Weekly "Loving" List

I am inspired to create a weekly list of the things I'm loving, as seen on Just Bella. She has a two month old baby, and it seems she has been making these lists since (at least) her pregnancy. Starting these lists at 33 weeks is a bit ambitious, because things get less fun and more uncomfortable towards the end, but hey, I'm an optimist!

Week 33: I'm Loving...

*cooking. Seriously, I haven't bothered to cook in ages, between fatigue and not wanting to stand once I'm home, but this week I've made two delicious homemade meals; I forgot how satisfying it is! It fills me with pride and a sense of usefulness (something I've been missing). Plus I love being able to provide home-cooked meals for Brad when he gets home; the poor dear has been eating lots of Whataburger, and neither of us like that habit.

*our developing nursery. I promise, I will borrow a camera if I have to and I will post some pics soon. We put up the crib with the gorgeous bedding, and it feels like a nursery! Now to start on wall art projects, namely the name plate. David and Erin are making me a tree canvas to use as a guest book at showers (thumbprint style), and it will go on the wall eventually as well. So excited!

*Earl Grey, hot. This is nothing new, of course, but oh man. Not only is it delicious and warming, it is aroma therapeutic! I steep a weak cup in the mornings and then keep the tea bag at my desk to steep again after lunch. The scent it gives off absolutely raises my spirits.

*getting kicked. Most of the time it is fun or funny how much this little guy moves around. I've got a journal where I keep track of all of the metaphors I've used for the feeling. My favorites include "popcorn popping in my uterus" and "a cartoon octopus playing the drums".

*foot rubs. Brad gets home too late most nights to do it, but when he's home he is usually amenable to helping me out with swollen feet and ankles. He is such a blessing.

*warm, LUSH-scented baths. I've probably seen the last of these until after baby, unless I do it on a night when Brad is there to hoist me out of the tub, but relaxing in warm water that smells of apple and bergamot really chases the blues away.

That ought to do it for now. What are you loving right now?

Product Review: LUSH Bath Bombs

I felt inspired to write this based on some recent experiences. Enjoy!

So my dear friends Grags convinced me a while back to try a LUSH Bath Bomb, specifically one called Dragon's Egg. She said it was like have beautifully painted fireworks in your bath water. That intrigued me (and slightly confused me) so I gave it a try. She was not kidding! I put it in the water before I got in just to see this impressive show of color, and no lie the surface of the water looked like those fun "marbling" projects you make as a kid! Orange and pink shimmering swirls covered the water's surface, and the room filled with aromas of citrus. I would highly recommend this product, though it is invigorating, so it isn't ideal for hot-bath-before-bed. It makes a great Saturday mid-morning soak before a long, fun day.

Recently I went back to find another one. I take at least one soaking, relaxing bath a week now thanks to sore muscles from pregnancy. I found one called So White that caught my eye/nose because it had bergamot (that wonderful citrus smell in Earl Grey tea) in it. The combined smells leave an apple scent on the nose, and I knew it was for me. It lasts a long time in the bath, giving the water a soft, almost milky feeling and leaving the most tantalizing, inviting smell on your skin for hours. My husband couldn't go five minutes without commenting on how wonderful I smelled! I cannot recommend this one enough. Seriously, I wish I had a big basket of them at home (I suspect it is seasonal, so I may have to stock up)!

I went back a week later to get another So White and the saleswoman convinced me to also purchase a Cinders bomb, based on the idea that using it with the So White would leave me and the room smelling like apple cider, which I love. Once I got home, though, I decided to use them separately, so I could get two baths out of them (more bang for the buck). I used the Cinders alone last night, and I have to say it was a big disappointment. The ball disappears almost instantly, left behind almost no aroma and didn't make my skin feel different/better. The only neat thing about it, and it's small, is that it includes fizzing candy (imagine Pop Rocks) so the water kind of crackles a bit. It is supposed to remind you of a roaring fire, but the effect is pretty small. Perhaps if you used two or three of them in one bath it would be lots of fun, but I'd rather save the money and buy one I know I love.

The moral of this story: go buy me So White bath bombs. Run, don't walk. ;-)