Making a Baby Registry is....Exhausting!

I've been doing some research here and there for stuff to put on our baby registry.  We've been putting off actually starting it since I'm only 22 weeks and we didn't want to rush anything.  I went to a baby shower on Saturday, so I got into the 'mood' of baby stuff.  So yesterday, we set out to Babies R Us to start.

When we got there, the baby registry area was packed!  It's the Baby Registry and special order area, so some were special ordering items.  So we had to stand around and wait for someone to become available.  The one girl was freaking out b/c she saw people waiting, so asked for additional help.  But they had no open computers, so the helpers couldn't really do much other then to tell us that when the next person available, we would be helped.  Got it.  Not rocket science to see it, but hey, that's just me.  We did get the application to start filling out, so off to work I went. 

Then we got helped after about 10 minutes or so. And all the while, DH was looking around, getting ideas and all.  I felt bad for him.  He was the ONLY guy doing the baby registry. The other ladies there had their moms, sisters, friends, etc, all women. Then you have me and DH that have NO clue what we are doing :)  I had asked my sister to come, but she was already out, and she said we'd be going back plenty of times to add stuff, so there was no rush.  Besides, she said it's good for me and DH to go alone, that way we can see what WE want and WE need, before people throwing ideas in our head, changing our minds.  So, we sat down and the nice associate helped us out, got us registered, handed DH the scanning gun and off we went.  We had gotten a checklist from her, and I was like 'Piece of cake!'  We were able to do our bridal registry at a few stores, and I didn't think it was complicated or took long, so how long could this possibly take? There's only a dozen or so aisles we need? Right?  WRONG!

So we started off in the order the associate told us, we did the cribs first, more or less to get ideas.  We were going to do the lifetime crib, but a good friend and my brother in law both told us to get a crib (cheaper) then buy a toddler bed when the time is right.  My good friend got the lifetime bed, but now has to buy the converter kit (which is costly) and then take it apart and back together.  Her and I have had long in depth parenting talks, and we seem to be on the same page 99% of the time.  She feels that it's better to do the crib, then the toddler bed (a cool one) to reinforce sleeping in the big boy/girl bed.  A lot of her friends have had a hard time getting their kids used to the 'new' setup and feels the postive reinforcement of the new bed would help. My brother in law also said it's easier and cheaper to get the crib, then the separate beds. But nowadays, it's ALL lifetrime cribs. So we put a few on the registry that we liked, as well as the one or two regular cribs that were there so I can do some research on them before deciding.  My mother in law is buying us the crib, and my husband's aunt is buying the changing table. Oh, not a lot of those either! Now it's a dresser and you  have the pad on top to change the baby. Weird.  I want an actual changing table!

so then off to the bedding sets. We are torn between 3 'themes' Butterfly, Princess or Minnie Mouse.  My cousin is having her baby girl this month, butterfly theme.  Girl I work with, her daughter's shower was on Saturday, and she blinged and princess'ed it up.  Minnie Mouse is always easy, but at BRU, there was no 'princess' or Minnie Mouse sets, but there was a nice butterfly one.  I guess we can do that theme in the bedroom, but a princess theme for the baby shower? I don't know the 'protocol' for all of this!  We also went by the mattresses (yikes!) and pads, etc.  Then we got around to the pack and plays and strollers. DH loved that part!  He liked a stroller that could be boy/girl so we liked that one, but it was like a triangle with the wheels. We saw another that had the four wheels, but was brown and pink.  Easy to pull open and closed (also a recommendation by my good friend). So we added the pink one. We also found a lightweight stroller that matched the stroller, and we added a high chair and pack and play (they matched too).

That was all we got around too. We were there for quite a while and were starving, so we left with our goody bag and copy of registry for me to do my 'work' (research).  We are going to try buybuybaby as well since BRU didn't have any bassinets, and I'd like one for our bedroom...one that rocks. On the forums I'm on, I see that is good to have to rock the baby to sleep if the baby is awake, so I'd like one of those.  But BRU only has them online, but I'd like to try one out and touch and feel it before buying it.

So we left, grabbed a bite to eat and went home. I wanted to look over all the goodies we got, but we were BOTH exhausted and passed out for a few hours when we got home :)

So, what do you all recommend? Any preference on the stores and what to get at each store? 

Our BIG Announcement!

So in my previous post, I related that I had some BIG news, and here it is....DH and I are expecting a little girl on July 3rd!!!!!!

We felt we were finally ready and it happened!  And I want to thank everyone on Blogger for all the support and advice and stories that you have shared to help us on our path.

We are both VERY excited!  I wish I was able to post this when we found out, but it was hard to do it from home, and my work computer blocked me from posting, but I'm back! And expect to see a lot of blog posts from me updating you on everything, and I mean EVERYTHING :)

I really missed everyone on here and hope to learn even more about raising a baby since that's our new adventure :)

Playing Catch Up!!!!

Wow, I haven’t written a blog since JUNE…JUNE!  That’s over 6 months of blogging that I was too lazy to do.  Yes, I admit, I was LAZY! And my job’s web browser was outdated so I couldn’t post, but could comment on others’ blogs…weird huh? Well, I got a new computer at work! So here’s to catch you up a bit:

 

In June/July I got a very close friend/co-worker into couponing!  Her and I went out a lot over the summer to the stores, but since it’s been cold now that it’s winter time and we are bombarded at work, we haven’t had the time much to go out, bummer.  But I need to start getting back on track big time with my couponing since I haven’t really gone to the stores much so I’m assuming in the next few weeks we will be going back out and hounding for some awesome deals!

 

I have also dealt with some other personal issues dealing with one friend in particular.  He was my best friend and I called him my second husband and he called me his wife (don’t get the wrong idea people!!!!!!).  He was always over my house hanging out or fixing things or what not.  He and DH also got along well too, so we were like the Three Musketeers.   We had some rocky situations in our past, but we have gotten over them.  However, in the summer, he started to really change.  He’s like Jekyll and Hyde almost.  One minute he would be yelling at me, telling me off, calling me names, then the next minute he’s texting me to go to Staples for him to pick something up.  I know he was stressed about a car thing he was going to, so I chocked it up to that, but then he just became different.  He started hanging out with some new people and changed.  He also got mad at me in public and actually yelled at me in front of DH, and my friend and her husband, for no reason other then him being childish.  He also got mad at me when I went on vacation with DH and my friend and her husband came to visit us for two days while on vacation.  He even defriended me on Facebook b/c I didn’t text him the entire time I was on vacation. Which I did, but his phone sucks, literally, and he never got the texts.  So stupid stuff. But the kicker was in Oct when DH and I told him something so private that nobody else really knew and he flipped out, big time.  For no reason.  I’m glad my brother in law was there, b/c DH and him almost got into a fist fight, it was that bad. And anyone that knows my DH knows that he is the even-tempered one, I’m the fighter.  So it’s just stuff that I’m sitting back and thinking about. 

 

 I haven’t completely ended our friendship, I almost did, but I didn’t.  I have completely distanced myself from him and only talk via text or email. We really don’t hang out anymore at all. So it’s a complete change for me.  When DH and I first got married, I was okay not having a best friend around all the time.  I had been burned in the past (by both best friends that were boys and girls).  I was happy going to work, coming home, hanging out, hanging with Mr. Q (my coupon binder) and that was all I needed. Then he came along, broke down my walls and was there for me for every little thing, literally.  A bug in the house and DH was at work (I’m home alone for about 5-6 hours after work before DH gets home), call him, he’ll kill it.  Broken lightbulb? Call him, he’d fix it. But now, I’m back to where I started.  It’s definately a change, but it’s one for the better in my eyes.  I have a lot going on and a lot to look forward to and don’t need to deal with that drama anymore. 

 

DH and I are busy fixing up our house after yet another tub drain incident…it keeps backing up.  So finally someone came out and gave it a good cleaning, so we are going to redo our main bathroom.  The shower always had a leak so DH’s friend’s brother is a contractor and he’s gonna do the whole bathroom for us. We just have to pick out and buy what we want.  My old Best friend will normally do all this for us for free, but with everything that happened, as a husband and wife team we decided this was for the best.  It hurts the wallet, but it’s for the best. So that’s fun. We are also redoing our spare room finally. The floors were never level and we chalked it up to how the house settled. WRONG.  I ran into a neighbor at Shop Rite and she said she had someone rip up the floors and the subfloor that was put in when the condos were built were very cheap and crappy and they pretty much deteriorated, causing the floor to slope around. We don’t feel it as much in the rest of the house b/c it’s all carpeted.  So, DH delivers to a flooring company who said they would rip up the floor and redo it, and cheap too since he delivers to them, so that’s good.  I wanted to do this before the new year. When the hurricane came, we were cleaning out the room, then with everything going on, we just stopped…so now I need to get going on that so they can come in and do the floors.

 

That’s pretty much it to get you caught up on everything major. I will be posting another post with something BIG!

CVS Rolling 6/14/2012

So I just wrote this blog, and it wouldn't publish! For some reason I have to go through Google Chrome now?  I don't understand, but anyways.  Here's my haul for today.  I paid $1.97 and got back $7 in ECBs!  

My New Coupon Clipper!

When I first started couponing, I used to cut by hand, and one at a time!  I would go one by one with each and every insert and cut. Then I figured it's easier to sort them and clip once, 10 at a time.  Then, I wanted something easier.  I wanted a papercutter and eliminate the scissors.  My friend had brought me over a paper cutter and it worked pretty well.  It was plastic and cheap looking, but it got the job done.  Then last week, I hurt my wrist on vacation.  It hadn't healed so last night (Tuesday) I went to the dr.  He told me I have tendonitis and to rest it and wear a brace.  Fun times.  Oh, did I mention it's my right hand, the hand I do EVERYTHING with?  So resting it isn't too easy.  So I get home from the doctor and I'm like 'Okay time to cut this week's and last week's coupons'  As I start, something is wrong with the paper cutter I have. Well that figures.  I wasn't going to use pressure on my right hand (you slide the thing up and down) and wanted to use my left hand, but the blade wasn't hitting the paper. I tried to fix it, but with one good hand that I'm not good as using, it was useless.  I was so frustrated I tried the scissors, but it hurt like anything so that wasn't going to work.  I'd have to have DH help me.

So I called him and asked if he could help out with the coupons more then he normally does.  I normally take the first insert and set out which ones I want to clip and put the rest to the side.  I do that with the first one, then DH sorts the rest.  Now, I'd have to sort and tell him which ones to clip with the coupons.  When I went to pick up my pills from the pharmacy, I went to WAGS and Rite Aid, hoping they would have some kind of paper cutter. Nothing.  So I call DH and ask him if there is a Staples or Office Depot by his building that he can stop on the way home. There was one if he went another way home and I asked him to stop there.  I didn't want to have to rely on him to do the coupons.  I guess b/c it's my thing and I'm very territorial, I want it done MY way.  And I hated that since I'm unable to use my right hand, I felt crippled.  I hate that feeling.  So he bought me this, and it's better then my old one b/c it has the handle that just goes down, easy on my wrist and easily cut through the 10 pages that I had.  Win win! 

Oh, and DH still helped me with the coupons, he's such a swell guy!

The Choice of Being a SAHM or a Working Mom

Since DH and I have been talking much more lately about having a LO soon, I keep contemplating in my head about whether to be a SAHM for a Working Mom.  Both options have both their pros and cons, but I can honestly say I'm very torn.  It's not something that can be taken lightly, and I'm a planner by nature. 

I follow a lot of blogs where the mother is a SAHM and makes money blogging. I recently signed up for a blogging class with Blogelina where she helps set you up with a GoDaddy account (note: if I ever wanted to make my own site, I would use GoDaddy.  I have done research on it, and it seems the best for your money) and goes step by step how to start blogging and make money doing so.  I would LOVE to be a SAHM when we do decide to have babies, BUT, then I think 'Why did I go to school and get my master's and have school debt to stay home?'.  I admire each of these women that decide to stay home and show pics of their BEAUTIFUL children.  I would love to do that, then maybe go back to work when they go to school, but then I think I can homeschool then maybe, as that seems to be a big thing on the blogosphere as well. 

I'm thinking a lot about it today because I'm home today.  I'm supposed to be sitting home resting my wrist, but I can't just sit still so I'm on the computer.  I have my wrist in a brace so typing doesn't bother me, it never did to type. But I decided to stay home to let my wrist rest.  If I go to work, I have to drive there and move my wrist, and also moving things at work, opening drawers, etc. The doctor wants me to rest my wrist so I figured I'd stay home to let my wrist rest.  Not to mention I was up until about 5am with bad tummy pains.  I'm not sure if it's from the meds I'm on for my wrist or something I ate, but I knew I had to take my pills again this morning, and I didn't want to be at work and take them and have a bout of the tummy troubles again.  Plus, I got about 45 minutes of sleep ALL night, so not sure getting in the car to drive 45 minutes away was the best of ideas.  BUT, i always feel guilty not going in to work when I call out.  I know this is for my health here, but I'm a saver by nature and hate using sick time...I like accumulating the sick time.  And since I started in December, I don't have as much sick time as I did at my old job. 

So now I'm home and my head is doing nothing but going, going going, thinking, thinking, thinking.

Did you choose to be a SAHM mom or be a working mom?  What was the one thing that pushed you to do either or?  Any advice to give to a worrier/planner/thinker by nature?

My Kitchen's New Addition

Take a look at this gem!  I had been looking for a decent food processor for awhile since I see them all the time on the Food Network.  I never found a great deal on them, and I don't NEED one per se, but this past weekend, I had $10 Kohls cash to use up, so off we went to Kohls.  I also went armed with my 30% off coupon and was looking to buy a new dress, but didn't see anything to my liking.  We walked to the kitchen area and I came across this 12 cup food processor.  It was $199.99, on sale for $99.99. Combined with my 30% off and my $10 Kohls cash, I got this for $67, AND I got another $10 in Kohls cash!

Now, what do I make with it?  Does anyone had any fun, frugal and healthy recipes?