Its a Hero

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Friday Favorites

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It’s been a week, y’all. I know I say that a lot, but we just can’t seem to catch a break with illnesses, and crazy work schedules, and whatnot… I’d like to say that I’m ready for the weekend. But that, too, is kinda busy.

But I’m going to share a few of my Friday Favorites from this week!

Favorite on Netflix: This week I binge-watched Seven Seconds, and I can’t say enough good things. But I also told my husband that it was really hard to watch, especially as a mom.

Still, go watch it. You won’t be disappointed.

Favorite read: This article from Scary Mommy really struck a chord with me this week. No, I’m not particularly depressed at the moment; but as someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression for most of their life in some way (mostly anxiety), this really hit home.

Favorite listen: I still can’t focus long enough to find new music to listen to (which is exactly why my cycling playlist is a hodge-podge of the most random music in the universe); but I am still obsessively listening to podcasts.

My recent favorite podcast and episode is Five Women, an episode of This American Life.

Favorite sip: I’m absolutely loving the Dunkin Donuts Girl Scout Cookie flavors that are out right now — especially the samoa flavor!

I’m not an obsessive Girl Scout cookie fan, but I always, always, buy the Samoa’s. I just feel like there aren’t any other cookies like it on the market. So why not indulge just a little bit more with these delicious coffee flavors, right?!

Favorite eat: I admitted earlier this week that we have been eating a lot of freezer food, so my pregnant mind has been wandering a lot about an upcoming date night we have planned. I can’t wait to eat a grown up meal!

But I did recently take the kids for a ‘splurge’ meal (aka, not a freezer meal) at Retro Dog. I just can’t get enough of their amazing hot dogs and fresh cut French fries!

Favorite link: Shameless plug, but I recently wrote my first article for the Cleveland Plus Blog and it went live last week! Check it out here.

#SorryNotSorry

Favorite place: We’ve been spending a lot of our free time (ha!) at Café O’Play. Their Spring season pass has been an awesome way to get out of the house for just a couple of hours, and we’ve been taking full advantage of it!

What are some of your favorites

from this week?!

Northeast Ohio Holiday Gift Guide //

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Hi. My name is Rachel and I LOVE Ohio. Like, I really, truly, have a passion for my home state. We produce amazing people, products, and industry. I always try to buy as local as possible, but it’s especially important for me at this time of year. There are just so many local options from amazing creators right here in Northeast Ohio.

Not sure where to start knocking off your holiday gifts? I’ve rounded up my favorite local ideas below!

 

Pope’s Kitchen Bloody Mary Mix. 

I am a recent convert to the Bloody Mary. The spicy aroma has always been something that has reminded me of my grandmother. But Pope’s Kitchen puts a fresh, local, and extra spicy spin on the traditional bloody mary. When I was pregnant with Remy I used to just drink the mix straight up (I had a craving for spicy!).

Find it in any local Market District or order online here ($12/32 oz.).

Coffee from Akron Coffee Roasters.

Want fresh, locally-roasted coffee? Look no further than S. High Street in Akron! Their love for their coffee and the roasting process is evident in each pour over they serve.

Their coffees are available online for purchase to ship directly to your loved ones, or you can go right into their store on South High Street (and then head over to The Nightlight to catch a flick!). (from $12/10 oz.)

Middlebury Butter from Akron Honey Company. 

Akron Honey is a family operated, artisan honey company, and they have recently opened up a brick and mortar store at the Northside Marketplace in Downtown Akron. I’ve personally tasted all of their honey, but the Middlebury Butter remains my favorite. I put it on everything — bread, apples, you name it!

It can currently be found at a variety of pop up markets (like the Cleveland Flea, Crafty Mart, etc) and their store in Northside Marketplace.

The Vitamix Ascent Series A3500. 

Vitamix is the leader in culinary blenders and food processors — and they are also a local Ohio company, with their headquarters located in Olmsted Falls!

Their products are produced, manufactured, and distributed here locally — and for those of us in Northeast Ohio, that means we’re lucky enough to get the first peak at new products! This past year I received the A3500 and was able to get rid of my old Vitamix. Let me tell you, this new version is incredible and so easy to use!

You can pick one up in their local store in Solon or online here (A3500 $549.99).

A Family Membership to the Akron Zoo.

With the slogan “You’ve never been this close,” the folks at the Akron Zoo truly mean it! The zoo itself is the perfect size to take children of all ages for a few hours or an all day excursion. The recently renovated exhibits are absolutely stunning! And members are able to get discount admission on events ranging from Brew at the Zoo to Wild Lights!

Order a family membership online here or pick one up on-location in Akron (Family Membership, $80/year).

Tickets for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

The CVSR, operated wholly by volunteers, leaves either the Rockside Station in Independence or the Northside Station in Akron. You can hop on with a round-trip ticket or bike one way and take it one way back! Besides just regular train rides, the CVSR offers a variety of special events, such as The Polar Express and Ales On Rails!

Not sure when your recipient would like to go? The CVSR offers gift certificates in denominations ranging from $15 – $150 and can be purchased by calling 800-468-4070 x 1.

Shirts from The Social Dept.

We have a lot of options when it comes to local t-shirts here in Northeast Ohio. My favorites, by far, come from the Social Department. Located in my town of Cuyahoga Falls, they offer an eclectic variety of Midwest apparel.

Their sizes range from kids to adults, so no one will be left out! My personal faves are this Cleveland Indians shirt (which I bought for my husband last year) and this Go Local Sports Team shirt (which I should totally have because, sports!).

You can visit them in store at their Front Street location in Cuyahoga Falls, Tuesday through Sunday, or you can order online here  with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve if you order by December 18th (Prices range from $22+ but gift certificates available in $10+).

Growler of the Month Club at HiHo Brewing Co. 

Located right next door to The Social Department, HiHo Brewing Company is a welcomed addition to Front Street in Cuyahoga Falls this last year. And their beers are incredible, too! Former teachers turned craft brewers, Ali and Jon, have turned this spot into one of Northeast Ohio’s most popular breweries!

They offer a range of beer, from blond ales to stouts, and tapas style food options. Don’t know what you want? Try a flight!

Open Wednesday through Sunday, you can purchase the gift of their Growler A Month Club or just a plain old gift card! (Growler of the month: $180 – includes growler and punch card for 12 fills; gift cards available in all denominations).

The Gift of Play from Café O’Play in Stow.

Café O’Play, located in Stow right off of Route 8, is a safe and fun indoor play place for kids ages crawlers through tweens! They offer climbing activities for young and old, as well as a special toddler-only zone for a safe-space for those who are just past the crawling stage, 7-days a week.

In addition to being a safe place to play, owners John and Carolyn make sure that parents feel like they have a partner in this parenting journey. Sure, it’s not all fun and games, but they make it easy for the kids to have fun while the adults can (kind of) sit back and relax a bit on the café side!

You can purchase gift cards in person or online here (gift cards available in denominations of $25, $50, and $100).

There are so many more options that I could go into — soap from Saint Augustine and Suds; tickets to Playhouse Square; hot sauce from Not Yo’ Daddy’s; just to name a few!

Not from Northeast Ohio and still not sure what all of the fuss is about?!? Well how about this for a reason — Cleveland was recently ranked #14 in the 21 places you need to visit by none other than National Geographic! So get your butt to Northeast Ohio and see exactly why I’m freaking out about where I live all of the time!

 

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. 

Day Tripping // Louisville, Kentucky

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Life has been hella crazy lately. I’d like to say we’ve been busy travelling the globe, but that would be semi inaccurate. I mean, we have been travelling the midwest rather thoroughly. 😛 😛 And one of the great things about living in the Midwest is that we can travel a few hours and be transported to a completely different type of living.

Specifically of interest to me is Southern living. The South is so close to us, but so far away. I mean, we can get to what’s considered ‘the south’ in just a few hours; but, honestly, it’s weird that Southern Ohio/Northern Kentucky are even considered to be ‘South.’  But it really is another world.

See, my parents moved to Louisville, Kentucky from Cleveland, Ohio, when I was just a few months pregnant with Ari. So they’ve been away for about 5 years now. They love it, we love to visit, but we wish they were closer. FOR SURE.

We’ve been able to visit and sightsee many times in Louisville, but here’s a list of my favorite places to visit.

Queen of Sheba – Ethiopian Restaurant. This may seem random. Actually, it is. But I swear to you this is some of the most authentic cuisine I have ever had. Chad and I are one-hundred percent foodies — through and through. And this place? This place is off-the-grid and amazing. No silverware, questionable seating, but totally authentic.

NuLu. If you’re looking for the up-and-coming/artsy part of town, head straight to NuLu — the East Market District of Louisville. There are so many boutiques and markets to check out, it’s hard not to spend every penny! Ha!


Royals Chicken. Nashville hot chicken is one of my most favorite things to eat, period. So it should come as no surprise that Chad and I found the most awesome Nashville hot chicken (aka – very spicy fried chicken). We’ve been to this place several times on our visits and it seriously doesn’t get any better! We always go for lunch, but if I had gone for dinner I would have gotten a bourbon slushie! 🙂

Nord’s Bakery. I ventured out solo one Sunday morning to find this place. Located near the University of Louisville, this adorable little bakery offers some of the most incredible donuts I’ve ever had. The staff was so friendly and I cannot wait to have more of these donuts in the future! Definitely worth the trip to Kentucky alone!

Big Four Bridge. Originally a railroad bridge, the pedestrian-only bridge opened in 2013 and allows people to easily walk from Kentucky to Indiana over the Ohio River! Parking near the bridge is free and the park is open 24/7! It offers a light show, music, and unbeatable views. But Ari will forever remember the Batman popsicle he had at the end of the bridge — haha!

Sunegros Coffee. I stumbled across this coffee shop one morning when I was out exploring on my own. I was beyond impressed with their espresso offerings. I wish I had a bit more time to settle into this place with my laptop, but, alas, time was a commodity. But I’ll be back, that’s for sure!

Louisville Slugger Museum. On one of our first trips to Louisville, we took Ari to the museum. He was too little to appreciate it, but Chad and I loved it. Chad loved the nostalgia of holding some of ‘the greats’ bats, and I loved the nerdiness of making the bats (they walk you through the factory and show you how they’re actually made!).

Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. We went out on a limb to find this place, friends. See, we saw all of the bourbon/whisky trail pamphlets that had very corporate ‘tours’ and whatnot. Those places looked fantastic (we checked them out, too), but they were full of people being literally bussed in for these bourbon trail tours. But this place? This place is off the beaten path. We walked a good quarter mile from Louisville Slugger, through a semi-sketch neighborhood, to find this place. But it didn’t disappoint. We tasted their rye whiskey… and it was… okay. I say that as someone who does not in any way like whiskey. But I could appreciate the process and the passion. Whiskey lover or not, it remains one of my favorite places.

I can’t wait to visit Louisville again, soon! And of course we will continue to explore — but is there any place that you would recommend we visit!?

 

Our Week In Pictures // and My Monday Mantra

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Shame on me — I’m a bad, bad, blogger! I’ve been doing a fairly decent job of getting lots of sleep + snuggling my babies. So basially I had the best excuses ever.

Oh, and I worked — a LOT.

But here are the exciting parts of our week, as told by pictures:

[a trip to the akron zoo to see the ‘fla-mangoes!’]

[visited the new local craft brewery, HiHo]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gZPbEVZEDE]

[ari’s first t-ball practice]

[a pizza birthday party with friends]

[lots of playing]

[a teensy bit of work, a lot of coffee from akron coffee roasters]

[miss bea’s first taste of ice cream, courtesy of chill artisan ice cream]

Not pictured: A low-grade fever from one silly toddler; loads and loads of unfolded laundry; and lots of chaos. Like every week, our days were filled with lots of ups and even more downs. But I’m trying to keep on the brightside. And this upcoming week is no different. Well, it’s a little different because Ari is on Spring break — and that means I’m taking a little time off to do a few special things with the kiddos!

And here’s my Mantra for the week:

Happy Monday, friends! Find some joy by doing little things! xo

Crafty Mart // Explore + Shop Locally

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Thanksgiving weekend was the shortest, long weekend in the history of weekends, friends. We laid really, really, low for most of it. But I did manage to sneak out with Remy Bea on Saturday to go to one of my favorite local events — Crafty Mart. Crafty Mart is Akron, Ohio’s market for all things handmade! It’s honestly just an awesome collection of locally-made eclectic finds.

And I freaking love it!

First of all, it’s at, like, all of my favorite places — Musica, Summit Artspace and the Akron Art Museum! There really isn’t a place big enough to hold all of the vendors here in Akron, so they are split between three, very close, locations.

itsahero_craftymart1
Remy Bea and I started out at the Akron Art Museum. We left the boys at home and just wandered around. It’s honestly been a couple of months since we visited, so it was nice to see the new exhibits while checking out the vendors. I don’t recall what this big red exhibit was, but you could walk into it. It was fun!

itsahero_craftymart
Here are some of my favorite vendors and local artisans from the event:

  • Norka Beverage. Hand-crafted artisan beverages made right here in Akron in 1924. After being out of the business for over 50 years, this local business has been given a new life! It’s been revived and given a new life!
  • Whiskertin Lighting. Bringing incredible industrial brightness to new spaces! I absolutely loved all of their pieces — and wish I could purchase them all!
  • The Social Dept. Graphic designers turned screen-printers turn local midwestern t-shirt makers! Gotta love Blimp apparel in the Rubber City!
  • Department 100. 3D printers turned artists. Ohio-shaped fly-swatters; Ohio-shaped earrings; Ohio-shaped cookie cutters; and so much more!
  • Akron Coffee Roasters. I’ve long been jealous of all of the local coffee roasters that Cleveland has. Sure, we’re close to Cleveland, but Akron has been long overdue at having a good coffee shop. They roast their own beans and can tell you exactly where your coffee has come from! Give me a pour over, stat!
  • Bacon’s Superior Beard Care. Beard oil and mustache was for the special furry man in your life! Made with a blend of beeswax, lanolin, and jojoba oil — and it smells delicious!
  • Studio KMR Photography. My dear friend Kevin takes amazing photos and turns them into awesome works of art. Ari is a big fan of all of his coasters and magnets (which he insists on taking off of our fridge and hiding…).
  • BreadAndRoses2. These. bags. are. ADORBS.
  • France France Kids Shop. Adorable kids clothes, made by hand, right here in Kent, Ohio!

I just can’t stop loving Crafty Mart — or shopping from local vendors! Seriously! Whether you live here in Ohio or not, I urge you to check out local makers in your area. There are so many amazing crafters out there. Just go and explore them. Buy from them. And support the economy in a big way by shopping in small ways! ♥ ♥