Friday Night Fave: Harness Cycle + Jukebox

This past Friday was Galentine's Day-- a day popularized by none other than Leslie Knope on Park and Recreation. As a Parks and Rec and general Amy Poehler fan, naturally I was game to get behind a Galentine's Day celebration, so when I received the email from Harness Cycle about their Galentine's ride-- my bike bestie Sara and I jumped at the chance. The studio was a sea of red and pink, girl power thick in the air.

After a sweaty 45 minutes, Sara and I headed over next door to JUKEBOX for some drinks and pierogies. We split the Mac-n-Cheese and vegan Buffalo chickpea pierogies, and we so blown away by the buffalo chickpea that we promptly ordered a second round! JUKEBOX is quickly becoming one of my favorite bars in Cleveland-- super low-key with the nicest people-- a true neighborhood bar, made even better when you're with people you love and enjoy!

Even though Galentine's Day only comes about once a year, Harness hosts a happy hour ride each Friday. I highly recommend spending a Friday evening with a friend (or significant other) riding bikes and getting drinks next door! Who knows, maybe I will even see you there!

New Year, New Post

When 2014 rolled around, I had one goal-- to end the year with a different job than I started it. And I'm happy to report that in June of 2015, I succeeded!! That was also around the time my blog activity died way, way off, but it was worth it. I was getting in the swing of things in my new role, learning a lot, and finding my footing. Fast forward to 6 months later, and I feel really good about where I'm at, career-wise. I'm in a role that challenges me, I'm learning everyday, and I'm having a lot of fun! All said and done, goal achieved!!

So now its 2015, and I really only have two goals:
1. To get back in the swing of blogging: I missed it. I've missed you.

2. To become a spin instructor. And not just a "I'm licensed to teach", I mean a full fledged spin instructor who creates real playlists for other people to ride to. I AM SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, that I absolutely cannot wait to get started. That said, I do have to wait a little bit for a training to be held and get going, so in the mean time, I'm just trying to ride 3x/week. You can usually find me at Harness at 6 am on Tuesday and Thursday, and once on the weekend, so maybe I will see you riding on a bike next to me?

Oh, and one more thing: on January 1st, I started a little series on Instagram called #100daysofsparkle, which is basically me posting pictures of the sparkly jewelry I wear everyday! Yes, it is very rare for me to be sans jewelry (sometimes I wear bracelets to spin), so if you do see me and I'm not wearing any jewelry at all, there is definitely something wrong with me! Anyway, I hope you will check it out-- I'm @cleshopaholic on Instagram as well!

Happy 2015 everyone!! Hope this year is exactly what you want it to be!

The THIRD Annual Spin for Strays!! Sign up details!!

My support for Secondhand Mutts and my love for pscyle have both been very well documented on this blog. For the past two years, Jenn and Scott Sommers, owners of pscyle, have been amazing champions and supporters of Secondhand Mutts by hosting the annual Spin for Strays fundraiser.

The past two years have been an incredible success, and I hope that this year is no exception. We have changed a few things this year though-- unlike in prior years, the THIRD ANNUAL SPIN FOR STRAYS is being held on a Saturday. This way, no one has to rush in from work, and it doesn't interfere with Friday Happy Hour. We've also timed it so that it doesn't impede Saturday naps, or Saturday evening plans, and still gives riders the opportunity to stick around for a post-ride adult beverage!

The details!
When: Saturday, April 27th, at 4 pm

Where: pscyle: 24945 Detroit Road (between Clague and Columbia Rd. exits on I-90)

Why: This is a donation only ride, with a suggested donation of $15. All proceeds from the event go directly to support the pups at Secondhand Mutts. Also, you will burn a boatload of calories (between 500-800 on average), get sweaty, and have a LOT OF FUN!!!

Who: EVERYONE!!! This is an all levels ride and no prior spin experience is necessary. Its a great time to try spinning if you've never been before, and a ride at pscyle is very different from a lot of other spin classes around town. For one, you ride to the beat of the music... and the music? IS AWESOME!! Jenn will have an incredible and energizing playlist to guide you on your ride. If you've ever wished you were in NYC or LA to experience the celeb-favorite SoulCycle, a psycle class will give you a good inkling of what to expect.

How: sign up here. (alternatively go to pscyletherapy.com, click on schedule, and then click on events to sign up). There are ONLY 32 bikes, so make sure you reserve yours today.


Last year was SUCH a blast--- take a look at some of the pics:

Getting our ride on!

Meeting adoptable pups prior to the ride

Bloggers on bikes

You can view more pictures here.

So, I hope that you join me for this incredible event. Its only an hour of your time, and really, such an incredible cause. Secondhand Mutts has a lot of great dogs available for adoption right now, and while the website is being revamped, you can find them all on petfinder! You can also follow Secondhand Mutts on Facebook for up-to-date info! Hope to see you there!! 

XO 

PSYCLE de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!! Hope you had a super fun time, because I certainly did. Although, instead of margaritas and guacamole, I was sweating my behind off at the VERY FIRST RIDE at the newest spin studio in the Cleveland region: PSYCLE. Its so new in fact that the construction isn't even complete. But, we're a dedicated group of spinners, and damn it, we wanted a class with our favorite instructor, the fabulous Ms. Jenn Sommers! PYSCLE is founded by Jenn, her husband Scott, and the a**-kicking Ed Meyer, and in a few weeks, they will have a full roster of classes and instructors available for you to experience.

I will have a more detailed post on PSYCLE early next week, including a CONTEST, so say tuned!!! In the mean time, here are some early preview pics:

Brand new bikes ride oh so smoooooooth

The fabulous JV and soon-to-be PSYCLE instructor Michelle!

I'm seriously so excited about this place! I can't wait to share more details with you. It will CHANGE you.