A Few Steps Back

It's been awhile since I've updated you all on my WW progress- partially because it's been a busy past few weeks and partially because I gained some weight during them.  Frustrating, I know.

I had been doing really well but the temptation of the holidays and all the treats they bring with them got the best of me.  I'm not as upset as I thought I would be, especially after weighing in today and having it mark week number two that I gained!  Total, I put 2.5 pounds back on.  The one thing that keeps running through my mind is if I tried to exercise some self-control this holiday and put on a couple pounds, how much have I been gaining in past years when I was completely oblivious?  That's a scary thought... but it might explain small contributions here and there to my overall "growth" (that's a nice way to put it) since college.

The only thing I can do about it now is put my WW hat back on and make sure I'm thinking about what I eat before it hits my mouth.  It probably wouldn't hurt to throw in a little more exercise into the mix, but I like running and it's gotten pretty cold here (finally!) so we'll see.

I asked for a digital food scale for Christmas this year and Jake got me one (don't judge me, it's hard to track points for certain foods if you don't know their weight).  I've already used it a few times and so far really like it.  It doesn't hurt that it's cute and thus stays out on the counter reminding me to use it (yes, there is such a thing as cute and not cute digital food scales).

Mine looks a lot like this one but is by Cuisinart and a bit brighter shade of orange.

things gone wrong

I had wanted to title this post, "Move Mishaps" but realized that some of the things that have gone wrong aren't as much mishaps as they are just plain unfortunate.  So, without further delay I'm going to share a few things that have gone wrong as a result of the the big move.

First, one of our place settings didn't make the trip to our new place.  Why?  Well, because we simply couldn't find it.  Jake told me I miscounted how many we'd gotten after the wedding, but I know myself and I would never have asked for nine place settings instead of eight or ten (everyone knows you're supposed to get them in even increments).  But just in case perhaps we hadn't received the even number we'd asked for, I went ahead and checked our registry online and I was right- we asked for ten place settings and that's how many we got.  Once I confirmed that one was missing for sure, I emailed Jake to  let him know that we needed to search our place again.  His response:

"I'm pretty sure if we've gotten by this long without using it we'll be OK.  Plus, now that I think about it, I remember that place setting walking off awhile ago... it was fed up."

I mean how am I suppose to take him seriously when this is how he reacts to big issues like missing place settings?  Needless to say, we never did find it.

While we're on the topic of wedding gift being broken, two other items fell victim to our move.  The first was one of my Mikasa goblets (I only had four to begin with) and the second was my matching Mikasa swirl pitcher.  The goblet broke in transit and can easily be replaced, but the pitcher shattered after being cleaned.  I think it had something to do with being washed with too hot of water and rinsed with water too cold... but I can't be sure.  I am sure though that it is no longer available (in the clear) to buy so its gone for good.

We've also had a few pairs of shoes get chewed while they waited for a more permanent home; our kitchen table has water marks from being rained on while in transit; and one of the feet on our TV stand broke off completely.  The shoes were tossed, the table's stains can be covered with a tablecloth, and we've positioned TV stand perfectly to remain in tact... it just can't be easily moved.  All in all, I'd say it was a successful move. Nothing extremely valuable got  ruined and I really love our new place... so it was worth it.

Christmas in July

First I want to start off by saying that I've always wanted to have a Christmas in July party, but that isn't what this blog is about.

I came home today to a box from Bed, Bath, & Beyond with a wedding gift in it!!! How awesome is that? It was totally unexpected and that made it that much better. I know people have up to a year to send a gift but we've been married nearly 10 months, which is pretty close to that, so I never saw it coming! Regardless it was a nice surprise!

Speaking of wedding gifts, we've been having to buy a lot of them lately and I love it! I just really enjoy checking out people's registries to see their plate choices, color schemes, etc. and then putting together a themed gift from it! I would much rather run through searching for items on a wedding registry than a baby registry- that's for sure!

Taking Liberties with a Couple’s Registry- Good or Bad?

I vote, “good”, but I have to set some conditions. Hear me out.

(Oh, and just to explain the sudden influx of wedding related blogs, I am doing some lifestyle writing for our company blog and weddings was the topic of choice! With that on the mind, it's influencing what I write here.)

Some couples are comfortable registering for higher end gifts while others try to keep the expense reasonable to low for their guests. If you’re trying to get out of a high end gift for couple A by getting them a less expensive version, please STOP yourself and just give money or a gift card in the amount you’d like to spend. This would be an example of when it is bad to take liberties with a registry.

Now, if you’re trying to upgrade couple B’s gift to something nicer than please proceed, just make sure to attach a gift receipt. It may seem strange, but there could be a legitimate reason they opted for the $39 microwave over the $100 one. Perhaps they have limited space in their apartment and couldn’t have the larger capacity microwave… who knows, but they certainly won’t be offended that you tried to offer them something nicer. Not to mention I bet they will appreciate the difference they receive back on a gift card at the store too!

This topic may seem out of the blue, but it wasn’t. I recently found myself in this dilemma, but instead of a $39 microwave, it was a $24.99 toaster from Target. Here’s what happened:

I was shopping was a bridal shower present at Target, but because I waited so long there weren’t a lot of items left that were $35 or less. I did however come across the toaster oven this couple asked for as being in stock and within my budget. When I located in the proper isle I couldn’t believe my eyes. First of all, at that price I thought I was looking for a regular toaster. I was wrong. Secondly, this was the sorriest toaster oven I had ever seen. No wonder it was only $25. That might be coming across as snobby, but that isn’t my intention or tone at all! Honestly, our toaster oven is one of the appliances my husband and I use most at home! When I saw this little guy I couldn’t bring myself to buy it. I decided to move on to another store they registered at and got lucky. Apparently they only registered for their place settings and coordinating serve ware from said store and those items were online only. BUT, coincidence would have it that another bride had returned some pieces from this pattern to that store AND everything returned was under $35. I was beaming, this was perfect! I picked up 4 fruit bowls in their pattern and was on my way.

But wait just a minute- that wasn’t the end of the toaster oven dilemma… no, not for me, I was still distraught. When my husband came home I immediately recapped my shopping experience and toaster oven discovery. He of course agreed with my decision to forgo the purchase and go with the fruit bowls (we use ours every day). This was when I first considered a registry upgrade. Before this date something like this had never crossed my mind. I don’t know if being married put me into this comfortable category of feeling versed in house wares and kitchen appliances or what, but I do know that I felt strongly about them getting a nicer toaster oven. I explained to my husband that I couldn’t leave it at just not buying the little guy for them, because that ran the risk that someone else might! I insisted that we purchase them the same toaster oven we received for our wedding. I mean, we know from experience that it’s awesome and it was expensive enough that if they opted to exchange it for something else they would have a decent amount of money to play with. So there you have it. A simple enough explanation for how this topic came about and how I came to stand firm in my opinion of what to do, should you ever face the same one!

you can go with this, or you can go with...

this.

( reread that with the KIA hamster rap commercial in mind- do you have the beat?)

Wedding Season- How to Make it Through

We're knee deep in wedding season and the end seems far. I want to start off by clarifying that I am a huge fan of weddings- in fact, I would dare say I love them. I love seeing friends, eating good food (or hoping to), seeing the bride's vision and all of her efforts unveiled, and of course, I just adore watching the newlyweds! BUT (and you knew this was coming) weddings hit in waves and can truly wear on you. It's not like after you've gotten a few under your belt they get easier or less exhausting. Sure maybe navigating through Target or Macy's to grab those registry items is, but the travel, outfit selection, and money spending isn't.

I consider myself a generous person when it comes to gift giving- it's one of my love languages. So for me, it's hard to have weddings come along so close together because it starts to limit what I'm able to give. A lot of people say its not about the gifts, its about being part of their big day and that is true... to an extent. A lot of the weddings we are attending are for young christian couples just starting out and they have n o t h i n g. I can identify with this place of need. Nine months ago when Jake and I tied the knot, he was a student and I was the only one working (and I wasn't bringing home the bacon...it was more like bacon bits). We were moving into an apartment with no furniture of our own and an assortment of plates & cups from college. We didn't own a single pan; so for us, the gifts we registered were things we really needed to get started and we genuinely appreciated each and every gift we received.

So how can one get through this season without compromising their preferred caliber of gift or checking account? Plan, plan, plan. As soon as I hear a couple has set a date it goes on my calendar! Then I scope out their registries. I try and buy the gift early enough that there is still a selection within my price range. Also, keep an eye out for coupons. The Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons never expire (pay no attention the marked expiration date) and I have had a ton of success with online coupon codes. When it comes to Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn I search high and low online for free shipping- those are dollars that could go toward the gift!

At the end of the day it isn't the couple's fault that your cousin, college roommate, and friend of the family is getting married the same month... so don't let the unrelated events affect each other. Plan ahead.

sweet relief

Phew! My good friend Meredith's birthday was yesterday and I am relieved to say that she loved my gift. My relief may seem trivial to some, but I consider gift giving to be one of my love languages (except when it comes to Jake) and so the recipient's reaction is important to me... not to mention, I find Mere to be an extremely easy person to shop for! However, this year presented a unique obstacle, as she happens to be right in the middle of packing for a BIG move to St. Louis and it isn't the best time for acquiring trinkets, etc. This meant I had to make sure whatever I bought for her wouldn't be a nuisance to pack or move.

What did I get???

I ended up going with a variety pack of blank note cards (for keeping in touch) and the novel, Twilight. Before you judge me about the book, let me explain...

When I started reading the Twilight series Meredith mentioned that she was considering reading the books but was going back and forth about it. She told me that her hairdresser raved about them, but then later shared she was unhappy with how the series ended. This made Mere unsure whether or not she should read them at all. So truth be told, I wasn't forcing my love of the series on her out of nowhere- I just gave her the final push she needed to get started. Honestly, I thought a longer book was the perfect gift; she is about to move and have the summer off, affording her lots of free time. I figured if she ends up wanting to read the entire series she will have something to pass the time.

Also, please let the record show I checked with our friend Stacy before making this purchase. I knew everyone's first conclusion would be that I let the Twihard in me take things too far.