We’re fully submerged in FALL and I’m so, so happy about it! Loving the cooler temps, and so happy to be wearing chunky sweaters, leggings (YES!!!) and boots. Hand me a Starbucks refresher & I’ll toss on my beloved Ugg boots (that I’ll literally never get rid of) and all the “basic” in me comes out.
What I loved
+ This water bottle from Amazon! A friend recommended it to me and now I’m totally in love with it too. A much cheaper dupe for the HydroFlask, and honestly with it’s two-toned color, I think it’s cuter too! It takes days for ice cubes to melt, keeping my water super cold always – just the way I like it.
The only downfall – it doesn’t fit in the cupholder in my car. WHOMP WHOMP.
+ My aunt and uncle gifted us their stroller, and even though we don’t have a use for it yet, I have been obsessed with it! It’s the UppaBaby Cruz. It’s a 2014 model, but I took the entire thing apart and washed it, and I swear to you, it looks brand spankin’ new! I can’t wait to put baby girl in it and take her for strolls around the neighborhood. We of course had to test it out with Rudy first, and I think he’s a fan as well.
+ I finally bought and have been wearing maternity clothes! Not exclusively, but a lot of things aren’t fitting me comfortably, or just aren’t very flattering, so it was time to start. So far, I have found some great pieces online from Gap, Old Navy, Amazon, and Pink Blush.
+ I shamefully admit, I used to be a tanning bed user. Now that I’m pregnant, sunbed tanning is obviously off limits (not that I should be doing it anyway!) and I was also tired of looking like Casper the Friendly Ghost, so I reached out to my cousin for a product recommendation. She did not steer me wrong! She suggested the Isle of Paradise line available at Sephora. I was pleased to see that it’s organic, cruelty free, and stamped as a Sephora “clean” product – meaning it’s free of harsh chemicals (and subsequently, perfect for a prego woman!). I use the mousse all over my body with the applicator mitt, and mix the drops in with moisturizer for my face. When I woke up the next morning after the first application, I was definitely more bronze and glow-y, but without looking fake. I am super excited to have found this product, and plan to replace sunbed tanning permanently with this holy grail! Thanks, Elizabeth!
Food/Drink
+ Pinch of Yum’s Chicken Meatballs with Peppers & Creamy Orzo – When I first saw this recipe posted on the POY blog I knew I HAD to make it. It took me two weeks to convince Justin to put it on our weekly menu, but after we finally made it he agreed–it was delish! We used a mix of cream cheese and butter in place of the mascarpone.
+ Green Smoothies – I have been really into green smoothies for breakfast lately, and really, frozen fruit in general! This is the smoothie “recipe” I’ve been loving:
- A handful of ice
- About 3/4 cup Frozen Tropical Fruit (peaches, mango, pineapple & strawberries)
- A handful of spinach (bought fresh, then frozen)
- A dollop of plain greek yogurt
- About 4 oz of Welch’s Simply Peach Mango Juice
- About 4 oz water
It tastes like a tropical paradise and I can’t taste the spinach whatsoever! I just bought hydrolyzed collagen and a protein+greens powder to add to smoothies as well. I’ll keep you posted on how I like them!
+ Starbucks Refreshers – See “basic” reference above. 😉 And ok ok, I know your caffeine should be limited while pregnant, but some days just call for it. I have been treating myself to a Starbucks Refresher once or twice a week, sometimes in the morning, other times after work as a pre-workout. The Strawberry Acai flavor is my favorite, but I sometimes enjoy the Mango Dragonfruit as well.
Around the Home
We had a new back door put in! We’ve hated our old one since we moved in, and it wasn’t in the best of shape. Finally after 3.5 years, the time was right to replace it. We bought this Jeld-Wen door because we wanted the flexibility to open and close the blinds.
We also had a new step built and installed. Quite an improvement from the death-trap cement blocks!
Justin painted the interior of the door white, and the exterior a blue-gray color that closely resembles the color on the old door (and also the same color as our front door). The step he painted beige to match the siding. It turned out so nice!
Next, we need to replace all the ugly exterior light fixtures!
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