake (above) from Pure Delite. It was vegan + gluten free! Also made with half the sugar of a traditional cake. My mom made all of the cupcakes, which were also gluten free, but not vegan. I figured if Babycakes was going to eat cake, it better be the most healthy cake possible!

1st birthday set up 7-1

I bought the yellow pails from WholesalePartySupplies.com as well. The Plex eyes were printed from the Nick Jr website, glued on by yours truly! Chex mix = Plex Mix for the win!

1st birthday set up 8-1

I purchased the PDF for these name tags from etsy shop Reddish Orange and printed them at Staples. If you’re familiar with Yo Gabba Gabba, you know the “Hi My Name Is Rachel… and I Like To Dance!” Ha!

1st birthday set up 9-1

I bought the popcorn from Metropolis Popcorn here in Akron. They have tons of flavors and I am obsessed! Of course I had to get something colorful for the party, but I don’t actually think the kids cared either way. Popcorn is popcorn, right?? 🙂

1st birthday set up 10-1

1st birthday cake 3-1

1st birthday cake 2-1

1st birthday cake 1-1

And yeah, I may have made my husband dress up as DJ Lance Rock for the party (found at WholesalesPartySupplies.com). I even found a striped shirt to “dress up” as Brobee! Ha!

Most perfect 1st birthday ever! I know he’ll never remember it, but I always will. Just like I’ll always remember these first 12 months with Ari, forever and always. And during the party I was proclaiming “I’ll never do a party like this again!” who am I kidding!? I totally will!

We were so grateful to all of the friends and family who came out to celebrate with us!

mantra-10
 

Filed Under: Akron, Ari Davis, birthday, crafty, cupcakes, desserts, family, fun, life, links, mommyhood, Oh baby!, Ohio, parenthood, party, pinterest Tagged With: akron, ari davis, celebration, crafty, etsy, family, life, motherhood, oh baby, ohio, pinterest

weekend!

April 1, 2011 by Rachel 7 Comments

First, be sure to enter my Shabby Apple Giveaway HERE!

Finally. Finally. Finally. Something about this week {the random 4 inches of snowfall we had, perhaps?} wore me OUT! I’m ready to sleep in {ha!} and have some me time!

After work tonight I’m heading to the gym to play racquettball for the first time {wish me luck}. Apparently the fact that I picked up a tennis racquet for my 2nd time ever last night at, during a cardio tennis class, has inspired me. The rest of my evening will be spent from the comforts of my couch, in my pajamas, with leftover Mexican food, perhaps a Light Yuengling, and a movie. Now that is how you relax on a Friday night!

{image}

On Saturday my girlfriends and I are going on a girl date to All Fired Up! in Akron to paint some pottery. Perhaps we’ll hit up Swensons Drive In for some delicious burgers.

But before the girls get here tomorrow, I am going down to VegiTerranean Restaurant {you know, my fave vegan restaurant} to purchase a few gluten-free cupcakes from Pure DeLite {this cute little vegan/gluten-free cupcake shop} during a bake sale they are having to raise money for Japan relief.

Sunday I am going to a visiting teacher yoga class at Cleveland Yoga. My first, and favorite, yoga teacher, Diana, is back in town and decided to teach two classes while here. I know it’s going to be a packed {and super sweaty} class, but I’m looking forward to it!

And, to end my weekend, I’ll be heading to my parents house to celebrate a very special birthday – my sister turns 24! So dinner and cake it is! 

Not a bad looking weekend, if you ask me! 

What are your plans for this weekend??

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Filed Under: All Fired Up, cupcakes, food, weekend, workout

weekend wrap up.

October 18, 2010 by Rachel 14 Comments

Last week was a stressful week in the It’s A Hero household. It’s amazing what two misbehaving dogs will do to an already jam-packed week.
If you guessed they cause stress and exhaustion, you would be correct.


So Friday night BF and I got out of the house and went to dinner at Parasson’s Italian Restaurant in Stow. This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants!
I ordered the baked ravioli and I was so immersed in my food
that I couldn’t tell you what BF got
{but I’m pretty sure it was rigatoni something or other}.


We made it an early night cause Saturday morning was race day!
I headed to Hartville, Ohio for their 1st Annual Cannonball 5k Run!
While I have been training all summer, I was terrified to run this race.
The last race I ran was in 2007.
Plus BF was not running this race with me, so I was flying solo
{he badly sprained his ankle so he’s been laid up from it for two weeks}!

{Pre-race. Anxious.}
I came in 4th place for my age group, 10th overall female, and finished at 25 minutes 38 seconds! I may not be breaking records anytime soon, but I was pretty proud of myself!
{even if I almost threw up at the finish line – ha! That’s no joke.}

{Post-race}

I spent the afternoon in a food coma and sleeping.
It was just what my body needed!

After I recovered, I threw together some gluten-free cupcakes and put myself together for a Halloween party at the neighbors house.

{cupcakes}

For the party, I dressed up as a flapper
{great excuse to wear a dress I bought from Express}
and BF dressed up as a Biggest Loser contestant, post weight loss!

{all dolled up!}

I ended up taking my wig off shortly after some young kid
asked me if I was Lady Gaga…
He had no clue what a flapper was. Oh well.

Sunday I caught up on all many of the things on my to-do list!
Unfortunately not everything got crossed off my list,
but such is life!

What fun did you get yourself into this weekend?

Filed Under: 101 in 1001, about me, Akron, baking, BF, cupcakes, desserts, domesticity, fall, fitness, food, fun, holidays, life, Ohio, party, pictures, running, weekend, workout

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