It's the weekend, and I couldn't be happier to bring you another Stuff I'm loving Saturday! There are so many awesome things out there right now that I just can't wait to share with you (including an entry in to the Sparkle Box giveaway!)!

SnipSnap
This is my new favorite app because it's a total money saver! SnipSnap is a way to scan and save your coupons to your phone so that you don't have that moment at the store where you realize your coupons have been left behind. But more than that, it also compiles a lot of coupons for you! I haven't even used the scan portion of SnipSnap, but I have used the other coupons. For example, Babies R Us has a whole section on there, and we've gotten free baby bottles (seasonal ones by Dr. Brown's!) and a free package of diapers just by using the app! Lots of stores are on it including Bath and Body Works, Kroger, Kohl's, Michael's, and lots more! Download it for free and start saving now! 

KEEP-Collective

I'm becoming completely obsessed with this concept! My friend Corrie had a Facebook party a few weeks ago for this new personalized jewelry company from Stella & Dot. KEEP-Collective (<--- that's the link for my party!) is a company that allows you to choose a "Keeper" (a bracelet or necklace) and "Keys" (essentially, charms) to customize your pick. You can keep it simple and monogram it with your initials or you can find a whole slew of of other options -- great items to showcase friendship, faith, family, hobbies, and SO much more! There are even keys for moms, brides-to-be, animal lovers, writers, teachers, hair dressers... essentially anything you can think of! The company just went public this week, and I'm thrilled to be hosting a Facebook party next week (want in? Let me know, and I'll add you!). My current Keeper is the Single Rose Gold, and I added to it the charms Mrs., Love, Mom, and a padlock to represent how Dan and I got engaged. I'm so in love with the personality behind each piece! 

Girl Scout Cookie Season
In my mind, there are five seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter, and Girl Scout Cookie season! Luckily, we're in one of my favorite seasons right now -- the one with Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Patties and Caramel Delights! I've heard this year that you can order your cookies online and have them shipped, but I've been doing a decent job tracking them down (first, at local Gap at our mall and then from one of my students who has a sister who is selling them!). My goal is to never run out of Peanut Butter Patties. Ever.

This diaper bag from Courtney Bock Designs 

Baby Putt's arrival has me all sorts of excited/terrified, so we've been doing a lot of prepping. One of the things we've already accomplished is getting our diaper bags packed, and when Courtney Bock Designs posted this gray and white diaper bag, I couldn't resist it! Since Baby Putt's sex is still a mystery, we monogrammed it with a mint colored P! I love it, and I can't wait to start toting it around! 

Sparkle Box giveaway! 

You still have two more days to enter the Sparkle Box giveaway being graciously hosted by Shannon at Sparkle Box! You can win a jewelry style box of your choosing (or pick a Surprise Me box!)! Visit the blog post for details on how to enter! And even if you don't win, you can use the code RUNBABYRUN at checkout to save 20% off of anything you order! 

So those are all the things I'm loving this week! What are you loving right now? 

An education on Indiana education

I have always wanted to be a teacher. From, oh, I don't know, infancy, there was nothing else I wanted to be (well, there was a short-lived time period where I wanted to be an elephant (hey, I took it to heart when my mom said I could be anything I wanted)). I am so blessed to say that I love my job. I love going there. I love my students. I love my coworkers. 

But at this moment, I would be hard pressed to recommend anyone in Indiana to go in to education. 

But, WHY?!, you might ask. Because Indiana is losing its darn mind. 

Because the state won't allow the woman we elected to be the Superintendent of Public Instruction to do the job we chose her to do. 

Because more and more funding keeps getting taken away from public education. 

Because we have to turn our students who have thoughts and feelings and emotions and struggles and triumphs and tragedies into nothing more than numbers on a spreadsheet. 

Because so many standardized testing changes keep coming down the pipeline that teachers constantly, and I mean constantly, have to switch gears in order to best prepare students. 

Because teachers are having to spend more time preparing students for a test than they spend preparing them for college and careers. 

Because teachers are constantly under fire, seen as the enemy, or blamed for failures that might have nothing to do with them. 

Because even the happiest, most positive teachers I know are feeling burnt out. In January. 

It has been SO hard to be positive lately, because there are so many things that feel so wrong. It feels like Indiana's teachers are under attack. And just when we start to feel comfortable again, everything switches. 

It's not even that change is difficult (which, I'll admit, it is). It's that the changes are severe and sweeping and in no way shape or form are in place to benefit our students. 

And that makes me want to cry. If your children attend Indiana schools, or if you live in Indiana, or if you care about education, I encourage you to research what's happening in our state. Email your legislators. And make good choices on election day. 

Because education IS important.

A Sparkle Box giveaway you're going to want to enter today!

I just looooove kicking off the week with a giveaway. And today's giveaway makes me extra excited because it's a company that's near and dear to my heart! 

Welcome to Sparkle Box! I blogged about Sparkle Box a few months back when my fabulous fashionista friend Shannon first started this business, and I'm still totally in love with the concept. For only $19, you get a sparkly, shiny, awesome piece of jewelry hand-picked and mailed right to your door. You can order as often or infrequently as you like, AND, brand new, you can now sign up for 3, 6, or 12 month subscriptions starting at only $30 a month for THREE pieces of jewelry ($10 a piece?! That's pretty awesome!). 

The concept is simple: Log on to Sparkle Box and select your personal style. You can choose from a variety of jewelry types -- everything from Boho Beauty to On Trend -- or, you can even let Shannon decide for you and choose a surprise box. There's a Sparkle Girl option for girls ages 10-16 too! Once you've chosen your style, you can leave Shannon some notes if you prefer specific metals or have something particular in mind (or don't leave her any notes if you don't want to!). Once you've chosen your signature style, your box gets mailed within seven business days, and your awesome new piece(s) of jewelry will arrive on your doorstep! 

I ordered my own Subtle Style box in December, and I absolutely love the piece I got! 

It's literally gorgeous, and I wear it CONSTANTLY! The jewelry is absolutely beautiful, and there's a style there for everyone! You can even see some of the gorgeous pieces other Sparkle Boxers have gotten by visiting the Sparkle Box site! 

So, at this point, you've got to be convinced how awesome this service is, and now, you can enter to win your very own Sparkle Box! 

Entering is super easy thanks to Rafflecopter! And you get two chances to win!
1. Visit Sparkle Box and choose your favorite Box style. Come back here and leave a comment telling me what it is! Then, make sure you check mark the box in Rafflecopter to show you commented! 
2. Visit Sparkle Box on Facebook and like the page! Then, make sure you check mark the box in Rafflecopter to show you liked it! 

You can enter the giveaway through next Monday, and the winner will be announced right here! 

And if you just can't wait... or if you don't win... Shannon's offering a special for you too! Enter the code RUNBABYRUN at checkout and you can save 20% on ANYTHING you order! This is the perfect time to buy a box (or subscription!) for yourself, a friend, or a special Valentine in your life (yes, there's an option for that too!)! Don't miss out!  a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Update: The winner of the giveaway is Alison Gibb! Congratulations, Alison! If you didn't win this time, remember that you can still score 20% off your Sparkle Box using the code RUNBABYRUN! Do it now, and score yourself something awesome for Valentine's Day! 

Building our neutral nursery

When Dan and I found out we were expecting, surprisingly, we agreed right away that we did not want to know the sex of the baby. I don't know why, honestly, and anyone who knows me will tell you how surprising it is that I, a TOTAL type-A planner, was willing to wait nine months to make a lot of decisions on colors and names and clothing. But for some reason, I just really wanted this to be a surprise, and so did Dan!

So when it came time to decorate Baby P's room, we knew we wanted to keep the palette very neutral. I've had an obsession with gray ever since we were planning our wedding (we chose gray tuxes over black), and I liked how we could accent with colors like coral, mint, pink, or blue once we knew the sex of the baby. We quickly decided on gray and white for the main motif, and then the real fun began! 

I wish I had a "real" before picture, because the real before picture would have showed the two-toned walls split up by a border of construction-type trucks. The border would have been perfect if we have a boy, but I didn't really love it for a little girl! So, the first photos I have are when we had primed the room and put the first coat of paint on. 

From there, we added a second coat of paint, and decided we really loved the color! We went with a light gray that actually ended up having a little more of a blue undertone than we were anticipating, but once we added furniture and curtains, I think it turned out beautifully! 

Once the room was painted, we started moving in! And today, the room looks something like this! 

Notice that AMAZING diaper stockpile in the corner there?! Are we lucky, or what?! 

Additionally, many of baby's drawers contain items we'll need the first few weeks. 

Top left drawer: Diapers, wipes, cream for baby's booty

Top middle drawer: Swaddle sleep sacks, hats, socks, and baby booties

Top right drawer: Hooded towels, wash cloths, extra changing pad covers

Middle left drawer: Swaddle blankets, soft amazing blankets and sleep sacks

Middle right drawer: Short sleeve onesies (rolled on the left hand side), long sleeve onesies and pants (middle), and long sleeve/pant outfits (rolled on the right side)

We also have one of the diaper bags packed and ready to go (this one will be for daddy!). And we've set up one of our diaper caddies that can be moved around the house so that we won't have to always run the baby to his/her room in order to get changed. 

I can't show you the closet yet (because, duh, I had to hide all of the stuff somewhere!), and we haven't done anything with our wall hangings yet because we're waiting until we know names to make those part of the decor too. But, those posts will be coming soon! 

Third trimester workout regimen: A sample plan and tips!

With just a few short weeks of pregnancy left, I'm starting to feel the sluggishness creeping in. Prior to getting pregnant, and even through the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, I tried to work out with my normal schedule of roughly five or six workouts a week. Now, that's just not realistic anymore, especially since I'm on maternity leave from Jazzercise and thus not running to the gym all the time! 

If pregnancy has taught me anything, it's that you have to adjust your expectations and be willing to listen to your body. About a month ago, I had ankles the width of winter snow boots. It forced me to slow down a bit, and my body was thankful for it! But, last week, I only got in two or three workouts, and everything felt harder. Perhaps the two weren't related, but I couldn't help but wonder if my lack of moving led to a lack of energy. 

This week, I'm lowering my expectations a bit and shortening my workouts. Instead of my normal hour long sweat sessions, I'm aiming for half hour sessions roughly five days this week. I think it will help me have a better, more energetic, more productive week. 

Here's a sample of what my workouts will look like this week. 

Monday: Rest day (school is exhausting enough the first day of the week!)
Tuesday: 30 minutes on the elliptical, 5-minute arm workout
Wednesday: 60 minutes of Jazzercise (but only because we have our first two hour delay today, and I got the memo while I was still working out!) Jazzercise combines both cardio and strength. 
Thursday: Rest day OR prenatal yoga, if time allows
Friday: 30 minute body weight workout -- I love this one lately! 
Saturday: 60 minutes of modified barre
Sunday: Rest day OR prenatal yoga

Tips for working out late in pregnancy:

1. Adjust your expectations. I used to run at least once or twice a week, even throughout the winter. There's zero running in my regimen now. I'm just not able to do what I was in the beginning, but that doesn't mean I can't do anything! 

2. Try something new. Since I wasn't running, it gave me time to try a prenatal yoga DVD. I LOVE it! It's been a great addition to my routine, and I love the way I feel when I'm done with it. My back feels a LOT better since I've been doing it too! I'll take it! 

3. Switch up cardio and strength. I used to try to get both cardio and strength in to every workout. That doesn't always work for me now. So instead I try to rotate what I do each day. I feel like I can do more or push myself a little further if I haven't done the same thing back to back. 

4. Try a different time to workout. I used to rotate morning and afternoon workouts. But I've been so tired at night lately, the only way I've been getting in cardio workouts is in the morning. So, alas, I've been getting up early! It's not ideal, but it gets the workout in! Find the time of day that works best for you! 

5. Listen to your body. Some days, I just do NOT feel like working out. My swollen feet are often painful, or I would rather sleep for an hour instead of waking up early to workout. That's okay too! Your body and your baby know what's best. Listen to them! 

Find your happy space: Perfecting your blogging environment

As we've been spending time lately reorganizing our home, I've been perfecting my blogging area. I'm sure some bloggers prefer to work in a home office, but since our home office now doubles as a weight room, it's just not as cozy as it used to be. So lately I've been coming up with and writing my favorite posts from the couch in our sitting room. 

I adore this spot so much because I have everything I need - comfy couch, super cute decorative pillow (it reads "Happiness is a cup of coffee & a really good book), coffee table/foot rest for swollen feet, and our front window for natural light. I usually have a cup of coffee or tea nearby, and I can let the creative juices roll. 

But we're all different. So, when you're thinking about your blogging area, a few important points to consider. 

1. Find a spot where you feel totally comfortable. Consider what you want in a work space. Do you want a table to work on? A desk? Are you more of a lap person? Do you want to be able to sink in to a chair or couch? Think about what feels best to you. Try different areas to see where you do your best work. For me, having the window next to the couch makes me feel like I'm connected to the outside world even when I'm stuck inside. It's necessary for me. :) 

2. Make sure you have everything you need before you sit down. Keep your supplies on hand. I can't blog without a mug of something hot (bring on the hot chocolate tonight!), my water bottle, and my cell phone (because I need my WordSwag app to make all my cool word art!). If I don't have these things nearby, I'm more likely to get up, wander away, and get distracted by other things in our house. Keep those distractions at bay! 

3. Try to have an idea in mind before it's time to blog. Rarely do I just sit down at the computer and hope something comes to me. It just doesn't work that way for me. So I keep an ongoing file of ideas for days when my blogging brain just isn't working. It makes that time on the couch MUCH less frustrating! 

4. Surround yourself with things you love. Cozy pillows? Check! Bright colors? Check! Beautiful giant windows? Check and check. These are my must haves for successful blogging. Put items in your space that you love! For me, I sit directly across from our shelf covered with pictures, candles, friendship sayings, and happily ever after reminders. They make me happy, and when I'm happy, my posts are better! 

The hospital baby binder you will absolutely want to make!

Every once in a while, you find a kindred spirit. I have many, and one of them is my coworker Ashley. She is my organization inspiration! So, I was thrilled when Ashley gave me a baby binder as part of my baby shower gift! 

As any new parent will tell you, you're going to be exhausted in the beginning. The hospital stay will be a blur. The first few months will be extreme sleep deprivation. And, you're arguably going to be gathering a ton of important paperwork and information that you'll need organized (for the doctor) or want organized (for the baby book). But rarely is any new parent capable of doing this right away. 

Enter the baby binder! Ashley put together this AWESOME accordion baby binder so that we can keep it all straight in the days and weeks after Baby P is born.  

Each section is clearly labeled, and now, I share those sections with you!

• Birth certificate and Social Security card
• Pediatrician visits
• Immunization records
• Other health records
• Insurance paperwork
• Parenting articles/pamphlets
• Keepsakes
• Milestones
• Receipts/Warranties
• Manuals
• Nursing/Feeding information
• Miscellaneous 

I feel like this binder is absolutely genius, because I know there are going to be so many things to organize and that I would probably end up shoving it all in my purse or a pocket or anywhere I can stuff it, and later I would be hard pressed to locate it. This way, I can organize all of our necessary items for our baby and then I can place them where they need to be later down the line. 

Are you expecting, or do you know someone who is? Make this binder right now! It's an amazing gift to yourself or to give to others, and I honestly plan to prepare them for everyone I know who's having a baby (hint hint, expecting friends!)! Thanks, Ashley! I already know this is going to come in SO handy!