Pop that bubbly!

I was never a big fan of sparkling water. I remember one time when I was around 11 I was at my friends house and her parents gave me a sparkling water bottle instead of a regular water bottle and I thought they had given me alcohol. I remember taking a big sip and swallowing thinking OMG they gave me vodka and was clearly "drunk"! I thought and thought about whether to tell the Mom that I had now consumed a giant gulp of "vodka" and decided after about 10 minutes to sheepishly say " Um Mrs. X I think I got adult "water" instead of regular water." She looked at my "vodka" water bottle and said "OH I am sorry Katelyn I must have given you Mr. X's sparkling water." I looked at her and said "sparkling water? I thought that was vodka?" She just looked at me very puzzled and laughed and then handed me a real water. 

Clearly not yet used to the finer things I was not a fan of sparkling water until I got pregnant. I had HORRIBLE I mean ABSOLUTELY can't get out of bed throw up 15 times a day morning/ALL DAY/ ALL NIGHT morning sickness! Sadly it did not go away until around 20 weeks and then came back all guns blazing around 35 weeks. I was very thankful to know that my little "nugget" was growing just fine but seriously was it necessary to get sick ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT? Hopefully Baby #2 (who is NOT on the way for those of you who are wondering) will be easier on their Mommy! ANYWAYS, sparkling water and bread were about the only things I could keep down. I wasn't able to have much sparkling water after week 28 when the intense heartburn kicked in, but week 8-28 I sucked down sparkling water like it was my JOB! Trader Joes has some great sparkling water at a good price but lugging cases into the car is not so fun... Then my Mom bought my Dad a Sodastream and my eyes were opened to a whole new world! 

The SodaStream is INCREDIBLE! You just fill the bottle up with water, pump the button 2-3 times and VIOLA time for some bubbly! They also have flavor packets for you soda lovers! When your Co2 cartridge runs out you can just exchange it at your local Target, BevMo, Walmart, or Khols for a new one for $14.99! Such a GREAT DEAL! 

Another little bubbly friend I found the other day are these ADORABLE Frances Coppola champagne cans! I mean how cute are these and they come with a cute little straw! Perect for a little summer's day picnic, girls night BBQ, or a drink to sneak into the movie theater... WHAT?!?! :-) 

  

40 pounds lighter

No we aren't talking about pregnancy weight... My closet is now 40 pounds lighter! I did some MAJOR clean out this past week and decided it was time to part with several bags of clothing! At my previous job I was only allowed to wear black so I had SOOO many black professional clothing pieces that would not be used in my current "Mommy wardrobe." I also had some pre-pregnancy clothing that I had been holding on to for some time now. I even had some pieces from when I worked at J.Crew 10 years ago that I was holding on to. I probably would have kept this stuff if we didn't live in a 1100 square foot 2 bedroom apartment. Let me tell you closet space is limited and baby stuff if HUGE! We don't have a garage and we share a little storage room with all of the tenants on our floor so closets and space under the bed have turned into prime real estate! 

Now I really love my clothes, like really, really, really love my clothes but it was time to part with things I had not worn in 2+ years. I didn't just want to donate them because pretty much everything I own is from J.Crew, Banana, Old Navy or Ann Taylor Loft so I looked into some consignmenet options. There are not a ton of consignment shops around us so I found a few online and decided to go with Thredup.com. 

This website has a pretty simple process

1. They send you a bag

2. You fill it with clothing from your closet that you no longer want

3. They pay for shipping back to them

4. Then you get money!!! 

Now I still haven't gotten any cash yet since I just sent them in but I am assuming they will take a lot of my stuff. My first bag was 23lbs and this one weighed 17lbs! Now I have so much more room for baby stuff storage and maybe a little extra room for a teeny tiny shopping spree! ;) 

If you think your clothes are super rad and want back what they don't take you can pay $9.95 for your items to be shipped back. Me personally once it's gone I don't want it back! 

Now onto Peter's closet... :-) 

Doggie Days of Summer

So my Hubby is literally one of my favorite people in this world. He is incredibly smart, seriously handsome, and has the funniest sense of humor. Peter thinks many normal things in life are just too funny. For example he absolutely loves chubby babies. He told me every day while I was pregnant to eat donuts so I could grow him a chubby baby. Luckily I did not get gestational diabetes and Ava was born at a normal weight and since then has grown some of the most adorable perfect leg rolls. Peter also loves oddly shaped animals, his favorite is the dachshund. Peter told me one day that if we ever "fall into some money" he wants to retire and own a farm, normal enough dream... Then he told me that he would like to breed dachshunds on this farm. I think he saw my absolute confusion so he further clarified. He said how funny would it be to see a heard of dachshunds run over a hill, their little legs working as hard as possible, their ears flapping away and their bodies slightly touching the ground with every leap. I could not stop laughing! Of course Peter was kidding, sort of. As you can imagine this has no become a long running joke with our friends and family. Everyone knows of Peter's fondness for the oddly shaped 4 legged furry friend. So throughout the years we have collected some memorbelia as an hommage to his dream. 

The obvious, yet still funny, dachshund corn on the cob holder 

The oh so helpful and so delightful dachshund rubber cable ties

The dachshund summer serving platter

And the newest addition to the collection, dachshund shorty shorts. Perfect for exposing those perfect baby thighs! 

Love you babe. XOXO

Oh and P.S. If we ever "fall into some money" we will not be owning a farm but a beach house instead. ;) 

Silky Silky Smooth

A few months ago I went to get my hair cut and my hairstylist used Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner on my hair. Let me tell you my hair felt AMAZING! It felt super clean, silky, smooth, and the frizz was gone! The scent is also super nice as well, minty/rose/lavender/sage'ish smell. I did a little research on it and it is also 100% vegan and sulfate free! Click HERE to check it out! 

And for silky smooth baby hair I would recommend California Baby Tea Tree and Lavender Shampoo and Baby Wash. 

Talk about baby spa time this shampoo smells absolutely amazing and is strong enough to clean Ms. Ava's full head of hair but also super soft for her skin. I actually purchased it when she had a bad case of cradle cap several months ago and it helped heal it right up! So far everything I have ever purchased from California Baby has been incredible and worth every penny! She seems to like it too!

It's Baby Time! Leave the lavender incense at home.

So a few of my friends are expecting and have asked me what do you really need to take to the hospital. You want to make sure you have everything you need but do you really need to take everything? Being prepared is key but honestly while you are popping out a baby you are not going to be wishing you brought your lavender aroma therapy incense. 

Basically you need 2 bags, 1 for the delivery room and 1 for your overnight stay. Here are my recommendations for the delivery room.

1. Pillow with a patterned or colored pillow case (make sure it's not a good one because it might need to be tossed)

2. Dark patterned robe to walk around in (you want it dark and patterned incase your milk comes in and you get spots) 

3. Your camera (make sure the battery is charged!)

4. Extra hair bands and bobby pins

5. Some sort of baby toy or clothing item that reminds you that your baby is ALMOST HERE! (I took Sophie and every time I would have a really bad contraction I would stare at her and think about how Ms. Ava was almost here)

6. Ipad (load up some music you want to hear or just have it handy incase you have extra time... haha ya right on the "extra time")

7. Sports bra, socks, and slippers (make sure the slippers aren't too slippery! You'll want them if you have to walk the halls to get things moving)

8. Tennis ball and massager (There is nothing better than a tennis ball being rubbed up and down your back if you are in back labor) 

9. An extra tee shirt and sweater for the Hubby (You will be sweating like crazy but the Hubs might think the 62 degree room is a little chilly) 

10. Snacks and water for Hubby (my recommendation is nothing too noisy and stuff they can make easily. The last thing you want is a chip bag crinkling while you are starving and in pain) 

11. Extra cash for the vending machines for EXTRA snacks for the Hubby (gotta stay hydrated and full to be a good coach)

12. Phone charger (You never know how long you'll be in there and you'll want to send that "Welcome to the World" picture text to family near and far)

The hospital bag for the overnight stay is also very important. After you just popped out that little one you will want to spend all your time gazing at your sweet little love and trying to get a little rest. 

Now for the hospital overnight bag you want first and foremost your tolitries bag. You will be N-A-S-T-Y after delivery and will want a shower or sponge bath or whatever they let you do. So bring...

1. Shampoo and Conditioner

2. Soap (Just make sure you don't bring soap that extra fragrant because your baby will not like it and doesn't care if you smell like cucumber melon or vanilla and grapefruit)

3. NIPPLE CREAM and more NIPPLE CREAM! Lather up ladies! (Only if you plan on breastfeeding)

4. Deodorant for you and the Hubby

5. Chapstick (the hospital is SUPER dry and you'll want some good lip stuff)

6. Mascara (even though you feel like a zombie a little mascara makes everything better) 

OK next in the bag you will want  

1. Change of clothes for the Hubby.. don't forget the socks! 

2. A nursing tank pyjama set for you with a robe top 

4. Extra nursing tank 

5. flip flops for the shower 

6. The Boppy if you plan on nursing. The lactation consultants will want you to practice with it

7. A cute sleeper or gown for the little one with a matching hat (or you can use the hospital one but I mean roses and bows are SO much cuter) 

8. A going home outfit for baby and something COMFORTABLE and STRETCHY for Momma (Just make sure your going home outfit is not a gown for the baby. You can't do the car seat straps unless they are wearing pants)

9. A warm blanket for the little one to bundle them up in as you leave the hospital (Cuter for those pictures)

Other stuff you might consider is another pillow for the Hubby and more nipple cream for the new Momma ;) 

Yum yum in my tum tum

So I have been making some pretty delicious things this month and I wanted to share. 1 is good for you and the other one is just is OH SO GOOD!

OK the good for you... Low fat lemon pound cake. We had a couple over for dinner and I wanted to make something relatively healthy for dessert. So off to Pinterest I went and found a recipe for low fat lemon pound cake. It was super easy and absolutely yummy!

 I made mine in a bunt pan and served it with mango sorbet, blackberries, and strawberries. Click HERE for the recipe.

The next one is absolutely amazing and probably terrible for you but it was super delicious. I had this french toast souffle at my friend Allison's house at a Christmas brunch. This week I volunteered to bring a breakfast item to the Mom's Bible study I go to. As soon as I volunteered I knew EXACTLY what to make! Let me tell you it was a hit and the whole house smelled like maple syrup. 

I am sure you could make with low fat cream cheese and reduced sugar syrup but it's good to be bad every now and again. Click HERE for the recipe and enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day

When I think of the word Mom I think of many different things. I think of warmth, love, kindness, braveness, exhaustion, hugs, kisses, freshly baked cookies, hero, superwoman, chauffeur, cook, maid, doctor, therapist, best friend, and home. I have been blessed with an amazing Mom, a supermom! A woman who has absolute unconditional love for me, my siblings, and her grand babies... heck even the kids down the street! She would do anything for us, give anything for us, and be anything for us. She always encourages, always gives great advice, always finds humor in every situation and always has shown us God's unconditional love. 

The one thing that my Mom has always done was teach us how to have a home that honors God. When I think of the word home and I instantly think of my Mom. I think of a home where laughter is the first thing you hear when you enter in the front door, where food is the first thing you smell and where God is the center of it all. A home is a place where you cry, where you laugh, where you praise, where you entertain, where you pray, where you dance, a home is where you feel safe and where you love. 

Even though I am 2,791 miles away on Mother's Day I feel at home because my Mom has always taught me that near or far home is where there is love. Thank you Mom for always helping us find and create our home.