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• You got beat by a pregnant girl
  on Apr 9, 2013 in pregnancy running
  A few weeks ago, I signed me and Hubs up for a 5k. I have been running 3 miles at least twice a week for this whole pregnancy (well, I was running farther and more often before this kid became legit GINORMOUS and decided that I don't really need my f...
• Bathroom Bump Up: I Stop Being Lazy
  on Mar 22, 2013 in DIY bathroom bump-up
  Thanks to the nearly-ready human I've been carting around, I managed to dodge helping redo our bathroom. And I truly, honestly felt horrible about it. DIYing is never actually fun in of itself, it's just fun because it gives me and Hubs and excuse to...
• Bathroom Bump Up: You thought we were done?
  on Mar 19, 2013 in bathroom bump-up
  You may have noticed I've been pretty silent on the subject of our bathroom makeover. We did the floor, the walls, the counter and the toilet - all with joyful hearts and one eye on our wallet and sanity. Ok, maybe "we" is a gross overstatement&...
• Dishless
  on Mar 12, 2013 in budget
  Last summer, we took advantage of Direct TV's deal where you can cancel service for up to six months. And we survived the long, dark winter with just Hulu and local stations. Well, it took paying just one full bill for us to start tossing around the...
• Quittin' time, boss
  on Mar 8, 2013
  I've been a 100% work-from-home employee for about a month now. It's been an adjustment, for sure. I love not having a commute and not having to jam my up-40-pounds self into respectable business attire for 8 hours a day, but the lack of face-to-face...
• Oh, hey. We're ready for a newbie.
  on Mar 6, 2013 in nursery
  Days are flying by me so fast I can barely even fathom that in 5-9 weeks, I'll be carting around a brand new person - in my arms and not my gut. Luckily, said new person will have the most pimped out room in the house. The lounging side of the roo...
• Working underground
  on Feb 12, 2013 in DIY home office basement
  Of the three projects we've been chipping away at lately (bathroom, baby room, home office), I'm so excited to say that one is totally done! The home office is all set up and has already seen some major productivity out of this gal. So, I'm the wo...
• Baby blizzard
  on Jan 30, 2013
  All has been seemingly quiet on the Bigger, Better, Best front for a few weeks. We ditched the never-ending horror that is living among three in-progress re-dos and headed east then south for some baby shower action. First up, was a brunch soiree...
• Bathroom Bump-Up: In which we reflect
  on Jan 18, 2013 in DIY cats bathroom bump-up
  Originally, we bought a pre-framed mirror at Home Depot for $30 with the intention to hang it in the space between the beadboard trim.Sadly, we failed to account for one measly half inch and the mirror hung so low, it overlapped the tile backsplash.
• Life in a house with three projects in process
  on Jan 17, 2013 in DIY cleaning
  Fun Fact: Somehow, watching this video is a really distinct childhood memory for me (which is weird because we didn't have cable, so no MTV for me as a 3 year old). I remember being equal parts terrified and fascinated by the puppets. Anyway, "Land...
• A birthday interlude
  on Jan 16, 2013 in birthday des moines
  Every year, I try to get crazy in the kitchen for Hubs birthday. You've seen me try my hand at cinnamon rolls, eggs benedict and key lime cake with wildly unpredictable rates of success. Nevertheless, on the docket for the mister's 28th was...
• New gig, new digs!
  on Jan 11, 2013 in career
  For the past two and a half years, I've been the Communications Director for the American Heart Association's Iowa operations. It's been awesome. I've gotten to write event scripts, work with local celebrities, steer our messaging and social media pr...
• Bathroom Bump-Up: That weird, mostly-done stage
  on Jan 10, 2013 in DIY bathroom bump-up
  Every project hits this point. The big changes are done and all that's left is a bunch of piddly mini-projects that will take more time than you realize but no one will notice. I personally guarantee that no one has ever walked into a fresh...
• Bathroom Bumpup: Bright, open spaces
  on Jan 8, 2013 in bathroom bump-up
  Here at the Bigger, Better, Best house, we don't give up easily. When faced like a minor obstacle (like having one very uncooperative toilet), we don't spend much time hyperventilating and throwing ourselves on the couch with deep "Woe is me!" sighs...
• Branding the baby's room
  on Jan 7, 2013 in DIY painting nursery
  The mural! Based on the tree I used as the grounding graphic force for our wedding, I created a super adorable baby room mural. I mean, I spent $75 for a very talented gal on Etsy to develop my wedding invites and this tree and really, I'm just tryin...
• Bathroom Bumpup: Toilet Toils
  on Jan 5, 2013 in DIY calling in experts bathroom bump-up
  Once the bathroom floor was all set, we were in a frenzied rush to install the new toilet that resulted in a potentially ripped and corroded pipe behind the wall, requiring not one, but two "Holy shit, what time does Home Depot close on New Year...
• Bathroom Bumpup: Ain't No Grout About It
  on Jan 4, 2013 in bathroom bump-up
  Once the floor tiles in the bathroom were set, it was time to grout so that we could install the new toilet and end the madness and generally unladylike atmosphere that not having a toilet in your own home brings. Luckily, groutin...
• In which I resolve
  on Jan 3, 2013 in goals
  I'm not big on New Year's resolutions. It just seems kind of arbitrary, so I usually prefer to make goals and deadlines based on how my year roles, not the calendar. Maybe it's the fact that 2013 is going to be so obviously loaded with change and go...
• Pregnant in Paint Clothes
  on Jan 2, 2013 in nursery
  While Hubs was dutifully demo-ing and rebuilding the bathroom, I was in the next room over, getting the baby room all ready for some artistry. I wore my respirator and cracked the windows (despite seriously freezing temps), plus took breaks after eac...
• Bathroom Bump Up: One frap, two fraps, three faps FLOOR
  on Dec 31, 2012 in bathroom bump-up
  Happy Almost-New Year! Hope your holidays have been super fun. I spent the first part of the week down south, celebrating with these good looking jammie models: Once we returned to the north on Thursday, it was all business. The bathroom got its...