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Gender Reveal // Baby Number 3 is a >>>

April 5, 2018 by Rachel 19 Comments

It’s a girl!

I can’t keep it a secret any longer! I know I said we weren’t going to find out the gender of this baby, but at that 20 week anatomy scan I started having second thoughts. I text Chad and said “I think I want to know.” He, of course, couldn’t be there for that appointment and gave his blessing for me to find out for us. But I still waited. I had the ultrasound technician write it down and put it in an envelope for us.

I could barely contain myself to wait til Chad got home from work. Chad was convinced we were having another boy, but I really wanted another girl. I mean, we already have one of each, but I just have grown to love the sass of a little girl.

We opened the envelope and it said “Congratulations — it’s a girl!” and I literally jumped into Chad’s arms. I was so excited. Heck, I’m still so excited. But we waited to make a big announcement because, well, it was a bit more fun that way.

It’s been getting harder and harder to keep it a secret, especially when you have a 5 year old who is willing to tell everyone, “I’m having another baby sister!” Ha.

I haven’t bought anything new for baby number 3, with the exception of her first pair of Freshly Picked moccasins! I just couldn’t wait to get her first pair of shoes!

And aren’t these the cutest little flower moccs you’ve ever seen!? For those who are unfamiliar, these moccasins are so soft and come in so many different patterns (umm, have you seen the tacos and donuts!?), and just so happen to be perfect for newborns and tiny walkers!

And this little lady was so happy to pose in her most recent pair of rose gold moccs. Ha! And that dress? Well, little miss #2 has an exact same dress for when she’s born (thanks, Mimi!). Hopefully Remy’s will still fit her in June. 😉

Thank you everyone for the love during this pregnancy! I can’t wait to share her name in the coming weeks (that’s something we WILL be keeping on the downlow until birth).

Stay tuned for a Freshly Picked giveaway. In the meantime, thanks to Freshly Picked for gifting these moccs for little number 3!

2018 State of NASA

February 28, 2018 by Rachel 22 Comments

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.

New Year, New Me // Simplifying in 2018 with Curbside Delivery

January 8, 2018 by Rachel 45 Comments

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

Welcome, 2018! This year brings lots of changes for my growing family! And I’m happy to report that, thanks to some serious growth and self-reflection, there are some things I’m just leaving in 2017. For instance, having too much on my plate.

My one “Goal” for 2018 is to Simplify. Simplifying doesn’t have to mean becoming a minimalist or refraining for doing anything fun. There are so many other ways to simplify your life, so I’m going to share some creative, no-nonsense ways you can simplify to be more present in 2018!

1. Keep track of time spent doing all things.

One of the major ways I keep my life on track is by using Google Calendar. Not only is it simple, but it syncs to my iPhone calendar automatically and I can keep my husband in the loop by sending him Google Calendar invites to things we have scheduled (because, let’s face it — he isn’t going to remember unless he sees it pop up on his phone).

But besides the obvious “doctor appointment” notifications, I also schedule time for laundry, cleaning the house, and — here comes the kicker — downtime.

You read that right — I purposefully block off downtime in my Google Calendar and it is non-negotiable! So what if sends me someone an invite? Sorry, I’m busy.

That’s right. Give yourself some time to breathe and make it non-negotiable!

2. Unsubscribe, unsubscribe, unsubscribe!

I cannot even begin to tell you how many “Hurry! Super Sale!” emails I received this holiday season. Truthfully? Very few of them were ‘super’ in any way; and most of them were from the same handful of retailers. It’s… daunting. And totally and completely unnecessary.

Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes today to unsubscribe from the junk. Do you really need to know everytime that retailer has a 15% off sale? Probably not. And if you don’t want to miss their sales, subscribe to their Facebook notifications instead.

Simplify by cleaning out that inbox and I promise you’ll feel so much better about checking your emails!

3. Get comfortable saying “No.”

If you’re like me, the times I feel most overwhelmed are the times I’m most over-committed. It took me the last 5 years to become comfortable enough saying “no” to things that just don’t serve me or my family.

But a few years ago, I read something that really struck me — that when we say “I’m too busy…” for something, we’re really saying “It’s not a priority.”

So I’ve turned that around to suit me — if I say yes to too many things, I won’t have time for the things that really serve me and my family. And, honestly, learning to say no has been a godsend. However, there is still a learning curve for my friends and extended family. It takes a bit more understanding on their part to see why we’re unable to commit to everything.

Try to simplify your schedule by saying ‘no’ more often.

4. Take advantage of Giant Eagle Curbside Express Delivery Service.

One of the things I found most difficult with two children is running errands. Grocery shopping became the bane of my existence. The lugging of children out of the car, into the shopping cart, dealing with tantrums, and navigating other shoppers. It’s exhausting.

The allure of having a personal shopper select the freshest, best products for me, based on my online shopping cart, was too much to contain! I first tried out Curbside Express last year and have since hopped on the bandwagon for Curbside Express Delivery! Yes, delivery! As in they deliver your groceries to your home! Squeeee!

It’s so easy to use. I use my Giant Eagle card to log in to an online account where I’m able to personally shop for items ranging from fresh fruits, to frozen foods, to paper products, to deli meats and cheeses. I can even use my preloaded e-coupons and and other sale items!

From there, a Personal Shopper does the shopping for me and I wait for the scheduled delivery (yep, I even get to choose the time and date of delivery!).

I loved that I was able to try it for free the first time and that I was able to add to my shopping cart online during my spare time (which, let’s face it, is when the kids are napping). And delivery was a breeze! Remy was eager to check out what goodies had been delivered and I couldn’t help but bask in the happiness that we didn’t even have to get out of pajamas to get groceries!

Do yourself a favor and simplify your shopping routine by using Giant Eagle Curbside Express Delivery Service.

5. Save time cooking by using a pressure cooker.

Look, my husband has been “team pressure cooker” for the last 5 years, and I’m on a recent convert (hello, popular electric pressure cooker!). But anything that cuts down on the time it takes to prepare a healthy meal for my family is a win.

Some of the pressure cookers also have a slow cook feature as well, so if you’re looking to toss something in the crock pot in the morning and have it ready by the time you arrive home from work, this would be perfect at helping you simplify your meals.

6. Take 5 minutes out of your evening to plan your day tomorrow.

Take 5 minutes out of your evening routine and sit down with a pen and paper. Nope, don’t open your email and create a task (you’ll get too distracted from your inbox).

Keep it simple and short. Write down a few must-do’s followed by a couple of action items. You’ll go to sleep with a plan to attack the next day and less stress in the morning. Simplify by planning ahead.

7. Purge items that no longer serve a purpose to your family.

This is a big one. Like any family, we’ve accumulated ‘stuff’ over the years. Kids stuff, kitchen stuff, other stuff… and it rarely continues to serve a purpose, right? So get rid of it!

I’m not suggesting you do this all in one day. But if you come across something and you realize you no longer need/use it, toss it. Or donate it. But don’t sit and wait for it to become useful again. Simplify by minimizing.

So cheers, 2018. Let’s do this. I’m ready to live more simply and enjoy my family and time for myself!

Our Summer in Pictures

August 28, 2017 by Rachel 18 Comments

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.

What I’m Loving Wednesday //

March 29, 2017 by Rachel 37 Comments

It’s still Spring break around here and we’re keeping busy with activities and naps galore! But I feel like I’ve had too many awesome experiences to ignore as of late!

So I’m sharing what’s good — here’s what I’m loving lately:

The brand new podcast S-Town, from the people who bring you Serial and This American Life. I’m only one episode in and I’m already hooked. Totally hooked!

The new mid-year Day Designer came out last week and I’m beyond in love with the designs. I’ve tried every planner out there — you name it, I’ve tried it. But the Day Designer is, by far, my favorite.

I’m in love with all of the doormat tutorials I’ve seen lately. I think I’ve found my next craft project! Let’s just add it to the list, ya’ll.

Speaking of lists, I’m in love with these 33 Lists to Make as seen on The Triplet Farm. As a list-maker, I’m absolutely obsessed with all of them!

I’m feeling particularly inspired by OohBother’s 72-Hour Cleanse. Perhaps even so inspired that I’ll actually do it (I’m thinking this weekend….). Thoughts??

The @InTheCLE twitter feed! I’m going to be the featured tweeter starting this Sunday! It’s my third time tweeting for In The CLE and I’m super excited — you should totally follow along.

That’s pretty much the extent of my excitement for now! What are you loving this Wednesday!?

life update

March 24, 2016 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Since Remy Bea was born (you know… TWO months ago), life has been a roller coaster, which I’ve talked about. Extensively. Like, extensively. And this here blog has suffered the wrath of long days and nights… By the time I have a few moments to myself to sit down at my computer, I just stare at a blank screen — sometimes for an hour or more — just trying to put words into sentences. But I promise — we have actually had a life over these last 8 weeks — we have actually had fun!

Lavish Salon + Cleats // Fundraisers For My Cousin

My cousin’s 9-year old daughter has been hospitalized for over 7 months now, awaiting surgery to have her pancreas completely removed. Friends of hers arranged two benefit fundraisers for the family and their expenses.

The first fundraiser was at Lavish Color Salon on Valentine’s Day. 100% of the proceeds + tips went directly to my cousin and her family. Haircuts, makeup, nail polish changes, basket raffles, and pictures with Elsa + Olaf were aplenty!

Ari l-o-v-e-d Elsa! At first he was a bit standoffish; but after he warmed up to her, he literally chased her around the salon.

The second fundraiser was at Cleats Restaurant in Chardon. They shut down the restaurant because the turnout was so huge! It was packed! It was wonderful to see such a great turnout for such a wonderful cause! And it happened to be such an amazingly beautiful day.

NOTE: Just before I went to post this I noticed that Gia was featured in a video from The Today Show!

Therapy dogs bring joy, happiness back to kids at children’s h…“Gia had been so sick every single minute of the day. Months and months went by with us not seeing a smile on her face or joy in her eyes, and the first experience of seeing our little Gia back was when she and Drummer got together.”

Posted by Today Show on Wednesday, March 23, 2016

{if you feel so inclined to donate, or just to read the story of Gia, please go here.}

The Akron Art Museum // Tots Create

It’s no secret that I freaking love the Akron Art Museum. It’s a wonderful asset to our community (no, I’m not [yet] a member and have literally zero skin in this game). Their Free Thursdays are the bomb dot com. But they also host amazeballs events, including Creative play dates for tots!

This is me: “You mean my kid can make a mess at YOUR place and I don’t have to freak?? DEAL.”

In the last month we’ve gone to two Tots Create events with Ari’s friend Veronique (and her mom, Betül). He has had so much fun — and released so much creative energy!

The Library // Story Time + Cooking Demos

Sigh – the library! Such a hidden gem! Our childrens section of our library here in Cuyahoga Falls has just gone through a major renovation. It is amazing! Ari loves the ‘puters [aka computers], which are kid-friendly in their bright colors and fun mouse! I’m impressed at how easily Ari has caught on to using a computer!

In addition to the computers, he has absolutely loved story time. Story time, at this age, consists of a ‘warm up’ song to get them singing and moving, before settling in for a series of short stories. It’s wonderful and engaging!

Another local library does other events like cooking demonstrations! Chad has taken Ari to a couple of these demos and events! I’m not certain if Ari has taken much away from it (I’ve not gone with them — Mama needs a break once in awhile!), but it’s awesome that these are offered, nonetheless!

The Parks // SOAR + More

I’m not certain if I’ve mentioned this before [though I’m certain I have at one point in my blogs life…], but we have a park in our backyard. Literally. Behind our property line is a park, complete with a toddler wading pool + playground! Unfortunately the playground is a bit out of Ari’s league at this point. It’s a ‘bigger kids’ type of playground.

But about 10 minutes from where we live is SOAR — an amazing wheelchair accessible playground, which happens to also be equally accessible to kids of all ages! Ari loves it — and I love it! Win-win!

We’re so grateful to have had a few really nice days to get outta the house and enjoy some sunshine!

Arts + Crafts // Creativity at Home

Not only have we had several playdates with friends + their kids over the last 6 weeks, but we’ve also managed to get in our share of crafts at home! Much in part to some help from Mimi, Ari has gotten all kindsa crafty!

I, on the other hand, prefer (at this point, at least) to use the Target easy-‘assembly’ craft-type things. Easier. Less-messy. More mom-of-a-newborn friendly. 😛

SO MUCH MORE //

We’ve been hitting up places like Cafe O’Play, The Lego Store, and local coffee shops with friends to pass the time. As hard as the days are, it oftentimes helps to have a ‘change of scenery’ — for all of us!

Mama’s Night Out // Paint Nite + CIFF Preview Party

I’ve had one semi-successful “night out” without Remy Bea. I went to a Paint Nite event with a dear friend. It’s, like, my 10th paint + wine night in the last 3 years. The one I recently went to was…. disappointing, to say the least. But I did get out for a night and get creative!

My first painting for Miss Remy Bea. ?? #latergram #paintnite #akron #RemyBea

A photo posted by Rachel (@itsahero) on Mar 23, 2016 at 6:51am PDT

I also had the chance to attend the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) preview party at the Akron Civic Theatre!

I will never get tired of this view. @akroncivic #ciff40 #akroncivic #wksu #ciff

A photo posted by Rachel (@itsahero) on Mar 16, 2016 at 3:24pm PDT

I actually brought Remy Bea with me to this event. Not only did I see previews for a ton of movies I want to see, but Remy Bea was a huge hit with the crowd!

So yeah… life has been every emotion under the sun: Fun. Exhausting. Creative. Hilarious. So exciting. Miserable. And mostly just oh so full of life! ♥ I may be exhausted, friends; but my heart is happy.