Weekend Recap – Flowers & Family

We got lucky this past weekend with an extra day making it a long weekend visiting the family back home.  The weekends are already jam packed, so the extra day was much needed and allowed a bit more time to relax and do some normal running around with the parents.

Mom and I went to the local nursery where she picked out some flowers to plant around the house, which I was able to get for her as a belated Mother’s Day present! Growing up, we always went this local farm to pick out flowers to plant around the house, so it was nostalgic while also realizing some things never change – like this little local green house, the owners, the flowers and the fact that my mom can’t make a decision even when she’s shopping for flowers! But it’s all those little things that never change that made the trip with Mom a memorable one.

With the extra day, beyond the flower shopping, I was able to help mom with some decorating around the house (which she never lets me do!) we shopped a yard sale and we were even able to get all her new flowers planted and ready for spring! B and my dad went golfing, to a golf demo day and up to the local brewery – so they definitely stayed busy, while Mom and I got extra one on one time in.

Weekend Recap – Easter Things

Easter fell super late this year, so it’s crazy that April is nearly over – eeek! But the Easter weekend flew by just like the rest of this month has been. Not to mention the weather was gross and rainy (but those May flowers are coming!!) it made you just want to lay around and not do much besides watch some playoff basketball – which we did!

All of last week, I was prepping to host my first Easter brunch, even though it wasn’t going to be for the masses – I wanted to make sure I had a nice well-rounded meal planned.  I knew I wanted to make this Overnight French Coast Casserole recipe, so that was a definite (recipe coming later this week!), bacon is always a brunch staple in our household, and then I made a batch of scrambled eggs and had blueberries and raspberries too! The guys made up bloodies, while mom and I stuck with coffee. It was so all so delicious and so filling, yum!

We wrapped up our Easter weekend with B’s family with a tasty ham, mashed potatoes, baked carrots and salad – we definitely ate well this weekend, that is for sure.  We even helped our nieces with an Easter egg hunt! They were so cute and excited to open their plastic eggs filled with coins and candy and find their Easter baskets – it was super fun to see them so excited about the holiday fun!

Beyond all the Easter festivities, we enjoyed some local eats at some of our favorite spots and even a few new ones – we had a lot of good catching up and laughs, not to mention a house full of pups that kept us busy! How was your weekend?

Weekend Recap – A Christmas Story Run

This past weekend was full of festive activities to kickoff the first weekend of December!  Our Saturday started with a trip downtown with the extended family for the A Christmas Story Run 5k/10k.  With it’s sixth year in, this has always been on our wish list of races to-do, but never seems to workout, we finally signed up so we could partake in the little tradition that our extended family has been doing the last few years!

With following along with the tradition came evil elf hats from the movie and walking the length of the 5k… which for B and I wasn’t ideal, but we wanted to partake in the all the fun and experience!  On top of walking that meant, stopping to take pictures at the mile markers, Cleveland sign and seeing everyone’s costumes!  We finally made it to the house, which by the time we’d gotten there from walking, it was madness in the little A Christmas Story village in Tremont.  So we shuffled past the house with the crowd. B and I ended up getting our run in, while the rest of the family waited for a bus to get back downtown – we decided to run back to complete the circle and get our actual 5k run in!

After taking some photos in  picturesque downtown CLE – we did a little shopping before stopping at our go-to post race spot, Brewnuts for A Christmas Story themed donuts to go and then grabbed brunch at XYZ Tavern in Gordon Square!  It was a fun little adventure with the family, while feeling a little silly in our hats (because they had to be worn everywhere) – but it was all in good fun and a great way to kickoff the holiday season.

Weekend Recap – Fall Fever

We had the perfect fall filled weekend with friends and family.  We went off the grid for a couple days into the middle of nowhere, like the places when you’re driving and you see amish buggy signs, fields of cows and just beautiful fall foliage flanking the roads.

Venturing to the middle of nowhere is a yearly tradition that B and I have been doing for five years… finding our way back to Southern Tier Brewery in Lakewood, NY.  We especially try and go in the late summer months/fall so that we can get a taste of their delicious seasonal beers – Pumking and Warlock.  We love the spot and always enjoy each other’s company catching up, laughing and making plans for the future.

The rest of the weekend was the perfect mix of rest and relaxation with a taste of catching up with family and friends.  Saturday we went to a local brewery called Rohrbach Brewing Company to grab some lunch and taste a few beers with K + T.  From lunch we headed to this beyond adorable little farm that had monstrous pumpkins, gorgeous gourds, colorful mums, and lots and lots of beautiful colors.  It was like a dream and this perfect little spot was run by a husband and wife, they had their trophy pumpkins on display for people to admire – they had to be close to 50 pounds or more. Although, I did a pretty great job of racking up our own batch of pumpkins – we weighed out at 70 pounds worth of pumpkins and gourds! Whoops!

It was great catching up with friends and family, getting in some much needed fall activities, sipping some delicious beers, and being able to sleep in a few days too!  October is one of my most favorite months and this long weekend full of all things that make it perfect was exactly why.  What do you love about the fall?

 

 

Weekend Recap – Labor Day Love

All weekend I kept seeing social posts saying, “good-bye summer” and all these sappy farewells to a season that most of us look forward too the other 7-months of the year.  I was a little shocked… a little confused, since when is summer over?  That is one of the good things about being an adult, summer only ends when the good weather runs out… and the good weather isn’t running out anytime soon!

This Labor Day weekend was a much needed extended weekend with perfect summer weather, endless sunshine and the right amount of fun and relaxation.  Almost every day consisted of coffee, sunshine, cooking out, patio drinks, a little bit of house work, a nap and some friends or family.

One of our highlights of the weekend included enjoying a part of our city that we don’t nearly take advantage of enough – a rooftop bar in the center of the city with great views, delicious drinks, and some tasty treats.  I planned a surprise date for B and I, he didn’t know where we were going until we were walking inside the building – it was a simple afternoon chatting, enjoying the scenery and then got a bonus of the airshow for the holiday weekend.

Like I mentioned, the three day weekend was just what the doctor ordered.  We were even able to celebrate my dad’s birthday with him, while my mom and dad passed through town on their travels!  It

 

Weekend Recap – Rock & Mom

This past weekend was a fun one! With an impromptu visit from my parents, we quickly had plans for a busy weekend ahead of us.

Our activities were perfect for a cold and rainy weekend, as we headed to a grand estate sale (more to come in an upcoming post) and from there visited the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Although B and I have been to the Rock Hall a handful of times, it was the first for the group we went with, the collection of memorabilia items is incredible and covers a full range of musical influencers with something truly for everyone.  Not to mention the building is a super fun space to visit in and of itself.

We dined along the river at Collision Bend Brewery, voted best Brewpub in America, and enjoyed everything from their incredible brussel sprouts, sauerkraut balls, their Collision Bend popcorn, buffalo tofu, and burger.  The table ordered a handful of their different beers that received rave reviews from everyone. Although the food and drinks are always on point, one of my favorite parts of Collision Bend are the views and atmosphere, it’s really a complete package.

Sunday we went to church and then had a delicious brunch at my aunts house to celebrate Mother’s Day. With another impressive spread, we were eating well with good company and ready to take a nap!  With a jammed packed weekend full of fun, delicious food and great company we were exhausted by the time everyone left, but had a great time.

10-Miler Recap – 2017

This past weekend, B and I ran and finished our third 10-Miler! This year I was fairly confident going into the race, as I have been the last two years, having minimally trained and relying heavily on my cross training.  The weather was surprisingly perfect for a late April run, all signs were pointing to an easy race, we just needed to get through those ten miles.

Mile One. Photo credit: Hermes Road Racing

Well… even with all the confidence and perfect weather conditions, this just wasn’t my race.  I started out strong within the first five miles, but it quickly went down hill from there. The mental game was strong and I couldn’t fight it. By the time mile eight rolled around I was over it *smiles* and ready to be done and at the finish line.  I went from being well paced with 9-minute miles, slowing down to 11-minute miles with my intermittent walking.  But I made myself finish strong and ran that last mile with all of my might, and crossed the finish line with sore, angry legs!

Bentley and his brother, of course killed it and ran most of the race together (leaving me in the dust!)  Another friend didn’t finish too far behind me and we were all feeling the weight of those miles.  It was great finishing the race, but definitely one of the harder ones I’ve ran.  Training for our upcoming half-marathon will definitely be happening if I want to make it 3.1 more miles!

Here’s to finishing!

Winter Weekends – Parties

Christmas parties are in full swing as we are nearly 1-week from the big day! And after this past weekend, I am exhausted although super excited and ready for the Christmas holiday and break.

Thursday kicked-off the start of our holiday parties, starting with my first work holiday party with my new company! It was hosted at a new hip speakeasy, called Magnolia- it’s front is a doughnut and coffee shop, and it smells amazing! With the lights up, and elegant decor this club turned into a cozy and intimate party!

Saturday night, was party number 2 and we hosted! We had a house full of near and dear neighbors and friends.  The premise was to be a game night, mainly playing LRC and then my family’s card game, Pass The Trash all for some extra cash, but the games were a minimum, since everyone was busy chatting, catching up and laughing, snacking and sipping.

Christmas Ale and champagne were the drinks of choice! The ladies were shipping champagne to celebrate, one of my besties A, who got engaged on Friday – YAY!!! I also had my signature party favor – jello shots with pop-rocks. For food, our neighbors killed it with homemade popcorn and bourbon meatballs, along with your standard party snacks. We also did a white elephant ornament exchange which was rather tame but still funny, the highlight ornaments were a framed high-school photo of one of our neighbors, airplane bottles taped together with a hook, and a handmade wooden snowman!
Come Sunday, we were both pretty spent and partied out. But now it’s just a few short days of work until a much needed, holiday break with family!

Cheers!

Weekend Recap – Everything CLE

October has been a blast so far, but it’s also moving way too quickly. This past weekend was a busy one, but so much fun!

The weekend started off with a big home win for the Indians against Toronto Blue Jays and they got their second win Saturday afternoon.  Two more wins and we will be in the World Series!  Saturday morning we ran our 3rd annual Browns 5k, finally the weather was perfect for it. The race is pretty easy, non competitive (except for this year, B was a man on a mission) plus you get a pretty sweet medal. This year we finished the race on the field, which was pretty awesome!! We were done by 10AM and finished with a beer, it was a beautiful start to our Saturday.

Saturday night was the Cleveland Magazine’s annual Best of Cleveland Party at the Public Auditorium.  The theme was our NBA Championship and the land of champions! It was another fun night full of delicious food, tasty drinks, good music and good company.  Here were the nights standout’s and links for you to check them out yourself!

• FruitVibe Juice Co. – The guys at FruitVibe had a few of there drinks available to test including the Pumpkin Cider (yum!) FruitVibe has a wide offering of cold pressed juices; they offer cleanses, personal delivery and a fresh raw perspective on the juice phenomenon!
• Banyan Tree – This quaint shop in Tremont is perfect for unique gifts or if you’re looking to spoil yourself with some unique sweaters, scarves, jewelry and other cute accessories. Shop online too!
• Spa West – A VIP treat at the Best of CLE, they offered chair massages, hand and arm massages and facial consultations, you can always expect the best with Spa West.  I am also a VIP member at Spa West, and their monthly membership is the perfect way to pamper yourself!
• CLE Clothing Co. – As another VIP perk, we went home with a Land of Champions t-shirt, which was perfect for the nights theme.  I’ve bragged and loved on CLE Clothing Co. before and I will continue – the shirts and materials are seriously the best.

Other highlights of the night was reliving the game highlights on the big screen from our last game, which led us to breaking history and winning our first championship! Another VIP perk was the two specialty drinks they made inspired by the Cavs win, “The Block” and “The Shot” they were delicious.  There was live music, a DJ, the Cavs scream team and cheerleaders also made an appearance and were tossing tees throughout the night.  It was a lot of fun especially once the music really got going. The venue and lighting were epic and quite a statement it was a great night!

Sunday was more fun and socializing, we had friends over to watch the Brown’s game out on the big screen!  The weather this weekend was amazing for mid-late October so we really got to enjoy the day. We had a great spread of yummy food and a plethora of beers.

It was a great weekend, but definitely need another weekend to recover now!