We Save

Today we went to Smith's and were a little down and dismayed when we saw our grocery bill to be a whopping 60 some-odd dollars. Then we scanned our card. That brought it down a lot. Then we scanned our coupons. That brought it down even more.
We saved 44% today!




I'd consider that a success! We saved almost 25 dollars today excluding our coupons; 28 dollars total. We paid only 37!





V-I-C-T-O-R-Y. Mike is happy as can be.

The Clearer Picture

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in grand old Provo, Utah. Nichelle was bit by the cleaning bug and so we spent the morning doing quite the deep spring cleaning (supplementary to the one we did a few weeks ago). The largest undertaking was our kitchen windows. Being in a basement apartment with our windows just inches above the ground makes them rather prone to dirt, dust, water stains, etc. We tackled the task with a vacuum, Windex, wipes, paper towels, broom, and anything else we could think of. It was amazing the amount of dirt, dust, and dead bugs we found. Despite our best efforts the hard water spots remained. So, around noon we decided to go out to run some errands and get some CLR to help with the water spots.

Our trip began as a one stop shopping trip to Target, but while there I had a moment of inspiration (or impulsiveness- who knows?). It stemmed from the night before where, after going to a BYU volleyball game with some friends, we went to their apartment to watch a movie on their new TV and.... Blu-ray player. Frankly, I was in complete awe of the crisp picture and vivid colors. We've had a DVD upconverter for some time, but this Blu-ray device.... yum. Anyway, I decided while at Target, that we should start getting some Blu-ray discs, and what the hey, maybe even a player as well. We picked up two movies (I Am Legend and Transformers) at Target and decided not to get a player there. Our next stop, after a delightful lunch, was Best Buy.

I am a shameless Best Buy fanatic. If it is technology related, I basically have to buy it there. So after paroozing the Blu-ray players for a very long five minutes we decided on our choice and picked up a few more movies (The Patriot, The Fantastic Four, and Iron Man). When we got out to the car I was looking the films over a bit more carefully when I noticed that our copy of Iron Man didn't look quite right.

It looked a bit like this:

Not this:


As much as I love cartoons, I decided to go back into the store and return it. I was hoping for an exchange, but as luck would have it, Best Buy was sold out. It wasn't a big deal, I'd just go stop by another store and pick it up. We then went to RC Willey, no luck. FYE, nothing. Barnes and Noble, nada. The only drive I had to keep going was the challenge of finally finding one. Then, in a last ditch effort we stopped in at Blockbuster we found it! We got the last copy, but we got one nonetheless.

Finally, at the end of all of our festivities we returned home, used the CLR to clean the water stains off of our windows, and then hooked up our marvelous Blu-ray player. Our windows were clear, and our movies were clearer. Oh how lovely.

It's that time of year again!

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES ARE HERE!! So, I hunted down the Girl Scouts at Macey's and now I'm the proud owner of not one, not two, not even three, but four boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Goodbye, girlish figure. Hellooo, fat girl sitting on the couch with Girl Scout goodness!

And now, a message from our sponsors

It's only a card game, but I'm feeling an odd chill in the air!

It's ROOK!

A favorite for nearly 100 years, this classic card game is easier than Bridge, more challenging than Hearts. Make your bids, play your tricks, but look out for that rook! The ultimate wild card, this big bird can fly off with your well-laid plans. This deck of Rook cards includes 56 cards, in four colors. Each colored set is numbered 1 to 14. The easy to read, illustrated rules even make the game simple, even for… well, rookies. Comes in a sturdy box for easy storage. Game rules included for 2, 3, 5 or 6 individual players or for 4 players (in 2 teams).

Player Testimonials:
"Finally a card game I can win at!" -Nichelle Fiske
"It got rid of my pesky rash!" -Michael Fiske

Fashionistas

Perhaps we're so vain. Perhaps that song is about us. I'll let you decide. Regardless, we did each get a new jacket (or in Nichelle's case, a jacket, jeans, two blouses, shoes, and a necklace but I still love her). I must confess it was well worth it, she looks fantastic and we got some great deals. Apparently we're doing more than our part to bolster the faltering economy. So here are a few pictures that highlight our mall-ificent weekend excursion.

The Secret Life of Ants

So there I was, sitting in my living room and watching The Secret Life of Bees (which is a great movie) and I'm enjoying my bean bag. Then I look at the ground and I notice that our carpet is crawling. Ants... There are ants everywhere! First, I had to finish my movie. Then I had to call my mother to see if she had any expert advice or opinions. Then, I ran to Smith's to find the Raid; this actually took a while--I never realized before how awkwardly Smith's is set up. I found what I needed and paid. Those ants wouldn't even know what hit them. When I got home, the number of ants had multiplied. I was glad that I got the big guns. I had a twinge of guilt when I thought about the girls in the movie I had just watched who lured the bugs out of the house with marshmallows instead of killing them, but I took another look at the ants and that guilt disappeared. Now our apartment smells like fresh floral raid and I'm happy to be mostly ant-free. For now, at least.

I've Been Published

That's right, folks. I'm in print. My life is basically complete. I'm taking on my Grandpa's legacy and I'm writing letters to the editor and I'm getting them in print. Be proud, be very proud.

Fiske Family Motto

Today during Sunday School we had a discussion about traditions and a family mentioned that they have a family song. We thought our kids might hate us if we started singing our family song around the dinner table every night, but we liked the general idea. So, as a family, we sat down tonight and came up with a family motto. And then, we made a picture (because that's how we roll). So, introducing... THE FISKE FAMILY MOTTO!!

Pardon the interruption

For all of those saps without internet TIVO, you get to now sit through this wonderful message from our sponsors!!!!

Yes, yes, that rabbit has been after that cereal for YEARS! I'm amazed at his longevity, never mind the apparent razor sharp ears he is sporting.

More recently, for those of you with stronger stomachs, you can watch the no-shinnanigans tactics the Trix Bunny has implemented in Asia:

I Need to Feel Important

So I feel a bit crowded out of this whole blogging ordeal thus far. I guess it IS still day one and I'm not the one with a new camera, so what can be expected? Regardless, here is one picture of us from Christmas that turned out pretty good. Yes, we do look like we've consumed our portion of sugar plum fairies or what-have-you; hence our recent dieting efforts. Anyway, I've now contributed and can sleep a little easier tonight...

Color Me Mine

Before Valentine's Day, Mike decided to do a re-enactment of some of our firsts and special memories. Since our first date was at Color Me Mine, we had to go there. We made some coasters for our coffee table (which has since been mostly replaced by a giant bean bag) and a vase to go with them. And yes, the flowers are fake. But they really add a nice touch; that and I don't have to worry about killing them.

A Watch and Some Glasses

A while back we bought Mike a watch and I had to get some new glasses. Because I have an awesome new camera and no one has seen either of these new objects, we decided to take a few shots. And my glasses are on the books so that everyone will think I can read. It's a trick of the trade.

Our Beloved Bean Bag

We also got a great new bean bag. Red. Corduroy. Amazingly wonderful to sit in. Plus it takes up our whole living room floor. So it's wonderful! Mike still enjoys his chair, but I'd much rather sit in a bag of foam than a real chair. I'm just more barbaric that way, I guess.

The Bike

Mike just invested in a great bike for the summer. He's gotten great use out of it so far... that one mile home from the store was the best ten minutes of his life! I think he's spent more time buying things for it than actually riding it; hopefully that will change in the near future. P.S. I learned the hard way that if you are looking for Dick's Sporting Goods online, don't try to shorten the name. Dicks.com does NOT sell sporting equipment. Just stick to the whole name: dickssportinggoods.com.

The Bedroom

So here it is... our new bedroom set! We recently purchased new pillows, comforter, drapes, and our best investment: A HEADBOARD, FRAME, AND FOOTBOARD! We're no longer sleeping on a mattress on the floor. Sigh. I actually get to climb into bed; not just flop down.

Since we owe the world some pictures...

We've decided that since we owe everyone some pictures, today would be a great day to start a blog! So here it is! OUR BLOG!!!