Mommy Monday | Why we found out the gender after all..

So, as the title suggest, we found out what we are having! I'll tell you in a minute, but first I'd like to explain how the process to this ultrasound and gender reveal went.

Ever since I can remember I have been telling myself (and the husband as soon as he came into the picture) that I would never want to find out the gender if I'd ever get pregnant. So when we found out we were pregnant, that was the first thing we said to each other, because the Mister felt the same. We were pretty convinced and told everyone we were not going to find out the gender until the little one was born.

But during the fourth month I started to get curious. Friends of ours are also expecting and both of the girls (and boys obviously) know what they are having. I kind of liked that idea and it's easier to shop;) That was the first time I started to doubt our decision. I let it rest and stuck to our first decision not to find out.

Whenever I would talk to friends and family, they told me they were so curious and, more importantly, how hard it was to find gender neutral clothes. Especially clothes that they'd think I would like. Which is something I had experienced myself already, because for some reason the 'gender neutral market' is close to nothing.

When we had our ultrasound at 18 weeks I was already doubting, but the husband said he really didn't want to know, so we said no when she asked us if we wanted to know. The ultrasound went great and we didn't see a thing. (Maybe that means we are having a girl??!)

But the last 2.5 weeks were crazy! I kept thinking about what the gender would be. And everybody we asked would say; I think it's a girl. That did the trick for me. I was too curious to find out whether they were right or not?!

So, combine all these things to my unbelievable lack of patience and curiosity and you can guess what happened. The evening before our ultrasound, I told the husband I really wanted to know the gender. I had told him before, but now I was pretty determined. He asked me if I was very sure. I was. And so he said what a great husband would say: ' If it's really important for you, than it's fine with me'. He also added: 'But you have to tell everyone it was YOUR decision, not mine!' Haha.

So, when we went for our 20 week ultrasound I told her WE wanted to know. And so we did (and do)! And let me tell you this, it was so much fun to find out everyone was wrong! Haha!

We are having a little BOY! Yay!!

We told our family and friends on Sunday because everyone was at our place, since it was my birthday. Perfect timing! They all loved it and are looking forward to it! Just like us!

Luckily, everything is fine with our little baby and he is growing well. Which was great to hear, because that is what you came for after all.

So now you all know:)

Lots of love,
X

Healthy Wednesday | Sugarfree Lunch

So this week I decided to show two of my lunches this week, which were amazing!

Sunday I made a 'Poweromelet' from the latest book of Rens Kroes The book is in Dutch, but she has some of her recipes online or on Instagram. 

The omelet is just an egg with some herbs and a little bit of Almond Milk. But the trick is the toppings. You have to add a handful of Spinach, an avocado, goat cheese and walnuts. And let me tell you, it's amazing! My husband was totally in love and asked me to do this every Sunday afternoon!

I didn't take a really good picture, so I used the one my husband took. Obviously the beer was not mine, and I had the omelet without the bread. 

Last Monday I had another good lunch, which is a little 'easier'. I love avocado and I love to create this. It's really easy!

You just mash up an avocado with a bit of lime juice, salt and pepper. You put this on your sandwich and add slices of tomato. I like salt, so I always add some salt on top of the sandwich as well. I ate an orange on the side and had a glass of Coconut Water. Ok, not really. I had one sip of the coconut water and hated it so much, that I threw it out and had just plain water. Haha!

Maybe you can try one of these recipes as well! I really like both of them. 

I find it difficult sometimes to find a nice lunch recipe, so these are definitely two of my go to recipes from now on.

Lots of love,

X

Mommy Monday | 20 weeks pregnant

So today is a special day (or actually tomorrow..) because we reach 20 weeks! I love to know we are half way! I can't wait to meet this little one:)

So one of the milestones of this week is, I felt him/her kick! It's so special to feel this! I can't believe there is an actual baby in my belly! I wish my hubby could feel it too, but he'll have to wait a little longer I'm afraid.

What can I tell from my first half of pregnancy?

Well, I have to say it was much easier than I thought. But I guess I am just lucky (at least this time.. who knows with number two). I haven't had any serious symptoms. Just a little dizzy every now and then, and when I start singing in church I start to feel a little funny. Maybe that's just because baby doesn't like to hear me sing;)

So far, I've gained 1 kg! I know, that's crazy! I have been trying to eat more, but I just can't. But apparently it's not a big deal, so I just think I need to be lucky I didn't gain a huge amount which I have to love afterwards..

I really hope the next 20 weeks will be good! I am looking forward to it! I can't wait to meet this little one, so every week closer is a milestone.

Lots of love,

X

Mommy Monday | Maternity clothes

Today I want to talk about maternity fashion. I am a huge lover of fashion and clothes, but not much of all the prices attached to it. This is why I always buy clothes on sale or just very cheap. I wanted to do the same for maternity clothes, so that's what I did. 

Some of my favorite websites are:
- Pinterest: This is the best website there is at the moment. I just love to look at all the inspirational photos and websites accompanying the photos. I did the same for maternity fashion. I just pinned everything I like and try to find things I have in my closet. The easiest way to get the lovely looks for a pregnant belly, which doesn't cost a lot. 
- H&M I am not a super fan of H&M for my 'normal' clothes. I find the quality not always as good as I would want to. Plus, I sometimes see something fun and see my students wear it the next day. So normally this is a no-go for me. But my students aren't pregnant, so I don't have to worry about them wearing the same things now, and it doesn't have to last forever! I got most of my basics at H&M. 
I noticed a difference in collections, so I can't really show you everything because most of you won't be able to get it anyway. But these are two of the items I got. Just a few jeans and some simple t-shirts I liked.

- Mama licious This is for only a few of you, because they don't have an American or Australian website. So only my European friends will be able to order here. They have amazing dresses and they aren't too expensive, especially since I bought all of mine in sale!
- For Australian websites, go check out hiplittleone. She is a friend of mine with an amazing blog! She shares maternity clothes on Monday, but also shares other essentials on her blog. She posts everyday and has lots of giveaways! So Aussies, check it out!


The best tip I can give you to buy maternity clothes is to stay yourself. I always wear jeans with a t-shirt, sweater or cardigan and I am still doing this. I sometimes wear dresses, so I also got a few dresses, especially because it's summer over here. But don't go overboard. Just buy the things you would always buy and stick to your style. 

Just wear you clothes with pride ladies! You can be proud of that growing belly, so show it! That's what I do;)


Lots of love,

X

Healthy Wednesday | Being pregnant and having the flu.

The last two week were tough for me (and the husband). 
It was really warm in the Netherlands, at over 30 degrees Celsius for a week we had a 'heatwave'. us Dutchies are not used to warm weather so a few days over 30 C are a heatwave over here.. Anyway, normally I love it when it starts to warm up for Summerdays, but this time it was different. I had the flu at the same time as the start of the heatwave. I've been in bed for 4 days with a temperature. After that we just tried to get back on track as soon as possible, but it took me a while.

What did I do?
Well, first of all, I didn't do anything other than sleeping for two days. After the first two days I was finally able to eat something (just a little though, I think about 2-3 crackers a day).
I figured the best remedy was to sleep. I have slept a lot! I didn't want to do anything else. I started to feel better after this, and continued to sleep and rest often. It took me two weeks to get better though!

Best ways to stay healthy and fit
After these two weeks I am determined to not become ill anytime soon. So I figured I would work on the following things:

- Eat properly This is where my sugar free 'diet' comes in. I am going to try and eat as healthy as possible, which means no processed foods! I eat more vegetables, and fruit. I even decided to drink fresh orange juice a couple days a week.

- Try to workout a little more I am going to try to work out a little more. I am not talking about two hours in the gym every evening, but trying to exercise during the day. I want to ride my bike more often, go to pregnancy swimming classes and just get up from the couch a little more often..

- Take (pregnancy) vitamins I never really take pills, because I am a believer of eating the fruit  or vegetable instead of a pill. But with this pregnancy you just need a little more vitamins than you can take. So I am trying to take my pills everyday, even though I am horrible at remembering to take them. (I'd like to blame pregnancy for this, but I'm afraid that's just who I am.. )

- Listen to my body This is probably the best tip. I am going to do what my body tells me. I want to make sure my baby is as safe as possible, so I am going to bed when I feel really tired for example.

Are there any tips you could give me to stay healthy and flu-free?

Lots of love,

X

Mommy Monday | Pregnancy update

Week 17

Feeling
Well, I have actually felt really good! I don't get nauseous (not often anyway..) and I only really feel tired. I do have a low blood pressure, which means I can feel dizzy sometimes. But as soon as I sit or lie down, I feel better within minutes. The same goes with nausea, whenever I think I am starting to feel nauseous, I just sit down and it goes better within minutes. Lucky me, I know!

Eating
The eating part is a different story. Even though I don't get nauseous, I still don't want to eat much. When I have a glass of water in the morning, I've already had enough. I try to eat more and as diverse as possible, but it can be hard.
I also decided to go back to Sugar Free (see my latest post!) but that can be hard as well. I don't really have cravings, but I sometimes feel like having a large glass of Coke and something very bad (read; sweet) to go with it.. But other than that I am trying to do the best I can!

Baby
So, how about the baby? Well, apparently our baby is the size of an Onion and is about 18 centimeter.  I have never seen an onion of 18 centimeters long, but I guess they had to find something to compare it with;)
I have felt 3 little pops last week but nothing more. I think it was the baby but we'll never know.

Belly
I am having a little belly! It's not much, but it's growing. I am feeling really proud, but I guess I am the only one who thinks the belly looks quite big;)


That's it for now!
Lots of love,

X

Healthy Wednesday | I quit sugar, the beginning

Hello everyone,

This week I decided to get back into the 'I quit sugar' community. I have quit sugar before, but didn't keep up. I'd like to blame that on my pregnancy, but I think it also has to do with my laziness. I just didn't want to bake my own bread and cookies for some time. 
But, I am back at it!

I quit Sugar, what is it?
The best way to explain this is, quitting the refined sugars. If you are interested I suggest you go to Iquitsugar.com to read the whole story. It's a website by Sarah Wilson, who also wrote this book --> 

I'll try to explain it in a simple manner:
Nowadays we eat around 5 times the amount of sugar we actually need, which is bad for us for all sorts of reasons. This program (or lifestyle) is meant to reduce this sugar intake to a normal amount. It helps you in 8 weeks to quit sugar and then helps you to continue this. You can either buy the book, do the program through her website or just go 'cold turkey' and leave out all the sugars. I would recommend option one or two though, because you have no idea what products contain sugar! (not just your cupcakes, pies and chocolate, believe me!)


Why am I doing this?
I have different reasons for wanting to do this:
- I am addicted to sugar! Yes, it's true. If I don't eat sugar for a day I get a headache, feel tired and start to get moody. Sugar is an addiction, and I am not afraid to admit I have one. And since I don't want to be addicted to anything, I want to get rid of my sugar addiction as well. 
- I am pregnant. I know this is not the first time I mention this, but I want to eat healthy for my little one. I want it to grow as healthy as possible, and I want to continue eating healthy when he/she is here. I want to have my child(ren) sugar free as well. 
- Sugar is really really bad for you. This is actually the biggest reason. The more you look into the sugar free lifestyle and the theory behind it, the more you'll understand why. It is even thought that sugar is a big problem in the rise of Obesity, Diabetes, Vascular diseases and even cancer! I don't want to expose my baby, my husband or myself to these risks!

So what am I going to share?
I want to share my journey with you. I am starting my 8 week program today and want to keep you posted. Follow along with me, or just see how I do. 
I also want to share some nice recipes, tips and other stuff I think might help you.

Well, so far I haven't done much yet, but I am going to share my journey with you every Wednesday in this blogpost Healthy Wednesday. 

New style of blogging

Hello everyone!

As the title says, I am thinking about a new style of blogging. Since I have been pregnant I find it more difficult to find time to craft, and I tend to do more on my research to be a good mommy.
I decided to add this to the blog. I want to share my thoughts about pregnancy, parenting (including all the stuff I don't/didn't know) and being healthy. 

So, this is the plan.
- Mommy Monday: One of my good friends lives in Australia and is an amazing mom to 4, soon to be 5 kids. She has her own website and does a Mommy on Monday post. I love that! If you are Australian, go check her out! She has a great website for moms, babies and kids! Plus, a giveaway nearly every day! Who doesn't like that;)
Anyway, I was thinking about doing a Mommy Monday as well. Just explain to you some cool things I found, what I do to stay fit and look good, and all other stuff that might be interesting.
- Healthy Wednesday: I want to share my 'I quit sugar' journey with you all. I am super excited about it, and want to explain to you how and why I do this. So healthy wednesdays are about healthy meals, tips and tricks and other health related issues.
- Crafts: I am still totally doing crafts, just not at a set time. I am currently working on a Pregnancy Album and I love doing this. But I also want to share other things I made.

Well, that's the plan.
I am creating a label for all three posts. So if you are interested in any of these, just click on the label!

That's it for now!

Lot of love,

X

New things are coming!

Hello lovely people!

Just a quick blogpost to let all my readers know why I don't post most lately.
I have just done a similar post, but I kind of left out the most important part.. 
It's true that I don't have a lot of time, or creativity at this moment. 
But there is something more interesting than that going on.

A miracle is growing inside of me! Yes, we are expecting a baby! We are at 15 weeks now (well, tomorrow..) and we couldn't be happier. We are really looking forward to the things to come. 

The picture is a bit funny, but the head is on the left (and it's the arm showing, not a huge nose.. haha). We don't want to know what it is, so whenever I use 'his' or 'her', I am just avoiding the use of its, because that sounds a little stupid to me.. 

Anyway, with this new arrival coming, we are also working on new things! I am currently working on a pregnancy album, which is coming along pretty well. I am trying to update it a little bit, and then I'll do a blogpost about it. 

Well, that's it for now.


Lots of love,

X

Project Life | Love for Laura's collections

Hello everyone!

I haven't blogged a lot lately, simply because I didn't really create anything. 

I am currently 2 weeks behind in my Project Life album, and am actually struggling to make pictures every week. I just simply forget. So I don't feel like documenting, since I don't have many great pictures to use.

So that is definitely something I need to focus on more.

But, I am still enjoying all things Project Life (obviously). I recently ordered parts of the three new kits available at Hobby Lobby. We don't have them here, but my local scrapbookstore is seriously amazing, because she somehow manages to get hold of everything. 

Something else Project Life related is my part of the Laurel Lane Design team. She recently added a new collection and it's awesome! So this time a blogpost dedicated to Ms Laura Rahel, who designs the most amazing Project Life cards. They honestly fit in to every spread!

This is her latest addition, and I love it!

And I also want to share my favorite set of cards. I love them because they are so simple and clean. I am in love with the theme, just suitable for any picture. 

She obviously has many more collections, so be sure to check out her blog! She has a link to her etsy stores (yes, she has two..) there as well.

Well, that's it for now. Just showing my love for Laura's cards!

Lots of love,
X

Project Life | Week 12 - Laura Rahel Designs

Hello Everyone!

Another lay-out for my Project Life album. I found out I am perfectly capable of keeping my album up to date, but updating my blog is a whole other story! But I try to do it as much as possible! I just have so many things to do. So, my apologies!

Anyway, here is my layout for week 12!

I used one 12x12 photo on the left. It is such a beautiful picture. It is literally 1 minute away from our little apartment and it's so nice to walk around 'the harbor' (it used to be the harbor, but now that's moved.)

On the right hand side I used the 2 pictures I made that week. For some reason I didn't take any pictures! Can you believe it? It was Easter and I didn't take 1 picture of it! I feel so stupid! Anyways, the Laura Rahel cards make up for it quite a bit!

Hope you enjoy my lay-out!

Lots of love,

X

Project Life | Week 11

Hello everyone!

I can't believe how long it took me to write a new blogpost! Seriously! It's probably because I haven't been able to do Project Life for a few weeks, because our laptop crashed. Which means, I couldn't print my photos.. That was not cool!

Anyhow, here is my spread for the second week of March (even though we are nearly at the end of April).

I used mostly Laura Rahel designs, so be sure to click the link to Laura's etsy shop!

I used a Midnight edition card for the title card and a daydreamer card to write the story. 

I hope you enjoy it, because honestly, I don't.. I think this spread is one of the worst I did, but at least it's documented, which is basically the point right..

Lots of love,

X

Project Life | Week 10

It's been a while since I posted a Project Life spread, so I'll have two new spread coming this week. First off is this spread, I made in week 10. 

I found out we mostly have only 1 really interesting (and photo heavy) page a week, and one page with lots of everything. As is the case this week. 

On the left hand side you see a few things we did this week. We decided to sell our house, so we went to visit a potential new home (which didn't make it in the end) and we made our balcony look a little better by adding pretty plants. 

On the right hand side, you see the interesting day, which was a day out with the two of us. We went to have lunch, which was seriously good, and then went for a walk in the forest. it was a great day!

I also started a subscription with the Project Life kit of scrapdelight It's fun to try new things! So as you can see in the pictures, I tried to use a little more embellishments and I like it so far. I am still learning, but it looks pretty good to me!

Well, enough said. Enjoy the pictures!

Lots of love,

X

Snailmail | my letter writing process

I decided to share a bit of my snail mail process on the blog. I know a lot of my follower on IG follow me for my 'creative' processes and for snail mail purposes. So I dedicate a blogpost to snail mailing. Because, let's face it.. I am still better at writing letter than at doing a Project Life spread! But I love both, and want to share this process with you. Let's start!

I always begin with the letter. I read the letter again (because sometimes it takes a few weeks to respond.) I also keep all the goodies in the envelope until I have sent a reply. Just so I know what the person sent me. I like to respond in detail, so thanking someone for the funny sticker or pretty mailtag is much easier when you keep it together. 

I have a few paper pads which I bought at Kikki.K. Although I love them, I still enjoy making my own writing paper. Just a pretty lined paper with some washi tape. That's what I did here as well.. I love to talk, so writing a letter mostly means a few pages as well! 

After the letter, I reply to the mail tag (if it's there obviously!). This time Laura asked me to give her a recipe for the Winter months. I know Winter is coming to an end, but I included a recipe anyway. And I know she does Project Life (and she is seriously good at it too!) I decided to write it on a PL card. I don't know if she'll add it to a spread, but I liked the idea of making it possible!

After the 'writing' process, I work on the goodies part. I always love to send something with the letter. It's nothing fancy, just a few stickers that match the letter or the theme or something I think she'll like. I receive a lot of this from my penpals as well, and it's just fun to add little stuff. I sometimes resend things as well, not because I don't like it, but because I might think she'll use it more than I do, or just because it's so awesome I want someone else to enjoy it as well.

The pretty washi tapes. Oh how I love these. They are currently among my favorites and I use them way too often!

So after all the preparing, I put everything in envelopes or little packages and decorate the envelopes.

So this is all the stuff put away. (Here you see the awesome doily. My other penpal Laura made this, and I think it's too awesome to just put away. So I resend it, so this Laura can enjoy it as well.. see what I mean;))

Then, I pack it all together and send it.

This time I didn't take a picture of the big envelope. This is with just one reason, I want to keep a few things a 'secret' before she receives this. But who knows, maybe I'll add a picture of the complete end result on my blog or IG.

Well, I hope you liked it! I sure did! It's so much fun to write letters and put together a little happiness in the mail. If you don't have a penpal yet and would like to have one?! Go to IG and search under the hashtag #penpalswanted or #snailmailrevolution. You'll find lots of people who are looking for penpals. Or just be bold and ask people if they want to be your penpal. (don't forget to read their IG description though, lots of people don't look for another penpal and have put it in their description.) 

If you have any questions or comments, please comment below! I'd love to read your stories or answer your questions!

Lots of love,

X

Project Life | Week 8

This week has been a fun week, but I didn't take too many pictures. What I did take pictures of was our little problem with the car. We were on our way to my sister in law's birthday when the car suddenly stopped. We waited for some time before the 'Wegenwacht' (which is the car service) came. So I had some time to take pictures while we waited!

And what better designs to use than the designs of Laura which had the 'trouble' card and the road card available! I only used her designs.

I am only showing the right hand side, because the left hand side is a little too personal too share. I hope you understand!

Enjoy!

Lots of love,

X

Project Life | Week 7

Hello you guys! It's week 7 up on the blog already! Time flies.

So this week, we bought a new rug and chair and the Mister had a bachelor party of our brother in law (to be..) The pages do not coordinate at all, but I had to add all the photos. So they look great apart from each other, but next to each other looks not so great. 

I decided to only add the pictures of the right hand side where your don't really see the faces of all the others, because I don't want to put pictures up of others when I don't know if they mind. And I don't know all of them, so I don't post them. So just 2 pictures on that spread, sorry!

I also added a Design E page protector to document the last day with our beautiful dog. It is actually the dog of my parents, but I was always the one who loved him most. They took him to a dog shelter, and even though I love him to bits, I live in a tiny apartment so I couldn't take him. Hence, the last day of Bruno (how creative were we when picking a name!)

I used:

- Midnight Edition Core kit

- Laura Rahel Designs (the hello life one!)

- The Gold Foil kit of Heidi Swapp

- The chalkboard mini kit

Enjoy!

Lots of love,

X