Yes/No Detroit

Well, August went by fast. Apologies for no Friday Five posts the past few weeks but I was a little busy having a baby and then keeping said baby alive :) see more below ... Hospital pictures What I've been up to *the past three weeks*: Having a baby . So right after I posted my Friday Five on Friday, August 8th, I had an OB appt., and my water (amniotic fluid) was low. They wanted me to be induced that day, but I said no—I needed to get my affairs in order, so to speak—and they were going to re-check me on August 11th (Monday), and they scheduled an induction for 8pm that day. On August 11th, my water level was slightly improved, but still low, so we went ahead with the induction, and my husband and I checked into the hospital at 8pm that day.  By around 10am on Wednesday, August 13th, I still hadn't progressed much—you need to be 10 cm dilated before they tell you to start pushing, and even on Pitocin I was 3-4 cm dilated, and in pain, until I had an epidural the night before...

Well well, if it isn't one week into August and my hospital bag is STILL not packed yet—my due date is August 26, but next week will be 38 weeks for me and one of my friends had her baby recently at 38 weeks. Need to work on that this weekend, plus putting together our bassinet and figuring out the car seat.  Maternity photo by NeriPhoto What I've been up to this week: Getting our maternity photos back . A few weeks ago we met our wedding photographer, NeriPhoto , at the Healing Garden in Clarkston, which is next to a hospital, to do some maternity photos. We already knew Neri did great work, as we had done an engagement session with her last year plus our wedding photos, and we were lucky that she happened to be in Metro Detroit that day for another shoot, because she's normally based in Holland, MI (where we got married). One of my favorite pics is above ... fun fact, the necklace I'm wearing in the picture is my great-grandmother's, and our daughter's name wi...

All photos courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment I saw Jurassic World: Rebirth at the theater recently and overall liked it, and am looking forward to rewatching it. It's now available on digital platforms, and it'll be released on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and on DVD on September 9th. Two of my lucky readers will win a code to download the movie! See below for details. About the movie: YOUR HOME. THEIR WORLD. After a record-breaking box office debut, JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH is now available to own or rent for the first time exclusively on Digital platforms tomorrow, and on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD September 9, 2025, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Amblin Entertainment. JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH is “a blockbuster thrill ride you won’t want to miss” (Comic Book Movie) that features spectacular dinosaur action “anchored by stakes with genuine depth” (SCREENRANT). Audiences can now go even deeper with over one hour of exclusive content when you buy, including never-be...

*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. TINA - The Tina Turner Musical is coming to the Fisher Theatre in Detroit this November—I saw it in 2022 at the Opera House, and it was great.  One of my lucky readers will win four tickets to see the show on opening night, Friday, November 21st, at 7:30pm! All photos courtesy of Broadway in Detroit/Manuel Harlan About the show: The smash hit TINA – The Tina Turner Musical has kicked off an all-new North American Tour. The tour will make a stop at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre November 21 – 23 for a limited 5 performance engagement. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 8 and will be available online at BroadwayInDetroit.com . TINA – The Tina Turner Musical was written by Tony Award nominee and Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins. The new tour is produced by Crossroads Live North America. A full tour route is available at TinaOnBroadw...

This week has been a disjointed one because my schedule has been out of whack, for the most part—I've had OB appointments and other things going on. I'm glad it's Friday but how did August get here so fast?? (my due date is August 26th!) Giordano's pepperoni pizza and ALDI garlic rolls What I've been up to this week: Getting delivery/takeout. Last Friday or Saturday, I forget which, I was craving pasta, so we tried out "Main St. Pasta Bar," in Royal Oak, on Doordash, which ended up actually being a front for Milan Pizzeria. The pasta was pretty basic but hit the spot (chicken alfredo fettucine and pesto fettucine) and was a HUGE portion. On Wednesday night, I was going to cook a HelloFresh meal, but we ended up doing Pink Garlic via Doordash, because we were both tired, and last night, I got us Culver's takeout, which is always tasty.  Work samples . I don't usually post much about these on here, but I'm fortunate to receive snacks and candy sa...

I saw the new Lilo & Stitch live-action adaptation back in late May, in theaters, and really enjoyed it —more so than the original, actually, which came out in 2002 (and which I rewatched the day before seeing this one). One of my lucky readers will win a digital code for the movie! See below for details. About the movie: Disney’s Lilo & Stitch surfs onto digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home on July 22, before making its extraterrestrial entry on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on August 26. Disney’s  Lilo & Stitch  has officially crossed $1 billion at the global box office, making it the first Motion Picture Association (MPA) title of 2025 to reach the milestone. Following its record-breaking $183 million Memorial Day weekend debut, the film has become the year’s top-grossing MPA release both worldwide and internationally.  Film synopsis: Lilo & Stitch  is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaii...

I know I always say this, but: it's been a long week, with kind of a plot twist happening yesterday that I wasn't expecting, so the weekend may feel even longer. Postmodern Jukebox at the Fisher Theatre, Detroit What I've been up to this week: Seeing Postmodern Jukebox at the Fisher Theatre, Detroit. I was lucky enough to have media tickets to this—I saw them last year with a friend at the Fillmore, my first time seeing them, and I love their music. If you're unfamiliar with them: they basically take newer (70's/80's/90's and newer) songs and put a fresh twist on them, whether that be slowing them down, speeding them up, etc., and their outfits are great too; sometimes they'll wear flapper-type outfits, a la 1920's, or other sparkly things. I took my mom this year and they put on a fabulous show. Baby classes. Last Friday, I took a virtual breastfeeding class through Henry Ford Detroit, which overall was informative. My husband and I also took a virt...

All photos courtesy of Broadway in Detroit *Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. Back to the Future: The Musical will be at the Detroit Opera House this October and November and I'm excited to see it! I haven't seen it before, and the movie is great. Read on for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the Wednesday, October 29th  show. About the show: Lead producer Colin Ingram together with Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the creators of the Back to the Future film trilogy, and Broadway In Detroit are thrilled to announce that BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical will arrive in Detroit as part of the 2025-26 Broadway Season. This spectacular live experience based on the Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment film has thrilled millions worldwide with its destination now set for the Detroit Opera House from October 28 – November 9, 2025. Individual tickets go on sale Friday, August 1 and will be avail...

This has been a busy week, and it has gone by fast. Yesterday we actually had some decent weather, too (like 77 and not ~90~ like it's been every day) and I think today will be the same.  Achatz pies at the Yelp Waitress event What I've been up to this week: Game night with friends . Last Friday, a friend and I drove to Ann Arbor to see another friend, and we had a game night, which was a lot of fun—we played Machi Koro 2, which I like but I think I like the original game better, and also UNO Show 'Em No Mercy. We also got takeout from Bigalora, in A2—they're running a takeout deal right now, I believe at all of their locations, where it's $60 for five pizzas, which may SOUND like a lot, but considering *one* pizza from them is $15-20, it's more like "buy three pizzas, get two free." For three people we did a pretty good job on the pizza, too, although we definitely had leftovers.  Waitress musical/Yelp event . Last night, a friend and I went to Seahol...

Apologies for no Friday Five the past two weeks, but I'm back at it today, even though I have to leave soon for an equipment supplier visit for work, in Shelby Twp. (a 45- to 55-min. drive). Two weeks ago I was in Rhode Island, so I had planned on not doing a Friday Five, but last week was 4th of July and I completely forgot. (oops) East Matunuck State Beach, RI What I've been up to *the past two* weeks: Visiting Rhode Island . My parents, husband, and I went because my cousin was getting married, but it was also an excuse to visit family. We arrived on a Tuesday and we were there until Sunday, with the wedding being that Saturday night and the welcome party being the night before, on Friday. It was a good visit: I got to see like 99% of my Rhode Island family, which is rare (most were at the wedding/welcome party) and we also drove to Massachusetts one day to see that side of the family (my mom's brother, aka my uncle, and my aunt and cousins and their kids). I didn't ...

all photos courtesy of Disney/Marvel I saw Thunderbolts*  in the theater and overall enjoyed it. Thunderbolts * is now available on Digital, and will be released on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD July 29. Read on to see how you can win a digital copy—there will be FIVE winners! About the movie: Thunderbolts* turns up the heat this summer as it blasts onto digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home on July 1, before making its explosive entry on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 29. The Thunderbolts are The New Avengers, the ultimate surprise to both audiences and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine as this misfit team of burned assets rallies their powers and unites against all odds. Their namesake movie Thunderbolts* is an action-packed, international adventure, with audiences embracing the film’s super-powered humor and adrenaline. Critics lovingly call Thunderbolts* “one of the best Marvel movies of all time” (BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm) and “one of the most...