2010 Year in Review on Restaurants

As you can tell from the tables below I use the term restaurant for this post quite broadly. For the Kall family I am reviewing any establishment we ate at for the year 2010. Obviously, defining a restaurant as “any establishment we ate at” leaves the restaurant spectrum quite wide.

I must admit that it is interesting when you take a look at every place you have eaten at for the entire year. It brings a whole new meaning to the term “Piggers” ;).

To kick things off I want to hand out some awards. First, the award of the most visited restaurant by the Kall family, with a grand total of visits of 52 (averaging a little over once a week), goes to Subway.

A sad but very true fact about my family is that we like convenience. Not only is Subway a super fast food, but it was right next to our house and my graduate office. I am fairly certain that convenience will be what kills us (and probably America).

The second award goes to the restaurant we spent the most at, and that is the China House with a whopping $960.15. Even if you averaged out our visits to the China House (10 times) we still paid $96.02 per meal. In our defense, the China House in Oakmont has the best sushi you will eat in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, you will also pay for the taste!

The final award goes to the Silk Elephant in Squirrel Hill for spending the most in one sitting. We spent $176.09 on some amazing Thai food and culture. Not to be misleading this tab was for eight adults. We were celebrating my graduation with several of my classmates and it was a lot of fun.

Now if that was just for a family of four that would be some serious expensive grub. However, if we are just looking at a dinner with the Kall family we have a lower (but not by much) amount.

So, the true winner of the most expensive meal the Kall family ate in 2010 is (drum roll) Red Lobster. Costing our family $101 (which does include a generous tip). I am mostly to blame for this high figure. I love lobster, but the amount of energy you spend getting to the meat helps fire up an appetite for other foods. If you ever eat at Red Lobster you know quite well that this strategy of eating isn’t cheap.

With the awards out of the way, I figured I would write a critic on each restaurant and give our honest opinion.

Note: We ate at 71 restaurants in 2010. I am only showing one review at a time, because some of them are quite lengthy. However, I have added navigation tools that allows you to open the table up to more than one review or to just do a search. Hopefully this will help in going through all our data.

Restaurant Times VisitedTotal Amount SpentRecommendationReview
Ali Baba1$80.00Ryan Likes, Lacy DislikesAli Baba is an Indian restaurant fairly close to my office in Oakland. Last year when I flew out to meet with my program adviser he took me here. If you like authentic Indian food you will love this place. I have eaten here many times and have not been disappointed. Lacy unfortunately doesn't feel the same way. She ate here once and got a leg of lamb. She didn't expect to get viking size lamb leg. It grossed her out and she hasn't ever wanted to eat there again. Personally, I just think it is not her cup of tea, but if Indian food is your thing than I think you won't be disappointed.
Applebee's17$623.55Kall Family LikesApplebee's has to be Lacy's and my favorite sit down restaurant. It is with in walking distance of my office (which is dangerous), and therefore we spend a lot of our money there. Our favorites are their Chicken Wonton Tacos and Jalapeno Burgers. Makes me hungry just writing about it!
Aramark Gettysburg1$24.76Kall Family LikesIf you are ever in Pennsylvania you have to go and check out Gettysburg. You won't be disappointed I promise. We took both our parents there and had a great time. We also ate at their visitor center. There food was fine, but there service was great. We got to their cafeteria 10 minutes after they closed. Lacy was ill and needed food. The people there allowed us to buy what we needed and even eat in the cafeteria which was closed to everyone else. Really great service, really great people.
Asian Café1$12.40Ryan DislikesThe Asian Café is one of the many Asian restaurants in Pittsburgh. I personally wasn't impressed by the food. It wasn't horrible but I have had a lot better. It would be a convenient place for me to eat at since it is close to where I work but once was enough for me.
Auntie Anne Pretzels2$15.25Kall Family LikesAuntie Anne's is a weakness for Lacy and I. Every we take the kids to the mall we almost always have to get one. There is no doubt that they are outrageously priced, but the soft delicious pretzels are our vice for sure. If you are strong enough to resist than you will save yourself some pesos, but if you like great pretzels and have not will power than you won't be disappointed.
Bahama Breeze1$109.00Ryan likesI took some friends from Australia to Bahama Breeze and they really enjoyed it. The food is definitely good, but the service is far better. Plan on spending about $12 to $15 a plate, but the atmosphere of Bahama Breeze makes it worth it.
Baskin Robbins1$7.68Kall Family Likes31 delicious flavors....enough said =).
Ben and Jerrys1$9.63Lacy Likes, Ryan Doesn't CareYeah, it is a famous ice cream place, but the prices are not worth in my opinion. Lacy loves to visit here when ever we are downtown. Personally, I would be just fine with a dollar cone at a fast food joint.
Bob Evans1$21.00Ryan DislikesI think the Bob Evans Restaurant is native to Pennsylvania because I haven't seen it anywhere else. I ate here once when Lacy and the kids where visiting Grandma. The food is as unoriginal as you are going to find. If you are looking for a place to satisfy in the hunger hole than it will do, but if you are looking for taste go somewhere else.
Boston Market7$182.46Ryan Likes, depends on Lacy's mood (so partial like).My first job ever was working for Boston Market. The simple fact that ten plus years later I still eat there should tell you something (in fact, we ate there last night). I love their new marketing effort to make it feel like you are eating at home (though, I feel for the workers and dish clean-up). My favorite is their Rotisserie Chicken Carver®. I am just glad I don't have to make it ;).
Brueggers7$81.82Ryan Really LikesI have spent long hours in Brueggers the last several months. Not only do they have amazing bagels (which they make there in the shop) they also have free wi-fi. When I decide to not go into the city I will go here to get a good lunch and study.
Buffalo Wild Wings1$32.00Kall Family LikesLacy loooooooooves buffalo wings, and I don't mind eating them if they are boneless. We have eaten several times at Buffalo Wild Wings and to be honest haven't been overly impressed. We only ate there once in 2010 and the service rather poor. We went at 2:30 in the afternoon (after the lunch rush) and had to wait over an hour to get our meal. The food was okay, but nothing to rave about (and definitely not worth waiting that long for). From this experience we have crossed Buffalo Wild Wings off of our list of restaurants to eat at.
Café Rio2$30.28Kall Family LikesUnfortunately, there isn't a Café Rio out East (in fact, I can't say there is really any great Mexican on the East Coast). So, whenever we head West, particularly Utah, we gorge ourselves on their smothered burritos. Truly, if you want to gain 5 pounds in one sitting this is the place!
Camilles Café2$16.90Ryan DislikesCamilles Café was right across the street from my office. I only tried it a couple of times because I didn't think their food or drinks were worth the prices.
Charley's Grille1$2.13Ryan IndifferentI cannot give a strong recommendation either way since I visited Charley's at the Pittsburgh airport, and I only bought a water.
China House10$960.15Kall Family LOVESWhen we moved to Pittsburgh we expected to find amazing sushi places, since we were only six hours from the coast. However, what we found was old, over-priced sushi wannabe. That was the case for every place but China House in Oakmont, PA. It is still expensive, but man is it awesome (and worth it). We particularly recommend the crunchy, dragon, and volcano rolls!
Chipotle2$29.79Kall Family LikesThe last time we went to Washington D.C. we found a Cafe Rio knock-off, which was a welcome surprise since we haven't found too many Mexican restaurants in Pittsburgh that we have liked. Similar to Cafe Rio, Chipotle has a cafeteria style serving. We had their smothered burritos and highly recommend them.
Chuck E Cheese1$39.55Kall Children Like, Kall Parents DislikesAnother restaurant that we only went once and won't go to again, much to the chagrin of our two year old daughter Camille. Chuck E. Cheese is definitely created for children, but not for parents. It was cramped and thousands of knee-biters ran wild. Camille loved Carousel horse ride, and our favorite picture moment of the evening was another child acting like she was going to give Camille a hug and then throwing her down the slide. We wiped a few tears from that event, which Camille recovered from, but Lacy and I did not!
Curritos3$25.95Kall Family LikesCurritos is a great burrito place in the Pittsburgh International Airport. We usually eat here when we fly. We really, really liked it. They have some great authentic burritos that you don't normally find in a mexican joint.
Denny's1$31.00Kall Family IndifferentIf Denny's went out of business we wouldn't be sad. It is an okay place to hit if there is nothing else around.
Don Pablo's1$43.00Kall Family DislikesI LOVE tacos, so when we picked up my niece and nephew from the airport and saw Don Pablo's offering all you can eat taco's we couldn't resist---we should have. It's a nice restaurant, but their tacos were horrible. I may be picky, but really I have had fast food tacos that were better than Don Pablo's. Everyone else had different platters, and were also unsatisfied. Definitely a pass in the future!
Dozen Cupcakes1$12.43Ryan LikesDozen cupcakes open up right under my graduate office, and where offering free food on opening day. Of course, all of us graduate students went. When I graduated I took my visiting parents to eat there and we all loved it. If you are a rice crispy fan like myself it is a must try!
Dunkin Doughnuts1$12.68Ryan LikesLacy and I moved out to Pittsburgh in August 2008. We were amazed at how many Doughnut shops are out here. Pittsburgh and Doughnuts are parallel to Seattle and Coffee. You will see a Doughnut shop on almost ever corner. One thing I like about Dunkin' Donuts is that it is not all Doughnuts. I had to teach my church's youth bible class every morning for several months. One time I stopped by to pick up doughnuts for the class and found that they have a great selection for breakfast as well. I also was surprised to see that at six in the morning that Dunkin' Donuts was crazy busy. Good doughnuts and good breakfast
Eat N Park4$128.98Kall Family IndifferentBoth Lacy and I grew up out West and wasn't introduced to Eat' N Park until we came here (we are not sure if they were in California or not). To us Eat' N Park is more of step up from a Village Inn (which the national VI chain doesn't exist in Pittsburgh, but we are told there is a great Italian restaurant that goes by the same name). It is not bad food, but it is about the same price as Applebee's and if you are going to spend that type of money you might as well go to Applebee's.
Einstein Bros1$7.00Kall Family LikesGreat bagel place, but we actually like their ice cream better!
Five Guys2$17.61Ryan Likes, Lacy DislikesI've learned that greatness of Five Guys depends on the location. The best Five Guys in Pittsburgh-ish area is the one across from the Pittsburgh Mill mall. Every time I do a honeydo to Walmart I make sure to stop there and earn another fat roll!
Foodler1$16.23Ryan LikesHard Rock Café Pittsburgh is a place we take anyone visiting us from out of town. Their food and atmosphere makes it a fun place to remember!
Hard Rock Café3$243.00Kall Family LikesUnlike Eat N Park, IHOP is definitely out West, and one of the Kall's favorite restaurants. However, the closest IHOP is almost a half hour a way. Fortunately, it is on the way to the airport. So, IHOP is our restaurant of choice when we have to go out that way.
IHOP6$241.83Kall Family LikesUnlike Eat N Park, IHOP is definitely out West, and one of the Kall's favorite restaurants. However, the closest IHOP is almost a half hour a way. Fortunately, it is on the way to the airport. So, IHOP is our restaurant of choice when we have to go out that way.
KFC1$7.90Ryan Dislikes, Lacy LikesReally folks, does it not concern you that Kentucky Fried Chicken had to rebrand its name to KFC? Rebranded or not KFC to me is just a heart-attack deep fat fried and served with greasy potatoes.
Kiva Han Café6$41.53Ryan DislikesYou would think by the simple fact that I visited Kiva Han six times that I would be a fan, but it was more convenient than anything. Their food isn't great, and since I am not a coffee drinker (which I am told is great) I really wasn't a fan.
Kohli's Indian Imports1$9.51Ryan LikesThis is a little Indian store on Craig's street in Pittsburgh. I imagine that stores in Bangalore are quite similar. It has everything you could possibly imagine and more. Every inch of the store is stacked with something you can buy. I have only bought some goodies there once, but about once a week I would go in and look at all the different eclectic knacks they have.
Levy Restaurant3$31.75Ryan Dislikes, Lacy LikesThe only reason I don't like Levy's is due to the pricing. We ate at PNC park when we went to our first Pittsburgh Pirates game (which of course they lost). For stadium food it was a step up, but so is the pricing.
Little Ceasers1$26.88Kall Family LikesWho ever started Little Ceasers understands the need of how families what cheap and fast pizza (if it tastes good that is a plus too). Our little children love it, which I am sure will be added to the list they give to their therapist 20 years from now on why we were horrible parents!
MadMex1$33.00Ryan & Lacy DislikeI took Lacy here in hopes for some authentic good Mexican. Those of you are familiar with Madmex know that it is neither. We were thoroughly disappointed (we are always looking for a good Mexican haunt).
Maximum Flavor Pizza7$45.18Ryan LikesThe only thing that is sad about Maximum Flavor Pizza is that I finally broke down and visited it in the last two weeks of my graduate program. They seriously have everything including pizza. After learning how good the food was I went as often as I could before I graduated. It truly became my restaurant of choice while studying.
Mayorga Coffee1$16.15Ryan LikesYet another restaurant I ate at while traveling. Personally I alternate between Curritos and Mayorga. Generally, I go to Mayorga's when I am in a hurry and Corritos when I want good Texmex food!
McDonalds21$224.20Kall Family DislikesWhen Lacy and I think of fast food that is going to kill you McDonalds is the first to come to mind. I cannot remember why we went there, but I am sure it had something do with a dire situation of screaming kids and finding the closest food source. It looks as if there wasn't any real food source around and McDonalds had to do.
Moio's Italian2$21.50Ryan and Lacy LikeI have actually only been in the parking lot of Moio's, but I truly benefited from their pastries. From what Lacy tells me Moio's is an authentic Italian bakery, and our friends the Matthews absolutely love it. Having tasted some of their cakes I can understand why!
Montezuma Mexican1$67.00Ryan and Lacy LikeWhen my parents came and visited us we took them to Gettysburg. After visiting the sacred ground of the battle we decided to find a place for dinner. I couldn't pass up a Mexican joint with the name of Montezume (think "revenge"). The restaurant was actually really good, and I would recommend it to anyone going out to Gettysburgh. Just don't drink the water Ü.
Nicky's Thai Kitchen7$295.85Kall Family LOVESLacy and I LOOOOVE Thai food, and Nicky's is the best we have found. I particularly like their ragoons. Yet, if you are curry fan you won't be disappointed either. We have tried every single curry that they offer and have loved them all. One word of caution: If you like spicy and you're a whitey, go with a 4 or 5 in spicy. We went with a 7 and couldn't finish our dish because it was too hot. Lesson learned!
Noodle Company2$18.07Lacy LikesLacy is a big fan of the Noodle Company. When we had our second child I would go out and get her some of their soups and smoothies, which loves. I personally don't hate the restaurant, but would rather spend my money somewhere else (not a big carbs fan).
Orange Julius1$8.32Ryan LikesOrange Julius is big out West, and I was excited to find one in the Monroeville Mall. Obviously, their recipes are the same, but it just didn't feel like the ones from back home.
Orient Express23$213.92Ryan LOVESIt amazes me how much money I spent at OE. It is another restaurant around the corner from my graduate office. I ate there at least once a week. It is really cheap Chinese, but you get a lot of food. It probably explains the extra 30 pounds I put on while going school!
P.F. Chang's4$262.00Lacy Likes, Ryan DislikesWhen Lacy was prego with Camille she could not get enough of P.F. Changs lettuce wraps. Also, back 2009 when Lacy and I were on a vegan kick we loved to go to P.F. Changs for their vegetarian dishes. It is a definite favorite, but quite expensive. I am thankful that Lacy got on the Internet and found a recipe that tastes just like P.F. Changs lettuce wraps. We now have it for dinner a lot, and I am not worried about going broke if we decide to get pregnant again.
Panara Bread15$233.27Kall Family LikesUsually if I am bringing take out food home for dinner I have to stop at two restaurants--Boston Market for me, and Panara Bread for Lacy. She loves Panara Bread and always gets there chicken salad sandwich meal. Frankly, I think they are an overpriced bakery, with food that is mediocre, which is why I always go somewhere else for dinner (and, in my opinion, is why Lacy always ends up eating some of my dinner ;)).
Patron Mexicon Grill2$46.76Kall Family LikesHaving lived close to the Cali-Mexican border Lacy and I know what good Mexican taste like. Unfortunately, we are quite far from the border and most Mexican food in PA tastes like it. Lacy and I have found an Tex Mex restaurant, Patron Mexicon Grill, which is actually decent. We are fans of their fresh made tortilla chips and their salsa. Also, their cheese enchiladas is a fav of mine and the taco salad is a fav of Lacy's.
Pizza Hut6$202.34Lacy Likes, Ryan @$#% HATESI have to out right say this, "I HATE PIZZA HUT!" Not dislikey, but genuinely hate this organization. Their food is average, but their service is horrid. Unfortunately, it is Lacy's favorite pizza to order online. However, every single time I order it is a nightmare. There are so many pizza places in this world that you shouldn't waste your time on one that doesn't treat their customers right.
Popeye's1$7.48Ryan DislikesAnother restaurant that I am not a fan of. Lacy has never eaten at Popeye's and thankfully it is the same parking lot as Panera Bread so she hasn't ever been tempted. If you look at the above table you will see that I ate at Popeye's a total of two times. This is actually quite deceiving. I actually only ate their once, but used the credit card twice. I needed to get a second drink to swallow down the gross meal that I ordered. I strongly discourage anyone from eating at Popeye's, but if you must avoid their catfish sandwich at all cost!
Primanti Bros1$53.00Kall Family HATESLacy and I don't understand the fascination that Pittsburghans have with Primanti Brothers. In 2009 we used to take the missionaries from our church there, so that they could have an authentic experience. Each time we hated the food and the atmosphere. Yet, if you talk with anybody from Pittsburgh and ask them what restaurant you should visit while in town and they will tell you Primanti's. I think the marketing person at Primanti's headquarters should deserve a raise, because the food doesn't promote itself!
Qdoba2$20.65Kall Family LikesYou know how I mentioned that Pittsburgh doesn't have any great Mexican restaurants. Well, at one time Qdobas was the closest thing we could find that we liked. However, the one in our area will be closing down shortly, which is unfortunate. Sometimes you want Mexican but a sit down restaurant isn't convenient, and Taco Bell just doesn't satisfy the Mexican food hunger.
Quaker Steak & Lube1$24.13Kall Family LikesWe have only been to Quaker's once, but we were impressed. Personally, I think any restaurant that uses "Lube" in their title is questionable. However, after trying their many different sauces I just keep my opinions to my self and focus on eating the great food!
Quiznos4$52.14Kall Family LikesLacy and I have a debate over which sub place is better. I like Subway and she likes Quiznos. There is more choice at Subway, but I don't complain if we go to Quiznos either. Both are good, but I prefer to put more on my sandwich than Quiznos seems to give you.
Red Lobster3$192.00Kall Family LikesI've decided that eating Red Lobster will be considered a sin in the next life. Mainly because you have to mortgage your first born to eat there (see most expensive award above). If this is the case than eating at Red Lobster will be at the top of the list of sins that sends me to Hell. I love to eat here, particularly when they have their all you can eat crab legs. Lacy likes it as well, though, not necessarily for the crab legs (she thinks it is too much work for so little reward). She is a big fan of their lobster and fish. Unfortunately, we only visit a few times a year, so not to completely spend Camille's entire college fund.
Red Robin2$74.00Kall Family LikesI am actually surprised that we did not eat more at Red Robin for 2010. It is hands down Lacy's favorite restaurant, and though it isn't my favorite I do like it. However, the closest one we found is in Cranberry which is 40 minutes away (which explains why we only went twice last year).
Sbarro2$11.81Kall Family LikesWe have only eaten at Sbarro a few times and both times have been when we visited Monroeville Mall (just outside of Pittsburgh). It greasy pizza, but I think that's why we like it!
Silk Elephant1$176.09Ryan and Lacy LikeLacy and I went to the Silk Elephant with my graduate friends after we won $10,000 for the best presentation in our program. We still haven't received the money yet (it will take several months before we do), but we spent money like we had $10,000 burning in our pockets.
Snackbar1$3.92Ryan IndifferentThe snackbar is a generic term for a small restaurant (if you can call it that) in Carnegie Mellon. I grabbed a sandwhich, brownie, and a water right before I went and took a Java programming midterm. I failed the midterm, I blame the brownie =);
Star of India1$12.00Ryan LikesAnother restaurant close to school. I really liked the food, but all my Indian friends hate it, and feel it is too greasy. Maybe the food is too close to American food for their taste, which would explain why I liked it =).
Starbucks3$18.36Ryan DislikesMy graduate office was right above Starbucks. We would go to class and our peers would think we were avid coffee drinkers. This was probably true for some of the other students in my program, but being a staunch Mormon part of our health code is to not drink coffee. However, I have discovered that Starbucks has overpriced pastries, which on a few occasions I have given into. They are okay, but not worth the price.
Steak N Shake1$11.06Ryan LikesI had never heard of Steak N Shake until we moved to Pittsburgh, but with one visit I am hooked. I need to Lacy here as well, because I think she will really enjoy it.
Subway52$420.10Ryan Likes, Depends on Lacy's mood.I am actually surprised that I only ate 13 times at Subway for the last four months. Subway is my choice of preference for lunch, and the fact that it is so close to my office doesn't really help. I get the same sandwich, toasted wheat foot long--over roasted chicken--pepper jack cheese. With olives, onions, spinach, jalapenos, salt and pepper and spicy mustard. I also order a bag of Garden Salsa Sun Chips that I add to my sandwich. Hmmmm. . . . is it lunch yet!
Taco Bell 31$310.49Lacy LIKES, Ryan is indifferentThe first thing I learned about Lacy when we began dating was the other lover she had in her life--Taco Bell. This is not an exaggeration. If I hadn't been so opposed she would have had Taco Bell cater our wedding reception. Personally, if I were to never eat at Taco Bell again, I would be just fine.
Taipei Tokyo8$495.00Kall Family LikesTaipei Tokyo is one of the rare non-national chains that we indulge in. When it comes to the greatest Chinese food every Taipei Tokyo wins hands down. My favorite is their ground pepper filet mignon meal. I am coming to learn, though, as I write these reviews that my taste is rather expensive (at least for our budget). Taipei Tokyo should be on your bucket list when visiting Pittsburgh, but unless you are well off I wouldn't make it habit.
Uncle Sam's Sandwich Bar1$10.17Ryan DislikesI stopped by this restaurant after traveling 40 minutes to visit a Highmark insurance store front (another story for another time). The sandwhich I had was probably a 6 on a scale of 10, but the price was quite unrealistic. I should have listened to my wallet and walked away without getting anything.
Union Grill4$76.86Kall Family DislikesUnion Grill is a Pittsburgh favorite. Lacy and I went there on a whim and found another reason why we just cannot call ourselves Pittburghnese. I think our taste buds have been too corrupted by the West to appreciate the cuisine of the Pitt.
Universal Pizza1$47.00Ryan LikesI actually cannot comment on the food at Universal Pizza, since I bought a bunch of pizzas for some friends. However, I can tell you their customer service is fantastic.
Vocelli Pizza1$41.41Kall Family DislikesWe have only had Vocelli Pizza once. I tried them out in my efforts to ween Lacy off of Pizza Hut. Vocelli Pizza turned out to not help in this effort. We ordered your basic vegetarian lover pizza, but the crust and the overall taste of the pizza wasn't that great. We learned when we had them deliver that we are in a dead zone. So, they told us that they will no longer deliver to us. I am glad to see that both we and Vocelli Pizza feel the same way.
W.G. Grinders1$160.86Lacy Likes, Ryan DislikesLacy and I paid W.G. Grinders to cater our church activity in Columbus Ohio. It fed a lot of people and nobody complained about the food, which is a plus. However, I personally didn't think it was that great. Maybe I am too picky, because Lacy didn't mind it. Their long sub just didn't stand out to me.
Wendys34$276.72Kall Family LikesWendys was our overall winner for the most eaten at restaurant. I think this is because I am a fan of their breakfast foods. Sometimes I need to go to the office in the morning and I won't have time to eat breakfast. So, I will stop at Wendys and get their Panini meal (sometimes I miss breakfast on purpose ;))
Zaiaka Authentic152.53Ryan LikesI stumbled across this Indian restaurant while trying to kill some time in Plum, PA. It was quaint little place, but the food was incredible. I highly recommend it.

So, there you have the eating habits of the Kall family. After pouring through the data in order to write this post, I must admit it is somewhat disheartening to see how much we have eaten out over the year. Hopefully, 2011 will be the year the Kall family learns that it is better to be a piggy bank than a piggy eater!

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Entertainment!

We loove online entertainment…maybe to a downfall. If you want your favorite music all day we highly recommend Pandora.com! It is a site that caters to your favorite type of music! We paid for the year deal which was $36. Another online fav is Netflix.com. Its great to cuddle up with one another and have an endless list of movies and shows. Its also great when I need to get something done and my oldest can watch a show of Barney and theres so many choices! Its really convenient for paying just $7.99 a month (we spent a total of $58.79 this year)!

For some fun on Halloween we went to our city’s zoo! We had a complete blast with some friends. For our family of 3 it was $23.54 of fun activites, animals and adventure. We loved it! When family comes we love to take them sightseeing especially to Amish country. We had a good ol’ time seeing the country of Smicksburg and the beautiful creations made by the people. We spent $27.55 for a fun day! For a family night we went to the movies at MCM Theaters. So fun! The theater may be nasty but super cheap and no one else was there! We saw Tangled and our daughter loved it! For a family of 4 it was $17.25. For Christmas my hubs got me tickets to ride a train with Western Maryland Scenic. I’ve never rode a train and now I get to see beautiful Maryland. YAY!! For the both of us it was $110. I’ll let you know how it went!

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Fees are not free..in case you didn’t know

The ATM is a brilliant invention! Especially the $2 fee the bank gets. We have paid $8 in ATM fees and $33 in overdraft.

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Beauty Ooolalaa

Why is it that men have what women want when it comes to beauty? Sounds weird I know but the thick curled eyelashes and hair that grows crazy fast. I recently chopped my hair off, and what a big mistake that was. Unfortunately, my hair doesn’t grow like my husbands. While I was waiting and waiting to even get a trim it seemed like every other week he was Supercuts getting a full on cut. He is a big fan of Supercuts. First of all, you can just walk in. And with our busy schedules it is great not having to plan around children, work etc. He likes that he can expect excellent service and a job well done. He has a specific style he wants and is always walking away looking goooood. Its cheap, fast and since he has to go so often it makes our wallet happy! In the last couple months he has spent $61 on the nose.

When my hair finally starting getting longer I wanted a new style. I went to Allure Salon about 25 mins from my house. They were having a deal for new customers which I always like. I got a deep wash, a nice new shape and a blow dry and style plus tip for $35. The atmosphere is charming and really professional. Definitely a place I’ll be going back to!

They say you don’t get acne as an adult, ha! When I was 15 my face started to break out really terribly. Ever since then I have used Proactivs face toner. I give my mom the wash which she loves. My pores are out of control when I don’t use it! I will forever be happy I found it because it really makes my face smooth and blemish free. In the last couple months I’ve spent $49.10 and will forever more!

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Cuz we aren’t Adam and Eve

Since we cant run around naked we have to shop for cute clothing somewhere.

I was probably 7 months pregnant with our second when I finally went winter shopping for myself. A friend suggested JcPenny’s which I had never thought of for my pregnancy clothes but boy was I wrong! I bought 4 pairs of jeans, 11 shirts, a couple under tanks and lots of jewelry (I have been wanting jewelry for years) all for $330.91. The staff were super friendly and helpful when I wanted something in my size. And later when I had to do an exchange they made the process quick and easy. I will forever shop at JcPenny for pregnancy clothes..maybe even normal clothes. Also, kids items LOVE!

 

My hubs and I had just moved into a new place and needed a few items from different stores.  We started heading into town when we saw a store “Gabriel Brothers”. We had always wanted to see what it was. My guess was a furniture store. We walked in and smiles quickly grew on our faces. It was like a Ross x2. We purchased a drawer, bird cage, ducky toy, clothes for my hubs and daughter and some food. Later my hubby came back to get work overalls and boots. We spent $249.31. Speaking of Ross, we had to get pillows and baskets and heading over there. I have always loved Ross its full of random fun things. While there I also got some religious books and spent $110.09 total. TJ Maxx is another. great everyday store. I can get kids clothes, kitchen items, decor and bathroom needs for so little. While there we spent $20.30. But I think out of all my ‘everyting’ stores I love Burlington Coat Factory. Its choice for womens clothing and home decor beats every other stores. They even have mens suits which I love for cheap! Fabulous store! We spent $125.03.

My hubby and I try to go to our church’s temple as often as possible. While at the temples little store we purchased some clothing items, magazine, cds and dvds. We spent $392. I always enjoy how quite and clean the store is.

 

My hubby needs to look sharp in his suit. And since I don’t want to be in charge of cleaning them I send them to Frank and John’s Dry Cleaners. Nothing like my man in a perfectly cleaned iron suit and speedy service for only $9.50.

I love holidays! We had such a fun Halloween this year! But last minute my hubs and to get a few items for his outfit namely straw hat, and country boy shirt. He knew he had to go to Halloween Adventure. All sorts of options! He spent $20.31.

Oh baby! I love Babies R Us! But who doesn’t that has children or loves little clothes? When we found out we were expecting our 2nd we knew we had most things but there were some we needed more of. And with our oldest growing so fast we needed more clothes for her. So, between new car seat, clothes, baby gifts, formula, and bottles we spent $1065.76. Their products are fabulous and you know they will last. And with kids you need things to last as long as possible!

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Cars eat paychecks for breakfast

You have a car to get to work. You work to pay for your car. It’s a beautiful cycle!

My husband and I had just paid off his car in the summer of 2009 when we hit a deer going 70mph the very next day… *sigh* What was the debt free dance turned into a whining tantrum. Dang, we now have to put moooore money into a car? We have tried as little as possible this year to put hard earned cash into Ava but sometimes a girl needs some up keep. First it was the brakes. It is kinda’ awkward driving down the road, the light turns red and everyone hits their brakes (or in my hubby’s case the pedal), and then there it is. This high pitch screech that lasts until the brake is released. Ugh. We’ve all been there. So, into Spitzer Toyota Ava went. Now, the hubs, doesn’t know a thing about cars. Nor does this gal. We are the dishonest auto repair guy’s dream! We ended up going to Spitzer Toyota Oct 27th and were relieved to hear indeed it was just the brakes. Not the tires and the steering and the wipers, and did I mention the glass windows! Just simply the brakes. It cost $504.86 yet well worth the honesty. Unfortunately, Pep Boys seems to be the creepers. Every time we have taken our vehicles in for a simple oil change mind you, it turns into “this is wrong and that is wrong plus we noticed the car is about to fall apart so we need to do a looot of work on it”. Then after driving away it sounds like chains and parts are disconnected. Anyway, you get my drift. We spent a total of $240.76 at Pep Boys between Nov 3rd and the 4th and surely hope that will be it for awhile.

 

 

 

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