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The Countdown: 39 Weeks

Yesterday marked my 39th week of pregnancy. Part of me feels like it was just yesterday that I announced our good news – the other part feels like I’ve been pregnant for the last 3 years. I started my maternity leave today, and instead of laying back and putting my feet up, I’ve planned a day filled with visiting my parents and friends (this sweet girl!), doing a few returns, going to the post office (finally changing my name on my social security card!), buying a birthday gift for my mother-in-law, writing a few last ‘thank you’s,’ and meeting a potential nanny (so excited!). I am so anxious to meet Isla, but definitely feel like I need a few days to catch-up on life before she arrives. Given my mom’s history (two babies that were 14 days late and one that was 18 days late), I don’t have my hopes up that she will arrive on June 4, but we’ll see! The longer she waits, the more time I have to address all 100 baby announcement envelopes.

Highlights:

    • Agreeing on her name and announcing it!
    • My three baby showers (mom’s friends, my friends, and work friends)
    • Finishing Isla’s nursery
    • Listening to her heart beat at our first ultrasound
    • Designing and doing a few samples of Isla’s birth announcement
    • Buying her first piece of clothing while on our honeymoon in Bali
    • Feeling a kick for the first time
    • When the cashier at Home Depot asked me how far along (first public acknowledgement!)
    • Adding Isla to our “family song” (yes, Sasha and I have one that we sing every day)
    • Listening to Sasha talk to her at night

One of the most difficult adjustments in pregnancy is the growing belly. It’s funny to look back at, say… week 29, because at this point, I feel like I was still really small, but at the time, you’re like WHOA baby is really growing. People claim you miss your belly post-delivery, but I’m not sure I believe that. I have serious pains in my stomach right now from what feels like my ab muscles being torn apart. As mentioned here, I have bought the Belly Bandit and Wink Compression Girdle to get back in shape afterwards.

We decided not to do maternity pictures for a number of reasons, but I did snap a photo every Wednesday to mark each week off (Note: If I looked like Cara Loren or Amber Fillerup Clark, I definitely would have!). Most are taken in our closet mirror in my workout clothes before the gym, so they’re not cute selfies, but I’m still glad I did this to see the progression over time.

Baby bump pictures by week:

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39 weeks and one day down… please, please, Isla – don’t make us wait too much longer!

 

featured image via

Betsywhite Stationery

Every year, I look forward to Oh So Beautiful Paper‘s roundup posts of the National Stationery Show. I spend plenty of time looking through each post, staring at each picture and choosing my favorite designs of the year. In this post, I fell in love with Betsywhite Stationery – then I made my way over to their website, and it was over. Check out their lookbook and pictures from the show below, and you’ll totally understand why. I love finding new paper loves!OSBP-National-Stationery-Show-2014-Betsywhite-Stationery-27

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OSBP

 

Pink Peonies

It’s my favorite time of year – pink peony season. I could not be more obsessed with these flowers – definitely my favorite by far (well, you can never go wrong with tulips and hydrangeas!). I love seeing them begin to pop up at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Central Market and other local flower shops. There is something about how full they are and their gorgeous variations of colors that just inspires me. I love them so much and would quite like a constant supply in my kitchen and living room! What is your favorite type of flower?
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all images via weheartit.com

Happy Memorial Day (Sales!)

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

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I love this holiday for multiple reasons:

  1. It’s important that we stop and remember those who died fighting for our country’s freedom
  2. It’s a wonderful opportunity to spend time with friends and family
  3. I appreciate all breaks from work right now – 9 days until the due date!
  4. Last, and certainly not as important: Sales, sales, sales. The retail world unleashes some pretty significant holiday weekend sales, and I’ve listed some of my favorite stores’ discounts below! Happy shopping!

Shop BCBG for 30% off and free shipping


Shop Joie for an extra 20% off sale items with code MDW20


Shop Lulu and Georgia for 25% off with code MEMORIALDAY25


Shop Nordstrom for up to 40% off apparel, shoes and more


Shop Piperlime for an extra 25% off sale


Shop DVF for an extra 30% off sale items with code SUMMER30


Shop Equipment for an extra 20% off sale items with code MDW20


Shop Gap for an extra 40% off with code EVENT


Shop Saks for up to 55% off select women’s apparel


Shop Serena and Lily for 20% off everything with code SUMMER20


Shop J.Crew for 30% off

5 Ingredient Raw Vegan Brownies

I am not a baker. But seriously, every vegan dessert I try fails (except these beet muffins – yum!). So when I came across a recipe for a simple, raw vegan brownie bite recipe, I jumped at it. I made some slight adaptations to the version I found online, and both Sasha and I love the result! These have five ingredients – raw cashews, organic honey, pitted/chopped dates, coconut oil, and unsweetened cocoa powder. They take five minutes to prepare (minus recommended refrigeration time) – and they are healthy-ish (no refined sugars!). Perfect tiny snack to fill your sweet tooth cravings!

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Ingredients: 1 cup of plain cashews, 1 cup of pitted or chopped dates, 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil, 2 teaspoons of honey

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Step 1: Add 1 cup of raw, unsalted cashews to your blender and pulse until finely chopped

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Step 2: Add pitted or chopped dates to cashew powder and pulse until completely mixed (should get kind of solid)

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Step 3: Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

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Step 4: Add 1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil and 2 teaspoons of honey to the blended mixture – may have to stir with spoon vs. blend (depending on how strong your blender is!)

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Step 5: Lay down stick-free parchment paper or aluminum foil and make into small brownie bites

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Optional (but I recommend) Step 6: Add to fridge for an hour so the coconut oil hardens – then enjoy!

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If you try them, let me know how they turn out!