What I'm Loving Wednesday

Things I'm digging right now:

- Iced Nonfat Lattes in my all time favorite holiday Venti Starbucks cup! I usually just drink water out of it, but lately I've been treating myself to the occasional latte. YUM!

- Having a bit more time to read. I'm listening to Twilight in the car on the way to work (so far, EH), but loving Tina Fey's new book Bossypants. Also "reading" Happiest Toddler on the Block, Parenting Beyond Belief and What to Expect in the First Year.

- Pinterest. OBSESSED.

- Saying "Oh My Word" instead of "Oh My God/Gosh". OMW is the new OMG. And it's not a religious thing, I just think it sounds cute. ;)

- Air conditioning. It's dang hot here in Ohio, so I'm sticking indoors in the A/C as much as possible!

- Weight Watchers! I think it's working since I weighed myself this morning and I've lost 2 lbs!! Love the WW iPad and Android apps too.

- Family time! My mom is coming to visit on Friday and Neil is not working Saturday morning! YAY!

- And of course, this little chick:

Things Loved in November

1. Bubble baths

I'm not really a big bath person usually - but I had one the other day and it was awesome! If I could get in and out of the tub by myself safely I'd take one everyday! It was so relaxing and relieved a lot of my belly discomfort and pain. I'm hoping to take a lot of baths in December.

2. Coffeemate Creamer

I do still take the occasional trip to Starbucks, but for the most part I make my decaf at home and add Splenda and lots of creamer! I love Coffeemate. My favorites are Sugar Free Vanilla and Hazelnut and Gingerbread! Doesn't replace a Gingerbread Latte but tastes pretty good to me!

3. Toddlers and Tiaras on Netflix

This is a total guilty pleasure. And NO - Lila will NOT do pageants! I find this show both intriguing and disturbing, which is a great mix actually. I totally understand the "confidence" a little girl can get from being on stage - I just hope Lila can do that by singing, dancing or playing an instrument - not by creepily strutting and smiling with a spray tan and fake nails at 4 years old! Neil hates this show, by the way.

4. Zantac 150

While I still enjoy my Tums Smoothies, Zantac is a must for my horrible heartburn/indigestion. Pregnant women everywhere, stock up!

5. Cheap-o fake Uggs

I used to hate Uggs with a passion - but last year I gave in and bought a $20 pair of fake ones. I love them! I only wear them in the cold weather and they really are very comfy, especially for this pregnant lady with sore feet! Mine are Unionbay, and have held up pretty well for only being $20. I'll buy another pair in black if I see a good deal!

6. Time!

Having more of it this month, time spent with friends and family, and the time getting closer to meeting our little baby!

I can't believe we are nearing the end of November, but I'm really excited for December. I have a lot to look forward to! A couple of doctors appointments, haircut and highlights (thank goodness!), Christmas music and shopping, holidays with family and a full week off of work between Christmas and New Years!

Things Loved in July

1. Smoothies



I've been drinking a lot of smoothies, and I can't get enough! I make them at home and the cafe at my work has them. I think it is a pregnancy craving but the fact that it has been over 95 degrees here the last couple days means it's not really a wacky pregnancy craving.

2. Saltines



I often eat saltine crackers right before bed to combat morning sickness (which I mostly get at nighttime). I love the mini ones! FYI: they have high fructose corn syrup in them. Bummer.

3. How I Met Your Mother and Prison Break





I've watched all of Season 3 and almost all of Season 4 of How I Met Your Mother this past month. I LOVE that show but have missed a lot of the episodes, so it's been fun to watch the series all the way through. Neil and I just finished Season 1 of Prison Break, which is amazing! We watched episode 1 of Season 2 last night, and this show just keeps getting better. I wonder if we can finish the series (4 seasons total) before baby comes?

4. Angelsounds Fetal Heart Monitor



I bought an Angelsounds Fetal Heart Monitor at 8 weeks (Amazon, $25) I didn't actually pick up a heartbeat until Tuesday at 12 weeks 2 days! It's still been fun to play around with. I counted the beats per minute and it was right around 160 which is what it was at my OB appointment last week. I tried it again the next day and couldn't find it that time, so I am going to try to use it only a couple of times a week since I don't think it will be easy to find it every time this early. (UPDATE! Heard it again last night and found it within seconds. Love that sound!) It's a little static-y and not that loud, but I'd recommend it for people wanting a cheap doppler to try out.

That's what I loved in July!

Things Loved in January (Healthy edition)

January is never my favorite month, because I'm not exactly a fan of winter. But of course I had some things that helped me get through these first snowy gray days of 2010. And in celebration of a healthier me, here are some fitness/diet things I've been loving this month:



Because its been so cold and nasty this month, it's been really hard to get myself to the gym. But because I've been trying really hard to workout 5-6 days a week, Exercise TV has been amazing! I don't have cable, so I've just been doing the free full length videos on Exercise TV online. There are some really great videos on there - everything from strength, yoga, cardio, circuits - and they are all levels and types. Just look for the free full length video section. Some of my favorites:

Anything by Cindy Whitmarsh, especially Less is More Cardio and Booty Burn
Dorm Room Workout, it's not just for college girls!
20 Minute Dance Party is fun and perfect for those days where you want to move but not kill yourself with burpees or jumping jacks
Anything by Kendall Hogan
Lower Body Workout (Real Housewives) made my legs sore for 4 days, it hurt so good!



Almond butter is my new obsession. I've always been too cheap to buy it, but I finally caved and now I think I love it more than natural peanut butter. I bought the brand above, which is so good! Especially the crunchy. I've been eating a tablespoon in my oatmeal in the mornings but I love it on bananas, apples, bread, celery or just straight from the jar.



I've been loving some great new healthy blogs this month. I've been really inspired by a few ladies who not only eat amazing looking food everyday, but have an excellent outlook on nutrition and health. I'm realizing that depriving myself of certain foods or eating a super strict diet is just not healthy or smart for the long haul. These girls have lost weight and maintained a healthy weight while eating delicious food! I love finding new recipes and new ways to get variety into my diet. My favorites:

Carrots & Cake
Heather Eats Almond Butter
Kath Eats Real Food
The Fitnessista



I had my first Zumba experience this weekend and I LOVED it! I kind of jumped in headfirst with a 3 hour Zumba marathon fundraiser for Haiti. I burned 1600 calories! It was so fun and I actually surprised myself with how easy I caught on. I don't consider myself much of a dancer but I wasn't too shabby! My friend and I dragged our husbands along and they had a blast too! I'm definately going to seek out some Zumba classes at my local Y or at the gym at the university where I work. I would recommend it to anyone!



I've been logging my daily food and exercise on the LoseIt App on my iPod touch, and it's great! While I haven't been losing as much as I'd hoped, I'm so proud that I've logged my meals for over a month now! It's a great way to stay on track with my calories and make sure I get in my workouts most days. Definately download it if you have a Touch or iPhone!

Oh, and I just bought this tonight and I'm fully prepared for it to become my most-loved for February:

Loving Fall

Summer is my favorite season, but fall is a close second. I thought I'd share my top 10 things I'm loving this season.

1. Chai lattes. About 2 months ago I stopped drinking coffee, but I've found that a vanilla chai latte is just as enjoyable as my previously beloved pumpkin spice latte to warm me up in the colder weather.
   
2. Patterned tights. I'm loving this trend - I am really only into the subtle geometric patterns so far, but cute hosiery is definitely easing me into colder temps in style!
3. Scarves. One of my favorite accessories. I have a lot of lightweight pashmina scarves and I love sporting them all through fall and winter.
4. Football. I'm starting to really become a football fan. I cheer for the hometown Cincinnati Bengals and the Steelers because of their QB fellow Miami-grad Ben Roethlisberger.
5. Fall colors for decor and fashion. I've gladly traded in my lemon yellows and hot pinks for dark plums, rusty oranges and chocolate browns. It's fun to switch it up.
6. Lotion. I have really sensitive dry skin so I'm holding tight to my lotions and creams to avoid any problems this winter with dry skin!
7. Candy corn. Never was a fan of this stuff until I found out about combining it with peanuts. So yummy! Tastes like a payday candy bar.
8. New TV shows. We don't get many channels with our HD rabbit ears - but I'm loving the new seasons of Amazing Race and Biggest Loser and my favorite new show GLEE!
9. Trying new recipes. I've been cooking a lot of casseroles and other new dishes for fall. It's fun to experiment with new meals and I'm hoping to break out the crockpot soon.
10. Snuggling. I can never seem to get warm in my house so I love snuggling up with my husband in bed or on the couch. He may not have a lot of body fat but he's the comfiest snuggliest person I know!