Stonewater Massage & Skin Care - Lino Lakes, MN

I found Stonewater Massage & Skin Care using SpaFinder for a gift certificate I had won as a Miche Consultant.  It was the best gift certificate because I found Stonewater!  I recently purchased a series of four 50 minute massages for $100 plus tax off of spamassage.com, which is 50% off of services!  I love getting my massages by the owner, Steph, as she is definitely a "master" level masseuse; however, I have recently been recieving massages from Bree, a friendly, pint-sized woman with large, strong hands.  I received a massage last week and I went for the hard, deep massage - I know it is good every now and then to get in and loosen up, but I ended up a bit sore... so yesterday I asked for a bit lighter touch and found myself blissfully relaxed with no soreness today.  Everytime I go there I receive excellent customer service.  I'm a member of their blog, friends on Facebook, and get the deal emails from Crowd Cut so I find very affordable ways to enjoy their variety of services.  Plus, ample free parking!  They offer everything from couples massages, Thai herbal ball massages, foot treatments, facials, exfoliating treatments, mud and algae wraps, and steam sessions - basically the largest variety of services I've ever found in one spa!  I've had scrubs, wraps, steam, massages, couples massage, etc. and I've loved them all.  Check out their website and their "brother" company Mastiff Fitness - same couple owns them both - massages after you work out right at Mastiff!  Another couple of small MN businesses to support -book online and tell them Desiree sent you! 

Stonewater Massage & Skin Care                                                     Mastiff Fitness

New Hire and Higher Dress - www.modcloth.com

          ModCloth - $10 discount code - Mod Cloth strikes again!  The collar is a classy twist to this simple, navy blue dress featuring a side tie to help show off your waistline.  The shoulders are definitely wide enough to wear your normal undergarments and remain modest for the office.  This beauty hits about two inches above the knee and has a slit up that back that is a bit higher than desired for work, but is still appropriate.  You must be careful when you sit down, the silky liner that fully lines the dress makes the dress slide up when you sit, so be conscious of that.  The material is sturdy and you should not iron per the instructions on the tag, but it steams like a dream.  Pair it with a pearl necklace and earrings like I did and you are sure to be a classy lady if in the office or out to a nice dinner!  My coworker saw me this morning and immediately loved my dress, telling me she may be getting the same one and we'll have to be "twins"!  If this came in other colors I would surely consider another purchase.  If you snag this dress off of the website, it is affordable and yet you will qualify for free shipping!  Happy shopping!  Get $10 off of your order with this link: $10 off Mod Cloth!!!

21 & Older: Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Crisp Apple - Down Under Liquor and Tobacco, Circle Pines MN

My husband stumbled on a good find next to a gas station at Down Under Liquor and Tobacco in Circle Pines - Angry Orchard Hard Cider.  There are three kinds, of which my favorite is Crisp Apple.  I don't drink beer, so this is a nice medium for me - not a mixed drink and not some super sugary beverage.  My husband's favorite is the Traditional Dry.  Even stumbled on another recipe - the ginger apple cider can be mixed with Absolut Orient Apple and a lot of ice - my husband calls it The Angry Ginger because if you drink too many you will get heartburn.  I don't appreciate it the same way he does.  They are all gluten free and a six pack will run you approximately $9 - while supporting a small business. 

Drink Responsibly - Age 21 and Older

Discount Tire - Blaine or Lino Lakes, MN

Discount Tire  - My husband blew a tire on his truck yesterday, so he took it to Discount Tire on Baltimore Street NE in Blaine.  We sometimes visit the Lino Lakes Discount Tire off of Lake Drive.  He and I are loyal Discount Tire customers - you can't beat the customer service and while they are salespeople, I never feel high pressure sales.  They are very quick at turning around your vehicle and offer free tire rotation and flat repair if you purchase your tires from them.  Frequently in the winter my rims would get rusted and air would seep out - they take apart my tire and rim, buff off the rust, and get me going again like new!  A couple of years ago I went in and was told I needed some new tires because they were so bad it was dangerous - I had strict orders from family not to get new tires - so as I told the mechanic/technician that, he said that someone had bought new tires recently that were the correct size and they were in better shape than what I had - so I walked out of there with safe, used tires and it didn't cost me anything!  They would have been thrown out otherwise.  THAT is customer service.  My Sable received new tires from Discount Tire shortly before it died, my husband's truck has new tires from them, and I'm sure in the future when we need new tires, we'll be going to Discount Tire!

Capes - www.PowerCapes.com

Power Capes  Too cute!  Purchased a LivingSocial deal, plus they were on sale - I got a customized cape - overall size and color, shape and color of emblem, letter and color - and shipping for $15!  You can't make it that inexpensively and spend only the time I did on it!  They go around your neck with Velcro, which I'm sure is a parent-pleaser that it doesn't tie - the Velcro would give out before you'd choke!  I ordered two (separate orders) on May 3rd.  I received one last week and the other today, 18 days later.  I was in no rush, so it didn't matter to me.  I think they're a fun gift and the price is right!  I'd say it is worth it!  They also came with discount coupon codes:

•  10% off of any purchase at www.powercapes.com - promo code BUYANYTHING at checkout.
• 10% off of any purchase at www.TutuFabulous.com - promo code TUTU10 at checkout.
• Free Shipping on your order at www.herohuggers.com - promo code HHLAUNCHPARTY at checkout.

You can access all of them at the same website - just use the tabs at the top of the page.  Enjoy!

New Hope Cinema Grill - New Hope, MN

Tired of spending an arm and a leg on a movie theater experience?  The candy, pop, and popcorn add up quickly for a super unhealthy trip to the movies (because who can resist theater buttered popcorn?!?).  The New Hope Cinema Grill offers a more affordable way to do dinner and a movie - why not eat dinner at the movie?  They also have comedy nights where the setting is more like a comedy club, but I've only experienced the dinner and a movie.  Ample free parking is available for the theater - which is a part of a strip mall.  There are only a couple of screens that play movies and the movies are generally ones that have been out for a while - but who cares?  If you've never seen the movie it's all the same!  In the past couple of months we have seen Moneyball and The Safe House there - big name actors, just a short while after they hit the main theaters.  There are many kid-friendly flicks as well - showtimes usually earlier in the day.

The entry has an arcade for the kiddos (or adults who enjoy that type of amusement), a modern looking lounge area, and the theaters which are set up more like a comedy club with a long row of seats up to a bar-table or chairs in front and back to share a small cocktail tables.  I recommend sitting at the bar tables if you plan to eat a meal.  Before the movie the wait staff come around and take your orders - they have limited bar for adult beverages (serve a pitcher if your heart desires), pop, and bottled water.  My husband and I have gone twice now and have always had great service.  You do get served during the movie, so if you're the type that cannot handle interruptions, I do not recommend this type of movie outing.

They accept credit cards and the meals are priced pretty reasonably - I think we pay approximately $8 a meal (burger and fries) with options of appetizers or seasoned sour cream for your fries (num!).  The best part is that New Hope Cinema Grill offers discounted tickets on Groupon - sometimes you can catch comedy tickets at reduced prices or multiple ticket offers at reduced rates - we went using a Groupon for four movie tickets for $7.00.  Not bad for an affordable, fun date night or family outing!

http://newhopecinemagrill.com/

Sarna's Classic Grill - Fridley, MN: Sunday Dinner

A group of my four closest girlfriends and our mothers went for a "Daughter and Mother" A.K.A. "DAM" dinner at Sarna's in Fridley today.  Being my first dinner at Sarna's, I wasn't sure what to expect, but since Mother's Day Brunch was so tasty, I figured it had to be good.  We arrived approximately 6:30 and sat inside due to the chilly/breezy weather - they do have a patio when the weather is more accommodating.  As usual, the ambiance was nice and the restaurant had patrons but wasn't so crowded and loud that you couldn't hear each other speak.  We even managed some orders before happy hour ended.  And random fact: when a member of our party called to make reservations, she was asked if we would be on separate checks... a bizarre question to ask when making reservations... but ok.

Our waitress was oddly brusque every time she answered you, but her second and consequent sentences of every response were quite a bit more friendly - usually you get all or nothing, but we got bi-polar.  Despite that oddity, we enjoyed each other's company amidst some tasty drinks and eats.  I devoured the Shrimp Poppers and Spinach & Artichoke Dip appetizers - both absolutely delicious and a couple dollars off for happy hour.  I tasted my mother's Sangria (a slightly alcohol-infused version of Dimetapp) which was good, but my raspberry lemonade and Jeremiah Weed was a good twist on an old favorite.  Kudos to Sarna's for having a Jeremiah Weed page in their drink menu!  We moved on to our main course and I enjoyed a Caprese Chicken Sandwich that had fresh basil, mozzarella, and tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette on a ciabatta bun - very tasty!  I upgraded to their sweet potato waffle fries (that I dip in honey instead of ketchup) for an extra $1.50.  Honestly, wouldn't do that again - they were very thin and crispy.  The regular french fries looked more appetizing - so I'll stick to those in the future.  A great meal made even better by our company.  I'll return, but won't be getting the sweet potato fries and will hope for more consistently friendly service next time.

http://sarnas-classic-grill.com/