another year

31 FOR 31 //

December 4, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

It’s been a while since I set any sort of goals for myself. In fact, it’s been over a year! Holy smokes. So it’s time to change that — to give myself a sense of purpose in my thirty-first year of life. Even if this list is making its way two whole months after my 31st birthday. 🙂

I’ve posted similar goals sporadically in the past, but I’ve always gone a bit ‘overboard’ with my lists. Which completely overwhelms me and then I do absolutely none of it. So this year I’m keeping it simple-ish.

[1] Run another half marathon. Having a baby in the middle of the winter will certainly help because we won’t have many options to leave the house. So enter the treadmill!

[2] Find a new job/career that will offer more of a work/life balance.

[3] Have a successful no-spend 30 days.

[4] …. in which I also cook/eat at home for 30 days straight.

[5] Pay it forward to someone by paying for their coffee.

[6] Take a cooking class.

[7] Take a “makers” workshop of some sort.

[8] Purge + donate old items from my closet.

[9] Get rid of old electronics.

[10] Completely reorganize our bedroom.

[11] Completely reorganize our laundry room.

[12] Donate blood.

[13] Get a haircut. I know this seems like NBD. But honestly? I haven’t had a haircut in like 18 months.

[14] Get back to my pre-baby weight.

[15] Attend a county or state fair.

[16] Participate in another Wine + Canvas event.

[17] Meditate everyday for 30 days.

[18] Do a 7-day juice fast.

[19] Workout for 30-days straight.

[20] Go 30-days without alcohol Postpartum obvy cause being pregnant and doing that would be cheating, right?

[21] Complete a cross-stitch project that I’ve had the tools for.

[22] Go to a comedy show.

[23] Take a road trip to NY State.

[24] Attend a pro sporting event.

[25] See a movie at The Nightlight theater in Akron.

[26] Take a Balance + Brews yoga class.

[27] Complete a 60-day streak of 10k steps per day.

[28] Set up my home-office in my bedroom.

[29] Take a SUP yoga class.

[30] Visit a local winery and do a wine tasting.

[31] Attend a yoga event.

I feel like this list is totally attainable — unlike other lists I’ve made in the past. So I’m totally looking forward to scratching one off at a time! No worries — I’ll update it as I go!

Sidenote: I totally almost named this “31 before 31″… and it literally took me like 3 hours to realize that I AM ALREADY 31! Ha. Myyyyy bad.

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. 🙂

it was a good day.

October 7, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Thank you everyone for all of the birthday wishes Monday. I ended up being rather sick and only sleeping for 2 hours the night before, but I made the most of it. Lack of sleep and getting sick all night sure made for an interesting morning… Buuuut I got my butt outta bed and got a couple of things done before being swept away for a morning breakfast sandwich with a dear friend.

Post-breakfast, Chad + I took Moosh to the pumpkin patch to let him explore and get out some of that toddler energy. Maize Valley Farm + Winery in Hartville was just the place!

The place was empty, with the exception of a few other moms & tots. Moosh definitely needed someone who could keep up with him. And I definitely was not that person. So Chad chased the little stinker here, there, and everywhere.

First, he played on the playground, the hay bales, and the tractors.

He was so adventurous. It was amazing to witness this little boy explore, bravely stepping out a few feet further than normal from mommy & daddy. So much different to where we were just a short year ago.

After watching the boys run around (I did zero running. Ha. I just waddled and snapped some pictures), we caught the wagon for the hayride! Moosh loved it!

There were a couple of stops on our hayride tour of Maize Valley, the first being to pick our own pumpkins. Last year Moosh managed to pick a rotting pumpkin and the farm refused to even sell it; they just gave it to us – ha! This year my only rule for Moosh was to pick a pumpkin that wasn’t on it’s way to rotten already.

He wandered and wandered until the found the perfect [tiny] pumpkin! Sigh. There’s something adorable about watching your kid find the ‘perfect’ [for him] pumpkin!

And then it was off to watch the pumpkin chucker! Yep – a compressed-air pumpkin cannon. Chad was in heaven! Moosh was at first… but he grew tired of the chuckin’ pretty quickly! One day, kid, you’ll be super excited to see this.

Ya know what did hold his interest? Racing pigs. Yep. Racing. Pigs.

Sigh. Such a boy! After watching pigs run in a big circle, Moosh insisted on riding in the barrel cars with daddy… Thank goodness he didn’t ask me to go with him, because I wouldn’t have been able to get out! Ha!

By the end of our trip, we were all ready for a nap. Moosh actually said “I need a nap,” when we got home. And everyone napped… except me… the pregnant girl who only got 2 hours of sleep the night before. Ugh.

But I woke everyone up early because I really wanted to eat dinner. I decided I wanted Mexican food, so we checked out a (new to us) restaurant. The food was just okay. And Moosh was totally, totally, cray the whole time we were there. NEVER have I wished for a margarita so badly in my life. Ha! I’m glad Chad was able to enjoy one in my place. 🙂

Our last stop was a quick ice cream cone at Handels. I couldn’t even finish mine because I started to feel sick again. But Moosh had no probably double-fisting my cone with his.

We then put Moosh to bed and watched a movie… which is when I proceeded to get incredibly ill yet again. Regardless, I wouldn’t have changed the day. At all. It certainly wasn’t glamorous. But it was perfect in every way I needed it to be.

I am so grateful for my husband — for his love and his understanding of what exactly makes a perfect birthday when you’re wife is pregnant and sick and (mostly) miserable. ♥

{ weekly mantra }

October 5, 2015 by Rachel 2 Comments

This week I’ll be celebrating a new chapter — a new year of my life! And what better way to ring in a new year than with Chad + Moosh by my side! Yep – Chad took today off. And if we do nothing more than all hang out together at home, I’ll be happy.

I believe in family movie days. All of us snuggled up in one [giant] bed. We pretty much had a weekend full of that. It was lovely. It was perfect. And everything we needed. ♥

I’m addicted to soup. And flaky, doughy, pastries still. What pairs more perfectly than pastries + soup? Nothing!

I wish I could go a day without throwing up. Seriously. My body could use a break.

I’m happy it’s Fall. Oh so happy!

Weekly Mantra:

I need to remember this as we head into a new week. Not everyone is going to understand. The good news is, they don’t have to. It’s not theirs.

reflections on 30 //

October 4, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

I would be lying if I said that this past year was anything but rough. Sure, it had plenty of good times; but it also had quite a few rough patches. I’ve been sick a lot. Like, a LOT. Yes, with this pregnancy, but also before that. It’s been an odd year of ups and downs as far as my health is concerned. Lucky for me, Moosh has been pretty healthy (minus one small childrens’ hospital scare).

In an effort to remind myself of what happy times happened in my 30th year of life, I went through my pictures. It turns out, YES, amongst the craziness of the last 365 days, we found reason to smile. Reasons for hope. And reasons for love.

That being said, I’m really and truly looking forward to 31. Bring on the craziness. Bring on the roller coaster. Bring it all. I know it won’t be easy. We’ll be welcoming baby number 2 into our house in just a few, short months. That alone is sure to stir things up. But I’m changing my expectations. I’m planning on just rolling with the punches. Easier said than done, am I right?

That’s my goal for the next year — to just roll with the punches. And to remember what matters in this world — my itty bitty (growing) family. ♥

So if you need me, I’m going to be spending the last day of my 30th year in comfy clothes, eating soup on the couch, while watching movies with the husband + Moosh.

And thank you to everyone who hung in there for thirty. XO

PS. Let this serve as a friendly reminder that both Homeland AND the Leftovers start back on HBO tonight — HAPPY (almost) BIRTHDAY TO ME from HBO! 🙂