Yummy and quick dinner under $10

     Tonight, I am making one of my husbands favorite dinners: Baked Ziti. I have to admit though... The store I shopped at had everything I bought on sale today. Normally, this meal should be under $15 to make... Today, it was honestly $9.96. The best part, it usually lasts us at least 2 nights (sometimes 3). It shouldn't take longer than 30 minutes to complete.

Ingredients:

-2 cans of vodka pasta sauce (I normally buy Prego brand)

-1 box of ziti pasta (if penne is on sale, by all means get penne pasta)

-1 lb of ground mild Italian pork sausage (you can use ground beef or turkey, but I like the flavor the sausage adds)

-1 package of shredded Mozerlla cheese

Cooking directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 325. In a medium sauce pan, cook your ground sausage thoroughly. Drain off excess grease, if needed. Add both cans of vodka sauce and bring to boil. (I always rinse the jars out with a little bit of water or wine, and add it to the pan.) Once sauce is boiling, reduce heat and let simmer. In the meantime, boil your water for your pasta. I always salt and oil the water. Cook your pasta according to the doneness you prefer. *When baking most people suggest only cooking the pasta to al dente because baking it will finish the cooking process.* Drain pasta, and return to pot. Add the sauce to the pasta and mix well. Pour pasta into baking dish (I use a large casserole dish.) Sprinkle the Mozerlla cheese over the top of the pasta (yes, I use the whole bag.) Place into oven, and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese just starts to turn golden.  

There you have it... ENJOY!

37 weeks! Full Term!

      I am beyond thankful to have made it to this point. I am currently 37 weeks. I have finally reached full term. Baby girl can come any time she would like now. Update on baby: All my apps say she's the size of a winter melon (19-22 in and 6.5 lbs). Well, last week I had my ultrasound to measure her... She had her legs crossed (Daddy said "good girl, keep that up") which means we were not able to re-confirm the sex. Even if she she were to come out a he, it will be a wonderful blessing we will take in stride. She is head down, and they said she's currently around 7.9lbs. If that's accurate, she's already bigger than her big brother was when he was born. 

     I can definitely feel that she's bigger. Plus, my stomach seems much bigger this time. It looks to have lowered too. I've reached that point where I'm uncomfortably pregnant. People ask me how I feel, and my best answer is "ok," but that's usually stretching the truth. Pregnancy is one of the most amazing things God blesses us with, but it's also the most painful thing our bodies usually go though (and most of the time we are so willing to do it). 

      Big brother seems to be excited about her arrival. He loves to look at all of  "baby sista's" stuff. We are trying our best to make sure he understands the concept of his impending sibling. I'm not for sure if there is a to fully prepare him to understand at his age, but from the conversations we've had, I think he's going to be a wonderful big brother. 

         We are still in the process of trying to make sure we have everything ready before she makes her big arrival. We are working on getting the house cleaned and ready. Hospital bag is packed and on stand by. I feel like this time around, it's been much more of a "laid back" experience so far. We have an idea of what's necessary to stress about and what isn't worth the stress. Unless she decides to arrive earlier (which is totally fine at this point), my doctor plans to induce me on Monday, April 13th because she is already measuring a few weeks bigger than she should. 

      One thing I know for certain, ALL of her family is looking forward to her arrival! I can't to meet my baby girl!

10 things that change once you become a parent....

  

I often begin to tell a story about my day to a friend, and realize if they aren't a parent too, this is going to be a gross or weird story to them. Nothing really can prepare you for becoming a parent. I'm the oldest sibling of 3, and I thought all the babysitting I did when I was younger had prepared me to take care of my child. It may have helped some... Little did I know, I never got into the "nitty-gritty" part of caring for them. Here's a list of 10 things that your outlook changes completely once you become a parent....

1.) Spit up and Vomit:
           Growing up, spit up would gross me out only a little because I knew it was something totally normal for a baby to do. However, I never thought it would be something so "normal" that you judge if it's so much your (or baby's) outfit needs to be changed or will this amount be livable.
             Vomit is a whole other realm. I could not be in the same room as someone who was throwing up, until I had my son. Now, I kick into MOM MODE and rush by his side to help him and clean the mess up. No matter how much or how terrible it smells, when it's your child, it's like it no longer can bother you. That doesn't mean I won't hop in the shower to clean off if he got some on me too, but I wouldn't dare leave his side while he's sick for anything now.

2.) Poop and Pee:
            When you have a newborn, your life totally changes. One of the biggest changes I found is that you start to stress about poop and pee. You want to make sure your baby is pooping and peeing  enough (some moms even keep charts). Just like with the spit up, you gauge if it's so much pee the sheets need to be changed right away or can you just sleep though the night with a towel down, and put them in the washer in the morning.You worry when the poop is a different color one day, or the texture changes. AND nothing is worse to you when your poor little one become constipated, and you seek advice from EVERYONE that will solicit it, just so you can make him or her feel better. You find that you will begin to have funny poop stories that your parents are only laughing at because they've been there before with you.

3.) Rotten Bottles:
         This is one that first time parents must learn from "trial and error." There have been times where, probably due to tiredness, I had no clue a bottle was missing until a few days later when all you can do is smell it. Then, your only task is to find that sucker so you can either clean it or trash it. Yes, there have been times where I find it's not even worth trying to save. Then, you wonder how it got there in the first place and how you didn't realize the bottle was even missing - again, I blame being tired.

4.) Alone time?
         There's no such thing as alone time when you become a parent. I literally had a conversation with my toddler the other day asking to just let me go to the bathroom by myself, and he of course said "no." It's rare to get an uninterrupted bath. Nap time and bed time become a treasured  time of peacefulness in your house, if your not so tired that you join them (being pregnant, I'm usually napping at the same time as he does). Also, you look forward to this time to get simple tasks completed that are otherwise pointless when they are awake (like straightening up the house). Once in a blue moon, you get have a date night and some legitimate alone time with your spouse... You feel guilty the whole time that you aren't with your little one.

5.) Silence is golden, unless you have a toddler...
          It's not often that my son has a chance to be totally out of my sight and get into stuff, but when he can... man he always does a doozy. Usually, I will be in the middle of switching the laundry from the washer to the dryer or cleaning a few dishes in the sink... and then, I realize he's quiet. Unless you know they are asleep, quiet = scary,  with a toddler in the house. It's always the craziest and awful messes he creates when he's left to his own accord.

6.) Sleep
          In the beginning, you won't remember what sleep is with your newborn... and everyone will tell you... "Sleep when baby sleeps"... but you will never get any housework done. I would occasionally sleep maybe an hour or two when Braeden was a newborn, but I never could sleep much longer than that because I kept thinking of everything I really needed to get done while the baby didn't need me. Then, your baby will finally get the days and nights right... but that first night he or she sleeps all the way though, you won't. I woke up at least 2 times to check on him because it was not the norm for him to sleep though the night. Later, you then become so use to getting to sleep though the night... and your little one gets sick and keeps you up.... You will feel like death the next day. It has happened a few times with me, and I swear it's worse than being up all night with a newborn (because you're expecting that).

7.) Daylight Savings:
             When you were younger, you would get so excited to gain an extra hour of sleep or complain about the hour you were losing. When you have a child, all you do is lose sleep. There's no gaining and hour or losing for that matter. All that happens for you at this point, is the time changes. For your child, they stay on their own biological clock. This means, 10pm bedtime becomes 11pm in the Spring, and you have to work on getting them to go to be an hour earlier than they are use to.

8.) Leaving the house:
             You will envy and miss those days when you could decide to go somewhere and just leave. Now that you have a child, you have to make sure you have the diaper bag with all the essentials stocked, a bottle or cup, the baby dressed, make sure you are dressed decent, and anything you may need. It takes about 10 minutes just to get out of the house. Once you have a toddler, it becomes a little easier, but there's still stuff you have to gather before you leave.

9.) Reading Material:
            I was always an avid reader. Instead of fiction novels, I now read baby websites and magazines about various questions I have. It's rare that I have time to read a fun book now that I have a child, and that's totally fine with me. The key to these baby websites or doctor websites is to remember to take all of the information you read with a grain of salt. If you are worried your baby is sick with something, instead of just diagnosing them by reading an article, take them to their doctor and find out for certain.

10.) I LOVE YOU:
             It's very true that you don't know unconditional love until you have your own child. I use to scoff at that notion until I had my son. I knew I loved my husband more than anyone in this world, until I held my son. I still love my husband just as much now, if not more because I have learned to love differently. I tell my son every night before he falls asleep that I love him... I have since he was a newborn and I still do today. The best moment in a mom's life is the day your child says "I love you mommy" in return. It's the best pay off a mom can have. Especially when you realize they understand what they are saying and not just repeating you. Every night now, he tells me he loves me and gives me a kiss. It truly makes all the sacrifices and all the crazy stuff we put up with totally worth it... those 3 simple words.

Homemade Play Dough (edible)

     I'm convinced my son believes we can totally live outside forever. He wakes up in the morning and requests to go play outside. Since I'm currently 9 months pregnant, chasing after him is a task. So, I've been challenged to find things to do outside to keep him entertained (and more importantly, keep him in one spot). A few days ago, I posted about making edible paint for toddlers. Well, since you never know what a toddler my try to put in their mouth, I wanted to find an edible play dough recipe. There are plenty out there. One thing I noticed though, most of them call for cream of tartar.... An ingredient I rarely keep around. So, I had to find one that would work without that ingredient.  We had just as much fun making it as we did playing with it. Here's the recipe:

4 cups of flour (I used AP)

1 cup of salt (I used regular table salt)

1 cup of hot water

2 T (tablespoons) of oil (regular vegetable oil is fine)

Food Coloring

*some recipes call for flavoring too, but I feel that's just asking for the toddler to eat it*

In a big seperate bowl stir together the flour and salt. In a cup measurer, put the water in the microwave for 2 minutes (it will be boiling hot, so keep it away from the children until the flour has been mixed in). Add the 2 tablespoons of oil into the hot water. I grabbed 4 seperate bowls (you can do how ever many you want depending on how many colors you want). I poured the water and oil in even amounts into each bowl (1/4 cup in each bowl). Then, I added about 3-4 drop of food coloring into each bowl (amount of coloring depends on how bright you want the dough). Then, I  took a cup measurer and evenly divided the flour and salt mixture into each bowl (about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups per bowl). I used plastic knives (for easy clean up) and mixed each bowl. If any seem too dry, add a little more hot water. If any seem too wet/sticky, add some more flour until the right consistency. (Best way to describe the right consistency... is when it feels like the play dough you buy in the store). 

      I only gave him about 1/2 of  each color we made to play with today. Then, the rest, I stored in plastic bags to keep them fresh. 

What you actually need in the Hospital Bag

        Since I am only 2 weeks out from being at full term (37 weeks) with this pregnancy, I figured I should get started with packing the hospital bag. We are obviously hoping she decides to wait until at least 39 weeks to make her appearance, but we want to be prepared just in case she comes anytime now. There were several things we packed with our last baby that were never even removed from the bag until we came home and unpacked the hospital bag. Here's a list of what you will actually need to take to the hospital for you, your partner, and the baby. Just below is a link to our YouTube channel video about all you will need, or if it's easier, there's a list below for you.


How to pack your Hospital Bag

                                                   Image from: www.gardenista.com
You:

-Insurance information and ID
-Outfit (at least 2, in case your stay is extended)
*with all clothing, including pj's, be nursing conscience if you plan to nurse*
-Toiletries (Shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, etc.)
-Toothbrush and Toothpaste
-Hair brush
-Nursing Bra : I've read that wearing one to the hospital isn't a terrible idea
-Pajamas
-Underwear: I suggest some that you won't mind getting messed up)
-Pads: the hospital will usually provide you with some, but it you do not like the kind they have, it's great to know you have some you like
-Nursing pads: Even if you are not planning on nursing, you may start leaking colostrum
-Flip flops or house shoes (or both): Because hospital floors are cold on bare feet, and I know many people like to wear flip flops when showering in places other than their own home
-Snacks
-Phone and/or Camera Charger

That's about it for you, for the necessity side of things. There are a few more things I will list that you will see on other hospital bag lists, but most of these items NEVER saw the light of day until we returned home with the baby and unpacked our bag.
-Robe
-Towels (my hospital provided me with them)
-Magazines
-Blanket (hospital will provide you with plenty)
-Razor (yeah right, you just delivered a baby... )
-Make Up (I did put a little on the second day just to make me feel like I didn't look like a total zombie, but definitely was not on the top of my list of priorities)

Partner/Spouse:

-Outfit (at least 2, in case your stay is extended)
-Toiletries (Shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, etc.)
-Toothbrush and Toothpaste
-Hair brush
-Underwear
-Pajamas
-Snacks and Drinks
-Money for Vending (Oddly, it's like one of the most important things!!)
-Phone charger and/or camera charger
-Entertainment (there will probably be plenty to keep them entertained. There usually is a TV in the room. Magazines, tablets, books, or anything they may like. For that matter, if labor is taking a long time, like 17 hours for me, any of these can offer as a nice distraction for you, as well.)

Baby:
Let me point out, most every thing you may need for the baby, will be provided by the hospital. Almost every thing on this list may not actually be a necessity, but it is nice to have your own.
-Diapers
-Wipes
-Hat
-Blanket
-Nightgown
-Onesie
-Going Home outfit *must have*
-Bottle (nursing or not. If for some reason you need to supplement, you will want the baby to start off with the bottle of your choice. The hospital will provide formula and tips, if necessary).
-Nursing Pillow
-Car seat *must have*(The base should be already installed in car. Hospital staff will usually walk you out when you are discharged to check it)
-Gift for big sibling (if you are doing that)

Toddler Safe Edible Paint

      Well, I've seen it all over pinterest under my toddler activities... It was too beautiful of a day not to try it out. We played with 100% edible (and of course, non toxic) paint. It's unbelievably easy to make, and my toddler had a blast! I only made 3 colors, and let him pick what colors he wanted. This recipe makes about 3 2oz paint colors - which is more than enough for a toddler! It takes only 3 ingredient.... In a medium mixing bowl, take 2 cups of corn starch, 1/2 cup-1 cup of water (wisk until thoroughly combined). The consistency should be of thick paint. You can make it as thick or as think as you prefer. Then, all you need to do is to evenly seperate the mixture into 3 containers and add food coloring of choice to shade of  liking (I used styrofoam cups and plastic knives for easy disposal). I also used a large empty box for him to paint in (for easy clean up).  Best part, it's totally edible, if it gets on his clothes, it will wash right out, AND he can use it as sidewalk paint too! It will wash right off there too. We had so much fun! (If you leave it out to dry over night,

It makes a great sidewalk chalk)

Surviving Pregnancy Heartburn

      Let me being with a brief statement.... I am not a doctor, and I do not want you to think what I say is Gold. What I will tell you is that I have been suffering with heartburn since around week 25. I had it really bad with both of my pregnancies. I tend to take the non-medication approach, if at all possible (which is not always the case). Here are a few remedies I have personally used that work, and some that I have read "work," but I have not actually tested....

Lets begin with food:

I know, being pregnant, when you read to stay away from trigger foods like spicy foods makes total sense until the only thing you are craving is that enchilada or cheese sauce from your favorite Mexican restaurant, and nothing else will suffice until you have it. SO... I say... Try to avoid trigger foods, but be prepared to suffer heartburn consequences if you do eat something that may trigger your heartburn. I've noticed, lately, with me, every thing I eat seems to be a trigger.

Some foods known to help heartburn are: (I have read that for some people, they still trigger heartburn)

-Bananas
-Pineapple
-Ginger
-Sweet Potato
-Honey
-Apples
-Dijon Mustard (the vinegar used to make it is what actually works)

Personally, I have tried the apples. They work immediately, but very temporary- 30 mins of relief tops. I've tried the bananas, but I haven't noticed much of a difference. Nor,ally, I feel that pineapple causes me heartburn rather than relive it. Ginger is great to relive upset stomach, as well as
 heartburn.

Some odd ball relief strategies:

-Baking Soda
        It will not taste amazing, but it will help. All you need:
        1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed into 1 glass of water. Drink and be merry. The
         soda neutralizes the acid in the stomach.
                                                                

                                                      Image from: www.healthyfoodhouse.com
-Aloe Juice
       Just as we use aloe to soothe burns, it can also be used to soothe heartburn. All you need:
       1/2 cup of aloe juice. *warning: it can act as a laxative, so be aware of that before drinking*
                                                                 

                                                 Image from: www.organicaloevera.com
-Apple Cider Vinegar
       The whole concept of acid to fight acid seems crazy, but many people swear by this technique.
        All you need: 3 teaspoons - 1 tablespoon of Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar mixed in 6-8
        oz of water.
                                                                     

                                                            Image from: www.iherb.com
-Chamomile Tea
        Supposedly the best time for this strategy is to have a cup of tea about 1/2-1 hour prior to bed. It
        will help relax you and reduce inflammation caused by the heartburn
                                                                      

                                                            Image from: bryanallain.com
-Chew Gum
         I was skeptical at first. I read it's best to chew gum for 30 minutes after a meal. The chewing
         motion created increases your saliva and rids your body of the acid that causes heartburn. This
         has become my favorite treatment that I have found. I, personally, buy Trident Sugar-Free
         Spearmint gum. Plus, it keeps your breath fresh after meals :)
                                                                

Image from: nyulocal.com

 

Some medicinal relief:

 

-Tums/Calcium

       This is the first form of "medicine" relief I reach for when nothing else seems to help. It usually

       will start relieving heartburn within seconds, but I find only lasts a few minutes IF my heartburn

       is really bad at that particular moment. Plus, it's a great source of calcium.

 

                                                                 

Image from: www.soap.com

-Zantac

        If all else fails, I will use zantac. It is ok'd for pregnant women to take. I try to only use to only

        use the regular strength (75mg), but lately, that has not been cutting it. I only find relief if I use

        the maximum strength (150 mg). I also like the ones that have the outer mint coating to cool my

        BURNING throat as soon as I take it. (I normally will buy store brand over the name brand to

        save $$)

 

                                                             

Image from: purchase-zantac-cheaprps1.weebly.com

 

-Pepcid Ac

        I have never taken this medicine for heartburn relief. I do not know how well it works. I do

        know it tends to be on the list of pregnancy approved medicine.

 

                                                                

Image from: www.drug3k.com

 

 

Now, I do know there are other over-the-counter pregnancy approved heartburn medications, but several of those seems to work only if you take them on a regular basis.

 

My goal is to give you pregnant moms out there find some ideas and ways to relieve your heartburn. I hope these remedies help you the way they have helped me. I hope you find some relief... I know how much it sucks having a constant burning feeling in the back of your throat. Remember, please call your doctor, if you have any questions or concerns about taking a medicine or the severity of your heartburn.

Information resource for some of the post: http://everydayroots.com/heartburn-remedies