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Life Lately // a Mom’s Tale of End of Summer

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I’d be lying if I said things have been easy lately. The adjustment of Ari going back to school and me starting my new Fall schedule at work has definitely been a challenge; but also, life has just been… different. I’ve been quite reserved and close-mouthed. Because, well, I don’t have anything particularly upbeat to say.

And that’s okay.

I recognize that in times of transition I tend to shut down a bit. Maybe it’s just the way I process things, I dunno.

But we’ve still been able to have a bit of fun, even amidst the chaos.

Painting With A Twist. 

A couple of weeks ago I met up with a dear friend to do a fall-themed pallet painting project. I’ve done other wine and painting parties, but this was my first time at PWAT Hudson. The studio was awesome and so accommodating!


And I’m so pumped about the final outcome of my project!

I can’t wait to go back!

Summer Sunset Blast.

Without truly having school-aged children, the end of summer doesn’t really mean much to us, other than going back to preschool and adjusting to a new schedule. But that doesn’t mean we don’t fully take advantage of the end of summer fun!

We said farewell to summer at Silver Springs Park in Stow, with the help of Café O’Play, bounce houses, inflatables, face painting, and a petting zoo!


While Ari hit up the inflatables (OMG – first time he’s really been able to because he’s not my baby anymore!! ??), Remy Bea and I spent some time with the goats.

This girl apparently had a fascination with goats! Which is funny, because so does her daddy! 😛

Trips to the Akron Zoo.

Our zoo membership is nearly expired, and we likely won’t renew it until after Christmas (because, busyness). But we did squeeze in a few more trips to the zoo before Summers end!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a million times again — we are beyond lucky to have this wonderful zoo in our backyard! It takes, at most, 10 minutes to get there; the zoo is so easily accessible, and so easy to navigate — even with two small children.

Lucky for us, on our latest trip, the temperature was super mild and the zoo itself was empty. The best part? All of the animals were front and center!

365 by Whole Foods opened and we may have been there at least 5 times in a week!

I took a media tour of the store before the opening day festivities, and I was beyond impressed. The store is bright, clean, and absolutely gorgeous!

There’s mochi ice cream, a taqueria, coffee from Artisan Coffee, great prices on produce, and a typical prepared food section that is to die for!

I took the kids back for opening day and we were greeted by Zippy, the Akron Zips mascot, and a whole slew of people! No joke, at 8:45 am on a Thursday morning and there were about 200 people waiting to get inside!

I’m serious when I say that it has quickly become our favorite place to grab some food, whether it be groceries or prepared food (helloooooo, chili and cheese lasagna!!!!). I see this as being our go-to store from here on out.

We took a very quick road trip to Columbus.

Besides stopping at IKEA for what seemed like 5 minutes (but was actually 2.5 hours), we wandered and made lists of things we needed to do in our head. But other than one semi-small purchase, we really just were there for the Swedish meatballs!

After our IKEA trip, Chad went with his sister and her family to the Ohio State football game while I took the kids to the local splash pad by my sisters house.

We went to a quick (early) dinner at another local fave — the Starliner Diner (delicious + authentic Cuban food) before heading back to my sister’s house to settle in for the evening.

Before heading home we went to a family cookout with Chad’s sister’s family (she was visiting from Denver just for the weekend). Basically, a whirlwind of a 36-hours.

I’ve been cooking — a lot.

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This is super weird for me because I hate to cook. But I tried Blue Apron a while back and loved it! The recipes weren’t difficult, per se, but they did reignite a spark I had for trying new recipes.

Playgrounds, playgrounds, playgrounds… and flag football clinics!

We’ve certainly been spending time at our local playgrounds and parks. Remy has taken to ‘playing’ in a major way. In fact, one of her favorite words to say is “Play? Play?” Basically, begging to go outside in play or get into all of her toys.

So it’s been fun. Oh, and Ari started a flag football skills clinic. To my surprise, he’s really fond of it. It’s super fun to watch them both come into their own in different ways.

As I read this post (and as I reread it over and over again…) I keep thinking…. FUNK, BE DAMNED! My life has been crazy and awesome! I’ll get back to my normal life soon. But for now? For now I’m basking in the awesomeness that is random.

Happy Monday, friends! xo

Explore Ohio // WRHS Hale Farm + Village { and a GIVEAWAY }

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After growing up in Northeast Ohio and after years of living in Cuyahoga Falls, I finally took an adventure I’d been meaning to for ages — I visited the Western Reserve Historical Society Hale Farm + Village! It did not disappoint, friends!

The Hale Farm + Village is located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and was the original homestead and farm of Jonathan Hale. It became the property of the Western Reserve Historical Society, whose main focus is to preserve the history and artifacts of the historic western reserve.

Remy and I decided to go on a relaxed visit one Sunday afternoon while the boys went to the movies. We saw glassblowing demonstrations, weaving demonstrations, candle-making demonstrations, and even an old-school musket demonstration!

That’s not even half of it! We explored the 90 acres of the Hale Farm while learning all about the agricultural practices and the life of our early settlers!

We loved it so much that I told Chad we absolutely needed to allgo as a family — and so just 6 short days after my initial visit, we found ourselves right back at Hale Farm!

We happened to be there during the Music in the Valley Folk + Wine Festival! Although we decided not to sample any wine, we did have a wonderful time listening to the folk musicians and creating our homemade musical instruments like they would in the old days!

In addition to Hale Farm + Village, the WRHS also includes the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel, the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, Costume Collection, Hay-McKinney and Bingham-Hanna Mansions, Kidzbits Family Hands-on Center and the Research Library!

We are beyond lucky to have this gem located right in our very own backyards! And their newest exhibit, Cleveland Starts Here, explores the history of Northeast Ohio and aims to help place historical context into our lives today! I cannot wait to check it out!

As a local institution, the WRHS wants to better-know it’s visitors and membership, so they are conducting a survey which is located here. One lucky survey participant will win a membership to the Western Reserve Historical Society (which includes the Hale Farm and Village as well as all of the other WRHS sites!).

In addition to that giveaway, I’m hosting another membership giveaway to the WRHS! — Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below! Winner from the rafflecopter giveaway will be announced and notified on 7/25/17.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

 

 

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post but I did receive a complimentary membership to the WRHS as an acting social media partner. As always, all opinions herein are my own.

 

Explore Ohio // Downtown Cleveland { AND A GIVEAWAY! }

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It’s a great time to be a Clevelander, friends! We’ve been in the spotlight a lot over the last year, thanks to a couple of championship games. But for those of us who’ve grown up here, we’ve long known that the city of Cleveland is a diamond in the rough!

Which is why I’m beyond excited to bring you my next chapter of my “Explore Ohio” series — Downtown Cleveland! If you’ve followed along with the last few chapters of this series, you’ll know that I grew up here in Northeast Ohio. I was born in East Cleveland, but grew up in the country, before moving to New York state. Then I debated moving further south (and even went so far as to look at real estate in Dayton), before settling into my home here just south of ‘the land.’

I’m almost ashamed to say how frequently I make the drive to downtown Cleveland. I mean, it’s close, but it’s still a bit of a drive from Akron (think 25-30 minutes). But when I visit, here are some of my absolutely favorite things to see and do:

The Cleveland Flea. Artisanal products, makers, and doers come together once a month for an amazing event. Think food trucks, the “Flea Bar” featuring incredible hand-crafted cocktails, and a DJ making sure everyone is having a blast. It’s seriously the most fun event of the month.

Barrio. Build your own tacos + crazy margaritas + out of this world guacamole = my idea of heaven, ya’ll. The original location is in Tremont, but the location downtown is huge and easily accessible before concerts and sporting events. They honestly have the best tacos and an awesome atmosphere.

Great Lakes Science Center. Located right next door to The Rock Hall, the GLSC features 3+ floors of hands-on learning and exploring for kids of all ages — and adults! Ari loves it and I’m certain that as soon as Miss Bea feels comfortable in crowds, she will push her way through the exhibits to get down and dirty with learning! My favorite part of the science center is the IMAX theater. It’s definitely a must-see if you’re in from out of town.

Hilarities. I feel like Clevelanders take for granted that we have this amazingly popular comedy club! Chad and I have gone to see Joe Machi (from Last Comic Standing) and we loved it! I’m so bummed that I recently had to miss Mike Birbiglia (we were out of town!). He’s my absolute fave! And seriously, every single seat in the venue is close! It’s such an intimate location.

The Greenhouse Tavern. James Beard award winner Jonathan Sawyer serves the most incredible poutine at the Greenhouse Tavern. Seriously. It’s heavenly. He’s a master at what he does for a reason and his menu at GHT shows it! Also? Rooftop patio, yo!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sitting on the North Coast, this museum is home to so many great artists and exhibits! Everyone should visit at least once in their life! I’ll never forget walking in for the first time and seeing the division bell from Pink Floyd’s cover of the same name!

Heinen’s Downtown. Heinen’s is a local grocer here in Ohio, but they fixed up an old building downtown and made the most beautiful grocery store ever! If you haven’t yet, you should check it out for the wine and dinner!

the Cleveland Arcade building. My mom still talks about this building from when she was growing up. But I have my first memories of the arcade building from when I was about 6. And since then I’ve been able to witness business booming and even a wedding inside of this incredible location!

E. 4th Street. This is, by far, the hottest street in all of Cleveland. For those unfamiliar, it’s a pedestrian-only brick road and home to amazing restaurants and shops. CLE Clothing flagship shop sits on the corner and so does Corner Alley, an iconic bowling alley and sports bar!

The Jake. Yes, it will forever be The Jake. But honestly, Progressive Field (it’s newest name) has had some incredible improvements. They even now offer special tickets to a place in the field called “the corner” (which is at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario). These tickets are standing room only and include a beverage of your choice! Not bad!

Jack Cleveland Casino. I’m not big on gambling. Heck, I spent a total of $20 on slots in Vegas; but this casino is exactly what downtown Cleveland needed. And, in it’s current location in the old Higby building, it’s absolutely gorgeous!

Hodges. Yet another incredible chef with an incredible restaurant on E.4th! Hodges has long been one of my favorite restaurants, featuring drinks in mason jars (before it became popular) and cornbread with every single meal (cornbread, ya’ll!). I absolutely love Chris Hodsgon and all of his restaurants, but Hodges forever has a place in my heart!

Playhouse Square. The largest performing arts center in the United States outside of NYC, has 9 individual theaters with productions year-round! It’s recently received a facelift with it’s new chandelier, which resides over the center of square itself. It’s absolutely beautiful!

 

I just have to stop. I have to. Because I could go on and on and on about this city. I would like to also mention Brew Boat CLE, the City Club of Cleveland, Walnut Wednesdays, and Lolly the Trolley. Cleveland is just such an incredible city. I know we may get shamed as being ‘the mistake on the lake,’ but we aren’t. I swear it; we aren’t!

And to celebrate the best city on the North Coast, I’m giving away a $25 gift card to Heinen’s — which can be used at any of their locations across Northeast Ohio, but I urge you to check out the downtown location anyway —  just enter using the rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

This giveaway is a partnership with Nakturnal. As always, all opinions herein are my own.

 

 

The Little Mermaid, Retro Dog, and a Pi(e) Day Celebration // A Wrap Up

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Yesterday, after staring at my planner for what seemed like hours, I was amazed to see that we’re nearing the end of March. Amazed because it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Remy Bea’s first birthday — but it was two whole months ago!

Every single day with little kids feels like the.longest.day.ever. Everyday is jam-packed with commitments, errands, and the mundane; but somehow, we blink, and another week, month, and year have passed.

A dear friend of mine recently told me she thinks I’m crazy for keeping my schedule as jam-packed as it is; that I leave very little room for ‘down time.’ But also, that she commends me for keeping my kids active and involved in things — whether that be karate, playdates, or weekly trips to the art museum!

And this past week was no different. Well, minus one little thing:

I sent my husband on a Guys Trip to Wilmington, North Carolina to golf for 5 and a half days.

He had a blast, and we did a great job at surviving! 🙂

Here’s what we’ve been up to in the last week:

  • I took Ari to see The Little Mermaid ballet at the Akron Civic Theater. Despite my child’s affinity for all things Disney and all things artsy, he was bored. Cotton candy helped. Eh, win some, lose some, friends.

 

  • Before our ballet excursion, Ari and I went on lunch date at our favorite spot — Retro Dog! I know I’ve talked about Retro Dog previously, but it’s seriously one of our favorite spots. They serve hot dogs, burgers, fries, onion rings, custard, and beer from Thirsty Dog Brewing. The couple that owns it is originally from Buffalo and their hot dogs are a Buffalo staple — Sahlen’s!
  • Ari’s karate session ended with a bang — or a HIYA! But not to fret, T-Ball starts this week. (PS. I’ve been informed that of all of the local leagues, we signed Ari up for the most intense and most serious league in our area. Ooooops. Makes sense since they have two practices this week alone… for t-ball….).

  • Pi(e) day was a success! Thank you, Sweet Mary’s! Your French Toast Pie did not disappoint!
    PS. Can it be Pi Day every day!?!

  • After months of false starts, Miss Bea finally started (and kept) walking. She’s taken steps before — up to 8 in a row — but this was the first time she just kept going. And she hasn’t stopped! Hooray!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlMlR7iYRpc]

  • One of the highlights of my weekend was getting a fabulous bright yellow cup from Starbucks. It made the gloomy weather completely worth it.

Guys. We survived. We survived!! Yes, we missed Chad; but we did relatively okay with being a single-parent household for a few days. It proved, both, that he can get away and have fun, and that we could do it — that we could keep on a schedule and power through whatever the week throws at us.

And this week I’m ready to take on my own happiness, ya’ll. Here’s my Weekly Mantra:

TGIM, friends! Don’t stress this Monday — embrace it!! xo

Pinterest Fun, Plans Gone Awry, + a (Long) Overdue Haircut // A Weekend Wrap Up

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You know those weekends that just restore your soul? Well, I had one of those weekends, friends. It also just so happened to be one of those weekends where I had “X-Y-and-Z” planned…. but all of it got nixed off the to-do list and we just improvised.

Friday we had plans to go to the Great Lakes Science Center and finally utilize our passes. But it was snowing and absolutely frigid, so, even though Chad had taken the day off from work, we decided to just hang around the house with the kids and relax. They still had a blast. [PS. Do you know what kind of fun a 4-year old will have just walking around in Best Buy??]

The chill day came in handy because I had exciting plans for the evening! A little “Moms Night Out,” if you will! My friend Emily had invited me to go to Pin It, which is a Pinterest/craft-making event, with her!

I was so excited to manifest some of my creative energy with Pinterest projects that had already been planned and prepped by someone other than myself! Ha!

But first? Food. Because these delicious macarons and appetizers weren’t going to eat themselves! And after finishing off these delicious snacks, we headed to our first Pin It station — a watercolor mug!

And after the mug we made an “Embrace Messy Hair” planter. I was going to actually use this as a planter, but my mom suggested I use it to store Remy Bea’s bows and headbands. GENIUS! And so it is!

We rounded out the evening with an all-natural headache salve. And, when all was said and done? I realized just how easy these crafts were to do at home! More to come, friends!

Saturday morning, Mimi (who arrived from Kentucky the night before) and I took Ari to the monthly Home Depot workshop.

Unlike January’s workshop, this one wasn’t too complicated for anyone under the age of 40. I kid (but not really. because Februarys’ build was IMPossible). But honestly, if you’ve never been to one of these workshops I absolutely recommend them. They are so fun — and free!

From there I sent Mimi, Chad and the kids to karate while I went to get my haircut for the first time in a few years. YEARS, friends. Years!

 

 

I ended up at Apotheclaire a little early so I stopped next door at Sweet Mary’s Bakery for a morning snack and coffee! And, if you’re local, you *must* stop in to both of these places! Sweet Mary’s Bakery is A-MAZING, and Apotheclaire is so incredibly eco-friendly and local-focused.

I went in to my hair appointment knowing that I wanted my hair cut off, but not a pixie cut like before; I also knew that I wanted something specific, but couldn’t exactly put it into words (or pictures); soooo big pressure to my stylist. Ha! But I told her what I wanted and she delivered ONE THOUSAND PERCENT! Helloooooo, asymmetrical long bob!

I walked around the rest of my day with a little sass in my step, for sure! It’s a good thing we had a family party to attend so that I had somewhere to be with all of that sass!

PS. The only picture I have from this party was of Remy eating ALL OF THE WORLD (as per usual). But seriously. Where does this child (and her tapeworm) put all of this food!?

Saturday night Ari had his first sleepover at Grandma Vicki and Grandma Rosie’s house (my aunts’ house), so we got off the hook and just had to deal with one tired kid! And by the time we got home Remy was totally ready for bed (no naps will do that to a kid!).

After Remy fell asleep, Mimi and I snuck out to the second official Northside Market! It was later than I’d hoped, but we made it! It was great running into Kevin of Studio KMR and Rachel from IWearJewelRay. It was such a quick trip before we headed home, but it was so worth it. I love running into my creative friends, even if just briefly!

And Sunday? Sunday wasn’t all that bad, friends. It had the makings of a busy day — more talk of perhaps going to the Science Center after we picked Ari up from his sleepover. But once we met up with him we realized that taking a sleep deprived child to a busy museum? Not going to be that much fun. So instead we went to lunch and to Trader Joe’s. Because? #MomLife.

Oh, but I did manage to score 4 pairs of shoes for $70 (after tax!!) from Stride Rite in Legacy Village. So, if you’re local to Northeast Ohio, head over there, like, now. Because they’re going out of business and these prices are THE BOMB.

It was honestly the perfect way to round out the weekend. Just regular Mom Life at it’s best.

A huge thank you to everyone who was in any way involved in this weekend. Whether or not I saw you, texted you, or even if you just sent positive vibes my way, thank you. I will always be forever grateful for my tribe. They make weekends like this possible! ♥ ♥ ♥ Cheers to many more weekends like this!

xoxo

Smoothies, Foodies, and the Vitamix Ascent Series Launch //

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In my constant search for balance in motherhood (and life) I have made certain concessions for the sake of time. For instance, we often forego eggs, toast, and cereal for breakfast in lieu of something we can take on-the-go — like smoothies.

I’m guilty of occasionally using those pre-made frozen smoothie fruit mixes. Yes, I know it’s basically nonsense because it’s just a mix of frozen fruit and still requires me to do the work of blending it all together. But, balance, friends. Lucky for me, we have been using a Vitamix for all the blending, chopping, and dicing in our home for the last 7 years!

So when I was asked to attend the launch of the newest Vitamix Ascent Series at their Solon, Ohio store, I was beyond excited!

Of all of the blogger events I’ve been to, this was quite possibly the most well put together event of all time! We were greeted at the door by the Vitamix store team and we were immediately handed a delicious cocktail, crafted by the Spotted Owl‘s very own Will Hollingsworth!

From there we snacked on mouthwatering appetizers, all made in the newest Vitamix! These Pork Belly Sliders on Brioche were absolutely heavenly!

After seriously munching (and by munching I mean devouring…) on all of this delicious food, we were given the rundown on the newest Vitamix Ascent Series blenders.

Even as a seasoned Vitamix user I learned so much! For instance, I was under the impression that we had to use a dry canister and blade to make our own seasoning or flour; but that simply isn’t true! Unless you’re making a lot — like, a lot — at once, even the regular Vitamix blade can handle it!

To call my bluff, they decided to make powdered sugar right in front of my eyes (PS. how was I so naïve to not know that powdered sugar is legit just sugar ground up into, well, powder?? Don’t judge me,  ya’ll.). Oh, and then they mixed up some ice cream in, like, three seconds (because, yum).

And I was happy to learn that Vitamix really stands true to it’s brand of being a family company with huge ties to the community. Vitamix is built and serviced all within a 200-mile radius! And, for those who may not be familiar, Vitamix offers an incredible warranty program on both their new and refurbished models! Our old Vitamix was a refurbished model and when the motor went, we just shipped it in and it was repaired within a couple of weeks and sent right back to us — at no cost!

In addition, the Vitamix Store offers help and assistance with all of your Vitamix needs. If you have questions abotu techniques? Come into the store. Questions about recipes? Come into the store! They also hold weekly in-store events and culinary classes to help you make the most of your Vitamix!

Seriously the best customer service from any company I’ve had any sort of contact with. 

If you are considering purchasing a Vitamix of your own, I strongly urge you to go check out their store this weekend! The Vitamix Store in Solon is running a huge sale this weekend, March 3rd and 4th, starting at just $199.95!

If you want visual proof at what can be done in a Vitamix (other than smoothies!) check out this delicious soup I made in my new Vitamix! It’s Maple Sweet Potato Soup — and the recipe is straight from The Vitamix Cookbook!

At the end of the day, I think this new Vitamix and I are going to create a more-balanced life for the whole family. Not only do I feel a teeny bit less guilty about feeding the kiddos smoothies every morning, but it’s helping me to break out of my comfort zone and make new dishes (like this soup) that I otherwise would be too nervous to do. So thank you Vitamix and my friends over at the Vitamix Store for such a fun event and fun new toys!

 

Disclosure: At the end of the night I was gifted with my very own Vitamix Ascent Series A3500, the Vitamix Cookbook, a Simply Blending spices ‘cookbook,’ and culinary classes for 2 at the Vitamix Store, in exchange for my honest review of the evening and of the new Vitamix Ascent Series A3500.