fundraiser

1st Annual Cleveland Comedy Awards

April 3, 2018 by Rachel 15 Comments

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!

Living Like a Warrior with Hungry Howie’s //

October 6, 2017 by Rachel 12 Comments

I’ve been a self-proclaimed ‘warrior’ well before I became a mom. In fact, ‘warrior’ was a term that was in my vocabulary every single day. I was attending daily yoga classes and felt strong as a humble-warrior to my practice.

It was around the same time that I took my yoga practice off of the mat and started to be a warrior for my fellow women, as well.

Serving a purpose for women and health has long been a passion for me. And, as we enter into this new month, I’m reminded of that purpose.

Sure, October is the month of my birthday (hellooooo, 33!). But it’s also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many of us have been touched by someone who has or has had breast cancer. There are several warriors in my life that have battled the big BC.

And, as a socially conscious woman, I’m happy to support businesses who make it their mission to give back towards the cause of Breast Cancer Awareness.

The other day I picked up a couple of pizzas from Hungry Howie’s. Not only was it delicious (just ask my kiddos who devoured both pizzas in one, 12-hour, period!), but these pink-boxed pizzas also mean that Hungry Howie’s made a donation to Breast Cancer Awareness Month on our behalf.

The cool thing? For purchasing one of these pizzas in a pink box from Hungry Howie’s AND posting the photo on Instagram, we’re entered to win a FREE YEAR of PIZZA! Being a warrior for the cause AND entering a contest!? Yes please!

So, will you join me in the fight for Breast Cancer Awareness!? Check it out here and enter to win!

Red & White on Thursday Night // Recap

February 2, 2017 by Rachel 14 Comments

Last week Chad and I legit skipped our way out the front door to attend the 20th anniversary of Red and White on Thursday Night — a food and wine event to benefit The Arthritis Foundation.

I’ve said before that this event is truly our favorite event of the whole year. It’s something we continuously look forward to, year after year. In prior years, Chad and I have entered together, but split up and gone in different directions.

This year was so different. It was clear — more than ever — that we truly needed this night to reconnect with each other, at one of our most favorite places. So we made it a point to stick together nearly the entire time!

We headed straight to the VIP Lounge when we arrived, which was more glorious than ever! Dante Boccuzzi and his team were serving up the most delicious sweet potato and shrimp skewers!

I’m honestly not even a big fan of shrimp, generally speaking. But these were beyond amazing, ya’ll. Chef Dante is just amazing.

After eating several of the shrimp and sweet potato skewers, we refilled our wine glasses with red wine and headed over to the VIP dessert table, which featured this incredible creme brûlée from West Side Bakery.

Here’s my moment of truth: It had dairy. AND I ATE IT! Honestly? It was absolutely worth the cheat. Truthfully, one of the only reasons I ‘cheated’ with dairy at this event was because it’s hard to tell if something has a bit of dairy in it or not. That being said, I totally passed up cheese and pizza and other just plain ol’ cheesy things. (Le sigh…)

The rest of the event was spent meandering around, trying new-to-us wines and sampling foods from some of our favorite local restaurants!

Some of my personal faves from the night were the tacos and guacamole from BOMBA Tacos & Rum, the bacon-wrapped-dates from The Twisted Olive, and the goat-cheese and berry donut from Hudson’s Restaurant!

And my all-time favorite wines from the night came courtesy of Filia Cellars in Wadsworth, Ohio! This local winery stood out amongst it’s competition!

All in all, it was another perfect event. We ate, we drank, and we reconnected in a way that we truly needed to do. Thank you, again, to the Arthritis Foundation for inviting us to attend this event!

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.

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.

Zippity Zoo Doo // A (Late) Wrap Up!

June 16, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

A lot has been happening in life lately. I kind of alluded to the fact that things have been kind of crazy around here. More on that later (sorry).

But a week and a half ago I had a chance to kind of set all of that aside and went[ to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for the Cleveland Zoological Society’s annual Zippity Zoo Doo. The theme was Serengeti Sunset and besides being African-inspired, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I was greeted by valet and an owl! Talk about rolling out the red carpet! But really, the owl was adorable. And I did not expect live animals, but what a pleasant surprise! And that wasn’t the end! Once I met up with Jen from Why? CLE and her husband, we headed for a glass of wine and scoped out the hors d’oeuvres! I had stalked the menu prior to the event and as more than excited for the African-inspired menu.

I realized after chowing down that I was so excited I forgot to snap a couple of quick pics! Above (clockwise from left) is the event tent (which was MUCH larger than it appears in this picture), a grand display of the Lamb Tagine & Couscous and sliders, followed by a close-up of the delicious (and spicy!) South African Farmer’s Sausage Slider with Crunchy Slaw! Not pictured, but also delicious, were the Lobster BLT and the Peri Peri Chicken Kebabs. Seriously so good I ate too fast for a picture. Ha!

After we snacked and sipped we took a quick trip to the new Ben Gogolick Giraffe Encounter! The previous giraffe area had a single-file line type of walk-up where you can feed a single giraffe. The new setup features a large patio that allows visitors to walk right up to the giraffes (yep – multiples!). Sadly, the giraffes were in “hiding” while we visited, but we were still close enough to see the mama and baby!

We also had a chance to ride the carousel. In honor of Moosh, I rode “Nemo,” also known as the clown fish. I sent Moosh and Chad a picture while I was on it. Which apparently prompted Moosh to want to watch Finding Nemo! Ha!

We eventually ventured back down to our table for dinner. We met up with Alicia from Poise In Parma and sat down for an amazing dinner. While we ate, chatted, and laughed, the auction festivities were on a roll, including the highest table for the Giving Tree (the highest table as of 9pm received a ‘backstage’ visit at the giraffe encounter). Our table wasn’t quite in the running, but that’s OK because we were enjoying the food SO much!

The salad? Was. To. DIE.FOR! It’s unfortunate I ate so many hors d’oeuvres because I would’ve eaten way more of the salad (which was spinach, grilled pineapple, bell pepper, raisins, toasted coconut, and pineapple ginger dressing!). Next up? Smoked fennel crusted filet with golden fig chutney (yum!) and red snapper yassa. The wild rice and filet were delicious. For whatever reason, snapper just isn’t my thing. Ya know? By the time dessert came out I had to leave (I know – lame! It was only about 8:45, but my mom was coming into town from Kentucky and I wanted to be there when she arrived (and it’s about an hour drive home). On my way out they were serving dessert — French cheesecake with raspberry drizzle. Umm. It was hard not to sit my butt back in my chair and indulge, but I left without dessert (I heard it was delicious). And I’m secretly still dreaming about the “what if” I stayed to eat it. Ha!

The only thing that would have made this night more perfect is if Chad would have been able to make it with me. But I had a blast with the gals. Thank you, ladies, for hanging out with this ‘single lady’!

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