Yes/No Detroit

I saw two movies in the theater this week, and I'm seeing Black Widow  in Dolby today, at the AMC Forum! I still wear a mask in the theater, just to be cautious, but I am enjoying getting back to seeing movies in theaters.  Island Lake Recreation Area, Brighton What I've been up to this week: Seeing movies in the theater.  As previously mentioned—last Friday I took the day off work and my parents and I saw the new Fast and the Furious  movie, at the EMAX theater at Emagine Novi (pretty much IMAX, they just called it EMAX for the Emagine "E" name). I would give that a 4 out of 5; some of the stunts they did were pretty crazy. On Monday, most people weren't working but I worked a bit and then saw The Forever Purge , which I would give 3.5/5. And today, I am meeting a friend and her family to see Black Widow  later at the AMC Forum, and we are also going to do UNOs for dinner—if you go to their website and sign up for their new e-club right now, they are giving awa...

Merry Christmas! I think this might be the first Christmas Day edition of the Friday Five. I feel like I didn't do much this week, but looking through my Google Photos I did, although most things were virtual, of course.  Chicago deep-dish pizza from Uncle Andy's Pizza, Clawson What I've been up to this week: Yelp Cookie Exchange event.  It's a Yelp Detroit tradition to do a cookie exchange—in the past, I went to one at a bowling alley in Ferndale, and another time they've had it in Detroit, but obviously that wasn't happening this year. Instead, Annette (our CM, or Community Manager) hosted a virtual event where she made cookies, and Yelpers were encouraged to submit their cookie recipes to her, which she then sent to us in PDF form. They also did a partnership with Castalia and Sfumato in Detroit, and Yelpers were able to pick up a cocktail from Castalia, which was paired with a signature scent from Sfumato, which was very cool. Becki B. was able to pick up my...

This week has felt super slow, but work-wise, it has been busy. Yesterday was supposed to be TV Day, where I go to Best Buy for curbside pickup to pickup the new 50" Samsung TV I bought (thank you Best Buy blogger gift certificates, which I had hoarded for a few years), but my boyfriend had to work late, so TV Day is pushed to today! My current TV is a 32" Dynex, from 2012, that I got for free with my mattress purchase, so this should be a huge upgrade. Sweet Chili Pork Tacos, from EveryPlate What I've been up to this week: Watching lots of movies at home.  Last weekend, my parents and I watched The Prom , on Netflix, which had a great cast and is based on the Broadway show; I'd give it 3.5/5 stars. On Sunday, my boyfriend and I finally watched Bill and Ted Face the Music , but IMO it wasn't that good; I'd give it maybe 2/5 or 2.5/5 stars, but he said he'd give it 3/5 stars, and that it was the same style as the previous Bill and Ted  movies . On Tuesday, ...

End of quarantine, week 3. It's not any easier. I get to leave the house today and tomorrow because of medical reasons—I have a B12 shot today, and apparently I pull up to the parking lot and they'll do it there, which should be interesting. Dinnerly deep-dish pizza with sausage and green pepper What I've been up to this week: Cooking . And not eating out/doing takeout, surprisingly. Last Friday, I splurged and did Bangkok Cuisine through Uber Eats ... Uber Eats was doing free delivery, at least, but it was about $20 with tip and UE fees, and it would have been about $14 direct from the restaurant. I had a Dinnerly box arrive last week and I ordered EveryPlate this week and cooked some good meals from both of those. Honestly I haven't had much of an appetite these days, probably due to stress and also my medical reasons. I've been wanting to buy more dairy-free Hudsonville ice cream but can't justify a trip to the store just for that (quarantine ...) so ...

*Disclosure: I received the use of a vehicle for a week in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I was in Rhode Island this past week, from Wednesday, June 12th-19th, and I was fortunate enough to be able to drive the 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD while there. The car got dropped off on a super rainy day, so I wasn't able to explore it much that day, but the next day it was bright and sunny out, and I was able to take it around town. This is a nice-looking car, especially with the paint job ("Deep Crystal Blue," which I believe I had last year when I drove the Mazda3 Grand Touring , also in Rhode Island).  There's also plenty of trunk space, which you don't always get in an SUV (or crossover, which this technically is). Although Rhode Island is a small state, I joked with my aunt that everything is either a 5-minute drive or a 45-minute one. For example: when I went to Dunkin' Donuts down the road, it was 5-...

*Disclosure: I received the use of a vehicle for a week in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. This week, I was able to try out the 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, a hybrid vehicle, and I had a bit of driving to do, so it was nice to be able to do it in style. We've literally had weather from the 30s to the 70s this past week, so I was able to try out many features on this vehicle! The first thing I noticed about it was the color—the official title is "Mercury Gray Metallic/Black" and it makes for a handsome car. The car also has a touchscreen, which includes Sirius XM radio, so I had fun listening to satellite radio this week—my personal car does not have that. Near the beginning of the week, the weather was in the 30s-40s, so I especially enjoyed using the heated seats and heated steering wheel. The gear shift was definitely interesting ... there's a button for Park, rather than a gear, and so the first tim...

*Disclosure: I received the use of a vehicle for a week in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Last week, I had the week off of work, and was able to try out the 2018 Mazda6 Signature sedan, which was quite a treat—not only is it a gorgeous car, but it also has quite a few special features. My original plan for last week was to drive to Portage for New Year's Eve, but schedules unfortunately didn't allow for that, so instead I stayed local with the Mazda6. I did quite a bit of shopping and eating, and also drove it to South Lyon for a friend's New Year's Eve party. The first thing that I noticed about the car, of course, was its exterior color—the official name is "Soul Red Crystal," and my pictures don't really do it justice; it's very, very pretty. Red is one of my favorite colors, and my personal vehicle is dark blue, so I was excited to drive a red car for the week. I'm familiar with M...

This has overall been a relaxing week—I don't have to return to work until January 2nd, so other than responding to some emails, I haven't been doing much except hanging out with my parents and seeing movies. Homemade chicken piccata, from Home Chef What I've been up to this week: Cooking and eating out . Last weekend, I went to MOD Pizza, Granite City, and Stoney River. Stoney River is a new place in Troy and a bit expensive, so that was my Christmas present to my boyfriend. On Sunday, we cooked chicken piccata from Home Chef, which came out pretty well. On Monday, my parents and I went to Jersey Mike's, which is always tasty, and yesterday, we tried out Diamond Jim Brady's, in Novi, since I had won a gift card through Novi Town Center; DJB's was also tasty.  Watching movies . Obviously :) especially since I have the week off. Last Friday, we saw The Mule , which I'd give 4/5 stars; Saturday was Aquaman 3D, which was cheesy but also fun, and I...

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Best Buy. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I've had a Chromecast for a few years now, and I love it - I stream Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube videos on my TV, and it's so easy to use, too. The newest model is now out for only $35.00, at Best Buy, and you can now check it out here . Some key features: All together now Watch movies, shows, live TV, YouTube, and photos streaming on your TV from all your family's devices.¹ Stream from your phone to TV Plug Chromecast into the HDMI port on your TV and to power and stream your favorite entertainment right from your phone with just a tap. Watch shows, listen to playlists, and more. And while streaming, you can still use your phone as you normally do. Works with the streaming apps you know and love Enjoy TV shows, movies, videos, songs, games, sports and more from over 2000 apps like Netflix, YouTube, YouTube TV, and HBO NOW. Find more at g.co/chrom...

*Disclosure: I am receiving a Best Buy gift card in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Have you heard about the new HP Envy x360 laptop? It's a laptop that can transform to a tablet, and you can also write on the screen with a stylus. My last computer (many years ago) was an HP laptop, and I'm amazed at how thin this one is! The laptop also comes with Windows Ink capabilities and a Windows operating system, as well as an AMD processor. More laptop specs: Windows 10 operating system Windows 10 brings back the Start Menu from Windows 7 and introduces new features, like the Edge Web browser that lets you markup Web pages on your screen. Built for Windows Ink Quickly jot down notes and ideas with ease. Full HD touch screen The 1920 x 1080 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity. Natural finger-touch navigation makes the most of Windows 10. IPS technology for wide viewing angles. Energy-efficient WLED back...

*Disclosure: I received the use of a vehicle for a week in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I was in Rhode Island for the past week visiting family—my parents and I are originally from Massachusetts, and my dad's side of the family still lives in RI, and my mom's in MA. I stayed with my aunt and didn't want to have to rely on her for rides, so I was very fortunate to be able to review the 2018 Mazda3 Grand Touring 5-door while staying there. Almost everyone I met up with over the past week remarked on how good looking this car is, and I'd have to agree. The exterior was a Deep Crystal Blue Mica color, and it was both sporty and stylish. This is the 4th Mazda car I've reviewed , and maybe one of my favorites. The 5-door in its title refers to the fact that its a hatchback—however, I was surprised at how roomy the hatchback area was. There's also a privacy shield to cover anything you might leave in there, wh...