Infinity Braid Slide Sandals - New York & Company

Originally $22.95, but 40% off, these sandals are just shy of $14 and worth every penny.  Paired with my new Mod Cloth dress (see previous post), these are classy but flirty and will match just about any spring/summer attire you don.  Their lack of arch support and cushion makes them perfect for slow, short walking days or mostly sedentary - I haven't tried them yet for extended walks, but I'm going to guess that they aren't pleasant after too many miles.  Get them while New York & Company is still running their 40% off the entire store sale!

Coach Tour Dress in Noir - www.modcloth.com

This may be the best $47.99 I've spent on a dress!  The length is still modest enough to wear in the office with wide enough straps to wear a bra without the straps showing, and a high, but cute neckline.  This classy and flirty dress not only fits at the waist with room for lady hips, but it even has hidden pockets to stash your lip gloss.  The material is a tad thicker so you won't be chilly.  I wore this dress today for Mother's Day out to brunch with silver sandals and it was perfect for the occasion.  I received compliments left and right and because I am so satisfied with the purchase, I am on ModCloth right now trying to decide which dresses I'm going to walk away with now!  Shipping was free on an order over $50... and returns are free... how can you go wrong?  Check out ModCloth and Save $10 with this link!

Green Mill - Blaine

This Green Mill in Blaine has my favorite Bloody Mary. They make their own mix - and I've found that not all Green Mills use the same recipe.  Blaine's is the BEST.

Green Mill has an amply varied menu.  Something for everyone - burgers, pasta, walleye, and of course pizza.  We were with the grandsons last night and they wanted pizza, so we took advantage of their $19.99 deal.  You get an extra large (16") 2-topping pizza and an order of chicken wings - boneless or bone-in.  We ordered the Diablo boneless and the boys loved them.  The boys wanted plain cheese pizza, so 1/2 was cheese, the other half was sausage and onion.  It was delicious - their sauce is unique.  We normally get the deep dish Il Primo - that's our favorite.  But this hand-tossed, 2-topping pizza was very tasty too.  Enough for the 4 of us - we have left-over wings to take home, but managed to eat the whole pizza. 

You can't go wrong with any Green Mill - I've been to several and I've never been disappointed in the food.  But again - if you're looking for a great Bloody Mary you need to come to the Blaine location.  Our favorite bartender is working there again, and our service last night by the waitress was great.  She had this sunny, friendly disposition that was very disarming.  Our pizza took a little long for one of my grandon's liking (he was starving) - but it was Friday night, and I'm sure the pizza special had an impact on the kitchen.  We waited approximately 30 minutes for our pizza to be done.

Big thumbs up for Green Mill - especially the one in Blaine!

Embassy Suites - Overland Park, Kansas, Metcalf Avenue

This week I stayed at this hotel for a couple of nights and was very disappointed.  Embassy Suites is known for a few things - complimentary breakfast and drinks, as well as the fact that when you rent a room - it's a suite.

Well, to start my disaappointment - I wasn't given a suite.  I have stayed at many Embassy Suites and have never seen a room like this.  It seemed to have angeled walls - even though I wasn't on a corner.  The size of the room was more or less like any other hotel's typical room, but again it had a weird feel with the angled walls.

In addition to the strange room set-up, here are the other things that made this stay less than acceptable:

• The T.V. was not at the foot of the bed like a normal hotel room - instead it was to the right side of the bed.
• The cleaning crew left a used bar of soap in the shower.
• When I woke up the first morning to make coffee - there was no cream.  I only use cream - and without it I won't drink coffee - especially the kind you make in your hotel room.  So I left a message for the maid asking for cream.  She/he never left any even with the note.
• The heating/cooling fan was so loud it sounded like an airplane engine.  When I called for my wake-up call - I suggested they have engineering look at it.  The front desk clerk was very pleasant and apologized.  But of course the next day nothing had been done - and I'm sure it's because nothing could be done.  My boss was also staying at this same hotel with me - she had the same issue with the fan - too loud.
• And speaking of wake-up calls, I asked for 1 wake-up call and a reminder call 15 minutes later.  Never got the second call - I was reallly irritated about that.  I called the front desk when I woke up 30 minutes later than desired - got a nice apology and that was that.  However the next night when I called for a wake up, I questioned the guy at the front desk to ensure it's something they can handle.  He provided a more satisfactory answer - saying that the night guy was new and probably didn't realize that the second call had to be sent manually, and that he'd take care of it.  Which he did - got two calls the next morning.

The only positive thing about my stay at this hotel was the guy who cooked the omelets at breakfast.  He was very friendly and efficient - a bright spot and great way to be greeted in the morning.

Overall, this hotel earns a thumbs down from me.  I'll be staying someplace else next time I'm in the area.

There may be multiple Embassy Suites in Overland Park - this one is at 10601 Metcalf Avenue.

El Rodeo - Maple Grove, MN

I went to this restaurant with 3 other girlfriends for the second time.  And this time we were all very disappointed in the service, and not impressed with the food.

We struggled to get attention from the waiter when we needed it.  We were never offered refills or additional drinks/food - instead we had to ask for it.  There were long lapses in-between visits from the waiter.

The staff, including our waiter, we all very friendly and pleasant.  But again, when you have to keep flagging the waiter down for service it casts a shadow over everything else.

As for the food - that was mediocre.  They have a cheese dip that is great, but everything else was just so-so.  I shared a combo appetizer plate with one friend - it had fajita beef, chicken and shrimp, along with chees quesadilla triangles.  A little strange - because there were no tortillas to fill with the meat, and that was not a mistake - it's how it's served.

All in all - based on this last visit, I wouldn't recommend them.  However, it wouldn't be fair for me not to mention that the previous time we visited this place it was great.  That was around 9 months ago or so.  We had no issues, so that's why we returned.  Unfortunate how one bad experience will deter us from going there in the future - but we have lots of choices and opportunities to be treated better.

Mucho Loco Mexican Restaurant - Elk River, MN

We ate at this restaurant on Saturday around 4:00pm.  We were seated immediately, and just as quickly we were brought chips, salsa and guacamore.  The guac was excellent.  I ordered ala carte - 1 chicken enchilada and a side of beans.  My husband ordered the Burrito Mucho Loco (shredded grilled pork burrito with melted cheese with jalapeno, lettuce, guacamole and tomotoes).  He also had a couple of Dos Equis - and in the end our bill was less than $18.  Everything was very good including the service.  The atmosphere isn't anything special - just functitonal.  But all in all - I give Mucho Loco a thumbs up!

J. J. Murphy's Irish Restaurant - Blaine, MN

I'm sitting at J. J. Murphy's, a new restaurant in Blaine. This is the third time my husband and I have eaten here. And we really like the place - the food is really good, the service has been exceptional each time, and the atmosphere is nice too.

Food - between us we've had the fish and chips (they have a small size that is plenty big for me and only $7.95), strawberry/chicken salad, shepherd's pie, curry chicken and the Irish breakfast. Everything tastes great, the prices are very reasonable and the portions are big. The last three dishes I listed are really a lot of food - my husband didn't even finish everything tonight. They have the usual Irish food - corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew, colcannon and champ. Young children may have a hard time finding something they'd like, but I think it's varied enough to meet the needs of a diverse group of adults.

Service - we've had A different person wait us each time we've been here. The last two times it was someone who was brand new. I think they are doing a great job hiring - because they all have great attitudes. Big smiles, very polite without being stuffy.

Atmosphere - the first time we came there was a three-piece band that started out sounding a bit Irish, but then moved into a "John Denver meets Charlie Daniels" style. Had A fiddles, goiter and drums - they really sounded good. Unfortunately I didn't get the name. The decorating wouldn't get a 10, but for the size and lay-out they've done a good job keeping if simple and inviting. They are striving for and Irish pub motif - falling a little short, but still nice.

I know we'll be back time and time again. I would recommend it as an unique little gem of a place in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis and St. Paul.