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Celebrating SIX at CLE Social

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I can hardly believe it, y’all. But my first baby — my little #BabyAri — my little “Moosh!” — is six years old tomorrow. SIX!

I’m in disbelief that six years have flown by this quickly. Our little man has kept us on our toes from the moment he was born. And yet, somehow, he’s always been incredibly level-headed.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that my baby boy has blossomed into a pretty cool little dude. He loves pretty much everything — school, his friends, his family, video games, YouTube, LEGOs, blind bags, and being wild and crazy.

But when Chad took Ari to CLE Social, a local old-school arcade in Hudson, he had an absolute blast. And I just knew that this was the spot that we would have his 6th birthday party. I mean, it’s seriously 1000% ARI.

CLE Social is an arcade that features 30 classic arcade games, like Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and two pinball machines. The coolest part of the arcade is that the only two games that accept quarters are the pinball machines. The rest? Free with the cost of admission.

They regularly host private birthday parties and private group parties, so they were totally able to accommodate my request for a small gathering of Ari’s friends and family.

We supplied the pizza, beverages, cake (Minecraft, of course), and decorations, and CLE Social provided the fun! But the kids weren’t the only ones who had fun. In fact, I think the adults had more fun than the kids!

Ari was honestly so excited and happy that friends and family came out to celebrate HIM. He is still grateful (and has thanked me daily) for a great party. And that’s just it — this kid has so much love and charm. He truly is a grateful child. He feels love by telling people how much he appreciates them.

So on this eve of his 6th birthday, I am grateful for him. I’m grateful for his kind heart. I’m grateful for his silly soul. And I’m grateful that he was the one to make me Mama. I will always love you, my little Baby Ari. ♥

 

 

 

Disclosure: Our party was complimentary from CLE Social, but all opinions herein are my own.

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 lattés, 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 // Fun Fall Activities

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Fall has long been my favorite season here in Ohio. We truly get the best of it — the changing leaves, the crisp air, and all of the fun things to do! I’m not talking about your typical apple orchard and pumpkin patch. Nope. I’m talking about all of the things you’ve often overlooked. You know… the OTHER fun things!

So I’ve rounded up a list of my favorite recent adventures that are local AND family-friendly!

Trunk-or-Treat at the Riverfront YMCA.

One of the many, many, things I love about our YMCA is all of the community outreach. And each year at Halloween, we do a Trunk-or-Treat for the community members. This open event is usually a bit of a flop; but this year was a whole other story! Hundreds and hundreds of people showed up, lining up around the entire block, to get in!

It was honestly an awesome experience to see that many people line up and wait to see the ‘trunks’. Oh, and the unicorn from Camp Y-Noah! 🙂

My kids had a blast, as usual.

Holden Arboretum Goblins in the Gardens.

My aunts invited me and the kids to join them for a day at the Holden Arboretum for their annual Goblins in the Gardens event. Growing up in Northeast Ohio, I had visited the Holden Arboretum many times as a child and teenager, but had not been back since.

The kids dressed up in their Halloween costumes and we headed inside for some fun! The days events included trick-or-treating, crafts, playing on playsets from Playground World, a giant maze through the flowers, hayrides, face painting, and — of course — walking along the suspension bridge canopy walk!

It was such a fun day AND my kids were exhausted in the end. Which, let’s be real — that’s the real goal!

Great Lakes Science Center Spooktacular Science!

We’ve been members of the Great Lakes Science Center for almost a year now and, shamefully, we’ve only made it there a handful of times. Well we recently found ourselves with a day to spare and so all four of us trekked up to the science center for some fun!

Ari absolutely loves all of the exhibits, but for the first time, Remy was able to truly join in on the fun, too!

And we just so happened to be there for their Spooktacular Science events! Basically it’s dance parties, fun science experiments, and, of course, blowing up a pumpkin. You know, just normal Halloween stuff. Ha!

The Cleveland Flea.

I am going to continue to scream this from the rooftop — I love the Cleveland Flea! I always have and always will! It’s such an incredibly well-organized event, with so many unique vendors and makers selling their goods.

This month, Remy and I went to the last outdoor Flea of the year. It was a little bit chilly on the eastside of Cleveland that morning, but we got there before the crowds and were able to make her a trick-or-treat bag, which she loved!

She paraded her little sassy booty around that place like she OWNED trick-or-treating! 🙂

Marvel Avengers Live at the Q.

Mimi and Poppy (my parents) took Ari to see Marvel Avengers Live at Quicken Loans Arena for his birthday! I was a tad bit skeptical of how the show would be. I mean, Disney on Ice has a reputation of being awesome; but I just had not heard anything about this show.

Apparently it was awesome. At least, that’s what Ari and my parents both reported! Ha! They said it was filled with action, drama, aerial stunts, and motorcycles galore!

Sky Zone Boston Heights. 

For part of Ari’s birthday weekend extravaganza, my sister and brother-in-law treated him to a morning at Sky Zone in Boston Heights. It was our first time visiting this location and it did not disappoint! They have Toddler Time on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sunday mornings, which is awesome because then you don’t have to worry about our little ones accidentally being trampled by bigger kids (which is especially a concern when your children are extra small, like ours).

They played, they laughed, and they had the best time!

We can’t wait to go back during these chilly Fall mornings!

Kalahari Resort + Waterpark in Sandusky. 

One big adventure our little family took last week was our very first trip to Kalahari in Sandusky! It was part of Ari’s birthday present from us (even though it was a week after his actual birthday). We made the hour + drive to Sandusky (home of Cedar Point!) during naptime, alas, neither child napped in the car. Eh, can’t win ’em all!

We grabbed a quick bite from Danny Boys (umm, delicious pizza, calzones, and pasta!) before heading to the room to check in. Our room was really nice — with two queen beds and plenty of space to set up the pack + play for Remy!

The waterpark itself is massive. Truly massive. We did several walk-throughs, just to see everything, prior to settling into a spot at the back of the park where the kids could freely play in 10-inches of water, exploring every tiny water slide (appropriate for their age, of course!), and laughing up a storm.

By the time supper time came around, we were all beyond wiped out. I mean, just look at those exhausted kiddos! LOL! We went to a tiny place called Eats N Treats. With the online reviews alone, I was skeptical. But the yummy philly cheesesteak and ice cream was just what we needed to fuel us for the night.

The next morning we woke up and headed right back to the waterpark. It was nearly empty and it was glorious! The kids barely made it an hour before we had to call it quits and head home.

All of this fun has been keeping us oh-so-busy!

So tell me — what other places in Ohio would you recommend visiting as the seasons change and the weather gets cooler? 

 

Explore Ohio // Put-in-Bay

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One of the perks of living on the “North Coast” is that we have islands and beaches nearby. For those not located in the Midwest, the “North Coast” is Lake Erie, or whichever of the Great Lakes you happen to find yourself south of. And if you have never actually seen the Great Lakes, you would likely be surprised to find that the view of these lakes could easily be mistaken for an ocean. They are, as Ari would say, GINORMOUS.

I recently jumped at an opportunity to visit one of the islands on our great ‘North Coast,’ Put-in-Bay! In all fairness and honesty, I had only visited once before this. I was young and I don’t remember much except that there are very few (if any?) cars on the island. That’s literally all I remember from my experience as a child. As an adult, my images of Put-in-Bay are all of college friends (and work colleagues) partying in a pool, drinking out of fishbowls. That? That has absolutely zero appeal to me.

But kayaking, biking, and wine tasting?? That. That is right up my alley!

So my friend Olivia and I met up at the Jet Express in Port Clinton. The Jet Express ferry shuttled us the 14 miles from Port Clinton (on the ‘mainland’) to Put-in-Bay island in just 45 minutes!

We arrived in PIB (Put-in-Bay) at about 9:45 on a Sunday morning — basically while everyone on the island was still asleep from
partying the night before. But we rented our bicycles and went on our merry way.

PS. I say that like it was easy — but did you know that even if you cycle on a stationary bike 3x per week an actual pedal bicycle is totally weird and difficult?? True story.

After leaving the marina and bike rental, we did some exploring — and with a quick stop at Perry’s Victory + Peace Memorial — we headed to Old Forge Café for breakfast!

It turns out they’re a creperie and have amazing mimosas. I mean, this prosciutto crêpe was aaaaaaamazing. No joke.

Post-crêpes and mimosas, we ventured to South Bass Island State Park to take in the sights. Pretty much everyone was still asleep, but we were able to bask in the quiet and enjoy the waves.

After taking in the scenery we ventured to Perry’s Cave where we legit KILLED the maze (under two minutes, ya’ll!) and learned all about the the limestone cave and it’s historical impact on the creation of what we know to be our United States!

Then we ventured to Heineman Winery for a tour and tasting. I’ll say this — PLEASE don’t try the dry wine. Please. I beg you. From my experience, Ohio wines are not, by any means, dry wines. They are sweet. So don’t go for the dry reds. Lesson learned.

But the sweet red? Delish. Absolutely DEEElish.

Once we were done with our wine and cave adventures we ventured for more food. Yep, we hit up the Upper Deck at the Boardwalk. We were still a bit full from our crêpes, so we decided to get the ahi tuna nachos as an appetizer and a side of fries.

Guys — we legit tried to GIVE away the leftovers from our ahi tuna nachos!! There were so many nachos that it looked like we barely made a dent (for the record, we made a serious dent — it just didn’t appear that way).

After we filled up on nachos we went to the Put-in-Bay Brewery and Distillery. I wish I would have tried something other than the Double IPA, but it was delicious! I’m just so predictable!

Post-brewery, we headed back down to South Bass Island State Park for a kayaking adventure. The double kayak was totally fun, but I was a tad bit hesitant about leaving my phone on land; and because of that, I was also more than a teeny bit nervous about dropping it in the water. So we cut our kayaking short to head back to the Jet Express.

It was such a jam-packed day. I would absolutely recommend doing the Kayas and Caves adventure through the Jet Express, but make a weekend of it for sure! I really wish I would have stayed the night.

If you’ve visited Put-in-Bay, what was your favorite thing to see/do!?

 

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Jet Express Kayak + Cave package for two in exchange for this post. As always, all opinions herein are my own.

Elevate, Play with Lark, SOAK, and Eat Local! // Embracing the Chaos

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We’ve been so crazy busy lately that we’ve hardly had a chance to slow down. It’s my own fault, really. I’m a chronic over-scheduler. It’s a blessing and a curse, friends. It really is.

See, I thrive on the crazy; I need the busy days. I need them because they make me feel accomplished. And slowing down just isn’t in my vocabulary. At least, not in this current season of my life.

So here’s what we’ve been up to as of late:

Lots and lots and lots of playing with the kids. Lucky for me, we have a standing playdate at the YMCA every day but Sunday (because, well, I’m there for 4-6 hours a day). So both kids really love (and need) this time with their friends.

But it’s been HOT, friends. Like, hot and crazy humid. Which has truly limited our outdoor play. However, I have felt a bit more comfortable playing outdoors with the kiddos knowing that Miss Bea is wearing moisture-wicking baby clothes from Lark.

If you haven’t heard of Lark, their mission is to make quality baby clothes that can easily endure the daily life of an active infant or toddler. They have developed a proprietary natural, eco-friendly moisture wicking fabric. Safer for babies sensitive skin than some of the synthetic wear that adults wear when outside or working out! Awesome, right!?

Well Miss Bea is truly comfortable in her rompers and bodysuits from Lark. And I breathe easy knowing the fabric is not only breathable, but free of synthetic fabric and chemicals, and is made in the USA!

And you can get free shipping on any order using this code: SHIPPING. Go support this awesome business, friends!

Living in my SOAK sandals. So I am weird about shoes. See, when I find shoes I love, I live in them. Like, I wear holes in my flats because I wear them every day and literally nothing else. So when I was offered a pair of slides from SOAK, a company right here in the United States, I truly didn’t know what to expect.

See, I have super high arches in my feet and it makes wearing anything slip-on quite difficult (and sometimes painful). But I’ve worn these every single day for the last 30 days and I’m in love.

A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on

They’re comfortable, incredibly stylish, and crunchy-mama-friendly! Yep, not only are they made in Maine, but they are made from BPA-free recycled materials!

And so versatile! I’ve worn them with dresses and to my yoga classes! Seriously the only shoe I’ve needed (well, except for my running shoes to, well, run!).

Check out their full line of slides here and use code CHIC15 to save 15% off!

Yoga. Not quite #yogaeverydamnday, but my fire for yoga has been reignited, thanks to a couple of amazing yoga classes.

Last week I went to Elevate Akron, an annual outdoor yoga event here in my amazing city. It was powerful, friends. So powerful! I realized that all of the cycling, running, and strength training I’ve been doing has totally made me more physically fit — in ways I didn’t even realize before! I am so much stronger than I’d recently given myself credit for.

Oh, and I’m certain that the stretching and conditioning alongside the gymnasts I coach doesn’t hurt!

But then I decided to go, solo, to my first Yoga on Tap/Balance and Brews event. See, here in Northeast Ohio, we’ve been on the beer + yoga train for a long time — at least the last 4 years! But, sadly, I’ve never been able to actually make a class.

Well, that changed yesterday. I was elated to find out that Melissa of Balance and Brews was teaching a class right here in my own town, at HiHo Brewing Co.!

It was a great class and ended with a complimentary beer (the Smash Smash Pilz Pilz double pilsner was the bomb!).

So many markets! Guys, I’m a sucker for a good farmers market. Throw in some hand-crafted goodies? Double-sold.

Between the Cleveland Flea, the Akron Honey Market, and the Countryside Conservancy Market in Highland Square? We’ve been biz-zeeee! Busy getting delicious food, ya’ll!

Cycling. Kickboxing. and Gymnastics, Oh My! I’ve been working out non-stop and, like I said, I’m feeling so much stronger! One thing that’s truly been helping is how much I’ve been trying to remain committed to my schedule of workouts. At times it’s been a struggle, but it’s also been a saving grace during the crazy moments. As much as, in those moments, I want to just hide or cry or sleep, I find myself working out all of my frustrations and it’s helped me tremendously.

Sure, we’ve been busy. But it’s been perfect. Perfect chaos! So tell me — Do you thrive on chaos, like me? Or do you prefer to have unscheduled days and relaxing weekends!?

 

 

 

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!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

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