12 Weeks

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday celebrating and spending time with your families and friends. I’m still recovering from our 5 days of Christmas! Chris and I both like to see all the people in our families but that means the gatherings are split up and spread over several days. I thought for sure I’d be exhausted by Sunday night but it wasn’t until yesterday that it all caught up with me. Coming back into work was a little rough!

Christmas Eve Eve we went to Chris’s dad and step-mom’s for dinner. We played a game called PieFace that was so ridiculous but hilarious at the same time. It would definitely be a fun drinking game in the future. Christmas Eve we spent the day at my parents’ annual open house party. I even stayed in my heels for most of the day! Christmas morning we took it slow and made homemade blueberry waffles and sat by the fire. In the afternoon we headed out to my aunt’s house for lunch then to Chris’s Grandma and Grandpa’s house for dinner and ended the night at my uncle’s house. My dad’s family is very big. All of his brothers and sisters have children and most of them have kids now too so it’s quite the full house. This year the turned the garage into a mini arcade with all kinds of rented games and it was so much fun for both the kids and the kids at heart! Saturday we woke up and grabbed donuts on our way to my parents’ house for brunch and presents. Chris got a sawzall and was so excited he actually used it later that day. Boys. We ended the Christmas celebrations Sunday with Chris’s extended family and then watched Netflix all evening to wind down. Next year we will have a 5 month old baby in tow so it’s probably not the best idea to drag the little monster to all those places and toss the schedule a bunch of days in a row. But we have awhile to figure that all out!

Christmas Eve marked 12 weeks for baby Pfeff and me so it’s time for an update. I’ve been feeling icky battling the snuffiness, headaches and general yuck of sinus issues from all this crazy warm and wet weather we’ve been having. But I’m definitely feeling more overall like myself again and my biggest symptom in effect is the dreaded heartburn. I did get something for Christmas I plan to post about later this week that has really helped keep me from waking up in the middle of the night with the fire breathing dragon feeling though. It’s amazing! I finally have a bitty bump that’s visible in tight clothes. I think it might be a little while yet before I really look pregnant but who knows, I could pop tomorrow! After the new year I’m super excited to start working on house projects, including the baby’s room. I have a bunch of ideas floating around to keep it gender neutral until he or she arrives. Then we will add accent colors and specific décor.

Symptoms: Still some good ol’ heartburn but rarely nauseous anymore. Still craving sweets and some sweet/salty combos. I made popcorn mix to take along to our celebrations and I think Chris loved it even more than me. It’s so simple to make and very versatile for adding different ingredients and colors for holidays or events. I used 1 bag of popcorn with sea salt, 1 bag of red and green m&ms, about 3 cups of pretzel sticks and 1 block of vanilla almond bark. I mixed the popcorn, m&ms and pretzels in a big bowl and then melted the almond bark and poured it over top, stirring with a wooden spoon to coat everything evenly. Then I poured it all out onto foil to let it harden. I added some red and green sugar sprinkles just for fun and then broke it up into smaller chunks once the almond bark was completely solid again. Soooo good. I swear I really am trying to still eat healthy overall but I will admit I had cheese fries and ice cream for dinner last night. When nothing else sounds good and it’s eating that or nothing, I think eating is the best choice. I’m still working out so at least I’ve got that going for me!

We Believe

So many of you asked where our We Believe wooden sign is from and I was going to answer each of you, until I thought it was just the perfect final blog post before I sign off for Christmas. The very talented Tessa at TNlettering makes these gorgeous wooden signs and hand letters each and every one. I actually ordered 2 others as gifts and the one that I’ve already given received the exact response you hope for when you give a custom item. Why did I choose to have the one for our house say We Believe? It could be a short answer but I’m going to make it a long one.

Some of you maybe weren’t even born yet in 1994 but you probably do know 2 of the best damn Christmas movies that came out that year. Disney’s “The Santa Clause” is forever my favorite. I was 8 and my dad took my sister and I to see it in the theater. I had dreamt up this idea of what Santa’s workshop looked like up there at the North Pole and how he made his magic Christmas Eve ride. When I saw that movie it all came to life before my very eyes. It was as if someone had gone into my head and played the movie reel straight from it. I still make sure to watch it at LEAST once every year if not all 500 times they show it on TV. When Scott Calvin first arrives at the North Pole after delivering the presents on Christmas Eve he can’t believe what he’s seeing. The elf Judy tells him, “Seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing. Kids don’t have to see this place to know that it’s here. They just know”. Yes I quoted that from memory.

Coincidentally my second favorite Christmas movie also made its debut in 1994 as a remake of the 1947 classic “Miracle on 34^th Street”. New York City at Christmastime and making not just a little girl and her mother believers but an entire country, now that’s my kind of story. My favorite part of the movie is during the Kris Kringle trial when they show all the believers giving their messages of support. Everything says “We/I Believe”.  It just makes me smile every time.

The long answer is that We Believe in the magic of Christmastime. We believe in miracles, in happy thoughts, in spreading joy. We believe in the power of love, a good deed and of prayer. We believe in friendship, hope and dreams. We believe in each other, in finding the good, in wishing on stars. We believe in helping others, standing up for what is right,  and holding on to what we believe in even when the odds are against us. In this house, We Believe. 

Do you?

Wishing you the Merriest Christmas this year from our family here at The Ruff Life to yours!

11 Weeks

It’s Christmas week!!! My office is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so I am very excited about a short work week. Last week a lady came into work with a nasty cold and by Friday afternoon I knew she had given it to me. Typically I am lucky to stay pretty healthy but with my immune down during this pregnancy I could see it coming well before it happened. I spent the rest of Friday on the couch and went to bed early with the humidifier going. I tossed and turned all night only wake up feeling worse. Nearly my entire To-Do list was just going to have wait but my super awesome husband stepped in and took over. After verifying with a pharmacist, Chris picked me up some Tylenol and apple juice and I was finally about to get up in the afternoon. My only accomplishment was getting a shower and wrapping the Christmas gifts but I was satisfied with that. Very thankfully my immune system must still have some of its strength because I was feeling good enough to get up and make breakfast Sunday morning. Then I was off for cookie baking with the ladies in the family, a little chit chat with my friend Kristina while she did my hair and Christmas Vacation by the fire to end the night. Other than this cold I’m still not 100% recovered from, 11 weeks has been uneventful. The heartburn and midday nausea are still hanging around and I have yet to really pop a belly. If you know me really well and see me in a tight fitting shirt you can tell but it seems like it might still be awhile before I look pregnant to the masses. On the one hand I’m not mad about it because with everything going on lately I’m kind of glad I haven’t had to buy new clothes yet. But on the other hand, since this is my first pregnancy so I’m excited to really start rocking a baby bump. All in good time.

Symptoms: Same old, same old. It’s been a little irritating not being able to drink any soothing hot liquids with this cold and I’m still miffed I’m missing out on Christmas coffees, but it I know it could be so much worse. Sweets still give me all the heart eyes but yesterday morning I told Chris I wouldn’t mind a chocolate donut with crushed Fritos on top. In fact, that still sounds delightful. After the m&m + olive combo last week and now this one, I’m guessing there’s something to this salty sweet thing. In fact, as we speak a super awesome co-worker of mine just sent me an easy recipe for chocolate covered popcorn that I am positive I now have to make. Score! I’ll let y’all know how it goes.

Holiday Favorites

It’s been unseasonably warm around here lately and I hear we are predicated to have warm and rainy weather next week. What a bummer! But is has been chilly at night and today it’s only 36 degrees so we’ve been using our fireplace as hang as our hangout spot.

All the furballs love lounging in front of the warmth and the fact that the Christmas tree is close enough for them to lay under at the same time is a super bonus. I think maybe the kiddos appreciate a lit up Christmas tree even more than we do. It really doesn’t get much better than finishing up the evening chores, changing into pjs and cozying up by the fire with a candle burning and Christmas movies playing.

Every year that I get older it feels like the holidays go by faster and faster. As a kid it seemed to take forever for my family’s big Christmas Eve party to arrive and we would anxiously pull loops off our Christmas countdown chains anticipating that day. Now I blink and it’s a week until Christmas. I am so excited to experience Christmas through a child’s eyes again when our having our little munchkin next year. The presents have been purchased and are now just waiting to be wrapped this weekend. There is cleaning to be done, cookies to be baked and Christmas lights to be seen but while I hustle to get my shit together by next week, let’s talk Holiday favorites.

I know I shouldn’t really be buying too much for my baby with showers coming up next year but there have been a few things I just could not resist. Little one will be about 5 months old this time next year so I scored some sale deals on baby gear that I can’t wait for he or she to have. Pjs to match mama and the boys were a must and how insanely cute is this furry little bearsuit? A soft cuddly blanket should be in the tiny hands of every babe and of course a stocking to match mom and dad.

Each year for the past several years my mom, sister and I have picked a color to incorporate into our Christmas Eve outfits. This year I was ambitious and chose gray/silver plus cream. I ordered this festive sequin skirt and have a few off the shoulder cream sweaters I’m choosing from for my top half. I’ll pair it with red nails and lips, black tights and shoes and wavy hair. But there are really so many cute holiday options out there it’s hard to go wrong. I have this white furry vest that could be worn over a flannel, striped top or blouse. I almost never wear lipstick as I’ve pretty much always been a chapstick or tinted balm kind of girl, so this is my very favorite for the holidays. A blanket scarf like this one would snazz up a plain tee and some nice dark jeans with a sparkly flat or heel. I debated on going with a skirt or trying out the legging version like these, but ultimately didn’t know if I could pull them off. Lace is a fun alternative if you aren’t into sparkles or sequins like this dress. Just add a shimmery eye shadow and you’re set. I also think one of the best things about Christmastime is the scented candles. I’ve had this one burning all month long.

May your last weekend before Christmas be merry!