Category: around here

around here

This is the week that I went back to work, obviously. A few more hours and I’ve survived! Yesterday and today I’ve been on my new unit and I’m loving it, but my body is not used to all this activity yet so I’m pretty tired. Add to that the fact that I’ve started exercising (running and yoga so far) and our dog’s middle-of-the-night panic attacks have ramped up, and I just might sleep all weekend.

I’m still keeping up with Project Life so far, and last weekend I started a new cross stitch, a winter sampler and my first time to stitch on linen and with hand-dyed floss. Loving both. Plugging away at the quilt, too. It’s great that I can just do a piece or two at a time when I have a few minutes to spare. We’ve also been taking walks anytime it’s nice outside.

Last night my goal was to get us in bed earlier than 10, and we made it around 9. Meredith woke up on her own this morning, and although there was still a minor tantrum regarding what clothes to wear (predictably), overall she was much happier and easier to get out the door.

Still trying out the bullet journal, and so far I like the hybrid paper/digital approach I’ve adopted. We got new blinds installed in our bedroom recently so now I want to get the dresser decorated and then I can share photos of our progress there. I want to make a cute table runner to go on top. I also decided today that I want to turn one of our empty flower beds in the backyard into a wildflower/cutting garden. Any tips on that?

This weekend I plan to cuddle my baby, do a little exercise, and maybe craft a little. Apart from that it’ll just be relaxing and prepping for another week ahead. Happy Friday!

March 28, 2014
remembering cleo

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our sweet dog Cleo. It came as a huge surprise and we are still in shock. She was about nine years old and seemed very healthy, but had been throwing up for a few days. She has a sensitive stomach in general so I didn’t worry much until yesterday she was still not keeping down even water and was very lethargic, so I took her to the vet.

They did an x-ray and told us that first, she had a pellet in her abdomen (like from a pellet gun, most likely swallowed) but it was unclear exactly where it was because second, there was a whole lot of inflammation which probably indicated a raging infection/abscess. They did bloodwork and all signs pointed that direction, but the problem was we couldn’t tell what was really causing it. Could have just been the pellet, could be a tumor. Either way, they would have had to do serious surgery to even give her a chance, and her prognosis was still poor.

She was obviously miserable and after a lot of talking, questioning the vet, and crying we made the decision to put her down. It was such a hard call to make but in the end we couldn’t see putting her through all that when her chances weren’t good. David came from work to be with me when she went, and we held her and it was easy and painless. I am so glad that she had a good life and didn’t suffer long.

Cleo was my dog from before I was married and I loved her so much. She was super sweet and was great with Meredith. She saw me through the biggest changes of my life and I will always miss her.

February 11, 2014
around here

Christmas decorations are all put away after a burst of energy last week, and I have reclaimed this little reading spot if I can ever wake up early enough to use it.

Meredith loves stickers lately and especially putting them on the walls. Thankfully they come off easily, and so far I find it very cute to come across the evidence of where she’s been.

Weekend breakfasts out while daddy sleeps in are becoming one of my favorite things.

Splurged on some of these swaddling blankets that everyone seems to love, and looking forward to testing them out soon. :)

I also caved and got myself a few more large maternity shirts. Even the ones I already have are becoming too short.

David and I spent the night at a hotel in town on Saturday. It was my birthday gift to him since he doesn’t care about stuff, but time together is very important to both of us and we never seem to have enough of it. I highly recommend this idea to anyone, but especially for parents of young children. Meredith had a blast staying the night with my folks, and we treated ourselves to dinner at a nice steakhouse and then enjoyed the indulgence of staying in a place that wasn’t our own. Even though we were fifteen minutes away it provided the illusion that we were out of town and it just wouldn’t have been the same if we had stayed at home. In the morning he slept in and I got a couple hours of watching HGTV while cross-stitching, so I left there very relaxed. :)

When we got home it was such a gorgeous day that I just had to take Meredith on a walk. She still loves riding in the stroller so this is one of our favorite things to do even though it’s been awhile since it’s been either too cold or I’ve been too tired to take her out. I had Braxton Hicks contractions basically the entire time but it was worth it.

Then I decided it was high time I got myself a pedicure. I can’t do my own toes anymore and things weren’t looking too great down there. So I chose a blue tint in honor of having a boy, pulled out my new Rainbow sandals to start breaking in, and treated myself.

It was such a great weekend, and despite not sleeping very well (I rarely do anymore) I felt relaxed and also invigorated. If only I didn’t get so worn out with work then I could easily make it to my due date feeling great! But I am very thankful for weekends and the break they afford me, and these last chances to spend time one-on-one with David and as a family of three.

January 13, 2014
hill country getaway

David and I took a trip to a small town in the Texas Hill Country called Fredericksburg for two nights over the weekend (but didn’t get any photos together – fail). It was to celebrate our fifth anniversary, and our primary objective was to spend time alone and relax. We chose to stay in a private cottage, and we could not have had a better experience. We were pampered, given lots of privacy, ate great food, did a little shopping, talked about Meredith a lot, watched movies, sat in the hot tub, slept in, and basically reconnected. It was so good for us.

After a rough drive home (lots of traffic, and I was car sick) we were so happy to pick up our little girl. She did perfectly staying with both sets of grandparents (one each night) and I was so proud. When I saw her again she seemed so old! I can only imagine how huge she will seem when we bring home a newborn. I was still feeling sick when we got home in the early evening, but thank goodness she was tired too and we both fell asleep around 7:30 and slept through the night.

Today I’m home catching up on chores, going to dentists appointments (for me and Meredith) and unfortunately dealing with car trouble! I’m waiting to hear back from the shop what the damage is. Back to the real world already!

November 11, 2013
a fun local outing

When I think about making my money matter, I really love to spend it at local, independent places instead of chains when I can. It’s so important for the community and small businesses, and I’ve found that the services and atmosphere they provide are incredible. For example, this past year we decided to switch from a bank to a credit union, we have a local car mechanic that we trust (sooo important when you don’t know anything about cars!) and I’m super excited that I just found a natural soap maker who is one of my patient’s daughters!

Anyway, over the weekend we wanted to spend a little extra time as a family so we decided to visit a couple of our favorite local places.

The Bagel Cafe is tucked away in a corner of a strip center and is easy to miss, but once you discover it you’ll be going back. It’s delicious, the employees are always friendly, they have great coffee, and it is Christian-based which I love.

Meredith’s sandwich on the left, my meal on the right.

Of course she was only interested in my food.

Trying to pose and all she wants to do is eat.

After we fed our faces we went to our awesome local independent bookstore. They have this semi-annual sale that is amazing and to my delight it was still going on!

They also have kids’ toys and sell other local vendors’ goods like candles and jewelry.

I found three copies of one of my favorite books in the sale pile – only 75 cents each! People need to come snatch these up. I ended up purchasing used copies of Beautiful Ruins and The Shadow of the Wind, both on my to-read list, for a grand total of $1.61. Total score.

It was such a fun family afternoon! What I really want to find now is an awesome independent cafe. I only know of one in our area and I didn’t like the coffee much which was a bummer. I admit I’m a little bit hooked on Starbucks right now!

What about you, do you have favorite local places? How do you make your money matter? Have you thought about seeking out independent shops?

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This post is sponsored by Make Your Money Matter, in association with PSCU, though all views expressed are my own.

November 5, 2013