The Perfect Couch

Is there such a thing as the perfect couch??? Because I'm starting to think that I will never find one. Jared and I have been all over the Twin Cities looking for a couch that I love, and we haven't found one yet. And yes, I say a couch that I love because Jared knows the decision will ultimately be mine. Of course, I do care if he thinks it is comfortable...so I'm not being totally selfish.

So here is what I am looking for:

Must be...

• Comfortable
• Raised off the ground because of our heating vents
• Less than 100 inches in width
• Affordable, but not poorly made
• From somewhere other than IKEA
  

I would prefer...

• If it were a right facing sectional
• That it be a sleeper sofa since we have a small house and may not always be able to have a guest room

Couch #1
From: Schneirdman's
Price: $1,175

• Pros: Right facing sectional, raised off the ground, not microfiber, sleek & modern style, appropriate width, color, price, appeared fairly well made, able to see it in person & try it out
  

• Cons: I would like the right facing side to be a little longer; not a sleeper sofa; comfort was okay, but not fantastic- though it had potential to get better with time

Couch #2
From: Pottery Barn
Price: $1,999-$2,999

• Pros: I love the curved corner wedge which will allow us to maximize seating; lots of fabric choices. The style is exactly what I am looking for.
  
• Cons: I haven't seen it in person, or been able to try it out; I would probably want a high quality fabric which would make it slightly more than I want to spend; shipping costs

I'm not in a rush to purchase something right now because my sister and her friend are still living with me, but with that said, I would buy a couch tomorrow if it was exactly what I was looking for or being sold for the right price. My goal is to have a new living room furniture by June...so the search is on.

I have ANOTHER new job!

Wait...didn't I just tell you I got a new job???? Yes, I did, but this one is different.

I swear, I am not typically one of those people that changes jobs every-other month...even though this will technically be the fifth position I have had in the past 15 months.

My recent employment recap...

• For six weeks before I moved to WV I worked as a direct care coordinator in a home for individuals with disabilities (they knew there was a possibility I would not stay with them for long)
  
• For 10 months I worked as a RN at a big hospital in WV working on a Medical/Surgical/Trauma ICU, this was my first nursing job.
  
• I have currently been working as a RN at "The Mad House," in Minnesota, on a progressive care unit since September
  
• In December I accepted a second position working on a casual basis at a health campus that focuses on holistic care, and integrative health. I just started orientation last week.
  
• My NEW job...will still be at "The Mad House," but I will be working in a ICU.

So maybe it's not really a new job because I am just transferring to a different department...IDK. But what I do know is my current manager isn't very happy about this change, and told me she is not sure when she will be able to allow the move to happen. So who knows when the change will actually occur, but I am hoping for the end of February/early March.

What I do know is that I have not very happy with where I am at. I haven't written about my job much lately because all I would be doing is venting and I've been trying really hard not to be so negative about the situation. For a while I was thinking I just needed some time to adjust, but I've recently come to realize that I'm not the only one who is unhappy with where I am at. There are a number of people I work with that are very frustrated and actively looking for a new job, at a different organization. But rather than leaving completely (because my benefits are great), I want to try working in a different department.

I know I've written about this before, but I am such a HUGE believer in doing what makes you happy, and changing your situation when you're not. So that's what I am doing. We all spend too much time working, and thinking about work to not be happy with what we are doing...so I'm finding my happiness, and I'm confident I will find it. This past week I began orientation to my second job, and I have felt more valued and appreciated in three days than I have in the past year at either one of the other organizations I have worked at as a RN. So I am very hopeful.

With my transfer at The Mad House, I will be cutting back on hours which will allow me to work more hours at my second job, which is great because I think my personal values match up better with organization #2. So who knows...maybe the transfer will be great, but if not, there is always the possibility that my casual job could turn into something more full-time which would allow me to ditch The Mad House all together.

Dan & Laura, Getting Married!

I've been harboring a secret...almost two months ago my brother asked me to go ring shopping with him! I was beyond honored and thrilled that he asked me, and I had so much fun but it was nearly killing me to keep my mouth shut.

Well, now I don't have to because he is engaged!



Last night my brother's fiancée came over and tried on my wedding dress...


It fit her like a glove!!!! I'm not sure if she is actually going to wear it or not, but it is an option...she is looking to save money where she can, so I offered and told her I would not be offended if she decided to wear something else.

Though, I'm not going to lie, I will probably be a little disappointed if she doesn't wear it. I always thought it was such a shame I was only able to wear it once. Plus, it made me very happy to see it on someone else :)

So, that was a lot of fun...I am however a little perturbed with small town North Dakota cleaner that preserved my dress three+ years ago because the modesty panel for the corset is missing. They may or may not be getting a call about that...I haven't really decided if it's worth my time to lodge a complaint.

2011: Financial Goals

Whoops! I didn't realize I hadn't blogged in 9 days! My excuse: Jared was in town.

Over Christmas, Jared and I decided that we needed to SERIOUSLY talk about a budget. We have said so many times that we are going to do this, and then we never do.

Jared and I are doing just fine financially...but with that said, we haven't been very smart with our money. We haven't been saving/making smart investments/paying of student loan debt like we should be. We don't spend more than we have, but we also don't really pay attention to where our money is going.

So last week we sat down and talked. Here are the steps we went through...

• Talked about our income- which varies because I am paid hourly
  
• Made a list of all of our bills- anything that we get a statement for
  
• Discussed our "additional" expenses, i.e. gas, food, personal items, going out with friends
  
• Conversed about tithing
• Set goals in specific dollar amounts for: Savings, groceries/food, and gas
• We decided all the money I get from my second job will go straight to savings
• Determined the order in which we would pay down our student loan debt
  

We have known for a long time that we spend a lot of money on food. Going out to eat is something Jared I enjoy, and it is what we do often...and something we have been doing even more in the past year because our living arrangement has been so odd.

I also think I tend to spend more money than I need to on groceries because I don't plan well enough, and use the food I already have sitting in my cupboards. So our some of my food goals:

1. Eat out only 1-2 times per paycheck- which includes fast food & food from the cafeteria at work (I am hoping to completely eliminate fast food...expect for maybe Chipotle, and Noodles & Company)
2. Use what we have, and wait to shop until we absolutely need to
3. Plan meals around what we have left in our cupboards
4. Buy only 1-2 weeks worth of food to avoid waste

Tomorrow I am going to take money out from the bank and put it in an envelope, and do my best to stick to my budget!!!


I probably have enough food to last me a couple of day still...

You're only seeing one shelf because I share my kitchen with my sister and one other girl...this one is mine.

...but by mid-weekend I will be out, and I have to work so my plan is to go shopping today because I know if I don't I will end up eating out and continue to grab whatever is most convenient well into next week because next week in addition to working at "The Mad House" I begin training for my second job.

One the menu for next week:

• Sandwiches to use up all the bread Jared bought, and
• Something with beans...because I have a lot of dried beans.
  

2011: Year of the House

I have a few New Year resolutions in the works, but one thing I know for sure is that this year I want to focus on making my house a home.

Jared and I bought our house in July 2009, and less than four months later I moved to West Virginia. So needless to say, we haven't accomplished much in regards to fixing up, and settling into our house.

There are a lot of things we would like to do to our house from big projects such as redoing our bathroom, to smaller things like painting and hanging pictures. Right now, I feel like our house lacks functionality, and comfort. So, over the next 362 days, I hope to bring a little personality to our humble abode.

Clearly, fixing up a house costs a lot of money...so I'm going to start with the small stuff. Undertaking a bathroom remodel just isn't in our budget this year, but we're going to start saving for one! In the meantime, here is a list a few thing we would like to accomplish...

• Finish painting & replacing the baseboards
• Buy new linen and accessorize the bedroom
• Buy a couch
  
• Start hanging stuff because so far we have NOTHING on our walls!
• De-junk. (Ideally we would get rid of 1/3 of our belongings)
• Organize our basement/seasonal items
• Put gutters on the house
• Set up a guest bedroom

...and guess what?! We've already started working on the dining room.

Before

Picking the color...

We went with the middle color, which is: Dutch Boy Artisan Pottery OR48. However, we had it color matched into Behr paint and primer.

After Painting

I personally don't think the color looks as pink in person as it appears in the pictures. To me, it looks a little more orangie-red/sandstone...so basically, what we need to do now is paint the vents, the closet door (you can't see), and put up baseboard before it is ready to furnish!

As for furniture...we're not going to do much because it isn't a very large space. We'll put a China cabinet that I am inheriting from my Grandpa, and a table in the room.