So, I don’t normally publish on Tuesdays, but this is a very special Tuesday (and not just because it’s CLEgrandpa’s 87th birthday and PIP‘s Mom’s birthday too).
It’s Why CLE’s one-year blogiversary!
When I started blogging, I wanted to be anonymous. I thought the experiences of a faceless CLE-er would be enough to share. But the more I blogged, the more I realized that sharing myself with you, dear readers, enriched the blogging experience (for both of us, I think).
So, I’m switching from CLEgal to Jen.

Hopefully it feels friendlier to you…it’s a little change, but one I wanted to make as I start to share even more of “me in CLE” with you.
One year ago, I never imagined a lot of things that have happened in the last year through this blogging medium, such as:
How much fun I would have planning posts, writing about my city, and sharing CLE love
The new friends I would gain
The readers/tweeters/random CLE-ers I’d get to meet
The amazing events I’d get to atend
The way my deep love for my city would grow and change and strengthen
That’s what the blog has given to me. So, now I’d like to give something to you. I’ve shopped up a basket of some of my favorite homegrown CLE things and one lucky Why CLE? reader will take home the whole thing.
The basket includes:
An aluminum Cleveland Metroparks water bottle
A giant Malley’s milk chocolate candy bar
A six-pack of Great Lakes Brewing Co. Christmas Ale
A bottle of Bertman’s Ballpark mustard
A bar of “Cleveland Gray” soap from Terra Verde Soap & Candle Co.
An oakmoss and amber scented candle in an Indigo Imp Brewery bottle from Terra Verde Soap & Candle Co.
A pair of Ohio-shaped earrings (with a star where CLE is) from Banyan Tree
So, how do you enter?
1. Leave a comment letting me know something/someplace in CLE you’d like to see Why CLE? write about in the coming year.
2. “Like” Why CLE’s brand spankin’ new Facebook page and leave a comment letting me know you did.
3. Tweet the following phrase and leave a comment letting me know you did (you can tweet once a day for additional entries, just make sure to comment each day): I’m #HappyinCLE and I want to win a basket of CLE goodies from @WhyCLE: http://wp.me/p1fb9r-tU
The giveaway will close at 11:59pm on Sunday, December 18 and the winner will be announced here on Monday, December 19.
Thanks for a wonderful year! I can’t wait to see what the next one brings!
Congrats on your Blogiversary! And give Clegrandpa a huge birthday hug for me!!
I would like to see you write about your hometown! I’m not that familiar with it and I’m sure most of your readers aren’t either. It’s close to Cleveland and would encourage all of us to explore a new part of the CLE+.
I liked your page yesterday! Welcome to FB!
Tweet tweet!
Congrats on the 1 year!
I’d love to learn more about local restaurants on the East Side. They’re not as easy to find!
I already “liked” you on FB. 🙂
Tweeted, yo.
I figure that the basket would be a little expensive to ship to Australia, so I just wanted to say congratulations on the one year anniversary!
Nice blog about our city. Looking forward to reading more about out of the way mom&pop (or brother-sister, or cousin-cousin…you get the idea) places, whether they’re restaurants or artists, etc.
Keep up the good work.
Tweet (eventually….Twitter gone funky this morning)
Congrats, milestones are fun! I think a fun blog feature would be activities and events that are totally free.
Liked on Facebook.
Hi Jen! I can finally call you that on here and such 🙂 I would like to see more about inspirational CLEers and why they are choosing to call CLE home
Liked the fb page
tweeted
I want to see you write a WhyCLE post about CLE transplants (like me!!!) I was in the bathroom at Flannery’s on Friday talking about how much I love it here even though I moved from Maui and this woman came out of a stall and goes “I don’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation but I’m from Rhode Island and I love it here too!” That absolutely made me smile.
liked!
and tweeted!!
How about writing about Cleveland independent stores that offer cool deals
I tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/LauraFromOhio/status/146615988245364736
I liked your page on FB
Like ya on FB!
I’d like to see you write about some of the cool Cle+ suburbs (ahem, Hudson) in future blogs!
I tweeted about your cool giveaway!
HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY, JEN!
(I tweeted about this rad giveaway.) 🙂
tweeted
Liked on FB
I have never been to Cleveland. What’s popping out there? Anything your write about will be new to me.
Congrats on the 1 year anniversary! You really do a great job promoting the city and my hope is that more people follow your que ! In the next year, I hope to visit Lakeview Cemetary. I have lived here all my life, driven past it 100 times but never stopped even though I know I will love it. I plan on going in the spring and taking pictures all day!
Also, I want to visit Luxe Bistro cause I am a big fan of Marlin Kaplan. One Walnut was a favorite of mine and I hated to see it go.
Good luck and cant wait to see what you discuss in the upcoming year!
I went to Lakeview for the first time in the fall and it was awesome! I highly recommend it. I want to go back in the spring when all the daffodils are in bloom. And Luxe rocks by the way – one of my very favs.
Congrats! It’s nice to be reminded that there really are cool things about home to be proud about (it’s easy to forget when your new city likes to remind you that your old city is “the mistake on the lake”. Sigh.)
PS. Liked and tweeted. 🙂
Also, I tweeted today! Thanks again
I like to see more post about CLEpups, but that’s just me. Happy one year blogiversary!!
just tweeted!
…and I already like the new FB page!
Happy Birthday to your blog and your grandpa! The basket looks fabulous!
And I tweeted!
Happy blogiversary!
I think I’d like to read more about the WhyCLE wedding 😉
ditto
And I tweeted!
Just wanted to say hi Jen, happy birthday CLEgrandpa and happy blogiversary!
Liked the new FB page 🙂
Congrats on your blogiversary Jen! Mentioning some of the free things to do around Cleveland would be a great.
I’m a Facebook fan.
I tweeted.
Thanks for doing the giveaway, and thanks for asking for input! I’d like to see “Why? Weeknights!” some time. I’d also like to see more shouts out to the suburbs. There is a lot of “local love” in the suburbs. For example, I’m a big fan of Brecksville – with 2182 Wine Bar and Honey Hut and Heinens…in fact, I could write an entire post called “Why? Heinens!” because their mission is true in my life – they really make my life better one aisle at a time!
Congrats on your first year. I thought you had more time under your belt cus you’re such a pro. Any CLE+ is okay with me, even our lake. Lots of fun in the summer.
Happy 1 year! I think a post about spending a weekend in Cleveland doing free things would be cool.
Just liked your facebook page!
Tweeted!
I’m a new reader (and new blogger). Very happy to come across another great CLE blog. Maybe it would be cool to do some unique Clevelander profiles for future posts? I’m sure you’ve met a number of interesting people worthy of sharing!
Happy blogiversary!! What about a blog about the Lake Erie islands?
I liked ya on FB yesterday!
I tweeted again today (12/14)!
another day, another tweet https://twitter.com/#!/LauraFromOhio/status/146994975740149760
I tweeted again!
Liked and tweeted 🙂
Liked the new facebook page!
I just wanted to leave a happy congrats on your one year and list some interesting places to write about…
1.) Lakeview Cemetery – would be better in the spring…some awesome trees, stones and famous people (not to mention Wade Chapel)
2.) Pacific East – because it rocks!
3.) Any Cleveland ethnic food festival if you haven’t already.
Congrats again!
I definitely agree with a lot of these comments! Continue writing all your great stuff…but also add postings on events happening downtown and the ‘burbs as well. It’s nice knowing what’s going on close to home. 🙂
Happy Blogiversary Jen!!!!
I’m gonna let you write about whatever you want because then I can miss home 😛
I tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/LauraFromOhio/status/147275192333369344
Happy Blogiversary! I liked you on fb!
I tweeted again today. 🙂
Another day, another tweet!
Tweet! Tweet!
tweeted today https://twitter.com/#!/LauraFromOhio/status/147641251183857664
I tweeted again today! 🙂
Tweeted. Again. HappyBlogiversary, blogger formerly known as CLEgal.
How about more on the east side of CLE?
Tweeted today, thanks!!
Good morning, tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/LauraFromOhio/status/148036739989127168
I tweeted!!
https://twitter.com/#!/carla8782
Happy Blogiversary!!
I’d like to see posts on how a young Cleveland professional (i.e. me!) can get involved in the Cleveland community more! I am a Cleveland-born girl too and I want others to know how awesome Cleveland is!
[…] It took me a year to start using “Jen” instead of “CLEgal” to refer to myself, which I started in last year’s blogiversary post. […]