Creature Comforts

What things can you not live without? For me, it's always been my chapstick. I've always got to have a tube in my pocket or purse. How about splurges? I enjoy really good coffee. I am an admitted coffee snob, but that comes from working at a family-owned coffee shop for years, and learning (and tasting) what really makes a good cup.

While we have our splurges, hubby and I are really good at living thriftily. It's not our favorite way to live, but we can do it when we have to. For me, that means no clothes shopping, no eating out, eating all the leftovers. We lived this way at the beginning of our marriage, and throughout the college years. More recently, we've been able to indulge a bit more, but The Prince has certainly changed the breathing room in our budget.

All that to say, when something breaks or runs out, it's weighed in level of importance for the replacement timeline. A few weeks ago, Daddy and The Prince were sitting in the recliner, and Mommy decided to squish in with them. CREAK-CRACK. Uh oh. I said, "Did I break it?" Daddy said, "Yes." Sigh. (I suspect the crack may have been started several weeks ago by visiting family members getting very comfortable in the chair...at least that makes me feel better. It was a Wal-mart special to begin with. I was impressed it lasted as long as it did.)

A few days went by, and we tried to live with it. It sorta worked, just leaned very much to the left when reclined. But, you see, The Prince is still not sleeping through the night, and is apparently part shark with all the teeth that are coming in, and the recliner is key to getting through those nights. If it's not time to eat, Daddy sits and rocks in the recliner with baby, and everyone can rest again. It's actually quite crucial to getting any sleep.

Daddy put his foot down and went on a quest for a new recliner. We couldn't live without it.

Two stores, several test sits, and one emotional breakdown to a bewildered sales lady later, and we are the proud owners of a new rocking recliner. It's big, dark brown, sorta fuzzy, and oh-so-comfy. It feels like it will live longer than the Wal-mart Special, and it may just hold all three of us. But I'm still nervous to try.