Old Navy Bargains

Since we're all trying to save money these days, I thought I'd share a great site that my good friend Jenny passed on to me. Go to www.oldnavyweekly.com and you can "hunt" for coupons hidden in the pictures on the site. There are coupons for $5 off, 15% off, even coupons for $50 off a $100 purchase (I have yet to actually find one of these). I haven't always been a huge fan of Old Navy, but they have some really cute things right now. I picked up this dress in black last night and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be living in it for the duration of my maternity leave. It is so so so comfortable, and really cute with a cardigan or light jacket and flip flops. They have tons of lightweight sundresses right now, many of which looked very comfy, cute blazers, and some very stylish swimsuit cover ups. Enjoy!

Zzzzzzz......

I don't know who came up with "Z" being synonomous with sleeping, but that's what I wish I was doing right now. I've been used to not sleeping through the night for a few months now, waking up often to use the restroom, get comfortable, etc... but I think now my body is really preparing me for those sleepless nights with little one because I cannot get a good night's sleep! I have reached the point where I'm just uncomfortable no matter what I do, and I know all of my tossing and turning is making for a very sleep-deprived husband as well. Aaah well, I will look back on those those old restful nights with fondness and look forward to them returning one day...hopefully....

On another note, we finally filed our taxes and were pleasantly surprised with the money we're getting back! That was definitely a nice surprise. Our big splurge is going to be a Canon Rebel to document all of Madelyn's adorableness:)

We're also going to do a few more little things to the house before Madelyn's arrival (new knobs and hinges upstairs, possibly nightstands for the Master bedroom) as well as put a large chunk of it into savings. Speaking of saving, below are a few of the websites I use to save money at the grocery store incase anyone is interested. It's amazing how much you can save if you just shop the sales and use coupons. It's definitely worth the extra 30 minute investment every week.

http://www.coupons.com/ http://www.organicvalley.coop/coupons
http://www.smartsource.com/
http://fiddledeedeeblog.blogspot.com/

Hope everyone is having a great week so far. Sorry this post is a little boring- I am a little braindead from sleep deprivation :)

32 weeks 5 days

This is what we'll be having Madelyn's first pictures made in...of course,

it won't say Ella on it, but you get the idea:)

A few updates on the pregnancy front- I can't believe in less than 50 days little Madelyn will be here! I can't wait to meet her.

- I now have to go to the bathroom on average every hour and a half. Considering I get up at 6:45 and go to bed around 9:30, that's around 10 times a day. That is a lot. I do drink a lot of water which I know doesn't help the problem, but still, I think I burn more calories walking to and from the ladies room at work than actually working out.

- I have definitely starting to notice Braxton Hicks contractions. Luckily they are not at all painful, it just feels like my stomach is stretched out as far as it can go and then after a few seconds it's gone.

- I've also started to feel little one's foot (I suspect) kicking in strange areas- way over on my right or left side or up in my ribs. She may be a soccer player like her daddy because sometimes I swear she is mistaking my organs for a soccer ball.

- I officially feel large- not just in the belly but in general. I still feel extremely lucky that I haven't really started to swell yet, and haven't noticed any stretch marks, so I certainly won't complain.

- I am TIRED! This just started on Tuesday night and I've felt somewhat worn down ever since. I really have to force myself to slow down and accept that sometimes it's ok to go home from work, lay on the couch, and lay dormant.

- I have become a bit clumsy and keep dropping things! I don't know if this is pregnancy related but I blame it on that :)

- I have always prayed for Madelyn to be healthy but now I've also started to pray (a lot) about the labor and delivery process. I also ask her daily to please go easy on her mommy.

- My maternity pants are getting snug in the waist. I'm ignoring this and hoping they can just hold out a few more weeks!

- Madelyn gets the hiccups a lot. Sometimes so much so that you can watch my belly jump every few seconds.

- The thought of buying diapers, getting my hospital bag packed, putting the car seat in the car, and all of those last minute things is Ridiculously exciting to me. I'll probably have all of these items done weeks in advance, but that's just me :)

The average baby is around 17 inches long at this point and weighs just at 4 pounds. Considering Madelyn's weight was estimated to be 4 pounds 6 ounces two weeks ago, I'm very anxious to find out at our doctor's appointment on Tuesday what I'm measuring now...

Winter Wonderland

Saturday is was 62 degrees here in Atlanta. Yesterday, this was the view of our house and neighborhood.

This morning we awoke to a suprising amount of snow still on the ground, but it is now slowly melting away and will probably be completely gone by tomorrow. I hope we get another snow like this one day when Madelyn is young- I would have loved to build a snowman with her!

Friday it is supposed to be in the 70's....the weather here will never make sense to me.

Healthy Friday

I must admit that I have not been as diligent at my healthy eating as I was in the beginning of my pregnancy and I'm ready to get back on the wagon. I've still been eating lots of spinach, fruit, low- fat dairy, and the things I know are good for Madelyn, but I've also been sneaking in one too many treats. So, it was perfect timing yesterday when I found a new issue of Health magazine in the mailbox. Health is a great magazine that focuses on natural-living, with an "everything in moderation" perspective which I fully subscribe to. Consequently, they even did a feature on a TV star who just had a baby and would like to lose the remaining extra weight, so I'll be sure to tuck that away for when the time comes.

More interesting than that though, was an article on probiotics. You've probably seen commercials advertising food products that now include probiotics, which are essentially the opposite of antibiotics, that work to rid your system of unhealthy bacteria, infection and other forms of junk that can accumulate in your system. Probiotics are now successfully being used to boost children's immune systems. They are all natural and can be found in certain yogurts, cheese, even cereal. Below is an excerpt from the article in Health.

"The “boost your immunity” probioticLab studies show that many probiotics have invigorating effects on the immune system. In theory, this should increase a person’s resistance to disease. But only a few strains, like L. casei DN-114001, L. rhamnosus GG, and L. acidophilus NCFM, seem to reduce the frequency and severity of illnesses like winter colds. In a study with 360 people over age 60, daily use of L. casei DN-114001 cut the duration of respiratory infections by a one and a half days and the severity by 20%. Similarly, in a study with 571 kids in day care, L. rhamnosus GG reduced both stay-at-home sick days and the number of infections serious enough to require antibiotics. And in a winter study of more than 200 preschoolers, the third strain (L. acidophilus NCFM) reduced the incidence of fever by 48%, cough by 42%, and antibiotic use by 68%. Researchers think similar benefits may be enjoyed by all age groups."

As someone who was the "sick kid" and in my opinion over-prescribed antibiotics for several years, I really want to take a more natural approach to Madelyn's overall well being (and my own). Just make sure if you start consuming large amounts of probiotic-infused dairy you consider switching to organic so you can avoid the added hormones and antibiotics found in regular milk products.

Also in the issue were a list of the most healthy fast-food restaurants in the US. Included were Panera Bread (a personal favorite), Jason's Deli (appx. 1/3 of their total produce used in organic), Corner Bakery, Chipotle (who uses all hormone and antibiotic-free meat), Einsteins bagels, and Taco Del Mar. Of course, it's still up to you to order the healthy items when stopping at these places:)

Woah Nelly

You know how your parents always used to say that one day when you became a parent, your children would pay you back for all of the things you did to them when you were a child? Well, I believe that time has come. It appears Madelyn is going to be quite a large baby and I suspect will likely be making her entrance into this world one to two weeks earlier than planned. I was a large baby and came two weeks early, so at least we're consistent so far:)

Today we had our routine 31 week checkup where they told us that I am measuring at 32 almost 33 weeks. Given the fact that she is measuring large based on last week's ultrasound, and I am now also measuring ahead of schedule, we'll be having an extra ultrasound at 36 weeks to try and gauge her birth weight. If, of course, it appears we are on schedule for a 9-10 pound baby, we'll probably be induced early. Fine with me- as long as she is healthy, the sooner we get to meet her the better!

Random pregnancy fact, but yesterday I learned that the hormone that controls appetite is actually supressed while you are pregnant, so you literally lose control over the ability to stop eating! That gave me some peace of mind.

Also, if you haven't been to a TJ Maxx lately, I highly suggest you stop by. I ran into our local store on my way home from work last night to check out a few baby things and was amazed to find Thymes soaps and products for dirt cheap as well as tons of great housewares. I made off with two of these beautiful throw pillows which I am totally in love with. Currently I have one resting in each end chair of my dining room table, but I'm also toying with using them on a bench in there...not sure yet...I've also heard rumor that they are now carrying shoes from J Crew but I forgot to look.

Kitchen Love

Last time I was at the doctor's office I grabbed a copy of the recently-cancelled Country Home magazine to peruse through while I waited. I was quite surprised to see that many of the showcased ideas were not nearly as "country" as I'd expected, but more cottag-y. I'd never read the magazine before as country styling doesn't really appeal to me, but I fell in love with this kitchen and thought I would share. It's by Charleston designer Kimberly Williams. It may help knowing that the house is in Charleston, one of my all-time favorite cities, not only for it's charm and Southern elegance but also for the fact that it is where I met and got engaged to Matt.

The kitchen has french doors that open to a small garden- how refeshing on a nice day.

Kimberly collects brown transferware, so she decided to showcase a few pieces on the walls. I really love the overall-neutral feel of the room.

An antique armoire where she stores cookbooks and linens.

Just adjacent to the kitchen is this small sitting area and built-in pantry.

Just gorgeous