Cleaning Spree

As you've probably heard, DC was hit with some pretty serious snow last night. It wasn't as epic as the Dec '09 or Feb '10 snowfall, but it was enough for a snow day. I would have loved to stay in bed and watch Intervention or The First 48 all day, but I got my booty out of bed and went on a cleaning spree. I despise cleaning, so our house was in need of some TLC.

I started by dusting our living and dining rooms. I don't know what it is about old houses (ours was built in 1890), but they collect dust like CRAZY. I should do some serious dusting every day, but I just don't. I have no good excuse other than it is too much dusting to keep up with. I then vacuumed our bedroom, which basically entails sucking up all the dust bunnies that have accumulated between furniture and in the corners. I love having hardwood floors, but again...the dust! Okay, enough about that.

I also stripped the beds and started a marathon laundry session. I am even washing the down comforters today. Do you wash and dry your comforters at home? Last year I tried taking them to the dry cleaner, but they wanted $129 for two queen comforters. Umm no. I put tennis balls in the dryer with each comforter and the feathers separate pretty well.

I then decided that it was time to organize the linen closet in our bathroom. I forgot to take a before picture, but believe me...it was in disarray. Here are some after shots:



The top shelf holds extra stuff that I've stocked up on, the second shelf holds our towels, the third shelf holds all our hair products and tools (and a few extra Clinique make-up items I wouldn't be able to see, and then would likely forget about, if they were on the top shelf), the fourth shelf holds bath and body products, face products, and dental hygiene items. The bottom has wire racks that hold a lot of miscellaneous stuff, and our old towels. I love being organized! (Interesting isn't it? I like being organized, but don't like cleaning. Hmm.)

Speaking of towels, how do my towels get bleached? I don't use bleach!

I did use proactiv for a couple months and know that it can stain towels, but this is the guest towel for the half bath. It did not come into contact with proactiv! Does this happen to other people? We go through towels so quickly because they get stained and I don't want to use them anymore. I would love some tips on prevention!

Now...as you can probably tell, my cleaning issue is that I never attack a whole room. I dusted the living room, but didn't vacuum. Same for the dining room. I vacuumed our bedroom, but didn't dust. I organized the bathroom, but didn't clean it. I didn't even start tackling the guest bedroom (besides the bedding) or the kitchen. I don't know why I do this. Maybe this is why I hate cleaning so much. It's like it is never ending because I basically still have to clean the whole house, even though I did finish a few tasks. It would be so much easier to just clean one room at a time. Maybe I will force myself to do that next time....

Weird or Frugal?

We all do weird things, right?

One of my weird habits involves my make-up. One day a long, long time ago (probably early college) I ran out of foundation. I had been squeezing out the last bit for days, and I finally squeezed it dry. Or so I thought.

I couldn't get to the store to buy any more (I think I was mid application, actually), so I decided to cut off the top of the foundation tube to see if there was a little bit left inside. Guess what I found? TONS of foundation. Like, enough to last me a couple months. I was shocked. So now, I cut up my foundation tube until I actually use all the foundation inside. As you can see in the photo below, I have learned to cut my foundation tube in increments. I cut close to the top, use the foundation stuck to the sides of the top, and then cut a little further down, etc.

Yes, this is weird. And yes, I look like a pauper when I whip out my sandwich bag that holds the cut up tube (can't let it dry out!). But I save so much money by using all the foundation. I only go through about 2-3 tubes a year, as opposed to the 5-6 I went through previously.

Look at how much foundation is still in the bottom! I have been cutting this tube for about two months now. Granted, I don't use this foundation every day (I have a heavier foundation I use when my face needs some extra coverage and some days I don't use any foundation), but I use it probably 20 days a month.

Does anyone else do this? Please tell me I'm not alone here.

Alive

Wow. Thanks for all the love and support! I've got a reader full of great blogs again thanks to all your comments.

This weekend we headed out to western Maryland for a ski trip with a bunch of our friends. We had a great time. Make that an amazing time. I even went skiing and have a nasty bruise on my leg to prove it. I cooked all the meals for our "family dinners", we played lots of games, watched lots of football, and spent many hours in the hot tub. We also killed more cases of beer than I care to admit, but everyone needs to let loose now and then, right?? Don't worry, I'm detoxing this week.

The best part is that I didn't think about my miscarriage almost the entire trip. I was lying in bed Sunday afternoon after we returned from skiing and realized that I had not thought about miscarrying once. And in that moment when I did start thinking about it, I didn't cry. I just reflected on the fact that it happened, but I wasn't overwhelmed with sadness. As I continued thinking, I actually felt like I was on a trip to have fun, not that I was on a trip to help me forget about everything that has happened. That's an additional crappy thing about going through something traumatic...you are in a daze for a while. You do things and go through life because you have to, instead of actually living your life. I felt alive this weekend. That's progress.

Anybody Out There??

I was searching for a recipe this morning that I had originally found somewhere on the internet. I finally stumbled upon the recipe once I realized that I had re-posted it on my blog. And then I was like, oh dang, I have a blog!

Honestly, I have been neglecting the blog world on purpose. I needed a break. A break from comparing myself to people I don't know. A break from "keeping up with the Joneses". A break from everyone else's seemingly perfect lives. A break from pretending like everything was okay. It was all too much for me during a really difficult part of my life. And boy has it been difficult. "When it rains, it pours" has a whole new meaning to us.

Among many other things, cutting out blogging was really therapeutic for me. But over time I started thinking about all the amazing friends I have found through my blog. And how much I miss you all.

So I want to build up my Google Reader again. I want to stay away from the toxic blogs and cliques that were making me feel worse about myself and my life and instead focus on those blogs and individuals that will help make blogging fun again. I started this blog almost three years ago so that I could connect with people. So here's to finding (and re-discovering) connections that are positive and inspirational. Are you in?

Holiday Gift Guide

Yesterday I guest blogged for Rebecca at I Want to be a Domestic Goddess for her Holiday Gift Guide Series. We were asked to choose a few items under $50 dollars as well as a splurge item. Since I am obviously having trouble coming up with posts, I figured I would share my picks with you all as well!

LL Bean Hearthside Slipper Moccasins $34.95

These slippers look so warm and cozy. But honestly, most slippers look warm and cozy, right? What makes these slippers different are the bright, contrasting colors. They are so fun! I think the Green Tea slippers would really help to jazz up my pajamas! (P.S. You can get free shipping at LL Bean through December 20th!)

Personalized Clairebella Phone Case $52

This iPhone or BlackBerry case is perfect for anyone that loves to monogram everything they own. Not that I know anything about that. Ahem. There are lots of pretty patterns and color choices to choose from, making this an awesome way to personalize your phone. I would choose the Black Damask print and get Script font in Lime!

Ballard Designs Custom Stamp $40



This custom stamp from Ballard Designs is just what I need since we are planning to move soon. It can’t be ordered for me quite yet because we won’t be buying a house until the spring (and obviously don’t have an address yet), but it is definitely on my wish list. I love the classic look of the Wallace stamp. If the font and design aren’t exactly what you are looking for, you can check out the other designs Ballard offers.

Additional Custom Stamp Ink $12


An extra ink pad is the obvious companion gift for the custom stamp! While the black ink that is included with the stamp is perfect for daily use, sometimes you just need to shake things up with some color! I would go with Lime (which is obviously a favorite color of mine!) or maybe Grapefruit Pink.

Damask 16 piece Dinnerware Set from Target $49.99

These dishes would be a great addition to my current dinnerware collection. The damask print is so pretty and would be perfect for a dinner party. I would probably get a lot of every day use out of them too, just because the pattern is so fun!

Splurge Items

Before our wedding my husband bought me a Canon Rebel. I love the camera and use it often, but I would love to splurge on a bigger lens, a bag, and some photography classes. I like taking portraits, so the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras would be perfect!


I also would love a Kelly Moore Bag to carry around all my camera stuff. I have my eye on the Kelly Moore Classic Bag in Grey. It is both pretty and functional!

Fun Little Saturday

Yesterday we headed out to Alexandria to have Kona groomed at PetSmart. We had time to kill so we headed to Target and TJ Maxx to buy some snow gear for our upcoming ski weekend. It started out as a serious shopping trip and progressively got more ridiculous.

First we hit up the boots section of Target. I have small feet and can usually fit into the largest kid's size, so I checked them out first since they are usually cheaper. I found a cute pair that fit really well. I didn't get an up close picture and they aren't on the Target website, but they are dark brown with light pink trim. I really liked them!

We then headed to the girls' section to check out snow pants. They didn't have any in the women's section! As soon as we saw these pants we knew I had to have them. If I am going to attempt to ski I might as well go all out, right? Plus they were only $17!


We then found the matching jacket. Awesome, no? I would have bought the jacket just to make the ensemble complete, but it was $35 and I don't NEED it. Sad.


I ended up not getting the boots because the pants have black in them and I don't want to mix black and brown. (But I will wear ridiculous plaid snow pants...crazy I know). I'm now on the lookout for cute black boots!

Next we headed to TJ Maxx where AJ found this amazing hat set. I almost died of laughter in the middle of the store. I think he would scare the children on the ski slope, so we opted to not buy the hat.

I'm not sure what got into us yesterday, but we were so silly and ridiculous. It sure was fun though!

It's Christmas Card Choosing Season!

I love sending Christmas cards, especially since we live away from our families. We were able to spend time with my extended family more than normal this year because we were in NY for the summer, but we still only saw most family members a couple of times. Most of AJ's family we haven't seen since 2008. We also have friends all over the country that we only get to see maybe once a year. For this reason, I really enjoy including a photo in our cards. I know our friends and family like receiving the pictures because I have seen them on their refrigerators and cork boards. And not just our picture....other people's Christmas photos are up there too (Don't worry I know I'm not that important!). This year I am combining the card with a photo and plan to use Shutterfly because they have so many pretty options! They even have some that are printed on premium card stock. Pretty and great quality? Yes, please!

I am currently trying to decide between these three cards:

Flourish Elegance Holiday Card

Royal Elegance Christmas Card

Elegant Cranberry Damask Christmas Card

I love all the damask options! Now I just need to decide if I want to go simple or choose a design that is a tad more ornate. Oh and take the perfect photo!

You can get 50 free Christmas cards too...just click here!

Disclaimer: I will be provided with 50 free holiday cards as a result of this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Where do we go from here?

We are now in the stage of "where do we go from here?". I am not sure I can definitively answer that question, but we do have a few things planned that are helping us look to the future instead of dwell on the past. That doesn't mean we will ever forget what happened or the baby that we lost, just that we need to move forward and go on with our lives.

So what do we have to look forward to in the coming months?

Attending the Penn State vs. Indiana game at Fed Ex Field. We didn't attend Penn State, but I have a few friends that did and I went to a bunch of games back when I was in college. We are going with one of my friends that we haven't seen since our wedding! It will definitely be a fun time.

Hosting our parents for Thanksgiving in DC. This whole experience has really opened my eyes to the importance of family. I really miss my parents and can't wait to see them in a couple of weeks. We are lucky that our parents get along with each other pretty well despite their differences. We have spent two previous Thanksgivings together, and we always have a nice time.

Seeing Elf on Broadway at Christmas time. AJ surprised me with tickets the other night. I cried (tears of joy). Elf is my favorite Christmas movie of all time and I have wanted to see the show since the day I heard it was coming to Broadway. We are just going up for one night, but it will be a great holiday getaway.

Renting a house for a ski weekend with friends. My work friends and I just booked an awesome house in Western Maryland for a ski vacation over MLK weekend. And it is an amazing deal to boot! The house has a hot tub and a pool table and is only a few minutes away from the ski resort. It should be an epic weekend.

Vacationing in Grand Cayman with my parents. Instead of getting us a bunch of stuff we don't need for Christmas, my parents are paying for us to go with them to Grand Cayman over President's Day weekend. We haven't been on a "real" vacation since our honeymoon, so this will be a perfect escape before a stressful spring and summer (what with buying a house, moving, the bar, and all).

So where do we go from here? Apparently we go on a lot of trips and spend a lot of time with family and friends. But seriously though, being around those that love, support, and distract you really does help. And being in fun places doesn't hurt either. We will also be spending a lot of time enjoying our last few months in DC. After all of that maybe we will be ready to start trying for another baby. Until then, we are just a normal couple soaking up all the fun that we can!

Two Weeks Later

It has been two weeks and I am happy to report that I am feeling a little better.

This has been one of the most difficult emotional experiences I have ever had. I still have moments where I get sad. I sometimes cry. In general, though, I am doing okay. My doctor told me that it can take months, years, or even the birth of a healthy baby before I fully accept what happened to our baby. That is tough information to hear, but I am just trying to remember that it should get easier every day.

I am not going to go into great detail about the miscarriage, my reaction to the meds, my follow-up appointment, the emotional roller coaster, or any other graphic information, but if you would like to know about my experience, I am more than willing to email with you. I found great comfort (and hope!) in the stories other women have shared with me. Each woman's experience really helped me to feel less alone and also helped me to understand my own thoughts and feelings. I hope no one has to go through pregnancy loss, but realistically I know that some women will. If it does happen, know that I am here to listen or chat.

Thank You

I chose to write about my loss because I wanted sympathy. Maybe that makes me selfish, but sympathy is what I truly needed at that point. What I got was so much more than that. I can't even begin to express my gratefulness for all the love and support I received from you all. This has been the most difficult week of my life, and each and every comment, tweet, email, text, and phone call has helped me to grieve the loss of my first pregnancy and slowly pushed me toward the path to acceptance. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.