What We Did This Weekend:
Cinderella Snow Ball
Earlier this month, we got serious about our budget (again). This time we decided to use the envelope method. The only trouble with that is that we don't like having cash in our home or in our wallets. To remedy the situation, we bought stacks of play money to represent the real money on our debit cards. So far it has worked out pretty well. And, thanks to a few small windfalls this month, we're ahead of schedule for paying off all of our creditors (although, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't have had more fun pre-ordering an iPad instead. Then again, by the time I can afford one, it will probably be cooler and cheaper).
Our first three date nights we a little over budget, so Friday night we made use of a Super Saver discount card we bought from our little neighbor friend: buy one entree, get one free at Jason's Deli in Lee's Summit. Brookie asked what kind of food they had there and I described it as really good cafeteria food. After dinner Friday night, I'm confident in the accuracy of that description. We ate and left without grabbing our complimentary soft serve ice cream because Roxberry was nearby and we'd never been.
I think they opened this past fall (October or November maybe), and there was a lot of buzz about their fruit smoothies. The most likely reason that we hadn't been there before was that it's nothing new to us. That assumption was confirmed while looking over the menu Friday night. It smelled like Zuka Juice, it sounded like Zuka Juice, and in the end, it tasted just like Zuka Juice. It was more of a Zuka Juice than Jamba Juice.* There were a few new twists thrown in on the menu, and the '50s decor was more Hires than anything, but it was basically a rebranded Zuka Juice. And, well, I can make these at home pretty easily, to which many of you can probably witness.
*Let the record show that I have never really been a fan of Jamba Juice. Ever since the news that they bought out Zuka Juice in Salt Lake City, I've always kind of resented them. Most times I still refer to all fruit smoothies as Zukas. After working at Zuka in high school (anyone remember my name tag?), I guess you could say the buy-out left a bad taste in my mouth—worse than wheatgrass juice.
Saturday night was a big night: The annual Cinderella Ball stake youth dance. The kids get a chance to wear their finest clothes. I overheard someone describe it as a sort of Mormon Prom. Brookie and I went early because we had to help serve dinner, which started at 5:00pm. The monthly seminary devotional/fireside was at 6:00pm, and the dance started at 7:00pm.
While the kids were in the chapel for the devotional the adults made preparations for the dance. Brookie and I helped with the mini desserts. You wouldn't believe the amount of sweets that were made for this event. There were 330 creampuffs (I didn't really count them, I just saw that there were three boxes of 110 each), brownies, rice krispy treats, chocolate chip cookies, mini-cupcakes, and enormous chocolate-dipped strawberries. Our friend prepared it all with the help of another friend. We were totally impressed, and so were the kids who were able to take advantage of such a delicious spread.
Unfortunately (for the kids, at least), the dance had to be cut short because of the weather. Friday night it had snowed. And round two of the storm was playing out during the first half of the dance. By the time we had cleaned up and were on our way home, the roads were horrible. It had been really warm the week before, so there was a lot of slush beneath the snow. There were a few hills between our house and the church that I wasn't sure we would successfully climb, but we eventually made it home without much trouble.
Too bad the same can't be said of our return trip to church Sunday morning. Although it didn't snow much overnight, the roads were cleared, which means a few extra inches pushed into our driveway by the snowplows. It was enough to make it impossible for us to leave without first, trying to backup through it, second, unsuccessfully trying to push the Zion xB back into the the driveway before, third, accepting the assistance provided by a man who had pulled over to help, and lastly, shoveling the plowed snow to clear the end of the driveway (which is probably what I should have done in the first place).
And that's what we did this weekend!
Go to the board!
Our first three date nights we a little over budget, so Friday night we made use of a Super Saver discount card we bought from our little neighbor friend: buy one entree, get one free at Jason's Deli in Lee's Summit. Brookie asked what kind of food they had there and I described it as really good cafeteria food. After dinner Friday night, I'm confident in the accuracy of that description. We ate and left without grabbing our complimentary soft serve ice cream because Roxberry was nearby and we'd never been.
I think they opened this past fall (October or November maybe), and there was a lot of buzz about their fruit smoothies. The most likely reason that we hadn't been there before was that it's nothing new to us. That assumption was confirmed while looking over the menu Friday night. It smelled like Zuka Juice, it sounded like Zuka Juice, and in the end, it tasted just like Zuka Juice. It was more of a Zuka Juice than Jamba Juice.* There were a few new twists thrown in on the menu, and the '50s decor was more Hires than anything, but it was basically a rebranded Zuka Juice. And, well, I can make these at home pretty easily, to which many of you can probably witness.
*Let the record show that I have never really been a fan of Jamba Juice. Ever since the news that they bought out Zuka Juice in Salt Lake City, I've always kind of resented them. Most times I still refer to all fruit smoothies as Zukas. After working at Zuka in high school (anyone remember my name tag?), I guess you could say the buy-out left a bad taste in my mouth—worse than wheatgrass juice.
Saturday night was a big night: The annual Cinderella Ball stake youth dance. The kids get a chance to wear their finest clothes. I overheard someone describe it as a sort of Mormon Prom. Brookie and I went early because we had to help serve dinner, which started at 5:00pm. The monthly seminary devotional/fireside was at 6:00pm, and the dance started at 7:00pm.
While the kids were in the chapel for the devotional the adults made preparations for the dance. Brookie and I helped with the mini desserts. You wouldn't believe the amount of sweets that were made for this event. There were 330 creampuffs (I didn't really count them, I just saw that there were three boxes of 110 each), brownies, rice krispy treats, chocolate chip cookies, mini-cupcakes, and enormous chocolate-dipped strawberries. Our friend prepared it all with the help of another friend. We were totally impressed, and so were the kids who were able to take advantage of such a delicious spread.
Unfortunately (for the kids, at least), the dance had to be cut short because of the weather. Friday night it had snowed. And round two of the storm was playing out during the first half of the dance. By the time we had cleaned up and were on our way home, the roads were horrible. It had been really warm the week before, so there was a lot of slush beneath the snow. There were a few hills between our house and the church that I wasn't sure we would successfully climb, but we eventually made it home without much trouble.
Too bad the same can't be said of our return trip to church Sunday morning. Although it didn't snow much overnight, the roads were cleared, which means a few extra inches pushed into our driveway by the snowplows. It was enough to make it impossible for us to leave without first, trying to backup through it, second, unsuccessfully trying to push the Zion xB back into the the driveway before, third, accepting the assistance provided by a man who had pulled over to help, and lastly, shoveling the plowed snow to clear the end of the driveway (which is probably what I should have done in the first place).
And that's what we did this weekend!
Go to the board!
Super Toddd
ReplyDeleteWeston beat me to it with the name tag. I want to talk to you guys about your envelope method if you'll let me when we're in AZ. Blue Valley should let you do it ...
ReplyDelete... but for the record, I thought the name tag just said "TODDD." It was the extra D that made it super ... ?
ReplyDeleteToddd! Hi. Remember my name tag? It said Ugly Spice! Loved that place. But what I really remember is you losing that quarter up your nose that night we were dipping :) That was the best job.
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog when I was browsing profiles on it's about love. My husband and I are about to be put back on there too after just experiencing a failed placement last week. It suuucks. We went through the last 5 months of her pregnancy with her.
Come check us out... wwww.chrisbrems.com
Oh, this is dani, remember me? Hi :)
@Ugly Spice
ReplyDeleteSo glad you found our blog! I just spent a few minutes looking through your awesome adoption blog. The two of you are really fun. Sorry to hear about needing to be put back into 'circulation,' (it totally suuucks) but I'm sure that you won't be there for long. And thanks for reminding me about the quarter incident.