Mommy Time, Take Two!

According to my pregnancy app, I've reached that milestone of glowing somewhat happiness.

The second trimester. The blissful place of no more fatigue, bye bye morning sickness, and joyfully sharing the news (no, I've not been consuming copious amounts of Twinkies, I'm expecting!). Truly, I'm hoping this will all come to pass. The sharing, check. Morning sickness so bad I actually had to ask my doctor for help (and I'm not big on meds) as well as trying to keep up with a two year old while constantly wanting to nap? Gladly, I will let you go!

Honestly, the nausea has slowed up its relentless onslaught of the last few months, although it still likes to remind me once in a while how much time we've spent together! Energy? Let's just say today, I washed AND put away the laundry.

And while celebrating, I've noticed that maybe my me time has, once again, fled with the sultry summer weather. Therefore, I'm starting the mommy ritual once again. Once a day (or even...gasp...twice!!!) this expectant mama of a two year old will be doing something for herself.

Today, I've decide to combine my Pinterest Addiction (yep, in caps) with mommy time to make a hearty fall soup. This may not be most mommy's ideal moment of snuck in bliss, but I love soup...especially during the first few days of fall!!

Zuppa Tuscana a la Olive Garden it is...from here...

Zuppa Toscana (in the crock pot). - http://pinterest.com/pin/373165519095145657/

I love how this fellow Blogger actually put in her blog that it is perfectly okay to adjust the recipe to what you would want. I think we get so caught up on making everything perfect, we forget that we can truly make anything ours. Personally, I like a more rustic feel to my soups, so I chose to leave the skin on (and I admit, it was easier with lil man to just clean and cube!) and use white as well as red potatoes. Plus, I used a lighter fat free base and am going to use whole milk vs. cream. Because you know I'll make up for it with bread with rosemary garlic butter ;-).



Of course, this is early stage crock cooking...but it still already smells delish.

And I really need to fit in some yoga sometime....

Pinterest Addict...Coffee Creamer!!

There isn't a morning that I wake up and don't want a nice hot mug of caffeinated goodness. Even if there are times that I half caff it, the ritual of coffee in my hands to start the day makes the day seem full of possibility (even that includes lunch in lil man's hair, floor, and maybe the ceiling).

I love flavored coffee creamer...vanilla, cinnamon, caramel, mocha, sugar cookie...you name it, I love it. But, there are weeks that I skip my little treat, not just for cost but because I'm seriously starting to read labels. If there are too many things I don't recognize, I tend to skip it.

Enter Pinterest! (Of course!!)

I actually found this homemade pin on a friend's board who is getting to know her kitchen. And she's very picky. So I knew it had to be good.

And, it gave me something to do with all those spaghetti sauce glass jars and a glass bottle from the vinegar that went into the natural weed killer.



All you need is a can of sweetened condensed milk (I've even tried the fat free one), milk of your choice, and flavoring (I added vanilla extract and ground cinnamon).

For my batch, I emptied half of the sweetened condensed milk into a jar, added one and a half teaspoons vanilla extract, a dash of cinnamon, and filled with skim milk. Put the lid on, shake it up, and you are ready to go. Since I usually add skim to my creamer to lighten it up, this ratio works wonderfully for me. For convenience, I funneled it into the empty vinegar bottle (it pours easier!). Then, I use the mason jar to make the rest and store in the refrigerator. You need to shake it up before you pour ;-), but so worth it.



Now, I have over two weeks of yummy morning moments to enjoy for less than the cost of a single ready-made bottle. Moments that will be enjoyed, even as we read our morning books, race our cars on the dog, and drop our Goldfish crackers all over the floor...

Pinterest Addict...Detox Water

I'm not entirely into the whole detox craze. I get it, you want to flush the nasties out, yadda yadda yadda. But, I like some of those things...at least I drink half caff coffee now ;-)

But, my water intake has hit the skids, mostly because, you guessed it, I'm focused on lil guy. When nap time comes, I inhale lunch (which I'm trying to make vegetarian), get a little housework done, and fit in mommy time. If I'm lucky.

Two friends of mine did a three week detox, and were raving about how great they felt. I was a little envious, I admit it. But I just knew I wouldn't be able to go all in.

Enter my Pinterest addiction.

I searched detox, and found some fabulous water DIY's that seemed like I could fit them into my lifestyle, my way.

I love water, and was a huge agua consumer before my bundle of joy. Somehow, I let it get away from me. But, I knew I get drink a glass first thing in the morning before my coffee, and one before each meal. Plus, sprinkled through out the day. Especially if I actually made a concoction...

First up, blackberry sage...mostly because my sage is making its Spring debut!!



Using my pestal and mortar (dear lord, let me have spelled that correctly!!) that desperately needed to be used instead of collecting dust in a cupboard, I gently pressed on the sage, just enough to let the oils release.



Gorgeous, aren't they?



These beauties were gently smooshed (I love that word, even if it isn't real!) them, then added them with the sage to a pitcher filled with filtered water.



It slept overnight in the refrigerator, and was ready.

Loved it!! Crisp, with a mild fruity flavor that balanced the earthiness of the sage, this quickly is becoming one of my favorite Mommy rituals...plus all that goodness is supposed to rev up my metabolism.

Can't wait to try the next one ;-)