Labour and Delivery Story

Sorry I've been AWAL for so long, my precious baby girl Everly Grace Hicks was born on February 18th and the weeks leading up to it have been crazy and the days since as well.

As I take advantage of Everly’s precious nap time I thought I’d write a little post about my experience with her labour and delivery. This is for any of you curious folks out there - I know I was very curious/anxious about labour and delivery and read a lot of others experiences. 

One week ago today I was in labour - how crazy is that!?

Disclaimer - this post may have a little too much detail for you to handle! 

I had a feeling she was going to make an early appearance. I was 38 +5 Weeks along and feeling more and more exhausted and anxious every day. The night of February 17th there was a snowstorm and I wasn’t feeling too good. My Braxton Hicks contractions were becoming much stronger and more regular and every time I went to the bathroom I was paranoid that my water had broken and I didn’t know about it. I made sure my “going to the hospital” outfit was ready and our hospital bags were packed and ready to go. 

I actually managed to get a few hours of deep sleep that night - which was a rarity for me, still is! - I woke up at 3am after the power flickered. I got up to turn our fan back on, went to the bathroom and got back into bed. Half an hour later the power flickered again and Mike actually woke up this time. Just as I was about to get out of bed, my water broke with a gush. I soaked through my pajamas and conveniently managed to miss the towel I had been sleeping on and instead hit the newly changed sheets - of course! 

Mike got up with a jump, phoned the hospital and got everything arranged. Normally you don’t go to the hospital as soon as your water breaks anymore, you wait for contractions to be 5minutes apart. But I tested positive for Group B Strep which is a bacteria that lives in the birth canal which isn’t harmful to me but can be very dangerous if baby comes in contact with it. Because of that reason, as soon as your water breaks you need to be put on a round of antibiotics every 4 hours until the baby is born and you can’t labour for very long. 

We hugged my parents, Misha and brother and sister goodbye and headed out to the hospital. 

When we got there we were admitted to triage where they put in my IV. I’m like terrified of medical things so I almost passed out when she was putting the IV in haha. Also I white coat every time I got my blood pressure done - which was a lot! 

While we were in triage things started to get VERY busy in the birthing unit. Two ladies were delivering at the same time around 5am, and more and more women we filing up triage. I was eager to get my contractions started and Mike and I decided to walk. We walked in circles in the halls for hours taking breaks when the nurses needed to see me or if I needed to use the bathroom. Around 9am the doctor came to see us. Lucky for me my OBGYN was on that day! She checked and saw that I was 4cm dilated! If anything got the labour process sped up I think it was her checking my cervix. Shortly after we met our nurse for the day Sarah (who was beyond fantastic), and she brought us to our birthing suite! Finally a room for myself! I had been getting pretty frustrated being cooped up in triage!

As soon as we got into the room I told the nurse it was getting to be time for me to have my epidural. About an hour later I was sitting up, terrified, shaking and trying to breathe through my contractions whilst not focusing too much on the pain. The Doctor was preping my back for the epidural noticed my lower back being very tight and mentioned I probably have arthritis in my back. The freezing needles I didn’t really notice but the actually epidural hurt like crap! She had to move it around a couple times to get it into a comfortable position. But after that I felt much better asides from how creepy it is not being able to feel your legs very well! 

I had visits from my family and not much longer after that Doctor Jana came in to do another check. It was around 11:45 and I was 9 1/2cm dilated! Dr. Jana wanted me to wait a while and lay on my right side to get the baby to turn into the right position. Mike sat next to me the whole time, holding my hands and stroking my legs when thy started to shake from nerves. He was absolutely my saving grace during the whole process - still is. 

As my epidural started getting stronger and stronger and creeping up further I was hoping it would be time to push. Sure enough at 1:30pm we were given the go ahead to start pushing. The nurse and Mike had to physically move my 95% limp body into the right position and I started pushing. Little did I know that my mom was standing just outside the door the whole time listening and trying not to intrude. After a while the nurse called for Dr. Jana and a birthing nurse and so many people flooded the room, the lights turned on and I started pushing harder and harder. Dr. Jana told me mom was just outside and I told her she could come in if she wanted. She stood next to Mike and helped me through the last few pushes. The hardest part was the shoulders I think, her head got a little stuck but once that was out I was so exhausted. But at 3:59pm I heard Mike say “It’s a girl! We have a girl Christine!” They plopped her slimy white screaming body on my chest and I just sat there in awe and exhaustion. I couldn’t believe it! Not long after that they took her to get clean and checked out as Dr. Jana and a nurse proceeded to get out the placenta and stitch up my tearing - gross!

Family came in a saw my precious little angel, Everly Grace Hicks, and then we started working on breastfeeding. She didn’t get interested in breastfeeding until day 4. That night Mike and I didn’t get much sleep, we were overwhelmed with the whole day and the fact that we had this little life to care for. I was in a lot of pain and thank goodness Mike stayed, he did the first diaper change, helped me get and around console Everly while she cried. 

The next couple days were really hard, we had to stay at the hospital for 48 hours because of the potential for her to be infected by the GBS and then she was also a little bit jaundice so they wanted to watch that. 

Day two and three I spent most of the day crying. No one warns you about the crazy immediate change in hormones after birth. And I had a touch of the ‘baby blues”. I wasn’t sad she was born, I was overjoyed, but I was nervous about her feeding, home sick, missing Misha, overwhelmed with everything, feeling under prepared and also very happy It was quite a confusing emotional roller coaster. Again Mike sat with me through that, encouraging me and helping me through every tear. 

Night two a nurse suggested we start supplementing Everly’s food with some formula cup feeding. That was so bizarre, feeding a baby with a cup looks hilarious also. Everly didn’t like it much but at least she was getting fluids, I started using the hospital grade breast pump and expressing as much as I could to give to her as well. Day three the lactation consultant came for a visit and taught us the proper positioning and everything and encouraged us that because she was jaundice that meant she wouldn’t be too interested in eating for a few days but it would get better. 

We were discharged later that day on the stipulation that we see our family doctor the next day to check her jaundice levels. I was so happy to be home, that night was a long one as we tried formula and breast feeding and pumping every 3 hours. Friday we saw the doctor and his amazing nurse who weren’t too concerned about her jaundice and encouraged us to continue trying to breastfeed her and if we need to we can always bottle feed, theres nothing wrong with that. 

The next day after many more tears from both Everly and myself Mike suggested we put what I pump into a bottle and feed her that way instead of with a cup and with formula. We tried that and it instantly sparked her to start suckling properly now she doesn’t even need the bottle stimulation to get going! Woohoo! Breastfeeding is hard, and doesn’t come naturally, so I would encourage all new mothers to give it a good hard try, let yourself cry if you feel over whelmed and lean on support from your spouse and family and if you need to bottle or formula feed, just do it. 

I’m so blessed that we’re living with my parents right now because as Mike went back to work this week my mom has been a great help with tiding things up for me, watching Everly when I need to do my own thing and encouraging me through every high and low. 

Motherhood isn’t easy, but it’s the best gift I’ve ever received. I wouldn’t trade anything, not the poopy diapers, wailing fits, sleepless nights or sore nipples for the world! God has been so good to us, my labour was only 12 hours long, my baby is healthy and eating now and my support system has been my rock. 

Pregnancy Must Haves and Tips!

I thought I'd write a little post about the Must Haves and some tips for your first pregnancy! Now that I'm nearing the end of my first pregnancy I think I've accumulated enough information and experience  that I feel like it's my duty to share them with you.

1. Stretch Mark Cream

With the expanding of your mid region comes every woman's worst nightmare - stretch marks. While some women don't get them, others will find them showing up right away. I've been fortunate enough to avoid stretch marks on my belly as of now (33 weeks in) but I've noticed a few on my hips and on my breasts (which isn't a surprise because I had tiny boobs before I got pregnant). There are a lot of different lotions and creams on the market specifically targeted towards pregnant women and stretch marks, so you just need to find out what works for you. When I first went into a Thyme Maternity clothing store the clerk suggested I try out their brand of stretch mark cream and I've never looked back.

Thyme Maternity is a clothing store here in Canada (they also have small sections in Babies R Us in America). Their Soothing Therapy Protect Stretch Mark Cream sells for $20 but they always have a buy 2 get 1 free promotion on. They have a line of skin care products which include Breast Cream (which I also use), Leg Gel and Nipple Cream. The scent is a little strong but it doesn't linger and hasn't bothered me and I've had quite the issue with strong smells this pregnancy.

2. Maternity Pillow

Sleeping well and pregnancy don't usually go hand in hand, especially when you're belly is gigantic and everything hurts. Investing in a good pregnancy pillow (body pillow or wedge) is a great idea. I personally love my Snoogle, a crescent shaped body pillow. I've always had hip pain and my chiropractor suggested I sleep with a pillow between my legs. I purchased this at Babies R Us for $60 and it has been well worth it. It comes with a white pillow case but they sell patterned ones for $20-$30 which I picked up as well. If you don't like this, I've heard a wedge shaped pillow works wonders as well for putting behind your back as you sleep or even under your growing belly for a little extra support.

3. Maternity Underwear

Most of you pregnant ladies will notice sore breasts as early as the first trimester. Purchasing a maternity bra or two will definitely feel more comfortable than a push up bra, although they don't look quite as sexy. I went into Thyme and got measured for a maternity bra (usually the general rule they use is one cup size up and one letter size up), this means you'll be able to grow into it comfortably. Also if you have a Thyme Maternity near you their hipster underwear is ridiculously comfortable, pick up a package or two of those and you won't regret it. 

4. Maternity Clothing

You'll notice you'll quickly out grow some of your more form fitting clothing, so it's a good idea to invest in a few maternity specific pieces. If you're lucky you'll still be able to wear some of your clothes so you don't have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. I got lucky and am experiencing the largest part of my pregnancy during fall/winter so I can get away with wearing some of my old sweaters and tunics. I think the general rule is make sure you have at least one pair of maternity pants, a couple shirts and a dress or two. Also maternity sleepwear/lounge wear is great as well. I also am not currently working in an office so I don't need a lot of fancier clothing, although I did invest in a few maternity dresses to wear to church on Sundays. I would absolutely recommend you get your hands on a pair of maternity leggings from Target ($24.99), they are the Be Maternity brand and the comfiest leggings you ever will wear.  Also go ahead and grab yourself a Bella Band ($19.99 Target) so you can still wear your favorite pair of pants/jeans.

5. Morning Sickness Relief

I was lucky enough to experience terrible nausea and morning sickness right from the get go. Nausea started at 4 weeks and the actually vomiting started at 6. Some of you will experience morning sickness at specific times in the day, if you're like me it will last all day or you won't feel it at all. There are many things you can do to help relieve this symptom such as drinking water with lemon, snacking through out the day instead of eating a big meal at one, eating soda crackers, drinking ginger ale, sucking on hard candies like peppermint or Preggie Pop Drops etc. If your morning sickness doesn't get better and is causing you a lot of inconvenience or if  like me and end up tearing your stomach lining make sure you talk to your doctor about something they can prescribe to relieve this. The thought of taking medication during my pregnancy made me feel really uneasy but after research online and talking to other mothers and my doctor I decided it was the right decision for me to get a prescription for Diclectin, which is a pill available in Canada specifically for morning sickness. I used to take one at night and one when I woke up and it would help me get through the day. As my pregnancy has progressed and my morning sickness lessened some I only have to take one at night before I go to bed. The only side effect I've noticed was that it did make me a little drowsy when I took it in the morning, but you're already tired being pregnant anyways that it didn't bother me much. 

6. Massage/Chiropractors

Early on in my pregnancy I strained my lower back after a lovely morning spent bent over the toilet. I was in so much pain my husband had to help me just get around. I've always had a bit of a bad back from years of working in an office with a crappy desk chair and bad posture. I made a massage appointment and it was amazing. I've been back a few times but not since the fall (holiday season was just too busy!). I do plan on making a Prenatal Massage appointment within the next few months. Why not pamper yourself with a few massages? You're growing a human being, you should be allowed to have a great massage every once and a while.

Before I got pregnant my hips would like to pop in and out and just be a pain in the butt so I decided to start seeing my husbands chiropractor - mainly because with his benefits its free. It's good to start seeing a chiropractor early on in your pregnancy even if you don't have any immediate problems, because as you see them every few weeks they are able to see how your back/hips are responding to the bodily changes and help you should you become unaligned. They are also full of great knowledge about how your spine and muscles react to the pregnancy and full of tips and tricks on how to alleviate that annoying back ache that creeps up during the second and third trimesters. Plus if you're baby is breech there is specific things chiropractors can do to help move that baby into the head down position. 

7. Food and Drink

Everyone craves different things during pregnancy and there are wonderful resources online which outline which foods are good and bad for pregnant women. While it's very important to make sure you're getting a well rounded nutritious diet you don't need to freak out and only eat vegan or organic food. I'm sure other people will argue me on this. 

Make sure you're drinking a lot of water. I know it's annoying because you're already peeing every 5 minutes but hydration is very important during pregnancy. Your baby needs that water. Invest in a great water bottle and fill it up regularly! I purchased a Contigo thermos from Costco ($20.00 for 2) early on because it keeps drinks really hot or really cold and I like my water nice and cold with lots of ice! I refill it things several times a day and you can bring it with you every where you go. 

If you want to have a can of coke every once and a while - go for it. Although I would be careful about your caffeine intake especially in the first trimester. Also chocolate is good, eat that chocolate. Basically it's just important to make sure you're getting a well rounded diet, you don't need to go over board either, but eat as much as you want, you've got to gain at least 20lbs....just listen to your body and your doctor or midwife. 

8. Relax!

You're pregnant, you're going through changes, listen to your body and do what feels good to you. If you get winded exercising, take a break. If you feel sleepy, have a nap. If you don't feel like making dinner get your significant other to do it or order in. Try not to stress too much about labour or delivery! Milk it for all it's worth and don't feel bad for complaining every once and a while!

Goodbye 2013....Hello 2014!

Like many I've decided to write a little reflection piece on my 2013 year.

Much like every year this one had its fair share of highs and lows. We started off the new year with our puppy Misha all gimpy and casted up after having broken his leg just before Christmas. His leg was broken just above the ankle and required surgery to have a steal plate put in. After having to pay that and vet fees for appointments every two weeks for a couple months we were emotionally drained and financially drained. But happy our little guy was on the mend and I was glad for the extra cuddle time as poor Misha wasn't allowed to do too much to strain the break.

In February I started a new job. One of the most stressful jobs I think I've ever had. While I am glad to have moved on I am very grateful for the opportunity and skills I learned. In the end after many teary anxiety attacks and sleepless nights I decided it was time for a change and quit. My home based baking business was picking up a bit and I wanted extra time to focus on that and to spend with my husband and healing pup while looking for a new position with steadier full time/day time hours.

That plan didn't exactly pan out as June came quick and with it a roller coaster of emotions, nausea and a lot of quick trips to the bathroom. I remember joking with Mike "I'm peeing so much I'm either pregnant or I've got diabetes". Sure enough one afternoon we decided we might as well take a test just to rule it out. Turns out the test was positive. I was pregnant. And terrified.

Mike and I had always planned on starting a family, our plan was to wait a few more years when we were more secure financially and owned our own home. Obviously God had another plan, a better plan. So after a few tears we told our families. All have been over joyed and extremely excited for us and the new addition we'll be adding. I have to admit I was quite scared to tell our parents, not because I didn't think they would be happy for us and beyond supportive, but because I knew our financial situation wasn't exactly ideal. But they have been nothing short of wonderful throughout this whole experience.

This summer I spent the majority of my time on the couch with a bucket by my side and soda crackers at the ready. I knew my body would have a hard time with the change in hormones but wasn't expecting my morning sickness to last all day every day. The thing that scared me the most about getting pregnant was the fact that I'd have to had blood drawn regularly, and for a person whose afraid of needles and prone to passing out after receiving needles I wasn't happy! My first trip to the lab they took 9 tubes and I was not a happy camper, especially since two days later I got a call from them saying they didn't have quite enough and I needed to get more drawn. Luckily everything looked great, myself and the baby were perfectly healthy. At the beginning of August in the middle of the night on my husbands birthday I woke up to once again be sick. Although this time blood came up. It was about 3am. I went back to bed, told Mike we'd need to go to Urgent Care first thing in the morning. But after a couple more trips to the bathroom and becoming more and more worried we decided to run to our ER just incase. After waiting for about an hour we saw a doctor who preformed an ultra sound. We got to see our little nugget for the first time! 12 weeks tiny we got to see it on my husbands birthday! How cool! It was bouncing around and doing somersaults! Everything looked perfectly fine and  I was diagnosed with a tear in my stomach lining and prescribed Diclectin to help with my morning sickness - it's been a life saver! As I'm 8 months along now and STILL suffering from morning sickness. We proudly displayed our first ultra sound pictures to friends and family and suddenly the whole thing became very real.

In September we decided to move out of the house we were renting. We weren't saving any money and with a very generous kind offer from my parents decided it would be the best thing for us now to move into my parents basement until we can afford our own place. It's been a major blessing or an curse probably depending on who you ask lol. Still working in saving money and slowly but surely making our way towards buying a house. Although I do have to admit a big pet peeve that's developed over the past few months is when people ask "so have you found a house yet?" Obviously we haven't because we can't afford it right now, when we have a house you will know.

In November my best friend from America decided to pay us a visit. It was amazing to see her again and catch up. It honestly feels like we see each other everyday, I wish we could. Still trying to convince her to move up here....

December came and went like wild fire full of holiday craziness. Shopping, family get togethers and appointments. We finished our birthing classes which have been a great help at calming my anxiety and fear over my impending labour and delivery. I've accepted the fact that it's coming no matter what, and the joy and love we'll experience when baby makes its appearance is going to be more than worth it.

This year we were blessed to celebrate 4 weddings. So happy for friends who all had beautiful weddings and excited for them and their futures. They better start having kids soon though so ours has some play mates!

We are glad to say goodbye to 2013 and look forward to all 2014 has to offer. Our baby's arrival in February or March, my sister in laws wedding in June, our best couple friends wedding in October, first Christmas with our new baby and everything that comes in between.

I hope you had a wonderful year and have an even better 2014!

And hopefully you'll be seeing more posts from me in the new year!

See you later,

Christine!

Autumn Maternity Fashion Lookbook

Hey Everyone!

It's Autumn now which means time for comfy clothes and layers! I must admit my heart deflated a bit when I saw all the Fall and Winter clothing lines coming into my favorite stores! I have a bit of a shopping addiction and was (and still am) a bit sad that I can't go and buy new pieces from all the new lines, because frankly I just won't fit into them properly. Not with me ever growing baby bump! But just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't find some great maternity clothes and rock my own style this Autumn/Winter. Here's my fashion favorites and newest pieces I'll be wearing quite a bit this season.

I've been told my bump looks bigger in pictures than it does in real life - I didn't believe them until I saw this shot! My bump does look quite huge! I'm only 23 weeks along. This photo showcases my favorite outfit right now - top and legging from Thyme Maternity. These were the first pieces I bought for my Maternity wardrobe - pieces which I can wear throughout my pregnancy and even afterwards! You'll notice the leather detailing on the shoulders and down the sides of the legs! I love leather so anything with leather detailing I'll take! Also the leggings are a thick enough fabric I can get away with wearing them as regular pants, which is amazing because they are super comfortable! I paired this outfit with my favorite fall shoes - my combat boots I got last spring from Globo Shoes. Ridiculously comfortable and a little edgy.

My favorite puppies! CeCe (my parents dog) and Misha (mine and my husbands). Both fully grown and so adorable!

                                

I picked this sweater from Ardenes funnily enough. I don't shop at Ardenes, I honestly don't think I had ever been in one before, but I got a gift card for my birthday and ran into one to see what I could get, found this comfy sweater with a cute aztec print and figured it would come in handy in the colder months. Paired with these amazing white flats with gold metal toe - bought these online from Aldo and I'm disappointed to say they are horribly uncomfortable, but cute nonetheless. 

This cardigan I purchased at Thyme Maternity, light black knit with gold studs on the shoulders. Paired with black flats with the gold metal toe bought from Forever 21 (much more comfortable than the white ones from Aldo)

This burgundy H&M Maternity shirt is so fuzzy and so comfortable. Paired with my black maternity jeans and my Aldo riding boots. 

Collar necklace from H&M

Another sweater I found at Ardenes. Not maternity wear but I bought it in a medium so it should fit me throughout the whole pregnancy. Love the gold metal polka dots. Paired with a knit eternity scarf I got from Joe Fresh which has some gold detailing of its own. 

Picked up this sweater from Forever 21 - love the shoulder cut outs.

Paired with silver arrow jewelry from Forever 21

     

Maternity army green silky tunic from H&M, with the most comfortable Maternity legging from Target and adorable tan wedges from Target as well. 

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Fox ring from Forever 21 and spike earrings from Aldo

Love these black and white aztec sloughy pants. Picked these up at Winners. Paired with a plain black long sleeve maternity shit from H&M and a pair of black heels - I believe these are from the Jessica Simpson collection

This bodycon dress I also picked up at Winners, stretchy enough material that it will make room for my growing stomach. 

Paired with a statement necklace from H&M

Well there you have it! My autumn maternity fashion favorites!

See you later!

Christine

October Makeup Favorites

Hi Everyone!

Thought I'd write up a quick post of my favorite makeup I've been using this past month!

First I'll start off with the Sephora Favorites Draw the Line eyeliner box. Sephora often puts together these boxes full of their best selling products, so you'll get a couple tester sizes and even full sizes of different products for a really great affordable price. These are particularly good if you wanted to try out a couple products but aren't ready to commit to just one and wanted to try out a tester first! My sister grabbed their lipstick/gloss favorites and loved it. I kind of have an obsession with eyeliner.... My go to everyday eye look is never complete without a simple cat eye. I've mainly been using Revlon's Colour Stay liquid liner but I've been wanting to try out higher quality liners for some time now. This struck my eye while doing some Sephora birthday shopping in September so I picked it up, I think it was only like $36! So great price and these will last me a long long time.

Contents: 

Sephora Collection Long-Lasting 12HR Wear Eye Liner in 02 Glitter Black: nice applicator, glitter isn't too noticeable so I like that, just gives a bit of sparkle.

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Black: absolutely love this liner, it's probably my new favorite liquid liner, definitely will be picking up more of these later!

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Stingray: this has more of a pencil fell but also looks really soft and velvety. Also really easy to apply and lasts all day!

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Eye Pencil in Perversion and Demolition: These eye pencils have got a lot of love. For someone who uses a pencil on a daily basis I would definitely recommend these. It goes on smooth and literally lasts all day. Really great for creating a beautiful smokey eye

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Black: this is my second favorite liner of the group, I just love the applicator and the look of the liner on the actually lid. Although I have read quite a few reviews that these liners do dry out quite quickly, so if that's the case you might not want to invest in a full tube.

 Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner in Black: this is just like a simple black eye pencil, nothing too special about it, I think i've only used it once actually. Nothing great but definitely better than drugstore eye pencils. 

I've been lusting over this eyeshadow palette from quite some time now. I've just been too cheap to shell out the $60 for it. I also really want the original Urban Decay Naked Palette, but thought I'd grab this one first because the colours just scream autumn to me. I use this basically every day. It has a great selection of colours, both matte and shimmery. And the eye shadow formula is just great and very long lasting! Definitely worth the $60 and I will definitely pick up the original. Also the brush it comes with is really great as well!

Last but not least the new face products I've been using. Because I'm on a budget right now I've consented to using drugstore foundation and powder. I'd heard great things about the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation and after falling in love with the Wake Me Up Concealer I grabbed a bottle of this. I've been using it for about a week now and love it. Great medium coverage, I don't need a heavy coverage right now because thankfully my pregnancy has given me great clear skin rather than the acne and blemishes I know some woman complain about. It has a bit of a dewy finish - which I don't mind, but I do pair it with a light layer of the Rimmel Stay Matte powder so I don't notice too much of a glow. These two will be my new go to face products from now on.

That's my quick makeup favorites, let me know what you'd been loving lately!

See you later, 

Christine

A Bit of Fall Baking

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I must confess I've been quite lazy, taking full advantage of my pregnancy fatigue.

I thought I'd  write up a little post of some baking I've been doing this month. If you're Canadian like myself you celebrated Thanksgiving a couple weeks ago. Normally I do a huge amount of baking whenever it comes to holidays and family celebrations. This year however, because of my morning sickness and fatigue I opted to just do a few quick things for Thanksgiving. I made Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Chip cookies, Apple Crisp Cups and one Apple Pie for my in-laws Thanksgiving celebration.

Also, everyday Mike takes a muffin and a bag of cookies as part of his lunch. So needless to say buying a package of muffins and cookies every week tends to get a little expensive, and as we are trying to save money for a down payment on a house I've decided to make what I can at home. So just this past weekend I wiped up a batch of 4 dozen Chocolate Chips Drop Cookies and 2 dozen Chocolate Chip Muffins.

These Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Chip Cookies were a hit with friends and family. These cookies taste very cozy to me. Perfect cookie for the colder fall weather. I believe I grabbed this recipe off of Pinterest and it will definitely become a fall baking staple for me.

A couple years ago during a storm of Thanksgiving baking, I stumbled upon this recipe for Apple Crisp Cups from all recipes.com. It's also a family favorite, these bite sized cups taste like a little mini Apple Pie in your mouth! They also make the kitchen smell amazing while baking!

These are the family favorite Grandma's Chocolate Chip Drop Cookie. As a kid my Grandma Halse always had a batch of these hot and ready for any visit. She used to bake them all the time and my dad's friends would just come over and sit in the kitchen with her and eat them. They've always been my favorite thing to make (and eat). It was actually baking these that sparked my love/interest in baking. I've tweaked them a bit to suit my own needs, instead of using Cake & Pastry flour I tend to just use All Purpose (mainly because I always have a lot of All Purpose Flour kicking around in my pantry), and I try to use Sea Salt instead of regular table salt when I can. I also love to load up the chocolate chips! Because who doesn't want extra chocolate in a cookie!

These Chocolate Chip Muffins I made for the first time yesterday. I have to say I was rather lazy and just picked the first search result from Google while looking for a recipe. I'm not totally happy with these. They taste kind of bland to my personally. Next time I make this recipe (because it was really quick and easy) I'll probably add a teaspoon or two of vanilla to just give it some extra flavor. But next time I might try out a different recipe. If you have a great chocolate chip muffin recipe please let me know!

So there you have it! A few baked goodies I've made this last month. I forgot to take a picture of my beautiful Apple Pie (homemade pastry and all) so that's a bit disappointing! But it was delicious and didn't last long!

If you'd like me to throw up the recipes to any of these please let me know!

Until next time!

See you later, 

Christine

Makeup Haul

A few weeks ago I received a brand new camera from my husband for my birthday. Ours had broken in the winter and I've been wanting a good quality DSLR camera for sometime, especially with a baby on the way. If you've had a look at my Instagram account you'll know I'm a tad bit obsessed with taking pictures of my Alaskan Klee Kai Misha, so I have a feeling once this little human I've created decides to make an appearance I'm going to be obsessed with taking their picture, so hence a new camera.

So with my new Canon Rebel t3 I thought I'd start shooting some photos and eventually some video to post on my blog. So I shot some of my new beauty products from my latest hauls over the summer months.

I've decided to rebuild my makeup collection with some better quality products so here's a start!

I started off my new collection of makeup by picking up some beautiful lipstick from Yves Saint Laurent. I'm not huge into wearing lipstick but I love YSL lip products. They are very moisturizing and long lasting which is great for someone like me who tends to have dry lips. I bought my first in this beautiful bright pink. I usually don't like bold lips on myself, but I'm experimenting and I liked the results.

Second YSL pick was this beautiful nude, a colour I'm definitely more comfortable wearing. Don't you just love YSL lipstock tubes? They are so beautiful! 

More lipstick! After many ravings from fashion and beauty vloggers alike I decided to try out the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks. I picked up two colours, again a beautiful nude number 113. 

And a gorgeous deep shade of red: 107

Two of my favorite drug store liners would definitely be Rimmel's gel liner, shown above in a navy blue. and Revoln's Color Stay Liquid Liner in black.

I only ever wear liquid or gel liner, mainly because I love enhancing my eyes, in my option they are my best feature so I tend to play them up. My signature look is a simple cat eye with a beautiful liquid or gel liner, as well as some smokey shadow. 

While I was at my local drugstore picking up some things I saw these beautiful eye shadow palettes from Rimmel. In the past I've stayed with cooler colours like blacks, grays and silvers for my eye, but again I'm expanding my horizons and thought the colours in this were beautiful and thus picked one up. 

Found I needed a good nude colour lip liner to go with all my nude lipstick, found this one from Rimmel at a good price. 

This has been a miracle product for me. For years I've been annoying with my eye brows! I keep them fairly thin and thicken them up with shadow but I've inherited my grandfather's curly brows! The little pieces of hair like to curl up and do crazy things, which is really annoying. I was watching a favorites video on MissGlamorazzi's youtube channel and she mentioned she uses this clear mascara gel on her eyebrows! I had a DUH moment and went out immediately and picked one up for myself. Needless to say I LOVE IT.

Both Tanya Burr and Zoella of youtube rave about Rimmel's Wake Me Uo concealer for brighten up under eyes. I grabbed a tube and won't ever turn back! 

The last time I was in Sephora picking up some skincare products I picked up these lip balms. Actually I got them for free because it was my birthday month! Fresh Sugar lip balm are simply amazing. So silky and smooth! I throw one on every morning after I "finish putting on my face"

I also got a free sample of Smashbox eye brightening mascara. I'm a sucker for trying out new mascara so those little tester tubes in the Sephora checkout line are hard for my to pass up!

I've been looking for a good primer, I've used Smashbox primer before and this time decided to grab their hydrating oil free formula. I've always had dry skin, it's the bane of my existence, and it's only gotten worse now that I'm pregnant and the baby is sucking all the moisture out of my body! Anyways! I digress! Love this primer, probably will be my top one from now on!

I've been making a valiant attempt to grow my nails, especially since getting pregnant. I've always been a nail bitter, I don't even realize when I'm doing it. Nervous habit I guess. Anyways, I've been making a conscious effort not to bite my nails because I don't want all that extra bacteria in my body! So I've been painting my nails a lot. I love Essie nail polish. It's basically the only brand I buy anymore. I was looking for a nice fall colour and picked up Mochacino. 

So there you have it! My first real beauty post! I know I'm proud of myself too. Since picking up these products I've been back to Sephora and purchased more things - much to my husband's dismay, it's okay though I had a gift card.....

There will be another post up soon once I take some shots of my more recent beauty purchases and do a review of sorts.

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Cheers!

See you later!

Christine