Memorial Weekend

BBQ's, roasting marshmellows, and getting together with friends.

I love three day weekends.

Can't we all just get along?

Dear Women of Utah County,

STOP. OBESSING. OVER. COUPONS!

I'll admit- once upon a time a couple years ago 'couponing' was once a fun game to me (remember this post?). What with matching coupons to sale items and feeling the rush as you leave a store with more money than you went in with.

But lately in this economic crunch its just become too much.

It was fun back when we helped each other and recognized other fellow savvy shoppers in the store. But it's not as fun when these women have their head down, careful to make eye contact with no one, zooming past other customers trying to get to the cheap/ free product in the store before anyone else can. (actually, that part is really funny to watch. it can get pretty intense!)

And it's not fun anymore when Black Fridays are now weekly routine Monday morning occurances in Utah County with crazy women stampeding over each other to find the right magic shelves in Rite Aids, Walgreens, Albertsons to get the free pink razor or the Colgate toothpaste (or most recently this week the itch relief eye drops).

And no- I don't really believe you when you say that you've slashed your grocery bill in half. I'm gonna blow the whistle and call you on this because I know that the same trip you so-callled 'saved 50% on' was the trip where you bought things that you don't really need and just got for free (denture adhesive and hair color anyone?)

I'm officially on a couponing hiatus until 1 of the following 2 things happen:

(1) We move out of the state of Utah to a place where couponing is still relatively under utilized

(2) This sad economy state that we are in improves and people realize that they weren't really cut out for couponing (get it? cuponing? cut out?) in the first place and give up.














This photo was taken a Monday morning outside the store where the toothbrushes AND Kotex were on rebate for free. j/k.

kinda.

And for the record- I get ONE Sunday paper delievered (not 5, 10, or 15) and I think its really lame when people steal the coupons out of the newspapers at the stand at the grocery store.

Weekend Spent... Under the Weather

Friday evening: left work an hour early since Ma and Pa Harrison rolled into town from TX. After some catching up on our chit chat we headed over to Chuck-a-Rama (Pops request) and met Kyle and Amanda who were also in town.

Did I really once upon a time love this resturant? Let's just say that I'm in no hurry to go back there... if ever. I was up all Friday night with either food poisoning or the stomach flu.

Not the most fun. (I must have been the lucky one since I'm the only one that seemed affected)

Especially since it meant having to miss the next morning's Running with Angels 5K that I've been looking forward to since I learned about it last February. This 5K was going to be super cool since the course was through the gardens at Thanksgiving Point. Good thing there's other 5Ks to look forward to that are going on around this place.

I also missed Amanda's baby shower on Saturday- which I was looking forward to because I found this cute resourceful way of gift wrapping:














I found this idea while back on Tip Junkie and bookmarked it, so I can't take credit for the cute idea (except I give myself double points for being resourceful and using a flower clip to hold the ribbon together, but actually goes with the headband that was inside as part of the gift :)

Go here if you like the idea and want to see it step by step.

Sunday: pretty much recovered and went to church. Keep it a low key day.

"Are you finding everything ok?"

Does anyone else get irritated when you walk into a mall store and are greeted with this line? It's like nails on a chalkboard to me- it makes me want to turn around and walk out of the store.

It seems that mall workers are scripted with only 3 lines:

"Are you finding everything ok?"

and

"My name is so and so- let me know if I can help" (the fake offer)

and

"Do you want the receipt in the bag or with you?"

As I was trying on jeans at the mall yesterday (trying to spend my Express bucks before they expired) I came up with -off the top of my head - two lines that if I were a store manager I would train my staff to say:

-Welcome to Express (or whatever store) short and simple so that customers know that they have been achknowledged and that there is help available if needed

-Are you just scoping things out today or can I help you find anything in particular? this gives a customer an 'out' so that they don't have to answer the "are you finding everything ok" question. can't sales people recognize that a lot of the time we don't know what we're looking for in the first place? how are we supposed to know if we're finding everything ok if we don't know what we're looking for in the first place?

Winder Farms

Last Friday after work, I headed over to the Utah Valley Women's Expo. While I was walking up and down the aisles I came across the Winder Farms booth.

The idea of weekly fresh groceries delivered directly on your doorstep straight from the farm is so cute! I wish it wasn't so darn expensive... or that you can't just order it once to your doorstep (you have to sign up to become a memeber, so to speak. And if you don't order 24 consecutive weeks you get charged a hefty fee.)

Still a cute idea- and those milk jars are darling.

Weekend Highlights

(Brant LOVES his aviator glasses)

Saturday morning Brant and I woke up early and headed to Salt Lake for the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure 5K at the Gateway . This was a really neat 5K- with a huge turn out.

It was touching to see a lot of the runners and people who obviously don't run normally, but are dedicated supporters of the cause- like when we passed the man with one leg on cruches on the course- or the 90 something old woman near the end of the course who had someone on each side of her helping her to the finish line.

I made a couple of friends :) Actually, their whole biking club (around 2 dozed) lined the course on their motorcycles wearing pink shirts to support and cheer the runners.

(the lighting was dimmer in the reception center...)

That evening Linsey and Kevin tied the knot at the Eaglewood golf course and reception center in North Salt Lake. The reception center had a beautiful view of the valley - and, of course a beautiful bride!

Congrats Linsey and Kevin- we're so happy for you! And best of luck in the Air Force- wherever it ends up taking you! We'll come visit :)

Save energy

Use Blackle. It's my new alternative to Google and a new resolution of mine for helping me do my part to conserve energy :)

GET YER PEARLS

If you live in the Provo area, hurry over to The R House and print a coupon for a FREE strand of Freshwater Pearls from Goldsmith Jewelers on University Ave.

No joke and no strings attached.

I got the tip from a new co-worker. A handful of guys from our office went over during the lunch hour today and picked some up for their wives. So I went earlier this evening- the line was about 30 people deep (and I'm not the best at being patient or standing in lines) so I just got a raincheck to come back and get it after Mother's Day. (I may or may not try to just go back in tomorrow and see if the line is shorter during the lunch hour).

NOW THROUGH MAY 9 (unless you go and get a raincheck). No purchase necessary. They didn't expect this much of a response- WHILE SUPPLIES (or rainchecks) LAST.

I'd like to keep my apendages

Maybe I've had a few close calls lately with chopping off a finger or two while making dinner. So when I saw the infomercial last week while watching The Iron Chef I was immediately sold on the Quick Chop.

I just needed a good reason to buy one.

I think a new job is celebration enough (no?). So in honor of my first day on a new job (which was great!) this evening I ordered it from here.

It made me happy.

Does anyone else have one of these and love it?

Weekend Highlights

Friday: Shopping for work clothes and stopping into Archivers for the free make and take project going on that day. Brant was on a trip until about 10:30pm so that evening so I watched the Bodine kids solo (The babysitting I'm trading for piano lessons from the mom. Her kids are super well mannered and behaved a 4 year old boy and 11 month girl).

Saturday morning: Woke up with what I thought was a minor sore throat.

My immediate reaction?

Swine flu.

(Thank you media for conditioning my brain to think that way. Of course all I was suffering from was a mild case of a little dry air from during the night.)

Sunday dinner: A recipe from Emily's blog The Open Pantry! I made her Monterey Chicken- which was super exciting for Brant since we got to use the green onions from his garden (the first crop of the year!). If your looking for new recipes, check out her recipe blog. I met Emily back in the MTC- she went to Berlin Germany and I went to her hometown of St. George. She hooked me up with her family's phone and address- and of course her family was excited to know that I met Em in the MTC. The Parry family was so good to us sister missionaries! Her cute sisters would also come on exchanges with us all the time.