Five On Friday: Recent Favorites

Time for another Five On Friday! We hope you will join along with us. Here are some of my recent favorites.

O N E
I received a sample of Benefit's Watt's Up face highlighter from Sephora for my little birthday treat (if you aren't signed up as a Beauty Insider, it's free and you get great perks, like a birthday surcee.) Last night we had dinner with friends and went to go see Lone Survivor (oh my word -- GO). I used this highlighter on the inner part of my cheeks, the area in between my nose and cheekbone, and I loved the golden highlight it gave. Fair warning: a stick is $30 (here), so it's likely not the least expensive item in your bag, but I can assure you that just a little bit goes a long way so will last long. I'm sold!

T W O
I mean ... these need no real explanation. I picked up a package of Banana Split Oreos on a whim Monday, and I just can't describe how good they are. Definitely worth the splurge. I had two this morning after my bowl of cereal. That's how addictive they are.

T H R E E
On my birthday, I treated myself to a fun new dress. The Lilly Pulitzer Adabelle dress is a loose-knit crochet dress, and I just love the color! It has quite a bit of stretch to it, so I can wear it now as well as later.

F O U R
I was so excited to find this recipe for a Kale and Blood Orange Salad! Not a lot of ingredients -- simple preparation -- loaded with color and nutrients -- I'm all over this. Hopefully it will make it on this coming week's menu.

F I V E
Thrilled does not even come close to describing how I feel about the start of a great weekend. Ian and I are Charleston bound for a fun little weekend trip! We have lots of adventures ahead and of course I'll be sharing on Instagram. :) Can't wait to be headed down South shortly.

Now, your turn to link up! I hope you will join me and my wonderful co-hostesses -- Darci, Natasha, and Christina. Playing along is simple!  Just write a post about five things on your mind today, anything goes really, post the logo below on your blog, and then enter your post address below in the link-up section. It's a great way of meeting new friends and getting more eyes on your cute blog :)

Downsizing

Sometimes it hits me that we are adding another human being to our small, cozy home in just four months. Whoa baby.

While we certainly can't make our house any larger without considerable money, effort, or and a new set of blueprints, we can make it seem larger by streamlining what we currently have and reducing clutter.

I'm a "keeper" by nature -- I tend to tie my emotional connections and memories to THINGS. Not such a great trait, I suppose, but one that I try to simultaneously embrace/understand and also keep under control.

I saw these questions the other day that really got me thinking.

Here are my biggest challenges: number 3, number 5, number 6, number 8.

The items that I can't seem to just toss like everyone else? Cards and letters. Old (now meaningless) photos. Older home decor that "could" be reused. Magazines (my family members are nodding violently at this one).

Having our old mattresses picked up by the Salvation Army the other day was just so easy. It was a great reminder to me that donating items I don't technically need anymore isn't just a thoughtful thing to do, but it is so darn easy. I literally scheduled a pickup in about thirty seconds on the computer on their website. It was wonderfully easy.

I'd love to know ... is clutter something that you struggle with too?

How do you keep it in check?

And all of you other ladies: what is one of your organizing secrets?

I want to be like you. ;)

Week 24 Pregnancy Journal

How Far Along? 24 weeks

Size of Baby: An ear of corn (12.5 inches).

Gender: A girl! Still deciding on names.

Weight Gain: Gained two pounds this past week! Up a total of 8 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight -- but since I lost a few pounds in the first trimester, up 11 pounds total from that lowest weight.

Maternity Clothes: Occasionally I can wear non-maternity tops, but I'm in maternity pants and leggings nearly every day. Loving empire waist dresses with tights and boots!

Nursery: So far all that I have is decorative. But we did take down the bed in the guest room this past week and donated the mattress and box springs to the Salvation Army. With our new bedroom dresser now housing all of the clothing that was in the guest room, it's almost ready to become our new office, making room for the nursery! On the task list: closet re-do, painting the walls, getting fabric samples for drapes, and the crib/bedding situation.

Movement: Lots and lots. This weekend was the first time that I was feeling a large mass (felt sort of like a big knot) so I'm guessing it was her head? So cute.

Also, this was the first week that we tried headphones on the belly! It's become a fun nightly routine to play Beethoven and Mozart baby lullabies to her. I also gave her an introduction to Beyonce on Friday night. Baby girl loves "Halo" just like her mom. Whenever I'm playing music for her, she dances and moves all over the place!

Symptoms: Big appetite, big belly. No stretch marks, no hand or ankle swelling (rings still on, the weekly photo was literally taken at 7:00 this morning when I'd only been awake for 20 minutes!). Popping out of bed isn't happening anymore, one because I love sleep nowadays, and two because it's more of a rolling/falling out of bed situation. Also, my belly button is so shallow now -- no doubt it will be flat or out soon.

Sleep: Still sleeping great (on our mattresses on the floor).

Cravings: None really to speak of.

What I Miss: Ehh, nothing major. Nothing that is not worth the wait.

Best Moment This Week: My doctor's appointment went really well. Baby's heartbeat was 143. Also, we had friends over for the Panthers game (including my ADPi little sis, who will be moving to Charlotte soon from Atlanta -- she is about 6 weeks ahead of me with a baby boy!). There were some children there and I loved it when one of our friends' son was talking about the "baby in Miss April's belly."

Looking Forward To: Babymoon planning! And the potential for a mini-babymoon this weekend?!

Me + my ADPi Little Sister -- 29 weeks and almost 24 weeks

A Silver Revival

Friday was a great, great day because we bought a new dresser for our bedroom! And a big thank you to all of you for the love on Thursday when I had my little vent-fest. You all are so right, getting it all out does the body good, and this weekend proved that with time, all rough edges will smooth out.

Our dog Drake is still wearing his cone of shame, but his arm is healing well. My cancelled trip last week will now be taking place tomorrow, and while it's still chilly in Vermont, it's significantly warmer this week. And the new dresser find on Friday meant that we were able to get our clothes off of the floor -- yay, organization.

I wanted to display my favorite perfumes and some jewelry on top of the new dresser, and I had this little footed silver bowl that was in horrible tarnished condition. Only problem is, my silver polishing cloths weren't doing anything for it at all. Saturday morning I decided to try out a little Pinterest trick, and -- WOW -- it works so well.

I found this cute tray at an antique store here in Charlotte. Over the years it has taken on a terrible tarnish, but it's been so gradual that it was hard to notice how bad it got.

But it was bad.

So the trick is this --
Boil water in a pot, add in one tablespoon of baking soda and a square of tin foil, and drop in the pieces that you would like to remove the tarnish from.

Right before my eyes, the tarnish came right off and the foil started taking on a darker, matte look.

It was shocking to me how well it worked. I had the bowl in the water for maybe 6-8 minutes total. Now it lives on my dresser and holds some favorite jewelry pieces and other special trinkets.

I mean ... the transformation is night and day better.

Have you tried this trick before?

Five On Friday ::: Consignment Store Edition

For my Five On Friday, I'm going to switch things up and show you five awesome consignment store finds that I scored a few days ago. Shopping at consignment stores is one of my favorite ways to shop. You definitely aren't guaranteed a good find, but when you do stumble upon a gem, it's truly worth the trip.

Being that the items are pre-owned, you will want to be extra careful when inspecting the item to make sure it is in great condition. I know to some, the idea of buying at consignment stores may not be your jam, but I view it like this -- I'd easily borrow clothes from a girlfriend or accept hand-me-down children's clothes from friends, so no big difference in my book. After a run through a hot water wash, they are as good as new! All of these items need a wash and press, but I just couldn't wait to share these finds.

O N E
This pink and white Lilly dress was the most expensive item that I bought at $45. I purchased this at Clothes Mentor. I was on the fence about it since I don't necessarily need a new dress, but I sold $41 worth of my clothes there that night, so I felt like the purchase was justified. Plus, even though it's not a maternity dress, my baby belly fits in it, and if we are able to escape on a warm-weather vacation soon, I can wear it for that!

T W O
I'd seen this maternity brand, Olian, before at our cute preggo boutique Pickles and Ice Cream, so I knew it was a super-nice line. Most of their tops start at $100+. This tunic is just my style and can easily be worn as a non-maternity shirt, too. It was marked down to $15 at Clothes Mentor ... DONE.

T H R E E
After selling some clothes at Clothes Mentor Sunday evening, I took some of the items they passed on to Plato's Closet the next day. And staring right back at me was this Lilly tunic for $14. Just my size. A no-brainer.

F O U R
I can't just shop for myself -- I have to think of Little Miss, too! Once Upon A Child is next to our Plato's Closet, so I stopped in and gave myself a $20 limit. I ended up getting four items for $19. This smocked number is one of them -- it was $6.50. I just love the Peter Pan collar and the diaper cover!

F I V E
As soon as I saw this outfit, I knew it was coming home with me. Those sweet pink gingham bows kill me. This set was also $6.50. She is going to look darling in it this summer!

What's your take on consignment store shopping? Is it your deal, or would you rather save up and buy only new clothes?

Now, your turn to link up! I hope you will join me and my wonderful co-hostesses -- Darci, Natasha, and Christina. Playing along is simple!  Just write a post about five things on your mind today, anything goes really, post the logo below on your blog, and then enter your post address below in the link-up section. It's a great way of meeting new friends and getting more eyes on your cute blog :)

Real Talk Thursday

Life is great -- I've got heat when it's chilly, a full belly (in every sense of the word), friends and family that support me, a loving husband, a fulfilling career, and a dang fine roof over my head.

And with that disclaimer, a bit of a vent sesh.

What is it about bad things happening in threes? Or fours?

When it happens in fours, it makes you wonder if you just have had a stroke of bad luck or if you've got two more doozies heading your way.

It all started Sunday morning when we noticed that Drake was acting rather bothered by his left arm, where it meets his torso. He was licking it and I noticed the fur was thinning out. By Sunday evening the fur was almost gone. I concocted a bandage of sorts using a washcloth and medical tape but it wasn't staying up. By Monday morning, he had a bit of a large scab forming. By Monday evening -- Y'ALL -- when I came home from work, an entire chunk, CHUNK, was missing from his arm. I was looking deep, deep into his skin, about a full half inch in. Enough to make your stomach flip. Thank goodness for adrenaline that got us through it and a new cone of shame that is keeping him from messing with it further. He went to the vet and got new meds -- antibiotics and steroids. The vet said the cause could be a whole host of reasons, and right now we are just hoping he recovers quickly and then doesn't start messing with the area again once he's healed.

Tuesday morning I was slated to head to Vermont for work. Ian awoke before me to shower, but he came out of the bathroom immediately and said "We've got a problem." Frozen pipes. We had no water in our shower. Thankfully, our guest room shower was working so we were able to use that. But then Ian's computer research on frozen pipes got us all worried about the potential for a busted pipe and the thousands of dollars it may take to get that fixed. Ouch.

I conducted a phone interview that morning from home and then started throwing outfits willy-nilly in my overnight bag for Vermont. I was so flustered and felt so guilty leaving a home with half of the faucets operating and a dog chewing his arm off. On the rushed way out of the door, I got my first automated call from the air carrier letting me know my first connecting flight was delayed.

The airport Tuesday morning was a madhouse. And delay after delay for my Philadelphia flight would have caused a missed connecting flight to Vermont. So I had to cancel the trip at the last minute -- rebooking everything for next week -- the event, the hotel, the rental car, the flight. The client was great about it but my anxiety was at about a 9.3 out of 10.

And during that time, Ian was texting me asking -- did I have a chance to get someone out about the pipes? Because this is a "catastrophic home situation April!" Well. I said some choice words and did a bit of texting to him in caps lock (whoops, sorry babe) and got on the phone at the airport to get someone lined up to come to the house. Only thing is, he was doing the same thing. We ended up having three appointments set, two of which were with the very same plumbing company.

Y'all. I was about to lose it.

The upside was that my cancelled trip resulted in me getting to spend the night in my own bed, and I'm not in the super chilly Vermont temperatures -- only the super chilly Charlotte temperatures.

And yesterday morning Ian texted me that our garage door was not working.

Did I mention that a month ago we sold all of our bedroom furniture and still have yet to replace it? We are sleeping on a mattress on the floor, and there are piles of our folded clothes on the guestroom bed and my closet floor. We still have no bed ordered, no mattresses selected, no dresser, no nightstand for Ian.

No nursery furniture except for a rocking chair and a rocking horse (necessities).

I'm going to call mercy.
Have you had these days?

Life is not perfect and I know that these are all small things (assuming Drake gets better).

But these small things might just cause me to lose it.

Le sigh.

I'll be back tomorrow with a HAPPY Five on Friday, I can assure you that. Thanks for hanging with me today. Sometimes a girl just needs to vent!  

Week 23 Pregnancy Journal

How Far Along? 23 weeks

Size of Baby: A large mango (11.5 inches).

Gender: A girl!

Weight Gain: Up a total of 6 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight -- but since I lost a few pounds in the first trimester, up 9 pounds total from that lowest point.

Maternity Clothes: YES. So thrilled on Sunday to take some clothes into Clothes Mentor (a consignment store) to sell -- only to see that they had a maternity section! I left with a few new tops and a Lilly dress. Spent more money than I made, but so worth it!

Nursery: I feel like we're taking baby steps here. Little eensy baby steps. I definitely have the vision of what I want, but we have a lot of items to store or sell before we can really start switching the rooms over. It's a bit daunting.

Movement: Loving every bit of it. My favorite way to wake up in the morning is to turn off the alarm and just lay there with my hand on my belly, feeling her wiggle.

Symptoms: Round belly. Somewhat itchy at times due to growth. No stretch marks, no hand or ankle swelling. A penchant for fun-sized Snickers. I allow myself to have three at a time. And I can't believe that I just admitted that.

Also, this week I noticed one night that one of my favorite rings was causing major discoloration on my fingers where it touched. My doctors (aka Instagram friends) diagnosed me with a possible iron deficiency? I called my (real) doctor first thing the next morning and they are going to run some more bloodwork this coming Friday. They recommended that I switch to a different prenatal with iron in it after I discovered that my gummies had no iron whatsoever in them. And the spinach smoothies have started again. Since that night I've not had this happen again with that ring.

Sleep: Still sleeping great!

Cravings: None really, a healthy appetite but no "I NEED THIS NOW" feelings about certain foods. Coming down off of the hot chocolate high that I was on for a long while.

What I Miss: Exercising without being really exhausted afterwards.

Best Moment This Week: Taking a yoga class with Ian on Friday night was a true highlight. It felt great to relax on the mat. I'd like to get back in several more times before baby girl comes. Oh, and if you are wondering about how I get Ian to go with me -- there are often about 2-4 other guys in the class, which is good for him to see, and it has been a big help for his lower back pain ... so he really enjoys it!

Looking Forward To: My doctor's appointment this week. I haven't had one in about five weeks so I'm just anxious to hear how everything is measuring and progressing along!

The Perfect Homemade Latte

I'm so, so excited about this.
We are making world-class lattes at home!

Some amazing genius put a milk frother in my husband's stocking. Okay, okay, it was me. This is basically a way of justifying December purchases to yourself ... buy it, then gift it to your husband, then start using it yourself.

I bought this milk frother for a few dollars at World Market. Online they are selling them in 3-packs, so if you don't have a World Market close by or if you just prefer to buy in bulk, here's the link. They are selling 3 for $8.97 -- a total steal!

Making a latte using these is so easy. And at 6:45am, easy is good.

We start out by pouring about 1" of milk in our mug. (If you want to add sugar, you can do so before microwaving.) Heat in the microwave for one minute, until steaming hot but not boiling. Using frother, touch tip to the top of the steamed milk, then turn on for about 5-10 seconds to create the frothed milk. Then, just pour your hot coffee right on top of it -- we have a Keurig so we just brew a small mug size right on top of the milk.

There are certainly many "fancy" brands of frothers out there, maybe some that will outlast this one, but so far it's been awesome. It's battery powered so not good for the dishwasher but is cleaned with a simple rinse of the metal part in the sink.

  

We've been loving our weekend lattes, and the past two mornings I've made a chai tea latte with the frother, some milk, and the boxed Oregon Chai latte mix. Delicious!

It's not too early to purchase stocking stuffers for next year ... would this be a hit in your house?