April photo a day challenge + new link-up

Welcome to the  
LINK UP! 


With


 



I'm sure you've all seen the photo a day challenges floating around Instagram and Facebook.  We thought a this would be a fun way to complete the challenge with all of you!
We'll be using this list:



To participate, all you have to do each day is take a picture that illustrates the word for that day! 
Then upload that picture and tag it with both the word of the day plus "springfling" 
That way we can find all of your pictures throughout the week!
(for example; #gotcha #springfling)

 Come back starting next Friday to link up your post with the first weeks pictures!
Go ahead and Grab the button now to help spread the word! 


 photo photochallenge2sized_zps0f7046e5.jpg





Bump Day: 29 weeks!



How Far Along: 29 Weeks!

Size of the Baby: Crazy fruit comparison: the size of an acorn squash!  In real measurements: about 15 inches head to toe and weighs about 2 3/4 pounds!

Maternity Clothes: I've been sporting belly bands this week... that is when I actually put on jeans!

Stretch marks: No! I've been on top of it! Jojoba oil is my new best friend!Coconut oil is still a close second!

Weight gain/loss: Up 17.5 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. That's right, I gained 4 pounds this week! FOUR POUNDS! In on week! Luckily it's still all in the belly! I hope this kid comes out a normal size, not giant like it's father!
 
Sleep: Sleep is really hit or miss lately. I'm never quite comfy, and I'm turning from side to side every night, but I still can usually get a pretty good nights sleep... somehow!

Best Moment of the Week: We had a really great appointment with our midwife this week. We feel so confident in this whole process with her, it's great! I also had a successful second blood draw {this has been an issue for me} and found out that I am A+ blood type, which means I don't have to worry about extra shots and whatnot! Woot!

Movement: Baby is SO active, then every once in a while baby will be kind of lazy, and then goes crazy again. I'm thinking it's resting up from all the growing it's doing!

Symptoms: Still just back pain. It does mean getting a massage every night though, so I guess it's not too bad.

Food Cravings: Back to chocolate! I've been trying not to buy it, but if it happens to be right there as I'm leaving the store I can't help myself. Plus, Matt eats most of it anyway, so I don't feel too bad buying it! Sea salt and almonds, why do you have to make chocolate taste so good?!


Gender: It's funny hearing people tell me what I'm going to have though. Everyone is so sure that they know it will be a boy because... or it is definitely a girl because... All I can say is 'We will see in June!'
 
Belly Button in or out: Still technically in, but very flat!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still feeling good!

Labor Signs: Not even close.
  
Wedding ring on or off: On, an still roomy!


What I miss: Laying on my back! I just want to stretch out on my back and take a nap.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing baby! I had two dreams last night where I could see baby, just not very well. I can't wait! It's so hard to picture what our little one is going to look like!

Getting ready: I've been making lists of all the things I want to get done before baby gets here. It's long. I'm starting to chip away at it, but it keeps growing!

Emotions: Pretty even right now. I've been reading and planning a lot this week, so I think I'm mostly in a rational 'figure it all out' state of mind right now.

Stupid things I have done: I think I'm doing pretty good this week.
 


Insta- Friday!

It seems like I've had a lot going on lately, but you wouldn't be able to tell from my pictures!
I think I've fallen off the picture taking wagon, and I need to get back on!
Here are the few things I did manage to snap some shots of!

We bottled our second batch of Kombucha! It takes a while, but it's so worth it!
We have been eating out of our garden every night now!
Beets are so pretty!
Made this yummy white bean and kale soup!
Amazing gluten free banana blueberry muffins! and no, I can't ever make muffins without making a mess!
Just another day with Lilly the freak!
Last nights beauties from the garden!
So, according to instagram, all I do is eat... and take pictures of Lilly! Lol! I swear I do more!

Happy Friday everyone!

Happy Wednesday!

I hope you are all having a great week so far!
I know I am!
I ended up with a 4 day weekend with the hubby, and just got to do lunch with him today!
I love that his work can be so flexible!

I wanted to share with you all the giveaway I am participating in today over at Mavy May.
There is a ton of ad space, an amazon gift card, and a super cute knit cowl up for grabs!
So, check out her site, or enter below...



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bump Day: 28 Weeks!



How Far Along: 28 Weeks!

Size of the Baby: Crazy fruit comparison: the size of an eggplant!  In real measurements: about 14.5 inches head to toe and weighs just over 2 pounds!

Maternity Clothes: Finally put on a pair of maternity pants this week {after a long day of uncomfortble-ness in a pair of unbuttoned jeans} I am now living in these pants! They are not too ugly, and they are SOOOO comfy!!! Right now comfort far out weighs the fact that my pants go just about to my boobs! Hot, I know!

Stretch marks: Nope.

Weight gain/loss: Up 13.5 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. Baby is getting big!
 
Sleep: I've been SO restless lately! I just cant find a good spot!

Best Moment of the Week: Matt can now hear the babys heartbeat just by putting his ear to my belly! It's so cool that he can hear it, and so sweet watching him listen!

Movement: Full on belly jolting kicks have been going on! I don't know what baby is doing in there!?!

Symptoms: My back has been sore by the end of everyday lately. I chalk it up to the big belly pulling towards the front, and my seeming worse posture then ever! It's getting bad!

Food Cravings: Pizza! Which is weird, it's not something we normally eat, but it is sounding pretty good! I think I may need to look up a good gluten free pizza dough recipe soon!


Gender: We will see in June!
 
Belly Button in or out: Still technically in, but very flat!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still feeling good!

Labor Signs: Not even close.
  
Wedding ring on or off: On, an still roomy!


What I miss: After St. Pattys day and seeing all the Guinness posts and big displays at the stores I really wanted a beer! Just a sip... I'll have to wait quite a while for that one!

What I am looking forward to: BABY! It seems like June is just around the corner! We are starting to have our midwife appointments every 2 weeks now, so it's getting closer!

Getting ready: I'm waiting for this whole nesting thing to kick it! I know there are tons of things I want to do before baby gets here, but I have ZERO drive to actually do them! Come on Nesting instincts!

Emotions: Really glad that I have such an amazing husband to go through this whole thing with! He has been so amazing and supportive of everything so far, and I know that he is going to do great with the whole birth process too!

Stupid things I have done: I've been zoning out a LOT lately. I'll start a sentence and then just stop. I'll realize it a minute later, but by then I don't even know what I was saying!
 


and we have a winner!

The spring sponsor giveaway is officially over, which means we have a winner!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Rebecca! 

hello spring


Today is the first official day of spring! Woot!
Although we've been having some great spring-ish weather already, I'm still super excited!
Our garden is growing. We planted all kinds of flower seeds. And the weather is beautiful!
It doesn't get much better than that!

To me spring is all about new beginnings. It's a time when everything is fresh and new.
Everything is coming to life and everyday is brighter!

To celebrate new beginnings I want to offer 50% off all ad spots to you!
Wouldn't a new ad on a new blog be a perfect way to start the season?!

Just use promo code hellospring at checkout for half off!

Check out my Sponsor Page for more info.


Gardening the Natural Way

So, we have been spending a whole lot of time in our garden lately. Digging and planting and weeding! One of our well meaning neighbors saw us hoeing and picking weeds and asked why we weren't spraying them with round-up...

When we told him that we preferred to not spray toxins in our yard, especially around the food we are growing, he just didn't understand. "It's so much easier to spray"..."It won't kill your plants"..."You don't need to do all that work"

We told him about the run off and that we just didn't want to use poisons in our yard. Then we explained that we use vinegar to kill the weeds that are left after we've gone though and 'weeded'.

He didn't seem to understand why we were doing it the way we are, but eventually just dropped it and went on his way.

After this encounter I noticed how many people in our neighborhood were out spraying round-up all over their yards! All around their plants, along their fences, in every crack in the sidewalk!

I was amazed!

Don't the know how BAD round-up is for EVERYTHING?! Their health, their pets, the rivers and our water sources! They must not, or they wouldn't be doing it. Or would they? Do they think that is their only option?...Yes, I was getting a little worked up on my drive through town!

So, now I'm here to share with all of you that plain white vinegar KILLS weeds! 

Weeds + Vinegar + Sun = Dead Weeds! It's that simple!


Let's weigh the facts:
ROUNDUP
Toxic Chenmicals
Kills your soil
Creates 'Super' weeds and bugs
Kills or mutates benifecial bugs in your yard
Not safe to use around kids or pets {I don't care what they might say!}

VINEGAR
It's completely natural and not toxic
 Kills the weeds
Does NOT hurt your soil
Safe to use anywhere!
Oh, and it's cheap!


Seems pretty clear to me! 
So, please give it a try next time you are fighting the weeds in your yard! It works, I swear!



Bump Day: 27 Weeks!


How Far Along: 27 Weeks!

Size of the Baby: Crazy fruit comparison: the size of a head of cauliflower!  In real measurements: about 14.5 inches head to toe and weighs 2 pounds!

Maternity Clothes: I've been living in tights this week! So comfy!

Stretch marks: Nope.

Weight gain/loss: Up 12 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. I moved into a new weight range this week! It's kinda weird to see a number on the scale that I haven't seen in years! BUT it's all baby, so I'm happy with it!
 
Sleep: Not too bad, I've even been mostly sleeping through the night. The past few nights my legs just can't get comfy though!

Best Moment of the Week: We had a beach day this week while the sun was out and I got to sun my belly! It was really nice, but it's kinda hard to layout on the beach with a big ol' belly! I had to dig a hole for my baby bump so I could lay face down. It only kinda worked. Lol!

Movement: Oh my gosh! Rib kicking is in full swing now! It's still just here and there, but it's happening way more, and it makes me jump every time!

Symptoms: My belly is starting to hit things before I do.Lol. No more squeezing through tight spots! I'm not sure this is really a symptom, but my growing belly seems to be making my but look smaller by the day! I've got serious flat butt going on right now! Okay, I never really had a butt, but it seems more noticeable now!

Food Cravings: Sweets. All kinds of sweets!


Gender: We will see in June!
 
Belly Button in or out: When I take a deep breath it is totally flat!! So weird!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, still feeling good!

Labor Signs: Not even close.
  
Wedding ring on or off: On, an still roomy!


What I miss: Coffee has made it's way into my brain again lately... I've been off it for 7 months, you'd think I'd be over it by now!

What I am looking forward to: I'm starting to get excited for my baby shower! My mom and cousin are throwing me one next month, and I'm excited to get to see everyone!

Getting ready: I think I finished the registry! I've got the basics at least!

Emotions: So happy!

Stupid things I have done: ???
 


Let's all go a better place...bloglovin!

Did you hear Google is doing away with Google reader?!
To that I have to say 'Boo! Google you suck!'

So... Let's all move onto the next best thing, bloglovin'!
via

I actually like bloglovin' a lot, and have been thinking of switching over to use them exclusively for a while now.
Now I am for sure!
They make it really easy to categorize your blogs, which makes skimming through daily posts super easy!
Plus, it looks prettier than Google reader! Win, Win!
You can transfer all of your subscriptions from reader to bloglovin' too! {I'm trying to figure that one out now!}

In the meantime, click on that little button below if you want to keep up with me and my ramblings...

Follow on Bloglovin

Easy right?!

Now for the double sad part... it sounds like {unofficially} GFC might be on it's way out too!
I know! It's a dark day in blog-land!

SOOO... if following with bloglovin' isn't quite enough, you can add me on Google+.
It really doesn't seem the same, and I'm still trying to figure out the whole Google+ thing, but it's nice to have options, right?!

Oh Google, you sure like to keep us on our toes!

Hope to see you all on the other side of this!
We really have until the end of June, so there is time!
But make sure you do it by then, because I am going to have {probably a bazillion} pictures of the cutest baby ever up by then, and you don't want to miss out!



What I'm wearing: eShakti

These days dresses are the most comfortable thing in my closet.
Lucky for me the weather is cooperating nicely.
Unfortunately most of my dresses are now pretty much a shirt, thanks to this ever growing belly!

A few weeks ago I was given the amazing opportunity to try out a dress from eShakti. Any one I want!
So I perused their site and tried to keep in mind that my stomach is only getting bigger, and I want to wear it now AND after baby!


Pretty cute, right?! AND... it has pockets! Love it!

eShakti has some of the most fun dresses ever! Plus they come in all sizes AND are customizable!
Yeah, custom fit to YOU! They let you change the length, the sleeves, the pockets, you can even order some with or without embellishments! Pretty cool, especially for anyone who doesn't fit the 'normal' sizes.

I have my eye on a few things for after baby {when I have a waist again!} Like this dress...

or this skirt!

I love that skirt!

Oh, and did I mention that eShakti is offering you all 20% off right now!?! That means you can get two or more fun things, it'll be hard to pick just one anyway! Use promo code OHSONIFTY at checkout for your discount. Offer ends March 20th.

Have fun shopping!



Banana Blueberry Muffins from By the Porchlight

Today I have one of my lovely sponsors sharing a very delicious looking recipe with all of you! I won't keep you from it any longer, I'm sure you'll want to run to the kitchen after reading this!...


Hey there! I'm Lesley from By the Porchlight! I'm about to hit my 1-year blogging anniversary and have had a great year! I write about all things creative, good reads, good causes and all of life's adventures in between. Oh, and I can't forget good eats! I love cooking and baking so I thought I'd share a new recipe with you!


So, here we have it! Banana blueberry muffins! They were delicious and guess what?! Healthy, too! I was looking to try out my new coconut oil in and came across this recipe. I love banana bread and blueberry muffins so putting the two things together could not be wrong! I made a couple of alterations to the recipe above to suit my tastes & cupboard's stock a bit better.


What you'll need:

3 large bananas, or 4 smaller ones
1 cup sugar (you could use another sweetener, though)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup white flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup frozen blueberries
4 tbsps margarine

In one bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Then add the sugar and coconut oil. Mix well.

Next, in a second bowl, mix together 2 cups flour (1 cup each white and whole wheat), salt and baking soda.



Blend together the contents of both bowls. After the flour and banana mixtures are well mixed, fold in the blueberries.

Next, set aside the muffin batter. You'll need another bowl (yes, lots of bowls!) to make the crumbly topping.

Cream together the margarine and sugar and then add the flour. This should end up crumbly.

Pour the muffin batter into a greased tin. (I can't live without my Pampered Chef stoneware!) The batter should yield 12 large muffins. Top with the crumble.



As you can see, my topping wasn't so crumbly. I didn't really follow the directly for this, just threw some flour, sugar and margarine together haha. But it still tasted good!

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Check with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, the muffins are done! If it comes out batter-covered, bake the muffins another 3-5 minutes and check again.

And ta-da! Now you have delicious muffins!




I hope you'll come visit me at By the Porchlight and let me know how your muffins turned out! Thanks for letting me hang out today! Happy baking!

Hello Spring! Sponsor Giveaway

I hope that you have checked out some of my lovely sponsors along the side there, but if not, here's an up close look at a few of them! Make sure to check out their pages and give them some love! You won't regret it, they are pretty awesome!


BLOG :: TWITTER :: FACEBOOK

By the Porchlight is my latest adventure in creativity. I blog about diys, good food, good books, good causes and all of life's adventures in between.

What are you most looking forward to about spring?
Being able to go out for walks downtown with my hubby. 



BLOG :: TWITTER :: FACEBOOK :: PINTEREST

Hello! My name is Meghan, and I write this little blog. I am a Celiac who loves to get creative in the kitchen. I'm a health nut and am always soaking up ways to live a healthier, simpler and more peaceful life. Here you will find GFCF recipes, DIY's, photography tips, stories of our adventures, and lots about God's grace.

What are you most looking forward to about spring?
FLOWERS and lots of outside adventures!



BLOG :: TWITTER :: INTSTAGRAM

Thistles and Twigs is a happy, lighthearted place where I share fashion ideas, home decor  and life with my sweet little family! 

What are you most looking forward to about spring?
Simple. Tank Tops! lol really though I love warm weather fashion:)


BLOG :: TWITTER :: FACEBOOK :: SHOP

Lifestyle and Fashion blog where I get my daily ramble on. Just your average girl trying to figure out what makes her not so average.

What are you most looking forward to about spring? 
I am ready for warm weather, a tan, and not having to wear so much clothing! I LIVE for warmer weather.



BLOG

I am a new blogger, The Zale in Vail is a lifestyle blog. I talk about life in the mountains, music, my mountainista style and homes that I love!! I am an adventure seeking, wannabe hippie chick!

What are you most looking forward to about spring?
Barbeques on top of the mountain and long walks with my pooch!!


Now that you've met these lovely ladies, check out the awesome stuff they are giving away! 

  Pretty sweet right!?!
Now all you have to do is enter below.
Remember to actually DO what you say you are doing! {Nobody likes a cheater!}
 One winner takes all!
Good luck!



Bump Day 25 Weeks!


How Far Along: 25 Weeks!

Size of the Baby: Crazy fruit comparison: the size of a cauliflower!  In real measurements: about 13.5 inches head to toe and weighs about a pound and a half!

Maternity Clothes: This week has been all about dresses! So comfy!

Stretch marks: Nope, and I'm hoping it stays that way.

Weight gain/loss: Up 11 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. That means I gained 2.5 pounds this week again!!
 
Sleep: Seriously loving my big ol' pillow, it helps so much!

Best Moment of the Week: I took a surprise trip up to visit my family. No one knew I was coming, so I really got to surprise everyone!

Movement: Tons! Baby is getting some new moves now too. It's fun trying to guess what baby is doing in there!

Symptoms: My stomach is seriously growing, and my muscles are stretching and sometimes it doesn't feel so great.

Food Cravings: Not really.


Gender: We will see in June!
Belly Button in or out: In still, but it's almost flat now!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Yesterday an older lady sat next to us at lunch and her perfume just about did me in!.

Labor Signs: Not even close.
  
Wedding ring on or off: On, an still roomy!

What I miss:This week all I was missing was Matt. I took the trip alone and ended up being gone for over a week! 

What I am looking forward to: Seeing our baby! I try and think what he or she will look like, and I just can't see it... only 15ish weeks to go!

Getting ready: Nope, I need to get on the registry though.

Emotions: Excited.

Stupid things I have done: It seems like remembering words has been hard this week. I just can't quite form the right sentance anymore! lol!


A little catch up + some giveaways

Wow! I've been a little absent here lately, but for good reason.

I took a little surprise trip up to visit some family last week, and ended up being gone for over a week!

It was a little hard being away from Matt that long, but it was really great to see my family and for them to see my ever growing bump!

Nobody knew I was coming up, so I really got to surprise everyone! It was so much fun!

I also got a little surprise while I was up there!
My cousin, who's wedding I was in last year, told me she is pregnant too! I am so excited that we will be having babies so close together! They are going to be 3ish months apart, just like me and her older brother! We were really close growing up, so it will be just like we were back then!



It's going to be so much fun!!!

I also came home to see that this little ol' blog has over 100,000 page views!
That was a fun little surprise!

So, now I'm catching up on emails, a bump update, and something fun you'll want to come back for in the next few days! But for now, here are some fun giveaways I'm participating in right now!

Here is one over at the cottage diaries...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

and there is another going on at eat.live.make too!

Go give those girls some love, and have a fabulous Monday!



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Pin It button on image hover