Just me and my frugal kitchen

Making Baby Food

2012-02-08T12:15:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I had always planned on making baby food for little miss on our own. We love to buy produce and really how hard could it be? I will actually say it was EASIER then I would have every thought. We have just been steaming what ever vegetable she is eating for the week, then putting it into our chopper. Add a little liquid (mommy milk) and you are set to go.

We are then taking the puree and putting it in silicone mini muffin pans and putting them into the freezer. Above is the butternut squash we made her. After they freezer, pop them out and put into a plastic bag. Little miss eats one at a meal (for now) and they are so easy to make. We have done butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, and green beans so far. She has loved all the veggies and we are moving on to fruits.

I am loving that I know exactly what she is eating and that it is so fresh. Also the price is amazing! The baby food jars are anywhere from $0.55 to $1 and these 12 servings of squash I got from half a squash that cost me $4, so that is only $0.16 a serving! If you are interested in making baby food let me know I have picked up a number of great e-books on what to do!

Franklin Fountain

2012-02-06T12:15:00.000-05:00

For anyone that lives near Philly (or watches Food Network or the Travel Channel as much as we do), you have probably seen someone at Franklin Fountain. This has been on my list of places to visit for over a year. As an ice cream lover I really wanted to try it out. I had wanted to go after little miss was born (good thing we did not go, not sure the walk from the hospital to Franklin Fountain would have happened the day after giving birth!)

So this past weekend Hubby and I where in the city and since it was a nice day (for the middle of winter) we decided to walk down to Franklin Fountain. Good thing we went in the winter, the line was out the door!!

Here is little miss with our order

We got the Mt. Vesuvius

“A mountain of CHOCOLATE or VANILLA ice cream ERUPTING with chocolate brownie pieces, CASCADING with hot fudge and BLANKETED in malt powder. A dollop of whipped cream indicates her smoking signal.”

Hubby picked Chocolate ice cream and boy was this thing amazing! The ice cream was not overly sweet and perfectly creamy. Hubby and I loved it and that it came in a fun Chinese food container!

We would love to go back but can’t imagine what the line would be like in the summer!

Where is the best place you have had ice cream?

Who Makes You Smile Contest

2012-02-03T14:40:00.001-05:00

What to Expect has a new photo contest with their partner site TopDentists.com, and they thought mommy readers would be interested in the “Who Makes You Smile” photo contest.

The contest offers the chance to show off pics with your adorable children and have the opportunity to win a professional teeth whitening session in NYC for busy moms who need a get-away and a beauty pick-me-up.

The contest goes from now until February 24th. In addition to the big NYC grand prize, there are daily prizes and chances to win teeth whitenings in selected local areas!

Check out more information:
http://www.topdentists.com/smile/

Or just vote for little miss on her page HERE!

Army of Women New Study

2012-02-01T12:15:00.000-05:00

Here is the newest Army of Women study. Please help the cause and share the information!

Project Title Variations in the Health Needs of Breast Cancer Survivors

Researcher Ulrike Boehmer, PhD, at the Boston University School of Public Health, in collaboration with Brown University

Study Summary The information gained from this research about the well-being and quality of life of lesbian and bisexual women with breast cancer will be used to develop programs and services designed to reduce health disparities. After the research team enrolls the lesbian and bisexual women, they will enroll heterosexual women to take part in the phone survey.

Who Can Participate? You can sign up for the Variations in the Health Needs of Breast Cancer Survivors Study if:
• You identify as lesbian, bisexual, or as a woman who partners with women
AND
• You have been diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in your life
After you RSVP, the researchers will ask you additional questions to be sure that this study is a right fit for you.

What Does Participation Involve? If you choose to join this study, you will be asked to take part in a phone survey that will last approximately 45 minutes. Questions about your health, medical history, demographics, and sexual orientation will be asked. Six hundred women are needed for this study.

Where? Anywhere in the United States

Apply here!

Jacqui Helper

2012-01-30T12:15:00.000-05:00

With working full-time and little miss at home, we need to have some quick dinners on hand. The other night I had planned to grab a hamburger helper from the pantry and make a quick dinner, 1 little problem, we had no helper in the house……

What to do, well I had the ground beef out so I thought we have plenty of veggie I can make my own helper.

So I browned off the ground beef, sautéed some onions and mushrooms in the pan, added some fiesta spice mix, peas, and milk then simmered away while the pasta cooked. We mixed it all together and this was a pretty tasty pantry and freezer meal.

What have you thrown together in a pinch?

NEW AOW Study

2012-01-23T13:57:00.001-05:00

A New Way to Predict Breast Cancer Risk?

Posted by Dr. Susan Love at 6:00 am

We have recruited for this study in the past and now need your help for the next phase. The researchers are now looking for women who had a normal breast biopsy but have NOT had breast cancer. Please read on to learn more about what’s involved and who can participate. If this study isn’t a good fit for you, please pass it on to anyone you know who might be interested!

What’s the study about?

A research team at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is investigating whether the amount of DNA damage seen in the cells in normal breast tissue may be an indicator of future breast cancer risk. Previously, the researchers recruited women who had had a benign breast biopsy and then went on to develop breast cancer. NOW, they need women who had a benign breast biopsy but did NOT go on to develop breast cancer. By recruiting women who did develop breast cancer and women who did not, they will be able to look for markers in the breast cells that might be an indicator of breast cancer risk.

What’s involved?

If you agree to participate in the Discovery of Early Markers of Breast Cancer study (Phase 2), you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire about your reproductive history, smoking history, and family health background. You will receive and then return the questionnaire by mail (at no cost to you). You will then need to ask your doctor or pathologist for two things: the pathology slides from your benign breast biopsy and a block of your paraffin embedded benign breast tissue. (You will be given a detailed instruction sheet to give to your doctor or pathologist to explain what is needed and why.) You will mail these items to the researchers, at no cost to you. If you prefer, you can give the research team permission to request the pathology slides and tissue block from your doctor.

The researchers need to enroll 400 women in this study.

Who is conducting the study?

Dr. Isabelle Bedrosian and Dr. Abenaa Brewster, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Where?

Anywhere in the US (all participation is handled in the mail)

Who can participate?

You can sign up for the Discovery of Early Markers of Breast Cancer study (Phase 2) if you match ALL of these MAIN categories:

• You are a woman over the age of 18
• You have had screening mammograms performed
• You have NOT been diagnosed with breast cancer (including DCIS)
• You had a benign breast biopsy after January 2000
• You were NOT pregnant or breastfeeding when you had the benign breast biopsy
• You were NOT using birth control pills or menopausal hormone therapy when you had the benign breast biopsy
• You have NOT tested positive for the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 mutation (if known)
• You live in the United States

After you RSVP, the research team will ask you additional questions to be sure that this study is a right fit for you.

Final 6 Weeks of Bliss

2012-01-19T12:23:00.001-05:00

I have been taking part in the 6 Weeks of Bliss Challenge since December and now it is finally the last week This week the challenge is to share 5 things that might surprise people about me. Hmmm…what to start with…..

1- When I was little I hated vegetables and exercise.

2- I am an only child.

3 – The hubby is actually 3 years younger then me (although I think he is the more responsible one).

4- I have a degree in International Relations and languages and do absolutely nothing with it.

5-I love my job but would love to do something more health and fitness focused. Any ideas? Help a girl out!

Thanks for reading

Army of Women Call to Action

2012-01-18T13:23:00.001-05:00

I like to posted these studies to help get the word out!

From the Army of Women:

We need women anywhere in the United States who had a benign breast biopsy after January 2000 and have NOT been diagnosed with breast cancer. Some women who have had a benign breast biopsy are at higher risk of developing breast cancer than women who have not had a benign breast biopsy. However, there is currently no way to determine which women who have had a benign breast biopsy will actually go on to develop the disease.
We have recruited for this study in the past and now need your help for the next phase. The researchers are now looking for women who had a normal breast biopsy but have NOT had breast cancer. Please read on to learn more about what's involved and who can participate. If this study isn't a good fit for you, please pass it on to anyone you know who might be interested!

What's the study about?

What's involved?

Who is conducting the study?

Dr. Isabelle Bedrosian and Dr. Abenaa Brewster, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Where?

Anywhere in the US (all participation is handled in the mail)

Who can participate?

You can sign up for the Discovery of Early Markers of Breast Cancer study (Phase 2) if you match ALL of these MAIN categories:
• You are a woman over the age of 18
• You have had screening mammograms performed
• You have NOT been diagnosed with breast cancer (including DCIS)
• You had a benign breast biopsy after January 2000
• You were NOT pregnant or breastfeeding when you had the benign breast biopsy
• You were NOT using birth control pills or menopausal hormone therapy when you had the benign breast biopsy
• You have NOT tested positive for the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 mutation (if known)
• You live in the United States
After you RSVP, the research team will ask you additional questions to be sure that this study is a right fit for you.

Whole Grain First Ingredient

2012-01-16T12:15:00.000-05:00

This post comes form the wonderful people at MyBlogSpark.com

The Dietary Guidelines recommend choosing products with a whole grain listed as the first ingredient. Now every cereal with the white check has more whole grain than any other single ingredient, with the same great taste. You will see whole grain as the first ingredient on the ingredient list, indicating that whole grain is the first and most prevalent ingredient.

According to Dr. Travis Stork, emergency room physician and host of "The Doctors," identifying whole grain products can be challenging. Shoppers can look for cues on the front of the box, but they need to read the ingredient list to know if they are getting products with whole grain as the first ingredient. Ingredient lists detail ingredients in order of prevalence, and if the words "whole" or "whole grain" are followed by a grain like wheat or oats, it means the food contains more whole grain than any other single ingredient. Here´s how to determine if your cereals have whole grain as a first ingredient:

People really want to make healthy eating decisions, but there are a lot of messages vying for their attention in the supermarket. This can be especially true when it comes to determining which foods have a meaningful amount of whole grain. Dr. Stork has some additional recommendations to help you include whole grain easily into your diet. They include:

Start Early! The Dietary Guidelines recommend people get at least 48 grams of whole grain in their daily diets. Get a jump-start on the day´s nutrition by incorporating whole grain into your morning routine. For instance, when choosing cereal make sure whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. One easy choice is cereal with the white check, which have more whole grain than any other single ingredient.
Make Simple Swaps. Choose whole grain versions of the foods you love. Great options include whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread or even whole grain crackers. Also, try different types of whole grain. Use brown rice instead of white rice as a side dish at dinner or popcorn, which is a whole grain, for a snack.
Don´t Judge a Food by Its Cover. The front of food packages provide good nutritional cues, but don´t forget to read the ingredients and check the nutrition label and side labels for additional health information. Cereals with the white check even include the amount of whole grain per serving on packaging.

Tune into "The Doctors" on January 13th when the experts will discuss the importance of whole grain. Plus, check out Dr. Travis Stork in this brief video on how to find whole grain.

To help make it easier to find whole grain products, General Mills developed "Fast Lane for Whole Grain," an online educational game. Consumers can navigate virtual grocery store aisles and identify products that have whole grain as the first ingredient, with the option to enter a sweepstakes to win one of each of the 50 cereals with the white check.

In connection with healthier lifestyles, a diet rich in whole grain has been linked to healthier body weights, and it may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

Make a commitment to incorporate more whole grain into your family´s diets by starting their day with a bowl of cereal with the white check, including Cheerios®, Lucky Charms®, Cinnamon Toast Crunch®, Honey Nut Cheerios® and Total®. For more information on the importance of whole grain and a chance to enter the "Fast Lane for Whole Grain" sweepstakes visit www.WholeGrainNation.com.

In addition, you can visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/d537/ to download a printable coupon for $1.75 off the purchase of any (2) cereals with the white check today!

Quick Workouts

2012-01-12T15:59:00.001-05:00

This week’s Bliss Community Challenge is about your favorite 10-15 min workout. I thought this was great, even though I am not sure I have one to share. Since little Miss got here I have not really had time for too many workouts, but find I can put her in her jumper and get in about 10-15 mins so this idea was perfect for me.

I have been doing quick kickboxing or ab workouts that I have found on the ON Demand channel on our cable box. Also I take the dog and the baby for a walk around our neighborhood. Nothing major but it is a start for this busy mom.

What are your favorite quick workouts? Help me out I need some ideas!!!

$50 from Loft!

2012-01-11T12:36:00.001-05:00

Loft is having a great opportunity to get some more info about great clothes and a wonderful deal (what could be better!)

“Loft is kicking off 2012 with the race to reach 1 Million Fans. When they reach 1 million fans, they are giving everyone $50 towards their next full-price purchase of $100 or more.”

Like them on Facebook and we could all win!

Fo-yo to go

2012-01-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

I normally have off the week between Christmas and New Year’s and I use that time to get a lot of stuff done around the house. This year was a little different. With the little Miss, I was not sure how much time I would have. However, Hubby and I decided it was best for her to stay in her routine a little so she went to “school” 2 of the days that week. While I got a lot done, she was able to play with her friends and get in a good nap. One day on the way to pick her up I remembered I had a coupon for 5 oz of free frozen yogurt at Toppings. I thought I would pop in to see what they had. I was so excited that they still had the holiday flavors.

Here is my bowl of candy cane and gingerbread. So good and I never have done this, but taking it to go is just as good. I waited until little Miss took a nap later in the day and sat down with my yummy fro-yo to go. Just as good out of the freezer as out of the machine. I love self serve places and that you can pick your own combo and topping mix.

Do you have a self serve place near you? What is you fav combo?

New Year’s Resolutions

2012-01-03T15:06:00.002-05:00

I try not to make too many New Year’s Resolutions because when I break them I feel horrible about it (no clue why, just the way I am). But as part of the Bliss Challenge I am sharing them with you. So here is my short list:
1- Get back to working out at least 4 days a week (I want to do 5 but I will start slow).
2- Find a good work life balance
3 – Get back to date nights with Hubby!
4- Blog once a week.
So that is my list, what are your resolutions?

My Holiday Wish List

2011-12-20T09:44:00.001-05:00

If you remember from a few weeks ago here, I decided to take the Bliss 6 Weeks of Bliss Challenge to get back into blogging. This week the question is what health or wellness goal tops your list this holiday. For me this is an easy one. I want to get back to a regular workout routine. Since I have gone back to work I am finding it hard to take care of the baby and myself at the end of the day. I have this great DVD I was doing while on maternity leave that was really helping take the baby weight off, but I just don’t have time (or energy right now) to do it anymore.

My wish for this holiday is that we are able to get into a good routine and that I am able to have time for me again. Any mom with any ideas or advice out there?

Energy Boost

2011-12-14T12:15:00.000-05:00

Now that I am back at work but still breast feeding I find that I actually need my afternoon snack. I am trying to pick something healthy and filling that I actually want to eat. This can be a hard combination. Thanks to the wonderful people at Abbott who make Zone Perfect Bars I have been able to try the Sweet and Salty Trail Mix Bars.

I am loving these bars, they have the perfect mix of sweet with a little salty and provide me with that much need boost in the afternoon hours. I am a huge bar fan so a big thanks to Abbott for sending me a case of these bars to try out.

Are you a bar fan? I love to keep them on hand and keep one in the diaper back just in case I am very out and need a snack.

What is your favorite bar?

Whole Foods Couponing Style

2011-12-12T12:15:00.000-05:00

So who else bought the Living Social deal for Whole Foods? Yes I know it was months ago, but I got a little busy and just got to use mine before Thanksgiving. Here is the haul that Hubby and I got for $2 after the Living Social voucher:

Chocolate Croissant

3 soups – all bought with Whole Foods coupons

Wheat Gluten – used a WF and manufacture's coupon on that

Salsa – with manufacture's coupon

Clif Bars – with WF coupon

Cheese from the spare cheese bin

Blue cheese

What are your Whole Foods shopping secrets?

Red Hot Holiday Trends

2011-12-08T09:57:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share this list of top holiday desserts I got from My Blog Spark and Betty Crocker yesterday!

Trend: Double Desserts

Taking two desserts and mixing and mashing them together is one of our favorite trends. Things like pie shakes, cookie stuffed cookies, and pie-filled cupcakes deliver a whole new kind of delicious. It´s a 1+1=3 kind of thing.

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Cookies

Pie, meet cookie. Cookie, say hello to pie. When two all-time favorites come together, you get Pumpkin Pie Cookies, the star at your next holiday cookie exchange.

Trend: Boozy Baking

From booze cakes to cocktail pies, bakers everywhere are bringing the bar into the kitchen. A titch of tequila or a skosh of scotch whiskey adds a serious shot of fun and flavor for the over 21 crowd. We´re loving these boozy baked goods!

Recipe: Boozy Bourbon Chocolate Cupcakes

Taste for yourself what the buzz is all about! A bit of bourbon, a hit of coffee liqueur and some vanilla vodka-spiked frosting make these sophisticated chocolate cupcakes the ultimate "holiday helpers."

Trend: Color. Flavor. Fun.

Traditional baked goods are being transformed with bright colors and playful flavors. With a little creativity and imagination, no one can resist this happy, fun food!

Recipe: Cake Batter Cookie Stackers

Take sugar cookies to a whole new level of delicious! Kids and adults will love these cake batter flavored cookies with colorful frosting, and lots of sprinkles! Stack `em up and watch `em go.

Trend: From Cave to Kitchen

Forget the man cave. Today guys are in the kitchen making (or at least appreciating) really good food. Big food. Really good, big food that´s stacked and stuffed with the flavors they can´t resist.

Recipe: Mantastic Fried Chicken `n´ Waffle Sandwich

Here´s a new take on chicken `n´ waffles - made better with beer, bacon, and bourbon. It´s the ultimate manly man meal.

Trend: Skinny Cocktails

Here´s the skinny! Drinking high-calorie cocktails is so last year. The modern mixologist is shaking things up with light & flavorful cocktails.

Recipe: Skinny Clementine Martini

Add some clever sparkle to your next party. Enjoy these natural, light martinis made with fresh juice, high-quality liquor, and a splash of club soda. Lower calorie cocktails never tasted, or looked, so sweet. Cheers!

Trend: Better Than Bought

From canning to candy making, there´s a renewed interest in handcrafted foods. This season, homemade food gifts are just the right thing to show your care and creativity.

Recipe: Cajeta Caramel Fudge

Create the perfect combination of flavor and crunch with this homemade candy. Rich chocolate fudge layered with cajeta caramel, cashews and a sprinkle of sea salt-a recipe to impress.

Trend: Veggie Love

Once just tolerated, vegetables are now celebrated. Omnivores and herbivores alike have discovered that veggies offer variety and great taste, and are feeling the love.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Hummus

Hummus with fresh sweet potato packs even more plant power. Add a delicious blend of smoked paprika, coriander, and cumin to make this flavorful dip.

Trend: Shareworthy & Allergen-Friendly

Allergen-friendly foods may be free from things like nuts, dairy and eggs, but shouldn´t be free from flavor. Thankfully, we´re seeing new foods and recipes that can be enjoyed by everyone - whether you´re allergy-sensitive or not.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Gather everyone around the table to enjoy this moist and delicious pumpkin bread. Made with no nuts, no dairy, no eggs, and no gluten - no kidding!

Trend: D-I-Y for D-O-G

Man´s best friend deserves man´s best effort. That´s why making your own dog food is one of the latest canine crazes! This year, homemade dog treats are at the top of fido´s list.

Recipe: Dog Bark

This treat will make your dog sit up and beg for more. Make the bark by melting carob chips and peanut butter then top with your dog´s favorite ingredients - bacon and cheese. Bow WOW!

Trend: Food Craft

The kitchen is the new craft room. With food as their medium, clever cooks are making amazing edible food crafts that are as good to look at as they are to eat.

Recipe: Chocolate Coal Lumps

Naughty or nice, everyone will love these easy cho-coal-late treats. Cocoa Puffs® cereal dipped in melted chocolate and marshmallows create these tasty stocking stuffers.

6 Weeks of Bliss Challenge

2011-12-07T14:51:00.002-05:00

Wow have I been a bad blogger. Life just really got in the way for awhile for me. I am happy to say that Baby R is doing great and that I am now back to work. We are getting into a good routine with all of us out of the house and I even had time to workout last night! I am glad to be able to get back to work and have a better routine for all of us.
That all being said I got an interesting email this week about the 6 weeks of Bliss Challenge to blog about, since I have not been blogging in a bit I thought it would be a good chance to get back into the habit and share some more about me. The first challenge was to write about why you started blogging. For me that is easy, I started reading the blog of a local radio personality that I would listen to at work. Lisa’s blog was so random but about so much that I could relate to I thought it would be a great way to keep track of my own life.

Following Lisa helped me to see that I could keep track of my life and share things like Baby R with my friends and family at lot easier. Also I can relate to so much that she talks about it makes it a great way to get ideas and look into things that I want to share with others.
So why did you start blogging?

LOFT News: Win a Private Shopping Party

2011-11-14T13:36:00.001-05:00

Win a private shopping spree at Loft!

How to Adjust to Healthy Meals

2011-10-28T12:15:00.000-04:00

This post comes from James at Blog Content Guild:

Eating healthy is sometimes easier in theory than in practice. This is because many traditional healthy meals don’t quite taste as good as the comfort food some of us are used to eating. Learning to like food that is good for you isn’t always easy. On the bright side, not all nutritious foods are tasteless. You can eat well for your body and still eat a variety of foods that actually taste good. Eating well does not mean that you need to starve yourself or spend hours and hours laboring in the kitchen. You simply need to change how you eat in a couple of ways. Here’s how:

Be mindful of the portions you’re eating.

A lot of people eat too much because their plates are too large. Eating too much isn’t good for you, and it actually expands your stomach, so you’re able to eat more and more in the future. You can go to Ikea or a similar store and buy some plates that are smaller in size. When you eat out, assess how big your plate is. If it’s big, only eat half of your serving and take the rest home in a doggie bag. You can eat it for lunch the next day. Once you’ve got your plate situation under control, you should focus on how fast or slow you eat. Fast eaters eat more because they don’t give their stomachs any time to digest and let them know they’re full.

Remember that it’s all about balance.

You should try to incorporate something from each of the food groups into your dishes. Try to eat an assortment of protein, whole grains, vegetables, dairy products, and fruits.

For example, you might like steak and fries. Unfortunately, this isn’t the healthiest of meals. But if you play around with the portions and ingredients, you can make a dish that is just as good and much healthier for you. You can serve yourself half a steak instead of a full steak. In lieu of fries, you can eat some green beans and healthy pasta. Season your green beans as you would your fries, and you practically won’t be able to tell the difference!

Give your kitchen another chance.

Make an effort to cook at home more often. Cooking at home enables you to control the portion of food you put on your plate. It also lets you choose exactly what’s in the food you’re eating. You get to control which oils you cook with and how much salt you add to your meals, so you are always able to know that your meals are healthy. If your culinary skills are limited, you can search for recipes online that are simple to prepare and nutritious. Try out all different kinds of meals you have never tried before. And add some color to the meals you cook with various kinds of vegetables. The more color a vegetable has, the more vitamins and other nutrients it can offer you.

If you are aware of portion sizes, balance your diet, and cook more at home, eating right for your body can actually be pretty easy!

Door to Door Organics

2011-10-26T12:15:00.000-04:00

In August I saw a Groupon for this organic produce delivery service called Door to Door Organics. After buying the groupon I sent Door to Door Organics an email about a blog review. Danny the owner emailed me right back and offered to send me the small box to try.

Well small is an interesting term for this box!

Inside my box was the following

3 grapefruits

1 bunch bananas (nice small size and in perfect shape for a mid morning snack)

3 plums (first time I tired one and super sweet and juicy)

1 pint raspberries (amazingly fresh and so good – I am a berry lover for sure)

1 bag of carrots

1 head lettuce

1 bunch dandelion greens

2 potatoes

1 butternut squash (amazingly tender when roasted)

The produce was so fresh and came packed nicely. I am a huge fan of Door to Door Organics. The box I got is $39 and I think a great value for the money. This is a great way to try new produce items and stay organic as well.

Thanks again to Danny and Door to Door Organics. I can’t wait to use my groupon!

Baby Girl’s Stationary

2011-10-24T12:15:00.000-04:00

I am a huge believer in sending thank you notes for everything. I love getting them and feel it is very important to send them. So when I saw Children’s Stationary on Minted.com after I won a gift certificate from Abbie, I knew I had to order some.

Hubby and I decided on these for Baby Girl’s first stationary! How cute are they

What are your feeling about handwritten thank yous?

Big G Cereals

2011-10-20T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hold on to your capes for a breakfast of heroic proportions!

Big G cereals and DC Comics have combined powers in their dedicated efforts to promote reading among children. They have enlisted the help of the Justice League, from Batman to Wonder Woman to Green Lantern, and they are coming right to your breakfast table! Available now, specially marked Big G cereal boxes feature action packed, collectable Justice League comic books.

Want more action adventure? Each comic contains a link to www.BigGCerealHeroes.com for continuations of each story, not to mention a cut-out DC Super Hero mask on the back of the box perfect for helping the Justice League fight crime at breakfast time!

This information was provided by DC Comics and General Mills through MyBlogSpark

Enter the Loft Sweepstakes!

2011-10-18T09:37:00.001-04:00

I am a huge Loft Fan so I wanted to share this great sweepstakes with you all

http://www.facebook.com/LOFT?sk=app_203241633079130

Good luck!

More Formula Please

2011-10-14T10:15:00.000-04:00

I have to say I love our pediatrician office. We had our 1 month appt the other day, which went well

and after talking to the nurse about the combo feeding method we have been using, she gave me all this Enfamil formula to take home!

This has been really helpful as formula is not something that Hubby and I had planned to be buying. If you use formula which is your favorite brand?

Extreme Couponing–Mommy style

2011-10-12T12:15:00.000-04:00

I had an extreme couponing moment the other week. Although not as good as those amazing shoppers, I got all this for a little over $6!

Free items with coupons:

3 bags of Pop chips

Beech Nut Rice cereal

2 jars of Beech Nut baby food

Suave Shampoo and Conditioner

Coupon items:

Chobani yogurt

Soy Joy Bars (buy 2 get 1 free)

Rice Selects Couscous

Target Baby Pants

Gerber Formula ($5 after rebate coupons!)

I felt so accomplished getting all this for so little! What are your favorite items to get with a coupon?

Outlets and Weddings

2011-10-10T12:15:00.000-04:00

The end of September we had our first road trip with little one. She did a great job in the car and was dressed for the experience:

Hubby and I had a wedding to attend in Virginia that he was a part of, here we all our ready to go party!

Lucky for us (well me) the hotel we stayed at was right next to an outlet shopping center! Of course we had to go over, especially after hearing they had a Vera Bradley outlet! Here is what Hubby and I got:

We got all this for $50. The Vera Bradley small duffel bag is for little one for over night trips and with a coupon we got it for $23! We also went into Old Navy and got jeans for Hubby and yoga pants for me for less then $30. Finally was a trip to Carter’s (since I have gift cards) to pick up some Christmas items for the little one.

We will be headed to the outlets by us in a few weeks for Christmas shopping! Do you outlet shop?

Grains Side Salad

2011-10-07T12:15:00.000-04:00

I love taking recipes I find and changing them based on what I have on hand. This is based on this recipe from Martha Stewart Living. I used couscous in this salad, but the recipe calls for barley which I think would be nice too.

For this salad take 8-10 mushrooms and cook them for 5 minutes in a skillet on high with 1 tablespoon oil. Let cool then slice. Whisk together 1/4 cup oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Add mushrooms, 1 grated carrot, 1/2 an onion chopped, and parsley. Serve cold.

This salad made a nice and easy side dish to our dinner the other night and had both our starch and veggies in it.

How do you like to change recipes you find?

Breastfeeding–the bad and the ugly

2011-10-05T11:10:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking a lot about this post and decided that I had to do it because reading something like this would have made me feel better in the first few days after Baby R arrived.
Here is the background to the story, I really wanted to breastfeed my little girl. I knew that is was the healthiest method for her, it would be good for me, and it was the most economical choice. The being said I was nervous about the process what if I did not produce enough milk, what if I was bad at breastfeeding, what if she did not take to it? Well some of my fears came true. I tried to breastfeed at the hospital and the first few times she did a great job, then at the end of day 1 she started screaming every time I tried to feed her.
We went to breast feeding class at the hospital and they said this was normal. I felt so much better and thought we would be fine once we got home. Well that first night we did ok, she ate a little more but still screamed during feedings. I was getting so worried about her that by day 3 I had said to Hubby that made we should just give her some of the formula that I had in the basement that my OB gave me as samples (not sure why I saved all the samples I got, but I did!) Finally, Hubby and I gave her a 2 oz bottle of Enfamil formula just to be sure she was ok.
The next day we went to the doctor’s office for her first appt. It turns out she had lost weight (which is normal) but was still in the ok range. The doctor suggested that we try pumping the breast milk and supplementing with formula for the next few days until we came back for a weight check. Since we just wanted to do what was best for her, Hubby and I decided that this was the best method.
Well 2.5 days later, back at the doctor’s office she had gained 8 oz!!! The doctor was so happy she said not to wake her up at night anymore and just let her wake us when she wants to eat. We also meet with the office lactation consultant, who explained to us that we just have a lazy eater. It is hard for her to get enough milk from my breast fast enough so she gives up. Apparently this is not as uncommon as it sounds. I was so relieved to hear that I was not the only one who has this problem. The lactation consultant even told us that she has some mothers that just pump the whole time and feed the baby by a bottle with breast milk.
Hubby and I liked this idea for several reasons. First, it meant he could feed her and feel more connect to her. (I love listening to him talk to her when he feeds her!) Second, it means she was ready for the bottle when we had a wedding only 3 weeks after she was born and would be ready for daycare when I go back to work (something we had worried about). Third, we would know how much she is getting and not have to worry if she is really hungry or not.
All that being said I have had a few times when she has nursed successfully but it does not seem that I am not making enough milk for her (which my doctor warned could have always been a problem because of some breast issues in the past). I feel like I got the chance to have that nursing experience when she has done it a few times, but since I am pumping and getting a lot of her food supply from me, I still feel like I am providing for her the best I can.
I am sure there are some people that will disagree with my choice to pump and supplement with formula, but her doctor, hubby, and I all agree this is working best for all of us. The main thing is that she is healthy and that is all that matters to me. Do I wish she had taken to breastfeeding better? Of course I do, but I have a healthy, happy baby and that is really all that matters to me. The first few days we decided to supplement made me feel like a failure to my baby, but I now realize I am not that much different from a lot of other people and that is ok.
I will say that this would not have all worked out without my awesome breast pump. This is my own thoughts no one is asking me to say this (but I would love if they did!). I have been using the Medela Pump In Style Advanced.

So if you need a pump I would recommend this one highly!

Birth Announcements have been ordered!

2011-10-04T09:31:00.002-04:00

Swiss Dots Lilac Baby Announcements

Shutterfly has custom baby invitations and birth announcements.

View the entire collection of cards.

Blog for your breasts

2011-10-03T12:15:00.000-04:00

WHAT

The Love/Avon Army of Women is an opportunity for women to be a part of breast cancer research studies aimed at determining the causes of breast cancer – and how to prevent it. The Army of Women is a groundbreaking initiative that connects breast cancer researchers with real women who are willing to participate in wide variety of research studies. All women are encouraged to join the Army of Women, including breast cancer survivors and those who have never had breast cancer. The goal of the Army of Women is to recruit one million women of all ages and ethnicities. The Army of Women was launched in October of 2008 and over 358,000 women have joined with close to 50,000 participating in 52 breast cancer studies.

WHY

Since declaring “war on cancer” more than 40 years ago, the scientific community has made great strides in some areas. However, the number of women diagnosed with and dying from breast cancer is virtually the same as it was in 1969. Currently, the vast majority of resources for research are focused on early detection and treatment of breast cancer. More resources need to be spent on determining the cause of breast cancer, which isn’t just going to take more research – it’s going to take a different type of research. Studying mice and rats isn’t enough. Mice and rates do not get breast cancer. More studies must be done with actual women. The Army of Women is jumpstarting this type of research providing quick access to a diverse group of women for various studies.

HOW

Any women interested in joining the Army of Women can register at www.armyofwomen.org by providing some basic information including, name, age, city and state of residence. Army of Women members will receive email updates announcing new research studies along with a brief description. Members who fit the criteria and are interested in participating simply reply to the email. Participation in studies is not mandatory. Army of Women members make the decision to take part in studies. There are many different types of studies. Some may require the completion of a questionnaire, while others may require blood, urine, saliva, breast fluid or breast tissue. Since launching, the response from women volunteers willing to participate in studies is overwhelming. Researchers have been able to recruit volunteers in hours or days rather than months or years it typically takes.

WHO

Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation (DSLRF) launched the Love/Avon Army of Women in October 2008 thanks to a generous grant from the Avon Foundation for Women. The mission of DSLRF is to eradicate breast cancer and improve the quality of women’s health through innovate research, education and advocacy. Dr Susan Love is known world-wide as one of the founding mothers of breast cancer advocacy and sits on the boards of the National Breast Cancer Coalition and the Medical Advisory Board of Young Survival Coalition. She is a clinical professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. For more information: www.dslrf.org.

The arrival of Baby R!

2011-09-30T09:23:00.001-04:00

Hello all! I have been a little busy the past few weeks so I thought I would fill you in on what has been happening at our place Baby R finally decided to arrive at the beginning of September, as I suspected once we decide to schedule an induction, I went into labor on my own!

There is how it wen- I had a doctor’s appt on Wednesday morning, (8/31) and the doctor decided we would check with the hospital about when we could do the induction. On my way home (I decided to work from home once I hit my due date) they called and said the hospital said to come that night!!! After the shock wore off, I got home and got ready to go. The deal with an induction (in case you don’t know) is you call the hospital that night before you go to see if they have a bed for you. So at 6 PM we called and no bed, we had to call back at 10 PM. In the meantime, I realized I was having contractions! They started about 25 minutes apart. At 10 PM we called the hospital back and still no beds. This would continue until 6 PM on Thursday! Thursday morning since my contractions had moved to 15 mins apart Hubby and I started walking around the neighborhood to bring them on. I think we went on about 6 or so 45 min walks! (Good thing it was a nice day).

By the time the hospital had room my contractions had gone to 5 min apart, so one way or another we were headed in! Once we got to the hospital they decided my contractions had not gotten regular enough so they started the induction process. They also asked if we would be willing to have a midwife instead of a resident for the delivery, because I had such an uncomplicated pregnancy. I am pretty easy going so I said sure. ( I think this turned out for the best because the mid wife who delivered the baby was very calming and I think made the process easier for me)

Friday was pretty uneventful, we just waited for me to be dilated and for the contractions to get closer. I was doing pretty well until about 3 PM went I looked at Hubby and said I wanted the drugs. I was feeling the labor in my back as she was turning into position and it really was killing me.

*Side note – I was avoiding the epidural for 2 reasons:

1- I thought it slowed down labor (not true the fluids they push into you first actually slow the labor then that wears off)

2- I was afraid of the catheter to empty my bladder (you don’t even feel it, which is kind of strange).

I was so glad that I went with the epidural it made the process that much easier. After the epidural I feel asleep for a bit then woke up for them to break my water. Once they did that things started to move really quickly. Close to midnight the midwife told me I was 10 cm and baby was in the +2 position, which means she was on her way out! They told me once you get to 10 they normally sit you up and wait an hour for the baby to get lower, but we would not wait for that and we would start pushing soon. I was so excited to hear that!

Once the midwife got all set up we started pushing, and just about an hour in to pushing, the nurse got all set up and I knew my baby girl was on the way to me. A few good pushs and at 2:25 AM on September 3rd, we got to meet our little girl!

Hubby and I could not have been happier. Although it was a long process the labor was actually not that bad at all. I am so happy that things went well and that all 3 of us made it through the labor in great condition.

Army of Women Breast Milk Study

2011-08-24T09:58:00.001-04:00

I wanted to share this study for the Army of Women, although I do not qualify, I hope some of you might know someone who does!

Project Title The Milk Study: Using Breast Milk to Screen for Breast Cancer and Assess Breast-Cancer Risk

Researcher Kathleen Arcaro, Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Study Summary The purpose of this study is to determine if breast cancer and breast cancer risk can be accurately assessed from a breast milk sample. Currently, there is no accurate way to give women information about their personal risk of developing breast cancer. We will use the cells naturally present in breast milk to examine changes in DNA that occur in association with benign and cancerous breast lesions. Learning about the genetic changes associated with both breast cancer and non-cancerous breast lesions will help us develop a way to provide women with information about their breast cancer risk. Using breast milk to screen for breast cancer will reduce unnecessary biopsies among nursing women.

Who Can Participate? You can join the Milk Study if you are:
• Currently NURSING/BREAST-FEEDING a baby
AND
• You are either GOING TO HAVE A BREAST BIOPSY in the near future or you HAVE HAD A BREAST BIOPSY in the past.

What Does Participation Involve? You will be shipped a milk collection container, informed consent form, and questionnaire. You will be asked to complete the consent form and questionnaire and to donate about 2.5 ounces of fresh breast milk from each breast. You will put the consent form, questionnaire, and breast milk in a box that will be picked up by Fed-Ex. You will be asked to provide a copy of the biopsy report. Approximately 1 year after sending your breast milk sample, the researcher will contact you to ask about any breast problems you have had in the last year.

Where? Anywhere in the United States

My favorite produce store

2011-08-22T14:48:00.001-04:00

I have not posted about my shopping trips a lot lately, mainly because I have been trying to clean out the food we do have in the house. So the other day I stopped at Produce Junction on my way to work and picked up a few things. I got all this for $6!

I just can’t beat this place I love it!

Quick and Easy Dinner

2011-08-19T10:24:00.001-04:00

Hubby has started coaching football again for the fall, which means we are eating dinner a little later at night. (Which I am actually quite ok with. It means I can get a lot done while I wait for him to get home and not rush to make dinner.) However, I still do like to have quick meals, so last night we had a quick Veggie Alfredo (sorry the picture is dark it was late).

This was so easy and super filling. First, make the pasta per the package directions (I used Whole Foods thin spaghetti). While the pasta cooked I sautéed some squash and put it aside. Next I diced half an onion and sautéed that in the same pan. I added about a teaspoon of flour to the onion to make a roux and then added milk and cream cheese to make my alfredo. (Use as much as you need to make the amount of sauce you want, I keep ours light so I don’t use too much). Then I added frozen peas to the alfredo and let them cook. Once they cook add the pasta to the sauce, stir, and place in your bowl. Since we had fresh tomatoes, Hubby chopped some of those up and we placed them on top with some parm and enjoyed!

Simple, filling, and high in veggies, it was a great dinner.

What is your favorite quick and easy meal?

Last Baby Project

2011-08-17T15:13:00.001-04:00

Hubby has been hard at work making things for Baby Girl the last few months. He has made shelves, time out stools, a nightstand, a mini hope chest, painted her room, etc….. But I have to say the project he just finished might be one of my favorites. My mom had the highchair that my grandparents had bought for me before I was born in her house when she moved 2 years ago. It was still in good condition but need to be refinished after being used for me and most of my cousins. I loved the look of the highchair and the fact that it came from my grandparents, who are both no longer with us. I knew it would be a b**ch of a project, but Hubby always comes though for me! He hated this project as the sanding took a while, but the end result is fabulous and I am so happy that we have this piece in our kitchen.

The new strap is going to go on once Baby Girl is ready for it so we can size it just right. I just have to say I have the best Hubby and could not ask for a better partner. He has been the best to do whatever I wanted these last few months. Love you Hubby!

Do you have things from your childhood that you want your kids to have?

Starbucks Lunches

2011-08-16T13:27:00.001-04:00

I have had this little routine of stopping at Starbucks after my doctor’s appts with Baby Girl before work. It is my little treat for getting up early and going to the doctor’s office. Well this morning I say the bistro boxes I have been hearing about in emails lately and when I saw they cost less then I thought I grab one. (Also helped that hubby had just given me a gift card for the Bucks over the the weekend!) I decided to try the Chicken Lettuce Wraps because it had some veggies, protein, and peanut sauce ( I have been all about peanuts, peanut butter, etc all pregnancy long). The box comes with all the things you need to make the little lettuce wraps, plus some dark chocolate as a treat (this is right up my ally!)

This was a very tasty lunch. A little messy and I would not recommend it for an “on-the-go” meal, but the flavor was great. I did add a peach I brought from home to the meal to make it a little more filling but other that that it was great. It might be a little expensive ($6.95) but from a health stand point it was a great lunch.

Have you tried a bistro box? What did you think?

What have we been up to?

2011-08-11T13:37:00.001-04:00

I feel like we have been doing so much the last few weeks getting everything ready for Baby Girl. We are only about 2 weeks away so it is getting close

Here are a few highlights of what we have been doing, installing the car seat:

Ready with a toy to keep her entertained. Decorating her room was next on the list. My cousin helped me make this to hang her hair bows and things on. I love it and the fabric will match the quilt that was started at the baby shower.

And having one last “date night” (ok so it was brunch, but still) at our favorite place, The British Chip Shop. I got chocolate stuffed french toast! I am 9 months pregnant so I stay that is a good breakfast! I did not get a picture of the french toast, but how cute was the tea pot, my “spot of tea” came in

It is hard to see but on the right is the little cow that had the milk! It was so cute. It was good to have time to spend with the hubby before the craziness starts any day now! Hubby and I are planning one last getaway weekend before she gets here, no place far just to the inlaws, any advice on ways to help us kill the time waiting for little one to arrive??

Yoga for the Body and Mind

2011-08-03T11:15:00.001-04:00

I will be the first person to say, that although I heard about all the great things about yoga, I was never really a believer. I mean could this practice really help me improve my fitness and my mind? I was not sure I could buy into the whole concept. But when I saw that Exercise TV had whole yoga section a few years ago, I would pull up a video occasionally when I did not feel like really getting sweaty. Over time I realized that my muscles felt stronger and yoga really helped with the back pain I sometimes get.

About a year ago I was at a work conference and they offered a yoga class on the beach. I figured I was going to work out some way each day so why not head down and give it a try. It was my first class with a teacher, and I was hooked after that! Although I was not good at Savasana, I found that with a teacher I was able to try and not think about other things, just on my body and being in that place at that time.

A few weeks later my mom got me a card for a local yoga studio so I could start taking classes. The Studio for Yoga has been great for me. This past fall was very emotional for me for several reasons, but I found that by going to yoga and really focusing on my body and relaxing my mind I was able to get though the tougher times and concentrate on myself once a week (something I am not normally good at).

After finding out in December that I was expecting our first baby, I was even more excited to see that the Studio for Yoga was now offering a prenatal class! Talk about perfect timing. I swear this class has helped me have such a great pregnancy, not only has the class helped me prepare my body, but also my mind. I have LOVED every class and the time it forces me to focus on myself and the baby and forget everything else that is going on around me. For me the best part of yoga has been the time to stop and slow down. I am so glad that I have found yoga and will continue my practice for years to come I am sure.

Have you tried yoga? What is your favorite type/what do you like best about the practice?

Baby Shower

2011-08-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

Back in June I had a shower from my work colleagues that was a total surprise! It was so exciting and we got some great stuff at that shower, but nothing could prepare me for the massive amounts of things we got at the shower the mom’s had for us last weekend! I feel so blessed to have some many people that love Hubby, Baby Girl, and I so much. I wanted to share some pictures as I can not thank everyone enough for all the items we received.

First off the food, tea sandwiches to give praise to the British side of Baby Girl (notice the cute shapes!)

The amazing cake made by a family friend!

A handmade chair that has a matching Pooh quilt

Handmade blankets, a family tradition

Hubby's favorite item, the Giraffe play mat

Handmade Bank

A diaper pail because you just have to have one

A big hair bow, because Hubby hates them!

A onesie from my in-laws that say “Made in the US with British parts” How funny is that!

And finally the gift that left the room in tears, a mini hope chest that Hubby build, my dad stained, and my mom and godmother finished. It was a team effort and I had no clue they did. I can not even begin to tell you how much I was moved by this gift.

Last but not least, the 2 people responsible for such an amazing day!

I love my mom and mother-in-law to pieces and can not wait for them to meet Baby girl soon!

Maternity Photos

2011-07-29T11:06:00.001-04:00

Things have just been crazy busy for us lately as we prepare for the arrival of Baby Girl (less then a month to go)! A few weeks ago a friend of ours took some maternity pictures for us. We (ok more me) want to be sure to capture such a special time in our lives. Here are some of my favorite pictures!

Baby Girl’s Room

With our first baby

My tummy!

My favorite picture!

Thanks again to Julia (Jswope4@gmail.com) for these amazing pictures!

A new breakfast sandwich

2011-07-20T12:15:00.000-04:00

I am loving the new waffle maker Hubby got me for my birthday. I used it again over the weekend and made extra waffles for the freezer (more nesting maybe?) After I made my waffles I knew I wanted to do something to them to make them a little more filling, then a light blub, a waffle sandwich.

I put some PB on each of the waffles and sliced some banana in between. This was a great and filling breakfast. So much better for me then just the waffles, and a lot healthier then the waffle and pancake sandwiches you can get at fast food places!

What is your favorite way to eat waffles?

Nesting or just being me?

2011-07-18T13:09:00.001-04:00

I am the first to admit that I am 100% nesting right now. I know that I am, and I am ok with that. I am not sure how Hubby feels about it, but I told him he just needs to deal with it!! How is one way to tell if you are nesting? My answer would be you spend your Saturday making over 30 meals to put in the freezer!

I would say this is defiantly nesting, but Hubby and I do this a few times a year anyway, so I am not sure it 100% counts. We made a number of our favorite recipes (found here) and packed them away for Baby Girl arrival. Only 6 weeks to go!!

How did any other mom’s out their “nest” in the last few weeks?

Help the Army of Women

2011-07-12T14:30:00.001-04:00

Here is a new study from the Army of Women….please help if you can.

The Effects of Depo Provera on Breast Tissue Study:

Women who give birth before the age of 30 are at lower risk of developing breast cancer than both women who have never had a child and women who have their first child after age 35. This may be because pregnancy causes permanent changes in the breast tissue that reduces long-term breast cancer risk.
Is it possible that giving a woman a high dose of progestin (synthetic progesterone like hormone) could reduce breast cancer risk by causing these same changes to occur in the breast tissue? This is what a group of researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) are trying to find out!
To test their hypothesis, the researchers are studying women who are currently receiving Depo Provera (birth control) injections which provide a high dose of a synthetic progestin that is similar to the hormone progesterone, which is released during pregnancy.
If you live near or are willing to travel to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and are currently receiving or intend to start intra-muscular injections of Depo Provera, and this sounds like a study you might be interested in, please click the link below for more information! The researchers currently only need four more women in order to close this study.
Note: Deciding to use Depo Provera for birth control is a personal choice that should be made with your doctor. We are NOT recommending that you start taking or even inquire about taking Depo Provera simply to participate in this study.

For more information on the study, click here:

http://www.armyofwomen.org/current/view?grant_id=416

The Army of Women initiative, funded through a grant by the Avon Foundation for Women, was launched as a way to help researchers connect directly with women who are interested in participating in breast cancer research studies. Volunteers sign up at www.armyofwomen.org and get an email alert every time a new study is seeking volunteers (once or twice a month). You get to decide which one you fit and/or are comfortable participating in. Some studies are as simple as an online questionnaire while others involve giving blood, spit or even tissue samples. And if you don't fit the study, you can pass it on to everyone you know. The Army of Women has amazed the scientific community by their ability to recruit participants from across the country and world, rapidly saving years of effort and lots of money.

Join more than 355,000 women (and a few good men) who are willing to go the next step in eradicating breast cancer. The Army of Women needs YOU!

To learn more about the Effects of Depo Provera on Breast Tissue Study, click here:

http://www.armyofwomen.org/current/view?grant_id=416

To learn more about the Army of Women and to sign up, click here:

https://www.armyofwomen.org/getinvolved

Berry Almond Chicken Salad

2011-07-08T14:22:00.003-04:00

I love trying new things and since I saw the Berry Almond Chicken Salad at Wendy’s I have been wanting to try it. As luck would have it I got a coupon for it in my email one day. Well hubby was going to be late one night this week so I knew that would be the perfect time to stop and try this salad out.

Not only did this salad look fresh, it tasted great and the fruit was incredible. Everything was so fresh, it tasted like it came from a nice restaurant, but it was so much cheaper and quicker! I hope that Wendy’s keeps this on the menu or at least brings it back next summer!
Have you tried the Berry Almond Chicken Salad? Thoughts?

Our First Baby Shower Gift!

2011-07-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to come home last week to find out first shower gift for Baby Girl on the doorstep. Hubby was out that night so I waited until he got home to open it!

We got the bouncey seat, some crib sheets, and a super soft blanket that Hubby loved at the store.

Thank you to one of our wonderful friends for the first gift. It makes things more and more real each day! 8 weeks to go

Waffles!

2011-06-29T12:15:00.000-04:00

I have wanted a waffle maker for so long I can not even remember when I first started on this idea. Needless to say I was super excited when Hubby got me the waffle maker plates for my birthday. I knew the first try with the plates would need to be on a weekend, so this past Sunday I mixed up the basic batter from the book and let it sit. I have heard you should let pancake and waffle batters sit for a bit (anyone else or am I making this up?) Here is my batter ready to go.

It was really simple pour it onto the plates, close and cook for 5 minutes. Out came waffles!

As you can see I filled mine with berries, hubby went with butter and syrup. The waffles had a great taste and I even had extra to freeze for during the week. This will make for some great week day breakfasts for sure. Any good waffle recipes for me to try? I love waffles and am so excited to make them at home now!

Bread Maker!

2011-06-27T15:38:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I asked if anyone had any experience with a bread maker, well I was still on the fence when my birthday came up but got surprised and received a bread maker as a gift! So I knew I had to try it right away. This past week I went and got some (more) whole wheat flour and set to work. I made the recipe right from the bread maker book and put it in.

I just followed the directions and went and snapped it into the bread maker base. 3 hours and 40 minutes later, this came out!

The bread maker bread was so easy to make and has a great taste. Hubby even told me it made his sandwich today extra good. I think I might be a convert, maybe no more bread from the store for this household……

Anyone have good bread maker recipes?

More Iron please

2011-06-24T12:15:00.000-04:00

The other day I had a doctor’s appointment for Baby Girl and the doctor said if I can to add some more iron to my diet. I did what anyone would do and did a Google Search for iron rich foods as soon as I got to work. That same night I was on my own for dinner so I made a little iron rich plate of whole grain bread, egg, cheese, broccoli, and pepper.

I am now on a quest to eat foods with more iron in them. Strangely enough I have found that one of my morning cereals might be the best at that. My bran flakes have 100% of my iron for the day!

Any other suggestions for adding iron to my daily diet? I am sure I will get sick of bran flakes after a bit

Birthday Cakes

2011-06-22T12:02:00.001-04:00

Yes I did say cakes! I got 3 cakes this year! I have to thank both the mom’s and my office staff for all my wonderful cakes (some of which are still being consumed ).

Here is my Hershey’s Chocolate Cake from work, super moist and so yummy

Next is my Michele's Pie that was from the inlaws. It was the Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream, and it lived up to the name. I had it 3 times over 5 days!

Finally my mom got me my all time favorite Carvel Ice Cream Cake!

I loved all my cakes and thanks to everyone that made my birthday so great!

Baby Girl’s Room

2011-06-20T12:15:00.000-04:00

I thought I would share some pictures of Baby Girl’s room as it is getting near finished! We just need to add some decor to the walls and wait for a few things from the shower to be done.

Here is her crib and glider that my parents bought. Along with the floating shelves that Hubby build. You can also see the Pooh Bear curtains that my Mother-in-law helped me make. I love them and they came out great.

Here is the changing table/dresser area that was from the in-laws. It was actually Hubby's dresser when he was younger.

Finally here is the nightstand that Hubby build for Baby girl’s room all finished!

I love her room and can’t wait to bring her home to it!

McDonalds does Smoothies

2011-06-17T12:15:00.000-04:00

I know this is not news, but I have not tried one of the McDonald’s Smoothies until recently. I have seen them and thought about it several times but always changed my mind for one reason or another. Well the other day I had a coupon so I went and picked up a Wildberry Smoothie.

Picture from the site:

I will say I was quite impressed by the look of my smoothie, it did actually look like this, and the taste was not bad. I got the small which comes in at about 210 calories. It was not bad but a little on the sweet side and did not pack much staying power. For the price I think next time I want a smoothie I will go with the Starbucks protein packed ones…

Have you tried the McDonald’s Smoothies? Thoughts?

Childbirth Class

2011-06-16T12:15:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I think it is funny how the mind works. This past weekend Hubby and I had childbirth class at the hospital. We did the 1 day class for a few reason, first Hubby works about 90 mins from the hospital we are going to deliver at and a 6 PM class would not work during the week. Also as an EMT Hubby did not want to sit through all the medical stuff he already knows. I was fine with the 1 day class because the way our summer is going that is about all the free time we had! I went into the class thinking we knew all our plans for the birth and what we wanted to do. I left with 2 thoughts:

1) This seems like something I can handle (thank you yoga!)

2) I am not going to enter labor wanting the epidural.

Now this is not me judging anyone or saying that an epidural is bad, in fact 2 months ago when I thought I might not be able to have an epidural because of back surgery when I was 20, I had a panic attack. Natural Childbirth, I wanted to cry. However, after learning about all my options for drugs besides an epidural and what they all do, I am not 100% I will be going in that direction. That being said I am sure meds of some type will be part of our birth plan, I am going to go in and see how I do. After hearing that an epidural can prolong labor I am not 100% sold on it (also it may or may not work for me because of scar tissue in my lower back). Prenatal yoga (and the pregnancy in general) has given me more confidence in what I can handle so I am going in with a more open mind. Hubby thinks I am funny but is there to support me 100%, so I could not be happier about this decision.

Any other mom’s have birth advice? I would love to hear any and all opinions!

Here is the book we got at class (I have read it cover to cover already!)

In the next week or so Hubby and I will be starting the exercises they taught us to move the day into place for birth, 10 weeks to go!

30 is not so bad!

2011-06-15T10:41:00.001-04:00

I don’t like to make a big deal about things related to myself, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

We are going out to dinner this weekend for my birthday with the parents, but I wanted to share my birthday gifts from Hubby because he did an AWESOME job this year!

First off he gave me flips flops and a purse (2 of my favorite things!)

Love the colors of these two. Inside the bag was an envelope with pictures of my other presents.

Waffle plates for my Cusinart Griddler!

I think I have wanted a waffle maker since we got married and when I saw these plates for the Cusinart Griddler I was in love. Can’t wait for them to arrive! Also in the purse was a gift card for 2 cake decorating classes!

I thought each class Hubby got was just 1 session, but each class is 4 - 2 hour sessions! How amazing is that! I can’t wait to take them and make a cakes for Baby Girl! Great job Hubby you have made me one happy Birthday girl who did not want this day to come!

Do you love or hate your birthday?

Birth Announcements

2011-06-14T14:45:00.001-04:00

I am a planner, that is just a fact I have learned to accept. So in typical me fashion I am looking at birth announcements for baby girl already. Since I have a Shutterfly gift card from one of the registries, I knew that is where I would look.

Here are the ones I like:

Swiss Dots Chocolate

Swiss Dots Lilac

Flower Power Pink

Big Cubes Magenta

It’s a Girl

Which one do you like?

Grandmom’s has started….

2011-06-10T12:15:00.000-04:00

It was only a matter of time, my mom finally went and bought clothes for Baby Girl. She has been so good and has been trying to not buy too much to soon, but she went to Carter’s to buy the ducky towel we saw months ago and apparently they were having a sale (or so she said ).

She got us the towel, a Pooh Bear bank, some bids (the one on the far right saw’s mommy on it), and the 2 cute onsies with matching pants.

I love it all and it has been washed and put away already! Thanks Mom (so proud you waited this long!)

Storage Benches

2011-06-09T12:15:00.000-04:00

I love sharing with everyone all the great things that Hubby builds, mainly because I think he does such an amazing job. Now that he has finished the projects for Baby Girl, he had the time to work on a project for himself. Hubby has wanted to build these cooler benches for some time now and they came out AWESOME. Here are some pictures:

So proud of Hubby and these things worked great, keep the drinks cold for 24 hours!

Starbucks Breakfast

2011-06-08T12:15:00.000-04:00

For the number of times I have stopped at Starbucks I have NEVER tried the hot breakfast sandwiches they make. Well after my glucose test last week, I was starving and wanted something to eat ASAP. I went across the street to the Bucks and got a Egg White, Spinach and Feta wrap with my Iced Latte.

This wrap was pretty amazing, or I was just super hungry. It is kind of cruel to have a pregnant woman have to fast for a blood test, but oh well. Anyone else eat these wraps? Is it as good as it seemed that morning? I want to have it again but I don’t want to be disappointed! And at only 280 calories this seems like a great on the go breakfast option that I would like to have in my back pocket when we travel.

Anniversary Dinner

2011-06-07T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hubby and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary a few weeks ago. We do not like to make a huge deal about it, but still like to do something special. We have sort of started this little tradition of having a “Surf and Turf” meal on our anniversary.

He has the turf (steak) and I have the surf (fish)! We both like to make the day special but without going overboard. We also have used our champagne flutes from the wedding each year with dinner, no worries this year we just put Sprite in them!

What traditions have you started for anniversaries or birthday?

FitFluential Ambassador?

2011-06-06T10:30:00.001-04:00

I have been working with this fun little company FitFluential to help them grow and spread the word about all the great things they are doing. They have given me the chance to apply to be a FitFluential Ambassador, by sharing a little about my fitness/exercise/healthy living lifestyle. Also since learning about Baby Girl I am sure you have noticed that my exercise posts have gone by the way side, so I thought I would share with you and FitFluential what helps me stay fit.

I have to start with a disclaimer, I HATE gyms. I hate having to drive to them, all the crowds, and feeling like people are looking at me. Because of that most of my workouts are done in the comfort of my home.

Here is a little collage of my workout life

As you can see in the top center, “My Gym” is actually the tv in our basement. I keep all my workout stuff to the left of the tv or in the cabinets and just move the coffee table to have plenty of room to get my sweat on. I have a lot of DVD workouts, you can see my Top 3 in the photo above with my workout sneakers and weights. That is really all I need to stay fit (although you can see I add more!).

The DVD’s in the picture are my top ones right now (it does change from time to time) because they have been great to do with the pregnancy. You can find out more about the 10 lb Slimdown (on the left) here. I have to thank my sister-in-law for the second DVD, this Denise Austin Pregnancy DVD has been great. It is easy enough for me to do on the days I am not feeling up to a workout, but still challenging enough to help keep me fit (only 20 lbs up at 28 weeks, I am proud of that!). My other favorite and one that has also been good with Baby Girl is the Body by Bethenny Yoga DVD. This is a great yoga workout and really gets the flow going. Also for all the preggers lady out there, Bethenny shot this when she was pregnant and it really helps to keep your muscles open during pregnancy.

Along with my DVD’s I also love Exercise TV. If you have not tried it through your cable company, you NEED to. Exercise TV is actually how I got hooked on Body by Bethenny (I think it is still on the channel) and had to go get the DVD so I would have it. They also have TONS of workouts on there to keep things interesting. I love the walking workout (more so now then before), the Cardio Dance segments, and the yoga and Pilates workouts. I swear that Exercise TV has prevented me from becoming bored working out at home.

Also in the bottom left you see my Wii Workout equipment. Another confession, I also dislike strength training. Yes I know who important it is and all that, but I get bored with it. That is what makes the EA Active workouts for the Wii so great for me. They combine strength and cardio work, but the Wii counts for you and makes sure you stay on track. Believe it or not but this has really helped me gain muscle tone. Also Hubby and I can do the EA Active workouts together and that is always fun!

In the past year I have added 2 new components to my workouts. Just about a year ago I went from just doing yoga at home to joining a yoga studio near my house. The Studio for Yoga has been a great addition to my workouts, and they added a prenatal yoga class right after I got pregnant (yes I think that was part luck, part me emailing to ask about one!) I love yoga in that it really makes me take the time to spend the time focusing on me. I always feel so energized when I leave. If you are preggers, the hip openers in prenatal yoga are AMAZING! My hips have been getting a little tight lately and just lifting them with a yoga block has been a blessing.

This past winter I also decided to start running (something I am not doing a lot now because of the pregnancy and the heat). I never really understood why people run it always seemed so boring to me, but once I started doing it (only once a week) I realized I really enjoyed the runners high! I will never be a marathon runner or anything like that, but I do enjoy a good run now and then. In the picture you can see what I take on my runs. I have shoes just for running to be sure the support is always right, my heart rate monitor to measure time and distance, and my phone (for emergencies and music). I have to run with music or I would be done in about 2 minutes!

I was never a big believer in special workout clothes until I got some awesome Under Armour items this Christmas, so I wanted to share my 3 favorite items. The blue shorts can be found here and I love that they have the lining inside but are nice and loose around the legs, the green top (I have in several colors) is great because it keeps you cool and you don’t have to wear a sports bra with it. Also in the picture are my favorite Danskin Yoga pants. These are the best at staying put and making me feel like I look good working out or running errands!

Finally, I included a picture of my kitchen because I know when I make my own meals and snacks it is much easier for me to stay fit! Which is why I love sharing all my favorite recipes on the blog with you all.

What are your must haves to stay fit and healthy?

Memorial Day Punch

2011-06-05T12:15:00.000-04:00

For some reason I decided I wanted to have a punch of some type at our Memorial Day BBQ. But as the only person that would not be drinking, I wanted to find something that people could spike! After looking through a number of bar books we have Hubby and I came up with this recipe for Pineapple Cranberry Punch:
2 quarts cranberry juice cocktail
1 quart 14 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
16 oz ginger ale
16 oz club soda
Pineapple chucks
Here is the final product

The only problem with this, it was VERY drinkable, with alcohol in it, I might be in trouble!
What is your favorite summer punch recipe?

Chicken and Mushroom pasta

2011-06-04T12:15:00.000-04:00

When I was in graduate school and Hubby would come to visit we liked to make dinners and stay in because we did not get to see each other much. One of the meals we loved making was a Chicken and Mushroom pasta. This is a very easy recipe to make and nice and filling.

First, boil water for your favorite type of pasta and cook as directed. Next slice a chicken breast and cook the pieces with a little salt and pepper. In a saucepan, brown off sliced mushrooms ( I used about 5 large mushrooms for this dinner). To make the sauce add milk and cream cheese to the mushrooms and cook until thickened. (You might have to add some flour/water mixture to thicken it as well). Then combine the pasta, chicken, and sauce into the pan. Add some frozen peas and top with fresh parm cheese.

What is a favorite dish from your college days?

Amazing Outlet Sales

2011-06-03T12:15:00.001-04:00

Hubby and I went to our Outlet Center a few weeks ago, because we needed to get him a few dress shirts. What we did not plan on was the amazing deals we found that rainy Saturday morning!

We scored all this for $240! Thanks to an AMAZING Buy 1 get 2 free shoe sale!! Hubby got 4 dress shirts, 2 ties, 2 shirts, 1 polo, 2 pair of shorts, blue socks, and 2 pair of shoes. I got a pair of black flats, a polo dress and a pair of socks. Also hubby got me 2 birthday presents in the bag in the back! It was a good shopping day. We spent more then we planned on but could not pass up some of the deals.
We also got these 2 things for baby girl for $8 total!

The coat will have to wait until next year, but Hubby could not leave the store without the fuzzy coat with ears on it!

A New Frappuccino?

2011-06-02T12:15:00.001-04:00

I am sure many of you know that earlier in May, Starbucks did a Happy Hour for a week with half price frappuccinos. As a good Starbucks customer I knew I had to go at least once, and when I saw a new option on the the list I really knew a trip was a must. So I went in for a Mocha Coconut Frapp.

My drink actually looked very much like this pic. I got the drink light but still got the whipped cream on it (after all Baby Girl needs the calories ). The topping was supper yummy I ate it with a spoon! The drink itself was good but mainly just tasted like mocha not much coconut. I would recommend it none the less and will be getting another soon.

Have you tried the new frapp? What is your favorite flavor?

Baby R Updates

2011-06-01T15:27:00.001-04:00

I thought I would do a quick update on the progress of Baby Girl. We have now entered the third trimester! Things are still going well, knock on wood, minus the constant trips to the bathroom I have no real complaints. Today was my glucose test (results in 2 days, but I am not really worried).

Here was my lovely sugar drink. The worst part of the test was the hour sitting their after I drank this (notice the book!). Baby Girl seemed to like it though, she kicked up a little storm after I drank this.

Hubby had some fun today and created a Baby Pool online. He thought it would be fun to see whatever ones thinks. I was the first to enter, and he and I are going back and forth with when we think she will come!

Anyone else do a pool for your own baby?

Curry and Rice

2011-05-31T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hubby and I like to make a quick vegetable curry when we feel like we need to add some vegetables into our diet. We use this recipe and just add whatever veggies we have on hand at the house. This time it was just frozen mixed vegetables and mushrooms.

To make this even easier we used a Uncle Ben's Ready Rice I got with a coupon. This basmati rice was so easy to use and had a good flavor to it. It was very fluffy and EXTREMELY low in sodium. When you need a quick side I would highly recommend it.

*This is my own opinion I received nothing for this, I just like how easy these are too use!

New Glasses

2011-05-30T12:15:00.000-04:00

Anyone that knows me, knows I am a HUGE Vera Bradley Fan. So when a friend mentioned that she would be going to the annual Outlet Sale I asked her to look for a few things for me. See I have been in love with the Vera sunglasses for quite sometime, but since I break them often could not get myself to send the money on they. Well at the sale, they had them for only $20! So my wonderful friend Stacy pick me up a pair (and this awesome case!)

Love them!

Thanks to my wonderful friend, maybe next year I can go to the sale with you!

More Outfits

2011-05-27T14:22:00.000-04:00

I had to share the 2 onesie that Baby Girl got recently.

The Pooh is from my in-laws, and the Auntie is from my sister in law. One thing I can say is that this child will be well dressed for quite a while.

Disney Food

2011-05-25T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hubby and I always travel with a food plan. We also have places we want to try and things we want to eat when we are away, and Disney was no exception. Since our resort was so close to Downtown Disney, we planned to eat many meals there. Our first stop was Earl of Sandwich, a favorite from a trip to Vegas years ago. Hubby and I split a Veggie sandwich (Feta Cheese, Lettuce, Roma Tomato, Cucumber, Red Onion, Roasted Red Peppers & Mediterranean Dressing) and a Hawaiian BBQ (Grilled Chicken, Roasted Ham, Hawaiian BBQ Sauce, Aged Swiss Cheese & Fresh Pineapple). I also got a Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Both sandwiches had amazing flavor but both Hubby and I agreed the Veggie was the best we have had.

While walking around Downtown Disney, we went into Goofy’s Candy Shop where I got a Mickey Rice Krispie Treat covered in Reese’s Pieces and Chocolate! For $5 I had to get this treat which lasted me most of the week!

Here is my treat being made:

Into the chocolate, then the pieces are pushed on

And white chocolate on top

This was messy to eat, but so good!

We went to Cat Cora’s restaurant on our second night, and enjoyed multiple appetizers split between the two of us.

It was so good, but I was too hungry once we got there to take pictures of the food, sorry

We knew one day we needed to check out Raglan Road Irish Pub for the Hubby! I enjoyed the fish and chips, while Hubby had a chicken and mushroom pie.

We had to get in a little Cinco de Mayo celebration on vacation and had burritos at the Magic Kingdom. Here is my black bean burrito.

Our final night away we finished at the parks early and went back to the room to figure out what to do for dinner. After checking out the options and wanting to try something new, we decided on the T-Rex. Hubby was craving a burger and the menu looked pretty fun.

We got a fairly quick seat at the octopus bar in front of the fish tank.

I ordered the Paleonzoic Chicken Sandwich (Fried pizza dough with grilled chicken, lettuce, bacon, pepper jack cheese, avocado, tomato and lemon aioli). I will be honest the fried pizza dough kinda sold me. This sandwich was awesome. I was not that hungry and had not planned to eat the whole thing but it was so good I could not stop. I would recommend checking this place out next time you go to Disney.

Overall Hubby and I had a great week of eats at the parks.

Do you travel with a meal plan or just wing it?

Babymoon at Disney

2011-05-23T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hubby and I like to take a vacation each year. We find it to be a good chance to reconnect and take time for us. This year with Baby Girl on the way we knew it was as important as ever to take some us time. So off to Disney we headed!

We stayed at Saratoga Springs Resort and had a great week at the parks. It was actually really relaxing and the perfect break from the baby craziness we both needed. We love to stay in the villas like this because you get a kitchen to have food in the room. We like to eat breakfast in the room and not be rushed in the mornings.

We spent time at Epcot

Enjoyed the HGTV Flower Displays in the park

Had Baby Girl “meet” Pooh and Tigger

Ate most our meals at Downtown Disney (more to come on those)

Had a cocktail by the pool

It was non-alcoholic relax people

And enjoyed a Mickey Pop at the Magic Kingdom

It was a very “magical” trip and we both had a great time.

Making Bread

2011-05-21T11:49:00.000-04:00

I have been on this quest to make bread at home. I love knowing what is in the bread and I think it just taste so much better when you make it at home. I am thinking working on my bread making skills, but my most recent batch was much better.

Ingredients ready to go

Into the Kitchen Aid

And out of the oven

Sliced up

This loaf has been my best yet, but hubby still thinks it is very dense. Any advice from bread makers? My birthday is coming up and I have been offered a bread maker as a gift, but I am not sure if I see the point? What do you think, is the bread maker worth it?

My bread did make a great French toast!

Maternity Clothes

2011-05-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

For some reason I have this thing against buying maternity clothes. I am not sure why. I think my problem is that so much of it is so expensive and can only be worn for such a short time I really don’t see the point. I enjoy using my Belly Band and most of my clothes still fit me. However, my jeans (that I can still wear) are really not comfortable at all. They make me feel heavier and I hate that feeling. So I decided to look into some maternity jeans. Although it is almost summer, I figure I will still need them for a bit in the Fall after Baby Girl arrives.

I was having a little issue with looking at maternity jeans because I wanted to try them on first and see if I liked them before I ordered some. After looking on Amazon and a few other places, I was on the Motherhood Maternity Site. Well that is when I hit the jackpot, turns out the Babies R Us on my way home from work carries Motherhood Maternity. Not only did they have the jeans in the store, they were on sale for $19.99! Once I put them on I knew I had to have them. I got the Secret Fit Belly Boot Cut Jeans. Here they are:

Band up

Band down

And this picture I just like from the self timer shots

Where did any mom’s out there find reasonable priced maternity clothes?

Can Working the Late Shift Cause Breast Cancer?

2011-05-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

As a member of the Army of Women to help with breast cancer research, I feel the need to post this in case anyone knows people that can help with the study!

Dr. Susan Love recently posted a blog on the Huffington Post hoping to raise awareness for the Army of Women and one of our current studies that we need help closing, the Shiftwork and Breast Cancer Risk Study.

We need help from all of our bloggers to close this important study! We hope that you will blog about the Shiftwork and Breast Cancer Risk Study, and encourage all your friends/family to spread the word about the study!

You can use Dr. Love’s content for your post, see below:

In an age where everything is open 24/7, there's a growing number of women and men who now work the graveyard shift accommodating the night owls. It's no longer limited to nurses and flight attendants! The clerks at Walmart, the 24-hour drive-thru windows and the customer service telephone operators that we call when our computer breaks or our WiFi goes down are working overnight hours as well. What these night workers may not know is that epidemiological research suggests that working the graveyard shift increases their risk for breast cancer. But the big question remains: Why?

Unfortunately, much of the research on breast cancer has been done in rats and mice! There are certainly some important findings that can come from this type of investigation; however, we have yet to hear of a mouse working the night shift. For this we need to study women! And if we want to understand the connection between working the night shift and breast cancer we need to study women who work the night shift and compare them to women who work days.

The Army of Women, a program of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, is currently recruiting for the Shift Work and Breast Cancer Risk Study led by researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The research team is studying breast tissue samples from women who have not had breast cancer, who have worked either day or night shifts (stay-at-home mothers qualify as day-shift-workers; nurses, police women, firefighters, hotel workers, factory workers qualify as night-shift-workers) for at least five consecutive years to better understand how wake/sleep cycle disruptions may increase breast cancer risk. Later, the researchers will compare the samples collected from women who have not had breast cancer to breast tissue samples collected from women with breast cancer.

Learn more and sign up for the Shift Work and Breast Cancer Risk Study:

http://www.armyofwomen.org/current/view?grant_id=335

This study is a good example of the kind of research we desperately need! For all the fundraising we have done, we still don't know the cause of breast cancer. The vast majority of women who get breast cancer have none of the known risk factors. Obviously we are missing something big! So even if you are not a night shift worker, you should consider signing up for the Army of Women. We need to compare women with breast cancer to those who haven't been diagnosed! We need to explore the potential environmental links as well as the possibility that a virus could be the cause.

Join more than 354,000 women (and a few good men) who are willing to go the next step in eradicating breast cancer. The Army of Women needs YOU!

To learn more about the Shiftwork and Breast Cancer Risk Study, click here:

http://www.armyofwomen.org/current/view?grant_id=335

To learn more about the Army of Women and to sign up, click here:

https://www.armyofwomen.org/getinvolved

The Perfect Nightstand

2011-05-18T12:15:00.000-04:00

What can I say, I have been keeping Hubby busy the last few months! In the process of getting Baby Girl’s room together I decided that I needed a table next to the glider. We could not find exactly what we wanted in the right color, so the amazing Hubby offered to build me one! (He is quite skilled at making things around the house.) I just wanted something simple to tie all the furniture together. So here is the nightstand (not yet finished that Hubby made for Baby Girl and I!)

Also on the nightstand is the cross stitch that I made for the nursery. (I found this years ago and had to buy it because it was so cute. I had been saving it for awhile to make). The frame is actually one I found in a box in the basement and it seemed too perfect so I had to use it. With Mickey ears in it, how could I not??

Love that Baby Girl’s room is really taking shape.

Our Stool

2011-05-16T10:34:00.000-04:00

I don’t think I every posted about it, but Hubby made a little stool for his parents for Christmas as a gift before our niece was born. When he built it I told him there would have to be more in the future. This year for Mother’s Day I knew we needed to make one for my mom. Here is the stool we made mom. Hubby builds them and I paint them!

Here is the one he made for us.

There is a purple insert with Baby Girl’s name on it, but since we are not telling anyone the name, that one will be kept photographed for now!

Gift for my first baby

2011-05-13T10:32:00.000-04:00

With everything we have been buying for Baby Girl, I did not want to forget my first little baby, Ellie! I wanted to get something for our little one to make her feel special, and this shirt just seemed perfect to me.

I feel like in this picture she is saying Mom we still have a few months to go for this….

I can’t wait to get a picture of her in it with Baby Girl!

Egg-cellent Dinners

2011-05-09T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hubby and I have been trying to have one egg based dinner a week lately. It helps us cut down on meat based dinners and also allows our grocery bill to be kept a little lower. We love making a frittata as our egg dinner because the options are almost endless. Here is the one we made recently:

For this the first thing we did was brown off some potato slices (I used 1 small potato). Then into the pan went mushrooms, leeks, green pepper, and peas with a little cumin. After the veggies got soft we added 6 eggs whisked with a little milk. We cooked that until it began to set then put the potatoes and some shredded cheese on top and under the broiler it went until brown.

This is just an easy and tasty dinner especially for the summer months. What does in your frittata?

Kitchen Organization #2

2011-05-06T12:15:00.000-04:00

You saw my pot and pan drawer earlier in the week, so when I was at the Container Store getting my racks, I decided to look around (ok I had more money to spend and love that store). Well enter the Double Turntable. Hubby and I have had a love/hate relationship with our spice cabinet since we moved in. We love spices and cooking with all types and keep tons on hand at all times, but that does make them hard to find in our cabinet at times. (Enter the other night when I was looking for a good 5 minutes for a spice that was right in the front in a HUGE container.) So when I saw this Double Turntable I thought I would grab it.

Surprisingly it fit perfectly and has made it a lot easier to find our spices. Although not the perfect solution (we had too many spices to fit them all, it has helped the problem.)

How do you store your spices? I feel like this has to be a problem for me then just me!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-05-04T16:03:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to the best Mom and Grandmom-to-be I know!

Love this picture of her at Christmas with the Granpuppy! Have a WONDERFUL day Mom!

Kitchen Organization #1

2011-05-02T12:15:00.000-04:00

I am not sure if it has been the posts that Kath did about organizing, or as Hubby has said if I am starting my “nesting” (is it too early for that?), but I have been on this quest to organize the kitchen the last few weeks. Enter a Container Store Gift Card and I was set to go!

Our pot and pan cabinet has been bothering me for months. I hated how I had to move so much to get a single pan out of there. I had even asked Hubby at one point if he could build me something! Of course he said yes, but when he asked what I wanted I had no idea! When I got my gift card, I decided to start checking out the Container Store site and found these:

They seemed like they would work and for $4.50 I thought I would give them a try. Well boy did they ever work! I got two of them and check out my pan drawer now:

I love that I can see everything and get a pan without moving a bunch of others around. All that for less then $10 I am one happy girl!

What is one area of your house that drives you nuts? (My other one coming up!)

Cravings, well kind of

2011-04-29T12:15:00.000-04:00

I have not real been having any actual cravings during the pregnancy, just things I like to eat more then normal (for me), PB, ice cream, cheese, cheese fries, any carb with cheese on it… you get the idea. When I saw this new Chick-fil-a milkshake I was interested but not 100% sure. I am a big fan of Chick-fil-a milkshakes but Banana pudding is not on the top of my list, but when a free coupon came, well I thought why not

While I do still prefer the Cookies and Cream shake, this was not bad and if you like Banana Pudding I think you will love it. I really enjoy that they make them all fresh and they are really creamy. I am sure there will be move Chick-fil-a shakes over the next 4 months! Do you have a Chick-fil-a near you/what is your favorite milkshake flavor?

Vera for Baby Girl and Me

2011-04-27T12:15:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me well, knows that since college I have had a huge obsession with Vera Bradley bags. So when I got pregnant, I knew that I wanted a Vera Baby Bag! In my mind there was no other option. Well back in March, I got an email from my brother-in-law asking if he could purchase my diaper bag for me. He said it was something he did for his sister, and my sister-in-law (his wife) and wanted to do for me. As an only child and getting “siblings” for the first time when I married Hubby, this truly meant so much to me. I was very moved by such a generous offer and since I knew the EXACT bag I wanted I was able to quickly send him the link

The Baby Bag arrived recently with our awesome playyard! And I could not be happier with it.

Pictures from Vera’s site:

This is the actually pattern I got. I love that is is the greens and tans we are going with and Hubby likes that it is not too girly and he said he will be ok carrying it as well.

It comes with a changing pad, a plastic lining inside and TONS of pockets! My favorite part about this bag is that it does not scream diaper bag, I can see myself using if after Baby Girl is not longer using it for diapers and such! (It would make a great plane carry on).

Huge thanks again to my brother-in-law for this amazing gift!

For all the mom’s out there join Pampers Share Gifts to Grow and earn points when you buy any Pampers products.

Savory Friendship Bread

2011-04-25T12:15:00.000-04:00

I have not really tried too many savory dishes with my Friendship Bread starters (I am more of a sweets girl!) but I want to start making bread so I thought I would give it a try. I used this recipe from Emeril Lagasse as a guide and tried to make a Chessey Sourdough Bread. I used 1.5 cups of my friendship bread starter, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1.5 cups of white flour, along with 3/4 tsp of salt. I put all that in my mixer with the dough hook on and let it do it’s job. I then added about a cup of chopped cheese (swiss and cheddar to the mix) and placed it in an oiled bowl to rise.

After a few hours, I put cornmeal on the counter and kneaded my dough for a bit before making it into a ball. On to my baking peel it went to rest covered for another hour.

Finally, I cut an X on the top, sprinkle my baking pan with more cornmeal and into a 400 degree oven it went. After about an hour I check to see that the crust looked done (ok maybe a little over done). Although it does not look amazing I still actually enjoy the taste of this bread, since the swiss all melted into the bread and looks weird I might leave it out next time. But I am still enjoying eating it!

Any bread makers out there that have suggestions?

Philadelphia Chocolate Tour

2011-04-22T17:17:00.001-04:00

This past weekend my sister-in-law came to visit and cash in her birthday present. We had got her a Philadelphia Chocolate Tour. I will admit that this might have been a little selfish on my part, I really wanted to go and have heard such great things about the tour, and knew that the SIL would enjoy it just as much as I would! So into the city we headed!

The first stop on our tour was a favorite of mine, Famous 4th Street Cookie Company!

Here we are at the start!

We started with the best selling cookie, the chocolate chip (still warm from the oven!)

Next it was on to Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates. This shop was inside one of the cutest little accessory shops and the decor was so fun. Also you could watch them making the chocolates in the back!

However, I was sad we did not get to try any of the special Philly Chocolate:

Or this Balsamic Strawberry, the SIL and I had our eyes on!

But we did have some chocolate bark that was quite yummy

Next on the tour was the Swiss Company Teuscher. How cute does this store look?

The flowers change with the season. Also here we got to try the AMAZING Dark Champagne Truffles!

These are a little pricey, but they are so worth it. We both loved this truffle, and we can both be a little hard to please!

Here is our group at Teuscher

Next was the Swiss Haus Bakery. I have not been to a good bakery in awhile and this place did not disappoint, and check out the spread:

Top left is the Almond Horseshoe, great almond flavor with a flaky crust. In the front is the Pecan Diamond, which was like an amazing pecan pie. The top is the Chocolate Roll, which was a very moist chocolate sponge cake filled with an amazingly smooth butter cream frosting. The Bakery also gave us a chocolate dipped macaroon with I forgot to get a picture of! This place was the most filling of the tour!

Finally we ended our tour at Capogiro Gelato. I am a huge gelato fan so I was excited to see what they had for use to try.

We got to sample Cioccolato Banana (which was nice if you like banana), Stracciatella (which is like a coffee ice cream with bits of chocolate in it, this was not as creamy as the other but had nice flavor), Nutella (which is a hazelnut and tastes just like Nutella! This was my favorite!), and finally Cioccolato Scuro (which was a dark chocolate gelato, also great but I mean what compares to nutella?)

I would highly recommend the Philadelphia Chocolate Tour it was fun and just the right amount of chocolate! We had a great time and now I just have to come up with a reason to do it again!

Big Baby Item Purchases

2011-04-20T12:15:00.000-04:00

Since I have been asked by some people I thought I would share some of the larger items that Hubby and I have registered Baby Girl for and why we love these products. I want to share with you the playyard we just got for Baby Girl.

First, I think I have to tell you that since we keep the news of Baby Girl from EVERYONE until we got to 12 weeks, Hubby and I had to do something to get ourselves from going crazy with excitement. So we started researching all the baby gear we could. We knew we wanted a playyard to have at home as well as use for travel, since we have 2 trips planned right after Baby Girl arrives. All the website and books we looked at seemed to say that the Chicco Lullaby LX playyard was the best out there. Everything we read said nothing but good things, and since we had already decided on the Chicco Cortina Key Fit 30 Travel System in Adventure Green, we thought might as well go with the matching playyard (and most of our house is greens and tans so the colors worked for us too).

We placed this item on our registry that we finished a few weeks ago. My amazing sister-in-law knew she wanted to buy the playyard for us, so went and got it right away. After purchasing it, she mentioned to Hubby that it is kinda heavy and something we might want to check out and see if we want to keep. After checking it out we saw that it did way over 30lbs! I got a little nervous and my sister-in-law said she would give it to us early so we could check it out and decide if we still wanted it. (Major thanks to her for letting us check it out early when we have the time). So this weekend the playyard arrived with my sister-in-law for a visit (more on the fun reason she came later!)

After her visit, Hubby and I decided we would check out this playyard in case it did need to go back (). Well let me tell you this item will NOT be going back! We are in love with it already.

Here is the Chicco site picture:

Besides the color one of the things I loved about this playyard was that the mattress comes out and becomes a playmat! As you can see it has the playmat top on it with the animals hanging down. One of the things Hubby and I liked when we put this together over the weekend was that the animals can go into the rails at different heights as baby girl grows. This is good for her development and movement.

Now we move on to Hubby’s favorite part of this playyard, the remote control.

We knew the playyard came with a remote and a vibration function, however, I think we missed that it also played music and had a nightlight. Another great features, and our favorite, is the “Loud Noise” feature (that is what we are calling it). If you set the little vibration thing to this one setting it will turn on the music and viration for 6 minutes when there is a loud noise detected or if baby starts to cry. With the 2 trips we will be taking with Baby Girl within weeks of her arrival this is a feature that Hubby and I both love. We think it will come in handy during those hotel stays!

I want to talk about the one issue that had me worried, the weight of this playyard. So here is the deal, with the changing table attachment on it, yes this thing is a little on the heavy side.

However, hubby and I really did not like the way the playyard looked with this hanging over the side, and it was a bit of a pain to attach so we decide that although we will keep this part we will not take it with us when we travel. That being said the playyard then becomes much lighter and when packed up I can easily pull it along on its wheels.

Hubby and I are very happy with our playyard and its many features and can’t wait for Baby Girl to try it out! Huge thanks to the sister-in-law for getting this for us and letting us try it out!

***I was in no way asked or compensated to say any of this. I promise these are all my own opinions and I just thought this was a great product and wanted to share. However, if Chicco wants Baby Girl to try anything else I am not against the idea

PopCorners Review

2011-04-18T14:06:00.001-04:00

Hubby and I love trying new and healthier chip varieties. So as he was driving around the city one day Hubby saw a truck for PopCorners and told me to check it out. A quick email later and this showed up at our house!

We received a small and large bag of all 5 flavors they offer.

I think the Sea Salt are my favorites. They have the right amount of salt and just a nice crunch to them. I could eat the whole bag in 1 sitting no problem!

The Kettle is also good and taste just like kettle corn with that great mix of sweet and salty. If you like kettle corn you will love these chips.

The Butter tastes like movie theater popcorn, nice and rich in butter flavor, with out all the greasy fingers!.

White Cheddar to me tasted like the Smartfood popcorn, (you know that stuff I am talking about). It had that nice bite of cheddar in the chip, this would be my second favorite.

I tried the Cheesy Jalapeno, but this is a flavor I will be letting Hubby eat. They had a nice jalapeno flavor to them, they just had way to much kick for me to get a whole bag of them (little bags even) like I did with the others. However, if you are a jalapeno fan like hubby you will love them.

Overall I give PopCorners a great review, the flavors are just want they claim to be, the chips are nice and crunchy, they leave no greasy reside on my hands, and are all natural. I just wish they sold them in more locations…..

We have AMAZING friends

2011-04-15T12:15:00.001-04:00

These are all “hand-me downs” from a woman my mom works with! Hubby and I separated everything by size last night and have already started to wash it all (after taking off some tags). I even got little hangers to start putting the things in Baby Girl’s closet.
How cute are these?

Baby Girl is so lucky to have all this stuff and still be 5 months away from getting here!!!
What are you thoughts on “hand-me downs”?

I finally have a Bump!

2011-04-14T13:01:00.001-04:00

I am actually so HAPPY to share my growing tummy with everyone! Here is me at 20.5 weeks pregnant, it took me quite awhile to pop and sometimes I still do not look that pregnant. But you can see my bump! I am up about 15 lbs which I think is a good amount. I will say I have days I feel much heavier then that, but it has been pretty consistent with the weight gain so it has not been bad at all. I am still trying to eat healthy and just eat a little more, hopefully that will be best for me and Baby Girl!

Have a great weekend!

Salsa Night

2011-04-11T12:15:00.000-04:00

The other night I noticed a salsa container in the fridge that I knew was not going to last much longer. Since I hate to waste things I got my thinking cap on and decided we would have salsa chicken. This was so easy (and would have been quick if my oven actually worked the whole time – little problem but Hubby was able to fix it in 2 minutes! LOVE HIM).

I took 2 chicken beasts and put them in aluminum foil. I placed half a jar of salsa over the top and into the oven then went for about 20-25 minutes (I am guess that is how long it should have taken).

On the side was a baked potato also done in the oven (they are so much better that way) topped with some of the salsa and cheese, as well as corn.

How do you like to use up extra things in the fridge?

Best Store Bought Granola

2011-04-08T12:15:00.000-04:00

I am not sure about anyone else, but I have a love and hate relationship with granola. I love the flavor and crunch it adds to things, but I hate how high in calories many brands normally are or even have in the homemade ones. Enter a recent trip at Wegmans and Bear Naked’s Fit Granola line. I had tried the Triple Berry Crunch and it was ok, but not great, well this week I opened the second bag I bought, Vanilla Almond Crunch.

This granola is AMAZING. Great crunch and whole almonds inside, not overly sweet but just right and at only 120 calories for 1/4 cup I feel better about eating it. I like to make my own granola but this brand might make me a convert…….

What is your favorite granola? Store or homemade?

Baby is a…..

2011-04-07T13:49:00.001-04:00

At least we are like 90% sure. Baby had her legs all tucked up under neither her during the ultrasound today. But as the Tech said “I don’t see any boy parts.” So we will be meeting our shy little girl the end of August. Everything else looks good so we can now finish our registry! Poor Hubby he is being taken over by females!

Crumbs Bake Shop

2011-04-06T12:15:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I checked 2 places of my food must see list this weekend. Crumbs Bake Shop was the second. I have wanted to try Crumbs since Sex in the City made them popular when I was in college. The inlaws have several near them and since it was Dad #2’s birthday, I thought it would be a great treat for all of us.

Friday afternoon, Hubby and I headed to the Crumbs by this parents to find this:

We had made a list of possible choices but when you see this it is hard to stick with them! So we got a sick pack to share:

Some close ups:

Coffee Toffee (voted the best by the group) and Raspberry Chocolate Curl

Grasshopper and PB Cup (my favorite)

Carrot Cake and Irish Cream (the flavor of the month)

We shared all 6 cupcakes between 4 of us, which seems like a lot but because they are not overly sweet was actually great. I did not feel sick after eating them or anything! I am now a HUGE Crumbs fan.

So much so that we went back for more on Saturday night!

This time it was the Baba Booey. This one was also AMAZING (that or I am just loving PB and chocolate right now…..)

Less then 24 hours to go!

Tasti D Lite

2011-04-05T16:05:00.001-04:00

There are a few places I wanted to visit in CT before the inlaws move later this summer, and this past weekend I was able to check 2 of them off my list! One of the places was Tasti D Lite. I have heard so much about this fro-you place I wanted to give it a try. So on the way out of town, Hubby and I stopped to grab some fro-yo. We both got a small Oreo Chocolate Mint, which I was surprised to find is on the low end of the calorie count.

While this looks awesome (and way to go new phone for a great pic!), it was good but nothing special and for the price, Hubby and I agreed not really worth it. I enjoyed it but will not be sad that we will not get to visit tons more, I think we will stick with our Toppings place for fro-yo.

I caved and joined the club…

2011-04-04T12:15:00.000-04:00

I was not going to do it, but I caved, I traded in my Blackberry for a Droid!

I got the Droid Incredible and I LOVE it! I mainly switched phones because this one has an 8.0 megapixel camera on it and I figured with the little one on the way it would be a great thing to always have with me. Also I am loving all the apps it has! I have downloaded a few apps but now I need suggestions! What are your favorite apps??

3 days til we find out about baby!! I can’t wait

Baby Purchases

2011-04-03T12:15:00.000-04:00

Well I finally caved at 4 months and 1 week pregnant, I went and got a Belly Band!

I was fighting buying this thing because I did not like that my clothes did not fit anymore, but I did give in and it is not bad actually. It lets me wear my regular pants and just not have them buttoned up all the way. I thought it would hold my little belly in more, but it really just acts like a tank top between my pants and shirts. Anyone else use one of these when pregnant? Thoughts/suggestions?

Any while I was in Target I saw this and just had to buy it! It was my first actually purchase for the baby!

4 days until we find out what baby is

Curtains with Pooh

2011-04-02T12:15:00.000-04:00

Even before we knew about the little one’s upcoming arrival, hubby and I had decided that the baby’s room would have a Winnie the Pooh theme. We want to keep the big things as gender neutral as possible and thought Winnie was the perfect fit! We then decided per Hubby that we “want a cute pooh, not the old school pooh.” So off to work we went on finding cute Pooh things. We decided we like “Fluffy Pooh” and then we found these room decals:

We decided that the decals would be better because they will not damage the walls and if the little one does not like them, they just come down! So then it was on to curtains for the room. I had decided I wanted to make curtains and started looking everywhere for fabric. I was having the hardest time finding something I liked, then one day while looking at Jo-Ann Fabrics online I found this:

It was prefect, so I sent it to Hubby and called the store to have it put aside! Luck for me the Mum-in-law has made curtains before and was coming to visit for Hubby’s birthday, so I would have help with this project.

Thanks to her in just a few hours the project was done and looks great!

Now we just need to paint!

Less then a week until we find out the sex of baby!

Home Improvements

2011-04-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

Some of you have asked for more baby prep posts. If you have checked my twitter, you might know that hubby and I have been busy working on projects to get ready for the baby. Most recently Hubby and his dad added some storage space to our basement and changed out some doors.

First project was to replace the basement door. Since we got the house hubby has wanted to put a glass panel door at the steps to the basement. He thought it would make the basement feel more open to the rest of the house. Also he thought we could use the old door to put at the bottom of the basement steps and open them up for storage, and with a little one on the way we thought that would be a great idea.

Here is the new basement door (which minus the nose prints from the dog and the finger prints that are sure to follow, I really love).

And here is the old door in the basement (looks like it was meant to be there….)

Finally my new storage area (with all the stuff I wanted to put in it, not even half full!)

Thanks Hubby and Dad in law!

Cranberry Vanilla Friendship Bread

2011-03-31T12:15:00.000-04:00

Some people might remember that I have been working with the Friendship Bread Kitchen to test recipes the last few months. You can see a post here for biscuits, well this month it was a recipe for Moms for Mother’s Day. My variation was Cranberry Vanilla Bread.

Here is the recipe I used for my loaf:

1 cup Friendship Bread starter

1 egg
1 1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup flour
1 box vanilla instant pudding

Then I added:

1/2 teaspoon vanilla syrup
1 cup dried cranberries

Then into a 325 degree oven for 1 hour and you can smell the vanilla baking! When it comes out you have a super moist bread. One of the women I work with kept eating little pieces off the loaf all day because she liked it that much!

This is also great as crumbles on top of yogurt.

I also wanted to thank my friends at the Friendship Bread Kitchen for my new starter jar!

I can’t wait to try using it. Have you tried Friendship Bread yet?

Pork for the Hubby

2011-03-30T13:04:00.000-04:00

Picasa Content

I have mentioned before that Hubby is not a pork fan at all, but I like to eat it and since we had some in our Omaha Steaks gift, we need to find a way to use it. After looking high and low, I found something I thought Hubby would like Dijon Pork Chop Bake, here is the original recipe but I just used what I had and made this.

I combined:

1/4 cup honey Dijon mustard

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 TBSP minced onion

2 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper

Then I covered 1 side of the pork chop with the mixture and baked at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, flip over, cover the second side and cook 15 more minutes.

The pork chop had a nice mustard flavor to it and Hubby did not even complain that much at all! On the side we had peas and the Omaha Steaks Potatoes Au Gratin. The potatoes are not bad, I just expected them to be much more cheesy. We liked them, but just might not order them again.

Wrapped up Greek Style

2011-03-29T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hubby and I have been on this major Greek food kick lately. Not sure why, but we are putting feta on everything! Maybe the baby is to blame, but I am liking it either way. The other night we decided to do wraps with black bean burgers, a favorite quick dinner of ours. I decided to turn mine Greek and added homemade tzatzki sauce, cucumber, lettuce, olives and feta.

Let me tell you this was the best wrap I have made in a long time. And this little baby kept me very full. I think that is from the black bean burger but who knows. What are your favorite things to wrap up?