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Family & Budget Friendly Ways to Have Fun this Summer!

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiantEagleSlashedPrices #CollectiveBias

It’s no secret that our lives will be turned upside this Summer. Between welcoming baby number 3 in June, and prepping Ari for kindergarten this Fall, I’m trying to keep our lives as sane as possible. Oh, and did I mention that I’ll be taking unpaid leave from my job, too? Yeah, so sanity-, and budget-friendly activities are a must for this family of (almost) five!

Here’s how we plan to stay on budget and STILL make the most of our Summer!

1. Find community sponsored events for kids.

I did a simple google search of events going on in our area this Summer and the results were amazing. Not only does the city of Cuyahoga Falls offer Tot Time in the Park every day of the week (hellooooo, free arts, crafts, and playtime!); but there’s also a free Touch a Truck event in July that my kids will simply EAT UP.

We’ll also be taking full advantage of the Regal Cinemas Dollar Movies all Summer long (more here). Because the best way to try and see if a kid is ready to sit through a movie is to only spend a single dollar on that movie! 😛

2. Research free admission days.

Our local art museum, the Akron Art Museum, does free admission on every single Thursday — which is an awesome way to introduce children to art! There are always some hands-on exhibits, which the kids obviously love; but I’m forever amazed at how much they actually like to walk through the galleries!

Other museums, such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, are always free of admission! How cool is that!? I love knowing that any day of the week I can just load the kids up and head to see world renowned art — at zero cost!

Additionally, the Akron Zoo offers several free admission days throughout the Summer. The first of which is on June 17th! In honor of Father’s Day, all dads and grandpas will receive free admission!

Many of the big-box hardware and craft stores also do free build and crafting events on the weekends, so be sure to check those out (and sign up!), too! We’re already on the schedule for a build workshop and a LEGO workshop in the month of May!

3. Keeping our groceries on-budget with Giant Eagle’s slashed prices.

We have been keeping our family grocery budget in check with the competitive NON-sale, slashed pricing, at Giant Eagle! For us, this means we can still get all of the good stuff — the fruits, the veggies, and the meat — without breaking the bank. Even frozen goods and dairy have seen slashed pricing!

Giant Eagle stores across Akron, Canton, and the Cleveland area have slashed prices on over 5,000 items. Considering how frequently we grocery shop at Giant Eagle (I’m notorious for poorly meal-planning so we shop about 2-3 times a week), I’m happy to know that these items are not on sale and are permanent price reductions.

I’m able to fill up my cart without breaking the bank — and get more of the cereal and snacks my children always beg for! Also, the convenience of having frozen and dairy items along with cuts to produce means that I can spend less time cutting coupons for items and spend even more time with my family this Summer!*

4. Expect the unexpected. 

I had visions of how life would be as a mom. I thought “Oh, for sure if I plan this extravagant party my son will adore me forever.” Friends I’m here to tell you that this is not the case. Often times it seems that the more time and energy that goes into something, the more lackluster the response I will get from my children (insert eyeroll).

So instead of thinking of ‘amazing,’ pinterest-worthy ways I will keep my children occupied this Summer, I’m going the realistic route.

I’m keeping a heaping amount of chalk and bubbles in our shed. That’s right. When in doubt, chalk and bubbles come out. Why are these two simple items both the bane of my existence and the highlight of my childrens lives? One may never know. But I keep them in excess for when I’m mommy’d out. And they don’t even seem to notice that it’s me taking the easy way out because, guess what!?, they are enjoying every second of it.

So do yourself a favor this Summer — keep it simple. Keep the planning simple; Keep the playing simple; and keep your grocery budget simple with slashed prices at Giant Eagle.

 

What’s your favorite budget-friendly activity for Summer??
And how are you taking advantage of price cuts at Giant Eagle?!

*Price cuts available at select locations. Check with your local Giant Eagle for more details!

Summer Activities to Keep Toddlers + Preschoolers Busy!

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I can’t believe I’m saying this… but Summer will be here before we know it. I know we just had snow, like, last week; but we are weeks away from Summer weather! Crazy, right?!

Well call it nesting, or call it just plain ol’ OCD, but I’ve been planning our Summer activities to keep my two older kiddos as busy as possible so they can still enjoy the Summer, despite having a newborn at home.

1. Learn through play with Snapology.

We had the honor of attending a birthday party put on by Snapology of Kent recently and, to my surprise, BOTH of my children loved it — not just my 5 year old!

Snapology is a STEM learning program that uses things like LEGOs and K’Nex to engage children in learning through play. Remy, at age two, was even included with the Duplos that were available! It was awesome to see them both so engaged with play.

So we’re adding playdates with Snapology (and perhaps a Summer camp for Ari?) to our Summer rotation, for sure!

2. Tot Time in the Park.

We live in a city that has an incredible Parks and Rec department. Throughout the parks they offer 6 different ‘tot time’ learn and play times — either a Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday rotation! It’s awesome that our kids get to interact with other kids, but also do crafts, exercise, do singalongs, and listen to storytelling.

So it’s a no-brainer to spend a couple of hours a week letting the kids get their play-on while I sit back and just watch!

3. Storytime at the Library.

We tend to skip storytime during the school months, due to a very busy preschool schedule; but in the Summer, storytime is back on our weekly rotation!

Our local library has a newly renovated children’s library and they offer storytimes for all different ages. My 5 year old always loves going to the library to be around kids his age and he just tends to listen to the librarian read far better than he will sit and listen to me!

4. Crafts in the backyard. 

I have some really easy, toddler + preschool-friendly, crafts lined up for those blistering hot days this Summer.

First, I can’t wait to do sensory play with freezing different objects in ice and letting the kids ‘dig’ it out. We recently did this at an event and it was a huge hit for both the 2 year old and the 5 year old!

Second, ALL OF THE BIRD SEED CRAFTS. I’ve learned over the last year that my kids freaking adore watching the birds outside the windows of our home (helloooo, park in the backyard!); so I’m planning as many bird seed crafts as possible to keep their interest peaked and to keep the birds coming back!

Third, painting rocks for Northeast Ohio Rocks. We did this once last Summer with a bunch of kids from the YMCA and they were all so excited to hide their rocks for others to find! And heck, there are rocks all over the place so why not make use of some ‘artistic’ time with just letting them go at it?! Right?

5. Easy picnics in the park.

I’m all about easy this Summer! Oh, and quiet in my house! So I’ll kick Chad and the kids out during lunchtime to eat in the park behind the house with ‘easy’ picnic foods. Think: cheese & crackers, juice boxes, yogurt, fruit snacks, etc.

As long as I have those on hand, I can send everyone packing (to the backyard/park) and they can eat in peace and I can tend to a newborn in peace(ish)!

Plus, kids just really like the idea of picnics (aka, eating somewhere they generally aren’t allowed). Am I right!?

With all of these activities lined up for the Summer months, I’m certain that rain or shine, newborn and all, my preschooler and toddler will have an absolute blast for the next several months!

What fun activities would you add to this list!?

 

 

 

1st Annual Cleveland Comedy Awards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2018 State of NASA

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Oh, hiiiii! I’ve pretty much been dead to the world for the last two weeks thanks to a little bug called INFLUENZA. Ugh. But I’m happy to report that I’m almost fully recovered (pregnancy + the flu = a long road to recovery).

But I didn’t want to step away without sharing my experience from my recent trip to the Glenn Research Center for the 2018 State of NASA address!

I left my kiddos with their grandma for the day while I ventured up for a long day of nerding out in Cleveland where we were greeted with an address from the Deputy Director of NASA Glenn Research Center, Dr. Marla Perez Davis. She spoke to us about the advancements that the center has brought throughout its history.

After hearing more about the history of the center we went to the cafeteria for some lunch and some shopping (duh, gift shop!). I passed on this baby outfit, but darn it!, I really wanted it for baby # 3! 🙂

From there we listened to the 2018 State of NASA address from Robert Lightfoot, Acting Administrator of NASA, located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. It was really interesting hearing about how the 2019 Fiscal budget will have long-term and long-lasting effects on the legacy of the space program.

From there we started a grand tour of NASA Glenn. First up was the Electric Propulsion Lab. Guys… I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t way, way, over my head.

But that’s OK. Because, well, I’m not a rocket scientist. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the work and passion these people put in to testing propulsion! And I was in awe of the mere size of the facilities! They run 24/7/365! It’s incredible!

Next up was the Graphics & Visualizations Lab. Now this? This is some nerdy stuff I could really get behind! Think VR technology for NASA testing. And I jumped right into a VR experience on a supersonic jet!

I have to say, for someone who has always struggled with vision issues, VR does not suit me well. It just makes me dizzy. But it was still really cool — and likely the closest I’ll ever get to supersonic flight. 🙂

Next up was my personal favorite — the supersonic wind tunnel. Yes, we stood inside the 8 x 6 wind tunnel where they test supersonic flight!

Standing inside of the tunnel made me … a little claustrophobic.

But it was still quite an experience. And it’s something I totally can appreciate and understand. Kind of. 🙂 From there, we all parted ways, but it was so great to connect with some of our other local (and not-so-local) bloggers again.

Huge thanks to NASA and to Glenn Research Center for hosting us for the NASA Social Event!

Want to visit NASA Glenn for yourself? Check out their full lineup of monthly tours here.

Milk Street Baby Launch at Berg’s Baby and Teen Furniture //

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If you were watching my Instagram stories last weekend you probably saw how excited I was to attend and co-host the launch of Milk Street Baby at Berg’s Baby and Teen Furniture in Lyndhurst! Alicia of Always Alicia and I were lucky enough to meet designer and founder of Milk Street Baby, Julie Knisley!

 

Alicia, baby B, and me!

From the moment I met Julie, it was clear that her passions for furniture lie in design and safety. After spending years as a working mother in the furniture industry, designing for places like Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware, Julie launched her own line of beautiful cribs, dressers, and nightstands.

 

Me + Julie. Isn’t she the cutest!?

We’re so lucky to have a local, family-owned business like Berg’s Baby and Teen Furniture to carry a line like this for new and seasoned parents alike!

What immediately won me over was hearing about the extra level of safety that goes into every piece Julie creates. Each layer of the finish is tested — even though the standards for safety are just to test the top layer of the furniture! How dedicated is that!? And who doesn’t have a piece of baby furniture with a ding in it!? Well, if any of the Milk Street Baby furniture gets a scratch or ding (or, heck, bite mark from a teething toddler?), it’s still safe for your baby!

Not only that, but the finishes are absolutely stunning. Oh — and little touches like an LED light in the drawers of the dresser for late night changings — blew my mind!

 

Dave, owner of Berg’s Baby, and Julie Knisley, founder and designer of Milk Street Baby

Her passion for design and safety is not lost on the independent retailers she partners with. And the employees at Berg’s are more than ready to answer all of your questions about Milk Street Baby at their Lyndhurst showroom! Whether your style is more Cameo Collection, Relic Collection, or True Collection, they can help you with finishes and accent pieces that fit your nursery style.

 

Local artist at the launch!

I, for one, am looking at getting the True Collection Traditional Crib and dresser set for baby number 3!

I mean, is this not gorgeous!? Julie kept poking fun at me because I literally could not take my hand off of the crib! The finish was gorgeous and I just truly picture baby number three in this crib and this crib only!

I learned so much about safety and design during the launch — and can appreciate small business owners like Dave of Berg’s Baby even more now! The care that these business owners put into the lines that they carry is incredibly clear — they want your baby to be safe so that you can rest easy knowing your child has only the best!

Want to see more? Check out Milk Street Baby on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest! If you’re local to Ohio, please check out the line in person at Berg’s Baby and Teen Furniture at 5694 Mayfield Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124! You can also plan your visit ahead by looking at their website, Facebook, and Instagram!

 

Shoutout to Julie for showing me how to use “portrait mode” on my new iPhone 😉

 

 

 

Disclosure: Thank you Milk Street Baby and Berg’s Baby and Teen Furniture for inviting me to co-host. As always, all opinions herein are my own. 

Explore Ohio // Kent

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Ohio in Winter — is cold — but it’s also a gorgeous time to explore our local community. It’s hard not to think about moving when the temperatures are -15 degrees. But heck! even if I could, I wouldn’t move out of Ohio. Nope. I’d move to this gem in the Short North, Columbus. (Listed on HER realty — OMG isn’t it gorgeous!?)

But, alas, I won’t be moving anytime soon. But if you live in Ohio one of the places you’ll hear about frequently is Kent.

Kent, Ohio is home to Kent State University, which is primarily what people think of when they hear “Kent.” But there is so much more to Kent than just the university! Really! I promise!

Fresco Mexican Grill and Salsa Bar.  Fresh is definitely the name of the game of this restaurant, which sits at the corner of Erie Street and Water Street.

Everything is prepared to order and comes out quickly! From their tacos (order three, you won’t regret it but you will be full), to burritos, to salads, Fresco blows those other fast-food mexican restaurants out of the water! And, of course, bottomless chips. FRESHLY made bottomless chips, that is, with a huge selection of house-made salsas! Oh – and 60 hot sauces sit next to the salsa bar, in case you need to turn up the heat a little more! 😉

If you’re coming after work for a quick dinner, grab a frozen sangria or frozen margaritas (or try a mix of Sangria + Margarita combined!)

Haymaker Farmers’ Market.  Every Saturday of the year people from all over come out to this farmers’ market — which just so happens to be the oldest farmers’ market in Portage County. Their mission is to bring local food and community together. Their vendors range from artisan soaps to fresh fruits and vegetables. Oh — and Ohio City Pasta and pour over coffee!

My favorite part is the space — located underneath the Haymaker overpass bridge! It’s a gorgeous location for their outdoor market.

Tree City Coffee.  Stop in at any time of day to pick up one of their signature Tree City Maple Lattés and a homemade biscuit, because they truly are delicious! And I can get behind any place that has ethically sourced coffee with direct trade.

Also? They make their own peanut butter concoctions and offer them in a variety of ways on the menu. Like the fluffernutter sandwich, made with their freshly ground peanut butter and marshmallow fluff!

If you don’t have time to stay and relax, they do offer a super convenient drive-thru (which, I’ve hit up more times than I care to admit).

Brimfield Bread Oven.  Located just a couple of miles outside of downtown, this little gem is a true hidden treasure. All of their breads are homemade daily and baked in a woodfired oven. They serve breakfast treats, like morning buns, pretzel croissants, and danishes, as well as a huge variety of breads — including a local HiHo Beer Bread!

Honestly, everything I’ve had from here is delicious, but I have yet to try their woodfired pizza (served most days, but only in the evenings). I keep telling Chad that we must go for a date night, like, soon!

Freedom Trail.  This trail, I think, is one of the most underutilized flat trails in all of Summit Metro Parks! From the Kent trailhead (located off of Northeast Avenue) to Howe Ave, it’s 2-miles of mostly flat running or biking trail. Which means when I want to take the kids in the double-stroller for a run, this is the most perfect place for it! A total of four easy miles, surrounded by huge trees, close to the KSU airport (so lots of sights for the kids to see in the skies), and the occasional train blaring in the distance.

It’s truly my go-to place for running and if you have never been, I highly suggest checking it out!

Peace, Love, and Little Donuts.  And like any ‘good runner’ I like to eat donuts after my 4-mile run! 😛 I kid (kind of)!

But if you are looking for a place with fresh donuts (and gluten free options), that are customized right in front of your eyes with all kinds of toppings (think caramel, fruity pebbles, and basically any other form of sugar you can think of), you’ll want to stop in to Peace, Love, and Little Donuts of Kent.

I, of course, seem to always opt for the plain donuts because there’s just something about a powdered sugar cake donut — you can’t go wrong!

101 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.  Switching things up a little bit, but this place needs a mention. Kent has no shortage of places to sip and savor your favorite beers and wines thanks to the university students. But 101 Bottles is different. It’s not a college hangout — it’s a craft beer mecca.

Offering individual bottles, six packs, cases, growlers, and kegs of your favorite craft beers, 101 Bottles has truly made it’s name for itself in the area. Want a beer that is hard to find like Bodhi? or Bell’s Hopslam? or the latest from 3 Floyds? This place always gets it. And if you sign up for their text message alerts, you’ll be alerted when all of your favorites are in.

Stop in to check them out and stay for a flight at their bar area!

Lucky Penny Creamery.  I am hardly the farmer type of gal, but I’ve run into the folks from Lucky Penny too many times to fail to mention them. If you’re looking to purchase goats milk, cheese, cajeta, or just see how it’s it made, head to Lucky Penny Farms and see how their beautiful dairy goats make delicious cheese!

If you can’t make it to Kent, you can always find their cheese and milk at the Haymaker market, Countryside Conservancy market, or at Mustard Seed.

Where is your favorite place to explore in Kent, Ohio!? 

 

 

 

 

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