29 FOREVER!

 I don't know why they call it a pregnancy glow. It's more like the pimple rebellion. I have never had so much acne in my entire life. Seriously, an atomic bomb would not put a dent in what is going on on my face.

I "heard" it was suppose to clear up in my 2nd trimester. Well, 3 weeks in and no such luck. It actually got worse. Well, it decided to move, and by move, I mean it started to not become so oblivious on my face and more obvious on my neckline and behind my ears. Who gets a pimple on the back of their ear?! This girl does. It's ridiculous. I would cry but somehow I didn't get the emotional rush of hormones with this pregnancy. I've got a cold heart of stone.

So after this new phase of acne emerged I ventured out to the dermatologist. Maybe they had a spare face I could borrow until the end of this pregnancy. I struck out again! They can't prescribe me anything, and almost everything they told me to do to clear it up I was already doing.

To make matters just a wee worse, the doctor asked "How old are you?" I replied, "29 FOREVER!" Okay, so I really didn't but, I totally was thinking that as I said 30. "Oh, well, welcome to the new age bracket. We need to start using anti aging products now." We? Was there someone else hiding in the room? Who was she talking to? I'm 29 FOREVER! Apparently I will be 29 forever with wrinkles and zits though. What a bad combo. Like, really, really, really bad. Does that even happen? Knowing my luck I'll be the one documented case when I'm 40. Caption will read "She thought she would be 29 forever."

 So I bought my first anti aging product. Being not wrinkly is expensive.

Ninja or Princess

I went to the doctor yesterday for my monthly checkup. I was lucky enough that we were able to get a sneak peek of our little baby's goods. Based on my pregnancy symptoms, I was convinced I was having a boy.

Chinese Gender Predictor
The ancient Chinese gender chart predicts your baby's sex, based on your age when you got pregnant and what month it was.
Survey Says - BOY

Cravings
Traditional beliefs about pregnancy cravings are that if you crave sweets, fruits, and orange juice you are having a girl. Sour, salty or protein cravings are thought to indicate a boy.
Survey Says - GIRL

Morning Sickness
A woman who suffers severe morning sickness that lasts all day long is thought to be carrying a girl. A woman with less morning sickness or none at all may be carrying a boy.
Survey Says - BOY

Sleeping Position
If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you'll have a boy. Right side? A girl.
Survey Says - BOY

Appearance
Many people believe that a woman carrying a baby girl may have severe acne. A woman with less acne may be pregnant with a boy.
Survey Says - GIRL

Weight Gain
The belief is that, if your husband puts on weight during your pregnancy, then you will be having a girl. If he doesn't put on a pound, then you're carrying a boy.
Survey Says - BOY

Moods
Feeling extremely moody? Expect a girl.
Survey Says - BOY

Baby's Position
If a woman is carrying mainly in the front, the gender prediction is a boy. If the mom-to-be is carrying the weight all over, the baby may be a girl. 
Survey Says - BOY

Baby's Heart Rate
A baby with a heart rate higher than 140 beats per minute is presumed to be a girl. A heart rate less than 140 beats per minute is thought to indicate a boy.
Survey Says - GIRL

I was totally wrong. We aren't getting a ninja. Well, unless a hotdog grows out of that hamburger in the next few weeks. She's a GIRL!

First Tri Round Up

I've never been pregnant before so I don't have anything to compare this pregnancy to, but I think it's been super easy so far.

With most ladies, the end of the first trimester is a blessing. Mine was just another day in the books. I don't know if it was the fact that I just kept telling myself I would not be sick or barf, or that my own mother never had morning sickness with my sister or I, but it just never came.

The "food aversions" I did have were probably the mildest of any case documented. Although no foods seemed to have made me run for the porcelain God I did have find that early on most foods just didn't seem appetizing at all. For example, I love Greek yogurt but the thought of me eating it made me not hungry. Then I ate it anyway and I was all like "I love you Greek yogurt". It made no sense. Some foods did not have the same effect such as chicken, fish and meats. Specifically all fish, anything but ground beef, and chicken breast. I could still eat it but while I was chewing it I was thinking in my head, "chew, chew, chew, swallow, drink water to wash the taste out."

Just like the food aversions, my food cravings are nothing crazy, such as I must have it or I'm going to die this instant. I love food. All kinds of food. Before I was pregnant I would pretty much eat anything. Cheap, easy, elaborate, expensive, healthy, deep fried ... any kind of goodness, even if it wasn't all that good for me. All throughout my first trimester I wanted fruit and sandwiches. Peaches, plums, bananas, melon, grapes, mangoes, etc. I'm not a sandwich snob either. Chicken, turkey, chicken salad, avocado, BLT, tuna ... there is no end. Seriously, I could live off this food. So while Chad is eating his salmon and broccoli, I'm devouring my sandwich and I am as happy as a clam. Well, not a clam. Those don't seem appetizing. Happy as a peach. Mmmm. peaches.

I'm Like The Price Line Negotiator

We finally finished our Elfa Custom Closet! (Read more about the first part here.)

A friend recently asked how much we spent on our Elfa closet system. Our design came to $1,747.65 without tax. I caught her mid air when she fainted, which I would have done too if that is what we really paid. We by no means are rich but, we are frugal and savings-crafty.

We originally designed our custom closet in February 2011 and started to pinch our pennies. Our plan was to wait until the Container Store had their Holiday Sale at the end of the year but Christmas came early for us last year. I received an email from the Container Store that said they were having their Annual Shelving Sale. All their shelving was 25% off but since it was only shelving about half our closet design items were not on sale. So we purchased everything that was on sale and waited until they had their holiday sale to get the rest.

The Old Closet

 

Elfa Closet Part Une

Elfa Closet Part Deux

But they don't call me a Frugalista for nothing! We saved an average of 27.5% by shopping when the store was having a sale, but I also cashed in my credit card points for gift cards to the Container Store thus saving us another $450. When Christmas really did roll around we collected another $300 in gift cards bringing our gift card total to $750!

So here is the breakdown:

$1,861.25 total retail cost
Shopping Trip #1: 25% off + $375 Gift Cards
Shopping Trip #2: 30% off + $375 Gift Cards
*FREE Shipping, Delivery & Install

= $688.68 out of pocket


63% TOTAL SAVINGS!

*Since they don't have a store in Orlando, Poppa Dukes was cool enough to pick up our goods in Hallandale Beach, Florida and truck them up to our house. I was also able to get him and Chad to install for free. Well, a bottle of wino for the Dads and back rubs for the Hubs.

Building a custom closet is not easy but anyone can do it with the right approach, adequate patience and enough time.

Here and There

I'm back! Although it wasn't like I was ever really gone. Just MIA. I was busy. Very, very busy.

So how can I wrap up the last 6 months?

Well, I worked ... a lot. I did some household projects. Hubberoos and I did did a lot of couponing; the toned down version of Extreme Couponing. We went skiing at Lake Tahoe in April, although it was more like slushing since most of the snow had melted by then. Chad and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary this past May, and we went to Europe on a Mediterranean Cruise. It was lovely. But, the biggest "thing" we did is made a baby ... yikes. We're in trouble now.