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Explore Ohio

Explore Ohio // Wooster { and a GIVEAWAY! }

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I have to admit — I’m really loving this “Explore Ohio” series! Not only does it give me a chance to give ya’ll a virtual tour of my favorite places, but it’s a way of reminding myself exactly why I love living here. There is always somewhere new to explore — like these kid-friendly things to do in Amish country!

Well on my recent trip to Wayne County I spent a whole 24-hours in Wooster, Ohio. Wooster, pronounced Wuh-stir, is just 35-miles southwest of Akron — but, until recently, I had never been!

These were my honest thoughts of Wooster, prior to my visit: “It’s a place where people go to camp, right??” I’m not certain why I thought that, but I did.

Boy was I surprised!

Besides surprised, I was also very nervous because this trip to Wooster was an overnight — and would mean my very first overnight without Miss Bea. But upon check-in at the St. Paul Hotel, I completely ‘checked out’ from my children. No joke.

First of all, the St. Paul Hotel?? Gorgeous! Absolutely stunning. With 17, newly renovated rooms, this unique boutique hotel has culture written all over it!

Our room featured a luxurious king-sized bed amidst a rustic, rust-belt-chic setting. And the bathroom? Heated… freaking… floors! And a TV in the mirror, ya’ll!

And don’t even get me started on this shower! My only disappointment was that I couldn’t spend more time snuggled up in this bed. No joke. I mean, for us, we could have spent an entire week inside this hotel room! That’s how bad we needed a getaway!

Here are my other must-see spots in Wooster, Ohio!

Broken Rocks Cafe. Fresh baked bread, exposed brick, delicious seasonal eats — what more could you want!? I had the chicken salad sandwich (which comes on amazing focaccia!) and a side of jojos. Jojos are basically seasoned + deep fried potato wedges. It’s a regional thing to call them jojos. I never understood it until I moved to Akron.

Chad had the Kung Pao Woodfired Pizza. It was amazing! The sauce was beautifully balanced with the crispy veggies and crust!

The Ohio Light Opera. This professional opera company is located on the Wooster College campus and features operettas and musical theater from June through August. They perform several shows a day, and several different shows at a time!

We happened to catch them during a rehearsal for Say Anything, and, even though we only caught about 30 minutes, I seriously could have stayed and watched them perform all day!

Our group was lucky enough to also go on a little backstage tour, where we saw so many people hard at work! Costume design, set design, and all of the props!

It was an amazing experience, and I have so much more respect for those who work in the theater industry! It’s clear they do it out of passion!

Faithful Little Cupcake. A bakery that specializes in all kinds of specialty cakes, but also sells cupcakes in their storefront, has a passion for ‘paying it forward.’ For every wedding cake sold, the bakers donate a birthday cake to a child that, otherwise, wouldn’t have one.

PS. Their cupcakes are the bomb. THE bomb.

Blue Spruce  Boutique. This boutique is life, y’all. I mean, imagine a smaller, more inexpensive version of Anthropologie + Magnolia combined into one! I could have spent hours and all of my bank account in this store! In fact, the next time I’m in the market for something fancy shmancy, I’m heading here!

Spoon Market. The small-town market of my dreams… We stopped here real quick for a drink at their bar before dinner. They have a full bar with craft beer on tap, craft beer in bottles, and make cocktails to order. The bar only seats about 10-14 people, but the market itself has tables lined up throughout.

The vibe is chill. Very, very, chill. A few of us decided to play a game of Cards Against Humanity (I mean, how can you not when the cards are just sitting there on the bar!?) and it was a blast.

The next day I came back to shop even more. They offer Jeni’s ice cream, a full deli, and eclectic wine selection. Basically, the perfect place to swing by and pick up a bottle of wine and some cheese before your next dinner party.

Tulipan Hungarian Pastry and Coffee Shop. Think of the most divine little coffee shop and pastry shop. This. This is it. The pastries and intricate, hand-painted cookies were not only beautiful to look at, but were some of the best flaky baked goods I’ve ever eaten.

We were tempted to come back the next morning for their chicken paprikash crepes, but we opted to sleep in instead!

Basil Asian Bistro. I’m a bit tough on Asian restaurants, but this one meets the cut 100%! They offer all kinds of sushi, traditional asian dishes, as well as thai dishes!

We may have tried a little bit of everything and this is what I can tell you:

1  You must try the dry ice martinis.

2  The calamari is the best I’ve ever had. Perfect amount of spices/salt/pepper and crunch!

3  My pad thai was on par with what I hold to very very snobbishly high pad thai standards. I can’t help it. I just really love pad thai! 😛

We were excited to hear that the owner of this restaurant also owns two more closer to us in Akron, so we’ll definitely be back to see him very very soon!

Sure House Coffee. On a whim I swung into this coffee shop near our hotel. I walked in and I totally knew it was my kind of coffee shop. With air plants on the wall and a limited menu (think pour overs, brewed coffee, and simple espresso combinations), I could tell the coffee would be fabulous. So I ordered a coconut milk latté to-go, but I so wish I could have stayed!

And I’m SO excited to hear that they are opening up a second location in the Northside District in Akron! Hooray! My dreams have come true!

Even though our kids were not with us on this trip to Wooster, there was not one single place on this trip that I wouldn’t feel comfortable bringing them along. And I just love finding new family-friendly day-trip destinations! I can’t wait to come back and explore more.

And now, a giveaway! That’s right – I’m hosting a giveaway for a $25 gift card to one of my favorite places to shop here in Ohio (and they do have a lot of locations elsewhere, too!) — Giant Eagle! Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter!

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Thank you to HER Realtors for sponsoring todays post and giveaway. As always, all opinions herein are my own!

Explore Ohio // Wayne County

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Confession: I grew up in Amish country.

Okay, so many of you may already know that about me; but some of you may not know what exactly that means. It means that our high school consisted of students from 3 different towns coming together to attend school (but still only graduating with 83 people); it means that we had “drive your tractor to school day;” it means my best friend in elementary school was amish — and, yes, I’ve ridden in a buggy several times; oh — and it means that my hometown doesn’t even have so much as a flashing yellow light, let alone a stoplight!

So when I was recently asked to visit Wayne County, Ohio — also considered amish country AND home of the Ohio Light Opera — I was intrigued, but skeptical. I mean, how could amish country impress a little country bumpkin like me!? 😛

But guys. Wayne County changed me. Well, that may be a tad bit dramatic; but I seriously never would have or could have imagined that this place just an hour from my home in Akron, could be so amazing!

We started our grand tour of greater Wayne County by heading out to Lehman’s Hardware Store. My friend kerry had mentioned that I would love Lehman’s. But neither her nor their slogan of “for a simpler life,” didn’t convince me.

But approximately 3 minutes into our trip into the amazingness that is Lehman’s, I was sold. SOLD, ya’ll! I mean, it didn’t hurt that this place was comprised of so many of both mine and Chad’s favorite things — we just didn’t realize that this constituted “homesteading”!

Rain barrels, compost bins, old-fashioned push-mowers, cast-iron skillets, and wood-burning stoves — you name it! In fact, the other girls on the trip were surprised by how much of what they offer we already incorporate into our daily lives. I suppose we’re semi-homesteaders of some sort?? Who knew!?

Our next stop was Quince Bakery and Café. I can honestly say that never did I expect some of the finest bread and baked goods to come from a tiny bakery in Wayne County, Ohio! I mean, I find myself to be a bit of a baked-goods snob. In fact, my husband and friends tend to poke fun at me for being the kind of person that simply must buy and taste all of the baked goods, but only to hoard them. Is there a “Hoarders: Baked Goods Edition”??!! I kid!

I. am. in love with the food from this tiny bakery — and thrilled to find out that she travels to Akron for the Countryside Conservancy Market in Highland Square every Thursday! Hooray!

And somehow I convinced her to let me buy some of the amazingly soft and fluffy focaccia bread she was saving for the market! I could eat only this bread for the rest of my life, ya’ll! Seriously.

Next up was a quick stop by Shisler’s Cheese House. Shisler’s is a teeny, hole-in-the-wall, kinda place, with delicious, soft, swiss cheese on the counter for patrons to try. It was delicious and this family-owned business (for THREE generations!) had such an awesome vibe!

Believe it or not, there was still time (and room!) for more baked goods! That’s right — we stopped by the Dutch Kitchen Bakery, a mennonite and amish bakery in the heart of Wayne County, for a tour of the bakery (ya’ll those mixers were HUGE!).

The manager told us that an old Amish woman comes in every morning (sometimes at 3am!) to make all of the dough for the pies and fry pies — every single day!! PS. We had a strawberry rhubarb fry pie and bumbleberry fry pie. They did not disappoint. 😉

And, I mean, look at the size of this donut!! Crazypants!!

Our next stop was a place I’d been meaning to visit for a very long time — the J.M. Smucker Company Store + Café. Little known fact that our great state of Ohio is home to the Smucker’s corporation — which is actually headquarters to Jif, Pillsbury, Crisco, Dickinson’s, Hungry Jack, Santa Cruz Organics, Folgers, and Dunkin Donuts, to name a few!

I was in shopping heaven! We may or may not have bought a plethora of jams and juices to bring home (I mean, when in Rome, Wayne County, right?!).

We rounded out or day in Wayne, County with a trip to the Pine Tree Barn. The Pine Tree Barn restaurant, the Granary, which is only open for lunch, features amazing house-made salads, entrees, and desserts.

The food and desserts were amazing! And so was the infused iced tea. OMG we drank so much of that, it’s ridiculous. And after our lunch we wandered through the old barn, which acts as a furniture and furnishings store.

I also told my husband that we MUST come back during the holidays for a carriage ride and to cut down our own Christmas tree!

Chad and I have already discussed our next trip to Wayne County! Another trip to Lehman’s and Quince are definitely in order — soon! Thankfully, we’re only an hour away from this delightful place! I hope that you’ll consider visiting Wayne County, Ohio for your next weekend getaway!

 

 

Thank you to the Wayne County CVB for sponsoring this trip! As always, all opinions herein are my own. #DoWoo

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!

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

 

 

STEM Learning with Snapology // WIN a LEGO® brick set

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STEM learning, or the concept of education based in science, technology, engineering, and math, is something I think about frequently as a mom of a 4 year old. See, I understand the importance of engaging Ari in learning from an early age with things that interest him. Heck, I’ve had him enrolled in building classes at Home Depot every single month for the last two years!

I was lucky enough to know that Ari was receiving STEM education while in preschool this year and I noticed huge improvements with his imagination and comprehension! And while Ari is out of preschool this Summer, we’re going to do all of the learning and exploring that we can! So when I found out that we have a local Snapology franchise in Kent, I was totally on board to check them out!

Snapology has made it their mission to help children reach their full potential when it comes to imagination. They offer camps, workshops, field trips, playdates, and even birthday parties for kids 3 and up! Between game design, stop animation, and kinder robotics, I’m anticipating a busy STEM Summer!

I’m absolutely down for anything that involves learning and fun, and totally interested in hosting Ari’s 5th birthday party here in October! For real – a LEGO Star Wars or Ninjago birthday party!? These boys would eat it up!!

And while I encourage you to check out a local Snapology franchise near you, I also highly encourage you to enter to win a LEGO® brick set of the Snapology Mascot Sebastian Gator!

Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter!

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

Explore Ohio // Cuyahoga Falls { AND A GIVEAWAY! }

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Before moving to the Akron, Ohio area, I’d heard about one of its suburbs, Cuyahoga Falls. I assumed it was this tiny place. Because, honestly, it just sounds like a tiny little peaceful place. But it isn’t tiny by any means! But it is peaceful and has so many wonderful things to do and see!

If you’re following along with my “Explore Ohio” series, you’ll know that we briefly considered moving elsewhere like Upstate New York and even have looked at real estate in Dayton, OH; but I’m so happy that we are raising our children here in beautiful Cuyahoga Falls!

I urge you to come visit my beautiful town! And while you’re here, check out some of my favorite places:

HiHo Brewing Company. Two former teachers took a leap of faith and started a brewery in their hometown from the ground up. I fell in love with HiHo the first time I walked in. The huge space is super inviting for people of all ages — there are board games, couches, and a tasty selection of food. Also? Beer, obviously. A delicious rotation of craft beers, brewed on-site.

The Blue Door Café. A hidden foodie gem, just North of Akron, exists on the corner of State Road and Broad Boulevard, and can easily be missed. There is no signage, but always a packed parking lot. The only ‘advertising’ they need is the signature blue door. Incredible pastries and brunch dishes are served from classically-trained French pastry chefs. People literally flock to the Blue Door from all over (I’m looking at you, Cleveland friends! I see your check-ins from FB and Foursquare 😉 ).

The Social Dept. Located right next door to HiHo, this t-shirt company offers on-site screen-printed regional shirts, onesies, and even beer growlers! I just bought Chad this Cleveland Indians shirt for his birthday!

Hale Farm and Village. Located in the middle of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, this historic village preserves aspects of our past and brings them to workshops and families who visit the working farm. They even allow rentals for weddings! How cool would it be to have your wedding here!?

The Gorge Metropark. So much hiking, ya’ll! I was unprepared for my first hiking excursion here. In my defense, we were supposed to go to the zoo, but we went to the Gorge instead. And I was wearing ballet flats and a dress. Lesson learned! Winding trails, waterfalls on the Cuyahoga, views of whitewater kayak races just up the river, rock climbing kiddos… it’s got it all! Even ice skating during the winter months!

Retro Dog. Old-school diner and drive-in hot dog restaurant. But not just any hot dogs — these Buffalo-natives serve Sahlen’s hot dogs with a funky-fresh twist! Toppings galore, white-hots, loaded fries, crazy burgers, and custard! This is a big favorite in our family — even Remy can (and will) throw down a whole footlong hot dog on the reg!

Blossom Music Center. If you’ve grown up in Northeast Ohio (or even Central Ohio!), you’ve likely seen a concert or two at Blossom. This outdoor amphitheater is a super popular outdoor music venue for all types of music. It’s even the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra! (Personal note: This is where I saw my very first concert when I was four… Whitney Houston, ya’ll. Such a cool experience!).

Sarah’s Vineyard and Winery. Located across the street from Blossom Music Center, this gorgeous vineyard offers indoor and outdoor seating as well as an array of delicious wines! Like many other local spots, it’s very family friendly! So bring the kiddos and a picnic!

The Riverfront Family YMCA. Okay, okay. I’m a tad-bit bias. I love my local branch of the YMCA, but I also work there. We have an amazing gymnastics program, an awesome 2-,3-, and 5-day preschool, and so many fitness classes! Come catch me there, Monday through Friday! 🙂

Darby’s on 59. We lived in the Falls for years without knowing that this place existed. This tiny little gem is located on route 59, across from the Cuyahoga River. They have an adorable outdoor patio and delicious food. I can easily live off of their calamari and sliders for the rest of my life and be happy!


Metropolis Popcorn. Located on the pedestrian-only portion of Front Street, Metropolis Popcorn offers 50-flavors of Ohio-grown popped-corn! Some traditional flavors, some crazy-pants flavors, but all delicious!

Burntwood Tavern. Admittedly, there are a few of these around Northeast Ohio. But ours is the best. Know how I know? It’s located overlooking the Cuyahoga River. Bonus? They have amazing food and an even better Happy Hour menu. And I can’t forget about the live music every Thursday and Friday night! How awesome is that!?

Honestly, I had to cut my list short because I could just go on and on and on! I haven’t even begun to mention places like The Office Bistro, Craft Beer Bar, or any of the numerous parks and wading pools (one of which is literally in our backyard!).

And now my favorite part of this series — a GIVEAWAY! I’m hosting a Giveaway for a $25 Gift Card to Burntwood Tavern (which can be used at any of their locations — Chagrin Falls, Solon, Rocky River, Brecksville, Lyndhurst, Crocker Park, Fairlawn, Belden Village, and right here in Cuyahoga Falls!). Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!

 

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This giveaway and blog post is a partnership with Nakturnal. As always, all opinions herein are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.