the girl in the red shoes: March 2012

March 29, 2012

17 Weeks

How far along? 17 weeks. Baby is the size of an onion.

Maternity clothes? Not yet. I stopped in one of the only maternity stores in town and it was really depressing. Everything was cheaply made and overpriced.

Stretch marks? Not yet.
Sleep: Pretty good!
Best moment this week: Can Easter candy be a best moment of the week? Because I'm really loving it right now!

Miss Anything? Nope.
Movement: Not yet.
Food cravings: Still the same favorites this week: pickles, raspberries, and cottage cheese.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Raw meat, carrots, and broccoli.
Gender: We find out in less than 3 weeks and we can't wait.

Labor Signs: Way too early.
Symptoms: Just feeling a little tired.

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Excited.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender and getting started on the nursery.

March 28, 2012

Wednesday Pinterest Finds

Happy Wednesday! I feeling sort of overwhelmed with Pinterest lately....is it just me? Too many cute things and no time to make them. Sometimes I just want to avoid Pinterest all together....but then I get sucked back in!

Source: alicia-lafamille.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

Especially when I see something like this. I need to make some artwork out of pallets asap.

Source: etsy.com via Julie on Pinterest

I've been looking for artwork for our baby's room for awhile now and I am in love with these prints on Etsy. And this one with a little red headed girl reading to baby bunnies just kills me. It is too precious for words!

Source: cottageinstincts.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

And I love this idea for old windows.....I need to hit up some antique shops to see if I can find any.

Source: positivelysplendid.com via Julie on Pinterest

Such cute pots on the porch!

Source: indulgy.com via Julie on Pinterest

Another old window idea that looks amazing.

Source: ana-white.com via Julie on Pinterest

I'm showing this to the husband....he wants to plant a garden this year and this looks like a good option!

Source: kleypas.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

Ikea butcher block counter tops.....I totally have the itch to re-do every room in our house. These would look amazing in our kitchen (with white cabinets of course!)

Source: penniesonaplatter.com via Julie on Pinterest

And finally something sweet....cookie dough egg rolls. Are you kidding me???

What are your favorite pins this week?

March 26, 2012

When Plans Fall Through....

When your plans fall through it's always a good idea to have an excellent back up plan. This weekend my plan to see The Hunger Games didn't happen....so what did I do instead?

Watched The Descendants.....

....and ate Oreo ice cream!

Both were amazing by the way. Highly recommend.

How was your weekend? Please know that I am crazy jealous of all of you who actually got to see The Hunger Games. For sure I am going to see it this week...I just can't wait any longer!

March 23, 2012

Who's Excited?

Are you seeing the Hunger Games this weekend? I think I'm going on Sunday....SO excited!

March 22, 2012

16 Weeks

How far along? 16 weeks. Baby is the size of an avocado.

Maternity clothes? Not yet. I need to start shopping around for some cute stuff to wear to work.

Stretch marks? Not yet.
Sleep: Pretty good....I get up once to use the bathroom.
Best moment this week: Telling our neighbors our news and some more people at work....everyone is so excited!

Miss Anything? I can't think of anything I miss this week.
Movement: Nope.
Food cravings: Still the same favorites this week: pickles, raspberries, and cottage cheese. Oh and root beer floats....which we had last night!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Raw meat, carrots, and broccoli. And Greek yogurt still makes me queasy whenever I think about it. And with all this talk about avocados this week I think I can also add them to sick list.
Gender: We have to be super patient and wait until I'm 20 weeks....seems so far away!

Labor Signs: Way too early.
Symptoms: I'm a little tired and have a sore throat....but no complaints here since I feel SO much better than I did a few weeks ago.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Mood: Good
Looking forward to: Painting the nursery, buying our crib, and testing out strollers.

March 20, 2012

Pickles and Ticks and Vacuums

This is officially the most random post ever.

On Saturday night the husband and I went out with some friends to dinner and a comedy show. On the way home I told him I was hungry.....

Me: I'm hungry

Husband: Me too. What are you hungry for?
Me: Taco Bell. No, cheesecake. No, pickles.

Husband: Are you sure you didn't drink tonight? I think we have pickles at home.

Me: No we don't. I ate them all.

Husband: Baby! When did you buy them?

Me: Tuesday.

Husband:.......

Me: That's only like 3 pickles a day.

So of course we stopped by the grocery store at 9:30pm and picked up some pickles. And some pie.

The next day we went to my mom's lake house for the day. My mom thought it was so strange that I was craving pickles....so of course with all the pickle talk I asked the husband to look into her fridge and see if she had any....and this is what he found.

That would be 5 jars! FIVE! Like mother, like daughter I guess. And she thought I was strange.

In other news, last night I discovered Wrigley had a tick! YUCK. I almost gagged when I saw it. Who knew there were ticks in Michigan? We have NEVER had this problem before. Plus, it's only March!

After my freak out we quickly googled how to remove a tick from a dog....and thankfully it did not involve a lighted match. After I got the tick out and disinfected everything, Wrigley, Henry, and Sophie each got full body tick checks. Luckily they were all clear. After that the rest of the night was spent vacuuming our entire house and treating all three animals for ticks and fleas. I was exhausted.

But the good news?

I didn't mind all the vacuuming because I love my Dyson. It was our first big "baby" purchase and both the husband and I are obsessed with it. It is the best vacuum EVER. We comparison shopped for at least a month to get this bad boy and eventually scooped up a great deal on Amazon. Best decision we've made in a long time. It's so light and easy to use....and picks up a TON of dirt. Seriously, if you are in the market for a new vacuum get this one....you won't be sorry!

March 19, 2012

All things green....and a recipe

Happy Monday everyone. I hope you all had a fun weekend and enjoyed celebrating St. Patty's day! We sure did.

On Friday we headed over to a friend's house for game night! I wanted to make a green dessert but didn't have much time to put something together....so I decided to make a green trifle....and ended up just making up a recipe as I went along. It turned out so good (and was super easy), so I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

Here's what you'll need: Mint Oreos, a chocolate cake mix, two small packages of pistachio sugar free instant pudding, and heavy whipping cream. I had green sprinkles on hand in case I needed to green things up bit, but I didn't end up using them. (Keep in mind you'll also need some ingredients to make your cake and pudding: usually just eggs, oil, water, and milk)

First, make your cake. I didn't take a photo of this step, but, you know....follow the directions on the box! Next, make your pudding and set it aside in the fridge.

Once your cake has cooled, cut it up into 1 inch pieces. You'll end up using about 3/4 of the cake....so be prepared for leftovers! Next, whip up your cream in your mixer. I always add about 2 t sugar to sweeten it up a bit. You can use pre-made whipped cream but I've found it tastes better when you whip it yourself. (Plus it's really easy and people are always impressed that you made your own whipped cream!)

Next, smash your Oreos. I ended up using almost all of the box....much to my husband's dismay.

Then it's the fun part. Start by layering cake, then pudding, whipped cream, and then Oreos.

Then repeat until you fill your trifle bowl.

Add an Oreo to the top and you're done! Super easy, super impressive dessert!

Did you make any yummy treats this weekend?

March 15, 2012

Weeks 14 and 15

I'm 15 weeks along this week so here is my week 14 and 15 week update. I'm finally up to date with my photos!

How far along? 14 and 15 weeks. Baby is the size of an lemon, now orange.
Maternity clothes? Not yet. But most of my pants are officially uncomfortable and I can't close the top button. I've been rocking the BeBand that Erin let me borrow.

Stretch marks? Not yet.
Sleep: I’m sleeping much better thanks to the Boppy Prenatal Total Body Pillow. Erin recommended it and I love it!
Best moment this week: Hearing our baby’s strong and steady heartbeat at my doctor’s appointment on Monday. And also sharing the news on the blog and on facebook. It’s so fun to finally have our big secret out there!

Miss Anything? I can't think of anything I miss this week.
Movement: Nope.
Food cravings: I’m still loving my raspberries and cottage cheese….but am adding pickles and baked potatoes to the list of foods I currently love.
Anything making you queasy or sick: The same as two weeks ago….red meat, broccoli, carrots, and greek yogurt.
Gender: We find out April 16! Can’t wait.

Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: I’m feeling MUCH better this week….still a little tired but that’s it. I've had a pretty easy pregnancy so far....let's hope it stays that way.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Mood: Grateful
Looking forward to: Starting work on the nursery!

March 14, 2012

Pinteresting Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! I ignored Pinterest all week....but managed to still find some pretties yesterday to share with you.

Source: shine.yahoo.com via Julie on Pinterest

18 things to get rid of now. I totally have the itch to organize my cupboards and this is exactly what I need to get started.

Source: crateandbarrel.com via Julie on Pinterest

But of course after I organize I'll then want to buy more stuff. What is wrong with me? I'm in love with these bowls from Crate & Barrel. Especially the red striped one. Sigh.

Source: evolutionofstyleblog.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

And you know I totally want to paint our kitchen cabinets white! Maybe I can talk the husband into adding this to our before the baby arrives to-do list.

Source: tatertotsandjello.com via Julie on Pinterest

Aren't these frames adorable? I love this mini gallery wall.

Source: ashleymaxwellphoto.com via Julie on Pinterest

And thanks to Pinterest I've spent way too much time looking at maternity photos. I'm in LOVE with these. (as a side note, how come whenever I try to wear a headband across my forehead like that I look like a fool? She looks so cute!)

Source: runningonhappiness.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

Love everything about this look.

Source: blogs.babble.com via Julie on Pinterest

And darn you Pinterest for having a huge selection of yummy-bad-for-you treats right now. I could totally go for this snickers pie!

What are your favorite pins this week?

March 12, 2012

Muddy Puppy

Happy Monday everyone! We had a great weekend....minus the whole time change issue. I took Wrigley to the dog park and as you can tell he had a fabulous time. He was the ONLY dog who decided to lay down in a mud puddle. It was gross. And yes, that is mud on his tongue.

And Erin had baby Lexi last night! She's perfect and I'm so excited to meet her.

My in-laws also came to town for a visit and helped us pick out paint samples for the baby's room. I can't wait to start decorating!

How was your weekend?

March 8, 2012

13 Weeks

Thank you again for all of your sweet comments on my Baby "R" post! The husband and I are very excited to have a little one on the way. This baby will be the first grandchild for both of our families....so to say that he or she will be spoiled is and understatement! For those of you who've asked, yes we plan on finding out the sex of our baby some time next month and we can't wait!

I am 14 weeks along which means Baby R is expected to arrive on September 5th. And everything they say about the second trimester is true. I'm starting to feel more like myself each day. Minus the mini baby bump of course!

Here I am last week. I'm officially never wearing horizontal stripes again.

For those of you who've asked the chalkboard was a gift from my mom. She picked it up at an antique market.

And now, here is last weeks update, (Natasha, I hope you don't mind that I copied your format!)

How far along? 13 Weeks
Total weight gain: 3 pounds.....this is the one and only time I will answer this question.
Maternity clothes? Not yet! But I did pick up some extra long maternity tank tops from Old Navy on sale. I am in love with the length and will probably be wearing them soon!
Stretch marks? No, but I think I will be one of those unlucky people who do get them. Any lotion or cream recommendations?
Sleep: I wake up about twice during the night to go to the bathroom. I'm usually a stomach sleeper but can't get comfortable because my tots hurt so badly! And let's face it...side sleeping is no fun.
Best moment this week: Starting to feel less sick every day!

Miss Anything? Sleeping comfortably on my stomach and being able to eat raw veggies. Oh, and staying up later than 9:00 at night.
Movement: Nope
Food cravings: Raspberries, cottage cheese, and lemon meringue pie
Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes! Any kind of meat other than chicken, broccoli, carrots, red peppers (used to be my favorite!), Greek yogurt, and the smell of fish or smoke.
Gender: We will find out in April.
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: Tired all the time, mild nausea all day long, and sore tots.
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Mood: Excited
Looking forward to: Revealing our big news on the blog!