We had a most marvelous time at the symphony this past weekend.

Our seats were right behind the conductor.  I mean RIGHT BEHIND.  Apparently, that is not a good place to sit, as one usher so impolitely told us when looking at our tickets.

But we loved it.  We heard the conductor’s grunts as he commanded crescendos.  (Did you know conductors grunt?)

We saw the fury on the face of Will Hagen, 17 year old violin soloist, as he brought so much feeling to the piece and took control of that concert hall with his amazing violin abilities.

We were even close enough to see one of the strings on his bow break (is that what they are called?).  I panicked for him, but apparently, it’s no big deal.  He finished his part, then calmly removed the string and threw it aside like yesterday’s news. 

One of the cellists made eye contact with me. I felt very special until my husband told me he had done the same thing with him. But still, if we had been sitting back in the “better” seats, I wouldn’t be telling you now that the second chair cellist in the Utah Symphony made eye contact with me, now would I?!?!!

Now listen to what we heard.  You will love it. It was haunting and lovely and beautiful and thrilling. 

Have you heard about the new NBC show, Who Do You Think You Are?

Each week is a different celebrity tracing his/her ancestry.  It’s fascinating to watch them trace clues all over the world to find answers to family mysteries or discover something they never even knew about their ancestry.

It’s so interesting to see these individual stories from huge parts of history.  The show is on Friday nights, and you can also watch full episodes at nbc.com.

Here are some clips:

I know I said I’d post during this week only if something brilliant happened.

Well, nothing brilliant has happened.  In fact, quite the opposite.  But I feel I must share my mistake with like-minded consumers out there.  I purchased this dollhouse from www.toystoreinc.com as a Christmas gift for my daughter.

I received this dollhouse instead.

While the second is a lovely dollhouse, it is not what I ordered and does not cost as much as I already paid.  Having had many positive customer service experiences in my life, I immediately decided I would call www.toystoreinc.com to see how they would fix the mistake.

There was no phone number on the invoice.

Strange.  So I went on their website.  No phone number.  I did about ten different google searches and could find no phone number.  I did, however, find several dissatisfied customer reviews for www.toystoreinc.com in those google searches.  (If only I had done the google search BEFORE I purchased the dollhouse.)

I found an email address and sent a message.  A real person responded immediately with some clarification questions, and I was sure we were going to have this solved in no time.

It’s now been over 48 hours and I have not heard from www.toystoreinc.com again.  I have sent repeated emails requesting that this problem be fixed before Christmas.  None of my emails have been returned since that first one.  I have left my phone number in every single email and have not received a phone call.  I have asked many times for a phone number, and of course, have not been given one.  Seems incredibly shady to me.

So this post is a two part warning.  1. www.toystoreinc.com is probably not the best place to purchase toys and 2. Make sure to do your research before you make a purchase- a company with no listed phone number, such as www.toystoreinc.com, should not be trusted.  While they did send the dollhouse in good condition and in good time, they are nowhere to be found once a problem arises.

And this post is also a question: How would YOU go about getting either the correct dollhouse from this company or a refund for the difference in price between the two dollhouses?

I’ve found the best bakery in the world.  My Dough Girl.  Well to be fair, I didn’t find it.  The Sassies found it and kindly let me tag along. 

I’m telling you- this shop is the best bakery in the world.  Truly.  And soon they will be shipping their dough, so even if you don’t live in Utah, you can enjoy the best cookies since sliced bread. 

Go to www.sassyscoops.com to check out my review!  Those Sassies are so sweet to not only let me tag along, but write a post on their fabulous blog!

A while back, I was invited to join the fabulous Sassy Scoops on a trip to review The Wild Grape Bistro in downtown Salt Lake City.  Along with being privileged to sit at the ”cool table” and hanging out with some of the funniest ladies in all of Utah (Emily, Vanessa, Quinn, and Evonne), I also enjoyed the beautiful restaurant.  While there, I even expanded my small circle of foods I’m willing to try. 

Those crazy Sassies laid the peer pressure on thick, and Safe-Eater-Me tried mussel and a cheese I didn’t want to get near.  Although, if you read the review here, Vanessa does NOT give me credit for being so brave with those mussels- which is very unfair, considering how ridiculously proud I am of myself for trying a seafood! 

So here I am.  Setting the record straight.  I TRIED MUSSEL.  And it was gross.  But don’t take my word for it.  Go check out the review (and ME) at www.sassyscoops.com!

This is a story all about how my perception of Noodles & Company got flipped, turned upside down.

Once, I ate there, and was less than impressed.  Then I was invited to a fun noodle party put on by Tim Burton, the manager of Noodles & Company in Murray, UT with Camille from www.makeitworkmom and Vanessa from www.inevergrewup.net, darling girls in tow.

Before we began eating, I learned a great fact- if you are less than impressed with a meal at Noodles & Company, they will let you try another!  They’re a great customer service oriented restaurant, and are willing to help you find the perfect dish!  I love when a company will do what it takes to make sure the customer has a great experience.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to hunt for the perfect dish.  The meal I chose, pesto pasta and chicken, was delicious.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  (And also starting to salivate a little)

The afternoon started out with noodle necklaces.  Tim was so accomodating to our 5 girls (3 under the age of 2!).  He brought out different colored noodles to string onto yarn.  He even gave the girls tips on how to string the noodles!

My Lydia found herself somewhat perplexed at the activity.

Vanessa and Camille helped the other under-twos.

Once the girls had sufficiently scattered noodles across the table, chairs, and floor, Tim brought out bowls to decorate!

Lydia, again looking perplexed at the activities.  I can’t get that girl to smile for the camera.

Once our bowls were ready, we were brought yummy macaroni and cheese for the girls.  Noodles & Company added broccoli, meatballs (so yummy), and tofu (Vanessa’s strange request) to the mix.  Noodles & Company allows you to mix toppings in order to create your perfect meal.

The girls devoured their noodles, or “noooonles” as Lydia says.

Us moms got to pick what we wanted.  I chose the pesto, which became my new favorite.  We were also given yummy tomato soup (satisfying all by itself!), salad, and bread.

To top it all off, we each walked away with the gigantic-est (it’s a word, trust me) Rice Krispy Treat ever.  Needless to say (why am I going to say it then?), I was stuffed. 

The prices at Noodles & Company are manageable.  A small noodle, soup, or salad is $4.25, a large $5.25.  (Extra for meat).  Or you can create your own trio, (1. small noodle, soup, or salad 2. plus meat (or tofu) 3. plus side salad or side soup) for $7.25.  What’s more- you can call ahead and they’ll have your order ready for pickup!  Wonderful!

I am also impressed with Noodles & Company’s interest in the community.  On September 2, between 5:00 and 9:00 pm, you can bring a new sleeping pillow to the Noodles & Company at 5207 S. State Street in Murray and receive a free entree.  The pillows are going to children in low income and poverty areas who lack the basic needs in life.  If you’re in the area September 2, make sure to stop by with a new sleeping pillow!