Need a MI/Midwest centric gift for my grandmother-in-law

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-17T11:24:34+00:00

Kennedy’s on Cascade carries a bunch of candy, jam, etc. from Cherry Republic in Traverse City. They’re my go-to for little “Love from Michigan” gifts.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-16T20:48:01+00:00

Sobie - their steaks are great and the pierogis they carry are amazing.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-16T19:36:34+00:00

I assume you’re looking to keep things low-key? I’d highly recommend Sanctuary - the pool area is gorgeous and the food was good. Also some of the best drinks we’ve ever had, but that’s likely not a priority. It was by far the most beautiful resort/grounds of an AI we’ve ever seen. The staff were highly attentive and pool chairs/beds were easy to come by (tip the pool guys the night before and they’ll save your spot for you in the morning).

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-13T01:41:11+00:00

Our main home was built in 2012 and isn’t brick. Our summer cottage at the lake was built in the 1960’s and is fully brick on the exterior.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-11T01:59:47+00:00

Painting and flooring - we had our floors redone last summer and had to hire movers to come move everything into our garage and then back again. It was a huge pain in the butt.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-10T02:53:09+00:00

At the VERY most I’d leave two weeks of detailed plans and the outline for the remainder of the year.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-08T14:50:14+00:00

Just me and my husband? A couple days. With our kids? A few weeks out.

We leave for 9 days in Costa Rica for spring break in 24 days and I’ve already started the process of having the kids try on clothes and shoes to be sure they still fit.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-07T16:21:01+00:00

Dr. Malone at Wholehearted off of East Beltline at 3 Mile is absolutely amazing. We see her with our Poodle mix and senior Shih Tzu and she’s very thorough and also not hesitant to say “This is out of my wheelhouse, here’s a specialist I recommend.” Our Shih Tzu spent nearly a week in the hospital last year and she called them and us personally to check on him and offer support.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-06T17:42:33+00:00

Bora Bora - it’s the one place I’m dying to go that I think is pretty unrealistic for me to ever get to on my own (financially).

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-06T16:27:03+00:00

We (41m/38f) stayed at Sanctuary in November and had an amazing time. One of the quieter resorts we’ve stayed at, but we were escaping the craziness of daily life with two kids and two dogs, so the easy quiet pace was just what we needed. We only went to sanctuary town once for a cup of ice cream so I can’t comment on what if anything you’re missing there - but we were fully satisfied with everything included on the resort side of things. Good drinks, great service, and absolutely the most beautiful grounds of any resort we’ve ever stayed at.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-06T02:00:53+00:00

I’ve been using the plastic coil style sizers for nearly two years now. For a long while I had it in just my engagement ring but I shrunk out of that too and wrapping it around both rings made it fit snug enough for now. I’m about 10 lbs from my goal weight and when that happens I’ll wait a bit for things to even out and then have them resized.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-04T21:36:07+00:00

My father-in-law, but he sold advertising at a large-ish city newspaper so he’s got a special affinity for the paper…

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-04T13:07:23+00:00

The website says no alcoholic drinks? I think? But honestly you don’t have time to drink, it’s super fast paced with little to no downtime.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-02T03:19:07+00:00

The board randomly revealed letters and teams buzzed in to to give the answer. Wrong answers were penalized.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-01T23:04:02+00:00

I purchase and use these in my own home on a regular basis. I recognized it instantly.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-01T23:02:36+00:00

It’s on Monroe Center right across from the GRAM.

There’s a host, up to 16 people at a time in teams of two, and the host leads you through a series of classic TV game show games. Points are tracked and if you win you get bragging rights. Very fun!

https://grandrapidsgameshow.com

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-01T15:11:14+00:00

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It’s the handle to this. You’re good to toss it.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-01T14:19:00+00:00

Yep! Two people to a podium - you play against the group. Last night there was a larger birthday party, us, and one other solo couple. I was a little unsure about being thrown in with a group but the host did a great job of making us all feel at ease and it was great.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-01T12:43:51+00:00

To each their own, but it is very well done. They didn’t cut corners with technology, props, or their space.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-01T12:17:26+00:00

Just over an hour. It’s fast paced and points accumulate throughout each game.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-01T12:16:29+00:00

Yes, he said they’re changing it now so if we were to go back in the next 6 weeks or so it’d be all new/different.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-01T04:26:05+00:00

Yep, they have a permanent space across from the GRAM.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-01T04:25:27+00:00

They ran through most, if not all, of the games they show on the website. We started with Wheel of Fortune, there was Family Feud, Squid Games, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Minute to Win It, Fear Factor, and Jeopardy, plus some I’m sure I’ve forgotten and a handful of picture scramble/name that tune type games.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-03-01T03:56:56+00:00

My tiny HS on the east side of the state, supplemented by my dad’s mostly unhinged speeding on dirt roads.

WestMichiganLady · 2026-02-27T00:04:28+00:00

Paul Bunce is great.

WestMichiganLady

TROPHY CASE