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Saturday, October 25, 2014

Nautical Baby Shower


Who doesn't love a good party? Well, the person that gets zero sleep because of the planning in preparation probably doesn't (Sorry Mom!). Other than that, I can't think of any functioning adult, or rambunctious child that doesn't enjoy it. This past weekend we flew back to my home town and were able to watch my baby brothers kick butt at football, and visit with family and friends at our baby shower.
When we found out Warren was a boy I asked Matt how he wanted to decorate the nursery. He chose nautical, so I thought it made sense to have nautical themed showers as well (why not get multiple uses from the decor, amiright?). After spending the last few weeks on pinterest I came up with a general idea of what I wanted and I owe a huge thanks to my mother (and Michael's) for making it happen! 
We started out with nautical themed invitations that were ridiculously easy to create thanks to the 40 pack of blank nautical cards I found on sale at Michael's. 
After buying those for a whopping $5 and getting a few stamps with a 40% off coupon I was all set. 


I'm so happy with how these turned out! They're better than anything I could find online and I was able to completely customize them. 
Once the invitations were sent I sat down and brainstormed (read: pinterest searched) baby shower favor and prize ideas. That's where I came up with the favors. 

Lavender scented sugar scrub. So easy. So many scent and color options. So quick to make! Seriously, I'm going to sum up the research I did and dumb down the instructions: mix 2 parts sugar with 1 part refined coconut oil and add as much scented oil and food coloring as you need to get to your desired end-state. 
I mixed 6.5 cups of sugar with 3 cups of coconut oil, 2 TBSPs lavender oil (that I got in the candle aisle) and about 10 drops of blue food coloring in a large bowl with a hand mixer for 5 minutes, then scooped it into the jars I had picked out. That was enough to fill 25 2oz jars.  It's that easy.
Obviously I did a test run at home about a week before to make sure that it really was that easy to make and that I actually liked the product before I made it for everyone. I love using it before I shave and hopefully the ladies at the shower enjoy it too. 

Aside from those two DIY touches, my mom made adorable 'crab' sandwiches, a fruit 'boat' and bobber punch which were all too cute and perfect for the nautical theme. I can't emphasize enough how much my mother (and grandmother) helped and what a wonderful job they did. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope everyone who came did too!

Now that I've got one nautical baby shower under my belt, the next one should be a breeze :) 

Good thing I have a few more weeks to prepare though-- I'm still working on the thank yous from the first one. 

How far along? 22 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I've gained 7 pounds; I guess I brought home more than just presents from my baby shower.
Maternity clothes? I still haven't bought maternity clothes, but I can only wear the longer shirts that I own! And dresses are much more comfortable than jeans, especially since Warren likes to sit so low.  
Stretch marks? Thankfully, no. 
Sleep: I get plenty. Sleeping on my sides isn't my favorite, but I'm getting used to it. 
Best moment this week: My baby shower!!
Miss Anything? Spiced cider! It was cold during our trip to the Pacific Northwest, so everyone enjoyed spiced cider, hot buttered rum and hard cocoa. While regular cider tasted good, I'll be especially excited to have those drinks next year. 
Movement: Now that Warren has a sense of touch I think he's trying to break free! His kicks are finally strong enough for Matt to feel regularly and boy does he like to move around. 
Food cravings: Just sweets! Now that halloween is around the corner, I eat too much candy.. Whoops.
Anything making you queasy or sick? No, hallelujah!
Have you started to show yet: you can now see my belly through my clothes, uniform and most of my light coats. It's still hidden in the thicker jackets, but it's safe to say I look pregnant. 
Gender: all ultrasounds show a healthy, one pound boy! 
Labor Signs: Not yet. The longer I go without any real or fake signs the better!
Belly Button in or out? Still in where it belongs!
Wedding rings on or off? Now that the weather is colder my ring has slipped right off my finger a few times. I'm sure weight gain will fix that eventually. 
Looking forward to: Trick or treating with the kids. And painting the nursery; we're going to repaint the walls white and add a navy blue accent wall in a couple weeks. 
Mood: Great! We're getting projects done, buying baby stuff and enjoying how good I feel! I consider every week like this a blessing. 
Milestones: Warren now weighs one pound! He can sense light and dark and is feeling his way around his itty bitty living space. 
Upcoming Appointments/Events: A doctors appointment in a couple weeks, and planning and prepping for the next baby shower! 
Weekly Wisdom: start browsing different coupon and deal websites for sales and savings on baby items you're going to need. I've found some pretty good deals  on a few different sites. Growing up in the country I never had the undying love for Target that most white girls tend to have, but Target has definitely grown on me with some of these prices! 

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