That look

Since Josh and I have been married I have found it incredibly difficult to be upset or frustrated with him. Now this does not mean that I have not been upset or frustrated, it simply means that he is cursed with this adorable face that I cannot help but smile at!

Do you know how frustrating it is to be having a disagreement about something and trying desperately to explain your side, only to have your seriousness diminish because of a smile??

I don’t know what it is, that man has this face that just puts a smile on mine. It’s an awesome quality to have, but when I want to prove a point, it just increases the difficulty.

For instance, last night I was being kind of moody and feeling neglected because our schedules have been off for the last few days. Josh wasn’t understanding why I was feeling that way, so we both got annoyed pretty quick. In an attempt to not have to look at him and lose my position in this disagreement I left the room. Now, I did not take the simple and most obvious way out, I walked out of the family room, into the kitchen, around the closet and into our room. By doing this I was able to avoid all eye contact.

Isn’t that silly?

I know there are people out there who have years of marriage experience on us who think this post is ridiculous and would probably say, “Give it a few years, it won’t be cute forever.” But I think it’s a cool part of our relationship. Something as simple as me looking at him is able to knock down the walls of frustration and anger. He makes me smile, and at the end of the day I would rather be smiling that proving myself to be correct in an argument.

I hope this quality never fades.

Honesty

Honesty is the best policy. In my last post I talked about how hiding behind technology can be detrimental to your relationship. Well, now I would like to talk about not hiding behind your own thoughts and communicating.

As people, we tend to form ideas and opinions as to why people are acting the way they are. Chances are the reasons you come up with are far from accurate.

I struggle with this in a big way. For some reason when I am feeling “blown off,” I assume that it’s because the person doesn’t want to spend time with me and doesn’t value our relationship. I have also developed over the years the inability to just sit back and not address things head on.

I make a point now of going directly to the person to say exactly what is on my mind. Like my best friend, I REALLY miss her and have tons of things that I want to catch her up on. So I said exactly that! Turns out she’s not blowing me off, she is just struggling to balance two jobs and the rest of the stuff in her life. Hearing that of course made me feel WAY better.

So take my advice, don’t fall victim to your own ideas of why people are behaving the way they are. Just open up to them, you’ll be happy you did.

Pick up the phone!

Something has been weighing on my mind recently and I feel the need to discuss it. Technology is destroying relationships. Ok, maybe that is a harsh statement, but technology is at the very least making relationships harder.

I am so thankful that Josh and I got together at the beginning of the texting/Facebook boom because all of that was still too new to completely interfere. Were there times it did, of course, but it was still natural for us to just pick up the phone instead of message. Still, if I were to look back, I could probably peg 80% of our disagreements or fights being caused or fueled by technology.

Technology makes it easier to say things that would be difficult in person, and feelings are not easily conveyed over a message. So if you are feeling sad, mad, frustrated or whatever, those feelings are going to be how you interpret the messages you receive. Even if those feelings were not included by the sender. So by you trying to interpret things on your own you are influencing yourself into thinking the other person meant something they probably didn’t. So now the sender has to defend themselves, but you’re already mad so here comes an issue in your relationship.

PICK UP THE PHONE! Let the other person hear your voice and the emotional inflections you intend to share. Don’t rely on a stupid text to convey that.

The other statement I made about technology making things easier to say than they would be in person is another issue. Sure, you can open up over texts and tell the other person things about yourself and get to a deep level, but evaluate that. Are the things you are willing to say in a message things that you can have an open conversation about? Are you truly comfortable with this person, or are you fooling yourself into thinking you are?

I see it a lot in the relationships around me. A couple barely talks when they are together, but supposedly they are super close. Being close requires vulnerability face to face. Sharing with another person your wants, dreams, fears verbally and inviting them to better understand you. Anyone can spew information in a message and then look back later and deny the context or pretend they weren’t serious. If you connect with someone on a person to person level, you cannot deny that connection, it’s not something you can hide from. That is what truly makes you connect with someone, being equally vulnerable.

So get out from behind that screen, dial the number, and talk. It’s such a fundamental skill, and we take it for granted. If you truly value the relationship you are in, I believe you will make the effort to talk. Even if it’s uncomfortable at first, try it. You’ll see that your communication will improve and you will truly be able to connect.

College

College is a scam. There I said it.

Yes I attended college and received my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a Marketing Concentration. But was the education I received truly worth being $30,000 in debt? No sir.

I have not used my degree since the day I received it. That is CRAZY. If I had known when I graduated high school what I know now, I would not have attended college. I would have gotten a job and worked my way up the ladder, using my connections to open doors and learning while on the job. (Yes, I work in direct sales, and I thoroughly believe even without college I would have ended up in this industry). So I believe my degree was a waste of money.

Now look at my husband. He attended community college where he received his Associates, followed by a 4 year university for his Bachelors, and is now attending Law School. His debt has been racking up quite nicely, but for him it is in an area that requires the degree he is working for. You can’t just walk into court and say you are a lawyer, you need the proper training.

So maybe I should amend my original thought. College is a scam unless you are attending because the field you want to work in is highly specialized. A.K.A. doctors, lawyers, psychiatrists, nurses, etc.

My advice to those of you looking at attending college, know for sure where you want to end up and if you can achieve that goal without putting yourself into insane debt, go that route.  I get so sad hearing about people who pay tons in tuition just to not find a job in their field upon graduating.

Fostering Conversation

Last night was our weekly Bible Study. It is amazing to me how much a simple series can foster conversation. The study Josh and I are doing right now is Growing a Strong Marriage and last night the topic was getting to “oneness” within the marriage.

The series follows several couples at various stages in their marriage and we kind of get an inside peek at conversations they have with one another. It’s definitely different, but I find that I am gaining so much by hearing their conversations. There isn’t a solid point each couple is trying to make, it’s more about them recognizing traits in their own marriage.

The session last night was probably 10 minutes worth of video but it got Josh and me really talking. We discussed our vision for our life together, the areas that are at risk of us “drifting” through, and it was incredible.

Sitting next to my husband, seeing his facial expressions, and hearing his thoughts made my night and made me fall more in love.

Our simple decision to do a weekly Bible Study is doing awesome things for our marriage. It is opening our lines of communication, fostering discussions on things we may not have originally thought to discuss, and it’s kind of built in one on one time.

One major realization we made last night was that life is getting in the way. Our busy schedules are hindering our original desire to have weekly date nights, and even attend church. It was kind of punch in the gut to realize that we are making decisions that are not allowing us to meet some of our relationship goals. But I am so thankful for this series we are doing because it helped us to acknowledge this oversight early in our marriage. So we will be able to move forward and adjust our habits to meet these goals.

Maybe a Bible Study in the style Josh and I have chosen isn’t for you, maybe you need an actual group with other individuals or couples. No matter what, work to find a place to inspire conversations within your marriage or thoughts on your individual life. Don’t just let life happen to you.

Brain Health

While I was in Dallas for Nerium I learned some incredible things about the human brain. A well-known psychologist, Dr. Amen spoke and shared with us some fascinating findings.

In his years of study he has found that the damage done to the brain can not only be stopped, but it can also be reversed. YOU CAN HEAL YOUR BRAIN! That is excellent news for all of us who have done damage to our brains. If you have ever had a concussion, head trauma, drank alcohol, used recreational drugs, your brain is not in prime condition. Negative habits tear apart your brain, but the amazing thing is the damage done can be healed. An unhealthy brain can be made healthy again!

Here are some facts I picked up from Dr. Amen’s talk!

-          If you are overweight, your brain size will decrease

-          Diet impacts the health of your brain

-          Alzheimer’s begins 20-30 years PRIOR to symptoms appearing

If you are at all interested in getting better details on this, please watch:

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTtKpBGjxd8

Now for a shameless plug… Nerium EHT is actually proven to help your brain! If you want to get an edge and protect the only brain you will ever have and repair it, please try our EHT. For more info on EHT: http://www.nerium.com/shop/averi/eht  submit your information and you will be brought even more information and the link to purchase.

Please at the very least review the information. It may make an incredible impact on your life. When I returned home from Dallas, I reviewed this information with my husband and we are both “Brain Warriors” now. We are committed to doing better to make healthy brain choices. 

City Slickers or Country Bumpkins

Josh and I are from the country, but now we are living in the heart of downtown Madison. We literally are 2 blocks from the Capitol Building. Living here is definitely a culture shock.

There is always something going on here and being bored is never an option. From the bars and restaurants, to the boutiques and theaters, there is something for everyone. That is a huge change for us.  We are from a small country town that offered next to nothing unless you wanted a pizza or McDonalds. And for entertainment, you would have to drive 30+ minutes away. Living near all of these different options is wonderful, and at times overwhelming. Being in a city as a newly married couple makes for a lot of fun.

However, the one thing I cannot get used to about living here is the NOISE. No matter the time of day there is always some level of noise and I do believe that it will drive me crazy if I don’t get used to it soon. Last night alone I was awoken by a cop’s siren, screeching brakes, honking cars, and then construction bright and early this morning. NOT O.K. for someone who is used to hearing silence a good portion of the time. There would even be times back where I grew up that I would turn the TV on because it was too quiet. That is not the case here.

Living here has opened up opportunities for us, and we are getting to experience living in a place with hustle and bustle. Whether or not we will choose to live in a city after Josh graduates has already been decided. We will not. (Unless of course a high paying job rolls around and we can’t say no). The city is great for this stage of our lives, but we really like the country more.

Sports Cars or Hand-Me-Downs

When I was in Junior High I attended an all-girls conference with some of my friends from church. It was definitely a pinnacle event in my life because I learned so much that weekend. One thing I will never forget is the man who spoke about valuing yourself. He explained in hilarious and wonderful detail that it is crucial for a girl to know her worth, especially when it comes to navigating the dating scene.

If you don’t value yourself, how are you supposed to expect someone you are dating to value you?

There are dozens of metaphors to help explain this idea, and over the years I have heard plenty. One of my favorites is about cars.

Used cars don’t get much respect from their owners. They don’t take it to the car wash, change the oil, clean the interior, etc. Chances are the used car was purchased for them or a hand-me-down from a family member. The owner has minimal, if any, respect for the used car and assumes that they will be getting a new one sooner or later.

On the other hand you have the prized sports car. You know; the kind under spotlights in showrooms, perfectly waxed, pristine interior, incredibly expensive. This car has to be worked for. The person who is going to take this car home had to plan for it, save for it, and when it gets driven off the lot it will be treated with the utmost respect.

So when it comes to you, which car would you want to be? Obviously the sports car. You deserve to be respected and treated as the special individual you are. If you walk around knowing your value men will either rise to the occasion to impress you or they won’t. Any man worth your time will respect your value.

(Guys listen up. This idea goes both ways. You have the right to value yourself and be treated with respect)

Day Dreaming or Dream Builing?

Do you ever daydream? I do quite often. For example, this morning I looked out our window and saw a man enjoying his coffee on the balcony. This made me wish we were in Europe at a small coffee shop taking in the sights. Weird huh?

Dreaming is a big deal. Little kids are master dreamers. They dream of being an astronaut, movie stars, or maybe even both at the same time. They imagine themselves in mansions, driving fancy cars, and owning all kinds of toys. Unfortunately as we get older, our dreams fade. You don’t often hear a big wig CEO dreaming of anything except maybe doubling production.

I am a big time dreamer, and not just of goofy things that will never happen, but tangible things. I want to tour Europe, see the best each state has to offer, build a home, and be debt free. Josh on the other hand is, “realistic.” He has a harder time seeing things in the future and doesn’t spend much time thinking about what could happen. He is very much in the here and now.

Lucky for him, I dream enough for the both of us and have learned how to get his brain thinking about his own dreams. On Monday we were both winding down before bed and I just started asking him questions. “If money were no object, where would we go on vacation next year?” “If money were no object, what car would you drive?” These questions sparked a conversation that got us both talking about things we want to do in the future.

Now that we have opened the doors of communication about our dreams, we can dig deeper. I am so excited because tomorrow we are actually going to spend time “working on our dreams.” I bought a large bulletin board and we are going to take pictures of the things we want to do and tack them up. As items get completed we will remove them and add more.

I did this exercise myself several years ago and included things like: visiting Cancun, swimming in the Caribbean, getting engaged, getting married, getting promoted at work, etc. It was so fun to go through the board and realize I accomplished over 80% of the dreams I had on it!

I highly recommend getting out of your comfort zone and dreaming again. You never know where you will end up!

How do you know?

How did I know Josh was the one? How did I know that taking that scary step from best friends to boyfriend and girlfriend would be worth it?

It was simple believe it or not. Once I got over my hang-ups about dating friends, I opened my eyes to Josh in a new way. Everything that I had been praying to find in a man was right in front of me. There were 2 standout instances the summer before we got together that really solidified in my head that I wasn’t crazy.

The first instance was at a HUGE rock concert. In our area there used to be this rock fest called Wing Ding. There you could pay $30 for your ticket and see 9+ bands, including the well-known ones. Josh and I went with another friend after we graduated high school because we really wanted to see Shinedown. Now, I had never been to a concert like this before, boobs were being flashed, people were smoking pot, and of course moshing. At the beginning of the day, these things were fascinating, but by the time Shinedown was getting ready to play I was getting freaked out. The people were getting more aggressive and it was scary. I remember shooting Josh a look and he just took my hand and led me out of the crowds. By him putting my safety and comfort first, that really spoke volumes.

The next instance was at my house. I invited Josh and one of my girlfriends over to hang out. Of course my friend and I were gabbing non-stop leaving no room for Josh to add anything. Without saying a word, Josh got up and started playing football in the yard with my little brother. Seeing him with my brother showed me that he could be a part of my family.

These simple things confirmed that Josh had the characteristics I needed in a man. He got along with my family, protected me, and once I realized these things I saw so much more.

So on August 20, 2009 when he asked me to be his girlfriend I said yes. Not to a dating relationship, but to spending the rest of my life with him because I knew I could not be without him.

Welcome home

What a whirlwind weekend! Thursday morning I left bright and early for Dallas and finally returned home yesterday. I was there for my companies biggest convention to date, 20,000+ people were in attendance! While there I got to learn so much- from brain function to business techniques! It was an amazing and life changing weekend.

Of course, when you come home from a trip like that things don’t tend to be very smooth. My arrival was no exception and it was a trying afternoon for Josh and me.

First off, Madison decided to host the Iron Man and close several city streets. One of which is the street I live on. So I pulled up next to a cop, showed him where I live and asked how I am supposed to get there. His exact words were, “Well you are in trouble aren’t you.” He then proceeded to walk away. Frustration is not even close to describing how I felt. Due to his inability to help, I spent 30 minutes driving around trying to figure out how to get home. Finally I got fed up and drove down an alley that was labeled “For Emergency Vehicles Only” in order to get home.

Then I got upstairs to our apartment and while I am trying to calm down from being super upset about my driving ordeal, my husband says he has bad news. I asked him to give me another minute to recover from my drive and then he filled me in. While he was prepping lunch he opened the freezer door and one of our wedding champagne glasses fell and shattered. I could see he felt bad so I just shrugged and said it was fine. He did clean most of the glass but there were still fragments everywhere, so after we ate we tackled the floor together.

In order to do that effectively we moved our bar car off the kitchen floor so we could get any shards that went underneath. Unfortunately when we went to put it back, one of the wheels broke. So we then had to take everything out of it, pop off the other 3 wheels and restock it.

Our afternoon was a mess. I was still so tired from my trip and with every random thing we had to deal with it was pretty amazing we were both in good moods.

Even though my trip was awesome, I wouldn’t trade that for being home taking care of mishaps with Josh.

Sorry for the lack of posts!

This week has been crazy! I'm am currently in Dallas Texaa at a work conference! You can expect regular posting to resume Monday!!!

Laundry Day

I enjoy doing laundry. I couldn’t tell you exactly why, but for some reason the chore isn’t something I dread. Maybe it’s that at the end of the process your dresser is full and the basket is empty, or maybe the monotonous act of folding clears my head. Either way, I like doing laundry.

However, now that my husband and I live on the 11^th floor laundry is a full on production. I imagine my neighbors got a kick out of me trying to make it down the hall to the elevator with two overflowing baskets this morning. It was a hot mess. I dropped the detergent and busted the cap, not awesome.

Laundry is almost a workout in and of itself lately. Carrying the heavy baskets, stuffing the machines, going up and down switching it from the washer to the dryer, I am sweating my butt off! It doesn’t help that the air-conditioning is only on the ground floor and in individual apartments, but still it has never been this exhausting.

My husband and I do laundry once a week. And when I say we do laundry, I mean that I do the laundry and if he is around he will carry a basket down for me. It’s crazy to see how much laundry the two of us can accumulate in a 7 day period. When I lived at home I helped out and did any laundry that was in the laundry room whenever I needed to wash my own stuff and it never seemed like as much as it does now. Maybe it’s because all the laundry was in one room and I didn’t have to go back and forth.

Anyways, despite the extra work, I still enjoy laundry day. I think deep down I have always been meant to be a home-maker. Having clean clothes for my husband, and fresh sheets on the bed is an excellent way to end the day.

Another 2 post day...

Today has become another one of my "2 posts" days. If you haven't noticed the last few days have been kind of "fluffed" and didn't really seem to have a solid point (although I think they were still interesting).

To be honest, I have been feeling really depressed and racking my brain trying to figure out why. I am traveling next week and always get some level of anxiety, but that doesn't seem to be it. Josh and I are still adjusting to our new location, but that isn't it either. Of course I miss my family and friends who are back home, but that again is not what has me feeling so blue.

Today I got to the point where I was ready to just let myself wallow in my sadness since I could not figure out exactly what the cause is. Then I spent some time scrolling through Facebook and realized that I have every right to be sad! There is so much to be sad about happening right now, not only in the lives of people I know, but in our world as a whole.

Police officers are losing their lives through pointless violence, races are at odds for reasons I don't think anyone truly has a firm grasp on, kids are being sold into sex trafficking and the list goes on. In the lives of people I know there is loss of loved ones, fear of the future, and horrible diseases.

So of course I am sad! My heart bleeds over these horrible circumstances and I am overcome with sadness. However, while I am numbed by my sadness and inability to fix the way I feel, I get to rest assured and confident that God is in control. Even in the times I don't understand, much like right now, I know that He has a plan for everything.

So even though in this moment I am unable to shake this feeling, I know that ultimately everything is going to be OK.

Let's Workout!

Working out is one of my favorite daily things to do. For me it is a stress relief and enables my head to clear. Sweating out the toxins in my body and freeing my mind of stresses is something that makes me feel better and enables me to tackle my day.

When I lived in the country I would run outside in my neighborhood and follow it up with some weight training in the basement. (My parents have a fairly decent spread of exercise equipment). Now that I live in the city, the work outs have changed.

Our building has a “fitness center” that consists of various cardio equipment and they say the weights are on the way. I’m not crazy about stationary cardio machines so I haven’t been in there yet. I also haven’t gotten up the nerve to try running in the city, plus it’s been really hot. So my workouts have evolved, and in some ways improved.

Since I am not comfortable in my new surroundings yet, I have taken to the internet to find videos that can train me from the comfort of our home.

My favorite by far are the YouTube videos by XHIT. The personal trainers in the videos are lively and make the movements easy to understand. Topics in their videos range from high intensity full body workouts to specialized videos to target specific body parts.

The topics are so vast that I am able to try a new video every day, and even couple videos together to tailor a workout to my needs. I have found that the definition in different parts of my body is improving and so is my overall strength.

Josh works out too. He and I like to do different things so we have decided to work out on our own time. There is a football player he likes that has a workout app and Josh uses that every day. I’ve tried that before too, but did not care for the repeated phrases and some of the moves were not my favorite. To each his own though! I am thrilled Josh has found a workout he likes. (I used to make him run with me - that was no good).

Working out is an important part of my life and I don’t think it is ever too late to start. 

DIY

I am addicted to Pinterest. No matter what, I always stumble across something that awesome! From at home décor ideas to DIY projects, my list of things that I want to accomplish is insane!

I don’t know if anyone else does this, but I have started to go through my Pinterest Boards and clean house. I scroll through the things that were pinned and decide if it is actually something that I will make the time to do.

Yesterday was one of those days that I felt like trying something on my boards. One project involves fixing scratches on wood furniture. Since our move we have banged up several of our wood furniture pieces. The recipe for the fix is ¼ vinegar and ¾ olive oil. You simply mix the two ingredients and dip a rag in and wipe the surface. It works miraculously! You cannot even see the scratches and marks that were prominent before.

One of the projects I want to do next is for pillows. When we got our couch delivered it came with 4 hideous pillows that NEED to be revamped. I will be taking old love letters from back in our “dating days” and print them on fabric transfer paper. Then I will iron them onto plain pillow covers to put on the ugly pillows.

I love doing things to enhance and decorate our apartment. It was so cute last night, Josh asked what I was going to do today, so I told him Hobby Lobby was having a sale on pillow covers so I wanted to take advantage of it. He started to have an opinion on the color and style, but he stopped and said that he trusted my judgement and didn’t really care. It’s so nice to be given creative freedom!

Check out the pillows before and after’s up to this point (before is the nasty brown pattern and after the awesome blue that compliments our coffee table):

UPDATE! I finished the pillows!

My work =)

You may be wondering at this point if you have been following my posts what exactly it is I do for a living. Well, I am an Independent Rep for Nerium International. We market anti-aging for your skin and brain! Your next question might be, how is someone that is only 24 marketing anti-aging? I will share that with you:

My Nerium story began when I was in my last semester of college at 21. My mom came home completely stoked about joining this “anti-aging company.” She was bursting at the seams and told me that I should join and do it with her. Now I am no stranger to the MLM industry, my parents were a part of a nutrition company my whole life that enabled them to be at home parents, but I could not wrap my head around an anti-aging company. I thought it would be ridiculous if a 21 year old without wrinkles tried to sell anti-aging to anyone. Who would take me seriously? I couldn’t see the vision so I told my mom no.

She did the next best thing and asked me to support her at an event. I jokingly say that since I am a good kid I showed up for her.

I imagined this event would be like other companies: one person would be doing facials, there would be a lengthy presentation, and then the awkwardness that followed when the host tried to get the sale. When I walked in, it was nothing like that. There was food, drinks, laughing and before long we were watching a DVD showing what exactly this anti-aging company was all about.

The perks seemed too good to be true. A free iPad? A Lexus? A HUGE bonus? It sounded amazing and after the video ended I got to talking with the “expert.” Danny Gasemy told me his story and shared with me that there were guys and girls my age doing Nerium and achieving all of those amazing perks. I’m competitive so when I heard that guys were doing this I decided I definitely could.

That night I went home and made a decision that would scare most. I had $800 in my savings account and every penny of that was owed to my school. They were threatening to not give me a diploma unless they got that money. I decided that I would regret it more if I didn’t take a chance on Nerium, so I spent the $500 to join.

Now you may think that I would have jumped out the gate, excited and ready to tear it up. I had goals, I knew the vision, and my support was incredible. However, I will be honest and say I abused the “be your own boss” idea. In college I worked 2 jobs, took 18 credit hours per semester, and played tennis for my school team. So when I graduated and joined Nerium, I was burnt out and coasted.

I would show up to events when I wanted to, I may share the opportunity with a friend, but it was really about if I felt like it or not. That lifestyle isn’t very forgiving and when the student loans started kicking in, I was kicking myself.

Finally I wrapped my head around Nerium, and knew that I needed to make this work. My business had sort of taken off without me so I had to play some major catch-up. I skipped Senior Brand and hit Director. From there it was a battle to balance out and achieve the FREE Lexus, but the hard work payed off and I ended up skipping Senior Director and hitting Executive!

As amazing as the titles and money are, nothing compares to what Nerium has blessed my life with. My husband and I got married in June and our wedding was more than double our original budget! Because of Nerium we were able to pay the whole thing off, (and go on a cruise to the Bahamas 2 weeks before our big day!)! On top of that the flexibility is amazing. I had to move from Illinois to Northern Wisconsin to be with my husband for his job. Nerium allowed me to bring my business with me.

I do not have any regrets in my journey and look forward to what the future with Nerium holds for my husband and me.

If you want more information on Nerium (business or products) please check out:

www.averi.arealbreakthrough.com  and email averi.nerium@gmail.com

Happy New Couch Day!

Would it be weird if I made a cake, and frosted it to say, “Happy New Couch Day!”?

Let me explain. My husband and I had a futon his mom bought him when he started college in our first apartment. That piece of furniture was not exactly pristine. It had started to give way in different pockets leaving the sitter in a hole.

We didn’t want to move the futon to our new place just to get rid of it, and we had spent all summer saving for a new couch. So two weeks before our move we found a buyer on OfferUp who picked up our futon for $10! While we were thrilled to have it sold, it left us sitting on the floor until we moved.

Determined to find a new couch, on our first day in the new apartment we set out to make the purchase. We went to so many different stores. (OK it was 3, but after you sit on a ton of couches, it feels like more). The first store was WAY out of our price range, despite the salesman telling us he was “giving a great deal.” The second store was awful! There was not even a single couch that we thought would be a contender, it felt like sitting on cardboard every time.

Josh and I have very explanatory faces. So after about 3 couches, we would wait and watch each other. Depending on the face, we would either keep moving or join the other person. It got quite comical, especially in that second store. I’m sure the sales associates there were not thrilled.

Anyways, we had been out for a long time and I was beginning to think we wouldn’t find a couch that day. I was sick of sitting on the floor! Thankfully, store number 3 was a winner!

I think we sat on 3 couches there and when we found the one, it was in our price range! I was so excited all I could think about was getting it in the car…

Yes, I forgot that couches are not generally grab and go. The sales associate told us it could take anywhere from 2 – 4 weeks!! I was desperate. That was too long! So I started pleading with her. Asking if there was someplace else we could drive to pick it up, a larger fee we could pay to get it sooner, anything! I was sick of floor sitting! She must have thought I was funny because she laughed and said she would see what she could do but not to expect it before 2 weeks.

Well ladies and gentlemen, we got the call! Our couch is being delivered TOMORROW!!! That is only one and a half weeks after our purchase date! I was so excited and cannot wait to get it!

So yes, I may be making a “Happy New Couch Day” cake. Sitting on the floor for a month will do that to you. Hahaha!