A Week in Photos 7.31.11 -- Newsies

This week's photos are all about new toys & new adventures:

(new) Keurig love.

Need I say more?

Square love.

Our new everyday place setting.

(new) kitchen towels

2 more new gadgets

(hooray for finishing our wedding registry!)

Yin & Yang

I helped paint my yoga studio.

Barefoot.

Nora, asleep, on the road trip.

You know you're at Grandma's house when...

(and then she told me to take home a lot of her vintage gorgeous pieces I fawned over)

Country dog.

Adventures in Registry Shopping

Who knew walking around your favorite store(s) with a scan gun, registering for gifts, creates a long-term opportunity for compulsive savings, when you're not even the one spending the money?

See, the nice sales lady advised us to register for the complete sets of pots/pans, dishware, utensils, and such.  Then she also suggested we register for each piece separately.  I thought, sure, I like a gazillion presents, but duplicates get old. First she shared this helps with guests' price points.  Some people can afford the complete $450 11 pots/pans set.  Most normal people Others aim to spend in different windows, say $50, thus enough for one pot.  (side note: quality pots are expensive, especially when you're used to purchasing them at IKEA).  The sales lady (possibly out to gain more revenue for her fine establishment) made sense.  And so we over-registered.

I wondered how this might play out.  I dreamed up events of stashing away giant boxes until we gained enough return credit to purchase the giant set of whatever.  I saw those boxes spending more time in my home than I do in a workweek.

But my shower changed everything.
And before I go on, I have a little guilt over this game.  I know my family and friends purchased their gifts with intention of us actually using them.  For grilled-cheesus' sake, we registered for those items.  We want them.  And what am I turning around and doing with them? Returning them.  Some appreciative person I am.
However, Mike's in on this too.  I'm totally throwing him under the bus with me.  After all, that's what marriage is all about, right?

No, really. By returning these individual items we are essentially receiving the exact same item, just in giant set form.  It's an even exchange, with bonus items and money saving incentives! It might not be the exact one my friend took the time to pick out, wrapped so lovingly, and presented to me, but you can hold it up to the one in the giant set box and you'd never know the difference.

So why am I outting my secrets?
Because what Mike and I did yesterday was nothing short of a shopping miracle.
And blog worthy.

Here are the details.
Take two separate pots, received independently of each other: one is about $30, the other $40, and you get around $85 with tax.  Take the two pillow case covers that belong to a bedding set now discontinued and now pointless to own (boo. because I wanted that complete bedding set) and get around $65 with tax.  Bam. $150 instant store credit.

The 11 piece pan set (droooolll) runs a hefty $450.  Luckily, the current sale marked it down to $400.  Of course, I had an additional 15% off coupon to bring us down to $340.
Now at $340, take away the $150 store credit from your previous return PLUS the $50 store gift card we also had and we're at $140.  Thankfully, we had an an additional $75 in credit card gift cards.
After sales tax and everything, Mike and I only paid $83 out of pocket for that $450 11 piece set!
(And honestly that wasn't even out of pocket since we recently received a nice check around that price as an engagement present!)

The cherry on top? When you purchase the 11 piece set, you automatically get two bonus items free: a dutch-oven pot set (yes, another pot valued at $250) and a 7 piece mixed utensil cook set (valued at $50).
BOOM.

11 pots and pans, an additional pot with spoon and towel, 

and 7 cooking utensils valued at $750 for $83.

And friends? I love the pots and pans you originally bought me even more now that I they allowed me to do own all of this!! Amazing!


Anyone score any major shopping purchases this weekend?


{All images from Macy's.com}

As Mike Sees It (2)

Hello again everyone! It's been quite a while since I made an appearance here on the blog, but since Vicki's input on the honeymoon planning was restricted to her continuously reminding me all she cared about was "going someplace where someone brings me drinks as I lay on the beach," I did the heavy lifting on the planning so it makes sense that I should be the one who writes about it.

When we first started scheming about where to go on our honeymoon, and scheming is indeed the appropriate verb here, we were thinking someplace exotic. We both love to travel and therefore wanted to take this opportunity to go someplace we'd never been to and wanted to visit. The front runners were Greece, Thailand, and India. We soon realized since none of those places are exactly close, the flights are pretty pricey. But that wasn't going to dissuade us since (if you do this right) you only get one shot at a honeymoon. So it became a matter of figuring out which place made the most sense.

But leave it to a sitcom to throw a wrench in our plans. We were watching the Hawaii episode of Modern Family, which features a scene were Cam and Mitchell debate the merits of exploring and seeing sites on your vacation versus laying by the pool and getting pampered. I was firmly in Mitchell's camp on this one; when you go someplace you need to soak it all up and experience the place, because you can lie around anywhere. But then it hit us both: after the wedding and all the related craziness, lying around is what we're going to need. So in a moment of deep revelation we both decided that instead of spending lots of cash on the flight, we should go somewhere in the Caribbean that would be much cheaper to get to and invest the funds into an all-inclusive resort instead.

I thought it would be easy at that point but lo and behold, the Caribbean is full of all-inclusive resorts (guess we're not the first people to have this idea. Who knew?). So we (and by "we" I mean I) began doing our research into places that fit our budget and gave us what we wanted. After that we narrowed it down to about four different places. Then my anal grad-school-self kicked in and decided the best way to figure this out was to write down all the pluses and minuses of each place and assign them points based on that (I know, I'm a dork. I accept this fact and Vicki does too).

After considering everything the winner and place we booked is Secrets Wild Orchid in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The pluses on my list that led us this location include:

• Direct flights from Baltimore to Montego Bay, followed by a short drive to the resort from the airport
• Wait service at the beach and pool
• A soaking tub on our private balcony
• 8 restaurants and 10 bars on site
• The inclusion of a honeymoon package which gets us spa discounts, a bottle of champagne, and some other gifts
• Tons of activities, sports and otherwise, all included
• 24 hour room service, including stocking the mini bar
• DOLPHINS (<----Vicki's edit)

There are lots of others too, but this post has gone on long enough so I'll stop there. Since we've booked this we both feel much more at ease with everything, as we now know what reward is waiting for us at the end of the end of the tunnel (besides, you know, getting married). The place looks amazing and we both cannot wait to get there and start getting pampered. We have more info about the place (including the option for people to get us massages and other things as a wedding present; hint, hint) on our Wedsite.
Until then, we'll be dreaming of cocktails and sunsets on the beach...

 {source}

*sidenote, Vicki says that lady's butt is bigger than hers.

Proof

We're getting married because we love each other, want to spend our lives together, blah blah blah.

But we're also in it for the presents.

Because honestly, we want desperately need certain things, like a rolling pin:

If you're having a hard time reading the caption on the picture, or identifying what in the world is happening, let me shed some light:
I recently used a can of aerosol hairspray (IN a gallon-sized ziploc bag) in place of a rolling pin to roll out pizza dough.

Oh yes, I totally did that.
And I'm proud of my resourceful skills.
But please, someone, buy us the rolling pin off our registry.
And while you're at it, feel free to provide us with anything for our kitchen.
I wonder how many times one can reuse the cottage cheese containers before the plastic seeps into your food...
Our substitutions are crafty, but might be legally deemed unsafe by the Board of Health.

(PS: a HUGE thanks to my sister and her family for gifting me a mandoline slicer so we can stop borrowing our neighbor's or mutilating veggies with our Ikea knives. woot.)

Registry 201

I figured something out.  It's no big secret, and in fact it's quite obvious:
creating a wedding registry at a second store is much easier than your first go 'round.

After our four hours at Macy's we knew anything after that was smooth sailing.

Target yesterday was a breeze (aside from taking 45 minutes to get to the first Target store due to a Boy Scout parade shutting down all of the National Mall area, thus making getting TO the highway a royal pain.  Then finally arriving at the first Target only to find out their registry system needed repairs.  We practically begged them to call their other stores and find out which ones were working.  Then a torrential downpour out of nowhere caused us to travel at snail-like speed to the next Target store.  Finally, price scanner in hand, we were ready to register a second time).

The experts (I have no idea who they are) recommend creating a wedding registry at up to three stores. This helps guests living in different areas who have access to different stores.  Although, I'm sure the "experts" came up with this idea long before internet aided shopping.

So at Target we merrily walked the store and played the "Oh I want that!" game.  We were much less serious (and less focused?) this time around.  That might be why Mike ended up scanning three home theater systems and me: various travel coffee mugs and two different food processors.  Oh I should mention that Mike intends to research the different systems and delete two.  Still, we even considered board games for the registry. Is that tacky?

What funny things did you register for, or do you joke about adding?

Registry 101

I got school'd yesterday, wedding registry style.

Fun? Yes.
Price scanner gun? Oh, yes.
Overwhelming? You have NO idea. (unless, of course, you've done this recently then you know all too well how many choices and questions pop into your head)

My number one piece of advice: JUST SCAN. Ask questions later.

The following is my attempt in making any future registry processes successful in less than 4 hours.

1.  Do your homework!
-Go to TheKnot and use their registry creator and print out your list(s).
-Go to the online site for the store you plan to register.  Look at their china patterns, flatware, etc. and write down the names of the ones you like.
-Think of things you're pining for and add it to the list(s).

2. Wear comfortable shoes, no sandals.

3.  Remember a water bottle and take breaks, at least one for Auntie Anne's Pretzles.  Send your fiancee to do this.  Diet Coke is your friend.

4.  Ask for help from the associates.  They know more than you.  Hopefully they guide you well.

5.  CHINA:  Everyday-patterns ("casual dinnerware") turn over with the seasons.  If you are registering way ahead of time (over 6 months) then it is best to register for something that will be around for purchase closer to your wedding date, and beyond (because plates break).   Bone china is top of the line.  Porcelain is higher.  Remember that patterns decorated with silver/gold/metal cannot go in the microwave or washing machine.  Denby brand can go in the freezer, oven, microwave and dishwasher - but is likely to chip.  Many of their patterns are around for years, so is easy to replace.  Waterford, Lenox and Mikasa brands vary as to their abilities, and are very trustworthy and beautiful.


6.  FLATWARE:  The same is true of "casual dinnerware" as is of "casual flatware."  The higher quality brands have styles intended for longer shelf-life, meaning 10 or 20 years from now if you need another place-setting, you can most likely still find it at Macy's.  Here's the tricky thing:  you can purchase it by place-setting (one big fork, one little fork, one knife, one big spoon, one little spoon) OR you can purchase it by entire sets (entire 4, 8, or 12 place settings).  Because you want to provide your guests with a variety of gift price-level options you register for both.  Maybe someone is generous and buys every place-setting in a huge 12 p-s kit.  Awesome!  Or maybe some guests prefer to buy you 2 place settings at a time.  If you end up not making 12 settings overall by this one-at-a-time method, you can return the settings and keep the 12 p-s kit.  Or maybe you return the extra towels and get the other p-s you are missing.
Eight or Twelve is the "normal" place-setting size, but honestly depends on how much you want.

7. COOKWARE:  We chose anodized aluminum pots by Calaphon.  I had the privilege of cooking on my sister's Calaphon and loved it, so I knew that brand was for me (plus my Tweeps confirmed).  Anodized metal is created from electrochemically hardened aluminum.  The sealed metal is not likely to leach into your food.  It also conducts heat well, thus heating fast!  Again, purchase the big set as well as the same thing in pieces, as to meet different price points.

8.  Kitchen appliances:  Go crazy, scan everything you want.  There are a few "recommended" pieces: food processor, giant awesome mixer of goodness, hand-held mixer, espresso machine, coffee maker, coffee grinder, microwave

9. Kitchen utensils:  Again, just scan, scan, scan....unless of course you are like me and feel a strawberry huller, avocado slicer, and mango peeler are too specific to justify purchase.

10.  Bar/StemWare: If you're like me you have wine glasses from tastings at 4 different wineries, pint glasses stolen from late nights at bars, and juice glasses with rabbi's on them.  It's okay to register for more.  Just don't forget freecycle.com is your friend (as are your friends) when those ole' pieces are on their way out.  But the rabbi juice glasses are staying.
As for fancy stemware, Waterford and Mikasa make beautiful things.  Remember you need enough sets as you have place settings!

11.  Miscellaneous (Luggage, vacuum, and garment steamer):  sure we need those, scan!

12.  Knives:  I have yet to figure this one out.  We went with a brand we knew and was not the cheapest option.

13.  Bedding:  Many of our sheets are 200 to 300 thread count sets.  It works for us.  But if you're getting married then step it up a notch!  Go for 400, maybe 600!  Also, register for the whole set: bed skirt and all.  Remember, you are trying to hit different price points.  Don't forget an extra set of sheets. (Many patterns turn over with seasons.  Be prepared to update your registry if your choice is taken off the shelves)

14. Towels: touch ALL of them until you find the softest, biggest ones.  Then wrap them around yourself, and scan.  We put on a total of 4 towels, but 2 are the big big big ones and 2 are the normal sized ones.  Don't forget the hand towels, wash cloths, and bathmat!  (and the bathrobes, too)

15.  Wedding Stuff:  If you're having a reception then most likely you will be serving a wedding cake and toasting.  You will need cake cutters and toasting flutes for that.  People like to buy cake cutters, toasting flutes, fancy silver frames, and vases.  So register for them!

When you get home, remember that you can always view, change, and add to your registry from online.  Check to see how it looks online and make any necessary changes.  You can always come back to it another day (or many days).


-------------------------
I am tired.
We plan on registering at 2 other stores, one that includes power tools and another that has furniture.  It is also recommended that you overlap the items you register for at the different stores. 

Later I will show you the purdy flatware and china we chose!

To Market, To Market

We're headed to Macy's today to create our registry!
I! am! so! excited!

Can you think of a time you picked out your gifts that people purchased for you? Aside from wedding, new home, and baby registries I come up with nothing.
How fun will this be?!
Watch me get totally stressed out about fancy glasses or something.
Our house could really use it (as could we) and this is something we do not take for granted.

I know a few things that must go on the list:

 Kitchen Aide Mixer
{source}

 SodaStream*
{source}

*I love my bubbly water.

Cuisinart
{source}









 Mandoline
{source}







And Mike wants this (in brown).  I told him not to hold his breath:


 ANY Recliner
{source}






I hope I/we get to use a price scanner gun!
What were some things you just HAD to HAVE on your registry?