Pregnant | "Baby needs protein!"

I had my 2nd prenatal appointment on Tuesday and I talked with the midwife about my weight and nutrition concerns. It is so amazing to be able to sit down with someone and talk about how to gain only the healthy and necessary weight, and also what I should pay closer attention to in my diet.

We went through the list of things that I ate and drank the day before, and she noticed that I probably didn't have enough protein in my diet. We don't eat much meat, so this wasn't surprising to me, but did you know that you need 3 servings the size of a deck of cards of protein each day? She suggested that I try introducing more beans and nuts. I love trail mix, so honey, I'm there. I also plan to be more dilligent about making hard boiled eggs. I love eating them plain, and it's such a good, quick snack that's packed with protein. We're going to be traveling early Friday morning, so in an effort to get some protein-filled snacks for the road, I bought a nut and cranberry trail mix and some summer sausage. Okay, probs not the lowest calorie way to get protein, but hey! It's for the road, and road snacks are rarely that healthy. I don't actually plan on getting my daily protein from a brick of sausage.

So my new mantra is "Baby needs protein!" Cody just laughs.

I also confided in her that I have a serious problem saying no to sweet things, especially hot chocolate these days. This was her brilliant no-calorie replacement idea:

Favorite Herbal Tea

+

Stevia

+

Fat-free half and half

It gives you a warm, sweet, creamy drink without the calories! I can't wait to try it. Since I didn't have the Stevia or half and half, I got home and made a cup of black tea with a little milk. Definitely the next best thing.

Do you have any low-to-no calorie snack ideas?

P.S. I also found out that if you're a back sleeper, you can keep sleeping on your back so long as it's not uncomfortable, and then when it becomes uncomfortable, all you need to do is prop a pillow under your left hip to put you at a tilt. Praise the Lord! I am going to sleep so much better this time around.

Husband | Mustard socks

This guy was not the first to sport the mustard sock...

 This guy probs set the trend

In this film

You know the scene where Phil pretends to break his leg so General Waverly will stay away from the Ed Harrison show? Well, he's wearing these fabulous mustard colored socks, and I want them for Cody. Now, off to hunt for a pair. Wish me luck!

P.S. Speaking of Christmas movies, stay tuned for my list of favorites tomorrow!

Pregnant | Baby #2

In case you haven't heard, baby no. 2 is on the way!

June 20th, 2012

DIY | Gift wrapping

How do you approach gift wrapping? I am an obsessive compulsive packaging/ribbon/wrapping/box hoarder saver, so I always have a huge stash of things to work with. Usually, however, I still buy a few rolls of wrapping paper. This year my goal is to work solely with what I have, and make it look lovely. It's amazing how much money can fly out the window over stuff like wrapping paper, bows, and gift tags.

This is what I'm using:

Trader Joe's Bag Gift Tags (Hello! This is not a sacrifice!)
Brown packaging paper
Hemp Twine
Yarn
Fabric
Leftover wrapping paper

I also never have any tape on hand, so I'm trying to close my packages up with string. I figure tape hasn't been in existence forever, so at some point people survived without it!

My biggest challenge right now is figuring out how to make this big plain Amazon box not look totally cheaptastic since I don't have a large enough piece of paper or fabric to wrap it in... (don't worry, dad, I'm not done yet!!). I'm thinking paper stars glued all over it...? Hmm, this could end in disaster.

Do you have any gift wrapping secrets?

If I were to buy a few packaging supplies, I would get baker's twine, paper doilies, and a roll of brown packaging paper from an office supply store, just to class spice things up a bit.

P.S. Some more ideas for keeping your packaging simple and eco-friendly.

Seb | Just another day in Paradise: Marshmallow Eating & Rain Watching

There has been a light, constant drizzle this afternoon, but just a few minutes ago, it turned into a heavy rain. Seb had been sitting on the couch, but as soon as he heard the sound coming through the screen, he jumped up, spilled all his marshmallows, and hurried to the sliding door. I gathered the marshmallows (10 second rule) and put them back in his bowl, and let him sit down in front of the door so he could watch the rain. It was such a sweet sight. He quietly sat there, dumped his marshmallows out again (this time on purpose), and munched away. 

I didn't think I would like facing a parking lot, but it's turned out to be so nice. There is always something going on, people coming and going, car alarms going off, and garbage trucks coming to empty the dumpsters. It's a toddler boy's paradise.

Food | Spicy Gingerbread Cookies

These are the absolute best gingerbread cookies.

Do you have any new recipes to try for the Christmas season?

Home | A Homemade Christmas

I should really be working on some Christmas cards right now while Cody and Seb are napping, but instead I'm blogging, because I've been itching to share our humble Christmas decorations with you.

These decorations are my favorite, even though they're much more simple than we've ever had in the past. When I opened our bin of Christmas decorations, none of our lights worked, and I realized that beyond a wreath, a bag of red potpourri, and our Christmas ornaments, we had nothing. After buying a few strands of lights, I got to work trying to liven the place up with some homemade decorations. I love that I spent absolutely nothing on these decorations, but find them to be the most pleasant and homey. In the first picture, you can see our Trader Joe's paper bag chain (they have templates on their bags! I'm so glad we forgot our reusable bags that week!). My biggest triumph was the homemade garland for our big dining nook wall. I used fabric scraps, and Gold ornaments that we couldn't fit on our little tree. And last but not least, the most insignificant of details, but also my favorite, this little flag that say "O Holy Night." I've had that stamp for several years, and used some leftover Trader Joe's bag. The stick is from the front yard!

This tradition of homemade decor is definitely something I am going to keep up with. I can't wait until Seb can lend a helping hand!

Have you decorated?

If you haven't yet, check out Nat the Fat Rat's Christmas tree series! It's so fun to see what some of your favorite bloggers like to do with their Christmas decorations. How do you decorate your tree?

No matter what our Christmas tree looks like, this guy will always make an appearance. My older sister has Jack. I found out a couple years ago that they are McDonald's Happy Meal ornaments from 1987. Probably the only reason to like McDonald's! Haha.