Chasing Summer.

Friday afternoon I got home from work to do a little more work and was feeling exhausted and unmotivated. O was napping at the sitter's house, JJ was a work. I got a few things done then imagined our typical evening of cooking dinner and winding down and I just was not interested. Instead I devised a plan in five minutes, packed some clothes and sent a warning message to JJ that I was on my way.

With both boys in the car I turned on the music and we drove off to enjoy some last moments of summer. We found a waterfront restaurant in Fairport Harbor and enjoyed a lakeside meal in the warm sun. Admittedly JJ was wary of my plan but things worked out beautifully.

After dinner we went to the beach to throw rocks and splash in the water. There were lots of other people there hanging out and waiting for the sunset. We played on the playground and just enjoyed some spontaneous fun. It was a good kickoff to the weekend and it's so nice to just have some time with just the three of us.

I hope your weekend was great. Here's to a happy Monday!

Three Things in the Summer.

The long, hot days of summer are finally here and we have been busy creating memories with O. Summer is his season and we are taking full advantage and openly throwing our schedule out the window some days. You just have to roll with it. There have been so many great moments so far and I wanted to share some summer happiness.

Some of our best friends have returned to Cleveland after years in Chicago. This moment, watching the children spray each other with the house and run around in this golden sun was perfect.

Wednesday nights at Wade Oval dancing and playing with friends. We rode The Euclid Beach Thriller Car (and The Rocket Car too) with the wind in our hair and our arms reaching up.

Some nights we trade in our normal bedtime routine for an evening trip to the playground. This guy was brave and hilarious. He tried new big slides and played on the swings like a sack of potatoes. Summer is our season. Happy Wednesday!

Popsicle, Popsicle.

 

It's summertime out there whether the temperatures agree or not. And summertime means frozen treats! A few of my mama friends told me about their popsicle molds and making their own. It's something that I've wanted to do for a long time so last week at the grocery I tossed them into my cart and didn't look back.

My first attempt was not super sweet (says the husband) but they were still tasty. O didn't seem to mind one bit as he sang a popsicle song in the backyard while he enjoyed his. It was certainly not difficult but he was very impressed so I'll take the compliment. 

Frozen Berry Yogurt Pops

This made exactly six pops.

1 cup frozen mixed berries

1-1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt

Juice of half a lemon

Agave nectar

Blend it all up in your blender. I tasted mine at this point to see how they were. Then pour into molds and freeze for at least 4 hours. I would have loved to make them with Oliver but I knew that the waiting would be the hardest part...for both of us...so I did it during nap time. They are a pretty healthy and easy summer treat. Next time, mango! JJ also suggested trying out an adult version, maybe a mojito pop. Sounds good to me. What do you think?

Parade The Circle.

Happy Monday! We had an action packed adventure filled weekend so I'm starting the week off with a Parade the Circle photo dump. We hopped on our bikes and rode down to the parade Saturday morning to meet up with friends and have a picnic. Riding bikes is the best way to get down to University Circle when there is going to be a crowd, there was a complimentary bike valet that made it so easy to get in and out of there quickly! 

The parade was kicked off by this veteran followed closely by the Parade the Circle balloon arches that mark the sections off. The boys oohed and ahhed at this giant blue man and the creatures that followed behind.

These giant Playskool toys were so awesome! Do you recognize them? I loved the chattering teeth too.

The sailors with the pop-up Jaws and Giant Squid were SO awesome and definitely my favorite! They pulled a huge lighthouse too and every so often closed up the boards to reveal these giant creatures of the sea.

This parade is a Cleveland classic and I love to see how creative and colorful these volunteers can be. The music is a lot of fun and the boys loved the dancers and drums. I love the people watching too! The Botanical Garden's Glasshouse makes for a perfect backdrop for photos. 

The Dads championed the big hill home with trailers and the boys quickly (and uncomfortably) fell asleep on the ride home. It was a great day! Happy Monday!

The End of Colorado

I know that I've had a lot to say about our trip. We've been back for ten days and we are still reeling, even through the move. The end of our story beings with our drive through Independence Pass and our day in Denver. It was a long journey and the views were amazing. We stood in snow, ate amazing food, and dove into a rooftop pool (ok the boys did that not me). Here's how it looked.

Yes, that is the windshield and I apologize but it was such a nerve-wracking drive and we didn't stop all that much.  That sign is basically suggesting a full on U-Turn in the snow, on a mountain, with no guard rail. No biggie. 

We hopped out at the Continental Divide for our official photo while the babe slept in the back.

One of the most important things that happened that day was this amazing cup of coffee from Happy Coffee once we got to Denver. I was tired and ready to get out. What a great neighborhood recommendation from a friend (you Jennifer). We loved every store and picked up a few things to take home

The rooftop pool was amazing and O loved looking down on the city. We ate at Steuben's and walked the city blocks. It was the perfect get away.

And once we got home, we were all happy to be there for a couple of more days. Happy Friday, friends!

Bye, Bye Balloon

Let this be the first of many posts about our amazing trip to Colorado. We had such a great trip sightseeing, visiting with friends, and enjoying the fresh mountain air. The wedding weekend luckily coincided with the Snowmass Balloon Festival. And our first morning unfortunately started well before dawn so we were up and ready to go and see these color balloons against the most amazing backdrop. The skies were bright blue and the mountains were glorious. It was a bit chilly but the sun was warm. We grabbed a cup of coffee at the festival, a croissant for the babe and we were ready to enjoy. As each balloon took off Oliver waved and said "bye, bye balloon." It was just so cute. There is no other way to proceed than to just do a photo dump for you to enjoy. I hope that you do!

We are happy to be home and lucky to have had such a great trip as a family and also to spend it with so many good friends too!

Tomato Jammin'

Last Saturday I picked all of these tomatoes at once! It was pertinent that I do something with them. They were on their last legs and needed to be used stat. I'd been thinking of tomato jam since I read an article about it way back when. Then I saw someone on TV making it and it seemed like a sign. I found a few different recipes, here and here. I would like to note that the cooking time is really long so make sure that you have time on your hands for this one! I based mine on those combined with what was in our cabinet and it turned out so delicious! We've used it on an egg sandwich and on grilled cheese. I'm a huge fan and hope that you love it too! I

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On the Grill: Vegetable Feast

We feasted on vegetables from the farmer's market over the long holiday weekend. Corn is a household favorite these days so we have to grill two ears for the boy. He ate both! We also picked up some semi-hot peppers, which were actually fully hot just to be clear. Tossed them on the grill with a little olive oil until they charred up, smashed them with a fork and spread on a nice grilled baguette. It was so simple but so tasty. I think it would make a great dip if you mixed it with the right cheese.

Oliver's place setting makes me happy. Glistening peppers ready for the grill. Yow, they were spicy! And a nice country wheat baguette to round out all those veggies. What are your favorite things to grill?