I <3 Smith's

I love Smith’s.

I buy most of my groceries and stuff from the Smith’s Marketplace down the hill from my house. They are just really great.

Today I got a big envelope full of coupons that are personalized for me—they’re coupons for things that I actually buy, including a couple coupons for free things that I normally buy, and then a bunch of coupons for discounts on products that I buy.

This time I got a coupon for a FREE box of Cheerios, a coupon for a FREE package of blueberries or strawberries, just like, fresh, from the produce department. And then I got coupons for: cereal, Weight Watchers cheese or cream cheese (I buy the cream cheese), butter, frozen vegetables, the kind of cat food that I buy for Paley, Stouffer’s entrees (I buy the lasagne), chocolate chips, fruit cups (I like mandarin oranges), graham crackers, Kraft mac&cheese, a Lowry’s marinade, and the kind of toothpaste that I buy (Colgate Total). All of the coupons are for precise things that I already buy (like, store brand coupons for things that I buy store brand, and brand coupons for things that I buy brands for), and they’re for useful amounts. They add up to $10.50 worth of coupons, plus the two free ones that are worth about…$3 for Cheerios and $3 for berries? They’re good through the middle of July.

This is the second time this has happened. The last batch of coupons was personalized for me too. These are way more useful than coupons for random things that I don’t normally buy, or coupons for things that cost more than what I normally buy so that unless I use them when the item is on sale, I don’t save.

Smith’s also sends me “special customer” little magazine things that always have a theme and a bunch of coupons. There was one for spring cleaning, and another one for frozen foods, and one other one… (I think I get them about every six weeks, maybe?) In those little booklets, there are usually several things I don’t buy and are spendier than I am, a few things that I do buy, and a couple things that are like, very general coupons, or things that almost anyone would buy. It’s nice.

Smith’s also has a student discount. If you sign up for their “Fresh Values” card with a student ID, they give you a special student Fresh Values card that automatically gives you 5% off of everything that you buy, every time.

Plus, I get gas rewards when I shop. So if I were driving, and if my Smith’s had one of the Smith’s gas stations (or if I just went to one), I would be getting various amounts off of my gas (sometimes it’s 5 cents/gallon, sometimes 15 cents, etc.).

And all of this stuff is kind of like, unadvertised, secret savings. They also have very competitive prices, excellent sales, and I often get good coupons from the little machine at the register. Sometimes those coupons are even for free things. Plus, like a month ago, they did a big thing where they lowered the prices on their produce, and now a bunch of their produce is CHEAP! Like, not just one or two things—a whole bunch of stuff! Plus, their workers are friendly and helpful, and super attentive. And their stores are clean. I just always have a great shopping experience when I go.

Anyway. It makes me feel like they value my business. I think they actually do.

People are still good.

I finally finished putting away stuff from my trip last week. Everything I really needed was put away a long time ago, but I put my travel bags up, and sorted souvenirs (keep it or toss it?) and that kind of stuff. I came across a big wad of fresh Kleenex tissues, which reminded me that I had wanted to mention something on my blog.

When I went to New York, DC, and VA for like 9 days at the end of March, I caught a nasty cold. After New York, I was sick for the rest of the trip. I was still a power-tourist with the rest of my friends, but I was constantly on cold medicine, and didn't feel great.

At the end of the trip, I was still sick. I had a cough that came and went, and my nose was sometimes-congested, sometimes-runny. And I felt not-great. It sucked. Flying home was no fun. I always hate leaving trips because everything I've been anticipating, and being excited about, and then everything I've been doing is over. Plus I always have to carry my own heavy luggage, which I'm perfectly willing to do, but it makes me grumpy. And I was leaving my best friends, knowing that I won't see them for a long time. And I was sick.

At the Baltimore Airport, I went to a bathroom to get some tissue from one of the stalls. Half ply tissue is no fun to use when your nose is stuffy-runny-stuffy-runny because it makes your nose raw, but it's definitely better than nothing.

I blew my nose in the bathroom, and a lady offered me tissue. I told her no, I'd be fine, thanks. She offered again, and told me she had a whole box. Well, okay, I told her. So she pulled out a full size box of Kleenex (not even one of the cutesy square ones), and yanked out half of the Kleenex. It was a huge stack of pre-folded, meant-for-faces tissue. I thanked her. She said I was welcome, and said again about having a whole box of tissue. And then I flew home. It was way more than enough tissue for my flights.

The thing was, though, she didn't even know me. And she didn't just pull out several sheets. She gave me half of her box. And I don't know if it was her good deed for the day, or if she even gave it a second thought afterwards, or what, but I was having an awful day and she made it much, much better with a simple act of kindness. Even thinking about it a month later, it still makes me a little teary.

Sometimes, when I help people, I'm more of a give them several tissues kind of girl, and not a yank out half the box kind of girl. I'm sure that's really normal, but I think I need to constantly look for opportunities to share everything and not just enough for it to count as sharing.

Anyway, my point was really this:
People are still good, and little things do make a difference.

Woopra is Super-a.

A little while ago, my mom and I found out about Woopra, which is becoming kind of popular because it's the first tracking thing that gives live statistics.

I have to say, I do love Google Analytics. I set up that back when registration was limited to businesses, and I had to pretend I owned a business. I have a lot of fun with it. I like seeing who comes to visit my blog, and from where. I like seeing what random stuff people searched for on Google that led them to me. My list of "things that makes me happy" gets a lot of hits, actually. Lately I get "Hot UPS guy" hits, too. And there are always a few crazy ones.

And to be quite honest, I really expected Woopra to be just another something created to be another something. (You know, like the 70000 social networking sites. Who needs Multiply or College Tonight when Facebook and Lymabean do that stuff so much better?) AND, my username on Woopra isn't "XX_x_IluvuBilly999x_x_XX", like you have to do with AIM and a lot of things, or even "emily25". My username on Woopra is "emily". Which either means Woopra isn't popular, or it means I'm a really early adapter. [Note, as I found links for the end of this post, I think they make it look like this sort of started 30 March, so signing up on 31 March is pretty early, I guess.]

And then today my mom shared a post on Google Reader that talked about people selling Woopra invites on eBay. Huh. That was how I got Gmail invites before everyone I knew. I signed up to have my site approved 31 March, forgot all about it, and finally got an invite to Woopra on 27 April. Today I set it up. Actually, I did about 40 minutes ago.

Not only is Woopra not "just another tracking site", it turns out to be really really amazing and fun to play with. I went onto my blog, and I could see that I was there.

SO, in conclusion: go visit some website that shows the features of Woopra better than I can, and if you're into tracking stuff on your blog, you probably want to sign up for an invite ASAP, since it sounds like they're getting close to being out of them for awhile.

A List of Things I'm Thankful For

(in no particular order)

Things I'm Thankful For:

• Abby, sleeping on her back


• Simply Lemonade, Limeade, and Apple Juice, in that order


• BIC pens, because they do always write


• The new bin at Smith's for recycling grocery bags


• My bicycle, and that it's purple


• Wireless Internet


• The Book of Mormon, and the Book of Mormon in Italian


• Hybrid cars, and the hydrogen atom ones


• Lamination


• People that I initially don't like that I end up becoming really really good friends with


• When I run to catch the bus and miss it and then the bus driver stops anyway


• Good artwork


• Pomegranate jelly


• The poem Remember, by Christina Rossetti


• And the poem about the penny [note: I looked for it online, and I found a bunch about tossing a penny down, but it isn't that one. I'll find it later.]


• Podcasting, even though I've never listened to one


• Cafe Rio


• Texting Google, 1-800-GOOG411, and Google artwork for holidays and April Fools jokes


• Italian movies, or really, movies dubbed into Italian


• my GPS


• The GPS things that go in cars and give directions aloud in British or Australian accents


• Being able to tell people (who call me at work) about LDS Family History Centers


• Temples


• That everyone wears white in temples


• People who make a special effort to speak English, even when it would be easier to speak their own language


• People who treat the flag properly


• Pimsleur


• The USPS, UPS, and FedEx


• the FedEx arrow hidden in their logo


• The Constitution


• Homemade bread


• Footnotes


• Research


• Donation of blood and platelets


• Organ donors


• Kids who do the right thing and blame their parents so that they look cool, even though they actually wanted to do the right thing


• Truth (facts straight) ads


• People who are genuine


• Very talented pianists and ballroom dancers


• Free days at museums


• Peace of mind


• Artichokes, but not pickled or fried


• Homemade french fries


• Amy Butler stuff


• Ravelry.com


• Interesting doorknobs


• British people who finish calls by saying "Have a nice day." since they don't tell each other that over there, so they're saying it just for me


• Essays


• Memoirs


• Wikipedia


• Spreadable butter


• Arms


• That I am healthy


• Health insurance, and that mine has good ads


• Apologies, sincere


• DNA testing, which fascinates me


• The placebo effect


• Corazon, Project Linus, Warm Up America, soup kitchens


• People who sincerely believe, and live according to their beliefs, whatever they are


• Maps, in general


• Old maps that show the world as flat


• Endorphins


• Electricity


• Refrigeration


• Down comforters


• Tapestries


• Chairs


• Just DOING whatever it is


• Italian ties, which are very expensive here and often $5 in Italy


• Bartering


• That Abby uses her new cat furniture


• Proraso


• That we used to tease my little brother by blowing kisses at him


• Little miracles


• My colored pencil that holds 8 colors and is mechanical


• People who see me walking places and offer rides


• My gym, even though they're shady, and especially the cardio cinema


• Moleskine journals


• Sandwiches


• Homemade chicken / turkey noodle soup


• That money is really just money


• General Conferences


• Vacuum cleaners


• Cultures


• Pepero Day (11/11!)


• Black rimmed glasses


• Shoes


• Beautiful cemeteries


• That some people don't gossip


• People who over-prepare


• Whatever quote it was that I read on my mission about being consistent


• Examples that people set for me: (LF - enthusiasm and love, AW - pay attention to others, NRW, KJ, BL - service, Yellow's mom - being a good hostess and always making people feel welcome, CB - asking questions, being logical, and putting in hard work, my current bishop - only reads church books, AT - prayer, and so so many other people for other things.)


• Ticket to Ride


• The TTR Reunion 2009


• Punctuality


• Fly swatters and bug zappers


• Penicillin and immunizations


• Comments on pictures on Facebook


• Giraffes


• The Office (especially clean episodes)


• People signaling before switching lanes


• Fresh tomatoes


• BLTs


• Honest mechanics


• Pastrami


• Tacos and Tamales


• Fresh bagels


• Forks


• Disinfecting wipes


• Hope


• Petting zoos


• The song "Amazing Grace", which is not about a woman named Grace


• Sisters that wrote to me on my mission


• Wheaties


• Libraries


• eBay


• The YAM joke (I yam so happy we're having yams for Thanksgiving)


• Cat sweaters