Who Needs People Skills To Work Customer Service?!

I like to think of myself as a very nice person.  I hardly ever get mad at people other than my family.  I try not to.  I am always polite & very nice when it comes to dealing with people I don't know.  I work customer service so I feel I get a lot further with people by being nice, and I hate when customers are mean to me - I'm just trying to be helpful.  However, today I wasn't so nice. 

I told you that Jade & I had to rip out our shower surround a mere 3 years later.  Well the people at the store wouldn't work with us at all, they said we had to call the manufacturer.  So I thought it was a lost cause, but I would try it out.  The guy at the manufacturing place was just awesome.  Very friendly, nice, & to top it off - he said he'd refund our money for our shower.  It couldn't have been a better customer service experience.  All we needed to do was take our receipt & the return number to the store & they'd refund it.  Now the kicker was that we MAY need to take the shower back as well.

So being a follower of all orders - I called up the store.  I just wanted to know if we needed to bring the surround with us when we do the return because honestly it's ripped out into about 20 pieces, and I don't know why they'd want the mess.  You can't just get a 6' tub & surround out in one piece - if you can you are amazing.

So the older gentleman at the store in the plumbing department just kept arguing with me.  He didn't want to do the return.  He had several reasons why he didn't want to do the return, but mainly because our shower had been discontinued in their system.  However, that's not my problem.  If the manufacturer will give the store a refund to refund me the money - what's the problem?  The store is not out anything.  I proceeded to get kind of rude to the man.  I feel quite bad about it because he's an elder - you don't get grumpy with elders.  I had to though, and he talked to the manager & found out a way to make it work & quickly realized that I was right - he should have known that by my war voice that only my kids witness. 

So despite my slight twinges of guiltiness for being a rude customer - I am thrilled & could do a happy dance jig!  Our new bathroom redo will only cost us $100 out of pocket.  It's definitely worth that to have something to withstand our children.  Hooray!

Oh and if you see me out and about - really don't be scared of me.  I'm very nice & shy.

Kid-isms

Yesterday I spent the day at home with my kids.  Aubrie threw up first thing in the morning which was a big surprise. 

Despite the one time puking event, we had a fun day.  I cleaned the entire house & we watched a lot of Tom & Jerry and laid around cuddling.  I laughed hard at them several times. 

I realized yesterday that I am raising odd children - I blame Jade!

In the time it took me to turn off Tom & Jerry & find a new cartoon to watch Bob Ross was on TV painting trees.  Everett freaked out.  He started waving his hands around going "No no no no no - I don't like it!  I don't like it!"  Now I know the perfect punishment for him - Bob Ross!

Then Aubrie proclaimed she has a new favorite color - tongue pink.  Doesn't that sound like a beautiful color for a wall!  Ha ha!

Rubber Ducks Cause Bathtub Holes?!?

So three years ago this October we moved into our brand new home.  We purchased the tub stall below for the kids' bathroom as we were building.

 Since then, the kids have some how punched FIVE whopping holes in the tub. 

We took away all their bath toys except their rubber ducks & last night they did the last & final hole that proceeded to leak into the ceiling of our basement bathroom - fabulous. 

See the hole to the left & the huge patch from a previous hole.  The fiberglass was seriously slightly thicker than an eggshell - what the what?!?

We knew this wasn't going to work.  So we took a trip to Menards.  We found out while we were there, that the manufacturer had a defect lot of these stalls come in that had this problem - lucky us!  So we have two options.  Buy the exact same stall again because they don't have a different one that can guarantee a heavier duty tub, or do something else.

We went with the second option, considering Everett is a wild man & we have a baby on the way - we need this tub to actually stand up to 3 kids.

So we came home & my handsome husband started ripping this baby out.  We thought it would be tough, but it came out easier than it should have honestly!

The old stall is completely gone now & the mess was actually minimal. 

So what's our plan?

We are buying a steel bathtub that is coated in white.  Then we plan to do subway tile on the walls.  I am shockingly excited about this project!

Everett's face was extreme shock when he saw what his father had done.  See his hands out to the side in an Oh My expression - I wish I had captured his face because his eyebrows were nearly in his hairline over this one!  Then he yelled "It's BEAUTIFUL!"  Ha - he's so confused.  His sister was more upset with Jade.  She proclaimed that Grandma Janie was going to be wildly disappointed in him. 

Uber Excited

Dear friends - I had to let you know that this Saturday is our second and bound to be the best fall show.  I am beyond excited.  Seriously I am.  We have some really large pieces that are just going to knock your socks off.  We all know I'm not a wood girl, but two of our pieces were so stunning we left them wood - oh man if you need a big cabinet you MUST come!  Seriously you must. 

We have lots of turquoise this time which is one of my favorite colors - I have too many favorite colors!  To top it all off, they are predicting just the most beautiful day.

So please come and see us.  There are multiple vendors selling all kinds of goods & snacks.  Then Whitewater Gardens will have the best fall plants available to pick from.  It's bound to be a great time :)

Click HERE for details.

Oh man I'm jigging I'm so excited - I probably shouldn't have shared that small detail with you because now you are envisioning my growing body in a jig, but seriously - I am :)

Taking Risks

You probably think by my title that we are making some big life change.  Not the case.  Friday night we did something extremely risky.  We took our kids to their first ever baseball game.  Now normal people think - seriously?!?  You think this is risky?!?  But I remind you - Everett is not your son - nor is he a normal child.  He's super fast & super busy 100% of the time.  If he ran from me, I seriously wouldn't catch him because I am now hobbling because my lady parts may split in 2.  And why is this - is it because I deliver enormous babies so I've damaged my pelvic bones for good?  How come when not pregnant they are just fine?  I'm so confused because 18 weeks of pregnancy shouldn't be so darn hobbling!  Anyway - this game was a big leap in faith for us.  I told Jade when we were offered FREE amazing seats at the Cardinals game that we had to try it out sometime.  If it didn't work, we'd eat snacks and go home early.

So off we went on the hour and a half drive to the big city.  I just love Saint Louis just so you know.

Oh and see my husband.  That's right - he finds someone who recognizes him even this far from home.  And he talks to this person the entire game with a permagrin on his face.  He loves to meet new people!  Everett on the other hand loves popcorn.

It was well worth the trip.  The kids were amazing.  I loved how excited they'd get with the crowd.  It was a really big run scoring game & we even saw a home run so they were breaking out their fake whistle screeches and fist pumping with the best of them!

Aubrie looked like she was one seriously unhappy camper.

That was because the cotton candy lady was MIA for a good 30 minutes.  Stuff her with spun sugar & she breaks out her bling & licks her fingers til she reaches a sugar high!  Her glasses make her big eyes so big - it cracks me up in this photo - gosh she's something else!

 We left around the 8th inning just to get souvenirs and get to the car before the mad rush.  Jade let Everett get a soft bat & ball & for some reason Aubrie got a wooden bat.  I knew that was a bad idea right then and there.  It's now placed on top of the fridge after she was knocking on the glass porch door with it.  She'll earn it back when she's 14.

Here we all are with the lights blaring down on us.  We were seriously sitting in a good area - thank you Abbie Jane!  I ate a box of popcorn myself - OK two boxes.  Ollie danced and stretched at the 7th inning.  He or she is always jigging in my belly to the raps I'm singing in my head.  Then everyone except me fell asleep on the drive home while I rapped it out Mraz style - no worries I was driving the swagger wagon.

Disney Advice

So we are packing up & heading out this fall to my most favorite place on Earth - Disney.  I am counting down the weeks!  Since I have been at my job (nearly 5 years), I have never went on a vacation more than a 4 day weekend.  I am ready to get out and enjoy Disney for all it's worth, some Cocoa Beach, & some down time. 

We're staying in 2 condos with my entire family.  That's right 8 adults & 3 kids - should be entertaining & yes we have a harness for Everett already - just in case.  If you think that is terrible - you'd totally understand if Everett was your son!!

I already have autographed books purchased & Mickey ears with their names on them.  I think taking our own "souvenirs" from Wal-Mart and handing them to the kids rather than even attempting stores at Disney is a cheaper & way better option.  We also are going to book a character meal & from my research Chef Mickey's is the place (considering we have a boy that is not so much into princesses).

Any other suggestions tips - must sees & must avoids?

Oh and yes we are flying (woo hoo) & I'll be hugely pregnant so the hideous Shape Up shoes that my sisters fondly tease me for will be on my feet the entire trip.  They don't shape up my legs unfortunately, but dang they feel good on my feet & hips that feel like a rocket may shoot out of my lady parts any given time of day.

You Remind Me of the Babe

What Babe?

Babe with the Power.

Oh I'm sorry - I went into a Labyrinth rant there.  Gosh my sisters & I loved that movie.  If you haven't seen it - you must.  If you have seen it - I agree it is totally weird & fantastic wrapped into two hours of fun.

So onto my point.  Our baby has an official name.  It's name is Ollie.  Yes we don't know the sex, but it will be Ollie if it's a boy or a girl.  It's not your normal unisex name, but it could easily go both ways because you never hear this name anymore. 

Now I know it's a different name.  I like to give my children older traditional names.  Our two kids were named after Aubrey, Jade's grandfather & Everett, my grandfather.  So rightfully our third child should be named after a grandparent.  Jade's other grandpa was Ollie.  We never met him, but we have heard stories.  Jade's Dad told us that Ollie had the same personality as Jade so I know we would have loved him.

I really like the first name we have chosen.  The middle names are still in the works, but what we have picked out are also family names for people we love and adore.  Trust me they will be fabulous - my girl name is my favorite combination!

So my three kids are Aubrie, Everett, & Ollie - perfect?  I think so.

P.S.  - I know that when people talk about baby names that other people often share their opinions.  This is one reason Jade & I don't really discuss our ideas for names until we have one picked.  I have been told in the past that Everett was an awful name & I shocked several people by it.  I still do when we go to the Dr. and the nurse looks in the waiting room for an 80 year old man and meets my 3 year old son.  However, this is our choice & if you don't like our names, please keep it to yourself and remember the golden rule.

Dreaming of Shoes

Does anyone else seriously love shoes? 

I keep seeing these amazing boots with cuffs this fall.  Tall booties with peep toes, lots of buckles & embellishments - they all scream my name. 

Then I realize I'm pregnant...tall anything won't work.  Soon my butt and thighs will rule my body, and I constantly fall down. 

So I'm on the market for some stunning flat or small wedge black boots at a reasonable price.  All the shoes above aren't reasonable prices considering I have about 15 shoes per season I rotate through!  I hope Kohls pulls through for me because they constantly give away 30% coupons & I can afford that!

Piperlime - Rachel Zoe's Shoe Picks for Fall

A Baby To Love

Today we had our big ultrasound.  I'm 17 weeks 3 days.  Our baby is VERY active and the poor tech  had a hard time getting images.  I don't know if that's more like Aubrie or Everett.  Aubrie was very active in the womb, but Everett is very active outside of it.  Either way our baby is just perfect!



I can see these pretty well, and I hope you can too.  The babies belly is to the left.  It has a hand by its face on top in a ball & an arm & hand below it's head.  It's face is to the right and you can see two dark spots which are the eyes, then the white is the nose and under that a mouth.

"Kris" doesn't look like much now, but I think the baby resembles my Everett Mason.

He or she already has the round house kicks under control.  I think baby learned that from Chuck Norris AKA my Dad Stuart.

I imagine this tiny foot will be firmly pressed up against my ribs in another 3 months!

Against all temptation we stuck to our guns and did not find out what the baby was.  I have a good feeling I know what it is, but come February we shall see.  We are still working on names as well.  So far everything looks perfect and we couldn't be happier or more excited for the newest addition to our family.  Now it just needs to grow and stay healthy.

P.S.  we did not name the baby Kris - my sisters decided to nickname it something other than "it" while I'm pregnant.  I agree - I don't like calling the baby it so until we name the baby & meet for the first time it will be Kris.

Aubrie's First Day Back

Last Wednesday was Aubrie's first day back to school.  She LOVES everything about preschool.  I think one of her favorite parts is the outfit & hair each day topped off with her accessories.

The backpack was a big deal this year!  We got a Barbie backpack because it was the last on the rack and she thought that meant no one else could buy it.  Little did she realize that Wal-Marts all over our area carried this backpack & other girls would match her this year!

This is the famous bell at her school and they all get pictures with it.

Isn't she a cutie!

After her solo photos I thought I'd get some pictures of both kids off to school.  Again Everett thinks his backpack is the best part.  Considering he's never watched an episode of Spiderman his obsession with the red man cracks me up!

Yes she has a death grip around his neck, but she loves him dearly despite his wild personality.  I don't blame her, I do too - he is funny!

Looking at these make me realize how truly blessed I am.  I have a beautiful family and my kids are growing up way too fast.  How did I become the mother of two preschoolers?  Then, I'm going to do it all over again - I just wonder what this next one will be like.  I know "Kris" will be just as perfect as my other two in a very special way!

Kris with a K or Ch? That is the question!

I won a small battle recently.  Jade has agreed to not find out the sex of our baby until delivery!  I am shocked because he's very stubborn, but obviously he loves me and so I twisted his arm and he gave in!

Right now I'm 16 weeks!  Exciting huh!

Since we aren't finding out the sex, we haven't nailed down the perfect name yet either.  We keep mulling it over.  We have some pretty good ideas, but nothing solid yet.  We also may keep that a secret until delivery when we do pick a name.

This is driving my sister, Maggie, crazy.  She feels she must know everything.  To me this makes the secret game even more enjoyable!  I am mean like that.  So in the meantime her and Abbie have named my baby.  Now my kids have nicknames.  Nothing fancy or original, but Aubrie was Aubbie Gs and now mainly Sis.  Everett was Bubby and now just Bubba.  Maggie's daughter, Caroline, has always been called Bean.

My baby - since the sex is unknown - is Kris or Chris.  So to all those out there with the name - so sorry if I cause offense, but my sisters did it to me.  They deemed that a unisex name was fully appropriate & that is all they call the baby right now.  They call it Kris like it's in my arms & named that for real.  Whenever I see them they ask how Kris is.  It cracks me up, and I half wonder - when this baby arrives - will we still call it Kris?

P.S. - This past Friday, September 3rd, Kris started kicking.   I had to throw that in there since this is also my family journal & I have no memory or baby book yet to write this down - this gives me written proof of this date.  So far I just feel tiny pokes, but Jade swears maybe I just have gas as if this is my first rodeo - men are kind aren't they!

Curtains For Sale

I have 4 of these denim panels with bib overall tabs for sale.  $20 or best offer for them all.  They were adorable in Everett's room, but now that he shares with his sister I want something different for the nursery.

Email me at housethatjadebuilt@gmail.com if you are interested.

I heart Turquoise

I got out the fall decor this weekend & one place I had to change it up was in the bedroom.  I had a gorgeous floral quilt out, but it was too seasonal to last through the fall & winter.

A trip to Walmart and about $35 later I had a makeover. 

I purchased two turquoise shams & two fabulous zebra pillows on clearance.  I swapped out my floral print on the left with an Abbie original of a Fox.  That's my maiden name so anything with a Fox & I dig it!

I flipped over the floral quilt to the white side so we had additional warmth at night.  Then I topped off the bed with a clearance Walmart throw.

It was a quick flip & I'm happy with the look.  I wanted to pull out the turquoise to match my desk & other turquoise accents and it did that perfectly and on a small budget.

The Best of Friends Share Rooms

This weekend my Mom helped me finish a tough job!  That is why she is absolutely the best!

Aubrie and Everett moved in together.  It was a challenge since Aubrie's old room was over the top girly & Everett's room involved anything with 4 wheels and John Deere green.
However, we did it and I'm thrilled.  They have rooms that still speak to their personality, but also mix my love of odd collections and old to match the rest of my house.  One thing is a bit different though - I painted it gray!  Did I shock you there since I didn't go a crazy color?  I actually really like gray & it was a good backdrop to make a gender neutral room.

Here is the view from the door.  We had one twin bed so we bought a second to give them each their own "little" bed which is what sold them the idea of a shared room.

Everett's side has a fantastic orange quilt courtesy of my mother.  The comforter was $16 at Walmart & then $7 for the sheet set in his favorite color - turquoise!  Oh and the floating tractor to the left is the fan pull.  They both LOVE tractors since Pa is a real hard core farmer.

Both kids have matching red iron headboards.  They were actually made from one twin bed, but my Dad the super welder made the foot board match the height of the headboard so they could each have one.  This ties their beds together nicely.

Everett's wall contains his collections.  I love old signs & he loves trucks and tractors so it's perfect for the tiny farmer that he is.

I pulled this dresser from my foyer & put Aubrie's fabulous pink dresser in its place.  The pink was just too much to go in a boy's room, but is perfect in my foyer.  I am very pleased with the dresser as a nightstand.  It's the perfect size & the right color to stay gender neutral.

Here is the glitter princess' side.  She is still happy because she has her pinks and also her collections.  Trust me mixing in her pale pink was a tough job, but we did it and love the after look!

She too has a fabulous quilt from my Mom and the other matching red headboard.  The green comforter was again $16 from Walmart with $7 sheets.  She chose hot pink her favorite color.

Her wall displays her favorite things:  A cat painting from Aunt Abbie, lots of pink, elephants, a glitter chandy, & numbers - she's all about the education!

To house Everett's clothes and Aubrie's giant snow globe collection, we kept this old fabulous cabinet in the room.

Are you loving it?  Because I agree it's a fabulous set.  The paint under the white is turquoise - you can't tell from the picture, but oh my it's gorgeous ladies!

The top shelf is full of snow globes.  The second shelf is fully devoted to Miss Aubrie.  She has tons of elephants & fairies.  The bottom shelf is for the tiny farmer.  He did need some space to show off his old trucks & trailers since his sister is the master of collections.

I love their new room.  It shows off their personality, but also mine as well which is important.  The best part - CHEAP!  I spent $32 on two comforters, $14 on two sets of sheets, and $65 on the second bed.  Everything else we already owned.  So even though my basement storage room is like a bad episode of hoarders, but a bit more organized.  I now am glad I keep all that "junk" I collect for times like this!  My next large project room - the nursery!