The Greatest Loophold in the World!!!!

So I have never taken my kids to the Pioneer Day Parade downtown. There are not many things I can think of that would be worse than taking my kids to the Parade. Granted, stepping on a George Foreman Grill while making bacon might be worse; having my eyeballs poked out with a large beam could be worse; manual labor.....definitely worse. The heat, the whining, the sun, and the endless barrage of requests for snacks, drinks, and balloons do nothing to entice me to go, especially with a feisty 1 year old who thinks she owns the world and can shreik until your ears are ringing and 4 other kids whose main objective would be to run out in the street and stowaway onto the floats. So every year we skip it. Unspoken rule due to Mommy's inability to cope. That's just how it goes.

This year, my adorable friend, Adrianne, introduced me to the greatest loop hole ever invented. She told me that at the Southtown Expo Center every year, the public can go see the floats, for FREE!!!! I can't think of anything better!! You get to go indoors, see the floats, and all in an air-conditioned room!! That to me is WAY better than the parade outside in 100 degree weather. Besides, all anyone ever really cares about at the parade are the floats. Anyone who says that they love the cops on horses or the stupid old cars with old guys in big white suits and top hats waving wildly to people who don't wave back are lying!!!! Here, you get to go straight to the goods, see the floats close up, and you get to hear all the bands practicing and parading around!! Now I don't have to feel like I deprive my kids of the parade experience!!

Monday me and some friends from work took advantage of this delicious loop hole and took our kids to see the floats. It was so much fun; there was a guy there who made balloon animals for them, and then the kids all got their faces painted. Afterwards we went to lunch, and it was a great experience!! Thanks Adrianne, Sandie, and Corinne for meeting us down there. It was an indoor blast that can't be beat! Let's do it again next year!!!!

I'm It

I've been tagged by my cute friend, Matti to discuss my top ten favorite restaurants. Honestly, I think it will be a miracle if I can come up with that many. When I had twins, that put me 4 kids under 5. My social life (what little I had) sort of came to an abrupt halt. If I was ever able to go out, it had to be to the nearest Wendy's drive-through with kids in tow, which we would do every Thursday lunch for years. I am fortunate, however, to be able to occasionally go out with friends and on even rarer occasions, go out with my hubby. Even though I've never been one to look for that "hole in the wall" restaurant kind of girl, I always love the familiarity and comfort of old stand-by's. I have had tons of fun and interesting conversations over gallons and gallons of Diet Coke wherever I am. I guess I'm just a simple girl at heart; the smallest things make me extraordinarily happy and content. Well, here goes....

1) Chili's: It seems that I always end up here with my girlfriends. I love to get bottomless chips and salsa and of course, Diet Coke with lime is a must. If the waitor knows anything, it's to keep me "2 ahead" at all times. Boy...if the walls at Chili's could talk!!

2) Famous Dave's: Even though I don't get to go here that often, I love it here. They have the best corn muffins ever!! For every family function, we always get Famous Dave's Baked Beans. For my birthday dinner every year, my mom gets Famous Dave's awesome beef brisket, beans, and corn muffins. I love it and it makes turning older easier.

3) Olive Garden: This is a special spot for my husband and myself. For some reason, we just love going here together on our dates. Even though it's a rare treat, we love the ambiance and love to chat over our delicious meals. I always get the same thing; chicken parmigiana and Diet Coke.

4) Red Robin: Another predictable stand-by (do you see a pattern here? I do). I love their Whiskey River BBQ Chicken wraps; and don't forget their BOTTOMLESS FRIES!! Need I say more?

5) Kneaders: They just built one down the street; how could I not take advantage of such an opportunity to have their turkey on focaccia and broccoli/cheese soup on a regular basis? Not to mention their chocolate/mint brownies AND a large Diet Coke!!

6) Cafe Rio: LOVE their pork salad. I've never had anything else because that pork gets me every time!! It's a fun ambiance and even though crowds generally give me a lot of anxiety, I am willing to brave the crowds in order to enjoy such a delish salad with friends!!

7) Su Casa: I heart Mexican!! My hubby won't eat Mexican, so I love to go here with my Mexican food loving friends. I've been going here since high-school, and the chips and salsa can't be beat!!

8) Astro Burger: Allright, just because the workers know me by name doesn't mean that it's weird. Honestly. The new Astro Burger in Draper is my best friend. It got me through my pregnancy with Ava. They have the BEST fries in the world, and when I was pregnant I would go to get their fries and a JR Astro Cheeseburger and Strawberry shake on the side. No better way to go!!

9) Dodo: I was introduced to the Dodo by a friend. They have one heck of a turkey sandwich, not to mention their Toll house pie!!

10) Denny's: Last but not least, one of my favorite high school hangouts after games and bowling and somewhere I still like to go with my friends late at night. Best thing on the menu......that one's easy!! Moons Over My Hammy!! The only thing embarrassing is actually saying that with a straight face when ordering. I usually just point to it.

So there you have it! I think it's pretty obvious that I like bad food, but thankfully I don't go out very often.

Summer (and Cheap) Wonderland

With the kids off track, having the kids going stir crazy with this heat (and no yard to play in yet, sadly to say), and money so very tight this summer, options for fun are more limited than they have been in the past. I have become an expert at cheap but fun things to do with the kids.

I LOVE IKEA!! Where else in the valley can you go for a super cheap lunch (kids meals .99 to $1.99; and I can get a huge bowl of pasta for $1.99!!). Last week we went to IKEA, and ended up spending 2 hours there! The kids and I played a game where we pretended that we lived in NYC and were looking for furniture for our NYC apartments. The kids had an absolute blast choosing what "apartments" were theirs. They didn't fight, scream, or tear each others hair out...at all...the whole time!! I was so proud of them! 2 days after shopping for our "NYC apartments", the kids wanted to go back to play the same game!! This time, after touring the top floor, I wanted to tour the bottom level and so I put them in the daycare play area. They had such a blast...that's all they've been talking about for days! They are begging me to go back again, and soon! Free entertainment, and I get to tour IKEA with just Ava in the stroller! What can I say...I heart IKEA!!