Feels Like Fall Up Here

September 24, 2018September 24, 2018 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

It finally has started feeling like fall here! Which makes sense, because Saturday was the first official day of fall and it was only in the 50s all day.

Do I prefer summer? Yuppppp! But it was still a good few days.

Some of the fun included:

Finally getting to see the Infinite Mirrors exhibit by Kusama at the art museum.

If you ever have a chance to so this, i HIGHLY recommend it. It was amazing.

After the exhibit, we decided to get some wine and cheese, which was the perfect way to end the night.

The weekend also included some homemade pizza. FW helpes with the dough.

Saturday was pretty fun, too. We started off the day with a trip to one of the coolest playgrounds nearby and met up with Celia and Maura and Maddie.

FW had a blast with Celia.

And I’m sure LM had fun with Maura, too.

The day also included some basil picking and pesto making.

And even a short walk.

And B and I made dinner together, which hasn’t happened in FOREVER.

Penne with bacon, leeks and mushrooms.

The night ended pretty boring- catching up on work with football and ice cream as aids (I had a Sunday a.m. deadline and a call that started at 11pm).

Sunday morning fun included a family run!

We brought our nephew and niece along for the ride, too.

The day also included a walk and ANOTHER playground visit!

And some monkeying around with the cousins.

I have another busy week at work coming up, so I also tried to get in all the snuggles I could.

We finished off the weekend with dinner at B’s parents’ house. And make-your-ow sundaes!

And now I’m ready to take on a crazy week! Some questions for you:

What’s your favorite sundae topping? I’m team caramel ober chocolate syrup any day!
Did it feel like fall near you?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps

Weekend Recap: Cleveland Marathon Weekend!

May 20, 2018May 20, 2018 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 8 Comments

Well, Cleveland Marathon weekend has come and gone. It’s always such a great weekend and I love all the events that I get to take part in – thanks to being an ambassador – that I’m a little sad it’s over.

I’ll start by saying that I was having mixed feelings about this year’s events. Why? Being 39 weeks pregnant (due date=THURSDAY), I was unsure of my ability to run/walk. Sure, when I signed on in the fall, in my head I thought, “If anything I can at least walk 6 miles – that’s nothing.” But as I got further and further along, I realize that walking a 10K with extra weight, a baby in my belly pushing on my bladder, and little sleep (yay third trimester), may not be what I wanted to do at this point in my pregnancy.

BUT I’m so glad that I did. I really do love running and even when it’s not so comfortable (a.k.a. NOW), it’s great to be part of a fun race with fun crowds and a great location – CLEVELAND!).

In any case, my weekend started early with fun marathon events.

First, the Expo! Cari and I headed to the Expo and had to take our annual race weekend photo. A little different than last year’s photo, huh?

This year …

Last year!

Then, it was time for the pre-race reception/dinner. As a race ambassador I get to get dressed up and mingle with all the VIPs (sponsors and elite runners!) in town the night before the race. The event always has good food, live music, a great location – it’s at the beautiful Galleria – AND I get to see my fellow ambassadors!

Saturday morning started early (but not as early as Sunday …) with our alarm going off to get ready for the Cleveland Marathon 5k. This is my third year participating in the race’s Challenge Series, which involves running an event on Saturday (either a 5k or 8k) and then an event on Sunday (either a 10k or full/half marathon).

The race was fun and not as painful as last weekend’s 5k for some reason. Oh, and B wore FW in a backpack and RAN ALONG SIDE OF ME. I still can’t believe he did that.

HE RAN LIKE THIS

After the race, we hung around for a little and checked out some of the event they had going on. The real event is Sunday, but they had some tents and things set up. Including a place that had THESE things – FW ran over to it and immediately started playing. Let’s just say I know what he may need for his birthday!

Then, picked up some bagels from our favorite local bagel shop. They had piping hot apple cinnamon bagels right from the oven, which was a perfect post-race meal.

Then, we hit up La-Z Boy. We had ordered a chair for our nursery back in March, but for some reason it was delayed and we didn’t find out until this past week. So, we had to go back in the store and pick out a new one so it would arrive in time – hopefully it’s delivered this week before Baby #2 arrives!

no chair photo, but here’s FW inspecting his bagel

We played it low key in the afternoon. It involved a walk outside (FW loved splashing in all the puddles), and B made us pasta for dinner (my request – a perfect pre-10k meal!).

Sunday morning started even earlier – my alarm got me up around 5 so that we could have enough time to get ready, get FW up, eat something and head downtown before the 6:30 road closures.

Despite the weather forecast looking picture perfect, it rained steadily as we drove downtown, as we walked to the start and as we started the race. Despite being wet, I was happy that it stayed in mild temps and I didn’t overheat (which happens a lot faster at this point in my pregnancy).

I’ll be sharing a full race recap, but all in all the 10k went well. Was it a lot harder on me than the 5k? Yes. Was I sore before and during and after the race? Yes. But did I feel super proud for having completed a 10k at 39+ weeks pregnant? You bet. And FW and B kept me company throughout the entire route, which made it even better.

After the race, we got some hot coffees. Mine was delicious (or I should say is delicious – I still have some leftover :)) – it had honey and cinnamon in it!

Then, we met up with Dave and Anson for or usual Happy Dog lunch. I got a veggie dog with veggie chili and an egg on top – it was really good!

And since we were in the neighborhood, we picked up a few groceries as well.

Admittedly, I pretty much crashed after that excursion. I’m not typically a big napper, but when FW took his afternoon nap, I took a short one as well. My body was TIRED from the 10k – I felt like I had run much more!

That night, we finished up the day with dinner at B’s parents house. As always, a good end to a quick weekend. And FW always has a good time playing with his cousins, aunts and uncles.

Some questions for you:

Ever run a longish race in the rain? How did you stay dry or warm?
Do you like naps?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps.

Day Off, A Shower, A First Communion, A Party and SPRING

April 22, 2018April 22, 2018 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

This was definitely one of those weekends that felt like 3 weekends in one. We did quite a bit of fun things, that it felt like we packed a few different weekends in – which was fine with me! I’m trying to get as much in before baby #2 shows up in a month or so!

Friday ended up being a partially work-from-home day and partially watch-my-toddler-whose-daycare-is-closed-but-I-forgot day. Whoops. It’s okay – I was able to get a super early start on the day (hellllllllo third trimester not being able to sleep late but also being so tired all the time) and start working at the crack of down so that I was able to also spend some time in the afternoon with FW.

Thankfully, the day included some homemade bagels. This breakfast sandwich is from Cleveland Vegan and it’s pretty amazing – who knew I’d love vegan eggs and bacon?

We are members of the history museum, so around 4 p.m., we headed over there to check out their new dinosaur exhibit before they closed. LOVE being a member – we were able to get there 1 hr before they closed and explore for as little time as we want!

One of FW’s favorite part of the museum? Staring outside at the waterfall!

He’s also a big fan of the stegosaurus out front. a

And since were only a few blocks away, we hit up Little Italy for dinner! Mama Santa’s pizza, salad and mozzarella sticks FTW. FW even had a few bites of the pizza and mozzarella sticks.

Saturday morning, we spent some time outside. It was sunny and in the 40s, which felt so good compared to the weather we have been having. Dare I say it felt springlike?

That afternoon, it was time for my sister-in-law’s wedding shower. I can’t believe Mary is getting married this summer!

It was Parisian themed and my amazingly talented mother-in-law made tons of delicious desserts, including cream puffs and macarons.

Aren’t they adorable?

That afternoon, we spent some more time outside. FW got chalk in his Easter basket, so we finally pulled it out and got to work on the driveway while B did some yard work.

B also made dinner – taking advantage of the springlike weather, he decided to grill. It was the perfect meal for the weather!

Sunday morning started with FW’s cousin’s First Communion! It was a gorgeous day for the Mass.

AND the celebration that followed – my sister-in-law had an amazing spread, and we spent the afternoon with family enjoying the nice weather and what finally felt like spring.

The party lasted all afternoon, and then it was time for FW to get in a late nap while we strolled him somewhat outside. We did some more chalk playing (anything to stay outside!) while B did yard work. Hooray for spring! I hope it stays this way.

Some questions for you:

Did it finally turn to spring for you?
Did you get in some good outdoor time this weekend?

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!

Still Feeling Thankful

November 27, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

I had SUCH A GOOD Thanksgiving. Do you ever just feel full of love, family and thankfulness that it warms you up? That’s how I’ve been feeling lately and felt especially this past week, as I got to spend Thanksgiving with my family for the first time in a few years. It was so great to see my aunts and uncles and cousins, and also to bring FW along – he hadn’t seen my family in nearly a year!

I’m not gonna lie – an 8+ hour car trip (well, one that’s supposed to be 8.5 hours … but turns into 10+) with a toddler isn’t easy. Or fun. But it was definitely worth it! Here are some highlights from the holiday weekend:

We started off the trip with a quick stop for breakfast. Bagels for the car ride! Even FW enjoyed an apple cinnamon bagel to-go.

Thursday morning started off with a Turkey Trot. We ran the Stratford (CT) Turkey Trot this year, which was a 5k. We did it with FW so we started out in the back behind the other strollers (and behind the walkers … ugh!), but still had a good time.

We hit up quite a few playgrounds. There were a few in Connecticut and some in New York for FW to try.

He was pretty happy on the two-person swing 🙂

We of course enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with our family!

And got in the rare family photo. This picture was actually snapped approximately 20 seconds before FW vomited all over. No, he didn’t even eat any of the Thanksgiving food! So who knows what it was .. too much excitement?

FW loved hanging out with Grandpa.

And Nonna!

FW also loved hanging out with my cousin, Max. Max and him had some quality time at another playground.

When back in Albany, FW got to play some piano, too. Even with my mom 🙂

I love the holiday season, and am super pumped that it is finally here. Less than one month until Christmas and I can see my family again!

Questions for you:

Did you travel this Thanksgiving?
Did you do a turkey trot?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps!

Rainy Fall Weekends

October 29, 2017October 29, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

Happy Sunday! It was a rainy, cool fall weekend here in Cleveland but we still had some fun and were even productive. Fun and productive weekends are the best kind!

Friday night started with a game watch for out alma mater. We watched BC take on FSU AT Masthead.

Masthead has great food and beer. I tried their vegan pizza and it was so delicious! Sorry for the blurry pic- but you can see it had tofu and peppers and onions.

Saturday was a super productive day where we basically did nothing. Catch my drift? It was one of those days where it was suddenly 4 p.m. and I didn’t know what I had done with my day. We went to the hardware store, and then to the lighting store. We actually outfitted our house with lights and fans and I can’t wait until they come! We ended up buying NINE things – 5 ceiling fans, a bathroom light, a chandelier and 2 lights for our living room.

We celebrated our lighting purchase with some East Coast Custard.

We then did a trip to Target AND Whole Foods to pick up some stuff for the week.

And then it was almost dinnertime! B made us coq au vin, which was SO good and perfect for a cold, rainy day.

Sunday, FW slept in! So we started the day a little lazily with some books and pjs.

The day also included a rainy day walk with B and FW.

And then, we went to Ladies Craft Beer Society! We made different dyed fabrics – I had to leave before they were done but I can’t wait to see how they turn out!

After family dinner, we started to finally figure out our Halloween decor. We have 3 pumpkins and some spooky lights that we need to put up tomorrow!

Some questions for you:

Was it a dreary, wet weekend near you too?
What’s a good comfort meal we should make this week?

I’m linking up with the weekly wraps!

Date Night, Days with FW and Baby Brunches

October 1, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

For having a weekend with little on the schedule, it seemed pretty jam packed again. I don’t know how that happens? As much as I love getting out and doing stuff, I am longing for a weekend where I can lay on the couch, eat popcorn and catch up on Netflix and reading …

Anyway, here’s some of the fun stuff we did this weekend. We started out with a date night for B and me. It was a belated birthday dinner! We went to Nuevo, a local Mexican restaurant and had some great food. We shared some guacamole, fried plantains, tacos al pastor AND carne asada.

After, we ended up picking up Katie, B’s sister, who was babysitting FW, some pizza in Little Italy. So of course while w were there, we stopped off at Presti’s for dessert!

Saturday, B had plans to paint, so my job was to occupy FW most of the day. So, here’s what we did.

We tok a long walk in the morning.

We even walked to the nearby lakes. I think FW enjoyed it – he didn’t sleep!

We also played and read a lot in his room. I’m getting sick so there was some playing with tissues (clean ones, of course!).

We also checked out the local library. We’d never been there and I think FW liked it a lot! He played with some of the toys and loved the fish tank.

Saturday night included some takeout pizza (with eggplant on mine, yum!) and a little relaxing, which was definitely called for.

Sunday morning started with a brunch/baby shower for Anson! She is due in about two weeks with baby #2, so Lulu and I organized a get together at Le Petit Triangle. I had some great French toast with lemon curd and berries. Their French toast is on challah and so good!

After that, we went to the West Side Market to get in some grocery shopping. It had been forever since we shopped there and it was so nice to be back!