The joys of pregnancy

There's nothing quite like being pregnant. Every single one is different. Every woman goes through it differently. For me... its miserable for the most part. This one will definitely be my last baby. Gonna have a little chat with my midwife about getting clipped once this bundle makes its appearance. And a warning, I don't know what it is yet, but I'm calling it a "she" as that is what I'm feeling and hoping for. I have 2 boys and a girl. I prefer even numbers. Just can't deal with those odd ones. So if I refer to the baby as "she" or "her", you know why.

Anyhow. My back has been a huge problem. I'm seeing a chiropractor in the hopes of limiting my pain and surviving the remainder of months I have left. I believe I'm right around 16 weeks now. Getting close to that halfway point. Cleaning and cooking are limited and done in bursts that leave me on ice packs or heating pads. But I'm getting through it. Mostly during my weekends. One trash bag of clutter at a time. I'm also arranging my closet and bedroom for the baby addition. I need a place for a crib and for her things. I also have boxes of diapers and wipes to store for her already thanks to generous future in laws 8-) These things take priority.

But there are other things that I have to consider. What comes with a newborn? Exhaustion. Not wanting to cook dinner every night. Especially after working all day. So I came up with a plan. And last night I started the first bout of prepping.

I cooked tacos for dinner, but I also made a casserole to freeze for later. It might not stay in the freezer until the baby gets here, but it will help on nights I'm too tired or didn't remember to pull out meat for the following days dinner.

Tonight when I get home, I plan to cook two of my chicken casseroles. One to eat, one to freeze. And this is how I'm getting ready for those long nights and tired days when I just can't stand up to the challenge of cooking. I've been scouring Pinterest for recipes of meals that can be frozen. So many easy ones that I have decided are going to keep me on track. One meal at a time...
While I was at it, I even made some quick grab lunches to bring to work. Like these stuffed cheesy bell peppers.

My goal is to keep doing this as often as possible so I'm ready for the little bundle and can spend more time with her. Do you think its weird to have freezable dishes and baking pans on the baby registry?

Pentel review via Shoplet.com

Writin isn't just a hobby for me. It's a passion. Letters, stories, even recipes! They are all special. A persons handwriting is even unique to them. It's very difficult to truly master the ability to copy another persons writing. And your handwriting can even tell a story about you. It can show stress, or other emotions in how you do curves or how hard you press. 

But you need good utensils when writing something worth holding on to. And that's one thing I love about Pentel.

Shoplet sent me some more of their products. A pen and some mechanical pencils.

 I passed the pencils on to a college going fellow who happens to prefer them. I'm pleased to announce that he liked his "fancy" new gadgets. The pen, however, I refuse to give up. It's smooth and cool to my touch. It handles well as I write in a comfortable grip. And I love the metallic blue color. Click on the blue, if you want to see what other Pentel products they have to offer.

Shoplet.com offers so many office supplies to keep you working and producing greater results. They also have cleaning supplies, medical supplies, and office furniture. Check them out and see what deals you can find!

Why should the Star Wars fun end on Star Wars Day?

I’m a huge Star Wars fan.

And as another fan said, Star Wars Day shouldn’t just end… it should be a whole month of fun! Personally, I think the original trilogy is the best, but the others have their moments. The Force Awakens was a great continuation. I look forward to seeing how it progresses. As a fan, I love to cosplay and attend events. I collect movie posters, of which I have 2 sets – one normal title poster and one in Lego style. If I had the money, I’d probably collect other things that came from the movies themselves. I mean can you imagine? It would be like owning a piece of history. There is a website you can check out if you are interested in participating in an auction of such movie relics. They have a designated spot for all the Star Wars pieces. And yes, they are from the movie making itself. I had Ryan reach out to me from Invaluable.com to share some information about what they do. I did some looking around of my own as well and loved some of the things I saw on there. They have movie memorabilia and props added to their site almost daily. This includes the Star Wars section. I'm amazed that anyone would let go of their props and memorabilia from the movies. Like the Rebel Fleet Trooper helmet, Darth Vader helmet... someone even had cameras that were used for the filming! I'd have to be pretty hard up for money to let go of the Vader helmet.... However, the new owner lucked out tremendously!
I'm curious as to whatever happened to the Jedi robes. I know they seem plain and maybe no one else cares. But I think they were awesome.

This is how it works… “In regards to Invaluable and how we work: people have their own auction houses that they sell their products on. We are merely a platform for them to do so! You can also join any auction house if you personally have something to sell! How cool is that?!”

Pretty cool, to me!

They have collectibles that you can browse. As well as movie memorabilia. The Star Wars section has quite a bit of great things for your perusal. I checked out their blog to see what they have sold in the past. I loved the Han Solo blaster.

What would you want to own? A movie prop? Which movie would you say was the best? What scene is the most memorable? Talk to me about it in the comments! And check out these fantastic auctions. Even if all you can do is dream about them...

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother’s Day is upon us. If you haven’t gotten your Mom a special gift still, you need to get on the ball. I ordered my mom a special gift. She can be so difficult to buy for. She doesn’t need jewelry. And she prefers picking out her own. She doesn’t need sweets. As a matter of fact, she is always talking about dieting or losing weight. Flowers are a waste of her time. They look pretty for a couple days, and then she has a mess to clean up. Live plants… yeah she has a tendency to kill those. My dad is the one with the ability to bring them back to life as long as she doesn’t mess with them. House decorations and furniture are her passion to pursue. I dare not step in and offer something as her style is something I wouldn’t know how to match. Aside from loving milk glass, I can’t think of anything else I could offer. And even then, she has so much of it all over the place… I’m not sure she would have room for more.

I thought about ordering her meals that would be delivered. She does have 8 kids still living at home to feed. But what would they all like? I’d send her a nanny so she can take the night off… but let’s face it. She always tells me how she doesn’t know what to do with herself when the kids aren’t around. According to some people, that’s a recipe for her baby machine to kick on.

So I sent her something that I know she uses. I can’t tell you on here, because she reads my blog posts. But if she likes it, I’ll hopefully share about it.

I love my mother. She’s been an important part of my life. Always there when I need her. We don’t always see eye-to-eye, but we are still there for each other.

Take a moment to thank your mother and tell her how much you love her. She won’t be around forever. And not just your mom. Grandmothers, Aunts, Sisters, and those special women that have been an influence in your life need to be reminded of how much you care.

Family night at Gatti's

As a part of the U.S. Family Guide bloggers, I was invited to write a review for our local Gatti's. Located at 2921 Pat Booker Road in Universal City, Gatti's offers a fun, family experience for all ages. 

We went around noon this time and it wasn't so busy. But there were parties going on as it was towards the weekend.  

You can reserve rooms for parties and fun occasions. They also have multiple dining rooms. One of the dining rooms has a large TV where movies play to provide entertainment for the kids while you dine. We chose the Quiet Dining room.

Food choices are abundant.

They have various types of pasta and sauces to choose from, a salad bar, myriads of pizza flavors that are ever changing throughout the day, and a dessert set up.

Some of my personal favorites were the Italian type pasta and jalapeño pepperoni pizza. My oldest son devoured a plate of spaghetti right off the start.

Normally I can't get him to be as enthusiastic when I make it at home... My younger son loved the macaroni and cheese. Apparently I don't make that right either since he had far more gusto for Gatti's than he has for mine. They have baked potatoes and even potato salad that was pretty good. 

From the drink choices, I really loved that there were 4 types of tea to choose from. I chose green tea, though you have regular sweet and unsweet as well as Nestea Raspberry to choose from. 

As with any buffet-providing restaurant, clean plates are never ending. You finish one, dump in a receptacle for such and grab a fresh one. 

There is a huge game room to play in.

Games are typically .25 or 50¢ each though some cost more, such as the bumper cars or (my favorite) Fruit Ninja

which are $1 or more.

You can either purchase a game card, or use cash to pay for the games.

There's a little something for everyone. One of our favorites was the Goal Rush.

You get a set amount of balls and you have to toss/roll them upward and into various point value "goals". We ended up playing it over a few times. 

There are plenty of ticket-rewarding games. Tickets can be used to redeem prizes.

The ticket machines were having issues counting and adding credit to the cards. So the lines were a bit long. But that's to be expected with such a high volume of people using them daily. 

It was a great experience for my family. And if you sign up for the Gatti's newsletter, you can receive emails letting you know what the latest deals are. 

Summer Time Fun at Schlitterbahn!

If there is one water park I love bringing the family to, it would have to be Schlitterbahn! The rides, the water, free parking, bring your picnic! Need I say more? I think I do actually. They also have great promotions. Which means a lot for families these days. Vacations can be pretty pricey. But staying at a Schlitterbahn resort doesn't have to be. Thanks to my connections with the US Family guide as a mommy blogger, I'm getting to share these deals with you and will hopefully be allowed to share a review post if we get selected to make a trip there. 

Check out the promotions they have running here:
South Padre Island
Galveston
New Braunsfels
I'd have to say that New Braunfels is my favorite! Not just because of how close it is to home, but because we each find things we enjoy there. Plus some rides connect to the river, they recycle the water and cut back on waste. 
Below is fun information that was provided on the various parks.  
Key News for Schlitterbahn:
Every park has a fact sheet on our newsroom, but here are some fast facts.
Schlitterbahn New Braunfels is our flagship park and is America's #1 waterpark for 18 years and has won awards for the best waterpark, best waterpark ride (The Master Blaster) and best new ride (Dragon's Revenge.)
Schlitterbahn has been the birthplace of nearly every waterpark ride innovation including the world's first uphill water coaster and the inland surfing ride, the Boogie Bahn.

Every park has a claim to fame:
- New Braunfels - World's longest tube ride; America's Favorite Waterpark.
- South Padre Island - World's first Transportainment system where interconnected rivers are queue lines for rider, this way you never have to leave your tube!
- Galveston - Building the world's tallest water coaster.
- Kansas City - World's tallest water slide.
- Corpus Christi - Longest river system in Texas.

Green Facts on our South Padre Beach Resort:
Ropes: Over three miles of 3-inch mooring ropes from dozens of former ships have been painstakingly wrapped around giant concrete structural poles on our Sea 4ever 10,000 square foot patio.

Green House: The retractable roof over our indoor waterpark was built from a large greenhouse - an old Schultz nursery.
Lobby Check in Counter: Built from salvaged walnut trees which were pulled from a road project in Kansas.

Parapet Walls: The hatch covers came off a famous US Troop carrier the John E. Pope and are used on parapet walls and also to make tables. Over 500 are on site.

Chandeliers: The beautiful chandeliers hanging in the Sea 4ever event patio were salvaged from an aging Vegas hotel. Our team glued shells to them and hung in the ceiling.

Waterslides: Yes, even some of the water slides were recycled. The water slides in our indoor park came from a park in Cleveland Ohio, were salvaged, refurbished, and re-installed.
Handrails: An old Dutchman Downs Stadium was the source for all the handrails.

Loblolly Pines: In 2011, a major wildfire raged through Bastrop County, Texas in September. Three separate fires started during Labor Day weekend and by the time it was controlled, it destroyed 1,691 homes and burned over 34,000 acres of land including the vast majority of Bastrop State Park's 5,900 acres of Loblolly Pines. The Lost Pines Forest, thought to have originated in or before the Pleistocene era, was also heavily impacted.
For safety, the burned pines had to be removed. These scorched trees were destined for the grinder who would have turned them into mulch. Jeff Henry, with Schlitterbahn, offered to take the fallen trees, then had them milled, beginning the process of transforming the pines from scorched wood to the most dramatic feature throughout the Schlitterbahn Beach Resort at South Padre.

FYI: You'll also find the pines all over Schlitterbahn New Braunfels - look for the pine paneling in the Riverbend cabins and the lovely furniture pieces here and there. We'll try to point them out during your tour.

Where you will find the Bastrop Pines in the South Padre Beach Resort:
- Rooms: In most rooms the cabinets, coffee tables, nightstands, and headboards are made from the Bastrop Loblolly Pines.
- Dining areas: Large tables are made from the Loblolly Pines.
- Lobby: The large tree stump tables by the doors leading to the heated pool are from the fire, as is the siding along many of the interior walls.
- External: The siding on the outside walls of the resort are made from Loblolly Pines.

Something I thought was amazing - It's The Year of Anniversaries!
World's Most Award Winning Uphill Water Coaster, The Master Blaster, turns 20: The Schlitterbahn New Braunfels park is home to a guest favorite, the world famous Master Blaster. Built in 1996, this 2.5 minute ride is over 65 feet tall and sends guests on an exhilarating ride down two, 3 story drops. It is easily the most iconic uphill water coaster in the world. Have you ridden the Master Blaster yet?

AdoramaPix review and discount information

Photo gifts are the best, in my opinion. They can be made for anyone, for any occasion. They can be created to fit your needs and can come in the shape of just about any object imaginable. AdoramaPix has become a favorite for ordering photo gifts. I recently ordered a 9.5 x 11" Hexagon-shaped metalprint from them as a review opportunity since I’m a member of the US Family Guide mommy bloggers group. These are a starting price of $42.

I love metal prints. They are sturdy, last forever, don’t fade like a picture, you don’t have to worry about them getting moisture damage in a frame… Just overall, a great gift idea.

And with AdoramaPix, it came with a mini level as well as wooden hanging framing to better hang it. 

They have some cool ideas when it comes to using these for decorating. I got an awesome space photo for mine.

In the future I’d like to expand the scene with more. Shipping was quick too. They sent it on the 17th and it arrived on the 21st.

Below is information from them as well as the discount information!

AdoramaPix helps people turn their digital photographs from abstract computer files into beautiful keepsakes designed to last a lifetime. Their contemporary metal prints capture memories in rich color and vibrant detail. Because your images are infused right into the metal, and not painted on the surface, their metal prints are extremely durable. Not only will your metal image be water and weather proof, but scratch resistant as well. You can even clean it with glass cleaner. Your memories deserve to live in true, archival luxury with AdoramaPix metal prints.
You can find all the fun gift ideas HERE:
http://www.adoramapix.com/app/home/

My readers get to save! 25% off Hexagon #Metal Prints! Use promo code: PXHEXMTL25 expires 06/ 15 /2016