If you entered our last “Sassy” giveaway for a custom SassyScoops necklace from the r house couture but weren’t lucky enough to win, here’s your chance to try again!

Like before, this giveaway—and this necklace—is all about sharing our mission by spreading it far and wide. These fabulous SassyScoops necklaces were designed by the ladies behind the r house couture and are our way of helping you help us spread the word about supporting local Utah business!

SassyScoops’ mission is three-fold:

support local business.

strengthen the community.

make connections.

The r house couture created amazing necklaces that coincide perfectly with our mission and also provide some sass, because the world can always use more of that!

Each SassyScoops necklace has three ice cream cones stamped into the silver representing our threefold mission. When you wear your necklace, you’re showing the whole world just how important supporting local businesses is to you. If we are all united in our efforts, we will not only help local business survive, we’ll help them THRIVE.

You will adore the coveted SassyScoops necklaces by the r house couture! You’ll look and feel oh-s0-sassy supporting local business in your new, fabulous necklace!

It’s GIVEAWAY time!

One lucky SassyScoops.com reader is going to win a SassyScoops r house necklace!

It is easy to enter. Just leave a comment telling us your favorite local business.

But that’s not all…

You can earn EXTRA entries:

2 entries ~ Tweet about this giveaway and include a link to your tweet in the comments.

2 entries ~ Facebook about this giveaway and include a link to your update in comments.

5 entries ~ Blog about this giveaway and include a link to your post in comments.

Good luck! This giveaway will end on Friday, August 6th at midnight!

P.S. All SassyScoops giveaway winners are notified via direct email.

I should have titled this post:

“2,000 fans for your chance to win a $200 VISA gift card”

Now THAT would’ve gotten your attention, right?

The contest is simple. Suggest our SassyScoops Facebook page to your friends, family, pets, neighbors…anyone and everyone you know. Our goal is to reach 2,000 fans and we know you can help us achieve this totally achievable goal.

If we reach 2,000 people who like us (really, really like us) by August 31, 2010, Midnight, we will draw one winner from our wonderfully fabulous Facebook friends, and that person will win a

$200 VISA gift card!

Think about all the summery things you can do with that $200 like invest in all-you-can-eat shaved iced from the local Tropical Sno shack.

Of course, we couldn’t offer you this giveaway (or the opportunity to stuff your face with all that shave ice) without the help of our giveaway’s sponsor, CommuniCanine. You can read more about CommuniCanine, a consecutive winner of Utah’s Best of State award and “the number one choice for dog owners in the state of Utah” by clicking on the image below.

…
Now get suggesting! (Just don’t “get suggestive”—this is a family friendly site, guys.)

The sponsor of our Facebook Contest is Ty Brown,
THE local Utah Dog Trainer!

He has won Best of State for the past two years. His name might sound familiar to you—he was on 97.1 ZHT for a couple of years as “Ty the Dog Guy” (a weekly guest) and has been on many local TV news stations throughout the years. If you are looking for a dog trainer in the Salt Lake, Utah County, Ogden, Park City or St. George areas, we have the man for you!

More about Ty and his CommuniCanine dog training business (in his words):

For about 15 years I have been training dogs. My training adventures have taken me all over the world as I have trained security dogs for an internationally recognized clientele. I have trained dogs for NBA, NFL, WWE, and WPGA athletes, politicians, CEOs, entertainers and more. I have worked with this clientele in 18 states nationwide and in 6 countries worldwide. My widely read dog training articles are currently published in dozens of internet dog training sites and in dog training publications and my video and audio dog training program has been used by thousands of dog owners all over the world.

Throughout my dog training adventures I have learned many things. All dogs have unique personalities but there is one thing about dogs that is the same. All dogs ‘speak’ the same language. If you as a dog owner can learn to speak the language of your dog you will be able to train your dog to accomplish just about anything. Allow me to show you how to communicate with your dog in your dog’s own language. Welcome to CommuniCanine.

My revolutionary CommuniCanine dog training system is guaranteed. As you learn how to communicate with your dog you will be amazed as your dog becomes obedience trained in a matter of hours, and you will enjoy seeing your dog’s behavior problems become a thing of the past.

I am proud to offer Salt Lake City Dog Training, Utah County dog training,Ogden Dog Training, and Park City Dog Training services including surrounding areas.

For more information, visit CommuniCanine.net

As you read from the Wednesday review of Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage, we all came away HUGE fans.  Ever since that night we’ve been dreaming of their eclairs, rolls, cookies and more.  Basically our bags are packed and we’re ready to move into Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage forever.

Turns out, you CAN buy happiness:

Fantasizing about three-tier cakes can be almost as enjoyable as eating them (fewer calories, that way, too):

While we did get to sample lots of tasties, we couldn’t eat everything in sight (major bummer):

However, we did get to take a yummy assortment home to savor… YAY!!!

And… {insert drumroll}… we get to share the baked delights of Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage with one VERY lucky reader!

Just comment for your chance to win a quarter sheet cake from Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage!!!

Winning would mean you could be the hero of your family; you could share your sheet cake with them and make their dreams come true.

… or it could be a “ticket for one” to the most fabulous tastebud adventure you’ve ever been on. It’s your choice (we won’t tell if you don’t want to share).

Either way, you better hurry and comment so you don’t miss this chance! Meanwhile, run on over to Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage for a quick sweet treat while you wait to find out if you’ve won!

P.S. You can find Schimdt’s online and on Facebook.

So what did the Sassies think of Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage? Were the eclairs all that and a bag of chips freshly baked rolls? Read on to find out!
.

.
QUESTION

What was your first impression?
.

THE SCOOP

Camille: The first thing I noticed was the display case full of pastries, donuts and baked goods. My first impression? ” I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
Emily: My first impression was about five years ago when I first met Schmidt’s due to my sister getting married and all. Super yummy, super pretty cake. The night of our review? “Holy crap, it smells good in here!”
Kalli: Throw baked goods around and my first impression is always good.
Kristina: The bakery was very clean and all of the bakery items looked delicious and enticing. They all looked so good, in fact, that my new goal is to eat everything in their store and go on Maury Povich as the world’s fattest woman.
Quinn: First thought: “How did I not know this was here?” I couldn’t believe how many times I’ve been downtown in that area and have never known they had a store there. All those missed opportunities for their yummy treats!
Stephanie: It was so bright, open and clean, not to mention oh, my baked good heaven. The cases were full of deliciousness.
Vanessa: Oh my look at the cases and smell those rolls!
.

.
QUESTION

What did you like the most?

.
THE SCOOP

Camille: It’s a toss-up between the eclairs and the homemade rolls—made from scratch, by the way. Even baked from a frozen state, they melt away in your mouth!
Emily: It’s pretty much impossible to decide between the homemade rolls (my fave is the butterflake) and that German chocolate cookie goodie. And yes, I ate the entire thing by myself.
Kalli: I really enjoyed seeing behind the scenes. Bakeries require a lot of work. Who knew? Well, the Keebler elves, that’s who. And Schmidt’s.
Kristina: I loved that they make everything from scratch. I can barely open a bread bag without hurting myself, so that really impressed me. My favorite item of theirs was their almond/marzipan pie. I think it’s the pie equivalent to Christian Bale, without the angry swearing.
Quinn: Everything was so delicious! My faves were the Napoleon, the cheesecake (and I’m not generally a cheesecake fan) and the German chocolate cookie. Yum!
Stephanie: The eclairs. And the rolls. But mostly the eclairs. Did I mention the eclairs? Oh, and the giant oven. I could bake a cookie or two in that thing.
Vanessa: The rolls (both kinds), the staff, how it is a close, family business and the eclairs!
.

.
QUESTION

What didn’t you like?

.
THE SCOOP

Camille: That they’re not located in Utah County, which is probably best (for my diet).
Emily: I wish they were located in Sandy. I mean, come on, everything’s in Sandy! Oh, and the fact their frozen rolls take a good few hours to defrost. (Yes, I know that’s typical, but delicious, frozen rolls should defrost immediately, bake quickly and be eaten hot out of the oven…all in 5 minutes flat! Other than that, I wasn’t a huge fan of their chocolate cookie treat with the mint filling, even though I love mint and chocolate.
Kalli: The birthday cake wasn’t my favorite, but overall I thought it was a fantastic experience.
Kristina: I didn’t like they wouldn’t let me put my entire face into their bowl of buttercream frosting and lick the bowl clean. Other than that, nothing.
Quinn: I wasn’t psyched about the goodies with mint filling.
Stephanie: That I had to share with my kids when I got home. {That’s why you hide them, Steph. Sheesh!}
Vanessa: The cake we tasted was not my favorite but that is okay because of all the other delectable treats they had.
.

.
QUESTION

Would you refer Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage to a friend?

.
THE SCOOP

Camille: Absolutely! I’d recommend their homemade rolls, sheet cakes and individual pastries.
Emily: Definitely! My sister’s wedding cake was fabulous and yummy and they have a fabulous assortment of treats. Plus their rolls are to die for (I have a few dozen in my freezer) and their Salt Lake City location even serves sandwiches!
Kalli: Yes, I would.
Kristina: Definitely.
Quinn: ABSOLUTELY. I was thoroughly impressed with the quality as well as the baking integrity of the owners behind the brand. {Hear, hear!}
Stephanie: Yes. Schmidt’s is already a family favorite. And now that I know about their delicious bake-and-serve rolls, I am sending roll lovers their way.
Vanessa: Yes, their baked goods taste fresh and homemade and they have a really fabulous selection. I want to go back and test out their donuts!
.

.
QUESTION

If you could only send out one tweet about the business, what would you say?

.
THE SCOOP

Camille: Satisfy your sweet tooth with Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage–family owned and made from scratch, everything tastes great! #Utah
Emily: Wedding cakes, eclairs, hot & homemade rolls, OH MY! Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage is a MUST TRY! #slc #utah
Kalli: Schmidt’s Bakery is the place to go to add more rolls to your collection!
Kristina: Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage will make you want to start lying to your spouse about how many cookies you actually brought home for the family.
Quinn: Don’t waste your calories with anything but Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage for sweet treats! #slc #utah
Stephanie: Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage is everything you expect something to be with pastry in the name… delicious!
Vanessa: Craving fresh bakery items, made with love and made with REAL natural ingredients, Scmidts Bakery is the place for you.

.
CHECK OUT THEM SCOOPS!

Here is the official SassyScoops.com rating for Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage.
.

Atmosphere …	Family friendly	Location
Prices	Quality	Service

…
…

Return to SassyScoops.com on Friday for our follow-up post on Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage! We might even have a tasty GIVEAWAY for our readers!

.

This week you are going to be transported to the wonderful world of baked goods courtesy of Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage.  With a name like that, how could the Sassies resist taking a bite out of the yummy goodness that awaited us inside?

The inviting cases lined with mouthwatering baked goods did not disappoint.  I am not sure I have ever spied an assortment of treats this large before.

I had already been introduced to Schmidt’s by my husband’s family who is in love with their marzipan tarts (they have a technical name—I just don’t know it) and the beyond scrumptious eclairs.  Trust me, the eclair tastes just as amazing as it looks.

Check back on Wednesday to find out what had Kristina so excited during the tour of the bakery…

…and if this is a replica of the oven used by Hansel and Gretel to dispose of that nasty old witch…

…and where exactly Kalli was taking all those baked goods…

…or in reality, just how delicious the culinary delights we sampled were.

If you just can’t wait to find out what the Sassies thought you can visit Schmidt’s online here.  Or you can LIKE them on Facebook. (I prefer to like them in person too.) And if that still isn’t enough, visit one of Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage’s 3 convenient locations across the Wasatch Front.

Sugar House
609 E 2100 S

Taylorsville
5664 S Redwood Rd

The Store (Holladay)
2050 E 6200 S

After so many years wondering about and trying different season passes to local Salt Lake City venues, the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass has been our answer!  We’ve been able to keep things fun and exciting by going to different venues.  Then, we’ve been really able to see which locations our kids prefer in order to make a more informed decision should we go to purchase any season passes for any of the places included on the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass.  There are so many great places to explore here in Salt Lake City!

Our family loves all of the venues offered on the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass.  Here’s a quick list of some of our favorite things at the venues on the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass:

• Clark Planetarium – My kids LOVE the movies on the big dome screen (movie pass included on the pass, as well as a ticket to the IMAX theater).  They also love walking through the exhibits, learning about stars, planets and space exploration.
• Discovery Gateway – What’s not to love there?!  My kids have such a great time with everything at Discovery Gateway.  I love how everything is an educational experience.  We’ve also really enjoyed the art classes.
• The Lion House Pantry Restaurant – The food, the food, the food!!!  Gourmet home-cooking in a family-friendly atmosphere, nice for adults, while also comfortable to bring kids.  My favorite is their tapioca pudding.. or maybe the banana cream pie… hmmm… too many good things to choose from (Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass includes one Pioneer Meal – $9.99 value).  In the warm weather, we love to eat on the patio and then check out the flowers at Temple Square.
• The Living Planet Aquarium – Dim lighting (my fave, since it makes it so relaxing!), bright fish displays and interactive experiences have made this an absolute favorite location of ours to visit.  My kids especially love petting the sting rays and watching the sharks, penguins and octopus.
• Red Butte Garden – I’ve been so excited to take my kids here to see the gardens, especially because of how educational the experience will be!
• Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort – The tram ride (included on the Visit Salt Lake Pass) is going to be a highlight of my kids’ summer outings!  I can hardly wait to take them there!!!  I remember going on the tram as a child and loving it!
• Thanksgiving Point – Hands-down, my kids love the Dinosaur Museum the very most, though I’m hoping to win them over on the gardens in the very near future. ;)
• This is the Place Heritage Park – Our family especially loves visiting this venue during the month of July.  It’s such a fun, interactive way to teach our kids about our State’s historic legacy.
• Tracy Aviary – We are bird lovers, so going to Tracy Aviary is always a real treat!  So many varieties of birds in one place.
• Utah Museum of Fine Arts – As someone who considers themself an artist, I’m constantly looking for ways to educate and expose my children to the arts.  The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is the perfect complement to this effort.
• Utah Museum of Natural History – My son LOVED the summer day camp we did and so I’m certain he and my girls are going to love going to the museum soon, too!  Once he finds out there are dinosaur bones there, he’ll never want to leave! ;)
• Utah Olympic Park – Since my kids weren’t born when the Olympics graced Salt Lake City, I’ve been excited to take them here to teach them about the sports and the camaraderie, while helping them catch a vision of the spirit of the Olympics!
• Utah’s Hogle Zoo – Lions, tigers and bears – oh, yes!  We love to see them all!  My kids especially love the giraffe house (one of the giraffes bent down and licked my brother’s camouflage jacket on one of our most recent visits, lol!).

Here’s a fun video from our family’s latest outing to the Living Planet Aquarium:

And now…

IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

Visit Salt Lake is giving one lucky reader two 2-day Visit Salt Lake Connect Passes! All you have to do is comment to win, then you and your family can get out exploring all of these exciting Salt Lake City venues!

p.s. Anxious to get a Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass right away?  Be sure to take advantage of their special right now to Buy a 2-day Pass and get a third day, free!  And you can’t beat their always-low-rate for year passes.  Have fun exploring all the Salt Lake has to offer!

Are you ready for some serious Salt Lake City fun? How about 13 attractions for one super, duper awesome price? This week Vanessa, Quinn and I are talking about the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass and all the great things you can do/see/experience with it.

They have a great promotion going on right now!

Buy a 2-day pass, get a 3rd day for FREE!*

*Free day in the form of a 3-day Connect Pass for the same price of a 2-day connect pass. Offer valid through July 19, 2010.
Promotional passes can be used throughout the 2010 calendar year.
Once activated they are valid for 3 consecutive days.

You can read Vanessa’s post for details on the pass and pics of her girls enjoying Red Butte Gardens, Hogle Zoo and the Utah Museum of Natural History.

As for me and my family, so far we’ve hit up 3 of the 13 attractions: Discovery Gateway, a hands-on science museum for kids; Thanksgiving Point’s Museum of Ancient Life; and the always beautiful Thanksgiving Point Children’s Discovery Garden.

My kids LOVE Discovery Gateway. In fact, my two little ones continually ask if we can go to “the Gates” so they can hang out in the helicopter…

Play with the crazy ball-and-pipe system…

Or build super cool things out of magnets…

Even my older two love going there. You can see them enjoying the newsroom studio, rock wall and even the gift shop in the slideshow below:

As for the Museum of Ancient Life, who doesn’t love a few ginormous (aquatic) dinosaurs…

And a shark that makes the star of Jaws look like a guppy…

Oh, and endless riverways filled with sand, flowing water, palm trees and dinosaurs…

The Museum of Ancient Life has a yummy little cafe (though the grilled cheese left something to be desired) and lots of hands-on fun. Anyone want to dig for fossils?

Are you ready for the fun that is Thanksgiving Point’s Children’s Discovery Garden? Even in the almost 90-degree weather, we had a fabulous time splashing in the water…

Playing peek-a-boo in the lighthouse…

And making our way through the topiary maze…

And having a screaming-good time in the tunnels…

Who knew you could have this much fun in a garden? (I sure don’t have this much fun in ours!)

And how do I know it was a successful visit? Because this happened no later than five minutes into the drive home:

Why are you still sitting there reading this post? Get your Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass and get visiting! No better way to spend the summer than attraction-hopping through Salt Lake!

Don’t forget about their current special, which would be perfect for spending a weekend in Salt Lake City with out-of-town guests OR as a “staycation” for you!

Buy a 2-day pass, get a 3rd day for FREE!*
*Free day in the form of a 3-day Connect Pass for the same price of a 2-day connect pass. Offer valid through July 19, 2010.
Promotional passes can be used throughout the 2010 calendar year.
Once activated they are valid for 3 consecutive days.

This week three of the Sassies are going to feature the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass, which can be used by those of you already living in Utah OR by families who like to visit Utah for vacation!

What is the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass?

It is a “pass” that offers admission to 13 Salt Lake City attractions: Clark Planetarium, Discovery Gateway, The Lion House Pantry Restaurant, The Living Planet Aquarium, Red Butte Garden, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, Thanksgiving Point, This Is The Place Heritage Park, Tracy Aviary, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Utah Museum of Natural History, Utah Olympic Park and Utah’s Hogle Zoo. You can see exactly what you get with the pass on this page. For most of the places your VSL pass allows you free entrance into the attraction, and using the pass ends up saving you TONS of money while taking you on a great tour of the best places in Salt Lake City.

What different Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass options are there for visitors?

We recommend the 1-day ($24 for an adult), 2-day ($36 for an adult) or 3-day ($48 for an adult) for friends and family who visit Utah depending on the length of their stay.
Right now they have a great SPECIAL for this pass:

Buy a 2-day pass, get a 3rd day FREE!*

* Free day in the form of a 3-day Connect Pass for the same price of a 2-day connect pass. Offer valid through July 19, 2010. Promotional passes can be used throughout the 2010 calendar year.
Once activated they are valid for 3 consecutive days.

It gives visitors a great tour of Salt Lake City and takes them to the perfect places to visit while here in the area. Plus, it’s also a great way for locals to have a less expensive “staycation” this summer!

What option do they have for us local Utahns?

This is the pass that my family, extended family in Utah, friends and neighbors use: the 365 Day Pass. The cost is $69 (for an adult) and you can visit the 13 attractions listed above during the course of a year, which works perfectly for us because we usually plan fun outings once a month. We love going with  other people we know who have this pass and enjoy trying something new in Salt Lake City! If I were to visit all the attractions and pay the regular price, it would cost me over $120! With the 365 Day Pass, I save 50%, which is HUGE!

Here are some of my family’s favorite attractions included in the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass:

Red Butte Gardens: I can’t believe it took us so long to make it out to this Salt Lake City attraction but we just loved it! My kids learned so much about all the different plants, and the trails in the gardens are beautiful and shaded for hot summer weather. They have many places to sit; you can have a picnic or sit at a table for lunch. The children’s gardens are very fun and interactive, and that part of the gardens alone could have filled  our day. Check out our fun video of our favorite parts of Red Butte Gardens:

Utah’s Hogle Zoo: Here we love the giraffe house. You can go up to the second level so you are VERY close to the beautiful animals! We love going up there and watching them eat and come in and out of their houses.

Utah Museum of Natural History: Boy, do we adore this place! It is definitely a place where it is not only entertaining but educational as well. We really do have such a blast at the museum with my girls. They spend a crazy amount of time studying all of the minerals, fossils, artifacts and dinosaurs!

We’ve loved being Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass owners this year and have had a blast around Salt Lake City!

Don’t forget about their current special, which would be perfect for a weekend in Salt Lake City for family coming to visit OR a “staycation” for you!

Buy a 2-day pass, get a 3rd day for FREE!*
*Free day in the form of a 3-day Connect Pass for the same price of a 2-day connect pass. Offer valid through July 19, 2010. Promotional passes can be used throughout the 2010 calendar year.
Once activated they are valid for 3 consecutive days.

I don’t think there’s much more we can say to convince you Invert Sports is the go-to shop for local water sports rentals. From the time we arrived and saw the boat docked, stocked and ready to go, to the final “accidental” flip of the inner tube, we were smitten.

Tyler, an employee of Invert Sports and a well-trained driver, accompanied us during our time with the boat.  He was so patient when it came toteaching us how to wake surf, our phobias of the insects and the craziness that just comes with giddy girls spending a day out in the sun.  He was so fun whipping us around on the tubes, and even cooperated in secretly executing the perfect wipe-out—for video purposes of course—unbeknownst to Vanessa and Kitty, the riders on the tube, who were expecting a calm ride back to the dock. (Again, we’re sorry for the bruises and inability to walk the next day!)

Take advantage of these summer months by spending some time on the lake.  Plan a weekend with your family or good friends and call Invert Sports to reserve the perfect sized boat or water toys for your group.  Split the cost of the rental price and we can guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

We cornered Tyler, while in the process of inflating the tube, to have him discuss more about Invert Sports.

Be sure to “Like” Invert Sports on Facebook or follow them on Twitterhttp://twitter.com/invertsports to keep up on the latest steals and deals being offered throughout the summer.

And don’t be surprised if you see some Sassies out on the lake as well during your adventures!