Want to be a Groupie?!?!

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Ashlee from ABpetite for:

1.  Coming up with this amazing idea!

AND

2.  Giving me to opportunity to be a part of this with all of these fabulous ladies!

Don't miss out lovelies, this is BIG!

Check it out..... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What does $60 get ya the month of May?

Well...this is about to go fast friends so be ready for this Announcement and act fast! How would you like YOUR blog to be featured on mine ABpetite {of course},

 Melissa @ A Mile in Her Boots, Ashley @ Wannabe Green, Stephanie @ Never The Same Spice Twice, Kristine @ Heart Shaped Sweat, Lauren @ Pink on the Cheek the whole month of May for ONLY $60?? Good deal right! So your blog or shop would be on ALL of our blogs as a LARGE ad that includes a group giveaway with all of us girlies!

You want in right?? ONLY THE FIRST 10 PEOPLE WILL GET THIS DEAL!

7 Day Green Smoothie Challenge ~ Recap

I really enjoyed participating in the 7 Day Green Smoothie Challenge!  Prior to this, I have never once tried a green smoothie, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into!  I stocked up on lots of spinach,  and fruit and then decided to wing it each morning.  There were so many recipes online to follow, TONS of inspiration...but because I just can't get myself to measure ESPECIALLY at 6:00 in the morning...I ended up coming up with my own creations!  The first few tries were just "okay".  I started off making them more dairy based, and since I was determined for them to actually be green I think I put in too much spinach.  As the week went on, I worked out some of the kinks (started using Mott's for Tots Apple Juice) and finally by Day 6 (at a more reasonable hour) I was able to share the NTSST Green Smoothie.

Even though the challenge is technically over, I am going to continue to drink these (probably not every day...or like Ashley at Wannabe Green, I too will turn into a frog).  There are many other recipes I would love to try, I even added kiwi to this weeks shopping list!  Thanks to all of the lovely ladies who hosted this!  It was a lot of fun!

What's cooking this week?

It's Sunday morning and I have been up since the crack of dawn!  Remember sleeping in???  Those were the days!  One thing I LOVE about weekends like this, is that I finally have time to get caught up in the "blog world"!  I have a lot planned for this week!  I am writing this up quickly though because clearly I have places to be....

Here is what's cooking...

Tonight:  Fire-Roasted Tomato & Eggplant Pasta

Monday:  Veggie Quesadillas

Tuesday:  Not cooking - Parent Night/ Incoming 6th Grade Orientation

Wednesday:  Nutty Cheesy Salad

Thursday:  Wifessional's Inspired - Easy Ranch Chicken & Rice

It's been a pretty low-key weekend.  Stephen and I went to the movies on Friday to see Oblivion...definitely recommend!  Yesterday, we discovered a cute market at a farm just right up the road.  We bought a bunch of goodies, then had fajita night last night (lots leftover for lunch today)!  As for today, I will be lounging pool side until I have to come in to start making dinner!    

Pics...

Recycling with my eco-friendly husby

Loving this cute market!

Lots of goodies for the week!

Fresh salsa recipe coming SOON!

I hope you're all having a good one too!  

NTSST Green Smoothie

It's Day 6 of the 7 Day Green Smoothie Challenge, and I've finally reached the point where I have to share my recipe!  I have loved reading all of the posts and seeing everyones version of a green smoothie....so many possibilities!  This is one of my own variations that I have been sipping on this week, I hope you all enjoy it!  It's been fun waking up every morning and throwing together all of these yummy combinations of fruits & veggies!  Ok, I only tried it with spinach, but now that I know I like it I am more than willing to try them with kale!  Hubby REFUSES to take a sip...he is seriously missing out!   

BabyClip $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway w/ Irish Italian Blessings!!!

BabyClip has just launched and we are celebrating by giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

BabyClip is a brand new virtual clipboard where users can discover, collect, and share baby kid products and ideas. Moms can get overwhelmed with the never ending search for the best baby products. The BabyClip founder decided to make it easier for Moms to get recommendations from other experienced Moms by creating a website where they can collaborate, discuss, discover and share products. The website is similar to Pinterest which makes it easy for most users to navigate. Simply install the BabyClip button to your bookmarks and start clipping! 

There are several ways to organize your clips. You can organize them by age groups: 0-8 years old. You can create as many boards as you want and invite others to clip on your board too! A few board ideas: Recommended Products, Gift Ideas, Nursery Decor, and Wish List.   Moms to Be can even create a Registry board. Products they want or are trying to decide on. They can then ask for advice on the products to get expert advice from the experienced Moms.

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is sign up at BabyClip and become one of the newest members. There are several extra giveaway entries to take advantage of and increase your chances of winning $50 to Amazon. All entries will be verified so make sure you complete each entry. Keep in touch with BabyClip on Facebook and Twitter to stay tuned for the MANY Giveaways coming soon! Giveaway Ends May 11th. Good Luck! Enter on the Rafflecopter below or Click HERE to enter directly. a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own.The hosting blog, Irish Italian Blessings is responsible for prize fulfillment.

Link it up...it's Friday!

Friday...we meet again!!!  I must say, this week was quite productive, I'm exhausted and ready for the weekend... that's fo' sho'!

1.  The yummiest Grilled Pineapple Chicken Sandwiches...love having them with sweet potato fries!

2.  Happy Administrative Professionals' Day (on Wednesday)!  I helped put this gift together with my fellow Guidance Counselors...it was so fun getting a little crafty the other night!  The tag says "Mounds of thanks for all you Dew"...so cute!

3.  Chocolate fondue from the weekend...been thinking about it all week long, can't get it off my mind!

4.  Participating in the 7 Day Green Smoothie Challenge...I seem to perfect my recipe every day (I just may share it)!

5.  GORGEOUS Anniversary flowers delivered to me at work on Monday...love him! :)

You know I love linking it up...

Happy HAPPY Friday!!!
And a very Happy Birthday to my guardian angel!!!   Miss you every day Grams...I know you're smiling down on me and my little growing ladybug!  XOXO

Mals Miles - Vegan Ginger Cookies {Guest Post}

Heyyy NTSST readers! I'm Mallory from Mal's Miles and I am so happy to be guest posting today for Stephanie and her cute little pregnant belly! When Stephanie & I went on our 'blate' a few weeks ago she mentioned she rarely bakes. Fortunately for y'all, I love to bake! These ginger cookies are zippy, chewy & the best part is they are Vegan (shhh don't tell anyone).

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup Smart Balance Omega Oil
1/4 cup Sorghum or molasses

1/4 cup almond milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix dry ingredients (except sugar) in a bowl and set aside.
3. Combine wet ingredients & sugar in a large bowl. Whisk or blend until smooth.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until well combined (this step is an arm workout).
5. Roll dough into small balls or use a cookie scoop and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten cookies with a spoon; the thinner the cookie, the crispier it will be!
6. Bake 11-12 minutes.

Tanika's Birthday Giveaway!!!

I just love Tanika and her blog Growing Gracie (Gracie is simply the cutest)!!!  I am excited to be a part of her special birthday giveaway!!!  

Make sure you enter to win a $100 Sephora gift card and MORE!!!

Happy ALMOST Birthday Tanika!!!  

*********************************************************************

"Hey! Hey! It's My Birthday!"

Sort of. Not really. Almost.

My birthday is next Tuesday (April 30th) and I decided that I wanted to do an awesome giveaway to celebrate!  

So I teamed up with some pretty awesome bloggers who were just as excited about this as I am. (Which is saying something because I am super super super excited.)

These ladies are the best. Seriously. 

TOGETHER we are giving away:

$100 Sephora Gift Card
$25 Visa Gift Card
and Amanda over at We & Serendipity is giving away one of these babies:

Don't worry if you aren't Mormon, you can have her do any picture over any words or anything like that of your choosing. I will give the winner her email and you two can correspond what you'd like your prize to look like. :)

Here is what you need to know:

The giveaway will go from now until May 1st.

The winner will also be announced May 1st.

The winner will be verified, so please be honest guys. It's a celebration after all!!!

Good luck everyone and (In a Hunger Games fashion...) May the odds be ever in your favor!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

20 Week Bumpdate

I'm officially HALFWAY there..Yipppeeeee!!!!!
Baby Girl is the size of a banana...no more little mango!

Changes I've noticed:  Ugh, I think I'm getting stretch marks on my hips!  I can't tell if they are old or new though...maybe I'm just paying WAY too much attention to these things and I'm psyching myself out (probably not)?  So far, I'm up 12 pounds...and I'm noticing that I'm getting wider.  I just feel like my back and shoulders are wider, I hope that is normal!  Somebody please tell me this is normal...

How I've been feeling:  Tired, tired, and tired...not cool!  I've also been getting a little bit of heartburn, nothing a few Tums can't fix though!

How I've been sleeping:  A little bit better, been waking up A LOT on my back...drives me nuts!  

Food and exercise:  Since we were on a mini-vacation this weekend, I didn't eat so great...the chocolate fondue wasn't my finest moment...but since then I've been doing much better (yes, I realize it's only Wednesday)!  I'm on day 3 of the Green Smoothie Challenge, so I feel great!  I've also been walking a lot, and doing some squats, lunges, and strength training with my weights.  

Maternity clothes:  Over the weekend, I was rocking the maternity bathing suits (as much as one can rock them I think)!  I went shopping for them about 2 weeks ago, and I bought THREE!  This may have been a bit excessive, but hey - I live in Florida and this summer is going to be rough!!!  Who knew it would be way easier than shopping for regular bathing suits?  I guess it was because my options were very limited, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Movement:  Finally, I've been feeling actual kicks!  Stephen still hasn't been able to feel them though, the tricky part now is going to be catching it when it happens.  She only kicks me once, or twice at a time...I'm determined for him to experience it though, getting antsy!!!

Best moment this past week:  When we went away to Vero Beach this past weekend, we talked about Baby Girl ALL WEEKEND long!  We keep talking about what she is going to look like, and what her personality will be like...we came to the conclusion that she is going to be beautiful, and awesome!  Obviously!  Completely biased already!!!

Happy Wednesday friends!!!

Bolognese Sauce

Who doesn't love a nice hearty meat sauce?  I remember my mom used to always make this with angel hair pasta!  YUM!  I could actually eat this sauce by the spoonful, definitely a favorite of mine!  This makes A LOT of sauce!  Since it is such a crowd pleaser (and easy to make), I recommend making this if you're having company over!  Hubby and I had it for dinner, and there was enough leftover for TWO MORE nights!  I love freezing sauce and saving it for an easy weeknight meal!

Ingredients:

1.5-2 lbs. of ground beef

1 large onion - chopped

1 large handful of baby carrots - in food processor

1 stalk of celery - in food processor

3 cloves of garlic - minced

1 cup of red wine ( I used cabernet sauvignon)

1 can of tomato paste

2 cans of tomato puree
1-2 cups of water (pour into cans of remaining tomato puree to rinse of the sides...then pour into the pot)

2/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.  Brown the ground beef, drain grease, and set aside.

2.  In a large pot over medium heat, sauté onion until translucent then add the carrots celery and garlic, stirring frequently and cooking until softened - 2-3 minutes. 

3.  Add beef into pot, pour in wine and cook until reduced by half.  

4.  Add tomato paste, stirring until all ingredients are combined. 

5.  Add tomato puree, water, and parmesan cheese, bring to a boil. 

6.  Lower heat to a simmer, cook partially covered for 2-3 hours - stirring every 15-20 minutes.  (The longer you cook it, the better it tastes!)

Enjoy!  XO

$50 Amazon Giveaway By BabyClip Free Blogger Sign Ups

$50 Amazon Giveaway Hosted by: Irish Italian Blessings and BabyClip.net

BabyClip.net is launching their incredible new website -  a social discovery website just for babies and kids products. The interface is similar to another large virtual pinboard we all know and love. BabyClip highlights items just for babies and kids. It is the perfect community for moms to discover what the must have items are, what items are recommended, to save items to add to their wish list,  and so much more. Mom's can even communicate with each other about their experience with an item.It's simple to install the BabyClip button to your toolbar and start clipping all your favorite baby items!  To Celebrate the Launch of BabyClip.net, they are graciously offering TWO $50 Gift Cards to Amazon!

Details:

• There will be TWO separate Giveaways and each blogger will be assigned a spot for either Giveaway 1 or Giveaway 2.
• Total of 30 Bloggers can Participate. 15 Bloggers Per Giveaway so sign up right away to secure your spot.
• Bloggers will get 1 Free Link - Facebook or Twitter with announcement post.
• Let's Celebrate! Go Sign Up for BabyClip and get started!

Sign Up Here

One Whole Year!

It's been a year since I married my best friend, and we officially started the rest of our lives together!  The fact that it has already been a year is just craziness!  I don't take a single day, hour, or minute for granted...Stephen is my soulmate, the most wonderful husband, and I KNOW he will be an incredible father!  I love him, and I love us!  I can't wait to see where this journey leads us, but for now I'm enjoying the ride!  

Happy Anniversary Shmoops!  XOXO

If you haven't already seen it, CLICK HERE to view the video!  :)

What's cooking this week & a trip to Vero Beach

I'm back from an AMAZING Anniversary weekend getaway!  I honestly didn't think I'd be posting tonight, but I came up with a grocery list on the car ride home.  We were exhausted, and SO did not want to make any stops on the way back...but I'm glad we did because now we are set for the week and don't have to think about it!  Here is what I was able to come up with off of the top of my head...

Tonight:  Cheddarwurst and pierogies (hey, I said I was exhausted...taking the easy route)

Monday:  The Easiest, Most Delicious, Pulled Pork EVER!

Tuesday:  Taco Tuesday :)

Wednesday:  Pizza with turkey pepperoni 

Thursday:  Grilled Pineapple Chicken Sandwiches and sweet potato fries

Also, on the way home, I decided that I wanted to participate in the 7-Day Green Smoothie Challenge!!!  This should help make up for all of the not-so-healthy, quick meals I've been making lately!  I'm excited about this...expect to hear about how it goes soon!

Sooooo....back to our fabulous weekend!  We went to Vero Beach, and stayed at the Caribbean Court Boutique Hotel....gorgeous!  It was so quaint, beautiful, and right on the beach.  It reminded us a little bit of our honeymoon in Antigua (obviously on a much smaller scale)!  The weather was a little iffy on Saturday, but thankfully the rain held out and we were able to fit in plenty of beach and pool time!  We even managed to go back to the beach this morning for a few hours before checking out and heading to the McKee Botanical Gardens.  This weekend was the perfect combination of relaxation, in a beautiful setting, with lots of delicious food....what more can you ask for.  It was such a wonderful way to celebrate our first wedding Anniversary!  Here are some pics from our lovely getaway...

I hope you all have a great week!

Oh thank heavens....

....I've made it to Friday!

1.  Loving my new stash of B&BW soaps....all summer scents!!!

2.  I can still see my toes!!!

3.  Curly hair for an entire week (truth is, I desperately need a haircut)!

4.  Our bag is packed for our ONE YEAR Anniversary beach weekend getaway...leaving after work today!  

5.  Amazing FaceTime chats with my parents make me smile!!!

Linking up for...

Since I'll be beaching it up all weekend, I probably won't be posting my "What's cooking this week" post until Monday!   I hope you all have an incredible weekend!!!  :)

Guest Posting @ Adventures To Remember Today!!!

The timing of this guest post just COULD NOT be timed any better!  It was nice to be reminded of all of the things I enjoy about being a Guidance Counselor during (one of) the MOST INSANE times of the school year!
Head on over to Angela's lovely blog.... Adventures To Remember to check it out!!! 

19 Week Bumpdate

What?!?  Baby is still the size of a mango?  Maybe last week she was a small mango, and this week she is a large mango?  These fruit comparisons are fun, but it bothers me they couldn't think of something different!
(So, I've decided to just go with the bathroom pics....they come out better!)

Changes I've noticed:  Nothing too different from last week.  As far as weight gain goes, I'm still hovering around 11 lbs.  I'm actually surprised it's not more, because I'm noticing a little extra jiggle in my arms!  Ha!    

How I've been feeling:  Still pretty tired, but work has been draining me so I don't know if it's completely pregnancy related.  I'm sure it's not helping.  A few nights this past week I got really queasy after eating dinner.  As soon as I start to feel this way, I have a preggy pop drop...and let me tell you, those things help!!!  My emotions are just out of control!  All I have to do is think about Baby Girl for a second, and I get overwhelmed with emotions!  I cried the other day watching a Subaru commercial when a Mommy and Daddy were taking a baby home from the hospital.  I was hysterical (no joke), and was saying "that's going to be us....it's going to be the best day ever".  Stephen has his hands full because there were at least three similar moments since then! 

How I've been sleeping:  Not too great.  Mainly I've been having a hard time falling asleep, which is weird considering how exhausted I've been.  I'm also starting to get very minor leg cramps, nothing major at all though...yet!!!!

Food and exercise:  Since I haven't really been cooking my usual weeknight recipes, I feel like overall I haven't been eating as well as I typically do.  I'm looking forward for things to settle down so I can get back into my normal routine, and focus on cooking a little healthier - instead of just making what is easy and fast.  Still using my weights to help ward off the jiggle...I'm also starting to do a tiny bit of yoga too.  Trying to ease into it!

Maternity clothes:  I really love the collection I have going so far.  Everything is super comfortable, and I feel like they don't look like maternity clothes.  They are closer to my actual style...I guess it pays that I have been REALLY picky when I'm shopping!  I noticed all of the clothes I have purchased are either black with white stripes, or white with black stripes.  Anyone who I told this to said things like "stop, no one will notice" or "don't even worry about it".  I had to laugh because today at work a student says "you wear a lot of black and white stripes!"  Kids.....

Movement:  Stronger, and more frequent...but still nothing strong enough to feel from the outside.  

Best moment this past week:  The best moment was definitely when we went to register for our sweet little peanut!!!  She is going to be SPOILED!!!!  I still can't get over how much more difficult it is to register for a baby than a wedding!  We were at the store for FOUR HOURS!  We still have some minor adjustments to make.  What a process!  But it sure is fun!

Can't wait until next week when I get to report on the HALFWAY point!!!  XO

Praying For Boston

What happened yesterday is truly horrific, it breaks my heart and I just can't wrap my mind around it.  All I can do is pray for all of those affected, and pray for a better tomorrow!  XO

{via}

The Glamorous Life of a French Housewife {Guest Post}

I'm so happy to have one of my lovely sponsors guest posting here today!  Kisha's blog is a literally a little bit of everything!  You've got to check her out!  

Happy Tuesday!!!

********************************

Hellooooo All Never The Same Spice Twice Readers!!! I am so excited to be able to Sponsor Never the Same Spice Twice and have this opportunity to meet you all and let you know a little more about me! 

I blog over at the The Glamorous Life of a French Housewife where I tend to ramble on about everything from our lives, cooking, couponing, freebies, pets, makeup and beauty.. all things

  wife.. mother.. friend.. woman. 

♥ I am the mother of 3 children and happily married to the love of my life! We have been together 10 years and it just keeps getting better and better! 

♥ I own a Persian Cattery where I breed the most beautiful kittens.. If you are looking to add a new member to your family be sure to check us out! Its such a blessing to bring such cute little kittens into the world.. I love every minute of it! 

♥ I went to culinary school.. which was also a dream come true.. who doesn't love to eat! Feel free to check out some of my recipes and/or some of my sweet and treats!

♥ I love to travel and hope that this summer brings some new adventures! (:

♥ I have a type A personalty and love organization! I just got done redoing the kitchen and now I am starting on our big walk in closet! It will feel great to have it done! 

♥ I loooove makeup and beauty products products.. no.. its more like an addiction! My collection just keeps growing and growing! 

♥ I live in North Carolina but seriously ready to make a big move to South Florida. Just waiting on husby to say the word...so I can start packing up this house!

♥ I am a Youtuber and love making videos! Who would have guessed right!?

♥ I take a pretty laid back approach to raising our kids. I expect manners but I am not an uptight parent! 

♥ If you want to know more about me be sure to check out my - Ask the Housewife - post for more Questions and Answers!

So all in all, I try my best to live the happiest life possible. Not all days are perfect but life is really good! I have an amazing family who makes all the work worth it! My mom is also a blogger and so is my my sister in law Trina! I have made so many great blogging friends through out the years and my hope is some of you loyal Never the Same Spice Twice readers will stop over and say hi and if you like what you see.. feel free to follow in any way!  

Thank you for taking a little time out of your day to read up about me and my blog! I hope you guys all have a wonderful day! 

K Jaggers

 ♥

Weekend Shenanigans

I thought I would link up for some Weekend Shenanigans again with Sami's Shenanigans in order to redeem myself for having such an uneventful weekend last week!

Friday - Went out with some friends after work for dinner!  We have all been SUPER busy, it was so nice to have the crew together again!!!

Saturday - Hubby and I went to register for Baby Girl!  WOW, this was MUCH harder than I thought it would be...took twice as long as our wedding registry, and we still aren't done!  Babies sure do need a lot of stuff!  At one point, I had FOUR high chairs on there!  We had a really nice day though, had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory and I even had great success with maternity bathing suit shopping (you will read more on that in my next "bumpdate")!  The best part is that after a long day shopping and registering, we went home and watched reviews of bouncers, and high chairs on Youtube!  This is what our life has come to...love it though!

PS - Next time I go to Cheesecake Factory, I am having these
Avocado Egg Rolls as my MEAL....AMAZING!

Sunday - Went out and about shopping, although I wanted to spend the day laying around....I'm glad I got out for a bit.  Made a yummy dinner for hubs (Bolognese recipe coming soon).  Then we watched Lincoln.  Love Sunday movie nights.

So it wasn't the most exciting weekend, but I sure have a lot more to report on this weekend than I did last!

Have a great week everyone!  XO

What's cooking this week?

I can't even tell you how helpful it was last week NOT having to worry about coming home and having to cook!  Don't get me wrong, I obviously love cooking...but when there is a lot going on, something's gotta give!!!  It was just really nice to have one less thing to worry about.  If I wasn't home in time for dinner, then I didn't feel bad having Stephen get things together.  He is MORE than capable of putting dinner on the table, it's just that he works so hard and comes home late some nights...I just like for him to relax when he walks in the door!  He already does so much!  

Which brings me to my next point....I think I'm going to have to take it easy for another week.  I'm cooking two meals that create a lot of leftovers since it's just the two of us!  Tomorrow is the start of the two week FCAT testing window, and although the test is prepped for Monday...I have a lot of finishing touches that need to be worked on tomorrow for the rest of the week.  It's all coming together, it's a beautiful thing!  TEAMWORK!!! 

So, here is what I have planned for this upcoming week...

Tonight:  Manicotti w/ Bolognese sauce, and Bruschetta

Monday:  Crock-pot Chili

Tuesday:  Avocado Chicken Salad with Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette 

Wednesday:  Angel hair pasta with leftover sauce from Sunday :)

Thursday:  Chili burritos using leftover chili from Monday :)

{via}

Everyone keeps telling me to "take it easy"...and I have seriously been trying to take this advice.  It's a little difficult considering this is one of the busiest times of the school year for me.  We are trying to wrap up a school year, while beginning to talk about a new one!  Things are really picking up, and I'm trying my very best to slow down, take it easy, and live in the moment!  Being such an incredibly impatient person, I am always rushing from one moment to the next...counting down to the next "big thing".  Although I truly am jumping out of my skin with excitement over all of the things we have coming up...I really do love where where we are at right now!!!  I hope you all took the time this weekend to appreciate the "now"!  XO

Friday!!!!!!!!!!

1.  My favorite...Taco Night (and it wasn't even on a Tuesday....ReBeL)!!!

2.  Started wearing my rings on my necklace, but I'm okay with it...just means Baby Girl is getting closer to making her arrival!

3.  This box of goodies we started collecting for our little peanut makes me smile!

4.  Love awesome convos like these with my sweet and patient hubby!

5.  Instant good mood = TLC on Pandora!

I'm ECSTATIC about the fact that it is Friday!  You can tell by all of these......!!!!

Have a good one! 

:)

Doing double duty on the link ups:

Guest Posting @ Wannabe Green Today!!!

Good Morning!!!
Head on over to Wannabe Green today and check out my guest post...here is a little preview!

Now stop drooling and head on over so you can pin the recipe!!!  Yummy stuff, I promise!  :)

18 Week Bumpdate

At 18 weeks, Baby Girl is the size of a mango....just when I think how crazy it is that there is a mango-sized baby growing in there...I look at my tummy and think "is that it"?  Well obviously the size of my belly fluctuates throughout the day, so I don't always feel like my "bump" is HUGE...but still, a mango seems small when I look at this picture!  Heehee!

Changes I've noticed:  I don't feel like anything has changed much since last week, still noticing a lot of veins.  I have read this is normal due to increased blood flow...but I'm surprised by just how intense they are considering I'm somewhat tan.  It freaks me out, I keep making Stephen come look at all my veins - he doesn't seem as amused by them as I am though!  I've also noticed my gums have been bleeding more lately when I brush my teeth.  I'll mention it to the dentist when I go next month, but I'm about 99% sure "this is normal".  I've gained another lb...which brings me to 11 so far.  

How I've been feeling:  I was REALLY sick last week, it was awful!  I don't believe any of it was due to pregnancy, but obviously since I'm pregnant I couldn't really take anything - so I felt WORSE!  I had a bad sore throat for 3 days, then it evolved into congestion, and a bad cough...it lasted about a week and I had a fever for most of it.  I'm just now feeling better...YAY!  "Pregnancy-wise", I'm just super tired.  This might just be because I am so run-down from just getting over being sick, and stressed a little because of work, and working late...trust me I am getting every minute of rest that I possibly can when I get home though!  (Have you read my weekend recap?)  I did get nauseous once...you will read about it when you get to the part about food...

How I've been sleeping:  Like a rock, although when my cough was in full swing I had a hard time falling asleep.  Otherwise, I've been sleeping well...even staying on my side!

Food and exercise:  A few days ago, I did about 10 squats and I felt like a ran a marathon...maybe next time I'll start with 4?  I used to do them all the time, didn't think 10 would kill me.  I guess I was wrong.  I've been doing a lot of stretching, and continuing using my weights...I feel like it's helping.  After a bad experience with stuffed peppers the other night, I have been really trying to listen to my body as far as when I'm full.  I couldn't quite keep dinner down that night, I feel like it was because I ate too much too fast, drank a lot of cold water, and then lied down on the couch....recipe for disaster.  SO, I've been pacing myself and eating smaller meals more frequently during the day.  I've been craving banana runts ever since my aunt gave me a big bag of them, but resisting the urge to special order them from an online candy shop!!!

Mmmmmm!

Maternity clothes:  I've been wearing the new things I purchased 2 weekends ago...love it all!  This upcoming weekend we are probably going to Orlando, I am going to see about buying another pair (or two) of work pants...and also...a maternity bathing suit...this could end up being a nightmare, I'm aware!  We are going away for a little beach getaway soon...and I don't know if I want to rock the bikini.  I will if I have to I suppose, but I don't think it could hurt to see if I find anything I like.  We'll see - wish me luck (I'm scared)!

Movement:  It throws me off because I will have a day when she is moving around SO much, and then go about two or three days where I only notice light flutters a little bit when I'm laying down at night!  But when she is moving...she is like a little wild woman in there!  Today I didn't feel her much all day, and then all of a sudden I felt her do about two flips!  It sort of tickles, love it though!  Still nothing strong enough to feel on the outside, we keep checking and waiting!  

Best moment this past week:  The other day it suddenly occurred to me that "OMG, I can paint her little nails"...it's definitely hitting me in stages, I'm having a girl - WHAT!?!?  :):):)

Looking forward to what's to come next week!