explore locally

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?

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.

Somewhere In Time // Visit 1969 in Cleveland

January 25, 2019 by Rachel 12 Comments

Have you ever been swept away to another time, whether it be from a vivid memory or a scent or a photograph? Or have you ever wanted to be taken back to a time and place that you’ve never been before?? I know I have!

The Cleveland History Center and the Western Reserve Historical Society are bringing the year 1969 back to us for their annual signature event, Somewhere In Time on Saturday, February 2nd from 7PM – 11PM.

This incredibly fun event raises money to support nearly 35,000 local community members through education and public programs.

This year’s event features the year 1969, “The Year of Change.” Protest and change (which feel mildly relevant today, am I right!?) are the fundamentals of this year and we’re going to celebrate with sounds and cocktails of the time!

Here’s what you can expect for the event:

EVENING HIGHLIGHTS

Groovin’ Music

Funkadelic Open Bar

Cool Threads Costume Contest and Prizes

Super Square Silent Auction

Delicious Food

Complimentary valet service off of Magnolia Drive near the entrance to Cleveland Starts Here®.

Want tickets?! Well, what are you waiting for! Come dance the night away with me! Tickets are available for purchase here. WRHS member tickets are $100, non-member pricing is $150. And don’t forget to RSVP to the Facebook event to let everyone know you’re going!

Disclosure: I was given two tickets in exchange for coverage of this event. As always, all opinions herein are solely my own.

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!

2018 // That’s a wrap!

January 2, 2019 by Rachel 10 Comments

This blog post is coming to ya 3 days late, thanks to a healthy dose of laziness at the holidays! Ha! At least I’m being honest.

But also? I’ve been doing a lot of extra reflecting over the last couple of days. And my emotions are straight up all over the place.

I truly expected 2018 to be SUPER hard. I started the year pregnant with baby number three and fully anticipating that this child would send me down a deep dark hole of PPD and PPA. It turns out she didn’t. In fact, I’ve kinda been flourishing and finding myself kicking butt at this mother of three thing.

We ended our night in perfect ‘parent-of-3-kids’ fashion — with an 8:30pm Netflix countdown with party hats and sweet tarts. And followed it up with a parents-only movie night in our NEW home, with a bottle of champagne, and homemade lobster rolls.

So while our 2018 came to a slow and quiet end, I looked back through my camera roll to see all of the amazing things that transpired since last January.

January

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I met up with some great local bloggers for a little networking and brainstorming. It really kicked off my year in a big way by getting the creative juices flowing and reigniting my spark!

February

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Visited NASA Glenn Research Center with a special group of influencers for the State of NASA address. We got a behind the scenes look at some really cool aerospace technology.

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Later in the month I covered the Cleveland Auto Show on behalf of Toyota!

March

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We spent most of the month having fun at Cafe O’Play with the kids (thanks to a Winter family pass!). It wore the kids out and allowed me to get some work done at the same time!

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Oh – and Chad and I had a much-needed date night at Hilarities at Pickwick and Frolic, complete with a Barrio dinner-date beforehand!

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April

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This was a pretty big month for us. We had (secretly) known about the gender of baby number three for a while, but we finally revealed the news to our friends & family! Baby number three was officially a GIRL!

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We also celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary with little fanfare. And, by little, I mean none! Ha! But that’s what happens when you’re pregnant with your third baby, right?

May

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This, the month before my due date, I spent as much time as possible loving on my existing two babies. Lots of small adventures were had.

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Oh, and I had some maternity photos done.

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And met up with some fabulous bloggers for glass blowing at the Glass Asylum.

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And then again for a photoshoot meetup at Borrow Rentals.

June

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I swear to you I spent this entire month just ready for Mila to arrive. In any spare moment I had, I was walking. Usually with the other two kids in tow.

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The kids also enjoyed a LOT of swimming!

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And then, of course, the arrival of Mila Rose.

July

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We adjusted to life with another little.

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But I still managed to make it out of the house with all of the kids! Like Mila’s first trip to the Cleveland Flea with me and Remy Bea!

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And her first trip to the LEGO Store with Ari!

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Oh, and we had amazing newborn photos done.

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Then visited Edgewater Park Beach.

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And I took a yoga class with some fellow bloggers at Sibling Revelry Brewery. Mila came, too, although she spent most of her time in her car seat. Ha!

August

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My first baby went off to his first day of Kindergarten!

September

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I spent my first week completely solo with all three kids. I survived while Chad went away on his business trip AND I even managed to sneak out with just Mila to see the Infinity Mirrors by Yayoi Kusama exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

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Remy and I went out exploring our local Akron neighborhoods.

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And we visited the apple orchard when Mimi came to town!

October

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Ari turned SIX!

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Chad and I went on our first truly solo (no Mila!) date night to the Best of Cleveland party at the Rock Hall.

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And we had a fun Halloween photo shoot with the girls!

November

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I got to check out the new indoor putt-putt course at Punch Bowl Social in the Flats!

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The Big Kids went to Kringle’s Inventionasium to see Santa’s workshop!

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And we decided to purchase our forever home!

December

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We closed on our new house!

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…and between moving and getting settled, we celebrated Christmas.

Seriously I could not be more grateful to all of the people who made 2018 the best year yet. I may not have taken a fancy vacation or gotten a big new promotion, but I had the most fulfilling year to date! It was full of everything that is most important — family, friends, lots of love, memories, and delicious food.

Cheers to 2019!

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. ♥ ♥