Author:

Heather Zachariah

Former Art Director for Home Magazine, Heather Leahy Zachariah, left her career in publishing after baby number number one. She now works from home as a freelance graphic designer and a chauffeur to her 3 busy kids. "Working on TipsFromTown has been a wonderful outlet for me. It renewed my love of publishing where I can design colorful, enticing pages online and allows me to share the things I love about being a mom." Heather grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a place that still is near and dear to her. " After living in Brooklyn for 18 years and studying Graphic Design at Pratt Institute, she now lives in the Jersey burbs. "I love living so close to NYC, but in my heart, I'm an Ohio girl."

Posts By This Author

Beyond Easter Candy for Baskets

I know the kids LOVE getting candy, but there are other options! Shop at Michaels and fill their baskets with crafts. Or gather cute socks and accessories from your local dollar store or Five Below. If you really want to go all out, surprise them with a new kitten or bunny. Here are a some non-candy Easter […]

Friendship Development, Popularity, and Social Cruelty in Childhood

MONDAY, APRIL 8 The Wellbeing Speaker Series presents Dr. Michael G. Thompson, bestselling author of Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, Best Friends, Worst Enemies, and more.  Dr. Thompson will be joining the district for a full day of events including two parent presentations (one in the daytime and one in the evening), a program for […]

A Summer Camp Your Little Ones Will Love

Our favorite preschool, West Side Nursery School, in town is offering 4 terrific camps for kids this summer. My kids and Karen’s loved these camps when they were young enough to go. If they could, we’re pretty sure they’d try to lie about their age so they could sneak back inmfor a week. We loved that the camps were fun […]

1st Annual Summit Day of Softball

Saturday April 27, 2019  Come out for the 1st Annual Summit Day of Softball presented by Challenge U Softball and SJBS. This is not your average softball clinic!  Coach Lisa and the instructors at Challenge U will be onsite in Summit for a fun and exciting day of softball training. Each 1/2 day clinic will cover […]

Coming Soon to Van Aken: Kale, Cauliflower, Cabbages and More!

Also Read: Our Favorite Cleveland Spot for Sushi Something new and healthy is coming to Van Aken April 12: Brassica. The name “Brassica” refers to the healthy family of vegetables that includes kale, cauliflower and all of the cabbages. But don’t worry, carnivores, Brassica appeals to meat-eaters as well. Brassica, the creation of brothers Kevin and […]

Cleveland Named One of the Best Cities in the Country for First-Time Homeowners

I always feel like Cleveland gets a bad rap. People outside of this city that we love don’t know what they’re missing. Besides the abundance of fabulous restaurants, beautiful parks and culture, here’s ANOTHER reason to feel good about living in the Cle. New York Times called Cleveland one of the best cities for first-time buyers; we tied for first […]

April Fool’s Day Prank

Here’s an easy, fun April Fool’s Day prank that will send your mom, dad or spouse’s head through the roof: place a Broken Glass Sticker on their car in the morning. Amazon Prime for $9.99

Save the Date: Ridgewood’s LAX DAY is Coming Soon!

STEM Camp for Curious Preschoolers What’s the Story with This Ridgewood Victorian Home? COLORPHOBIA: How to Add Some Color to Your Home Our All-Time Favorite Get-Aways

New Openings: Sip & Slurp at Ani Ramen Summit

There’s nothing quite like a big bowl of steaming, hot ramen to warm your insides on a rainy spring day. So Hilltoppers were happy to welcome Ani Ramen to town last week. Their menu features starters like Shishito Peppers and Tsukemono, pickled vegetables. And their bowls are sure to fill your insides: from classics like Shoyu, […]

Ridgewood Victorian Appears in NYTimes Satisfying My Curiosity

I pass by this blue and gray gingerbread Victorian all the time and am fascinated by it. My kids always ask if it’s haunted. This weekend, The New York Times wrote an article about it satisfying my curiosity telling the story behind the house and who lives there. For best-selling thriller author, Harlan Coben, the house seems to be a perfect fit. Twenty years […]