Good morning, and happy Friday to you all! I'm off to an early start today, and I'm going to need all the concealer I can find! Today is my early work day, as I see my first patient at 7:15. I like to have me-time in the morning, and on Fridays this means I have to get up early. (5 am is early for me folks!) I'm currently in the kitchen sipping my coffee and preparing this post... I love the quietness of the mornings. I keep thinking I need to grab the baby monitor and see how Ella is sleeping, but she had a little sleepover with Grandma last night. We are beyond blessed to have Michael's parents so close to help us.
We have no scheduled plans for the weekend. I'm actually working tomorrow from 8-2. I only work Saturdays once every other month or so, so it's really not too bad. This just happens to be my week. I'm hoping if the weather is nice that we can take Ella on a little nature hike in the afternoon. Sunday is Michael's birthday, so I want to do something special for him this weekend too.
As far as our favorites this week...
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One-
I am in full blown nesting mode already, and I'm not mad about it. I am just now entering the third trimester, but I have that urge to get things set up. I was trying to make sure we had room next to my side of the bed for our massive bassinet and luckily we do! It's a great bassinet that grows with your baby, although we only plan to use it for the first 2 months or so. Ella was in the crib by that time and I hope Mia will be as well.
Ella wanted to try it out...
Little does she know, she spent many nights in this bassinet and it's crazy to see that she still fits. I can't believe she was ever that little... My sweet girl. I also can't believe we're going to be blessed with another sweet girl very soon. I am starting to get realllllly excited!
Two-
I have been craving iced coffee and lattes so much lately. Obviously being pregnant I can't have an excessive amount of caffeine, so decaf coffee has been my jam lately. I have been making myself oat milk iced coffees at home and they are such a nice treat. (And yes, sometimes I re-use my plastic Starbucks cups- don't judge!)
This is what I use to make them, generally. If I am feeling extra I might use some of our caramel syrup from the fridge (the kind for ice cream.) Making coffee at home is a huge money saver as well. We have two coffee makers at home currently. Our daily coffee machine is the ninja and we love it. Our realtors bought us a nespresso as a 'welcome home' gift when we bought our house and we love that too.
Three-
When Michael and I were on our day date on Sunday, we stopped at the mall. I had been wanting to replace a jacket of mine that I had lost and wasn't sure if the store still carried it. Fortunately they did, it was on sale for $20, AND I found one for Ella. It's a little big for her now, but it's so darn cute on her.
How darn cute is she??? We meant to take a pic together in our matching jackets but I forgot!
Four-
Ella's bathtub got a little upgrade that we're loving. We got this new bath mat that is machine washable, so it'll be a lot easier for us to maintain and keep clean. Her other one was not breathable and kept collecting mildew no matter what we did. This one is a lot more breathable and we can toss it in the washing machine whenever we need to.
We also got this little basket that extends across the tub to hold her bath toys. Instead of sitting in a bucket, they can dry properly in between uses. Ella also really likes having the toys right at her reach when she's sitting in the tub!
And to keep with the bath theme, another recent favorite is this...
My doctor suggested I start using epsom salt in my baths to help with sciatica, and whether or not it helps with that I can't tell yet... but let me tell you. This coconut oil epsom salt smells glorious and really did make me feel better after. I'm not sure why, but I just felt good. Just bathing in this new tub at our house in general feels like I won the lottery. Our apartment bath was small and just gross, so I never ever liked to use it. Baths might have to become a regular thing for me.
Five-
My Mom sent Ella a Valentine's Day card with a little 5$ bill in it, which in itself was so sweet. I told Ella she could either get a happy meal or pick something out at the store next time we went. Ella woke up on Monday and wanted to "go shopping!" We went to the grocery store and then swung by Marshalls after. Ella found this little barn toy and I thought, 'yeah right, that is way beyond your budget girl.' To my shock it was on clearance for $6. Marshalls is apparently having this big clearance event so there was cheap stuff everywhere!
I told her she could get it and it kept her entertained for 20 minutes straight when we got home. With a two year old, that 20 minutes feels like 3 hours. I couldn't believe how much she loves it. I also love that it incorporates the different textures and is a perfect addition to her sensorial toy collection. Anything farm-related seems to be right up her alley right now.
Six-
Our new grill was delivered on Tuesday and we are all soo excited! Ella is just excited to have another box to play with. Michael is putting it together today, so we can barbecue for his b-day this weekend, yay.
Seven-
Ella joined me for a grocery trip at the beginning of the week and was on her best behavior... and that is a favorite my friends. She spent the entire time talking on her fake cellphone. When I asked her who she was talking to she said "Talk Dadda. Momma, buh bye." So clearly she wanted me out of her convo with Daddy... HAHA! She's so funny. We got some yummy goods for the week.
Eight-
We baked cupcakes and a cake for Michael's birthday, and baking is Ella's FAVORITE.
Nine-
Ella wants to help me vacuum all the time, which is amazing considering it used to terrify her not too long ago. Love my helper! Our vacuum is the Shark Rocket and we love it! I just saw that it's 100$ off, so if you need a new vacuum but don't want to break the bank, it's great. Our area rug is one of my favorite things too, and also an amazing deal. It's currently marked down to 150$ which is an insane deal for a 9x12!
Ten-
Ella's new favorite thing... painting her nails! So funny. She then asks to paint mine and totally destroys my hands. I think she needs a bit more practice!
Eleven-
On Monday I shared one of my favorite spots in our home, Ella's wardrobe & self-care area. It's so simple and adorable, and I just love it. Check out that post for more details! And if you are just interested in the wardrobe itself, it's such a great deal for the quality and can be found here.
That's all we have for favorites this week friends! :)
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See you all Monday for a recap of our weekend!
-Ashley & Ella
xoxo
What a great week! Ella is really getting so grown, she's going to be such a good big sister too :)
ReplyDeleteAw, that photo of Ella now versus her as a baby is so cute! Those cupcakes look great and I hope your husband has a wonderful birthday.
ReplyDeletei so need that toy tray for our bathtub.
ReplyDeleteElla is growing up so much and so adorable.