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My 2nd Pregnancy Essentials…

My 2nd Pregnancy Essentials…

I am 38/39 and currently pregnant with my second baby. This post will be on ongoing list of things I use/used during my pregnancy….and no particular order other than I attempted to sort by trimester. First Trimester Second Trimester

Product discount codes & coupons

Product discount codes & coupons

Hey, I love ButcherBox and I think you will too! They deliver 100% grass-fed beef, organic chicken, heritage breed pork, and wild caught seafood directly to your door with free shipping. I’m giving you $15 off your first box! You can thank me later… Click…

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs of Potatoes (red, russets, or golden (my favorite!)), peeled or unpeeled
  • 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (4oz) stick of butter, softened
  • 2 cups of dairy (whole milk, skim milk, half & half, cream, or a combination)
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions:

  1. Add the trivet and 1 cup of water to the instant pot.
  2. Arrange the potatoes in the instant pot by size, placing the largest potatoes at the bottom and the smallest potatoes on top. (This helps to ensure even cooking).
  3. Place the lid on and move the vent to the sealing position.
  4. Cook potatoes on high pressure for 15 minutes. You can release the pressure immediately or let the potatoes sit and natural pressure release. The potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork when they are done.
  5. Press the cancel button on your instant pot.
  6. Remove cooked potatoes with tongs, and discard the trivet and cooking liquid. Return potatoes to the now empty pot.
  7. Add the cream cheese and butter. Mash the potatoes (I prefer to use a hand mixer for this but a manual potato masher will work just fine).
  8. Add the salt, pepper, and dairy to the potatoes, and mix until combined.
  9. Enjoy immediately or place the instant pot cover back on to keep them warm.

Notes:

  • This recipe freezes BEAUTIFULLY. My favorite way to freeze extra mashed potatoes is to scoop they onto a silicon lined baking sheet, freeze until solid, and throw into a storage bag for later use. To reheat the frozen mashed potatoes there are so many options, simply thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat straight from frozen. Reheat in the microwave, pot on the stove, covered dish in the microwave, or a bowl over simmering water.
  • This recipe works with all sorts of potatoes, reds, russets, but my favorite is the golden or butter potatoes.

Check out my Vlog:

Homemade Powder Laundry Soap

Homemade Powder Laundry Soap

This recipe is quick and easy to remember, but more importantly it works really well on stains! I use this soap in my top loading washer, on the cold or warm water setting, for both my clothes and cloth diapers. It works great! Ingredients: 1…

Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes

Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes

This recipe uses sourdough starter which can be either fed or discard. I find the pancakes are a bit fluffier with fed sourdough so that is my preferred method. Ingredients: 2 cups fed sourdough starter 2 eggs 1 cup of pumpkin puree 1/4 cup of…

Homemade Taco Seasoning (Bulk Recipe)

Homemade Taco Seasoning (Bulk Recipe)

This recipe can be made in a quart mason jar, with a little head space to shake up all the spice to combine. The spice level is a mild level, and kid friendly.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Chili Powder
  • 1/2 cup Ground Cumin
  • 1/4 cup Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 cup Black Pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Garlic Powder
  • 2 tablespoons Onion Powder
  • 2 tablespoons Paprika
  • 2 tablespoons Oregano
  • 1/2 tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes

Cooking Instructions:

  1. Heat up a tablespoon of neutral oil in a skillet. Add and brown one pound of meat (ground beef, turkey, or pork).
  2. I choose not to drain my meat but you can if you want to.
  3. Add in 1/4 cup of the taco mix, followed by 1/4 cup of water.
  4. Stir to combine and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
  5. Enjoy!

Notes:

You can increase the spice but adding more red pepper flakes to the mix.

Check out my YouTube video:

Sourdough Waffles

Sourdough Waffles

Ingredients: 2 cups (454g) of fed sourdough starter (bubble and active) 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons of a neutral oil (avocado or melted coconut oil) 2 tablespoons of honey, or maple syrup 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda Directions:…

My Favorite Baby & Toddler Travel Things on Amazon…

My Favorite Baby & Toddler Travel Things on Amazon…

Below are links to some of my favorite travel gear for toddlers and babies. Check out my YouTube video at the end of this post

2022 Easter Gifts for My Kids …

2022 Easter Gifts for My Kids …

Below are some of the gifts I have purchased this year and last year.

LCD Writing Tablet Kids Toys – 10 Inch Learning Drawing Board Dinosaur Toys for 3 4 5 6 7 8 Year Old Boys Girls Birthday Gifts, Toddler Educational Doodle Pad Easter Gifts for Kids
Wooden Montessori Toys for Toddlers 1-3 Years Old, Carrot Toys Shape Size Sorting Game, Baby Easter Toys for Fine Motor Skill, Great Baby Easter Gifts Birthday Gift Toys
BeginAgain Color ‘N Eggs Matching Puzzle – Bilingual Wooden Colors – 2 and Up
Funky Egg Shakers Maracas for Kids – 6 Pack – Natural, Wooden Musical Stocking Stuffers Toy Percussion Instruments – basket Stuffers – Montessori Sound Making Shakers – Easter Design for Girls, Boys
Infantino Lil’ Nibble Teethers Carrot – Silicone Soft-Textured teether for Sensory Exploration and Teething Relief, with Easy to Hold Handles
Crayola Washable Watercolor Paints, 8 Primary Colors 
Crayola Egg Sidewalk Chalk, 6 Count Outdoor Toys, Gift for Kids

Some Easter and Spring Books We Love:

Easter Chunky Lift-a-Flap Board Book (Babies Love) (Lift the Flap) 
Little Blue Truck’s Springtime Board book – Lift the flap
Duck & Goose, Here Comes the Easter Bunny! Board book

Check out my YouTube vlog:

Baby #2 Nursery Tour!

Baby #2 Nursery Tour!

Below are all the items I could find links to that go along with my Baby #2 nursery tour up on my YouTube channel. Link to the video will be at the end of this blog post

Preparing for My 2nd Home Birth

Preparing for My 2nd Home Birth

I am going over everything my Birth Center recommends I have supply wise, and other things I need to do to prepare my space for my home birth this February 2022. Below are links to everything I talk about in my YouTube video: The website…

Revisiting Baby Registry – 2 Years Later

Revisiting Baby Registry – 2 Years Later

Back in 2019 I was an expecting first time parent, and my husband and I created an amazon baby registry of all the things we thought we would need. This blog post goes along with my YouTube vlog which is linked below, and there I talk about all the pros and cons of each product.

Graco Modes Bassinet Travel System

https://www.babylist.com/gp/graco-modes-bassinet-travel-system/15319/252031?utm_source=g&utm_medium=paid-search&utm_campaign=Shopping-Exclusives-Brand&utm_term=130592789014&utm_content=573215625492&gclid=CjwKCAiAxJSPBhAoEiwAeO_fP3yYvFdhjOyhIxxAxyJGlv2jrZxgIdPKxUl82pMtAosEsLapAId4CBoCT9oQAvD_BwE

For my opinions, the good and the bad, on all the products above check out my Vlog on my YouTube channel linked below: