How to Have Your Second Child First - by Kerry Colburn & Rob Sorensen

So for a while now I have been convinced that I want to somehow avoid the classic firstborn mistakes and pitfalls, with our baby on the way! So when I saw this book, wow, it spoke directly to me alright!! It is an awesome book, I think it should be required reading for all first time parents! It really helps take away fears, remove the paranoia, and gives great tips and suggestions for making it easy on yourself, simplifying, and helping avoid those classic first time mistakes. There are lots of great tidbits from second time parents throughout the book, along with the authors, who give such great words of wisdom. This is a very fun read and super practical!! :) It is a must!! (p.s. I found this one at the library as well, so if you're watching your expenses considering the baby on the way, check the library first!! :)

http://www.amazon.com/Have-Your-Second-Child-First/dp/0811869881/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319255145&sr=1-1

Full of Life - by Nancy O'Dell - Library or Amazon

This has been my VERY favorite pregnancy book thus far!! When I first saw it at the library, I thought it was just a cheesy little book by the Access Hollywood girl, and as I looked through it, it actually looked pretty good. I checked it out, brought it home, and I have to tell you, it has been SO helpful, just such a nice read -it was great to be able to relate and see what's ahead, what she dealt with, what's normal, and hear practical advice from things she learned, and even great maternity style wardrobe tips! Its a great feel good pregnancy book, not one of those that's overwhelming and packed with info, which I thought was refreshing! This I believe is an essential for the newly pregnant woman -- it'd make a great gift too!!

http://www.amazon.com/Full-Life-Mom---Mom-Pregnant/dp/1439110255/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319254623&sr=8-1

Bigelow Mint Medley Tea ICED

So when I was very sick in my first trimester of pregnancy, mint tea sounded good to me. My mother in law picked this up for me, and I made it, added honey, and poured it over tons of ice, and yum! So good! It might not sound good to you, but trust me, you'll be surprised! Its so refreshing and thirst quenching, you'll slurp it down! Whether pregnant & nauseated, or not, this iced mint tea is a keeper!!

Welch's Essentials Concord Grape Cranberry Juice - Safeway

So in my pregnancy so far, I have craved fruit juices and fruit pretty consistently, and in that have discovered some good new ones! I like grape juice but its a bit tart for me, and I usually don't buy it, and I like cranberry juice and usually buy the no sugar added kind. When I saw this mix of both of those juices, it looked good and was on sale so thought I'd give it a try. One word: YUM! It is primarily grape, but the cranberry mixed in it is so complimentary, and takes away the tartness of the grape which I usually didn't like. Such a tasty juice! And good for you!! It is hard to find, I have only found it at one store near us, so keep your eye out for it. And don't fall for any similar juices, they are just not as good as this particular one! ha.

Libman Freedom Spray Mop - Target

So in our apartment we lived in last year, the floors were granite (weird huh) in the kitchen/laundry/entryway/bathroom. Our swiffer wet jet mop seemed to do just fine on it and worked well (except sometimes I did feel it was a bit streaky or sticky, but minor.) Then we move to this brand new house this summer, that has tile patterned laminate flooring in the kitchen and three bathrooms, and the swiffer wet jet just didn't seem to clean well on it at all - very frustrating. After much thought and research, I ended up getting this Libman freedom mop, loving the option of using my own choice of cleaner (I like to use a 1/2 and 1/2 vinegar and water mixture), and the mop head being machine washable is great! Less waste, and even more than that, no need to spend money on disposable refills, yay!! Oh, and no batteries needed, the spray just works by a trigger that you pull with your finger up near the handle, genius! ha. So I spent $20 on the mop, tried it, and FELL IN LOVE!!! haha. Its so great, works well, is well made and I just love it, that's all there is to it. I am convinced this is one of the best mops you can purchase, unless you want to spend money on a costly steam mop (which look awesome but I just couldn't put the money out for that since we have mostly carpeting and a cheaper mop for our hard floors will do just fine). The Freedom mop is definitely worth a buy!! :)

http://www.libman.com/freedom-mop.aspx

Traveling Jewelry organizer - Container Store

So the exact one I have of this (which has more little pockets than shown) I am having trouble finding, but this is very similar and gives you the idea. Before I found this, I was always frustrated with how to best organize my jewelry, and before trips would pre-pick out what I was gonna wear and place it in a lovely ziploc, haha. After getting this, wow, all problems solved!! It hangs in my closet, but when time to go on a trip, I just take it down, fold it closed with the velcro closure, and it is such a great way to travel with all my jewelry in a compact way!! Definitely worth the money! I think I got mine on sale for $15. 

http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10024886&N=&Nao=0&Ntt=jewelry+organizer

Greek Yogurt as a substitute! - Safeway

So I just buy any Greek yogurt that's cheapest or on sale, I'm not particular about brands. I have recently learned that Greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream and mayonnaise, and have begun using it in things, and wow, its much healthier and you can't tell a difference! The tangyness and consistency is great, it can be blended in with lots of things!! So just this summer I began buying this yogurt for smoothies. Then, because I had it around, and was learning all about it from Rocco on TV :), I have now used it in a mayo/dijon dipping sauce for homemade fries (dijon mustard, a little mayo, yogurt, seasonings; blend), which was great. And in tuna salad (just used a little mayo to flavor it, and seasonings like usual), which was great as well! And as I had facebooked, my husband used it in mashed potatoes when we were out of sour cream, but accidentally used Vanilla flavored -- was weird; it was edible but not recommended. :) So make sure you buy PLAIN for all these!! I'm gonna try it in chicken salad, pasta salad & spinach dip next!! Give it a whirl!! :)