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!

It’s That Time of Year

The busy fray of the Christmas season is definitely here! I have been overloaded and overwhelmed with everything from work, wrapping presents and attending holiday get-togethers, leaving me little time to post new content on my poor lonely blog.

No worries though, I have some free time coming up and plenty of ideas to keep you busy through the New Year. Let’s start with getting in the spirit of the season – one of my favorite things about the holidays is going to all the events and parties. Here’s a few of the ways I got into the Christmas spirit this year …

Lina and I started off the Christmas season by taking Rory and Millie to Pet-a-palooza in early December. The two doggies were very excited to get out of the house and spend some time together!

Pet-a-palooza was great. There were tons of dogs, free treats and even pictures with Santa! After walking around for a while we found a spot on the lawn and settled in for a live performance by Hanson!

A couple weeks ago I had a jam-packed week with three different holiday parties back to back! It all started with my Chi Omega advisor gift exchange which was held at a fellow advisor’s, Suzanne’s, house.

My “Secret Santa” was Monica – the same girl who got me last year, go figure – and she did a great job! I got lotion in my favorite scent and dark chocolate covered strawberries! The super cuter owl purse was from Shanna.

The next day I had a holiday get-together at a small bar in the Dr. Phillips area. This one was for RCI, a company we work closely with at Wyndham. A few of the other Corporate Communications girls were there, too!

I was invited to the RCI party by the same people that took us out to dinner at the Space Needle in Seattle. But, the best part of this party was seeing my good friend, Teresa, who used to work with me at my last job!

The culmination of my holiday festivities week was the Wyndham Vacation Ownership holiday party which was held at the Amway Center. And guess who was there to greet us during cocktail hour … my favorite mascot, Stuff!

The majority of the Communications team made it out to the party and a good time was had by all! The food was great, we all hit the dance floor and I won a $50 American Express card … which has already been used up.

We really enjoyed the Christmas festivities that we’ve participated in so far! We got a late start on decorating at home as well as finishing up our Christmas shopping (I still have  one or two more things I need to run out and get) but it was well worth it. I hope all of you have a fabulous holiday season, too!

7 Reasons You Should Get a Dog

Photo by Brianna Forster Photography

On Nov. 12, my little Millie celebrated her first birthday! Although we’ve only had her since January, she has grown and changed so much in what feels like a very short amount of time.

For her birthday, we took Millie to her favorite place (PetSmart) and picked up a few special treats including a new polo shirt and a pair of yummy dog biscuits – which she shared with her cousin Tyler.

Celebrating my first child’s first birthday made me realize how much I truly enjoy having a dog. So here are seven reasons I think YOU should bring home a new best friend:

1. You always receive a warm welcome home. Every day when I walk in the door from work I am greeted with loads of licks and tail wagging, it’s so sweet.
2. Even a small dog can provide protection. A dog doesn’t have to be big to make you feel safe. I feel much better being home alone when Millie’s with me.
3. Dogs are entertaining. I love to laugh at things Millie does, from the way she barks at lizards while looking out the window to the crazy places she falls asleep.
4. You have a reason to be responsible. Dogs give you responsibility, but not too much. They’re a great first step to caring for someone other than yourself.
5. You’re more healthy with a canine companion. Dogs not only make you happy but their companionship lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol, too.
6. A dog instantly makes you feel better. Dogs can sense when you need a little extra love and are more than happy to snuggle up to you when you’re down.
7. Dogs love you unconditionally. They don’t judge and don’t notice (or care about) your mistakes. They just love and cuddle and give kisses – it’s awesome.

I didn’t realize when Brandon surprised me with a puppy for Christmas last year that I would get so attached to and be so grateful for something so small. But Millie really does add something special to each and every one of my days – and she has turned BrandAnna into a family!

Happy Birthday Millie girl!

Photo by Brianna Forster Photography

Along for the Ride

Last weekend we went on yet another fall trip, this time to Raleigh, N.C. for a wedding. We took a long weekend and drove up there with Millie – it was her longest and farthest trip so far. We ended up having a really great weekend spending time with family, shopping, laughing around a bonfire and of course drinking … Brandon works in the beer business so we always have to try new brews when we are out of town!

Millie usually gets a little bit of anxiety when we start packing bags which has been happening a whole lot lately. This time around she jumped into the suitcase as usual, little did she know that she was coming along for the ride, too!

It was a long nine-hour drive to Raleigh and by far the longest trip Millie had ever taken in the car. On the way there she was very anxious and confused but spent most of the trip in her favorite spot behind her daddy’s head.

We arrived in North Carolina right around 11 a.m. and settled into our room at Brandon’s dad’s house. They live in a gorgeous home on a little more than an acre, it’s the perfect place for family get-togethers!

One place we always go when we are in town is Gigi’s Boutique – owned by Brandon’s dad and step mom. They have two stores in the area and have a number of super cute styles for women, so we did a little bit of shopping.

One of my purchases at Gigi’s Boutique was this black cut-out dress, which I love. Brandon’s sister, Casey, and I ended up wearing very similar outfits on the night of the rehearsal dinner, so of course I had to take a picture with my sister-in-law!

One of my favorite things about our trip up there was getting to spend a whole lot of quality time with Brandon’s fabulous sister-in-law, Ann, and step mom, Cheryl. I absolutely love this picture of the three of us Reinert wives!

One of my best friends (and my favorite photographer!), Brianna, has a pocket obsession. She had pockets sewn into her dress and was very excited about it so we decided to take a pocket picture together while hanging out at the hotel bar.

My favorite thing about the holidays and special occasions is that I get to spend time with Brandon’s side of the family. Rowland, Cheryl, Ann, Wes, Finley, Casey, Brandon and I had a blast hanging out throughout the weekend!

As always, the trip went by way too fast, but Brandon and I decided that next time we are flying! Millie had a blast and got to meet her “aunt,” Rowland and Cheryl’s dog, Abby. It was really great gathering the Reinerts together, we all enjoyed it!

---

Book Report: “Heart of the Matter” by Emily Giffin

I loved this book! Now that I got that out the way … Emily Giffin has become one of my favorite authors. She creates some compelling stories – like “Something Borrowed” – where you end up siding with (or at least getting a better understanding of) the “other woman.”

This is another one of her books that deals with the dirty “a word” (adultery). I really had a hard time putting the book down and it kept me guessing until the very end. One of the main characters, Tessa, turns out to be the sister of Dex (and the sister-in-law of Rachel) from “Something Borrowed.”

I literally cried while reading this book, but I’ve recommended it to a ton of my friends, especially those who are Giffin fans. It makes you feel a little bit uncomfortable because of the unthinkable content but there is something tough but truthful about it.

This book isn’t for the naive at heart, it will make you think, especially if you are married. But I thought it was really good and continue to be a faithful Emily Giffin follower!

Wiggle It

We’ve got a lot going on this week (what else is new?) so this is a mini-post to hold you over! This past weekend we attended the Wiggle Waggle Walk in Altamonte Springs to support the SPCA. It was a very casual walk around the lake at Crane’s Roost Park for hundreds of local pups.

Millie did a great job! We completed the walk and stayed to watch the costume contest (and got some good ideas for next year!). She was pretty much passed out the rest of the day, but we look forward to participating in more SPCA events in 2012!

Dog Days of Summer

Summers are hot in Orlando … especially if you happen to be a black and tan, long haired miniature dachshund. Luckily for Millie, we found a great new way to keep cool while exercising and socializing with other dogs. Lina and I recently took Millie on her first trip to Fleet Peeples Dog Park on Lake Baldwin and we all really loved it!

It’s not a day at the dog park without a little bit of butt sniffing. As it turned out, a local dachshund meet up group was at the park at the same time we were. So there were a whole lot of wieners running around!

Millie has never been especially big on getting wet. Lately we’ve been trying to get her accustomed to cooling off with a summer swim but I don’t think she really likes doggy paddling – even though she’s good at it.

After getting her feet wet a little bit, I was able to coax Millie into deeper waters and as long as she was able to stay standing I don’t think she minded it too much.

I brought one of Millie’s toys in the hopes that she could get some extra exercise chasing her ball around the park. But with all of the excitement, and tons of other dogs, she wasn’t really interested.

We are still working on the whole “fetch” concept. Millie loves waiting for you to the throw the ball and will run after it, but then she gets distracted and you’re forced to go retrieve the ball yourself.

After a few minutes of playing in the lake, Millie was ready to head home – and she wasn’t shy about trying to tell us it was time to go.

A nice feature at the park is their dog washing station. It’s been very rainy in Central Florida lately so the park was particularly muddy. The water was a little cold but it did the trick.

I hope that eventually Millie will take it upon herself to run right up to the water and dive in. Or maybe chase a ball into the lake and swim back to shore. For now, we’re taking baby steps and starting with a little bit of splashing.

We’re hoping to make trips to the dog park a regular adventure and with such a great place for dogs to enjoy a day in the outdoors right around the corner – we’ve got no excuse not to!

---

Book Report: “Dog Handling” by Clare Naylor

Speaking of dogs … well, actually contrary to its title, this isn’t really a book about dogs. It’s about an accountant, or rather a former accountant, who learns a lesson in love from a friend who compares reeling in men to training a dog.

I’ve read a couple of Naylor’s books and they are all equally cute. This one goes from having it all, to losing it all, to getting something even better back. The characters are fun and relatable even if the story lines and destinations seem a little far fetched.

This book won’t change the world, or your way of thinking – unless you’re a single lady trying to figure out the dating game, in which case you may want to take notes. It is a fun and easy read though, and a great way to distract yourself from the busy working world and really get engrossed in a sweet story.

Millie’s Favorite Things

Millie turned 6 months old in May and so far it has been an adventure. She was so cute as a tiny 2-month-old puppy with her short nose and curly hair. Now, she’s a growing girl with loads of energy and the silliest little personality. I’ve heard some dachshunds aren’t as playful and loving as others – with Millie, playful is an understatement. Now that her true colors are coming out, I can’t help but share some of her favorite things to do.

Not long after we brought Millie home I caught her catching glances at herself in the mirror. Then one morning as I was getting ready I heard her barking from the living room and ran out to see what was wrong. It turned out she was just having a morning showdown with her own reflection.

She recently learned how to get dirty and playing outside has become one of her favorite pastimes. She also has a new-found love of sticks – and the bigger the better. She’ll find a stick, roll around in the grass with it and then when it’s time to go in she’ll run up to the front steps and leave it right by the door (this way she knows where to find it tomorrow).

Sometimes Millie gets lucky and Brandon will chase her around the yard. She may be small but she is fast!

The car has become a new adventure for Millie. Next to sticks, car rides are the highlight of her day.

When she is tired she likes to lie down in her favorite spot: between the back of your head and the head rest – neck pillow style. She has been doing it since the day we brought her home. Occasionally she will do her neck pillow routine when we are at home watching TV on the couch, but in the car it is pretty much a given.

She also recently found the joy of sticking her head out the window. At first she could only keep her head outside of the car for a few seconds before the wind became too much, she did a little sneeze and she retreated back to my lap. Now she loves having the breeze flap against her ears and can perch her head right on top of the open window and truly enjoy the ride.

Millie has so many little quirks for only being 6 months old. And as I type I can think of almost 10 more of her funny habits. So, don’t be surprised if a “Millie’s Favorite Things II” post pops up in a couple of weeks. 😉

---

Book Report: “Can You Keep a Secret” by Sophie Kinsella

This is one of those feel good, girly books. I’m a big fan – even though I know not everyone is – of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series and actually read this novel back in college in a “Sophie phase” when I read pretty much anything and everything Kinsella put out.

Out of Kinsella’s books, this one if my favorite. I’ve always loved the gushy stories where a girl meets a guy somewhere and they share a moment. They think they’re never going to see each other again and then they realize they are neighbors, or co-workers, or sworn enemies.

The book is fun, light summer reading. There is no murder/mystery or huge social or political issue that is going on. And that’s fine by me. Every girl needs a good old fashioned love story now and then, right?

Puppy Love

It’s official. I’m one of those people obsessed with their dog. I try to hide it; I limit the number of pictures I put up in my office, I try not to gush on Facebook when she does something cute and I pretend not to check my watch every few minutes whenever we are out and she is left home alone. But the truth is: I’m in puppy love.

Millie was my Christmas present this year, and I’m not just saying this because I’m obsessed – but she is the perfect dog. From the get-go she never had any problems when we weened her off her old puppy food and took her away from her brothers and sisters. She got the whole “potty training thing” down after the first couple of months, every check-up went flawlessly and  she gets along with just about every new friend she meets, four-legged and two-legged friends alike.

She was spayed at 5 months and of course everything went perfectly. Ten days later when we took her back to the vet for a follow-up exam, the doctor took one look at Millie’s scar on her belly and let out a worried “Oh my gosh!” Brandon and I both went white before the doctor started laughing and burst out with “I’m just kidding, she looks great. I just wanted to see your faces!” After relief finally set it we laughed along with the doctor and nurse. Later, Brandon and I worried that all the talk about our “perfect puppy” would eventually come back to bite us in the butts.

And it did. Two nights later at 4 in the morning, Millie woke us up in the middle of the night panting and drooling excessively. We thought she needed to go outside but as I started walking her to the door I noticed she wasn’t able to walk and kept falling over onto the ground. I panicked and made Brandon call a 24-hour emergency vet. She wasn’t responding to her name, couldn’t stand up and was leaving puddles of drool everywhere she laid her head.

After a trip to the emergency vet, blood work at her regular vet, a couple hundred dollars and plenty of worrying we found out she had low blood sugar and probably had a seizure. Millie’s eating schedule has since been improved and she is back to bones, barking and business as usual.

Here’s a few fun photos of Millie just being Millie, taken by the ah-mazing Bri Photography: