Good Eats and Pregnancy Treats

Once my morning sickness (alright let's be honest, it was more like "all day sickness") subsided around week 16, I truly have enjoyed every minute of being pregnant. I know this is not the case with all women, so I feel pretty lucky and blessed to have had such a smooth ride.

There are definitely some things that have made my pregnancy more enjoyable that include treating myself to certain foods, products and activities.

First up, my favorite pregnancy "Good Eats"

1. Andre's Confiserie Suisse.

For those of you lucky enough to live in Kansas City, you know what I'm talking about. This place serves the most fantastic authentic Swiss lunches that not only leave you feeling a little spoiled, but immensely satisfied. I started treating myself to weekly Andre's lunches in March. In July I upped my lunches to twice a week. And now that I'm in the home stretch, I'm going three times a week. One might say this is a little excessive. But I honestly look forward to seeing the women at Andre's when I pick up my lunch, trying something new or indulging in a favorite item. Some of my favorites include: Risotto, Vol au Vent, Ravioli, Pork Grandmere, Eggplant Thomas, Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes and the Ham and Cheese Croissants. Each entree comes with a salad, carrots, beets or another veggie; and fabulous roll; a drink (iced-tea with a lemon for me) and a choice of their amazing desserts. This has been by far and away my favorite treat to myself (and to Baby Ernie!).

2. Shatto Milk.

I know that I had heard of Shatto Milk (another amazing product of the Kansas City area), but I had never tried it before I became pregnant. This stuff is pure gold. Not only is it local, but it is hormone free and packaged in these glass bottles that you bring back to the store to get a cash credit towards your next purchase. Shatto also makes the most tasty whole milk in fabulous flavors including Root Beer, Strawberry, Banana, Chocolate and Orange Dream. This local dairy farm also offers tours, and I can't wait to take Baby Ernie!

3. Fiber One.

When you are pregnant, you need all of the fiber you can get. These two products taste fantastic and quickly became a part of my morning breakfast routine. The Banana Chocolate Chip muffins are fabulous for breakfast on the go. Just pop one into the microwave for 30 seconds, and you have a warm gooey treat for the road. The Oats and Apple Streusel bars are a nice fruity treat as well.




 
4. Fage Greek Yogurt.

This amazing Greek yogurt also made its way to my daily morning snack routine. It is so tasty and the honey adds so much goodness. You can also find this yogurt accompanied by strawberries, cherries, blueberries and peaches.

5. Haagen-Dazs.

Really, any ice cream will do. But this stuff is heaven on earth, and it helps that it is a bit more guilt-free. In love with this taste.

6. Metromint.

If you have never tried this water, you need to go out and get some. Not only is this totally refreshing, but it is packaged in such a cute, mod bottle that you will want to refill it over and over again. I'm hooked on the orange mint and lemon mint flavors, but have also tried the chocolate mint and spearmint and really like them too. This would have been great to drink during the morning sickness phase, but I didn't discover it until only a few months ago.

Now for the "Pregnancy Treats"

1. Spa Treatments.

Your body goes through so much being pregnant that you really need to pamper yourself a bit. My salon of choice is Bijin Salon and Spa in Prairie Village. I'm so glad that I took the time out to get monthly pre-natal massages, along with occasional special treats of manicures, pedicures and facials. The massages were an absolute must and I highly recommend them.

2. Snoogle.

Sleep (for me) has been not sound or long for many many months, and I'm sure it is just going to get worse once Baby Ernie gets here. But, this body pillow helps to make what little sleep I get as comfortable as possible. The Snoogle is a must. Even Greg tries to steal it from me when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. This is definitely a good investment for the duration of pregnancy and beyond. I've since added more pillows to my night time regimen, almost like I'm sleeping in a canoe of pillows. But it works in helping me get a somewhat good night of sleep.





3. Mama Mio Tummy Rub.

This stuff is hands-down awesome. I'm not sure if I truly believe that it wards off stretch marks (even though I still don't have any, knock on wood), it definitely does a great job of making your skin feel soft and luxurious. This cream smells great, and I've already gone through two tubs of it. You can order it online, but I also found it at Destination Maternity.

4. Burt's Bees.

Another great skin care line is, of course, Burt's Bees. I alternate my stretch mark avoidance regimen with the Mama Mio Tummy Rub at night and the Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil in the morning. This oil from Burt's Bees feels like you are rubbing lemon-scented olive oil on your stomach, but it must be working because I don't have any stretch marks, just sayin'.

I also love the Fabulously Fresh Peppermint and Rosemary Body Bar. It leaves your skin feeling tingly all over and has a great scent to wake you up in the morning.

5. Aveeno Bath and Shower Oil.

If you have itchy skin like me, this product truly has healing powers. It soothes skin like no other and leaves skin feeling soft all day long. It has a great almond scent too. I've been using this shower oil for years, and it has helped throughout my pregnancy as well. This one is a keeper.











6. Gap Pure Body Foldover Pants.

I picked up these pants when I was shopping for comfortable hospital attire and post-pregnancy/nursing gear. Needless to say, I have already worn them close to 50 times. I absolutely love these pants! Stretchy, comfortable and super soft. I have the nickel color, although I think they look more plum. Pick up a pair and thank me later.