Girls’ Weekend – LCBS Retreat

March 10, 2019March 10, 2019 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

This weekend, I spent a few nights away from the family. My Ladies Craft Beer Society got together for a mini-getaway to celebrate our fifth anniversary.

Friday night we all got in at different times and proceeded to eat, drink (beer and bubbly!) and catch up. It’d been while since any of us had been together without kids and it was nice to have two hands (for two drinks, obvs) but also to be able to sit back and just talk as our own selves. I personally stayed up too late – past midnight! – and then was up before 7 a.m. to pump the next morning.

The next morning started off with an amazing breakfast – our friend Marissa was in charge of food and made us an amazing French toast casserole.

After breakfast, I decided to head out for a run. It was chily but a beautiful day and I got to pass this gorgeous view – look at the lake!

And of course, because it was my ladies CRAFT beer society, we also did some crafting!

That night, we went out to dinner at a local winery, and then grabbed drinks at a local brewery.

Because of the time change, we didn’t end up staying out as late, but instead spent the night catching up.

Sunday, we got up early and hit the road. For a weekend away from the kids, I ended up pretty tired! I can’t hang like I used to.

It was a great weekend, though, and I am so glad I got to catch up with my ladies!

Some questions for you:

When was the last time you had a getaway?
What kind of wine do you like?

Staying Indoors This Weekend

December 9, 2018December 9, 2018 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

It was a COLD weekend here in Cleveland. I’m usually pretty good about running in the winter, as long as it isn’t too icy, but when I saw the temps were “feels like 14” and even colder, I just couldn’t bring myself to get outside. So that meant some treadmill runs and a bunch of other indoor fun this weekend.

Here’s how the week in general looked:

Friday started with a 3.25 mile treadmill run before the house got up. LM was starting to get restless while I was running, so I ended up getting in 2-ish miles, stopping, walking a bit, and starting again after she went back to sleep.

Friday also included some indoor running – for FW, not me – at the history museum. He got to run around and play in the children’s room.

Saturday morning included some baking – we made some toffee to bring to my Ladies Craft Beer Society meeting.

Not your usual LCBS photo – instead of beer and crafts, I got a photo of some of the kids playing. Don’t worry, there was beer AND crafts, just not photographed.

Saturday also included some grocery shopping.

And B made dinner! Some pasta and shrimp. I love seafood, but we hardly ever eat it because B doesn’t love it, so it was a nice treat.

Sunday morning I opted inside again. It was sunny but FRIGID when I woke up. I did a 20 minute run, checked on the kids (who were hanging out with B) and then got in another mile.

Then, FW and I made muffins. He is becoming quite the kitchen helper and I love it!

The weekend also included a trip to Target for our annual adopt a family shopping trip. Every year, B and I organized a local adopt a family program and pair up local people with families to buy for for the holidays. We buy gifts and groceries for the families. It’s a fun tradition, and I can’t wait until the kids are old enough to understand what we do. And after shopping, it was time for dinner at B’s parents’ house.

We were decorating their tree, which FW enjoyed. He’s definitely getting in the holiday spirit!

Some questions for you:

Are you running outdoors or indoors these days?
Do you like decorating for the holidays?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps.

Visiting the Farm (plus beer, running and more)

July 29, 2018July 29, 2018 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

It was another great weekend in CLE, and it was nice to have a weekend to ourselves with no weddings or big events planned. Which meant we of course ended up packing in tons of fun activities into the two days.

Friday night started with an impromptu birthday celebration for B’s brother. We went to the Flats for pizza, beer and bocce with the kids to celebrate FW’s uncle John.

After dinner, we got to take a walk along the water with FW’s cousins.

Saturday, we started off the day with a walk (me and LM) and bike ride (FW, B and his grandparents) to the farmers market.

After picking up some veggies for dinner and taking in the music, we headed home. Because we had some fun activities planned for the rest of the afternoon – FW and I were going to my Ladies Craft Beer Society together! My friend Reanna was hosting and she has a large property with bees, chickens, goats and more.

FW loves animals and couldn’t wait to see the chickens and the goats. So, after I hung out with the ladies and completed my craft (the macrame plant holder FW is holding), it was time to explore!

FW LOVED the chickens and goats. He was able to feed them both and follow them around for a while. He really enjoyed the farm and now of course I want some chickens!

Saturday night, B grilled up some veggie burgers and veggies we had gotten at the Farmers Market. I love farm fresh meals in the summer!!

Sunday morning started with a stroller run for the family- B took LM and I took FW for a 3.33 mi route. After we finished, we decided to keep running another 1.5 or so miles to literally run some errands. I was pooped (and FW’s face shows how I felt).

Sunday afternoon included some pancakes for FW. He even helped make them.

And naps! All around.

Followed by yard work, groceries for the week (and a little meal planning/prep) plus cleaning. This totally counts as cleaning, right?

And to end our weekend, per usual, we enjoyed Sunday dinner at B’s parents’ house. FW and LM are so lucky- they got to see Grandma and Grandpa 3 days in a row this weekend (and 4 days for Grandma, who babysat on Thursday!).

Some questions for you:

What types of chores, if any, do you do on weekends?
Do you take naps?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps!

Summer Weddings and Grandparent Time

July 8, 2018 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

We had a good weekend. It included a wedding, some berry picking and some family time. Pretty much all things I enjoy!

Friday night started with some sushi! B is pretty skilled – he was able to eat some sushi with his chopsticks AND have FW and LM on his lap.

We got in a lot of playing and reading.

And time with Grandpa and Donna.

They were in town to watch the kids while B and I went to one of my friend’s weddings.

FW came to the church ceremony – they even had coloring book programs for the kids!

B and I stayed solo at the reception and it was our first date since L had been born. It was the first night out AND my longest time away from LM since she was born!

It was a TON of fun. My friend Cuoghi, who is in my Ladies Craft Beer Society, got married and we had a BLAST. I love these ladies and can’t believe this is the first wedding we have all been to together!

It was a late night (for me), but thanks to having two kids, Sunday still started early (LM got up at 4 am to eat … and again several times before FW woke up at 8). After my parents left, we got to go raspberry picking at my brother and sister-in-law’s house!

LM wasn’t much help but she came along.

FW enjoyed picking …

… and eating the berries

It was a pretty great way to wrap up the weekend!

Some questions for you:

What’s the last time you picked berries/fruit/vegetables? What was it?
Do you have any weddings coming up? Yes! We have 2 more this summer.

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps!

Weekends With a Toddler When You’re Pregnant

March 18, 2018March 19, 2018 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

Okay, so the title of this post is misleading. Weekends with a toddler when you’re pregnant are pretty much just regular weekends with a toddler. Sure, I’d like to be resting more (and I’m starting to feel the third trimester fatigue coming in!), but with a toddler, you can’t help but run around. And as tiring as it is, it’s fun entertaining them, too!

The weekend included:

Some Mexican food and TV to kick off Friday night. We are way behind in Walking Dead, so we had to watch an episode of that.

Saturday was a busy day! It included a birthday party at the aquarium, which FW loved. He loves fish and enjoyed seeing them and turtles swimming around.

And then it was time to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. I don’t have any pictures from the parade because I was busy getting our car battery jumped because our car was dead (whoops), so instead, here’s a photo of me and my coworkers looking festive.

For dinner, we opted for pizza. It was a toss up between pizza and reubens but I couldn’t figure out how to get us takeout ruebens and I love pizza so pizza won. And I’m Italian (and 0% Irish) so there’s that.

And then bath time 🙂

Sunday the day started off with pancakes, followed by some house cleaning. B made the pancakes and honestly did most of the cleaning, too.

I was hosting our Ladies Craft Beer Society meeting! We actually had a beer sponsor – Brew Dog, a beer based in Scotland, but just opened a brewery in Columbus, Ohio, sent us some of their Pink IPA to try out. In honor of International Women’s Day, they rebranded their Punk IPA to be called “Pink IPA” and are donating 20% (the pay gap in he UK) of all proceeds towards organizations that work towards women and fight inequality. Pretty cool, huh? They happen to be a client of my agency (but not my client), and that’s how they heard about our club.

The theme of our monthly meeting was homemade body wash. I was seeking a craft that was easy (I’m not the most skilled crafter), something that could be done if I had FW in my lap, and also useful. I haven’t used the body wash yet, but I’m hoping it turns out okay! Here is the recap of the meeting that I shared on the LCBS blog: https://theladiescraftbeersociety.com/2018/03/19/lcbs-notes-homemade-body-wash.

All you need to make your own body wash! Plus a few essential oils to add additional benefits plus scent

To prep for the meeting, I bought all the supplies a few days in advance, and even made my body wash ahead of time – I figured it’d be easier if I could show people what the finished product looked like and if I didn’t have to craft during the meeting (and could instead focus on hosting! and FW).

I also made some Buckeyes, buffalo chicken dip, and put together this sweet and salty cheese, fruit and treat board (inspired by Two Peas in a Pod).

It was a ton of fun! Nearly everyone from LCBS showed up and made body wash. And of course, it was fun to try out the Pink IPA – it was a hit! and celebrate our femininity 🙂

What did the weekend not include? Much activity. I had a pretty active week, so I tried to take it easy this weekend due to some pregnancy things. Hopefully no more to come on that (hopefully there won’t be anything else to say!) and I’ll be able to report some activity again next week!

Some questions for you:

Do you like IPAs? Yes! They’re some of my favorite types of beer!
Do you do any monthly meet ups? Like a book club or craft (beer) club?
Are you Irish?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps!

A Weekend of Celebrations

March 11, 2018March 12, 2018 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

This weekend – though cold and snowy – was a fun-filled weekend of celebrations. From my sister-in-law’s swearing in as a U.S. citizen to my friend Nicole’s baby shower, we had a a few fun reasons.

Friday started with the swearing in ceremony. More than 50 people were sworn in as citizens in the ceremony, including my sister-in-law, who is from Finland. It was a pretty cool ceremony to be able to see, and it was amazing to feel part of so many people’s emotional journeys.

The ceremony lasted a little over two hours, and B and I had taken the day off, so afterwards, we went out to lunch – just the two of us. We don’t get to do that often, and it was nice to have a relaxed grown up meal and drinks (or a sip for me).

We were planning on going to the movies after lunch, but we were both so full and in a semi-food coma, we decided to go for a walk instead. We visited the Towpath for a 4+ mile walk in the snow. The path was paved, so it was at least pretty.

We then spent some time reading and warming up in a coffee shop. These are all things we used to do all the time before FW, so it was nice to get out and do them once again.

Then, it was time for the first celebration- off to a bar for my sister-in-law’s celebration in honor of her new citizenship! We hung out for about an hour with FW before it was time to head out.

AND we picked up my favorite local pizza on the way!

Even FW ended up having a few bites (he is picky and hasn’t been liking pizza).

Saturday ended up being a pretty low-key, yet productive day. It included some cleaning, reading, piano playing, and baking.

baking – buckeyes!

And a quick stop to our favorite local chocolate shop for some goodies before dinner. Fun fact- chocolate covered pretzels are pretty much my FAVORITE.

For dinner, B made us homemade pasta with potatoes. I made the pesto. It came out SO good!

FW had grilled cheese – but also a peanut butter macaron for dessert! It was his first macaron and he wouldn’t put it down.

Sunday morning started with my friend Nicole’s baby shower! She’s due a little before me with her first and it was fun to celebrate with her. Isn’t she adorable?

She is also part of my Ladies Craft Beer Society – so naturally, we did a craft at her shower!

That afternoon, despite the snow and cold, the sun was out, so we got in a short walk with FW in the backpack.

And then it was time to go out to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday. We went out for Italian food to celebrate.

And that was it – 3 celebrations in one weekend 🙂 Some questions for you:

Is it still snowy near you?
Do you like chocolate covered pretzels? Or what’s your favorite chocolate treat?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps!

Getting in the Holiday Spirit

December 10, 2017December 10, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

I can’t believe how fast December is flying by – and I don’t mind it one bit! I love the holidays and with each day that passes, we are one day closer to going home and seeing my family for the holidays.

This weekend I started feeling in the holiday spirit – mainly because it included some COLD weather, baking and gingerbread house making!

I started off the weekend and made this graham cracker toffee from Two Peas and their Pod and she’s right – it’a addicting!

Before the flurries hit us, I also got in a run this view. I feel lucky to live so close to a path that runs along some lakes.

Saturday included a LOT of errands. We went to Target to do some holiday shopping for our adopt a family, Old Navy for some more adopt a family (and FW) shopping, Home Depot and then out to lunch. It had been a while since I went to Boaz and I still love their bowls!

That afternoon, we made some sauce and then B made homemade pizza. We bought some all beef pepperoni at a local butcher shop and OMG it is so good. What a difference it makes.

That night, B and I also caught up on some Game of Thrones (we are lost done with the season!) after FW went to bed. I never would’ve thought I would like the show – but I really do enjoy it too much!

Sunday was our Ladies Craft Beer Society holiday brunch! Nicole hosted and we made gingerbread houses. FW got to hang out with some of his other baby friends and semi help make the gingerbread house … can that be my excuse as to why it doesn’t look so great? 😉

The rest of the day included a little walk and playing in the “snow” we had gotten (just a dusting from Winter Storm Benji) before dinner with B’s family.

We had brownie sundaes for dessert. I strongly believe that it is never too cold for ice cream.

Some questions for you:

Did you get any snow this weekend?
What’s your favorite dessert?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps!

House Reno and LCBS Weekend

August 20, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

The time is coming for our stint in downtown living to come to an end. I’ll write more about the house and our move soon, but in the meantime, we are just trying to enjoy every last bit of our lives downtown, while getting everything ready for the big move.

So how do you try to enjoy downtown AND get ready to move the same time?

It’s hard, let me tell you. But here’s one way to do it.

Friday evening started off with a 3.5 mi run for me, followed by some playground time for FW. He isn’t so sure what to think of the slide, but he is trying to enjoy it!

We then walked to the Winking Lizard for a few patio beers.

Then, B went over to the house to do some work, while I put FW to bed and get some packing done. I packed up a box of our kitchen stuff .. there are still probably about a million more boxes to go, yikes!

Saturday morning started out with some time at the house. B, some family and friends had a painting party! He also worked on putting the ceiling up in the bathroom.

We’re getting there – look at what a difference a day makes! No ceiling – almost ceiling!

FW enjoyed playing around on our gravel driveway … that too is going to be under construction soon!

He totally helped prime the walls, too.

While over on that side of town, we also took a walk with my friend Lulu. On our walk we saw what she said was a falcon! We watched it eat a mouse. I’m going to have to get used to all the new wildlife that comes with moving outside of downtown, that’s for sure! (I have a picture of it eating the mouse, but I’ll spare you the gory details)

After stopping by the house, it was time to head to LCBS. This month’s LCBS brought us to Jocelyn’s house for felt flowers. I didn’t make the craft this time, but instead enjoyed some beer and watched FW play with the other babies. I’m so lucky to have a few friends with babies!

This month’s beer choice for me:

This is me laughing because Ruby is trying to hug FW.

Sunday morning started out with a run. My long run for the week was 5 miles – nothing too long (for me), but I’m still getting back into the swing of running after some piriformis issues. It was hard from but I know that I’ll be back to where I was soon, hopefully!

While B was at the house, FW and I took a short walk around downtown and then made some sweet potatoes. He loves them fresh out of the oven. I sprinkle cinnamon on them and toss them with butter 🙂

Then, we headed over to the house to see how the work was going. The whole family was over painting again!

And then FW and I took another walk, this time in the ‘burbs. He loved playing with the gravel on the driveway.

All in all it was a pretty good weekend and things are coming together at the house! I can take no credit, as I was on baby duty the entire weekend, but it’s amazing what one weekend can do. Will it be ready for us to move in soon? We shall see!

Some questions for you:

Are you a DIY-er? Have you bought a fixer upper?
Get in any good runs this weekend?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps.

Spending As Much Time Outside As Possible

July 16, 2017July 19, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

After a pretty muggy and rainy week in Cleveland, we finally had some sunny weather and a beautiful weekend. Which meant we got to spend some time outside and enjoy some easy summer days.

The weekend started off with some playground time. FW loves swinging! And he’s started really moving – he was crawling all over the slides and other equipment.

After the playground, we decided to stop by the Tremont Walkabout, a local art walk.

FW liked the bubbles!

And since we were in the neighborhood, we grabbed some slices at Edison’s. There was much pepperoni on the pizza!

And right across the street from Edison’s is Tremont Scoops. So naturally, I had a scoop of their Buckeye Blitz ice cream. Peanut butter ice cream with chocolate chunks and mini buckeyes. Yummmmm

Saturday morning started early- we headed over to the house to do some things. We had plans to go out for breakfast, but were running late. So instead, we decided to walk to lunch. I had a half summer salad, half BLT and it came with a side of quinoa. It was great! AND FW slept the entire time while B and I ate.

Afterwards, it was time for my Ladies Craft Beer Society! For a refresher, once a month I get together with some lady friends and we all do a craft while drinking a craft beer. This month’s craft was sugar body scrubs, and our craft beer theme was summery, citrus beers. I can’t wait to try out the body scrub!

At night, B had plans to go to see the World Cup qualifying game that was playing downtown, so I was babysitting FW. We had some fun before he went to bed.

Sunday morning, B, FW and I took a walk. My hip/butt/something is still hurting so I’m trying to take it easy, but I wanted to go for a walk to see how it felt and get outside. After the walk, we decided to hit the beach!

FW wasn’t realllllly into it.

We then hit up one of my favorites, Boaz, for a quick lunch. Give me all of the baba and quinoa and picked turnips! YUM.

That night, we enjoyed spending time with B’s family for Sunday night dinner. And we ended our meal with ice cream sundaes – fitting for National Ice Cream Day!

Any weekend that includes ice cream twice is great in my book!

Questions for you:

Did you celebrate Ice Cream Day this weekend?
How’s your weather been lately?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps!

Perfect Birthday Weekend! (A March, Some Runs, Good Food and Beer)

January 22, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

I guess this past weekend was my birthday weekend. My birthday falls on a Monday this year so I was happy to celebrate it with a WARM weekend in CLE doing tons of fun things.

Seriously, I couldn’t have planned the weekend better – it was not only in the 50s-60s but I also got to do so many things I enjoy!

Like ….

Stroller running. Outside. With B and of course FW. And it was in the mid-50s!!

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Attending the Cleveland Women’s March. We got there too late to march but we were able to take in the crowd and see all the people! FW slept through most of it.

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Continue the theme of celebrating women with Ladies Craft Beer Society. This month’s craft? Herbed butters! I made a sweet butter (cinnamon/sugar butter) and a garlic basil butter, oregano butter and a chive butter.

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Naturally we had to make something for dinner with our butters. B found a recipe from Lidia for homemade ravioli with shrimp and tomatoes – they were SO GOOD.

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The finished product … 20170121_211028

Another outdoor run. This time, just me. And it was actually great! As much as I prefer running with people, it was nice to have no planned route, not have to push a stroller and just enjoy the (again!) warm weather. 6.25 miles at just under 9 min/mile pace. I felt so alive!

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