As the world turns: my visit to The Soap Opera.

A fact about myself that I have probably never shared on this blog: I. love. baths. I went to summer camp in New Hampshire for nine years, and as much as I adored the experience, it was always a tough transition to go from a daily bath to a daily shower (in a shower house full of screaming girls, nonetheless!). On the last day of camp, as sad as I was to leave, it was always comforting to know I was heading to my cousin Lisa's house for a nice hot bath.

I still opt for bath over shower, and along with this comes a love of bath salts and soaps. How it took me over a year and a half in Madison to wind up at The Soap Opera on State Street, I will never know.

My friend Kim was in town this weekend so I decided to take her shopping on State Street. Right near the Wisconsin State Capitol, State Street is full of eclectic local shops and restaurants (like Anthology and Himal Chuli), then peppered with a few chains like Gap, American Apparel, and Potbelly. The whole neighborhood is a bit of a potpourri. At first it struck me as oxymoronic for Bop to be next door to Quaker Steak & Lube, but what can I say? State Street just works, and The Soap Opera seems to fit right in, especially with products like this:

Cat and yarn glycerin soap. Too cute, right?

The Soap Opera sells a mix of local and non-local bath products and accessories. From soap and salts to eye masks and rubber duckies, they've got everything covered.

A stack of glycerin soaps in a variety of motifs (highlights include Star of David, Breast Cancer Awareness, Democrat Donkey, and Republican Elephant).

A wall of soaps and lotions. So many choices!

As much as I love soaps, my weak sense of smell makes it difficult to enjoy most of them. Susanne helped me find the perfect locally made soap that I could actually smell: 100% vegetable-based glycerin soap made from gently exfoliating almond meal. I'm very excited to try out my purchase!

Thanks for the free samples, Susanne!

For more information on The Soap Opera, check them out at 319 State Street or visit their site here.

The nitty "grit"-y solution to culture shock.

As many readers may know, I was born in Boston and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. Though I am the product of a Yankee family, spending most of my life in the Upper South rubbed off on me a bit. For example, if I mishear someone, I will often respond with "Huh?" as opposed to "Pardon?". Nobody in Massachusetts says "Huh?". Trust me.

Upon moving to Madison, Wisconsin, I knew I would have to give up a few Southern Comforts. Wisconsin doesn't have an IKEA or an Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse. Also, while there are 38 Cracker Barrels in the state of North Carolina, there are only 5 in the state of Wisconsin. They're trying to limit my access to corn muffins and kitschy seasonal decor, aren't they?

Another comfort that I thought I would have to give up is grits. I am not exactly sure how I developed my love for grits, but I've eaten them regularly for many years, despite the fact that my mother calls them "wallpaper paste." I have lived in Wisconsin for almost 4 months, and despite conscious efforts, I had yet to find grits. Tonight, I struck gold at Woodman's Foods, where I discovered a wide selection of grits. Jackpot!

Phoebe, also a Southern girl, was quite excited about the grits.

For last month's in-depth post on Woodman's Foods, click here.

Together at last: Woodman's Foods.

I like my grocery stores like I like my manicures: cheap, sanitary, and thorough. With that said, I have been less than thrilled with the selection of affordable supermarkets in Madison. Yesterday, I was sad to discover that Target doesn't carry fat free Philadelphia cream cheese. In search of said cream cheese, I ventured over to Woodman's Foods on Milwaukee Street after work today, remembering that my coworkers had recommended this store based on selection and prices.

I was pleased to discover that Woodman's offers a wide variety of groceries at affordable prices: exactly what I need. Alas, I have found my grocery store. My cart had a cup holder for my water and a nice little caddy for my new iPhone, which was equipped a shopping list app (because I'm just THAT cool). I proceeded into the store, where I was happy to discover that the Woodman's playlist consisted of a lovely mix of En Vogue and Madonna (did they steal my iPod?). While I had been jamming to Madonna at work today in honor of her 53rd birthday, I was happy to continue the celebration while grocery shopping.

Woodman's has everything. Fat free Philadephia cream cheese: check. Multigrain tortilla chips: check. Trash bags: check. Picture frames: check. Not only does Woodman's have everything, but they have an abundance of everything. I was particularly impressed by the cheese selection, which is comparable to that of Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfield, OH (that's saying a lot, because Jungle Jim's is a 1.5 acre store). And the prices were fantastic. 

Excited by how much I saved on groceries, I picked up some rainbow feather mice for the kids for 99 cents!

On my way to the checkout line, I ran into Cesca (my skating coach), who told me that this is the best Woodman's in town. Trust me, I will be returning.

Special thanks to Erika and Tonya for the recommendation!

Maxwell Street Days: sidewalk sale extravaganza.

After a hot tip from Tonya at work, I opted to spend the afternoon on State Street at the annual Maxwell Street Days sidewalk sale. All weekend, the State Street stores have major sales: it's total fun, but total chaos.

I was joined by my friend/coworker, Rebecca, who had already visited part of the sale yesterday. While we enjoyed browsing the sales, we both found ourselves particularly overwhelmed by the large crowd and noisy DJ at Urban Outfitters, so we sought refuge in a quiet used bookstore and then people-watched on the curb while enjoying some refreshing treats at Red Mango.

In the words of my design professor from freshman year, I "showed good use of restraint" and actually didn't buy anything at this enormous sale. I truthfully don't need any clothes right now, and I'd rather save up for home decor.

This was yet another day when I was grateful to live downtown and be walking distance from all the excitement.