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Learn From Home, Right Now with iD Tech Virtual Camps

April 3, 2020 by Rachel 29 Comments

This post is sponsored by iD Tech. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Here in the United States, our lives have been completely upended in the last 30-ish days. We went from ‘business as usual’ to basically living, working, and schooling with just our immediate family.

This has created an unprecedented amount of struggle and stress for so many of my friends and family members. We are all learning how to live in our new-normal, and we’re basically doing this one day at a time.

Creating normal in times of crisis.

During this time, it’s really important to create some sort of normalcy for our children. Their lives have been upended just as much as ours, if not more. And we need to be ready to make some changes to keep them healthy, happy, learning, and thriving.

Homeschooling versus Crisis-Schooling

Most parents across the country have been thwarted into the new role of ‘teacher.’ For some, this may come easy. For others, like myself, this remains difficult.

Time and time again I’ve heard friends refer to this time in our lives as “crisis” schooling, not homeschooling. And it’s true. Educators, administrators, and parents across the country are now adapting to a totally new way of learning and teaching.

We’re doing our best, given the conditions. But our children are used to so much routine in their lives. They are used to seeing their friends. Our children are used to laughing and playing with people who aren’t their siblings. They’re used to being social creatures!

Enhancing their education and social experiences

My previous intentions for this upcoming Summer included sending Ari to several camps, including one at Case Western Reserve University for coding. But things have changed so quickly. I needed something to stimulate Ari’s learning now.

Virtual Tech Camps from iD Tech allow him to learn from home, right now.

iD Tech offers online courses to sharpen and develop tech skills from the comfort of our stay-home order! These specialty designed courses, aimed at children ranging in age from 7-19, are structured, week-long sessions, and are offered in various time zones. The small classes (max 5 students) are taught by adult instructors from top universities like Stanford, Caltech, and NYU!

Courses, which include everything from Python, Java, Minecraft, Roblox, AI, Unreal Engine, Adobe, and 3D modeling, are offered in both small group camp and online private lessons. iD Tech is here to help families that are suffering from being ‘cooped up’ by offering Online Private Lessons in which the student can invite a sibling or friend to join them for free! How cool is that?!

Our experience with iD Tech Virtual Classes has been amazing

I quickly signed Ari up for the Minecraft World Designer course. Like most kids his age, he has been a tad bit obsessed with videogames like Minecraft for a long time. However, this course is created to teach him actual coding to make his own worlds!

Virtual Camps from iD Tech - Learn from home, right now

His three fellow classmates and instructor meet every morning on a virtual ZOOM video chat to learn level design and problem-solving. This has been helpful in so many ways. Not only is he learning about something he’s passionate about, but he’s interacting with kids his age. The first morning after class he kept referring to them as his friends. I cannot tell you how awesome it is to have this connection during such a trying time.

The week-long course stretches out in spans of 2-hours of classwork and two-hours of self-paced learning (without the ZOOM call and instructor). Not only is he building skills which will benefit him in the long term, but he’s engaging in something constructive — and that’s something he can feel proud of at the end of the day.

Sign up today and receive a discount of $125 off of your registration!

Need a boredom-buster or more routine in your kids life? Registration is open for all of iD Tech’s Virtual Tech Classes right now — which means you can start as early as Monday! Sign up here and use code RACHEL125 to save.

PIN ME - Virtual Camps from iD Tech - Learn from home, right now

Filed Under: #MomLife, busy mom, children, creative, events, explore locally, Explore Ohio, family, gift ideas, gifts for kids, homeschool, mommyhood, money saving tips, parenthood, school, tips + tricks, work from home Tagged With: back-to-school, gifts for kids, homeschool, parenthood, school, technology

Explore Ohio // Family-Friendly Summer Fun at Pinecrest

June 9, 2019 by Rachel 14 Comments

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY PINECREST BUT THE CONTENT AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE ARE MY OWN.

 

Summer may not ‘officially’ start for another couple of weeks, but our local schools have been out for a couple of weeks now and we are in full-swing Summer mode!

I purposefully adjusted my Summer work schedule to maximize the time that the kids and I can spend time doing things we enjoy the most — like visiting museums, hitting up the library, and exploring local events.

And we are VERY excited to check out all of the family-friendly events taking place at Pinecrest in Orange Village!

If you haven’t yet been to Pinecrest, you’re truly missing out. Between the shops and restaurants, it’s also an amazing community of vendors and Cleveland supporters. And the family-friendly Summer event schedule is jam-packed with incredible opportunities to visit, explore, and open doors to adventure!

If you visit today, there is a Give Gifted Summer Marketplace taking place in Pinecrest’s Central Park and it features small-shop vendors like Little Red Bird Custom Cookies and Art of Sucre (whose kid doesn’t love cut-out cookies and fancy cotton candy?!). And every Sunday through the Summer they will feature a free concert series called “Simple Summer Sundays,” which sounds like a great way to wrap-up the weekend.

Weekday events like this Tuesday’s Pinecrest Play Days with NEO Parent are just as easy to come by. My crew and I will be there to kick off the season with their inaugural event, which is conveniently themed Summer Camp Out. The event will feature crafts, games, prizes, snacks, balloon art, temporary glitter tattoos, and more. It’s sure to be a fantastic way to keep the kids busy and entertained!

Other family-friendly events include:

  • Outdoor Movie Nights (Weekly, Wednesday’s at 8:00 PM — to include Ralph Breaks The Internet, Frozen, and more!)
  • North Union Farmer’s Market (Weekly, Saturday’s from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
  • Free Outdoor Yoga Classes (Weekly, Wednesday’s at 6:30 PM)

See below for a full schedule of Summer events!

Bonus Pro-Tip: While you’re there, treat yo’self (and your kids) to an extra special treat from Duck Donuts, Condado Tacos, or Pinstripes for Brunch! You won’t regret it.

What event

are you most excited

to attend?

 

Filed Under: #MomLife, Akron, brews + food, busy mom, children, cleveland, creative, date night, events, explore locally, Explore Ohio, family, Family Travel, life with a toddler, mommyhood, NEO, Ohio, parenthood, restaurants + bars, review, shop local, Summer Bucket List, Travel Adventures Tagged With: #MomLife, akron, being a mom, brews + food, busy mom, children, cleveland, creative, date night ideas, events, explore locally, explore Ohio, family, Family Travel, life with a toddler, local, mommyhood, NEO, ohio, parenthood, restaurants + bars, review, shop local, Summer Bucket List, Travel Adventures

7 Ohio Breweries to Visit on National Beer Day

April 5, 2019 by Rachel 30 Comments

Did you know that this Sunday, April 7th, is National Beer Day? Well, I for one am here for it, friends! Anyway, to celebrate my love of hops and local breweries is something I can get excited for. And here in Northeast Ohio, we have so many incredible craft brewers and micro-breweries! I’ve rounded up a list of my favorites. Perhaps you should give one (or two) a visit this Sunday!

HiHo Brewing Company  //

This is the local fave of many. Homebrewers turned pro-brewers, Ali and Jon have transformed the local craft beer market. They offer a wide variety of rotating taps as well as local craft soda from local brand Norka.

They run a small kitchen, which currently features meat and cheese boards, salads, and bread options (like a brewery pretzel and pepperoni roll) from the local Brimfield Bread Oven.

Soon enough they will have a full-service wood-fired pizza oven to round out their food offerings.

Bonus? They are offering Yoga On Tap this Sunday, April 7th at 10:45 am. For $15, you’ll receive a 60-minute yoga class led by the instructors from the Yoga Lounge in Hudson plus a post-flow beer (or coffee from Akron Coffee Roasters).

Follow them on social:  instagram  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  website

R. Shea Brewing  //

In my humble brewery snob opinion, this is by far the best brewery around — and it is severely underrated. Ronald Shea is another home-brewer turned pro-brewer, operating out of a little spot on Merriman Road in the Valley of Akron.

They previously had partnered with local-legends of Diamond Deli to serve kitchen-fare, but have since spun off with their own homemade sandwiches and wraps. Truthfully, they are on par with the Diamond Deli sandwiches (and are well worth a visit to the brewery if beer isn’t your thing).

Ronald is currently documenting his journey at opening a second location in Downtown Akron on Facebook. As a previous employee of this area of Akron, I can tell you that this would be an incredible addition to the area. In the meantime, check out their taproom in the Valley and tell my favorite bartender, David, Rachel says hello.

Bonus? Compared to almost every other craft brewery, they are the most reasonably priced. They also offer a “sandwich of the week” for just $5.

Follow them on social:  instagram  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  website

Sibling Revelry  //

This gorgeous and open brewery, located in Westlake, not only is home to some incredible beers (such as Cherry Wit, Siblime, and Quiet Hero), but they frequently partner with food trucks so that they can deliver what they do best — make beer.

If you head to the taproom you’ll be able to get a delicious flight of beers and try a variety of local food options (from Barrio to Burning River Bagels), making each visit different from the last.

Bonus? Their patio is super inclusive for those of us with babies and fur babies!

Follow them on social:  instagram  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  website

The Brew Kettle  //

Want to try and make your own beer? There’s no better place to do it than the Brew Kettle in Strongsville. Not into brewing your own beer? Well, the good news is that they have their own lineup of awesome beers (I’m looking at you White Rajah).

They have two other locations — one in Amherst and one in Hudson — this brewpub is super accessible and a great way to dabble in craft beers for the first time.

Bonus? Their food menu is pretty good, too (try the smokehouse wings and the smoked turkey spinach salad — you won’t be sorry!).

Follow them on social:  instagram  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  website

Akronym Brewing //

This relatively new brewery is nestled into the bottom of the building that houses the parking deck for the library and the Akron Art Museum. It may seem like a strange location, but it’s honestly perfect and absolutely beautiful.

It’s definitely not huge inside the brewery, but it is a really contemporary space. Also, the name Akronym and the story of the brewery (go read it here) speaks to my nerdy soul in a serious way.

For those non-word nerds, there’s still plenty for you to enjoy — including, but not limited to, a wide array of award-winning craft brews and a patio that makes other breweries envious.

Bonus? The brewery regularly partners with Akron Yoga and Wellness for classes and they offer food via Any Thyme Any Plate (a delicious food truck) for brunch on the weekends.

Follow them on social:  instagram  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  website

Fat Heads Brewery and Saloon  //

I feel like this should come with a disclaimer, but Head Hunter from Fat Heads is one of my favorite beers of all time. And the only thing better than a bottle of Head Hunter is getting it on tap at the brewery itself.

Established in 1992, the brewery exploded on the craft beer market. The original location has had to expand several times but is continuing to call Middleburg Heights home.

With the addition of their Canton location last year, you’re now able to enjoy Fat Heads Brewery whether you’re a “northerner” or a “southerner” in Cleveland!

Bonus? Catch the Balance + Brews team at the Middleburg Heights location monthly for a yoga class and post-flow brew!

Follow them on social:  instagram  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  website

Royal Docks Brewing Co.  //

Part craft brewery, part British pub, this cozy spot is perfect for the craft beer foodie! Stop in for a Backyard Crusher or a Dare IPA and get to know the staff of this ‘neighborhood’ pub.

While you’re there, try out some of their signature flatbreads like the Royal Scotch Egg or The Castro. And if you are feeling adventurous, visit their brewery and cannery for a behind-the-scenes look at the process (which just so happens to be housed in an old roller rink).

Bonus? You can book your next event in their roller rink/cannery! Such a cool setting.

Follow them on social:  instagram  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  website

 

Wherever you find yourself on National Beer Day, make sure you bring a friend, relax and unwind, enjoy the flight, and always drink responsibly. 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Akron, beer, brews + food, cleveland, Columbus, events, explore locally, Explore Ohio, Ohio, restaurants + bars, travel, yoga Tagged With: akron, beer, brews + food, cleveland, columbus, craft beer, events, explore locally, explore Ohio, Family Travel, ohio, restaurants + bars, travel, Travel Adventures, yoga

Disney On Ice // Mickey’s Search Party

January 14, 2019 by Rachel 15 Comments

This year I was invited to attend Disney On Ice as one of it’s Cleveland influencers. We attended the event last year, strictly as patrons, and absolutely LOVED it. But this year? Blew last year out of the water by leaps and bounds!

We had a meet and greet with the big mouse himself during our pre-show dinner (thanks to FELD Entertainment). Remy, whilst at first skeptical of anyone in costume, was enamored by Mickey. She just kept looking at him and holding his hand. It was adorable.

After our incredible fajita feast, we headed to our seats. They were basically right on the ice — literally — we were sitting on folding chairs right at the ice.

The show was totally spectacular. From Tinkerbell, to an amazing Belle number, complete with Toy Soldiers from Toy Story giving us high-fives, it was inredible. Both Ari and Remy loved the songs and skating. I, for one, was not disappointed by any of it.

The acrobatics were stunning, especially during the Coco number. Miguel came to the stage by walking right beside us. And then? Then these crazy women on stilts began flying all over the place It. was. INSANE! — in the best way!

It was such an incredible experience. I was once a skeptic of these types of events, but that’s no longer the case. I’m 1000% on board with the magic that is Disney. ♥

If you have a chance to catch them while they’re in Cleveland, do it! The show runs through January 20th. Tickets are on sale at the Q Arena Box Office.

Disclosure: I was gifted tickets to this event, but this is not a sponsored post. I simply loved this event so much!

Filed Under: Akron, cleveland, events, explore locally, Explore Ohio, NEO, Ohio, review Tagged With: akron, cleveland, events, explore locally, explore Ohio, NEO, ohio, review

Cleveland Food + Brews — The South Side + the Best of CLE Party

October 23, 2018 by Rachel 17 Comments

The last few weeks have been filled with exhaustion, thanks to a cold that we’ve been passing throughout the house and a baby that is teething; but in between the sickies and the sleepless nights, I wound up getting out of the house not once but 2 whole times for fun events with friends.

First came a blogger meetup at The South Side for Chef Natasha Pogrebinsky’s fall menu preview. Even though I was exhausted and a big part of me wanted to stay home snuggled up in bed with Mila, I decided to venture out. I’m so glad I did.

I was able to meet up with some of my favorite local bloggers and enjoy a night of wonderful conversation, laughter, and fantastic food.

Some of the new menu items include a Clam Bake (basically a clambake in a bowl), Garlic Rose Flatbread, Mushroom Arugula Flatbread, Tuna Stuffed Roasted Tomato, The Clevelander (fresh local kielbasa and sausage, a poached egg, butter beans, tomatoes, and kale), Roasted Tomato Hummus, and Sweet Potato and Sage Pierogi — to name just a few.

The food was creative, fun, and best of all delicious. My favorites were the calamari, hummus, short rib, maple sweet potatoes, our world tots, and the flatbreads.

Oh, and rumor has it that The South Side has a pretty killer Bloody Mary on the weekends. I’ll definitely be returning to check it out.

The next big adventure was the Best of Cleveland Party at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Our two VIP tickets not only meant that Chad and I could go on our first real baby-free night since Mila was born 4 months ago, but also that we could visit the Rock Hall and check out all of the 2018 winners of various food, drinks, and live music.

Winners included Sunoco Cafe (Best Hummus), B Spot (Best Burgers), Barrio (Best Tacos), Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream (Best Ice Cream), Rocky River Wine Bar (Best Wine Bar), Market (Best Bloody Mary Bar), and so many more!

We dined, we danced, we drank, and we explored so many pieces of music history. It was, by far, one of the most fun events I’ve been to in Northeast Ohio. Many thanks to Cleveland Magazine for putting on such an incredible event.

Sometimes a little bit of (extra) exhaustion is worth the fun, right? Absolutely, totally right. Thanks for being so awesome, Cleveland. You continue to amaze me. ♥ ♥

 

 

Filed Under: brews + food, cleveland, events, explore locally, Explore Ohio, live happy, NEO, Ohio, pictures, restaurants + bars, review, shop local Tagged With: bloggers, brews + food, cleveland, events, explore locally, explore Ohio, Live Happy, NEO, ohio, restaurants + bars, review, shop local

Life Lately // a Balancing Act as a Mom of 3

August 8, 2018 by Rachel 22 Comments

Oh, hi! I promise I’m not just over here having babies and leaving you high and dry. I’m also living a relatively normal life — or at least trying to!

Here’s what we’ve been up to recently:

Bottoms Up Yoga at Sibling Revelry Brewing. 

I jumped at the opportunity to meet up with some fellow Cleveland bloggers for an afternoon of yoga, beers, and laughs, courtesy of Bottoms Up Yoga at Sibling Revelry Brewing!

I brought my mom, Mimi, with me so that she could hang with the big kids while I brought Mila in with me. I mean, she’s a newborn and sleeps most of the time anyway — and this was a class with a bunch of gals I know really well anyway!

Well, she started making those newborn grunts while sleeping in her car seat. I spent most of the time rocking her car seat in between downward dogs before I just gave up halfway through our flow and stepped out.

I ended up ordering some food and sitting down with a flight of IPAs to wait for the class to finish and for Mimi to arrive back with the big kids, so it all worked out in the end.

Sometimes you've just gotta put yourself out there and try to do something fun, even if the end result looks different from what you planned Click To Tweet

Sometimes you’ve just gotta put yourself out there and try to do something fun, even if the end result looks different from what you planned, right?!

The Cleveland Flea.

I’m not a big shopper. I’m just not. But one of the events I most look forward to each month is the Cleveland Flea. Perhaps because it combines my love of Northeast Ohio with my love of finding unique items and food? Yep, that’s probably it!

Well, the last Flea I brought both of the girls with me on a little girls day out. We ate donuts from The Vegan Doughnut Company and walked around for a bit before we settled into a cozy spot for some relaxation and people watching.

Remy is such a social child and she really loves to be given a little space to explore, so I let her do her thing for a bit while I fed Mila.

Work.

I’ve been back to work for weeks now and it’s not all that bad. Mila is with me at all times and the bigger kids have the chance to play and get some energy out for a bit in a different environment. I start teaching cycling again in just a few weeks so our schedule will get even busier, but I’m anxious to get back into the swing of teaching again!

Prepping for Kindergarten.

Ari starts Kindergarten in a week. I’m so excited for him and anxious at the same time. Our school shopping is nearly complete and I have his teacher and room assignment! The only thing we have left to do is attend orientation!

It’s safe to say I’m going to be a complete wreck those first few days. I don’t know if I’ll actually cry, or if my anxiety will just go into overdrive. I know for certain he is ready. He’s so excited and hasn’t even muttered a word about being nervous.

Food Fridays al Fresco at Cascade Plaza.

So many amazing things have been happening in my city over this last year. There are so many events happening on a daily basis (oftentimes at the same time), I’m bummed I’m not able to make them all. Such is life with three kids, I suppose!

But one of the events I knew we had to make it to was Food Fridays al Fresco, which happens every Friday during lunch in Cascade Plaza in downtown Akron. Basically, a bunch of food trucks, backyard games, and live music smack dab in the middle of a weekday!

I was adventurous enough to take all three kids out to this while solo-parenting. It was an adventure, but they had fun running around the big, grassy, plaza.

Edgewater Beach, Cleveland.

While searching for new places to take the kids, a friend suggested going to Edgewater Park and walking along the beach. It was a gorgeous day so I thought, why not?

The water was closed due to rough current, but the kids only really cared about the sand anyway. We walked and explored and played before giving in to the heat and heading back home.

Northeast Ohioans are lucky to have so many adventurous places to explore. This was just the tip of the iceberg for us and I cannot wait to continue taking my kids on these little adventures.


 

In reflecting on all that we’ve been up to lately, I can confidently say that adding a third baby changed everything and yet changed nothing. We’re still doing our thing. We’re still living our lives. We’re still having fun, and working, and playing. It just looks a little different.

In what fun ways

have you been

exploring lately?

 

Filed Under: #MomLife, #SweatPink, babies, babywearing, beer, bloggers, brews + food, busy mom, children, cleveland, Cleveland Flea, events, explore locally, Explore Ohio, fitness, food, health, live happy, maternity leave, mommyhood, NEO, Oh baby!, Ohio, parenthood, pictures, postpartum, restaurants + bars, workout, yoga Tagged With: #MomLife, #SweatPink, babies, babywearing, being a mom, bloggers, brews + food, busy mom, children, cleveland, craft beer, events, explore locally, explore Ohio, fitness, food, foodie, health, local, mommyhood, motherhood, ohio, parenthood, pictures, postpartum, restaurants + bars, workout, yoga

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