Castle Noel, A Christmas Museum

December 4, 20134 Comments

It’s finally December, which can only mean one thing…Christmas is coming! If you didn’t know, Christmas happens to be my favorite holiday, so it was only fitting to start the month off on the right foot by visiting the new Christmas exhibit in town.

Over the past year, one of the shops and an old church downtown have been renovated into Castle Noel, a year round, indoor Christmas experience. It was on my list of things to visit this holiday season, so I gladly accepted the opportunity to go when Darren’s parents offered to take us. We got there around noon on Sunday and were greeted with a short line outside. In total I think we spent about 45 minutes in line, but to me it was worth it. Castle Noel has only been open since November 22nd, so long lines are to be expected, especially now that we’re in the holiday season.

Instead of going into detail about each exhibit, check out some of these pictures I took.

Walls of holiday characters

Hallway filled with “I Had That” toys from all generations

The original Elf costume worn by Will Ferrell

Old window displays from Saks Fifth Avenue

Cindy Lou Who’s bedroom set from The Grinch

The Grinch and Max the dog

The Grinch’s sleigh, one of three they used for the movie

The slide from A Christmas Story

The original elves from A Christmas Story pushed everyone down the slide

Overall I really enjoyed Castle Noel. From what I saw it was mostly geared toward an older audience until the last room which had the Grinch movie sets and Santa. However, there were a few rooms that smaller children would enjoy, including a separate Santa room that wasn’t set up yet.

Even though we had a 45 minute wait to get started, the line inside went smoothly, with tours starting every 15 minutes. Tickets, however were a little pricy at $16 each, but if you order online, you can save a dollar by using the code “Medinasquare”

I think Castle Noel is a great new attraction to add to the Cleveland area and will be a big hit during the holiday season. I definitely recommend checking it out and seeing all types of Christmas memorabilia from all generations. If anything, you’ve got to go to ask Santa for your official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle

November Rewind

December 2, 20132 Comments

November is over and it sure went by quick! This time of year I can barely keep track of the days because life gets so busy. November was all about getting settled in our new home, attempting to get back into some sort of workout plan and gearing up for the holidays. I’ll keep this one short and sweet, no need to bore you with the details of how much I slacked off.

Miles run: 10

Miles biked: 2

Books read: Once a Runner…

Recipes: Spaghetti Squash & Cream Cheese Squares

My lack of working out is almost embarrassing. I did more than October, but not by much. I’ve enjoyed running outside after work, but I’ve kept it relatively short. I’m also struggling to get to the gym after work, mostly because it isn’t until at least 7:30-7:45 until I start working out and by the time I get home it’s almost 9. My evenings are limited, so spending most of my night at the gym isn’t always ideal.

However, I was productive in the kitchen this past month. I finally made something with that spaghetti squash I’ve been thinking about for quite some time. And surprisingly, we loved it. I could see this becoming a staple in our kitchen, and it’s a bonus that it’s healthy. I also tried cream cheese squares, a recipe I got from a co worker and it was a huge hit at Thanksgiving. Slowly I’m becoming the queen of the kitchen…

So November wasn’t as fit as I had originally hoped, but it’s a start. If anything I finally made an attempt at some recipes and can expand our weekly menu. My goals for December definitely include getting back into shape and creating more masterpieces in the kitchen!

How was your November? What spaghetti squash recipes have you tried?

A New Hot Spot in Town

November 25, 2013Leave a comment

One of my favorite places on the West side has always been 87 West, the adorable wine bar inside Crocker Park. It was always the perfect place to catch up with friends or rewind after work. Since we moved to Medina, we’ve noticed that it was missing a wine bar, something I’m finding is hard to live without. That all changed when a new gastro pub & wine bar opened up this past week. Lager & Vine Gastropub & Wine Bar ventured out from the East side and has opened shop on the square in little ole’ Medina.

We decided to try it out last Thursday night and we were pleasantly surprised. The inside had a very cozy feel and already had a few holiday decorations up. We sat at the bar to get a good view of the football games, and were greeted by a number of people at the bar and from the kitchen. They had a pretty large drink menu and had everything from beer, cocktails and wine. The beer list was a decent size and included both beer on tap and from bottles. The bar tender mentioned they rotate beer regionally, but unfortunately didn’t have two of the most local beers on tap at the time, this meant no Great Lakes or Lagerheads. They had a better choice of wines than most restaurants, but for being a wine bar, they didn’t have as many as I had hoped.

We started off with an appetizer before our main meal, all of which had pretty quick service. We started with the lobster bisque, which came in a large bowl, definitely big enough for a lunch serving. I thought it was really good, Darren thought it was ok. I love almost all seafood chowders/bisques, so it’s pretty easy to make me happy.

Next we followed up our appetizer with dinner, which neither of us could decide on what we wanted for sure. I was in between the Chorizo Mac and Cheese and the Tomato Basil flat bread, but decided on the L&V Blanco flat bread. Darren chose the Asian Spice Ahi Tuna Tacos, but I think he was temped by the steak.

Mmmm

Overall the flat bread was really good, I ate almost most of it and wasn’t feeling too stuffed when I finished. Darren wasn’t the biggest fan of the tuna tacos, but that’s a hard meal to please everyone with.

Lager & Vine’s menu definitely has a great assortment of food that I know we’ll be back to try. The atmosphere is great, and I can tell this is a place where we’ll be spending a lot of time. I’m excited to see how the future of the restaurant grows and hope that Medina enjoys it as much as we did!

Have you ever tried Lager & Vine in Hudson?

Friday Faves

November 22, 2013March 18, 20141 Comment

I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon and get on board with sharing my Friday Faves. I won’t do this every week, but about once a month I’ll share what I’m currently digging, and hope that maybe you’ll eventually like it too. They’re not all running related, and the amount may vary. They’re my current favorites, so that’s ok!

Buckeye Woods – My absolute favorite place to run in Medina is Buckeye Woods. This park has it all, and has spectacular views no matter what time of day or year you go. With asphalt, crushed limestone and dirt paths, they have enough trails to keep you entertained for miles. Buckeye Woods also connects to the Chippewa Inlet, which takes you directly to Chippewa Lake, the former home of the Chippewa Lake Amusement Park. I could go on and on about how much I love this place, but instead I’ll share a few pictures I’ve taken.

Entrance to the woods

Absolute peace

Chippewa Inlet

Quaker Steak & Lube’s Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese – Like most people, I’ve only known Quaker Steak for their wings. In high school, we’d go there at least once a week after practice and stuff our face with as many wings as we could. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I discovered their menu had more, specifically Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese. Being a big consumer in both pasta and cheese, I accepted the challenge of making sure this was to my expectations. It was, and now I’m on the search for a copy cat recipe. So the next time you’re there, give it a try, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

“Crunchy chicken tenders coated with Arizona Ranch^® over creamy Radiatore pasta tossed in Guinness Beer cheese sauce! Topped with Provolone, Bleu cheese crumbles, fresh celery and tomato! Served with grilled garlic bread” – Quaker Steak & Lube Menu Description (yum!)

Oiselle Long Sleeves – Now that the cold weather is officially here, my running clothes have transitioned from tank tops to long sleeves. Although it’s not quite cold enough to bundle in 10 layers yet, I’ve found two shirts that are perfect for 50 degree weather and 30 degree weather. Both by Oiselle, these two tops are going to be a staple in my winter wardrobe, and possibly grow in the amount of colors I’ll own by spring.

Lux Layer – I have this in grey and cannot believe how comfortable it is. The texture is like non other and naturally includes thumb holes. Windy, chilly day? This is the shirt for you and will keep you toasty and warm.
Flyte LS – I got this in coral (the color that works for about 99% of people) and love it. It’s definitely a shirt to wear with layers or days above 40, but the wicking material helps to prevent freezing in your own sweat. My favorite part is the word “fly” on the back, perfect motivation for those chilly runs.

The BlackList – We added this to the list of shows to check out this year, and it instantly became a favorite. James Spader is perfect in this role and Megan Boone is quickly becoming a favorite. It you haven’t seen this show, I definitely recommend it.

So that’s what I’m digging this month, and clearly it’s a little bit of everything. Hope you give one of these a shot, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

What are you currently digging? Are any of these on your favorites list?

Pinteresting: An attempt to be Creative

November 15, 2013Leave a comment

Once in a while, I take time from running and working to focus on a more creative side of myself. I have a continuous on and off again relationship with scrap booking, which I’m hoping will be back on again this winter. But over the past couple months, my friend Marissa and I have fallen into the black hole of attempting Pinterest crafts. Some have been easy and some have been hard, but we’ve tried to keep them as simple as possible. So I’d like to share a few that we’ve done and give you my advice if you try any of these. With the new house, I’m trying to find more and more ways to make it feel like home, so this very well could be a reoccurring post.

1. Painted vases

Inspiration:

Desperate Craftwives: Acrylic Painted Vases

Source

Results:

My attempt

My Thoughts: We thought this would be a lot easier than it looked. It turned into a long drawn out project due to waiting on paint to dry. All in all, I was happy with how they turned out and hope to make a few other sets someday.

What you’ll need:

Vases
Acrylic Paint
Paint Brushes

We painted the inside of the vases with at least 3-4 coats of paint and had to wait a long time in between each coat. If you rushed too quickly, the paint could still be wet and come off. Also, the more intricate the vase, the more difficult it will be to cover the glass entirely.

My advice, use simple vases and spread this project out over a couple of days to make sure that the paint is completely dry.

2. Painted Canvas

Inspiration:

Source

Results:

My attempt

My Thoughts: This is probably my favorite project so far. I used multiple colors to give it more depth and I was surprised with how well it turned out.

What you’ll need:

Canvas
Blue painters tape
Paint brushes
Acrylic Paint

I marked off spaces at random and tried not to put the same colors next to each other. For the most part, it turned out pretty good. We originally used masking tape to mark off our spaces, which can lead to some bleeding in the paint, but I definitely recommend using painters tape instead. This was perfect in our dining room at the apartment and really brought out the colors of the furniture. It’s a little too small for our new living room, but I can’t imagine getting rid of it.

3. Home made wreath

Inspiration:

Source

Results:

My attempt

My Thoughts: I wasn’t sure where to begin with this one, but once I got started, it was really easy. The hardest part was picking out yarn colors and accessories for the wreath.

What you’ll need:

Styrofoam wreath
Yarn
Hot glue gun & extra glue
Seasonal accessories

Tie one end of the yarn around the wreath and wrap until you get all the way around. Then tie the other end and hide it on the back side of the wreath. Glue any accessories you want to add and make sure they line up for when you hang the wreath.

I really enjoyed working on this and plan to do a few more for other seasons and holidays.

So there you have it, some crafts I’ve been attempting all thanks to Pinterest. And now if you ever want to make these you’ll know what to look out for and tips on making it right!

Have you ever done a Pinterest project? Ever tried any of these? What projects would you suggest?

October Rewind

November 1, 20131 Comment

October wasn’t your typical month, and so the review should reflect that. I only ran once in the month of October, and while I completely enjoyed chasing daylight along my favorite path, I knew it was best for me to take some time off. Recovering from ongoing planter fascistic and just plain feeling burnt out, distance (away) makes the heart grow fonder of running and I’m ready to jump back in.

These runs are my favorite

October was a crazy month of stress, overworking and an emotional pull in every direction. If you missed my last post, then I’ll catch you up. We bought a house! A quicker than expected decision, followed by our closing date being changed three times, and honestly, I’m so glad that it’s finally over. But really I couldn’t be more excited. I’m absolutely in love with our house, our huge deck and the fenced in yard that will *hopefully* one day contain a dog.

Home is where the heart is

You could say I’m borderline obsessed with our newest purchase, but I’m just thrilled that I don’t have to pack up and change apartments every year. We love Medina, and are looking forward to our next chapter of life, out in the country.

So there’s October, a month off running, but a month of preparing ourselves for the next stage in life. I’m looking forward to November, and getting back into running. But even more so, I’m excited that the Christmas countdown is on!

How was your October? Any goals for November? Starting the countdown to Christmas?

Home Sweet Home

October 28, 20135 Comments

After two months of stress, worry and probably every emotion I can think of, I’m excited to finally relax for a bit and truly call Medina my home. Because…

Home sweet home!

We bought a house! Now, time to unpack…

Happy Monday!

A Blogging Break

October 21, 20134 Comments

Hi guys! It’s been quite a while since I last posted, but I’m still here. October quickly became a break in blogging, running, all forms of exercise and honestly, I don’t feel guilty. It’s been quite the stressful month between life and work, but things are starting to slow down quite a bit. So, let’s catch up.

Work has been crazy busy. Mid-August to November is our busiest season. Everything has been non stop, I’m really starting to think we need a fall break for a day or two in October.
Running has been non existent. I’m still getting pain in my foot once in a while, depending on what shoes I wear or how often I’m on my feet for that day. I’ve decided to take the month of October off and start back up in November.
Yoga, well, it hasn’t been going well. I haven’t been to class since June, but I plan on changing that come November. I’m in need of some deep OM.
Big news is coming Monday. The past two months of stress have been leading up to something very exciting and I can’t wait to share!

November is right around the corner and I’m really looking forward to it. I have high hopes of getting back on track with running and building up my base miles for next year’s races. Since my spring race isn’t until the end of May, I have plenty of time to build my running back up and try new things. 2013 hasn’t been the best year, which means I’m definitely looking forward to my running in 2014.

So that’s my life in a nutshell right now. I’m looking forward to things slowing down so I can take some time out to relax.

Do you ever take a break from blogging? A break from running? Any suggestions on new fitness plans I can try during base building?

September Rewind

October 2, 20132 Comments

Hello October! We’re in full force autumn and I couldn’t be happier! Fall is probably my favorite season, I love seeing the leaves change colors, the weather cools off for sweaters and every day smells like cross country. We had a really busy September and October doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down any time soon. Let’s take a look back at the past month.

Miles run: 19

Races run: 0

Miles biked: 0

Books read: Still reading Once A Runner…

Places traveled: Toronto, Canada

September was a pivotal month for running. As you may know, I was supposed to run the Akron Marathon. But after an injury that took me out for a few weeks, I just couldn’t get back my endurance or a feeling that I’d be 100 percent pain free on race day, so I dropped. The final decision came after I spent a few days in Canada working a trade show. After three straight days on my feet, my arch was begging me not to run. I couldn’t avoid the work trip, so I had no other choice but to play it safe.

I didn’t let it get me down too much, because I had a lot going on last month, including planning and putting on a surprise birthday party for my dad. My dad turned 60 this year, and what better way to celebrate than throwing a party. Everything worked out well and I could tell that he was definitely surprised. It took a lot of work and planning, but it was completely worth it.

We’ve had a few other things going on, but more about that will come up later in October. Right now I’m still figuring out what I’m going to do with my running for the rest of the year. Hopefully I’ll be back out there to run some races soon!

How was your September? Are you excited for fall?

Happy 60th Birthday Daddy!

September 18, 2013September 18, 20134 Comments

Today happens to be my dad’s 60th birthday! It’s hard to believe because for the most part he still acts like he’s 25 45. This is such a milestone birthday, I had to include a special post. Also, I’m currently in Canada, so I can’t actually wish him a happy birthday today, hopefully this will do.

I don’t know about you guys, but I have the best dad ever, which is why on Saturday, we threw him a surprise party. My dad has done so much for me, and has always been there to teach me right from wrong, I couldn’t let this birthday go by without making it special.

For the past few months I had been planning and organizing the perfect part. I needed a great location and his good friends and family to meet up all on the same day. Luckily, this past Saturday worked for almost everyone and the perfect restaurant was located in downtown Medina. I cleverly asked my parents to come to town this weekend to go out for lunch since I would be traveling on my dad’s actual birthday. I may have even bribed him to visit just to see the new kitten.

Handmade Invite

My dad has a few scooters that he rides so I knew it was the perfect theme, plus the tag line “Scootin’ into 60!” was amazing. I also had balloons printed at work with the matching image.

I had guests arrive at the restaurant around 1:00 to give us about a half hour until we arrived. My parents met at our place and then we made our way down town. I was so nervous that he would figure out what I was planning, but the look on his face when he opened the door told it all. He was so surprised and got to visit with friends and family from all stages of line. I’d say it was the perfect surprise!