Thunder and lightning.

I think we left off the Vegas storytelling somewhere around Saturday, right? That morning we did what any self-respecting 30-somethings would do on a weekend getaway: SPA DAY.

We're smart and savvy shoppers, so instead of paying bajillions of dollars for a 10 second massage on the strip, we ordered ourselves a Groupon for a spa day at the Hilton at Lake Las Vegas. I KNOW. So brills. A Zip Car ride later and we were in paradise. Facial. Massage. Sauna. Steam room. Healing waters. Lunch with champagne! Ahhhh.

After being satisfyingly relaxed (Caitlin might have proposed marriage to her masseuse), we got ourselves back to the Strip and prepped for another night of debauchery.

Dinner was at Crush at the MGM Grand and is probably on my top 10 list for life meals. If you find yourself there, get the sea bass, and that's not an Austin Powers joke. And for your general amusement, a dinner selfie:

Ooohh and if you're wondering what those dresses look like from the boobs down, keep reading.

Our next and final stop in Vegas was the Thunder from Down Under "show" at the Excalibur. Oh my. I've never seen so many......bachelorette parties in all my life! Legit it was a wild and fun (and surprisingly tasteful!) night. Caitlin and I achieved our singular goal, which was getting one of the two Scottish grandmas that were sitting next to us on stage for a little song and lapdance. Her 7 grandchildren would be so proud.

It is my life's wish that everyone has a bestie like mine. Someone to laugh with, cry with, and scream "Don't bring your children to Vegas!" with at strangers pushing strollers while walking down the Strip at midnight. Another epic trip for the books.

Wheeling and dealing.

In the spirit of saving moo-lah, I'm delighted to report that one of today's Detroit Groupons is $10 for $20 worth of apparel at Old Navy! That's 50% off, baby! I can get Alex all sorts of delightful summer clothing that he will likely destroy in a millisecond over spaghetti dinner and a mere 10 minutes in his sandbox, without feeling the Mommy guilt of a high price tag. And I'll probably get myself something, too...let's be honest.

The good news? You don't have to be from Detroit to use it! You can purchase it and use it at any Old Navy in the country. Keep in mind it expires July 30.

Head on over to Groupon to snag your deal - remember it's only up for 24 hours.

NIEPHEW WATCH: DAY 3.

Still no baby. Still twiddling.

Let's pass the time today with something else I do when I'm impatient...cooking!

Last night I made a recipe shared by a coworker, called "Sour Cream Chicken." Since you marinate it overnight, it's easy-peasy to make. & it was YUM! Alex the little piggy even ate an entire chicken breast. (Note: I halved the recipe.)

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons celery salt
2 teaspoons paprika
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 teaspoons kosher salt (Next time I would omit the salt - the Worcestershire & celery salt are enough.)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 3/4 cups dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:
1. Cut chicken breasts in half and wipe dry with a paper towel.
2. In a large bowl, combine sour cream with lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Add the chicken to the sour cream mixture, coating each piece well.
4. Cover in the refrigerator overnight or at least one hour. I marinated them overnight.
5. Preheat over to 350°F.
6. Remove chicken and roll in the bread crumbs.
7. Arrange in a single layer in a shallow baking dish.
8. Melt butter and oil.
9. Spoon half over the chicken.
10. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
11. Remove from over and spoon the rest of the butter mixture over the chicken.
12. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until tender and brown.
13. Serve & enjoy!

Oh, and if anyone out there wants to save some dollars on flowers for your sweetie for Valentine's Day *cough*Joey*cough* today's "online deal" from Groupon Detroit is $20 for $40 from FTD.com. You don't have to be a Detroiter to use it! Click here to check it out...

Listen Up.

Homeslices!

Today's Chicago Groupon is for $60 fat ones to 1154 Lill for a mere $30 skinny ones. Oh, yes. I went there.

The deliciousness of it all? YOU CAN USE IT ONLINE, TOO. Which, for the record, is only slightly unfortunate because I can't use my "But honey, I haaaave to go to Chicago to use my Groupon before it expires! And you don't want me wasting money, do you?" excuse that I standardly use to take a little trippy to see my Windy City friends and spend these little lovelies.

Go buy one. Like, now. You can thank me later. (Oh, and if you end up making one, send me a pic of your design! Coveting others' handbags is my 8th deadly sin.)

Fall Is In The Air.

And I am love, LOVE, LOVING it.

I wore my first seasonally appropriate turtleneck today.The neck of le turtle is snuggly and glorious and I have at least eleventy of them in my closet. The fluffier, the better. And if they have buttons? Please. I'm sold.

Also? We're going to an apple farm this weekend for cider and copious amounts of donuts. There might even be a hayride in Alex's future if he shapes up and ceases throwing inanimate objects at my face.

In related news of deliciousness, today's Detroit Groupon is for VINO! $25 for $75 worth of liquid nectar. Me? I'm a red girl...preferably the cab or shiraz variety. Oh, and because it's an online store, you can get in on this deal if you live in any of these states. Weeeee!!!

Boot Camp...The Non-Birthday Edition.

It's not December, so it can't possibly be Birthday Boot Camp time around these parts. Hi-ev-uh, I am embarking on a new (and terrifying) form of Boot Camp...one that will surely bring loads of entertainment for your daily reading enjoyment.

Today's Detroit Groupon was 73% off a women's-only fitness boot camp. (Yes, God. I'm listening.) I've been making excuses for, oh...about a year... as to when, why and how I'll get the rest of this baby weight off my arse and quite frankly, it needs to stop. So, I went to their website and read through some of the really powerful testimonials (um, hello 'before' and 'after' pics!) and decided I've failed for too long on my own.

And so, against all my better judgment, I clicked "Buy" and registered for a 4-week camp. I begin my own personal hell the week after Labor Day. Participants are guaranteed:

• 3-5% reduction in body fat
• Greatly improved posture
• Better relaxation
• 5-12 pounds of weight loss
• 1-3 inch decrease in the midsection
• 25% improvement in endurance
• 25% increase in strength
• 100% gain in self-confidence <--cheesy marketing

Yeah, we'll see about all of that in the beginning of October. In the meantime, expect a great deal of entertaining stories of paralyzing muscle soreness, ridiculous sleep deprivation (the last time I saw 5:30 am was 1986) and unending hatred of my new trainer.

Good times.

50% Off At Gap.

Today's Groupon is worth 50% off at ANY Gap store! Its doesn't matter if you're not FROM Detroit, you can still buy it and use it at any Gap in the US or Canada. Can I get an Eh-men from my sisters in the North?! Woot!

$25 for $50 worth of goodies...LOVE! Click here to check it out for yo-self!

Deals In Detroit.

Attention locals: GROUPON HAS LAUNCHED IN DETROIT!!!

I'm ten steps ahead of you on your next question. Groupon is a combination of the words group and coupon. Duh. Each day, they offer an unbeatable deal on the best of Detroit: restaurants, spas, sporting events, theater and more. By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, they get discounts you won't find anywhere else. It's "collective buying power" at its finest.

If the minimum number of people sign up by the end of the day, you'll get a printable gift certificate in your inbox the next morning that you can use whenever you want (well, at least until the deal expires). If not enough people join, no one gets the deal (and you won't be charged).

I, the self-proclaimed queen of wheeling and dealing, had never heard of Groupon until a fab friend scored  us $60 gift cards to 1154 LILL from Groupon Chicago for a mere $30. Le swoon. I love me some custom purses.

Anywho, I've been waiting and waiting (again with the OCD) to get my first official Detroit deal - and yesterday was the day! Detroit's inaugural deal was $30 to Palm Palace Restaurant for $15. Meh. Not bad. Today's deal is $100 worth of services at Flip Salon in Ferndale for a mere $35. Not gonna lie...I might get in on this one!

Whether or not you live in Detroit, chances are there is a Groupon site for a big city near you. Just use my unique referral code: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1214602 to get some sweeeeeet deals!!