Giving Back In Las Vegas

 Just in case you didn't know, March is National Reading Month.  Border's Bookstore's  Town Center location at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip is holding a book drive to benefit Child Haven's Through The Eyes of a Child Foundation.  Donated books can be dropped off at this location for the entire month.  So while you are spring cleaning, gather up the books that your children have outgrown and bring them to Borders.  And, this is a great way to teach your kids philanthropy. 

Movies At The Park

Attention Centennial Hills residents:  Are you looking for some free family fun?  Look no further than your neighborhood park.  The Centennial Hills Park offers a free movie  once a month at the park amphitheater.  Here is this spring's schedule:

• Friday, March 27th, 8PM:  Madagascar:  Escape to Africa
  
• Friday, April 10th, 8PM:  The Spiderwick Chronicles
  
• Saturday, May 23rd 8PM: Kung Fu Panda
  

Bring a blanket and some snacks, then lay back and enjoy the show.  For more information, call 229-1087.

What Is Your Grocery Store Doing For You?

Let's face it--times are tough for many families here in the valley.   Lots of people are out of work, and those who still have jobs are scared of losing them.  But, we all need to eat.  So that got me thinking--am I getting the most food for my money?  What is the best place to shop?

What I have found is that over the years, all the local grocery stores have their pros and cons.  Take Walmart for instance.  Hands down, I find this the cheapest place to shop.  Walmart will price match any competitor's advertisement, with exceptions.  They will not price match on meat that is not prepackaged, (i.e. Ballpark Franks or Oscar Meyer Bacon is okay to price match, but not 1 lb of ground beef from their meat department.)  They will also not match adds that are "buy one get one" or a percentage off the normal price (i.e. 50% off this week!).  My family shops here, and using price matching, we save an average of 10-15% per week off our food bill.   But Walmart isn't perfect; it's typically a very crowded place to shop and good luck getting any employee assistance if you have a question.  Our solution is to avoid the SuperWalmart, and shop at a Neighborhood Walmart instead.  We like the one on Jones and Craig Road.

Albertsons is our next choice.  The employees are very friendly and most of them know me from shopping there so much.  They always stop to chat and are helpful.  This makes for a pleasant shopping experience.  However, we normally only shop here for meat (we like the quality better than Walmart) or if we need one or two items in a hurry since we have an Albertsons so close to our house.  The overall prices are high, but if excellent customer service is important, this is the place to be.   Lastly, the bakery will give free cookies to your kids, and if you have a baby, they will bake baby's first birthday cake for free.

Speaking of cake, we only buy our cake at Vons because it is the best quality.  It truly tastes like it came from a bakery.  But, most Vons locations I have visited have lacked cleanliness and I've never had anyone ask me how I'm doing, or if they can help me find something.  The prices seem to be the highest in town.

Food 4 Less certainly has CHEAP food, but it is cheap because the store has a dirty little secret:  a lot of it is expired!  My husband recently visited the location on Sahara and Valley View to purchase Juicy Juice  and some fruit.  He literally spent 30 minutes just trying to find juice that 1.) wasn't expired and 2.) didn't have stuff floating in the bottom of it.  At least the fruit was good.  So good in fact, my husband labeled the produce department as "phenomenal".  It should be "phenomenal" since the store boasts the guarantee of "it's fresh or it's free".  

I cannot comment on Smiths because we simply don't shop there, but if you've been shopping at only one place, hopefully this article will give you some insight.  You might be missing some great values somewhere else.  A little research could mean more food on your table and more money in your pocket.  Happy Shopping!

Looking for Love in Las Vegas

Sin City.  What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Las Vegas.  With a nickname and slogan like this, how does a single individual find a quality individual to date in Las Vegas?  I moved to Vegas almost eleven years ago.  I met my spouse here, and if I can find someone so fantastic, so can you!

Here are a few ideas of how you can meet that someone special:

• Network!  Everyone knows someone single.  Let your friends and family know that you need help finding a boyfriend/girlfriend.  Ask them to set you up on a blind date.  Or, ask them to invite single friends to their next get together so you can talk to these prospects without the pressure of having a real date.  Then if you don't like the choices, you can always leave the party!  Remember to thank your friends for their efforts.
  
• If you attend church, find out if there is a singles group where you worship.  I attend Canyon Ridge Christian church, and they do have such a group!  
  
• Don't discount internet dating.  Obviously, you need to be cautious because we've all heard horror stories, but I can attest that one of my husband's friends actually met his wife, here in Vegas, through internet dating.  We both went to their wedding, and they are still happily married to this day.
• Remember that you can meet people anywhere; it doesn't have to be in a nightclub.  You can meet people at the library, the grocery store, the mall, or at the gym.  Keep your options open and don't be afraid to say hello to people.  

This can be a superficial town, but there are still many wonderful people here.  Spring is in the air, so happy dating and relating!