Tag Archives: adventure

Nov28

Weekend Adventure OOTD

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Weekend Adventure OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Saturday I went on a fun little outing with my dad and Johnny to a lunch and vendor fair event. It was such a nice afternoon with my two favorite fellas! I knew both my boyz were going to keep it casual in their fashion which was fine by me because it was a go there, go home kind of day. A day that called for the softest sweater in the whole world with elbow patches to feel oh so perfectly fall! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Sweater: Blu Pepper, Dry Goods

Boyfriend Jeans: Banjara, TJMaxx

Snakeskin Boots: These were purchased forever ago from Target!

Necklace: This was purchased from a vendor fair by artist John Deveer.

Earrings: These were purchased forever ago from PacSun!

This was actually not the outfit I originally had in mind. However, when I was shopping in the pants department my eyes landed on my Banjara boyfriend jeans and I decided to pivot. I absolutely love these bedazzled beauties and it reminded me of something that Miranda or Taylor would wear from my guilty pleasure, Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives. I had just binged it so it was weighing heavy on the brain! These jeans are just so totally cool and they are exactly what I like – an exciting take on classic staples. Give me distressing and huge rhinestones and I am sold!

As these jeans give such a comfy, chill vibe I decided to pair it with a cozy sweater to match. I went with a lovely little number by Blu Pepper and also had a brain blast. I recently bought a dress of the same brand, knew I had something from Blu Pepper in my wardrobe, and couldn’t remember it for the life of me. Then, there it was in my hands! This dusty pink hued sweater was a lovely compliment to the charcoal grey jeans and I am all about those extra details. I am a sucker for elbow patches for a nod to collegiate chic and the up the side buttons. My sweater was also slightly oversized which was just right for pairing with the slouchy boyfriend jeans.

Next up was shoes and accessories. I definitely needed the extra height as the Banjara jeans are REALLY long on me and selected a pair of heeled grey snakeskin pattern boots from Target. The muted tones fit the color palette I had established to the T and snakeskin is my all time favorite pattern! For accessories, I chose a beautiful hand carved necklace from a vendor fair I attended in Atlanta. I love its simplicity and it can literally pair with anything for jewelry without going overboard. Last but not least was a pair of vintage brooch inspired earrings that offered flowers in the same dusty pink shade of the sweater. With that, I was ready to go on an adventure!

I may have had Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives on the mind but this look was one hundred percent Lil Red!

What is your favorite guilty pleasure show? What are your weekend plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep5

Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival

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Columbus Zoo Lantern Festival

Hello! A few weekends ago I went to the Columbus Zoo with my big bro and Johnny as an end of summer hurrah. We had the best time exploring the gorgeous park and made so many fantastic memories together. Not only did we see beaucoup animals but we were also treated to walking through the Lantern Festival. Every year, the Cleveland and Columbus Zoo creates a glorious display of different animals, mythical creatures, and flowers that all light up at night. While the Columbus Zoo beats out Akron and Cleveland as the best zoo by a long shot, I actually thought the Cleveland Zoo Lantern Fest was better. Check out some pics as well as an adorable shot of a Red Panda for good measure and let’s discuss:

The Columbus Zoo is a vast property and we easily walked over six miles during our visit. Due to its size, the exhibits at this zoo are absolutely gigantic and that is a great thing! However, it leaves little room for features like landscaping, pavilions to rest or have some lunch, and the Lantern Festival displays. In comparison, the Cleveland Zoo has many areas where exhibits aren’t possible and landscaping is the focal point. At the Cleveland Zoo, sprawling displays for the Lantern Fest were achieved simply because they could. Different displays seemed to stretch endlessly and it was marvelous to explore.

This is not to say that the Columbus Zoo Lantern Fest wasn’t good but it definitely didn’t live up to my expectations because it’s such a staple day trip in Ohio. Sans the stunning sea dragon that was the entire length of one of the ponds, all of the other displays were scattered and small as opposed to a full walk through experience. Of course, they made excellent use of the space they did have but it didn’t invoke the larger than life vibes of the displays at the Cleveland Zoo. It made me really thankful that I got to experience the wonders of the Cleveland Zoo Lantern Fest because it was like stepping into another world rather than an afterthought.

While the Columbus Zoo is the best one I have ever been to, it made me proud that little old Cleveland bested them at the Lantern Fest. Attending the nighttime walk through with my entire family, nieces and nephew included, is one of my favorite memories. It was like entering a fairy tale with the twinkling lights, displays that moved, and wonderful performances of music and acrobats. Hell yeah, Cleveland, because you did real good! 😀

Although the Lantern Fest at the Columbus Zoo wasn’t anything to write home about, it was still a fabulous day and one of my favorite summer outings!

Does your zoo host a lantern festival? What is your favorite zoo? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug30

Columbus Zoo Highlights

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Columbus Zoo Highlights

Howdy! I so enjoyed my trip to the Columbus Zoo with Johnny and my brother and it really was an adventure. The Columbus Zoo is freaking gigantic and we were exhausted by the time it was time to head home. Even more so because we may or may not have forgotten where we parked the car and wandered around the parking lot for a solid twenty minutes. But that’s neither here nor there lol. Everything at this zoo was beautiful and you could easily spend an entire day there and then some. While there was a new sight to see everywhere you looked, I had two major highlights of our outing: The aquarium and feeding the lorikeets! Check it out:

We have an aquarium in Cleveland and it actively sucks. It is expensive to get into, is about three rooms in total, and you could get through the entire property in a half an hour. Although the aquarium at the Columbus Zoo wasn’t a full fledged one like you might find in bigger cities, it might as well have been! The only thing I had to compare it to was the Cleveland one and the Columbus Zoo was infinitely better in every way. It was glorious and so relaxing! The air conditioning, the sound of water, and sights so wonderful it looked like you were watching a screensaver on the computer.

When you enter into the aquarium, you will find a touch tank for the kiddos and a few exhibits leading up to the piece de resistance. As you venture further, you are greeted by the huge tank that runs the length of the sizeable space from floor to ceiling. It was spectacular! We found several species of sharks, fish, and coral in the exhibit and myself and crew were amazed. To see the sharks gliding about, schools of fish traveling together, and a few cheeky fish playing hide and go seek in the coral was like having a view straight into the ocean. The tank was so big that we were seeing brand new things each time we stepped a few feet. Had this been our local zoo and not one two hours plus away, I think we would have sat on the movie theater style seats to kick back and enjoy the splendor. We had a lot of zoo to get through, though!

After we managed to peel ourselves away from the undersea show, we stepped into the next section for manatees, stingrays, and sea turtles. Once again, it was ginourmous and complete with mangrove trees! We arrived at the perfect time because it was snack time and all of us had to laugh. The sea creatures were snacking on hearts of romaine just like our bunnies! It was so funny to see the manatees swimming while munching away at the leafy greens that they held in their flippers. In fact, countless animals at the zoo were having a romaine treat and we would love to know what the zoo’s leafy green budget is. WAY more than the seven bucks Johnny and I spend every week and a half. 😀

My second favorite highlight at the Columbus Zoo took place in the Australia portion where there was an aviary that housed lorikeets, which are small rainbow colored birds. You could walk through the aviary or you could purchase some nectar to feed them. Of course, I had to give it a go and am glad that we only purchased one cup of nectar. There was plenty to go around for my brother and Johnny to feed them too. All of the lorikeets were perched on branches and eagerly waiting for their next nectar fix. It was SO cool to give them their treat and once you were feeding one, all of the rest wanted in too. There was a point when I had three lorikeets to my tiny cup of nectar! I very much wanted to feed the giraffes but we didn’t have the time to do so. I am really happy we took the time to feed the lorikeets because it was such an awesome experience!

If you are ever in the area, I can’t recommend a trip to the Columbus Zoo enough. You will absolutely love it and I wish we could go back this weekend!

Does your local zoo have any animal feeding experiences? What is your favorite sea creature? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug29

Why Do Live Performances Hit Different Than Streaming?

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Why Do Live Performances Hit Different Than Streaming?

Live performances are among the most unique and exciting adventures you can have. No matter what you enjoy, from stage plays to rock concerts, no streaming channel can match what being there offers. From sensory engagement to unpredictability, here are some examples:

Adventure and Experience:

With the rise of streaming services, it’s easy to forget the unique experience of attending a show. What’s better, relaxing on the couch and pressing a button, or planning, booking with Broadway.com, and venturing out on a trip? The convenience of streaming has its benefits. But there is nothing like experiencing a live performance, even if you do it only once. Nothing compares to the overall adventure of seeing musical idols, stunning plays, and comedians right before your very eyes.

Engaging the Senses:

Just being in the same space as a performer you love creates a tangible experience that brings the senses to life. The sound, sights, and even smells of a packed auditorium are like nothing you can get at home. Adding to the excitement is the energy of the crowd, which makes a significant contribution to the experience. Through light, sound, and smell, your brain creates powerful memories connected to emotions that will typically last for the rest of your life.

Live Performances Feel More Connected:

In 2024 alone, Ticketmaster sold 637 million tickets. It’s safe to say live performances are alive and well, and whether you enjoy stage plays like Hamilton or want to rock out at an AC/DC concert, you can only get the connection you crave from a live show, and not a TV channel:

  • Performers will usually interact with the audience in a direct manner.
  • The experience feels more personal and conversational because of this.
  • Being among an excited crowd provides more energy and electrifies a performance.

Unpredictable and Organic Performance:

While stage shows and artists might tour with a set of performances, every show is unique. There are many variables that can impact a show directly, making each experience different from the last. Improvisation, audience participation, and surprising moments can make a show memorable. Singers might begin to sing in a different key than usual, actors can bring an audience member on stage, and an unexpected event can cause the show to change to a once in a lifetime memory.

The Emotional Impact:

The vivid sensory experience of a live performance is unlike anything else. Because of this, the emotions attached to it while you are there become much more pronounced, and this forges solid memories. More than a studio production, a live show has the power to evoke an even deeper emotional response due to the unfiltered energy that a band, singer, or actor exudes over the crowd. What makes it even more special is that that moment will never happen again.

The adventure and experience are why live performances deliver something no streaming platform can. Go to a show and have the time of your life!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Aug24

So Cool At COSI

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So Cool At COSI

Howdy! This past week, I took a trip to COSI which is a really cool interactive science museum in Columbus. It features exhibits that wow children and adults alike that include a trip to outer space, a dive under the sea, walking with the dinosaurs, and so much more. COSI also has pop up exhibits that change throughout the year and I was able to see an amazing section on sharks just in time before its removal on September first. This museum is so educational but extremely cool and it makes learning something new feel like play. Such a great way to spend an afternoon! Check it out:

Wayyyyyyy back in eighth grade, my class took a trip to COSI and I will never forget being so awestruck by the Ocean exhibit and my sentiments remain the same. As you walk through the hallway leading up to it, you can literally smell the chlorine and you just know you are in for something awesome! Entering the Ocean portion of COSI is like walking through a sunken ship and you can go one of two ways. Your first option is to visit a submarine headquarters where you can play games that allow you to control a submarine and explore the depths of the ocean. The second way to go, though, is truly the piece de resistance.

Option number two leads you into King Triton’s cavern and it is seriously breathtaking. From floor to ceiling is a huge statue of King Triton in a fountain that lets you control the water. It is just so spectacular and I could have stood there looking at it all day. Throughout the glistening cavern are different interactive activities that explore the movement and sound of water. You can balance balls on the tiniest geysers, make waves, create your own flow of water through pipes, and my personal favorite: The water bell. The water bell is a flow of cascading water that looks like… a bell lol. The cool thing is that after you put your hand through the bell, it no longer gets wet. My mind was blown!

Another major highlight of the trip was the dinosaur exhibit that reminds me so much of the Animal Crossing museum! The dino display is gigantic and showcases to scale dinosaur skeletons, fossils, eggs, feathers, footprints, and anything dinosaur related you can possibly think of. The dinosaur exhibit also features a portion specific to the relation of dinosaurs and birds as well as under the sea creatures. It explores taking flight, motion, hide or feathers, and skeletal structure. It was incredibly interesting and the similarities felt so obvious after all of it was laid out before you. I also really appreciated the way the explanations at COSI were written. While all of the information you see has scientific terms, the signage breaks it down into plain speak so you can fully grasp everything. I certainly learned a lot from all of the literature in each exhibit.

My final favorite part of COSI was an exhibit simply entitled Progress. I also remember this one from my eighth grade field trip! As you enter Progress, you step back in time to a bustling street in 1898. You can see all of the latest technology of the time like old fashioned cameras, telegram machines, and telephones as well as all of the different shops including an apothecary, general store, and hardware store. Once you are ready to time travel again, you leave 1898 and revisit the same street in 1962. My, how the times have changed!

In 1962, the street has completely transformed. There is a retro diner, a radio station, news station, and telephone booth. You can see vintage toys and games, food staples, magazines, and even an old time rocket ride outside of the toy store. My favorite part of 1962 was the appliance store because I absolutely love that style. There were funky refrigerators, blenders, radios, and huge box televisions. What a far cry from 1898!

What a fun little road trip to COSI. I can’t recommend it enough if you are in the area!

Do you have a museum similar to COSI in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite thing to learn about? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug5

Idlewild Park & SoakZone

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Idlewild Park & SoakZone

Howdy! My family (sans sweet angel Johnny) enjoyed a lovely little getaway to visit Idlewild Park and SoakZone in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, outside of Story Book Forest, I didn’t get too many pictures while we explored the amusement park itself because it was all hands on deck with five small children in tow. Their ages ranged from under one year old to six years old and it was freaking anarchy lol. All craziness aside, Idlewild was truly a perfect park for their ages. It was quite compact, had lots of shade, rides for itty bitties and children (And some for adults too!), and there was also the SoakZone water park to cool off at. You can check out a full tour of the park in this fantastic video and let’s discuss further:

^^^ As always, I have no rights to this video!

Despite the relatively small size of Idlewild, it was jam packed with all kinds of fun rides, attractions, and shows. The kids had an absolute ball being at a park that was specifically made for them and it was a delight to watch them live it up! One of the major areas of the park had total county fair vibes that included carnival games, endless options of carnival foods, and rides that spun like crazy. The kids loved the spinny rides – the adults… Not so much lol. Extreme heat + spinning nonstop = upset tummy!! The things we do for those kiddos! All of them were huge fans of the Spider ride that put you inside the shoes of a giant spider. Your cart spun around independently as the legs twirled and it was a lot lol I was SO dizzy afterwards!! At a much more moderate clip was the Balloon Race, Paratrooper, and Howler which were spin rides but nothing too crazy. That was much more like it!

Our bigger kids really liked playing in the Jumping Jungle which featured a playground with a HUGE net to climb. All of us also had a blast in the 3D maze where safari animals popped out with the magic of 3D glasses. It really blew the kids’ minds! The bigs also took a shine to the wooden Rollo Coaster that took sharp twists and turns as it clunked along. It was definitely a bumpy ride but a great beginner level rollarcoaster. The Wild Mouse was the steel rollarcoaster at Idlewild which we didn’t have the time to ride, but that was quite alright. It looked a bit too intense for the kids and the SoakZone was calling our name.

Idlewild has a very healthy mix of big and little kid attractions and our tiny tots adored Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Raccoon Lagoon Kiddieland. Raccoon Lagoon was home to all of the classic rides like spinning teapots, Red Baron airplanes, and motor cars. You could also hitch a ride on spinning dragons and turtles which was super cute. The Kiddieland was awesome because it gave the older kids some downtime to relax in the shade while the little ones got to have their turn on rides that they were tall enough for. It was so sweet to ride the Tea Party with my little niece – we were the only ones on the ride and it was like our own private tea party! ❤

On our second day at the park, we ended our adventure at SoakZone. As we all had to make a three hour drive back to Akron, Ohio we didn’t hang out there too long. It was absolutely delicious to cool off after trudging around in ninety plus degree temps all afternoon! We hit up the Little Squirts station which was great for all of the kiddos to splash about and play in. It had a splash pad, sprinklers, and a wading pool set up with cascading waterfalls in the fixtures. After the kids got beaucoup play time in, we went to the Wave Pool next and that was just okay. The waves were few and far between and it was basically just standing in water lol. We ended our time at SoakZone with a couple of laps around their lazy river and we headed home completely wiped out but happy as can be!

Idlewild Park is family fun to the T and it was such an amazing adventure to have all together!

Do you like amusement park rides? What is your favorite? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug4

Story Book Forest At Idlewild Park

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Story Book Forest At Idlewild Park

Hello! Despite no recollection of visiting Story Book Forest at Idlewild Park in Ligonier, Pennsylvania when I was little, we have countless family photos to prove it. It was a much beloved amusement park that is roughly three hours away from my home and my parents would take me and my siblings often. This past week, I had the pleasure of returning there with almost my entire family (Johnny couldn’t get off work) and my four sweet nieces and nephew. Being an aunt is one of my greatest joys and I am beyond thrilled to have the memory of this wonderful family getaway for keeps. Check it out:

Story Book Forest is exactly what it sounds like – a trek through the woods to visit the homes of all of the classic story book characters and even meeting some of them too. You begin by walking through the giant story book (Which is really cool!) where you are greeted by Mother Goose who tells you all about your adventure and sends you on your way. From there, the path winds all around and brings adults on a trip down memory lane while the children see all of the stories they know and love come to life. It is absolutely precious.

With my darling littles and family in tow, we explored all of Story Book Forest and had the best time! The kids loved interacting with all of the different character actors like Raggedy Anne and Andy, Snow White, Cinderella, the captain of the Good Ship Lollipop, Geppetto, and the wife of the Crooked Man. They played games with Raggedy Anne and Andy, swabbed the deck of the pirate ship and received candy for the loot, and took pictures with princess royalty. It was such fun to see all of these characters through the littles’ eyes and I think they couldn’t quite believe it themselves!

I’m sure all of the kiddos could agree that the best part was exploring all of the different homes in the forest and there were plenty of them. This included but was not limited to the digs of Little Red Riding Hood, the Crooked Man, the three bears from Goldilocks, Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, Geppetto’s workshop, and the castle of Old King Cole himself. There were some homes you couldn’t enter like the Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe, Snow White’s cabin, and the homes of the Three Little Pigs but they were all noteworthy landmarks to check out. 🙂

Story Book Forest ended at Old King Cole’s castle where you could walk through a town square, release Excalibur from the stone, make wishes at a fountain, and meet Cinderella on her royal throne. Of course, it wouldn’t be a theme park if you didn’t make the final exit through the gift shop which blessedly had air conditioning and an adorable array of plushies, princess gear, candy for days, and anything else that a child’s heart could desire. If you are in an area where a road trip is possible, I truly cannot recommend a visit to Story Book Forest at Idlewild Park with your little ones enough!

From start to finish, my family’s Idlewild adventure was joy in the purest form. I cannot wait to tell you all more about it but our time in Story Book Forest will hold the most special place in my heart! ❤

Which amusement parks did you visit as a child? Do they still exist today? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul22

Summer To Do List

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Summer To Do List

Hello! I would not call myself a summer gal in the slightest but I have been having a lot of fun in the sun this season and I am beginning to see its merits lol. Days at the park with my nieces, baseball games, mine and Johnny’s little getaway, and a trip to the Cleveland Zoo have definitely inspired me to live it up. Summer is not even close to being done yet and there is still so much that I would like to do before the best season, fall, falls upon us! For that reason, I created a To Do List of the outings that are a must for me to continue making this summer one of the best ones yet:

Cleveland Museum Of Illusions:

Something that I have wanted to do for a long time is visit the Cleveland Museum Of Illusions. It is fairly new to the area and my Facebook has been bombarded with ads for it. Hey, it worked because they are extremely enticing! This museum is fully interactive and creates amazing optical illusion photo ops for yourself and friends. Yes, I may or may not be most encouraged by the photo ops but I am a content creator after all! From vortex tunnels, reverse rooms, tilted rooms, Beuchut chairs, and even a head on a platter illusion – this place has got it all. I cannot WAIT to explore it!

Columbus Zoo:

It was a wonderful treat to see the setup for the incredible Asian Lantern Festival during my last trip to the Cleveland Zoo. It is such a beautiful park but the piece de resistance in my general neck of the woods has got to be the Columbus Zoo. I have only been one time over a decade ago and it was amazing from start to finish. The park was huge, they had countless animals you couldn’t see in Cleveland or Akron, and a lot of ways to interact with animals through feeding times or hopping on the back of a camel! I have wanted to take the trip to Columbus for a while and that urge only grew greater from, you guessed it, Facebook ads lol. The Columbus Zoo also hosts an Asian Lantern Festival and from what I’ve seen while scrolling through The Book, it is the Cleveland Festival on steroids. It will certainly make for a fantastic day trip!

Glass Blowing:

Facebook ads, you have done it again lol. I have been aware of Akron Glass Works for a while and have always fancied taking a workshop there for a totally unique craft to display. I really do think phones read your mind because one of the ads on my newsfeed was for Akron Glass Works’ fall pumpkin workshop. It is their most popular class and for good reason – the end result looks absolutely fabulous! During a field trip in grade school to an interactive historic village, they had a glass blowing setup and my mind was simply blown by it. Young and old Sarah are going to be most excited to finally give it a go. 😀

For my Summer To Do List, I wanted to find activities that are fully possible to go to as well as relatively cost effective. If I can do these three things before summer is out, I will be a very happy Lil Red indeed!

What is on your summer to do list? What has been the best part of your summer so far? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul20

Cleveland Zoo Adventure

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Cleveland Zoo Adventure

Howdy! This past week, I enjoyed a wonderful day trip to the Cleveland Zoo and had a ball. Not only were a lot of the animals very active, but the whole zoo was decorated for their spectacular Asian Lantern Festival. After talking about it for years, my family finally went last year and it was awe inspiring. I assumed that a lot of the decorations and displays would be reused and I was dead wrong. Everything about this Festival was different and it is so cool to me that you will never experience the same Asian Lantern Festival twice! Take a look at some pics and be sure to follow me on TikTok for videos from this adventure:

^^^ Look at that lil face! ❤

The Cleveland Zoo is an amazing staple in my neck of the woods and is a joy to visit. It’s a sprawling, beautiful park that boasts six different areas and a seventh soon when their rain forest is done being remodeled. There is the African Savanna, Wilderness Trek, Australian Adventure, African Elephant Crossing, Waterfowl Lake, and a section of Primates, Cats, and Aquatics. Every exhibit is a sight to see and there were plenty that I simply couldn’t tear myself away from!

While the entire Cleveland Zoo outing was fabulous fun, there were some definite highlights. My top favorite has got to be in the Australian Adventure at the Kangaroo exhibit. I was able to see a tiny baby Joey outside of its mom’s pouch and that was something I had never seen before. I joked that I didn’t realize they had legs because you usually only see the top half of them lol! It was SO incredibly cute and I could have watched the mama/Joey duo all day. Speaking of babies, the Koala at the zoo recently had a little one and you could just make it out while they relaxed in their tree. The Australian Adventure was bursting with new babies and that was really cool to see.

Bear Hollow was also an exciting place to visit as the bears were all up and moving. We saw them snacking, one climbed to a high up net in the exhibit and was hanging out there, and the Grizzly Bears were play fighting in the water. One of them totally bitch slapped the other! And, last but not least, I absolutely adored being able to feed the giraffes some romaine lettuce (Just like my bunnies!). So much so, that I did it twice! Hey, when at the Cleveland Zoo amiright? 😀

Sans the decor of the Asian Lantern Festival, the Cleveland Zoo is a very scenic park. However, it transforms into somewhere magical when the Festival is in full swing. The decorations were astounding and it felt like walking in a fairy tale. I was mesmerized by the colors, the artistry, and the enormity of each and every display and felt so lucky that I could see a second Festival as I now know that it’s totally different each year. If you thought the pictures alone were jaw dropping, just wait for when you see the displays at nighttime. They light up and a lot of them have motions too. It is an absolute MUST if you find yourselves in good ol’ Cleveland, Ohio during the summer!

From start to finish, my day at the Cleveland Zoo was the best. I cannot wait to see their remodeled rain forest because construction was underway and it is HUGE!!

What is your favorite zoo to visit? What’s your favorite animal? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul13

Groovy Movies: Jurassic World Rebirth Edition

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Groovy Movies: Jurassic World Rebirth Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Groovy Movies! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing the newest edition to the Jurassic Park franchise: Jurassic World Rebirth. Since this flick has come out, I have heard nothing but lackluster reviews and I’m honestly not sure why. I thought it was a perfect summer popcorn movie! It was fun, fast paced, action packed, and exciting. If a movie entertains me, it has done its job and I really enjoyed it. Let’s get to it:

^^^ As always, I have no rights to this video!!

In a world where people are caring less and less about dinosaurs, a Martin Krebs cares about them deeply. Or, rather, cares deeply about the almighty dollar. His pharmaceutical company thinks that they can provide a life saving cure for coronary disease. All they need is a DNA sample from three of the biggest dinosaurs of land, air, and sea as they have the biggest hearts and lifespan. With the promise of saving lives and a massive payday, he enlists the help of special operative Zora Bennett and her crew as well as the paleontologist, Dr. Henry Loomis. With the team assembled, they travel to the only place where dinosaurs still roam: Isle Saint-Hubert – a small island close to the equator that offers a habitat where these magnificent creatures can continue to thrive.

As the crew begins their journey, we cut to a family enjoying a day at sea. Reuben and his two daughters Isabella and Teresa and Teresa’s boyfriend Xavier. They are in the middle of a lovely vacation when all of a sudden, something big hits their boat. It’s not an ordinary something but a Mosasaurus, the biggest dinosaur at sea. The family’s tiny boat is no match for the mighty creature and they will be lost at sea if they don’t get help quickly. A life saving radio call alerts Team Dinosaur to their rescue and they will track down a village located on the island they are traveling to so they can return home.

The ride to Isle Saint-Hubert is not smooth sailing in the slightest and they are being foiled by dinosaurs at every turn. The boat is being destroyed, people are falling overboard or being eaten, and by the time they get to the island the family is separated from the crew and the boat can no longer function. On the bright side, they did manage to get a sample from the Mosasaurus. As the family attempts to make their way to the village, Team Dinosaur begins hunting down the remaining two samples they need – Titanosaurus of the land and Quetzalcoatlus of the air.

The mission for the DNA is essentially timed as the crew must obtain them and reach a helicopter port in the village. The helicopter will circle for two minutes and leave for their own safety, with or without any passengers. As the family works together to get themselves to the village, tensions rise in Team Dinosaur. Krebs is risking the safety of his crew left and right and leaves Zora and Loomis questioning their mission. Is all of the money in the world worth a cure that is not obtainable to anyone but the super wealthy? There in lies the rub should all of the samples be obtained. Will the crew and family too leave Isle Saint-Hubert in one piece with an accomplished mission? Watch Jurassic World Rebirth to find out!

From start to finish, this movie was just pure fun. The cast was rocking, the scenery was stunning, and the dinos were out of this world. The plot was incredibly straight forward and simple but obviously the location added such a sense of urgency that it kept this almost two and a half hour long flick moving at a rapid pace. It felt so much shorter than that because I was so invested! Minus the token villains on Team Dinosaur, everyone in the cast was so darn likeable that it made it feel like you were right there with them every time they got into trouble. It certainly made for a thrilling ride!

Jurassic World Rebirth tipped its cap to so many Jurassic Park classic moments: Tumbling falls, close calls, don’t wake the sleeping dinosaur, and yes – a trapped under a car scene too. This movie was a celebration of a beloved franchise and the bad reviews shocked me after all was said and done. Jurassic World Rebirth asks nothing but to join in on the adventure and it is up to the viewer to immerse themselves in it or not. If you do, you are going to be in for a treat and will leave the theater wanting to see it again. I definitely did. 🙂

Overall, I am going to rate Jurassic World Rebirth with a seven out of ten stars. This is a must see summer feature and I highly recommend it!

Have you seen Jurassic World Rebirth yet? What did you think of it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah