Staycation at the Sheraton: A Review

For those of you who follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you know that I just returned home from an amazing staycation right here in Minneapolis. This staycation came at the perfect time, as I am well into my job search of finding the perfect position and company, and Nick and I will be moving in a few weeks (more on that later!). Nick and I stayed at The Sheraton in Bloomington, which was ideal because it was far enough from home (15 minutes) where it was a true vacation, and close enough that we didn't have to worry about any of the hassles of traveling! Without further ado, here is some more information on our weekend!

Relaxing in our amazing suite!

This amazing stay started before I even walked into the hotel. As Lily was joining us for the weekend, Nick parked the car and was waiting for me to check in. As I approached the front door, one of the valets gave me a huge smile and gave me a warm greeting, setting the tone for a weekend filled with impeccable customer service. And this was before I even walked in the door! Once I made it inside, the staff quickly greeted me, processed my check in, and sent me on my way wishing me a terrific stay. After checking in, I headed out to the car to grab Nick, Lily, and our bags, and it was off to the room we went!

As we made our way into the hotel, I began actually checking things out. I was immediately impressed, as this Sheraton did not look like any other Sheraton I had stayed in. I quickly learned that Sheraton is undergoing a massive rebrand, with every Sheraton location being remodeled by 2020. This specific location recently underwent a $15 million renovation, and is one of the flagship locations of which every other Sheraton will be modeled after. Needless to say, the renovations were stunning!

Couldn't get Lily to sit still for a second - she was so excited!

 As we entered our room, I was immediately impressed and surprised with how open and spacious it was. As a bonus, I discovered we were staying in a suite and had a separate room for lounging and relaxing, our bedroom, and one and a half bathrooms! Once I stepped inside the room, I immediately saw that the staff had taken care of Lily as well. Lily was all set up with bowls for food and water, two treats, a bag holder, and her very own bed! Previously when I have visited hotels with Lily, she has never received this level of service. I was very impressed with this, and it just added another element to the staycation! How nice to not have to worry about packing dog bowls and a dog bed, and to know that Lily will be taken care of!

Lela - so peaceful, and I loved the wine glass decorations!

My favorite part of any vacation is the first moment when you are able to sit down and enjoy a sip of your favorite cocktail. After dropping off Lily and our bags, Nick and I immediately headed to Lela for some happy hour and dinner. Lela is located adjacent to the Sheraton, and features a fantastic menu with steaks, pasta, and more; all created by one of Minneapolis' best chefs, Stewart Woodman. Nick and I started our evening off with a glass of wine apiece and an assortment of the happy hour menu.

Happy hour at Lela!

After enjoying a delicious meal, we decided to retire to our room in true staycation style and soak in the luxurious bathtub. Now, I don't know about you, but I love a good soak - especially when it is in a bathtub that could fit about five people! Because this staycation was all about relaxation, after a soak it was off to an early bedtime.

garden oasis right on the property

In the morning, Nick and I took Lily for a walk along the property. My favorite spot was a little garden oasis. While seated there, I certainly didn't feel like I was just minutes from downtown Minneapolis and the hustle and bustle of city life! Once our walk was completed, Nick and I headed off for a day of shopping at the Galleria (again, just minutes from the Sheraton).

On Saturday evening, we opted to take it easy again and simply relax in our room. Between work and moving, we wanted this weekend to be a true vacation with no stress or worries. As such, relaxing it was! This was our first true staycation, and it came at the absolute perfect time and place. Not only was the Sheraton a beautiful place to stay, but Nick, Lily and myself were pampered by the staff. Every detail at the hotel was thought of, from fresh flowers everywhere to complimentary newspapers and bright natural lighting. In addition, we had close proximity to anything we would want to do, and being able to grab a delicious bite to eat and drink right in the hotel was an added bonus. For anyone looking to take a staycation, I would highly recommend the Sheraton as your go-to!

Neither Lily nor I were ready to leave when it was time on Sunday morning!

drool-worthy treats to enjoy in our room!

**Disclosure: This review was facilitated thanks to Sheraton, Lela, and participating businesses at the Galleria. As always, this had no impact on my review and all opinions remain my own. **

Custom Tailoring in Thailand: Tailor on Ten

Nick all suited up!

Two years ago while on our honeymoon, Nick and I were introduced to the world of custom tailoring in Thailand. While strolling the streets, it seemed that at least once every block, if not more often, there was a well-dressed man in a suit asking you to come inside for a custom tailored suit - or shirt, or jacket, or really, anything you could dream up. We decided to take a chance on it, and had some OK things made. However, we KNEW that things could be much better, so before this most recent trip to Thailand Nick performed extensive research to find out who the best tailor in Thailand is. If you have ever wondered where to get custom suits in Bangkok, you've found it right here. After researching tailors over a several month long period, once he received his new job offer, we booked our flights to Bangkok and off we went!

Outside of Tailor on Ten - hard to believe you are in the heart of Bangkok!

Now, just a quick discussion on why Nick wanted custom suits made in Thailand, and specifically selected Tailor on Ten. First, you get to pick every detail of them and the fit will be amazing. Second, designing custom suits in the U.S. can take at least two months (if not more), and range in price from $2000-$3000, or even higher. We were able to order six suits, thirteen shirts, and one sport coat - and the entire process was completed in one week for a fraction of the price (and time!) it would have taken in the U.S. Now, these are just a couple of the quick highlights - on to the rest of the review and reasons you should be ordering custom items from Tailor on Ten!

Fast forward past the 24 hour flight and a quick catnap at our hotel, and we arrived at Tailor on Ten for our first appointment. As soon as we walked in the door, we were greeted and asked if we would like a water or a beer to refresh ourselves from the heat of the day. The shop was cool, tidy, and lined wall-to-wall with more bolts of fabric and options for suits and shirts than I could ever picture!

As we were a few minutes late for our appointment (oops - taxis in Bangkok can take forever to get from place to place!), Danny, the guy who would be helping us was just wrapping another task up. We took a few moments to relax and cool off from the heat, and then I started looking at some of the fabric for suits. As somebody who initially had little to no knowledge of suits and fabrics - besides the fact that there is a wide range as far as quality and price goes - I really did not know what to expect. Anyways, on to the good stuff!

Nick working on selecting all of his options

Once Danny was able to assist us, we sat down and explained exactly what we were looking for, and what we had been thinking price-wise. One of the great things about Tailor on Ten compared to other tailors in Bangkok and throughout Thailand is that Tailor on Ten uses fixed prices, and there is no negotiation. Thus, you always know you will get what you are paying for and are not getting ripped off, like you may worry about at other places! We explained that Nick was looking for high quality suits and shirts that he could wear every day, and not only that they would look nice but also last him for a long time. After understanding what we were looking for, Danny gave us brief information and the highs and lows of each of the different suit fabrics that we could select from. He steered us away from some of the fabrics that would not be ideal for daily use, and towards exactly what we were looking for. For example, we had naively assumed we would be purchasing the most expensive fabric, as we thought that meant the highest overall quality and would last the longest. However, Danny informed us that based off the desire to have suits that would last a long time and be worn every day, we may want a more durable fabric and actually steered us to a cheaper fabric. Yes, you read that right - a salesperson listened to what we wanted, and instead of having us spend more money on something we ultimately wouldn't be happy with, told us the best option, even though it was cheaper in price! After determining the fabric type that we wanted, it was off to select colors!

the shirt fabrics we selected

Getting measurements. These two guys alone have over 40 years of experience!

Draping fabric to help envision how it would look as a suit

As a non-creative person, I had a very difficult time envisioning many of the bolts of fabric as suits or shirts. However, this is where Danny was great and was able to assist us in envisioning the final product. When we weren't sure about something, we were able to hold it up to Nick and get a better picture in our minds. After a deliberation process and selecting the final fabrics, it was time to get to the fun stuff- the details.

Now, beyond picking the fabric for custom suits, the cool part is that you pick every single detail. All in all, I would say that for each suit you select about 25-30 different details: the cut, how many buttons, the color of the stitching, the buttons, the monogram, the lining of the suit, the list goes on. For example, just in regards to the lapel you have three styles, two widths, and three button hole options to select from. It is a lot of different options to select, but at any point in the process whomever you are working with is able to guide you towards what will fit your style and the more traditional selections.

On the left, you can see all of the suits - right hand side is the inside of one jacket!

After we had made all of our selections for each suit jacket, pant, and shirt, we reviewed each of the selections made. Many other tailors in Bangkok would just take your selections and move on with the process- however, when custom designing suits, this is a mistake! When going through and double-checking, we found 2-3 things that we wanted to change. Whether we had made the wrong selection initially, or the wrong button had gotten pushed, you want to make sure that the custom suits you are designing are exactly what you want. After all, isn't it better to spend a few minutes double-checking and ensure you get what you want?

The attention to detail was like none other!

After all the selections were complete, we were finished for the day! The next step was to return late the following day. At that point in time, one shirt had been completed, and one suit (both jacket and pants) were ready for Nick to try on and see any adjustments that needed to be made. Again, many other tailors would not have you come back for this step in the process. However, by spending a few extra minutes trying things on, Tailor on Ten is able to ensure that every single item you order is exactly what you want and fits perfectly.

Making sure everything fits perfectly

Even the slightest imperfection was corrected 

Besides the initial selection process and initial fitting, Nick returned once more to make fitting adjustments before the final day of our trip. At this point in time, every single item in our order was complete, so Nick was able to try every single item on. Any small detail that didn't seem quite right was noted and sent back for quick adjustments to ensure that the final suits and shirts fit perfectly. Some items simply fit differently due to different fabrics and materials being used, which is precisely why Tailor on Ten wants to see you try everything on to ensure you personally are happy.

Somebody's looking pretty happy with his results!

After the very final adjustments had been made, we returned to Tailor on Ten to pick up our entire order! The entire order was nicely packaged for us - shirts carefully folded, suits hung up - and the entire order presented in nice bags to take home. This step of the process, while potentially unnecessary - after all, we were just going to pack everything into a suitcase to sit for 36 hours - just goes to show how Tailor on Ten truly cares about every aspect of the process and wants to make a complete experience for every customer.

This is truly an experience that any businessperson should experience, and is something that is completely unique from every other tailor in Bangkok. When you go to Tailor on Ten, you know that you will be receiving friendly customer service, from people who actually care about your results. Finally, one last kicker about why Tailor on Ten is so fabulous - for any customer that they work with, they will log your measurements into their system, so that at any point in the future you can place an order with them! Their website is 100% user-friendly, and you are able to go through the entire customization process online. On top of this, you don't even have to have physically visited Tailor on Ten to order custom items - you can order online through their website! As a special perk, anyone that places an order (minimum amount $200) with Tailor on Ten between now and April 30, 2016 using the code "ANGELL" will receive free shipping on their first order!

All in all, we were incredibly happy with the entire process at Tailor on Ten. I'll be 100% honest - yes, you can find cheaper suits. However, you will absolutely not find the same quality, customer service, and level of care throughout every step of the process. If you've ever wanted a truly custom experience, look no further than Tailor on Ten. So - what about you? Have you ever purchased anything custom, let alone custom suits and shirts in Thailand? What was your experience like?

Having some fun before his first day at work!

A Local Experience in Playa Del Carmen: Local Quickies Review

snorkeling with the Local Quickies in Playa Del Carmen!

Have you ever gone on a trip and taken a tour, only to think "wow, this is exactly what every other person visiting this area has ever done". Isn't that a let down? Whenever I am traveling, I always like to find something a little unique, a little local, and overall - just a little bit different from the same thing that every single other tourist in the area is doing. Which is exactly why a few weeks ago, I was so excited to take a trip with Local Quickies in Playa Del Carmen!

beautiful beaches in Tulum with Local Quickies!

Yes, Local Quickies is a tour group - but it is so much more than that! Rather than herding groups of tourists in the same direction every day, Local Quickies is meant to be all about hanging out with friends! Bonus points that your tour guides on the trip are going to be locals to the area, and have some of the best knowledge of the area and are more than happy to spread it. In any case, let's take a quick look at our day!

The day started bright and early with an 8 AM pick up right outside of our condo in Playa Del Carmen. We hopped in the van and headed to Akumal, a gorgeous beach located just south of Playa. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Akumal, Akumal directly translates to "Place of the Turtle" in Mayan language, and boy is it obvious!

Just one of the many, many wild sea turtles we saw!

Once we arrived in Akumal, our group donned snorkeling gear and headed out into the ocean hoping to catch a glimpse of wild sea turtles. Not more than five minutes into the ocean and we had spotted our first turtle grazing on sea grass! One of the best parts about snorkeling with the Local Quickies is that all of the snorkeling is done completely in the wild, with no cages or pens. We were able to see so many sea turtles, and learn about them as we went! It was very interesting to learn that the sea turtles in the Akumal area tend to stay there feeding until they are about 9 or 10 years old, at which time they naturally know to migrate to better feeding grounds that will meet their needs.

Wouldn't you love to kayak or zipline this cenote?

After a morning swimming with the sea turtles and tons of other wildlife, we were off to explore the swiss cheese of the Mayan Riviera! Never heard of it? I'll be honest- I had not either! As we hopped into the van, Mariano, our local guide, took the time to educate us on the local ecosystem. Essentially, the Yucatan Peninsula is somewhat like swiss cheese made of limestone: throughout the entire peninsula, there is an underground network of cenotes, natural sinkholes, that are connected.

Check out how beautiful and clear that water is!

The entire network of cenotes in the Yucatan is comprised of fresh water pools and rivers that are all interconnected, and ultimately empty out into the ocean. Cenotes were very important to the Mayan culture, as the name cenote translates to "sacred well", and many Mayan villages were built on the edges of these cenotes.

Just another day in paradise with Local Quickies

We visited the a private cenote and had plenty of time between our group to relax, swim in the crystal clear blue water, sunbathe, and take a jump off the cliffs! After we had relaxed and dried off, we went for a walk through the stunning, authentic Mayan village before heading off the lunch for the day.

beautiful Mayan place of worship

one of the houses in the Mayan village

a well located within the Mayan village

One of the best parts about taking a tour with the Local Quickies was the great exposure we had to authentic aspects of life. Rather than partaking in another touristy activity, we were able to see how some of the Mayan people actually lived by walking through their village. After our tour through the village, we hit the road again for a quick lunch stop.

our amazing lunch spot!

Again, Local Quickies exceeded our expectations and provided us with an authentic, roadside Mayan meal featuring cochinita pibil, a slow roasted pork dish that has been marinated with oranges and cooked underground in banana leaves. Trust me when I say words don't do it justice! The cochinita pibil is served with all of the fixings, including handmade tortillas made fresh on the spot.

Really, Tulum, could you be any more picture-perfect? 

Once we had all eaten our fill, it was back to the shuttle to spend some time on the beach in Tulum! We were instructed that if we liked, we would walk to see the Mayan ruins on the beach of Tulum. However, it was not highly recommended, as we were told instead to wait until we boarded our catamaran home and could see the Mayan ruins as they were viewed from the ocean hundreds of years ago!

You can see the ruins from the beach in Tulum

from several kilometers away the ruins were VERY impressive!

Of course, I'm not going to lie - I walked over towards the ruins, and I was not that impressed from the beach. The Tulum ruins are built on the cliffs of Tulum, and are believed to have been constructed prior to 564 A.D. Eventually, the city of Tulum was abandoned and not discovered until the Spaniards sailed to Mexico and saw the ruins peeping over the cliff hills. In any case, after time on the beach, we loaded up the catamaran and began our departure back to Playa Del Carmen.

Sailing with the Local Quickies!

Let's take a moment to talk about this catamaran ride. With Local Quickies, you will get to set sail on the largest catamaran in the Caribbean, and my gosh is it impressive! The catamaran raced around the world twice prior to being converted to commercial use. As we loaded the catamaran, we were each greeted with complimentary cocktails and refreshments until departure.

Of course, it wasn't all fun and games! The guys were enlisted to help with the sails, and impressively enough were able to get the sails fully open! After the sails were opened, we set sail for several hours back towards Playa Del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras.

The entire ride was met with complimentary cocktails, refreshments, fresh guacamole, music, dancing, and an overall relaxing yet festive mood. The entire trip followed the scenic coast, and for quite some time as we left Tulum we were able to view the impressive ruins. The ruins only got more impressive the further away we got! Eventually, they slipped out of view and it was the perfect opportunity to relax and take in the beautiful ocean views.

Dance parties on the catamaran are a must!

As always, all good things eventually came to an end and we made it back to Puerto Aventuras. We departed the catamaran and reluctantly said good bye to the rest of the crew and an amazing day. For most of the day, it had been our group of just six people joined by our local guide. Parts of the day we were joined by others, but each individual on the tour was warm, welcoming, and ready for a great time!

Overall, the best part about the day was how generally relaxing it was. Yes, we were off on what could have been a traditionally touristy tour, having irrelevant information tossed at us. Rather, each individual we encountered genuinely loved their job and wanted to spread knowledge of the Mayan cultures and traditions, education about the sea turtles and sea life, and ensure that each passenger had an amazing time. If you are looking for the best tour in Playa Del Carmen, Tulum, Puerto Aventuras, or Cancun - look no further! Local Quickies will make sure to exceed your expectations in every way, shape, and form!

Wouldn't you like to join a tour with the Local Quickies?

Absolutely Hooked! Review: Spear Fishing Today in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Last week while in Playa Del Carmen, Nick and I had the opportunity to try out something brand new that very few people have done in their lifetime. This unique activity - definitely worth experience anytime you are in the Playa Del Carmen area - is spear fishing! If you have seen the James Bond movie, this is exactly what you should be thinking of. It is a combination of fishing, hunting, snorkeling, and so many great things.

In any case, Nick, myself, and two other guys in our group decided one afternoon to try out spear fishing. We met Leo, the founder of Spear Fishing Today, right on the beach in Playa. After a cold morning on the water, the guys all decided to go rent wet suits in order to stay warm while spending the afternoon in the water. After this, we loaded up and headed out into the ocean to give spear fishing a try!

After one of the first dives. It was a COLD day out, thus the wetsuits! That is Nick's frozen & exhausted look.

Once we reached our destination, Leo asked each of the guys about their experiences with fishing and knowledge of Caribbean fish. As the three guys in our group were brand new beginners to spear fishing, Leo talked for 10 to 15 minutes on safety procedures and best practices while spear fishing. For myself, somebody with no experience whatsoever spearfishing, I had initially been worried that it could be dangerous, especially with a group of beginners. After listening to the safety talk and instructions, I was impressed with the system that SpearFishing Today had worked out and how well they took care of their customers. In any case, after the instructions it was off into the water the guys went!

The boys headed out to the first site! Water is absolutely beautiful!

For those unfamiliar with spearfishing, essentially what you do is have a mask and snorkel, along with a spearfishing gun. In pairs, you take turns with the gun and dive down into the water, looking around for fish. When you see one, you wait until it approaches you or you get close enough, and then - bam! - you are able to shoot your spear at the fish in hopes of getting it. Of course, most fish will fight back, which is why in deeper waters your gun and spear will be attached to a buoy.

In any case, enough from me - let's hear about the experience from Nick!

Nick is quite excited!

To say that I was excited about spearfishing would be a complete understatement. I love to fish and also love to hunt, and as Samantha mentioned earlier this seems like a great combo of the two. Leo who is a native of the Netherlands is absolutely amazing in everything he does and his attention to detail is top notch.

As Samantha also mentioned it was myself, and two other guys from our group. There was also a more advanced spear fisherman named John who joined us on the trip. I paired up with John and the other two guys from our party paired up. We all suited up and followed Leo into the ocean. We started out in a fairly shallow area so that we could get the feel of things and I think Leo wanted to make sure that we were comfortable in the water. I had done a fair bit of snorkeling before so this was very similar. Just float on the surface, put you face into the water and breath through a tube. I quickly found out that I had pretty good lungs and could spend a fair amount of time underwater checking out the coral structures where fish like to hide.

Myself watching John dive down. It was impressive to see how far down he could get! Thats a sunken ship below him!

We used the "buddy system" at all times. When John was underwater with the speargun I was watching him and following from the service. When he would surface, he would pass the gun to me and then I would take a big breath and it was my turn to dive down. I was amazed at the amount of life there was under the surface. It was like swimming in a tropical aquarium. While diving, I was able to see barracuda, trigger fish, grouper, parrot fish, pufferfish, manta rays, and sting rays - and this is all in addition to the beautiful coral reefs! When spearfishing, it is important to note that it is very selective. You do not shoot beautifully colored reef fish, sharks, rays etc. We are only after appropriate sized game fish (basically anything that is silver or white).

On the way up with a triggerfish in tow!

I left my hand in this shot to give you an idea. And right now, John was probably only 15 meters down!

One of the highlights of my trip was seeing the manta ray. It was just on the edge of my vision, and I looked below me. All of a sudden I could see this huge manta ray, swimming on the edge of this coral reef with a steep drop off. It was almost majestic to watch the manta ray float by me and then down into the ocean's abyss, and made me feel absolutely tiny. Definitely one of the coolest aspects of spearfishing is that not only are you able to hunt/fish, but you are also able to have cool experiences like this and see unique aspects of the ocean you might otherwise never get to see.

You can see the second shot being performed!

Leo with the barracuda

The second fish of the day!

After about 30 minutes we all felt comfortable and went out a little deeper to a sunken ship. At this location the water was so blue and beautiful and we could just barely see the bottom. After some time, we were able to shoot a very nice barracuda. After we got the barracuda, Leo made the most amazing ceviche for us on the boat and we had an amazing lunch before heading back. Leo gave us some large filets from the barracuda to take home. We ended up giving our fresh fish to the security guard at our condo. We told him to come over when he got off his shift. He showed up promptly at 7pm and was so happy to get the fresh fish. As you know, Mexico is a poor country and our whole group was happy to give him our fish. He didn't speak a word of english but his gratitude was amazingly apparent.

Slicing the barracuda up

Barracuda with ceviche ingredients

Work in process...

Completed ceviche! Just one of the small bowls we munched on!

On our way back in after eating the ceviche John was telling me that he was going back out again in 2 days and I really wanted to join. He said he was taking the ferry over Cozumel and the fishing there was very good. He talked about these "triggerfish" that were plentiful and very good eating. I spoke with Samantha and she gave me the go ahead so 2 days later I was on the boat again. I think it is safe to say that I have caught the spearfishing bug and I will absolutely be doing this at any and every tropical destination that we visit.

All of us with the barracuda!

And there you have it, from my hubby himself on his experience spearfishing! If you ask him, he will claim that I stole all of his words about the experience - but truly, I was just telling about my experience from above water watching the guys!

beautiful sunset on the way back home!

**Disclosure: We received a complimentary or discounted experience in order to facilitate this review. As always, this did not affect my review in any way and all opinions remain 100% honest!**