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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!

Tips For an Active + Healthy Pregnancy with Ajoyo

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From the moments you find out you’re expecting a new baby, things change. There is so much to consider — keeping the baby healthy, eating right, exercising, maintaining some normalcy, and working through the stages that come with each trimester. It can all be a bit… overwhelming, to say the least.

And, I’ll admit — my previous pregnancies haven’t exactly been the healthiest. But there’s something about age and wisdom and whatnot that really offers some perspective. So I’ve learned a lot in the span of 6+ years (nearly 3 years of which I have spent pregnant).

Here are my tips for maintaining a healthy balance during your pregnancy:

1. Find ways to move comfortably.

For me, this has made a huge difference this time around. I was basically sedentary during my first two pregnancies. This time around I’m still go, go, going with my kids; but I’m also finding time to workout.

Sometimes this just means going for a walk, with or without the kids; with or without a fun place in mind. 

Sometimes it means tackling the household chores instead of sitting down on the couch. 

Sometimes that means getting in some stretches before bed. 

Just make yourself move comfortably. Period.

Which brings me to my next point… 

2. Make exercise fun, not a burden. 

Working in a gym has been a huge blessing, that’s for sure. But for the first trimester of this pregnancy, I just couldn’t work out. I could barely hold food down, so workouts weren’t on the agenda. But when the second trimester hit, I knew I had to get back into the swing of things.

And I enrolled myself in a few classes to hold myself accountable.

Between circuit training classes, kickboxing, teaching cycling classes, and finding a passion for zumba, I’ve been keeping a pretty regular exercise routine ever since.

 

Here’s the thing — it’s definitely NOT pretty. Cycling has gotten a lot more difficult (bending forward at the waist with my belly is starting to hurt a bit), and I’m probably the least coordinated person in my zumba class; but it’s fun and it’s getting me to work out.

And continuing to workout has created a sense of normalcy in my life — when not everything can be controlled, my workouts make me feel… well, not pregnant. Ha!

3. Eat with balance.

My first pregnancy was all ice cream and carbs; my second was whatever I could keep down (mostly toaster strudels); but this third pregnancy is all about finding a healthy balance.

While it would be a complete fabrication to say that I’ve eaten completely healthy this pregnancy, I definitely have eaten intentionally this pregnancy.

What does that mean? Well it means that I’m making myself a smoothie in my Vitamix each morning — it consists of a mix of frozen fruit, frozen vegetables (think kale, spinach, etc), some protein powder, and Ajoyo Almondmilk.

Ajoyo Almondmilk has been a staple in my pregnancy for a few reasons. One of which is because I need to keep my diet as dairy-free as possible. Dairy caused some issues for Remy when I was breastfeeding and I’m trying to avoid that ever becoming an issue this time around by eliminating dairy now.

It also happens to be delicious and sustainable — it’s non-GMO and loaded with nutrients like B12, calcium, and the always needed (especially in pregnancy) protein.

But I haven’t denied myself access to my cravings either. I’ve eaten my fair share of burritos and donuts (#weakness); and I haven’t given up coffee (I. just. can’t.). So intentionally eating has been key.

Want to try Ajoyo? Head here to enter to win a year supply of Ajoyo Almondmilk AND enter my giveaway (using the rafflecopter widget below) to win a month’s worth of Ajoyo Almondmilk right now!

4. Sleep, sleep, sleep. 

One of the most important things i’ve done this pregnancy is to listen to my body. There have been many days where I feel like I could fall asleep at 6pm. And, instead of fighting it, I just listen.

Sure, that means I’m missing out on some other stuff (like dinner, lol); but sleep is essential for remaining healthy during pregnancy. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve also given my 5 year old an iPad to watch Netflix in bed next to me so that I could take an occasional afternoon nap.

Ya know why? A healthy mother is a better mother. Fact.

5. Give yourself grace. 

I say this a lot. I know. But if there’s one thing I’ve truly come to understand as a mother, it’s that grace is an essential part of my day.

I look at my to-do list and add to it daily. I also scratch a few things off here and there, but I’m always going with the flow. The other day I had two more errands to run after running to the DMV. And guess what? The DMV ran extra long — during naptime (Remy’s and mine).

Instead of forcing us all on extra errands, I gave myself (and my to-do list) a healthy dose of grace. The errands can wait.

This is all to say this — know when you’re doing too much and know when it’s time to let some of it go. And, as Elsa (and Remy) would say — Let. It. Go.

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At the end of the day, pregnancy and motherhood are all about this: SURVIVAL. We are all just doing our best to get by and make it out alive. So cheers, Mama! Now go get some sleep!

Disclosure: I received a supply of Ajoyo Almondmilk at no cost to try and review. As always, all opinions herein are my own.

Family & Budget Friendly Ways to Have Fun this Summer!

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiantEagleSlashedPrices #CollectiveBias

It’s no secret that our lives will be turned upside this Summer. Between welcoming baby number 3 in June, and prepping Ari for kindergarten this Fall, I’m trying to keep our lives as sane as possible. Oh, and did I mention that I’ll be taking unpaid leave from my job, too? Yeah, so sanity-, and budget-friendly activities are a must for this family of (almost) five!

Here’s how we plan to stay on budget and STILL make the most of our Summer!

1. Find community sponsored events for kids.

I did a simple google search of events going on in our area this Summer and the results were amazing. Not only does the city of Cuyahoga Falls offer Tot Time in the Park every day of the week (hellooooo, free arts, crafts, and playtime!); but there’s also a free Touch a Truck event in July that my kids will simply EAT UP.

We’ll also be taking full advantage of the Regal Cinemas Dollar Movies all Summer long (more here). Because the best way to try and see if a kid is ready to sit through a movie is to only spend a single dollar on that movie! 😛

2. Research free admission days.

Our local art museum, the Akron Art Museum, does free admission on every single Thursday — which is an awesome way to introduce children to art! There are always some hands-on exhibits, which the kids obviously love; but I’m forever amazed at how much they actually like to walk through the galleries!

Other museums, such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, are always free of admission! How cool is that!? I love knowing that any day of the week I can just load the kids up and head to see world renowned art — at zero cost!

Additionally, the Akron Zoo offers several free admission days throughout the Summer. The first of which is on June 17th! In honor of Father’s Day, all dads and grandpas will receive free admission!

Many of the big-box hardware and craft stores also do free build and crafting events on the weekends, so be sure to check those out (and sign up!), too! We’re already on the schedule for a build workshop and a LEGO workshop in the month of May!

3. Keeping our groceries on-budget with Giant Eagle’s slashed prices.

We have been keeping our family grocery budget in check with the competitive NON-sale, slashed pricing, at Giant Eagle! For us, this means we can still get all of the good stuff — the fruits, the veggies, and the meat — without breaking the bank. Even frozen goods and dairy have seen slashed pricing!

Giant Eagle stores across Akron, Canton, and the Cleveland area have slashed prices on over 5,000 items. Considering how frequently we grocery shop at Giant Eagle (I’m notorious for poorly meal-planning so we shop about 2-3 times a week), I’m happy to know that these items are not on sale and are permanent price reductions.

I’m able to fill up my cart without breaking the bank — and get more of the cereal and snacks my children always beg for! Also, the convenience of having frozen and dairy items along with cuts to produce means that I can spend less time cutting coupons for items and spend even more time with my family this Summer!*

4. Expect the unexpected. 

I had visions of how life would be as a mom. I thought “Oh, for sure if I plan this extravagant party my son will adore me forever.” Friends I’m here to tell you that this is not the case. Often times it seems that the more time and energy that goes into something, the more lackluster the response I will get from my children (insert eyeroll).

So instead of thinking of ‘amazing,’ pinterest-worthy ways I will keep my children occupied this Summer, I’m going the realistic route.

I’m keeping a heaping amount of chalk and bubbles in our shed. That’s right. When in doubt, chalk and bubbles come out. Why are these two simple items both the bane of my existence and the highlight of my childrens lives? One may never know. But I keep them in excess for when I’m mommy’d out. And they don’t even seem to notice that it’s me taking the easy way out because, guess what!?, they are enjoying every second of it.

So do yourself a favor this Summer — keep it simple. Keep the planning simple; Keep the playing simple; and keep your grocery budget simple with slashed prices at Giant Eagle.

 

What’s your favorite budget-friendly activity for Summer??
And how are you taking advantage of price cuts at Giant Eagle?!

*Price cuts available at select locations. Check with your local Giant Eagle for more details!

Summer Activities to Keep Toddlers + Preschoolers Busy!

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I can’t believe I’m saying this… but Summer will be here before we know it. I know we just had snow, like, last week; but we are weeks away from Summer weather! Crazy, right?!

Well call it nesting, or call it just plain ol’ OCD, but I’ve been planning our Summer activities to keep my two older kiddos as busy as possible so they can still enjoy the Summer, despite having a newborn at home.

1. Learn through play with Snapology.

We had the honor of attending a birthday party put on by Snapology of Kent recently and, to my surprise, BOTH of my children loved it — not just my 5 year old!

Snapology is a STEM learning program that uses things like LEGOs and K’Nex to engage children in learning through play. Remy, at age two, was even included with the Duplos that were available! It was awesome to see them both so engaged with play.

So we’re adding playdates with Snapology (and perhaps a Summer camp for Ari?) to our Summer rotation, for sure!

2. Tot Time in the Park.

We live in a city that has an incredible Parks and Rec department. Throughout the parks they offer 6 different ‘tot time’ learn and play times — either a Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday rotation! It’s awesome that our kids get to interact with other kids, but also do crafts, exercise, do singalongs, and listen to storytelling.

So it’s a no-brainer to spend a couple of hours a week letting the kids get their play-on while I sit back and just watch!

3. Storytime at the Library.

We tend to skip storytime during the school months, due to a very busy preschool schedule; but in the Summer, storytime is back on our weekly rotation!

Our local library has a newly renovated children’s library and they offer storytimes for all different ages. My 5 year old always loves going to the library to be around kids his age and he just tends to listen to the librarian read far better than he will sit and listen to me!

4. Crafts in the backyard. 

I have some really easy, toddler + preschool-friendly, crafts lined up for those blistering hot days this Summer.

First, I can’t wait to do sensory play with freezing different objects in ice and letting the kids ‘dig’ it out. We recently did this at an event and it was a huge hit for both the 2 year old and the 5 year old!

Second, ALL OF THE BIRD SEED CRAFTS. I’ve learned over the last year that my kids freaking adore watching the birds outside the windows of our home (helloooo, park in the backyard!); so I’m planning as many bird seed crafts as possible to keep their interest peaked and to keep the birds coming back!

Third, painting rocks for Northeast Ohio Rocks. We did this once last Summer with a bunch of kids from the YMCA and they were all so excited to hide their rocks for others to find! And heck, there are rocks all over the place so why not make use of some ‘artistic’ time with just letting them go at it?! Right?

5. Easy picnics in the park.

I’m all about easy this Summer! Oh, and quiet in my house! So I’ll kick Chad and the kids out during lunchtime to eat in the park behind the house with ‘easy’ picnic foods. Think: cheese & crackers, juice boxes, yogurt, fruit snacks, etc.

As long as I have those on hand, I can send everyone packing (to the backyard/park) and they can eat in peace and I can tend to a newborn in peace(ish)!

Plus, kids just really like the idea of picnics (aka, eating somewhere they generally aren’t allowed). Am I right!?

With all of these activities lined up for the Summer months, I’m certain that rain or shine, newborn and all, my preschooler and toddler will have an absolute blast for the next several months!

What fun activities would you add to this list!?

 

 

 

Gender Reveal // Baby Number 3 is a >>>

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It’s a girl!

I can’t keep it a secret any longer! I know I said we weren’t going to find out the gender of this baby, but at that 20 week anatomy scan I started having second thoughts. I text Chad and said “I think I want to know.” He, of course, couldn’t be there for that appointment and gave his blessing for me to find out for us. But I still waited. I had the ultrasound technician write it down and put it in an envelope for us.

I could barely contain myself to wait til Chad got home from work. Chad was convinced we were having another boy, but I really wanted another girl. I mean, we already have one of each, but I just have grown to love the sass of a little girl.

We opened the envelope and it said “Congratulations — it’s a girl!” and I literally jumped into Chad’s arms. I was so excited. Heck, I’m still so excited. But we waited to make a big announcement because, well, it was a bit more fun that way.

It’s been getting harder and harder to keep it a secret, especially when you have a 5 year old who is willing to tell everyone, “I’m having another baby sister!” Ha.

I haven’t bought anything new for baby number 3, with the exception of her first pair of Freshly Picked moccasins! I just couldn’t wait to get her first pair of shoes!

And aren’t these the cutest little flower moccs you’ve ever seen!? For those who are unfamiliar, these moccasins are so soft and come in so many different patterns (umm, have you seen the tacos and donuts!?), and just so happen to be perfect for newborns and tiny walkers!

And this little lady was so happy to pose in her most recent pair of rose gold moccs. Ha! And that dress? Well, little miss #2 has an exact same dress for when she’s born (thanks, Mimi!). Hopefully Remy’s will still fit her in June. 😉

Thank you everyone for the love during this pregnancy! I can’t wait to share her name in the coming weeks (that’s something we WILL be keeping on the downlow until birth).

 

Stay tuned for a Freshly Picked giveaway. In the meantime, thanks to Freshly Picked for gifting these moccs for little number 3!



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!