I’m so thrilled to have partnered with some amazing people and businesses and over the next 10 days and I am going to be giving away a bunch of really fun things in celebration of this brand new space! Once you are subscribed to my blog, I will be sending YOU a daily email reminding you of the giveaway happening that day. Because you don’t want to miss out. (Word of advice to Gmail users: check for Promotions tab for my emails, and then manually move them to your inbox so you don’t miss out because you can’t find them!)
Random fact about me: I met my husband while working at Panera Bread. I was 16 and he was 19 and it was my first night there and I was being trained in and this guy (kinda cute, kinda gangly, and maybe smiled too much at me) was leaning against the salad bar. He may have spoken to me, I can’t remember. But we became friends, then close friends (I probably talked way too much about my boyfriends to him) and then suddenly, we became something more. So Panera will always hold a special place in my heart.
Another random fact about me: I love eating at Panera. But I’m an old-school Paneran. None of this new fancy stuff they have now. I’m talking Chicken Wild Rice soup, Broccoli Cheddar soup, Bacon Turkey Bravos, Sierra Turkeys, and Chicken Caesar salad. And their bagels. I’m obsessed with their bagels, namely the Asiago, Everything and Cinnamon Crunch.
So when I was given a card for free bagels for a year for one of my readers, I jumped on it. I’m actually really jealous I have to give this away, because this is a crazy good prize. (Sorry, this is just available to local readers around Minneapolis/St. Paul!)
The card is good for one free Bagel Pack a month for a year (which is 13 bagels and two tubs of cream cheese). Do you bring breakfast in to work for your co-workers? Have a family who loves bagels? Did you know you can freeze them too?
I was gifted this card to pass along to you guys, but for my Twin Cities readers, I just have to give a shout out to the Blaine Panera, whose manager was kind enough to donate this prize and because it’s the location of my very first job. They also have a drive-thru now which is SO convenient with a baby and a Bacon Turkey Bravo craving.
All you have to do to enter to win is:
- Subscribe to my blog, if you haven’t already.
- Leave a comment on this post telling me where you first met your significant other. If you’re unattached, tell me if you’ve ever eaten at Panera! (Comments on Facebook and Instagram WON’T count. The comments need to be left here.)
The Bagels for a Year giveaway will end on January 11 (tonight) at 11:59pm, CST.
The winner will be chosen at random by Random Name Picker the next morning.
The winner will be notified by email the following day, and will have 24 hours to reply back to me, or a new winner will be chosen. All prizes will be mailed out to winners at the end of the giveaway series.
I met AJ in his garage, oddly enough. One of my friends was dating one of his friends and the guys were all hanging out on a Friday night in AJ’s garage working on snowmobiles. Nicky invited me to tag along so that she wouldn’t be the only girl standing around watching the guys work on snowmobiles. That led to flirting, exchanging of phone numbers and many more Friday nights of hanging out with friends until I finally decided that I could stop playing ‘hard to get’ and we could be something more (cue immature 19 year old self). Oh, the good ole carefree days lol!!! 🙂
Author
So cute! If it wasn’t Panera, this is probably how I would have met a husband too. 😉
“Kinda cute, kinda gangly” Haha! I love it. I met my significant other at a local bar (classy, I know). He was drinking Coors Light and wouldn’t stop creeping on me. I ended up crushing on his friend all night but after that it was an instant connection.
Great blog!
Author
This made me giggle. 😉
I met my husband while working at Showplace movie theatre in Coon Rapids when we were 15. I served the popcorn and he cleaned it up. Good love story!
Author
I can’t even with this. Who would have thought, right?
I met my husband on Match.com, 1 week before my subscription was up (and I wasn’t going to renew it). Felt a little like fate.
Author
Wow!! That’s totally fate. I love it.
I LOVE PANERA!!! I met my husband at work 🙂 I knew I loved him right when I met him! So cheesy I know haha!
Author
I’m obsessed with Panera. In fact, I may be craving some right now. (And I knew I loved Chris when I met him, too. Well, maybe it took longer than that, but I knew there was something about him.)
I met my sweet hubby at the young age of 1week. Yes, you read that right. 1 week old. Our parents were best friends and play dates galore were in our future. Play dates led to family camp outs and picnics but unfortunately we went our separate ways in our late teens. Fate brought us together once again smack in the middle of Minnesotas Great Get Together. We bumped into each other (literally) and never separated from that moment. Years and years later here we are. My 1st best friend in the entire world has become my forever best friend and I could not have written pur fairy tale any better.
Author
Olivia has a little boyfriend who is 6 weeks younger than her. Maybe this will be her story too. 😉 That’s so crazy how everything worked out. And cheers to fate bringing you both to the State Fair!!! What a beautiful love story!
Well poop I definitely don’t live even close!! haha O’well I will be watching for the next giveaway which should totally be Texas friendly since you also have a connection here! I like the way this new website is starting though 🙂
oh and I met my hubby way back in 2nd grade. Obviously our lives went different ways over the years but we always saw each other here and there. Many years later here we are! Our parents still live in the same places a mile apart.
Author
I know. Boo. Good thing all the rest of them are for all of the U.S. Woo hoo!
But that’s seriously adorable you have known him that long.
I met my husband on a blind date at an Italian restaurant two blocks from the house where I grew up. It was meant to be my one and only blind date – my excuse for declining future attempts by well meaning friends. And we ended up married.
I’m from Michigan so not eligible for your giveaway but I do love Panera and your blog so I had to comment. 🙂
Author
Good thing the rest of the prizes are for all the U.S.!! Thanks for the comment though. Appreciate it. 🙂 That’s adorable. I’ve been on one blind date and I’m so glad yours turned out better than mine.
I met my fiancé on an online dating website….I was just about to give up for a while and just do my own thing when I saw his profile, read it and sent a message. It just so happened that he was sending me a message at the same time, because I got a reply within 30 seconds!! We exchanged numbers a few days later because I was going to be at my parent’s cabin for the next weekend and wouldn’t have great service (and who wants to check an online dating site all weekend to talk to someone who sounds great?!). We met for our first date at Acapulco, and neither of us ate the chips and salsa….it is something we laugh about still to this day. I knew he worked there in his early 20s and when he didn’t go for the chips + salsa, I didn’t because I thought he knew something I didn’t (i.e. that they reuse the chips we don’t eat for the next table after we leave lmao – they don’t!)…..and he thought I was just weird and didn’t like them. Later found out, it’s one of our favorite things!
Author
I had to read this out loud to Chris because I laughed so hard at the chips and salsa story. I think you win for comment that made me laugh!
I met my sweetheart when I was 12, he was 13, at our homeschool co-op. He was soo shy and sweet, while I was the extroverted social butterfly. We were in art class together and had lunch together (by my choice, not his). Imagine the couple from “Up” when they were kids and that pretty much sums up our childhood. We’ve been together for almost 10 years and We’ll be celebrating our 7 year wedding anniversary this Sunday. Time flies when in love!
Author
That’s so sweet! It’s so crazy to think of knowing your husband so young and having no idea of what the future holds.
I met my spouse through a friend on New Year’s Eve. I told my friend if he wasn’t cute he couldn’t ride with me. My friend asked “How will I know you approve?” I told him Ill give a thumbs up and allow him to get in instead of drive off. Well needless to say… I didn’t drive off and I gave a 2 thumbs up. Married for 10years! 🙂
Author
Ha! I love it!
I met my boo thang at work in 2008, he couldn’t stand me at first because he wanted to judge a book by its cover. Lesson learned 😉
Author
I’m cracking up. I can totally see you saying this!
I met my husband years ago when he would hang out with my brother. I was always running out to the car, when he was waiting for my brother, to say hello, flirt a little and drag him into the house to sit with all of us at the dinner table. One day he knocked on the door and asked for me instead. And so it began. 36 years and still so in love!!
Author
I just love this story. So very very much.
In a college dorm and facebooked each other when Facebook was only for college kids. When he was in law school we loved to go to Panera for coffee and bagels in the morning ☺️
Author
Ahh back when Facebook was.. decent. That’s awesome. I practically lived at Panera in nursing school.
I met my hubby in a poker tournament. It was my first time playing, he was a seasoned pro, and we both ended up at the final table! This was back when poker was cool back in 2004 haha! For the record, I made it further than him in the tournament
Author
This is awesome! Ha ha!
I met hubby at a church retreat. <3. We love Panera!
Author
The best place to meet our partner in life. <3
9th grade homeroom! We didn’t start dating until 8 years later
Author
Love it! If I married the guy I met in ninth grade… oy. 🙂
We met in high school. I thought he was super cute and made our mutual friend introduce us!
Author
Yaasssss. I love it.
I met my husband at a bar in my hometown of Cottonwood Minnesota. We were both home visiting family, but we both lived here in the city! ♡♡
Author
Aww! Kind of a small world, really. 😉
So embarrassing….but I need to tell the full truth! I met my husband at a co-ed sex toy party. Yep, not one for the grandkids but sometimes life is sure interesting!
Author
Bah ha ha! I literally burst out laughing when I saw this!
Randy and I met while we were both working at Domino’s. Guy quit using snuff cold turkey when he found out I would never date anyone who used it or smoked. The rest is history, as they say.
Author
So crazy, because normally you can’t get people to change with that stuff… but you did. A good man right there. 🙂 (Also, Dominos sounds delicious right now.)
I met Scott 11 years ago coaching special Olympics In march we will have been married for 7 years! Just had twin boys in July!!!!
Author
Love! That’s so sweet. And congrats on the babies boys! <3
I met him in class at Bethel, but I am pretty sure that he met your husband first!
Yeah I did!
Author
Ha ha!!!! But I’m so glad you guys got together because you are just so perfect together.
We met in high school but didn’t start getting close until we hung out with mutual friends after I came back from college!
Author
It’s crazy how you can meet someone and then rekindle a relationship later on. <3
I would always stop over at my friends house & his cute sister would always stop by to talk to me while I sat in the car. Things would develop into a 36 year relationship.
Author
Ha ha!! Love love love!
Met my husband on match.com with our first date at a caribou coffee 🙂
Author
Caribou is a fantastic first date place!
I met my husband in the church nursery! I was only a few weeks old, he was nine months old, and it was definitely not love at first sight. We grew up together, became friends in high school, and 8 years ago today (January 11th), we started dating. Two years married and our parents still like to reminisce about how poorly we got along in grade school. Whoops.
Author
What an amazing story! I was telling someone further up on a comment that Olivia has a little friend who’s 6 weeks younger whose mama I met via infertility. It makes me wonder what their story will end up being. 🙂
I met my husband at TGIFridays in coon rapids. I was there with a group of girlfriends and he was sitting at the table behind us with his roommate. The place was packed, we had more girls than we had seats. One of the ladies I was with said that she knew the two guys sitting in front of us and they said it would be okay if we shared their table. I had a few so it wasn’t too hard to convince me. I went and sat myself down, extended my hand, introduced myself and asked how they knew Lisa. By the confused look on their face I realized they didn’t know Lisa. They let us share their table anyways and the rest is history.
Author
Ha ha! I love reading these stories. I love the ones that are super random in the beginning. Isn’t it crazy to think that if you never went to their table.. what would have happened…?
My husband and I met online and met in person at a bar in shakopee MN, come to find out we had multiple mutual friends ❤
Author
So crazy!