Friday Round Up

driving buddy - breakfast take 2 - autumn walk

sausage casserole - baby savings - giant tuna melt

who needs dog toys? - pregnant nails are good nails - big breakfast and an optimistic dog

instagram - madeupoflittlethings

Another week gone, just two weeks until my due date ... eek! I've really been feeling it this week, I'm ready to not be pregnant any more and really, really hoping to not go overdue

This week I've been batch cooking and freezing meals as planned, so far we have a bolognese, cottage pie filling, chicken cacciatore and sausage casserole in stock. It's given me chance to get to know the Aga a bit better - what to cook where and for how long etc. It's also brilliant to have constant heat, no pre heating required! On the downside, it's far too easy to pop a toastie on the simmering plate for lunch ... my cheese intake has gone through the roof! Matt even made his first roast dinner this week - a roast chicken which was the juiciest I've ever eaten and came with all the trimmings. I was most impressed

As well as its amazing cooking abilities the Aga provides a constant, comforting warmth to the kitchen and beyond, meaning that we are getting very little done these days. Sitting in the soporific cocoon of the kitchen results in such a sleepy feeling that we end up in an almost trance like state! 

Earlier in the week I treated my poor swollen feet to a deluxe pedicure which has made me feel a lot better about my poor neglected trotters. I haven't been able to reach them properly for months! I also had ear candling done whilst I was at the salon, something I'd been meaning to do for ages. The therapist massaged my face whilst the candles were burning which was lovely but I really haven't been able to relax enough to enjoy any beauty treatments whilst I've been pregnant - I just can't get comfortable enough. I'm really looking forward to treating myself to a massage and wrap once the baby is born and settled in with us

On Friday I took my best friend Liz out for a birthday tea at a new Italian restaurant in a nearby town. The food was amazing! I had deep fried goats cheese salad to start, followed by a fillet steak with peppercorn sauce and Liz had scallops wrapped in parma ham followed by lobster ravioli. The baby had a chocolate ice cream sundae for pudding :)

Today I'm going to be washing baby clothes in readiness for our imminent arrival. The cot we ordered in July has been delayed until November which has really annoyed me, so the supplier (Mamas and Papas - steer clear of them!) are sending us a free Moses basket and stand so that we have somewhere for the baby to sleep until then. I need to order some bedding for it but apart from that we're pretty much done with baby shopping. We don't have many clothes yet as we want to wait until we know whether we have a boy or a girl before buying more - at the minute we've just got a lot of white clothes! I have emptied The Change Drawer from our old house and have nearly finished counting and banking all the coins - we're nearly up to £500 already! This has all gone into a savings account for the baby so we can go shopping mad when he or she arrives :)

This week I'm planning to finish reading my 'birth preparation' books, do lots of natal hypnotherapy and FINISH PACKING THE BLOODY HOSPITAL BAG! It's still not done - I think I've been putting it off because it makes things feel a bit too real but there's no sense in that - things are real!

Finally, if you don't follow Amy's blog, pop on over and have a peep today. She and her husband welcomed their gorgeous baby boy into the world this week after a horribly difficult time - I've been following her (extremely stylish) pregnancy and have been so excited to see their little bundle. I'm so happy for them :)

Have a great week everyone!