Mothership Confessional

I am not an expert on pregnancy. I have not even finished my first one, but I thought I would share some products and ideas that helped me make the most of this time with my little one growing inside, the same little one who is responsible for some less-than-desirable symptoms! 1. Ginger Ale, Sprite, and Water These three are your friends from the very beginning. The ginger from the Ginger Ale is helpful for nausea and most general tummy issues, while the bubbles from the Ginger Ale and Sprite can have the same soothing affect. Switch over to drinking water as soon as your upset tummy will allow - both these carbonated beverages have lots of sugar in them, which can be counterproductive for your health in the long run! Water is  extremely  important in all stages of pregnancy for the health of you and your baby, so you may as well get used to drinking a ton of it. Sometimes water can be the cure-all for whatever is ailing you - hydrating is key. How to Help Yo...

I am tired. My brain thinks I have energy, but my body knows better! Here's a scenario that makes me tired: pull off all sheets and bedding from the bed. Carry it downstairs to the laundry room. Start the load. Walk upstairs and prepare for shower. Laying down on the bed was my shower prep!  Taking a shower has now become more of a chore, mainly when I have to shave my legs. It's a whole lotta work! And then once I get out of the shower, I have to cover myself in Bio Oil and lotion. That's more work! Sometimes I have to sit down and rest before I can continue to get myself ready for the day. Bending and reaching really takes it out of me! I cut my toenails the other day. That  was really hard! It was probably the last time I will do that until after Ava arrives. ...and I have the bladder of a small child. I still only wake once during the night to go (sometimes   I can sleep through the whole night), but during the day; I am going about every hour...

I knew for awhile that creating a freezer meal stash was something I wanted to do for my husband and I. Then, I got pregnant, and I knew  that making freezer meals was something that I had to do for our survival! But the thought of dropping an extra 100 bucks or so at the grocery store and slaving away in the kitchen for a whole day  just did not sound like fun to me. Especially once I got into my third trimester. So here are some useful ideas (that I found helpful) in case you don't want to turn your kitchen into a disaster zone and pass out from exhaustion! Buy Some Supplies I purchased a bunch of square aluminum baking pans from Walmart. They were like 97 cents for a 2-pack. I bought the entire stack on the shelf! I am just cooking for 2 adults, so if your family is larger, you will probably want to pick out a larger size. You will also want to have some aluminum foi l on hand (the heavy-duty variety is best). I also used plastic wrap to wrap around each p...

I am very excited to finally be sharing this recipe! I know I promised I would share this awhile ago back at week 19 ! Now, this recipe is probably  not going to actually change your life, but it just might change your opinion on beef stroganoff. Growing up, my memory of beef stroganoff was that it was a warm, hearty dish that I loved and my sister hated. But I also remember it being sort of...traditional. I began to search for the recipe (as I did not have my childhood recipe) and stumbled across a recipe that intrigued me. Of course, at the time, I was missing like half the ingredients it called for, and so I tried to think of what I had in the house that could be good substitutes.  And I came up with a dang good  recipe!! Let's begin. Begin by putting a big pot of water on to boil and getting a large sauté pan on medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter in it. Here are the 3 ingredients that I think make this dish so special: ...

Recently I have discovered how much I love  breakfast. I have a bit more time in the mornings now I'm not waking up so early. In high school and college, I never really had much of an appetite before the sun came up. I really enjoy my days when I can have a slow start to my morning and cook up some eggs or french toast and savor a cup of coffee. The mornings I do have to get to work, I find I am so disappointed that I have to grab a quick bowl of cereal, a granola bar, or worse...nothing at all. The husband OBVIOUSLY needs a strong breakfast - he has morning PT and a full day of work (in a building with no A/C, mind you), so I realized I needed to find a solution to these early/busy mornings. Sacrificing, or having a sub-par breakfast, is just no longer an option for me. After dragging my feet for a week or two, I finally buckled down and prepped my freezer breakfasts! English Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches Cook your bacon IN THE OVEN, ON A BROILER PAN. I will...