Repeat Button

I had pandora playing this afternoon while I was in the kitchen whipping up banana bread. The windows were open, the sun was shinning through and I was really in my element. Baking has been my favorite lately, it's so therapeutic and I love mixing while daydreaming. Anyway, this Fats Waller song came on and instantly snapped me out of la-la land. It made me smile and want to dance, and the best part, baby started moving like crazy. I think he loved it too. As soon as it was over I pulled it up on youtube and played it a few times more. I love this style of jazz, and it's actually the genre that my all time favorite, Amy Winehouse grew up listening to and pulled most of her own song inspiration from. Have a listen!

Hope you're all having a wonderful Easter! Drey $ Nicole

Long Beach Livin'

My life this week via iPhone photos:

1. Hubby got his very first celebratory cigar in the mail this week from my Aunt

2. A cotton candy colored convertable bug? Yes, please

3. Like Papa, like Baby. A felt cooking set for our mini chef in training

4. We go to lunch after every Dr. apt - This month, Chipotle

5. Our second Ikea trip in a week for nursery furniture + the bump

6. Spicy BBQ tofu burger with grilled peppers, sliced tomato + cracked pepper mayo with olive oil

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Username: dreynicole

Drey $ Nicole

Hosting a Spring Giveaway!

If you didn't already know, I'm participating in a giveaway bundle over on gypeebee, (enter here) but as we all know there can only be one winner. Don't be bummed if that winner doesn't turn out to be you though, I have something for you all! As a little "Welcome" to all  of the gypseebee readers who have recently started following this blog via bloglovin, I'm extending this giveaway by offering 20% off anything and everything in our Etsy Shop, High Dollar Hippie. Starting right now through April 30, you can get 20% off any item of your choice, using coupon code: GYPSYBEE at checkout. It's my little way of saying welcome and thank you for becoming a new reader to this blog. Long time readers,  we love and thank you also and you can use the coupon code too, of course! We will be adding new stuff throughout the week so check back often!

Happy Shopping!

Drey $ Nicole

Meal Monday: Lemon Crinkle Puffs

I don't know if my most recent sweets craving is from pregnancy or spring's arrival, but I was foaming at the mouth for something Lemon. Usually I go for any kind of hearty chocolatey, brownie sunday kind of treat, but this time I wanted something light and clean and tart. These are the easiest things to make, (isn't everything I share here that involves baking?!) and they take just 20 minutes from box to plate.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, egg, and the whole container of thawed cool whip. If you don't have an electric mixer, you're in for a real workout. This is the thickest, stickiest, messiest batter known to woman. Once the batter is smooth, scoop a tablespoon of dough, and scrape it off into your bowl of powdered sugar. It is easiest to cover it in the sugar all over before you touch it fully with your fingers. Once it's covered it won't stick to you, and you can form little balls out of them. Place on a baking sheet and it's ready to go! Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven. Let them cool for a few minutes and they'll puff up. Sprinkle a little more powdered sugar over the tops and eat!

Happy Spring!

Drey $ Nicole

Date Night

We went to one of our favorite spots this week for dinner to celebrate selling G's truck. It was the perfect light, fresh and clean meal for spring, and it's always good to visit once in a while. Cracking a fresh young coconut to drink right out of is one of my favorite parts, and so is a date with my handsome hubby of course!

Thanks for making our week, Number Nine!

Drey $ Nicole

Dear Baby: Week 24

Dear Baby,
We got to see you yesterday and I don't know if you're always pouting or sending kisses, but boy are your smoochers big! There was some confusion when we got to the ultrasound office because usually people only have one, but this was our third time to see you and we were told we got very lucky. I thought monthly ultrasounds were just a normal thing, like going to the baby Dr, but they messed up in our favor and we got yet another picture of you to add to the fridge. This will be the last time we get to see you though before you're here in exactly 15 weeks. It'll be hard not having that to look forward to every month, but your movements are getting stronger everyday and I think that feeling those punches will get us through. You're currently weighing in at 1 pound, 7oz so maybe you won't be so hard to get out. We're told your papa was a huge baby at birth. Yikes! It's getting down to crunch time and we've been cleaning and rearranging the nest more than ever lately. We still need lots of things before you make your big arrival, but we're making more room for you here everyday. Pretty soon we'll start going to the baby Dr. every two weeks, and that means it's getting so close! Keep cookin' little babe. We love you! XOXO MAMABEAR

Meal Monday: Mini Pistachio Pudding Pies

Over the weekend we celebrated the Irish spirit with these mini pistachio pudding pies. They are serious soo simple to make, and extremely yummy. They're green and they were perfect for St. Patrick's Day, but if you're a pistachio lover you can eat them year round! 

In a large mixing bowl, add 1 1/4 cup milk to the pudding mix and beat with whisk for 2 minutes. The pudding will begin to thicken, and will be fully set after about 5 minutes. 

If you want a more nutty texture to your pie, you can add finely chopped pistachios to the pudding, but it comes with a little hint of them already. 

Pour your pudding evenly into your ready pie crusts. This pudding recipe will fill your 6 mini pie crusts perfectly and evenly, with a bite or two leftover for the chef of course! 

Place your mini pistachio pies in the fridge for an hour to chill. When you're ready to serve, top it off with whipped cream and enjoy! Easy huh?

Drey $ Nicole

Long Beach Livin'

My life this week via Iphone photos:

1. Baby clothes shopping is my favorite. Everything is so sweet and teeny

2. Decided to stop for a patio brunch while out walking the pups = Begging

3. Tx Bentley is still very much attached to the bump. It makes him look even smaller

4. A yummy adult pb&j treat from Trader Joes

5. LB Bentley stared at me like this for 30 minutes and I wondered what he was thinking

6. Breakfast at our favorite local spot makes for the best starts of the day

Follow along on Instagram for daily updates!

Username: dreynicole

Drey $ Nicole

St. Patty's Day Party Ideas

I don't know about you, but everywhere I turn lately I'm being bombarded with all things green. Seeing so many ideas online, in store and on tv have me really itching for a holiday party. Anything to dress up, bake and get together with friends, right? Here are some of my favorite ideas and treats for a fun little St. Patty's get together this weekend:

Lucky Charms & Green Milk for Breakfast // Four Leaf green bell peppers & Ranch Snack

Bailey's Irish Cream Coffee Fudge - Recipe found here

Green & Gold Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes // This Vintage Dress makes for a standout Hostess

No Bake Girl Scout Thin Mint Truffles // Ditch the green beer for this Chocolate Guinness Float

Planning your own St. Patty's Day party? Leave any ideas, recipes or links you'd like to share in the comments below! 

Drey $ Nicole

Dear Baby: Week 23

Dear Baby,

The Dr. says I've gained four pounds since my visit last month, which I fully blame on the growth spurt you've recently had. She says I need to start drinking more fluids now, and to shoot for a full glass every single hour! It's going to be very hard. We got to hear your heart beat on the doppler and it's beating louder and faster than ever. You're growing so strong! We also found out that our Dr. does her deliveries at the hospital that we were hoping for, and we're really excited about that! It's one of the best in all of California, so you'll be in great hands. She says they're good about not pushing interventions and medication, which was a relief to me. They encourage mother-baby bonding from second one, so you'll be placed in my arms immediately and even stay in my room 24/7, instead of an infant nursery like most hospitals. I've been thinking about all the pregnancy cliches lately and I realized that I haven't had any real cravings. Yeah I go crazy for sweets when we're at the grocery store, but that's just normal me. I can't fall asleep these day without focusing on my breathing and nothing else. Otherwise, I just lay there for 3 hour, mostly daydreaming of you, remembering everything that happened throughout the day, and paragraphs at a time of writing for the blog that just spills out, but that I can never remember in the morning. Next week we'll get to see you in action again, and it's our favorite time of the month. I can't wait to see how your face has developed and how much you've grown. Plus you just look so cute when your squirming around and swatting your arms. Because of you, we finally got a washer and dryer put into our home this week! Everyone was saying that it was a must have with a newborn, and going to the laundry mat once every few weeks just wasn't going to cut it. It's so much more convenient and exciting to do right here in our space at any time, so thank you for the excuse! You will be here in less than 4 short months, and I know it's going to fly. I can't wait! We love you more than all the laundry we'll ever have to do! XOXO MAMABEAR

Bentley and the Bump

I've noticed lately that Tx Bentley has been so glued to me and the bump. Now that it's become more pronounced, he's always right up against it or even hugging up on it using it as a pillow. When I get up to go to another room he runs right behind to be next to me at all times. Even when I'm gone for 30 seconds just to pee, he'll nudge the door open with his head, get right in front of me and turn around to face the door like he's standing guard and protecting his little bump. I thought our pups might get jealous once baby gets here and they have to share the attention, but it looks like they're just going to be super cuddly and protective!

Drey $ Nicole

Long Beach Livin'

My life this week via Iphone photos:

1. Now isn't that just a good looking driveway? Spotted on a daily walk

2. I thrifted this Catherine Holm pot this week for a >steal!<

3. This retro chair is pur perfection, except for the price tag

4. All the stoops in Long Beach have beautifully tiled stairs

5. I eat the same egg, cheese, bell pepper & salsa burrito everyday

6. Sometimes California skies get so blue that they look fake

Follow on Instagram for daily updates!

Username: dreynicole

Drey $ Nicole

Dear Baby: Week 22

Dear Baby,

This has certainly been a week of firsts! I got the very first heartburn of my life, you got your first online baby shower gift, and your papa felt you move for the first time! You should have seen his face, baby. He got so scared he jerked his hand away real fast, but once he got used to it he couldn't get enough. We officially think you're meant to be a musician. You move the most when we have your little playlist near my belly, and we were actually watching American Idol the first time your papa felt you because you were squirming so much! I've noticed you really prefer the right side of my belly. That's where you always are when I can feel you anyway. I started using a body pillow between my knees and ankles when I sleep, and it's so comfy I don't even wake up to pee anymore. Our walks have really been paying off because I haven't been in any kind of pain, despite the fact that you're growing so rapidly lately. Your wardrobe is growing little by little, and it amazes me how teeny your clothes are every time I go to fold something new. I just can't wait to hold you sweet boy! Keep growing! We love you tons. XOXO MAMABEAR

Vintage Tv Stand: Before & After

For a long time I felt like our vintage tv stand needed a fresh face lift but I didn't know what  exactly to do to it. When I figured out that what I wasn't liking about it was that it blended in too perfectly with our honey hardwood floors, I knew we needed to paint it. Something light and bright would make it pop and stand out, so to the paint store we went. We chose a seafoam green/mint paint color, and were told we didn't even need a primer because we were painting on light wood. As much as I wanted to get a brush and get to work, I'm pregnant and can't be around paint fumes, so mister got the paint job duty while I sat back at a distance and watched helplessly. Our vintage piece transformed before our eyes and after just two coats, we're both loving it even more than we did before. It's so perfect in fact, that it looks like it came in this color, like it was meant to be this way all along. This little project has gotten G looking around the house to see what other pieces of furniture and walls he can paint. Not complaining! 

Drey $ Nicole

Healthy Pregnancy Snacks

Once I found out I was eating for two, I knew right away that I had to change my eating habits. I've always eaten healthy, it's just that I would only eat two or three large meals a day or sometimes even forget to eat. Not to mention, foods that were my favorite before were now making me nauseous, and stuffing my belly too full only sent me running to hug the toilet. After doing my research and reading the loads and loads of "do's and dont's" and "pregnancy superfoods" lists online, I learned I needed to eat 3 small meals and 3 snacks every day. Typically that would mean a small breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a snack between each. Doing this keeps the vomiting on lock, as well as a healthy weight gain rate. It also keeps baby getting a steady stream of nutrients throughout the day because they can only take so much at one time. However, even if you're following all of this, it's no good unless you're drinking tons of water. The water is what helps carry all the nutrients to baby, and if you're not getting enough, they're not getting to him. This has been something I've really had to work on because I find it hard to remember to drink between eating. It was all very overwhelming at first. I didn't see how I could possibly get all of the required vitamins and nutrients these sites were telling me I needed in just one day, only to have to start over and do it again the next day! That's so much eating! I finally found a balance and realized you really have to eat handfuls at a time, all the time, and never let yourself get quit full. Once I really got in the groove of eating tiny portions non-stop, I got into a routine at the grocery store and quickly had some favorite go to's. Below is just handful of some of my most eaten snacks to kick the pregnancy symptoms and feed baby right. They're all quick, yummy, and very healthy! 

A few more must haves for me are:

Omega 3 eggs, green grapes, banana & peanut butter sandwhiches, whole wheat bread, spinach & kale salad, low-fat plain yogurt, cottage cheese with a dash of pepper & Tony Chachere seasoning, oranges, berries, celery & peanut butter, brown rice & tofu, red & green bell peppers, whole wheat pasta with pepper & virgin olive oil, black beans, avocado, and salmon-always.

Drey $ Nicole

Repeat Button

Ever since I've lived in California, I've been a stay at home blogger, etsy shop owner and full time mama to our two Bentleys. Mister is away all day slaving in the kitchen at his restaurant from 8-4 and when I've got down time at the house, it can be pretty quiet and lonely. He works Tuesday through Sunday and by the time Sunday rolls around, I'm pretty over the week alone and so ready for his two days off so we can spend time together. The days are so much more fun and fast when he's around making me laugh and even just there to talk to, making some noise in the house unlike the rest of the week. I'm always reminded of this Bjork song when Sundays are here because the words are just perfect. I love how she can take something as simple as missing someone and turning it into something so deep with her twisted and creative words. The first video is probably my favorite version of this song because it's live with only a piano, and you can see the passion on her face and hear it more in her voice. The second video, the official one, is like all of her videos. The visuals are so out of this world and different, and really tell the song's story. 

Drey $ Nicole

Long Beach Livin'

My life this week via Iphone photos:

1. Another day, another VW van- they're seriously everywhere in Long Beach

2. I get a treat every now and then, and this is my most favorite donut ever

3. There's a chocolate factory right next to G's work and it's so tempting

4. I found this cute little seating set on one of my daily labor prep walks

5. A portrait of G and me gifted from my friend Siera, that I absolutely love

6. I got my first ever heartburn and found these lifesavers my mom hid in our bathroom last summer

7. It's back to the 80's here and we couldn't be happier about it

8. Mister brought home this sweet chocolate heart cake- it had chunks of strawberries inside

Follow along on Instagram for daily updates! 

Username: DreyNicole