Hello, hello! How are you guys doing this morning? All is well over here! I meant to pop in and say hi yesterday afternoon, but I could not find a break at the gym. I’ve missed you guys a lot this week and am hoping to find more time to chat next week. Anyway… Onto better things!
After a sad farewell to my mom yesterday morning, Ryan and I welcomed more visitors to our house last night! Ryan’s family is visiting us from Sarasota through next Thursday. We’re thrilled to have them, especially since my mother-in-law wasn’t able to make it to our baby shower, so we’re more than overdue for some quality time together!
I have to teach and work at the gym the minute this post goes up, but Ryan and I are both hoping to wrap things up a little early today to enjoy some time with his family. They’ve requested lots of time out on the lake this weekend and since swimming is basically the only activity I can do outside that doesn’t make me feel like I’m going to melt away, that sounds lovely to me!
I hope you all have a great weekend and I’ll see ya back here on Monday! Until then, let’s dive into your usual Things I’m Loving Friday post and share a little bit about what we’re all loving most this week…
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Pre-Addressed Thank You Notes
If you happen to be hosting a bridal shower or baby shower anytime soon, I have a great little gift idea for you. My sister took the time to address thank you cards to everyone who RSVPed “yes” to my baby shower last weekend and I cannot tell you how wonderful it has been to not have to look up addresses and all that jazz. For some reason writing thank you notes always takes me forever (I am rather wordy, as you may have guessed), so eliminating this simple step has been great! It was such a thoughtful gesture. Thank you, Leslie!
I used this 30 minute boot camp workout as the base for a boot camp class I taught yesterday. I love it because it targets the whole body but also incorporates challenging bursts of cardio to keep everyone sweating and breathing hard. It’s a good one and I am hoping to do myself tomorrow morning with some minor modifications.
- Dad-To-Be Gift Basket
My sister and her husband are the most thoughtful people on the planet. They put together a gift basket for Ryan and gave it to him on the day of my baby shower since they know dads-to-be seem to get a little left out of all the baby fun. I thought it was such a sweet idea!
If you are a fan of the whole gift basket thing, here are a few more gift basket ideas I’ve shared on the blog in the past:
Bachelorette Party Gift Basket
Considering the fact that I’ve never personally flown Allegiant Air, this is a bit of an odd “love” for me to include in today’s post, but this low-cost airline has allowed our friends and family to travel to the Charlotte area without paying a ton of money. Allegiant doesn’t come up when you search for flights on websites like Expedia or Travelocity, but if you visit their website, you can see where the airline flies (destinations and travel dates are rather limited!) and both Ryan’s family and our friends were able to book flights to see us for under $140 round trip. (Charlotte friends, Allegiant flies in and out of the Concord airport and it is a trip. It’s basically a giant warehouse!) They do charge extra for checked bags, but the overall cost is still way less than a normal flight. Just wanted to share this airline with those of you who may have never heard of them before and are looking for ways to save money on upcoming travels!
- Big Sister Shirt for Sadie
Our baby boy wasn’t the only one to receive gifts at my baby showers. Sadie received this adorable Big Sister shirt and I absolutely love it! Even though Sadie still has absolutely no idea I’m pregnant (she regularly tries to sit on top of my bump), I like to think she’s going to be a great big sister… eventually.
- Ultimate Hospital Bag
I realize I may be a bit early in thinking about what to pack in our hospital bag, but I found this image on Pinterest and pinned it for inspiration! I’m not going to lie, that seems like a ton of stuff (do I really need to bring a blanket, towels and toilet paper!?), but I suppose it’s better to be over prepared than to feel like you don’t have what you need. I have a Push Pack already on hand (it’s a pre-packed hospital bag) and that seems to take care of most of the items in the “Essentials” category of the above graphic, so that’s quite helpful!
- Yasso Strawberry Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars
These frozen Greek yogurt bars were a total impulse buy at Publix this week. I cannot get enough of fruit-flavored anything lately, and in an effort not to down an entire pint of strawberry ice cream all by myself, I grabbed a box of Yasso strawberry frozen Greek yogurt bars instead and was so impressed! They were so creamy and absolutely delicious. I will definitely be picking up another box this weekend!
Question of the Day
- Tell me about one thing you are loving this week!
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I LOVE the Sadie shirt – I need to buy one for my BFF’s puppy! Both our families have always treated our dogs like the queens of the households and babies tend to distract from that…
At my bridal shower, my MOH had my guests address their own addresses on the envelopes for thank you cards! it was so great- i remembered to do the same for her this past month for her shower..i agree- total life saver 🙂
i LOVE the yasso frozen yogurt bars! have you seen that they are also making greek yogurt candy bars!??!! amazing, i’m sure!! so for william’s birthday party, i printed out address labels for the invites…. well then i printed out a second set to make thank you cards easier!! such a good idea as is giving the pre-addressed envelopes as a gift!!
Don’t pack a razor. that’s just silly.
yeah that wasn’t high on my list! 🙂
Agreed.
That Yasso bar looks killer! I keep seeing coupons and really need to take advantage of them.
It was SO good! My expectations weren’t that high and I was so impressed! Ryan loved them, too. 🙂
I’m loving that you ARE planning ahead on the hospital bag! Yes to everything on the graphic. I wish I had thought to pack a nice towel (hospital towels….terrible) and a cozy blanket. The essentials they have listed are indeed essential as are the snacks! I had my hospital bag ready and in the car a month before my due date which worked out because our little man made an early debut. Survival tip for motherhood: anticipate and prepare!
Love Allegiant! We are in Canada and regularly drive down to our closest State to fly to Orlando. Saves us sooo much money even after paying the exchange rates. Definitely a no-frills airline, but makes taking a family of 5 to Florida every year affordable!!
We’ve had about 7 people total use Allegiant to fly to us and all have said similar things — definitely “no frills” but totally worth it to save so much money! It’s been great for our visitors and we’re hoping to use them to fly to the Sarasota to see my in-laws in the future, too!
Love the basket for Ryan and shirt for Sadie! That’s awesome!!
I am loving bright pink gel nail polish. It’s become my color of the summer.
Have a great weekend, Julie!
I LOVE the gift basket idea for the dad-to-be!!! Can you share any examples of what was in it? My friends baby shower is next month and I might try that idea.
I hear ya on the thank you cards taking FOREVER!! I tend to be too wordy too. After my bridal shower, it took me about 6 weeks to get all of mine out. Granted, I had a ton to do, but my fiance got his out from a work shower in about 3 days, lol. I’m dreading the wedding ones!
My dad has flown Allegient a few times and has never had any issues. BUT, I was just reading an article yesterday actually talking about how sketchy they are. I’m a ‘you get what you pay for’ girl, so I’ll probably stick with Delta for the time being even if I have to pay a bit more.
We went to the Darius Rucker concert last night so that was a highlight for me! Enjoy your visit with Ryan’s family. 🙂
I love all the basket ideas and Sadie’s shirt is so adorable!
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/pilots-fear-allegiant-air-is-putting-lives-at-risk
Affordable flights make all the difference! I like to use Air Miles for them.
My boss was just telling me about Yasso bars! I think she said she gets a cookie dough flavor? She said it is just as good or better then Ben and Jerry’s cookie dough! Gotta try those. Also, definitely going to look up Allegiant Air. I am closer to Concord than CLT, and I can only imagine how much less of a hassle it would be to get to.
I am loving that it is the weekend and I too can be on the lake and spend time with my dad and father-in-law!
So many great picks! I’ve heard a lot about Yasso bars but I can’t find them anywhere 🙁 Once I do I’ll have to grab every flavor. I have one major love this week- Dan and I finally booked our wedding!! We’re getting married in Belize next year (wedding and honeymoney in one!) and I CAN’T WAIT!
That is a ridiculous amount of items for a hospital bag. Do not bring your own towels, I’ll just say you don’t want to ruin your nice ones with all the lovliness that accompanies after the baby comes. A razor? That will be the last thing on your mind, and it’ll be painful to bend over or lift your leg to do so. Toilet paper? Umm, hospital has that for sure haha. They also give you A LOT of heavy duty pads at the hospital and for you to take home. Those store bought ones just won’t do the trick until a few days after, at least!! Try not to over pack. They send you home with so much stuff to carry home with you, seriously. We left the house with my bag and the baby’s and we came home with both bags, tons of paperwork, diaper and wipes from the hospital, all the “post partum” care stuff for me in a bag, and the baby in a car seat of course. It was ridiculous.
I agree! That list/graphic is a little over the top. You definitely do not need all of that stuff in a hospital bag, and you won’t be wanting to carry all of that home when you leave the hospital. From my experience, all you need is a few comfy outfits, phone charger, camera, something for the baby to wear home and chapstick. Don’t forget chapstick. 🙂 The hospital has everything else you could possibly need. And if you think of something, there’s always someone who is more than willing to run out and get it for you. No need to pack a suitcase!
I second the hospital graphic. I packed very little items – both mine and his in 1 small bag, and that was still too much. All you need is a nursing tank top or simply wear the gown (they are nursing gowns nice slits in the front). Postpartum is not pretty and you will not want to ruin your things. You will be ricking surprisingly cute boy short style mesh undies. Hospital gives you everything you need. Also take everything they offer you and ask for more. Toiletries are a must – make-up, hair stuff, etc. You feel so much better after taking a shower and getting “ready” for the day and visitors. The one thing I totally forgot was snacks. You will be very hungry. I would have a whole bag for snacks. Than you will have an extra bag for all the stuff you go home with. I did not bring my boppy because of all the hospital germs. There are plenty of pillows available for propping him up.
AMEN! I was thinking the same thing especially about the towels.
Definitely have maxi pads and nursing pads at home though so you don’t have to worry about going out and buying them. Also, I know nobody wants a c-section, but if you have one, you won’t be able to or want to wear your cute bikini cut underwear so you might want some high wasted ones on hand just in case for when you get home.
AGREED 100%! Way too much stuff. The hospital will give you everything you need! Bring a few favorite toiletries, hair ties, eye mask, maybe one nursing bra, and one outfit for the baby to go home in.
I am obsessed with the Yasso bars. The mint chooclate chip and cookie dough are my favorites. The salted caramel was okay. I’m trying to find the chocolate peanut butter cup kind!
That Daddy to be gift basket is so cute! And I love Sadie’s big sister shirt! I’m loving that I’m going to a houseparty for a friend tomorrow! Yay for the weekend!
I love the pre-addressed thank you card idea! Brilliant. I know I’d appreciate that gesture very much too!
We discovered Allegiant Air within the last couple years and you’re right, it’s much cheaper! It was great when we lived in Utah because our family was able to fly in to visit us for very affordable rates.
Wow, that image for what to pack in your hospital bag is definitely thorough! Haha. I personally think you need MAYBE half of that stuff, but like you said, I guess it’s always good to be prepared. In my experience, the hospital provided most of what I needed. I did appreciate some of my own snacks, I did need to use my own toiletries (soap, etc.), comfy clothes were definitely a must, and all your technology stuff is of course important … but I felt pretty covered beyond that. 🙂
You definitely don’t need all of that stuff for the hospital, but there are some good ideas! The hospital will provide a lot of those things, but if you’re particular about your blankets, pillows, robes, etc. then you may want to bring them yourself.
Those pre-addressed thank-you notes are a FANTASTIC idea! Props to your sister 🙂
I love the gift boxes! So cute.
This week I’m loving this new startup that gets you money back on online purchases automatically if the price drops after you buy it. I shop online all the time, so I’m looking forward to getting some cash back! https://paribus.co/i/w3vPXC
Read about it here: http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2015/05/21/how-to-save-money-new-app-refunds-you-when-items-go-on-sale/
Perfect timing! I wanted to mail my friend a bachelorette gift basket since I won’t be able to attend the party. Thanks for the ideas! Do you think I could get away with mailing mini bottles of champagne? Also, my aunt had pre-addressed envelopes at my shower and it was such a time saver!
Pre-Addressed envelopes are the best! A good hostess will do that for sure {or at least have everyone address their own as they arrive}. Have a great weekend!
I definitely need to do the pre-addressed envelopes for the baby-shower thank you cards. Brilliant.
Love the idea of a gift basket for dad-to-be. I was thinking of doing something like this for my husband for father’s day, but am not sure what all I would put in it. Hmmm….
Have a fun weekend with your family. 🙂
LOVE the Daddy-to-be Gift Basket! I’m 21 weeks along (almost 22…but who’s counting) and was trying to think of some cute Father’s Day Gift Ideas for the Dad-to-be. Anything super specific that’s cute and I could put into a basket this weekend for him? I see a blue shirt, snacks, burp cloth (?). Such a sweet idea 😉
Love the gift basket ideas! Time on the lake sounds amazing 🙂 I’ll be off to my hometown to watch a college roommate get married in a barn- pretty excited to see the décor!
My husband and I fly Allegiant all the time. We love the cheap flights to Florida.
My husband is a commercial pilot and recommends staying far away from Allegiant. They have had many, many engine failures over the past few years (those aren’t typically publicized so the general public would never know), lots of maintenance issues, and have little regard for their passengers or employees. There is a reason their fares are so low and it’s not just because they are “no-frills”.
On a more positive note, I love the gift basket and thank you note ideas!
I actually would recommend your own towel. The hospital towels were so small and scratchy and I personally like a separate towel for my hair and my body. I wouldn’t bother with blankets or pillows from home – I’d want to throw them out after being in the hospital anyway. Yes to bringing a breastfeeding pillow – that’s one thing I really regret not bringing!
Hi!
I have flown Allegiant to Vegas many a time (from Bellingham), Always get the first flight of the day because they are sure to be late and it just gets worse as the day goes on. Really paying the bit extra to fly Alaska is way worth it. Plus I saw this article on Facebook this morning.
http://www.abc15.com/news/national/pilots-fear-allegiant-air-is-putting-lives-at-risk
Having flown with them I believe it. The planes are crazy old and you can tell the pilots are flying with a budget company for a reason. Saving a few dollars just isn’t worth it to me.
Actually, the pilots that fly for Allegiant are one of the reasons they still have such a good safety record despite many problems with the aircraft and maintenance. The main airplane they have utilized in the past is an MD-80, which is much more challenging to fly than more modern planes. They also have 757s and Airbus 320s now, which are easier to fly but many of the people flying those planes started on the more difficult one. Their pilots typically have many years and thousands of hours of experience. As a pilot’s wife, I can confidently say that those pilots *are* there for a reason–to take good care of their passengers and fellow crewmembers, not because they are subpar like it seems you are inferring.
With that said, I agree that saving a few bucks isn’t worth it. I’ve been following Julie’s blog since she made the big move to CLT because I’m a Florida girl and my husband and I have talked about moving to CLT someday. If/when we do move we’ll most likely be flying on USAir/American who have a hub right there which makes it easier and cheaper to travel.
Totally loving Ben & Jerry’s peanut butter cookie core ice cream… Beyond difficult to stop at half a pint. Have a fabulous weekend!
I am loving these ‘chips’ called Snapea Crisps and Legume Crisps. Apparently they are70% made with whole peas and legumes. I could eat the whole bag though! Oh, and ice cream! We had date night to a local custard joint and I decided to get chocolate custard topped with peanut butter and cookie dough <– to die for!!
I’m very minimalistic and it definitely came in handy with the hospital bag. I packed an okay amiunt, and used very little. The first day I stated in the hospital gown, and then I changed into a button down night gown that was hideous, a size too big and so comfy. I left in one sizee up yoga pants, tank and nursing bra, using the amazing mesh panties they give you instead of my own. Other than that, just a toothbrush, an outfit in 2 sizes for baby, maybe one cute receiving blanket, a few size nb diapers since our hospital only had size 1 (I was glad we brought them since size 1 was way too big and leaked through) and my boppy to learn to nurse with it. When i wasn’t tending to the baby or talking with family/friends I was asleep. Also spent the VAST majority in bed.
I have to agree that the graphic is a little over the top. I would recommend a nursing tank and some comfy pants (but not a favorite pair, you could ruin them pretty easily). The gown is super uncomfortable and it’s hard to nurse in so it’ll be nice to have your own clothes. As for towels and toilet paper, I would say don’t bother. Their towels are basic but you don’t want to bring a favorite towel and ruin it, and you’ll be using a peri-bottle WAY more than toilet paper anyway. Snacks are definitely a must, especially if you’re thinking of going without an epidural — you’ll be hungry and without meds you’re allowed to eat.
You also won’t need the vitamins or colace — they’ll give them to you in the hospital and most hospitals get pretty testy when you take your own meds. Definitely a phone charger and a camera, but you probably won’t need much to keep you occupied. The baby will most likely be awake every hour or two to eat, so you’ll want to sleep more than you ever thought possible before 😛
I would also recommend bringing something like Gu or Shotblocks if you can stomach them. They really helped me when I was in the later stages of labor and my energy was down. I was super hungry but would have puked up real food in a second, and these were a nice middle ground.
Overall, I would pack pretty light — I brought a huge bag of stuff with my first baby and I don’t think I remembered I had any of it with me the entire time!
Yessss I’ve already been thinking about our hospital bag!! I’ve even already bought a cute new hospital robe 🙂 And girl yes, pre-addressed thank you notes make your life A BILLION TIMES EASIER!!!
Don’t stress about a hospital bag! I had my son 4.5 weeks early. Totally thinking I wasn’t in labor, I went to the hospital unprepared, with only what I was wearing and my cell phone. Hospitals typically have all you need and more. I originally freaked out and sent my husband home at 2:00 AM to wash baby clothes and pack. I labored a majority of the time alone because I thought newborn sleepers and my slippers were more important, when in fact, the hospital had all these items for me. Also helped that Target was next to my hospital!
Great info-graph for the hospital! Seems like so much! Something I have liked this week was the rain! We have been having hot hot weather which I love, but a night time summer storm is so calming and wonderful!
True story – anything that is opened at the hospital is yours to keep, and they’re charging you for it. ($30 for the tube of KY they used during my delivery… They’re CHARGING you, lol.) So diapers, wipes, pads etc. is all going home.
Also a true story – I much preferred Depends to having a mound of pad up against my stitches. I used them exclusively. No need to worry about ruining your pants or sheets or couch. Highly recommend.
Big fuzzy socks, slippers, dark colored yoga/sweat pants (there is a very good chance they will get stained), breast feeding pillow, a great nursing bra (the one from Target pictured above is fabulous and cheap as are their nursing tanks), a good pillow, toiletries and a robe are what I found to be the most important things for mom to bring. Baby really just needs a going home outfit (and car seat obviously). The hospital will cover the rest for you!
Toilet paper and towels are just a little overboard, haha. Some things I never used: boppy (the hospital had a my brest friend), pillow and ipad(they bug you so much at the hospital… plus guests visiting we never had time). But I was very happy to use my nursing bra (a sleeping nursing bra from medela) and robe! Flip flops for sure too. Your own undies are a must because they give you these weird mesh ones. Not sure about the belly wrap? They were constantly pressing on my belly to check my uterus and that was just another thing that would have annoyed me. But I used one when I got home 🙂
Yasso Greek yogurt popsicles are my favorite!! You have to try the Sea Salt Caramel, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and the Peanut Butter Cup!! 🙂
i am loving wrapping up one job and prepping for the next.
Someone suggested I take my own towels and I was so glad to have them! The towels at the hospital were very thin and not much bigger than a hand towel. It was nice to have a large fluffy towel – but yes don’t take your best as it’s likely to get stained. Definitely not a necessity just a comfort from home when you aren’t feeling the greatest!
Today starts my first day of being a Stay At Home Mom to my loving, sassy pants of a 22 month old daughter. I recently resigned from my job in education. SO…I am LOVING this new chapter in life.
Oooh…I would suggest you pack a white noise machine. We thought we could get by with using our phone for white noise while in the hospital, but since we were receiving so many texts, emails, calls, etc. it wasn’t as convenient as we anticipated. And, hospitals are loud.
Oh my gosh, you do not need 90% of the stuff Pinterest tells you to put in your hospital bag! I stayed in my gown the whole time, because people are constantly coming in to check on you, and it’s just easier to open your gown (also true if you’re planning to breastfeed.) I also packed make-up, like I’d be wearing it – ha!! All you really need is a car seat 😉
Love the Yasso bars! I know you’re on a fruit kick, but the mint chocolate chip, coffee chocolate chip and salted caramel are also pretty spectacular!
I love all the Yasso bars I’ve tried! And addressing the thank-you cards is like a gift in itself – that was so sweet!
I almost sent you that pin! Looks like you need a big bag! And I’ll be picking up some of those pops!