The Friday Five, 7/20/18: 5 things I've been up to this week

This has been kind of a disjointed week - I was in Chicago Monday through Wednesday for work, which is my last trip via plane until October, tentatively, when I go back for another work conference. I was supposed to see the Beach Boys at Freedom Hill yesterday, but had to have a medical procedure done yesterday too and I was feeling beat up from that, so I ended up skipping the concert ... it was a bummer but I wasn't feeling well enough to attend.

The Moxy, Chicago, aka Hipster Hotel
What I've been up to this week:
  1. Traveling. I was in Chicago attending the IFT conference at McCormick Place for my job. I managed to fit in a tasty Italian dinner on Monday night, at RPM Italian, and I also got to see college friends who lives in the city, and their kids, on Tuesday night. I stayed at The Moxy and it was probably the most hipster hotel ever ... they call their rooms "European cozy." (see pic above)
  2. Cooking. Last Sunday, my boyfriend and I made our first ever vegetarian Hello Fresh meal, and it was quite tasty - za'atar grilling cheese with couscous and other veggies. Originally I thought it was going to be a grilled cheese sandwich but there was no bread ... oops. I also received my first Sunbasket box this week so I'm going to cook one of those meals today (chicken banh mi sandwiches) and more of them this weekend.
  3. Seeing movies. Last Saturday I finally got to see Ant-Man and the Wasp, and I enjoyed it (4/5 stars from me). I'm hoping to see Equalizer 2 tomorrow night, and maybe Leave No Trace tonight if I'm feeling better ... most likely I will be hanging out on my couch though.
  4. Hanging out with friends. Last Friday, a friend had her birthday party/get-together in Royal Oak, and we did Blaze Pizza for dinner and then 526 Main, the dueling piano bar, which was quite fun. On Saturday, I met up with a Yelp friend at Kahve, in Clawson, and it ended up being a cute coffee place - it was my first time there even though I live in Clawson.
  5. Feeling sick. I have a stomach condition, but it's become worse over the past few weeks. On top of that, I had another issue to take care of (one I had the procedure for, yesterday) and that made me feel even worse. Hoping to get some of these resolved by next week. 
Hello Fresh Za'atar Grilling Cheese (vegetarian meal)

    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

    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

    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