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pampering

Illness, Float Therapy, Yoga, and the Northside Market // Weekly Mantra

February 5, 2017 by Rachel 24 Comments

So last week I was all “this is going to be THE BEST week,” which is pretty much just tempting fate. And fate handed me about 50% of what I was expecting last week, and 50% of the unexpected. Win some, lose some, friends.

Monday morning I woke up with a bit of a sore throat, but I got myself and the kiddos ready to go into work (for those who don’t know, both of my children come with me to work everyday — it’s quite a benefit!). Shortly after we got there, a building maintenance issue was uncovered and we realized that instead of 2 of us staffing one small area, there would be four of us. Which… is way too many. So I said “Hey I’m kinda feeling like poo a bit. Send me home.” And so I went.

No sooner did I get home did I start having fever and chills. It was so bizarre. I still don’t really know what was up, but I spent all of that day in bed, shaking and aching. I finally gave up and texted Chad at 3pm and told him I absolutely needed him to come home and take care of the kids. I was completely incapable of doing so. He ended up making it home from work very early so that I could try to sleep off the fever. I awoke some time later, but still feeling really awful.

Long story short, our Tuesday plans were ruined, too, because not only did I not go into work, but I kept Ari home from preschool just so I wouldn’t have to leave the house. I was so ashamed to keep Ari home, but I seriously couldn’t muster the energy to drag two kids out of the house for preschool dropoff.

But then I had a moment of panic — this fever? Did it have something to do with the dental procedure I had had on Friday? Should it be cause for concern? So I ended up having to drag both kiddos in to the dentist office with me. Far less than ideal, especially when there was an hour wait. But we survived — and my procedure site was not the cause of the fever! Hooray!

Thankfully, all of that rest paid off and Wednesday morning I was finally feeling so much more like myself! Well enough to go to work and take Ari to his first ever karate class!


OMG this kid loved his karate class! And, no joke, a serious natural talent for it!

Thursday evening I had scheduled my first ever float tank therapy session. If you’re not familiar with ‘floating,’ it’s essentially floating in 10-inches of super buoyant water (thanks to the 1000 lbs of epson salt!) in a sensory deprivation chamber. The tank is lightless and soundproof, so, in addition to your body floating effortlessly, your entire body and mind are completely zoned out.


Being semi-claustrophobic, I was super nervous about getting into the tank/chamber. But after a while, I was totally fine — even super relaxed! The only way I can explain it is that it was like a 90-minute savasana!

And the effects have lasted for days. Guys. I fell asleep SITTING UP AT MY COMPUTER WITH THE TV ON. Even at my most sleep deprived moments, I have never been that relaxed!

Next thing I knew, Saturday morning was upon us — and a very busy day at that! We started with the monthly kids workshop at Home Depot! No joke, this build was complicated, ya’ll! It ended up taking way longer than I anticipated, so we were racing to make it to Ari’s karate class.

​[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLIgsbcYBLA ]
Chad missed Ari’s first class so this was his first time seeing Ari in his (new) element! It was just as adorable as his first class. And he still really loved it!

And from there I raced home to put the kids down for naps and I raced back out again. I made my triumphant return to yoga after a terribly long hiatus!

My deer friend Gretchen is opening a new studio, Do Good Yoga, so I went to check it out. Honestly, it gave me the perfect excuse to get back on my mat. And, oh my gosh, it took returning to my mat to realize how much I’ve missed my yoga practice!


Post-yoga I brought Remy to the site of Noto North Akron, Do Good Yoga, and Akron Honey Company for the first Northside Market Akron!


The vendors and DJ were amazing! I’m so lucky to be a part of such an awesome community of makers and shakers!

Between all of this fun AND a late night thanks to the Super Bowl, my weekly mantra for this week is simple:


Happy Monday, friends!

 

Filed Under: #MomLife, Akron, Ari Davis, busy mom, children, crafty, creative, desserts, events, explore locally, live happy, mantra, mommyhood, NEO, Ohio, pampering, parenthood, week in review, weekend, workout, yoga Tagged With: #MomLife, akron, ari davis, being a mom, busy mom, children, crafty, explore locally, family, fitness, food, foodie, health, life, local, mantra, mommyhood, motherhood, weekend, workout, yoga

sunshine + mom-time

March 10, 2016 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Friends, ya know what makes postpartum life even more excruciating? Complete lack of sunshine. But the weather gods shone down upon us the last couple of days and blessed us with a 75 degrees in Ohio. In early March, nonetheless!!

This little family has had several really rough days over the last week. Like, 7 straight hours of overnight colicky screaming. Lucky for me, I have my tribe to keep me sane. Sometimes they straight-up force me to be sane… and for that? I am forever grateful.

Well Tuesday my tribe really rallied for me in a big way.

We [meaning the kids + I — gosh, that still sounds weird!] got a slower start to the day than I anticipated. Yeahhhh… I’m still struggling with how much time to allot myself to get ready in the mornings. But, alas, we made it out of the house… and headed to the Lego Store! Last week Ari was supposed to go to the Lego Monthly Mini Build (a free event that the Lego Store holds each month), but he was so sick. And he’s been so bummed ever since. In fact, everyday since, I’ve said “Guess what we’re doing today?” and he’ll reply with, “Going to the Lego Store?” Insert sad face. No, kiddo. Not that. Well, until this past Tuesday. And his little heart was so happy to get to build his Easter Bunny Lego! And I was so happy to see him enjoy himself.

I let him play for as long as Miss Remy Bea would allow (I was babywearing her and she started getting fussy) before we headed to Panera for lunch. Sure, I wanted to go somewhere a tad bit more ‘authentic’ to my lifestyle… but sometimes (aka – when you have two children in tow), my lifestyle is exactly Panera. Ha!

Then I dropped both kids off with my Aunt (whom Ari loving refers to as Grandma Dee!) and headed over to Massage Envy in Beachwood. I had never been before, but I desperately needed a nice, stress-reducing, massage.

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I arrived at LaPlace about 30 minutes early so I made a snap decision to really treat myself! Mitchell’s Ice Cream is right there and, considering we do not have one anywhere near us in Akron, I was totally down for a scoop of Wildberry Crumble!

Linda, the manager of the Beachwood locations, welcomed me upon my arrival into the spa. I filled out a Massage Wellness Chart, which is the equivalent of new-client paperwork, and the receptionist was kind enough to bring me an ice water to sip (which was much appreciated after eating that ice cream!).

Before meeting my massage therapist, Robert, the receptionist then brought me back to the waiting and relaxation area. I honestly could have fallen asleep right then and there thanks to a whole new level of exhaustion lately. But just before I drifted off, Robert came to greet me and take me back to my room. He talked to me about my massage and let me know that literally everything was customizable — the temperature of the heated table, the pressure of the massage, the volume of the music, etc. He then advised me that he would step out of the room and I should undress to my level of comfort.

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The room was welcoming and relaxing. And my massage was perfection! As strange as it sounds, I haven’t had a whole lot of discomfort since Remy was born… all of my discomfort was felt during pregnancy! Ha! But, it turns out, there was trouble brewing below the surface. In fact, my shoulders, neck, and back were a complete disaster. Completely full of knots. Yeah… I’m not surprised. I carry a toddler and a newborn around nonstop; plus we co-sleep, which means we sleep at awkward angles and positions.

I absolutely loved my massage and the conversation during it! Some people want complete silence during their massages, but not me! It’s totally therapeutic to chat during a massage! Lucky for me, Robert was not only a talented massage therapist, but also a great conversationalist! As a new parent himself, we had a lot to chat about! The hour flew by — which is both a blessing and a curse, right?

By the time I was done, I was not only relaxed, but I was ready to see my babies. Even just being away from two hours is enough to reset and refresh myself. I felt rejuvenated and ready to take on the world! So a huge thank you to Linda and to Robert for the amazing experience at Massage Envy of Beachwood!

If you would like to check them out, visit their Facebook page here and their website here! With an introductory massage starting at just $49.99, you can book a massage at any of the following Beachwood locations: Gates Mills, Lyndhurst, Beachwood, Mayfield Heights, Richmond Heights, and Cleveland Heights. Just call 216-593-0140.

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Disclosure: I was contacted by Massage Envy to receive one complimentary hour massage. As always, my opinions and thoughts are my own. 

 

 

 

Filed Under: #MomLife, busy mom, children, cleveland, explore locally, health, life, life with a toddler, live happy, maternity leave, mommyhood, Moosh, Oh baby!, Ohio, opinions, pampering, parenthood, pictures, postpartum, Remy Bea, review, social media, sponsor, wellness Tagged With: #MomLife, being a mom, children, cleveland, explore locally, health, life, Live Happy, local, mommyhood, motherhood, oh baby, parenthood, pictures, postpartum, review, sponsor

Get Your Smile Camera-Ready with Crest Whitestrips

January 20, 2016 by Rachel 1 Comment

I have a wedding to attend here in the next two weeks and there are so few things that I can control, looks-wise. Of course, I’ll be rocking the mega postpartum look. But the one thing that I have on point is my hair, makeup, and smile game! Sure, it’s nice to attend a wedding as just a guest (without the pressure of being in the bridal party!), but there will still be pictures. And I want to look flawless in them!

Since I’m a mom on a budget, I’ve been using Crest 3D White Supreme Flexfit Whitestrips, and opting out of those $500+ laser whitening treatments! The ideal time to whiten for a wedding is two weeks in advance of the big day. Crest 3D White Supreme Flexfit Whitestrips whitens in just one hour a day for 2 weeks!

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To document my whitening journey, here’s a little before picture:

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One thing I can say about motherhood is that we don’t always take care of ourselves and put ourselves first. In fact, I know I’ve pretty much put myself on the backburner. But these last two weeks I’ve been following the whitening routine! And it has worked!!

Here’s my after picture [ignore the silly face… it’s hard to take a serious selfie. I’m just not good at it.]:

whitestrips-after
A little whitening is a magical thing! And so is a little pre-wedding dress up/makeup time!

Whitestrips use the same enamel-safe, teeth-whitening ingredients dentists use and provide a comfortable at home teeth whitening experience. Bonus? They can be found everywhere! Drug stores, big box retailers, and online for just $64.99 per kit! Way more cost effective than visiting the dentist for treatments!

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And now I’m ready for my big postpartum, wedding debut! Watch out, world! And by all means, go out and grab some of these for yourself! ♥ ♥

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Filed Under: money saving tips, pampering, pictures, review, sponsor, weddings Tagged With: money saving tips, pampering, pictures, review, sponsor, wedding

Key to the Cure // Wrap Up

November 6, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Before I get into this wrap up I wanted to very quickly give a shout out to one of my favorite local charities, Shoes and Clothes for Kids (SC4k). The mission of SC4K is to provide disadvantaged kids in Greater Cleveland with brand new shoes and clothing. What might surprise you is that two of their most requested items are socks and underwear. It’s so easy to take simple things like these for granted, but many kids in our community are wearing hand-me-downs, giveaways, throwaways – and some just go without.

To get people to think about this topic, they created a catchy video. Take a quick minute and check it out:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdgGqUKW9nA#t]

Right now they are running a crowdfunding campaign to help increase sock and underwear donations! Even better? They’ve received a challenge grant of up to $15k! That means your donation will be MATCHED!

If you are able, please consider donating to the campaign here.

Alright, so, a few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending another charity event, the Key To The Cure event at Saks Fifth Avenue at Beachwood Place! My girlfriend, Carli, and I decided to say buh-bye to our boys for the evening and head out for a night of fun.

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Saks Fifth Avenue of Beachwood Place teams up with the Cleveland Clinic each year to host a shopping extravaganza! It’s a chance to give shoppers the opportunity to support women’s reproductive and breast research by offering a percentage of their sales go to the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center from October 15th to October 18th.

Guests were encouraged to purchase presale tickets to the event kickoff, which was the event we attended on October 15th, for $75 per person. Included in the event ticket was a $50 tax deductible write-off, a $25 Saks gift card, live entertainment, and food and drinks supplied by the amazing local talents from the Taste of Cleveland restaurants!

Carli and I arrived and were a tad bit overwhelmed at first. There was a LOT of food. Like, a lot. And, even though I knew I would be sick later, I wanted to eat all of it. We did a quick circle through Saks to check out all of the food offerings (duh. I’m pregnant), before diving in.

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The food was amazing. Many of the offerings were from restaurants I have already been to; others I was experiencing for the first time (though we had meant to try them… that whole toddler thing keeps us home a lot as of late). Society Lounge provided cocktails for the evening (and I may have sipped on the most delicious Moscow Mule I’ve ever had), and wine was also provided for guests. I honestly can’t even remember who had the best food (but it was probably Lago).

Oh and I made sure to eat as many delicious donuts as my belly would hold, thanks to Peace, Love and Little Donuts. 🙂

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At the end of the night, we waddled our way upstairs to the childrens department (because let’s be real — when a mom is given $25 bucks to spend, she chooses to spend it on her kids, not herself). I bought baby girl an adorable sleeper (that I would have normally never spent $25 on… let’s be real). So thank you, Key to the Cure, for the “free” $25!

Overall, it was an awesome night. I would love to experience the evening again, but this time not pregnant (Umm, HELLO Moscow Mules and see ya next year!)! If you missed it this year, keep an eye out for it October 2016! And see ya there!

Filed Under: baby girl, busy mom, charity, cleveland, clothes, events, explore locally, fashion, food, friends, fun, girls nite, life, mommyhood, NEO, nightlife, Ohio, pampering, pictures, review, social media, yum Tagged With: baby girl, being a mom, charity & fundraisers, cleveland, events, explore locally, food, foodie, friends, hair and fashion, life, Live Happy, mommyhood, NEO, ohio, pampering, pictures, review, social media

Blogger Date at Charles Scott Salon //

December 6, 2013 by Rachel 2 Comments

Last week I met up with Charlene (aka @cacoughlin) from Life In The CLE and Jess (aka @Mojamala2) of the Tambura Runner last week for a blogger friends mani-pedi date at Charles Scott Salon in Rocky River!

We each had manis and then met up in the massage chairs for our pedis! The girls at Charles Scott Salon treated us so well. The environment there is so welcoming, so inviting, and SO serene! I love that it’s such a chill place. And I love that my manicurist, Rae, had a full-sleeve tattoo down her left arm. It made me feel right at home. 🙂

And yeah I know that they’re supposed to treat clients well and supposed to make us feel comfortable, but the girls who work there are awesome. They aren’t stuffy and they aren’t pushy or too talky. Just AWESOME.

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Jess opted for red nails, Charlene for grey, and I decided on hunter green — toes AND fingers!

I’ve yet to check out their location in Crocker Park because I’m already so attached to the Rocky River location — plus it’s where my stylist, Allie, works!

After our manis and pedis we grabbed a bite to eat at The Wine Bar, Rocky River. I know I should venture out and go to other places in Rocky River, but their food is SO good!

We ate, we had a glass of wine, we chatted and it was totally worth it. From the start of the night it was clear that we all needed a night out — a night away from reality! 🙂

Thankfully I am ‘forced’ to go back in just a couple weeks because I’ll ‘require’ a haircut! Ha! The joys of having a pixie cut!

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Disclaimer: All 3 of us are brand ambassadors for Charles Scott Salon and as such, receive a discount for services provided. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: bloggers, cleveland, drinks, events, explore locally, food, friends, fun, hair, life, Ohio, pampering, review, sponsor, wine Tagged With: bloggers, cleveland, drinks, events, explore locally, food, foodie, friends, hair and fashion, life, local, ohio, pampering, sponsor

operation: mama gets her groove back

October 24, 2013 by Rachel 3 Comments

Having a baby is life changing. I mean went from focusing on myself and Chad, to having to refocus on this new little person non-stop. So I pretty much did a one-eighty overnight. I stopped focusing on Chad; and I pretty much stopped focusing on me.

It took a significant amount of time to realize that the best thing for Ari and the best thing for my relationship with Chad was to take care of myself. Seriously, you know that saying about putting your own oxygen mask on before assisting others?? SO true! This goes for motherhood, too!

I try to keep my wits by attending a regular power yoga class on the weekends — baby in tow (Oh the beauty of childcare at a yoga studio!), running on the towpath after work once a week, and getting pampered once in a while. I’ve had more massages in the last 12 months than I’ve had in all of my life! Ha!

And then I committed to a new kind of pampering… a haircut. Like, a serious haircut.

A few weeks ago I went to Charles Scott Salon in Rocky River and decided to cut it all of. That’s right — I decided that I wanted to go through with something that I always wanted to do — cut it allllllllll off!

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So I went and saw Allie at Charles Scott Salon. I showed her a picture of Ginnifer Goodwin and said, “Yes, that short.” “No I don’t want bangs.”

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Reason? As much as I love my long hair, I never EVER do it. I always wear it in a ponytail. Always. Sleep is so hard to come by these days. And to the people who said “are you sure??” I replied that the worst thing that could happen is that I could hate it. And it will eventually grow back, amIright?? RIGHT.

Enter Allie. Ohhhh, Allie. My new BFF.

She was down to do it. Thank GOD! I was terrified that she was going to be all “ya sure??” and then I would panic. But she wasn’t.

Before I could change my mind she put my hair in a pony and said “Ready?” “Ready!” I said.

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Aaaand CHOP! Have fun with that hair, Locks Of Love! Mama got her groove back with a new do!

I LOVE it! And yeah I have to go back for regular trims/cuts to maintain the length.

This week I went back for my first trim. I drove up to Rocky River right after work and stopped by Rocky River Wine Bar for some dinner, first! Yep, no shame in this mamas game! A solo dinner alone was just what I needed.

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The fact that I ate dinner sitting down was enough for me! But the glass of red wine, the delicious salad, and yummy fries before a haircut was just what this mama needed!

I love Allie and the group at Charles Scott Salon! And I love the idea of regular “mama” nights out (which, as it turns out, still means I’m asleep by 9!). See ya in another couple weeks, wine and haircut mama date!

Disclaimer: I am a brand ambassador for Charles Scott Salon and as such, receive a discount for services provided. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: bloggers, cleveland, explore locally, fashion, hair, mommyhood, Ohio, pampering, parenthood, social media, sponsor, Yoga Bliss Akron Tagged With: bloggers, cleveland, explore locally, family, hair and fashion, local, motherhood, ohio, social media, sponsor

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