Another week of run streaking down and I’m now at 65 days! I don’t know how much longer I’ll keep this up, but it’s been actually great to get out there every day. This week was easier than usual, because my parents were in town for a few days! So, Sunday and Monday I was able to sleep late (6:30-7 ish) and get in a run while the kids hung out with my parents. They enjoyed the Nonna and Grandpa time and I enjoyed the time to myself to run!
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A Weekend With Family in NY
This past weekend I got to travel – by myself – to New York! My brother was in town from Berlin and somewhat last minute I decided to get on a plane to see him and my parents.
It was such a good decision – I hadn’t been home since Christmas and it was great to see my family and also get in some quality time.
The weekend started with a quick stop in the City to see Jane. We were able to grab a quick lunch and catch up before I caught the train up to Albany with my brother.
Friday started off with a run around my old neighborhood. I saw cows and even caught my brother who was out for a bike ride!
That afternoon, we went to the Hyde, a nearby museum and old house. It was a GORGEOUS fall day in the area, but chilly.
And the museum was really cool – they had a Picasso exhibit going on, but you also get to see the interior of the house, which is preserved since the family lived there in the early 1900s.
Friday night, we went out to dinner in Saratoga Springs. I had an AMAZING grilled octopus dish.
Saturday, we decided to escape town and go for a hike in the Catskills. My brother, mom and I got in the car and after a kinda long car ride, got to the bottom of the trail at the mountain. After hiking up, we saw some amazing views.
The trees were all yellow and orange.
Then, we climbed up even further — you can see the house down below right where I took the picture above.
That night, we had tickets to the Albany Symphony Orchestra! It was a great performance at the beautiful Palace Theater downtown.
Unfortunately, that was the end of an amazing weekend. I hadn’t spent time with just my parents and brother in several (8? 10?) years, and it was just what I needed.
Questions for you:
- When was the last time you traveled by plane?
- Do you live near your parents? Siblings?
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My Kind of Weekend
It was a GREAT weekend in CLE. It was warm (in the 70s and 80s!!) for October, my parents were in town, I got in some good quality time with the kids AND we were able to celebrate LM’s baptism. 
It was great to celebrate with my mom – three generations in one photo 🙂
After the baptism, we had everyone over our house for chili, cornbread, chips, veggies …
And look at this cake! B’s mom made a GREAT cassata cake.
We all enjoyed the food.
Sunday, B had tickets to the Brown’s game (and they WON!), so FW and LM and my parents and I went to the Zoo!
FW’s favorites are the elephants and the giraffes. 
I LOVE having my family in town, and FW really enjoyed spending time with his Nonna and Grandpa. And LM is so much bigger than the last time they were in town, so it was fun to have them interact with her.
What a wonderful weekend – family, good food and good weather. I couldn’t ask for much more ❤
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(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday
It’s time for a (nearly) Wordless Wednesday post. This time, I’m sharing a few photos from our long Fourth of July weekend. We had Monday off and my parents were in town, so it made for a really amazing fun and family filled weekend. Here are some photos of our fun, with as few words as possible:
Friday night=homemade pizza night
Grandpa reading to FW
French toast to start our Saturday!
And a fast (for me) four miler.
Standing up – almost ready to walk!
Momma and me
And of course, my Dad
Selfies after a walk
Just glassin’ 
Stroller run
Learning to walk with Daddy
Hope you had a great Fourth of July!! Here’s to a SHORT week.
Some questions for you:
- Did you see some fireworks this year?
- Get in any runs during your long weekend?
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Weekends with Nonna and Grandpa
This weekend was sunny, warm and I got to spend it with family – what could be better?
Friday was in the 50s so we started off the afternoon with some swing time with FW. He LOVES swings and it’s so much fun to see him giggle and smile on the swing.
Saturday was another GORGEOUS day. It was nearly 70 degrees! B and I didn’t have much to do until my parents got into town around 5, so I decided to go for what I’d (right now) consider a long-ish run – 6.66 miles. I wore my Sport Skirts skirt, it was that warm!
After the run, B and I took a look at some houses. But before we knew it, it was time for my parents to come! We had some fun playing around the apartment.
And then of course, dinner. We had beers and pizza and salads at Masthead. 
Three pizzas for four of us 🙂
Sunday started with brunch at Yours Truly with the 5 of us.
Followed by a nice walk – it was again warm outside, so we went for a walk around the park.
And then snuck in some lunch! No, FW didn’t have anything off the menu – bananas and pears for him 🙂
And that night, we celebrated birthdays with B’s family – our niece turned 9!
And that was our weekend. I’m back at work this morning (jealous to all of you who have off!) after saying goodbye to my parents. It’s always SO hard when they leave … but I know I’ll be seeing them in a few months.
Because it’s Monday, I’m linking up with Katie and the weekly wraps.
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Weekends with a Four Month Old
Okay technically I guess this post should be called 4 1/2 month old. But I can barely believe that FW is four months old. He’s rolling, babbling, giggling and pretty fun. This weekend was a fun one – but B was out of town at a wedding so I played single mom for a little bit. Luckily my parents came into town for a little so I had some help along the way.
This weekend included:
Friday night pizza and beer. The tradition never gets old. Especially when my parents are here and I get to have eggplant on my pizza!
Wine and chocolates. Because – it was THAT kind of week. And well, do you really need a reason?
Some cold temps, which meant fall fashion. I have a thing for guys in cardigans – and while B isn’t a fan of wearing them, at least FW can!
A walk downtown and to the Flats.
And another walk – because it was finally fall weather!
Lots of snuggling.
Sunday I was pretty much on my own, which meant after I went for a run, FW and I took a walk around downtown and enjoyed some warmer temps. We did some meal prep for the week and ended the day with dinner at B’s family. And then finally B came home!
Some questions for you:
- Did you spend time outside this weekend? Saturday was cold but Sunday was warm again!
- When was the last time you flew anywhere?
I’m linking up with Erin, Katie and the weekly wraps.
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Let’s Taco ‘Bout the Weekend
I had SUCH a wonderful weekend. Seriously. It started with a day off and long walk with B, then chilling with my brother who SURPRISED me with a trip to Cleveland, spending time with my parents and then being showered with love during my taco-themed baby shower! I couldn’t have planned for a better weekend and am still feeling in the love bubble from all the greatness of the weekend! (Or maybe it’s from the tacos ….)
The weekend started with a walk around downtown and the Flats on a gorgeous day….
Then some coffee shop hopping with Greg.
Then dinner at Taza with my family.
And dessert at Cowell & Hubbard.
Obligatory family photo! ❤ 
Saturday morning B and I took another walk around downtown.
And then it was shower time! Time for a Mexican fiesta. Yes, that is a taco piñata that the amazing hostess, Cuoghi made.
Cuoghi and I.
Some of the amazing taco-themed food.
Me and my momma ❤
And my “aunt” Pam – family friend forever – I can’t believe she made the trip all the way to Cleveland from Connecticut!
Cari and me 🙂
Me and the “awesome aunts” 
And yes, we managed to save room after the shower to get dinner with my family. Superior Pho, again.
Sunday included some brunch at Phuel (and yes, of course I had my favorite yogurt and granola) and more hanging out with my family. I hate when they leave – and it’s crazy to think the next time I see them all B and I may be a family of 3!
Followed by a nice walk on a new area of the Towpath.
And a little work – not that bad when you can be outside enjoying your favorite local tea!
Dinner was on our own. Since we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and spent most of the day outside (and not cooking) – we had leftovers for dinner. A perfect end to a GREAT weekend with family and friends!
Some questions for you:
- What’s the best themed shower you’ve been to?
- Which cuisine do you prefer – Lebanese, Mexican or Vietnamese?
I’m linking up today with Erin, Katie and the weekly wraps.
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My parents in the CLE! (and that weekend I ate a lot of Italian food)
This past weekend, my parents came to town. It was very up in the air at first – if the weather looked iffy, they wouldn’t make the 8ish hour drive from NY – so I wasn’t expecting them to come. We’ve had a less-than-stellar winter in Cleveland – very cold and snowy – and I expected this weekend to be the same.
It was -5 when I woke up on Friday. Thus the day started with a treadmill run. Again.
Thankfully, even though the weekend did have a dose of cold and snow, my parents were still able to make it! They came in Friday night and left Sunday morning, so we really only had one full day with them … so we packed in as much wintry fun as we could!
Friday night, we had reservations for Cibreo. Sidenote – it’s Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week, so if you’re in Cleveland, be sure to check out the list of participating restaurants and get yourself to one this week!My mom and I both dined off the Cibeo restaurant week menu and it was great – we both had the arugula butternut squash salad, salmon and lentils, and split both desserts (zeppoli and a custard). B and my dad got off the regular menu. Everyone loved their meals – I love Cibreo and their great Italian food.
The salmon from the Cibreo restaurant week menu – my mom and I both got it and had leftovers so I have lunch for this week!
Friday was pretty frigid – like single digits plus wind. So after dinner, we relaxed in our apartment, showed off some photos from our Asia trip, and well, that was the extent of our Friday night.
Saturday started off with a 4 mile run and then some Insanity cardio abs. Ouch. I haven’t done any Insanity workouts since B and I did them right before our wedding, and this only 15 minute workout killed me. In a good way, of course.
After that, I met my parents and we walked to the West Side Market! The weather was warmer than Friday, but super snowy. Still, it felt SO good to be outside and walking! It had been so long since I’d been outside for an extended period of time and I was really getting stir crazy.
Selfie during the walk
After walking to the Market and picking up some groceries, we walked over to Hingetown to my favorite tea spot. Yes, this was the third time I’d been to Cleveland Tea Revival in one week and I’m not ashamed. Their ginger tea = amazing. My mom also loves their tea and even ordered some ginger turmeric to be shipped to New York.
Family at the tea shop
By then, we were all pretty hungry so we walked back to Ohio City and got some soup at Souper Market. Yet again, I got the mulligatawny so I’ll spare you another photo of that soup – it looks the same each week and now that I’ve given up meat for Lent it was the easiest soup to select. AND I have some leftovers for lunch next week!
After driving back downtown (B had met us at the market and gave us a ride – we had walked enough already), my parents and I checked out the North Coast Harbor Ice Festival. It was cool to see the sculptures – I have no idea HOW people make those!
My mom and I goofing around with the ice sculptures
Anchors away!
Then it was time to relax a bit – we had been walking a lot and we were all a little tired after going nonstop since the morning. We decided to watch a movie that was on TV, the Edge of Tomorrow with Tom Cruise. Have you seen it? I have NO IDEA what the ending was about. Seriously – if someone has seen it, please tell me what happened!
For dinner we decided to brave the snow and cold yet again and drive to Little Italy for Pizza at Mama Santa’s and dessert at Presti’s. I think my favorite comfort foods are Italian and soup, and I got both in one day. Pretty lucky!
Disclosure: I had mushroom pizza (no meat for Lent). But I ate the slices before I remembered to take a photo.
Cannoli=happiness. I ate the one on the right – every single bite.
Sunday I decided to take a rest day. That means no elliptical, no running. This was the first rest day I’ve taken since we got back from Asia (more than a month ago) and with training for the Cleveland half marathon starting this week, I convinced myself somehow that my body needed some time off. Instead of working out in the morning, I joined my parents for breakfast before they hit the road. After saying goodbye (never easy), B and I took a walk, which always seems to help me get my mind off things. We went back to the ice sculptures and spent an hour exploring the area and other parts of downtown. It was a nice feeling to yet again be outside, enjoying the weather even if I had a day off from working out. Oh yeah, and we had some sunshine!
SUNSHINE AND BLUE SKIES!
Sunday dinner was per usual with B’s family and we had even MORE ITALIAN comfort food – this time, lasagna and ice cream sundaes for dessert. Pretty much the cherry on top (yup, pun intended) to a wonderful weekend.
B’s mom’s lasagna. One had veggies in it and the other had meat.
How was your weekend?
Do you still eat ice cream in the winter?Yes! Year round please.
What’s your favorite comfort food? Soup or Italian food.
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Weekends with Family
I have some pretty great parents. I know – you probably think your parents are the best, but I assure you, mine are amazing. They’re good people and have a great, loving relationship – I truly look up to them and their marriage. Anyway, on our way to our recent fall foliage vacation (recaps to come), B and I had the chance to stop off and see my parents for a day. Was the timing waay too short? Yes. But was it still great? Of course! And we packed in some fun times as well in the less than 24 hours we had.
❤
We started off Saturday morning with a short 2 1/2 mileish walk around the neighborhood my parents live in. I had plans to run a half marathon the next day so I didn’t want to go for a run, but since my office was doing a pedometer / steps challenge, I knew I had to get in some steps somehow.
how gorgeous is this backdrop for apple picking?
Then, we headed out to apple picking at the place we used to go when I was younger in Upstate New York – Indian Ladder Farms! It was fun to show B around and try out their apple donuts. They were just as good as I remembered!
Me and B. Yes, it was 80 degrees in fall so tank top and shorts was necessary.
the best cider donuts!
After apple picking, we headed to downtown Saratoga Springs for dinner. I opted for a veggie panini (again, so good!) and then convinced everyone to go out for frozen yogurt. The best pre-race meal? I don’t think that much sugar is recommended, but it was delicious nonetheless.
I ate every darn bite of this amazing panini.
Pre-half marathon fuel?
Was it only a day? Yes. But it was still awesome – I wish we lived closer and could spend more days like this with my family!
Some questions for you:
- Do you like apple picking? What’s your favorite type of apple?
- Cider donuts – yay or nay? Cinnamon or plain? I’m not a big donut fan, but I can’t resist a good warm freshly made cider donut- with cinnamon sugar of course!
- When you get frozen yogurt, do you typically get more ice cream or candy? I’m all about the candy toppings!
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Loving The Weekends: Comedy, Running, Burgers, Pho and the Beatles
What a GREAT weekend! I would have to say that this may have been one of my most favorite weekends of the summer. The weather was perfect, the food was good, B and I had a nice long run AND my parents were in town. Can’t really think of a better way to spend the weekend, can you?
The weekend, in photos:
My parents came in Friday late afternoon and we were lucky enough to be able to enjoy dinner outside. The weather was great, so we picked up beer and burgers at Dynomite before heading to a comedy show.
Check out my dad’s shirt 🙂
My veggie burger. SO good. SO big. And yes, I ate it all (fries not pictured).
After the meal, we headed to Hilarities for a free comedy show. I had won tickets earlier in the week and we were able to see Alonzo Bodden. B and I had seen him at the Laugh Factory in LA and were looking forward to seeing him in Cleveland. Here’ s a clip from one of his shoes from this winter (not this weekend). He was great! My parents loved him!
Saturday morning started early with a 9 mile run with B. Honestly, I was NOT feeling it for the first 5 miles. Yes, 5 miles. But after a short water break at mile 5 I felt so much better and the last 4 were great! Who knows why – sometimes it takes me 2 … or 5 I suppose … miles for my legs to warm up.
I bought new shoes! I was super pumped to model them (pardon the cheesy pic).
Post-run, we met up with my parents and headed to Tremont to enjoy some lunch and then the West Side Market for some fresh produce. Of course we had to stop off for tea in the afternoon at our favorite place, Cleveland Tea Revival.
My mom and I both got some iced tea – ginger and peach. Yum!
Saturday night, we took my parents to Superior Pho. Since there were four of us, we got a feast! Not everything is pictured. We got a chicken cabbage salad, Bahn Mi, the spicy pho, egg rolls AND spring rolls.
I think my dad enjoyed his pho!
But of course we saved room for dessert. We took a post-dinner walk and got frozen yogurt at Lemonberry. Confession – you may not be able to see the froyo because I may have taken a little of every candy they had.
Saturday night after my parents left/went to bed, I decided to use up some of the blueberries we had and made these buttermilk blueberry scones again. Because Sunday mornings with blueberry scones for breakfast = amazing. You should probably make the recipe sometime – it’s very easy and really yummy!
Sunday after my parents got back on the road to NY (sadness!) B and I took a walk around downtown. It was a GORGEOUS morning! We stopped at my favorite fountain. I don’t know why but I LOVE this fountain – it’s a war memorial as well.
And then we walked to the harbor. It was SO pretty out! I’m glad we went for a walk – I get sad to see my parents go, and B knows this – I think that’s why he decided to take my mind off them leaving and instead get me a ginormous coffee (I will be drinking it for 3 days) and take me for a walk.
Sunday afternoon I got in an easy workout (I’m trying to be REALLY good and not run too many miles and days in a row and stay injury free this year!) while B golfed with his family.
After a little work, B and I spent the evening at Blossom! This is my second time this summer going and we this time we sat on the lawn, enjoyed some wine and cheese AND Beatles music. I LOVE the Beatles – they remind me of car trips with my family growing up (The Long And Winding Road has multiple meanings for me – I swear it always came on as we were driving through the long and winding roads of upstate NY) and hearing the Cleveland Orchestra play the songs was awesome. And it was another beautiful night, so we packed a picnic dinner of a great salad, wine and cheese. I had an AMAZING time and seriously almost cried of happiness. Yes, it was that good.
I can’t get enough of the amazing weather we’ve been having. Can’t summer just stay forever?
So this weekend was just what I needed after last week. And now I’m off to start a crazy week – this week entails some travel for work, some super early morning meetings and even an event for a board I’m on. Yes, I’ll be counting down until Labor Day!
Some questions for you:
- Do you have a favorite comic? Do you go to comedy shows?
- Did you get in a run this weekend?
- Just got new running shoes! What shoes are you running in these days? Loving my new sneakers!
- What’s your go-to Vietnamese food item? I can never decide between pho or bun!
- Did you do any baking this weekend?
- Favorite Beatles song?
I Crashed The Web 