Tag Archives: family

May13

Spring Hiking Spree Success

Posted on by
Standard
Spring Hiking Spree Success

Hello! The Metro Parks in my neck of the woods hosts a hiking spree every spring and fall and I love completing the challenge with my brother, Andrew. We will have a threepeat for the fall spree this year and just completed our second spring hiking spree this past Friday. Spring in Ohio has been really cold and rainy so we had to carefully coordinate our five hikes to avoid getting caught in a downpour! During our last hike, we actually got back into my car a literal minute before the rain started coming down and it was an epic ending to the spree. The rain was short lived and we got ice cream after it passed to celebrate! We also got to take home our little prize of a new pin to adorn our Metro Parks lanyards with:

Within a thirty mile radius of where we live, there are at least twenty different Metro Parks to visit and we are truly blessed. During the fall and spring hiking sprees, there is a list of ten or so that you can pick from and it is always fun to try out new trails. Andrew and I both love hiking in the woods and, sadly, we didn’t get to do any of those trails this time around. We would have been walking in a quagmire because of all of the rain! We stuck to paved hiking and biking trails to complete the spree and this ended up being a good thing. The three new to us ones that we hiked will be excellent ones to go to again if the weather isn’t behaving.

Because we were limited to the paved trails, we didn’t get to see much in the way of wildlife. That was okay, though, because the best part of hiking is spending time with my brother. Hiking is our favorite form of exercise and it honestly doesn’t even feel like a work out because we’re talking and joking the whole way through. I can’t tell you the amount of times in years past that we started a hiking spree as a family and never finished it. It is exciting to be on a spree streak with my brother and we are both really looking forward to our fall hikes. Fingers crossed that the weather will allow us to hike in the woods this time around!

In fifteen days we went on five different hikes to draw the spring hiking spree to a close. Here’s to many more years of wonderful walks and memories! ❤

What is your favorite way to work out? Do you go on hikes often? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May12

Alien Vacation Mini Golf

Posted on by
Standard
Alien Vacation Mini Golf

Hello! This past weekend my brother, his friend, Johnny, and I went to the awesome Alien Vacation indoor mini golf course in Medina. We are all extremely partial to mini golf and this has got to be one of the best courses in our general vicinity. It was the perfect outing for a rainy spring day! We had a blast exploring all of the cool surprises under the blacklights of the Alien Vacation adventure. From huge animatronics and goofy alien antics to an under the sea and ancient Egypt room, this place had it all! The eighteen holes were just challenging enough and I even got a hole in one! Great success! Check it out:

The Alien Vacation mini golf course was an absolute delight and we all plan on going back there together again. It was incredibly reasonably priced at just twelve dollars to play through and also had a bar and snack shack to wet your whistle in the middle of the course. This was so unlike the typical outdoor courses that we have visited before and was a thousand percent worth the forty minute drive to get there. As soon as we stepped foot into Alien Vacation we were SO in. Then, we put on the 3D glasses and were SO out lol. They gave all of us a headache and we were back in once they were off lol.

The highlights of this course has got to be the ancient Egypt room, under the sea, and the jungle. What took the cake for everyone was, easily, the Legends Of The Hidden Temple vibes room as seen in the last picture. This one was WAY cool! You hit the ball up a ramp and it fell into a different slat depending on how hard you hit it. From there, the ball would travel through the breaks in the artwork to deposit the ball either close to the goal or far from it. It also featured pop up surprises and motion once the golf ball fell into the slats. We were seriously wowed by it and honestly could have kept playing that part again and again!

From start to finish, Alien Vacation was just pure fun and we were so appreciative and impressed by the amount of work that had to be put in to create it. This wasn’t a mini golf course to breeze through but one to take your time with and experience as we didn’t want to miss a thing! What made this outing even better is that we went on Star Wars Day weekend. That is a franchise I can take or leave but Johnny was ecstatic as they were playing the soundtrack throughout the course. It was SO epic to play mini golf to such triumphant themes and I could tell that my main squeeze was channeling his inner Han Solo the entire time! ❤

If you are in my neck of the woods or visiting, 12/10 would highly recommend an afternoon at the Alien Vacation mini golf course. I can’t wait to go back!

Do you have any cool mini golf courses near you? How do you usually fare in mini golf (I came in dead last lol)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr30

New Tattoos!

Posted on by
Standard
New Tattoos!

Hi! This past weekend was so super fun because Johnny’s Aunt Eileen was in town and we had big plans… To get tattoos together! As soon as she texted me a while back ago with this idea, it was an automatic YES and I was able to schedule an appointment for all of us with my amazing tattoo artist. It is always exciting to get some new ink but this was an especially thrilling tattoo session because Johnny’s aunt is seventy-three and this would be her second tattoo. We were so honored to take part in it! Johnny and I opted for quick and easy tats while Aunt Eileen went big and didn’t go home. Check it out:

When we made these plans with Johnny’s aunt, I knew exactly what I wanted. Something to honor my beloved neighbor and best friend who passed away in February, Tony. I decided on getting his handwriting thanks to an abundance of birthday and Christmas cards and am so beyond happy with out it turned out. I brought my tattoo artist, Emily, one of these cards that had “Love” and his signature and requested that she add in “always” the best she could. Tony would always sign off his texts with “love always” and a heart emoji and it never ceased to make me smile! In an ingenious move, Emily pieced together “always” from the other letters in the card and it is absolutely perfect. This tattoo took barely ten minutes to complete but it is so special to me and I love having a piece that makes me feel close to my ride or die. ❤

Johnny also went the short and sweet route with his tattoo so the focus could be on Aunt Eileen’s leg blaster. To fill in a spot that was driving him crazy on his wrist, he got a scythe with a crescent moon that was just right to plug the gap. Then, it was onto Aunt Eileen! Pansies and butterflies would make up her tattoo but she also had a hilarious idea… Prior to this appointment, her husband made a joke for the skull she was getting to not look too cartoony. So, she decided to have Emily add in a little skull to her flowers as a gag. I genuinely cannot with her!!! 😀

Aunt Eileen’s tattoo took a little under two hours and I think everyone in the shop was impressed. She sat like a rock! Not once did she complain or show any discomfort whatsoever and all we had to say was, you go girl! During the entire afternoon we were talking away and laughing constantly that, before we knew it, Emily announced that she only had five minutes left to go. My tattoo artist is a true master of her craft and we were blown away by the end results of Aunt Eileen’s pansy piece. It turned out so beautifully and that skull is everything. I have a feeling we will be in Emily’s chair every time she comes to visit!

A tattoo tradition started last weekend and I am one hundred million percent there for it. I wonder what we will all get next!!

How old were you when you got your first tattoo? Do you have an upcoming tattoo appointment? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr16

Groovy Movies: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Groovy Movies: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Edition

Howdy! This past weekend we had a fun afternoon out with our nieces to see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. We watched the first one when it came out with our biggest niece and we all loved it so we were most excited! Although I liked the first one a bit better than the sequel, it was still a hoot. The Mario Galaxy games are my favorite so it was way cool to see it on the big screen! In a spoiler free setting, as always, let’s discuss this family friendly flick:

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

Princess Rosalina lives up in the stars and is mom to the adorable Lumas that reside there. They are colorful, silly little stars and their world revolves around the princess. However, their world is turned upside down when Bowser Jr. kidnaps her to drain her power and have the Bowser family reign supreme. Princess Rosalina always told her Lumas to find Princess Peach if anything were to ever happen to her and that is exactly what one brave Luma does. The Luma travels far and wide to reach the Mushroom Kingdom to request help from Princess Peach and she agrees while leaving the Kingdom in the care of Mario, Luigi, and a new Yoshi friend too.

Of course, Bowser is still tiny but has changed a lot for the better. In his little castle he paints pictures, cooks soup, and trims bonsai trees. His son, Bowser Jr., misses him fiercely and just wants to make his old man proud. So he attempts to free him from Princess Peach’s castle. The plan is a bust, but it puts Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Bowser on the path to reunite with Princess Peach in space. All they need is a space ship!

Thanks to a delightful cameo by Fox McCloud, the heroes arrive in the Space Junk Galaxy to defeat Bowser Jr. and foil his plot to create an all destroying cannon with Rosalina’s power. Their problems have doubled, though, as Bowser was so inspired by his son that he returned to the dark side once more. If the canon is created, the Bowsers will have complete power over any and everything. Will Princess Peach save Princess Rosalina? And will our heroes defeat Bowser and Son? Watch The Super Mario Galaxy Movie to find out!

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was a short and sweet flick that was barely over an hour and a half. In that short time, it was jam packed with a whole lot of fun! The visuals were striking, the Lumas were the literal cutest, and who doesn’t love Yoshi?! There were plenty of quick witted jokes, nods to games of the past, and wonderful cameos by beloved characters. Mr. Game And Watch, anyone? There was just one thing that Johnny and I could not get behind…

Why, exactly, was Chris Pratt cast as Mario? Especially when the voice actors for Mario in the games are both living and available? It truly makes no sense to us lol. Not only does Chris Pratt actively suck as a person but his voice work for Mario was just not it. Pratt’s vocal acting did absolutely nothing for us and it weighed the whole movie down. That was our opinion for the first Mario movie too and our sentiments have only amplified. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was a total blast and the overall casting decisions were great. Just not this one.

Overall, I am going to rate The Super Mario Galaxy Movie with a six out of ten Lumas. It was a solid sequel but was definitely one that you could take or leave.

Have you seen the Mario movies? What did you think about them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr8

Happy Birthday, Sister!!

Posted on by
Standard
Happy Birthday, Sister!!

Hello everyone!! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because it is my big sister, Kristen’s, birthday! Kristen is my bestie pal and I am still overjoyed at the fact that we got to have so much quality time together in New Orleans this past month. Our mini vacation turned us into teenagers again and it was, honestly, magical. We had slumber parties, sipped on drinks, shared delicious meals, and got to explore a brand new city side by side. Our trip was nonstop laughter and fun and I think it brought us even closer together. It has warmed my heart so much that we have been texting way more often since our return home! Maybe next year we could do another getaway for both of our birthdays but it will be so great to celebrate her here on her big day and every day. ❤

Kristen inspires me to no end and I genuinely don’t understand how she is still standing at the end of each day. She is a proud mom of three precious girls, two cats, and two dogs – I’m exhausted after a few hours at her place and she makes it look so easy. It is anything but and I couldn’t be more proud of her and all she has accomplished. Kristen is one of the strongest people I have ever met and I do not say that lightly. She has endured countless hardships and emerged victorious on the other side to create a beautiful life for herself. She is so steadfast and determined but greets any and all situations with kindness – a further testament to her fortitude.

It is so special to have a big sister as incredible as mine and it’s even better that we’re best friends too. We might not have always acted like it lol but we really are thick as thieves! From childhood to teenage years, I remember wishing that I could be just like her and I’m sure it was easy to get fed up with her constant shadow. Even when we had our tiffs, however, we both knew that I would never be far from under her wings five minutes later. It was so fun to return back to that sisterly bickering but loving every minute of it during our travels and I can’t wait to make more memories together. We have plans for a sister slumber party soon and I can’t wait! ❤

To my best friend and best big sis – Happy Birthday!

I love you, Kristen!!!!! ❤

Apr6

Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

Posted on by
Standard
Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

Hello! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because it is my dad’s birthday!! As my dad refuses to celebrate birthdays, I gave him his prezzies last week on his unbirthday so he could still enjoy them lol. However, that will never stop me from sending him an extra special birthday shout out on the ol’ blog! My dad is my bestie pal and we have so much fun together. Whether we are doing puzzles, gardening, or playing along to The Price Is Right, there is nothing better than spending time with my dad. He is freaking hilarious and always keeps me in stitches. My dad also keeps himself in stitches as he is prone to laugh attacks which make the matters at hand even funnier. Not to mention how charming and handsome he is to boot! ❤

One of the things that I love about my dad is his spirit of adventure. He is constantly planning experiences for my family like vacations and nights at the theater and is always up for trying something new. For the past year, my dad has been taking guitar lessons from Johnny and he practices every day. I so enjoy being a fly on the wall during their lessons and hearing my dad practice because it’s just cool. Learning the guitar is no easy feat but he is dedicated to it and Johnny and I are both amazed at how much he has improved. No matter what, you should never stop learning and my dad really is a testament to that. It inspires me deeply!

Spending time with my dad is a lesson in good things taking time. It could be nurturing his beautiful garden, working on a difficult puzzle, or hearing him piece together a song. These are all reminders to just keep working at it and plugging away because something great is right around the corner. As a child and, honestly, sometimes as an adult, my MO has been to quit out of frustration. My dad has always been the one to encourage me to give it another try. One more lesson, one more practice, one more go and it worked every time. It worked because my dad was in my corner and that was the most important thing. Everything is better when he’s by my side because he is the best and I will forever be a daddy’s girl. ❤

Happy birthday to my dad!!!!

I love you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mar22

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Posted on by
Standard
Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Hello!!! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because we have a birthday girl in the house – my fantastic, wonderful mom!! My sweet mom is my little cutiepie lol she is a tiny ball of energy and spending time with her is one of my favorite things in the world. Whether we are shopping, walking our beloved Archie dog, or just sitting at the kitchen table chatting it is literally food for the soul. There’s a saying that as you age you turn more and more into your parents and I am a-okay with that. It is a gift to be anything like my mom!! ❤

My mom is my best friend and when we’re apart, we are sure to be texting or talking on the phone. Every Monday after work I give her a call on my way home and I look forward to that chat every week! I am lucky enough to see my parents several days of the week and live right down the street from them. Honestly, it’s not close enough lol. Whenever we are together, it promises to be a good time and we are always laughing about something. It could be my dad jogging through the house or my mom losing her glasses for the five hundredth time but the laugh attacks are always on the verge of striking!

All joking aside (Which is more often than not!), being around my mom is a masterclass in kindness. Ever since I was little, I can always remember her greeting every person we encountered with a smile and her deep passion for animal rescue. From childhood on, I wanted to be just like my mom and I still do. Her compassionate manner hasn’t faltered once in her life and if that isn’t an amazing role model then I truly don’t know what is. My mom is always who I want to talk to first whether I have good news or bad. She celebrates the good with the utmost pride and helps handle the bad even if we don’t say anything at all. Just being around her is enough because she radiates love and that is the best medicine of all. ❤

To my mom and A1 bestie – I love you more than words can say!

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mar17

Puzzle Place Pt. 3

Posted on by
Standard
Puzzle Place Pt. 3

Hello! I got my parents hip to 5 Below as it’s the perfect spot to pick up little treats for the grandkiddos. About a month ago they took a trip there and my dad returned with two puzzles. One of Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Sunflowers. Although they were very challenging, it was such fun to complete them with my dad! I had a vague recollection of 5 Below carrying a puzzle of one of my personal favorite paintings, The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai, and was so happy when they still had it available. We just finished it this week and it looks fantastic! Check it out:

Between the three puzzles we have just completed, I would rank them in difficulty with Starry Night being the easiest, The Great Wave coming in second, and Sunflowers being the hardest. Sunflowers was a massive pain in the nads because the color palette was so limited. While The Great Wave does feature a minimal palette, it still provided a lot that we could work with like the squiggly lines, speckles, boats, and the gold tips on the waves. We tackled this puzzle in sections with my dad starting on the boats. Then, I tapped in to work from the top down on the tan areas. All that was left was the wave smack dab in the middle which is where we ran into trouble because all of the remaining pieces looked like they could fit anywhere. It took a lot of twisting and turning of the pieces to find their happy home and it felt amazing to put that final piece in!

There truly is nothing like that last piece of the puzzle feeling and it was exciting because the next step is easily the best. My dad glues it, frames it, and hangs up the end result as wall art. Of course, I wanted this puzzle painting simply because I love it but I thought it would look so nice next to Starry Night! As anyone in my family can testify, my dad is a total and complete hoverer when puzzles are involved and I sometimes had to shoo him away lol! However, it has been a blast to have these puzzle projects to tackle as a team. With three under our belt since the end of January, I’d say we make a pretty damn good one. ❤

I’m not sure what puzzle is next on our agenda, maybe some Monet? Whatever we go with, I am already looking forward to it!

What is your favorite hobby? What is the maximum size of puzzles that you can do (Anything over five hundred is a hard no from me!)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb25

Accessory Story: SuperKitties Necklace Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Accessory Story: SuperKitties Necklace Edition

Howdy! My sweet nieces absolutely love doing crafts and making jewelry. For Christmas, I got them each a necklace kit with one featuring Moana 2 for my biggest niece and SuperKitties for my middle niece who is a super fan. There is nothing better to me than when they gift me with one of their works of art and I keep them proudly displayed throughout my apartment. This past week, I swung by my sister’s after work for a visit and had the best time dancing around like crazy people with my girl squad. I was also delighted by little feet running towards me with a present in hand. A SuperKitties necklace just for me!

Being an aunt is truly one of my greatest joys in the whole world. I revel in being a TT to the literal coolest kids on the planet and they are never far from my mind. I am always thinking about them! Are they having fun? Have they said anything hilarious? Did they learn something new today? They really are my little besties and any time spent with them is treasured. That’s why it’s so special to receive crafts that they made for me. It shows that they are thinking of me too and looking forward to TT time. When my niece handed me the necklace and said she made it all by herself for me, I seriously could have cried. It was just so sweet!

When I see my girls, I never show up empty handed. Like I said, they are never far from my mind and I can’t help but pick up new treats or toys whenever I am doing some shopping. During our visit, I was able to give them all of their Valentine’s Day prezzies and returned home with new bling bling around my neck. I have a massive jewelry collection but I can’t think of one piece that is better than the jewelry my nieces made me with love. TJMaxx may have an excellent jewelry selection but they will never have anything as beautiful or special as my homemade bling. ❤

As soon as I got home, I hung my SuperKitties necklace up on one of my jewelry stands and it makes me smile every day. What a perfect Valentine’s Day gift!

What was your favorite craft as a kiddo? Do you enjoy making jewelry? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb19

4 Ways Investing In A Boat Can Seriously Enhance Your Summer

Posted on by
Standard
4 Ways Investing In A Boat Can Seriously Enhance Your Summer

Let’s think of the ideal summer’s day. You’re probably outside somewhere, surrounded by nature with your friends and family. You spend the day jumping in and out of a cooling body of water, and wrap up the evening with a delicious meal.

That is an idyllic day that sounds like a dream, but actually, if you live near a lake, then it might be more within reach than you think. If you have a boat, then all of those things could be on the table, and not just on one day, but all summer long. 

Still not convinced that a boat is right for you? We’ve put together a list of just some of the ways that buying a boat can be a game-changer for how you experience the summer months:

It Gives You Easy Access To a Good Time:

The summer months can be fun, but it doesn’t happen automatically. On a sunny day, you still have to make something happen. A boat provides an easy and convenient way to make sure that you and your family have a day to remember. Most people have to go on vacation to make the most of the summer months — if you have a boat, then you’ll have a vacation-worthy experience readily available all summer long. 

It Provides Plenty of Water-Based Fun:

It can be fun to simply spend time out on the water, but you can also use your boat to engage in water-based hobbies. While most boats are multipurpose, some are designed with a particular activity in mind. Remember how we mentioned at the beginning of the article about eating a delicious meal? Then take a look at Smoker Craft boats, which are excellent for fishing in both shallow backwaters and large lakes. If you’re looking for a boat that’s fun for the family, then a wake boat can be a great option — these high-speed boats are awesome for wakesurfing and wakeboarding, among other watersports. 

It’s a Great Hangout Spot:

Having a boat might just make you the most popular person in town. The reason? Everyone loves spending a hot summer’s evening on a boat! They’re great for socializing; all you need to do is pack some snacks and drinks, head out onto the water, and simply enjoy being together in a beautiful environment. If you’re looking for a way to bring your loved ones together this summer, then a boat will more than do the trick — and not just this summer, but for many years to come.

It Brings Adventure:

Many of us are infused with the spirit of adventure when summer rolls around. Normally, that means taking a vacation somewhere. When you have a boat, you’ll have adventure right on your doorstep. Boats allow you to explore during the hot summer months when the days are long. Maybe you’ll discover a hidden gem of a beach, find fun caves to trek through, or discover that you can easily reach the next town over by taking a shortcut over the water. 

Make a huge splash this summer with a brand new boat. Adventure awaits!

Featured Image By: Pexels