Shedding Season

Shedding season. I joke that it's the most wonderful time of the year. It's not. When you share your home with 4 dogs and 2 cats life can get hairy, literally. Piper used to be the worst culprit with her long, fluffy white fur. Of course we had dark wood furniture and dark wood flooring so even a few strands would be noticeable. Now it's not so not bad because her trail is mostly only visible on the kitchen table and floating off her body itself if you pet her. Little O, Chaos and Ares shed much more minimally, although Ares's little wiry hairs aren't the easiest to remove since they kind of weave through fabric. Somehow one always makes it's way into my bra and then I'm frantically trying to find it and remove it when I get poked while attempting to remain appropriate at work.

This is the first year we've had Tigger and Trinity so we had no idea how out of control the shedding situation was going to get. Trinity is an American Bulldog with technically short fur, but her thick undercoat has proven to rival Piper's floating white furballs. Tigger by far and away wins first prize for shedder of the year. The shepherd in her makes its appearance in her fluffy coat, which has shed so much lately it looks like she's lost weight. This is the life we have chosen to live but it comes with a lot of hard work if we want to keep our home from being overtaken with fur. In order to keep things, well, in order, all the kiddos are regularly brushed outside. You can find tufts of fur in our backyard on any given day. Feel free to stop by and collect it if you'd like to spin it into a blanket. I guarantee it would be the warmest one you've ever had. Our vacuum is used daily on floors, dog beds and in dog crates. If they would let us we would vacuum the fur right off the biggest offenders. Baths are also frequent and it's a good thing we have an extra bathroom just for the dogs. It looks like a disaster area afterward with fur EVERYWHERE. Dogs shake when wet, it's just a fact.

 

We do our very best to keep the evidence of the massive shedding epidemic that happens this time of year under wraps, but there is only so much we can do. If you visit our home, you'll probably leave with a few souvenirs on your clothes. Deal with it. Do I occasionally find a stray cat hair in my oatmeal? Yup. I pick it out and keep eating. It's just part of being a furbaby mama. #momlife #doglife #catlife #truelife. My best suggestions are to invest in quality essentials like brushes, shampoo and a vacuum and make sure you never run out of lint rollers.

Coffee Talk

I don't remember the first time I tried coffee, but I didn't really come to LOVE it until really the last few years. Pictures with Starbucks cups in hand or of just the drink itself have become ever present and cliché at this point on social media, but I totally follow the trend. And you know what I always wonder as I scroll through my feed and see them? What's in that cup! I'll probably notice most everything else in the post secondary to the coffee. Am I the only one?

 

 

I've posted before about Starbucks cold brew but today I'm sharing my favorite orders straight from the source and some other go-to combos I make myself at home. Since I've been pregnant I've been on a coffee roller coaster. Around week 7 or so I developed a major coffee aversion. I was pretty bummed watching everyone else sipping their holiday lattes in their red cups but luckily I hadn't missed out on PSL season. The ban was lifted around week 15 and things really took a turn for the better on the coffee front. Previously I could drink coffee sparingly due to my bladder condition, but pregnancy has somehow lessened the effect on my body to the point that I can have it every single day. I'm not even going to question it.

 

During the week I make coffee at home and save Starbucks trips for special occasions or the weekend. I love brewing Green Mountain coffee in my Kurig straight into a mason jar and letting it sit in the fridge to get cold overnight. In the morning I transfer it to a go cup, add creamer and/or milk and ice and I'm all set. I do not drink dairy milk for various reasons so you will always find unsweetened vanilla almond milk in my fridge. I recently discovered almond creamer on a trip to Kroger and couldn't get it in my cart fast enough. A few of my favorite combos are Green Mountain Brown Sugar Crumble Donut with Silk Caramel Almond Creamer and a splash of Simple Truth Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, Green Mountain Wild Mountain Blueberry with Silk Vanilla Almond Creamer or Green Mountain Breakfast Blend with Silk Hazelnut Almond Creamer and almond milk.

 

Vanilla lattes, usually of the skinny variety, used to be my jam at Starbucks, but pregnancy has also changed my taste a bit. Even though I still love a good latte, I have discovered I also really like a stronger coffee flavor to my drink. My typical order these days is a grande iced coffee with coconut milk and a pump (or 2) or vanilla. Of course I do like to switch it up sometimes and go for a green or cinnamon chai tea latte or caramel machiato. Always iced, always with non dairy milk.

 

How do you take your coffee?

29 Weeks

 

Turning 29 and being 29 weeks pregnant was one of those neat little things I'll always remember and never be able to say again. I had another doctor's appointment but I was the last patient of the day and the scale needed to be recalibrated so I won't know how much more weight I've put on until next week. Not that I love watching the numbers go up on the scale, but I do like to know where I stand. We have a cheap scale at home we used to weigh the dogs as puppies but since I was told there would probably be a difference between the numbers it would show and the scale at the doctor's office I didn't even bother. I have been trying to eat smaller meals more frequently or lighter options like salads so I don't get too full and bring on the dreaded heartburn. Here's the funny thing. It was back with a vengeance when I got a tip from a kind older man at Target to try dissolving a teaspoon of baking soda into an 8oz glass of water and chugging it down. It just so happened that was the say of my last doctor's appointment so I asked her about it. She said she hadn't had any patients mention it, but it was perfectly safe to try and to let her know if it worked. If you follow me on Snapchat @rufflifeky you know I asked if anyone has ever tried this as a heartburn cure. Several people had, with good results, so I was all set to try it, but I've only had a few bouts of low grade heartburn barely worth mentioning. I'm sure that now I've said this it will be back to visit and then I'll let you all know if the baking soda trick works.

 

I'm still mixing regular clothes with maternity, but I am fortunate that the office I work in has a very casual dress code and is even still pretty lax on it. The warmer weather has been great for maxi dresses and skirts with my maternity tanks and a denim vest or jacket over top. I can also still wear some of my short dresses as is or with leggings underneath to turn them into tunics. I rock leggings with tees or tanks and open shirts or jackets too. I have these in both colors and just ordered a second pair of these because I also sleep and workout in them. I'm not thrilled to be super pregnant when it starts to get really hot, but at the same time it seems to be much easier to dress for the third trimester in the Spring/Summer than Winter.

 

Symptoms: This kid moves all the time but right before I go to bed is by far the height of activity. Sometimes it looks like little P is just going to bust right out of my belly and break free. It looks SO WEIRD to see my body contort with the rolls, elbow jabs and punches. Rib pain and back pain, same old, same old. Still feeling good enough to keep up with 5 day a week regular workouts. I have been asked about the modifications I've been doing so I'll have to do a separate post on that. No sign of that dark line on my belly or stretch marks...yet. Sleep is fine, just waking up to pee once a night. I had a slice of homemade blueberry pie for my birthday and it was heaven. Yup, the blueberry cravings are still hanging around.

29 & Feelin' Fine

Tank / Shorts - purchased in store @ Target

 

Over the weekend we celebrated my 29th birthday. Hello last year of my 20s! I'm not usually someone who enjoys being the center of attention but I have always loved being the birthday girl. 29 may not be a typical milestone birthday, but I was happy about it none the less. It just so happens that I'm 29 weeks pregnant the week I turned 29, which I think is pretty cool. Some people have asked if I'm sad that I'll turn 30 next year. Sad? Why would I be sad? Not to be all morbid or anything but in this world, not everyone makes it until that next birthday. I'm sure you know someone or maybe it's even you that would give anything to celebrate another birthday with someone who has seen their last. So if you ask me, every year you get to have another birthday is cause for celebration and appreciation of life.

 

Shoes

 

My birthday is April 24th so it was actually on Sunday, but the celebration began Friday when my dad sent me a beautiful spring flower bouquet at work. Saturday I made candles with my mom and some of my girlfriends and had lunch outside. Sunday morning my hubby let me sleep in and only woke me up to give me breakfast in bed made up of my favorites from different places. He also threw in a new pair of Nikes I've had in one my various online shopping carts waiting to go on sale. We spent the afternoon enjoying the nice weather and playing with the dogs in the yard and then had dinner on the patio of a local restaurant. I gifted my sister one the gorgeous Nena & Co. bags for her birthday this winter and have been wanting one for myself ever since. My parents surprised me with one of my own and I am pretty sure it can double as a super stylish diaper bag when the babe comes.

 

 

29 and feelin' fine is my motto this year. I am incredibly grateful for so many things in my life and excited for all that is yet to come. Life continues to get better and I can't wait to see what else is in store for me.

Registering with BabyList Baby Registry

Back in my first trimester I began reading reviews about baby registries. All the baby gear that one is supposed to consist of seemed pretty overwhelming for a first time mom, but I thought I could handle going to a store and picking things from a list. I know that it's a bit uncommon for a pregnant woman to begin this process so early on, but we had just bought the new house and I knew we would be very busy with projects come third trimester. Add in everything else going on in the last couple months of pregnancy and my registry was something I just didn't want to be concerned with at that point. So as I was trying to decide which store/s would be the best fit for us, I kept coming across ads and posts for this website called BabyList Baby Registry. I finally checked into it and was surprised that I actually found it to be a great match for someone like me.

 

mamaRoo / Playard / Booties / Jumper / Nursing Pads / Car Seat / Rattle / Bottles

 

The concept is pretty simple, you create a web-based registry by adding anything and everything you want that has a web link. This includes all of those Etsy shops and other small companies that the big baby stores do not carry. As a big supporter of shopping small, this alone was a huge pro for me. I also really liked that Baby List provides a general check-list of items you should include on your registry but also gives you a more personalized version once you sign up. Adding items to your registry is literally as easy as clicking a button that you very simply install on the tool bar of your internet browser plus there are apps for iPhone and Android. You can even categorize the items with preset listings or create your own. When it comes time for shower invitations all your hosts have to include is the custom link to your registry, which you can see as the administrator of your account, and your guests are free to start purchasing. Now that my first round of shower invites has gone out, I can confidently share that those on the gift buying end are also finding the registry to be very easy to navigate. Top sites to purchase gifts from as well as the current price are listed underneath items with clickable links but each person is also free to purchase the gift from any other website or store. Gifts can be reserved for purchase and then confirmed after the purchase is made.

 

Although all the pros might make this registry choice seem like an obvious one, it's definitely not for everyone. The fact that every style and brand of baby gear is an option as opposed to picking from just the ones a store offers can be very intimidating to some. You aren't on your own completely since Baby List has review links and features certain products, but when you have everything out there at your disposal, it's easy to get lost. I began my registry in my 2nd trimester by asking my mommy friends to name their top 5 favorite baby items and tell me why. Then I went down my personalized check-list and just started researching reviews online on baby websites, mommy websites, blogs and unbiased sources like Consumer Reports. Yes, it was a lot of work and yes it was quite time consuming. But ultimately I felt very sure of all my choices and loved that I wasn't limited to only certain brands. I am by no means an expert, but I feel like after this experience I am qualified to answer questions some of you expecting mamas might have about registering via Baby List. And I also want to say that I am definitely not being compensated for this post, I simply I am sharing my personal review and opinion hoping some of you will find it helpful.

Beach Hair, Don't Care

I am a casual kind of girl through and through. Give me jeans and a t-shirt over a cocktail dress every day of the week. So it's not surprising that I never rock any fancy hairdos or even attempt any style I think will take longer than about 5 minutes. I have always loved those beautiful beachy waves the bikini models seem to rock so effortlessly and have been trying to perfect that look for years. Really. Probably if I bothered to spend more time it wouldn't have taken so long. But, I FINALLY feel like I have it down. And of course my favorite part about this style is that it's easy and doesn't take long. I realize that different types of hair require different styling techniques, so this might not quite work for everyone. But it can't hurt to give it a try right? My hair is pretty fine but I actually have a lot of it, and it does have a bit of a natural wave if left to air dry. I only wash my hair twice a week and just use dry shampoo in between, but I have found that this method yields the same results whether I just washed my hair the night before or 2 days ago.

Start with dry hair, clean or dirty, your choice. If I haven't just washed my hair the night before I spray in this dry shampoo to add a bit of volume. I love that it sprays on clear, leaves no residue and definitely gives my hair some life since it can tend to look limp. My only complaint is that it doesn't smell amazing. I really love hair products that have an awesome scent. Moving on. Spritz this sea salt spray, yes it's the same brand, all over your hair from about an inch from your roots all the way around and to the ends. Don't overdue it so that your hair actually becomes wet, just make it ever so slightly damp. Make sense? This isn't an exact science. While you're doing this part have a large barrel curling iron heating up. I use this one and it gets hot fast. Once your hair is coated in the spray get to work scrunching it with your hands in large clumps. Next take the curling iron and wrap large sections of hair around the barrel starting about 2 inches from your crown. Hold for 5 seconds and release. Once you have finished your whole head, let the curls cool to the touch and then tousle your hair with your hands. I slide my fingers underneath and lightly shake everything out. And that's it, you're done. No hairspray, just loose, I totally just came from the beach waves. My hair stays like this all day and I love that it's a very imperfect look already so I don't have to keep messing with it. Again, I realize this won't work for everyone, but I just wanted to share in case you've been looking for a new way to achieve this style.

Weekending

I feel like lately all of our weekends are rather eventful without a whole lot of downtime. I'm not complaining though because it's not all work and no play. That's not the way we roll around here. Friday night my mom and I went out to shop for a super fun wall art project we have planned for baby Pfeff's room. A bunch of individual pieces will come together for a cute decorative feature and I'm pretty excited about it.

 

Saturday I was up early, as usual, but instead of my typical make breakfast, workout, clean/do laundry routine, I took the morning to get myself ready. It's not every day you have a maternity photo shoot so I wanted to look my best. If you missed Monday's post about this, check it out and enter the contest here. I seriously considered wearing my outfit the rest of the day but it just wasn't practical for running around town. We ended up going out in the evening for drinks, well for everyone but me, and dinner so I changed again for a total of 3 times in one day. That's a lot of work when you're 7 months pregnant and trying to make a basketball belly look cute. But the gorgeous weather was calling to be enjoyed.

Sunday morning I made Chris sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches and scrambled some eggs and veggies with iced coffee, of course, for me. I also made a strawberry peach pastry that was pretty awesome. The strawberries are just so good right now I cannot help but buy them up to make things with. I even opted for a double dip strawberry cheesecake cone after running errands later in the day. A sunny 80 degree Sunday absolutely called for shorts, new sandals and ice cream. My dad painted the baby's room and I played around with the wall art pieces imagining what everything will look like as it all comes together. We spent the evening hanging in the backyard and then catching up on shows on the couch, windows open. I look forward to every weekend but I'm especially excited about this one coming up because I celebrate 29 years during my 29th week of pregnancy. Kind of cool, right?!