The Friday Five, 6/22/18: 5 things I've been up to this week

There was no Friday Five last week because I was in Israel - I was there from Sunday 6/10 through Sunday 6/17, and I flew back through Newark on the 17th and took a flight back to Detroit the next day, on the 18th. My jetlag has been slowly improving throughout the week but on Monday I definitely crashed hard and went to bed at 9pm ...

Dead Sea, Israel
Dead Sea, Israel
What I've been up to this week:
  1. Traveling. Israel was amazing and I'm very glad I went, even though I'm still finding it hard to walk this week ... we climbed up and down Masada (see picture below) and although I'm not THAT badly out of shape (I walk and do zumba weekly, or at least I try to), it still kicked my butt, albeit providing some awesome photos. If you're Jewish and age 18-32, you should check out Birthright here - they recently extended it to ages 27-32 which is how I was able to go.
  2. Planning my next few trips. I am the type that comes home from a trip, unpacks my suitcase the same day, and then the next day is already planning another trip. My boyfriend and I are going to Fennville for one night tomorrow, staying at the Hop & Vine Inn (check back soon for a review), and I'm also hoping to get to The Southerner (BEST fried chicken) and Grand Haven. I'll also be visiting family in Rhode Island in a few weeks, and headed to Chicago for a work conference the week after that.
  3. Cooking. I received my first Blue Apron box on Tuesday, and although the meals have been extremely tasty, I'm not a fan of their organizational skills (or lack of) ... with both Home Chef and Hello Fresh, meals are grouped in bags, so the only thing you have to add to the bags are the meats (which are under ice packs). With Blue Apron, all of the ingredients are in the one initial box, and only certain things are grouped together (mostly sauces and small ingredients). I'm not sure why they can't follow HF/HC's lead and go from there. 
  4. Seeing movies. I saw the Mr. Rogers movie (Won't You Be My Neighbor?) yesterday with my parents and am planning on seeing Incredibles 2 on Sunday too. There are a lot of movies out that I'd like to see, too: Gotti, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Tag round out the list.
  5. Finding new places to shop. I checked out Hips for the first time, in Clawson, yesterday, and sold a few shirts to them; I didn't make much money from it but they were shirts that are now too small for me and were just sitting in my closet. However, I'll definitely be returning to shop there, as they had a great selection of clothes and accessories.
Masada Fortress, Israel. I climbed this! (up AND down ...)

    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

    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...
    Keep reading

    Upcoming and GIVEAWAY: MJ the Musical, Oct. 23–Nov. 3, Fisher Theatre, Detroit {ends 7/8}

    Image
    *Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. MJ the Musical ("MJ") is coming to the Fisher Theatre this fall, and as a fan of Michael Jackson's music, I'm looking forward to it. Tickets go on sale July 12th at 10am.  Read more about the musical below, and also see how you can win two tickets  to opening night! About the show: Producers Lia Vollack, John Branca, John McClain and Broadway in Detroit are thrilled to announce that MJ will make its Detroit premiere at the Fisher Theatre October 23 – November 3.  Tickets go on sale Friday, July 12 and can be purchased online at BroadwayInDetroit.com at 10:00 a.m. or in person at the Fisher Theatre box office at noon. He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry comes to Detroit in MJ, the multiple Tony Award®-winning musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tou...
    Keep reading