fun

Zippity Zoo Doo // Explore Locally

May 31, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

Long before I became a mom I enjoyed visiting the zoo. In fact, when I was a student in Buffalo and Syracuse, I would go to the zoo by myself. Just to explore. It’s one of those places that I find comfort in. And for the past several years we have been members of our local zoo, the Akron Zoo. One of the perks of being a member is getting discount and free admission to other zoos across the country.

We just so happen to have TWO wonderful zoos in our backyard. The other of which is the Cleveland Zoological Society!

I’m honored to be attending the Cleveland Zoological Society‘s 42nd annual Zippity Zoo Doo, Friday, June 5th, to benefit the mission and educational programs of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

The theme of this years event is Serengeti Sunrise, where guests will enjoy an African inspired seated-dinner (think Smoked Fennel Crusted Filet and Red Snapper Yasa, just to name a couple of items), along with themed cocktails and hors d’oeurves (think Lobster BLT and Peri Peri Chicken Kebabs! Yum!).

Guests will not only be able to bid on a wide array of silent auction items, but they will also have the opportunity to visit the Zoo’s herd of Masai giraffe at the new Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter. In addition to the Wild Side silent auction, guests will be asked to help raise $50,000 for education scholarships by filling The Giving Tree. By 9pm, the table with the highest combined contribution will win an immediate behind-the-scenes experience with the giraffe herd.

What an awesome night this is going to be! All of this excitement PLUS live music under the stars at a highly-rated Cleveland fundraiser?! I cannot wait. Tickets for Zippity Zoo Doo are still on sale. Individual donation levels start at $250 and table champion levels start at $3,500. Click here for more details. And see you at the Serengeti Sunset.

Disclosure: I was asked by the Cleveland Zoological Society to help promote Zippity Zoo Doo. In exchange, I will receive one complimentary ticket to the event. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

a few of our favorite things // toddler books

May 28, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

I was honestly beginning to wonder if it would ever happen, his love for books and reading. He spent so much time loving ‘boy’ things like Thomas the Tank and Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and I wasn’t sure he would ever slow down enough to sit down with a book.

But something happened just after Christmas last year. All of a sudden he was hooked. However, just like his favorite shows and movies, he gravitates towards the same three books. Always. I have to say the kid has awesome taste. I happened to spend a bit of time in Barnes and Noble one day, just reading through the children’s books. I was incredibly impressed with the creativity!

Especially of these three books:

1. Dragons Love Tacos // Moosh thinks this book is hilarious. It’s a story about how Dragons love eating tacos, but they hate hot salsa. It’s adorable. And it combines three of Ari’s favorite things: food, dragons, and complete silliness. Now if he sees a taco he proclaims, “MMM! Dragons like tacos! I like tacos!” It’s the cutest thing ever.

2. Peanut Butter & Cupcake // This is my personal favorite, so I’m glad Moosh loves it too. While the author is not a children’s book author by trade, he is a photographer that has a series called “Bent Objects,” where he takes food items and turns them into people. So naturally, this makes a great children’s book.

The main ‘character’ is a piece of peanut butter toast. He just moved to town and he’s trying to find someone to play soccer with him. Everytime he meets someone he says “Hi. I’m new here and I’d like to play. Maybe now, maybe later, or even all day! I’ll make you chuckle deep down in your belly, and we’ll go together like Peanut Butter and… (insert name of whatever he’s introducing himself to). It’s freaking adorable. And yes, I recited that little poem from memory. I just love it so much. Moosh likes to go to the last page of the book and name all of the ‘people’ playing together. 🙂

3. Please, Mr. Panda // This book is short and sweet. Mr. Panda goes around asking all the animals if they want a donut. Most say yes… quite aggressively. So he in some way or another tells them that he has changed his mind and they are not allowed to have a donut. Finally he asks the question and one of them and the animal says “Oh please may I have one Mr. Panda?” and Mr. Panda says, “Yes, you can have them all. I do not like donuts anyways.” Ha. So cute. And Moosh doesn’t even know he’s getting a message in manners!

So yeah. Or go-to-books are adorable. However, we’re always looking to add to our collection. Any suggestions? What are your kids’ favorites?

Elevate YOGAkron // outdoor yoga festival!

May 20, 2015 by Rachel 5 Comments

There are many things that I’m passionate about. When two of those things come together (like drinking wine and painting, for instance – LOL!), I am in heaven!

Two other things that I am passionate about: Northeast Ohio and Yoga. A few years ago when the first Believe In CLE event took place, I was beyond excited to practice yoga with hundreds and hundreds of other yogis at the Rock Hall.

Recently some of my fellow Akron-area yogis put together an outdoor community practice at Hardesty Park, located in the heart of Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood!

In partnership with the City of Akron & local yoga studios, the lululemon athletica Akron Showroom and YOGAkron have teamed up to present the inaugural Elevate YOGAkron event, which is being held on Friday, May 29th from 6:00 – 9:30PM, rain or shine!

This free-, outdoor-yoga festival will celebrate the heart and soul of the beautiful city of Akron! Live music, courtesy of Akron-native DJ Nino, will last through the all-levels Vinyasa practice, led by lululemon Ambassador and YOGAkron Founder Tracy Rhinehart (ERYT-500HR). During the all-levels practice, yoga teachers from various studios throughout Akron will be offering hands-on assists to the practicing yogis!

The Cleveland-based, Akron-loving, company, NOOMA, will support the event with free samples of their delicious electrolyte hydration drink throughout the practice! After the practice, DJ Naeno will continue to spin until 9:30PM and local food vendors, such as Ms. Julie’s Kitchen, will be at the event to provide nourishment and just plain ol’ tasty eats for the yogis!

Registration to the event is completely free, but you will need to fill out an online registration here. You do have an option at the point of registration to purchase a commemorative tee or tank for just $10. (I did! Look how cute it is!?!)

Registered participants can check-in, complete their waiver, and pick up their Elevate YOGAkron shirts at lululemon athletica Akron Showroom (21 Furnace Street in Downtown Akron) or at Yoga Bliss in Fairlawn (3045 Smith Rd, Fairlawn, OH 44333) during normal business hours on both Thursday, May 28th and Friday, May 29th. Check-in is also available at the event beginning at 6pm for those unable to do so ahead of time.

Will I see you there?? Let’s lift Akron up with love and light! 🙂 If you have never been to an event like this and want someone to go with, hit me up and let me know! 🙂 I’d be happy to go with ya!

Just before this post was set to go live, the folks over at lululemon let me know that they’d like to give an Elevate YOGAkron t-shirt to one of my readers! Enter using the rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST! 🙂 Ha! I just really love Ohio, I really love Akron, and I really and truly love the yoga community here. 🙂 And the giveaway? That just seemed to fall into place the way that the community of Akron likes to do! I just hope to see some of you there! And hey? why not try and score a tee while you’re at it! (Thanks, Lemons!)

better late than never // our weekend wrap up

April 29, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Friday //

My BFF from high school, Carli, moved down to Akron over a year ago. As mucha s we SAY we’re going to get together now that we’re living down the street from each other, we just haven’t been able to as much as we’d like. ‘Cause life happens, y’all. But Friday night we had a date! We planned on hitting up The Office Bistro for a glass of wine and dinner, but the hostess was incredibly rude so we just left. (Note: this is not my typical experience at this restaurant; but her attitude completely justifies us leaving without a second glance).

I told Carli that I had had great experiences with Craft Beer Bar, right next door. Sure there was beer (hey, Bodhi!); but there was also an incredible spread of food.

I will say, Shawn and Dustin did not disappoint! Dustin was insistent that we try some of their new menu items and pretty much force-fed us. Ha! The potato pancakes (in the upper left hand corner) are not yet on the menu, so we were lucky to get a “sneak peak.” And they were delicious! As soon as we were completely full, thanks to the Bacon Queso (upper right), Poutine (lower right), and the Mac and Cheese (lower left), Dustin came out with yet another surprise — an orange creamsicle ice cream sandwich. I honestly don’t know the menu name for this dessert yet because I was in a serious food coma by the time it came out.

While we were out I got a call from my husband that he had a work emergency, so I quickly rolled home — ha! — so that he could run out to Cleveland for a night of work. Unfortunately, he was out ALL night and didn’t get home until 6am. I swear if we didn’t have events scheduled for Saturday, my poor husband wouldn’t have gotten out of bed. And I don’t blame him one bit.

Saturday //

We had a bit of a lazy morning. Between Chad working all night and Moosh sleeping in bed with me, we were all kind of exhausted. We did manage to make it to Crafty Mart, a local artisan and maker show located in downtown Akron, in time for Chad to go to a kombucha-making workshop with the Bearded Buch!

We’ve been fans of the Bearded Buch for a while now; and Chad has been itching to make his own Kombucha at home; so a workshop with the ‘buch guru himself?! Hecks yes!

While Chad was in his workshop, Moosh and I walked around Crafty Mart where the first stop was the Akron Art Museum! The art museum is one of my favorite places in Akron, so the fact that they open their doors for these local vendors to showcase their craft just is that much more awesome.

But it was definitely one of the most popular Crafty Mart locations. And my dearest, dearest, Crafty Mart — as a patron, the one piece of advice I would give you is that as this event grows (which it has!), please locate this event in one single location! 🙂

But one of Mooshie’s fave places is the Akron Art Museum. He ADORES this place. We bought a few things and headed over to Musica, a local music venue. Musica. Oh dear Musica. You are a beautiful location. I would love to see a show at this venue. Scratch that. My early 20-something-year-old self would love to go to a Taking Back Sunday show at your venue. Cause this gal finds herself in PJs by 6pm these days, let’s be real.

I didn’t get any pictures at Musica because it was way too crowded. Way too many vendors in such a tiny space. I think this does the vendors a disservice because people, such as myself, aren’t lingering nearly as long because they are getting quite claustrophobic. After one purchase, we popped out into the alley for some air.

Post-Musica, we ended up at Summit Artspace. It’s a little “off-the-beaten-path,” that’s for sure. It’s a spot I’d heard of in passing, but I didn’t really KNOW what it was.

Apparently this spot is one of Akron’s best kept art secrets. I’ve likely heard of it in passing, but I had no idea that it was a space where local artists have their own little ‘shops’ inside to showcase their art. It’s fantastic to have this, but sad that I had no idea it existed up until this point.

But back to the art and the vendors… I was majorly impressed with the fact that this space was a bit more open. Plus, they borrowed an idea from the way the Cleveland Flea is set up and had vendors on one floor and food and drinks on another (just like the last holiday flea). A HUGE thank you to Nuevo (remember that amazing mod mex restaurant we went to for our anniversary??) for providing tacos á la carte (along with amazeballs guacamole and homemade chips!), Thirsty Dog for the beer, and Stray Dog Cart for the ‘dogs and the (free for kids!) cannolis!

This is exactly what we needed to ‘rest’ until we were ready to do more shopping. I hope next time there are even more food/beverages available.

After Chad was done with his Kombucha workshop I took a terrarium workshop with Land Of Plenty. It turned out beautifully and wasn’t nearly as difficult as I imagined it would be!

Sunday //

I was supposed to go to an event in the early afternoon, but after such a busy busy Saturday and severe lack of sleep, I decided to stay at home with my boys and get things done instead. It was just what we needed. <3 Sometimes you’ve just gotta listen to your body/family. 🙂

It was a wonderful weekend, but unfortunately our week has begun with a sick Moosh, hence the not getting this post up until mid-week! Sigh. Blog fail; parenting win.

The next weekend is just around the corner…

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

weekend wrap up // Easter edition

April 7, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

After last weekend and this past week, we really needed a truly happy and fun weekend. So when Friday arrived we jumped into our weekend with both feet! Ari was hanging with his friend Kayden all day on Friday and when I went to pick him up, I hung out for a while with K’s mom just catching up and chatting. It was SO nice and exactly what I needed to start off the weekend.

By the time Ari and I got home, he was exhausted (life is rough for a toddler); but my little trooper stayed awake until Mimi and Poppy showed up from Kentucky! We visited for a little bit before all heading off to sleep.

Saturday //

We woke up and snuggled with Moosh on the couch before getting started on our busy, busy, day! THIS is exactly what I adore about now having Saturdays off — early morning snuggle sessions! It may have been short-lived but that’s OK. It was great while it lasted.

Aaaand then we were off….

Mimi and Poppy were in town for a wedding; so we were lucky enough to spend an hour or so with some distant relatives that I haven’t seen in a few years. It was a nice visit and Moosh did really well while the adults chatted. He was shy and cute, of course. And then warmed up to everyone and started showing them his trains.

Then the real fun began — we went to meet the Easter Bunny and “hunt” for eggs at the park!

I thought this dude was going to be terrified of the Easter Bunny, but he wasn’t. He was smitten. He had this cheesy grin on his face the whole time. So proud of my little guy for being so brave and just walking up to the bunny!

I would be lying if I didn’t say I was a bit overwhelmed by the whole egg hunt experience. The youngest section was for 3-4 year olds; so we joined these kids who were like a whole foot taller than Moosh to race for eggs.

Everyone gathered in a huge circle on a soccer field and when they said “GO!” kids just went nuts going for the eggs.

Usually Moosh is too timid to race other kids for things, but with a little help from Chad, he successfully snagged about 8 or 9 eggs and a handful of candy (which was MORE than enough!).

After our egg hunt fun, we went back home to squeeze in a suuuuuper short nap (think like 20 minutes) before we headed to Ewan’s 2nd birthday party. My dear friend Gretchen had Ewan just six months after Ari was born; and they’ve been buds ever since!

We laughed, chatted, played, and had a blast celebrating with Ewan and the gang. When we left it was already after 6pm and our normal 2 1/2 hour napper had napped exactly 20 minutes. We were playing with fire when we decided to stop by Earth Fare to pick up some crab legs and other groceries for dinner.

Luckily Moosh was still in a ‘buzzed’ state of deliriousness. I decided to baby-wear him so that he didn’t go nutso in the store… which made for a lot of fun for both of us! Chad was busy shopping and Moosh and I were busy snapping selfies in the produce section! Ha!

By the time we made it home Ari was more than ready for bed. He fought it though. No, we are not blessed with one of those kids who will sleep in the car or just fall asleep on the floor from pure exhaustion. That is not our kid at all. Buuuut we do have a kid who will sleep a solid 12+ hours in his own bed at night. So no complaints.

Once he was in bed we settled in for a ‘date night,’ which consisted of fresh steamed crag legs and a movie. I am completely spoiled by having a husband that loves to cook amazing meals. And this did not disappoint!

Sunday //

I was so excited for Easter. There’s so much less pressure than at Christmas; but still lots of fun involved! I hid eggs filled with M&Ms and pennies throughout the house. However, I did not anticipate that my child would open up the first egg, notice the M&Ms and stop to eat ALL OF THEM before moving on to find more… Sigh. Mom fail.

Sure, he was excited about his Easter basket; but he was most excited about the candy. Until recently he hadn’t had any candy. Now? Now he knows what it is and we are in trouble!

Mimi and Poppy didn’t help. They brought even more candy over with their basket for him. We were lucky to get him to eat anything other than smarties and M&Ms that day. Ha!

After an earlier-than-usual nap (for all of us), Moosh and Chad went to play in the park while this mama cleaned the whole house (I LOVE cleaning when no one is around!!)… before we messed it all up again! Ha!

And then we did something that we never do together — we cooked dinner TOGETHER! We weren’t rushed or hurried, like during the week. And we used our first Blue Apron meal plan to cook up a fantastic Beef Stir Fry!

It should be noted that Chad does not need recipes; I, on the other hand, do NOT feel comfortable in the kitchen. So having this pre-planned/pre-measured mel was awesome for me! Bonus? It was delicious! And the two-person meal plan had generous portions — PLUS we had leftovers to eat for the next night! Even our picky-“I-only-want-candy”-toddler liked it. Hooray for a successful meal!

Honestly, this weekend was the best weekend we have had in a long time. We didn’t do anything extraordinary, but it was filled with family, friends, and lots and lots of love. My heart feels so happy and so full. I’m so lucky to be surrounded with these amazing people — Chad, Ari, my parents, family and our friends.

And I cannot wait to see what this weekend has in store! <3