28 Week Update

So today I'm actually 29 weeks - how the heck did we get here so fast?! Luckily, other than a bout with the stomach flu early last week, I've been feeling pretty good. We had baby shower #1 last Saturday and it was so much fun to see so many family and friends. I think baby Reece has 45 new outfits so far. I'm just sorry that apparently the Outbreak Monkey was in attendance and about 10 other people, including me, got the stomach flu over the next 48 hours. Not fun, and it's twice as bad when you're pregnant! It's just a reminder that close contact with a lot of people around this time of year might not be so good for everyone's health - so remember to wash your hands like crazy.

I'm not feeling huge yet, but this past weekend was the first time I got questions from strangers, so I guess I'm in the "definitely looking pregnant" category. Although my bump has gone from cute and kind of round to more of a torpedo like structure. And don't even get me started on my belly button...because I no longer have one.

I also got to do the lovely Gestational Diabetes Screening Test on Friday at my last appointment. Basically you get to drink a 10oz drink of straight sugar on an empty stomach and then they test your blood to see how you're handling the glucose. Hopefully I passed that test - we'll find out early this week if not. Keep your fingers crossed that I did and that I don't have to do the more intensive test. I've also been instructed to start doing kick counts - as long as I get about 10 movements in a 2-hour period of time, we're good. It's not the most scientific method, but it can help you notice decreased fetal movement. But seeing how my baby pretty much moves like a cat caught in a burlap sack most of the time, I definitely don't need to count to notice decreased activity.

I hope you all are having a wonderful December!

Painted Nursery

We haven't made huge progress on our nursery - but we did finally paint the little room.  And by little...I mean REALLY little. But it should work for such a tiny person.  Here are some before shots:

The closet doors will eventually come off to save more space. I'd like to paint the inside of the closet a contrasting color from the walls, but I haven't decided yet. You can see all my pretty spackle marks on the wall if you look closely.

Ah, Neo. He'd make a good addition to a nursery, right? Eh, sadly he had to go as well.

And here's a few shots of the painted room. It's so hard to photograph this small space. The color is "Gulf Winds" paint and primer in one by Behr in eggshell. I really like the texture of that type of paint and it covers really well. The color is a little more saturated than I had initally planned from my design board, but I think it will be ok when we get everything put together.

You can see a few of the baby gifts we've already received...so exciting to get presents in the mail!

I think my little fox paintings will really pop against the wall color - you can see them stacked on that little table in the background.

I can't wait to share more photos when we actually get the room put together! My baby shower is this weekend, so it will be exciting to get together with friends and family and look at lots of cute baby things!

2011 Holiday Gift Guide

It's that time of year again for the Holiday Gift Guide. I love Christmas shopping and wrapping presents, and I genuinely try and find something for each person that I hope they'll enjoy. This year's list is considerably smaller than last year's guide, but I just wanted to give a quick variety of gifts for every budget. So here it goes!

Click to Enlarge

FOR HER:

1. You can never go wrong with jewelry. Unless it's ugly... Swarovski crystal jewelry is a good way to go in that the pieces are high quality to last a lifetime, yet they have a range of price points. This is the Swarovski Marie Crystal Ring Moonlight (Small) and retails for around $90. www.swarovski.com

2. Here is the Birchbox I touted in yesterday's post. Can you tell I think this concept is really cool? $10 a month, or $30 for a three-month subscription. www.birchbox.com

3. I love these Pashmina scarves from World Market. They come in a variety of colors - I bought one last year in ivory. They're super long and soft, and at only $10 a piece, they're a steal so you can buy multiples! www.worldmarket.com

FOR HIM:

1. I love the look of this Fossil watch. The chocolate brown color is just different enough to make it stand out, but it's still pretty manly. For a nice watch it's pretty reasonably priced for $115. www.fossil.com

2. This iPhone alarm clock dock turns an iPhone into a sleek, mid-century modern statement piece for the bedside table. And at $39.50, it's a pretty good deal. www.uncommongoods.com

3. You can't really go wrong with guys and their gaming systems. Assassins Creed and Call of Duty MW3 are two of the latest and run around $60 depending on where you buy. Better yet, just get him a GameStop gift card so he can wait in the line with the rest of the crazies for the latest newly released games.


FOR BOTH:

1. The Kindle Fire has just been released and at $199 it's a much better deal than the iPad. Watch movies, download games and books, and fight over who gets to use it next. www.amazon.com

2. These soy candles from Achipelago Botanicals burn for up to 60 hours, and are more eco-friendly with less smoke. With scents like Bergamont Tobacco, Bamboo Teak, and Pineapple Ginger, there's bound to be a scent that can please both sexes. Candles start around $24. www.archipelago-usa.com

3. Macarons are delicious. I was so excited to try them when we went to Paris this year and Scott didn't see the big deal until he finally tried one. Now he's a convert. I've had really good experience ordering from The Little Oven Bakery in New York. They ship very quickly nation-wide and sampler boxes run around $22. www.littleoven.com

4. Agate bookends. Because they look neat. This turquoise pair runs around $39. www.mamasminerals.com

5. I appreciate a unique piece of wall art. My current obsession are these painted deer antlers found on etsy from seller MadeByCassandraSmith. These antlers are naturally shed in the wild and thus, are cruelty-free. They would look so cool hanging on the wall! They cost between $80 and $100. www.etsy.com

I hope this gift guide helps you get started on your holiday shopping, or at least maybe you've discovered some new products (and maybe something fun for yourself as well?). Happy Holidays!

Gift Idea + Trend: Curated Subscription Boxes

I've noticed a growing trend in the world of gift-giving which I think is fabulous: Curated monthly subscription boxes. You can sign up yourself or give as a gift a monthly subscription (usually starting at 3-month intervals) to boxes of products that arrive every month at your door. It's like a jelly-of-the-month club but (much) better. Each company has a different niche-market and subscriptions start at as little as $10 a month. Some of the popular ones I've found are:

1. Birchbox - you get 4-5 deluxe samples of beauty products every month. Subscriptions are only $10 a month for this one. This would make a great gift for that friend/mom/sister who can't get enough beauty products! www.birchbox.com

2. Bluum - this is the same concept but with baby products! I love that each month has a new "theme" for all of the products in the box. November's theme is "Goodnight Moon." How cute is that? Subscriptions start around $11 a month. I may or may not have purchased this for a friend's upcoming baby shower. . . www.bluum.com

3. Citrus Lane is similar to Bluum in that it caters to moms and babies. However, it's slightly more expensive because it's meant to be more specific to your lifestyle. For example, you would get a newborn box and then each successive box would have products relevant to your baby's development. It starts around $25 a month. www.citruslane.com

4. Blissmobox - The Blissmo box specifically caters to those wanting to live a greener lifestyle. Products range from organic health foods to eco-friendly cleaning products. What a great way to discover ways to live more responsibly and for only around $19 a month. www.blissmobox.com

All of these would make wonderful gifts for the holidays! And it's a gift that keeps on giving. Your recipient will get a box in the mail every month for however long their subscription lasts. Who doesn't like getting packages in the mail? I would love to hear of more companies doing this, so if you hear of any, be sure and let me know.

On The Menu: Taco Pasta

I was a little wary of this recipe at first if only because of the wicked awful heartburn I've been having lately due to this baby hanging out on my organs and such. Luckily I remembered to take a Pepcid an hour before eating this, so I didn't have a problem.

This recipe comes directly from the wonderful food blog: The Girl Who Ate Everything. She has a ton of amazing recipes and I found this one after searching through Pinterest.  I love that it's kind of a "throw everything in a pan" kind of recipe. My brother, Adam, doesn't have an oven where he lives on his military base, so Adam, if you're reading this - make this for dinner!

Ingredients:
8-12 oz. medium pasta shells
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 onion, chopped
1 14 oz. can of Rotel or similar diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup sour cream
3 oz. cream cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional Cilantro for Garnish

Directions:
1. Cook pasta shells according to directions on the box. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a large skillet or deep pan. A couple of minutes before the beef is done cooking, add in the chopped onion. When the beef is cooked through, add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the taco seasoning and can of rotel (drained) to the beef mixture and let simmer for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the cooked pasta shells, reserved pasta water, cream cheese, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the cream cheese is melted.
5. Garnish with cilantro at the end if desired.

Thanks again to Christy at The Girl Who Ate Everything for this awesome recipe!

On The Menu: Cilantro Lime Fish Tacos with Creamy Avocado Dressing

So, I've done a shrimp taco recipe before in a hard shell, but I've never really tried a fish taco in a soft tortilla before. These Cilantro Lime Fish Tacos with Creamy Avocado Dressing turned out really well. In fact, my husband said it was "an explosion of flavor." My only regret was not making more fish. I used only 2 Tilapia filets, which was enough for two large (burrito size) tacos or four small tacos. So feel free to double up on the Tilapia in this recipe if you want more.

Ingredients:
• 2 Tilapia Filets, Thawed
• 1 Tbsp. Hot Mexican Style Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
• Garlic Salt
• 1 Lime
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Two Large Flour Tortillas or 4 Small Flour Tortillas
• Cilantro
• Pico de Gallo (We used Store-Bought but you can certainly make your own from chopped red and white onion, tomato, lime, garlic and cilantro)
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Creamy Avocado Dressing (See Recipe Below)

Creamy Avocado Dressing:
• 1 Avocado, Cubed
• 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
• 1/4 Cup Mayo
• 1/4 Cup Milk
• 1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• Handful of Cilantro Leaves
• Handful of Flat-Leafed Parsely Leaves
• The juice of One Lemon

Directions:
1. For the avocado dressing, put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and mix until the consistency is creamy and everything is incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary to your liking. Cover, and set aside in the fridge.

2. Preheat your oven to 425° F.
3. Mix together your cumin, chili powder, the juice from half of your lime, garlic salt, and about a Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Rub both sides of your tilapia filets with the mixture - using all of it, and let marinade while your oven heats up. Sprinkle the tops of the filets with extra minced cilantro if desired (in our case, it's always desired).
4. Cook filets in a shallow baking pan until they are opaque all the way through. These filets were fairly small so only took about 9-10 minutes before they were done.

5. Build your tacos with the fish, and layer on the pico de gallo, mozzarella cheese, and creamy avocado dressing. Garnish with the other half of your lime. Enjoy! 

*Note: The recipe for the avocado dressing makes quite a bit. It's pretty good on cut up raw veggies, though!

24 Weeks