Big Reveal of Baby Reinert

Obviously, we are beyond excited that we will be welcoming a new addition to our family this November. And since we recently  celebrated another major milestone – buying a house – we decided to host a joint housewarming and baby gender reveal party for our family and friends.

I went with a blue and pink, mustache and lips theme and created this fun little invite a few weeks before we found out for sure what we were having.

I wanted to do something different to reveal our baby’s gender so I made a piñata and filled it with colored candies and streamers. (More on how the piñata was made in an upcoming post!)

We asked guests to guess “boy or girl” by picking either the blue mustache or pink lips. Here is a picture of everyone who guessed we were having a boy.

We had pretty even numbers between boy guesses and girl guesses. Even Millie joined in on the fun as she ran up to Brandon and I right before we took the “girl” picture.

We asked the son of one of Brandon’s softball buddies to do the honors and after tons of worry on my end that the piñata wouldn’t hold, it broke perfectly and a rush of streamers came out …

… in PINK! Even though we only found out we were having a girl a few days before the party, it was very hard to keep it under wraps – but it was definitely worth it!

Brandon and I are so excited for our little girl! We both wore blue AND pink for the party and I’ll admit I tried to throw people off here and there when I could. 🙂

Now that we know what we’re having, the clothes shopping and nursery decorating has officially begun! We’ve got a lot to do before November, but we’re looking forward to every second of it.

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Book Report: “Then Came You” by Jennifer Weiner

I actually picked up this book because I couldn’t find “Fifty Shades Free” at my local Target. I read the back cover and after realizing it was a story about pregnancy and having babies, I couldn’t help but buy it.

I took it with me on my trip to New Jersey and New York and finished it two weeks later on my way back from a trip to Phoenix. It turned out to be a really great traveling book – even though I couldn’t find much time to read it while I was running around in Orlando, whenever I was out of town I couldn’t help but pick it back up every chance I got.

The story is actually more about unconventional pregnancy options like egg donation and surrogacy but I still found myself relating to a number of the characters and especially situations throughout.

I would definitely recommend this one – and not just if you have kids or are expecting.

New York State of Mind

I have so many posts to catch up on! So, sorry if some of these get posted out of chronological order.

One of the things on my 30 Before 30 list (yay, I’m actually starting to cross a bunch of these off!) was taking a trip to the Big Apple. And while we were only there for a couple days, I’m happy to say we officially saw NYC!

We were able to tie this trip in with Brandon’s cousin, Troy’s, wedding in New Jersey. The wedding was beautiful, the reception was super fun and the couple looked absolutely stunning! Yes, even Troy! Here’s a pic of Brandon and I before the ceremony.

The day right after the wedding, we swiftly high-tailed it out of town to head to New York. Our friends Tom and Sandra picked us up and took us out for some hipster soul food – then the next day we went sight seeing! Our first stop was a boat tour where we saw Lady Liberty.

The tour went around the entire island of Manhattan and took a total of three hours! We got to see a lot of neat stuff along the way and I made sure we got a picture of BrandAnna (and baby!) in front of the city skyline. Look, it’s the Empire State Building!

Next stop was Times Square. I’ll admit it wasn’t as busy as it looks on TV, I expected a lot more hustle and bustle, but the giant screens and ads were just as I expected and very cool to see in person. We even saw where they used to film TRL!

Crossing another item off my little bucket list, we went to Tiffany & Co. and although I wasn’t expecting it, I walked out with my very own Tiffany-blue box with a very special gift inside! Brandon got me a Tiffany bean necklace – to signify our own little bean. 🙂

We made a stop at the gorgeous St. Patrick’s Cathedral and took a few minutes to walk through the beautiful aisles and pews. We didn’t know if we were having a boy or girl yet, but before we left, Brandon and I lit a candle and said a couple prayers for our little baby-to-be.

I love the show “30 Rock,” so I got really excited when I saw the front of Rockefeller Center! Something I would love to add to a future bucket list would be to come back and see the city – especially Rockefeller Plaza – at Christmastime … some day.

Alright, when I was younger I really wanted to be a Rockette. And then I found out that you have to be a certain height to even audition to be a part of the elite, high-kicking squad. So, needless to say, this is about as close as I’ll ever get to the Radio City stage.

A full day of downtown sight seeing was enough for me, so after resting a bit that night, we headed out again the next day to Coney Island. Brandon rode a bunch of the rides – while I sat and watched 😦 – but I was sure to get a Nathan’s hot dog before we left!

We crammed a whole lot into a very little amount of time, but it turned out to be a great trip! Thanks to our hosts Sandra and Tom for showing us a good time – we’ll be back soon!

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Book Report: “Fifty Shades of Grey” by E.L. James

Alright, unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve heard about the Fifty Shades series. I’m currently on the third book because at this point I am completely invested in the series and must finish it and find out how it ends!

To be honest, if you’re looking for a book to stimulate your brain and get you thinking – don’t bother wasting your time on this one. The writing isn’t great and a lot of the dialogue is extremely corny but I like the story – no matter how unrealistic it is.

Besides the content (which is definitely risque, so be warned!), the book feels like it was written for teenagers. It is full of repetitive and easy-to-understand language, which makes it a quick and easy read – you could probably read the whole series within a long weekend.

If you are like me and can’t possibly pass up a book that is such a hot topic pretty much everywhere you go, then definitely go for it! But don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Back in the Swing of Things

So, I took a little hiatus from updating the blog, but I am back and I have tons of stuff to share!

Work Update:

Work has been crazy. I blame my job for being the main reason I haven’t sent out a post in such a long time. In February, my immediate boss left to take a job outside of the company. So since then, I have been doing two jobs while they try to back-fill her position.

It’s been a long, crazy couple of months but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and my new manager is starting at the end of the month (thank goodness!) And while taking on a lot of extra responsibilty has provided great experience, I have to admit I am ready to hand over quite a few of the not-so-fun tasks of managing a publications team.

This is basically what I’ve felt like at work since February:

House Update:

On a more exciting note, we have big news on the “home” front. They say everything happens for a reason, so when the short sale we were under contract with fell through, we were discouraged but knew it wasn’t meant to be. Then after expanding our search a little bit we found a great little home situated right outside of our local golf course and we fell in love.

We moved in just a couple weeks ago, but so far everything has been awesome! The home is about 500 square feet bigger and has a second bathroom (which is probably the most exciting part of all!) Millie loves her new yard – we’re on about a quarter of an acre – and we can’t wait to get started on what is turning into a very long list of house projects.

I’ve been taking tons of pictures for future posts, here’s one of the front to hold you over:

BrandAnna Update:

2012 has already been an exciting year so far and I have a feeling it’s only going to get better. For a look at what’s to come, check out the video below that our good friend, Omar, created for us. I’ve probably watched it about 100 times already!

There will definitely be many more posts following up on this in the very near future …

My Day with Maxi

This past Christmas, two of my nieces, Noe and Maxi, each asked for a day out as one of their gifts. So, Brandon and I gave them each a coupon for a day with BrandAnna!

For my 12-year-old niece, Noe, we promised a dinner and movie date. Maxi, who is 11, asked for lunch and a feather in her hair (how cute, right?). Maxi ended up being the first one to redeem her Christmas coupon. I had my hairdresser pick up some feathers and made an appointment for Maxi to have it put in.

I started off the day watching Noe and Maxi’s soccer game, which they won! It’s hard to believe this sporty little girl would be sporting a new do just a couple of hours later.

We went up to Maitland to see my hairdresser, Sarah, after grabbing a bite to eat at a nearby First Watch. Maxi decided to do some poses while waiting for her feather.

This was Sarah’s first feather application as well, but it didn’t take long at all to get it in place. Maxi went with a teal tone that perfectly matched her braces!

After we got home from the salon, I put my flat iron to work and straightened her hair out. Scroll back up to that soccer player … can you believe it’s the same girl??

It turned out to be a “Maxi & Me” afternoon and we both had a great time. When we left the salon, Maxi gave me a big hug and thanked me for her feather-y present. She even blushed a little when the valet attendant complimented her new hair accessory. Too cute.

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Blog Report: The Beauty Department (TheBeautyDepartment.com)

Speaking of fabulous hair (and more) … I am obsessed with The Beauty Department. This blog has been my go-to for everything hair, nails, fashion and makeup. They always post fun and interesting tutorials with easy-to-follow photos and videos.

I have already tried a number of their tips and ideas like painting candy corns on my nails, applying the perfect shade of eye shadow and rocking the French braid ballerina bun – which was a big hit!

I seriously have never spent more time trying a new hairdo or painting my nails. This blog has actually encouraged me to experiment with tons of different beauty trends. I’ve even mastered fishtail and French braids! If I can do it, anyone can. 🙂

Attack of the Mini-Posts

Brandon has informed me that I have been seriously slacking in the blogging department. It’s not for lack of blog topics because we have had tons of stuff going on – it’s more about finding the time to sit down and type it all out!

Since I have lots to share and I don’t want to overload everyone with multiple “new post” notifications, I am putting together a few of the posts I’ve been meaning to write … all in one, super fun summary. Enjoy!

Love to Love Valentine’s Day

Unlike my oh-so-romantic husband who thinks Valentine’s Day is a made-up holiday, I love celebrating the ones I love with fun crafts and candy!

This year I continued my owl-themed holidays with my favorite wide-eyed birds on some seriously sweet cards and bags. I started by clearing out the Valentine’s Day aisle at Jo-Ann Fabrics.

I situated myself on the couch with a craft assembly line in front of me and some of my favorite shows on the TV and set to making multiple pink, red and white owl Valentines.

These cute owls bags (from my sister) made for the perfect package for my Valentine’s Day goodies. I put a special V-Day mini Fruit by the Foot in each of the bags as well for a sweet little treat.

Brandon and I kept it simple with a bottle of wine and some quality couch time catching up on our latest TV obsession: “Smallville.” I hope you and yours had a great Valentine’s Day, too!

Race, Love, Wish 2012

Every year, Chi Omega at UCF holds a 5K (Race, Love, Wish) to benefit the sorority’s national philanthropy, Make-A-Wish. Last year a very little Millie had to stay on the sidelines with some sorority girls (who didn’t seem to mind) while Lina and I made our way through the race.

This year, Lina and I are both advisors at UCF, so we were more than happy to support our girls, our sorority and of course, the fabulous Make-A-Wish foundation.

Lina and I kept up a steady walk this year while Millie and Brandon on the other hand ran the entire race! Here they are crossing the finish line.

Out of more than 500 participants, Lina and I took our time and crossed the finish line at 399 and 400. Brandon jogged his way to 219 and we like to say that Millie came in at 218 1/2!

We had a great day and I was so proud of Millie (and Brandon for that matter!) for running the whole thing. I wish I had that kind of endurance!

No. 1 Fan of the No. 1 Fan

We’ve been lucky in that we’ve had a number of Orlando Magic hookups over the past few years and have got to go to a ton of games both in the old Amway Arena and the new, amazing Amway Center.

This past weekend my mom took me to a game courtesy of her work. The day of the game, we found out we had been upgraded to even better seats and dinner in the Mercedes Benz Lounge.

After enjoying our free dinner and drinks, we headed to our seats – fifth row behind the visitor’s bench. It was definitely the closest I’ve ever been to the court during one of the games!

Of course, I wore my Stuff hat and my new “I ♥ Stuff” shirt because I am Stuff’s No. 1 fan (I even dressed up as Stuff for Halloween this year!) and I got some love from the man (err, sort of) himself!

We had so much fun at the game – especially since the Magic pulled out a win at the end – and because I know she reads my blog, I have to give a shout out and THANK YOU to my mom! ♥ you!

Movin’ On Up

We’ve had so much going on the past few weeks, but probably the most exciting thing (for us anyway) is that we put an offer on a house! Yep, BrandAnna has taken the plunge. Like I said in my House Hunting post, I’ve been looking for a while to get the feel of our neighborhood so when something that fit our criteria popped up, we didn’t waste any time before we jumped on it.

It’s a short sale, so unfortunately it could take several months before we’re in our new home and there is always the chance that it could fall through later on, which would be super sad since we really love it. I’ll be posting more updates as the process progresses but here is a look at the front of the house in the mean time.

We’re very excited and I hope to share more news on the house sooner rather than later. For now, we are waiting – and saving – until we hear back from the bank. And although I can’t wait to move … I am dreading packing up all the junk we’ve collected throughout our current house over the past three years. It’ll all be worth it though!

Looking Back at 2011

I was inspired by one of my fabulous sorority sisters, Erin Davenport, and her recent blog post about her year in review for 2011. So I decided to come up with my own version of the idea and pick one defining event from each month of last year – it’s a great way to remember, record and reflect upon everything that has happened since this time last year.

January – A Family of Three

We started off 2011 with a new addition to our family: Millie Noel Reinert. If you’ve read my past posts, it’s easy to see that I am head-over-heels in love with my little, long-haired dachshund. Millie was a Christmas present from my husband, Brandon, and from the moment she came into our lives, we have become healthier, happier and wealthier (at least in quality of life) than ever before.

February – Meeting Finley Marie

In December we welcomed a niece, Finley Marie Reinert, to Brandon’s brother and sister-in-law. Due to the busy holiday (and beer) season as well as the fact that they lived in West Palm Beach, it wasn’t until February that we got to meet her for the first time. Seeing her in person was nothing compared to Skype and photos, she is one of the sweetest and happiest babies I’ve ever met.

March – Two Years & Counting

In March, Brandon and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary – it seems like just yesterday when we said “I do.” On our first anniversary we stayed at the Grand Bohemian (where we had our reception). Last year we didn’t plan anything big but we did have dinner at a fondue restaurant, Brandon had never been to one before. Each year keeps getting better, I can’t wait to celebrate three years!

April – Welcome to Wyndham

April brought a big change for me. I left my job of almost four years at a small, local publishing company to go to work for Wyndham – a large, nationwide organization with a more corporate setting. I still work in publishing and continue to do a lot of writing and editing, but I am constantly being challenged in new ways (which is a good thing) and getting tons of social media experience.

May – Phirst Time to Philly

There were a lot of May events that I could have picked to highlight: Brandon and I both turned 27, I started a blog and two of our best friends got married. But our trip to New Jersey/Philadelphia was too good not to mention! On a whim I suggested to Brandon that we visit his hometown and of course he was more than willing … as long as we made it out to a Philadelphia Phillies game.

June – I Added an @ to My Name

Yeah, that’s right, just like I said I’d never join Facebook when I was in college, I had no plans whatsoever of tweeting. That is until social media became a bigger part of my job and I was looking for more ways to spread news about my portfolio and blog. 🙂 So in June I finally bit the bullet and signed up, and I’ll admit I like tweeting and find a lot of great stuff for work (and for fun) through my account.

July – Carpooling to Coral Springs

The summer months were hot as usual so we decided to cool off with some of our buddies in Coral Springs in July. Our friends Ben and Alli invited us on a little road trip to Alli’s sister’s house and of course we were up for the adventure. We brought Millie along but she wasn’t alone – she had Ben and Alli’s dog Bella as well as two other dachshunds in Coral Springs to play with!

August – Revisiting My Alma Mater

After celebrating Bid Day with Chi Omega at UCF, I really started missing my own chapter at USF. So I planned a weekend where I could go visit the Chi Omega house and campus at USF (they have done a lot of renovations around campus since I left) as well as see my good friend Jamie. Being back in Tampa brought back a lot of memories, I hope to get over there more often this year.

September – Weekend in Death Valley

September brought a trip that we had been looking forward to for a while – returning to Clemson for a football game. Along with our friends Ben, Alli and Curtis as well as my sister Lina, Lina’s friend Emily, Brandon’s cousin Troy and Troy’s fiance Sarah we headed to South Carolina for an incredibly fun weekend and a great game against Florida State. (Clemson won, of course!)

October – Traveling Coast to Coast

In October I scratched the first item off of my 30 before 30 list by taking a trip across the country. I had never been to the Pacific Northwest before (or really the West in general) so I was very excited when my work sent me to Seattle for a meeting. I only spent a couple of days in Washington but luckily I was able to see most of the main sights including Pike Place Market and the Space Needle.

November – My Little Millie Turns 1

November brought the beginning of the holiday season but for the Reinerts it also brought Millie’s first birthday! Millie was born on 11/12/10 (although we didn’t bring her home until Jan. 1). We’ve loved every second we spent with Millie so far and look forward to many more years of love and licks from our little girl. She had a great birthday filled with treats and a couple new “big girl” toys.

December – From Beer to Wine

Brandon also had quite a few changes in his career last year. In the spring his company (he worked for a beer distributor) was bought out. As a result, his territory and hours were greatly affected and right before the holidays he was offered a job with a wine distributor basically doing the same thing. He is now off weekends and we are on similar schedules throughout the week. 🙂

2011 was a really great year all around … but we are hoping for an even better 2012! I’ll keep you posted!

Finley’s First Birthday!

Surprised to see a new post from me so soon? Yeah, you and me both! I just happen to have a bunch of seriously adorable photos of our niece Finley celebrating her first birthday!

Brandon’s brother, sister-in-law and little niece moved back to Orlando a couple months ago (in fact, they live right down the street from us). It has been a blast being so close to them, especially because Finley is at an age where she changes pretty much daily – and we are lucky enough to be nearby to watch her grow!

Finley’s first birthday party had a fun pink and green theme. She turned 1 on December 20, but we celebrated a couple days early on the 17th. Brandon’s dad, Rowland, and step mom, Cheryl, drove down from Raleigh for the celebration!

Finley’s mom, Ann, really wanted to bake a cake for the party but gave in and got a cute little smash cake from Publix so that Finley could properly celebrate by destroying her first birthday cake. The adults ate the cake Ann made, it was yummy.

At first I don’t think Finley knew what to do with her pretty little cake. We all sang her “Happy Birthday” and had two iPads set up with FaceTime so that Ann’s family in Dallas and Brandon’s sister in Raleigh could all sing to her as well!

After she figured out what the bright green thing in front of her was, Finley started making a mess all over the table, her dress and her face! When her mom and dad joined her for some photos, she made sure they got plenty of cake on them also!

One of Finley’s presents was a Radio Flyer red wagon from Grandpa Rowland and Grandma Cheryl. Uncle Brandon decided to take it out for a test drive … I don’t think it was made for big kids like Brandon though.

One of Finley’s friends, Lily Kate (a.k.a. LK), was there to celebrate with her. LK is the daughter of one of Wesley’s (Finley’s dad’s) high school friends. The two girls are only a couple months apart and live just a couple doors down from each other.

Finally it was time for Finley to open her present from Uncle Brandon and Auntie Anna! She was very excited (as you can see from the photo). Can you guess from the box what we got her?

That’s right, we got her a tiny pair of Toms! If you aren’t familiar with the brand, whenever you buy a pair of Toms, they give a pair of shoes to a child in need. So, not only did Finley get a cute pair of shoes, she gave back!

The shoes complemented her purple and orange ensemble (can you tell her parents are Clemson fans?) perfectly. They are still a little big, but that only means she has plenty of time to grow into and wear them!

I’m pretty sure Finley had a great time at her first birthday party. I know we enjoyed it! After all the sugar she consumed and  the playing with new toys, the birthday girl took a little nap and the adults continued on with the celebration. Can’t wait to see what her second birthday party will bring! 😉