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Holiday Gift Guide // For Her

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I can’t believe it’s nearly here! You know what I’m talking about — the most wonderful time of the year! Ya know, Christmas hasn’t always been my favorite holiday (I’m more of a Thanksgiving gal), but having kids has changed me in that way. I absolutely love Christmas because they love it so much.

And I have to say, because of them, I’ve gotten much better at gift-giving! And even though this holiday is all about the kids, I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite items — FOR HER!

The Instant Pot.

My husband bought me an Instant Pot, which is an electric pressure cooker and slow cooker, two Christmases ago. It was an effort to make me more comfortable at cooking — and doing so quickly since we’re such a busy family.

And I absolutely LOVE it. Some of my favorite recipes are made in the Instant Pot and I’ve discovered even more through the huge IP community online.

Book of the Month Subscription.

I discovered Book of the Month last year and I haven’t turned back. I’ve had this continuous goal, year after year, to read more. But things come up; I never make it to the library; and I definitely haven’t seen the inside of a bookstore in years. BOTM makes it easy. You sign up as a member by entering your shipping information and choosing your favorite genres. The membership costs are $14.99 a month for one hardcover book, and you can add on additional books for $9.99 each.

The best part is that BOTM uses ‘judges’ who suggest books to you based on your preferences. The books I’ve received were items I probably would have passed over at the store, but I have enjoyed them so much!

You can give the gift of a subscription on their website.

Day Designer Planner.

It’s no secret that I absolutely LOVE my Day Designer daily planner — I talk about it all of the time! And what a better gift right before the New Year, right?!

The full 2018 line is out now and available in full-size and mini! I always get the full size (because my purse is basically a diaper bag these days), but the mini is the perfect size for smaller bags!

I wish I could have one in every design and style for 2018!

Essential Oil Diffuser.

We use essential oils in a multitude of ways, but my personal favorite is diffusing them. Different oils work in different ways, but we use them in the kids rooms and in our bedroom. For the kids we diffuse ‘sniffle stopper’ blends or, our personal favorite ‘calm the child‘ blend, whenever they need it. Which, let’s face it, is every night.

This diffuser also acts as a night light in several different shades (Ari’s favorite is the ‘white blue,’ which is his way of saying ‘light blue.’). But this particular diffuser is super inexpensive and works amazing! Perfect for the Mama or Wife in your life (Hello, relaxation!).

A Netflix Gift Card.

Netflix is LIFE! I mean it. Between zoning out in front of the TV for an hour after the kids go to bed, to playing the Magic School Bus for the kids for just 30 minutes of peace and quiet(ish), Netflix is seriously a sanity saver.

You don’t need to buy a subscription for the lady in your life, just buy her a Netflix gift card! You’re basically buying her sanity. Remember that.

A Meal Subscription Box.

When all else fails, make dinnertime easy for her. I’ve tried quite a few of the meal subscription boxes and I have to say that I’ve loved them all!

It takes the guesswork out of meals. The ingredients are all right there, the directions are clear, and they literally bring it to your doorstep. Sign. me. UP. There are so many different options to choose from — Blue Apron, Plated, Home Chef, Hello Fresh, Sun Basket, and more. All of them offer something that she can’t afford to lose — time!

More than anything, if she’s anything like me, she’ll appreciate some time to herself, some peace and quiet, and a nice meal with a glass of wine. Honestly. But if you want to go above and beyond, try one of these — for sure!

What item would you like to receive this holiday season?! 

Fall 2017 Favorites!

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Fall is by far my most favorite time of year — the leaves are changing colors, the temperature is dropping, and the air is crisp. It’s perfection.

One of my favorite things about Fall (besides Pumpkin Spice Lattés) is dressing and accessorizing for the season! But there is SO much more to Fall than clothes and jewelry, am I right!?

Today I’ve rounded up some of my Fall Favorites for 2017! 

My JORD Wood Watch. I’ve been dying for one of these for myself for months now. I bought my husband a JORD Wood Watch from the Men’s Shop last year and I just knew my watch would be equally as gorgeous!

And OMG it is! It’s the perfect Fall accessory because it goes with everything and compliments the changing landscape!

My women’s wooden watch, which is the Frankie 35 series, is gorgeous! It’s made from Zebrawood, which I think makes it an incredibly unique women’s watch!

Want to win a $100 gift code to use on the JORD site!? Enter an exclusive giveaway for itsahero.com readers only HERE!

The giveaway is open through 10/29/17 and ALL entrants will receive a $25 gift code for the JORD site! Win-win! So go enter, NOW!

Shopping for a new planner. It’s official. Come Fall, the race is on for a new planner! I know, I know — there are still SEVERAL months left in the year; but events are already piling up for 2018! So a new planner is a requirement! And, YES, a planner is an accessory.

My favorite planner is the Day Designer. It’s perfect for my need to fill in time slots and a weekly layout. I’ve tried pretty much every planner on the market and this one is by far my long-standing favorite.

Fun with food. I’m just absolutely loving quirky, food-themed, accessories, silly cookies (which are both delicious and adorable), and t-shirts with random food printed on them (like donuts or hotdogs). It’s just a cute, fun way to incorporate something near and dear to my heart (ALL OF THE FOOD) with my everyday life.

Remy recently has been rocking this hot dog onesie from Estella NYC (cutest, softest, and made of organic cotton) and I’m IN LOVE. Also, my favorite new earrings are these ice cream cones!

All of the fun family activities. 

Let’s be real. This is where it’s really at — family. I honestly despise being outside, sweating, during the Summer. Sure, if I’m meant to be sweating (like, by exercising) I don’t mind; but just by being?? Nope.

That’s why Fall activities are where it’s at! Pumpkin patches, Halloween parties, Trunk-or-Treats — you name it, I’m up for it.

Especially when it comes to the kids. To see their faces light up? That’s my end goal every single day (no, this doesn’t happen everyday; but gosh darnit! It’s my goal!).

So this Fall you can find me trick-or-treating, pumpkin-patching, and party-going with two tiny humans in tow! ♥

So tell me — what are your 2017 Fall Favorites!? And don’t forget to enter my JORD Wood Watches giveaway here!


Luxury Wooden Watch

 

Disclosure: I received my watch at no cost in exchange for this post. I was not compensated, but, as always, all opinions herein are my own.

Explore Ohio // Put-in-Bay

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One of the perks of living on the “North Coast” is that we have islands and beaches nearby. For those not located in the Midwest, the “North Coast” is Lake Erie, or whichever of the Great Lakes you happen to find yourself south of. And if you have never actually seen the Great Lakes, you would likely be surprised to find that the view of these lakes could easily be mistaken for an ocean. They are, as Ari would say, GINORMOUS.

I recently jumped at an opportunity to visit one of the islands on our great ‘North Coast,’ Put-in-Bay! In all fairness and honesty, I had only visited once before this. I was young and I don’t remember much except that there are very few (if any?) cars on the island. That’s literally all I remember from my experience as a child. As an adult, my images of Put-in-Bay are all of college friends (and work colleagues) partying in a pool, drinking out of fishbowls. That? That has absolutely zero appeal to me.

But kayaking, biking, and wine tasting?? That. That is right up my alley!

So my friend Olivia and I met up at the Jet Express in Port Clinton. The Jet Express ferry shuttled us the 14 miles from Port Clinton (on the ‘mainland’) to Put-in-Bay island in just 45 minutes!

We arrived in PIB (Put-in-Bay) at about 9:45 on a Sunday morning — basically while everyone on the island was still asleep from
partying the night before. But we rented our bicycles and went on our merry way.

PS. I say that like it was easy — but did you know that even if you cycle on a stationary bike 3x per week an actual pedal bicycle is totally weird and difficult?? True story.

After leaving the marina and bike rental, we did some exploring — and with a quick stop at Perry’s Victory + Peace Memorial — we headed to Old Forge Café for breakfast!

It turns out they’re a creperie and have amazing mimosas. I mean, this prosciutto crêpe was aaaaaaamazing. No joke.

Post-crêpes and mimosas, we ventured to South Bass Island State Park to take in the sights. Pretty much everyone was still asleep, but we were able to bask in the quiet and enjoy the waves.

After taking in the scenery we ventured to Perry’s Cave where we legit KILLED the maze (under two minutes, ya’ll!) and learned all about the the limestone cave and it’s historical impact on the creation of what we know to be our United States!

Then we ventured to Heineman Winery for a tour and tasting. I’ll say this — PLEASE don’t try the dry wine. Please. I beg you. From my experience, Ohio wines are not, by any means, dry wines. They are sweet. So don’t go for the dry reds. Lesson learned.

But the sweet red? Delish. Absolutely DEEElish.

Once we were done with our wine and cave adventures we ventured for more food. Yep, we hit up the Upper Deck at the Boardwalk. We were still a bit full from our crêpes, so we decided to get the ahi tuna nachos as an appetizer and a side of fries.

Guys — we legit tried to GIVE away the leftovers from our ahi tuna nachos!! There were so many nachos that it looked like we barely made a dent (for the record, we made a serious dent — it just didn’t appear that way).

After we filled up on nachos we went to the Put-in-Bay Brewery and Distillery. I wish I would have tried something other than the Double IPA, but it was delicious! I’m just so predictable!

Post-brewery, we headed back down to South Bass Island State Park for a kayaking adventure. The double kayak was totally fun, but I was a tad bit hesitant about leaving my phone on land; and because of that, I was also more than a teeny bit nervous about dropping it in the water. So we cut our kayaking short to head back to the Jet Express.

It was such a jam-packed day. I would absolutely recommend doing the Kayas and Caves adventure through the Jet Express, but make a weekend of it for sure! I really wish I would have stayed the night.

If you’ve visited Put-in-Bay, what was your favorite thing to see/do!?

 

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Jet Express Kayak + Cave package for two in exchange for this post. As always, all opinions herein are my own.

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!? 

 

Smoothies, Foodies, and the Vitamix Ascent Series Launch //

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In my constant search for balance in motherhood (and life) I have made certain concessions for the sake of time. For instance, we often forego eggs, toast, and cereal for breakfast in lieu of something we can take on-the-go — like smoothies.

I’m guilty of occasionally using those pre-made frozen smoothie fruit mixes. Yes, I know it’s basically nonsense because it’s just a mix of frozen fruit and still requires me to do the work of blending it all together. But, balance, friends. Lucky for me, we have been using a Vitamix for all the blending, chopping, and dicing in our home for the last 7 years!

So when I was asked to attend the launch of the newest Vitamix Ascent Series at their Solon, Ohio store, I was beyond excited!

Of all of the blogger events I’ve been to, this was quite possibly the most well put together event of all time! We were greeted at the door by the Vitamix store team and we were immediately handed a delicious cocktail, crafted by the Spotted Owl‘s very own Will Hollingsworth!

From there we snacked on mouthwatering appetizers, all made in the newest Vitamix! These Pork Belly Sliders on Brioche were absolutely heavenly!

After seriously munching (and by munching I mean devouring…) on all of this delicious food, we were given the rundown on the newest Vitamix Ascent Series blenders.

Even as a seasoned Vitamix user I learned so much! For instance, I was under the impression that we had to use a dry canister and blade to make our own seasoning or flour; but that simply isn’t true! Unless you’re making a lot — like, a lot — at once, even the regular Vitamix blade can handle it!

To call my bluff, they decided to make powdered sugar right in front of my eyes (PS. how was I so naïve to not know that powdered sugar is legit just sugar ground up into, well, powder?? Don’t judge me,  ya’ll.). Oh, and then they mixed up some ice cream in, like, three seconds (because, yum).

And I was happy to learn that Vitamix really stands true to it’s brand of being a family company with huge ties to the community. Vitamix is built and serviced all within a 200-mile radius! And, for those who may not be familiar, Vitamix offers an incredible warranty program on both their new and refurbished models! Our old Vitamix was a refurbished model and when the motor went, we just shipped it in and it was repaired within a couple of weeks and sent right back to us — at no cost!

In addition, the Vitamix Store offers help and assistance with all of your Vitamix needs. If you have questions abotu techniques? Come into the store. Questions about recipes? Come into the store! They also hold weekly in-store events and culinary classes to help you make the most of your Vitamix!

Seriously the best customer service from any company I’ve had any sort of contact with. 

If you are considering purchasing a Vitamix of your own, I strongly urge you to go check out their store this weekend! The Vitamix Store in Solon is running a huge sale this weekend, March 3rd and 4th, starting at just $199.95!

If you want visual proof at what can be done in a Vitamix (other than smoothies!) check out this delicious soup I made in my new Vitamix! It’s Maple Sweet Potato Soup — and the recipe is straight from The Vitamix Cookbook!

At the end of the day, I think this new Vitamix and I are going to create a more-balanced life for the whole family. Not only do I feel a teeny bit less guilty about feeding the kiddos smoothies every morning, but it’s helping me to break out of my comfort zone and make new dishes (like this soup) that I otherwise would be too nervous to do. So thank you Vitamix and my friends over at the Vitamix Store for such a fun event and fun new toys!

 

Disclosure: At the end of the night I was gifted with my very own Vitamix Ascent Series A3500, the Vitamix Cookbook, a Simply Blending spices ‘cookbook,’ and culinary classes for 2 at the Vitamix Store, in exchange for my honest review of the evening and of the new Vitamix Ascent Series A3500.

 

Little Mover, Big Changes // Adjusting To Life With A Spirited Child

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I’ll be the first to admit it — Our first born, Ari, did little to prepare us for the wild side of parenting. See, he has always been very cautious and mild-mannered. Certainly, our second child would be just as chill, right?

Wrong. Oh, so, wrong!

Miss Bea is a handful — has been since the day she was born.

At every milestone we’ve thought, “Okay, well I’m sure she’s going to relax/start sleeping/not be so wild or crazy now, right?” And each time she would remind us that she is who she is — a wild one.

And now our little wild one is on the move.

Honest to God, with the exception of two baby gates, we never had to baby proof our home whatsoever for Ari. He just didn’t get himself into dangerous situations.

Miss Bea is … different.

So here’s how we’re prepping for our very mobile, nearly-walking, speed-crawling, spirited child:

  • All of the baby gates! Though our home is small, it seems as if you can’t move a few feet without having to unlock some sort of gate to get through. And that’s been a bit of a godsend. I can safely leave her in a contained space while I wash dishes/use the bathroom/change laundry.
  • Plug covers, and drawer and cabinet-stoppers. My sister’s home was just built with those electrical outlets that have built-in baby proofing. And I am so jealous. Because, for the life of me, I cannot seem to get those darn plastic thingys out of the outlets when I need to plug the vacuum in! While, I’ll admit, we did do this for Ari out of caution, he never once actually went for an outlet. But this Miss Bea, she’ll get into every cabinet, every drawer, every space she isn’t allowed to be. So we’ve covered every outlet and we’ve locked every kitchen cabinet and drawer, in hopes to keep her out of spaces she shouldn’t be.
  • Practice the art of doing things quickly. I’m not saying this in jest; I know that if I set her in a contained area, I have about 30-45 seconds to literally run to the other room to grab that item, before she’s gotten herself into something unexpected. So my husband and I have learned to move very, very, quickly.
  • Use Huggies ® Little Movers to prevent yucky leaks. This child has had more blowouts than I care to count, and now that she’s on the move, we needed extra protection.We’re lucky to have a Sam’s Club membership so that we’re able to pick up Huggies ® Little Movers biggest pack ever — a 2-month supply — so that we only have to fit in a trip to the store for diapers once every couple of months!

    That’s a huge bonus because that means the best protection for leaks plus I only have to drag both kiddos out to Sam’s Club a handful of times per year!

  • Giving her a safe space to play. Supervised playtime, in a space that is as safe as can be expected, is a fantastic way for our little one to learn what she is capable of. That’s right — it’s not all about preventing her from doing things; plenty of her growth and learning at this stage is from just freeplay.
    Our current favorite ‘safe-play space’ is a Little Tikes alligator ball pit. It’s (conveniently) set up in the middle of our living room. Ari has added about a dozen extra toys to the ball pit, just for giggles. And I really do just love watching them play together in it!

So parents, tell me — what is your favorite way to help a spirited child learn and grow while still keeping them safe??

 

And if you’re not a member of Sam’s Club yet, go check out their membership plans and see how you can save $6 off of the cost of a 2-month supply of Huggies Little Movers — that’s two months for $61.98!