Yes/No Detroit

Happy Valentine's Day to those that celebrate it! I am doing nothing today and honestly am kinda happy about it—I've had doctor appointments and other things to deal with all week. On Sunday I am going to Chicago for work, as well.  Burger, fries, and shake from Shake Shack What I've been up to this week: Dining out/getting takeout . Last Friday, I worked at the office, so a friend and I got Sweetgreen (pricey salads, but delicious) for lunch, and I also stopped at Paris Baguette. For dinner that night, I got my husband and I takeout from Pink Garlic, our favorite Indian place. On Saturday night, I did game night with a friend and her husband, and we got Shake Shake takeout—they're doing a deal every day through March, from 2-5pm daily you can get a free shake (~$6.50 value) if you spend $10+ at an in-store kiosk or in the app, so we were scrambling to get our app orders in by 4:55pm, lol. The code for that is SWEETSPOT, and I have a few other Shake Shack deals on my FB...

The first week of February has gone by pretty fast. I'm headed to the office for my once-per-month day there soon, but not a fan of the fact that it's 14 degrees out right now ...  AYCE chicken meal at Zehnder's, Frankenmuth What I've been up to this week: Frankenmuth for Snowfest. Last Friday, my husband and I played hooky from work (aka, we both put in for time off, lol) and went to Snowfest, which is a favorite of ours. Snowfest is (unsurprisingly) primarily snow sculptures, but they also have ice sculptures. We had lunch at Prost, my favorite charcuterie/wine bar there, then also went to the Fudge Kitchen, Cheese Haus, and a few other shops, like the board game shop at the outdoor mall there. We finished up with dinner at Zehnder's, and because it was still January 31st, I had my free AYCE (all-you-can-eat) chicken meal on my Zehnder's card for my birthday. If you haven't been there (or Bavarian Inn) for their AYCE meal, and you like fried chicken, I hig...

Moana 2 is now available on digital and will be available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on March 18. In the interim, two of my lucky readers will win a digital code to download the movie! About the film: Gather your family to experience Moana and Maui’s latest adventure at home since Disney’s  Moana 2  arrives to digital retailers (Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home) and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on March 18. The highly anticipated sequel to the Walt Disney Animation Studios fan favorite is the #3 highest-grossing film of 2024 and recently crossed a billion dollars at the global box office. It is the fourth WDAS film ever to do so ( Frozen, Zootopia, Frozen 2 ). Critics and fans alike have hailed Disney’s  Moana 2  as “a fantastic voyage” (Brian Truitt, USA Today), and “a joyous adventure the whole family will love” (BJ Colangelo, Slash Film). The digital and Blu-ray release goes far beyond with hours of exclusive bonus content for the whole family...

Everyone always complains that January feels like a year in itself—I always feel kind of compelled to defend my birth month, when that happens, but I do agree it feels long. Today is the last day of January, though, and my husband and I took the day off work to head up to Frankenmuth for their Snowfest, which is basically an ice festival, and to get my free birthday chicken at Zehnders. We will also go to Prost for lunch, which is a wine and charcuterie bar. Tasty pizza leftovers: Buddy's (top), Green Lantern circular deep dish What I've been up to this week: Watching movies . Last Friday I went to see A Complete Unknown at Birmingham 8 after work, since I was working in the office that day. I unfortunately fell asleep for a bit of it (recliners ...) but Timothee Chalamet was very good in it, as was Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, and the girl who played Joan Baez, another folk musician. From what I saw, I'd give it 4-4.5/5, but it was a bit long (2h20m, I believe). On Wednesd...

It's been a busy week: I was in Mexico Thursday through Tuesday for a wedding, hence why there was no Friday Five last week. Came back to 4 degrees for a temperature, which I was expecting but which was not fun, and now it's up to a balmy 25-30 degrees today. Me with my Yelpies award What I've been up to this week: Mexico trip . This was not my first time in the Cancun area—my parents and I used to go when I was little - but the last time I had been to Mexico was in 2016, for a one-day winery tour trip during Yelp Spring Break in San Diego (way on the other side of the country from Cancun!). My husband's friend was getting married in Playa del Carmen, about a 50-min. drive from the Cancun airport, and it was my first time at an all-inclusive resort, which ended up being awesome (most everything is included, including drinks and food; only bottles of wine were extra). It was an all-weekend extravaganza type of thing too, and we had a good group of people—more on that bel...

*This is a sponsored post on behalf of Review Wire Media for Briarcliff Entertainment. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Valiant One will be in theaters on January 31st, and I'm excited to see it—it looks like a good military movie.  About the movie: In the heart-pounding military thriller VALIANT ONE, a routine mission spirals into a fight for survival when a US Army helicopter crashes deep within North Korean territory. With their communications equipment destroyed, Captain Edward Brockman (Chase Stokes) and Specialist Selby (Lana Condor) must lead the team through hostile terrain, cut off from US military support as they attempt a daring escape across the treacherous Demilitarized Zone.  Starring Chase Stokes (Netflix's Outer Banks) and Lana Condor (Netflix's To All The Boys I've Ever Loved). Rated R - https://www.valiantonemovie.com/ $150 Amazon eGift ...

This week has gone by slowly, probably because it was my first week back at work in two weeks, and my birthday is Monday, although it doesn't feel like it, for some reason. We leave for Mexico on Thursday for a wedding and I'm excited to get out of the Michigan cold and snow. Wild mushroom pizza and margherita pizza at Crispelli's, WB What I've been up to this week: Doing DoorDash/dining in. On Saturday, my husband and I tried out DoorDash from Siegel's Deli, in Commerce Twp., because I had been craving latkes for a while. Theirs were huge and legit, and I also got some kreplach soup ($11; bit overpriced for the portion). The latkes were $3.90 each though and worth it, as they are ginormous. On Tuesday, I saw Six at the Fisher with a friend (more about that below) and we went to Crispelli's in West Bloomfield ahead of time, which is always tasty; we split a wild mushroom pizza and a margherita pizza. Their pizza is always delicious but the margherita one is my a...

Is it Friday already? I am still on work break until Monday, so half the time I don't know what day it is, haha, but welcome to 2025! January is a busy month for me, with my birthday on the 13th and our trip to Mexico upcoming too. Since I didn't do a Friday Five last week, due to traveling, I will incoporate some of those events into this week's, too. Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit What I've been up to the past two weeks: Seeing the TSO at Little Caesars Arena . Last week, on Saturday, my husband and I saw the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) at LCA—this was my TENTH (!) year seeing them, and I've been going since they used to perform at the Palace. I am lucky enough to go with blogger tickets yearly, and they are usually floor seats, with an amazing view. Parking was a bit crazy this year—I always purchase Detroit parking ahead of time, through the Parkwhiz app, but they had workers routing traffic and I got stuck in a loop—but the show itse...

Today is my last day of work for 2024—I restart on January 6th—and I'm looking forward to getting some sleep. I have a fun day planned today, also: I'll be back in the Clawson/Troy area to do some errands, and then will get Pink Garlic takeout for dinner, which is one of my faves. Sidecar Slider Bar, Birmingham What I've been up to this week: Dining out/getting takeout. Last Friday, I worked in the office—we are required to come in once per month, and it's in Birmingham—and had lunch at Sidecar Slider Bar, one of my favorites, with a coworker friend. My husband and I do DoorDash a lot from their Farmington location, but the cheese curds were *extra* poofy and delicious on Friday since they were nice and fresh. On Saturday, I had Hungry Howie's takeout with my parents, and on Sunday, my husband and I got Portillo's takeout—we both had a free sandwich coupon to use, that we got at a Yelp event at the Sterling Heights location in *January 2023*, which was expiring ...

December is flying on by: my 38th birthday is a month from today. I have about a week left of work and then I'm looking forward to a week off for the holiday break, also. Cute croissant keychain from Paris Baguette What I've been up to this week: Game night with friends . Last Friday, my husband and I had a game night with two friends (my MOH from the wedding, and her husband) and stayed out way too late—we left around 3:30am. We hadn't seen them in a while, though, and we also showed them our wedding videos and talked for a bit. We played Machi Koro, which is always fun, and UNO Show 'Em No Mercy, which is also fun, although a kinda crazy version of UNO. Opening Advent calendars . I'm fortunate to get a lot of candy and snack samples for my job, and we have FOUR Advent calendars we are opening daily, currently. They include: Sour Patch Kids, Jelly Belly (Harry Potter Marauder's Map, with trivia!), Lindt, and now a HI-CHEW one (pictured below), which is a lot of...

*Disclosure: I will be receiving something of value in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Have you been to Ford House, in Grosse Pointe Shores? I have not, as of yet, but am looking forward to touring it sometime in 2025. It recently announced its 2025 lineup, which includes a new cabaret series, outdoor dining in the garden, and a summer of music featuring an ABBA salute. More info: Ford House, the historic home of Eleanor and Edsel Ford located in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, is thrilled to announce a dynamic lineup of events for the 2025 season, showcasing a rich tapestry of cultural experiences reflecting the community spirit of the Grosse Pointe area.  Beloved experiences like guided tours of the Main Residence and gardens return, including the audience-favorite Nooks & Crannies Behind-the-Scenes Guided Tour and the All About Eleanor Guided Tour. New specialty guided tours will explore the Fords’ art collection, architectural eleme...

*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with 313 Presents. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Peter Pan is coming to the Fox Theatre this March, and I'm excited to see it - I'm a big fan of the movie(s) but have never seen the musical. One of my lucky readers will win a four-pack of tickets to opening night, on Tuesday, March 11th , also! See below for details. About the show: PETER PAN is a high-flying musical that has been thrilling audiences of all ages for close to 70 years and is now being brought back to life in a new adaptation by celebrated playwright Larissa FastHorse, directed by Emmy Award winner Lonny Price and choreography by Lorin Latarro. This extraordinary musical full of excitement and adventure features iconic and timeless songs including “I’m Flying,” “I Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up” and “Neverland.” PETER PAN embraces the child in us all so go on a journey from the second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning – your entire ...

Welcome to December, aka snow already, it seems. I had a busy week, the weekend isn't super busy but I'm looking forward to a game night tonight with some friends. HelloFresh ravioli with Panko, zucchini, and garlic cream sauce What I've been up to this week: Thanksgiving in Indiana. On Friday, my husband and I drove the five hours-ish (four hours with no stops, we usually stop for lunch at Culver's and one other time to use the restroom) to Indiana to see his parents and sister. On Saturday, we had a Thanksgiving meal with them, and we left on Sunday, so it was a quick trip, but we'll be back in a few weeks for Christmas.  Cooking . I had HelloFresh this week and we made a lackluster meatloaf meal (not pictures), some very tasty sweet and spicy cashew pork tacos, and the ravioli pictured above, with Panko and cream sauce, which was also super delicious but not super filling (we each got about five ravioli each). Seeing movies . I watched Sweethearts on Max and woul...