:: things i love friday - food ::

After battling all-day sickness for a few months (thank goodness for Diclectin!), I'm happy to have my appetite back. The past few weeks I've been off work on summer break, and I feel like it's just been one big cycle of crave, eat, think about food, eat, look on Pinterest for food, make food, eat. This baby must be going through a growth spurt! I can barely watch the food network anymore - it just makes me hungry!

The cravings haven't been all bad foods, but I've had my fair share of "treats" in the past weeks. Here's the lowdown on my cravings this time around. What are/were your pregnancy cravings like?

The Good

- cold cut up fruit (watermelon, berries, apples, apple pears, grapes, oranges, grapefruits....anything really!)

- salads. Some recent faves are goat cheese/arugula/walnut/date, grilled veggie/crostini, and watermelon/feta/basil/kale mix

- homemade greek chicken wraps with tzatiki, feta and lots of veggies. Can't get enough (pasteurized) feta!

- veggie subs with extra pickles.

- Julie & Julia inspired bruschetta 

- cold water with lots of ice and sliced lemon or lime (bonus: gets the little bean moving around a bit - love this!)

The Bad

- Big Macs. I hadn't ever even had one until I was pregnant with Hunter and just had.to.have.one. Makes me wonder if I am having another boy?

- Burgers in general. Love the Whole Truck Burger from Alley Burger - it is to die for. Another preggo must-have is their pickle on a stick.

- French Fries. New York Fries are a favourite. And poutine (another thing I had never tried until pregnant with Hunter!)

- cheesy, gooey, baked mac & cheese. Good thing it's too hot to make something like this right now!

- butter chicken & naan

- ice cream

- starbucks iced tea lemonade, or my dirt-cheap homemade version (strong tea + lemonade + lots of ice cubes)

Do you believe that cravings are different when pregnant with different genders? Since we aren't finding out this time, I am super interested in all the old wive's tales. 

So far, my cravings and aversions have been pretty much the same as when I was pregnant with Hunter. I'm so excited to see if this new baby is a boy or a girl!

:: library book review - where you came from {sara o'leary, julie morstad}::

Hunter and I made a pit stop at the library this week to renew my card, finally sign him up for his very own card, and browse the books. The library is my absolute favourite place to be. So much possibility in the shelves of lovely picture books, awesome non-fiction (H is really into "amiwol" books lately) and the kidlit novels for mommy. There is almost always one book that really stands out for me, either as one I want to add to our personal collection, or a must-buy for my library at school.

This week, it is the sweet book "Where you came from" by Canadian author Sara O'Leary, and beautifully illustrated by Julie Morstad. It's about a curious little boy named Henry who is wondering where he came from, and the differing memories his parents have of his arrival - from arriving in the mail, to being plucked from the garden. 

I fell in love with this book and I have a feeling it will become a go-to book for baby showers. The whimsical illustrations pair so wonderfully with the sweet, humorous prose, and the last pages of the book left me teary - you have to borrow it from your library soon :)

Have you discovered any awesome picture books lately?

:: 6 must-have pieces for the perfect maternity wardrobe ::

I have to admit - I pulled out my maternity clothes around 10 weeks with this pregnancy. The body does not forget how to expand, and I found myself needing my bella band, maternity pants, and leggings much earlier than I did with my first pregnancy.

I had the luxury of time to do a lot of shopping when pregnant with Hunter, and this time I find it is much harder to comb the stores for non-maternity pieces that will work with my growing middle. I've created a bit of a capsule wardrobe that I am sure will see me to Christmas, when we welcome this new bundle. It can be used to create a number of different looks when combining my non-maternity flowy tops, my extensive cardigan collection (I may have an addiction there), scarves, belts and shoes.

I have a little rule when I buy something new. If I don't want to wear it right away, and for a few days afterward over and over, than it is probably not an item I LOVE {and therefore doesn't belong in my wardrobe!}. Here are the maternity items that I have found I wear over and over and over again, and that make me feel confident as this belly grows.

1. A great pair of jeans. I bought these skinny jeans at the beginning of the trend in 2009, but there are so many more to choose from now. I can't stop thinking about the J Brand Mama J Jeggings I tried on recently at Posh Mommy here in Calgary. Must start saving my pennies so I can splurge on them. I know they would be worn all.the.time this fall since I nearly wore out my pair last time. 

2. A comfy pair of leggings - I love my Seraphine leggings (available in-store & online at Ella Bella) for wearing under dresses & tunics in the fall with a pair of tall boots. Not too sure what this lady is thinking wearing them out with no top :p They are great quality, lots of stretch, not too tight and won't fade, and the price is right at $29.99.

3. A simple dress that is cut to flatter your new shape - I have a few dresses from Isabella Oliver and I post about their stuff all the time because it just fits so beautifully! The ruched tank dress, t-shirt dress or everyday dress could be dressed up or down depending on the occasion with cardigans, blazers, necklaces, scarves & belts. The side ruching is so flattering, and does wonders to accentuate the beautiful (your bump!) and hide the other bulges that babies bring (*ahem* - back fat!). I would pick it up in a neutral so it can work with many colours. I'm partial to black.

4. A fun/patterned dress - My pattern of choice these days is stripes, and I love my black and white striped dress from Isabella Oliver that I bought last year. Floral, stripes, polka dots - just get a happy print to add some interest to your maternity wardrobe. 

5. Ruched tank tops - you can find ruched tanks & tees at most maternity stores, but again, I have to say that my Isabella Oliver ruched tanks are by far the most flattering and they wash & wear really well (except for my white one for some reason - it's much thinner than the others! Still love it and wear it lots though!)

6. A fold-over maxi skirt - I got to a point in my pregnancy with Hunter where I was so sick of having a panel over my belly, especially in the summer. Lately, I have been feeling the same way, and living in loose maxi dresses and my fold-over maxi skirt from Old Navy. I wish we could shop their maternity stuff on-line since it is always so picked over in the stores!

Honourable Mention - Spanx Power Mama shapewear. I am in a wedding in a few weeks and pulling these on under my sheer summery dress made me feel 100 times better about how it fit. 

What was your favourite maternity piece? Did you succeed in making some of your regular clothes work for a portion of your pregnancy? What are your favourite places to shop online for maternity clothes?

p.s here are a few of my favourite places to browse for maternity items that ship to Canada are: Posh Mommy, Ella Bella, Evymama, ASOS, Topshop, Isabella Oliver, Hatch Collection, More of Me Maternity. I've pinned some of the pieces I am loving on my Maternity Style board on Pinterest :)

:: lily moss baby ::

I posted this teaser picture on instagram earlier this week about my first prize of many to come as the winner of Lily Moss Baby's blogger contest. I'll be getting a new prize each week for the next 15 weeks and blogging over on their website. You can check out my first posts (and solve the mystery of my first prize) here - http://lilymossbaby.com/blog/

I look forward to sharing a few of my posts with you here :) I can't wait to see all the fun things the next 15 weeks brings. I'm going to be well prepared for this new baby!

:: wordless wednesday - sweet peas ::

:: 16 weeks ::

I am so happy to finally post this. We are overjoyed to be expecting again, this time due in our favourite month, December. It's the month we were married, and the month Hunter joined our family. A little brother or sister is coming just in time for Christmas. We are going to play on Team Green this time, and have this little one's gender be a surprise. 

I am 16 weeks along....and it's been tough both to keep the secret (look how big I am already!) and also to stay positive after our loss earlier this year. All in all, we feel so blessed and excited, and I'm happy to be back to blogging. I have to much to talk about now that the news is out in the open!

I also have another big announcement coming in the next day or so - a new writing opportunity which I am very excited about. Stay tuned!