Weekly Therapy: A change will do you good.*

September 11, 2015 - Mel

the week:
This has been a rough week. My job was realigned into a new department, on a new team, and I now also report to a new person. There has been a lot of confusion about how my role is changing for the company, and I’m really trying to be open about embracing those changes. What a lesson in organizational development and change management! I wish I was currently in those i/o-psych classes to tap into the experience a little more. And, maybe… help me process everything.

weekend:
It’s finally here — graduation and commencement! (Are they the same thing? WHO CARES! HOORAY!) I’m looking forward to spending some time with my family and celebrating this accomplishment. But also will be doing a LOT of thinking about my future on this weekend’s 16-mile (!!!) long run (I ended up registering for another half marathon to keep me accountable). I really think that I need that career coach.

52 books in 52 weeks:
I realized this week that I’m *tired* right now of reading self-development/inspirational/how-to books. I need a break and some more reading for fun. Have any good book recommendations? Please leave in the comments! I do prefer non-fiction, so a good memoir or biography that you’ve read would fit my interests.

seven things, seven days:
1. We went out (and subsequently got *smashed*) on a Sunday night when we found out that Howl at the Moon was having a luau because of the holiday weekend. We had a BLAST! Nice change of pace.
2. I’m all for social media, but can we PLEASE stop with the wedding hashtags?
3. Speaking of change, I had some lavender dyed into the “hidden”/underneath part of my hair. YOLO, amirite.
4. Pittsburgh blogger? Sign up for Allegheny Inn’s “Partei Für Blogger” happening next Friday.
5. The heel of my loafers somehow completely fell off on my walk to work on Thursday. Like, seriously life?
6. Performance sportswear gives psychological as well as physical boost
7. A breakdown of research about the role of Vitamin D in athletic performance — something that I’ve long considered is the reason behind all my persistent fatigue and exhaustion (I have extremely low levels of Vitamin D, despite supplementation; and yet, still have no answers as to why).

*can’t get that dang song out of my head!

Weekly Therapy: it’s the holiday season, so whoop-dee-do!

November 22, 2013 - Mel

the week:
Is it odd that, last Friday, for the first in the longest of times that I felt “pretty”? Maybe it was just my new eye makeup, or that the boyfriend and I had a really good date night, or maybe-just-maybe I am finally coming out of this stupid depressive, apathetic hole. I’m getting excited about coming back to derby within the next couple weeks too (hopefully this dang foot cooperates).

weekend:
Light Up Night! One of my favorite nights out in Pittsburgh. Also, one of the worst hangovers every year, so working ALL WEEKEND will be interesting. And then there’s Friendsgiving on Saturday…

There will be the usual carriage rides and gingerbread houses and the opening of the Christkindlmarkt in Market Square (People’s Gas Holiday Market) and fireworks (natch, it’s Pittsburgh), but this year’s celebrations also include FOOD TRUCKS. Get your nom on.

seven things, seven days:
1. I won a free piece of jewelry from local shop Jupe Boutique in a twitter contest — how nice is that?!
2. Trying not to think about my half birthday passing recently. How does this keep happening?! Age: What a bitch. The title of my memoir.
3. Ordered new skate boots for roller derby. And yes, they will be hot pink.
4. And then I had to order new boots from Splendid to offset my bank account being used solely for derby.
5. We spent three HOURS with an architect talking about possible renovations/gut job in our house (the second level needs help; and we need a real guest room).
6. My transcripts are complete, my transcripts are complete! Now if I could only get my advisor to return my emails.
7. It’s time to get Christmas Crazy! {via BurghBaby}

Don’t forget to hang up your sock!

Weekly Therapy: this is Halloween

November 1, 2013 - Mel

the week:
Halloween always used to be one of my favorite holidays, but not so much in the last few years. I did throw a DIY costume (old school diner waitress) together for work since we were given approval to dress up — and I’ll do anything to get out of my uniform for a day! But I mostly just love to pass out candy, since I live in a neighborhood with actual trick or treaters (and the adults who check to make sure your glass is always full).

halloween_football

Oh, and the roof is leaking somewhere new. Happy two year-anniversary, house!

weekend:
Road trip to Columbus, to celebrate with our friends getting married! I hear that an Insanity workout is part of the festivities. And a lot of drinking. Will report back. I’m really looking forward to this one though.

seven things, seven days:
1. Mesmerized by (and drooling over) all the Jonathan Alder home collections that I cannot afford. *sigh*
2. Free Halloween lunch at work!
3. ALL OF THE KIT-KATS.
4. Signed up for the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay with my fellow CrossFitters! Got Weights?
5. Purchased all the items in my Stitch Fix box again (even though I didn’t like an included scarf — it was lousy and WAY overpriced — the box was cheaper to keep everything). I am feeling overwhelmed now with my new wardrobe, so I’m taking a month off.
6. Lessons learned: Why You Shouldn’t Text Your Arguments {via PsychCentral}
7. The past is past. I love this post from Gabrielle Bogan. Speaks to my heart right now.

Positively Awesome Cleveland Trip: Day Three

September 26, 2013 - Mel

Day Three, and the last, in the series of my Positively Awesome trip to Cleveland. Check out day one and day two before reading on.

Day Three was a much shorter itinerary than the previous two: breakfast, activity, then released to explore on our own (most of us had to return home; I had to go back to Akron to pick up the boyfriend). I started my day with another incredible Americano at Erie Island coffee. Ooh, first check out my new jacket from Stitch Fix [affiliate link!] — totally a winner for this crisp, late-summer day in Cleveland!

jacket stitch fix delivery box

Our group breakfast was at Bon Bon Bakery in the Ohio City neighborhood, and the brunch was FANTASTIC. The table shared an “appetizer” of doughnuts. For my breakfast, I went the sweet route with French toast (that had sweet corn on it; weird, but oddly delicious!).

french toast

Afterward, we went back over to University Circle/Uptown to visit MOCA — a place that I was really hoping the fans of Positively Cleveland would recommend! We may have offset the actual decision of going to the Rock Hall, since most of us had already been there. MOCA did not disappoint! Not only is the building itself a stunner, but the collections were impressive.

MOCA cle

I was mesmerized by the Norton Furniture guy video installation… and finding penises in the artwork — which is, naturally, my forte (I may be 14 at heart, but joke’s on you… I found one!). The postcard exhibit was one of my favorites, anywhere; and the iTunes hallway a close second (we entered the stairwell to a full-on rave dance party, apparently, which was a total sensory overload of awesomeness).

MOCA bloggers

Another fun thing: in various locations around this part of Cleveland are themed pianos — available to play! — as part of the Play Me, I’m Yours series. This one was one outside MOCA on the sidewalk. I love interactive art, and this was something very unique to see (and hear). An older gentlemen stepped up and played some ragtime music by heart, just as we were walking into the museum. That’s the stuff.

play me piano moca

While I would have spent the entire afternoon at MOCA, there was a second activity planned — a visit to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens (there were signs for a Sunday sundae bar, which we didn’t stay for… but OMG that sounds amazing). Walking around, was a good time to unwind and get to know my fellow Pittsburgh blogger on the trip, The Steel Trap. And erase all the terrible memories I already had of the CBG (no fault of theirs; I attended a wedding there several years ago that I wish I could scrub from my brain — again, nothing to do with the location itself!).

Alas…

sensory bed BOTANICAL GARD

And then, in exhaustion and contentedness, our blogger trip was complete. I stopped into CLE clothing on my way out for a couple books and CLE/browns-colors t-shirts (conveniently located at the corner of Euclid and East 4th downtown). Thanks again to Positively Cleveland for the amazing trip — I really had a blast — and I can’t wait to return to explore even more Cleveland awesomeness.

Random shout out to the Sound 87.7, which kept me entertained with an awesome mix of music on my travels into/out of the city.

Disclosure: Positively Cleveland provided accommodations, meals and admission prices for my participation in this socially-driven trip. All opinions herein are my own.

Positively Awesome Cleveland Trip: Day One

August 27, 2013 - Mel

There is so much to write about this trip! Catch up on my Cleveland summary post first, then continue along with Day One’s itinerary below.

Day One:
After checking into the fabulous Holiday Inn Express downtown, we met our “tour director” April for our first meal. By social media poll, Positively Cleveland fans selected Jonathan Sawyer’s Noodlecat. This casual Asian spot on Euclid Avenue is a follow-up to the popular Greenhouse Tavern (just around the corner on East 4th Street!). A newbie to the noodle craze, I enjoyed my short rib ramen, but the fresh tomato steam bun was definitely the standout for me (sandwiches, man!). The lunch combo I selected came with a half salad (I picked the Asian chopped) and half aforementioned noodle choice — it was so much food for a midday meal. Yes, even for me.

After lunch, we ventured out to Rocky River Metroparks reservation for a little kayaking on the river with 41 North Kayak. We were able to paddle all the way out to the lake (where we ended up hitting some choppy wake waters… yikes). You all know that I LOVE being on the water — and miss being on a lake — and this was such a relaxing and enjoyable way to check out the Cleveland skyline.

There was a decided excitement from the group after being outfitted with Aquapac lanyards for our iPhones. I mean, we are a bunch of visiting bloggers… and yes, the phones worked inside the pouches! This is definitely going on my Christmas list.

Did I mention how beautiful the weather was? Because that definitely added to the trip.

After our outdoor adventure (and a short break), we met our minivan for an evening activity over in the Gordon Square Arts District. Our first stop: Third Fridays at the 78th Street Studios (another highlight of the trip for me). The studios are in an old American Greetings warehouse that was converted into work/art space and galleries.

As it sounds, every third Friday of each month there is an “open house” of sorts. There are lots of unique things to see (and buy!). Bonus: some of the galleries sell wine and beer. I was especially drawn to the driftwood store and a delicate silver branch necklace from another independent gallery. Unfortunately, we ran out of time, and I didn’t make it up to the third floor. Regardless, I have a few more things to add to that gift list.

cleveland terminal tower euclid avenue

For dinner, we had a strong competition in the online polls among our four choices: Luxe, Happy Dog, Spice & Pier W. Clevelanders picked Happy Dog (what is it with these weird hot dog places everywhere?). I was hoping to try something new (I’ve been to Happy Dog before), but I made sure to stray from my standard-dressed dog to kick up the adventure factor (that’s probably Adventure Mom rubbing off on me — the girl had OCTOPUS for lunch!): Spaghetti-O’s, Mac n’ Cheese, dill pickle and some kind of special hot sauce (that last one was a mistake… woof). Yes, I’m a 12-year-old in a 30-something body.

Our visit to the neighborhood (I’m unsure at this point if it’s still Gordon Square or Detroit-Shoreway?) resulted in an impromptu stop into Valerie Mayen’s store Yellowcake. Seriously, if I hadn’t just splurged in an online designer closeout sale, I would have come home with a new dress (with pockets) and a new skirt (with pockets). Gah, her stuff is adorable! Added to gift wish list.

Anyways, I ate my feelings in ice cream at Sweet Moses down the street. Keeping my 12-year-old self close, I loaded that sundae up with butterscotch sauce and marshmallow cream. The treat shop — named after Mr. Moses Cleaveland, the man behind the city’s namesake — is a throwback to old soda fountains and even has its own syrups and sodas. If you’re up for a challenge, Sweet Moses makes a Terminal Tower sundae that includes TEN SCOOPS of ice cream (one of each flavor) and is topped with hot fudge, sprinkles, pecans, marshmallow cream, whipped cream and cherries. That one will set you back $29.00. And probably a few Rolaids.

Saturday would prove to be an even busier itinerary, so it was early to bed for this blogger.
More about my Cleveland trip coming up in the next post!

Disclosure: Positively Cleveland provided accommodations, meals and admission prices for my participation in this socially-driven trip. All opinions herein are my own. Thanks to Positively Cleveland for the group pictures!

A 30-something in Cleveland: Positively Awesome Road Trip

August 22, 2013 - Mel

Go ahead, get your Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh hangups out of the way. I’ll wait…

Like Pittsburgh, Cleveland can get a bad rap sometimes. But they are both two beautiful (former) Rust Belt cities that are often misunderstood. And seriously underrated. I was thrilled to be invited by the Convention & Visitors Bureau of Cleveland to a special bloggers-only excursion. The itinerary for our three-day stay was suggested and decided by fans of Positively Cleveland on social media. Along with two bloggers from Cincinnati (Adventure Mom and The Food Hussy!) another fellow Pittsburgher (The Steel Trap and a breakfast blogger from Columbus (Breakfast With Nick) we got a look, taste and feel of the locals’ favorites.

LODGING: we stayed at the newly-remodeled Holiday Inn Express downtown — and this hotel is BEAUTIFUL. The room itself was very large — furnished with a super-comfy king bed, chair-and-ottoman, desk and bar area; I was in a corner suite that had high ceilings, wood floors (*swoon*) and a window facing Euclid Avenue. Did I mention it’s in a perfect location? The bed had those stupid square pillows that I hate, but THANK THE CLEVELAND GODS there were two firm (labeled, even; nice!). My bathroom was also big, clean — and contained a shower (no tub). The hotel also serves breakfast at 7am every day (I didn’t have the opportunity to check it out). I can’t begin to tell you how friendly the staff was upon my arrival too.

When I checked in, I had a welcome package reserved for me too; a messenger bag filled with Cleveland-centric items: coffee mug, coozie, bag of Campbell’s Dichotomy popcorn and a Lilly’s Chocolate bar. What a nice touch!

FOOD: Besides my hotel snacks, you might have heard that Cleveland is an epic foodie city, with local celebrity chefs a-plenty (um, Michael Symon, Jonathan Saywer, Zach Bruell, Chris Hodges to name a few). Not to mention, there are entire DISTRICTS devoted to the food scene.

ADVENTURE/LEISURE: Cleveland borders Lake Erie and is home to a park system of epic size. If the outdoors doesn’t appeal to you, there’s a block of theaters or a neighborhood filled with several world class museums — most of which are centered around University Circle; you’ll find the Cleveland Museum of Art, MOCA, Western Reserve Historical Society here. I love a city that appeals to the adventurous and outdoorsy and cultured traveler all alike.

NEIGHBORHOODS: Similar to Pittsburgh (maybe on a bit smaller scale), Cleveland is divided into neighborhoods — Ohio City, Detroit Shoreway, Tremont, Gordon Square, Uptown, etc. Each has its own character and highlights (many anchored by one of those aforementioned amazing restaurants), and unique entertainment, culture and shopping options.

OVERALL: We were positively EXHAUSTED (but well traveled!) by the end of the long weekend. There were definitely a few places that I wish I could have spent more time exploring (MOCA, one of several highlights of the trip for me), and there are only so many meals in one day for so many amazing restaurants. At only a two-hour trip from the ‘Burgh, this certainly won’t be my last trip to Cleveland.

THERAPY: I made some new blogger friends!
And hey, sometimes you just can’t beat a bed to yourself.

Stay tuned for all the details on the fun!

Disclosure: Positively Cleveland provided accommodations, meals and admission for my participation in this socially-driven trip. All opinions herein are my own. Thanks to April & Corinne at Positively Cleveland for the group pics too!

Weekly Therapy: I’m eating very well.

August 16, 2013 - Mel

the week:
Trying to manage a week where we had something going on every night (dinner with friends, date night dinner, dinner with friends, repeat). It’s Pittsburgh Restaurant Week, so food tends to happen. A lot.

We had an incredible meal at Toast! Monday night — the restaurant is showcasing two unique menus this week (each, five courses): vegan truffles or his n’ hers foie gras. We went with the latter. FOIE GRAS DONUTS was a course. GET THERE THIS WEEK IF YOU CAN. But seriously, get there any time because the food at Toast has always been delicious.

The other (new) restaurant we visited was just OK. I didn’t order from the Restaurant Week menu because it was mostly uninteresting (bonus, not: they have a limited menu because of PRW) and went a’la carte. There was kind of a “sticker shock” involved here and slow, mediocre service which led to an overall feeling of… meh. Too many amazing restaurants in Pittsburgh to complain about the bad ones.

weekend:
Taking a social trip to Cleveland. Follow along on twitter (@30sTherapy). While you’re at it, like 30sTherapy on Facebook too.

Also, we’re playing our last away game in regular season Saturday in the Akron area. Then it’s PLAYOFFS!

seven things, seven days:
1. Cakestyle is no more (sad for the company), but that doesn’t mean I didn’t score a few awesome pieces during their closeout sale!
2. My new piano book is missing almost 20 pages — total misprint on behalf of the publisher. What the hell.
3. The (gigantic) bruise I got at last weekend’s game has plank marks in it from the floor of the skating rink. FOR REAL.
4. Hey, I had a make-your-own Asian noodles meal this week! I never understood the trend, but naturally, I’m just another 30-something (fashionably) late to the party — LOVE!
5. We finally rented a carpet cleaner to deal with the cat “mistakes” on the area rugs around the house. We figured it would be a bonus to clean the upstairs carpets too… until the cats peed on them, too, immediately afterward. I can’t deal anymore.
6. Anyone have experience with Blue Apron or Hello Fresh (or similar food delivery services)? I’m interested.
7. Life’s Priorities: are you too busy… or are there just more important things right now? {via Art of Non-Conformity}

Weekly Therapy: April!!!!!!

April 5, 2013 - Mel

the week:
This week, I started my April 30 Challenge to “do something new every day.” The opportunity is there to do some amazing things… but a few things will be kind of ridiculous. And by ridiculous, I mean, I NEED IDEAS! Won’t you leave some in the comments?

Also this week was my annual skin cancer screening. I had to have a biopsy ON MY FACE. Thankfully, it was tiny, so I didn’t need stitches. BUT STILL: ON MY FACE. For the record, it wasn’t a mole either, which makes it all the more scary. Ladies, if you haven’t stopped with the tanning beds and vacations full of sun exposure, I feel it’s my purpose to tell you STOP. NOW.

And don’t forget the sunscreen.

weekend:
I’m taking yet another road trip to Ohio this weekend. We have a game on Saturday, so I’m making a mini-vacay out of it: dinner (and carb load) with an old friend on Friday; hockey game on Sunday. Plus, we’re seemingly out of the season of 800 layers (woo).

If you’re looking for something to do in Pittsburgh, check out this Awesome Events post from I Heart PGH.

seven things, seven days:
1. One of my reviews made it into the Weekly Yelp!
2. Speaking of Yelp, we went to a performance at the new Arcade Comedy Theater on Monday courtesy of the social network. So much funny.
3. BASEBALL!!! (you’re going to get a lot of that from me this time of year)
4. Second year in a row that I won some cash from the scratch-off lottery ticket in my Easter Basket. BINGO!
5. I don’t know how I got subscribed to The Red Bulletin magazine (from Red Bull), but it’s my absolute favorite right now for its stories of travel and wonderful articles on adventure-seekers.
6. I applied for a job at google… kinda blew my mind hitting “send” on my resume. Why not, right?
7. Can you believe that more than HALF of Americans shop in order to feel better? {StyleCaster article} Ahem. I am one of you.

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