Continue reading »]]> Although I am not a football fan, I along with millions of others watch to see how innovative, funny or downright strange the commercials will be.  But I know there are some huge football fans out there, so today’s post is dedicated to all things Super Bowl!

Super Bowl XLVI

First person to answer all ten questions correctly below will win either a Keep It Local Card, Whole Foods Gift Card, or iTunes gift Card. Ready, set….

1. Who sang the National Anthem to kick off Super Bowl XXVII?
2. How many teams have a 100% winning percentage playing in the Super Bowl?
3. Who holds the record for most points scored in a Super Bowl Game?
4. Who was the MVP for Super Bowl XXXVI?
5. Who is the answer to #4 married to?
6. Who has the most Super Bowl rings?
7. Name two players who have won the Super Bowl MVP Award more than once.
8. What Super Bowl had the smallest margin of victory?
9. Who did the coin toss for the 1993 Super Bowl?
10. Name the two teams who have been to the Super Bowl four times, but never won.

Please answer in order below for a chance to win the gift cards described above! Good Luck!

Continue reading »]]> Many of the rants on my ConsumHer section are stories about less-than-stellar experiences I have had with businesses. It could be bad customer service, poor quality products or a combination of both. But here’s a reminder to everyone out there that has a voice. Don’t just be a complainer. Be a ‘praiser’ too.

With GFB and I working full time and trying to juggle the activities of two daughters, we end up eating out a lot. I am reminded of a situation that occurred about 6 years ago when our youngest daughter was a little over a year old.

Since GFB is a self-proclaimed “meatatarian”, Fridays during Lent are a challenge. (For those non-Catholics out there, we don’t eat meat on Fridays during the Lenten season). I tried to cook meatless or fish dishes but they weren’t always the best. So at least one Friday during Lent we would head to Red Lobster to enjoy some snow crab or fried shrimp. The problem is, Red Lobster is PACKED during Lent. I bet  half of the Catholics in OKC head there for dinner on any given Friday to eat. (Ok, I probably exaggerated that – but it SEEMS like half…)

This particular Friday night was no exception; the restaurant was packed and there was a long wait time. We decided to stick it out and wait with the girls, who were almost 5 and 1 1/2 at the time. Like any respectable mom would, I brought some Goldfish crackers for the young one to munch on while we waited for a table.

After almost an hour, we were finally seated. At this point I was a bit crabby, so you can image how the girls felt. (Let’s be honest, Goldfish crackers only get you so far.)  We quickly ordered drinks and our meal hoping to get the process moving so we could be served dinner. About two minutes later, our waiter reappeared at the table with applesauce, crackers, and a plate of veggies with ranch for our daughters. I was speechless. The waiter knew we had waited quite some time and that we had young children. So to help us out (and ultimately himself too), he tried his best to satisfy them until the macaroni and cheese arrived a few minutes later.

It was like God had sent an Angel from Heaven to the Red Lobster on Memorial just for me. (Now for those moms out there with small children, you get it. The rest of you will have to trust me on this.) I was finally able to relax a bit and enjoy what could have been a very unpleasant evening.

Upon finishing our meal, I politely asked our waiter “Sir, would you mind asking the Manager to come by our table?”. I am certain his first reaction was “Damn, what did I DO?” But he kindly obliged and went to find the restaurant manager. When she arrived, I explained our lengthy wait and how our waiter had gone out of his way to make sure the girls were taken care of so we could enjoy the meal. He was standing near the table listening, and I made a point to tell the manager “Ma’am, you need to hire more employees like him. HE is worth every dime.” The smile on his face was priceless.

She thanked us for coming and left our table to attend to other patrons. Our waiter dropped off the check and thanked us himself for the kind comments to his boss. And of course, we gave him a fat tip.

In addition to speaking to the manager,  I got on the Red Lobster website and filled out their comment section at how well we were treated. I was told that he would get recognized for his service. I certainly hope so, because he was worth it.

Have you had a GOOD experience with a company or employee going out of their way to help you? I’d love to hear about it.

~SB

Continue reading »]]> Over the last few years, Oklahoma City has made a name for itself. From the Maps projects to the acquisition of the OKC Thunder, Oklahoma City has gained a lot of positive national exposure. Years ago if someone mentioned Oklahoma, jokes would erupt referencing covered wagons, dust bowl, etc. But today’s Oklahoma includes great entertainment, growing cultural opportunities,  fabulous cuisine and a thriving economy.

Here are the facts:

• OKC Ranked #5 Best Job Market for 2011
• OKC #1 Most Affordable Cities to Live 2010
• 5.7% Unemployment Rate (As of November 2011)
• Best Place to Launch a Business (Forbes 2009)
• Listed as a Recession-Proof city (2008)
• Three major companies listed as Forbes Best Places to Work for 2012

From an economic perspective OKC is head-and-shoulders above other mid-market cities, but it’s not just the economy that is attracting people to this great state. In 2008 Clay Bennett and Aubrey McClendon spearheaded the initiative to bring the Seattle Sonics to Oklahoma to start a new NBA franchise. Many questioned the tactic and feasibility of bringing a professional basketball team to Oklahoma, as it is not considered a “major market”. But Clay and Aubrey did it, and boy has it paid off. The OKC Thunder has one of the highest (if not the top) attendance rates in the NBA, helping create a huge economic boom to Downtown/Midtown OKC.

In addition to sports, cultural attractions have tremendously grown.  The city is proud to boast the largest Chihuly exhibit in the country at the OKC Museum of Art, Smithsonian quality exhibits at the Oklahoma History Museum, not to mention Lyric Theater, Oklahoma’s premier professional theater company.

It has taken many years and a lot of commitment, passion and forethought by our community leaders to get Oklahoma City where it is today. As you can see this city has embraced growth and is proud to be nationally recognized as a great place to live. If you’ve never been to Oklahoma, take a road trip! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Continue reading »]]> With hoards of holiday shoppers hitting the malls, “shrinkage” (as its called in retail terms) increases substantially. But do you know what is the most popular shoplifted item?

Wait for it…

FILET MIGNON

Yes folks. Shoplifting of premium meats, including filet Mignon, leads the pack for most popular stolen items for 2011.

To read the rest of the list (and some of these items will surprise you), check out the article from Adweek here .

Continue reading »]]> I’ve never really been into gardening. I admire those who have perfectly manicured lawns and picturesque flower beds. But I seem to have the wrong color thumbs for it.

I decided at the beginning of the summer I would take a shot at growing something (I cant tell you how many peace lillies I have killed.) I hit the Midnight Madness sale at a local greenhouse and purchased monkey grass (aka Mondo Grass) and begonias to plant in the front flower bed. I spent an entire Saturday afternoon mixing potting soil with clay (Oklahoma soil – you suck.) and planting them in neat little rows, making sure to fertilize each plant with Miracle Grow and water well to help them “root”.

The next morning I wake up and step outside to check on my progress before heading to church, only to find 90% of the begonias are drooping! I’m not talking “hey idiot, water me”-type of drooping. These guys look like they just laid down and died.  I am pissed. I just spent $25 for these bastards! I decide to call TLC and find out about replacing them (they’re warrantied, right? WRONG.) After explaining what these little buggers look like, the young man on the other end of the line says “Sorry Ma’am, perennials are not warrantied.” What!? Now I am angry, but I have no recourse.

I find out I have “fried” the begonias from the roots up. I had no idea that planting them during the heat of the afternoon (did I mention we are on day 52 of 100+ degree weather?) would fry them. Yup, that’s what I did. But the monkey grass seems to be ok. No yellowing of the leaves or drooping. Sweet. Success.

A couple days after the begonia incident, I head outside one evening to check on the monkey grass to find that some of the plants are virtually gone. The long, lush leaves have been CHEWED to the roots. Are you kidding me? Is this some sort of sick twisted joke?! I head inside and ask G to come check it out. “Rabbits” he says. “Looks like the rabbits have been eating the new grass.” Bastards! We live in a neighborhood that has fields nearby so the rabbits have visited us and our neighbors on many occasions. However, since I never bothered to plant anything the cute little cotton-tailed furry sweet things were adorable. Not anymore. GET THE F OUT OF MY FLOWER BED.

Flower Bed Killer

To be continued……

Continue reading »]]> So I was tweeting it up tonight with @DanGordon, @MartinDeLaTwit, and @DeepFork (nom nom, Chocolate Cake) when the question was posed – what’s your favorite site/blog/topic at the moment. I found a great blog earlier in the day GirlsGoneChild.net that I really enjoyed, so I responded with a quick tweet referencing it, and also my own site. (Shameless plug)
I was happy to see Dan subscribed to my feed – but then he sent this over:

“& u need to update girl! 1 month ??? ”

Then this from Martin: why don’t you blog on the weekends?

Answer:

Pure Bliss

With swimming, birthday parties, art projects, visits to friends and more, its challenging to blog as much as I’d like. And I would like to. Working full time and juggling a family is tough. Somethings gotta take a back seat. And sometimes, its this site. But, have no fear. New postings are about appear. (Ha! Rhyming and a post. BONUS.)

Continue reading »]]> Back in January 2010, I created a bucket list of the top 10 things I wanted to accomplish that year. Looking back, I hit about 50% (which, by most standards is failing, but hey, give me a break – it was a tough year!)

As a recap, here’s my list:

1. Cook one new recipe a week (fail – although I did cook quite a bit)
2. Write on this blog at least three times weekly (BIG failure here.)
3. Become a bit more fashionable when it comes to shoes (improvement. Pass)
4. Start two new family traditions this year (Yes!)
5. Take a family vacation (somewhere other than NY or AL) (I ♥ Great Wolf Lodge)
6. Decorate my bedroom (I’ll say 50% on this. New bed, new bedding, but need knick knacks).
7. Listen more (maybe?)
8. Talk less (don’t laugh, I’m serious) (Fail I would say…)
9. Fix my wedding ring (PASS!)
10. Become a proficient photographer (Fail. Photographer – yes, proficient. Not exactly.)

This year, I am focusing on two things (let’s simplify this, shall we?):

• Becoming a proficient photographer and
• Writing on this blog more

Stick around and you’ll get the chance to grade my progress.

-SB

Continue reading »]]> So I am not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day (I think it is a contrived holiday dreamed up by the chocolate,  greeting card and flower companies to make money.) BUT – that said, my wonderful husband always treats me to beautiful flowers (red roses) and, more importantly, he also surprises his two other Valentines with flowers as well.  White for his “Pride” (Isabella) and pink (of course) for his “Joy” (Ainsley). I love that he does this for them, and they LOVE to get them.  As we were getting ready for a dinner party Saturday night, he said to me in passing “I don’t care where my girls might be, they will always get flowers from me on Valentines Day.”

GFB – I love you because you make me laugh. I love you because you gave me the two most precious daughters anyone could ask for. I love you because in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, you will be with me – til death do us part.

Happy Valentines Day babe.