Life

Ten Things About Bee

| The Bee Life

So apparently I unknowingly have this every three year blog post going, that I’m excited to share again. And you may be saying to yourself, what are you talking about? Well, in order to share a little bit about me, the bee, to my new and returning readers, I am tackling ten questions, while including my answers from 2015 and 2018 (see, every three years!). It’s sort of funny to see how things change, or not — but I may be in need of a few refreshed questions, so you’ll have to leave your ideas in the comments below!

Photo by: Michelle Loufman

Ok, are you ready? Here we go!

1. If money was no object, what’s something you’d buy right now.
2021: A house in Jackson Hole with a personal gym (see what I did there)
2018: A vacation or four… maybe a sports car.
2015: My own personal gym.

2. Spring vs. Fall?
2021: Fall baby.
2018: Still fall. 
2015: Fall – clam bakes, sweaters, pumpkins, coffee, jeans, scarfs, cool runs… shall I continue?

3. What’s on your nightstand?
2021: Pretty much the same as 2018 — lamp, picture frame, phone charger, ring holder, coaster, medicine….
2018: Lamp, ring holder, small vase with flowers, coaster & water glass
2015: Pictures of me and B and my glasses.

4. What’s your favorite room in your house?
2021: Our basement bath is pretty dreamy!
2018: Although our sunroom is still a gem, my new favorite room is our master suite (it was not finished in 2015!) … and our basement makeover (reveal coming soon!)
2015: Our sunroom!

5. If you could have lunch with anyone in the world, who would it be?
2021: I think I want to bring someone back from the dead, but I’m not sure who. TBD.
2018: This one is tough, maybe some Bravo reality stars? RHOBH or Vanderpump!
2015: Too many choices…. it’s a toss up between Derek Jeter and Katy Perry

6. Name one thing on your bucket list.
2021: Hot Air Balloon Ride in Jackson Hole
2018: Travel to Europe
2015: Sky dive with B

7. What’s the best vacation you’ve taken?
2021: This past trip to Jackson Hole was pretty epic and special
2018: Our honeymoon to Palm Desert was a pretty great vacation
2015: Jackson Hole w/ B and my parents! The company makes all the difference.

8. Congratulations, you just won an all expenses paid trip to…
2021: Somewhere I wouldn’t think to travel that would totally blow me away like Bali.
2018: Lake Como & Greece
2015: Ireland & Germany

9. Backyard BBQ or Formal Dinner?
2021: A formal backyard BBQ!
2018: Same! But I do love a good meal out on the patio on a summer night.
2015: Formal dinner – I love getting dressed up, and sitting around the table sharing stories, good laughs and a bottle of wine.

10. What advice would you give your teen self?
2021: Be true to you, be bold, be brave, but also listen and learn with an open heart and open mind.
2018: Don’t let silly people affect you to the point of insecurities or anxiety – they do not define you, and there is a world of people out there that won’t tear you down.
2015: There is a much bigger world out there; explore it as much as possible, and even if you break away – there is still a bigger world beyond that.

Ok, that was still fun — but in all seriousness, I’m ready to shake up some questions & maybe even do another Q&A post in a couple months. What fun questions do you want me to answer? Comment below!

Latest Obsessions 01.21

| The Bee Life

January’s latest obsessions are coming in hot to share a few things that I’ve been loving on! I’ve been waking up and falling asleep reading my latest book obsession — and I’ve been getting excited working on some smaller project spaces getting the house organized for the year. I also recently shared my go-to pieces for getting organized, that work in ANY space. We’ve been watching a lot of sports with the NBA officially back (woo!) and our teams being in the NFL Playoffs, we’ve been engulfed in all of it.

Currently Obsessing Over & Reading: Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer — Yup, I am definitely a Twilight fan, although I was late to the game and resisted at all costs when it first came about. I first watched the movies and then read the books (definitely the way to do it). This latest book is all from Edward’s perspective and I am eating up this love story all over again — and I love being taken into a bit of a fantasy world.

Now Wearing: Headbands & Bows – I’ve always loved accessories that are bold, colorful and slightly obnoxious, although they’re usually paired with something much simpler. And I’ve had a lot of fun lately with bold hair clips, knotted headbands, and cute statement earrings — plus they’re perfect for looking halfway decent on a Zoom call!

Getting Organized! My accessory closet was in need of some purging, clean-up and glam organization — I’ve had so much fun finding clear and acrylic pieces to help me organize this space while also displaying all those fun accessories for my eyes to see. A few of those finds are in this picture including the acrylic shelves, stackable jars, necklace wall rack and the four-drawer jewelry box. See the full reveal here!

Most importantly, on top of all of these latest obsessions – I’ve been obsessed with making lists and getting things crossed off. From scheduling appointments, taking care of my health, to getting projects complete inside the office and at home — it’s been refreshing to cross off those to-do’s, especially in these long, colder winter months — while also keeping myself accountable!

What have you been obsessing over lately? What has gotten you up and going each day this month of January?

My 2021 Goals

| The Bee Life

Happy New Year! It’s that time again — that time to reset and refocus our energy, our priorities and look back at successes and even failures from the previous year, things we’ve learned about ourselves. And with that, it’s important to review your previous goals – and if you didn’t have any, you can only go up from here – so here is a quick update on how I did with my 2020 goals.

My 2020 Goals Successes: I paid off my credit card debt, before my 30th birthday — and even better, I’ve kept the credit card paid off. It’s so refreshing and freeing to have that under control. I also successfully completed one of my fitness goal of running 6-races, which proved more challenging because they all got delayed into Q4. We were also able to squeeze in one trip, which I will take for how 2020 went. And, I think that I fulfilled my goal of saying “No” which was also a bit easier, because you know, covid — and maybe one of the few things I’ll thank covid for.

Here are my goals for 2021:

Pay Off My Student Loans by December 2021. With the pandemic, student loans got a break with 0% interest among other things for most of the year — so I made sure to take advantage of that, while also paying more on my loans due to the money I’ve saved without having other expenses (car, gym, spa). With the help of my rain-man hubby, we’ve calculated for me to be on track and student debt free while I’m still 31! Being able to pay these off all by myself, while I’m still relatively young and 9-years post graduation is something I am truly proud of and fortunate to be able to do.

Monthly Volunteering. I unfortunately got out of dog walking volunteering, which I was doing almost weekly pre-covid. I then was trying to get a goal of at least monthly, which I was doing pretty well with, but the end of the year not so much. So my goal is to get back to that monthly volunteering for at least 2-hours, and then if things get better, I’ll start going more frequently. This will also help push me to do more “social” things without actually being social.

Good for the Soul. Focusing on things that are good for the soul and things I enjoy doing is going to continue to be a priority. Things like: Friends, travel, good food, bubbles, saying no, house projects, decorating, speaking my truth, reading, creating, dogs, sleeping in, and watching Bravo. Traveling is always a priority and on our to-do list (& oh so good for the soul), and we already have two trips outlined. This past year has also proven to enjoy the simpler things in life, like hanging out just B and I, playing games, listening to music and laughing the night away — hopefully we can just add a few more friends and family to that scenario.

Continue to Invest in Myself. This is both mentally and physically. Due to affect effects of covid, I’ve found that working out and staying healthy is going to be more of an effort, also sadly, because my former gym ended up closing last year due to financially hardships. So I’ve already started to purchase more at-home fitness equipment to help workouts become more attainable, without an excuse of not having equipment. Mentally, I’ve been needing to find someone to talk too since the spring. Again, I’ve made excuses not being able to find anyone that feels right — but I need to get it started. I spoke to someone in college and it helped immensely.

As you may have noticed, a lot of these goals, seem to be getting back to a normal life and piecing together the after effects from the pandemic (which BTW is still happening). And one of those biggies will be my fitness goals. I’ll be sharing those more specific goals on my upcoming Fitness Friday post — I think it’s important if you want your health and fitness to be a priority and is a personal goal, to make specific goals attainable and specific to fitness without just saying; “stay in shape” or “work out.” And I’ll be sharing my fitness goal failures too.

I also recently did one of those word scrambles, where you look at a bunch of letters and pull out the first four words you see. My four words were: Health, Family, Love and Strength. I think these are good mantra words to hold onto and focus for my new year — even if it’s a silly little internet thing.

What’re your goals? Share one or one of your focus words in the comments below!

Bee’s 2020 Recap

| The Bee Life

Woof, dare I?

Yes, I dare — and in an effort to being transparent and true, I’m going to focus more on the positive things of 2020, and only a little bit of the negative – because we all know there was a lot of negative. A lot of struggles, a lot of tears, a lot of everything. Before I write this year’s recap, I always like to look back at last year’s recap and I giggled when I read the end of my 2019 recap, it ended with:

“2020 is going to be a big year. We have a lot of big family milestones and a lot of trips brewing in the planning stages. So ready or not, here we come 2020!”

Bee’s 2019 Recap

LOL. It was a big year, a big year with a lot of milestones that sort of got celebrated, lots of changed and cancelled plans, and lots of learning how to deal with the “new normal.” And ironically, the world seemed to end on my 30th birthday, March 16th.

Our big rose of the year was definitely our Jackson Hole trip, which was not decided upon lightly, but also was so beyond needed for our mental health and sanity. It was such a light in this dark and changing year. B and I also celebrated three years married, and conquered a few fun and essential house projects in our extended time at home.

We cherished the nights, days and time we got to spend with friends and family — especially when we could be outside in the sunshine and warmth. We attended a couple virtual weddings, one backyard wedding, two virtual graduations, took a mini road trip in an RV, hosted our first virtual Christmas party (it was so fun!), fell in love with drive-up at Target, and used a ton of hand sanitizer.

Now for some tougher real talk. I’ve always dealt with some extent of anxiety and social anxiety — but this year with COVID, the anxiety has reached a new level. In addition to anxiety of being around people, going out in public and doing things we never thought twice about a year ago, but 90% of the days since March 16th, have started and filled with me thinking I’m sick. A sneeze, a little tickle, a cough, getting warm or feeling cold… constant worry and fear that I’m sick (it’s still happening). On top of that, navigating what everyone is ok with, or not ok with has been another layer of that stress — another thing to explain, cope with, or fight through — which just adds to the anxiety, the chest pains, the overwhelming feeling to just cry.

We’ve been fortunate to *knocks on wood* stay healthy, find joys in the little things, play lots of Yahtzee, and still be able to work remotely through all of this. And now in all honesty, I’m just glad to see the end of 2020 and am cautiously optimistic about the New Year.

Merry Christmas – 2020

| The Bee Life

It’s the most wonderful time of the year? This holiday season was a glimmer of hope all of us were looking forward too, even more so than previous years. We were watching Christmas movies before Halloween, and we were gearing up for the year to end on a happy, light and familiar note.

The optimism this year has been strong while also fading fast — and I was hoping the optimism during this holiday season would come back strong, but I can’t say that it is. The pressures of family, the expectations, the let downs from family and the overall crave for a little bit of normal from all of us — is different depending on who you ask. This whole year we have all scarified a lot, whether it’s been emotionally, physically, financially, mentally — but that some how gets forgotten with those expectations and pressures. No one can win this year, and no one has.

With all of that, the picture above of B and I was from one of those strong moments of optimism, of hope, of happiness and a tiny bit of forgetting. We were trying to snap a selfie, surrounded in the snow in Jackson Hole, Wyoming — and it was so bright! Neither of us had sunglasses, and we laughed as we struggled to keep our eyes open, and just embraced the moment, which became a series of shots, that we used for our Christmas cards this year. That is a feeling, I’m going to try and hold on to as we get through the rest of this year and these next few days.

So without being too much of a downer, I hope for a few moments, hours or even a few days — we can hold on to a moment we’ve had this year of happiness, hope, and pure optimism. And that we can embrace whatever kind of things we’re faced with this holiday season, even if we don’t like it 😬 (& yes, that may or may not be specifically for me).

Merry Christmas from B, Moz & I!

Happy Thanksgiving – 2020

| The Bee Life

It’s the eve of Thanksgiving, and I know this year looks different for many of us… no family gatherings, no road trips to visit extended family, no house hopping from one turkey dinner to the next. And it’s especially easy in the solitude, to be reminded of the things we should be doing — the things we aren’t doing. But I’m here to say, we can’t focus on that!

Instead we need to hug the people we can. And count our blessings, big or small this year — be thankful for our health, and the health of our friends and family. A super easy way to do this, is take out a piece of paper and write (or type) them down.

photo by: Michelle Loufman Photography

Here are a few things B and I are thankful for this year:

  1. Time we’ve been able to spend with family, specifically pool days & July 4th
  2. Having jobs and ones that we are able to work from home
  3. Good music and Yahtzee
  4. Another year with our Moz
  5. The time we’ve been able to see friends this year
  6. Curbside pick-up
  7. Our Jackson Hole trip
  8. Rain on Me – Lady Gaga
  9. Getting to know our neighbors more this year
  10. A husband who likes to grocery shop!

Ok, your turn! Even just taking a moment before dinner, and sharing a few things you’re especially thankful for, or telling someone via the phone or text this year — share a little extra gratitude and soak in the good that we’ve been able to find this year ♥️.





Still prepping for the big day? See how we’re getting ready for a quiet Thanksgiving Dinner for Two!

Small Business Saturday Shopping Guide

| The Bee Life

Supporting our local small businesses, whether they be adorable boutiques, a coffee spot or favorite bakery, has never been more critical than it has been this year. Many of these businesses were forced to shut down, adapt and maneuver through new restrictions, cleaning requirements and much more. So, I’ve been trying to support my favorite spots as much as possible, whether it’s an extra $20 into the tip jar, or opting to spend a little more money at a boutique vs. going to a bigger box store. Luckily for you, I’ve put together a shopping guide to help support local Cleveland businesses this Small Business Saturday (November 28th) and throughout the holiday season!

Brewella’s is a neighborhood favorite for us because it’s so close to home and delivers delicious treats, like crepes, and always have incredible seasonal menus — I’m anxiously awaiting their Christmas menu to drop! Brewella’s is also home to an incredible vibe with lots of fun and unique collectibles available for purchase. When in doubt, a gift-card is always a great stocking stuffer and easy way to support local.

Two Cafe & Boutique is truly a treat, for more than one reason! First, it employs individuals with exceptionalities to help bridge them into local workforce. Two, its cafe is farm-to-fork, serving breakfast and lunch with seasonal menus and the freshest ingredients. Three, the boutique sources lines that are for a cause while supporting other businesses in the US. The boutique is also the perfect spot for that hard to get person, a show stopper gift and stocking stuffers.

Meatboxlocal brings local, Ohio farmed meats to your front door. This is a great gift that you can ship to friends and family you might not be seeing this season. With a variety of beef and chicken options, this is the perfect way to stay stocked on those meats – while ordering from the comfort of your own home. Plus, the meat is hormone free, grass-fed with free deliveries made weekly within a 50-mile radius from CLE.

Home for the Holidays. This pop-up shop always makes a splash each year — and this year you can even shop online and do curbside pick-up! Home for the Holidays curates local vendors and goodies into one place, making it a shop small, shop on steroids. And they’re stocked with gifts for everyone including your furry friends. My personal fave is finding hand painted Cleveland-themed ornaments!

I’ve been shopping at Lovely Paperie & Gifts and sister store Babycakes Children’s Boutique this entire pandemic — even more than previous years. Why? When I’ve popped in-store to shop, it’s never crowded like big box stores, making this a place I feel safe shopping at! Both of these stores offer special keepsakes, thoughtful gifts and the perfect card for any milestone, holiday or just because. Plus nationwide shipping, in-store or curbside pick-up are available!

Besides finding the perfect gift at any of these spots, grabbing a gift card is another super easy way to instantly support your favorite small biz, and gifting your favorite spot to your favorite people! I’m planning on grabbing smaller amount gift cards from a few other favorite local spots to gift to friends/family and stuff stockings like Nature’s Oasis, Milo & Me, and Mitchell’s Ice Cream. I’m also hoping to shop a few new local spots this year that I’ve been following on Instagram!

And if you’re shopping in person this season, don’t forget your mask, hand sanitizer and a little extra space to those shopping around you!

Celebrating Three Years Married.

| The Bee Life

B and I are celebrating three years married today! We’ve spent 242 of the last 365 days together in our house, making year three together one to remember. And as much as I always love looking back at our special day becoming Mr. & Mrs. and closing my eyes bringing back those feelings of pure joy and happiness — I also like reflecting on the new year as husband and wife that we have under our belts.

This year has brought on new challenges, for all of us. B has stepped up in a lot of ways, and I’ve been so grateful for that. He’s also learned a bit more about the ebbs and flows of my anxiety, especially my pandemic anxiety. This year has also showed how resilient we both have been to change and adjusting well together over time with the challenges of the pandemic. And a big part of that has been, due to the fact that we’re on the same page, we talk, we ask each other when we need help, take breaks to catch up in the day, look out for each other and still surprise each other with little every day moments.

In this third year together, we’ve become unofficial co-workers, deeply invested in Bravo reruns, have played a lot of Yahtzee, taken more walks with Moz, have stopped setting our alarms on the weekend, we played a lot of golf, took a much-needed risk and jumped on an airplane together, rocked out to Lady Gaga’s Chromatica album more than either one of us may want to admit, and cook at home more than ever.

And as much as I hate the pandemic, and a lot of things about this year — I wouldn’t ever change my partner who I’m so lucky to have next to me day in and day out to talk about all this crazy with, forget about the crazy with, dance and laugh through this life together.

Latest Obsessions – Old Navy Fall Haul

| The Bee Life

Earlier in quarantine, I purchased some nicer sweats and athleisure-ware from Old Navy. Now that fall is here, and winter is quickly approaching and WFH-ing and quarantine is still a thing, I figured it was time to stock up on a few additional pieces to get through the winter! So I wanted to share my favorites from my recent Old Navy hauls, and a few pieces I was a little bummed out about. Oh! And I also splurged on a few normal clothes, so I’m sharing those favorites too.

Let’s talk sweatpants. Before quarantine, my sweatpants have consisted of big bulky and very high school sized sweats — ones you don’t go out in public in. I realized that investing in a few nicer pairs, for our evening walks with Moz, target run or doctor’s appointment were needed. For reference, I’m wearing a size Large in the joggers featured, and I’m about 5’6″ and 150lbs.

MUST HAVE – Mid-Rise Breathe On Joggers: These are my absolute favorite! I grabbed these earlier in the year in a rose pink color, and recently snatched up another pair in light grey. They’re silky, have pockets and I like pulling them up around my ankles for a sportier look, plus they’re about belly button height so work well with a comfy crop.

Mid-Rise Sweater Knit Joggers: Compared to the breathe joggers, these are definitely a bit cozier given the sweater knit nature. They are also a bit thinner, but overall the same sort of style and fit as the breathe joggers — and also feature pockets! I have these in the Jet Stream green color, and I love the mix-up as I’m typically a go-to black person when it comes to my athleisure bottoms.

RETURN NOTICE: I loved these MC-Hammer-esq high-waisted elevate powersoft joggers but they just didn’t do it for me once I put them on. I think an XL would’ve given me the look I wanted, but the Large gave me a bit of camel toe, when I pulled it up to where it needed to be — and I just wasn’t feelin’ it.

Now that we have the bottoms figured out, I love a few of Old Navy’s essential and classic tops.

Vintage Crew Neck Sweatshirt: This is also an essential that I love. I am waiting for the ‘More Love’ Heather Gray sweatshirt to arrive, as I plan on returning the Navy Stripe with heart, because I don’t love how it lines up at the bottom. I have a few other colors from earlier this year as well, and I ordere a size small for a more fitted look that can be dressed down or up with a pair of jeans.

Oversized Slub-Knit Weekend Tee: This loose, crop tee is another fave of mine. It’s definitely a little more oversized – so a size small is roomy and has a nice look especially when paired with high-rise workout pants, like these charcoal snake skin prints. I have the mauve over blush color and just ordered the sea haze.

Loose-Fit Short Sleeve Crop Tee: Since I’m completely obsessed with crop tees, I was excited to find these basic ones in addition to the weekend tee above. This tee doesn’t fit quite as loosely (see above) as the weekend tee does — I got a small, but I would’ve ordered a medium, if I would’ve known — as I definitely like a looser crop fit. Still, a classic and comfy tee to add to the rotation of your athleisure.

Ok! Now for a few REAL clothes and fun looks, that I do break out every now and again especially to enjoy the fall weather and feel a little human.

Cozy Leopard Print V-Neck Cardigan: I ordered this in the grey print and a size medium. It’s a little bigger than maybe I would’ve liked if shopping in person, but it’s still super comfy and a relaxed look. This sweater is so soft, and I love the options it allows buttoning up the front or keeping open. This sweater is also offered as a crew-neck sweater if you don’t want the button up.

Black Mid-Rise Raw-Edge Rockstar Ankle Jeans: These have been a summer and fall favorite, especially with the ripped edge and holes throughout — even though B makes fun of me a bit. They just pair so well with everything, and can easily be dressed up or dressed down, especially with the cozy leopard cardigan — I wear a size 10 in these!

Shop my faves: Crewneck Sweatshirt | Knit Joggers | Breathe On Joggers | Oversized Weekend Tee | Black Jeans | Leopard Cardigan

I may stock up on a few more pieces, but I feel a little more ready for the rest of quarantine and the winter season ahead – especially looking a little more put together, while still being comfortable! Have you picked up any Old Navy favorites lately? If so, leave in the comments below!