fro'gurting

there are A LOT of frozen yogurt places popping up all over, and unfortunately they aren't too spread out. mango and i joke that we could start at one and just walk our way through to the others. since this summer of fro'gurt has begun, i've been taking mental opinionated notes.

basically, they are all set up the same. you get to sample the flavors by using the miniature paper cups you normally would stash your ketchup in. and just like the miniature paper cups you normally stash your ketchup in, you need to go through a bunch of them. it gets a little overwhelming, especially if you are a sweetsaholic like myself, but luckily, i usually bring a sponsor with me who helps calm me down and gets me through it. ("wait. you mean i can swirl these two flavors?")

after you've selected your flavor (or flavors) and have placed them in the large bowl or cone in a large bowl-- as if that wasn't enough of a sweaty decision-making hour for you-- next, you can pick whatev toppings you want. it's like ordering a nonfat skinny latte or something rather and being sure they still load up on the whipped cream and chocolate shavings. you try to be good girl, but then end up gone bad like rihanna.

by the third hour (of course, i am just using my typical frozen yogurt visits as a time reference), once you have your dish all pretty, you gotta remember to pay FIRST before tearing that pretty dish to smithereens. you pay by the weight, so that may be something to consider before you dump out the entire bin of brownies or peanut butter cups (although if you select lighter weight toppings, this may not be as much of an issue for you). then you pay the nice frozen yogurt people who have to clean up after your mess.

so, in no particular order, but i guess maybe listing them as they come to mind may subconsciously be determining their order...

naticakes was natinummy!
photo by silly blahgs

menchies was munchies
photo by silly blahgs

1. naticakes

first found out about this sweet thang via groupon (or living social). looooved the logo, the tag, the everything. then when i went, i looooved the logo, the tag, the everything. and the owner, super cute and super friendly. i feel super about this place. and once you find out the sweet background story, you will feel super about this place too. i want this decor in my house: sparkly chandeliers, beautiful tiled walls, cute seating, frozen yogurt coming outta the wall, candy station-- c'mon, you know THAT would be awesome. i tried the peanut butter swirled with banana topped with coconut shavings, baby chocolate chips, and colorful sprinkles.

2. menchie's

went with movie husband after we went to a korean restaurant (if you can recall, the times in which mister is unwilling to go to a restaurant/movie/store i want to, i call on my movie husband). he wanted dessert, and obviously, i am not one to keep someone from their dessert cravings. as he supports me in these outings, i support my movie husband when he tells me he wants to get dessert. menchie's setup is cute and bright colors, and the fro-girls that work there are cute and bright as well. and you can get a "my smileage" card that earns you--wait for it--"smiles" (points) for every dollar you spend. that visit, i smiled with my vanilla and chocolate swirled selection draped with coconut shavings, baby chocolate chips, and colorful sprinkles.

3. fro-jo's

went with my pal pinky after her recommendation (and since the cupcake place isn't open on sundays--boo!!!!). this is the first frozen yogurt place i went to. and it was a gentle experience. full of nervousness and full of uncertainty. and then minutes later, the experience was over. but i did get a punch card! cute name cuz they don't just sell FROzen yogurt, they also carry coffee as in cup o' JOe! brilliant. my cup o' fro-jo consisted of orange valencia and pomegranate topped with fruit. and just a few weeks ago, when mango and i went, there was a friggin' band playing outside. place to be friday nights if the clubs are too packed, and you don't mind, cinderella, the music stopping before midnight.

4. orange leaf

mister (yes, mister) took me here after we went to lowe's since i was a very good girl. the line was out the door, and peeps everywhere. it was a hoppin' yoguriffic day at the orange leaf. this has by far the largest square footage of all the others, which allows for a lot of flavor choices. but since it was large, there were a large amount of people. that means there was a large wait for the flavor i wanted. even with two topping stations, it still made this good girl feel like being a rihanna bad "pushing people outta the way with elbows" girl. yes, the sport of fro'gurting can be dangerous. happy to announce that i walked out the door again skipping like a good girl with my peanut butter frozen yogurt cup and my usual toppings.

overall, you can't go wrong with any of these places. and since they aren't too far away from one another, you could very well take up mango and my idea of the frogurt hopping tour.