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live happy

Remy Bea // Three

February 5, 2019 by Rachel 11 Comments

One day I’ll be the mom that is on top of everything. This is not that time, friends. Hence, a belated birthday recap for my middle child — the one who keeps me on my toes — Remy Bea.

Remy Bea turned 3 on January 23rd. I’m in disbelief. Absolute disbelief.

It seemed like just yesterday that she came bursting into our world — faster than expected and with a full head of hair!

Since that day, she’s been full of spunk and sass. Her first year of life made me literally question whether or not I could survive my battle of postpartum depression and anxiety. It was really, really awful and I was not in a good place.

But soon after her first birthday, we settled into a routine that was — dare I say it — enjoyable! Her spunk and sass went from “threatening” to hilarious. She was an absolute joy!

Thank goodness, right?? Well, that joy of a child made me so brave in my pursuits of motherhood that I decided to have a third. And at some point between getting pregnant with baby number three and her arrival, Remy Bea turned into a full-fledged terrible two-year-old.

Over the last year, we’ve been learning a lot about one another. I know that she is incredibly strong-willed — which I keep reminding myself will suit her well through her adolescent and early adult years.

 

She is smart and brave and funnier than most other people I’ve met. She will light up a room with her smile and tell you exactly what is on her mind. She will steal your snacks and convince you to share your food with her. She will sing you her favorite songs and encourage you to ‘try your best.’

And I love every part of her — every painful, every stubborn, and every wonderful part of her.

Happy (belated) third birthday, Remy Bea. I love you a bushel and a peck. ♥

Filed Under: #MomLife, birthday, family, live happy, mommyhood, parenthood, pictures, Remy Bea Tagged With: #MomLife, being a mom, busy mom, celebration, children, family, life with a toddler, Live Happy, mommyhood, motherhood, parenthood, pictures

2018 // That’s a wrap!

January 2, 2019 by Rachel 10 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

January 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Jan 8, 2018 at 5:01pm PST

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

February 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Feb 12, 2018 at 5:05pm PST

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Feb 23, 2018 at 4:56pm PST

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

March 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Mar 23, 2018 at 5:30pm PDT

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Apr 13, 2018 at 5:35pm PDT

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Mar 27, 2018 at 5:31pm PDT

April 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Apr 5, 2018 at 5:32pm PDT

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Apr 22, 2018 at 2:27pm PDT

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

May 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on May 1, 2018 at 4:12pm PDT

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on May 6, 2018 at 5:34pm PDT

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on May 24, 2018 at 2:11pm PDT

Oh, and I had some maternity photos done.

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on May 10, 2018 at 4:15pm PDT

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Jun 8, 2018 at 2:19pm PDT

And then again for a photoshoot meetup at Borrow Rentals.

June 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Jun 16, 2018 at 4:01pm PDT

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on May 28, 2018 at 4:02pm PDT

The kids also enjoyed a LOT of swimming!

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Jun 20, 2018 at 1:04pm PDT

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

July 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Jul 2, 2018 at 4:12pm PDT

We adjusted to life with another little.

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Jul 19, 2018 at 4:24pm PDT

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Jul 21, 2018 at 5:40pm PDT

And her first trip to the LEGO Store with Ari!

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Jul 25, 2018 at 4:20pm PDT

Oh, and we had amazing newborn photos done.

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Jul 28, 2018 at 4:28pm PDT

Then visited Edgewater Park Beach.

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Aug 7, 2018 at 4:15pm PDT

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

August 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Aug 23, 2018 at 5:34pm PDT

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

September 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Sep 14, 2018 at 4:25pm PDT

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Sep 7, 2018 at 4:24pm PDT

Remy and I went out exploring our local Akron neighborhoods.

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Sep 30, 2018 at 4:24pm PDT

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

October 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Oct 15, 2018 at 5:43pm PDT

Ari turned SIX!

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Oct 22, 2018 at 5:32pm PDT

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Oct 31, 2018 at 4:25pm PDT

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

November 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Nov 16, 2018 at 5:27pm PST

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Nov 17, 2018 at 5:43pm PST

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

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Nov 26, 2018 at 5:05pm PST

And we decided to purchase our forever home!

December 

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Dec 3, 2018 at 3:28pm PST

We closed on our new house!

 

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A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Dec 24, 2018 at 5:04pm PST

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


 

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

Cheers to 2019!

Filed Under: #MomLife, Akron, bloggers, brews + food, busy mom, children, Christmas, cleveland, Cleveland Flea, Columbus, explore locally, Explore Ohio, fitness, live happy, mommyhood, NEO, Ohio, parenthood, pictures, restaurants + bars Tagged With: #MomLife, akron, being a mom, brews + food, busy mom, celebration, children, cleveland, explore locally, family, Live Happy, motherhood, NEO, ohio, parenthood, restaurants + bars

A Different Kind of Happy

December 14, 2018 by Rachel 12 Comments

“We haven’t been happy for a long time.”

Before Kids – AKA when it was easy

Disclaimer – this may be an unpopular post/opinion, but it’s real life. And, in all honesty, when my husband said this out loud to me, I responded with, “we’re just a different kind of happy.” But then he said, “Yeah but not a ‘happy all the time just because‘ happy.”

And you know what? He’s right.

But so am I.

Having kids is completely draining. Sure, it’s emotionally draining. But it’s also physically demanding. At the end of a busy day, when you have zero left to give, you have no choice but to give just a bit more. Your little humans’ lives are depending on it.

And it’s emotionally exhausting. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been brought to my knees and at the mercy of a two-year-old demanding lord knows what. That’s not to say that I give in, but I’ll tell ya what — there have been many moments where I’ve negotiated with the (tiny) terrorist if it meant just a little bit of sleep.

Would I trade them? Not for all of the riches in the world.

But I can still long for the days where I only had to wipe *only* my own ass.

The days where I could live by my own schedule.

The nights where I could work extra hours in the office and not have to worry about anyone waking up and needing me in the middle of a deadline.

I look at my husband and long for moments where we aren’t both too tired to converse during (a long overdue) date night.

Surely I know these days and moments are fleeting. But right now? Right now they are REALLY FREAKING HARD. They are fabulous, messy, hilarious, frustrating, and so. damn. HARD.

So if you’re in the thick of it like us, just know that you’re not alone when you get these feelings. It’s okay to be bummed about the fact that your life looks vastly different than it did before. It doesn’t make you a bad mom (or dad); It doesn’t mean you don’t love your kids; It just means you’re normal.

 

Filed Under: #MomLife, children, family, health, life, live happy, mental health, mommyhood, parenthood, wellness Tagged With: #MomLife, being a mom, children, family, health, Live Happy, mental health, mommyhood, parenthood, wellness

We’ve been keeping a secret

November 26, 2018 by Rachel 12 Comments

(No, it’s not a baby.)

We bought a new home! Our FOREVER home!

Long story short, we weren’t in the market, per se. But the perfect house was put for sale by owner just an eighth of a mile down the street from us. We went to see it on a Thursday, went back for a second look on a Friday, put in an offer and had it accepted on Saturday, and signed the contract on Sunday.

The house is double the size of our current house. It’s 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, a gorgeous kitchen, high ceilings, original wood framing from 1900, a huge yard, and a basement! I fell in love right away and thank goodness they accepted our negotiations (there were several times that I thought they would walk away and it resulted in a serious loss of sleep and many tears).

We close next week (even though I’ve been SUPER anxious to try and get in sooner) and then we’ll start taking things over. Packing has been a struggle thanks to three tiny humans and a full workload. But shortly after we move, our current house will go up on the market!

I just can’t wait to start living here… and neither can the kids!

So I guess this is to say, my life is going to continue to get crazier over the next month or so. Ha!

PS. For all of the times I asked for positive vibes over the last month on Instagram, this is why.

Filed Under: family, life, live happy, mommyhood, Ohio, parenthood Tagged With: family, life, Live Happy, ohio, parenthood

Cleveland Food + Brews — The South Side + the Best of CLE Party

October 23, 2018 by Rachel 17 Comments

The last few weeks have been filled with exhaustion, thanks to a cold that we’ve been passing throughout the house and a baby that is teething; but in between the sickies and the sleepless nights, I wound up getting out of the house not once but 2 whole times for fun events with friends.

First came a blogger meetup at The South Side for Chef Natasha Pogrebinsky’s fall menu preview. Even though I was exhausted and a big part of me wanted to stay home snuggled up in bed with Mila, I decided to venture out. I’m so glad I did.

I was able to meet up with some of my favorite local bloggers and enjoy a night of wonderful conversation, laughter, and fantastic food.

Some of the new menu items include a Clam Bake (basically a clambake in a bowl), Garlic Rose Flatbread, Mushroom Arugula Flatbread, Tuna Stuffed Roasted Tomato, The Clevelander (fresh local kielbasa and sausage, a poached egg, butter beans, tomatoes, and kale), Roasted Tomato Hummus, and Sweet Potato and Sage Pierogi — to name just a few.

The food was creative, fun, and best of all delicious. My favorites were the calamari, hummus, short rib, maple sweet potatoes, our world tots, and the flatbreads.

Oh, and rumor has it that The South Side has a pretty killer Bloody Mary on the weekends. I’ll definitely be returning to check it out.

The next big adventure was the Best of Cleveland Party at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Our two VIP tickets not only meant that Chad and I could go on our first real baby-free night since Mila was born 4 months ago, but also that we could visit the Rock Hall and check out all of the 2018 winners of various food, drinks, and live music.

Winners included Sunoco Cafe (Best Hummus), B Spot (Best Burgers), Barrio (Best Tacos), Mitchell’s Homemade Ice Cream (Best Ice Cream), Rocky River Wine Bar (Best Wine Bar), Market (Best Bloody Mary Bar), and so many more!

We dined, we danced, we drank, and we explored so many pieces of music history. It was, by far, one of the most fun events I’ve been to in Northeast Ohio. Many thanks to Cleveland Magazine for putting on such an incredible event.

Sometimes a little bit of (extra) exhaustion is worth the fun, right? Absolutely, totally right. Thanks for being so awesome, Cleveland. You continue to amaze me. ♥ ♥

 

 

Filed Under: brews + food, cleveland, events, explore locally, Explore Ohio, live happy, NEO, Ohio, pictures, restaurants + bars, review, shop local Tagged With: bloggers, brews + food, cleveland, events, explore locally, explore Ohio, Live Happy, NEO, ohio, restaurants + bars, review, shop local

Favorite Fall Activities

October 8, 2018 by Rachel 15 Comments

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 !?

 

 

Filed Under: #MomLife, Akron, brews + food, busy mom, children, cleveland, coffee, explore locally, fall, family, favorites, fun, holidays, life with a toddler, live happy, mommyhood, NEO, Ohio, parenthood, review, sponsor Tagged With: #MomLife, akron, celebration, children, cleveland, explore locally, family, food, foodie, life, life with a toddler, Live Happy, local, mommyhood, motherhood, ohio, parenthood, sponsor

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