Bumpdate: 18 Weeks

Another 2 weeks have flown by and I am really starting to look and feel pregnant, especially at the end of the day! My belly is definitely more hard and round. I am continuing to feel good and once again feel so blessed! I am still running and exercising 3-4 times a week, although I definitely have to  make a few more bathroom breaks than usual. Check out my bumpdate from when I was 18 weeks with Charlotte! I am definitely showing a bit more with Baby #2!

How far along? 18 weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  I gained weight! Thanks Disneyland! Still down 3 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight!
Maternity clothes: Nope. My lululemon leggings are getting a little tight!! Will probably break out my maternity pants/leggings too! 
Stretch marks? None
Sleep? My energy has definitely come back! I feel like I am sleeping less and not as tired. Also napping less! I definitely need to rest up before the dreaded no-sleep with a newborn stage! Oh and a new development. I can no longer sleep on my back. It literally hurts and is so uncomfortable. If I find myself on my back, I actually wake myself up. It's really strange and uncomfortable!
Miss Anything? I didn't go on any of the rides at Disneyland. Just the small ones with Char! It was fine, but  I do love Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain!
Movement: The movement and flutters are definitely happening! It really feels real now!
Food cravings? Still getting a hotdog once a week from Costco and love Jolly Ranchers. I actually have been craving apples, too! I also started thinking about Poptarts and happened to find the Annie's Organic brand at Costco. I scooped up a package and haven't looked back since. Char and I share a 2 pack almost every morning. So good! 
Anything making you sick or queasy? I got Shrimp & Grits at a restaurant last week that came highly recommended. They were terrible and nothing like how southern Shrimp & Grits should taste. I actually thought I may get sick at the table. The shrimp just didn't sit well with me. I don't think I'll be able to go back to that restaurant now!
Gender: Boy! Anatomy scan scheduled for 2 weeks from now!
Symptoms: Sore boobs, headaches, lower back pain. Labor signs? Nope. Starting to think more and more about it, though!
Belly button in or out? Getting flat, especially when I lay down. 
Wedding rings on or off? On and still loose!
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy! We had a great Fall break at Disneyland!! 
Worst moment this week: Having to come home from vacation! We had a blast! Loving see the magic and awe through Charlotte's eyes!
Best moment this week: Disneyland with my family!
Looking forward to: Girls Weekend wth my Mom and Sister, all things Fall and more Gator Football!
Baby info: Baby is the size of a sweet potato.  He weighs about 7 ounces and is about 5.5 inches long. He can flex his arms and legs, which explains the movement I am feeling! 

Someone wanted to be a part of the bumpdate fun! 

Until next time!

Budget-Friendly Fall Front Porch Decor

I know I say this every year, but fall really is my favorite time of year. You know fall is in the air when, Bath & Body Works starts advertising their fall scents (my favorite is Leaves), Costco gets their giant mums and pumpkin patches and fall festivals start popping up all over!

I love transforming my front porch into all things fall and this year I got started a little early. So early, that I didn't find pumpkins until Saturday of last week! Finally my front porch is complete, with the exception of some extra pumpkins I'll add from our pumpkin patch visits over the next month. Here are some tips to get your front porch ready for fall without breaking the bank!

Mums. Costco is my go-to when it comes to large potted plants. They have the best prices and products. Their mums are $14.99. I picked up this one last week and many of the buds were still closed. Pick a mum with less open buds so that it will last longer! 

Orange Pumpkins. Walmart isn't my favorite place to shop, but they do have some amazing deals. This is where I got all of my pumpkins pictured and the Indian corn. I'm hoping to accent with some more eclectic pumpkins after our next visit to the pumpkin patch. $3.88 for large pumpkins and $2.88 for pie pumpkins. 

Mini White Pumpkins. These were cute and 3 for $3.88. You could substitute these and add gourds as well. 

Indian Corn. Also, 3 for $3.88 at Walmart! I love the different colors and varieties. 

Hay Bales. I picked these up at Michael's during a sale. I got two of them for $6.00 each with my military discount. I placed one vertical and one horizontal to add some dimension. If I had more space, I would have added more hay bales! 

Scarecrow. This was a request from Charlotte. I am not in love with it, but Charlotte liked it and loved her pigtails. At $5.99, how can you go wrong?! I also purchased this at Michael's. 

The wreath that is pictured is from Hobby Lobby from 6 seasons ago. The little pumpkins are starting to peel, but it has definitely served its purpose. Here are some additional wreath options from Michael's that would be a good substitute. I also added a monogram on top of the wreath. You can purchase a monogram from one of my favorite small-businesses, Boogie & Bear. It is a great investment because you can use it with all of your holiday wreaths and paint as needed! 

Both wreaths currently on sale for $25 

I haven't gotten down my bins to decorate the interior of our house yet, but I did attend an awesome craft night with some girlfriends last night and wanted to share the final product! We used Annie Sloan chalk paint, gold leaf and wax to design to fall pumpkins. I put my finished pumpkins with some other fall accents into a shallow basket tray as a centerpiece for my dining room table. 

The before paper mache pumpkins!

Crafting Away!

Finished Product!

Happy Fall Y'all! 

My Favorite Things: Trader Joe's

I'm excited to start a "My Favorite Things" blog series. I've had several requests through my followers on Instagram and I'm excited to share. If you have a favorite things request, send me an email!

We are very lucky to have TWO Trader Joe's here on the Monterey Peninsula. Moving to Monterey was definitely an adjustment because there is NO Publix here, which is where I exclusively shopped back in Florida (in addition to Costco). The Trader Joe's in Jax was about 20 minutes from our house, but I did go there to pick up special items occasionally. Our Monterey house is less than a quarter mile from the commissary (military grocery store), but we really love shopping at Trader Joe's because of the quality and cost. The commissary is great for last minute things though and fun to walk to with Charlotte!

We attend 8:30am church service on Sunday, which means we are out of church and in our car by 10:00am. This gives us plenty of time to get our grocery shopping done before we grab a later breakfast or early lunch. I actually love shopping as a family too, because my husband does do quite a bit of the cooking. He is very talented and comes up with excellent recipes on a whim. Thanks babe! A few weeks back we attended the 50th Anniversary of TJ's! Can't believe it has been around that long, but definitely a successful business. Ok, well on to my favorite things from Trader Joe's.

Produce/Prepared Foods 

The produce speaks for itself. It is fresh, good quality and inexpensive. At Trader Joe's everything is sold by item vs. weight. So keep that in mind when picking out your items!

Broccoli Slaw. I buy a bag of this weekly. It's so versatile and is an easy "Zoodles" replacement, except the work is already done. We love to make Thai Chicken Meatballs with Zoodles. 

Butternut Squash Zig Zags. These are awesome for little ones or even a replacement for pasta noodles. I love to toss with olive oil, S&P and roast in the oven. Charlotte loves butternut squash and sweet potatoes!

Shaved Brussel Sprouts. These are thinly shaved and so yummy roasted and tossed with TJ's Applewood Smoked Bacon!

Fresh Flowers/Orchids. TJ's has flower bunches starting at 3.99 and up. Their flowers are amazing and beautiful. Perfect for a hostess gift or for your own home! Throw them into a mason jar and you have a centerpiece! Their orchids are also beautiful and start at 9.99. What a deal! Add some dark chocolate and you have the perfect birthday gift for a friend, too!

Five Spice Chicken & Asian Style Noodle Salad. I buy these for Kyle for a quick lunchbox item. Everything is packed inside, including the dressing and he loves them!

Egg White Salad with Citrus. I LOVE egg salad, but of course it is loaded with calories. This is a lighter option with lots of flavor! I love snacking on this with crackers!

English Cheddar with Italian Truffles. I really could have shared ALL of the cheese at TJ's, but this one is one of my favorites! They have some amazing varieties of meats and cheeses (including our favorite, prosciutto). You can make a mean charcuterie board with their amazing selections. Once again, prices are on point too!

Frozen Items 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Butter & Sage. We bought this on a whim one day, but it has easily become one of my favorite items/ go to side dishes. The calorie count really isn't bad when you consider the flavor and servings! Yum. This pairs excellent with a grilled steak and asparagus.

Cauliflower Rice. If you have ever heard someone talk about Trader Joe's, they have probably mentioned the cauliflower rice. I actually like to mix this half and half with brown rice. You really don't even notice the difference! We love to make Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli and serve with the rice mixture!

Turkey Corn Dogs. These are a great item to have in the freezer as a back up for your little ones! Charlotte loves these and they are fun to eat!

A Dozen Macarons. These are great to have on hand for a little dessert or to take to a party! You would never know these were frozen before!

Dry Goods 

Speculoos Cookie Butter. There really isn't much to say about this except, it is heaven in a jar. If you haven't tried this yet, RUN to TJ's! I prefer the crunchy version and love to put on toast and top with banana. They also have yummy Speculoos Cookie Butter Sandwich cookies which are also amazing! When we lived in Hawaii, my sister used to ship this to me!

Cinnamon Schoolbook Cookies. These adorable and yummy cookies are perfect for your little ones. If I give these to Charlotte, she has to tell me the letters or numbers before she can eat them. A little lesson and treat all in one! These are also fun to spell out messages for a spouse or older child!

Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend. Yes!! This is a fairly new product, but boy is it amazing. If you love Everything bagels, but don't love the calorie count that comes along with it, you have to try this. I love the sprinkle mine over Avocado toast. So good!

Lasagna Noodles (No Boil). These are a great and inexpensive product to make homemade lasagna. No boil, just simple layer with your sauce and ricotta and bake!

Coconut Oil Spray. A great alternative to other cooking sprays and super inexpensive!

Pumpkin Pancake Mix. This is a seasonal item, but so yummy for fall. You can make pumpkin pancakes or waffles with this mix! Yum!

Orange Muscat Champagne Vinaigrette. This dressing is amazing! Kyle makes a salad with grilled chili-lime chicken, avocado and mango and this dressing pairs perfectly with it! It is low in calories too!

Truffle Marcona Almonds. Ah, two of my favorite things. Truffles and Marcona Almonds. These are amazing, but I can usually only have a couple. They are so rich! These pair perfectly on a cheese board. Have them on hand for your next party or get together!

Mini Hamburger Buns. We aren't huge bread people, well at least we try not to eat a lot of bread. But these little mini buns are so cute and perfect for sliders. TJ's has an amazing bread selection with tons of different options, including pretzel sticks, brioche and even a cinnamon swirl french toast bread. I can get in trouble in this section!

Coffee. TJ's coffee selection is on point and offers a wide variety of options. I am currently drinking decaf, which I grind fresh in store and I think that makes it drinkable and tasty even though it has no caffeine! Kyle loves the K-cup options and they also released a Cold Brew Coffee too and it is organic!

Health/Beauty

Honey Mango Cream Shave. Kyle bought this and I'll admit, I have hijacked this product. I used it to shave my legs the other day and I couldn't believe how amazing it left them feeling. It has Aloe Vera and Vitamin E. It's really amazing!

Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion. Great price for this everyday lotion with SPF! 

Wine

Trader Joe's has an amazing selection of wine and of course, they are most commonly known for their "$2 Buck Chuck Wine", which is now $2.99. I've price compared TJ's with Total Wine and Costco and they usually have the best price. For example, Meiomi is $15.99 at TJ's!! 

I really could go on and on, but the items listed above are really my go-to TJ items. Don't have a Trader Joe's in your area? A quick Google search will return many shippable dry good items! Of course, you will pay a premium for these items! What are your favorite Trader Joe's items? 

Bumpdate: 16 Weeks

The past 2 weeks since my last bumpdate have flown by! Here is my 16 week bumpdate with Charlotte! It's crazy how similar the bumpdates are! We were just getting settled in our house in Hawaii at this same time in my pregnancy! This afternoon we have another check up for Baby Boy! 

How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Still haven't gained any weight yet and down 5 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight

Maternity clothes: Not yet. Clothes are definitely fitting differently and in tighter things I just look like I have a tummy. I'm excited for my bump to be more defined. :)

Stretch marks? None

Sleep? Now that I am in the second trimester, I do feel like I have a little more energy and that I am not as tired. I usually take naps with Charlotte on days she is home, but I usually work during this time, too, and get in a 15-20 minute catnap. Charlotte is up like clockwork between 6:00-6:30am, so I try to get to bed early. 

Miss Anything? We went to an evening event at the Aquarium and it would have been really nice to have wine or a cocktail, but only a couple more months right?!  I did have one bite of sushi at a baby shower on Saturday. The mom-to-be is Japanese and made the sushi herself, so I felt safe having a bite, knowing she made it! It was so good! 

Movement: My app says I could be feeling movement at this time. At church this morning, I think I felt him during the worship music (it's pretty loud) so maybe it woke him up! 

Food cravings? Since my last bumpdate, I've added a new one. Thai food, specifically yellow curry! I allow myself one hotdog a week when Charlotte and I make our weekly trip to Costco on Thursdays. The food court staff know us by name there! One thing I have learned here in California is that people aren't talkative for the most part. We've made lots of friends out and about just by saying hello to people. It's a foreign concept here! Also, sour cream and onion Pringles. I just sent Charlotte and Kyle to the store to get some. Charlotte LOVES them, too. Kyle can't stand them. 

Anything making you sick or queasy? I've been feeling pretty good! Still experiencing some headaches, but really can't complain. 

Gender: The Harmony test says Boy! Hopefully soon we will be able to confirm via ultrasound! :)

Symptoms: Really sore boobs (this seems to have gotten worst), belly is hardening, lots of visible veins lately! Lots of blood running through me, I guess!

Labor signs? Not yet! Beginning to think about a birth plan for this baby. You can read more about my birth story with Charlotte here. 

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On and still loose!

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy! Feeling settled and excited to be working again. We have gotten into a great routine so far. I know that is only going to last so long because baby #2 will throw any and all routines out of the window.

Worst moment this week: Dropping my phone (again) and having the screen shatter. Waiting patiently for the new iPhone to come out. 

Best moment this week: Taking Char to San Jose to get her playhouse! She was so excited!

Looking forward to: Kyle's fall break from school and our trip to DISNEYLAND! I don't know who is more excited, Charlotte or me!

Baby info: Baby is the size of an avocado (yum)! He weighs about 3.5 ounces and will double his weight in the next few weeks. His heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day and his toenails have started growing! 

Until next time!

DIY: Notecards to Artwork

Being in the military, we move locations about every two to three years. I love to commemorate each duty station with special items from the area we are in. When were stationed in Hawaii, I fell in love with pineapple items and also collected several pieces of Hawaiian inspired artwork. I love how these items have so much meaning and bring back great memories whenever I see them around our home.

Now that we are stationed in Monterey, I have been on the hunt for art and local pieces. I quickly realized that pieces were either very expensive or just not my style. One day I was shopping at the Navy Exchange at Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and I stumbled upon some watercolor notecards on a spinning card rack. There were many different scenes, including the Bixby bridge, Monterey Bay, Lover's Point and of course several NPS scenes as well. I bought the items I was shopping for and didn't really think about them again until a couple of days ago. Weeks had gone by and I was still searching for the perfect "Monterey/NPS" artwork for our home. I had two 5x7 frames sitting in the closet with old photos from Hawaii and I was debating what to put in them and where to hang them. My mind instantly recalled the prints at the Navy Exchange. I couldn't remember the size of the cards, but I figured they would be 4x6 or 5x7. Worst case, I could contact the artist and have something made. I went back that afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to find they were 5x7 (and would fit perfectly in my frames) and that they were 3.99 per card! What a steal! I decided on these two NPS scenes.

I was so excited to get home and put them into the frames! I prepped and cleaned the frames and then put the prints in the frame. They were just a little too small! I was so sad! But then I realized that the envelopes were just a smidge bigger then the prints, so I mounted them onto the envelopes and then placed into the frames. Michael's or any custom frame shop could make something custom for these prints, but since I already had the frames, I really wanted to make it work.

I'm so happy with the finished product! Thanks Kyle for hanging them and getting them perfectly straight! Not bad for a DIY project under $8! 

 

Of course I want to give credit it to the watercolor artist, but unfortunately, her website is broken. 

The card has this info listed: 

Mary Lou Cortright

831-643-2295

montereywatercolors.com

Have a great Labor Day!

Our Monterey Home

We have been in our home for a little over 2 months and it is finally starting to feel like home. One of the main purposes of this post is to share housing info with other military families who are moving to Monterey. Base housing info is very hard to come by. When we were offered this house (as we drove through the deserts of Arizona) we were given a blurry floor plan and that was it. No pictures or additional info! Thankfully, a friend in the neighborhood came by and scoped out the outside of the house and took pics as best as she could. We were set to arrive to Monterey in about 3 days, so we figured we could schedule a tour of the home after we arrived. Another big NO! Housing said we couldn't see the house until the morning of lease signing. 9:30 walkthrough and 10:00 lease signing. Um, excuse me?! It was crazy. So my hope is to give a little insight to the homes here and our floorpan in specific, #804!

Almost two months later, I am happy that we agreed to this house. We love the location as we are right down the street from the "Super Park" and we also have a open green space right next to our house. The commissary (military grocery store) is also a short walk down the road. We've had a few hiccups, including having to get new carpet installed AFTER all of our furniture was here and then several maintenance issues, but overall it's been ok. There are still areas we need to hang pictures/decor, but for right now, I'm happy with how the house turned out!

Our home! 

Front Door

Foyer

One of my biggest issues with this house is there was no foyer or place to drop your bag and keys when you walk in. We did hang a shelf, but I miss my foyer table being right at the front. Thankfully we have a nice coat closet right opposite the front door that holds our shoes and is an overflow for our closet since the bedroom closets are on the smaller side. Also, right at the front is a guest bathroom which became my Hawaii room! 

Tiny foyer, the door in this view is the front door. 

Guest Bathroom

Guest Bathroom

Living Room

When I first set eyes on this room, I was so nervous our furniture wasn't going to fit. We have a large entertainment center that I KNEW wouldn't fit, but thankfully we were able to take apart the pieces and use the piers in the dining room. We have two large couches (that we have had forever) and I was nervous it would crowd the room. But then, I was excited, because maybe new furniture? Alas, they fit!! And let's be honest, WHY would I buy new furniture with a growing toddler and a baby on the way? Oh and movers who don't care about your furniture or belongings at all. I really didn't want toys in this room, but this where we spend a majority of our time in the evening, so I caved and we just moved in a bookshelf with baskets to help keep things somewhat organized. 

Macey Jane's favorite spot. I usually keep the window blinds pulled up and she enjoys
 looking   barking at people as they walk by!

Dining Room/Family Room/Kitchen

These three rooms are kind of combined and this is where it got challenging to decide what should go where because the space is so open. I still feel like some of the space is wasted, but at this point, it works, so we are leaving it. The open space will probably be taken up by baby toys, swings, etc in the near future! 

My childhood Ethan Allen Dining Room Table (circa 1982) is on it's last leg (thanks, Charlotte) but  it fits perfectly in this spot. This is where we used the two pieces from our entertainment center. So, I will admit I got a little high maintenance here. I couldn't stand the light fixture. It just didn't go with our decor, so we switched it out! I found this burlap drum fixture at Home Depot for under $70 and then Kyle switched them out! It looks so much better! Here is a before and after! Remember, we are calling this place home for the next 2 years! 

The family room houses my desk, a foyer table that I store my purse and other items on and then another piece of furniture with storage. 

The kitchen is basic, but we do have a gas stove, which we have come to love. We have a griddle now that works really well to cook eggs and bacon. I am not sure who put the kitchen sink in the corner like they did, but it makes it very hard to do dishes. The pantry is large, so that is a plus. 

View from the foyer 

Love our light fixture!

The door in this picture is noted as "storage" but it works great for an office or small playroom too!

Master Bedroom

I still don't know how the movers got our massive headboard up the stairwell, but they did. Once again, not a smart decision to buy a huge bed like this that doesn't come apart, but I was young and dumb and just loved the way it looked! In this floor plan, there was no way to put our king size bed in this room without covering up the window, so that is what we did. It's not ideal, but it works. 

The master bathroom is basic, but does have 2 sinks. It also has a bank of drawers in the middle which is super nice! We didn't have drawers in our Hawaii base house and that was challenging. Another thing I will mention about this house is that there are TONS of windows, which is great for cooling the house since we don't have AC and also great for natural light. Most days are pretty overcast and dreary, so it is nice to have the light come into the rooms, even the bathrooms!

Charlotte's Bedroom

Charlotte's bedroom is of course one of my favorite rooms! Kids rooms are so much fun to decorate! This the bigger of the 2 additional bedrooms and has 4 windows. I didn't want this room to be the baby's room for that reason. Too much light! I installed black out curtains in all the windows, but a little light still comes in. She also lucked out to have 2 closets in her room. Her play kitchen also fit perfectly in the little nook! Pretty soon we will upgrade her to a queen size bed and the daybed will go into the nursery for an additional spot to sleep since we will lose our guest bedroom. 

We added extenders into the closet to create double racks since Charlottes clothes are so small.

Charlotte's Bathroom

When I started decorating the bathroom, I knew I was pregnant, but didn't know the sex yet. Kyle warned me not to choose something girly, but of course I found these Lilly-inspired prints and loved them! This bathroom is spacious. It has one sink, a medicine cabinet and plenty of storage below. Both bathrooms share a linen closet that is in the hallway. 

Upstairs hallway which has a linen closet (not pictured) and this closet
which house the water heater and air handler. There is a little bit of storage space here, too.

Guest Bedroom 

This room got the least amount of love, because I knew we would be converting into the baby's room. This is the smallest room and only has one small closet. I haven't even hung anything on the wall! Pretty soon we will be starting on the baby's room! Pinning lots of ideas for now! 

Playroom

This is the room marked as "int. storage" on the floor plan. It is small, but works perfectly for a little play space for Charlotte. I am in the process of finishing this room, but here are some under construction pics to give you an idea of the size. Some use this for an office or study area, too. I just ordered this to hang all of Charlotte's art projects and school work! This will go above her table! 

Look at the window shelf- play-do and crayons go up high an out of reach! :) 

It's small, but works!

Backyard

One huge plus is that the backyard is fenced! When we moved in, we knew we would have to either install turf or sod because the backyard was mostly dirt and weeds. We ended up going with turf and are very happy with the result! Kyle also hung market lighting and it looks beautiful! The weather is so great here, that you can actually be outside without sweating! I do want to buy a heater for the backyard!

Before

After

With lights!

Additional Information

Here is a floorpan to give you the overall feel of the house. If you are moving to Monterey and are assigned this house, feel free to send me an email with any questions! You'll see on the floor plan there is also a large, under the stair closet, laundry room off the kitchen and of course a 2 car garage. The laundry room is pretty tiny. We had to get creative and our first washer and dryer set didn't fit. In this model, do not get front loaders. The distance from the door to the garage to the back of the wall is 30 inches. So use that as your guide. There is also a gas line in the back that sticks out. Our garage is spacious. We have 2 separate garage doors, so it is an extended size. We don't park our cars in here yet, but hopefully we will get there. 

I enjoyed compiling this post and hope it will help my fellow military families who are PCSing to this area and of course it is always fun to share our home with my followers!