Link Love

So as I've been looking through my recent Pinterest pins to share with you today, it occurred to me that I didn't really get on very much this past week. I'm almost to week 39 in my pregnancy and I have been too unfocused to really do anything but trudge through work and try to get a good night's sleep.  Instead I thought I'd share some of my favorite blogs with you so that you can enjoy them too and hopefully be inspired like I have been.

First up, Kate from The Small Things blog.  I found Kate through Pinterest of course.  She is a hairstylist and I found myself pinning or liking her stuff so much that I decided I should probably just subscribe to her blog.  She taught me how to curl my hair with a flat iron and how to french and fishtail braid.  She's got loads of hair tutorials complete with videos to show you exactly what to do which is so helpful to someone who has no clue what they're doing (i.e. me).  Kate is also the one who introduced me to Birchbox, the mail-order beauty supply website. 

Next up is Lauren over at From My Grey Desk.  She is Kate's sister.  She is more of lifestyle blogger with a mix of fashion, home, general life, and recipe posts.  She hosts the weekly link up High Five for Friday for everyone who posts the cool things that happened to them that week. 

The Pleated Poppy is home to Lindsey, mother of 3 and owner of her own accessory shop.  She blogs about her adorable children, motherhood, and her sewing and DIY ventures.  Lindsey makes and sells these amazingly cute pouches and purses and flower pins.  I haven't bought anything yet due to the impending baby and the need to save all of my pennies but I plan to soon.  I just love the ruffles and flowers she puts on her bags and pouches.  She makes me wish I knew how to sew.

Christy at The Girl Who Ate Everything is a woman after my own heart.  I can't look at her blog if I'm even remotely hungry because I just drool all over the key board (or iPhone screen).  Her recipe finds and ideas are always simple yet so damn delicious looking.  I made these Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars last Easter for our potluck at work and WOW.  So wonderful.  I really hated the gestational diabetes that day.

Everyday I get something good from Jillee over at One Good Thing.  Jillee is my idol when it comes to making things we use around the house without the hefty price tag.  Her recipes for DIY house cleaners like dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, baby wipes are so inspiring to me.  We spend hundreds of dollars every year on that stuff when I could just make my own.  I'm currently waiting to use up the rest of my laundry detergent so I can make my own.  Not to mention, this kid to get here so I can see if how her baby wipes measure up to store brand.

Well there's some good things for you all to look at and be inspired by on this Monday evening.  If you are looking for new blogs to follow and be inspired by, these ladies are tops.  Check out the buttons to the right to find more blogs worth reading. 

Have a great week everyone!

High Five for Friday

Lots of good things happening this week!  I met with my son's future pediatrician, which also happens to be the same man that took care of my husband and his younger brother.  I told my mother-in-law if he was good enough for her to trust him for the past 26 years, he's good enough for me.  The husband and I also went on the birthing center tour at the hospital so we feel even more prepared now that we have seen what's up.  I'm still trying to push this kid out while I'm sure he's inside enjoying his cushy water bath, albeit more cramped now as he's nearly 7 pounds.  But I'm still feeling well enough for work and I only have 6 more days until maternity leave!  Woo hoo!

Anyway, it's Friday!  So again I'm linking up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk and bringing you 5 of the awesome moments from my life this week.

1.  One of my co-worker's girlfriends had twins a few months ago, a boy and a girl.  Sadly, the babies are growing up and out of their clothes already and Chris gave me this huge garbage bag full of boy clothes for my little one.  I'm so grateful because you really can't have too many clothes considering how messy babies are and everything is super cute.  This piece is my favorite because, living in Lexington, you are a UK fan or you keep your mouth shut, so Jude has no choice but to love UK and all it's basketball glory.  It's kind of funny because Chris is a University of Texas fan (we don't discuss this in public) so I know he was just itching to get rid of this beauty.

2.  Don't laugh, I know this may seem silly but this bag of carrots seriously makes me happy.  Another coworker I have has a husband who works on a farm and brought home a load of carrots large enough to make even Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh weep with joy.  I mentioned that I could take some off her hands and she brought me this gallon bag of fresh, organic, homegrown carrots to enjoy.  I've been trying to think of all the ways I can use them and carrot cake is at the top of my list.    

3.  My first Birchbox arrived!  You can read more about the loot inside here.  I have been using the lip tint, hair tie, and nail polish and absolutely love everything.  And they are shipping me a new sample of the face moisturizer!

4.  So at work we often see games and puzzles come through that people want to get rid of and unfortunately opened puzzles are automatically considered trash because we don't have the time to count all the pieces.  Customers usually just have us keep them because they don't want them either.  This Yellow Submarine one came in and I immediately called it for my own, pieces there or not, I had to give it a shot.  The husband and I have been working on it every night and it's been a great way to spend some quality time together.  We don't get tons of time together during the week and this lets us listen to music and actually have conversations with each other.  Even when we aren't talking, it's nice just to be side by side working with each other.

5.  I posted a picture of my oldest cat last week and feel the need to introduce you to my other one, Momo.  Yes, they are named Appa and Momo after the animals in Avatar: The Last Airbender.  The cartoon, not the crappy movie M. Night Shamalamadouchebag ruined.  The personalities of the animals in the cartoons really fit well with my cats.

Hope you all have had a great week!

My First Birchbox Day!

It's Birchbox day!  I was introduced to it by one of my favorite bloggers, Kate at The Small Things blog, and my close friend Ravon.  Basically, for $10 a month you receive boxes of sample and full sized beauty and hair products to enjoy.  With Jude on the way, I felt that I needed something just for me to enjoy and pamper myself with.  My life is about to get super hectic and I wanted to find something inexpensive to enjoy.  Who doesn't enjoy makeup and hair and skincare products?

This is my first Birchbox and I have been super excited about receiving it since I got the email that it had shipped and was due to arrive today the 15th.  The funny thing is that it actually arrived last Saturday.  My husband brought the mail in that day and forgot to tell me that it came.  He set it on the table and then cleaned off the table later to do a puzzle with me.  When I didn't see the box today but saw it had been confirmed as delivered I was about to call the post office and complain (read: yell obnoxiously because I'm pregnant and hormonal).  Luckily for everyone, especially the poor post office worker that was about to get reamed for a missing package that wasn't actually missing, the husband remembered the box and I was able to find it.

This month's theme was Gossip Girl, which is a show I have watched but never seriously gotten into.  I usually Netflix it every now and then for an episode or two.  The box is meant to be inspiring for a social butterfly looking her best on the weekends. 

Here's a breakdown of the loot I got.

-Sugar Rose tinted lip treatment with SPF 15.   I'm not usually one for lipstick but I am constantly swiping on lip balm.  This is supposed to give you the same moisturizing of a lip balm but with a pretty tint of color.  It's free from a lot of the synthetic dyes and petroleum found in other lip treatments.  It has a screw on top that I like because nothing spells disaster like lipstick in a purse without a top on.

-Color Club nail polish in Disco Nap.  It's a pretty metallic gold color which is not something I would normally go for but my nails are due for a new coat of paint anyway.  I should be adventurous right?

-Altelier Cologne in Vanille Insensee that smells absolutely heavenly.  I love anything vanilla smelling and this one has a touch of citrus too. 
 
-Dr. Jart Water Fuse BB Cream, a face moisturizer.  It has built in sunscreen, which is a must for me, and is supposed to give your skin a nice tint that helps hide imperfections and reduce the need for lots of foundation.  Unfortunately, my sample came in empty.  I hear that they are really good about sending replacements when you email them to let them know if this happens so we shall see how they remedy this.

-Twistband hair tie in hot pink.  I'm super excited about this one because I've been seeing them a lot lately and I love hair ties.  These supposedly won't leave a crease in your hair but are still very sturdy.  They look cute on your wrist and seem durable so we shall see how they do at work tomorrow.

-Lastly, a postcard and pretty note card with envelope.  I don't often write notes to people but I love (read: obsessed with) stationary.  I doubt I'll send the postcard because the picture is so pretty but I'll find a use for the note card. 

I can't wait to give all these new samples a try and see how good the customer service is about the empty sample.  I'm seriously thinking about that nail polish.  Do you get Birchbox?  What did you get in yours?

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Mother's Day.  I got a few texts and well wishes for a Happy Mother's Day for the first time and even though baby Jude isn't here yet, I still felt special.  I look forward to many more to come and can't wait for the homemade cards and gifts from my little one.

It's back to the grind and that means a little inspiration is due to help get us through the week.  Without further ado, here are some of my awesome finds from Pinterest.






















Side Ponytail with Interest

I actually did this the other day for work and loved it!  My hair isn't as pretty as hers but it stayed out of my face all day at work and kept my hair interesting at the same time.  Plus, it's super easy which is a must if I'm going to do it.


Almond Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

I don't have an ice cream maker but boy do I want one now!  This chocolate ice cream is made with almond milk which is my favorite and seems super easy to make.


DIY Jetpack

This was just too cute not to Pin and seems pretty simple!  I imagine my son in four or five years getting one of these and wearing it as part of a Halloween costume.  Or just around the house for fun.  I think it's marvelous and can't wait for him to be here so I can torture him with all these cute ideas.






Cinnamon Roll Waffles

Um, can we talk about how genius this idea is?!  It's literally just your run of the mill cinnamon rolls from the can put in a waffle iron and then drizzled with the frosting from the can plus a bit of extra frosting mixed in.  When I'm no longer diabetic, I'm going to have one or two or ten of these babies.



No Bake Healthy Oat and Peanut Butter Balls

I tend to find a lot of unhealthy things on Pinterest so when I find something that is healthy and still sounds delicious I feel the need to share.  These seem super simple to make and sound super tasty.  Baby Jude makes me hate the smell and taste of peanut butter so these have to wait until I'm not pregnant anymore.  Just add it to my already gigantic list of "Things to Eat and Drink When I'm Not Pregnant."  Sigh.

Happy Monday everyone!  Or as happy as a Monday can be.

What's for Dinner?

So I am starting a series called "What's for Dinner?" where I show you some of the awesome things I've made or eaten throughout the week. I wanted a lot of this blog to actually be about food but so far I haven't done a lot of cooking.  Hopefully as time goes I can get really cool and link up with other bloggers to show you more awesome food things.

I don't have very much to show you so far but here's what I had for dinner the other night.

Friday Night Dinner: Chicken Alfredo w/ Spaghetti

Did you know that heavy whipping cream, butter, and cheese are all low carb?  Yes, I realize they are high in fat, calories, whatever but as I only have to watch my carb intake I eat whatever else I can get away with.  I'm pregnant, I think that's my right.  At least for now.  My big problem I have come across with gestational diabetes has been finding low carb replacements for bread and pasta.  I did manage to find this Dreamfields pasta that only has 4-5 net carbs depending on which kind you get and so far it hasn't raised my blood sugar to abnormal levels.  Keep in mind I try to eat only the recommended serving size which isn't much but it's still pasta and that's good enough for me.  I have to say that as far as taste goes, I can't tell the difference between this stuff and the regular pasta.

Now, I would usually use fettucini for making alfredo but I didn't have any on hand and I didn't feel like making a special trip to the store.  (As a side note I have found that Dreamfields pasta only ever has certain varieties in certain stores so I have to go to at least two or three different stores to find all the different types of pasta--just as a tip to anyone looking for this stuff.)  

My recipe is simple and very basic.  I find it's a little easier on the stomach this way.   

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 to 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese (depending on how thick and cheesy you like your pasta)
3-4 tbsp Olive oil (or butter if you want to be super bad...I'm not judging)
1 garlic clove minced
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped or sliced
2 servings Dreamfields pasta, about 1 inch diameter circle
Salt and pepper, to taste
Spritz of lemon juice


Method:
Boil water for pasta.  This recipe goes super fast if you aren't careful and it's better for pasta to sit than your sauce.  Once boiling, throw in your pasta and cook for 7-9 minutes until al dente or a little under.  You can always finish cooking your pasta in the sauce if you need to.  Drain and set aside.

While pasta is boiling, heat up a heavy skillet on medium to medium high heat.  (Please remember all stoves are different.  My stove always seems to do better halfway in between the two but you know your stove better than I do so use a setting appropriate for you to cook chicken.)  Saute garlic in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for 1 minute.  Salt and pepper your chicken and then add to the skillet.  Cook until no longer pink in the middle and set aside, about 7-10 minutes.  (Again, all stoves are different, this is just what works for me.)

If you want to get fancy you can use a separate skillet for the sauce but I find that using the chicken skillet helps add flavor to the sauce.  Add 1-2 more tablespoons of olive oil and whisk in the heavy whipping cream on medium high.  Bring to a slight boil and then reduce heat to medium.  Keep whisking until it thickens a little and bubbles form at the top.  Add your cheese and whisk until it reaches a creamy consistency.   I tend to like my sauce on the thicker side so I add more cheese.  You can thin it out with more cream or a bit of the pasta water if you like.  Spritz with lemon juice.  This helps to cut through the heaviness of the dish.  Just a little goes a long way, don't get crazy.  Once it's reached your desired consistency, toss in your pasta and chicken to bring it all together.  I like to add a bit more pepper to the finished product and of course more Parmesan.

This would be awesome with shrimp instead of chicken (or both!) or some nice sauteed or steamed broccoli.

Well, that's what I had for dinner!  It was delicious and just what my pasta brain was jonesing for.  I love this because it's delicious, my husband will eat it without complaint, and is done in about 30 minutes.

So tell me, what did you have for dinner?

High Five

Today, I'm linking up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk blog to bring you five good things in my life from this week because let's face it, there just isn't enough joy in the little things in this world right now.

1.  My nails!  My nails are super awesome and strong now that I'm pregnant and I just don't pretty them up enough.  I have had this idea Pinned for eons and just never got around to doing it.  It's super easy and fun.  You can find more information on it here.

2.  Appa, my oldest "son"!  He thinks he's a dog--plays fetch, growls at intruders, chews on things he shouldn't...and sleeps like a human.  He loves to lay in this spot at the end of the couch when the lamp is on and then cover his eyes as if it's too bright.  I have no idea why.  He's weird.

3.  This note pad holder was given to me at Christmas by my mother-in-law.  It's been collecting dust on a bookshelf since then, but I'm going to keep it by the computer now so I can write down my random ideas, lists, whatever and stick them the notebook I keep in my purse without having to get the notebook every time I have a thought.

4.  My son's bedding!  I absolutely LOVED The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle as a kid.  Ask any of my family about it and they will launch into stories about how I used to recite it to friends, family, strangers.  I was a shy kid so it was kind of a big deal.  Anyway, my Aunt Lynette, who I will always credit for making me into the reader I am today, got this for me from The Pottery Barn Kids and I love love love it!!

5.  This picture.  My husband and I went on a cruise for our honeymoon back in September and we got to Florida early enough that we spent some time on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale before finishing the trek to Miami (yes we drove from Lexington to Miami.)  I found it today as I was searching the photos on the computer for something else and it made me happy to just see and be reminded of vacation.

What are 5 good things that happened to you this week?  Here's one for you: It's Friday!!

It's Pinterest Monday!

Hello all!  I hope that the Monday blues have not dragged you all down.  I must admit that even though I just finished day 3 of my work week, today was rough.  I work in a used book store that actually buys books (and DVDs and CDs and video games and magazines...) from the public and I spent most of my day flipping through boxes pulled from attics and basements and barns and garages and car trunks.  Let's just say that pet/human hair, dust, hay, mold, and general dirt do not make your merchandise worth more.  Ew.

Moving on.  Here are some of my awesome finds from the past week to help you shake off those blues and get ready for the week ahead.




Banana Cream Pie Milkshake

Chik-fil-A has one of these for sale and my mouth salivates every time I see their advertisement.  Unfortunately for me, I have gestational diabetes and cannot have one.  I know, sad face.  However! this may be the thing to save me.  I have found a carb smart ice cream that does not kill my blood sugar levels and with a little substitution of unsweetened almond milk for the regular milk, I think I might be able to have one of these beauties.  I'm going to try to make a more diabetic friendly version of this on Thursday so I'll report back and let you know if I'm still standing after it.

 

DVD Coloring Case

I always see so many cute things on Pinterest that require sewing skills and I can't sew worth a darn.  More sad face.  This craft perked me right up though because it requires adhesive glue and is needle free!  I am not much of an artist either but I love this idea of paper and pens and markers in an easy carrying case.  I see tons of DVD cases we have to discard at work because we can't sell the DVD inside and I'm excited to see that perhaps those don't have to go to waste any longer!  I think this would be a perfect DIY gift for kids!




White Texas Sheet Cake

I don't think I've mentioned all the blogs I follow, but the number is starting to rise the more I get on Pinterest.  This cake comes from one of my favorite food blogs, The Girl Who Ate Everything.  Christy always seems to know exactly what I need, and on this particular day she took me home to Texas, to my grandmother's kitchen.  Grandma was a wedding cake maker and the smell of cakes, especially white or yellow cake always takes me back to her.  I'm unsure if this recipe will be anything like hers but I'm willing to give it a shot.



DIY Cleaning Supplies

Jillee over at the One Good Thing blog has compiled some of her best, most effective DIY household cleaners.  I'm not much of a house keeper (although that nesting instinct is currently kicking my butt) but I love all of these ideas she has for more environmentally friendly and cheap cleaner alternatives.  I have not tried one yet, but it's on the list of things to do.  I want to compile a list of the cleaners that use the same ingredients so I don't have to buy a billion different things.  Look for an update on this soon!




Freezer/Bulk Cooking

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to tackle this freezer cooking thing that has gotten super popular on the internet.  If you don't know what that is, you can find out more here.  I will admit that I'm not going to be making an entire month's worth of food because I'm not that ambitious yet, and I haven't quite figured how to get that much food into my freezer.  I like making the food in two week intervals.  The moms over at Once a Month Mom have created all sorts of menus for different types of people including, Gluten-free, diet, traditional, and whole foods.  My plan is to mix and match the recipes from different menus so that we can get some real variety and I don't have to worry about my blood sugar going crazy.  OAMM has created all sorts of templates for you to use that include grocery lists and recipe organizers so I'm hoping for success!  Look for an update on this as well where I will go in depth in my experience with this.

I've got some awesome things lined up for myself to tackle while I wait for this baby to come and I hope this inspired you to get out and line up some projects of your own.  Or at least inspired you to make that cake.  Who doesn't need some cake?

The Nesting Instinct

So I am officially 36 weeks pregnant which means we've come to the 9 month mark and nearing the end of this pregnancy!  I can't tell you how excited I am that this is nearly over.  I won't sit here and pretend that this has been a real hardship because as far as pregnancies go, mine has been easy sailing.  I have not been constantly harassed by nausea or crazy mood swings (minus a few breakdowns here and there).  I did get gestational diabetes and that has added stress for sure, but even that has been manageable and I have done well with it.  I think that I just miss feeling like myself.  I miss being able to do and eat and drink things that I could before getting pregnant.  And what I really want is to actually see and hold my son.  I can't wait for my little family to finally grow and be complete.

Anyway, so this nesting instinct that everyone talks about is really starting to hit me.  I decided to clean up the hall closet that holds our towels and toiletries and random other crap and then tackle the bathroom.  My husband used to run a suit store and therefore accumulated a ton of ties and two tie racks.  Since he no longer needs the ties we haven't had a real use for the racks so they have been collecting dust in closets and boxes for the past few years as we moved from apartment to apartment and finally this cozy little duplex we have now.  And sadly for me, the bathrooms seem to keep getting smaller and smaller.  Now we have this tiny little closet of a bathroom with little counter space and no shelves.  It struck me a while ago that we could build some small shelves and then we came across the tie racks.  They have been sitting in the bathroom just waiting to be hung up and today we finally put them up.

 Ta-da! The little tie pegs make perfect holders for necklaces, bracelets, and headbands.  And the tops provide perfect little shelves to hold the little items that used to clutter the tiny sink.

 Here is the before picture of my hall closet.  I find that I can't part with any shoe boxes but I put them to good use!

I used one for all my travel sized sample things.  I read in someone's blog that they use them for overnight guests as well as when they travel.  Over the next few months I am sure that we will see plenty of guests so this is the perfect place to keep things that my guests might have forgotten like shampoo, lotion, shaving lotion, etc.

I used another for my diabetic and pregnancy supplies.  Instead all of those paper bags the pharmacy provides, I put them all in a shoebox so I can now find things in a timely manner.

Here is my after picture!  On top of the shoe boxes I found uses for all the cosmetic bags I seem to have accumulated over the years.  Now everything is neat and organized and I can find what I need when I need it.  Let me tell you, there is nothing like the peace of mind a little organizing can do for you.  I think tomorrow I shall tackle the bedroom.