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The ONE Stocking Stuffer You NEED This Year. | PLUS A GIVEAWAY

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As a busy mom I often find myself doing my self-care routine on-the-go. I mean that quite literally. I’ve been known to keep my makeup bag in my purse so that I can do my makeup in the car, usually in the parking lot before going into work.

I know, I know… Lame, right? I mean, my makeup routine is this:

  1. Liquid Foundation.
  2. Blush Stick.
  3. Eyeliner.
  4. Mascara.
  5. Eyebrows filled in with pencil.
  6. And maybe a quick lip color that will dissipate in .02 seconds.

That’s it. It takes me all of 5 minutes, while my kids are finishing their breakfasts in the backseat, before I unload them and myself and head into work. By the time I leave work a mere 4-ish hours later, I’ve sweated off half of the makeup from a combination of lifting and chasing three year olds around gymnastics.

So when I was offered to try out Lipsense (a long-lasting and waterproof lipstick) from fellow blogger — and Lipsense distributor — Beth, I jumped on board. Anything that further simplifies my already simple makeup routine is a win by me.

Well, I was blown away! There are so many colors and options AND it truly does NOT come off throughout the day! Yes, even after chasing around ten 3-year olds for three hours straight! 🙂 That’s a huge win! My favorite color thus far is Bella (pictured above), but I really want to try a bold red next!

And I’m totally gifting a starter set to all of my female relatives for Christmas this year! Who wouldn’t want a little fancy, no-nonsense, lipstick in their stocking, am I right?!

Want to try it out yourself? I’m hosting a giveaway for one Starter Set (Choice of color, Glossy Gloss, and Oops Remover) for one of my lucky readers! To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Disclosure: I received a Lipsense Starter Kit of my own in exchange for this giveaway. As always, all opinions herein are my own.

Fall 2017 Favorites!

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Fall is by far my most favorite time of year — the leaves are changing colors, the temperature is dropping, and the air is crisp. It’s perfection.

One of my favorite things about Fall (besides Pumpkin Spice Lattés) is dressing and accessorizing for the season! But there is SO much more to Fall than clothes and jewelry, am I right!?

Today I’ve rounded up some of my Fall Favorites for 2017! 

My JORD Wood Watch. I’ve been dying for one of these for myself for months now. I bought my husband a JORD Wood Watch from the Men’s Shop last year and I just knew my watch would be equally as gorgeous!

And OMG it is! It’s the perfect Fall accessory because it goes with everything and compliments the changing landscape!

My women’s wooden watch, which is the Frankie 35 series, is gorgeous! It’s made from Zebrawood, which I think makes it an incredibly unique women’s watch!

Want to win a $100 gift code to use on the JORD site!? Enter an exclusive giveaway for itsahero.com readers only HERE!

The giveaway is open through 10/29/17 and ALL entrants will receive a $25 gift code for the JORD site! Win-win! So go enter, NOW!

Shopping for a new planner. It’s official. Come Fall, the race is on for a new planner! I know, I know — there are still SEVERAL months left in the year; but events are already piling up for 2018! So a new planner is a requirement! And, YES, a planner is an accessory.

My favorite planner is the Day Designer. It’s perfect for my need to fill in time slots and a weekly layout. I’ve tried pretty much every planner on the market and this one is by far my long-standing favorite.

Fun with food. I’m just absolutely loving quirky, food-themed, accessories, silly cookies (which are both delicious and adorable), and t-shirts with random food printed on them (like donuts or hotdogs). It’s just a cute, fun way to incorporate something near and dear to my heart (ALL OF THE FOOD) with my everyday life.

Remy recently has been rocking this hot dog onesie from Estella NYC (cutest, softest, and made of organic cotton) and I’m IN LOVE. Also, my favorite new earrings are these ice cream cones!

All of the fun family activities. 

Let’s be real. This is where it’s really at — family. I honestly despise being outside, sweating, during the Summer. Sure, if I’m meant to be sweating (like, by exercising) I don’t mind; but just by being?? Nope.

That’s why Fall activities are where it’s at! Pumpkin patches, Halloween parties, Trunk-or-Treats — you name it, I’m up for it.

Especially when it comes to the kids. To see their faces light up? That’s my end goal every single day (no, this doesn’t happen everyday; but gosh darnit! It’s my goal!).

So this Fall you can find me trick-or-treating, pumpkin-patching, and party-going with two tiny humans in tow! ♥

So tell me — what are your 2017 Fall Favorites!? And don’t forget to enter my JORD Wood Watches giveaway here!


Luxury Wooden Watch

 

Disclosure: I received my watch at no cost in exchange for this post. I was not compensated, but, as always, all opinions herein are my own.

Living Like a Warrior with Hungry Howie’s //

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I’ve been a self-proclaimed ‘warrior’ well before I became a mom. In fact, ‘warrior’ was a term that was in my vocabulary every single day. I was attending daily yoga classes and felt strong as a humble-warrior to my practice.

It was around the same time that I took my yoga practice off of the mat and started to be a warrior for my fellow women, as well.

Serving a purpose for women and health has long been a passion for me. And, as we enter into this new month, I’m reminded of that purpose.

Sure, October is the month of my birthday (hellooooo, 33!). But it’s also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many of us have been touched by someone who has or has had breast cancer. There are several warriors in my life that have battled the big BC.

And, as a socially conscious woman, I’m happy to support businesses who make it their mission to give back towards the cause of Breast Cancer Awareness.

The other day I picked up a couple of pizzas from Hungry Howie’s. Not only was it delicious (just ask my kiddos who devoured both pizzas in one, 12-hour, period!), but these pink-boxed pizzas also mean that Hungry Howie’s made a donation to Breast Cancer Awareness Month on our behalf.

The cool thing? For purchasing one of these pizzas in a pink box from Hungry Howie’s AND posting the photo on Instagram, we’re entered to win a FREE YEAR of PIZZA! Being a warrior for the cause AND entering a contest!? Yes please!

So, will you join me in the fight for Breast Cancer Awareness!? Check it out here and enter to win!

 

 

 

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 // 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!

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.