Hit the floor

We have been wanting to re-do the floor of our condo’s kitchen for a while now, but the cost of ceramic tile is daunting — especially since we don’t want to be there much longer.

We currently have a blah-looking white-and-beige linoleum, but I want something that looks more like stone. 
Sherry at This Young House just posted a great step-by-step tutorial on peel’n’stick tile. You can do an entire kitchen for about $100!

Darling Husband, are you reading this???

Breaking up the routine


A change is as good as a rest.

I just re-read that line in one of my favourite Bernice Thurman Hunter stories, and I could not agree more.
I’m big on routine, and I find a comfort in knowing how my days are going to flow. But on the rare occasion that I break it up by doing something different, I’m surprised by how good it feels.
On Sunday night, I found myself driving in our Jeep — and regular readers know I do not get many chances to wrestle the wheel away from Darling Husband. 
It was a clear night, and I hooked my iPod up to the speakers and cranked it while I cruised. There is nothing quite like belting out a song at the top of your lungs and “car-dancing” behind the wheel. I was actually disappointed when I reached my exit!
It reminded me that while a routine is OK, it’s too easy to fall into a rut. It’s important to shake things up and do something different and fun. 
On the agenda tonight? In between cooking dinner (blah) and doing laundry (blah), I’m going to make some time to play a little Disney SingIt! 
P.S. Yes, I know, I’m 12. But it is seriously an awesome game.

About a girl

Last night I dreamed I had a little girl named Alice.

She had long curly hair, and was running around a backyard wearing butterfly wings. She was dancing barefoot, and she was so sweet.

I had kind of forgotten about Alice, but it was on my first attempt at a list. Maybe it’s a sign?
Here is my revised version …

GIRLS

  • Grace
  • Hannah (everyone hates it)
  • Emma (too trendy)
  • Ella
  • Claire (possible middle name)
  • Charlotte
  • Bethie/Beth/Bethany (everyone hates it)
  • Alice
  • Hilary/Hillary
  • Molly
  • Bella/Isabella (I actually want to name our next dog Bella)
  • Aurora
BOYS

  • Nicholas (almost ready to cross this off)
  • Brady (was too trendy for Darling Husband)
  • Andrew
  • Ben/Benjamin
  • Peter (maybe my new favourite!)
What names do you like? Promise I won’t steal!

The groupie in me

AMAZING news! My friend C is pregnant!!!

Since starting this blog about my future plans, I have obviously had a baaaaad case of baby fever. So finding out one of my friends is pregnant is the equivilent of someone blogging about home decor and finding their friend has a show on HGTV. 
Yeah, I’m a preggo groupie!
Darling Husband and I are beyond thrilled for C and her hubby. They are the first of our friends to get pregnant, so it’s exciting to be able to openly discuss all-things-baby with another couple. 

Of course, as soon as I found out the happy news, I was babbling on about Laptops to Lullabies. I dragged over the laptop and showed off my little blog, and told C all about my online friends who are also trying to get pregnant. 

C read a couple of posts and was even wearing a BellaBand, one of the items on my wish list! It was like my blog come to life!
So naturally, I pestered C with tons of questions — oh, the joys of being friends with a pregnancy-obsessed girl like me. In the name of higher preggo education, here are a couple of interesting things she told me about morning sickness that you won’t read in What to Expect …
  • Her morning sickness started about six weeks in.
  • Yes, it does happen morning, noon and night, just like we’ve heard. Boo.
  • No, crackers do not help (unlike all the books say).
  • You can feel it coming on, so you’re able to make it to the bathroom (I inquired about if she had ever puked at her desk, which is my nightmare)
  • It can be frequent, but it’s not a lot at a time.
  • She is still sick, at 14 weeks, but it’s finally getting a bit better.
  • She is hoping not to be the pregnant girl who is sick for the whole nine months. Fingers crossed for you, C!
  • Excessive morning sickness means the baby will be smart, according to a study!
  • Before getting pregnant, she had motion-sickness and car-sickness, and her doctor said that might be why she has such bad morning sickness. This is bad news for me, who gets woozy on the Merry-Go-Round!
A big thanks to C for enlightening us on what’s to come, and a HUGE congratulations to you and Hubby! We are so happy for you!
xoxo

My husband rocks

OK, coolest idea ever. Over at The Great Adventure, they started something called “My Husband Rocks” Friday. Every Friday, you write a post about why your husband is the best guy ever.

LOVE this idea! Here goes nothing! …
Dear Darling Husband,

Any man that is willing to take his wife to the craft-supply store … and then buy some of the items for her, so she can make good use of multiple one-per-customer coupons .. and take her to the fabric store … and wait patiently while she sorts through a million bolts … and then take her to another store to buy acrylic paints … (all in one evening) … is definitely a keeper.

Thanks for being endlessly patient and super-sweet.

Love, your wife
xoxo