Its a Hero

Travel Adventures

Explore Ohio // Family-Friendly Summer Fun at Pinecrest

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THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY PINECREST BUT THE CONTENT AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE ARE MY OWN.

 

Summer may not ‘officially’ start for another couple of weeks, but our local schools have been out for a couple of weeks now and we are in full-swing Summer mode!

I purposefully adjusted my Summer work schedule to maximize the time that the kids and I can spend time doing things we enjoy the most — like visiting museums, hitting up the library, and exploring local events.

And we are VERY excited to check out all of the family-friendly events taking place at Pinecrest in Orange Village!

If you haven’t yet been to Pinecrest, you’re truly missing out. Between the shops and restaurants, it’s also an amazing community of vendors and Cleveland supporters. And the family-friendly Summer event schedule is jam-packed with incredible opportunities to visit, explore, and open doors to adventure!

If you visit today, there is a Give Gifted Summer Marketplace taking place in Pinecrest’s Central Park and it features small-shop vendors like Little Red Bird Custom Cookies and Art of Sucre (whose kid doesn’t love cut-out cookies and fancy cotton candy?!). And every Sunday through the Summer they will feature a free concert series called “Simple Summer Sundays,” which sounds like a great way to wrap-up the weekend.

Weekday events like this Tuesday’s Pinecrest Play Days with NEO Parent are just as easy to come by. My crew and I will be there to kick off the season with their inaugural event, which is conveniently themed Summer Camp Out. The event will feature crafts, games, prizes, snacks, balloon art, temporary glitter tattoos, and more. It’s sure to be a fantastic way to keep the kids busy and entertained!

Other family-friendly events include:

  • Outdoor Movie Nights (Weekly, Wednesday’s at 8:00 PM — to include Ralph Breaks The Internet, Frozen, and more!)
  • North Union Farmer’s Market (Weekly, Saturday’s from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
  • Free Outdoor Yoga Classes (Weekly, Wednesday’s at 6:30 PM)

See below for a full schedule of Summer events!

Bonus Pro-Tip: While you’re there, treat yo’self (and your kids) to an extra special treat from Duck Donuts, Condado Tacos, or Pinstripes for Brunch! You won’t regret it.

What event

are you most excited

to attend?

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half Marathon 2019

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Don’t let the fear of not being “good enough” hold you back from achieving your goals!

Nearly two weeks ago I finished my first postpartum race after having Mila and my second half marathon ever, at the Pittsburgh Marathon. I was underprepared.

Like, crazy, crazy underprepared. The days and hours where I should have been running were spent tending to sick children.

But I still got out there. I still showed up. I realized in the wee hours of that morning that I CAN DO VERY HARD THINGS. HECK, I birthed three babies on very little sleep (and one without an epidural). So I knew my body was (and is) capable of more than I think.

So if you think “I could never do ___,” take a step back and give yourself some darn credit! YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS!

Right now my body is still in recovery mode. The mud, sweat, and tears were totally worth that finishers medal (and the finishers beer!). YES, I’m proud of myself for physically finishing 13.1 miles. But mostly I’m proud of the fact that I mentally and psychologically could handle it. Postpartum baby number one and two, I could never have convinced myself to start, let alone finish. But this time my anxiety stayed far from that start and finish line.

That alone was worth the medal. So I’m going to consider this my freaking postpartum medal. And I goddamn earned it!

 

 

Travel Tips // Getting Peace of Mind with Guardian Alarm

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This post is sponsored by Guardian Alarm but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Well hello, spring! I feel like we’re finally pulling out of our season of hibernation and are about to enter the season of travel.

This Easter weekend we’ll be taking our first trip away from our new home since our big move in December. In anticipation of this trip, Chad and I decided it was time to get some peace of mind by having Guardian Alarm come out and install a security monitoring system.

Years ago (which seemed like another lifetime) I heard several stories from people who had just had a break-in. It was heartbreaking on so many levels. What was most rattling was that these people — often times parents with small children — no longer felt safe in their own homes. From that moment on, security has been a top priority. I never want to feel like my safe haven has been violated by a stranger.

When I contacted Guardian Alarm, they walked me through how the process would work — from beginning to end. We discussed areas of the home that I really needed to secure like all three doors, securing the hallway to alert us to potential intruders, and a camera to keep an eye on things.

I definitely want to protect my kids from potential intruders, but I also want to make our lives easier with home automation. So we decided to get the keyless entry deadbolt, a lamp module, and also a combination fire alarm/CO2 detector.

The installation process was so easy and wonderful. Our installer, Megan, walked me through the entire process step-by-step. I had so many questions about which was the ‘right’ way to secure our home. She took the time to answer all of the questions in depth. We even decided to separate the CO2 detector from the fire alarm (at her suggestion) so that we could assure our home would be it’s safest.

Thanks to Megan, the placement of the CO2 detector will immediately recognize as soon as there is a danger or threat to our family — and the monitored system will notify emergency services. It’s amazing.

But most importantly, when we travel this weekend I won’t worry about the fact that we have a very high-profile location. This house sat vacant for many years and I often hear people say “Oh you’re the people who bought that house! We always talked about buying it! It’s such a great location!” And they’re right. We’re right next to our sons’ elementary school.

Unfortunately, this means that there is a good amount of foot traffic, both for the school and the playground. There is a parking lot near the edge of our property. And we’ve noticed that people certainly like to cut through the drive. I plan on using the lamp dimmer switch to remotely turn off and on our living room light at key times during the day and evening and I’ll check in on the property with the camera just for a little bit of extra peace of mind.

Honestly, I can’t imagine entering into this busy season of life (with all of the travel, sports, and other various activities) without having a Guardian Alarm system to keep us all safe.

 

How do you

keep peace of mind

when you travel?

Explore Ohio // Historic Downtown Delaware

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Things have been quite busy around here. I haven’t intentionally been not posting — it’s just that I’ve had so many exciting things happening on my social calendar that I’ve barely had a second to breathe!

One of those exciting things was an adventure to Delaware, Ohio for a blogger meetup! I was excited, considering the last time I’d intentionally visited Delaware I was eleven, but I’d heard great things about downtown and I was really looking forward to checking it out for myself.

Our first stop was at the Fresh Start Café, where the owner and his wife, whom also just happens to be the incredible baker, greeted us with open arms and fresh pastries!

We mixed and mingled and tasted all of the delicious croissants, tarts, bars, and cookies before heading out to explore downtown.

The downtown area is home to a weekly Saturday morning farmers market, which is incredible for both the students of the nearby university and the residents of the town. I was able to find fresh vegetables, antibiotic-free meats, and even kombucha!

My favorite finds were probably these cookies (I bought the paint-your-own-dino cookies for my kids).

I stopped into all of these tiny little shops throughout the downtown area. One of my favorite things is how PUNNY the names of the stores are! The Greater Gouda? What The Tux? Like, C’mon! I LOVE it!

Our next stop was the Strand Theatre. This gorgeous little theatre has been around since 1916 and is one of the 10 longest operating theaters in the United States! It’s independently operated and a non-profit but still shows first-run movies.

Admission is cheap, considering the cost of movies these days! It’s only $7 for general admission tickets, and there are deals for students and seniors daily!

Breweries + Brewpubs + Restaurants. 

I was amazed at how many brewpubs called Downtown Delaware home! For a ‘small town,’ I counted at least 4 — which is a craft beer lovers dream.

Besides the Flying Pig Ale House, we also stopped at Restoration Brew Worx.

Oak + Brazen Wine Company is a fantastic little urban winery and offers incredible charcuterie and flatbreads!

I truly had no idea that this kind of culture existed in small-town Ohio! I can’t wait to visit again — this time with the whole family.

What’s your favorite

“unheard of” place

to visit and explore??

 

 

Many thanks to Mary of the Fervent Foodie for organizing this event and to Periwinkle Photography for capturing us in action.

 

 

 

Cheers to SIX Years ! // and a COFFEE Prize Pack Giveaway

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Six years. Six years ago, tomorrow, Chad and I eloped on an empty beach in Portland, Maine.

It truly feels like a lifetime ago. We were about 13 weeks pregnant with Ari at the time. We had been dating for what seemed like forever, so we decided why the heck not go get married and make it official!

When I say we ‘eloped’ I mean that we were the only people present, besides the justice of the peace, our photographer, and her assistant (whom also acted as our two witnesses for the event).

Our parents knew we were getting married; but no one else did.

It was perfect. And I love looking back on the photos from the day…

And here we are — six years and three pregnancies (and almost three babies) later — still in love, even though our lives look much different than before.

To my husband — you are still the love of my life — even if our lives look tremendously different than we imagined, and even if we get lost in the hustle and bustle of parenting and work. I love you. 

I’m certain our anniversary will look even more ‘boring’ this year — as I’m working a fundraiser and Chad will be working — but it will be special, nonetheless. ♥

And to help us celebrate our anniversary, I’m hosting a giveaway for a Dunkin Donuts Summer Prize Pack. It includes everything you need to celebrate this Summer!

2 Dunkin’ beach towels
2 Dunkin’ drink containers
1 donut pool float
1 donut drink float

Use the rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Photographer: Justine Johnson
Resort: Inn By the Sea
Jar Cakes: Etsy
Location: Portland Head Light, Crescent Beach, Lobster Shack at Two Lights

2018 State of NASA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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