Oops!

Haha, the blog is not defunct. In fact, Dan and I have been condo hunting in the Gateway Quarter lately, and learning a lot about Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine in the process. More on that soon... we're in a bit over our heads with all the new real estate jargon on top of already crazy holiday stuff. (And no promises on the condo, so don't get too jazzed. Just in the beginning stages of consideration.)

But people really seem to like the comic book wrapping paper post, so in the mean time I'll show you a few more I've wrapped up. This has been a really fantastic alternative for me this year-- I haven't bought a single scrap of traditional wrapping paper. These presents look so much more me anyhow. You like?

New finds at Findlay

No secret: I've been falling in love with Findlay Market for months now. I've bought all my pasta, bread, fresh fruit and veggies, gelato, and more there since we started frequenting the market.

But lately I've been trying to find new things to buy and experiment with. Here are two of my best recent finds: the first, a dried pepper bouquet. I gave this to my mom as a sort of hostess gift when she had an early Christmas (or late Thanksgiving) party at her house. I'm trying to stay away from the cut flower business-- and they tend to die anyway. ;) This will last forever, the peppers are still edible, and it looks and smells vibrant and delicious.


The second, from the Herbs and Spice and Everything Nice stand (across from Dojo Gelato), is lavender sugar. I had never even heard of this before my friend Jennifer mentioned it on Twitter. I talked to the ladies at the stand about it, and they suggested I try a tablespoon in a regular sugar cookie recipe. The result was phenomenal-- I got a lot of "oh WOW"s when people tried them at work. It's not a taste you're expecting-- floral is not something I usually associate with cookies. If you're feeling adventurous, throw a bit in your next batch of cookies-- no more than a tablespoon though, because a little goes a loooooong way.

Findlay Market Myths

I'm loving this blog post by Daisy Mae's Market, rounding up her top six myths about my darling Findlay Market. Did you know, for example, that Findlay has two full-time beat cops?

Findlay Market Myths

Architrek: Downtown & Over-the-Rhine

Man, it's been like ten whole minutes since I've talked about architecture!

The Cincinnati Preservation Society puts together "Architreks," which are exactly what they sound like. Some are guided walking tours through Cincinnati, but the one we took this afternoon was on a trolley. Here's what a trolley is:

The trolley is not optimal for this kind of tour because you can only see the buildings from about the knee down, but I tell you what-- when it's 30 degrees out, you get over that real quick-like.

Dan, our tour guide, was fun and awesome, and I hope we run into him next year when we go on some of the walking tours. He says those are better, because you're able to spend more time looking at the details of the buildings.


We also ran into @nth_degree on our tour! Hello Evan and Sarah! All your shirt is belong to us, please!


Apologies, geek moment. Anywho, loved this tour and I will definitely be looking into other offerings by the Cincinnati Preservation Society. Has anyone done a walking tour? They do them in a bunch of different Cincinnati neighborhoods throughout the year.

Cincinnati Preservation Society: http://cincinnatipreservation.org/
Architreks information: http://cincinnati-walks.org/
A few more pictures, taken by Dan: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rrrrred/sets/72157622818066833/

Christmas trees @ Findlay Market

When Dan and I decided to buy our Christmas tree, Findlay Market was not where my mind first went. My family has bought trees from various lots and farms, but it occurred to me that it would make sense for Findlay to carry them-- I couldn't find much about it online, so it was a bit of a shot in the dark.


I was thrilled to see they trees, and even more thrilled to see that the proceeds of the sales went to support AIDS research through Stop AIDS. There is more information floating around the internet now that it's not December 1st and normal people are starting to think about getting their trees. I still wanted to make sure to spread the word and let others know that if you're in the area and you haven't purchased your tree yet, there are locally-grown, freshly-cut awesome-pants spruces, firs and pines waiting for you at Findlay.



As a follow-up to my comic book wrapping paper post, I thought I'd show you how else I put them to work. This is Dan and my first tree, so we are completely free of ornaments... I put together a humongous paper chain and, with our newly purchased LEDs, it serves as the only decoration we have.

Dojo Gelato giveaway results!

You thought I forgot, didn't you?!

5schw4r7z!! My brother randomly chose your entry and I owe you a $5 gift card to Dojo! Hit me up with some postal info and I'll slap that baby in the mail tomorrow!

A big thank you goes out to everyone who entered. What should I give away next time?

Wrapping paper alternatives

As I try to buy more and more locally, I find myself wandering around stores like Target and CVS even less than usual. I need shampoo... what, once a month? Most everything I need, I can find at a local business.

Now what about wrapping paper? I was once an avid believer in those $4.99 rolls of shiny paper-on-a-tube... some even had the grids drawn on the back so you could cut perfect lines. Lovely!

Last year, my mom wrapped her presents in old maps. Those gifts were more gorgeous than anything Hallmark could throw together. This year I'm taking a page (yuk yuk) from her book and wrapping my gifts in old comic books. My brothers will love the look of it, it definitely reflects my style more than polar bears and candy canes, and I'm reusing something I might have thrown away later. (While I'd like to say that I'm supporting local comic book stores-- I think these issues set me back <$1.00 each. Not much help there!)

So whaddya think? Trashy or clever? How are you wrapping your gifts this year, and what does it say about you?

P.S. That last photo is of some grocery-bags-turned-gift-wrap. With the help of some crayons and doodles by Dan and myself, we've rounded out the rest of our wrapping (so far)!

Local 127

It was completely fortuitous: a coworker and I were completely sick of eating lunch at the same 5 places within quick walking distance of our office. As we strolled up 4th Street, I noticed that Local 127 had paper menus in a folder outside, and there was a sign saying that they were now open for lunch.

What we didn't know was that it was their first day of being open for lunch.

After we ordered, we were given free mini cups of soup-- their white bean and bacon, which was fantastic. Creamier than I'm used to, and that was a good thing. The bacon was crisp-ay.

Then our main courses arrived-- I, of course, forgot to take a picture because I was too busy shoving my face into my grass-fed, perfectly-medium burger. No complaints there.

Afterward, though we hadn't ordered dessert, we were again gifted with free tiny samples. Their chocolate pudding was perfect-- not too sweet. I wish desserts actually came in that tiny portion size-- enough to enjoy the sweet sugary-ness, but not enough to seriously regret later.

And then, THEN, our bill came with warm chocolate chip cookies. Warm, I tell you! They assured us that it will be a regular part of the lunch experience, and not just a first-day thing like the soup and pudding.

The prices were nice (for a classier business lunch than usual), the waitstaff was overly attentive (I hope that will calm down a bit after the novelty wears off), the food was delicious and the atmosphere was nice. I'll definitely be there again.

Hm, the UrbanSpoon rating is pretty darn low. Maybe the dinner experience doesn't live up to the casual lunch fare?

Local 127's website: http://www.mylocal127.com/

Go <3 your own city.

From imgfave. ...It felt appropriate.

"Building Holidays" trolley tours Downtown

Wanted to share this post from UrbanCincy about the ARCHITREKS tour this Saturday. I called yesterday and they still had seats available on both the 11AM and 1PM tour.

"Building Holidays" trolley tours Downtown

Posted using ShareThis

Trailside Nature Center, Wolff Planetarium

Nestled in Burnet Woods is the Trailside Nature Center, and nestled in there is Wolff Planetarium. It's open very infrequently-- they do planetarium shows maybe twice a month-- but it's worth visiting if you get a chance.

Our show was about Orion-- the guide told the mythological stories about him, showed us where he lays in the sky at different times of the year, and pointed out other constellations around him. The show was an hour and only $3/person.



Trailside Nature Center's website: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cityparks/pages/-3444-/

Shake It Records

How incredible is Shake It Records?

Dan and I stopped by after hitting up Northside Tavern for the Crafty Supermarket. (I think a lot of people had that same idea.)

I had thought that Shake It Records was all music, but I was wrong. Tons of memorabilia, toys, books, magazines, more more more. I bought a handful of things, but I can't tell you what-- Christmas stuff!



Shake It Records' website: http://www.shakeitrecords.com/Shakeit-store.html

Crafty Supermarket

This year saw Crafty Supermarket's very first incarnation. Planted in the adorable neighborhood of Northside (specifically in Northside Tavern), this little local-goods flea market was a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

There was a huge turnout-- from what I heard, it was much busier when it opened at noon, and by the time I got there (1-2pm) it was still swarming.

There was a plethora of local vendors and craftmachers, and I hope they bring this fest around more than even just once a year. Unfortunately I didn't end up buying anything-- I'm in Christmas mode, and while *I* wanted every single thing in that room, there just wasn't anything that fit the family members on my list.

Crafty Supermarket's website: http://craftysupermarket.wordpress.com/
Northside Tavern's website: http://lisalouuu.com/northsidetavern/html/

Don't forget: Dojo gift card giveaway!

Here's a picture of the Dan, drinking a Dojo Fluffernutter milkshake (gelatoshake?):

How can YOU get YOUR hands on a Dojo shake, or a big, fat, heapin' scoop of gelato? Don't forget to visit our previous post about Unchained Cincinnati and leave your comment for a chance at a free $5 Dojo Gelato gift card.

Paintball Country Ohio

Who's up for paintball?!

We were. My first time ever playing this game was in January, to celebrate my baby brother's 18th birthday. Ever since then, my gang of friends has been itching to play again. We were waiting until the weather cooled down so that we could layer up again... though that didn't exactly work out for us. Mid-November, gorgeous sunny warm weather.

If you're looking for a place in the area, I really love Paintball Country Ohio, out in West Chester. This place has a ton of land (the proprietor also owns a farm) and there are various scenarios set up outside. Some are your basic elimination setups, others are capture-the-flag types... we even got to take a bus out to the woods this time. Great fun.

Also, for the budget conscious: $30 gets you an all-day pass to the field, 500 paintballs, a rental gun and mask, an all the C02 refills you need. And if you have a group like we did, you get your own referee (so you're not playing against the speedballers) and they'll set you up with pizza and a party room.

Paintball Country Ohio website: http://paintballcountryohio.com/PaintballCountry/paintball.html

Cincinnati Unchained, + contest!

Earlier this week, Dojo Blogato wrote a post about BuyCincy's Cincinnati Unchained. It was the first I'd heard of it, though it wasn't the last.

Cincinnati Unchained is an event to draw attention to locally-owned and -operated businesses in the Queen City. As this is a big part of our journey, I wanted to make sure to spread the word here too.

For the event, Dojo is giving away a $5 gift card with the purchase of a $25 card. I'd like to give mine away!

Leave a comment here naming your favorite Cincinnati-based business for a chance to win a $5 gift card to Dojo Gelato. (Okay, $5 isn't much, but it goes a long way at Dojo!)

If you've already left a similar comment on another one of our posts, feel free to duplicate or leave a new answer. With any luck, I'll needle Dojo's Michael Christner into choosing a winner for us in a couple of days!

Send Me Something™ received!

Our Send Me Something arrived! (It was much quicker than this-- I'm just getting around to posting about it, sorry!)







Bummer that our cheeseburger bowl didn't make it intact. Regardless, I loved the process of buying and receiving our Somethings. I hope you'll consider them in the future!

Our posts about Send Me Something: http://www.cincinnatireadventure.com/search/label/sendmesomething
Send Me Something's website: http://sendmesomething.net/
The cheeseburger bowl, unbroken: http://sendmesomething.net/2009/11/somethin-something-order-no-0012/

Krohn Conservatory tour

Enjoy the Arts put together another awesome behind-the-scenes tour: this time, Krohn Conservatory. I was particularly excited about this event because Dan had never been to Krohn. (Usually I'm the total newb when it comes to Cincinnati.)

We both ended up learning a ton at this tour. We had an incredible guide who had worked at Krohn for something like 30 years, and now occasionally gives tours of the facilities. He walked us through the main room where we were able to see a display being built, and they talked through the process of putting together a show and how far in advance they have to plan it. We saw all the rooms, including the desert room, which I'd never seen before. Ooh, also loved the orchid room and the bonsai room!

I was also eaten alive by bugs-- the differences between seeing Krohn in the daytime and in the nighttime are vast. (Bugs aside, I still preferred the nighttime walk-through.)

There's one more Enjoy the Arts tour this year: Taft Museum. It's a Saturday brunch event-- anyone considering going?


Krohn Conservatory website: http://www.cincinnatiparks.com/krohn-conservatory/index.shtml
Krohn's new iPod tours: http://krohntour.org/content/krohn-tour
More of Dan's pictures from our Krohn tour: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rrrrred/sets/72157622687482049/

Mayberry

The good people at World Food Bar have opened up a new restaurant on Vine Street: Mayberry. Heather (Cincinnati's Food Hussy) and I decided to hit it up for lunch-- and we were not the only ones.

Word to the wise: don't try to hit up Mayberry with more than 4 people. It'd be a great place to meet up with a friend, but not the kind of place you'd have a business lunch. I would say that business might slow down when the novelty wears off, but frankly the food was really good and I don't see that happening any time soon.

You want to see the food? I had the burger with a poached egg on top (delicious) with tater tot casserole (delicious delicious). Also check out the scrumptiousness that were Heather and Lisa's lunches:


I paid $8 for my entree and $3 for my side... and a ridiculous $1.50 for my tiny tiny drink. The food is of much higher quality than most of the lunches I typically eat, but the prices were still absolutely in budget. (Bring your own drink, maybe? Your options are tiny, overpriced, single-serving drinks or their warm, iceless tap water.)

I also liked the simple decor inside Mayberry: the walls were covered in black-and-white Cincinnati landmark paintings.


World Food Bar's website: http://www.worldfoodbar.com/