Monthly Archives: May 2014

Link Love

Posted in Link Love by

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These are some of my fav (if not a little random) reads I’ve come across on the good ol’ interwebs lately! Happy reading!

How to Pick a Superstar Watermelon – Goodness gracious I love watermelon. Yay for summer!

10 Creative Ways to Teach Children to be Kind – Such good ideas here. I don’t care if Baby Craig is smart or successful (okay – that’s a lie – I kind of do) but I care far more that he loves the Lord and treats others with kindness and respect.

The One Thing You Should Do When You Encounter Someone “Different” – If you have time, read Brenna’s story.

25 Signs You’re Succeeding at Life (Even if it Doesn’t Feel Like It) – Great reminders. We’re all probably doing better than we think!

The Ultimate Sunscreen Guide – A really good round-up. I’ve been thinking about sunscreen as we get ready to head to the beach!

 

 

 

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The Honest Company {Product Review}

Posted in Reviews by

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I’ve been really intrigued by The Honest Company for awhile now, and Veronika mentioned that she absolutely loved the body oil, so I decided to give it a go (Veronika has never steered me wrong!) I’ll never be a full blown hippie – but I do try to cut out unnecessary chemicals when possible. I ordered the bundle to save money, and I’ll continue to try other products each month as well as the diapers/wipes once baby Craig arrives!

First up, the body oil that gets rave reviews. I have to agree with the masses – it is hands down the best body oil I’ve ever used. I’ve tried many over the years, and this winter I used L’Occitane body oil religiously and thought it was good. While I’m still obsessed with the scent of the L’Occitane, I realize now what it’s lacking in the absorption department. This body oil really absorbs quickly and leaves my skin so incredibly soft and ungreasy. I will definitely be purchasing it again!

The bubble bath was also great. I didn’t take any baths during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy because I generally like my baths to be scalding hot. Before I got pregnant I was a big fan of taking weekly detox baths with epsom salts, baking soda and various essential oils. Last week I decided I just really needed a good soak, so I made sure the water was less than 100 degrees and dumped in two capfuls of The Honest bubble bath. Although it was a little chilly for me, I really loved the product. The scent was not too overwhelming and the bubbles stayed for a long time. My skin felt amazing after as well!

Like anyone, I’m terrified of getting stretch marks, so the belly balm was a must-buy for me. It has a pretty strong scent, which I happen to like, but it really is strong. I think it’s best applied at night right before bed, and I try to put it all over my belly as well as my hips and thighs. We’ll see how this continues to develop!

The last two products I ordered were the sunscreen and the bug spray. I’m vacationing in Florida this summer and thought they would be perfect for the trip. All the chemicals in regular bug spray freak me out, so I’m happy to have this organic option. Both of these products are effective and well priced!

Overall I’m definitely a fan of The Honest Company and will continue to order their products. Thanks, Jessica Alba!

*This is not a sponsored post, The Honest Company has never heard of me or my little blog. All opinions are my own.

Confessional Friday

Posted in Confessional Friday by

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Today I’m linking up (for the very first time!) with one of my fav blogs, A Blonde Ambition, for Confessional Friday! Yay!

1) I confess that I used to silently judge ladies who wore leggings as pants, but since I’ve been pregnant I’ve done it several times. They’re just so darn comfortable!

2) I confess that last night at small group one of my friends told me about the best breakfast burrito in town, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I actually asked Sam to bring one to my office this morning (and he did – such a good husband.)

3) I confess that I can’t stop listening to the song Fancy by Iggy Azalea. It’s so catchy!

4) I confess that I still have no idea what baby Craig’s nursery is going to look like. I keep changing my mind – ah! I’m seriously going to buckle down and be decisive this weekend.

Speaking of….Cheers to the weekend!

Weekend in Chicago

Posted in Travel by

Ahhh…there’s just nothing like the Windy City! Sam and I absolutely love to visit Chicago together every May. Sam’s sister, Sara, and her husband, Daniel, live there, so we enjoy spending time with them and just hanging around the city! This trip was a little more low key than usual due to sweet baby Craig. Sometimes it’s nice to take things a little slower! Being pregnant in Chicago was not without its perks – I’m talking about the food of course! Here’s a little recap of the highlights:

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We were feeling extra touristy (and cold!) but we had a blast on the Chicago Architecture River Cruise!

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The Cubs beat the Cardinals! It was actually our first time to see the Cubs win at Wrigley Field. So fun!

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My favorite meal of the trip was hands down brunch at Little Goat Diner!

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Top Left: Donuts from Glazed and Infused Top Right: Mac and Cheese from Kuma’s (this changed my life – no joke.)
Bottom Left: Bread pudding style cherry pancakes from Nookies Bottom Right: A hot dog at Wrigley Field of course!

Thanks to Sara and Daniel for always being such wonderful hosts! I can’t wait to go back and take sweet baby Craig to his first Cubs game!

Encouragement

Posted in Faith by

It’s been a pretty tough week so far. My mom is always fond of saying, “this too shall pass,” and it’s one of my favorite phrases because it’s just so true! For a long time I thought this phrase was a verse from the Bible; but it turns out it is not, although some Jewish folklore does originally attribute it to Solomon.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 is the verse that people often associate with this phrase. Yesterday I read through it and using my handy dandy YouVersion app I switched between translations. As usual, I loved The Message translation:

“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than what meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”

I know Paul wasn’t talking about literal new life, and I know my sufferings are nothing compared to his, but what a comforting verse. God is making new life (literally in my case!) and He makes all things new. If you’re having a hard time this week, I hope this verse brings you a little encouragement as well!

The bright spot in this week (and pretty much every other week!) was hanging out with my group of Junior girls. We meet every Wednesday night, and last night was our last time to meet before we take a little break for the summer. I love these girls and am so proud of them.

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I can’t believe the school year is ending and summer is almost upon us!

Halfway There

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I’m officially past 20 weeks and so very happy! We had the big anatomy scan and got a good report – I sure was relieved to have that done! Around 19 weeks I decided to stop taking my nausea medication, but unfortunately I began to feel terrible again. I am not sure how long I’m going to have to take it, but I’m definitely eager to stop. I am still in a lot of my regular clothes thanks to belly bands and some forgiving dresses and tops. I’ve bought a few maternity shorts and jeans, but my little bump just doesn’t seem to hold them up quite yet! I think I’m in that awkward in between phase, but I know I’ll be in exclusively maternity clothes soon enough!

One annoying thing – my skin has broken out like I’m a teenager again. Blah. I have been using various Belli Skincare products (at the recommendation of Veronika) in place of my stronger prescription products from the dermatologist and would definitely recommend them, but I guess a little acne still comes with the territory! Sam and I just got back from a trip to Chicago, and I definitely experienced some swelling in my feet and legs from all the extra walking. Thankfully it’s gone down now that I’m home and back to my regular routine. Other than that things seem to be progressing wonderfully! Praying that this pregnancy continues to go smoothly and Baby Craig is growing nice and strong!