My Life

Valentine’s Week Runs and Sick Again

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

Happy Valentine’s Week! It was a nice week here, minus a few of us (me and LM) being sick. I just had a cold, but LM had a double ear infection. She’s on meds now and hopefully gets better soon.

The week included some fun, including a visit to FW’s classroom.

I helped him do a craft.

While this one stayed home sick. She was sent home from daycare with a fever and after taking her to the dr we found out about her ears.

We also had a very thematic dinner.

I preferred the dinner B made me, though. White wine, grilled veggies and tuna are a few of my favorite things.

We had some more good eats this week, including Aladdin’s takeout. FW loves their pita quesadillas and I love their hummus so it’s a win win.

I also got in my first outdoor run in what feels like forever! I did take a spill at mile 2 – I was running up a small hill and I saw what looked like a water mane break in the road and it had splashed on the sidewalk. Just as I had stopped to run on the grass and avoid the large puddle/ice, I of course landed on a sheet of black ice and went DOWN. My leg got wet – and by the end of my run, it had turned into ice crystals on my pants!

Speaking of running, here’s how the week looked. Monday is when I started feeling sick again and Tuesday and Wednesdays runs were pretty slow and involved some walking as well. Thursday I was up earlllly with a sick baby (see above) and didn’t get in a chance to run. Weeks like these make me glad that I’m not yet training for the Cleveland half marathon – I was able to just take it easy and run or walk or do whatever I wanted, without feeling guilty for messing up my training.

Despite the spill, I was so happy to be outside for Saturday’s 5 miler. I’m grateful for the treadmill but also getting tired of having to stay indoors!

And that’s a wrap. Some questions for you:

  • Have you been sick this winter? This is my second time in a month!
  • Are you training for anything right now?

I’m linking up with the weekly wrap.

Another Winter Weekend: One Sentence Per Photo

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

It was another weekend at home in Cleveland. ‘Burb life with two kids in the winter is definitely something to get used to, but I think we’re in a groove with finding things to do, being productive and having fun. Here’s a look at our weekend, one-sentence-per-photo style.

FW helped us with some cleaning.

I did some baking (these are chickpea blondies!).

We joined every other parent of a toddler and baby and got drinks with friends at the new market hall nearby.

And takeout sushi was a must.

Post-bath snuggles are some of my favorite things.

I had a reunion with some friends from my Downtown Cleveland Alliance City Ambassador days.

We had dinner at my in-laws house; it’s almost my niece’s 11th birthday!

And that’s a wrap. Hope you have a good week! Happy Monday!

Surviving the Polar Vortex

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

We did it! We survived our week of COLD. Was it easy? No. Do I want to do it again anytime soon? No no no no no! But we survived, and here’s how.

Living in the Midwest right now and growing up in the Northeast, I’m used to cold winters. I don’t like them, but I’m used to them. But this past week was the COLDEST I’ve ever experienced.

For example, I woke up Wednesday to THIS.

School was actually closed for FW and LM, so we had to be creative with entertainment for them. Dressing them the same counts as entertainment, right? 

There was lots of play doh involved. 

And just some good old fun with paper. 

We had some good food, including these egg cups, which we now make every weekend. 

And B made this chicken noodle soup from scratch. It was so good and hit the spot with the cold weather.

We also had to get our favorite pizza before they close for renovations. What are we going to do without this NY style pizza for 6+ weeks?!

Friday at work, we celebrated the kick off of February with a heart healthy breakfast. A coworker made these steel-cut oats and brought in fruit for us all as well. 

We all wore red for Go Red for Women Day, too!

The weather finally warmed up and we got in a walk on Sunday. It was SO nice to be outside and not freezing! It was 50 degrees when we went out.

But yes, we still had snow. So FW built a snowman – or an “Olaf” as he calls him.

And I got in my first outdoor run in more than a week. It was so much better than running inside!

So, we didn’t go stir crazy with the weather. And this week the weather looks like it will be so much better. Is it still winter? Yes. BUT it may be warm enough for us to go outside for more than 10 seconds at a time!

Some questions for you:

  • Did you survive the polar vortex?
  • Any tips for keeping toddlers entertained during the dead of winter?

Celebrating My Birthday with Food and Running

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

I’m still feeling the love from having a really great birthday week this past week. It was a week of good (and too much!) food, friends and even some runs. I felt the love from so many friends and family who reached out or whom I saw and made me feel special – thank you to everyone!

Here’s a look at the week in terms of runs – Wednesday was my birthday and no matter what the weather, I knew I had to start the day with a run. It ended up being 30 degrees and rainy/slushy, so pretty awful. But I got out there and got in a few miles before work, which was what I wanted to do!

Here’s a little how the week looked in terms of celebrating the big day.

B and I got tickets to see Erik Griffin at Hilarities. I was sitting so close to the stage! I could literally touch the stairs the comics walked up to get there (seen in the photo below).

AND we got a photo with him after the show!

We also got in a great meal at Marble Room. I think B liked his steak.

I enjoyed the surprise birthday cotton candy they brought out! It was the size of my head — no, bigger!

FW surprised me with flowers.

B and I got breakfast – which meant a rosemary bagel and decaf almond milk latte for me.

LM helped me with laundry.

And also just pretty much held on to me all Saturday morning.

FW’s cousins came over Saturday afternoon for grilled cheeses.

And I got wine with some ladies in the early evening – again, to celebrate my birthday.

FW and I also did some baking this weekend. I made some of his favorite muffins – these are lentil banana chocolate chip muffins from The Lean Green Bean. This time I cut down the chocolate chips and tossed in half a zucchini and maybe 1/4 cup of mashed cauliflower for some added veggies.

Sunday was another cold one. When I woke up, I was all ready to go running outside, but the cold temps kept me inside again. I managed to make it 5.25 miles on the treadmill, which was my longest treadmill run in ages! I’m still building base mileage for my Cleveland half marathon training, so I didn’t mind staying inside.

After the run it was time for brunch at B’s parents’ house. FW got in some more quality time with his cousins.

And then we got home just in time for nap time. Which meant that I had some time to do some more meal prep – I made some energy balls (or boobie bites – they have brewers yeast, flax seed and oats, which is all good for breastfeeding) for snacks and egg cups for breakfast.

The rest of the afternoon was pretty low key. FW and LM played and B made us dinner.

And because we were home, the kids actually went to bed at a decent time for a Sunday night!

Some questions for you:

  • Did you dreadmill it this weekend, too?
  • Are you training for anything?

I’m linking up with the weekly wrap.

GIVEAWAY: Run CLE with Me! Cleveland Marathon Entry Giveaway

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 8 Comments

The cool weather, shorter days and snow outside only means one thing for runners — it’s spring marathon training time!

That’s right, just when the weather is at it’s pique for running (sense my sarcasm?), it’s time for us runners to start training again. Lucky for us, we’re a crazy crew and we’re ready to take on the challenge! That’s why I’m excited to share that once again I’m returning as a Cleveland Marathon Ambassador!

That means that I get to promote one of my favorite race series – the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, happening May 19, 2019. Not ready to run a marathon? Race weekend has plenty of options, including a Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 8K, 5K, 1-mile and even a Kids’ Run. And there’s my favorite – the Challenge Series events, where if you run both Saturday and Sunday, you get 3 cool medals and a special gift (gifts have included a fleece blanket, hoodie, etc.)!

What’s in it for you? I get to give away one race entry! This year’s giveaway is taking place somewhere new – my Instagram account. That’s right, head on over to @koskim on Instagram to enter.

And while you’re on Instagram, check out the @Clevemarathon account – I’m taking over their stories today!!

Some fun facts about the Cleveland Marathon:

  • The Cleveland Marathon is one of the 50 oldest marathons in the country – it began in 1978 and had the same course until 2004!
  • The race was the first to invite elite runners from the Soviet Union to the marathon during the Cold War.
  • The 10K was added in 1978, the half marathon event was added in 2005 and the 5K added in 2009.

Ready to run? Check out @koskim on Instagram to enter today. The giveaway will run through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, 1/20. And you get a bonus entry just by commenting on this blog post!

Some questions for you:

  • What was the last race you ran?
  • Do you like winter running?

And if you don’t win, you can still get 10% off! Use discount code MC2019 when you register.

Cleveland Marathon Kickoff Weekend

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

For a wintry weekend, it was a good one. It was fun, we had good food, were productive and we got to spend time outside.

The weekend started with a kickoff run for the Cleveland Marathon. I’m an ambassador again this year and it was fun to see some of my other ambassadors.

And I got to run with this guy in the stroller for half of it.

After the run, when we got home, I did some meal prep, including making muffins for the week.

Then, LM and I got groceries.

That night, the 4 of us went out – to Barroco!

My arepa was pretty amazing … FW stuck to his pouch after not touching any food. Oh well, he’s a pick eater.

Sunday included chores. Mainly more meal prep, laundry and a little cleaning.

B and FW even did some painting.

We ended the day with a Polish feast at B”s parents’ house, including stuffed cabbage and strudel!

Oh, and I even got in a short treadmill run!

Speaking of running, running totals for the entire week looked like this:

Before I know it, I’ll need to start kicking into gear for the spring races and picking up my mileage. But until then, just trying to enjoy it!

Some questions for you:

  • Do you do group runs or workouts? I don’t usually, but the kickoff run was so much fun!
  • Do you like Polish food?

I’m linking up with the weekly wrap.

Can Every Winter Weekend Be Like This?

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

We had a great weekend in CLE. It was seasonably warm (got into the 40s on Saturday!), no snow, and just a few casual plans. Which meant that we got to somewhat relax, spend time outside, get in some exercise and enjoy some family time. AKA – it was my type of weekend.

Friday night included takeout Indian food from a new Indian restaurant in our neighborhood. It was pretty good – but there was no naan on the menu!

Saturday morning started early (LM woke up at 6 and FW shortly after), but FW was easily entertained with some new Christmas toys. He loves his drum set, but it definitely made it hard for B to still sleep!

After B got up, I got in a 5 mile run. Weather in the mid-30s felt GREAT, I was actually hot with my gloves and headband. It was great to run in my new Skirt Sports clothes, too – I love my new capris (you can’t have enough running capris) and the Wonder Wool shirt kept me warm.

After the run, it was time to meet up with friends at the new Van Aiken District food hall. The place was hopping for the morning – and it was actually mostly families with young kids running around.

They have a few non-food shops and a few food places open right now, and a small kids play area. We will definitely be back.

The kids fell asleep in the car on the way back from playing and running around, so our typical afternoon “quiet time” was a little off – but that meant we were able to get in some grocery shopping, plus some “me” time in the car. There was no way I was going to try to move FW from the car seat to his bed, so we stayed in the car. And then, because nap time was done early, were able to get in a little afternoon walk while the weather was still semi-nice. We even stopped at a nearby playground and FW was able to run around and play.

That night, B made a favorite dish of mine – halibut! It was beyond good.

Sunday we had brunch plans with Dave and Anson. It had been a while since FW had seen Celia and he was pretty excited to play with her new toys and run around her house.

While FW was napping, since the weather was still nice out, I decided to take LM for a walk. We ended up walking to the grocery store and picked up a few last minute items to do some meal prep.

I made some egg cups for quick breakfasts. B is back on slow carb, so I’m trying to find easy breakfast that don’t involve bread, etc. for him.

Then, FW’s cousins came over for an inpromptu visit. They stopped by with little gifts, including this cute blanket!

And suddenly, the weekend was over. It went by fast for not having much to do! Some questions for you:

  • Did you get in some outdoor time this weekend? Yes, it was great to get in 2 runs, 2 walks and a trip to the playground.
  • Do you do meal prep? What do you make?