My Happily Ever After

maternity leave

2013-05-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

today is my first day of maternity leave
i've got a bazillion things to do in between now and baby's arrival, but at the same time i'm wondering what i'm going to do to fill my time if she comes late
i'm captain schedule, queen of the to do list. even tropical vacations have a timeline and a list of activities. and although i've got things to do, i think it's going to be odd for me to live life without a prescribed schedule.
and probably even harder once a little one comes that doesn't want to stick to the schedule that i've decided on.

a couple of pics of the nursery in progress and my big belly for fun...

at this point, i'm not sure if i'll be posting more or less...i'm pretty in the dark on the whole newborn thing and i don't have a clue how much time i'm going to have once she gets here
but i'll do my best to keep updating
and i'm going to try to keep posting recipes and occasional life updates over at little kitchen, big bites
because the freezer meals that i'm putting together can only go so far and a girl's got to eat, ya know

any tips from the mommy bloggers out there on how to balance blogging and a newborn?
or do you just not? and take a maternity leave from the blog too?

instafriday

2013-05-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

holy moly, today is my last friday at work!
i have two days next week and then i go on maternity leave. i feel like time crept by for the first part of the pregnancy and all of a sudden it's flying. and i'm still not processing that it doesn't just mean an extended vacation, but that the movement in my belly is going to translate into a sweet little baby in a few weeks. weeks! how did that happen???

anyway, let's talk about instagram {find me at rachelh0123} and all of the random nonsense from this week.

this lady. where do i start. i would not be the person that i am today without my amazing mama. i am so blessed to have her as my mother and my friend, and baby girl is going to be so lucky to have her as a grandma. i know that everything i am as a mother will come from what i've learned from her and i hope to be half the mama that she's been to me. love you mama.
we spent mother's day grilling and hanging out in the back yard. it was a perfect, wonderful, relaxing day with family and i couldn't ask for anything more.

it's been gorgeous and a half here in so cal. and all of the plants that i thought were just ugly shrubs are now blooming. like this one that i almost pulled out of the ground a month ago. thank goodness for pregnancy laziness...

hubby said that he was going to take me on a date night to olive garden. and honestly, that was all i needed in the world. there's nothing like their soup, salad and bread sticks.
but then he surprised me and said that we were going to cafe firenze instead. as in fabio's restaurant. from top chef. as in one of my favorite top chefs ever in the history of my complete and total obsession with the show. and it was ah.maz.ing. we split a flatbread and lobster bisque and then i pigged out on short ribs with polenta. food is my happiness. and i only have a few more weeks of blaming it in the baby, so i might as well take advantage while i can.

hmm, another food related picture. i'm sensing a theme. but i went to sprouts for the first time and wow, guys.
this place is so cool.
at some point i'm going to wander the aisles and take some of every single bit of rice, grains and legumes and cook them all.
and the chocolate covered fill-in-the-blank aisle? it's pregnancy paradise.

happy friday!

little kitchen, big bites recipe digest

2013-05-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

have you been over to my cooking blog little kitchen, big bites?
it's kind of my baby before my baby gets here
and, let's be honest, with an infant coming soon, there may not be time to frequently update

but cooking is my passion, and i'm definitely planning to keep it up, even with the little one. and i may even end up withe more updates over there than i have here.
below are a collection of favorites {lots from the crock pot...shocker} that i've whipped up in the last month or so
i also have some awesome ideas and freezer meals coming up, so hop on over there, browse through the recipes and enjoy!

peanut butter cup cookie brownie bars

slow cooker bbq buffalo meatballs

easy fudgey peanut butter cup m&m brownies

slow cooker cheddar potato & asparagus soup

bbq citrus salmon with strawberry mango salsa

slow cooker asian beef lettuce wraps

enchilada stuffed portabello mushrooms

skinny orange chicken with asparagus & quinoa

slow cooker hot & spicy asian noodle soup

semi-slow cooker crispy mexican chicken burritos

so check out the blog, fire up that slow cooker, and enjoy!

growingggg {36 weeks}

2013-05-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

i keep growinggggg
i'm almost at 37 weeks today and i can't believe that this adventure will be ~~ending~~ beginning soon!
baby girl will be full term tomorrow, so i figured i should give another pregnancy update

you can also see the slow evolution of the nursery behind me...

i maintain that this striped tank makes me look bigger...but i kind of love it for that reason...

{sweats: juicy, white tank:nordstrom, dress: rosie pope, striped tank: old navy, leggings: charming charlie}

how far along? 36 weeks, 5 days
baby size? baby girl is the length of a honeydew {yum!} or a small watermelon according to some sites {yikes!}
maternity clothes? as much as i can...but my work pants still work with the bella band and some of my leggings and tops are still a'ok {although i may regret stretching them out later...}. the maternity clothes is definitely more comfortable, but at this point i feel like there's no point in buying more than the limited set that i have
cravings? nothing crazy...just eating a lot of the stuff that i wouldn't let myself splurge on before. sweets and french fries come to mind :) but i've also been eating a lot of salmon and berries so at least this little one isn't hurting too much for good food
feeling? a little exhausted and sore every. single. time. i stand up {i have a slip in my sacroiliac joint that can't be fixed until baby gets here so my back isn't my friend}. and super super excited to meet this baby!
best moment this week? relaxing on mother's day with my family
sleep? doing ok...up more than i used to be with being a little uncomfortable and having to use the bathroom every few hours, but still getting enough. i figure waking up every few hours is good practice anyway...
miss anything? still deli sandwiches. and i could use some sushi too!
movement? all the time. my stomach looks like there's an alien about to break out of it. and sometimes up and under my ribs. ouch. but it's seriously the most amazing thing ever. i think it's going to be all kinds of weird after baby comes when i can't feel her bumping around in there anymore.
anything making you queasy or sick? still squash/pumpkin/sweet potatoes. luckily it's not the fall, so it's no big deal.
looking forward to? meeting this little one in a few weeks! holy smokes!

instafriday {showers and doggy and headbands, oh my!}

2013-05-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

this is the last of the baby shower pictures
i feel like they've taken over my blog lately, but with four showers in two weeks i feel like i have to share all of the love and amazingness with you

did i mention that the girls went all out? that it was the most spectacular thing ever?
yea, i think i did. about seventy times. but i'll say it again.
it was an amaaaazing day!

does this dog look guilty or what?
after telling her half a dozen times that this new, adorable little piece of furniture from my coworkers is not for her, I turned around to find her sitting there.
so i kicked her off again.
but seriously, how do you stay mad at that face?

girly nonsense. i couldn't help myself.
this headband will be prominently featured in baby girl's newborn photos if i have anything to do with it.
buy it here from izzy's attic
{in no way sponsored by her nor did i get the headband for free...it's just too cute not to share!}

not to end on a bummer note, but we were close-ish to all of the fire craziness that was burning in so cal this week. we got to see this big ol' smoke cloud and had some nice raining ash. luckily, our house was ok, as were all of our local friends and family.
stay safe and practice fire safety, my friends.
that's my psa for the day.

happy friday loves!

southern baby shower

2013-05-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

i'm feeling so blessed in the last few weeks.
even with being sick and exhausted, with a constantly aching back, i have so many wonderful people who have surrounded me, hubby and the baby with love and support that i can't help but smile through it all.

my girlfriends threw me an incredible southern themed baby shower {for derby weekend, and for baby girl's name, which has a little southern flair} last weekend. In.Cred.I.Ble.
i'm telling you, they went all out.
from the gorgeous flowers and oodles of decorations to the delicious fried chicken, hand made mini pies and red velvet cupcakes, to the *pitter patter* punch in lace tied mason jars with pink stripped straws, to the ridiculously creative bib decorating, it was just perfect in every single way.
i literally couldn't have imagined a more amazing shower in my wildest dreams. they thought of every little detail that would make me smile {crown included} and made it perfect.

with my lovely hostesses

i had an amazing relaxing time just hanging out with my closest friends, reminiscing about old times, and looking forward to all that's to come in the future.
now i just need to have the rest of them get knocked up so this little girl has some automatic friends for life
i can only hope that she is as blessed with wonderful friends as i have been.

The alphabet was hand made by this amazingly talented girl.

I keep begging her to start an Etsy shop so stand by...

instafriday {and a life update}

2013-05-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

so i was really excited to write my instafriday post last week
and to give you some updates on the baby and the nursery this week
and perhaps to talk about some other random nonsense
but then i got a stomach virus and went off the grid for a full week

we're talking bad times people. stomach bugs suck enough in the first place, but when you're trying to grow a human and in the middle of a super busy work season at the same time, they suck even more.
and when you get so dehydrated that you start having labor pains and have to go to the hospital they suck even more.
suffice to say, the only instagram picture that i took this week was this one, of some lovely garden roses that my mama brought when she came to take care of me.

but on to happier things.
let's just pretend this week didn't happen and rewind to last week. because last week i took some fun pics and had some fun times

so there was a baby shower. i think i posted about it about 20392812 times. but how cute is this diaper cake??? seriously, i die. baby girl is so spoiled.

oh hello bump. you're getting rather large and round. even the stomach flu can't keep this baby from stretching out and growing. love you baby girl.

i took a day off a few weeks ago. i needed it. i got some errands done and i felt like the world wasn't ending anymore. and i didn't feel guilty about enjoying my breakfast outside with my pup. and it was amazing.

this is the queen of coffee bean. we go there almost every weekend. so this weekend, we decided to turn her water cup into a crown. because we're great doggy parents like that. oh good lord what is this poor child in for...

i just like taking pictures of the flowers that spring up in my garden. because i'm not the one who planted them and they seem to be magically jumping through the ground all over the place. oh, spring. how much more i appreciate you when i have my own yard.

this weekend is my second baby shower with my girlfriends and i just. can't. wait.
what are you doing this weekend?

shower time

2013-04-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

wow.
that's all i can say
the outpouring of love that came for baby girl and i this weekend at my family shower was just incredible.

i'm not going to lie to you guys, i've been stressed about not being prepared for this baby. but every hug, every reassurance, every gift, and every conversation that i had this weekend made me feel otherwise. i am so blessed to have such an incredible network of women that i am related to {or who are such close family friends that we might as well be related} to welcome me into this amazing time in my life.

and on top of that, i am so very lucky to have a mommy and mommy-in-law who put together the most incredible shower for their granddaughter. if this weekend was any indication, this little girl is going to be spoiled to the moon and back. thank you thank you thank you to my mamas, the future grandmas to baby girl :).

so without further ado, a few photos of my pink and green baby shower, complete with little flowers for each guest to bring home and gorgeous orchids that doubled as centerpieces and game prizes {can you tell my mama's a gardener?}

gorgeous, right?
how was your weekend?

find the recipe for peanut butter oreo brownies on little kitchen, big bites!

instafriday {and a little bump picture...}

2013-04-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

...or should i say a big bump picture? the bump can no longer be described as little. i've had a bunch of people tell me they think that i grew overnight, and my physical therapist actually full on told me *you've gained weigh since the last time i saw you*
i saw her a week ago.

but such is life with a crazy work schedule and never really knowing when you're going to get your next meal at an event. i'm going to blame it on that. fair enough, right? thankfully we're slowing down a bit now, and i only have one big hurdle left until maternity leave is in my sights.

hellooooooooooo 32 weeks {almost 33 now!}
and doggy giving me a look like *mommy...why are you taking pictures of your fat tummy?*
and the nursery furniture {read: the only thing that we've gotten done for the baby at this point} in the background

on a very exciting {and still non-instafriday...fail} note, my first baby shower is this weekend and i can't wait!!
this one is for family/family friends and it will be so nice to relax, see a ton of people {including some amazing guests who are traveling from out of state for us!} and perhaps feel a little more prepared for the baby at the end.
because i'm starting to panic just a little.
i have one 24 pack of diapers, some furniture and that's about it, folks.

anyway. instafriday. right.
can i just claim an instagram fail this week? i only posted two pictures.

although this one is awesome. i love homegoods with a burning passion, people. i went in there to grab a tablecloth for our new little table and came out with this.
the one thing that i love more than homegoods? french fries.
and it was $8.
sold.

the second picture shouldn't come as too big of a surprise. with the exhaustion of work, i've been coming home, parking it on the couch, and cuddling with this smooshy face.

how was your week? what are you looking forward to this weekend?

perspective

2013-04-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

i sat down today to write a woe is me post
and to vent about the fact that, although i have some great things going for me, life has been pretty tough
work has been harder and more stressful than ever, i am not the glowing happy pregnant woman that i hoped to be {thank you sacroiliac joint sprain}, and i feel increasingly unprepared for the little bundle of joy to get here

but then i wrote out some of the good things...
the sweet baby that's growing in my belly, a brand new house, a loving husband, a smooshy little dog, a great career and a baby shower coming up this weekend
and i realized that the whole post needed to change

Source: fuckyeahyoga.tumblr.com via Karen on Pinterest

in the wake of the tragedy in boston, i realized that i'm extremely blessed
i have my life
i have my health
i have my friends and family safe around me
and that is really what matters.

my thoughts and prayers and love go to the people of boston and to anyone effected by these horrible events.

instafriday: i've got sunshineeee

2013-04-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

...on a cloudy dayyyyy

not sure where that came from?
anyone else singing my girl right now?
bonus points for anyone else singing my girl and thinking about father of the bride.
because that's where i am right now.
maybe because i'm horribly overworked and ready for a break on the couch with my fav movie...

but anyway.

these couple of instagrams were taken on my sunny, relatively relaxing weekend....which feels like it was about a zillion years ago now.
this weekend?
i get to work. lucky me.

but next weekend is my first shower, so i need to stop complaining.

anyway again.
struggling with this post...

how gorgeous are these flowers? i think they're lilacs. when we moved in the bush was totally dead and i thought it just needed to be pulled out, but over the last week or so, it's gotten leaves and then these gorgeous, fragrant purple flowers. i love spring.

speaking of the lovely so cal spring, i spent over an hour just laying in the sun and reading baby books. le sigh.
not so cute? my gross preggo feet. sorry about that.

and how stinkin cute {and sunshine-y} is this little baby dress?? it's literally the first piece of clothing that i have bought for the baby, but i saw it in old navy and had to have it. especially because it was a whopping $8.

how was your week?
happy weekend!!

smooshies and frills

2013-04-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

smooshy little newborns make me melt
i could seriously look through photos of infants in frilly rompers and big ol' flowery headbands until the end of time and just be content with life
so with baby girl due in less than two months {!!! how did that happen?} clearly newborn photos are going to happen
and i've been scouring etsy for the perfect combination for her first photo shoot and have come up with a few favorites

warning: expect pink and frills in excess.
{and a discount code too!}

via Izzys Attic

via Ellas Bows

get 15% off anything in her shop with the code Bows15!!!

via Lil Miss Goody Tutu

via Lil' Pink Blanket Bowtique

love 'em too?
the links go to the etsy product page for each.

which one should i go with?
or do i have to have them all?

this post is not sponsored in any way...these are just too cute and i wanted to share!

instafriday: babymoon santa barbara food guide edition

2013-04-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

hubby and i went on our mini babymoon this weekend, so most of my instagramming was in the lovely city of santa barbara
and ~~a lot~~ all but one were pictures of food
because...well...
blame it on the baby?

so i figured this could be both an instagram post and a food guide to the places that we tried in sb.
because every single one of them was totally delicious.
{find me on instagram at rachelh0123}

let's start with the non-food, shall we?
how gorgeous is santa barbara?
i let go of every type-a muscle in my body and planned nothing fort this weekend
so we just strolled and took in the beautifulness that was

we got part way into our drive and realized that the bread basket, where we got our wedding cake, was on the way
so clearly, we had no option other than to grab a slice of fruit basket cake for the road
for sentimental reasons only, of course.

dinner at wine cask.
scallops. beets. bread pudding. fancy dinner with my man. happiness.
{but no wine. boo}

brophy bros. is pretty darn famous in santa barbara and is one of our favorites to visit
we spent the thirty minute wait for a table on the observation deck of the visitor's center next door taking in the view
and then dove into fresh sourdough bread, clam chowder, scallops & chips and an ice cold beer {for hubby at least} in the noisy, fun restaurant

we found opal thanks to their yelp reviews and were so impressed
not only was the food amazing with perfect portions for this preggo mama, but the service was so great. i commented after that my water glass never got empty, which is a huge feat considering how much i've been gulping down.
and we topped it up with vanilla berry creme brulee, which they decked out for our babymoon.

we got back on easter sunday and headed to my parents for a late lunch
and a couple of cadbury creme eggs
because what is easter without this gooey deliciousness?

how was your week?

ps there is nothing sponsored about this post. i wish these lovely places had given us free food, but alas, we paid ourselves. but if you're on your way to santa barbara, you have to check them out!

babymoon

2013-04-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

hubby and i went on a lil mini babymoon last weekend
it was a quick and easy drive up to santa barbara, where we spent the weekend pretty much doing nothing
oh wait...
we ate
a lot.
and took about a billion pictures

fried scallops & chips at stacky's

but besides eating, we had no plans other than to wander the beautiful little city and enjoy time together, just the two of us
it was one of the most relaxing weekends ever
and although i can't say that i'm ready for this baby to be here in less than ten short weeks
i can say that i spent some lusciously rejuvenating time with the most wonderful husband a girl could ask for

that's my *i feel as big as a whale* face...

how was your weekend?

instafriday: home lover

2013-03-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

so this week has been a massive blogging fail and the next few weeks probably will be too.
it's been really busy around here and i've been neglecting you guys.
between fixing up the house, getting ready for baby {appointments every two weeks now!}, spending time with family, friends, hubby and puppy, and crazy work town with newly added two hours of commuting a day, i'm just exhausted by the time i sit down to blog.

i'll be back in full force at some point soon, but in the mean time, i'm still posting recipes over at little kitchen, big bites
and you can still find me on instagram {rachelh0123} and pinterest, and with the usual nonsense on facebook and twitter.

ok, enough apologizing. onto the camera phoning.

super excited about how my mantle is turning out.
more excited about the fact that pretty much everything on it came from homegoods. that mirror was $30 people. can you believe that? that place is the most magical store in the world.

these two could not have been happier on a friday evening, throwing the ball around.
i could not have been happier sitting on my bum outside in the warm spring air, watching them.
and all of this in our very own backyard.
how lucky are we??

costco is evil.
and at the same time, it rivals homegoods for favorite stores ever.
it's just very, very dangerous.
because your cart may end up looking like this.
and then you may feel the need to grab a massive fro yo on your way out, thirty minutes after you had breakfast, at 11:00 a.m., and eat the whole thing.
and then blame it on your poor unborn child.

another one i forgot to instagram this week.
i put up a photo wall in our master bedroom. for all of the fabulous lovey pictures of us that i don't feel i can splash around the rest of the house.
and for our lovely vows sign from barn owl primitives, which i completely adore.

how was your week? i hope you're less busy than me!

instafriday

2013-03-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

happy friday!
seriously. so happy it's friday. it's been one of those weeks.
work is back in full on crazy mode and i'm just wishing that i could skip forward to the end of april already.
as per usual, the posts will probably slow down as work amps up, but i'll be here and there with the baby updates, camera phone pictures, and other nonsense.

anyway.
how about this craziness right here.
baby is due in early june. and i cracked open this fortune cookie in mid march. if baby is a few weeks late and the fortune cookie is right, i will be a believer. and buy a lot of lotto tickets.

guess who got to go see owl city, neon trees and maroon 5?!
that would be me. it was awesome.
live music is good for the soul.

also good for the soul? brilliant pinterest ideas for hanging photos without the constant hammering.
i don't know about you, but i'm one of those people who just throws a nail up there where i think it's going to work and moves it around if necessary. they all end up behind the picture anyways, right?
...well this works better than that technique.

and i'm kind of cheating with the next one. i took it with the intention of instagramming and then forgot {i've decided that snapping a picture while driving might be ok, but filtering it for instagram is definitely not...so i often forget by the time i get home}
but how pretty was this sky? no filters or anything.
the best part of commuting is watching the sun rise and set every day.

how was your week?

the diaper bag

2013-03-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

when you get sick of hearing about this stuff just stop me. seriously.
i've just been holding all of this fun inside for the last few months and now that i can share with the world, it's pouring out of me.

Source: ebay.com via Katie on Pinterest

i was a little concerned when it came to the whole diaper bag thing.
i used to work in a kid's clothing store and, while they had some cute options, none of them killed me with excitement. i wanted something beautiful and chic that didn't cost a bazillion dollars. and i was pretty set on getting something vinyl, so that messes would wipe right off. basically, i wanted a purse that i would be happy to wear sans baby that was also baby friendly.

Source: Uploaded by user via Katie on Pinterest

because i'm a touch obsessed with purses, this was pretty much the first thing that i started looking for when i found out that i was pregnant. i looked everywhere. and then i found this baby.
kate spade. black and white. polka dot. vinyl. and on sale at the outlets.
sold.
{the photo below is the bag that i now happily own. the rest in this post are other gorgeous kate spade baby bags that i also love}

obviously, since the little is still cooking, i can't speak to its functionality as of yet. but i can tell you that it's been painfully difficult for me not to rip this out of the closet and start wearing it as a purse every single day.

what did you chose for a diaper bag? why do you love it?

Source: amazon.com via Lexie on Pinterest

sadly, kate spade compensated me in no way, shape or form for this post. i just found this fabulous bag and wanted to share with my fellow soon-to-be mommies. if someone from kate spade finds this and wants to sponsor my lil ol blog, please do contact me asap. i'll sell my soul...

here comes the bride

2013-03-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

this post is way overdue.
two weekends ago, my dear friend {since fourth grade! we were babies!} married the love of her life
i was lucky enough to spend that day primping and playing with her, and that evening celebrating their love

isn't she gorgeous?!

it was a truly spectacular wedding at a picture perfect venue.
it brought together friends from almost every different circle for a crazy celebration that included an all-female mariachi group, an 80's cover band, a photo booth, rainbow chip wedding cake, a polaroid guest book, the world's most gorgeous hair piece and an in n out truck...and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

but i have to say the most lovely part was the ceremony. these two love each other. like really seriously love each other. and they had a fantastic, funny and insightful priest who married them. it was just beautiful.

i'm always amazed at how watching other people's weddings not only brings me to tears over their love, but reminds me of the love that hubby and i have for each other. and this one was extra special.

love you, m. congratulations!

instafriday

2013-03-15T08:38:00.001-07:00

don't forget to enter my spice set giveaway, valued at over $100! do it now! it ends tomorrow!

it's been quite a week!
by far the most exciting moment was seeing one of my lovely bff's walk down the aisle and marry the man of her dreams. i cried. a lot. i'd blame the hormones, but it wouldn't be true. it was just a gorgeous, perfect wedding.
and i got to see a whole bunch of friends from my high school ladies to my college girls and beyond, which could not have been more fun.
the only issue was that my tired pregnant body didn't let me stay up to rock out past midnight. i turned into a pumpkin and rolled on home.

i feel like everything else is boring in comparison...just a couple of sunrises thanks to daylight savings time making it almost pitch black when i wake up, and a reminder of why i love mid-march los angeles weather. 78 degrees at 6pm. nbd.

how was your week?

27 weeks

2013-03-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

don't forget to enter my spice set giveaway, valued at over $100!

i'm not sure how regularly i'm going to do this, but let's talk about this belly which has exploded out of nowhere. luckily i have a couple of pictures from the wedding this weekend to share the bump!

how far along? 27 weeks
baby size? baby girl is the length of a big ol' rutabaga
total weight gain? 14 lbs per my appointment last monday. ugh. the whole weight gain thing is a little rough for me
maternity clothes? i wear maternity bottoms about half the time. they're so much more comfy. the other half i can still deal with normal leggings and pants with a bella band. for the most part, i'm still stretching out my old shirts though {new wardrobe after baby?!}
cravings? sweets, pickles, and french bread dipped in olive oil and salt {not all together...}. i suppose you could call them cravings, but i'm basically just letting myself enjoy things that i loved pre-pregnancy.

feeling? tired. back pain. lack of ability to bend forward. but so happy that baby girl is doing good in there.
best moment this week? seeing great friends at the wedding this weekend!
sleep? eh. plenty of weird dreams, waking up to go to the bathroom, and waking up with back pain. i'm not the sunshine and rainbows pregnant lady right now, huh?
miss anything? deli sandwiches. i could demolish a subway foot long right now.
movement? yes! that's the best part! i'm really enjoying feeling her and watching my tummy move. i can't believe it when she pushes in and moves, so i can see my skin raise up, move over and go down. it's a little like watching an alien movie, but in a cool way.
anything making you queasy or sick? not really. i've lost my desire to eat any kind of squash or anything with brown butter sauce since the very beginning {which is weird}, but other than that, i'm eating like a trucker
looking forward to? putting together the crib and starting to decorate baby girl's nursery! and going to a concert at the end of the week!

lullaby {pinterest nursery inspiration}

2013-03-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

don't forget to enter my spice set giveaway, valued at over $100!

it's been a while since i did a pinterest post, but i figured that my pregnancy has also resulted in three new boards, so i should share some of the inspiration.
one board is completely dedicated to the nursery. the most fun room to decorate in...ever.

at this point, i think i'm just going girly. forget all of the themes and such...it's just going to be pink and fun and happy.
here's a little bit of inspiration for all of my fellow mommies to be...
{find me on pinterest at rachelmh}

Source: etsy.com via rachel on Pinterest

Source: sayyestohoboken.com via rachel on Pinterest

Source: promiseprenatal.blogspot.com via rachel on Pinterest

Source: pbjstories.com via rachel on Pinterest

Source: robynbeele.blogspot.com via rachel on Pinterest

Source: projectnursery.com via rachel on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via rachel on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via rachel on Pinterest

Source: muaythaiii.blogspot.com via rachel on Pinterest

Source: ababy.com via rachel on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via rachel on Pinterest

spicy little giveaway {HUGE spice giveaway!}

2013-03-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

lookin for a little something to spice up your life?
{wow, i went spice girls there without even realizing it...that song will be in my head for the rest of the day now...}
it's here!
the spice giveaway from cooking planit that you've been waiting for!

have you heard of cooking planit? it's an amazing app that's basically your sous chef. it helps you to plan your meals, compiles a grocery list, and gives you a timeline for prepping and cooking so everything comes out on time.
i don't know about you, but time management in the kitchen is always a pain for me, especially for big dinner parties. but they put everything in one place and make it easy!

as you may have read earlier this week, i'm giving away a spice set that includes 26 of the most commonly used spices worth over $100!

the set includes absolutely everything that you need to get spicy in your kitchen, including...
ground cumin, basil, saigon cinnamon, bay leaves, smoked paprika, thyme, garlic powder, mediterranean oregano, onion powder, rosemary, nutmeg powder, red pepper flakes, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, ground cloves, chinese five spice, tumeric, curry powder, yellow mustard, pennsylvania pepper, cardamon powder, cajun seasoning, allspice, hill country chili powder, ginger root powder, and manzanillo mexico seasoning!

enter using the easy peasy rafflecopter below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

the giveaway will close and i'll randomly pick the winner this saturday, march 16.

All photos courtesy of Emily Wilson and Cooking Planit

and don't forget to check out all of these other fabulous blogs, who will be running the same giveaway, for more chances to win!

1	3/6/13	3/12/13	Sophistishe	Field and Feast
2	3/7/13	3/13/13	The Wicked Noodle	The Cooking Planit Blog
3	3/8/13	3/14/13	The Aliso Kitchen	Slow Down & Savor
4	3/9/13	3/15/13	Chicago Foodie Sisters	Jessiker Bakes
5	3/10/13	3/16/13	My Happily Ever After	The Food Yenta
6	3/11/13	3/17/13	Notes from Maggie’s Farm	Food Fash
7	3/12/13	3/18/13	My Kitchen Addictions	What Jew Wanna Eat
8	3/13/13	3/19/13	Bite Sized Blog	Nicole’s Nickels
9	3/14/13	3/20/13	A Busy Mom of Two	Food Squeeze
10	3/15/13	3/21/13	Kasey’s Kitchen	Kitchen Concoctions
11	3/16/13	3/22/13	Daily Ups & Pounds	Lisa Cooking
12	3/17/13	3/23/13	Ditch the Box	Huppie Mama
13	3/18/13	3/24/13	Hungry Hutch	Food Fetish
14	3/19/13	3/25/13	Cook the Blog	Three Diets. One Dinner
15	3/20/13	3/26/13	Sugarfoot Eats	Gear Live
16	3/21/13	3/27/13	CopyKat Recipes	The Mouthy Housewives
17	3/22/13	3/28/13	Burnt Apple	The Butterfly Mom
18	3/23/13	3/29/13	The Mama Report	Ancestral Chef
19	3/24/13	3/30/13	A Food Centric Life	We Like To Cook
20	3/25/13	3/31/13	Dixie Chik Cooks	Baby Boomster
21	3/26/13	4/1/13	Unorganized Mommy of 3	Much Ado About Fooding
22	3/27/13	4/2/13	Better with Butter	The Primlani Kitichen
23	3/28/13	4/3/13	Mother Would Know	California Country Gal
24	3/29/13	4/4/13	Yi Reservation	NY Foodgasm
25	3/30/13	4/5/13	ME Redone	Creative Cullinary

the spice set has been generously donated by cooking planit, but the opinions on their awesome app and the serious jealousy that i can't win the spices for myself {...awkward} are all mine.

instafriday

2013-03-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

oh boy it's been a week.
we are officially moved into the new house.
i am officially commuting an hour each way.
i am officially 26 {almost 27!} weeks pregnant.

and i am officially exhausted.
in a super excited happy wonderful grateful way.
and in a can't wait to party {read: drink soda water and pretend there's vodka in it} all night at one of my bff's wedding this weekend.

this has been my life. in piles. in boxes. cue type a panic attack.

sometimes, when you're moving and you're starving and your preggo, you gotta get some in n out.
cheeseburger with grilled onions and spread, animal style fries and a chocolate shake. that's my standard order. what's yours?

and sometimes, you just have to take a nap with the dog. but sometimes your husband catches you. when you were supposed to be unpacking. woops.

i never got around to instagramming {is that even a word??} these two. i've been busy.
both of them are pizza. wow, i've been eating healthy this week.
but one is our first meal after moving in to the new house, complete with takeout pizza and sparkling apple juice
and the other is the first meal that i actually cooked in the new house {a boboli. i have a cooking blog. this is embarassing}

hopefully next week's update will be less boxes and more fun!
how was your week?

sugar and spice and everything nice {there's a giveaway comin...}

2013-03-06T15:25:00.001-08:00

don't worry, this isn't another pregnancy post. i've just got it on the brain right now...

i'm a purger, especially when we move. and i feel like i'm always replacing my spices during every move. nothing is more annoying than pouring your spices onto a dish, only to realize that they're old and have lost half their flavor.
so i run to the grocery store with a big ol' list and end up spending a fortune to spice up pantry.

All photos courtesy of Emily Wilson and Cooking Planit

so i died a little of happiness when cooking planit asked me to give one of you lovelies a spice set that includes 26 of the most commonly used spices worth over $100.
and it doesn't stop there. there are 50 chances to win these puppies.

the cooking planit spice giveaway is an unbelievable promotion, running 50 spice sets giveaways with a bunch of us bloggers.

{by the way, is it weird that these photos actually make my mouth water? maybe it's just because i'm preggo but the thought of all of the delicious things that i could whip up with these is making me hungry...}

have i mentioned cooking planit before? they have this awesome app that helps you meal plan, grocery shop and prep & cook, all in one sweet little free place. i'm a touch obsessed. it's an at home top chef's happy place.

this crazy set that they're giving away includes every spice that you could need including some of my favorites and some that i didn't even know that i needed {but now have to go to the grocery store for right.now.}....
ground cumin, basil, saigon cinnamon, bay leaves, smoked paprika, thyme, garlic powder, mediterranean oregano, onion powder, rosemary, nutmeg powder, red pepper flakes, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, ground cloves, chinese five spice, tumeric, curry powder, yellow mustard, pennsylvania pepper, cardamon powder, cajun seasoning, allspice, hill country chili powder, ginger root powder, and manzanillo mexico seasoning!

phew.
and holy smokes.

my giveaway will begin this sunday so check back for details then.
in the meantime, be sure to check out these other blogs during their contest period for all of your other chances to win!

1	3/6/13	3/12/13	Sophistishe	Field and Feast
2	3/7/13	3/13/13	The Wicked Noodle	The Cooking Planit Blog
3	3/8/13	3/14/13	The Aliso Kitchen	Slow Down & Savor
4	3/9/13	3/15/13	Chicago Foodie Sisters	Jessiker Bakes
5	3/10/13	3/16/13	My Happily Ever After	The Food Yenta
6	3/11/13	3/17/13	Notes from Maggie’s Farm	Food Fash
7	3/12/13	3/18/13	My Kitchen Addictions	What Jew Wanna Eat
8	3/13/13	3/19/13	Bite Sized Blog	Nicole’s Nickels
9	3/14/13	3/20/13	A Busy Mom of Two	Food Squeeze
10	3/15/13	3/21/13	Kasey’s Kitchen	Kitchen Concoctions
11	3/16/13	3/22/13	Daily Ups & Pounds	Lisa Cooking
12	3/17/13	3/23/13	Ditch the Box	Huppie Mama
13	3/18/13	3/24/13	Hungry Hutch	Food Fetish
14	3/19/13	3/25/13	Cook the Blog	Three Diets. One Dinner
15	3/20/13	3/26/13	Sugarfoot Eats	Gear Live
16	3/21/13	3/27/13	CopyKat Recipes	The Mouthy Housewives
17	3/22/13	3/28/13	Burnt Apple	The Butterfly Mom
18	3/23/13	3/29/13	The Mama Report	Ancestral Chef
19	3/24/13	3/30/13	A Food Centric Life	We Like To Cook
20	3/25/13	3/31/13	Dixie Chik Cooks	Baby Boomster
21	3/26/13	4/1/13	Unorganized Mommy of 3	Much Ado About Fooding
22	3/27/13	4/2/13	Better with Butter	The Primlani Kitichen
23	3/28/13	4/3/13	Mother Would Know	California Country Gal
24	3/29/13	4/4/13	Yi Reservation	NY Foodgasm
25	3/30/13	4/5/13	ME Redone	Creative Cullinary

the spice set has been generously donated by cooking planit, but the opinions on their awesome app and the serious jealousy that i can't win the spices for myself {...awkward} are all mine.

the best day

2013-03-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

i apologize if i've written about this song before, but i just had to post it again.
i'm ~~kind of a little bit~~ totally obsessed with *the best day* by taylor swift
i haven't been able to listen to it for a few months without tearing up, and yesterday the tears progressed to all out crying, streaming down my face, holy hormones people.
it's a gorgeous, beautiful song that every {soon to be} parent and every daughter can love and appreciate.

obviously it's on repeat in my car right now.
and on top of that, this music video is cute to the max with old family videos from tay tay

enjoy