#AskAbby: What’s been your experience with pregnancy cravings so far?

For those of you who have been pregnant, you know the struggle is real when it comes to managing food cravings while pregnant! My experience with the twins so far has been a bit different than my pregnancy with Willow. Funny enough though, by this point in my pregnancy with Willow, I had gained DOUBLE the weight than what I’ve gained with the twins so far! I thought it would be the opposite and I’m honestly not sure if it’s attributed to it just being my second pregnancy or that there are two babies to feed.

I have noticed that my appetite is definitely much more constant than when I was pregnant with Willow. If I don’t eat every two hours, I’m STARVING and begin to feel a bit light headed. One of the ways I’ve been combating my constant hunger without completely overeating is by starting off my morning with a very healthy breakfast and by keeping snacks on hand at all times.

In the mornings my go-to breakfast has been a smoothie! I’ve kept the specific ingredients pretty flexible and have been throwing in whatever fruits & veggies are in the fridge with my homemade almond milk and occasionally a scoop of an organic nut butter as well. Pretty easy and stressless! Though a smoothie sounds light, my secret has been making two servings. I’ll have my first serving around 6AM and then my second about an hour to an hour in a half later while I’m in the car driving to work. A well fed mama and a well fed nurse is key! For snacks, my favorite is to keep granola bars on hand but if I feel like I’m eating too much sugar, I’ll switch to almonds and other nuts.

Lastly, I’ve been super aware of my water intake! 4 liters a day! SO many times we confuse dehydration with hunger so keeping a water bottle on me at all times has helped me minimize over indulging with some unmentioned non-healthy snacks 😉 

Cyber Week Sales Guide

CYBER WEEK SALES 2017

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones! There are some major sales going on today and throughout the weekend!! Click the name of each site to shop and pay attention to special codes!!!

Happy Shopping!! I will add sales to this post as they come in! So keep checking back!

 

ANN TAYLOR // 50% Off Everything with code: THANKFUL.

ALL SAINTS // Up To 40% OFF Everything!

ASOS //Take 20% off everything with code WIN20

VALID IN: US, US Minor Outlying Islands, Puerto Rico, Canada.

BEBE // Black Friday Steals! Take 30-50% Off Select Styles

BERGDORF GOODMAN // Save up to 40% off during the Designer Sale @bergdorfs

BOBBI BROWN // Get Gifting! Shop Exclusive Palettes & Sets on BobbiBrown.com all at 25% off for Cyber Week. Plus, spend $50+ and pick 5 free minis. Shop now!

BOLL & BRANCH //Get 25% off all orders over $150 for #BlackFriday when you shop with @bollandbranch. Shop the softest gifts of the season

BOOHOO // Take 50% off everything!

BUFFALO JEANS //12HR Early Bird Black Friday Special! 50% off EVERYTHING+ FREE SHIPPING Before Noon

CHEAP MONDAY // 25% off everything, no code needed. Discount will be applied at the checkout

CHICWISH // Black Friday : Enjoy Extra 15%OFF Order Over $50/£40CODE : BLK15

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG //20% off site-wide. CODE: THANKS20

DR. SCHOLLS //Black Friday Sale: 20% Off + Free Shipping

CODE: DRSHOLIDAY20

E.L.F COSMETICS // Get 50% off sitewide using the code CELEBRATE on orders $30+. Plus, your order ships free for a limited time. Exclusions apply.

FARFETCH // Take 50% off 

FITFLOP // FitFlop Shoes, Sneakers, and Boots Up to 60% off + Extra 20

FRANCESCA’S // Black Friday starts here. Buy one, get one 60% off all clothing, jewelry, accessories, shoes, home & gifts at francesca’s. Stay tuned for more cyber specials!

HORCHOW HOME // Black Friday Sale! Save up to 40% off select items + enjoy free shipping on orders $50+ with code HOLIDAY

HUDSON WAY // The Black Friday Sale at Shop Hudson Way starts now – 50% off all regular priced purchases including new arrivals!

HUNTER // Shop the Black Friday Sale alongside an exclusive offer up to 40% off a new Hunter product every day.

J CREW //Take 40% off everything

KEDS //Black Friday Sale: 30% off full price + 10% Off Sale CODE: NOLINES

KIEHL’S // $20 Off $65+ CODE; JINGLE

KOOLABURRA BY UGG //25% off – valid on all Koolaburra styles CODE: KOOLASAVINGS

LACOSTE //25% off on the fall winter collection

LOLE  //30% Off Select Merchandise CODE: BLACKFRIDAY

LUCKY BRAND //Shop the Lucky Brand Black Friday Sale – Save 50-60% off 

MADEWELL //Take 25% off everything  CODE: DONTSTRESS

MATISSE FOOTWEAR // Black Friday Sale Announcement: Up to 70% off and free shipping on orders over $125

MISSGUIDED // Own the night with the new season party collection from Missguided and get 50% off all dresses (excluding sale and CarliBybel items) using code DRESSYBABE in the US and DRESSLOVE in the UK

NASTYGAL // It’s Black FriYAY with Nasty Gal

NEIMAN MARCUS //Today Only- Black Friday Sale! Save up to 60% off when your take an extra 33% off select merchandise at NeimanMarcus.com!

NET-A-PORTER // Take up to 50% off sale styles

NIKE //Take an extra 25% off sales with CODE: EPIC25

NORDSTROM // Cyber Monday at NORDSTROM! Extra 20% OFF selected sale items. FREE shipping. FREE returns.

#AskAbby: How do you teach Willow the spirit of Thanksgiving?

There’s so much more to Thanksgiving than a fun opportunity to sit around a delicious dinner with friends and family. Now that Willow is older, we’ve begun to teach her to the greater meaning behind the holiday: gratitude and generosity. We recently sat down to go through her toys to pick out a few that we would donate to other children who aren’t fortunate enough to have them. It was quite comical explaining to Willow that there are kids who don’t have toys… she couldn’t believe it! I’m really happy that she is beginning to understand these concepts and how important it is to share her abundance with others. We’re hoping to continue these lessons with more charitable work and donations as she gets older.

 

Another aspect of Thanksgiving we’re hoping to instill in her is how to appreciate doing activities with the entire family. Dinner is a VERY collaborative effort in our family! It’s always a joy watching Willow participate and contribute in making the big dinner!

 

After dinner is prepared and we’re all sitting at the table, everyone in the family takes a turn of sharing with the group what they are especially thankful for that year. Willow is still getting a hang of her public speaking skills but it’s a great habit for her to practice!

 

Our Thanksgivings are always concluded with a big family game of Pictionary! It’s usually boys versus girls and then losers have to do the dishes. Never too early to start teaching her a good sense of family competition and fun!

How To Throw An Easy Friendsgiving

This year I planned a Friendsgiving for some of my close girlfriends, and after sending out the invites I was having second thoughts. Preparing a whole meal for 6 people while pregnant was starting to feel quite stressful, and let’s just say I am not the greatest cook! I was definitely looking for some cooking hacks that would help me out in preparation for the big feast.

I found a Farmer John Gold Wrapped Whole Ham that comes pre-cooked and is easy to heat in the oven. I added a brown sugar-agave glaze to it just before it was done cooking and it was perfection (I was pretty proud of myself that I didn’t burn it or myself!). See the simple recipe here:

 

FARMER JOHN® Whole Ham  (instructions also come printed on the wrapper…so easy!):

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 325°F (my ham was about 20 pounds so I increased my temperature to 350 degrees).
  2. Remove ham from package and discard the bone guard.
  3. Place ham cut side down in baking pan and cover ham with foil.
  4. Place ham in oven and heat for approximately 15 minutes per pound until warm. Do not overcook. (I cooked mine for a little over 5 hours until a food thermometer inserted into the ham read temperature of 140°F).
  5. With 30 minutes left pour glaze over ham (simple recipe below) and continue cooking 30 minutes more, basting at least twice with the drippings to ensure the ham does not burn.  
  6. Allow for the ham to stand covered for 5-10 minutes before carving.

 

Brown Sugar Agave Glaze:

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups packed, light brown sugar
  • 1 cup agave

 

Directions:

  1. Combine the brown sugar and agave in a saucepan.
  2. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and the brown sugar has dissolved.
  3. Pour the brown sugar glaze over the ham and continue cooking 30 minutes more, basting at least twice with the drippings to ensure the ham does not burn.  

 

The ham came out beautifully and was a favorite among my guests! Now, I am definitely a sides kind of girl, but recently I’m really into the desserts (it could have something to do with these twins!). I went for a non-traditional pie this year, and did a dark chocolate brownie cake topped with FARMER JOHN® All-Natural Bacon bits. Pro Tip: You can totally cheat and use a boxed brownie mix like I did for this!!

Dark Chocolate Brownie Cake

Ingredients:

 

Directions:

  1. Follow instructions on boxed brownie mix and cook as directed.
  2. While brownie cake is cooking, cook about 5 slices FARMER JOHN® All-Natural Bacon until well done. I like them crunchy.
  3. Let brownie cake cool, then, ice with dark chocolate icing.
  4. Chop bacon, sprinkle chopped bacon bits onto icing.
  5. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

*This post is sponsored by Farmer John, but the opinions and excitement are all my own!

Tips For Transitioning A Toddler To A Big Kid Bed

Willow is turning 4 in January and we finally just transitioned her to a “big girl” bed. It was always shocking to other parents, when they found out she was still in her crib at well past the age of 3. The truth is she loved her crib, sleeps 10-12 hours a night still and never tried to climb out! She was finally starting to outgrow the crib, and I knew it was time to find her a bigger, more comfortable bed. Since this is always a hot topic for parents, I thought I would share some ways we helped her prepare for this transition.

  1. Make It Sound Amazing! We talked about her new bed for about a month before it even came! I let her look at pictures and involved her in the process of picking out her new bed. We chose this amazing twin bed frame from Sweet Home From Wood and a nontoxic mattress from Tomorrow Sleep.
  2. Let Them Decorate…Willow picked out all of her sheets and quilts for her bed. I think letting her in on the process also kept her excited about sleeping in a new space. She went with mermaid sheets with a fun double sided quilt (all from Target).
  3. Go Over Ground Rules… Kids thrive off of routine and structure. Getting Willow into her new bed, came with some rules that we went over quite a few times with her. I has some anxiety about her having the freedom to get up and roam around at night now. So we discussed that she may only get out of bed to use the bathroom, or come directly to our room. Thus far she has followed the rules and is loving her new bed!

Shop The Room Below:

 

#AskAbby: How do I relieve stress as a busy mom?

It seems stress can be the norm in my life sometimes! Thank goodness I’m familiar with the non-stop nature of my life thanks to being a nurse at a hospital for many years… however, my emergencies lately are generally less life threatening and more to do with running late to drop off Willow at school or forgetting to pack myself a snack to ward off my pregnancy fueled hangeryness.

 

Since spa days and vacations have been far and few between, I’ve found some other methods every mama on the go needs to help destress and wind down. Happy mamas are the best mamas and it’s uber important for us to remember that sometimes the best way to take care of our families is to be mindful of ourselves.

 

My “Favorite Five” go-tos to relieve stress:

 

#1: Acupuncture

I turn to my favorite chinese medicine often and I’ve even started making weekly appointments. I initially sought out acupuncture to jump start my fertility when I was having trouble getting pregnant (see next blog post for the full story) but I’ve maintained my commitment to the practice since. Acupuncture can be a little scary for first-timers and those who don’t like needles but I really encourage giving it a try. It might take a session or two to really get comfortable with someone sticking needles into your body but I feel the relief for long after my session is over. Besides relieving stress, it has helped me a lot with my headaches as well.

 

#2: Essential Oils

I love lavender and peppermint oils! My acupuncturist was the first to recommend these oils to me but they are VERY handy when it comes to relieving stress on the go.  Lavender is known for its calming effects but it also, more specifically, can relieve anxiety. I’ll put the oil on my hands throughout the day for this purpose. Peppermint is another powerhouse oil that can help relieve pain alongside a bunch of other benefits like reducing nausea and helping with digestion. I put peppermint on my temples when I have headaches and prefer it over popping a pain reliever medication.

 

#3: Working out

Working out has been a much different experience since being pregnant with the twins, I used to run on the treadmill to clear my head followed by toning arms and legs but I may begin trying out gentler methods of exercise for the duration of my pregnancy. I try to view exercise as less of a chore and more of a luxury and break from other hectic things that may be going on.

 

#4: Alone Time

The holy grail of relieving stress! I know whenever I’m getting in a funk, what I really need is some alone time. It doesn’t matter so much what I’m doing but just having no one around for a bit is very important in maintaining my sanity. I’ll often go get my nails done or go shopping by myself – not errands but a good activity while venturing alone.

 

#5: Manifesting

I’m not great at meditating though I’ve tried a bunch of methods… it just never works for me. One thing I do really enjoy though is actively thinking about gratitude. Being mindful of the things that mean a lot to us can be very calming and grounding – especially on a tough day. I try to make this a daily practice and it breeds a lot more positivity in my mind that reflects in my life.

 

Spaghetti Squash Recipe

This recipe is a MUST HAVE for Mom’s looking to feed the whole family a super healthy meal but don’t have a lot of time for labor intensive meals. It’s also a crowd pleasing dinner that sneaks in veggies where heavy carbs usually are. A win-win for parents and the kids!

Wash the outside of an organic spaghetti squash. Pierce the skin with a knife several times.

Put 1/2-1 cup water in the bottom of a crockpot.

Place squash in crock pot and set on high for 2 hours.

Prior to squash being done sautée turkey meat in skillet. Heat marinara sauce in sauce pain until hot. Mix sauce with turkey meat.

Remove squash from crockpot, let cool. Cut into 4’s. Scrape out seeds from center.

Add salt and pepper to taste, along with butter.

Use a fork to remove squash from skin and into plate. Cover with marinara sauce and turkey. Sprinkle with cheese.

 

Photo credit: Kate Hauschka Photography

What to Expect When You’re NOT Expecting: Twins Edition

Our road to getting pregnant for the second time was not an easy one. After getting pregnant with Willow so easily, I genuinely thought I would be pregnant with another baby in no time. After we decided as a couple that I would stop taking birth control, it was an exciting time and we couldn’t wait to see the positive sign on the pregnancy test! Little did we know and frustratingly, it wouldn’t be coming for quite some time.

 

Each month I would track my cycle with serious OCD, romantically text my husband that we had to get busy, and then subconsciously think I was pregnant and psych myself to tell the world I was with child… EVERY… SINGLE… TIME for 7 months straight. I was on an emotional roller coaster of anticipation and disappointment and eventually hit an all time low after my birthday.

 

I finally decided it was time to head to my OB in April. I figured that there was something wrong with me, and it turns out I was right – as most moms usually are. I had the labs of a premenopausal woman so my body was just not looking to get pregnant. Per my MD, my Estradiol was undetectable, my FSH was high and something was suppressing my ovaries. So to sum it up, at the ripe age of 33, I had California Raisins for ovaries and nobody knew why. I was devastated and all my doctor could attribute it to was the rise of environmental pollution which was an answer with little solace.  They told me to come back in another month for a redraw but again, like a bad record, each month my labs would look the same and getting my period was a constant reminder I had failed. This was not the scenario I wanted to be in and the emotional roller coaster continued.

 

To make matters worse, I wasn’t the only one eager to announce a new baby would be joining the family… I was constantly pained by complete strangers asking me when  baby #2 would be arriving. “I don’t know lady, when are you buying your 8th cat” was how I felt like responding.  These conversations continued to rehash my open wounds from the internal pain I felt over my empty womb. I started telling myself I had one amazing, beautiful daughter and that’s all we needed. Though this was the truth, I would hold back tears when Willow would ask me for a little brother or sister and I felt like I was letting her down. I was frustrated, embarrassed, and just plain sad.

 

My infertility consumed me, and I couldn’t see the way off the emotional roller coaster. With my labs heading in the same direction, I was open to trying anything. I even started acupuncture with an amazing woman, named Natalie who happened to specialize in infertility. I would go to weekly sessions with her, discuss my labs, and she started me on a serious regimen of natural supplements and vitamins. Natalie gave me a safe place to speak about my issue, and one day we decided together that I would go see a Reproductive Endocrinologist in which their sole purpose is to get people pregnant.

 

I met with the doctor and to my surprise she was enthusiastically upbeat. She looked at me, my medical history and my shitty labs, she then looked right back at me and said, “We are going to get you pregnant”. It was like a weight shifted off my shoulders, the heavens parted and I had just heard the voice of an angel. I couldn’t be any happier! The doctor explained that during my next period, I would start injecting fertility drugs that would help control my ovulation in preparation for an IUI. I finally had a plan, and was beyond ecstatic.

 

So naturally, I went back to stalking my cycle and patiently awaited Aunt Flo. Except, Aunt Flo never made it. I was one day late, and thought well isn’t that just odd. Just to amuse myself, I decided to take a pregnancy test, completely expecting it to be negative – no pun intended. However, I was greeted with a positive sign instead. I was in shock and didn’t believe it. Surely, this was an ironic mishap of a pregnancy test. I took 6 pregnancy tests that day and I’m not sure any of them would have made me believe it.

We were beyond excited to confirm with a blood test that indeed we were pregnant. How crazy was it that on the heels of deciding to turn to a last ditch effort but before actually starting the treatment I was with child?!

 

The pregnancy itself was such a surprise but we didn’t realize how much of a surprise we were in for until my first ultrasound, this was when we found out just how “pregnant” we were.

 

The visit went something like this:

 

Doctor: “Um, did you take any of the drugs?”.  

 

Me: No!

 

Doctor: Well, this is a surprise, there are two heartbeats.

 

Aj: Yeah, like the baby’s and Abby’s?

 

Doctor: No, as in there are two babies!

 

Me: Shut the F**k up!

 

Aj: What…

 

And then there were two…

Photo Credit: Kate Hauschka Photography

Obviously we are elated to be welcoming two new additions to our family this year. If you asked me how we did it without fertility drugs, I don’t have a clue. I do know that once I felt comfortable with a plan from my acupuncturist and doctor that I felt less stressed and happy to be making some kind of progress. I think I stopped over thinking my own body’s downfalls thus far, and actually gave myself a break for once. I spent more time on myself, and focused on other important things in my life that made me happy. As we always said in nursing, your body follows your mind, so get your mind right.

 

A note on infertility: I know our personal struggle with infertility for over a year may not be relevant to your own journey. I share this with you so that you know you are not alone. I also share this with everyone else who doesn’t understand infertility because they never had to go through it. Stop asking when someone may be having a baby or second child. Sometimes what you think are words of encouragement aren’t, and just listening can be helpful. It’s better to give support than advice or suggestions.