Packing
Renovating the new kitchen (thanks Dan!)
Painting the new kitchen
Painting the new living room
Watching really nice guys pack our stuff into a truck
Moving!
Building stuff from Ikea
Building stuff not from Ikea
Taking a quick run for some ice cream with a view
Add comment June 1st, 2009
7ish weeks left to go. And so much more to do.
Luckily (or not) we have been busy little bees in here. Our May calendar was chock full of baby learnin, baby planning, moving stuff and visits both here and out of town.
Isn’t it the prettiest! Luckily June is alot less pretty meaning its quite a bit emptier. We strategically planned on getting most of the moving and baby stuff out of the way in April/May so we could spend June unpacking. Matthew is working full time most of June and I start having prenatal checkups every week instead of more sporatic. It really made sense at the time and I’m glad we did it but wow, add packing and the nitty gritty of moving to that and has been truly exhausting.
I’ve still been feeling pretty good although I definitely have my days. Days where I really, really do not want to get out of bed as early as I need to. Days where the thought of bending over to pick something up can put me over the edge, but I’m hanging in there – keeping my eye on the prize if you will. The prize of my very own washer/dryer in just 3 MORE DAYS!
Add comment May 20th, 2009
Its all mushing together at this point. All of a sudden last week I became extremely uncomfortable which is funny because I thought I was pretty uncomfortable before. I think he is head down and by head down I mean GIGANTIC HEAD PUSHING AGAINST MY BLADDER AT ALL TIMES. Now it annoys me to sit for too long. Add that to walking for too long, standing for any period of time and bending and there isn’t much left for me to do comfortably and I still have quite a ways to go.
Know what’s kind of comfortable?Laying on the couch and watching tv. Unfortunately we are moving next weekend and have tons and tons of stuff to do so there’s not much time for that. I am very behind on TV. Please don’t talk to me about Grey’s.
Just today we:
Dropped off laundry
Donated 4 boxes and 3 bags to good will
Picked up a dresser and painting supplies from storage
Purchased additional supplies and odds and ends at Lowe’s
Bought 4 gallons of paint in various colors at the paint store (the special overpriced paint store cause its the only one that had what we needed)
Stopped at new apartment to drop off all that crap
Brainstormed how we will make this disaster of a kitchen work for us*
Answer: we will rip out some of the cabinets and install shelves. Open plan kitchen here we come! We can take out the cabinets because they are held in by 4 screws apiece.
*the floor has already been redone by the landlord and looks great! I know it seems tiny but its bigger than our current kitchen. They are also delivering a new fridge this week.
2 comments May 15th, 2009
We got the keys to our new apartment today! Move date set for May 23rd.
Add comment May 8th, 2009
A couple weeks ago I was on the phone with my friend Bridget who was telling me all about the ants coming in through the electrical outlets in her house in NJ. Being that was April, and not even that hot yet I was a little surprised. She said they called an exterminator and that 9 out of 10 calls they had were for ants. What the heck!
I pat myself on the back for living in the big cit-ay and not having to deal with eew ants and eew exterminators until that Saturday afternoon when I got home from yoga and open the bedroom windows wide to celebrate the arrival of an early summer.
All of a sudden I notice some ants on the windowsill, the BIG KIND. Ugh, of course we have no form of ant repellant in the house so I had to shut the window and it seemed to slow down. But it was H-O-T. I was thinking of going out to the store and buying some nasty smelly bug killing product when I randomly found this
Ok, I’ll bite…
aaaaand…It totally worked! No more ants. For Freeeeee!!
Add comment May 8th, 2009
We went back over to the new apartment this week to take another look and some measurements. We realized that I didn’t walk into the baby’s room for more than a second and that one entire wall is built in shelving and cabinetry (perfect!) and that Matthew didn’t look in ANY of the closets.
We are taking over the apartment May 15th with a plan to move over memorial day weekend. They have to repair the kitchen floor which will happen by the 17th and we offered to paint the place during the same time. The current walls are white so we don’t need to prime, and we really wanted to use no-VOC paint and knew they would just coat the place in toxic slop if we didn’t offer to do it ourselves.
I’m really liking the colors at YOLO. Since the place isn’t the brightest with its exposed brick and ground-floorness we know we have to go really light on paint.
We’re thinking something like this for the main room (one big LR/DR/OFFICE with open bookcase partitions)
I know! We are so crazy with our just slightly off-white. The problem is that we love the paint in our current living room. Benjamin Moore Natural Wicker. Like seriously love it. I just don’t know if I’ll still love it at the new place so we may need to do a little paint test.
It looks kind of dark in that sample but I think its incorrect.
Anyway this is a decision that can’t be made until mid-may so why bother worrying about it now. What I CAN worry about is the fact that we desperately need a new rug for our bedroom. Our current rug is 6 years old and has already survived 2 moves. It was less than $100 at home depot at it shows. Its fraying around the edges and is pretty disgusting. After searching and searching I got my heart set on this:
The Jackson Stripe rug from Crate and Barrel. After cringing at the price and stalking it for about a month it went on sale! Yes, only by $100 but I have a few gift cards and then got some cash for my bday to put towards it and it works out to under $300. So I ordered it! Its so plush and lovely and since the colors are so versatile I think it can last for a few rounds of decorating whims. Our bed is all white, and our furniture is dark brown so it helps bring a bit of much needed color to the room. I can’t wait for it to get here.
1 comment April 16th, 2009
If your husband accidentally knocks an entire cup of water into your phone, and you think its ok, then you realize numbers are going all crazy and dialing all by themselves, then the buttons stop working, submerge it in rice for the day.
It will rise again (refrained from making off color but timely easter joke here. sort of.)
Add comment April 14th, 2009
A few weeks ago we signed up for Urban Organic delivery which is pretty much what it sounds like – a fruit and vegetable delivery service in NYC.
We ordered the original value box which comes with approx 15-18 items each Monday afternoon. Each week you can sign on to see what you are getting right here.
You can even tell them 3 things you never ever want in you box (We chose chard, kale and collards) and they will substitute.
We love it! They have the best pears ever, and delicious grapefruit. We usually have to supplement with a few things here and there but it starts the week off great, with more than enough for a few dinners.
Add comment April 14th, 2009
One of the things keeping us busy around here is the fact that we decided to move before the baby arrives. Our lease is up in July and we just feel a little squished. Plus I hear the little babies make lots of laundry and we don’t have a washer/dryer – or even space for a portable in our teeny kitchen. For those of you who have never been to our apartment here are some pics the realtor snapped after giving us about 10 minutes notice
We started looking around for something a bit bigger, or at least more open, plus an eat in kitchen because I couldnt imagine walking to our dining room to feed a baby, not to mention that there isnt even anywhere to put him down in there!
Matthew really wanted somewhere to put a BBQ and of course, a washer/dryer would be a HUGE bonus, but we were open to buying a portable one if necessary.
In talking to my current landlord about looking for a new place she mentioned that the garden apt in her brownstone was becoming available. Its a 2 BR with a large open LR/DR, private entrance, washer/dryer and backyard.
We are moving in at the end of May!
Add comment April 13th, 2009
Because the neighborhood we live in was just chosen as one of the “Top 10 dreamiest places to live” by HGTV
Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York
This neighborhood’s historic charm, top-notch restaurants and shopping, and proximity to Prospect Park make it an attractive alternative to Manhattan for families and professionals. Seventh and Fifth avenues are Park Slope’s main commercial areas, while other streets are occupied by renovated brownstones, which can sell for millions of dollars.
See the list here.
1 comment January 27th, 2009