I love productive weekends....

So, I have not blogged in awhile but better late than never, right? Jon and I had a wonderfully productive weekend - more so than most in the past few months. Friday night, we made dinner and watched a movie. Saturday morning, we were up early and running errands by 9 a.m. We hit up the grocery store, got haircuts (I usually go to my salon but can't get in for another few weeks and desperately needed a trim), worked out and then strolled around Best Buy. This never leads to good things.....

While we're in Best Buy, I immediately go to the appliances. We have talked about upgrading our appliances to stainless since we moved in but decided we would do it one piece at a time. We priced out some options at Best Buy and then it hit us.....duh, let's get ourselves over to Brand Smart and haggle us into some new appliances. We swore we would still only buy the fridge if the price was right. Well, the price is ALWAYS right at Brand Smart so we ended up with a brand new, stainless steel (it's actually titanium:) LG fridge. It's the most beautiful thing I have seen -kidding. However, they didn't have it in stock so Jon is picking it up tomorrow. But wait, the shopping did not end there. Does it ever???? We also ended up with a new dishwasher which matches the new fridge perfectly. We almost bought the stove/range but it wouldn't fit in the truck so we have already picked it out and will be back next weekend for that!!! And do you know what I am listening to now? The sound of my dishwasher making NO noise at all and I'm loving it.


After Jon installed the dishwasher (a hilarious event in and of itself), we made dinner, and headed out to a neighborhood bar for a few drinks. I am still doing really well with the patch and not smoking so that was not even an issue last night. This morning we got up, worked out and decided to take a day trip to Dahlonega for lunch and to walk around. It was such a nice day, albeit a little cold, and it was a nice drive. We had lunch at this little cafe and then hit up the outlets on our way back. Trust me, we are not rolling the dough but we sure acted like it this weekend. Oh well! Our saleslady at Brand Smart told us it's better to buy this stuff now because once we have a baby, ALL of our money will be going towards the little one.

After we got home today, I did some work, made some fruit snacks for the week (smoothies and nonfat pudding with fresh fruit) and am now sitting down to relax.

And on that front, we are still trying to get preggers. I am such an impatient person and once I decide I want to do something, I want it to happen right then so even after trying for just a few months, I am SO ready for it to happen. I have already invested in a few books and think I'll buy Jon a book next weekend since he's so interested in the entire process. He is going to make such a great dad!! We even have our names picked out. If it's a girl: Madison Nicole and if it's a boy: Jackson Nicholas. Are we getting ahead of ourselves or what???

And finally, I went and saw the doctor on Friday about my knee and she wants to do an MRI. That sucks and I had to call by OB-GYN to see if I could even though I am not even preggers yet and she said it was fine since it will be confined to the knee area. I am hoping to get that done sooner than later. I guess we will see....

So, signing off and I will try to blog again before another two weeks goes by. And, I'll be sure to upload pics of our new stainless kitchen once everything is in:)

Alli and....well, just read on....

So, I am on day two of the patch and have not had a cigarette since Sunday night at about 9:55 p.m. I am feeling pretty good especially since I jogged even further tonight and could already tell a difference after such a short period of time. The evenings are the hardest but I am really trying to push through. I am hoping this keeps up....

So, on to the Alli pills I have started taking. GROSS ALERT - For anyone who may have a weak stomach or gets grossed out easily, this would be the time to stop reading this post. I had already heard that taking these pills may cause 'anal leakage.' If you think I am kidding, I am not at all (although not through experience). This is how last night/this morning went with talking to Jon and Stacy about this drug. Here is my convo with Jon last night:

Mel: Babe - you will never guess what I bought today?
Jon: Oh shit, what?
Mel: Chill. I bought Alli to help me lose weight AND to help mitigate any potential weight I may gain while trying to quit smoking.
Jon: You did WHAT?!?! I thought that shit was for extremely overweight people. What the hell are you thinking?
Mel: Oh Jon - you are being ridiculous! Anyway, I was reading the label and it said it may cause the following: loose stools that are hard to control, anal leakage.
Jon: I also heard that. You better be careful and I suggest you stop taking the damn things.
Mel: Whatever

This morning's follow-up convo as I am getting dressed:

Jon: Seriously, Melis?!?!
Mel: WHAT?
Jon: So, I guess you are not going to take Alli anymore?
Mel: Why would you say that?
Jon: Didn't we just talk about anal leakage last night?
Mel: So? I have been fine.
Jon: I would suggest getting the hell out of those white pants and save yourself from that embarrasment at work.
Mel: Shut up

I get to work, white-knuckling the drive in and wanting a cigarette (but I did not have one). I check in with Stacy and we are chatting. I tell her about Alli. Here's how this goes:

Mel: So, I heard that Alli can cause anal leakage
Stace: OMG - yes. I knew someone that took it and had to bring an extra change of clothes everywhere she went.
Mel: What tha?!?!
Stace: Yeah. She went to a BBQ, had one hot dog and in 20 minutes made a beeline for the bathroom.
Mel: Hmmmm....

So, all signs are pointing to this crap (no pun intended). However, because it's blocking fat, I think that really happens if you food high in fat content which causes the AL. So, there's just another reason to stay away from fatty foods. Oh, Alli.......how in the hell did the FDA approve this?

I'm back......

Holy crap - it's been almost six months since I've updated the blog. It's my self-diagnosed ADD - I lose interest very easily. Anyway, new year, new home, new goals. So, I threw on the Nicoderm CQ patch this morning in my attempt to quit smoking for good. I am happy to report that it's 4:30 p.m. and I have not had a cigarette all day. And, I'm even off work today which clearly has left me with time on my hands so I am feeling pretty good about that.

This effort to quit smoking all boils down to my 2009 goals. My 2009 goals are:

• Quit smoking
• Lose weight (I bought Alli over the weekend so I am hoping that in conjunction with my running three miles a day will really boost this goal)
• Get pregnant
• Save more money
• Keep up with my blog

Hmmm....after reading my goals, I realize those are some pretty damn lofty goals. Shit!! However, I want to accomplish these goals in a certain order. Clearly, I want to quit smoking before I get pregnant. It's just a nasty but hard habit to break but I feel more commited than ever. I also bought the Nicorette gum and almost puked after I chewed once...and I even got the mint flavored. GROSS!! However, I was sporting the patch and reading the Nicorette pamphlet and it said not to use the patch in conjunction with the gum. And although the freakin gum cost $70, I was glad to hear I didn't have to do both.

And, I would like to lose some of the excess weight I've put on before I get pregnant too. But yes, Jon and I are very excited to get pregnant this year. I got some good advice from a friend, MacKenzie, to not stress about it and just enjoy trying:) It sounds like great advice to me so I am going to follow it to the letter.

I really thought we would wait longer to start trying but over the last few months, Jon and I have talked about this topic ad nauseum and feel we're ready!! I mean Jon is one big kid to begin with so I feel like I've already got some experience with children. So, I'll keep everyone posted on that front.

As I am writing this, I am watching Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (gee - I'll be ready to go back to work tomorrow) and Sue Ellen is smoking a cigarette and I got a little misty-eyed. This blows!

Anyway, Jon and I had our dining room and living room painted over the holidays and we just love the colors. If you remember the heinous wallpaper in the dining room, you would know why that crap was the bane of my existence so I am glad it's gone. Check out the pics!!!

Okay, so I am committed to blogging much more often now. Maybe I'll blog every time I crave a cigarette (if that's the case, I might have anywhere from 7 - 10 posts a day:).

We are officially homeowners!!!!!

So, Jon and I are officially homeowners now! We moved into our beautiful new home on Thursday, Aug. 14 and a week later it still doesn't seem real. Aside from the heinous wallpaper in the living room and master bath AND the pepto pink guest bathroom AND the lime green guestroom AND the hideously girly colors in the other guestroom - we're doing alright. So, what can I say about moving day? Aside from the fact that one of the movers, Jose, stole Jon's phillips head screwdriver, it actually went really well. We were completely into our new house by early afternoon and I was all over unpacking the boxes like it was my job (and, it was actually!).

And, what would a nice backyard be without the game of cornhole?!?! While any complete moron can play the game of tossing bean bags into a hole, Jon and I somehow find it quite fun. Maybe that says something about us? Probably! And, all last weekend I also made it my job to spend way too much money on more furniture and accents for the house. But, Monday was my birthday so I felt justified. And, the Mittelbronn's don't waste any time since we're already throwing our first gathering the Sunday before Labor Day. It should be a fun afternoon of beer, backyard games, beer, friends, and lots more beer!

However, I plan to at least paint the rooms that don't have wallpaper before our party takes place. The pepto pink room makes me immediately think of those ridiculous Pepto Bismol commercials where random people are singing, "Heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarhhea....hey, pepto bismol." While that might make sense since it IS a bathroom, I am going to have to paint over the pepto. So, that is the first room I am painting - tonight! And, thanks to Stacy, I now have the tools I need in order to accomplish that task!

Next will be the lime green room. Now, that room is our workout room and while the gross shade of green might keep some people energized while working out, it makes me think of a twisted doctor's office. Sorry lime green - you gotta go next! I will say the wallpaper (welcome to 2008, peeps. Who does wallpaper anymore?) in the living room is giving me the biggest headache of all. I like the background color of the wallpaper ( a deep red), the bigillion number of vases on the wallpaper sends my ADD self into a tailspin. I am not sure what I want to do with that room but I am sensing the wallpaper won't be up for long.

But, the house is great! I love coming home to it each night and sometimes, I even pinch myself just to make sure. Our dog, Ollie, is totally digging the house AND even more, the backyard. No more apartment living for this Mittelbronn clan - we're moving on up!

Check out the pics of the house to the right and let us know what you think. And, I will be more than happy to take some before and after photos of the pepto room and will update this over the weekend. Stay tuned for more...........

Okay - Two Weeks and Counting...

So, we are moving forward with our dream home!!! We close on Tuesday, Aug. 12 and we can't wait. However, it's hard to balance the house (which I am doing on my own without a realtor), the craziness of work right now, pack our apartment and get ready for a wedding in which we will travel to Burlington, VT for the weekend before we close. However, I am just rolling with it while also buying stock in any kind of brewery or winery:) In all seriousness, we are getting VERY excited with the closing two weeks away and we're actually making progress on the packing situation. Thank god we're making progress on something, right??

We had both the home inspection and appraisal last week and both went extremely well. Whoo hoo!!! The few things we asked the sellers to fix, they were completely agreeable to prior to closing so we're good on that. We've got our homeowners insurance in place and we're ready to start spending some money on the house. Whoa - slow your roll, sista! If it were up to me (and I had $1 million to spend), I would be at Restoration Hardware EVERY day but Jon and I are not quite in that situation. No worries - we're doing one room at a time.

Yard equipment - just what I always wanted to spend money on - yard equipment. But, we do need those things and that's our next purchase (aside from the new flat screen/HDTV we purchased, Jon's new clutch that needed to be replaced and the list goes on!!!). Plus, we can't wait to buy the entertainment center we fell in love with last weekend and the new office stuff we found at Office Depot yesterday. Okay, so those will be purchased and delivered the daay after we move in. Why can't money seriously grow on trees?? Why??

So now, we're waiting on the final green light from my lender to let me know we're clear for closing and we can't wait - especially since our apartment is filled with boxes, etc. Anyway, stay tuned for more as we get closer to buying our dream home.......

WOW - It's been awhile......

Ok - well I have clearly not updated my blog in quite awhile. So, I have a lot to tell about the house hunt. First, the original 'dream home' turned into a nightmare! We were so excited about the house, we had a contract on it and we're rearing to go. Enter, the home inspection. As Jon and I pulled up that Sunday, July 6, it was rainy and we all of a sudden had a sense that this was not going to be our day. The home inspector, who is fabuluos by the way - Mike Pope with Land America, was already there.

We waited for the selling agent to show up...and waited. Ms. Chatty Kathy arrived and the home inspection began. We chatted with Chatty Kathy and then I finally asked when she was going to leave. Seriously!! Anyway, ou first tip off should have been when we found a bong in one of the storage closets. She didn't even think to remove it as it was left by the previous owners who seemingly left in the middle of the night with the amount of crap they left. About halfway through the inspection, Jon and I head to a Lowe's nearby to get some packing supplies. And, of course, so I can pick out paint and look at hardwood floors. I picked my colors and everything - we head back to the house. Jon goes up to find Mike to get a run-down so far.

I am on the phone outside when Jon comes out with a big fat thumbs-down. I immediately hang up the phone and asked what the deal was. The deal, he said, was the house needed a new roof, all new windows on the first floor, the kitchen (when remodeled) was not up to code, the wood rot was ridiculous......the list goes on. I almost puked when Mike informed us that the previous owners kept their dog in the storage space where the bong was. There was even a dog door from the small storage space into one of the cabinets in the kitchen. I had heard enough - the house was a money pit and the previous owners were clearly sadistic potheads. No thanks - contract terminated.

So, after Jon and I recovered from that blow, we reached out to our realtor and we decided to keep the house hunt alive. Before we found this house, we had seen one that I had really liked but Jon was not too enthused about. Granted, it had popcorn celings which I was not jazzed about at all but we forged ahead. Jon went back to see the house and in a hasty move, we put an offer on it. Okay - this is where our realtor should probably have said, "Slow your roll, peeps!" But no, she was all for it - looking out for us, my ass! That negotiation was quick and painless - the sellers were not motivated and clearly delusional about what they could get for their home. Moving right along....

So, our realtor heads out of town last week and Jon and I are left to our own devices. However, we had really been doing all of the work anyway. Now enter, last Saturday. Jon and I found some homes we wanted to check out and stumbled upon a FSBO home in a great neighborhood in Alpharetta (but even closer in). We called and asked if we could give them 20 minutes since they're little girls had just woken up. No problem! At that time, my parents had called and invited themselves to tag along. They said they wouldn't say anything. Ok, if anyone knows my fam, they know that is like telling a child to go to sleep after they've eaten a bag of candy - not gonna happen. Anyway, we go into the house and the couple is SO nice. The house was great. The great room was a nice size with a fireplace, the kitchen was really nice and I loved the cabinetes they upgraded to. The formal living and dining room were so nice although the dining room was a little small. However, that's only because our dining room table is the size of a Buick....without the chairs. The master bedroom was the biggest thing I have ever seen and I loved the master bath. And, I was completely eyeing the double walk-in closets - score!!!

The backyard was immaculate, huge and recently fenced-in. Jon will definitely enjoy his 2 - 3 hours of yard work ahead of him each weekend! Whoo hoo. We chatted with the couple and fell in love with their kids. So, Jon and I went back on Sunday with a measuring tape and a lot of excitement. Once again, they were SUPER nice and very accommodating. So, we left the house for the second time with a great feeling. But wait......


We had signed an agreement with our realtor, who was not even in town nor did she know about this great house we found. So, we fired her! She wasn't cutting it anyway and I would be damned if she was going to get a cut of commission on this house. See ya, sista! So, we fired her Monday afternoon and put in an offer on Monday night. Of course, the seller and I did a little countering back and forth but we reached an agreement and Jon and pretty much got what we wanted and even negotiated a few things to remain in the home. So, we're in the process of binding this contract and moving forward. If there's one thing we've learned, it's not to get too excited until the inspection is done. But, these people are the original owners (housse built in 1999) and they have taken EXCEPTIONAL care of this house. They even faxed me receipts that document all of the repairs they have ever had to make to the house. How many receipts......THREE! That's it, folks.

So, we're moving towards an Aug. 12 closing date and we can't wait!!! The inspection is Tuesday, July 22 at 9 a.m. so please keep your fingers crossed. And, the appraisal will happen the following day. Now, I just need my broker to get off his ass and get me a lender! So, while he's working on that, I am doing double duty as buyer and realtor which is not fun. However, it's worth it knowing that there are no realtors involved, getting some unearned commission. YAY! However, I am not a complete idiot so I have my closing attorney in place and he's over my shoulder making sure everything goes smoothly and we're not getting screwed in any way. And, on a side note, Jon has made quite the friend with the seller's wife. They chat daily and she's been giving him parenting tips. Um.....we just want the house, not the kids......yet. Although, Jon did ask if they could throw in the kids with the offer. Slow down, buddy! And, I have been dealing with the husband. Again, these are salt of the earth, really sweet people who are quite attached to the house. It was the first house they bought together and their two girls were born there, etc.

So, I know I owe pics which I will have to somehow get soon. But, the house hunting hilarity continues and we're praying that this one turns out to be 'the one.' I really throw that term around loosely, don't I? But seriously, we have the feeling and we know these peeps aren't sadisctic, so we're already ahead of the game! Check back soon.......

We felt it was our dream home...... and guess who's got a contract on the dream home?

So, we have a contract on our dream home!!! Talk about moving fast - Jon and I are clearly winners in that right now. After much negotiation, excitement and nervous jitters, we decided to take the plunge and we now have a contract on the house you see to the right of the page. Yes folks, our dream house - so we think!!! We finally came to an agreement with the seller today and we could not be more excited. In our wildest dreams, we never thought we would find and have a contract on this house in such a short period of time. My parents think I'm crazy and shooting from the emotional hip, but they happen to be at the beach and haven't seen this house in person. We feel we got a good deal and can't wait to close and be official homeowners. So, what's next???

Oh you know, just a home inspection, termite inspection/letter, etc. As much as we LOVE this house, we're still cautious about the home inspection. In the words of Forrest Gump, 'Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.' Hopefully, in our case, what we get is no crazy stuff like a leaky roof, foundation sinking, ghost in the attic, etc.. We're hoping to have the inspection on Monday, July 7, since I am off work that day and you can be sure I will be there, in full force, with a notebook, pen and open ears!! You really just never know - so we're hoping for the best, knowing the house will not get a 100 percent clean bill of health:)

Needless to say, Jon and I HAD to go out this evening and celebrate the biggest investment of our lives to this point. WOW - the excitement and anxiety is actually settling in. Oh, and did I mention we're closing on July 25. YES - you heard it right, folks - we're closing in a little more than three weeks. Ummm.....boxes, bubble wrap, time - are we absolutely CRAZY!?!?! All of a sudden, we feel a little overwhelmed....and we stated the terms of the contract!! In all seriousness, Jon and I could not be more excited and ready to move in than we are right now.

As we move towards a closing date, I will continue to keep everyone posted on our progress. Jon and I actually started making a 'to-do' list. And, what do you think that consisted of? Let me break it down for you:

What size flat screen will we buy for the great room (Apparently, it must be bigger than the one in our bedroom)

How big of an entertainment center will we buy?

Stainless steel grill, right? (No worries that our own kitchen applicances are not or that the roof might be caving in (joke, MB!). It's almost football seaon - priorities now:)

I'll be sure to post later this weekend - wish us luck! And, thanks SO much for all of the encouraging and positive words and thoughts we've received from our friends and family!!!