The Best of Summer

June 4, 2017June 5, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

What do I love about summer? Hmm … that’s easy. Being outside. Running outside. Drinking beers outside. Going for walks outside. Sipping cocktails outside. You get the idea – being outside. Laying in the sun outside.

And this weekend, I had plenty of outside time. So in my opinion, it was pretty great!

It started off with patio cocktails / happy hour with some of my lady friends. It was just warm enough to sit outside and we all ended up getting Rose Spritzers. Girly? Yes and it was just what I needed.

For dinner, B and I got Indian food takeout. It was SO good. Naan and second helpings not pictured.

Saturday morning, we had plans to do a local 5k race. B ran the whole thing with FW in the stroller and I ran with him. FW slept the entire time 🙂

We ran the race with B’s family – look how many of us there were! And 5 of them – including all the kids – ended up getting age group awards.

The race featured pancakes after the the run. Not a bad post-race meal 🙂

After the race, we hit the West Side Market for some groceries.

The afternoon included some errands, including shopping for some summer clothes for FW … but on the way back, we were able to grab a patio beer at Goldhorn Brewery.

After drinks, we hit the grocery store for pizza supplies. And while we were there, we grabbed some delicious mussels as an appetizer.

And then it was pizza night. Obligatory homemade pizza photo not included. We also then watched War Dogs, which was much different (and better!) than I had expected.

Sunday morning started early with FW waking up at the crack of dawn and not being able to go back to sleep. So we decided to get out and go for a run at the park.

And sit by the beach for a little bit.

Then it was time for DONUTS! We had missed National Donut Day, so we figured a belated celebration was better than never!

That afternoon, I did a little baking for the first time in … well, forever! I made a peach cobbler-type cake for a dinner with our friends.

And that evening, we headed to Dave and Anson’s house for a dinner with them, Joey and Lulu and some other friends who were in town. It’s crazy that it’s no longer just the couples – there were four kids there, too! It was fun to have Francis play with their kids.

And the boys were happy to get together – they all met at law school and have stayed friends since!

And that was it for a fun-filled summery weekend.

Some questions for you:

Do you stay in touch with your friends from school?
What was the last thing you baked?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps.

Weekends That Feel Like Spring

April 8, 2017April 9, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

We finally had a springlike weekend in Cleveland!! The weather was sunny and Sunday it was WARM so we spent as much time as we could outside. Friday night, B, FW and I went to Little Italy for dinner and dessert! The weather was sunny and cool and it was nice to be in such a walkable area for dinner. We grabbed mushroom pizza at Mama Santas and the best cannoli at Presti’s.

Saturday morning started with a 4 mile treadmill run and some breakfast with the boys. Fun fact – we learned that FW loves mango!

We spent most of the afternoon looking at houses. Still no real contenders … but we did get to go out for lunch at one of my favorite places – Stone Oven! This is one of my favorite salads.

And since we ended up finishing our house hunting near B’s brother and his family, we decided to take a walk with FW’s cousins! FW snoozed for a bit while we walked.

Saturday night ended with some steak and potatoes. I love it when B cooks for me 🙂

Sunday started with some more outdoor time- I got in an outdoor run with Mary. I got in 9 miles, and they felt great!

After the run, it was time for Sunday brunch with B’s family. We typically do Sunday dinner, but this weekend was a delicious brunch.

After brunch, we headed to the park to enjoy more sunshine. It was packed- everyone was at the lake!

Since we had Sunday brunch with B’s family, we had dinner to ourselves. B made an awesome meal – he roasted a whole chicken and put it with a giant salad. My type of meal!

And that was it. I hope the weather stays nice so we can continue to spend time outside this week!

Some questions for you:

Did you get in any runs this weekend?
How do you like your steak cooked?

I’m linking up with Katie and the weekly wraps.

4 Weekends in One: Playground Time, a 5K, Ladies Craft Beer and MORE

February 26, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

B, FW and I had a busy weekend. Looking back, I feel like we had three or four weekends in one, that’s how much stuff we had! But it was all great stuff.

The weekend started with some playground time. After all, it was 73 degrees at 6 pm on a Friday in February. We had to take advantage of the gorgeous weather. FW went down his first slide (with me of course)! He wasn’t phased.

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We ended up going out to dinner and I got a really really good chicken salad. And ate most of B’s fries. Balance 🙂 20170224_184441

And after dinner? Again, 73 degrees made it a perfect ice cream night for Sweet Moses! That’s apple cider sorbet and toffee candy. 20170224_192439

Saturday was a busy day – the first time I had to relax was at 10 at night! The day started with a 5k. The weather was no longer in the 70s but it was 40 and sunny and not bad weather for racing. BUT it was windy!

Before the race, I was able to meet up with a few of my fellow Skirt Sports Ambassadors from Ohio who were in town for the race. We of course had to get a pre-race skirt sister photo!

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Right after the race, we met up with some friends who were in town. They have 4 kids and we all hung out in our apartment for a little bit – FW finally had some people to play with! We then grabbed lunch, but I didn’t get to snap a pic. It’s a little chaotic with 5 kids around 🙂

Then it was time for LCBS (Ladies Craft Beer Society) at Nicole’s house! She had an awesome spread for us. 20170225_151049

The theme of this month was lip balms. I made a grapefruit one and a rose one. They were so easy to make! I couldn’t believe it. img_20170225_160930_366

I had to leave LCBS a little early because we were meeting up with Dave and Anson and Joey and Lulu to celebrate Dave’s birthday. We ended up going out in Tremont for pizza and beer. img_20170225_190851_564

The pizza took a while so we ended up back and Dave and Anson’s house. Which was great, because not only were we able to relax, but FW was able to play with Celia’s toys. 20170225_201033

He was out until 10 and playing – much past his bedtime! 20170225_203411

Sunday started off with some homemade smoothies (carrot, mango, banana, strawberries and spinach!).

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And a few treadmill miles. After Saturday’s race I wanted to keep it easy, but I found myself able to keep running while watching Good Girls Revolt and ended with 5 miles. Have you seen the series? It’s my new guilty addiction on Amazon and I have to watch it while working out.

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After that, we walked to the grocery store to pick up some goodies and then I decided to meal prep and make FW some baby food for the week. Using our Vitamix of course. That’s right, it got used twice in one day. Carrots and sweet potatoes will be what he’s dining on this week!

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We ended the day with dinner at B’s family’s house, per usual Sunday night tradition.

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Some questions for you:

Did you get in any runs or races this weekend?
What’s your Sunday night (or other day of the week) tradition?

I’m linking up with Katie and the weekly wraps.

October Weekends=One Sentence Per Photo

October 24, 2016October 23, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 8 Comments

Welcome to my weekend update, one sentence per photo style. I’m coming down with a cold and feeling not-so-hot, so this is the best way to share everything from the past two days, without using too much of my brain. Here’s a quick summary of my weekend.

Started Saturday morning off with a 4 mile run.

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We did shopping for the week at the West Side Market (here is what we are eating this week!).

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We enjoyed good food (and beer) at Ladies Craft Beer Society, October edition. 20161022_160121

The craft included mason jars. 20161022_162002

Finished product= mason jar candle holders! 20161022_174509

B made me dinner – braised veal breast with artichoke hearts and onions. 20161022_204734

FW turned four months old and we somehow managed to snap a photo. 20161023_083127-copy

And did lots of Nose Frida-ing – he’s got his first cold.

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A Sunday morning walk because I wasn’t feeling well enough for a run 😦

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At least it was a gorgeous morning!

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After some afternoon relaxing, some afternoon baking.

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And B and I made pasta for dinner.

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So B could make this deliciousness.

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And that’s a wrap! I’m linking up with Erin, Katie and the weekly wraps.

Halloween Craft: How To Make a Cork Pumpkin

October 16, 2015October 11, 2015 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

I know I don’t typically share crafts on this blog. Or home decorating ideas. Why? I’m not a craft person. I don’t really decorate my apartment. I don’t get too much pleasure out of either of those things. I’m much more into baking, reading and running for fun. But this is the craft that we did when I hosted the Ladies Craft Beer Society and it was a success. And easy!

Got a lot of extra wine corks hanging around? Looking for something easy to do to decorate for fall and Halloween? I have just the idea for you – you can make a wine cork pumpkin!

This is a VERY EASY – and I repeat … easy – craft. Even the not-so-crafting-inclined (like moi) can feel good about this!

diy wine cork pumpkins

Here’s what you need:

Some wine corks. To make a medium pumpkin (the two on the left in the picture above), you’ll need 25 corks.
Something to make your leaves. You can buy fake leaves at a craft store, or green felt or green scrapbook paper.
Orange acrylic paint. I bought one that was called “pure pumpkin.”
Paint sponge
Hot glue
Twine or raffia
Scissors

Here’s what you do:

Find 24 wine corks about the same height and width. I liked lining mine up ahead of time and making sure they looked okay before gluing them together.
Glue the corks together! I found it easiest to first use the hot glue to glue the corks in rows. Glue rows of 4, 5, 6, 5, 4. And then glue your rows together. You should have a nice hexagon.
Once glued together, you can put the leaves on top. I cut leaves out of scrapbook paper. One of my friends used felt.
Cut the last cork in half to make the stem. Use the hot glue to glue it on top of the leaves.
Tie the twine or raffia around the cork stem. Tie loosely a few times around or in a bow – whichever style you prefer.
Paint your corks! I do this last because it takes a while to dry. You could also paint the corks first, but then you have to wait for them to dry. I poured some orange paint out (fittingly named Pure Pumpkin) on some cardboard and dipped a spongy paint brush in and then painted the corks that were facing out.

And that’s it! I told you it was easy. Feel free to play around with different size pumpkins – bigger or smaller. Also, feel free to paint only some of the corks, or leave them natural or even wine stained for a more rustic look.