Beauty | Lashiq Natural Eyelash Enhancer

Lashiq Natural Eyelash Enhancer is used to help get fuller and thicker eyelashes, I don't particularly loathe my eyelashes but I was excited to try this product out anyway. Pretty much, you apply this to your upper lash line every night before bed. I have been doing it for about a month now, I figured that would be a good amount of time to be able to speak as to whether it works or not. I was SUPER diligent about this. I did not miss a night - I know, I'm surprised as well.

The wand is super tiny, making it very easy to wipe on your upper lash line. So that's good. 

Now, I'm not going to lie even though I received this product free of charge. I see absolutely no difference in my lashes. Not a bit. They don't appear to look or feel any different than before I started using this product. That's a bit disappointing, I know. But this is the only eyelash enhancer I ever tried, and I am not soured on them all. I am completely willing to try other ones and report back on them so if you have any recommendations or questions about certain ones - let me know in the comments!

This review is sponsored by Tomoson.com and I received this product free of charge from Lashiq in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

Book Review | The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

I had mentioned to a friend that I was taking this book along with me on my travels to Florida, and she told me that she got so into it that she had a hard time putting it down. I started this book right before I left, and pretty much read it the entire 2ish hour flight and then stayed up late two nights in a row to finish it. It is a suspense novel and I absolutely loved it. I have heard this book compared to Gone Girl and the only real similarity I see is the TYPE of book they both are. That, and I didn't see the ending coming in either book.

The Girl On The Train is the debut book by Paula Hawkins, and it is an exciting ride. Rachel takes the same train every morning; while on the train she looks at the cozy suburban homes and watches the same couple eat breakfast morning after morning. She begins to feel as though she knows them, even gives them names and personalities. The life she imagines for them is absolutely perfect, everything she herself wants. Then she seems something shocking that changes everything. Unable to keep this to herself, she takes it to the police and becomes inextricably involved in the case and the lives of those involved.

I kept it vague because I don't want spoilers and the not knowing is part of the ride. This book is sad, creepy, suspenseful - everything. There is some flaws in character development, one of the people in the book I just feel like I don't know anything about her. Why should I care about her? I need a reason to either like or dislike a person, more than just a indiscretion. I like to know personality, it helps me to feel more ingrained into the book.

I gave the book only 4 stars because of the reason I stated above, but this book was great. I will definitely read more books by Paula Hawkins if she continues to write them.

Five Things Friday

Five Things I Did:

1. I flew back home from Florida. It's always hard to leave my nieces and my sister, it never seems to get easier. 

2. On Tuesday, I met up with some friends and had lunch and did a mini-Lansing bar crawl. It is always great to day drink on a random Tuesday with my best friends.

3. The reason we were day drinking was because our fave musician Andrew McMahon was actually playing a show in our hometown! We actually ran into him while he was with his family getting dinner before the show. We asked for a pic, he was so nice and agreed. It's the second time I have met him and it makes me love him more.

4. I had a dentist appointment. I don't mind going to the dentist, one of my biggest fears is losing my teeth!

5. I had a phone interview for a job in Iowa. Fingers crossed that this turns into something, it's a great opportunity!

Five Things I Ate:

1. Ate a White Mac and Cheese with bacon at The Beer Grotto, and it was delicious. Especially with my Soft Parade.

2. I had a giant club sandwich while out with my friends. It was divine.

3. Before I left Florida my bro in law fried up some fish that he caught. It was AMAZING.

4. PIZZA

5. Made some taco lettuce wraps that were so obvious and yet, life changing. 

Five Things I Read:

1. What real people look like in Victoria Secrets swimsuits

2. Kayak fishing

3. United we feed

4. June BookPage

5. Makeup is powerful

As per usual, I am going to be linking with Fitting It All In and her Five Things Friday. I am also going to be at the High Five for Friday link up over at Coffee with Caitlin, Cup of Tea, Bright on a budget and Della Devoted

Beauty | Mini Lush Haul

While I was in Florida visiting my sister and her family, I popped into Lush to pick up a few things. I didn't need any of them, but you know how it goes.

1. So I told my husband I would pick him up something, so I went with Kalamazoo. It's a beard and facial wash that has pineapple juice, almond oil, jojoba oil and lots of other natural stuff (which is what Lush is known for!). I went with this product for a few different reasons - it's called Kalamazoo and we're from Michigan which has a Kalamazoo. Also, it's a beard (which my husband has) and facial (which both of us have) wash. So it's something we can both use. Plus, it smells good.

2. Next up was a fresh face mask Catastrophe Cosmetic. This mask is a blueberry face mask filled with calamine, rose absolute and chamomile blue oil. This product is designed to soothe redness and irritation and help cleanse the skin without stripping it of it's natural oils. It's so fresh that it needs to be kept refrigerated. Absolutely love it.

3. Now I have used this before and adored it. Let the Good Times Roll is a face and body cleanser made with maize flour, corn meal, cinnamon powder - it has a sweet scent (which is divine) and helps exfoliate your skin. It is also hydrating and lasts a long time!  

4. This is a new product for me to try out and it's called a Dream Steam. It's a little tab that you drop into a bowl filled with hot water, drape a towel over your head and the bowl and let the steam do it's magic. It's filled with calming ingredients such as tea tree oil, lavender oil, chamomile oil and rose absolute. After the tab has dissolved you can keep the water for two days and spritz it on your face when you need a little pick me up. I'm super excited to try this out. 

Lush is kinda known for their bath bombs - I don't take baths so I had never used one. While we were there we grabbed a few for my nieces to try out. They absolutely loved them! 

The first one we tried was the Ickle Baby Bot. This bomb is shaped like a robot, which is definitely part of the appeal. It has lavender, chamomile and sandalwood essential oils to help get those sleep inducing vibes get going. You drop into the bath and it dissolves quickly, releasing a super calming scent and turning the bath water a light blue color. It smelled fantastic, and definitely was a relaxing experience.

The second we tried was called Twilight. This bath bomb has a pretty pink color, and when dropped into the water changes like the sky from dusk to twilight. It has lavender and tonka to help fight insomnia and inspire restful sleep. It smelled so relaxing and was really pretty to watch dissolve.

The last one was called Pink Bath Bomb and it was fragranced with vanilla bean, which smelled delish. This bath bomb leaves a candy scent on your body, which of course my nieces loved.

I highly recommend everything from Lush, I have never had a bad experience or tried a product that I didn't end up loving. What are your favorite Lush products?

Book Review | 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

 

Let me begin with: I have not seen the movie and I do not plan on doing so. I am sure it's great, but reading this book was sad enough and I don't want to see it - like in my face. Thanks for understanding.

Alright, so just based on the title, 12 years a slave, you know this book is probably going to be gut-wrenching. Slavery is terrible, inhumane and incredibly difficult to read about.  This memoir follows Solomon Northup (the author) who was born and raised free in New York. He had a house, wife and kids - he was literally living the dream. One day he was drugged and kidnapped and sold into slavery in the deep south. He quickly learned that voicing he was free just lead to more whippings; especially since his free papers were stolen. Northup suffered 12 years as a slave and while this memoir can be graphic - this happened. It is a true story and he never lost his spirit or his hope. 

I feel weird saying this book was great or awesome because the subject matter is so awful. But if he never lost hope, then I think I can get through my simple life. A passage from the book that stuck with me:

"The existence of Slavery in its most cruel form among them has a tendency to brutalize the humane and finer feelings of their nature. Daily witnesses of human suffering - listening to the agonizing screeches of the slave - beholding him writhing beneath the merciless lash - bitten and torn by dogs - dying without attention, and buried without shroud or coffin - it cannot otherwise be expected, than that they should become brutified and reckless of human life." 

I will say that Northup has some terrible experiences, but he does acknowledge that there are kind-hearted men out there who have slaves in their employ.

"It is true that there are many kind-hearted and good men in the parish of Avoyelles - such men as William Ford - who can look with pity upon the sufferings of a slave, just as there are, over all the world, sensitive and sympathetic spirits, who cannot look with indifference upon the sufferings of any creature which the Almighty has endowed with life."

If this book doesn't haunt you or stick with you, you're doing something wrong.

Five Things Friday

Five Things I Did:

1. Had a late 90s-early 2000s movie marathon with my sister, which consisted of classics like Romeo & Juliet, She's All That, Clueless and The Prince & Me. We then followed this with a Twilight marathon. I rarely watch movies so this was a delightful treat.

2.  We went to the beach at Little Talbot, the water was delightful.

3. Went to Lush and expect a little mini haul on those purchases.

4. Did some other shopping at the St. Johns Town Center.

5. Spent some more time at the pool.

Five Things I Ate:

1. Chick Fil A, oh your sweet tea is top notch.

2. We went to the Sand dollar. I ate grilled salmon with broccoli - which Ginny devoured. I drank a yuengling and it was perfection.

3. Brother in law made a delicious Saturday morning breakfast for us all - biscuits & gravy, eggs, brown sugar bacon and hash browns. 

4. Made my not at all famous Beef and Broccoli. 

5. My sister made delicious apple crisp for dessert one night!

Five Things I Read:

1.the surname debate

2. Saving Grace by Jane Green

3. Green space makes kids smarter

4. Misleading fitness selfies

5. I wore my baby niece in a moby wrap, so I read up on that!

As per usual, I am going to be linking with Fitting It All In and her Five Things Friday. I am also going to be at the High Five for Friday link up over at Coffee with Caitlin, Cup of Tea, Bright on a budget and Della Devoted

Travel | Jacksonville Zoo

So in case you don't follow me on social media (@estherlaurien on twitter and instagram!) I am currently in Jacksonville, Florida for two sweaty weeks visiting my sister and her family. She just had a third baby girl in May, so I am loving snuggling with her and running around with the older two (ages 7 and 3). Naturally, we all love the zoo and Jax has a really nice one to boot!

I thought I would just give a little bit of an overview over what the Jax Zoo has to offer. First off, since it's in Florida it's open pretty much all the time. Besides having an awesome array of animals to look at, they also have "experiences" that involve things like:

• Airboat and kayak rentals
• Behind the scence tours
• Bird Watching
• Butterfly Hollow
• A Play Park and Splash Pad
• Stingray Bay

...and so many more. Some of them cost extra, some of them don't. If there is something that catches your eye, I suggest looking into it before going so you can see if costs more or not.

Obviously the main attraction at a zoo is the animals. Jax certainly has a ton of those, broken down into about 12 different exhibits.

• Titanoboa: Prehistoric mega snake
• The newest exhibit with lots of large snakes.
• Wild Florida
• 2.5 acres of natural wetlands that are home to native animals like: alligators, black bears, red wolves, whooping cranes, bald eagles, bobcats and more.
• River Valley Aviary
• Home to exotic birds such as: yellow-billed storks, white-bellied bustard, southern screamer and many, many more. 
• Range of the Jaguar
• This exhibit is set up like an abandoned Mayan temple, with breathtaking views of the jaguar. You can also see poison dart frogs, pygmy marmosets, anteaters, otters, turtles and more.
• Plains of East Africa
• This exhibit consists of a 1400 foot long boardwalk and open air environments for animals such as: warthog, bongo, cheetah, rhino, elephant, lion and more.
• Monsoon Asia
• A tranquil garden inspired by Asian culture with a Moon Bridge, Koi Pond, Lotus Pool and waterfalls. There is also a Komodo Dragon exhibit.
• Great Apes
• There are 3 types of primates in this exhibit: apes, monkeys and prosimians. All are seen in this exhibit.
• Giraffe Outlook
• An elevated viewing platform so you can get eye to eye with giraffes!
• Australian Adventure
• Includes views of animals like the: red kangaroo, wallaby and cassowary.
• Land of the Tiger
• This is a stunning 2.5 acre exhibit with innovative trails for the three Malayan and two Sumatran tigers that call this home.
• Save the Frogs: Amphibian Conservation Center
• This allows visitors to see some threatened amphibians, hear the sounds of some that are already extinct and to learn about what they can do to help.
• Stingray Bay
• You can pet and feed stingrays (for an additional cost). Houses 5 different types of stingrays and a horseshoe crab as well.

If you ever find yourself in the Jacksonville area and have a day to kill, this zoo is the place to go. Word of advice though: $4 zoo day seems like a great idea, but trust me - the chaos that ensues is NOT worth it.

Beauty | Current Hair Products

 So I don't style my hair really. I am more of a run a straightener over it OR just run a comb through it and call it good. But I HAVE to use some sort of detangler or leave-in product unless I want my hair to resemble a birds nest. These are some of the products I am currently using on my hair.

Rusk Texture Dry Finishing Spray Medium Hold

This is a sample size that I got from Birchbox. I have honestly only used a couple of times to rough up my hair and give it some texture and hold - my hair tends to not have any grip or hold to it. Curls literally slide right out of my hair. It worked pretty well, but it's not something I need on a daily basis. I do like that my hair still feels like hair after using this product - it doesn't have any stiffness to it which is great.

Garnier Fructis Style Sleek and Shine Flat Iron Perfector Straightening Mist

Well this is a mouthful, geez. I got this because sometimes when I straighten my hair it still has waves in it and I don't necessary want to buy a new straightener right now. So you just spray this on your hair before straightening and it is supposed to come out sleek and smooth. PLUS it provides heat protection. Honestly, I don't love this product. I continue to use it mainly for heat protection as I don't really notice a difference between using it and not using it. But it does smell nice, so that's good.

Bain De Terre Green Meadow Detangler 

I use a detangler immediately after washing my hair because even though I have lots of hair, it's kind of fine and gets tangled super easy. I have tried many detanglers, leave in conditioners, etc. This one definitely gets the job done and without leaving any sort of residue in your hair. 

Aveda Brilliant Damage Control Spray

This stuff is the bomb - I love this more than the previous detangler I talked about. It smells good, it helps to detangle and to prep your hair and it provides heat protection. PLUS it smells like a salon. This will always be in my arsenal of hair products I do believe.

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product 

I requested this as one of my sample products in a Birchbox because I'm obviously always open to trying new leave-in products for my hair. So I got this one, hoping it would be as miraculous as advertised. This product not only protects hair but repairs it as well - which is something other products don't do. It does make my hair feel silky and smooth, but I honestly don't notice less split ends or anything like that. That being said, I still REALLY like this product and will definitely purchase it full size.

Books | On My Nightstand

 

So while you're reading this I am beginning my second week in  Jacksonville, Florida visiting my sister's family. Actually some of these books may have already made an appearance in my Five things Friday - What I have read. So, sorry for the repeats! The majority of the books on my nightstand (or suitcase) this month are easy beach reads. I have 3 nieces and getting through complex books with them around is virtually impossible. Plus, I only see them once a year and I want to spend time with them - not with my nose stuck in a book. But for when desperate times call, this is what I am reading!

 1. Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

Yes like the Academy Award winning film; no I did not see it. I wanted to read the book first and I am finally getting around to it. This is the true story of Solomon Northup who was born and raised as a free man in New York. One day he was drugged, kidnapped and sold into slavery in the deep south. This book is the account of his 12 years as a slave. I expect tears.

2.  The Beach Club by Elin Hilderbrand

 Since I'm in Florida for two weeks, this seems like a nice book to read while sitting at the beach or the pool. It follows a bunch of summer drama at Nantucket Beach Club. Sounds simple and delightful to me.

3.  My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

There are two families who live next door to one another; the Garrett's and the Reed's. Naturally they are complete opposites; Samantha Reed wishes from her rooftop perch that her family could be more like the Garrett family. One day, Jase Garrett climbs up and joins her. As they begin to fall for one another, the unthinkable happens. I am looking forward to this book, especially because the "unthinkable" could be anything! 

4.  Church of Marvels by Leslie Parry

This book follows three very different characters who seemingly are completely unconnected. As the books unravels, you begin to see the connections; along with their secrets and their stories. This book takes place in turn of the century New York City. Another one that I've been wanting to read and happened to snag it off the new release shelf at the library! Will probably do a full review on this.

5. Saving Grace by Jane Green  

Grace and Ted Chapman are often regarded as the ideal literary power couple; he is a successful novelist and she is a wonderful homemaker. But underneath it all is Ted's struggles with rage and mood swings. When Ted's longtime assistant leaves, everything begins to crumble and Grace is incredibly vulnerable. I enjoy Jane Green, another great book to have on my trip with me.

Five Things Friday

Five Things I Did:

1. I flew to Florida! I am in Florida for 2 whole weeks with my sister and her family. I get to love on my nieces for 14 days!

2. I had nothing to do with this, but we have a TRIPLE CROWN WINNER! The first one in 37 years - there is a great chance I might not ever see another in my lifetime. That is absolutely crazy and I am glad my husband has been watching these races or else I would not have been. Now I can say I was WATCHING it happen. So cool! Thanks dude! 😎

3. Spent some time at the pool. 

4. Took the kidlets to a bounce house to run/jump off some energy on a rainy day.

5. I got to watch my oldest niece at her gymnastics class! I am such a proud auntie. I am here for another week so be prepared for another week of niece-themed five things friday!

Five Things I Ate:

1. I made eggplant parm. Recipe will be up in a few weeks!

2. Tamales! Maybe I should learn how to make homemade tamales?

3. My brother in law made pork chops, green beans with ham and mashed potatoes with cheese for my first night with them. It was so good! He is a southern boy so the cooking was on point!

4. I have been keeping up with my breakfast green smoothies while here, so that's a bonus.

5. Since my oldest niece is the one who sells me my Girl Scout cookies, and they have a ton leftover, I may be eating those too. 

Five Things I Read:

1. Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

2. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

3. Why child-free aunties are the best

4. The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

5. Not a whole lot of time for reading now I suppose, since the nieces are taking up some time!

As per usual, I am going to be linking with Fitting It All In and her Five Things Friday. I am also going to be at the High Five for Friday link up over at Coffee with Caitlin, Cup of Tea, Bright on a budget and Della Devoted

Beauty | Empties #3

 

1. Mitchum Advanced Control Deodorant/Antiperspirant

Once again, just my go-to deodorant. I feel like I had one of these in my last empties blog post which makes me wonder how much deodorant I go through? I'm actually using a new kind right now, but you know I will be going back to this kind eventually.

2 and 3.  Suave Naturals Shampoo and Conditioner in Lilac (similar)

I received this in my stocking for Christmas (thanks Grandma) and just finally got around to using it. I don't mind Suave; it's cheap and it gets the job done. It is not the best shampoo and conditioner there is, but I don't have any complaints either.

4. Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser

I didn't like this cleanser at all. Foaming cleansers are notorious for drying out the skin; which this one definitely did. My skin felt dry all the time, even with moisturizer. I will not be buying this again. Plus side: it lasted a long time.

5. Sweet Science Invisible Daily Tint SPF 35

This was a sample from Birchbox and it provided pretty good coverage and definitely made me face look more matte. I didn't really like the smell of it, or the  price so for those reasons I won't be repurchasing.

6.Valencia Even Glow Serum 

This serum made my face feel sticky and orange; plus the dropper style dispenser is not very easy to manage. My face did feel nice and hydrated after using it, but that's about it. There are better serum's on the market, for sure.

7. Davines OI Shampoo 

I really liked this sample size shampoo (once again from Birchbox) as a cleansing shampoo about once a week or so. My hair felt nice and clean; stripped of all the build up that gets in there. Plus, it smells super nice and fresh as well. This is a probable purchase.

 

Recipe | Eggplant Parmesan

So for whatever reason I felt the urge to make attempt eggplant parmesan. I LOVE chicken parm, but had never had eggplant and I was convinced I would like it. So on a boiling hot day I decided to give it a whirl. I used a recipe from Six Sisters Stuff to get me started. I know it has a lot of steps, but they are NOT complicated - I promise!

Ingredients 

• 1 large eggplant (or 2 smaller ones), peeled.
• 2 eggs, beaten.
• 2 (maybe more) cups of Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 3 cups spaghetti sauce
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• basil leaves, chopped.

Instructions

• Cut the eggplant into 1/4 in. thick slices. 
• Throw all the slices into a bowl, salt them, give a shake and fill with cold water.
• Let them soak for 20 minutes.
• Drain 
• Rinse eggplant slices with cold water to remove salt residue.
• Pat dry.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Crack 2 eggs into a small bowl and beat them.
• Pour bread crumbs into a different bowl.
• Dip each eggplant slice into egg mixture to coat.
• Then dip into bread crumbs to coat, both sides.
• Place each slice on a slightly greased baking sheet. 
• Once sheet is full, bake one side for 5 minutes. Flip the slices and do the other side for 5 minutes.
• Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
• In a 9 x 13 dish spread 1 cup of spaghetti sauce on bottom of dish.
• Layer with half the eggplant slices.
• Layer with another cup of sauce and a 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese
•  Repeat with a second layer of slices and cheeses.
• Top with basil leaves.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown.
• You can serve over noodles, or eat alone.
• Enjoy!

Finished product

Book Review | The Lives Between Us by Theresa Rizzo

 

Theresa Rizzo contacted me via email about The Lives Between Us; she knew I was a Michigander and wondered if I would be willing to read a digital copy and review it for her. I happily accepted; I love reading (obviously) and she is from Grosse Point, Michigan and I love to help out fellow Michiganders.

The book follows reporter Skyler Kendall; she's a bit of a commit-a-phobe and always wants to be the one who leaves first. She is close with her sister, Faith, and with her niece. Unfortunately, her niece is quite ill with a heart condition and is on the waiting list for a transplant. Skyler makes it her mission to find another option but her niece's only other hope lies in embryonic stem cell therapy. 

Edward Hastings is a Michigan senator who is vehemently opposed to the use of stem cells and Skyler decides try and end his political career. But of course the senator's best friend, Mark Dutton, is curious about this woman who says and writes all these scathing articles about his friend and seeks her out. Naturally, dating Mark gives Skyler all-access to the senators personal life and the ammunition to achieve her goal in ending his career. 

It seems like this book could be predictable, but I promise you it is not. I couldn't put it down and read it in about two days. I was fascinated by all the research and work with stem cells. It's also a fun read if you're from the Detroit area because you might recognize some of the landmarks that are mentioned.

My biggest complaint is probably that Skyler could be incredibly frustrating to read about. I do know people who are also like that, so I don't think it's unrealistic, but you just wanted to sit her down and explain some things to her. She eventually figures life out, and I am happy with how it all goes down within the story. I definitely would recommend this book. 

I received this book free of charge for reviewing purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Five Things Friday

Five Things I Did:

1. Saturday morning I met up with some friends for an early lunch at HopCat in East Lansing. One of the dumbest things about being an adult is not being able to see your friends all the time.

2. Then later on Saturday, I met up with my family at Red Lobster to celebrate my Dad's birthday!

3. Met up with some people in downtown East Lansing for a few hours; it's always great to go out in my old stomping grounds even if I can't stay up the way I used to.

4. While I was gallivanting around town, my husband went home to help bring his mom home from the hospital (again). Hopefully she can stay home longer than a week this time; she's feeling good and working hard on her therapy (walking).

5. Was able to attend my little brothers piano recital. Since we are moving away, I'm not sure when I'll be able to attend another one so I'm glad to be able to go one last time.

Five Things I Ate:

1. Crack fries are HopCat are always a must-have when you go there. That seasoning is out of this world.

2. I got Shrimp Linguine Alfredo at Red Lobster and it was so decadent. The creamy sauce was on point. So delicious.

3. Rumchata and root beer, where have you been all my life?!

4. My Swedish meatballs

5. Lemon cheesecake - oh my!

Five Things I Read:

1. Thirty Girls by Susan Minot

I really wanted to like this book and if it had been only about the abductions in Uganda I believe I would have. But it's mostly about a white writer on some sort of self centered journey that I didn't understand.
2. The way it SHOULD be

3. Ocean cleaning system

4. The reluctant midwife by Patricia Harman
This is the second book in the Hope River series and it was a delightful and easy read. 

5. The summers end by Mary Alice Monroe 
This is the third book in the Lowcountry Summer series and these were all also very nice and easy reads. I am glad to have read it, but this last one was a bit lacking as compared to the previous two.

As per usual, I am going to be linking with Fitting It All In and her Five Things Friday. I am also going to be at the High Five for Friday link up over at Coffee with Caitlin, Cup of Tea, Bright on a budget and Della Devoted

Travel | Cedar Point

I love roller coasters. It seems like I shouldn't because I get motion sick, but for whatever reason roller coasters don't (yet) make me sick. My husband, on the other hand, is not a fan. So my friend T and I have gone the past two years to ride our little hearts out at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.

The weather could not have been more gorgeous. Not a cloud in the sky and the perfect temperature of low 70s. If you've never been to Cedar Point here are a few things you should know:

1. It's the roller coaster capital of the world; boasting an impressive 17 roller coasters.
2. It is on a peninsula, so it has pretty nice views of Lake Erie.
3. It also has live events, a waterpark and dozens of hotels/resorts to stay at.

 T and I went on 8/17 coasters on this trip; so we went on all of the BIG ones with the exception of Gatekeeper. We skipped this one because we went on it last year and it gave us headaches. So I am going to talk a bit about the coasters we DID go on and if you love roller coasters and have never been to Cedar Point. Go. Now. We always go in May, and the longest we waited in line was for an hour. At peak season; waits can be 3 or more hours. #nothanks

First up, Raptor.  Raptor is an inverted coaster, which means the track is actually above you. You have nothing but sky underneath your feet, which gives the illusion of flying through the air. This coaster is a 2 minute ride with speeds topping out at 57 mph. You go upside down about 6 separate times, before returning safely to solid ground. This ride is always a must-ride; it's fun and smooth.

Raptor

So they are advertising Rougarou as a new coaster this year, but it's literally just the Mantis with new paint and seats. (Mantis was a stand-up coaster, that they turned into this ride I am assuming because of issues with that design). Rougarou is another floorless coaster that lasts about 2 minutes and 15 seconds with speeds up to 60 mph. To me, this coaster feels less like "flying" than the raptor I think because it's not inverted. Rougarou will plunge you 137 feet and take you through 4 different inversions. Not my favorite ride, but glad they switched up the Mantis. It's a bit whippy in my personal opinion.

 

Rougarou

 

Millennium Force is probably my favorite ride of them all, and we were lucky enough to get on it twice in our visit. This ride lasts 2 minutes and will take you up to the staggering speeds of 93 mph. It also drops you 310 feet and takes you on a super smooth ride including an 80 degree drop. This ride is an absolute MUST for roller coaster enthusiasts. 

 

So I don't have anymore pictures that I took so I will just give a brief overview of the rest of the roller coasters we rode on.

Cedar Creek Mine Ride is pretty chill with a top speed of 40 mph and ride time of 2 minutes. It doesn't go upside down at all; but I do think wooden coasters are a rougher ride so keep that in mind.
Iron Dragon is another calm(er) coaster at 2 minutes in length and speeds of 40 mph. This ride is particularly neat because it's over water and you weave in and out of the columns. Fun fact: this was the first roller coaster I ever rode on!
Magnum XL-200 is a classic; it was a total record breaker when it was brand new with it's 200 foot drop and speeds of 73 mph. We rode this one twice and while it's not as smooth as a ride as the newer ones; it's still worth it for sure.
Maverick is my second favorite ride with it's speed launch through dark tunnels and twisty-turn track. This one doesn't have your typically slow trek up the first hill, it takes you pretty quickly up it and tops out at speeds of 70 mph. It's a definite must ride.
And lastly, Top Thrill Dragster is not for the faint of heart or those afraid of heights. This one shoots you out at 120 mph up 420 feet into the air and then plunges you straight back down. It's only 17 seconds, but you're heart won't stop racing for at least 5 minutes. This one is epic.

What are your favorite roller coasters? What's your favorite amusement park?