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Life Lately // a Balancing Act as a Mom of 3

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Oh, hi! I promise I’m not just over here having babies and leaving you high and dry. I’m also living a relatively normal life — or at least trying to!

Here’s what we’ve been up to recently:

Bottoms Up Yoga at Sibling Revelry Brewing. 

I jumped at the opportunity to meet up with some fellow Cleveland bloggers for an afternoon of yoga, beers, and laughs, courtesy of Bottoms Up Yoga at Sibling Revelry Brewing!

I brought my mom, Mimi, with me so that she could hang with the big kids while I brought Mila in with me. I mean, she’s a newborn and sleeps most of the time anyway — and this was a class with a bunch of gals I know really well anyway!

Well, she started making those newborn grunts while sleeping in her car seat. I spent most of the time rocking her car seat in between downward dogs before I just gave up halfway through our flow and stepped out.

I ended up ordering some food and sitting down with a flight of IPAs to wait for the class to finish and for Mimi to arrive back with the big kids, so it all worked out in the end.

Sometimes you've just gotta put yourself out there and try to do something fun, even if the end result looks different from what you planned Click To Tweet

Sometimes you’ve just gotta put yourself out there and try to do something fun, even if the end result looks different from what you planned, right?!

The Cleveland Flea.

I’m not a big shopper. I’m just not. But one of the events I most look forward to each month is the Cleveland Flea. Perhaps because it combines my love of Northeast Ohio with my love of finding unique items and food? Yep, that’s probably it!

Well, the last Flea I brought both of the girls with me on a little girls day out. We ate donuts from The Vegan Doughnut Company and walked around for a bit before we settled into a cozy spot for some relaxation and people watching.

Remy is such a social child and she really loves to be given a little space to explore, so I let her do her thing for a bit while I fed Mila.

Work.

I’ve been back to work for weeks now and it’s not all that bad. Mila is with me at all times and the bigger kids have the chance to play and get some energy out for a bit in a different environment. I start teaching cycling again in just a few weeks so our schedule will get even busier, but I’m anxious to get back into the swing of teaching again!

Prepping for Kindergarten.

Ari starts Kindergarten in a week. I’m so excited for him and anxious at the same time. Our school shopping is nearly complete and I have his teacher and room assignment! The only thing we have left to do is attend orientation!

It’s safe to say I’m going to be a complete wreck those first few days. I don’t know if I’ll actually cry, or if my anxiety will just go into overdrive. I know for certain he is ready. He’s so excited and hasn’t even muttered a word about being nervous.

Food Fridays al Fresco at Cascade Plaza.

So many amazing things have been happening in my city over this last year. There are so many events happening on a daily basis (oftentimes at the same time), I’m bummed I’m not able to make them all. Such is life with three kids, I suppose!

But one of the events I knew we had to make it to was Food Fridays al Fresco, which happens every Friday during lunch in Cascade Plaza in downtown Akron. Basically, a bunch of food trucks, backyard games, and live music smack dab in the middle of a weekday!

I was adventurous enough to take all three kids out to this while solo-parenting. It was an adventure, but they had fun running around the big, grassy, plaza.

Edgewater Beach, Cleveland.

While searching for new places to take the kids, a friend suggested going to Edgewater Park and walking along the beach. It was a gorgeous day so I thought, why not?

The water was closed due to rough current, but the kids only really cared about the sand anyway. We walked and explored and played before giving in to the heat and heading back home.

Northeast Ohioans are lucky to have so many adventurous places to explore. This was just the tip of the iceberg for us and I cannot wait to continue taking my kids on these little adventures.

 

In reflecting on all that we’ve been up to lately, I can confidently say that adding a third baby changed everything and yet changed nothing. We’re still doing our thing. We’re still living our lives. We’re still having fun, and working, and playing. It just looks a little different.

In what fun ways

have you been

exploring lately?

 

Akron Restaurants for Foodies With Kids

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I wrote this post earlier this year and it was originally seen on the Cleveland Plus blog in April of 2018. 
Before my husband and I started our family, we would dine out at local establishments regularly. As silly as it may sound, one of my fears in starting our new journey was that our life would need to change dramatically. We’ve all seen and heard stories about restaurants kicking a screaming child and its family out for ‘disruptive behavior’… would this happen to us? Would we need to stop going out to eat??

Now that I’m five years and (almost) three children deep into this motherhood thing, I’m here to set the record straight — having children does not need to impact your social life. The great thing about children? They can go wherever you go!

I learned quickly that one of the best things about raising a family in Akron are the endless restaurants that welcome children of all ages. Click To Tweet

Here are a few of my favorite family-friendly restaurants in the Akron area!

The Lockview. 

Appropriately named, considering it’s proximity to Lock 3 in downtown Akron, this gourmet grilled cheese restaurant is perfect for all ages! Grownups can enjoy an extra large variety of craft beers, both on top and hard-to-find bottles, while everyone will certainly enjoy the grilled cheese selections.

All of the signature sandwiches are numbered one through 13. My personal favorite is the Number Six — Cheddar, grilled apples, and applewood smoked bacon on a country buttertop bread — served with a side of goldfish crackers.

For the kids, I’ll get the Number 1 to split — it’s a basic sandwich, but it’s way better than any sandwich I could make for them at home!

The restaurant itself is quite narrow but the staff is always so helpful in making sure my kids are seated at a table that is out of the way.

Family pro tip: The portions are large so if you have a couple of small kids, I recommend splitting a grilled cheese.

Chowder House Cafe.

Located on the corner of State Road and Chestnut Blvd in Cuyahoga Falls, this hidden gem is a must for seafood-loving families. My husband and I have been going to this restaurant for the last 6 years. The staff has watched our family grow and continuously urges us to bring the kids with us instead of opting for a sitter.

If going on a weekend, call and make a reservation. They definitely get busy, but as long as you have a reservation, your family (highchairs and all) will most certainly be accommodated.

The kids will be in awe of the art on the walls (the walls are literally works of art themselves). It’s a great distraction until the kids get their meals. Our favorites? The crab cakes, pulled pork, and lobster bisque (ask for extra bread!). But really, my kids will eat anything on the menu — even the seafood etoufee!

Family pro tip: They do not take credit so make sure you have cash! Also, it’s BYOB, so bring a bottle of wine!

Diamond Deli.

This fast-casual deli, located right on Main Street downtown, is the epitome of a family restaurant — and it’s truly an Akron staple.

The owners and most of the staff are family members, and the menu is full of even more family members with sandwiches like the “Where’s Jason?”, the “Mom Come Get Me — I’m Sick,” or, my favorite sandwich, the Old Bald Guy.

Being a family-owned and family-run restaurant, it’s the perfect spot to bring your family for a quick, delicious, and homemade lunch. There are no kids menus, but they just make every kid feel so welcome.

Family pro tip: Get a slice of the cheesecake, too.

Retro Dog.

Located on Steels Corners Road, just minutes from Blossom Music Center, this drive-in (and dine-in) hot dog restaurant serves incredibly fun hot dog creations, spicy hamburgers, a pound of seasoned fresh-cut french fries, homemade custard, and Thirsty Dog root beer and beer!

We’ve been taking the kids since they opened several years ago and each and every time we are in, we are treated like family. The owners always greet us with open arms before filling our bellies with delicious food. The kids love to sit and color, put Monster Dog stickers all over, and eat as many fries as their tiny tummies can handle.

Mom and dad love that they can sit back and relax while someone else makes dinner! Oh – and the Retro Lite beer — brewed by Thirsty Dog specifically for Retro Dog — doesn’t hurt either!

Family pro tip: Get ‘the Pounder’ of fries and split with everyone.

The Blue Door Cafe.

Located at the corner of State Road and Broad Boulevard in Cuyahoga Falls, the Blue Door is the perfect breakfast or lunch spot for any family.

Their commitment to ‘good food,’ free of chemicals, is something that is important to us as a family, and a value we hope to pass on to our children. So when the kids want to order a chocolate croissant for breakfast, we let them! And the croissants are truly delicious!

If you’re in the mood for lunch, I highly recommend the Chicken and Waffles, but my oldest will tell you that you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.

Pro tip: Arrive early on the weekends — they will be very, very, busy and they do not offer reservations for breakfast/lunch.

Luigi’s.

This should be a no-brainer for anyone visiting Akron, but just in case you needed a gentle reminder, Luigi’s restaurant is perfect for families of all ages and sizes.

You cannot go wrong with Luigi’s Pizza. You just can’t. Ask my kids.

They are still cash-only, and if you go on a weekend, arrive early or be prepared to wait. But Luigi’s has family-friendly down to an art. They know families want to get in and out as quickly as possible and avoid any significant wait for meals to arrive, so everything comes fast — be ready to eat!

My kids love the massive amounts of cheese on the pizza, and this mama loves the massive amounts of cheese on the salads. It’s the perfect place to grab a pizza with the whole family any day of the week!

Family pro tip: Order the large. It won’t go to waste. And never, ever, decline cheese on your salad.

Honestly, this list could go on and on. I’ve found that most places are more than willing to welcome children with open arms — even many breweries are family friendly (I’m looking at you, HiHo!).

So parents -- existing and expecting -- don't be afraid to get out and explore with your kids, regardless of their age. Go out to eat, enjoy, and remember that everyone has been there and everyone deserves a meal out of the home. Click To Tweet

And thank you to those amazing restauranteurs and staff for welcoming this generation, with their arms and hearts full, to dine at your establishments. We want to have our cake and eat it too — and you truly make that possible.

Getting Creative in Cleveland

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Despite being very pregnant, I’ve set some fairly decent goals for myself over the last year. One of them is to put myself in front of the camera more frequently. It’s hard, I think, as a mom — without a lot of time for herself — to feel ‘put together’ enough to step in front of the camera. Well, I know it’s true for me. Especially since my mid-section has been rapidly growing for the last 9 months.

But in an effort to stay true to my goals, I’ve been putting myself out there. And when an opportunity came up to meet up with fellow blogger babes at Borrow Rentals in downtown Cleveland, I took it! Not only have I been craving some time with my fellow lady bloggers, but being around creatives tends to jumpstart my creative a bit and kick it into high gear!

I’d never been to this spot before, but the pieces were gorgeous! For someone who is hosting an event, I can see why it’s the go-to spot for items like tableware, vintage pieces, and large furniture!

For me, the best part of the day was chatting with ladies I either hadn’t seen in a while, or had never met in real life before. And the gorgeous Katie Logsdon was there to document the whole thing!

I was feeling very, very, uncomfortably pregnant that particular Saturday. And I tried not to let it show, but it was… difficult. It’s a good thing there were snacks and cookies to hold me over!

PS. Aren’t these pastries and cookies from Annie’s Signature Sweet’s the cutest!? Best part is — I found out she holds private baking classes for groups! Her lemon lavender cookies were to die for!

Since I wasn’t feeling particularly awesome, I decided to hop in front of the camera rather quickly. I am not going to lie — I am completely unnatural in that situation where there are loads of other people around and I have to smile for the camera. But Katie put me at ease!

I’m just sad that I jumped out to head home for a nap before getting this group shot!

It was such a fun afternoon, despite being uncomfortably pregnant. And I’m so grateful to the people who made this event happen — especially Katie Logsdon and Borrow Rentals for their services! And thanks to everyone for slowly but surely helping me to get more comfortable in front of the camera, rather than just behind it!

 

Friday Favorites

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I’ve been struggling to keep my head above water this week. Truly, nothing extraordinary has happened; I’m just feeling the weight of the end of pregnancy. Between pregnancy insomnia, chasing the kids, and pregnancy exhaustion (thanks to that insomnia and lots of jabs to the ribs), I’ve been a terrible homemaker this week.

As we sit here,  there are three large loads of laundry piled up on the living room furniture — in plain sight so that I will fold them and put them away — that have been sitting there for a couple of days; dishes are piled up in the sink; and our floors are in desperate need of the vacuum.

Despite all of the craziness, here’s my current favorites from this week!

Favorite on Netflix: We may or may not have binge-watched the new crime docu-series Evil Genius this week. Although it was no Making a Murderer, it was still really good. And super freaky, considering it happened not far from where I grew up — but I had no idea that this even happened until this show! Was I living under a rock!? No, I was just in college.

Favorite read: This article titled What if All I Want is A Mediocre life? It really struck a chord with me. Especially the part about being a mom. In the age of the ‘pinterest mom’ I strive to be just mediocre. Not kidding.

You know why? Because a while ago I realized I wasn’t happy when I was being a ‘pinterest mom’ — and my family noticed — and they weren’t either!

Favorite listen: As per my norm (I’m a creature of habit, y’all), my favorite listen this week was a This American Life episode! Check it out here.

Favorite ride: For the last week I’ve been driving around this incredible Mazda CX-9! We recently turned in our lease of a small SUV and I was really curious about trying this Mazda. I have to say — this car was a game changer, y’all! First of all, it has optional third row seating. Also? All the bells and whistles — between the huge navigation system, to in-dash speedometer with traffic sign recognition, Bose sound system, and the lane-keep assist — were awesome on a little mini-road trip we took!

The kids loved it as much as I did!

Favorite sip: This week was brought to you by… coffee. Copious amounts of coffee! But seriously. I know I generally drink a LOT of coffee; but this week I literally could not have functioned without it. I was a zombie. Not sleeping at night; not able to nap during the day; and did I mention that we transitioned the kids to bunk beds last weekend?? Yeah, that’s been buckets of fun.

So it should come as no surprise that my favorite drink of this week was the Triple Threat Latte from Nervous Dog.

Favorite eat: As I mentioned before, I’ve kinda been a trainwreck on the homefront this week. If it weren’t for my husband being off from work Monday and Tuesday, I swear my children would have eaten spaghetti o’s everyday for lunch and dinner.

But, alas, he was home to save us! And instead, we ate a delicious dinner Bibimbap — which is basically a Korean dish of rice, veggies, and beef.

Favorite link: Just another shameless plug — but my latest blog post for Cleveland Plus went live a couple of weeks ago! Check it out here.

Favorite place: I feel like I don’t say this enough, but I truly love working at the Riverfront YMCA. My fellow coworkers and the members are like an extended family for us. And this week, Ari celebrated his last day of preschool at the YMCA. He’ll be heading off to kindergarten this Fall!

So we celebrated with friends this week and said goodbyeeeee to preschool! It was such a bittersweet moment for all of us!

One of my favorite places will always be the YMCA. It’s a good thing we’re still going to be there everyday 😉

 

What are some of your favorites

from this week !?

 

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!

1st Annual Cleveland Comedy Awards

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I know we don’t tend to get out a lot these days (hellooooo, pregnancy!), but last week Chad and I were lucky enough to get out for dinner and an event! That’s right — we had the honor of attending the inaugural Cleveland Comedy Awards at Hilarities on East 4th.

Some background: I am not a comedian in any way. But comedy has always played a huge role in mine and my husbands lives. It’s something that brought us together when we first started dating and something that continued to bring us together long into our relationship. We’ve seen various comics perform over the years and shared a love of laughter through television shows like Last Comic Standing.

So when my friend Sarah invited me to attend this event, I was overjoyed! Not only did we get to laugh, but we got a date night, too! Win, win!

Our pre-event dinner was at Barrio in the Gateway District.

I’ve been craving Barrio tacos and guac for a while. And, even though there was a wait and even though we were in a bit of a hurry, I convinced Chad to sit at the bar so we could still enjoy some pre-show tacos.

Sidenote: Here is where I say that my husband was right and I should listen to him more often. I told him my plans of getting two tacos and also guac. He laughed and said that there was no way I would be able to finish that much food. I told him he didn’t know what he was talking about and I can totally eat two tacos AND guac.

I was wrong. So wrong. I absolutely want to be one of those people who can eat a normal amount of food, but it seems like I can barely finish two tacos! Sad face. He was right.

From there we walked down to Pickwick and Frolic to meet my friend Sarah on the red carpet!

Y’all this event was amazing! Because Sarah was a presenter, our seats were right up against the stage. That’s front row… at a comedy event… while 7 months pregnant. Eek. I was nervous!

See what I mean?! I really didn’t want to be called out by these guys. Ha! Luckily, they decided to pick on Sarah’s husband instead of me (phew!).

The event was presented by Comedic CLE and hosted by Rob Ward, whom we’ve seen perform before — and someone I happen to think this hilarious.

My husband happened to think that many of the jokes were, indeed, inside jokes between the comics; but for whatever reason (perhaps it’s because I listen to a lot of these guys on the radio so I happen to know their backstories); so I thought it was fabulous.

Some of my favorites from the night include Jasmyn Carter’s performance and Brian Kenny’s long-form joke performance. They had me dying of laughter!

I was sad to see that Mike Polk Jr. and Mary Santora weren’t present to accept their awards, but totally saw that coming. They are rockstars of Cleveland comedy and so busy travelling! Props to Bill Squire for filling in for both Mike and Mary! It was great!

The night ended with a truly amazing performance from Ramon Rivas, who can be found on Comedy Central and shows like Vicelan and Broad City.

Thank you so much to Comedic Cle, Hilarities, and specifically Sarah for the invite. It was a pretty awesome night, even if that means I didn’t get much sleep nor did I get to put my babies to bed — it was still worth it.

Check out the full list of 2018 winners here. And be sure to check out all of the above mentioned comics — I promise you won’t be disappointed!