Lately, I've taken to admitting: I am particularly susceptible to Instagram advertising.

I mean, to some extent, aren't we all? This is a big-money business. In the third quarter of 2018, Instagram generated an estimated $2 billion - which accounted for 15% parent company of Facebook’s $13 billion in ad revenue. And that's only expected to continue to grow.

Something about Instagram ads, in particular, just feels so perfectly targeted. They're always speaking to me, man. I'm a marketer! I should know better! It's embarrassing! And yet, I keep on hitting that "Order" button on products I first discover through social media.

Here are five of the products that snagged me - & whether they were worth it.

Write On: Where to Find My Newest Non-Blog Stuff

I don't know how interested you are in reading more from me, given that I blog here pretty darn often, but in case you are interested, well, I thought I'd share some of the things I've written lately, all rounded up in one easy spot (as much for my benefit as for yours, if I'm being honest).

Yes, I've had a lot of deadlines to meet lately, & sometimes it feels like every spare moment is spent writing something else, but it also feels totally worth it to do what I love & to love what I do, cliches be damned. (Find more of my thoughts about whether or not I am a writer/journalist in the caption of this recent Instagram post).

Here's where (else) you can find me these days...

5 True Crime Stories I Recommend... that AREN'T Murder-Related

When you hear the term "true crime," you probably think murder. With the rise in popularity of podcasts like My Favorite Murder & some of my other faves (check them out here, though I need to update the list), that's the crime most commonly associated with the genre.

But, of course, there's more to crime than murder - & thus, there's more to the genre of true crime pop culture content, too. Here are a few of the things I've been reading / watching / listening to in the genre of true crime that aren't all of the murdery books I've read lately.

Dancing Wheels, the World-Renowned Dance Company Based Right Here in CLE

Here's something you may not know about me: One of the issues nearest & dearest to my heart is that of disability rights advocacy.

In 2007, when I started my first job at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, one of the issues in my legislative portfolio was disability rights. I worked with the late Rabbi Lynne Landsberg, who became my friend & mentor, on passage of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, which amended the Americans with Disabilities Act to better protect people with disabilities. One of the biggest honors of my life was to be on Capitol Hill the day that bill became law.

These days, I serve on my company's Disability Inclusion Committee, & I'm still involved in & passionate about disability inclusion. I was thrilled, then, when I was invited to attend a rehearsal of Dancing Wheels, an internationally renowned dance company based in Cleveland - started 38 years ago by one of the world's first professional wheelchair dancers.

6 Small Goals for June

Whoaaaa, hello, summer! As always seems to be the case, this year sure is moving along at a clip... Here's how the last of my spring goals went:

1. Get my airbags replaced. I'm crossing this off even though it's not yet done. When I finally called, I had to wait for an available appointment - which is happening later this week. Bonus: I had to change the name on my car insurance in order to get a rental car during the airbag replacement; while on the phone with my insurance company, I also upgraded Mike's & my combined insurance, so I completed additional adulthood chores while working on the airbag one! 

What I Read in May

OK, bear with me: I read a lot of murdery stuff in May, which I know isn't for everyone. I'm still chuggin' away at my Harry Potter reread, but I got in a few more books last month, too, namely because I blew through a few true crime audiobooks while I traveled. So like I said: lotsa murdery stuff.

That said, I have a ton of unread hardcover fiction books here at home, so I'm trying not to borrow or buy anything new until I've made it through at least a few of them in the coming summer months - which means June should be a much less crime-heavy reading month for me. If true crime isn't your jam, don't give up on my reviews yet!

The Best of My Trip to D.C.: 11 Things I Did While in My Old City

I don't usually miss my life in Washington, D.C. Honestly, it feels like a long time ago - & it was. This fall will mark five years since I moved back to Ohio, & I've only been back to D.C. a handful of times since then. The last time was in February 2018 for a funeral, so it's not like I got in a lot of good visiting. 

I was excited, then, to be asked to staff a conference at my old office (which is an affiliate of the organization for which I currently work). Working a conference is no joke; I knew I wouldn't have any time to explore, see friends, or do anything but work. To get in some extra time in the city, I extended by trip by stay for two & a half extra days. I worked through two, then took a comp day on Friday & did some adventuring with my friend Arielle, who took off work to hang.

Babes Who Brunch: The Outdoor Breakfast Picnic I Threw with Friends

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Spring is something special, especially in Cleveland. In a city of extremes – very cold winters & very hot (at least for me!) summers – it’s a rarity to enjoy temperate weather and sunshine all at once. When the weather’s nice, I try to maximize my time outside (more on the specifics in an upcoming post).

Because of my many recent & upcoming travels, I felt like I hadn’t seen much of my friends lately. What better way to get together than over an outdoor brunch picnic in the spring sun?

I’m not much of a cook, so I put together a “menu” that required very limited effort or culinary talent on my part, aside from some prep work. I knew my friends (Lilly, Erin, & Molly) wouldn’t mind, either, because our top priority was hanging out.

My Favorite (Annual!) Way to Explore the CLE

June 21st-23rd is Visit Me in CLE Weekend, when Destination Cleveland wants local residents to host out-of-town friends & family here in the Forest City - & I'm already working on a "48 Hours in Cleveland" post for any outside-the-CLE folks who are planning a visit.

But another exciting exploration event starts that weekend, too: the 6th annual Cleveland Young Professionals Week, hosted by Engage! Cleveland, is an opportunity for local twenty- and thirtysomethings to try out the best of what this city has to offer its younger audience.

Real-talk: I'm feeling sliiightly self-conscious because, at 34, I'm on the brink of no longer qualifying as a "young professional." Yikes, that feels weird! How did I get so old so quickly? But I do love YP Week, & I'm a media partner again this year, so I still count for now. (Get back at me next summer, though, when I'm a whopping 35 years old & feelin' reaaaal strange about life.)

The Best Restaurant Experience I've Ever Had: The Tasting Menu at Rose's Luxury

When I travel, I sometimes like to save up for one nice meal. That's not to say that the other meals I eat aren't nice, but we're talkin', like, money nice. I can't always swing it, but when I can, well, I want to try to eat something while away that I just can't get while at home. 

On my recent trip to D.C., that meal came from Rose's Luxury - & oh, what a luxurious meal it was.