Effort

     Effort is described as a vigorous or determined attempt.  I remember growing up hearing how important effort was. I was told that effort was required in doing chores around the house, doing my schoolwork, doing homework, learning something new, working on the job, it was expected everywhere, in everything I did. So what changed with our society?

     Over the last two decades or so, effort has become a bad word. People have become very lazy and content with sub-par work. I don't get it. How can a student be told he or she did a bad job at say, doing a school assignment, given a chance to redo it for a better (and sometimes just a passing) grade, and the student shrugs his or her shoulders and says, "Nah, that's okay." and walks off?!!!  How can they just not care whether they pass, fail, or never complete something? 

     How does an employee get called into the boss' office to be told he didn't do the job right, and they simply say, "okay" and leave without fixing it? 

     How does a family member be told to do something to help out the family, and she just never bothers to do it? 

     What happens at that moment when a person has the chance to choose to make things right, or to just give up and walk away failing to do what has been asked? What thought process happens/doesn't happen to make someone walk off content with never doing things well?  
     

     What can we do today to teach those we're responsible for to do the right thing and give their best effort? I believe it starts with accountability. Hold them to a standard, hold them accountable for their actions, or lack of actions. Whether it's your children, students, employees, or whatever the situation, we need to become part of the solution - not part of the problem.

     If more people were held accountable for their effort, things would change. Imagine if the chores weren't done around the house, so the child actually lost privileges like in the old days? Maybe it's a few days without their cell phone? It could be no computer time, or not getting to drive the family car.  If there was something to lose, perhaps the child would give more effort to do what was EXPECTED of him or her.

     What if you have students who don't do their work, and don't pass the tests, and don't care if they pass or fail?  Perhaps working something out with the parents would change a bad attitude. Maybe have the student stay after long enough to miss the bus and have to walk home (with the parents agreeing not to pick them up either)? Or maybe the student has to eat their lunch in a separate class and work on assignments for the lunch time? Or what if the student has to maintain a particular grade average to be allowed to participate in certain groups, clubs, or even field trips? There are things that matter that could become rewards for effort rather than expected free gifts just handed out, regardless of effort put forth.

     On the job site, I may be very old-school on this, but I believe if you don't give your best effort, you're showing you don't want nor care about the job - and it should be given to someone else who IS willing to do their best.  If you're habitually late, you should be docked from your pay, and after 3 times, fired. If you constantly call in sick without extenuating, serious situations, you should be fired and replaced by someone who wants to come to work and earn that paycheck day after day.  If you don't do your work at an acceptable level of competency, speed, and accuracy, you should seek more training to improve, not wait for a boss to offer it. They have better things to do than monitor every single employee's daily attitude. If you don't care enough to improve, you should be replaced by someone who provides a daily effort to improve and do the job well. 

     Effort is the opposite of laziness. If you aren't willing to give your best effort to things, there should be consequences.  Laziness should carry uncomfortable or disappointing consequences so that effort is rewarded. 

     Let's stop allowing society to grow lazier and careless. Stand up and let those you're in charge of that you now carry expectations on them, on their effort, that a lack of effort will no longer be accepted. If we all started doing this, our young adults, graduates, and employees would turn this nation around so we could once again be known as hard-working Americans.

I love when Italians rub off on me!

   

     Ever since I returned from New England, I've been on a cooking kick. I love to cook anyway, but this is above and beyond my "normal" amount of cooking - especially in the summer heat. I didn't realize it at first, but I spent 13 of the 14 days surrounded by Italians, or in their homes, or eating in an Italian restaurant. I absolutely loved it. It felt like "home", even though I'm not actually Italian. I must have some Italian blood in my somewhere! I've always felt at home among the Italian families and neighborhoods growing up.

     In the last week, I've made so many home cooked meals, I've lost track. I made a Shepherd's Pie tonight (which is traditionally Scottish, made with lamb), but I made it with a mix of ground beef and veal, adding sauteed onions, mushrooms, and garlic. I made a vegetarian version for my daughter that also had red & green peppers, shredded carrots, and peas. I topped both of them with sauteed corn (organic of course), and finished them with homemade mashed potatoes, which I mashed by hand. No hand mixer tonight. I can't tell you how good they both came out, but I know I'll be making this again really soon - just in larger batches!

   







      I bought the ingredients to make an authentic chicken parmigiana tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. I made sauce this week to go over some goat cheese and roasted pepper ravioli, topped with a dollop of mascarpone cheese. The sauce cooked for over four hours and what a difference time makes! It was so good that I'll be making more for the chicken parm. tomorrow.


     Just to mix it up, I'm going to make an authentic Mexican dish this week too. I'll make chicken (and cheese-filled for my little vegetarian) enchiladas, in a homemade salsa verde, topped with Mexican crema, along with Mexican rice, and homemade refried beans - not from a can, from loose pinto beans). I love cooking so I'm looking forward to making things I've never cooked before - like tomatillos.

     Oh yeah, and while we're on the topic of Mexican food, I also made tacos this past week but instead of putting the meat and things in a tortilla or a shell, we used jicama slices instead. I'd never had it before, but it tasted great. The crunchy texture was perfect and the barely there flavor was perfect, not overpowering anything else.

     Next week after all this I think I'll make some Asian dishes I've never done, like a Lo Mein, some chicken dumplings, and spring rolls.

Are you hungry yet?

Top 10 Things I did while on vacation this summer...

This summer I traveled to New England where I was born and raised. I visited the city of Boston, the suburbs of Peabody and Methuen in Massachusetts. I traveled to Salem, Portsmouth, Dover, Somersworth, Rochester, and Milton, New Hampshire. I also drove up the coastline from Salisbury Beach, through Seabrook, Hampton, North Hampton, and Rye Beaches. Here are my Top 10 things I did while on vacation (in no particular order):

1. I spent time with my family: grandmother, aunts, uncle, cousins, second cousins...including those that flew in from Florida and Texas.

2.  I got to meet my niece for the very first time!

3.  Met up with an aunt I hadn't seen in 21 years! She's still as sweet and beautiful as she was then.

4.  I went to a pizza party at my sister's in-laws' home they hosted for OUR family.

5.  I had lunch at Cheers with my daughter, and the out-of-town cousins from TX & FL.

6.  I got to see Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox! 

7.  I got to shop and have lunch at Quincy Market behind Faneuil Hall in Boston.

8.  I went to the New England Aquarium to see penguins, an octopus, sea turtles, sharks, jellyfish, and more!

9.  I spent a day with my dearest friends. Sue I've been friends with for almost 40 years. We spent most of the day with her, her husband Craig, and her two boys. Then we had dinner with Jen, who I've been friends with for about 17 years, and her daughter Shelby. Her son Nick couldn't make it.

10. Had a beach day. We had pizza at Salisbury Beach, MA, drove the coast up to Rye Beach, NH for a whale watch, then back to Hampton Beach, NH for shopping, sand & wading in the ocean, ate fried dough, and got matching henna tattoos.

I did so much, yet still had time to rest, spend time with the baby, go sightseeing in Boston to see the architecture, drive through the towns we used to live in, go to the malls, went to the top of the Prudential tower to see all of Boston (and Fenway), went to Dunkin' Donuts (of course), and go out to eat many times. It was exactly the right amount of time. I'm so proud of Jordan too. She handled flying, going on a boat, going into the Atlantic Ocean, took a bus, at "beach food", and met about 25 relatives - all for the very first time. 

on Ziggy Marley

 

     I just got done watching Guitar Center's show Sessions featuring Ziggy Marley. What an amazing person he is! Having grown up with a lot of Bob Marley music in my house, I actually like reggae. I don't necessarily go out and purchase it, but when I hear it, it stirs something in me that makes me want to dance, to be free. The thing that was always a little more difficult was how Bob Marley always had a message about the physical condition of things, politically, economically, socially, etc. I think he was a strong man who used the power of music to try to change people, to bring awareness to situations the world, at the time, would rather have turned away from and pretended ignorance. He was fighting for people, the poor, freedom, and independence. Although he had a philosophy of how love and peace could change the world, I believe his son, Ziggy Marley has a way better take on it.
     Ziggy is a calm, loving, peaceful, deep-thinking person who lives his life on a different level. He spent most of the interview carefully thinking over each answer to the questions. He tries to keep everything on an even keel. What I like most is how he views what's important and how to change people. He said that unlike his father, his music, his lyrics, have very little to do with the physical condition of culture. It's more about what he calls "the spiritual".  Now I know just because someone says they're spiritual that doesn't mean anything without defining that meaning further. It can mean anything from deeply devoted to the Creator, to being one who chases horoscopes and tarot readings. What Ziggy said when asked one day what religion he was, he answered, "Love. Love is my religion." It isn't divisive, it isn't about rules, it's about making everything you do and say about loving others - even your enemies - because THAT could really change the world, he said.
     When asked about commercial success, he took a long time to answer. He revealed he doesn't really follow what culture is doing. Music today has no real meaning or message to make the world a better place. It's selfish, about drugs, sex, money, and fame - none of the things Ziggy cherishes or chases after. He again restated who he is, on the inside, is reflected NATURALLY in the music and lyrics he writes. It's not planned. It doesn't change to follow what's popular. It's the natural extension of how he wants to bring people together, love people, and make the world a better place.
     It's hard to talk about reggae musicians with many people without the topic of marijuana use coming up. On a side note, unlike in his father's day where it was thought to heighten your "religious experience", Ziggy's stand is like many today. He stands for it being utilized properly for medicinal purposes, without abuses, and makes the point that alcohol, drugs, and even prescription chemicals all have worse, non-natural side effects, destroy families, and have been a lot more abused, leading to all kinds of violent crimes. His stance is a more responsible one than many would think.
     What if we all took on a little of Ziggy's perspective? What if we really did stop looking at the physical problems around us like politics, economics, and wars, just for a little while, and focused on reaching out to love others. Not love like you hear in the music industry today where there's abuses, violence, meaningless sex, lack of any type of responsibility and commitment. Real love. Helping others who are in need. Opening our hearts, minds, homes, and wallets to those who are in real need and trying to survive (not lazy ones looking for freebie handouts). What if we were part of the solution to help get kids off the streets? The homeless into safe places? Feeding the hungry? Helping those willing to work get the opportunity to learn the skills they need? Or the ragged, the clothes needed for an interview? Although I personally would call myself an imperfect follower of Christ, what if we all thought about making love our "religion" (or perspective, in my case), the organized set of rules we play by. After all, isn't that how we're supposed to treat each other in the first place?

What it's like to be a Mom...

   Being a Mom doesn't mean you only care about your own children. It means you understand what it's like to have children, you understand what other Moms go through in the best and worst of times, you empathize when you see someone hurt by thinking, "I can't even imagine if that happened to my child, his/her Mom must be so shaken up", and suddenly, ALL children, even the ones that are young adults, can move your heart. Here's a few examples:

1.  Last night watching the Dbacks game, Rookie Pitcher Archie Bradley pitched a ball and the batter hit it at 115 mph. It shot straight back to the mound and hit Archie in the cheek. Terrible to see, makes you sick to your stomach, but we watched him in Fall League when he was still a prospect. We watched him struggling to overcome obstacles on that field, cheering for him in the stands. Last night, my heart sunk, tears welled up in my eyes, and one of my first thoughts (besides throwing a quick prayer up to God that it's not as bad as it looked) was, "His mother is going to be scared to death when she sees that, she'll be worried sick and so upset she can't be with him here in Phoenix."  Watching him just lying, not moving on the mound for what seemed like an eternity, wondering if he was unconscious with a fractured skull or jaw...it was horrific. All the "what-ifs" play through your mind, after all, he's barely in his early 20s, this could change his whole world. Fortunately, tests and CT scans showed a miracle - he was never knocked out, no concussion, no broken jaw or cheekbones, it missed his eyes, no missing teeth, only severe swelling and today they'll check to see if the changes in his sinuses are anything to worry about or not. He was back from the hospital and back in the park to congratulate his teammates after the game. He was more upset that he had to leave the game. He did an audio only interview after the game, sounded great, and said the first thing he did was call his Mom. He made sure to get some quick face time with her so she knew he was okay and he said it put a smile on her face. Even manager Chip Hale mentioned how hard this all was, not just as a coach, but as a parent. Can we parents relate?

2.  Facebook friends had posted a photo of a young boy around 6th grade or so that had been bullied, with various bruises and cuts on his face. This one hit close to home because it was from the school where my sisters went, just down the street from where I went to 8th grade. The FURY that goes through Moms when we see this is hard to explain to someone without kids. We want to not only go after the bullies that did this, but the bullies' parents too! Our protective nature extends beyond our own children. Our heart can break in an instant with just a glance of a photo like that. I just don't understand how some parents can allow their children to do this to another child - maybe they don't know about it - but the school absolutely should call them in to see what their kids did. If they refuse to accept responsibility for their kids behavior, then some kind of mandatory counseling or public service giving-back project should be given as a sentence to those bullies.

3.  In the movie Courageous, the first 5 minutes are absolutely heart-stopping. If you haven't seen it and plan to, stop reading and scroll down because I have to spoil it for you to explain my point. Anyway, in the opening scene, there's a gentleman who leaves his truck after pumping gas to go inside and pay the clerk. You see a punk teenager (around 20ish) steal the car and start to take off. The man runs out and literally jumps on the side of the truck, hanging on for dear life, reaching into the window to grab the steering wheel to turn the truck off the road. He's screaming for his life and trying to stop the man. You sit there watching thinking, it's just a truck - let it go and call the police. You have a description now. Then he manages to get the truck to veer off the road, the driver gets out, surrounding drivers and observers stop to help the man saying the usual, "it's just a car"...then it happens...he opens up the back of the crew cab and there in the back seat is his infant son strapped into his little car seat carrier. At that moment, every Mom's eyes instantly well up with tears at the what-ifs. We experience after-the-fact panic, fear, and relief, all at the same time. I won't ruin the rest of the movie for you, but if you're a Mom, you'll be tearing up all the way through that movie!

4.  Okay, let's bring it around with a happy note. We've all seen those heart-touching Facebook videos people share that have comments like, "grab the tissues" or "touching moment".  We Moms are so drawn to those. Sometimes I have to stop myself and say, "No. I can't go there right now" because I know it's going to affect my heart. Sometimes it's a child seeing their parent for the first time after returning from serving in the military oversees. Sometimes it's a baby hearing for the first time. Maybe it was a bride surprised by something touching her husband-to-be, or father did at the wedding to surprise her (children don't have to be babies). What about when you see a child born with a disability who overcomes to do something you wish YOU were strong enough to do? It could be a kind gesture to a hurting student. A child holding up a sign saying, "Cancer Free!!!"

   It doesn't matter who's child it is, being a Mom isn't just about raising your own child, it's about joining a community of warm-hearted women who allow themselves to be vulnerable to embrace moments in the life of a child, even if it's someone else's child. There is something so special about hearing the name Mom that changes everything.

PS:  I want to quickly state that I believe there are many Dads out there who also feel like this, and I understand there are parents out there who are not good parents. With that said, understand I write this from MY perspective.

Have a wonderful, warm and fuzzy day,

SPRING

   What is it about spring that we all like so much? In many cases it's to get out of a long, cold winter. Here in Arizona, we don't have those. We have beautiful winters and very hot summers, usually between 105 and 112 degrees. So what is there to get excited about here during spring?

    What do I like about spring? SPRING TRAINING! It's the beginning of baseball season again! I love baseball. I follow the Diamondbacks and the Red Sox, but also enjoy watching the Cubs and the Giants. Because of trades, we may tune into another team's game just long enough to see some of our previously local players perform on their new team. Baseball stands for everything I hold dear...family time together, Patriotism, American pride, singing God Bless America, raising youth with heroes that have worthwhile values, teamwork, hard work, appreciating the fans that make the players' lifestyles possible, giving back to the community - especially the Phoenix Children's Hospital here in AZ, I could go on and on. We start counting down the days til Spring Training as soon as the day the Fall League Championship Game happens. For those who don't experience Fall League, it's where lots of MLB teams send their top 6 prospects and 6 teams are made up of the prospects from 5 different teams. We watched The Rafters team last fall. It was made up of players from the Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Rockies, Astros, and Marlins.  Last fall Jordan and I were able to attend about half the games, our feet resting on the dugout, bringing friends with us, catching the foul balls, and enjoying discounted prices on beverages and burgers. Lots of fun.

    Spring also brings a change of flowers. The cacti bloom, the saguaro pops open it's large white flowers for about 2 weeks, and once we hit 100 degrees or close to it for a day or two, the purple jacaranda trees bloom overnight.

   Although spring tells us that the heat of summer is coming fast, the "cold spells" that we get make us appreciate those last few cooler days better than anyone else, anywhere else. Today is a good example. It's been in the 90s already, and should be hitting 98/99 degrees in a few days, but today, it's only in the low 60s this morning, the windows are open, it's sprinkling (we haven't seen rain in about 3 months) and the high today isn't supposed to pass 79 for the high today. It's truly a day that makes us get outside while we can.

   Spring also brings a change in the grass and lawns. The winter rye grass turns yellow and dies off. Then in early May, the dormant Bermuda grass pokes through and stays hardy all through the heat (if watered appropriately). Right now is that transition time. Ours looks dead. The neighbor with a professional lawn company coming every week has yellow patches in his lawn that was dark green just a few weeks ago. It's a time of transition. It's a reminder that it's a good time for changes. It's about doing what needs to be done (outside) now, and to prepare for staying indoors more during the summer. People always ask if we hate staying in during summer - I ask, "Don't you hate being cooped up in your house all winter long? Driving in snow and ice?"  Truthfully, we have about 8 - 10 weeks of heat that's at the top of the thermometer average, but I still think that beats having 5 to 6 months, or 20 - 25 weeks of snow, ice, and frigid cold. I love living in Arizona and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. When it gets too hot, just drive 2 hours north up into the mountains and it's about 20 degrees cooler, perfect for camping.

   I have actually found that summer gives me a chance/excuse to stay indoors and do things I don't make time for while it's cooler out. I get to watch baseball on TV when I'm "stuck" inside from the heat. I get caught up on scrapbooking in my new craft room. I get more reading done. I also get to do more crock pot cooking and grilling, which is so much easier and doesn't heat up the whole house. There's lots of places to swim here too if I want to get outside. We're even pretty close to Saguaro Lake if I want a day at the (lake) "beach".

   So while lots of people are waiting to plant their flowers, dust off their patio furniture, clean their grills, and see the color green again, I'm just as excited for the transition that we make in AZ.

Finally! We're in our new home!

     It was a long struggle to get this house, and it was definitely a stressful 4 weeks working on getting to the closing, but now we're here, and I couldn't be happier.  For those who don't know, we've been trying to purchase a home again for a few years now but had to wait, save, and watch the market. We didn't want to rush into the wrong house. We didn't want to jump in too early when we couldn't really afford it yet. The time was finally right, and with God helping things come together for us, we're in.

     Let me walk you through the house. From the outside, it's a typical, single-story home. It's in a nice neighborhood, on a quiet cul-de-sac, with great neighbors, and we're one street over from a golf course (and homes selling for 2 and 3 times what we paid). Our back yard does abut a busy street, but there's an 8 foot wall and with double-pane windows, you don't hear it from inside the house. With windows open, it becomes white noise. The front of the house has a nice lawn I hope I don't kill. I have trouble keeping anything green alive. There's a driveway on both sides of the house for plenty of parking, plus a garage. We have a small porch that provides a little sitting area under our front window. There's an area on either side of the front door for plants. Jordan will put herbs on one side and flowers on the other.  She's great with growing plants.

     When you walk in the front door, the dusty rose tiled floor goes from the door to the hallway, where it takes a right and goes past the bedrooms. On your left, is a sunken living room. It's got light brown carpeting in it that we'll probably replace at some point. The walls are white, but we plan on painting accent walls in this house. The living room will be a light gray.

     If you walk to the hallway and take the right, there's a linen closet, the kids' bathroom, our room with it's walk-in closet, en suite bathroom, and sliders to the back yard. Across the hall is Logan's room and Jordan's room, both with views to the front. Her room has wainscoting covering the bottom half of her walls and a laminate floor, Logan's is carpeted.

     Back out by the living room, if you take a right, you find yourself in our "middle room". It's an odd room. It has a brick fireplace (that I plan on repainting white), and it's carpeted. It's a cozy room, but because of an addition they built (bringing the home from 1500 sf to 2300), and having an open concept kitchen, it's an odd. For now it's our dining room, but it may become a sitting area when we get a square pub table for the kitchen.

     The kitchen has laminate flooring and it's got oak cabinets with (outdated but decent) green marble looking laminate countertops trimmed in light wood. During the expansion, they split the kitchen in two parts because they had to keep the load bearing wall in place - or at least part of it. On one side of the wall is the fridge, cabinets, and stove. On the other side, there's an island built around it plus an additional back wall counter with a few more lower cabinets. Also on the island is the double porcelain sink, under-counter storage, a few drawers, and our dishwasher. There's room for 3 to eat comfortably at the island, it's actually pretty big. It's an odd layout, but it makes it easier for multiple people to be doing different things in the kitchen without bumping into each other. It sort of works.  Off the kitchen is the large pantry, and the laundry room that continues out to the garage. The kitchen addition has a bright window and a door to the back yard and one of the two patio areas.

     Off the kitchen, there's a 4th bedroom that's been converted to a craft room. It's all white. It has a counter that runs almost the entire length of the right side, there's built in cabinets on both sides for plenty of storage, and a door that goes out to the second, smaller patio area shared by the master bedroom. There's also a skylight in that room that makes it so bright during the day, I still find myself trying to shut off the light when it's not on.

     The last room, in the back corner of the house, is a 5th bedroom. This is the largest bedroom but not the master since it has no private bathroom. It's just shy of 12' by 18' long. That's Adam's "bachelor pad" room (since he's paying actual rent now). He has it broken into several areas:  his sleeping space, his sitting area, his guitars & amps, and a built in desk with overhead shelves for working on his computer or using his recording equipment. He's also got a large closet with plenty of extra space. By his bed, there's a bay window that's made up of 3 windows and a window seat with lots of storage inside it.

     The back yard has a curvy lawn, bordered by small rocks and plants that don't require much water. There's also a huge orange tree with really sweet oranges on it. It was covered when we were here for the inspection, but the owners took them before closing. They left about a dozen or so that we've had already, and now the tree is covered in blossoms making the back yard smell amazing.

   So that's it in a nutshell. I plan on taking more pictures and posting them soon. I tried to take some over the weekend, but others weren't cooperating and kept messing up the areas I wanted to photograph. Hopefully that'll be done in the next day or two.

   

Living Intentionally

     This year, I'm going to try to live intentionally. That means no more letting the days pass by, then later wondering where the time went. I'm going to try to make every day count for something, even if it's just a small thing.

     January's focus was on getting out of our rental situation and buy our own house again. In the almost 23 years we've been married, we've only rented for the past 3 yrs. and you know what? We're not cut out to be renters. I like to hang things on the walls. I want to add color to them too. I want to be able to hang curtains without needing the approval of other people. We found a great home that we're hoping to buy before the end of February. Paperwork is mostly done, we're already pre-approved, the inspection came back fine, and now we're just waiting for the appraisal to take place and come back at the right number, which it should.

     In February, I'm going to be focusing on writing and interpersonal relationships. I have a bible study I've wanted to publish for a long time, but only about 1/3 is on paper, the rest is in my head or needs some additional research. I actually got to teach it about 7 years ago to 50 women. It works, but to be duplicatable and sell-able, it has to be just as good, in a book, without me there. I want it so anyone can pick it up and run with it, even if they haven't ever read or studied the subject in the past.

     I'm working in February on relationships - perfect for Valentine's Day, right? I want to make the effort to call my friends and family, have lunch with people I enjoy spending time with, and figure out who will be the first few people to invite over to the new house for dinner. Part of this involves being a good listener, remembering their truth may be different than mine, but that's okay. I also am continuing to work at being a non-reactionary person. I'm there 99% of the time.  I just have to get that extra 1% so I can be like that all the time.

     The boys are now grown. They'll be 21 and 19 in just a little over a week. Can you believe it? Even though I spent every day with them because we homeschooled, the time went by too fast. I can't imagine how fast it must seem for those Moms who have to (or choose to) work and send them to school. I would've lost so much more time with them. I only have another year with my daughter after this school year. Then I won't be their teacher anymore. It's been who I am and what I knew was my destiny for so long. It's a bit scary wondering what life has in store for me next - so I'm choosing the answer to that, intentionally.

     To celebrate the boys' birthdays, and our 23rd anniversary, we're doing a cruise with the boys. Just a few days out of Los Angeles, hitting Catalina Island, and Ensenada, Mexico. It's the trip Tim and I did last year but the boys wanted to do it too. It was fun before, so we'll do it again. It's not that expensive and we already know our way around the boat. We don't go until May when it's warm. My daughter didn't want to go on a boat in case she hates it or gets seasick, and she's not an outdoor type of person anyway.   She'll go to Boston & NH with me this summer for her birthday. We're going to get to meet my new niece and watch a Red Sox game with my 93 year old grandmother who loves baseball. We're SO looking forward to it.

     Tim will get to vacation in August when he heads back to New England for a Guy Cousins' week long trip with hunting, fishing, camping, water toys, etc. It'll be great for him to reconnect with his guy cousins for stuff like that. I'm really happy for him to get the chance to do it.

     So as you can see, we've got quite a bit planned for this year - BECAUSE I want to live it intentionally. What will you do this year?

Happy New Year!

2015...finally!  I'm glad 2014 is over, I had some serious challenges to deal with this spring, and health issues this fall, but it did have some really good moments:

• Trip to Vegas and the Hoover Dam with Tim, Adam, and Jordan.
• Jordan went to a mini comicon event for the first time in downtown Mesa (Adam too).
• I went to a Disciple concert and got to stand AT the front of the stage.
• Logan graduated high school.
• Tim and I got to go on our first real vacation alone: Long Beach, a cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico, and the San Diego Zoo.
• We went to a few Arizona D'backs games at Chase Field.
• Jordan went to her first real ComiCon with her friend, Ari.
• Jordan and I went to the D'backs v Miami game where she got to see Saltalamacchia 
• catch (former Red Sox).
• Although we had to say goodbye to Furlough, we got to enjoy her for the first half of the year.
• Jordan and I discovered Arizona Fall League baseball and our team, the Salt River Rafters won the championship.
• We met a lot of new friends this year, like Christine, Lee, Faye, and Adrienne.
• We went to the D'backs Nation Annual Christmas Party and got to meet other great fans.
• We got to enjoy listening to Ian Eric play live a few times, and got to make friends with Aaron Howard just as he released his new album. 
• Logan started seeing Maria.
• Logan had the opportunity to work at 2 jobs this year - though he'll cut back to 1 in Feb.
• Tim got raise after raise and is at the top end of his pay scale and consistently comes in at the top % of his company's drivers. 
• Our church had the opportunity to merge with Scottsdale Bible Church to create a small venue with the resources of a mega church...and our campus pastor is a Scot! 
• Adam made Thanksgiving Dinner for everyone, including planning the menu, listing the ingredients needed, paying for it all, and cooking it by himself. It was a quiet, candlelight dinner.
• Jordan took over Christmas for me this year. She decorated, cleaned, planned, cooked, did days of baking, washed loads and loads of dishes, shopped with me, wrapped gifts, and handled putting it all away for me.
• My new niece, Ariella Eve, was born 5 weeks early but she's healthy, beautiful, and doing great! 
• Tim got to take a week's vacation at the end of the year so he was here all through Christmas week.

I wonder what 2015 will hold? I'm ready to see all that will happen in this new year, but before I step into it with both feet, I plan on taking today - New Year's Day - to be thankful for all the blessings we already received in 2015.

What happened in your 2014 to be thankful for?

My take on the new WinCo Foods store in Gilbert

WinCo Foods is a grocery chain that's fairly new to Arizona. They're a little different from some of the other stores here, but I'll get into that in a minute. They're in 8 states so far, WA, OR, CA, AZ, NV, ID, UT, & TX. Picture a larger, open store, like a Sam's club or on the east coast, a BJ's Wholesale Club - but you don't have to buy in bulk.  Here's a little info. in case you live near one and have never been there.

The store is open 24 hours. That makes it convenient for shoppers, as well as people trying to pick up a second job during odd hours. It's great for those early morning or late night forgotten items. Fortunately, this one was built literally one parking lot over from where we are, VERY convenient.

They gave me a store map when I entered, but you can download your own local WinCo store's map on their website, www.wincofoods.com. They also have another app called aisle411. It's like a GPS to locate any item in the store for you on your smartphone. Technology really has come a long way, huh?

It's also "employee owned". The employees own stock in the company, so they have a real interest in having it succeed. They also pay well above minimum wage, so you get better employees to deal with as a shopper. Why would a cashier making $12 an hour get fired if they'd only make $8 or so doing the same job somewhere else? Wouldn't it make sense to just do your job well and keep it?

They have a huge bulk item section. Not like a 10 lb. jar of paprika like a warehouse club. They have bulk bins with over 800 items! That's a lot. Everything from spices, to nuts, candy, cereals, grains, flours, sugars, dried beans, soup mixes, etc. If you plan on buying a lot of something from a bin, you can ask an employee if that item "qualifies" for the 5% discount. If it does, you place an order for it.  When it comes in you will save 5% by ordering it by the case, or bag, or however it comes before they open it to dump it in the bins. It's not an advertised 5% off deal, you have to order it and wait for it to come in, and you won't know what items qualify for it until you ask someone, but it's there for you if you can use or if you need a lot of something.

They have cashiers to ring your order up, and take coupons, and make sure your debit card goes through, or you get your change back if paying with cash. The catch is they don't take credit cards. If they did, they'd be passing on a 4% or more charge hidden into the cost of everything in the store. Also, once the cashier puts your stuff down the conveyor belt, you bag your own groceries with the bags they provide. It seems strange, but I find myself, or Tim when he's home, bagging a few things in all the grocery stores from time to time when they're shorthanded, without baggers, or too busy to keep up. It's not a big deal.

They call themselves the Low Price Supermarket Leader. My experience today is that they are competitive with the least expensive grocery stores nearby, UNLESS that store has it on sale. The WinCo regular prices are less than the stores' regular prices, but to find items cheaper than the sale price in the weekly flyers is difficult. If you shop for everything at one store for pure convenience, this is a great alternative. If you shop in a few different stores to catch the sale items & loss leader items, than I'd suggest you keep doing that - but all the NON-SALE items on your list may be cheaper at WinCo. Some items do have the top few stores price for the week listed on a sign for you to compare but not everything.

Coupons...this is a toss up. They do take them, but only at face value. Since 3 stores around here (plus WalMart & Target) only give you face value, and I'm down to just 1 store that offers to make all coupons worth $1 (if less than $1 face value), I guess that's okay/expected. I found that in a few cases, the prices were low enough that buying 2 items at the WinCo price plus a .40 when you buy 2 coupon were actually cheaper than paying more at another store and making the coupon worth $1 on 2. They also offer coupons on their website you can print out at home and bring with you (no loyalty card to download to). They're the same stuff on www.coupons.com.  WinCo offers no gas rewards, no sports team points to trade for merchandise. Just straightforward lower prices across the board. They have no weekly ad to tell you what sales there are. You just have to find out when you get there, or share the info. with your friends after your own trip there. (They also use the ibotta app for savings although I don't use it myself. I understand you do things like watch ads for products or something and they reward your effort with a coupon or give you money off certain items - or something like that.)

Sales: They do have some stuff on sale. You can find them because they're labeled with a green "wow" tag on the shelf that also reads "extra savings". They say on their website they never make you buy in multiples to get the savings. No more making sure you have items in 4's, or 5's, or 8's, or 10's to get that price. That's one less thing to throw off my grocery list. Nothing like having your list planned in groups of 8's to find they're out of 1 item and now you need to find 2 or 3 new things that are part of the deal or you lose the savings on the rest.  Much easier. (FYI: The yellow signs are their everyday low prices. Not sale prices.) The bulk items also have green labels to let you know that the price is a sale price, and only lasts for a limited time.

Finally, they run their website easier than most other stores. It says you can build a grocery list on it, no need to make an account; just bookmark it and it'll remember you. Not sure if I like that it "tracks you" like that, but it beats logging in every time.

Overall, it was a good experience. The employees were very happy, friendly, enthusiastic about the company, and helpful. The prices were low enough that they'll probably be my store where I start with my list. Anything I can get cheaper there will come off my list from the other stores. This way I'll either come in on budget, a little less than budget, or else I'll find a brand or item my other stores don't carry but I've wanted to try (usually I hear about new products by getting coupons for it). If you haven't been to your local WinCo, it's worth a look, and I hear the next one in my area will be opening in Chandler.

Baseball

This is a weird time of year to live in Arizona. Facebook friends and family aren't all back in school yet, they consider it fall already, their days are too cold for swimming and their nights are getting chilly.

Here, the kids have been in school for 3 to 4 weeks. Our weekend forecast is around 109 degrees still. Our nights are in the 90s and somewhat humid due to it being "monsoon season". It's still too hot to really enjoy outdoor activities and sports (maybe by late September?), but we're too busy with school now to have time to swim, and when we do, the pool feels like a hot tub, not very refreshing.

So what's it like here? We're finishing up our 3rd week of school with Jordan. She's in 11th grade, but it may be her last year if we can get her into the Culinary Arts program as a senior next year at the local community college. It's almost the end of baseball season, not sure how the two of us will handle that. We've been sad (losing Parra and Prado, plus all the injuries), got angry (bad rules and calls made this year), and celebrated (we beat the top teams?!) with the Arizona Diamondbacks, or "Dbacks" from late March until now. I know if  you aren't into sports, you think, "so what?" Here's why it's important to us:

1.  This was Jordan's 1st year getting into baseball. She watched the playoffs last year and fell in love with the game, the Detroit Tigers, and of course, the Boston Red Sox. This year, we were given free tickets to Chase Field to watch the D'backs. That was all it took. She fell in love with the team, the venue, and the game. I literally watched her come alive for the first time in years - and she continues to amaze me every day regarding her love for it.

2.  Baseball is something I love because I grew up watching it. I loved it during the late 70s when the Red Sox had Carl Yastrzemski, Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, Louis Tiant, Dennis Eckersly, and those guys. I knew the players by their faces, numbers and stats. I absorbed it all. I also love it because my Grandmother loves the Red Sox (and sports in general). When I watch a game, I feel closer to her, especially if I'm watching the Red Sox and know she is too.

3.  Jordan has always struggled with remembering facts and some has some math issues. For some reason, with baseball, that all disappears. She knows the players, the coaches, the venues, who's on other teams that we like, remembers who got hurt, how and when it happened, who got traded to what team, specific events of specific games, when we last played them, past scores, you name it. I've never seen her mind work like this before.

4.  Jordan also comes alive at Chase Field. Her face lights up, she's willing to do things she won't do anywhere else. She's more independent, more willing to speak to strangers if she has to, and she smiles more watching players succeed than any other time, and any other place.

5.  Talking baseball is something she and I have in common that's "just us". Growing up, I've always had special relationships with my boys that's still in place today. I can have discussions with they guys now about anything and everything, but since she's never had a boyfriend (nor wanted one), never had a job yet, never went away with a group, etc., she's been sort of left out of those type of conversations. Now we have something that's just for us to discuss that's special between us.

6.  2015...she's already looking forward to Spring Training, which moved from Tucson to just up the highway from us. She's looking forward to seeing our injured players return for next season. We even are in negotiations for a small season tickets type of package (but WAY less games and WAY less money with LOTS of extras) with someone at Chase Field. We're hoping to get to a few more games than we did this year. With the package, we'll get to do extra events to meet players, save on in-park items, trade/buy/sell tickets for profit, get all the freebies offered throughout the year, gain early entry to watch the home team's batting practice, and more. We hope we get the one we want for under the price we want to spend.

7.  I love the values displayed at our baseball games. We sing the national anthem, we sing God Bless America, we salute military, fire, and police at every game, we get involved in charities in our own community, we avoid the excessive drinking, drugs, and vulgarity that's so prevalent at say, football games. It's a great place to know we're not alone in holding to wholesome values in this turbulent time of situational ethics.

So as we enter September, it'll be a sad time for us because the season winds down, playoffs (which we're definitely NOT going to be in) will only take us into early to mid October. We'll start to pull out the pumpkin flavored and scented stuff, and readjust to enjoy our wonderful Arizona winter.

Reflective Moods are so Hard for Me

It's not easy being a "thinker". I have what I call Reflective Moods that seem to be coming more and more often these days. Maybe it's my age, maybe it's because the kids are no longer kids. They're 20, 18, and 16 now. Yes, they all still live at home, but it's not the same as when they were little and were fascinated by going just about anywhere together.

I see Facebook posts and people's blogs with so many pictures of those special little moments of and with their children and I think, "That was so long ago for us." Now my kids' days are filled with job schedules that have them working at 4 AM, 6 AM, until 11PM, sometimes until 2 AM. Free time is spent by them doing their own errands, trying to fit in music, live shows, modelling, friends, girlfriends, sewing costumes for Cos-Play events, etc. There's just not time left over for family stuff these days. Even if they did, Tim's always gone in the truck anyway.

What do I miss the most? I miss the baby moments, of course, but it's strange...in my mind, they were at different stages in their lives, and older ages when I picture capturing them at their best.

I miss catching Jordan napping in the afternoon in her little toddler bed, with painted tiny toenails sticking out from under her pink and white frilly baby blanket. The perfect bow of her lips, flawless skin, and curly long hair with streaks of light brown and blonde from playing outside in the sun. Her beauty has always been her innocence.

I miss Logan in his ripped little jeans with holes in the knees, stained T-shirts that he can't remember how they got that way, shoes worn completely through from playing so hard with the neighborhood kids, and his skin so tanned in the summer he looks Latino. His friendliness and eagerness for fun has always defined him.

I miss Adam, in his karate ghi, so serious as he learns his forms for the up-coming tournament, and the huge smile on his face as he poses for a picture holding a 1st Place trophy that's almost as big as he is. Adam has always been at his best as he challenges himself, then sees just how his hard work and self-discipline has paid off.

Now I have all new reasons to be proud of them, and who they've become, but all they really ever have to be is "them" to be special to me.

Stopping the Money $aving Tips for now.

Hi Everyone,
We started school back up today. With the full schedule of classes I'm teaching, plus the reading related to that, the 3 hours or more of videos to stay on top of, and 2 - 3 bible studies - not to mention my couponing - I won't be blogging for a while. Have a great rest of your summer.

Money $aving Tips: Dining out

This week's tips to save money while dining out:

1. Dine Mid-Week.  The slowest nights in the restaurant industry are traditionally Tuesday & Wednesday. Often you can find specials or deals on those nights, coupons for those specific nights, sometimes even a "kids eat free" offer. Many restaurants, especially buffets, charge the most for the same meal on the weekends.

2. Dine earlier in the day whenever possible. Many times you'll find if you dine first and go to a movie later, instead of the other way around, you can save quite a bit. Not only do most restaurants have lunch specials until 3 or 4 pm, but often restaurants offer specials before 6pm. If you don't have to go out after a typical 9 - 5 job, and can dine earlier, than go do whatever else you have plans to do, it will make the day a lot more affordable.

3. Dine at the bar. I wouldn't recommend this for special events or anything, but if it's just a couple of friends getting together and you can get away with some happy hour specials, appetizer specials, or a smaller "bar menu" instead of a plated, sit-down, 2-hour dinner, it's a great way to save.

4. Snack first. Many in the dieting crowd learned this secret long ago...snack before you leave. Even if it's just a tall glass of water and some veggie sticks, some fruit, or a small basic salad, you'll be less likely to feel the need to over-eat. You may be able to skip the appetizer, or you'll be too full for dessert (or you could just split one).

5. 2 for 1 deals...Lots of chains like Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and Chili's do 2 for 1 specials. You pay one price, you get 2 entrees and you share an appetizer for one price. That saves on your bill. Sometimes you can find a larger entree that is designed for 2 people to share too, like fajitas.

6.  Expensive drinks. If a family of 4 decides to order water with lemon instead of the usual Coke or Pepsi product, it can be a savings of $8 or more, which is then taxed, and you'll be paying a portion of the tip based on that too. Alcoholic drinks can be VERY pricey if you aren't careful. Recently I ordered a "half price happy hour margarita" and the half price was almost $8. Imagine if 2 people get 2 regular margaritas, not thinking they're much more than $7 or so, they would end up paying an extra $64 for just drinks, not even the food. Be aware of drink prices. Often the majority of the profit is in them.

7. Discounted gift cards. I noticed lately that some restaurants run specials where you can buy say a $100 gift card but pay just $80, or else, they'll include a second discount card for $10 - $25 for you. Grocery stores run deals through their eCoupons (loaded to your card) where you can buy a gift card and pay a reduced price plus earn anywhere from 2 to 8 times the dollar amount in gas reward points if they do that program already.

8. Coupons! I find coupons in the Sunday papers all the time, in my email box, and online. I've had 6 of us go to a healthy soup/salad buffet with a coupon, which the manager volunteered to apply to all 6 of us, and the savings was over $20 right off the bat. It was better than any Senior Discount or other program they have.

9. Groupon and other similar sites - I find great deals here and have used them for many different things from dining out to baseball tickets. Sometimes the deals are for a FREE item, like a dessert or appetizer. Other times it's a certificate to be used like a gift card, but it's at a 40% savings or more. Who wouldn't love to have a wonderful dining out experience at a higher end restaurant yet pay half what you normally would have spent?

10. Points/Rewards programs. I went to a pizza place to meet up with friends recently and they told me they had a loyalty program. I sign up for a free account/card, which took 2 minutes, and I received points on my card. I got home, went to the card's website and found out I can use and earn points at many different places in my area. They listed everything from frozen yogurt, to pizza, to hookah and vapor shops, to sub shops. The one I signed up for is called FiveStars. They're more popular in bigger cities like Phoenix, Houston, Boston, etc. Maybe you can find a local version for your area with a google search.

Weekly Money $aving Tip: Log it

Hi, I missed last week's tip, sorry about that, I was under the weather - but this one I'll post early for you.

This week's tip is to "Log It". For just 30 days, keep a small notebook with you, or use your phone's notepad and jot down every penny you spend. It's only for 30 days. You can go back at the end of the month, or do it at the end of every day, and assign a category for each transaction. Here's a few to help you get started:

Entertainment - this could be movie tickets, cover charge, out with friends, etc.
Food - this could be anything from your grocery store receipts to eating out to your drive-thru coffee.
Work - this could be dry cleaning for your work clothes, supplies needed to do your job, travel expenses you paid for, tips as you travel, taxis, etc.
Gas - all the gas you put into your vehicles.
Home - this could be repairs, paint, tools to fix something, linens, dishes, furniture, anything.
Auto - this could be anything you paid besides gas in the tank, like repairs, maintenance, insurance, registration renewals, etc.
Mortgage or Rent - self-explanatory
Medical/Dental - any bills paid, co-pays for visits, xrays, insurance premiums, etc.
Insurance - you can group all together or separate them out, your choice. There's usually health, dental, vision, auto, mortgage or renter's insurance, life insurance, etc.
Clubs/Organizations - dues, materials needed, equipment, etc.
Education - classes, loan bills paid for college, books, seminars, lectures, audio or visual material, etc.
Savings

This should give you some ideas to get started.
So why log it?

At the end of the month, total all the categories and money spent. You may find the percentage you're spending in a particular category may be too much (or too little, as in savings and insurances). If you can realize where money may be "leaking" from your income you can take better control of it, and put it to better use. I did this with one friend and she didn't realize that her take out food and drive thru coffees, coupled with her impulse shopping, totaled more than her car payment! She decided to set a budgeted amount aside for them every month (note, she did NOT eliminate them all together and live a miserable life in the process), then with the extra she had been spending, she paid off some of the smaller bills for credit cards. This in turn brought a better credit score, more in savings for emergencies, a feeling of being in control of her money, and less stress, not to mention she started eating healthier by eating less fast food.

It's a 30 day challenge to see where you can save.
Give it a try.

Local Deals

Every area is different, but in most cases, there are local deals you can take advantage of to save money. Here's just a few ideas:

1. Movies - Some towns have a less expensive theater. In our area, it's Pollack Tempe Cinemas. They only charge $3 per person and on Tuesdays, it's just $2 per person. The movies they run are the ones that have just left the expensive theaters, so it's not the first 30 days after it hits the box office, but unless it's really worth an hour of my husband pulling a filthy tarp over his flatbed load and strapping it down in the rain/heat/etc., we wait.

Also, the bigger theaters also run deals where you can like their facebook page for a free small popcorn, or text to their number for free popcorn, or buy a "souvenir cup" of your favorite drink for say, $4, but refills next time if you return with the cup, are just $1.

Netflix, HuluPlus, etc. are all great deals too, although they get less and less movies because I read their goal is to be just on-demand TV shows. Not sure how BlockBuster is doing with that. They stopped mailing out DVDs last year in our area in favor of only online viewing. For under $10/month, it's worth it if you'd normally go to the movies. And don't my previous suggestion for renting FREE movies at your local library.

2.  Live Performances - many local towns, groups, and schools run year-round productions you can see at a fraction of the cost of a real Broadway style show. Sure, the acting isn't as professional, but that makes for great entertainment. Find a local dance company or acting group that performs in your area and you may be pleasantly surprised. When we lived in NH, there was a place in nearby Portsmouth, NH called the Seacoast Repertory Theater. They did Broadway shows, like Joseph, Man of La Mancha, and Phantom of the Opera. The tickets were usually $20 or less, and you could often get in the 1st or 2nd row, which is literally on the floor/stage. The actors were very good with seamless performances too.

3.  Depending on the season, you can sometimes find FREE outdoor events like movies in the park, concerts in the park, etc. They had them in the summer in Rochester, NH, and here in AZ, you see them in the winter.

So where do I find this information? I use our local newspapers' websites and go to their "Get Out" or "Entertainment" section to find what's going on around town. The bigger the city, the more there is, so if you live in the suburbs or urban areas, maybe you could find 2 back to back days of events to make a drive into the city, or overnight stay, worth it.

I also use Google to search for events. In our area, I may put in the name of a casino to see what cover bands are playing, or put in restaurants nearby that I know play live music.

4.  Restaurants - If you have kids you can save a lot more than an adult couple dining alone, for sure. There's so many restaurants with "Kids Eat Free" nights, or coupons in the mail and Sunday paper coupons books for family deals. A common one may be somewhere that offers 2 adult and 2 kid meals, plus beverages, for one low price. There's also military discounts at some restaurants, and Senior Citizen discounts too. If you don't dine with kids and are nowhere near retirement age, try a restaurant's Happy Hour specials. Often they put their entrees on sale or even half price, and you don't have to drink if you don't want alcohol. I know Applebee's does that around here. Another one here does a deal where all entrees are half price after a certain time, usually the last 2 hours before closing. Check with your favorite locations, and don't forget the chain restaurants like Chili's, Applebee's, Red Lobster, Denny's, Friendly's, the'99, and more.

5.  Clothing - I know you can shop at Goodwill and the Salvation Army, but truthfully, you're buying faded, frayed, stained clothing in styles 10 years old (or more), usually with buttons missing or really ugly prints. If you get lucky enough to find a T-shirt that's in your size & color, it's been washed and shrunk so many times that it's a half shirt now compared to when it was new. I find better deals at places like TJ Maxx, Ross, and Marshall's. They have the clothes that are still in style, but maybe I wouldn't be willing to pay $50 for in a regular department store, like Dillard's or Macy's. I find great tops there for under $20. If you sew, that's even better! You can find something, maybe make a minor change, like trading out ugly buttons, or changing a dress' hemline, and you end up with a great bargain. I stopped trying to find clothes at Wal Mart and Target. The shirts are paper thin and the shorts are up to your butt there. Tasteful, classy clothes are best found elsewhere.

Hope this at least stirred up some ideas, or reminded you of a few you may have forgotten. Have a great week bargain hunting.

Weekly Money $aving Tip

Sorry to those who don't live in my area, this won't really help you unless you do an online search in your own area, maybe you'll find one of these near you...

American Discount Foods
www.americandiscountfoods.com

This company started in 1998, and just last year moved to the strip mall on the NE corner of Southern & Longmore in Ray (just 1/2 mile from the 101). It's now a large supermarket-sized store. It's run by a Patriotic, Christian family that believes in giving the customer the best possible prices, and paying their staff well. They get their groceries from closeouts, short codes, discontinued and damaged case products. Many products are available during one trip and gone the next, so when you find a real bargain, stock up! They sell some of their products after the "Best by" dates, but this is NOT an expiration date or mean that it's gone bad. Here's a quote off the USDA's website on these types of dates:

• A "Best if Used By (or Before)" date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

What types of deals can you expect to find? If you go to their website, you'll see their weekly ad pop up. This is so much better than having to hunt for sale items on a site like other grocery stores often do. They have several weekly items, but they also show the two or more items that are on sale for THAT DAY ONLY. Those are some of the best deals.  Here's some examples:

a store brand Frosted Flakes 15 oz box for just $1.
Rainier cherries, just $1.49/lb.
Seedless personal watermelons, only $1.49 each.
Simply Orange 89oz orange juice (it's huge), just $2.99 (sells for $6.99 often).
Movie box-sized candy for .50, and the candy rack is just .25 each.
Snyder's Hot Buffalo Wings flavored singles bags, 4/$1.
Heartland Whole Wheat Spaghetti, a big 2lb package, just $1.
8pk of Amy's (organic) burritos, just $4.99.
5lb pkg. of yellow banana peppers (sliced) for just 50 cents! 

They also have tons of hidden organic treasures throughout the store NOT advertised.
I find everything from gluten-free organic granola, to organic ground flaxseed, to organic milks, and more. All at amazingly low prices. 

Only once have I ever bought something that tasted "off", and it wasn't past the expiration date. When I called the store, I discreetly asked to speak to a manager (told them I was a customer, not a sales rep). I told the manager I wanted to be discreet, but I bought a 33 cent item that was very "off" and he may want to check them or pull them before they sell too many more. Know what he did? Apologized all over the place and gave me a credit many times more than my purchase - way more than I felt was necessary. They're a great company worth supporting.

Also, when you go, they'll ask if you have an account with them. It takes less than 5 minutes to sign up and so worth it. They do it so they can do credits if necessary like in my example above, or if you call to order cases of advertised sales - they need to know who to save it for. 

For those who like gambling (just kidding), they have a prize wheel too. If you spend over $50 in one trip, you get to spin the wheel. You can win a free product, or a coupon worth $1, $2, $5, $10, $15, $20, or even $25 off your next trip, good for a full 30 days. We've won every single one before, so I know people win the high ones once in a while. 

They don't take coupons, you should know that ahead of time, but they do offer military discounts. I'm not sure when, but I know I've seen them many times before. It may be on military type of holidays like Memorial Day, but it may be more often - call and check if you think you may qualify. 

Last, but not least, they recently put in the Old Glory Cafe. They call it The World's Best $1 Menu, and I would have to agree. Their items are mostly $1, $2, and $3. 

Here's some $1 items: breakfast sandwiches, double cheeseburger, house salad, deep fried zucchini, a cup of soup or chili, large soft serve ice cream, and small iced cafe mocha or espresso. 

The $2 menu has things like:  hot ham or turkey & cheese sandwich, grilled chicken sandwich, deluxe double cheeseburger, bowl of soup or chili, shakes, mocha lattes, etc. 

The $3 menu has: Club sandwiches, Greek gyros, Chicken Parmesan sandwiches, Chicken Salad sandwiches, Greek or Chicken Caesar salads, Cobb Salads, and large sized specialty coffee drinks. 

If you're going to eat there, I recommend doing that first, otherwise your groceries may melt while you eat. The seats aren't fancy, but there's plenty of tables & chairs by the Cafe, as long as you don't mind sitting just past the checkout lines. They cook nothing until you order it, and it's good-tasting food at crazy low prices. 

Check them out. So worth it, that I even carry around and give out THEIR business cards to people when I'm talking to them about coupons and saving money on groceries, paper products, cleaning products, pet foods, kitchen gadgets, dishes, tools, and odd seen-on-TV type of products. It's a great adventure and worth the drive if you're in the Valley.