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Review: Masa, Lindon Restaurant

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My family and I had the opportunity to visit Masa, a restaurant in Lindon located at 190 South State Street. When we pulled up to the restaurant on the northwest corner at State Street and 200 South, I was surprised to see how small it was.

But as soon as I walked in, it reminded me of some great big-city restaurants as well as some small-town restaurants that I loved so much in Oregon.

Service: One thing that matters to me when I eat out is whether the workers are friendly or not. I’m not saying that I don’t eat at restaurants if people aren’t nice but if I’m really going to devote my money to them and visit often, I don’t want to feel like they don’t care that I just walked in the door. When I walked into Masa, Gavin, one of our servers, was very kind, greeted us with a huge smile, and seated us. He even pulled out my chair for me and my 3-year old daughter’s chair! (… And he’s a sophomore in high school! What?! Husband, take notes.) I watched as Mosi, one of the owners of Masa walked around, talking to guests, and making sure they were doing alright. I watched as Katelynn, another beautiful young server made sure that all of the guests were getting the food and drinks that they wanted.

Soon Mosi was visiting our table explaining their current menu. If you want to meet a dedicated, hard-working, yet kind and attentive individual, you’re going to want to meet Mosi. I’ve met plenty of business owners who try to be kind but if they feel like their time is spent better elsewhere, they’ll walk away from me in the middle of a conversation. But not Mosi. I know he was busy at the dinner rush hour but if we had questions or concerns about anything, he was more than willing to listen to us and answer our questions.

I also met Brady, the owner of the property and a social marketing guru. As we had never been to a place like Masa before in Utah, we had plenty of questions and he was more than willing to talk to us as well, even though he was heading out to a family event.

Katelynn was so sweet. I watched as she approached everyone with a smile and treated my little 3-year old daughter so kindly. Kayla was another girl who I only met briefly but she connected to my daughter immediately as they found out that they both loved shoes. Gavin was constantly making sure we had plenty to drink and that we were enjoying our food. I don’t drink much while I eat but my husband does and almost every time we eat out, he runs out of water in his glass. But at Masa? My husband never once mentioned to me that he needed more to drink. The servers/wait staff (are they the same?) may be young but these kids know how to work hard and treat their customers well.

Food: I love any form of Mexican food. I’m not really picky unless it’s a fast food place, in which case I usually won’t eat it. I went to Masa thinking it was going to be a normal Mexican restaurant. But it wasn’t at all. The food was not only delicious, it also was presented like I was eating at a very fancy restaurant. And I thought it was going to be normal Mexican food because I knew they sold tacos but you really can’t compare these tacos to other tacos because they’re not the same. Sure, the food is served on a tortilla and you can eat it like a normal taco, but these little bites of heaven … they’re no ordinary taco. Well, just take a look for yourself:

Masa Lindon Restaurant

Masa Lindon Restaurant

Masa Lindon Restaurant

Masa Lindon Restaurant

Our little kiddos also were treated with a yummy kids meal of quesadillas with a bowl of beans and a cream mixture of some sort (like sour cream but I don’t think it was sour cream, and I forgot to ask).

Masa Lindon Restaurant

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We also had this amazing “palate cleanser.” It was green apple sticks but they had this amazing sweet flavor. I don’t even like green apples but I wouldn’t let Katelynn take the plate away until we were basically leaving because I couldn’t stop eating them.

Masa Lindon Restaurant

Masa also serves a delicious plantain dessert. I have never liked plantains, my husband doesn’t like feta cheese, and apparently it’s made with coconut oil and usually the mention of “coconut” in any of our food makes us feel a little queasy. But we tried it anyway (I’m not sure why). However, I am so glad we tried it. If it had been appropriate to lick the bowl, I would have. My husband even ate the cheese! We ended up telling our kids that they might eat ice cream later so that we could finish the dessert.

Masa Lindon Restaurant

The Menu: As they are still new and figuring out the last kinks of owning a restaurant such as theirs, they don’t have a concrete menu yet but look for it in the next few weeks. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and breakfast will be new this week so I’ve yet to try it but if it’s anything like dinner, I have no doubts it will be delightfully tasty. They are thinking of doing a couple of different actual taco bar options which is exciting for people like me who love to try a variety of different foods. However, we’ll have to wait until they decide what they will do for sure.

Another fun thing they came up with is putting the menu in little Spanish books. Then for the children, their menus will be in children’s books, such as Disney books. And I know with assurety that my daughter would love such a thing! Plus it would help make the time go by so much faster while the kids are waiting for their food to arrive with a fun book to look at!

Recommendations: Honestly, it was all good. I really liked the vegetarian taco (pictured above with the feta, avocado, etc) and the plantain dessert.

To enjoy a lovely meal at Masa, find them at 190 South State Street, Lindon.

Family friendly? Yes
People friendly? Yes
Stomach friendly? Yes

All photos belong to Utah Valley Moms. They may not be reproduced or used without written permission. Utah Valley Moms was given a meal in exchange for this blog post, however, all opinions are our own.

Giveaway: Best Day Ever + 5 Year Anniversary

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UVM received a Best. Day. Ever. shirt for this post from Elevate Promo. All opinions are our own.

utah valley momsMy family’s story begins in October 2007.  There was a boy.  I spent some time at his apartment and he happened to always be home … missing school, pushing it until the last minute to get to work, and rarely socializing.  He was just always there.  And he was cute.

Our story continued two months later when he volunteered to run errands with me so I bought him dinner.

By the next month, I guess we were dating (we never talked about our relationship – it just happened to us).

Four months later, we knew we’d get married.  But we waited.

Five months after that, he proposed.  I said yes.

Six months following the proposal, we married.

And now it’s been almost five years.  We’ve had our ups and downs but everyday is honestly the new best day of my life.

There is nothing better in my life than my family and I am so excited to be celebrating the anniversary of our five years together.  In connection with our upcoming anniversary and the new t-shirt I received, we went out to the lake and took a few family photos.

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Giveaway: Want to win a Best. Day. Ever. t-shirt from Elevate Promo, too? Leave a comment here or on our Facebook post about your best day ever. Don’t forget to head over to Elevate Promo’s Facebook page and ‘like’ their page

Help Me Win, Too:  Starting soon, Utah Valley Moms will be in a contest with other local bloggers and I need your help!  Click here and vote for our above family picture! You’ll just need to click a button, no logging in or anything! Thank you!

This giveaway will end on Friday, April 11 at 11:59 pm MDT. Entrants must be US residents at least 18 years or older. No purchase necessary. Elevate Promo has sponsored this giveaway. All photos belong to Utah Valley Moms. No reproduction without written permission is allowed.

Free Pizza: Papa Murphy’s Pizza Donation Drive

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Drop 5 Book Drive: Donate 5 or more books at any Papa Murphy’s and we will give you a FREE Mini Murph “Make and Bake” Pizza Kit. All books will be donated to local organizations, United Way and Read Today.

Valid All Utah locations, Rock Springs/Evanston WY, and Elko NV.

photo from Papa Murphy’s Pizza Facebook

Easter Egg Hunt: Lehi 2014

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April 18
4-6 pm
Lehi Legacy Center

The Lehi Area Chamber of Commerce hosts “Easter on Main” on Friday, April 18 from 4:00-6:00. Businesses host booths along downtown Main Street and give eggs and candy to kids. In conjunction with that event, Lehi City will be holding an Easter Egg Drop in front of the Lehi Legacy Center. Drops will take place at 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, and 5:45 for age groups 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 respectively.

CASA: Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children

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CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children.  There is a program here in Utah that you can volunteer for which will help abused and neglected children that are currently under the Court’s jurisdiction. CASA is a national program. A CASA is an advocate for children under the court’s jurisdiction for abuse, neglect or dependency. Children who otherwise would not have a voice in court benefit from talking to someone they can trust – someone they know is there to help them – a CASA.

What is a CASA Volunteer?

CASA volunteers are appointed by a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) attorney to advocate for the best interests of abuse and neglected children. The primary responsibilities of a CASA are to:
• Gather Information
• Document Findings
• Appear in/Attend Court
• Monitor Case Plans and Court Orders
• Keep the GAL informed
• Visit with the child

CASAs agree to commit to serve one year and to visit with the child at lease twice a month and spend an average of 8 hours a month on the case.

You can learn more about the program and volunteer from their website.

Giveaway: Utah Falconz Tickets, Shirts, and Kid’s Beanie

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Free Family Night at Orem Recreation Center 2014

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Friday, April 11, 2014 is the free family night at Orem Recreation Center from 7-10 pm!

Provo City’s Spring Festival

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Join Provo City on April 19 at 6 pm at Rock Canyon Park for Provo City’s Spring Festival, as well as other locations throughout the day.

Celebrate Provo’s vibrant community as we highlight many unique aspects of our city and culture. Home to both discovery and adventure, Provo’s Spring Festival will give you a chance to see, hear, taste, and feel the excitement springing to life all around us.

Events will be held at multiple locations with the main Festival taking place at Rock Canyon Park.

Discover: Listen to local folk and indie bands, see local artists and photography, participate in creating a community mural

Eat: Dine with other locals from your favorite Utah Valley food trucks, taste new drinks, desserts, and dinner

Play: Try out dozens of activities including sunset yoga, giant bowling, zorb soccer, and our springtime maze

Interact: Meet local farmers and their animals, then visit the mascot village with characters from all over the valley

Relax: Lay down and enjoy a showing of Frozen on our 25 foot blow up screen

Explore: Visit booths to learn about local hiking, sailing, biking, and gardening

KBYU Eleven Community Connection Interview

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KBYU Eleven hosts a Community Connection where organizations throughout the community are interviewed about what they do to help the community.

When it was first mentioned to me that I should be on it, I smiled, nodded, and tried to move on as quickly as possible from the topic. Being on camera is not exactly my favorite thing to do. However, when I received an email about it a few weeks ago, I felt like I couldn’t say no and it really was just one of those things where if I do it, I can use it as one of my “doing something I don’t like” examples for my children when they are a bit older.

I hardly slept the night before, I was feeling very ill in the minutes leading up to the interview, and I kept doing some weird out-of-control movements right before they filmed to try to get out all of my nervous energy. However, the people at the BYU Broadcast Building are so great and kind and wonderful that it was really hard to feel extremely nervous.

I was able to talk about Utah Valley Moms, how it started, and our upcoming event. The main point I wanted to get across (but don’t think I did) was that Utah Valley Moms is for you. I don’t work hard on it to get paid – I do it because I know there are other moms like me out there who are wondering where can I go with my children? Who else is out there with children that can support me? And what are the best places around Utah Valley?

Easter Egg Hunt: Saratoga Springs 2014

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Breakfast 8:00am- 10:00 am located at the Pavilion at Neptune Park.
Breakfast includes: All-you-can-eat pancakes, 1 cup of Tang, and 1 sausage patty.
Cost: $4 adults (12 and up), $2 children (under 12), $15 family (2 adults, 4 children)
*Proceeds go to Westlake Marching Thunder.

Easter Egg Hunt 9:00 am
Ages 0 -14 yrs old

Easter Egg Hunt: Eagle Mountain 2014

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Date: Saturday, April 19th, 2014
Time: Hunt starts 10:30 AM SHARP
Place: Nolan Park (7862 North Tinamous Road) * near splash pad

Plan on coming a little early to the park to get your self situated at your designated age group area.

The age groups will be:
3-4
5-8
9-12

Free Easter Egg Hunt
Absolutely NO STROLLERS, and NO PARENTS ALLOWED on hunt area!

Free Movie: Pirate Fairy

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See Disney’s new Pirate Fairy for free this Saturday, March 29 at 10 am at the Megaplex 20 at Jordan Commons! Sign up online and you are allowed 2 tickets per email address. We have been to a few of these and I’d recommend going early to get some seats that you want. We’ll see you there!

Quick Tips for Lowering Your Heating Bill

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I’ve recently become obsessed with saving money. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I’m poor, I work all the time, and my husband and I both still have a few years of grad school ahead of us. But here’s the thing, I know there’s got to be more ways for me to save. So this year, I made it my goal to learn more about saving money, in every way I possibly can.

utah valley momsThis month I turned my attention to saving on our heating bill. We live in a little house, but it’s pretty old and it gets drafty, so I knew there had to be some changes we could make. After taking to the internet, I decided to call a local company (shout out to the technician from Gunthers Heating and Air for the advice) and get some tips directly from the pros.

This article is about saving up to 20% on your heating bill, with a few minor changes. Now, I know what you’re thinking, the cold months are on their way out. But that doesn’t mean you can’t save. Plus, most of the changes offered here can be made at any time of the year. So plan ahead, and save yourself some money next year.

The Freebies
Some of these projects are free and easy, and some take a little planning and money. But first, let’s start with the free stuff:
Turn your thermostat down. This suggestion is the easiest, and makes up for the bulk of savings on your heating bill. For every degree you lower your thermometer, you should save about three percent on your heating bill. Meaning, if you lower your thermostat ten degrees every day when you leave for work, you’ll end up saving about 14% on your heating bill at the end of the month. (1) So stock up on blankets and warm socks, and keep your thermostat a little cooler than you usually do.
Raise the thresholds on your doors. If you can see the daylight coming through the bottom of your door, that means heated air can travel out. With many thresholds, you can simply loosen the screws on your thresholds to raise them. Just make sure you don’t make them so high the doors drag.
Keep your heating vents clean and clear. It stands to reason that heating vents that aren’t clear can’t do their jobs. Make sure there’s nothing in front of or covering your vents and make sure there’s nothing inside them.
Turn down your water heater. A difference of five degrees on your water heater is unnoticeable by humans, but it can save on your heating bill.
Use fans sparingly. In a short time, a kitchen or bathroom fan can empty your house of warm air. Use them only as you need them.
Keep windows, doors, and fireplaces closed up. This one seems self evident. Heat will escape if your doors and windows are left open. And the same goes for your fireplace. If you’re not using it, keep it closed or covered. Warm air will rise up right out of it if you don’t.

Those are some quick and easy ways to save a lot of money. And if you’re serious about cutting down, here are some options to consider that take a little more planning.

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The Cheaper Options
Replace worn weatherstripping. Seven to twelve percent of your home’s heat is lost through improperly sealed windows and doors. Not only that, but cold air can come through worn weatherstripping, making for unpleasant cold drafts. (2) A container of caulk and a strip of weather stripping run in the range of $5-10.
Fill any open holes in exterior walls. If you have pipes, gas lines, or cable coming out of your house, buy a bottle of expanding foam (about $5) and fill them.
Fill in the space around your outlets. Outlets often aren’t insulated, so take off the cover plates, fill in the space with caulking or expanding foam, and place a foam gasket over the outlet or switch before you put the cover back on. Foam gaskets are about a dollar for a package of two. Going to extra mile to insulate your electrical boxes could eliminate a lot of holes in your walls where heated air is escaping.
The Pricier Options
Place plastic film on your windows. Windows account for about 25% of heat loss in a home. Just covering them with plastic film can save you up to 14% on your heating bill. (2)The film looks a lot like plastic wrap and can be purchased for about $20-30 for a 6×8 foot sheet. Simply apply it to your windows and take it off when the weather warms up.
Buy a space heater. A good space heater costs around $20-30 and costs 10-20 cents an hour to run. Still, if you turn down the heat in the rest of the house and turn on a space heater where you’ll be spending most your time, you’ll stay warm and you’ll save money.
Insulate your pipes and cover your water heater. If you’re water heater is in an unheated place (like a garage or a closet), buy it an insulated jacket ($20) to keep heat from escaping. Do the same with any water pipes that may run through uninsulated areas. Insulation only costs a few dollars per foot, so this is one of your least expensive options.
Insulate everywhere else. Well, not really. But go through your attic or any crawl spaces and look for opportunities to insulate. It could save you a lot.
Buy a chimney balloon. But only if you have a chimney. A chimney balloon is an inflatable balloon your stick up your chimney to keep hot air from escaping. While it costs about $50, it can save you $100 a year. (2)
Replace windows. Obviously you can’t do this step all at once, but as you have to replace windows and doors when they wear out, replace them with double-paned windows with low e-rating. While it might cost you $50-$100 more, it’ll save you a lot of money.
Keep your heater in shape. And, last but not least, keep your heater in shape. You could save yourself a lot in the long run by replacing an old heater with an energy-efficient one.

These bigger steps don’t have to be taken all at once, but you should have a plan to chip away at them. If you’re a renter, like me, you might not even have control over replacing your windows and doors. But you can ask your landlord to help with the costs of the smaller projects. For me and my husband, it was worth the little bit of money we had to put into our house to save a lot. We did all the free options (except for the chimney one, since we don’t have a chimney) replaced our weatherstripping and insulated excess holes, and we have already seen a difference in our heating bill. Plus, our house is a lot warmer.

1.http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13107978
2.http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/energy-efficient/9-sneaky-ways-to-cut-your-home-heating-bills#slide-1

utah valley momsMary Kremer loves, loves, loves writing and traveling. If she could do both forever, she’d be a happy camper. In her free time she hikes, tries to exercise, and bugs her husband about things like women’s issues as he’s trying to fall asleep.

Hosting a Spring Fling Ideas

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Host a Spring Fling

Now that the days are getting longer and spring is in the air, I like to be the first of my friends to host a party. I always say that I love spring, but really I love the end of winter; airing out the house, doing my spring cleaning, then inviting everyone over for the first event to really announce the end of winter and the beginning of a new, fresh season. This winter I’ve stored away a few ideas that I think will make for a great time at a party.

Beverages

Recently, I heard about shrubs and have been dying to try out some recipes. In case you are new to them, shrubs are drinking vinegars made with fruit. They are tart and sweet and very concentrated; so you make a shrub, leave it in the refrigerator for a few weeks, then use just an ounce or two in a beverage. Add ice and some seltzer and you have a great spring cocktail that most of your guests may not have ever tried!

Food

Even though we often use our outside grill in the winter, not everyone has that luxury, and nothing says nice weather like the smell of food cooking over coals. I’ve been dying to try my new cook book my husband bought me from RedEnvelope’s Kitchen & Cooking Gifts page, however I like kabobs for my first party; they are simple, easy to make, and with items like brightly colored peppers or pineapple, they can be visually appealing as well as tasty. Right before the New Year, I canned a sweet chili sauce. I think this will be a great addition to the kabobs.

Fun

One of the fun parts about hosting the first party of spring is getting everyone outside. This can be a bit tough, since most of us are in the habit of hanging around inside the house after a few months of winter, so I give my friends some great reasons to go outside. Spring is all about those light winds and temperature changes, which make for great kite flying on beautiful days. I love kites and always have an assortment, but I also keep my eye out for sales on kites each year at the end of spring.

I also invested in a KanJam kit. One of my friends told me about this game, which I’m told originated in Buffalo, NY and has spread across the state. Basically, it is most easily described as trashcan Frisbee. You have two cans and the goal is to get your ball into your can to get the most points. This party will be the first time I am debuting this game, but knowing our friends, it will be a great opportunity for them to get outside, run around and be competitive.

I’m really excited to host my spring party. Will you be hosting one?

utah valley momsQuinn is a self-proclaimed health enthusiast. She loves being out doors and a good glass of wine. She also enjoys going running, playing soccer and going hiking with her family.

#disneyside party

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We were chosen to host a #disneyside party so we did. My daughter loves having parties at her house and I try to make it happen as often as possible. Here’s a sneak peak at some of the fun decorations we had.

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It was so fun to have so many friends over and join in this experience!  My kids love Disney and there were some great products.

 

We received these products and others in return for hosting a #disneyside party.

Why Affiliate Links?

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utah valley moms

Many bloggers use affiliate links.  Before a year ago, they always bothered me.  Why would I want to help give money to these people that I don’t even know?  Why help them?  Rude, I know, but that’s just how I felt about affiliate links.

However, last year I realized that I wanted to start doing my own giveaways for Utah Valley Moms and I also wanted to be able to hold community events.  As Utah Valley Moms is really not profitable, I decided to take on sponsored posts and use affiliate links to earn money that I could then use for the community.

How were we able to provide giveaways to local restaurants last year?  You guessed it, sponsored posts and affiliate links.

How have we been able to help sponsor the Utah Valley Moms Spring Event and Easter egg hunt?  Yep, sponsored posts and affiliate links.

What can you do to help us provide more great giveaways and more community events?  Please consider clicking on our affiliate links.  Already going to buy something from zulily?  Use our link.  Really wanted that one thing from Amazon?  Use our affiliate link.

And if you’re wondering whether we actually keep some of the money we earn?  Answer?  No.  Unfortunately for me and those who help make Utah Valley Moms amazing, no.  This is all volunteer work.  I try to get up at 5 am every morning to find time to work on this site and I know others give up precious family time to help me.

Want to help support Utah Valley Moms through affiliate links but don’t know whether we have it or not?  Use our search bar to search the company to possibly find a post we’ve done for them or request a link by contacting Utah Valley Moms.  And if you have a suggestion for us, please let us know!

Here’s who we work with right now:

So here’s my last plea:  please use our affiliate links if you like our giveaways and community events.  I have some great ideas for the next year but can only make them possible through links like these.  I know they’re obnoxious, but please just bare with me.  Thanks!

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