Show & Tell Tuesday

The Best Gift I Ever Received.....

 

I mentioned this previously, but for sure, the best Christmas present I ever got was my piano. It's definitely a Christmas I'll never ever forget.

I wish I can remember exactly what year it was, but I know for sure I was younger, maybe not like 5/6 young, but like 10 ish/11 ish.

 

I had been taking lessons on a piano that my mom got from her friend who worked at a restaurant and they were getting rid of it. So it was pretty beat up and had cigarette burn holes in it. But that didn't matter to me. I was a happy girl with my own piano.

Well - the Christmas Santa brought me a piano was the Christmas my Gramma had a stroke. We were woken up to a phone call from her lifeline saying she pushed the button and wasn't responding so we all ran out of the house and down the street (3 blocks) to her house and she was ok - but lying on the floor of the bathroom. So we called 911 and were off to the hospital. I remember all my family being there and my mom saying to my aunt that we didn't get to "do" Christmas yet.... but it just didn't seem to matter... So when we finally went home, we started to open our gifts as if we had just woken up. It was probably about 2 or 3 pm at this point... And at the time our tree was directly across from the piano... I opened just about all my gifts walked past the brand new Yamaha upright with sparkly white keys more than a dozen times and never noticed. My mom had to point it out to me and I looked at it and it still too me a second....

I was SO happy! I'll never forget that. It was such a weird Christmas.

My gramma was ok and came home the next day...

But it was an awesome feeling to get that brand new piano.

I knew it was expensive. My mom was a stay at home mom and my dad was a self employed carpenter, and mind you he did very well, I still knew it was a lot.

 

 

I can't wait to move in to our new home and have it there to play and have it for my children to learn how to play. It's so special to me.

 

Now since I'm pulling from the past, I figured I'd do a recent one as well.

So my favorite gift from my husband, besides his unconditional love forever and ever and everything he's ever given me, is my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer!
I love that dang thing!

He got it for me the Christmas we were engaged.

It's amazing and I use it all the time!!

AND....it's RED! :)

Have a great day!
I'm going to be updating ya'll on our kitchen "mini" renovation...

We spent this past weekend updating our kitchen.

It's not quite done but it's much better....

Stay tuned for that

 

~Tiffany~

 

 

 

 

Wednesday - Weekend Wrap Up

Happy Hump Day!

Since I did a bumpdate post Monday,  and I slacked yesterday, today is my recap of the weekend...
My hubby left for travel on Monday morning and the poor thing was flying ALL day.
Luckily for this worried wife he had wifi on the plane so I was able to be calmer for those 12 hours! #thanksmoderntechnology

So this weekend...

 

It was super fun and low key all at the same time.

 

Friday I left work 2 hours early for a check up at my doctors - all is perfect.

 

I headed home and got a few things done before my hubby came home.

 

We had dinner plans with some old friends we haven't seen in a long time at a restaurant on Long Beach Island which was amazing.

 

It's called - The Arlington

 

 

The best part was it smelled like the ocean air so much because of the warm front....

And I guess because we were on the ocean block hah

 

 

I had a burger because....this baby wants all the beef!!

 

After 3 hours of catching up and lots of yummy food, we headed home.

 

Saturday Ted had to work so I cleaned the house and got lots of stuff done. I love a day where I really feel like I can catch up. Saturday night we went to Carabba's for dinner.

 

The only place I like mussels from....and that sauce!! Mmmm

 

We had a delicious meal complete with fabulous dessert.

 

 

That was something like....a brownie and chocolate mousse and ganache
OMG it was amazing.

I mean,  I wouldn't put it past me to order that to go for myself!

 

We came home and watched a little TV and went to bed early.

 

Sunday was business as usual...

We skipped church, which I hate, but with Ted leaving for travel Monday, we were so busy.

We ran a few errands and just spent the day hanging out together.

We ordered in Surf Taco for dinner and watched Home Alone 2

Then went to bed.

I know, I know - you're jealous of our exciting existence....

 

On Monday after he left for work travel, I headed to work late and trained my replacement.

Then went to moms and took a bike ride because it is so unseasonably warm!!
Then had dinner with mom and my brother and his family.

My mom made burgers, home-made French fries and milkshakes!

Omg it was SO good!

Then I headed home....and waited for my hubs to land in Cali - which was 9:15 our time.

Tuesday... I had to train my replacement again for the whole day... which is crazy because it makes you realize just how much you do at your job.

To me it's just second nature, but when you have to explain it to a new person, it's A LOT!

God Bless this woman because my job ain't easy!
Tuesday night Mom came over to help pack up my kitchen for the reno and we went out to eat and did a little more Christmas shopping...

 

It doesn't get much more exciting than that folks!

I haven't taken many pictures...

And I haven't done many exciting things...

 

This Sunday is my cookie swap

I will have lots to share next week about that!

To check out last years swap go here

 

Have a great day!

 

~Tiffany~

 

Bump-date !

I haven't done anything like this yet so here we go.... 

How Far Along: 23 weeks today!

Total weight gain: 9 or 10 pounds

Maternity clothes: Everything I wear! Except the occasional big hoodie or sweats.

Stretch Marks: No! I use cocoa butter but  really haven't gained weight rapidly so thankfully there are none of those!!

Belly button in or out: In but I think it's going to be out soon

 
Exercise: Not really. I've been walking a lot shopping if that counts! Haha I've been working all day then going home and doing the wife thing, so I haven't had much time to walk the neighborhood like I did in the beginning.

Best moment this week: My hubby being able to feel the baby moving on the outside. Seeing tears in his eyes when he felt our baby moving was priceless.

Miss Anything: Subs! I want an Italian sub SO bad... But all that lunch meat isn't good. I also miss pork roll!! Ugh, I ate pork roll like almost once a week... If you know pork roll, you know why!

Movement: Alllllllllll day he's moving around. I love it. And like I said, having my husband be able to feel the baby is so awesome.

Food cravings/aversions: My cravings are so weird!! I crave things from my childhood... like those nasty color drinks in the plastic container with the foil top...what the heck are they called...

I also have been craving the most random things at random times.

 

For example, last night while laying in bed I craved a sandwich from a place that closed last year. I also crave Hot Sam pretzels with Nacho Cheese - Hot Sam chain closed down about 10 years ago! And I also want burgers and all things meat.

Symptoms: Fortunately, I haven't had awful symptoms. I've gotten woken up in the middle of the night with a charley horse in my calf about 3 times now. My feet hurt if I'm on them a lot during the day. My lower back hurts here and there. And just general pregnancy stretching and pulling with is all new stuff to this first time mama.

Anything making you queasy or sick: CHICKEN!! Oh my goodness, I can't eat plain grilled chicken. Or a roasted chicken. I can eat all the wings and fried chicken you could imagine if I was allowed, but I can't do most chicken. Also I'm not a fan of the smell of coffee. And I like coffee :(


Labor Signs: No - thankfully


Wedding rings on or off? On =) 


Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy for the most part. If I had a crappy day I tend to let things get to me and I get moody. But I'm happy. And excited!


Looking forward to: My last day of work! I seriously can't wait to stop working. And I'm stopping early for several reasons.... but regardless of the reasons, I can't wait! I just want to be home and focus on the baby's room and nesting and just relaxing before he comes!
 

I'm definitely one of those women who LOVE pregnancy. I've been fortunate so far to have no issues and nothing but a pleasant experience...well...with raging heartburn!! Lol but otherwise it's been great!! 

Happy Monday... Last full week before Christmas. We can do it!! 

~Tiffany~

Life Lately & Favorites

Life Lately

 

::sigh::

 

It's been so busy - some in a good way, some not so much.

Our house listing expired, so it's officially off the market...

Well that is until January 4th

 

We decided to renovate the kitchen and spruce up the bathroom a bit.

Obviously not the road we wanted to go down because who wants to put money into a house they are selling, but it's what we have to do to get a bite.

 

All the new items will be delivered next Friday.

The Friday before Christmas - good times.

And this is because Ted has to travel to California for work next week

(insert me ugly crying here)

 

So between being a paranoid maniac when it comes to flying,

and being 5 1/2 months pregnant,

and just generally NOT wanting my hubby away for 4 days a week before Christmas...

I'm less than thrilled that he's going on such short notice.

BUT ALAS - I must put on my big girl panties and deal with it.

I have plans already set up with my mom those 4 days to stay occupied.

We're going to pack up my kitchen so it's ready for the reno when Ted gets back.

That should be a real hoot!

Packing it up, then unpacking then packing it again when we move.

I keep telling my self its all going to be SO worth it when we move into our new beautiful home with its country/beachy theme....

I mean....

 

 

Our new house looks like it's all Pottery Barn... I mean, I know those are HER decorations and everything but since we know the owner well she is kind of downsizing, she will be leaving lots of her stuff behind for us when she moves - lucky us!

I hope she leaves those Pottery Barn stools!! #wishfulthinking.

I wish I could go there and photograph every square inch....

 

Ok Moving On!!!!!!

 

Between all my doctor appointments every two weeks...

Christmas gatherings...

Christmas shopping....

Hair appointment...

Dinners with friends....

yada yada yada

I feel like yesterday was Thanksgiving & tomorrow is Christmas!

SLOW.DOWN!

I'll be so excited next year when I'm home for this entire season with a little one...

I can just relax and enjoy being a mom and soak it all up!!

 

On Sunday we cut down out Christmas tree...

My handsome hubby dragging out our tree and my moms

 *One of my favorite pictures :)

 

This is the sign that I made for the front of my office....

Had to keep it "correct" and write "holiday" instead of Christmas.

Hearing the kids talk about my fun marker boards is my favorite 

 

 If there is a Gertrude Hawk candy store near you, I suggest you go get this immediately!!!
This is by far my new favorite cookie!

Dark chocolate covered raspberry cookie! YES PLEASE!!!!

It's like their dark chocolate raspberry schmidgen with a thin chocolate cookie inside.

It's amazing.

 

This is one of my favorite Christmas pillows...

I love this saying.... And not just on Christmas, all the time

 

I chopped 4" off my hair and had a few highlights put in to feel better about my humongous roots.

I was nervous to do this because of the baby, but I was reassured that foils don't touch the scalp.

I'm still paranoid about it, not gonna lie.

The only pic I have that shows my hair.... me and my munchkins haha

I decided that I NEED this diaper bag.

I mentioned it here when I declared my love for Barrington...

I need this bag and every accessory that matches!

**hint hint**

 

 I mean......cutest diaper bag ever!

 Definitely my new favorite Barrington Tote!!!

~

 

I saw this on Pinterest... and I NEED to make it!

I'm not a huge fan of hunting. Like at all.

In fact, I hate it.

HOWEVER - deer naturally shed their antlers...

And my father-in-law works for a company located on a huge huge amount of land where there are lots of deer. So he often sees these shed antlers and grabs them.
He has quite a few so I asked for a couple to make these for some people.

Hopefully it comes out good!

Details when I do it!

I made Cajun Chicken Alfredo a few nights ago...
(Pasta is definitely my favorite during this pregnancy)
yeah.. had a TON left over and was planning on having it the next night...
I put it in a glass container to cool before putting the lid on and putting it in the fridge...
Yup - left it on the counter all night and the whole day while I was at work the next day.
AWESOME!
I was so upset.
#pregnancybrain

YUM!

 This is a picture I took in Seaside Park after the Boardwalk fire which was after Sandy...
This is a place called The Sawmill. It's a bar/restaurant with huge slices of pizza.
In the picture you can see all the siding melted...
They have since patched everything up and are better than ever !
This pic came up in my time hop - so I wanted to share

 

Meal Prep! Haha

Sort of.

Each day I made Teds lunch/breakfast

Last week I made him breakfast burritos.

I made chorizo/cheese/egg/jalapeno burritos.

They were a HUGE hit.

Like HUGE. The guys he works with all want me to make them for them.

Hahah...Definitely Ted's favorite

I forget why I wrapped that one in foil...

 

I also made bacon wrapped meatloaf...

I mean YUM.

I've shared this recipe before here ...

 

 

And this is something I think every preggo lady should have!!

Haha looks so silly but would get the job done!

 

So I've talked about homemade pizza before too..

Its one of my favorite things

Listen, if you're not getting your dough from a local pizzeria, you're doing it wrong!

It's so much easier and it's so good!!

When I made pizza I sauté grape tomatoes and garlic in a pan for the "sauce"

I use a block of mozzarella a instead of fresh because fresh is too watery on pizza

and I usually cook up some sausage and garlic too and put it all on there...

SO GOOD!!!!!! 

 

Also in my time hop was this picture from the summer a few years back...

 That was a margarita with a beer in it haha yummy!
This is a Mexican place with a big balcony over looking the boardwalk.
I remember we had nachos and quesadillas and it was SO hot.

So that is it for some Faves... and Life Lately!

I hope you all have the best weekend!!

 

~Tiffany~

 

 

 

Barrington Bags

Today I'm discussing my love affair with Barrington Totes!

I know they are a little pricey, but the quality and service are second to none and I just LOVE both of my bags to pieces!!

 

St. Anne Tote in Blue Stripe & Savannah Zipper Tote in Tan Herringbone

 ~

 

As I have mentioned before, I love my two Barrington Bags.

Ted got me my first one, the stripped one, for a Wedding present.

And I bought myself the second one.

Now that we are expecting a baby, it's only natural that I have the St. Anne Diaper Bag...

I mean.... right?!

The baby's room is going to be shades of blues and greens so this bag is absolutely perfect!

Check out other views and the inside of the bag here

I think this is the perfect gift for my hubby to give me ! haha

~
Now - like I said, I got the blue one first then the tan one.

I used the tan one for about 2 months and noticed the leather edging on the straps was fraying. So I sent an email to Barrington and within a few hours a lovely woman responded to me and explained that there was an issue with several bags because of a machine error. So she sent me a shipping label to send that one back and mailed me out a new one immediately! How's that for customer service!

They even asked if I wanted the same pattern and color - which I did, because I loved it.

~

Other bags I want by Barrington are...

 

The St. Charles Yacht Tote

 

It's big. It holds tons of stuff. It has compartments.

It's perfect for traveling!

 

and

 

I think this would be great to have in the diaper bag to put some of my little things in instead of carrying a purse AND diaper bag...

So cute, and matches perfectly!

 

Look how cute...

 

 

 

Mama needs both!

 

*This post is not sponsored by Barrington, I just genuinely love their product!*

 

Have a great Wednesday!!

~Tiffany~

 

Show & Tell ~ Christmas Decorations

I just love Christmas time!!

I mean, how can you not!?

Today I'm linking up to show my Christmas decorations!

Since we're still in the old house it's going to look exactly the same as last years link up - with a few minor changes... Either way, I love to decorate and love when the house smells like Christmas trees and has lights all over the place!!

Welcome! 

Come on inside....

And this is my little swag by the front door that I make each year 

This is the inside of my front door 

The wreath is too fat to fit between the front door and storm door, so I have this one on the inside and my smaller one on the outside.

~

This guy hangs on the inside of the front door.

I love that it jingles whenever the door opens and closes 

I got this at HomeGoods last year and I love it.

It's just so cute!  

Here is our beautiful tree!!

One of my 4 pillows

Another purchase from Kirklands this year. Love love 

Our stockings!! (Pottery Barn)

 The best Christmas fragrance!

Fresh Balsam!!

I got this in November when my mom and I went shopping. It's so cute

And my wooden reindeer with my cute elf

And of course my Nativity

This is the corner before my bathroom  

One of my favorite sayings this time of year...  

Another HomeGoods purchase...

I love this one  

My mom gave me this a long time ago.

I love the saying - he hangs by my front door! 

This is my Rodney Reindeer

My mom also gave me this guy a while ago...

Because my pup thinks anything stuffed is his, we keep him high up on the curtain rod! 

 My snowman flag - this guy has been around for a while too.

I want to get a new flag for next year 

I love this Christmas ball candle holder.

I got this a while back from a PartyLite party I hosted.

I believe it was my gift for hosting.

This hangs at the entrance of my kitchen 

My mom gave me this because she didn't like it or didn't have a place for it so I stuck it in my bathroom. It makes a nice night-light in there...

This guy sits on the toilet - glamorous I know,
but it goes with my snowman themed bathroom :) 

And the wall in our bathroom 

~

I just love Christmas. 

It's so cozy 

That's Christmas at our house this year!

Next year, I really hope to be in the new house and have all new spots for my stuff!!

 ~Tiffany~