I love the city of Detroit ever since I started working down here 6 years ago. I couldn't imagine living more than 20 minutes from this great city. Follow me through my antics in this great city. I will probably touch on things I love, as well as, hate about the good ol' city of Detroit!
Well after blasting a poll out to the world (great response from everyone:) I decided to go with the COTS charity. By doing this project, I will directly be responsible for impacting 360 lives. How cool is that?
Many people ask me why do I work or volunteer so much? Do I ever take a break? When does it end? To answer those questions...there's no rest for the WICKED! No, seriously I truly love helping others. When I leave this world I want to know I made a difference. I have the means to help so I see no reason why I shouldn't do everything humanly possible to help out when and where I can.
While doing some research, I came across a great website, http://www.dosomething.org/. This website is to show that everyone has their thing that makes them passionate about something. It could be anything...some examples include: animals, the environment, poverty, bullying, education, health and fitness. Whatever your thing is...DO SOMETHING.
I found my thing, and that's Detroit. I LOVE the city and cant wait for it to be revitalized! I am doing my part to help make a difference. What are some things you are passionate about? What types of things do you feel strong enough to fight for?
So I have really tried to embrace this whole blogging and Detroit thing. I truly LOVE this city and want it to be a destination place. Now, if you are on vacation and someone asks,"Oh, where are you from?" If you answer Detroit, you will generally get crazy questions like are you carrying a gun? Have you been shot at? Or better yet, are you in a gang? Really?? I want people to recognize how great this city is and what real potential it has! But it has to start at home, we as Detroiters need to first be proud of our OWN city before others will follow suit. That's why when I came across this website, I knew I had to be part of it.
Detroit4Detroit is a movement of passionate citizens, each committed to leading the fundraising for a community project in Detroit. 100% of the funds raised go to the project of your choice, providing a direct line of sight to their real world impact. Here is a video I found about this awesome cause!
I signed up to be one of the 150! My next step is to decide what program I want to start fundraising for. I was presented with 3 different projects. All 3 of these projects will directly impact COTS. The problem now is picking which project to start fundraising for? So I look to you, my friends and followers, help me decide which project to chose. Please use the poll on the side of the blog to cast your vote. Also, keep an eye out for my next fundraising event!
So, I chose to be one of the 150 to make a difference in Detroit, are you?
Fortunately, I have never had to go without food, but I can't say the same for many Detroiters. This is where Gleaners Community Food Bank steps in. For more than 35 years, Gleaners has been feeding communities of hungry people. They have distributed over 40 MILLION pounds of emergency food across Wayne, Macomb, Oakland, Livingston, and Monroe counties. Because this is such a wonderful cause, I decided to feature one of their upcoming events in this week's FRUGAL FRIDAY blog.
On Saturday, February 25th, Pewabic Pottery is hosting an "Empty Bowls" event. This event allows members of the community to come on out and purchase handmade bowls donated by local students and artists. After purchasing the bowl, attendees are invited to stay and eat complementary bread and soup. The bread is donated by Bona-Venture, LLC and the soups are from Russell Street Deli, Vivio's Food & Spirits, and other local establishments.
I have had the opportunity to host Food Drives in the past, as well as, actually go on down the Gleaners to pack and sort food for the poor and homeless. This can be very rewarding and humbling at the same time. Sometimes are lives are going so fast that we forget to see the struggles around us. Many people are losing their houses, going hungry, have no heat, yet they still have a smile on their face. Its volunteering at places like this that really puts a new perspective on life. What are some things that have happened to you, to really hit home? Have you ever had that 'A-ha' moment where you realized, life just isn't that bad? I would live to hear your thoughts! I would also love to hear if anyone has ever volunteered here or any other great organizations that help our neighbors!
Have you ever been on a road rally before? Well if you haven't let me take this opportunity to tell you about an upcoming photo road rally in the D! Last year was the first year I put one of these road rallies on, and it was no easy task, but so many people have been asking for another one so I'm bringing another road rally back down to Detroit!!
Here's what you do:
Get a team together. It can be anywhere from 3-6 people. Remember you are all going to be in 1 car, so keep that in mind.
You and your team get approximately 3 hours to take a determined about of pictures from a list of options.
Get the photos developed and place the pictures on the cardboard given at the beginning of the road rally.
Don't be late!! Arriving after the set time, results in the deduction of points.
The team with the most points, WIN!!! (Not only do you get prizes, but you get bragging rights as well!)
Here's a few examples of what the previous road rally gave as picture taking opportunities:
Here are some pics from a team competing last year: Team Juicy!!
Getting their Coney on!
Macarena anyone??
We got the "Spirit" ya!!
Some mad air guitar skills here!
Does this sound like fun or what? Not only do you get a chance to hang out with your friends and take goofy pictures, but you get to see some of the great sites of Detroit! After completing the road rally, all the teams involved get to look at each other pictures and laugh while enjoying a great meal at a local Detroit restaurant. Last time, we met up at Loco's Tex-Mex. (Did I mention the cost is under $20 a person? No jokes here folks:)
The next '313' photo road rally is this March 11th!! Who's in???
First of all, I want to put the disclaimer out there....I DO NOT like winter, but I love the Motown WinterBlast! We had such a great time this year. I have to say Detroit did a GREAT job making the snow and then Mother Nature stepped in and took it up a notch. There is so much to do at the 8th Annual Motown Winter Blast, and it is very inexpensive! Here are my top 5 reasons to visit Detroit's Motown Winter Blast:
5. The Entertainment
One of the biggest reasons we hit up the WinterBlast on Friday night was the band Persuasion. I had a friend book them to play their wedding, and they absolutely LOVED them. So when I noticed they were playing the Winter Blast, I figured that would be another good reason to go Friday night. Here is a clip of the band that rocked the Michigan Lottery Tent.
4. Dog Sledding
I am a HUGE animal lover. So when I heard there was gonna be dog sledding I wanted to see it! The puppies were so cute, I couldn't believe how small they were but they seemed to be enjoying every minute of it. Between runs the musher explained how the dogs are able to carry weight and last during extreme temperatures. Here are some pictures of these sweet pups doing what they do best!
3. Good Eats
There were so many great restaurants represented at the Winter Blast this year. Quicken Loans presented the Taste of Detroit down at the Winter Blast this year. There was something to hit everyone's taste buds. I took a few pictures of some of my favorites:) We had the infamous corn dogs too!(no festival is complete without carnival food:) Some of the restaurants included: Detroit Seafood Market, Hudson Cafe, and Red Smoke BBQ. Here are some pics from the Hudson Cafe. They had some DELICIOUS treats, and they were quite friendly to the camera too!
I don't have kids, but I can tell you this is a great place to be if you do. There is so much for them to do, from ice skating to roasting marshmallows. You can have hours of fun here at the Winter Blast just walking around absorbing the city and the fun things to do here. Kids were running around laughing trying to catch snowflakes with their tongues. Luckily, Friday night there were plenty of flakes to go around! Here are a few pictures we took while looking at the ice sculptures.
Look!! I'm an Eskimo!
We are in our Ice Castle!
1. Cheap Day/Night Out
The admission is only $1 per person OR a canned food item or children's book, which is donated to the Matrix Human Services. Many of the activities are FREE, that's right you read that correctly FREE! You can watch the live entertainment, dog sledding, ice sculptures, and skate for FREE during the Winter Blast. My husband and I only spent $20 between the both of us. We bought some goodies at the Taste of Detroit tent and a great Frog hat for me. All and all, a great night had by all and a cheap date night:)
I met "Gator" from 97.1. No one believed me that it was him!
Our cool new hats from WinterBlast!
WinterBlast is one of the festivals in the year that Detroit has to offer. Each festival has their own unique flavor and brings the city together to enjoy the atmosphere and culture of Detroit. What are some of your favorite Detroit festivals? I would love to hear about it!
February is Black History month. Detroit has so much history and what better time then now to go out and discover it! In honor of Black History month, many places are offering free admission. (Especially great if you have kids!)
Belle Isle Nature Zoo is hosting the Kuungana African Drum and Dance Company. They will be presenting interactive drum and dance workshops for guests on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month of February. David Gakure will also be on site to share his experiences about growing up in Africa and coming to America. I think this is a great opportunity for kids! I think it's important to expose them to different cultures and experiences. The Detroit Zoo is also offering some great activities this month. I didn't highlight them since they are not in the D, but I highly recommend checking them out too!
Another great place to check out is Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History .They are hosting a variety of things in honor of Black History month. All of the exhibits are FREE with the cost of admission. The cost is $8 for adults. Today, they have the music of legendary Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. While listening to this inspiring music, guests are encouraged to make album like drawings based on how the music makes them feel. There is also a puppet show geared towards kids. Again, all of these activities are very family friendly, and AFFORDABLE. All of these extras are FREE with admission.
The last place which is one of my personal favorites, is the Detroit Historical Museum. They are offering FREE admission today as they kick off Black History month. This is an annual event. Detroit definitely has some importance in Black History, from the underground railroad to Motown. The Historical Museum highlights them all! They will also have some great exhibits up for both kids as well as adults highlighting African culture and heritage. So take the day to go down there and learn and embrace the culture and the African Experience. You won't be sorry!!
My parents took an African Safari a couple of years ago, and absolutely LOVED it. For your viewing pleasure, I have included a few pics from their trip. They could not stop raving about how beautiful it was, and how friendly everyone was. Have you ever went somewhere only to be surprised by what you seen or experienced there? Have you ever been somewhere expecting one thing and got something totally different? I would love to hear about it!
New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back at the past, and more importantly, forward to the upcoming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve in the following year. I would have to say one of the biggest resolutions I hear people make would be to lose weight or live a healthier lifestyle. This seems like a simple enough task, but with everyone's fast paced life food usually isn't on our minds until HUNGER strikes!
With that said, for this week's FRUGAL FRIDAY (yes, I know I'm late...I had a lot going on this weekend) I picked an outing that will allow you to enjoy the city of Detroit and keep that New Year's resolution. "Come Hungry, Leave Happy & Healthy" tour is a tour that is offered by the Feet on the Street tours. This is a tour of the Eastern Market.
This tour company has been doing Eastern Market tours for over 10 years and is still a fan favorite! For $25 you get a two-hour strolling and tasting tour. You will get to learn all about the unique Michigan products sold at Eastern Market, fun facts and history about the area, and TASTE the food sold at the Eastern Market. Also, you will actually meet local farmers who grow the products. Along with all of this, you will get healthy tips on improving health and cooking lighter all while BUYING local products. (I always feel it's important to support local vendors when you can)
Now, I know this is more than $20, but I thought this is such a great way to get out and experience Eastern Market and Detroit. Especially, if you are not familiar with shopping down here. It can be an overwhelming experience. By doing this tour, you can experience Market first hand and become a pro! Not to mention, the produce and meat will probably taste 1000 times better than anything you buy at Kroger or Meijer.
So go and check out the Eastern Market, there is so much to do down there. Personally, I love having lunch at Vivio's (great food and great drinks!). I would love to hear what are some of your favorite things are about the Eastern Market. Have you ever been there or participated in any of their activities, i.e. Flower Day, tailgating, etc...??
