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adventure

Road Trip Must-Haves

August 25, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

This summer I’ve travelled solo with Moosh a couple of times. Well, guys, I’m a freaking pro these days! And we’re taking one last small trip. And while I’m putting together our travel necessities, I decided to share our go-to road trip list!

1. A LeapPad (and/or iPad). We bring both. Especially on a long trip. Our iPad doesn’t have 3G/4G access, but we do have it loaded up with movies! It seriously makes him a perfect traveller!

2. Beef Jerky (or Pork or Turkey). This is our personal go-to snack (for the parents, not the toddler). It’s high in protein and really helps this mama’s tummy!

3. Tissues. Because, snot. But no seriously. Whenever I have them, I don’t need them; whenever I don’t have them, I desperately need them. So yeah, better to be safe than sorry!

4. Podcasts. I’m obsessed with Podcasts. Obsessed! My favorites are Serial, Undisclosed, This American Life, and Mortified. Road trip or not, if you haven’t checked these out, you must! Must!

5. Toddler-Friendly Drinks. We prefer Honest Kids juice pouches, and so does Moosh!

6. Toddler-Friendly Snacks. Our go-to snacks are Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies and the other cookie offerings they have. Our little dude loves them!

7. Audible. Audiobooks are perfect for longer road trips. I like to have one that is just long enough for our trip, one-way. And I do lots and lots of research on a good book that will keep us entertained for hours in the car. This has worked out very well for us. Also? If you sign up with Audible

8. Potty Seat. Travelling with a newly potty-trained toddler? Potty chair is a MUST. Like, no question about it. I’m not taking this kid into a rest stop. I. just. can’t! Ha.

9. Coffee. Lots and lots and lots of coffee.

10. Plastic Bags. Because you literally never know when you’re going to need a plastic bag. Seriously.

11. Wipes. Just like the plastic bags, you never know when you’re going to need them. And they aren’t just for the toddler! They’re also for spills,

12. Google Maps. Do people use traditional GPS devices anymore? We use Google Maps for EVERYTHING!

13. Hand Sanitizer. I have an aversion to germs. Especially when travelling. I just always feel ‘icky.’ So I keep this on-hand at all times. Yes, I’d prefer to always have clean hands via soap + water; but if that’s not possible, this is a perfect backup.

So there’s our list! It’s not all-inclusive, but it is a handy start! Is there anything I missed that is on your ‘must-have’ travel list!? 

Filed Under: adventure, car, children, coffee, explore locally, family, life, life with a toddler, lists, mommyhood, Moosh, parenthood, road trip, summer, travel, trip, vacation, voyage Tagged With: adventure, being a mom, children, explore locally, family, life, life with a toddler, list, mommyhood, Moosh, motherhood, oh baby, parenthood, road trip, summer, travel

Zippity Zoo Doo // Explore Locally

May 31, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

Long before I became a mom I enjoyed visiting the zoo. In fact, when I was a student in Buffalo and Syracuse, I would go to the zoo by myself. Just to explore. It’s one of those places that I find comfort in. And for the past several years we have been members of our local zoo, the Akron Zoo. One of the perks of being a member is getting discount and free admission to other zoos across the country.

We just so happen to have TWO wonderful zoos in our backyard. The other of which is the Cleveland Zoological Society!

I’m honored to be attending the Cleveland Zoological Society‘s 42nd annual Zippity Zoo Doo, Friday, June 5th, to benefit the mission and educational programs of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

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The theme of this years event is Serengeti Sunrise, where guests will enjoy an African inspired seated-dinner (think Smoked Fennel Crusted Filet and Red Snapper Yasa, just to name a couple of items), along with themed cocktails and hors d’oeurves (think Lobster BLT and Peri Peri Chicken Kebabs! Yum!).

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Guests will not only be able to bid on a wide array of silent auction items, but they will also have the opportunity to visit the Zoo’s herd of Masai giraffe at the new Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter. In addition to the Wild Side silent auction, guests will be asked to help raise $50,000 for education scholarships by filling The Giving Tree. By 9pm, the table with the highest combined contribution will win an immediate behind-the-scenes experience with the giraffe herd.

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What an awesome night this is going to be! All of this excitement PLUS live music under the stars at a highly-rated Cleveland fundraiser?! I cannot wait. Tickets for Zippity Zoo Doo are still on sale. Individual donation levels start at $250 and table champion levels start at $3,500. Click here for more details. And see you at the Serengeti Sunset.

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

Filed Under: adventure, Akron, bloggers, cleveland, events, explore locally, food, fun, Ohio, plans, sponsor, summer, Zoo Tagged With: adventure, akron, bloggers, cleveland, events, explore locally, food, foodie, fun, life, local, ohio, plans, sponsor, summer, zoo

life lately // a wrap up

May 15, 2015 by Rachel 2 Comments

Life has been crazy pants over the last month or so. But isn’t that kind of always the case when you’re working and raising a toddler and taking care of family responsibilities and training for races and trying to actually fit in some fun, too?

Moosh started a new session of tumbling at the YMCA. The class is PACKED, which makes me mega anxious. But it turns out his ‘girlfriend’ we met on Valentine’s Day at Café O’Play — Veronique — is in his tumbling class. These two are SO cute! They are a week apart in age; plus they are both pretty much exactly the same size (aka — tiny).

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We took a short trip to Louisville, Kentucky to visit with Mimi and Poppy. And we jam-packed it with fun and adventures! The first of which was to the Zoo. Here is my review of the zoo in Louisville: dirty; packed; but we still had fun. Moosh wanted to walk everywhere, which was exhausting for us, but we were hoping it would wear him out so he would take a nap (newsflash: he didn’t.)

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The zoo did have some cool Lego thing going on though. Moosh wasn’t nearly as interested in the Legos as we were. Ha! Some day, kid, you’ll realize how freaking cool it was.

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Chad, my parents, Moosh, and I went to the Louisville version of the Cleveland Flea — which is appropriately named The Flea Off Market. It was like an early version of the Cleveland Flea. It was cute and crowded and full of local finds, foods and brews — which is pretty much my paradise. So while I was sad we were out of town for the Cleveland Flea, it was exciting to experience something similar as an out-of-towner!

I had the chicken and waffles from something that is not considered a food truck — it was a food wagon. And it was DELICIOUS. And I tried a (new-to-me) brew from Bluegrass Brewing Company — a red IPA! Perfection.

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And Moosh ate the crap out of some plantains. This kid loves the most random fruits and veggies! My dad had this delicious cuban food. He loved it; I thought it was spicy-ish. I’ll stick to my chicken and waffles.

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We took a family-friendly betting trip to Churchill Downs — just one week after the Kentucky Derby. My thoughts? Churchill Downs is huge; there were a ton of people (even for an “off” day); the horses are beautiful; and betting has never been my thang. It was still cool to experience all of it. Moosh ‘bet’ on the “orange horse,” aka the horse with the rider who was wearing orange.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6No4I_CHZY]
It’s a good thing the chicken and waffles were small because we had a date night at an Ethiopian Restaurant, Queen of Sheba, — a first for us! I would be lying if I didn’t say I was skeptical. Sure, it sounded great; but my dad referred to it as a “hole in the wall.” Then recanted and said “Well, it’s not a hole in the wall…” and I was like…. Yay [sarcasm]. But when we showed up I immediately felt at ease.

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The food was incredible. I mean that in the most serious way. I told Chad that I wish we had eaten at this restaurant for every meal while we were there. The meals come “family style” on the same big plate… really it’s a platter, not a plate. And there isn’t any silverware. You eat with your hands and the injera, the Ethiopian bread, serves as your utensil. Mine was the Shifta Chicken (the meal on the bottom) and Chad had the Gored-Gored (the spicy beef dish on top).

Moosh played HARD at the playgrounds in Kentucky. And he came back with the bruises to prove it. I seriously wonder if our sitter thinks we beat him. (PS. We did not. Dude just doesn’t know how small and fragile he is. Ha!)

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Mother’s Day consisted of a long drive home. Which was accompanied by Moosh sleeping — HOORAY! The perfect gift. 🙂

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But we did at least watch some Monsters Inc before we hit the road… <3 Chad happened to snap this photo of us. Too cute!

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I took another canvas painting class! I’ve taken several (ie. SEVEN) Wine + Canvas classes. This time I used Paint Nite in Akron. I have to say, it seemed to be a bit more lively and fun; but the teaching of technique was severely lacking. However, I still love the outcome!

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We celebrated Chad’s birthday with a low-key night. A quick trip to Café O’Play, then dinner at Aladdin’s new space in Portage Crossings, followed by cake and presents at home.

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I think we try not to get each other “things” because if we needed something (or wanted something) we would get it. We try to celebrate with experiences that last a lifetime. So I got Chad tickets to see Joe Machi at Hilarities at Pickwick and Frolic. If you’re not familiar with Joe Machi, he was on Last Comic Standing and placed 4th. The dude is funny in just our sort of way — dry humor. However, he is not attractive like my boy Tommy Jonaghin. Sigh. I love that man (sorry Chad). Regardless of his level of attractiveness, it’s going to be fun. Too bad we have to wait until July to see the show!

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I cooked another Blue Apron meal. I feel like this needs to be documented every time. Because it doesn’t happen often. Technically, I cooked the meal pictured on the top — Baked Empanadas de Picadillo with Arugula, Queso Fresco, & Pickled Onion Salad! Chad made the meal on the bottom — Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple and Avocado salsa.

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Basically, life has been busy, but perfectly lovely. When I look at this blog post and all of our pictures, it fills my heart up completely!

Filed Under: adventure, Akron, Ari Davis, beer, birthday, Cleveland Flea, crafty, events, explore locally, family, Flea Market Fun, food, friends, fun, life, life with a toddler, live happy, marriage, mommyhood, Moosh, Ohio, parenthood, pictures, plans, summer, travel, trip, updates, vacation, voyage, week in review, weekend, Zoo Tagged With: adventure, akron, ari davis, beer, being a mom, celebration, cleveland, cleveland flea, craft beer, crafty, events, explore locally, family, flea market fun, food, foodie, life, life with a toddler, local, marriage, Moosh, motherhood, ohio, pictures, travel, trip, weekend, zoo

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