Adventures in Home Improvement: The Library

When DH and I moved into our house we starting making a list of everything we wanted to change about the place. The former home owners had done a good job with a few things (installed hardwood floors on the second floor, removed the wallpaper and popcorn ceilings) but the house was lacking in design aesthetic.

The biggest room in the house is the front room which would usually be designated as the formal living room. The only problem is that we don't exactly entertain frequently so dressing up a room that we would never use wasn't an economical use of our time or money. That's what the dining room was for :-)

As I have mentioned previously, I am a big reader. We knew we needed more storage for the massive amounts of books I currently have and plan to have. What can I say, if you are an avid reader of fantasy books the series can be very numerous. We also knew that eventually we would start a family so additional storage for that would be ideal as well as a room that could be versatile. The result? Our library.

The first step was paint. I picked out two colors: True Blue for the accent wall/built ins and Loft from Ralph Lauren. Here's a tip: name brands really do cost more. But for the darker colors, it is important to have high quality paint. I'm very happy with the colors I chose. DH, of course, did the painting.

We got an excellent recommendation for a contractor who built 17 feet of built ins for us out of red oak. It took him about 2 weeks because he was working on a few other jobs as well. It's the first time I've seen DH with total tool envy. DH also peaked in periodically to shoot the shit with Adam and picked up a few tricks of the trade that helped him immensely when he was rebuilding the nursery closet built ins.

The built ins at 75% complete

The trickiest part of the whole project was staining. DH decided that to save money, he was going to stain the wood and poly it himself. I was skeptical. But we got one quote that was for $2200 just to stain the built ins. That was more than we spent to build them (including materials)! So DH spent several weeks staining the wood. The problem? Apparently the wood filler used to cover the nail holes does not accept stain, regardless of what the directions say. So we had beautiful built ins with lots of light colored spots. It did not look good.

We managed to get another quote that was much more reasonable for someone to come in, sand down all the hard work DH did and re-stain it along with a couple of coats of poly. I think the revised quote was $600. Needless to say, the previous painter was trying to rip us off, no?

Built ins, complete. The left side is a cabinet, the middle a desk and the far right are drawers for additional storage.

Once the built ins were complete, it was time to get decorating. I searched for weeks for the perfect accessories and furniture. In fact, it may have been months! The most important piece of furniture was the chaise I knew needed to be included. I wanted a two armed chaise for reading. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a two armed chaise? And I live in NC, the furniture capital of the country! I finally found a floor model from a furniture outlet. I wasn't thrilled with the pattern (green with light blue dots) but figured I can always get it re-upholstered. Turns out I just integrated it with other things and I think it works. DH was very happy to save that money :-)

The chaise that I now have some issues getting in and out of because of the burgeoning belly.

I always knew I wanted to integrate my college and MBA chairs (thanks for the graduation presents Mom and Dad!) into the room with a "library table". Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a round pedestal table that isn't dining room table size!?! It was a beast, to say the least. DH and I were using up some left over gift cards from Crate and Barrel when we saw the perfect table. It was the final missing piece of furniture. When I work from home I find myself working from this table. It will be great once the baby gets older and wants to color, etc. Now if only the high gloss of the table was forgiving for children's play...

Library table and college chairs. We also put up our diplomas around the room to give it the additional "library" feel. I still have to get my Darden diploma framed but it's gigantic so it can wait.

My mom stopped by during the several months it took to finish up the room and helped me buy knickknacks and style the bookshelves. Thanks, Mom!

Another shot of the library from the doorway. This one of only three rooms in the house with curtains. Sad, but true. Why are curtains always the last to get put up?

I hope you all like the adventures in home improvement. If you do, let me know and I'll post more. DH and I love improving our first home together. Well, I love designing and he is great at doing. Perfect combination!

New food addictions

I wouldn't call these food cravings, per se, but I have discovered some new foods recently that have gone on my "must" list. I am a notoriously picky eater so any time I like a new food or food product it's a pleasant surprise.

• Vitamin Water - DH picked up a few of these for our trip up North over the holidays. I love them! My favorites are lemonade and kiwi strawberry. I would seriously have them every day if they didn't cost around $1 each. I am often bored by just drinking water. DH can go through 8+ glass a day, but not me. I need a little something to punch it up. Going the juice route is just extra calories. With Vitamin Water the flavor to water quotient is perfect and I'm getting vitamins and no calories. Perfect!


• Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers - I clipped a coupon for these a few months ago but my grocery store only started carrying them recently. If you are having trouble finding them check the pasta/rice aisle or the soup aisle. They are a little extra work than a typical microwavable meal but totally worth it. Somehow Healthy Choice figured out how to get al dente pasta out of a microwave. My favorite is the zesty marinara. Now, they are a little pricey ($3) but the perfect amount of food when combined with a salad. Talk about a nice healthy lunch!


• Naan - from the grocery store, no less! I have to admit this one is kind of a cheat. I have always loved naan but only get it when we infrequently go out for Indian food. But when we were up North I discovered International Fabulous Flats™ Tandoori Naan in my mom's grocery store. No need to have a special oven or spend hours making your own dough (not that I would), just pop in the oven with some olive oil for a few minutes and it tastes almost exactly like what you get in the restaurant. Now if only they carried it at my grocery store...the website claims that Harris Teeter does but I haven't seen it yet. DH and I make Indian food all the time. Just cut up some chicken and add the premade Tandoori or Curry sauces found in the international aisle. We usually add chickpeas for a little extra veggies.

DH and I are trying to add to our regular mix of dinners as well. So if anyone has recommendations, please let me know. We are much more chicken people than other types of meat so chicken recipes in particular are welcome.

Friday Updates

Thanks to everyone who commented on my daycare search. DH and I do plan on going to the facilities during the week so we can meet the staff and get a better feel for how the kids are cared for. I have a feeling we will end up with one place initially and then switch to a "preferred" location in a few months. Here's hoping that a bunch of vacancies come up right around June!

This week at work was definitely challenging. It was hard for me to get my head back in the game (is it sad that I think of the High School Musical song as I type that?). Coming off of two weeks vacation and knowing that I'm in my last trimester makes me feel like now it's just a waiting game. I have to snap out of it because I still have 11 weeks to go!

It has also been surprisingly warm in Charlotte over the past few weeks. Temperatures have been in the 50s and 60s which makes me feel like Spring is just around the corner. I have to keep reminding myself that it's only January...

This weekend is going to be errand weekend. DH and I have lots of little things to get done. I would also like to clean the house but it's not that bad yet so we'll see if that happens. I should take advantage of the fact that I can still bend over now, though. After seeing Mommy, Esq. during her last trimester I'm not sure how long that will last! I'm waiting for the "cleaning nesting mode" to kick in that I've read about on some of the pregnancy message boards. One woman said she started cleaning at 1 AM and couldn't stop until 4:30! I'm lucky if I can motivate myself to head to the bathroom during that time. I'm much more of an organizer and picker-upper than a cleaner.

I hope you all have a great weekend and I'm sure I'll post again before Monday. Happy Friday!

The daycare saga begins

While DH and I didn't make any New Year's resolutions, we did make a list of things that need to happen before the baby comes. We'd love to refinance the mortgage given the low interest rates. I'm also looking into consolidating my private student loans. But I doubt anyone can beat the current rate I have of 2.5% (although it is variable).

The most important thing on the list is to secure daycare for our baby. Since BigFinance has a generous maternity leave policy (12 weeks paid!) we are looking for a daycare with openings at the end of June or early July (depending on how quickly she wants to joins us). One of the biggest factors will be location. Right now I work south of Charlotte in a "remote" office but I am in a rotational program so in 6 months I could end up back uptown. So we need to find a place close to home to avoid having to switch while she is still an infant. Also, that way I won't be responsible for pick up and drop off every time. DH would probably do morning drop off since I get to work by 7:30 and I would do pick up.

We can't do a nanny (not just because of expense) as DH works from home and that would be very awkward. I am also anti home daycare at this point. I worry about putting the baby in a place where it is a mixture of ages. I'd prefer a facility that has dedicated infant care. Once she's a toddler I'd feel more comfortable.

A. emailed me her daycare spreadsheet which I used as a starting point in my search. I then spent 3 hours on Google maps looking for all daycare facilities close to our zip code. I went up to page 80 on the results so I was feeling good with my list. I found 5 that I thought were contenders and started making the calls.

Two of them (the ones I liked the most from the web search) had 18 month waiting lists! Gah. We'll probably put our names on the lists because they are great, location-wise and are very highly rated. Is it wrong that I think impending layoffs in Charlotte could result in a lot of daycare openings? I'm totally going to hell...not good considering these two places are associated with churches.

Another one that looked promising has a 5:1 teacher to infant ratio. Um, I don't think so! As a triplet I have no idea how my mom handled the three of us. Adding two more to the mix makes me picture my baby crying in her crib for 15-20 minutes before she gets some comfort. No way.

That leaves us with two KinderCare facilities which are not in the best locations. I drive by the facilities quite a bit and they look pretty run down. I haven't called them yet in the hopes that I will find more options. DH is working with SmallResearch's Employee Assistance Program to get a list of more options. They will even call the facilities which is great.

For those of you who have been down the daycare path, how did you find it? Are there specific questions that DH and I should be asking when we go visit? Feel free to heap advice on these first time parents!

A trip to the dentist

A. told me that she ended up with something like 8 cavities after Finn was born. Having really great teeth and only one cavity in my past, I am determined that this will not happen to me. So I scheduled an appointment with BigDentist, a place I've been to probably 3 or 4 times in the last year and a half.

I already have a grudge against BigDentist because it always seems like they want me to pay out of pocket for some service that I really don't need. Now, I do pay for the stuff I can't live without. Exhibit A (that's for you Mommy, Esq!) is my mouth guard purchased the summer of 2007 for a cost of $400. I am a nighttime teeth clencher and it was starting to cause deep grooves in my teeth. Best money I ever spent! I can't sleep without it more (totally sexy, no?) and it cured me of headaches I didn't even know I had. Until I started using it I didn't realize I was waking up with a slight headache every day. Crazy.

What kills me is when someone at BigDentist tells me I need to pay $60 for a special bacteria treatment because of some stupid thing that could, potentially, down the road result in a cavity. I brush twice a day and floss religiously. I'm probably better than 90% of the patients they see and they still want me to pay for stuff not covered by insurance. I realize they have to make a living but come on! They get money at least twice a year from my dental insurance. And they totally play the fear factor. When I refused an optional treatment they wrote it up in my records and made me sign it. How crazy is that?!?

I had already been considering a switch but for right now they have all my records and I can't get new films for obvious reasons. So I figured one last trip and then I'd find a new dentist after the baby arrives. Hopefully one where there are weekend hours or at least appointments that can be scheduled earlier than 10 AM or later than 4 PM. Dentistry is such a scam. Even my OB has better hours!

BigDentist cancelled my first appointment because their hygienist was out sick. OK. Fine. Although it is BigDentist, shouldn't there be other people to do the work? So I rescheduled for a Friday morning during my vacation. I arrived about 10 minutes early which is standard for me. I was told that no one could see me and they called me to cancel my appointment. Needless to say, I was not happy and I threw a hissy fit.

Me: You already cancelled on me once and now that I'm here you want to do it again? No. That is unacceptable.
Receptionist: According to my records we left two messages for you.
Me: Obviously you didn't because I'm here. And I got the messages the last time you cancelled on me.
Receptionist: Our records said we did.
Me: I am not getting into an argument about this.
Receptionist: We don't have a hygienist here and never do on Fridays
Me (thinking): What the f&%ck? Why did you schedule me then?
Me: Who is in today?
Receptionist: Our dentist is here.
Me: Ask her to do it.
Receptionist: Can I send you to another location and have someone there do it.
Me: No. I'm here already. I expect to be seen.
Receptionist: I'll see what I can do.

The result? Success! The dentist bitched a bit about doing it (nicely since she is a senior partner and I'm a patient) but she cleaned my teeth and made sure I had no cavities developing. Her demeanor has almost changed my mind about switching practices. Of course, whenever I go I deal mostly with the receptionists and hygienists and only see a dentist for 5 minutes. So I'll probably still switch for my next check up.

Anyone else have issues with their dentist? I feel like I'm particularly cursed because my childhood dentist was not very good either. Our affectionate nickname for him was Dr. Death. It's hard to find reviews online for dentists because there are so many of them. Feel free to pass along any advice about finding a good dentist. I suppose I should try and find one that also has a pediatric dentist on hand...

Movie reviews

I would certainly prefer to have another two weeks off from work but am feeling fairly renewed after having a low key 5 days before starting work again. Plus I've officially reached the third trimester now that I'm 28 weeks preggers. Woo hoo! Although can they really be called trimesters any more considering pregnancies are actually 40 weeks? Does that mean the first trimester is longer? Why are these the things that keep me up at night?

DH and I had a friend in town this weekend (Hi Janusz!) which was nice, especially for DH. He does love his guy friend time. We played a few games of Monopoly (old school version) and DH did terribly. It doesn't help that Janusz and I landed on Free Parking about 8 times each. I think DH got it once. That hurts.

Because the final stretch of the vacation was so relaxing, I had a chance to catch up on a couple of movies I've been meaning to see: Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Iron Man. Both were very good, although very different. DH and I love How I Met Your Mother and think that Marshall (Jason Segel) is the best character on the show. So when I heard that Sarah Marshall was coming out, I knew I'd have to rent it. The opening scene with full frontal nudity was awesome. What a way to have a break up! I love Kristen Bell so it was great to see her in a leading movie role. Now why can't Rob Thomas drop everything and make a Veronica Mars movie? The best part of the movie was that the relationship wasn't totally one sided. Sarah wasn't just the terrible dumper and Peter the entirely sympathetic dumpee. And the supporting actors and characters were a riot. I definitely recommend you add this movie to your NetFlix list.

Iron Man was a good solid action movie. Robert Downey, Jr. was a very good choice as the hero although it was a waste of Gwyneth Paltrow's talents. I liked Tony Stark the best as a playboy. When he started being all altruistic it wasn't as much fun. The action sequences were well done but I have the same complaint I always do when I watch action movies. It is really necessary to have a 15 minute action sequence? After 5 minutes of punches being thrown and things exploding, I get it! Perhaps I am just getting old and can't take the loudness of those scenes. Another movie to add to your queue...

DH and I are not very big movie people primarily because our tastes are wildly divergent. He likes movies like Blood Diamond and I would prefer films like 27 Dresses. I think it's because I watch so many more serial TV shows that require an investment in brain power (Fringe, CSI, etc.) and I don't need that in movies too. I also hate how long movies have gotten. What happened to the 90 minute movie? That's a perfect chunk of time. Now I am lucky to find a film that is less than two hours long. Who has the time, energy or patience for that? Although, I will say if a film is done well, time doesn't matter as much (see The Good Shepherd or Forrest Gump).

Any light hearted movie recommendations for me to stock up on when I go out for maternity leave? Or if you have any deep movies that DH should watch, feel free to pass those title along.

A whirlwind trip to Massachusetts

Even though DH and I were up on Massachusetts for more than a week, it felt as though the trip was really quick. That's not to say I am not happy to be back home! I feel as though my real vacation can now start :-)

DH and I drove back on Tuesday and of course, ran into traffic about 30 miles from Charlotte. Traffic for NO REASON, mind you. Just dumb ass drivers. Until then we only had to deal with dumb ass drivers who didn't realize they were holding up a line of traffic. We were on 81 for most of the trip which is a 2 lane highway. Here's a hint, people: if you are in the left lane and there is NO ONE in front of you for a few miles but a line of cars 30 deep behind you, get in the right lane!! You are holding up traffic. Jeesh.

Over the trip, I indulged in lots of Christmas cookies and won every card game. Overall, it was a good Christmas, if a little hectic. Grammy gave DH and me new bedding, pillows and lamps for our master bedroom. DH also got several framed Yankee Sports Illustrated pictures. So I guess we'll have to remodel our bedroom and his office sooner rather than later. I am the best wife ever because I don't mind him turning his office into the new Yankee stadium. Despite many Red Sox outfits for our baby girl, I have a feeling his enthusiasm for the Yankees will result in one more Yankee fan...

I had a chance to visit Mommy, Esq. a few times and see Natalie, Helen and Amy. We haven't made too many friends in Charlotte yet (thanks Stacy and Janusz for moving to Germany!) so it was great to have lots of girl talk.

Practice makes perfect!

Natalie and Amy dote on Ned

DH and I were apparently so exhausted from our trip that for the past two nights we have been sleeping for 12 hours. Of course the dog loved that. He was a nervous wreck for most of the trip. Not only does he not like change, my mom has a cat. They left each other alone for the most part but Charlie did try to get a few bites in as did the cat.

Charlie thinks if he ignores the cat, she will go away.

Charlie saw lobsters for the first time ever. He wasn't very impressed.

The long drive has decided us that for my baby shower in February, I will be flying. No way I can do 24+ hours in the car over a 96 hour period.

It has been a great 2008 and I know 2009 will also be wonderful. I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Best wished for 2009!!