Is anyone using Poshmark!? I’ve been trying to ‘purge’ my closet for a while now and I really want my precious clothes to go to a good home! LOL! But seriously. I’ve been hanging on to a lot of super tiny clothes that I just need to pass on to someone new. Buh-bye, size 2 J. Crew jeans + pants! It’s been real! 😉
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Zippity Zoo Doo // A (Late) Wrap Up!
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.
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!
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.
weekend wrap up //
After last weeks drama that nearly put Moosh into the hospital for an overnight stay, we welcomed the weekend with open arms — and hesitation. Cause who knew WHEN this kid would have another episode, right?
Well he definitely wasn’t feeling himself Friday. In fact, after a quick trip to Café O’Play where we pretty much just stood in the dance room, we picked up a pizza and headed home. It was definitely needed after our week. Chad went to an NFL Draft party with some of the dudes in my family and I stayed at home with my snuggle bug watching movies.
But let’s talk about how seriously not himself this kid looks. It definitely was NOT cold; but Moosh kept saying “Mommy, I cold! Blankie Tom, peas!” And then he wanted my Lululemon Vinyasa scarf to wrap around his head (he’s been a bit attached to it since I wrapped him in it in the hospital last week).
My mom and I had planned to wake up early to get a long run in Saturday morning. But we stayed up WAY too late. And then Moosh woke up earlier than anticipated. So we improvised. We brought him with us. I despise running with the jogging stroller, but Mimi decided that we could switch off pushing him, so I agreed. Hesitantly. Ha! We got a couple miles in before having to head home. But every step counts, right?!
Mimi agreed to babysit Moosh while Chad and I went on a day-date to see the Avengers: Age of Ultron. The movie was amazing! Yes, yes… I’m a total dude-movie nerd. I love all of those nerdy comic book movies. But it really was good. And funny. Also? Robert Downey Jr?? LOVE that guy.
While we were at the movies, Mimi took Moosh (or is it the other way around — Moosh took Mimi?) to Café O’Play in an attempt to wear him out and get him to nap. Well, he was worn out. But he refused to nap. Which was extremely inconvenient because we had suite tickets for the Indians versus the Blue Jays that afternoon. So a nap of some sort was nearly required to prevent crazy-baby meltdown. But the little dude did extremely well. We even got to meet the hot dogs! Moosh loved Mustard, could care less about Ketchup (weird considering he eats ketchup as a main course these days), and was downright terrified of Onion! Ha!
I’m super bummed that I didn’t get any photos of our food. We visited the new Right Field District and I was in awe of the food and drink selections! My mom ordered a sandwich from Melt, Ari got ice cream from Sweet Moses, and Chad and I split nachos and a taco from Barrio. And GLBC on tap for the win!
On the way home we indulged a little more with some Rita’s Ice. Moosh wanted “Boo ice!” which means blue ice, if you haven’t figured that out. 🙂
And Sunday morning he was up at an ungodly hour. 6:00 am. This kid sleeps til 9:30 on the reg, and decides after a day of no napping and staying up late to wake up at 6am!? Sigh, kid, sigh.
Mimi and I took him to Café O’Play for an hour or so before calling it quits! Kids had fun but was nutso! So we grabbed lunch from Planet Sub and headed home.
We totally bailed on a family party (sorry fam!) so that our teeny family could rest. We were all exhausted and Mimi wanted to get home to Poppy before it was too late. Honestly, we needed it. We slept and slept and slept! It was perfection. The night ended with a clean house and happy hearts.
The perfect ending to a perfect weekend. 🙂
and the coffee addiction grows.
I’ve been a self-proclaimed coffee addict since college. That lovely aroma of roasted beans brings me right back to those moments of studying for exams and rushing between class and work. Isn’t that how it starts for everyone?? Just trying to survive and stay awake for those critical moments?
Well, since then my taste in coffee has not gotten any less costly. In fact, my desire for good coffee gets stronger and stronger — pun intended. I’ve gone from traditional coffee pots, but I’m the only coffee drinker in the home, so for some mornings — the quick ones — it was useless to make a whole pot if it was going to go to waste. So I ‘traded up’ to a Keurig. Sometime last year my parents gave me the gift of Starbucks lattés at home in the form of a Verismo system. Life-changing! But still? Expensive. As a four-shot latté connoisseur, these at-home drinks can still be costly.
Enter my newest coffee toy: The French Press. Specifically this beautiful François et Mimi Vintage Double-Walled French Press! This beauty brews 34-ounces of strong, bitter, and caffeinated deliciousness!
Getting the French press gave me a reason to buy fresh ground coffee from Starbucks; their Tribute Blend did the trick! I put about 6 heaping scoops of coffee grounds into the bottom of the press. Then I covered the grounds with boiling water and let it sit for 30-seconds. Then I added boiling water until just two-inches from the top of the press and let it steep for 5 minutes. And then I slowly pressed down on the plunger until I reached the grounds. Per the YouTube video, I poured the freshly-brewed coffee into a decanter so it wouldn’t remain with the grounds and continue to brew.
Bonus? This press not only keeps your coffee hot, but it’s dishwasher safe (!!!!)! Hello, MOMS! This is a major, major plus! Considering the two chores that need to be done daily are: 1. laundry; and 2. dishes!
Coffee snobs — I know the pour-over is another fan-fave! But how do you like to brew your coffee?
Disclosure: I was selected to receive a Francois et Mimi French Press for my honest opinion and review of this product. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Thank you to Francois et Mimi and Tomoson for sponsoring this post.
5 iPhone apps I’m loving right now.
A girl and her iPhone are never apart. Am I right!? As someone seeking balance, I try not to have too many unnecessary apps downloaded on my phone. Yep, I’m one of those nearly OCD people who clears out apps and keeps them in nice little “folders.” If only I was that organized with my physical things! Ha!
But really, it’s so simple to get lost in the neverending sea of apps. Here are my fave 5 apps right now!
- Podcasts. I can only listen to SO MUCH music. I find talk radio soothing. And I like my mind to be stimulated while I’m running or driving. We all have favorite podcasts. I, myself, have like 18 favorite podcasts. I suppose it’s a good thing I have a lot of running to do these days.
- Road ID. It leaves “e-crumbs” to keep you safe in outdoor runs. You’re able to set up notifications, or “e-crumbs,” to be sent to friends/family to keep them updated as to where you are. It has a stationary alert so that if you are stopped for 5 or more minutes, it sends out an alert to your friends. We have had several runner attacks in the last year and this app makes me feel so much better on my solo runs! But in general I prefer to run with a partner.
- Life 360. At this point it may seem as if I’m obsessed with safety, but we recently had our home security system installed and it includes Life 360. In our area and climate, you can never be too safe. Sure, it’s a safe area; but what if you run off of a snowy road and don’t have access to your phone to call someone for help? Where that’s where Life360 comes in. It’s location-based and doesn’t require a subpoena or court order to find someone. And you can personalize alerts
- Plowz and Mowz. I found out about this app at random. But it is my newest saving grace. We are just so far south in Northeast Ohio that we don’t get the snowbelt snow, but we get some snow. (PS. This is totally weird to me. I grew up in an area that gets crazy amounts of snow; and I went to school in Buffalo & Syracuse, which get crazy amounts of snow. When I lived in New York, I always had someone to plow my driveway every day. Every.DAY. That’s crazy! I’m so happy to live in a place that gets less snow… but still a significant amount. So just a couple of times this year we have “ordered” we have been satisfied with our driveway clearing services! 🙂PS. Here’s a $20 off code for your first plow — use code Y5H515 to get $20 off! That’s right – our first plow was only $10! TWENTY DOLLARS OFF!
- Camera. Simple, easy, and my way of documenting life. Yeah, I post a LOT of personal stuff on Instagram, Twitter, and FB. But honestly? I take a LOT of photos on my phone. And video, for that matter. Moosh is always doing something cute and I’m always trying to document it.
That’s it. It’s simple. Well, kind of. We all know there are photo apps and whatnot. And obvy GMail runs my life. But these apps? THESE are what run my life. 🙂
Interview With A Blogger // Anchored in CLE
Bloggers are a special breed of people. We write; we write often; and we write to open ourselves up for ourselves and for the world. And while it’s difficult to open yourself up to complete strangers; but the blogging community can be powerful! I’ve met so many awesome people — people who have become great friends! — all because of this community (I’m looking at you, @TracyTilly and @PoiseInParma!).
Which is why I’ve decided to dedicate a series of posts to meeting my fave local bloggers!
Meet Jessica from AnchoredInCLE.com! She’s from Northeast Ohio, is passionate about fitness, health, and fashion; AND everything CLE!
What made you decide to start your blog?
I’ve had a blog for as long as I can remember being on the internet (in some form or another). Whether it was a Xanga, a Tumblr, to my current WordPress blog… I’ve always loved capturing moments of my life through words and photos. I started getting into the marketing and advertising industry which is how I got introduced to today’s form of blogging and found it to be really interesting. I also realized that it would help my career in marketing so I created a blog but I let it sit for a few months without doing anything with it.
Finally, during my 2nd social media internship, I finally just sat down and created a blog design and thought up some post ideas. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into but I knew I wanted to do it so I just did. It’s been over a year now and I’m amazed at how far my blog has come, all of the amazing people I’ve had the opportunity to meet, etc.
How would you describe Anchored In CLE to a complete stranger?
Oh goodness… most days, my blog is a jumbled mess of whatever my brain thinks up. It’s usually a mix of health & fitness, food, fashion, adventures in Northeast Ohio, and a few random thoughts and ideas along the way.
Can you give an example of one or two things that have happened as a result of blogging?
I think one of the coolest things to happen so far is getting chosen to guest blog for the 2014 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. I’ve also gotten to review products, attend events, and meet all kinds of people!
What do you do (for work/for fun) when you aren’t behind your computer writing for your blog?
By day, I work at an advertising agency in downtown Cleveland. Outside of blogging, I enjoy spending time with my boyfriend, my family, and my friends… I love exploring the many gems of Cleveland (I’m currently working on my CLE Bucket List!) and I also enjoy getting outdoors when the weather isn’t so crummy. I’m also training for my first 10K!
Walk me through a day in the life of Jessica!
I wake up between 7:15-8:00 depending on the day, get ready for work, put my lunch in my lunch bag, and head to work. I have a pretty short commute considering, so I usually get to work by 9-9:10am.
I spend most of my day at my desk, which is hard for someone who desires to be more active, so I try to get up every hour or two. Some days there are meetings with clients, other days I’m just chugging away at a spreadsheet or sending e-mails, etc. I have been really good about packing my lunch so I take an hour break to eat and catch up on some blog reading (I love you, Feedly). Then it’s back to work until the end of the day.
After work, I generally drive straight home, catch up with my boyfriend, then do some combination of the following: blog, work out, cook dinner, get ready for the next day, watch TV, make lunch for the next day, play with my 2 cats, shower, read, sleep. Most days it’s hard to do everything… especially when you add in dishes, laundry, cleaning… but I’m working on my time management so I can get the most out of my evenings.
That’s pretty much what a (week) day in my life looks like. Weekends are much more fun or relaxing 🙂
Share a favorite quote or saying and explain what makes it special.
This one’s a tough one. I love quotes so much – they are put so much more nicely than I ever could and say exactly what I would want to. I have been really into empowering quotes lately, especially for motivation with my health & fitness journey, but one that has always stuck with me (and is sort of my motto) is this:
“Healthy is Happy” – it’s so simple, but so true. Health and Happiness go hand in hand. I generally find when I’m not being healthy, my happiness starts to wear off as well. Being healthy is also about your mind as much as it is about your body.
What are a few of your favorite go-to places in Northeast Ohio?
You can’t go wrong with the MetroParks (please hurry up spring!)… I’m still discovering all the many places that Northeast Ohio has to offer though!
I’m looking for motivation — share a health and fitness tip from one friend to another!
Well, I’m currently participating in a 5 Day Water Challenge, so I’ve learned all the amazing benefits of drinking at least 8 glasses (8 oz each) of water a day. It helps curb your appetite which aids in weight loss, it aids in digestion, and so many other amazing benefits!
Keep in touch with Jessica here: