Its a Hero

crafty

Experience Holiday Family Fun at Pinecrest

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This post has been sponsored by Pinecrest. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Now that I’m a mom of three little kids, I’ve found that gift-giving to adults can be difficult, to say the least. We have two sets of grandparents to ‘buy’ for and, quite honestly, none of them need any more ‘stuff.’

But the act of gift-giving is still important. As is creating a magical holiday season for our children. So, as a family of 5, we are creating ways that our children can both have fun this season and make and create gifts that their relatives will enjoy for years to come.

Family-Friendly Events

There are so many opportunities for family fun at Pinecrest this holiday season.

tapestry on the wall

Tomorrow, November 26th marks the beginning of Skate in Central Park and this event is open daily through January 5th, 2020! Bring your own skates, or rent at the rink!

If ice skating isn’t your thing, there are other events to check out. Mingle with Kringle while you’re out shopping, or check out the choreographed light show, Pinecrest Nights of Lights.

Check out the full holiday event schedule here.

Creative Gift-Giving

Gifts made with love are the best types of gifts, am I right? This year we decided to make all of our grandparents’ gifts at Pinecrest.

Color Me Mine

My kids ADORE painting. I, on the other hand, would prefer not to have them ruin my kitchen table. Color Me Mine brings both my desire for cleanliness and my children’s desire to paint together in perfect harmony!

Kids painting pottery with adult

Color Me Mine, a DIY paint-your-own pottery studio. Their options of pieces range from small to extra-large, and they offer over 60 colors.

boy painting pottery

My children took approximately five hundred minutes picking out their pieces to paint. But, where they lacked in decision making, they made up for in creativity.

Mother and son painting pottery

I have to include major props to the employees of Pinecrest Color Me Mine. See, I had Mila with me and I was unable to be as hands-on with the big kids as I originally intended. But the employees helped my big littles bring their visions to fruition.

We picked up our finished pieces after the glazing process was complete (within just a few days). My kids are obsessed and they cannot wait to give them away as gifts to their grandparents.

The Candle Studio

Making candles is one of my favorite experiences. My kids have been dying to try their hand at it, so we decided to try The Candle Studio.

kids smiling

The employees at the Candle Studio were incredibly patient with my kids. They explained the steps from picking out their scents, to deciding on a container, and then mixing it all together. It was adorable to see them run back and forth to find scents they liked. It turns out they both like watermelon and bubble gum (shocker).

kids making candles

I sipped on a local craft beer as my kids decided the perfect watermelon to bubble gum ratio for each of their respective candles. Surprisingly, both of their candles smell different, despite both using the same two scents! Mixing is everything, friends!

candle making and a beer

I, on the other hand, mixed my own candle with a variation of hops and pine scent. Basically, it smells like Christmas beer.

kids making candles

I was surprised at how easy (and fun!) the Candle Studio was with young kids. I fully expected them to have zero interest and for me to be doing all of the work. But that wasn’t the case at all! They loved it. And just ninety-minutes later, we picked up our finished soy candles for the grandparents.

Making Memories Through Experiences

I know that these gifts aren’t extravagant, but they are perfect. Their grandparents will know full-well what kind of effort they put into these handcrafted presents. They will see the joy in the eyes of their grandchildren as they open up these gifts made by teeny hands.

Gifts Under Christmas Tree

The memories we’ve created will last a lifetime. Long after the soy candle has been burned down and well after the dust has settled on the unicorn tealight holder Remy made (sorry, Mimi — hope you like bright pink unicorn tealight holders! 😛 ).

Make your own memories this holiday season and discover all of the holiday magic at Pinecrest.

Explore Ohio // Glass Blowing at the Glass Asylum

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I’ve been so busy nesting for Baby # 3 that I’ve barely had a moment to breathe. But last week I decided to take some blogger friends up on some plans and meet them for a fun night of laughs, food, and glass blowing at The Glass Asylum in Chagrin Falls.

Getting acquainted!

We were greeted with open arms by the owner, Chris Crimaldi, and welcomed with adult beverages (yes, I had a glass of wine). I browsed the shop and watched the artists work while chatting up friends from near and far that I had not seen in ages!

I was immediately amazed at the detail in the pieces — flowers, vases, wine glasses, beer mugs, and more. We were encouraged to begin thinking of colors to work into our piece. I am notorious for being awful at what should-be simple decisions. Right then and there I decided to go with the ‘party mix’ of colors, AKA every color so that I don’t have to pick just one! Ha!

too many choices!

party mix!

As we settled in to learn about the history of The Glass Asylum,which is celebrating its third anniversary, we snacked on some amazing foods from M Italian, which is located in the same building.

Pizzas from M Italian

delicious salad + fried ravioli from M Italian.

Pizzas, fried raviolis, salad, and calzones galore!! Not to mention a nice plate of meats and cheeses from Jim Alesci’s Place! I was in pregnant lady HEAVEN!

Italian desserts from Alesci’s!

After a brief safety run-down and a short history of Chris, a trained electrician by trade, coming to glassblowing, it was time to get started.

the artists during our safety rundown.

Y’all, the fire for glassblowing is HOT. The ovens, known as glory holes (no joke), are on pretty much nonstop with the exception of July, August and September — because it’s just too darn hot! But the guys (and gal) of The Glass Asylum don’t seem to mind.

My big ol’ pregnant belly – getting my colors!

When it was my turn to go, I was assigned to two of the staff members, who are all trained artists, for help. I told them my idea — a multi-color beer mug — and they helped bring it to life!

Into the glory hole!

One of the coolest parts of this process was all of the science behind it. As I worked with the artists, they carefully explained what we were doing and WHY we were doing it — which is something I absolutely LOVE about learning anything new.

Pulling apart the top of my mug.

The entire time they were walking me through it, I kept thinking, “Dang, Ari (my 5 year old) would LOVE this!” It turns out he’s a bit too young to do it himself, but I am going to take him in to see the artists work and hear the explanation anyways. He’ll totally nerd out about it.

I’ll be picking up the finished product today and I could not be more excited! Here’s how it looked before the cooling process:

my mug.

Look at all of our creations! They are GORGEOUS!

Oh – and shout out to Kate of the Greatest Escapist for snapping a photo of us! And thanks to The Glass Asylum for hosting this incredible event!

Lady Bloggers.

Want to experience the art of glass blowing for yourself?

Contact The Glass Asylum online or call (440) 394-8483 to inquire about an event or experience of your own!

a Valentine’s Day Treat for Kids

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I have to admit it — Valentine’s Day is generally not a holiday that gets me super excited. No, I’ve never had a bad Valentine’s Day experience; it just hasn’t been a holiday that holds much tradition in our family.

But, as I’ve mentioned before, KIDS CHANGE EVERYTHING, y’all. They even make some moms who are not crafty (::cough-cough:: me…) bring out their inner crafty.

And my kids constantly remind me about these little holidays that I mostly think are silly. So I’ve found ways to make even the smallest of holidays a teensy bit special for these two nuts!

A couple of years ago I started the tradition of making Valentine’s Day Puppy Chow!

Puppy chow has long been a favorite in my house — I mean, who wouldn’t want sugar-coated cereal as a snack!? So why not turn it around and splash a little pink on it, am I right!?

Here’s how we make our allergy/nut/gluten-friendly Valentine’s Day treat!

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I added pink sprinkles for good measure this time 😉

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These make a perfect classroom treat and I cannot wait to share them with Ari’s preschool this year! Just put them in a pretty little package and you’re good to go!

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! Is there any special thing you do or make with your kids to celebrate!? 

Life Lately // a Mom’s Tale of End of Summer

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I’d be lying if I said things have been easy lately. The adjustment of Ari going back to school and me starting my new Fall schedule at work has definitely been a challenge; but also, life has just been… different. I’ve been quite reserved and close-mouthed. Because, well, I don’t have anything particularly upbeat to say.

And that’s okay.

I recognize that in times of transition I tend to shut down a bit. Maybe it’s just the way I process things, I dunno.

But we’ve still been able to have a bit of fun, even amidst the chaos.

Painting With A Twist. 

A couple of weeks ago I met up with a dear friend to do a fall-themed pallet painting project. I’ve done other wine and painting parties, but this was my first time at PWAT Hudson. The studio was awesome and so accommodating!


And I’m so pumped about the final outcome of my project!

I can’t wait to go back!

Summer Sunset Blast.

Without truly having school-aged children, the end of summer doesn’t really mean much to us, other than going back to preschool and adjusting to a new schedule. But that doesn’t mean we don’t fully take advantage of the end of summer fun!

We said farewell to summer at Silver Springs Park in Stow, with the help of CafĂŠ O’Play, bounce houses, inflatables, face painting, and a petting zoo!


While Ari hit up the inflatables (OMG – first time he’s really been able to because he’s not my baby anymore!! ??), Remy Bea and I spent some time with the goats.

This girl apparently had a fascination with goats! Which is funny, because so does her daddy! 😛

Trips to the Akron Zoo.

Our zoo membership is nearly expired, and we likely won’t renew it until after Christmas (because, busyness). But we did squeeze in a few more trips to the zoo before Summers end!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a million times again — we are beyond lucky to have this wonderful zoo in our backyard! It takes, at most, 10 minutes to get there; the zoo is so easily accessible, and so easy to navigate — even with two small children.

Lucky for us, on our latest trip, the temperature was super mild and the zoo itself was empty. The best part? All of the animals were front and center!

365 by Whole Foods opened and we may have been there at least 5 times in a week!

I took a media tour of the store before the opening day festivities, and I was beyond impressed. The store is bright, clean, and absolutely gorgeous!

There’s mochi ice cream, a taqueria, coffee from Artisan Coffee, great prices on produce, and a typical prepared food section that is to die for!

I took the kids back for opening day and we were greeted by Zippy, the Akron Zips mascot, and a whole slew of people! No joke, at 8:45 am on a Thursday morning and there were about 200 people waiting to get inside!

I’m serious when I say that it has quickly become our favorite place to grab some food, whether it be groceries or prepared food (helloooooo, chili and cheese lasagna!!!!). I see this as being our go-to store from here on out.

We took a very quick road trip to Columbus.

Besides stopping at IKEA for what seemed like 5 minutes (but was actually 2.5 hours), we wandered and made lists of things we needed to do in our head. But other than one semi-small purchase, we really just were there for the Swedish meatballs!

After our IKEA trip, Chad went with his sister and her family to the Ohio State football game while I took the kids to the local splash pad by my sisters house.

We went to a quick (early) dinner at another local fave — the Starliner Diner (delicious + authentic Cuban food) before heading back to my sister’s house to settle in for the evening.

Before heading home we went to a family cookout with Chad’s sister’s family (she was visiting from Denver just for the weekend). Basically, a whirlwind of a 36-hours.

I’ve been cooking — a lot.

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This is super weird for me because I hate to cook. But I tried Blue Apron a while back and loved it! The recipes weren’t difficult, per se, but they did reignite a spark I had for trying new recipes.

Playgrounds, playgrounds, playgrounds… and flag football clinics!

We’ve certainly been spending time at our local playgrounds and parks. Remy has taken to ‘playing’ in a major way. In fact, one of her favorite words to say is “Play? Play?” Basically, begging to go outside in play or get into all of her toys.

So it’s been fun. Oh, and Ari started a flag football skills clinic. To my surprise, he’s really fond of it. It’s super fun to watch them both come into their own in different ways.

As I read this post (and as I reread it over and over again…) I keep thinking…. FUNK, BE DAMNED! My life has been crazy and awesome! I’ll get back to my normal life soon. But for now? For now I’m basking in the awesomeness that is random.

Happy Monday, friends! xo

Elevate, Play with Lark, SOAK, and Eat Local! // Embracing the Chaos

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We’ve been so crazy busy lately that we’ve hardly had a chance to slow down. It’s my own fault, really. I’m a chronic over-scheduler. It’s a blessing and a curse, friends. It really is.

See, I thrive on the crazy; I need the busy days. I need them because they make me feel accomplished. And slowing down just isn’t in my vocabulary. At least, not in this current season of my life.

So here’s what we’ve been up to as of late:

Lots and lots and lots of playing with the kids. Lucky for me, we have a standing playdate at the YMCA every day but Sunday (because, well, I’m there for 4-6 hours a day). So both kids really love (and need) this time with their friends.

But it’s been HOT, friends. Like, hot and crazy humid. Which has truly limited our outdoor play. However, I have felt a bit more comfortable playing outdoors with the kiddos knowing that Miss Bea is wearing moisture-wicking baby clothes from Lark.

If you haven’t heard of Lark, their mission is to make quality baby clothes that can easily endure the daily life of an active infant or toddler. They have developed a proprietary natural, eco-friendly moisture wicking fabric. Safer for babies sensitive skin than some of the synthetic wear that adults wear when outside or working out! Awesome, right!?

Well Miss Bea is truly comfortable in her rompers and bodysuits from Lark. And I breathe easy knowing the fabric is not only breathable, but free of synthetic fabric and chemicals, and is made in the USA!

And you can get free shipping on any order using this code: SHIPPING. Go support this awesome business, friends!

Living in my SOAK sandals. So I am weird about shoes. See, when I find shoes I love, I live in them. Like, I wear holes in my flats because I wear them every day and literally nothing else. So when I was offered a pair of slides from SOAK, a company right here in the United States, I truly didn’t know what to expect.

See, I have super high arches in my feet and it makes wearing anything slip-on quite difficult (and sometimes painful). But I’ve worn these every single day for the last 30 days and I’m in love.

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They’re comfortable, incredibly stylish, and crunchy-mama-friendly! Yep, not only are they made in Maine, but they are made from BPA-free recycled materials!

And so versatile! I’ve worn them with dresses and to my yoga classes! Seriously the only shoe I’ve needed (well, except for my running shoes to, well, run!).

Check out their full line of slides here and use code CHIC15 to save 15% off!

Yoga. Not quite #yogaeverydamnday, but my fire for yoga has been reignited, thanks to a couple of amazing yoga classes.

Last week I went to Elevate Akron, an annual outdoor yoga event here in my amazing city. It was powerful, friends. So powerful! I realized that all of the cycling, running, and strength training I’ve been doing has totally made me more physically fit — in ways I didn’t even realize before! I am so much stronger than I’d recently given myself credit for.

Oh, and I’m certain that the stretching and conditioning alongside the gymnasts I coach doesn’t hurt!

But then I decided to go, solo, to my first Yoga on Tap/Balance and Brews event. See, here in Northeast Ohio, we’ve been on the beer + yoga train for a long time — at least the last 4 years! But, sadly, I’ve never been able to actually make a class.

Well, that changed yesterday. I was elated to find out that Melissa of Balance and Brews was teaching a class right here in my own town, at HiHo Brewing Co.!

It was a great class and ended with a complimentary beer (the Smash Smash Pilz Pilz double pilsner was the bomb!).

So many markets! Guys, I’m a sucker for a good farmers market. Throw in some hand-crafted goodies? Double-sold.

Between the Cleveland Flea, the Akron Honey Market, and the Countryside Conservancy Market in Highland Square? We’ve been biz-zeeee! Busy getting delicious food, ya’ll!

Cycling. Kickboxing. and Gymnastics, Oh My! I’ve been working out non-stop and, like I said, I’m feeling so much stronger! One thing that’s truly been helping is how much I’ve been trying to remain committed to my schedule of workouts. At times it’s been a struggle, but it’s also been a saving grace during the crazy moments. As much as, in those moments, I want to just hide or cry or sleep, I find myself working out all of my frustrations and it’s helped me tremendously.

Sure, we’ve been busy. But it’s been perfect. Perfect chaos! So tell me — Do you thrive on chaos, like me? Or do you prefer to have unscheduled days and relaxing weekends!?

 

 

 

How To Totally Ruin Pinterest Crafts in 4 Simple Steps //

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Let me quickly set the stage — Ari wants to do a Fourth of July craft and I want to oblige. I mean, I’m a crafty mom, right? I do a quick pinterest search, locate a ‘firework’ paint craft, and gather our supplies. Easy peasey!

Or, it should have been. But guys — here’s the truth behind all of those cute, messy, Summer crafts — your children? They aren’t cute; they aren’t easy; but they are messy. And your toddler? They won’t care. Not even a little bit.

So I’m sharing with you what I learned the hard way. How to totally ruin messy Summer crafts in 4 simple steps.

Step 1. Take that easy Pinterest tutorial and expect your toddler to listen (and follow) simple instructions.

Step 2. Set out the supplies, including the paint, and turn your back for approximately 5 seconds. (There’s a 99% chance your toddler has just stuck their hand in the paint)

Step 3. Verbally guide your child through the instructions, letting them get creative and messy. (They will get messy because they’ve decided to just paint the table).

Step 4. Grab your Viva Paper Towels and Clorox spray so that you can clean the mess (Toddler is now painting a tree. No, not painting a tree on the paper; like, literally painting the tree….)

There may have been tears and voices raised. But now I realize it’s kinda funny. I know it is. And after my four year old and I cleaned up the mess, together, with our Viva towels and Clorox spray, I laughed. I mean, what else could I do!? I couldn’t actually be mad. He was doing what he was supposed to do — being a kid + getting messy.

And, luckily, I have saved a ton of money on the Viva towels and Clorox spray when I partner the low prices at Walmart with the Ibotta app rebate savings! So it’s definitely a double-savings win.

This time I took the kids with me to Walmart, but lately I’ve been using their convenient grocery pickup — which saves me both money AND time (which, let’s face it — is the most important thing for a busy mom!).

At the end of the day, I have a happy kid, a (sorta) craft, and a freshly-cleaned table. What else can a mom ask for!? (hint: more sleep).

So tell me — what’s your biggest “Pinterest fail” and how did you clean it up!?