FREE iTunes Holdiay Sampler

iTunes is allowing you to download their Holiday Sampler for FREE! There are 20 tracks - that's right, 20 FREE tracks - by artists such as Amy Grant, Lady Antebellum, Weezer, Barry Manilow, Sarah McLachlan and many more, but hurry because this offer ends on December 17th!

If you don't have iTunes, you can download it here. You can find the Holiday Sampler icon on the iTunes Store homepage with a yellow, "FREE" tab on the top-right corner. Enjoy!

12 Days of Whataburger

Whataburger knows what's up! In the spirit of giving this holiday season, Whataburger is celebrating the "12 days of Whataburger" by giving away one FREE ITEM every other day through Christmas Eve. Redeem this coupon on Wednesday, December 16th for one FREE TAQUITO. December 16th is day 8 of 12, so I'm a little behind, but better late than never, right?

No matter where you live, I'm sure you can find some hungry homeless people on a corner near you. How fun would it be to print off multiple coupons and pass them out on your way to/from work? The answer is "SO FUN!" I like to give stuff to the homeless people with creative signs. For example, I would totally give a coupon to someone holding a sign that says "I bet you can't hit me with a quarter." If I saw that sign, I would make a paper airplane out of my coupon, tape a quarter to it, aim for the milk crate he's sitting on, and fire. Pure bliss I tell you, pure bliss.

Bingo, Hockey and Turkey, Oh My!

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last blogged. What has gotten into me? A lot has happened, but there are two events I'd like to reminisce. I went to Shreveport with Kristen and Katelyn, and I went to Austin for Thanksgiving. We had such a great time visiting our Great Aunt Ann and playing bingo with her and her friends! You can read all about the rest of our trip on Kristen's blog.

While in Austin, I went to a hockey game with my parents and good friend, Sean, enjoyed some great conversation and laughter with friends from high school, and ate a delicious and not-so-nutritious Thanksgiving meal with my parents and Jessica's in-laws. My dad got tickets to the Texas Stars hockey game (owned by the Dallas Stars) from a guy who used to work with him. It was $1 hot dog and $2 beer night, can it get any better? Yes, because we also saw a fight and a shoot out.

Aren't they so cute?! I just can't get enough of them...

I also got to hang out with my good friends from high school, Jordan and Jennifer. We went to a local coffee shop, Motzart's, to catch up, talk about life and laugh. I'm a fan of constant laughter in conversation, so I can always count on a good time with these two! After coffee, we went to Barnes and Noble to get Jenn a book. While there, Jordan and I tried to convince her to buy a new favorite book, Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea. Let me warn you before you take my advice and buy this book for yourself. Chelsea Handler is completely inappropriate and vulgar. I think she's hilarious, but someone like my mom would be appalled that Chelsea Handler would be allowed to talk the way she does on her hit show, Chelsea Lately. Jenn passed on the book, but I decided to buy it the next week at Target for 30% off, so she'll get to borrow it over Christmas! Holler.

We also spent Thanksgiving day with Jessica's in-laws, the Conquests. Kristen, Dave and Katelyn were spending time with Dave's family in Waco, and Thanksgiving would be lame with 3 people, so we were thankful for the invite from the Conquests. Jessica volunteered my dad to carve the turkey. Why would she do that when my dad has no idea how to carve a turkey? I assured him that it would be okay and directed him to this YouTube video. He totally owned that turkey and fooled everyone into thinking this was his 100th time to carve a turkey.

Since we didn't have Thanksgiving leftovers, I made the easiest meal ever for dinner on Friday night. It's called something like Beefy Cheesy Ravioli and Kristen sent me the recipe. I also made my mom's favorite salad with cranberries, apples and walnuts. Even Evan liked the meal and he is a super picky eater!

That's all I've got. We are going on a cruise next Thursday, but hopefully you'll hear from me again before we leave.

Let the Games Continue..

I last blogged about the adventures of the pine cone in July, and the story ended with the original pine cone in my dad's possession. After 3 months of waiting, the story continues. Two weeks ago, my parents took some time off from work to visit friends and family and made a stop in Dallas Friday night. I headed over to Kristen and Dave's Saturday morning for some much needed family time and laughter. I got in my car to head home and noticed some brown things in my seat. I took a closer look and realized they were pine cone remnants. My dad was standing in the drive way waving, with a big smile on his face. I said, "Dad... I feel like there may be a pine cone in here." To which he responded, "Huh?" I looked in my console. Jackpot. I found the pine cone. I held it up and smiled.

That night, I went over to Bonnie's house to get ready for a Halloween party. I grabbed my make-up bag and headed towards a mirror. I opened my bag and found another pine cone, the original one. I laughed.

The next day, I went to the gym and was about to put my sunglasses in their rightful place before I headed in. I looked up and saw another pine cone. Is he serious?

I called my dad.

Me: Dad! I found another pine cone!

Dad: How many is that?

Me: What do you mean how many is that? I've found three.

Dad: Keep looking.

Me: WHAT?!

I grabbed my ID card from the cup holder and walked inside. When I came back out to my car, I put my ID card back where I got it, but this time I saw something I hadn't noticed before. I saw that there was something inside the clip of my work badge. What in the world? It was the world's smallest pine cone...

It's been almost a year since the pine cone made its debut. This Christmas will be filled with more excitement and quite possibly more pine cones. I'm thinking it may be time to assign this pine cone a name. The star of a game that's this fun must have a name. Any ideas?

Frugal Friday!

Thursday, November 12th: My colleague (and now friend), Michael, introduced me to some sweet money saving websites after he learned of my love for great deals. The websites are similar in content, but one is better organized and I choose to plug that website. Spoofee strives to provide consumers with the best deals everyday. 7 For All Mankind jeans for 40% off? Yes please! Restaurant.com 80% off coupon? Absolutely! I was hanging out with Kristen and Dave tonight and told them about the steal at restaurant.com. It seemed too good to be true. Too good to be true, because you can already get a $25 gift card at Restaurant.com for $10 without a discount code. Dave mentioned that he had gotten some gift certificates from Restaurant.com before and reassured me that it was a pretty good deal. You basically get more food for the same price you would typically pay for dinner for two. You may be thinking, "How does it work?" Let me explain. Restaurant.com helps restaurant owners promote the new and unique aspects of their restaurants while providing diners with great value in a fun, new and cost effective way. Local restaurant owners entice you with cheap gift certificates and hope that you will visit more than once. I wanted to try it out and realized this would be the best time. I refined my search to restaurants in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. After browsing 21 pages of featured restaurants, I settled on two gift cards. I bought one $25 gift card to Maestro's and one $25 gift certificate to Sweet Basil. One piece of advice: Make sure you read the restrictions before you purchase. For example, here are my restrictions for the certificates that I purchased: The certificates are only valid on dine-in service, tax and gratuities are not included and 18% gratuity is added. I have to spend at least $35 at Maestro's and at least $50 at Sweet Basil. No problem! I feel a girl's night coming on... So how much did this cost me? I paid a whopping $4.50 for $50 worth of gift certificates! Are you kidding me? How is this legal? Is this legit? Yes, yes, it is! I read the terms and agreements to be sure. Try it out!

Original price: $50.00. My price: $4.50. Total Savings: $45.50 or 91%.

I Love Real Simple.

I love Real Simple magazine and for the past couple of years, I have gifted myself with it for Christmas. They typically have a buy one get one free around Christmas and I like to buy one for my sister and gift myself with the free one. Anyways, aside from the recipes, my favorite section of the magazine is the "New Uses for Old Things" section. Here are some of my favorites:

A giveaway shower cap becomes the perfect wrapper for shoes when traveling, preventing them from dirtying clothes packed in your suitcase.

Make no-mess pancakes with the help of a ketchup bottle: Pour in batter, then squeeze out precise portions.

No more worries of camisoles and sundresses slipping off hangers when you wrap the ends with rubber bands.

Give Easter eggs a year-round use (and save on resealable bags) by filling them with snacks like crackers or Cheerios.

At a party, stash ice in a colander set on top of a bucket or a bowl. Water will drain out, and guests will get only the solid stuff.

$1 Meal at Boston Market - THIS WEEK ONLY!

October 26th has been declared UNFry Day by KFC. Boston Market would like to celebrate with you on this day and every day because at Boston Market, every day is Unfried. In honor of this occasion, Boston Market has a delicious deal - a $1 Real Chicken Meal Deal. Real Chicken, Real Goodness, Really Just a Dollar.

Present the coupon below and enjoy their special offer featuring your choice of a quarter white or 3-piece dark chicken, mashed potatoes and cornbread. Hurry! This great value is available for one week only. (Monday, October 26 - November 1, 2009).

SkyMall Magazine - That's How I Spend My Time on an Airplane.

I really enjoyed my time in Ohio and found a couple of things out about myself. 1. I like talking to large groups of people if I know what I'm talking about. If you know me, you've probably seen my face turn from sunkissed tan to beet red at the drop of a hat. This doesn't just happen when I'm extremely embarrassed, it also happens when 3 or more people are looking at me at the same time waiting for an answer that I don't have, or whenever my face feels like turning colors. People will say, wow you got sunburned this weekend, what did you do? My response? Nope, if you recall, it was raining this weekend. My face just gets this way sometimes. Naturally, I was kind of nervous that my face would do its thing when I was presenting, but it didn't. I felt really comfortable in front of everyone and confident in the material that I was presenting. Best of all, I had a lot of fun! I think it's because I really enjoy helping people and making things easier to understand, and I felt like I was able to do that. I told my mom that I could get used to this traveling and presenting thing. Someone even asked if I just traveled around presenting to our offices. I informed them that this was actually my first time to do something like this. They said, "Wow! You're really good!" I was excited to hear that. 2. Being alone isn't so bad. I've always been the type of person who likes to do everything with someone else. From going on a walk to grocery shopping, I've always said life is more fun when you share it with someone else. I still think that statement is true, but have found that life can still be fun when I'm alone. I have more time to think about things, I get to sing louder in the car, and I can people watch with 100% focus.

Since I didn't have anyone to talk to on my plane ride from Cincinnati to Dallas, (the lady next to me was asleep and snoring loudly) I decided to browse through the SkyMall magazine placed in the seatback in front of me. One of the first articles I came across caught my attention. It was an article about G-Defy shoes.

Do you see anything wrong in the picture below?

Feel like your defying gravity? Is defying gravity the name of an item that you own? No. The sentence should say "feel like you're defying gravity!" One of my biggest pet peeves is when people do not know when to use to, too, two, their, there, your or you're. I thought to myself, "If these people are going to boldly use 'your' in the wrong context, surely there are some other things about this article that will amuse me." I decided to continue observing...

I would like to know who designed this logo. I'd also like to know the group of people who approved it. This logo looks like sperm. I don't know about you, but I would not sport a shoe with sperm imprinted on the side.

Here, the article talks about the technology of the "Gravity Defyer Shoes." Please notice that the "s" is capitalized.

Later on in the article, they talk about the pain relief associated with the "G-Defy shoes." Notice that the "s" is not capitalized. Make up your mind. Is "shoes" part of the name that you copyrighted or not?

Who knew there were so many benefits associated with the "G-Defy" shoes? Not me. Have you ever thought, "Gosh. I'd really like to look like a million dollars. What can I do... what can I do...?" Apparently, you just need to put on a pair of shoes with a sperm logo. Ever wondered what you could do to appear taller? The answer is G-Defy. This shoe relieves ALL pains? No way. Goodbye Aleve, Tylenol and Bayer. All I need is the G-Defy. This shoe is getting better and better by the second.

Not only are you able to fly over the moonlit skyline in your business suit with your briefcase in hand, but the G-Defy shoe has streaks of flames blazing from the sole! I can guarantee that the G-Defy shoes will not be the only thing flaming if you put these on your feet.

Great news for the overweight? I don't know, you tell me. Why in the world is this a question?

I thought it was comical that they said, "Feel the drive, the inspiration, the energy rush as soon as you slip your feet into the cockpit of the most exhilirating shoes in the world! Go from the weekend warrior to the daily champion at your gym and on the street." That's a bold and exciting statement. The G-Defy article was so great, that I had to continue to browse through the SkyMall magazine. The suspense I felt when turning the page was too great...

"Listen closely and look me in the eye. Keep misbehaving and we'll send you to this little island right here. Do you understand?"

Who wouldn't want to turn off the lights in their bathroom and have a party in the shower? With the option of having three interchanging colors for $49.99, or seven colors for $59.99, I say go big or go home. I'll go with seven colors, please.

This is a litter box for your cat. Please note that there is a special bay window that provides additional space and light. What cat in its right mind would sit in its poop to peer out a bay window at the object that could easily be seen up close and personal if the cat just stepped out of the the litter box?

I understand the santa, snowflake, snowman and dove, but a carousel? This may just be me, but if I was drawing the things that came to mind when I thought of Christmas, I would not draw a carousel.

I hate to break it to you, buddy, but this is not flattering. You do not look sexy and even though you are supporting your pondering mind with your fist, you definitely do not look sophisticated.

Makers of G-Defy, you have outdone yourselves. This article is for another shoe that puts a spring in your step while giving you more energy, but is geared towards the businessmen of the world. This part of the article says, "Wearing Gravity Defyer Shoes (capital "s") you'll look like a distinguished gentlman from the cover story of a quality men's magazine while being propelled into a more active lifestyle filled with luxury and comfort." Hmm... You'll see below this statement, two of the eight shoes they are offering to those who want to look like a "distinguished gentleman from the cover story of a quality men's magazine." No where in this article does it mention that these shoes are for women. So why in the world are you selling the flashy Single Spring Turbo shoe, below?

If I ever saw a man wearing the Single Spring Turbo, "distinguished" would be last word to come to my mind.

Agreed. Personal safety does start with taser. This item has been added to my Christmas list.

This gorilla is too great to leave in the garden. He deserves to be an indoor statue and I know exactly where I would put him if someone so graciously gifted me with him. If I had a guest bathroom, I would put him right in front of the toilet. It would be great. Guests would walk in and be amazed. Please remember this post should I move into a house and invite you to my house warming party. Thank you.

Once a cheater always a cheater. This article is for those who would like to advance their career without doing any of the work. Basically, you receive a Cliffnotes version of the book your boss asked you to read. 360 Leader? Check. Good to Great? Check. With the "personal reader," you will surpass great and go from good to freaking awesome to president of the company! The article says that the "personal reader" is similar to a personal trainer. Except for the fact that your personal trainer doesn't work out for you and you still have to do all of the work. The "personal reader" is more like the smart kid you paid $100 to write your Government mid-year essay your senior year of college.

Something is wrong with this picture. Where is the guy that brought this woman a rose and placed rose petals on the floor that led all the way to the Comfort-U Pillow that she is sleeping on? Men: Do not buy this pillow for your girlfriend or wife in hopes of having a romantic night with her. Apparently, the Comfort-U Pillow will destroy your plans and put her right to sleep.

Can't play the guitar, but still want to impress the ladies? No worries! With the E-Z Chord Kit, you can play the guitar with the push of a button! WARNING TO ALL MEN: If you have to resort to buying the E-Z Chord Kit, please spare yourself the embarrassment and find another hobby. I promise you, you will not be cool if you have the E-Z Chord Kit for your guitar.

LOST BALLS: Great Holes, Tough Shots, and Bad Lies captures the funniest, most unexpected images that golfers will love. In my opinion, this sounds like it could be the title of another book.

For those of you who feel insecure when sleeping, the DreamSack is for you! With the DreamSack, you can "sleep with confidence and comfort anywhere in the world!"

I thought it was humorous that the makers of this item would differentiate it from other blankets or Snuggies by calling it a cape. I don't know about you, but I would much rather have a cape than a boring blanket.

Finally, I can wrap a husky around my neck without having to worry about it biting me.

The ShapeUp Pads was the only item in the SkyMall magazine that appealed to me. I guarantee you that this will be item #1 on my Christmas list this year. No joke.

"Have you ever wanted to make or receive a phone call underwater?" Are you freaking kidding me? If you have the desire to talk on the phone while scuba diving, you need to seek help and get a life.

And that, my friends, is what happens when I have 2 1/2 hours by myself, on a plane, with no one to talk to and no music to listen to.

Is This What Fall Looks Like?

When I got to Columbus yesterday, it was already kind of dark so I wasn't really able to see the city at its finest. As I was driving to the local office this morning, I had a revelation. The streets and highways are lined with trees, something that you don't see in Dallas. The trees were colorful. All sorts of colors - red, yellow, orange, red-orange, yellow-orange, red-yellow. A light bulb went off in my mind. THIS IS WHERE THE COLORS OF FALL COME FROM! I mean, I knew the colors of fall were red, yellow, orange, red-orange, yellow-orange, and red-yellow, but I never really knew why. How did I not know that? Because I've lived in Texas my entire life. So you've never visited the states that actually have 4 seasons? Not during fall, no. For a second I got kind of upset that I had been deprived of the beauty that is fall for all of these years, but then I came to my senses and realized that it wasn't my parents' fault. They were raised in Texas too. I think my experience today may be like someone's experience with something like TiVo. Hear me out. You don't realize what you're missing until you experience it. I always hear people say that they wouldn't be able to live without their TiVo. Am I saying that I can't live without fall anymore? Well no, but I am saying that it may not be so bad to live somewhere other than Texas for a little while. Ultimately, I would have to come back to Texas, because of the states that I have been to, it doesn't get any better than Texas.

My presentation went really well this morning. I prayed that the Lord would calm my nerves and help me to speak intelligently. He did just that and it was awesome! I drove to Cincinnati today for the other presentation I have tomorrow morning. I asked one of the guys at work where I should eat. He said, "When you come to Cincinnati, you have to go to Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse, downtown. They have the best ribs." When I got to Cincinnati, I had actually already forgotten where he said I should eat. I was reminded when I talked to my co-worker (and friend), Angela. I asked her if she knew where I should eat and I think she might have peed in her pants a little bit when she shouted, "OMG! You have to go to Montgomery Inn! They have the best ribs!" What really enticed me was that she said had she thought about Montogmery Inn when she was booking her travel, she would have volunteered to present in Ohio. The branches in Ohio aren't even the people she supports everyday, so that would be a big deal. I didn't get too excited because most of the time I hear people talking things up, I always end up being disappointed. Was the story of my life going to re-play itself tonight? I wasn't sure, but I was willing to see. I had just gotten out of the shower, so I had wet hair and no make-up on. I wasn't really looking the part to go out to eat, so I called ahead and ordered some ribs to go. I decided to end my long day with a Bud Light from the convenient store. It was the perfect pairing to the best ribs I've ever tasted! Let's pretend like we're reading an issue of Highlights at the dentist's office. Can you find the differences in these two pictures? Good luck!

Oh, Airports...

I left the Big D today and ventured up to Columbus, OH. Don't get too excited, it's just for business. I'll be presenting to two of our offices in Ohio, reviewing our 2010 benefit changes. I'm excited for a couple of reasons. 1. In my opinion, this is a big girl deal. I don't have a travel buddy and I have to eat dinner by myself. Way out of my comfort zone, but something new and I'm all for it. 2. I think it will be fun to finally be able to put faces with names and voices.

Little did I know that I was going to have one of the best days of people watching I've experienced in a while. I got to the DFW Airport and was waiting to go through security. I noticed that there are two kinds of people who work security at the airport. Kind #1: Hate their job and start counting down the time remaining in their shift the minute they arrive to work. Kind #2: Take their job way too seriously and are on a power trip. I wish I had some videos to show you, but unfortunately I'm only able to replay them in my mind. I couldn't stop smiling as I was watching everything unfold before my eyes - it was that good. I understand that they have to say the same things over and over again all day long like, "Take all liquids out of your bag or else we will be forced to do a bag check!" (power trippers), and "I need to see your boarding pass and ID ma'am/sir" (haters), but it was just comical. P.S. Since when do you have to take lip gloss out of your purse to avoid a bag check?

I got to Columbus and settled into my hotel. It looked a lot nicer on the internet, but I guess that's how it normally goes. My co-worker, Eric, told me that I had to visit a restaurant near the Ohio State campus, called Lemongrass Fusion Bistro. I've never eaten by myself in public before. Is that weird? I would rather just get something to go and bring it back to the apartment than to sit at a restaurant looking like a loner. I decided to face my fears. Eric also informed me that it's not so bad if you sit and eat at the bar. To be honest, it really wasn't as bad as I had imagined. I ordered the Spicy Shrimp Tempura and Cucumber Roll and it was delicious! To semi-make up for not shooting video of the security drama today, I took a picture of my dinner.



Isn't it pretty? I drove back to the hotel and was trying to find a parking spot while talking to Bonnie. All of a sudden, a man appeared on top of the dumpster. Is that a homeless person? What's going on? Oh phew. Not a homeless person, just a shady looking guy jumping over the 10 foot brick wall and walking towards me. Ummm U-turn. I drove out of the parking lot and continued to talk to Bonnie. I guess this part of town gets shady after 10:00 pm. No need to worry - I'm safe and sound in my room and about to go to bed. As long as my car is still there in the morning, I'll be good to go.

Mamaw and Peepaw Come to Town!

Last weekend, my parents came in town to watch Katelyn while Kristen and Dave had a night to themselves in Dallas. Don't think that my sister and her husband are spoiled and can call Mamaw and Peepaw whenever they feel like getting away. This is not the case. They originally planned to go away to China for one week for a conference, and my parents were going to watch Katelyn for 3 days and Dave's mom was going to watch her for the other 4 days. The conference was canceled, but they still wanted to spend time with Katelyn, and Kristen and Dave were not about to turn down a night alone. I knew that the maximum fun level would not be reached if I didn't spend time with Mamaw, Peepaw and Katelyn on Saturday. For their benefit (okay, mainly for mine) I joined them for a day at the park and McDonalds. I've recently gotten back on a Chai Tea Latte kick. I made one Saturday morning to jump start my day and brought it over. Katelyn asked for a "sip pease Bitty." Hmmm... "Sure, you can have a sip, Katelyn." She loved it! "Sip pease! Sip pease!" Okay, you can have another sip when we get to the park. You need to be patient. "Have patience, have patience..." "Yes, that's right Katelyn, have patience." She was all over that drink when we got to the park. I told her the name of the drink and Peepaw put some in her own cup when we got back to the house. The next morning, Kristen and Dave were back and mom and dad were still there, so I joined them for breakfast. My dad called to remind me to bring some bananas to go with our chocolate chip pancakes. "And bring some of that thai chi latte (he can't ever get it right). Katelyn's been asking for it all morning. I went to get her out of bed this morning and the first words out of her mouth were thai chi latte!" Oh no... what have I done?

I mentioned that we went to McDonalds. Katelyn calls it "adonalds" and yells it out everytime she sees those double arches. We sat in the play area so Katelyn could do her thing. If you've been to McDonald's or anywhere with an indoor playground, you've probably seen a door in the play area that says "EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY. ALARM WILL SOUND" on it. My dad is not very patient efficient with his time. My mom, on the other hand, is not. She likes to take her time. My dad doesn't like to wait on my mom, or anyone really. He would rather be sitting in the car, staring at his watch, counting how long it takes you to meet him in the car, so he can inform you of how slow you are when you finally get there. Sometimes this mind set does not play in his favor. Case in point. We were getting ready to leave McDonalds, but had to get Katelyn's shoes on her feet, pick up her toy, and her bag, you know, all of the things that come along with a child. Dad didn't have time for this. He wanted to get to the car and away from the screaming children as fast as he could. He proceeded to walk out the first door he saw. Mistake. Big mistake. He quickly jumped back and started walking towards the main entrance/exit. This was too good to not document.

Frugal Friday!

Let me first apologize for being MIA for the past couple of weeks. I apologize. Now, let me get on to my entry for this week!

It's the little things in life, not the big and extravagant ones, that I get most excited about. To give you one example, my dad and I have our father-daughter dates at Sam's Club on Saturdays and I'm giddy all the way to the store! We walk down the aisles and pick up all of the samples. If we are feeling really crazy, we'll get a hot dog and coke on the way out!

To further explain my excitement about the little things in life, I'll tell you about last Friday. Last Friday, "Enrique" and I went on a date. Not that dating him is a little thing in life, but many might not think of our date on Friday as anything exciting. I'm not "many" because it was actually my idea of the perfect date! That day, I wasn't feeling well and he had a long day so he decided to keep it low key. He picked me up and we went to one of my favorite places ever, Central Market. I could spend hours walking around Central Market - tasting samples, looking at the wide selection of fruit, alcohol, cheese, pretty much everything, and filling my cart with something from each aisle - I just love it! I am also a fan of music, especially live music. Lucky for me, Central Market has live music on Friday and Saturday nights. We looked around at our dinner options and each decided to prepare our own salad from the salad bar. We (by we, I mean he) paid for our salads and we (by we, I really do mean we) walked outside to listen to some really fun music. There were family friends talking and laughing as their children were running wild on the playground and all over, there were friends drinking coffee and others eating gelato. It was just a fun, yet relaxing, environment and a great way to wind down from a crazy week. We left Central Market after dinner and drove over to Town Square in Southlake. By this time, the stores had already closed so we just walked around and picked out our favorite things in the store windows. As much as I enjoy the thrill of buying a dress that I have fallen in love with at first sight, window shopping can be just as much fun!

Moral of the story: For me (and hopefully for you, too) dates aren't about how much money you spend, but more about how much fun you have with the person you are with. This is just one idea of a fun date for those of you who are on a budget, or just want to try something else besides dinner at a boring restaurant with mediocre customer service and a movie.

Got any other fun, inexpensive date ideas? Holler!

Pei Wei - 09.09.09

09.09.09 - TODAY ONLY! - Pei Wei is giving 50% off of their new Japanese Chile Beef Ramen to the customers who bring in a package of store bought Ramen noodles. Pei Wei will donate all of the Ramen collected, plus $1 per package, to a local food bank. Go get you some!

Frugal Friday!

One thing I've noticed (and love so much) since I started my Frugal Friday posts is that everyone always feels inclined to call and/or e-mail to tell me about their great purchases! I always get so excited and I feel like a teacher might feel when her student comes back and says, "Look Teacher! I did it all on my own! Aren't you proud of me?" From my fingertips to your eyes (maybe your ears if you are like my roommate and the only way you know what my blog says is because someone reads it to you), I am soooo proud of you! Keep it up!

I really enjoy blogging. For me it's an outlet, a great stress reliever. To combine that with something that I'm passionate about, bargain shopping and finding great deals, is so fun! Well, you know it's been a long and crazy week when you have been looking forward to Friday all week long and suddenly realize at 5:30 pm on Friday that it's already Friday! I was driving home and thought, "Oh crap! I forgot to do my Frugal Friday post last night! How did this happen!?!?" Lucky for me (and you), I got an e-mail today from one of my best friends, Bonnie, that said, "Put this on your Frugal Friday!" It was like she knew that I had been running around like a crazy person and didn't have time to relieve any stress by blogging about my frugal week!

Her e-mail said, "September is Volunteer Appreciation Month at Studio Movie Grill! As a reward for all the hardworking volunteers in Texas, Studio Movie Grill is giving away movie tickets! Simply click on this link to print out the coupon and enjoy a movie with a friend! The passes are good from September 8th through September 30th at any Studio Movie Grill location."

If you don't already volunteer at a local non-profit, what are you waiting for? This website will help you find volunteer opportunities in your area. What a fun thing to do as a family or maybe even for a girls day/night out!

If you're in the Dallas area, my vote for a non-profit organization to volunteer with is Camp Summit. Camp Summit's mission is to provide barrier-free outdoor experiences that promote personal growth and foster independence for children and adults with disabilities. Their campers range in age from six to adulthood and may be developmentally delayed, physically challenged, dual sensory impaired (deaf and blind) or have multiple disabilities. Camp Summit, like most non-profit organizations, is always looking for volunteers to serve the community alongside them. If you're interested in volunteering with Camp Summit, contact their main office at 972-484-8900.

Women of Faith

Let me preface this post by informing/reminding you that my mom is the greatest mom ever, and that's no exaggeration. She bought 10 tickets to the Women of Faith Conference and asked Kristen and me to invite some of our friends. Jessica was not able to come and it was bitter-sweet. Bitter because we obviously wanted her there for a super fun girls weekend, but sweet because she accepted a job as a 2nd grade teacher and could not come because she was in training that Friday. We are so thankful that the Lord provided her with that job - she's going to be one fun teacher! Kristen invited some of her friends: Jill, Jenny, Jessica and Kimberly and I invited some of my friends: Andrea, Bonnie and Naked Nancy.

We stayed at a hotel close to the American Airlines Center (where the conference was held), Hotel Lawrence, and although it wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, we had a great time! There was actually a ghost crew there from Everyday Paranormal documenting some ghosts or something. Andrea, Bonnie, Naked Nancy and I made our own mockumentary, below.

The verse for the weekend was “The Lord's love never ends; his mercies never stop. They are new every morning . . .” Lamentations 3:22-23. It was such a refreshing weekend, and a much needed time of reflection, fellowship, encouragement and laughter. The whole conference was great but one speaker, Lisa Whelchel (The Facts of Life), said something that really encouraged me. To give you some insight into my life, my prayer every day is that my thoughts, actions, and words would be glorifying to God. I go to work and get caught up in all of the chaos. When I get home, I can't recall doing or saying anything that might have been pleasing to God. To be honest, I feel the weight of my sinful heart and I pretty much feel like a failure in life. Just being honest. So Lisa talked about "the facts of life," saying that there are both good and bad things that accompany this thing we call life. She said that despite those bad things, the dirty sin that we constantly battle with, God still whispers to his children, "I love you. You delight my heart." It's just crazy to me that the One who puts stars in their place and calls them each by name (Psalm 147:4), the One who mountains and rivers praise (Psalm 98:8), the One who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand (Isaiah 40:12), delights himself in me (Psalm 18:19). I'm filled with awe and joy that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice and came to save sinners like little 'ol me.

Be encouraged that the Lord's love never ends. He loves you right now, wherever you are in life. He doesn't love the past you or the future you any more than he loves you right now.

Here is a picture of our group. Thanks again, Mom, for providing these tickets to us so selflessly and allowing us to experience a weekend that encouraged our hearts!

P.S. This was also a special weekend for my mom and dad - They celebrated 38 years of marriage on August 21st! Mom and Dad - Thanks for displaying to us such a sweet marriage filled with ups and downs, yet constantly holding tight to the love you have for Christ and each other.

Frugal Friday!

Sunday, August 23rd: My strapless bra continues to fail me and that makes me sad. I'm sad mainly because I am not a fan of shopping for new bras, for a couple of reasons. One because it's really hard to find one that fits you just right and does its job. Two because they are expensive. I have not been looking forward to buying a new one, but alas the day has come and I must get it over with. I remembered that one of my best friends, Callie, said she got her favorite one at Kohls. I took her advice and headed over to Kohls. I found the brand Callie recommended, Lilyette, and it seemed to fit pretty well, but I had to do two tests. The first test was putting on a fitted shirt to make sure everything looked right. Pass. The second test was jumping. I had to make sure that it really would stay in place like the tag boldly proclaimed. Pass. I walked to the front of the store and found out that it was on sale. The goodness does not stop there, no. Not only was it on sale, but I got $10 off my purchase just for signing up to receive coupons and promotions in the mail! AND it is tax-free weekend. Perfect!

Regular price: $32.00. My price: $11.99. Total Savings: $20.01 or 63%

My First Haircut!

I did something last week that I have never done before. I cut someone's hair. What I did to make him feel like he could trust me with clippers next to his head, I'm not sure. I told him I was down for it, but he had to first acknowledge that he understood my disclaimers and ground rules:

1. I have confidence that I can cut hair using clippers. I do not, however, have confidence that the end result will not look like you were attacked by Edward Scissorhands.
2. I have never cut anyone's hair before and you are waiving your rights to be upset with the outcome of your haircut.
3. No crying or yelling allowed.
4. This experiment might consist of cutting your hair while watching a handful of youtube "how to" videos.
5. If I cut your hair, you are allowing me to blog about it and post before and after pictures.
6. If you don't mind the thought that you might look like you've enlisted in the army at the end of the session, I'm all for it.
7. If I cut your hair and it's so bad that I can't even look at you, I'll take you to dinner and consider the tab my punitive damages. You will not be awarded any monies for compensable damages.

He said he would sign my disclaimer if #5 was deleted to "protect my family, sort of like names have been changed to protect the innocent." I convinced him to let me blog about it if I changed his name and somehow concealed his identity. He agreed. He wanted his name to be "Enrique" and suggested that I put a black square over his eyes. Works for me.

Even though he agreed not to be upset with the outcome, I was still pretty nervous. He would have to explain himself to inquiring minds and I definitely didn't want to be known as the girl who gave him a jacked up haircut. It was way easier and more fun than I thought! I can't take all the credit because he did the front and I just did the back. Who knows, maybe I'll invest in some clippers and start a side business.

Here are the before and after pictures of Enrique.