party

Christmas 2015 // that’s a wrap!

December 30, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Guys – my holiday hangover is still in full-force. … and I didn’t even partake in any ‘party’ festivities, so to speak! Ha! But seriously, something about celebrating Christmas leaves everyone in a post-Christmas lull. For me, it’s a mix between that and pregnancy exhaustion. But I’ll blame it on the holidays. 😉

Christmas Eve-Eve //

Well thanks to my ‘schedule clearing up,’ we were able to attend Chad’s families Christmas Eve-Eve party! Unfortunately, Chad was still working, so Ari and I went at it alone. And let me tell you… any shyness that Moosh use to have? it’s GONE. Big time. GONE. He was the life of the party… and he knew it. And he loved it! And for once, I didn’t have to chase him around, because he was a “big boy” enough to play semi-independently with the other kiddo!

Christmas Eve //

Chad worked Christmas Eve until about 3:30PM or so, so Ari and I met up with my friend Kristi and her kids at Chick-Fil-A for lunch.

It was amazing to see Ari ‘ooh‘ and ‘ahh‘ over Kristi’s baby girl. He’s been around her since she was born, but he has never ever taken interest in any babies. Well, perhaps it’s because he’s finally come to terms with the fact that Baby Girl will be here before he knows it!

After that little playdate we honestly did nada! We had zero plans, so PJs at 5pm was absolutely in order. In fact, Ari and I may have actually been in PJs before Chad got home! Ha!

And we finally had our first experience with the “Santa is coming!” jitters! I know this is the first of many years to come, but it was so funny trying to get him to relax and go to bed knowing Santa was ‘looming’ around the corner! Eventually, we all fell asleep. [thank goodness!]

Christmas Day //

We woke up at about 7:30-8ish. I was exhausted, but totally excited to see the look on Ari’s face! He came downstairs slowly and exclaimed “Santa came!”

It took a while to open presents because he would rip the paper off the present and then he would beg us to open it and to start playing with it right away! Ha! So it was a process of “open this,” “no, we’ll play with that when we get through all the presents,” to “OK Ari next present.” Tear it open and repeat!

After assessing the Santa/presents situation, we tried to take a nap — Ha! That was a short-lived dream. 🙂 We ‘awoke’ to my father-in-laws visit with us to celebrate Christmas! We relaxed until it was time to go to dinner. See? We were doing a mega-ultra-relaxed Christmas celebration.

And a sorry to my Jewish friends, but we totally had plans to steal your Christmas and go to our favorite local Chinese restaurant. In our defense, though, I’m fairly certain that NONE of the people that were eating at this restaurant were Jewish; but the restaurant was very busy. We ate and ate and ate. Went home and played some more. A pretty perfect Christmas day!

December 26th //

We. slept. in! Thank goodness. We all needed it. And after breakfast, we took Moosh to Cafe O’Play for their 1-Year Anniversary celebration!

Chad, my father-in-law, Moosh, and I met up with Ari’s girlfriend, Veronique, and her mommy for a fun playdate! And they totally soaked up every second together!

And before we knew it, it was time to go home and all take a big family nap! We seriously did SO much of this over the holiday break. Naps, naps, naps. You would think we would all be extremely well-rested, but that’s definitely not the case!

Ari’s 3rd Birthday //

November 3, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Well, it’s only been TWO WEEKS since Ari’s birthday. To say I’m slacking would be an understatement. Although can you really blame me? I’ve been bouncing from doctor appointment to doctor appointment, dragging a toddler along, and throwing up along the way (sometimes quite literally). So yeah. There have been “delays,” one would say. But better late than never, right? Right. (Just roll with me, friends.)

Friday the 16th // The Actual Birthday

His actual birthday was on Friday and I wanted to make it kind of special. Well we got a tad bit of a late start (thanks to both myself and Ari sleeping in way later than we should’ve — hooray!). But we ended up at Café O’Play… eventually. It was CRAZYTOWN in there. Turns out Ari’s birthday is also a teacher administration day or something, so all of the local schools were closed for the day. And, hence, the Café was insane busy.

After a little while of playing, we decided to head to out to finish a couple of party errands. While Moosh took a short nap, I decorated a teeny bit for our little family birthday celebration. I had leftover decorations from last year so I just decided to throw those up and wing it! I was tired of looking at Minion party stuff for his big she-bang anywho! 🙂

When Chad got home from work, I quickly snuck out to go get Moosh a cupcake (neither Chad nor myself are big cake people, so I just didn’t see the point in getting or making an actual cake).

Ari’s one birthday request for dinner was Chick-Fil-A (or, as he pronounces it, “Chick-Fay!”). So we headed to Chick-Fay for a quick dinner. And, quick it was! One thing I never realized before having a child, is how quickly a person can consume an entire meal. Seriously. It’s a bit scary.

Post-Chick-Fay we came home to open birthday gifts and sing happy birthday! He was so excited to get his new bicycle (which is a Radio Flyer Balance Bike), a Lego set, a light saber, and his new sleeping bag (which, admittedly, he’s been sleeping in since that night. Seriously. He refuses to sleep in his bed.). Birthday success!

Saturday the 17th //

Mimi and Poppy (my mom and dad) drove up from Kentucky to spend the weekend with us for Ari’s party. After they arrived, we decided to grab some lunch (aka – satisfy my craving for soup) before going Trunk or Treating at the YMCA!

Last year, Ari seemed to catch on(ish) to Trick or Treating, but this year, as a “big boy,” as he so refers to himself, I figured he would go nuts for it.

I was right. He now knows what candy is. So the idea of dressing up in a costume and getting free candy was more than appealing to him. He had a fabulous time. And, although I had no idea, the Y was apparently doing an open house… so the gymnastics area was completely open for the kids to run and play!

It was pretty much the perfect way to spend a (very chilly) Saturday.

Sunday the 18th //

The big day had arrived! Luckily, I had planned ahead enough to not be stressed for the day of the party. My mom and I ran out Sunday morning, sans Ari, to get a couple of last-minute items (like to pick up his balloons) and all of us were ready to leave the house an hour before the party was set to start (!!!!!). Guys. This is a miracle in itself.

We had planned the party to be a — big surprise — Minions/Gymnastics Party at the YMCA. Yep. This kid LOVES taking his gymnastics classes. And what better way to get a bunch of kids to have fun, right!?

So I may have gone a tad bit overboard with the Minion-themed food… Cookie Robots. Minion Munch. El Machos Salsa. Unicorn Horns. Unicorn Fur. Ha.

Caterpillars (aka – Cheetos). Anti-gravity Serum. My Mom’s Bad*** Minion Cake.

The party was, by all accounts, a complete success! The kids were fed, the adults snacked + mingled, and then it was time to play

The adults may have gotten into gymnastics a tad bit, too. Gymnastics play time started with the “rules,” which were quickly thrown out the window. And all of the adults and kids went nuts! Ha.

Monday the 19th //

Yeah, yeah. The weekend (and his birthday shenanigans) were technically over. But that Monday he had his 3 year well-baby checkup. As expected, he barely gained any weight and height. Ha. At his 2 year visit I’m pretty sure he weighed in at 25 pounds. At this 3 year visit?? Twenty-six pounds. 2-6. Yep. Well, he’s still in the second percentile for weight. Ha! Oh, and he’s 35″. Which is a miracle (and probably gained 2-inches from his shoes).

Aaaand then we all crashed from exhaustion and I got sick for days… 🙂

I know that after Ari’s very Yo Gabba Gabba first birthday bash I promised I wouldn’t do another over-the-top birthday; but something about having a last hurrah for our ‘only child’ was appealing to me. I’m sure next year I’ll be back to business-as-usual throwing things together haphazardly. 🙂

Luau On The Lake // Giveaway

June 23, 2015 by Rachel 7 Comments

Summer in Cleveland is a festival-goers dream! And this year I’m excited to attend (again!) the 10th annual Luau on the Lake to benefit Shoes and Clothes for Kids, on July 25th at Wendy Park on Whiskey Island.

One of the major changes from last year is that there are now three different levels of tickets:

General Admission – $50 through June 26; $60 through July 20; $65 at the door – includes island buffet, beer, wine, soft drinks, and souvenir cup. Pre-mixed Island Cocktails available for purchase.

Big Kahuna – $60 through June 26; $75 through July 20 – includes all the above plus 3 Island Cocktail drink tickets, Hawaiian lei, VIP cup and tote, and half-hour early admission.

Tiki God – $125 per person or $200 per couple through July 10 – includes all of the above plus open bar (beer, wine, liquor, and Island Cocktails), appetizers, VIP tent with seating and port-o-lets, and one-hour early admission!

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrTxLOXtdoA]

Based on my experience last year, early admission is KEY! You have prime pick of your spot (BYOB — Bring Your Own Blanket/Chairs). An extra bonus of a VIP tent with seating and potties is also a huge bonus.

Regardless, all three ticket levels are supporting a great cause. If you aren’t aware of this awesome organization, know that their mission is to “provide a unique service for income-eligible families in Greater Cleveland by distributing new shoes, clothing, and items for infants and youths.” Hugely important in our community!

You can purchase tickets to Luau on the Lake online or you can enter to win two Big Kahuna tickets using the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner will be announced within 24-hours of giveaway close. Entrants must intend to use the tickets and be 21 years or older.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I was asked by Shoes and Clothes for Kids to help promote the Luau on the Lake. In exchange, I will receive 2 Big Kahuna tickets for myself and 2 Big Kahuna tickets to give away. All opinions herein are my own.

Zippity Zoo Doo // A (Late) Wrap Up!

June 16, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

A lot has been happening in life lately. I kind of alluded to the fact that things have been kind of crazy around here. More on that later (sorry).

But a week and a half ago I had a chance to kind of set all of that aside and went[ to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for the Cleveland Zoological Society’s annual Zippity Zoo Doo. The theme was Serengeti Sunset and besides being African-inspired, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I was greeted by valet and an owl! Talk about rolling out the red carpet! But really, the owl was adorable. And I did not expect live animals, but what a pleasant surprise! And that wasn’t the end! Once I met up with Jen from Why? CLE and her husband, we headed for a glass of wine and scoped out the hors d’oeuvres! I had stalked the menu prior to the event and as more than excited for the African-inspired menu.

I realized after chowing down that I was so excited I forgot to snap a couple of quick pics! Above (clockwise from left) is the event tent (which was MUCH larger than it appears in this picture), a grand display of the Lamb Tagine & Couscous and sliders, followed by a close-up of the delicious (and spicy!) South African Farmer’s Sausage Slider with Crunchy Slaw! Not pictured, but also delicious, were the Lobster BLT and the Peri Peri Chicken Kebabs. Seriously so good I ate too fast for a picture. Ha!

After we snacked and sipped we took a quick trip to the new Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter! The previous giraffe area had a single-file line type of walk-up where you can feed a single giraffe. The new setup features a large patio that allows visitors to walk right up to the giraffes (yep – multiples!). Sadly, the giraffes were in “hiding” while we visited, but we were still close enough to see the mama and baby!

We also had a chance to ride the carousel. In honor of Moosh, I rode “Nemo,” also known as the clown fish. I sent Moosh and Chad a picture while I was on it. Which apparently prompted Moosh to want to watch Finding Nemo! Ha!

We eventually ventured back down to our table for dinner. We met up with Alicia from Poise In Parma and sat down for an amazing dinner. While we ate, chatted, and laughed, the auction festivities were on a roll, including the highest table for the Giving Tree (the highest table as of 9pm received a ‘backstage’ visit at the giraffe encounter). Our table wasn’t quite in the running, but that’s OK because we were enjoying the food SO much!

The salad? Was. To. DIE.FOR! It’s unfortunate I ate so many hors d’oeuvres because I would’ve eaten way more of the salad (which was spinach, grilled pineapple, bell pepper, raisins, toasted coconut, and pineapple ginger dressing!). Next up? Smoked fennel crusted filet with golden fig chutney (yum!) and red snapper yassa. The wild rice and filet were delicious. For whatever reason, snapper just isn’t my thing. Ya know? By the time dessert came out I had to leave (I know – lame! It was only about 8:45, but my mom was coming into town from Kentucky and I wanted to be there when she arrived (and it’s about an hour drive home). On my way out they were serving dessert — French cheesecake with raspberry drizzle. Umm. It was hard not to sit my butt back in my chair and indulge, but I left without dessert (I heard it was delicious). And I’m secretly still dreaming about the “what if” I stayed to eat it. Ha!

The only thing that would have made this night more perfect is if Chad would have been able to make it with me. But I had a blast with the gals. Thank you, ladies, for hanging out with this ‘single lady’!

Disclosure: I was asked by the Cleveland Zoological Society to help promote Zippity Zoo Doo. In exchange, I received one complimentary ticket to the event. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

weekend wrap up // Easter edition

April 7, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

After last weekend and this past week, we really needed a truly happy and fun weekend. So when Friday arrived we jumped into our weekend with both feet! Ari was hanging with his friend Kayden all day on Friday and when I went to pick him up, I hung out for a while with K’s mom just catching up and chatting. It was SO nice and exactly what I needed to start off the weekend.

By the time Ari and I got home, he was exhausted (life is rough for a toddler); but my little trooper stayed awake until Mimi and Poppy showed up from Kentucky! We visited for a little bit before all heading off to sleep.

Saturday //

We woke up and snuggled with Moosh on the couch before getting started on our busy, busy, day! THIS is exactly what I adore about now having Saturdays off — early morning snuggle sessions! It may have been short-lived but that’s OK. It was great while it lasted.

Aaaand then we were off….

Mimi and Poppy were in town for a wedding; so we were lucky enough to spend an hour or so with some distant relatives that I haven’t seen in a few years. It was a nice visit and Moosh did really well while the adults chatted. He was shy and cute, of course. And then warmed up to everyone and started showing them his trains.

Then the real fun began — we went to meet the Easter Bunny and “hunt” for eggs at the park!

I thought this dude was going to be terrified of the Easter Bunny, but he wasn’t. He was smitten. He had this cheesy grin on his face the whole time. So proud of my little guy for being so brave and just walking up to the bunny!

I would be lying if I didn’t say I was a bit overwhelmed by the whole egg hunt experience. The youngest section was for 3-4 year olds; so we joined these kids who were like a whole foot taller than Moosh to race for eggs.

Everyone gathered in a huge circle on a soccer field and when they said “GO!” kids just went nuts going for the eggs.

Usually Moosh is too timid to race other kids for things, but with a little help from Chad, he successfully snagged about 8 or 9 eggs and a handful of candy (which was MORE than enough!).

After our egg hunt fun, we went back home to squeeze in a suuuuuper short nap (think like 20 minutes) before we headed to Ewan’s 2nd birthday party. My dear friend Gretchen had Ewan just six months after Ari was born; and they’ve been buds ever since!

We laughed, chatted, played, and had a blast celebrating with Ewan and the gang. When we left it was already after 6pm and our normal 2 1/2 hour napper had napped exactly 20 minutes. We were playing with fire when we decided to stop by Earth Fare to pick up some crab legs and other groceries for dinner.

Luckily Moosh was still in a ‘buzzed’ state of deliriousness. I decided to baby-wear him so that he didn’t go nutso in the store… which made for a lot of fun for both of us! Chad was busy shopping and Moosh and I were busy snapping selfies in the produce section! Ha!

By the time we made it home Ari was more than ready for bed. He fought it though. No, we are not blessed with one of those kids who will sleep in the car or just fall asleep on the floor from pure exhaustion. That is not our kid at all. Buuuut we do have a kid who will sleep a solid 12+ hours in his own bed at night. So no complaints.

Once he was in bed we settled in for a ‘date night,’ which consisted of fresh steamed crag legs and a movie. I am completely spoiled by having a husband that loves to cook amazing meals. And this did not disappoint!

Sunday //

I was so excited for Easter. There’s so much less pressure than at Christmas; but still lots of fun involved! I hid eggs filled with M&Ms and pennies throughout the house. However, I did not anticipate that my child would open up the first egg, notice the M&Ms and stop to eat ALL OF THEM before moving on to find more… Sigh. Mom fail.

Sure, he was excited about his Easter basket; but he was most excited about the candy. Until recently he hadn’t had any candy. Now? Now he knows what it is and we are in trouble!

Mimi and Poppy didn’t help. They brought even more candy over with their basket for him. We were lucky to get him to eat anything other than smarties and M&Ms that day. Ha!

After an earlier-than-usual nap (for all of us), Moosh and Chad went to play in the park while this mama cleaned the whole house (I LOVE cleaning when no one is around!!)… before we messed it all up again! Ha!

And then we did something that we never do together — we cooked dinner TOGETHER! We weren’t rushed or hurried, like during the week. And we used our first Blue Apron meal plan to cook up a fantastic Beef Stir Fry!

It should be noted that Chad does not need recipes; I, on the other hand, do NOT feel comfortable in the kitchen. So having this pre-planned/pre-measured mel was awesome for me! Bonus? It was delicious! And the two-person meal plan had generous portions — PLUS we had leftovers to eat for the next night! Even our picky-“I-only-want-candy”-toddler liked it. Hooray for a successful meal!

Honestly, this weekend was the best weekend we have had in a long time. We didn’t do anything extraordinary, but it was filled with family, friends, and lots and lots of love. My heart feels so happy and so full. I’m so lucky to be surrounded with these amazing people — Chad, Ari, my parents, family and our friends.

And I cannot wait to see what this weekend has in store! <3

weekend wrap up // 4th of July edition !

July 15, 2014 by Rachel Leave a Comment

I swear we are still recovering from our Fourth of July weekend. I know, I know… it was over a week ago. But we packed a LOT into a little bit of time.

Thursday night, after work, Moosh & I went on a mini-date… just the two of us! We went to the Akron Art Museum’s Downtown at Dusk. Downtown at Dusk features live music and entertainment every Thursday evening in the summer. Bonus? The museum & exhibits are free on Thursdays, too! So Moosh & I walked around the exhibits (we do this on the regular, actually), then sat at a table inside and watched the band play (a table was the only place I could keep him semi-contained).

[baby-wearing selfie in front of a giant exhibit]

[snacking on a Q-cookie (which is the shape of the exhibit in the selfie above)]

On Friday the 4th, this mama woke up early prepping for a day of fun. ….But Moosh slept in (of course). We had to wake him to get him ready for his first parade! I’ve been meaning to make it to a parade. I feel like it’s a parents’ duty to take their kid to see scary clowns and big trucks driving down a closed street. And it WAS fun. But the waiting for it to start? That was a little less fun.

[thankful Annie’s Organics makes these handy gluten-free snacks in handy to-go bags!]

He was anxious. Super anxious. And running around like you would expect from a toddler with tons of energy.

And thankfully when he saw the big trucks and fire engines honking and their sirens blaring, he was entranced. And we got to take a ‘family photo’ (which these days really means sneaking a family selfie).

We were lucky enough to get him to go down for a short nap before my sister-in-law and her family came over. They were in visiting from Denver and it was Ari’s first time meeting his cousins! Such an exciting day for us!

They played and swam and we all went to the Rib White & Blue Festival in Akron for some eats! Ari was entranced by his older cousins! 🙂

Saturday Moosh & daddy had some downtime while Mama went to work. But by Sunday we were back at it again! My sister-in-law and I actually grew up together and graduated high school together. So we have the same BFF’s from high school (we are SO lucky!). All of us girls got together with the signifcant others & kiddos for a fun cookout and playdate.

Ari got himself drenched pretty early on from the water table. I had just grabbed his swimsuit when he got soaked… and at that point we thought – screw it! – he’s staying in his diaper! Ha! (Parents of the year!)

[he loves corn. and cars. and his cousin!]

[Moosh + Grandpa Mike]The gals were all able to get together for a few pictures before we started to all go our separate ways.

It was a completely wonderful weekend. And this picture of Moosh on the way home really sums up how we’ve all been feeling since. Exhausted from too much fun! 🙂