December Virtual Coffee Date

December 5, 2025December 5, 2025 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 15 Comments

Hi friends! Grab a hot beverage because it’s cold outside (at least it is in Cleveland) and let’s catch up for a virtual coffee date! As I did last month, I’m joining Coco and Deborah for their virtual coffee today, while also sharing a fitness update for a fitness linkup. I can hardly believe we are at December! Looking at my calendar is a little frightening, but honestly, I love the chaos of the holidays. So, if we were having coffee today, I’d tell you that …

I’d tell you that we just wrapped up Thanksgiving travel. We spent more than 20 hours in the car for a four-hour meal, but it was worth it. I saw my aunt, two uncles, and cousin that I only see once a year. I also got to see my parents quickly! I’m so grateful B does all that driving while I maintain my passenger princess status.

I’d tell you that I’m still injury-free and even got to run a Turkey Trot in Connecticut with my son, which is always such a fun tradition. Running with him makes me so proud. I wonder if my daughter will be ready for three miles next year? At their ages, I could barely run one mile!

Speaking of running, I’d mention that it’s almost time to sign up for spring marathons and half marathons! I enjoy this off season (for me) and focusing on strength training and running when I can … but before I know it I’ll be ready to train for the Cleveland Half Marathon again!

I’d tell you that December is packed with fun holiday activities. Book club, a Nutcracker viewing with my daughter and her friends, a band concert, two school holiday concerts, a piano recital, and more. It’s busy, but it’s the best kind of busy.

I’d tell you that speaking of a crazy calendar, tonight we’re doing something fun! We’re going to see The SpongeBob Musical at the Beck Center. We’re taking the whole family, and it will be GM’s first time seeing a show in a theater. I’m so excited for him to experience it. We even got comp media tickets, so we’re making a night of it with dinner out and then the show.

I’d tell you that we recently saw the new Wicked For Good movie. I took all three kids while B stayed home to work on the basement (he’s been working on finishing it as much as we can — new ceiling and walls). It was so fun. While the first movie was undoubtedly better, I love the musical, and seeing it brought to life on the big screen was amazing.

I’d tell you that the kids are off school for something like 17 days over the holidays. It sounds like a lot, but I do enjoy the extra time with them. By the time school starts again, though, we’re all ready for the routine.

I’d tell you that we just finished decorating for the holidays. There are two types of people: those who decorate right after Halloween and those who wait until after Thanksgiving. My husband is firmly in the second camp, so we just got everything up. The house feels so cozy now, and I love having holiday music playing in the background.

I’d tell you that I’m ready for holiday baking season. Last year I baked nine different types of cookies plus buckeyes, Chex mix, chocolate pretzels, and fudge. I’m not sure if I’ll hit those numbers again, but baking cookies is one of my favorite traditions. I’ve started making a list and I’m going to try to be a little more organized this year to keep track of everything I make and when. I already made my favorite graham cracker toffee and shared it with some friends, and we did some cut out cookies.

That’s what’s going on in my world. What’s new with you? How are you kicking off December?

What is your go-to holiday cookie recipe? I always want new baking ideas!
When do you start decorating for the holidays or listening to holiday music? Do you wait until after Thanksgiving?
Have you ever seen the SpongeBob Musical? What was the last live musical you saw?

Linking up with My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher for the Fit Five Friday linkup and the Ultimate Coffee Date hosted by Coco and Deborah

November Virtual Coffee Date

November 7, 2025November 7, 2025 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 8 Comments

Hi friends! I can’t believe we’re in NOVEMBER and already thinking about the holiday season! I’m here for it. I’m joining Coco and Deborah for their virtual coffee today, while also sharing a fitness update for a fitness linkup, so I’m excited to share what’s going on over here.

Here’s what I’d tell you if we were chatting in real life:

I’d tell you that I’m ready for the holidays. I know, I know… we just wrapped up Halloween, but I can’t help it. I love the holidays. The cookies, the baking, the time off work, and most of all, seeing the magic of the season through my kids’ eyes. It’s pure joy. I’m already counting down the days until Christmas! And don’t tell my husband – but when he’s not home we’ve even started listening to some holiday tunes.

Bought him a holiday shirt on one of his days home this week

I’d tell you that Airline travel recently started stressing me out. I’m traveling this week and airline travel has been stressing me out lately. I’m not sure when this started, but I’ve been feeling more anxious than usual, especially with all the flight delays and cancellations due to the government shutdown. I’ve been triple-checking my itinerary, and even though I know I can’t control it, I’m still nervous! Anyone else get travel anxiety?

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you how wonderful it was to have my parents in town last weekend. The kids were so excited to have them here, and my parents were all in on Halloween with carving pumpkins, handing out candy, and all. It rained pretty heavily the first day they were here, but we lucked out with sunshine on their last day and snuck in a beautiful fall hike. The leaves were beautiful and it felt like the perfect way to wrap up their visit.

I’d also share that I saw an author talk this week! A fellow mom at the school my kids go to gets tickets through her work to see authors speak on occasion, and she texted me last minute with an extra ticket to see Liz Moore (author of God of the Woods) speak on Monday. I am so glad I went – she was a great speaker (really down to earth) and now i want to read some of her other books!

If we were having coffee, I’d share some good news. GM is on the mend! After his surprise emergency appendectomy, he’s finally cleared to go back to school next week. I’m feeling so grateful that B took him to the hospital when he did. His recovery has been smooth, and I’m just so relieved everything turned out okay. It’s one of those moments that reminds you how quickly things can change and how lucky we are when they go right.

We have played a lot of Play Doh this week

If we were having coffee, I’d also tell you how happy I am to be running again. After dealing with a hip injury, I’m finally back out there. It’s slow, and most days it’s still a run-walk combo, but I’ll take it. I’m just so glad to be moving again and not just walking or stuck on the indoor bike. There’s something about being outside, even for a short jog, that lifts my spirits. Especially on the weekends when I can run in daylight! I even got in a 3 a.m. treadmill slow jog before a flight this morning. So happy to be back at it!

So that’s me. What about you?

Does travel give you anxiety?
Are you ready for the holidays yet?

Linking up with My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher for the Fit Five Friday linkup and the Ultimate Coffee Date hosted by Coco and Deborah

August Virtual Coffee Date

August 1, 2025July 31, 2025 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 13 Comments

Hi friends! I can’t believe we’re in August, but here we are. I’m joining Coco and Deborah for their virtual coffee today, while also sharing a fitness update for a fitness linkup, so I’m excited to share what’s going on over here. Here’s what I’d tell you if we were chatting in real life (most likely on a patio because it’s patio season in Cleveland!):

We Threw a 100-Year-Old House Party!
Our home turned 100 this year, and we celebrated with friends and family. We hosted an open house/backyard bash with about 75 people. It was a great mix of friends, neighbors, families from our kids’ school, B’s family and kids running around everywhere. We had a DIY taco bar from Cilantro (so good), bubbles, temporary tattoos, sidewalk chalk, lots of sporting equipment, drinks, and I baked a bunch of desserts. It was supposed to storm but we lucked out and the weather held out! It was one of those days that just felt so much fun from start to finish. I wish I had taken more photos, but I was too busy enjoying it all. Maybe I love hosting more than I realized?

Summer Is Flying By
If you know me, this will come as no surprise – I’m not ready for summer to end. I love the slower mornings, the warm weather, the way it’s lighter in the mornings. I’ve been running more on the trails and paths near me, something I can’t do in the winter when it’s too dark. There’s something about being surrounded by trees and nature that just feels good for the soul!

Birthday Season = Complete!
With my kids’ birthdays in May, June, and July, summer is basically one big celebration. We had Guardians games, outdoor movie nights, trips to the Zoo, SkyZone, and so many treats. It’s a whirlwind, but a fun one. I’m always a little sad when GM’s bday is over because it’s so much fun to celebrate everyone!

Some Music in the Mix
This was the first summer FW is taking piano lessons at Musicologie (he took last summer off), and it’s been going really well! He’s been learning some Beatles songs (which makes my heart so happy), and while it’s definitely a challenge to get in practice time when the weather is so nice, rainy days and no school have helped. It’s been such a sweet addition to our summer routine.

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Summer Fitness Wins
Fitness-wise, this summer has been one of my best! A few weeks ago, I hit my highest mileage week (almost 50 miles!), and July ended up being a nearly 200-mile month. I’ve also been swimming laps while the kids are at their swim lessons and I’ve continued weightlifting a few times a week. I’ve alao got in a few strollwe walks and runs with GM! It’s been a great balance, and I’m feeling grateful for the time and energy to move.

Fall Sports Are Coming
After softball and baseball ended, we had a bit of a break from the usual sports/activities chaos (just swimming lessons in the evenings), but that’s about to change. My son starts flag football and soccer next week, and in a few weeks my daughter will resume ballet, cross country and soccer too. I’m not quite ready for the schedule shuffle, but I do love cheering them on from the sidelines.

Summer Reading
I’ve been reading a lot this summer, and it’s been so nice! One Golden Summer by Carley Golden was the perfect beachy, feel-good read. I’m definitely going to check out more from that author. Got any recommendations?

A Little Travel, A Lot of Cleveland Love
We didn’t travel much this summer, just Memorial Day weekend in Atlanta in May, a week in Boston in June, and a quick trip to Albany (now!) to see my brother who’s visiting from Germany. But honestly? I love summer in Cleveland. It’s my favorite time to be here.

So that’s me. What about you? What’s been bringing you joy this summer?

Questions for you:

Any summer reading recommendations?
Is summer lower key for you, too?

May Virtual Coffee Date

May 2, 2025May 2, 2025 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 12 Comments

Happy first Friday in May! Join me in a virtual coffee date. It’s a fun way to share some randomness on my brain with you … here’s what I’d share if we were having a coffee date today.

Not my coffee, but my husband’s mocha at brunch at my new sister-in-law’s cafe!

If we were having coffee today, I’d order some herbal tea, since I don’t drink a lot of caffeine. That said, I did have a Liquid IV with caffeine in today because I did a long run before work and needed all the caffeine I could get afterwards!

But I digress. If we were having coffee today, I’d tell you…

I’m just a few weeks out from the Cleveland Half Marathon!

I can’t believe it’s already May, and race day is just around the corner. I’m officially almost done with training — I hit 12 miles today and it felt great (okay, it felt great after I was done).

As an ambassador for the event this year, I’ve loved being part of the community, going to the kick off run, etc. BUT I can’t wait until race weekend to volunteer at the Expo because that’s when it really feels real. The weekend is always so inspiring – the spectators, all the volunteers, the runners, etc.

Remember, as a Cleveland Marathon Ambassador, which means I also have discounted race admission should you want to sign up – you can use SAVE20MELCARN for 20% off your race entry into ANY of the races (including 5K, 10K, kids run!). I’m doing the challenge series which already sold out, and the other events are selling out FAST!

May is MAYhem.

Honestly, this month rivals the holidays when it comes to chaos. Work is nonstop, we’ve got spring and summer sports overlapping (this weekend alone, my son has FIVE games — soccer and baseball!), and we’re juggling a piano recital, dance recital, school events, and a few upcoming trips. It’s all fun and exciting, but also … a little overwhelming? Just trying to stay upright and caffeinated over here.

We got a piano!

One of the bright spots in our house lately is the addition of a piano. My son started taking lessons through Musicologie, and he’s been having so much fun learning. If you’re in Ohio or Indiana you should check them out — while we have one dedicated teacher, I can schedule and reschedule all the lessons online, which is helpful this time of year when baseball games, weddings (more on that in a minute), etc. get in the way of our regularly scheduled lessons. I just got him a Beatles piano book and he’s already picking out the notes to “Hey Jude.” Watching him sit down and play totally on his own has been one of those proud, heart-melty parenting moments.

I got a haircut!

I chopped my hair off last week!! It was time. It was getting so long and I needed something shorter and easier. I love how they will curl it afterwards so it’s a wavy bob — I wish I could do that myself. I’ve tried to no avail. It just stays straight for me!

Same day, different hair (also wearing makeup in the 2nd one …)

We celebrated our 14-year wedding anniversary this week.

14 years! It’s wild to think how much life we’ve packed into those years, and I’m feeling especially grateful for B this month — for being my favorite dance partner (more on that in a sec), and keeping me sane in all the chaos.

14 years ago … we had the best weather!

Speaking of weddings… my brother-in-law got married last week!

It was a beautiful weekend full of family, friends, and so much dancing. Thursday night’s welcome reception was a full-on party — the kids loved it, and I baked cookies for the dessert table. Friday was an adults-only evening, and after the ceremony (LM was a flower girl with some of her other girl cousins!), B and I danced until midnight before heading to an after-party. It felt like a throwback to pre-kid life, but of course, during half the reception, I kept saying to B, “Oh, LM likes this song… FW would love to dance to this song!” etc.

Scroll through the below photos for some videos too – including dancing and flower girls 🙂

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And did I mention travel?

May is going to be the most I’ve traveled since the pandemic I think: three trips, four flights, a road trip, and lots of logistics, packing, unpacking, etc. I’m crossing my fingers that everything goes smoothly. It’s a lot, but I’m excited – it will be a lot of fun!

From the last time we all flew together as a family – Germany last year!

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Ultimate Coffee Date is hosted by Coco and Deborah

Questions for you:

Is your May MAYhem too?
What’s keeping you busy these days?

February Virtual Coffee Date

February 7, 2025 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 12 Comments

Happy first Friday in February! I’m joining several other bloggers today for a virtual coffee date, which is fun. If you know me, you know I don’t actually drink a lot of coffee in real life, or caffeine. But if you care to join me over a decaf latte, here’s what I’d share over coffee:

Note – there are some affiliate links below, so if you decide to buy my exercise bike, thanks in advance 🙂 But I really do love all these!

I’m over winter … but surviving! Okay, I hate to start with a grumble, but if we were actually meeting for coffee, I’m sure you’d say the same! We’ve had SO MUCH wintery weather this year, and many schools were closed near me yesterday for ice! Can’t it just be spring? Here is how I’m surviving this winter:

My treadmill – I’m LIVING on it.
My Merach exercise bike. I admit it’s no Peloton, but as someone who mostly works out on a treadmill or outside, it’s been nice to have an affordable bike for me to use as cross training when it’s too cold, icy, or my legs are sore.
Yaktracks. I bought these new ones a few weeks ago for running, and they seem to work well! I don’t love running on snow often because it impacts my gait, but if there’s a little snow and not much ice, these have been lifesavers.

What I’m reading lately. I am still in the middle of Onyx Storm and just got to some serious action and can’t put it down! I don’t want to finish it because I’ve heard it just ends (ugh!) and it will be some time before the author writes the next in the series. So I’m taking my time. I did just finish two good reads that I’d recommend:

If you like historical fiction with a little spice: The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr was enjoyable. It was like Evelyn Hugo meets World War II Nazi drama.
If you like sci-fi that takes place in modern times on Earth: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green was so good. I loved the way it was written and that it wasn’t too far out. We read it for book club and I’ve already read the second book because I couldn’t wait to hear what happened next!

What I’m excited for this weekend. Our weekends have been crazy lately – we typically have 2 basketball games, a soccer game, 1-2 futsal games, piano lessons and ice skating … and all that’s for the kids! Well, this weekend I’m taking time for ME and going to the Cleveland Marathon Kickoff Run! It is thanks to arranging for childcare, having my husband carry the load, and having FW get rides from other parents … but I’m going to make it happen and go run with the group on Saturday morning.

photo from last year’s kickoff run

As a reminder, I’m a Cleveland Marathon Ambassador, which means I also have discounted race admission should you want to sign up – you can use SAVE20MELCARN for 20% off your race entry into ANY of the races (including 5K, 10K, kids run!).

Thanks for joining me for my Ultimate Coffee Date!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Ultimate-Coffee-Date-1.jpg Ultimate Coffee Date is hosted by Coco and Deborah

Questions for you:

If you have crazy weekends, how do you fit in time for you?
Are you over winter yet, too?

What I’m Loving Lately: Snacktime Edition

April 12, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

Snacks on snacks on snacks! I’m not one of those people who eats three meals a day and that’s it. I have always been a snacker – I love eating several times a day and definitely get int that 3 p.m. snacktime mode. Here are a few snacks I’ve been enjoying lately:

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans

B and I picked up these beauties in Costa Rica and I can’t tell you enough HOW GOOD they are. They’re sweet and caffeinated at the same time – a great afternoon pick-me-up or really just anytime snack. I personally love the white chocolate (they taste like lattes!) but the dark chocolate aren’t that bad either (am I the only person who prefers milk and white chocolate to dark chocolate?).

cafebritt

My Oatmeal:

I got a chance to sample this for free thanks to a Sweat Pink promotion and I am IN LOVE! My Oatmeal has a ton of fun oatmeal varieties (like PB&J Cupcake!) and they also let you make custom oatmeal from a a variety of ingredients listed on their website – they then ship your custom oatmeal to you directly. There are about a bazillion combinations (okay, maybe not that many) and the one I opted for had the following: rolled oats and flax, brown sugar and oatmeal cookie flavors, with coconut, ginger, date, mangos and apricots. YUM! Oh and of course I called it Melissa’s Blend because I’m just that creative.

myoatmeal

It arrived while I was on vacation and it was such an awesome surprise to open after we got back. I was pumped. Take a look!

IT HAS MY NAME ON IT

Look at that dried fruit!

Obviously you can eat it as regular oatmeal. But some other cool things you can do:

Make granola with it. In my favorite granola recipe, just swap out the oats with the oatmeal! You probably can use less dried fruit if you want to since my blend has dried fruit in it AND less sweetener (brown sugar and/or honey) if you choose an Oatmeal that’s sweet.
Make cookies! I love oatmeal cookies and don’t doubt that adding some of this oatmeal would be a delicious add-in.
Eat it dry. I’m not gonna lie – I took a bag with me to work to eat as a snack – and just ate it dry. I had fully intended to cook it up and then just ate it dry. And I enjoyed it.

Kalebouli

I love tabbouleh and the first time I tried kalebouli I also fell in love. One of my favorite ways to eat kalebouli is actually on a wrap with hummus (okay I guess this isn’t quite a snack) – and the Flaming Ice Cube in Cleveland has an amazing kalebouli wrap.

But if you want to try making your own kalebouli so that you can try it as a snack – here is a recipe from the blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake. You can make yur own pita chips and dip them in the kalebouli, or serve it with chopped veggies, pita, and hummus. Yum!

My standard from the Flaming Ice Cube – Kalebouli Hummus Wrap!

Some questions for you:

What are your favorite snacks to beat the 3 p.m. hunger? All of the above. Also a fan of anything sweet/salty – chocolate covered pretzels, Chex Mix, etc.
Are you a snacker? Prefer 3 meals a day and that’s it? Yup, i’m a snacker. But B isn’t. He has pretty much breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes he’ll eat carrots and peanut butter at work but that’s it. I bring LOADS of snacks and get pretty hangry when I don’t!
Do you like oatmeal? Do you ever eat it “raw”? I can’t be the only one ..
Dark chocolate? White chocolate? Which do you prefer?

Disclosure: I was given a free sample of My Oatmeal to try out via Fit Approach. All opinions are my own and I was in no other way compensated for this post. I have not been given any free kalebouli, free Flaming Ice Cube (unless you count the gift card my parents got me for my birthday?) or free chocolate covered coffee beans – but I’d love any of those!

Scenes from A “Do Nothing” Weekend

March 12, 2014March 12, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

We all have those weekends. Those weekends when someone asks you what you’re doing and you’re SO happy to say, “Nothing!” Or maybe you’re not happy. But I was happy to be able to say that about last weekend. After a few weeks of traveling, and looking at my calendar and realizing that I’m traveling likely every weekend through April 19th, I was looking forward to a weekend of doing nothing. And boy, was it a GREAT do nothing weekend.

Here are some of the highlights:

Friday night included dinner at one of my favorite places, the Flaming Ice Cube. I love their vegan, carbolicious food before a long run! B and I split the Buffalo “chicken” dip, and I got the kalebouli wrap. I could eat kalebouli every single day and be happy.

Saturday started early with a 12 mile run with B and his sister. Despite not getting the pace we wanted (B was shooting for 9 min/miles for the whole time) I felt pretty good the entire time. Perhaps the key to feeling good is running slower? Mary kept on going for 15 total miles – I was very happy to be done with 12. And I think my body was too – after our run for a few hours I had some shooting pain down my back right side – from my glutes to just above my calf. Thank goodness it went away!

Post-run, B and I picked up some supplies at the West Side Market for meals for this week. I won’t be able to shop there until the end of April, so I took advantage of the opportunity to get tons of food – probably too much. I’ll be eating spaghetti squash, eggplant and butternut squash for a few days 🙂

Love the fresh produce!

Did I mention we also got lunch at the Souper Market (LOVE their bread and Mulligatawny) and shared a giant Apple Fritter from the West Side Market?

seriously, these are the BEST apple fritters

After the market, B and I decided to get coffee and tea. Well, coffee for him (Rising Star) and tea (from the new Hingetown Tea Revival shop) for me. I LOVED my ginger turmuric infused tea. And how cute is the shop?

After our Ohio City escapades, B and I decided to do some outlet shopping. I actually didn’t end up with anything (surprise! I’m saving money for our upcoming vacation) but B left with 2 new suits that actually fit him. I didn’t realize how big the suits he’d been wearing were on him until he tried on the new suits. WOW – what a difference! I can’t wait until he wears them 🙂 If he lets me I’ll post a photo because they looked really good.

And the night included a few drinks out and then a lazy evening of watching Game of Thrones (and I didn’t fall asleep during the episode!), homemade pizza, and wine.

Sunday I ended up having to work most of the day so I spent the day at a coffee shop before meeting B’s family for dinner. Today is B’s mom’s birthday (Happy birthday!) so we celebrated Sunday evening with more pizza, more wine and other Italian food.

Food, family and a good run. That’s what I call a pretty good “do nothing” weekend – don’t you?

I know it’s already Wednesday. But how was your weekend? Do you enjoy “do nothing” weekends? Do you already have plans for this weekend?

Killing Fruit Flies

September 30, 2012 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

B and I recently started making coffee in the mornings. After more than a year of being married, and having received a coffee maker as a wedding gift, we finally have started using it. And it’s great! B doesn’t have to spend $3-$4 on a Mocha each morning, and if I want, I can even add almond milk to a cup of mine. It’s been great – until we discovered that fruit flies love coffee grinds.

After a week or so of coffee grinds (and not too much else) laying in our garbage, and a few nights not home, I opened the trash can and out flew a gazillion fruit flies. No exaggeration – there were literally a gazillion fruit flies that flew into my kitchen. GROSS! This was more than one week ago. And I haven’t cooked at home since then. But today, they are all gone! How did I kill them all?

Vinegar and dish soap. I think there’s a saying about catching more flies with honey than vinegar but in my case, vinegar did the trick! Here’s an easy way to keep away/kill those pesky fruit flies by just using supplies you most likely have on hand in your kitchen.

A Recipe for Killing Fruit Flies (I know it’s not the usual type of recipe posted here)

Here’s what you need:

2-3 tbs of vinegar (I used red wine vinegar, but heard the cider vinegar works well as well)
2-3 drops of dish soap

Here’s what you do:

Mix together vinegar and dish soap in a small bowl/jar.
Set bowl near where the fruit flies have been flying around.
Wait and let the flies get attracted to the smell of the vinegar. They’ll likely fly around the area for a little while before actually diving into the vinegar. The dish soap helps catch them — vinegar alone won’t do the trick.

Before:

After: