Hearts Day

In my opinion, people sometimes bash Valentine's Day for no good reason. Maybe Hallmark did invent a holiday to generate more revenue, but why not run with it and celebrate that little four-letter word that means so much? Valentine's Day is certainly not my favorite holiday. I do, however, enjoy giving and receiving warm little reminders about love. A lot of people say, "We choose to love each other every day," which is great. I hope that Andrew and I do that, also! But is there anything wrong with setting aside a day especially for that reason? Maybe I just really like having an excuse to go on a date, pick out a sweet card, or get flowers... Anyway, I was sick for most of the weekend, but Andrew and I did get to go out to dinner last night for a late Valentine's date. Our new favorite place lately has been Cheddar's, and the restaurant did not disappoint last night. We both always peruse the menu with the intention of trying something new, but our choice unfailingly ends up being a bacon cheeseburger with fries for Andrew and chicken fried steak with potatoes and broccoli for me. Why mess up a good thing?

Ok, I'm going to be a nerd here and make a plug for Aldi. The highlight of every Monday (and sometimes every week) for me is shopping at Aldi. Maybe I'm just a sucker for a good deal. If you've never been, it's worth making the drive. (And if you live in the metroplex, there will be about 30 new ones coming to a neighborhood near you this year!) Many of you Wal-Mart shoppers may be hard to convince, but Aldi is actually 20-30 percent cheaper than even shopping for the Great Value label! I would encourage you to do some of your own research, but just to make a point, here was my grocery list for this week:

1 loaf wheat bread
1 package take-and-bake rolls
1 tub spreadable butter
1/2 gallon milk
honey
1 bag tortilla chips
1 roll aluminum foil
2 pound bag shredded cheddar cheese
4 pears
1 tub sour cream
1 package pepper jack cheese slices
1 can black beans
1 carton eggs
2 pounds turkey ham
2.5 pound bag chicken breasts
1 pound pork sausage
1 box cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can jumbo biscuits
3 boxes vanilla pudding
1 tub Cool Whip
1 box cinnamon graham crackers

My total: $42.02. Yes.

In Christ alone,
Mary Rachel