Maternity Fashion

Well... I tried to hide my growing belly for a few months, but it wasn't long before I had outgrown even my baggier wardrobe. 

I tried using a belly band for a bit and actually it was great for the time being!

I used it in the summer at the beginning of my pregnancy so that I could keep wearing my pants, shorts, capris, etc. I knew I wouldn't be pregnant for much of the summer so I didn't want to spend money on summer maternity clothes. 

 But that phase is over. 

Now my belly is growing, and since I have no problems shopping for new things, I'm buying new maternity clothes for the fall and winter. 

There are a few needs: black and white tank tops, leggings, bras that fit my growing bust.

And then there are wants (*hehe*).

Here are some pics from my maternity wish list: 

(ps - it's not really the colours, more the styles I want)

1. Fitted Maternity Cardigan - something to show off the belly nicely :)

2. Denim Jeans - this really is an essential, but since I can't wear jeans to work, it qualifies as a want, not a need for me. Preferably skinny jeans :) 

3. Horizontal Stripes - this is the only time in my life where I can wear horizontal stripes and it looks good because I'm suppose to accentuate the size of my belly!

4. A skirt - something work friendly that fits easy so I can wear it with leggings and be ultra comfortable :)

5. A Fun/Formal Dress - something versatile so I can wear it to work, but also to a wedding. I can't be buying 5 different dresses while I'm in maternity clothes! Its fun to find a good dress that accents the growing belly.

6. A Sweater Dress -  Comfort, warmth, and style are all important here! I showed two pics because I like both styles :)

 

7. A Stylish Belt -  accessories definitely fall under the want list! And I may already have one that will work. But a cute belt above or below the belly can really accent the shape. I think it looks super cute when it's done correctly :)

See my "{pregnancy} fashion" Pinterest board for more fashions I like :)

{xoxo}

Upcycling for Organizing

This upcycling project didn't take much time or effort at all. 

All I needed was the items and some blue spray paint.
The first project is a holder to put all my ribbons on, and the second is an old magazine holder. 

Not much work at all, and even less than usual because my husband kept his pregnant wife away from the fumes by spraying them for her :)

Before painting

Getting painted :)

Found some free space in the garage to spray paint old magazine boxes too :)

This is what they looked like when they were all done. Shiny Blue creations.

Why spend unnecessary time on spray painting random objects you ask?? 

This is why (below).... Scrapbooking and craft supplies have overtaken my guest bedroom. 

They are ok to stay there, but they most definitely need to be organized. 

AND what better way to organize then with pretty matching boxes and containers? 

Hopefully this mess will get cleaned up soon!

You can see from the last picture that I tried to start, but then I got sidetracked..... 
Hopefully my pretty new blue creations will inspire me to organize!

{life}

Turnip & Carrot Casserole

In looking for more creative ways to use our abundance of vegetables from the local CSA, I stole this recipe and made a casserole out of the turnips and carrots.

It was extremely easy to make, very fast, and very tasty. 

(Although, I didn't have bread crumbs, so I used a crumb mix and it was a little too salty - bread crumbs recommended!)

Certainly not my favourite recipe, but it was tasty, and a great way to use up some veggies for a good creative dinner! 

Best served with fresh salad :) 

Definitely will try this again with bread crumbs when I get a chance! 

{xoxo}

Vegetable Garden Update

Look at that beautifully growing garden plot!!

Since my last post, there's been a bit of weeding and that's really it.

This garden is taking care of itself! 

Even the amount of rain we've been getting has meant we didn't need to water anything!
We didn't really have any lettuce or kale come up this year :( But everything else is looking good so far! 

^^beans^^

^^carrots^^

^^bushels of potatoes^^

^^itsy bitsy tomatoes^^

So far we've taken out the onions and the green beans (half the beans anyways).

The onions will keep nice in the cold room, but the beans need to be taken care of. 

Time for a canning lesson!

{xoxo}

Banana Boats

Just a couple pictures of one of our favourite camping treats (especially Mr. A!).
Delicious banana boats warmed up over the fire :)
Just take a small chunk of the peel off the banana, then fill the banana with deliciousness.
Our version of this consists of peanut butter and chocolate, but you can use different flavours of chocolate chips, different fruits, marshmellows - basically anything you want.
Replace the peel that you had taken away and wrap the whole thing in tinfoil.

Cook over the fire, flipping occasionally :)

Unwrap and enjoy! Careful - it's quite hot at first. We use a spoon and spoon it all out a bit at a time :)

I envision making these with my kids one day and I can't wait! 

If you've had these, you'll know what I mean. 

If you've never had them - try them on your next camping trip!

{xoxo}

Final Camping Weekend

Final camping weekend. 

How sad!? I love getting away for the weekend and it feels like my summer has come and gone so quickly this year. Since the weather is starting to cool off, we made a last minute decision to grab our gear and head out camping for one more weekend. 

While there I also realized that it will be the last weekend camping with just us. 

And the dogs. 

Next year we're going to have a little he or she to take along with us! I'm sure this won't deter us from camping (even with a tent) but it really was nice to have one final memory of camping with just my wonderful husband. This weekend we ventured out to Pipestone, a camping park only 30 minutes from Grande Prairie. It was close to home, and neither of us had ever camped there before so we thought it was a great last minute choice :) 

The weather was nice (aside from two 10 minute spurts of rain), and the atmosphere was great.

Here are some pictures from our adventures:

Healthy morning yoga :)

My man whittling away - making boats!

My pregnant belly, hanging over so far I can barely see my feet now!

And of course we spent some time by the water :)

The boats made it to the water! Mine won the race of course...

Late night campfire with some visitors :) That's the great thing about camping close to home!

My rainy day plans.

Already looking forward to next year's camping fun :) 

 

{xoxo}