Good Wifey FAIL

I was home sick from work yesterday- I woke up at 4am throwing up. Fun stuff. I did start feeling better later on though, and got some stuff done. I decided to clean out the fridge. So, since we believe in brutal honesty around here... here's the items I pulled out of the fridge that had mold on them. Eek.. can't believe I'm showing you all this...


This is my good wifey FAIL of the month. Gosh.

And you want to know what's worse??

Thought so.

That old guacamole fell off the stack of my leaning tower of shame and spilled on my kitchen rug. Thank the LORD it's black. Z doesn't know about that one.. let's not tell him, k?


Alright ladies- now that I've let you in on my shortcomings as a cute little perfect wife.. let's hear yours. If only to make me feel better...

What are your good wifey FAILs??

**PS- I added the "Organization" label to this post... Baahahaha.... **

Organization Giveaway Winner

I'm so excited to announce the winner of the Organization Giveaway! But, before I do, I just wanted to thank you all for your participation and for spreading the word.

From the sounds of things, a few of you are going to buy one of these anyway! And I don't blame you- who doesn't have issues with insane amounts of mail and clutter in their homes??

Now, with out further adieu, Random.org has chosen us a winner!




Abbie, please email me with your shipping information, and I'll get your prize shipped right out to you!

And, just for fun, if any of you purchase this item, send me a picture of it in your home & I'll share everyone's organizers in one big post, with links to your blogs of course!

Until later, happy hump day!! ;)

Get Organized Giveaway

Well, I told you there was a giveaway coming, and here it is! CSNstores was so gracious to sponsor this, so the thanks goes to them! So, what's up for grabs? None other than the very wall organization unit that I blogged about back in January! I never snagged one for myself, but now one lucky ready will get to have their very own for free!! The winner will get their choice between oil-rubbed bronze or brushed nickel:



Stylish & functional, and free! Great combo right? This time around, I'm going to give you more ways to win. Here's what to do:

• This giveaway is open to all followers and/or subscribers of Wedded Whims. All you have to do is leave me a comment letting me know you're a follower/subscriber.
• For one extra entry, post about this giveaway on your blog & let me know you did in your comment.
• AND get one extra entry for each person that you refer to the giveaway from your blog post. Be sure to tell your readers to mention your name in their comment so you'll get credit!

• Lastly, if you don't have a Reader that you subscribe to blogs through, or a Blogger account that you follow through, you can still enter. Just add Wedded Whims to your Bookmarks or Favorites on your internet browser, and let me know you did via a comment. You'll receive one entry.
  

This giveaway will end Sunday night, July 19th at 8pm EST. Thanks for reading- blogging would be no fun without your input!

Mary or Martha?

It's a bit humbling to write this, but I've made a mistake.

And I want to share it because I know some of you share the same qualities that I have that caused me to make said mistake.

Perfectionism and Optimism.

Two wonderful characteristics in a person. However, it's finding a good balance of the two that's a bit more difficult.

My optimism said the following to me: "Go ahead C! You can sand, prime, paint and poly an entire dining set in 4 days! It won't be bad at all! Oh, and get those amazing recipes that require a million ingredients and take forever to cook! You can make them easily! And one more thing- your house? Deep cleaning won't be a problem at all! You dust and vacuum like nobody's business! You're a wonder wife!"

My perfectionism said: "Well, you need to sand that table down perfectly, because even the tiniest bump will show through the paint. And the two coats of paint you have on top of the primer aren't enough- if the sun hits it just the right way [perfectionism doesn't tell you that your table will be INSIDE] you can see a tiny hint of the primer peeking through. Better do 5 coats! Yes, that's much better! And those recipes? You should probably make another spreadsheet detailing your menu for the week! And you better search every grocery store around for those darn Tarragon leaves- your homemade pesto sauce just won't be the same without them! Now, think about your menu. Does each meal have enough color? A nice balance of protein, veggies, and carbohydrates? Do you have a Centerpiece for your freshly painted table? NO?? Better run to the store and get some flowers!! Oh, and each of your towels in the linen closet need to be refolded so that everything's uniform. You don't want to show any domestic weakness do you? And it doesn't matter that you washed all the bathroom rugs a week ago. Don't you see the random fuzz collecting on them? Better wash those too. And lastly, I know you have to leave for work in 5 minutes, but do you really want to have a bowl sitting in your sink when family arrives because you didn't empty your dishwasher of the clean ones? Better do that, and just speed to work."

Whew! Exhausting isn't it?? That's how my brain works. Do you see how the two characteristics conflict? One tells you "yes, you can do all this stuff and everything's going to turn out great" but the other one causes you to spend much more time than you anticipated doing everything, therefore neglecting all other areas of your life.

Last night Z went to bed while I was putting the finishing touches on some Tiramisu for tonight's dessert. We hate going to bed without each other. I crawled in beside him around midnight. As I laid on his chest he sighed and said, "I miss you honey". Wow.. realization hit me. I'd been running around all week without so much as a minute to spare, getting frustrated with him for not offering to lessen my load, without stopping to simply enjoy my husband. He's God's greatest gift to me and I'd been to busy for him all week. Bad move.

It reminded me of the story of Mary & Martha in the Bible. The one where Jesus comes to their house to eat and Martha is running around preparing dinner and such and Mary wisely sits at her savior's feet, seeing the most important part of their evening. Mary was a smart woman. She knew how to keep balance. She knew what was important.

We live in a Martha world. All the way. Especially all us "domestic diva" women. How often do we find ourselves striving to be Martha?

Don't get me wrong- I'll never lose those two qualities. My house will still look clean, orderly, and well decorated, and I'll still whip up some impressive meals. But I hope to never again lose sight of what's important in life. Even if your house is aesthetically pleasing and your meals are the talk of the town, is your husband happy? Is your relationship with God strong? Do you take time for your family, or just some time alone?

It's been a long week, and I'm ready for the weekend. But most of all, I'm ready to spend some time with my husband, and my amazing family who will be here in a matter of hours! Enjoy your weekend, and slow down a bit, K? I promise I will. :)

How fitting..

..that S over at a.little.bit.delirious & Another Day in Paradise would give me a Kreativ award while I'm covered in paint up to my elbows. :) haha.. Seriously, though, Thank you both so much! I've enjoyed getting aquainted w/ you through blogland! Here's the award & the rules:List 7 things that you love, and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you love!Be sure to tag them and let them know that they have won. You can copy the picture of the award and paste it on your sideboard letting the whole world know...you are Kreativ.

7 Things I Love:

• My husband. You've heard all about me "fluttering", so this one is no surprise. He's truly my gift from God.
• My family. I really think it's impossible to convey just how deep my love, loyalty, and appreciation for my family goes. Family is so important to me.
• The piano. It's therapeutic for me, really. Somehow music always helps me connect with God.
• Lists, lists, lists. :) This includes sticky notes. I've probably had you laughing at me for this lately. But really, if I'm stressed all I need to do is whip out a spreadsheet to organize my thoughts, and I'm calm, cool, and collected again.
• DIY projects. It gives me so much satisfaction to put time and effort into somthing that creates a beautiful result. I often look at sites like Pottery Barn, and think to myself- I can do that! A little while later- I've got a replication for a fraction of the cost! :)
• Entertaining. I love having people over to our house! I even love all the prep work- cleaning, cooking, decorating- it's so worth it when you hear "Mmm, this is so good!" or "The place looks great!".
• Last, but certainly not least. In fact, definitely the most- my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. For saving me from my sins and leading me through this crazy world. All the above blessings and abilities are because of Him.

Now, for the lovely blogs that I'd like to pass this along to:
Liana @ Weight for Me!!
Seleta @ Simply Seleta
Holly @ Life in the Fun Lane
Ashley Paige @ I Love You More Than Carrots
Lindsey @ Learning to be a Wife


Other News

• K guys, seriously do the grocery store list thing, as crazy as it sounds!! I saved so much time last night with it!! And I only picked up about 5 items that weren't on the list (which is really good for me!).
• I was suupperr productive last night. *pats self on back* Right now, it looks like all the table needs is a couple coats of Poly & I need to do one more coat on the chair legs. Child's play! We're on the homestretch!! Also- I got a ton of cleaning and laundry done. I didn't stop for 2 seconds (okay, so I grabbed a piece of pizza for like 30 seconds..) since I left work. But it paid off- Grocery shopping? DONE! Last coat of paint on furniture? (pretty much) DONE! Bedrooms & bathroom cleaned? DONE! Laundry? DONE!!
  
• I'm thinking about my little sister today.. you know, one of the sweet adorable ones I talked about yesterday? Yeah, well.. she got her heart broken. Her boyfriend called her last night and ended it [after NOT TALKING TO HER at all on her birthday the day before & the day before she left to come out here-he goes to school out here and was planning on seeing her]. Grr.. The overprotective sister in me is gritting my teeth and sharpening my claws.. But I'll be good. She just deserves to be treated soo much better!!
• My family leaves today to start the 21 hour drive out here. They're driving straight through, so they'll be here for dinner tomorrow! YAY!!

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for putting up with my craziness (though some of you are enablers and you know it!! ;) ). I really enjoy sharing with you & getting to know some of you! Happy Thursday!!

I swear I'm not crazy..

...well, completely crazy that is. Maybe just a little.

Before you all laugh and roll your eyes, let me explain. I have a lot of shopping to do tonight plus a ton of painting, so I want to be as time- efficient as possible. So I came up with this.
Genius, don't you think? :)

Getting it Together!

Okay, so I've decided it's time I kick my butt into gear. In lots of areas.

#1- At work. When I started my job, I didn't have a clear job description, or a title. My sister in law (then roommate) got me the job because she'd worked for my boss's wife while in high school and college. Basically, I spent the first 6 months or so bored. They knew they needed someone else in the office, but the guy whose load I was supposed to be lessening didn't like letting go of what he did (he's the treasurer of the company and 67- one of those types that'll end up working til they die). But lately, things have picked up, we're going to be getting an expensive new software system, and I've taken on a lot more responsibility. Therefore, I've been trying to be more efficient. I don't have time to get on the nest all day or perouse facebook for hours. It's time to get down to work. Which, hopefully means a pay increase in the near future! :)

#2- Getting in shape. I've posted about how my mom and I were trying to lose 10 lbs. each before they came out to visit. Well, pretty much, I've gotten no where. The problem? I get off work at 4. If I have to go grocery shopping or run any other errands, I do it right after work. Z gets of at 4:30, so usually we make it home close to the same time. I used to go to the gym after running errands, but that put me home around 6:30. To try and cook supper and have it ready any earlier than 7:30 was a stretch. And THAT was eating late. Then by the time we're done cleaning up supper it's like 8:30 and we do some stuff around the house, maybe spend a little time together and it's time for bed. And we're up at 6am the next morning. Sounds fun, eh? Hence the reason I've been slacking on going to the gym lately. So.. I keep hearing all these rave reviews about the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels. I'm about 30 seconds away from pushing the order button on Amazon. It's like $8!! Can't go wrong, right?? If you've used this, I'd love to hear your opinion of it! From what I've heard it's 20 minute workouts, and they increase in intensity over time. I can totally handle 20 min!!Also, I'm going on a fruits and veggies fast for the next 2 days- I'll start eating normal again on Saturday. I'm going grocery shopping tonight because my fruit & veggie supply is already becoming depleted! :)

My one thing I don't get with getting in shape is this: I tried calorie counting last week, and I ALWAYS consumed way less calories than I burned (according to what the average person would burn doing certain activities). And I didn't lose any weight or see any difference at all last week. So maybe I have a slow metabolism?? I've always eaten super good compared to my friends, but always had a harder time keeping slim. Granted, I've never been overweight at all, but I just had to work hard for it.

#3- Around the house. Last night a spent a couple hours in the garage staining a DIY curtain rod I'm working on, and sanding and painting our coffee & end tables. I'm starting to be more productive getting projects around the house done. My family comes to visit from New England in 2 WEEKS & that was my deadline for getting said projects done! So whether it's my ambition kicking in, or just the urgency put on by the nearing arrival date, it's making me get going! :)

Spring is just around the corner (hopefully!!) and I really want it to be a time of refreshing and renewal. Anyone else have areas they want to get together?? Let me know, and I'll be your cheerleader! We could all use a little support, right? :)

Here's some spring-y photos to brighten your morning(or whenever you read this!).(this last one is only how cheery I can hope to be when it's time for spring cleaning!!)

A Few Deals and a Note on Cleaning

Deal #1- Artscow.com- I've mentioned them before, but I was waiting til I got my prints back to do a review. Well, I got all 100 of our 4x6 prints, and 5 8x10s for ~$13, with shipping, and they are AMAZING. Seriously, gorgeous quality. Of course we had some huge res. pictures b/c they were from our wedding, but I just fell in love when I saw them. I have no complaints whatsoever with their quality. I also have an 8x8 photobook that I got for ~$10 coming in a few days, so I'll let you know how the quality with that one is. Now, the company is based in Hong Kong, so that's why it's cheap, but also the reason for the slow shipping. It's been over 3 weeks since I ordered the photobook, but they said the slow-down was due to the Chinese New Year (2 weeks??) and a huge influx of photobook orders. Whatever. As long as it's nice quality I won't complain. They give you a HUGE amount of free credits! I'm so glad we got our wedding photos on CD and printed them ourselves. It's definitely the way to go, especially with deals like this.

Here's the link: ArtsCow Click there, and you'll get 1200 free prints credits & 3 8"x8" photo books & other great photo gifts credits when you sign up. It's free! :)

Deal #2- Brylane Home. Thanks to Carrie at Money Saving Methods, I got an awesome code for a set of bags for FREE with any purchase!!So of course, I ordered these window panels in Chocolate for our master bedroom. $5.99 each on clearance!I just ordered the panels, not the scarves because I though it would be to much for our room.

SO- for $11.98 + $4.99 (shipping)= $16.97 I got two window panels and a 3 bag set. Oh, and I signed up for the free trial Carrie was talking about and I have a $15 check in the mail to me. Is that a deal or what?? :) Yes, I'm happy.

Quick note on cleaning:
One of my bosses has been on vacation for 3 weeks and is coming back monday. He's a SUPER clean freak. Like, so much so that I wonder how any man can have that much.. clean freak-ness.. in him! So.. I'm deciding to try and get this office spotless before he gets back.

Now, I usually love cleaning my house because I take pride in what is mine, and when people are at your house, it is a direct reflection of you. The office, on the other hand.. is not mine. I work with all men, and for the most part, they're pigs when it comes to cleaning (except said boss). That does not give me the same enthusiasm to clean that I have at home. So.. I'm about to spend the rest of my day cleaning & convincing myself that somehow I like to do this and it will be appreciated. Yeah, I know.. my hopes are too high.. but a girl can dream. :)

Wednesday Randoms

EASY Dinner Idea: (as executed last night)

You need:

• Whole grain thin spaghetti (or whatever pasta) (~$1.50)
  
• A bag of stir-fry veggies (~$1.50)
• Italian Dressing (I used Kraft red pepper & parmesan Italian)
  
• Various spices (I used garlic salt, italian seasoning, and parsley)
  
• Veggie oil
• Meat- optional
  

Cook pasta. Add dressing and spices.
Cook veggies in a little veggie oil until they're starting to get browned, add spices.
If you want meat, mix it in with the veggies.
Top pasta with veggies/meat.

*I think the Parmesan in the dressing gives it a really good texture
*Add salt to taste
*Z ate it with some of the pulled pork I made him on Friday. I ate it sans meat. Both loved it.

Identity theft?Hackers?

Sunday I got a call from my credit card company saying that there was a $1 charge on my account that was suspicious, and sure enough, I hadn't authorized it! So, they're cancelling that card & sending me a new one. Freaky!!

Need for Organization

I recently have decided that I need to tackle a couple projects: a cleaning schedule and a menu plan. So hold me to it! I plan on doing both of them this weekend.

Shaping Up

As I've told you before, my family is coming to visit in the end of March. My mom and I were on the phone the other night and talking about wanting to be in better shape. She lost 15 lbs. for my wedding in November, and I probably lost a few(didn't keep track), but with the holidays and my honeymoon, we've been slacking ever since. So.. we decided to commit to lose 10 lbs. before they come to visit. 10 is a stretch for me because my body seems to want to stay at this ho-hum weight no matter what I do, but I figure if I blog about it, it'll keep me accountable! So.. I weighed in 2 days ago(Sunday) and I'll let you know this coming Sunday if I made any progress. I've been going to the Y & trying to cut all the carbs in my diet. I swear.. I'm a carb junkie- bread, cereal, pasta- it's what I crave & am used to since I didn't eat meat for so long.. so here it goes! I know Lindsay @ Learning to be a Wife is doing the same thing, so we're going to cheer eachother on!

That's all for now! Happy middle of the week!! :)

Organize Me!

So I'd heard about organize.com before, but this morning I took the time to check it out a little better, and I found a few things we've been needing! Ever have the problem where you just don't know what to do with keys, mail, coupons, receipts, and everything? We do.. it ends up on our kitchen table til I can't stand it and I find some other random place for everything. Well, this little number just might solve our problem:
The design will go really well with our kitchen.. and for $15?? It's a steal.. just have to talk to Z and stick it in the budget (which we've been following quite well by the way).

And... I think this would look lovely in our living room:
And.. last but not least, these little guys would do wonders with our enormous amount of cords behind our entertainment center and our office desk!

There are tons more I could share.. but you'd probably rather go check it out yourself.. so go for it!

Dinner Plans

Tonight Z's grandparents are coming over for dinner, so I wanted to cook up something nice- here's the menu:

-Toasted almond Salad
-Whole Grain Baguette
-Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast (Yes, I know.. I like chicken.. and stuffing it is fun)
-Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans
-Tiramisu for desert (What I'm really pumped about)


(Recipes and pix posted after it's all done!)

Am I missing anything? I really don't know what is wrong with me.. I get REALLY excited about cooking dinner. For me.. that's just.. strange. The things marriage does to you..

Now, as far as how I'm going to get everything ready in the hour and a half I have after work, before they arrive:

-Tiramisu is already made and in fridge
1) Pound Chicken & stuff, put in oven
2) Chop Potatoes & put them, along with Green Beans, on the skillet
3) While that's cooking, wash veggies & make salad
4) Throw baguette in the oven
5) Set table
6) Take all food out of the oven (Which I'm sure won't all be done at the same time)
7) Serve salads, Dish out other food, and:
8) Voila!

Let's just hope it goes off that smoothly!
(Sorry for the lack of pictures in this post- they will reappear in the following posts ;) )