Hey everyone!

It’s been over three weeks since the last blog post from the Zappos Interns, so here’s a quick rundown of what we’ve been up to lately:

1. Our first All-Hands meeting: On June 22, we participated in a Tech All Hands with all the other tech employees at Zappos. The afternoon included the usual briefings from top company officials, the CTO doing a ridiculous dance, and even a spoof video made right here at Zappos called “Sh*t Developers Say”. After that, we all enjoyed a Happy Hour poolside at Green Valley Ranch, which had been booked out specially for Zappos employees. Pretty sweet. But the highlight of the afternoon was definitely the surprise appearance of the legendary Steve Wozniak, who indulged us with a half-hour Q&A about his time at Apple, his thoughts on the future of technology, and some funny stories. That was surreal.

Ravi R. and Yong L. with Steve Wozniak 

2. A volunteer day at the local Animal Shelter: Zappos is really involved in the Vegas community, and it trickles down all the way to the interns. All of us spent a day learning about the great animal shelter here, as well as walking and playing with dogs. It was ridiculously hot outside, but hanging out with dogs usually makes things much more bearable!

3. General craziness around the Zappos campus: Probably the best part is the frequent table tennis sessions all around the office. Zappos even has a unique 3-on-3 version of ping-pong, aptly named “Zing-Zong”. It’s a bit ridiculous to outline all the rules (basically because when you watch it seems as if there are no rules, and when you play you learn a new rule every time). Suffice to say that it’s a cross between regular ping-pong and volleyball, with each team setting up teammates and the ball not being dead till it hits the ground. It’s sick.

4. July 4^th week(end): My superhero Christina had a July 4^th pool party, and that night we all walked to a nearby parking lot to watch fireworks. The display here in Vegas was definitely better than what I’ve seen in most other places. Then, on July 6^th, for another day outside the office, all of us hiked up the nearby Mt. Charleston. The weather was beautiful, about 20 degrees cooler than in Las Vegas, and the views were fantastic.

Left to right: Adrian T., Nick HS, Jessica C., Alex H., Kiersten S., Kim H., Michelle V., Luke Z., Ravi R., Yong L., Irene P., Tylan C., Anya E., Tony G., Taylor S.

5. A trip to the Grand Canyon: One of the best things about working in Vegas is the proximity to so much nature (e.g: California beaches, Zion, Grand Canyon, etc.). Three of us decided to make an impromptu trip to the Grand Canyon a couple weekends ago, and were there within two hours. We spent all day taking in the sights and climbing to as many treacherous places as possible. Good times.

All in all it’s amazing how quickly the time has gone – we’re already starting our eighth week here at Zappos! I’m pretty bummed that summer is over in a month. But up to this point, I couldn’t have asked for more. As interns, we’re always involved and in the middle of things here, it’s never lonely, and there’s a great work-life balance – all things that I’d heard thrown around at the beginning of the summer, but that I’d never truly understood until now. It’s a great feeling.

Till next time,

Ravi

Shop from the palm of your hand with the new Zappos iPhone app!

AdweekMedia has named Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh as one of their Marketers of the Year along with a very diverse group of marketing minds. You can read all about Tony HERE and be sure to check out the other winners including Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Converse CEO Geoff Cottrill and Grand Marketer of the Year James Moorhead who delivered the “Old Spice Guy” advertising campaign in their special CMO Special. Congratulations to all who were nominated and to all who continue to reinvent their businesses.

It seems like everywhere you go in the fall, there’s the smell of apples in the air. You may find fresh baked pies in the local bakery, hot apple cider in cafes, and even apple butter at local craft fairs. All these treats are incredibly tempting, but the prices can be a bit expensive. Instead of giving in to all those highly priced treats, why not save money and make them in your own kitchen?

First of all, saving money begins by saving money on fresh apples. While many grocery stores now offer a large variety of apples, the prices can be a bit high. Not to mention that these apples are usually shipped in from another state or even from across the county. Instead, why not visit a local apple orchard? Apple orchards have the largest selection of varieties and the best prices. You’ll save even more money if you pick the apples yourself.

Next, find good recipes. Nothing is worse in the kitchen than preparing a recipe and it turning out to be a flop. Instead, choose recipes from sources you’ve come to trust. Ask your mom for the pie recipe she made when you were little. Ask your grandmother for that special apple cake recipe. Or, turn to some of the top recipe websites, such as Kraft Foods.

I hope I’ve given you reason to trust my recipes and if so, I hope you enjoy this one as well.

Easy Apple Bread
Makes 1 Loaf

4 large Honey Crisp or Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and chopped
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Cook the apples, water, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat until fork tender.
2. Allow the apples to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Cream together the butter, sugar and eggs with an electric mixer.
5. Stir in the apples, flour, and pecans.
6. Pour batter into a nonstick loaf pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center of the loaf and comes out clean.