Over the weekend I got to experience this cute little town Fenton. It’s further up north and the entire group confirmed that it wasn’t just me that thought this was right out of the Gilmore Girls set. The town was decorated all over with pretty flowers (Mums), old fashion homes and Halloween decorations everywhere!

We started off this adventure at “The Laundry” with a waitlist so what do you do when there is a thirty minute wait? You wander over to Crust Bakery where you find sea salt chocolate chip cookies! The bakery was mildly overwhelming to say the least but they actually bake everything in house.

I honestly just stood there mesmerized as I watched them make the crust they were working on. (Like kneading the dough and everything.) Maybe it’s that I’m not a huge baker but it’s absolutely fascinating watching them make the dough and take that dough turning into the raspberry danish I also bought.

After Crust we were just in time for our spot on the waitlist. We were just walking to the door when I got the text saying please check in with the hostess! I couldn’t have loved the timing more. (Side note: I honestly really appreciate that technology has made waiting for a table so much easier. I really value my time and having the restaurant text me and allow me to monitor my place in line from my phone has made my life that much easier. The really old way of doing it where we all just crammed in the entry way of a restaurant stunk. It was cramped and uncomfortable. Then we went to the pager system, which was nicer, but you could still only move so far. Now with the texting you can wait comfortably outside the building, you can walk around or even wait in your car. I appreciate that I can monitor my progress and be back on time without cramming in with fifty other people.) When we first sat down we decided to look over the drinks menu. The names were hysterical.

I decided on the MakeShift Love. It was a vodka based drink with blackberry and ginger-beer. It was really good and had a nice sparkling taste. The funny thing was the whole table ended up getting the same drink!

From there we had these sandwiches which I honestly couldn’t get my mouth around! I had the Ron’s Lifesaver it was a turkey sandwich with Pesto and it was heavenly. I also tried Grant’s sandwich. He got the French dip and I’ve had one or two at max before but he honestly loves that sandwich and I am happy to report that it was fantastic. It was hot and juicy with great flavors. Once we finished lunch we were able to explore the city a little.

The home we parked in front of was all decorated for Halloween with tombstones, they even had some pretty scary dolls!

We explored for a while. We got to see the art work they are installing around the city. The giant butterfly with colorful lights illuminating the wings was fantastic. It looked like a scene from a movie. (It did seem fitting as we were in Stars Hallow.)

There was also the old firehouse which they have turned into a restaurant. It was really cool to see the way that an old firehouse was repurposed to become a hot spot on Saturday night. (45 minute wait for a table and everything.) The restaurant was called Firehouse (the same owners also own Vinsetta Garage; which I promise to blog about at some point but not today.) They even had a clock tower which was really impressive.

Since it’s now night time and my tummy declared it needed food we ventured over to Ciao for dinner (no wait time). It’s an upscale Italian restaurant. We were seated really quickly. While walking to our seats I was amazed at all the hanging chandeliers. There is just something about them that really inspires me. I love the color and ambiance it adds to a room. Now we are given an opportunity to browse the menu. For starters we ordered a round of drinks there was a bit of diversity we had a Diet Coke, a Blood Orange Martini then two Mules one Blueberry and the other Apple. I had the Blueberry Mule and I will say it was sweet but not overly sweet; very refreshing. Then it was time to order dinner Grant got the Chicken Parm ( Did you know you have to confirm that it comes with pasta? If you don’t you could have it with mashed potatoes. Thankfully Grant checked and ordered pasta instead of mashed potatoes!) Then I had the Pasta Con Apollo. It was chicken, bacon, mushrooms and spinach. Hello yummy in my tummy! It was creamy without being overly heavy.

After dinner came dessert. Our table shared a slice of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake and cannolis. The cheesecake was good but I went for the cannolis. They are my weak spot. It’s the combination of sweet and carbs I can’t help myself…. They also usually taste fantastic!

Sadly after dessert we got our bills, paid our checks, said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways. My way included heading home to see a Dexy. (Be on the look out for what I did later Saturday Night I’ll give you a hint there might be singing.)

So yesterday Grant and I met up with a few friends to explore Saginaw and Bay City for a pumpkin patch!

We started our adventure at Johnson Giant; a pumpkin Farm. They have hundred of pumpkins, a corn maze (for adults and a bean maze for children. (I really appreciate they thought of the little ones.) There is also a full concession stand with fresh apple cider and donuts. Plus the petting zoo! It led to a great photo opportunity.

Also there is a pumpkin trebuchet (where they launch a giant pumpkin into the air and see how far it flies!) They were supposed to have launch times at one, three and five but the three showing was postponed until 4:45. So while we did see it we didn’t get the up close and personal experience we were hoping for but it was still awesome to watch.

They also had pumpkin carving and displayed the winners up by the trebuchet. They were really interesting to see. (They had started and ending the expert carving before we got there so we were just able to enjoy the results.)

I did possibly grab (they were purchased for $.50 each; HELLO win win) two baby pumpkins to help decorate my house with. The pumpkin selection was really cute and adorable I love that they had a great selection of pumpkins including gourds, and fire engines red pumpkins!

They also had Alpacas and a Zebo I’m all about me a good petting zoo! They even had chickens, ducks and geese. They had the ducks and geese in the same pen but separate sections. Someone really missed out. They had them duck, geese, duck. It so should’ve been duck, duck, goose! Then there was the peacock which had the most beautiful coloring.

After the pumpkin patch we headed over to Bay City to grab ice cream over at Cream and Sugar. Its this fantastic new ice cream shop that opened up in September. I couldn’t recommend them more! The flavors were fantastic!! The pumpkin ice cream I had was made with pumpkins from Johnson’s Giant Pumpkin Farm! They also offer flights (yes like a beer sample flight!) of ice cream! (Stop hyperventilating. I know this is fantastic! Three mini scoops where you can try any flavor you want!).

We might’ve gone a little crazy We got to try all the following flavors: Strawberry Field Forever, Bay City Brownie, Creme Brûlée, Mixed Berry, Cinnamon Basil, Michigan Sugar Cookie, Johnson’s Pumpkin Spice, Birthday Cake, Dairy Farmers Delight, Pumpkin Sage, another round of Johnson’s Pumpkin Spice and finally last, but certainly not least, Ooey Gooey Maple Bacon. I’m not sure what my favorite was. I loved the bacon and maple combo, the pumpkin spice! It was all drool worthy!

Plus the best part of this little shop of wonders is that it’s right on the water. We were able to walk down to a river walk and just walk/explore the waterfront. It was absolutely breathtaking and an unexpected find! We were able to see a bridge ride and separate so a boat could pass through to art work lining the walkway from the city.

This was so so worth it and I’m really glad we were able to go and explore it.

My love hate relationship continues with Michigan. I came home from Physical Therapy to change then Grant and I were off! We ran to Yates Cider Mill over in Rochester Hills to grab fresh apple cinnamon donuts and fresh apple cider!

When we pulled into Yates it was very busy, to say the least, between families with the day off and school tours we were in for a treat!

Our first stop there was to walk down to the creek and just enjoy listening to the water moving with the sun behind it. The view was spectacular. We took lots of pictures.

Then we walked to the attractions. The first one was a pumpkin tent that had tons of pumpkins to choose from for carving. They did also have cute painted pumpkins.

Then we managed to walk into the gift store and I couldn’t help myself. I might’ve smelled every candle in the store twice… (No regrets right?) I did end up buying a perfect fall candle. I’m a big fan of it. I also bought some local honey. I really want to test seeing if you eat local honey if it improves your allergies. I have doubts but people swear by it.)

After that we somehow wound up in the fudge tent! (I know your all thinking, oh god, this is going to get dangerous for both my jeans and my wallet…. But it didn’t!) They have a special right now where it’s buy two slices get the third free so we sampled a few and decided on cookies and cream, sea salt caramel and chocolate peanut butter to take home and enjoy. Let me repeat, no regrets, and this is a judgment free zone!

Okay the part you’ve all been waiting for! We got in line for the fresh donuts and cider. The line was a little long but moved swiftly. Then we were in the building deciding what to eat. We settled on a half dozen with a pint of cider. When we got our food we took it and went to search for a place to sit. To avoid all the bees we went back down to the creek.

We set out our cups and napkins and had a picnic for brunch with donuts and cider. It would’ve been picture perfect except for the damn bees! We had to keep the donuts covered, plus napkins over our cider. (There was a close encounter where a bumblebee who tried to go for a swim in my cider. I was not a happy camper!) Anyhow that’s life it’s all about handling anything and making it fun so we just kept the drinks covered except to take a sip. (Even then the napkin was only removed as it hit your mouth.)

Did I enjoy fighting the bees for my food? No, but it was totally worth it and I plan to go again a few more times before the seasons over!

Oh my lanta. Last night I was surrounded with great people, great food and great cocktails! Okay let’s start from the beginning. I got an email a few weeks ago advertising a Detroit Foodie Tour event. I forwarded it over to a group of us and next thing you know I’m buying a four pack of tickets!

To begin our crazy adventure Priya, Sasha and I met Grant at his work then we all loaded up in the civic and set out towards Detroit.

Our first stop was The Elephant Room for registration and to try the Smoked Brisket Grilled Cheese. When we first got there we accidentally got mixed up in the line for St. Andrew’s Hall (a music venue) and were waiting anxiously in that line…. Opps! Once we realized our mistake we were able to walk right in and get our badges! The sandwich was really good. The service was a little tight so we skipped drinks and headed over to destination number two.

Our second stop was (drumroll please) Jacoby’s where we had a watermelon shot! The shot honestly wasn’t too watermelon tasting. It was more of an unexpected end taste. It was really good.

They also had Potato Pancakes! They are heavenly fried potatoes that you dip in ranch dressing for the most satisfying taste in the world. They also paired their potato pancakes with applesauce which was surprisingly good.

After that we went to the Ready Player One which is actually a basement bar. When we walked in they had Pepperoni Wontons. They were actually really good and I was honestly surprised. I had some doubts about the taste but was pleasantly surprised. They also had fun drink specials to celebrate the fall!

The next stop on the tour was an oldie but a goodie, The Old Shillelagh which actually had a vegan option! They were serving Shepard’s Pie (traditional and vegan). Sasha got the Vegan option and I got to taste both. The vegan option was equally as good as the regular option. We also enjoyed a nice fall themed beverage there!

Okay you guessed it. The next stop we actually had a little bit of real food. We hit up Fishbones Greektown which was a stop that you could try Alligator Voodoo. (Basically popcorn chicken but not actually chicken….) Alligator really does taste like chicken. We then grabbed a table and had some yummy food and water. Once we were fully recharged we walked to our next destination.

We then hit Basement Burger Bar Detroit. We were too stuffed to eat much but their sliders were really good. That would be an excellent game day snack or after night out grab food spot. The staff were friendly and inviting plus the food was good.

After that we just walked around over by Greektown letting our food digest before we got back into our car to head home. My night did have a great ending as I had a dog bone in my purse for Dex that he was very very happy about. I think it’s safe to say it was a great night for everyone!

I love when you get to explore where you live and discover hidden treasures. Yesterday morning I met up with two friends to begin our adventure!

Okay, backstory here. I’m a Cincinnati native living in Michigan (kinda Detroit suburbs) so I’m still figuring out this whole Michigan thing. Some days I love it and I ALWAYS love my friends up here; whereas some days it snows for two months straight and I’m ready to pack it up and kiss the frozen tundra goodbye. So you’ll have to forgive me if I should’ve known about these places before hand but didn’t.

Our destination was to go to Dearborn and explore the “Glass Academy.” On our way down we stopped and grabbed Mediterranean food because when in Rome you do as the Romans do! (If your not from here and that reference went beyond your head let me fill you in all the best middle eastern food is in Dearborn.) We had some amazing Hummus and Chicken Shawarma sandwiches. (Sorry I forgot to grab a picture.)

From there we drove down some narrow streets then found parking to enter a hidden paradise. When we first walked in they were showing off their new purple pumpkin which gives 10% of the proceeds to a local organic farm in Ann Arbor. Who doesn’t love shopping local and supporting local.

We decided to sit down and watch the demonstrations where they were making custom orders in front of us. I don’t know about you guys but this was absolutely fascinating watching as they were working with molten glass!

After the demonstrations we explored their studio for a little. I took thousands of pictures of all the unique and individual pumpkins. It was like walking in a glass pumpkin patch!

I finally settled on an adorable light blue almost teal glass pumpkin that will make an adorable addition to my fall decor.

They were sharing flyers for their Christmas show which also looked pretty impressive. I can honestly say I can’t wait to go back and explore again.

Today has been a day both good and bad. This morning started out with an alarm going off at eight am. I had to get up and get moving! I had to be over at a procedure center by 9:30 for an epidural steroid shot. For those who don’t know I might’ve managed to injure my spine resulting in a herniated, bulging disc.

(Okay don’t panic on me. The doctors are optimistic that with physical therapy and some medicine I’ll be back to my normal constantly moving self soon.) Today was my first shot and I was kinda freaking out. I don’t like needles. (Let me repeat that I don’t like needles; they freak me out!) I got there early, signed up and was back to check vitals then meet the doc. The doctor was great. He answered any questions I had, then it was time to go.

Once in the procedure room the doctor talked to me about Dex and trying to determine if I named him after the show Dexter. (No, I didn’t name my dog after a serial killer….) He numbed me up then injected the steroids. It kinda felt just like that. It was that quick and we were done.

After that I went over to SweetWaters Cafe where I was able to zoom into my meeting and sip a Carmel Chai Latte. It tasted like a spicy apple cider. I’m a big fan and will be happily going back for another all season long!

The next part is the best part. Grant actually went with me to the procedure this morning and SweetWaters Cafe is across the street from his work. He drove over and we ran to get lunch together.

We wound up over at City Barbecue where I got their two meats specials and Grant grabbed a brisket sandwich. We also shared a few sides (potato salad, corn bread, hush puppies and fries.) The sides were amazing but I think my favorite might’ve been all the BBQ options. I’m a sucker for a sweet bbq. I love their sweet bbq and the original. Grant likes the Brushfire sauce. That one packs a punch but he wanted some heat! Overall we really enjoyed grabbing lunch together.

From there I dropped Grant off back at work and I went home to continue working for the day.

Yesterday I realized that as I start to do more of my own thing and build up my business that I might need a shredder. So I decided to buy one. I looked at Amazon and Target. I decided to get the one at Target.

I packed up Dex in the car since it wasn’t too hot for a Roo to sit in the car while I ran in. I knew the isle I was headed and I did sooo great getting in the store, I even skipped looking at clothes and the dollar section. I went right to the office supplies section. I found the shredder I wanted, put it in my cart and then the ultimate fail happened. I wondered towards the home section instead of back the way I came.

Needless to say I found the most adorable chunky knit blanket in a deep red color. I have been wanting one for a while but I just hadn’t found the right one. I loved the ones on Etsy but I was hesitant to buy one online because I wanted to be able to feel the blanket before buying. So…. When I found it at Target, in grey, I looked at the price and then saw the one in red. It is traditionally only available online but they had it in stores!

As you might’ve seen online I did purchase the blanket. I did the walk of shame all the way from my car to my house. On the positive side Dex really likes it so its not a total Target fail!

However, the real kicker is that the stupid shredder I went to buy in the first place couldn’t fit a single piece of paper without folding it almost four times… It had to go back. So ultimately the entire trip was a bust. I didn’t get what I needed and I impulse bought a blanket.

That being said I am really happy cuddled under my blanket right now! No regrets right?

Dex and I decided to just pack up and enjoy working remotely! We drove up to Port Huron and were able to lounge around in the sand all day.

My poor puppers is not a water guy. He is all about playing in the sand (okay well digging and romping in the sand) but today he just decided to get a little sun on his fur! For those of you who think its that he can’t swim he totally can, as a puppy I made sure he was able to swim since there is a pool at Mom & Dad’s. Dex is a fully capable swimmer; he would just prefer the only water he experiences to be the one he is drinking his water from.

We got a little bit of a late start and didn’t get to Port Huron until about three. It was a little too chilly to get in the water so we set out our towels and got cozy. He took a snooze and I read some of my book. (Technically I finished my book.) Then we just sat in the sand watching the waves roll in. We even got to see a few sailboats. I don’t know what it is about the sound of waves but every time I hear them I instantly feel more relaxed. (Personally I’m all about the salt water oceans but hey when in Rome!)

As the day slowly progressed it did get a little chilly and I put my hoodie on so we could stay later and keep enjoying. Then on our way home I had some interesting music that we were rocking out too. A little bit of “Men At Work” followed by some Springstein. We had a great drive singing and barking along with the music; windows down of course! This is one of those perfect end of summer days and I am very thankful I got to spend it with a pup named Dex.

Dog park, dog park, dog park! I got to go to the dog park! Yesterday Grant, Bridget and I packed up a pup named Dex and headed out for an adventure! (If you have no ideas yet reread the first sentence of the post.) You guessed it; we ended up at the dog park! If you even say the words dog park in my house his ears come to full attention, he stops whatever he is doing and promptly stares at you awaiting the let’s go bye bye that follows.

Our first stop was Goodison Cider Mill for some fresh confining sugar donuts and cold cider. I love it here. It’s about fifteen minutes away, they are dog friendly and they have fresh squeezed Apple Cider. It doesn’t get any better. We all had some donuts (even Dex managed to get a few nibbles in.) On Sunday’s they try to encourage more business so they make it a family fun time. There was a man there making balloon animals and a live band. We were able to sit in their big free tent and just enjoy our brunch.

Then our next stop was the Orion Oaks Dog Park. I think this might be Dex’s favorite place on earth. He gets to get off his leash and just romp around. He loves chasing a ball (sometimes he will bring it back and sometimes you get to bring it back. It’s sorta like Russian roulette as to who brings the ball back; no one knows…)

So Dex is about 20 pounds and a pretty small pup (don’t underestimate him though since he’s all muscle and if he get you on the back of the knees you’re going down and the lick attack will begin) but he has no fears. He’ll run up to the big dogs and chase them around. He’s even been known to get on his back legs and go full Rocky; boxing the whole time.

Today although he played with other dogs a little bit he mostly just wanted to run after the ball that Grant or I happily kicked/threw for him. At one point we stood on opposite sides and tries to kick it back and forth playing slight keep away from Dex, but he’s just too clever and caught the ball every time.

Then when he ran for a while he would just flop down on the grass under the tree where we were sitting at and lounge around cooling down. As soon as you think maybe he’s ready to go home he gets another burst of energy and he starts running around again. He did finally get himself all worn out and at that point we proceeded to the car. As soon as he was situated he fell asleep for our drive over to Culver’s.

When we went through the drive through he magically woke up in time for a puppy treat! I really do love how well they treat dogs at the Culver’s restaurant.

After devouring his treat he fell back asleep until we got home where he’s proceed to nap the day away. The dog park sure tires my little babe out! (I’m not gonna lie; it’s a family favorite activity not just a Dex favorite. Bridget was even the one who suggested it today.)

Okay, full disclosure here. As soon as we finished eating there might’ve been some post fun in the sun napping to be had in our house. Dex didn’t even make it to bed choosing to sleep on the couch before eventually moving his tired puppy booty to bed.

Oh my lanta yesterday was an absolute blast! It was the annual Expecto Pub Crawl over in Royal Oak. This was the second year I’ve participated in it and while many of you know I’ve never read the series (I have listened to the majority of the books on CD as my younger brother listened to them as I was getting my driving hours in) I love going.

We got super lucky. Priya was in charge of tickets and she waited for a promo code ensuring we got the VIP experience at the regular rate. Thank you Priya. If you don’t have one of her in your group your seriously missing out! The VIP package included an upgraded Harry Potter lanyard that you could pick your house, a mug in your house color, an acceptance letter, a wand, a deathly hallows necklace and a Marauder’s Map.

Our first stop and check in point was, The Royal Oak Tap House. Priya, Bridget, Grant and I got there. Then Sarah and Adam met us too. When we finally got to the bar to order drinks we got a traditional Butterbeer and a Unicorn Blood. I had the Butter Beer and it was really good. I’m not sure; I think I like the butterscotch version better but this was really good. Nikki arrived as we were ordering drinks meaning our group was mostly complete.

Then we headed over to Pronto where it was a little less busy and we could actually reach the bar without throwing elbows. Here we got a round of Poly Juice Potion. Unfortunately or fortunately for us there was no hair in it so there was no transfigurations to be had. I got to remain me and the group did as well. Personally I don’t want to get to enjoy that transformation.

From there we headed over to 5th Avenue where we got to enjoy the Harry Shooter. It was a fun drink and that’s where Matt and Jess met up with us. This means that our entire group was together! After introducing Matt & Jess to the group I enjoyed a round with them and we headed out!

From 5th we grabbed O’Tools for the nastiest drink of the crawl. It was called the Kreature and it sure tasted like a nasty Kreature. It’s easy to say that as a group we didn’t enjoy this one and we packed our gear up and headed onward to the next destination.

Then we crossed the train tracks and wound up over at Tequila Blue where we got to enjoy an Expecto Hangover. The name didn’t do it justice. It was actually really good. That was our last shot before we decided it was time for a snack. We decided to hit BDubs so Sarah and I headed over since we couldn’t grab seats.

At BDubs we basically all had some version of Honey Barbecue Boneless wings. It’s safe to assume we’re a group with similar tastes. We needed the break since most of the bars offered food but getting to the bar and ordering was difficult enough. We thought that this was the easiest solution.

Okay we’ve had our food so it’s time to keep chugging along. The next stop we went to was Mesa where we got the Muggle Struggle. This one was really good and we snagged a table where we could sit and drink the drinks. Talk about a great timing moment. We stayed here and talked for a bit before heading over to the next destination.

The next spot was Mr. B’s which is a classic pub crawl spot. It’s huge with pool tables and the best part clean bathrooms!!!! Here we ordered The Drink of Despair and there was nothing disparaging about it. I’d happily get it again.

Then, for our final destination we ended up at the Rock on 3rd. This is the best one to end up at. They have good food and you never, let me repeat that, never start out at the Rock on Third. We technically ordered Huffelpuff Punch but I think only a few actually drank it. We were all disappointed. They didn’t have the Jell-O shots anymore. (The only downside to winding up here.) While here we got some mozzarella cheese sticks and nachos! Plus we did have a round of shots. I’m happy to announce that Adam had his first ever Yeager Bomb! I choose a gummy bear. I’m not about those bombs.

The funny thing about this stop was the bathrooms were so gross Nikki and I braved the pouring down rain and hustled over to Mr. B’s to use their bathroom. Then on our way back we played in the puddles outside and I don’t just mean walk in the puddles but we actually jumped in them.

From there we all of us headed our separate ways. I think it’s safe to say we all had a fantastic time and are looking forward to next years festivities.