9 Niffty Niceties Normally in My Northeast Ohio Neighborhood #AtoZChallenge

I really struggled with what to do with the letter "N" in my A to Z Challenge.  There is Nautica and Northfield Park, I could write about.  I could pay tribute to the neighborhood revitalization happening from Tremont to Waterloo but I don't feel like I would do it justice.   What I can make note about is my neck of the woods, my neighborhood.

I treasure my city.  It is where I grew up, where I call home now, and where I hope to live out my children's school days.  There is no other place I would rather be and I can't imagine living anywhere but my neighborhood.

Post by City of Lakewood, Ohio - Municipal Government.

Meet Me at The Museum: A Kid Friendly, Must Do List in Cleveland #AtoZChallenge

There are no shortages of museums in Northeast Ohio.  In fact, it is my favorite part of living here.

When I was young, I would take dates to the art museum to get a feel of who they were and what they like to determine what kind of future we would have, eventually I stopped because it was just too disappointing. Now, many years later, I get to share my love of our museums with the kids and they are way cooler than anyone else I dragged with me.

There are so many museums in Northeast Ohio.  So many!  I am giving you our five favorites for the Cleveland area.  These are the museums we frequent the most and should probably purchase family memberships to but haven't.

Meet Me at the Museum: A Kid Friendly, Must Do List in Cleveland

Love for Living by Lake Erie #AtoZchallenge

A list of A to Z in Northeast Ohio would be incomplete without some mention of Lake Erie.  It is a large part of what makes Northeast Ohio special to locals.

I know that when planning your dream vacation, the Lake Erie shoreline is not in the top ten (or one hundred places) to visit but having lived my whole life with the eleventh largest lake within walking distance makes me a bit biased and it is one lovely lake.

Beach is not a word that comes to mind when you think of Ohio and no, we do not have white sandy beaches that stretch for miles on end.  We do have beaches - from Catawba Island to Geneva on the Lake plus the dozens of places in between there is plenty of sand and sun in Ohio.  Sometimes it is bright a sunny and other times it just feels good to be outside.

I will be the first to admit that Lake Erie does not necessarily have the best water conditions, especially closer to the the city but there is Ohio Nowcast.  It is a free website that monitors water quality of nine popular beaches and where the Cuyahoga River runs through Brecksville, Ohio.

Kids Kickin' It at the Memphis @Kiddie_Park #atozchallenge

I feel like summer is whispering in our ears, kindling that need to be in the sun - that need to be kicking it at Kiddie Park and having some fun.

The Memphis Kiddie Park was founded in 1952 at a time when kiddie parks were popular.  Now, it is the only one of three that had opened in that time period and one of handful nationwide that is still successful. You can guess that I had gone here as a kid and it has been surreal bringing my children to Kiddie Park.

Post by Memphis Kiddie Park.

We have gone at least once a year over the last four years.  My son, has had an issue with loud noises since he was a toddler so he did not really enjoy the rides until he was about five.  My little girl however has been begging to get on the rollercoaster since could toddle and point.

Baby Girl's first rollercoaster ride - age 2