Porembski's Place

Enjoying a staycation? A few must visit spots in the capital city, whether you’re new or a local

2013-05-06T10:56:00.000-04:00

Sports, art, music, parks; there is never a shortage of something to do in Columbus.

Downtown has no shortage of sporting venues, Huntington Park plays home field to the Columbus Clippers. Enjoy Dime-a-Dog Night or Party on the Park before one of the exciting games. A stone’s throw away is Nationwide Arena, where you can cheer on the Columbus Blue Jackets who still have a chance to make this year’s playoffs. A short drive away is Crew Stadium, where you can watch the Columbus Crew. Discount tickets to any of these teams are available through D-Tix.

If you are looking a different kind experience, you might head to Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Enjoy Cocktails at the Conservatory on Thursdays with the blooms and butterflies exhibit with hundreds of butterflies flying freely. COSI can fill your curiosity void with a new hands-on exhibit starting June 8 featuring MythBusters. Or step inside a self-contained, mysterious work and get your Indiana Jones’ on with “Adventure: In The Valley of the Unknown.” And located on our very campus, you can visit Wexner Center for the Arts. All summer long they are having special showings, exhibits and events. Another great place to visit in Columbus is The Book Loft of German Village, which houses 32 rooms of every genre and fantastic bargain books. The pre-Civil War building was once a saloon, nickelodeon cinema and is now home to one of the nation’s largest independent bookstores.

Looking to get a little more active? The Columbus Commons Downtown not only offers events like their Downtown Live Music Series, they also offer free Yoga, Zumba, Crossfit and Boot Camps (online registration required.) After a nice run on one of the beautiful promenade on The Scioto Mile, enjoy cooling off at the Scioto Mile Fountain. If 110,000 gallons of water can’t keep you cool, then you are out of luck. The Scioto Mile also offers concerts, events and is home to the delicious Milestone 229. After a nice meal, you can tap into some history by taking a tour of the World’s most authentic replica of The Santa Maria, I mean we are in Columbus, aren’t we?

If you are feeling like venturing outside central Columbus, I might suggest a trip to The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and see one of the country’s best zoos. Right next door Zoombezi Bay who are introducing a new, easier entrance this summer to season pass holders. Just around 270 is a visit to The Hollywood Casino. Last time I was there, I won $500 on a penny slot. The casino also hosts some great performers like Salt-N-Pepa or Sinbad (both coming in May).

Published April 23, 2013 in UWeekly

A fair and festive summer | 2013 Columbus Festival and Fair Guide

2013-05-01T10:48:00.000-04:00

With the amazing culture we have in our great city and the fantastic weather (I am crossing my fingers for this summer), we are sure to experience some fantastic festivals and fairs.

June
Columbus Arts Festival
See (and purchase) work from local artists and watch more than 75 live acts. No hot dogs and fries here, the event is bringing back gourmet fare to the festival. June 7-9 at The Scioto Mile on the Riverfront

Park Street Fest
In the two days this event takes place, more than 35 bands will perform. Local favorites like The Floorwalkers and LDNL, plus my personal favorite, Who’s Bad.
June 7–8, 2013 on Park Street

Pride Festival
Last year the event broke records with more than 200,000 participants. Personally, I can’t wait to see how Nina West will top last year.
June 21-22 at Goodale Park

Comfest
One of the biggest showcases for artists and musicians, but also an event to promote tolerance, compassion and thoughtfulness. It’s a weekend where the community can get together and be free to enjoy themselves. June 28-30 at Goodale Park

July
North Market Food & Ohio Wine Festival
Enjoy wine tastings for Ohio wineries. The event kicks off Friday with a preview party including a performance by Blues Hippy.
July 12-14 at The North Market

Jazz & Rib Fest
Ribs, delicious ribs. Watch as vendors compete for the best ribs, plus live music and fun events.
July 19-21, 2013 in Downtown Columbus

Ohio State Fair
This year’s top acts include Jeff Dunham, Martina McBride, Styx & “Call Me Maybe” singer herself, Carly Rae Jepson. Experience an authentic fair with fried anything you can imagine.
July 24-August 4 at the fairgrounds.

August
Dublin Irish Festival
Four stages, authentic Irish vendors, food and drinks and lots of bouncy curls on more than 29 acres of park.
August 2-4 at Coffman Park

Columbus Food Truck Festival
Once you fill up on more than 40 food trucks like The Cheesy Truck or Mojo Tago, you can enjoy live music and take a little ride on the carousel ... but wait 30 minutes!
August 16- 17 at The Columbus Commons

Columbus Summer Beerfest
Winterfest was amazing, but I can’t wait to experience more than 60 breweries and more than 300 craft beers when it isn’t snowing outside.
August 16 at The LC

Is it summer yet?

Published April 23, 2013 in UWeekly

Play it by ear | Your 2013 Summer Playlist

2013-04-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

Driving in a car with some friends reminiscing about the funny times we had the night before, Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night” came on. My cousin rolled all the windows down and we screamed out the lyrics. That’s the best part about a song; it can remind you of moments and experiences like nothing else can. Well, 2013 is destined to be an amazing summer and I have some great tracks to help start your soundtrack.

Top songs for that summertime love:

Demi Lovato - Heart Attack
Justin Timberlake - Pusher Love Girl
Emeli Sandé - Next to Me
Paramore - Still Into You
Cee Lo Green - Only You (feat. Lauriana Mae)

Hot sun, big pool, cold beverage and these:

Icona Pop - I Love It (feat. Charli XCX)
Sean Kingston - Beat It (feat. Chris Brown & Wiz Khalifa)
Bridgit Mendler - Hurricane
Lady Antebellum - Downtown
Robyn - Dancing On My Own

Summer wouldn’t be complete without a road trip, be sure to include these:

Florida Georgia Line - Cruise (feat. Nelly)
The Lumineers - Ho Hey
Ariana Grande - The Way (feat. Mac Miller)
Nelly - Hey Porsche
One Direction - Kiss You

These are great songs to include on your shape up playlist:

Calvin Harris - I Need Your Love (feat. Ellie Goulding)
will.i.am - #thatPOWER (feat. Justin Bieber)
A$AP Rocky - F**kin’ Problems
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Can’t Hold Us (feat. Ryan Dalton)
French Montana - Freaks (feat. Nicki Minaj)

The only bad part about summer is being stuck at work or class while your friends are enjoying it! Keep these songs on your playlist to get you through those difficult hours:

Skylar Grey - C’mon Let Me Ride
Phillip Phillips - Gone, Gone, Gone
Madeon - The City
B. Smyth - Leggo (feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris)
Hunter Hayes - I Want Crazy

Take these playlists and add your own classics, then enjoy an amazing summer! The only question is, which one of these will be the soundtrack to this summer?

Published April 24, 2013 in UWeekly

Ed Sheeran - Lego House

2013-02-25T11:07:00.000-05:00

Love me some Ed Sheeran! Plus we get to she Ronald Weasley sing the song.

Frank Ocean - Lost

2013-02-23T11:30:00.000-05:00

Frank Ocean | "Lost" (UN-OFFICIAL VIDEO - WATCH FULL SCREEN) from By Any Means T.V. on Vimeo.

JLO - Goin' In

2013-02-22T23:25:00.000-05:00

I'm on my crazy.

And the oscar goes to ...

2013-02-22T13:36:00.000-05:00

It was 1997 when a (then) a-known Ben Affleck came to the Oscars with his childhood friend, Matt Damon. The two were nominated for original screenplay for “Good Will Hunting.” Affleck, who took his mom as his date, gave a memorable speech complete with a cracking voice as he accepted his first Oscar. Now, 16 years later, he’s back with a nomination for the big daddy of all Academy Awards – best picture, and I think he’s going to take it home.

Over time, we have had many memorable moments during the Academy Awards, such as Halle Berry, the first African-American woman to win best actress, Heath Ledger’s father and sisters’ emotional acceptance of his award for best supporting actor after his tragic death and we can’t forget a Jennifer Hudson winning for “Dreamgirls.” Who would have thought that an American Idol contestant would win an Oscar?

For the 85th Academy Awards, scheduled to air Feb. 24, all nominees have some extreme competition. But I’m seeing Sunday evening going this way:

Best Picture The front-runners for this award are “Argo” and “Lincoln.” Both are coming into the awards with multiple nominations. Steven Spielberg waited years before filming “Lincoln” to ensure the timing and accuracy were on point, but I think the Oscar will go to “Argo.” The film, based on a true story, has already taken home four other awards including best drama and best director at the Golden Globes.

Annie’s Pick: “Argo”

Best Actor I love me some Denzel (and honestly, who doesn’t?) but this fight is between Daniel Day-Lewis for “Lincoln” and Hugh Jackman for “Les Miserables.” Both actors won in this category at the Golden Globes, both portrayed characters that we’ve seen many actors play before and both made their roles their own. Critics are going for Day-Lewis, but my gut is going with Jackman. He was innovative and brilliant, and helped portray a unique version of the story.

Annie’s Pick: Hugh Jackman

Best Actress Jennifer Lawrence was the Golden Globe winner, but I think she has some competition with Jessica Chastain in “Zero Dark Thirty.” The controversial movie has had critics going nuts, but with all of the jabs at the film, her performance still has people talking. But Lawrence was funny, emotional, unpredictable and relatable in “Silver Linings Playbook,” it was one of my favorite films this year.

Annie’s Pick: Jennifer Lawrence

Best Director Historically speaking, the winner of best director is almost always the winner for best picture. It would make sense for me to go with Affleck in this category, but I think “Life of Pi” director Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg are the two we should be watching. “Life of Pi” was given great reviews, but has been ignored this year when it comes to awards. This might be one of the few categories it has a shot at winning. And then there’s Spielberg, he has brought us some amazing films, and “Lincoln” is, without a doubt, one of them. Without his direction, this film wouldn’t have had half of the attention it has been given.

Annie’s Pick: Steven Spielberg - “Lincoln”

Other Predictions:

Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz - “Django Unchained”

Actress in Supporting Role: Anne Hathaway - “Les Miserables”

Animated Film: “Brave”

Original Song: “Skyfall’ (Adele, duh!)

Conan introduces Google's new, new device

2013-02-22T11:04:00.002-05:00

Grammys never ever ever short of talent

2013-02-20T13:35:00.000-05:00

Raise your hand if you posted on Facebook or tweeted about Sunday’s Grammy Awards. You were one of many. Bluefin is reporting that the 55th Grammy Awards set a social record for TV with more than18.7 million comments, taking second place to this year’s Super Bowl.

This year the Grammy’s might have had the highest social performance, but it sure had the lowest amount of dancing. There were many memorable moments that we’ll watch again and again, but would it have killed someone to do a little booty poppin or shaking?

Let’s start with our opener, Taylor Swift. Let me start by saying her new album RED is a must listen. I love every song on the album except, of course, “We Are Never Getting Back Together.” Swift opened with a strange rendition of the song with a circus and Alice in Wonderland vibe. She didn’t really do much dancing, just more walking and some hip action. To give her credit, she did some dancing later. Rumors and death tweets from One Direction fans have been flying that the country star after she used a british accent during her performance.

Bad accents aside, I worried no more, we of course had Justin Timberlake to look forward to. The first time I listened to “Suit & Tie” I went into a depression being reminded that he is now married, and then I just imagined the amazing routines he could do to this beat. He is introduced and we see the camera switch to sepia-tone and JT and The Tennessee Kids literally moving with a tie. Come on Timberlake, we want to see you dance all over that stage. The only dancing I saw from him was anything movement that would allow him to also keep a hold of his standing microphone and some stepping.

The last hope was Rihanna. Her vocals sounded beautiful and I really felt the emotion in her voice, but no dancing. Her performance just made me very sad, it was exactly four years from that evening that she was assaulted by Chris Brown. After everything that she went through she ended up in a worse position than she was before, still dating the man that hit her and now going to court with him in support. Then, in pops a random guy singing with her, who I have read was her songwriter and producer Mikky Ekko. Ladies and gentleman it has taken me this long to come to this conclusion, but that BITCH BE CRAZY! Rihanna did redeem herself with Bruno Mars and Sting in their tribute to Bob Marley.

Side Note: Did anyone else feel like Sting seemed a little confused when performing “Locked out of Heaven?”

After that we saw fun. do a “rain dance” and Frank Ocean running and Carrie Underwood keeping perfectly still in her crazy animated gown. The only dancing that really took place was Taylor Swift in the audience and myself in my living room.

Besides the performances, I feel like I am forgetting something. Oh yes, the awards. Did you know that of the out of the 81 Grammy Awards that were given on Sunday, only ten were actually broadcast on television? The show may have lacked dancing, but it made up for it in talent. There were some really amazing, well-deserved winners this year. Of the awards that made the broadcast, I can honestly say for the first time in years I agreed with all of the choices.

Published in UWeekly

Emeli Sandé - Next To Me

2013-01-18T10:29:00.000-05:00

While we are on the subject, let's talk about Emeli Sandé. I think she is going to be huge! She has a beautiful voice and is very talented. Stay tuned to see more from her!

Labrinth feat. Emeli Sande - Beneath Your Beautiful

2013-01-18T10:27:00.000-05:00

This song was actually co-written by Mike Posner! When you listen close, I think you can definitely tell that he did.

St Lucia - All Eyes On You

2013-01-16T08:16:00.000-05:00

Heard it in one of Victoria Secret's commercials and I guess this was on the soundtrack to that horrible show Teen Wolf.

Ke$ha - Crazy Kids

2013-01-13T09:45:00.001-05:00

Great album. Great song!

Imagine Dragons - Radioactive

2013-01-13T09:45:00.000-05:00

Just listen to this song... trust me! The video is hilarious as well.

Olly Murs feat. Flo Rida - Troublemaker

2013-01-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

You might remember his first US single "Heart Skips a Beat." He comes to us from The X Factor UK and we are very thankful.

Frank Ocean - Forrest Gump

2013-01-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

I don't know if I love this song because Forest Gump is one of my favorite movies, but this is just a great song to relax to.

Carly Rae Jepsen - This Kiss

2013-01-12T09:54:00.000-05:00

I really tried to not cheat on "Call Me Maybe," but this song is just so fun! Listen to this and TRY not to sing it in the shower later.

Harvest Pizzeria -- Yuma' wanna try this!

2013-01-11T09:33:00.001-05:00

The Spicy Yuma - Picture via Urbanspoon

I can't say enough great things about this fantastic pizza place in German Village. It is a quaint little restaurant with a unique atmosphere. I suggest grabbing some friends, getting some mason jar cocktails, ordering all different pizzas and sharing.

The only warning I have is that the place, it is somewhat small. This is not the place you want to run into your arch enemy because you will probably sit right next to them. The kitchen is right in the main area and I have been told in the summer it can get very hot. When I went there were inches of snow on the ground, so I had no complaints.

Annie's Favorite Pizza's:

Vegetable -- It includes: mozzarella and provolone cheeses, onion, olives, mushrooms, bell pepper, sunflower sprouts. Sunflower sprouts are really regular sprouts on steroids.
Spicy Yuma -- Canal Junction Gouda cheese, chorizo, jalapeno, corn, roasted red pepper, chipotle-spiked tomato sauce. It defiantly packs a kick, but is like nothing I have ever tasted before.
Mushroom -- Gouda cheese, variety of Athens county mushrooms, truffle, herbs. I love mushrooms and this includes shrooms from the best city ever!

Add some pizzazz to your salad

2013-01-11T09:14:00.002-05:00

My latest adventure with Bzz Agent was Lean Cuisine Salad Additions. This new product allows you to take some lettuce and mix it up a bit.

This is the first product from Lean Cuisine that combines frozen food with fresh ingredients. In each packet you receive chicken, alongside vegetables, something to add a nice crunch like tortilla strips or sesame sticks and a dressing. (Of course you can always substitute your favorite dressing.)
I tried the Cranberry and Chicken. It comes with: grilled white meat chicken, dried cranberries, broccoli, red onions, yellow carrots and a blend of whole grains, raspberry cabernet vinaigrette and sesame sticks. I am not typically drawn to fruity salads, but I really enjoyed it. The vinaigrette was delicious and I love the crunch from the sesame sticks. I took it to work with a container of lettuce, cooked the chicken and vegetables in the steam pack and poured it all in the same container. The one thing I was nervous about was that the sesame sticks would be soggy from being frozen, they come in a separate pouch and kept their crunch! Of course it doesn't look as pretty as you see on the box, but it still tastes good.

I was given a free Salad Additions to try from Bzz Agent, and I even went back and purchased two more on my own!

Get a coupon at leancuisine.com.

I'm a BzzAgent and I received a product sample, coupon, collateral or other special premium from BzzAgent to review. The opinions are mine.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Stars

2012-12-07T09:24:00.000-05:00

Beautiful song. Enjoy.

Ke$ha - Die Young (Yum)

2012-12-06T18:48:00.001-05:00

This may not be the real song, but it's my favorite version of Ke$ha's new single "Die Young." Please excuse the partial nudity, I just couldn't edit out that little dupa! I also love how he is singing to himself in the reflection of the tub drain.

COVERGIRL blastflipstick Review

2012-12-06T18:38:00.003-05:00

If you read my review on Burt's Bees Intense Hydration then you know I am a part of this nifty website called Bzz Agent.

My latest campaign was for COVERGIRL's blastflipstick. It's two lipsticks in one, a darker shade for "day wear," and a complementing dazzling shade to for night. I received three different colors: Stunner, Vixen and Minx.

My favorite color: Stunner! I like to rock a red lip and this is a great, bright shade for all skin tones. It is also the same color Sofia Vergara rocks in all of the commercials.

My favorite part about this product is that it lasts. It is smooth and the shape of the lipstick makes it easy to apply without a liner. It doesn't get dry and flaky. Like most red lipsticks, it does get all over forks, chapstick or anything else. I also tried a lip stain under the blastflipstick and I only reapplied once at work.

My least favorite part: the "dazzling" color. Once you start to use the darker color, the lighter compliment starts to change. It's like when you paint with black and then try and paint with white over top, once you dip again in the white it starts to turn gray. The colors are supposed to be expertly paired together, but I am not really a fan of the two-toned look.

If anyone is interested in trying the product, I have coupons I can send your way!

Looking for upcoming reviews on Perdue Oven Ready Products and Lean Cuisine Salad Additions.

*I'm a BzzAgent and that I received a product sample, coupon, collateral or other special premium from BzzAgent to review. The opinions are mine.

5 Celebrities ... to attend your senior crawl

2012-12-05T17:45:00.000-05:00

The tradition, the chaos, the alcohol. Fall Commencement means a senior crawl is coming. And while having your best friends with you is sure to be the icing on the cake, how amazing would it be to crawl up and down High Street with a few of your favorite celebs?

Zach Galifianakis
The list wouldn’t be complete without a “Hangover” reference. Now I might prefer Bradley Cooper to be the one at the last bar of the night, but I pick Galifianakis to hang with me from the beginning. He is random, unpredictable and hilarious ... what more could you ask for in a crawl partner? All I ask is that he doesn’t bring little Carlos along for the ride.

Lindsay Lohan
With her recent arrest at a New York nightclub and all of her drinking woes, a normal person would think she is probably crazy and stupid. Not me! This just makes me want to hang out with the actress even more. She is such a badass (or stupidass) that when a judge puts her on probation and tells her not to go to the clubs, Lohan goes to the clubs. That is dedication right there. On a crawl, if you are not dedicated to the end, then you can go home.

Kate Middleton
Am I the only one who is dying to know what the Duchess of Cambridge is like a little tipsy? She is so prim, proper and put together at every public event. Doesn’t anyone want to know how crazy she can get when no one is watching? But of course we know it won't be possible since she is preggars!

Neil Patrick Harris
If this actor is anything like his character Barney on “How I Met Your Mother,” then I would be attached to him all night. I feel like Harris would be the type that would start out with the group, then take you to unknown random bar. The next morning conversation would go a little like:
You: “Oh you got kicked out of Ugly Tuna last night?”
Them: “Yea, it was so crowded! Where did you end up?”
You: “Neil and I (you’d be on a first name basis) went to this random bar on High with no name. We ended up behind the bar doing these flaming shots and dancing to Journey. Then we saw [INSERT CELEBRITY NAME HERE] and went back to their hotel with them.
Them: Wow, I am so jealous.
You: They even signed my shirt!

Mindy Kaling
Kailing from “The Office” or “The Mindy Project” will do. Not only would you become besties the next day, but you also would have countless inside jokes from the night before that no one but the two of you could laugh at. Her hilarity is so natural and contagious; can you imagine what jokes she could come up with in person? Especially when you and everyone around you is already acting a fool.

Tell me on Twitter who you want to crawl with (tipsy tweets will be accepted) and use the hashtag #5celebs.
Happy Crawl Ya’ll!

Justin Bieber - Beauty And A Beat ft. Nicki Minaj

2012-12-03T09:15:00.000-05:00

Besides the creepy moment where Bieber grinds on Nicki, this is a pretty cool video! I hate it when I love Bieber songs.

N Sync - Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays

2012-12-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's December! Time for Christmas music :)