Window shopping for....pjs.

A couple years ago I was in New York shopping at Takashimaya and I found the most gorgeous pajamas I have ever seen. A long sleeve top and pants set in that white cotton that feels like it is vintage and has been washed 100 times. So soft. So tempting. So expensive. (Over $300 for the set....on sale.) Since then I have thought longingly of those pajamas. You know, pajamas are a great investment. You wear them more than almost any other garment. I'm not paying $300 for them, but as I am going to be recovering from a C-section soon, I am have been doing some serious online shopping trying to find something amazing. So far....

These are sexy, modest and flattering. I even love the color. Still a bit pricey though.

This pink set looks luscious. And so great for nursing!

These look comfy, and they are on sale.

This set would be very forgiving right after having a baby. Not loving the color though. Better in black. And I don't like the model's hair, so that is throwing me.

This set would be great for the hot summer.

I actually have this gown. I bought it to wear in the hospital after having Lydia. I love it, but I don't wear it around Shane on a normal basis. It is a little Mumu for him. I want pjs that are this comfortable, but in pants. Farmer's wife comfy, modern wife sexy. Any ideas?

P.S. If you live around the Chattanooga area, make sure to check out yesterday's giveaway and check back tomorrow for a new one. I am in a giving mood this week :)

Best of Chattanooga - Southern Belle Giveaway

Back in September, I mentioned that I wanted to do monthly "Best of Chattanooga" post, focusing on some of my favorite aspects of my lovely new hometown. I have let that slide a bit. To make up for it, this week I am going have 3 Chattanooga themed giveaways for those of you who live in this area. All I ask it that if you enter, you live close enough to take advantage of the prize within the next few months.

The first is for Chattanooga's "Best Romantic Outing". I can't think of anything more Chattanoogan than "The Southern Belle Riverboat".

Shane and I recently went on one of the boat's dinner cruises. Prime Rib, a nighttime tour of the Tennessee River, live music and dancing. It was like a 3 hour vacation. (We did not take Lydia.) It would be the perfect anniversary or birthday destination. After the delicious dinner, Shane and I spent most of the evening on the deck, enjoying the crisp night air, watching the water and the beautiful homes along the river. Whether you want something social and fun, or a more quiet escape, the Southern Belle provides it. They also have daytime cruises as well.

Want to go? The Southern Belle is offering one reader two tickets for a Dinner Cruise.

To enter, simply comment on this post what event you would like to celebrate on the Southern Belle. For a second entry, mention that you are a Natalie's Sentiments subscriber/reader/follower in a separate comment. I will announce the randomly selected winner on April 27th. Good luck!

Ready

I will be 8 1/2 months along tomorrow. It's countdown time. I looked in the mirror yesterday and realized I looked exactly like a big ripe watermelon. Which is funny since my Dad used to call me the "Watermelon Girl". Still does now that I think of it. Drop a few watermelons as a child and you never live it down. Kind of excited to get this huge watermelon out from under my shirt.

Why is everyone training?!

I laughed so hard I cried when I read the "What White People Like" post about Marathons. Everyone I know is currently training for a half marathon. Seriously, like 67.3% of everyone I know. I recently got on Facebook and have reconnected with dozens of old friends. Basically they tell me about their kids or job, what they know about mutual friends....and that they are training for a half-marathon. Even Shane! When his doctor told him to lay off running for a month to give his knee a rest, I thought I saw a glimmer of a tear. Now he is back on the wagon and doing Internet searches about $300 running watches and the best running shoes. We have Powerade in our fridge. Powerade! -


Not that it isn't great that people are running, but why all the sudden? As a side note- An idea for GM Motors. Need something lucrative to do while waiting for the American public to start buying cars again? Put your engineers to work designing a sports bra for those of us "well endowed" women for hi-intensity activity. There is nothing that annoys me more than seeing a sports bra that is great for A-B cups for hi-intensity (running), C cups for medium intensity (spin and step-aerobic) and D-DD cups for low-intesity (Yoga). Thanks a lot. A bra that keeps things under control when I am basically not moving. Design me a sports bra that I can RUN in, and maybe I will train for a half-marathon too. Well, probably not, but I will go for a nice jog every once in a while.

(If you are wondering - I wear two bras at the same time when I go to the gym. And no, it isn't comfortable.)

Side note - "The Secret is in the Sauce" girls are having a great auction today for a wonderful cause. I have some jewelry being auctioned off. If you have a moment, check it out!

A Little Blog Spring Cleaning.

You may have noticed that I have deleted my other blog called "Natalie's Essays" I just wasn't keeping it up. Besides, I'm not allowed to do real Spring Cleaning, so I might as well tidy my blog up. It was relatively simple to move the posts over to this blog, but the only reason I hadn't deleted it sooner was that I didn't want to lose all the great comments. Oh well. If for some reason you never got to read them, I have linked my favorite posts here:

My Thoughts on Living in the South.

My Motherhood Game Plan.

Getting What You Want.

New Years Resolutions.

Baby Update....

Great News! After two weeks of basically nonstop sitting and drinking water, I was able to get my amniotic fluid up to normal levels! Yea!!! No bed rest for me! I still have to maintain this sedentary lifestyle for the next 5 weeks, but compared to staying in bed constantly, I'll take it. Lydia and I are doing our best to stay occupied at home. We take baths, play board games and read stories. Somehow I have managed to keep her TV to only about 60 -90 minutes a day. Our big outing for the week is a trip to story time at the library. Shane has been fantastic about handling most of the housework and cooking. Yesterday I asked him just to make eggs and ham for dinner. When he brought me my plate I saw that he added rosemary and Parmesan to the eggs. What the gourmet :) It is still crazy hard to keep myself from doing all of the things that need to be done before the baby gets here. I really thought that I would have everything organized in plenty of time. Oh well. Better a healthy baby than a perfectly set up nursery. And I can't complain about a nap everyday. I can do this for 5 more weeks. I'm not sure my stomach is going to be able to stretch anymore though. Is it strange that I have cried like 6 times already today. One of the incidents was when reading "Frog On His Own". These pregnancy hormones are nuts. Luckily, I still have lots of Easter chocolate left....

Needed a smile today. This did the trick.

One last Easter post....

Please forgive so many Easter pics. I print my blog as my scrapbook so I like to memorex my holiday festivites. And I know my mom likes it.

Shane's Basket - with a little bunny for our baby....coming in about 5 weeks!

Lydia's Basket.

My basket.

Lydia went straight for the Princess slippers. They were stuck. :)

Shane made pink Easter pancakes with Lydia. He has quite the talent I must say.

Last minute Easter outfit. I thought she looked lovely.


This photo is from last years meal, but we had the exact same meal this year. I love funeral pototoes. I could eat the whole pan. Yum.

We invited some friends over for a little dessert and and an Easter Egg hunt. Yes, Lydia and her friend, Isabella, are wearing matching cardigans :) Her mom and I were both looking for them with the instructions that whomever found them first, buy two. Yellow makes me happy. (Shane got a yellow polo in his basket.)

On the hunt.

I just made crème brûlée for Valentines day, but when a friend gave me these ramekins, I really had to pull out the blow torch again.

What? You wanted a closer view of what was in my basket? Don't you love an Easter Bunny who lets you choose what you find in your basket? I needed a new wallet anyway, but when I saw the matching purse I told Shane it could be my "Push Gift" :) (Not that I really expected one.) I know that I have been talking about yellow a lot, but truly, black is my color.

Winner!

The randomly chosen winner for The Baby's Bundle Giveaway is Dana! Congrats! Email me your address and I will get you your prize. Stay tuned, more great giveaways to come.

After church today, Lydia was quietly talking to herself over lunch and I heard her say “He died”

I asked “Who died?”

She looked up and replied. “Jesus.”

“What happened then?”

“He was put in a tomb and then 2 angels came and after three days he was corrected”.

“Do you mean resurrected?”

“Oh, yes. And Mary came too and she was really happy.”

I wasn’t expecting to hear the Easter story from my 3 year old today, especially since I haven’t really taught her that story myself. I just thought it was a little advanced for her, but obviously I was wrong. My thanks to the nursery leaders who teach my little girl. Hearing her simple story was the best Easter gift I could ever receive. I hope you all have as lovely Easter as we are having.

(Not the best photo of me, my pregnancy weight has obviously made it to my face, but incredibly we are all smiling! I think that has only happened one other time, and that is the photo on my sidebar. )