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Showing posts from 2017

The Friday Five, 12/29/17: 5 things I've been up to this week

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I have had this entire week off from work, and while I have been doing a lot, really all I wanted to do was sit at home with a good book. Instead, I visited my parents for about 5 days, I'm going home later today, and then I'm headed to the Kalamazoo/Portage area tomorrow through Monday (New Year's Day) to visit some friends. What I've been up to this week: Seeing a concert . Last Saturday, I headed to the new Little Caesars Arena (Detroit) for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert, which was fabulous. You can read about that here .  Hanging out with friends.  I met up with my Disney World travel friend last Friday, at Sy Thai in Birmingham, and we also stopped by Starbucks Reserve for a minute, because she hadn't been. I met another friend for coffee on Tuesday, since he lives in my parents' area, and I'm seeing college friends this weekend when I travel to the Kalamazoo area. I'm also going to a dinner party tonight which should be fun — a fr

Everything you ever wanted to know about MoviePass, the movie subscription service

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credit: moviepass.com First off, this is NOT a sponsored post. I've been a member of MoviePass —the $9.99 a month program, not the new $89.99/year program—since the end of September, and people keep asking me if it's worth it. I figured I'd write a post about it that will talk about my experience with it, and also answer any questions that people might have. credit: moviepass.com I was one of the first people to sign up for MoviePass back in August or September when the $9.99/month deal was announced. As my long-time blog readers know, this blog used to be called Yes/No Films, because I see a LOT of movies. Matinees in my area (Detroit area) are around $6-7, and night movies are $10-12, so to see UNLIMITED movies (1 per day) with MoviePass for only $9.99 a month sounded like a great deal. When you order an e-ticket, this is the confirmation screen. What you can do with MoviePass: You can see one movie per CALENDAR day.  I swear this used to be per 24-ho

Event review: Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Little Caesars Arena, Detroit

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*Disclosure: I received concert tickets in exchange for this blog post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. This was my fourth year attending a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert , but my first at the new Little Caesars Arena. It was also my second time at LCA (I went to a Halsey concert a few months ago there) and it's a great new arena, located right in the heart of downtown Detroit. We ended up having floor seats, which I've actually had for the past three TSO shows, as well, and our seats were amazing. LCA is divided into the lower bowl, upper bowl, and floor (though obviously for sports events there is no floor seating available). The new arena also has a variety of food and drink places if you want to grab something to eat before the show. I did notice after the Halsey show I attended that the eateries tend to shut down immediately after the show, though. The TSO shows I've attended in the past have always been amazing, and this one was

Review and GIVEAWAY: Michigan Mittens {ends 1/1/18}

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*Disclosure: I received product in exchange for this blog post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I recently saw a post on my friend Jennifer's blog about Michigan Mittens , and I was intrigued—the mittens looked so cute, and I love supporting local businesses. I reached out to them and they sent me two pairs of their mittens for review, and they also agreed to a giveaway for my lucky readers! I was sent two pairs of mittens for review, the Original Michigan Mittens, in Fog Grey, and a pair of Superior USA Michigan Mittens . I tried out the Original Michigan Mittens, and they are very soft, which I liked. I usually prefer gloves to mittens, but I can definitely see myself wearing these this winter. These would also make a cute gift for any Michigander, or perhaps a Michigander who no longer lives in-state. The packaging on them is also really nice (see above), which is another reason to give them as a gift. The USA mittens are a bit thick

The Friday Five, 12/22/17: 5 things I've been up to this week

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I've been sick all week, and I am not a fan ... stuffy nose, headaches, and a sore throat. I am skipping everything (zumba, etc.) after work today so that I can just stay home and rest. I have a holiday party tomorrow and the TSO concert on Saturday, so that's probably the best course of action, since I don't want to have to miss either. ELF the Musical, Fox Theatre, Detroit What I've been up to this week: Seeing shows and movies.  I saw ELF the Musical at the Fox Theatre on Wednesday night, and it was very cute. I need to rewatch the movie now. And speaking of movies, I took myself to go see Ferdinand  on Saturday with my MoviePass, and really enjoyed that one; I'm a fan of kids movies that also are interesting for adults. On Sunday, I saw the new Star Wars  at Emagine Novi's Super EMAX screening, which was huge! They say it's the size of a basketball court. I saw a screening of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle  (and you can read my review here )

Cocktail recipes for the holiday season, from Jolly Pumpkin {and $25 giveaway! Ends 12/28}

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*Disclosure: I received compensation for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Jolly Pumpkin Cafe & Brewery (Royal Oak, Ann Arbor, and Detroit) has a few ideas for holiday cocktails, and they sound delicious. All of these cocktails can be found at Jolly Pumpkin this month, as well. Read on for the cocktail ideas and also to enter to win a $25 gift card! Bourbon Apple Pie – Follow up a holiday meal with this dessert cocktail featuring warm bourbon mixed with apple cider, cinnamon and clove infused simple syrup. If you're really looking to spoil your guests, consider topping the glass with caramel! Jolly Pumpkin is also featuring other holiday cocktails this winter including: Scorched Butter Mule – A gentle mix of vodka and butterscotch complimented with lemon juice and topped with Reed’s Ginger Beer. Sage Against the Machine – A simple winter cocktail that's sure to please everyone from Aunt Sally to Cousin Rick containing an

Braving a Michigan winter with the 2017 Toyota RAV4 AWD #LetsGoPlaces #DriveToyota

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*Disclosure: I received the use of a vehicle in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Over the past week, I was able to drive the 2017 Toyota RAV4, with all-wheel drive. Last week, we received 4-7 inches of snow in one night, and the average temperatures were 15-25 degrees all week, so this car and I became good friends, fast! I was able to drive this car for nine days, which is a little longer than I usually get to keep them. I had a lot of driving to do, though, so it worked out well. Last Friday, I met up with some friends at Green Dot Stables, and we also went to Campus Martius to check out the Detroit Christmas tree. The navigation system in the RAV4 came in handy for this trip. That Sunday, it was back to Detroit, this time for Giordano's Pizza (nom!) and a show at the Fox, so the navigation system again came in handy. I also really liked its backup camera—it not only showed you what is directly behind you, but it also sho

Movie review - Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

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I am a huge fan of the original Jumanji , which was released during my childhood (1995) and starred Robin Williams, one of my favorite actors. Therefore, for me, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle had huge shoes to fill. It unfortunately did not live up to its predecessor, but it does have some fun moments throughout. Four high school students (Alex Wolff, Ser'Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, and Morgan Turner) meet when they're all sentenced to detention. When Spencer (Wolff) finds what appears to be an old video game console in the basement where they are serving their sentences, the teens decide to try it out. The game, however, is Jumanji, and it sucks them into the game itself, where they find themselves looking a little bit different than they do in real life: Bethany is a MALE cartologist (Jack Black), Spencer has huge muscles (Dwayne Johnson), Fridge has lost quite a bit of his height (Kevin Hart), and Martha (Karen Gillan) is an intrepid adventurer whose skills include &qu

How DirectHotels.com can save you money on your next vacation

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*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. As long-time readers of this blog surely know, I travel quite a lot. A few years ago, I only took about 2-3 trips per year, not including trips in the state of Michigan (Grand Haven weekends, etc.), but this past year, I was fortunate in that I was able to travel very frequently. I recently heard about a new travel site, DirectHotels.com , which is similar to Kayak.com, in that it searches all of the other travel sites (Orbitz, Expedia, etc.) to find the best deals for you. I gave it a bit of a test run to see if that is indeed true. About the site: DirectHotels.com is a new hotel comparison tool that challenges the big brands. Travelers can easily compare all the travel sites in one place to find the cheapest hotel. DirectHotels.com compares over 200 bookings sites, so users can be sure about its accuracy. Using DirectHotels.com means that you will never overpay. I did a few sample

The Friday Five, 12/15/17: 5 things I've been up to this week

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This week, on Wednesday night we got walloped with snow—the first really big snow of winter, like 4 to 7 inches—and that's kind of a metaphor for how the whole week has been. Just really, really long. I am extremely fortunate to be driving a 2017 Toyota RAV4 this week (heated seats and a heated steering wheel are SO NICE to have during this type of freezing cold weather), so check back soon for a review on that vehicle. 2017 Toyota RAV4 ... last Friday, before all the snowyness commenced What I've been up to this week: Driving ... a lot.  I've had the 2017 Toyota RAV4 since last Friday, and I get to keep this one for a little longer this time: about 9-10 days, instead of the normal 7. Both Friday and Sunday, I drove to Detroit—on Friday, I went to Green Dot Stables for dinner with friends, and then we went to Campus Martius to see the Christmas displays, and on Sunday, my boyfriend and I went to see Broadway Holiday  at the Fisher, and I finally got to try out the

COMET TV December GIVEAWAY: Tank Girl Exclusive Swag and Cult Classic Goodness {ends 12/22}

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I have another giveaway from COMET TV to share! Check it out below, and also check out COMET's December movie schedule. FILMS ON COMET IN DECEMBER Tank Girl (1995) Want to warm up this holiday season? Take a trip to the year 2033, where cold isn't an issue but an apocalyptic lack of water is. Starring Lori Petty as the titular hero, and Malcolm McDowell as the villainous Kesslee, Tank Girl is an action-packed adventure that's so explosive you might just end up putting jetpacks at the top of your holiday gift list. Friday, December 29 at 8P/7C Saturday, December 30 at 8P/7C Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) If you thought Jeff Goldblum was charming in human form, just wait until you see him when he's an alien. Also starring Geena Davis, Jim Carrey, and Damon Wayans, 'Earth Girls are Easy' sees a trio of aliens crash land on Earth and take the California dating scene by storm. Even the hardest to please Valley girl is no match for the charms of these fur

MOD Pizza gift cards - great for the holidays {& $25 giveaway! ends 12/20}

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*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. If you're a long-time reader of my blog, you know that I'm a fan of MOD Pizza - I've covered a few of their restaurant openings, and some deals that they've run in the past. (and Troy, MI is finally getting a MOD, I'm guessing sometime next year, so I'm excited about that!) This month, for every $50 MOD gift card you purchase, you'll receive a coupon to treat yourself to BOTH a free MOD pizza and a fountain drink, which is valid in 2018. If you're looking to purchase some holiday gifts for friends or family, this is a nice way to reward yourself, as well (or, if you want to be super generous, give your friends/family the extra MOD pizza and drink coupon, too!). MOD's pizza is always super crunchy, and I love their breadsticks, too (regular or dessert breadsticks - pictured above). The dessert breadsticks come with your choice of strawberry, cinn