2019 A Year In Review
Ohio

2019 A Year In Review

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Today is the very last day of 2019 and I think this year might have been one of the best years of my life. Don’t get me wrong. There were definitely some low points but overall I have to say it’s been a win.

Let’s do a quick month by month overview. In January of 2019 it was a rocky month but it was a lot more of a miracle that I would’ve expected. My mom had open heart surgery in December of 2018 so when we rang the bell in 2019 and mom was doing better than ever I couldn’t have been more thankful. She is my rock. That being said I caught a sinus infection I couldn’t shake and it actually got me banned from the office for a few days! I recovered though!

Then in February I had my birthday month. Bridget came up and spent the week with me. We did manicures, pedicures and I got to celebrate Princess Monica in full swing. Plus I got an unlimited car wash pass for my car. Trust me, if you knew me you would know that a car wash pass might be the greatest thing in the world for me.

When March rolled around I was getting really sick of winter but it wasn’t going away anytime soon. I slowly started discussing the option of maybe taking the bar again. I hadn’t decided anything yet but it was my moment when I realized that if I wanted something badly enough I should do it. I talked with my boss at work and she agreed. She supported me in taking my exam again, see how it went and that I had an entire work family behind me cheering me on.

In April we had Bridget and Grants birthday and for his birthday we got tickets to go to a music festival and got to go home and spend time with the family bit was great to just take a break. I also started preparing for the bar; buying the course and making reservations, it led me to start studying for the bar slowly at first but getting my head into study mode.

In May we had a lot of ups and downs. I started to study for the bar exam. It was a big struggle trying to study full time and work full time. I got a mini weekend off when we went home to see Bunberry. It was a three day long music festival. I loved every minute of the stress free weekend. It also gave me the clarity I needed to make a really hard decision in June.

When June started it was with a bang. I drove all night from a music festival back to work for our annual conference. It’s at that point I realized how far behind on bar prep I was getting… I knew I needed to make a change or I wouldn’t pass the bar… With a very heavy heart I gave my two weeks notice and met with a former professor at Law School who helped me come up with a plan to study and ace the bar.

July was dark; like really dark I’m not sure what day it was for most of July with studying (I want to give a huge shout out to my family, Priya, Grant and Bridget for supporting me, letting me miss everything and talking me off the ledge daily.) I also developed a great friendship with Karen and Sarah over occasional dinners (this continues after the bar too!) At the end of the month was the bar!

The bar also continued into August which felt too good to be prepared for and ready. I felt like it went really well but after the bar it was all about me, a book and a baby pool! I spent most days laying around in the pool soaking up the sun with minimal cares in the world. It was fantastic!

When September rolled around it was back to reality. I emailed my Concorde Family and asked to come home and they said of course with open arms. I resumed working as an independent contractor. It let me have the flexibly to create my blog and I am very very thankful for that!

Since I started this blog I know you know all about my October but I was able to give my mom the best Birthday present I ever could. We passed the bar! I have never been more anxious and ready for anything as I was opening up the web page that morning than to see my name on the list!

In November it felt all about the travel. We have been to Canada, Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky all in one month! It was worth it though to spend time with our loved ones. Plus we got to come home for a week (something we haven’t been able to do since high school) and actually enjoy home.

That leads to here and now I’m kicking ass at my job, loving my blog, and making the best friends a girl could ask for. This isn’t how I saw my year going but it’s been better than I could’ve expected. I’m really eager to see how 2020 is going to shape up for me. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes!

Festival Of Lights
Ohio

Festival Of Lights

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Okay, this might not be the most popular opinion but I think I like the Zoo better at Christmas than during the summer. I know it’s silly but enliven though I love seeing the animals and the blooms; my ultimate favorite is how they light up the Cincinnati Zoo for the Holidays.

This year I went with Bridget and Grant. Our first trip was an epic fail. We spent over an hour just trying to move a mile up the road. Obviously we didn’t get into the Zoo that night. So we tried again on Friday night and were successful!

We started off the afternoon by Bridget coming over and then us heading down! I offered to drive to be nice and hello heated seat! We parked in one of the auxiliary lots which is fine and entered the zoo while it was still day light out. We visited the reindeer (still exhausted from their trip around the world). Then we hit the food trucks up to grab dinner and Hot Chocolate with Holiday Cheer (Baileys Irish Cream). We sat and ate our food waiting for it to get dark.

Once it was dark we were off! We walked all over the zoo and I must admit there are a few new spots this year that really caught my attention! They have this newer light that is like a weeping willow leaf. They had it dangling on a good amount of their trees and it was absolutely stunning. I might’ve hidden in the “leaves” a few times.

Another light they have that I really love is the butterflies outside the insect house. The way the light moves it looks as if they are flying. Bridget and I really enjoyed watching those while Grant checked out the insect house.

Right before you get to the Christmas Tree they have this area decorated wig color changing lights. It’s all over the trail so it’s like walking through a fairyland! I loved it. I could have stayed looking at those lights all night long.

They also have the ever famous Christmas Tree that I can’t help but pose in-front of. I have taken a picture in front of that tree every year for probably the last ten or so years. It’s funny watching how much has changed and how much hasn’t by looking at those pictures.

After the tree we walked over to the lake where we listened to the music and watched the light display. I think my favorite was watching “Do you wanna build a snowman?” I’m not sure what it is but I absolutely adore the “Frozen” movie. It’s really cute and makes me smile whenever I watch it. Plus watching the lights change as the song continued was magical.

After we walked past the lake we did visit the animals I got to see the brand new baby giraffe who was absolutely precious and the manatees. I love how Cincinnati takes in Manitees then rehabilitates them to release them back into the wild. I love that this is normal for our zoo and they are always working to better the world for animals.

After the animals and the lights it was time to head towards the exit. The very last thing we did was to walk through the tunnel of lights. It’s basically a giant rainbow tunnel for everyone to walk through and feel inspired. I love it.

After the zoo we walked back to my car to head home. We debated dinner but couldn’t eat anymore after all the hot chocolate we drank. Have you checked out your local zoo yet?

Christmas Spirit
Michigan · Ohio

Christmas Spirit

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What does Christmas mean to you? Is it sipping Eggnog or Hot Chocolate with your family or is it a Cruise to somewhere sunny?

This year I got bitten by the Grinch bug and was a little more focused on what I had to get done instead of spending time with those I care about. I was more preoccupied with the money I needed to spend and who all I needed to buy gifts for. I did eventually get my head out of my grinchness and remember the true meaning of the season.

I’m making a promise on my blog here and now. I want to be better. I want to put more focus into the time spent with others; not the amount spent.

Usually I think of Christmas as a time where it’s okay to go a little slower, it’s good to say hello and happy holidays to a stranger waiting in line, to give a few extra dollars or a card to someone who does something helpful for you.

In that spirit a friend and former colleague of mine makes cookies with her sister every year. They probably make thousands of cookies together. It can’t be easy but that’s what Christmas is all about; spending time with those you love. This year I was home for the holidays before the cookies were finished. She offered to give me some of what they had or she would mail them to me in Cincinnati. I said it wasn’t necessary but I appreciated it and happily gave her my address.

I honestly forgot about it and then today both my dogs went completely bat shit crazy at the mail man. As soon as I saw the return address on the box my heart just melted. That is the true definition of Christmas and the Christmas Spirit. It’s doing something for someone because they matter to you. When I opened my box and saw the holiday tin filled with cookies I was so happy and filled with joy.

I am making this an early New Years resolution; to keep the Christmas Spirit in my head throughout the year and to do more things for the people I love and care about. It’s not about the money spent or gifts bought but the gestures we do for one another and the time spent with them that matters most.

Who wants to join me and make this a year round goal and not just an after Thanksgiving through Christmas kinda thing?

Pyramid on The Hill Sculpture Park
Ohio

Pyramid on The Hill Sculpture Park

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Is there anything better than Christmas Lights? Not in my opinion! Over the weekend Grant, Bridget and I loaded up in the Civic and headed over to Hamilton to check out Pyramid on the Hill Sculpture Park.

We actually go every year. We have a tradition where we’ll go to see the lights, then drive up 128 into Hamilton to grab Sonic! I know it’s silly and maybe greasy but it’s our thing! I’ve been going to see Pyramid on the Hill Sculpture Park for a lot longer than with Grant. My mom used to take Bridget, Nick and I over there for years as well!

We try to go before Christmas but some years it’s harder than others. Last year we took my mom with us. it was her first fun outing after her open heart surgery. It’s basically like traveling back in time to just enjoy the lights.

This year we went on Saturday Night and it was packed. We had to pass it then turn around to get in the line! It was completely worth it! We waited in line singing Christmas songs. Then it was our turn to pay the fee and begin the adventure. We rolled down all the windows, blasted the heat and began the adventure. This year you drive around the park where we begin and end at the same point. It lets you get to see everything from both sides. I really liked it.

The first thing you do is to drive through the tunnel of lights. Its pretty straightforward. You go under all the lights while they twinkle above you/your car. The best part is that this leads you up to the dove that flies above your car. It’s truly magical.

Then your car approaches the most beautiful rendition of swan lake. They have blue lights lining the lake and then a giant light up swan floating in the lake. I love that you can see the reflection of the swan illuminated on the water.

Overall the ride takes about thirty minutes to drive through. It’s totally worth it plus for a good segment of the drive we were completely alone, the other cars were out of sight, so we could just slowly enjoy the view of the lights. If you would like I’ll post more in my stories. I have some below.

Once we finished up with the stunning light show we headed out to Sonic. Bridget, Grant and I all got the chili cheese hotdogs with Sodas. We put on a Christmas Movie while eating our chili dogs. (You’ll have to comment below if you want us to reveal what we watched!)

Once we finished up at Sonic we paused the movie and headed back to Cincinnati. Overall it was like driving through a winter wonderland; absolutely breathtaking.

Ohio

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

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I love being a Cincinnati Girl. It’s home and no matter how far I go or where I am it will always be home. One of the many traditions I really love is that downtown Cincinnati really gets into the Christmas Spirit.

The day after Thanksgiving every year the whole city floods into downtown to watch Fountain Square turn into a giant Christmas Zone. They bring in this ginormous tree and put lights up even; a star at the top of the tree. Macy’s big red star sits atop of the tree all season long.

Bridget, Grant and I have this tradition every year where we meet up downtown to watch them light up the tree. So every year Q102 has music and little shops pop up to allow you to get into the Christmas Spirit.

This year it was a little different. They shut down all the streets around fountain square, set up a stage for live music and then had pop up shops, food trucks and entertainment set up around the square to make it more of a holiday market. It was really fun to watch.

The three of us cuddled around each other and watched the festivities while joining in the count down. Then bam the tree was lit and the fireworks were booming over head. (Side note there is nothing I love more than watching fireworks go off. It makes everything that much better!)

When the fireworks were over the three of us were exhausted. We had been on the move since four in the morning and didn’t really stop. We climbed in the civic and started our journey home towards the suburbs of Cincinnati where we would all make it to my house and go in separate ways to crash in our beds the minute we got home.

The exhaustion of the day was overwhelming but we had a blast. I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Michigan

Fisher Theater

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Do you ever just need a weekend to recover from your weekend? I might need one today! My weekend was amazing. Grant Priya and I decided to spend Saturday night down at the Fisher Theater. They were doing a Christmas Event. They had Christmas trees everywhere, old fashioned arched games, beer/wine and all the little shops inside the building were open. It was breathtaking.


Okay let’s back it up since we’ve done the overall let’s get down to the actual details. We started off by Priya meeting us at the townhouse. From there the three of us headed to the Civic and off to Detroit. (Okay fine. Because I know Priya will comment if I don’t we might’ve made a pit stop at Starbucks for hot chocolate. We couldn’t go to a Christmas themed event without it.) Once we got to Detroit we found a lot across the street and parked (Thank god Priya had cash!) The lot was really nice and the attendant was a complete charm!
After taking a few pictures we headed over into the building.

Our first stop actually stopped me in my tracks and believe me that’s hard to do. It was called the Peacock Room. (I could make this whole post about them to be honest. The staff were delightful, the store breathtaking, both structurally and merchandise (clothes) and it felt like the roaring twenties meets Europe. I’m literally in love!) They had everything from clothing to princess tiaras. While I was there I picked up a long strand of pearls (we never ask a lady if they are real or not.) and a cute vintage style ring. I actually added the pearls to my outfit and they looked amazing.


Plus I was able to grab a few last minute Christmas presents. The store even had funny inappropriate socks. My favorite was F*ck off I’m reading. I nearly died reading that. They might’ve had the next Princess Monica Birthday Tiara. I’m going to make a note to run grab that come early February.

Even as we were in line the staff was constantly checking in on everyone. While we were in line I won’t lie I was really tempted to check out the floor length ball gowns but I’m not sure of an appropriate occasion to wear them too just yet. (If you think of one please let me know!)
Priya even had success and got the cutest Christmas Glasses! I think overall it was a very successful trip and we’ll be going back.


After that we wondered in and out of the other shops looking around. We all received prize tokens to the Stella Good Coffee inside the building. I won a free latte, Grant ended up with candy and Priya a T-shirt. Overall I think we got the right prizes in the end. (Okay we might’ve all switched the tokens around so I got the coffee and they got trinkets/swag.) The latte was really good and the barista was really sweet and fun. It reminded me why Starbucks was a fun place to work before I got my career started.


After coffee we decided to hit up the bar. I had a Blake’s cider which was really good and the orchard is in Michigan. I actually drank a local Michigan “beer”. (Okay fine cider but it counts!)


As we were drinking we explored the building. It‘s absolutely stunning! If you get a chance you really need to sign up for one of their tours. I couldn’t recommend it enough. The buildings architecture was to die for plus the chandeliers and painted murals! They definitely don’t make buildings like that anymore!


After we explored and took more photo opportunities than I care to mention we headed over to play games. Wesettled on air hockey and I don’t know what it is about that game but I love it! My competitive nature kicks in and I get a little too into it…. This time I played against Priya and when my score hit three I subbed out and Grant got to play. (We could’ve all kept playing but there was a line.)
As the evening wore on we were getting a little hungry… There was a shop in the building, Pure Detroit, that had a s’mores station! We had a s’mores, did a bit of browsing then decided it was time to go. We checked the area but everything was closed for the evening.

We then decided to just hit up Applebee’s by the townhouse for dollar pomegranate margaritas and call it a night. After some food and a margarita we were all successfully at the townhouse where we said bye to Priya and went in to see an anxiously awaiting Dex.

Michigan

Campus Martius

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Last night Grant and I decided to go downtown. We bundled up and loaded up in the civic with Detroit as the destination!

We wanted to go down and checkout all the Christmas festivities at Campus Martius. Usually they have ice skating, a Christmas tree, carriage rides, live Christmas tree shopping and local shops.

This year it was the same. We luckily got to park right in the thick of the event and it was only $10. Hello cheap city parking! When we came up all we had to was. Go through the round about and we were at Campus Martius. The first place we hit was the ice skating rink. We didn’t go on the rink this time but watched as the Zamboni cleaned the ice and made it sparkle. We took a bunch of pictures and just enjoyed watching the ice sparkle.

After that we headed over to the Christmas Tree. It’s on top of the fountain so it is absolutely beautiful. I love watching the lights twinkle on the tree. Plus you can see the water cascading down the fountain in tune with the lights twinkling and reflecting in the water! Detroit couldn’t have picked a better location to put their tree!

We then headed across the street to the holiday village where the local shop owners rent out glass houses to sell goodies. The first one we went into was Lush Yummies Pie where we actually had this lemon cheesecake pie. It was fantastic. It was like a hint of lemon in cheesecake but a pie! It was really good. I’d go back! We checked out a few other shops and just enjoyed walking around the village. (Side note we ate the pie when we got home.)

We decided to go check out the winter tunnels and carriage rides. The carriage rides are a really cute idea but if you don’t have a group of four or more you have to ride with another group and we just weren’t feeling another group. So we decided to skip this year. We did really enjoy the winter tunnels though they are absolutely breathtaking. You feel like you’re living in a hallmark movie walking through all the green forestry.

At this point we’ve hit everything and the chilly air is starting to get to us so we decided to pack it up and head home to have our pie! ( know I mentioned a Christmas Tree Area but we already have a tree at home so we skipped the tree shopping but when driving past they did look really nice.) it was a great date night.

Michigan

Santa Clause!

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This blog post is a little different I’m giving Dex a voice for some of his opinions. They are based off his facial expressions and attitude.

Over the weekend we went to see Santa! Who doesn’t love telling Santa what they want for Christmas? Apparently, Dex would prefer to not associate with the Jolly Old Fat Man.

I decided to be adventurous this year. I wore skinny jeans with a long sleeve black turtle neck and then added a knit cardigan that was quarter length sleeves. I liked that it added a level of depth to my outfit. It really brought the entire outfit together. Grant wore his dark jeans and navy sweater looking as handsome as ever. Then Dex decided to wear to his red stripped sweater (for the record he picked the red over the green.) I added his green scarf to the outfit. It just makes him look too cute!

I love my Roo. He took it like a champ he didn’t bark, growl or even get cranky with Santa.

The three of us arrived at Great Lakes Outlets at 7pm when the mall closed for their pet photos with Santa. We walked over to the line and patiently waited for pictures to begin. (They have you begin arriving at 7 and pictures start thirty minutes later.) Dex was in between a puppy and two nervous dogs.

Dex walked over to the puppy who tried to play with him. Dex gave a look that basically said go away you obnoxious twat and walked away. The puppy was really really cute but a little hyper.

The two fellas behind him really sparked his interest. They had a carrying bag and a wheeled backpack. When they were out and about he was cool to sniff and be entertained with.

While Dex was busy playing with the pups we were making decisions about what package to buy. We settled on the prints with the digital option as we know I have to post it on insta!

The line moved fairly quickly; then it was our turn. I walked over to Santa and brought Dex with me. He looked over at Santa with the look of and who do you think you are? Despite the look and a little encouragement Dex sat on the bench next to Santa.

Grant came around on the side Dex was sitting on and pick up Dex and put him in Santa’s lap to smile and pose like a good puppy. The photographer snapped about ten pictures but thankfully we found one where all three of us are smiling or at least looking at the camera with our eyes open. I’ll take it any day of the week I love these boys and the pictures we got. I’m really grateful both my guys get it and are happy to go with me every year and get their pictures taken with Santa!

Michigan · Ohio

Instapot

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Sweet baby Jesus. I’m not afraid to admit I’m more terrified of it than it is of me! My instapot scares the living crap out of me. I bought it last year on Black Friday but haven’t actually used it yet…. I tried my moms a while ago and let’s just say it didn’t end well. I caved into the fad and bought my own.

Tonight I was bound and determined to make it work. Awhile back Grant and I bought three starter recipes from Willams Sonoma to make the instapot less scary but it didn’t. We didn’t make them. Tonight though I can correct that statement to say we made one!

The first step was to heat olive oil. Okay, I can do that easy. Then it said to sauté the ground beef. Okay, this is not bad. I can do this. I added the ground beef, broke it up and tried my best to leave it alone and let it cook. (I wasn’t very good at that part. I kept stirring so it took a few minutes to finally cook.)

Now we’re at the hard part. I was told to pour in the starter mix and not stir. Set it to high pressure, cook for six minutes and then it would basically be done. I poured the mix in and it killed me a little to not stir but I resisted! I put the lid on and fumbled with the buttons. Nothing was happening…. I then got it on pressure cook and adjusted the heat!

Okay I’m making progress right? I was on the phone with Sarah and I was beyond a nervous nelly waiting for something to happen. It was getting warmer to the touch at-least. I checked the steam valve and saw it was on vent so I switched that.

Still nothing…. Okay I’m losing now. Worse case scenarios are going through my head. Sarah, always the voice of reason, reminds me worst case I’d just have to order pizza. I pulled out the instruction manual and kept reading over the directions. I did all the steps!

Then the display switched from on to 6:00 minutes and it was blinking. OMG OMG OMG I think it’s working I yelled into the phone at Sarah who might’ve been ready to kill me over the buttons beeping on the instapot.

The timer kept running. I was actually doing it. I was cooking with my instapot. Next thing you know it was time to release the steam. After two failed attempts to release steam I got it! (It started to steam and I jumped not getting the release in the right position.)

The steam stopped. It was time to open the pot and I did. Sure enough it looked like food! I stirred the soup and it smelled good. Grant came home at this final process and said that something smelled good.

I served it up and we were happy campers. It tasted wonderful. The best part was it’s minimal dishes since it’s basically a one pot does everything. We really only had to wash the bowls, the spoon and the pot. I love easy clean ups!

Michigan

Glass Ornament Anyone?

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Oh boy. Where do I even start on this adventure! My friend Karen is really good at finding really awesome adventures for us and they are always the most eventful things I could ever think of.

Today’s epic adventure was to go to Epiphany Studios over in Pontiac! We didn’t start there though. We started at Roadside B&G. It was really cute. They had it decorated for Christmas and everything! My favorite was the branches over head with fake snow and twinkling lights. (Nothing is better than twinkling lights.) The atmosphere was great but the food was better!

I know that doesn’t seem real but it was. I got the best Berry Cocktail. It was light and fizzy plus raspberries. It tasted really amazing! Then my brunch was chicken and biscuits. It had eggs, gravy, chicken and biscuits (basically biscuits and gravy with eggs and chicken). It was savory and filling. I was a big fan! I’d be happy to go again if anyone wants to go with me. Karen had the breakfast burrito and then Sarah grabbed a soup and sandwich combo. The food was fantastic; we all really loved it.

After brunch we just gossiped and hung around the table until we were ready to head over to Epiphany Studios. Let me explain a little more about them. They are a glass blowing studio that is completely local and owned by women! If that isn’t the definition of shop local and empowering other women then nothing is!

When we first got there they have lights lining the walkway and glass ornaments in the trees! It couldn’t have been more beautiful. Then we walked in and my mind was blown. It was one of the most gorgeous things I’ve seen in a long time; the light sparking off the glass.

They had ornaments, vases and icicles that floated from the ceiling. It was breathtaking. The three of us were able to watch a few of the demos as they were blowing the icicles in front of us. They had a hand blown glass decanter that I really want for myself. It had paw prints on the glass plus the top of the decanter was a pup! Then the decanter comes with glasses that had color mixed in and paw prints! I don’t think it could honestly have been any better!

If you need any last minute Christmas Presents I encourage you all to check out local art galleries around your homes. They could be one of the most breathtaking pieces you’ve ever seen. I would happily accept anything they had as a Christmas Present myself!