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STEM Learning with Snapology // WIN a LEGO® brick set

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STEM learning, or the concept of education based in science, technology, engineering, and math, is something I think about frequently as a mom of a 4 year old. See, I understand the importance of engaging Ari in learning from an early age with things that interest him. Heck, I’ve had him enrolled in building classes at Home Depot every single month for the last two years!

I was lucky enough to know that Ari was receiving STEM education while in preschool this year and I noticed huge improvements with his imagination and comprehension! And while Ari is out of preschool this Summer, we’re going to do all of the learning and exploring that we can! So when I found out that we have a local Snapology franchise in Kent, I was totally on board to check them out!

Snapology has made it their mission to help children reach their full potential when it comes to imagination. They offer camps, workshops, field trips, playdates, and even birthday parties for kids 3 and up! Between game design, stop animation, and kinder robotics, I’m anticipating a busy STEM Summer!

I’m absolutely down for anything that involves learning and fun, and totally interested in hosting Ari’s 5th birthday party here in October! For real – a LEGO Star Wars or Ninjago birthday party!? These boys would eat it up!!

And while I encourage you to check out a local Snapology franchise near you, I also highly encourage you to enter to win a LEGO® brick set of the Snapology Mascot Sebastian Gator!

Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

This giveaway is a partnership with Nakturnal. As always all opinions herein are my own. 

Explore Ohio // Cuyahoga Falls { AND A GIVEAWAY! }

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Before moving to the Akron, Ohio area, I’d heard about one of its suburbs, Cuyahoga Falls. I assumed it was this tiny place. Because, honestly, it just sounds like a tiny little peaceful place. But it isn’t tiny by any means! But it is peaceful and has so many wonderful things to do and see!

If you’re following along with my “Explore Ohio” series, you’ll know that we briefly considered moving elsewhere like Upstate New York and even have looked at real estate in Dayton, OH; but I’m so happy that we are raising our children here in beautiful Cuyahoga Falls!

I urge you to come visit my beautiful town! And while you’re here, check out some of my favorite places:

HiHo Brewing Company. Two former teachers took a leap of faith and started a brewery in their hometown from the ground up. I fell in love with HiHo the first time I walked in. The huge space is super inviting for people of all ages — there are board games, couches, and a tasty selection of food. Also? Beer, obviously. A delicious rotation of craft beers, brewed on-site.

The Blue Door Café. A hidden foodie gem, just North of Akron, exists on the corner of State Road and Broad Boulevard, and can easily be missed. There is no signage, but always a packed parking lot. The only ‘advertising’ they need is the signature blue door. Incredible pastries and brunch dishes are served from classically-trained French pastry chefs. People literally flock to the Blue Door from all over (I’m looking at you, Cleveland friends! I see your check-ins from FB and Foursquare 😉 ).

The Social Dept. Located right next door to HiHo, this t-shirt company offers on-site screen-printed regional shirts, onesies, and even beer growlers! I just bought Chad this Cleveland Indians shirt for his birthday!

Hale Farm and Village. Located in the middle of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, this historic village preserves aspects of our past and brings them to workshops and families who visit the working farm. They even allow rentals for weddings! How cool would it be to have your wedding here!?

The Gorge Metropark. So much hiking, ya’ll! I was unprepared for my first hiking excursion here. In my defense, we were supposed to go to the zoo, but we went to the Gorge instead. And I was wearing ballet flats and a dress. Lesson learned! Winding trails, waterfalls on the Cuyahoga, views of whitewater kayak races just up the river, rock climbing kiddos… it’s got it all! Even ice skating during the winter months!

Retro Dog. Old-school diner and drive-in hot dog restaurant. But not just any hot dogs — these Buffalo-natives serve Sahlen’s hot dogs with a funky-fresh twist! Toppings galore, white-hots, loaded fries, crazy burgers, and custard! This is a big favorite in our family — even Remy can (and will) throw down a whole footlong hot dog on the reg!

Blossom Music Center. If you’ve grown up in Northeast Ohio (or even Central Ohio!), you’ve likely seen a concert or two at Blossom. This outdoor amphitheater is a super popular outdoor music venue for all types of music. It’s even the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra! (Personal note: This is where I saw my very first concert when I was four… Whitney Houston, ya’ll. Such a cool experience!).

Sarah’s Vineyard and Winery. Located across the street from Blossom Music Center, this gorgeous vineyard offers indoor and outdoor seating as well as an array of delicious wines! Like many other local spots, it’s very family friendly! So bring the kiddos and a picnic!

The Riverfront Family YMCA. Okay, okay. I’m a tad-bit bias. I love my local branch of the YMCA, but I also work there. We have an amazing gymnastics program, an awesome 2-,3-, and 5-day preschool, and so many fitness classes! Come catch me there, Monday through Friday! 🙂

Darby’s on 59. We lived in the Falls for years without knowing that this place existed. This tiny little gem is located on route 59, across from the Cuyahoga River. They have an adorable outdoor patio and delicious food. I can easily live off of their calamari and sliders for the rest of my life and be happy!


Metropolis Popcorn. Located on the pedestrian-only portion of Front Street, Metropolis Popcorn offers 50-flavors of Ohio-grown popped-corn! Some traditional flavors, some crazy-pants flavors, but all delicious!

Burntwood Tavern. Admittedly, there are a few of these around Northeast Ohio. But ours is the best. Know how I know? It’s located overlooking the Cuyahoga River. Bonus? They have amazing food and an even better Happy Hour menu. And I can’t forget about the live music every Thursday and Friday night! How awesome is that!?

Honestly, I had to cut my list short because I could just go on and on and on! I haven’t even begun to mention places like The Office Bistro, Craft Beer Bar, or any of the numerous parks and wading pools (one of which is literally in our backyard!).

And now my favorite part of this series — a GIVEAWAY! I’m hosting a Giveaway for a $25 Gift Card to Burntwood Tavern (which can be used at any of their locations — Chagrin Falls, Solon, Rocky River, Brecksville, Lyndhurst, Crocker Park, Fairlawn, Belden Village, and right here in Cuyahoga Falls!). Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

This giveaway and blog post is a partnership with Nakturnal. As always, all opinions herein are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

 

Our Week In Pictures // and My Monday Mantra

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Shame on me — I’m a bad, bad, blogger! I’ve been doing a fairly decent job of getting lots of sleep + snuggling my babies. So basially I had the best excuses ever.

Oh, and I worked — a LOT.

But here are the exciting parts of our week, as told by pictures:

[a trip to the akron zoo to see the ‘fla-mangoes!’]

[visited the new local craft brewery, HiHo]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gZPbEVZEDE]

[ari’s first t-ball practice]

[a pizza birthday party with friends]

[lots of playing]

[a teensy bit of work, a lot of coffee from akron coffee roasters]

[miss bea’s first taste of ice cream, courtesy of chill artisan ice cream]

Not pictured: A low-grade fever from one silly toddler; loads and loads of unfolded laundry; and lots of chaos. Like every week, our days were filled with lots of ups and even more downs. But I’m trying to keep on the brightside. And this upcoming week is no different. Well, it’s a little different because Ari is on Spring break — and that means I’m taking a little time off to do a few special things with the kiddos!

And here’s my Mantra for the week:

Happy Monday, friends! Find some joy by doing little things! xo

The Little Mermaid, Retro Dog, and a Pi(e) Day Celebration // A Wrap Up

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Yesterday, after staring at my planner for what seemed like hours, I was amazed to see that we’re nearing the end of March. Amazed because it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Remy Bea’s first birthday — but it was two whole months ago!

Every single day with little kids feels like the.longest.day.ever. Everyday is jam-packed with commitments, errands, and the mundane; but somehow, we blink, and another week, month, and year have passed.

A dear friend of mine recently told me she thinks I’m crazy for keeping my schedule as jam-packed as it is; that I leave very little room for ‘down time.’ But also, that she commends me for keeping my kids active and involved in things — whether that be karate, playdates, or weekly trips to the art museum!

And this past week was no different. Well, minus one little thing:

I sent my husband on a Guys Trip to Wilmington, North Carolina to golf for 5 and a half days.

He had a blast, and we did a great job at surviving! 🙂

Here’s what we’ve been up to in the last week:

  • I took Ari to see The Little Mermaid ballet at the Akron Civic Theater. Despite my child’s affinity for all things Disney and all things artsy, he was bored. Cotton candy helped. Eh, win some, lose some, friends.

 

  • Before our ballet excursion, Ari and I went on lunch date at our favorite spot — Retro Dog! I know I’ve talked about Retro Dog previously, but it’s seriously one of our favorite spots. They serve hot dogs, burgers, fries, onion rings, custard, and beer from Thirsty Dog Brewing. The couple that owns it is originally from Buffalo and their hot dogs are a Buffalo staple — Sahlen’s!
  • Ari’s karate session ended with a bang — or a HIYA! But not to fret, T-Ball starts this week. (PS. I’ve been informed that of all of the local leagues, we signed Ari up for the most intense and most serious league in our area. Ooooops. Makes sense since they have two practices this week alone… for t-ball….).

  • Pi(e) day was a success! Thank you, Sweet Mary’s! Your French Toast Pie did not disappoint!
    PS. Can it be Pi Day every day!?!

  • After months of false starts, Miss Bea finally started (and kept) walking. She’s taken steps before — up to 8 in a row — but this was the first time she just kept going. And she hasn’t stopped! Hooray!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlMlR7iYRpc]

  • One of the highlights of my weekend was getting a fabulous bright yellow cup from Starbucks. It made the gloomy weather completely worth it.

Guys. We survived. We survived!! Yes, we missed Chad; but we did relatively okay with being a single-parent household for a few days. It proved, both, that he can get away and have fun, and that we could do it — that we could keep on a schedule and power through whatever the week throws at us.

And this week I’m ready to take on my own happiness, ya’ll. Here’s my Weekly Mantra:

TGIM, friends! Don’t stress this Monday — embrace it!! xo

Pinterest Fun, Plans Gone Awry, + a (Long) Overdue Haircut // A Weekend Wrap Up

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You know those weekends that just restore your soul? Well, I had one of those weekends, friends. It also just so happened to be one of those weekends where I had “X-Y-and-Z” planned…. but all of it got nixed off the to-do list and we just improvised.

Friday we had plans to go to the Great Lakes Science Center and finally utilize our passes. But it was snowing and absolutely frigid, so, even though Chad had taken the day off from work, we decided to just hang around the house with the kids and relax. They still had a blast. [PS. Do you know what kind of fun a 4-year old will have just walking around in Best Buy??]

The chill day came in handy because I had exciting plans for the evening! A little “Moms Night Out,” if you will! My friend Emily had invited me to go to Pin It, which is a Pinterest/craft-making event, with her!

I was so excited to manifest some of my creative energy with Pinterest projects that had already been planned and prepped by someone other than myself! Ha!

But first? Food. Because these delicious macarons and appetizers weren’t going to eat themselves! And after finishing off these delicious snacks, we headed to our first Pin It station — a watercolor mug!

And after the mug we made an “Embrace Messy Hair” planter. I was going to actually use this as a planter, but my mom suggested I use it to store Remy Bea’s bows and headbands. GENIUS! And so it is!

We rounded out the evening with an all-natural headache salve. And, when all was said and done? I realized just how easy these crafts were to do at home! More to come, friends!

Saturday morning, Mimi (who arrived from Kentucky the night before) and I took Ari to the monthly Home Depot workshop.

Unlike January’s workshop, this one wasn’t too complicated for anyone under the age of 40. I kid (but not really. because Februarys’ build was IMPossible). But honestly, if you’ve never been to one of these workshops I absolutely recommend them. They are so fun — and free!

From there I sent Mimi, Chad and the kids to karate while I went to get my haircut for the first time in a few years. YEARS, friends. Years!

 

 

I ended up at Apotheclaire a little early so I stopped next door at Sweet Mary’s Bakery for a morning snack and coffee! And, if you’re local, you *must* stop in to both of these places! Sweet Mary’s Bakery is A-MAZING, and Apotheclaire is so incredibly eco-friendly and local-focused.

I went in to my hair appointment knowing that I wanted my hair cut off, but not a pixie cut like before; I also knew that I wanted something specific, but couldn’t exactly put it into words (or pictures); soooo big pressure to my stylist. Ha! But I told her what I wanted and she delivered ONE THOUSAND PERCENT! Helloooooo, asymmetrical long bob!

I walked around the rest of my day with a little sass in my step, for sure! It’s a good thing we had a family party to attend so that I had somewhere to be with all of that sass!

PS. The only picture I have from this party was of Remy eating ALL OF THE WORLD (as per usual). But seriously. Where does this child (and her tapeworm) put all of this food!?

Saturday night Ari had his first sleepover at Grandma Vicki and Grandma Rosie’s house (my aunts’ house), so we got off the hook and just had to deal with one tired kid! And by the time we got home Remy was totally ready for bed (no naps will do that to a kid!).

After Remy fell asleep, Mimi and I snuck out to the second official Northside Market! It was later than I’d hoped, but we made it! It was great running into Kevin of Studio KMR and Rachel from IWearJewelRay. It was such a quick trip before we headed home, but it was so worth it. I love running into my creative friends, even if just briefly!

And Sunday? Sunday wasn’t all that bad, friends. It had the makings of a busy day — more talk of perhaps going to the Science Center after we picked Ari up from his sleepover. But once we met up with him we realized that taking a sleep deprived child to a busy museum? Not going to be that much fun. So instead we went to lunch and to Trader Joe’s. Because? #MomLife.

Oh, but I did manage to score 4 pairs of shoes for $70 (after tax!!) from Stride Rite in Legacy Village. So, if you’re local to Northeast Ohio, head over there, like, now. Because they’re going out of business and these prices are THE BOMB.

It was honestly the perfect way to round out the weekend. Just regular Mom Life at it’s best.

A huge thank you to everyone who was in any way involved in this weekend. Whether or not I saw you, texted you, or even if you just sent positive vibes my way, thank you. I will always be forever grateful for my tribe. They make weekends like this possible! ♥ ♥ ♥ Cheers to many more weekends like this!

xoxo

Illness, Float Therapy, Yoga, and the Northside Market // Weekly Mantra

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So last week I was all “this is going to be THE BEST week,” which is pretty much just tempting fate. And fate handed me about 50% of what I was expecting last week, and 50% of the unexpected. Win some, lose some, friends.

Monday morning I woke up with a bit of a sore throat, but I got myself and the kiddos ready to go into work (for those who don’t know, both of my children come with me to work everyday — it’s quite a benefit!). Shortly after we got there, a building maintenance issue was uncovered and we realized that instead of 2 of us staffing one small area, there would be four of us. Which… is way too many. So I said “Hey I’m kinda feeling like poo a bit. Send me home.” And so I went.

No sooner did I get home did I start having fever and chills. It was so bizarre. I still don’t really know what was up, but I spent all of that day in bed, shaking and aching. I finally gave up and texted Chad at 3pm and told him I absolutely needed him to come home and take care of the kids. I was completely incapable of doing so. He ended up making it home from work very early so that I could try to sleep off the fever. I awoke some time later, but still feeling really awful.

Long story short, our Tuesday plans were ruined, too, because not only did I not go into work, but I kept Ari home from preschool just so I wouldn’t have to leave the house. I was so ashamed to keep Ari home, but I seriously couldn’t muster the energy to drag two kids out of the house for preschool dropoff.

But then I had a moment of panic — this fever? Did it have something to do with the dental procedure I had had on Friday? Should it be cause for concern? So I ended up having to drag both kiddos in to the dentist office with me. Far less than ideal, especially when there was an hour wait. But we survived — and my procedure site was not the cause of the fever! Hooray!

Thankfully, all of that rest paid off and Wednesday morning I was finally feeling so much more like myself! Well enough to go to work and take Ari to his first ever karate class!


OMG this kid loved his karate class! And, no joke, a serious natural talent for it!

Thursday evening I had scheduled my first ever float tank therapy session. If you’re not familiar with ‘floating,’ it’s essentially floating in 10-inches of super buoyant water (thanks to the 1000 lbs of epson salt!) in a sensory deprivation chamber. The tank is lightless and soundproof, so, in addition to your body floating effortlessly, your entire body and mind are completely zoned out.


Being semi-claustrophobic, I was super nervous about getting into the tank/chamber. But after a while, I was totally fine — even super relaxed! The only way I can explain it is that it was like a 90-minute savasana!

And the effects have lasted for days. Guys. I fell asleep SITTING UP AT MY COMPUTER WITH THE TV ON. Even at my most sleep deprived moments, I have never been that relaxed!

Next thing I knew, Saturday morning was upon us — and a very busy day at that! We started with the monthly kids workshop at Home Depot! No joke, this build was complicated, ya’ll! It ended up taking way longer than I anticipated, so we were racing to make it to Ari’s karate class.

​[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLIgsbcYBLA ]
Chad missed Ari’s first class so this was his first time seeing Ari in his (new) element! It was just as adorable as his first class. And he still really loved it!

And from there I raced home to put the kids down for naps and I raced back out again. I made my triumphant return to yoga after a terribly long hiatus!

My deer friend Gretchen is opening a new studio, Do Good Yoga, so I went to check it out. Honestly, it gave me the perfect excuse to get back on my mat. And, oh my gosh, it took returning to my mat to realize how much I’ve missed my yoga practice!


Post-yoga I brought Remy to the site of Noto North Akron, Do Good Yoga, and Akron Honey Company for the first Northside Market Akron!


The vendors and DJ were amazing! I’m so lucky to be a part of such an awesome community of makers and shakers!

Between all of this fun AND a late night thanks to the Super Bowl, my weekly mantra for this week is simple:


Happy Monday, friends!