Perceptions

More on clothes... This time, coming to you from Miss Reagan's closet.

Future coordinating outfits:

We've got the Halloween costumes.

We've got the Christmas dresses.

We've got the Easter dresses.

Apparently, I am one of "those Moms" that will be dressing her children similarly. And oh, how I have really loved shopping for coordinates for my girls!

In fact, I love shopping, period.

What do YOU see when you look at this picture of a portion of Reagan's closet?

If you're me; you see a complete wardrobe for two upcoming seasons. There are plenty of outfits for Reagan to wear this summer, and also more than enough clothing for her to sport this Fall/Winter too. Again, if you're me; you see a closet-rail full of deals and you feel a sense of accomplishment. Because I bought "out of season" no single item in this picture cost more than $4, and most of it was less than $2!

If you're Nick.... you see money that has gone out the door and will never return. I know Nick thinks I spend most of my waking hours shopping. Be it: in stores, or online.

OK, maybe I am exaggerating a bit. But today when I was on the phone with Nick, while he was at work- and he heard the doorbell ring in the background Nick said, "you'd better go get the door, it's probably another one of your packages [from shopping online]". hmmmm?

Nick is really pretty understanding. He may give me a hard time about shopping, but I think- deep down- he knows I am a bargain shopper and I hope he appreciates it. Or maybe I am in deep denial?

I, for one, know I have come a long way. Before I had Reagan I remember telling Heather that I was only going to dress my kids in high-end name brand clothing. At one point I was thrilled to score baby onsies from Banana Republic AND I purchased a Coach wristlet for my future daughter to tote around town when she was big enough.

But then reality set in and I started raising a baby- FOR REAL. All of my perceptions about the way I was going to dress my baby went out the window. I learned very quickly that babies go through a million outfits a day. That they grow so fast and sometimes are only big enough to wear a certain outfit once before it is outgrown. That the more complicated/trendy an outfit, the harder it is to get that outfit off of the baby, and when your baby has a blow-out, that once cute outfit inevitably leads to poop getting EVERYWHERE (it never would have happened if your baby would have been in a zipped up sleeper from KMart).

These days I have zero qualms about picking up last-seasons clothes from KMart, Children's Place, or Old Navy. Especially when they cost next to nothing. It is what Reagan will be dressing in for the next 3 seasons and I know she will look great!

Yay for stylish girls in our house!

What happened?! I used to be cool.

"Back in the day", before I married Nick I would spend $400/month on clothing and accessories. I was stylin'.

Even after I was married I felt like I had a pretty good handle on the latest trends. I felt such gratification when I would go to work and my co-workers or clients would compliment me on my outfit, or my purse.

I cannot pinpoint the exact moment that things started to change, but over the past year+ I have had fleeting moments where I noticed that I was no longer hip. At first it was almost imperceptible, but lately it has been brought directly to my attention by Nick (Mr. I was still wearing my wardrobe from High School when I was 25 years old- and was only pulled out of that slump because my wife bought me new clothes and left my old clothes in a hotel in South America when we vacationed there) and by Heather (Little Miss candidate for What Not To Wear, until her big sister started giving her clothes, and now half of Heather's closet is comprised of clothing given to her by Big Sister).

But it wasn't only by these two that I noticed the change. A few months ago I went in to Nordstrom to buy a new pair of jeans. I have been wearing Lucky Jeans for YEARS. At Nordstrom I was searching everywhere in the denim section for Lucky's, and I couldn't find them. A cute young sales girl approached me and asked if I needed any help? I told her I was looking for the Lucky Jeans. In her best "valley-girl" voice she told me that Nordstrom no longer carried Lucky Jeans. Or, in other words: Listen, old lady. If Lucky's were still in style they'd be sold here. What a blow to my ego!

Then, right before Anchor Blue went out of business, I was shopping in there and at the checkout counter I mentioned to the sales girl that I loved that they were playing a Limp Bizkit song. Her comment, "Oh, is that who this is? We're playing a retro compilation CD right now". L.B. is retro? Who knew?! Apparently not, Reagan's Mommy.

Anyway, after Nick's and Heather's comments; combined with observations by total strangers I took a hard look at my closet and realized *GASP!* they were (somewhat) right.

I hate to "out" myself, but there were a few things in my wardrobe that really did need to be trashed. I thought I'd give them a fond farewell, and also; by posting about them I knew I would have to get rid of them- because if anyone that reads my blog saw me wearing these particular items I would surely be "called out on to the carpet".

So, here goes....

My BELOVED Red shoes. I would plan/buy outfits centered around these shoes. I purchased them back in 1999, and they have been everywhere with me. When they looked new I was always having complete strangers compliment me on how cute they were. Then the compliments stopped. Nick started referring to them as my "clown shoes", and Heather called them my "garbage shoes". If I were honest I would admit that they needed to go a long time ago. Instead, yes, I super-glued them to try to keep them together, AND I colored on the worn spots with a red sharpie marker. How sad is that? I have spent many an hour scouring eBay trying to find a new version of these shoes, to no avail. Oh well, I guess I have to let go sometime.

My treasured boots from Bakers. Also worn WAY past their prime. And also "repaired" with super glue. I wasn't able to go through with the "boots worn over your jeans" trend this past winter, but maybe next year- if that is still the style? I may have to jump on that bandwagon, considering that these former "wardrobe staples" are making their way to the dump.

Heather and I both bought identical pairs of these sandals back in 1997. Heather has taken many occasions to point out to me that she tossed hers YEARS ago. I know, I know. And if it weren't for the fact that I was wearing these sandals when my water broke and I went in to labor with Reagan I would probably still be wearing them. Sad, but true. Nick says they literally stink to high heaven; but they are so comfortable! No excuse, though, they have got to go.

Lastly, just so that people can see that my fashion crimes go beyond just shoes... A pair of my (according to Nordstrom girl) out of style Lucky Jeans. Yes, they have a frayed hole in the crotch. And yes, I have still been wearing them (I have just made sure to keep my legs crossed when I am sitting). I toyed with the idea of putting iron-on patches over the hole. But realized that I really need to adopt a "hard and fast" rule, that anything I feel needs to be repaired by me actually just needs to go in the garbage.

While I am "laying it all out on the table" I also fell prey to TV infomercials and the Home Shopping Network. In the past year I not only ordered BUMPITS (which are total crap, by the way. But I am sure I am the only person alive who needed to buy them to find this out), but also Eyelash Extensions off of HSN (they didn't work either). Granted, I called and ordered both items in the middle of the night, when I was awake feeding Reagan and saw them on TV- so I think that they are fashion crimes that can be forgiven, considering that I wasn't in "my right state of mind".

The socks (also pictured above) lead to the part of this post that will be my defense. Heather also makes fun of my white crew socks. She laughs at me, that all of my white socks are socks I owned in high school. Her observation is true. HOWEVER, I started working full-time shortly after I graduated from High School and M-F attire was always businesslike. My "high school" socks would only make appearances on the weekends- DURING THE WINTER (because I would wear sandals in the summer). None of the white socks I own have holes in them, so I think they are still acceptable, despite their age.

I spent over a decade heading in to the office every day, and dressing appropriately. It has only been in the past 21 months that I have started heavily relying on my more casual wardrobe, because I'm not pulling the 9-5'ers anymore. I'm a Mom.

I think that is the reason all of the pictured items really started showing their age. Because I started wearing them on a regular basis, rather than once every blue moon.

Heaven knows I'd love to put the heels and more formalwear on again every day. But they just are not practical when you are chasing a toddler around (and they really aren't safe when you are pregnant and unbalanced- in so many ways :)

I am going to make a pledge to myself to stop wearing clothes that make me a look like a bag lady (I can hardly wait until I fit in to the True Religion Jeans Nick purchased for me & I have a new pair of 7's that I bought right before I got pregnant again). I see other Mom's that always looked pulled-together and cute so I know it is possible.

I'm going to make my best effort to follow suit.

There, Heather and Nick. Are you happy now?

Just Us Girls.

It's official. Baby girl Scheurer #2 is on her way. Several people have asked for it, so here is the obligatory "baby bump" picture of me (23 weeks).


At the ultrasound, where it was confirmed 100% that our little bundle will be a girl, they did the 3D picturing. I can't say I am a big fan. After all, who wants to see their progeny looking like an alien? I am sure that she will be very beautiful once she gets here.

If you can tell.... here is a shot of her face and hands.

And of course, my post wouldn't be complete without a snapshot of my gorgeous girl, Reagan. Nick's Mom works at an elementary school and was kind enough to gift us with her complimentary picture package the day Bell photography came out to do school pictures. I dolled Reagan up in her Easter attire and was happy that we were able to capture her smiling.



I love my girls!

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend (in our neck of the woods) was cold and snowy/wet. Originally, I had planned to take Reagan to the local Fruit Heights Easter Egg Hunt. Nick had to work, but Heather and Jeff took pity on me and came up to tag along.

We arrived at the location of the F.H.'s hunt and saw a sign that said it was postponed until the following weekend.

Heather suggested we go to Dan's Grocery store, since they were doing festivities. But quickly rescinded that suggestion when I reminded her of my feelings toward Associated Food Stores. Instead, we decided to drive over to the Farmington Smith's Grocery Store.

We were too late for the stuff going on at Smith's.

And changed our plans for a third time, when we saw a sign for Farmington's Easter Egg Hunt. After getting a little lost, we found the park in Farmington and unloaded the kids for the hunt.

We were early, and had to wait in line for 15 minutes before the hunt began.

You may not be able to tell from the pictures but it was fetching' freezing outside. Heather and I constantly ask each other why we do stuff like this to ourselves?! Maybe someday our kids will appreciate it.

The hunt turned out better than I expected. They split the kids up in to age groups (so that the little kids wouldn't have to compete with the big kids). And they made sure that every child under the age of 3 was given an egg that guaranteed them an extra special prize.

Lagoon Amusement Park sponsored all of the prizes, and they were not too shabby.

Reagan ended up taking home a large stuffed elephant, a Nemo Rain maker/stick, a stuffed bunny, and some candy.

Later on in the day I took Reagan to Nick's grandparent's house for their annual Easter Egg hunt. She threw a tantrum and broke her Easter basket, but what else is new?

AND just when I was complaining about the cruddy weather... I woke up Tuesday morning to find a foot of snow in our front yard. This was the most snow we had received all winter, and it is April! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I can hardly take it.

Reagan, on the other hand, loves it because when it melts it turns in to water. Of course, she didn't spend her time playing in the actual snow. She headed straight for the gutter and the slushy stuff as soon as she went outside. Strange child.

I didn't know this until the next morning, but Nick told me that it took him an hour and a half to make it down our street and in to the driveway the night it snowed! We have such great neighbors! Two of our neighbors saw Nick's predicament (ie- his car being stuck in the road) and EVEN THOUGH it was 10PM, they came out and helped dig him out and get him home. I do really love our neighborhood. I just wish the neighborhood were in a climate that didn't get snow :)

SAHM Frustrations

My Husband and my Daughter are "neck and neck" when it comes to my opinion about who will not live to see their next birthday. Sometimes, I tell ya.....
Let me present my case.

In the past week:
Nick: CONSTANTLY forgets to clean his pockets out before he puts them in (or sometimes, just near) the laundry hamper. It wouldn't be too bad if I found occasional pocket change in the dryer, but I never do. It's always used kleenexs', scraps of paper, etc...

Over the weekend I pulled a load of laundry out of the dryer to discover that Nick had forgotten to remove his balmex from his pants pocket before he gave them to me to wash. All of the clothing I had just cleaned had waxy spots from the balmex on them. So, I painstakingly pre-treated all of the items of clothing from that particular load of laundry, and did another load. As I was filling the washing machine I realized that I had a little extra room and so I included one of Nick's jackets with the load too. Some of you may think I am crazy, but some of you may be able to sympathize with me when it comes to the next part of my story. When I opened the dryer to remove this specific load of laundry FOR THE SECOND TIME I found that Nick had left an uneaten chocolate truffle in the pocket of his jacket. The Balmex spots are gone, but now I get to deal with spots of chocolate on all of the clothing!

I love my husband, but I can only do the same load of laundry so many times before I will need a ride to the looney bin. Really, if you think about it this sounds like the same sort of punishment the Greek character Sisyphus experienced when he was in Hades and was cursed to roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this throughout eternity.


Now to my dear Daughter-

Reagan: Really, is whining something that is innate in children? Reagan has been whining a lot lately, and we are still having bouts with the temper tantrums. Over the weekend she almost put me over the edge. The following events took place in about the space of an hour. To begin: I got Reagan out of bed in the morning and gave her some milk and cereal for breakfast. I assumed she was occupied with her breakfast and so I went to make some of my own. I poured myself a glass of milk and put peanut butter on my toast. When I turned around I realized that Reagan had abandoned her breakfast, found a pen and decided to color on the couch cushions! I removed her from the scene (I put her in the kitchen) and I went back to assess the damage done to the couch cushion.

A few moments later I heard Reagan repeating, "There, There, There". When I walked around the corner to the kitchen I found Reagan sitting on the floor. She had reached up and removed my toast from the countertop and was dipping her finger in to the peanut butter on my toast and spreading the PB on to my cabinets. Every time she would make a mark with the PB she was saying "there", like PB was just what my cabinet faces needed.

At the time, I was too mad to take pictures or to find humor in the situation. These pics are ones of Reagan in a "controlled Peanut Butter Environment at her Grammy Kay's house".

It is a good thing you get thicker hair when you are pregnant, because I was pulling mine out by this point, and if I had any less I'd probably be bald.

I cleaned Reagan up. While I was wiping her hands she told me that she was still hungry and wanted to eat. I gave her a blueberry muffin that I had made the day before and set her in front of an Elmo DVD.

I started cleaning up the PB mess, only to realized that Reagan had eaten a little of her muffin and then decided to squish the rest of it (along with the blueberries) in to the carpet.

I gave up. And ushered both of us in to the bathroom to have a hot shower. I undressed Reagan and started the shower. At that point she decided she didn't want to shower, and I was too frustrated to make her. I quickly showered while Reagan played with the shower door. As I was rinsing I looked down and saw Reagan give me an impish look, and then she proceeded to pee on my shower mat.

All I could think was: "I wonder if the gypsies are in town, because I have a child to sell to them".

Is it Christmas already?

Congratulations Coach K., on Title #4!

Enough Said.

Stretching the Dollar & Decorating.

I am feeling better (FINALLY). Some of the pregnancy symptoms are subsiding (I only threw up once in the past week and that is my biggest success, to date) but I still don't feel like being pregnant has any redeeming qualities. My thyroid medicine seems to be helping. The return of some of my normal energy, combined with the "2nd trimester energy" have helped put in to action: plans that had once only been in my head.

Nick and I made a list of priorities. Items I thought would have topped the list actually came out somewhere in the middle (remember my previous blogging about wanting to redecorate my kitchen, and the need for gas heat in our basement?).

We decided to use our income tax return for other purposes. We paid off the Acura (yay, we now own two of our three vehicles free and clear).

We purchased a 6 month food storage supply. For those of you contemplating food storage, Daily Bread tastes delicious and only takes water to reconsitute it. The major selling point on this product, for me, was that they featured it on Good Things Utah and the hosts tried some Daily Bread Beef Stew that was 47 years old. The overwhelming concensus was that it still tasted delicious. So, not only is it easy to make... it retains a good taste and has a shelf life- of AT LEAST 25 years. Awesome.

Next, we had a state-of-the-art alarm system put on our house (even though we live in a nice neighborhood we wanted to do something for "safety's sake"). Nick's solution was to get a dog. Not a thrilling prospect to me. And I had brought up the subject of buying a gun- although, neither of us were keen about doing this. So, we met in the middle and had an alarm system installed. It is amazing.

We will be having our garage door replaced, AND getting new windows for our basement. Those two items ended up being the number one priority for us, when it came to home improvements we will do this year.

Gas heat in the basement will have to wait until next year. And I was begining to think that my kitchen remodel was going to end up happening a decade from now. Sigh.

My spirits were lifted, however, when I saw an awe-inspiring episode of Oprah that talked about quality design-on-a-dime products! I researched some of the products featured, and then went to work.

I started things off by doing a little remodel on my bedroom (the weekend Nick was in Las Vegas for his Mini Cooper convention). I purchased the Aura paint from Benjamin Moore. Everything I read and saw about this paint gave it rave reviews. It truly is a one-coat paint. My little brother's (don't know why I even mention him, since he doesn't read my blog) birthday gift to me was helping me paint the bedroom. Thanks Brian. And yes, I checked with my OB prior to painting. She said it was OK as long as the room was well-ventilated.

My Master Bedroom went from this dog-awful color:

To this (in one coat!):

A day-and-a-half later, Heather and I installed Easy Crown Molding. This stuff already has 3M adhesive on it. You cannot even tell that it isn't wood. It is made of a durable plactic that you can cut with scissors! AND it comes with pre-made corners. Literally, you pull the wax paper off of the back, adhere it to your ceiling and VOILA- you are done! No need to nail it to your wall, and this means no need to fill nail holes with putty. No Caulking either. The best thing was the price- it was very affordable (ie- I paid under $60 for enough crown molding to do a 21ft. X 21ft. room- I purchased it off of their easycrownmolding website). Heather and I did my entire master bedroom in about an hour (there are still some spots that I need to "finish" with loctite, but that shouldn't take up too much time).
Like I said, I don't think you can tell it isn't wood; but I'll let you be the judge:

Heather and I put a vinyl decal over my bed (I love etsy.com for affordable home decor!).

And I did what I could to update our light fixture without having to put an entirely new one in, by painting over the shiny gold trim with dark brown paint.

The next project I am tackling will be the kitchen (I think).

One of the products on the Oprah show was wallpaper beadboard. Everything I have seen about this stuff (you can buy it at home depot- 56 sq. feet for $22) relates that people fall in love with it. It is a textured, foam-like wallpaper that looks exactly like beadboard. Again, you are supposed to be able to cut it with scissors. You wet the back of the wallpaper with water, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then hang it on your wall. But the uses for it go BEYOND applying it to your wall as a wainscoat. I saw it used as a kitchen backsplash (did I mention that it is paintable?! Hallelujah!), and also used to update cabinets.

I am already sold on using this to update the backsplash in my kitchen. I have purchased it, and it is sitting in the box just waiting to work it's magic.

My biggest dilemma is whether I ought to use it on my kitchen cabinets???

If I do put it on my kitchen cabinets, I will have to go from having the natural, albeit OUTDATED, wood finish to: painting the cabinets white. In your opinion which option will do more for the resale value of my house? Natural cabinets (that I plan on having N-Hance change to a cherry finish- but who knows when I'll have the money in the budget to do this???), or putting white beadboard around the edges of the cabinets and painting the cabinet doors/faces white (I can afford this option right now)?

Another question: has anyone had any experience with the Modern Masters Countertop Transformation products? I saw this product and thought it looked cool. For $250 I can get a kit that will take my existing laminant countertops from their current boring vanilla state, to countertops that look like solid surface material. Until I can afford Granite countertops, this product looks like it will do a nice update- BUT I want to make sure that it hasn't been a horror story for anyone. I don't mind being a guinea-pig and being the first to try new things, but I do belive in doing a little "looking before I leap".

If I can make some decisions, and get Nick to re-tile my kitchen floor- my kitchen update may become a reality sooner than I had thought it would! :)

Last question I have. And it's not related to anything house-project-y. Does anyone know of a good & AFFORDABLE seamstress (preferably located in UT.)?

I can sew adequately, but this job involves my wedding dress and I don't trust myself enough to start hacking at my own wedding dress.

I am thinking (since I will be having another girl) that I want the top/bodice part of my wedding dress made in to a simple blessing dress for my new little one. That way: Reagan will be able to have her own blessing dress as a keepsake, and new baby will be able to have her own blessing dress as a keepsake. To make things entirely even... I want to have the skirt of my wedding dress made in to a decorative little blanket/quilt to give to Reagan. That way both girls will have a piece of my wedding dress; and both will have their own blessing dress. So, does anyone know somebody who could help me out with this?

Ah, I feel like I accomplished so much in one post. I just want to reiterate, again, how much I love having the blogging world at my fingertips!

AMVIV

I am such a nice wife.

AMVIV- a Mini Cooper Rally in Las Vegas, NV (think: Sturgis, only for Mini Cooper owners) was happening the last week in March. Nick really wanted to go down with his Dad. The fact that I am 5 months pregnant, have a tireless 20 month old at home AND that the dates were March 25-28 (so, the weekend of my birthday) didn't deter me from giving Nick the "go ahead".

I honestly, wanted Nick to go have fun. And that he'd be near the True Religion Jeans outlet didn't hurt either. Nick caught on to my MANY hints about how much I'd love a new pair of True Religion Jeans, so that I could have some incentive to lose the baby weight postpartum. For my birthday, he presented me with TWO pairs of True Religion Jeans, and I can hardly wait until I fit in to them (some time in the fall- I'm sure).

Nick and his Dad both own Mini Coopers. I think they had a good time caravan-ing down to and around Las Vegas with other Mini owners.

I was a little jealous of the fact that Nick got to enjoy the sun(nier) climate of Vegas, and dinner one night at McCormick and Schmicks. But he works so hard and deserves some time off, so my grudge didn't stick for long.

But I still think I am such a nice wife.

It Takes a Long Time to Grow Young.

I'm through with my "20's", and eagerly looking forward to the next decade. Yes, I celebrated a birthday. The BIG three-oh.

Brooke and Lindsay=Double Trouble. San Diego, CA for my 24th Birthday.

I refer to my early 20's as "the blackout years", with good reason. I was young and dumb- and would love to forget some of the things I did. Every day I hope that my kids turn out smarter than me, and make better decisions than I did. There's nothing I can do about my actions during that time of life, so I do not plan on making a laundry list of regrets.

Instead, I just want to say that I look forward to the upcoming years! I feel good, I look good, I have a wonderful marriage, a wonderful child (soon to have two) and am living the life I always wanted.

Most of my past memorable birthdays happened in my childhood years. My parents did a good job on birthdays. Once you grow up I don't think things are as memorable, or maybe you have kids and you lose brain cells- so you don't remember as much?

The most recent birthday will not only go down in my personal history as the year I turned 30, but also as the birthday when I received a piano! Nick and I are going piano shopping and I cannot wait!

Just a trip down memory lane.... Other birthday year highlights consist of:

3rd Birthday: My Mom took me, Heather, and my cousin Julie to Chuck-E-Cheese. Us three kids shared a straw from 1 drink of soda and Julie ended up giving me and Heather Chicken Pox. Don't worry Julie, I forgive you. But hey! Let's make a playdate for Reagan and your little guy if Reagan comes down with the Chicken Pox, OK? Kidding.

Heather, Julie and Me. Obviously, we are not 3 years old in this picture, but it was the only one I had on hand, of all three of us together.

5th Birthday: I had a party that all of the neighborhood kids came to! I remember that my best friend Melanie gave me a HUGE pack of markers- they were so cool. And I was so cool. Having a party with hip party hats.

R-L: David C., Michael T., Melanie C., Heather I.-sister, Melinda I.-cousin (partial), Tiffany L. (partial), Me. (Kristy T. not shown, but was a guest too).

9th Birthday: My parents planned a surprise party for me, and I really was surprised! I think it was a sleepover? I thought it was so wonderful. Jaime Keddington's gift to me were some Newberry Award winning books. I still remember that one of them was the book: The Wish Giver. We ate Little Caesars pizza and it was so fun.

10th Birthday: My parents took me and a bunch of my friends to lunch at TGI Friday's (this was back when that restaurant was the coolest place to eat. Period). I remember that the servers tied 10 balloons to my pony tail. It made me feel so special. It was probably my most favorite birthday party.

12th Birthday: My parents bought me a Caboodles, and a lot of makeup. I was in pre-teen heaven.

15th Birthday: I got a party at 49th Street Galleria. I invited 4 friends. My Mom dropped us off, and gave me enough money to buy the 5 of us Ultimate Passports and Pizza for lunch. One of the friends ditched me as soon as I bought the Ultimate Passport for her and went off with her other group of friends who "just so happened to be there" at that day and time too (huh? What are the odds?) Ouch.

But Dawn, Brennan and Sam and I all had fun. I think Dawn and I rode the Gravitron 30+ times that day?

I'm the Mom now (which still seems strange to me, some days). But I can only hope to endeavor to make Reagan's birthdays as enjoyable, exciting and memorable as mine were.

For this birthday (and, now that I can finally eat again). Thanks to my Wonderful Mom for making me my most favorite dinner. Nothing says "Birthday Celebration" like my Mom's amazing cooking (when she throws her usual healthy ideas out the window and cooks things with real butter, of course).

Thanks to Nick for treating me to a night out. I will always enjoy date night with my main man!

Thanks to my in-laws for taking me to dinner! And to everyone else who did something nice or conveyed birthday wishes to me. Happy Birthday to me!

The Madness!

It goes without saying that yesterday was probably one of the most exciting & interesting days in the history of March Madness Basketball. Prior to marrying Nick I would have never blogged about basketball. But after being exposed to Nick's passion for Duke basketball for the past five years some of it has rubbed off. March Madness is Nick's favorite Holiday.

As I have learned, people either love Duke, or hate it. We're Duke lovers (and no, Haley I don't think Duke has connections to the mafia. If that were the case we'd know Coach K as "Peach Lipinski" and JJ Redick would have been "Jackie the Lackey" or some nonsense like that). They are just consistently that good because of strategic coaching and talented players.

Duke isn't the only team we cheer for. We also love our BYU Cougars and UW Huskies. So, yesterday was like an awesome bi-fecta in our house (and it goes without saying that Duke will do well tonight). I won't whine if some of the teams lose their next games, in fact it's to be expected. But I thought the latest events were worth mentioning.

I know each of these teams have "haters", but I think the negative comments just come because of sour grapes *cough- Tar Heel and Ute Fans-cough*. North Carolina fans: take heart, maybe they will come out on top in the NIT.

85% Sure.

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Although, it looks like the "Luck O' the Irish" isn't with the Scott's (my maiden name is: Imlay, and it's of Scottish derivative).


Anyway, Nick and I went in for my Dr. Appt. today and the little one seems to be set on being a girl. During the ultrasound my baby kept crossing HER legs (at least she is a lady), but when my doctor could catch a good glimpse she said she was pretty sure it's a girl. Although, we'll know for 100% when we go in next month for the big Measurement ultrasound.
The best news was that she looks healthy, all of my blood tests have come back showing she is healthy and she is a little "wiggler" (just like Reagan). Of course it was and has been aggravating when your unborn baby decides she wants to dance in the middle of the night, but it is also good for my piece of mind (ie- letting me know that she is OK in there).

I am happy that Reagan will be getting a little sister. And I am happy to be having another baby coming to our home. I was going through the Rubbermaid Bins that I separated Reagan's baby clothes in to, a few weeks ago and I had forgotten about some of the cute clothes we had. Not to mention a lot of the outfits that still have tags on them, because Reagan outgrew them before she could wear them! It got me excited at the prospect of having another girl. And even though I have a good existing wardrobe for this kid, you had better believe I am still going out to shop for some new things for her! And I am chomping at the bit to design a fun bedroom for my new little girlie (that probably won't be for another few years down the road, the nursery's yellow safari motif will work just fine for a newborn).

Speaking of decorating... this last week I got around to putting the finishing touches on Reagan's big-girl bedroom (the one we will be moving her in to in a few months). Nick put up wall ledges for me, and I put Butterfly stickers on the walls. It looks adorable!


And FINALLY: Is everyone else as stoked for March Madness as we are? We've proudly got the Duke University flag flying in front of our house. Go BLUE DEVILS!

The Good, The Bad, and the Downright Ugly!

The good: It only took 10 months and 2 days for us to get our New Home Buyer Credit! And we got our 2009 Tax Return too! I thought, for sure, that there had to be some mistake when I saw the amount we were getting on our Federal Tax Return; but after double-checking and spending a few nights worrying I realized that the government just went seriously overboard on tax credits this year and we were reaping the benefits. The tax return was direct deposited in to our account and we weren't audited, yay!
I know I am totally biased but my kid is BRILLIANT! Reagan can identify more than half of the letters in the alphabet already. She speaks in (short) sentences, and is starting to learn her colors! My only real worry (besides how to get the temper tantrums under control) is the disappearance of several of my Sharpie markers (I am positive Reagan has hidden them somewhere, and they are going to reappear with a vengeance someday) and the appearance of Rocks in the house. Reagan brings rocks inside all of the time, and I find them everywhere!
Other good news: Nick is doing well at his job with Walgreen's. And I cannot RAVE enough about the benefits of checking the Bargain Divas Blog (again, button/link is on the left hand side of my blog) on a daily basis. I feel almost guilty about all of the free stuff and amazing deals I have been snagging!


The Bad: I swear, that since the beginning of December not a day has passed that someone in our house hasn't been sick. Reagan has had the croup- TWICE, two ear infections, and numerous colds (that she and I seem to pass back and forth). All of us took a turn with the throw-up flu. But from what I read on other blogs... we are not the only household to be suffering from continuous sickness. I can only hope that spring is around the corner, and that the cold/flu season is coming to a close.

Also, we had to learn a $45 lesson this week. We were in need of a new laptop, and so we decided to purchase a Dell. When it arrived Nick was so happy to have a computer with speed, but I completely hated the Dell laptop. The ergonomics were terrible. I don't think I am technical retard, but I swear; that computer had me thinking four-letter-words when I was using it "why can't I get this P.O.S. to do what I want?!". Fortunately, my friend Spencer (who has saved us MANY times when it comes to computer problems) did yet another favor for us, and resurrected our dead laptop. We are sending the Dell back (it will cost us $45 in a re-stocking fee); and poor Nick will have to deal with the S-L-O-W laptop that we have for a while longer.


The Ugliest of the Redheaded Stepchildren: I don't tend to use my blog as a soapbox (for the most part, anyway). To vent, yes. But I try to refrain from posting my strong personal opinions. This will be a combo of venting and personal opinion. Some of you already know the "fun times" we have been experiencing for the past 3+ months with Nick's former employer. But for those of you who don't; let me just say that it will be a cold day in Hell before I ever step foot in an Associated Food Stores Grocery again.

Associated Food Stores purchased Albertson's/Savon back in November, and that is where the nightmare began. Communication by the new employer was nil. They cut employee benefits, and the health insurance choices were less than enticing. All of this, I could deal with. I know a lot of people are going through similar situations with their current employers because of the economy. The lack of communication killed me! No one on the AFS side contacted us to let us know that the 3 year employment contract Nick signed with Albertson's would not be honored by AFS.

Were things at their worst when three pay periods went by without us getting a paycheck, and it was during the pay-periods right before Christmas- to boot? Nope. Were things at their worst when it took us numerous phone calls to AFS trying to convince them that Nick had not been an employee for over TEN WEEKS (no one every bothered to initiate or process Nick's resignation paperwork)? Nope. Were things at their worst when they retro-actively cancelled our Health Insurance, but failed to send me the COBRA paperwork (Health Ins. is sort of a necessity at our house, considering that we have a pregnant lady and an Toddler that need to visit the doctor regularly. I think at one point I had over $7500 in doctors bills piling up on my counter!)? Nope. Were things at their worst when I was forced to contact the Federal Government offices in San Francisco, in charge of COBRA and file a complaint, because AFS employees had no desire to answer our phone calls in regard to COBRA, and they were not in compliance with the law (they have 41 days to send COBRA paperwork to you, and it took them nearly 70 days to get us ours!). Nope, still not the worst. Were things at their worst when I finally spoke to the AFS employee in charge of COBRA and she had the audacity to insult my husband (I don't know about you, but it is ten times worse to have people say unflattering things about someone you love, than to say something awful about you.) She was so unprofessional. But, Nope- this wasn't the worst. Although, I had been pushed WAY past my limit.
Were things at their worst when I personally tracked down the phone number for the President of Associated Food Stores and put a call in to him. I unloaded all of my complaints. Too bad he came off as genuinely concerned, but in reality was only paying me "lip-service", and pawned me off on someone else. Yes. That was probably the worst point of this whole ordeal. That, and the fact that the last few paragraphs have only been the abridged version of what happened.
To say that I have NO love for AFS in an understatement.
All of my friends and family that reside outside the state of UT are already doing me a favor, because they won't be shopping at an Associated Food Store (AFS is a UT-based and operated company only).
For my part, as I have already said, I won't be patronizing any AFS establishment EVER again. In my opinion, AFS's are inferior to any other Grocery store in UT (yes, even WalMart. And for me, that is saying ALOT)- and their pharmacies are even more so.
I can't say that I will "cut off" anyone I know that shops at an AFS (the other day my own MOTHER mentioned that she went to Bowman's, and all I could do was cringe), but I would urge people to think twice before they spend their money at an AFS establishment. Also, please don't tell me if you do shop there- it would only get me riled up. Honestly though, who really wants to shop at a place that employs incompetent, rude people? Not me.

And consider yourself "Thanked" by me, if you do chose to pick up your groceries and prescriptions elsewhere :)

What we have been up to otherwise.

While I have spent a week on my "lovefest-posts" real life has continued. Although, I was able to indulge in the romance for a little longer, while Nick and I officially celebrated our anniversary.

Nick had to work every day this weekend, but we managed to fit some "alone time" in. However, there was also some not-so-alone time. On Friday (the actual day of our anniversary) I made Nick the most amazing Peanut Butter & Banana Cupcakes. Nick came home from work with roses for me.


We decided to do a low-key dinner and went to BC Chicken and Ribs. This meal marked the biggest temper-tantrum Reagan has ever thrown. Thanks for making it so memorable, Reagan (total sarcasm). I made the mistake of giving Nick a quarter, so that Reagan could get some M&M's out of the candy machine, while we waited for our meal. She ate all of the M&M's and when I told her that she couldn't have any more she threw herself on the floor and proceeded to scream like we were torturing her. Nick picked her up in an attempt to calm her down. Instead, she started picking up the food off of Nick's plate and throwing it on the ground. A very embarrassed and patience-free Mommy got to-go boxes and we left the restaurant as quickly as possible.
The tantrum pretty much went on for the rest of the night. The tiniest thing would set her off. We put her in "time-out" in her crib for 3 minute increments, but they didn't seem to do much of anything. Argh! I thought we wouldn't have to deal with the terrible-two's until Reagan was, say, 2 years old? Do any seasoned parents out there have suggestions?

Needless to say, I was terrified at the thought of leaving a little monster overnight with my Brother and his wife. But the next day Reagan was back to acting like her normal self, and ended up being very well behaved for Brian and Jenny (sigh of relief!). Nick got home from work on Saturday afternoon and we started our anniversary activities by eating at Bambara. I LOVE this restaurant! We stayed overnight at the Grand America Hotel which is lovely. We rented The Blindside which was a great movie. And we had Sunday brunch at the Garden Cafe in the Grand America. Perfection at it's utmost.

Earlier in the week.... We met Heather & her boys at the park. It was freezing cold. We tried to feed the ducks, but they must have been well-fed already because they weren't too interested in the bread we brought.


Reagan had a phenomenal time on the slide. She only needed assistance a few times, and then she turned in to a pro and was able to get up and go down completely by herself. Nick and I realized we need to invest in a swingset for our backyard; sooner, rather than later.


One of the days Heather came over for lunch. Lance is the person Reagan most enjoys playing with. When Heather was going to leave we were looking for Lance. He seemed to have completely disappeared in a matter of seconds. Heather called his name, and we heard a laugh from the Animal Barn/Tent. The kid had managed to squeeze himself inside!


The only way to describe handsome baby Grant is to say that he is a "mover and a shaker". The kid was more mobile at 6 months than Reagan was at 10 months. I'm totally biased, but I think I have the cutest nephews imaginable!


Last week, on Thursday; we had a terrific Rainstorm. Nick took Reagan outside to get the mail. When they hadn't come back for several minutes I looked out the window and discovered that Reagan was running back and forth in the overflowing gutters. And having the time of her life! The water was not warm, by any means. Reagan LOVES water. Nick and I both agree that since she was born in Seattle (a landlocked city with water on both sides, and a place famous for copious amounts of rain) water is in her blood. Anyway, Reagan would have stayed outside in the rain all night, if she had her way. By the time Nick managed to drag her back in to the house (once again a temper-tantrum ensued) Reagan was soaked to the bone! But all she wanted to do was go back outside in to the cold and wet! Of course we didn't let her. It is just amazing to me that she has such a love for water. And we have such a love for her (temper-tantrums and all!).