Christmas through the Mail

I used to hate to go get the mail. Why? Probably the same reason so many people hate to go get the mail: All you ever get are bills!! Well, bills and junk mail!

I like going to get the mail now because I never know what I might find! I started signing up for free samples of stuff. Recently I have received several bags of microwavable popcorn (which Dr. Dad has been enjoying in the evenings), several "feminine products", several booklets of coupons, a set of books on home decorating, shampoos, soaps, diapers, and my favorite: a Stouffer's lasagna! The lasagna was actually for a survey that I had to complete after eating it. Either way, it was a totally free and incredibly yummy meal.

They certainly aren't paying me (or even asking me) to advertise this for them, but honestly I was totally impressed with this lasagna. I am most definitely NOT one for frozen meals. Generally I think they are relatively gross. And I really don't usually like tomato-based frozen meals. So I definitely did not expect to enjoy lunch today. And I was feeding it to the Baby Dude for lunch as well and seeing as how he never really likes pasta or tomato sauce, I was planning a backup meal for us both.

Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised.

I stuck it in the oven for about 50 minutes, pulled it out, let it sit for 5 minutes, then dug in. It was super good. And to make it even more amazing, Dude loved it! He ended up eating at least as much as I did! I couldn't get it in his mouth fast enough! Crazy! So if you need a lasagna for dinner one night, try Stouffer's whole wheat pasta lasagna. I don't know what the official name of it is, but I'm sure you can figure it out in the store.

Okay, enough adverts! I did not intend on going on about that for so long!

Back to the mail - I have also been receiving several rebate checks lately. Obviously, this usually means you have to spend money first, but even so it can turn into a good deal. I am usually pretty hesitant to buy something based on a rebate, but if it's something that I was planning on buying anyway then it just makes the deal even sweeter. My favorite one lately is from Staples. They don't send you a check, they send you a Visa Card! No going to the bank to deposit it or anything. Just stick it in your wallet and spend it like a debit card. Fabulous!

So checking the mail doesn't have to be a downer. Today alone I got popcorn, coupons, rebate check, gift card, and of course...a bill. It had to happen. But one bill in the midst of all that fun didn't ruin my mood! It still felt like Christmas to me!