Registration

My friends with husbands and children have told me how great it is to register. They tell me about how wonderful it is to walk around the store with a little scanner and just scan to your hearts content! As much as I didn't know I was supposed to and didn't really want to register and seem like I'm looking for gifts, I did. To be honest, it's simply because I don't want more bottles of wine and picture frames and pointless knick-knack stuff that I now have to remember to dust. Matt and I have lived together before, and I was only my own for quite a few years, so we have most of the stuff that we need. Apparently, registering is for the stuff that you want but would probably never splurge on or that you need and haven't gotten around to yet. I figured, hey, what the heck. What's the worst that could happen? So what if I get nothing on my list. It's just a wish list!
Well, I decided to register in two places... not because I want a million things, but because I want so few things, that I need to try to broaden my list. I chose Target - because they have just about everything... and Bed, Bath, and Beyond - because they have everything else. I contemplated WalMart, because it's practically my favorite store in the world... but I couldn't imagine walking through there with a scanner. I talked to Matt about it and we made a sort of wish list quickly and I went to the store alone. I started at Target. I entered some stuff on a computer and the lady in red hands me a scanner and says go to it! I spent about an hour in Target today and I scanned ten things. Ten. That is all. I printed out my list and figured I might add a few things when I got home.
I headed over to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, confident in my new ability to carry around a scanner and find items that I would like. Sadly, Bed, Bath, and Beyond is nothing like Target. First I had to meet with a woman named Jen who asked all about my reason for registering and when we'll be married and when we moved into our home... and then I get Matt. Matt is about 19 years old and he becomes my personal consultant. I didn't know I needed a consultant. I'll be honest - I got most of my stuff at Target, but I knew about three or four things that I really liked at BB&B, so I figured I could register there as well. Well, my consultant Matt walks around with me and scans things for me. I have never felt so ridiculous in my life! He wants me to scan everything -- and I? I want to scan nothing. It isn't that I can't find things I like -- it's that I don't want a bunch of crap in my house. I want what I need and then I want breathing space. After telling Matt about how many people are invited to my housewarming and when it is and what kinds of things I need, I end up re-registering for just about everything I've registered for at Target just to give Matt something to do. In the end, I have 13 items (a small step up from 10) and Matt says I need to step it up. Apparently when you invite between 75 and 100 people to a party, you need to have a larger list than 13. I didn't tell him I registered at Target as well, but I did promise him I would go home and add to my registry with the help of my fiance.
As soon as I got home, I immediately went on BB&B.com and deleted all of the things I already picked out at Target. I spent some time going through my drawers and picked out a few things that I needed for the kitchen and talked to Matt about a few more things that I added online. I'll be honest though -- I dread the day I have to register for my wedding at BB&B with my own personal consultant to walk me through the aisles. So awkward!

To Register or Not to Register? That is the Question..

As most of you know, Matt and I have booked our housewarming/engagement party for July 18th. Matt isn't big on hosting parties, but I really enjoy it so I think he's letting me go with this one. He probably figures how many housewarming or engagement parties can one couple really have? Haha. Just the other day, I was asked where we were registered. Registered? Was I supposed to register? It never occurred to me that I should do such a thing. For one thing, I don't expect people to bring us gifts of any kind. That's not why we're having a get-together. We figure it's a great way for everyone to see the new house, to join us in celebrating the house, and to enjoy the summer. I never even considered the gift aspect. Secondly, what the heck do I register for? Realistically, Matt and I don't need much. Maybe some steak knives... a new welcome mat... a tea kettle.. but I just assumed I'd get that stuff all in good time. I came home and did a Google search. Man, thank God for Google. It has helped me out of quite a few sticky etiquette situations recently. I never know what to do. I looked it up and apparently I am supposed to register for a housewarming or an engagement, but not tell anyone unless they ask. I sort of feel really rude at the idea, but in the past few days - 3 more people have asked me where we're registered. I guess I should throw something together quickly, like a wish list on a couple of websites and try to accommodate those that keep asking? Is that the right thing to do? I don't want to insult anyone.. but God knows we don't need any more picture frames or bottles of wine. I'm packing up picture frames to be put in the attic until who knows when... and neither Matt nor I drink wine. It's too bad we couldn't just post our credit card sites and ask people to pay them off! Haha! Regardless, maybe I'll take a quick trip to Target or Bed, Bath, and Beyond tomorrow and scan some stuff with a gun. I guess it can't be all that bad.