Look for the red tape

I learned something new today, and it's something that will save you money, so I'm passing it along!

When shopping for bananas, look for the ones with red tape around them. Today when I was buying bananas, the produce man was restocking them and also putting red tape around certain bunches. I asked him what the tape was for, and he said, people will sometimes break off a banana from a bunch because they want 6 instead of 7, so the grocers gather all the lonely single bananas and group them into bunches with red tape. There is nothing wrong with the bananas. They are not old or bruised. They are just the ones that people pulled off their bunches. BUT the red tape tells the cashier to give you a discount! So not only are you saving those poor little lonely bananas from rotting all by themselves on the shelf, you're saving money too! That's a win-win if I ever saw one.

(p.s. - I'm not sure if all grocery stores do this, but mine does. Hooray!)

Lost and Found

Today I wore a necklace that I thought was lost. It had been lost for the past 6 years, 11 months, and 4 days; since the day I got married. It was my favorite necklace during my single days, but mysteriously since becoming a wife, the necklace was nowhere to be found. Lost and gone forever. I spent 6+ years wondering what happened to it. Every now and then while putting on accessories I would think about that necklace and wonder if somebody else was wearing it, or if it was just lying in a hole somewhere. Then a few months ago while unpacking my suitcase after returning from a trip, I reached inside one of the outer pockets and was shocked to find none other than that very necklace I thought I lost all those years ago! There it was, just sitting in the suitcase pocket, waiting for somebody to come along and find it. I guess I hadn't used that suitcase since the day I got married either, because I always check the pockets when unpacking my suitcase! I can't believe I never found it before now!

Finding this necklace gives me a slight glimmer of hope that I might also someday find another beloved item that has been lost since my wedding day; Sherman the stuffed elephant. Some of you know about Sherman. Some know I've been looking for him for 6 years, 11 months, and 4 days. He was a gift from Rob while we were dating, and I loved him so very very much. I'm sad every time I see a stuffed animal and wish it was Sherman. I've searched high and low in my parent's house hoping to find him. I've looked through storage boxes thinking maybe, just maybe, he might be hiding in there. After years of hoping, I finally resigned to the fact that I may never see him again, but finding that necklace gives me renewed hope! If that necklace can be found after years of hiding, maybe Sherman will turn up as well! Just like that necklace, he might be sitting in a box or bag or suitcase somewhere, waiting to be found. It may be ridiculous, but I'm going to keep on hoping I'll find him someday.

Chew it over

Rob came home late and brought half a twix with him. While handing it to me he said, "You probably don't want to eat this right now, but here you go."

I guess he doesn't know me very well. -- The wrapper was empty 2 minutes later.

Mmmmmmm! Maybe THIS is why I got that cavity!!

You know what I love?

Bright orange lilies and Husbands who bring them home for really no reason at all.

WOW!!

Sara slept eight hours straight for the first time last night. Wow! So that's what a full night's rest feels like!

Early Bird

Surprise, surprise...our little girl decided to come 4 weeks early!!

My water broke just before 7:00 AM on Friday morning, and off to the hospital we went! After a few complications (like my doctor not being available since it was the day after Christmas, and the resident doctor not checking her position with an ultrasound when we first arrived so we had to wait through 17 hours of contractions and poor progress dilating before the nurse finally realized "that's not a head I'm feeling!" -- THEN an ultrasound was done to confirm she was breech! and a c-section was performed)...

Sara Christine Hinckley was born Saturday, December 27th at 5:11 AM
7 lbs 3 oz., 18.5 inches

Mother and baby are doing well! For being 4 weeks early, she certainly isn't "preemie" sized!

So far we think she looks more like her Daddy. For the first two days of her life, she's enjoyed a lot of eating and sleeping, and that's about it!

Welcome, our little angel!

A Good Surprise

This is what I woke up to this morning.

papers taped to the mirror in the bathroom....

and then around the corner and on the mirror in the entryway and front door....

and leading into the kitchen and wall of the dining room.

Each of these papers had something typed on it when I lifted them up. To set the background for this, our 5th Anniversary is this Saturday, and several months ago Rob and I talked about what we should do to celebrate. We talked about maybe going on a trip, but then decided against it because of the costs. We just decided that we would stay in town and eat out at the same place we've eaten at the past two years, this great sushi place downtown....It's sort of become a tradition. But then when I woke up this morning and saw this string of papers on the walls, everything changed! They started out by saying "you say you like good surprises, so I hope this is one" and something about how wood (the traditional 5th year anniversary gift) is a "rather unispiring category", so no gifts this year. Then he tells me he printed all these papers on draft, so don't worry, no wasted ink (wow, I was so worried) and proceeds to tell me we won't be getting our free meal at Chipotle on Friday and we won't be going to Takashi on Saturday! What? GASP!! But it's tradition! I mean, it's only been a tradition for two years, but come on, traditions have to get going somehow! And THIS is no way to keep it going!! Well that's when this next paper came up...

Huh?? ... "Our flight leaves tomorrow at 11:50 am." ... WHAT??!? ... Then he tells me he's been working extra hard this month so we can afford it (how thoughtful!), and that our 5th anniversary dinner just might be at a street stand, or perhaps something a little fancier, in (are you ready for it?) New York! ... as in I 'heart' NY! Wow!! I've never been to New York City before, and neither has Rob, so this will be a first trip for the both of us! So enough of this blogging, I've got some serious packing to do!