date night ideas

Red + White // Wrap Up

February 3, 2016 by Rachel 1 Comment

The Arthritis Foundation of Northeast Ohio‘s annual fundraiser in Akron, Red & White on Thursday Night, is easily my favorite event of the entire year! Heck, even having just given birth, I desperately wanted to still attend. So last Thursday, at just 5 days old, Remy, Chad and I ventured to Quaker Station at Quaker Square for just a short time!

Luckily, we are very close to where the event is located; so with a babysitter for Ari [thanks, Grammy!], we bundled Miss Remy Bea up, and arrived shortly before 6pm. This was the 19th annual event for the Arthritis Foundation, and I believe it was also our 4th or 5th time attending [mommy brain is real, yo].

The entrance to the event was located at a different part of the building this year, and some new computer software they were using for auction-bidding slowed down the entrance process to a practical halt. My single critique of the event is that they should have set up the credit card/auto-bid process for the auction when people were purchasing tickets presale. Because it wasn’t set up that way, everyone who had a ticket in their hands, still had to wait in a half hour line. And for those of us with willcall tickets, we had to wait in line for a half hour as well. It was crazypants. And people were super upset. I was just super uncomfortable because I was babywearing Remy Bea.

When we finally got in, we went straight for the VIP room to meet up Crystal from EatDrinkCLE. Both Crystal and I weren’t feeling 100% well, but we managed to make sure we didn’t miss the event — even if that meant having to leave a bit early! After saying our hellos, I went straight for the wine and food [recognizing I’m a nursing mother, and I was wearing a sleeping baby, I recognized my ‘window of opportunity’ to taste a couple of sips of wine had to happen at the very beginning of the evening].

The VIP wine selection was beautiful. I wish I could say that I took a ton of pictures, but I didn’t. Because, babywearing an infant [duh]. But, thanks to the VIP section, I did have the opportunity to taste two fantastic wines — a Malbec and a Cab. And that was, sadly, all the wine I had that night. Because, nursing.

[borrowed this photo from Jen at Why? CLE]One of the awesome changes the organization did make this year was the introduction of a VIP Chef in the VIP lounge! Chef Dante Boccuzzi, of local Akron restaurant, dba, as well as Dante in Tremont, and Ginko in Tremont [as well as several other restaurants], was serving up tasty sushi!

We ate so much of this sushi. Seriously. I mean, I hadn’t really and truly had sushi in about 9 months, so I was pumped to not only have sushi, but really, really, great sushi!

After checking out the complimentary chair massages, courtesy of Massage Envy, and pastry and coffee bar, courtesy of Panera, we headed out to the general admission area. I’m not going to lie, I was super nervous to join the masses. I was afraid of judgment from other attendees for babywearing an infant at a 21 and over event!

To my surprise, people were just super excited to see a newborn baby! No judgment whatsoever. So we made the rounds! I knew I had a very strict food limit. Being postpartum and being sick means my appetite is close to nothing. So instead of hitting up every single place, I carefully planned my ‘attack.’ Ha!

Two places that were ‘musts’ were Nuevo Mod Mex [pictured above] and Melt Bar + Grilled. Nuevo had an awesome taco, but Melt disappointed me a bit. They had dessert cookie sandwiches. Bummer, cause I was totally looking forward to a tasty grilled cheese sample! Also, the cheesecake shooters [also pictured above] from West Side Bakery was awesome!

Chad hit up a few more restaurants while I chatted with Jen from Why? CLE and her husband, Matthew, as well as my longtime friends Cristin and Chris. [above picture also borrowed from Jen! Again, I didn’t have much access to my phone throughout the event.]

We ended up leaving around 7:30pm. I was just… tired. And I wanted to get Remy Bea home so I could feed her before bed. All in all, it was a great first night out and a great event, yet again!

Disclosure: I was asked by the Arthritis Foundation of Northeast Ohio to help promote Red & White on Thursday Night and run a ticket giveaway. In exchange, I received 2 complimentary VIP tickets. As always, all opinions are my own.

GIVEAWAY | Red + White on Thursday Night

January 7, 2016 by Rachel 8 Comments

Chad and I have had the honor of attending one of Akron’s most anticipated events, Red and White on Thursday Night, for the last 4 years in a row. And even though Baby Girl is expected to arrive just a week before this years event, I plan on my first post-baby outing to be the 19th Annual Red & White On Thursday Night, Thursday, January 28th, 2016!

The event will be taking place at Quaker Station in beautiful Downtown Akron, presented by the Cleveland Clinic Akron General, from 5:30PM to 9:00PM, and benefits the Arthritis Foundation of Northeastern Ohio.

The event, voted one of the best in Akron by AkronLife Magazine, is expected to raise more than $82,000. All proceeds support critical local Arthritis Foundation initiatives including advocacy and access, help and support, and research.

Arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability and affects more than 50 million Americans and nearly 300,000 children. In Northeastern Ohio, nearly 1.3 million people of all ages have been diagnosed with arthritis. More than 108,000 of those are Summit County residents, according to 2013 figures.

Nearly 750 guests are expected to attend and enjoy delicious dishes from Akron’s top chefs and a variety of both domestic and international wines, while checking out offerings from the available silent auction. VIP ticket holders will have access to both general admission areas as well as exclusive access to special fare from Chef Dante Boccuzzi of DBA, specialty desserts and high-end wine pairings.

Participating restaurants include: Chef Dante Boccuzzi of DBA, Barmacy Bar & Grill, Bistro on Main, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Cilantro Thai & Sushi Restaurant, Chocolates by Erin, Chowder House Café, Hudson’s Restaurant & Catering, Melt Bar and Grilled – Akron, Nuevo Modern Mexican & Tequila Bar, Panera Bread, Saffron Patch in the Valley, Silver Lake Country Club, The Galaxy Restaurant & Banquet Center, The Pierogi Lady, The Taverne of Richfield, Thorpe’s Market Avenue Grill & Pub, and West Side Bakery! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it now!

Honestly, speaking from experience, this is one of the most anticipated date nights we have all year. Chad loves it, I love it, and we are always fed well and surrounded by so many fun people!

And one lucky reader will get a chance to win TWO General Admission tickets (valued at $85 each) to the event. I just ask that those who enter be local to Northeastern Ohio and willing to attend this amazing event on January 28th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
General admission tickets are $85 presale and $95 at the door. VIP Lounge tickets are $125 presale, and $135 at the door. Purchase tickets online at www.akronredandwhite.com or call 216-285-2822!

** Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but did receive two complimentary tickets to the event. All opinions herein are my own. I just really really love this event and believe in this cause! **

Things To Do This Weekend // Fall Fun Guide!

September 16, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Just because Summer is coming to an end in Northeast Ohio, it doesn’t mean that the social calendar slows down! In fact, there are plenty of fun things happening THIS WEEK!

Aviation Heritage Fair // Kent State Airfield // Saturday, September 19th, 7am – 5pm // FREE

The event kicks off with a pancake breakfast to benefit the Stow-Monroe Falls Kiwanis Aviation Scholarship Program. At sunrise, you can catch a ride on a hot air balloon. Shortly thereafter the rest of the fun begins! Airplane rides in WWII aircraft, museum exhibits and food! I’m not 100% sure on the details of cash versus credit, so bring cash to be safe! See event information here.

Crafty Mart // Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. // Saturday, September 19th, 11am – 5pm // FREE

Spend the afternoon shopping at the Pop Up Market and sippin’ on some tasty craft brews! Artists will be selling their finely crafted goods and the brewery will be open! This event is sure to be jam-packed with our favorite local artisans and a fun crowd! In addition to the vendors, the Akron Art Museum is hosting a free art-making activity from 11am-3pm! Most vendors have card readers so either cash or credit is available! See event information here.

Maize Valley Fall Family Outing // Maize Valley Winery, Hartville, OH // Open Daily, Hours Vary // $10 age 2+

While the winery and store itself are free of admission charges, the fall family festival area does have an admission charge of $10 for anyone over the age of 2. I highly recommend getting to the event early (and on a weekday) to take full advantage of the hayride and pumpkin picking! There is also a huge corn maze and lots of activities for little kids. Ari was wiped out after our trip last year. See full list of hours and event information here.

Sunday Market in Hingetown // Ohio City, Cleveland // Sunday, September 20th, 10am – 4pm // FREE

From the people who bring us the Cleveland Flea, enjoy a smaller-scale version of the event in Hingetown! Vendors and makers will be selling their goods while attendees brunch their way through the streets of Hingetown! See event information here.

What fun things are you planning on doing this Fall!?

Twilight at the Zoo // Upcoming Events!

July 14, 2015 by Rachel 2 Comments

It’s hard to believe we are midway through summer already! And the event calendar is getting more and more busy! I hope you’ve pencilled in a sitter for your little ones for the evening of Friday, August 7th, because it’s one of the biggest events of the summer — Twilight at the Zoo!

The Cleveland Zoological Society will host you and 18 local bands to dance away the night under the stars while you eat, drink and check out the zoo exhibits!

The general admission party goes from 7pm-midnight and includes admission to the zoo, access to listen to all of the bands, hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, and soda. General admission tickets are $80.

The VIP party is presented by Scene Magazine and goes from 6pm-9pm — an hour early admission for partygoers to extend the fun (then join the general admission crowd until midnight!)! It includes all the general admission perks, plus an open bar, priority parking, and food from AMP 150, Choolaah Indian BBQ, and Sterle’s Country House (this will make for a VERY awesome date night for us! Hooray!). VIP tickets are $150.

This years’ Twilight at the Zoo will not only be one of the best events Cleveland hosts this summer, but the proceeds directly benefit the amazing Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Hurry and purchase your tickets today!

PS. Date Night at the ZOOvies sold out in just ONE day! I know it’s a different event, but this just goes to show you how popular these events truly are!

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I was asked by the Cleveland Zoological Society to help promote Twilight at the Zoo. In exchange, I will receive 2 tickets for myself. All opinions herein are my own.

weekend wrap up //

May 6, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

After last weeks drama that nearly put Moosh into the hospital for an overnight stay, we welcomed the weekend with open arms — and hesitation. Cause who knew WHEN this kid would have another episode, right?

Well he definitely wasn’t feeling himself Friday. In fact, after a quick trip to Café O’Play where we pretty much just stood in the dance room, we picked up a pizza and headed home. It was definitely needed after our week. Chad went to an NFL Draft party with some of the dudes in my family and I stayed at home with my snuggle bug watching movies.

Scratch that: we watched movies together for a while; then this mama scrubbed the house from top to bottom before Mimi showed up for a weekend visit!

But let’s talk about how seriously not himself this kid looks. It definitely was NOT cold; but Moosh kept saying “Mommy, I cold! Blankie Tom, peas!” And then he wanted my Lululemon Vinyasa scarf to wrap around his head (he’s been a bit attached to it since I wrapped him in it in the hospital last week).

We ate “peetzy” and salad and watched Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo on repeat until Mimi arrived.

And then? Mass chaos! Ha!

Yep. That’s my kid running around in his underwear. Moosh finally fell asleep way way later than he should have. With promises of lots of fun on Saturday and goodnight kisses from Mimi, that seemed to do the trick.

My mom and I had planned to wake up early to get a long run in Saturday morning. But we stayed up WAY too late. And then Moosh woke up earlier than anticipated. So we improvised. We brought him with us. I despise running with the jogging stroller, but Mimi decided that we could switch off pushing him, so I agreed. Hesitantly. Ha! We got a couple miles in before having to head home. But every step counts, right?!

Mimi agreed to babysit Moosh while Chad and I went on a day-date to see the Avengers: Age of Ultron. The movie was amazing! Yes, yes… I’m a total dude-movie nerd. I love all of those nerdy comic book movies. But it really was good. And funny. Also? Robert Downey Jr?? LOVE that guy.

While we were at the movies, Mimi took Moosh (or is it the other way around — Moosh took Mimi?) to Café O’Play in an attempt to wear him out and get him to nap. Well, he was worn out. But he refused to nap. Which was extremely inconvenient because we had suite tickets for the Indians versus the Blue Jays that afternoon. So a nap of some sort was nearly required to prevent crazy-baby meltdown. But the little dude did extremely well. We even got to meet the hot dogs! Moosh loved Mustard, could care less about Ketchup (weird considering he eats ketchup as a main course these days), and was downright terrified of Onion! Ha!

Mimi and Chad had fun watching the game. Moosh and I mostly just played. Cause for me, a ballgame is more about the experience of the ballpark than paying attention to the game. SPORTS! Ha!

I’m super bummed that I didn’t get any photos of our food. We visited the new Right Field District and I was in awe of the food and drink selections! My mom ordered a sandwich from Melt, Ari got ice cream from Sweet Moses, and Chad and I split nachos and a taco from Barrio. And GLBC on tap for the win!

On the way home we indulged a little more with some Rita’s Ice. Moosh wanted “Boo ice!” which means blue ice, if you haven’t figured that out. 🙂

Moosh obviously didn’t fall asleep on the way home. And he went to bed really late. Like 10:30.

And Sunday morning he was up at an ungodly hour. 6:00 am. This kid sleeps til 9:30 on the reg, and decides after a day of no napping and staying up late to wake up at 6am!? Sigh, kid, sigh.

Mimi and I took him to Café O’Play for an hour or so before calling it quits! Kids had fun but was nutso! So we grabbed lunch from Planet Sub and headed home.

PS. I’m not certain how I feel about Ari’s most-recent obsession with Monsters Inc. and Monsters University. So he just does this “Roar!” face all of the time. Sigh. It’s cute; but not when he’s meeting new people. KID you do NOT greet people with a roar! Ugh!

We totally bailed on a family party (sorry fam!) so that our teeny family could rest. We were all exhausted and Mimi wanted to get home to Poppy before it was too late. Honestly, we needed it. We slept and slept and slept! It was perfection. The night ended with a clean house and happy hearts.

The perfect ending to a perfect weekend. 🙂

anniversary // number 3.

April 28, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

It’s hard to believe that we have been together for 6 and a half years. Honestly? Our three year wedding anniversary is JUST THAT. The anniversary of our vows. But we’ve been exclusively, wholeheartedly, together for six and a half years.

At the last minute, we decided to call a friend to see if she would be willing to babysit Moosh. If not, no big; but to our surprise (and excitement) she was available for a babysitting/playdate sesh! Before Steph, our friend and sitter came by, Chad came home with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I have ever seen.

My heart was in awe of these flowers. For the first time in my life I was sad that flowers wouldn’t last forever. Because these flowers were so gorgeous that they were meant to last forever.

Then on to dinner… It’s rare that Chad and I get a dinner out without a toddler. When we left the house we reminded each other “OK, remember — EAT SLOW; CHEW YOUR FOOD; RELAX.”

It’s harder than one might think. To be honest, sometimes the best way to feel like I’m having a “child-free” moment is with an adult beverage. And what better beverage to have than a marg from Nuevo, the local Modern Mex restaurant in Akron? They make everything from scratch — even the juice for their awesome (and often spicy) margaritas!?

We are so pathetic. We were so excited for our big night out that we knew pretty much exactly what we wanted by the time we arrived. The margarita came and we were ready to order.

First up, guacamole. Chad makes a mean guacamole, so when we go out and order it, I want something fun and different. So we ordered the White Bean, Rosemary, and Garlic guac.

Chad was nervous that the guac would be too “beany”… I think that’s a term he actually used. Actually, I lie. He was worried about that. But I made up the term “beany.” It wasn’t. It was delicious. The perfect flavor combinations of avocados and other veggies. My preference with guacamole is a bit of spice, via jalapeños. This guac did NOT disappoint!

My entrée order was no surprise to my husband… that’s the beauty of being together for so long. He looked at the menu and knew EXACTLY what I was going to order — the Smoked Pork Poutine Tacos — House Smoked Pork Shoulder, Pickled Veggies, Root Fries, Queso, and Pork Gravy!

Everything was perfect. The pork, the beans, the rice, the guac, and the margs! Everything. was. DELICIOUS.

Like I said, we tried to eat slow; but we knew what we wanted before we even arrived. So our dinner was complete within like 45 minutes of arrival. We looked at one another like, “Umm, now what?” We didn’t want to go home right away; but we didn’t have much else going on. So, don’t judge us, we went to the local Market District for Gelato. YEP. We went to a GROCERY STORE for gelato. That is a big fat suburban win, folks. Ha.

We were home within 2 hours of leaving for our date — and we were totally taking our time. Pathetic, but I love it — because we were able to make it home in time to not only put Moosh to bed, but to give him some gelato before he went to sleep. Ha!

All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better evening with my better half. <3