Ringing In The New Year

This New Year’s Eve this Hubz and I decided to keep things pretty relaxed starting with a stroll around downtown and some light shopping. Our light shopping included a trip to the maternity section at Baby Gap where they were having a massive sale on items. I ended up finding two skirts, one dress and seven tops for only $89!


After we finished shopping we headed to dinner at A Single Pebble. We had a gift certificate to use and went a little all out and ordered the mock eel, the vegan dry fried green beans, scallion pancakes, vegan mock tangerine chicken and the double garlic broccoli. We also ended up with a vegan general chou’s mock chicken because they brought us it by mistake so we ended up with a ton of leftovers. I didn’t take photos since we were having a cellphone/camera free date night but here are some recycled photos of a few of the dishes.

After our date night we headed home to relax on the couch where I promptly fell asleep at 8:30pm. No surprise though I don’t think I have made it to midnight in probably over 10 years.

The remainder of our weekend involved eating leftovers, watching Netlix (currently addicted to The Vampire Diaries) and going for a nice long walk by the lake.

How did you spend your New Year’s Weekend?

2011 in Review

January:

I created my second e-book. 

February:

New York City Trip: Here, Here, Here and Here.

March:

I became a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach.

April:

I ate lots of kale chips.

May:

We celebrated our third wedding anniversary.

June:

I attended Wanderlust Vermont as a blogger for Ecorazzi.

July:

I ran my first 5k.

August:

The Hubz and I went camping and hiking.

September:

The Hubz planned and took me on a romantic date.

October:

I snacked on too many oatmeal cookie sandwiches.

November:

I hosted my first 30 Days of Yoga Challenge.

December:

We’re Having A Baby! 

and traveled to New York City. (here, here, here and here)

Pregnancy Update: Week 12

Only two more weeks until I’m out of my first trimester! This has been the longest first trimester and I’m so ready to move on to phase two of my pregnancy.

your baby’s the size of a plum!

The average fetus at 12 weeks is about 2.1 inches long and .49 ounces. Now that she’s got pretty much all her parts, her main job is to keep on growing.

Your baby at 12 weeks:

  • Most of her critical systems are fully formed!
  • She’s about to enter the growth and maturation stage, in which her organs and tissues will grow and develop rapidly.
  • She’s now developing her reflexes — if you poke her body, she’ll likely move.
  • She’s opening and closing her fingers and curling her toes, too.
  • Her brain is developing fast!
(source) also note we have no idea if it’s a boy or a girl but thebump.com refers to everything as she/her.
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How I’m Changing
I’m starting to look more pregnant! My bump is starting to develop and I’m excited for the day when it is a noticeable bump and I no longer look like I have just gained weight. Other than that I haven’t noticed many other changes at this time.
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How I’m Feeling
Last week I had horrible sinus congestion and post nasal drip, but this week things are better and my morning sickness has started to lighten up.  I have had a little bit of nausea and I still have afternoon (and sometimes morning) fatigue but over all I am starting to feel better.
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What I’m Eating
I am happy to say that my food aversions are starting to die down and I am slowly getting back to normal meals. Over Christmas I was addicted to veggies and homemade vegan ranch dip; if there hadn’t been a house full of people on Christmas Eve I could have finished off the veggie and dip plate all by myself. I also have been eating lots of beans in chili, in wraps and in curry.

Vegan Wedge Salad with Tempeh Bacon

Homemade Three-Bean Veggie Chili

The Addicting Veggie Platter

The Addicting Veggie Platter

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Random Facts of the Week:

Overall weight gained: 3.5 lbs
Crying fests: um all the time when I watch tv or movies
Food cravings: veggies and vegan ranch dip and sriracha (on everything)
Number of pants that fit: 5
Maternity clothes purchased: 4 tops and 2 bottoms…..how many items returned 1 top and 1 bottom from Gap

Photos taken of the cat with our new camera (just prepping for the bebe): 200

Following Up On 2011 Resolutions

It’s that time of year again when we all start to think about our goals/resolutions for the new year.  I honestly haven’t even started thinking about it but I wanted to first take a moment to reflect on my resolutions from last year.

(Source)

  1. Attend a blogger conference. This goal was supposed to be an easy one but then a number of various things happened and we ended up having to cancel our trip to PDX and the other conferences I was interested in going to all happened to fall on weekends we already had plans.
  2. Do an overnight backpacking trip on the Long Trail. ACCOMPLISHED. Neil and I did one over night backpacking trip this year on the Long Trail. It was a great night and I look forward to doing it again when the bebe is big enough.
  3. Run a 5k. ACCOMPLISHED. I ran my first 5k this past summer in Portland ME.  I actually have signed up for three races since then two of which I won’t be running due to pregnancy related reasons and the third is still up in the air.
  4. Blog with a purpose. ACCOMPLISHED, but always working to improve.  I feel like I have really worked hard this year to blog with more of a purpose and have more high quality posts.
  5. Embrace Health Counseling. ACCOMPLISHED, but always working on.  I have really come a long way with my health coaching and I been working on expanding my coaching every day.  This year I worked with some really amazing clients, attended a health coaching conference, and have been working on new ways of coaching via online and teleclasses.

Other things I want to do in 2011:

  • Create a “grown up” bedroom – one that has a bedroom set, a style, and is a place that the Hubz and I can retreat to; a space of our own. ACCOMPLISHED.
  • Revamp my blog- make improvements to the layout as well as the features. ACCOMPLISHED.
  • Update my health counseling blog….rather have the Hubz do it. ACCOMPLISHED.
  • Get to my happy weight by trying new activities such as P90X, hiking, running and yoga. Was on my way and then we got pregnant and weightloss has been put on the back burner. 
  • Spend more time reading. Do you have any book recommendations? ACCOMPLISHED, but still working on.
  • Spend more quality time with the Hubz- make a conscious effort to have 1 date night a week. ACCOMPLISHED.
Overall I am really proud of my accomplishments this year and I look forward to the next. 
Check out my tips for making New Years Resolutions a Reality.
Starting in January myself and Health Coach Nicole Culver will be hosting a teleclass series for the new year.
This five-week teleclass program is designed to start your 2012 off on the right foot; moving you toward a life of optimal health and wellness. Each week covers a key theme that is essential in achieving optimal health. The topics of the 5 weeks include: the knowledge and tools to losing weight naturally without deprivation, the know-how to shop and prepare foods that nourish you, the steps to take to manage your time so you can take care of your body both inside and out, ways to exercise that you’ll love and how to boost your self-confidence.

Pregnancy Update: Week 11

The baby’s the size of a lime!

Your baby at 11 weeks

  • You can’t see it, but she’s moving fluidly and gracefully in there.
  • Her skin is see-through, but she’s on her way to looking more like a baby.
  • Her fingers and toes aren’t webbed anymore.
  • Tooth buds, hair follicles and nail beds are forming.
How I’m Changing
I unfortunately still haven’t taken any pregnancy photos, partly because I’ve been lazy and partly because my husband has been working crazy long hours and hasn’t been home before I go to bed to take a photo of me (self portraits are just a fail).  I have been feeling bloated the past week and I am really starting to feel round around the middle. I have gained three pounds since becoming pregnant and yet I feel like I have gained 10 because my body is changing so much and my clothes aren’t fitting the same (or some at all).  I am trying to just be calm about it but sometimes I just feel upset that my favorite dress doesn’t fit right or the fact that many of my tops and bras (which I need to buy new ones of) are too tight across the chest and of course the fact that I currently only have three pants that fit well.
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How I’m Feeling
This week I have had really horrible sinus congestion and postnasal drip which has been driving me crazy.  From what I have read the nasal congestion can be due to hormones, the same hormones that are causing me morning sickness, mood swings and fatigue.  My morning sickness (rather all day) is still happening and I’ve been particularly tired out in the afternoon lately.  I have to say as much of challenge as morning sickness, fatigue, ect are I am really happy that I am having these symptoms because it means the hormones are working and I am growing a healthy baby.  I am hoping that in the next 3-4 weeks I will be feeling better and the morning sickness with subside.
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What I’m Eating
I have been eating crazy meals.  I have been on my own 8-10 days out of the past two weeks because of the Hubz crazy work hours so I have just been making food for me.  Last night I had creamy corn with nooch and hot sauce, a lemonade and a potato (you can see why I didn’t blog about that).  Other meals this week have been a bean quesadilla (which my stomach hated), pasta with nooch and broccoli, soygurt with berries and granola (which I have had for almost every breakfast as well) and a tortilla with avocado, chickpeas and corn.  I also have been munching on tons of clementines.
My major food aversions are garlic and onions.  The smell makes me nauseous and it’s awful because I LOVE garlic and onions.  I also am having quite an aversion to leafy greens. I am hoping that come the second trimester these aversions will calm down and I can get back to eating normally but until then as one of my midwives says don’t stress some days all you want are mashed potatoes and thats okay.

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Random Facts of the Week:

Overall weight gained: 3 lbs
Crying fests: 1 huge one and lots of tears while watching Christmas movies
Food cravings: citrus
Amount of exercise: 0 <– working on workout goals for the upcoming week
Number of pants that fit: 3; 2 jeggings and one pair of Loft pants that luckily still fit
Maternity clothes purchased: 4 tops and 2 bottoms