Tuesday Tidbit

According to Metroparents Magazine:

$1 spent at a local store= 68 cents for the local economy
$1 spent at a national store= 43 cents for the local economy
$1 spent at an online store = 0 cents for the local economy (the exception is a website for a local business)

Did You Know?

There are lots of nationally known companies that got their start in Michigan. Did You Know? is a semi-regular feature highlighting some of these companies.

The Cheesecake Factory

It's hard to find anyone that has not heard of the Cheesecake Factory. Their cheesecakes are legendary and, from what I hear, the other food is great too! I will admit that I've never had any non-cheesecake selections. What can I say? Most people, though, don't realize that the origins of Cheesecake Factory lie in Detroit.  Evelyn Overton created the original recipe and owned a small cheesecake shop in Detroit in the late 1940's. With two small children, she and her husband, Oscar, gave up the shop and she made cakes for local businesses from her Detroit kitchen. In 1971, the Overton's moved to Los Angeles and opened a 700 square foot shop, The Cheesecake Factory. The rest, as they say, is history. There are now over 150 locations that offer a full menu and, of course, endless varieties of cheesecake.

Sadly, there is no Michigan location of the famous chain, but the next time you enjoy a bit of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, remember that it got it's start in Detroit, Michigan!

Happy New Year!

2010 is here! Did you make any resolutions?

I plan on making sure at least 50% of the money I spend is spent on Michigan based items. My grocery spending is already heavily local, but I need to increase my local spending in other areas. This may be tougher, but I'm convinced it's possible.

I also hope to be alot better about posting to this blog regularly. Is there something you'd like to see written about? A favorite local store or restaurant? A great tourist spot? A beautiful natural area? Let me know!

Really Big Christmas Stores

It's that time of year, folks. Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa and Yule are all upon us. Michigan is lucky enough to have not one, but two large holiday stores for your shopping pleasure. Now, admittedly, both are heavily Christmas (one very much so) but the patient shopper will be able to find items for the other holidays as well.

The first, and probably the best known is Bronner's in Frankenmuth. This place is immense! They have thousands of ornaments, hundreds of wreaths and trees and who knows how many other decorations, books and toys. They also have a wonderful selection of Hummels and Christmas village houses and accessories. You can easily spend several hours here, so I suggest making Frankenmuth a day trip. Hit up Bronner's and then head over to either Zehnder's or Bavarian Inn for yummy chicken dinners. From either restaurant, you can easily walk the downtown area and check out some of the other local stores. Check the Frankenmuth website for deals and special events, like Oktoberfest and Snowfest.

The other Christmas shop is Always Christmas in Canterbury Village. Located in Lake Orion, Canterbury Village has a restaurant, an ice cream shop and several smaller shops that surround Always Christmas. Always Christmas is smaller than Bronner's, but still large, with two stories of trees, ornaments, and decorations.

If you need a little help getting in the holiday mood, I suggest checking out one of these great places. It's impossible to leave either one without humming a carol!

Back From Vacation

Well, I know I've been bad about posting lately. My only excuse is the fab trip to St. Lucia that I have just returned from. This is a blog about Michigan, so I won't go on about the trip, but it was a great time and now that I have returned be on the look out for some great posts!

In the meantime, go take a look at Buy Michigan Now's holiday gift guide. There are some wonderful ideas!

Favorite Michigan Holiday Activity?

OK, now it's your turn! Leave a comment and tell everyone about your favorite holiday activity in Michigan.
Do you love the cider mills? Christmas at Crossroads? The light display on Hines Drive? What are the folks up north doing this season? Or over on the west side of the state?

One lucky commenter will be chosen to receive a Michigan Mitten ornament with their choice of colors and "hearted" city!! So, let everyone know where you'll be heading this season!

A winner will be chosen on Sunday, November 29th! Blog, Tweet, Facebook or link this post and let me know in the comments for an extra entry!

Halloween Fun!

Ok, so the haunted houses have been going strong all month and Hallowe'en Nights at Greenfield Village is an awesome time, but for folks looking for events on the actual night of Halloween-where can you go? Here is a collection of links to check out for tomorrow night!

Of course, there's always good ol' trick or treating!

Zoo Boo at the Detroit Zoo
Halloween at Crossroads Village
Halloween Train-Walled Lake
Halloween Train-Coopersville
Brandywine Cemetary
Museum Mystery Tour at the DIA

Leave a comment and tell us your favorite activity in your community!