The Friday Five, 3/16/18: 5 things I've been up to this week

This has felt like a long week but also a short week. Even though I have to go get some bloodwork done today, I'm glad it's Friday.

Dessert at Capital Grille, Troy - so pretty!

What I've been up to this week:
  1. Eating out way too much for Troy Restaurant Week. Today is the last day of TRW, and I've had three TRW meals and am having a fourth today. On Sunday, my boyfriend and I went to The Melting Pot, which is always delicious; on Tuesday, I went to Capital Grille with a Yelp friend; on Wednesday, I went to Loccino with coworkers, and today I am going to La Saj with a friend for dinner, before a show downtown.
  2. Seeing shows downtown. My parents and I saw Cinderella at the Fisher on Tuesday night, which was better than I remembered it to be (I saw it in 2016 too). We also had fantastic seats—row F! I think that's the closest I've ever been to the stage there. Tonight, a friend and I are going to see Stomp at the Fox. I'm slightly worried about getting downtown fast because LCA is hosting March Madness games ... we are parking at the Fox structure, not at LCA, but the road that runs between the two tends to get jammed.
  3. Driving a pretty car. I've been driving a 2018 Hyundai Elantra SEL this week, and loving the color. The car is great if you're on a budget, too, as it's very eco-friendly—its average miles per gallon is 32 mpg. Check back next week for a post about my experience with it.
  4. Seeing movies, of course. Last Friday I went to HopCat with a friend for their Founders beer event, and I figured since I was already out and about, I may as well see a movie after—so I caught the 9:10pm screening of A Wrinkle in Time. I didn't compare it to the book because I last read the book in middle or high school, and I'd give it 3.5/5 stars. On Sunday, my boyfriend and I saw Thoroughbreds, which was weird but definitely memorable (3/5 stars). It was sad to see Anton Yelchin (RIP) in it but he was my favorite part of the movie. On Wednesday, I went to see Gringo, which wasn't really a comedy like the trailers lead you to believe, and I'd give that one 3/5 as well. 
  5. Cooking. We had a potluck at work yesterday, and I made a Mini Pigs in a Blanket recipe that I've made before—they came out well, IMO, but I had to microwave them at work so they wouldn't be cold, since I cooked them in the oven on Wed. night. I just received another Hello Fresh package (3 recipes, or 6 portions) yesterday so I'll be cooking one of those meals this weekend, too. HF was super generous recently and let me "gift" four people with a free box ($60 value), one of whom was my boyfriend, so I benefit from that too—we are going to cook one of his recipes, the Korean bulgogi tacos, on Saturday or Sunday.
2018 Hyundai Elantra SEL, in "Electric Blue"

    Popular Posts

    Review: Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins

    Image
    *Disclosure: I received a gift card to try the new Polar Pizza at Baskin-Robbins. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Baskin-Robbins launched its Polar Pizza last month (July), as I talked about in my recent post about them, and because this past month was crazy busy for me, I didn't get to try the Polar Pizza until this past Sunday. My parents and I went to the combined Dunkin' Donuts / Baskin-Robbins near them, in Novi, MI, to split one of the ice cream pizzas.
    Read more

    Upcoming and GIVEAWAY: Mamma Mia! at the Fisher Theatre, Detroit, April 23-28 {ends Dec. 12}

    Image
    *Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. MAMMA MIA! will be playing at the Fisher this April, from April 23-28, and I'm excited to see it—I'm a big fan of the movies but I've never seen the Broadway show. About the show: Since premiering in London in 1999 and on Broadway in 2001, the irresistible musical has captured the hearts of millions around the globe. The sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island paradise, all unfolding to the storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, has now been seen live on stage by 65 million people across the world and turned into two record-breaking movies – MAMMA MIA! The Movie and MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again. To date, MAMMA MIA! has been seen in 50 productions in 16 different languages grossing more than $4 billion at the box office. MAMMA MIA! opened on Broadway in 2001 where it played for a record-breaking 14 year
    Keep reading

    GIVEAWAY: Duel in the D, February 10 at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit {ends 1/10}

    Image
    *Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with 313 Presents. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I had a great time at Duel in the D last year—I'm a UM alum, but I had only ever seen ONE hockey game in my life at that point, and this was the second one.  I'm looking forward to it again this year, and one of my lucky readers will win a 4-pack of tickets to experience it as well! About the game: The return of college hockey is headed to Little Caesars Arena with the annual “Duel in the D,” presented by Meijer, set for Saturday, February 10 at 8:30 p.m.  The fans of Hockeytown will be treated to one of the most intense and exciting rivalries in college hockey, as the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans men’s ice hockey teams will add another chapter in their storied rivalry and clash for the “Iron D” Trophy.  The “Duel in the D” matchup features the most-played rivalry in college hockey. The game will mark the 346th all-time meeting between the h
    Keep reading