My shoe-search adventure has been ongoing.  I think my feet must have changed shape, perhaps gotten bigger during pregnancy, as I have sent at least six pairs of footwear back and forth.  I’ve had minor problems with my feet for years.  Basically, they hurt.  They hurt when I wake up in the morning, and they hurt sometimes when I’m running, or just at random times. It gets worse when I’m pregnant.  As a result, I’ve been wearing flat shoes for years, but I’d hoped that with pregnancy a year in the rear-view mirror that I could wear some heels.  So far, not so good.  I’ve had good luck with flat Romika shoes in recent years, so maybe it’s time to go back in that direction.

So, if heels are off the table, does anyone like any of the following?

#1: Romika Milla 101

#2: Rieker

#3 Romika Milla 102

#4 Clogs

#5 Earthies

#6 Sorel Newbie

#7 Sorel Pull-on

#8 Sorel Low

I really like the first Romika’s, but I’m afraid they look too masculine.

I tried on these and absolutely loved them, but I just cannot wear them:

Perhaps I’m paying for the years in college when I wore 3 inch heels everywhere?

I’m in the market for new shoes that will keep my feet a bit warmer in the winter.  Opinions?

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I’m in the market for a new car.  The car I would like to get is the Volvo XC70:

In brown, if you please!  Sadly, this vehicle sells for on the order of $40,000.  I never would have looked at it in the first place if I’d realized Volvo was a luxury brand.  (I haven’t been browsing Mercedes, Lexus, et.)

In reality, we are more likely to buy the Pacific Northwest’s most popular vehicle, the Subaru Outback.  It’s actually so popular around here, it’s ridiculous.  I’m a little underwhelmed, but I’m sure it’ll do the job.  Still, I feel I should be more excited about something I’m shelling out $25,000 for, don’t you?

I took it for a test drive last weekend and was decidedly underwhelmed.  This is actually in contrast to when we test-drove a Toyota Camry and were very impressed, but in our extremely hilly neighborhood, all-wheel drive will be very handy in the winter, and I’d like the additional storage space of a station wagon / small SUV.  I’m also looking at all the other small SUVs below 30K with AWD and 35 sq. ft. of trunk space or so.

I’ve been feeling tired and kind of lousy all day, and one of my breasts has a sore spot.  I’m hoping it’s a clogged duct and not mastitis.  I don’t have a fever, so I’m thinking it’s most likely the former.

I’m excited for Sarah!  Every day I’ve been wondering when her baby will come, and finally it’s here.  I can’t wait to hear more about her.  I don’t know what it is with me and babies.  I am just so interested whenever anyone I know has a baby.  Then I see pictures and I simultaneously feel jealousy and relief that it’s not me with the new infant in arms.

In other news, I’m in the market for a new bedside table.  I currently use a bedside table from a furniture set my parents bought me probably twenty years ago.  The drawers do not open without intense effort, meaning that I’m limited to the top.  There is just not enough room there for water, tissues, eye-drops, my Kindle, nursing pads, and B’s nighttime books.  I’ve decided I’m looking for something with surface dimensions of at least 16″ x 26″.  Of course, if the drawers were functional, maybe I wouldn’t need it to be quite that big.

I like these two from Pottery Barn:

The top one is 18″ by 32″, and the bottom one is 18″ by 28″.  I can’t decide whether I like the fresher look of the top one or the more rustic look of the bottom one.  I also feel like I need to try and find cheaper options on Amazon.  I have found several possibilities on Wayfair.  I’ve never shopped on that site before, but it seems to have excellent selection but mixed quality.

Here’s an Amazon option for $100.  Can’t beat that, right?

On a side note, if I had money to burn, I love this chest from Neimann Marcus for an entryway:

I just ordered B her first pair of shoes.  L had shoes much sooner since it was cold when she was this age, but since it’s been so warm, we haven’t bothered with B.  However, she’s starting to stand up outside a lot, and our grass is super prickly, so I ordered some yesterday.  Are these not seriously the cutest things you have ever seen?