Tuesday, January 31, 2012

we're halfway there!

Well, I made it halfway through. At about 20 weeks we got confirmation it's a girl! Ava is head down....all the way down. I also can't hide this bump any longer. I am definitely a little bigger this time around but not by much. She is rolling around and we have had a couple outside kicks, but Jeff has yet to feel them which of course bums him out. But all in good time I tell him. Soon enough she'll be trying to burst her way out just like her big brother.

Friday, January 27, 2012

you paid how much!?!

So I admit, I am often fond of pricey things and once I'm stuck on something, I can't get it out of my head until I have it. I think the "you want what you can't have" theory just might be true! Well, clearly that just doesn't work for a family with a limited budget. On occasion I find something and it's on sale or clearance or I have found a way to create it for half the price. All of my inspiration for Ava's room have come from a number of blogs with these fantastic nurseries that are just drop dead gorgeous. Of course most of them have these big budgets I just don't have. And quite frankly I still would want to find everything at a discount even if I had tons to spend. I just can't stomach $1-2k on a tiny dresser or crib. Just think of all the shoes I can buy with that! So that brings me to my ultimate nursery splurge (ok, not really). I spotted this pillow in a nursery and it was perfect. Just perfect. Until I found out it was Serena & Lily and $88. HOW MUCH!? Yes, I said $88. For a toss pillow. Let's get real, no baby needs an $88 dollar accessory in their room. But of course I had to have it. I mean, it was perfect. So after a little time had passed I visit the website again and see this perfect pillow is on sale. For $39! Now that was getting closer to my style. But still, I waited on it. It would still be over $50 with tax and shipping and I was trying to be cheap. Well, sure enough, my cheapness paid off. I got an email with big letters "ALL SALE ITEMS, TAKE AN ADDITIONAL 40% OFF". Um, exsqueeze me? It was like music to my ears. I bought it without a single regret and it is fantastic!

Serena & Lily Punch Bloom Throw Pillow

(if you see something you love on sale, use code extra40 at checkout for an additional 40% off)

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

a name for our daughter

When I got pregnant with Ashton, picking out names was one of the hardest things we went through. We both disliked majority of the boy names out there. All I knew was Avery would be the middle name. That was easy. It was my great grandfather's name and had been passed down to my dad and then to my sister and brother along with one of my cousins (don't quote me on that). I found Ashton on a name website and we both loved it. Naming a daughter I thought would be a breeze. I had loved Ava for a few years and really wanted it. I definitely kept my options open but unfortunately Jeff disliked every single name I suggested except Ava. Now I wanted to be set on Ava but I swear if one more person tells me it's too popular I'm going to scream. I have yet to meet an Ava nor do I know anyone who knows an Ava. And really, it's no where near as popular as some of the names of my generation. How many Jennifers, Jessicas, and Sarahs do you know? Yup, about a dozen each. For the past 30 years Emily has been topping the charts....I've known like 4 in my lifetime. So clearly, those name lists mean nothing and I'm going with my gut. Ava it is! Oh and she'll have a middle name...someday! But that's another battle Jeff and I will have to overcome.

Monday, January 23, 2012

shrimp ceviche and chicken tacos

Have I mentioned my husband is an amazing cook? Well he is and I love him for it. I came home from work to homemade shrimp ceviche and chicken tacos. To my recollection I had never had ceviche and only had heard about how much Jeff loved it. I was delightfully surprised at how yummy it was with tortilla chips. Top it off with chicken tacos and you had one happy mama!



Shrimp Ceviche

1 pound medium shrimp. cooked and quartered
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 jalapeño, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
9 limes
3T each salt, pepper, garlic powder & chili powder

Juice all limes. Mix in shrimp and all powders. Add all remaining ingredients, stir. Serve with tortilla chips.

Friday, January 13, 2012

a nursery plan

You will likely see a lot of posts about the upcoming nursery. Like I mentioned before...it's on my mind constantly. Polyvore is a great web site for creating room layouts and outfits better known as mood boards. I gathered some of my favorite ideas and came up with my own mood board for the room. I love how nicely everything looks outside of my head.

Baby Ava's Nursery

Thursday, January 12, 2012

breakfast for dinner

I always love when Jeff is home in the evenings. His work schedule is all over the place so we get just a few nights together. I not only get the company of my husband, but I usually get a yummy meal. He's an excellent cook and I definitely plan on keeping him around! He mentioned making french toast for dinner since we somehow have an abundance of bread in the house. This idea got an immediate heck yes as I looove breakfast. Especially breakfast for dinner. I practically demanded it when I got home and made sure he was making his delicious potatoes to go along with it. We devoured our meal and snuggled up on the couch and watched some Whitney and the new Are you there, Chelsea?. Couldn't have been better!
Did I mention we ate on paper plates so we didn't have to clean as many dishes!? 

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

coloring!

Ashton was showing a lot of interest in coloring while we'd be out to eat. We got him some crayons for Christmas but I completely spaced on a coloring book. While shopping at Michael's over the weekend I found this huge toddler book by Crayola. It was perfect. They even had the jumbo triangle crayons I had been on the hunt for the day before. Unfortunately out of the 4 they had, almost every one was damaged. I found one with some small rips on the cover and got 10% off plus my 40% coupon! SCORE!

As you can see, coloring takes a lot out of you. He had to lay down and regain his strength. ;)

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

changing tray revamp

One thing I loved about Ashton's nursery furniture is that the dressers were usable for years to come. The smaller 3 drawer dresser served as a changing table with it's removable changing tray. We plan to use the same concept this time around when hunting for the perfect dresser. While browsing the tons of nursery blogs, I have seen a common trend using this same idea. While some have the changing pad by itself on top, many others have used a tray for the pad to lie in. I loved the idea of using the tray for an additional pop of color. So of course I was excited when I realized I had the tray already.  Excuse the horrible pics...I swear my iphone is slowly shutting down with the camera being the first to go.

I did a light sand over the tray and purchased a sample of Behr's Spring Song. It's coming along great. I promise to get better shots once it is all done.  

Thursday, January 5, 2012

when one project ends, another begins

With the holidays over, there wasn't quite as much interest in new projects. It was an extremely busy time of the year and we definitely needed some rest to catch up. But just when I thought I was starting a break, we found out the sex of the new baby. I mentally started planning the nursery and of course Pinterest sucked me in to full planning mode.
I wanted to pick the colors before making any other decisions. I found it much easier to start with choosing a wall color and going from there. So here it is...the final decision. Wall color is Valspar's Aqua Glow. Accents throughout the room in Behr's Spring Song. Stay tuned for more nursery updates!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

new blog, new year

For months I have wanted to start a blog. I didn't know what kind of stuff I would put in it, but I still wanted to attempt it. With the start of 2012 and a new addition to our family on the way, I decided to jump right in. Jeff has probably heard of blogging but doesn't quite know what it's all about. Nonetheless, he was excited for my new venture into the blog world. We look forward to keeping our friends and family updated with the latest and greatest of the Magaña family!