Motivation for Mamas-to-be

Happy Monday, Friends! Hope you had a fantabulous weekend. Mine, as usual, was packed with family parties and FOOD! It's always the best of times and the worst of times because I end up eating myself into a tizzy and feeling uber-guilty afterwards.

This pregnancy is really making my battle with food difficult. I want to be healthy but I'm craving all kinds of crap as I sit my butt on the couch day after day. In result, I have gained between 25-30 lbs and I'm only 26 weeks along. This might not seem like a big deal to some, but to me, I feel like a failure and a whale....a whaliure.

One of my biggest gripes at the moment is people discounting my feelings because I'm "thin" and blah blah "You're pregnant. Eat what you want." First off, I feel like shit! I'm swollen and I can't walk at night because it's so painful. Secondly, sure, I'll drop some of the weight when I have the baby, but will my thighs and new layer of butt fat be on board with dropping the extra poundage? No woman likes to feel heavier and I am positive that no one likes the feeling of their pants not being able to go over their thighs.
Story of my summer.

I might be a little hormonal right now. Apologies.

So this ugly cycle continues. Eat, guilt, workout, eat, guilt, workout. Hopefully I can stop it.

I shall dub this post:

 Motivation Monday for Mamas-to-be. Anyone else need the motivation to be healthy, feel good and STRONG? (Thank God we don't need to work our Abs this summer!)

Here are some great workout plans I found that Baby and I will be doing this week.

1. Easy enough for a lazy bum like me to do. Here's the link.

2. Best $14.99 I've spent at Target! This all comes in a set.

3. Yoga for my tight muscles. I miss you, Downward Dog. This is on Netflix right now!

Here's to a week of healthy habits. Wish me luck and may the force be with you, too!

25 Weeks!

How far along? 25 weeks

Total weight gain: 20+lbs. Trying to eat a bit healthier these days. Chocolate is healthy right?

Maternity clothes? Chillin' at home this week so workout gear and bathing suits are my uniforms

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Waking up to pee ALOT! *Note to self: Remind hubby to put toliet seat DOWN!*

Best moment this week: Letting my mom and my nephew feel Baby kick. So exciting to see their faces.

Miss Anything? Running and sleeping on my back.

Movement: I'm pretty sure I felt Baby punch me. It was more of a sharp jab. I also think Baby wants me to keep moving because Baby was kicking my back to get up off the couch yesterday!

Food cravings: Sweets. CHOCOLATE!! See's chocolate to be exact. Hubby bought me a lot of it. It's dangerous to have around.

Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of Sonic's doggy treats. This is a new thing. 

Gender predictions: Still feeling like it's a girl. Lots of girl predictions from others this week.

Labor Signs: Not yet

Symptoms: Acid reflux. After scarfing dinner, I feel like I'm going to explode. Need to eat less.

Belly Button in or out? It's still half in and out. Freaky.

Wedding rings on or off? I bought myself a fake ring because sadly mine do not fit anymore. I feel like it's too early for me to be pulling my rings off. :(

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and oh so blessed!

Looking forward to: Letting more people feel Baby's kicks. I actually enjoy when friends and family touch my belly. I have yet to have a stranger touch it though. I don't think I would like that.

Wandom Wednesday: Oats in a Jar. Genius.

This is not a new thing. Bloggers all over Blogworld do it and I can finally see why they do. It's pure genius. Whoever thunk this one up should win some kind of award.

Here's the scoop.
When your peanut butter, almond butter, Speculoos, or Nutella jar is pretty much empty, throw in your warm morning oatmeal and let it aaaalll melt together. Ooey Gooey Goodness. Swear.

Check out the cleaning job I did on this puppy. If it weren't for this idea, I'd be wasting so much. This is a money saver!
 


CAN'T WAIT!

Tips From the Worst Painter in the World

I've been nesting. Big time. This is good because I go back to work in a few weeks and my only goal this summer, besides going to the beach, was to finish as much of the nursery as possible. Mission Complete! Here is the inspiration picture to refresh your memory.

Throughout my nursery decorating endeavors, I've learned one thing: I suck at painting things. I mean, I got stuff done and from a distance everything looks fine, but wow, I can't believe how much I suck at painting things. I felt like a 5 year old with delayed fine motor skills development. So here are some tips from someone who shouldn't be giving you tips.



TIP #1: Take some time to get the right materials.
See, only a smart girl like me would think of using a blanket to prevent messes on the floor. They sell these things called tarps to do that. Genius. I also enjoyed using all the plastic bags I can find to prevent spills and mishaps. I had many...both plastic bags and mishaps.

TIP #2: Don't stand too close
When your project is done and you stand at a good distance, it'll look AMAZING! See? Do you see my mistakes? Do you see the paint all over my face, neck, and hands? I didn't think so.

Tip #3: Painting IKEA furniture is stupid
It is no secret that the quality of IKEA furniture is...well...weaksauce. It is suggested that before you paint their man made wood pieces, you should sand it down. HAHA! I spent $0.75 on these things in the AS-IS section and I ain't gonna sand nothin'. Walking the maze that is IKEA then sifting and searching through the AS IS section is enough work. I'm slapping paint on it and calling it a day.

TIP #4: Steady now

Sponges and stencils. Because a steady hand is overrated.

TIP #5: Painter's tape

Painter's tape....you are sexy. Thank you for all that you do.

This one has nothing to do with paint, but everything to do with how I'm in desperate need of crafting classes. I can't sew. This is my bonus TIP!

TIP #6: Cool tape

If you can't sew and are too impatient to teach yourself, then adhesive bond tape is your best bet. I bonded this yellow panel to the curtains I bought. I'm impressed with not only the tape, but myself. Instant gratification.

All these projects are definitely worth it. I can't wait to show my baby all these wonderful things I've made. He or she will love it....from a distance of course.

29, 24, 6 and 5

Yesterday was my 29th birthday. It's a weird age to be. I'm on the cusp of letting go of my 20's...oh those glorious 20's and grasping on to my 30's.....Holy crap I'm going to be 30. I feel 29, which is weird. When people ask you "How does it feel to be _____?" I think many of us respond with...meh. However, I really feel 29. Maybe it's because I'm coming on to my 7th year as a teacher, 2nd year of marriage, and first child. Good Lord! I'm an adult. I also love looking at paint colors at Home Depot and spending too much time organizing my kitchen cabinets. Adult biz. I never thought I'd see the day.

Coconut Chocolate Cupcake from Sprinkles. OH MY!

Sonic also had a birthday this month. He is 5 years old. I don't want to count in dog years because that will make it a lot older. He is my puppy forever.

Puppy Cupcake from Sprinkles. Don't judge.

Yesterday also marked 24 weeks pregnant which is 6 whole months pregnant. Cra-zee.

How far along? 24 weeks, which is a whopping 6 months pregnant!

Total weight gain: 20 lbs. I am ashamed.

Maternity clothes? The stretchier the better. However, those elastic bands are starting to be a little more uncomfortable. I want to just be naked all the time but apparently there are laws against this?

Stretch marks? Nada

Sleep: Sleep is good. I wake up every morning with leg cramps but I am a ninja and I stop them before they get worse. The trick it to flex the foot and point the toes to the sky. Works like a ninja charm.

Best moment this week: Celebrating my birthday at the beach, stuffing my face with snacks. It was a great day!

Miss Anything? Sushi and being able to wear flip flops without dying of pain.

Movement: Baby is kicking, flipping, and hiccuping a lot still. 

Food cravings: Sweets. Cakes, cupcakes, pumpkin pie, ice cream....all those fat loading treats!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing at the moment
Gender predictions: Still feeling like it's a girl.

Labor Signs: Not yet

Symptoms: More weight gain...booo. Water retention....hisss. Swollen feet...RAWR!! Those are angry sounds, by the way.

Belly Button in or out? It's almost out. It's kinda gross.

Wedding rings on or off? My wedding band is the only thing that barely fits. You think hubby will buy me a spare?

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited!!

Looking forward to: More birthday celebrating this weekend!

My Pregnancy Must Haves!

Here are the top ten things that kept me sane for these past 5 months. Without these things, I'd be one grumpy preggo....I mean grumpier preggo.

#1-Sea-Bands (Target or any other drugstore): These not so fashionable bracelets kept my nausea at bay throughout my first trimester. Without these puppies I would be hurling all over my students during class time.

#2-What To Expect When You're Expecting (Amazon.com): The moment I got pregnant I wanted to buy a book and this was the first one that I KNEW I had to get. It's like the bible of pregnancy and I knew I wanted to know the truth. I read this week by week and it has kept me informed and it really does tell me what to expect.

#3-Bella-Bands (Target): During my first few weeks of pregnancy my belly was SO bloated. I thought I was showing already. It was embarrassing especially since I could no longer button my pants. This led to crying fits in my closet and jeans thrown violently throughout my bedroom. Thank GOD for these because I could still wear my regular pants comfortably.

#4-Vitamin C Candy (Target): Ok, I understand that these are not really "candy" but I popped them like they were skittles. These helped me keep my immune system strong and my nausea to a minimum. Something about citrus really calms the belly.

#5- Addidas Foam Flip Flops (TJ Maxx): As a true Californian, I live in flipflops most of the year. However, when you get pregnant, walking in flip flops is like walking with wooden planks glued to your feet. UNCOMFORTABLE! When I found these, I knew we would be best friends for life. Clouds for your feet. Really.

#6-Burt's Bee Belly Butter (Target): I use this religiously EVERY morning on my growing belly, breasts, hips, and if I have time, buh-dunka-dunk. I LOVE the feel and smell of this butter. It's great.

#7-Sierra Mist (Wherever drinks are sold): Another ally to help me with my nausea. I'm not a soda person, but the fizz really takes the edge off. So refreshing for a preggo that needs refreshing.

#8- Pregnancy Workout DVD (Target): You can't tell by my picture, but all four of these DVDs come in a pack for $14.99 at Target. It's so nice to have customized workouts for each stage of this journey. They are pretty low impact and easy on the already tired bodies of ours.

#9-Body Pillow (Target): I'm a back sleeper which is a big no- no when you're expecting. The best way to sleep is on your left side which was really hard for me at first. I really REALLY wanted a Snoogle, but at $70+ a pop, I was discouraged to buy it. I found that a regular body pillow worked well for me. I hug it to sleep and rarely roll over to my back.

#10- Belly Book (Amazon.com): This is such a cute book. It's a journal and album in one and documents cute things from your journey and pictures of your ever growing bump. This one fit my style.

Nursery Decorating

One of the many things I am uberexcited for during my pregnancy is decorating the nursery. Since we are not finding out the sex of our baby, everyone always asks, "How are you going to decorate the nursery? Oh, yellows and greens, huh?" First of all, green is not a neutral color in my book. That's straight BOY! Second of all, with amazing websites like Pinterest and Project Nursery, the possibilities are endless. I thought I would feel jipped not knowing the sex, but turns out I had the easiest time deciding how I want the nursery to be decorated!

Inspiration:
When I saw this nursery, I almost cried because it's just..that...perfect. The clean lines, the color palette, the calming ambiance...someone hold me.

Source: projectnursery.com via Joanna on Pinterest

I want to live in this room.

Source: projectnursery.com via Joanna on Pinterest

Source: projectnursery.com via Joanna on Pinterest

The creative genius behind this beautiful room is Rebecca and I want to hire her to decorate my whole life. Just check out her other nurseries! I know this is a little bit more boy than neutral, but my plan is to take bits and pieces...ok more like chunks and handfuls, of this room and make it as neutral as possible. I love love love the pops of yellow with the blue. ::swoon::

July Nursery Goals:
-Clean out Office
--We already started cleaning out most of our office space and we are on to moving furniture out this weekend. Hubby will get a good workout since his pregnant wife is pretty much useless.
-Paint (She used #1-Dolphin Fin #2-Banana Cream #3- Tide Pools)

-Find little knick knacks for the room.
--I purchased these four pictures for the wall off of Etsy. This seller has some amazing prints! Hurry! They are having a 50% off sale!

-Choose furniture
--Searching high and low for the perfect furniture for our small space.

I'll keep you all updated!

4th of July Treat: Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza

I think all of us can agree that Pinterest is one of the greatest timesucks websites out there. I need a recipe for anything...scroll scroll pin...need fashion advice....scroll scroll pin....organizing tips...scroll scroll pin... 3 hours later you feel like a new person with new goals! I love it.

So in one of my scrolling trances I stumbled upon these adorable mini fruit tartlets. Anything miniature wins my heart because they are cuter than cute.

Source: bannerboutique.blogspot.com via Joanna on Pinterest

I made them for a beach trip and I was disappointed to discover that my miniature tart making skills are lacking. Maybe I used too much cookie for the little cup and they ended up looking like cookie muffins. Don't get me wrong, I still ate them. I am pregnant after all and I need to teach Baby V that sometimes mistakes happen.

I also taught Baby V that you gotta bounce back and roll with the punches. So, I made a cookie pizza-tart.

I busted out my tart pan, squished my store bought sugar cookie dough into it as the crust, shmeared a mix of Cool Whip and a small tub of cream cheese, and decorated it all purdy with berries.

How's that for an easy 4th of July treat? My mom also put me on baked beans duty. Anyone have any good recipes for that?

Have a great Fourth of July, friends! Eat lots, have fun, and God Bless America...seriously, God, we need it.

22 Weeks Pregnancy Update

Hi Blogger World! Yes, I am still alive and well. I guess you can say I'm double alive because of the second heartbeat growing inside of me. CRAZY! I still can't believe it. A lot has changed since my last post and I have been ichin' to write about it.

How far along? 22 weeks which is about 5-1/2 months

Total weight gain: ::sigh:: I am tipping the scales nowadays. I'm embarrassed to say that I've gained almost 15 pounds. Doctor says I need to slow it down for awhile. There will be no more ice cream binges for Mama. 

Maternity clothes? I'm pretty much rockin' maternity leggings and dresses since they are the least restricting for the summer. I am wearing comfy flip flops (These are a Godsend) because my feet are starting to swell. No bueno.

Stretch marks? No. My Burt's Bee Belly Butter is working like a charm. Highly recommended.
Sleep: Sleeping well. Only have to get up to pee once or twice.

Best moment this week: Hubby and I got to see Baby hiccuping a whole bunch in the ultrasound. Doctor also let us hear it. It was so cute. Ultrasound also showed us that Baby is healthy! So happy to hear that.

Miss Anything? Hot dogs! If Hubby is around, he will not let me touch them. Going to the Dodger game this week was no fun without a Dodger Dog.

Movement: Baby is kicking and hiccupping at all hours of the day and night. It's a beautiful feeling. Hubby can feel them now, too!

Food cravings: Ice cream, grapes (which I'm disappointed to hear that they are loaded with sugar), and Peanut Butter.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing at the moment
Gender predictions: I'm still getting lots of predictions for both boy and girl. I guess I would have to say I feel like it's a girl. We will see.

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: Massive weight gain and swollen and aching feet. Thank God for Hubby's foot rubs!

Belly Button in or out? Half in and half out. It's a sight to be seen.

Wedding rings on or off? My wedding band still fits but my engagement ring will not go on anymore. Fatty Mcfatterson over here.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Very happy and calmmer now that summer is here.
Looking forward to: Decorating the nursery. We have officially started that project! Can't wait to show you guys our theme!