30 Isn't So Bad

Thank you for all of the birthday wishes, everyone! Between the comments on my birthday giveaway yesterday, my Twitter feed, Facebook wall, email, and phone...I certainly felt loved as I celebrated turning 30. Boy, did I celebrate! On Fat Tuesday, it was very fitting and we certainly indulged all day. I had an amazing day with "R", as we played hooky and enjoyed a fabulous day out in Cleveland.

It started with a lunch date at Washington Place Bistro.

Bubbles were necessary, and I had their Mushroom Soup and Mack & Cheese. All of it was so delicious. This is such a great spot for any special occasion meal.

Then, we headed over to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. "R" hadn't been since his fourth grade trip, and I've never been-- so it's been on our to-do list for a while now. Since it was a chilly Tuesday in February, we almost had the whole place to ourselves as we checked out the exhibits and watched a show in the Planetarium.

Ladies, did you know that they have an entire room dedicated to gems? It was gorgeous, and I was drooling. It certainly had many exhibits geared towards children, but I think there was enough there for adults to enjoy it as well. Something for everyone, and I'm glad that we went and visited. For the two hours that we spent exploring, it was worth the $32 price tag (for two people).

Next up? A stop at Gallucci's Italian Market on Euclid. "R" often shops there for spices in bulk (it's dirt cheap), but I've never been. I didn't realize that they had a deli counter, fresh pastas and sauces, a wine section, a cheese counter, and so much more. We picked up some interesting bruschetta dips, fresh pasta, and two kinds of cheese. What a fun place!

Our last stop before heading home was at A Cookie and A Cupcake. What birthday is complete without cake? And they have my favorite cupcakes. I love their German Chocolate. It was a perfect sweet treat to end our Cleveland "staycation" day.

We headed home to hang out for a bit and get cleaned up for dinner at Parallax. I love Bruell's restaurants, but haven't been to Parallax in five years! So it was time for a return visit. More on that later this week...

Thank you again for all of the birthday wishes. If this is what 30 feels like, then I'm pretty pumped for this next decade of my life!