What I Wore, Ate and Did this Fourth of July
I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July! Growing up in Michigan you quickly learn that the Fourth of July is meant to be spent up north – preferably on the lake. However, this year things didn’t pan out that way for me. I ended up spending the Fourth in the city, and let me tell you I loved the ghost town. While my weekend wasn’t filled with days splashing through one of the Great Lakes and eating Superman ice cream, they were filled with bike rides, good food and plenty of quality time with Jack. Scroll through the pictures below to get a glimpse at my holiday weekend, and don’t forget to leave a comment and share what you were up to.
There’s a baby camel at the Detroit Zoo and she is ready to meet you. On Wednesday, March 27 the proud parents Suren and Rusty welcomed their baby girl Tula to the Detroit Zoo. This calf joins siblings Humphrey (4) and Rusi (who turns 2 in July). Did you know that a newborn calf is able to stand and walk alongside its mother in as little as 30 minutes of birth? When Tula was born she weighed in at 128 pounds and stood more than 4 feet tall. Contrary to popular belief, camels store fat – not water – in their humps, which provides energy when food is limited. If you love baby animals as much as I do, now is the perfect time to visit the Detroit Zoo and see Tula for yourself.
Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory: Butterfly Exhibit
Surround yourself with butterflies in the heart of downtown Fort Wayne through July 7, 2019. The annual Butterfly Exhibit at Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory is something you won’t want to miss! From April 27 – July 7, 2019 the big white tent has been home to these gorgeous fluttering insects.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your Butterfly Exhibit experience
1. Have your camera ready, because chances are you’ll have a butterfly land on you.
2. Bright colors and strong perfumes will get the butterflies to hang out with you longer.
3. There are individuals who will let you inside and do a quick check when you leave to make sure no butterflies run away.
4. Butterflies are most active in heat, therefore you’ll want to make sure you’re paying attention to how you feel when you’re inside the tent.
5. Strollers are asked to be left outside of the tent, however, scooters, walkers and other mobility aids are welcome inside.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Botanical Conservatory after the butterfly exhibit. One room provides a soothing vibe with it’s tropical plants and waterfall, while another is filled with cactus to make you feel like you are right in the heart of the desert.
2019 Mazda CX-5 – Tech Features
I am always looking for my next adventure, and the next car to take on that adventure. This week I hit the road on a solo road trip (more on that later) in the 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD and let me tell you Mazda will have you seeing red with their new Soul Red Crystal paint. Typically, I am not a fan of red cars at all, but this red is a complete game-changer, it’s absolutely gorgeous and sparkles like you would not believe when the sun hits it. The Mazda CX-5 is a nice-looking car, offering a smooth drive (yes, even on these Michigan pothole-filled roads) and plenty of space.
Here are 15 tech features I loved about the Mazda CX-5:
1. Lane-Keep Assist
Lane-keeping assist helps by notifying you if you’re drifting into another lane and your signal is not activated. In the CX-5 it’s subtle but reliable.
2. Blindspot Notification
All it takes is one glance to the side view mirrors or the heads-up display to see if there is someone in your blind spot as the light will illuminate to let you know. Even though I still do a shoulder check, this is probably one of my favorite tech features.
3. Head-Up Display
This will show you what speed you’re going, what the speed of the road is when there is a car in front of you, when someone is in your blind spot and more.
4. Adaptive Cruise Control
Set your cruise at the speed (within the legal limit) that you’re comfortable with and the adaptive cruise control will automatically slow down when approaching other vehicles ahead of you. If someone hard breaks in front of you, the car will tell you to brake while it’s breaking.
5. Collision Detection Sensors
You will be notified on the dash and on the head-up display if you are approaching a vehicle too quickly, if they’re traveling slower than you or if the car is at a standstill. The CX-5 will even brake for you if it is necessary.
6. Backup Camera
See what is around you to help prevent hitting poles, people and more.
7. Automatic Headlights
Headlights and high beams on automatic save you time and increase safety. If the drive gets dark and when you are going through a tunnel your headlights will come on.
8. Rainsense Windshield Wipers
When raindrops start to appear on the windshield, your wipers will automatically begin and keep in time with the speed of the rainfall, therefore you can keep your eyes on the road without worrying about changing the wiper speed.
9. Auto Climate Control
The car will adjust to the perfect temperature that you have set it at.
10. Large Touchscreen
You can control the screen by touching it or by using the knobs located near the driver\’s seat.
11. Heated Seats
Living in Michigan this becomes a staple that everyone wants, and the CX-5 not only has it for the driver and person riding shot-gun but for the riders in the back as well.
12. Heated Steering Wheel
This feature is great and eliminates having to drive with mittens on.
13. Driver’s Seat Memory
There are two different buttons, which allows two different drivers to have their seat set just how they like it when they get in. This is a great feature, I am 4’10” therefore anytime someone else gets in my car to drive they always have to move everything. Being able to click a button to get everything back how I like it is great.
14. Moonroof
Okay, so this may not be super techy, but it’s a feature I love.
15. Sirius XM satellite radio
This is perfect if you love to travel, you don’t have to find a radio station you like because you already know all of your favorites.
Overall, the 2019 Mazda CX-5 was a really enjoyable car. It provided a smooth ride and got great gas mileage – an average of 24 mpg (22 cities, 27 highway). The 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD retails for about $40k and is ready to take you on your next adventure. Do you drive Mazda?
Spartan Workout Tour – Michigan
Yesterday, the Spartan Workout Tour came to LifeTime Rochester – and my workout BFF Betsy and I attended it. The event was led by SGX-certified coach Beverly Moore. The event focused on training both body and mind, and coach Beverly educated us all so that we would be able to retain the skills and movements learned and take them home to continue personal success. There are five fundamental exercises a Spartan can do to prepare for their race – pushups, pull-ups, squats, lunges and of course burpees. Since this was a bodyweight only workout we didn\’t do any pull-ups, however, you can head to a playground to work on them. The 90-minute workout itself incorporated variations of these movements to create a challenging strength and cardio workout. We did bear crawls, crab crawls, jump squats, push-ups, lunges, jumping jacks and more. Aside from the physical benefits, the workout also provided an opportunity to make new friends and connect with the Spartan community. The crowd was a mix of seasoned racers and those (like myself) who have not run a Spartan race yet. Overall the Spartan Workout Tour provided a challenging workout for participants of all fitness levels.
Note: Make sure you are amazing at burpees because you\’ll be doing a bunch at the Spartan Race! Spartan Race is an obstacle course racing series that takes competition VERY seriously. Racers crawl through mud, jump over fire, and sneak their way under barbed wire. If you fail an obstacle, you will need to complete 30 burpees before moving on!
Have you ever participated in a Spartan Race before?
Detroit Flyhouse Circus School
Not my monkeys, not my circus…. or is it? Earlier this week, my friend Betsy invited me to join her at Detroit Flyhouse Circus School to celebrate the release of the new Dumbo movie on blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD.
This is a live action version of the childhood movie that we all know and love – encouraging us to embrace our differences.
At the Detroit Flyhouse we learned how to fly in their beginner aerial silks class – where I learned I have zero upper body strength and need to work harder at the gym haha. The instructors were down to earth, and had patience, even when we had to ask them to show us things multiple times – you think you know what you have to do until you get to the silk and suddenly forget everything. The instructors took the time to walk us through all of the movements step by step and encouraged us to do more than we thought we were capable of. The event was a ton of fun, and it was really neat to see all the grace of the instructors.
If you\’re in the Detroit-area, I highly recommend grabbing some girlfriends and taking a class at Detroit Flyhouse Circus School. In the meantime, don\’t forget to pick-up a copy of Disney\’s Dumbo for movie night!
Fashion meets Food 