Sweet Sweet Treats! My Christmas Baking List..

Man I love sweets.  I've recently started my christmas baking after lots of googling and pinning.  I thought I'd share the recipes I've tried and the ones on my to-make list.

Buckeyes - My husband loves peanut butter, so these go over well...

Whipped Shortbread  - My fave!! The trick is to whip it FOREVER.... then it melts in your mouth.

Eggnog Cookies  - These were a new one this year, not totally sure what I think yet...

Butterscotch Confetti Squares - YUM YUM YUM!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies - Again, husband likes these ones and they are oh so cute!  Bake them in a mini muffin pan so they all look uniform.

What's left to make/try....

Nanaimo Bars

Butter Tarts  - I'm going to make them in mini cupcake pans and homemade pie dough.

Ginger Snaps - of course I'll use cookie cutters though so I can get some little gingerbread men and women.

Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites  - I can't find the candy cane hershey's kisses' yet but I'll keep lookin'

I'm going to freeze a lot of it so I can just pull it out and use for the few parties we are having.  What are your favorite christmas treats???

30 Week To-Do-List Update

Well we've hit 30 weeks and I feel like it's a milestone.  3/4 done!  The last few weeks have been interesting to say the least but things are looking up and I'm excited for December and January.

We've been taking pre-natal classes at the hospital we are delivering at for the last 5 weeks and our last class is on tuesday.  Last week we got to tour the LDRP Unit and it made it real!  Crazy that in just a couple months we'll be there and get to meet Baby Hill.  I'm so happy we decided to take the classes though, it's been great to meet other people and we've definitely learned lots.

Here are my updated lists... (adapted from this list I found online)

NURSERY

-  Order curtains/drapes and rod

-  Buy new knobs for dresser

-  Buy changing pad and cover for on top of dresser

-  Buy crib mattress

-  Buy crib skirt

-  Buy side table for glider

-  Buy wall art for nursery

-  Buy hangers

-  Mobile?

CLOTHES

-  Wash all clothes and hang/fold

-  Figure out if we need to buy anymore (how much does one need???)

FEEDING

-  Bottles (went with Avent and Tommy Tippee)

-  Bottle Warmer

-  Bottle Sterilizer

-  Formula

-  Cleaning Brush

-  Grass Drying Rack 

-  Burp Cloths

DIAPERS

-  Diaper Bag (ordered this in Graphite.  I really wanted the Storksak but couldn't justify the price..) 

-  Diapers (how many does to buy?)

-  Wipes

-  Diaper Rash Cream

-  Diaper Pail

GEAR

-  Swing (ordered the Craddle 'N Swing My Little Snugabunny)

-  Stroller

-  Carseat

   Baby Carrier/Wear (Is Ergo the best?)

-  Pack & Play

-  Carseat Bundle Up/Cover  

SLEEPING 

-  Crib Sheets

-  Swaddlers

-  Mattress Cover

-  White Noise Machine

-  Humidifier

BATHTIME

 -  Blooming Bath (ordered in Ivory)

-  Wash cloths

-  Baby shampoo

-  Hooded Towels

OTHER

-  Video Monitor 

-  Soothers

-  Thermometer

-  Baby Nail Clippers

-  Laundry Detergent

-  Nose Thingy

Things to Do:

-  Pack Hospital Bag (we probably have some time on this one)

-  Make rug for nursery

-  Book maternity shoot date/time and figure out wardrobe

-  Find 'going home' outfit

29 Weeks

So I am the worst.blogger.ever but that's ok right?  It's so hard to remember to take a darn photo.  With the world of technology, it really shouldn't be that difficult but I just feel like I never look decent anymore...

How far along? 29 weeks

Total weight gain: +12lbs 

Maternity clothes? Oh ya... my pre-pregnancy shirts are starting to show a little belly when I wear them which is not a hot look! 

Stretch marks? No!  Still using Bio-Oil and Mederma daily with hopes that I will skip this part of pregnancy.

Sleep: I LOVE to sleep right now 

Best moment this week:  started 2 week doctors appointments which makes me feel like we really are getting somewhere
Movement: Oh ya! Lovin' every one! 
Looking forward to: Christmas

Food cravings:  No cravings, still have to eat small portions otherwise I feel way to full.  Can't drink any carbonated drinks anymore - it just makes me feel horrible

Anything making you queasy or sick:  not right now

Gender:  we do know but we are keeping it a secret for now...

Labor Signs:  no

Symptoms:  tired

Belly Button in or out?  in

Wedding rings on or off? on 

And my furry little friends...

Christmas at our House

Just wanted to share our Christmas Trees this year... 

And our 'Dallas Cowboys' colors inspired Christmas Tree upstairs.  White, Silver, and Dark Blue!

Now we just need some warm weather so we can get our lights up outside!   Up next is my baking list and what I've completed so far!  I'm seriously enjoying documenting it all. 

Oh Christmas Tree

I hope everyone has their Christmas Tree up already!  No need to wait until December, I've been listening to Christmas music and had our trees up for a couple weeks already.  I love this time of year and there's something even more exciting about it knowing that our family will be bigger next year.  

In order to get ready for Christmas, I'm doing my typical 'research' so I thought I'd share some of the things that inspired me this year.  I just have to pick up new tree skirts and then I'll be ready to share my Christmas Trees!  

I LOVE Greenland Garden Centre!  It's amazing to walk through and see all their Christmas Tree set ups and creative ideas.  They have awesome tips and classes about how to decorate the perfect Christmas Tree. 

Some of my favorites that I saw this year... 

 So it was about this point that I realized a pattern.... aqua/teal and bright colors!  I wasn't taking any photos of the typical red and greens so I knew I'd be doing my second tree in different colors this year.

Had to take a photo of this next one as it was our wedding colors! Purple/Green  :)

Ahh so beautiful.  I can't believe it's less than a month away!

Stroller, Check. Carseat, Check.

Yesterday I was telling someone that we went out and purchased our Stoller and Carseat (after much research) and their response... "Why? It's so early.  Maybe someone wanted to get that for you at your shower."  Seriously?  Umm... It's a month till Christmas and under 2 months until we are considered 'full term'.  Not only that, I'm having a shower after baby is born as we are not sharing the gender.  Do people actually wait to buy a stroller till after?  Also, there are people who go into labor early all the time, I really hope I'm not one of them but isn't it better to be prepared?  And lastly, I hear that the further along you are the more uncomfortable you get, so doesn't it make sense to get as much done as you can?  I don't know, maybe it is to early but as a 'planner', I didn't appreciate the comment.  Rant over.

Anyways, so I heard yesterday from a friend that the stroller and carseat they wanted were backordered and they had to wait 6 weeks for them to come in.  Of course this got me worried, so right after work we went and bought them. 

We decided to go with the Britax B-Agile Stroller and B-Safe Carseat.  Mainly because of the ease of use and how light they are.  It's so easy to fold with just one hand.   I think the dogs were more curious than anything about what was in the boxes.

I love not having to put things together and husbands are just so great at it! Then again, this looked super easy, I don't think it even came with instructions.

And of course, we had to test it out so we strapped Pez into the Carseat.  It was so hard to try to get a photo and the only one I got that wasn't blurry, his one eye is closed.  Oh well, still a little cutie!

What??? Liebster Award

I can't believe I missed this comment from one of my favorite bloggers A Wife's Life over a week ago.  It's a nomination for the Liebster Award given to new or up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers.  

Hopefully I get all this right! 

The Rules:

1. Each blogger should post 11 random facts about themselves.

2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, and then create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.

3. Choose 11 new bloggers(with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to and link them in your post.

4. Go back to their page and tell them about the award.

5. No tag backs

 

My 11 Random Facts

1.  I love to sing and have had the opportunity to sing with some pretty talented people. 

2.  I dislike flying. 

3.  Josh was my boss before we started dating. :S

4.  I get a serious high from finding great deals. 

5.  I adore anything purple. 

6.  I have a small obsession with fonts. 

7.  I enjoy listening to Dr.Laura - she's nuts! 

8.  I enjoy super hot bubble baths, where you're basically burning.  (Missing this now that I'm pregnant) 

9.  Favorite drink is a paralyzer (can't wait to have one in a few months) 

10.  I love sweats, if I could live in them and pajamas, I would.

11.  I have way to many shoes. 

Tagger Questions 

1. What is your favorite junk food?

Chips, chips, and more chips.  Love the salt.
2. Why did you start blogging?

Starting blogging to keep track of my thoughts and ideas and remember my pregnancy.
3. What is your favorite season?

Summer!  Our winters here are cold and I love the warm weather the summer brings. 
4. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas of course.  Love the food, gatherings, decorating, and baking.  Can I say that my least favorite is Halloween - just can't seem to get into it!
5. What's your favorite blog to read?

There are so many that I love.  For craft ideas, I like Sugarbeecrafts.  For pregnancy, I like LittleBabyGarvin.  For inspiration, I like AWifesLife.
6. What are some of your hobbies?

Singing, trying to furnish & decorate my house, cooking, shopping!
7. If you could take a break from life and travel, where would you go?

Italy and Greece.
8. What's your must have beauty product?

I rarely wear makeup, not because I don't like it or have an appreciation for it but because I'm to lazy.  But my favorite things are my eyelash curler and bronzer.
9. What's your favorite app if you have a smartphone?

Probably What to Expect right now.
10. What's your dream job?

Own & Run a successful business where I can show true appreciation to my employees and clients.
11. What is your favorite song right now?

 Anything christmas!

 

11 New Bloggers

1. Elenie - The Counts 

2.  Kate - Awaiting Baby O'Brien 

3.  Charlene - Becoming the Barrs 

4.  Katie - My Blossoming Bud 

5.  Halleigh - Little Baby Bean Hill 

6.  Baby Mama - My First Baby Bump 

7.  Mandy - The Duprees and Baby 

8.  Jillian - The Stotz Family Story 

9.  Mandy - The Whitt's World 

10.  Steel Magnolia - Timing is Everything  

11.  Taylor - Princess Made Mommy 

Questions for Nominees 

1.  What is your favorite candy? 

2.  What inspires you? 

3.  What is your least favorite holiday? 

4.  What are you most afraid of? 

5.  What is the most important quality in a partner?

6.  What is your favorite sports team? 

7.  What do you like most about Christmas? 

8.  Words of Wisdom?

9.  What actor/actress would you say is most like you? 

10.  How/Why did you come up with your blog name?

11.  Bath or Shower?