Day One in New York City!

We started off our first full day in New York City (a Friday) by purchasing a 48-hour Gray Line double-decker bus tour. And boy did we get our money's worth out of that! Over the next few days we did the Downtown Tour, Uptown Tour, Night Tour, and the boat tour around the Statue of Liberty that also came with it. It was so great! So NYC Traveler's Tip #7 is. . . do the double-decker bus tour! It's completely worth the money, and you can hop on and off as much as you want.

In the warm months I know they don't cover the top level, but of course in the freezing weather they had a top over everything. The first bus we went on was completely inclosed, and as the tour went on I kept getting warmer and warmer and shedding more layers of clothes. Eventually I started feeling sick, because it was just too warm and there was no breeze, so we had to get off that bus and catch the next one. Luckily, every other bus we went on was always open in the very back, so we just sat near the back by the delicious cold air and I was fine the rest of the time!

Central Park was all brown and a little snowy. I'd love to see it all green and gorgeous sometime! But because it looked like this, we really didn't venture too far into it on this trip. When I go in the spring or summer, I want to take a carriage ride in Central Park. Those look awesome!

We got off the bus again near the World Trade Center site, but we were kind of disappointed to see that there wasn't much to see. Just a big fence around the construction site.

They did have this memorial up on a wall, and a bunch of signs about all the stuff they'll be building in the future. But, at least for now, there just isn't much to see there.

We also got off at Rockefeller Center! The ice skating rink there was smaller than I had imagined. I wish I could have seen it all lit up for Christmas.

NYC Traveler's Tip #8: Go to the observation deck at the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center! When I was choosing between doing this or the Empire State Building (they cost the same. . . $20 a person), I read lots of reviews online that said the Top of the Rock was much better, less crowded, a cooler view, and a nicer observation deck with glass walls instead of chain-link fence. So we decided to do this, and it was really awesome! Right inside the building was this really cool crystal chandelier.
NYC Traveler's Tip #9: When you do go up to the top, go right around sunset time. We got such gorgeous views and pictures of the sun setting over the city, and then we waited inside for it to get a little darker so we could get some nighttime views as well. It was the perfect time to go to the top!

I loved how you could see such a great view of the Empire State Building from the Top of the Rock. Those are a couple other advantages for going up Top of the Rock. . . you get to see great views of the Empire State Building and also Central Park.

There were three different viewing levels, and the very top one didn't even have sheets of glass around it, it was just open! I'm glad our pictures don't have chain link fences between us and the city.

We saw all the city lights starting to come on, and it was SO cool!!!

When we got out of Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral was directly in front of us. I thought this picture was really neat.

NYC Traveler's Tip #10: Every Friday from 4-8 pm, the Museum of Modern Art is completely free for everyone. That is such an awesome deal, especially since this museum normally charges $20 admission per person! So we spent Friday evening at the museum and saw some really cool works of art! We didn't go to every exhibit, but my very favorite was the huge wing they have of 19'th Century and Impressionist art. I loved it!!!

I don't know who this artist is, but I thought this was a beautiful painting.

Gotta love Van Gogh! It's especially amazing to see his works in person, because you can see the thickness of the paint and all the details of the technique he used.

Cezanne. . .

Picasso. . .

Not sure who this is, but it was cool. . .

This painting by Monet was three panels long, took up a massive wall, and was seriously stunning!

They also had some really awesome, huge Jackson Pollock paintings. I'm so glad we went to this museum!

To be continued again. . .

New York City!!!

Our first night in New York City, the city that never sleeps! I was SO excited!!! We got a really early morning flight out of Seattle, at 6:30 am, so that we would actually be able to check out the city that first night and have some time to do stuff. First on my list. . . I wanted to see Times Square! And it was just as exciting and bright and overwhelming as I thought it would be!

NYC Traveler's Tip #1: Get a shuttle to take you from the airport to your hotel, rather than a taxi. It's definitely cheaper! And it's really easy to reserve it ahead of time too.

NYC Traveler's Tip #2: If you're going to be in the city for more than a couple days, buy a week-long unlimited Metro Card and ride the Subway lots! It was easy, pretty fast, and by far the cheapest way to get around.

NYC Traveler's Tip #3: If you're going there in the winter, by all means, bring the warmest clothes you've got! And lots of layers, so you can take them off when you go into the warm buildings. That first night we were there, it was 15 degrees!!! And there was a really cold, biting wind that just chilled us to the bone. I was glad I had my warmest coat, hat, gloves, and scarf! Stephen had originally packed only his zip-up sweatshirt, but I made him bring his coat. I laughed at him for that the entire trip, because even with his coat he was always colder than me. It warmed up for us after the first couple days and was even in the 40's one night, but the first night there was the coldest!!!
NYC Traveler's Tip #4: You can avoid most of the shops in Times Square, because they're way over-priced, but it's fun to go into the Hershey's World and M&M World stores, just to look around.

NYC Traveler's Tip #5: I figured out the main reason why the locals avoid Times Square. It's not even because of the crowds. It's because when you walk along the streets, there will be someone bugging you literally every 5 seconds to buy tickets to a comedy show. It was annoying! And if you try to refuse politely they'll just become more persistent. So just ignore them and don't look at them at all.

NYC Traveler's Tip #6: DO go see a Broadway show while you're in New York! You can do what we did and go to the half-price ticket booth in Times Square, as long as you're really flexible and not too set on seeing a certain show. I really wanted to see Wicked and Stephen really wanted to see Lion King, but those are both too popular to sell at the half-price booth and tickets for those were going for $170 apiece. Yes, this is even in the off-season! We couldn't afford them, but luckily both those shows are coming to Seattle this year so we'll be able to see them here for much less money.

We chose to get half-price tickets to see Shrek the Musical that night in the Broadway Theater. It was a really fun show, very funny and well-done, and we had a great time!

I love this night shot I got of the Chrysler Building. It's such an amazing building!

And here is the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station. After our show, we took the subway back to our hotel and crashed for some much-needed sleep. We stayed in the Marriott East Side, and it was a great hotel!

Our adventures in New York had only begun!
To be continued. . .

Happy Valentine's Day!

I wish Valentine's Day could always be as fun as it was when we were in Elementary School.

Seriously, wasn't that just the best? We got a party that lasted all afternoon, tons of candy, chocolate, cupcakes, and other sugary goodness, and more valentines than we could keep up with! I remember making special mailboxes or pouches to put all our valentines in, and then we got to walk around the room delivering them to everyone while keeping an eye on our own box slowly filling up. I also remember buying the box of valentines and deciding who would get the two or three big, special valentines that came in each box. I used to carefully go through the whole box and hand-pick the ones I thought were dumb to give to the kids I didn't like so much. I also gave those kids only one piece of candy in their envelopes, while the people I liked the best got their envelopes stuffed with candy. It was awesome! I miss elementary school. I wish I could still have recess, field trips, hand-packed lunches, folders with fun characters on them, and Valentine's day parties. That was the life!!!

At least I got a beautiful bouquet of roses and a box of See's chocolates to console myself with. That does help, a lot! Thank you Stephen!!!

Here are some pictures of my cute Valentine baby from last year. This year, she didn't get a Valentine outfit and she's not so easy to pose for cute pictures. But I still love you so much, Kirsten and Stephen and unborn baby! You all make Valentines day special for me!

Happy Valentine's day to everyone!!!

The Three-Hour Test

We had a GREAT time in New York and I'll be posting all about it soon! But what I was dreading for my entire trip was coming back to Seattle and going to the doctor's the next morning to take the three-hour glucola test. It turns out I did fail my first test. My blood sugar level came out at 143 and if it's over 140 you have to come take the three-hour test. Bummer, I know. And for those of you who don't know the torturous details of what happens during the three-hour test, allow me to explain. . .

First, you can't eat or drink anything (not even water!) for at least 12 hours before you go in. The water part was hard for me! I usually drink water before bed, a couple of times during the night, and right when I wake up in the morning.

Next, you get your blood drawn right when you get to the office and then you drink the sugary flat soda stuff again, same as what you drank in the first test.

Then the fun truly begins, because you get to sit in the lobby for the next three hours, getting your blood drawn every hour. That's right. . . you have to get your blood drawn FOUR times in three hours!!! And if you're one of those people who can't stand getting your blood drawn, I can totally relate because that's exactly how I am. I despise needles. At least when they're going to poke into my flesh and take blood out of me. Hate them! So I was scared.

It was NOT fun, but I survived. I would say the worst part was actually having to sit and wait for such a long time with no food or water. Because you can't eat anything or even drink water until after the whole entire thing is through. UGH! As bad as all the blood draws were, at least the fourth one meant that I could finally go home and eat and drink again.

Today I found out that I passed the three-hour test, my blood sugar levels were all fine, and I don't have diabetes of any kind. Whew! So it ended well. I just wish there was an easier way to find that out! Torturing pregnant women. . . hasn't the medical field gotten more advanced than that by now???

On a good note. . . I'm 31 weeks pregnant now, and have about two months left. I'm feeling really good and I love feeling the baby move so much!

Ready For A Vacation!

*My parents are flying into Seattle tomorrow and then Stephen and I get to leave early on Thursday morning (6:45 am flight! Yikes!!!) to head to NYC! I'm soooooo ready for this break. Kirsten has been on a vicious cycle of bad sleep lately, and it's been rough. She wakes up crying a couple of times during the night, and today she refused to take a nap at all! Bad nights' sleep + no nap = fussy, tired Kirsten who whines and moans all day. And the cycle just continues. Every brilliant activity I come up with to keep her busy during the day just results in her being entertained for about 5 minutes and then fussing some more and crying at me. I don't know what else to do!!!

*Did you know that Delta now charges $15 per checked bag? It shows how long it's been since I last flew Delta. Last time I flew with them, you could check TWO bags per person for free! Looks like me and Stephen will be combining our stuff into one checked bag for sure.

*The nurse from the OB's office called me about the results of my glucose test I took last week. She left a message, and I called back but she was away from her desk. So I'm still waiting to talk to her, but it makes me nervous because the doctor did tell me that no news is good news from that test and they'll call me if I have to come in and take a longer version of the test. So. . . this can't be a good thing that she called me. I really don't want to get my blood drawn again. I still have a massive bruise on my arm from the last one!

*I found the most amazing deal on a coat from Gap Maternity. Originally $108, it was on final sale on their website for $23! It will be perfect for New York. I just hope it gets here on time! I tracked it and it's scheduled to arrive at my door tomorrow, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I think it's really cute and it looks SO warm!
*I also ordered this cute black maternity dress. $13!!! What a steal!
*And I got this cardigan in navy blue for $10! I'm so excited for my box to arrive!
*Thanks so much for all the great suggestions and ideas for New York City! My biggest problem is going to be wanting to do it ALL and being held back by time and money constraints. But I'm sure it will be a fabulous trip and I'm so excited!!!

Have a Happy Super Bowl Day!

So tell me. . . who planned to have our stake conference be on the same day as Superbowl Sunday? Someone very smart, I guess! :)

I don't really care who wins the game. Stephen's Uncle Andy is a die-hard Steelers fan, and I wish he could come over because it's fun to have someone rooting hard for a particular team. But he lives in Utah, so I don't think he'll show up at our house.
I'm having a fun time planning the food though! Here's what I plan to serve. . .

These Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise. I really hope I can find mini burger buns at the store, otherwise they'll just have to be regular burgers, which isn't nearly as cute. Find the recipe here.

My favorite Caramel Apple Dip is by Marzetti. It's so thick and yummy! I'll have green apple slices with a tub of this stuff.

Stephen is making his famous guacamole, or as our friends dubbed it, "Stephen-guac."

And I'm going to make the OH-so-unhealthy but way too good Velveeta Salsa Cheese dip. I can just taste the fatty goodness already!

I wish I was motivated enough to spend the time making these hand-made soft pretzels. Don't they look delicious?

Will you be watching the game? What food will you be serving?

Cashing In On Delta!

So tell me. . . if you had enough frequent flier miles to fly anywhere in the Continental US, where would you go?

I picked. . .

New York City!!!

I have wanted to visit New York for the longest time! I think it's kind of funny that I've traveled to most of the major cities in Europe (Paris, London, Rome, etc) but haven't been to my own country's most famous city. So since my Delta flight miles were going to expire at the end of 2008, I figured now was as good a time as any to book the trip! My parents are coming to Seattle for a visit and to stay with Kirsten, and Stephen and I will get to enjoy New York City without a kid for the entire first weekend of February! I'm SO excited!!!
I know it will be cold, but I'm so excited to. . .
*See Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and all the other major city landmarks
*Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and some other world-class museums
*See some Broadway!
*Fly the long, non-stop flights to and from JFK without a toddler or baby!
*Eat some yummy NYC food

Now. . . I need ideas and travel tips please!!! We already have a hotel booked, but what are the things I must see while I'm there and where should we eat?
Any tips are appreciated, since Stephen and I have both never been to New York City before! I'm looking forward to lots of advice! :)

20 Months Old and Counting!

Kirsten is 20 months old, ever since January 13'th! She's getting ever so close to the terrible 2's, and is definitely getting more opinionated and independent every day. It's a good thing she's so cute!

New challenges:
-Sleeping at night. She has been such a great night-time sleeper for the longest time, and she used to enjoy going to bed at night. For the past week and a half, she's suddenly decided that she hates it or she's scared or something (I wish she could tell us what it was!!!), because she suddenly cries and screams every night when we put her down for bed. She'll scream out "Daddy daddy daddy!" and get herself into a huge fit until Stephen goes and gets her, rocks her for a few minutes to calm her down, and then takes her back to bed. Sometimes he has to do this more than once before she'll calm down enough to go to sleep. A couple of nights she even woke up doing this in the middle of the night too. Why??? She goes down just fine for naps and doesn't cry at all, so I doubt it's an issue with her crib or being sick. She only does it at night! I'd love to hear any advice about this, because it's driving us wild!

-She constantly wants to go places and explore, which would be fine in nice weather but it's a little tough when it's January in Seattle and you don't even have a backyard to play in. She loves to take my hand, say "Go go go!", and pull me along behind her to wherever she wants to go, usually the kitchen counter so she can sit on it and play with stuff.

-She's very clingy lately and afraid of being around kids her age or younger. That means she freaks out during nursery and will only play at an indoor playground if I follow her around everywhere (with her clinging to my hand too) and make sure other babies don't come up and touch her. I don't know why she has this fear, but she cries all the time when she's around little kids she doesn't know.

New words she can say:
(Her vocabulary is increasing quite a bit, which is lots of fun, and here are some of her new favorite words)-
*Apple
*Cracker
*Oranges (sounds like "Oh-she's." Her favorite food right now!)
*Berries ("B.B.'s")
*Beans
*Cup
*All Through! (when she's done eating she says this now)
*Elmo
*Ernie
*Blue's Clues
*Lucy (yep, from I Love Lucy. She says it when the show comes on!)
*Shoe
*Horsie
*Butterfly
*Awesome

Things she loves to do:
-Climb up and down stairs or pretty much anything else for fun
-Play outside
-Put on hats, animal ears, sunglasses, or anything else that goes on her head
-Go for rides in the car, as long as they're not too long
-Go down slides (and climb up them too, of course)
-Be chased, play hide and seek, play peek-a-boo

She's a really snuggly and sweet girl, most of the time, and we are so blessed to have her! I just hope she starts to like sleeping at night again very soon!!!

It's Double Stroller Time!

I've started looking online at lots of double stroller reviews, since I'll be buying one soon. And I need help deciding!!! Here is the stroller I currently have. . . the Graco LiteRider Travel System.

I really liked the car seat and the way it snapped into the stroller, but I'm not so crazy about the stroller itself. It's flimsy and since the front wheels don't swivel it's very hard to steer, and pretty much impossible to steer one-handed.

So, for the double stroller, I'm willing to spend more money on a stroller that's much better. Here are the things I absolutely want it to have:
*The ability to snap my Graco SnugRider infant seat into one of the seats (yep, this limits me quite a bit, because most double strollers don't have this feature. But at least some other strollers besides Graco ones DO have this feature!)
*Storage basket underneath. I put my diaper bag and shopping bags in it ALL the time, so I need to have that for sure!
*Not too huge. I've seen some seriously massive double strollers out there, and I'd like it to be at least slightly manageable!
*I'm still on the fence about whether I'd prefer the seats to be side-by-side or behind each other. I'd love to hear any preferences or tips about that!

Here are my top considerations so far:

#1- Valco Latitude For 2
Pros: -It seems to get great reviews from everyone. I don't think anybody dislikes this stroller! It's supposedly very easy to push and steer.
-It's relatively lightweight (30 pounds)
-It has full newborn recline, car-seat compatibility with my Graco seat, and a generous storage basket.
-It comes WITH a rain cover, boot covers, a front bumper bar, and adjustable handle
-It's really pretty!
Cons: -It's 29 inches wide, and says it fits through standard doorways. But is that too wide?
-No cup holders, so I'd have to buy an attachable one.
-I don't think there are any retailers in my area that have these in their stores, so I'd probably have to buy it without trying it out. However, websites do offer free shipping on it.

#2- Bumbleride Indie Twin
Pros: -It also has car-seat compatibility, reclining seats, good-sized storage basket, and this one does come with a cupholder, matching foot muffs, bumper bar, and infant headrest.
-Has swiveling wheels, adjustable handle, and it's really nice-looking too. I like this brown color or the one in red!
Cons: -It's a little bit heavier than the Valco one, at 34 pounds. But it seems to be the same width.
-Ditto with the buying online. There's free shipping, but I don't think I'd be able to try before I buy.

#3- Graco Quattro Tour Duo
Pros: -I'd be able to try it out at Babies R Us and see if it's easy to push and steer.
-Has a parent storage tray with two cup holders, like the one I have now. Also has a storage basket.
-Has front swivel wheels.
Cons: -This thing is freakin' huge and heavy, at 39 pounds. I'd feel like I was pushing a train around!
-It's really not a quality stroller. It's a "budget" stroller, like the one I've got now.
-I'd prefer not to buy another Graco stroller. But it's the only one I could find where the seats are behind each other that still accepts the car seat.

#4- Graco DuoGlider
Pros: -Has a child's tray with cup and snack holders, a big storage basket, and a parent cup holder
-Lighter and smaller than the Quattro Tour Train. Also cheaper, and I'm guessing the wheels aren't as good. But I'd be able to try this one out at the store too.
Cons: -Again, it's a Graco stroller. And it's also their cheapest double stroller option. Not really built to last.
-Seriously ugly fabric choices on this one. We're talking tans and olive greens. Yuck!

I really want some feedback! If anyone has experience with any of these strollers or just tips about double strollers in general, I'd love to hear from you! Which one do you think you'd choose if you were me?

My Top 10 Favorite Things Right Now!

It's time for another edition of Tuesday Top 10! I have tons of favorite things, but here are the main ones I could think of for today. I highly recommend everything on this list, of course!

#1- Bath and Body Works' Aromatherapy Stress Relief Body Lotion. The scent is called Eucalyptus Spearmint, which sounds weird to me so I probably never would have tried it if a yoga instructor I had in college hadn't brought some of the pillow spray that we could use at the end of class. I remember spraying some on my little towel, lying down, putting it over my face, and going out immediately to buy the scent the next day. It really is that relaxing! I own the pillow spray, massage oil, bath soak, shower gel, candle, and my very favorite is the lotion. I use it every single night before bed. LOVE it!

#2- The Molten Lava Chocolate Cake dessert from Chili's. I guarantee that I will eat this every single day in heaven! It's my favorite dessert in the entire world. . . the perfect combination of moist cake, hot fudge, cold ice cream, and chocolate topping you could ever imagine. If you live near a Chili's, please go out and order one soon! And know that I am jealous of you, because there are currently no Chili's restaurants in Washington. But I got to eat this delicious dessert when I was in California, and I'm still craving it every day.

#3- Reef Flip-Flops. I really hate wearing socks and shoes, for whatever reason. They make me too hot when I'm inside, and my feet just feel so constricted in them. Being a true California girl, I still live in Reef flip-flops as much as I possibly can. They are the most comfortable and last forever!

#4- Our sheets from Costco. Right after I got married, I bought some expensive sets of sheets from Bed Bath and Beyond. After only a couple of times in the wash, they were all lint-covered and nasty! I still have no idea why that happened. But our Costco sheets are still smooth as silk, no matter how many times I wash them. They feel amazing! Ours aren't white though, they're a light blue shade.

#5- The Gap Maternity store! Now that I am relegated to wearing mostly maternity clothes, I've found that Gap Maternity is by far my favorite. Their clothes are the most comfortable, fit me the best, don't shrink or get nasty in the laundry, and are the cutest too!

#6- Tillamook Ice Cream. You can only buy this in grocery stores if you live in Washington or Oregon (I'm pretty sure). It's such creamy, yummy ice cream! My flavor of choice lately is Chocolate Peanut Butter. It's very addicting!

#7- The new TV shows! I have been so excited to watch the new episodes of The Office (wasn't last week's show hilarious?), American Idol, The Bachelor, True Beauty, and 24.

#8- Not that doing the dishes is my favorite thing. . . but when I have to do the dishes, the best dish soap by far is the Palmolive Aromatherapy in the purple bottle. It's like body wash for your dishes and your hands! It really does smell awesome.

#9- Fuzzy socks! These aren't an exact picture of mine, but I love wearing thick, fuzzy socks around the house. They keep my feet so warm! My favorite pairs came from Aeropostale, but I think they only sold them there around Christmastime.

#10- Gummy candy from The Sweet Factory at the mall! Can you tell I'm on a sugar kick lately? :) I love all the gummies they sell there, especially the sweet and sour ones and the orange slices.

Bonus- Crest Whitening Expressions Toothpaste in the Refreshing Vanilla Mint flavor. Ever since we tried this, both Stephen and I won't ever buy any other kind of toothpaste again.

Better Late Than Never!

I stopped making a whole list of New Year's resolutions a couple of years ago, when I figured out that a list just does not work for me. I end up forgetting, tossing aside, and breaking every single thing on the list within the first week, guaranteed! I've realized that what I need is ONE goal to focus on for the year. And I figured out what mine would be for 2009, as soon as I got back to Seattle and took a good look at my house. Here it is. . .

Get Organized!!!

Especially with a new baby on the way and moving Kirsten into the third bedroom so the baby can have the current baby room, I really just need to de-clutter and get things together!!! My natural inclination is to not be the most organized person in the world. I'm a little more of a pack rat, who likes to keep everything in case I might need it someday. It's hard for me to throw stuff away. However, I really DO hate clutter and I hate having a messy house. Fighting clutter is an ongoing battle, but I really do believe that everyone is happier in a clutter-free home.

My "presentable" areas like the downstairs family/dining room usually look pretty good. As long as you ignore all the toys, anyway. :) The scary areas in my house are the places most people don't see. Upstairs closets, the pantry, the laundry room, the coat closet, the bathroom storage closet. . . yikes! All of those places need some serious help! I also need a much better way to organize Kirsten's toys. Any organizing tips that can come my way will be greatly appreciated! I know some of you reading this are awesome organizers!

*It's nice to be back home in Seattle, even though Kirsten really misses her grandparents and their huge, fun yard with all the animals and constant things to do. I tried taking her to an indoor playground last Friday, so she could run around and climb things. I thought she'd love it. Turned out she was clingy and afraid of the other kids, especially the one year-old crawling baby. Go figure! I'm just about out of creative ideas!!!

*I did take down my Christmas decorations last week, got everything put away, and all my normal stuff back up on the walls. I know, everyone else got that done weeks ago. But I didn't feel too bad, since everything was taken down only one day after I got back. Thank goodness Stephen took the tree down and put all the ornaments away while I was gone!

*January is officially the most boring month of the year for me. It just is. I feel so blah and un-excited. The holidays are all over! Can't we just skip January and go straight to February please?

*We DID get an empty seat for Kirsten on the return flight to Seattle! There were tons of empty seats on the plane, and even the entire row in front of us was empty. And it was nice!!! The flight was generally very easy, except for about 20 minutes in the middle of the flight when Kirsten got extremely tired, couldn't fall asleep, and had a crying/screaming meltdown. It was awful. She didn't want to be held and there was absolutely nothing we could do to console her. I cried too. I really hate that helpless feeling I get when nothing I can do will make her happy, and it makes me cry.

*I hope I get lots of comments on this post. I need some comment-love!