Its a Hero

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Explore Ohio // Fun Fall Activities

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Fall has long been my favorite season here in Ohio. We truly get the best of it — the changing leaves, the crisp air, and all of the fun things to do! I’m not talking about your typical apple orchard and pumpkin patch. Nope. I’m talking about all of the things you’ve often overlooked. You know… the OTHER fun things!

So I’ve rounded up a list of my favorite recent adventures that are local AND family-friendly!

Trunk-or-Treat at the Riverfront YMCA.

One of the many, many, things I love about our YMCA is all of the community outreach. And each year at Halloween, we do a Trunk-or-Treat for the community members. This open event is usually a bit of a flop; but this year was a whole other story! Hundreds and hundreds of people showed up, lining up around the entire block, to get in!

It was honestly an awesome experience to see that many people line up and wait to see the ‘trunks’. Oh, and the unicorn from Camp Y-Noah! 🙂

My kids had a blast, as usual.

Holden Arboretum Goblins in the Gardens.

My aunts invited me and the kids to join them for a day at the Holden Arboretum for their annual Goblins in the Gardens event. Growing up in Northeast Ohio, I had visited the Holden Arboretum many times as a child and teenager, but had not been back since.

The kids dressed up in their Halloween costumes and we headed inside for some fun! The days events included trick-or-treating, crafts, playing on playsets from Playground World, a giant maze through the flowers, hayrides, face painting, and — of course — walking along the suspension bridge canopy walk!

It was such a fun day AND my kids were exhausted in the end. Which, let’s be real — that’s the real goal!

Great Lakes Science Center Spooktacular Science!

We’ve been members of the Great Lakes Science Center for almost a year now and, shamefully, we’ve only made it there a handful of times. Well we recently found ourselves with a day to spare and so all four of us trekked up to the science center for some fun!

Ari absolutely loves all of the exhibits, but for the first time, Remy was able to truly join in on the fun, too!

And we just so happened to be there for their Spooktacular Science events! Basically it’s dance parties, fun science experiments, and, of course, blowing up a pumpkin. You know, just normal Halloween stuff. Ha!

The Cleveland Flea.

I am going to continue to scream this from the rooftop — I love the Cleveland Flea! I always have and always will! It’s such an incredibly well-organized event, with so many unique vendors and makers selling their goods.

This month, Remy and I went to the last outdoor Flea of the year. It was a little bit chilly on the eastside of Cleveland that morning, but we got there before the crowds and were able to make her a trick-or-treat bag, which she loved!

She paraded her little sassy booty around that place like she OWNED trick-or-treating! 🙂

Marvel Avengers Live at the Q.

Mimi and Poppy (my parents) took Ari to see Marvel Avengers Live at Quicken Loans Arena for his birthday! I was a tad bit skeptical of how the show would be. I mean, Disney on Ice has a reputation of being awesome; but I just had not heard anything about this show.

Apparently it was awesome. At least, that’s what Ari and my parents both reported! Ha! They said it was filled with action, drama, aerial stunts, and motorcycles galore!

Sky Zone Boston Heights. 

For part of Ari’s birthday weekend extravaganza, my sister and brother-in-law treated him to a morning at Sky Zone in Boston Heights. It was our first time visiting this location and it did not disappoint! They have Toddler Time on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sunday mornings, which is awesome because then you don’t have to worry about our little ones accidentally being trampled by bigger kids (which is especially a concern when your children are extra small, like ours).

They played, they laughed, and they had the best time!

We can’t wait to go back during these chilly Fall mornings!

Kalahari Resort + Waterpark in Sandusky. 

One big adventure our little family took last week was our very first trip to Kalahari in Sandusky! It was part of Ari’s birthday present from us (even though it was a week after his actual birthday). We made the hour + drive to Sandusky (home of Cedar Point!) during naptime, alas, neither child napped in the car. Eh, can’t win ’em all!

We grabbed a quick bite from Danny Boys (umm, delicious pizza, calzones, and pasta!) before heading to the room to check in. Our room was really nice — with two queen beds and plenty of space to set up the pack + play for Remy!

The waterpark itself is massive. Truly massive. We did several walk-throughs, just to see everything, prior to settling into a spot at the back of the park where the kids could freely play in 10-inches of water, exploring every tiny water slide (appropriate for their age, of course!), and laughing up a storm.

By the time supper time came around, we were all beyond wiped out. I mean, just look at those exhausted kiddos! LOL! We went to a tiny place called Eats N Treats. With the online reviews alone, I was skeptical. But the yummy philly cheesesteak and ice cream was just what we needed to fuel us for the night.

The next morning we woke up and headed right back to the waterpark. It was nearly empty and it was glorious! The kids barely made it an hour before we had to call it quits and head home.

All of this fun has been keeping us oh-so-busy!

So tell me — what other places in Ohio would you recommend visiting as the seasons change and the weather gets cooler? 

 

Life Lately // a Mom’s Tale of End of Summer

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I’d be lying if I said things have been easy lately. The adjustment of Ari going back to school and me starting my new Fall schedule at work has definitely been a challenge; but also, life has just been… different. I’ve been quite reserved and close-mouthed. Because, well, I don’t have anything particularly upbeat to say.

And that’s okay.

I recognize that in times of transition I tend to shut down a bit. Maybe it’s just the way I process things, I dunno.

But we’ve still been able to have a bit of fun, even amidst the chaos.

Painting With A Twist. 

A couple of weeks ago I met up with a dear friend to do a fall-themed pallet painting project. I’ve done other wine and painting parties, but this was my first time at PWAT Hudson. The studio was awesome and so accommodating!


And I’m so pumped about the final outcome of my project!

I can’t wait to go back!

Summer Sunset Blast.

Without truly having school-aged children, the end of summer doesn’t really mean much to us, other than going back to preschool and adjusting to a new schedule. But that doesn’t mean we don’t fully take advantage of the end of summer fun!

We said farewell to summer at Silver Springs Park in Stow, with the help of Café O’Play, bounce houses, inflatables, face painting, and a petting zoo!


While Ari hit up the inflatables (OMG – first time he’s really been able to because he’s not my baby anymore!! ??), Remy Bea and I spent some time with the goats.

This girl apparently had a fascination with goats! Which is funny, because so does her daddy! 😛

Trips to the Akron Zoo.

Our zoo membership is nearly expired, and we likely won’t renew it until after Christmas (because, busyness). But we did squeeze in a few more trips to the zoo before Summers end!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a million times again — we are beyond lucky to have this wonderful zoo in our backyard! It takes, at most, 10 minutes to get there; the zoo is so easily accessible, and so easy to navigate — even with two small children.

Lucky for us, on our latest trip, the temperature was super mild and the zoo itself was empty. The best part? All of the animals were front and center!

365 by Whole Foods opened and we may have been there at least 5 times in a week!

I took a media tour of the store before the opening day festivities, and I was beyond impressed. The store is bright, clean, and absolutely gorgeous!

There’s mochi ice cream, a taqueria, coffee from Artisan Coffee, great prices on produce, and a typical prepared food section that is to die for!

I took the kids back for opening day and we were greeted by Zippy, the Akron Zips mascot, and a whole slew of people! No joke, at 8:45 am on a Thursday morning and there were about 200 people waiting to get inside!

I’m serious when I say that it has quickly become our favorite place to grab some food, whether it be groceries or prepared food (helloooooo, chili and cheese lasagna!!!!). I see this as being our go-to store from here on out.

We took a very quick road trip to Columbus.

Besides stopping at IKEA for what seemed like 5 minutes (but was actually 2.5 hours), we wandered and made lists of things we needed to do in our head. But other than one semi-small purchase, we really just were there for the Swedish meatballs!

After our IKEA trip, Chad went with his sister and her family to the Ohio State football game while I took the kids to the local splash pad by my sisters house.

We went to a quick (early) dinner at another local fave — the Starliner Diner (delicious + authentic Cuban food) before heading back to my sister’s house to settle in for the evening.

Before heading home we went to a family cookout with Chad’s sister’s family (she was visiting from Denver just for the weekend). Basically, a whirlwind of a 36-hours.

I’ve been cooking — a lot.

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This is super weird for me because I hate to cook. But I tried Blue Apron a while back and loved it! The recipes weren’t difficult, per se, but they did reignite a spark I had for trying new recipes.

Playgrounds, playgrounds, playgrounds… and flag football clinics!

We’ve certainly been spending time at our local playgrounds and parks. Remy has taken to ‘playing’ in a major way. In fact, one of her favorite words to say is “Play? Play?” Basically, begging to go outside in play or get into all of her toys.

So it’s been fun. Oh, and Ari started a flag football skills clinic. To my surprise, he’s really fond of it. It’s super fun to watch them both come into their own in different ways.

As I read this post (and as I reread it over and over again…) I keep thinking…. FUNK, BE DAMNED! My life has been crazy and awesome! I’ll get back to my normal life soon. But for now? For now I’m basking in the awesomeness that is random.

Happy Monday, friends! xo

Explore Hilton Head //

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We returned from our first big vacation as a family of four just over a week ago. We travelled over 11 hours to get to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where we met up with my mom and dad (Mimi + Poppy), and my sister and her family. So there were 6 adults, two babies, and one Ari. 🙂

I had never before been to HHI, and neither had my husband. And, to be honest, I did very little planning (if any) whatsoever! I meant to plan out some adventures ahead of time, but Summer got so busy with all of the normal day-to-day stuff… it just never happened! My sister, on the other hand, had done some planning. But life with babies rarely — if ever! — goes as planned.

One thing that was set well in advance was our condo for the week. We stayed at Seacrest Villas, directly on the North Forest Beach, and just steps away from Coligny Plaza.

Our condo was beautiful. It was three-bedrooms, 3-baths, and had a full kitchen and dining room — plus TWO balconies! It was truly gorgeous! And part of me — the super mom part of me — could have had just that and nothing else for an entire week. No responsibilities; not our house; no laundry and cleaning — just that for a week.

But there was so much to do!

Annie O’s Kitchen. We discovered this place by pure chance. We found ourselves upon a child-free evening and had not at all planned it out. Where would we go alone!? Well, a google search later and the results… showed a bunch of other places. But I happened to see the description of this restaurant — their meats, dairy, and eggs, are all-natural and cruelty-free. There are no antibiotics, no preservatives, no pesticides, and sustainable. Basically, totally our wheelhouse.

I had the Chicken and French Toast (what a fun play on chicken + waffles!) and Chad got the flash-fried whole flounder with collard greens.

We absolutely loved the atmosphere and the vibe from the staff. They were incredibly hands-on — the chef even came by to deliver our meals to the table. The cornbread? Bomb. The sweet tea? SO bomb. The desserts?! OMG I can’t even!

After our dining experience, we convinced the whole family to join us for a ‘last hurrah’ dinner at Annie O’s. And the whole family — Mimi, Poppy, my sister and brother-in-law — we all said, hands down, best food we had during the whole trip!

TIPS:

If you dine between 3:00 – 6:00 PM, the majority of their entrees are 50% off!

And make reservations!

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RATING:

Somewhat.

The atmosphere is less appealing to children, but the waitstaff and other employees were super friendly to the kids.

Coligny Splash Pad. The beach, the pool… they can be… exhausting for parents. There’s just so much sand and ‘stuff,’ that kids need. This splash pad was a perfect break for all of us. Located near Coligny Plaza, the splash pad is just off the beach and easily accessible.

Our kids had a blast running in and out of the fountains — and even made a couple of friends! I suggest hitting the splash pad first thing in the morning, before the sun really starts beating down on the kids. But, in case you find yourself there a little later, just know that it does have a little overhead shade, thanks to the awesome trees!

TIPS:

Have the kids where some sort of water shoes to avoid stubbed toes.

Arrive first thing in the morning for the least crowding.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RATING:

100%!

Skull Creek Boathouse. My sister insisted that we go here. We were having a rough day with the kiddos and I didn’t have even a second to check out the menu ahead of time. But I’m so happy that I put all of my trust in her with this restaurant decision!

When we arrived shortly after 5PM, the place was already packed with an hour wait for outside seating. As much as we wanted to sit outside, we were also dealing with a time limit thanks to the kiddos bedtimes! Instead we opted for an immediate high-top table inside. Believe it or not, they have highchairs for the high-top tables, so they could easily accommodate two infants.

Our meals were delicious! I ordered the fried fish and chips and a big side of hush puppies (because, yum!). And Chad ordered a lobster rice bowl that tasted amazing.

My sister and her husband loved the lowcountry boil — and I had some serious food envy of them!

After our meal, we headed to the dock to check out the views. On the other side of the dock there is a beautiful outdoor beer garden with picnic tables, sandboxes for kids, and giant connect four games. The live music was a young guy playing guitar and singing up on stage. It was the perfect way to spend an evening!

TIPS:

Arrive early and be prepared to wait if you are looking for outdoor seating.

But also enjoy that time in the beer garden while you wait!
The restaurant will text you when your table is ready!

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RATING:

Really family-friendly! Each child will get to pick a prize from the treasure box after the meal.

The outdoor beer garden is the perfect place for parents to spend a relaxing evening with young kids.

Java Burrito. We stopped here, first and foremost, for the Java. But I was so impressed by the food setup that I had to come back later in the week to try it out. It’s nestled in a business park on William Hilton Parkway, so you almost have to go searching for it; but I promise it’s worth it!

Their coffee bar is definitely high-end, specialty coffee, with a huge clientele that prefer a pour over (hello!? LOVE pour overs!). But they also offer cocktails for those customers who are going to hang out in the cool café for a bit!

As far as the food, they offer Mexican-style burritos and bowls with ingredients that are locally sourced, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Yep – they do breakfast burritos with farm-fresh eggs!

I opted for a burrito with chicken, rice, beans, queso and guacamole. As someone that frequents other fast-casual burrito places, I can tell you that this was far superior to the rest of them. The freshness is something that you can taste!

TIPS:

Take a look at the menu online ahead of time so that you have an idea of what you want to order.

Definitely order coffee, too!

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RATING:

Yes, for a quick family meal. But not for lounging around.

Duck Donuts. So I realize that this is a franchise location and not a native Hilton Head Island thing… but for those of us who do not live near a Duck Donuts, checking this out while we’re on the island is KEY.

See, I have a love affair with donuts. I like them fancy and I like them plain — I don’t discriminate! Ha!

These donuts are served up fresh out of the fryer! We customized our order of a dozen and a half so that we could basically try all of them. Somehow a single plain old fashioned donut ended up in our pack. And I swear to you that is the best darn old fashioned, plain ol’ donut, I have ever had!

(Good news, Ohio friends — there is a Duck Donuts on Polaris Parkway in Columbus!)

TIPS:

Prepare to wait in line.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RATING:

Very! The kids have fun watching the donuts being made.

Frosty Frog. This little dive of a frozen cocktail bar is located in Coligny Plaza and features about 25 different frozen daiquiri combinations such as a Hurricane, Grape Danger, Sex on the Peach, Piña Colada, and Jungle Juice! Real Talk: They put all of their drinks, daiquiri or not, in styrofoam to-go cups — whether you’re eating in or taking food to go. Also, you’re allowed to walk with the open container anywhere within Coligny Plaza.

We took our daiquiris to go and walked around the plaza a few nights. They were so delicious! My favorites were Jump Start and Grape Danger.

After several visits, we decided to give their pizza a shot. And OMG it’s delicious! Like, really good and the slices are, as Ari would say, GINORMOUS! 🙂

TIPS:

If there are more than 3 of you ordering daiquiris, save yourself a few bucks and order a gallon to-go.
It’s the most cost-effective way to sip some frozen yummies!

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RATING:

Not very.
We saw a lot of children there with their parents, but it’s really more of a bar than anything else.

A Lowcountry Backyard. Located in Palmetto Dunes, this gem of a restaurant serves up local cuisine with some serious lowcountry flair! We arrived just before 4:30PM, which is when they open for dinner service. We were quickly greeted with two other families awaiting the dinner ‘bell’! Great minds (and early bedtimes for babies — likely)!

The atmosphere in the outdoor seating area is awesome. There’s giant Jenga, a hillbilly golf set, a giant porch swing, and a stage for the nightly solo performances.

Our food did not disappoint. Between the fried green tomatoes, the shrimp and grits, crab dip, and grilled pimento cheese sandwiches, we left… satisfied very full.

TIPS:

Arrive right when they open to avoid a wait.

Sit outdoors.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RATING:

Very.
There is so much to keep the kids entertained, between the games, the music, and the mason jars with lids as sippy cups!

Pirates of Hilton Head. Chad took Ari on this adventure without me and Remy Bea, which was fine. The Pirates of Hilton Head is an excursion in Harbour Town (near the lighthouse!) on The Black Dagger! The kids, which range in age from 3-10, in groups of about 20 children (max), learn to speak like pirates, get tattoos, and take down Stinky Pete with water cannons! Ari had such an amazing time and came home with enough gold doubloons to last him a lifetime! We will definitely be hitting this up with every visit.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB-Iu4ZDCgU&feature=share]

TIPS:

Check Groupon to see if they have any deals first (they did for us!).

Make sure you plan to spend some time in Harbour Town because there’s a $6 fee to be in the area,
but you have in-and-out privileges all day.

Wear a small backpack and bring plenty of water and snacks.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RATING:

Very much so! Especially for kids 3 and up!

We will certainly be making Hilton Head our go-to vacation spot from hereon out. I can’t wait to visit all of these places again! Make sure you pin this for later! xo

 

 

 

Our Summer in Pictures

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Guys – something amazing happened this Summer — we had fun — and I stepped a bit away from this here blog. I did, however, start posting all kinds of photos to my Instagram stories as a way of ‘photo-blogging’ my way through the summer months!

In case you aren’t following me on Instagram (which, why aren’t you!?), here’s our Summer in Insta-stories:

 
























 



I worked out a LOT.







We visited the farmers market often.






Adventures at the zoo!


We spent a lot of time eating samples at Costco.






My children had a blast at the YMCA — both while I was working and while they
(well, specifically, Ari, was in swim lessons!).







We went to Kentucky to visit my parents.














We celebrated my nephews first birthday!





We took a BIG family vacay to Hilton Head!


































Basically, all of these pictures and I’m all “OMG I can’t believe it’s nearly September!” And now we have exactly ONE WEEK left of Summer break before our new school year starts. I’m absolutely going to make the most of this week and get one more ‘hurrah’ outta Summer! 😉

Summer 2017 — you kinda rocked. 

Explore Ohio // Put-in-Bay

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One of the perks of living on the “North Coast” is that we have islands and beaches nearby. For those not located in the Midwest, the “North Coast” is Lake Erie, or whichever of the Great Lakes you happen to find yourself south of. And if you have never actually seen the Great Lakes, you would likely be surprised to find that the view of these lakes could easily be mistaken for an ocean. They are, as Ari would say, GINORMOUS.

I recently jumped at an opportunity to visit one of the islands on our great ‘North Coast,’ Put-in-Bay! In all fairness and honesty, I had only visited once before this. I was young and I don’t remember much except that there are very few (if any?) cars on the island. That’s literally all I remember from my experience as a child. As an adult, my images of Put-in-Bay are all of college friends (and work colleagues) partying in a pool, drinking out of fishbowls. That? That has absolutely zero appeal to me.

But kayaking, biking, and wine tasting?? That. That is right up my alley!

So my friend Olivia and I met up at the Jet Express in Port Clinton. The Jet Express ferry shuttled us the 14 miles from Port Clinton (on the ‘mainland’) to Put-in-Bay island in just 45 minutes!

We arrived in PIB (Put-in-Bay) at about 9:45 on a Sunday morning — basically while everyone on the island was still asleep from
partying the night before. But we rented our bicycles and went on our merry way.

PS. I say that like it was easy — but did you know that even if you cycle on a stationary bike 3x per week an actual pedal bicycle is totally weird and difficult?? True story.

After leaving the marina and bike rental, we did some exploring — and with a quick stop at Perry’s Victory + Peace Memorial — we headed to Old Forge Café for breakfast!

It turns out they’re a creperie and have amazing mimosas. I mean, this prosciutto crêpe was aaaaaaamazing. No joke.

Post-crêpes and mimosas, we ventured to South Bass Island State Park to take in the sights. Pretty much everyone was still asleep, but we were able to bask in the quiet and enjoy the waves.

After taking in the scenery we ventured to Perry’s Cave where we legit KILLED the maze (under two minutes, ya’ll!) and learned all about the the limestone cave and it’s historical impact on the creation of what we know to be our United States!

Then we ventured to Heineman Winery for a tour and tasting. I’ll say this — PLEASE don’t try the dry wine. Please. I beg you. From my experience, Ohio wines are not, by any means, dry wines. They are sweet. So don’t go for the dry reds. Lesson learned.

But the sweet red? Delish. Absolutely DEEElish.

Once we were done with our wine and cave adventures we ventured for more food. Yep, we hit up the Upper Deck at the Boardwalk. We were still a bit full from our crêpes, so we decided to get the ahi tuna nachos as an appetizer and a side of fries.

Guys — we legit tried to GIVE away the leftovers from our ahi tuna nachos!! There were so many nachos that it looked like we barely made a dent (for the record, we made a serious dent — it just didn’t appear that way).

After we filled up on nachos we went to the Put-in-Bay Brewery and Distillery. I wish I would have tried something other than the Double IPA, but it was delicious! I’m just so predictable!

Post-brewery, we headed back down to South Bass Island State Park for a kayaking adventure. The double kayak was totally fun, but I was a tad bit hesitant about leaving my phone on land; and because of that, I was also more than a teeny bit nervous about dropping it in the water. So we cut our kayaking short to head back to the Jet Express.

It was such a jam-packed day. I would absolutely recommend doing the Kayas and Caves adventure through the Jet Express, but make a weekend of it for sure! I really wish I would have stayed the night.

If you’ve visited Put-in-Bay, what was your favorite thing to see/do!?

 

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Jet Express Kayak + Cave package for two in exchange for this post. 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!