Living a tasteful life

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

January Life Lately

February is basically over and here I am looking back wondering where January went. 2018 has been going by so fast!

Whit and I started off the year with an exciting announcement!
And also a delicious meal at Early Bird Diner- a great place for comfort food and one of Whit's favorite spots. Of course I had to get a traditional New Years Day meal for good luck!
Our good friends welcomed a baby girl into their family. We immediately went to the hospital as soon as we could to meet Miss Rosie Stokes!
One of the highlights of the year- SNOW! Something we hardly ever see in Charleston and there was a lot of it.

 Whit enjoyed a bourbon cocktail while I sipped on a warm cup of non-alcoholic hot chocolate.
 Oh, and we also found out the gender of our baby!
 The snow was pretty while it lasted, but by about day four, we were ready for it to melt.
 Monster despises sweater weather.
I was asked to bring a veggie tray to a party, so I decided to create a fun one of my own.
I'm obsessed with this lightweight green necklace I bought in Italy.
And Monster is obsessed with only Whit.
We had brunch at Lowcountry Bistro. It had been years since I had eaten there. We went with the mac and cheese, apple and cinnamon french toast and chicken and waffles.
I like the the french toast was served with savory sides.
The mac and cheese with jumbo lump crab, lobster mornay caramelized onions, tasso ham and herb panko.
Restaurant week at Indaco was nothing short of amazing!
Dessert is my new thing now and this salted caramel gelato hit the spot!
A quick visit with girlfriends afterwards.
I've been trying to stick to a regular gym routine throughout this pregnancy. I traded my weights in for my boxing gloves the other day which made for a perfect arm workout.

If you haven't had The Daily's avocado toast, you're missing out. I would have normally topped this with a runny egg but since that's on my cannot eat list, I opted for the tomato.
I've also been trying to incorporate more barre classes into my workout routines. It's a great class to take while pregnant. 
Nursery furniture shopping with the Mr. I think he secretly enjoyed although it wouldn't appear that way in this photo.
I picked up these adorable light weight tassel earrings at Celadon (while furniture shopping.)
I received a free week of Hello Fresh so Whit and I tested out some of their recipes. I still think it's a great concept and it did save me lots of time in the kitchen having everything readily available, but my only complaint is not having leftovers. We typically cook enough to last us a few meals and that's my only issue with Hello Fresh.

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Thursday, February 22, 2018

22 Week Pregnancy Update + Baby Purchases

21 Weeks
22 Weeks

How far along?
22 weeks and 1 day

Baby’s size: He is the size of a spaghetti squash and is almost one pound.

Weight gain: I've gained a total of 10.2 lbs.

Energy: Still holding strong with my energy levels, although some days more than others, but overall I can't complain.

Appetite & Food Cravings: Still enjoying sweets! I never pass on the dessert menu when we're out to eat. I just can't so no to ice cream and gelato right now! Which by the way, I had the best strawberry goat cheese ice cream by Cirsea! It has such a unique, tangy and rich flavor. On that note, my next doctor appointment in three weeks is the glucose test...which means I've got to get myself under control before then!

Things I Miss UPDATE: I hope I'm not judged for saying this but a nice cold beer would have been great this past weekend. It's beginning to get warm here in Charleston which means time to put the boat in the water. And an ice cold adult beverage goes hand in hand with that. But it's all worth the wait!

Workouts: Last weekend I had one of the best workouts since being pregnant. I had so much energy throughout the entire red zone class and it stuck with me the whole day. I'm not sure if it was my breakfast choice that fueled the workout or what, but I would love for it to continue. Meanwhile, I'm still getting my fair share of time on the treadmill, which can be boring at times but I feel so much better afterwards. 

Sleep: I've decided to forgo a pregnancy pillow but we will see if that decision remains the same in the coming months. Two king size pillows and three regular sized ones seem to be doing the trick at the moment.

Movement: The best feeling ever and I love it! It's really hard to put into words. It's so comforting to feel those sweet little thumps in my belly. 

Wardrobe: I'm now the proud owner of three pairs of maternity jeans. I must say, being petite throws an extra layer of issues in the shopping for clothes department. The jeans I bought are way too long, but I'm rolling them for now to make due. Other than that, they are pretty comfy. And in the meantime, I'm determined to find petite white jeans for spring. Preferably some that I don't have to get altered. Suggestions welcomed!

Baby Items Acquired: My mom came in town last weekend and we took advantage of some of the President's Day Sales. Here's a peak at some of the things we got.

These onsies are so simple and cute. I figured I can probably never have too many of them. My mom also couldn't refrain from buying him a sweet little stuffed animal, similar to this one. When I was born, I was given a stuffed animal and named him "baby." I ended up taking that thing everywhere with me, so I'm hoping to find a similar stuffed animal for him as well. I also purchased a cute sail boat I found at the Mt. Pleasant Mall to go on the non-existent bookshelf I've yet to purchase. This one is similar.  It was just too cute to pass up!

I also finally got the glider that I've had my eye on for a while now, similar to this one. Oh, and I'll be sharing some nursery inspiration photos soon. And I couldn't do all that shopping without purchasing some things for myself. I bought this soft PJ set and this over sized night shirt. There's nothing better than being comfy when going to bed. And these are actually not maternity, but I figured the over size fit would work perfect for my growing belly. And last but not least, as I mentioned, it was time to move on to maternity jeans. I didn't want to invest a lot in these with warm weather just around the corner, so I found a good light and dark jean wash and also a  black pair. I've linked some of the same or similar products I bought below.




22 Weeks
21 Weeks




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Friday, February 9, 2018

For the Love of Blush: Valentine's Gifts for Her

Give me all the blush things, please! There is something so pretty and calming about this color. It also gets me really excited for Spring! And what better time to compile a list in this color scheme than with Valentine's Day right around the corner. Husband of mine, if you're reading this, you have plenty of things to choose from. : )

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Thursday, February 8, 2018

20 Week Pregnancy Update- Half Way There!

It's so hard to believe that this week marks the half way point in my pregnancy! We had a big doctors appointment last week. We went in for the anatomy scan which was another chance for us to see our baby boy. I love being able to get a peak at him. It makes this whole thing even more real. The 3D images were so cool. I use to think sonograms were just kind of weird before I was pregnant and half the time I had no clue what I was even looking at but it's different now. Although, I'm still not always sure what I'm looking at. But we did get some good photos of him and a good report!

We have so much to do, yet I feel like I'm having trouble getting things accomplished. Whit and I started the search for nursery furniture. I found so many things I liked but no purchases have been made just yet. I plan to share some nursery inspiration photos soon. I also tried to begin a registry, but that's a little overwhelming as well. I just want someone to give me a list of the necessities and tell me what the best brands are. I feel like I'm spinning in circles trying to make sense of it all.

How far along? 20 weeks and 1 day

Baby’s size: He is the size of a banana and should weigh about 10 1/2 ounces.

Weight gain: I've gained a total of 7 pounds as of my appointment last Thursday.

Energy: I still have energy, but easily get out of breath.

Appetite & Food Cravings: Carbs are life! There have been a few instances where I've found myself eating the same amount of food (in terms of portions) that I did before I was pregnant which was a bad idea. There is not enough room for all the food and a baby, especially when there is bread involved. *Note to self...you can no longer eat 4 slices of pizza in one sitting.

I've come to the realization that my cravings are for sweets. It's taken me a little while to accept this considering sweets have never been tempting to me. I've been indulging here and there but I do hope these sugar cravings go away after the baby is born. A carb lover like myself can't afford to take on a sweet tooth as well.

Things I Miss UPDATE: I've managed to satisfy my sushi cravings with some yummy rolls I've discovered at two different sushi restaurants. The Great Crunchy Roll (tempura shrimp, flakes, cream cheese, spicy crab, avocado and eel sauce) from Bambu is delicious! My other favorite is the Local Lovers roll ( tempura lobster, avocado, snow crab & cream cheese, topped with filet, wasabi sauce, spicy mayo, Sriracha, sesame seeds & green onions) from Locals Sushi. Amazing! It's the roll on the right in the photo below.
Workouts: I've still been trying to make it to the gym at least four days a week. I'm spending the majority of my time on the treadmill, walking on an incline and taking a few barre classes. I also try to go to red zone at least once or twice a week, but more and more modifications have to be made with each week that passes. And I've decided that spin and pregnancy do not go hand in hand for me.
Sleep: Still searching for the perfect pregnancy pillow. In the meantime, I've created a little cocoon in the bed with my king size pillows. It's doing the trick for now. It would seem as though my bladder has shrunk in size because I'm also waking up every few hours to use the bathroom. I guess it's preparing me for all the times I'm going to get woken up in the future. 

Movement: I'm feeling movement and love every minute of it. It really is the coolest thing to feel little thumps in my belly and know that's it's our sweet baby boy. It brings about a sense of comfort.

Wardrobe: I'm pretty much reaching for leggings now. I feel like I can do anything in them! My jeans on the other hand...not so much. I did purchase some workout tops that are a little bigger and looser on me, which has been so much more comfortable.

Baby Items Acquired: Whit was out of town last weekend so I took advantage and attempted to do some shopping for clothes. I had to refrain from making multiple impulse purchases because I saw so many cute things. I only left with the two things below. I can't wait to see him in these little outfits. We also received our first package of newborn diapers from a coworker of mine. I guess it's time to start cleaning out the closet to make room for his things!

I got this adorable little Jon Jon by The Beaufort Bonnet Company for him to wear later. They have the cutest things!
I also picked up this other sweet little outfit.


19 Week Photos:
20 Week Photos:
Previous Updates: Pregnancy Announcement | 16 Weeks & Gender Announcement | 18 Weeks
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Thursday, February 1, 2018

10 Super Bowl Appetizer Ideas

One of the best weekends for indulging in all the snacks is right around the corner! I'm talking Super Bowl Sunday. And although I currently have zero plans (which is okay with me this year) that still hasn't stopped me from scoping out some of the mouthwatering recipes floating around Pinterest. I always like to keep appetizer ideas on hand for any parties that may come up. I'll start with a healthy option and then I can't promise the calorie count won't go up from there. 

Veggie Tray with Assorted Dips

I recently made a veggie tray to take to a party. This is not something I would typically bring but I was asked to therefore I wanted to take it up a notch. I bought some tasty dips, a variety of veggies and it was a hit at the party! And yes, I said I bought some dips. I was in a time crunch but made sure to select something yummy. I went with some black bean hummus, Mexicali dip, and roasted red pepper hummus.


How delicious does this sound? I love a good baked potato and serving it in dip for seems genius.


I've made these a few times now and it's a recipe that I will keep in the archives. These rolls ups are so delicious and filling and make the perfect bite size party app.


If you're looking to make some a little more substantial, this fits the bill. These sound amazing!


An elevated appetizer idea with a ton of flavor. This fancy avocado toast is sure to please all.


What's a Super Bowl party without some form of buffalo chicken? I love the idea topping nachos with this classic dip.


This recipe may not sound appealing to everyone. But I'm such a salt and vinegar fan and wings are such a super bowl staple, why not combine the two and see what happens.


If you aren't placing an order for delivery, this is a good alternative. 


This recipe comes from one of my favorite food bloggers. Warm, salty pretzels with a yummy dipping sauce, what's not to love. 


Huge fan of pigs in the blanket over here. I'm also a huge fan of boursin cheese. I can't wait to make this fancy version a try. 

What are some of your favorite things to make on Super Bowl Sunday?



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