just a bite...

So, I have a problem. Baby Stringer LOVES bagel bites. ME, too! The problem is not that I want
to eat bagel bites for breakfast, lunch and dinner....the problem is that the biggest box ONLY has 40 bagel bites. I know that may sound like a lot of pizza, but you have to understand that they
are just BITES.....and there are only 40! You need AT LEAST 10 for a full plate and that only equals ONE day!!! (I know that would only be 30, but pregnant people don't only eat 3 meals a day.)
Well, now that Baby Stringer has had his/her share of bagel bites for the evening, I think its time to get a little rest...which, besides eating, is our other favorite thing to do!

the big bag sale!!!

I normally don't post about MINT on this blog, but it's a special occasion. We are having our first BIG BAG SALE on Saturday, February 2 from 9 am to 6pm. What is the BIG BAG SALE? Well, here's how is works....

You walk in the door and we give you a brown paper bag (grocery size).......You fill it up with everything you can stuff in it.....and you only pay $20 for everything in your bag!

We have selected over 3,000 items to be a part of the BIG BAG SALE. And let me just say, these are GREAT clothes, purses and shoes. I was just in the back room preparing some items for the sale and spotted a jCrew "little black dress," French Connection tank tops, a Matt and Nat handbag, Seven jeans, BCBG blouses, formal dresses, and Ann Taylor business suits.....among other designer and name brand items. There are summer tanks and tees as well as winter coats and wool pants.

We will also be having our WINTER BLOWOUT SALE! Beginning on February 2, ALL of our Winter merchandise will be marked 50% off!!!

Come early for the best selection, do-nuts and coffee! Remember, we are opening at 9 and although we have TONS of clothes, I'm sure the best things will get "stuffed" first!

Hope to see you on Saturday!!!

it wasn't me....

Reed and I have the SWEETEST mini schnauzer in the whole world. Stella is 1 and half and she does NOT know that she is a dog. Stella used to get to roam around the house when we were gone, but when she turned ONE (and I started working and being gone all day)....she started chewing EVERYTHING! Not just garbage and magazines....she chew a hole through my side chair...THROUGH it....and stuffing was everywhere. Well, ever since Stella's rebellion, we have made her her own room. Our guest bathroom, or Stella's room as we refer to it, is perfect for her. She has her little bed, food and water and some toys.

She actually likes it in there. As soon as Reed or I put on our shoes or pick up our car keys, she runs to her room and lays in her bed!!! Sometimes Reed has to say, "Stella, go to your room." She looks sad and then runs on in there and sits on her bed.

I am very good at making sure that there is nothing in Stella's room that she could chew that would be dangerous OR just plain make a mess. There is NEVER toilet paper in there UNLESS we have company. My parents brought Andrew and a friend to baseball camp this weekend and stayed with us. SOMEONE must have left the toilet paper out......because THIS is what I found when I got home!!!

I couldn't help but laugh at her. She had this pitiful little face like she wanted to deny it but she knew she was BUSTED!

Bless her heart. This happened on Saturday and I am still picking little bitty pieces of toilet paper off of her!!!

FLASHBACK....I didn't have a camera, but I have to tell another really funny story about Stella and her "I just got busted" look.

We got Stella in September. We had just gotten married in July and I was constantly writing Thank You notes. She was only a few months old and a tiny little thing and I was on the couch writing some thank yous. I had my cards, envelops, and stamps spread out everywhere. I got up to go to the bathroom and heard some paper rambling in the living room. I ran around the corner and she looked up at me.....and she had STAMPS stuck ALL over her. Her little black self was cover in stamps! They were on her paws, on her face and head....I laughed forever and then decided it was not going to be any fun getting them off of her!!!! I sure wish I had my camera THAT day!

cheese please....

I went to the doctor today for a check-up and everything was great. I have only gained ONE pound!!! HA! I love it. I know that next time I go for a check up the scale won't be so nice!!! So just for an update on pregnant life....
*CRAVINGS: I LOVE cheese. I have always loved cheese but now ALL I want is cheese...cheese toast, cheese on saltines, cheese pizza, anything with cheese. Oh, and can I have extra cheese on that?

*SLEEP: I never knew that I could EVER be this tired!!! The other day I told Reed that I was SOOOOOOO tired. He said, "I know. Me, too." And I immediately responded.....YOU do NOT know how tired I am. He reminded me that he gotten up at 5 am to fly home from California and had been flying ALLLL day. My response: "Well I just grew a nose and some ears today on the freakin baby living in my stomach!!!" Anyway, my point is. HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND HOW TIRED I AM!

*DESPERATE HOUSE"HUSBAND"???: Although Reed may not understand how I feel all the time, he really is great. I have to make a confession and I guess now is as good a time as any. Reed does our housework. NOT just since I have been pregnant... ALL the time. He does the laundry and most of the time the dishes. I DO cook almost every night and I do the dusting and vacuuming and stuff....(when it actually gets done). But Reed is the LAUNDRY KING!


*FIRST TRIMESTER FLAW: Besides the "morning sickness," fatigue, and mood swings,
there is ONE major flaw in the wonderful period known as the first trimester..... I DON'T LOOK PREGNANT!...and this is a MAJOR problem. You see....I FEEL pregnant, body and mind. I act pregnant (I am still apologizing to my sweet husband for the water bottle I threw at his head the other day.) You see, when I was at the grocery store with a huge buggy full of groceries feeling like I was either going to wet my pants or fall over asleep in the parking lot, it would have been nice for someone to offer to help me....but when you don't LOOK pregnant, people don't feel sorry for you. Not that I want them to feel sorry for me when I DO LOOK pregnant...by then, I will be feeling just fine. I just really think I should put up a sign on the counter at the store that says, "If I fall asleep or wet my pants while you are talking to me IT'S BECAUSE I AM PREGNANT!" or maybe one that says, "I am pregnant. If you ask me one more time how much 50% off of $12 is, I am going to throw something at you."

We really are having so much fun! My sister gave me the cutest book called "The Belly Book." It is a scrapbook for your pregnancy and you take pictures of your belly every week and answer some fun questions about how you feel and other stuff. What a wonderful experience....We are truly blessed.

the life i chose....

Right after Reed and I got engaged, I remember Coach Rockey Felker asking me a question, "Are you sure you want to marry a football coach." I really had not thought about it that way and replied. "No. I'm not sure I want to marry a football coach....but I am sure I want to marry Reed Stringer, and if he wants to be a football coach, then that's just what he'll be." Rockey laughed and said that was a pretty good answer. I tell this story because this is the life I chose. I had to keep telling myself that over the 8 days I spent in a HOTEL over CHRISTMAS!!! You know, The Peabody is a beautiful hotel, but after about 5 days, any hotel starts to get old. Despite the LONG hotel stay, we had a wonderful time in Memphis AND a great Christmas!

On Christmas Eve we had dinner at Flemmings Steakhouse with our friends Ryan and Keely. Here we are in front of our Christmas tree at the Peabody.

The Team Welcome Party was at Jillian's. Its kinda like Chuck E. Cheese for grown-ups! Everyone got an unlimited player card to play games and it was great. The players had so much fun. They were like a bunch of kids!

Dinner at the Memphis Country Club with the rest of the staff.

Beale Street after the parade....it was a MADHOUSE!!!

This is kind of a funny picture...I was on my way to The President's Gala (a black tie affair) and Reed as headed to a meeting. We happened to run into each other in the lobby and took a picture. Me in a formal gown and Reed in his warm-ups....I love it!

Taylor Hicks was the entertainment for the Gala. It was like a private concert!!! Caroline, Jennifer and I were having a great time dancing.

It was a little cold at the game....we were so cold, but it was WARM compared to the SNOW BOWL in 2000!!!

GO DAWGS!!! Liberty Bowl Champs!!!