I don't know that "CLE Weekends" is the right name for this series, after all. It's essentially a round-up up anything fun, tasty, or otherwise notable that I've done lately... & often not on the weekends at all! Because summer is in full-sing, we've been busier than usual, going out with friends (& each other) not just on Saturdays & Sundays but during the work week, too.

I'm feeling a little bit burned out these days, to be honest, because as extroverted as I am, I also need a lot of alone time to recharge, to write, to sleep, to just be. I don't have quite as much planned in July as I did in June, so I'm hoping things will slow down a bit while remaining fun.

Here's what I've loved lately. How about you?

Luxe pizzas from Chatty's

We met up with some of Mike's coworkers for dinner at Chatty's Pizzeria in Bay Village, where I'd never been. I once interviewed the owner, though, & he was super nice, so I knew I wanted to check it out. And it did not disappoint. Right across from Lake Erie & with breezy outdoor seating, this place has vibes as great as its food. 

The potato pizza is the closest approximation I've ever found to my all-time favorite pizza (from Pizzeria Paradiso in D.C.), & Mike called the Sweet Meat "maybe the best pizza [he's] ever had." He got it on "Grandma-style crust," which is thick & focaccia-like, topped with burrata. And I also loved the white peach sangria wine slushie!

Artsy things from Moonfish Studios 

I popped into Brewella's, as I like to do on the weekends, for a coconut cream cold brew & a crepe, & while I waited for my food, I browsed the items for sale near the register. I spotted this little hand-painted pot from Moonfish Studios containing a small, flowering succulent... for only $3! 

It has a very small flaw in the paint, so the artist had apparently put it on super-sale. But I felt like I was stealing it, so I paid $5 instead, which honestly still felt like stealing. It's so cute, & the flaw is so teeny-tiny that it barely exists.

Upscale casual vibes at Michael Angelo's 

I took off work for my mom's birthday, & we met up at Michael Angelo's, a winery/eatery/bakery in Richfield, which is about halfway between us (& Mike's hometown!) It's such a nice spot, with a fancy air to it (& slightly fancy prices) but an overall casual, chatty atmosphere. 

It's café-style, not a full-service restaurant, so you order at the counter. We split crab cakes, the coconut shrimp, & the summer mix salad with peaches & blue cheese, plus a bottle of white wine. Then we each picked out our desserts: a lemon tart for her, a pineapple macaron & two chocolate-covered strawberries for me. Everything was delicious!

Uterus cookies from Sweet Costo x Lekko

When I saw that pro baker Sweet Costo was making uterus cookies to raise money for Preterm, a local abortion clinic, I knew I had to get one. Her desserts are always incredible, & I love cookies for a cause. I snagged the last one that day. 

They're $4 apiece at Lekko Coffee in Hingetown, & they taste just as good as they look. Because these are specifically for a fundraiser, might I suggest buying something else from Sweet Costo, too? She works hard, & her sweet treats are unparalleled. 

Cheering on the Cleveland Guardians 

My work's marketing department rented out the second floor of The Corner  Bar at Progressive Field, home of the newly rebranded Cleveland Guardians. I hadn't yet been to a game, so it was a nice opportunity to go for free and to spend time with my coworkers, who I rarely see in person. 

Food was provided, so I didn't end up getting any fun stadium food, though one of my coworkers did get Barrio nachos that looked pretty delicious. The Guardians won in the ninth inning, which we of course missed, as we'd left a little early to beat traffic. 

Happy hour with friends at Condado 

Speaking of Barrio... I prefer Condado Tacos, its closest competitor, but it's only on the far east & west sides, which aren't very close to me. I was excited for an excuse to go, then, when some friends decided to meet up for a weekday happy hour. 

I only got one taco, & if I'm being honest, it wasn't that memorable. But that's OK because I filled up on the chips & salsa verde (so good) & a prickly pear frozen margarita (so good). It was a hot, sunny day, & the restaurant opens from the side, so the whole place felt like a patio. Perfect!

Where have you been lately? Anywhere fun? Anywhere I need to try? And if you're not in Cleveland, what kind of spots have you been loving lately? 

My Lakewood Bucket List

There's so much I want to do in Lakewood that I can hardly keep track of it... so I decided to start keeping track of it. I've been keeping a list in my phone of all the things I want to do & places I want to try, & I've finally assembled it all in one place here so that I can actually work my way through it.

There's also still so much I don't know about Lakewood, even though I've lived nearby for the last seven years. If you live in the area & see any oibvious gaps on the list or have other suggestions for places you think I need to go, lemme know! I want to do & see it all.

17 Recent Amazon Purchases I Love

Amazon Prime Day is coming July 12-13, & while I know that a lot of people have stopped using Amazon, I nervously confess here that I still use it with some regularity. I do most of my day-to-day shopping from Target, but there's just so much on Amazon, & it comes so quickly, &... I don't know. This is probably something I need to reckon with, but I'm honestly just not there yet.

I thought I'd share some of my recent favorite purchases. They're all over the place, topics-wise, from home goods to beauty items to completely random shit, but they're all putting in the work for me. Might as well share!

Sandwiches & Shave Ice, Beer & Boba Tea (CLE Weekends, Pt. 5)

None of my recent weekends has been jam-packed enough for its own post, but little by little, we've been on some fun mini-adventures, almost all of them involving something delicious to eat or drink. I thought it might be time to round up a few of them.

What have you been up to? And if you live in Northeast Ohio, especially, can you recommend some good spots for me to check out? You know I'm always on the hunt!

Here's where we've been as of late. 

10 Podcasts I'm Loving Lately (+ One That I Host)

Have we talked about podcasts lately? I don't think we've talked about podcasts lately. For the most part, I listen to a lot of podcasts about The Bachelor franchise, which is what brought me to the medium in the first place. But when the show is on hiatus, I don't know what to listen to!

Plus, lately I've been trying to scale back some of my true crime pods, for the sake of my mental health. I still tune in sometimes, but aside from the two on this list, I don't typically go the true crime route as much these days. 

Here are some of the podcasts I've been loving lately. 

What I Read in May

May down, and five books with it. I'm at 32 books of my 75-book goal for the year.

Lately I've been a hard time figuring out what to read. I loved the four Julie Buxbaum books I read in April, & since then I've been floundering a bit, like... what could live up to them? And I want good mysteries, especially ones set at boarding schools, but I can't seem to find anything that feels right.

So here's what I've got, all pretty good but none quite fitting the bill of what I'm really craving. Any recs? Hit me up. Until then...

I'm a Boxer Now, I Guess?

On a whim one day in March, I joined my friend Erin at a free boxing class. I thought it was just a class, but it was actually a demo day leading up to the start of a 10-week session. I had absolutely no intention of starting 10 weeks of anything, much less boxing... but I left that hour-long class ready to try. I registered the next day.

Let me be clear: I am not particularly good at boxing, even now, seven weeks into the session. But I feel a lot like I did when I first discovered cycling classes (the first time I decided that I loved it, not the actual first time, when when I almost vomited & then cried). I feel like my body is doing something, & it's exciting, especially at a time when I am struggling so much with weight gain & body image.

On Trying Not to Hate My Body

Trigger warning: This post discusses weight, including my complex feelings about my own weight gain. Read at your own risk, please, especially if you, too, struggle with your weight & may be triggered by reading about my recent issues.

The only word for what has happened to my body in the past year is "ballooned." My body has ballooned. I have ballooned. I have gained about 30 lbs. in just over a year, & I'm not sure I'm done.

I haven't started eating worse. If anything, I've started eating better, cooking from home more often & making healthier choices when I go out or order in. I rarely drink anymore. And for once in my life, I actually can't remember the last time I binged. 

But it hasn't made a difference.

What I Read in March & April

I didn't post book reviews at the end of March because by the end of March, I'd only read two books. Figured I'd wait & bundle them... & then I forgot to share them altogether. Whoops. 

Now I'm on a roll, barreling through May, & though the month is nearly over, I'm going to save those for the next post. In the meantime, I'm posting reviews over on my bookstagram account on an ongoing basis, as I finish each book. 

So anyway. Here's what I've been up to, reading-wise, as of late. How about you?

Exploring Lakewood: A Few New Faves

As the weather warms up, I’m starting to explore more of my new neighborhood. Last weekend, I started with a bit of a solo exploration day, meeting up with Mike for lunch. I visited a few spots that aren't included here yet because there was just so much to do & to see. That just means there's more to share soon.

If you're a Cleveland person, I'd love for you to share some of your favorite local spots to tell me what else I need to check out. Obviously I've been a Clevelander for awhile now (seven years this summer), but my Lakewood knowledge could use some work. Get at me!