Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop
Posted on December 21, 2016 by Ching under Food and Drink.
So I finally got my wish of eating at Lulu’s. LOL.
When we were in Kansas City a few weeks ago over Thanksgiving break, I suggested eating at Lulu’s when we drove by the restaurant after our Boulevard Brewery tour. The restaurant doesn’t look like much on the outside and Brian felt the area was a bit sketchy so he wanted to go back to the more familiar Kansas City Power & Light District. We ended up having a nice dinner at BRGR so it was all good but I couldn’t help feeling disappointed that I missed an opportunity to eat at a place I hadn’t tried before. Seeing as I don’t like to drive, I figured I may never get a chance to try Lulu’s.
I was telling my coworkers about it the following week and, after checking out the Lulu’s menu and reviews on the web, they all decided that we should check it out. Ha! Take that, Brian!
Here’s what the restaurant looks like inside. It’s kind of dark with a hip vibe. We definitely do not have any Thai restaurants like this in Wichita.
This is a picture of their crab rangoon made with real crab meat.
I can’t remember what this is. Actually, I’m not sure I had any because there were only three pieces and I was too busy stuffing my face with crab rangoon.
This a picture of the “build your own” lettuce wraps, served with fresh carrots, bean sprouts, red cabbage, cilantro and a side of peanuts and ginger peanut dressing.
Kelsey had the lettuce wraps for dinner. She has been eating very clean. These next two dishes are Michelle’s and Selena’s. I wish I could remember what they had. They both really enjoyed their entrees.
I had the massaman curry, which is what I always get on my first visit at every Thai restaurant. It’s a safe bet and gives me a good basis for comparison.
Also, Lulu’s offers bubble tea. Naturally, I had to try it.
So the food was absolutely delicious. I think we all enjoyed every bite and ate too much. I know I did. The tea was just okay. I had taro bubble tea and it wasn’t as good as the taro bubble tea I had at ICTea not too long ago.
I still really like the place and I will definitely be back – but not for bubble tea.
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Christmas Parties Galore
Posted on December 20, 2016 by Ching under Events.
The holiday season is upon us and you know what that means. Christmas party time! Brian and I had several and we managed to hit all of them but one. We couldn’t make the Edward Jones holiday party at Cowtown over the weekend because I was too sick to go out.
Nickira and I were on our own for the Big Brothers Big Sisters holiday party this year. The party fell on the same weekend that we were moving grandma from Cherry Creek to Victoria Falls. Brian had to help with the move so this year Kira and I went to the party by ourselves without Brian.
After grabbing a quick lunch, we were off to Botanica. I always get confused and couldn’t find the entrance at first but we made it. Kira and I got to do so crafts and she also got to talk to Santa and Mrs. Clause. I think she told Santa she wanted an iPhone 7. LOL. The kid has expensive taste.
She did get a couple of fun, craftsy presents but she was a little disappointed that Thunderdog didn’t come to the party this year. Last year Thunderdog showed up and gave a bunch of stuffed animals to all the kids. Nickira got a giant stuffed dog. We were hoping for the same this year but no such luck.
Kira talked me into browsing the gift shop at Botanica on our way out. It was actually pretty fruitful because I found some Christmasy jewelry to wear to my work holiday party that night. We also got a festive headband for Nickira.
Fast forward to that evening. Brian and I made it to the Employees’ Association holiday party at Joe’s. The funny thing is that we thought we completely missed it.
Brian and I were enjoying a nice dinner with his dad at Bubba’s 33 when I started seeing party pictures at Joe’s come through on Facebook. They were of the same people I expected to see at the EA holiday party so I freaked out just a little bit.
“I think we’re missing the party,” I told Brian.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I think the party is happening right now,” I replied as I showed him the pictures on Facebook on my phone.
“You mean we’re missing the party that you bought tickets for?”
I nodded, “I think so,” as I frantically dug through my purse in search of the card with instructions that Carly had given me the other day.
I finally found the card and, much to my relief, it said that the party was on Saturday night and not Friday night.
“This must be a completely different party,” I concluded. It just happened to be at the exact same place. LOL.
The party on Friday night was actually the IBEW holiday party. Anyway, you can’t blame me from freaking out because this has actually happened before. Brian and I put together special outfits for a friend’s birthday party and had her present ready and everything and we were getting ready to go out the door when I realized that the party happened the night before (it was on Friday and not Saturday) and we completely missed it. True story.
I’m so glad we didn’t miss this party because we had a fabulous time.
Here are some pics.
I was so busy last year that I completely missed the EA holiday party. I’m so glad we didn’t miss it this year because it was super fun. They had a photo booth, fun trivia, and cheap drink specials. The food was just so-so but the company more than made up for it. The sad part is, I lost at trivia twice that same week. LOL.
Rahima reserved a table for us at the Flying Saucer for Tuesday night trivia. We were supposed to be “Turning our $30 into $50” as our team name proclaims but it was a really competitive, high-scoring trivia night. We had no chance. It was still fun but it’s definitely more fun when you’re winning.
Speaking of winning, these two winners picked up the tab from our friends’ Christmas dinner and gift exchange at Granite City last weekend.
It was a fabulous dinner with the Dills, the Phelpi, and the Larnengs. Naturally, it was at the West side GCFB because they’re all West-siders.
Oh, and it was all going really well until Rune decided to send us all into a sugar coma by ordering a bajillion mini desserts that weren’t so mini.
The mini dessert portions at GCFB are very generous. They’re almost like full-sized desserts. Brian and I were perfectly content sharing one of these.
Rune being Rune, he ordered three of everything!
Next up was the One CIS holiday potluck.
Selena and Kelsey both brought homemade cookies and treats.
Me, being my undomesticated self, I just bought a cake from Cosentino’s and called it good. Michelle went with me and helped pick it out.
After that it was time to celebrate with my Wichita officemates in the CRC.
Once again, the West-siders dominated and we ended up the Bricktown Brewery on 21st and Tyler. The West-siders always get their way. =P
Shanda was the lucky one to get my present this year.
I was so proud of that wrapping too, specially the box. LOL. One year, Carmen bought a special gift box that was bacon-scented dryer sheets and she put her present in that. It was hilarious.
I’m too cheap to buy actual gift boxes. I usually just use old Amazon boxes from previous deliveries or other random boxes that I can find around the house. When we finally finished our cereal and I saw the cereal box, I had to grab it before Brian could throw it away. I knew it would be the perfect box for my white elephant gift!
I loved it because it looked like I was gifting cereal. It’s the perfect cover for the inappropriateness stored inside.
As for me, I got a new game that I have never played yet – Cranium Dark – and a beer-themed deck of cards. I love white elephant gift exchanges!
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Becca’s Birthday Game Night
Posted on December 13, 2016 by Ching under Events, Games.
We had the opportunity to celebrate Becca’s birthday last month. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving so the theme was “Leftover Potluck,” which was perfect because we had a ton of leftovers.
I was trying to earn some bonus points so I wore my one and only Pats shirt.
We played some Cards Against Humanity and the new Mouthguard Challenge game. I didn’t want to put one of those things in my mouth so I volunteered to be the game master and official picture-taker.
It was hilarious! We had a great time celebrating Becca’s birthday. Cheers to another awesome year!
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Thanksgiving Holiday 2016
Posted on December 12, 2016 by Ching under Family, Things to Do.
We had a super quiet Thanksgiving lunch this year. It was just Brian, grandma, and me. Brian’s parents usually do their own Thanksgiving in Oklahoma. I invited my parents but they were still both recovering from illness and feeling antisocial. They didn’t feel like joining us. I even offered to bring them some food but mom declined. I also invited Jenni via text but never heard back.
All of our friends were doing their own Thanksgivings. Initially, our friend Chad said he would swing by but he ended up canceling last minute. We ended up with way more food than three people could eat. It worked out great though, because then grandma was able to take some food home with her.
This was our first year without Fresh Market. We ended up getting food from Dillons. The food was okay but definitely not as good as the quality of the Thanksgiving meal we get from Fresh Market. Most of the items were off the shelf rather than prepared fresh like the Thanksgiving dinner we get from Fresh Market. This is definitely a case of “you get what you pay for” except Fresh Market is no longer an option since they closed their store.
Brian and I agreed that we will need to figure out a better plan for next year because we are definitely not going to order the Dillons Thanksgiving dinner again.
Brian had to work on Black Friday this year so I was pretty much on my own. In years past, we’ve both had the day off so we’ve braved the Black Friday mobs and have actually gone shopping. We switched gears the last few year and have done most of our shopping online so I didn’t really feel an urge to go Black Friday shopping this year. Besides, it’s not as much fun without Brian.
Instead of shopping, I decided to spend the day with my little sister.
We started with breakfast at Doo-Dah Diner. I love that they give you free monkey bread while you wait for your meal. It’s my most favorite part of eating there.
Doo-Dah was busy that day so we just sat at the counter.
Nickira originally wanted pancakes but then she saw chicken and waffles on the menu so she switched to that instead. I was worried that the meal would be too big so I convinced her to split it with me. I’m glad we split it because it was not quite what Nickira expected.
She was not a fan of the chocolate dipped bacon. She actually gave me hers. Oh, and you can tell which half is which by the egg. Nickira wanted a runny yolk on her egg, while I wanted mine fried hard.
It was just the right amount of food for me.
After breakfast we were off to Winter Art Mania at the Wichita Art Museum.
And then after doing all of the activities inside, we decided to go for a stroll through the art garden and take some photos. I just love the Wichita Art Museum!
This hasn’t been our typical Thanksgiving or Black Friday. Actually, this hasn’t been our typical year. Yet, despite all of the obstacles and challenges, we managed to find joy in everything. I’m so grateful for the love of our family and friends and for all that we have. We are truly blessed.
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Showing Brian Downtown KC
Posted on December 10, 2016 by Ching under Things to Do, Travel.
Brian wanted to see what my Kansas City routine was like so we spent a few days in Kansas City over Thanksgiving break. At first he was bummed that I didn’t have us staying at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, which is the hotel I normally stay at, but after I explained that I reserved our room at the much nicer Courtyard Kansas City Downtown/Convention Center just a couple of blocks away he finally settled down. Of course, I had to agree to walk him over to my office building, the other hotel, my favorite coffee shop, etc. etc.
Brian got to experience the KC Streetcar on this trip.
Here’s the lobby of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. It definitely looks better with some Christmas decorations. It has looked the same for several years.
But, I have to admit, I kind of like this piece of furniture. It’s perfect for just hanging out with a bunch of friends.
We also walked over to my office building where we have the ping pong table in the “Recharge” area at the lower level.
Brian actually indulged me with a brief ping pong match.
After getting coffee across the street at Kaldi’s, a coffee shop that I’ve grown fond of because of the delicious coffee and its close proximity to the office, we went around the corner to One Light Luxury Apartments.
This is Brian checking out the balcony of one of the units we toured.
I’m not sure what Brian is pondering here but I just love the floor-to-ceiling windows. I think that crane you see on the left is where they’re building Two Light.
Here’s the rooftop pool. They keep the fool filled year round, though you can’t actually swim in it, because it’s prettier to look at than a pool cover.
We walked over to the Two Light Leasing Office around the corner after touring One Light. They have a 3D model of the all-glass, high-rise apartment complex there. We were told they created the model so people could more easily visualize the concept, which is the first of its kind in downtown Kansas City.
Of course, there’s now such a great demand for places to live downtown that they’re already planning to develop Three Light after Two Light is completed.
Here’s a video of the renderings. It looks pretty amazing.
Here are some pictures of the demo one-bedroom unit at the leasing office.
I took a ton of pictures because they did a fabulous job of staging the demo.
Do you see Brian in this pic?
This is the bed room.
Don’t mind the street outside. I was really taking a picture of the bedroom door, which is a pocket door. A regular door just takes up too much space.
Space is a premium and their smart design choices give you space where it counts. Like in the bathroom (pictured below).
The bathroom doesn’t feel tiny and cramped.
Here’s how the kitchen looks from the hallway.
This picture is viewing the same hallway from the opposite end.
I’m not a huge fan of the upper cabinets, which feel a bit too contemporary/modern for me but overall the kitchen feels spacious and well-designed. Not that I spend a lot of time cooking in the kitchen but, for what it’s worth, the kitchen functioned well. I really liked the island in the middle.
If we were to move to Kansas City, our ideal situation would be to get a two bedroom but, if we couldn’t stretch our budget enough to make it work, then we could make a one-bedroom work.
We would just have to get rid of a bunch of stuff first. LOL.
Because we’re nerds, we walked over to where we could see the Two Light construction. Even though it was drizzly that day, I really wanted to see how much farther of a walk it is from the office building. One Light is literally across the street (if you go through the parking garage underneath instead of coming out of the lobby) so it’s super convenient.
Here’s a picture of Brian in the fancy, One Light lobby.
If I sound kind of obsessed with downtown living and, more specifically, these apartments, it’s probably because I kind of am. I am enamored with the idea of being able to get up in the morning and walk to work.
Here’s a video of what it’s like to live at One Light. They really do a great job of selling the lifestyle and making it look glamorous and cool.
I’ve been to One Light a few times now (wine night at Allison’s, their open house event) and I’ve even brought Brian over to check things out and get his feedback, these folks have me completely convinced that this is where I want to live if/when I move to Kansas City.
The floor plans at Two Light are a smidge bigger but Brian and I cannot get over the convenience that One Light offers. One Light is attached to an amazing gym and a grocery store. If you go through the parking garage underneath, you don’t even have to go outside to get to both.
Brian and I were like, “Can you imagine times when you’re in the middle of cooking something and you realize that you’re out of something and you can just put the heat on low and run to the grocery store real quick and come right back and finish cooking?” Not that this happens often. Heck, we don’t even cook that much. I love the idea, though. Maybe it will even get us cooking and eating at home more?
The biggest selling point for me is how close it is to work. Here’s a view of the apartment and pool from work. It’s that close!
I’m not sure if you can tell, but there’s also green space on the roof for dog owners to take their dogs. There will be plenty of room for Saki and Molly to run and play.
The corner grocery store is amazing. They have everything you could possibly need. They even carry wine. Brian and I already did price comparisons of how much we normally pay for certain wines at Grove’s. The prices are comparable on some brands and about $1-2 more on others. I suppose that’s the price of convenience.
But they also have a wide selection of craft beers and they even do this thing where you can mix and match to create your own six-pack.
Although, my most favorite part of Cosentino’s is their delicious cakes and pastries.
We’re doing a potluck Christmas party at work next week where everyone is encouraged to bring either a dessert or side dish of some sort and my plan is to just buy a cake from Cosentino’s and bring it. LOL.
They usually have a different assortment each time. All fabulous. The time we were there they had these java cups. Of course we had to try it.
Brian gave it two thumbs up!
I also took Brian to the Flying Saucer, catercorner from the apartment building, where they have fun trivia on Tuesdays. We only stayed long enough to enjoy a pizza and some drinks. We didn’t stick around for the trivia.
You can create your own pizza for about $10. Above is the one like to get. It consists of prosciutto, bacon, and artichoke hearts. I really like the Flying Saucer because the food is pretty good and it’s cheap. And the best part is, if you live at One Light then the walk home is only a minute or two.
Bottom line, downtown Kansas City is amazing. I love not having to drive anywhere. And, even though I’ve only explored a small portion, I can really see us living here and I can’t wait to explore more of the area.
If work makes me move, it will not be the end of the world but the beginning of new adventures. I can’t wait to explore Kansas City with Brian.
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