crafty

breaking free from this rut.

November 22, 2013 by Rachel Leave a Comment

I’m in a rut. I mean, I’ve got my routine: wake up, take Ari to the sitter, work, run on lunch, work, pick up Ari, come home and feed Ari, put Ari to bed, eat dinner, take a shower, and hang out for like 30 minutes before I finally go to bed. It’s familiar. And most days, it’s fine.

But it can also lead to feeling like I’m in a bit of a rut; or a bit of a funk.

So this weekend my goal is to break free from my funky mood!

And here’s how I’m going to do it —

1. Yoga.
It’s been a few weeks since I was able to make it to a yoga class.
But I’ve already got it on my schedule for Sunday!

2. The Cleveland Flea.
Yep, the holiday Cleveland Flea is here!
Ari and I are going to meet up with my cousin to spend some time browsing (and perhaps buying)
some awesome handmade & local gifts!

3. Date Night. Or afternoon, really.
So Chad and I are officially going to go on a date Sunday afternoon —
without Babycakes! I’t’s been a long time, longer than I’d like, since we’ve gone on a date together.
Things have been so busy lately

4. Make Our House Feel Like The Holidays.
Which really means lighting some winter-y candles and laying around in big comfy sweaters. 🙂

5. Take Myself On A Coffee Date.
With my laptop in tow; A warm, holiday latte; and blogs.

6. Start Planning.
Everyone knows the holidays are hectic. I’m trying to minimize stressors over the next several weeks;
to eliminate potential anxiety, by putting it all on paper.
I’m hoping this includes at least some meal-planning, which I despise, but is necessary.

get creative //

November 19, 2013 by Rachel Leave a Comment

We live in a Pinterest world. A world where everyone ‘claims’ to be DIYing and making ‘the coolest’ homemade appetizers served with a side of fancy shmancy burlap (insert random handmade burlap item here) something-or-other.

Don’t get me wrong, I love me some pinterest! You may remember that I recently threw a very pinterest-worthy birthday bash for a very special one-year old. But it was a lot of work. And I’m not certain that all of that work is really worth it.

But I love to get my creative juices flowing!

Here are some small ways that you can get creative without the Pinterest stress!

While I’m certain I’ll still attempt a pinterest project here and there, I’m going to venture out and get creative in small ways; even if that means no one will see it.

Because — true story — just because no one pinned it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Remember that!

So go drink some coffee, write down an idea, and HAVE FUN! If you need me, you can find me breaking the rules, drinking coffee, singing in the shower, and surrounding myself with creative people. xo

Baby Ari’s Yo Gabba Gabba 1st Birthday Bash!

October 21, 2013 by Rachel 8 Comments

TGIO! Thank goodness it’s over! Ha ha! But seriously, I planned and planned for that party like it was my job! The weather was terrible, but that didn’t stop us from having a great time.

I’m short on words today because I’m beyond exhausted (still). Sorry (#notsorry) this post is a bit heavy on the pictures!

I made the DJ Lance Rock Boomboxes by taping print-outs from Nick Juniors website to individual animal cracker boxes. And I made the Muno chocolate covered pretzels myself.

And the yellow popcorn boxes were purchased from WholesalePartySupplies.com. The characters were printed out from Nick Junior and glued on. Lots of hours went into these projects!

I ordered his smash cake (above) from Pure Delite. It was vegan + gluten free! Also made with half the sugar of a traditional cake. My mom made all of the cupcakes, which were also gluten free, but not vegan. I figured if Babycakes was going to eat cake, it better be the most healthy cake possible!

I bought the yellow pails from WholesalePartySupplies.com as well. The Plex eyes were printed from the Nick Jr website, glued on by yours truly! Chex mix = Plex Mix for the win!

I purchased the PDF for these name tags from etsy shop Reddish Orange and printed them at Staples. If you’re familiar with Yo Gabba Gabba, you know the “Hi My Name Is Rachel… and I Like To Dance!” Ha!

I bought the popcorn from Metropolis Popcorn here in Akron. They have tons of flavors and I am obsessed! Of course I had to get something colorful for the party, but I don’t actually think the kids cared either way. Popcorn is popcorn, right?? 🙂

And yeah, I may have made my husband dress up as DJ Lance Rock for the party (found at WholesalesPartySupplies.com). I even found a striped shirt to “dress up” as Brobee! Ha!

Most perfect 1st birthday ever! I know he’ll never remember it, but I always will. Just like I’ll always remember these first 12 months with Ari, forever and always. And during the party I was proclaiming “I’ll never do a party like this again!” who am I kidding!? I totally will!

We were so grateful to all of the friends and family who came out to celebrate with us!

get fit! // fitness update

August 14, 2013 by Rachel 1 Comment

Weight Watchers //

Well I did my weekly weigh in yesterday morning. And I didn’t gain, but I didn’t lose either. I stayed at exactly the same weight as last week. Which, I’m not surprised. And I’m not necessarily disappointed.

This past week was full of randomness. Like wine from that Wine & Canvas event I went to; and ice cream from Mitchell’s; and a sushi burrito (no, I didn’t eat all of that); and we went to The Cleveland Flea again, so obviously there was snacking involved (thanks in large part to Mason’s Creamery). Oh, and lets not forget Chad’s high school reunion. So yeah. Lots of food randomness.

I also didn’t leave myself a lot of time to fit in my workouts. In fact, between battling some serious allergies and attending calling hours, I was wiped out! I managed to fit in 10 miles and a yoga class. But that was only three workouts, and definitely a struggle.

Workouts //

I’m starting this week out strong in the workout department! Not only have I already fit in a yoga class at Yoga Bliss (hooray, for having random days off in the middle of the week to free up some workout time!); but I’ve also scheduled all of my workouts well in advance for this week.

I hope I’m not jinxing myself by saying this, but my legs/knees/hips aren’t really bothering me. This is HUGE for me because I’ve always, always, always had lower body issues. Like, since I was a kid. In a major way. So I’m kind of excited that I feel good.

Challenging myself //

I ran for 60 minutes. The longest I had run prior to that was 54. That extra six minutes may seem insignificant, but I promise you it wasn’t. I gave it my all, and I made it. And I feel like I’m slowly becoming the runner I have been dreaming of!
In the last 18 months (aka – since I got pregnant), I’ve been so hesitant to push myself in my yoga practice. I’ve kind of been just making my way back to my strong practice and focusing on the basics. But I’ve been focusing on the basics too much.
So I let myself be challenged in the last two yoga classes I took. Y’all, I attempted handstand. Like, legit gave-it-my-all, tried handstand. During TWO classes. And I felt good about it. I didn’t make it into a yoga handstand, but I tried. And that’s what matters.

So don’t mind me, Ill just be over here plugging along on my fitness journey! 🙂

yeah, I’m crafty. with wine.

August 13, 2013 by Rachel 3 Comments

I’ve mentioned before that I like to do things that bring me out of my comfort zone; things that challenge me.

And last week I did just that.

I had heard about these wine and canvas classes online somewhere. And, on a whim, I decided to sign myself and my aunt up for a class!

The classes are held at various restaurants in the Cleveland/Akron area (but can be found all over the country!) and their slogan is “A Painting Class With Cocktails!”

I was so nervous!! I’m not a painter, by any means!! The first thing I did when I sat down at my canvas was ask the ladies next to me “So, do you paint??” and their answer was “No! We’ve never done this before!”

HUUUUUGE sigh of relief! Ha!

The paint, the brushes, and the canvas had already been set out for us. The picture of what our final product ~~should~~ would be was in front of us for our reference.

So we ordered our wine (yum! Malbec!) and followed the instructors step-by-step directions!

First the background; then the ‘swipes’; then the vase.

My favorite part? The flowers.

By that time I was on my second glass of wine and definitely feeling more comfortable with the creative process! I was all ‘Oh I totally got this just ‘swish swish swish‘ with the paint brush!’ Ha!

After the three hour class was over (seriously SO worth it), I was completely, completely, thrilled with my final product. I mean, I’m no Picasso, but I’m pretty happy with the outcome!

Obviously? Not perfect. But it was such an amazing experience. It was relaxing, fun, and completely therapeutic! I immediately went home and scheduled the next event. I cannot wait to sip wine and get creative!

What do you do to get out of your comfort zone and be creative??