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GIVEAWAY!! // Elevate Akron // Fall 2015

November 15, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

Again, I have to say it… Northeast Ohio is simply amazing. There is so much to do, so much to see, and so much to be involved in! While this can be found within so many groups and hobbies here in Ohio, it’s especially true of the yoga community.

First there was Believe in CLE. And then, earlier this year, the first ever Elevate Akron event. Thankfully, we’re ending 2015 with yet another FREE yoga event before closing out 2015!

Next Sunday, November 22nd, yogis from all over our region, will gather at the University of Akron field house for a sweaty vinyasa practice, speakers, and an after party complete with food trucks, games and DJ Nino!

The excitement that is set to vibrate throughout the city of Akron — and Northeast Ohio — is building! I’m SO excited to attend, pregnant belly and all!

Lucky for one of my readers, I was asked by the great ladies of Lululemon Akron to giveaway one commemorative Elevate Akron 2015 tank or tee! Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter — and please only enter if you are local and will be able to pick up the tee!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck! Be sure to register for the FREE EVENT HERE. Oh, and here are the nitty gritty details for the event:

Parking. Parking is available in lot 10 directly behind the building.
Arrive Early. Music, day-of check-in and yoga mat parking starts at 4:30PM. The festivities promptly at 5:00PM with a special speaker followed by our vinyasa class.
Bring Cash. Hello? Food trucks galore!
Limited Mat Rentals. So be sure to bring one!
Packet Pick-Up. Event organizers urge you to attend packet pick-up at the lululemon Akron showroom on Friday, November 20th from 11:00AM-6:00PM or Saturday, November 21st from 10:00AM to 2:00PM. Pre-ordered tees and tank tops will also be distributed during these designated times.

See you there! xo

Ari’s 3rd Birthday //

November 3, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Well, it’s only been TWO WEEKS since Ari’s birthday. To say I’m slacking would be an understatement. Although can you really blame me? I’ve been bouncing from doctor appointment to doctor appointment, dragging a toddler along, and throwing up along the way (sometimes quite literally). So yeah. There have been “delays,” one would say. But better late than never, right? Right. (Just roll with me, friends.)

Friday the 16th // The Actual Birthday

His actual birthday was on Friday and I wanted to make it kind of special. Well we got a tad bit of a late start (thanks to both myself and Ari sleeping in way later than we should’ve — hooray!). But we ended up at Café O’Play… eventually. It was CRAZYTOWN in there. Turns out Ari’s birthday is also a teacher administration day or something, so all of the local schools were closed for the day. And, hence, the Café was insane busy.

After a little while of playing, we decided to head to out to finish a couple of party errands. While Moosh took a short nap, I decorated a teeny bit for our little family birthday celebration. I had leftover decorations from last year so I just decided to throw those up and wing it! I was tired of looking at Minion party stuff for his big she-bang anywho! 🙂

When Chad got home from work, I quickly snuck out to go get Moosh a cupcake (neither Chad nor myself are big cake people, so I just didn’t see the point in getting or making an actual cake).

Ari’s one birthday request for dinner was Chick-Fil-A (or, as he pronounces it, “Chick-Fay!”). So we headed to Chick-Fay for a quick dinner. And, quick it was! One thing I never realized before having a child, is how quickly a person can consume an entire meal. Seriously. It’s a bit scary.

Post-Chick-Fay we came home to open birthday gifts and sing happy birthday! He was so excited to get his new bicycle (which is a Radio Flyer Balance Bike), a Lego set, a light saber, and his new sleeping bag (which, admittedly, he’s been sleeping in since that night. Seriously. He refuses to sleep in his bed.). Birthday success!

Saturday the 17th //

Mimi and Poppy (my mom and dad) drove up from Kentucky to spend the weekend with us for Ari’s party. After they arrived, we decided to grab some lunch (aka – satisfy my craving for soup) before going Trunk or Treating at the YMCA!

Last year, Ari seemed to catch on(ish) to Trick or Treating, but this year, as a “big boy,” as he so refers to himself, I figured he would go nuts for it.

I was right. He now knows what candy is. So the idea of dressing up in a costume and getting free candy was more than appealing to him. He had a fabulous time. And, although I had no idea, the Y was apparently doing an open house… so the gymnastics area was completely open for the kids to run and play!

It was pretty much the perfect way to spend a (very chilly) Saturday.

Sunday the 18th //

The big day had arrived! Luckily, I had planned ahead enough to not be stressed for the day of the party. My mom and I ran out Sunday morning, sans Ari, to get a couple of last-minute items (like to pick up his balloons) and all of us were ready to leave the house an hour before the party was set to start (!!!!!). Guys. This is a miracle in itself.

We had planned the party to be a — big surprise — Minions/Gymnastics Party at the YMCA. Yep. This kid LOVES taking his gymnastics classes. And what better way to get a bunch of kids to have fun, right!?

So I may have gone a tad bit overboard with the Minion-themed food… Cookie Robots. Minion Munch. El Machos Salsa. Unicorn Horns. Unicorn Fur. Ha.

Caterpillars (aka – Cheetos). Anti-gravity Serum. My Mom’s Bad*** Minion Cake.

The party was, by all accounts, a complete success! The kids were fed, the adults snacked + mingled, and then it was time to play

The adults may have gotten into gymnastics a tad bit, too. Gymnastics play time started with the “rules,” which were quickly thrown out the window. And all of the adults and kids went nuts! Ha.

Monday the 19th //

Yeah, yeah. The weekend (and his birthday shenanigans) were technically over. But that Monday he had his 3 year well-baby checkup. As expected, he barely gained any weight and height. Ha. At his 2 year visit I’m pretty sure he weighed in at 25 pounds. At this 3 year visit?? Twenty-six pounds. 2-6. Yep. Well, he’s still in the second percentile for weight. Ha! Oh, and he’s 35″. Which is a miracle (and probably gained 2-inches from his shoes).

Aaaand then we all crashed from exhaustion and I got sick for days… 🙂

I know that after Ari’s very Yo Gabba Gabba first birthday bash I promised I wouldn’t do another over-the-top birthday; but something about having a last hurrah for our ‘only child’ was appealing to me. I’m sure next year I’ll be back to business-as-usual throwing things together haphazardly. 🙂

it was a good day.

October 7, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Thank you everyone for all of the birthday wishes Monday. I ended up being rather sick and only sleeping for 2 hours the night before, but I made the most of it. Lack of sleep and getting sick all night sure made for an interesting morning… Buuuut I got my butt outta bed and got a couple of things done before being swept away for a morning breakfast sandwich with a dear friend.

Post-breakfast, Chad + I took Moosh to the pumpkin patch to let him explore and get out some of that toddler energy. Maize Valley Farm + Winery in Hartville was just the place!

The place was empty, with the exception of a few other moms & tots. Moosh definitely needed someone who could keep up with him. And I definitely was not that person. So Chad chased the little stinker here, there, and everywhere.

First, he played on the playground, the hay bales, and the tractors.

He was so adventurous. It was amazing to witness this little boy explore, bravely stepping out a few feet further than normal from mommy & daddy. So much different to where we were just a short year ago.

After watching the boys run around (I did zero running. Ha. I just waddled and snapped some pictures), we caught the wagon for the hayride! Moosh loved it!

There were a couple of stops on our hayride tour of Maize Valley, the first being to pick our own pumpkins. Last year Moosh managed to pick a rotting pumpkin and the farm refused to even sell it; they just gave it to us – ha! This year my only rule for Moosh was to pick a pumpkin that wasn’t on it’s way to rotten already.

He wandered and wandered until the found the perfect [tiny] pumpkin! Sigh. There’s something adorable about watching your kid find the ‘perfect’ [for him] pumpkin!

And then it was off to watch the pumpkin chucker! Yep – a compressed-air pumpkin cannon. Chad was in heaven! Moosh was at first… but he grew tired of the chuckin’ pretty quickly! One day, kid, you’ll be super excited to see this.

Ya know what did hold his interest? Racing pigs. Yep. Racing. Pigs.

Sigh. Such a boy! After watching pigs run in a big circle, Moosh insisted on riding in the barrel cars with daddy… Thank goodness he didn’t ask me to go with him, because I wouldn’t have been able to get out! Ha!

By the end of our trip, we were all ready for a nap. Moosh actually said “I need a nap,” when we got home. And everyone napped… except me… the pregnant girl who only got 2 hours of sleep the night before. Ugh.

But I woke everyone up early because I really wanted to eat dinner. I decided I wanted Mexican food, so we checked out a (new to us) restaurant. The food was just okay. And Moosh was totally, totally, cray the whole time we were there. NEVER have I wished for a margarita so badly in my life. Ha! I’m glad Chad was able to enjoy one in my place. 🙂

Our last stop was a quick ice cream cone at Handels. I couldn’t even finish mine because I started to feel sick again. But Moosh had no probably double-fisting my cone with his.

We then put Moosh to bed and watched a movie… which is when I proceeded to get incredibly ill yet again. Regardless, I wouldn’t have changed the day. At all. It certainly wasn’t glamorous. But it was perfect in every way I needed it to be.

I am so grateful for my husband — for his love and his understanding of what exactly makes a perfect birthday when you’re wife is pregnant and sick and (mostly) miserable. ♥

weekend wrap up //

September 29, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

This weekend my sister-in-law and her family came into town from Denver for a quick visit. The unfortunate part about this is that I was still very much sick; but I made the best of it (and luckily just spent my nights throwing up, not my days). We haven’t seen them in what seems like ages. My niece and nephew were so excited to play with Ari — it’s been nearly a year since Chad took him out to Denver for a visit.

As much as it was a chance to visit with out-of-town family, this weekend was a chance for us to reconnect, too! Chad + I spent some serious snuggle time with Moosh. I took him for coffee + donuts at the Lil’ Donut Factory (where he requested a “red” donut… I’m not quite sure what that meant, but he seemed to enjoy his sprinkle donut all the same!) before we went to a family cookout — complete with the biggest bonfire I’ve ever seen.

On Saturday, Chad had plans to go with his sister + her family to the Ohio State football game against Western Michigan. He was beyond excited; and I was just as happy to not be going! [Pregnant + around a lot of drunk people = no bueno]. My job for the day was to hang with Moosh, my niece Grace, and their Grammy [my MIL]. We had big plans of our own!

First stop, the North Market! It was definitely busy, but not too busy to swing by my favorite stands + grab some goodies! Moosh seemed to enjoy the Belgian waffles (from Taste of Belgium). I would only let him eat a few bites because we had lunch plans for the Hot Chicken Takeover popup shop.

GUYS. It was amazing! The spicy chicken with warm maple syrup!? Incredible. So incredible that I had to rub it in Chad’s face that he wasn’t there to enjoy it with me! And the kids seemed to enjoy the mac + cheese! In the words of Ari, “It was really good!” Ha! Kid cracks me up.

Post-market we took the kids to Dave + Busters for some fun. I should have known better. I should have known that these kids didn’t even need any tokens… they just pressed buttons! They did end up finding some games they liked to play… like skeeball. It was adorable.

By the end, I was exhausted and so were the kids — SUCCESS! Before we headed home, we got them their prizes (a sticky hand and a Fun Dip each!) and a treat — Graeters Ice Cream!

Believe it or not, Moosh asked to nap afterwards!! Post-nap the kids were pretty mellow while we waited for everyone to come back from the big game. It’s safe to say that everyone slept well that night. Well, except for me — ha.

Sunday morning we went to the Orchard Co. in Plain City for their Fall Festival. Moosh seemed kinda wiped still. And I certainly was. But he managed to enjoy the “train” ride and playing with his ‘friends,’ aka – his cousins!

By the time we arrived home, I was beyond wiped out. I slept for 11.5 HOURS. No joke. But seriously, busy but great weekend. It’s officially Fall, y’all!

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.

Luau On The Lake // Giveaway

June 23, 2015 by Rachel 7 Comments

Summer in Cleveland is a festival-goers dream! And this year I’m excited to attend (again!) the 10th annual Luau on the Lake to benefit Shoes and Clothes for Kids, on July 25th at Wendy Park on Whiskey Island.

One of the major changes from last year is that there are now three different levels of tickets:

General Admission – $50 through June 26; $60 through July 20; $65 at the door – includes island buffet, beer, wine, soft drinks, and souvenir cup. Pre-mixed Island Cocktails available for purchase.

Big Kahuna – $60 through June 26; $75 through July 20 – includes all the above plus 3 Island Cocktail drink tickets, Hawaiian lei, VIP cup and tote, and half-hour early admission.

Tiki God – $125 per person or $200 per couple through July 10 – includes all of the above plus open bar (beer, wine, liquor, and Island Cocktails), appetizers, VIP tent with seating and port-o-lets, and one-hour early admission!

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrTxLOXtdoA]

Based on my experience last year, early admission is KEY! You have prime pick of your spot (BYOB — Bring Your Own Blanket/Chairs). An extra bonus of a VIP tent with seating and potties is also a huge bonus.

Regardless, all three ticket levels are supporting a great cause. If you aren’t aware of this awesome organization, know that their mission is to “provide a unique service for income-eligible families in Greater Cleveland by distributing new shoes, clothing, and items for infants and youths.” Hugely important in our community!

You can purchase tickets to Luau on the Lake online or you can enter to win two Big Kahuna tickets using the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner will be announced within 24-hours of giveaway close. Entrants must intend to use the tickets and be 21 years or older.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I was asked by Shoes and Clothes for Kids to help promote the Luau on the Lake. In exchange, I will receive 2 Big Kahuna tickets for myself and 2 Big Kahuna tickets to give away. All opinions herein are my own.