weekends

Weekend Recap – JDBCF

| The Bee Life

With the last few days of Breast Cancer Awareness month among us, this past weekend we were able to attended the 7th Annual Pink Carpet Gala, which is held by the JD Breast Cancer Foundation, a foundation that I’ve been lucky enough to volunteer for the last 2+ years.

Along with the event being a fundraiser, it’s also a special day/night for a selected number of women who are battling/battled breast cancer.  They’re pampered with hair and make-up along with being able to show off their gowns they were able to shop for and pick out! A night all glammed out, on the town, being celebrated for their bravery, their fight, and their positive outlook on it all. This year, three beautiful ladies were honored; and they couldn’t have been more deserving.

JD Breast Cancer Foundation’s main mission is to provide vital resources and support to enhance breast cancer survivorship in NEO.  So anything from providing finical support for daily bills/necessities and counseling, to providing community resources and support, even transportation. JDBCF wants to help take off the daily burdens of life from the challenges faced when diagnosed and being treated for breast cancer.
JDBCF - Pink Carpet Gala - the bee life
The event was special for the honorees, and surprisingly special for myself as well! I was surprised with being named Volunteer of the Year – WOW! I was speechless, in shock and truly humbled. I have donated time and resources  over the last few years, but I truly do it out of a place of giving back and wanting to help out, not ever expecting something back in return. It was very special.

The theme of the night was a casino night, so there were a number of table games up for grabs, including black jack, craps, and roulette… among others! The night ended with the lucky raffle prize winners being called for various prices like having a Tesla for 24-hours, an impressive booze basket (it was legit!) and a dream vacation. It was a great fundraiser for a organization with a genuine mission and fight to help those battling breast cancer.

Weekend Recap – #BestofCLE

| The Bee Life

This past weekend started with a bang on Friday night at Cleveland Magazine’s annual Best of Cleveland Party! This year the event was hosted at the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame which is a kickass venue for a party.  The #BestofCLE features the hottest spots around the city, nominated by the people, live music, tasty treats, on top of being able to walk around and explore the Rock Hall exhibits.
BOC 2017 - the bee life
I ate all the sweets I could at the event, including cookies from Little Shop of Cookies, doughnuts from The Vegan Doughnut Company (YUM!), Jack Frost Donuts and macarons and sugar cookies from Luna Bakery & Cafe! Everything was so delicious. Beyond all the sweets, they had an array of sushi, sliders, pizza and popcorn from all of Cleveland’s favorite spots.  The night ended with DJ EV remixing a bunch of new and old songs getting everyone dancing, one big party.

We’ve been able to attend this party for the last seven years and it’s become a tradition with B and dear friends.  This is where we’ve first met people who have turned into dear friends and nights we’ve fallen more and more in love with our city.  If you’ve never been, its one of the best parties to attend in the city and you’ll get a taste of the entire city!

Cheers!

#ICYMI: Catch up on past #BestofCLE’s: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016

My Bachelorette Party – The Deets

| The Bee Life

I needed an extra day to recover and get all the deets from the Saturday evenings festivities.  It was my bachelorette!  From initial plans to head out to Vegas to see Magic Mike Live and the Backstreet Boys, to not knowing what the heck to do, but needing to do something for the sake of doing it – we settled on a “low-key” night out on the town. Dinner and a pit stop to a nearby club for some dancing would satisfy the bachelorette bug.

The night started with snacks and a champagne toast at the house before the limo arrived.  The girls spoiled me with a pantie box, a basket full of my favorite champagne to help celebrate upcoming firsts, and a fun pop-up photobooth, and of course jell-o champagne shots to help get the night started.  My bride tribe was greeted with adorable goodie bags on the limo, they were filled with essentials for the night from water, personalized wine glasses, snacks, hair ties, and of course mini-airplane bottle booze.
Bachelorette Party - the bee life
We headed to a local hot spot for dinner, Collision Bend Brewery. They also happen to have the best patio in town, and we were lucky to have the best seats in the place.  We arrived just as the sun was setting and it was incredible.  Not to mention our food and service was top notch.  The waiter was a blast, and the atmosphere and drinks only helped get the party started a bit more!

From dinner we took a quick limo ride to the nearby club, we arrived before all the cool kids, which worked out perfectly for us because we had first dibs on the dance floor! The music was on point and all we wanted to do was dance! After a few hours at the club, we continued the dancing and giggles on the limo back to the house to call it a night.

As much fun as it all was,  I am admittedly glad it’s over! All of these pre-wedding festivities have been fantastic, but also a ton of added stress/pressure, on top of high expectations, with an added layer of everyone’s opinion.  So I am glad to be able to just focus on the big day, that is quickly approaching! Eeek!

Cheers!

Weekend Recap – Bucket List Round-up

| The Bee Life

With the last full weekend of August now behind us, the end of summer is starting to sink in.  Not to mention, my end of summer bucket list is starting to get crossed off, too!

A few Saturday’s ago after church, B and I were gonna go find a patio for drinks and an early dinner. But after a full day of running around, hanging out on OUR patio sounded much better. A drink and soaking up the sun turned into a late night with the neighbors, drinking champagne, laughing and dancing with good friends.

Although our Friday night baseball game felt more like fall that summer, it was a great night – home run included, to root on the home team with friends! Plus we squeezed in a new downtown brewery before, which was nice to try a new hot spot.

B and I finally got out on the links together! We spent the late morning and early afternoon playing 9-holes and the weather was perfect and full of sunshine. Although I’m a bit more relaxed on the golf course I still enjoy playing and sinking a few putts and watching B crush the golf ball!

We spent Sunday morning kayaking, on the river and made our way out onto the lake, we felt like the first ones out there and it was perfect!

I’ve still got a few more to cross off on the list – but feeling good about knocking off these last bit of summer fun!

Weekend Recap – Twilight Festivals

| The Bee Life

The first weekend of August is officially under our belts and we of course kicked it off with a boom!  Friday we started the night with some porch drinks with our friends before we headed off to the Twilight at the Zoo. Ironically, Friday was 5-years to the date when we’d gone to the same event with the same two friends, it was our own little reunion and celebration! And the weather was drastically different from 5-years ago, we were sweating our bums off and this year we were freezing our bums off! But it was still fun because we were with great company at an awesome event.

Twilight features 20-bands throughout the zoo, Sam Adams Beer, an assortment of wine and other alcohol in addition to food stands throughout! You explore the zoo while sipping and snacking, with a few dance moves thrown in between! Not to mention the animals are still out, we were able to swoon over the Tigers, awe at the Grizzly and adore over the other bears and wild life.  If you’ve never been, it’s definitely an event to plan for next summer – tickets sell out fast!

Saturday was full of cleaning around the house, but I made sure to take a break to head down to the Art’s Festival in town with Moz and my friend, Sarah! I’m so glad I did too, it was a nice way to break up the day and get out of the house and enjoy the sunshine and support local artists.  Not to mention, bought some kettle corn and fresh squeezed lemonade – the best!!

We will definitely be having a busy August, but hopefully a bit relaxing as well. This upcoming weekend is my bridal shower, so the wedding planning is getting real!

Weekend Recap – Sunshine & Friends

| The Bee Life

It was another perfect summer weekend. The weather was gorgeous and the company was enjoyed.  Friday night started with some porch drinks with our neighbors and a late dinner date!  It was a great kickoff to the weekend.

Saturday morning we got up early to attend a yoga class and volunteer through our friends new venture, Yogatta Give Back. It’s a combination of yoga and volunteering. First you start with the class, followed by volunteering wherever the spot is, it’s a wide variety of places and causes. We volunteered at Habitat for Humanity, and spruced up their community area. It was the perfect morning outside!

Saturday night we attended our first wedding of 2017! It was a dear former co-workers wedding, and it was the perfect night for these two to tie the knot.  They exchanged vows in front of a breathtaking back drop of endless views, and the reception was in a rustic and charming lodge on the property.  We had breakfast for dinner and they made 150 mini cakes, of their cake, for guests to enjoy. The bride is an insane baker (Snicklefritz Bakeshop), and so is the groom, so decadent treats were of plenty! It was a sweet night for a very sweet couple, their love and the love of everyone attending was so evident!

Sunday was filled with some pampering, sunshine, neighbors and even a run! I can’t believe it was the last official weekend of June, another perfect one for summer.

How did you spend your last weekend of June?

Weekend Recap – CVNP Topography

| The Bee Life

B and I had the honor of being guests at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s Topography event, Saturday night.

Not knowing what to expect, I was quickly blown away by the array of food, all supplied and catered by Spice Kitchen & Bar and the interactive cocktail experience while enjoying the trail system, leading us to an open field of beautifully dressed tables set for 200. A seated dinner was served at 8:15, it started with a salad and then family style dishes for the main meal. The food and service was exceptional.
Topography 2017 - the bee life
We were lucky to be accompanied by a great group of friends for this incredibly unique dining experience. After dinner we were able to sit around camp fires, sipping cocktails and enjoying the perfect summer night. A band played in the distance, while various tents were set up with bars or desserts!

The event supports and raises money for Trails Forever, with helps protect and preserve the CVNP trails.   B and I will definitely be heading back to check out the park in the future to enjoy some hikes.  If you have a chance, keep this event on your radar for next year, especially if you want to enjoy an unforgettable evening at a beautiful, local, national park with the best local cuisine.

Weekend Recap – Now This Is Summer.

| The Bee Life

The weather this past weekend was quintessential summer; sunshine, cloudless skies with a mix of patio drinks, a summer festival and friends. Friday night was a late one, celebrating a much needed Cavs win in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. But we will leave it at that.

Saturday was spent doing things around the house, and then dinner and drinks on the impressively large patio at Collision Bend Brewery – the latest hot spot in CLE.  With a well known chef, like Zack Bruell behind the business, this place was bumping. We had a great spot outside, but under the awning, perfect views of the river and the warm night.  We ordered a mixture of food to share with the table, but the standouts were the roasted brussels sprouts, oven roasted mixed olives, and the salami and green olive pizza. They had a great selection of beers and cocktails, although I opted for some Rose.  We will definitely be going back to soak in more drinks and the fabulous patio.

Sunday we enjoyed some more local food at the Taste of Lakewood, an annual event that has transformed over the years, and is now a free event to the public offering tasty snacks at affordable prices to sample. We had VIP tickets, which for a toasty sunny day was the perfect way to enjoy the festival feel, without fighting the lines, sore feet and the glaring sun. With VIP we were in a private tent, with plenty of tables and able to order 2-different food vendors, that volunteers would run and cut the lines to collect! Not to mention, 2-drink tickets with our own private bar. Our neighbors joined us, so it was a nice little outing to break up our Sunday afternoon.

Beyond the summer cold, I’ve been fighting off it was a pretty great weekend with lots of sunshine, friends/family, and just enough nap time in between all of that!

Cheers to the first real summer weekend!

Weekend Recap – College Showers

| The Bee Life

This past weekend was a good mix of work and fun.

We started yet another house project Friday afternoon, even though we’re working with contractors, so we aren’t doing too much of the heavy lifting, just heavily babysitting. *winks*  But that should be finished up by tomorrow, so fingers crossed we got all the snafu’s worked out.  Don’t worry I’ll share the full project at a later date! Friday night we attended a watch party to watch the Cavs murder the Celtics in game two of the Eastern Conference finals, only to watch them loose at a buzzer beater last night. *grrrr*

Saturday after some of the babysitting stress subsided, we made it out of the house, over to our friend’s to celebrate her 30th! The theme of the night was “party like you’re in college” so there was plenty of drinking games and even a keg of beer.  In order to keep on theme for the night, we gifted the birthday girl with a t-shirt that read; “I Can’t Adult Today” it was perfect! We of course partook in some of the “college party” fun and ran the beer pong table for a few games before we retired and became spectators, mainly because we lost to a few cheaters (you know who you are.) It was a lot of fun, although B and I definitely didn’t party like we were in college. #adulting

Love & Mimosas
Happy 30th Lauren!
Work in Progress
Presents!
Besties with Baby Ash

Sunday was one of my bestie’s bridal showers.  It was fun catching up with friends and meeting a lot of her family! It was a beautiful shower with mimosas and lots of sweets, so it was extra perfect. A was spoiled with all of her beautiful gifts, because she has amazing taste. I can’t wait for her wedding in July!

On a side note, I can’t believe this next weekend is Memorial Day – where did May go?! What are your favorite May memorials of 2017?

XO