Photo by Flickr mbtrama

Your wedding is the most special day. You’ve spent time and money on finding the perfect dress, now it’s time to hire a makeup artist for your wedding. Paying attention to this detail will ensure you have the most memorable photographs. Plus, your makeup artist spends a lot of time with you on the morning of your big day. You want to make sure you’ve hired someone who will give you and your wedding party what you want and that you’ve worked out the details well in advance.

Here are the top tips for how to hire a makeup artist for your wedding:

• Book in advance

Just like venues and photographers get snatched up for popular dates, so do makeup artists. Do no let this be one of your last minute tasks.

• Ask friends

Use your friends and acquaintances for referrals. Just looking at photos is not enough to find you a great makeup artist. There are so many details that go in to what makes working with them a satisfactory appointment and these are things that only fellow brides can tell you about. Ask if they were satisfied with their makeup and how they felt the process went.

• Ask to see a portfolio

You want to see something professional looking and have photographs from wedding photographers. The portfolio should include a large number of brides. Also ask to see black and white. Makeup photographs differently for black and white. There should be close up photographs, as well as show indoor and outdoor lighting.

• Ask about her experience

You want to make sure that she does bridal makeup on a regular basis. Most professional makeup artists are working every Saturday and Sunday during wedding season. Ask her where she went to school or where she was trained. You do not need to be certified to be a makeup artist but you want to ensure she has experience.

• Trial run

If your prospective makeup artist doesn’t offer a trial run, move on to someone else. This is absolutely important. The trial will only be for you, not your bridesmaids. At this appointment she should be giving you some last directions about things like skincare and eyebrow grooming.

Lyme disease is carried by ticks and can be passed to both dogs and people. Photo credit: pamzpix/Flickr.com

May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, a perfect time to answer some of the frequently asked questions relating to dogs and Lyme disease.

What Is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Dogs become infected with Lyme disease when an infected tick attaches to their skin and feeds on their blood.

What Are the Symptoms of Canine Lyme Disease?

The most commonly seen symptoms in dogs with Lyme disease are lameness and joint pain. The pain and lameness may shift from one leg to another and are sometimes recurrent. Infected dogs may also have a mild fever, may be depressed and may not eat well.

Kidney disease is a potential complication with Lyme disease. Lyme nephritis (kidney disease caused by Lyme disease) can cause serious damage to the kidneys and can be a fatal condition. Fortunately, Lyme nephritis is not a common complication. Symptoms are related to failure of the kidneys and include vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, weight loss, increased urination, increased thirst, fluid buildup in the abdomen (ascites), and fluid buildup in the tissues (edema), especially the legs and under the skin.

On rare occasions, Lyme disease can also affect the heart and nervous system.

Which Dogs Are Susceptible to Lyme Disease?

Any dog exposed to ticks can get Lyme disease. The disease is more prevalent in certain parts of the countries, such as the northeast. However, it can be found almost anywhere in the US.

Dogs that spend time in forested areas or areas with high grasses are more likely to be exposed to ticks. However, wildlife such as birds, skunks, deer, and raccoons can carry ticks even into your own backyard.

Ticks like these wait in grass and foliage for a passing dog on which to attach and feed. Photo credit: mikebaird/Flickr.com

How Is Lyme Disease Diagnosed?

Your veterinarian can diagnose Lyme disease through the use of a blood test. Besides the specific test for Lyme disease, your veterinarian may also recommend doing blood and urine tests to check your dog’s kidney function and overall health, particularly if the Lyme disease test is positive.

Do All Dogs That Test Positive for Lyme Disease Get Sick?

Approximately 85-90% of dogs that test positive for Lyme disease never show any symptoms of disease.

The Little Things

Typically is it the little things that attracted you to your spouse. It could be the way he smiled that made your heart skip a beat. It might have been how he always held your chair out for you. Maybe it was the simple way he held your hand and rubbed his thumb against your skin and didn’t even know he did it. It could be how his eyes were only on you.

These little things are what had your eyes light up when he walked in a room or your heart race when he called. Those things had you wake up in the morning with a smile on your face.  It’s the little things that grab your heart.

Why?

Why do you have to remember them? Because you’ll forget about them as the years go by. That doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It means you’ve been married awhile and forgot to date your mate.

With working every day, keeping up the house, dealing with in-laws, and trying not to sell the kids you forget about how you enjoyed holding hands. You forget about the laughter. You forget those little things. They are so little and easily forgotten but they are the glue that binds you together.

Make it Happen

If you really want to strengthen your marriage, take advantage of May being Date Your Mate Month and go out on a date. Don’t let excuses get in the way. Go out on a date. Go out on two dates. Rediscover those little things.

Forget work. Forget the in-laws. Forget the kids. Forget the bills. Forget it all. Remember those first few days. Reminisce about it. Talk about your first date and what was so special. Laugh about the funny parts. Before you know it you’ll be reliving those tender moments.

After a few dates with your spouse, you’ll find that glint back in your eye. You’ll notice him holding your hand the way he used to. You’ll get all warm from having him hold the chair out for you. Doing that will help rekindle the passion in your marriage and make it stronger.

May is Date Your Mate Month. Make a date with your spouse and go ahead and schedule the babysitter. It’s time for romantic memories.

Accentuating Her Derriere: It all started when Pippa Middleton appeared at the Royal Wedding with a dress that made her famous. One of the biggest styles for brides this spring are dresses that are tight around the behind. An absolutely stunning dress we’ve fallen in love with is a dress by Madeline Gardner. With a lace shoulder and intricate skirt detailing, this gown exudes elegance.

Short & Sweet: There’s no way to go wrong in a flirty, fun dress for spring. The Donna Morgan Chiffon Dress from Nordstrom is just the ticket! With a beautiful ruched sweetheart bodice, this dress plays up the natural curves in your body. The flowy skirt keeps things comfortable, but chic.

Long & Regal: Another bridesmaids option is a longer gown. However, this gown by Mori Lee, has quite the chic twist. The one shoulder stopper has a wrapped/pleated bodice and slightly cascading skirt. With it’s deep (almost red) coral, it’s perfect for a spring wedding!

First I’m going to share my easy pancake recipe with you, then I’ll tell you how to freeze and re-heat your pancakes.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat white flour
• 4 tbs sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk (possibly a little more or less depending on desired thickness)
• 4 tbs unsalted butter (softened)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp vinegar

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt) in a bowl, making a little well in the center and set aside.

Add the vinegar to the milk in a jug (for easy pouring) and set aside. Lightly whisk the eggs.  Add about half of the milk, the butter, and the vanilla and mix.  Pour the mixture into the well of the dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon.  Continue adding milk until the pancake mixture has reached the desired consistency.  Some people like theirs thinner, others prefer thicker, so you may want to add a little more or less milk depending on how you like yours.

Today the lights on the dance floor are a bit dimmer. Disco legend Donna Summer passed away this morning after a battle with cancer.

Her family released a statement, Thursday morning and that they “are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy.”

“Words truly can’t express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time,” the statement read. She had been living in Englewood, Florida, with her husband, Bruce Sudano.

The 1970’s bring to mind glitter disco balls, loud shirts, dancing and the soundtrack to that decade, love it or hate it was of course disco.

Donna Summer was the reigning queen of disco and its catchy beats. Although she started her career doing harder rock and musicals she found her niche making people shake their groove thang.

Songs like ‘Love to Love You’ with its sexual undertones and sensual moans caused quite a bit of a stir but at the same time became one of her biggest hits. She followed those up with Last Dance, On the Radio, Bad Girls just to name a few. Throughout her career her songs topped numerous charts and she won 5 Grammys.

Even after disco began to die, Summer was able to keep her music alive by churning out pop classics like “She Works Hard For the Money”.

More recently she appeared on American idol in 2008.

She leaves behind 3 daughters and a husband of 32 years as well as millions of adoring fans.

It’s one of those salads that I enjoy for lunch regularly whether made at home or eaten at a restaurant. I was at Olive Garden recently and loved their salad so much I decided to try to make it at home.  It was delicious, even our picky teenager who normally won’t eat salads loved it.

Ingredients:

• 1 Romaine Lettuce
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups Grilled Chicken (sliced)
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups Seasoned Croutons
• 1 cup shaved Parmesan Cheese
• 1/3 cup Ranch Dressing
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard (not seeded)

Roughly chop the romaine lettuce and place in a large salad bowl. 

When I think of springtime, I immediately think of green.

Every living thing gets that bright green color of new life. It’s a rebirth and a time to start a new year of growth.

It’s also the beginning of the gardening season. So, it’s time to fill those diets with loads of vegetables and get bikini ready for the summer!

May is also known as National Asparagus Month and today we’re celebrating with a healthy asparagus soup. It’s rich and creamy without an ounce of cream!

Universal’s Superstar Parade

The streets of Universal Studios were transformed into a theme-park-wide performance stage as Universal’s Superstar Parade made its way through the streets of Universal Studios. The parade featured elaborately themed floats that towered over us, and hundreds of energetic street performers and incredible music and dance  performances.

My kids were so thrilled to see Gru, his daughters and Vector from the blockbuster animated adventure Despicable Me dancing to “Boogie Fever!” They even danced along with some minions as the parade paused in front of us to do one of its mini shows.  We were also entertained by SpongeBob SquarePants who rode on his pineapple home from under the sea as well as Dora from Dora the Explorer and Diego of Go, Diego, Go and E.B. from Hop!

It’s called a parade, but really the whole thing went so far above and beyond your typical parade experience.  The performances were top notch and super interactive.  My kids were engaged and entertained for the entirety of the parade.  My kids are usually eager to move on to the next activity when a parade ends, but not this time!  They were so disappointed to see it was over, and we are definitely looking forward to seeing it again.

Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular – 100 Years of Movie Memories

We were also lucky enough to see Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular – 100 Years of Movie Memories show.  It was part water show, part movie, part fireworks and all extremely impressive. The new show is a tribute to Universal’s 100 years of film-making history, highlighting some of the most fun, dramatic, awe-inspiring moments from Universal Pictures’ most iconic films.

These moments are shown in unbelievable clarity on huge waterfall screens within the Universal Studios Lagoon, surrounded by colorful fountains and pyrotechnics, all against an incredible musical score and narration by Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman. The show takes you on an epic cinematic journey featuring scenes from E.T: The Extra Terrestrial, Apollo 13, Psycho, American Pie, The Bourne Ultimatum, Jurassic Park, Scent of a Woman, The Mummy, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Fast and the Furious, and so many more.  I won’t lie to you, I was absolutely crying by the end of it.

Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular – 100 Years of Movie Memories and Universal’s Superstar Parade will run year-round except during annual and special events.  If you’re lucky enough to make it over to Universal for the parade and show (which, trust me, you SHOULD!), be sure to join Universal on Facebook and follow them on Twitter, then let everyone know how much fun you’re having by using #YearToBeHere in all your social media posts!

If you’d like to book your own adventure to Universal Orlando, I suggest getting started: here at the Universal Studios website.

Disclaimer: Accommodations and incentives were provided to me by Universal Studios in exchange for posting about the events. All opinions stated are my own.  If you’d like to read even more about our visit, check out my entirely unincentivized post: here!

I spotted this pin when I first got pregnant and knew that I wanted to make a mobile like it for our gender neutral nursery. We decorated our nursery to the theme of ‘You are my sunshine…when clouds are grey’, painting the walls grey and having yellow, black, and white accents.

We decided to hang this mobile over the glider, but it would have also looked great over the changing table or the crib!

Even though it’s a tedious and time consuming project, it was so fun to recreate a ‘pin’ from pinterest in real life. I think this mobile completes the room!

Luckily, I recruited an army of women (a.k.a. my mother and sisters) to help me out with this project. We knocked it out in one afternoon!

I hope you like it and find a fun place to hang your mobile for the nursery!

Crafty Modern Mobile

Materials

• 3 four or five inch foam balls
• 3-3.5 yards of yellow, black, and gray fabric
• LOTS of quilting pins (I think I used around 1000.)
• pencil
• white wine glass or cup to trace about a 2.5″ inch circle
• fabric scissors
• 1 round 8″-10″ foam wreath
• 10-14 yards of black satin ribbon
• hook for ceiling

How-To

1. Trace circles from the wine glass on the fabric. Cut out and set aside.
2. Pin the circles into the foam balls, keeping them very close together. Sometimes, I even folded the circles in quarters after sticking the pin in, then stuck it to the ball.
3. Attach the ribbon to the top of the foam balls. 
4. Attach the ribbon from the balls onto the foam wreath.
5. Cover the wreath with the ribbon.
6. Tie ribbon in three spots on the wreath, then tie the three strands in a knot at the top.
7. Then tie another strand of ribbon onto that knot, to hook it on the hook from the ceiling. You can also skip this step and just hang the mobile on the hook from step six.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting

The highly anticipated film, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” follows the interconnected lives of five fictional couples and their challenging journey through pregnancy and parenthood.    The all-star cast features Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Brooklyn Decker and Elizabeth Banks along with fictional baby daddies’ Chace Crawford, Matthew Morrison and Chris Rock.

The romantic comedy showcases the hilarious trials and tribulations and ups-and-downs of pregnancy.  Expect the unexpected when it comes to raging hormones, mood swings, cravings, body changes and more.    Holly (played by real life mama, J-Lo) even shares her feelings about the adoption process in an online blog.   Be sure to check out the films’ Dude Group and the movie’s soundtrack.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting 4^th Edition Book

Based on the New York Times Best Seller pregnancy guide written by Sharon Mazel and Heidi Murkoff, the book was named #19 on the USA Today’s 25 Most Influential Books of the past 25 years!   And with sales over 32 million worldwide, it is estimated that more than 90 percent of pregnant women have read it!

Rated PG-13, the film is “due” to hit theaters on May 18, 2012.

Image courtesy of Marcos Santos

Stop Blaming and Forgive Each Other

The first thing you need to do is stop blaming each other or yourself for the financial situation that you are in right now. If you find that you are in a tight financial situation, because of poor money management it is best to let go of the past and begin to move forward with a plan together. When you got married you made a promise about being together for richer or for poorer. Difficult financial times definitely put that aspect of your vow to the test. If you made a mistake acknowledge it to your spouse, apologize and then move forward. Forgiveness is essential or you will not be able to find a way to work together financially.

Merge Your Finances

It is better to work together as a couple on all aspects of your finances when you are married. It does not make your marriage strong if you are hiding aspects of your financial situations from each other. My husband and I are both on all of the accounts that we have. When we talk about retirement savings, it’s our retirement savings. The loans we had in the past were in both of our names. This allows us to see the picture and it keeps us open about our financial situation. Honesty in this area helps us to stay honest in other areas of our marriage.

Budget Together

A budget is great financial tool because it outlines the spending for the month. Instead of asking permission to spend money you can simply refer to the budget to see if you have money left in the category. You can look at the budget as a contract that you make at the beginning of each month. Many couples will literally sign the budget after they set it up each month to show their commitment to keeping the budget. In addition to writing out your budget, you should have at least weekly budget meetings so you can track your progress and monitor your spending. Once you begin to stick your spending plan, these meetings will become much easier. The meetings also allow you to adjust the budget to account for emergency spending.

Get Outside Help

If money is a sore point or if you have had a serious case of financial infidelity (such as hiding debt or serious spending issues), you may need to seek outside help for your problem. A financial counselor may be able to help you work through the difficult money issues and help you create a financial plan. A marriage counselor can also help you to work on rebuilding the trust in your relationship. There are also classes you can take about money such as Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey. This class is designed for couples, and it sets up guidelines to help you think about and discuss your money situation in a positive and effective way. These steps will help you set up a framework that greatly reduces the strain that money puts on your marriage.

Image 1: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image 2: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Springtime Movies

A League of Their Own

Nothing says Springtime quite like baseball does and A League of Their Own is not just any old baseball movie. Tom Hanks, Madonna, Geena Davis and Rosie O’Donnell flourish under the skilled directing of Penny Marshall in this film that gives a heartwarming history of the first female professional baseball league.

Barefoot in the Park

This movie will always make my personal Top 100 list. Robert Redford and Jane Fonda play a newly married couple in the film written by Neil Simon. The shots of Greenwich Village and the rest of New York City are an excellent backdrop to the love and hope they feel at the beginning of their marriage (despite the often amusing struggles that come their way).

Believe it or not, between April and June, most weddings or wedding preparation takes place. Dresses, bridesmaids and color palettes are at the fore front of wedding details, while honeymoons, menus and table seating come in at a close second. Every wedding detail is carefully exacted. Just one question: what about the bride-to-be? What can she do to prepare for her wedding?

As the bride, all eyes are on you. In essence, you are the center of the universe, for the day anyway. From your hair to your makeup or from your hands to your feet, you want to look your best, feel your prettiest and bask in the glow of your special moment; and now you can. Ready for your wedding?  Here are five beauty tips that will help you shine on your special day.

Dove® Clear Tone Anti-Perspirant/Deodorant is the first and only U.S. deodorant designed to reduce red and dark marks and even skin tone. The special ingredient?  Calendula Sunflower Seed Extracts coupled with Dove® moisturizers help accelerate the natural skin renewal process. In other words, it evens out the skin under your arms. Strapless wedding dress, here you come!

Custom Nail Solutions Nail System is a swanky alternative to acrylic nails. Why? Because these nails are customized for your hands, are reusable and are very easy to remove. There is no drilling, filling, and these nails are virtually indestructible. No more fumes. No more weak nails. Just perfectly manicured hands every time.

Crest 3D White 2 Hour Express Whitestrips are phenomenal! In as little as two hours, you can get a whiter, brighter looking smile that is sure to make any bride-to-be blush. The whitening strips are easy to apply and the best thing is the strips do not leak. The bonus? No heat sensitive teeth!

Neutrogena Body Clear® Body Wash is the product I must have if I plan to wear strapless, backless or halter tops or dresses. Its refreshing and clean-rinsing body wash that treats and even helps prevent body breakouts. Whether the acne is on your decollete or limited to your back, this gentle body wash can help get rid of the acne.

StriVectin-EV Even Skin Brightening Serum begins to transform your skin in as little as two weeks! Skin tone appears brighter and skin begins to feel softer. By eight weeks, you will notice that pigmentation normalizes as dark spots visibly fade. I used this product to get rid of the unsightly spots left on my nose from my metal-framed glasses. Four weeks and viola, no more dark spots.

Whether you’re getting married in 21 days or 6 months, with a little bit of planning and some great skin products, you can get the glow you want without all the hassle.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

God knew He did not want to live eternity without His children. When sin entered and caused a separation, He already had a plan.

He loves us so much He gave His only Son. He offered Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins that we might know Him, have fellowship with Him, and be loved by Him forever.

Maybe you’ve never known the love of a father. Maybe you’ve been searching your whole life for a father’s love.

We were born with a deep desire and need to be loved. We long to be held, nurtured, and cared for. We want to know that no matter what happens or how bad we mess up, somebody loves us.

This inner longing we feel is not something that can be satisfied by any person on earth. It is a place created in the secret chambers of our heart, set aside for only One.

If we let Him, God alone fills this place and completes us.

He is madly, passionately, and completely in love with you, His child.

He has known you since before you were in your mother’s womb.

He knows the number of hairs on your head.

His thoughts for you outnumber the grains of sand.

This Father’s Day, God wants you to know He loves you. Your heavenly Father loves you with a perfect, everlasting love. A love that sees past mistakes and disappointments. A love that transends time and space.

There is no love that compares to the love our Father has for us. His love knows no boundaries and has no end. It cannot be duplicated or manufactured or earned.

This supernatural love can only be given by the Father and received by His children.

He is pursuing us, drawing us to Himself, inviting us to come.

Accept your Father’s love today. Crawl into your Daddy’s lap and lay your head on His shoulder. He is waiting for you, His daughter.

Photo Credits: 1-Flickr Creative Commons-Ihar, 2-Flickr Creative Commons-Lindsay

Having a household binder is a great way to keep everything that is going on in your home organized. You can keep whatever you like in your household binder. You should set up your binder to meet the needs of your household.

What You Will Need:

• Binder

• Dividers

• Hole Punch

• Plastic Pouch

• Sharpie

• Labels

 Step 1:

Assemble your items together. On a separate sheet of paper write out the categories you want for your binder. Examples would be coupons, receipts, emergency phone numbers, babysitter info. etc. Once you have what you want for your categories you need to write them on the divider labels, or use a label maker to make the labels and adhere to the divider.

Step 2:

Print out your lists that you will be recording information on. I like to use free printables from MomAgenda or you can find every type of list you would ever want on ListPlanIt (affiliate link). Once you have your lists printed out you can hole punch them and then put them in your binder. If you don’t have a hole puncher you can use plastic sleeves that already has the hole punched in. This way your sheets are protected also.

Step 3:

The last step is to make a plan for clearing out the binder every month or every three months so that you don’t have a problem with a over stuffed binder. You also want to show the family the new binder and how it works and where you all will be keeping it. Make sure it has a home.

And that’s it! You have made yourself a stylish and simple household binder. You want to keep your binder where you keep your mail at or your “command center” I like to call it. The great thing about your household binder is that it is portable wherever you need it. But have a certain place that you always put it back so you will not be hunting around the house looking for it when you need it.

Do you keep a household binder? If so what do you keep in it? I would love to know in the comments below.

Thinking of picking up a second job to cover your air conditioning bills this summer? Here are some simple projects you can tackle around the house that might help you avoid another W-2 and save you some green.

First, make sure there are no lamps near your thermostat. The heat generated by them will cause your air conditioning to run unnecessarily. And replace your incandescent bulbs with cooler, CFL bulbs to reduce the overall internal temperature of your home.

Install a programmable thermostat and use it.

Insulate your attic and consider installing an attic fan.

Plant shady plants or trees near your air conditioning unit, while making sure not to overcrowd it. Keep plants about 2 feet from the unit and clear weeds and grass from around the unit. Seal any ductwork around your system. Also, have your air conditioner serviced once a year to maintain optimal performance. If you have an older unit with a SEER rating of 8 or lower, consider upgrading to a newer, more energy efficient model.

Use heavy drapes, or install awnings, window tinting, or black out shades on the west-facing windows in your home. Use weatherstripping around drafty windows and doors.

What Do I Really Want?

How do I want my shelves to function? Or better yet what needs to be the function of my shelves? When you know the answer to this question you are now ready to start organizing your shelves. Start by clearing everything off of the shelves. Sort like items together and get a handle on what you have and what you want to keep.

You also want to have on hand containers to corral like items together. Get creative with how you stack your books. Also realize that shelves are for more than just books. You can use shelves to hold your software CDs. You can use shelves to hold project files. Read on for a few great ways to organize your home office shelves.

A fan can make all the difference.

I still laugh about this, because it is oh so very true.  Although I do appreciate the fact that my body is actually building a whole other person, which still continues to amaze and delight me, the fact that I’m due to have my second child any day now and it is getting hot is, well, frankly, miserable.  There is NOTHING about this that is glamorous.  My feet are swelling, I can’t sleep without a fan blowing directly on me, I sweat like I’ve been running just from cooking dinner, and…did you hear about the nickname Jessica Simpson gave herself toward the end of her pregnancy?  Swamp A**?  Yeah, that too.  Apparently you don’t only need pads for postpartum.

However, there are some things you can do to help to a certain degree.  Although I highly recommend just staying inside a 65 degree air conditioned house at all times, sometimes you do actually have to step outside, and when you do, here are some tips for you.

Stay hydrated.  I know, I know.  When you have to pee every 15 minutes anyway, drinking even MORE water just seems silly.  However, it does make a big difference.  Aim for 1/2 your body weight in ounces a day (so if you weigh 140, that would be 70 ounces).

Occasionally dumping a glass of ice water over your head will help with the heat too.

Embrace the fan.  You know those pretty fans you can find in antique stores?  Get one and stick it in your purse.  A room that may seem comfortable to other people can still feel hot to a pregnant person, and a fan can be a great help.

Be mindful about what you wear.  Skirts and dresses allow more airflow than pants.  Avoid binding and close fitting clothes when it is hot.  I have a beautiful muumuu that my grandmother gave me that she has had  since she lived in Hawaii over 50 years ago.  It has become my favorite thing to wear these last couple of weeks.  Lots of airflow, no binding, and I still feel feminine and pretty.  Perfect!

Many things about being pregnant are kind of magical.  Feeling your baby move, the admiring looks you get from complete strangers, building a whole other person inside your own body.  Just amazing.  However, being pregnant in the summertime is hard.  It’s best to maintain your sense of humor, carry a BIG water bottle with you at all times and remember that everything changes.  Even the weather.

When you bought your beautiful stainless steel appliances, the helpful salesperson probably didn’t mention that within minutes of installation they would look like they’d been licked by a hound dog and wiped off with a piece of buttered toast. Well you can have bright and shiny stainless steel in your kitchen – without the overpriced stainless steel cleaner you’ll find in stores.

First, pour a little olive oil on a rag. Wipe the stainless steel surface all over with the oil. You’ll be amazed at how it effortlessly lifts fingerprints and shines your appliances. Then dampen another rag with white vinegar and rub over it again. This method not only cleans and shines your stainless steel, but it will keep it smudge free for days – even with little ones in the house!

Use the olive oil and vinegar technique a couple of times a month, or on heavy cleaning days.

For everyday maintenance and cleanup use one part white vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle. Spray down your stainless steel surface and wipe off with a dry cloth. Zip zap zip! Your showroom kitchen will shine like never before.

Share your tips for keeping stainless steel clean here!

Image Credit: Jeda Villa Bali

Image Credit: Steve Snodgrass