Its a Hero

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Favorite Fall Activities

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Fall is my most favorite time of the year — it always has been. Not only is it the season of my birthday, but it’s the season of my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving! The weather gets cooler, the leaves change, and pumpkin spice is readily available! Ha! 🙂

Our Fall has already been off to a great start! Here’s what we’ve been up to and loving lately!

Hayrides!

We went to a local Fall festival and the kids were super excited about the hayride through the apple orchard! Remy had never experienced a hayride and the last time Ari was on one was several years ago, so it was excitement across the board.

Remy laughed and smiled the whole time. Everything — the apple trees, the birds, even the far-off sound of a ‘choo choo’ — is more fun when you’re on a hayride.

Ahh, to be a kid again! ♥ ♥

Going to the pumpkin patch!

This is one of the things I love doing the most in the Fall and I’m happy to share my passion with my kids. Thus far, they seem all about it. I mean, who doesn’t love pumpkins!?

Ari has already mastered the fine art of picking his own pumpkin. The biggest pumpkin is the best, of course. Ha!

Swim Lessons at Goldfish Swim School.

Outdoor swimming may be over for this year, but a change in season is no reason to stop learning to swim! Remy is in the middle of her Mini 3 lessons at Goldfish Swim School in Hudson and we’ve seen huge progress with her abilities already.

The small class sizes of just 3-4 kids per instructor along with a fun curriculum has helped her love of swimming grow by leaps and bounds! Even during the one lesson where she cried and cried (for zero reasons), the teachers were so gentle and loving — they even had her smiling and laughing by the end of class!

Goldfish Swim School offers a state-of-the-art facility featuring hairy drying stations, swimsuit dryers, private bungalow-style changing rooms, a glass-walled viewing area, and 90-degree water for the kiddos. Teachers offer weekly feedback and help closely monitor the development of each child to maximize their swimming success.

Remy is so proud of what she’s learning —  flutter kicks, wall holds, and even holding her breath underwater. But most of all she’s having fun and keeping her Summer skills active year-round!

Fall Food + Beer.

One of the best parts of this season, at least for me, is all of the delicious food and drinks. Apple pie, pumpkin spice lattĂ©s, apple butter, pumpkin ales… the list goes on and on.

Basically, if it has apples or pumpkins in it, I’m here for it!

I mean, have you ever had an apple cider donut!? They’re delicious.

And we’re nowhere even close to Thanksgiving yet. So basically the best is yet to come!

And, of course, Halloween Parties!

I know it’s still a bit early in the ‘season’, but we’ve already been to one big Halloween party and look forward to at least two more!

My little Ninja, Skye from Paw Patrol, and little unicorn (held by Tigger) loved dressing up and playing games. Ari was especially into it. Like, extra. Ha.

He can be seen here eating all of the sugary goodies off the candy apple bar and then followed it up with an enthusiasm for apple-bobbing that I’ve never seen in another human before in my life!!

This kid, man. Freaking hilarious! I think he’s found his passion. And his passion is 1000% Halloween.

What are some

of your favorite

Fall activities !?

 

 

Explore Ohio // Historic Downtown Delaware

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Things have been quite busy around here. I haven’t intentionally been not posting — it’s just that I’ve had so many exciting things happening on my social calendar that I’ve barely had a second to breathe!

One of those exciting things was an adventure to Delaware, Ohio for a blogger meetup! I was excited, considering the last time I’d intentionally visited Delaware I was eleven, but I’d heard great things about downtown and I was really looking forward to checking it out for myself.

Our first stop was at the Fresh Start Café, where the owner and his wife, whom also just happens to be the incredible baker, greeted us with open arms and fresh pastries!

We mixed and mingled and tasted all of the delicious croissants, tarts, bars, and cookies before heading out to explore downtown.

The downtown area is home to a weekly Saturday morning farmers market, which is incredible for both the students of the nearby university and the residents of the town. I was able to find fresh vegetables, antibiotic-free meats, and even kombucha!

My favorite finds were probably these cookies (I bought the paint-your-own-dino cookies for my kids).

I stopped into all of these tiny little shops throughout the downtown area. One of my favorite things is how PUNNY the names of the stores are! The Greater Gouda? What The Tux? Like, C’mon! I LOVE it!

Our next stop was the Strand Theatre. This gorgeous little theatre has been around since 1916 and is one of the 10 longest operating theaters in the United States! It’s independently operated and a non-profit but still shows first-run movies.

Admission is cheap, considering the cost of movies these days! It’s only $7 for general admission tickets, and there are deals for students and seniors daily!

Breweries + Brewpubs + Restaurants. 

I was amazed at how many brewpubs called Downtown Delaware home! For a ‘small town,’ I counted at least 4 — which is a craft beer lovers dream.

Besides the Flying Pig Ale House, we also stopped at Restoration Brew Worx.

Oak + Brazen Wine Company is a fantastic little urban winery and offers incredible charcuterie and flatbreads!

I truly had no idea that this kind of culture existed in small-town Ohio! I can’t wait to visit again — this time with the whole family.

What’s your favorite

“unheard of” place

to visit and explore??

 

 

Many thanks to Mary of the Fervent Foodie for organizing this event and to Periwinkle Photography for capturing us in action.

 

 

 

Back-to-School Shopping at Beachwood Place

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This being my first year sending a child to Kindergarten, I felt vastly unprepared for the amount of Back-to-School shopping that I would need to do. I mean, I had heard from plenty of mom friends that BTS shopping was intense; but it wasn’t until I got Ari’s school supply list that I finally understood what this whole BTS thing was all about.

Honestly, the actual school supplies were easy. But when it comes to buying clothes for a growing boy, I wanted to make sure my money would go as far as possible.

Since I would be dragging three children with me, I decided to plan one centralized shopping trip. Beachwood Place has helped so many generations of students go back to school in style so I knew I could find timeless but trendy staples to meet all of our BTS requirements.

We were lucky enough to be present for a fun afternoon for the whole family! Cat Coquillette was in center court for a hand-lettering workshop for both adults and kids! While I wasn’t able to participate myself (hello, cranky newborn!) it was really fun watching everyone create amazing hand-lettered art of their very own!

While my kids participated in the hand-lettering workshop, I snacked on some guac and chips from Bomba Tacos + Rum (which just opened their new Eastside location).

Then we got back to shopping. And guys? I got so. many. good. deals! Like, so many. I shopped at Hannah Anderson, Gap, Zara, Children’s Place, Dillards, and H&M and only spent — wait for it — $206!

The only thing I got full price was a pair of Native Shoes for each of the kids. Everything else was a steal! And the bonus? There’s currently a free Good Vibes gift with your purchases at Beachwood Place! The more you spend, the more gifts you receive — starting at just $50!

I’m honestly impressed with how well I did on my first back-to-school shopping trip, but I’m also grateful to have such a great shopping destination so close to home.

What’s your favorite aspect of

shopping at Beachwood Place?

 

 

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

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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?

 

Explore Ohio // Glass Blowing at the Glass Asylum

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I’ve been so busy nesting for Baby # 3 that I’ve barely had a moment to breathe. But last week I decided to take some blogger friends up on some plans and meet them for a fun night of laughs, food, and glass blowing at The Glass Asylum in Chagrin Falls.

Getting acquainted!

We were greeted with open arms by the owner, Chris Crimaldi, and welcomed with adult beverages (yes, I had a glass of wine). I browsed the shop and watched the artists work while chatting up friends from near and far that I had not seen in ages!

I was immediately amazed at the detail in the pieces — flowers, vases, wine glasses, beer mugs, and more. We were encouraged to begin thinking of colors to work into our piece. I am notorious for being awful at what should-be simple decisions. Right then and there I decided to go with the ‘party mix’ of colors, AKA every color so that I don’t have to pick just one! Ha!

too many choices!

party mix!

As we settled in to learn about the history of The Glass Asylum,which is celebrating its third anniversary, we snacked on some amazing foods from M Italian, which is located in the same building.

Pizzas from M Italian

delicious salad + fried ravioli from M Italian.

Pizzas, fried raviolis, salad, and calzones galore!! Not to mention a nice plate of meats and cheeses from Jim Alesci’s Place! I was in pregnant lady HEAVEN!

Italian desserts from Alesci’s!

After a brief safety run-down and a short history of Chris, a trained electrician by trade, coming to glassblowing, it was time to get started.

the artists during our safety rundown.

Y’all, the fire for glassblowing is HOT. The ovens, known as glory holes (no joke), are on pretty much nonstop with the exception of July, August and September — because it’s just too darn hot! But the guys (and gal) of The Glass Asylum don’t seem to mind.

My big ol’ pregnant belly – getting my colors!

When it was my turn to go, I was assigned to two of the staff members, who are all trained artists, for help. I told them my idea — a multi-color beer mug — and they helped bring it to life!

Into the glory hole!

One of the coolest parts of this process was all of the science behind it. As I worked with the artists, they carefully explained what we were doing and WHY we were doing it — which is something I absolutely LOVE about learning anything new.

Pulling apart the top of my mug.

The entire time they were walking me through it, I kept thinking, “Dang, Ari (my 5 year old) would LOVE this!” It turns out he’s a bit too young to do it himself, but I am going to take him in to see the artists work and hear the explanation anyways. He’ll totally nerd out about it.

I’ll be picking up the finished product today and I could not be more excited! Here’s how it looked before the cooling process:

my mug.

Look at all of our creations! They are GORGEOUS!

Oh – and shout out to Kate of the Greatest Escapist for snapping a photo of us! And thanks to The Glass Asylum for hosting this incredible event!

Lady Bloggers.

Want to experience the art of glass blowing for yourself?

Contact The Glass Asylum online or call (440) 394-8483 to inquire about an event or experience of your own!

1st Annual Cleveland Comedy Awards

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I know we don’t tend to get out a lot these days (hellooooo, pregnancy!), but last week Chad and I were lucky enough to get out for dinner and an event! That’s right — we had the honor of attending the inaugural Cleveland Comedy Awards at Hilarities on East 4th.

Some background: I am not a comedian in any way. But comedy has always played a huge role in mine and my husbands lives. It’s something that brought us together when we first started dating and something that continued to bring us together long into our relationship. We’ve seen various comics perform over the years and shared a love of laughter through television shows like Last Comic Standing.

So when my friend Sarah invited me to attend this event, I was overjoyed! Not only did we get to laugh, but we got a date night, too! Win, win!

Our pre-event dinner was at Barrio in the Gateway District.

I’ve been craving Barrio tacos and guac for a while. And, even though there was a wait and even though we were in a bit of a hurry, I convinced Chad to sit at the bar so we could still enjoy some pre-show tacos.

Sidenote: Here is where I say that my husband was right and I should listen to him more often. I told him my plans of getting two tacos and also guac. He laughed and said that there was no way I would be able to finish that much food. I told him he didn’t know what he was talking about and I can totally eat two tacos AND guac.

I was wrong. So wrong. I absolutely want to be one of those people who can eat a normal amount of food, but it seems like I can barely finish two tacos! Sad face. He was right.

From there we walked down to Pickwick and Frolic to meet my friend Sarah on the red carpet!

Y’all this event was amazing! Because Sarah was a presenter, our seats were right up against the stage. That’s front row… at a comedy event… while 7 months pregnant. Eek. I was nervous!

See what I mean?! I really didn’t want to be called out by these guys. Ha! Luckily, they decided to pick on Sarah’s husband instead of me (phew!).

The event was presented by Comedic CLE and hosted by Rob Ward, whom we’ve seen perform before — and someone I happen to think this hilarious.

My husband happened to think that many of the jokes were, indeed, inside jokes between the comics; but for whatever reason (perhaps it’s because I listen to a lot of these guys on the radio so I happen to know their backstories); so I thought it was fabulous.

Some of my favorites from the night include Jasmyn Carter’s performance and Brian Kenny’s long-form joke performance. They had me dying of laughter!

I was sad to see that Mike Polk Jr. and Mary Santora weren’t present to accept their awards, but totally saw that coming. They are rockstars of Cleveland comedy and so busy travelling! Props to Bill Squire for filling in for both Mike and Mary! It was great!

The night ended with a truly amazing performance from Ramon Rivas, who can be found on Comedy Central and shows like Vicelan and Broad City.

Thank you so much to Comedic Cle, Hilarities, and specifically Sarah for the invite. It was a pretty awesome night, even if that means I didn’t get much sleep nor did I get to put my babies to bed — it was still worth it.

Check out the full list of 2018 winners here. And be sure to check out all of the above mentioned comics — I promise you won’t be disappointed!