We are back!

We are back from our trip to Ireland. It was absolutely fantastic. It was a great vacation. It was so relaxing and calm, just what we needed. We enjoyed the Irish setting, history, and food. It snowed the whole time we were there, which made it that much more gorgeous.

Our hotel was amazing. It had a "bar" on one side and a restaurant on the other. In the mornings, we got a full Irish breakfast free. At night, if we were tired and just wanted to go to the room, we knew we could still have an authentic Irish meal with the restaurant right there. The bar was amazing, too. We ate there on our way to check-in at the hotel. It was pretty amazing. I got some hot wings and nachos. Absolutely nothing Irish about those, but I have to say those were the best nachos I have ever had. I am not sure if it was because I am pregnant or if they were really that good, but before we left I had to have them one more time, which I did. We tried a lot of food, and we enjoyed every single bit that we had.

We did the Hop On Hop Off bus tour since we were only there for a few days. We bought a public transportation pass to last us while we were there, and I bought us passes for all of the things we wanted to do in advance. This has worked well for us because we can skip the lines and plan ahead. I am such a planner that all of this is a must for us. It ends up saving you quite a bit of money in the end because you get 10-20% off on the sightseeing and some free for purchasing so many at once. It also allows you discounts to different shops, cafes, pubs, etc.

The first day we kept it simple. Since we flew in that morning and were running off of 4 hours of sleep, we decided to not try and make a big deal of it. We got "lost" in the city and just enjoyed being there. We actually even took a nap and ordered room service for dinner from the restaurant downstairs.

On the second day, We went to some Cathedrals, viewed their treasures and crypts. We went to their Christmas markets. On the same day, we toured the Guinness Factory. We enjoyed all of this. The Guinness Factory took us a while because it is 7 stories, but not only that, we ate there because I could not get the complimentary pint of Guinness, so instead I got a Guinness hamburger and Guinness Chocolates. Mr. Man got his Guinness, which he is not a beer drinker but he enjoyed it. He said it was really smoothed compared to any beer he has ever had. He also said it is much better than the Guinness he has had in the states.

The next day, we went straight to the Jameson Whiskey Factory. We were there at 9am. Leave it to the people from Louisiana to get their drink on bright and early in the morning.... :o) I must say that I am so glad we did this because they pick 8 people in the group to do some official whiskey taste testing. They choose 4 boys and 4 girls. There were 5 girls in the group, with me being the 5th. There were exactly 4 men in the group, so everyone got to do the taste testing. But everyone got a complimentary glass of whiskey. You could choose to have it with cranberry juice, coke, ginger ale, or straight. Of course, I just took lots of pictures and sat back and watched all the Americans down lots of whiskey. Yes, our group was almost all Americans. There was one girl from Germany, and that was it. We got to the end of tour and all the taste testers got their complimentary whiskey and 3 other shots of different whiskeys with one being Jameson, another being an American one, and another being a Scottish one. They went around the table discussing each of the whiskeys, then had to taste each one. At the end, they had to chose which one they enjoyed the most. Now going back to Mr. Man and I not being drinkers at all, Mr. Man has not gotten a taste for any type of alcohol, especially beer and whiskey. So they were both very fresh to him. He had tried some of them before, but he had not had any in an extremely long time. Everyone in the room that taste tested chose Jameson (of course!).  Since they did, they all got a nice certificate with their name stating that they were official whiskey taste testers with Jameson. That was pretty neat. After the tour (for those of you wondering), I asked Mr. Man if he really liked the Jameson better. His reply was similar to the one of the Guinness. That is it was the most smooth and subtle tasting one of them. After that, we went to some museums. One included Dublina and the Viking World, which was the story of the Viking's World. Another one was one of the Irish military, which discussed many different battles and wars. Another one was of the Dublin Castle. That was most of our day there.

To be honest, I am probably forgetting a lot of what we did. Once I look over the pictures again, I will probably think of a whole lot more that we saw and more stories to tell.

I can tell you that it was a great trip, mostly focussed around alcohol since it is a party town. But overall, it was a nice, relaxing visit. We knew it would be for us since we are "pub crawlers." The snow made it much more stunning. The atmosphere was absolutely fabulous. The people were so friendly and welcoming. The history was extremely interesting. Every thing about it was great.

So, I know I say this every time, but I do plan on posting some pictures once I get them uploaded.

I hope everyone else had a wonderful Thanksgiving, too!

Friends will be friends til the end!

So tonight was my final goodbye to two my dearest friends that I have made while here in the UK. We went out to dinner and just acted fools... talked about crazy girl things and celebrated the last week of being together. It was slightly depressing. Not too depressing, just slightly. I am so bummed that they will not be here when the baby is born or when I am nice and "plump."

But that's what it's about when you are a military spouse. You find friends, you leave friends or they leave you. But the good thing is that bond last forever because military friends are true supporters. I mean that is their job. So you have the satisfication of knowing that you will be friends until the end.

One of my friends, which has been my good friend since I have been here is also from Louisiana. Well, her husband is from Louisiana and she is from Mississippi. They got orders to Barksdale, LA! I am sooo stoked about it because that is where I am from and I know I will see them again. I am going to miss their kids so so much. Mr. Man and I really wanted to get one more outing with them before they headed out, but things have been so busy. It makes me sad, and Mr. Man may not be able to see them one last time, but we still have Facebook. Giggle. The infamous Facebook.

My other friend is going to Virginia. They are actually retiring and getting out, and that is where they chose to go. I have no desire to go to Virginia, but I would love for our to meet our bundle of joy once he/she gets here. There is the unknown... but once again, thanks to Facebook!

Saying goodbye is always so hard, especially when you make them family, but there is always more to look forward to. And we have lots of memories to cherish forever.

So until next time dear friends, I wish you the best and God Bless!

And yes, there will be a next time!

On another note, we leave for Ireland in 1 day! Yahooo!!!!!

Crib/Dresser-Halloween:

Over the weekend, we received our crib and dresser. At first, I was so worried that I was going to end up not liking it or it not matching the way I thought it would. But it worked out perfectly. I absolutely love it. I am so happy because it is exactly what I wanted. I originally really, really wanted a drop-side crib because I am so short, but as everyone knows they have been being recalled like crazy. They are also going out of style and so hard to find these days. We finally found one that we liked, but I was still scared about it. We put it in the room on Sunday, and it is perfect. It is so easy to work, has a drop-side, and matches everything already in there perfectly. I could not be happier.

Here is a picture of the set.

Since I never got around to telling everyone Happy Halloween, here it is!

These are from Week 17, the week of Halloween.

Veteran's Day

Mr. Man finally has a Veteran's Day off since being here in the UK, so we are going to enjoy it. I thought I would share some pictures. I hope you enjoy your Veteran's Day!! And remember our men and women in uniform.

Guest Post- Top 5 Unique Christmas Gifts

5 Unique Gifts for Children at Christmas

Come closer, huddle round, as what I am about to say needs to whispered... Utter it very quietly as its magic will spread amongst others like a fever, Christmas is coming and I am excited. That time of year is nearly upon us and we will soon be thinking of white snow, carols and most importantly gifts for our loved ones. We all know part of the excitement is seeing how your partner, friend, family or children react to opening your present so you always want to make sure you get them something that extra bit special. 

To save you being stuck for ideas we have tried to discover 5 of the most unusual, quirky and unique gifts for children this Christmas.

1. Wheelie Zip Bin

Christmas is time for children to play and have fun and the Wheelie Zip Bin is one way of guaranteeing this. Imagine a box full of tricks and that is lterally what it is! The bin is designed to look like a tyre and at the flick of its zipper it unfurls into a two lane vinyl and fabric racetrack with two pit areas at each end. Children can set it up on the floor or sofa and even on the backseat of a car which is perfect for entertaining the kids on long journeys.  Ingenious and imaginative, the track includes two metal race cars and slots for storing 12 standard Matchbox cars from your collection. Children will love making ramps out of household items for their cars to zoom down on and hours of fun for any child.

2. Character Themed Childrens Rugs

Every child has a cartoon favourite. We can all still remember who our favourite used to be and can still picture how we pretended to be them when we played. For those of us with children now, one of the most rewarding ways of improving their enjoyment around the house is to decorate their room with colours and cartoon characters they like. Now they can have a cartoon themed childrens rug in their room, directly beside their bed! Children can choose from Disney character rugs, football shaped rugs to Winnie the Pooh rugs and other stars.  Childrens rugs can also be used as an excellent play space for younger children.

3.       Personalised Childrens Books

Your child will love starring in their very own book. They can now be the hero or heroine in a wonderful personalised book. You can use your child’s name, age, home town, the first-names of three friends or relatives, and a personal dedication from you, and then the personalised story can begin. You get to select the type of stories your child will be involved in, ranging from an adventure to them scoring the winning goal in the Cup Final.  You can add the final touches to your story by providing details of hair & eye colour, skin tone & adding a personal message!

4.       Vtech Movie Magic Digicam

For all those Steven Spielberg wannabes out there! Lights! Camera! Action! This small handheld portable digicam is designed specifically for children. Durable and colourful it encourages children to become a movie director and shoot their very own home movies. We know how quickly children can get bored of toys during the festive period which is why the digicam has a range of features that will amuse the children. It has the option of adding special effects to your movies by changing the scenes, adding clip art and fun face-tracking animations. You can also insert fun borders and stamps to jazz up your photos so expect to see yourself in funny surroundings!

5.       Personalised Bunting

If you like home made boutique gifts then a personalised bunting set for your daughter is the perfect gift. The gorgeous bunting is made from a choice of beautiful fabrics and will be the envy of your daughter’s friends when it hangs on her bedroom wall. The bunting can be personalised with any name, date or message of your choice stitched on and finished with a choice of appliquéd design either end. You can even choose the colour scheme and pattern to go with the current bedroom interior of your child.

This article was written by Sam Murray in association with The Rug House

SLACKER! and Updates

I am such a slacker. Not really a slacker by any means, and I have to say I am proud of myself. Things have been so busy with everything going on that I do not have time to think much less throw myself out to the world. One of my 101 things to do in 101 days was to tell someone that I couldn't help them or do something for them whenever I already have plans. I have been doing it a lot lately, and I am so relieved. I still have been doing a lot, don't get me wrong. But I definitely stopped some nonsense that was taking place, and I am on the verge of stopping another one due to certain circumstances. Sadly, they will only be replaced with other responsibilities, but at least they will be more spread out and a variety of things versus the same stuff.

With that sad, my new 'to-do' is observing in the schools and volunteering at the different schools. I think I am going to very much enjoy it. I have been wanting to do this, but I was afraid if I did it too early, it would put a kink in things, which is why I waited. And I am so glad I think because that instinct was very much so correct. Soon I will be walking the school's halls again. Not the school I attended, but something other than my current classes. I am pretty excited and anxious about it.

Another thing is I have decided to spread my wings throughout the community instead of within certain areas. I did that a lot because those areas needed me really bad, but it looks like they are on their feet and going solid and I need a change. So it works out. I am excited to do that, too. I am happy that I made this decision while I still had quite a bit of time left here in the UK. I can get out and do some things, even with Mr. Man and enjoy this country while doing it.

The next 'to-do' that has been a 'to-do' for several weeks now is the baby! Of course. We finally finished the house 100%. The baby room is set up the way I want it, and now we are slowly just accumulating things that we will need. Neither one of us are in a rush to get everything, but we are both planners in the sense of not waiting last minute and making sure we have what we need before it is too late. It's been a nice adventure, and I am sure it will continue to be.

School is going really good. I am officially a Junior on papers. I was a Junior as far as credits go, but since I extended to get my break during the Christmas/New Years Holiday it is just now getting to paper. That is pretty darn exciting. I am taking my last Math class right now, which is also extremely exciting! From here, it will strictly be in the schools, volunteering, creating a portfolio, and nothing but Education classes. I am excited, super excited. I am super pumped!

Mr. Man is finally on regular shifts again, which is so nice. We started going to the gym together again, which I love. Even though it uses more gas since I have to drive to another gym that has showers and high enough weights for Mr. Man, I enjoy being with him more often and having that motivation. Mr. Man also has changed is workout for his goals for the winter time, so on his off days he told me he would start doing yoga with me right here at home. Pregnancy-approved yoga at that! He's pretty amazing if you ask me. Maybe I can sneak a video camera on day to later on show our child... haha. That would be priceless!

So I have been wanting to do a giveaway and I have been tossing it up between two options, so I will throw them out there and ya'll can take a vote. CSN has contacted me to do another giveaway, which I want to do. They have been sending me amazing discounts and products, and I have been wanting to share those with you all. If you are interested in that, let me know. The other one is themed around the UK. The things that I love here that are made here. I wanted to do this a while back when I reached the 200 readers, but things got crazy so I had decided to put it off. Now things are slowing down, and I am offering it. So which one? I can't decide, so you tell me what you think?

Have you thought about it? Came to a decision? Please let me know by leaving a comment so I can count your vote!

For now, it's time to get to doing some housework and cuddling up with my baby boy.

Pictures of Our Pouch:

So before I go all confusing everyone, the last pregnancy belly photos were still when I had a due date of March 23. When I went for my second appointment, they changed my due date to April 5, which put me back 2 weeks. So that is how I am going to list these, but do not get all confused like I did when I went through my last set of pregnancy photos! :) 

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15- At the top of Snowdon

Week 16

These are the next 5 from where I left off the last time. I know I said I would do 4 at a time for comparison, but I had to post the 5th ones because it was when I officially got my bump. I wanted you all to be able to see the difference. At 16.5 weeks I ended up having to take my belly ring out because it began stretching. This week I also had my first set of people rubbing on my belly, which I found extremely odd. I  hope you enjoy the pictures, and the next set will be pretty adorable, too!