We are less than 10 days away from Christmas Eve! If you’re like me, you still have a bit of holiday shopping left to do. Specifically I struggle with stocking stuffer ideas for everyone. Oh – and what to get The Most Difficult Person In The World To Shop For (aka, my husband).
Between their handmade items and a collection of geeky kitchen finds, I’m in love. Wanna learn to brew your own beer? There’s a kit for that.
Hi. My name is Rachel and I LOVE Ohio. Like, I really, truly, have a passion for my home state. We produce amazing people, products, and industry. I always try to buy as local as possible, but it’s especially important for me at this time of year. There are just so many local options from amazing creators right here in Northeast Ohio.
Not sure where to start knocking off your holiday gifts? I’ve rounded up my favorite local ideas below!
Pope’s Kitchen Bloody Mary Mix.
I am a recent convert to the Bloody Mary. The spicy aroma has always been something that has reminded me of my grandmother. But Pope’s Kitchen puts a fresh, local, and extra spicy spin on the traditional bloody mary. When I was pregnant with Remy I used to just drink the mix straight up (I had a craving for spicy!).
Want fresh, locally-roasted coffee? Look no further than S. High Street in Akron! Their love for their coffee and the roasting process is evident in each pour over they serve.
Akron Honey is a family operated, artisan honey company, and they have recently opened up a brick and mortar store at the Northside Marketplace in Downtown Akron. I’ve personally tasted all of their honey, but the Middlebury Butter remains my favorite. I put it on everything — bread, apples, you name it!
Vitamix is the leader in culinary blenders and food processors — and they are also a local Ohio company, with their headquarters located in Olmsted Falls!
Their products are produced, manufactured, and distributed here locally — and for those of us in Northeast Ohio, that means we’re lucky enough to get the first peak at new products! This past year I received the A3500 and was able to get rid of my old Vitamix. Let me tell you, this new version is incredible and so easy to use!
With the slogan “You’ve never been this close,” the folks at the Akron Zoo truly mean it! The zoo itself is the perfect size to take children of all ages for a few hours or an all day excursion. The recently renovated exhibits are absolutely stunning! And members are able to get discount admission on events ranging from Brew at the Zoo to Wild Lights!
The CVSR, operated wholly by volunteers, leaves either the Rockside Station in Independence or the Northside Station in Akron. You can hop on with a round-trip ticket or bike one way and take it one way back! Besides just regular train rides, the CVSR offers a variety of special events, such as The Polar Express and Ales On Rails!
We have a lot of options when it comes to local t-shirts here in Northeast Ohio. My favorites, by far, come from the Social Department. Located in my town of Cuyahoga Falls, they offer an eclectic variety of Midwest apparel.
Their sizes range from kids to adults, so no one will be left out! My personal faves are this Cleveland Indians shirt (which I bought for my husband last year) and this Go Local Sports Team shirt (which I should totally have because, sports!).
Located right next door to The Social Department, HiHo Brewing Company is a welcomed addition to Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls this last year. And their beers are incredible, too! Former teachers turned craft brewers, Ali and Jon, have turned this spot into one of Northeast Ohio’s most popular breweries!
They offer a range of beer, from blond ales to stouts, and tapas style food options. Don’t know what you want? Try a flight!
Café O’Play, located in Stow right off of Route 8, is a safe and fun indoor play place for kids ages crawlers through tweens! They offer climbing activities for young and old, as well as a special toddler-only zone for a safe-space for those who are just past the crawling stage, 7-days a week.
You can purchase gift cards in person or online here (gift cards available in denominations of $25, $50, and $100).
Not from Northeast Ohio and still not sure what all of the fuss is about?!? Well how about this for a reason — Cleveland was recently ranked #14 in the 21 places you need to visit by none other than National Geographic! So get your butt to Northeast Ohio and see exactly why I’m freaking out about where I live all of the time!
I can’t believe it’s nearly here! You know what I’m talking about — the most wonderful time of the year! Ya know, Christmas hasn’t always been my favorite holiday (I’m more of a Thanksgiving gal), but having kids has changed me in that way. I absolutely love Christmas because they love it so much.
And I have to say, because of them, I’ve gotten much better at gift-giving! And even though this holiday is all about the kids, I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite items — FOR HER!
The Instant Pot.
My husband bought me an Instant Pot, which is an electric pressure cooker and slow cooker, two Christmases ago. It was an effort to make me more comfortable at cooking — and doing so quickly since we’re such a busy family.
I discovered Book of the Month last year and I haven’t turned back. I’ve had this continuous goal, year after year, to read more. But things come up; I never make it to the library; and I definitely haven’t seen the inside of a bookstore in years. BOTM makes it easy. You sign up as a member by entering your shipping information and choosing your favorite genres. The membership costs are $14.99 a month for one hardcover book, and you can add on additional books for $9.99 each.
It’s no secret that I absolutely LOVE my Day Designer daily planner — I talk about it all of the time! And what a better gift right before the New Year, right?!
We use essential oils in a multitude of ways, but my personal favorite is diffusing them. Different oils work in different ways, but we use them in the kids rooms and in our bedroom. For the kids we diffuse ‘sniffle stopper’ blends or, our personal favorite ‘calm the child‘ blend, whenever they need it. Which, let’s face it, is every night.
Netflix is LIFE! I mean it. Between zoning out in front of the TV for an hour after the kids go to bed, to playing the Magic School Bus for the kids for just 30 minutes of peace and quiet(ish), Netflix is seriously a sanity saver.
When all else fails, make dinnertime easy for her. I’ve tried quite a few of the meal subscription boxes and I have to say that I’ve loved them all!
What item would you like to receive this holiday season?!
Fall is by far my most favorite time of year — the leaves are changing colors, the temperature is dropping, and the air is crisp. It’s perfection.
One of my favorite things about Fall (besides Pumpkin Spice Lattés) is dressing and accessorizing for the season! But there is SO much more to Fall than clothes and jewelry, am I right!?
Today I’ve rounded up some of my Fall Favorites for 2017!
My JORD Wood Watch. I’ve been dying for one of these for myself for months now. I bought my husband a JORD Wood Watch from the Men’s Shop last year and I just knew my watch would be equally as gorgeous!
The giveaway is open through 10/29/17 and ALL entrants will receive a $25 gift code for the JORD site! Win-win! So go enter, NOW!
My favorite planner is the Day Designer. It’s perfect for my need to fill in time slots and a weekly layout. I’ve tried pretty much every planner on the market and this one is by far my long-standing favorite.
Let’s be real. This is where it’s really at — family. I honestly despise being outside, sweating, during the Summer. Sure, if I’m meant to be sweating (like, by exercising) I don’t mind; but just by being?? Nope.
Disclosure: I received my watch at no cost in exchange for this post. I was not compensated, but, as always, all opinions herein are my own.
Ari is currently enrolled at the YMCA (where I work) for preschool. He attended two-day preschool last year, so this year I bumped him to 3-days. And, even though it’s *just* preschool, it’s important to make sure we’re all prepared for a change.
A backpack. Ari needs to take his swim trunks and a towel to school with him, but even if he didn’t, he would take a backpack
unicorn backpack. One of the many reasons I love this kid so damn much!
Reusable snack bags. No, Ari doesn’t get ‘snack time’ during school; but as soon as school is over, that kid is hungry! I mean, aren’t you after you spend a morning learning your face off?? Haha! 🙂 So these snack packs
full for him so he can drink up as soon as I pick him up.
Dry erase lapboard. This lapboard
. He already knows his colors, shapes, and numbers; but this year we’re working on sight words so he’s ready for the next step (ahhhh!! kindergarten!!).
so that I can just have them on hand for when he grows!
One of the perks of living on the “North Coast” is that we have islands and beaches nearby. For those not located in the Midwest, the “North Coast” is Lake Erie, or whichever of the Great Lakes you happen to find yourself south of. And if you have never actually seen the Great Lakes, you would likely be surprised to find that the view of these lakes could easily be mistaken for an ocean. They are, as Ari would say, GINORMOUS.
But kayaking, biking, and wine tasting?? That. That is right up my alley!
So my friend Olivia and I met up at the Jet Express in Port Clinton. The Jet Express ferry shuttled us the 14 miles from Port Clinton (on the ‘mainland’) to Put-in-Bay island in just 45 minutes!
We arrived in PIB (Put-in-Bay) at about 9:45 on a Sunday morning — basically while everyone on the island was still asleep from
partying the night before. But we rented our bicycles and went on our merry way.
If you’ve visited Put-in-Bay, what was your favorite thing to see/do!?
Disclosure: I received a complimentary Jet Express Kayak + Cave package for two in exchange for this post. As always, all opinions herein are my own.