5 Unique Wedding Gifts

May 10, 2016May 18, 2017 | The Bee Life

With wedding season quickly here, I wanted to share some unique gift ideas for the bride and groom. If you’re like me and in the wedding party, you seem to bring gifts to every occasion you go to, so coming up with fresh, unique ideas without just buying off the registry can get hard after awhile. Wedding Gift Guide - the bee life Also to clarify; these gifts could be for any of the many wedding festivities from the bridal shower, bachelorette/bachelor parties, rehearsal and day of the wedding.

Make Something. Find a local shop/studios were you can create and make you’re own ceramic pieces, whether it be from scratch or painting a pre-made piece. My future MIL, owns a studio (Studio Clay) where you can create plates, bowls, dishes, ornaments, figurines… you name it, out of clay. Visiting a place like this, not only gives you a fun experience but also allows you to create an original piece for the couple.

Remember Memories. You may need to get a little creative for this one, but this will help the couple remember all their memories, especially as they start their journey as husband and wife. You can make the couple a custom jar (decoupage), a box, or basket with instructions for the couple to fill it with love notes or memories throughout the year. Then on New Year’s Day each year, instruct the couple to take turns and read them to each other reflecting over the year. This is low cost, genuine and something the couple can use year after year.

The Honeymoon. Think about the honeymoon, especially if your in the bridal party, buy some special necessities or gear for the bride and groom. Whether it be matching swim suits, sunglasses, or even a honeymoon survival kit with sunscreen, condoms (or not!), lingerie, lip balm… you name it. Or just focus on the bride, a cute carry-on, new make-up bag or even a fun purse she can rock. Just think of things that they couple may not be thinking of, but want/need!

Pitch-In. If you know the couple is saving up for a house, or big home renovation, find some family and friends to help pitch-in on a fund for their future projects as they start their life together. When you tie a meaning to the money, it can add that much sentiment and use for the couple. To make it a little more personal, accompany the money with a gift or trinket, like a toaster (if the couple desperately wants a new kitchen).

Photo Gifts. Here is a little plug for Shutterfly, simply because I just love them. They’ve expanded their offerings immensely, you can customize table runners, candles, ornaments, mugs, pillows, blankets… shall I go on? Use pictures from the couples engagement session to help customize these pieces for a unique and special gift for the Mr. + Mrs. (Not to mention there are always a few good promos going on to take advantage of!)

I think it’s easy to get lazy and just buy the couple a gift card or something off the registry (guilty), especially when you have multiple weddings to attend in one year, but going the little extra step will not only create something memorable for the bride and groom, but will also remind them of the special time you took for them.

Cheers to Wedding Season!

Weekend Recap – Katie’s Bachelorette!

May 2, 2016January 24, 2018 | The Bee Life

Where do I even begin? This past weekend was Katie’s bachelorette party, after months of planning, it was finally the day to actually celebrate!!

We started the afternoon with a toast to the bride, I selfishly wanted some practice for my MOH speech, although totally winged this one. We then piled onto the limo bus with our coolers and started the party. Apparently you can get pretty buzzed in 30-minutes thanks to Jell-O shots, wine and champagne – oh and some fun music. We were also lucky enough to have some hotties join us for the days festivities, you may know them… Channing Tatum, Ryan Gosling and Benjamin McKenzie (famously known from the OC).Our first stop was Monet & Merlot. A wine and painting place, which is all the rave lately. This was my first time at one, and I ended up liking it way more than I expected! It went off without a hitch, for having 17ish buzzed women, not to mention we actually finished under the estimated time frame! We did a pretty simple picture, but I thought it was amazing how everyone’s picture came out differently, even though the directions were all the same.

After paint, we made our way to dinner, although the drive again was a good 30+ minutes, so more jell-o shots, dancing, and drinks. By the time we made it to dinner, I’m not sure if many people were hungry but most people were definitely tipsy. But hey, that’s the point of a Bachelorette party, right?

I loved everything about Katie’s bachelorette, especially because we were celebrating this beautiful girl and everyone truly let loose and had a good time. I seriously want to consider renting a limo more often just to drink and dance without having any cares! But all-in-all, we danced, drank maybe a little too much, laughed a lot, took way to many selfies, and had an awesome time. Oh, and the guys were a hit.

The party was definitely a success! And I can’t wait for the wedding, I was a little sad when I said good-bye to Katie realizing the next time I would see her would be DAYS before her wedding as opposed to WEEKS. It amazing that after so long, her big day is finally going to be here.

Bikini Tini: The Recipe

April 21, 2016April 21, 2016 | The Bee Life

With the weather starting to be continually gorgeous and finally warm, here is a drink recipe that will surely get you in that summer mood. A friend asked me what a “Bikini Tini” was and I told them, it’s a beach vacation bottled up in a drink, all you need to do is close your eyes while you take the first sip and you’ll be transported to someplace tropical. Oh and get your bikini ready. The What You’ll Need:
– Malibu Rum
– Vodka
– Pineapple Juice (I recommend the 6 oz cans)
– Grenadine
– Fruit of your choice to garnish
– Martini Shaker

I mix the Malibu Rum, Vodka, and Pineapple Juice 1-to-1-to-1, I usually eyeball, but a serving for two you’ll want to do at least a shot and a half of each. Then literally just pour a ‘dash’ of the grenadine to get a nice pink color. Give it a shake (with some ice cubes of course) and pour in a martini glass for your enjoyment. If you’re nervous about this being too strong you can pour a little extra pineapple juice in.

CAUTION: This will go down smooth and quickly.
I promise this will be your new summer go-to drink! I am planning on making a pitcher for Katie’s Bachlorette party and it’s always a favorite at my aunts – they got me hooked.

Cheers!

Weekend Recap

March 14, 2016March 19, 2016 | The Bee Life

Let the busy and booked weekends commence! This past weekend was the start of a series of busy weekends, because you can only be busy if you’re consistently busy week after week, right? Apparently…

We had a fun weekend visiting my parents, they had a little engagement party for us with everyone back home. It was great visiting, and seeing everyone because it’s always so piece-mailed throughout the year – or jammed into holiday celebrations with the masses.

Friday night we got into my parents a little after 7 – and enjoyed a haddock fish fry. My parent’s local fish fry’s is seriously ~~one of~~ THE BEST I’ve ever had. I still haven’t found anything comparable around us.

Saturday AM we woke up and enjoyed coffee and banana bread. B and I then hit the country roads and clocked 5-miles. We haven’t gone on a run together in a long time, and it was nice having him by my side again, we both pushed each other, having started off with the intent of running at least 4. It was nice running back where I grew up, and where I first started running – and it’s all viewed with a little different perspective now.

Saturday night was the engagement party! We had a taco bar and endless drinks. Kates and Travis were among the many guests, and it was great seeing and spending time with them! Although it’s never long enough. My brother and sister-in-law, aunt, cousins, Katie’s parents, and my second sister also came to celebrate. We luckily only told the engagement story ONCE, because we made everyone gather around, before we had to open presents in front of everyone – practice for what’s to come I supposed (although, if I have it my way I won’t be doing that at any of my showers!!) The gifts were awesome, and unexpected it was so sweet to have extra love from everyone.

We of course stayed up way later than we would at home, so that loss of an hour really caught up to me yesterday! Hope everyone has a great week!

Christmas Hangover.

December 28, 2015January 20, 2016 | The Bee Life

Am I the only one with a Christmas hangover? Somehow, I don’t think that I am. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas, full of love, laughter, sweet moments… and not too much drama (let’s face it, families are the best at drama).

This Christmas was one of new traditions and changes. I spent Christmas for the first time ever away from “home” – and at our home with B, our first Christmas in five years that we’ve spent together!

The weather has been a bit amazing too – mid to high 50’s in the midwest, is NOT common especially for this time of the year. Being able to take Moz on a walk on Christmas Eve in yoga pants and a sweatshirt was amazing. In fact we’d joked about a month previous that it’d be cool to do the exact thing.

Our Christmas Eve was nice and busy – we did a lot of prep around the house, I did a lot of baking and Christmas dinner prep, and of course a few last minute gifts with B. We went to church and then came home snapped a few pictures and made some pizza’s and flipped the TV between It’s a Wonderful Life and Elf! We also toasted with Manhattan’s in honor of my Grandma’s birthday and to new traditions.

Christmas morning we woke up and opened our stockings and presents – we had a great Christmas and both spoiled each other. We relaxed a bit and then got ready and headed to B’s grandma Dee’s house for breakfast. We then headed over to his parent’s for presents and a movie for most of the afternoon! We finally headed back up to our place just in time to prep and cook dinner while my parents made it into town! My aunts came over too – and we had a nice dinner around the table talking and enjoying each-others company. More presents ensured after dinner from my parents! It was then almost time to call it a night.

The mayhem continued on Saturday – after relaxing a bit in the morning we headed down the road to my aunts house for Hampel Christmas. Snacking and drinking, playing a new pickle game, laughing, dancing and catching up was the next few hours until dinner. Pork, sauerkraut, gravy and dumplings are the main dinner items – presents and white elephant followed after dinner and then the games commenced. We always play Pass the Trash and this year played a few fun games of LRC.

Finally, Sunday was B’s birthday – so we headed to church with our parents and then out to brunch right after. It wasn’t until almost 3 o’clock we finally had the house back to ourselves and were able to crash for a nice nap!

It was four days of non-stop family, drinking, eating, and a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed taking some down time today to continue to relax and recover and get the house back in order.

Merry Christmas!

New Traditions.

December 7, 2015 | The Bee Life

This 2015 Christmas season is going to be full of new traditions, one of which was this past weekend! So in the past and as I’ve mentioned before, the first weekend in December is usually spent in Upstate NY with my parents helping them get their Christmas tree. Well this year I broke the tradition after nearly 5-years plus the 20 years prior to that when I lived at home.

One of the reason I wanted to stay was my office company party – this was the first year significant others could join, and the first time in the 3-years I’ve worked there that I decided to go for that reason. It was a good time! And nice for B to meet a lot of the people I spend most of my time with.

Saturday afternoon we ventured out to the country to this small Christmas Tree farm. Which finding a place to go around a super urban area was a challenge in and of itself! I did not want to pick up our tree at a Lowe’s or Home Dept – I wanted the experience and also a lower price. So of course once we got to this place, they only accepted cash or check, in which we had neither. So we ventured back to the town we’d driven through and luckily found an ATM and grabbed some cash and headed back (so typical for us).

It was just what I was looking for – handmade wreath’s, cut your own tree’s, hot coco and a gift shop! The search for the perfect tree was cold and long, since when we’d left our house and by the time we got out there the temperature had dropped about 20-degrees and we were dressed for the warmer. But we FINALLY found the tree, there was a lot to search through, especially since we wanted to get a tree that was significantly taller than 6’6″ B – a selfie was immediately taken.

After B cut it down, we walked it back to the little hut to have it wrapped up, grabbed a fresh handmade wreath (because you just can’t beat it!) and we grabbed some hot coco and hit the road back to the house. We will definitely be going back next year, armed with cash and dressed warmer! But it’s those little things that add to the experience and make it that much more memorable.

I spent most of Sunday afternoon putting the finishing touches on the tree and around the house! It really feels like Christmas, and I’m so happy how everything has turned out, I hope to share final photos with you all soon!

I can’t wait to see what other new traditions are in store for us this Christmas!

Fitness Friday

December 4, 2015December 4, 2015 | The Bee Life

Here are some ways to get a kick start to your New Years resolution before the major holiday weight gain sets in.

1. Sign up for a race, now! Don’t wait for those prices to go up, spring and summer races are still priced low – so get ahead of the curve and register for a race or two sooner than later. That way you’ll also be able to a jump start and maximize your training schedule! I’ve already signed up for one in April and have my eyes set on one in March.

2. Eat healthy, but still enjoy. Since the month of December is nothing but endless weekends of parties and lavish dinners there is no excuse to not indulge. At the same time, be smart during the week and eat healthy and light. Fresh greens and protein with extra water. The day of your parties? Be sure to eat a good breakfast and hearty lunch, this will help you from snacking too much on hors d’oeuvres or over eating your main meal.

3. Easy on the alcohol. Same rule for the food applies for the alcohol. Cut back on your free days, even if you’re used to having a drink or two. Make sure to drink water throughout your party nights and stay away from shots! Also, the less you drink the more likely you’ll be motivated to get a workout in the next day.

4. Don’t miss a workout. Don’t let a party or house guests get in the way – the second you break your routine the more likely you’ll be to fall off track and your resolution won’t be looking so hot.

5. Switch it up. Start exploring some new workouts and facilities to mix it up and give you a new challenge – starting new habits now will make you stronger tomorrow.

Let’s start getting back and stay on track with that healthy grove and enjoy these holiday parties!

A Weekend of CLE

October 19, 2015October 20, 2015 | The Bee Life

This past weekend was a busy one, but it was so much fun!

It started on Friday, with Cleveland Magazine’s 10th Anniversary Best of Cleveland party! This was the fifth year I’ve attended the #BestofCLE and every year it gets better. There was one point in the night when I was in complete awe, looking around at the hundreds and hundreds of people just dancing and partying – and thought “This is my Friday night.”

In case you’ve never been to the #BestofCLE; it’s a gathering of all of Cleveland’s best restaurants, boutique’s, bakeries, clothing shops, car dealerships, clubs, and apartments. Samplings of great food, drinks and beers, along with other little goodies and discounts! This year, I was all about the sweets, so I really only consumed a number of cupcakes and sushi over the course of the evening (I know, a horrible combo).

My Stops:

Campbell’s Sweets Factory – I grabbed one of their ‘Wedding Cake’ flavored cupcakes, because it’s my favorite and it is delicious!

A Cookie & A Cupcake – Mini cupcakes! I went for a chocolate and vanilla, this little shop in Tremont never disappoints.

Main Street Cupcakes – It was their birthday, which meant sprinkles all over their cupcakes, which in my opinion is a perfect combination.

Jack Frost Donuts – I did not have these, simply because I would’ve been in a sugar coma. They had full-size, elaborately decorated donuts they were impressive and so beautiful (picture below).

A bunch of our friends were at the party so we had a fun time catching up with them, dancing and singing and sipping some cocktails! This party never disappoints and my absolute favorite part was when DJ EV came out, I seriously could’ve danced the entire night. The music was so good.

Saturday AM we woke up to run the Dawg Pound 5k – it was an unwelcoming 43 degrees out with some intense winds, although it was much better than the cold rain we had last year. A group from my office met up early to go down to the start line, the weather did not keep away the sold-out crowd. The course was similar to last year, a good route with minor hills,the wind definitely tempered down once you got running, which was a good thing! B and I ran the whole time to finish just under 30-minutes, not bad for not training! Then the group of us went up to a favorite local spot, Nauti Mermaid for Bloody Mary’s and brunch! The Bloody Mary came out with a fresh fried, Lake Erie perch, it was surprisingly delicious, the food was amazing too. It was a fun start to our Saturday!

After our jam packed fun, it was pretty low-key and relaxing for the rest of the weekend. The #BestofCLE and the Dawg Pound 5k are definitely two of the reasons why I love Cleveland so much and why I love the month of October!

Happy Monday!

Appendix:

click here: 2015 Best of Cleveland’s Participating Winners

Mini Apple Pies – The Recipe

October 16, 2015October 16, 2015 | The Bee Life

After hosting our brunch, I found these Mini Apple Pies were the perfect, hand-sized treat for party goers, no mess, easy and delicious! So I just had to share the recipe with all of you, either for a fun and easy weekend treat or an upcoming tray to bring to Thanksgiving! Of course, I first found the idea for Mini Apple Pies on Pinterest – but quickly adapted the recipe based on my mom’s go-to apple pie recipe! I did try and attempt to make these with the homemade ‘push’ crust (see original recipe below), that did not workout, so I was forced to make a normal sized pie (which turned out amazing!) … after testing and trying, I think I found the perfect combination of crust, filling and topping.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Will make 24 Mini Apple Pies

Crust:

2 boxes of Pillsbury Pie Crust (they come in 2-packs)
Take a wide coffee mug (I used a Starbucks mug – or a mason jar) to cut your circles for each pie crust, try to get 6-circles out of one crust
Grease cupcake pans
Place circles into cupcake openings

Filling:

Skin and chop apples (6-large apples) I used McIntyre
Top 1/2 cup sugar and 1-teaspoon cinnamon with a pinch of salt over chopped apples
Fill your cupcake tin with filling

Crumb Topping: