Happy Holidays!

The holidays always seem to get me and I lose all track of time. Work is a little busier, free time is spent with family and friends at holiday parties, shopping for gifts, getting the Christmas tree and all of those tedious errands before it flashes by you with a mere 24 hours to cram it all into.

This year was a little strange. November was spent with my family a lot given the passing of my aunt, and Christmas was spent in Virginia as a Britt. A much warmer, less hectic Christmas for sure...but a very nice time nonetheless with a lot of movie watching!

I have to say the house is coming along quite nice. Jarrett's mom will be coming in 2 weeks to visit and we'll be spending quite a bit of time at Homegoods. ;-)

We also should welcome a new addition to our family (NO, no baby!)...Lincoln! He comes home on January 9th.... boy are we in for a rude awakening.

I've been slacking.

How can you blame me? We've been busy! We bought a house people.

So while the final moments of the home buying process proved to be quite stressful (the loan took a day longer, our closing was pushed until the evening, th packing) we moved into the house on time--with movers...it is the best feeling in the world.

For living in the house exactly two weeks today, we've done quite a lot. We unpacked all of our wedding gifts (we had saved them in the original boxes and it was eating away at me), we painted the master bedroom, we ordered additional furniture, tv and surround sound is installed and the house has begun to feel like home.

I love coming home and find myself stopping in certain rooms and just staring. All of the little touches to the rooms are beginning to take their place, Knight is starting to claim it as his own, and we love being to close to the city and all of the errands we need to do.

Pictures to come soon...and thank you HGTV, I'm obsessed with you.

The Good Wife's Guide

One thing I've learned over the past month is that I am not a good wife. *Disclaimer, Jarrett has not said this to me*...I just know it. I leave my clothes everywhere, he does most of the cooking, he makes lists and keeps us organized, he takes out the trash, he makes the grocery lists (and unfortunately the list goes on and on). And between you and me, I call him MY wifey. I read all these blogs complaining about people's husbands and I realize I just don't have that. Sure, he leaves the seat up, or vaccums in a way that clearly doesn't get all the dog hair up, but damn...look at all the things I do wrong or don't do at all!

Kudos to his mother for raising a masculine male who also does all this, and kudos to me for finding and holding onto him.

And then I remembered this framed article in the 50's diner in Dedham, and I figured I'd compare myself against it, for a good laugh...clearly.

The Good Wife's Guide
From Housekeeping Monthly, 13 May, 1955

• Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed. <>
• Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. <>
• Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
• Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
• During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction. <>
• Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
• Be happy to see him.
• Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
• Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours. <>
• Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
• Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
• Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
• Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
• Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him. <>
• A good wife always knows her place.

well, i hope you too enjoyed this one.

New name, same old me.

I'm beginning to get used to the name. I almost don't stutter when I need to introduce myself. I'm perfecting the signature. (with all the signing for the house, it's beginning to look good). I'm even responding to it. I even LIKE it. I'm transitioning away from the old name and old email addresses, and I find myself annoyed when I have to type MacTaggart. How did I possibly not scream everytime I wrote that long name or long signature?

I went away last weekend and used my new snazzy license to board the plane, I'm starting to get mail delivered. This is fun! And I'm not as sad about losing it. When we first got engaged I told everyone "Of course I'm changing my name", but then the closer we got to the wedding, the more sad I became. Not because I didn't like it, and not because I didn't want to do it, but I was attached. JLM were my inititals for 26 years.

well, here's to JMB!!

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

As an update to an earlier post, there is such a thing as post-wedding blues. (see: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2338245&page=1 One in ten women may suffer from post-wedding depression, an increase, experts say, that is due to the trend towards more elaborate weddings.)

But with buying house craziness, I luckily do not have it. I have crazy bits of anticipation where I can't wait to move in and decorate. I spent about 20 minutes telling Jarrett the paint for our bedroom, then color the sheets and comforter will be to contrast the pillows and curtains and I think he stared at me blankly wondering WTF. So I share these things with you, friends, family, strangers... because luckily you can't give me any looks of confusion or eye rolling.

First, it's time for house pics so you know what I'm talking about!

I kid, I kid.

Here it REALLY is....

New Obsessions

Since the wedding is over, and we are signing the purchase and sale of our first home on Friday, I need something new to obsess over. Last night, Jarrett accused me of having ADD. I just couldn't sit still, my mind was racing. Then, at 2am, I woke up panicking over a deal at work and I couldn't fall back asleep so I decided to think about decorating the new house as a means to fall back asleep.

In the process, I've come across a new website and a new blog. First, I went to go to TheKnot yesterday and it automatically pointed me to "The Nest". I was taken aback at first by the change--I wasn't quite ready, and I didn't ask for it, but I'm beginning to like it. It has Real Estate advice, recipes, money, decor tips... etc. All things I have on my mind as a newleywed. And even baby stuff when the time comes--and at that time it transfers you to "The Bump". (sorry Nikki, no honeymoon baby for us!)

When I opened The Nest for the first time, there was an article about a new blog called "My Husband Is Annoying". WOW, did I laugh. I highly recommend it for anyone out there that is married, or currently dating. Some woman actually sent in this note and caption:

From Angel:
“My husband LOVES going to Disneyland with the kids. One day after returning to our hotel room, he just couldn’t mask his enthusiasm for Mickey Mouse. This disturbing picture was the result.”

I just don't know what else to say, except BREAK UP WITH HIM IMMEDIATELY but thank you nonetheless for submitting and helping me laugh uncontrollably at work.

It's been a while...

Wow, has it been a while! Over a month, I was severely lacking on my blogging duties. I'm not sure exactly why, but I think I was overwhelmed with the wedding being over and our insane schedule that I just needed a break.

I also felt a little sad. There was all this hype, an absolutely wonderful wedding, an amazing honeymoon and then poof-it's over, it's done. It's over. I know Jarrett and I both felt like that, and I'm not sure if it's normal? Also, the wedding went by way too fast. Everyone says that, but it's true. You just don't have enough time to do everything, see everyone, get pictures done AND have fun. You truly want it to last forever.

And now, I question, what do I write about? But I think I still have some funny stories, helpful tips, and can use an outlet to vent every once in awhile. So I've changed the name... "MacTaggart Married. The Adventures of Being Mrs. Britt", hope you enjoy!!

The question you've all been wondering... what have we been up to since the wedding? A LOT.

• I've officially changed my name...
• I've officially received a new license
• I've changed some credit cards
• WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!

We don't mess around. Big things in 2009!!! :)