Where I spent my afternoon...

I love shopping. I especially love getting great deals.  And while the hubby spent the day virtual golfing (it is a little cold here!), I spent a few hours at the outlet stores.

Osage Beach Premium Outlet Mall

Some noteworthy purchases today:

• A pair of Joe's maternity jeans (for $57 dollars.  Yes, $57. I was amazed too!  They were the only pair of Joe's left on clearance and they were in my size!  Always a good feeling!)
• A few dresses from J. Crew - they'll work for the rest of pregnancy and will just fit a little big after the baby is born.  Thank goodness dresses with empire waists are in style right now!
• A pair of BCBG shoes for $29.  They'll work for the rest of spring and summer (and they match one of the dresses I bought).
• Another pair of maternity pantyhose.  This time in nude (which I don't already have in my closet)
• A new cardigan from J. Crew - to add to my collection of six others at home.  Again, a size up is always good!

I spent a little time (and money) yesterday at Marshall's as well.  They have a ton of cute baby things, but I really restrained myself!  I only purchased a Cardinal's outfit for this summer (in pink, of course!).  I did, however, purchase new bathroom accessories for our soon-to-be remodeled bathroom.  I got six handtowels and wash cloths, bath rugs, toothbrush holder, trash can, tissue cover, and more for less than $100.  And I didn't sacrifice quality/design for cost!

Shopping makes me happy, and also serves as good exercise when walking around an outlet mall! 

Now, spending the rest of the day relaxing!  

A little weekend vacay

The hubby and I are taking a long weekend to spend time at the Lake of the Ozarks.  We live about 5 hours away from the lake, and thanks to a family owned condo we visit quite often.  We most often visit in the summer, and both love boating.  This weekend, I will spend my time shopping and studying and the hubby will spend time on the golf course.  The weather is supposed to be in the 60s, which is not bad for the beginning of March!

While on the topic of of the Ozarks, I cannot help but think about boating.  Sun, the lake, a few adult beverages = total relaxation. 

I can imagine our lake trips will be a little different this summer.  With our little girl on the way and due in June, we are planning most of our trips to be in late July or early August.  She will still be young, but we want to introduce her to the Ozarks early! 

So, instead of spending eight hours on the lake without returning to the condo - I imagine this summer will include a lot of short trips, worry about making sure she stays in the shade and cool, and time spent next to the pool instead of at the lake while being close enough to allow her to nap with someone else in the condo. 

Will this summer be different than past summer boating trips?  Absolutely.  Will our change in routine be worth it?  Absolutely!  I cannot wait to introduce our little baby girl to the lake!

Baby Bump - Week 26

The baby bump has been existent for quite a few weeks - but I'm finally starting to notice it!  A few weeks ago, I would look in the mirror and surprise myself at times with my reflection. 

And now, the bump just keeps growing.  Which, of course, is a good thing because that means that my baby girl is growing!  But, there are minor inconveniences involved with the growing bump. 

• It's not possible to bend over straight down anymore! Fortunately, I can still bend without too much strain...but it is still an adjustment. 
• Sleep is different than before.  I used to sleep on my stomach, clearly I do not anymore! I am still adjusting to sleeping on my side...and sometimes I struggle to fall asleep!
• Maternity pants finally fit!  Things that used to be baggy in the belly area now fit...again, it is a good thing because that means baby girl is growing.  Regardless, it is still an interesting phenomenon. 
• Women spend the majority of their lives trying to be fit with a flat stomach.  During pregnancy, people want to see your belly grow and it's the first time in my life that it is acceptable to show off a growing belly!
• Weight gain is hard to stomach (no pun intended), even though it is for a good cause. 
• Extra weight gain + wearing heels all day = sore feet at the end of the day

In all honesty, I am enjoying my baby bump and like seeing it grow on a weekly basis.

Feeding a family - what will I do?!?

I have to start this post by stating one thing: I.do.not.cook.  Period.  I can cook, although not that well and only a few staple foods.  Most of my “cooking” is preparing foods.

Don’t get me wrong, I love home cooked meals – but I just have never had a huge desire to learn.  And I have unique tastes – I prefer healthy foods and most of the cooking that my mom did while I was growing up included home-style meals (think homemade mashed potatoes, red meat, casseroles, etc.).  I prefer broiled fish and steamed broccoli.  Preparing either does not feel like I’m actually “cooking”.  We also survive a lot at our house on take out – typically Indian or sushi.  We also eat a lot of shrimp, prepared in many different ways.

So, one of the changes I know I will have to institute when our daughter starts eating real foods is a change in my cooking.  The hubby and I eat healthy for the most part – a lot of lean protein, veggies, fruits, but we rarely combine all of those things into an actual meal.  And we typically eat while watching TV in the living room – another change.

So, the main concern is finding time to prepare a meal for the fam that is healthy, quick, and easy.  I have a lot of ideas (i.e. crock pot soups, preparing a few meals in advance on Sundays) – but I’m open to any new ideas! 

This blog post discussed a unique way Amy approaches preparing meals for her family.  

I personally couldn’t eat the way that Amy describes, because I hate leftovers and rarely eat the same thing more than once in a week.  But the concept is a good one.  One take-away that I took is that a weeks worth of meals could center around one theme or food.  For example, grilled chicken and veggies one night, alfredo and chicken another night, chicken salad another.  Some of which could be prepared the night before and be ready to heat up when we get home from work the next day.

I also love the idea of omelets for dinner – easy and delicious!  And my husband would love the sausage week – he loves brats! 

Anyone else have any great ideas for preparing (healthy) meals in advance? 

The baby registry is COMPLETE!

A few weeks ago, we started our baby registry.  And by started, I mean - went to Babies R Us, received a lot of help from a few friendly store associates, got overwhelmed and hungry half-way through, and finished our afternoon with lunch from Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  Lunch was delicious, by the way. I have never eaten there before - but would highly recommend it!  As a sidenote, I never was a cheeseburger lover until I got pregnant - and then for 10 weeks I absolutely hated anything poultry or fish and loved everything with ground beef.  I still enjoy the occasional cheeseburger - but feel like they got me through the first trimester! 

Back to the baby registry.  The list that the store gives you is FULL of everything you could ever possibly need. Since we have never actually raised a child, I'm not exactly sure if we will need everything on the list.  Instead of registering for 150+ things, I decided to register for the ones that seem to be essential after reading blogs from other moms.

The beauty of the baby registry process?  It can be done online!  I spent my afternoon auditing the things that are already on our list, identifying the things that we have not added yet, and registering for anything that I thought we still needed.  I did not register for everything.  Some things we have or will purchase on our own (crib, bedding, dresser, breastpump).  Other things I've heard mixed reviews - like the diaper genie.  Some people love it - but it does not seem necessary for us.  The baby's room is close enough to our garage that we can just carry diapers to the garage trash.  Plus, the idea of a container that's sole purpose is to store dirty diapers kind of grosses me out. 

If you remember about a week ago - I blogged about our initial baby registry experience, including a few additional recommendations. 
A summary of everything that I learned:

• Prepare beforehand!  I was so glad that I had done some research on Consumer Reports before we went to the stores.  It really helped us narrow down choices for car seats, strollers, monitors, and the playyard. 
• Do not expect to finish it in one day.  I made that mistake - and was completely wrong!
• Take advantage of the store associates. They were extremely helpful during our experience.
• Try things out in the store! Especially the big items!  It is easy to register online, but I still enjoyed the opportunity to test out durabilty of products before scanning them.
• Go after the big items first - that way you'll have the major things done if you need to take a break or come back later.  You can also do what we did - register for the big things at the store and finish up the rest online!
• Eat before you go! :)

One more thing checked off my To-Do list!

Milestones

I consider life to be full of small milestones.   For example, today was the end of a small milestone for me.  The Corporate MBA program that I am in includes 6 weeks of class, three weekend classes held every other weekend.  Today wraps up one class – with an almost three week break until the next class begins.  This “break” is never truly a break – because it usually entails wrapping up a final for the previous class and preparing for the next class.  Regardless, it is still 2 weekends free of class!

Each class finished is one class closer to the ultimate prize – the MBA degree!  And until June, for me, each class finished is one class closer to the birth of my daughter.  To be exact, I have two classes left to finish before her due date.  The second class actually finishes nine days prior to my due date…which is slightly frightening but I’m remaining hopeful that I won’t deliver prior to this!

The classes actually go by remarkably fast, and the time spent in class on the weekends keeps my mind busy from thinking about everything related to childbirth.  While this process is exciting, I can imagine it would be easy to get overwhelmed thinking about all of the possibilities and everything that can go wrong!

We also have taken a few mini-vacations in the last six months – each one was right before a big doctor appointment (our first 8 week appointment and our 20 week sonogram!).  Looking forward to the vacay helped keep my mind from solely anticipating the appointment!

So, what are the milestones that have kept your mind busy during pregnancy?  Or raising your children?

Guilt Free Week for Moms!

Babycenter is hosting Guilt Free Parenting Week from February 25 – March 4. Okay, I’m clearly not officially a parent yet – so I can’t entire relate to parenting guilt.  But I can imagine that I will feel guilty at times – given the fact that I will be working full-time, attending class every other weekend until July 2012 for my MBA program, and trying to raise a child! 

I don’t like to feel guilty.  My philosophy on being a mother includes taking time for yourself, to be a better person and better parent.  I know that I will have to rely on my support system to make this happen (my hubby, mother, mother-in-law, sisters who live nearby and can’t wait to babysit, etc.). 

Regardless, I’m sure I will still experience guilt.  I found a great blog post that lists 7 guilt free (and economical!) splurges for moms. 

I’d like to add a few more guilt-free splurges that I hope to take advantage of when I need some “me time” in the future:

1. Treat yourself to a sweet (or two!).  I appreciate the suggestion of taking time for a cup of coffee, but I don’t like coffee!  I do, however, love sweets!  I especially love the mini frosted chocolate chip cookies from Mrs. Fields – small, cheap, and guilt-free!  So take some time to enjoy a sweet snack, either at a local bakery or courtesy of a food day at work!
2. Window shop! I love shopping – and shopping does not always mean spending a lot of money!  An hour or two of quiet shopping time re-energizes me, regardless of how busy my week at work has been!
3. Take advantage of a babysitter and go on a date-night!  The hubby and I currently have a lot of date nights.  I know this will change post-baby, but I hope to have at least one date night every month or two.  This will be a great time to reconnect!
4. Take a hot bath!  Who doesn’t love some time alone in the bathtub with a glass of wine and nothing but empty thoughts?  The key to being guilt-free here is letting yourself take some time away from thinking about everything that needs to be done at home!

I know being a first-time mom won’t come without guilt, but I hope to use some of these techniques to not feel guilty all the time!